The Chubbsta in '09, Worrrrd Up!

Normally, when I get promo mp3s in my email box, I delete 'em with the rest of the spam. But when it's Chubb Rock, I gotta answer the call...


"Back In" is the first mp3 from an upcoming collaborative album by Chubb Rock and Wordsmith (a British MC, not to be confused with Wordsworth). It's a cool, subtle beat produced by regular Wordsmith collaborator Strada, and features a hook and background by a female vocalist named Kimia Collins. Apparently it's leading up to a mixtape first, called A Crack In the Bridge; and it will ultimately culminate in a proper album titled, Bridging the Gap (referring to the gap between the old and new school), due out second quarter of 2009. I'm sold already; now hurry up and put the album out. ;)

Oh, and here's the link to the mp3.
(I'd be sure and download it, too. Chubb Rock has a pretty poor batting average when it comes to following through with promised albums these days.)

Loosey's Secret Duet

"Loosey's Rap" is an okay 80's pop song by Rick James featuring guest verses by Roxanne Shanté. It's got some funky bass guitar and it's kinda fun, but nothing to get excited about. You'll dig it if someone plays it on the radio or a mixtape, but it's not surprising that there's tons of copies of this for sale all over pretty cheap, and you couldn't be blamed for passing it up. ...Except it turns out you'd be missing out on a really cool, completely over-looked B-side.

Before we get to that, though, let's quickly run down what else is on this 12". There's the main version, titled "Rix Mix," plus the instrumental. And then there's a Marley Marl remix, which is just a slight improvement over the original version, with a surprisingly classical R&B-style breakdown, a strange loop of a vocal sample of (I think) Eddie Murphy, and a cool little piano solo at the end. And there's a house mix (called "Loosey's House of Trix Mix"), which I think even house music fans would pass over pretty quickly.

Right. So now that that's out of the way, it's time to point out that there's one more mix on the B-side, called the "New Rap Version." So, why should you care about this version so much more than the others? Well, how about if we started by taking Rick James off the record? Then we replace him with Big Daddy Kane. We also throw out the whole premise of the song (singing about some sexy girl name Loosey - she's "loose," get it? Nyuck, nyuck), and just have Kane and Shanté trading braggadocio, freestyle verses back and forth over Marley's stripped-down beat (with recurring reprisals of that crazy Eddie Murphy sample). Suddenly, you've got a classic, 1988 Juice Crew track that could've come right off In Control vol. 1!

Now, you have to pay close attention to what edition of this single you're getting. There are several different 12"'s of this single, and not all of them feature the "New Rap Version" - so be careful! I should also point out that the cover and label credit Big Daddy Kane as being on the house mix, too; but that's pretty misleading. There are just short vocal samples of him and Shanté used in the instrumental. ...Like I said, pass on the house mix.

Louie, Louie (The Raps) 2.5

Louie, Louie (The Raps)

Part 1:


Part 2:

(Mini-Post) <140 Characters

I'm on Twitter now @ http://twitter.com/WernerWallenrod. You can also read my updates in the column to the right.

The Raw Factor EP

Ok, let me start with a quick run-down of who Omniscence[sic - that's how he spells it] is for those who don't know. He's a dope, punch-line oriented MC who debuted on a compilation 1990 called Back To the Lab. He put out a nice underground EP called The Funky Oneliner, which got him signed to East/West Records. They put out two singles (and featured him on the IllStyle Live! comp), one of which got rhyme of the month in The Source; but they wound up dumping most of their hip-hop acts (including artists like SuperNatural, LinQue and 8-Off) before releasing his album, The Raw Factor. Omniscence quit the game, and The Raw Factor has been one of the most sought-after unreleased albums since.

Now, there's been a good deal of confusion and misinformation online about this album, because a mix-tape was leaked onto the net several years ago, which has been titled The Raw Factor. It does feature some tracks from the album, as well as some freestyles, skits and other random joints (including his song from Back To the Lab); but it's not the actual unreleased album. In fact, most of what's on this EP is not on that mix.

Which EP? The one pictured that this article is about. This is a promo tape sent out to a magazine back in '95 when the album was still due to be released. It's six tracks off the album, five of which have never been properly released.

1. "Touch Y'all" - This is the only song that was released. It was the second 12" single released (the 12" also included a remix with Sadat X). This is still a nice treat, though, because the 12" only included the Clean Version. This one is proper, unedited mix (the mixtape includes the beginning of the unedited version as well, but it's just the first verse).

