Jackal the Bear
On Fire
Album · Hip-Hop/Rap · 1996 · Warlock Records
In 1995, Jackal the Bear’s explosively brash ragga/hip-hop anthem “For Real” entered heavy rotation on Philadelphia hip-hop stations like Power 99 and got crowds moving at local nightspots like Sugarcube and The Fever. The track mined the same formula as Mad Lion’s 1994 hit “Take It Easy”: take a lightning-tongued young ragamuffin and have him spit patois-laden fire over a hard-as-nails hip-hop beat. But where Mad Lion could parlay “Take It Easy” into a national hit thanks to his connections with KRS-One, Jackal the Bear was never more than a regional star. That's a shame, since Jackal the Bear’s lone full-length, On Fire, is a bracing dancehall/hip-hop hybrid that gives listeners a glimpse into Philadelphia’s thriving mid-‘90s club culture; it samples dancefloor staples from Cheryl Lynn’s “Encore” to Chuck Brown’s blazing go-go anthem “Bustin’ Loose”. Jackal’s unstoppable flow—equal parts Shabba Ranks and MC Shan—ties the album together, making it a cohesive and entertaining document of an underappreciated era in Philly’s musical history.
On Fire
Jackal the Bear
In 1995, Jackal the Bear’s explosively brash ragga/hip-hop anthem “For Real” entered heavy rotation on Philadelphia hip-hop stations like Power 99 and got crowds moving at local nightspots like Sugarcube and The Fever. The track mined the same formula as Mad Lion’s 1994 hit “Take It Easy”: take a lightning-tongued young ragamuffin and have him spit patois-laden fire over a hard-as-nails hip-hop beat. But where Mad Lion could parlay “Take It Easy” into a national hit thanks to his connections with KRS-One, Jackal the Bear was never more than a regional star. That's a shame, since Jackal the Bear’s lone full-length, On Fire, is a bracing dancehall/hip-hop hybrid that gives listeners a glimpse into Philadelphia’s thriving mid-‘90s club culture; it samples dancefloor staples from Cheryl Lynn’s “Encore” to Chuck Brown’s blazing go-go anthem “Bustin’ Loose”. Jackal’s unstoppable flow—equal parts Shabba Ranks and MC Shan—ties the album together, making it a cohesive and entertaining document of an underappreciated era in Philly’s musical history.
