Xmas Rap On a Budget

^Video blog!!
(I think I'm at the point where I don't need to point this out anymore, but just in case... You're looking at original content created for this blog; not just linking something by somebody else.)

Tags: The Treacherous Three, Kool Moe Dee

U Don't Hear Him Tho'

So, in my last entry, I mentioned an interview on West Coast Pioneers where Rodney O says he wasn't that pleased with his first single, "These Are My Beats." The interviewer then asked him what he felt was his most successful (artistically, etc.) single. Interestingly, he didn't say "Everlasting Bass." He didn't pick anything off their classic debut, in fact. Instead he named a record most of you probably haven't heard before.

"U Don't Hear Me Tho'" came out on Psychotic Records in 1992; the lead single off their fourth album, F__k New York. And it's a good one. It flips some P-funk samples into a fairly hardcore, but still funky, hip-hop track. It's not so much so that it isn't a fun song, but Rodney O (who says, "when I die, put a sound system in my hearse") was clearly angry on this album. The liner notes read, "F-K New York This album was inspired by all the negative people in New York who have disrespected us in the past & because no one else would speak up about how New York disses L.A. Now someone finally has." The intro to the LP, a mock interview with Rodney O & Joe Cooley, explains this further.

The first (proper) song on the album, then, was this lead single. And Rodney jumps right into the subject:

"I got a New York critic in a choke hold.
He tried to diss me 'cause he didn't like my vocals;
And now I'm showing him the meaning of loco!
I'm not friends with my peers, so I'm overlooked.
I got the P-funk, fool, on the funky hook.
I'm paying suckers back for all the years of dissin' me;
But now I'm rollin' and there ain't no stoppin' me."

Joe Cooley takes the mic (yeah, sometimes he rapped, too) to add his own thoughts:

"I'm not down with that R&B; it makes me sick.
Singin' and cryin', and tryin' to add a rap don't help a bit.
You know what I'm talkin' about; that shit's not real rap.
They try to add the hip-hop flavor, but it's still wack."

There's no scratching on the record as a whole, but Joe Cooley performs a nice, quick number afterhis verse, a perfect example of what is real hip-hop. Then Rodney comes back for a third verse and then finally an uncredited MC (I checked the album, too, and the notes there don't say either) who I'm gonna go ahead and guess is General Jeff gets on for a short fourth verse, telling us, essentially, not to diss Compton.

The radio version (which, interestingly, they also decided to include on the LP), features newly recorded, clean vocals ("they didn't give a fuck about you years ago" becomes "they didn't care about you four years ago," and so forth). And the "Club Mix" features some new samples into the mix, but is essentially just an extended instrumental version (odd to start the 12" off with an instrumental), so it's cool that they added something, but it doesn't have a lot of replay value.

Finally, the other track on this 12", "Chase the Bass (Joe Cooley's Turntable Show)" is exactly what it sounds like: a showcase of Cooley's impressive turntable skills. There's no vocals at all, it's a pure DJ cut with just Cooley scratching up a variety of samples over a beat. Despite the addition of the new subtitle on the 12", this is exactly the same version of "Chase the Bass" as you hear on the album.

So yeah. All in all a nice little, overlooked 12" that Rodney O isn't entirely alone in remembering fondly.

Tags: Rodney O & Joe Cooley

Those Aren't His Beats

"These Are My Beats" is the first record Rodney O made when he got on Egyptian Empire Records, before he teamed up with Joe Cooley with whom he of course recorded his biggest hits, and who he's still recording with today (though he did release a solo album in 1997, before reuniting with Cooley for Veteran's Day in 2000). It comes in a pic cover (albeit a rather unattractive one, as you can see), and features the main mix and the "Re-Mix (Dubb Beats)" on the flip. But, despite its name, it's actually an extended (almost ten minutes) version with all the vocals. Even the main mix is a 12" exclusive though - this was never featured on any of their albums, not even their two volume 52-song release of their past hits, The Collection (on Kritical Entertainment, also in 2000).

