Thursday Throwback: Brothas Unda Madness

By most accounts, Brothas Unda Madness' 1995 album Lyfe 'N' Tyme was a slept on Bay Area classic. I sure missed it. Then again, little could distract me from Westside Connection in 4th grade. I recently copped it though after catching their videos for "Elevation (Free My Mind)" and "Take a Look Around." The Oakland duo of Evocalist and D. Wyze mixed g-funk, jazz, street tales and introspective lyrics, to craft a sound that landed somewhere between 3X Krazy and Souls of Mischief. The end result is dope to say the least.

"Elevation (Free My Mind)" has a feel good vibe thanks to the use of the classic Teddy Pendergrass song, "Close The Door". The song celebrates the Bay's indigenous indy hustle, but does so at the expense of major labels and the corporate slavery they associate with signing. What rang true back then, seems even more relevant now in the internet age. 

"Take a Look Around" takes a different view. Documenting the street life that pops off in both the North and East side of Oakland, the B.U.M.S. oscillate between stories of slanging and trying to walk a narrower path. This is the struggle on urban turfs across the country–How do you make an honest way, when there are so many pitfalls? How do you satisfy your thirst for big money without an education? How do you survive when guns have replaced fists? The B.U.M.S. answer was music, but as this video shows, in the Wild Wild West, someone is always losing a draw... and their life. So before you step out into it, be sure you "Take a Look Around."