Jesus Wept - PM Dawn (1995)

Ideated from: a Black History Month reminder that black artists largely built the modern world of music

PM Dawn had a unique take on hip hop. Lots of classic rock samples, but put together in a very downbeat way. Mystical and spiritual lyrics.

It was probably always too weird to be mainstream, but they had a few moments in the sun in the hyper-eclectic mid-90s pop landscape.

Tracks I Liked

Downtown Venus - should have been a massive hit

Sometimes I Miss You So Much - a beautiful and honest ballad

Fantasia’s Confidential Ghetto - is actually a medley of Prince’s 1999 (with one single word of the lyric changed to devestating effect), Talking Heads’ Once in a Lifetime (adapted so well you’ll swear PM Dawn wrote it), and a straight-laced version of Nilsson’s Coconut over a perfectly placed Three Dog Night sample. Sheer sublime brilliance