In an interview with West Coast Pioneers (I definitely recommend you fully explore their entire site and listen to the whole thing, by the way), Rodney O says he's not so pleased with it - he felt it was more an Egyptian Lover (who produced and co-wrote the track) record that he's just rhyming over, unlike his subsequent material, which he felt was more his own. And it really kinda does. It features The Egyptian Lover's unique brand of drum track, pronounced keyboards and exercises in erotic panting (ha ha Well, what would you call it?). New elements keep getting thrown into the mix as the song progresses, including vocoder raps and a female vocalist singing, "I like his beats, I like his beats."

But the music also feels a little more tailored to Rodney's presence (which is a little more traditional compared to the MCing Egyptian Lover does)... or maybe it just feels inherently different with Rodney rapping over it. With his voice and flow… it really plays like a true collaboration: something more than either artist would've made on their own. Still, Rodney essentially keeps his verses pretty short and simple, like:

"The beats you hear
Are about to be uncovered
By me, Rodney O,
And the Egyptian Lover.
The music that you hear
Sounds so good;
You won't stop dancin'
Even if you could.
Relax your mind,
Let the music take control;
And listen to my beats
As they sooth your soul."

In that West Coast Pioneers interview, Rodney O also mentioned he was working on a new album with Joe Cooley, and that, when they were ready, he'd have new tracks available on his myspace. They're not there yet, but you can keep checking out myspace.com/rodneyo100; and also drop by Joe Cooley's myspace while you're at it.

Tags: Rodney O, Egyptian Lover

Underwater Rimes

^Video blog!!
(You know the steez... Original content created for this blog; not just linking something by somebody else.)

Oh, and a note. I've gone back and added the "(Video Post)" to the titles of all my video blog ("vlog") entries, to make them more searchable/easier to find if you're, like, into the video. 8)

Tags: Digital Underground

Unreleased JVC Force (Album #3)

So I just received an e-mail announcement from AJ Woodson, a.k.a. AJ Rok of JVC Force. Apparently, the JVC Force are doing an on-air, on-line radio reunion ("first time the group has done anything together as a group since 1991"). B Luv and Curt Cazal will be appearing on AJ Rok's Heavy Rotation Magazine Radio show, which airs on www.TheBestJams.com from 10pm-12am.

Most exciting of all, though, is that they promise (in their press release) to air - in addition to their classic material (including some all new remixes, which could be cool) - "material from an unreleased third album which has never been played elsewhere." Woot!

...If you can't listen right then at that day and time, I think they archive and stream their past shows, so I'm guessing it will be available to hear anytime after it initially airs.

The radio show's founder, Brother John, added, "JVC Force is just the beginning. The Best Jams wants to go after all the pioneers, all the rappers from that era... From Special Ed to EPMD to the Boogie Boys to Steady B: the pioneers are always welcome here.” Someone should probably tell him that Steady B won't be able to attend anytime soon. ;)

Anyway, let's hope this is just the first step towards getting the whole third album finally released.

Update: It's aired now - here're direct links to part 1 and part 2 for stream or download.

'Halls of Justice' You Call It

"The Verdict" is the second single off of Professor Griff's debut album, Pawns In the Game. This - along with the first single, the title track - is the best material he ever put out (and they had awesome videos as well). So get it.

Unlike his first single, this is a posse cut featuring his crew, then known as The Last Asiatic Disciples. If you hold a magnifying glass to the liner notes of his first album (at least the CD version, which is the one I'm working with), you'll see that the LAD consists of "SEAN PEACKOCK B.K.A. LIFE, THE IST DISCIPLE. SEAN SMITH B.K.A. PATRICK X, THE IIND DISCIPLE. JASON WICKS B.K.A. JXL, THE IIIRD DISCIPLE. ROBERT HARDING B.K.A. B-WYZE, THE IVTH DISCIPLE. THE DEMANDING JUSTICE, THE ESD 'OBIE'." And they all get a chance to shine on this one.

There's some interesting production personal involved here, as well. It's credited to Griff and Clay D (of "Dazzy Duke Down" and "That Booty In There" fame), with "Re-Education" (referring the remixing, I guess) credited to Griff, The 2 Live Crew's Mr. Mixx(!), Kerwin "Sleek" Young and Kavon Shaw (who would later go on to form The Soul Society with Griff and Tone Control). It adds up to the type of PE-inspired beat that Chuck & Flavor really should've stuck to themselves. When PE got too far out there and cartoony, Griff - the man Russell Simmons once called "a racist stage prop" - was doing beats and delivery styles straight out of the Nation of Millions playbook. Lyrically is where he tends to lose his audience, making extreme race-related claims and divisive religious references. But I don't think any of us who grew up listening to politically-charged rap music in the 90's would be strangers to that, anyway.

