Description
A:Travelling at the Speed of Thought /B: M.C.s Ultra (Part II Edit)
Lets be honest the first time many of us heard the otherworldly talents of the Ultramagnetic MCs was on a compilation. A smattering of singles in 1986 had barely registered beyond a small circle in New York, but the inclusion of the 1987 single Travelling at the Speed of Thought on Street Sounds Hip Hop Electro 16 set, sandwiched between classics from MC Shy D and Just-Ice, was a watershed moment. In a way, its their most atypical release. The deceptively simple combination of drums borrowed from The Rolling Stones and a scratched hook from The Kingsmens definitive version of Richard Berrys Louie Louie is one thing. The simple by their standards vocals, however, render it into a loveable pastiche of rock-rap, a more esoteric equivalent of Run DMCs Walk This Way. The flip is more in keeping with their style both on their earlier Ego Tripping single and the soon-to-arrive landmark classic album Critical Beatdown. Over some heavily chopped drums from erstwhile breakbeat classic Apache by the Incredible Bongo Band, Ced Gee and Kool Keith showcase flows that were different from anything out there at the time.
M.C.s Ultra (Part II Edit) is part brag-rap, part baffling science lecture. Leaning heavily on the thesaurus, its a slang heavy manifesto that elevated the boast rap to the next level. While Kool Keith would go on to be the groups breakout star, this is a showcase for the whole collective, right down to DJ Moe Loves slithery scratching sliding from one channel to the next. Only previously released in the UK as a 7 thats now very hard to source, this is a chance to re-embrace this breakthrough from a legendary group.
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