So, This Exists

Young Zee (No Brain Class) Musical Meltdown, Perspective Records, 1996. The unreleased album. The masterpiece that famously and ridiculously only "got a two in The Source."  Obviously a happy day for me: proper sound quality, which naturally blows away everything I've heard online or on the old dub I got from tape trading way back in the 90's (and still have). Not to mention a Hell of a collector's item.

But now the bigger question is which label's gonna step up to the plate and get it out to the people (and on vinyl, of course)? Unfortunately, while I'm sure Zee himself would be down, since Perspective was kind of a major label - tied to A&M/ Polygram, which ultimately leads up the beanstalk to the ugly Universal monster - I suspect this would probably be out of the reach of our beloved limited labels like DWG and Dope Folks. It'd probably take a bigger player, like a Traffic or a Get On Down Records to license this from the people who don't even know they own it.

How about it, guys? Maybe take a break from reissuing album after album that all of us already own because they've been widely distributed on all formats since the get-go, and have never been rare or difficult to obtain. I mean, those giant CD cases, posters, carry cases and slip mats are nice and all. But there's so many great albums that have never been released, albums that us heads have waited most of our lives for, just staring everybody in the face, asking: when are you gonna get to us?

This is art, guys; we have an obligation.


Update: The call has been answered!

Nas Is Essentially Like...

I haven't blogged enough about Nas, so this upcoming release is perfect. Not just for that reason, but because, well, look. Like every hip-hop head on the planet, I'm a big fan of Illmatic. And then I got It Was Written, and it was disappointing in points, but... Hey, you don't need me to explain to you the up and down history of Nas's post-Illmatic career. And honestly, one of the reasons I don't write so much about Nas is that I have the most common, least controversial opinions of his output. I mostly stopped getting his albums in favor of just getting the hotter 12" singles, cherry-picking individual songs I liked online, or at least waiting until I could get stuff like the 2LP of I Am for 99 cents.

So when I saw this album: The Essential Nas from Legacy Recordings (it comes out next week), my first thought was the obvious. "So, it's Illmatic with a couple bonus tracks?" Nyuck, nyuck. But honestly, Nas is an artist who'd benefit from a "Greatest Hits" compilation like no other. Distilling his later albums to just the few best tracks each and putting them all together actually adds up to a pretty great reminder of why he's hung in there all these years and  why we should really appreciate that.

Now, he's had a couple greatest hits albums already: Not including mixCDs, bootlegs and little vinyl EPs, he's had The Best of Nas in 2002 and Greatest Hits in 2007. But this is the best and most definitive. It certainly helps that this is a 2 disc set, so it has the room to dig a little deeper than those more superficial outings.

It's got some pretty extensive liner notes by Gabriel Alvarez, which is refreshingly honest at points, with lines like, "that murky period between his second album and Nastradamus," which you wouldn't expect to see a major label admit to on their own product. Of course, they then goes on to defend it and blame an excessive amount of blame for the lack of critical and commercial success on bootleggers. But still, it's a good, intelligent read and shows that some effort was put into making this an all around quality release.

But of course, a compilation like this all eventually boils down to: what songs did they pick? Well, I'm happy to report that it doesn't feel Illmatic top-heavy, nor does it feel neglected. The selections are pretty smart, and well-coordinated with the liner notes (Alvarez mentions "Black Zombies" and "Doo Rags" as personal highlights from Lost Tapes, and they're both on here). Remember how Nas leaked the awesome comeback track "Nasty" for Life Is Good, with an official video and everything, and then left it off the final album? Of course you do, we all do. Well, this album opens with "Nasty."  And the only other Life Is Good selection is the Large Professor No ID-produced banger, "Loco-Motive." So obviously this track-listing was put together by a real head, instead of a panel of studio executives.

Don't get it twisted, though. "Oochie Wally" is still on here. It's not some kind of "strictly the real" themed project. And some of the songs, like the aforementioned "Black Zombies" are compellingly written songs on Nas's art, but come up short in the production end, and wind up being not the greatest songs overall. Sure, we all like "Nastradamus," but mostly just because it's an EPMD beat jack; I'm not sure it deserves to have been lifted out of its original album to be preserved here. And it's crazy that his beloved Lauryn Hill duet "If I Ruled the World" isn't on here, in favor of... "Just a Moment" featuring Quan? Really? But okay; I realize it's impossible to make an album like this that won't have listeners questioning the choices.

