Soulful, conscious, and slept-on: Giving Little Brother their flowers

Released September 13th 2005

In the year 2005, while artists like Jeezy, Kanye, and 50 Cent were dominating the airwaves—each releasing iconic projects that year—a little-known group from North Carolina was dropping The Minstrel Show, their sophomore and most commercially successful album as a full group. Seen largely as a pushback against the more gangsta and flashy mainstream rap of the time, The Minstrel Show managed to poke fun at the genre’s more outrageous tropes while highlighting that there was still a place for conscious hip-hop. Led by the soulful production of 9th Wonder and the high-level rhyme schemes of Big Pooh and Phonte, the project served as a solid introduction to the group.

I will be the first to admit that in a year packed with high-level projects, I mostly slept on this trio outside of their main singles. Hearing some of LB’s more recent drops led me to go back and revisit this project, and it immediately felt like a breath of fresh air. While maybe not the flashiest album, The Minstrel Show is almost a throwback to pure hip-hop, giving off a modern De La Soul/A Tribe Called Quest feel (who, unsurprisingly, LB states as influences). Coming out of the gate with tracks like “Good Morning,” “The Becoming,” and “Not Enough,” you get that boom-bap infused with masterful soul samples that only a producer like 9th Wonder can bring.

Keeping with the theme of a “modern-day minstrel show,” LB adds relevant skits and even an R. Kelly/Mr. Big parody on “Cheatin’,” which, if not for its silly premise, could easily be confused with a certified banger. That being said, I can admit that at 17 tracks and running close to an hour, it can get a bit repetitive—particularly given the lack of radio-friendly singles outside of “Lovin’ It.” It’s definitely more of an album you put on to chill rather than something that will be spun at a kickback. However, what it lacks in commercial appeal, it makes up for in real-world introspection; a song like “All For You” highlights this as the group crafts a relatable tale about the struggles of fatherhood.

Overall, while The Minstrel Show falls a bit short of what I’d deem a classic, it’s an album that should definitely be spun a few times by serious hip-hop heads. You can clearly hear the group’s appeal and the signature sound that put 9th Wonder on Jay-Z’s radar. If for nothing else, LB’s final album as a trio is well worth the listen.

Album Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑👑👑 (7/10)

Standout Tracks: “Hiding Place” & “Lovin’ It”