Screwball Week, Day 5: Who Shot Rudy?

Screwball's second record, again on a pre-Hydra white label, this is their most famous song; and interestingly, it's a solo song. I mean, some of the other members might be adding their voices to the chorus, but the rap verses are all Kyron. He wrote the song while he was in jail, and the controversy it generated nearly bought him back. A DVD I reviewed last year, Legends Of the Hip Hop Cop, talk about how the police targeted him after the song came out. Of course, it was his own damn fault that he already had an open warrant; but according to the documentary, they specifically went out to arrest him and the police even went so far as to go into the label and take all of their songs.

Just in case you didn't already know, the "Rudy" of the song's title is the then mayor of New York City, Rudy Guilliani. He had a very controversial term, because he took a very strong-arm approach to cleaning up the city. He was largely successful, in that he made a lot of notoriously crime-ridden areas safe and tourist-friendly, and had most of the porn, etc removed from Times Square. But he accomplished this by using very brash and ethically questionable methods that seemed to persecute many of the city's poor. The nation got much more unified behind him after 9/11, but at the time of this record - 1999 - he was definitely one of those, you loved him or you hated him-type political figures.

And this song lets you know what Screwball's attitude is towards the man right out the gate with the opening vocal sample of Esther Rolle's "If You See a Devil Smash Him" from Don't Play Us Cheap. Then the strings kick in, and it's another perfect Screwball track by Mike Heron. Screwball worked with a bunch of producers - and some quite regularly, like Godfather Don, who was another great match. but Heron was so plugged into Screwball's sound that he should probably be considered Screwball's fifth member.

According to Blaq Poet, Tommy Boy's nervousness about this song was also responsible for delaying the album, Y2K... in fact, he says in his interview with Unkut, Guilliani had ties to Time Warner (who actually owns Tommy Boy), "Yeah, they held-up the album. Coulda dropped that shit and went platinum if they woulda dropped it at the right time, when we had all that free publicity off the 'Who Shot Rudy?' shit. We was all on the news, in the newspapers and all of that, but they don’t roll with it ’cause they were scared of Time-Warner, and Rudy Guilliani at the time had ties with Time-Warner, who were the distributor for Tommy Boy, so they slowed down with dropping that." On the other hand, the big buzz off this tiny, independent release, may've been instrumental in getting Tommy Boy to mess with Screwball in the first place.

According to the infamous article in The New York Daily News, Kyron came up with the song in a dream: "The taxi drivers were protesting, the frank vendors were protesting, and I just vibed off that... some things are for the better [in the city under Giuliani] but there's a lot of people who are being wrongly picked up and arrested." And there is a somewhat dreamlike quality in how the story is narrated - rather than coming off an angry incitement to violence or the bitter tale of a victim, it's told by a nearly impartial third party:

"Ay-yo, who shot Rudy in broad daylight for cash?
I woke up this morning and heard the newsflash:
They said it happened down at City Hall;
He had his wife with him. Five shots from the crowd made him fall.
It was chaos and pandemonium, blood covered up the podium,
Covered his face, and wouldn't show me him.
I had to see if it was true;
Secret service was mad nervous. So was the boys in blue."

The way he drifts from being at home, watching the events on news, to right there on the scene asking to see the mayor's face on the scene is certainly straight out of a dream. But the incident really just serves as a set-up for the meat of the song: the details of the shooting's aftermath and, of course the final statement that there's an awful lot of potential suspects due to the way the mayor ran the city:

"Sharp lawyer suit-breasted, double-breasted; reporters
Was mobbin' daughters and other mourners,
Pushin' cameras away, blockin' the sights.
Had the riot squad at Washington Heights.
Kennedy Airport stoppin' flights. Niggas was tight,
'Cause they couldn't sell a dime all night; but that was ahright.
The devil died and nobody cried,
They was real like some Jews celebratin' when the pharaoh got killed.
Glasses of Henny were spilled and we got twisted,
Smokin' blunts on the corner like we used to 'cause we missed it.
Knowin' he was gone for good, dead and stinkin', it got me thinkin',
Ay-yo, where the fuck Dinkins?
And Harlem World, Shaolin to Brownsville,
Did Sharpton and Farrakhan make the shit real?
Was it Khalel? You know he keep mad steel.
Did the Bloods or the Crips smoke Rudy on the hill?
Who shot Rudy?"

The B-side... Or rather, the A-side, if you look at the actual record label, is another Screwball hit that's sure to be familiar, "You Love To Hear the Stories." Here they pay tribute to the original ode to Queensbridge, "The Bridge" by MC Shan, and it even features him reprising one of his classic verses from that record. But this isn't the version most heads know from the Y2K album. This is the rare, original version, produced by the aforementioned Godfather Don. I don't know if I can say this is better than Pete Rock, because that's damn good. It's more lush and musical - basically just what you'd expect Pete Rock to bring to the table but this version is harder and a more natural fit into Screwball's catalog. Certainly, it's a good enough song, and the production styles are hot and different enough, that a serious Screwball fan will want to have both.

This is a little bit rarer than most Screwball singles, since Tommy Boy opted not to press a version of this as one of their own singles, which Screwball probably initially expected them to. So you've just got however many copies Screwball pressed up themselves promotionally. Still, none of Screwball's records are really that hard to find, and there's a couple of relatively inexpensive copies sitting on discogs as of this writing. Dirty, Clean and Instrumental versions are provided for both tracks.

Screwball Week, Day 4.5: Screw Nuts

So, here it is, Screwball's underground debut single: 1996's "Screwed Up" on Screwball and Hydra Records. The debut of their trademark screwball logo, and their signature "Hu-haaa!" call. The four members artists finally united as a group.

And they come with some surprisingly big-shot guest producers for their first release, The Beatnuts. The 'Nuts come with a sound not too far removed from their usual production style, but it also manages to anticipate Screwball's hardcore sound that would be provided by their future regular producers. Maybe part of that, though, is just that Screwball bring their signature, hardcore flows to the track and make what would've sounded different in another MC's hands unmistakably their own.

You've got a funky little guitar riff sample, which on its own is quite soft. But married with a single deep bass note, hard drums and these strange, atmospheric wailings, it becomes pure, rugged hip-hop. As great as the material Marley's fam was coming with on Warner Bros., this record made it clear that Screwball was the real street shit, but with no loss in musical richness. Everything that makes Screwball Screwball is right here.

"Screwed Up" eventually turned up on Screwball's compilation album of the same title. But the B-side, "They Wanna Know Why," has never been released anywhere else but here.

This one's produced by Screwball regular Mike Heron, who's a pro at complimenting their style. This track's a little unusual for them, though, with a slower, smoother vibe. It's dark and still hard, especially with Screwball's angry flows on top of it - they almost sound like Onyx at times on this. But it's a real cool, head-nodder at the same time, and you don't find a lot of that in Screwball's catalog. There's also a fuckton of nice scratching by an uncredited DJ (unless it's Heron himself?), just to take the song up one final notch. All elements together, this is a monster of a track - a brooding dragon in a cave that you don't want to piss off.

This 12" is a little rarer than most of theirs, but not much, and it's damn sure worth it. Dirty, Clean and Instrumental versions are provided for both tracks. Apparently some were sold in sticker covers and some in plain covers. Unfortunately, mine was one of the later - d'oh! - so if you're after this, make sure to get one with a sticker.

