A Thousand Degrees Make It Hotter Than Your Tenement

Hey, it's a new record by Godfather Don!  Admittedly, it may be starting to feel like they're piling up.  After all, he has made kind of a whole career out of unearthing his various unreleased projects from the past through different labels, including DWG, One Leg Up, Chopped Herring, 90's Tapes, No Sleep and HHV.  And I'm not saying that with any kind of snark - the music's fantastic and I've been thrilled to get it.  But now this is new music from the Godfather.  Not that this is his first foray into coming back - remember his Osmosis album in 2020.  But this is only his second, so it's still pretty exciting.  Especially since, you know, it's good.

Osmosis was a collaboration between Don and French producer Parental, with scratches by Debonair P.  This time Debonair's producing the whole thing (and still doing the scratches, natch) on his own label, Gentleman's Relief Records.  GRR had released they were closing their doors in 2020, so it's almost as exciting to see them back after four years as Don.  And I have it on good authority that they're cooking up some more killer releases that regular readers here will surely be interested.  But I can't say anymore than that.  ;)

Anyway, both Osmosis and now The Ill Tone Generator have a jazzier feel than Don's own production is known for, a nod probably to the kind of music he makes when he's not on the Hip-Hop tip.  But as an MC, Don is still coming hard with clever and complex rhyme schemes.  If you've been missing his 90s lyrics, you'll be relieved to hear he hasn't lost a step.

While Osmosis was a full LP, this is an EP, with just four songs, although it's nicely fleshed out with an alternate remix for each song, effectively bringing us up to eight tracks.  And when I say jazzy, I'm not kidding.  It's all loops; Don's not performing with a combo Las Supper style.  But with the opening track, "Tip Of the Spear," the samples have you feeling like you just stepped into a smokey lounge.  Lyrically, though, Don still sounds as ill as he did on Hydra Records:

"The one true preeminent
Character assassinator,
This oratory style nicknamed 'The Bastard Maker.'
It's a literary suicide
Steppin' to the Edgar Allen Poe of this rap shit.
I kill scholastics, stop nuts as soon as they come
Like prophylactics.  Drastic tactics
For any over-active protagonists
Tryin' to make a name off of mine like he's taggin' it.
He got it all wrong; I flow fabulous."

If anything, he's enunciating even clearer now, which really just allows you to appreciate every twisted syllable as they land.  All four songs have slick Premier-style scratch hooks, which are consistently carried over to the B-side remixes.  And those remixes are just as good as the A-sides.  In fact, in a couple of cases (especially the super smooth "Lights Camera Action" remix) I prefer them.  admittedly, I kind of miss Don doing his own production, but he's found an ideal substitute in Debonair, who can carry the weight without feeling obligated to imitate.  And as an MC, it's like Don never took a day off.

The Ill Tone Generator is available on wax in a full color picture cover.  There's also a small run of CDs, limited to 250 copies pressed, which also includes all eight instrumentals as bonus tracks.  Both are already out now from the usual spots (though I think the CD may only be available direct from GRR), and they're priced like regular new releases, so don't sleep.

Godfather Don's Final Unreleased Project

Not to be confused with Godfather Don's recent EP of the last unreleased Cenobites' tracks on Chopped Herring Records, this is an EP of the last of his unreleased solo tracks on Chopped Herring Records. Directly titled Final Unreleased Project 1989-1998, this is a 5-song 12" of demos that, unlike the Cenobites EP, have all gone pretty much completely unheard up 'till now. Every single one of these is completely new to me, which is fun.  (=

1989-1998 is a pretty long span, and on this record, it's split by sides. In other words, side A consists of all songs the 1989 era, and side B has songs from 1997-1998. For me, side A is more exciting. 1989 means these date all the way back before his involvement with Ultramagnetic. I mean, I don't know exactly when these tracks are from. The label doesn't specify, and I've seen it written many places online that all the tracks on side A are from 1989. But in the first song, "Rhymes From the Market," he references his Hazardous album, which came out in 1991; so it must be at least after that, right? So the exact years are up in the air, but in general, the A side is the older stuff, and the B side is late 90s.

The first two joints are some really hype, freestyle demos. The only downside is they sound like demos, sourced from a cassette. I'm sure it's the best these songs could possibly sound, but these don't sound like the perfectly mastered songs we're used to from Chopped Herring's EPs. They have that second generation tape quality, but it does kinda fit the low budget feel of the songs themselves. They're fast paced races through light-hearted freestyle rhymes over two def tracks.

