Hail the Words of Isis - An Interview with LinQue (Part 2)

...continued from part 1.
So, how did you wind up on Ruffhouse?
You know, Lyte with her genius. She sent my stuff everywhere. She was like, "What are you up to?" And I was recording and said I had a song, and she heard it and was like, "yo, I can get you a deal." I was like, "what? Get me a deal?" So she said, "just give me a chance," and she put this stuff out to everybody. And a woman named Rose at Ruffhouse/Columbia called and said, "hey, we want you to come in; we like what we hear." And I was extremely excited because the roster of Ruffhouse at that point was Cypress Hill, Kriss Kross… they had The Fugees and Nas at some point, but it was definitely one of those things where they had a roster of artists that was different. It was different. It wasn't just signing people that sounded like somebody else. It was definitely innovative and trend-setters, as opposed to being trendy. It was a great opportunity for me, and it worked while it worked, you know? Like, I had an album deal, but the industry at that point was changing, it was very much changing. And as a female emcee, I don't think female emcees get their right due now. It was a process. But as a female emcee during that timeframe, we were going from the baggy jeans and having a voice in hip-hop to more of a sexual thing. And I had to make a decision: am I going to conform to what they want me to be, or am I going to be who I am?
And sometimes with these record labels, it gets to the point where they want to sign you… and they sign you, but then they want to change you. I just never understood that. But one of the biggest things I had to learn was that this is a business. It was hard for me to accept that, but this is a business not of making music. This is a business of making money. Period. At that point, with Ruffhouse… it was really more the sexual thing with Elektra. I just think they didn't understand me. I think that the turn of the female emcee was in the midst of that, but I think they just didn't understand me. I think it would've been easier for them if I was more of a mainstream pop emcee, which I wasn't.
Well, and with the East/West thing… they seemed to have a pretty big roster, and they kind of lost them all at once.
That's the thing! You know, honestly, I think people are just tax write-offs. It works! They're like tax write-offs, you know. And with the majors, it used to be all about being on a major. I used to get so happy, "oh my god; I'm on a major!" It was this big thing where you got to go to this big building and they're sending limos, which you know, you're paying for. And there's all this crap. But at the same time, there's pros and cons to it. Because, guess what? If I'm on Asylum/East West/Elektra/WEA, they have R&B and if somebody like Mariah's coming out? Guess what? You're ass out.
My thing today is that I love being independent; I love calling the shots. But I would love a situation where it's an authentic thing, like 4th and Broadway. Because Chris Blackwell had something really special there. Because he had all this money, but he also believed in the stuff he was putting out there. You know, Eric B & Rakim was on there, Tone Loc. You had so much real music, and I just kinda miss that.
It just kind of struck me, as an outsider to the whole East/West thing, that maybe there was a shift in ownership or a whole group of people got fired. Because they had developed what seemed like a whole hip-hop wing of exciting artists - like Omniscience, SuperNatural, 8-Off…
Busta…
Yeah, and it seemed they gathered them all at once, and they lost them all at once.
You know, there's so many things that go on behind the scenes, whether they're changing staff or so many things that come into the politics, I couldn't even pinpoint what it was. I just know that I was one of the people that got dropped.
I did my whole album, and they didn't hear quote/unquote "the single." They didn't hear the single; and that's when I went into the studio and I wrote "Let It Fall." And they loved "Let It Fall."
So you did that after you'd finished the album already?
Right. 'Cause they didn't hear the single. So I did "Let It Fall," and "Let It Fall" was about the record company. That's what they loved! The irony is that's what they loved. And for me, having the three album deals and people only hearing one album has sort of typecast me to degree. 'Cause people remember me as Isis… and then they remember"This Is It" and "Rip It Up;" and then they remember "Let It Fall." But the thing is, people remember the singles that people thought were mainstream for me. Those are the ones that the record labels picked, as opposed to the meat of my artistry. I had songs that, to me, would've touched peoples' hearts, not just make them dance. So people, they want to hear "Let It Fall," whereas Godspeed for me has been such a long time coming, and it's almost like projectile vomiting. I can't wait 'till the next album, because that was like vomiting almost, because I'd been holding it in for so long. And boom! here is Godspeed. So I think the next album from me is gonna be coming from a calmer place. I don't know if "calmer"'s the right word; but it's not gonna be about me feeling stifled and this is what I wanna do.
And what happened to those two, unreleased albums? Do you have those?
I actually have them. I have them, but they belong to the record companies. I mean, they paid for them. I received a lot of money in this time period, just not the support. And after I got dropped from Elektra, Lyte was just like, "Lin, let's go get another record deal;" and I just couldn't do it anymore. I know it's great that they give you money, but it's not about that. I'm an artist, I feel like I'm stifled. I ned to express myself and I need a record label that's gonna support that, not need me to rhyme about my lips or some crazy shit. I just don't have time for that.
So I guess that means it'd be difficult for you to release those albums now?
Well, I don't know. There might be a statute where it's been like seven years, or ten years, and they go back to me… Or, honestly, I have no idea. I know people ask me that all the time, like, "yo, Lin, you should just put it out there." But it's funny, because I put my stuff on Youtube, like "Rebel Soul" and "The Power of Myself Is Moving," and I have my other ones. And the record companies are trying to say, "she can't put them on there!" Or, "it's ok, I'm giving her permission to put it on there, but I want to advertise on her pages." It's like they've still got their hands in my pocket, and it's years later!
Yeah, because this is a year - and 2007 somewhat, too - where a lot of older stuff is getting released for the first time, or getting re-released. Like I think audiences have shown they're really open for the lost music to come out allthese years later.
Actually, you might've sparked something. Because that might be something the record companies might be interested in doing. It's no skin off of their's; it's already done. It's not like they have to put any money into it. I mean, if they wanted to, they could do some promotion, but it's not like I need a budget - an album budget. It's already done.
Yeah, because you certainly could press up at least a limited run and easily sell out.
Exactly. So you might've sparked something.
So, then when you came out of Elektra, one of the other emcees who got dropped from them was Champ MC…
Yes! Oh, yes. And that's one of the main reasons I joined Five Deadly Venoms. Because we were always on tour, and already had a chance to vibe with Champ. And she's cool. She's a female emcee, she's hard with it, she can write, she can rhyme. So when they came up to me and was like, "hey Lin, we have this new group called the Five Deadly Venoms, and we'd love for you to be the fifth one - the flame thrower. And we're shooting a video tomorrow; would you like to come down?" And I was like, well, what other girls do you have? And they said Finesse of Finesse and Synquis who I remembered but didn't really met her before. And they had N-Tyce, who worked with Method Man and Wu before. And they had this girl named J-Boo who was a newjack from Queensbridge, but she could hold her own. And then they said Champ; and I said, "Champ? Cool! Let me come down, and let me see what's good." And what I loved about the situation was that it was a type of Wu-Tang situation where you could be down with the group, but you're really a soloist. That I loved, because I always love to maintain my own persona, and I'm on my own agenda anyway for what I wanna do with my art.
So when I joined them, I was in the "Bomb Threat" video and we worked together for a long time. We were doing shows every week. Every weekend, we would be going out and traveling. And the crazy thing is, due to business reasons, it just never worked out. We had an album deal, on A&M Records, and they just weren't going to give me what I wanted. So I had to kind of go about my business.
It seemed like The Deadly Venoms floated around a lot of labels, without really getting much out.
Well, here's the thing. I hate to say it, because I could be wrong, but… well, this is not wrong: beinga female emcee is fucking hard. It's hard because this particular genre of music is misogynistic, it's stereotypical, it's male-dominated, and when it comes to females, they'd rather see you than hear you. It seems. That's what I mean, I don't know if I'm right or not. Because I ask people: does every woman in your life have to be wifey? Can you listen to your sister, your mom, your daughters? You know, do you hold these conversations? Because it seems as though, when it comes to hip-hop, they only wanna see one thing when it comes to females.
I don't know if you had a chance to see that thing they had on BET: Hip-Hop vs. America 2?
