Black Sheep - A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Dres and Mista Lawnge kicked off their careers in high style as the bratty kid brothers--the, uh, proverbial Black Sheep--of the Native Tongue family. It's not a completely deserved reputation, since the pair's debut disc is a slickly produced effort with smooth rhymes and strong beats. The guest spots are kept to a minimum, though they remain choice, especially when kid MC Chi Ali raps, "pass the 40, 'cause my mother's not looking." The duo's style pulls toward humor, which they try to keep understated (in their sexual boasts), but it sometimes goes way over the top--most notably on the gangsta-rap parody "U Mean I'm Not," in which the narrator kills his sister for using his toothbrush. --Randy Silver Amazon.com

You can get with this or you can get with that!!!

This cd is the bomb!! It takes me back to the real hip hop days. Be aware of the Explicit Dirty Lyrics, It's hot and out of pocket fun. Yo, this cd is the truth. Get it now u won't regret it.!!! May 4, 2008

Old school charm

Black Sheep was indeed the proverbial "black sheep" of the legendary Native Tongues collective, the New York alternative hip hop crew which also included Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. Where their comrades made headlines for their musically artistic, abstractly creative and socially relevant rap, Dres and Mista Lawnge were the Billy Carter to their Jimmy Carter: the sillier and less serious little brothers. Black Sheep's sound is recognizable and artistic; Dres' laidback delivery and Mista Lawnge's spacey beats were distinct even among their headlining mentors. The duo possesses a real charm, and their clever characters and old school B-boyisms evoke a uniquely New York sound that is often funny and brimming with style.

However, despite its strengths, "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" does not rank among the Native Tongues classics of the early 90s. Although "The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)" is regarded as one of the premier old school hip hop jams, the album is not. The Low End Theory and 3 Feet High and Rising were timeless pieces of music; in contrast, "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" sounds quite dated. Dres' wit is great, but grows tiresome over 73 minutes of running time, during which multiple tracks sound nearly identical. Part of the dated sound comes in the prevalent subject matter. The majority of the rhymes concern hittin' skins, drinking, partying, and sucker MC bashing. And while Mista Lawnge's beats are never bad, they are frequently uninteresting and similar. They rely heavily on samples, and the looping, bouncy sound is quite subdued, consisting of very sparse production and few instrumentals. The album is structured like an early De La album, with tracks of varying lengths interluded by silly skits. "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" is an enjoyable old school LP, but is bloated and fairly redundant.

After an intro, the album opens with the hilarious "U Mean I'm Not," which parodies an Ice Cube song and sets the scene for their blatantly not-hardcore style. Lines like "Aaahh! Somebody used my toothbrush!" delivered in a snarling yell are sure to make the listener laugh, before Dres arrives at the realization, "I dreamed I was...hard." "Butt in the Meantime" and "Have U.N.E. Pull" are both likable old school tracks. "Strobelite Honey" is also humorous, concerning women who only look attractive by the strobelite effect. The original mix of "The Choice Is Yours" is not as good as the classic mix included later, but still solid. "To Whom It May Concern" and "Similak Child" are both decent, but "Try Counting Sheep" is already familiar. "Flavor of the Month" and "La Menage," a sex track, are a bit more memorable. "Gimme the Finga" has one of the album's stronger beats, while "H... We Knows" is forgettable. "Black With N.V. (No Vision)" makes its mark as the sole track with social relevance, and "Pass the 40" is a party track featuring a strong posse of Native Tongues rappers. After some more filler, the classic "The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)" finally arrives, a classic party cut. This is one of the finest cuts from '91, from the great verses to the glorious "Engine, engine, number nine..." break. The album closes with "Yes," which recycles a beat already used earlier.

Although the singles created sizable buzz for the duo, by the time they followed up their debut in 1994 with Non-Fiction, they had quietly slipped into obscurity (in 2007, they dropped their third LP, 8WM/Novakane, which is suprisingly good). Fans of the Native Tongues sound who already enjoy all of the ATCQ and De La releases should pick this up, aware that it is not on the same level of genius. More casual fans should be satisfied with just the classic singles. "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" is a good album, clever and enjoyable, but it has its share of weaknesses as an LP. February 20, 2008

A wolf ain't the word

African-Americans have come along way from the days where we were called all sort of names that dehumanized us. Now here comes the underground black people with words that were buried and now resurrected again. The artist of this cd needs to read the Scriptures because YHWH says we are wonderfully and fearfully made, we are not animals, but was given dominion to rule animals. We were made in the image of YHWH so how could we be m...........f.....? It's a shame so many are LOST and can't find their way back home. April 11, 2007

AWWWWWW MAY-ANNNNN!!!!!

essential early 90s hip hop that is hardcore, yet laid back. the production is stellar!!!!! just about every song is a beautiful head noddah!!!! they just don't make hip hop albums like this anymore. i could never get tired of listening to this. BAH BAH INDEED NOW!!!!! January 23, 2007

Still as potent as it was in 1991.........

Dres & Mr. Lawnge dropped this monster back in 91. Every song hits. Timeless Classic.

November 14, 2006

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