Foundation, the first album since Brand Nubian's 1990 debut that featured all four original members, is an incredible return to form. The rhymes by Grand Puba, Sadat X and Lord Jamar are as striking as they were on the group's breakout, and the focus on message tracks is a refreshing turn from... [+] Expand

Foundation, the first album since Brand Nubian's 1990 debut that featured all four original members, is an incredible return to form. The rhymes by Grand Puba, Sadat X and Lord Jamar are as striking as they were on the group's breakout, and the focus on message tracks is a refreshing turn from the rap world's played-out tales of thug life. "Don't Let It Go to Your Head" is a cautionary tale for arrogant one-hit rappers, while "Probable Cause" is a scathing attack on the notorious tactics of the New Jersey State Police and "I'm Black and I'm Proud" is an enjoyable roots epic. There are plenty of simple feel-good tracks as well, although those omnipresent Wu-Tang strings appear on several songs (just as on every other major rap album released in 1998). The group ably manage to sidestep another late-'90s rap cliché, enlisting a different outside producer for each track. Though Foundation is no different -- featuring DJ Premiere, Lord Finesse and Chris "CL" Liggio, among others -- most of the best tracks were helmed by Nubian members Grand Puba or DJ Alamo. Of the few NYC rap acts still left a decade on from rap's golden age, Brand Nubian sounded the freshest. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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