No, I haven't seen it.
Oh my god. If you get a chance, it's online. It's three parts, hosted by Lyte and a gentlemen I forget his name. It's all panels. If you're a true hip-hopper, it's some shit you need to see. But it talks about the misogyny and how female emcees went from having a voice to having a pole. It's sad because we're in a business, like I said; when it comes down to it, it's about making money in this business. And so these record labels are going to sign you if you can make them some money.
Da Brat was actually the first female to go platinum. It took a decade, over a decade, for a female to go platinum. Ok? This was after Latifah, Lyte, Monie, Sparky D. Now Salt-N-Pepa went platinum, but they're a duo and they were pop music. It was hip-hop, but more of a mainstream thing. But Da Brat, after a decade, was the first female to go platinum. You know, it's just progressed to where you have no female emcees representing. I mean, don't get me wrong, there are people there. But now Remy's in jail, Eve is doing acting. And Eve, to me, was like the baby Lyte. Her songs had purpose, messages, it wasn't just about shaking your ass and stuff like that. We need that. We need the Lauryn Hills. But it almost seems that the door is closed, and unless you're willing to cross that line, which is - for a female - ok, I have to sell myself through sex. I have to pretty much whore myself. And the smart ones will have to pretty much whore myself and have principles, whatever the fuck that means!
And it's hard for a person like me, because this is my life… this is what I love to do. But I've had to let go of that, and it's painful. It's painful because I feel like this is what I'm meant to do in life, but I've had to do it independently, which is hard. I don't have money like majors, so I'm not where I would like to be right now. People don't hear my music where they need to hear it, you know? It's only if you are on of those true hip-hoppers that goes fishing on the internet, or you stay on top of things. But as far as marketing and promotion that's gonna go overseas and get big, big, big - I don't know females that get that type of attention. Unless they're doing some crazy shit.
That or they're part of a crew, like if G-Unit picked somebody and said, "this is our female MC."
Right. And if you think about it, most - and I man most, like 95% - female emcees have come out on the credibility of a man. Period. Even Isis - from X-Clan. Lyte - Audio Two. Remy - Terror Squad. Rah Digga - Flipmode. That's it. Missy's pretty much the only one, but Missy had her foot already in the door, because she was writing for big people. It's already been on the credibility of a man who's sold already in the past. It's never been about, "oh, this woman's great, let me sign her." They have no idea, really.
So, is that what labels are asking you first, like what crews are you down with?
I actually think a man would actually have to go in there with your demo, as opposed to you going. I don't think you could go and be like, "hey, I'm down with Terror Squad!" I don't think you'd even get a meeting. You know what I'm saying? Fat Joe's gotta go in there and say, "yo, I've got this chick. She's dope; I'm co-signing this shit, and that's that." Except L'il Mama, I don't think she's down with anybody. But we're talking about the difference between an entertainer and an emcee. Like, where's the last Lauryn Hill, a female who has mainstream appeal but is actually a lyricist?
And of course Lauryn Hill started that way, too, with the men from the Fugees.
Exactly. So it's hard, as a female emcee… it's a toss up. And I used to say, "no, it's not," because that's how I felt back then. Because then I had the support of my brothers, you know? X-Clan, Blackwatch… But especially now, when it's a complete draught. It's an extinction almost. There are no female emcees out there that's sayin' shit. And this is no disrespect to anybody from before, because I'm talking about the present moment right now. Who is representing hip-hop right now as a female?
Although, it seems right now there aren't many men doing it either.
Yeah, no. You're right. Because, right now, where are your male lyricists? Lyricists. I'm not talking about no dance music, no pop music. I'm talking about that shit that makes you go home and listen to it over and over again, and you're not dancing. Just like, "oh shit!" You're blown away, you know what I mean? Where is that? So if that's not there on the male agenda, you know it's not there on the female agenda… because how much percentage are we anyway, when it comes to hip-hop? I think a lot of people think it happened, and that's it.
And I think you have that in every genre of music: jazz, rock, r&b. You start out with music with that authentic vibe, it hasn't been touched or violated; and that's because it hasn't gone platinum yet. And once it goes platinum, that's it. They keep that formula and that's it - this is how it has to be. I mean, if I hear another hip-hop/r&b song that sounds the same… it's like, "my god!" The beat's the same, the lyrics are the same. Jeez, I can't do it.
Well, it's interesting, because you've done some guest verses, etc on some r&b…
Mm-hm.
So, for you, is that just like an unfortunate compromise, or…?
No, no, no. I haven't done that much. I've done stuff with Mary J. Blige, this is back then: "You Bring Me Joy" remix. And I've worked with Monifah, although you guys haven't heard it yet (it'll come out soon). She's an artist I llok up to and have enormous respect for. It doesn't mean that if there's an artist out there who I don't consider an "artist," but more of an entertainer, that I wouldn't do it. But I just wanna get out of this kind of monotony. …I think that any track I'm gonna be on, I'm gonna stop the monotony anyway. I don't care who it is. It's just my style and the way I approach a beat. But when you think about it, across the board, when it comes to r&b or whatever, it is stagnated. It's all about the money. It takes the heartbeat out of the music. You know, music saved my life when I was little. If I didn't have that shit, I don't know… I don't know. I don't know where I might be. I might be dead, in jail, I don't know. Seriously, it like calms the beast for real. So, these young kids now, I feel bad for them. Because they're being short-changed and they don't even know it.
Let me ask you this: do you remember doing a song with DJ Bazarro and the Dysfunkshunal Familee?
Ah, that's so crazy because I saw DJ Bazarro just the other day, because I'm down with the Stop the Violence Movement music with Krs-One. So I just saw his face the other day. Now, I don't remember. How long ago was this?
I think it was around '95 or so?
Oh my god, I don't know. Now I've done so many different things here and there, especially after I left Elektra. Or after I got dropped from Elektra… after they left me! After that, I did so many different things; and you're talking about the 90's, it's a blur.
Well, one of the biggest ones I know of is the one with Finsta.
Oh wow! You really are a true hip-hopper. You're talking about "It's Uzelezz," which is something we did here, but it was for overseas. And Evil Dee, I believe, did the beat. I think. Did Evil Dee do the beat?
Well, there's two versions, actually. I think he did the remix.
Oh. You know more than me, and I'm on it! I'm gonna have to call you. I didn't even know there's two versions; I only heard one. Wow. Then, you would've loved the stuff I did with Five Deadly Venoms. Like, there was a song we recorded with Kurupt that was hot.
Oh, I think that did come out. I've seen a 12" around by Deadly Venoms with Kurupt.
Yeah, but I'm not on there. That's different.
Well, speaking of different versions of Deadly Venoms… how much of what's out there was legit, versus like bootlegged or whatever?
"Bootlegged?" What do you mean?
Well, like with the Echo stuff? Like I know they put out a bunch of Sunz of Man material and a Shabazz the Disciple EP as well as Deadly Venoms… and when I interviewed Shabazz, he said flat out that he felt they had no rights to the material, and it was all bootlegged.
No, I hadn't heard. I left by then… I have no idea.
And what's that video I saw you put out, "Breathe, Spit, Don't Stop?" I don't think it's on the album…
That was something I recorded just to put out there. I recorded that with Ayatollah, who's worked with Tupac and so many others; he's real authentic. We put that online, just to put it out there. Because I haven't been doing shows like I'm supposed to be doing. And the reason for that is becauseI'm looking for a DJ, and it's been horrific. No, really. Horrific. Today they don't realize that DJs bring something to the table. They don't just push a button. On interviews I've been doing with DJs, and they can't mix a record! DJing is one of the core elements of hip-hop, and today they don't know. Plus there were family issues, my dad got sick, out of commission, and I've had to attend to that. But now I've just finally found a DJ who can really do that and add something. Because that's what I like! A DJ who can add to the shows and be a part of it. His name is Sugar Ray, with Torn Styles, so I'm going to start doing shows. And also we've got another video we're about to shoot, too, called "Nothing's Changed." That's about to come out. Because this new material has been a long time coming.
The album's called Godspeed for a reason.
So, if you guys want to pick up Godspeed, it's available of course in the usual Itunes-type places as a download, but there are real, hard copies available, too, at CDBaby. Of course, Lin Que has a myspace, so you can drop by there and check out her music. She has also has her own, decked out official website at Lin-Que.com, so be sure to drop by there as well.

