The Devil's Debut

Top 100 Hip-Hop Songs

The following was originally intended to be part of a collaborative project between all us hip-hop bloggers, webmasters, etc., where each of us made a list of what we felt were "the top 100 songs in the history of hip hop as it relates to the importance of the culture." Each of us would have our lists published, and then each song would be tallied to create a final Top 100 list out of all of our lists. But unfortunately, for whatever reason (people slack on making their lists, the guy putting it all together? I don't know; but it's a shame, because I saw some interesting names involved, and would've liked to see what they came up with), the project seems to have run aground. So, not to let good work go to waste: here's my list, complete with intro, that was intended for that project. Hope you enjoy it!

Now, you can't avoid highlighting a lot of firsts (first hip-hop record, first female hip-hop song, first west coast hip-hop record, etc); but I tried not to get too carried away with "firsts." And I tried not to just name the biggest sellers. In both cases, everybody participating would just wind up making the same independently verifiable lists that each of you readers could also just as well have put together on your own. So, what was the main deciding factor for what made my list? Influence. I picked the songs that changed the game... that made producers and MCs adapt new styles, or that switched audiences expectations of what a hip-hop song could or should be.

Some of my choices are more regionally specific than others; but in all cases, I tried to pick songs that crossed those boundaries the most... the Miami bass or Boston indie singles that reached out the widest to change how people everywhere made or felt about hip-hop. I've also decided to leave out the song-specific commentary and let each song speak for itself - I think most of them do. But I'm looking forward to participating in the debate that follows our lists... not to mention the "Oh sh-!! I so should've included THAT" moments when I see everybody else's Top 100 Hip-Hop Songs.

So, without further ado... I hope you don't hate my choices too much! ;)

1. Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight
2. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message
3. The Fatback Band featuring King Tim III - King Tim III (Personality Jock)
4. Grandmaster Flash - The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash On the Wheels of Steel
5. Treacherous Three & Spoonie Gee - New Rap Language
6. Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock
7. The Sequence - Funk It Up
8. Doug E Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew featuring MC Ricky D - La Di Da Di
9. Eric B & Rakim - Eric B Is President
10. UTFO - Roxanne, Roxanne
11. Run DMC - It's Like That
12. Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg - Nothin' But a G Thang
13. DJ Mark the 45 King - The 900 Number
14. De La Soul - Potholes In My Lawn
15. Audio Two - Top Billin'
16. Souls of Mischief - 93 Til Infinity
17. 2 Live Crew - Me So Horny
18. NWA - Fuck the Police
19. Slick Rick - Children's Story
20. MC Lyte - Paper Thin
21. Boogie Down Productions - The Bridge Is Over
22. Common Sense - Resurrection '95
23. LL Cool J - I Need Love
24. Big Daddy Kane - Smooth Operator
25. Public Enemy - Black Steel In the Hour of Chaos
26. Disco Daddy and Captain Rapp - Gigolo Rapp
27. Deep Puddle Dynamics - Rain Men
28. Jimmy Spicer - The Adventures of Super Rhymes
29. Queen Latifah & Monie Love - Ladies First
30. Mister Voodoo - Lyrical Tactics
31. Stop the Violence Movement - Self Destruction
32. Eric B & Rakim - Follow the Leader
33. X-Clan - Funkin' Lesson
34. Uncle Jamm's Army - Dial-A-Freak
35. PEACE, T-Love, A.C., Nefertiti, Self-Jupiter, BJ, Ganjah K, Medusa, Ko Ko, Myka Nyne & Volume 10 - Heavyweights Round 2
36. Rodney O & Joe Cooley - Everlasting Bass
37. Too $hort - The Freaky Tales
38. Ice-T - 6 In the Mornin'
39. Asher D & Daddy Freddy - Ragamuffin Hip-Hop
40. Schoolly D - (P.S.K. What Does It Mean?)
41. Boogie Down Productions - You Must Learn
42. Ras Kass - Nature Of the Threat
43. LL Cool J - Rock the Bells
44. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don't Understand
45. T-La Rock - It's Yours
46. Run DMC - King of Rock
47. Wrecks-N-Effect - New Jack Swing
48. Dr. Octagon - Blue Flowers
49. Wu-Tang Clan - Protect Ya Neck
50. Marley Marl featuring Master Ace, Craig G, Big Daddy Kane & Kool G Rap - The Symphony
51. Puff Daddy & Mase - All About the Benjamins
52. Master P featuring Fiend, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X & Mysitkal - Make 'Em Say Uhh!
53. Rammelzee vs. K-Rob - Beat Bop
54. A Tribe Called Quest - Check the Rhime
55. Cool C - Glamorous Life
56. 7L & Esoteric - Be Alert
57. E-40 & Keak da Sneak - Tell Me When To Go
58. Special Ed - I Got It Made
59. Invisbl Skratch Picklz - Invasion Of the Octopus People
60. MC ADE - Bass Rock Express
61. Wayne & Charlie - Check It Out
62. Afrika Bambaataa & James Brown - Unity
63. Ultramagnetic MCs - Traveling At the Speed of Thought
64. Too $hort & The Last Poets - The Ghetto
65. Poor Righteous Teachers - Rock Dis Funky Joint
66. Xololanxinco, All Deadly Jizzm, RadioInactive, Awol One & Circus - Farmers Market Uv da Beast
67. Stetsasonic - Talkin' All That Jazz
68. Double Dee & Steinski - Lesson 1: The Payoff Mix
69. Geto Boys - My Minds Playing Tricks On Me
70. Jay-Z & Foxy Brown - Ain't No Nigga
71. Kurtis Blow - Christmas Rappin'
72. Positive K & MC Lyte - I'm Not Havin' It
73. Top Priority - Let the Homicides Begin
74. Funky Four Plus One - That's the Joint
75. Chill Rob G - The Power
76. EPMD - Strictly Business
77. Public Enemy - Fight the Power
78. Biz Markie - The Vapors
79. Whodini - Freaks Come Out At Night
80. Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock - It Takes Two
81. Run DMC & Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Down With the King
82. Outkast & The Goodie Mob - Git Up, Git Out and Git Something
83. Fat Boys - Fat Boys
84. King Tee & Tha Alkaholiks - Got It Bad Y'all
85. Hip-Hop Against Apartheid - Free South Africa
86. Derek B - Good Groove
87. O.C. - Time's Up
88. Brand Nubian - Sunshine
89. Showbiz & AG - Soul Clap
90. Compton's Most Wanted - 1 Time Gaffled 'Em Up
91. Redman - Time 4 Sum Aksion
92. JVC Force - Strong Island
93. Big Daddy Kane - Ain't No Half Steppin'
94. UMCs - Blue Cheese
95. Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde - Genius Rap
96. Gangstarr - Words I Manifest
97. Main Source w/ Akinyele, Joe Fatal & Nas - Live At the Barbecue
98. Awol One with Circus and Tommy V - Mountains; More Mountains
99. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Road To the Riches
100. Spyder-D - I Can't Wait (To Rock the Mic)

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.

Newcleus: The Twixt Generation

Of course, you all know who Newcleus are, and remember their classic jams: "The Wikki Wikki Song," "Jam On It," "Computer Age," etc. And you probably have at least heard of Newcleus: The Next Generation, who came out with an album and a bunch of singles in the 90's - it was mostly new members, but a couple of the kids from the original line-up were in that one. But there was a short-lived iteration of Newcleus in between these two formations. It featured some original members, and some new members who didn't stick around to be part of the "Next Generation." This version of the group never released any albums, but they did put out a couple 12" singles on Super Power Records in the late 80's.

