{"title":"Black Sheep","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlack Sheep is an American hip hop group hailing from New York City. They were one of the lesser-known groups in the Native Tongues Collective, which included notable acts like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. Black Sheep quickly gained success with their debut album \"A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing\" in 1991, thanks to a series of well-received singles such as \"Flavor Of The Month\" and \"The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTheir follow-up album, \"Non-Fiction\" released in 1994, didn't receive the same level of success due to mixed reviews and lack of support from their record company. Despite this setback, Dres continued to release music under the Black Sheep name while Mista Lawnge left the group. After a period of relative inactivity, they made a comeback with their third album titled \"8WM \/ Novakane\" in 2006.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf you enjoy artists like Leaders of the New School, Brand Nubian, or Jungle Brothers, then you'll definitely appreciate Black Sheep's unique style and sound.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"strobelite-honey","title":"Strobelite Honey","description":"\u003cp\u003eOfficial Mr Bongo Hip Hop Reissue. Black Sheep - and their 1991 \u003ci\u003eA Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing\u003c\/i\u003e album - were definitely an outlier in the Native Tongues fold. They were raunchier and more playful than their peers which, given that those peers were A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and Jungle Brothers, is really saying something. \u003ci\u003eStrobelite Honey\u003c\/i\u003e catches that difference perfectly, leaning heavily on a pair of 1980 disco samples rather than the jazz of their brethren, and taking a somewhat less chivalrous approach to women. Strobelite’s slender but fun narrative sees rapper Dres up in the club and fooled by the lights- approaching a girl he likes the look off but backing off when they reveal she’s not what he expected. Charmed, we’re sure. Dres and his partner Mr. Lawnge were always willing to push boundaries, and that extends to the often confusing labelling of the various remixes of this choice single. 12”s dropped with the No We Didn’t Mix, Yes We Did Mix and Maybe We Did Mix (not to mention a separate 12” of House mixes). The last and best of these accompanied the original version on the now-rare 1991 7”, as it does here. The Maybe We Did Mix adds urgent horns- almost like the buzzing of a bee - and a new beat to completely reconfigure the sound into something much more of its era. It’s a reminder of when remixes were about much more than the same beat with different rappers.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mr Bongo","offers":[{"title":"Black | 7\"","offer_id":50465158168907,"sku":"1096835","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/773066e4-b590-4ba9-8870-70655df10382_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727282095"},{"product_id":"the-choice-is-yours","title":"The Choice is Yours","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Choice is Yours is one of the most celebrated 12\" releases of the early 1990s. The story of why is told on this 7\" the first official release on this format (and, technically, the first UK release in any format except as a B-side). The original version, here on the flip, is a fine track in its own right, and is the version you'll find on the seminal 'A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing' album. Built around elements from Johnny Hammond's oft-sampled 'Big Sur Suite' from 1974 and incorporating snatches from Iron Butterfly and the Bar-Kays, it's a truly original, witty track that showcases Dres' deft wordplay and the group's way with a hummable hook. However, what made the song legendary was the reworked version called 'The Choice is Yours (Revisited)', here on the A-side. It more or less rebuilds the track from the foundations and, accompanied by an iconic and acclaimed video, is for many the definitive version. It's the soundtrack to many a hyped club night, a track that could ignite the audience in the same way that Onyx's 'Slam' would a couple of years later. It weaves together vocal stabs from Sweet Linda Divine with a propulsive bassline from McCoy Tyner that seems like a significant step forward in the jazz-sampling era of hip-hop. Widely quoted, referenced and even covered in music ever since, this is a classic that punches well above its weight.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mr Bongo","offers":[{"title":"Black | 7\"","offer_id":50473563914571,"sku":"1107213","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}]},{"product_id":"flavor-of-the-month-butt-in-the-meantime","title":"Flavor of the Month \/ Butt..In The Meantime","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhile the powerhouses of the loose Native Tongue collective were undoubtedly De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and the Jungle Brothers, the wider family threw up some intriguing groups and unforgettable records. Black Sheep – the duo of Dres and Mr Lawnge – were a natural fit for the Native Tongue vibe, displaying the same kind of wit and humour as their counterparts, with an off-kilter approach that helped them stand out. While they only released one truly amazing album – their debut \u003ci\u003eA Wolf in Sheep's Clothing\u003c\/i\u003e was a standout in 1991, one of hip-hop's best years for LP's – it spawned five unique singles, with this the first one that really garnered any attention.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mr Bongo","offers":[{"title":"Black | 7\"","offer_id":50473683943755,"sku":"1100462","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/10c5702f-cc9e-43c3-9a28-8e93e236fc6a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727430412"},{"product_id":"try-counting-sheep","title":"Try Counting Sheep","description":"\u003cp\u003eTry Counting Sheep was always a bit of a curio. For reasons best left in the dark, distant days of record label meetings of the early 1990's, it only ever saw a UK and Europe release, our US cousins having to do without it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA strange decision because, while it doesn't have the headnod hummability of \u003cem\u003eThe Choice is Yours\u003c\/em\u003e, the group's biggest hit, it perfectly captures their ramshackle charm coupled with a catchy hook. While \u003cstrong\u003eDres\u003c\/strong\u003e was a characterful and idiosyncratic MC, one thing that often goes uncelebrated about \u003cstrong\u003eBlack Sheep\u003c\/strong\u003e was their production nous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs on their other singles, they mine some familiar tracks but use the samples in original and creative ways. The Original Sheep LP Mix is a likeably meandering track that borrows bass from Jimi Hendrix and different bits of Rare Earth's '(I Know) I'm Losing You', with a real lightness of touch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs this was a UK release, the original 7\" of which now fetches around three figures, the label rafted in UK producer The Principle for a remix. Best known for his work with Profile Records crew Caveman, he brings the same kind of propulsive organ track to the remix that underpins much of their best work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe adds in an instantly familiar drum break from 'Impeach the President' to drive a fine re-imagining that is very much of its time. It's a record that can still summon the fun of a hip-hop club in 1991, and one that's no longer impossible to find on 7\".\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mr Bongo","offers":[{"title":"Black | 7\"","offer_id":50473816129867,"sku":"1104236","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/1d93c8e9-94c2-4885-9b5b-d786165a6b52_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727431168"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_3f3685e9_thumbnail_4096_2d3062ac-7d0c-4c49-8afb-253c91208a0d.jpg?v=1727282076","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/black-sheep.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}