Tags: Lin Que, Isis, LinQue

Hail the Words of Isis - An Interview with LinQue (Part 1)

Today, I'm excited to bring you guys a brand new interview with Lin Que (f.k.a. Isis). We talk about everything from Blackwatch to The (Five) Deadly Venoms to her new album. Oh, you didn't know about that? Don't worry. I got links, as always, at the end. 8)
To start out, how did you start out hooking up with Blackwatch?
I actually had started doing things related to hip-hop a while before even meeting Lumumba and all of X-Clan. I danced a lot; I actually got into the business through dancing - I pop-locked. So I used to be in a lot of hip-hop videos; and the manager I had earlier on said, "you know what, Lin? I hit a ceiling with you. I think I'm gonna introduce you to somebody who can take you a lot farther." And he - actually the person's name was Dwayne Hayward - he was actually the person who introduced me to Professor X, Lumumba Carson. And when I met Lumbumba, he said, "ok, this is what we're about… the name of our group is called X-Clan, the movement's called Blackwatch; and basically we want to help spread the word of black pride through our music." And the rest is history from there.
So he took you on as a dancer at first, too?
No, at that point I was rhyming. And it's so funny because at that point, although I was rhyming and I was writing my own rhymes… the guy that was managing me had somebody else writing my rhymes. I was still writing on the side, but it was almost the norm for females not to be writing their own lyrics. So the great thing about X-Clan and Professor X is that gave me the opportunity to write my own lyrics, you know what I mean? Which is great, because I believe if you're emceeing - as opposed to rapping - if you're emceeing and true to hip-hop, you write your own rhymes. You know, it's not just entertainment; it's a way of life, our culture.
Although you actually write for some other people…
Well, I have in the past… written for Lyte. But the song that I wrote for Lyte was different. The song that I had for Lyte, it was one of those little, playful things. It was called "Hard Copy" and it was on her Ain't No Other album. And it was basically a sixteen-bar verse called "Hard Copy" because each emcee would attack the verse in their own way. So it wasn't so much me writing a whole song for her or anything like that… it was me, Lyte and another female emcee named Kink-EZ. So that was just something playful for me to do, as opposed to me taking on an artist and kind of creating an artist's image or whatever have you.
Ok, well then, as you were recording as Isis… or actually, first of all, where did the name Isis come from?
Well, Professor X gave me the name. Our whole ideally, or concept, at that point was teaching black youth black pride through Egyptology - letting them know that we came from kings and queens. And Isis, even though it's the Greek version of Usat (the Egyptian version of the same goddess), because that's what he felt. And I got that pretty much in the early part of me joining the Blackwatch Movement.
So how did that come together? Because having Lumumba as manager didn't necessarily make you a member of Blackwatch, I don't think. Like he had Pete Nice and Positive K, who weren't necessarily members, per se…
Right. Well, the thing is… for me it did. For me it did. Because as an artist and a writer, I began writing because in the beginning, prior to me meeting them, my rhymes were battle rhymes. Especially being in that particular timeframe, that's what it was all about. So when I joined them, I began reading books about Egyptology and I believed in what they were trying to do. So it was a perfect fit for me. It wasn't entertainment, you know what I'm saying? It wasn't about a record deal. It was a perfect fit for me, not just as a person who wants to come out and make an album, but as an artist, as a human being, and as a female emcee… to come out there and actually learn things other than sixteen bars, get on the mic, this is entertainment, let's just get on stage. It was so much bigger than a record deal.
So, how much of the music - like, the instrumental music, came out of your input? Like, I know it was produced mostly by Paradise…
It was produced mostly by Paradise, but honestly on Rebel Soul, which was my first album, I had a lot of say-so in reference to the beats. Because I was very much into hip-hop, but I was also into house music.
Right, because some X-Clan stuff had a little bit of house to it, but you had a lot more.
They had the funk, that George Clinton thing. So it wasn't so much a tyranny, when it came to production. They took into consideration the type of vibe I was on and the type of music I liked. Because I was very much into house music as well.
And who did the remixes on "Hail the Words of Isis?"
Wow… the remix? I don't remember there being a remix to "Hail the Words" There was "Face the Bass"… Actually, there was - that might be Stereo MCs, from London. Actually, you know what, if you didn't mention it, I would've forgot all about that! Because, you know, they were doing so much… 4th and Broadway, you know, had 4th and Broadway in London; and we were doing so many different things with people as well, overseas; so you're absolutely right. I think that was a Stereo MCs remix.
So, after 4th and Broadway kind of closed down, and X-Clan moved, Professor X moved… what happened with all that to you other guys?
Well, this is the thing. When we left 4th and Broadway, X-Clan went to Polygram. And I think they wanted to sign one act - what they consider quote, unquote "one act" - and I actually felt I wanted to go in a different direction anyway. When I say a "different direction," I was at a certain point in my life, as a female and a female MC, to say: of course, to me, Blackwatch really was like the seed of belief and self esteem. I was like in my teens, you know? I was in my teens and was like, "ok, this was such a spiritual experience for me," and it was the beginning of me learning self esteem. But I didn't want to just limit myself to just speaking about my race. I wanted to speak about my experiences - and there were a lot of experiences I was going through at that point. Being in the industry, being a female, you know what I mean? And also being a mother, a young mother at that time… there was so much as an artists I wanted to get out.
So I actually took a break. I needed a break,because again, Blackwatch for me was not about a record deal; it was so much more than that. And I needed a break from the industry. Learning the business was very hard. I still don't like the business. I don't. It's like a necessary evil for me. One of the hardest things I had to realize was that this business was not about talent. It's about ten percent talent, and ninety percent who you know. And that, to me coming up as an artist, was like heart-wrenching to me. Like, I didn't know how good I had it until I left 4th and Broadway. 4th and Broadway was really the only record label that believed in me, believed in my vision, and saw it for what it was… and put the money behind it. I've had three album deals in my life, and you guys only heard one album from me. My last album, Godspeed, is one that I shopped myself. So when I say three album deals, I mean three major record labels.
