Throwback Tuesday – Released On This Day – X-Clan – ‘To The East, Blackwards’
Vanglorious! To The East, Blackwards was the debut album from hip hop group X-Clan. At the time of the debut album, the Brooklyn based group consisted of Grand Verbalizer Funkin’ Lesson Brother J, Professor X The Overseer, Paradise the Architect, and Sugar Shaft the Rhythm Provider. To The East, Blackwards featured songs that heavily promoted Afrocentrism and described socioeconomic oppression of African-Americans. All songs were written by Brother J, who serves as the main emcee, with the exception of “Earth Bound,” which was co-written by Professor X. The song “Grand Verbalizer, What Time is It” was sampled on Ice Cube’s “When Will They Shoot?” on the album, The Predator and “Tribal Jam” was sampled and used on the Ice Cube co-signed group Da Lench Mob’s track “Guerillas in tha Mist”.
To The East, Blackwards reached #97 of the Billboard top 200 list and #11 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums list. Songs such as The tracks “Raise the Flag,” “Funkin’ Lesson,” and “Grand Verbalizer, What Time Is It?” were released as singles. X-Clan is easily one of hip hop’s more influential groups and To The East, Blackwards is a classic. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source’s 100 Best Rap Albums Ever.
Tracklisting
1.”Funkin’ Lesson”
2.”Grand Verbalizer, What Time is It?”
3.”Tribal Jam”
4.”A Day of Outrage, Operation Snatchback”
5.”Verbal Milk”
6.”Earth-Bound”
8.”Raise the Flag”
9.”Heed the Word of the Brother”
10.”Verbs of Power”
11.”In the Ways of the Scales”