2. "Was It Just You" - This wasn't on the mixtape or anywhere else. It features a smooth, cool out groove with some nice reggae verses at the beginning and end (unfortunately, this tape doesn't include credits, so I don't know who's doing the hook or any of the beats). It's a battle of the sexes song with a fun, dirty double hook - one sung by the men and the other by the women - but full of Omniscence's freestyle-type rhymes and punchlines:

"I must confess I'm a nympho,
Run up in any bimbo;
I might even hit my kinfolk!
Even though
Sex is an indoor sport
That I support,
I hit the slut on the bleacher at the ball court.
Give me a quart of the King Cobra,
And I'll be down to get my talk on like Oprah.
Yo, love, where ya nigga at?
(Oh, he in the penile.)
Fuck her 'till she's senile;
Make her kitty-cat meow. (Meeooww!)
Need I say more?
I'm like Rudy Ray Moore;
Freakin' mad stunts from Soundview to Bayshore."

3. "My Main Man" - The first verse of this is featured on the mixtape; but on the tape it's a full song with three verses. It's another smooth track, and has Omniscence reminiscing on his past with his best friend. He's not really doing the punchline thing here (well, he still does a little, with lines like "I remember when I had no status; but you still backed me up like the Pips did Gladys"), but his MCing is still unquestionably nice. It also features some nice scratching on the outro.

4. "Keep Giving Me Love" - This is a fun track, taking a classic 80's cheesy instrumental and chopping it up into a fresh hip-hop beat, with some nice Showbiz-style horns and hard drums. Omni is in pure freestyle mode here, and the hook is pretty simple, basically just filling the short space between showcase verses. I'm surprised this doesn't show up on the mixtape even in part, since it's once of the tightest songs.

5. "Maintain" - This one is just a confusing mess on the mix-tape! Okay, first up the track called "Maintain" on the mix-tape is a different version. The beat and lyrics are both different (though the beat similar enough that I'd call this a remix or at least "Maintain part 2"). But then there's a track later on called "Maintain (Interlude)," which plays the opening verse of this, original tape version. But then you've got another track on the mix called "Greatest MC in the World" which is basically this tape version of "Maintain" again. Yes, it plays all the same music as the "Maintain (Interlude)," which is on the same mix, only "Greatest MC In the World" is longer rendering the "Interlude"'s inclusion completely pointless.

So how is the actual song? It's dope! It's got some nice vibes that for some reason could only get flipped in the early 90's. With a freaky horn loop, shouted chorus ("you gotta maintain, motherfucker, maintain!") and playful rhymes, it reminds me of The B.U.M.s.

6. "When I Make Parole" - This one is a surprise. First of all, for the record, it's not on that mixtape. Secondly, despite having another smooth instrumental, Omni kicks a surprisingly harder flow here, but it actually works. His voice is rougher, he sounds angrier, and his lyrics are definitely more street:

"I'm so incredibly criminal minded;
Puffin' that angel dust got me blinded.
Rush up on the spot with my glock on cock,
Crack rock bustin' out the side of my sock.
Stumblin' up the block,
Yo, I see this devil bitch;
Yeah, just enough to make my trigger finger itch.
'Excuse me, miss,
Do you got the time?'
Smack her in the grill with the steel-piece nine!
Gimme the jewels and the butter-soft leather.
Should I let her live, or should I fuckin' wet 'er?
Click click boom!
Gun shots to her chest;
Situation critical, I'm dippin' to the rest.
Mom duke's flippin' 'bout the rumors:
I'm goin' 'round town, rollin' with my crew, givin' out brain tumors!"

Damn, wouldn't this EP make a sweet, limited vinyl? ;)

Today, Omniscence does have a myspace. He says there, "New music on the way.Thank you to all who have visited my page.Many people have inquired about the progress of 'Once And For All' and the much sought after ''Raw Factor.' Fret not... I'm in the process of closing a deal that would allow me to release both(on separate dates) next year.Stay Tuned." ...But, unfortunately, that post is from back from the summer of '07, and he hasn't updated since. He did do a new mixtape track in 2008, though, which is on his myspace player.

I Found Love for Valentine's Day

No, I'm not talking about my personal love life (I'm not allowed to discuss that publicly until the trial is concluded and all my appeals have been exhausted); I'm talking about B-Fats. After all, this is Valentine's Day; so what better way to celebrate than by digging out an obscure 80's love rap?

