Search - Main Source :: Fuck What You Think

'Forever' is not the word to play...

Phil Watts, Jr. | Petersburg, VA USA | 01/31/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

""MAIN SOURCE FOREVER, Y'ALL..."Those were the final words from Large Professor in one of his last recordings with the group (the Brand New Heavies/Main Source colab). About a month later, Large Pro found himself at odds with the group's manager, ironically the mother of the two DJ's, Sir Scratch & K-Cut, and left the group. About a couple of years later, they went to the New Music Seminar in NY, and saw an MC named Mikey D rip on some kids. They decided to bring him to the fold as the new frontman of the Main Source. Thing is, Mikey D found himself in a situation similar to the one that Spanish guy had when he was chosen to take Lionel Richie's place in the Commodores: no matter how hard he tried, no one will ever deem him worthy of taking the place of the crew's most pominent voice. Not that he didn't try, however. His presence brought the group to another direction. He brought a much harder edge to the group. Whereas Extra P was more comfortable with socio-political subjects ("...Baseball") and a more light-hearted feel and less comfortable with battle rhymes ("I milked your cow/better yet I hit your heifer"???), Mikey was the other way around. His main strength was battling (which is displayed throughout this CD) while his weakness is the socio-political commentary (the mad-forced "Hellavision"). He didn't try to go Extra P's route...He went his own route...and held his own in th process. Production-wise, Scratch 'n' Cut do an impeccible job of pulling their weight, and the big void left by Large Pro. Though they added a harder egde to compliment Mikey D, they kept some of the original jazziness of BREAKING ATOMS, with pleasant results.There were some major roadblocks along the way. Aside from the mixed reception of Mikey replacing Large Pro, there were many things that didn't make matters any better. First, the guests! There were many [weak] guests on this CD. I seemed like everyone was holding a 'Who can come off the hardest' contest and the tape so happened to be on RECORD. (Oh..by the way...two of those participants so happen to be none other than Sheik & Jadakiss, soon to be 2/3's of the L.O.X.'s on 'Set It Off'. Who woulda thought...) To make matters worse, Scratch 'n' Cut thought it would be a brilliant idea to get in the vocal booth theselves. The result?...Let's put it this way: take the worst attempts of a producer trying t rhyme...J-Dilla...Mannie Fresh...name anyone. It doesn't matter, because after listening to Scratch 'n' Cut's verse in "What You Need", those other guys will sound like Pharoah Monche in comparison. They were THAT horrible. With all those wack fools hoggin' studio time, nothing Mike D tried to do got through, and it ended up a complete mess. If they had just let Mikey D do his job without the guests, it would've been better off. Unfortunately, due to differences between the Mikey D and the 2 DJ's, Mike found himself 'looking at the front door' as well, leaving the Main Source in obsurity.If you want to hear more examples of Scratch 'n' Cuts production, want to hear what Jadakiss sounded like he first got put on, or just curious, give this joint a try. Otherwise, it's back to BREAKING ATOMS..."

"What You Need Is The Source" (Rating: 7 out of 10- -3.5 sta

Chandler | Atlanta (College Park), Georgia | 04/17/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"After Large Professor left the group after recording the debut album Breaking Atoms, the two DJ's Sir Scratch and K-Kut hook up with emcee Mikey D to record their second and final album F What You Think. The album was supposed to be released in 1994, but didn't see the light of day until 5 years later. This group already had problems from the get go, causing the group to break up the same year it was supposed to be released.



Seeing that the lead vocalist was changed, that brought a new perception to the group. Mikey D is a much harder edged emcee compared to Extra P, as many would describe as a battle rapper. He's not bad at all, and was much better than I expected. Most of his stories get across real good such as "Diary Of A Hitman" and "Hellavision". "What You Need" a good track and features two short verses from Sir Scratch and K-Kut towards the end. Even the production is solid here, more of a boom bap style, than jazzy than what was on Breaking Atoms.



The only portion I have to knock would be the guest appearances. As you realize Sheek and Jadakiss would appear on "Set It Off" (aka Main Source's version of "Life At The BBQ 2"). Other guest appearances are Shaqueen and MC Lotto on that track, and both are average. Shaqueen also appears on the title track "F What You Think" along with Sir Scratch and K-Kut. The beat is dope, but the lyrics are average from everyone who appears on that song.



Overall this album is very good. I think the biggest obsticale was the fact that Mikey D had to fill Extra-P's shoes when it comes to the rhymes. There is a reason why Scratch and Kut are DJ's and you'll realize on this album the reason. Don't expect anything like their debut, because you're in for a dissapointment. There are some simmilarities that resemble that album, but they are few and far in between. This is an album I would still recommend to fans of the group. Although this is out of print, the album will be reissued later on this month. Peace.



Lyrics: B

Production: B+

Guest Appearances: C

Musical Vibes: B



Top 5 Tracks:

1. What You Need

2. Hellavision

3. Diary Of A Hitman

4. Down Low

5. Where We're Comming From



Honorable Mention:

1. Set It Off (featuring Jadakiss, Sheek, MC Lotto, and Shaqueen)"