Waiting for the Minstrel Show to start? How about some Appetizing Chitlins? (FMHHFIHS pt. 2)
Written: Aug 14 '07 (Updated Sep 11 '07)
Product Rating:
Pros: Phonte & Big Pooh on tracks! Now thats WAR!...Tight production for most part. Stellar guests
Cons: Occasional par production. End of album a little(very little) stale.
The Bottom Line: Buy, This if you are a fan of hip-hop. Still buy if not! It will entice you to get The Listening anyway...or any other LB sh!t for that matter
MajaFiggaz's Full Review: The Chitlin Circuit [PA] by Little Brother
[This is the second entry to my Little Brother "Forgive Me Hip-Hop For I Have Sin" write-off]
To all of you hungry motherf!ckers out there this review has nothing to do with eating stank @ss pig intestines! During the age of racial segregation in our beloved country of the USA, the Chitlin' Circuit was the collective name given to venues mainly on the eastern coast and in the south that were acceptable and safe for Black musicians, comedians and other entertainers to perform. Main Chitlin' Circuit theatre's include the Cotton Club & Apollo Theatre, in Harlem, Fox Theatre in Detroit, and the Uptown Theatre in North Philly, between Susquehanna & Dauphin on Broad St., which I passed everyday on the way to school.
With that said it is fitting for Little Brother to name this "appetizer" collection of remixes, collaborations and "other songs" The Chitlin Circuit 1.5. With the metaphor of the hole-in-the-wall juke joint being their underground sound, and glitzier more mainstream places such as The Copacabana, being the commercial hip-hop world. However some of the greatest entertainers ever arose from the Chitlin Circuit. From Cab Calloway to Otis Redding. From Ray Charles, to Duke Ellington. From Jackson 5, to The Supreme's. From Patti LaBelle, to Jimi Hendrix. The Chitlin Circuit served as a venue to a wealth of talent, and 1.5 is no different, consisting of two of the top MC's in the game, and one of the best producers. So grab a plate, get some collard greens, yams, curried chicken, and yeah don't forget the chitlins, and sit back n listen to LB speak.
1. War - $$$$1/2 - "Phonte, Big Pooh on the track now that's WAR!". Little Brother opens up the album with a hip-hop banger. Big Pooh and Phonte spit some hard battle rhymes with witty braggadocio. 9th Wonder's production here seems DJ Premier-esque giving it a hard 90's feel, while still keeping his soulful style intact. The last verse features Te and Pooh "going tag-team like Ivan and Nikita".
2. Third Party(feat. Joe Scudda) - $$$$ - Khrysis takes over the production here and he drops and odd beat here. With "rising" keys, tambourine, and a knocking drum loop, his production sets the mood from the jump. Lyrically however Big Pooh somewhat drops the ball here. His bravado talk isn't nearly as good as it can be as he gives some lackluster punch lines. However Joe Scudda, grabs the reigns and improves on Pooh's verse talking sh!t about stealing people's women.
3. The Honorable(feat. Chaundon) - $$$$$ - 9th comes back and steals the show. With soothing drum loop, and a nice bassline, to go along with some angelic sounding bells, this beat is just f!ckin sexy. Phonte and Big Pooh are at home, and they show it, by killing the track, but it's Chaundon, who jumps on the track and absolutely trashes it, in a good way. He raps like he knows he's the f!ckin sh!t, and he's going to make you smell his stank. The way he controls the inflection in his voice, he gives himself a sick swagger, to go with his venomous lyrics.
4. On the Way - $$$$$ - Phonte decides to stop playing games. His lyricism here is just superb. Opening the track up like Bernard Hopkins head butt, he spits "Now that we finally done reached a settlement/I rhyme at the crime scene, and purposely leave the evidence/The honorable, least benevolent/It's Te spittin game like a ref with a speech impediment" 9th Wonder's soul sample and driving drum loop, with minor distortion effects in the background set an atmosphere that actually highlights the lyrics. Big Pooh not to be undone, uses various basketball references as similes and metaphors to describing hip-hop experiences.
5. Nobody Like Me(feat. Darien Brockington & O-Dash) - $$$$$(1/2) - Illmind drops by and delivers Aural ecstasy with this dynamic production. Poohby steps his punchlines game up, and Phonte's retrospective rhymes make thing one of the best non-remix cuts on this compilation. O-Dash starts his verse in disappointing fashion with some gangsta sh!t about guns and flippin birds, but the second half of his verse is f!cking napalm, and Darien Brockington's vocals are wonderful here.
