Lords of the Underground rattled off five great singles in a row between 1992-1994, all of which helped make
Here Come the Lords one of the best rap debuts of 1993. "Psycho," "Chief Rocka," "Flow On," "Here Come the Lords," and "Funky Child" (with that wildly searing horn line) feature spare productions with crisp drum breaks and bone-rattling basslines, most of which glean from the catalogs of Blue Note and
James Brown. "Flow On" boasts the inimitable touch of
Marley Marl and assistant
K-Def, and yet it's hardly the most infectious of the batch. There's nothing lacking about the actual production -- it's just that MCs Dupre "Doitall" Kelly and Mr. Funke are on top of their game when they're at their most uninhibited, as heard on "Funky Child." And who could forget the image of a diapered Doitall and a ridiculously afro'd Mr. Funke in that song's video (which played a big role in the album's success)? The remainder of the album has its share of middling moments, but the five singles and some other scattered flashes of greatness are more than enough to make for a record that stands alongside many of the other hallowed rap albums from the era. ~ Andy Kellman