What More Can I Say? Lots of Childen

Here's a neat little single track 12" that's not featured on any of his albums.

M.C. Bobby Jimmy (minus The Critters this time, apparently) dropped this right between Roaches: the Beginning (an odd title for his second album; but I guess you have to expect oddness from a rap group called Bobby Jimmy & The Critters) and Back and Proud in 1987; and it's actually one of his most fun parody records.

Producer DJ Pooh hooks up a beat that's just a slightly lower-key duplicate of the Audio Two's classic original, and adds some fresh Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy sample scratches for a little extra freshness. There's even a special thanks printed on the label to "Daddy O" of Stetsasonic (I dunno why he felt compelled to put it in quotes) for letting him pervert his classic "Go Brooklyn" chorus.

If you haven't guessed which song he's parodying yet, just peep these lyrics:

"I had money;

Money I had,
Kids I don't know
Just callin' me Dad.

That's how it be;
Ask Ice-T.

I was havin' babies while I was in prison,
Jail,
For non-child support;

Had no job,

It's not my fault.

Pooh's got childen,
I've got childen;
What more can I say?
Lots of childen!"

This is one of the Jimmy's best records in terms of just timelessly cracking me up and getting my head nodding at the same time. Why this never wound up on one of his albums, I don't know. But it's definitely worth tracking down the 12". You can even just rock the instrumental on a mix-tape or whatever, and have everyone bugging out, "what the heck is that 'Go Jimmy; go Jimmy?'" ;)

Sticking with my trend, here's his current myspace page. Russ Parr (that's his real name) isn't recording as Bobby Jimmy anymore, but he's still hosting his radio show, as well as promoting a film and television project, which you can check out on his website: uptoparr.com.

The REAL Weekend Warrior

After releasing a series of really dope, indie 12"s ("...And I Rock," "Turn tha Party Out," "It's da Biz," and "Something For the People"), heads' anticipation for the Diabolical's full-length comeback was really high - high enough to wait the incredibly long amount of time (we're talking years and years) since Remember Me? was first announced in the back pages of The Source).

Finally, in 2003, Tommy Boy managed to push Biz Markie's fifth LP, Weekend Warrior, out into the stores. And, man was it a disappointment. I mean, for the really desperate (read: all of us) Biz fans, there were elements to pick out and enjoy. The first single, "Tear Sh_t Up" with DJ Jazzy Jeff was pretty hot, and "Chinese Food," produced by J-Zone, was a good song. But the bulk of the generic production, primarily handled by, umm... no one I'd ever heard of before, unappealing guest spots by Elephant Man, P. Diddy and Erick Sermon (actually, he came off kinda OK), and god awful, song-ruining hooks, often sung by some cat named Lil' Kal, really makes panning for the gold a chore.

But the secret turned out to be the bonus "Promo Exclusive" disc that came free with the CD when you ordered it from a site called Rap and Soul Mail Order online. It's a whole 'nother full length album (13 tracks with no skits); and it's soooo much better!

I think I remember reading (though I can't find it now to confirm, so it's possible I made this up in my subconscious... but it certainly sounds true) that this is essentially the album Biz wanted to release; but it's loaded with samples Tommy Boy couldn't or wouldn't clear. So, instead they got a bunch of their in-studio producers (though, to be fair, they did spring for The 45 King on one song... and it's a dope track. Too bad about that horrible, horrible chorus) to make cheap beats, and you all know the results.

This album is full of samples, some fairly familiar; but that definitely doesn't detract from the appeal. In fact, probably the best track on this LP (though it's really hard to pick), features the Biz ripping it over Cheryl Lynn's "Got To Be Real" - I mean, come on... just TRY not to enjoy that cut. And you've gotta check "Imma Do It" and hear how he flips the Austin Powers soundtrack into a fat hip-hop track, the perfect match for Markie's style. Basically every track on here is at least as good as the very best moments of the retail CD.

There's only two missteps on this album, really. First and mainly are the three alternate remixes of songs featured on the commercial release. While it's cool to have them just for the sake of completion (and, hell, the whole thing was free after all), I don't know if we really need a version of "Tear S**t Up" without Jeff's scratches... his scratches are the best part! And "Games" and "Let Me See You Bounce" both just rate "eh" no matter which version you spin.

