Brand Nubian Albums (5)
'Time's Runnin' Out'
Release Date 8/21/2007
Tracks 15
Label Traffic Ent.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Time's Runnin' Out is a Brand Nubian album released approximately ten years late. There's no mention of this fact anywhere in or on the album's packaging -- just publishing and copyright credits for 2007 -- but if you listen closely to the second verse of "Brand Nu Hustle," Lord Jamar raps, "In '98 you'll still find me at the weed gate/Nigga, we straight, even though we drop late." Late indeed. The 15 songs comprising Time's Runnin' Out reportedly were recorded prior to Foundation (1998), the group's much-heralded reunion album. (Besides the 1998 reference in "Brand Nu Hustle," there's a reference to 1997 in the title track and "Go Hard.") Like Foundation, Time's Runnin' Out features the entire Brand Nubian lineup (Grand Puba, Lord Jamar, Sadat X, DJ Alamo), which had splintered after the group's classic debut, One for All (1990). And it features the group alone, as there are no guest rappers here and the productions are mostly handled in-house (the two exceptions: Lord Finesse co-produces "Scientists of Sound" with Grand Puba, and Vance Wright is credited for "A Child Is Born"). It's natural to wonder about the circumstances that drove Brand Nubian to shelf these recordings. These songs don't measure up to those of Foundation overall, granted, but Time's Runnin' Out is nonetheless a worthwhile release. It holds together well as an album, with a consistently sparse and jazzy production aesthetic, and several gems dot the first half: the laid-back opener, "Seen Enough"; the Jay-Z-esque hook of "Girls, Girls, Girls"; the Wu-Tang motifs of "Scientists of Sound"; the dark, message-oriented title track; and the uptempo, feel-good tag-teaming of "Brand Nu Hustle." Time's Runnin' Out falls off a bit during its second half, as does the sound quality at times, but even these lesser tracks are interesting, especially for Brand Nubian fans, not to mention history-minded listeners who enjoy the mid- to late-'90s style of albums like Beats, Rhymes and Life, Stakes Is High, and Uptown Saturday Night. Make no mistake, Time's Runnin' Out is no lost classic. Foundation is the better album, no question. Still, within the context of its 2007 release, it's a welcome slice of nostalgia -- not only for Brand Nubian in the prime of their 1997-1998 reunion, but for good old-fashioned hip-hop with golden-age roots. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Six years since Foundation, Brand Nubian settle on Babygrande -- home of Canibus and Jean Grae -- and return with Fire in the Hole. Lord Jamar and DJ Alamo remain on production duties, as ever, while Grand Puba chips in on one track. While plenty of MCs who thrived in the early '90s have attempted with great desperation to remain relevant, each member of this crew has remained true to himself, consistently refining the skills without hopelessly retracing old steps. Despite all the changes mainstream rap has gone through during the past several years, Brand Nubian have remained well outside of it all -- and they still do here, 15 years on, with a fifth album that will sit proudly next to the previous four. Few will ever refer to this as a classic, though even fewer will ever think of this as a poor showing. Graying veterans of the golden age and younger hip-hop junkies should be pleased to hear that the group is still active and in such good form. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Foundation, the first album since Brand Nubian's 1990 debut to feature all four original members, is an incredible return to form. The rhymes by Grand Puba, Sadat X, and Lord Jamar are as striking as they were on the group's breakout, and the focus on message tracks is a refreshing turn from the rap world's played-out tales of thug life. "Don't Let It Go to Your Head" is a cautionary tale for arrogant one-hit rappers, while "Probable Cause" is a scathing attack on the notorious tactics of the New Jersey State Police and "I'm Black and I'm Proud" is an enjoyable roots epic. There are plenty of simple feel-good tracks as well, although those omnipresent Wu-Tang strings appear on several songs (just as on every other major rap album released in 1998). The group ably manages to sidestep another late-'90s rap cliché, enlisting a different outside producer for each track. Though Foundation is no different -- featuring DJ Premiere, Lord Finesse, and Chris "CL" Liggio, among others -- most of the best tracks were helmed by Nubian members Grand Puba or DJ Alamo. Of the few N.Y.C. rap acts still left a decade on from rap's golden age, Brand Nubian sound the freshest. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Everything Is Everything'
Release Date 11/1/1994
Tracks 16
Label Elektra
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Brand Nubian cover a wide variety of styles and issues on this album. Their message is positive, but they come down hard on stereotypes and blacks killing other blacks. Sampling from rock and jazz alike, the group's scratchy rhythms are a good complement to the lyrics. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
When pre-album single "Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down" was issued -- along with its violence-laced video -- it was clear that Brand Nubian would not be the same minus Grand Puba. It was a safe bet that In God We Trust wouldn't have attempted any new jack swing crossovers or tie-dyed imagery. Though the makeover is drastic, it is convincing, with Lord Jamar and Sadat X stepping up with some of the era's fiercest, most intense rhymes, a higher percentage of which referenced the likes of Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam, Marcus Garvey, and self-defense by any means necessary. Multiple, indefensible homophobic taunts and the silly "Steal Ya 'Ho" aside (did they really think the use of the two words was so necessary?), In God We Trust is nearly faultless, packed with rumbling acoustic basslines, Jeep-rattling breakbeats, and rhymes written and delivered with a great deal of hunger and an equal amount of self-assuredness -- as if to say, "No, Brand Nubian was never Grand Puba and a couple sidekicks." The Diamond D-produced "Punks" outshines everything else, but the group more than holds its own as a self-contained production team. Had a high-profile beat maker been responsible for "The Godz...," "Pass the Gat," or "Brand Nubian Rock the Set," they'd certainly be present in his or her highlight reel. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