Now, you may notice the picture cover proudly proclaims there to be "NO EXPLICIT LYRICS CONTAINED" on this single - an interesting decision since, in 1990, an Explicit Lyrics stickers essentially meant 50% more sales. For "The Verdict" (the b-side, which I'll get to in a minute, didn't feature any language that needed to be removed in the first place), they redo the vocals with new lyrics to substitute the curses. For the most part, it works. Only one instance, where one of the LAD defiantly ends his verse, "I charge you with a count of bullshit, and 'Guilty' is the verdict!" becomes "I charge you on account of being a misfit." …Doesn't quite have the same impact. Or even really the same meaning if you think about it.

Much more importantly, though, this "Radio Edit" features two new verses, all new scratching, all kinds of shit that any fan of the album version will need to have in his collection. Here's a verse one of the LAD kicks that isn't on the LP:

"People of the jury seeking signs of the end,
Matthew: 24 reveals the who, what and when.
Many who were judged were the devil in actuality;
Tried and set free. Your irrationality's a technicality.
But we're free now;
'Cause when we speak the truth, we're merely prosecuted;
Where before, for tellin' the truth, a brother would be executed.
Yeah, I shot the sheriff... knew him by his six-pointed star.
He claimed to be chosen. The righteous: exactly what we are.
If you don't know the truth by now, then you will learn.
There will be no stone left unturned."

The b-side is the third best album cut, "Suzi Wants To Be a Rock Star." Really, if you get the first two singles, the album becomes more of a for-completists-only-type deal. This isn't up to "Pawns In the Game" or "The Verdict;" it's more of a fun song, with rocking heavy metal guitars and even some guy singing heavy metal style on the hook (no credits given say who that is). It's another posse cut, and the cheesy guitars mix with the underlying beat in an enjoyable way. If you can get over a song being "corny" (the ultimate condemnation for those who haven't realized that most of the rap music they take so seriously is actually at least as corny by grown-up standards), you'll dig this anti-drug song, albeit not in the same way as the a-side.

When I first flipped to this over to the b-side I thought, "what the heck? They left off a version," but it turns out the "Heckl-a-pella" version just refers to a very short collection of vocal samples which sounds more like the beginning of the next version. And that next version, "The Supreme Court Instrumental," is the reason tobuy this single. At it's core, it's the instrumental to "The Verdict" but then, throughout the song, the instrumental is flipped and changes to new breakbeats and horn samples. It's like The 45 King snuck into their studio late at night - dope stuff! The one drawback is that it's a little sparse... it's still essentially an instrumental largely meant to support complex lyrics. The change-ups help, but it could use a little more by way of vocal samples, lyrics or something. Really, they should've let Mr. Mixx tear it up on the tables. But that's about the only complaint you can have about it. In the final analysis, hip-hop beats just don't get much better.

So all told, in addition to "Suzi Wants To Be a Rock Star," you get five versions of "The Verdict:" the new "Radio Edit," the "Speech-A-Pella" (acappella of the new, "Radio Edit" version), LP Version (described in the liner notes as "Curseless At Its Best" - it's the album version with the curses just flipped in the traditional way), the teensy tiny "Heckl-A-Pella" (I don't care what they say, it's the intro to the next mix) and the extra funky "Supreme Court Instrumental." And with his decked out uniforms, the man knows how to make a nice picture cover. Not bad for something you can pick up in a dollar bin.

Tags: Professor Griff, Mr. Mixx

Beauty AND the Beast

This is the definitive version of one of Buck 65's best (especially from his earlier period) songs, "The Centaur." It originally appeared in '98 on his album Vertex. But on this version, the vocals are redone - a substantial improvement in both his voice and delivery. Also, the track is remastered. It's the same basic loop, but the quality is better, and it features the cello as played by his then-girlfriend Steffi, which adds a lot.

