madtheory's Full Review: We're All in the Same Gang by West Coast Rap All-S...
Without question, rap artists were at their most responsible in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, when the pro-black/non-violence movement was at its peak. Perhaps the most shining example of this was the classic 1989 jam “Self Destruction” that united Hip-Hop heavyweights such as X-Clan, Boogie Down Productions, Public Enemy, Kool Moe Dee, MC Lyte, and Stetsasonic against the destructive forces preying on inner-city youth at that time.
Not to be outdone, West Coast rappers assembled by organizer Michael Concepcion, came together for their own musical plea against senseless violence. This single, called We’re All In The Same Gang, addressed the slightly different problems affecting minority youth on the left coast, specifically the explosion in gang violence. “West Coast All-Star” rappers Oaktown 357, Digital Underground, Above the Law, Body & Soul, NWA, Tone Loc, MC Hammer, King T, Ice-T, Young MC, and singer Michel’le all came together under the cause of putting an end to gang violence – though some a tad more genuinely than others.
For the momentous “We’re All in the Same Gang” single, each of the West Coast All Stars take turns spitting their own rhymes denouncing drugs and violence. To compliment the lyrics, the producers lace a funky guitar-driven track peppered with unique music snippets for the major artists. It’s interesting to hear all the different styles of rapping on one track, though the ideological stands noticeably ring hollow on a few of the artists’ verses -- specifically those belonging to the minority of All Stars who made their fortunes glamorizing the lifestyles this song attacks.
Still, other artists make sure that their verses are particularly biting, like Ice-T (“what if we could take our enemies and feed ‘em poison/ under-educate their girls and boys and/ twist ‘em up, make ‘em kill each other/ better yet, make ‘em kill for a color”) and Digital Underground (“America, the red, the white, the blue and/ the blue and the red for crips and bloods, the white for who’s got you doin’/ time for bustin’ caps on one another/ the Underground is down for peace among brothers.”) Also included on the album is a “Gangster Remix” of the single, which features a slower, and ultimately less appealing funk groove wandering underneath the vocals.
However, the We’re All In the Same Gang album has much more content than just the single. Contained within are tracks from several West Coast underground acts that varying greatly in sound and style. As expected in any Cali compilation, a gangsta-themed ode to harsh street life is supplied with South Central Posse’s “Livin’ in South Central L.A.” SCP is one of the thousand or so “we live in South Central so we’re gangsta too” groups that sprouted up after NWA made it big, and their lyrics and production technique blatantly reflect that influence. To diversify the album’s feel, the organizers made sure to include a few West Coast acts with a discernable New York flavor, specifically MC KRZ’s Steady-B reminiscent funk-heavy party jam “Keep Funkin it,” and New World Mafia’s fast-paced piece “I Got Style.” NWM is actually the group showing the most potential out of all the other included acts; their use of an intense jazz sample to compliment the tenacious vocals of the male and female leads results in a very appealing non-traditional sound.
Also representing on We’re All In the Same Gang are the obligatory sugary-sweet child-rap hopefuls, such as the prepubescent boy group Juvenile Committee with “Let’s Have Some Fun,” and overly saccharine elementary girl group Sugar, Spice, & Everything Nice rapping “We Came to Dance.” Both songs are relatively similar and infinitely skippable. On each uptempo song, danceable percussion rides over simple melodies and overused samples, while the kids rap some obviously ghostwritten verses about partying and having fun. Then, the mood changes with for the pro-black young adults with Soula’s sultry blend of braggadocio and black pride on “Soul Sista,” and MC Supreme’s entirely forgettable rap manifesto “Black In America.”
Don’t recognize any of the non-West Coast All-Star artists? Don’t feel bad, very few have done anything noteworthy since their work on this effort. In fact, perhaps the only group heads will even come close to recognizing will be the Latin rappers Latin Kings who rock the house with their high-speed jam “Tumba La Casa.” But regardless of the weakness of the supporting cast, We’re All in the Same Gang remains an important fragment of rap history - a milestone in which Hip-Hoppers, for the moment at least, felt responsible enough for their words and the safety of others to promote peace. The sad thing is that with Self-Destruction 2 in production in the wake of Jam Master Jay’s violent death, the subject of this album is just as relevant over a decade later.
Track Listing
01. We’re all In the Same Gang
02. I Got Style – New World Mafia
03. Let’s Have Some Fun – Juvenile Committee
04. Soul Sista - Soula
05. Tumba La Casa (Rock the House) – Latin Kings
06. Black In America – MC Supreme
07. Keep Funkin’ It – MC KRZ
08. We Came to Dance – Sugar, Spice, & Everything Nice
09. Livin’ in South Central L.A. – South Central Posse
10. Get Up and Dance – MC Superb feat. DJ Pressure
11. We’re All In the Same Gang (Gangster Remix)
This review is part of the 3rd Annual Hip-Hop Appreciation Week Write-Off hosted by yours truly. The purpose of Hip-Hop Appreciation Week is to decriminalize Hip-Hop’s public image and promote the unity of Hip-Hop culture on the whole. This year’s theme is responsibility. For more perspectives on HHAW, be sure to read the entries of these other talented participants:
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