For 20 years, Sadat X has been one of the most recognizeable voices in Rap music. In a addition to making several classic albums with Brand Nubian, and an acclaimed “1-9-9-9” single with Common [click to read], the New Rochelle, New York rapper released his sixth solo album today, Brand New Bein’, a play on his group name.
Speaking with HipHopDX in late April, Sadat explained why he’s been releasing albums so frequently, this being his second in eight months. “I basically stay in the studio, man. I’m always working. I usually go to the studio every day. I just put the songs together man. I just stay busy man and try to find a home for them. That’s all.” Last November, X released Generation X [click to read], a collaboration with producer Will-Tell, whereas the new work is largely produced by The Rocksteady Crew‘s DJ JS-1.
Included on the work is “Nuthin'” [click to listen], what Sadat says is an overdue collaboration between he and CL Smooth [click to read]. “CL is like a good friend of mine growing up, you know back from the Pete Rock & CL Smooth days, and we had been meaning to do a song for years. We had never really collaborated [previously], and we had an opportunity to get him on the track and I wanted to have a track that had some meaning behind it you know, not just to be rapping but to just have a track that just had some type of meaning.” With a fellow New York producer, and guests also including Brand Nubian‘s Grand Puba and Lord Jamar [click to read], Sadat X added that this album was able to be recorded in traditional one-studio sessions, without relying heavily on email and digital age methods.
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Speaking of ’90s peers, Sadat X spoke for the first time in nearly two decades on DOOM [click to read]. The masked rapper’s career began as front-man for KMD, a group that was Elektra label-mates and arguably apprentices of Sadat and Brand Nubian on songs such as “Nitty Gritty” from KMD‘s 1991 debut Mr. Hood. Watching DOOM find success late in his career as an independent, the old friend weighed in, “KMD came up under us, they were a younger group and when they first came, they were under the beliefs of Dr. [Dwight] York, one of those type of teachings, and you know, just to see them [emerge] frpm that. Because when they first performed, they used to wear like the robes and everything, and it’s interesting just to see them come out of that and start to perform, and feel comfortable, and then to later branch off how DOOM has to create this whole entity thing that he has done. It’s a good thing.”
Lastly, Sadat expressed remorse for his 2005 costing him his teaching license. The rapper had been a substitute teacher in New York schools, but was convicted of gun charges, forcing him out. “It was an unfortunate situation. If I had to do it again I probably wouldn’t have handled it that way. But again, I can’t teach now because it’s termed as a violent felony and it’s just unfortunate that it has to come to that man, and if I could to do it again, I wouldn’t do it.” Still, the educator remains active in helping young people, adding, “I definitely stay involved, man. I go to the schools and I stick to kids, man, and I am still getting back into my coaching of the basketball and I interact with the kids. So, I definitely stay involved with the youth.”
Brand New Bein’ is available today, in stores and digital formats.