There's a couple other versions out there... He did a drum & bass-type mix on Synesthia (meh) and updated it to his country and western rap style (or "Countwap" as Johnny CashMoney called it in Big Daddy Kane's "How You Get a Record Deal" video) on This Here Is... but it doesn't seem to jel. It's nothing against that style he's developed - in fact, I feel Talkin' Honky Blues is Buck's best album to date - but this version of "The Centaur" just feels lazily done: a phoned in delivery over an unengrossing instrumental. They're not bad if you're a completist, but they're nothing a non-fan should worry about tracking down.

No, it's all about this 12" that came out on Anticon in 1999... The liner notes say "from the forthcoming album Man Overboard," but by that time that album came out (2001), they wound up leaving it off. This was probably done because of his decision around that period to retire the song. As he told UKHH.com (click here for the whole interview), "Well lots kinda come in and out of retirement but the main one that I would love to put to rest would be 'The Centaur,' but it’s difficult to put to rest because a lot of people really like that song. It’s the song through which a lot of people discovered me. But the fact is, the song doesn’t mean very much to me at all. When I was younger and when I wrote that song, there was a big division between me the performer and me the regular person and I felt very threatened by the idea of people thinking that they had me sorted out and knew who I was based on my music and what they saw on stage and Ithought that was not fair at all because they were two completely different people. So a lot of people used to think I really was some kind of asshole or bla bla bla because of who I was on record or stage. But as I’ve gotten older, that line has been blurred. I’m more comfortable with who I am and I’ve mellowed out and I just try to express myself as honestly and try to be myself as much as possible. So really that song is about the hostility I felt to an audience that I felt was misunderstanding me and I just don’t feel that way about my audience any more." He's since brought it out of retirement, but until he rereleases Man Overbaord with another tracklisting (which I wouldn't put past him), it's too late for this mix of "The Centaur." So you need the 12" to hear the decidely best version.

In an interview with Cokemachineglow.com (click here for the whole interview), he mentioned how he came up with the song, "It all started during a visit to San Francisco, years ago, around 1996 or something like that. I was staying with DJ Stef from Vinyl Exchange. We were walking down the street from her apartment. I saw a coin on the ground. It wasn’t legal tender -- it was a coin from a casino. On the back it had the symbol for Sagittarius on it, which is a centaur." I encourage you to click that link and read the whole thing, by the way. He talks a lot about the (granted, rather obvious) metaphor of the song, how he was inspired to sample the theme from Carrie for the instrumental, and what ultimately compelled him to bring it back out of retirement.

It's not that the lyrics are that ingenious (though they are reasonably smart); it's just one of those concise songs where the idea and the delivery and the beat all come together to make a tight, lasting song. And if you want to read the lyrics, by the way, I've already posted my entire transcription of the song in this previous entry.

This 12" also has a remix (different from the ones mentioned above) which is kinda cool... The hook playfully uses a portion of the "I am the magnificent" vocal sample that Special Ed used for his record. And if it feels a bit truncated, that's because originally Kool Keith was going to appear on it and kick a verse at the end, but that fell through. So they stuck it on vinyl without his contribution; which is probably just as well.

Now, the b-side is an epic, fifteen minute collection of non-sequitor (think: Greg Nice), freestyle rhymes called "15 Minutes To Live," a tiny portion of which actually did turn up on the pre-release version of Man Overboard (the Red Liquorice version... it didn't make the Anticon release) - about sixty seconds worth, and it fades out mid-lyric. You've gotta get the 12" to hear the complete thing. For what it's worth. The beat is cool, with some more cello by Steffi; but fifteen minutes of random not-quite-punchlines at a Mr. Scarface pace can wear pretty thin:

"I love the JVC Force
And MC Shan,
But draw upon dreams
And fractured memories.
I factored remedies
And serums into this equation.
I hold up one mirror into another and ask,
'Is nothing sacred?'
I've seen the movie Naked,
And read Alice in Wonderland.
Don't make the mistake
Of pitching to me underhand.
Today I enter my late twenties officially,
Or react with water initially(?).
I'm dead to the world right now
Despite my promises;
But at least I'm honest about it.
I've got diamonds in my eyes,
But I'm looking for a harder crystal.
I'm feeling for something smoother;
I'm listening for a starter pistol.
Three sheets to the wind
And I'm using clouds for pillows;
I wanna drill holes in the sky.
I'm in love with a nomad,
And I miss my mother badly.
I was a sideways baby,
Always will be.
To start the party right,
You'll probably have to kill me.
I can't be held accountable,
So instead I pass the blame;
And besides, I wanna live forever,
Like the cast of Fame.
Serious trouble will pass me by
And my life will be happy,
Peaceful;
Protectin' the veterans
From scorchin' rookies,
And trustin' my faith
In the fortune cookies.
Red right, white left.
Slogans for doormats.
I'm lookin' good right now;
I gotta wear more hats."

