Christian Rapper Crew's Doug E. Fresh Diss

(Youtube versin is here.)

Amen Rahiem

Hey, here's a pleasant surprise. I totally slept on this record, and I suspect almost all of you guys did, too; seeing as how there is virtually no coverage of this record anywhere out there.  No blog posts, no soundcloud links, nothin' - even though this seems to have dropped back in July. And just what is this record? Amen Ra? And is that Ex-President Jimmy Carter I see photographed on the label? Well, yes, it is. What we have here is a solo EP by Rahiem of the legendary Furious Five. And it's hot.

Now, this isn't one of those collections of lost recordings from back in the day. This is modern stuff. And it's not just modern in that it's new material; it's modern in that it doesn't sound old schoolish at all. If you didn't know it was Rahiem, yeah, you can tell from his voice he's no teenager (something I would consider a plus, but the general music buying public seems to take as a definite minus), but he doesn't at all sound like somebody who came up in the 70s with the Funky Four* and disco hip-hop. Nor does it sound 80s or 90s. But, on the flip side, I can thankfully say that it also doesn't sound trendy. It's timeless, true school hip-hop.

A chunk of the credit for that certainly has to go to Rahiem himself. He's updated his flow since the old days, and actually comes off rather well, lyrically. You know, one tends to think of Melle Mel as the real lyricist of the crew, and everybody as just his back up. But Rahiem proves himself more than capable of flying solo. He kicks freestyle rhymes with a deft flair for high energy multis on "Vintage," but also serious, substantive songs. "No Regrets" is a surprisingly frank autobiography dealing with his long-term struggle with coke dependance: "I blew more dough than most adults see in a lifetime at eighteen... I was coppin' when shit was a hundred a gram, in the back room of The Fever gettin' dumb with my man." And you just won't hear a lot of rappers admit, "my career took a nosedive."

It's not all perfect, however. There are a few bumpy lines and references that stick out. I mean, also in "No Regrets" he refers to the pipe having "me obeyin' my thirst." A line which on its own could be pretty effective if it weren't obviously a pointless and silly reference to those old Sprite commercials. Also in the same song he references The A-Team and other superficial pop culture stuff that's quite typical in hip-hop, but really undercuts the dark, personal earnestness of the song as a whole. Don't get me wrong, it's not so bad that it ruins the song to anything... it's not like when you catch Lady Gaga say the lyric, "I'm fluffin' with my muffin" and realize you can never again listen to her record without face-palming. It's never more egregious than I've cited and isn't enough to spoil the song... but it does take a couple notches lower than the heights it could've achieved.

Anyway, I said a "chunk" of the credit for this new sound goes to Rahiem. That's because probably an even bigger portion probably goes to producer Dextah, who produced this record. I can't say I was familiar with him, but looking him up online I see this is not his first project on the label. He's got a very dark, atmospheric feel to his work... it kind of reminds me of DJ Krush when he first blew up. There's a bit of a "clangy" cymbal-heavy sound to his percussion I could do without, but that's my sole complaint. His music is vibrant yet moody, even sinister, and still true to pure hip-hop rhythms at its core. The music is also very original... only the opening track uses recognizable samples we'd heard before on BDP's "My Philosophy," which is given a cool update here.

And another nice touch I have to highlight is that there are no hooks. It's just the MC and his music. He either raps straight through the song from beginning to end, or takes momentary pauses between his verses, and that's it. It's a very refreshing step away from the hackneyed pop formula, just giving you what works. There's also a really powerful change of music midway through one of the songs (again "No Regrets") that hits hard. It actually reminded me of Siah and Yeshua DapoED's masterpiece "A Day Like Any Other," except instead of an upbeat song about teaching Pokemon to freestyle (or whatever was supposed to be going on in that song haha), it's a black, harrowing rhyme about a man's life crumbling over a somber track.

