Madpack

Hip-Hop With Heart and Humor
Terry Baker, Syracuse New Times 01-08-1997

Thousands of rap albums glut the market each year, few of them memorable. As the resilient genre races toward its 20th anniversary as a commercial commodity, its fans still wonder what will propel it beyond misogyny, gangsta-ism and East Coast/West Coast polarity.


Answers to those concerns slowly surface in smaller metropolitan areas such as Syracuse. Many small-market efforts provide avenues for fresh approaches and make room for provocative new voices in rap.

This is all perfect timing for the new release by Mad Pack, the Sammy-winning Syracuse collective that includes three acts: Channel 3, the Sub-basements and solo artist R-Reality. The long-delayed Last Dimension chronicles Mad Pack's progression from a conglomerate of raw hip-hop talent into polished rap trailblazers here in the Salt City.

For fans who enjoy rap laced with lyrical mind bombs and humorous rhymes, Last Dimension hits its mark in a hurry. Aesthetically, however, it's infused with a back-to-basics style that emphasizes double entendre and palpitating rhythms, yet refuses to rely on hyper-materialism and gimmicks. Newcomers beware, however: Last Dimension remains close to the street and doesn't swagger toward a pop appeal like recent projects from Fugees or Coolio. This album might be easy to digest, but it's certainly not candy-coated.

All good artistic endeavors are autobiographical on some level, and Last Dimension is no exception. Mad Pack is learning the ins and outs of the music game by trial and error. They verbalize these triumphs and tribulations on this 12-song cassette and, thankfully, their soul-searching is done without being too vindictive. These tales will make listeners smile and even laugh when hearing them for the first time. The bass-heavy "Mr. A&R," for instance, takes a shot at record companies' artist and repertoire departments, many of whom don't know much about the genre, yet are responsible for discovering and signing acts. Another sizzling track along similar lines is the hard-core cut "I.O.U.," a chorus-line jam featuring each member's twisted rendition of the big payback.

Hip-hop heads who have caught Mad Pack's high-energy performances at local venues or heard them flex their freestyle rhyme skills over the airwaves of the old WOLF-AM 1490 will certainly remember the rambunctious "Kill a Copy Kat" and more mellow offerings such as "Continuous Vibe" and "Six Souls Singin.'" New Edition fans will recognize Mad Pack's hypnotic "Red Lights and Incense," which features the beat from NE's single "Hit Me Off."

Many observers believe rap will survive if and when it successfully builds bridges to other genres. Mad Pack must agree, because they enlisted the commandeering voice of the late reggae artist Bobby-T (who died before the cassette was released) on the cut "Rude Boy," which can best be described as hip-hop meets the dance hall. "Rude Boy" will please fans of Caribbean music and may well convert them into rap fans along the way.

Between some of the cuts, Mad Pack has crafted some of the most effective voice-over skits this side of De La Soul. Two of the more remarkable routines include an hilarious sample from the cartoon Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, which speaks out against rapper's materialism, as well as the skillfully crafted "Battle Interlude" from a radio show in Rochester.