Showing posts with label Poor Righteous Teachers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poor Righteous Teachers. Show all posts

Saturday, December 3, 2022

The Time Culture Freedom Escaped To Philly

Today's record is a tight little Philly EP, notable for featuring the lone solo outing for Poor Righteous Teachers' Culture Freedom.  Obviously, Wise Intelligent is the famous front man of the crew who's gone on to release a whole line of solo projects.  But here on Nailah Records' Hand To Hand Combat Volume 1 we see that in 2003, Culture Freedom took a stab, too.  It's just this one song, but who knows, if this label had taken off (and the "Volume 1" of the title certainly suggests future intentions) perhaps it would have lead to a whole album and solo career.  If what we hear on this EP is any indication, it would've been pretty tight.  The only other release from that label was a 12" by NAME, their final one.  It's pretty dope, too, in no small part thanks to some impressive guests including Schoolly D, The Mountain Brothers and - oh, look at that - PRT.  So that explains this NJ/ PA connection.

If the name NAME[sorry; couldn't help myself] doesn't ring a bell, that's Grand Agent's old group before he went solo.  He has a song on this EP as well.  Another artist on this EP, Ozzie Jones, was in NAME, too, then known as Old Man.  NAME's Mr. Cisum also produced two of the tracks here.  So this EP and Nailah Records as a whole seems to be their thing.  But they let CF get on and do his own thing with "Get Ya Mind Right."

Although, strictly speaking, Culture Freedom isn't 100% solo on here.  He does the bulk of the rapping, the hook and his own production, but he has a guy named Devaughn Williams playing the Jay-Z to his Jaz.  He's pretty nice on the mic, too.  The instrumental is a smooth and slightly layered head-nodder, with a funky little sitar sound, but not a big attention getter.  It's perfect to support fun back-and-forth freestyle rhymes, but it's not hit record material.  Fortunately, CF and Devaughn are perfectly suited to the task this track lays down, and as you'd expect from a Poor Righteous Teacher, it's got a strong vibe of spirituality and positive self upliftment.  Though Devaughn mixes the Christian spiritual aspect with game spitting in a pretty unique way, "I done made the devil mad because he can't get me, but I'ma move this here weight like Freeway Ricky."  Ha ha  Okay.  Maybe he meant "weight" metaphorically?  Like the knowledge he's imparting is his kind of weight, but he doesn't actually say that.  Anyway, Culture Freedom is a little more consistent in his messaging:

"'Ey yo, peep this,
While we do this, I'm gonna freak this;
Blow the devil apart in one million pieces.
Where you lack, in fact, that's where the beast is.
Givin' food for thought, so all y'all can eat this."


One detail to point out: the track-listing on the label is a little incorrect.  Grand Agent's is actually the last song on side A, not B, and Mel Ink's second track is in its place.  More disappointing is that this EP is made up of Radio Edits, with all the curse words censored.  It doesn't matter on the Culture Freedom song where he doesn't curse anyway, but that Grand Agent track is full of 'em.  And no, these songs weren't released on any other albums or singles; so it's censored or nothing.

All the songs on here are solid.  Ozzie Jones' is catchy.  But the real surprise is actually Mel Ink and DJ Razor Ramon.  Their two songs here are both killers!  And googling around, it looks like Mel Ink has recorded a few guest spots here and there (including one for Ozzie Jones' EP and a 2016 Grand Agent mp3-only album).  But god damn, this material should have lead directly to a major label record deal.  Mel is killing it, the production is brilliant, and Razor goes wild on the turntables.  Somebody needs to find and release their unreleased demos immediately.

All told, this EP has five songs, all of which are worth your time.  Grand Agent's is probably the weakest, but maybe I'd be able to get into it more if it wasn't hacked to pieces.  Ozzie and CF's songs are both nice, and again, those Ink and Razor songs need to be rediscovered.  We also get three of the instrumentals, including "Get Ya Mind Right" and one of the Mel Inks.  But it's a little frustrating, because it leaves you pining for projects that might've been but never were.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

File Under NJ Deep Cuts: Scott Lark Meets PRT

Okay, I was feeling lazy today.  I wanted to go back and listen to a Poor Righteous Teachers song without actually getting up and fetching the record.  So I searched it up online, and it doesn't appear to be anywhere on the 'net.  I mean, there's a listing for it on discogs, the 12" is for sale on a few online shops, and of course it's listed on my PRT page.  But not only does the music not seem to be available anywhere, but there's virtually no information out there about it, including the fact that it's a rare Scott Lark guest spot.  Well, I guess this is the exact kind of situation I started the site for, so hey world, let me tell you about this record.