There's four songs here in total, with instrumentals for each on the flip. Also on the B-side is a Justoleum Kingspitter Remix of "No Regrets" by none other than Big Juss of Company Flow. It blends in nicely with the rest of the EP, heavy with a choral vocal sample all twisted up in the background. It's quite good, with the sort of drums you'd associate with a Juss project, and distinct enough that it almost feels like a fifth song.

So this is described as a limited release, but I can't find it stated anywhere just how limited. Again, there's virtually no information about this record's existence at all, and few hits there are all have the same, short write-up. I'm gonna guess the pressing was very small, though (shit's not even on discogs), considering how obscure this record is. It seems to only be available from accesshiphop and Midheaven Distribution directly. So I would snatch this one up while the opportunity is there. Oh, and did I mention that this is on Grandgood Records? It's great to see them pressing up another vinyl release, and this makes a very worthy follow-up to their old 7" by DJ Signify and Grandmaster Caz. Don't sleep!


*Rahiem was also an original member of The Funky Four, but left before they started making records. Sort of like how Raheem left The Ghetto Boys before they established their famous line-up and blew up.

Revenge Of the Fly Girls

(Youtube version is here.)

Good Morning, Righteous Teacher

Nitty Gritty was a major reggae dancehall artist in the 70s and 80s who started in Jamaica but eventually found his way to both London and New York, where he recorded some of his biggest hits. In 1991, he was shot and killed outside a record store in Brooklyn. And in 1995, one of his earlier Jamaican classics called "Good Morning, Teacher" was included on a pretty generic compilation called Dancehall Days: The Old To the New on Profile Records.

That last sentence sounds like a big load of "who cares," and it basically is... It's just one of the many forgettable compilations that used to get released back in the 90s, full of previously released songs - all obvious song selections by obvious big name artists. But one thing makes it worth bringing up in 2014: the single they released for it.

The single Profile put out was "Good Morning, Teacher" by Nitty Gritty. But, it's not the version he originally recorded in 1984, which is the only one he ever made and also the one that's actually featured on Dancehall Days. No, this is a new, unique version that isn't even from the compilation. It's a new Crush Sounds Poppa Fred Mix by Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers (who, of course, were signed to Profile at the time).

According to the back cover, this is "'LIV'ICATED TO THE MEMORY OF NITTY GRITTY." I guess because dedicated sounds like it has the word "dead" in it; and, um, they're telling us the artist who made this version is still alive? Well, okay, eye-rolling pun aside, what we ultimately have here is kind of a little dedication project that came out well under the radar. And it's... fucking terrific.

Seriously, this is right up there alongside any of PRT's greatest hits. The production is fantastic. It has the feel of the stuff they were doing with Tony D, but it's actually produced by King Jammys. It's really atmospheric and kind of dark. it uses just the right amount of the original, including Nitty Gritty's own voice for the hook. But it's also very different and original. Wise's delivery is also perfectly brilliant; he's at the top of his game for sure. And just to seal the deal, it ends with some really affecting scratches by a then unknown DJ EV, who went on to DJ for The Def Squad. Even if you're not in love with the point where reggae and hip-hop meet, this is going to be one of the rare exceptions for you.

The B-side is just a generic Bounty Killer song. I mean, it's not bad... it's "Cellular Phone;" if you're a BK fan, I'm sure you remember it. But, you know, it's just one of his singles that has nothing to do with Nitty Gritty or anything (although, coincidentally, it is another King Jammys production). It's just another obvious choice for Profile's fine but bland Dancehall Days CD, previously released on his Down In the Ghetto album and even as its own single. He had a video for it and everything.

The artwork is just an isolated piece of the artwork for the Dancehall Days cover. Seriously, this version of "Good Morning, Teacher," which is really its own, original song, rather than just the cheap remix it appears to be, was completely thrown away under the radar. This is the kind of song the phrase "best kept secret" was coined for, and you'll be doing yourself a favor by seeking it out.

Disco Beave!

