The album relies heavily on James Brown samples (“The Grunt”, “Make It Funky”, “Funky Drummer”, “Funky President”), a can’t-miss formula with Breed’s voice over the beat, but the standout single from the album, “Ain’t No Future in Yo’ Frontin’”, a certified club anthem, is an inspired take on two already-established sample sources (“Funky Worm” and “More Bounce to the Ounce”), but flipping the Zapp tune differently than listeners were accustomed to, providing a bass-heavy, atonal, lazy and almost non-music backdrop for Breed’s lyrics, which in turn ran a line between incisive, funky and a fast drawl, sounding like an edgier Tone Loc, with apparent influence by EPMD or Audio Two. The end result was the first Midwest-originated “hit” rap record, even the sampled artists (Zapp and the Ohio Players) were from Ohio.
A surprisingly apt comparison is Cypress Hill’s self-titled sample-heavy debut, also released in August 1991, both feature odes to marijuana, utilize a then-emerging “dusted” sample style, feature audible clicks & pops on their sample sources, and were the first major crossover successes from their respective regions. And they’re both solid albums, start to finish, with minimal guest features (none).
Breed died in 2008 from kidney failure, unexpectedly ending his well-respected career at 12 albums, and after having paved the way for other Midwest artists Eminem, Common, Slum Village, Bone Thugs & Harmony, Proof, D12 and others.[info from gg]