#22: Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth — Funky Technician (1990)
New York, NY — Wild Pitch Records
What we got in our hands today, ladies and gentlemen, is the debut album from rapper, producer and future D.I.T.C. crew leader Lord Finesse and his buddy DJ Mike Smooth (who doesn’t seem to have had much in the way of a career after this album, which is a shame because his scratching is pretty good), released in the year of our lord of 1990. Counting with production from illustrious names such as Diamond D, Showbiz and motherfuckin’ DJ Premier, this seems to be regarded as an underrated and overshadowed gem from the turn of the decade era, all of which make me very curious. In my preliminary jams of Funky Technician while playing Morrowind or some other stuff, while obviously not able to properly keep up with the lyrics, what grabbed my attention the most was how, duh, funky it all is. Beats are mostly still based on assorted funk breaks and riffs, mostly James Brown stuff, usually straightforward, steady and simple but also efficient, charming and very groovy.
Theme-wise there’s not too much to go into: this is a battle rap album through and through, with braggadocio being the central theme all throughout; his point here, then, is about flexing his rap muscles as much as possible while still being classy and cool, which I gotta say he mostly manages. Finesse’s writing is impressive mostly for its technical complexity, with multisyllabics and internals galore — and they almost never seem forced like in some other artists, rather coming pretty naturally — and he does consistently hit us with some pretty cool punchlines and similes; “I drop science like a kid from Catholic school”, from Slave To My Soundwave, “If you split, I’mma get you later/ Rhymes more fresher than a virgin in a ‘frigerator”, from Bad Mutha, and “I make ’em cross the border, those I ought to slaughter/ And I guzzle MC’s just like a quart of water”, from Track The Movement, are some of my personal favorites.
His particular style reminds me quite strongly of guys such as Kane, not just because of the impressive rhyming but also due to a certain subtle sense of humor he works into his gloating, something more sophisticated than the standard “yo I’m very good at rap and I can rock a party”. His flow is usually simple but effective, sometimes doing something that I like quite a lot, which is when it kinda steers off the beat a little and sounds like colloquial talk, not just due to a loosening of the cadence but also to specific forms of intonation and flexion he imparts. The overall delivery, as well as the flow, is pretty fine and works well most of the time, but it does get a little samey here and there — by the way, I’d say that the biggest flaw in this record is its low SCD; even if most of the rapping, writing and producing is at least good, if not great, it’s inevitable to feel like it’s getting a little samey around two-thirds of the way in at the very best.
All in all this is a pleasant listen, if a little dull at times, and not excessively ambitious, which in this case I think is a boon, even though the subject matter here is pretty much about being as ambitious as possible in a way. Rhyming technique is definitely the biggest standout here, and the efficient beats do a good work of supporting his rapping and letting him flex his muscles without getting in the way. And it’s pretty interesting to see some early production from the likes of Diamond D and DJ Premier, from a time when they still hadn’t developed the characteristic styles that they would be known for in later years. And I must say I’m pretty curious to check Lord Finesse’s two other albums.
Favorite tracks:
Back To Back Rhyming — The first moment in this album where it picks up the pace in a considerable manner, both production and rapping-wise. The Showbiz beat is definitely a standout and the Andre the Giant feature is just as good as Finesse’s performance, which is impressive considering the sheer intricacy of his rhymes. This song’s predecessor, the title track, seems to be generally regarded as the best on this record, but in my humble opinion this is the one that takes the proverbial cake.
Lesson To Be Taught — Maybe the track that feels the most different all throughout, partially due to the beat, which is uncharacteristically cute and whimsical, and to the fact that this is pretty much the only one that’s not about bragging and gloating, instead adopting this professoral, almost moralising way. The first part consists of a series of life tips and pieces of advice (go to school, don’t do drugs, don’t do the crime, don’t give in to peer pressure, et coetera) which kinda reminded me of Too Short for some reason, and the second part illustrates his points by telling a story (storytelling is not really a big thing in this album, so there’s another point for distinction) about a hustler named Tone that loses all he has to addiction and irresponsibility. Don’t be like Tone, kids!
Track The Movement — The record’s very good closer, remarkably smooth and laid-back, which is almost always a get out of jail free card in my book. Somehow it conveys a markedly different vibe to me, even though it’s not formally different at all.
Least favorite track:
Strictly For The Ladies — Ok, I’ll admit this is somewhat fun, but the ole’ scummy Casanova act usually needs a little more refinement to really work for me as well as other various themes. The somewhat subpar rhyming doesn’t really help, and to top it off it just overstays its welcome by a long shot, being this album’s second longest track.
