May 22, 1997
On the track "Blues Music," G. Love drawls over a loose, disjointed shuffle: "Me and my band we all must agree / We like to get groovy with the sounds of the old time." While most rap groups plunder Stax/Volt, Motown, George Clinton and the endless jazz catalogue for funky breaks and sharp hooks, G. Love and Special Sauce were the first to tap into Delta and Chicago blues to temper their hip-hop inclinations.
This innovation shows how inclusive hip-hop can be while reworking American heritage for a modern generation, and reasserts the blues as a vital art form. It's not just a gimmick, either. G. Love and Special Sauce are a working band with extraordinary chops, as Jimmy Prescott's Booker T-inspired bass grooves and Jeffrey Clemen's intricate and supple drumming prove. G. Love himself is a human sampler, using his guitar to summon up the electric boogaloo of John Lee Hooker, the funky and angular style of Albert King, and the driving acoustic power of Bukka White.
Their self-titled debut is a whirlwind tour through 90 years of blues filtered through a funk rhythm lens. This album is lighthearted and laid back almost to the point of falling over, extolling the virtues of playing basketball in the summer heat, drinking and watching ladies stroll down the boulevard. Their finest moment may be "This Ain't Living", a quintessential July feel-good groove with a gentle insistence on societal compassion, although the deeply funky bassline of "Rhyme For The Summertime" gives it a run for the money.
G. Love's mealy-mouthed raps are subtle and clever, and nicely syncopated against Clemen's astoundingly assured backbeat. This music is perfect for kicking back on a humid August day, grilling and chilling with your buddies. The album is such mellow fun with such a loose feel it may take a while before you realize what a tight band this really is. If most hip-hop leaves a bad taste in your mouth, maybe you need a little tasty Sauce to wash down this skilled, finely executed album.
- Jared O'Connor
Bluesy hip-hop