Happy 30th Anniversary to K-Solo’s debut album Tell The World My Name, originally released May 22, 1990.
Kevin “K-Solo” Madison doesn’t get the respect he deserves, and he is often remembered for the wrong reasons. The truth is that his Tell The World My Name showed his versatility as artist, sold reasonably well, and spawned three memorable singles. During a period crowded with insanely dope releases, K-Solo’s debut album holds its own and ranks among the greatest releases of that year.
K-Solo got into the game through his Long Island connections and friendship with Erick Sermon and Parrish “PMD” Smith of EPMD, two of the best artists from the area. The “original rap criminal” was a certified hard rock, boxer, and all-around dope emcee. He spent time incarcerated in Suffolk County’s Riverhead Correctional Facility for assault (more on that later).
K-Solo made his first appearance on EPMD’s Unfinished Business (1989) and contributed a song-stealing performance on “Knick Knack Paddy Wack,” where he first displayed his “spelling style”/”Spellbound Flow” that would help define him as an artist. He also appeared in many of the videos released to support Unfinished Business (1989), his stoic and imposing presence making an impression. K-Solo became the first EPMD affiliate to release a full-length album, signing with Atlantic Records.
EPMD was involved heavily in Tell The World My Name, particularly Smith, who handles most of the production on the album, getting a little assistance from Sermon, as well as Al B. and Peace Core. Despite Solo occasionally name-checking his DJ, Biggie Smalls (not Christopher Wallace), all of the work behind the turntables is credited to EPMD’s DJ Scratch.
Tell The World My Name is likely best known for “Spellbound,” the Sermon-produced first single for the album. K-Solo incorporates his “Spellbound Flow” throughout the track, ending nearly every bar by spelling out the final word, and quite a few other words in-between. It’s certainly a memorable track, but Sermon’s production gives the song staying power, as he pieces together multiple elements from Kool & the Gang’s monster instrumental named “Rated X.”
Solo reuses a portion of his “Knick Knack Paddy Wack” verse twice on Tell The World My Name. The first is on “Rockin’ For My Hometown,” where he starts with the spelling-heavy end of the verse and moves beyond (though he spells “B-I-R-D” correctly this time). Solo pays respect to his hood, Central Islip (a.k.a. C.I.-Fly), rapping with grim determination over a guitar sample of Johnny Hammond’s “Shifting Gears.” “Holding the mic tight, ’cause when it’s time to recite,” he raps. “I say things to make a rapper wanna fight.”
Later, Solo uses most of the rest of the “Knick Knack” verse on “Real Solo Stand Up,” a propulsive track where he blasts rappers who imitate and claim to have originated his style. It’s directed at the then mostly unknown DMX a.k.a. Earl Simmons of Ruff Ryders/”Get At Me Dog” fame. Solo and DMX had met while serving time at Riverhead Correctional, and gruff-voiced DMX later maintained that it was he who had developed the “Spellbound flow.”
Truthfully, I feel ridiculous writing about this beef, as there are few things sillier than two emcees arguing about who was the first to spell on a record. But since DMX blew up of 20 years ago, it’s become an important part of both rappers’ legacies, and has since involved inconclusive lie detector tests and a challenge to a boxing match, among other things. I personally have no thoughts on who really spelled out words in their raps first and who “won” this battle. All I know is that the conflict made for some good music on Tell The World My Name.
Besides, the “Spellbound flow”-oriented talk undersells K-Solo’s skills. He demonstrates that he’s an extremely gifted storyteller on Tell The World My Name. As much attention as he earned with “Spellbound,” the album’s biggest hit was “Your Mom’s In My Business.”
The song features Solo at his smoothest, lamenting to his girlfriend how her mother’s controlling nature is sabotaging their relationship over a sample of Maze’s family reunion classic “Before I Let Go.” He’s said that the song was inspired by the mother of one of his girlfriends in high school, who would constantly pepper him with questions whenever he was around. Solo manages to sound frustrated yet respectful when discussing the issue, rapping, “Mothers love you, and they’re concerned / But if you don't solve your own problems, then how can you learn?”
Solo also spends some time detailing his background, focusing on the adversity that he faced in order to have a recording career. On “Everybody Knows Me,” he expounds on the arduous process he went through in order to get respected as an emcee. He chronicles dealing with doubters, along with his brief and tumultuous involvement with Rock Squad. The LI-based crew was briefly signed to Tommy Boy Records and expelled Solo from the group before releasing their material. Its ranks also counted PMD among its members (then known as DJ Eazzy-Pee), who remained cool with Solo.
He delves further into his troubled background on “Fugitive,” the album’s third single. He describes spending two years eluding the police after being charged with assault for pummeling two bikers who tried to jump him. The track peaks with its third verse, where he portrays his life serving sixteen months in prison, choosing to concentrate on reading and learning how to become a professional emcee, rather than fighting and getting into trouble. It also features one of the earliest and best uses of Grover Washington Jr.’s “Knucklehead” sample.
Solo’s storytelling goes from reality-based to harrowing on “Tales From The Crack Side,” one of the bleakest anti-drug anthems of the era. Solo spins pure drama as he describes going into a crack-induced haze, envisioning a rhyme that he wrote coming to life and going on a vicious crime spree that leaves his family and friends hurt and violated. The sample of James Brown’s “Mind Power” has never sounded as urgent as it does here, paired with the siren-like yelps from Grover Washington Jr.’s “The Sea Lion” and the breakdown from Eddie Kendricks’ “Girl You Need a Change of Mind.”
Solo is also dope when he drops pure battle rhymes. “Speed Blocks” is a two-and-a-half minute lyrical sprint, as he races past his opponents while rapping, “You’re in the rear, way back there I can't see your face / But if I did I'd bet I’d read fear / What was a race is now a chase / Trying to replace and chase Solo but I'm in first place.” He moves at a similar pace on “Solo Rocks The House,” spraying rapid-fire rhymes while literally bringing the house down around him.
Tell The World My Name ends with the apocalyptic “Drums of Death.” Solo creates vivid visions of death and destruction on the track, evoking images of lakes of fire and ravenous beasts as he smites his enemies. He raps, “I'll mangle, strangle rappers at any angle / ’Til they disappear like in the Bermuda triangle / No trace of life, gone without a fight / What remains are the drums of death and a mic.” PMD's production is appropriately gritty, filled with multiple pounding drum tracks and stabs of electric guitar. DJ Scratch’s chaotic cuts seal the deal.
K-Solo continued with EPMD as the Hit Squad enter their brief prime, recording Time’s Up (1992) and helping mentor then up-and-comers like Redman and Keith Murray. He had ample skills as an artist, which is why I think it’s a shame that he’s often discussed in the context of his beef with DMX and spelling out words in his rhymes. There’s a lot going on beyond the gimmicks, making Tell The World My Name a worthy classic.
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