Extra Prolific – Like It’s Supposed To Be (LP/CD) [Ninety Now Records 2020]

Extra Prolific was a duo composed of rapper Duane “Snupe” Lee and producer/DJ Michael “Mike G” Gray and was a subgroup of Hip Hop collective Hieroglyphics. In 1994 they released the slept on Like It Should Be, a pretty good album with smooth lyrics and production. Pretty soon after Like It Should Be Mike G quit the duo, while Snupe kept the Extra Prolific name and continued to release music under the name into 1998.

In 2020 Snupe is back with Like It’s Supposed To Be. Like It’s Supposed To Be sounds like a mid-90s semi-alternative West Coast Hip Hop record, reminiscent in all ways of Extra Prolific’s first album: the title, the vibe, even the cover is a direct play on Like It Should Be.

Like It’s Supposed To Be is a bit of a mixed bag with a few mid songs too many to be considered a keeper, but there are some absolute bangers on here: “Fresh Prince” (with an intro by Masta Ace), “Likwit Nitrogen”, “DJs & MCs”, “Accurate”, “Last Sermon”, and especially “Bang The Drums” are all tracks that will not be out of place on any ‘ ‘Best Hip Hop Songs Of 2020’ playlist. [HipHopGoldenAge.com]