"Save Me" b/w "Dangerous" is PRT's last record together (Wise Intelligent is, of course, still very active solo), having come out in 2001 on Fully Blown.  Or maybe that should be "Dangerous" b/w "Save Me," since if you look closely at the label scanned above, the "Save Me" side is marked both Side A (on the left) and Side B (at the top).  That's not the only error on the label either (the also list the Street version as Clean and vice versa).  Anyway, "Save Me" / "Dangerous" is the Teachers' only record for them, but Fully Blown was a nice, albeit short lived little label, having put out collectible singles by artists like Chubb Rock, Paula Perry, Prince Po and was responsible for pretty much Scoob Lover's entire post-Big Daddy Kane career.  Throw in the fact that I like this substantially more than PRT's previous indie single on Exit 7A, and yeah, Fully Blown was good stuff.

One thing that might be helping this rise above their 7A stuff is that it's entirely written and produced by PRT, whereas their previous indie material was often credited to unknowns like Mr. Mims and Masada.  Admittedly, you might've spotted The Almighty Scratch Devastator Lyvio G.'s name on the label, but he's just listed as an Executive Producer, which I think just relates his connection to the label overall rather than any musical involvement in the song itself.  Besides the main "Produced and Written by Poor Righteous Teachers" credit, those proper names under the song title are the three members of PRT.  Of course, one would assume that Scott Lark wrote his own verse, so who knows.  I doubt anybody's getting screwed out of bajillions in royalties here no matter how it breaks down.

So yeah, "Save Me."  This definitely sounds like it's from 2001 alright, with this kind of smooth studio pop sound and Culture Freedom's verse especially sounding rather Bad Boy inspired.  And I know, that probably sounds like the last thing you want to hear about a PRT record.  On paper, it's a left-handed compliment, but as a one-off, they make it work for them surprisingly well.  They way each verse rides the rhythm is super catchy, and everybody's wordplay is clever without being saddled with dated punchlines.  Plus, the hook is this brilliant vocal sample loop of Olive Oyl from the Popeye cartoons crying out for help that adds a real, classic/ quirky 45 King element to the song. No, it's not as great as their classic Profile singles, but it's honestly pretty dope.

And Scott Lark has the freshest verse of all, which is saying something, because Wise Intelligent very rarely gets shown up by anybody on a record.  It's all silly lyric bending, with the focus on sounding good rather than saying anything particularly witty or insightful: "bananas, I kick ill stanzas in my pajamas."  That's just the playful nature of the song, and it's hard to be mad at hearing the Teachers cut loose and having a little fun for once.  There's also an uncredited female MC on here (I mean, both guests are uncredited, but I know Scott Lark when I hear him), who probably comes weakest of the bunch, but she still holds up her portion of the song well enough.  If anybody has any idea who that is, please comment; I'd love to know.

Anyway, flip this over and we get another nice one: "Dangerous," which lets them bring back their reggae side.  It's got a more natural sounding instrumental, a sung chorus, and Wise Intelligent deftly bouncing billions of syllables.  If "Save Me" was an amusing excursion, this feels more comfortably at home in the Teachers' wheelhouse.  Who else could reference Amadou Diallo while spitting game to a girl?  It all makes you wish they'd managed to get that Declaration of Independence album they'd been working on out there (were these two songs meant to have been on it, or were they recorded exclusively for Fully Blown? I have no idea), if only to prove they could still do it even without Profile's backing.  And maybe Scott would've received some more shine if his name was actually printed on the jacket credits of an album that made its way into peoples' homes.  Oh well.  That's indie record collecting for ya.  At least this neat little 12" is out there and inexpensive.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Good Morning, Righteous Teacher

Nitty Gritty was a major reggae dancehall artist in the 70s and 80s who started in Jamaica but eventually found his way to both London and New York, where he recorded some of his biggest hits. In 1991, he was shot and killed outside a record store in Brooklyn. And in 1995, one of his earlier Jamaican classics called "Good Morning, Teacher" was included on a pretty generic compilation called Dancehall Days: The Old To the New on Profile Records.