So I had to learn the business. And who better to learn the business from, being a female emcee, than MC Lyte? And it was a weird thing because we would always see Lyte when we were on tour… we'd see Lyte sporadically here and there. So we had met before, and I guess - I can't even remember - but I guess one day, she was like, "so what are you up to now?" Because I needed a break, because it was hard for me. I was an artist; it's not just about "go to this meeting…" I'm not into that. I just rhyme, I wanna write, and I want to be in the studio and on stage, you know? But Lyte was like, "it's not just about that, Lin. If you want to be taken seriously, and if you want to be successful, then you have to learn the business." And hence Ace Entertainment and Duke the Moon - we opened up companies together. And she really helped me progress in learning all the ins and outs of the business that I didn't know, and I needed to know.
And was she involved… like I know she was involved in the East/West stuff, but was she involved in the Ruffhouse stuff at all?
Yes. Absolutely, it was prior to that. It was Duke the Moon at that point. I was like the first artist off of our management and production company. We had also Backspin, a producer who worked with Busta Rhymes and a lot of other artists and was very talented. And we had groups like Born In Hell, two brothers from Brownsville, and we had Bamboo, and we had Yardman. So we had a roster of people that we believed in and who we really wanted to help shapen that vision and also sort of protect them from the industry, because the industry is harsh. So, yes. The answer is yes, she was involved in the Ruffhouse/Columbia deal as well.
And what about the other Blackwatch artists when X-Clan moved, like Queen Mother Rage, Unique and Dashan? Had you really tried to collaborate with them again?
Actually, no I haven't. I've actually spoken with Rage recently, and I saw brother J recently when he came into town - because he's really out in LA. So we've talked about it, but we haven't really solidified it. Everybody's kinda doing stuff, and they're busy and they're all over the place. So it's definitely something that we've talked about, but something we need to solidify.
And did they ever come to you earlier? Because, I know X-Clan… they just put out their comeback album not too long ago, but they'd been talking about it and doing interviews about it for years.
Yes. It's been such a journey. Because I also have my own business. I got to a point, after my third album deal and my company not - in my eyes - not supporting me in the way that I needed to be supported as an artist. I had it. I had it with the industry. And as much as I love it - because, you know, this is my oxygen. Hip-hop is the oxygen that I breathe. But I had to say, "you know what? I'm not doing this anymore. Because it's killing me. …Literally." I know it sounds very dramatic, but it was killing me. And I got to a point where I was like, I can't do this anymore. First of all, I have a son. It's not paying my bills, and I have to live. It's not just me; I have to take care of my child. And I opened up a company called QUEB Inc. with my best friend and business colleague, Barb Sharon. We opened up a company; it's an advertising firm. We actually started in fashion design, because we always got approached for us to do some urban agenda for a big clothing line.
Was that just because you were a female rapper, or…?
Maybe. You know, a lot of these people were hanging out… because you had people like Grand Puba talking about Tommy Hilfiger gear. It's like, you know, the rappers were kind of endorsing the fashion now. So you get a lot of people in hip-hop clubs who were not just hip-hoppers. You know, fashion people. And we would get approached. And we took all these freelance jobs andeventually were like, "why don't we just open up a company?" And anything I can get paid for and be creative with, to me, is a wonderful thing; because I don't consider myself this nine-to-fiver. I've never done it. I did it maybe when I was very, very young, but it didn't work with me and for me. And as we QUEB Inc., we went form fashion design to graphic design to web design to TV commercials to video production… and we've expanded into so many different things now. It's my company that put out my music, and it's my company that manages me, and markets me, and promotes me. But we also were juggling other jobs as well, so I'm like the juggler these days.
Ok, and my last question about the Blackwatch days… what was the thinking behind the use of the term "vainglorious." Because, really, it doesn't have that positive a connotation [my little Compact Dictionary here defines "vainglory" as, "empty boasting" or "excessive vanity"].
Well, you know, that would be something unfortunately to ask Professor X. Because that was his thing. I think it was more of a paradox, as opposed to a literal thing, but he would be the best one to explain it… but as you know, he passed in 2006. But you know what's crazy is that, one thing that I like to say whenever I'm interviewed about Blackwatch, is that it was such a huge experience, not only with the people like Brother J, Queen Mother Rage, YZ, and the artists out there in the forefront. But it was a movement of young people all over the country and overseas, that were really taking pride in who they were. It really was for me - I can't really speak for others, but I think it was for them as well - what really sparked out self esteem. It started with our race, but developed into us getting in tune with who we were as people, as humans, as artists, as females, as men… whatever you want to say. But it was such a movement that I wish, actually, it was still in effect today. Because I think, with the state of hip-hop today and where it's at right now, I think that heartbeat, and that vigor that hip-hop used to have for me, is kind of missing.
But there's a lot of things in the works, that I'm not privy to speak about right now… but there's a lot of emcees right now that are on the forefront. It's not about weaning out what'sout there now, because it's not about that. When I grew up in hip-hop, what I loved about it is that we had a whole Baskin-Robbins type of vibe. You know, you had all these different flavors, and you could get into whatever you wanted to get into. And today it's like there's only one flavor - it's like going to Baskin and Robbins and they're like, "nah, we don't have that." That's it. No sprinkles? "Nah." No banana split? "Nah. Vanilla cone. That's it." Only one cone, you know?
And I think it's stunted us, as artists; and also as hip-hop listeners. It's completely limited us. And for me, there's a whole array of emcees - and when I say emcees, I spell it "e-m-c-e-e-s" - across the country, that are on the forefront of recreating this hip-hop movement and bring back… in addition to what's out there now. Not replacing it, but in addition to what's out there now. Because there's a need for all of it. I'm an artist; I believe in the whole spectrum, you know, happy-happy, joy-joy. There's an array of artists that are coming out to preserve the culture of hip-hop. And some of them are young, believe it or not. Some of them are like myself that lived it, that miss it, that loved it. And some of them are a lot of the young ones, too, that know the deal. I didn't realize that until this album came out for me, and I got to travel more, and speak to fans more, and speak to young kids more. These young kids know the difference; a lot of them do. I didn't believe that. See, I was going by the radio. I can't even listen - like for the last almost decade, I can't listen to the radio. I just can't.
Yeah, I'm the same way. It's all old tapes or underground records.
Videos? I can't even look at videos. People say, "I saw your video!" Like, oh really? What station? 'Cause I don't know! I'm not looking at these things. I can't do it; it hurts.
To be continued immediately...