B-Fats will always have a place in hip-hop history for creating the record (and the dance that goes with it), "Woppit," back in '86. But he did manage to parlay that success into a label deal to record a full-length album in 1989 called Music Maestro. And for some reason, he or the label decided to release the token love song on that album as a single. And here it is.

First of all, didn't Orpheus Records have one of the freshest label sleeves of any label? I had to leave the whole thing in the scan so you guys who don't any Orpheus 12"s could appreciate it. :)

Like all of his material, "I Found Love" was produced by Donald D (yes, The Syndicate Sniper correction (see comments): as in Donald Dee Bowden, who did records like "At the Party" and produced for Mike Gee and Cheryl the Pearl). So as a B-Fats/Donald D collaboration, it's got some nice bounce to it, especially for a love song. And that bassline is by far the best thing about this track, but the rest of it is ok. It's got a lot of instrumentation: horns, keys, synth-strings that follow the bassline - it's pretty well done. It features sappy but talented singing by Aleese Simmons and Brent Carter, mostly on the chorus (natch); but they're allowed to really go off with their own lyrics and stylings at the end.

The vocals are in that slightly-whispered, simple flow style you'd expect from an 80's love rap tune; and the lyrics are far from innovative and kinda silly:

"All that beauty,
Along with the brains;
She's a straight-up angel;
She's not about the head games.
She's so sophisticated,
Educated, soon to be orientated
Into my world,
With lots of
B... Fats... charm.
'Cause I got what it takes
To set off her alarm.
I'm all shook up,
Caught in the feeling.
She's my girl,
She's my friend,
She's my everything - word!"

...But if you're checking for this kind of record, surely that's what you're in the market for.

Don't get too excited about the 12" exclusive "Lover's Rap Mix" on the b-side, though. It's just the instrumental of the A-side (they should've called it the "Lover's Rapless Mix" or something).

Unfortunately, B-Fats never put out anything after this, but he's still around. He has a myspace here, with some new songs, as well as "Woppit," which he for some reason has titled "The Whoop" on his player. The new material features some other MCs (his new crew, I guess)... it's not bad, but for some reason the vocals are mixed way too low. Still worth checking out, though.

1/2 Steppin' 2001

I just found a Big Daddy Kane appearance I never knew about (yay, internets!). Public Announcement is a not bad but kinda bland R&B group that's been putting out albums since the early 90's. But they're mainly known for singing with R. Kelly. In 2000, they put out a single called "Mamacita" on RCA Records, which they followed up with this one: "John Doe : The New Remix," in 2001 - both from their album Don't Hold Back.

Now, you've got a couple versions of this track on the 12": The Remix Clean, The Remix Instrumental, The A Cappella and The Extended Remix Dirty. They're produced by Mike Dunn and feature a female vocalist named Mz Lelee. I did a few needle drops and it's pretty boring. And that's already more than you need to know about that.

But what's interesting about this single, is, as the sticker reads, "The Never Before Available 'Mamacita' Remix Featuring Big Daddy Kane." Specifically, it's titled the "1/2 Steppin' Remix." Now, the bulk of the song is pretty flat and lifeless, with lyrics of the "hey there, shorty; I've been feelin' you" variety; but we don't care about that part...

The production for this one is credited to Eddie James (and co-produced by Ike Lee). But it should really read Marley Marl, because they're just singing over the "Ain't No Half Steppin'" instrumental.

So this is what you do: first, fish the 12" or CD single out of an on- or offline dollar bin (Protip: all Public Announcement singles can be found in dollar bins). Then skip to the last song and start it about three quarters of the way in, and you've got yourself a nice little Kane song with him kicking a cool, contemporary verse over "Ain't No Half Steppin'." Sure, it's a little short, but still not a bad deal, right? ;)

Poison Clan Appreciation Week, Day 11: The Bitchizer

We finish out Poison Clan Appreciation Week with a quintessential, classic Poison Clan 12". You just can't do a series on JT Money, The Bitchizer, and not feature a record spittin' game about the hoes! This is the man who recorded "I Hate Hoes," "Hoe Stories," "Hoe Stories part 2," and "Somethin' 4 You Raggedy Hoes." That would be like only talking about the non-political Public Enemy songs, or only spotlighting Freddie Foxxx's love songs.

