Search - DJ Pooh :: Bad Newz Travels Fast (Clean Release)

FUNKY MUSIC

04/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This compilation is produced entirely by d.j. pooh. Funky beats!
Tight rhymes from Mista Grimm who has a few solo tracks on the album. Also features rhymes by Threat"

Decent effort from DJ Pooh

ctrx | 'bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks... | 01/05/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Although DJ Pooh made invaluable contributions as a producer to classic cuts by Ice Cube, Tha Dogg Pound, and Del tha Funkee Homosapien among others, most folks know him solely for getting "KNOCKED THE F... OUT!" by D-Bo in Friday (New Line Platinum Series). He was, however, a pioneering figure behind the West Coast's g-funk movement, responsible for some essential music, and it's too bad he isn't more recognized. His sole solo effort was 1997's "Bad Newz Travels Fast," which came and went pretty quickly and soon went out of print. In tracking down this album I expected a solid g-funk compilation, because most producer-driven albums tend to have discontinuous verses by big-name guests with impressive production without the fluidity or consistency of a conventional album. In that sense, "Bad Newz Travels Fast" surprised me, because musically it's a focused and cohesive. Rather than stick to his g-funk chops, Pooh deserves props for being creative. The beats here are unique, marked by a mechanical, space age sound reminiscent of George Clinton's p-funk. DJ Pooh doesn't rap though, and instead of enlisting the big names he probably could have gotten, he employs a crew of second-tier West Coast MCs including Threat, Kam, Mista Grimm, Tray Deee, T-Lee, Bad Azz, and the Low Life Gangstaz, as well as a few appearances by the Gap Band's own Charlie Wilson. While the rapping is okay, there are few standout performances and most are solid if forgettable.



The guests usually handle entire songs themselves, opening with Threat on the funky "Bump Yo Speakers" and Kam detailing a depressing experience between Charlie Wilson's hook on "No Idea." Pooh laces the latter with a beat as gloomy as the sad lyrics. Mista Grimm shows up on the strange, uneasy "Grow Room," a song about growing one's own smoking material, and Kam returns for the upbeat, electronic "Whoop Whoop." Unfortunately, the tracklist is extremely top-heavy and the remainder provides few highlights, although the title track is good and Kam supplies the LP's best lyrics on "Who Cares?".



While "Bad Newz Travels Fast" is an engaging and interesting listen and enjoyable enough, it's not one that has me coming back for more. At current out-of-print prices, it makes for a good collector's item but can reasonably be skipped by most g-funk fans."

Welcome To The World Of Funk

G-Funk 4ever | Listenin' to the Delfonics | 07/17/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"DJ Pooh gets some LA and Long Beach rappers together and spins some cuts and drops some beats for them to rap over in 1997. For the most part, the beats are phat, and many are unlike any I have heard before. I do not like every beat, but some are simply irresistible. The rappers are cool, but Pooh steals the show. His style is deep groove G-Funk with his own individual style. My fav here is "Bump Yo Speakers;" the beat slaps with that LA lowrider funk with Threat's verses gettin you in the mood to sit sideways in a lac I love Charlie Wilson (of Gap Band fame) steppin in to deliver a brief but crazy hook vocal simply stating "bump bump bump bump" with his throaty voice. Kam busts on mark MC's in "Whoop Whoop" with an old school sample; his flows kill. T-Lee busts some flows on the title track where Pooh drops some straight syrupy and twangy sauce. This cat can scratch! Many joints have cuts scratched with absolute precision. My favorite thing, you can see, is the beats on the album. Mista Grimm also takes his turn buckin' down bustas in the whippy funk of "MC's Must Come Down" with some dope background horns. Pooh creates a more laidback atmosphere while Kam drops some more knowledge on "Who Cares" with an Marvin Gaye interpolation in the hook. A scorcher oldschool meets G-Funk era joint is Threat's 4th outta 5 appearances on the bouncy Nowhere 2 Hide. The beat is crazy awesome. I am not too crazy about the beat and lyrics on "No Idea," but Roger Troutman's talkbox and Shirley Murdock's lovely hook vocals are redeeming qualities here! Overall, Pooh and his guests drop a nice G-Funk party jam while droppin some knowledge here and there. Riders, get ya whips juiced, and blast this one on 3 wheel motion!"