Many moons ago, when I was thirteen years old, some friends and I ventured out on a cold February evening to an old theater downtown named The Dixie (oh, I grew up in Virginia, by the way) to see the latest cinematic hotness that everyone had been raving about, Juice (1992). As the only white kid in a theater of a few dozen people, I was a bit taken aback when my fellow viewers began yelling at the screen (I was genuinely startled when a girl began crying loudly after Raheem is shot), but nothing could have diverted my attention from those DJ competition scenes. Sure, watching the film now they’re corny as hell – Omar Epps with a loose hoodie over his head, grinning from ear to ear as he cuts up a Big Daddy Kane lyric – but I remember at the time thinking that it was the coolest shit ever. I also had a hard time believing that the same dude who used to clown on stage in the Digital Underground videos made for such a captivating villian. The next day I copped the soundtrack on cassette from my local Sam Goody and over the next month or so, proceeded to wear the magnetic tape into dust in the confines of my temperamental Walkman.

I’m well aware that dreamy nostalgia always tends to cloud serious analysis, but when I listened to the Juice soundtrack recently, I was surpised at how hit-or-miss the a lot of the selections were. In fact, I bet it would be next to impossible to find someone who could play the record from start to finish and love every track, although when you have Tammy Lucas squirming uncomfortably alongside Son of Bazerk, things are bound to take a turn into questionable waters. Let’s dissect, shall we?

“Uptown Anthem” – Naughty by Nature

I was never one of Naughty by Nature’s biggest fans, but I’ve always thought that this was one of Treach & Co.’s strongest tracks, a fitting bridge between the trio’s rugged self-titled debut (1991) and the more accessible 19 Naughty III (1993). “Uptown Anthem” accompanied the end credits in the film, yet proved to be a gripping opener on the soundtrack, with a Gothic-sounding piano dirge added on as an intro. Taking that hypnotic, delayed piano note as his cue, Treach rips into this cut with absolute fury, and even Vin Rock is amped up enough to drop a solid eight bars to conclude the second verse. The song was so popular that Tommy Boy began repressing the group’s debut with it tacked on as a bonus track. A fine inclusion here, and a superb way to kick off the album.

“Uptown Anthem” – Naughty by Nature (Juice Soundtrack, MCA 1992)

“Juice (Know the Ledge)” – Eric B. & Rakim

If the rest of the tracks on Don’t Sweat the Technique (1992) were as intense and razor-sharp as “Juice (Know the Ledge),” Eric B. & Rakim would have committed an outstanding swan song to the hip hop oeuvre. As it stands, this is the last truly great gem the pair conceived before splitting. No other selection here encompasses the look and the feel of Juice more than the title track, which is why it was the no-brainer candidate to soundtrack the opening credits. A nimble drum loop, that dusty acoustic bass, some panned razor-sharp scratching for the chorus, and Rakim at his devastatingly finest – all the signs of a rightful classic are here. My favorite touch: the dancing flute sample that is injected periodically into the verse.

“Is It Good to You” – Teddy Riley feat. Tammy Lucas

Of course, you can’t have a ‘92 soundtrack without the new jack, the first of two on the record. I’ll sheepishly admit to having a slight guilty pleasure with this song, despite the obvious inquiry regarding its inclusion here. “Is It Good to You” has experienced a rough aging process over the last fifteen years, but it was generally disposable to start with. This is the track playing in the Harlem record store as Q (Epps) turns his mack up on the strobelight honey working the register, all so his companion Steel can boost a few LPs undetected.

“Sex, Money & Murder” – MC Pooh

I never really cared much for Too Short nor his protegé MC Pooh, but this track is tolerable enough, and its brief length usually kept me from instinctively pouncing on the fast-forward button on my Walkman. I’m sure the album’s producers, Hank Shocklee and Kathy Nelson, had a valid reason for choosing this track, but I could have picked a hundred more suitable emcees for the film’s soundtrack than Oak-town’s Pooh-Man. His lyrics wallow in too many obvious gutter-reaching punchlines for my taste, although Ant Banks‘ production here swaggers a nice West Coast vibe. I’m not positive about this song’s occurrence in the film, but it was likely for only a few seconds; possibly as a source cue in the arcade?

“‘Nuff Respect” – Big Daddy Kane

I remember this track was completely unexpected when I first heard it; I had pretty much written off Kane after that Prince of Darkness (1991) nonsense. Certain productions are precisely tailor-made for particular emcees, and I can’t imagine anyone – anyone – who could hold a candle to Kane’s performance here. There are too many standout one-liners to mention, but the “Sitting next to the man, sitting next to the man…” lyric is possibly my favorite. Hell, the whole track induces goosebumps, and any price paid for this record is wholly justified by “‘Nuff Respect.” Outstanding. This cut was flipped a hundred different ways during the DJ scenes, mostly as a backing track for the turntablists to scratch over.

“‘Nuff Respect” – Big Daddy Kane (Juice Soundtrack, MCA 1992)

“So You Want to Be a Gangster” – Too $hort

Shocklee taps into Oakland’s mimimalistic, bass-heavy scene for a second time. This track is mildly refreshing after the scorched-earth intensity of “‘Nuff Respect,” but around the second minute or so, its low-keyed demeanor begins to wear thin. Again, $hort’s casual pimp persona wasn’t really my thing, but I can recall most of these lyrics off-hand, so evidently I didn’t hate it. I can’t recall its placement in the film, but I would guess it was being played in Q’s headphones in a number of scenes.

