A product of the tight knit Bronx underground posse D.I.T.C., Runaway Slave is a cornerstone album of hip-hop's middle school phase. Building on and borrowing from the layered, jazz-influenced sound of such contemporaries as Gang Starr and Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Showbiz & A.G. affixed a gangster mentality to grainy, fortified beats, etching their own unique style. While the crossover "Soul Clap" and "Party Groove '' are club cuts, the rest of the album is more densely expressive. Showbiz and his talented peer Diamond shape their beats around simple, deep drum tracks -- but add subtle loops of chaotic horns, loose strings, or abrupt piano notes to create concise and hard-hitting overtures
