One of the rarest and most sought-after soul records of all time, and for good reason. One of those records that collectors refer to solely by the artist name, either because it’s just so good and all the heads are checking for it, or simply because the band name is so sick (and also because up until Numero Group released their long lost sophomore album, this was the band’s only release). After a respectable career as an arranger for Motown and Stax, Detroit-born Dale Warren linked with a group of young Cincinatti musicians called The Ditalians, convinced them to change their name to 24-Carat Black, and wrote, produced and arranged this utter gem of a concept album about inner city life and strife for Stax subsidiary Enterprise Records. Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth achieves Floyd or King Crimson levels of grandiosity and austerity with the funk & soul pedigree fully intact. It’s the perfect sample record; you could easily build albums and albums worth of beats using nothing from breaks from this LP. Imagine what it must have felt like to pull this from some swampy thrift shop during the great break rush of the early 90s, not having a clue what it was, bringing it home and dropping the needle on “Synopsis One”! Few of us are so lucky, and chances are you’ve heard this record, or heard a lot about it, long before even laying eyes on it. Sampled by Digable Planets, Eric B, Jay-Z, Nas, Scarface, Ice Cube and more. Cracking 180g pressing with repro sleeve and Enterprise center labels, recommended.

• 180g black vinyl pressing
  
• music label: 4 Men With Beards 2014

reviewed by Billington Lambs 03/2020