The second is the fact that one song: "Dance Party Scream and Shout," fades out after a minute and a half, mid-verse! I guess something went wrong with the recording, the second half of the master is screwed up, or something. If that's the case, it's cool that they included it anyway. If they just screwed up, then that's pretty sorry as. But yeah. It's not a whole song in any case.

But these two drawbacks don't keep it from being a HELL of a lot better than the commercial version of Weekend Warrior, and basically being the fifth Biz album we all wanted. And the good news is that rapandsoulmailorder.com still has this available, free with purchase of the official Weekend Warrior CD.

(P.s. - Sorry it's been so long since my last update... my harddrive died on me. Had to go to a "data recovery" place and get it replaced. Ugh. Fun fun.)

Hell.... No?

Here's a curious little find...

First of all, as a longtime, big-time, finding an Outsidaz 12" I'd never known about was a definite, unexpected surprise. "Hell Yeah" b/w "Rehab" on Ruffnation (if you can tell me the difference between Ruffnation and Ruffwax Records, I'd love to hear about it): two decent but underwhelming album tracks from the disappointing follow-up to Night Life, The Bricks LP. Two odd choices to make a single out of... I wonder if they selected "Rehab" to follow "Hell Yeah" only because they follow each other directly on the LP?

Well, what makes it even weirder is when you play it, the first song isn't actually "Hell Yeah." That song isn't on this 12" at all. Instead what you get is the four versions of "Keep On" (as it would be for "Hell Yeah" according to the label: main, radio edit, instrumental and a cappella), a much more dynamic, natural choice to release as a single[1]... even though this version is nowhere near as good as their old demo version that everyone was tape-trading a few years before.

The B-side, on the other hand, is what it says it is: four versions of "Rehab," which is only on 12" here. Anyway, you can't go wrong with two Outsidaz acappellas, and at least the one side is exclusive; so it's worth picking up if you ever come across it.

[1]So much so, in fact, that Ruff Nation did indeed release "Keep On" as the lead single for The Bricks, b/w "Done In the Game."

The Chillologist pt. 3

The best for last. Especially if you have the LP since, while all of the Doctor Ice 12"'s had some original content, this is 100% new stuff... The first track is a remix of one of the best album tracks, "Word To the Wise." This "Funk Swing Remix" by Full Force (who actually produced every album track and all the 12" remixes for all of Doctor Ice's 12"'s on Jive), might not be as appealing to the die-hardcore crowd (hey, it's not every day I make up a bad pun!), as it adds keyboards and a general new jack swing kinda feel to the track (though not quite as pop as, say, a Teddy Riley mix might be). But it's still pretty fresh and adds some new elements, including an introduction by Kool DJ Red Alert[1] and a new breakdown. The rhymes are some fun freestyle lyrics ("'Cause I was born without ya, and I'ma die without ya. If you step off, I won't cry about ya"), with the third verse going into some storytelling "Lick the Balls"-type territory:

"I was known to act the fool
With a friend I thought was real cool.
We started rhyming 'cause that was my thang.
See, me and homie was kool and the gang.
But he did things I did not know...
Like kick MY rhymes... at his show.
What should I do - confront him or chill?
Put the lead in his grill? That's kinda ill...
Though the rhymes I write are invincible,
But it's not the raps, it's the principle
Of biting the Doctor's style?
...I hope he's not his mother's only child."
 
The second track is the most skippable, the "Dreadlock Remix" of his token reggae joint (remember when rappers had token reggae joints on their records?) "Feelin' Irie," performed as his alias, Dread Doc. Still, Doctor Ice was better at it than many - probably falling somewhere above Special Ed and below Heavy D - so "Feelin' Irie" was definitely a passable album track... The instrumental to this version goes for a bit more of a traditional reggae vibe, and a little less hip-hop. Decent, and a good thing for us Doctor Ice fans starved for more material, but pretty forgettable to most, I'm sure.
The b-side, though, is the real gem. A brand new track featuring Red Alert again, "Make You Feel Alright" is a showcase of classic old school samples over a simple drum break and bassline and a scratched chorus. At one point, the track cuts back to nothing but handclaps as Doc Ice rips it "New Rap Language style." Then the propmaster drops his signature, "yeeeaaaaahhhhhh" and the beat kicks back in as Doc continues to rap:

