Bad Rap?

Today I watched Bad Rap, a 2016 crowd-funded "feature documentary about the obstacles and successes of Asian-American rappers."  It starts out with a little history... Yes, they briefly summarize Jin and The Mountain Brothers, but they never even mention Fresh Kid Ice, Lyrics Born, Dragons of Edin, Key Kool or any of those Up Above cats, let alone Hip-Hop artists in Asia who've broken out here like DJ Honda or DJ Krush.  And it would be perfectly fine that their backstory was just so short that they breezed over most of the important figures, but their point was that the two or three artists they did name were all there was, as if they'd just thoroughly covered all there was to know.  So it got my back up that they were skipping over so much.  I mean, say what you want about Fresh Kid Ice, but 2 Live Crew were larger than all the guys they discussed put together.  A history of Asian-American rappers that doesn't seem to have even heard of the world's most famous Asian-American rapper?  Weak.  But you already knew I was gonna get hung up on this part, right?  Really, it's a small matter, because that part of the film turns out to be there only to serve as an introduction.

Because the film quickly devolves into a reality TV-style show where we follow four up and coming unknowns where we're asked to pick who to root for.  They only missed one trick by having them training for an "ultimate rap battle" that squares them off as the climax of the movie.  They get close, though, as we follow one of them through a tedious battle rap tournament that grinds the film to a halt for almost half an hour.  There are a couple interesting, genuine seeming moments, like one rapper struggling to convince models to sexualize themselves in his music video, or another who seems to find more success making cooking videos from his apartment.  There's a section where they show their four rappers to some prominent industry people, like Ebro and Riggs Morales, and they mostly seemed to be sincere and give legit criticism.

What'll make this doc of interest to most people today, though, is that one of those unknowns did break out and become a big celebrity - Awkwafina.  Even though this is only four years old (though I'm guessing most of this was shot at least a couple years earlier), it's already a historical artifact: pre-Crazy Rich Asians, Oceans 8, Comedy Central and all that, where we find her performing in local clubs and just starting to get noticed with Youtube videos.  On Netflix, they've changed their thumbnail to a giant close-up of her, even though her role's actually probably a little bit smaller than several of the other unknowns.  She's really a secondary character, even in terms of screen time; so if you're just coming to this as an Awkwafina fan, you're going to be disappointed.

Overall, the doc's pretty short and seems to end kind of arbitrarily.  I definitely would've been more interested if they just expanded the opening history into a full, rich discussion of the legacy and challenges facing Asian MCs, instead of trying to turn it into another sports-style "pick your favorite" doc.  But even if you dig that kind of thing, it gets meandering and sluggish with low stakes and zero tension.  Had the filmmakers kept rolling until after Awkwafina turned into a pop star and could've included that, they would've had more to work with.  Instead, this is the rise and fall of four aspiring rappers who never really rise or fall.

They also never explain why the film is called "Bad Rap."  It's tempting to make the crack that they're just telling on themselves; but to be fair, I wouldn't say any of these rappers are bad (leaving the jury out on how you feel about Awkwafina's skills, since she's clearly aiming for easy-to-follow joke songs).  I guess they mean it in the sense of Asian rappers consistently getting a bad reputation.  But that doesn't actually seem like the picture they've painted?  The movie presents them as being overlooked and ignored, but not exactly treated like hoods or whatever. 

So yeah, Bad Rap is streaming on Netflix.  It's on some other services, too, like Amazon Prime and Youtube, but for a fee.  If you really like the film, it's worth looking into the physical release, since that includes exclusive extras like deleted scenes and extended interview clips.  There are DVD and blu-ray options, though they're both Made On Demand burnt discs, which have shorter shelf lives and have trouble working with certain players.  Still, the blu is definitely the ideal option.  But that's only if you feel like this film is worth it, which I can't say it was for me.

Natural Elements' 1999, Give Or Take a Few

Hey, remember when Natural Elements were finally releasing their long-shelved Tommy Boy album on vinyl for its tenth anniversary through Traffic Entertainment?  And then Traffic dropped out, and they wound up releasing a CD-only version that included about two thirds of the album and filled the rest with a bizarre, patchwork mix of older material?  Well, now it's their twentieth anniversary and they're here to do it right...er.  It's still kinda screwy.  But they've made genuine improvements.  It's definitely good news overall.

So let's start on the positive side.  1999: 20 Year Anniversary is on vinyl!  Yes, you can now finally, after all these years, get these songs on wax.  A double LP even.  And it comes in a cool gatefold cover, and if you really want to splurge, you can order the more limited colored vinyl options.  Specifically, there are 100 copies pressed on three striped color vinyl, 100 pressed on blue, white (white) and orange splatter vinyl (the stripes are the same three colors), and another 300 on your basic black.  Oh and there's also a CD version.

Now let's step into the disappointing... it's still mostly the same weird track-listing they made for the tenth anniversary CD, where they leave off several of the still unreleased Tommy Boy songs and fill that space with their most common, greatest hits material most NE fans already have (the credit in the liner notes saying, "all tracks recorded in NYC in 1999" is just wrong).  And the ones that don't could get them if they chose, unlike the still unreleased songs, which none of us can get.

