Queens of Civilization are On the Mic.

Since the very beginning, hip-hop has had its share of strong sisters. From Invincible today to Lady B back in 1979 - hell, we can take it back even before hip-hop was recorded music, with the likes of Sha Rock and the Mercedes Ladies - forward-thinking females MCs have been spitting hard enough that I believe they can take genuine credit for advancing the feminist movement in the global culture. But interestingly, when you say "feminist rap song," the exact same rap will immediately come to everybody's mind. It's not the first, and it's not the most recent, it's just... the one.

"Ladies First" dropped in 1989, and it's as terrific now as it ever was. It made the careers of both its MCs, Queen Latifah and Monie Love. Eleven years later, Latifah even titled her book Ladies First. Latifah showed us a whole other side to her from her previous, clubby dance tracks, proving she could be the lead vocalist on a rap song equal to the genre's all-time greats. And while "Monie In the Middle" is a fun crossover record with a brilliant instrumental, this is easily Monie Love's best performance of her career.

But as much, if not more, credit needs to go to the DJ Mark the 45 King for laying down one his best, all-time instrumentals. In many ways, it's right out of the King's playbook: a funky break with random, dusty horn samples he unearths and brings to the table over and over again, always to the our delight. But here he takes different horn samples, from different records of different styles, and together they form something even stronger than most of his other records. Some are blaring, turning the hook into a rallying cry, and others are funky loops that couch the vocals. All that paired with a live, thumping bassline played by engineer Shane Faber, adds up to one of hip-hop's all-time great instrumentals. And then it's really no surprise to see the great Paul C's name turn up in the credits for this one as well, since he seemed to have a hand in nearly every true classic from this period.

Now, I've heard it said a few times, on the internet, that "Ladies First" was written by Apache. This is usually pointed out by a male making the bigger point that: ha ha, these women needed a man to write their big, feminist anthem. I don't know if that's true or not, but there are writing credits on this 12", which credit several people, not including Apache. Specifically, they credit Latifah, Monie, The 45 King and Shane Faber. So, I would assume Latifah and Monie wrote their own lyrics, and 45 King and Faber are getting credit for the instrumental, and dismiss the Apache thing as internet rumor, except I was able to find something to support it. According to discogs, two pretty random compilation albums* credit Apache as a writer, alongside Latifah, Love and 45 King (but, interestingly, not Shane Faber). Of course even in those cases, Monie and Latifah are still credited as writers, but it does lend some credibility to the notion that he at least had a hand in it.

Still, there's at least one lyrical moment Apache night not have wanted to take credit for even if the ladies were willing to give it to him. That's because this song is one of those rare, infamous examples of misspelling in a rap song, ranking right alongside Warren G's "What's Next," when he famously asked, "what's N-X-E-T?" In this case, Monie Love ends her final verse by saying, "And next up is me, the M-O-N-I-E L-O-V-E; and I'm first 'cause I'm a L-A-D-I-E." I hope nobody reading this actually needs me to point it out, but the singular of "ladies" is in fact "lady."

That embarrassing gaff aside, this is one of hip-hop's purest, most perfect song. I mean, how could anyone ever hope to improve on it? What more could you ask for, a Crazy Extended 45 King Remix? Oh shit. The 12" has a Crazy Extended 45 King Remix on it!

Wisely, this 12" doesn't replace the already ideal 12"... it just adds a few things. Stab scratches, Malcolm X vocal samples, an extended opening (the famous "muuuusic 45 King, muuuuusic Latifah and the King, muuusic from a nation supreme" acapella that King would re-use regularly), all just help make the proceedings even hyper. It's over a minute and a half longer, and while it may seem a bit excessive during the opening - the chorus repeats and the beat rides for almost too long before the MCing kicks in. But you'll be glad for the extra length at the end of the song, when it allows for an extra, all-new verse by Latifah:

"Step out into the night;
Queens of civilization are on the mic.
The scene is ripe; the crowd is hype.
I expel the wack and those who bite.
Why? 'Cause I'm that type.
Swaying with beats 45 King style;
He wants me to sing but I'll swing, so meanwhile,
A footnote for the opposite sex:
Monie ripped the mic; I rock it next.
Flex - you'll never catch me at my worst.
You catch the drift? It's ladies first!"

Latifah's debut album was already a crate staple thanks to songs like this; but the remix makes this an essential 12" as well (plus, picture covers never hurt). And what else is on here? Well, there's the LP and a slightly tightened Radio Version. The Instrumental is on here, and if you care about instrumentals at all, this is definitely one to own. And finally, there's the Queen Latifah - Monie Love Bonus Beat, which has the pair shouting out the top female MCs of the day over the break, with Latifah using her silly French accent from her cameo on De La Soul's record. It's short, and they could've just edited into the ending of the Remix, to make it even more Crazy and Extended. But whatever - this is definitely one of those 12"s you just can't complain about.


*1990's Tanz House 2 on BCM Records from Germany and 2004's All That Urban on Warner Bros from Australia.

DJ Mark & Rakim

(Youtube version is here.)

MC Mark the 45 King?

The Test Press entry in The 45 King's Lost Breakbeats series initially dropped on 45 King Records in 1990. This is the second pressing, though, on Tuff City. There's no track-listing on my copy, but we can get the song titles from the 45 King Records version.