"You see the time is overdue, for me to kick to you
Wisdom... and my point of view.
It goes word for word; every eye's open.
If I was a crackhead, knowledge I'd be smokin'.
But I've the knowledge, and I'm the teacher of everyone else.
If they had Knowledge Across America, I'd stand by myself!
Doctor Ice, yo, don't mistake me. (Wha-wha-why is that?)
Because there's a lot of malpractice in the industry.
But I'm the funky MD; you've seen the hearthrob,
That's reason enough why I'm fit for the job.
And if you're not impressed by the gift that I shoot,
Sucka.... file a lawsuit."

Of course, DJ Red Alert's still on the air, but just for the sake of completeness, here's his website: http://www.kooldjredalert.com/ and his myspace page. Full Force are staying busy in the industry, too, writing and producing for a lot of acts, including Britney Spears and all kinds of crap you'd probably be better off not knowing about and just sticking with your memories. But, anyway, you can catch up with them on their site at: http://forcefulworld.com/, and their myspace page... be sure and check out the video they've got up of "Ain't My Type of Hype" with an animated E-Crof - The Force says, "Word!"


[1] Doc Ice was a Red Alert favorite back then; he'd spin "Nobody Move" on his show all the time... in fact, I think it wound up on one of Red Alert's Next Plateau albums.

The Chillologist pt. 2

"What, baby?
What is a love jones?
Come on, girl,
That's when you love someone
Very, very much,
And you just can't seem to get yourself together..."

If you were watching the rap video shows in the late 80's, you saw this one many, many times. "Love Jones" is the second single off of The Mic Stalker. I'm not going to try to make a case for this song, you either like this rap love song with spoken word (and non-rhyming) lyrics and a lot of R&B on it, or you'll want to stay a mile away from it. This was one of the better ones, though; for sure. An update of Johnny "Guitar" Watson's classic, of course, from his Gangster of Love album; the '89 "Love Jones" features Cheryl "Pepsii" (spelled with two i's to avoid any lawsuits) Riley, who was also a member of the Full Force Family[1], and the Force themselves.

Besides being able to add personality to battle raps, Doctor Ice has a knack for being earnest in his love songs, being able to embrace the inherently kitschy aspects of the song with a subtle sense of humor, showing enough intelligence to put this type of song across without trying to seem to smart for the material (a la the recent strain of "nerdcore" comedy raps). So you can smile at his delivery of lines like, "if you can trust anyone, you can trust... the Doc" without it feeling like a hacky joke. And that humor makes, then, makes the cheesier love rap stuff a lot easier to swallow:

"You see, girl,
I not only want you,
But I need you.
And that need is so strong,
It's almost like that of a basshead."

The single opens with an extended version, then the generic single edit. The flip side offers the ridiculous "Trust Me, I'm a Doctor Mix," which, after a whispered introduction...

"Hey, baby. Where you goin'? Nah, I'm not done yet... Now you know you've been givin' my cat to some other dog. That's alright; I'm here now. And after I'm done with you tonight, you won't want nobody else. Trust me... I'm a doctor."

...is the same as the album version. But about halfway through, it turns into a crazy clowning session with his crew, Hospital Hell[2], literally screaming, howlingand crying in the background. Very silly. Finally, there's the "instrumental," which really juststrips off Doctor Ice's vocals, and so acts as a well deserved showcase for the vocal stylings of Full Force and Riley, since their talents were definitely a key element in raising this above most songs of its type from the era.

Now, that's where my 12" stops; but there's a second pressing, which is otherwise identical, but also features the hot album track, "Bass Up - Bass Down." So if you haven't got the LP (and why, may I ask, not?), you may want to hold out for this version.

I already linked Doc Ice's myspace in my last update, but he's not the only "Love Jones" alumni still in the game and kickin'. Cheryl Riley's got her own cherylpepsiiriley.com, and for the sake of consistency, here's her myspace page. She's got a comeback album she put out on 2005, which you can still order off her site.


[1] Besides being the pop R&B group we all knew and loved for singles like "Unselfish Lover" and "Ain't My Type of Hype," Full Force produced a lot of other successful artists in the 80s, including Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam and Samantha Fox. UTFO was put together as their rap group... in fact, UTFO stands for UnTouchable Force Organization. They also chased Kid & Play around in the House Party movies.

