Reel To Reel
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Album Summary
Born Maxwell Dixon and formerly one-third of the beloved Brand Nubian, Grand Puba stepped out on his own and delivered 'Reel To Reel' in 1992 through Elektra Records — and baby, this one was the real deal. Produced largely by Puba himself alongside his right-hand man Alamo, the album carried that warm, soul-drenched, jazz-kissed sound that made you feel like the music was alive and breathing right there in the room with you. Recorded in the wake of Puba's departure from Brand Nubian, 'Reel To Reel' found him arriving fully formed as a solo force — laid-back in his flow, razor-sharp in his pen, and deeply rooted in the Five-Percent Nation philosophy that colored his worldview and his verses. This was a man who knew exactly who he was and exactly what he wanted to say, and he said it with a cool that very few could touch.
Reception
- Within hip-hop circles, 'Reel To Reel' was met with genuine warmth and respect, with critics celebrating Grand Puba's effortless charisma and his rare gift for weaving conscious thought, sharp wit, and smooth charm into a single, cohesive listening experience.
- Though it did not cross over into mainstream pop chart territory, the album found a solid and loyal audience in the hip-hop market, affirming that Grand Puba could hold his own and then some as a solo artist outside the Brand Nubian family.
- Hip-hop radio and tastemakers championed the album's singles, recognizing Puba's distinctive vocal identity and his ability to craft music that felt both culturally grounded and immediately accessible to anyone with ears to hear it.
Significance
- Reel To Reel' stands as a genuine artifact of the golden age of East Coast hip-hop — a record that embodied the early 1990s embrace of soulful sampling, Five-Percent Nation lyricism, and the kind of smooth, street-level storytelling that made that era so spiritually and sonically rich.
- Grand Puba's production aesthetic on this album, built on the reverent use of classic soul and funk as raw material for something entirely new, helped reinforce the idea that sampling was not borrowing but transformation — a high art form in its own right.
- The album left a lasting stylistic imprint on the hip-hop landscape of the 1990s, with Puba's balance of smooth delivery and cultural consciousness serving as a quiet but powerful blueprint for artists who followed in his wake.
Samples
- 360° (What Goes Around) — one of the most recognized tracks from this album in sampling culture, with its groove and vocal elements drawing the attention of later producers building on the golden age sound.
- Who Makes The Loot? — sampled and revisited by producers drawn to its rhythmic pocket and Puba's commanding vocal presence over the track's foundational groove.
Tracklist
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A1 Check Tha Resume 191
3:51
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A2 360° (What Goes Around) 204
4:01
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A3 That's How We Move It 111
3:19
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B1 Check It Out —
3:32
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B2 Big Kids Don't Play 82
3:47
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B3 Honey Don't Front 108
4:08
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B4 Lickshot 111
4:35
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C1 Ya Know How It Goes 92
4:19
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C2 Reel To Reel 182
3:57
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C3 Soul Controller 174
4:25
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C4 Proper Education 82
3:35
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D1 Back It Up 86
3:51
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D2 Baby What's Your Name? 177
2:54
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D3 360° (What Goes Around) (SD50 Remix) 102
4:00
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D4 Who Makes The Loot? 88
3:23
Artist Details
Grand Puba, born Maxwell Dixon, is a Bronx-bred lyrical architect who first made waves as a member of the influential hip-hop collective Brand Nubian before stepping out as a solo force in the early 1990s, bringing with him that smooth, laid-back flow and Five Percent Nation wisdom that made heads nod from the block to the boulevard. His 1992 debut *Reel to Reel* and the follow-up *2000* solidified him as a true craftsman of the Golden Age, with a style so effortlessly cool it influenced a whole generation of MCs, including a young Jay-Z who openly acknowledged Puba's pen game as a blueprint. Grand Puba stands as one of those unsung pillars of conscious hip-hop — not always in the spotlight, but always in the foundation.
