Demo Week 2, Day 2: The Audio One

How about a strictly instrumental demo? We haven't had one of those before! Well, here's one from Gizmo, one half of the famed duo The Audio Two, of course. We all know what happened to Milk Dee after the pair failed to release their mysterious third album, First Dead Indian - he signed to American Records and released a pretty nice EP which featured Ad Rock of the Beastie Boys. Then in the 2000s, he started working with random guys like Eamon and Jason Downs, and he cameo'd on that 50 Cent remake of his.

But Giz? I mean, you'll see him continue to rack up some credits on sites like discogs; but that's just because people can't stop sampling "Top Billin'." But for actually doing new work, I don't think he's done anything since the days of the Two. Where'd he go?

This tape answers that question, at least to a fair degree. He was at least shopping himself as a producer with this tape of his own beats sent out in 1998.

If look closely at the photo, you'll see this tape is ostensibly divided into two sections: Hip-Hop on side 1 and R&B and Hip-Hop on side 2. In fact, side 1 is full of hip-hop beats, over a dozen. And side 2 just has 4 beats, only one of which sounds like it's meant for R&B. I mean, maybe he had ideas of someone singing over one or two of the others - after all, he positively invented the penultimate R&B-singer-over-a-hip-hop-beat track. But only one has the cheerful, soft, only Raven Symone wound be down with this keyboard riff on it. The rest are all pretty dark and clunky.

And how are all these beats? Certainly professionally crafted. There's not a lot of samples, or if there are, they've been filtered to the point of sounding like studio-created sounds, which is what most of them probably are. There's an MC Lute vocal loop on one track to make you feel at home with the Giz you know. But none of it sounds like their classic records; it's clearly meant to have a modern vibe, and is trying to fit in rather than stand out. If I were a label head, this tape would tell me that Giz is a pro, and I might hire him for some in-house work; but I certainly wouldn't go into a bidding war for any of these beats like "my artist needs this!" In other words, Ras Kass wouldn't have to worry about Jadakiss stealing any of this music from him - there's no makings of a hit here.

And as a fan, I can't say I'm bothered than this work wasn't capitalized on and made into full songs. It's like ah, okay, so that's what Giz was up to in 1998. But the world hasn't missed out on any masterpieces.

As you can see, Tracks From Giz came with a business card. "You can ask Giz" is of course a line from "Top Billin'." His production company listed there, Gee Off Productions, is the label Lyte credited for her song "Wonder Years" a couple years ago, so he's clearly still using that. All in all, a pretty interesting little find. Not one that needs to be rescued and delivered to the fans, per se; but a cool one to learn about. And tomorrow we'll get back into full-length demo albums, complete with vocals.  :)

An Audio XMas

(Youtube version is here.)

Snowed In With Lyte Week, Day 5: A Tisket, A Tasket, Yo, Fuck a Yellow Basket

"Stop, Look, Listen" was already one of the best track's on MC Lyte's second album, Eyes On This. A slow beat and atmospheric bassline provided an unusual but compelling backdrop for Lyte to kick some battle rhymes over: "I'm rhymin' and designin', also creatin'/ The dope, def rhyme that is always being taken/ By a sucker MC that wants to be like me/ No trait of originality" (note: the other half of the hook to "God Said Lyte;" also see my "Cha Cha Cha" write-up).

So they really didn't need to hit us with a new remix of such a stand-out track. But they did anyway. Wisely, the Audio Two's remix kept all the elements that made the original so strong: the slow beat and bassline, the subtle keyboard tones... they just add a bit more to funk it up and extend it. Some new drum-rolls, keyboards, vocal samples, a new breakdown. They also let the beat roll for a good minute or so at the end, and most notably, Lyte adds a fresh, new fourth verse:

"Staggering
Anyone who tries to stop me
From fulfillin' the ultimate, the ultimate goal.
Suckers takin' up room on the microphone.
I do not favor crowds; move over, stop starvin'(?) me;
I feel like I'm drowning in fans, and it's stompin' me.
Bigfoot, shield me from the uncivilized
And not-so-sane. I don't mean to criticize,
But Lyte and sweat? We don't go together,
Especially in the muggy and the rainy kinda weather."

But if you prefer the simpler, original version, that's on here too. Along with the original instrumental.

Finally, there's a hidden (it's not even mentioned on the back cover) bonus track, "Start It Up, Y'all." Like "Shut the Eff Up (Hoe)," this was at one time an amazing exclusive track that made the single a must-have, but later found its way onto an album... in this case Audio Two's I Don't Care: The Album. It's a really catchy up-tempo posse cut, with Milk Dee, Lyte and Positive K each spitting fun, freestyle verses over a pumping track that perfectly combines an ill horn sample with a dope bassline. This song would fit in a top ten list of any of the involved MC's works. But, yeah, it's no longer the special exclusive it first was in '89.

Snowed In With Lyte Week, Day 2: Paper Thin

Cold, snowy nights like this are perfect for revisiting one of my flat-out favorite hip-hop songs of all time. MC Lyte's "Paper Thin" is the song I go back to whenever I'm feeling down on hip-hop... When I've heard one too many untalented assclowns kicking stupid freestyles or cutting terrible dance records, and I start to question the merits of the entire artform, I revisit this. The simple but hard-hitting beat with the single, perfect sample... Lyte's voice and flow when she rides the beat: rough but playful. The lyrics and subject matter: simple yet perfect songwriting.

And fittingly, this great rap song has been issued on a great 12" single. First up is the version we all know, the album version. As you probably remember, on the LP, as "Paper Thin" reaches what should be the end it loops the entire instrumental, including the back-up ad-lib vocals, and replays all the way through sans lyrics. All I have to say about that is: the 12" version does this, too. Also included is a proper, separated instrumental, and also an acapella version.

Then there's the remixes. What's good about them is that they both wisely keep many elements of the original track that really make it kick, but also change things up just enough to keep it fresh. The first mix by The Audio Two adds a chunky, old school piano break and another sample (from Big Daddy Kane's "Pimpin' Ain't Easy") played behind the hook. The drum track is also constantly being chopped on the turntables, giving it a faster, high energy feel while still keeping the same tempo as the original, so Lyte's vocals still ride it perfectly. Then, The Alliance's remix goes back to the original but adds some deeper percussion and some scratching (not sure if it's by King of Chill or DJ K Rock).

Finally, there's a non-album B-side called "Spare the Rod." This is a fun cut with a reggae-style beat that feels like it could've been lifted right off of Alliance's album. It's a posse cut, featuring everyone who contributed to the 12": The Alliance, Milk Dee and even the King of Chill busts a rhyme. The beat might not be impressive enough, the hook may be too silly and the rhymes too casually freestyled to catch mainstream attention, but I could just picture this being played on a classic Red Alert show back in '88.

Great single for a great song; 'nuff said.