O.S.T. (album)

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For other uses of the initialism "O.S.T", see OST.

O.S.T. (Original Soundtrack)

Studio album by People Under the Stairs

Released

2002

Recorded

???

Genre

Underground hip hop

Length

76:04

Label

Om Records

Producer

Thes One, Double K

Professional reviews

All Music Guide link

People Under the Stairs chronology

Question in the Form of an Answer
(2000)

O.S.T.
(2002)

...Or Stay Tuned EP
(2003)

O.S.T. is the third album by the People Under the Stairs. It's hard not to appreciate what People Under the Stairs are trying to accomplish with their third full-length. Fortunately, the attempt (i.e., the finished product) works just as well in practice as in theory. Although there could be a little more variety from track to track, this is one fun and funky record. There's a democratic, stylistic purity to O.S.T. -- hence the title -- that is wholly consistent with its predecessors. As Thes One explains in the liner notes, it's "an album that is made up of old records and personal experiences" -- no more, no less. Both One and Double K serve as MCs and DJs and think of themselves more as B-boys than artists or musicians. They eschew live instrumentation (with the exception of the bass on "The Breakdown") and rely instead on their distinctive, loose-limbed raps; deep, diverse record collections; and mad turntable skills. Consequently, the Los Angeles duo has been compared more often to the underground hip-hop combos of the 1980s and 1990s, like the Pharcyde and Freestyle Fellowship, than to their contemporaries of the 2000s. The best example of their no-frills approach comes to fruition on the horn-blasted party anthem "Hang Loose," a cross between Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five and Poor Righteous Teachers (and in which they compare themselves to Kool & the Gang). Laid-back grooves and shout-outs to 1970s TV shows (like Scooby Doo), cold beverages (Long Island iced teas), and tasty treats (fish and chips) make O.S.T. one of the more enjoyable hip-hop releases of 2002. ~ Kathleen C. Fennessy, All Music Guide