Leaders Of The New School Hold Class Even Without Busta Rhymes (Audio)

In the 25 years since they released their debut album, Leaders of the New School have maintained a low profile from a recording standpoint – but their collective place in the catalogs of Hip-Hop collectors remains steadfast. The Long Island, New York group hit the scene in 1991 with A Future Without a Past…an enigmatic and now out-of-print LP which showcased the eccentricities and creative genius of Charlie Brown (now performing as C Boogie Brown), Cut Minor Milo (now performing as MiloInDeDance), Dinco D, and Busta Rhymes. Though the group would go on to release only one more full-length project – 1993’s T.I.M.E. – LONS secured a permanent place in music history with their appearance on what is arguably one of the greatest posse cuts in history – A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario.” In 2012, Busta Rhymes invited ATCQ and his fellow LONS members to the stage at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, where the song was performed by its entire lineup for the first time in 20 years. Most recently, LONS appeared on Busta’s 2015 mixtape The Return Of The Dragon (The Abstract Went On Vacation), and now the crew is back as a trio with a new cut sure to delight day one fans.

Partly reinvented, partly classic Leaders of the New School, “Bring That Strong Island Sound Back” is undeniably boom-bap in its construction and features verses from three MCs who are undeniably vets in their own respects. Featuring production from DJ Johnny Juice (formerly of the Bomb Squad and Public Enemy collaborator), the song is listed as a “teaser” on the group’s official SoundCloud account, suggesting there’s even more to come from the ’90s icons.

Related: A Tribe Called Quest & Leaders Of The New School Perform Scenario Remix in 1992 (Video)