The third, and the last of the earlier side A songs, is called "Imitation of Life." You'll recognize the instrumental right away, it's the same loop as Kool G Rap's "Edge Of Sanity." Don even uses it the same way, to kick a narrative rap crime story. G Rap's had extra live instrumentation added to it, some very west coast sounding stuff that indicates Sir Jinx's hand, so this is a little more stripped down. But the use of the same loop combined with the same style of rhyme makes me think there's a story here: one of these guys heard it and bothered it from the other one. With no specific dates for the Don tracks, though, it's impossible to say which came first.

Flip this record over and the feel is totally different, with Don kicking his much denser, deliberate rhyme style and the sound quality sounding cleaner and better mastered. These last two tracks definitely come from his Hydra error. In fact, the second song, "Talk the Talk," uses the phrase "diabolique" as the bulk of the hook (backed by a nice Pete Rock vocal sample from "Fakin' Jax"), so perhaps it was an early pass as the title track to that album? It's a totally different instrumental and collection of verses, though, so it isn't some lost premix; it's a totally unique song.

Overall, this is a great EP that Don fans will love even all of the tracks don't sound professionally mastered. It's five killer tracks we've never heard before, and they're better than some of the stuff we have, like say the Donnie Brasco album. As usual, this is limited to 350 copies, with 75 on white (white), green and red mixed vinyl, 75 on a mix of gold, clear (clear) and red, and the remaining 200 on standard black. And as you can see, it comes in a sticker cover with an illustration by Don himself (or maybe not, see the comments. I just assumed 'cause it kinda looked like his style).

And by the way, if you're a fan of Don's (and if you've read this far, I assume you are), you should also check out his recent 7" with producer Soulicit. It's a brand new song and it's really great - Soulicit has made a track perfectly suited for Don, with some nice scratching by none other than Mista Sinista of the X-Men. There's a Mighty V.I.C. remix on the B-side and instrumentals for both. It comes in a picture cover and green and white (white) colored vinyl from KicDrum Products. Usually, I tend to pass over 7"s, but I strongly recommend this one. But if he keeps making dope music like this, he's going to wind up creating more hot unreleased music, and Chopped Herring will have to make a Final Unreleased Project 2015-2051!

The Cenobites' Final Unreleased Joints?

Remember when Godfather Don was swarming the limited marketed, with hot releases on One Leg Up, DWG and No Sleep? There was his solo stuff, and there was a sick Cenobites EP on OLU. We were loving it, but then the well seemed to run dry. A lot of heads assumed that we'd just thoroughly cleaned out his vaults; there just wasn't anymore. But us super(nerd)fans who followed all the mixtapes, radio recordings and Napster mp3s knew there were still a couple more Cenobites tracks left unheard.  What was the deal with them? Maybe the masters were lost, and those terrible sounding rips were the best we would ever get. But a brand new record from Chopped Herring called Pull the Trigger and Step disproves that notion - they've got "Kool Keith & Godfather Don's final, unreleased joints from the mid 90's Fondle 'Em Records sessions!"

And yes, songs we've known about and heard are finally presented on here. Even better, completely vintage but new to our ears songs have been found and presented here! The only strange thing is that they say "final, unreleased joints," but just like we knew and I wrote in 2008, we know there's still a couple more still unreleased. Maybe those masters really are lost? But, regardless, this is an awesome and welcome release, so let's dig in and break it down track by track:

1. Cold Peein On Em (Remix) - Yeah! "Cold Peein On Em" is the song I've probably seen requested online the most that never turned up. And here it is, sounding great. But... it's a remix? So, there's one still unreleased track right there - where's the original mix? I mean, actually this version sounds like the one that people have heard. It's got the same killer horn sample on the hook, same lyrics, same funky track. I guess we've never heard the original version? So, that's good because that means people are getting the version they want here, and we've never heard it in full quality on vinyl before.

2. Hot Crib Promo Pt 2 w/ Cage - "Pt 1" was on the Demented Thoughts EP, and like that one, this is another radio freestyle that was previously featured on Cage's self-released For Your Box tape and CD. This its debut on vinyl, though, and it sounds notably better here. I guess they got a better source from Don, so I'm happy to have it here.

