Krown Rulers - Paper Chase

posted on Nov 29, 2005 Krown Rulers - Paper Chase (Link Expired)
Krown Rulers - 32nd Street (Link Expired)

Krown Rulers - Paper Chase

Krown Rulers
Paper Chase
Warlock Records, 1988

Re-release: Traffic Records, 2005

DJ Royal Rocker and MC Grand Poobah (not Grand Puba of Brand Nubian fame) hail from Camden, NJ (not Philadelphia, as their Tuff Crew affiliation might suggest) and are collectively known as the Krown Rulers. Paper Chase sounds very much like a record from the ’88 era: the drums are loud enough to wake up the dead and mixed way the fuck up in front, at times coming dangerously close to drowning out the other sounds. The main difference between Krown Rulers and the numerous underground crews of the era might very well be their respectably rigid adherence to a high standard of quality control in all aspects of their music.

Grand Poobah boasts an authoritative if slightly nasal voice, an impeccable sense of rhythm and enviable breath control. His rhymes are very carefully enunciated and match the precision of Royal Rocker’s swift cuts and scratches. At his best, Poobah complements and adds something special to the album’s catchy combination of looped breaks and programmed drums provided by the Tuff Crew and Ced Gee.

In spite of their highly technical approach, the Krown Rulers manage to infuse plenty of personality into their music. The anti-skeezer anthem “That’s Not Where It’s At” and the rousing “Let The Party Rock,” for example, are just as hilarious as similarly clownish songs by Cash Money and Marvelous from the same era. Even in moments of levity, the duo maintain a high skill level and Poobah doesn’t let down his guard for too long. The duo sounds best, however, where the song is not attached to an explicit concept and instead showcases Poobah’s literate rhyming.

Just about every song reflects the era’s unmistakably energetic vibe: the hooks on songs like the two mixes of the invigorating “Kick the Ball” and the twice-covered (by High and & Mighty and friends) monster jam “B-Boy Document” are designed to move the crowd. Although this sound may seem dated to nubile ears, Paper Chase’s nearly myopic emphasis on competitive in-your-face showmanship is warmly welcomed in today’s era of glammed-up detachment. Peep the title track and “32nd Street” for some flawless ’88 rap.

Back to reviews

Comments for "Krown Rulers - Paper Chase"

  1. So how hard would this record be to find today? I thought I owned most of the classics from my youth but somehow this slipped under my radar. Even the friends who sent me tapes from New York like DJ Bubs never included their shit on a mix, so this is the first I’ve heard of Poobah with two O’s and not one U.


    — DJ Flash    Jun 22, 07:18 PM   

  2. Kick the ball was one that I will always remember growing up in philly. ON the b-ball courts with the guys with their boom boxes.


    — LBC    Feb 22, 01:31 PM   

  3. Kick the ball is the penultimate CMD classic…i still have this on cassette lol


    — Tabauri    May 18, 02:15 AM   

  4. krown rulers are the best.my name is tianni ivey and i am the second child of terryle“grand poohba“ivey. 1 luv pooh


    — tianni ivey    Jul 20, 10:01 PM   

  5. they used to be the stuff way back in the day. honestly i still listen to there music. Oh yea by the way, royal orcker is my brother in law. i would give out his real name but i’m kind of afraid what people would say. but man he is the $hit


    — marshall carter    Oct 5, 03:48 PM   

  6. “So how hard would this record be to find today? I thought I owned most of the classics from my youth but somehow this slipped under my radar. Even the friends who sent me tapes from New York like DJ Bubs never included their shit on a mix, so this is the first I’ve heard of Poobah with two O’s and not one U.”

    — DJ Flash Jun 22, 06:18 PM

    Pretty easy.

    http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/store/detail.asp?UPC=TEG76509CD – CD

    http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/store/detail.asp?UPC=TEG76509LP – Vinyl


    — B. Ware tha Siniq    Oct 6, 12:52 PM   

  7. The record is okay but nothing more. Tuff Crew was way better! In my opinion the debut album of the Krown Rulers is not a “must have”.


    — djblackjack    May 15, 03:51 PM   

  8. DJ Blackjack, fair enough. I think it’s at least worth a listen though.


    — R.H.S.    May 17, 07:05 PM   

  9. Of course it´s worth listening to! Paper chase is pretty good but the rest is just standard almost boring. I still love the Tuff Crew records and I was a little bit disappointed as I heard this record. It can´t compete with most of the records which have been released in 88. Just my opinion. A record that really should be mentioned here is Kaos – Court´s in session(1988). This is really a great rap record.


    — djblackjack    May 19, 01:25 AM   

  10. who produced the beat on this recods
    dj too tuff from tuff crew.


    — the street gradu8    Jul 16, 12:35 PM   

  11. I’m a CMD 32nd St native. Only 26 but I grew up listening to “Anything you want…kick the ball”. Royal Rocka is my kids’ father. Yes! So for all of you fake wannabee’s, get a grip. Pooh and Rocka (real name for yall to figure out) is the $hit when they come together. I’ll always have love for both of them – CMD down!


    — Kia    Jul 16, 05:16 PM   

  12. I know a lot of Philly cats feel some kind of way about this but here it is. I’m from CMD born and raised. And this was our shining prince’s. And we rock Tuff Crew too so let that go. I was there at Wilson and the High Rocking with the Rulers, and this is a must have if you love hip hop not just listen. We never said better just ours. 32 down!!!!!


    — Papa Bear    Jan 26, 08:20 PM   

  13. Kick the ball is one of my all time favorites!


    — Trenton NJ    Feb 13, 10:55 PM   

  14. Krown Rulers CMD pioneerz BIATCHEZZZ
    Don’T Get It fark’D UP


    — Q    Apr 2, 06:26 PM