The Conscious Era

1990 was the height of the conscious era of Hip-Hop. Boogie Down Productions, Public Enemy, Poor Righteous Teachers, Queen Latifah, Paris, Lakim Shabazz, and a host of other acts were injecting social commentary and black pride into their lyrics. Enter X Clan and their Black Watch Movement. Black boots, beads, braids and nose rings combined with funk samples comprised the Brooklyn clan that owned 1990.

Grand Verbalizer Brother J, DJ Sugar Shaft, Professor X The Overseer, and Paradise The Architect comprised the core of the X Clan, but Isis (Linque) and Queen Mother Rage were also members, who later released solo projects.

Heed The Word Of The Brother

1989's "Heed The Word of The Brother" with its b side "Raise The Flag" is the lead single from To The East, Blackwards. With a powerful intro from Lumumba "Professor X" Carson (son of activist Sonny Carson), "Heed The Word" is as funky as it is insightful. Over a loop of Zapp's "More Bounce To The Ounce", Brother J spits "Great blackness brought from the genesis/ Will exist 'til Armageddon is a witness/The originals built the Earth/Why must there be aggression to learn a basic lesson?" The revolution never sounded so funky, as Professor X closes with "Yo Aristotle, Plato - step off."

"Raise The Flag", the powerful b side by the Clan is a call for Black pride under the colors of the African flag. Over a sample of Roy Ayers Ubiquity's "Red, Black & Green", Brother J calls for unity and "Garvey-like brotherhood".

Funkin' Lesson

"Funkin' Lesson" is the second single from To The East, Blackwards, and an example of Brother J's unique flow and cadence. Brother J questions: "Lemme tell ya' bout Blackness, grits and cornbread how can you act this?" Once again the funk is as thick as the knowledge, with the "Knee Deep" sound bed and Sugar Shaft's unforgettable turntable work.

To The East, Blackwards

As an album, To The East, Blackwards stands as one of Hip-Hop's greatest debuts. "Grand Verbalizer, What Time Is It?" is another showcasing of Brother J's superior and witty wordplay. He begins: "African, very African, come and step in brother's temple see what's happenin/Then taste the bass flow comin' from a zero tell me what a sissy know/ Funkin' Lesson is a new flow."

"Shafts Big Score" is DJ Sugar Shaft's solo "cut record". Over a tribal beat and chant, Shaft cuts up assorted X Clan phrases, as well as vocals from Gil Scott Heron and other revolutionary pieces of audio. "In The Ways Of The Scales" sees Brother J flowing effortlessly over a sample of Tom Tom Club's enduring "Genius of Love". "Verbs Of Power", "Earth Bound", "Verbal Milk", and "A Day of Outrage" round out an album with no fast forward material.

To The East, Blackwards is a master class in production, combining many foundational breakbeats with some of the best jazz and funk breaks. Professor X's iconic line "Vainglorious, this is protected by the red, black & green with a key, sisssssssyyyy" became a mainstay in Hip-Hop and urban popular culture. To The East, Blackwards is without question a flawless and underrated moment in Hip-Hop.