The Grandest of Them All

When an artist has an album titled The Grandest of Them All and one of its tracks is titled "Im a Legend," he is likely to be accused of having a swollen, excessively large ego. But in the case of Grandmaster Caz, saying "Im a Legend" isnt empty boasting -- its a statement of fact. One of the pioneers of old school hip-hop, Caz really is a legend. The New Yorker is a veteran of the late-70s South Bronx/Harlem scene that also gave us Kool DJ Herc, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Kurtis Blow, the Cold Crush Brothers, and the Treacherous Three -- in other words, the MCs and DJs who paved the way for everyone from Run D.M.C. to Public Enemy to Ice-T. When The Grandest of Them All came out in 1992, Caz was no longer considered cutting-edge; hip-hoppers identified him with raps old school era of the late 70s and early 80s. But this album doesnt sound quite as dated as some might assume; tunes like "Star Search," "Ducksauce," and "Im a Legend" arent oblivious to early-90s rap tastes. Nonetheless, Caz doesnt try to hide his old school heritage. The album is full of references to hip-hops early years, and even though Caz tries to update his rapping style somewhat, he still sounds like a product of raps old school era. And why shouldnt he? If it wasnt for Caz and his pioneering hip-hop colleagues in Harlem and the South Bronx, many of the rappers who emerged in the 1980s wouldnt have been so successful. The Grandest of Them All doesnt contain the veteran MCs most essential work, but its a decent, respectable effort that showed Caz still had some tricks up his sleeve in 1992. ~ Alex Henderson