People Under The Stairs Album: “O.S.T. (Original Soundtrack)”

I don't often make sweeping statements about music, but this is undoubtedly one the finest albums released this side of the millenium, and absolutely one of the best hip hop albums ever put down. As previous reviews have pointed out, this is not "groundbreaking", "experiemental" hip hop - and that's quite the point. PUTS are very much of the philosophy that if it ain't broke, don't f*** with it. These are two guys who grew up on Hip Hop when that was something to be proud of, and their sound is very much in the style of a lot of golden age hip hop. With all the garbage that passes for hip hop these days, most real heads have given up hope. DON'T! This is catchy, intelligent and original, but with a classic early 90's flavour that will never die as long as real hip hoppers keep making - and buying music like this. If hip hop has a future, it lives under the stairs.

As I've come to realize over my years of listening to hip hop (and by hip hop I mean, artists such as: Hieroglyphics,A Tribe called Quest, Gangstarr, Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples, Pharcyde, living legends, De la soul etc...)that nobody does this art better than the people under the stairs, they have impressed me with every effort (the next step and question in the form of answer) they are not reinventing the hip hop wheel, but simply they are making ish that deserves to be classified as classic hip hop. Thes and KK just bring boom bap drums, funky break beats and loops (original at that, not recycled ish out of dj premiers crate of vinyl, as thes one mentions). the rhyming is complimentary to the beats, its just simple b-boy braggadocio, thats witty and insightful. Dag, i can't prove to you how dope this album is (and for that matter their previous two) you just have to straight buy the ish. ( and don't go out ... and download mp3's, please buy the album, because its independent artists and record labels that feel the brundt of this whole filesharing ish,so support your independent and underground acts!!!!)

In the liner notes for O.S.T., People Under the Stairs producer/emcee Thes One provides a well-articulated manifesto where he defines the duo's sound as "just good old hip-hop." He further goes on to say that "somewhere along the way it seems most critics decided that just making hip-hop was not good enough, and praises were hailed upon those who were 'experimental' and 'progressive'... [and] underground hip-hop became a symbol of suburban rebellion across the Internet." This is an interesting point that reflects a growing divide within the independent/underground hip-hop community. Although hip-hop has never been aesthetically homogeneous, the curtain rift between old and new threatens divide the genre into two distinctively different sounds:

The artists associated with Anticon and Warp Records' hip-hop imprint Lex press hip-hop's sound forward at an unrelenting speed that has critics heralding the emergence of a new era. While these artists wage war with their machines in suburban basements, another faction within the hip-hop community is solely dedicated to preserving the culture's heritage and, by extension, the musical fundamentals that it was built upon: deep groove samples, dope breakbeats, and simplistic, on-the-corner emceeing. With O.S.T., their third album, People Under the Stairs have made a musical tribute to these basics. And while it may not break any ground or shift any paradigms, the album is a testament to the enduring strength of straight-up, no-frills hip-hop.

Thes One is so dedicated to vinyl that even his bathroom is decorated with classic soul and jazz albums. His nostalgia for the classics is pervasive throughout this record, and you can smell the 80s scent of linoleum, blunts and vinyl as he brings the rare grooves on song after song. And not only do Thes and Double K, the other member of People Under the Stairs, dig deeper than almost anyone else, they also have a great sense of how to reconstruct their samples to illicit some soul-piercing sounds. On "Empty Bottles of Water", they place a relaxed, rippling key line over an upbeat drum track as Thes One raps, "I travel to the beach where each and every wave sounds like ultimate breaks and beats." On "Acid Raindrops", Thes One appropriates a sample from David Walker's cover of "Lay Lady Lay" while guest MC Camel raps about a day-in-the-life of a So-Cal b-boy.

Although People Under the Stairs flirt with soul, reggae and jazz, the key here is the funk. "The Hang Loose" is an old school, roller-rink jam with a funky disco bassline. Thes and Double affect an old school, Sugar Hill Gang flow and namedrop Dr. J, Kool and the Gang, and "What's Happening"'s Rerun. On "Tales of Kidd Drunkadelic", a loungy keyboard bounces on top of a classic boom-bap drum track as a flute blows beneath the sample. With the seamless ease that Thes and Double K weave their samples together, their life-long obsession with their music is apparent and infectious.

Unfortunately, lyrics aren't the duo's strong suit. The lyrics generally revolve around their obsession with hip-hop culture, their love of alcohol/herb, and the (often uninteresting) minutia of their daily lives. But given the celebratory funk that the music conjures, the relatively light and redundant subject matter isn't much of a liability. After all, this isn't music for wannabe Lyotards twiddling their thumbs and worrying about some linguistic apocalypse; this is music for playing dominos and sipping on 40s. This is for those lazy days wasted on blunts and lounging by the pool. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

-Sam Chennault, September 3rd, 2002

People Under the Stairs craft a type of music that has been thrown by the wayside of late. They don't work with a DJ because they make their own beats. They don't flow about violence, or anything remotely 'gangsta.' In fact, check out "The Heat" to see how they feel about that type of music. Yet, they don't try to rhyme about the opposite, about peace, love, understanding and unity. They make music you dance to, get drunk to, or hear at a party, and that's about it.

By crafting that type of album, they make an album which is purely and utterly enjoyable because it doesn't try to be anything but enjoyable. It doesn't try and portray a message of any real significance, and while I won't ever ever knock Kweli, sometimes you just want to dance.

This is one of those perfect albums which doesn't have a weak track, though there are certianly standouts. My favs are "Montego Slay," "Acid Raindrops," and the closer "The Breakdown." Those tracks make you just want to nod your head with the beat, and maybe something else in the case of "Acid Raindrops."

I put this album in the upper eschelon of hip-hop albums with Nas' "Illmatic," Kweli's "Reflection Eternal," and The Roots' "Phrenology" as being one of those few albums you put on, and you keep it on, and you're kind of disappointed when it ends.

damn. this is quite possibly the best (west coast) hip-hop album ever, and i've been knee-deep in the scene since freestyle fellowship. Thes One and Double K went all out for this album, and it is just as good if not better then "Question in the form of an answer," which, until this record was released, was the most outstanding output of beats, rhymes, and creativity that the West coast underground scene had heard. Every single track has its own flavor and vibe, from the disco-oriented "the hang loose" to the ode to weed, "acid raindrops." These guys went way back to the days where hip-hop was fun and was all about positivity, unlike the commerical radio (c)rap that floods the airwaves today. This album gives Nelly, Jumaine Dupri, Jay-Z, etc. a swift kick in the groin and reminds the rest of us what hip-hop was and what hip-hop can truly achieve as an artform.