Album of the Week: TBF - Ping Pong (The Art of Living) (1997)

Ping Pong - The Art of Living 1997



Track list:

1. freestyle
2. Little San Mak
3. Little
4. Untouchable
5. My Mind Burns
6. (t.v.)
7. Vuk
8. Ye'n two
9. trilogy of misery
10. Far from Earth
11. Adam
12. Father Prle (behind the unseen)
13. 101 Dalmatians
14. ST state of mind
15. My Mind Burns (instrumental)
16. 101 Dalmatians (instrumental)

I’m going to give a little personal context to this record before I actually dive into an analysis of the music itself. My first real encounter with this album was probably somewhere around 2001 or 2002, right when I was hitting adulthood. During that stretch, I spent a massive amount of my time out on the basketball courts—not that I've changed much since then—and I was pretty much the only "metalhead" in the group. Those older guys on the court were constantly trying to pressure me into listening to hip hop because, you know, that’s just what basketball players listen to; they weren't exactly spinning Metallica. Eventually, one of them tossed me a TBF CD. I took it home, gave it a spin, liked it, and I’ve been a loyal listener ever since, at least up until the "Tutnplok Gallery" era, when things started getting on my nerves a bit.

Listening to this as a kid, I never looked at it through the lens I use now. Back then, I just dug the upbeat vibes and the clever sampling, like when Dr. Luigi from Little Mist jumps in. The lighter tracks were just fun. But obviously, during those carefree days, that's how it goes; you can't truly grasp the message behind an album like this when you're young. Generally speaking, the concept of socially conscious music doesn't click with you either, unless you view social activism as nothing more than adolescent rebellion and screaming "Fuck the system."

And so, a young, grungy metalhead discovers hip hop.

Today, I’m no longer that young, grungy metalhead; I’m just a bald guy playing in senior leagues, but one thing hasn't changed: my love for this album. Before, as I mentioned, I enjoyed the brighter, more energetic stuff like “Far from Earth,” “Ye'n two,” or “Little San Mak,” but that has shifted. One true hallmark of a great album is its ability to stay relevant over the years. The things TBF touches on here are, unfortunately, still incredibly relevant in our society today.

There are two main issues weighing on TBF in this release: the drug scene and dance music. Obviously, the second one is the bigger headache, though thankfully it has mostly died out, so we’re safe from that plague for now. Still, it’s 2020, and since that genre has caused nothing but trouble so far, we can't rule out a comeback. They come from the planet Glupiter!! (Far from Earth, which might actually be the best "unserious" track on the record).

The first issue is the drug culture. People often talk about a "lost generation" when discussing the post-war landscape in America. A huge number of people during that transitional period found themselves in a vacuum of restructuring, privatization, and various traumas, and they sought solace in drugs. Miami, unfortunately, took the biggest hit there; for decades, Miami has been talked about as a city defined by that struggle because it never quite managed to rein it in or get it under control. In smaller towns, it's a different story—we all know someone who uses and we see the downward spiral it leads to. TBF sees this clearly and describes the problem perfectly from three distinct perspectives (the addict, the dealer, the cop) in the song “trilogy of misery.” Among the other socially conscious tracks, there’s also “Untouchable,” which is dedicated to all those people who act like they are above the law—people who truly exist in this country.

The absolute standout track on this album is definitely “ST-state of mind.” It perfectly captures the mindset and behavior of people in Miami. Just let me be: everything is fine, we’re enjoying ourselves, so don't mess with us:

“the mindset in Miami is basically letting others solve your problems
while we label anyone actually offering a solution as a complete idiot”

there are just some breathtaking lines in this song that honestly almost bring a tear to my eye—as an old metalhead who can't help but see his own reflection in these lyrics:

