Happy 30th Anniversary to Grand Puba’s debut solo album Reel to Reel, originally released October 20, 1992.
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It’s kind of gotten lost just how anticipated Maxwell “Grand Puba” Dixon’s first solo album was when it first hit the shelves. Released 30 years ago, after numerous delays, hip-hop heads hoped that Reel to Reel would deliver on the tons of promise that Puba had displayed as a singular talent. In the months before its release in October 1992, some had it penciled in as a possible album of the year candidate. Whether it delivered on that potential is up for debate.
There was no denying Puba’s ability. He’d first made his name as one of the Masters of Ceremony in the mid to late ’80s. Then, as part of Brand Nubian, he turned in a star-making performance on their debut One for All (1990). He was a stellar emcee, with an abundance of style and charisma.
“Puba is more innately talented than damn near everyone,” said Dante Ross during an episode of the podcast What Had Happened Was… His former A&R collaborator considered Puba a five-tool player: he could rap, make beats, DJ, sing, and play piano. He seemed earmarked for genre-changing success.
However, even during his rise, it was known that Puba was, as Ross put it, “unmanageable.” Stories of him showing up hours late, or not at all, to studio sessions, photo shoots, and interviews have become legend. His Brand Nubian cohorts, Sadat X and Lord Jamar, said on the Drink Champs Podcast that Puba was a “bad teacher… He taught us this business wrong.” Some of Puba’s shaky practices at the time included showing up early to the studio, taking all of the per diem money set aside for the session, and leaving. Other times, he would strong arm his label into cutting him Manual Checks for thousands of dollars under false pretenses. Even during the recording of One for All, he caused friction within the group, booking studio time without Sadat and Jamar so that he could record solo material for the album.
Puba’s recognized skills allowed people to shrug it all off. He commanded the respect of nearly everyone who held a mic during the early 1990s. Treach namechecked Puba as “one of the fiercest emcees out there.” Luminaries like Q-Tip and B-Real championed him as well.
Leading up to the release of Reel to Reel, Puba built his buzz through guest appearances. He graced Heavy D’s “Don’t Curse,” Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth’s “Skinz,” and the Brand New Heavies’ “Who Makes the Loot.” He both wrote and appeared on the title track of future superstar Mary J. Blige’s debut album What’s the 411? (1992), one of the best hip-hop/R&B duets of all time.
Puba had also decided to leave Brand Nubian, taking the group’s DJ Alamo with him, as well as his other DJ Run Stud a.k.a. Stud Doogie. He made the decision against the advice of Ross, who advised him that he could record a solo album and remain with the group. The decision also came to the chagrin of Sadat and Jamar, and made his relationship with the latter even more tense.
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But given Puba’s previous track record and near universal regard for his talents, it’s a bit of a wonder why Reel to Reel didn’t exactly capture listeners’ full attention when it dropped three decades ago. It’s loaded with solid, quality tracks, with few (if any) actual missteps. Puba’s pen game and stylistic delivery are nearly flawless. However, Reel to Reel falls just short of greatness. And since it’s apparent that Puba is capable of greatness, it feels weird that he rarely hits that extra gear on this endeavor. When he fully engages, he’s a slick-talking, Girbaud and Tommy Hilfiger sporting Juggernaut, but it doesn’t happen as often as it should.
On What Had Happened Was…, Ross theorized that all of Puba’s innate skill prevented him from trying as hard as he should when recording music. “Being a natural works against him when it comes to applying himself,” Ross said. “He’s a massive underachiever. He should be in the hall of fame, and now he’s the guy that only grown people know about. … All of his peers held him up here, and he never followed through on that potential to be one of the all-time greats.”
DJ Muggs, Erick Sermon, The 45 King, and Q-Tip all sought to supply Puba beats for Reel to Reel, yet he opted to produce much of Reel to Reel himself. Ross said he likely went this route because he didn’t have the patience to wade through beat submissions, possibly because he didn’t want to spend the money on high-profile beat-makers.
Regardless, Puba does a very good job behind the boards. He knew records and had a great ear for finding the type of material to sample that suited his rhyme style. His productions are fairly minimalist in execution—he lets the inherent soulfulness of the samples speak for themselves, rarely using catchy hooks.
On “360 (What Goes Around),” Reel to Reel’s lead single and best-known song, Puba rhymes over a simple drum track and a bassline played by famed hip-hop studio musician (and engineer) Anton Pukshansky. The only other “music” on the track comes from Puba scratching in sampled vocals from Gladys Knight and the Pips’ “Don’t Burn Down the Bridge.” Even with the bare-bones construction, the track is correctly remembered as one of the best of the era. Puba drips coolness and swag over the song, as he “kick[s] styles by the piles, as I leave a trail for miles.”