3. Pull the Trigger and Step - Whoa! What is this? I've never heard of this one! Like I said, this EP introduces us to new unheard material, and this is one of the best Cenobites tracks across all their records! No wonder why CH made it the title track.

4. Lazy Woman - Finally. This is a dope little song about the perils of attaching yourself to someone who'll just use you for your money that's been floating around for years and years. Now we're finally getting it on vinyl in high quality.

5. Break Em Down - This is another we've been waiting for. This is a really funky track from Don, and Keith comes kinda smooth on this one, though with his trademark craziness, too, of course: "I get a piece of your neck just like a haircut. Deep in that booty, I'm rubbin' alcohol. Okay. MCs wanna play play, soundin' like they're gay gay, I tap 'em all on their shoulder and say yo, hey hey. No snappin' necks. Piss and shit on the floor. Yo, give me your address, I'm comin' over... right now."

6. Your Time Is Now - This one's been floating around as a Kool Keith demo entitled "Suckas Be Gone," because Don doesn't rap on here. But he made the track and it sounds very much in keeping with the other Cenobites tracks here, which is a compliment 'cause the Cenobites sound is great.

And by the way, unlike the Demented Thoughts EP, this EP heavily features Keith. This isn't another one that's practically a Don solo EP with a token appearance by Keith. Both of them are on almost every track.

So what's still MIA? Maybe not a ton (that we know of), but there's some stuff for sure. Well, again, that mysterious O.G. version of "Cold Peein On Em" of course. There's one called "You Lose," which is more just an interlude than a full song, but it's got an original instrumental and all... it's not a skit. And most importantly of all is "We Can Do This," a wild posse cut with Ultramagnetic's TR Love and Mike L from some of Don's early 90s records. I love the flute sample on that one, combined with the frenetic beat. Plus, there's the extended version of "MCs Out To Murder the World" (which is double the length of the original) and "Stretch and Bob Buggin Out" freestyle joint that One Leg Up only put out as mp3s on ITunes. I think there's just enough for a solid Volume 2 here, that would be worth the purchase. So hopefully that word "final" isn't too etched in stone.

But again, let's focus on what we have got. I'm impressed with the sound quality here. There's always been a low-fi feel to The Cenobites' recordings, but it's nice and crisp, even if it doesn't have the lush sound of a glossy U2 album recorded in a billion dollar studio. It's certainly a huge upgrade from the old cassette dubs I've had all these years, or what's still kicking around Youtube. As you can see, it comes in a sticker cover. And Chopped Herring have bumped up their limited run a little bit, pressing 400 copies of this: 75 on clear (clear), black & green mixed colored vinyl, 75 on white(white), green and blue mixed colored vinyl, and the remaining 250 on your standard black. It's a great day for fans.

Screwball Week, Day 6: H-O-S-T-Y-L-E

"We on the same page, same stage - same shine.
Feelings I've been holdin' back from speakin' my mind:
I helped feed ya kids, woulda bust my nine,
Protected ya life, woulda sacrificed mine.
Held you down on stage when you fucked up ya rhymes,
'Cause you was too bent up to remember your lines.
But you really hurt our hearts the most, 'cause you was close,
Stabbed us in the back over bullshit contracts.
Befriend me, befriend us, now you're disliked;
Caught up in your own hype, feelin' your own snake bite."

Most heads were understandably caught up in the drama of guest star Cormega taking on his former crew, The Firm, on the title cut to Screwball's second album, Loyalty. But within Screwball's camp, a much bigger controversy was brewing in that song, with KL directing his verse to fellow member Hostyle.

That;s right, he was expressing his feelings about the crew slowly splitting apart after the stint at Tommy Boy, where that label expressed interest in working with Hostyle if he'd split from the crew. They'd already pressured the crew into using his solo joint, "H-O-S-T-Y-L-E" for the lead single to their album, but that was just the beginning. Hydra Records founder Jerry Famolari explains the situation in his Unkut interview, "[Hostyle] went and did some management deal with some girl, and KL and the group and I went crazy, and that’s where that song came about." So if Loyalty sounds a bit disjointed compared to Y2K, that's because the group was already breaking apart. Famolari explains, "I was kind of holding it together. A lot of that stuff was flown-in as well. A lot of verses were flown-in, and I convinced the guys to come in and do certain things, but it was tough. That album was like pulling teeth."

