The Jungle Brothers are a golden era hip-hop duo from Brooklyn, New York, consisting of Afrika Baby Bam and Mike Gee. Originally formed as a trio with DJ Sammy B, their 1988 debut album Straight Out the Jungle and second album Done by the Forces of Nature on Warner Records is considered one of the most important hip-hop albums of all time, although their music since then has generally been either well-received or missed. However, I am still interested in the second extended competition in the native language group.
TdiMuzik’s “Make the Party Rock” starts with a fun intro that talks muhfuckas 2-steppin’ even though TdiMuzik’s verse isn’t bad, while “Check This Out” brings it back to the band’s signature hip-hop house sound, calling for everyone on the dance floor to go all out. “Special Request (Dancin’)” kicks off the second half with a carefree party song, while “Rocket” ends the EP with the story of their continued rocking the stage.
Much of the Jungle Brothers’ output over the past 3 years has been average at worst, and I probably wouldn’t put Concrete Jungle on the same pedestal as their first few seminal LPs, but I think it’s a decent return for them overall. The production shifts between the hip-hop and boom-bap sounds that make them so unique, although I wouldn’t say they don’t really push those styles forward.
Rating: 6/10