Screwball Week, Day 4: The Origin Story

So, yesterday we looked at the the roots of Screwball's origins, the earliest releases by any of its members, specifically Poet. But there's an eight year gap between those records and the debut of Screwball itself. What happened during all that time? After all, the exact make-up of Screwball can be a bit confusing for more casual fan... I remember back in the days, myself, wondering, "wait, are KL and Kyron the same guy, or is that Solo? Which one's Kamakaze, and didn't someone leave the group?" And I'd feel pretty remiss in my Screwball Week duties if I still left anybody with an unclear idea of just who they are or how the group came about. I was going to just jump into a look at one of their 12" singles today; but instead I figure I'd better do something a little more explicitly biographical first.

So, after those singles with Noel Rockwell, Poet hooked up with a new DJ and producer, Hot Day, and formed PHD (Poet and Hot Day). Hot Day was already down with Marley Marl and The Super Kids, putting out records on Tuff City; so when PHD formed, that was their natural home. Their big album was Without Warning in 1991, but they actually kept putting out records on Tuff City all the way up until 1996.

It's some of these later PHD records that really tie it all together... 1995's "Set It Off Part 3" is a posse cut featuring Havoc (yes, of Mobb Deep - pretty much right before "Shook Ones" blew up), Hostyle and Legacy of Kamikaze[sic]. This was the debut of Hostyle, who would go to be a core member of Screwball. And Legacy also became a core member after changing his name to what he's better known as now, KL. In 1996, PHD put out their final single, which featured another collaboration with both Hostyle and Legacy, "The Grand P.O." It's also worth noting that, by this time in their career, Marley Marl had taken production duties over on PHD's records. And its these singles that transitioned directly to the debut single of Screwball later that year.

But what about the fourth member? Okay, we have to back up a bit. You notice Legacy was credited as being "of Kamikaze." So who were Kamakaze? They were a two man team that Marley was working with, consisting of KL and Solo. Kamakaze was going to come out with an album called Head On on Warner Brothers, along with other acts Marley was working with at the time. But this is right at the time all of that ended - Warner Bros shut down Cold Chillin' in '96, and Marley's acts who were going to come out on through different divisions of Warner, including Sah-B, World Renown and De'1, all got cancelled, including Head On. A few indie 12"s leaked, but basically the group Kamakaze were killed before they came out. And so Solo changed his name to Kyron (his real first name) and became the fourth and final official member of Screwball.

There's more reason why people and rap magazines often confuse Kamakaze with a specific single member of Screwball - because they're not wrong. In the 2000's, KL put out two singles - one through Hydra and then a later one on Traffic - both under the name Kamakaze, just using it as a personal alias. So if you bought "It's All Good," it tells you right on the cover that Kamakaze is one guy: KL of Screwball. So, sometimes Kamakaze means the group, and sometimes it just means KL. ::shrug::

Anyway, it's hard not to notice the similarity of their story with The Wu-Tang Clan's and Gravediggaz': dope disenfranchised artists who'd all had it rough coming up in the music business in the past coming together to form a stronger super group. In that sense (and possibly in others), Screwball is the Queensbridge Wu.

So Screwball took the name of a mutual friend of theirs who'd tragically passed on well before his time (R.I.P.), and and put their debut out themselves, "Screwed Up" on Screwball Records. Yeah, it was in affiliation with Hydra and their parent label, Sneak-Tip Records; but Screwball Records was its own thing which put out a couple other Screwball singles down the line... note the catalog number: SC-001.

After generating some serious buzz with Hydra Records, they signed to Tommy Boy's Black Label, where they released their debut album, Y2K and a bunch of hot singles. When The Black Label shut down shortly thereafter, they didn't skip a beat and went back to Hydra, releasing a ton of material, both collectively and individually with solo projects. It was a flurry of great music until 2004, when they all stopped rather suddenly. Only Poet kept putting out solo material.

Tragically, in 2008, KL passed away due to long-term health issues with asthma. R.I.P. A great MC from one of hip-hop's rawest underground crews; it's a great loss for us all.

So that's the key Screwball line-up. Those four men, pictured above, are the MCs who made up Screwball from their first record to their most recent in 2004. Buuuuut... That's not the very end of the story.

In 2008, an mp3-only album called Screwball Classics* was released. It was a largely just a collection of their past hits, but it also featured new music from a Screwball with an updated line-up. Hostyle is disappointingly out, leaving original members Blaq Poet and Kyron plus new members Scape Scrilla, Ty Nitty of The Infamous Mob (brother of the original man known as Screwball), and Versatile a.k.a. VS (she was that female MC on the NYG'z album). Since then, mp3s and Youtube videos have been popping up here and there, promising a new Screwball album. So we'll see what the future holds, but the Screwball MCs have a long legacy of coming back every time heads counted them out.


*Yes, since day 1 it's been referred to as a CD... and every place from Unkut to Screwball's own myspace page refers to a CD, but I do not believe such a thing exists. I have never been able to track one down, and believe me, I have looked. Even CDBaby, who have CD in their frikkin' name, only carry the mp3s. I mean, maybe if you met Blaq Poet after a show, he would burn you a CD of it... But I'm pretty convinced Screwball Classics was never actually released in any physical format.

Screwball Week, Day 3: Blaq Poet Beats Krs Down

(Youtube version is here.)

Screwball Week, Day 2: Screwed Up Set Straight, part 2

...And we're back! We're continuing directly from yesterday's post, in case you missed it, so you'll want to read that one first. And now let's not waste any time and jump right into CD #2:

Like a Gangster [CD exclusive] - Except for the fact that they spelled "Gangsta" as "Gangster" here, this is a direct life from Loyalty.

The Operation [CD exclusive] - Taken from Y2K.

Gorillas [CD exclusive] - Taken from Loyalty.

F.A.Y.B.A.N. [CD exclusive] - Taken from Y2K.

What the Deal? - This features Cormega and was previously released as a 12" single in 2002.

Where You At? [CD exclusive] - Taken from Loyalty.

On Point (RMX) - The original release came out back in the 90's, and this remix - by Godfather Don - was also included on the "I Ain't Saying Nothing" single.

Heat Is On (RMX) - Okay, the original "The Heat Is On" was on Y2K, and this isn't that version. Both versions feature Prodigy and are produced by Mike Heron, but this is distinctly different remix with a new instrumental. It's not unique to this album; though, it was originally released as a 12" single, b/w "Suck My Dick."

I Ain't Saying Nothing - This was released as a single in 2004 with a remix and a couple other dope B-sides.

Somethings Gotta Give [CD exclusive] - Taken from Hostyle's One-Eyed Maniac LP.

Crime Unit - A hot exclusive produced by Godfather Don quintessential Screwball, high energy and crazy hardcore at the same time.

Ride For Free - Another cool exclusive, produced by someone calling himself FBEE.

Who Shot Rudy? [CD exclusive] - Of course this isn't an exclusive; this is pretty much their most famous song. It was first released as a 12" single, and then featured on Y2K.

Taking All Bets - This was released as a 12" single in 2002, but not under the name Screwball. It's Kamakaze featuring Offdamental, and has a Royal Flush song on the B-side.

Screwed Up [CD exclusive] - You might think this is an exclusive, considering it's the title track and not featured on Y2K or Loyalty. But actually, it's their very first 12" single from 1996, and produced by The Beatnuts.

On the Real [CD exclusive] - This is an infamous song, known for existing in a couple of different versions. However, disappointingly, this is the least rare of the bunch: the version from Y2K, where they replaced Nas with Cormega and Havoc. Check out this post I wrote in 2007 for the full story of the different "On the Real"s.

Shouts [CD exclusive] - This is an exclusive; but it's just 45 seconds of shout-outs over the "On the Real" instrumental.