And explanation pretty much goes for Hostyle's solo album, One-Eyed Maniac, too. "It was certain old songs and a lot of stuff I flew in. I created 75 percent of that. Same thing with the Screwed Up. There was a lot of songs that would not have ever come out. I just took pieces from different things and cuts, whatever I could do to make the album as strong as possible. We had so much money already invested and so much stuff sitting there, I’m like, 'Before I sit on it and have to put out a song here, a song there, a song here, a song there, I might as well just get rid of it.' There was no marketing behind it because there was no group. I don’t even know where Hostyle is. I haven’t spoken to Hostyle in a good eight months." So when you see a record like today's record, we may know when it was released; but we really can't say for sure when it was recorded or for what project.

In this case, Hostyle's "Live From New York" was released on Hydra Records in 2000. It may've been recorded for his Tommy Boy project, or just something he recorded later for Hydra. Who knows? But in any case, it's a cool, obscure little record.

The beat's produced by A Kid Called Roots, and it features one of those "randomly banging on a piano" style loops like Premier used on "D. Original." But that's one of those styles where you've really gotta get it just right, and A Kid Called Roots doesn't quite get it to Premier-level perfection. But it's nice and hardcore, and it sounds pretty good.

More essential to the song than the instrumental is the duo of Hostyle and his guest, Quik. No, thankfully, that's not DJ Quik from Compton - not that I dislike DJ Quik, but those kinds of East/ West collaborations never wind up working out, so I'd just as soon never see him appear on a Screwball record. No, this is actually the debut of Joell Ortiz ...as in Slaughterhouse. After this record, he changed his name to Jo-Ell Quikman for his first single on Rawkus, and then it eventually became just Joel Ortiz. And the pair of 'em just keep passing the mic back and forth kicking freestyle rhymes. It's just one of those rugged joints with zero radio potential that only a serious head can appreciate.

And if this record isn't random enough, instead of having another Hostyle track on the B-side, it was a Godfather Don joint, featuring Prince Po and RA the Rugged Man. Also produced by Don, it's one of those tracks that make you wonder what the Hell he sampled. It also shows that maybe RA should hire Don as a regular producer, because he better here than he usually does. Po comes slick, too; but it's Don himself who comes the tightest. You might have Ill Funk Freaker and The Nineties Selections, but your Godfather Don collection isn't complete if you don't have this one.

And what of Hostyle today? Last I read, he'd changed his name to Ken Kade and had an album in the works called Under the Influence, and he also has some music online where he's partnered with a guy named Rap P. And as for his part of the group? The beef is supposedly squashed, but he's obviously still not part of Screwball today. In an interview this time last year, Poet simply said, "Hostyle, I don’t know what’s going on with him. He’s going through a couple of personal issues. He’s out there and he’s still doing his thing, but I’m not really in touch with him right now." Of course, even back in "Loyalty," KL said, "I don't plan on dissin' you in interviews," so I'm not sure if anything's really progressed since then. But I certainly hope so. Though of course it's nobody's fault, it's already a tragedy we have to accept a Screwball without KL; so I know there's not a Screwball fan in the world who doesn't hope the rest of the guys can pull it together. It just ain't the same without Hostyle.

Godfather Donnie

(Youtube version is here.)

Don Done Right

Ever feel like, "somebody out there's listening?" Well, I do today because I just received Godfather Don's Selections EP (though to my mind, this is full enough to constitute an LP) from No Sleep Records. I'll forgive you if you've forgotten a blog I posted way back in 2007, where I gave a positive review of Godfather Don's CD The Nineties Sessions, also on No Sleep; but also expressed some disappointment with it.

Only some of the tracks were new (and some were blatantly stepping on another label's toes), and of course - it wasn't on vinyl. Well, I guess they heard me (and all the other collectors who felt the same way), because in 2010, No Sleep is back with a new release that addresses all of my concerns and then some.

The Selections EP features all seven songs from The Nineties Sessions album that had never been released before and puts them on vinyl for the first time. And, thanks to a last minute recall where some low-volume wax was taken back in favor of a new, first class pressing, the sound quality is excellent (better than what was pressed on the CD, I daresay). Back when we looked at The Nineties Sessions like, "damn, this is good, but could have been so much better..." Well, it's now been done so much better. :)

Oh, but wait! That alone would make this an absolutely essential purchase in my book, but there's more. In addition to those seven songs, the Selections EP features a completely unheard, never-before-released Don track from the 90's. "For Your Ear" is easily one of the best tracks on here, too (I'd say the best, but "Memories" was smooth); this is no second-stringer, and really captures that magical 90's production sound. This'll take you back to the days of flipping to the back pages of The Source and nodding your head to NYC radio back when it was worth listening to.

