Rakim's Buffalo

Malcolm McLaren's released a bunch of albums, singles and compilations, all built around very few actual songs. And of all the songs he's remixed and re-released over the years, the most egregious example is easily his biggest hit, "Buffalo Gals." There's about two dozen 12" pressings, plus it was featured as a B-side on his other singles "Double Dutch," "Hobo Scratch" and "Would You Like More Scratchin'." And there were a couple different mixes on those 12"s - like the awful Trad. Square Mix, which basically turns it into a straight out and out country square dance tune [seriously, avoid that one], the Special Scratch version, and even the song "Hobo Scratch" itself made liberal use of "Buffalo Gals."

On The World's Famous Supreme Team's classic "Hey DJ" Divine sings the chorus to "Buffalo Gals" until Just stops his partner, saying, "no, no, no! See, man, That's our last record. That's already been a hit!" How ironic; they clearly had no idea what was in McLaren's future. He featured it on his main album Duck Rock, which you'd expect, but then he also included another version called "Buffalo Love" on his second album Swamp Thing. He reprised it some more on 1986's "Duck Rock Cheer" and on his third album, Round the Outside! Round the Outside!, he made "Buffalo Gals II (Remix)."

Finally, by the mid-90's, he seemed to have worked it out of his system. He was releasing orchestral jazz music in France, singing [terribly] in a mix of French and English; and the words "buffalo" "scratchin'" or "World's Famous Supreme Team Show" were nowhere to be heard. He didn't have to keep recycling the same song - he finally had a new thing going on.

But those albums didn't seem to really sell [seriously, it was his singing], and that phase eventually ended. He put out a couple little house records but I guess he eventually had to stop and ask himself: what will sell? "Buffalo Gals," of course! So in 1998, he signed to Virgin Records and put out this record. "Buffalo Gals." Updated again.

But if you want to sell a sixteen year-old song to a modern audience, I guess the move is to enlist the artists who are hot at the time. And Rakim was pretty hot. He was right at the peak of his post-Eric B solo career, having just released The 18th Letter and The Master just around the corner. "Guess Who's Back" drummed up a lot of fanfare and "It's Been a Long Time" was killing it on the radio thanks to DJ Premiere. Even Suave House put out their own version. Rakim was the man to get and McLaren got him, not just as an MC... but as a producer?

Yeah, Rakim raps on AND produces "Buffalo Gals (Back To Skool) (Rakim Mix) [two sets of parentheses?]." And you'd be right Rakim had never produced anything up 'till now. I mean, yeah, he's credited as a producer on "Juice (Know the Ledge)," and you might well say that's more than enough credential; but we all know The Bomb Squad (who're credited as remixers) made that track what it is.

But, with that said, it's not bad. It's remaking the original, so naturally much of the work was already done for him, as a lot of the major instrumental elements are carried over. What he mainly does with the track is slows it down considerably and lays in a thick, smooth bassline and some subtle, background keyboard tones. In other words, he turns it into the kind of beat you'd expect to hear Rakim on. Even the hook features cuts of his own voice from "Eric B Is President."

The rest of the hook is Rakim updating the original "Buffalo Gals" chorus. He changes:

"It's a pity that you're so dirty;
You're only dancing just to be friendly.
So pretty you drive me loco.
You're so silly you make me blush so-oh!"

to:

"You dress jiggy and you're so pretty.
Are you dancin' just to get wit me?
You're so jiggy, your style's original.
You're so pretty, your style's addictable."

Somehow Rakim makes "addictable" work, even though he's making up a word just to force a rhyme. After all, this is the man who brought us the lyric, "hello, good lookin'. Is this seat tooken?" But that's entirely too much "jiggy," especially since he repeats the chorus a few times. 1998 WAS the year Will Smith released "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It;" but I was really hoping Rakim would've risen above it.

But once the first chorus is over, we can get to the rapping. Yeah, smooth beat, Rakim's deep, serious voice... wait a minute. That doesn't sound exactly like his voice. No, actually the first verse is by somebody else, and if you look deep into the fine print, underneath the credits for the engineer, mixer and assistant, you'll see there's rapper credited: Hassan 7. As far as I've been able to tell, this is his only project. Now, maybe I'm being unfair here; but I honestly suspect that they're seriously trying to pass this off as a Rakim solo song; and they've got this guy doing his best Rakim-like flow so you don't realize they only got Rakim for one verse. Serious fans will recognize it's not his voice, but I'm sure nine out of ten casual listeners have no idea that it isn't Rakim there, and I'm pretty sure that's the idea.

So Hassan's verse is okay, but never manages to reach interesting. And once Rakim comes on for the second verse, you can really hear the difference in quality. his flow, the way he parses his rhymes... he's not saying anything more than "I like to dance with girls," but he says it so damn well. He's a real pro and his verse here is actually tighter than a lot of his later material. The cuts, which aren't terribly athletic, but just a nice, simple blending of "Buffalo Gals" and "Eric B Is President," add a lot. I actually have to really recommend this track. I mean, you could totally skip that first verse; but overall this is worth seeking out.

Also on this 12" is the original version of "Buffalo Gals," which was nice to have on there just to catch up younger audiences who didn't already have it in their crate. And there's another new version - this one called ""Buffalo Gals Stampede B-Gals Stampede." This is a Eurodance mix by Roger Sanchez. It mostly uses the original, but does also bring in pieces of Rakim's version. It's pretty bland and forgettable except for one thing. It's got scratching my Company Flow's Mr. Len; and he's actually getting pretty busy on the tables almost from beginning to end. He really comes off nice on this, so I recommend you listen to this track at least once just for that. But you probably won't revisit it much after that, because it's still basically a boring dance mix apart from that.

Overall, it's a pretty weird release, flawed but not bad and surprisingly catchy. What else would you expect from Mr. McLaren?

All the Way Live

(Youtube version is here.)

Who is Black A.G.?

Who is Black A.G.? Well, just to be clear, he's no relation to Showbiz. Honestly, I'm not gonna front - I'd barely heard of him before 2013. I ran across one or two rip blogs either upping or requesting rare CDs of his from the 90s. I never even stopped to listen; just kinda mentally noted the name and kept it moving. But he's got my attention now, 'cause Dope Folks Records has put him up as one of their latest releases.

