CULT RECORD: ULTRAMAGNETIC MCS: "CRITICAL BEATDOWN" (1988)

In the infinitely bizzare and colorful pantheon of hip hop, the Ultramagnetic MCs stick out like a caucasian at a Farrakhan rally. Combining an old-school Bronx flavor with futuristic funk and dusted, off-beat rhyme flows-- patented by the master of metaphor Kool Keith (a.k.a. Rhythm X)--these space cowboys have always marched to their own drummer, trooping through the outer limits at warp speed. Always original, unpredictable, and entertaining, Ultra inhabits the zone where rap meets Rod Serling. Early singles like "Space Groove" and "Something Else" carved out an underground following for the group, which, unfortunately, did not translate into healthy sales for its debut, Critical Beatdown. Nonetheless, producer Ced Gee, fresh off his work on Boogie Down Productions' monumental Criminal Minded, constructed a musical timebomb of chunky breakbeats (courtesy of James Brown), booming 808, and finely carved slices of aged funk, fortified by DJ Moe Luv's turntable trickery. This certified classic also  featured lyrics like, "I go 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9/As i take your mind off and on to a new track/ to train ducks how to act/ Respect me, when i whip your brain," which had brothers scratching their heads-- but still riding the bozack of former Bellevue patient Kool Keith.

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