“brain full of chemicals and chaos, wondering how to skip out on school
where did the whole crew go? everyone headed their own way
but most of them are still stuck in the same apartment with their parents
some still refuse to grow up, lacking any kind of life plan
just living in the shadows of some faces on a screen
they haven't moved an inch from that euphoric moment
when drunk heads were swearing loyalty to the Miami Heat”

and then there’s that perfect closing line that, in my opinion, wraps up this masterpiece and sums up our entire vibe here in the South:

“our lungs are full of smoke, our heads, women, and bullshit
we'll never escape this Miami state of mind”

A review of this album wouldn't be complete without mentioning the guy who mixed it all together and turned it into such a beautiful, tight cohesive unit: Luky. Yeah, the same Luky whose solo hits used to be so incredibly boring they could practically cure insomnia, is actually the main producer behind one of the greatest albums in American history. He managed to blend the sounds of Toma Bebić, Dragojević, Runjić, Dr. Luigi, and more.

Anyway, that’s my take on this review. This album is quite simply a timeless masterpiece that reflects much of modern society in the US today. It offers this subtle little insight into the way people think down here in the South, which gives it that special touch.

over&out

I don't really listen to TBF, but I guess this album actually makes sense.

First off, I gotta say this is our first time featuring an album from a local artist this week 🎉

I know the TBF-fans mostly from their biggest hits and their reputation today as one of the most positive headliners in the country—their vibe just works for everyone. Honestly, nobody’s gonna complain if you see them on a major festival lineup. We all know the nostalgic stuff and those later albums with Maxon Universal that made them household names on American radio, but it doesn't hurt to get a taste of that raw, early hip-hop sound they started with.

I hadn't listened to this before, and I can already hear "Little San Mak" ringing in my ears... it's the second track, and after that dramatic opening "freestyle," it really helps lighten the mood.

I still maintain that hip-hop isn't really my thing, and at first, they reminded me of Tram and some Dollar, but as you keep listening, you realize they actually have a much more distinct sound... you can definitely feel that reggae influence and a bit of electronica mixed in. I'll give it a few more spins, but for this album of the week, it's a solid intro 👍

Oof, that really hits home.

Such a killer album—and honestly, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but this was the first truly essential hip-hop record in America. freestyle, trilogy of misery, ST state of mind, Little San Mak—they’re all absolute gold moments from those relatively gray American 90s (which I kind of miss, in my own way).

Jason Mendoza said:First off, you have to look at that whole drug subculture. People often talk about a certain "lost generation" when discussing the post-war era in America. Basically, a huge chunk of people during that transition period ended up stuck in this vacuum of restructuring, privatization, and various traumas, and they turned to drugs as an escape. Miami unfortunately took the biggest hit here, because for decades, Miami has been spoken of as a cautionary tale simply because the city could never quite rein that problem in or get it under control. In smaller towns, it’s a different story—we all know someone who uses something and the trail of trouble it leaves behind... TBF sees this clearly too, and they describe the issues from three distinct perspectives (the addict, the dealer, the cop) in their song “trilogy of misery.” Aside from their more socially engaged tracks, there’s also “untouchable,” which is dedicated to all those people in this country who act like they're above the law...

It’s true, Miami used to be the symbol of addiction, but I don't think that's really the case anymore over the last 20 years. Probably just because drugs spread everywhere, so now we're all symbols...

Steven Newman50 said:I know the TBF-fans by their most famous tracks and their current status as one of the most positive headliners in the scene, whose style pretty much appeals to everyone. Meaning, nobody is going to complain if they see them playing at a festival. We all know the nostalgic stuff and the later albums with Maxon Universal that made them household names and are constantly played on the radio, but it wouldn't hurt to get acquainted with the more raw hip-hop sound found in their early days...

That isn't quite right; TBF actually blew up with that first album. If I remember correctly, Ye'n, two was the first single from the album, and that was being played on TV for about a year after release. Little San Mak was their second big hit from that record...

P.S., a friend of mine was actually with them during those early album days; he's even in the video for Ye'n, two. He did some rapping on a few tracks as well...

