DRUGS, SEX, LIQUOR & CIGARETTES

Don't just take our word for how good this is...

"Industry Rule #4,080 might be the most quoted hip-hop law, but lyricists and commentators alike also understand Big Pooh's Rule #1: "Make sure the beat knock 'til the trunk pop / And everybody pause when you cruise down the block." The New Jersey production team Parallel Thought respects the rules on its debut EP Drugs, Liquor, Sex and Cigarettes, delivering five creative, evocative compositions.

At the same time, the teenage trio of Drum, Knowledge, and DJ Apendix Hed defies the beat-first mentality, giving rappers like Jean Grae and C-Rayz Walz beats that complement, and rarely dominate, their lyrics.

Over the EP’s five songs, the Parallel Thought trio puts its production skills to the test, displaying a wide-range of styles. Drugs opens and closes on the upswing, with the lively “Freaky” (featuring PackFM and Jean Grae) and “Chorus II” (featuring C-Rayz Walz) bookending the album. In the middle of the EP, however, lurks Parallel Thought’s best work; a string of grimy, string-laden cuts. On “I Wonder”, M.F. Grimm offers an ode and apology to Malcolm X over swirling violins, which well-up underneath his layered vocals. Meanwhile, Illogic (on “Stay Sleep"), and Breez Evahflowin & Slug (on “Don’t Ever Think") go to work with rich, throbbing beds of violins, bass, and dusty drums. The Jersey teens cite Pete Rock and DJ Premier as influences, but the swampy, moody atmosphere that seeps through the speakers seems closer to early Beatminerz productions. And, like the Beatminerz, Parallel Thought establishes a fine balance between live instrumentation, sampling, and DJing.

Of course, this isn’t just a producer’s EP. The cleverness of the EP is really in the way that Parallel Thought creates attention-grabbing beats that can coexist with the lyricists that perform over them. The beats on Drugs are perfectly structured for complex rhyming. The secret: Parallel Thought’s beats have momentum of their own, but they also give rappers space to build. In short, the Jersey trio let their vocalists make or break the songs. As a whole, their guests turn in mixed performances. MF Grimm is easily outshined on his cut, and the unhinged deliveries of Breez and Slug leave something to be desired. PackFM and Jean Grae, however, turn in solid performances, and Illogic steals the show. On “Stay Sleep”, he taps into the beat to flip his words: “Devastating / diabolic method master / masterpiece piecing jigsaws / of mixed puzzle pieces.” After listening to Illogic spin-out his jigsaw, it’s clear: Drugs takes the Pooh’s Rule one step further, offering thorough beats that empower, rather than overpower, the rhymes." -

http://www.okayplayer.com/reviews/index.php/weblog/more/drugs_liquor_sex_
and_cigarettes/

– T.M. Wolf"

Tracklist:

A-Side

1. Freaky featuring Jean Grae- Pack FM

2. Stay Sleep featuring Illogic

3. Don't Ever Think featuring Breez Evahflowin, Slug (of   Atmosphere)

4. Chorus II featuring C-Rayz Walz

B-Side

1. I Wonder featuring GM Grimm

2. I Wonder (instrumental)

3. Freaky (instrumental)

4. Stay Sleep (instrumental)

5. Don't Ever Think (instrumental)

6. Chorus II (instrumental)