Black Sheep Member Dres Secures Native Tongues Reunion With New Solo Album ((allhiphop.com))

Saturday, February 20, 2010 3:03 PM

By Chris Richburg

(AllHipHop News) Former Black Sheep member Dres will give fans a bit of nostalgia with a Native Tongues reunion on his forthcoming album, From the Black Pool of Genius.

 

Rapper/actor Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, along with Dave of De La Soul and Mike G of the Jungle Brothers, will appear with Dres on a bonus track on the offering, which will also feature cameos from fellow Rhymesayers AZ, Rhymefest, and Jean Grae.

 

From the Black Pool of Genius is the follow-up to Dres’ first solo album, 1999’s Sure Shot Redemption.

 

In preparation for the new project, the rapper released a five song EP, From The Black Pool Of Genius: The Prelude, in December.

 

Prior to his solo endeavors, Dres enjoyed a successful run with William "Mista Lawnge" McLean in the 1990’s as Black Sheep.

 

The duo, which returned for a brief reunion in 2000 with the album Redlight Greenlight(EP), is best known for classic songs such as "The Choice is Yours," "Flavor of the Month" and "Strobelight Honey."

 

In 2007, Dres released 8WM/Novakane, a download only Black Sheep album featuring contributions from singer Yummy Bingham. With From the Black Pool of Genius, Dres sees the collaborations with other artists as an elevation from the EP as well as an asset that only enhances the impact of the full-length album on fans.

 

“I would say the major difference [between The Prelude and LP] is the entourage of songs on the LP come with many guests which brings a nice variety to the spices already being served," the rapper explained, while weighing in on the meaning behind the title of his latest project. "Black Pool doesn’t refer to black people. It refers to the color black's unique ability to absorb light. This deep, vast pool of soul, of artistic insight; although it's not always understood, the light it reflects back to the 'pih-poh' is necessary."

 

Featuring production from Paten Locke, Tough Junkie, BeanOne, ShowBiz, the Beatnuts, and Urban Soul Group, the From The Black Pool Of Genius album will include the song, "Forever LuvLee," a hold over track from the EP.

 

In addition to providing a variety of guests and sounds, the release serves as a vehicle for expressing what hip-hop means to Dres, who relayed a universal interpretation on the culture.

 

"I once heard a poet say that 'hip hop backward is 'pih poh (people)'- the way I see it, many artists are a lot more hip-hop than they ever realized," the rapper stated.

 

Dres’ From The Black Pool Of Genius album is slated to hit stores on available April 6.