Day 0725 - Connected

Stereo MCs "Connected"

Stereo MCs had slowly been building their reputation through their first couple of releases.   Tracks backing MC Rob B and vocalist Cath Coffey were largely sample-based.   For "Connected" they upped the ante with several backing singers and a full band.

The tracks mix rap, soul, electronica, dub and pop to create a sound that is catchy, danceable and almost a touch hypnotic.

The album was a huge success, but the band would not follow it up for another 8-9 years.  The intervening time being peppered with some remix work for other artists.

Day 0533 - Run D.M.C

Run D.M.C "Run D.M.C" (1984)

One of the great early rap albums.  Sparse arrangements over drum machine beats.  Occasional bursts of guitar and Jam Master Jay's scratches serve to anticipate their eventual 'rap rock' hit "Walk this Way".  The sounds act as a simple but effective backdrop for Run and DMC's rhymes.

They engage in some fun wordplay while delivering a healthy dose of social commentary.  The way they collaborate, play off each other and finish each other's sentences adds a bit of variety that you wouldn't necessarily get from a solo artist.