This is a limited release (though there is some question as to exactly how many were pressed... apparently 175 were available for pre-order, but nobody presses in quantities of 175), and comes in a cool sticker cover. This might prove to be a difficult one to get your hands on, but damn worth it if you do.

Master Ace Meets The Simpsons

Have you ever wanted to hear someone rap over The Simpsons' theme song? Me neither! But Masta Ace did it anyway. And he rapped over an 8-bit video game digitized version, which makes it even ... better?

Game Over was a conceptual compilation album that came out in 2000 on Landspeed and Yosumi Records (the label that put out Ace's Disposable Arts album as well). The gimmick was to have a bunch of known rappers rap over video game beats, which was probably ultra-keen neat-o for fan boys, but made the rest of the rap world squint and say, "these beats are pretty weak."

But Master Ace was a sport about it anyway and contributed two tracks, both of which are featured on this 12" single. The lead track is called "Spread It Out," and like I said, it's over The Simpsons' theme. Now if you're familiar with tune (and, really, who doesn't watch The Simpsons?), you know it's got a very quick, upbeat "bum-bum-bum-bum" rhythm. This compels Ace to do a very... almost Southern rap, broken up short syllable "rat-a-tat-tat" style of delivery, and while I guess this shows that he's got range, it's not the most appealing sound for long-term Ace fans. Lyrically, he's not saying much, and the whole thing feels like an attempt to crossover that didn't crossover. The novelty value is upped a bit towards the end when they start throwing in a mess of random Simpsons' vocal samples, "D'oh!" "Aye carumba!" etc. That comes in Clean, Dirty and Instrumental versions (in case you ever want to rap over The Simpsons' theme!).

Next up is a really randomly assorted posse cut called "Game Over" featuring J-Black (some random unknown guy who's only done Game Over appearances as far as I know), Jugga the Bully (that guy who tried to make a name for himself by dissing Clue, then disappeared when nobody cared), Steele (yeah, that Steele of Smif-N-Wessun), Godfather Don (just listed as Godfather here) and P Dap (some guy who did a lot of guest spots in the early 2000s). It's ok. I don't know what game soundtrack they're rhyming over... it doesn't sound great, but it's definitely more appropriate for a hip-hop track than The Simpsons. Unsurprisingly, Don and Steele have the best verses here, but even they aren't bringing their A game. This song only comes in a Clean version, which is distracting because they curse constantly.

Then, on the B-side, we get the highlight of this 12", "Hellbound (H&H Remix)" by Eminem, J-Black and Masta Ace. This is before Eminem turned into a grist mill of sappy pop rap, and every verse was a gem. And sure enough, Eminem is sick here, and hearing him paired with Masta Ace (who also kills it this time around) is a treat. This video game is also the most effective video game loop yet (enhanced with a clearly non-video game sourced beat and bassline - I guess that's the benefit of the Remix). J-Black contributes nothing of value, but he's at least tolerable enough not to ruin the proceedings. It comes in Clean, Dirty and Instrumental versions.

Game Over was successful enough that Game Over II came out the following year, this time on Yosumi and Interscope Records. They didn't release a single this time, but German labels ZYX and Fon-kay Records threw this little something together. The A-side is Ace's "Spread It Out" again, from the first Game Over. It only features the one (dirty) version and despite the fact that it's a 12", it plays at 45rpm. I'd really take this for a boot, but ZYX is a legit label that picks up a lot of US stuff for overseas, so I guess it's legit... maybe?