This is a six-track 12" (with, as you see, a sweet, graf-style picture cover): all versions of "Don't Sleep On a Hizzo" a.k.a. "Put Sh-t Pass No Ho" from the second album, 1992's Poisonous Mentality. It's another JT solo cut, although Uzi and a guy named Big Ram are on-hand to provide back-up vocals; and once again it's produced by Mike "Fresh" McCray. It's a great track, using the same basic groundwork as NWA's "Gangsta, Gangsta" but adding new sample layers and "Buffalo Gals" scratches, as well as deepening the bass and speeding the whole mix up a few bpm's. And JT has a nice, angry flow ("I got guns and I'm aiming at the slimy ones"). But as he says, "this is not a record about dissin' women" (although, by the time he gets to the third verse, he's done a good deal of that) it's about the men who don't know how to handle their game:

"And to my niggas in the dope game,
Who's getting stuffed with cocaine
And put it in their ho' name,
Better hope you ain't give it to the wrong bitch;
Make 'em angry, you'll have to put out ya own shit.
And ain't a damn thang you can do about it,
'Cause if it's in the bitch's name, she can put ya out it.
So to save all the drama,
Go ahead and give the shit to your sister and mama.
Let them be your main ladies;
Give your mother the house and your sister the Mercedes;
'Cause if you end up in the pen,
You know the good-for-nothin' bitch is gone with the wind,
With a fat grip and a couple of cars;
And you're looking like shit behind bars.
I knew back when I was up in the system,
Used to see niggas cryin' 'cause their hoes dissed 'em.
I remember one hoe told me
She was gettin' lonely,
So I had to let her go, G.
'Cause that's just an excuse to fuck a nigga...
Bitch, I ain't no sucka nigga!
I'll holler at ya ass, 'cause you know I know how it goes;
Yo, I put shit past no ho!"

So, ok. you've got the album version and the "Hizzo" version, which is just a clean version (though all the vocals have been redone with clean lyrics, so it's kinda worth checking out just for that). Then you've got two exclusive remixes from the usual gang, and clean "Hizzo" versions of those as well.

First up is Frank Ski's remix. It's not bad, using an interesting (Bobby McFerrin?) vocal skatting sample, a sped up version of the "White Lines" bassline and a few other cool instrumental samples. Still, the song hits the hardest when it uses the same horns and scratches as the album version on the hook. It does a good job of putting the emphasis on JT's rhymes, but otherwise this is just an interesting play on the superior original.

Femix Sama's remix, on the other hand, is much better. It keeps the same scratches, too; but everything else is new... an interesting mix of classic old school samples and a funky bassline you've heard before but never together. As an added bonus, Sama's version of the dirty version is also an extended mix adding another minute's worth of a funky breakdown that's not used on the "Hizzo" version. There's also some "Gangster boogie" samples dropped in at the end, which sound like they're done Double Dee & Steinksi-style, rather than being properly cut up on a turntable, but it still sounds kinda fresh.

So, thus concludes Poison Clan Appreciation Week... I couldn't leave ya, though, without throwing up the prerequisite link to his myspace, though (watch out, it's a browser crasher!). He has some songs up on his player from his upcoming album, Pimpin X-treme. He's still working with Mike Fresh (who has a myspace here). There's also a couple of other myspaces, which all seem to have been made by JT or his people; mostly with similar content but fewer updates. Feel free to check 'em out, though; here, here and here.

Poison Clan Appreciation Week, Day 10: Warlock Records

Ok, now I'm starting to get a little tired of The Poison Clan, so I'm gonna start looking to wrap this up. But I can't quit without addressing their Warlock years. After Luke went bankrupt, The Poison Clan were left without a home, but they still managed to come out with an album the very next year thanks to Warlock Records. It was called Strait Zooism, and spawned two singles: "Shine Me Up" and this precursor, "Fire Up This Funk."

The first thing you'll notice about this record is that it's fuckin' orange - yeah, baby! Apparently, not all pressings are on the neat colored vinyl, though; so make sure you're getting the one you want. And if you prefer picture covers, here's the cassingle (left).

This sometimes gets dismissed as second shelf Poison Clan, but really it's pretty solid and consistent with their previous efforts. Just from this single alone we can see that producer Mike "Fresh" McCray came with them on their exodus from Luke Records, and Madball and Uzi (now known as The Rufftown Mob) stayed down, too.

First up is the Radio Version. It's a hype, high-energy track with a nice funk guitar riff and horns and some nice DJing on the hook. Madball and Uzi don't really rap on this one, though; they just do backup ad-libs and provide the hook. Make no mistake, this is a genuine banger.

