Way Back: Blue Funk (1993)

“Ain't nuttin' changed, Wait a minute, I'm a liar

The crib is definitely doper and the girls a lot flyer”

-The Heavy D on “Blue Funk”

By an artist’s fourth album, you know more or less what to expect. That was the case on Heavy D and the Boyz’ Blue Funk in January 1993. Lyrically, Heavy D would continue to provide braggadocious rhymes often while mixing in his signature double time flow about his cool demeanor and smooth approach with the ladies. The biggest change likely came on the production side. While he still gave production credit to Andre Harrell, Teddy Riley, and his cousin, Pete Rock, he brought in DJ Premier for a new sound on “Yes Y’all”.

Some of the tracks are either front or back-loaded with short introspective monologues. He plays the lone role in a mock interview. Heavy D gets reflective about his growth as both a person and an artist.

“God gave me a gift, to put people at ease”

“What I do, is what I do, I hear a beat, I feel it, I write it, I say it”

Heavy D took advantage of the fun and lighthearted side of hip-hop. He created in that space even as commercial rap everywhere was beginning to skew more street and hardcore. He reminded listeners that music was meant to be fun despite the harsh realities that many of the genre’s participants came from.

“I never grew in the ghetto, but I slung in the ghetto

And I seen plenty of bums get done in the ghetto

So money knock it off with the tough guy imagery

You think I ain't tough, cause I don't talk tough?

Then scrimmage me - I think you got me wrongly pegged

I don't smoke blunts, I smoke stunts, so shake a leg”

The album ends with the posse cut, “A Bunch of N*ggas”. Heavy D co-produced it with Bad Boy “Hitmen” producer, 3rd Eye. It was likely his participation that helped draw the Brooklynite trio of Notorious B.I.G. (also on Bad Boy Records), Busta Rhymes, and Guru.

While this wasn’t Heavy’s most commercially successful album, it still went Gold. It was the second to last album he released with “The Boyz” before going completely solo. While the sound was a little different for Heavy, it definitely worked to ingratiate him with a different type of hip hop fan and solidified his spot as a 90’s rap great.