The B-side is Masta Ace's song for Game Over II, "Rap Y2K1" (as in the year, 2001, when this was made). The beat's kinda mediocre (another video game laid over drums and a bassline), and the hook is boring, but lyrically Ace has stepped his game up since "Spread It Out." He's written a fun concept song this time out. He lays out the concept simply enough, "I had a dream that I was inside of my PlayStation," but instead of just being a crazy story of hanging out with Sonic the Hedgehog or something, he twists it into a series of clever metaphors for the hip-hop music industry. Granted, metaphors for the hip-hop music industry are a dime a pound, but this one's consistently smart and amusing:

"I started off, underground, in a dark room
With a freestyle, a sawed-off pump and a harpoon
That transformed to a pen in case of a verse war.
I opened the first door that led to the first floor.
...
I got attacked right away when I walked in
By a four-foot manager with a contract and a pen.
I put up my force shield to block any attempt
At this shrimp drainin' my life 20 percent.
The floor opened up and I almost fell inside,
But I used my mic wire, and I swung to the other side.
And just when I thought I avoided the booby trap,
I got slapped by a female MC with a doobie wrap.
And this chick was tryin' to be he(a)rd like she raised cattle;
But I remembered somethin' I seen on the Blaze Battle:
'Whoever sold you them shoes, they fooled you.'
I killed her with a verse about her fucked up weave and her fake FUBU.
A record exec then appeared in a black limo
And started to attack with a bag full of wack demos.
And I will admit, it was hard as hell to kill,
'Till I stabbed him with an invoice and a studio bill."

So yeah. If you ask me, "Spread It Out" is a little puke-worthy, but labels must've thought the Simpsons beat was a golden ticket, since they included it on both 12"s. "Game Over" was also unexceptional (especially considering it was Clean only!), but the other two songs are definitely worth your time. Hell, "Hellbound" is awesome. And if you're a fan of the game they sampled, you'll probably get extra geeked out by it.

I Got Shit Sewn Like Billy Bathgate, Beware

It's a little hard to believe, but Select Records never released any kind of single from Godfather Don's underrated debut album, Hazardous. No promo 12"s, nuthin'. Well, Diggers With Gratitude have corrected this with their latest release, the "Billy Bathgate" 12". But this isn't just three tracks from that album thrown onto a 12"; these are three bangers from that era that weren't included on the album, but are at least as good as any tracks on there. So you get three never-before-released Don jewels from an earlier period than his other limited releases have been, and once again these are limited to just 300 numbered copies. And there were only 20 copies(!) of the green vinyl you see the picture above pressed (mine is #018).

I also gotta say good lookin' to DWG for the price, too. It's still pricier than a standard 12" single (are there standard 12"s anymore? Just barely, I think!), but at £22.00 (that's with international shipping included), it's a substantial mark down from previous limited vinyls.

Now Billy Bathgate, the movie, came out in 1991, so the sudden spike of rappers name-dropping the titular character from E.L. Doctrow's novel, a small-time gangster from the 1930's, was to be expected. But besides the name, Don's "Billy Bathgate" (which was previewed earlier on DWG's Lungbutters mixtape) has little to do with the character, though, except that they're both gangsters. But once you get past the "hey, I don't remember it happening like that in the movie..." confusion; who cares? It's a killer, fast-paced, slick syllable gangster rap narrative with a rugged, bassline-driven track that sounds like some long lost Kool G. Rap classic, if he hadn't decided to go the Sir Jinx route for album #3.

"Fromdamental," like its title suggests, is back to classic, head-nodding "hella rip-trip styles" over a hardcore drumtrack, a funky organ(?) sample and some quick turntable slices on the hook. It's a real precursor to his mid to late 90's material, and would almost have fit in better as a b-side to "Styles By the Gram" than tucked away somewhere on Hazardous.

"On and On" is the only track that actually appeared on the album; and this "Alternative Mix" is actually a complete vocal and instrumental remix. So essentially, it's an entirely new song, that only has a reference to going "on and on" in common with the original. The main sample is the same one Anttex used for his underground hit, "Understand Me Vanessa;" but Don adds sharp horn and guitar stabs, turning this into a fast-paced freestyle frenzy, featuring Jazz. But it's still got a darker, more serious vibe than the Hazardous version, which was a very playful track originally.

As of this writing, DWG has already sold out of both the extra-limited green pressings (of course) and the regular black ones. But you can still get a copy, if you're quick, from ughh.com, who has a limited consignment of these, and will be shipping them on 4/28. Don't miss out!

The Ill Funk Freaker Has Landed!

Woohoo! Thank you, Skim!

The Ill Funk Freaker EP is the latest release from One Leg Up Records. In fact, it's even more limited than the rest of their limited releases (200 pressed of each), because this is their special (OLU-LT01) bonus record, that was only made available for people who ordered one of every record One Leg Up Records has produced so far. Our man Haj tells us that only about 100 were pressed, which puts this right next to DWG001 as possibly the rarest of the contemporary limited releases.