This is one of those in-between-stage Newcleus joints, and it's actually pretty good. They retain more of the lively, old school vibe of the original line-up, but still steer themselves more in the raw hip-hop direction of The Next Generation. ...You know, as opposed to that pop 80's sing-songy style the original crew had started drifting into with songs like "Why."

I can't say I expected to enjoy this 12" when I put it on my turntables for the first time, so it was really a nice surprise. The song is called "Huxtable House Party," an ode to the The Huxtable dance, and it came out in 1987. Huxtable, for those of you too young to remember, is the family name of the characters from The Cosby Show. Though for some reason they deny the connection: "no, we're not talking about TV; it's not Theodore and Rudy." What is it, then, if not a Cosby Show reference? Of course it's a Cosby Show reference!

The Newcleus kids (Kid Fresh and Lil'-O-Me) are still on-hand, filling pretty much the same role they did on the original hits, ad-libbing with their vocoder voices... even at one point doing a little "wikki wikki wikki." A new member takes the place of Cozmo or Chilly as the traditional, lead MC and does a pretty good job of emulating the style and the effect of his predecessors. His voice doesn't hit quite as hard or deep, but he's still holds his own on the track just fine. There's also a brief bit of singing on the chorus, which really only goes to show how "Huxtable House Party" is just all about being a light, catchy song over funky beats in the style of their greatest hits. It's not exactly 100% as good as "Jam On It;" but if you like Newcleus, you'll certainly like this as well.

The 12" has four versions: the main version, and the "Dub," "Edit" and "Bonus" mixes, all of which are pretty self-explanitory. The "Edit" is just a 4 minute version of the original six minute version, the "Dub" is a brief (2:23) instrumental, and the "Bonus" just fills out the rest of the record with bonus beats.

Before I go, I have to tell you guys about this. Newcleus has now entered into a fourth generation. The quartet of Cozmo D, Chilly B, Al T. McLaren and Lady E now make up the group, and they have a great official website over at JamOnProductions.com. Yeah, they have a myspace, too. They're working on a new album called Return To Earth. Apparently, they experienced some delays (there's an excellent blog post all about it here), but they now site March 24th as their release date. it will be CD, mp3 "and we will do vinyl as well if there is a demand." Well, I'm keen to hear it.

Today Is My Lucky Day

...My Lucky Day 12" that is. ;) I've had a flood of e-mails (if two constitute a flood, which I like to think they can) asking me about the "Ninja Tune" Buck 65 12" I mentioned in my "Wicked and Weird" post back in September. Part of that's my fault for spreading a little misinformation; it's not actually on Ninja Tune Records; so I apologize for adding any confusion.

So, no, it's not on Ninja Tune... it's actually on Tag: catalog #TAG001. Tag? Yes, as in "Tag: Body Spray for Men." It's a promotional 12" for men's body spray.

The A-side is by Airborn Audio, who appear "under license from Ninja Tune," which is what I saw on the label scan that made me think the label actually was NT. But now I own it and know better. Their song, "Inside the Globe" is taken from their album Good Fortune; and it was also released on 12" as the b-side to "Bright Lights." I can't say I ever heard Airborn Audio before (Ninja Tune as a label is usually more of a warning than a recommendation in my book), but this is actually not bad. Very backpacky lyrical. The instrumental is also included, as it was on the "Bright Lights" 12".

And the b-side, of course, is "Wicked and Weird" by Buck 65. As I covered in my previous post, the song had already been released as a 12" single, but unlike Airborn Audio's case, that 12" didn't include the instrumental version. So that makes the instrumental an exclusive to this 12".

So basically if this 12" is worthwhile or not basically boils down to whether you care about owning instrumentals on vinyl. It's also not a bad 12" to own on its own merits: one good song, one great song, and it comes in a cute, little sticker cover. But the other "Wicked and Weird" 12" features a remix and another Buck 65 song only available on the original single, so this can only be an "in addition to" rather than an "instead of." If you're lucky, though; you can pick this one up cheap like me (get it? "lucky?" eh? Eh?).