So, here's the deal with this guy. He's actually kind of a vet. Black A.G.'s from Chicago and put out his first self-pressed 12" single in 1991 called "Fame Goes To Your Head" b/w "No Typa Drugdeala," produced by his DJ and one of Tung Twista's earliest producers, Quick Silver Cooley. He followed that up with a song for an obscure compilation album called Conquest of a Nation; and then proceeded to drop a bunch of very hard-to-find CDs throughout the 90s (Tell the Truth, Paper Story and Fuck Whatcha Think). Like a lot of these guys, the later stuff got more gangstery and g0funky, with sung hooks, slower beats, lower energy raps, etc. So it's just the early stuff that DJs and heads really get caught up seeking on vinyl.

Works for me; and that's what we see here. His original 12" track "Fame Goes To Your Head," that compilation song I mentioned, "There It Is," plus four previously unreleased tracks, all recorded between 1991-1995. But did you notice something missing? The original 12" B-side, "No Typa Drugdeala." It ain't on here. Hm. I know Dope Folks generally tries to keep their wax down to three songs per side.  When you start cramming a lot of music all on one LP, the sound quality starts to take a dive... that's why big budget albums are usually double LPs - higher quality. Cold Chillin' used to cram a lot onto one LP and listen to how bad some of those got.

So, yeah.  Maybe Dope Folks had acquired so much material from him they felt was superior that "No Typa" just didn't make the cut? I don't know. But buyer, just be aware that it's absent; so if you end up really feeling this EP, then it's still worth tracking down the original 12" to get that last song.

But let's focus on what IS here, because it's really good. The EP starts with "There It Is" which combines the basic loop from Big Daddy Kane's "Ain't No Half Steppin'" (or AMG's "Jiggable Pie," if you prefer) and then layers a bunch of tough samples on top of it. It's more hardcore than those tracks, but never gets too overcrowded to the point of being just noise; it's a straight up "timbs and hoodie" banger. Then we get the original "Fame Goes To Your Head." The rapping's good, though not as hardcore, but again it's the deep production that stands out, with enough samples to make two or three hip-hop instrumentals all married together.

Then the unreleased stuff sounds a little newer. I'm guessing that's it for the 1991 end of the "1991-1995" spectrum, and the rest are all from 1995 or thereabouts. There's big, west coast influenced p-funk beats in there that remind of me of 90's era Rodney O & Joe Cooley, while another track uses Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues" just like Scarface's "One Minute To Pray and a Second To Die." But what sets it apart, again, is Quicksilver's multiple layers. Yeah, he loops up it up the same way, vocal snippet and all; but then he adds more records to the mix, keeping it fresh. And we end things out with an catchy if unimpressive "I Got a Man" style back-and-forth, line-for-line duet with a female MC who goes uncredited and some really loud keyboards. Overall, the unreleased material isn't as great as the previously released stuff; but it's still great to have finally gotten it out to the world, it shows Black and Cooley are a talented pair; and I do quite like one of the songs called "My Revenge."

So, overall I recommend this, but especially for people who don't already have the original tracks, because those are the best. Or for longtime fans, of course, who've been collecting his entire catalog. This is definitely some of his best material. Dope Folks also hits us off with a sticker cover again (I was really missing the stickers on some of there most recent releases), replicating the picture cover from the original "Fame Goes To Your Head" CD. Definitely appreciated.

Oh, and he's still around today, by the way. Somebody caught up with him in 2010. Here he is being interviewed in a youtube video, and kicking a freestyle at the end. I'd question his claim to be have made the first Chicago indie label with his label in 1991. Just off the top of my head, the Rhyme Poets put out their first album in 1989 - wasn't that their own label? Anyway, he has his own Youtube channel now, with several new songs (as of 2012), with an announced upcoming album called My Time To Shine. Personally, I'll stick with the early 90s material... but I am curious to hear "No Typa Drugdeala."

Da Soul Man

(Youtube version is here.)

Grand Killa Con

So I just blogged about Sacred Hoop's old '94 demo tape getting reissued, but what're they up to these days? Well, as it happens, Luke Sick has a new album out, kinda like Dose One or Kool Keith in the sense where every new project is a new group. Rime Force Most Illin' was him and Rob Rush, Brougham was him and Third Eye Blind, Motel Crew was him, Z-Man and Doug Surreal. Underbucket was him and DJ Eons, Grand Invincible was also him and Eon, Get the Hater was him and The Dwarves, The Disturbers was him and... god knows. Well, this new album, Year Of the Tre Bag, is by him and a producer named Brycon - together they're known as Grand Killa Con.

You may've noticed that a bunch of those groups mentioned above are Luke working with rock artists or other not-strictly-hip-hop types. Happily, that's not the case. This is the first I've heard of Brycon, though I looked him up and apparently he's done a couple tracks for guys like Murs in the past. This is just some regular, underground hip-hop shit; and I mean that in the best possible way. One song ("Cloven Hoof") is like a vintage Saafir track, with Luke rhyming like the nomad (though without biting his unique "chockin'" flow from Boxcar Sessions) and Brycon cooking up that sounds like it was quietly borrowed from The Junction library.

Nothing else here borrows from Saafir, except that it's raw, underground and west coast. Luke is his incomparable self, and Brycon provides a wide variety of hard tracks for him. One beat has big horn samples, another chops a large chunk of an old r&b record including the vocals, and another is all dark and ominous atmosphere with a grumbling bassline. Interestingly, the effect is that album doesn't feel like another Luke Sick side project or group - it feels like his first solo album.

This is a full, fourteen track album. I was disappointed that the original "Hemmed Pt. 1" isn't on here - an advance track they leaked onto Youtube earlier in the year - But there is a "Pt. 2," with new verses over the same, smooth instrumental. And one track here, "Cinderblocks & Cyanide," is labeled as a remix - where was the original? But a fan's desire for completionism [screw you, spell check, I say it IS a word!] aside, this is a super solid, very consistent album. Well... maybe I could've done without one song called "Dynasty Killa" with a shrill instrumental and a guest rapper named Lightbulb; but otherwise this is a very full and rewarding album.

I have a feeling no matter what I write, not many heads will bother to check this one out... one more side project to lose track of by an already criminally slept on MC. But anyone who does is going to be glad they did. Consider it a secret prize for being one of the few in the know. It's the kind of album you can leave on repeat all night. And right now, it seems to only be available as a digital download (here); but I was laced with a CD with proper artwork, which makes me hope that a physical release might be just around the corner, even if it's only some low-key, limited run primarily for the merch tables.

