Black Moon - Enta Da Stage (October 19, 1993)

When I started up Hip Hop Isn't Dead, one of the first albums I reviewed was Originoo Gunn Clappaz's Da Storm. (If you don't remember that review, you're not alone; it's the one review that nobody left any comments for.) In that post, I mentioned that the members of O.G.C. were part of a larger collective known as the Boot Camp Clik; here now I present to you the rap group that started the supergroup: Black Moon.

Black Moon is made up of rapper Buckshot, producer DJ Evil Dee (of Da Beatminerz), and 5 Ft., who was the secondary rhyme slinger in the crew, but relinquished the mic to Buckshot the majority of the time. In 1993, they secured a deal with Nervous Records and released their debut, Enta Da Stage, which has sold almost four hundred copies worldwide to date. (I kid; I'm sure it's sold more than that.) Enta Da Stage is chock full of goodness; that is, if you consider hard-hitting drums, grim street tales, and boasts of sexual prowess and the possibility of violent acts a part of your nutritious breakfast. (Which I do.)

However, I fear the main thing Black Moon is known for today, other than being founding members of the Boot Camp Clik (whose other main members include Smif-N-Wessun, Heltah Skeltah, and the aforementioned O.G.C., among others), is for being the group whose record contract was so fucked up, they lost the rights to their own fucking name, and are now only able to use it if they pay a fee to Nervous Records, whom they severed ties with many years ago. One one hand, I have to ask, how fucked up do you have to be to sign away your own name? However, the problem here lies within the record industry itself, who has exploited young artist sfor literally gazillions of years, and will continue to do so in the future.

Enta Da Stage is considered to be a hip hop classic, and I'm about to find out if that title is justified. I haven't heard this album in a while, so this will be interesting.

1. POWAFUL IMPAK!
There's just something about the harsh drums and the Busta Rhymes vocal sample that is woven throughout that takes you back to a time when hip hop music actually sounded good. The "Get on my skateboard and do a motherfucking drive-by" line is the funniest thing I've heard all day.

2. N---Z TALK SHIT
The Blogger spellchecker is going to have a fucking field day with Enta Da Stage.

3. WHO GOT DA PROPS?
If your knowledge of the Boot Camp Clik is comprised of tidbits you picked up while reading other blogs, then you will probably be shocked as to how clean and polished Enta Da Stage sounds. True, the beats are grimy, and the drums are dirty, but it's obvious that this is the way they intended for it to sound. Which is to say, great.

4. ACK LIKE U WANT IT
Buckshot and 5 Ft. essentially rhyme over a simple drumbeat with very little melody to speak of. I'm not impressed.

5. BUCK EM DOWN
Uses the same sample that 2Pac utilized on his "Definition Of A Thug N---a", from the Poetic Justice soundtrack. But none of that matters, because this song still rocks today.

6. BLACK SMIF-N-WESSUN (FEAT TEK & STEELE)
Not a bad way to introduce the duo who would become Smif-N-Wessun, but as a song by itself, it's not great.

7. SON GET WREC
5 Ft.'s solo effort. I'm thankful that Buckshot is the primary rapper in Black Moon, and not 5 Ft., but this song isn't terrible.

8. MAKE MUNNE
From the Nicolas Cage movie of the same name.

9. SLAVE
A dark, sparse track, where Buckshot shines lyrically. Apparently this song was left off of the vinyl release, probably due to spatial reasons, but those who only have Enta Da Stage on vinyl should hunt this down.

10. I GOT CHA OPIN
Even if you've never heard any hip hop from the early nineties, when you hear this song, you will be taken back to 1993. Even if you weren't even born in 1993, the time machine that is "I Got Cha Opin" will open your eyes in ways you only thought possible by a DeLorean.

11. SHIT IZ REAL
Thankfully, shit iz real, which is a real load off of my mind, you know? I had been going through life believing that shit iz fake, and that line of thinking doesn't do much for your psyche. Thanks, Dr. Buckshot, PhD!

12. ENTA DA STAGE
The drums on this song (and on the majority of the CD, if you think about it) fucking bang. Listen to this in the ride with the volume and bass turned to the maximum; you will blow your windows out. Somewhere in that last sentence is a recommendation.

13. HOW MANY MCS...
Good, but not great. Will grow on you, if you give it a shot.

14. U DA MAN (FEAT TEK, STEELE, DRU HA, & HAVOC OF MOBB DEEP)
Don't get excited: this is the Havoc from the Juvenile Hell era, which means he was probably about twelve years old, outside running the streets with Black Moon when he probably should have been doing his homework, or at least, including poor Prodigy in his endeavors. Anyway, this song rocks.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Enta Da Stage is an album that would not sell very well in today's musical climate, since nobody checks for hard-hitting drums or melodies anymore. (This would be due to the South's dominance in the game, but that's not what I want to discuss today.) As such, listening to this album has been a very nostalgic experience, and kind of like when you watch an old but great film from the 1970's or 1960's, you appreciate it on a different level. Enta Da Stage may not play well in the top markets in 2007, but that doesn't mean it's bad. On the contrary, it sounds fucking great, for the most part. There are some missteps, but honestly, when was the last time you heard a perfect album?

BUY OR BURN? I would recommend a purchase, and as an added bonus, you'll probably find it for five dollars or less. Some stores offer a set of promotional steak knives as well, so you'd do well to grab it as soon as humanly possible.

BEST TRACKS: "Powaful Impak!"; "Who Got The Props"; "I Got Cha Opin"; "Buck Em Down"

-Max

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