Arabian Prince - Innovative Life: Anthology 1984-89

Electro royalty and NWA founder gets the red carpet

During the 80s, West Coast hip-hop was often overshadowed by the monumental developments happening in New York but, after LA got hold of the new electro blueprint created by Cybertron and Bambaataa, artists such as Egyptian Lover and World Class Wrecking Cru developed their own stripped-down new mutant.

After a stint with Uncle Jamm’s Army, Mike Lezan aka Arabian Prince, sexed up the rap style in the mould of his Purple namesake over bare electro grooves and dirty strings, creating a heavy-breathing vamp which laid the blueprint for Detroit’s ghetto-tech the following decade, before later catching the Pacman bug. In 1986 he was a founder member of NWA, helping unleash the gangsta explosion which would ironically replace his beloved electro.

Accompanied by a 20-page booklet, this stellar collection features much-sought singles including Strange Life, Innovator, Freak City, Situation Hot and It Ain’t Tough, along with curios like Professor X (Saga) by his alter-ego Professor X and Panic Zone, the claustrophobic electro outing he created with the nascent NWA (whose Dr Dre supplies heavy breathing on Innovative Life). With Ice Cube’s arrival, the Prince returned to his now ill-fated solo career in 1988 but, despite becoming gangsta’s Pete Best, the man was a true pioneer.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

Stones Throw | STH 2192

Reviewed by Kris Needs
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