I don't know why the previous owner (Shabazz, apparently) decided to cross the "Instrumental" out of the track-listing, because it is on there. It's also followed by the accapella, which is something you rarely get from the Clan.

Now, interestingly, on the b-side we have the Album Version, which is more than just a few flipped curse words different from the Radio Version. Instrumentally it's the same, but the lyrics are completely different (oh, and for the record, that accapella was of the Radio Version).

sample of the Radio Version opening:
"Once again it's on!
Rufftown Mob in the house;
Representin' true funk
Comin' straight from the South.
East Miami:
Bottom of the map;
Dead in the city
When ya don't bring ya strap (Believe dat!)"

sample of the Album Version opening:
"I'm down with the youth
Of the motherfuckin' C I,
And you
Can motherfuckin' see I
Don't fuck around,
But I do sleep around;
And if you're mad about your bitch,
Well... (Then you can keep her, clown!)"

Finally, there's one other b-side: "Ahead of My Time," a slower JT outing, also produced by McCray. It's got some nice atmosphere, with a nice soulful instrumental and JT talking about his former label, its pres ("On the videos lookin' all pretty. Frontin' like you're loved, but can't walk through your own city. It's a pity the way you went out like a sucker; your records only hit 'cause I was on the motherfucker. Me and Mike Fresh gave you nothin' but hits, but I'ma tell you we're beyond that bullshit") and the Clan's new direction. It might not be the obvious choice for a single that the A-side was, but don't overlook it; this track is a nice little jewel.

Poison Clan Appreciation Week, Day 9: The Poison Clan Record They Call 'Action'

"Action" is a nice little remix 12" from Poison Clan's second album, Poisonous Mentality, that came out in 1992. Interestingly, it doesn't even feature the album versions, just three exclusive 12" remixes in clean and dirty versions.

First up is Mike Fresh's "Nasty Mix." The album version was already one of the better Poison Clan joints, with some slick reggae-style lines by Uzi ("any pussy won test go head and murder dem"), and JT spinning some straight gangsta tales:

"I remember, me and this cat did a caper;
Two young niggas 'bout gettin' paper.
"We tossed a nigga we heard had big grip,
Walkin' around with five or six money clip.
We laid him down and got away;
Went back 'round the way to count our pay.
We had five grand exactly.
The nigga had my gun and then he point it at me.
I gave the nigga the loot and he stepped away;
But then I bumped into his ass the next day,
Put that thing up to his head and said 'give it, nigger.
Yesterday you were bad with your hands on the trigger.'
He said the dope made him act in that fashion;
I say fuck that shit... (I want action!)"

The only downside was that the track was built around a familiar sample (and cutting up the same vocal sample Special Ed's DJ used on his first album as his anthem), making it the perfect candidate for a dope new instrumental by Mike McCray. Echoes of the original remain, but it's constantly being scratched and switched out with new (albeit also familiar) beats. But they go one further than just re-tooling the music, it's basically an all-new song with new vocals and everything. Uzi's reggae verse is replaced with more genuine Jamaican flavor by actual reggae artist Likkle Wicked. JT kicks two new verses, more in the freestyle battle rhyme mode, and even though his reggae chat was removed, Uzi's still on the track, kicking a straight-up American-style rap verse. It might've made more sense to call this "Action part 2" rather than just a remix - it's pretty must-have for any PC fan.

DJ Laz provides the second remix, the "Reggae Mix." It also uses the new lyrics and Likkle Wicked's parts. Now, pretty much everything I've ever heard from DJ Laz has, uhmm, sucked? But this one gets a pass for basically turning the whole thing into a classical reggae instrumental. Certainly the Mike Fresh version is the banger, but this is an okay alternative that achieves a distinct vibe and works alright if played right after the first mix.

Finally, Felix Sama provides an extended mix of another Poisonous Mentality track, "Groove With the Poison Clan." This isn't just an extended version; it's a full out remix with a totally different instrumental. But in this case, that might be where they went wrong. It was a fun, lighter song with a brief appearance by Uzi again. So an extended remix of the album version would've been a neat bonus; but this replaces the enjoyable instrumental of the original with generic-sounding club music. It does accurately reproduce the feel of being in a crummy club, I'll give it that; and it's not terribly executed. But unless you're starved for any new Poison Clan material, I'd recommend just sticking with the album version.