Tim Dog Run Run Run 12" When Nas enquired on the whereabouts of some of rap’s stars of yesteryear on his ‘Hip Hop Is Dead’ album, he obviously hadn’t done his homework as far as Tim Dog was concerned. If the Queensbridge legend had spent some quality time getting his Google on before hitting the studio to record ‘Where Are They Now’, he’d have found out that the Bronx bomber hasn’t been spending his time telling anyone who’ll listen about his heyday as a member of the iconic Ultramagnetic MC’s. Instead, the gruff-voiced rapper has been busy recording some transatlantic treats with the UK’s very own Diversion Tactics squad. Lifted from the forthcoming ‘BX Warrior’ album, ‘Run Run Run’ couldn’t have been released at a more ideal time, with nostalgia for the old-school running high and various hip-hop greats releasing material following renewed fan interest via MySpace and YouTube. Remembered mainly for his incendiary 1991 West Coast dis ‘Fuck Compton’, this latest offering from the D-O-G proves that time definitely hasn’t mellowed the man who once offered to get in a boxing ring with Dr. Dre to settle their differences. Over tight, neck-snapping drums courtesy of Zygote and Jazz T, Tim blends comedic ignorance with endearing arrogance, dropping such verbal gems as “I ain’t Kanye West, I’ll put your face through the wire!” The flipside, ‘Hardcore’, offers more of the same. Deep, ominous bass and thunderous, echoing beats provide a gritty platform from which Tim Dog attacks commercial rappers posing as thugs, MTV, and what he considers to be the overall dilution of hip-hop. The former Ultra MC’s direct rhyme style might be something of an acquired taste, but it possesses an honesty that reeks of timeless true-school attitude, and the DT boys strike just the right balance here between back-in-the-day vibes and new millennium boom-bap. time definitely hasn’t mellowed the man who once offered to get in a boxing ring with Dr. Dre - Ryan Proctor © ukhh.com 1999 - 2006