Critical Beatdown by the Ultramagnetic MCs was released October 4th 1988. The was never before or has there been since a group like Ultramagnetic. The group featured one of the most unorthodox MCs ever Kool Keith. He didn’t care. From lyrics going at RUNDMC "say what Peter Piper hell wit childish rhymes" or even the God MC himself Rakim "Like fish it aint my favorite dish I grab a steak and a battle I wish" The sample heavy album was produced mostly by Kool Keith's partner in rhyme Ced Gee and Moe Luv completed the group with the DJ duties. The crew came onto the scene with instant classic singles like 1986s "Ego Trippin" or 1987s "Traveling at the Speed of Thought" Signed to Next Plateau records Critical Beatdown gave an eclectic mix of 15 songs with the album length of 50.01 minutes.
Ced Gee's use of the SP-1200 sampler gave the beats a hard edge. Frequent beat collaborator the late Paul C also was on hand to assist. Ced Gee not to be over shaded by Kool Keith lyrically also had a distinct style. With lyrics like "scrape, like a butcher, "I'm carvin you're brain's starvin, I'm steady scarrin plastic garden, the crowd is chargin" these two distinct styles over base heavy beats made the Ultramagnetic MCs one of the most dynamic groups of that era. The group released 3 more official albums but none of them reached the level of critical or cult status that Critical Beatdown attained. The group which also at various times has featured Tim Dog and TR Love continues to do a now and again show. The album which was out of print for a long time was reissued in 2004.
The Ultramagnetic MCs released an instant classic 25 years ago. How many groups or rappers can say that they have done that?
KEEP IT OLDSKOOL
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