But I said "mostly," because they did make an interesting change or two.  First of all, they've re-arranged the track-listing to put the intro back at the beginning, a nice little correction of the tenth anniversary, which curiously stuck it at the end.  But more critically, they've taken off the song "MTV (More Than Vocals)" and replaced it with the never officially released "Life Ain't Fair."  To be clear, this is the original version with the hook sung by Bridge that I first wrote about in my article for Hip Hop Connection and that wound up on that hard to find bootleg with the Truck Turner songs.  This is not the version Chopped Herring gave a proper release to on the first of their amazing Demo EPs.

This is a strange decision, which on the scales I suppose leans more to the pro than the con, but could've easily been a lot more pro.  This is the first official release of that "Life Ain't Fair," and it's on vinyl, so that's pretty sweet.  And taking "MTV" off makes sense, since it was never intended to be on that Tommy Boy album (it was recorded years later).  But "MTV" has never been released on vinyl, and it would've been nice to get it on wax now, even if it's not really a proper 1999 track.  After all, about a third of what's on here, including "Life Ain't Fair," isn't a proper 1999 track.  And again, there are plenty of songs on here that have been readily available on vinyl already for decades that they could've swapped off instead.  "Bust Mine" or "Paper Chase," for example, are super easy to find on 12", nice and inexpensive, and they weren't from 1999 either.  With that said, though, since "MTV" was at least on the CD, and "Life Ain't Fair" has never seen a proper release, I do prefer getting "Life" to "MTV."  It's a change for the better.  It's just a Sophie's Choice we shouldn't have had to make.

But don't let my criticisms land too hard.  A new double-LP of incredible Natural Elements music, most of which has never been released on vinyl before?  That's awesome news and everyone reading this should cop it.  I just wish they had the courage not to buoy these up with their greatest hits.  They definitely don't need to, and it means those last six songs from their 1999 Tommy Boy album are still abandoned in the vault.  Of course... just one more, little wafer-thin 12" EP could fix all that for all time, and we fans would gobble it up.  Just sayin'.  😉

The Fat Boys' Hardest Gangsta Raps

(I hate when critics of Hip-Hop lay "Cop Killer" on our doorstep.  That's a heavy metal song on a heavy metal album by a heavy metal band.  I don't listen to that noise!  But, to be fair, it's not like we haven't got a few violent gangster tales of our own... like these, told by The Fat Boys.  Youtube version is here.)

U521 - The Comeback Of the Decade, and More!

You might say that "the comeback of the decade" is a pretty left-handed compliment to throw at somebody on January 10th, 2020.  Well, allow me to be "that guy" for just long enough to point out that there was no year 0 in our calendar, so the decade doesn't roll over until next January.  So me declaring somebody just made the comeback of the decade, I'm talking about on the last ten years, not ten days.  Or, to put it in a less irritatingly nerdy way, hell yeah, I'm excited about this!  Just who's back?  Unique!

Just a couple months ago, I wrote about how DWG had unearthed and released a little bit more from Unique's vault of lost recordings.  It had been a long time since they first brought him back into the scene.  And I guess now in retrospect, the timing was because Unique was planning this all along.  Maybe/ maybe not, but it's all good news for Hip-Hop fans regardless.  First we get more vintage 80's material, and now we get all new music from him!

"Lyrical Assault" is a 2-song 7" from Hip Hop Be Bop Records, the same label that brought us the equally dramatic returns of Silver Fox and Sugar Bear.  And thankfully, producer Clandest does as good a job of capturing the spirit of the original artist as he did on those previous efforts.  It doesn't quite have the polished, 80s vibe of his earlier material, the main loop of "Lyrical Assault" feels has more of an indie 90s vibe, but it still suits Unique to a tee.  And the man himself?  He definitely has a raspier voice, but otherwise, hasn't skipped a beat, in his lyrical styling or delivery, since '88.  He certainly sounds older, but when he hits the line, "hold your ear, I'ma press the detonator, creepin' like a sniper, sorta like a terminator," this is unquestionably our Unique, just like he never left us.

"I'm a Always Shine" is a bit slower, but has the best scratches (as always, by DJ Credit One).  Except for his smoker's voice, "Lyrical Assault" sounds like a song he would've recorded for his classic, essentially unreleased '89 album.  And this sounds like the slightly more relaxed and mature kind of song he would've recorded for a second album in 1990.  Like, to put it in Kool G Rap terms, the A-side is from his "Men At Work" phase and the B-side comes out of his "Bad To the Bone" era.

This is a 45 7" (as I recall, the Sugar Bear was 33 1/3) and as you can see, comes in a picture cover designed, like the interior label, to match the classic New Day color scheme of his original 12"s. I'm not sure what the exact numbers are, but according to the HHBB's site, "limited press photos included while stocks last, some signed by Unique."  So if you're interested in bonus swag, you might want to jump on this sooner than later.  And while you're at it, Hip Hop Be Bop has another new record for you at the same time.

