Retrospective Review: Critical Beatdown by Ultramagnetic MC's

Kool Keith and Ced-Gee set the bar for off-the-wall lyricism and rhyme patterns.

Courtesy of Next Plateau Records.

Originating from the creative minds of Bronx rapper “Kool” Keith Thornton, rapper/producer Cedric “Ced-Gee” Miller, producer/rapper Trevor “TR Love” Randolph, and DJ/producer Maurice “DJ Moe Luv” Smith, Ultramagnetic MCs honed their craft amidst the park jams and discos of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. They emerged as one of the pioneering groups venturing to stretch the genre's horizons.

Upon its release 35 years ago, Critical Beatdown and its creators were far beyond their time. Ced and Keith’s unique styles, techniques, and rhyming lexicon felt like a new linguistic frontier. Behind the production desk, Ced and engineer Paul C were the avant-garde, introducing the SP-12 sampler to new applications unheard of in 1988.

The brilliance of Critical Beatdown is magnified, considering its rapid assembly. The album's beats were derived from the Ultimate Beats and Breaks collection and James Brown records. The nearly impromptu rhymes were penned swiftly before recording, with ink barely dry as they were recited. While lacking in profound lyrical depth, Ced and Keith focused on showcasing their lyrical agility through complex cadences and sophisticated wordplay.

Ultramagnetic exhibited versatility over various beats and tempos, notably excelling on tracks exceeding 100 BPM like “Ain’t It Good to You.” Their swift composition process imbued the album with intriguing quirks, from Ced's repetitive rhymes with “smoke,” “dope,” and “choke” to Keith's playful threats and the duo's self-introductions mid-verse.

Their single “Ego Trippin’” from 1986 was a trailblazer, with Ced and Keith’s unprecedented rhyming styles and musical innovation featuring Melvin Bliss’ “Synthetic Substitution.” Despite the abrupt end in the album version, “Ego Trippin’” remains a seminal piece, laying the foundation for a whole subgenre of hip-hop.

Chuck D's labeling of Ultramagnetic as the “Kings of singles” rings true. Their pre-Critical Beatdown years saw numerous single releases, some not making it to the album. The remixed or re-recorded versions of Critical Beatdown often feel more cohesive within the album’s narrative than their standalone counterparts.

Tracks like “Funky” and “Travelling at the Speed of Thought” transformed, shifting in rhythm and tone to better suit the album's narrative. “Give the Drummer Some” showcased innovative production techniques by Ced and Paul C, using “pan” and “chop” techniques with the SP-12 drum machine/sampler, setting a precedent in hip-hop production.

“Break North” hinted at Ultramagnetic’s evolution into a darker persona, with eerie synths, thunderous drums, and a massive crowd backdrop at the Boston Civic Center. Keith’s verse unveiled the emergence of his Dr. Octagon/Dr. Dooom personas, a serial killer portrayal, nearly a decade in advance.

Kool and Ced displayed solo adeptness on two tracks, displaying a spectrum of rap velocities. Their solo endeavors, “Kool Keith Housing Things,” “When I Burn,” “One Minute Less,” and “Ced Gee (Delta Force One),” offer a captivating blend of rapid and deliberate rapping cadences.

Despite Critical Beatdown being their best work, Ultramagnetic didn't cease their experimental pursuit. They played a catalytic role in inspiring a legion of artists, making it hard to envision the musical narratives of De La Soul, Hieroglyphics, MF DOOM, and Run the Jewels, among others, without Ultramagnetic’s pioneering endeavor. Their knack for morphing simple techniques into marvels of complexity effortlessly remains an alluring hallmark, rendering Critical Beatdown an enduring masterpiece.