Black Moon - Enta Da Stage

posted on Sep 10, 2005 Black Moon - Niguz Talk Shit (Link Expired)
Black Moon - Slave (Link Expired)

We should not look back at the music of Charlie Parker and find fault in its redundant subject matter. Nor should we criticize him for not branching out stylistically more than he did. Instead, we marvel at his energy, his innovations and his lyricism, all of which contribute to an identity that was extremely influential, but never quite replicated by other players. Every now and then powerful music emerges and announces itself as too exceptional to be evaluated according to the standard criteria.

Buckshot uses his voice in much the same way that great jazz musicians have used their instruments—rather than focusing on lyrics, his goal is to communicate energy.
The 2003 incarnation of Buckshot claims that he stayed real and never changed, but most would agree that today he doesn’t quite sound like he did on Black Moon’s 1993 debut, Enta Da Stage. The music on Enta is propelled by Buckshot’s virtuosic yet freeform vocals. Over the course of the album’s fourteen tracks, Buck spits near doggerel like “bring the motherfucking ammo, so I can play Rambo/ when I shoot the crossbow inside the hoe,” with such forceful musicality that the literal meaning of such lines is usually eclipsed by his delivery. Buckshot raps in an aggressively playful way throughout the album, bringing flow after flow to the table while effortlessly altering his inflection and switching his structure. He uses his voice in much the same way that great jazz musicians have used their instruments—rather than focusing primarily on lyrics (or notes, to maintain the analogy), his goal is to communicate energy.

And how can you deny that he succeeds on Enta Da Stage “How Many MC’s” sounds joyous and free even after hearing it for the one-thousandth time. “Niguz Talk Shit” is still an outrageous headbanger and “Shit Iz Real” is as menacing as ever. Though the violent subject matter can lead one to believe that Buckshot’s rhymes are one-dimensional, he handles it in a refreshing way, manipulating the language masterfully as the listener bobs and weaves regardless if the mood is one of braggadocio or cruelty.

Though the album’s success is largely attributable to Buckshot’s performance, one cannot ignore the phenomenal production from the Beatminerz. They took the already dark sound of The Low End Theory and one-upped it, filtering out almost all treble and using spare, hardcore drum samples. The compositions of Mr. Walt and Evil Dee are also cleverly structured, propelling Buckshot’s raps directly into the listener’s psyche; the placement of the saxophone on “Powaful Impak” is a terrific example. The crackle of scratched vinyl pervades the album, contributing to a feel of warmth and timelessness. Thanks to the Beatminerz, there is something inviting about Enta Da Stage, despite its confrontational lyrics.

So while the Black Moon aesthetic did not change a whole lot from then until now, some key changes occurred that altered their steez for the worse. Enta Da Stage is one of the most convincingly nihilistic hip-hop records of all time. “Slave” in particular is a celebration of insanity, coupling a calm Beatminerz composition with Buck’s claustrophobic, violent rhymes. As a group, all Black Moon wanted to do on Enta Da Stage was whatever the fuck they wanted. Their rogueishness throughout this record is contagious. There is no hint of redemptive or even punitive moralizing here—everything goes. “Niggaz get bucked down, bitches get sprayed,” goddammit.

On their long awaited follow-up, War Zone (which, like many records from the mid-to-late nineties, was unfairly criticized by fickle fans), they displayed a much greater awareness of their place in the rap world—they waved the “underground” flag high and then raised it ever higher on Total Eclipse. Instead of the hazy, joyfully sadistic world the group created for Enta Da Stage, we now hear social consciousness, fan appreciation and explicitly topical songs. They are a pretty damn good group today, with undeniable charisma and songwriting abilities, but that Bucktown world vision is clearly a thing of the past.

Today’s rap listeners have been indoctrinated with such a regimented system of judgment that losing sight of the purpose of particular piece of music is inevitable. I can’t tell you how many arguments I’ve witnessed (or gotten into), involving people who have developed completely arbitrary standards for their music. Today’s head demands to hear punch lines and concepts and gets disappointed when his expectations are not met. Instead of insisting on being impressed, listen to Enta Da Stage and be moved.

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Comments for "Black Moon - Enta Da Stage"

  1. word. that album is an underrated classic. the only problem i have with the article is that there’s no mention of 5 ft. while Buck was the star, 5 ft played the part of Phife from Tribe’s first album, giving the listener a different flow to couple the Beatminerz sound. his swagger gave the group more depth.
    — j tha young abstract aka new dub    Dec 11, 02:59 PM   
  2. I agree, 5 Ft. did have an appealing arrogant Brooklyn swagger, which nicely complemented Buck’s mystic depravity.
    — R.H.S.    Dec 11, 10:27 PM   
  3. You guys are right that 5 FT deserves mention… after all, he rips the shit out of “Ack Like U Want It” (I don’t have the album on me right now so I’m guessing I spelled that wrong). But he isn’t like Phife or Sen Dog because he never really develops a chemistry with Buck. To me, Buckshot runs the show and 5 FT is there as a breather for the listener. Still, overall what you’re saying is true, while 5’s contributions don’t represent the meat of the album, he at least should get some props.
    — Nikhil P. Yerawadekar    Dec 11, 11:01 PM   
  4. This album was…and still is the absolute shit. The beats and rhymes mix to form a deadly venom, something you don’t even find nowadayz. Where’s that crate music shit at??
    — zeek tha immortal    Dec 16, 07:52 AM   
  5. people have to remember that 5ft was doing time when they recorded this album. thats why he didnt get much mic time here. anyway…this album is one of the ten greatest albums of all time. simply put, buckshot killed it. i remember how this CD stayed in my changer for nearly 2 years because i just couldnt believe how dope it sounded. damn, so grimy, so….unbelievable. even then you knew it was groundbreaking. and just think, the remix for “i gotcha opin” (the one with the barry white sample) wasnt even on there. they dont make hip hop like this anymore.
    — tony garcia    Dec 18, 04:39 AM   

  6. the best rap album of all time. no doubt. sorry nas & biggie fans!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    — jay sean    Jul 30, 06:31 AM   

  7. enta da stage of tha Buckshot shawty!!!


    — JKiLow    Oct 8, 09:41 PM   
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