[2] Hospital Hell = Juice and Wiz (the sick patients), Tammy Coleman (the nurse), Frankie D. (the surgeon) and Fly Tyrone (body guard). When Doc Ice came back on Ichiban in '94, Juice and Wiz stuck around as his R.O.S. (Rely on Selph) crew, along with a guy named Kay Kay. There ya go - bet you didn't know all that before.

The Chillologist pt. 1

"Sue Me!" is the first of Doctor Ice's 12"'s off his debut solo album, The Mic Stalker. This single, like the album, is a hip-hop classic, pick it up and you will definitely not be disappointed. Both songs (produced by Full Force) are fast paced, with bangin' drums and the kind of James Brown samples that made so many fall in love with hip-hop in the 80's. The extended version adds a fresh 20-second breakdown in the middle of the song, which makes it the definitive version. With the production featured here, this record would be worth picking up with pretty much nay generic, no-frills MC on it. But the fact that it features Doctor Ice, at the height of his rap delivery game and with his distinctive personality (he, Slick Rick and Chubb Rock have to be pretty much the greatest MCs of all time in terms of sneaking a likable charm into freestyle/battle rhymes) elevates it to an all-time great status:

"Suckers should be seen and not heard; that means you.
I'm not stutterin' - speak when ya spoken to.
And never ever ever diss a man you never met before;
Because a family of five is now a family of four!
...
'Cause I'm a fugitive like Robin Hood, I want wealth;
But if I steal from the rich, I'm goin' for self!
Love but don't fear me; you heard what I said.
You tellin' me to go to Hell? That's like a trip to Club Med.
I'll make you wish you never knew me...
Like it, lump it, or SUE ME!"

The b-side features "Sued! (Take Me To Court Mix)", with a totally broken down instrumental and a new verse at the start:

"I prepared my gear; this'll be my year
To give the people who come to party a reason to cheer.
I ain't sayin' I'm back (Tell 'em, Doc),
Because I never left, so get it right and exact.
You know, a few of you knew what Doc could do,
(I'm going) solo now, so don't act new (Boy!).
'Cause I'm new and improved, once again I'm born;
For those that are getting fed up (huh!) hold on!
And teach the newcomers somethin'."

You also get the original version's instrumental, and the great album track "Word Up Doc!" You know you can't go wrong when both song's titles end in exclamation points.

And before you ask, yes! Doctor Ice does have a myspace page with a new comeback song on it. It's pretty good, though the instrumental is... well, let's be kind and call it "familiar." He's also got the "Where Are They Now?" remix he's featured on up there.

P.s. - I've got the sticker cover, as you can see... But there's also a very cool picture cover release of this 12", which uses that photo of the Doc standing between two guys in jean jackets with "Dance With the Doctor" spray-painted on the backs. You can see it on his myspace page.

Uptown's Kickin' It

I'm going to come out and say I quite like his first album. And not in a guilty-pleasure kind of way.... I just feel it's a good, solid record, well-written and well-produced, that I can bump to this day. His second album, too. Sex Is Law? Ok, I'm with you guys on that one. But, really; I think Father's Day and Close To You are good stuff.

But even if you didn't like albums numbers one and two... even if you hated all his r&b hooks, love-themed raps, and can never forgive him for starting the careers of Mary J. Blige and Jodeci in the span of just two twelve-inch singles - to say nothing of his 1993 image transformation into a playa/pimp/superstar of the pop-rap times - you'd still have to give it up for his independent debut.

Father MC and the 1st Fleet Crew (who else was in the 1st Fleet Crew and what happened to them? The world may never know) released their debut 12" on Stupid Fresh Records in 1988. The only other record I know of coming out on this label is "So Good b/w "Complexion" by Master See Divine & MC Ace, released that same year. And the thing about it is: this record is hardcore. F'real. He sounds more like a hungry LL Cool J (think: "Jack the Ripper") than Markie Dee and the Soul Convention. This 12" features two cuts, "I'm Getting Better" and "Father M.C. Going Ill." Both tracks, co-produced by Father MC and KC & the Stupid Fresh Posse, feature fast basslines, hard hitting drums, snares, blaring horn samples and lots of scratching. "I'm Getting Better" features a cut up "Kings of Rock" sample ("rappers can't stand us... but give us respect!") on the hook and Father MC ripping it with a fast, half-yelled delivery.