05:21's "Without Warning" represents HHBB's first release by a contemporary artist.  In fact, even by contemporary standards, they're kinda brand new.  05:21 is a UK duo comprised of MCs Koba Kane and T1 Vega.  This is their first physical release, and their "debut single" online seems to've just been released three months ago.  So yeah, they may as well have just popped out of nowhere, though they are managed by Blade (because T1's his son).  Blade's an MC with a deep history, dropping his first single back in 1988 and making albums ever since.  But I'm definitely not as up on my UK Hip-Hop as I should be... I think the only records I actually have of his are a Herbaliser appearance or two.  Maybe that'll be my homework after this post, to track down at least one of his early records.  But anyway, management isn't generally up there with writer or producer in terms of being a strong creative influence, so I'm not sure it's even particularly relevant here.  Like, Professor X used to manage Positive K, but "Quarter Gram Pam" sounds nothing like an X-Clan record.  So let's just take these guys on their own.

This one's just the one song, not produced by Clandest but by somebody named Sinikal (who also does his own scratching).  The 05:21 guys have pretty strong, aggressive flows and deliver well constructed rhymes at a steady pace.  Despite being new, you can hear a lot of the sensibilities of their old school label-mates in how they attack the mic.  I don't know if they're deliberately taking an influence from them or if HHBB picked 'em because they fit in with the rest of their roster despite the different generation.  Either way, it means if you've liked their previous singles, you should be happy with this one; they just don't come with the established reputations of the other artists' legacies.  Not that I'd quite put them on the level of a Silver Fox; these guys get a bit silly with their nonstop "like a" similes, but for 05:21, the emphasis seems to be more on their impressive deliveries than whatever freestyle lyrics they happen to be spitting.  Instrumentally, my only criticism is that the main twangy loop is mixed a little too loud over the break and vocals.  I would've liked it a little more subtle, but it still works, and the cuts have a slick DJ Premier feel when they come in for the hook.

Like the Unique single, "Without Warning" is a 45 7" in a picture cover, with the instrumental on the B-side of this one.  You can just cop the Unique or 05:21 singles by themselves, but they take a few extra £s off if you order them together.  I have to admit, 05:21 is not one I would've selected for myself (having never heard of 'em and all) - unlike Unique who I'm thrilled over - but now that I've got 'em, I'm glad to have both, and I can't wait to see what Hip Hop Be Bop comes up with next!

Run DMC's Other Christmas Song

Everybody knows Run DMC's "Christmas In Hollis," even curmudgeonly old Scrooge boomers who can't stand rap.  It used to get heavy, mainstream MTV rotation (i.e. not just on Yo! or their more urban-themed dance shows), and radio play all over the world each holiday season, even those "absolutely no rap" 100-type stations, largely because it was treated like a novelty record.  This wasn't anything too edgy or threatening for the wee ones to hear; this was "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" pt 2.

That's not a knock on the song itself; I still dig it.  It's not the first Hip-Hop Christmas record, but it's the first one most of middle America ever heard, and it's still well produced (that's a killer Clarence Carter sample) and holds up well today.  It's been released and re-released countless times over the years.  It was featured on Profile's classic Christmas Rap album - still the single greatest Hip-Hop Christmas album to this day - and I was once gifted a cute little 45 on clear red vinyl.  The #1 movie of 1988 - Die Hard - opens with it, The Simpsons have played it, it's been used for car commercials and Adidas even made a "Christmas In Hollis" shoe!

But "Christmas In Hollis" wasn't originally recorded for that Profile album or as the major Run DMC single it became.  It was made for, and first released on, a 1987 A&M charity record made to benefit The Special Olympics called A Very Special Christmas.  It was a big deal at the time, and Run DMC were the only Hip-Hop artists on it, which is a big part of why "Christmas In Hollis" spread to the mainstream.  The album featured Christmas songs and covers by artists like Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, Madonna and Bon Jovi, so everybody's parents who bought the album for those guys wound up with a perfectly charming, head-nodding Hip-Hop song as an unexpected little bonus.  Like Run DMC's single, it's been pressed and re-pressed over the years.  It featured artist by the incredibly popular Keith Haring, and really, you younger cats probably don't appreciate just how widespread this album was.  Not only did the music stores bring out the displays every Holiday season, but it had full page ads in non-music magazines, and even places that didn't otherwise sell music, like supermarkets and drug stores, had these at the register.

So of course A&M followed that up with a second album.  And of course they asked Run DMC back.

But Hip-Hop audiences are fickle.  1987 was right at Run DMC's peek, right between Raising Hell and Tougher Than Leather.  "Walk This Way" had already come out and they were already being hailed as not just rap but rock superstars.  By the time of A Very Special Christmas 2, it was 1992, long after Back From Hell, and just before Pete Rock briefly resurrected their careers with "Down With the King" and they traded in their hats and Adidas for hoodies and Timbs, trying to find a new image and blend in with Naughty By Nature era.  So I guess that's why nobody seems to remember their second Christmas rap anthem, "Christmas Is."

