This is Michael Mixerr. Today I will review Back To The Old School by Mean Gene out of Flint, Michigan. Props to Jersey Catalin, Carlito810, and Chris Miller for sending me the information about Mean Gene and helping me out! DJ Clay did most of the production, Carlito-D wrote all of the album, and Mean Gene was the incredible visionary of this album. The production is samples from cuts of various old school Hip Hop/Rap classics everywhere.
This album was released in 1995 on Boomin' Records in Flint, Michigan. The front cover are the colors of the Green Bay Packers football team colors with the mascot hornet. You would have thought Mean Gene was from Wisconsin. For those who don't know, Mean Gene is from Flint and not Lansing, Michigan or Wisconsin as many people thought he was. Mean Gene is a real cool big dude. Anyway…
On with the album!
The first two songs are based off of beer which is Mean Gene's favorite drink. The intro is called Beer Run ironically. The country samples are just yeehaw! Mean Gene loves his beer. He makes that point blank clear on the first two songs of this album. Now for those who want to know what a beer run is, look it up. I'm not going to debate or get into a big discussion of this illegal activity. That's not what this album is based on.
Back To The Old School is basically going back to the basics in old school Hip Hop. It's not just only about going back to the basics. It's about reminiscing about the old days or preferably the 1980s in this case. Drinking beer, eating chicken and ketchup, and going to concerts. Back in the days everything was cool. Back in the days all you needed was a boombox. When somebody rocked the party, nobody got shot. As for this song, he production is samples from cuts of various old school Hip Hop/Rap classics everywhere. Back To The Old School has that east coast sound!
It's an All Night Thing when Mean Gene is on a late night creep. Chasing skirt and licking booty. It only involves all the women that Mean Gene meets. This track remind me of a precursor to Freak Nasty - Da Dip and a successor of Skeezer Pleaser - UTFO. Maybe it's just my imagination. Anyway this song is mainly about late night sex. I can feel that Freak Nasty vibe to it. The remix is even better! DJ Clay is on the wheels of steel! He does a superb job as usual! The bass is super heavy but not too hyphy!!
I could feel the vibe of the pipe organ in harmony as if it were playing live at church on Sunday for the song Mad Flavor. Yes I did feel the harmony of the organ. The outlaw country sample was appropriate for this song. Mad Flavor should have been longer. Mad Flavor should have been 3 to 4 minutes long.
DJ Clay did a superb job on Wheels of Steel. The samples are on point. I love rock! Wheels of Steel should have been longer also! Anything you know that DJ Clay does is the shit!! It hits hard. DJ Clay definitely goes hard on the wheels of steel wether it be live in concert, in the recording studio,
The kick drums and toms drums were perfect fitting in the live production on Ill Time. The Beastie Boys bass sample was ill! Ill Time is hark rock mixed with Rock 'n' Roll. Adventures based on smokes, chicken and alcohol is how it is at Mean Gene show. It's all wildness and partying. Mean Gene knows how to put on a show and the crowd goes wild and ill!! For those who don't know, Mean Gene was experimenting with the chopped and screwed sub-genre on Up On My Ship.
I love the incorporated Yes Yes Ya'll sample from Beastie Boys - Slow and Low used on Yes Yes Ya'll. It has that East Coast feel to it and I really like that. The timbre, beats, and production are on point! I can feel Mean Gene rockin' it during one of his live concerts on this one right here! I love how the Tom drums are used mixed in with the beats. You can tell Mean Gene put his heart and soul into it. Mean Gene is good at what he does. The crowd at the end went wild!! Let me say that Mean Gene put his heart and soul into performing live at his concerts on stage!
Now onto the Live Concert version of Yes Yes Ya'll!! Mean Gene put his heart and soul into performing live at his concerts on stage!
Mean Gene is good at what he does. I can feel Mean Gene rockin' it during one of his live concerts on this one right here! He knows how to put on a good show. The crowd at the end went wild!!
Here's how Mean Gene was received by his audience in the Dirty South, particularly Texas. You see not too many people in Texas knew who Mean Gene was. Even during Boomin' Records prime from the timespan from the years 1993 to 1997. So with that said, I broke down most of this ill overlooked album as a whole. So I hope my viewers, readers, and followers enjoyed this album review!
I rate this album, Back To The Old School, 5/5*****!!
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