Lyte + Premier = Bootleg?

In 2006, MC Lyte made a lot of comeback noise with a hot Premier-produced track called "The Wonder Years." There was a fancy, CGI-heavy video for it on YouTube, and a lot of fans were suddenly interested in picking up a new MC Lyte record for probably the first time in a long time.

...But then it never came.

I guess she was hoping for a major label to pick it up, and she didn't get the kind of offer she was expecting? Or maybe the digital age's assault on music sales and the fact that this song was getting spread all over the place just made her give up and say "fuck it, everybody who's interested already has this anyway?" I don't know; but fortunately bootleg label Word of Mouth (who also did that Natural Elements EP I covered recently) were there to scoop up the dropped ball.

This is one of Premier's better recent tracks, and Lyte comes with that unique spin on braggadocios rhyming we hadn't heard much of since her early albums:

"Pull up a chair,
Let me explain how I maintain the youthful glow;
For you that don't know, it's called H2O.
So stop askin' when I walk by,
How I look so young and stay that fly?
It's elementary.
Kick the liquor when you turn dirty thirty;
The rest is a secret, so I keep it for the worthy.
Some of us need to be doin' a bid,
Spittin' lyrics that's worse than Ridlan for kids.
They say, 'Lyte, they ain't ready for nuthin' new, kid,'
So we kick the same stuff, as if they were stupid;
Take the same beat and loop it
50 times - why not? That other group did.
It's idiotic, average and robotic.
I keep it real;
My mental thick like a Harley clique.
I got 'em singing Bob Marley hits (I don't want to wait);
They don't want to wait in vain,
But I'm worth all the joy and the pain.
Come hard when I hit; you know the name."

The hook is the weakest link... It's not bad, but it's by some random guy (Premiere lip-syncs to it in the video; but discogs seems to think it's Shabeeno of the NYG'z, which seems more likely) and it just makes you think, "what's this guy doing talking on the hook?" Also, he calls her "the female G Rap;" and I guess you could say she is, sort of, in the sense that she's the most respected female MC, lyrically, who's been in the game for roughly the same amount of years; but... she doesn't flow or write anything like G Rap. You'd expect a "female G Rap" to come with 50 million quick rhyming syllables and violent mafioso tales, right? So it just stands out as a weird comparison. Still, it's a fine, passable hook, that at least manages not to ruin the greatness established by Lyte and the instrumental.

This song alone makes this a must purchase (and it comes in Clean and Dirty versions), but there's actually a whole lot Premiere-produced goodness on offer here, so let's move on.

Next up is Cormega's "Dirty Game." This isn't unreleased at all: it first appeared on a 2005 12" single, b/w "Dirty New York," and then turned up on his 2006 album with Lake (who's not featured on this particular song), My Brother's Keeper. A few years later, Cormega put it out again, this time on his 2009 album, Born and Raised. It's a dope track, but serious Premier or 'Mega fans probably didn't need it included it here.

Now, on the flip side, we've got some Teflon. First is another exclusive. Well, it's mostly an exclusive... it had turned up on a few mix-tapes back in 2005 under the title "Married 2 tha Game," but "Married To the Game" (as it's spelled here) had never received a proper, unmixed release... much less on vinyl. It's an interesting track, a little outside of Premiere's usual vein, with a dramatic classical violin loop and subtle, un-bouncy bassline. It's helped a lot by a guest verse from Styles P, and comes here in Clean and Dirty versions.

Finally the last song, "Showtime," was released as a 2006 12" on Premiere's label, Works of Mart. That 12" featured clean, dirty and instrumental versions of this song plus a B-side, "Just Rhymin' With Krumb" (featuring, clearly, Krumbsnatcha); but only the dirty version of "Showtime" is included here. It's another hot Premiere track in Teflon's usual, MOP lite style.

So, I guess the idea here is essentially a 2-song 12" with exclusive tracks (the ones in Clean and Dirty versions), and the other two songs (only in Dirty) are just sorta tagged on as bonus tracks (that's the nice thing about being a bootlegger, I suppose... you can tack on anything by anybody as a bonus track, and it doesn't cost you anything)? Well, hey, I guess that's reasonable. The Lyte track alone already made it a must-have for me, and it's good to see that Tef and Styles track get a proper - if not legit - release. And the rest is just gravy. Definitely one for the crates.

