Now if you ever wondered what Stones Throw Records headman, Peanut Butter Wolf got excited about with James Pants, the Arabian Prince was there setting the foundation in the mid-late 80s on the west coast.

And there’s no better place to start with the opening tracks, ‘Strange Life’ and ‘It Ain’t Tough’. These tracks are acknowledged classics that combine the sex of (the other) Prince with the electro drum machine with touch of dirty hip-hop Crunk/B-more.

A couple of years after this initial success, he joined the N.W.A. crew and just to prove it, the body poppin’ ‘Panic Zone’ (a la ‘Hip Hop Bee Bop’ by Man Parrish as loved by The Shapeliters) is included here. But before the Dr. Dre produced Straight Outta Compton got Ice Cube et al straight outta Compton, Arabain Prince had left to re-start his solo career.

As Arabian Prince & The Sheiks, the original vinyl releases of ‘Situation Hot’ and the ‘Innovator’ are the tracks that are much sort after by the create diggers. ‘Situation Hot’ is the one that’s like a soulful version of ‘Planet Rock’ with some scatchin’ (this guy was the innovator after all) but ‘Let’s Hit The Beach’ is suitably light on lyrics, heavy on the beat and has lots of seagull and wave EFX. This one sticks out for me, possibly as it’s not that far away from Simian Mobile Disco’s ‘It’s The Beat’. The title track, ‘Innovator Life’ finds the Arabian Prince workin’ out on Venice Beach at what he does best.

His other aliases include J.B. Beat, Brother Arab and Professor X in addition to his real name, Mik Lezan. And these are the names that compilers look for when they’re after the real SH1t from back in the day. So whilst these tracks have separately turned up on compilations before, The Anthology, 1984-1989 is the only place to find them all on one release.

Listening to this album shows how influential pioneers such as Arabian Prince are to today’s electro (off the top on my head, Yousek, Don Cash for two) and at the same time, the keyboard pop stars that went on to be the synth mothers of today’s techno; not forgetting the great James Pants. As an aside, the hot Pants news is that he’s coming to the UK next month with a live band, so stay tuned!

It’s an excellent time to release this anthology album as the other contemporary electro rapper Egyptian Lover has been in Europe recently. It’s definitely time that Arabian Prince should be acknowledged by a wider audience, as he says, “I am the innovator, I am the innovator.” For party people, this is an essential purchase.

Reviewed: Arabian Prince - Innovative Life: The Anthology, 1984-1989 (Stones Throw Records) Cat. No. STH 2192 Release date: 19th August 2008 (CD) 26th August 2008 (Vinyl with gatefold cover)
Tracklisting:
1 Strange Life (6:54)
2 It Ain’t Tough (6:10)
3 Arabian Prince & The Sheiks - Take You Home Girl (8:17)
4 Arabian Prince & The Sheiks - Let’s Hit The Beach (5:25)
5 Arabian Prince & The Sheiks - Innovative Life (5:56)
6 Arabian Prince & The Sheiks - Innovator (4:54)
7 Arabian Prince & The Sheiks - Situation Hot (4:39)
8 N.W.A. - Panic Zone (3:34)
9 Professor X - Professor X (Saga) (4:26)
10 J.B. Beat - Freak City (4:58)
Bonus Tracks
11 Simple Planet (3:49)
12 Beatdabeat (2:39)

Links
www.stonesthrow/arbianprince
compton.8m.com/arab
www.myspace.com/arabianprince
Slices Issue 2-08 (Electronic Beats) Cat. No. EB-DVD 014 Release date: 15th June 2008 features Guy Gerber, Egyptian Lover, Radio Slave, Dave Clarke, Jake Fairley, Patric Catani, Cio D’Or, Johnny D. www.eb-slices.net
barcelona.unlike.net “Every time I leave Barcelona I write a new song” Egyptian Lover
www.myspace.com/therealegyptianlover
(also look out for old Street Sounds Hip Hop Electro LPs/Cassettes from the mid 80s)