Paul's Boutique atomically bombed on the record scene. People just couldn't get their ears around it. Which is tragic, because it marked a new era, not only for the B-Boys, but for Hip-Hop as a scene.
Prior to "Paul's", sampling was a tactic. The B-Boys made it an art, with more phantastic pop culture samples than a grocery on Sunday ("Professor Booty"). The samples blend so seamlessly that you have to replay the rhymes to pick them out. The Boys seemed to rhyme down the walls of Jericho, bursting the proverbial dam of isolated samples. Following this release, the Hip-Hop world was flooded with rampant sampling across the board.
"Paul's Boutique" also shows off their ability to bring in some heavyweight backup in the Dust Brothers, and take their rhymes to the next level. Not only is the harmonious rapping engaging and addictive, but the beats behind draw your mind into a veritable state of phatty euphoria.
Listen closely to "Shadrach" and "Shake Your Rump" to hear the developing sounds. After half a decade on the Hip-Hop circuit, they're surpassing their contemporaries with unseen speed. The rhyme content remains largely based around punkish pranks, antics, and how much play 3 rhyme master Jewish kids from New York can get. Throw in a political statement, "Sabotage", and the biographical tale of life as a Repo Man, "Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun", and you have, in my opinion, one of the finest releases from the Beasties.
"If I had a penny for my thoughts i'd be a millionaire." You can't deny it, don't even try it.
