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A forgotten man in the rise of West Coast rap, Tone-Loc was effectively cut off from his hometown scene in Los Angeles by his unexpected pop success. Paced by the singles "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina" -- both co-written by a pre-fame Young MC -- and some of the earliest productions by the legendary Dust Brothers, Loc's debut album, Loc-ed After Dark, became the second rap album to top the pop charts, following the Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill. Loc's distinctively rough, raspy voice and easygoing delivery made him an appealing storyteller, but he was aiming for the streets more than the pop charts. So there's the occasional profanity, the stalker-tinged title track, and "Cheeba Cheeba," which made waves at the time as one of the earliest pro-marijuana raps on record (of course, this was before Cypress Hill, and Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign was still fresh in the public's mind). The minor singles "I Got It Goin' On" and "On Fire" (the latter the first record ever released on Delicious Vinyl) are both pretty good, but some of the album's momentum is wasted on some fairly standard MC boasts (Loc has much more personality than he does lyrical technique). Even if Loc-ed After Dark is erratic, though, it still deserves more respect than it's generally accorded. [The 2012 reissue of the album adds seven bonus tracks, including instrumental versions, remixes, and one non-LP song.]
Condition: NEW
TRACK LISTING
1 On Fire (Remix)
2 Wild Thing
3 Loc'ed After Dark
4 I Got It Goin' On
5 Cutting Rhythms
6 Funky Cold Medina
7 Next Episode
8 Cheeba Cheeba
9 Don't Get Close
10 Loc'in On The Shaw
11 The Homies
12 On Fire (New Flavor)
13 Cheeba Cheeba (Vocal)
14 I Got It Goin' On (Remix)
15 The Homies (On Tilt Remix)
16 The Fine Line Between Hyper And Stupid
17 Wild Thing (Wild Beats)
18 Funky Beats
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