Back On the Battle Tip

Whirlwind D is back once again, with a new vinyl single (his last one was just a few months ago) of contemporary Classic Hip-Hop. And yes, once again he's got some fantastic scratching and strong production along with him. It's another 7", but it comes in a high quality picture cover; and it's always great to see the b-boy vinyl game marching on.

This one's called "B-Line Business," referring to his label, B-Line Records, even though Tru-Tone Records is the name printed in giant text on the actual record. It's pretty much an anthem for the roster, where everybody's name-checked and mission statements are codified. It's the style that really brings you in, though: quick and high energy with tough cracking beats and rhymes mixed with a instrumental produced by Specifik. Specifik's been making records in the UK for a while now, but you guys will probably remember him mostly from having contributed to Whirlwind D's last couple records. It's got a bumping, head-nodding bassline; but once again it's the ill, dynamic turntable choruses that really steal the show, this time vigorously provided by JabbaThaKut, who uses at least a dozen different records for a single hook. Those scratch breaks just make you want to listen to the song over and over again, but it wouldn't work if all the elements weren't coming together and firing on all cylinders as they are here.

The B-side is "Battle Tip 2015," a follow-up to his killer Solid 'N' Mind single that was pretty much lost in 1991 and remastered and re-released in 2010. When I first heard it, I assumed it was a sequel song, with with D spitting similarly themed rhymes over a new but reminiscent track. But as it played on, some of the more creative, colorful imagery started sounding awfully familiar, and I realized it's all the same lyrics as the original. So this is basically just a remix, produced by Waxer this time instead of Johnny F (interestingly, the back cover specifically adds "based on an original Liberty Grooves production" to his production credit).

I feel a bit funny dismissing it as "just a remix," though; 'cause it's pretty great. It naturally retains the rapid-fire drum style of the original, since that's key to the song; but it's otherwise quite different, giving it a dark and freshly atmospheric tone with dark, ominous bass notes straight out of a horror movie. And Waxer's name is dubbed in over Johnny's name during the line that originally went, "Johnny F cuts with blaze of fury," but not, curiously, the line "Johnny F drops an original break." I wonder what the motivation was to redo this in 2015? On the one hand, I feel like the original knocks just a little bit harder, and if I had to choose which one to take on the lifeboat with me, that's the one I'd choose. But on the other hand, this is really fresh. Where the original was comprised of samples we'd heard on other rap classics already, this is unique and unfamiliar, made with sounds I've never heard before. After his impressive work on Whirlwind's previous projects, I'm always up for another Waxer original, and when it's for a fast, hardcore rap track like this, all's the better. But why "Battle Tip" instead of an all new song? Oh well, both versions are different and good enough to be worth owning anyway, and since Whirlwind D's records are always so reasonably priced, there's no reason to make a Sophie's Choice scenario out of it.

Yeah, it's only £6.00, which I guess is still standard for a 7", but it feels like a bargain now that we've gotten used to paying "limited" prices for our wax in recent years. It's a small-hole 45 (the preferable option, unless you're that dude with a jukebox in his man-cave), and like I said it comes in an impressive picture cover. Fans of D's previous work will definitely be pleased with this release, and probably already had it on pre-order since it was first announced on forums anyway. But even if you haven't been following his work, this wouldn't be a bad one to cut your teeth on: maybe not his ultimate masterpiece, but an engaging, slick little record.

UK Hip-Hop for Adults

Previously, I've made a couple of posts about the early 90's UK hip-hop duo Solid 'N' Mind releasing top quality vinyl 12"s of their vaulted material from back in the day. Well SnM's MC, Whirlwind D, is back... this time with new material. But the quality's just as high.

The release is titled WD-40, as it embraces Whirlwind's new role as a representative of grown man rap. In other words, Whirlwind D is turning 40, and it's time to celebrate with a limited release of 300 slabs of wax in a smart picture cover.  WD-40 is a three song 12", plus instrumentals, so let's jump right in.

Regardless of which side you decide to start on, the first thing you'll notice is that the production is really vibrant. Solid 'N' Mind's Johnny F may not be along for this ride, but the relatively inexperienced Waxer (who, appropriately enough, is also turning 40) proves himself more than ready to take the wheel.  Music starts out sounding like a Phillip Glass film score, then explodes as crisp old school break drums drop like dynamite. Instrumental samples are rich and original, sometimes jazzy and sometimes cinematic; and they combine forces with instantly recognizable vocal samples for the choruses (from the opening to "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash On the Wheels of Steel" to Ferris Bueller), giving us an an epic sense of the old school returning without simply retreading old ground. It's the old school back on new terms.

"32 and Tea" is a nice, concise moment of reflection over some rich piano. But just in case that's too mature for you, "Stronger" takes it back to the rough, fast-paced battle delivery. Lyrically, however, it's an ode to UK hip-hop, including short (non-rhyming) appearances by MC Duke, Original One and Bandog of Killa Instinct. And "Hunter" has a nice PM Dawn vibe going for it.  That might not be a comparison anybody involved would embrace [there's an ocean between us, though, so I can say what I want  haha], but I'm talking about that all too brief period before Prince Be and Minute started lean towards house and pop music (much less that sappy, new age-y R&B stuff further down the road), and they were actually producing some nice, innovative hip-hop that made you chill and think.

Oh, and on "Stronger," they've enlisted a DJ named Theory 77 to provide the needle work. His work is really sharp and  precise; I could've done with a scratch mix, with just him cutting up over the beat. And I want to hear this guy on a lot more records in future.

If you're into UK hip-hop, this has gotta be one of the best new releases in a while. It's a limited, and the pre-orders have shipped, but you can still order copies (and listen to clips) from D's bandcamp page for a reasonable 6.99.  ...That's pounds, though, not dollars.