Snowed In With Lyte Week, Day 7: Uncensored

Ok, there's no more snow on the ground... it was a pleasant day out. So it's time we wind up this week with one final MC Lyte outing.

This 1991 12" is from Lyte's third album, Act Like You Know. This is the one where Lyte really started getting off-track in a seeming bid for cross-over success. While she still had a handful of beats by Audio Two and the King of Chill (and even a couple from The 45 King!), more than half the album was produced by two pop producers named Bret Mazur and Richard Wolf. The big lead single was the cheesy "When In Love" with the sappy R&B chorus, which was followed by "Poor Georgie," which feels like a weak attempt at recapturing the success of "I Cram 2 Understand U," with Lyte dating an alcoholic this time, instead of a crack head. Except with more pop music in the instrumental.

And that was about it for that album, except for this final, promo-only 12" single the label kinda snuck out before moving on. Someone from the comments section here actually put me onto it, so thanks. :) The A-side is not bad... they chose one of the few Audio Two-produced tracks, "All That." It's not one of their best tracks, but it's pretty solid. Lyrically, it's a bit of a mixed bag. Lyte freestyles, with a bit of narrative, but basically just to highlight her brags... some of the lines are fun, typical Lyte (that's a good thing), but others are corny("I know your kind, you roam around the fuckin' town/ You wanna slap it, flip it, and rub it down"). Basicially, it's just ok (but a big step up from her previous singles), and comes as a standard "Dirty" album version and a "Clean" one.

But this 12" is really all about the B-side. "Why U Wanna Get Fly" is a 12" exclusive and really is just all about Lyte getting unabashedly hardcore. The track is produced by DJ Master Tee, and features her first collabaration with Lin Que, who was still going by Isis at that time. It only comes in one version, "Uncensored," partially probably 'cause it's kinda long (it's no "Adventures of Super Rhymes," but it's over 5 minutes). It's a nice, chunky beat with an early DITC sound, fly horns on the hook, some nice change-ups and even some fresh, sampled speeches. Isis sounds really good here, and they have some nice interplay between the two of them.

Before I go, of course I've gotta hit you off with a link to Lyte's myspace. But she's got much more than that! Here also is her official website, her blog and her other blog (both of which she seems to keep fairly well updated). Heck, while I'm at it, here's her YouTube channel. Lyte is definitely keeping her name out there (I'm following her on Twitter, too); now let's just hope she backs that up with some hot, new music.

Snowed In With Lyte Week, Day 6: Just Like a Test

Along with "Paper Thin," "I Cram 2 Understand U" was one of MC Lyte's first attempts at song-writing with a little more substance than freestyles and battle rhymes... and "Paper Thin" was so hard, it was almost 50% battle rhyme anyway! :-D But not "I Cram 2 Understand U." This was a song about relationships, her first narrative song, and a song with a message. Historically, such attempts are where Lyte missteps from the realm of classic bangers to awkward mistakes, but this is a rare exception that's always managed to find a warm spot in the hearts of fans.

Part of the reason for that is how the producers, the Audio Two (and mixed by Daddy O, by the way), keep it incredibly raw and simple. The beat is nothing but a simple drum track, and the hook is just one vocal sample played very briefly between verses. Lyte's really on her own out there as an MC, and she pulls it off with aplomb.

The other part is the cleverness of how the song is actually an extended metaphor, just like Common's heralded "I Used To Love H.E.R.," except this came out seven years earlier. There, Common raps about a girl he's dating, and it's only at the end we find out this "girl" was actually hip-hop, and the phases of their relationship were actually descriptions of the genre's different styles. Here, Lyte talks about being in a relationship with Sam, who seems great except he's apparnetly cheating on her. Lyte's friends try to warn her, he starts borrowing money, "Then my cousin said she saw you with this lady named C/ Well I'm clawin' my thoughts, I wonder who she could be?/ You're spending all your time with her, and not a second with me/ They say you spend your money on her and you're with her night and day." Finally, it's revealed that this "lady named C" is actually an extended metaphor for crack, and Sam is harboring a drug addiction.

