Progenitors of Washington, D.C.'s '80s go-go music,
Trouble Funk brought early hip-hop (the group was part of Sugarhill Records) to the dancefloor with deep bass, propulsive rhythms, and party lyrics. Being even more inspired by '70s funk bands like
Chic,
Cameo, and
the Gap Band than either the proto-hip-hop
Sugarhill Gang or
Grandmaster Flash,
Trouble Funk and other go-go acts like E.U. and
Chuck Brown used the MC to conduct party-time call-and-response sessions. A celebratory atmosphere certainly prevails on Sequel Records' fine
Trouble Funk collection Drop the Bomb, with many of the band's prime dance hits featured in their extended versions. The band's nasty synth licks, upfront, incessant, even orgiastic percussion, and sinewy deep funk guitar licks keep the music pumping throughout. The set is rounded out with the ten-minute, bring-the-house-down jam "Supergrit," which nicely incorporates the funk of
Kool & the Gang and
Earth, Wind & Fire into this original go-go mix. This is a great introduction to both
Trouble Funk's music and the D.C. go-go sound. ~ Stephen Cook & Thom Jurek