The Next Spot: The Team-”World Premiere
In 2006, an unknown group out of Oakland dropped an album full of clubs, hoes and fly clothes. Built on blissed-out electronic rhythms inspired by the Bay Area’s Ecstasy culture, The Team composed of Clyde Carson, Kaz Kaizah and (then occasional member) Mayne Mannish seemed determined to bring the player back to national attention. Almost totally ignoring tough-talk in favor of boasting and celebrating, the album sounds like nothing else this decade: a club record that actually captures the feeling of chemically enhanced, neon colored summer weekend. What the Clipse did for Kool G Rap and Raekwon, The Team did for Oakland pimp Too $hort and post murda Ma$e, elevating Bapes, mamis and drugs into a fetish for their own sake. The result is arguably the least Hyphy album to be lumped in with the movement, a G-Funk throwback that predated everything positive about the late 00’s generation of rappers without any of their smug self-consciousness.
The production alone is the best thing you’ve never heard: the intro interpolates a Harry Potter/NFL them into a ¾ time locker room anthem, “Bottles Up”, “On One” and “Top of the World” somehow make MDMA rap sound like a good, nay GREAT idea and “Touch the Sky”, “Summertime in the Town” and the Too $hort tribute “Player” update the Cali anthem for the millennial generation. Even the high-energy “Just Go” and “Hyphy Juice” make sense in the right context: I dare you not to lose your shit to em’ on a good system.
Predating everything from Wayne’s Lolipop to The Knux’ Entourage rap to fellow Bay Area group Lonely Island’s “Jizz in my Pants” (on the real, a Team spoof from the beat to the delivery if there ever was one), World Premiere is one of rap’s best kept secrets this decade. And if none of that can convince you to give this album a shot, it gets the ladies open like crazy. – Sach O
Download:
MP3: The Team-”Bottles Up”
MP3: The Team-”Touch the Sky”
Stumble It!
August 11th, 2009 at 11:13 am
good stuff no doubt, but i think it was turf talk’s west coast vaccine that took hyphy to the next level.
August 11th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
You know, everyone seems to love that Turf album but it didn’t quite do it for me. Not saying it’s bad in the slightest (strong 3.5 to low 4 imo) but an album’s worth of Turf is tough to take and the production is a little scattershot. The album that SHOULD’VE brought Hyphy to the next level was The Federation’s “Its whateva” but it totally didn’t live up to “18 Dummy” and “Stunna Glasses”. Those guys fucked up, which sucks because if there’s ANY producer this decade that deserves props/success for his groups it’s Rick Rock.
While I’m on a rant, I should point out that Turf, Keak, 40, The Federation, Mistah Fab, The Team and all of these other cats totally called the space/hood aesthetic that blew up post-Weezy. The mid 00’s Bay was seriously under appreciated.
August 11th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I think the problem with hyphy is that it placed all its eggs under “My Ghetto Report Card” and when that record didn’t blow the entire scene just kind of fell off the map.
August 11th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
In all fairness, My Ghetto Report Card for all it’s flaws went gold and had a pretty big (if also pretty shitty) crossover single with T-Pain. The climate at the majors had more to do with the scene not taking off nationally (The Feds getting delayed and denied sample clearance, Mista Fab getting the Saigon treatment at Atlantic).
August 12th, 2009 at 7:47 am
Well that’s what I sort of mean. The majors were banking on hyphy being the next big thing and when that record wasn’t nearly as successful as they thought it would be, they kind of abandoned it.
And how ridiculous that Saigon still… doesn’t have a major album release. I remember he was supposed to be the next big thing in like ‘04-05 and its almost a half a decade later and he never got release.
I would say Papoose, too, but Paps ALWAYS sucked.
August 12th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
sach - totally agree about rick rock. why he isn’t a wanted mainstream producer is a testament to the underrated bay scene. “bring the base back” is the hyphy cut of the decade.
August 13th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
You should check out their first joint, The Negro League. Also a heater.