Watch the Beatnuts LIVE in concert! April 25th 2001 "Beatnuts" No Escapin This Live Pictures: The Beatnuts (USA)

The super supreme team from Queens is back again once more. Beatnut’s Psycho Les and Juju proudly present their new album “Take It Or Squeeze It” two years after 1999’s “Musical Massacre.” To get the crowd ready they previously launched the single “No Escapin’ Us” which has already been in heavy rotation for a while in your favorite urban radio station. And the title of the first single says it all: if you’re into hip-hop, buckle up and get ready for the two Corona, Queens locos, cause you won’t be able to escape from the Beatnuts for the next couple of months anyway.

The album is solidly produced from the first track to the last one. But what did you expect from a crew that started out as producers for the the Jungle Brothers and kept on producing for some of the game’s greatest such as Fat Joe, Big Pun, Mos Def or Ghostface Killah just to name a few? The Nuts bring it back to a time when a hip hop album was all about the music, the head nodding beats. That’s why they spare us the usual senseless interlude and skit bullshit and deliver 13 hot tracks. Or as Les says it: “this a lbum is showing people that there is more to hip-hop than just a platinum chain and a Bentley car, we are trying to show the fans that the music is what is important.” And when it comes to music, the Beatnuts can do it all. From the underground sounds to the radio friendly tracks with catchy hooks like “Hood Thang”(by the way dedicated to all the sexy ladies in the world) featuring Miss Loca to the Spanish-influenced “Prendelo” featuring Tony Toca on the mic (!) to “Yo Yo Yo” with is distinctive piano riff featuring the legendary Greg Nice of Nice ‘n’ Smooth.

Les and Juju’s rhymes are tight, but as far as the rapping’s concerned it is a hard task for the two to keep up with their own production. That’s why they made a smart move and invited all kinds of guest emcees to rhyme over their tracks. Beatnuts affiliate Al Tariq is featured on “It’s The Nuts” and “Hammer Time.” And being one of the few Latin hip-hop heavyweights they give other Latin emcees such as Triple Seis or Problemz a spot to shine. But there’s also a bunch of other less known artists such as Sean Black Attack or Miss Loca holdin it nicely down for the ladies on “Hood Thang.” And remember, the Beatnuts already brought up emcees like Big Pun or Cuban Link. Last but not least it’s one of the best, Johnny Blaze spittin' fire on the “Se Acabo remix,” the last track on the album.

“Take It Or Squeeze It” is a convincing record, tightly produced with some hot emceeing from a whole army of rappers. And although the signature Beatnuts sound gets a bit boring after repeated listening we all might as well get ready because we won’t escape anyway.