...And so on. See? Just drop "Dizzy Gillespie plays the sax" in there anywhere and you're done. But, yeah. All in all, this is a hot little 12" of vinyl exclusives for the Buck 65 enthusiasts, and even a must-have classic for the average hip-hop fan.

Tags: Buck 65

(Werner Necro'd) Shadow Government (UMC's interview)

It's 1999. The UMC's hadn't released anything together for five years since the lackluster response to their more hard-core, follow-up album, Unleashed. Kool Kim had made a few waves since then with a guest spot on a spoken word compilation in '96 and a hot independent 12"… but even that was two years past. But I caught up with them in a small studio in New York, working on a new full-length project called Shadow Government.

FG: I'm the artist formerly known as Kool Kim... rather be known as FG: Feel Good, Feel Great. Found God. Fly Guy. It just represents the growth and change... The name is just an attribute to describe who a person is at that stage in their life, so at this stage in my life, I call myself FG because those two letters embody what I'm feelin' at this juncture in my life. And maybe one day I might call myself something else.

Hass: This is Hass G the Phantom of this. The Phantom. It's the new and improved me. It's all good. When we came out with "Time to Set It Straight..." I'm not gonna say I regret comin' out with that joint, 'cause I thought it was hot. I thought it was very hot. And all it did was just, I guess, reflect what we were feeling at the time. And us, in our ignorance, didn't understand that we let emotions take control and blanket our creativity. We weren't able to get that out to the heads and to the fans. We just let the emotional part come out of us and kick it, and that's not what we hit them with first. But, still, I don't regret it; that's just a reflection of how we were feelin at the time. Like this Shadow Government situation is gonna be a reflection of what we're feelin' right now. It's gonna be the bomb.

FG: But you know what I wanna say, to like, expand on that thought? You know, that's what we experienced. And that's one of the greatest things about life, to go through change. And it's sad that in this game of rap, artists are so stagnated that they just have to follow trends or just be whatever it is they were, for however long that's gonna let 'em shine, and then it's over for them. You know, we're growin' people. That's why it's scary. Because if you say that character can't grow and change... That he can't mature... That means that you can't mature in this music and what that means is, what? When you reach thirty or forty, you won't be able to listen to rap no more? You're still gonna like it. You're still gonna be feelin' it. But you gonna grow. I got three kids and a wife. I can't be listening to some of this shit in my house that cats is rockin' now. I just can't go for it, B. I just had a little party the other day for some of the little kids in my community. I had to turn that Funkmaster Flex off, cause there was too much cursin' in it, and I just could not endorse that, be no twenty-seven year-old parent of three kids on the street playin'. You want stuff that's conducive to your lifestyle. So, with that said, when we did that 'Unleashed' album, we were doin' something that reflected that little bit of growth we were goin' through, like Hass mentioned. But, if you listen to the first album, we said, yo, you know, like on the song, "Morals": "The cats that talk about how they know you so well, but they don't really listen, though. Existence is a game of chance, l took my chance, and now I'm winnin'. But, then again, my life is just beginnin'." In other words, there was things to come for us, you know what I'm sayin'? And, in this joint, I go on to say... on the last cut on the first album, I said, "I keep on movin' like the hands of the clock. Persistence is the movement, mechanism will tic-toc. My goals is every number on the clock that fits. And Kim becomes successful when the stroke of twelve hits. It's twelve o'clock now." But it ain't twelve o'clock right now; it's another time now. It was twelve o'clock then. So time is changin'. And in the change of time, I'm dealin' with an all new aspect of life, and I just gotta respect and accept it.