And thus ends the 2CD set of Screwed Up. But what about the 2LP? There are three tracks on there that aren't on the LP. Let's look at those:

You Love To Hear the Stories (Godfather Don Mix) - This is that original version I mentioned yesterday, from their infamous "Who Shot Rudy?" single.

Return Of the Hu-Haa - Taken from Hostyle's One-Eyed Maniac LP.

Be Careful What You Wish For - This is also taken from Hostyle's One-Eyed Maniac LP.

So, after all that, where are we? Well, there's a total of 5 new songs/ remixes that are only available on Screwed Up. The CD definitely has the better track-listing (boo!), with twenty-one songs not on the LP. Both versions have some of the exclusive songs, but only the CD has them all. The only unique stuff the LP has is the old, previously released mix of "You Love To Hear the Stories" and two more Hostyle tracks. Hostyle's album was released right around the same time as Screwed Up, by the way, which is why I think so many songs from that album are featured here - they were trying to sell us on his solo album.

I could see buying the vinyl version just to have some of these exclusive songs on wax, of course. But even though it's padded with way too many songs from Y2K and Loyalty, ultimately the CD remains essential for the exclusives that aren't even on the LP. And they're good, too; you'd be missing something to just ignore them because they're CD only. I know Poet and Solo were putting together a new Screwball group; but we'll never have another album by the original line-up (R.I.P. KL). So we can't afford to let material like this fall through the cracks.

Screwball Week, Day 1: Screwed Up Set Straight, part 1

It's been ages since I've done a "Week," huh? Well, here's one I've been intending to do for a while now: Screwball Week. Now, with all the vinyl Screwball managed to put out, collectively and separately, I could easily do Screwball Month, and with just a bit of stretching, I bet I could pull off Screwball Year. But I'll try to control myself, and keep this to just Screwball Week. heh heh

In 2004, Screwball had two albums in their pocket (not counting all their variant solo and side projects) and were working on their third, the unreleased (and never completed?) Return Of the Hu-Haaa. And since it had been a while since that second album, 2001's Loyalty, Hydra Records put out this interesting, and somewhat confusing, compilation album of their material: Screwed Up.

Screwed Up (mostly) avoids delving into any of the members' solo material, but still manages to be a double album's worth of stuff. It consists of tracks from the past two albums, sort of a Greatest Hits. But two albums can't make up a double album's worth of Greatest Hits on their own (you'd have to include every single song, basically, and then you'd just have a reissue on your hands), so in addition to being a Greatest Hits, it's also a B-sides and rarities collection, where they feature a lot of remixes and songs originally released only as the B-sides to their 12" singles. But, Screwball are still pretty underground, so their market was just heads who probably already had most of those 12" singles, so a necessity for the hardcore fans, they also threw in some unreleased mixes and stuff.

...None of which is distinguished between in the album's liner notes. And what I've read about this album online over the years shows that a lot of people are confused over just what's what on this album, beyond it being "just a bunch of Screwball songs." So, me being me, I've decided to break it down track-by-track, and see what came from where, and what's actually exclusive to Screwed Up. And finally, to answer the question: for the Screwball fan who has everything, is this worth picking up? So, get ready, it's gonna be a long list...

Oh shit, wait, there's an extra complication! The vinyl version of Screwed Up isn't the same as the CD version. The vinyl version is a double LP with sixteen tracks, and the CD is a double disc set with a whopping thirty-four tracks. And even though that means there's eighteen extra tracks on the CD set (trust me, I just took a math course), there's still stuff on the 2LP that isn't on the 2CD! I'm starting to see why people are confused.

Ok, the CD has the most tracks, so let's start there:

Stretch Armstrong / Poet (Intro) - This is new, presumably recorded for this compilation.

Urban Warfare (RMX) - Okay, "Urban Warfare" was on the Y2K album, produced by Mike Heron. This version is also produced by Mike Heron; in fact it's the same beat. So what's so "RMX"'d? It's a vocal remix, with entirely new verses. This is pretty kick-ass; the beat was one of the best on Y2k and it's just as awesome here. And they come just as tight on this version as the other.

Dirt Thugs - From the title, this seems like a brand new song. But it's really "First Blood," their collaboration with Godfather Don from the B-side of "H-O-S-T-Y-L-E" mistitled.

Torture [CD exclusive] - Featuring M.O.P.; this was taken from Loyalty.

Who? - An exclusive song produced by Ayatollah - fire!

That Shit [CD exclusive] - A banger taken from Y2K.

Take It There [CD exclusive] - Also from Y2K.

Guilty - This is from Hostyle's One-Eyed Maniac album. In fact, it was the single.

Seen It All [CD exclusive] - Taken from Y2K.

Loyalty [CD exclusive] - Taken from Loyalty... obviously.

The Blocks [CD exclusive] - Taken from Y2K.

HOSTYLE [CD exclusive] - Taken from Y2K.

Real Niggaz [CD exclusive] - Taken from Loyalty.

Greatest On Earth - This was the B-side to their 2002 single, "What the Deal."

Attn A&R Dept [CD exclusive] - Taken from Y2K.

You Love To Hear the Stories (Pete Rock RMX) [CD exclusive] - Ooh, a new remix of that dope track with MC Shan from Y2K! wait a minute... wasn't that version also produced by Pete Rock? So, I guess he did both versions? No, actually, the original version was produced by Godfather Don and was a 12" only release, but they remixed it for the (Y2K) album. So, really, this is just another direct lift from Y2K.

Be On Your Way [CD exclusive] - Produced by Mike Heron and featuring Fred Fowler from Shango (remember them? From Beat Street?) singing the hook, this is a Screwed Up exclusive.

And that's the end... of CD #1. There's still a-whole-nother CD to go. This is exhausting... I'm sitting here with the CD in my computer and a huge pile of 12"s and LPs over by the record player, running back and forth, figuring out which mixes are exclusive or taken from which release. So I'll take a break here, and return on Day 2 with the second disc, plus the LP's exclusive tracks, and my summation. (Continuation here.)

Wall Street Rappin'

There's a lot of competition in today's hip-hop blogosphere, and in order to stay ahead, one of the things you've really got to be is "relevant." The internet moves fast, and you've got to really be on your game to stay alive out here. And Werner von Wallenrod's Humble, Little Hip-Hop Blog is all about being relevant. Like, what's the biggest, hippest, underground edgy news story going on in this country right now? The #OccupyWallStreet movement. Protestors, riot cops, the end of capitalism... Some news organizations aren't even up on the whole unfolding story yet, but I see it happening and I act fast. I bust out my copy of a rare 80's rap record about Wall Street that nobody's ever heard of before! Brace yourselves, Huffington Post, you're being scooped.

"Wall Street Rap" by Dr. T. and the Klinic dropped in 1988 (not long after Oliver Stone's movie, which I'm sure is no coincidence) on Prescription Record Inc. It's the label's only release, though not Dr. T's, who in fact dropped a couple other records on different labels. And considering the thematic ties between their names, I'd assume Prescription is the Dr.'s own label, and this is a self release. This wasn't done on the cheap, though. It comes in a cool picture cover where they're dressed in full medical regalia, they've got a full band providing the music (though I'm not sure if they're considered The Klinic - judging by the cover, I'd guess the Klinic are his dancers and back-up singers), and they even had an elaborate music video for this.