In terms of subject matter, Puba focuses mostly on some emcee shit, crafting clever braggadocio and kicking “flavor” in inventive ways. He unwinds a sole lengthy verse on “Ya Know How It Goes,” starting off with a slippery, off-the-cuff delivery that morphs into a complex flow exercise. Puba seems to bend bars as he raps, “Now for grown I speak with a tone which I choose to call my own / Ghetto prone I guard the zone like the kid from Home Alone.”
“Check the Resume” and the title track are slower, soul-drenched exercises. On the former, he employs a rapid-fire rhyme style to contrast with the leisurely tempo. But on “Reel to Reel,” Puba sounds almost lackadaisical, while still managing to dispense clever punchlines. “No fakes, see we got what it takes,” he drawls. “We stay far away from snakes sipping on the chitlin’ shakes.”
The Stimulated Dummies, Ross’ production crew, did provide a pair of beats for Reel to Reel, which the former A&R chalked up to being in close proximity to Puba during the recording process. “Lickshot” is the album’s best track, as the SD50s unearth a perfect dusty groove for Puba to unleash three dope verses upon. Again, Puba’s flow continuously twists and contorts, as he raps, “I shake my thing until I pull a hamstring and then I call an old fling / Gotta Spike her and tell her ‘Do the Right Thing!’”
The other SD50s track on Reel to Reel, “Honey Don’t Front,” is one of the few songs dedicated to Puba’s love for hitting skins, as he pursues the opposite sex over an upbeat organ groove. On “This Is How We Move It,” Puba continues to expound on the joy of carnal pleasures, backed by a horn-centered track created by his former Masters of Ceremony partner, DJ Shabazz.
Puba goes in an interesting direction with Reel to Reel’s second single, “Check It Out,” a duet with the aforementioned Blige, who graces the album to return the favor. The song plays like an entry on early 1990s NY mixtape, with Puba and Blige tag-teaming over a loop of the “Impeach the President” drum-break. While one might expect an over-the-top duet with the then ascendant Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, the song is a low-key endeavor, which was within character for both artists.
Renowned DJ turned recording artist Kid Capri contributes the album’s sole guest verse on “Back It Up,” produced by both Capri and Puba. The pair also pass the mic back and forth during the first verse, dropping smooth verses over a sample of Mtume’s “Bigger’s Theme.” Puba is fittingly laid back in his delivery, sounding like he freestyled his contributions. “So keep a clear focus, ’cause I say hocus pocus,” Puba raps. “That’s all I have to say to make the mob swarm like locusts.”
Puba does contribute a pair of politically charged recordings to Reel to Reel. “Soul Controller” is the more militant and aggressive of the two, with the beat, produced by Lateif, setting the tone. Puba rails against the white supremacist power-structure in the United States, encouraging the nation’s Black population to rise up against “The Devil.” “Proper Education” is a reggae/dancehall-infused entry, with Puba utilizing Jamaican patois to drop knowledge over a dubbed-out horn track. Both tracks do harken back to his politically aware commentary of One for All, demonstrating that when Puba has something to say, he’s not shy about expressing his beliefs.
“Baby What’s Your Name” is essentially a soul song, with Puba doing a decent job crooning over the dream-like groove. Puba would never be confused with Otis Redding, but he has the chops to commit to the bit, even as he breaks down in laughter as the track draws to a close.
Ross has spoken extensively about tracks recorded for Reel to Reel that ultimately didn’t make the final version of the album. Puba recorded a song produced by De La Soul’s Maseo that sampled Steely Dan’s “Black Cow” almost a decade before Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz. However, it was removed due to sample clearance issues. Sample clearances impeded the release of a different song that sampled Hall & Oates’ “Sara Smile.” Puba also axed a track produced by Minnesota, which he didn’t use because it leaked before the album was released. Ross speculates the inclusion of many of these songs could have made Reel to Reel a bigger hit. The album sold decently, but didn’t reach the heights of One for All.
Also complicating Reel to Reel’s legacy was the success of Brand Nubian’s In God We Trust (1993), released a few months later. Many had written off the group after Puba left its ranks, but Sadat and Jamar recorded a raw, militant, and extremely well-received album. Though I personally prefer Puba’s endeavor, the general sentiment is that Brand Nubian won the day, and that they sounded better without Puba than Puba did without them.
At the end of the day, it’s only possible to judge Reel to Reel for what it is, not what it could have been or if it was better than a Brand Nubian album he wasn’t involved with. Whether it would have been a timeless classic if Puba had worked with an all-star roster of producers and guest appearances, or added really catchy hooks, is immaterial. Reel to Reel is still a dope album where Puba showcases his rhyming and production skills. No matter how the sausage got made, it turned out to be a really good meal.
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