I'd never heard of Disco Beave before DWG featured them on their Lung Butters mixCD. "From the Projects" was just one of those killer random rap cuts that made you think, damn, gotta add that to my want list! Turns out it was a three-song single from 1988 on a little label out of Delaware, and I wasn't the only guy with it on my list. Anyone after this sucker was going to have to sink a lot of time and big bucks into the effort.

But Dope Folks has hooked us up! Not only have they repressed and remastered the original single, they also included an earlier version of one of the songs that Beave had released as its own 12" in 1987. It's limited to 300 copies, of course, and comes in a sticker cover reproducing the original "From the Projects" picture cover. My pictured copy is a test pressing; but the regular release comes with the more traditional DF-style label.

So, if you missed Lung Butters, "Projects" is tough. Despite his name, Beave is far from disco rap; he owes a lot more to early Juice Crew. His drums lack the technical proficiency of Marley's, but that's the only department he comes up short in. His tracks are big and rugged, his delivery is energetic and murderous, and his DJ, Zim Zam, gets busy. This guy could've definitely made noise on New York radio if he'd gotten his records in the right hands back in the day (he does try shouting out Red Alert, Chuck Chillout "and the rest of my New York City boys," on one of his songs; but I guess that didn't do the trick).

"From the Projects" may be the tightest, but the other three tracks are all up to par. The first version of "I'm Servin'" is a tight, smooth but hard track using some classic samples and def rhymes. Then the 1988 version updates by putting some of Parliament's "Flashlight" to great use. And "Hall Of Fame" actually features a different MC: B Gets Busy, instead of the Beave. He's got a bit of a lighter flow, but he holds his own; and the having the MCs swap out gives some nice variety to the EP. Plus, since the song is an ode to Zim Zam, it gives him their DJ the biggest opportunity to go off. Yeah, they're more rudimentary 80s cuts than the kind of stuff we've become accustomed to since; but it works great on the record.

Discc Beave is a big scratch off our want lists, so I'm happy. And listen. I've been, and continue to be, a big fan, of all the cool 90s stuff the limited labels like Dope Folks and Chopped Herring have been putting out on a now regular(!) basis. But I'm extra excited to hear golden '87-'88 music like this. So all I have to say is: more like this please!

Tat Money's First Broadcast

Man, this latest release from Dope Folks is sooo 90's. If you love that decade, this release will be unabashed porn for you. Rhymes packed with references and gags, unnatural B-Real-like voices (though thankfully less extreme), songs about hitting "skins," verses that start with lines like "one potato, two potato, duck duck goose," dark bass-heavy beats with dusty samples laid over them, and hooks made up of everyone in the crew saying the same phrases in pell-mell unison. At one point, they even do the "diggita, diggita" Das EFX thing. It's so on the nose, it almost feels like one of those contemporary releases, where some new guys are pretending to have recorded their record back in the 90s by throwing in every cliche in the book.

But no, this is the real thing. Ebony Broadcast System is an independent Philly group assembled by the great DJ Tat Money in 1992 when the Hilltop Hustlers and A New Beginning seemed to be reaching the ends of their terms. He put them out on his own label, 1/2 Fro Records, named after the hairstyle he was rocking at the time [check out the photos on my Kwamé page]. There were a couple of 12" singles, which you may remember from Tony D's not-quite legitimate Philly Throwback compilation, and a rare cassette-only full-length that never really made it out of PA.

And that's what Dope Folks has brought us. The album was called Broadcastin', and like they're doing with Musical Meltdown, DF are splitting the album up over two pieces of wax - one for each side of the tape. So Pt. 1 comes down to a six-track EP, but two songs are just skits long skits, and kind of annoying ones at that. I mean, it's still good that DF put them on here for completionists' sake; but I wouldn't have been too mad to see them left off either.