Like all of them, of course, it features some choice breakbeats by The 45 King. But what makes this one stand out is that, in addition to the seven standard breakbeat tracks, there's three with vocals, including one rapped by The 45 King himself!

It's called "45 King Kick It" and the beat to this track is really dope... it used elements from several other classic 45 King joints you'll surely recognize. The largest element was also used on Latee's "This Cut's Got Flavor," but you'll surely recognize the looped moaning woman vocal from Lakim Shabazz's "Pure Righteousness" and possibly a couple other elements, too. Vocally, he comes with that deep-toned hardcore delivery that practically everyone from the O.G. Flavor Unit used so well. Lyrically, it's nothing amazing, but tight, and works perfectly with his flow and the beat. Queen Latifah even drops by to add a single line.

"Technician,
Musical magician;
I'm statin' facts,
Strictly non-fiction.
In hip-hop,
You wonder who's the trouble most.
Creativity?
You get a double dose.
You can't stop me, no,
I put you to the test.
The rhymes are Romeo;
(The beats are Juliet.)
...
DJ Mark,
45 King's my alias.
It takes a ton of MCs
To prevail against
Me. Just listen:
I'm unstoppable.
You're on a mission?
This one's impossible.
Beats rock all night
With no curfew.
My talents are vast;
You haven't a clue."

The two other vocal joints are dope classic Flavor Unit tracks, too. I'm not sure who the MCs are, and the label doesn't give any credit. The first MC track is "Go Head Up," with the MC ripping it over a fast bongo beat - great track "All That" is a gruesome tale of an MC on a warpath over another nice track with whining horns and a lot of snare.

The 45 King Records version is a bit of a costly collector's item, but the Tuff City pressing is still in print and can be had nice and affordable-like directly from Tuff City's website. You won't be disappointed.

Update 3/27/09: It's been pointed out to me in the comments section that DJ Mark's rhymes on "45 King Kick It" are actually lifted from his duet with Queen Latifah on her first album (which explains her one-line contribution), a song I totally forgot about. Man, that guy knows how to recycle - still a dope record, though!

Positive for the 90's

Here's one I knew nothing about until I stumbled on it used one day... It's Positive K's 1996 "What You Want" 12" on Chilltown Records, featuring Yum Yum. And there's a 45 King remix on the flip. Well... actually, it's on the A-side; and the B-side is the "Polo & Twin's Mix;" but since 45 King's mix is called a remix, I guess the "Polo & Twin's Mix" is the main mix.

So, the Polo & Twin's mix takes the same clubby bassline that The Jungle Brothers used for their single, "What 'U' Waitin' '4'?" though it's a bit more muted and they occasionally beat juggle it. The hook is simple, and the whole exercise is really just an excuse for Pos K to spit game with the touches of class, wit and style he's known for:

"I'm the main feature.
You don't know?
It's costin' me to teach ya.
You need dough?
Feel for you, but can't reach ya.
That's the rules;
That's the way I got to treat ya:
Nasty, baby,
Yeah, every day, all week.
Throw you in the car
Next to the baby carseat.
Damn, a nigga raunchy!
I play the game, baby,
Worse than Jumanji.
We can get dirty;
Hit the laundry."

Yum Yum turns out to be a female MC who takes the second verse (and claims her "pussy stay smokin' like the Fourth of July"). It follows in the tradition of Positive K giving voice to both sides in the battle of the sexes on his records (a la "I'm Not Havin' It," and of course "I Got a Man"), but here Yum Yum's role is smaller, with Pos K doing the bulk of the rapping. Which is a good thing; because she holds her own ok for the short time she's with us, but she's defintiely not the one we paid to hear.

Now, interestingly, you've actually got "Polo & Twin's Raw" and "Street" mixes, which are in fact two completely different versions, with very different instrumentals (as opposed to just being dirty and clean versions like you'd expect). After the "Raw Mix" with the JB's loop, the "Street Mix" is some East New York, gritty tales-of-the-dope-game-type instrumental - something you'd expect Kool G Rap to be rhyming over if he put out an indie 12" in the late 90's and couldn't afford Premiere. So, it's cool... it doesn't really jive with the tone of song like the first mix does, but it's good enough to be an alternate version when you're tired of the "Raw Mix."

The 45 King mix is dope, too. It's a fast beat with some handclaps and a simple bassline, that goes back to the upbeat tone of the first version. It's not as hot as some his classic songs with The Flavor Unit; but you can hear the crackles in the King's samples; and you know... it's pretty much in line with the beats he put out on his many breakbeat records. Good stuff. And they include the instrumental version for this mix, too, which is nice. The only downside is that 45 King used the clean version for his mix... and it's not too bad, because the original doesn't have that many curses on it; but it's still a little annoying.

I don't know much about what's become of Positive K... he did turn up on Nas's "Where Are They Now (90's Remix)" earlier this year, so I guess he's still around. But he doesn't seem to have a site, myspace or anything; and I haven't heard anything about him planning any upcoming music The 45 King, on the other hand, has a dope website at: 45king.com (and he has a myspace, too); so definitely check that out and enjoy. Play with his Virtual Mixer! And if you wanna be a pest, you can point this record out as one he forgot to include in his discography. ;)

Tags: Positive K, 45 King