The song’s video, however, captured the group’s sensibilities.
Fittingly, Chip-Fu rhymes with a heavy Jamaican patois at an exceedingly high rate of speed, sounding nimble over the samples of The Bar-Kays’ “In thee Hole” and strains of Kid Dynamite’s “Uphill Peace of Mind.” The song is heavily dancehall influenced, as it incorporates vocals from the Tenor Saw track of the same name. It was a bit of an odd choice for the group’s introduction, as it’s a Chip-Fu solo cut, but it makes a clear opening statement. The crew’s eclectic goofiness is apparent from their first single “Ring The Alarm” and its associated video. But their approach was closer to the Jackie Chan period comedies of the era. Don’t Take It Personal, released well over a year before Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993). As their rap-aliases suggest, they professed their love for the genre and incorporated ample references to these works of cinematic art into much of F.U. Though the Wu-Tang Clan may be the act most frequently associated with displaying their love for Kung-Fu flicks of the ’70s and ’80s, Fu-Schnickens were ahead of them. The group was also slightly ahead of its time in some respects. They frequently sound like rapping cartoons, but their skills were undeniable. However, the group’s talent is still underappreciated, and the crew is frequently (and unfairly) dismissed as a novelty or gimmick act. Don’t Take It Personal and achieved a decent amount of critical acclaim and record sales. As a lyricist, Chip-Fu was the group’s strongest component, but both Poc-Fu and Moc-Fu held their own as well.Īccording to Chip-Fu, the group was “discovered” by Sophie Chang, A&R of Jive Records at the time, at a show at Howard University, opening up for the likes of Rakim, Tribe, and Leaders of the New School. They maintained a fun, largely care-free vibe, where they knew not to take themselves too seriously, all while demonstrating an ample amount of skill. Though their sound was distinct, the vibe the Brooklyn-based trio created fit in comfortably with groups like Leaders of the New School, KMD, the UMC’s, and even De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. Neither the crew nor their album were like anything else in the realm of hip-hop at the time. Don’t Take It Personal made a major impact when it was released 30 years ago.
The group, made up of Roderick “Chip-Fu” Roachford, Joseph “Poc-Fu” Jones, and Lennox “Moc-Fu” Maturine, created hip-hop that fused dizzying skill with light-hearted humor in a way that had rarely been exhibited before. It’s a damn shame that Fu-Schnickens don’t get more credit as innovators. Don't Take It Personal, originally released February 25, 1992. Happy 30th Anniversary to Fu-Schnickens’ debut album F.U.
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