The MCs are alright - again, how much they appeal to you will depend on how enthusiastic you are about that 90s style - but the real star is Tat Money. His production is surprisingly top notch. He's created four top notch phat tracks that you don't have to be a devotee of the era to appreciate; just love hip-hop. And while the EP doesn't boil down to one big showcase of his championship turntable skills, he doesn't leave you hanging. His cuts here are also well integrated into his production; he's not just going nuts on a vocal sample that's then dropped on top of the beat. Everything he does is a part of the instrumental in a way that you're rewarded for paying attention.

So, this is shipping now at Dope Folks' usual (nice and affordable) pricing and limited to 300 copies; and again, this is Broadcastin's first time on wax. The sound quality is quite good. If this is from the tape, they did an excellent job on the remastering. I'm definitely feeling Tat Money's work on here, but there's a second record Dope Folks dropped concurrently with this one which I like even better - look for that post tomorrow.  XD

Hidden Breeze

Man, I can't get me enough Breeze! You may remember his slick, underrated album T.Y.S.O.N. on Atlantic Records from 1989, or maybe you just remember him from his cameos on all those King Tee albums. He was the best rhymer in The LA Posse; but he never quite broke through the music industry. He was signed to Def Jam, but they never released any of his material (labels, how can we make that happen??), and eventually wound up on an indie label that put out a cool, underground 12" in the early 90s, but never managed to release that long-awaited second album... which was to be titled, appropriately enough, Blackballed.

So, starved for Breeze records, I picked up his one cheesy, crossover-attempting single, "Great Big Freak." The video played on Yo! a couple of times, and it's not bad or anything. It uses some chunky funk samples and the Posse were pro producers. Furthermore, both Breeze and guest/ fellow Posse member Big Dad have kick some fly deliveries with an emphasis on fast, multiple rhymes to keep their core fans happy. But let's face it; a song about girls and excessive instrumentation really isn't the kind of song we wanted to hear from Breeze.

But this 12" has an exclusive remix on it. And like I said, until someone raids the Def Jam vaults, we're stuck with a dearth of Breeze material, so I picked it up. And the remix is pretty good. It uses a lot of the same instrumental, but adds even more. New samples, deeper bass thumps, a nice change-up for Dad's verse. At times it's almost too much and feels sloppy; but for the most part it succeeds in turning it into a more creative, energetic street mix. The idea seems to have been to a put a little more hip-hop back into the song, and it does... but at the end of the day, it's still "Great Big Freak." I recommend it for anyone who legitimately considers themselves a Breeze fan; but if you're just passing through, I'd suggest picking up literally any and every other Breeze song before copping this one.

The B-side, "T.Y.S.O.N." is much more in line with the kind of Breeze we want. A harder track with Breeze just flexing skills and battle rhymes, with these really awesome Muhammad Ali (no, not Tyson) vocal samples comprising the chorus. It's great. But, of course, it's just an album track. Hell, it's the title cut. And nobody should be checking out "Great Big Freak" unless they've already got the much stronger LP, so it's kinda pointless.

Rounding out the 12", we get the Instrumental for "Great Big Freak" on the A-side, and the Censored Version of "T.Y.S.O.N." on the B. So there you go, something even less desirable than a regular album cut. But if you were bored and and desperate enough to play the Censored Version anyway, like I was, you stumbled onto a pretty awesome surprise...

It's actually an exclusive remix! Yeah, they weren't lying about the "Censored" part, and that's definitely annoying. But this was Breeze in 1989, there's not a lot of cursing to cut out. So after the intro, it basically plays through unhindered. He just says "fuck" once in the first verse; and amusingly, they kind of miss the mark and censor more of the word after it than the "fuck" itself.

