Rock La France

Let me be the first to admit that there is something to the story of the following 12" I just do not understand. Now, I have been ranting about Rock La Flow since Dope Folks Records re-introduced him to the world. Thanks to them, and also Jamille Records, we've been given a whole catalog of fantastic music by this dope Milwaukee MC, and his equally impressive producer Tory Tee, that would've otherwise been completely lost to the ages. But what about the music that hasn't been issued from decades old vaults? What about his music that was actually released when it was meant to be?

To that end, I bring you today's record, "Proud By Choice" by F³. Who the heck is F³ and what do they have to do with Rock La Flow? Nothing, really, so far as I know; but it's a split 12"'; and the B-side is an original Tory Tee produced Mister Rock La Flow jam from 1990 called "The Harder the Better (Extended)." Where is there a non-Extended Mix for this to be in relation to? I don't know... as far as I know, this is all that's ever been released. Maybe he sold some cassette tapes of an original mix locally?

Here's a more compelling question about this record. Look at the label... Made in France? How/ why is a local, virtually unknown Milwaukee rapper making his vinyl debut in France? Ya got me. This record is on a label called Square Biz, a label that seems to otherwise only release club/ dance/ electro-type records in Europe, like this. But in 1990, apparently they dipped their toes in the underground Milwaukee rap scene, before the underground movement in hip-hop even took off. Either they were suddenly and briefly very progressive, or there's an interesting story there we don't know.

But why look a gift horse in the mouth? It's a banger! Interestingly, it opens with that same crazy vocal sample Raw Produce later used for "Mister Dope America." Then a hot, fast-paced track with a fresh rolling bassline - that sometimes switches up to a classic guitar sample - and non-stop scratching (uncredited, as Rock declares in the song, "my DJ, until further notice, remains unknown!"). And Rock just spits the same, non-stop, engrossing flow we've come to know him for. If you've been loving the Dope Folks releases, you'll want to have this one just as much; it's easily up there with the best songs on those releases. And the fact that this came out in 1990 means this is actually several years older than his Flowgram EPs or even The Ultimate LP; but that's definitely not a bad thing. Interestingly, this extended version is basically just the song from beginning to end which then blends into the instrumental replayed, replete with the same ad-libs and cuts. It's like the equally curious "Paper Thin" by MC Lyte.

Oh, and as for the A-side? It's pretty dope, too. F³ is a female group that comes nice and hard, with a serious message, "we have to send our love to the continent of Africa." The track, by somebody named D.A. Rock, outshines the MCing, with a nice blend of familiar samples (there are a lot of elements here previously used on Doctor Ice's "The Chillologist") mixed with new ones to form something original and edgy. It's bumping head-nodder, and these girls are kicking something serious - especially by 1990 standards. It would make for a pretty nice little pick up even if Rock La Flow wasn't on the flip side, but he is; so this record ends up being a real treasure. If you can fin it, I highly recommend it.

Rock La Flow Is Back!

Rock La Flow is back - in spades! You may remember me gushing about the virtually unknown Milwaukee MC back in January, when Dope Folks Records put out his killer EP, The Flowgram Pt. 1. Well, I opened my front door today to find awaiting me Pt 2 - it's here! And that's not the half. A full-length Rock la Flow LP, The Ultimate, dropped the same day.

Flowgram Pt. 2 finishes up the collection of songs he recorded in '94 and '95 with his producer (who definitely deserves 50% of the credit for how great La Flow's material is) Tory Tee. I don't think I like it quite as much as the first volume, but it's definitely a worthy follow-up. There's a remix of a cut from the original EP ("Partytime") which is just as good, if not better, than the original. And the track that easily stands out as my favorite, "Illwaukee," which showcases a couple of his local brethren, Spoon and Kerse One along with Flow, and they all kill it over a nice beat perfect for passing the mic. Fans of the first entry will definitely be happy with this one, too.

But still... I'm not 100% sure of the story behind these EPs, but they sort of feel like large chunks of a not quite finished album. A kick-ass album, mind you, but still sort of incomplete in how the pieces would've all assembled together.

That's not the case at all with The Ultimate, which actually pre-dates the Flowgram EPs. These songs were recorded in 1992-93, and again are entirely produced by Tory Tee. This album was recently discovered by Dope Folks and feels like a finished album. More importantly, Rock La Flow is amazing on this, and the beats are hype. Sometimes you'll hear familiar loops or breakbeats, but they're all flipped differently or merged with other samples and turned into something fresh you've never heard before.

Man, heads would have loved this album if it came out back when it was recorded! This is one of those albums where, I've got the record spinning while I'm typing up work on the computer, and I just have to stop what I'm doing to pay close attention to the perfect blend of beats and rhymes coming from across the room. These releases are just the perfect match of an MC and producer who were each completely on top of their game at the same time. You know, one of those pairings that artists seem to manage to hit for one brief period and then spend the rest of their careers trying to recapture, like - to re-use an apt comparison - Nas when he made Illmatic.

Getting these right on the heels of Natural Elements' EP on Chopped Herring is a bit of a mind-blower. If anyone was thinking the limited game was winding down, think again. It should be pointed out, though, that Dope Folks' records don't cost the infamous "limited" prices. They're $20 each, which, for full-length LPs, is right in-line with the cost of standard new releases.

Oh, and The Ultimate comes with a phat, glossy art piece as a little bonus. I won't post a scan, so it can still be a surprise when your copies arrive in the mail. They're both limited to 300 as usual, so don't sleep.

The Milwaukee Illmatic

(Youtube version is back, too.)