The album itself did just fine.  They had another stacked line-up with some new folks and some returning, like Luther Vandross, Cyndi Lauper, Bon Jovi, Boyz II Men and Tom Petty.  Again, Run DMC were the sole token rapper guys.  But they tried; they even shot a video for it, which got a little time.  But stations mostly decided to keep airing "Christmas In Hollis."  It's a solid effort, though.  It's still produced by Larry Smith and JMJ.  It doesn't have the undeniable instant smash hit power of that Carter sample, but it has a respectable, more timely 90's sound with sparse jazz samples and big, but more natural drums.  Their flows are a little more nimble.  They still open with a little Christmas carol jingle and rock the sleigh bells, but it definitely has less of a holiday feel to it, which is part of the problem.  By the time it gets to their "give up the dough!" shout chorus, they've definitely forgone any crossover appeal the first one had.

Listening to it now, it actually sounds more dated than "Hollis," but I still like it.  In fact, it's a plus in my book that it's less kitschy and angrier about socioeconomic inequality.  If only Run DMC had managed to keep up with the times without giving up their identity to chase all the trends, I think this one would at least have lasted longer in the Hip-Hop community (there's no way this was going to be another crossover sensation).  I mean, it is flawed.  Instrumentally, they're leaning heavily into DITC's lane, which sounds good but derivative.  But lyrically, they try so hard to flex faster, more tongue-twisting lyrical skills, they wind up fumbling: "Christmas, this must be that time of year/ Leggo of your Eggo, rather ego, me go there/ And here, my dear, so give a kid a beer/ Cause every time you give it's coming back, let's get it clear."  It's both everything great and everything embarrassing about 90's rap at the same time.

...But is that the end of Run DMC's Very Special Christmases?  No!  The A&M albums kept on truckin', and it would've been a bad look to forgo Run DMC (and with them, all of Hip-Hop).  So even though Run DMC had sort of split up by then (they came together for Crown Royal, but it was rocky), so 1997's A Very Special Christmas 3 featured a Rev Run solo song.  Solo... but with a bunch of guests.  Remember "Santa Baby," with Mase, Snoop Dogg, Pepa, two fifths of Onyx and Keith Murray?  You probably remember that song popping up on the internet back then but maybe didn't realize it was the third chapter in the Very Special Christmas saga.  It's kind of a mess.  The line-up feels pretty arbitrarily slapped together with half the groups appearing incomplete, the singing on the hook is weak and instrumentally, they're just biting a beat from a Fugees record.  But it's still an amusing little treat to have seemingly randomly popped up on the scene.

The fourth Very Special Christmas took a different track in 1999.  It's a live album, featuring a lot of classic covers and renditions of songs from the previous albums.  So you've got a lot of Eric Clapton, Bon Jovi, plus artists like Mary J Blige and Sheryl Crow.  Yes, they got Run DMC back and of course they covered "Christmas In Hollis," not "Christmas Is."  The last song is a cover of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" featuring all the acts that had performed that night, and yes that includes Run DMC.  But it's literally just Run shouting "yeah, who's got the Christmas spirit? Somebody say 'hoooo'!!" at the beginning and "yo, you better be good for goodness sake" at one point mid-song.  Afterwards, they get to shout out Hollis and the Special Olympics, but it's really a number devoted to the singers and they're just on it as a technicality.

2001's A Very Special Christmas 5 is the one where they finally give up on Run DMC entirely.  They bring in another token Hip-Hop artist, and I bet you can guess who.  Yes, Wyclef Jean, who mostly just sings, but he does bust a corny freestyle on a Stevie Wonder song.  It's another live album with regulars like Bon Jovi and Tom Petty returning.  Then by 6 & 7, they finally seem to feel comfortable not having any Hip-Hoppers on there at all, and it's just two more live albums with artists like Reba McEntire, Miley Cyrus and Willie Nelson.  It's nice what they've continued to do for the Special Olympics, but I think most of the world had checked out of this crap by that point.

But yeah, "Christmas Is!"  Awfully dated is what it is; but it's still pretty cool... better than most of their late career stuff, and doesn't deserve to be completely forgotten.  I recommend giving it at least one spin this Holiday Season.

So I Watched Everybody's Everything...

This is my relationship with Lil Peep: he's the guy everybody asks me around the holidays, "hey, you're into rap.  Do you know Lil Peep?"  And I say, yeah a little.  I heard of him when he became too famous not to have heard of 'im, and I checked out two or three Youtube videos, and as you guys could probably predict, his stuff wasn't really my thing.  Then I didn't give him another thought, really, until he passed.

It's a weird (and obviously tragic) thing when a young, popular artist goes right at the peak of their success.  Would they have continued to flourish and cement a superstar legacy, or had we already seen their entire flash in the pan run its course?  Like, when you look at how The Wu-Tang Clan's Beautiful Tomorrow album completely fizzled out even after a huge onslaught of hype.  Biggie and Tupac went out at the very top, but if they hadn't, would they just be two more dull old school MCs unable to capture the attention of the millennial generation in 2019?  And before anybody runs up and smacks me for implying Lil Peep could be on the same level as The Wu, B.I.G. and 2Pac, my point is that he seemed to be for a sizeable number of fans, or at least just one or two more break-out tracks shy, and this got me curious.