Battle Rhymes Unearthed

If hip-hop had a preservation society (and it should), this is the kind of release they could bring us: LIB003 1/2. This is the third and apparently final release from Solid 'N' Mind, who you may remember I covered last year with their limited "Centre Stage" 12". That one was a limited release of two of their unreleased tracks from 1991. We thought that was going to be their last release at the time, since that 12" included both of their only unreleased recordings. But a recent find has given us one last entry into their saga.

Whirlwind D, the MC of the duo, recently discovered an old tape of an instrumental their DJ/producer, Johnny F, created for another song they often performed but never recorded, along with a scrap of paper containing all the lyrics. So, all these years later, they finally constructed the song from its long-lost elements and just dropped their "Battle Tipped Rhyme" 12", of course once again on their Liberty Grooves label.

"Battle Tipped Rhyme" has the same quality I raved about on their last release: a mix of originality and the tried and true, by brilliantly combining several known break-beats and samples but turning them into something new, fresh and exciting. As the title suggests, this is a fast-paced battle rap (just like we like 'em), taking the killer drums and rolling bassline from Joeski Love's "Rock Wit Joeski." Well, that's where I recognize it from, anyway. What, you didn't know Joeski had some nice material in his catalog? Quick stabs of the horns used in Phase & Rhythm's "Hyperactive" and then another familiar horn sample (I think the ones Kool Moe Dee used on "Death Blow?") but sped up to almost double time. Anyway, all that plus some furious scratching on the hook makes for a hype, kinetic 90's battle record:

"Chained to the wall as you ponder your fate;
Step to the mic, you're lost in the quake.
Buildings crash and ground swallows whole;
Thought you were ready but D's on a roll.
Johnny F cuts with blaze of fury;
Your fate is sealed by the glare of the jewelery.
Uzis, AKs, what shall I choose?
Maybe just a rhyme that's guaranteed to bruise."

So of course, this 12" contains just the one song. But it comes fully loaded with the Vocal, Instrumental and Acapella versions. As an added bonus, they even include the OG, un-remastered instrumental from that original tape. This 12" is limited to 250 hand-numbered copies, and as you can see in the photo above, comes in a cool picture cover, along with a glossy 12" insert on the history of the Liberty Grooves label, and a press sheet. Pre-orders of this sold out just a couple of days after they were announced, but apparently a few copies will be available at vinylism and one or two other places. So you may need to do a little hunting, but if you're a fan of UK hip-hop at all, it's well worth it.

The Return of Liberty Grooves

Ok, so how about a new, limited vinyl 12" of previously unreleased early 90's hip-hop that won't break your wallet? That's what we've got here with the sophomore release from Solid 'N' Mind, who're finally releasing their follow-up to their 1990 debut 12" on Liberty Grooves, "An Original Break." "Centre Stage" b/w "Woke With Nothin'" was recorded and originally intended to be released in 1991 right after the True Style 12", making it LIB 003. but it never came out... until now. So Liberty Groove's first official release since 1997 has been given official catalog number LIB 002 1/2.

And does that label look familiar to you? It should. Liberty Grooves is that same London-based label that released the original, infamous (and recently bootlegged) "Break a Bitch" test pressings back in 1995!

But to the artists at hand, Solid 'N' Mind are a three man crew, consisting of MC Whirlwind D, DJ/producer Johnny F and a third member who isn't featured on either of these cuts, human beatbox MSD. And the first thing you'll notice is the creative blending of a whole grip of familiar, classic breaks and samples mixed together like they've never been before. It's really fresh how well they fit together. Fast, banging beats, dope samples, and constant scratching on the hook all lay the groundwork for D's rhymes to get busy with a nice, unrelenting flow. A few rhymes have a punchlineyness[learn it, spellchecker; I'll be using it again!] that feels pretty dated ("children like you should be seen and not heard; try to dance, you look like Big Bird"), but really that just comes off as all the more endearing to us old school heads uncovering early 90's treats.

On the flip side, we have the more serious "Woke With Nothin'," a first person song from the perspective of a homeless man. According to the press sheet, this was written as a direct response to Master Ace's "The Other Side of Town." The production impresses again - Johnny's work reminds me of Sam Sever's from that same era - with a nice, subtle use of the ESG "UFO" sample on the hook, which I assume was also meant to be a sonic reference to Ace's tune. The drum track constantly plays the first half of the break forward and the second half in reverse; really slick. Despite the subject matter, it's still a pretty fast-moving track and Whilrwind D flows at the same pace. The lyrics are more consistent here - and, with the subject matter, more substantive:

"You give to charity with false smiles;
It gives you a buzz for a little while.
It's nothing to me; it's for fools like you.
Sleep in a box for a night as a crew.
Your acts of kindness make no sense;
An evil way to clear your conscience.
Look at yourselves; then you'll know well,
You're walking the path to burn in Hell!
Condemning myself, I really don't care;
My home is far worse than Hell's lair.
So leave me alone if you're not gonna bring.
This morning, boy, I woke with nothin'!"

But if that's not enough for you, they've also included instrumentals (an essential for "Centre Stage!") and "the initial rough bedroom demo versions." The Demo's especially cool to have for "Woke With Nothin'" which has a harder feel, thanks to that "UFO" sample being mixed much louder and pitched up. I'm not really sure which I prefer, actually, yet.

So, it's limited to only 250 hand-numbered copies and comes in a sticker cover with a press sheet (as pictured) and sells for only £6.00. As I understand it, these are only available directly from Whilrwind D himself, and he's already down to his last 20 copies or so. So hurry and e-mail him at dudleyjaynes @ hotmail . com (remove the spaces) if you're interested. Hot shit like this doesn't sit around waiting for too long.