And it's fantastic! It's eight songs (which practically makes it an LP rather than an EP) by Godfather Don, all recorded from 1993-1995. To quote OLU, they're "unreleased songs found on Godfather Don’s original half-inch studio reels. Stored away for years, OLU and Don transported, baked, and dumped these last few remnants of his early 90’s home studio to find these treasures. What was uncovered was truly special!" Boy, I'll say!

The production on most of these cuts leans towards being a little more subtler/atmospheric than, say, The Slave of New York EP (which I blogged about here), although "Shoot the Two" has a nice early Showbiz feel. Two of the beats you may've heard before from the instrumental EP series Hydra Beats - now we can finally hear the finished tracks and with their intended vocals. Most of these are solo jawns, but "Shoot the Two" features Mic L of Da Funky Orphanz, and "Slaves (Straight Jacket Mix)" is a remix of a Cenobites track featuring Kool Keith in top, completely-bugged-the-fuck-out form, which was released on OLU's earlier Cenobites EP, Demented Thoughts (which I blogged about here). The title cut is probably my favorite, but his lyrics on "Yeah" are especially tight and really the whole EP is great from beginning to end.

So One Leg Up's first series five-part (plus bonus) series is up... but they'=ve announced another 5-part of limited releases coming soon! Can it be as dope as the first five? I have high hopes. 8)

Rarely Demented

It's shipped and I just got mine today: The Cenobites' Demented Thoughts EP! It's a limited (200 copies) of unreleased material from the classic pairing of Godfather Don and Kool Keith from 1993-1996. The masters for six long lost Cenobite recordings were recently discovered by Bobbito and have now been pressed up on this real nice vinyl release. Only one of the tracks, "Hot Crib Promo" featuring Cage, has ever seen any kind of release before: an off-the-air radio recording on Cage's For Your Box cassette compilation... But, while that version features a little extra music at the beginning (a Clockwork Orange soundtrack interlude, probably not from that same session, but just mixed in for the tape); it ends before Don's awesome verse! So this is clearly the definitive version.

Interestingly, this is almost more of a Godfather Don solo release... Kool Keith is only really featured on one track (a really ill verse he kicks on the last song, "Slaves"), and of course Don produced all the tracks as well. Otherwise, it's just all Don, with guest verses by Bobbito and the aforementioned Cage collabo. And you know what's wrong with a vintage Don solo release - nothing!

Now, this still leaves some Cenobites material unreleased... even with the rerelease of the original EP including two extra tracks, and the third release featuring even another. All those and this EP add up to 16 songs, and there's definitely other radio recordings floating around out there. So hopefully somebody can dig up the masters for those as well. But for now I'm happy, 'cause this EP is dope!

Now, I believe most of the copies have already been pre-sold, but UGHH supposedly has the last ten available, so if you're interested, be quick. 8-)

Tags: Cenobites, Godfather Don, Kool Kieth, Bobbito

Great Album Ideas (Partially) Ruined By a REALLY BAD Decision!

Ok... so if you haven't already seen them, be prepared for some good news. A new label called No Sleep Recordings, with some big-time distribution through Traffic Entertainment, have released two compilations of vintage, unreleased material from Godfather Don and Kwest tha Madd Ladd! Woot! And from what I hear, the sound quality is top notch. So, go get them. You want them.

Ok, now here's the REALLY BAD decision of the title that has be so incredibly frustrated with the guys at No Sleep who put this together - Both of these albums are chock full of previously released cuts. And both artists have way more than enough great unreleased tracks to take their place and fill the albums. The official write up for the Kwest tha Madd Ladd's These Are My Unreleased Tracks says, "he recorded over 50 songs, many of which were not present on his debut." Over fifty. So why have they filled the CD with stuff like the old "What's the Reaction?" remix and the tracks from his Gub-Ment Cheese 12" instead? "What's the Reaction" remix? That's not even rare!

I could see if he only had, like, 5 or 6 unreleased tracks, and so they decide to fill the album with "bonus" 12" remixes and such... But this way we'll still probably never hear most of those 50 genuinely unreleased tracks!