Because sure, that sing-songy The Weeknd style has never appealed to me.  Shit, I remember even back when Domino dropped "Getto Jam" and I was like, "I don't like where this is going..."  But at the same time, I try not to be closed minded to a whole style or sub genre.  I remember when DWG was putting out Unique's Die Hard EP, and they said they were just leaving off the synth-y songs.  Sure, dusty old jazz loops are great, but synthesizers weren't born evil.  Hell, the Beverly Hills Cop theme is pure synth, and the only people who don't love that are dead inside.  And honestly with elite, I actually prefer something like "Homonym Holocaust" to "Don't Even Try It."  Sure, "Don't Even" has that classic K-Solo/ Penthouse Playas/ King Tee/ Poison Clan loop you can never go wrong with.  But I'll take Joey Robinson's "cheesy synths" over the After School, anti-drug message rap stuff.

So anyway, my point with all that is: even if it isn't my preferred style, I'm interested if this kid's got some thoughtful lyrics and something interesting to say.  I remember one of tiny handful of Peep songs I checked out ("Life Is Beautiful") being pretty compelling.  And now here comes this documentary, that sounds like a more engaging way to dive in and see for myself if I thought this was an artist who really had something going for him or if he was just the next in an infinite line of Kreayhawns, Mykko Montanas, and every other rapper the kids forgot about as quickly as they blew them up.

But, uh... this movie didn't really help.  It doesn't really explore his art at all, except to say that he started from very humble, low-fi beginnings and people seemed to like it.  But otherwise the doc doesn't seemed interested in his music, that just happens to be what propelled him into the rags-to-riches story they want to tell.  He could've just as well gotten famous manufacturing widgets for all this film seems to care.  There's a bit where one of his Gothboi Clique members said that when he heard Peep for the very first time, his opening bars were so on point, he knew he had to work with Peep.  And then... they don't play those bars!  I mean, come on, that would've been a perfect opportunity for a very quick soundbite to go a long way towards demonstrating what Peep could do.  I wanna hear those bars, but nope.

So, okay, moving on from what the movie isn't, what does the movie actually deliver?  Well, like I said, it's basically another typical rags-to-riches story that ultimately, of course, ends in tragedy.  I mean, if you swap out Peep for another musician we've lost, then you've already seen this movie a dozen times before.  It can get pretty hammy, as they dramatically read these sappy emails his grandfather wrote Peep like narration over half the film, and a lot of the interviews are pretty superficial.  Most people seemed like they just latched onto the fact that he was popular for some - any - reason and wanted to cash in.  There's a scene where one of his managers (or promoters or whoever) said they asked if he wanted to continue making videos or played stadiums, and when he replied that he wanted to play stadiums, that's when she realized that's when he was a real star.  What?  Ask any third grade class if they want to be rockstars and play stadiums, and two thirds of their hands will go up.  Wanting to play stadiums doesn't mean he could or couldn't do so successfully.  Apparently, Peep's next big move was going to be to start a clothing line?  You wouldn't know from this film if he was a beloved songwriter or just another Instagram Influencer.


But there are interesting moments.  His girlfriend has a refreshingly candid little insight into his relationship with his face tattoos and his family seems nice.  The filmmakers have some of his childhood home movies, and he sure was a cute kid.  You definitely feel bad for his mother and grandfather that they lost him so early.  At its best, Everybody's Everything is touching in a Dear Zachary-lite kind of way.  But that's about a third or a quarter of this film, and the rest just feels like a by-the-numbers E! True Hollywood Story that doesn't tell you anything you didn't already know about the guy... even if, as in my case, you didn't know all that much.  And I came in wanting to learn; I don't think you could've asked for a better audience than that.  I think even Peep's fan club will be looking down at their phones during most of the movie.  Terrence Malick produced this?  I expected more.

Completing the Killa Kidz' Legacy

In 2013, Chopped Herring released a fantastic EP of the Killa Kidz' rarest recordings, including their a repress of their very rare and sought after debut 12" and five previously unheard demo tracks.  Killa Kidz, you may recall, is the original Queens crew of Prince AD, a.k.a. Killa Sha, the lyrical assassin you should remember from his appearances on Mobb Deep's debut album and projects with other Queensbridge and NY allstars Screwball, Chuck Chillout, Large Pro, Tragedy, Phill Blunts and even Anttex.  The other members are Superb, Baby Sham (who was later recruited into the Flipmode Squad), Psycho Child, Third Surgeon and Mr. Ruc da Jackal, most of whom also have some pretty tight appearances, if not solo records, under their belts.  Still, though, all their recording careers have been much more limited than they should've been.

So for those in the know, it was very exciting this summer when Chopped Herring unearthed a second batch of never heard before DAT recordings and released them as a second EP called In the Mental Demos EP.  Their first EP was limited to 300 copies, so they've expanded it a bit this time around to 350, 120 of which were pressed on yellow (yellow) vinyl, and the rest on traditional black, both in a sticker cover.  But still, to spread the legacy out even further, they've now come out with a more accessible (conventionally priced, not limited) CD combining the original six track 1996-1997 Phenomenon EP release and the recent seven track EP to create a proper Killa Kidz full-length 12-track album called Streets Is Real.

