saukrates - the brickhouse ep
Reviewed by Sub Zero

Saukrates
The Brickhouse EP
Serious Entertainment

Ever since this taltented MC won a local(Toronto) MC Contest with "Hate Runs Deep" (which was his first single but isnt on the EP) he's has been makin' noise. Opening for the likes of The Roots and others.
Brickhouse is a very tight EP, produced or co-produced by Sauk himself with the exception of "Play Dis" rmx which was done by NO ID (see Common Senses's Resurrection LP). It features 4 tracks 3 remixes, and 1 instrumental. The EP features super rhymer Common on "Play Dis" and the super dope O.C. and Masta Ace on "Rollin" both of which there is a orignal and a remix for. The other 2 tracks are "Father Time" for which there is a remix and a orignal for, and P's & Q's. The lone instrumental is for the orignal "Play Dis".
"Play Dis" was one of thoses tracks that grabbed me from the second I heard it. The remix is the better of the two verisons offered (both remixes are the "dirty" verisons). The beat is a simple one but does the trick just fine. The lyrics are where this track is at with both Common and Sauk servein up lines that make you wanna press rewind. Common delivers these Gems "never been one the side with homa" and this dope trio of lines "dont curse in front of Juniors/spread love like rumors/niggas liked my tape but how many were consumers? But Sauk delivers my Fav line "kids settin they watches 5 mintues fast to stay/on top of time but i'm already ten minutes away. The track also features a lil adlib at the end from Common that is worth checkin out.
"Rollin" feat. O.C. and Masta Ace is another track where the remix out shines the orignal. The remix beat sound a little more natural for Sauk, O.C. and Masta Ace to rhyme over. This track disses drug dealin, gangsta, high rollin MC's. Its nice to see Hip Hop is becoming "right" not "real". It's about time that more and more MC's are startin to think again.
"Father Time" which was Sauk's second single is here in orignal and remixed form. The orignal track is a lil RZA flava not that Sauk is bitin cause he doesnt need to. For any of you who have heard Tony Touch Tape #50 it's the beat that Sunz of Man flowed over. The remix is a little more uptempo which gives it that little extra bounce and features a Steve Miller Band sample from "Fly Like a Eagle"in the corus "Time Keeps on Slippin" over Sauk's Vocals.
"P's & Q's" is Sauk lettin everyone from his woman to MC's that your not gonna walk over Sauk.
Saukrates has proven with this tight EP that its "not where your from it's where your at". Canada has alot of talent ready to explode on the world, from Rascalz from Vancouver to Ghetto Concept , Dr. Frankenstien, Thrust, Godd Boddies, Choclair all from the T dot O dot who all catch wreck when they grab the mic. On the DJ levels, the radio DJ X The Powermove on 88.1 Saturdays from 1pm-4pm and Mastermind with the Mastermind Street Jam on 108 which can be heard via Real Audio at www.energy108.ca Mondays and Tuesday 12am-1am. Mastermind Super Mix-Tapes for info call (416) 250-8278. On the trick side of things there's DJ Lil Jazz who won the DMC Canada's in '96 and DJ Kid Kola from Montreal who is featured on the Return of the DJ Vol2 plus there are many other highly skilled Turntablist.