This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Stetsasonic. De La Soul. Gravediggaz. Handsome Boy Modelling School. These acts are among the most creative outfits in hip-hop history — and they have one thing in common: The remarkable producer Prince Paul.
Back in the ’80s, he took sampling to audacious, unheard-of lengths and pioneered the use of the now-mandatory between-song skit. Politics Of The Business, his third solo album, shows Paul Huston is still one of the most imaginative, intelligent and entertaining names in the game. With synth-abusing melodies, loopy loops and silly scratches, lyrics that alternate between dumbass playfulness and inciteful analysis, guest spots by everyone from The Beatnuts to De La Soul to Chuck D to Ice-T and grooves that toe the line between screwball and crunktastic, these 16 cuts take aim at record executives, hip-hop wannabes, moronic rappers who brag about their cars and other music-biz weasels. Along the way, Paul continually manages to put the fun back in funk without sacrificing stooping to self-indulgence. If you’re looking for the link between George Clinton and OutKast, one spin of Politics Of The Business will set you straight.
