Sadat X (of Brand Nubian) returns with his sophomore full-length release Experience & Education. Back to the solo-fold in a fiery reemergence, Sadat brings together a roughish account of the ups and downs of his life a... more »s a veteran emcee who has spent his lifetime in Harlem and The Bronx. Sadat's forthcoming album on Female Fun (Prince Paul, MF Doom, DJ Spinna) features stellar production from the likes of Diamond D (DITC), DJ Spinna, The P Brothers (cult-UK production duo), Minnesota (Mos Def, Money Boss Players), Ge-ology, Agallah (Purple City), DJ Madsol Desar (Talib Kweli, Last Emperor) and others ? along with featured guest spots from Heltah Skeltah (both Sean Price and Rock!), Edo G., Money Boss Players, and Agallah (Purple City). Experience & Education is the amalgamation of Sadat's worldly travels, alongside his extensive connections all throughout the rap industry. Aged and matured, Sadat is not only a full-time MC, he's a New York City league basketball coach, Elementary school teacher and enrolled student himself. He's played Point Guard for Howard University, toured the globe many times over with Brand Nubian, and collaborated with everyone from Biggie to Jay-Z to The Neptunes to Redman to Common to a countless list of other luminaries in the world of hip-hop. He was recently featured on Beanie Sigel?s latest album and has appeared on Platinum and Gold selling albums including A Tribe Called Quest, Everlast, Big L and others.« less
Sadat X (of Brand Nubian) returns with his sophomore full-length release Experience & Education. Back to the solo-fold in a fiery reemergence, Sadat brings together a roughish account of the ups and downs of his life as a veteran emcee who has spent his lifetime in Harlem and The Bronx. Sadat's forthcoming album on Female Fun (Prince Paul, MF Doom, DJ Spinna) features stellar production from the likes of Diamond D (DITC), DJ Spinna, The P Brothers (cult-UK production duo), Minnesota (Mos Def, Money Boss Players), Ge-ology, Agallah (Purple City), DJ Madsol Desar (Talib Kweli, Last Emperor) and others ? along with featured guest spots from Heltah Skeltah (both Sean Price and Rock!), Edo G., Money Boss Players, and Agallah (Purple City). Experience & Education is the amalgamation of Sadat's worldly travels, alongside his extensive connections all throughout the rap industry. Aged and matured, Sadat is not only a full-time MC, he's a New York City league basketball coach, Elementary school teacher and enrolled student himself. He's played Point Guard for Howard University, toured the globe many times over with Brand Nubian, and collaborated with everyone from Biggie to Jay-Z to The Neptunes to Redman to Common to a countless list of other luminaries in the world of hip-hop. He was recently featured on Beanie Sigel?s latest album and has appeared on Platinum and Gold selling albums including A Tribe Called Quest, Everlast, Big L and others.
CD Reviews
A Diamond In The Rough
12/10/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I'll be the first to admit, I gave up on Sadat X years upon years ago, but damn I must come be crazy. After listening to Experience & Education, I was left in a state of bewilderment. I was under the impression Sadat X's gas gage was on E (empty) - but after a couple listens to this, it's evident he just filled up.
Listen to Back to New York, God Is Back and What Did I Do. Damn, I almost want to give this 5 stars, but that should only be reserved for definite classics. However, someone with the hip-hop knowledge I surely possess, giving this 4 stars is nothing short of diamond in the rough. Get it. Dope beats, sharp lyrics, and a rejuvenated Sadat on the mic."
Sadat X. - The Legend Strikes again
Hop Head | Montreal, Canada | 04/20/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Of Course Of course this album was hella ill, its sadat x! Some may say only for the true heads but i disagree. Many many people can relate to this album who are discovering new things and love to hear stories.
Sadat is a great story teller and proves so not only in this album, but My favourite ever cd of all time, Sadat X. - Wild Cowboys. I cant believe not one person who reviewed this cd and even the reviewer of amazon, did not give mention to the Wild Cowboys Album. C'mon dudes! Anyone who loves Sadat has to pick up the Wildcowboys album. But, props to this one too, a Real Good listen!!! P.S Happy 4:20!!"
Educate Thyself - Experience this Album
Joshua R. Warren | Winston-Salem, NC | 11/29/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If you're reading this review, you're no stranger to the hip-hop community. Sadat X has never experienced solo success, however, he's certainly the heart-and-soul of Brand Nubian. Having said that, Experience & Education is nothing groundbreaking or as classic as previous Brand Nubian releases (dating back to the golden age of hip-hop), but you could make an argument this album was one of the best (and most overlooked) in 2005.
The album's highlights Back To New York, God Is Back, What Did I Do?, Ge-ology to name a few - add life into a world of hip-hop that's on the verge of death. Experience & Education is not flawless; in fact - you'll find a handful of filler tracks on this album. If you're a fan of Sadat X, past (Brand Nubian), present (Experience & Education) or future (Black October) do yourself a favor, and buy his best solo work to date."
D X from the BX.....
postone | victoria B.C | 04/14/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"well well well....what can i say!!!? im a BIG brand nubian fan and a general fan of a lot of the possitive late 80's early 90's hip hop.....as most REAL HIP HOP HEADS know....a time in hip hop where emcees would sit down with a pen and a pad and write counsious down to earth lyrics are slowly fading away!!!
.....FOURTUNATELY (female fun records)..knows this to and is helping to put REAL ARTISTS like BRAND NUBIANS sadat x out!!!!
.....any ways support sadat x and female fun records and buy this CD.......the beats are on point and sharp, plus ORIGINAL and sadat x's lyrics are well written and you can tell he raps about what he wants to rap about and not whats popular at the time!!! .....SOME VERY DEEP LYRICS....
"
The God Is Back {4 ½ Stars}
Norfeest | Washington DC USA | 03/26/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Sadat X is one of those rappers where you know what to expect from him every time out. Usually he meets or exceeds these expectations. This time around is no different. Experience & Education is right in line with the rest of his releases -- it's dope. There are a few filler tracks, but that's to be expected with 16 tracks. Anyway, with names like Diamond D, Ge-Ology, and Minnesota lending production assistance, you know the beats are definitely on point. Lyrically, the man formerly known as Derek X delivers in his normal fashion. The topics range from relationships, sexual abuse, the posse tracks gets done, and the obligatory 5% Nation philosophies get some tread -- the 5% touch is to be expected if you're at all familiar with any Brand Nubian member. But it's done without coming off too pretentious. I loved it all.
There are a few tracks that fell under skip material in my opinion -- "Back To New York", "Come On Down (Remix)" (good production though), and "Creep" fell under this category for me. Also, toward the end of the album, the production can get a little repetitive (like on "Have A Good Life"). Outside of those minor issues, I'd say that this is a great album. Sadat X definitely does his thing.
Experience & Education is a good lp from X. Though it flew under the radars of a lot of people, the production and lyrics are strong enough to make this LP one of top releases of '05. Too bad these aren't the types of albums getting play on the radio anymore. I recommend adding this to your music library.
Standout Tracks: Ge-ology Beat feat. Gina Vegas (My Favorite), What Don't Ya? feat. Edo G., The Daily News, Creep, The Great Diamond D feat. Heltah Skeltah, Shine feat. Money Boss Players, and What Did I Do?"
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1