A greater weakness is that, except for "Nasty," this album seems limited to just the album cuts off his LPs. Side projects like Distant Relatives or The Firm aren't represented at all (on second thought, maybe that's for the best), and there's no 12" remixes or B-sides included. Most harmful is that it means no guest spots.  No "Live At the Barbecue," no "Fast Life" with G Rap, and once again, another opportunity has been missed to include the original "On the Real." I realize it probably would've meant spending a little money to license those cuts, but that's what ends up hurting this comp the most... some of his guest spots are unquestionably among his greatest hits, and this double disc set definitely has some soft tracks on here I'd love to trade for his nest work on other rappers' projects. Admittedly, I do kinda like "Hate Me Now" with Puffy, but compared to his Main Source debut? Come on.

So, no, it's not perfect. And no, there's no vinyl version. ...Though there is a clean CD version, for the unlucky offspring of strict parents.  hehe  But it's still a great way to deal with his catalog of albums overstuffed with filler and sometimes corny production. And what's more, it effectively shows how Nas is still a killer MC to reckon with and always has been... even during that murky period.

Kid Friendly Geto Boys!

I've decided I want to make the Top Mommy Blogs list. So for today's post, I decided to apply my expertise in hip-hop's obscure treasures and apply it to giving some fresh advice for the young mommies out there. And hey, you don't stop loving your favorite rap classics just because you've taken that first step into parenthood. In fact, I bet an awful lot of you find yourselves wondering aloud: I love The Geto Boys' "Mind Playing Tricks On Me," but how do I share this music with my K through First grader when there's so many swear words in it?

Well, don't worry, ladies; because like Master P said, I've got the hook up! The album might be a bit much for your little tyke; but did you know that the single features clean, curse-less versions of the the great ode to suicidal paranoia we've grown up with? And not just your typical radio edit with the bad words bleeped out or reversed, which today's savy youngsters can decode faster than we can. It features all new vocals, rewritten and performed by the Boys themselves.

Let's look at Scarface's opening verse. After a brief quote from their earlier hit "Mind of a Lunatic," he says:

"At night I can't sleep, I toss and turn. Candlesticks in the dark, visions of bodies bein' burned, four walls just staring at a nigger; a paranoiac sitting with my finger on the trigger."

Imagine if your kid recited that in the playground! Fortunately, an SFS (Safe For Schoolyard) version has been prepared with you and yours in mind:

"At night I can't sleep, I toss and turn. Candlesticks in the dark, visions of bodies bein' burned, four walls closin' in, gettin' bigger; a paranoiac sleeping with my finger on the trigger."

Now there's something you could play on the drive to school every morning. The word "nigger" has been removed, but all artistic imagery of burning corpses and a mentally ill murderer sleeping with his gun are safe and sound. The intro where Scarface asks "if this shit is on?" now has him being told to "cool out, we're on the radio." Willie D's drug dealer, scared because he's instead of dope he was selling Gold Medal flour? Scarface's abusive and suicidal husband whose irrational fits of jealousy drove his wife to leave him? It's all here.

"Hooked a left into Popeye's and bailed out quick, If it's going down, let's get this shit over with. Here they come just like I figured. I got my hand on the motherfucking trigger."

becomes

"Hooked a left into Popeye's and bailed out quick, If it's going down, let's get it over with. Here they come just like I figured. I got my hand on the gold-plated trigger."

and

"She helped me out in this shit; but to me she was just another bitch."

becomes

"She helped me out in this... but to me she was just another chick."

You get the idea. I've actually had the cassette single [pictured] since the day it was released. I'm still not sure how much radio play this got, considering how dark the subject matter still is; but there was a music video that used to get airtime.

I was once contacted by Pedestrian, who was in the middle of recording a satiric version of "We're All In the Same Gang" with the rest of the Anticon regulars using famous verses from other songs. He wanted to do Bushwick Bill's verse from this song, but was uncomfortable saying "nigga" on the track. I was happy to tell him I had the perfect solution to his problem in one of my many cassingle shoe-boxes:

"This year Halloween fell on a weeekend,
Me and Geto Boys are trick or treatin';
Robbin' little kids for bags
'Till the law man got behind our rags.
So we speeded up the pace;
Took a look back, and he was right before our face!
We were in for a squabble no doubt,
So I swung and tried to take him out.
He was going down we planned;
But this wasn't no ordinary man.
He stood about six or seven feet;
Now that's the creep I be seein' in my sleep.
So we triple-teamed on him,
Droppin' them Fifth Ward B's on 'im.
The more I swung, the more blood flew,
Then he disappeared and my boys disappeared, too!
Then I felt just like a fiend...
It wasn't even close to Halloween.
It was dark as death on the streets;
My hands were all bloody from punching on the concrete.
Ah man, homey,
My mind is playing tricks on me."

