Paul's Boutique was such a groundbreaking record when it came out for its liberal use of constantly moving samples, courtesy of the Dust Brothers. That much we already know. However, I am being honest when I note that I like everything about this record because of that. They remove themselves from a potential party piegonhole after Licensed To Ill, and now they expand their rhymes with more storytelling (including the "Egg Man," a remake of their "Egg Raid on Mojo" punk song complete with "Superfly" sample). The three MCs remain clever and drop some great one-liners, as juvenile as they might appear when reading the lyrics book. Of course, the Dust Brothers take over production and run with it, which is what steals the show for me. The samples hold multiple layers; who would have thought in 1989 there would be record on top of record? They change up at a ridiculous pace (not just on "B-Boy Bouillabaisse"), fitting all of the rhymes in such a way that it's like breaking in new shoes, if the analogy makes sense. As Mike D once said about the lawsuits that occurred afterwards: "what's cooler than being sued by the Beatles?" It's unfortunate that sampling laws will keep us from hearing a record as close to the excellence of Paul's Boutique, but even without those laws, would we really hear that record?
By: CVoss