It's super corny, of course - this is bordering right on the edge of novelty rap. He rhymes like a cross between Hurt 'Em Bad and MC Hammer, and the music by the band - which consists of a keyboardist, horn player, guitarist, three people credited with drum programming/ percussion, and bass played by Dr. T himself - sounds very much like outsider musicians taking a stab at making some rap music without being familiar with classical styles of hip-hop production. But in a light-hearted, old school kinda way, it all sorta works. All the live instrumentation gives this record an old Sugar Hill Band feel, the hook gets stuck in your head, and the lyrics are actually pretty smart. It almost plays like an education record for kids - think Kurtis Blow's "Basketball" for the financial district.

Now, the track-listing on this single is a little odd... The cover suggests you've got the T.V. Mix on one side, and the Club Mix on the other. But the actual label on the record says you've got the the Radio and Instrumental versions on side A and the Dub Version on side B. Listening to it, I think the truth might be somewhere in the middle... I think it's the Radio and Instrumental versions on side A and the Club version on side B, and there are no T.V. or Dub mixes... but you get into the shady area of what specifically constitutes a dub versus a TV mix and all, for which there really aren't constant and concrete definitions. But somebody, somewhere involved with the making of this record definitely got confused.

If that isn't enough Wall Street rapping for you, luckily, there's one more record out there: "Wall Street Rapper" by Awesome D. Now, while Dr. T.'s single rode the fence, Awesome D's falls squarely on the side of novelty rap. Awesome D is David Lawrence, and on this record he plays the character of a big-shot CEO. When an investor calls, his secretary informs him, "I'm sorry, Mr. Lawrence now wants to be referred to as Awesome D." The CEO has decided to become a rapper and cut his first rap record - and this is it.

It's all about business on Wall Street, of course, and the similarities to "Wall Street Rap" don't stop there. This one's a bit newer, 1992, but still features a lot of live instrumentation - most notably a very prevalent saxophone. It's also got a simple hook sung by two girls and big guitar solos. Plus, it's another self-released, record label one-off (Awesome Records), and comes in another glossy black & white picture cover. This one's got wonky (but listenable) scratches, and a really stilted flow... Dr. T's flow, again, was pretty simple and old school; but Awesome D has a serious, "I honestly don't know how to rap" thing going on... think Barney and Fred Flintstone rapping in that old Fruity Pebbles commercial and you get the idea.

Again, though, the instrumentation isn't bad in a studio musician/outsider kind of way - the bassline's effective - and this one uses a lot of vocal samples of Michael Douglas from the film Wall Street. And while D could never pass as a legit rapper, even in market that gives kids with flows like Kreayshawn a pass, the concept and lyrics are genuinely amusing for a one-off gag single like this. It's not a dope rap record, but then I don't think their aspirations were ever that big, and it accomplishes what it sets out to do.

So, there you have it, hip-hop's two Wall Street rap records. You won't find these covered on many other blogs, I bet. And CNN, if you'd like to invite me to speak on the air as a leading Wall Street rap authority, just remember: hip, young bloggers with our fingers on the pulse of America's youth like us don't come cheap. So, uh, "serious offers only," dig? ;)

Almighty Trenton

(Youtube version is here.)

Hip-Hop: Beyond Violence, Misogyny & Homophobia

So, the InstaRapFlix series is now dead. It had a good run of 35 entries. But now that Netflix's streaming movies are no longer free to watch, the fun and concept of the series has been defeated. But that doesn't mean I won't be reviewing any more hip-hop docs! I've always done non-Insta reviews alongside that little series, and they will be continuing as of... right now.
Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes is a short (approximately 1 hour), 2006 documentary by independent filmmaker Byron Hurt. As far as I know, he hasn't done anything else, but I bring him up first because he brings himself up first. This film is ostensibly about the issues of violence, misogyny and homophobia in hip-hop; but it's really about Byron dealing with hip-hop's issues with violence, misogyny and homophobia.

On the one hand, this is effective because it personalizes the subject matter: how does this imagery affect a listener on an individual basis? But on the other hand, it feels pretty self-indulgent - for instance, while he does attach it to his themes of masculinity, I can't help feeling like we're shown footage of him playing college football because he wants to show people he played college football. There are points in the film where I just couldn't help feeling, "who cares about you?" He just seems to spend more time - in an already short film - giving us his own back-story and feelings than delving into the more universal aspects, artist interviews, etc. Until the end, where he surprisingly drops that angle, leaving the film feeling a bit unresolved... except fortunately, we don't care anyway, so it's not a disappointment.

But it also manages to come with some surprising insight - how many treatises on misogyny and homophobia in hip-hop are insightful enough to draw its roots back all the way to the 1946-1963* construction of the Cross-Bronx expressway? One particularly compelling segment at BET's summer festival, starts with J-Hood pointing out some nearby, under-dressed women and calling them "bitches." Then Hurt calls those women right over and asks them how they felt about being called bitches. At that point, I really feel like the filmmaker's getting stuck deep into the topic.

And there are a few other compelling moments like that, where you get the sense, okay, now the we're dealing with a substantive film here, that's touching on some real issues. There's a scene where he interviews three transsexual women who confess that misogyny in hip-hop turns them on "because it's so aggressive." There's another where Busta Rhymes seems genuinely afraid to discuss homophobia and high-tails it out of the room when asked about the possibility of a gay rapper being accepted in the hip-hop community. And hearing a Def Jam executive speak with disdain and disappointment about Public Enemy's producers going over to produce Ice Cube's album was certainly eyebrow raising.

But these moments are few and far between, accomplishing a unique feat of making this film feel both way too short and way too long at the same time. Too short because we feel like he's just beginning to get to the heart of some deep matters when he moves on, ending the interview or just changing the subject. And too long because this film feels padded out with a lot generic interviews repetitively stating the obvious or expressing the most bland and common opinions.

It's really a shame that InstaRapFlix is dead, because this would have been perfect for it - a 60 minute movie with about fifteen to twenty minutes of meat, and the rest filler. Worth watching for free, but hard to justify paying $20-$25 to purchase on DVD. But if you have got that extra dough to spend, it has been released through PBS' Independent Lens documentary series and is available here.


*Well, those are the dates this film gives.

Rock La Flow Is Back!

Rock La Flow is back - in spades! You may remember me gushing about the virtually unknown Milwaukee MC back in January, when Dope Folks Records put out his killer EP, The Flowgram Pt. 1. Well, I opened my front door today to find awaiting me Pt 2 - it's here! And that's not the half. A full-length Rock la Flow LP, The Ultimate, dropped the same day.

Flowgram Pt. 2 finishes up the collection of songs he recorded in '94 and '95 with his producer (who definitely deserves 50% of the credit for how great La Flow's material is) Tory Tee. I don't think I like it quite as much as the first volume, but it's definitely a worthy follow-up. There's a remix of a cut from the original EP ("Partytime") which is just as good, if not better, than the original. And the track that easily stands out as my favorite, "Illwaukee," which showcases a couple of his local brethren, Spoon and Kerse One along with Flow, and they all kill it over a nice beat perfect for passing the mic. Fans of the first entry will definitely be happy with this one, too.

But still... I'm not 100% sure of the story behind these EPs, but they sort of feel like large chunks of a not quite finished album. A kick-ass album, mind you, but still sort of incomplete in how the pieces would've all assembled together.

That's not the case at all with The Ultimate, which actually pre-dates the Flowgram EPs. These songs were recorded in 1992-93, and again are entirely produced by Tory Tee. This album was recently discovered by Dope Folks and feels like a finished album. More importantly, Rock La Flow is amazing on this, and the beats are hype. Sometimes you'll hear familiar loops or breakbeats, but they're all flipped differently or merged with other samples and turned into something fresh you've never heard before.