I typed that up for him in an e-mail. Unfortunately the song never came out. ...Where is it, guys?

And all of that? It isn't even the whole story. See, that's just the main, commercial single. Cassette or12", it comes in a picture cover, with the Radio and original Club versions on it, plus Instrumentals.

Even weirder, though, there's a promo 12" (also 1991 from Rap-A-Lot), with no picture cover and additional remixes. Some of the titles are pretty misleading. There's an R And B Radio Mix, which is basically the same as the Radio version from the mainstream single. You might expect, I don't know, some R&B elements? Some girl singing a fancy new chorus or different samples in the music? Nope, none of that. Just minor, inconsequential variations.

But then you've got the Club Extended Mix ...and also the Clean Extended Mix. They're the same as each other except one version uses the original vocals and the other the new ones. But the extended material, maybe you'd think it would be an extra twenty seconds of letting the bat ride at the end? Maybe a longer breakdown between the second and third verse? Nah, man, this is actually a nine and a half monster! It starts out with Indian singing and loud, distorted breathing. Then a weird dance beat slowly fades up and eventually the more familiar guitar loop and instrumental elements we're familiar with from the original come in. All four verses are here, plus some cool scratch breakdowns, cutting up pieces of "Mind of a Lunatic" over the track. At some points the guitar sample is juggled underneath the verses, other times the beats are doubled and it gets more of a demented dance track feel. Some other samples are mixed in, and sound effects are added to the raps. For example, there's a metallic "shnick" sound added when Willie D says, "I live by the sword." It's all kind of a giant mess, really. Parts of it are actually dope; but the whole thing is so disjointed and unwieldy, it totally undercuts the atmosphere and the drama that makes the original such a compelling, timeless song. It's just madness. The first time you hear it, you'll think your mind has to be playing tricks on you, too. There's no way this shit actually exists!

So, you know... just something to think about since it's almost Back To School time, right? No? Wait, maybe this will convince you:

Synesthia Vs... Synesthia

In 2001, Buck 65 released his last indie album before signing to Warner Bros - Synesthia on Endemik Music. Then when Warner put out his next album (Square), they re-issued the bulk of his back catalog at the same time... After all, you couldn't expect the wide, mainstream audiences this now major label artist was getting exposed to to seek out old homemade cassette tapes from Point Blank Catalogs to fill their collections. And when all these albums were re-released, they were given new cover art and retroactively decreed to all be parts of a series called Language Arts, parts 1-5. But this last album got a lot more than a new cover.

If you have the original Synesthia, the first thing you'll notice is that it's another in Buck 65's many "mixtape" albums, meaning it was released as one giant CD track. The next thing you'll notice is that this album is pretty short. Remember how Vertex and Weirdo Magnet had to be shorted for their CD releases, because the original cassette (or dual cassettes in the case of Weirdo) versions were too long to fit onto a single CD? This album has the opposite problem; if it were released on cassette, it would've only been able to fill up one side. And finally, the third thing you'd notice (that's right - you'd only notice three things. Three things I say!) is that, while this series is known for being 100% self-made by Buck - all the rhymes, all the vocals, all the cuts and all the production were by him - the credits here tell us that there is "additional production" by Grey Matter on this album. Unfortunately, the liner notes don't get any more specific, so we don't know exactly what he did here.

Anyway, it was easily my least favorite Buck album when it came out. Like past Language Arts albums, a lot of this album is instrumental, and I think the balance is even a bit heavier on the instrumental stuff this time. So on an album that's already just slightly over half an hour long, that means there's really not a lot of rap music to be had on here. Then, a couple of the songs feel sort of half-assed or gimmicky... One song where he rhymes little narrative couplets followed a long dramatic pausr will really try your patience. And the last song is just another remix of "The Centaur," which had already been released and remixed several times by 2001. And this is a Drum and Bass remix, so ugh. I just wind up turning this album off a couple minutes earlier.

Still, this album has its moments. Some of the instrumental parts are engaging, there's a fun track where he rhymes over a Fat Boys sample and even attempts a little human beatboxing. There's a song about growing up as a Kiss fan that I don't particularly enjoy, but it's interesting lyrically. And there's one song near the end which is definitely a top shelf cut to stand up with the best of his material.

