Road To The Riches

Kool G Rap DJ Polo s Road to the Riches had been a long time coming when Cold Chillin released it in 1989. It didn t disappoint. After some successful singles and G Rap s contributions to Marley Marl s Juice Crew, the duo arrived almost fully formed on its debut. Whether boasting (his greatest strength at this point) or spinning tales, G Rap s knife-edged rhymes -- delivered with the hardest-sounding lisp in hip-hop -- tear through Marley Marl s productions and DJ Polo s scratching with all the ferocity of a pit bull devouring a piece of meat. Though tracks like Poison, It s a Demo, and the title track won this record a lot of respect, there are several other moments that help make this a remarkable debut. On Men at Work, lines like, I drop rhymes on paper and then build a skyscraper/When I die scientists will preserve my brain/Donate it to science to answer the unexplained whip by so fast that it s easy to overlook Marl and Polo s perfectly snarling, densely percussive backdrop. Marl s imaginative sampling gleans from all sorts of unexpected sources, like the harmonica from Area Code 615 s Stone Fox Chase, the odd phasings of Kraftwerk s Trans-Europe Express (no one used it like this), and the burbling synths from Gary Numan s Cars (remember, this was the late 80s). People throw the word classic around lightly. Kool G Rap and DJ Polo s debut album is a triumph in the Hip Hop world that has withstood the test of time, and will always be referred to as a cohesive project that demonstrates lyrical and production ability, as well as artistic chemistry. Cold Chillin Records and Traffic proudly present Kool G Rap and DJ Polo s Road To The Riches, available for the first time as a 2-disc set, including the original album, and a plethora of substantial bonus material, from artwork to audio. With all songs being digitally re-mastered, and all additional photography being supplied by George DuBose, and a deluxe digi-pak with a 24 page booklet including all the lyrics and liner notes written by Fly Ty, Mr. Magic, George DuBose and The Kool Genius of Rap himself, this project has been thought out, done right and handled with care and we sincerely hope you enjoy it.