Hass: Personally, I don't think we paid attention to the times. I just think that, at that time, there were a lot of artists that were out there probably frustrated, so we just fit into the same type of situation. And that's why we probably delivered the same type of situation. But, I know, personally, I was really mad. What I delivered, that's what I was feelin'. I just felt, "Rah, rah." I felt, "Fuck it. They can't appreciate any of it, we comin' that other way. Fuck it. I'm hitting them like this. I don't give a fuck no more."

FG: That's the truth, cousin. I'm not Jesus, B. Even when Jesus was getting' put up on the cross, he made his prayer to Allah, like, you know, "I don't wanna dothis." He said it, right before he was gonna be crucified- he didn't wanna do it. And I ain't nowhere near that, so how you think I'm gonna be out hear representin' just positive, and make a whole album full of positive shit, not one curse on the album? Yo, enlightenment, yo sciences. Yo, there's stuff on there that cats still ain't picked up on, 'cause they thought we was clowning. `Cause the devil likes to do that shit. He puts you out there, you be positive, he try to make you look like a clown. So, we was doin' stuff that was positive and people read that as soft and all.

Hass: So, we gave them the same message, but we changed the tone of the message. It wasn't like we were trying to be hard, but it was like. "Yo, son, listen to what we're sayin'." But, like I said, we've moved to the point now, we're gonna bring that message to you in all sorts of forms. Shadow Government rules the world. We just got an understanding of the global situation that we're in and how to take advantage of that.



FG: Yo, I'ma do this thing, break it down, do the knowledge. Boom, '91, UMC's come out, we drop a positive album. Somehow we're made to look like pure idiots. They tried to make us look, in retrospect, like bell-bottom pants or something, you know what I'm sayin'? They'd be like, "Yo, I can't believe that video that they did." But those that listened to the lyrics, had knowledge, were like "Yo, these cats are ill! Did you hear what they were sayin'? They was madd before their time. Listen to the beats. It's phenomenal. Listen to the precision in the beats and the lyrics. It's nuts." Ay-ight. My contention is this. This is what I offer to the rap intellectuals. Ready? '90, '91, '92, the government, the CIA, Counter-Intelligence Program infiltrated rap. I think that was their retroactive move for the next generation after crack. See the whole idea was to get up into rap, change the art-form where a cat... See, I learned the preamble of the constitution of the United Stated off the 'School House Rock' shit. I learned how a bill became a law from off the 'School House Rock' shit. I understood verbs, adjectives, nouns, and I passed tests because of those songs. Now, you got rap, where you're really talkin' out what you're sayin'. I could teach you - I'm a good enough MC, straight up and down - I could write a rhyme and teach you how to do DOS with my rhyme. And, yet, at the same token, though, you hear these rhymes now - it's pure idiocy. Why? Because, somebody, somewhere, decided that shit was not gonna be about nothin'. And what they did was, they leaded kids that was fly and talkin' about real shit and tried to turn them into clowns and appear soft. 'Cause that's what the devil likes to do... likes to make God appear soft. Look at movies, and look at TV, he tries to make the power of evil amaze you so you won't want to have nothin' to do with bein' positive. Make ya think, positive is faggot or sissy or somethin'. I'm not disrespectful to nobody, I'm just sayin' that's the truth. My feelin' is that the government took that over. Why? 'Cause they wanna keep cats ignorant. 'Shadow Government.' 'Cause we in the shadow of this government. The government is actively trying to put us in a situation that we remain the sheople. And I don't wanna be one of the sheople. And we don't wanna be one of the sheople. We cumin' to find projects in Paris, cats in Australia, suffering the same suffering we're suffering, loving the same lyrics we re lovin' but havin` thev same trials and tribulations to the backdrop of a whole other land and a whole other government. But the government still doin' the same things and making us the sufferer's plight, and we understand that and we're bringing that forth now. We ain't glamorous. We're men. We're men and women in this situation, trying to survive and trying to make this happen for ourselves. And that's why Shadow Government rules the world and that's why we're here doin` it. Otherwise we wouldn't be here, 'cause we'd probably be still struggling in the other shit. But we got the understanding. That's why we're in the capacity to say that we're about to rule the world. Because we bring it to the world like the world already got. And what they just need somebody to be the harbinger, the truth of the matter. Basically that.

So, how did y'all get caught up with Wild Pitch?