This sticker cover 12" also lays out the full spread for us with this tune. It features the original, a radio version, dub and even an acapella. I mean, what more could you ask for besides maybe a hot, 12" exclusive b-side track? Oh wait, yeah; it's got that, too.

It's a short but tight cut called "Take It Lyte," also produced by the Audio Two. It's a fast-paced track with crashing cymbals and Lyte representing herself and her DJ. Lyte sounds hard (and young!) on this one, and K Rock provides some simple but effective scratches on the hook. And, thankfully, this time around there's no message. 8)

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 4: A Simile Because of the Usage of the Word "As"

Ok, I'm not really snowed in anymore. I went to work yesterday, and I even went out the night before. But there's still snow in my yard, so that's close enough for me to go on with awesome MC Lyte records. :)

"Lyte as a Rock" was a hot album track, with a fantastic beat and Lyte kicking fresh freestyle rhymes. But that version isn't actually on the "Lyte as a Rock" 12". This is a remix 12", with three non-album remix versions.

First up is King of Chill's "House Mix." This is the one there was a video for, where the door to a little girl's bedroom magically leads to a cave with Lyte kickin' it alongside some cavemen. Later, Lyte becomes an Egyptian queen, a 30's style gangster and an imprisoned revolutionary. It's pretty fresh. And despite being a "house mix," the remix is pretty fresh, too, retaining enough of the original to be an enjoyable variation of the original. And the way her voice is mixed so much higher over the beat with the funky bassline... it shouldn't work, but it does.

Next you've got Audio Two's "Soul Shock Mix." It's immediately very different with it's freaked horn samples, but at the same time it's the same because it reverts back to the original drums and even original keyboard sample. And after the first verse, Gizmo starts slicing up the whole thing on the tables - it gets a little crazy (at one point he even deads the beat and replaces it with the "Paper Thin" track), but it undeniably bangs. I don't think I've ever heard an Audio Two remix bug out this much, but I like it.

Finally, there's the "Miami Mix." It's not really clear from the label who produced this one - the others mixes give specific credit, but not this one. Despite it's name, it doesn't really sound like a Miami-style tune from this era, except that the drums are faster. The vocal track is often played with in a way that's just annoying rather than fresh (words are repeated, played backwards, or just dropped out, randomly). It's not terrible, but it feels like somebody's failed experiment.

So, that's it for "Lyte as a Rock" (there are no instrumentals or anything), but there is one last treat on this single: "Shut the Eff Up! (Hoe)," a raw diss track with Lyte once again taking it to Antoinette. So, essentially it's a follow-up to "10% Dis," and it's almost as good. The hook, which just consists of a few angry phrases ("hot damn, ho!" "Shut the fuck up!" "There's gonna be some shit") being scratched up, feels surprisingly rugged. When this was first released, it was a 12" exclusive - possibly because the label thought it was too nasty to allow on the album - making this a must-have single. But Atlantic later ended up putting this on Lyte's subsequent album, Eyes On This. It's still a dope song. In fact, it's one of the best on there. But it's rendered this 12" less essential. Still, the remixes are cool.

Snowed In With Lyte Week, Day 3: The Voice Gets Wetter

Any other rapper would've jumped head first into a rapid descent after peaking with such an amazing debut, but MC Lyte managed to come just as correct her second time out. I can remember "Cha Cha Cha" playing every single day on Yo! and Rap City during my high school days and being excited every single time it came on. I don't even need to play this record to revisit it; I can recall the King of Chill's ill samples that still manage to get eclipsed by the ultra-funky bassline, Lyte's voice ("The hip-hop maniac, uptown brainiac/ In full effect, MC Lyte is back" as she later quoted for her aforementioned joint "God Said Lyte"), the horn stabs that introduce K Rock's scratches on the hook.