Tags: Lin Que, Isis, LinQue

Rarely Demented

It's shipped and I just got mine today: The Cenobites' Demented Thoughts EP! It's a limited (200 copies) of unreleased material from the classic pairing of Godfather Don and Kool Keith from 1993-1996. The masters for six long lost Cenobite recordings were recently discovered by Bobbito and have now been pressed up on this real nice vinyl release. Only one of the tracks, "Hot Crib Promo" featuring Cage, has ever seen any kind of release before: an off-the-air radio recording on Cage's For Your Box cassette compilation... But, while that version features a little extra music at the beginning (a Clockwork Orange soundtrack interlude, probably not from that same session, but just mixed in for the tape); it ends before Don's awesome verse! So this is clearly the definitive version.

Interestingly, this is almost more of a Godfather Don solo release... Kool Keith is only really featured on one track (a really ill verse he kicks on the last song, "Slaves"), and of course Don produced all the tracks as well. Otherwise, it's just all Don, with guest verses by Bobbito and the aforementioned Cage collabo. And you know what's wrong with a vintage Don solo release - nothing!

Now, this still leaves some Cenobites material unreleased... even with the rerelease of the original EP including two extra tracks, and the third release featuring even another. All those and this EP add up to 16 songs, and there's definitely other radio recordings floating around out there. So hopefully somebody can dig up the masters for those as well. But for now I'm happy, 'cause this EP is dope!

Now, I believe most of the copies have already been pre-sold, but UGHH supposedly has the last ten available, so if you're interested, be quick. 8-)

Tags: Cenobites, Godfather Don, Kool Kieth, Bobbito

Pass da Remix

"Pass da Mic" is Da Youngsta's [what's with that apostrophe, by the way? Is their name meant to be an incomplete, possessive noun? I guess what it can only mean is that the trio, collectively, is the belonging of some mysterious entity known only as Da Youngsta!] second single off of their first album. It's also their best song, and the only song off their debut to feature a guest verse: Mentally Gifted of The Hilltop Hustlers*, which definitely helps. So four MCs kicking freestyle verses over a dope beat, with a simple hook ("pass the mic, yo, pass the mic!")... what more could you want?

Well, how about a Pete Rock remix? Yup. The remix, actually credited to Pete Rock and CL Smooth, is the real reason most people would probably pick this up today (and why the price never sinks to bargain bin status online). This track is as fresh and addictive as anything the duo were doing back in the day.

What's also interesting about this remix is that it's a lyrical remix as well. Qur'an's first verse (by the way, this is where he spits the line "money growin' like grass for the mass appeal" that Gangstarr made famous) and Mentally Gifted's last verse stay the same, but the other two completely abandon their verses for new ones.

Tarik's original verse started by talking about how, "Honeydips flip cause they know I'm well equipped. They drop their bottom lip, then they start to unzip the XYZ. But I ain't down with HIV; so I keep my J-I-double-M-Y in my back pocket, just in case I wanna knock it." Considering how they were 11 years old when they recorded their debut album, it's easy to imagine why someone figured they ought to make a few alterations before shipping the video out to MTV. So instead he went with a more typical, posse cut style freestyle verse that goes, "I've come to riggidi-riggidi-rip the rhyme again and again and again. I go for what I know, more ready than I've ever been," etc.

Taji also changes his verse. "You're unstable, unable to get on a weak label. You still be home writin', watchin' me on cable. Steppin' to me, yo, you're bound to take a fall. I put you in pocket like an eight ball**," becomes "I'm known to riggidi-riggidi-rip rip a rhyme [yes, both verses start out with the phrase "riggidi-riggidi-rip a rhyme" on the same version of the same song... seems like Quality Control was asleep at their post on that one] like Jack the Ripper. Slick syllables slip; I got more juice than citrus. Suckers can't get with this - I ring more bells than a Jehovah witness." So yeah... both verses are completely, 100% different than the originals. It's hard to say which verses are better (except for thankfully dropping the uncomfortable references to 11 year-old sex)... I'd say it's a dead tie. But having them be different makes the whole listening experience less repetitive since both versions are on this single, and the original beat by LG is pretty tight, too.

And to answer your question before you ask it: yes, there is an instrumental to the Pete Rock remix. There's the dub version, with the background vocals still on it, and the instrumental proper. They don't include the instrumental to the LP version, but oh well. They got the important one.