That last sentence sounds like a big load of "who cares," and it basically is... It's just one of the many forgettable compilations that used to get released back in the 90s, full of previously released songs - all obvious song selections by obvious big name artists. But one thing makes it worth bringing up in 2014: the single they released for it.

The single Profile put out was "Good Morning, Teacher" by Nitty Gritty. But, it's not the version he originally recorded in 1984, which is the only one he ever made and also the one that's actually featured on Dancehall Days. No, this is a new, unique version that isn't even from the compilation. It's a new Crush Sounds Poppa Fred Mix by Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers (who, of course, were signed to Profile at the time).

According to the back cover, this is "'LIV'ICATED TO THE MEMORY OF NITTY GRITTY." I guess because dedicated sounds like it has the word "dead" in it; and, um, they're telling us the artist who made this version is still alive? Well, okay, eye-rolling pun aside, what we ultimately have here is kind of a little dedication project that came out well under the radar. And it's... fucking terrific.

Seriously, this is right up there alongside any of PRT's greatest hits. The production is fantastic. It has the feel of the stuff they were doing with Tony D, but it's actually produced by King Jammys. It's really atmospheric and kind of dark. it uses just the right amount of the original, including Nitty Gritty's own voice for the hook. But it's also very different and original. Wise's delivery is also perfectly brilliant; he's at the top of his game for sure. And just to seal the deal, it ends with some really affecting scratches by a then unknown DJ EV, who went on to DJ for The Def Squad. Even if you're not in love with the point where reggae and hip-hop meet, this is going to be one of the rare exceptions for you.

The B-side is just a generic Bounty Killer song. I mean, it's not bad... it's "Cellular Phone;" if you're a BK fan, I'm sure you remember it. But, you know, it's just one of his singles that has nothing to do with Nitty Gritty or anything (although, coincidentally, it is another King Jammys production). It's just another obvious choice for Profile's fine but bland Dancehall Days CD, previously released on his Down In the Ghetto album and even as its own single. He had a video for it and everything.

The artwork is just an isolated piece of the artwork for the Dancehall Days cover. Seriously, this version of "Good Morning, Teacher," which is really its own, original song, rather than just the cheap remix it appears to be, was completely thrown away under the radar. This is the kind of song the phrase "best kept secret" was coined for, and you'll be doing yourself a favor by seeking it out.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Where the Hell Is My Wise Intelligent?!

"Blackdraft" is an okay track off of Professor Griff's third album, notable for its deep, slow bassline and catchy sax sample over the hook. Like the picture cover suggests, Society and Griff share equal time on the mic here. Society was somewhat involved with the previous album, getting a co-production credit on one or two tracks, but by Disturb N tha Peace, he was as much a part of things as Griff himself, essentially joining the Professor's production crew The Soul Society (Griff, Tone Control and Kavon Shah), appearing on most of the songs, including this and the lead single, "Sista Sista;" and even getting "mix," "illustration" and "album concept" credits in the album's liner notes (and there weren't even any illustrations!). And after this, Society went solo (though Griff and co. were still down and involved with his project). ...But back to this 12". It also includes the instrumental, "blaccapella" and two remix* versions of the title track, both by Griff and Society. For my money, the Blacksteel Pineal Gland Mix is gonna be your "Blackdraft" of choice.

