86 Witness’ is a testament to both Hip-Hop’s Golden Era, and the unbelievable talents of Sean Price, one of the genre’s biggest and best voices who was taken from us far, far too soon. His hilarious, tack-sharp rhymes are complemented by the imaginative and dusty production of Philly’s Small Professor, who may just be rap’s best kept secret.
Throughout ’86 Witness,’ both P and Pro perfectly weave together the sounds and the styles of the era that set the foundation for Hip-Hop culture. And they do so with some help from acclaimed turntablist DJ Revolution, who appears on five of the album’s ten cuts.
Lyrically, P pays homage to the year 1986 with clever bars boasting slick, pop culture-referencing wordplay. He big-ups the Bears’ Super Bowl XX win on “Refrigerator P”; references Herbie Hancock’s time-honored ‘Round Midnight’ OST on “Midnight Rounds”; shows love to Just Ice’s “Latoya” on the Quelle Chris-featured “Latoya Jackson”; and dedicates track six to John Gotti with the help of AG Da Coroner, Guilty Simpson and Your Old Droog.
Throughout the rest of the album, P spits slick nods to Boogaloo Shrimp, Joe Joe Dancer, Sinbad, and other characters central to that era. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Ruckus project without mentions of the man who inspired his ‘Mic Tyson’ alias. And sure enough, sound bytes from the heavyweight bruiser appear on closer, “Word to Mother.”
Like his previous projects, ’86 Witness’ is brimming with classic lines and lyrical barbs from P. What’s different here, however, is the depth of his references in addition to his incredible chemistry with Small Pro. From the verses to the beats, they have provided so many musical Easter eggs that each listen tips off something you’ve yet to discover. And that’s not even mentioning the ambitious lineup of guests that in addition to the aforementioned, includes: Rockness Monstah, Illa Ghee, Elucid, Castle, Reef the Lost Cauze, Curly Castro, Zilla Rocca, and Rob Kelly.
As "Word to Mother" begins to fade, you hear Q-Tip's nostalgic quote of "That summer of '86 changed Hip-Hop forever..." You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who wouldn't say the same about Sean Price. Hip-Hop (and the world) misses you. ’86 Witness’ is available in a black and magenta swirl vinyl configuration in limited quantities via Coalmine Records and Duck Down Music.
| 1 | Bear Witness feat. DJ Revolution |
| 2 | Refrigerator P feat. Rock of Heltah Skeltah & DJ Revolution |
| 3 | Latoya Jackson feat. Quelle Chris & DJ Revolution |
| 4 | Midnight Rounds feat. Elucid & Castle |
| 5 | P’s Theme |
| 6 | John Gotti feat. AG Da Coroner, Guilty Simpson & Your Old Droog |
| 7 | Think About It feat. Illa Ghee, Rock of Heltah Skeltah & DJ Revolution |
| 8 | Word to Your Mother feat. DJ Revolution |
| 9 | John Gotti (Philly Blunt Remix) feat Reef The Lost Cauze, Curly Castro & Zilla Rocca |
| 10 | Refrigerator P (Peaky Blinders Remix) feat. Rob Kelly |