“It’s Going Down” – EPMD

I’ve stated before that “It’s Going Down” is arguably the quintessential EPMD track in terms of production, content, and delivery, with “So Wat Cha Sayin’” running a close second. Unlike the version on Business Never Personal (1992), the few expletives here aren’t edited, for those that care about that sort of thing. Erick and Parrish show up for a brief cameo in the film as patrons in the neighborhood bar while the track is playing, just before the place is robbed at gunpoint by a crazed associate of Q’s.

“Don’t Be Afraid” – Aaron Hall

Hall’s post-Guy career didn’t really take off, though “Don’t Be Afriad,” which opens the second side of the soundtrack, was his most successful hit. I suppose if I had to pick a new jack cut that isn’t entirely unbearable, this would likely be my choice, but only because of Shocklee’s production here – those crushing drums alone could topple buildings. But when Hall starts in on the “rest your head on my tattoo’ed chest” routine, I instinctively reach for the skip button. And who is the uncredited female co-star here who sounds like she’s half-awake? This track was a source cue in the apartment of En Vogue’s Cindy Herron during an intimate post-coitus moment with Epps’ character. Mmmm. Cindy.

“He’s Gamin’ on Ya’” – Salt N’ Pepa

I used to know the exact time it would take to fast-forward past this song on my Walkman and land just a few seconds shy of the next track. Hurby Luv Bug wasn’t exactly revolutionary in terms of production, but the clunky drum programming and cheap keyboard patches here were dated even back in ‘92, and the girls’ voices are unpleasantly high in the mix. The whole thing sounds like a studio toss-off that was too “street” for Very Necessary (1993); it doesn’t fare any better in the context of this soundtrack. I think this was the song playing when Raheem spots his girlfriend hopping in the car of Special Ed (!).

“Shoot ‘Em Up” – Cypress Hill

I still stand by my assertion that Cypress Hill was one of the most overrated groups in hip hop (try to sit through the second half of Cypress Hill [1991] now), but damned if they didn’t get everything right with this one. The secret weapon here, as with 95% of their material, is DJ Muggs, who loops a nasty buzzing guitar atop a muddled drum pattern (what the hell is going on with the hi-hats?), with disembodied vocal snippets echoing around the mix. At first it sounds nearly unlistenable, but then becomes absolutely entrancing as the track continues. I’m unsure about “Shoot ‘Em Up”’s occurence in the film, but I do recall “How I Could Just Kill a Man” being played during the climax. A definite soundtrack highlight.

“Shoot ‘Em Up” – Cypress Hill (Juice Soundtrack, MCA 1992)

“Flipside” – Juvenile Committee

“Flipside” was essentially the film’s narrative as performed by a group of teens from South Central that sounded like a more aware, harder version of Da Youngsta’s. It would be convenient to dismiss the amateurish Juvenile Committee as a novelty, but their debut, Free Us Colored Kids (1993), had production assistance from Dr. Dre and DJ Quik – does anyone know whatever happened to these kids? Either way, this one is expendable, with no hook whatsoever and a drum track that grows increasingly stale with each passing verse. Similar to “‘Nuff Respect” in its Juice placement; “Flipside”’s beat was scratched over during the DJ competition.

“What Could Be Better Bitch” – Son of Bazerk

Bazerk Bazerk Bazerk (1991) is often unfairly compared to the dull Young Black Teenagers material where Bomb Squad production projects are concerned, but Son of Bazerk was nothing if not singularly unique for his time. As the song’s title is repeated gruffly by the backing vocalists, Bazerk grunts his way through the track like he’s suffering from a painful bout of constipation, forgoing a coherent rhyme scheme for hilarious one-liners like “I’m giving you jimmy, bitch, so what could be better, bitch?” I enjoyed this more than I probably should have, but I’m completely drawing a blank as far as appearance in the film is concerned.

“Does Your Man Know About Me” – Rahiem

Mysteriously, I’ve been unable to find any information about Rahiem or this track, but after listening to it, it’s probably for the better. “Does Your Man” makes the disagreeable Riley and Hall new jack cuts seem to blend naturally with the rest of the hip hop material here, a sparkling R&B/dance hybrid that sports one of the lamest “lover raps” I think I’ve ever heard – and it’s repeated twice. Unquestionably the worst item on the soundtrack, and I don’t even know if it appeared in the film at all. Coincidendally, this is the second sample occurrence of Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You” on the record, the first being “It’s Going Down.”

“People Get Ready (Remix)” – The Brand New Heavies feat. N’Dea Davenport

By the time I got to this track I began wondering why this soundtrack got so much play back in ‘92. While I can appreciate what UK’s The Brand New Heavies were about, everything about their musicianship screamed mediocrity, and “People Get Ready” is no exception: a painfully unfunky drummer who sounds like he’s scared to death in this company, some stock horn charts, and a keyboardist who can’t stretch beyond that ridiculous comping pattern he’s playing. I can’t muster anything more than a yawn about this track. Why is this here? This may have been another source cue at the arcade while the crew is skipping school.