So, as the title says, the first EP's tracks were recorded in 1996-1997.  These "new" ones were recorded between 1995-1997, meaning some of these predate that last EP.  In fact, the title track, "In the Mental," was the crew's first recording together.  It's all got a rough but smart energy, like when you hear the disappointingly weaker, crossover modern songs by guys like Nas and Prodigy and you'd wish they still sounded like their early classics.  This is that shit.

The Kidz don't have particularly distinct styles.  You know, like if you think back to the very first time you heard The Wu-Tang Clan before you got to know them, you could still never get guys like Method Man, Raekwon and ODB confused because; they were so unique.  Here, even serious fans may have a hard time assigning each verse to its particular spitter.  But that actually serves the crew more than it detracts, because it winds up hitting you like just a wave of fierce energy.  Everybody's just working as hard as they can to kill the mic, not carve out their personal brands.  Which is not to say the final songs aren't distinct.  "Da Ill Dream" has an early Gravediggaz influence and a sick Supernat sample.  And as with the previous EP, all the songs here were produced by Sha himself, except for the last one, "Who Write This Song," which was handled by Ayatollah and consequently has more of a smooth, sample-driven vibe as a result.

The sound quality is pretty bold across the board, so it all hits nice and hard.  But there's definitely a sibilance cracking, low-fi feel to the vocals (on some tracks more than others), which may have as much to do with the way the songs were recorded as how the demos were preserved.  Either way, it compliments the Kidz' raw deliveries and high pitched voices in a satisfying enough way that fans shouldn't mind even if it definitely doesn't sound studio polished.

Now, all you smarty pants out there who read paragraph #2 carefully probably noticed that six and seven make thirteen songs, not twelve.  Comparing the track-listing for all three releases, it's pretty simple.  The CD doesn't have anything that wasn't on either of the vinyl EPs, and it's missing one from the 2013 record.  Specifically, the final song "City Of Panic" was dropped.  I don't know if it was chosen because it's the only song across both EPs that was a censored Radio Version and they thought the noticeable edits would spoil the album, if they just wanted to leave a track off from the first record to keep it collectible for buyers who understood it wouldn't be repressed, or both.  Heck, I don't know, maybe it was just an oversight (though I doubt that).  But the bottom line is that if you've already copped the records, you don't need Streets Is Real... unless you just want the convenience of a CD.  And if you're a serious, die-hard fan who needs all the songs, you're still going to have to find that first EP.  However you slice it though, the Kidz finally have a top shelf album to their name, which the world is finally able to hear and give credit as of 2019.

The Nightmarish Tales of Anita the Beast

(Happy Halloween, Hip-Hop fans!  Let's start off with a Dana Dane classic and then delve into some more fun, obscure goodies.  Youtube version is here.)

Unique, Finally Obtainable But Still Untouchable

Diggers With Gratitude released an amazing EP of unreleased tracks by a killer unsung MC named Unique back in January, 2008.  That's almost twelve years ago - can you believe it?  Well, in the final quarter of 2019, they're back with more.  And it's just as thrilling this time as it was then.

This is 1989's "I'm Untouchable," originally released on New Day Records.  His other single from that time, "Pure Dynamite," (which I wrote about here) is a killer and super hard to find, always going for a well deserved high price.  Well, "I'm Untouchable" is about a hundred times rarer and more sought after.  I mean, it took me quite a long time to get my hands on a copy of "Pure Dynamite," but I've never seen an O.G. pressing of "I'm Untouchable" in my life.  And believe me, I've looked.

I say "O.G. pressing," because guess what?  DWG has just reissued it this month on vinyl.  It's a 7", which is always a disappointment compared to a proper 12", but yeah, sure, you hold out for a full-sized original.  Pretty sure you'll take that demand with you to your grave.  In the meantime, this is an attractive, reasonably priced new release, available on blue or black vinyl, and it comes in an amusing twist on a classic New Day sleeve.  Besides, even if you did somehow get your hands on an original, you'd still need this new version.

Why?  Well, the B-side of "I'm Untouchable" was just the instrumental.  I mean, it's a fantastic instrumental, so that's nothing to sneeze at.  But still, if you're not a DJ, who really messes with the instrumental versions of songs that much?  And anyway, this 7" has a new B-side, the previously unreleased "I'm Untouchable (Demo Mix)."

And this isn't just some minor variation where you're gonna need some expert to point out what the difference even is.  It's an entirely different track with a distinctly different feel.  The DWG write-up says that some even say this version is better.  Well, I wouldn't go that far.  But it's pretty strong and unique (pun intended... I'm sorry) enough to stake out its own place in your collection.  The original version was either produced by Joey Robinson Jr. or Sherm, depending which label you put your faith in (heh), and this new version is produced by DJ Hype.  And as you might guess just from reading the names, that means this version has a lot of dope scratches that aren't on the original.  And Unique is one of those MCs whose flow just screams for some cuts on their record.