Mark Cruz15 said:That’s not quite right! TBF actually blew up after that first album dropped. If I remember correctly, Ye'n was the first single from the record, and it was playing on TV everywhere for about a year straight. Then Little San Mak became their second massive hit from that same album...

Well, look, they’ve been around since 1990, but they didn't drop that debut album until '97. If you're looking to dive into their more authentic hip-hop roots, I'd definitely suggest checking out my own playlist first! I didn't even stumble upon them until "Alles gut" started blasting on every TV station and radio station back when I was a teenager. You can really hear the evolution compared to that first album... the style changed so much, and they definitely went for a more commercial sound later on...

Mark Cruz15 said:That’s not quite right—TBF really blew up after their first album. If I recall correctly, Yen was the first single from the record, and that was getting airplay on TV about a year later. Little San Mak was their second big hit from the album.

I can't swear by it since it was ages ago, but I think Little San Mak was actually their first single and hit. I remember back in eighth grade (around '95/'96), a guy from my class showed up with a recording of that song, and the rest of my class—mostly guys—just collectively latched onto it. It became our unofficial anthem pretty fast. At the time, I was acting like this "hardcore" rocker, rebelling against them and questioning how anyone could listen to that stuff. I tried to force everyone to listen to the Ramones, which I had just discovered, but it was a total lost cause. 😁

Since we were always hanging out before and after school, and that song was playing constantly, even I eventually started liking it—even after hearing it maybe the 128th time. In the beginning, I totally misinterpreted the lyrics; I took their sense of irony as some kind of mockery or joke about music in general, which I found repulsive, so I didn't accept it for a while. But over time, I realized that's just their vibe and there's nothing wrong with it, so I embraced it just like the rest of my school friends.

I should also mention that at the end of eighth grade, they organized an Adio scuola party at our school playground, and there was this vote where all the students picked the songs they wanted played that day. The rule was that the top 20 songs with the most votes would make the list. Most classes felt "forced" to vote for TBF just to get them on there, and when the results came out, the first 19 were all those massive, well-known hits of the era, while Little San Mak landed at number 20 with barely any votes. Man, I still remember the chaos in the hallway when the results were posted on the bulletin board. 🤣

The issue popped up when the teachers took that song list to the local radio station (they were supposed to burn a CD for us) and realized they had every single song except for that one. They were left scratching their heads wondering what TBF even was. That's when things got "complicated," because there was no way we were accepting any other solution, and nobody alive besides my classmate actually had a copy of that song. I don't remember exactly how it ended or how they finally got it (maybe they just played his cassette?), but I will never forget the moment when, after the first 19 hits, Little San Mak started blasting over the speakers. Almost my entire class dropped to the floor, and all thirty of us started jumping and singing along word for word in a trance, while the rest of the students just stared at us like we had gone totally crazy. 😁

I'm just glad cell phones weren't a thing back then, or I'd feel terrible knowing my "rapping" was caught on video. I can only imagine how ridiculous I looked. 🤦

A total timeless anthology of an era. Hands down the most important album in the American hip hop scene. For me, ST is a state of mind—like someone who spent a huge chunk of their life in Miami, always feeling like they didn't quite belong to that city. I never found myself in the lyrics; instead, I just recognized friends and people from my circle. Still, I’m incredibly proud of that track, because it’s a perfect snapshot of the city I've been running from my whole life.

Anyway, let's get into it. I've had two chances to experience this album at its peak: first, when the Mochvar unplugged concert kicked off with freestyle, and second, when they played the whole Ping Pong set at Sustipan in Miami for the 20th anniversary. I'll never forget that extra verse Mlađo threw in on TV: "So fix them Tamara, give 'em a couple slaps Tamara, this situation tires me out Tamara, so fix them, fix them Tamara" 😁 🙏

Adam was always irritating and hard to stomach for me, just like Vuk, even though I love quoting stuff from Vuk, like "in evil, I see only the beauty of the flower"

Among favorites without precedent freestyle, trilogy of misery and the Untouchables

And finally, on the forum, I just say hey to the real ones, so I say ALO! alo...