Lyrically, she's not really saying anything amazing, but how she says it is just perfect: "And better than before, as if that was possible/ My competition: you'll find them in the hospital/ Visiting time? I think it's on a Sunday/ But notice: they only get one day... to shine/ The rest of the week is all mine/ And I'll blind you with the science that the others have yet to find/ So come along, and I'll lead you the right way/ Just clap your hands to the words I say." I don't know, it might be a generational thing, but to me this is one of the few absolute, must-have 12" records out there - great song, instrumental included, and a sweet picture cover (her first).

I just wish I could say the B-side was at all up to what we heard on the A. It's nice to get any exclusive, 12"-only cut on your singles, I guess; but they really phoned it in here. "House Power" is a twelve minute(!) long house song. It features a few vocal snippets from Lyte, but she never raps on this song. Production-wise, it's fine as far as vocal-less house tracks go; but there's just nothing here musically to sustain twelve minutes, so it becomes a real endurance test. You're supposed to leave them always wanting more, right? Now asking the DJ, "for fuck's sake, don't you have any other records you can play?" But I guess they figured with an A-side this strong, they could really throw whatever the hell they wanted on the other side and we'd be happy with this single. ...And they were right.

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.

Snowed In With Lyte Week, Day 1: Ride With Lytro

There's a big ol' snow storm kicking up outside, so it looks like I'll be spending a lot of time indoors... which makes it time for another "week!" So, I thought I'd start with her last (to date) single, because, well, just as whim. "Ride With Me" was the 2002 lead-in and only single from MC Lyte's seventh album, Da Underground Heat, Vol. 1 Hosted by Jamie Foxx. Yeah, all of that is part of the title. She also lists her name as "MC Lyte Is Lytro," so apparently she was going for kind of a long, convoluted mouthful theme.

After her second major label deal (she started on First Priority/ Atlantic, then moved to EastWest/Elektra) ended, MC Lyte announced she was putting her next album out independently. Which I guess is what she did, although this 12"'s label credits BMG Music, SGI/ CMM, Imusic, and Sunni Gyrl! Inc.; plus there's a logo us informing us she's now the "First Lady of the Def Squad" (what? when did that happen?)... There's more tiny little logos on this record than almost any I've ever seen; but, ok, I guess it still counts as independent.

So, yeah. This single, like the entirety of the rest of the album, was produced by two guys collectively known as Maad Phunk!. And you can basically sum up the album with a simple formula: MC Lyte(great) + Maad Phunk!(bad) + overload of painfully irritating skits = one mediocre CD. But thankfully, this single successfully manages to isolate the two best songs from that disc, making this a worthwhile pick-up, assuming you're getting it cheap.

"Ride With Me" was actually nominated for a Grammy, and features one the funkiest beats from the album. It's still full of generic sample-free keyboarding and cheesy pop-rap effects; but the piano loop and the drum track sound decent and make a passable sound bed for Lyte to spit over:

"Been a long time coming, but I'm running with the torch,
Race, got a lot a rats but I can't be caught, or bought,
'Cause I won't sell out. That's why me and the big dogs, we fell out.
Not with a major, but I'm still major league;
Crash ya dome with this hit then watch your nose bleed.
You want it, you can get it anytime;
'Cause I got many lines for niggas of any kind."

Granted, it sounds a bit silly when she mentions "haters" and asks us to "get crunk" on the hook; but there's still no denying the evidence that there's a skilled MC on the mic.

But the B-side, "God Said Lyte" is even better. It's got a little funk guitar, which, yes, still has that "we're not paying to clear any samples" tin sound... but it's played low, and the rest of the track is just a basic drum track beat with hand claps that'll actually have you nodding your head. It's the kind of track that could only work with a nice MC who really knows how to ride the rhythm, and fortunately, Lyte is up to the challenge, coming with a tighter delivery and better lyrics. It even has a genuinely infectious hook that goes, "I'm rhymin' and designin', also creatin'/ The dope, def rhyme that is always bein' taken/ By a sucker MC that wants to be like me/ No trait of originality/ Don't ever second guess me/ And if you're wonderin' who could the best be/ The hip-hop maniac, uptown brainiac/ In full effect, MC Lyte is back." Honestly, the A-side is okay - but this song deserves checking out.

