Sadat X Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
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
'Generation X'
Release Date 11/4/2008
Tracks 18
Label Affluent Records
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Black October'
Release Date 10/3/2006
Tracks 14
Label HBD Label Group
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Although Brand Nubian are now considered one of the wellsprings of what is sometimes derisively referred to as "backpack" rap (for the bookbags favored by fans of this literate, low-key style) and Sadat X has maintained a career as an elementary school teacher and coach throughout his long and somewhat sporadic career, bad things happen all the time. Caught by the police in possession of a loaded handgun at a time and place where he should not have been carrying, Sadat X recorded Black October with the weight of a potential year in prison hanging over him. And yet this is not one of those gangsta records who fronts about the roughneck glories of incarceration: in those passages (even outside of the direct and to-the-point title track) where Sadat X appears to be addressing his legal trouble, thoughtful regret and anxiety color his rhymes. Far from bragging, this album tends to be genuinely remorseful, even on tracks not directly related to the matter at hand: for example, "If You" continues the baleful tone, a matter of fact portrayal of a neighborhood gang scuffle without a hint of glamour or bad-boy cool. Even the handful of lighter tracks, like the Brand Nubian reunion "Chosen Few" and the basketball-as-life metaphor "Throw Tha Ball," are tinged with sadness and stiff upper lip resolve. A mature and deeply personal record, Black October is the truth behind the gangsta façade. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
'Experience & Education'
Release Date 10/25/2005
Tracks 16
Label Female Fun
See Album Tracklist and Review
'The State of New York Vs. Derek Murphy'
Release Date 9/19/2000
Tracks 6
Label Relativity
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
After reuniting in 1998 with his Brand Nubian brothers on the under-appreciated Foundation, Sadat X resurfaced last year with two collaborative gems; "1-9-9-9," featuring Common, and the previously vaulted "Come On," which was one of the few highlights from Biggie's disappointing posthumous release. While his solo-debut Wild Cowboys failed to strike a chord with the masses, Sadat shows signs that he may yet establish himself as a solo-vocalist with The State of New York Vs. Derek Murphy. He enlists a few familiar contributors (Diamond D, Minnesota) and some new ones as well (A Kid Called Roots, Dart La) to update his sound; a revision that is gratuitously bouncy, but light in substance. He basks in the glow of Diamond's sublime guitar riffs on the divine "You Can't Deny." But it is the lesser of their two groupings that supplies Sadat a taste of the commercial success that has alluded him with the Funk Flex endorsed "X-Man." While The State is remarkably short-winded (six tracks), this EP setting is more conducive to his unorthodox style, as it manages to evade the monotonous feel his solo-debut conveyed. ~ Matt Conaway, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With his first solo album, Wild Cowboys, Sadat X continues the jazz-hip-hop fusion that distinguished Brand Nubian's body of work. But the difference between Wild Cowboys and Nubian's latter-day records Everything is Everything and In God We Trust is the approach. As a solo artist, Sadat X is looser and more relaxed, letting the groove flow and casually demonstrating his verbal vacility. With a first-class prodcution crew -- including Pete Rock, Beatminerz, Diamond D, Buckwild, and Alamo -- Sadat X has created a fun, laid-back album in Wild Cowboys that nearly manages to equal the studied intensity of Brand Nubian with its non-chalant virtuosity. ~ Leo Stanley, All Music Guide
'No Better Way'
Release Date 1/1/1996
Tracks 15
Label Light Records/Upper Room Records
See Album Tracklist and Review
