It is very possible, that in the future, Soul Supreme will be looked at as one of the strongest producers in underground hip-hop, period, listed among names such as Pete Rock, Diamond, Jay Dee, and DJ Premier. If that prediction does come true, The Saturday Night Agenda will be the album that set it all off.  Enlisting a mix of hip-hop’s seasoned veterans and a crew of Boston up & comers, The Saturday Night Agenda is a tribute to the early Blaxploitation films of the 70′s, as well as the golden age of hip-hop that spanned the late 80′s and early 90′s. 

    After a brief stint of keyboard beat popularity, sampling has come back to the forefront via producers Kanye West and Just Blaze, and still remains favored in the underground with new comers like RJD2 and 9th Wonder. And if it’s sampled beats made with a brother’s love that the people want, than Soul Supreme is definitely next in line with The Saturday Night Agenda. Tracks like “Queen (Hip Hop)” or “TSNA (The Saturday Nite Agenda)”, with Pete Rock and A.G.  will take heads back to that time when hip-hop seemed so simple, bringing back those voices we haven’t heard on wax for seemingly such a long time, over production that speaks the same language. 

      But those same nostalgic feelings that are brought back with the old pros are also instantly embedded in your subconscious in songs by the newer Boston upstarts as well, thanks to Soul Supreme who speaks through his beats. “Still Searchin”, featuring Reks and Noel is a somewhat typical “dedication to moms / middle finger to pops” type of jam, but Soul Supreme orchestrated this joint to death, bringing true emotion to Reks’ words. Peep the relaxing horns of “Security”, as Shuman silences all fake hardcore emcees, or “Respect Life”, a reflective gem where the members of Electric Company each speak their own life experiences in hip-hop. Even newcomer Checkmark holds his own next to the Big Daddy on “Come Get It”: “I told ya’ll / when I get in the game / I’m taking over / baking soda / get it crackin’ when you mix me with Kane”. Edo. G should be proud.

      However, Soul Supreme’s official debut isn’t completely flawless; the intro joint “Future Flavors” sounds a little bit too much like that “Forgot To Be Your Lover” sample used by Dilated Peoples, Chino XL, Ludacris, and M.O.P., among others, whether it’s the same sample or not. And we’ve heard better tracks by O.C. (“Worst Nightmare”) and KRS-ONE (“The Message”) than what is here, but considering Soul Supreme is already set to lend his beats to both of their respective full-length releases for Grit Records, it isn’t too late for him to show and prove. 

    The mistakes are few and far in between on The Saturday Night Agenda, and as one of the most tightly knit, well produced compilations to come along in a minute, both Soul Supreme and Grit Records have proven themselves as ones to watch in 2003 and beyond. Don’t sleep on Saturday Night.