Intense Records

Rhythm-al-ism

Be With Records
BEWITH098LP
Hip Hop
2x12"

New

£27.49 (£32.99 incl. VAT)

2026 reissue, 140g doublevinyl, original picture sleeveand insert.DJ Quik is a giant of West Coast hip-hop. With his fourth album Rhythm-Al-Ism hecreated his masterpiece, a perfect hip-hop album. As Quik explains, the nameRhythm-Al-Ism alone tells you what I was doing. I was mixing up rhythms. I wasmeshing R&B with hip-hop and jazz. And a little bit of comedy. Its absolutelysensational and as with a lot of mid-90s albums those original vinyl copies are nowrare so heres the Be With re-issue.A preternaturally gifted producer/rapper, DJ Quik has produced scores of LA gangstarap classics. Hes released platinum and gold records of his own, as well as helpedcraft them for the likes of Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and Dr Dre. Quik has always beenquirkier and more interesting than his gangsta rap peers, both musically and lyrically.An old-school funk producer at heart, hes also incredibly nice on the mic. His rapsoften deal in boasts, jokes and good times but also cover his beefs, his trials and histrauma. Partying and pain, all mixed up. DJing and producing hype beat tapes fromage 14, Quiks tracks blended the languid funk and rubbery synths of Zapp andGeorge Clinton with a gangsta aesthetic, creating a more danceable foil to Comptonsmore typical nihilistic hedonism. Ultimately, his records sound custom engineered todrift out over sun-soaked barbecues.Released in 1998 on Profile, Rhythm-Al-Ism was the closest Quik ever got to making acommercial splash. Youz A Ganxta and Hand in Hand made radio waves acrossthe country and the less radio-friendly tracks like Medley For A V were bumpingout of car stereos. Combining his soulful, jazzy P-Funk/G-Funk beats with hiseffortlessly smooth flow, Rhythm-Al-Ism was the quintessential West Coast Party.Squelchy synths, bouncy bass, monstrously knocking drums and freaky keys - this ispeaking acidic party-rap, straight out the gate. Music for gliding, for skating, for timewith your people and your poison. Sunshine. No cares. BBQs. Heavy smoke in the air.Dripping with wit and good humour. A real swing to the vibe.The album opens with Quik setting out his mission statement with Rhythm-Al-Ism(Intro), telling us what this is all about before the self-explanatory We Still Partyrocks the spot. Its definitely all about the party here, complete with Quiks signaturehead-nod/body-moving beat. Next up, the undeniable laidback funk and drippingswing of groove-laden So Many Wayz. This positively slaps.Then we get to the three huge singles. The R&B-tinged radio-friendly minor-hitHand In Hand closes the first side only for the flip to get straight into the rollingand scratching of bleepy computer-funk banger Down, Down, Down (featuring aparticularly nice use of Howard Johnsons epochal So Fine). The effortlesslysmooth, flute and guitar-laced Youz A Ganxta completes the trio. Next up the fast-paced, vocoder-enhanced, woulda-beena-global-hit I Useta Know Her. This coulda(shoulda) been a single too. Head-nod funk workout No Doubt, with its ace sampleof Prince's Sexy Dancer, closes out the second side.Speed races out the gate on the second disc, sampling Edwin Birdsongs RapperDapper Snapper in a harder, better, faster, stronger way than those daft Parisianpunks. Amphetamine-swift raps over soaring, string-drenched b-boy beats. A totalanthem. Up next, the staggering, near 8-minute laconic, lounge-y sax-rap ofWhateva U Do cools things down and smooths things out with its flute wrappingaround a sample of Smokey Robinsons So In Love and some oh-so-classy lounge-piano tinkling. And speaking of smooth, things dont get much smoother than theblissfully melodic glider-anthem Thinkin Bout U riding that ace flip of SWVs UseYour Heart. Exceptional.The exquisite funky-flute-slapper Medley for a V (The P***Y Medley) opens thefourth and final side, with star turns from Snoop Dogg and a typically suave NateDogg. Its followed by the supremely skanked-out Bombudd II, a beautifully sweetreggae-fuelled ode to the herb. Get 2Getha Again is slick funk. Stunning.This 2022 Be With double LP re-issue has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis,cut by Pete Norman and pressed at Record Industry. Unusual for the time, Rhythm-Al-Ism was originally pressed as a double and weve reproduced the original LA vibepicture sleeve and insert to match.As that original front cover says, this is over 70 minutes of commercial free musicand its absolutely perfect from start to finish. There are no stand-out tracks here. Itsall gold.* Tracklist:1 A1 : Rhythm-al-ism (Intro) (1:40)2 A2 : We Still Party (5:13)3 A3 : So Many Wayz (5:41)4 A4 : Hand In Hand (4:18)5 B1 : Down, Down, Down (4:43)6 B2 : Youz a Ganxta (4:22)7 B3 : I Useta Know Her (3:50)8 B4 : No Doubt (4:12)9 C1 : Speed (3:21)10 C2 : Whateva U Do (7:47)11 C3 : Thinkin Bout U (4:05)12 C4 : ELs Interlude (4:05)13 D1 : Medley For A V (The P***y Medley) (6:27)14 D2 : Bombudd II (2:59)15 D3 : Get 2Getha Again (4:41)16 D4 : Reprise (Medley For A V) (2:39)