I've upped the picture of the cassette maxi-single, since it's got a picture cover. The 12" is a sticker cover, with just their logo and the track-listing on it. Said track-listing is the same on both formats though, and also feature one more song: the album track, "Neighborhood Bully," which pretty much vindicates all your preconceived notions based on the title ...which is to say it's exactly what you think it is, but the beat is dope. Again it's by LG, who pretty much did their entire debut LP, which makes sense since two of Da Youngsta's are his sons. How else do you think these little kids got major label record deals?

Today Da Youngsta's [file under Y, people, not D. You wouldn't file "The Youngsta's" under T, would you?] have long since split up after their last album - which was I'll Make You Famous, not No Mercy as most online write-ups would have you believe - but they still maintain a myspace page. Qur'an has gone on to become a producer in his own right, and has his myspace here. Meanwhile, Taji a.k.a. Taj Mahal has some tracks up on his myspace, where he's working on a solo career as an MC... or at least he was in 2006, when he upped all that material.

*I'm pretty sure this is who Hansoul was referring to in my last post, since their was no one actually named "MG" in Da Youngsta's.

**Update 7/16/08: This is a total bite! Man, I knew I'd heard that verse before, and have been trying to place it for the last couple of days. Taji's original verse is completely lifted from Mentally Gifted's cameo on Cool C's "Watch Your Back" off of Life In the Ghetto from the year before - not just the part I quoted... the bite keeps right on going. Da Youngsta's really hyped themselves as being better and realer than all the other kiddie rap groups out there because they wrote their own rhymes... let's just say this doesn't exactly alleviate my skepticism on that score.

Tags: Da Youngsta's, Mentally Gifted, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, LG

The Lost Ghetto (A Short Interview with Hansoul)

I've been searching for so long, and so diligently, for Hansoul's "Every Ghetto's the Same" 12", that I was beginning to seriously doubt it existed. Thankfully, Hansoul (who's still putting out music, in case you didn't know... more on that below) himself was good enough to answer my questions on the subject and help a fan out. 8)

He told me, "the fact of the matter is that in my 'old life' as an artist e.g. Before Christ (BC) there was an album and that single; and videos done for those songs and things were ready to come out and airing and receiving rotation. But prior to its official store release I truly had an experience and was touched, and met Jesus in a way I had never met Him. I then rededicated my life to Him and pulled the album and told video jukebox and others to stop airing it and spinning it. This is what occured. I have parted all ways with all music I did that was not Glorifying to my Lord Jesus Christ."

So it was pulled before its official store release, which would explain how hard it's been to find, of course... but were there ever any promo copies pressed or anything? There must've been something... I also thought it was surprising he disowned his previous catalog when he had already been a pretty positive rapper. I mean, compare "Imagination" to the NWA-insipired gangsta rap that was jumping off on every label under the sun that year - he wasn't exactly Brother Lynch Hung before he found Christ.

He answered, "it was only released underground, and we pulled it prior to official release.... what I used to think was positive I realize now was not positive."

So now I'm hunting for a 14 year-old, underground record which was only put out on a handful of promo copies. Wish me luck with that.

And yeah. If you didn't already know, Hansoul's been putting out a fair amount of music in the 2000's. He said to me, "I currently have an album out that is banging; you should pick it up, it will really bless you... you can get it in stores or on my myspace. It is entitlted 'Jesus Saves!' MG that was with the Youngsta's and others produced and are on it."

Jesus Saves is his third album since his old stuff (there was a 12" single as well). He's also collaberated with Mentally Gifted - yes, the same one from The Hilltop Hustlers back in the day - Ready Rock C(!), and his crew, The Fishermen. His first and third albums are available on his myspace. Check it out. And let me know if you ever come across a copy of "Every Ghetto's the Same." :)

P.s. - Happy ID4!

Tags: Hansoul

I Ain't Afraid of No Spirit

^Video blog!!
(Truly frightening original content created for this blog rather than linked content by somebody else.)

Tags: Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew, Bomb Squad

InstaRapFlix 9: Lyricist Lounge: Hip Hop Video Classics

I was all set to have a new video post, but the encoding is taking for-frikking-ever, so I said to heck with it, stormed away and consoled myself with a Netflix quickie on a friend's PC. That video update's still coming tomorrow, but for tonight I've selected: Lyricist Lounge: Hip Hop Video Classics (Netflix rating: 1 star).

First of all, I don't know what this supposedly has to do with The Lyricist Lounge, except they've got their name in the title. The opening credits show DJ Spinbad doing a little cutting and then we jump right into Run DMC & Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" video. See, here's the idea: DJ Spinbad does a mix of a few major, commercial hip-hop tunes, and the music videos are mixed (i.e. back-cued) along with the music.

It's kind of interesting at first. But the novelty quickly vanishes because, like your typical lame-o mixtape, the DJ actually does very little creative work. You wind up watching the videos straight, forgetting it's some "super special DJ video mix" until suddenly the image stutters and repeats itself a few times to match some scratching. Then it goes back to playing like normal for the next five minutes.

This idea might've been a lot more interesting if they got a DJ like Mixmaster Mike to really cut up and destroy a whole TON of songs, giving you this wild collage of intersplicing imagery. I mean, I don't know if that would be cool or horribly annoying, actually; but I guess until Mike decides to give it a go, we'll never find out.

It's hard to imagine someone would want to pay retail for a short (52 minutes including credits, or 13 music videos total) mix of some ultra-mainstream songs (stuff even your little sister who doesn't listen to rap surely already owns on CDS), where you can't even watch the videos all the way through. Oh, and they use only the clean, edited-for-commercial-television versions. He even does annoying name-drops over the mix, in case some shark DJ out there was thinking of biting his ultra-rare recording of "Passin' Me By!"

I mean, it's not terrible. though they're all obvious, some of the choices are fun old school songs; and any chance to watch a Chubb Rock video (by far the most "underground" artist featured, and of course they selected "Treat 'Em Right") is gonna be entertaining. So even though the playlist feels like it was written by a VH1 music exec who just wiki'd the phrase "big rap hits," they ARE still great hip-hop songs. But basically the gimmick - largely because it's so undercooked - winds up adding nothing and even detracting from the experience. A DVD of 50 minutes worth of straight music videos would be more worth the purchase (and judging by the Netflix rating and comments, most users feel the same). But I'll give 'em a half a point for a germ of an idea at some early stage of the development process, for whatever that's worth. Instawatch it if you're bored. I did.

It's Just Pure Dynamite

This is just a simple post to recognize a really dope 12". A lot of you guys are probably pretty familiar with this one already, and a lot of people have probably never heard of it. This is "Pure Dynamite" b/w "Axe Maniac" by Unique, which came out on New Day Records (a spin-off label of Sugarhill Records, when they wanted a more contemporary image) in 1989.

