Kenny Dope vs. P & P Records

P & P records was the best known of a number of labels run by disco/R&B/hip-hop producers Patrick Adams and Peter Brown. Adams was a legendary disco producer and early hip-hop pioneer, and these records represented music in which he had greatest control. P & P banged out funky, streetwise disco and funk during the late ’70s. The catalogue has been well-mined over the last several years; its’ classic New York funky breaks and DIY, lo-fi sound are timeless. The early hip hop productions are much spacier than their contemporaries Sugar Hill or Enjoy Records. Kenny Dope, one half of Masters At Work, throws down an enjoyable mix of funk, rap and disco on disc one. Single label mixes are almost never a complete success, and this one is no different; after a while, long stretches of extended breaks become monotonous. Disc two contains unreleased rarities, and lesser known tracks. Slower tunes like Personal Touch’s "It Ain’t No Big Thing” bring slow and cavernous bass lines to timeless soul songwriting structures. Another highlight is the disco-blues of Little Scotty’s "Shout at The Disco,” which makes Johnny Guitar Watson’s blend seem staid in comparison. Whether you’re already a fan or just curious about the "street funk” style of P & P, this comp is worth owning.