Man, heads would have loved this album if it came out back when it was recorded! This is one of those albums where, I've got the record spinning while I'm typing up work on the computer, and I just have to stop what I'm doing to pay close attention to the perfect blend of beats and rhymes coming from across the room. These releases are just the perfect match of an MC and producer who were each completely on top of their game at the same time. You know, one of those pairings that artists seem to manage to hit for one brief period and then spend the rest of their careers trying to recapture, like - to re-use an apt comparison - Nas when he made Illmatic.

Getting these right on the heels of Natural Elements' EP on Chopped Herring is a bit of a mind-blower. If anyone was thinking the limited game was winding down, think again. It should be pointed out, though, that Dope Folks' records don't cost the infamous "limited" prices. They're $20 each, which, for full-length LPs, is right in-line with the cost of standard new releases.

Oh, and The Ultimate comes with a phat, glossy art piece as a little bonus. I won't post a scan, so it can still be a surprise when your copies arrive in the mail. They're both limited to 300 as usual, so don't sleep.

Western HemisFear Classics

(Youtube version is here.)

Natural Elements - NOW We're Talking!!

Man, I have been waiting at the door for this one to arrive...!! As you may recall, I've been documenting and pining for Natural Elements' brilliant yet unreleased demo tracks (see here, mainly, but also here and here)... And now, thanks to Chopped Herring Records, six of those vintage tracks are no longer unreleased!

The Lost Demos EP Vol. 1 ("Vol. 1?" "VOLUME 1?!" That implies there will be a "Vol. 2!" Woohoo!) is just shipping now on "very limited vinyl." Specifically, that breaks down into three unique pressings: 75 copies on gold vinyl, 75 copies on white (white) vinyl, and 150 on traditional black, for a grand total of 300 EPs. And they all come in a phat sticker cover.

So what have we got here?! Let's look at it track by track:

1) I Got Your Heart - I wrote about this one in my HHC article. It's also known as "What My Crew Do To You" and features the early line-up of Voodoo, KA (instead of A-Butta) and L-Swift. Thanks to the record label, we now this was produced in 1995 by (just like you'd expect) Charlemagne.

2) Triple Team - Another one I wrote about in the HHC article, another one featuring KA instead of A-Butta, and another one produced by Charlemagne in 1995.

3) Every Day - Now here's one I've never even heard of before! According to the label, it's again from 1995 and produced by Charlemagne. Fucking nice.

4) Life Ain't Fair (Original) - Another '95 one produced by Charlemagne that I wrote about in my article. It's interesting that this specifies "Original." That's because it's completely different from the version I have a snippet of. There's no R&B chorus, and this beat is much harder, giving the song an entirely different feel.

5) Machine Gun Prayer - This one's a Mr. Voodoo solo song, produced by LDR Louie Ortiz - the same guy who produced Voodoo's later EP, Let the World Know. The year of production is said to be unknown on this one, but if it's by Mr. Ortiz, it might be a little more recent than the other material on here.

6) Puttin' In Work (Demo Tape Version) - Another song that specifies this as a specific version, implying that there are others... This one is an L-Swift solo track, and the oldest one on the EP, dating all the way back to 1993; and it's again produced by Charlemagne.

Poor A-Butta isn't on here at all. The first four tracks are so old they feature the KA version of the line-up, and then he doesn't get a solo joint. I can't complain, though, everything here is great, and KA brings a unique element - if you'll forgive the pun - to the crew that works great. A-Butta and L-Swift, after all, sorta rode in the same lane. Voodoo was complex, L made it smooth and KA came with the ruggedness. Butta and Swift were both smooth. They were also both fantastic at it, so it was all good, but it's cool to experience more of the original line-up.

You may've noticed, I haven't really addressed how good the songs are... that's because this is from Natural Elements at their prime - it goes without saying that everything on here is must-have level material. And the sound quality ranks an A+, too. You may've heard shoddy radio rips of a couple of these songs before, but you can throw them shits out now! These are the clean, clear and unabridged original recordings sounding perfect (except the L-Swift song seems like it may've been sourced from an actual cassette; but it still sounds surprisingly good) on brand new vinyl.

Now Chopped Herring as already begun taking pre-orders on their next release, and it's not Natural Elements Vol. 2. It's Grimm Teachaz, an interesting group with some dope production that got jammed up in Jive Records back in '93. But if Vol. 2 isn't their current release or even their next release, we can hopefully expect it relatively soon. So, what might we have to look forward to?

Well, my HHC article covered the nine (total) known NE tracks that have yet to be recorded; and that didn't cover solo material, which Chopped Herring is clearly open to including. So, that means 5 of the tracks I wrote about there are still pending, plus the version of "Life Ain't Fair" with Bridge. Now "Survive" was released, albeit unofficially, on the Word of Mouth EP, so we're not worried about that one. And "Supreme Domination" was on the 10 Year Anniversary album - BUT that was a CD only release, so it would still be a very welcome inclusion on any vinyl Chopped Herring was willing to put out.

And that also leaves us with the great demo tracks "Knick Knack," "Freak Freak Y'All," "My Nature." Plus we know Mr. Voodoo, at least, has a bunch more killer solo joints that haven't been released (he could have a solo EP all to himself, which would be awesome), and there's always the non-Demo Tape Version of "Puttin' In Work." And of course, there's no telling what jewels might be in their vaults that nobody at all has heard of, but could still come out and blow us away. After all, "Every Day" was certainly a new one on us. Who knows? Maybe there's even going to be a Vol. 3. I'm giddy.

Fresh BusDriver For the End of Summer

BusDriver's back with a new 7" single, released this past Record Store Day. It's a two track single from the Polyvinyl Record Co, a sort of indie hipster label that's taking it's first dip into hip-hop. The title is tastefully abbreviated on the cover as "ATM," but the actual full-length title is revealed on the inside record label: "Ass To Mouth."

Of course, this is BusDriver, so youths expecting a 2 Live Crew-style ditty about their favorite porn move* to shock everyone within hearing range of their school parking lot will be disappointed. But then again, it's still vulgar enough to have the phrase "ass to mouth" be the chorus, so assuming nobody's paying strict attention to the lyrics, it may be close enough.

It's actually a first-person narrative about a celebrity's fickle and ignorant fan-base who never give him a break, with the final twist being that he's as shallow and rotten as anybody in his audience. In other words, the vapid celebrity culture (the mouth) can't stop going on about the stupid shit their dumb stars (the ass) does. At least, that's how I took it.

It's a little harder to pin down the B-side, "Colour Wheel," because he sings on this one (it's as dubious as it sounds), and you can't decipher much of anything he's saying.

Both songs here are produced by Loden, a Belgium producer who 's been putting out spacey electronic music for a while now, and who probably connected with BusDriver through signing with Mush Records. Apparently, Loden will be producing the entirety of Bus's upcoming album (for which this is the opening single), which... after hearing this, I can't say I'm too against. It's all about synths, keyboards and spacey computer sounds - so I definitely suggest heads try before they buy - but I like it. It may not be a preferred style, but I don't think anyone could say that Loden isn't quite expert at playing it. Plus BusDriver's all-over-the-place vocal stylings are able to complement the crazy, rising and falling rhythms like nobody's business. I imagine the catchy chorus (is he doing all the back-up vocals, too? I bet he is) will manage to hook a lot of listeners who don't even generally give hip-hop their ear.