But let's face it, unless you're a hardcore Griff fan (and why not; his albums were all pretty underrated after all), the real reason you're buying this 12" is because the sticker promises, "The Pre-Released Remix of Verbal Intercourse Featuring Brand Nu-Bians [their hyphenation and pluralization, not mine] & Poor Righteous Teachers." Now, the original "Verbal Intercourse" isn't actually on Disturb N tha Peace, but his previous album, Kao's II Wiz *7* Dome; and except for a brief vocal sample of the phrase "Verbal Intercourse" that turns up at the very end of the tune, the two versions are completely unrelated to each other. The original was a subtle and expertly produced track (again by The Soul Society), that followed a fun, back & forth, question and answer flow like, "why does the devil keep callin' our people Africans? To keep the people divided and not knowin' who's your brother man."
On the other hand, this "pre-release remix" (whatever that means... it certainly wasn't released before the original version, like the name would imply) dumps the original lyrics, dumps the instrumental, and dumps the whole concept. Suddenly, it's a posse cut that uses a very familiar, hardcore piano loop [damn, I wish I could remember where it was originally from; I can hear it in my head... it's become a staple for freestyles now, like the "Tried By 12" beat] for the hook, and swaps that out with a toned down, catchy bass and occassional blaring horn sample underneath the verses. Griff takes the mic first, followed by an MC I can't name (the 12"'s credits aren't too helpful here; they just say, "featuring Brand Nubians, Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers"), then after the hook, Lord Jamar and Sadat X each take a verse. After the third hook, Society gets on the mic, and then Griff comes back to round out the show. It's tight, but... wait a minute. Where was Wise Intelligent?
Now, admittedly, I couldn't identify that first MC after Griff, but there's no way that was Wise Intelligent. Actually, I'm guessing that Wise Intelligent was the voice we sort of hear at the beginning of the song... there's an intro where someone is talking (it sounds like an answering machine message in low, static quality), but we can't hear what's being said because vocal samples of "understand, man" "check this out" and "verbal intercourse" are being repeated over and over at a much higher volume. I have had my ear to the speaker and the volume turned way up and it is IMPOSSIBLE to tell what he's saying, or even if that's Wise Intelligent. I don't particularly recognize his usually distinctive voice; I'm just assuming it must be him because he sure isn't anywhere else on the record. What a frikkin' rip-off.

And there's one more piece to this puzzle that actually just confuses matters more. The liner notes for Disturb N tha Peace, specifically the track "Respect tha Art-Kill-Tech," say, "additional voice by Lord Jamar of 'Verbal Intercourse.'" Now there's absolutely no one saying anything on that track except Professor Griff, but there are two vocal samples being cut up during the hook. One is clearly taken from the opening of Naughty By Nature's "OPP" ("drop a load on 'em"), but the other one COULD be Lord Jamar's voice, saying something like "educate the youth." It's hard to make out just what he's saying or if that's Jamar, but comparing the two back to back I can tell you it's definitely NOT a line from his verse on "Verbal Intercourse." ...Griff's albums are frustrating in that they have extensive, detailed liner notes, but it's still impossible to tell who's contributing what to each song. >:[

Anyway, this 12" also features one more number - the album track, "107. Point Live (At the Slave Theater)," a surprisingly grimy, east coast sounding track, featuring members of his posse Nappy Ness, Buda, Tech "G" and Studdah, again produced by The Soul Society and with constant scratching by DJ Toomp (a DJ who worked with MC Shy D, Poison Clan, and went on to form 2 Nazty with Brother Marquis). It's kinda like a Rumpletilskinz track, but rougher than anything they managed to release. Griff gets on at the end, and doesn't come as ill/ hardcore as his crew before him, but still manages to hold his own.
So, yeah. It's definitely a 12" worth having, even if you're not otherwise a Griff fan. Just don't go into it like I did, expecting to hear Wise Intelligent, and you won't be disappointed. Besides, the awkwardly homoerotic overtones of the picture cover (not just that they both have their shirts off, but the way that Society is positioned just behind Griff like that...) demand a place in any hip-hop lover's collection.

As to where they are now, well... I already posted Griff's myspace in my last entry. Society, meanwhile, signed to Slip-N-Slide records in the late 90's, even appearing on Trick Daddy's album, www.thug.com. Society's album never came out, and he pretty much disappeared from the scene. He did drop one or two verses on Griff's fourth album, but no longer seemed to be involved in the production and as far as I know he hasn't had anything to do with Griff's new stuff.

*Fun fact: according to the notes on this 12", the word "remix" is actually an acronym for "Rule Equality Master Islam X." If you missed it, kids, ridiculous acronyms were all the rage in hip-hop from the late 80's straight into the early 2000's, when Killah Priest finally took it too far and killed the whole thing.