...And if you're wondering, like I was, what about a return of the ACTUAL Sacred Hoop, with Luke Sick on the mic and Vrse on the beats, no more substitutes, I'm pleased to say that I've been told they are recording together again - I even heard a little mp3 advance of a song they were working on. So hang tight, and seriously, don't be afraid to explore Grand Killa Con while you wait.

Let's Talk About This "Symphony 2013"

This video just came out this week; it's apparently from an upcoming PMD EP called New Business. The song's called "Symphony 2013." Let's give it a quick watch so we can discuss it:

Here's my first question, right off the bat: why is this even called "Symphony 2013?" What does this have to do with the original "The Symphony" or any of its sequels, official or not? Firstly, it features none of the same MCs, except for the fact that PMD had already created an unofficial sequel already, EPMD's "Symphony 2000." It's not even the same number of MCs. The concept of "The Symphony" is that you're lining up your all-star MCs. Sure, you might stick an up & comer on there... like Master Ace when MC Shan bails on you at the last second, or letting Truck get on the other "Symphony 2000" with Big Pun, Krs and G Rap.  But, basically the idea is that these are your all-star heavy hitters. And usually, like with "The Cypha (Part 3)," "The Symphony part 2," "Flow On (New Symphony" or "Next Up," you tried to keep as much of that Juice Crew connection as you could.

But there's none of that here. No Juice Crew, and every MC except PMD is an unknown. Also, it isn't the same beat, or instrumentally referential to the original. It's completely unrelated. And there's no "next up" or equivalent hook when passing the mic. Even EPMD's previous "Symphony 2000" held most of these core principles (the "next up" hook, all star MCs). There's honestly no cause to associate this with "The Symphony," other than the fact that there's multiple rappers on it. They might as well have called it "I Got Five On It 2013" or another remix of "U.O.E.N.O." It would be just as arbitrary.

Put, okay. let's push past that. The track isn't terribly exciting, but it's not bad. The video looks alright. PMD's a veteran with some real classics in his track record. But damn, every vibe I get off this video is telling me that this is The Unit all over again:
Even the video is basically the same, minus the dark blue filter.

None of PMD's past crew members/ proteges/ weed carriers are here. No Das EFX, Hit Squaddians, not even K-Solo... Hell, not even Don Fu-Quan. They're all fucking out. This is Team Takeover, the replacements for the replacements.  In fact, wait, did the first guy just call them The Hit Squad? Yes, he did. It's totally The Unit 2.0, clearing out the existing line-up - again! - and starting all over again with random new acts - again! In fact, this is totally "100% Hater Proof 2013." Both songs feature exactly six rappers including their OG team leader, one Jay-Z sound-alike and two white guys. Although thankfully their overly Italian guy doesn't go nearly so overboard as The Unit's did, pairing him up with an extra from The Sopranos and all. Whose insane idea was it to copy this formula? They might as well've ended with a Benzino cameo just to complete the circle.

But I didn't make this post just to bash these guys. Let's give each MC an honest look (in order of appearance):

PMD - kinda has that "I'm an OG; I don't have to spend my time on a creative verse" thing going, but he IS seasoned enough to still come come off respectably while phoning it in. It's a fine opener.

Michael Nixx - is decent. He doesn't have me rushing out to look for solo projects, but he fills a place on a posse cut well enough, with a nice use of the crew name (even if, again, he did say Hit Squad instead of Team Takeover - whoops!).

Joey Battz - is just weaker than Nixx. His persona is hammy, and his verse is corny with a mix of generic filler and that extended Back To the Future reference.

Nam Nitty - Not sure he could stand on his own, but as part of a crew, this guy definitely brings some energy and a nice grimy feel. I could see him providing a good hook on PMD's upcoming EP or something. Whatever vocal effect they put on his voice for that one line makes it totally incomprehensible, though.

Comatoze - Talk about burying the lead! This guy kills it. Forget the PMD EP, give us more Comatoze!

Nymrod - This is the Jay-Z soundalike I mentioned (he even shouts out Brownsville). He starts off alright, but gets strangely lost in a convoluted threat about putting various holes through different parts of a Benz:

"Put a hole in the back of your Benz,
Put a hole in the front of ya speaker,
And the back of ya pants,
Put a hole in the backseat,
That'll put a hole in the back of ya man in the back seat,
Then it'll exit out the front of ya man in the back seat,
Put a hole in the back of the man in the front seat,
That'll exit out the front of the man in the front seat,
Put a hole in the steering wheel,"

It's like, Jesus Christ!  Is this guy still prattling on about holes and rhyming "seat" with "seat?" That one line "put a hole in the front of ya speaker and the back of ya pants" is a little clever. It's not crazy genius, but it's a decent enough line to throw in a verse. But after that, it's like he's gotta be high, right? Like he's totally forgotten what he's supposed to be writing and just gotten lost in the plot of which direction all these holes go. And it's hard to appear gangster when we can all tell you obviously came up with your bars while playing Portals 2 with your buddy at three in the morning.

It reminds me of Eminem's verse on The Outsidaz' "Rush Ya Clique," a song I otherwise love. Remember that whole "I'm so weeded... (How weeded are you?)" where it's like one long, contrived joke with awkward phrasing like "Lauryn, huh? Hill? There's more than one? Eww!" You can tell he really thinks he's doing something mind-blowingly clever, but it's really unfunny because of how forced it is, and irritatingly painful in how long it goes on for. So the whole bit should've been scrapped; it's just embarrassing to listen to; but you just know Em walked out of the booth thinking he killed it and this is the one all the critics will be quoting.

But apparently PMD was more impressed than I was, because I looked on itunes and he featured Nymrod on 3 of the EP's 7 tracks. The only other guy from this song to appear elsewhere on the EP is that Michael Nixx guy on one song. There's also two more new guys (named Enjo and General Stone), but I didn't care enough to listen to any of it. Something tells me PMD didn't even try to make a hot comeback track on this project.

But if Comatoze comes out with something more, I'll check for that.
 

The Latest Release... From GoodFelons?

So, I've already blogged about a couple records that managed to make it out to the people since GoodFelons closed up shop: Kev E Kev, of course, and then Marco Polo. Well, more good news, folks, another GF LP has been rescued and delivered to the public. This time it's the legendary Sacred Hoop, with the vinyl debut of their first album/ demo: the unfortunately titled Runny Poop.

Sacred Hoop's demo was recorded in 1994 and originally released in 1996 (and maybe a bit earlier), on cassette only, through Hoop's own Miasmatic Recordings. This vinyl re-issue was one of the final releases announced by GoodFelons before it all went down; and now Megakut Records has seen it through to completion.

