Lighter Shade Of Brown – Layin´ In The Cut (1994)

by Record Facts

Lighter Shade of Brown (LSOB) was a Mexican American hip hop duo from Riverside, California best known for their 1990 hit single “On a Sunday Afternoon“, a success in the U.S., written by songwriters/musicians David Dunson & Micah Carson.

A Lighter Shade of Brown was a great hip-hop duo and had so much soul and warmth to their sound. I’ve listened to all their albums and this is their most consistent work by far. MCs ODM & DTTX do their usual thang spitting verses, but the production is the highlight on this album.

The LSOB formula of Hip-Hop and R&B is still in-tact, but the beat production has definitely evolved here. It is heavily influenced by Dre’s G-Funk sound, but avoids the excessive obscenities of The Chronic and countless other gangsta rap albums at the time.

It is the perfect music for summer time parties or cruising the boulevard. On top of all that it has stood the test of time better than their other work. There are really only three average songs here; the rest is dynamite. My top favorite cuts are “Dip Into My Ride”, “Where Ya At”, “Hey DJ (Radio Mix)”, “Playing In The Shade”, “Things Ain’t The Same”, and “Hey DJ”.

In summary, this album is an enjoyable piece of west coast hip-hop. 4/5.

 

Tracklist

1.  Dip Into My Ride – 4:37 
2.  Where Ya At – 4:11 
3.  Talkin’ ‘Bout (Gettin’ It On) – -5:03 
4.  Hey D.J. (Radio Remix) – 3:34 
5.  Playin’ In The Shade – 3:43 
6.  If You Wanna Groove  (featuring Novelist) – 3:40 
7.  I Like It – 4:26 
8.  Things Ain’t The Same – 4:09 
9.  Doin’ The Same Thing – 3:46 
10.  Everyday All Day – -3:55 
11.  Hey D.J. – 4:00 

 

Lighter Shade Of Brown
ODM (One Dope Mexican, born Robert Gutierrez)
DTTX (Don’t Try To Xerox, born Bobby Ramirez)

 

Companies, etc.

• Phonographic Copyright (p) – PolyGram Records, Inc.
• Copyright (c) – PolyGram Records, Inc.
• Manufactured By – PolyGram Records, Inc.
• Marketed By – PolyGram Records, Inc.

 

Credits

• Art Direction – Margery Greenspan, Sheryl Lutz-Brown
• Design – Jeffrey Schulz
• Executive-Producer – Bob Skoro, Bruce Carbone
• Photography By – Michael Miller

 

Samples

• “Dip Into My Ride”
  • “By Your Side” by Con Funk Shun
• “Hey DJ”
  • “Rappers Delight” by Sugar Hill Gang
  • “Hey DJ” by The World’s Famous Supreme Team
• “If You Wanna Groove”
  • “Move Your Boogie Body” by Bar-Kays
• “I Like It”
  • “She’s Strange” by Cameo
• “Things Ain’t the Same”
  • “I Think My Heart Is Telling” by Evelyn “Champagne” King
• “Where Ya At”
  • “Even When You Sleep” by The S.O.S. Band

 

Notes
Released: July 26, 1994
Recorded: 1993–1994 Paramount Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA.,Track Records, North Hollywood, CA 
Genre: G-Funk, Hip hop
Length: 45:24

Label – Mercury Records