Brand New Bein' - Sadat X

A year after a rather uneven effort, Brand Nubian founding member Sadat X makes a strong return to form with Brand New Bein', thanks in part to a creative partnership with DJ/producer JS-1 of the legendary Rock Steady Crew. From the start, Sadat and JS-1 let listeners know what they're in for -- 21st century boom-bap that can't deny its old-school nostalgia-- as they rework the Brand Nubian classic "All for One." A subsequent collaboration with C.L. Smooth, "Nuthin,'" has its share of charismatic lyricism but JS-1's beats -- driven by a piercing saxophone line -- can't help but bring C.L.'s best-known work with Pete Rock to mind. Later, Sadat gets downright belligerent on the rugged, dancehall-themed "Go Slow," speaking on the state of hip-hop ("Don't label me underground 'cause that means no money/That's a term they made to keep real dudes from gettin' paid") while Rahzel handles the hook on "Blow Up," doing his best Biggie impression as he vocally scratches up a line from the late great Notorious ("Blow up the spot with my man Sadat") as X and KRS-One trade verbal jabs over a stumbling piano loop. On the production end, DJ JS-1 sticks to a beats-by-numbers formula, composing his hooks with a barrage of furiously scratched-up vocal samples. This approach never fails to entertain, but not all of his actual backing beats are up to par with his scratch skills and, like Pete Rock, his instrumental interludes sometimes outshine the full-length tracks. Still, when the man is on point, his beats stand up to any other producer in the rap game. Case in point, the extraordinary "Goin' Back": where Sadat takes a stroll down memory lane reciting a long list of his musical influences, peers, and collaborators. JS-1 manages to keep up with X's name-dropping by incorporating elements of songs by the artists he names into the beat while cutting up some of their most memorable lines. Surprisingly, the record's low point is the token Brand Nubian joint (also the title track), which sees Lord Jamar adopting an uncharacteristically silly singsong flow; a mediocre effort in light of the crew's achievements over the years. Elsewhere, Sadat passes the mic to Bronx rapper Poison Pen over a menacing street-level track on "Unforgettable." While Poison Pen is an excellent battle MC and plays his part well, his gravelly flow and verbal threats just don't match with X's quirky lyrics ("My gray hairs is like vitamin water/You formally invited to a slaughter") and unconventional delivery. Brand New Bein's most entertaining moments come when Sadat is paired with other similarly singular old-school survivors (namely KRS, C.L. Smooth and, most of all, Craig G). The conceptual highlight here without a doubt is the video game-themed "Gamer," which sees Sadat, C-Rayz Walz, and Okwerdz running the gamut of video game references from Atari to Wii. Stylistically, Brand New Bein' might not exactly be new but, for fans of traditional East Coast boom-bap, it has plenty to offer. ~ Matt Rinaldi, All Music Guide