However, I'm guessing that wasn't enough for the Warner Brothers. Because they had him totally retool this CD. Almost all of the instrumental stuff has been removed, and this CD is no longer one giant track, but a properly segmented CD broken into seventeen distinct (and now titled) songs, with a more full-length feeling running time of just over 45 minutes. Apparently one of the reasons for the changes was due to sample clearance, too; so even the songs that carry over from the 2001 version are different than the ones this 2002 version. The liner notes now say "all songs made by Buck 65 (rush job)," so I guess Grey Matter's work is out, too (though he is thanked).

So this album is definitely superior There's lots of good, new stuff. Yeah, the annoying dramatic pause song and the drum & bass version of "Centaur" are still here; so it's not perfect. But mostly all the new songs are better than all the old ones. An anti-smoking song called "Toxic Constituents" is surprisingly fresh and "Grumpy" is a lot of fun. And even the few instrumental segments on this version are tighter and more compelling. I might even go so far as to say that this new version is actually an overall stronger album than most of the other Language Arts entries.

Some of the remixes are just subtle changes (perhaps to recreate a song with sample clearance issues as closely as possible), so there's really very little reason to prefer the Endemik version. The only thing I find myself missing is the Fat Boys-inspired cut. it is on the remake (called "Hens"); but musically, it's a completely different animal, with all different samples, a different tone, and no beatboxing. So if you're a completist, there's that, and a bunch of exclusive instrumentals. And if you're a collector, it's a nice little rarity (online sources seem to agree that the Endemik version was limited to 1000 copies; but I don't remember it being marketed that way at the time), that's substantially different enough - you don't feel like you're buying essentially the same material twice. Despite having a lot of stuff still in common, they are pretty different listening experiences. But if you're just looking to score one version and wondering what's best... or, if you're in the situation I was that inspired me to write this post in the ifrst place: you own both and are just wondering which is the preferable and/or definitive version to listen to an enjoy. Then the answer is easy, 2002 Warner Bros edition all the way.

The Green EP Plus Three

Surely you all remember the big mess that came about when Good Felons Records closed after taking everybody's pre-orders for Kev E Kev and Ak B's terrific Dopeland EP. The EPs were pressed, but nobody was going to get their copies because GoodFelons had gone MIA... until DWG linked up with Kev E Kev, rescued the vinyl, sorted the whole mess out and got everybody their long-awaited wax. But Dopeland wasn't the only release lost in GoodFelons' folding, and it turns out DWG wasn't the only heroic label to step in and save our records.

Another release GoodFelons had all lined up was called The Green EP, by Marco Polo. You may remember an advance Sean Price track being spread around the blogs last spring. It was a hot song, with Rock on it too. This was going to be an 8-song (really 7 with a brief intro) producer EP by Polo with a another of his impressive line-up of underground artists, all doing songs on the subject of weed. Fortunately, I don't think it made it to the pre-order stage, so nobody lost money and no vinyl was pressed and locked away at a pressing plant. But still, all the music was recorded and with GoodFelons now an unresponsive corpse, it was all just sitting there, out of everyone's reach.

Well, it's got a pretty strong line-up, There's:
Masta Ace - Who of course has already had a very successful collaboration with Polo. This track's no "Nostalgia," but it's still a solid Ace cut with Ace taking on the role of a drug dealer.
MC Eiht - Who, by the way, really doesn't sound like he used to. Not just on this EP, but all his new material. I wouldn't even recognize him if he didn't keep saying "jeah."
Ras Kass - Who, surprisingly, has one of the most compelling tracks on here.
Copywrite - Who starts out strong, but his punchlines get cornier and cornier as the song devolves.
Guilty Simpson
 ...And one of the groups featured on that EP was the Constant Deviants.  I assume it's thanks to that connection that this release was saved. Because the Deviants' label apparently reached out to John of GoodFelons and got permission to press this up. And it was released in May as a limited vinyl EP (at a standard, non-limited price), with some on green vinyl, the rest on tradition black, and all in a sticker cover. In fact, it's apparently even "dedicated to the pursuit and full exoneration of JOHN "BIG MAN" VENIZELOS." Interesting. Anyway, it's a solid EP. Marco Polo has managed to create some really good singles in the past; but I tend to find most of the rest of his albums are filler (production-wise, at least), with lots of hills and valleys. However I found this EP to be nice and consistent throughout.

