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> Artist: J-Force
> Title: 'Bull's Eye'
> Label: J-Force Entertainment
> Year: 1994
There's no date on this one, but J-Force's debut single, 'Bull's Eye', dropped in the mid-90's. His second 12" was featured on Premier's 1996 mixtape, and this naturally preceded that one (and if you're not convinced of that, the run-out groove confirms it), so I would guess '94 or '95.
Anyway, J-Force is down with Marley Marl, and he wants us to know it. In addition to the sticker with his bugged-out logo on the cover, there's another one that reads, 'Live & Direct From the House of Hitz'. He also indicates that it was mixed at 'Marley's House of Hits' and gives Marley special thanks on the label. So you could be forgiven for thinking that Marley produced this track - I'm sure that was the intention - but it's actually produced by J-Force himself (and he continued to produce for Marley, all the way up to his 'Foundation Symphony') and Ant-G.
It's a great, atmospheric beat - classic late '90s style, a-la-Mobb Deep or Finsta, with a slow drum track dominated by an ominous bassline, and a crunchy horn sample that fades in and out of the track. The hook features a subtle chime and some simple but effective scratching (also by J-Force's own hand), cutting up two choice vocal samples, Black Moon's "Bull's eye! Direct hit!" followed up by a slick Special Ed line from 'Think About It' asking, "If I tried to hit you, do you think that I would miss?"
And J comes with a nice flow on the record, too: slightly grimy, but low and half-whispered. It's clear the 'How Many MCees' influence reached beyond just the vocal sample; but you'd be a fool to complain, because it sounds great. He's not throwing down any eye-opening artistry lyrically, but he displays enough knowledgeable craftsmanship to keep the heads nodding along to repeated listens:
"I'm shootin' rhymes like skeet
To the beat, yes yes
Penetratin' through your bulletproof vest
I got some stress on my chest
So I suggest you step
Because the vexed'll warm it up
In gortex with more flex than raw sex
I X off suckers off like an error
I seen the face the terror
When I'm lookin' the mirror"
There's nothing on here but this one mix (who would want to remix this cut, anyway?) of this one song; but they give you the full assortment of ingredients: Street version, Radio version, Instrumental and even Acapella. J-Force's second single on the same label (his own J-Force Entertainment) is just as dope and is pretty common... I guess more were pressed up. Because this has become a bit of a pricey commodity ($100 or more would not be unusual), definitely pick this up if you get the chance.
> Reviewed by: Werner
> Title: 'Bull's Eye'
> Label: J-Force Entertainment
> Year: 1994
There's no date on this one, but J-Force's debut single, 'Bull's Eye', dropped in the mid-90's. His second 12" was featured on Premier's 1996 mixtape, and this naturally preceded that one (and if you're not convinced of that, the run-out groove confirms it), so I would guess '94 or '95.
Anyway, J-Force is down with Marley Marl, and he wants us to know it. In addition to the sticker with his bugged-out logo on the cover, there's another one that reads, 'Live & Direct From the House of Hitz'. He also indicates that it was mixed at 'Marley's House of Hits' and gives Marley special thanks on the label. So you could be forgiven for thinking that Marley produced this track - I'm sure that was the intention - but it's actually produced by J-Force himself (and he continued to produce for Marley, all the way up to his 'Foundation Symphony') and Ant-G.
It's a great, atmospheric beat - classic late '90s style, a-la-Mobb Deep or Finsta, with a slow drum track dominated by an ominous bassline, and a crunchy horn sample that fades in and out of the track. The hook features a subtle chime and some simple but effective scratching (also by J-Force's own hand), cutting up two choice vocal samples, Black Moon's "Bull's eye! Direct hit!" followed up by a slick Special Ed line from 'Think About It' asking, "If I tried to hit you, do you think that I would miss?"
And J comes with a nice flow on the record, too: slightly grimy, but low and half-whispered. It's clear the 'How Many MCees' influence reached beyond just the vocal sample; but you'd be a fool to complain, because it sounds great. He's not throwing down any eye-opening artistry lyrically, but he displays enough knowledgeable craftsmanship to keep the heads nodding along to repeated listens:
"I'm shootin' rhymes like skeet
To the beat, yes yes
Penetratin' through your bulletproof vest
I got some stress on my chest
So I suggest you step
Because the vexed'll warm it up
In gortex with more flex than raw sex
I X off suckers off like an error
I seen the face the terror
When I'm lookin' the mirror"
There's nothing on here but this one mix (who would want to remix this cut, anyway?) of this one song; but they give you the full assortment of ingredients: Street version, Radio version, Instrumental and even Acapella. J-Force's second single on the same label (his own J-Force Entertainment) is just as dope and is pretty common... I guess more were pressed up. Because this has become a bit of a pricey commodity ($100 or more would not be unusual), definitely pick this up if you get the chance.
> Reviewed by: Werner