But it's not just new cuts, the whole instrumental's different.  The drums admittedly don't crack as hard this time around, but it's got some cool, atmospheric synths and a great bassline.  It's a hot record, but it does come off a bit muddier and less dynamic than the original.  Part of that may come down to the mastering or sound quality (it sounds pretty clean, but I think it's taken from some kind of tape and therefore the range might be a little crushed), but part of it is also just down to the musical choices they made.  You're definitely gonna like it, but it won't make you immediately stand up and take notice like the "original" version did.

("Original" is in quotes because this demo version is presumably the actual original; we just never knew it 'till now.)

And if that's not enough Unique for ya, there's more!  DWG has also re-released their 2008 Die Hard EP (which was super limited, after all, to a mere 175 copies) across a series of two further 7"s.  But there's a key difference: they replaced one song.  That certainly keeps the 2008 version highly desirable, but it means again, even if you have the original, you'll need the new 7"s, too.  Yes, the new 7"s don't have the song "Don't Even Think About It," but instead add another great song from Unique's unreleased album, "Axe Maniac."  It's another lost classic with Unique hyping his DJ, Godfather D, who gets busy on the turntables over another choice breakbeat.   You can cop these 7"s separately, or a bit cheaper in a bundle from their official big cartel.  Though all three are also being sold through other online vendors, too, so they're making it easy on us.

Something Different

Remember when I wrote about the debut release of a newcomer Ohio MC named Pseudonym?  Well, he's back with what he calls his debut EP; but at three songs, I'd really qualify it as a second single.  Anyway, it's called Caught In a Deep Thought, and this time he's coming with production entirely by Joey Beach.

The opening track, "Factory-Made (That's the Shit)," has a weird slow groove to it, and his delivery is so off the wall, when I first put the tape in, I thought it was dragging, and I had to search out an online clip to make sure that's how it's supposed to sound.  But that probably makes it sound like this is awful, right?  It's not, the track has a nice DITC-inspired feel to it, actually, but with a more live feel (indeed, a lot, if not all, of the instrumentation is being played live here) with a jazzier bassline mixed with a little Dynamix II or something.  It's an effectively addictive head-nodder, and that's what counts.  And I like that Pseudonym is going for a gruffer sound than his debut.  It's very 90's in a way, particularly the shout hook and references to artists like Cool C and The Crooklyn Dodgers; but his style here, too, calls back the times when all the up and coming artists like Lords Of the Underground, the Fu-Schnickens, or Common when he was still Common Sense, were all trying to originate crazy, original flows that threw you off guard with each coming word.  Will the next syllable be a deep intonation or a high-pitch shout?  Only one way to find out.

But some of the angry aggressiveness of his flow seems like maybe he's over-correcting for the nerdcore twinge his first tape had.  Lines like "you're droppin' off like fruit flies; little motherfuckers better recognize" or "go ahead, get pissed off; I'm spittin' straight facts, bitch" ring more than a little overwrought.  I mean, giving the benefit of the doubt, I'll assume it's meant to be all part of the fun of a throwback to that particular era and style.  We can all think of some fun old records that went way over the top but still entertained (Ganksta N.I.P., anybody?).  But here it might be too many layers removed from directly connecting with an audience.  It's like trying to do a parody of a comedy: you wind up telling jokes that aren't supposed to be funny, and most people just dismiss what you're doing before you can really get them on board with the whole vision.  If I throw on a new tape, do I want to hear lines where I'm not supposed to believe the tough talk?

"Sometimes..." slows it down a bit, and again, I said to myself "okay, now this time the tape's dragging" and I had to check it online again.  The instrumental's well constructed but a little dull and doesn't marry so well with the sung chorus and playful raps.  Part of it might just be a mixing thing, with the lead guitar loop constantly competing with the main vocals.  Anyway, it's not un-interesting, and Pseudo settles more naturally into the groove by the second or third verse, but I don't expect I'll go back to this cut after I've finished this review.  The final track on the other hand, "A Friendly Reminder," is the stand-out, with some funky production with some kind of surf music riff, charmingly chintzy horns and appealing cuts by DJ Etch on the hook.  And where the other two songs are just your basic, "I'm not regal, but it's been twenty years since I've had an equal"-style skill flexing, this one has a clever and engaging concept where your brain is checking in with you for a little reflection:

"Don't let life be the downer at your party.
Also, give me some stimulaaaation;
These Instagram pages are just imitation.
Read a book, have some sex, do what the fuck it takes.
I'm so damn bored; that's why I put your life at stake."

That's just good writing!  There's talent evident throughout the whole "EP," and in general I think I like the direction he's heading in, but he takes a lot of risks.  This is the song where they pay off.