And the remix? It's dope. I mean, the original is already killer, so it doesn't need any improving on. But this is definitely a hype alternative. They're actually using the same philosophy as the "great Big Freak" remix, where they use the same core instrumental, including all the signature sounds (and yes, vocal snippets); they just sometimes swap it out to add more funky samples into the mix. Some of it has more of a P-Funk mix, which you'd think would be a step down from the edgy, screechy feel of the original; but it actually comes together perfectly. It never dips into sloppiness either. It's just def! And if you've listened to "T.Y.S.O.N." a million times over like I did as a kid, this breathes all new life into it. Oh, and where the original version always fades out, this remix keeps going with some fresh cuts by Smooth the DJ - not really like attention-drawing fast DJ-slicing-up-the-wax kind of stuff, but just rubbing in all these great grooves.

So it turns out this is something not just for the serious Breeze fans desperate to squeeze every last drop of music from his too short career. This is a hot little 12" that, because it's so slept on, can usually be picked up out of the virtual dollar bin. As you can see from the scan, my version is the promo version, which just comes in a plain sleeve with one of Atlantic's infamous "When You PLAY IT, SAY IT!" stickers on it. But there's also a regular, commercial release version which comes in a picture cover and has the exact same track-listing, including both remixes.

The Return Of King Tee!

King Tee is back!  If you haven't heard, King Tee has released a new album.  I mean, you might argue that this is a mixtape rather than a proper album. He did release it first online as a free download billed as a mixtape in 2012. It's not really mixed, but a couple songs do bleed into each other (I hate that, by the way), and it is even referred to as a mixtape in the music itself at one point. But this is now a proper, physical CD version, released in 2013, available all over, including amazon, who has it listed as a "Collector's Edition, Limited Edition, Limited Collector's Edition." That's going a bit overboard, but it is more legitimate now, right?

And this is exciting, because this is his first new album (or mixtape... it's not like he's been releasing those over the years) since his 1998 Aftermath album barely came out in 2002. I mean, yeah there was The Ruthless Chronicles in '04, but that wasn't a real album. It was just a bunch of tracks from Thy Kingdom Come and some other random odds and ends. That was a huge mess (which I broke down here); but the the short version is he hasn't really come out with a solid batch of new material since the 90s until now.

 And it's.... pretty good. A lot of the production feels cheap, and again it's top heavy with cameos: We've got: MC Eiht, Big 2 da Boy, Yung Gold, Xzibit, Silky Slim, Butch Cassidy, Eastwood, BG Knoccout, Roc C, Sean Price, Rampage, Valle Ru, 1st Generation, Short Khop; Mitchy Slick, Tha Relitivez, Staycee Adamz (hook girl), Mac Lucci, Brevi, 2nd II None, Rapheal Saddiq, C-Bo, Matthew Aaron (hook guy), Deadly Threat, MC Chill, Ruff Dogg, 1 Punch, Jay da Man, J-Ro, Roscoe, Ras Kass, Styliztik Jonez, Tristate, and Dresta. And that doesn't even include the guys' whose voices you just hear in the skits or overdubs. Some of those names are better news than others, but overall it's the same issue Kingdom Come had - Tee buries himself beneath a sea of friends. Get some confidence, bro!

When it works, though, it's dope. "Soul Plate" has Tee reuniting with Threat - plus the long lost MC Chill (yeah, the one originally from CMW), over a hard, musical track and some nice little DJ slices for a hook. Shit is serious and atmospheric; these OG's ain't playin'. "Good To Ya" sounds more like a 2nd II None song featuring Tee than the other way around; but that's still a good thing. The only drawback is, again, the production feels a bit chintzy. A little sample would've gone a long way*; but it's still a head nodder. And Tee does at least keep one song for himself, the opener called "The Return" where Tee lays down the law. He's still the great King T(ee).

Other times, he falls short. The beat for "I'm Gone" just feels like a trendy mess of Tee trying to keep up with whatever the kids are listening to these days, and winds up producing some pretty generic Youtube fodder. He's got two versions of the same song in a row: "Sharkz In da Watah" and "Sharkz (Suwoopmix)." It has different guests and different verses, but it's the same beat. He probably should've just mashed them together into one longer song, but it's really not that great to begin with. And the last song, "A Letter To My Homeboyz" is...just Dresta by himself? Tee's not even on it! It's also pretty damn sappy.

