Ultramagnetic MC's are the Bronx hip hop pioneers behind Golden Era classic Critical Beatdown (1988) and the first track ever to sample Melvin Bliss's "Synthetic Substitution".
Formed in the Bronx in 1984 by Kool Keith, Ced Gee, TR Love and Moe Love, Ultramagnetic MC's are one of hip hop's most inventive Golden Era groups. Their first 12-inch for Next Plateau Records, "Ego Trippin'", was the first track to sample Melvin Bliss's "Synthetic Substitution", which is now one of the most sampled drum breaks ever. Their debut album Critical Beatdown (1988) followed, packed with favourites like "Ease Back", "Give the Drummer Some", "Travelling at the Speed of Thought" and "Watch Me Now". It was built on chopped-up samples and plenty of James Brown, and it remains a landmark of the era.
Funk Your Head Up (1992) gave fans the underground favourite "Poppa Large", and The Four Horsemen (1993) arrived a year later. The group then reunited for The Best Kept Secret (2007), their first studio album in 14 years. Kool Keith has gone on to build a cult solo career as Dr. Octagon, Dr. Dooom and Black Elvis. Ced Gee, who also worked on Boogie Down Productions' Criminal Minded (1987), is celebrated as a true pioneer of sample-based production.
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