Now, this is limited to 1000 copies, but really... calling any hip-hop vinyl run of 1000 "limited" is a bit of a stretch. I'm sure even the producers behind a Kanye/Outkast split LP wouldn't expect to sell more than a thousand copies of wax to today's audiences. Bit I digress. "ATM" is pressed on a marbleized blue vinyl which matches nicely with the abstract imagery of the picture cover. Polyvinyl must also be commended for the inclusion of a download slip, which allows purchasers to download mp3 versions of both tracks and the cover art from their website when you enter your unique code.

So this is a nice little package, but still pretty much strictly for hardcore collectors rather than general music enthusiasts. For one, because it's a 7" after all; and they just scream novelty collectors' toys - proper releases are 12", damn it. And two, because both of these songs are slated to be on the upcoming album that any fan who's serious enough to consider buying this single will surely be picking up in a month or so when it drops anyway. So hardly essential, but a it's fun, high quality and can be had cheap. Oh, and the actual music's pretty good... at least the A-side.


*Don't bother denying it; I've seen your download history!

Searchin' for Two From the Def Connection

"Searchin' for Love" is often mistaken for a single taken off of Too Def Connection's classic'92 album, Runnin' With the Lyrics, but it's really not. This single, from 1996 on Too Def Music, is "Searchin' for Love," while the song on Savage Records album is "Searching for Love." And I'm not just being pedantic about the title's grammar, they really are completely different songs.

Oh, you've never heard of the Too Def Connection? Let me back up. Too Def Connection are MC Sav and DJ Kid Cut, an ill duo from Delaware. They're a quintessential example of "random rap," in that they're obscure but their stuff is highly sought after by collectors, mainly for the killer title track to their Runnin' With the Lyrics album, a hyperactive freestyle rampage over a hype beat, with some quick cuts and barely any hook.

But this isn't that. This is one of their love songs, which I realize nobody really goes in for. Don't worry, there's a more appealing B-side, and we'll get to that. But first let's take the lead track.

"Searching for Love" was kind of a sequel to the other love song on Runnin' With the Lyrics, "Love Is Like a Game" - note the opening lines, "Love is like a game, yeah, that's what I told to you. But at the same time, I didn't even know you. I thought you were the one for me... I musta been dreaming, some kinda fantasy." So, the girl from that last song didn't really work out, but he's not gonna let it keep him down, he's gonna keep on searching for love. Both songs feature a vocalist named Theresa Spruel on the hook, and feature Sav in a slow, spoken-style, definitely influenced by legacy of token love songs started by LL's "I Need Love." "Love" features a lot of (actually effective) keyboards, and "Searching for Love" features a deeper, richer sound... I don't recognize it, but I assume it's mainly a soul sample loop.

"Searchin' for Love," on the other hand, is quite different. For one thing, it features two MCs. Sav comes on second, but first is a somebody who's only named in the writing credits, Jerome Cephas (and no, that's not Kid Cut). Jerome's got a gruffer voice, and they're both kicking more of a flow on this one - not to mention completely new lyrics. The instrumental is also quite different, too, with a loop of bells or chimes. The whole thing feels more like a hip-hop song about love rather than those old "love raps" that felt like a whole different genre. The hook this time is sung by Stacy Savage, who I assume is a sister or cousin of MC Sav (real name: Wayne Savage). So really this song has nothing in common with the original except the basic phrase and concept of searching for love.

The B-side is "Lyrical Cypha," and this time Sav is back to flying solo, and it's much more in-line with the kind of hip-hop Too Def collectors are looking for - lyrical freestyling over a stripped down beat. It's got some keyboard stabs on it, but it's mostly just the drums and a little bass. Stacy's on the hook again here, singing a variation of Rick James' "Mary Jane:" "I'm in love with MC Sav, hip-hop is what he brings..." It's definitely not as tight as the best Too Def songs, it's a little more mellow and unfortunately Kid Cut no longer seemed to be involved; but it's pretty cool, Sav still has some rhymes and fans of mid-90's random rap won't be disappointed.

So, all in all, it's not their masterpiece, but worth picking up if you can find it cheap. Or if you already have their other, better stuff, then this certainly at least makes for another interesting piece of the puzzle.

The Fresh Prince of the United Kingdom

The records by US rappers aren't just released here in the US... They're generally released by different labels in different countries all around the world at the same time. For example, while Spyder-D was released here on Telstar cassettes in the states, it was released on ZYX Records in Germany. Usually, they featured the same trick-listings and are generally just less desirable alterations of their original US counter-parts. Sometimes, they'd be a little different... like Cooltempo used to release all the Kid 'N' Play 12"s with exclusive remixes - however these remixes did little to up their long-term value, as they generally sucked.

But every once in a while, a foreign pressing manages to be preferable. As is the case with today's record: "Will 2K" by Will Smith - the UK version.

Now, like most of his post-Fresh Prince output, "Will 2K" isn't a terribly good or interesting song. It follows the Puffy/Pras formula of taking a dated major label pop hit, sampling it in a heavy-handed, uncreative way, and selling it as a new pop song to kids too young to remember the original. In this case, the TrackMasterz have used "Rock the Casbah" with ex-Jodeci man K-Ci on the hook. Nothing special there. But look on the picture cover (I took a nice, high quality photo so you can enlarge and read it), right under the song title in tiny text...

It says, "COMES WITH SO FRESH (FEATURING SLICK RICK AND BIZ MARKIE)." Your version doesn't say that, because your version just has the same song on both sides.* And, really, "So Fresh" is probably the only song most of us heads care about from Will Smith. I mean, none of the verses are amazing (in fact, when you think of what Slick Rick has shown he's capable of, it's a little disappointing), but it's just a fresh, cool-out vibe produced by Jazzy Jeff (who also provides some nice cuts), and Darren Henson.

Now, don't get too excited about this UK 12" - "So Fresh" is a Willenium album track; it's not some super rare 12" exclusive. And, if you can find a copy, there's a nice, promo-only 12" of "So Fresh" that also features the Instrumental and Acapella. That's the ideal one to won IMHO (unless you're just a "Will2K" fan - maybe you've been waiting decades for a rap version of "Rock the Casbah;" it is kinda fun, after all). But this is a nice 12" to pick up, and an easy and cheap one to order online - if you can't find that. And it's just a nice example of that rare case where the foreign 12" is preferable to the domestic.


*Or, if you have the 12" from The Netherlands, you actually get these two songs, plus two more ("Miami" and "Just Cruisin' (Remix)")!

Random Rap 3! The CDs

(Youtube version is here.)

The Purple Tape... On No Limit Records

Apparently, when you crazy kids today talk about "the purple tape," you're thinking of some funky ol' Raekwon thing glued together out of left over Cella Dwellas plastic. But I'm an old school cat. When I hear "purple tape," I go back even a little further... to Sonya C's Married To the Mob.

Married To the Mob dropped in 1993 (two years before OB4CL2 if you're keeping score) on In-A-Minute Records. No Limit, at that time, was really more of an imprint that went through In-A-Minute for the distribution, 'cause they could get albums like these out on CD and (purple) tape into stores all across the country when No Limit was just up and coming.

Sonya C, it's worth noting, is really the first female rapper on No Limit. Apparently, Mia X likes to make that claim, but she didn't drop anything on No Limit until much later. And while Mia was a member of TRU for a while, Sonya is a founding member from back in the days when they were still going by their full-length name, The Real Untouchables. This is back when No Limit was representing CA before signing all those New Orleans acts; and Sonya was all over their debut album in 1992, Understanding the Criminal Mind.

