“The One” is the third studio release by Jamaican-born rapper Chubb Rock. The album was released on May 21, 1991 on Select Records. In addition to putting Chubb Rock’s albums, Select Records was also home to acts like UTFO, Whistle, The Real Roxanne, Kid ‘n Play and Red Hot Lover Tone. “The One” was produced by Chubb Rock’s first cousin, Hitman Howie Tee. The album’s production is a combination of New Jack and Boom Bap and Chubb Rock’s lyrical subject matter is both playful and conscious. Chubb Rock’s voice is bold and his wit combine with his word play are more than enough to keep you entertained. At one time Chubb Rock was actually a National Merit Scholar and a pre-med student at Brown but lucky for all his fans that he decided to pursue a music career.
Chris: Let’s start off with your favorite track on the album..
Mike: My favorite track on “The One” is probably the first single off the album, "Treat ‘Em Right". It was the first Chubb Rock solo song iI’d ever heard and it still has a unique sound, from the beat to Chubb Rock’s lyrical content. The swerving beat comes in strong and then Chubb Rock comes in with a presence that commands respect. Also, I’ve always liked the line "last year RoboCop was a shock"
Chris: "Treat 'Em Right" is my favorite as well. I remember liking it as a kid and it still holds up. I love the sample that Howie Tee used for the bass line, it's the same sample Paul C used "Give the Drummer Some"
Chubb Rock – “Treat ‘Em Right”
Dee Felice Trio – “There Was a Time”
Chris: When I was first getting into Hip Hop, I was most drawn to the rappers with distinct voices, like Slick Rick, Dana Dane, Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, O.D.B. and of course Chubb Rock. Chubb Rock has one of the best voices in Hip Hop. What are some of your favorite voices in Hip Hop?
Mike: I totally relate to initially being hyped on rappers with unique voices. In no order, some that stood out to me since my early days listening to Hip Hop would be Snoop, Slick Rick, Guru, both MCs in Heltah Skeltah, Big L, and also Chubb Rock.
Chris: One of the reasons I really like Chubb Rock so much is because I just think he's funny. That's one of the reasons I like Cam'ron so much too. Even if it's not intentional but on song like "Another Statistic". It's a serious subject matter, as Chubb Rock describes the dangers of pitfalls of being in a relationship with a woman who is already involved. That song is hilarious.
Mike: I love "Another Statistic" and also find it funny. Lines like “lust for your pelvic thrust so why don't you trust" exemplify both Chubb Rocks humor and knack for penning quirky wordplay.
Chris: My favorite line was “I was gonna cut her off but the stuff was kind dope/The dope even paid for my car note, nope/ I’m gonna let her go yet until I get/This girl can really get me out of financial debt/”
Chubb Rock – “Another Statistic”
Chris: What’s your impression of “The One” now versus when you first heard it?
Mike: Its only grown on me. When I was younger, the production didn’t interest me the way it does now. I never realized that Chubb Rock had such a keen ear on choosing beats that he would sound nice over.
Chris: "Treat 'Em Right" and a couple of other songs still hold up for me but not the whole album. It kind of takes a dive after the first 5 songs and doesn't really recover
Mike: I definitely agree that the first 5 tracks or so stand stronger than the remainder.
Crookyln Dodgers ’95 – Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers (Produced by DJ Premier)
Chris: We are both fans of the movie Clockers. We are both fans of the song “Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers”. The line-up (Chubb Rock, O.C. and Jeru the Damaja) on that song is just great. It got me to thinking about all of the great features Chubb Rock has made over his career. What is your favorite Chubb Rock feature?
Mike: Well Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers is possibly my favorite hip hop song, so that’s clearly my first choice. DJ premiers solemn beat is a prime canvas for Chubb Rock to paint his vivid social commentary. Another favorite would be his feature on MC Serch’s "Back to the Grill Again" which in my opinion is also a Hip Hop classic
Chris: Yes! Nas’ verse on “Back to the Grill Again”! Mine is probably one of the songs that he did with Prince Paul. Either “People, Place & Things” or “No Rubber, No Backstage Pass”. Hearing Chubb Rock over a Prince Paul beat just makes me want to hear an entire album with the two of them.
Prince Paul feat. Biz Markie and Chubb Rock – “No Rubber, No Backstage Pass”
Chris: I really don’t like this question but I’m going to ask it anyway, is Chubb Rock underrated?
Mike: Chubb Rock was a product of his era, and while his style is dope, it’s undeniably dated. Since I was too young to see the acclaim he received in the height of his career, I think it’s hard to call if he is underrated or not. However, real Hip Hop aficionados will always remember him, and I think that’s fitting for what he laid down.
Chris: That's probably fair. For me, he's probably slightly underrated because i've heard on beats other Howie Tee's and not to say anything negative about Howie Tee because he's a legend in own right, but Chubb sounds so dope on Prince Paul, a DJ Premier or Pete Rock track. Why couldn't the Hip Hop gods have made that happen for us?