So Still Trifflin' has been upgraded to a "Collector's Edition, Limited Edition, Limited Collector's Edition." If you're a Tee fan, the good material stuff is enough to make it worth the purchase. Especially since a Tee release is a rare thing now. Haley's comet may pass by before we get another one. But the content of this album definitely feels like a mixtape, and even though I'm not optimistic about it, my fingers are crossed that this really is a prelude to something more.


*They've gotta be avoiding sampling for budgetary reasons, which is a definite detriment, but the album is loaded with vocal samples on the hooks and stuff... There's a ton, and some very conspicuous, easy to recognize stuff. Surely those are just as copywritten? If you're willing to risk that, why not make the music better while you're at it?

Big Daddy Kane Dominates the Unda-Ground

Jesse West is one of those hip-hop artists that's been doing it in the music industry for a long ass time, but has never commanded the spotlight. Hailing from the Bronx, he dropped an album on Motown as far back as 1989, changed his name to 3rd Eye in the 90s to drop some indie 12"s, and even became one of Puffy's Hit Men. He formed a group with Nine called 24/7 that had a couple underground singles but no album. He's probably worked with more artists behind the scenes than we'll ever know; but then again, he seems to have managed to leak an awful lot of it out to the world over the years.

This white label is one such example. "Survival Of the Fittest" is credited to Big Daddy Kane (in big letters) & Jesse West (in small letters), but I suspect this was recorded for an unreleased Jesse West album that never came out (I mean, look at the label scan, even the catalog numbers tell you this is first adn foremost a Jesse West project). Unda-Ground Records was a short lived white label run that released a few white label 12"s in 2000, including a second 12" by Jesse West with more big name collaborations. So I think some album got shelved, but Unda-Ground salvaged all the noteworthy cameos.

Anyway, 3rd Eye's alright; some of his indie 12"s are cool and he can hold his own with the big names. But of course I bought this because of Big Daddy Kane. And it doesn't disappoint. Kane comes off nice. Jesse is a producer as well as an MC, and he's made a cool, tough yet subtle track for Kane and Jesse to flow over.  They're constantly going back and forth, passing the mic over and over for short, tight verses. Amazingly, there is no hook at all. They just keep passing the mic and kicking verses for the whole song. Jesse has a nice, mumbley street-style kind of flow; but Kane easily steals the show his flawless delivery and edgy rhymes. "You can't compare me to another, word to mother, ain't no other. When I smother, run for cover from a brother who's kickin' those skills you can't get enough of. Damage I cause on the mics that I be touchin' got niggas wantin' to remake 'Self Destruction.' You fuckin' kiddin' me?" This is stronger than a lot of records put out under his own billing.

This song is... mostly uncensored.  All the curses are left intact. But at one point, Kane takes a shot at somebody at the end of one of his verses, and the name is cut out. I've listened to it a couple times and I can't figure out who it's supposed to be. It's surprising they cut it out since it's a white label - it's not like it Motown made the call. I'd love to find out find out, or even get a completely uncut version some day, because this is a hot track. But again, that little clip is the only editing done to the song.

So, also on this 12" is the instrumental, which is okay but basically just a single, constant loop. Its not one of those strong instrumentals that holds out on its own even without the MCs on top of it.

And flip it over and we get another Jesse West collaboration (and also a sloppy dub mix) called "Nights Like This" with Xzibit. This one uses the same samples and basically remakes the instrumental to The Outsidaz' "Rah Rah," only it's a little softer and watered down. So, it's the same thing only not as good, although it at least brings in different horns on the hook. X rocks pretty hard on this track; but I just can't get past the fact that this isn't as good as the Outz track - it just lacks the punch of their instrumental and the energy of their style. It's so similar I can't stop thinking about it; but comparatively, it's weaker. If you've never heard "The Rah Rah," you'd probably dig this track more; it's pretty decent on its own.

