An integral part of the always relevant Native Tongues crew, formative members Black Sheep is back in the game with the new album titled From the Black Pool of Genius, an authentic and energetic return to the pure elements that made the golden era of New York hip-hop foundational to the culture as a whole. Comprising of the always in-the-positive Dres and Mista Lawnge, Black Sheep’s history is as rich as the depth, historical and cultural importance embedded in their rhymes. Their debut album, A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing announced Black Sheep to the world and cemented their position in NY’s rapidly growing hip-hop enclave and contributed to the world of music one of the best hip-hop records of all-time. Following up with the stellar Non-Fiction and the slept on 8WM/Novakane from 2007, Black Sheep have been articulating their distinct hip-hop sound for over twenty years and are introducing themselves and their rhythms to a new generation of hip-hop listeners worldwide.  This time without partner-in-crime Mista Lawnge, solo in-form Dres holds down the record in an intricate and cool style that feels familiar, original, and genuine. Beginning with “Splash,” From the Black Pool of Genius traces through a quick history of Black Sheep—situating the artist in the current hip-hop landscape as a precursor and forerunner to the game.  The following joint, “Forever Luvlee” is a humorous track in which Andres “Dres” Titus talks about some of his life in a jovial manner, simultaneously making light of the idiosyncrasies of some of his experiences. The album begins with both a lesson in hip-hop and a great story. Dope.

Throughout the album, we are met with a variety of styles from the intricate mind of Dres. “Elevation,” in particular, stands out as a lyrical masterpiece that demonstrates what made Black Sheep such a class act from the very beginning. Lacing the track with masterful precision, Dres rocks through this cut with a precise beat courtesy of Asamov member, LA-based and Tres Records artist P. Locke (he produced the other banger from the album “Born to Che” as well). With an unrelenting yet laid-back style, Dres rips through this and many of the albums cuts with exact and effortless ease. Storyteller par excellence, Dres takes you through narratives of love, fun, and guns—keeping in line with the positive messages always imbued in the lyrics. “Party Tonight” featuring the sultry voice of Jean Grae accentuates Dres’ highly descriptive lyrical methods. “Power to the Pih Poh” featuring Rhymefest keeps in line with the insightful, analytical and educative aspect to Dres’ vocabulary-expanding and idea-driven lyrical approach. As a taste of Dres’ illuminated style, on “Born to Che” he says: “Don’t talk and drive, don’t drive and drink, and before you speak your mind just make sure you think. It’s the people’s politics that make Che your hero, ‘cause they’ll build a stadium before they fix Ground Zero.” The mind of the poet Dres is evidenced in the creative social critique.

With top-notch production, outstanding featuring guests, and thoughtful rhymes, Dres delivers a complete package from start to finish. As always, Black Sheep makes positivity and conscious music an infectious and fun listen. My favorite tracks (in addition to the abovementioned) are “Important Fact” featuring Psycho Les, “Victory,” “Winner” featuring AZ, “Birds of a Feather” featuring Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Quest), Dave (De La Soul) and Mike Gee (Jungle Brothers). A successful album from ½ of the original Black Sheep, Dres proves that he’s still got the skills to hang with the best of them and does it in a decidedly underground and accessible sample-based aesthetic. This album highlights what makes a full hip-hop record a worthwhile listen. The words are deep, the production on point, and the history rich. From the Black Pool of Genius re-establishes and re-introduces Dres and the Black Sheep name to the world today in a far more thorough and impressive manner than a television commercial jingle. It delivers on all dimensions and illustrates some very interesting side-projects that could emerge in the future (see “Birds of a Feather). To echo Q-Tip, “D-R-E-S exemplifies fresh, it’s clear he’s getting better/I’ll have to do my best.” This album bangs hard and offers multiple flavors and stylings to please all hip-hop lovers (oh, and Rosie Perez makes a fun cameo on “Muy Bueno”). Thou shalt not sleep on this record.

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