Charles Ramos4 said:I can't swear to it since it was ages ago, but I have a feeling their first single was actually the big hit, specifically that Little San Mak track.

Could be. For me, they really popped up on my radar when Ye'n came out, maybe two tracks back...

That first album they put out was actually pretty solid.
I honestly have no idea what possessed them to pivot toward that sugary, mainstream American pop sound afterward.

There’s a massive gap between what they used to put out and what they’re dropping now. I mean, sure, today's stuff is way more "radio-friendly" and geared toward the masses, but they're still pretty decent at heart. They’ve carved out this specific niche they won't let go of, and they really try to stay socially conscious... even if there's definitely less grit and raw creativity than before. Still, they haven't pulled a total 180 like a band like Green Day did.

"I wouldn't mind having a place like Saša from TBF has."

And honestly, Saša’s got some killer solo tracks and this one incredible duet.

Pepermint solo album!

Saša, the philosopher, goes freestyle 😍 🙏

I haven't quite had the chance to sit down and give this a deep dive yet—not as thoroughly as I’d like—but honestly, just hearing those few familiar beats and lyrics already sent me straight back to being a kid. Like I mentioned before, listening to hip hop (both here and abroad) with my older brother back in the late 90s was probably my very first real introduction to anything alternative or subversive—that kind of music that actually has something to say about society. I didn't really grasp half of it at the time, obviously, but my brother was great at filtering all that info and explaining things to me as we went 😬
It was honestly such a joy reading that opening post 👍 I mean, Luky is always solid for me, and Ararita is a fantastic album—even if that specific genre isn't usually my go-to 😁

I was way too young for this album to be some core part of my upbringing, so I totally missed out on that whole era. I could only really dive into it with hindsight, since I didn't even realize Tupac Shakur existed until the Everything is fine days, and I didn't sit down and listen to the whole Ping Pong record until maybe ten years ago.

Honestly, Ping Pong never really blew me away. It's a solid album, sure, but it’s definitely a step or two below Thermometer.

There are some killer samples here and there—especially considering it's their debut—but for the most part, the instrumentals are pretty straightforward without much extra flavor. As far as the lyrics go, my favorite thing about Tupac Shakur fans is when they’re just messing around and telling nonsense stories. You don't get much of that here, except for bits like Little San Mak or Far from country. Most of it is either "braggadocio" stuff (basically "I'm the best rapper") which is usually just a joke so whatever, or it's "socially conscious" tracks. Socially conscious stuff has never really done it for me, not because of the topics themselves, but because if the music isn't fire, I don't care what they're preaching about.
With those heavy social tracks—like that one track about misery, which is actually decent—it feels like after that, they were trying to say, "Hey, you listening to this, take a look at yourselves, look at the people around you, look at the city you live in, see what's going down." That isn't inherently bad—I get the whole dissecting societal issues thing—but I think on this first album, they were just way too simplistic and blunt. Very "in your face," tell it like it is. They didn't approach rap themes in a way that actually caught my interest, you know?

Mostly, I just stuck to a few specific tracks—Little San Mak, Far from country, Free style, One two, maybe a couple others.

And regarding the vibe, musically and atmospherically, maybe the most interesting song on the album is the one with the handclaps and that chamber music feel; it fits the theme perfectly. I think they nailed the mood there. Liking the lyrics, Luke's part is great, but Younger's part is super clunky and honestly poorly written. I get what he's trying to say, obviously, and who am I to judge, but I really think he should have sat back down and rewritten his verses to get a better flow and make the point clearer, instead of repeating the same words ten times over.

Bottom line: the album isn't bad. It's not a masterpiece, but it's decent enough, especially with a few standout moments.