Pros: Sharp witty rhymes, fun funky beats, another underrated old school gem
Cons: Limited subject matter – mainly revolves around battle raps and braggadocio
The Bottom Line: Funky Technician is good old fashioned fun, a reminder of the earlier days of rap. An absolute must for hip hop fans and especially classic hip hop fanatics.
il_sini's Full Review: Funky Technician [PA] by Lord Finesse/DJ Mike Smoo...
Following in the footsteps of Big Daddy Kane, Lord Finesse and DJ Mike Smooth – together with some of the sharpest hip hop producers - craft an album based predominantly on battle raps. Released in 1990 – a few years before the monster of G-Funk would swallow up hip hop – Funky Technician is a nostalgic kick-back to the good old days of the Golden Age where funky fresh boom bap beats would provide the background and lyrics would revolve around braggadocio as opposed to the hedonistic gangsterism that would dominate in the upcoming years. It’s a shame that during the same year Funky Technician was released, instant classics – Ice Cube’s rebellious Amerikkka’s Most Wanted, Public Enemy’s revolutionary Fear of a Black Planet, LL Cool J’s comeback classic Mama Said Knock You Out – were also put out, as it may have contributed to the result of this album being buried underneath the more memorable rap records. However, make no mistake; Funky Technician is one of Golden Age hip hop’s many fine moments, an uncanny blend of one of the wittiest battles rappers of all time with the some of the industry’s sharpest beat makers as well as the furious scratching of DJ Mike Smooth.
Backed by a plethora of James Brown samples, DJ Premier, Diamond D, Showbiz and DJ Mike Smooth himself contribute varying beat styles to maintain our interest while sticking to the same funky, jazzy template; one of the qualities that make this album such a classic. Whether it be the chaotic soundscape of Public Enemy’s sophomore effort, The Chronic’s smooth G-Funk, the atmospheric brooding on The Infamous or Wu-Tang’s raw, dirty drums, most classic records usually have a single unique production style that permeates throughout the tracks; in this case, it’s a fun blend of funk and jazz. The opening track “Baby, You Nasty” laced by DJ Premier is a quirky mix of strange sound effects and jazzy horns – a soon-to-be trademark style of Premier – while Showbiz’s “Just a Little Something” is a nod to the old school style beats; more boom bap based, consisting of hard-hitting drums and sparse keys.
While all four producers lace solid beats, they never threaten to take away the spotlight from the main star of the show; Lord Finesse’s rhymes. Blessed with a skill to stack multisyllabic rhymes on top of one another while maintaining his signature laid back flow, Lord Finesse is perhaps only matched in the area of battle rapping by Big Daddy Kane or Rakim himself. Never yelling or getting overly aggressive, Lord Finesse delivers rhyme after rhyme in a light hearted tone yet the sharp punch-lines and the witty wordplay would get the best of most opponents. Check out the complex rhyme scheme he uses in “Back to Back Rhyming”:
“I'm the rap senator, take about ten of ya
The best MC on the southeast perimeter
Equipped to flip with the slip of a lip
So dance, hop, or skip or shake your hips
Cause I'll wax and tax, eat ya up like a Kit Kat
Don't even riff back, I ain't with that”
For braggadocio and skilful battle raps, look no further than this album to receive your full dose. With all the tracks on Funky Technician, only two deviate from the battle arena; “Lesson To Be Taught” and “Strictly For The Ladies”, the former a cautionary message to the youth where among many things, Lord Finesse provides a warning against drug dealing, while the latter is a fun semi-braggadocio tale about his luck with the ladies. There aren’t many hip hop albums that can hold the listener’s attention as well as Funky Technician can while sticking to the same subject matter – Big Daddy Kane’s fierce debut is one of the few. Partly due to the fresh funky beats provided by the producers but mostly due to Lord Finesse’s rhyme skills. Track after track, Finesse hits us with a flow multisyllabic rhymes; “Now I'm the constabulary, great in vocabulary, I'm no joke, when up against any adversary, nifty rowdy, best not crowd me, I snuff MC's, I step off and be audi.”, humorous statements; “A man thought he could test me and possess a better skill, his man shook his head and his mother said ‘You'd better chill’” and witty punch lines; “I kick a rhyme like a game of kick a can, heads start flying just like Peter Pan.” The guest stars do what guest stars should do; provide solid verses but never threaten to outshine Lord Finesse. With only two guest spots on the album – both taken up by A.G. (Andre the Giant) who manages to keep up with Finesse – Funky Technician is nothing else but a prime example of the Lord Finesse’s skill on the mic.
"I create and make funky rhymes for a hype tape
Brothers try to get with Finesse but they lightweight
I preach and teach just like the man Farrakhan
Get so much run on the mic, call this a marathon
Motherf**kers who dare try to get with me
I light that a$$ up yo just like a Christmas tree
In a battle, you'd better pray for help
Straight up and down troop, don't even play yourself
Lord Finesse in effect with the fly sh*t
I'm 19, crazy nice, I'm only 5'6"
Make MC's lay low as soon as I say so
Many try to hang, but that's okay though
I'm the man that works hard for his cash flow
Short for my age but I'll still bust that a$$ though
MC's need to clean up they act with a handcloth
I get smooth like my man Luther Vandross"
Whereas nowadays most hip hop albums boast 17 plus tracks sometimes more with abundant filler and nonsensical skits, Funky Technician is quite the contrary; tight and succinct - clocking just under an hour’s listening time. At only 13 tracks – 12 songs and an introduction – Lord Finesse quickly displays his battling skills with no nonsense and quick to the point and disappears, leaving the audience gasping for more. The four producers maintaining the fresh funky vibe combined with Lord Finesse’s upbeat flow makes listening to Funky Technician a delight. You know how there are some hip hop masterpieces that simply drain you after listening to them – Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… comes to my mind – Funky Technician is quite the opposite, providing the listener with an escape into the funky fresh soundscape and allows us to witness up close "the funkiest poet out since Shakespeare." While not exactly ground-breaking during its release, Funky Technician was and will always remain a fine moment during the dying years of hip hop’s Golden Age and to this day, is a token of the old school hip hop aesthetic; upbeat battle rhymes delivered over stylishly sampled, boom bap, funky fresh beats.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
![Funky Technician [PA] by Lord Finesse/DJ Mike Smooth](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/67/33/4c/2002015647-177x150-0-0.jpg)
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.