"I'm not a New Jack,
You must be on that,
Black.
But Jesus Christ!

I'm from the old school."

The b-side is more of the same; all about the rapid-fire, hardcore flow, with the DJ scratching "Fa-Fa-Fa-Father MC!" constantly behind him the whole time:

"Special request:

The VIP gets, the best

Is yet to come,

So come and be my guest.

Witness...

A miracle at the lip.

Of course ya lost,

I'm boss, in charge of hip-

Hoppin' around;

Come to my town,

The Rockaway!
Rappers get weary and leary;

Hear what I say:

It takes skill

And vocabulary;

But not big words,

Don't front;

It's not necessary.

My name is Father,

A title that's more vital
Than any recital or bible;
I'm an old idol!
To describe myself?
Maybe I oughta...
That's a complete set-up
For man slaughter!"

I'm shattered, though; Father MC hasn't got a myspace or website to link. He does have a new video for a song entitled "Bad News," however, under the name of Fam Body (which would make his second ill-advised name change to date), which you can find on Youtube and other places. There's also another one, "Diamond," with a group called 2 Da, who're on Universal/Empire/Street Noise. And of course, he was also just featured on one of the Nas "Where Are They Now?" remixes. So, here it is, damn near twenty years later, and it looks like we'll be hearing more from Father... but not like this.

All You DJs Out There Looking for a New "Nightmare"

Ok, the point of this blog isn't really about posting the rarest, most unfindable records ever, so much as to create awareness of some cool, overlooked records you might want to go out and track down for yourself. So, while I still intend on examining some hard-to-find rarities in future (in fact, I already have one on deck I plan on writing about soon), I'd like to focus on something a little more possible for people checking out my blog.

This is the second comeback 12" from Dana Dane (unless you count his material on Madonna's label as a comeback, which I guess it was), and the better of the two. The song is upbeat, with a bouncy track, basslline, keyboards and a cool horn sample - just what anyone who buys a Dana Dane record is probably looking for (a lesson he probably learned after the lack of fan response to his last single, "Let Me Do My Thing"). The lyrics on this song are better than you'd probably expect from Dane at this point, too... and, yes, the British accent is back:

"I helped set the precedent
For these rappers today.
They don't owe me jack,
But stay out of my way.
And you party promoters got some kind of nerve,
To have the Diggy-Dane standing outside on the curb.
Yo, I've been asking two or three times to enter the club.
Yo, cats like me? You should always show love.
All y'all DJ's looking for a new 'Nightmare?'
Pipe yo' ass down, and pump this hit right here.
Yeah, friends said, 'Dana,
Change with the times.
Get a dope ass beat,
Kick a simple ass rhyme.
You'll be paid. ...like back in the days.'
People see ya on the street and they say,[sample:] 'Dana Dane, that natural born poet'
Two thou!
When I'm out,
People Steady tellin' me -
People always askin' me,
'Dane, what's with that new LP?'
I said, 'I'm comin' in two thou'
Makin' fake ones bow,
And that tilted kangol?
Is still my style.'"

The hook loops the "faaayyaayyaammme" sample from his original "Dana Dane With Fame," and the song ends with a montage of his greatest hits. Vocal samples of, "man, you get your ass kicked thinking Dana Dane ain't got classics" precedes each short clip of one of his most famous songs from his first album (sorry, no love for Dana Dane 4 Ever), mixed into the track.

Then, just to prove the old hip-hop fan's adage "b-side wins again," he returns on the flip with Slick Rick for the must-have "Dynamic Duo" (only the second recorded collaboration with his Kangol Crewmate after "The Godfather" off that WWF album). Now, on this one Dana Dane doesn't quite manage to keep up with Rick, who kills it with his ultra-relaxed slick flow that he was just mastering when his comeback got jammed up in legal strife and label pressure to clutter The Art of Storytelling with big-name guest spots. But you can't really complain; it's just a good song. Between each verse, the beat breaks down and Rick hollers, "this the part of the song we don't like!" for the hook.