So, anyway, I'm not a huge Jesse/ 3rd Eye fan; but all of his material is at least decent. I've got some of his indie 12S and stuff; but I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to recommend any of them to you guys. But this 12" is the exception; because Big Daddy Kane owns it. Unda-Ground had the right idea giving him the big letters.  ;)

Shelved 'Licensed To Ill' Beastie Boys Tracks

(Youtube version is here.)

Raheem Knocks Slick Rick Out the Box?

What? To posts about Raheem in a row? No, no, no. That post was about Raheem of the original Ghetto Boys, not to be mixed up with Rahiem from The Furious Five, Lil Rahiem from the Boogie Boys, Raheem from Jazzy Jay's crew or Prince Raheem from Miami. This is Raheem the Dream, who added to the confusion by dropping the "The Dream" part of his name later in his career. He started his career recording some cool, mid-80s single with underrated producers Mike Fresh and DJ Toomp. But he pretty quickly struck out on his own, recording single after single and album after album all on his own. Meaning, in addition to the rapping, he produced and wrote all his own stuff, and released it all on his own label, RTD (get it?) Records. He eventually renamed his label to Tight 2 Def... yup, he's the guy behind Dem Franchise Boyz, The Dream (who just left Def Jam earlier today) Young Dro, etc.

So Raheem is pretty expert at pimping our little music industry; but I've never been too into his stuff. Very typical Miami bass kinda stuff (though, strictly speaking, he's from Atlanta)... with lots of gimmicky pop-chasing dance songs. The only other single I have by him is "Short Shorts" (which is exactly like you think it is) because it featured the return of MC Shy D after the whole Luke Records disaster, and I was more than curious. He's not terrible and his success over many different hip-hop eras says a lot; but generally speaking, he represents the kind of bass music that makes me want to tell people "there's more to the scene than just that!"

Still, I had to pick up "Knock 'Em Out the Box." Why? Because, as its title makes pretty clear, he's flipping Slick Rick's classic [and I realize I can be guilty of over-using that word, but it absolutely applies here in every sense] "Children's Story."

This 12" was sorta rare, back before Serato and the consolidating power of the internet made every record with a pressing of over 200 copies cheap as chips. It comes from a little dip in his career, after his initial come -up, but before he achieved some bigger dance hits later in the 90s, and it's taken off one of his least known albums, the Straight From the G State EP. But as far as I'm concerned, if you have this 12", there's no need for the EP.

So, the song starts out with a familiar Ricky D sample being cut up, "As we go a little something like this." Then the beat kicks in, which is the "Children's Story" instrumental, except with a deep, deep bed of thundering bass drops laid underneath.Raheem doesn't work too hard on this one, but he comes off well enough, just kicking generic raps about girls, "rolling with the fellas" and his status in the rap game. No complex or clever rhymes or anything, and he throws in lots of empty lines like "Kriss Kross made you jump, but I'ma warm it up." But his voice sounds real cool over Rick's track and he delivers some basic lines in some fun, creative ways. Couple that with some nice cuts by his DJ Fly Ty, and you have a song that may look like a tacky knock-off on paper but in reality just works. It's fun. And the bassed up version of "Children's Story" is just dope.

The B-side here is "Drop Them Draws" (also from G State), which is utterly predictable; but still well produced and fun. It's every cliche in the book, including samples and percussion you've heard a million times before on a thousand other songs just like it. But it's certainly a well crafted and catchy example - this Raheem is undeniably a pro even if he isn't elevating anything.

Round that out with a clean edit and instrumental (or "Bass-A-Mental") version of "Drop Them Draws" and you've got a pretty neat little 12". "Knock Em Out the Box" is obviously no threat to the original; but it's a really fun regional variant that I think anyone who's a serious enough head to be reading this blog will be surprised how much they end up digging it.