Tone-Loc Albums (2)
'Cool Hand Loc'
Release Date 1/1/1991
Tracks 11
Label Delicious Vinyl
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Aiming for credibility among hardcore hip-hoppers, Delicious Vinyl was careful not to include a lot of pop-influenced material on Tone-Loc's second album, Cool Hand Loc. But sadly, the inventiveness he displayed on "Wild Thing" continued working against Loc among b-boys and hip-hop's hardcore, who still resented the success he'd enjoyed in the pop market. Though not quite as strong as the triple platinum Loc-ed After Dark -- either commercially or artistically -- the album is a respectable and satisfying effort. The former L.A. gang member tends to overdo it with boasting lyrics -- a problem he shares with quite a few other rappers -- but his boasts are often quite clever. Sadly, Tone-Loc didn't have much longevity; after Cool Hand Loc, little was heard about him. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'Loc-ed After Dark'
Release Date 10/17/1990
Tracks 11
Label Delicious Vinyl
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
A forgotten man in the rise of West Coast rap, Tone-Loc was effectively cut off from his hometown scene in Los Angeles by his unexpected pop success. Paced by the singles "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina" -- both co-written by a pre-fame Young MC, and some of the earliest productions by the legendary Dust Brothers -- Loc's debut album, Loc-ed After Dark, became the second rap album to top the pop charts, following the Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill. Loc's distinctively rough, raspy voice and easygoing delivery made him an appealing storyteller, but he was aiming for the streets more than the pop charts. So there's the occasional profanity, the stalker-tinged title track, and "Cheeba Cheeba," which made waves at the time as one of the earliest pro-marijuana raps on record (of course, this was before Cypress Hill, and Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign was still fresh in the public's mind). The minor singles "I Got It Goin' On" and "On Fire" (the latter the first record ever released on Delicious Vinyl) are both pretty good, but some of the album's momentum is wasted on some fairly standard MC boasts (Loc has much more personality than he does lyrical technique). Even if Loc-ed After Dark is erratic, though, it still deserves more respect than it's generally accorded. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
