Leaders Of The New School - A Future Without A Past

posted on Sep 19, 2005 Leaders Of The New School - Case Of The P.T.A. (Link Expired)
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Leaders of the New School - A Future Without A Past...

Leaders Of The New School
A Future Without A Past
Elektra, 1991

For all of its pubescent excess, the debut album from Leader Of the New School, A Future Without A Past is high-minded and conceptual right down to its tracklist, which is structured to resemble the typical high school day. This monitored teenage existence provides the subject matter for much of the recording; the group’s members, all of whom were barely in their twenties at the time of the album’s release, consistently touch upon lighter high school themes such as detention and young love. On the mic, the Leaders project unbridled adolescent exuberance; the young Busta Rhymes raps idealistically with a Caribbean-tinged growl, Charlie Brown carves a niche for himself as an irrepressible class clown with a heart of gold, and Dinco D. portrays a convincing rapscallion. Unsurprisingly, Future bubbles with youthful expressions of mischief, romance and camaraderie. At its worst, this somewhat insular focus devolves into frivolous naivety. These puerile lapses make the album as a whole feel childish and meandering, but the Leaders occassionally engage in more ambitious social commentary. “Teachers, Don’t Teach Us Nonsense,” for example, is a raucous and defiant yet meaningful critique of the system of public education, and “Too Much On My Mind” steps outside of the safety and shelter of high school to confront themes as heavy as contingency and man’s mortal foolishness. For the most part, however, the Leaders are content to make songs that tackle specific aspects of adolescent life, the most memorable of which include the hit opener, “Case Of The PTA,” a funky chronicle of school-days hijinks that is short on bitterness or cynicism.

While the overall sound of Future is easily placed in the early nineties, the vocal interactions of the main emcees recall the fabled routines of Cold Crush, Crash Crew and other old school groups. The chemistry that the Leaders display on this record is a huge part of what makes it so successful, and when listening to it today it is difficult to reconcile the crew’s initial cohesiveness with the reality of their growing animosity and eventual break-up on the set of Yo! MTV Raps. In fact, the freshest song on the record is also the most overpopulated: “Sound Of The Zeekers @#^**?!,” is a big-group collaboration that holds its own against other posse cuts such as “Fanatic Of The B Word,” and of course, “Scenario.” The production on “Zeekers,” which is credited to Busta Rhymes, is dynamic and shifts regularly to complement each individual rhyme from the Leaders, Cracker Jacks, Kollie Weed, and the Rumpeltilskinz. Another highlight is Charlie Brown’s solo track “What’s The Pinocchio’s Theory?” which places the swagger of New Orleans swing in a fresh hip-hop context. Although this record is rarely mentioned alongside others of its era, the Leaders deserve credit for their tireless innovation; they bring great production, (partly thanks to the likes of the Stimulated Dummies and Bomb Squad member Eric “Vietnam” Sadler) new flows, and captivating personalities to the listener’s attention in a most entertaining manner.

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Comments for "Leaders Of The New School - A Future Without A Past"

  1. Does anyone remember LONS’s performance on the video show Pump it Up? Leaders of the New School were playing pool and rhyming alongside a young Del the Funky Homosapien. I think it was before Sista Dee got knocked out by Dr. Dre.
    — ChrisMaestro    Nov 17, 12:40 AM   
  2. I remember that! Pump it up was required weekly viewing.
    — rafi    Nov 17, 09:46 AM   
  3. No, but I remember their performance on In Living Color, and they ripped shit.

    LONS videos were the shit. P.T.A., Sobb Story, and Zone Coaster were classics – zany, humorous, even gaudy but never too corny.
    — R.H.S.    Nov 17, 06:12 PM   
  4. Why, oh why didn’t you put up Sobb Story!!! Now I gotta click that Amazon link!
    — julaybeeb    Dec 8, 01:55 PM   

  5. Hi all,

    Trying to locate Eric Sadler. I used to play Sax in a band we played in together (back in the day). If anyone knows how to contact him, please send him my name and email address. It would really would be great to hear from him.

    Thanks in advance,

    Dennis Coleman

    pristinestudios@optonline.net


    — Dennis Coleman    Dec 28, 07:52 PM   

  6. Dennis,

    Wouldn’t Chuck D. be your best bet? Google his website.


    — R.H.S.    Dec 30, 12:07 AM   
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