I have to say, this is one nice package for any Hoop fan. Everything's been remastered and sounds great. It still has a small case of muddiness to it, but that's probably down to how it was recorded in the first place. And this new LP also includes a new, bonus instrumental version of the final song "Jedi-Subterranean" that wasn't included on the original tape. So while the OG tape is certainly still an awesome collectors' item for any fan who's got it, this is definitely the preferable, definitive version of the album to own.

If you've never heard it, it's a really dope album. Granted, it's not their best - Luke Sick's voice and flow sounds a little more derivative of other 90s artists than what its since matured into. But a lot of heads buying a 90's reissue like this is probably looking for that raw, throwback feel; so a lot of people might wind up appreciating this album more now than they would've back in the day. And Vrse Murphy's rich production definitely holds up, lots of layers and change-ups that really shine on vinyl.

One odd choice is that they moved the album's final instrumental track (not counting the new bonus one) to the front of the album, so this starts off with an instrumental. I guess they thought two instrumentals back to back would be a bit of a dry run; but having this album open with a vocal-less track, at least to me, pulls a little from the album's punch. Oh well, it's a minor quibble; I just mention it more because it's a strange choice, since the rest of the album remains in sequence.

Anyway, the "nice package" comment doesn't just apply to the actual content of the album, though of course that's where it counts most. The presentation is absolutely first class. It comes in unique, individually hand-screened picture covers AND a full-color inner sleeve. Inside, you'll also find an envelope with a signed note from the both members of the Hoop and, umm... some other weird, random shit, which I'll let you guys discover for yourselves. ha ha The cover has the Goodfelons logo on it, while the actual record label has Megakut's. It's available direct from the label here, and limited to 120 hand-numbered copies (mine is #120), so don't deliberate too long.

More Of the Raw

Dope Folks is back with more of Omniscence's heretofore unreleased album, The Raw Factor. Raw Factors Pt. 2 features three more unheard and remastered tracks from 1995 and '96, replete with the instrumentals on the flip.

Well, when I say "unheard," I mean unheard by all of you. I've actually owned two of the three tracks on my unreleased Omniscence promo tape since the 90s. To save you the intensive labor of clicking that link, here's what I had to say about those songs:
_____________________________________

3. "My Main Man" - The first verse of this is featured on the mixtape; but on the tape it's a full song with three verses. It's another smooth track, and has Omniscence reminiscing on his past with his best friend. He's not really doing the punchline thing here (well, he still does a little, with lines like "I remember when I had no status; but you still backed me up like the Pips did Gladys"), but his MCing is still unquestionably nice. It also features some nice scratching on the outro.

6. "When I Make Parole" - This one is a surprise. First of all, for the record, it's not on that mixtape. Secondly, despite having another smooth instrumental, Omni kicks a surprisingly harder flow here, but it actually works. His voice is rougher, he sounds angrier, and his lyrics are definitely more street:

"I'm so incredibly criminal minded;
Puffin' that angel dust got me blinded.
Rush up on the spot with my glock on cock,
Crack rock bustin' out the side of my sock.
Stumblin' up the block,
Yo, I see this devil bitch;
Yeah, just enough to make my trigger finger itch.
'Excuse me, miss,
Do you got the time?'
Smack her in the grill with the steel-piece nine!
Gimme the jewels and the butter-soft leather.
Should I let her live, or should I fuckin' wet 'er?
Click click boom!
Gun shots to her chest;
Situation critical, I'm dippin' to the rest.
Mom duke's flippin' 'bout the rumors:
I'm goin' 'round town, rollin' with my crew, givin' out brain tumors!"
______________________________________

And it's just so awesome now that everybody else finally gets to hear those songs!  And to have them as fresh vinyl copies with their instrumentals to boot.

Of course, for myself, it's the third track that's the most exciting, since that one's completely new to my ears along with the rest of you guys. It's called "Nuff Love" and is a real crowd pleaser. I'm already seeing online responses saying Pt. 2 is even better than the first. It's certainly everything you'd expect from a vintage Omni track: a cool, vibe-heavy (a la "Maintain") instrumental with a mellow shouted (yes, that's a possible combination) chorus. Omni brings plenty of punchlines ("you may be live, but the vandals are much liver; we beat you worse than they did that white truck driver"*), but never crosses the line to schticky.

Actually, "completely new to [our] ears" is a bit of an overstatement.  If you've ever downloaded one of those bootleg Raw Factor mixes online [read my interview with Omniscence for the story behind those], you've heard this track before, paired with the made-up title "Love To the Crews." Of course, that was all hissy and crappy. The sound quality here is far superior; plus again it's on vinyl and comes with the instrumental version.

It goes without saying at this point, as a release from Dope Folks, it's limited to 350 copies and reasonably priced. It should also go without saying that this is an absolute essential for any Omniscence fan, featuring three tracks, all top shelf, released for the first time ever. This is what we've waited all these years for.


*Meaning Reginald Denny, for all you younger heads out there.

Lil' Gangsta Starski

(Youtube version is here.)

Still Up In Newark - Gov Mattic Interview

Gov Mattic interview, conducted by Custodian of Records and edited by myself. This is the second in our series talking to underground NJ artists, following the Scott Lark interview. Yep, there's more to come.

Tony D, Redman, Meth, Pace Won and Young Zee

So, I've blogged once or twice before about how the US end of Ruff Life Records dropped the ball on The Outsidaz full-length, leaving all the 12" singles and what-not to their UK division. But they did get one nice 12" out of their doors before closing up shop - or two, strictly speaking. A limited edition (though I don't know just how limited... it doesn't seem to be that rare or hard to find all these years later) double 12" single of "Who You Be," The Outsidaz album cut featuring Redman and Method Man.

These were their big, heavy-hitter guest appearances (and you'll notice, they only let their biggest Outz members on the track, too; no junior members), so I'm not sure why they relegated this song to a limited edition vinyl only release, as opposed to a major single with a music video and what-not.  I guess they expected mix-tape DJs to blow this up a lot more than they did. Plus the record label was dying, so that might've been all they could afford.

Anyway, the first record focuses on the album version. If the song feels like a Redman track with guest stars, as opposed to an Outsidaz song (and it does to me), that's because it's produced by two of Red's regular producers, DJ Twinz (yes, it's really a pair of twins). It's a little soulless, but ultimately a pretty effectively head-nodder with a hook built around each member bigging themselves up. It's got a cool freestyle flow, with the MCs passing the mic back and forth, everyone getting the chance to rhyme more than once, so it doesn't just come off like your "plug in your guest's acapella here" collabo.