Like "Edible MC's," the digital options for Caught In a Deep Thought are a lot easier to find, but the cassette (program repeats on both sides) is coming out on the same label, Vestibular Records, and should be available to purchase on their bandcamp and discogs listing soon.  His full-length, Frustrated, is due out later on Hardcore Rap 4 Life... if you've heard of Caligula, yeah, it's that label.  Anyway, Cal caught a little flack on the DWG forums recently, but I thought his stuff sounded pretty decent.  Pseudo seems oddly mismatched for that roster, though, so that should be interesting.  And in the meantime, he's also got a crazy low-fi freestyle tape called Motion Of the Ocean that's fairly amusing.  So if this is the first you're hearing about him, Caught may not be the ideal moment to jump onto the Pseudonym train.  But if you're already on board, you're sure to find more to like here.

Underground Tapes Shouldn't Be This Complicated

In 1999, Saukrates was crossing the line from underground to a major label artist.  He'd been putting nice little indie 12"s in Canada since '94, started blowing up in America in '96/ '97, and by 2000 he was a part of Universal's corporate empire.  And to bridge that gap, in 1999, he put out an album called The Underground Tapes, which was essentially a compilation of the rare, indie joints that blew him up made accessible for the new fans who were now discovering him, mixed in with some new and unreleased stuff.  And then, for unfathomable reasons, he released it over and over again that same year with slightly different track-listings that I don't think Saukrates himself could even sort out anymore.

I mean, okay, I shouldn't exaggerate.  First(?) there was The Underground Tapes: Limited Edition Vinyl, Vol. 1 EP on Serious Entertainment.  As you'd expect, this was sort of a sampler/ lead single for the album, featuring some of the hottest songs with Instrumentals and a radio edit that weren't on the proper album.  That makes sense.  So you've got that, with 6 songs over 8 tracks, then the album, which Serious put out on CD, with a full 13 songs.  But, since Saukrates was kind of straddling the US/ Canadian line, he also put out a Canadian version of the album on a label over there called Capitol Hill (no connection - I don't think - to the major Capitol Records).  That CD has more songs: 19 including the hidden bonus track.

So, okay, I guess it's not really that complicated.  But oh, wait.  Capitol Hill then re-released that album in 2000, with 18 songs, several of which are different than the other one.  Exclusive songs like "Night Nurse" and "Maybe I Should Change."  Oh, and there's also a cassette release of the 2000 reissue with just 17 of the songs, because the last one was a CD-only bonus track.  Plus Vol. 2 of the vinyl EPs did come from Serious, with seven more songs including a couple remixes that only appear on that vinyl EP.  And if that's still not enough, someone discovered and uploaded to discogs an unreleased CDR master version of the album with yet another alternate track-listing, including "Night Nurse" and also a song that's never been released on any of the previous versions or anywhere else called "Let Me Roll."  And if you want to get really definitive, I've also seen a Capitol Hill sampler cassette of The Underground Tapes out there, with five songs on it.

Whew!  That's exhausting, right?  Well guess what, gang?  I'm here to contribute to the madness, because I was going through my stash and realized I happen to own still yet another version!  It's a Serious promo cassette that features another exclusive track not on any of the other versions, and which has also never been released anywhere else.  For the most part, it has the exact same track-listing as Serious's CD.  It's technically one short, but only because it skips the "Intro," which is a snippet of a radio interview with DJ X.  But all the actual songs are there, and in the same sequence.  However, there's then one last song, "Money Or Love (Remix)."

You may remember that "Money Or Love" was included on every version of The Underground Tapes, even the vinyl EP.  And it was made the single for the album, being put out as its own 12" by Capitol Hill, and they made a music video for it.  That 12" features additional versions of the song, like the Instrumental and Accapella, but not this remix.

Now, I'll be real with you guys.  "Money Or Love" was not a favorite off this album.  It emphasized more of his sung chorus and trendier production style.  He still sounds like himself as an MC here and he's never really fallen off when it comes to his bars, even in recent years.  So it's an okay song, but the topic is pretty crass and the music feels more like record executive bait than his tight "underground" material that got him to this point.  Like this is the beginning of the crossover stuff that turned each Saukrates record from something you just had to have to alright stuff you didn't really need to keep checking for.

But this remix is easily much better.  Why is it the doper versions always seem to be the ones relegated to the B-sides or left in the vaults?  Lyrically, it's the same, but the original instrumental was pretty limp.  It had an alright basic loop, which is still on hand for this remix, at its core.  Like, it's a reasonably catchy, twangy guitar sample (they mime playing it live in the video, but I'm pretty sure it's a sample) and drums with sparse bass notes.  It's funky enough to album filler that keeps your head nodding, but it should never have been a single.  But this remix drops a huge, chunky sample on top of the whole thing, which makes the song a lot heavier.  They fade the guitar out for a lot of it, and honestly they could've completely gotten rid of it for the whole song, because it's totally stomped out anyway.  The only drawback is they still keep the original hook.  And it's not like his singing sucks or anything, but it doesn't mesh with this remix instrumental, which would sound better with a much simpler, stripped-down hook.  Or even no hook at all and just pause as the beat continues.

So there's still room for more improvement.  Maybe this was left off because whoever produced it (this tape has no credits) also felt it wasn't quite finished.  But however you cut it, the remix is by far the stronger version of the song.  And it's only available on this... ninth? version of The Underground Tapes.  Wow.  Think there are any more out in the world to be found?  Can anyone dig us up an even tenth?