Do you remember the first time you heard Little Brother? I do. It was in my brother’s car and he was playing “Speed.” One line hit me like a ton of bricks, “Pushin 80 miles an hour to this/ call center/ tryna pick up a check that I only see 20% of.” I didn’t know Phonte from Pooh from 9th Wonder, but as far as I was concerned I knew then and there this group was going to be MY Tribe Called Quest (because I didn’t grow up with Tribe, nevertheless, I am a HUGE ATCQ fan).  I didn’t need anything else that day; I got a burnt copy from my brother and just listened to The Listening and man how dope was it? I became more aware of them with the Foreign Exchange album, then The Minstrel Show dropped to some pretty anxious and newly anticipate fans. The talk about Phonte being the best rapper out was being justified and word about 9th’s production obviously hit heavyweights Destiny’s Child and Jay-Z. Pooh was the perfect compliment to Tay and 9th and Little Brother just worked so damn well.

The first single, “Lovin It” was deemed by BET to be “too intelligent” along with De La Soul’s “Shopping Bags” video. How fitting, considering that the theme of this album could be loosely based on a station such as BET which figures to be a modern day minstrel show station. The album is filled with laugh out loud skits and commercials that prove useful to display the concept of the album. Songs are appropriately inserted in particular sections to give the concepts meaning, in particular the very funny “Cheatin” which shows Phonte’s alter-ego Percy Miracles singing along with a bootleg Ron Isley imitating what are some of the stupidest songs ever made today.

Even though all of the extra goodies on this album add so much flavour and necessary beauty to the concept, the actual hip hop is ridiculously dope. I woke up to “Beautiful Morning” for a whole year because it just starts the day (and the album) off so right with the beautiful symphony of strings that 9th drops and the Tip and Phife like verses from Pooh and Phonte. This song slides into “The Becoming,” Phonte’s solo track:

I went from niggaz tellin’ me I really shouldn’t rhyme
To droppin’ a classic album muhfuckers couldn’t find
Took my respect, took lessons and took the time
And if you want a success story, just take a look at mine
I was blessed with the right components, so precise
‘Cause I write so tight within the moment
And spit like my life depended on it
I target you herbs
On some teleprompter shit I got you watching your words
Tay rhymes are real life, yours are so ‘for instance’
Taxin’ these like no dependents
12 bar courtroom drama with no co-defendants
Don’t beat it off, come to your senses

A flash of brilliance by Phonte, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg. “Tay’s style is nuts and y’alls is just dated” on “Not Enough” makes you rewind, only to relive the line and find “When I write it’s for all the NC, call me the State Pen.” 9th Wonder flexes some of his creative muscle on this track as he incorporates a rather uncommon trend of breathing (sounds of someone taking a breath of air) on the track.

The highlight track is without a doubt “Hiding Places” with its hard hitting, thumping beat, and the hunger that the three rappers have on this track. The third rapper being then up and coming (now heavily sought after) Elzhi, who provides a wicked back and forth verse with Phonte in a verbal sparing session that sees Phonte drop “Out doing the dam thing like beavers” and Elzhi’s lightning quick jab “Keep niggaz quiet like words librarians spoke.” It leads into a beautiful ballad (if you want to call it that) about sincerely slowing things down in a relationship. Pooh and Phonte are extremely honest, accurate, and heartfelt on it and the beat is ridiculously dope.

I really could comment on every song on the album from the Khrysis produced “Watch Me”, the Tribe sequel “Still Lives Through” and the extremely uplifting “Say It Again,” the list of great songs on this album go on and on. The concept is sealed air tight and executed to near perfection. If…IF anything does bring this album down it would be the obvious outshining of Pooh at the hands of Phonte, whether it’s particular verses or the respective solo songs. 9th at this point of LB was not repetitive; now it is a different story. To say that this album is better than The Listening is by no means outlandish; I personally think it is because the conceptual elements added a huge bonus when listening. As Pooh says: “Nonperishable, my records don’t expire.” The lyrics, style, swagger, and persona of Little Brother (with or without 9th) is timeless. Listening to this album 3 years later still gives me the feeling I got when I first heard them in the car that day. Buy this album, listen to it and enjoy the show.

Overall Score: 89/100

Standout Tracks:

Hiding Places

The Becoming

Slow It Down