And now Six2Six have taken things even farther, expanding The Green EP into The Green LP, for a new CD release. This features the entirety of the EP, plus three new bonus tracks, bringing it to full album length. Interestingly, these new tracks are not produced by Marco Polo (even though the cover still has the "ALL PRODUCTION BY MARCO POLO" declaration on the front cover. But before you dismiss it with an, "oh, weak" and walk away... Let me tell you, these tracks are 100% up to par with the rest of the EP, and even stronger than some of the tracks. We get two all new songs and one remix, all from Six2Six's roster, naturally.

The remix is the Constant Deviants song, which they sometimes spell "Chronicles" and sometimes "Khronicle." Either way, it's the same vocals with an all new track by Custodian of Records. Now, like I said earlier, I was already happy with Polo's production work on here, so I wasn't sure how much this really needed a remix, but what Custodian has done is totally flip the atmosphere, giving the song a totally different feeling. If you weren't paying careful attention to the lyrics, you wouldn't even think it was the same song.

Even better is another Custodian production, "Rehab" by Sparrow the Movement. It's a refreshing take on the theme. Not to me all sermonistic about drug use or anything, and I can't front on Heltah Skeltah boasting, "I been high for days. Two pulls and look at you, you're sweating, nigga, wipe your face!" But it's refreshing to hear an MC with something realer to say by the end of this album. And Custodian does a nice job of matching his surroundings. If you weren't aware going in, you could listen to this album all the way through without realizing the producers swapped out at the final stretch.

Finally, you get one more, all new Constant Deviants song, It's self-produced, but production's always been their strong point, so that's all good. At the end of the day, the hardcore vinyl heads probably won't feel compelled to double down for a CD to get the bonus tracks. But the mew material definitely enhances the product. Removing the question of format, The Green LP is definitely preferable to The Green EP, and I'm happy to see this second edition get a physical release at all. Hell, I'm happy just to see another release get rescued from GoodFelons' collapse. Props to Six2Six!

Who Remembers Point Blank Catalogs?

(Youtube version is here.)

Rappin' Vs. Christmas (and a special link)

Which is your favorite Kurtis Blow debut? "Christmas Rappin'" or "Rappin' Blow?" You might say, Werner, they're actually the same song, and sometimes you'd be right.  They are... except when they're not.

I've written a brand new post about "Rappin' Blow" for HiLoBrow's 'Herc Your Enthusiasm' series on disco-era hip-hop, which just went live here.  Check it out.  =)  And stick around for the rest of the series... 25 posts by 25 hip-hop writers, including Drew Huge of FatLace, Dallas Penn, Paul Devlin and so many more. The idea is that each piece is about a particular aspect of a classic, pre-'83 hip-hop record; i.e. not a post about "White Lines," but about the bassline for "White Lines," or a particular line of the song. So stick around for the whole series; it looks like fun to me, and I'm very interested to see what everybody else has come up with.  =)

And I thought I'd use the opportunity here to make a little intro and talk a bit more about "Rappin' Blow," because there's a lot of confusion about this song. You see, "Christmas Rappin' was originally released essentially as a novelty record. Rap was a fad and this was going to be a quick holiday cash-in. But when it was decided that Mercury was going to stick with Kurtis Blow as a roster artist, they decided to release it under a new title, not tied to the passing holiday, and so new pressings of the exact same eight minute and eleven second song were delivered to stores as "Rappin' Blow."  Little did they know that "Christmas Rappin'" would become one of Blow's biggest all-time hits that would continue to sell to this day, while "Rappin' Blow" became an obscure footnote.

So you say, okay, one song released under two titles. Simple enough, I get it. But, see, pop music has little room for the epically long disco songs of hip-hop's earliest years; and the song has been released in much shorter editions more often than not. And if you've heard the original, full-length version of the song ...which many people haven't, considering most albums release only half of the song with no mention of an extended full-length version you weren't getting in their package. But if you have, you know that Kurtis actually stops rapping about Christmas midway through the song. He's rapping all about Santa and the night before Christmas, then there's a break pause and he comes back and just kicks more traditional raps about himself.

So when record labels began cutting the song for 45s, compilations, etc; that made for an excellent chopping point. Most releases of "Christmas Rappin'" end with him saying, "merry Christmas, and to all a good night." On the full-length version, though, Adam White then comes on and asks Kurtis, "what did you say your name was?" And Kurtis begins to rap about coming from a planet named Harlem via a meteorite.

