Description
Good News for the Bad Timez is the sophomore album by the American hip-hop artist Mike E, released on Reunion Records in 1992, manufactured and distributed by Word. The album was produced by Mike-E and Jet Penix.
With his second album, Mike-E further establishes himself as a rapper who balance a harder, street-seeped side with an R&B/pop tilt that goes back to his days in Commissioned. In this way, he might well be the thinner, godlier counterpart to Heavy D, certainly not a bad thing.
Tunes with the most hardcore appeal all come on side one, where the title tune’s slavery-breaking metaphor and Kool Moe Dee sample underscore a syncopated groove. Funkier still is the ’80s Gap Band feel of «Real Deal» and E’s speedrapping acrobatics displayed in «King of Swing».
It’s when the music reflects Mike-E’s eclectic tastes that the easiest messages and widest crossover appeal happen. Barbara Bush has a friend in this rapper as «Rap & Read» encourages literacy with a sing-along (rap-along?) chorus. «The Future» and «I’ll Do Anything» (where Take 6 chime in to rephrase Christ’s offer of salvation), maintain a quiet storm squall fine for adult-oriented black radio. At the other extreme lies «Hell? No!», allowing E and his G-Rap Crew to go all the way live with tough metal guitar riffing and organ interplay.
Though his message is Gospel and social conscience with sufficient poetic skill, mentions of his fine material possessions like a black sable and a DAT-equipped sports car, will either be a shot of hope to striving listeners or equally demoralizing. Keeping with Reunion’s heritage of pop sheen, there’s still enough roughness to make Mike-E’s ‘Good News’ better than ever. [Jamie Lee Rake, CCM, August 1992]
CD tracklist:
01. Good News For The Bad Timez – 5:30
02. Rap & Read – 4:09
03. Real Deal – 4:31
04. King Of Swing – 4:15
05. Hell? No! – 4:56
06. I’ll Do Anything – 5:12
07. The Future – 4:23
08. Coolin’ It – 4:07
09. The Party – 4:15
10. Free – 4:22
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Reunion Records.
[youtube_sc url=”KdhlfYibJVs” title=” Mike-E, Good News for the Bad Timez” autohide=”1″ rel=”0″]
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.