dbarila
3
I’m not entirely sure, but I think this may be the first album that was credited with production by the Soulquarians (as The Soulquarians.). When Questlove and D’Angelo met at the Source awards… the collective was borne. From 97 to 02, the collective had jam sessions in Electric Lady Studios. This resulted in Things Fall Apart, Phrenology, Voodoo, Mama’s Gun, this album, Electric Circus, the first Slum Village, the first two Bilal’s… it was some fertile shit. Questlove, J Dilla, James Poyser and D’Angelo. That’s a hell of a team to have behind your albums. Common was the most positive of the group. I happen to think his best album is One Day It’ll Make Sense…. That album transcended Jazz rap into just Jazz that happened to be rap. I think Things Fall Apart is the best thing the Soulquarians produced, but there’s not a bad album among them with at least two more all time classics in Voodoo and Mama’s Gun - who cares if Electric Circus kind of flopped. Well, the label did since they shelved Bilal’s second album and cut off funding for the whole shebang. This album took me ten or so listens when it first came out - it sounded like it came from outer space, but once it clicked it clicked hard. I miss Dilla, I miss D’Angelo and I miss this collective. I miss Mos Def not being an asshole. I miss this era of hip hop. It has always felt like the golden age died with the end of this Group’s activity. And how about that feature list: Femi Kuti, Bilal, Roy Hargrove, Rahzel, Jill Scott, MC Lyte, Slum Village, D’Angelo…