Interestingly, it's Pace Won who really shines here. I mean, they're evenly matched enough that fans of any particular artist will probably prefer whichever MC is their favorite.  But Redman seems stuck on juvenile blowjob rhymes, Meth kinda phones it in, just relying on his delivery, and Zee sounds like he's saving his best material for other album tracks with a bunch of obvious (and now dated) movie references. But Pace gives one of his best performances, hard and lyrical, the kinda shit you wish he'd kick more often. Everybody sounds good, though, don't get me wrong. These are pros, and it's evident.

So you get the full break-down, with Clean, LP, Instrumental and A Cappella versions. But, while it's cool that this track sounds like it's ripped right off of a Redman album (because Redman albums are good shit), but there's definitely room for instrumental improvement, especially if this is gonna be a single.

And that's where the second record in this set comes in. It's dedicated to nothing but exclusive remixes of this track. You've got one mix by Ruggedness, a Philly producer who presumably also produced that test press-only "Keep On" remix. It's a little more high energy, but still has that tacky, studio-made feel where all the sounds are clearly computer-generated. Still, it's well done and the fake horns will pull you in despite yourself. It also does a really good job of matching the vocals, punching in around their vocals in a way that shows they definitely custom-made the track for these verses.

The second mix is by Newark underground legend Gov Mattic. This is kind of a weird one. The vocals are sped up a bit so everyone sounds squeaky. This is definitely aimed at clubs, which is strange, because this is not a club song at all. And it's another sample-free artificial sounding beat (except maybe for the actual drums), but that's what club music is, so that fits here. It's well made; I just have a hard time imagining who's the audience for this version.

Finally, we have the Anthony Depula mix. I kinda feel this would've received more attention, at least among collectors and more serious fans, if he'd signed it with his professional name, Tony D. This is the most organic sounding of any of the versions, including the album version. It's built around an ultra-deep bassline thudding drums and an eery string riff in the background. It's still not among Tony's best work... I wonder if everybody working on this project was instructed by the label that they couldn't afford to clear any samples, so don't use 'em. But this mix has a deep underground, street feel; like the kind of shit you find when you dig up a super obscure indie 12" pressed in the mid 90s. A labor of love produced by a bunch of struggling cats with cheap equipment and undiscovered talent.

So, Tony's is the winner for me; but I can't help like feeling the definitive music for this song, the one that could've blown up, was never recorded. Because there's an A Cappella in this set, other producers have tried their hand online. There's a Madlib one floating around out there, which sounds promising on paper; but he doesn't pull it off either.

It comes in a solid black (meaning: without the standard hole cut) sleeve with a sticker cover. Perfect mix or not, this should be a crate staple for any Outsidaz fan.

Gee Rock From Jerzee

In 1993, Gee Rock & da CND Coalition released their debut album, a very indie, and now quite collectibly rare, cassette called Straight Outta Jerzee. Since then, Gee Rock has stayed consistently active in the underground scene, If you're not from New Jersey - Hell, even if you are from New Jersey - you've probably only ever come across him if you've been searching up rare, indie hip-hop online. Maybe you've seen somebody requesting rips of his albums on a forum, or come across a random album of his on CDBaby. Well, he's finally caught the attention of "the limited labels;" and twenty years later, his debut album has been repressed, appearing on wax for the very first time.

The production is the star here. Gee Rock is more than passable on the mic, with a high energy flow to match his tracks. He clearly knows his hip-hop and knows what's called for to make some really hot shit. But his voice and lyrics sound a little unrefined; sometimes other members of the Coalition even wind up stealing the show from him.  I think he's honed that aspect of it as career went on; this was, after all, his first tape.

But the point is, he's at least good enough to keep the flow moving without stumbling so you can appreciate the music, which you absolutely wouldn't want to miss. I said "high energy" before, and it absolutely is; but it's still rugged and hardcore. Layers of killer samples, dusty horns, deep bass lines, scratches that blend smoothly into the track. Track after track is a killer. Sometimes you'll recognize a sample - "This Is a Recording" uses the same basic break as a classic Das EFX single, for example - but he gives them all new life by pairing them up with several other records, and his crew adding a totally different flow over it. "It's Like Dat" features a classic break you've heard many times before, but never used the way it is here

And it's a full-length album. As you listen to it, you keep thinking, "well, the rest of the tracks can't be as good as that first one." Then a few more tracks in, "they must've blown their load by now!" But no, from beginning to end, every track is a monster. It's almost overkill. Most artists, if they were capable of producing something so dope in the first place, would've filled up an EP and declared victory. But this album just keeps going.  There's so much you won't even be able to fully appreciate everything until you've put in a lot of time with this album. With a lot of albums, the first listen is the most compelling and after that you start to recognize the weak spots until your interest shifts to other albums. This album's the opposite; you won't even know what you've got on your hands after the first listen.

Almost as interesting as the record itself is the aforementioned "limited label" that's issued this. We've got a new player in town, Heavy Jewelz Records. It's either owned or co-owned by Verge, of The TROY Blog, and who you've probably spotted in the comments section here. I remember saying years ago that I'd love to be able to support their stuff if they ever shift from posting rips of other labels' records to putting out wax themselves, and now I finally can. And happily, both musically and in terms of presentation, this is the kind of top quality release any TROY reader knew they were capable of.

The sound quality is pretty great. It's sourced from an original cassette, as the masters are long lost; but it sounds like they've cleaned it up and remastered it a little. It comes in a sticker cover (and my copy at least came with extra stickers), and is limited to 300 copies - 100 on a caramel swirl colored wax, and the rest pressed on classic black. And for a limited release, they're basically priced the same as any new LP - $25. I definitely recommend copping this one before they disappear (their site is here); and I'm quite interested to see what they come up with next.

Wack Attack 3: Skatemaster Tate

(Youtube version is here.)

Return To Killer Queens

Chopped Herring just delivered a trip back through time on my doorstep. Their latest release takes it back to the heyday of killer Queens, back when the Intelligent Hoodlum became Tragedy Khadafi, Nas and AZ were hip-hop's leading pop stars, Mobb Deep had the industry shook and CNN were shooting up out of the underground, and it was quickly being refilled by everyone from Screwball to Mic G and Bee Why. Yeah, they've gone ahead and resurrected The Killa Kidz, best know for being Queens legend Killa Sha's original group back when he was still known as Prince AD.

