Full Force - Guess Who's Comin' to the Crib?
Columbia Records
I don't advocate Busta Rhymes' new video, "Gimme Some More". He's gotten way too out of
hand with all this stop-motion trickery. "Gimme Some More" looks just like "Dangerous", which
might as well be the same as "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See". But each and every time
"Gimme Some More" comes on the television, I can't help keeping my eyes glued to the set for at
least the first 10-15 seconds. No Monica and Tyrese team up or Foxy Brown slut fest can even
compare to the moment when young Busta, fresh from a fall from a tree and still rubbing the bump on
his head, looks up at his mama with joy and innocence to exclaim "Flipmode's the greatest".
Although I don't much care for the actual song, and (with the possible exception of Sydney Portier
and Busta's state trooper) I can't endorse the video for reasons above, I will always appreciate
Busta Rhymes for the fits of pure entertainment he sometimes brings.
GUESS WHO'S COMING TO THE CRIB? the 1987 album by the R&B lite FULL FORCE, likewise may not
satisfy with its musical ability, but certainly will amuse with its lyrics and spoken word
interludes. For example, the first track "Take Care Of Homework", is preceded by a hilarious
scene where an apparently clueless man is warned about losing his girlfriend to an experienced
other man. Says the expert to the novice: "You just better take care of homework before a dude
like me push up and take your place.". In the fifth and all prose track titled "Child's Play",
lead vocalist Bowlegged Lou tells his youth crew that "Y'all are crazy, y'all probably don't know
what time it is" after they ask for money instead of ice cream. Many more random throwaway lines
like that are splattered all over the disc, and actually highlight the album.
Musically, the best moments come on bass guitarist Shy Shy's and keyboardist
Baby Gerry's effort in "Love Is For Suckers (Like Me and You)", the soulful "All In My Mind" and
"Your Love Is So Def", and B-fine's street-fighting drum experiment on "Black Radio".
FULL FORCE seems to have had a genuinely good time while making the album, and you can't
help wish them the best while reading the production notes. The six performers (including vocalist
Paul Anthony, and lead guitarist Curt-t-t) own the kind of fun-loving, yet tough attitude that it
wouldn't surprise you if they were once in negotiation with NBC for their own Saturday morning
cartoon show.
Like most albums, the songs on GUESS WHO'S COMING TO THE CRIB? are catchy enough that if
you listen to them, you'll start to like them. Casual listeners might also get a kick out of Lisa
Lisa's guest verse on the first song, and the earliest use of the phrase "knockin' boots" that I've
ever heard, complements of track 6's "Full Force Git Money $".
...kris keeker...
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