Unfortunately, this record didn't get much (any!) attention, and seven years later, Dana has yet to release another record (and Rick isn't doing much besides the odd guest spot either). He was promoting a compilation album of new acts he was managing on his website, http://danadane.com/, but apparently they're renovating and the CD isn't currently available. You can hear one of the songs from it, "My Life Ain't No Lottery" (and it's just Dana, not his other MCs) on his myspace page, though: http://www.myspace.com/danadanewithfame. Check it out; it's pretty decent.

The S P, Y and D, E R dash, then you add another D

Sticking with single-sided records, this here is Spyder-D's "The Real McCoy." Now to me, Spyder-D's career comes in four stages:

1) The early eighties, which yielded the very old school-style raps like "Big Apple Rappin'" and "Spinnin' Webs and Rappin' Rhymes." Good times.

2) The mid-eighties classics, where Spyder really came into his own and all the Spyder-D greats were released, like "I Can't Wait (To Rock the Mike)" and "Placin' the Beat," and where he started producing other artists like Sparky D and his little brother Spyder-C.

3) The late 80's/early 90's, where Spyder-D released more hardcore (kinda) tunes on B-Boy Records... attempting to show his versatility and grow as a more mature artist in different directions, culminating in The Spydo Music Band and especially his Macola Records release: Gangsta Wages. Definitely no hits in this period, but all dig-worthy for any Spyder fan.

4) The 2000 comeback. Meh. Coulda been worse, that's for sure.

Well, this record falls squarely into stage 3. Released on Dick Charles Recordings, not so much a record label as a pricey mastering studio that made high quality promos (though my record has two holes in it... one in the center and one way off center, covered by the label, so I guess nobody's perfect) rather than commercially available records. The handwriting on the cover tells the story of this record: "For: The Rapp Attack Show, Attn: Marly Marl/Chilly Q, 4:00 PM Jan 29 1988 Friday." There's also a release date of Feb 5 printed on the label, but the official release never came.

As for the song itself, as I say, it fits perfectly in stage 3. It sounds like it could've come out on B-Boy Records, following "Try To Bite Me Now"/ "The N.Y. Butt" ...which, I imagine, was the plan. In fact, this is probably my favorite of the stage 3s. The beat might sound a bit corny on first listen (ok, subsequent listens, too), especially with the keyboard "horns" on the hook, but if you can be a little forgiving, it's a lot of fun. A hard 808 beat track, pronounced bassline, and almost constant scratching ("hi-hi-hit it; hi-hi-hi-hit it, Spyder!") provide the backdrop for Spyder's diss rap to, well... not sure. Kool Moe Dee again, maybe? He doesn't really get specific enough to tell, but he's definitely talking about someone (I suppose it could just be a generic "sucker MC," but I don't think so):

"I'm here to spill the beans,

Know what I mean?

If you wanna take the style,

I'll make a scene;

'Cause my DJ's got the weapon:

It's a needle.

Let's face it, homeboy;

You ain't a Beatle.

You sure ain't Luther,

You're not a King.

Just ask Bernard,

You ain't hard.

Stop frontin', show somethin'

To make me believe

That you have the brain... to conceive

Of a rhyme, and not the ones from a book.

You're not the real McCoy,

You're just a crook.

"Book 'em, Dan-O,"

Is what they would say

If you rhymed on Hawaii Five-O today;

Then they'd throw you in jail, give you a skirt,

Tie your hat into a bow; you'll be a flirt.

You silly, sorry, sad wanna be MC!

Yeah, I said it...

You ain't the real McCoy."

Finally, just to keep up what's becoming a little tradition, here's Spyder-D's myspace page. And here's the website for his company: http://www.spydomusic.com/.

Do What You Gotta Do!

There used to be a good interview with Freddie Foxxx on a Gangstarr/ DJ Premier website, which seems to no longer be online (if I'm wrong, let me know and I'll add a link to it in this article... but I've looked, and I'm really pretty certain it's gone). In it he talks about how, after Epic decided not to follow through with the release of his second album, Crazy Like Foxxx, he pressed up an independent 12", drove down to Atlanta (at least I think it was Atlanta... I'm trying to remember an interview I read a couple years ago), and sold it out the trunk of his car. That record turned up on a lot of DJ's wishlists after that.