This is The 1996-1997 Phenomenon EP, and it's pretty terrific. First of all, it represses the Kidz' rare 12", "'96 Phenomenon" b/w "Time 2 Shine," one of the illest, rawest examples of classic Queensbridge criminology that can stand up alongside the best of any of the artists listed above. It's very rare and highly sought after, so just getting that repressed by itself would be more than enough reason for me to highly recommend the new record.

But that's literally not the half of it. Because, besides those two songs, this EP also includes four never before released Killa Kidz tracks from the same period. And all four of the unheard tracks are just as tight as famous ones. The production is tight, but the kids are fierce on the mic, and that's what really sets them apart from so many other MCs coming from Queens or anyplace else.

Make no mistake, the Kidz are genuinely young and they sound it. But this isn't any Kriss-Kross/ "Booty Pop" novelty kid act. They belie their age Special Ed did on his first record, a n adult-level artistic achievement... legit music by younger artists. It's like The Super Kids round two. Their not having their strings pulled by some cynical cigar-chomping manager out to make a quick cash grab; in fact Sha produced all their tracks himself (and he did the cuts, too).

Look, I'll come clean.  Back when the Kidz first came out, I didn't check for their 12".  I was burnt out on the whole Queens style. Everybody was doing it, even The Wu-Tang Clan were going that way with Raekwon's classic debut (though he's from Brooklyn, of course). It was non-stop on Hot 97, The Source mag and everywhere else. They took over the whole east coast, and there was a time I decided I was done with it. I got all of CNN's opening singles ("LA, LA," "TONY"), but then passed on their album. Every Queens group seemed to have three or four similar-sounding proteges. And I turned towards the west coast 4-track movement and there was certainly no shortage of other incredible ground-breaking material to relish instead.

But I've since gone back and realized I'd been shutting myself off from some incredible material (and yes, I've gone back and picked up The War Report). Queens blew up for a reason. And if you did the same thing, this is the perfect record to bring yourself back. It's not one of those "it's from Queens but sounds nothing like Queensbridge artists of that era" groups. This is quintessential Queens that shows just how awesome they were.

It sucks that the Kidz only released on 12" and that Sha never lived to see his star rise as high as it should have. But the material is finally here now. And of course, Chopped Herring has given first class treatment... Limited to 300 copies, with 75 pressed on mixed white (white) and yellow (yellow) vinyl, 75 on black, white (white) and purple and the rest on traditional black. And all in a sticker cover. Cop it; it's great.

Some Nice Underground Shit

Sometimes it's cool to just dig out a nice, underground 12", isn't it? Just some random artist you've never heard of, drop the needle on the record, and thank goodness it doesn't suck. Let it play through, and slowly realize this is nice... solid production, good flow, decent lyrics. The guy doesn't have to be your next favorite rapper, setting the streets on fire and breaking new ground. Just a good quality antidote to whatever nonsense is playing on the radio or being paraded across TMZ.

Here's one. An EP by a guy called Sef the X-Cutioner, entitled Evian on Flowasis Records (apparently a one-off label) from 2001. Yeah, 2001 is a bit newer than your average "random rap" head usually checks for, and is a dangerous period for finding disappointment; but this it pays off.

Dude is from Chicago. He's got production from The Molemen and Opus of Rubberroom. He seems pretty connected to have a single release career, but googling around and his only other credit seems to be a track on a Chicago mixtape from Mass Hysteria a couple years later. He also has a myspace. There's no info left there anymore, thanks to the incredibly wasteful myspace purge earlier this year, but he has another EP's worth of songs on there from 2008, called Sophisticated Street Shit. That's not as good, though.

This EP, on the other hand, is nice. He's got a very deep Rockness Monstah-like voice, and a penchant for slightly complex (nothing too mind-bending) battle rhymes with a rugged street edge: "Make no mistake in ya/ Savage lyrically rapin' ya/ Mom heads straight for ya/ When she sees the crime tape on ya/ Breakin' ya in half/ Last laugh goes to Sef." Imagine a smoother, less chaotic Saafir. The production's simple but effective headnodder stuff - you know how The Molemen do. And Opus injects some extra atmosphere for his part. Tracks like "Medevil[sic.]" and "The Realness" will definitely having you go back for seconds, while "The Struggle" rounds out the package with some lyrical some substance. And at just five songs (plus a Clean version of the opener), it's lean and consistent.

This was released on both vinyl and CD (maybe cassette, too?), and it's easy to find online if you want some heat without breaking open the piggy bank.

Scott Lark and I

Hey, guys!  If you haven't been following my twitter lately, you've been missing out on some stuff...

First of all, check out this video interview with NJ MC Scott Lark. He had an album on Contract Recordings produced by Tony D in 1996. The interview was shot and conducted by producer The Custodian of Records, and edited by myself.  =)


And that's just the first of several interviews with some of Jersey's deepest underground heads. The rest have been shot, and I'm starting to edit #2 now, so stay tuned.

Also, I've announced a short film I wrote, produced and directed called Rap 'N' Reno, a short (25 minutes) hip-hop documentary that's premiering this weekend at the New Jersey Film Festival. Specifically, it's on Sunday at 8PM in New Brunswick. I'll also be speaking, so drop by if you're in the area. Check out their site for details. Here's a little video interview I did for EBTV about it:


And here are some articles featuring interviews with me about my film and the fest: The Sentinel, Trim Magazine, The Home News Tribune, The Daily Targum and The Asbury Park Press. Hope to see you there!

Malignant Graffiti!

(Youtube version is here.)

InstaRapFlix #38: Da Hip Hop Witch

Yesterday, I set in on an Eminem documentary that turned out to not be all that bad... I was pleasantly surprised to find a film its makers seemed to actually care about. But my expectation for a crappy Eminem movie has left a hole... One that I'm confident will be filled today, by Da Hip Hop Witch (Netflix Rating: 1 star).

This movie is... incomprehensible. It's two things. One, a terrible, terrible Blair Witch Project knock-off/ parody. Secondly, it's one of those hip-hop pseudo-documentaries that's really just comprised off rappers caught off guard giving quick drops to a dude with a camcorder. Both, taken on their own, would make for pretty detestable films. But combined, they're cinematic gibberish. We get random footage where it's not even clear how it's supposed to connect or relate to the other footage we've seen.