And even before the TRU album, she'd appeared on Master P's very first albums, Mama's Bad Boy, Get Away Clean, The Ghetto's Trying To Kill Me... She wasn't just a member of his crew, in fact. She was his wife. Yes, that means she's also the mother of Lil Romeo and Young V. In fact, I'd just like to take a moment to point out that she named her three sons Percy Jr, Vercy and Hercey, which is downright silly.

So, anyway, what about this album? Well, since it's still in No Limit's CA days, the majority of it is produced by EA Ski & CMT, with a few tracks produced by Master P himself.

In fact, the first song (after an intro) is produced by P and it's the strongest. It sounds great because it heavily, heavily samples Betty Wright's "No Pain, No Gain" - not just the break, but the vocals and everything. They use Betty's crooning as an excellent backdrop for Sonya to slow it down and give a somber, autobiographical story about her own life. Unfortunately, on the other hand, Sonya's flow is pretty horrible on this, kicking the kind of rudimentary delivery, struggling to stay on beat, that gave No Limit such a bad name on the east coast. It almost feels like one of those stories you used to see on television where some chintzy producer would got to a halfway house in an inner city and get them all rapping as a exercise in self esteem. But damn if the music isn't effective. Couple that with how earnest Sonya sounds, and you've got an effective song that's managed to stick with me since high school - analytical criticism be damned.

The rest of the album is, thankfully, substantially harder and Sonya's flow - while never amazing - gets stronger along with it. Following a skit where a bunch of guys see Sonya and approach her on the street, "yo, Sonya, what's up?" "This what's up, mother fuckers!" she yells and it ends in machine gun sound effects. And EA Ski and CMT are acknowledged masters of gangsta rap production. There's a host of recognizable, funky samples, which help a lot - the groove of "Bitches Die In the Dope Game" is great, and the clever collection of vocal samples on the hook are really fresh. The Untouchables also drop in a couple appearances, most notably on the posse cut finale, "I Ain't To Be Fucked With," but not so many that they overshadow Sonya's solo endeavor.

Unfortunately, one downside is that this album feels like an EP they stretched out to full LP length. Half the songs on this album are skits, and one of the tightest beats on this album, "Gankers," is just an instrumental. A full-length instrumental song might fit in on a DJ Shadow album or something, but on a gangsta rap tape? It feels like the engineer just lost the vocal track. You also get two versions of the title cut, "Married To the Mob Part 1" and "Married To the Mob Part 2," but really "Part 2" is just a radio edit of "Part 1." You really only get six proper, full songs; the rest is all filler.

Bottom line, this is a dope tape if you like these kinda albums, but if you think all that No Limit-type shit is straight garbage, nothing here's gonna change your mind. These are not the kind of MCs who were ever going to elevate the art form or flex freestyle skills. But if you just want to shed your backpack and listen to some pure early 90's gangsta rap, this tape delivers. And it's purple.


P.s. - If you can't quite make out that message written underneath the Parental Advisory sticker on the album cover, it reads, "This Album is Proof, it's no honeymoon being married To The Mob. Cause Sonya C is quick to get the gat peel your cap, Miss Alcapone."

Mo-Fo Nu-Sounds

(Youtube version - staunch, true and reliable - can, as ever, be found here.)

Come On, Come On and Scream!

Kurtis Mantronik's always been a guy who went back and forth between hip-hop and European-style club music - even when he produced for T-La Rock and Just-Ice, they were more electronic or experimental beats than you'd expect from those guys. So, you have to be prepared to leave your comfort zone a bit, as a hip-hopper, to appreciate Mantronix; and this single is no exception. I mean, is MC Tee wearing a pink scarf there? lol And I won't even show you guys the pic on the back. But not just the superficial image, even musically he walks the line... and eventually he went so far, he left us completely. But I don't think any head who appreciates production and original, innovative hip-hop can front on Mantronix's early material that influenced even the hardest of hardrock records over the decades.

Now, "Scream" was a banger of a dance number off Mantronix's second album, Music Madness. It featured Kurtis's progressive beats, a super funky bassline, distorting breakdown, Tee's loquacious rhymes (seriously... anybody who wasn't impressed with Tee as an MC, just compare him to his replacement, Bryce Luvah) and a simple 80's keyboard melody that'll stick with you for decades. If you gave fans a heads up that you were planning to remix it for the single, they'd've screamed at you to leave it alone. It's perfect as it is; you can't make it better; just remix another track.

But they did in fact make it better.

Firstly, wisely, they kept all the instrumental elements that made "Scream" so appealing on the LP. Same drums, same bassline, and yes, that signature keyboard riff is right here. In fact, for the first twenty or thirty seconds, the differences may sound inconsequential... the funky snare gets to play solo a bit, things are rearranged. But it's all the same elements that sound the same when they finally play together. There's a little extra, almost go-go pattern added to the drums, but you barely hear it with all the other funky percussion going on.

Then a new layer of keyboard horn stabs come in, and they sound fresh. The bass is played a little softer, giving the song a lighter tone... The breakdowns are different, with a funky whistle sample, that then flips backwards. And most importantly, on this one, Kurtis get busy on the turntables! You won't believe this shit is from 1987 - it sounds like some turntablist DMC champion from the 90's got on the record via a time machine, just to spice things up. If you ever assumed his skills were all relegated behind the boards, he shows and proves here.

In fact, I was so impressed with that when I first got this record, it took me multiple listens to realize that this is a lyrical remix, too! Tee's first verse is the same, but on the Radio Version, Tee replaces his second verse with a whole new one. And on the extended Club Version, he kicks both verses from the original and the new one.

Flip it over, and you get a funky Dub Version, which is more than just a barren instrumental, but an excuse for Mantronik to play around and bug out over the beat, bringing in all new cuts and samples, and even a crazy Martian voice effect applied to one of Tee's verses. It holds up just as well to casual listens as the vocal mixes.

And finally, for the purists, this 12" concludes with the original LP Version. Just looking at the track-listing, you might not've expected anything new here at all: Club, Radio, Dub and LP Versions - "who needs it? I already got the album." But actually, this 12" is pretty sweet.

Now the Introduction: It's Kool Chip, Bronxwood Productions

Everybody who was down with hip-hop in the 80's knows Kool Chip from his killer '89 album with DJ Chuck Chillout, Masters Of the Rhythm. And serious collectors also know him for his subsequent, and now super-rare indie follow-up in the 90's, as Dope and a Gun. But while Chuck Chillout had a high profile history, as a member of The B-Boys, and even more-so as a famed hip-hop radio host alongside (or against) Red Alert and Mr. Magic; Kool Chip has a bit of a recorded origin as well.

Before the famous duo was formed, Kool Chip came out on 4th and Broadway with his own 12", "Jazz It Up." If you've seen this and had any question of whether this is the same Kool Chip, just a few short seconds will prove that it undoubtedly is - his unique voice shouting out Bronxwood with his signature, simple but forceful delivery.

And with the same thumping, programmed drum style, this could easily have taken off Masters Of the Rhythm. That follows, as it's produced by David Burnett, who'd also worked with Chuck Chillout before - it's likely that Chuck and Chip got a lot of their production chops from this man.

Now, granted, this isn't as straight-up a hardcore anthem as most of the tracks on Masters were. It's an ode to smooth, jazzy rhythms with a female singer (Toni Smith, who's had an interesting career of collaborations - even The Fat Boys' Crushin'! - and 12" singles herself, well worth looking into) on the hook. It's certainly more in line with "No Holding Back" and "The Mic I Grip;" but it really doesn't betray Kool Chip's later established sound. It's got a little more instrumentation, which is actually pretty cool, and parts of this record actually manage to echo "Buffalo Gals," but it's still not that far removed. I could understand anyone being hesitant to pick this one up - just looking at the label, it reads like a dangerously misguided crossover attempt or something painfully cheesy - but if you're a fan, you won't be disappointed.

