Back To Valentine's Day

I know it's long past, but we've got to turn the clocks back to this past Valentine's Day and return to my holiday post, "A Fila Fresh Valentine." Why? Because I've just come across a cassette version release of the "Fear Of the Rap" single that features another exclusive, unreleased Fila Fresh Crew song!

It's called "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody," and despite what you might gather from the title, it's not a precursor to Kid 'N' Play's final dance hit. It's much more in the veign of Toddy Tee's "This Beat Be Smooth" (and might even have you at the bus stop woppin' to Parliament). It's got a slow beat and bassline, cool out guitar sample, a little scratching and a silly drunken-style sung chorus handled by the guys themselves. But unlike the love song, its value isnt just kitsch novelty; it's a genuinely good song with a lost sound from a sadly too short West Coast era.

The lyrics mention Tito again (and if you note: the kick-ass cover photo features the four of them). They say, "don't forget about Tito; he's a part of the Fila Fresh Crew show." Just his luck to join the group just as it was breaking up. Doc T isn't present on this song either - it sounds like just Dr. Rock (or Tito; I don't know - they sound alike) and Fresh K handling the raps on this one.

Dr. Rock gets full production credit for all three songs, but interestingly the writing credits are a bit different on the cassingle than on the 12", saying, "Written by Dr. Rock, S. Thomas, Fresh K. & B. Edwards, except 'Fear of the Rap' written by Dr. Rock." So apparently Dr. Rock still wrote all of The DOC's lyrics for the lead track, but now a couple extra writers are credited for "I Wanna Know What Love Is" and this new cut.

Oh and yes, by the way: this version of "I Wanna Know What Love Is" is also the "Hug Mixx" (albeit this time spelled with two x's). So there's still only the one version. Perhaps there's an unreleased version that used more of the Foreigner record which they couldn't clear?

Anyway, now there's onemore song for you Fila Fresh fans to track down and add to your collections... Instrumentals for all three songs are on the B-side. Oh, and sorry for the delay since my last post... I'm working on a big interview that I'll be posting in seperate parts any day now. Plus I got a bad cold. 'Till next time: <3

Tags: The Fila Fresh Crew

A Fila Fresh Valentine

It's Valentine's Day, and what better way to get into the spirit of the holiday than to dig out on of hip-hop's corniest token love songs ever? Usually token love songs were album fillers, but The Fila Fresh Crew decided to make "I Wanna Know What Love Is" a 12" exclusive. Maybe they felt it didn't really fit into the atmosphere they were making on the rest of Tuffest Man Alive.

The R&B hook (sung by one male and one female vocalist) is taken right from the chorus of Foreigner's classic 80's song, "I Want To Know What Love Is." If you're a pure hip-hop fan like myself, who's really not familiar with all the mainstream pop stuff, and you want to hear this song for reference, just hang out for a few minutes in your dentist's waiting room. That's where I heard it to know they were aping a famous song; then I just had to look up who it was by on wikipedia. ;) Anyway, yeah... so the title and chorus are lifted from Foreigner, but the basic instrumental, with it's single-note-ber-beat xylophone like keyboard and the MCs' semi-spoken word delivery (there's even a little spoken intro) is 100% ripping off LL Cool J's "I Need Love."

It's interesting to note that the second verse is by someone calling himself, "Tito, the youngest of the crew." I don't know who he is, I guess someone they brought in to take the place of The D.O.C. who apparently decided to sit out of this one ...which they should've taken as a bad sign. But, anyway, Dr. Rock and Fresh K each provide two romantic verses each, for a total of five. Let me share a little of the love:

"I've been through many women like books in a library.
To live without love, girl... is kinda scary.
I'm the doctor of the turntable, girl, you know it's true.
No matter how I try, I can't find a girl like you.
Love is like a game that's played by foolish men;
I play this game over and over but never win.
I'm looking for a love, girl, that's blue and true;
And if you're out there, girl, this song's for you."

And, girl, here's one more for you, girl:

"Girl, you're the new attraction... in my life;
Sometimes I fantasize... that you're my wife.
But then I pinch myself, 'cause I know I'm just dreamin'.
You're like a drug, girl, and I keep fiendin'.
See, to be truthful, I feel real bad;
'Cause I was too glad to know the love I had.
Feelin' heartburn, I was cryin' and ballin',
Knowin' your love was like London bridges fallin'."

Note that this is the "Hug Mix." Apart from the instrumental, there are no other mixes of this song released anywhere... I think the Fila Fresh Crew just decided that you needed a hug. :)

This is the b-side to a very un-Valentinesy song, The D.O.C. solo track (although, interestingly, the only writing credit on this one goes to Dr. Rock. Hmm...), "Fear Of the Rap." It's actually pretty hot... there are some cheesy (even for its time but especially today) "scary" keyboards that will turn away heads who insist on taking their rap music too seriously; but they're still pretty effective once the beat - which is kickin' - and The D.O.C. get rolling. It's a real showcase of the fierce lyricist who'd go on to record No One Can Do It Better - essentially him just rhyming like crazy, occassionally pausing to let the DJ scratch a little for the break. In fact it opens with Doc-T (as he was known at the time) doing the first half of his verse accapella over just a soulclap. Then there's a hornstab and the beat kicks in while he keeps flowing. At the end, the DJ cuts up Whistle's signature whistle sound, and there's some live guitar - the Crew definitely put in the time to try and get this song right.

This is the only 12" exclusive from the Fila Fresh Crew, except for a couple remixes off their post D.O.C. album, Taking Charge, as The Fela Fresh Crew. So relax, pour yourself a drink, put this 12" on your turntable, and have a happy Valentine's Day... unless you actually have a signficant other, who'd then probably insist that you "turn that silly crap off." But, hey, it beats being alone, right? <3

Tags: The Fila Fresh Crew, The D.O.C., Dr. Rock, The Fela Fresh Crew, Foreigner