The premise, such as it is, is that there's a Blair Woods-like witch that used to haunt Newark. It's come back now ten years later (later then what? who knows) and only kills rappers. Oh, and it now appears in every inner city across the world, a line only explained by a title to card, presumably to justify the cameos from rappers from other cities. So we get random footage of rappers like Ja Rule, Ras Kass Vitamin C, Professor X, Vanilla Ice, the Made Men and Eminem saying things like "oh yeah, I saw the witch. She was scary!" Rock from Heltah Skeltah leans out of his car window to tell us he's on the hunt for the witch, somehow, some way, which never connects to anything else in the film.

At the same time, there's a wacky pack of five schticky characters (the girl with the red hair is named Rave, etc) and a pug named Pug from Salem on the hunt for the witch, like the three teens in the Blair Witch Project. Meanwhile, there's scene after scene of a group of music producers (actors, this time) brainstorming a gimmick they can get rich off of. And then, there's a long, terrible segment about a fake hip-hop news show, which seems to have been filmed in the offices of Rap Pages(!), with some of the worst acting I've ever seen - and believe me, I'm used to ultra-low budget horror flicks from decades past. These office scenes were really the point where my brain started to scream "abort! Abort!" and climb out of my ears.

So yeah, just to reiterate, none of the rappers really interact with the plot or the central film. We just cut to them over and over for some completely unrelated commentary. They do make some attempt to connect them, which only makes things even dumber, by saying that the hip-hop reporter is being locked out of the rappers' offices (for fear that she might be the witch!), so only her cameraman is allowed inside. So that's why nobody from one set of footage ever interacts with the people in the other set - it's all part of the story!

So, somehow the gang from Salem hear that the music producers who need a gimmick are offering ten million dollars for the witch because it's regularly attacking their artist, so they go to New York. Oh, and this film also keeps cutting to some girl looking out her window. I can't figure out who she was supposed to be. There's a montage of the reporter reading different articles from an issue of Rap Pages (which the Salem gang are also shown reading) - nothing makes any sense! Footage repeats, and we see people say the same things at different points in the film like we're not supposed to notice!

The hip-hop show stops being a hip-hop show and even though they've been covering the witch, they now don't know anything about it until an assistant brings them the story. Again, the story we've been watching them cover all along. Anyway, they're not interested until the president of the company, Mr. Krump, sexually harasses some women and announces, "my kids keep talking about this hip-hop stuff! Do we have any stories on hip-hop?" So the assistant is made into a reporter and told to uncover the hoax of the witch, because they think it's all a lie perpetuated by some gangster named Mr. Big Z who "owns the streets" and is taking half of the music producers' deal. And there's also another assistant who gets hired, who's gunning for the first assistant's job, and the Salem kids are trying to blackmail the gangster. Some crack addict goes undercover as an Atlanta rapper to get with the producers, tells them she knows about the Salem kids, but he recognizes her as somebody, and some character named The Street Don dies. And no, I didn't just spoil the ending; it keeps going and I'll leave the rest unsaid. Honestly, I couldn't figure it out what was going on, and I was literally taking notes. Holy fuck, how does a story this empty get so convoluted?

There are some interesting rappers featured in this... artists we almost never get to see, including Diezzle Don and most of The Outsidaz (Pace, Azz Izz, Rah Digga, of course Em). We even get to the Out House studio and all; but it's basically worthless, because they don't get to say anything except these stupid, meaningless and inconsistent anecdotes about a fictitious Black Witch. It being such a frustrating, wasted opportunity is the insult on top of the injury.

This movie has absolutely zero redeeming values. It's never scary, intentionally funny, unwittingly funny or remotely interesting. The acting is awful, the dialogue is all improvised garbage. The rappers are all wasted cameos. The footage is all handheld, low quality camcorder level material that's terribly lit. I'm sure 95% of the people who've seen this film did not watch it all the way through from beginning to end uninterrupted. It's just torture.

And amazingly, this has been released on DVD three times by three different studios in the US alone. A-Pix, Artisan and Artisan/ Lion's Gate in 2000, 2003 and 2004 respectively. They're all available on Amazon for a penny, and they're all drastically over-priced. The A-Pix disc has a banner going across it claiming it's the Full Frame Version, but they're all full-frame. It was shot full-frame. Stay away from this movie, don't help it make any more money. Don't even watch it for free... on a dare. It's really that bad.

InstaRapFlix #37: Eminem AKA

I can't really use the phrase "binge watching" and then only do one InstaRapFlix post, can I? Well, okay, in honor of Eminem's latest boring comeback or whatever, I've stumbled upon an Eminem documentary called Eminem AKA. That feels like an incomplete title, but maybe it'll make sense when we watch it.  It's from 2004, has a Netflix rating of a whopping single star and clocks in at a very tight 70 minutes. My expectations are good and low, so let's dive in!

Well, right off the bat, we get an illustrated credits sequence that shows somebody put some care and effort into this flick, which is more than I can say about some past InstaBioDocs. It's narrated by Treach, and it quickly becomes apparent that this entire film is being presented like a comic book, with speakers framed in panels, with speech bubbles etc [that's an actual screenshot, right]. Before they make their connection between Eminem and comic books, it feels like a completely random, arbitrary choice of styles. But they do eventually come up with a thesis to tie it all together. He grew up loving comic books... we see (surprisingly good) drawings he made of Spider-Man and Robocop, photos of Halloween costumes he wore as a kid. The film has the president of the Los Angeles Psychiatric Association (why LA, when Em and his family are in Detroit? I guess that's just where the filmmakers were based) talk about how kids growing up with no stability gravitate towards power fantasies like super hero identities. And it's ultimately suggested his various rap persona (Slim Shady, Eminem as opposed to Marshal, etc) are just further iterations of this. It's actually pretty well thought-through.

We first meet Eminem's grandmother. Betty Kresin, who tells a disturbing anecdote about how gleeful she was at the deathbed of her grandmother, telling her she was going to Hell. It's the dark story of an abusive family that certainly lines up with the image Em has painted with his lyrics over the years. We meet Eminem's mother Debbie Nelson-Mathers, who tells us she was sexually assaulted by her stepfather at age 12, "but he didn't get the job complete." Jesus.