This 12" also gets some extra value out of being nice & loaded with clean, dirty, instrumental and acappella versions for both songs (Acappellas? Quick, somebody put Lyte's vocals over some soulful Showbiz or Pete Rock tracks!). I recommend any Lyte fan picking up the 12" for the B-side... and you may give the A-side a few spins, too, if you're feeling forgiving. So get the 12" and pass on the album - there's a reason they didn't bother to press that up on wax.

C'mon, Get In the Car, Guys. We're Moving To Japan

Look what just came out in Japan only! A full album of lost, never before released tracks from a ton of the best rappers recorded in 1988. What's the deal with this? I'll just let the album's notes speak for themselves:

"Introduction: 17 years ago a small recording studio, TOP SHELF, located in the basement of a brownstone in the East Village section of New York, was looted during the Thompkins Square riots of 1988, displacing the recordings of many soon-to-be Hip Hop stars. The studio had been the meeting place for many rappers, neighborhood kids, and producers that would later be responsible for the greatest period of the Hip Hop age, "The Golden Era." A search commenced soon after the recordings were lost, but nothing was ever found. So sought after were the tapes, they soon acheived Holy Grail status amongst Hip Hop circles. Despite years of searching, and dozens of hopeless crusades, the tapes remained lost. No one was quite sure who took them or where they were... until now.
After an extensive investigation and search that lasted two years, the recordings have finally been recovered by Fab 5 Freddy and myself (Benjy Grinberg). They were found dozenss of miles from the site of TOP SHELF in an abandoned strage faciilty in North Jersey [woot! Jersey represent!]. ...We sought after the lost recordings of TOP SHELF because they were rumored to be among the hottest songs from that era, and we thought it was a tragedy that the world never got to hear them. It turns out that these two-inch tapes are truly a treasure chest--a time capsule of the energy and excitement of 1988 Hip Hop."

And this really is the wet dream it sounds like - everybody comes tight on this. It starts off (well, after a brief mic check intro by Fab Five Freddy) with Black Sheep kicking a short, fast rap track, which is tight... and believe me, I've never been a huge Black Sheep fan. Special Ed's song is just the perfect raps over the perfect beat... it could easily have appeared on his first or second album. Big Daddy Kane kills it, Biz Markie's song is just great fun, and Melle Mel and Grandmaster Caz duet showing impressive skills considering even '88 would generally be considered well past their prime. MC Lyte rocks the same loop her rhyming partner Positive K did on his classic "The Nightshift," only with faster drums for more of a freestyle/battle rhyme-type flow. There's no production credits on this album besides the phrase "Anonymous Top Shelf producers,", which is a shame, because I'd love to know who did what on this. There's a crapload of nice scratching on Chubb Rock's song. The Jungle Brothers' is nice, though their rhyme style gets a little redundant. The only kinda disappointing song is Smooth B's solo venture, "I Want My Money Back" (he needs to give that hook back to Mixmaster Spade, who knew how to use it), and even this number's not bad. But Craig G (here spelt Graig G... heh) Doug E Fresh (using the same "Go Stetsa" vocal sample Groove B. Chill would go on to make a hit out of a couple years later), Grand Puba and Just-Ice all come with dope songs. It all ends with a serious track from Master Ace, "Revolution's 'Bout To Start," which is a great narrative and uses the type of scratched up speeches on the hook like I haven't heard since "Black Is Back" or "Dirty Cop Named Harry."

100% must-have. Manhattan Records, the Japanese label that put this album out, has a site at: store.mmagg.com, and yes, they have a myspace page, too. Go get it.

Update 09/15/07: So, any of you who've joined me in any of the many message board or blog discussions of the legitimacy of this album will have already determined that it is quite definitely a hoax. But, surprisingly, The New York Times has actually picked up the story and gotten some real answers - read the whole thing here (brought to my attention by Jaz, who runs the Cold Rock da Spot blog, on the DWG forums). Still, it does leave a few questions unanswered... like who actually produced each track, and when can we get a volume two?