Well, this is it. And it's pretty darn good. "Do What You Gotta Do!" - a single-sided 12" (if you've never seen one, nothing is cut into the other side at all) from '95, featuring only one version of one song. The self-produced instrumental is just what you'd want for a Freddie Foxxx record, a gritty drum track, a rumbling bassline and a very sparse (guitar?) sample. The hook is sung by an unnamed R&B group (an influence of his recent time spent at Epic, no doubt), but it's actually quite good and effectively matches the earnestness of Foxxx's delivery, and managing not to detract from the record's hardcore sensibility. Lyrically, Foxxx is in first-person narrative mode, telling about an ex-con who returns to his hometown...

"I go to check my moms,
And notice that the neighborhood is so bad my old dad is bearin' arms.
He's got an uzi with a long clip,And when I knocked on the door, papa dukes almost let it rip.
He told me that mom died last year."

...and gets caught back up in the crime life when he bumps into the dealer who snitched on his brother to the feds. A morality tale, of course (our narrator winds up murdered by crooked cops who were in it with the dealer he killed), with a message made palatable by Foxxx's imitable "believe me, I was there" style.

Freddie Foxxx has a new album coming out soon, by the way. At least that's the plan according to his myspace page (hey, man; you gotta update that discography you cut & pasted from my site - it's outta date now! hehe). Gotta love all the old school & underground MCs putting up myspace pages with new material when you thought they've disappeared from the scene. But, then again, Foxxx has a great knack for hanging in there and coming back where you least expect him (he was, after all, the best thing about Latifah's hi-jacked "Flavor Unit" 2.0); I don't think anyone ever expects him to really disappear from the scene.

The Outz Hooked Up With Fugees Way Back When...

Two updates back I wrote about a record I get asked if it ever actually existed... well, this time I'm writing about a record I was told never existed by the artist himself. When this first came out, I was having kind of a hard time finding it... also around that time I was interviewing the Outsidaz a lot for the Source and what-not... So I asked if they could help me out, and Young Zee told me this record never actually came out. I was pretty happy to report to him the next time I saw him that I'd gotten my hands on a copy.

"Stay Gold" is a track off of Zee's tragically never released Musical Meltdown album (a really bad review in the Source probably was a contributing cause... in fact, this review could be said to be what started the whole Eminem/Source beef that eventually led to the Source's, uh, change in ownership). It features fellow Outsidah and other half of No Brain Class, Yah Yah (he's also Zee's brother, if ya didn't know) and Lauryn Hill (if I have to tell you what crew she's from, you're probably reading the wrong blog), who kicks a brief verse as well as singing the hook:

"These dimensions and extensions will secure my future pension
When I mention corporate lynchin's like the cowboys did to injuns.
The intentions of the Devil is to cause me hypertension,
So stay gold like Stevie Wonder; don't blunder like OJ Simpson."

...Yup, that's it, her whole verse. But any chance to hear Hill in MC rather than diva mode (though her hook on this track is cool, too) is a big plus. Zee kicks his typical (and I mean that in the best sense... Zee's typical is great) Redman-meets-the-Outz style lyrics and delivery:

"Yeah, Zee need to battle with the older guys
'Cause all you little n_ggas get pulverized
Yeah, I get ill on funky beats like Jalil;
Yo posse gonna wind up in Beth Israel.
Bring yo' fleet,
You'll get stabbed and beat
And stomped out in the streets with my football cleats"

He even edges his way into the Fugees/ Jeru beef with a quick diss:

"What is this trash I hear?
Is it Static, like Jeru and Premiere?
Your MC style is way too old,
I unfold pure funk as long as I stay gold."

The track is dominated by a funky banjo looped over a drum track and bassline... it's definitely tight, but can be grating after a lot of repeated listens. Fortunately, there's a remix on the b-side, which replaces the banjo with a smoother piano loop. So the main mix is the preferred, but the remix is a great alternate, which is exactly the role a remix should fill, I think, ideally.

For those who don't know, Young Zee is coming back... he's got a free mixtape of all new material for download on his website, youngzeeonline.com. It's also heartening to see a lot of the Outz involved, including Axe, D.U. and Rah Digga; and he's even got links to Pace Won and Emzy's pages on his myspace page, so maybe there's hope for a proper Outsidaz reunion?