From the Black Pool of Genius

iTunes Review

Back in the early '90s, Black Sheep were on fire, inciting dance floors with signature hits "The Choice Is Yours" and "Flavor of the Month," touring the world, and winning countless fans with their potent combination of slick yet funny lyrics (mostly Dres) and relentlessly catchy, sample-saturated beats (mostly Mista Lawnge). Their debut LP A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing was a gigantic, era-defining hit but they soon faded into the background for the rest of the '90s. Since then, a few low-impact, very indie projects have emerged, and they reunited briefly, only to break up again, with Dres getting custody of the name Black Sheep. Though released nearly two decades after their breakout, From the Black Pool of Genius manages to successfully recreate that old energy (if not the hits), thanks to Dres' instantly recognizable and ever-likeable flow, well-matched with strong production from relative unknowns Beanone and P. Locke. Check out "Party Tonight" with Jean Grae, the mellow jazz of "For the Record," and Native Tongues reunion "Birds of a Feather" featuring Q-Tip, Trugoy the Dove, and Mike G.