Mc Shan Play It Again

The last time we checked in with MC Shan was on his 1988 sophomore effort, Born To Be Wild, which I felt was average at best (you can read my complete thoughts on BTBW by clicking this link), and I'd exist willing to bet the majority of those who heard the album would hold. I'm as well certain that one person will read this mail service and tell me that I don't know shit almost hip-hop and proclaim Born To Be Wild as the greatest anthology always fabricated, which is cool; considering art is subjective, and we can agree to disagree. Two years later, Shan would return in 1990 to release his third and final album on Cold Chillin', Play It Over again, Shan.

For his first two albums, Shan relied solely on Marley Marl to sonically shape the sound of his music. This time around, Marley doesn't receive a single production credit. Instead, Shan, forth with John Ficarrotta (whom from this point on, I'll only refer to as "Shan-John") would produce the entire album. PIAS would produce a few trivial singles that resulted in poor albums sells, which may be the reason Shan was dropped from Cold Chillin' after its release. Shan claims his disappearance from the industry was fueled past record exec and television producer, Benny Medina, who allegedly had him blackness-balled later Shan refused his sexual advances and called him the f-word that rhymes with maggot. Shan also claims his refusal to sleep with Benny toll him the role that Will Smith would eventually get as the atomic number 82 man on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Personally, I find his first claim more believable than the latter.

Let's jump into Play It Once again, Shan and promise it doesn't sound as corny every bit the album cover looks.

Ain't It Adept To You – This song starts with an epically funky break beat, earlier suddenly morphing into a techno beat that Shan uses to boast and talk his shit over. I could have done without the female vocalist (Carole Davis) on the hook, but Shan finds his pocket and gives up quality bars; and I actually enjoyed the instrumental.

I Ran The Game – Shan spins a tale about two chicks he met in Wisconsin, Vivian and Polly, who have an elaborate plan to "wine and work him" over for his loot. But little do they know that Shan is scheming too (side note: Shan'south description of Polly'due south "big assuming ass and rhinestone tits" sure sounds succulent!). Shan'due south story gets a petty difficult to follow during the middle portion and the ending is anticlimactic, just it'south yet non a terrible song.

Ain't It Funkin' – Shan continues to prove he can spit solid bars, equally he flows over the mystical sounds of Barry White'due south "I'm Gonna Dear You Only A Trivial More Baby" and a funky harmonica loop. This was pretty dope.

Information technology Ain't A Hip-Hop Record – Shan-John hooks up a business firm beat out that Shan uses to spend half of the song explaining why this is not a hip-hop record, and the other half telling u.s.a. that it's built on a hip-hop foundation. Contradiction, much. Shan sounds confused, the instrumental was dull, and you volition always lose cool points for repeating the same poesy twice in a vocal.

Death Was Quite A Surprise – Shan uses this drab properties to share a tale about a dude named Tic-Tac, who goes from beingness a humble kid earning his money legitimately to a big fourth dimension drug dealer; and I'm sure yous figured out from the song title that things don't stop well for Tic Tac (I'm convinced the only reason Shan used Tic-Tac for the main graphic symbol'southward name was to go off the "Tic-Tac'due south toe" line on the terminal poesy). The instrumental and the storyline were blah, but I did savour the Richard Pryor song sample (which kind of sounds like Marley Marl's drunk uncle adlib voice) on the hook.

Walking On Sunshine – Shan-John hooks upwards stripped-down drums for Shan to talk his shit over, and they cleverly bring in a rough stone guitar loop and a smooth vocal harmony sample (courtesy of Primal Line) in between the verses. This was dope, and hands one of the strongest songs on PIAS.

Rock Stuff – Based on the song title and the experimental experience of PIAS then far, I thought for certain our host was going to rap over a rock-flavored instrumental. Instead, he uses the plain Jane backdrop to rap a PSA nigh the dangers of scissure cocaine. It was a noble human action to brand an anti-drug tape, but that doesn't negate the fact that this shit was corny.

Clap Your Hands – Shan takes a potty break and lets the female duo, M+M (pronounced "Thousand and M" like the classic candy and the allonym of the legendary Detroit emcee, Marshall Mathers) agree things down while he tinkles. From the rhymes to the instrumental, this is nothing more a poorly executed imitation of JJ Fad's "Supersonic". Next…

Music You Can Dance To – Shan attempts to fuse country music with hip-hop on this one. Like y'all probably surmised after you read the previous sentence, it doesn't work. The only dancing this song made me think about doing was a foursquare dance…and they all promenade.

Time For U.s.a. To Defend Ourselves – Shan-John combines bangin' drums with a nighttime, blusterous and eerie sample to gear up the mood for Shan's dimly lit content about police brutality in the black community: "Tales from the rhyme side, fact or fiction, I look at justice every bit hurting infliction, sit down back, relax while I bosom this, there'south a large loophole in justice, law enforcement to serve and protect, but in my neighborhood they break your cervix, constabulary are ruthless-minded, wicked and villainous, just not just I see your killin' us". Thirty years after, and Shan'south content couldn't be more relevant.

It Don't Mean A Thing – Shan continues to throw shit against the wall to see if information technology'll stick. This time he dabbles with a become-become beat and spews rhymes aimed at getting the listeners off their butts and on to the trip the light fantastic floor. The hook (which borrows the refrain from Ella Fitzgerald's classic of the same proper noun and is sung by Carole Davis) is borderline laughable and Shan's rhymes are fluff, but I kind of enjoyed the go-go groove on this one…in a guilty pleasance kind of fashion.

I Want To Cheers – Shan continues to attempt new things on PIAS. This time lickin' his singing chops for the beginning two verses and rapping nigh his gratitude for the lady he loves on the concluding verse. Shan receives a few helping hands, equally he invites Kadejia Bass and Julia Brereton to sing the hook on this song that sounds like a hybrid between Taylor Dayne's "Tell It To My Center" and Shannon's "Let The Music Play". This was a breathy popular crossover endeavor that failed, miserably.

Got To Be Funky – Shan is joined on the mic by his lady, Terri (who also graces the album cover, along with their son, Lil' Shan aka Practise-Do.), and the lovebirds take turns trying to out rap each other over a smooth vanquish and slim-thick bass line. Much respect to Shan for letting his Queen get a little shine time, but she shouldn't be rappin'; and even though the instrumental was pleasant, this song shouldn't exist.

Mic Line – Shan'southward dorsum on his emcee shit with this one, as he spits adequate battle confined. The rhymes would have shined brighter over a stronger instrumental and without the corny hook.

How I Feel About Yous – Shan closes the album with a dark instrumental that finds our host questioning the skeptical behavior of his lady, and things come up to a climactic ending on the final poetry. This was mildly enjoyable.

Play It Again, Shan sounds like our host was making a terminal-ditch attempt at obtaining some grade of commercial success. Shan throws caution to the wind and dabbles with rock, country, techno, house, become-go, pop; hell, he even tries to sing on a record. Shan was still a competent emcee in 1990, and delivers some decent confined on PIAS, but all the experimentations consequence in a lackluster heed that runs a bit also long. PIAS isn't all bad, as there are a handful of solid records. But inside a fifteen vocal tracklist, those scattering of songs rapidly get lost in the conflux of mediocrity and cornball, and ultimately, our host's (wait for it) Shan-nanigans (*rimshot*) do the anthology in.

-Deedub

jacksonsamplim.blogspot.com

Source: https://timeisillmatic.me/2021/07/13/mc-shan-play-it-again-shan-april-11-1990/

Share this post