Happy 30th Anniversary to Lords of the Underground’s debut album Here Come the Lords, originally released March 30, 1993.
Released 30 years ago, Lords of the Underground’s Here Comes the Lords was a remarkably dope release at the time of its arrival. Lords of the Underground didn’t chase pop success, opting instead to pursue a more blue-collar creative aesthetic that valued remaining true to hip-hop’s roots. They found success on their own terms and were one of the pleasant surprises of the early-to-mid 1990s.
The Newark, NJ bred group, composed of Al’Terik “Mr. Funke” Wardrick, Dupré “DoItAll” Kelly, and Bruce “DJ Lord Jazz” Colston were co-signed by none other than Marlon “Marley Marl” Williams. For those who don’t know (and I hope most of you do), Marl was a super producer best known for spearheading the Juice Crew and becoming one of the defining architects of hip-hop’s mid to late 1980s sound.
Here Come the Lords was Marley Marl’s next big success following his role in orchestrating LL Cool J’s “comeback” album, Mama Said Knock You Out (1990). And Lords of the Underground was his first successful talent he had developed since The Juice Crew. In 1991, he had recorded and released In Control, Vol. II (For Your Steering Pleasure), a fairly expansive compilation featuring established acts and a crop of new, relatively competent rap and R&B artists. It was fine, but it neither made much of an impact nor launched many new careers.
Marley Marl had met and began working with Lords of the Underground in 1990, and helped them develop their sound over the next few years. Mr. Funke and DoItAll are a bit on the raw side throughout Here Come the Lords, but overall, both are serviceable on the mic. Crafting hooks also was not their strongest suit at the time, with the two often just shouting the name of the track repeatedly over the chorus throughout the project. However, the pair brought a lot of exuberance to their vocal performances, which added a lot to their overall mic presence. Their tracks often bounce with energy, benefiting from their shared enthusiasm.
Here Come the Lords benefits from Marley Marl’s studio acumen. He contributes to every song on the album, receiving either sole or shared production credit, and he mixes every track as well. Marley frequently gets assistance from Kevin “K-Def” Hansford, who he brought into the fold around this time. K-Def worked with Marley Marl throughout the early 1990s, contributing production to LL Cool J’s 14 Shots to the Dome (1993) and Tragedy’s Saga of a Hoodlum (1993), both of which would be released a few months later. The two make a great team throughout Here Come the Lords, mixing Marley’s classic head-knocking breakbeat heavy stylings with jazz samples and horn-heavy grooves. The results maintain the funk and swing of Marley’s earlier production, but still feel of the time.
Throughout Here Come the Lords, LOTUG extol the virtues of “a land where others seldom dwell,” a nod to underground hip-hop. For the group, being “underground” doesn’t necessarily mean independent or not well known, but rather it signifies the commitment to upholding the values of the music’s golden era, when artists didn’t chase mainstream acceptance. They express these sentiments on tracks like “Keep It Underground,” where they herald the values and crews that created the foundation of hip-hop music.
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LOTUG honor this legacy throughout Here Come the Lords. Tracks like the “Check It” remix, “Madd Skillz,” and “L.O.T.U.G. (Lords of the Underground)” are all rugged tracks showcasing top-notch boom-bap production, with the emcees employing clever braggadocio and boundless fervor. On “Lord’s Prayer,” LOTUG position themselves as hip-hop holy men, fervently dedicated to protecting the culture. Meanwhile, “What’s Goin’ On” has them lamenting how those who once shunned hip-hop began to embrace it in pursuit of money.
In a “twist” of sorts, Here Come the Lords featured a number of successful singles. But true to the group’s form, none of these songs felt compromised to earn radio play. LOTUG released some of the best hip-hop singles of the era, without altering their sensibilities.
LOTUG’s first single “Psycho” is an entertaining but oddly incongruous track compared to the rest of Here Come the Lords. The track is well-produced, with Marley and K-Def creating a relatively haunting mood, but Mr. Funke and DoItAll seemingly channel Das EFX or Ice Cube’s “Wicked” throughout the song. The video, which features the pair rhyming in a flashlight-lit abandoned warehouse, further muddied the group’s vibe.
“Funky Child,” the album’s second single, is an overall stronger track, and the most “throwback” Marley Marl song on the album. Marley and K-Def build the track around the horn-filled funk of James Brown’s “My Thang” and the drum break from Skull Snaps’ “It’s a New Day.” It’s one of their best recordings, as both DoItAll and Mr. Funke explain how their birth in a funkier era has given them a greater appreciation for their music and roles in the culture.
LOTUG is best known for “Chief Rocka,” the group’s third single and their breakout hit. The track is perfectly constructed, as Marley blends vocal samples with a thumping bassline and stabs of saxophone. Lord Jazz’s scratches are well-executed, as Mr. Funke and DoItAll deliver some of the album’s best verses.
“Here Come the Lords,” the album’s fourth single (and lead-off track) features Mr. Funke and DoItAll rapping over a stuttering horn track, lambasting those that they believed were stealing their style. Oddly enough, the group got into some beef with the Diggin’ in the Crates (D.I.T.C.) crew at the time, various members of which accused LOTUG of stealing from them. Lord Finesse took exception to Wardrick calling himself Mr. Funke, since Finesse had titled his second album Return of the Funky Man (1992). Furthermore, Showbiz & A.G. accused the group of biting, since one of the “Funky Child” remixes utilized the exact same sample as the duo’s “Hold Your Head” from their debut full-length Runaway Slave (1992).
LOTUG mostly hold down the mic on their own, but enlist a few guests from their hometown of Newark. Jam-C makes an appearance on “From Da Bricks,” LOTUG’s spirited dedication to their city of residence. “Flow On (New Symphony)” is a posse cut featuring Kid Deleon and Sah-B, with the four flowing over a slightly sped-up sample from The Floaters’ “Float On.” The song is entertaining, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the classic it invokes: Marley Marl’s timeless “Symphony” posse cut from In Control, Vol. 1 (1988). Pete Rock’s remixed version of the track, which was the fifth single to support the project, is superior, and one of the acclaimed producer’s oft-forgotten triumphs.
LOTUG occasionally engages in topical material. “Grave Digga” is LOTUG’s version of Ice-T’s “You Played Yourself,” as the pair admonish those who collapse under the weight of their stupidity and arrogance. DoItAll delivers a particularly pointed verse aimed at rappers who sacrifice their values and friends to chase pop success, only to flop.
“Sleep for Dinner,” inspired by one of Damon Wayans’ early 1990s comedy specials, brings some humor to the proceedings. The pair find humor in what we today call “food insecurity,” recalling their childhood/teen years where they took whatever means necessary to not go to bed hungry. This includes scrapping with a pizza man, who they discover is shockingly nice with his hand-to-hand skills.
LOTUG were one of the more resilient groups of the 1990s, continuing to release music in the subsequent 15 years, including the solid follow-up Keepers of the Funk (1994). They also became a group that toured overseas prolifically, bringing their music to hip-hop fans around the globe, and holding the respect of their peers.
These days, LOTUG doesn’t record or tour as much. Seeing as DoItAll was elected to Newark City Council in 2022, he has a lot of other responsibilities. The group still represent a smile-inducing success story of the 1990s, as they vowed to “keep it underground” and backed it up with their music during an era when pop success looked very appealing. The Funky Children certainly made good.
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