He recorded a full album (you can see right there on the label, it says "from the forthcoming album DIE HARD"), which was tragically shelved - though most of the tracks were finally released as a limited EP from DWG, which I already talked about some time ago, here. But this was one of only two singles (and even one of those was a very limited, pretty much promo-only release) that actually came out. So there's a good chance you've never heard Unique, but those who have know why his records tend to hit the triple-digits on the Bay.

Unique's just a dope, no gimmicks MC from NJ (word up!)... from the school of Big Daddy Kane R-A-W-type rapping. He raps fast - not Tung Twista fast - just steady, short, rapid fire, clearly-enunciated freestyle rhymes over some perfect beats. On "Pure Dynamite" you've got a smooth, funk guitar riff over a break beat and finger snaps, with just a classic 45 King-style horn sample for a hook - a track he produced himself. It's not that the lyrics are deep at all, super clever, or next level "advanced," they're just fresh freestyle flows - an art that's almost been lost in the 2000's.

"Bubble gum rappers,
Young whipper-snappers
Don't step to this
'Cause Unique's too treacherous
Eatin' competitors
Up like The Predator
A plan of attack on the wack rap editor
Save the handicap raps
And take a long nap
When I snap
My brain's like a rap trap
Foes are wiped out
Erased like White-Out
I won't take a break
I take 'em right out
Suckers are bumped off
Knocked off
Treated like a bad cough
Step outta line, get chomped off
I write rhymes
That'll outshine
The average battle rhyme
Try to bite a rhyme?
It's wartime
Enemies face
The rage of a nut case
Twenty-two's the age
And Newark: the birthplace"

The B-side, "Axe Maniac" is a short tribute to his DJ, Godfather D, and as you'd expect, features some hot scratching. It's co-produced by Unique, Godfather D, and K.G. of Naughty By Nature (Unique was one of their Legion of Doom posse). It's a faster beat here, with single horn stabs to keep your head bobbing to the rhymes and cuts. It's definitely a hot track you'll revisit again and again, but "Pure Dynamite" is the real masterpiece if you ask me.

Long story short, as the hardcore collectors've known for years, it's a must-have. Anytime you come across this in your digging, snatch it up. And if you come across "I'm Untouchable," send it to me. ;)

Tags: Unique

Werner's Humble, Little Guide to Getting Yourself a Record Player

I realize my blogging can be considered a little advanced (link joke!). I tend to just jump right into blogs about underground or old school artists that, realistically, most hip-hop fans today probably don't know a thing about. And I bypass their signature releases, and even their secondary albums, and go right to their obscure B-sides and indie comeback 12"'s.

Like, right off the bat, what percent of The Source's current readership (assuming anybody still reads magazines anymore... I don't know; do they?) knows who Spyder-D is? In 2008? I'd bet way less than 50%. And for my first blog about him, do I tell you guys about his underrated classics like "Placin' the Beat" and or "Big Apple Rappin'," or his role in the smerf dance craze? Do I even bother to rant about how "I Can't Wait (To Rock the Mic)" is easily one of my top ten stranded-on-a-desert-island songs? No, I jump right into a post about a single-sided promotional record from after his career had pretty much petered out (sorry, Spyder), which I suspect I may have the only copy in existence of.

And when I talk to my readers, a phrase pops up a lot. And I get e-mails with it, too. I get e-mails saying, "OMG! I've been looking for that song for 15 years! I need it! Please send me an mp3; I'll even pay! Name your price; how's $50?" And it's not even something that rare... Like, it'll be "Holy Intellect" by Poor Righteous Teachers. So, usually I'll spend 2 seconds to find a quick link for the 12" on gemm or EBay for like $5, like, "there ya go. Get the original with the picture cover, and I just saved ya $45 bucks." And that phrase comes back at me: "but I don't have a record player."

Well, anybody "advanced" enough to be reading this blog deserves to be caught up. Trust me; it'll change your life. It'll be like when you finally woke up that morning, said "to hell with this!" and got yourself a region free DVD player (you... do have one of those, don't you?). It just opens up your life to a whole new level of hip-hop love.

So all of that was just an incredibly long preamble to this:

Werner's Humble, Little Guide to Getting Yourself a Record Player

Here are two things you should know right off the bat:

Pretty much any record player will do. Unless you're planning to dethrone The Invisibl Skratch Picklz in the next DMC Tournament, you don't need a Technic 1200. Unless you have a collection of obscure jazz records from the 20's and 30's, you don't need it to play 78's. You don't need a direct drive, you don't need fancy needles, and you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars.

Record players are still easy to find. Heck, just type "record player" into Amazon's search bar and you'll already have a bunch of options. If quick and easy is your buying strategy of choice, then you're done there. Just pick one for under maybe $70 and you'll be playing records in just a few business days.

But hey, you can actually get them way cheaper than that. For a start, search EBay for "record players." If you're more the "go out and shop" type instead of the "order online" type, you can get them used super cheap. Heck, record players are common at garage sales... get yourself one for fifty cents. Ask your relatives if you can pillage their attic or basement.

Again, if you're not a hardcore club DJ or planning to practice your crab and flare scratches, you don't need any of the pricier models. Only DJs who scratch really need to worry about belt drives snapping (if you're not back-cueing every thirty seconds, it won't ever snap in your lifetime) or scratch resistant needles (just use whatever already comes with the player). Only hip-hop producers and blend tape makers care if it has pitch control on it or any other feature you can think up.

About the only thing you will want to look for are outputs. RCAs (the round red and white plugs), USB, headset- or microphone-jack plugs or whatever. It doesn't matter. Just something so you can hook it up to your stereo or computer. And even those aren't necessary if you just want to listen to your records (then it just has to have a built in speaker or speaker output - logically, there's no such thing as a record player that doesn't have some built in way for the sound to come out of it), but if you want to copy your vinyl recordings onto tape or mp3, or just have the sound coming out of your home stereo system, you'll need outputs. But don't sweat it, because every record player you come across will have outputs unless it's a crazy, old antique.

Seriously, if you love hip-hop music enough to be reading blogs like this one, there's no reason for you not to have a record player. Even if you don't have access to an essentially free one from a yard sale or older relative (and many of you probably would if you looked into it), they're still way cheaper than your ipads - and all your music doesn't disappear if your hard-drive crashes ...instead it will take a great big, house fire! Ha ha!

