When pre-album single
"Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down"
was issued -- along with its violence-laced video -- it was clear that
Brand Nubian
would not be the same minus
Grand Puba
. It was a safe bet that
In God We Trust
wouldn't have attempted any
new jack swing
crossovers or tie-dyed imagery. Though the makeover is drastic, it is convincing, with
Lord Jamar
and
Sadat X
stepping up with some of the era's fiercest, most intense rhymes, a higher percentage of which referenced the likes of
Louis Farrakhan
and the Nation of Islam,
Marcus Garvey
, and self-defense by any means necessary. Multiple, indefensible homophobic taunts and the silly
"Steal Ya 'Ho"
aside (did they really think the use of the two words was so necessary?),
is nearly faultless, packed with rumbling acoustic basslines, Jeep-rattling breakbeats, and rhymes written and delivered with a great deal of hunger and an equal amount of self-assuredness -- as if to say, "No,
was never
and a couple sidekicks." The
Diamond D
-produced
"Punks"
outshines everything else, but the group more than holds its own as a self-contained production team. Had a high-profile beat maker been responsible for
"The Godz...,"
"Pass the Gat,"
or
"Brand Nubian Rock the Set,"
they'd certainly be present in his or her highlight reel. ~ Andy Kellman