Droppin' Science Fiction

by John BushA hip-hop trio (two MCs and one producer), the Mighty Underdogs sound so laid-back and bemused and confident on their debut LP that even those who didn't recognize the names involved might guess that these are not people going about their day jobs. Lateef and Gift of Gab are, of course, two of the brightest rappers to emerge between the death of alternative rap and the birth of the underground, and their thirst for innovative side projects appears to be nowhere near slaked. Their producer here, Headnodic, is less of a major figure, but that just means he has more to prove. His tracks on Droppin' Science Fiction mark him as a producer to watch -- although he's actually been around for quite a while -- calling on everything from old-school rap to lowrider digitalia to hard rock in order to power these tracks (all of which are either hip-hop or deep groove). He also corrals a large cast of musical guests, and makes this easily the best-produced Quannum project since the original Quannum Spectrum. The major question for rap fans on the vocal end is whether Lateef's outsized personality would quash Gift of Gab's subtle acrobatics. Although Lateef certainly does take the primary role, no one should mourn the loss of more features from Gift of Gab, especially when the record includes so many other gifted rappers -- MF Doom, Lyrics Born, Mr. Lif, Chali 2na, and more. The highlight comes with a remix of "UFC," with deft cuts from none other than DJ Shadow. The only thing that stops Droppin' Science Fiction from being an instant masterpiece is that Lateef and Gift of Gab don't do quite enough to make these tracks shine; great productions and great rapping still need a few big hooks (vocal or musical) to snare listeners right from the get-go.