Now, interestingly, the label actually credits a remix by Dancin' Danny D. But that remix is not in fact on here. It's only on some UK pressings (and actually, Danny is best known for his exclusive UK remixes, from everybody to Kid 'N Play to DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince) - but the remix credit is for some reason on all pressings. This original US pressing just features the main version on side A, and the dub on side B. But really, that's all you need. It's a funky little precursor to a great album.

Pick It Up Pick It Up

(Youtube version is here.)

The D.O.C. Gets Busy In the House

Have you ever been listening to The D.O.C.'s fierce, hardcore masterpiece, No One Can Do It Better, and think to yourself: the only thing that could make this better is some upbeat, poppy house rhythms? Of course not, no one in the whole country has ever thought that. But over there in England, it's a different story. UK remixer extraordinaire CJ Mackintosh not only had that thought, but convinced the gang back home at Ruthless Records that they needed to come together to make this idea a reality!

That's right, arguably Dr. Dre's best hip-hop production work of his career got the hip-house make-over, not just in Europe, but on the domestic US single as well.

What I have here is a promo (obviously originally sent to a radio station run by somebody who likes to write on records), but there's also a commercial version with a regular Ruthless labels, a picture cover and the whole nine. But the track-listing is the same regardless: a pair of remixes of two of The D.O.C.'s hardest tracks from the album. No instrumentals, LP versions, etc... just one song per side.

The D.O.C.'s fast-paced lyrical slaughter "Portrait Of a Masterpiece" is now a house song. And a happy, cheerful one at that. The light piano riff sounds like something Mr. Lee would play, and are more than a little bit reminiscent of Kid 'N' Play's "Energy." The bassline would match perfectly with a kiddie rap about ninja turtles. The keyboard flare sounds like something Tiffany would take off her record for sounding too soft, and the drums... well, all house drums are pretty much exactly the same: "Emph, pop!, Emph, pop!" ad infinitum. His fast flow actually matches perfectly with the flow, and The D.O.C.'s enthusiastic ad-libs sound as if they were recorded specifically for this mix (they weren't though; they can be heard on the original).

It actually... kind of works, in a crazy way, if you can get over the sacrilege. It's even fruitier than regular hip-house records. But if you can appreciate hip-house at all, and if you're the kind of person who can get open to a L'Trimm record, then I daresay you should actually enjoy this.

That's the B-side. The A-side is actually remixed by Dr. Dre himself. He takes his dark and atmospheric "Mind Blowin'" and kinda smooths it out. It's interesting - it has a fresh siren sound loop and some "Buffalo Gal" vocal samples. The bassline is cool; not smoothed all the way into G-funk territory, but it definitely plays more relaxed than the original. I still prefer the first version, but both are funky and worth having in your collection.

As for the house mix? Well, I guess it depends how open-minded and eccentric a hip-hop head you are.

Let's Not Wake the Hurricane

So, now that I'm back online following Hurricane Irene, I thought I'd do a post on Hurricane G, because I'm a simple sort of blogger, and basic word associations rule my life. But, looking through my collection, I found out I actually don't have that much Hurricane G (and, let's face it, all DJ Hurricane records are boring), so my selection was limited. I could just find this one cassingle of "Somebody Else," her attempt at a crossover single.

This dropped in 1997 on H.O.L.A. Records, a small label devoted strictly to Latino (the "L" in H.O.L.A. - can you guess the rest?) acts. It's the main single off her limited release, CD-only album, All Woman. I believe she'd already split from the Def Squad at this point (though she did a song with Hit Squadians Das EFX for her album, probably as a final "fuck you"), so she wasn't in the best place career-wise. And this was her bid at a broader audience. She actually put out a couple singles for All Woman, but this is the only one that got mainstream distribution (i.e. you could buy the cassingle in NJ shopping malls when I was a kid). And it wasn't a good look.

First of all, let's examine this cover, shall we? It's a pair of eyes - her eyes, presumably - floating over a wing, some coins, a wooden X... what? This cover must've been made using the free stock images that came with PaintShop 2 or something. What is all that random, monochrome junk? I think there might be part of a model train and some bottle caps on the back. You guys click on that image, blow it up to 100%, and see if you can figure out what it all is.

This song uses a very familiar bassline from an old Jones Girls record you've heard on dozens of records; but this time they go whole hog, using pretty much the whole record including the hook and just making a rap version of it. This bassline works well on an upbeat, freestyle track, but here it feels slow, harder and murky on a poppy relationship track. It's produced by D-Moet, as in "King Sun and _-____," who was mounting a bit of a comeback as an indie producer in the 90's.

But it's not so much that this is a bad track, so much as it was a bad choice. Hurricane G came pretty tight, as a super hardcore, shrill, angry battle rhymer who patterned her sound pretty blatantly on the rest of the Def Squad, and did a damn fine job of it. Check out her single "Underground Lockdown" - she was one of the hardest female rappers out there. Thanks to her cameos on Redman's and Murray's albums, she was building a big buzz and people were curious about her - and this was the single with the distribution push that people would here.

Now, I can understand the logic at work here: get the most mainstream song out to the mainstream audience, and put out the underground gritty stuff on the underground level. Makes sense. Except, since this was her first outing and people were curious but uncertain, they wound up being presented with a really bland, generic song. This is like "Female Rap" taken out of any major label's home-starter kit for soundalike female rappers of the time. People heard this and were like, "oh, this is Hurricane G? I thought she was supposed to be some ill, crazy MC? I guess I must've been confusing her with Roz Noble." And close book, end of the Hurricane G story.

I mean, there are touches of her credibility trying to be hinted at in this song... she curses a lot (rendering the Clean Version confusing and unlistenable). But it's so generic and uninspired. She loves a guy, but he doesn't treat her well enough, so she's gonna go love somebody else. It doesn't even feel sincere, like she's experienced this. It's like she just listened to the song they were sampling and said, "I'll just some curses to those lyrics."

More than that, it doesn't feel quite finished. After her last verse, there's a long instrumental portion where she just ad-libs "ooh. Uh. Yeah. Uh-huh." for a minute or so. It feels like there was meant to be another verse in there and they cut it out at the last minute or something. The story - such as it is - feels incomplete. She loves the guy... he treats her bad... the end. It feels like there should be some sort of "punchline" verse, where she wraps up, telling him she found a new guy who's super awesome, or "ha ha, I'm a lesbian now!" or something, anything. Maybe she did say that and her managers panicked and had the label erase the final verse (lol there's an unusually high degree of speculation going on in this post).

I mean... there's sort of a punchline at the end. She says, "you're gonna make me turn into supe-supe-Supa Bitch!" ...Which would be funny if she sold it. But her delivery is so flat, you don't even realize that's what she's saying unless you're paying dogged attention. It's the kind of line Redman could say (and he almost did, with those Soopaman Lova songs) and make everyone crack up over. But Hurricane just sleepwalks through the whole song, and the beat is like, "shh! let's not wake her."

So, yeah, this is just the cassingle. It's got the useless Clean Version on the A-side, and the LP Version on the flip. The 12" adds an instrumental and acapella, and comes in a sticker cover. Give it a miss. But some of her other singles are worth picking up when you come across 'em cheap.

Deadly!

(And here's the Youtube version. Hey, it only took over 24 hours to upload.)