Back during what I now refer to as The Great Record Swindle of ‘96, I was a naive freshman (who really had no business being at college then, anyway) who actually thought my hallmates would return the CDs I was generous enough to let them borrow. When confronted about the missing discs, the guilty parties adopted a more laid-back, it-wasn’t-my-fault, Method Man stance (“The shit just came up missing, son,” and “I’ll buy you four more fucking CDs, man”), while I played the role of a nerdy, white Raekwon (“So, um, how come you don’t have my, er, stuff when I let you hold it?”). It’s taken me years to re-acquire most of the stolen goods, but many fell into deletion and have become mainstays on a wish list that stretches back over ten years now. One of the more painful losses was Lord Finesse’s The Awakening (1996), a record that should have never left my sight. Attempts at a replacement from Amazon and eBay have proven futile as the album achieved “collectible” status while my wallet grew lighter.

Thank the powers that be for record distributors like Quincy, Massachusetts’ Traffic Entertainment Group. Besides ensuring that the public hears new releases from Prince Po, Inspectah Deck, and MF Grimm, they’ve also been responsible for spreading crucial reissues like Kool G Rap and DJ Polo’s Road to the Riches (1989) and BDP’s The Best of the B-Boy Sessions (2006). So when I heard that the label was resurrecting The Awakening (originally released on Tommy Boy’s Penalty imprint, which explains its state of limbo), I was nearly ecstatic.

Bronx-based Lord Finesse hardly needs an introduction, but I’ll offer a brief meet-and-greet for those in the dark. Finesse, accompanied by then-partner DJ Mike Smooth, dropped two near-classics at the turn of the ’90s, Funky Technician (1990) and Return of the Funky Man (1992). As the decade wore on, he slid into the role as the unofficial foreman of the Diggin’ in the Crates crew (D.I.T.C.), a collective supergroup of producers that included Diamond D, Buckwild, and Showbiz & A.G., among others. Finesse released The Awakening in ‘96 to critical acclaim but little public acknowledgment as the Bad Boy/Puff Daddy Jiggy era set in. Since then, he has focused on mixtape projects and production work, helming the boards for everyone from Biggie (”Suicidal Thoughts”) to Dr. Dre (”The Message”). I still believe that he has yet to receive his due as a key figure in the development of ’90s hip hop.

Lyrically, since his battling with the legendary Percee-P back in ‘89, Finesse has always truly been one-of-a-kind. Rather than mask his lines with oblique references and intricate wordplay, he took braggadocio to a level that few have mastered before or since. Finesse transformed metaphors and punchlines into an art form, and just one of his sixteen-bar verses is stuffed with more creative trash-talking than most emcees could manage in a lifetime. (Theoretically, he could have utilized the old technique of dropping the beat out to emphasize the punchline every two bars without tiring out the listener.) What Finesse lacked in the areas of storytelling and subject variety he made up for in a delivery that was simple, direct, and undoubtedly sincere; when he rapped about hustling, whether it was mixtapes or controlled substances, you believed him. His mouth was absolutely filthy, which complemented the gritty rawness of his productions perfectly. Few embody the ethos and spirit of hip hop quite like Finesse, which is why he’s deservedly revered as a legend.

Compared to his previous records, The Awakening premiered a more casual, smoothed-out development to Finesse’s flow, yet his quick wit and remarkable gift for metaphors remained intact. There’s also an all-star list of guest appearances, all of them strong, including the likes of KRS-One, MC Lyte, O.C., and one of the finest verses Large Professor has ever committed to tape on “Actual Facts” (with Satat X and Grand Puba). “No Gimmicks” was the B-side to the “Hip to the Game” 12″ and features a still-sane KRS cameo, spitting an incendiary verse atop a track that utilizes the same Miles Davis horn lick that Black Moon employed on “Niguz Talk Shit” from Enta da Stage (1993). Finesse’s bracketing verses are overflowing with hilariously cocky punchlines, including one of my personal favorites:

So why you frontin’ with the burner, kid
When you done took more ass-whoopings than fuckin’ Tina Turner did?

“No Gimmicks” – Lord Finesse feat. KRS-One 5:46 (The Awakening, Penalty 1996)

“True and Livin’” is a chief example of Finesse’s advanced production skills, incorporating shimmering electric piano chords into a mid-tempo pocket of muted bass and gritty, crisp drums. Other than a smattering of vocal snippets, there is no chorus or hook here, just pure street talk from Finesse in a flow akin to a top-of-the-dome freestyle. This is the kind of mid-’90s New York production that I simply melt for; it’s also telling that a filler track from a Lord Finesse album over ten years old holds more replay value than 95% of hip hop singles today, but that’s a digression for another time.

“True and Livin’” – Lord Finesse 4:41 (The Awakening, Penalty 1996)

Traffic Entertainment plans on reissuing Finesse’s long out-of-print debut Funky Technician next month, and while it hasn’t aged quite as well as The Awakening, it nevertheless deserves a mention next to classics like, say, Brand Nubian’s One for All (1990), Eric B. & Rakim’s Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em (1990), or Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990). Perhaps Finesse’s iconic position in hip hop culture is on its way to getting wider recognition.

Lastly, I’d like to comment brieftly on the Hip Hop Odyssey mix from DJ Jaguar Skills & Lord Basis Supreme that’s been circulating ’round the internets as of late. While technically impressive (800 tracks in 48 minutes is nothing to scoff at), I found it nearly impossible to enjoy the mix without being constantly distracted by the unending barrage of artist shout-outs and nauseating cries of “nuff respect” and “rest in peace!” To all DJs perpetrating this nonsense: while I’m sure your intentions are genuine and keeping in the spirit of the original old school mixtapes and neighborhood block parties, you have got to stop doing this. Mention your handle once, then please, let the music speak for itself!