“I’ll walk a mile for a funky beat,” Mike G says on the title song, but I think these brothers would rather swing from the trees. It’s those funky beats in either case; mostly modern hip-hop but sometimes 1970s-style disco, acid jazz and African tribal; that make this album a standout. Listen to the groove of the starter song for example; a space jam entitled Beyond This World; and try not to dance to it.

If there’s a misstep, it’s that the production, beatwise and vocally, is so experimental and sporadic that sometimes the Brothers stop rapping and stumble across short breakdowns that would’ve been better-off looped to lace the entire song around. The a cappella jingles of Beads On A Strings, the piano scratch ending of Comin Through and the spirited peak of Good Newz Comin are all prime examples.

That’s a minor complaint though. The J Beez; a rap group that seem to have more collective talent than A Tribe Called Quest and maybe even De La Soul; provide ample entertainment for your listening pleasure. Whether or not you agree with their Afrocentric philosophies and History lessons, they’re a likable bunch with fun (girl-chasing) personalities and plenty of good music to shake your Nature to.

my rating : 4 of 5

1989