The Cactus Album [2 LP]

by 3rd Bass

Overview

Besides the upper-middle-class frat-punks-in-rap-clothing shtick of the Beastie Boys and emissary/producer Rick Rubin, who both gained a legitimate, earned respect in the rap community, there were very few white kids in rap's first decade who spoke the poetry of the street with compassion and veneration for the form. That is, until The Cactus Album. Matching MC Serch's bombastic, goofy good nature and Prime Minister Pete Nice's gritty, English-trained wordsmithery (sounding like a young Don in training), 3rd Bass' debut album is revelatory in its way. For one, it is full of great songs, alternately upbeat rollers ("Sons of 3rd Bass"), casual-but-sincere disses ("The Gas Face"), razor-sharp street didacticism ("Triple Stage Darkness," "Wordz of Wizdom"), and sweaty city anthems ("Brooklyn Queens," "Steppin' to the A.M.," odes to day and night, respectively), with A-plus production by heavyweights Prince Paul and Bomb Squad, as well as the surprising, overshadowing work of Sam Sever. The duo may not have come from the streets, but their hearts were there, and it shows. The album embodies New York life. Not every single idea plays out successfully -- Serch's Tom Waits impression on "Flippin' Off the Wall..." is on the wrong side of the taste line, and "Desert Boots" is a puzzling Western-themed insertion -- but they are at least interesting stretches that add to the dense, layered texture of the album. The Cactus Album was also important because it proved to the hip-hop heads that white kids could play along without appropriating or bastardizing the culture. It may not have completely integrated rap, but it was a precursor to a culture that became more inclusive and widespread after its arrival. ~ Stanton Swihart

Product Details

Release Date:	11/22/2024
Label:	Def Jam
UPC:	0602465810783
Rank:	144567

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Stymie's Theme
2. Sons Of 3rd Bass
3. Russell Rush
4. The Gas Face
5. Monte Hall
6. Oval Office
7. Hoods
8. Soul In The Hole
9. Triple Stage Darkness
10. M. C. Disagree

Disc 2

11. Wordz Of Wizdom
12. Product Of The Environment
13. Desert Boots
14. The Cactus
15. Jim Backus
16. Flippin' Off The Wall Like Lucy Ball
17. Brooklyn- Queens
18. Steppin' To The A.M.
19. Episode #3
20. Who's On Third

Album Credits

Performance Credits

3rd Bass   Primary Artist
Michael Berrin   Primary Artist
P. Nash   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Kevin Reynolds   Engineer
Adam Gazzola   Editing
Bruce Buchalter   Engineer
Curt Fresca   Engineer
Chuck Valle   Engineer
Sam "Sever" Citrin   Composer
Michael Berrin   Composer,Performer
Peter Nash   Composer
David Victor Kealy   Composer
Ted White   Composer
Steven Ett   Editing
Keith Shocklee   Composer,Producer
Eric "Vietnam" Sadler   Composer,Producer
Gary Wright   Composer
Greg Gordon   Engineer
Sam Sever   Producer
Prince Paul   Composer,Producer
Prime Minister Pete Nice & Daddy Rich   Producer
Pete Nice   Producer
3rd Bass   Producer
MC Serch   Producer
Nick Sansano   Engineer
Aretha Franklin   Composer
Hank Shocklee   Composer,Producer
Paul Prince   Composer
Cey Adams   Design,Logo Design
P. Nash   Composer,Performer
Howard Zucker   Design,Art Direction
Daniel Dumile Thompson   Composer
Paul Huston   Composer
Mark Mendelbaum   Engineer