Now, since they're almost like two separate songs - albeit with identical instrumentation - that second half has often since been released as its own song, known as "Rappin' Blow (Part 2)." And I'm not just talking about cheap, generic "Rap's Greatest Hits" compilations  (although... those, too).  The second half of the song, "Part 2" was even included on Kurtis Blow's original full-length LP, which never featured "Christmas Rappin'" (because of that perceived novelty factor of the holiday subject matter).  So while hardcore fans and DJs who would've been inclined to pick up the original 12"s would know "Rappin" Blow" as a simple retitling; most people around the world grew up with "Christmas Rappin'" and "Rappin' Blow" as two separate, shorter songs - one a non-Christmas-themed sequel to the other. And yes, both short versions have also been released as singles, with different picture covers, etc. And there are even other 12" singles of it where Mercury simply calls it "Rappin'," with yet another unique cover. So while the original "Rappin' Blow" 12"s were forthcoming, saying "Previously released as Christmas Rappin'" right on the label... it starts to look like some of the confusion became a deliberate ploy to sell people the same song more than once.

But what the heck, how mad can you be at a Christmas rap song that rhymes "Rolly polly" with "Holy moley?" So now that you've read this drier piece... have a look at my more fun, light-heated post on a certain aspect of this record for HiLoBrow.  And have a merry August!

2 Yutes Represent the Garden State

Here's a nice, obscure little Jersey gem: "2 Yutes" by Hybrid H, a pair of MCs named The Herbalist and Moe Mentum. This 12" single came out in 2004, courtesy of Infinite Impact LLC, and it's pretty much their only release. Technically, their was a full-length CD, called Out of Hybrination; but if you were never at one of their shows to hit up their merch table, or order it direct from their website back when they had one, you'll probably never see it. But this 12" got out into the marketplace... where it was promptly slept on, because it was t first release by an unknown artist. But it's accessible if you want to pick it up, and after reading this you might want to.

So I didn't even have to drop the needle on the vinyl to get the joke of the title. It's a My Cousin Vinny reference. If you don't remember it, just youtube it... said by Fred Gwynne, it's the most famous line of the movie (after Marisa Tomei's pants), so I'm sure it's in the trailer. But in case anybody missed it, they spell it out in the first line of the song: "I was just a yute like in My Cousin Vinny." And I almost wish they hadn't. "2 Yutes" is actually a pretty engaging song about growing up, over some nice production by producer 8th Wundah, who also kicks a guest verse. And apart from explaining the reference in the first line, they don't actually use it... they don't sample the film on the hook or tie either the accent or the film to the content of their rhyme; they don't have fun with it. It just kinda cheapens a pretty solid, indie hip-hop track into an "oh, I get it" moment. It doesn't ruin the song or anything, but a song's title shouldn't be something you have to get past to appreciate it.

The next track is "Clock Wise," which is another nicely produced beat by 8th Wundah. Conceptually, it's not so compelling... they're just generally flexing and rapping about themselves; and they're solid MCs, but not to the point where just them spitting is exciting in itself. So, lyrically it's filler, with only the beat making any real impression.

But then we get to the song that drew me in... "Garden State." These guys are definitely representing New Jersey. They've already mentioned it in "2 Yutes" and there's even a map of the state on the back cover. Anyway, this one's produced by somebody named Linguistic, with some very welcome cuts by DJ Mekalek. It's got a bouncier sound than 8th's stuff, but is still good stuff, especially with the added value of the scratches, rubbing in Biz Markie saying "can't forget New Jersey" and a various other hip-hop "Jersey" vocal samples. And lyrically, it's just a slew of shameless Jersey references strung together... everything from The Sugarhill Gang to the turnpike.

Look, I'm not as excited about this 12" as I was about Written On Your Psyche - The Herbalist sounds a little too much like Hot Karl for comfort, and there's the occasional corny line in the mix that should probably have been quality controlled out - but it's definitely an all-around good 12", especially for an obscure indie record you've probably never heard of, with added value for any Jersey head. It also comes in a nice looking picture cover and has instrumentals for both of 8th Wundah's tracks, as well as Clean and Dirty versions of each song. This isn't one of those records foreign dignitaries bid thousands of dollars for; but I definitely recommend it as a cheap pick-up.