Treach's narration is fairly melodramatic (culminating in a ridiculous moment where he raps the judgement of a suit against Em), and the film's eagerness to throw out anecdotes of abuse and broken homes feels a bit trashy and exploitative, like the kind of junk bios you'd see on the E! channel. There's a lot of dishing on his ex, the famous Kim Anne Scott, who we see photos of but who isn't interviewed. In a way, it's like you're getting close to Em in an inappropriate way behind his back. I actually met Eminem back in the days, and this doc made me feel like I was gossiping and hearing stories that should've remained personal. The fact that Em isn't involved himself definitely adds to that; there's plenty of online comments suggesting his family is using this doc to cash in on his success (it even advertises that ridiculous "Dear Marshall" song she recorded with ID-X), and it's hard to make a case against them. But I can't front, it's actually well put together, engrossing, and certainly an infinitely higher quality documentary than I was expecting coming in.

Besides the above mentioned, this film also talks to Em's uncle, first manager, his former roommate, ex-bodyguard (Big Naz, who recorded an Em diss record that I wrote a bit about here), the manager of of a local record shop, two local radio DJs, customers and co-workers at an old lodge he used to work at, a reporter for The Detroit Free Press and two of his mom's friends. Their stories are intercut with quotes from Em's song about his past. And the thrust of the film eventually shifts from his family's dysfunction to his musical origins... his mother was in a band, the first rap song he ever heard was "Reckless" by Chris Taylor and Ice-T, we go from "Back Stabbers" to Scribble Jam.

It's not a great film; but if you're a hardcore fan or just interested in classic, early Em, it's legitimately worth a watch. And if you don't have Netflix, you can get it for a penny on Amazon. I was pleasantly surprised.

AutoRip

I feel a little bit like a corporate shill for posting about this, but I have to say I like Amazon's new "AutoRip" policy.  I know some vinyl labels have come with download cards, and some small labels, often through soundcloud, will offer immediate mp3 downloads with purchases of hard-copy albums (and all of said policies rock, by the way, and should be further encouraged), but I'm surprised its taken so long for a major player like Amazon to get hip.

Basically, it just means you get an instant mp3 copy of the album when you order, ostensibly ripped from the CD you've just ordered (not really, of course) while you wait for it to arrive in the mail. Another cool thing is that they also retroactively add music you've bought in the past - Some Bruce Springsteen CD I bought my uncle for Christmas last year is just waiting for me to play or download it to my Amazon Cloud Player.

Yeah, that's the downside; they're railroading you into use their software. It's free and all, but how many of us would ever use the Amazon software if we weren't being forced to? Still, you CAN download it all off your Amazon cloud to your desktop and then play it without their player like any other mp3.  And having your stuff backed up onto Amazon-hosted cloud drive isn't exactly a bad thing. So you don't really have to use their player at all except to download the stuff initially; and their player seems fine, I guess, anyway.

Overall it's definitely a good thing, and probably something every site that sells CDs or vinyl should be looking to evolve into. But maybe without the pushy software.

InstaRapFlix #36: F.E.D.S.

What? I brought InstaRapFlix back? Yeah, at least temporarily. I've been chugging along with nothing but a DVD subscription since Netflix made the switch, but their selection's been coming up a little short these days, and I was imagining all those green "SAVE" buttons were connecting to movies they had on Streaming if not on DVD. I was imagining this huge selection I was missing out on so I broke down and paid for a Streaming sub. And wow, their selection is worse than when i left it, I think. They hardly have anything - it took me like 2 minutes to scroll through their entire Comedy selection, and that's a major genre. ...So, I'll probably cancel it real soon. But for now I'm binge-watching and before I kill it, I of course had to look for some crazy, weirdo streaming hip-hop docs. And here's what I came up with.

The movie is called F.E.D.S. (2004, Netflix rating: two stars), and it promises "to track the history of hip-hop and rap music by starting at the source: the streets." According to the cast list, we can expect to see rappers like Mad Skillz, Method Man, Scarface and Talib Kweli. It's a proper feature length (87 mins), which is a good sign, so let's jump right in.

The opening title card tells us "Russell Simmons' American Truth Series Presents" it. I dind't know that Russell Simmons was involved with this or that he had an American Truth Series, but okay. Anyway, F.E.D.S. is a magazine (Finally Every Dimension of the Streets). I actually knew this, but it's been so long since I've thought about it that I didn't make the connection until it came up in the credits. They're more of a "street" magazine than a hip-hop mag, per se; but there's naturally a lot of rap music covered in it. So Simmons collaberating with F.E.D.S. Magazine... can't say I know what to expect from this one.

Well, it starts out with a big, shameless ad for the magazine, telling us how wonderful and edgy it is. Then a narrator comes in to introduce us to a segment on dog fighting. There's a little footage of graphic fighting (and looking through the Netflix reviews, it's gotten a lot of complaints); but bizarrely, it mostly comes off as an extended "How To" for pit bull fighting, from breeding and training to feeding and washing. They even show you the execution of a weaker dog (by electrocution). They do talk to a dog rescuer, too, and try to be an objective portrayal of the situation, but jeez... I thought this was gonna be a fun post.

Then we're back to advertising the magazine. Some people do drops on the street (including Fat Joe); and then the owner of the magazine tells the story of how he got shot, and decided to create a magazine for his friends and family in prison. I didn't realize this, but apparently the founder was down with the Money Boss Players, and started the magazine with the money he got from their Qwest Records deal. That's kinda interesting.

So, anyway, then there's an interview with an ex drug dealer. Then another segment called "Making the Magazine." Now this shit's really starting to feel like an infomercial. The next segment is Selling the Magazine;" they can't even space them out like every other one. The las"t non-mag related segment is a piece on gangs where they interview some old west coast bloods and crips. But we go back to more blatant self promotion before the movie ends with some promises of what's coming in the next F.E.D.S. DVD, which I don't think ever happened.

There's really jack shit about hip-hop in here. In fact, those artists Netflix lists as being in the movie? Meth and all them? They're not in here! Yeah, there's Fat Joe, and DJ Brucie Bee does a quick drop, but what's up with Scarface? Okay, being focused on street shit instead of rap music is more in line with what the actual magazine's about.

At tne end of the day, this is mostly an ad for the magazine, with a couple of extra segments thrown in. Honestly, a straight up documentary on the magazine would've been more compelling; but as it is, it's an interesting look at an interesting magazine if you're bored. If you don't have Netflix to watch it for free, I definitely wouldn't recommend buying it unless you're a hardcore F.E.D.S. devotee, although as of this writing you can get the DVD on Amazon for a penny. It's basically a big ol' ad masquerading as a movie.

So, This Exists

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

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

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

This is art, guys; we have an obligation.


Update: The call has been answered!

Nas Is Essentially Like...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kid Friendly Geto Boys!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

becomes

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

and

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

becomes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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