InstaRapFlix 8: Female American Rap Stars

Man, you know I can't stay away from these hip-hip DVDs. Well, last night I kicked back and watched Female American Rap Stars (Netflix rating 1.5 stars). This is intrinsically different, for both good and ill, from my first all-female InstaRapFlix entry, Queens of Hip Hop. Where Queens breezed through as many female MCs as possible to build up an impressive roster at the cost of sacrificing content, FARS lingers on its subjects. But, what it loses is all these interesting women and the chance to hear what they had to say. It doesn't help that this film is quickly dated (judging my who they cover and what they promote, it seems to've been filmed around 2003)... this film chases the the ladies with the biggest records at the time and treats them like towering hip-hop icons (no-hit wonder Ms. Jade, who had a record deal with Universal at the time, is featured pretty heavily), and now most of them already seem to have completely left the hip-hop culture's consciousness.

It starts out with its weakest segment, on Eve. She's interviewed, and we also get a few clips taken from interviews with other artists (DMC, Lyte, DJ Quik, and one of her producers) where they're asked about her. Well, we quickly find this film's Achilles heel: all the questions are soft-ball "is it hard being so talented"-type questions, and all anybody does is toss compliments back and forth about each other. Every time the doc shifts focus to another artist, we go to an interview clip where Iceman, our host, asks him to say what comes to mind when he says their name, and each time he only says, "queen!" Her producer says, "I remember back when Eve was signed to Aftermath," and I kinda woke up. Are we gonna talk about her time on Aftermath: why she switched labels, what it was like working with Dre, etc? Nope. That the fact he remembered when Eve was on Aftermath was all he had to say, and we move on. This entire segment is full of intercutting and jump cuts, trying to make something out of nothing, because nobody ever has anything to say.

It picks up a bit when we move on to Missy Elliot, if only because she has more than six words to share. She's interviewed on the set of one of her music videos, and one of the most fun parts is when they ask the little girls who dance in it about their experience working with Elliot. But again, it's like they only had five to ten minutes with anybody they interviewed and had to move on to let the next interviewer get in... you can even hear a manager yell at them, "you've gotta wrap it up!" during one of the questions.

So, yeah, they're clearly grabbing whoever they see at a few press spots, which kind of works... Spinderella is DJing at Lyte's show so she gives a few words, Vinnie of Naughty by Nature is at Latifah's party, Krs-One is at Lyte's event... Even Robin Leach and Steve Guttenburg(!) are available at one of the locations to briefly praise Latifah. ...Queen Latifah herself never gets in front of their cameras, though.

This film tries and occasionally succeeds - it helps that they ran into Lyte two different times, and even got a little concert footage of her to cut to (although they wind up taking it too far by cutting to the same single song WAY too many times). But for the most part it just proves that even with the best of intentions, you can't make a quality, substantive movie out of press junket interviews (which is what they are). A quick Youtube video? Sure. But a movie? These guys just never got the content.

So, that's it. Nice interview of another mediocre but not terrible hip-hop DVD, right? No! There's still another third of this movie to go. A third that has absolutely nothing to do with our female American rap stars. Heck, it's not even shot in America!

In one of the most shamelessly self indulgent turns I've ever seen in a film, our host Iceman makes the rest of the movie about himself and his rap career (apparently he has one). He's booked a show in Moscow, of all places, and suddenly this changes into an on-the-road tour doc about his show in Russia. There's not a lot to show, though... we see a little footage of him on stage, him flying first class, and he spends the rest of the time getting the locals to sell him cigars or freestyle for the camera in Russian. ...Weird!

So, if this write-up feels kind of sloppy and muddled to you, then you're beginning to get a sense of what the viewing experience is like. Bottom line: whatever you do, don't buy this DVD! But... if you're a big fan of Missy Elliot or MC Lyte specifically, it's worth clicking on for the instant view.

Tags: Female American Rap Stars

Unique and Dashan In the House

Unique and Dashan are probably the most overlooked members of the X-Clan-centered collective known as The Blackwatch Movement. And they weren't just "down" with them, like YZ or Daddy-O... these were some serious X-Clan affiliates, with their songs hosted by Professor X ("Vanglorious. This is protected by the red, the black, and the green... with a key... SISSY!"), and produced by Paradise. They dropped their album, Black To the Future on Warlock Records in 1989, and this, their only single, the same year.

Now, anyone who's listened to X-Clan and fam knows they're fond of their house music. Heck, Isis's album was filled with house cuts. Unique and Dashan managed to limit it to only one song on their album, but unfortunately (but predictably), it wound up being their lead single. ...Really, their masterpiece was "Protected By the Red, Black and Green," and "Three the Hard Way" would've been another hot single (except the line, "I'm like a jew; my job is to gyp you" could've been a sticking point). But I'm sure Warlock made the call here.

Still, if you have to listen to a house song (and sometimes you do), nobody did it better than X-Clan. Unique is the fun, fast-rapping slick talker of the Clan, and it's a shame he wasn't utilized a little more on the Clan and Professor X albums... but on his own album, he definitely showed his skills in spades. And he proved that he could even handle the dancey, poppier track, "House Is Taking Over" with expertise.

Looking at the track-listing, you might think you've got a couple exclusive remixes on hand here... the "Rare Groove Mix" and "City Beat Mix." But really "Rare Groove Mix" is the album version, and the "City Beat Mix" is just a shortened instrumental (the song is 3:42, the instrumental is 2:00). Oh, and the "Bassapella" version is exactly what it sounds like: the acapella vocals over nothing but the bassline.

The b-side is the album track, "Lumumba." In case you don't already know, Lumumba is Professor X's real name (Lumumba Carson, son of Sonny Carson, the... let's say "politically divisive" author and activist). In addition to being the front man of The X-Clan (sorry for the rhyme), he was also a manager for various hip-hop arttists including Pete Nice and Positive K, and this song is a fun, semi-throw-away ode to his management, done in a jokey reggae style - in fact, it's not even by Unique and Dashan. He's not credited on this 12", but the full-length album credits tell us it's performed by M.C. Buggs. Anyway, it's essentially decent album filler.

So, the single is a poor, probably label-driven choice - but still dope - released off of an even doper album. And for a long time, I'd always wondered what happened to Unique, who showed the raw talent and knack to be doing underground X-Clan records or be on MTV doing pop singles, but seemed to fall off the Earth after this album (he wasn't even featured on "Close the Crackhouse" for chrissakes!).

Tragically, DJ Dashan has passed on... and while I still can't really account for Unique's absence, I've found where he is now. Yes, he has a myspace page, with new music up. Apparently, he was starting his own label (Verbal Khemistry Records) and crew (Grimey All-Starz), but his "new single" is dated 2006 so I don't know if he's still pushing that anymore. To be honest, I hate the production, but if you watch his videos and pay close attention to his lyrics, you can see he's still got it as an MC. Hopefully someone in a position to do something about it will recognize the opportunities in putting this guy on with some quality beats... there's still a really nice album waiting to be made there, I believe.

Tags: Unique and Dashan