The Best Of the Best Of the E-Rocks

Dope Folks Records dipped deep into the Texas underground scene to retrieve their latest release, MC E-Rock's One the Hard Way. E-Rock's put out a grip of respected but virtually unknown outside of Texas albums throughout the 90s... Killfhanger in 1996, Southern Eclipse in 1998, and all the way back to his debut (I believe) single in 1990, "Elliot Ness."

For an outsider looking in, it can get confusing because there's a glut of artists calling themselves E-Rock. One of those Grape Tree Christian Rappers calls himself E-Roc now, to avoid confusion, but released his 1991 debut Listen To the G.O.D. album (which is actually not bad) under his original spelling, E-Rock. There's at least one rock band and club producer putting out records under the name E Rock. ...I don't know jack about them, but put the phrase "E Rock" into Youtube or discogs and see for yourself. And anyway, then there's probably the most confusing of all... one of Rap-A-Lot's infamous 5th Ward Boys, of course also from Texas, is named E-Rock, and he went on to put out solo and side projects... and coincidentally now also represents the Christian rap ethos.

So that's a lot of E-Rocks; but this particular artist is quite compelling, so it pays to keep track of who's who. While he's from Texas, and you can definitely here it in the way his voice and pronunciation; he's definitely on some raw, pure hip-hop vibe. Well, his later stuff is heavily g-funk influenced; but not this material from the early 90's; it's all tough NY-influenced beats and a hardcore, lyrical flow. His records - especially the ones from the era Dope Folks is repressing - is definitely on some classic "random rap" steez, not at all what you'd consider your typical Southern local rap. In fact, it was probably the fact that Peanut Butter Wolf picked a cut from One the Hard Way for one of his mix CD releases that put E-Rock into the ear of modern collectors and Dope Folks themselves.

So, the original One the Hard Way was a four-song EP on Serious Records from 1991. And it's a killer: the beats, the rhymes, the samples. It's the whole package, a great EP. But Dope Folks have gone one better, and added two more tracks from his extra-rare "Designed To Make U Swing" 12"! "Literary Freak" is this wild track that starts out using the same loop as Brand Nubian's "Slow Down," but the beat is surprising and totally flips. They're not quite as hard, but both songs are a showcase of awesome samples. Only a very small run was pressed, because it was originally meant to be a promo for his upcoming third album, Vitamin E. When that ultimately never got released, those two songs wound up becoming very rare. But not anymore, because Dope Folks threw them on here as well.  :)

The original One the Hard Way was a phat picture cover, so it's a little sad to see it get downgraded to a sticker cover here (the sticker's the same image as the picture cover); but the fact that you can now get the original EP and the 1993 12" for just $20 brand new more than makes up for that. I highly recommend this one... just check out the audio clips and hear for yourself.

And I mentioned E-Rock's still doing it, right? He's got a facebook and a new album in the works. And there's even more exciting news if you trawl through his twitter... he's got the Vitamin E reels and is finally putting that lost album out! So don't get let crazy number of E-Rocks overwhelm you, this is the best material by the best of the artists named E-Rock, and it's your loss if you sleep.

Talking Heads In Flightt

In 1989, Yo! MTV Raps was in love with a sample. An unknown rapper named KC Flightt had sampled a pop, new wave 80's group that was already a long time MTV favorite, The Talking Heads. And unquestionably, the combination of "Once In a Lifetime"'s drums and bassline, plus the loop of bells that sometimes went with it, made an ideal hip-hop break. It had this soft, funky origin, but sounded undeniably tough as a hip-hop beat. The song also had a spacey theme, which suited itself perfectly for a music video, and major label RCA Records was prepared to cough up enough dough to get Talking Heads' lead vocalist David Byrne himself to appear in the video, and give the whole thing a cross-genre co-sign. You could just see the network executives' minds connecting all the dots for "Planet E" to become "Walk This Way part 2."

Well, it didn't turn into a phenomenon like that, but it was successful enough. I liked it enough as a kid that I wanted it, and when I couldn't find the single, wound up buying the whole album [pictured, right]. It turned out not to be very good... for reasons which would've been obvious right from the single if I'd be a more astute listener back then. But I was young, so I wound up just listening to "Planet E," which was wisely positioned as the first track, and never really venturing into the rest of the tape again.

So, this had an appealing track And the song had a very clear sociopolitical message to ward off the critics... although frankly, a little more subtlety would've gone a very long way. So what wasn't to like about this record? Well, this is a house track, for one; so even with a perfect sample like this (which gets billing as big as the guest artists on the album's liner notes), it really lacks the delicious, crunchy percussion of a real hip-hop track.

