Search - Pudgee Tha Phat Bastard :: Give Em the Finger

One Bastard you have to like (3.5/5)

ctrx | 'bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks... | 08/10/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Pudgee tha Phat Bastard was an East Coast MC who despite an early collaboration with a young Notorious B.I.G. found very limited success and only released one album in his career. However, "Give 'Em the Finger" is actually quite noteworthy today because it's the first music produced by the Trackmasters, the production duo of Poke and Tone who would later find fame producing hit singles for artists including Nas, LL Cool J, Will Smith, Jay-Z, and R. Kelly. However, if you're expecting the sleek and mainstream-savvy beats that made them famous in the later half of the 90s, you won't find it here. This album showcases a pretty ordinary musical approach for an early-90s East Coast album. Each track contains a whirly jazz sax sample, a loopy bassline, and a hard drum pattern. The beats imitate the popular sounds of Pete Rock, Marley Marl, DJ Premier, and the Beatnuts, and come off sounding like a rawer and much simpler version of their beats. The beats are solid but not exceptional, but they are pretty similar to the sound of 1993 hip hop that I really adore.



Pudgee's a likable boom bap rapper. Much of the album is comparable to an early D.I.T.C. release, in both production and rapping. Pudgee uses an aggressive and appealing delivery to spray punchline-heavy raps. He's got a good character and puts out some clever lines, and while he's no Lord Finesse he will appeal to fans of that type of rap. With a good voice and a nice approach, he makes "Give 'Em the Finger" a strong album. No songs really stand out on the LP, and given the similar production a lot actually sound the same. But this album embraces the spirit and sound of 1993 East Coast hip hop in a fine manner, and that's why I like this album as much as I do. Hip hop music was at its finest during this period, and even on an obscure album like this it's easy to see why.



After the intro, the album opens with "Bring the Noiz N...s," which is bursting with slick punchlines over a steady boom-bap beat. "The Vibe" is a solid, musically simple track with another nice performance, and "Checkin' Out the Ave." is an early highlight, where Pudgee takes the listener on a tour through his neighborhood on a sunny morning. The good title track precedes the decent "When He Comes On." Kool G Rap makes an unlikely high profile appearance on "This Is How We," a pretty good song but not one that stands out. My favorite song is "Lady in My Life," an affectionate song dedicated to Pudgee's mother and her dedication in raising her son (MC Lyte is credited with an appearance in this song, but she only appears for about two seconds in the intro). "Life's a B..." is a solid song, and it's followed by the strange "Mommie Dearest," a rap that goes just over a minute with a nice beat. This song ends with a twist that I think is very disgusting, but I guess somebody might think it's funny, you should probably hear it for yourself. "Doin' MC's Sum'n Terrible" is a strong collaboration, and "Clap Your Hands" is nice but forgettable because it sounds so similar to the other songs. The album closes with the loopy "How You Feel About That."



This album doesn't push hip hop in any new directions, and there's no classic single that makes it really memorable. But it's got a great feel to it, and the combination of an early Trackmasters duo and a New York battle-bred MC makes it an enjoyable LP. It's long out of print today, but it goes for low prices in the Amazon marketplace and can be found used for cheap. I recommend "Give 'Em the Finger" to fans of D.I.T.C. and likeminded artists from the early-90s East Coast scene."