Polyrhythm Addicts

RHYME RELATED

1998; Rating: 2.48/pi

Composition: ~ / Lyrics: ~ / Production: + / Innovation: ~

• 01 Motion 2000 [A−]
• 02 Take Me Home [A−]
• 03 Not Your Ordinary [B+]
• 04 Big Phat Boom Intro [i]
• 05 Big Phat Boom [A−]
• 06 No Limit [B+]
• 07 Nervous Breakdown [A]
• 08 Should Have Known Better [A+]
• 09 Not Your Ordinary / Rhythm Revolution [A−]
• 10 Seven Steps Behind [B+]

A one-off mini-supergroup project, Polyrhythm Addicts scored an underground hit with their debut single “Not Your Ordinary”, and followed it up with a very short album (35 minutes, including two different versions of the single) before dissolving. The cast is: Shabaam Sahdeeq, Apani B, Mr. Complex, and beatmaker extraordinaire DJ Spinna, four respected NY artists on the undie circuit.

For my money, “Not Your Ordinary” is not particularly a highlight here, in either version. “Nervous Breakdown”, now that wets my whistle, with some welcome quirkiness (“poke ya in the eye and say I sorry / but I meant to do it”) and suitably jumpy production. I’d also rescue the spare but very effective “Should Have Known Better” from a burning building. The rest is solid-to-middling underground hip hop fare, amiable but without a whole lot in the way of really memorable rhymes.

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