It's Broaden Your Horizons Day!

Remember Cheese Steez? It was a mixCD of hip-hop from the Netherlands I reviewed a couple years ago by Chris the Wiz and DJ Fozx. It was a fun mix of stuff most of the world wouldn't have been familiar with, and a nice upbeat education. Well, they did a sequel in 2013, called Cheesesteez Vol. 2, and anyone who appreciated that one should be just as happy with this one. This one, which also goes in chronological order, encompasses a shorter period of time: 1988-1993, which gives the disc a more consistent tone.

This volume is also free of skits and has zero Dutch language songs (the last mix had 1), so there's even less reason for English listeners to feel left out. Admittedly, there was a song or two where I had to listen pretty closely before I realized they were rapping in English, because the cadence was so un-American. But yeah, it's 100% English friendly.

Another interesting aspect of this mix is that they've broadened the scope of music they've included from Dutch hip-hop released on vinyl to include rare cassette and demo tracks. So this time even the most plugged-in Dutch listeners won't have heard it all before. Speaking for myself, I'm sure I wouldn't have recognized anything they might've included unless it was "Holiday Rap." And no, this time Miker G and Urban Dance Squad aren't on hand, so they're pretty much all unknown acts (in the USA) this time around. But even having never heard of any of these guys, I'm sure you'll find a lot of familiar elements here, with the artists often rhyming over familiar beats, like D.C.O. using the same base sample as Partners In Kryme's "Undercover" (though they laid a little extra music on top of it), DJ Knowhow and Rudeboy Remmington freaking Kool G Rap's "Talk Like Sex" break, the Pleasure Posse rocking the classic "It Takes Two" loop, or Next of Kin spitting over the bassline to "Groove Is In the Heart."  Plus, as you may've noticed from that last sentence, some of the acts are recurring from the first Cheese Steez mix.

I'm not sure how many of the records spun here will actually inspire you to run out and track them down for your crates, but to hear as a part of a mix full of interesting songs you've probably never heard before, they're consistently compelling. There's less silly stuff this time around, like the last CD's song about pizza, although the Zombi Squad's ainti-Nazi song will probably sound over the top to audiences where neo-Nazis never achieved any traction or credibility. Maybe the strongest selling point is all the nice scratching on hand. Couple that with some high energy deliveries and hype tracks, it's a really dope mix even if rappers aren't quite up to your favorite MCs. Seriously, even if you're like, "ah, I don't give a crap about Dutch rap," I recommend giving it a listen - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Like the first volume, this CD is a limited edition. But you can still cop it, as they're selling brand new copies directly through its discogs listing. And if you have any interest in Dutch hip-hop at all, you should check out their site cheesesteez.com, as it's a pretty great database, including bios, photos and songs from the Netherlands' old school hip-hop scene.

Keepin' Up the Funky Beat is the Holland Crew

Hey, you guys remember Bivak Records? I did a video about them a year and a half ago, they were the guys that put out that nice unreleased Chain 3 and Great Peso 12" from '84, and then they had that mixCD I talked about. Well, they're back in 2012, unfortunately not with killer unreleased old school on wax, but with a second mixCD, which is still good.  I mean, honestly, mix tapes/CDs don't generally get me too terribly enthused. Even when the DJ's really talented (which, sadly, most aren't), I'd just generally rather hear the original records being spun.

But this mixCD I'm actually really enthused about and am recommending. It probably helps substantially that I don't own a single one of the records involved, and also just because it's coming from a really compelling angle. Bivak refers to it as "a non-commercial slice of pure edutainment.," and it's essentially a chronological history of Holland hip-hop from 1983-1992. Now, my knowledge of Holland hip-hop basically extends from MC Miker G to DJ Sven...  meaning, just those guys (actually, Urban Dance Squad, too; but I forgot they were from Holland until I saw them on this). But it's a scene I was already curious about... I subscribed to their blog, dutcholdschoolhiphop.blogspot.nl, ages ago, but you only get so much out of it when you don't know any of the players involved. So, this was perfect for me, as it's a as thorough as you can possibly get on a single disc (since it's a mix, they can cover a lot more records than a straight compilation). And even if you're thinking, "you know, I'm not sure I actually give a flying fuck about the Holland hip-hop scene, Werner, to be honest," I'm telling you, stick with me on this.

First of all, starting all the way back in 1983 means they've got a pretty extensive, classically old school period. If you've ever started to feel like you've heard all the best old school rap records out there, this is like a fresh start. Hip-hop records from all the great stages in old school hip-hop, disco style, electro, hardcore drum programs to the early sampling... and you've never heard any of it before! And, granted, there's not really any Melle Mels or Rakims about; but there is some really good stuff here.

I think the earlier stuff is the most exciting. It's really fun, and even the flaws or weaker MCing work in that "charming super old school" way, where any silliness on-hand just makes it all the more endearing. One song, "Papa Joe," is bordering on flat-out novelty rap (it's about a man with an unhealthy obsession for Italian food), but damned if it isn't catchy and entertaining as Hell. And as the mix progresses, you hear the music slowly evolve, and get more serious. There's some solid production and DJs with some serious turntable skills.

There's a big variety on here, from rap/hair band hybrids to a freestyle session where some guys are really, shamelessly imitating Run DMC, but the mix manages to make it all sound very cohesive and natural. And I should point out (as this was a concern of mine when I first heard about this disc), that it's pretty much all in English.  Out of thirty-something songs, only one is in Dutch, and some of the interludes (which are basically all interview clips from the period). It's a little disappointing we can't understand those skits - this CD would be even better without the language barrier, I think we'd get even more out of it; but seriously, 97-98% of this is in English, so nobody who can read this should feel too left out.

Like their last disc, this is credited to Chris the Wiz and another DJ (DJ Foxx); so I"m assuming it's situation as the last one, where the DJ is mixing records from Chris's collection.  Also like their last disc, it's limited (which seems a little off, considering the nature of this project... it's educational, no one interested should miss out) to 100 copies, so don't hold off if you think this might be up your alley. Really, it's better than just about any other album coming out in hip-hop right now, mixed or not. And definitely keep an eye on Bivak... hopefully they have another vinyl treat in store for us next.

Graffiti (New York/ Holland Style)

Errata: Whoops! As pointed out in the comments, they're playing records owned by Chris the Wiz, but the actual DJs on the mix CD are Ill-Co & Bart Fader.
(Youtube version is here; and check out myspace.com/bivakrecords if you're interested in picking up either of these releases.)