And what's up with the MCing? He's not even rhyming.  Well, okay, sometimes he rhymes, but it's inconsistent and very strained. Even the lyrics on the back cover are printed in paragraph form, as opposed to line by line. So while he sort of has a hip-hop flow, this song has to be considered at least a partial cross between spoken word and rap. His delivery actually winds up being pretty similar to the Talking Heads' own spoken verses. Perhaps that was intentional, but then it begs the question... why do we need this second version if he's duplicating the original so closely?

And for "spoken word," it's not even compelling poetry - while again it's a good, timely message, it's far too heavy-handed and simplistic. It's a little narrative about a planet where the people are divided "we'll call one Group A, and the other.... Group B"). They're separated by culture and class, and SPOILERS: racism is bad. I will give him credit for one small detail, though - he at least never comes out on the last line and says, "and the 'E' stands for 'Earth.' I'm talking about Planet Earth!"

So it's all just about The Talking Heads, but just how original was this sample selection even? This could almost be another Chill Rob G Vs. Snap situation. Because most heads today who treasure "Same As It Ever Was" as a break aren't going back fondly to this KC Flightt 12"... they're replaying DJ Chuck Chillout & Kool Chip's killer "Rhythm Is the Master," which transforms the same break into a killer "fuck that house shit" hip-hop jam with real tough MCing and some really fun and creative samples on the chorus. It was on a major, too (Polygram), so they also had a video and managed to score their own hit. And historically, it's pretty much the version that won out. The only thing is, neither of these artists actually had it first.

In 1988, the year before "Planet E" and "Rhythm Is the Master," somebody else had this sample. Long Island's Sugar Bear only released one 12" in his career, a single on the obscure label Coslit Records (later picked up and reissued by Next Plateau, which still wasn't really a major). And like Chuck and Chip, his version trounces all over the KC Flightt version, while using the same loop in the same way. It never really got the love back in the day, though, because it was independent. There was no music video, and so never got to duke it out on MTV with the others. RCA could stick David Byrne in their video like there never had been a "Same As It Ever Was" rap before, and the overwhelming majority of their audience were none the wiser. And that's a shame, because it may actually be the best version of all (though it's a close call).

But let's not write off KC Flightt entirely; he was a legit house guy. He's not just the vocalist; he produced and wrote his whole album. Today he's mostly known (again, because of that video) for being the guy who rapped with The Talking Heads; but his earlier single "Let's Get Jazzy" was an important, early record in establishing the subgenre of hip-house (and what got him signed to RCA in the first place). And while In Flightt was his only album on his own terms, he's stayed in the music business, recording with other jazz fusion/club whatever acts and is still around to this day.

And perhaps best of all, the 12" has a Hip Hop Mix of "Planet E" (also by Flightt) that's hip-hop purists will surely prefer. It's got a real breakbeat (I think from the same Bobby Byrd joint "Raw" came from) and a little bass riff from "White Lines." It doesn't have the mainstream appeal, since the original House Mix takes so liberally from "Once In a Lifetime." I mean, even the chorus and breakdown consist of vocal samples from there. Byrne might be lip-syncing to them in the music video, but make no mistake, it's all just lifted off that one record. So mainstream audiences will prefer the House mix just for essentially being a Talking Heads song; but the Hip Hop version has to at least get more respectability points for being original. If the rhyming was better, it could stand up alongside the Chuck Chillout record.

So, both the House and Hip Hop versions are on this 12". There's an Acid Drop Mix as well, which goes in the opposite direction, making the song more awful and clubby. And finally, there's another song on the B-side, "Dancin' Machine (Acid House Mix)." The original version of "Dancin' Machine" isn't from his album; it's an exclusive B-side to one of his other singles, "She's Sexxxy." Anyway, some of the production elements (by remixer Hudson "Hot Mix" Beauday) are interesting, but the MCing is just terrible, and turning it into acid house sure doesn't help.

Today, you're more likely to sell this to a Talking Heads fan than anybody. And I'll take Sugar Bear and Chuck Chillout over this any day - I think Byrne picked the wrong rapper guys to co-sign. If he was in the other guys' video, he could've been an animated superhero. But I can't front, every couple of years I still get the urge to put this one on the turntables and revisit "Planet E."

The Beverly Hills Raps

(Youtube version is here.)