Sadat X

While a complimentary "E” for effort is never acceptable for any hip-hop release, you always have to give a little extra credit to the old time cats who can still manage to put out quality material some 15 years into their careers. With Experience & Education, nasal-voiced MC Sadat X delivers a lyrically focused, musically relevant album at a time when most of his graduating class has long disappeared from the industry radar. The ever-observant Brand Nubian alumnus and sometime elementary school teacher sets out to educate the masses with the many lessons he’s learned throughout his years behind the mic, decoding the world on tracks like "The Daily News” and "Why Don’t You,” while on "The Great Diamond D” he uses his position to give some shine time to old friends Heltah Skeltah and D himself. Meanwhile, grade "A” beats by a long list of producers that also includes DJ Spinna, Ge-ology, Minnesota and Agallah guarantee that the MC’s well-preserved talents are not wasted, and help to make for a surprising entertaining effort from one of hip-hop’s most recognisable voices.