A Prince Among Thieves

02/23/1999 3:00 AM, LAUNCH
Shannita n- delete Alleyne

Never satisfied with maintaining hip-hop's status quo, Prince Paul has a gained quite a reputation for giving music his own unique twist. Witness his production work with hip-hop heavyweights De La Soul, Boogie Down Productions, Big Daddy Kane, and 3rd Bass; his work as an artist with Stetsasonic and the Gravediggaz; and his recent remix efforts on releases by Dr. Octagon, Imani Coppola, and the Beastie Boys for a taste of his eclectic mind state.

True to form, Paul digs deep in the crates and deep within the inner recesses of his mind to bring us a new album that is at once highly entertaining, sharply cynical, and profoundly moving. A Prince Among Thieves is more than just an album, it's a morality play with a beat--namely, the story of good and evil played out between friends True and Tariq, a pair of urban youths looking for a way out of the 'hood through hip-hop, crime, and drugs.

Tariq, voiced by New York underground mainstay Breeze, is an aspiring rapper looking for a way to finance his demo for an upcoming meeting with Wu-Tang leader RZA. Tariq's best friend True, voiced by newcomer Sha, introduces him to an underworld of drug dealing and crime as a way to make some quick money. Along the way he encounters crime boss Mr. Large (Chubb Rock), Count Mackula the Pimp (Big Daddy Kane), weapons specialist Crazy Lou (Kool Keith), inmates (Sadat X, Xzibit, and Kid Creole), and crackheads (Chris Rock and De La Soul), among others, becoming enveloped in a world of crime.

A Prince Among Thieves is a soundtrack to a movie, minus the visuals--or a hip-hop narrative by a modern-day griot. If the soundtrack is any indication, the movie (once completed) will keep you glued to your seat. But if you've got the smallest hint of an imagination, the album will suffice for now. Notable tracks include "Handle Your Time" featuring Sadat X, Xzibit, and Kid Creole, "Pain" featuring Sha and Breeze, "Mr. Large" featuring Chubb Rock and Biz Markie, and the Prince Paul/ De La Soul reunion "More Than U Know."