6. What You Do - $$$$$ - Slowing it down a bit from the previous track, Phonte and Big Pooh drop some retrospective bars over this soulful r&b influenced production. Phonte really steals the show with the second verse with a letter to god, focusing on some of the past sins he's committed. "And now I’m kneeling, both palms together/Looking for answers and proverbs, psalms, whatever/And when my soul burns in hell, to myself I owe it/Cause money, sex and power was the motive"
7. The Yo-Yo [Remix] - $$$$1/2 - Nicolay remixes the original with his own production without sacrificing some of the elements that made the original so hot, and making the track a little more upbeat. Imitation is the biggest form of flattery and if you haven't heard the original Phonte and Big Pooh do thier best at capturing the essence of Common.
8. Nighttime Maneuvers [Remix] - $$$$ - 9ths production on this remix isn't up to par with the production on the original as far as I'm concerned. It just doesn't seem to go as well with the theme of the underground "nighttime" as the previous one, however since it is essentially the same joint Phonte's lyrics don't change and the song is still good.
9. The Way You Do It [Remix] - $$$$$(1/4) - Nicolay gives us his second remix of a Listening song. Considering it is virtually impossible to f!ck this song up Nicolay still does a great job of keeping this one of the best Little Brother tracks ever. Phonte and Big Poohs introspective lyrics about the rise to fame don't get overshadowed by the production this time!
10. Altitudes - $$$$ - Compared the rest of the "grounded" hip-hopers, Little Brother is flying high. With an extended metaphor of flying on an airplane in regards to their spot in hip-hop, Phonte truly shines. However Big Pooh somewhat holds this track back after the first verse as his part in the second will put you to sleep like a comfortable first class seat, and his 3rd verse isn't much better.
11. Welcome To Durham(feat. Big Daddy Kane) - $$$$$ - Another true hip-hop banger is produced by 9th wonder and who else do they get to feature on the track? None other than hip-hop legend Big Daddy Kane, and my does he slaughter this joint. The production fits BDK’s style to a T and he rips it with some bars showing love to "Brooklyn in the South". Big Pooh spits love towards his hometown and constructs a lyrical map of his city. Phonte lets everone know nothing is sweet in the bull city.
12. Starvation(feat. Chaundon) - $$$$$(1/4) - Khrysis brings us some royal production on this joint with blasting trumpets fit for a king. Chaundon spits with a Michael Beasley flow as it seems it is just too damn easy for him to spit fire and he doesn't seem to even be trying. If you don’t know who Mike Beasley is...you will soon. Anyway back to the music. Phonte and Big Pooh drop some really ill bars, and if you forgot how hot they are they tell you here.
13. Flash and Flare(feat. L.E.G.A.C.Y.) - $$$$ - Over some sample heavy 9th production Te and Pooh spits some tight bars full of braggadocio. The problem with this track is that it isn't very different. Te and pooh don't really knock you off your socks here it just seems as if this is a filler type joint. However it is still tight. L.E.G.A.C.Y. drops some good lyrics here but his flow is a little awkward.
14. Take it There - $$$$ - This song is really saved by Phonte. The production is slightly above par, and Big Pooh lyrically gives us a hiccup. It is Te calmly starting his verses and the flipping the f!ck out on a crew of haters that really keeps you listening throughout this song.
15. Ladies' Jam - $$$ - LB gives us and ode to women with this song, however there isn’t much of a "jam" to the song at all. Young Guru's production is far out of place here and the distorted sample, and unconscious beat really dont set too much up for Te and Pooh who spit relatively average bars.
16. Doin Me(feat. Supastition) - $$$$1/4 - Khrysis probably drops the worst beat he's given Little Brother with this, however Te and Pooh pick up the slack and Supastition comes on batting cleanup and knocks it out the park. Te and Pooh talk about not changing for anyone, directed at baby mothers and fans respectively. Supa combines the two issues and spits about trying to advance his career, while staying true to himself.
17. Khrysis Shoutro - N/A - Khrysis of the away team gives shout outs.
18. The Beginning(feat. YahZarah) - $$$$1/2 - Over some solid production from illmind Little Brother spit some pure bravado rap. YahZarah's vocals on the chorus are great and this is a nice semi-laid back joint to end this compilation album.
With this collection of song Little Brother solidified themselves as a hip-hop force. They prove that The Listening wasn't a fluke. Phonte showed that he is a true beast on the mic and Big Pooh is talented in his own right. 9th Wonder continues to slap the listener in the face with dope, bust-ya-sh!t-open beats, and the supporting Justus League cast show that the Hall of Justus isn't to be f!cked with. Little Brother gives us an appetizer that on most menu's would be a main course meal.
"Dope Beats, Dope Rhymes, What More Do Y'all Want?!"
4 1/2 Stars rounded up to 5.
Top 3 Songs 1. Nobody Like Me
2. Starvation
3. The Way You Do It [Remix]
Honorable Mention(s) - Welcome To Durham, What You Do, The Honorable, On The Way
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.
![The Chitlin Circuit [PA] by Little Brother](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/ff/e4/42/2004346168-177x150-0-0.jpg)
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.