from the LP 3 ft. High & Rising, Tommy Boy Records, 1989Although the group grew to resent the “hippie-rap” labeling which sprang forth from this, their psychedelic and philosophic debut album, it is my favorite thing they ever did; virtually every song on here has wound up on mixtapes/mix CDs I’ve made for friends and family over the years, and thus, I have a lot of memories connected to these tunes---mostly good ones too. Their vibe here is very positive, explicitly so on this Dr. Doolittle-esque tale of MCs Dove & Pos’ receiving existential encouragement from squirrels, fish and other assorted creatures. The samples and breaks are perfect, care of Maseo, and the production wizardry and mentorship of Prince Paul certainly did this trio well. I wish hip-hop still sounded like this…does that make me old?
