Happy 30th Anniversary to Fu-Schnickens’ debut album F.U. Don't Take It Personal, originally released February 25, 1992.
It’s a damn shame that Fu-Schnickens don’t get more credit as innovators. The group, made up of Roderick “Chip-Fu” Roachford, Joseph “Poc-Fu” Jones, and Lennox “Moc-Fu” Maturine, created hip-hop that fused dizzying skill with light-hearted humor in a way that had rarely been exhibited before. Their debut album F.U. Don’t Take It Personal made a major impact when it was released 30 years ago. Neither the crew nor their album were like anything else in the realm of hip-hop at the time.
Though their sound was distinct, the vibe the Brooklyn-based trio created fit in comfortably with groups like Leaders of the New School, KMD, the UMC’s, and even De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. They maintained a fun, largely care-free vibe, where they knew not to take themselves too seriously, all while demonstrating an ample amount of skill. As a lyricist, Chip-Fu was the group’s strongest component, but both Poc-Fu and Moc-Fu held their own as well.
According to Chip-Fu, the group was “discovered” by Sophie Chang, A&R of Jive Records at the time, at a show at Howard University, opening up for the likes of Rakim, Tribe, and Leaders of the New School. They put together F.U. Don’t Take It Personal and achieved a decent amount of critical acclaim and record sales. However, the group’s talent is still underappreciated, and the crew is frequently (and unfairly) dismissed as a novelty or gimmick act. They frequently sound like rapping cartoons, but their skills were undeniable.
The group was also slightly ahead of its time in some respects. Though the Wu-Tang Clan may be the act most frequently associated with displaying their love for Kung-Fu flicks of the ’70s and ’80s, Fu-Schnickens were ahead of them. As their rap-aliases suggest, they professed their love for the genre and incorporated ample references to these works of cinematic art into much of F.U. Don’t Take It Personal, released well over a year before Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993). But their approach was closer to the Jackie Chan period comedies of the era.
The crew’s eclectic goofiness is apparent from their first single “Ring The Alarm” and its associated video. It was a bit of an odd choice for the group’s introduction, as it’s a Chip-Fu solo cut, but it makes a clear opening statement. The song is heavily dancehall influenced, as it incorporates vocals from the Tenor Saw track of the same name. Fittingly, Chip-Fu rhymes with a heavy Jamaican patois at an exceedingly high rate of speed, sounding nimble over the samples of The Bar-Kays’ “In thee Hole” and strains of Kid Dynamite’s “Uphill Peace of Mind.”
The song’s video, however, captured the group’s sensibilities. It’s an extremely low-budget affair, with the trio portraying interstellar emcees descending to Earth in a giant Chinese take-out box with the mission to “Unite All Earthlings.” They spend the rest of the time getting chased around a soundstage and occasionally the streets of Brooklyn like something out of a Keystone Cops short or a Scooby-Doo cartoon. Yes, it was ridiculously goofy, but it was light-hearted in a way that no rapper would attempt today.
Though much of F.U.’s production is handled by the group themselves and Lyvio G, the singles that Fu-Schnickens are best known for were produced by label-mates A Tribe Called Quest. Phife and Poc-Fu are related, and Fu-Schnickens ended up being one of the first groups outside of the Native Tongues collective that they worked with. Tribe crafted beats for group that are soulful and bass heavy, but don’t sound like leftovers from The Low End Theory (1991).
Fu-Schnickens start off F.U. with the Tribe-produced “True Fuschnick,” their most aggressive entry. All three emcees are ferocious attacking the track, but Chip-Fu shines with his high-octane opening verse, rhyming at blistering speeds like the Tasmanian Devil. Later the trio contrasts this type of display with a song like “Heavenly Father,” the album’s fourth single. It’s their most sincere recording, with all three paying respect to their creator for giving them the opportunity and guidance to make the most out of their lives.
F.U. is best known for “La Schmoove,” the album’s second single. It’s a head-nodder that received a lot of play in the clubs and on TV. Tribe’s presence is definitely felt throughout the song, through both their production and a guest verse by Phife Dawg. In one of his first appearances following the release of The Low End Theory, the Five-Foot Assassin sounds completely comfortable behind the mic. Fu-Schnickens themselves also come correct: Chip-Fu’s verse incorporates a head-spinning mix of Looney Tunes references and blends of different languages, while Moc closes things off with his best verse of the album.
While all three of the Tribe-produced tracks are extremely dope, all are pretty conventionally structured. F.U. is often at its most enjoyable when the crew goes a bit (or a lot) off the rails. “Props” is a boisterous track, with all three delivering raucous verses over a dense groove, featuring a blaring horn sample from Marva Whitney’s “Things Got To Get Better” and an expert refiguration of a Fred Wesley’s “J.B. Shout.” “Check It Out” is a rowdy posse cut that features and is produced by Dres of Black Sheep, another notable member of the Native Tongues family.
Fu-Schnickens really shine when they had the opportunity to play off of each other. “Generals” features the trio weaving their lines together and rhyming in tandem. Although you’d guess that Chip would steal the spotlight rhyming over a dancehall-tinged groove, Poc and Moc are equally lively and bombastic. “Beebo” is similarly entertaining, as Poc-Fu and Chip-Fu show their chemistry on the relatively brief track, tag-teaming over samples of Parliament’s “Flashlight” and The Honeydrippers’ “Impeach the President.”
As the title suggests, “Movie Scene” is the aural equivalent of a combat sequence in the kung-fu flicks they loved. It’s an energetic yet tongue-in-cheek exercise, as all three emcees engage in lyrical combat with the Dragon Lady’s minions in order to avenge the death of their master. They bounce off of each other, mimicking films of the era and kicking clever one-liners. Not surprisingly, Chip-Fu is the star of the endeavor, displaying tongue-twisting styles before finishing things off by employing the “backwards technique.” That means that he delivers words and phrases backwards and forwards and backwards again.
Chip-Fu gets a second solo cut with “Back Off,” another highlight of F.U. His inventive stylings are dizzying, speeding and slowing his delivery at will, while continuing to incorporate dancehall chatting and vocalizations. Lyvio G’s decision to use samples from Lowell Folsom’s “Tramp” and George Clinton’s “Atomic Dog” is an inspired one, blending both recognizable grooves into something even funkier. Chip-Fu again transforms into a potent dynamo, rapping, “That's the joint but it's not the point that I’m trying to come off with / Back up from the mic man before you get frost bit.”
Fu-Schnickens’ career would continue for another album, though without as much commercial success on their own. They became the first group to rap with NBA Legend (and Jive Records label-mate) Shaquille O’Neal, when he was intent on building his own rap career. They eventually released Nervous Breakdown (1994), which featured wilder lyrical stylings and improved lyricism from Poc and Moc-Fu. However, it also featured a darker musical atmosphere, which didn’t serve the trio as well.
Fu-Schnickens deserve their props as early 1990s pioneers. In a climate where artists were pushed to keep things safe and palatable, they created something altogether different. F.U. Don’t Take It Personal might not have earned them the long-term respect that they warranted, but the album still stands out as a singular work of art.
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