Monthly Archives: June 2010

You don’t spend years working with one of the most talented groups in all of hip hop-dom– aka Public Enemy — without earning a reputation. One of the world’s most famous hip-hop and award-winning production teams, The Bomb Squad (as well as their musical brethren in PE) are indisputable proof that the way to make it in the industry is plain and simple the ability to get audience ass on the dance floor. And BS in particular have a penchant for spinning random reggae tracks (make that lots and lots of reggae), only to shoot them down in a hail of random experimental white noise, or just simply slowing down the record to a grinding halt unexpectedly. I’m not an aficionado of reggae by any means, but it’s hard not to at least bob your head to the music of The Wailers or Peter Tosh or even that “ZungaZunga” song by Yellowman. Hey, here’s a reason why musicians and non-musicians alike have Bob Marley bumper stickers and posters and window decals: something in reggae music speaks to people, on some level, when they hear it. And it’s kind of a welcome change when a catchy classic radio staple falls victim to what is little sounds like someone defaming the classics by stopping and starting the record as it spins. Maybe it’s antics like these which keep The Bomb Squad fun to listen to — and with their stellar production work behind the sound of such classic hip-hop staples as Ice Cube’s Ameirkkka’s Most Wanted, Bel Biv Devoe (remember “Poison”?), and Run D.M.C.’s landmark classic Land of the King –  it’s easy how they’ve made it as far as they have. Do yourself a favor and tune in to some of their more recent work on Red Bull Music Academy Radio.