It's the same with Godfather Don's The Ninties Sessions. It's FULL of tracks from his old Hydra 12"'s that all us fans already have. They've even included 5 of the 6 tracks from his recent Slave of New York EP. Meanwhile, we know there are a grip of other Don cuts that have never seen the light of day. For instance, there's about 10 really great Cenubites songs I've got radio dubs of - at least as good as on the original, classic Cenubites EP - and they have never been released! Those would have been wonderful to have included on this album.

Anyway, both albums do have some quality recordings of some actual unreleased tracks... so they're worth picking up. And a little extra good news: according to their myspace page, "for all you fellow vinyl junkies, we will be releasing several limited 12" samplers of music previously unavailable on wax." So that's promising. But, man, No Sleep's decision to keep us from hearing those genuinely unreleased tracks in favor of "What's the Reaction" remix? FUCKING WACK!!

Update: No Sleep has addressed the issue of the other Kwest tracks, saying "we don't have them and sadly they may never be obtained. Unfortunately, Kwest did not keep good copies from back then. We were EXTREMELY fortunate to get DAT copies of what is on the CD from Dan Charnas himself. He does not have everything either but shared everything he did keep. Kwest constantly tells us about additional songs and concepts that he worked on, but are now lost to the ages...The album currently consists of material recorded and left off his debut album, as well as songs that were recorded soon after his album for the EP he was working on. He opted out of his deal before the release of this EP. A fan can tell which songs are from the EP by the noticed change in his style and wordplay (i.e. "Bust 'Em Off" and "Why Me?"). In short, what was found is what was released on this CD....To make the purchase stronger we added the 12" only stuff to please long time fans.."

They also addressed the similar topic of Don's other unreleased material: "as a huge fan of Stretch and Bobbito, I know (as most other fans do) about the deluge of material that was out there...Again, Don doesn't have copies of a lot of things anymore. He does have unreleased Cenobites material but that could not be included without involving Kool Keith. We are currently working on getting that stuff out to you too, so stay tuned! Hopefully through other sources, we can get you more of the solo material as well. Again, sound quality is key with these releases and our goal is hopefully share as many songs as we can in proper CD format."

I have to say, these are pretty satisfactory answers, and the fact that they're working on releasing more of Don's stuff is certainly promising. Apparently there are still issues of them breaking an exclusivity deal that Don had with DWG for material from their Slave of New York EP, but I guess I'll leave that between them. So good looking, No Sleep, for speaking on these issues and I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for your next Don release.

Tags: Godfather Don, Kwest tha Madd Ladd

Don With Gratitude

OK; this is another rarity. Only 150 hand-numbered copies were pressed (plus test-pressings, ey?), and they all sold out before they shipped. So I apologize for posting another record most of ya's won't be able to get their hands on (especially since it's dope, and you'll want it); but, hey - it's still not as rare as his "Stuck Off the Realness" 12". ;)

Godfather Don recorded these songs exclusively for the Stretch and Bobbito radio show in the mid-90's, giving them the only DAT copies. A few of these songs have circulated among tape traders (and more recently file sharers), recorded off the radio. I had a couple of them, and the quality sounded like they were pressed on steel wool.

Well, this year, DWG (who are they? Man, check my links column to the right, already) got in touch with Don, tracked down the original tapes straight from the hands of Bobbito, and pressed up a top quality, mastered vinyl EP of six of those songs.

Don's style is straight New York, hardcore rhymes over great, self-produced beats (you won't recognize any familiar, sampled loops in his catalog); And the songs on this EP are just as good as anything he's ever done (none might quite replace "Seeds of Hate" as my favorite, but they're all on that level). Check the style he kicks on "Inverted," one of his more playfully, lyrically complex joints:

"Rappers get chopped like cheddar.
Let a cannibal test ta
Damaga ya vest.
A Hannibal Lector ravager,
Lyrically savager;
Necks are cut from the crazier,
Above the trachea,
For being lazier.
My raz-i-ah
Inside my Av-i-ah,
To surgically remove wackness..."

Sadly, it seems DWG destroys their masters(!) to all their releases, and so there's no hope this will ever be legitimately repressed. :( As for what he's up to now, I don't have an official website or myspace to link ya, but there's a great, new interview with him on the DWG site, and an interview you won't want to miss with the president of Hydra Records on Unkut (that's also in my links... why aren't you checking my links!?). Apparently, Don has plenty of other unreleased jewels tucked away (indeed, I've heard a few other taped-off-the-radios), so hopefully those will eventually wind up seeing the light of day as well.