Hass: Real quick, first we was doing that independent joint thatKim was talkin' about, "Party Stylin"' and "Invaders of My FruitBasket." Off of that, we ran into Premiere and Guru. Then they turnedus on to Wild Pitch, 'cause they were on Wild Pitch. Little did we knowthat they were gettin' off the label when we signed on!

And what was the thinking behind the earlier material like "Blue Cheese?"

Hass: Basically, then, everything was abstract. A lot of the groups that were comin' out were speaking in a lot of metaphors. But they were crazy, they were out of this world. And there was a lot of symbolism and all that type of craziness. And we came with it at the same time, the same thing. So, on "Blue Cheese," we was just basically sittin' around vibin'.

FG: Like the phone call. You remember the phone call?

Hass: I don't even remember that, son. You're gonna have to handle that one.

FG: RNS came up with the skeleton of this beat, and the shit was nuts. Hass hipped me to the beat, we was rhymin' to the beat. Lemme tell you how it was. We'd get on the phone and be writin' the shit. And we were like, "How were we gonna come with it? This beat is so banging, kid, we gotta just flow over this, cousin. All we gotta do is just flow. Just call this shit, 'Blue Cheese' on 'em!" (Hass laughs) He was like, "What?" I was like, "Word is born, we're gonna call it 'Blue Cheese.'" "What's it gonna mean?" Well, blue is sad, and cheese is you frontin'. You're sad 'cause you're frontin'. Something about what you're Join' is frontin'. What you're doin' is not proper. And then we started, 'cause we're educated, we got knowledge of self, we started buildin' on it and buildin' on it to the point where it just manifested into, like...

Hass: Anything that's wack...

FG: Basically.

Hass: "Get out, get out, I don't love you no more."



Do you feel you lost the ability to appeal to the kids then, in `93, when you came out with 'Unleashed?'

Hass: I don't know what I felt back then. My mind was twisted. I was just, like, traumatized by the fact that it didn't do what I thought it was gonna do. I'm like, "Damn! Off of the first good album, and we come out with this, and it don't do?" After that I was like, "Yo, I have no understanding of the business. None whatsoever." We just fell back. I couldn't answer that. I couldn't call it. Was it because we changed, or...? "No, it couldn't be because we changed. Because motherfuckers like real people. We were bein real." Well, I was like,"We was bein real, but our shit ain't sellin'." What was the deal? "Yo, son, I don't know." That was it. I heard that (about tryin' to be too hard), but, then, again, at the same time, when everything else that was still sittin' in our genre came, it all failed, too. So, you can't say it was because they changed. Because what if we didn't change and we still did that? So, nobody ever knows. You don't know that. It wasn't because we changed. I mean, we did come with a different thing, but it's not because of that. We don't know what it was. And there were quite a few people that all had nice hot albums and didn't come back. Second time around - no good. That's because the industry said, "Boom. Check this out. I made my money off of you this first time around. Right now we're just gonna put you to the side. We don't need you. We can't use you no more. We're gettin' ready to change the whole direction of this year and, frankly, you just don't fit in." That's what it was.

FG: A lot of them cats just comin' back just now.

Hass: A lot of them cats just on their way back right now. Why? Because it's just evolution. It's all evolving; it's coming back. What was, comes again, B. And now, we're coming in a different light.

FG: A very different light, B. Now we're in a whole new... What? We're decade awav? A lot of shit in ten years has happened, son. The first joint we did was back in...'88. '88 or '89 we did, "Invaders of My Fruit Basket" and "Party Stylin'." We were always on some avant-garde shit... just be about something else. We just wanted to be different, have a good time. Not even so much want to be different, 'cause we're different, B. Because we're not scared, cousin.

Hass: This feels ill, to talk about our return. I have shit under my belt that we can talk about. "Yo, I was out before."

FG: Gettin' ready to come back!

Hass: 'Shadow Government' gonna touch them.

Didn't you have a DJ named Kid Magic back in the day?

FG: We still do. He's still down. I'm about to go out to Columbus, Ohio, and lamp with him in a minute. He just bought a house.

Is he gonna be on 'Shadow Government?'

FG: Yeah, he's part of the Shadow Government. Shadow Government in Ohio.

Hass: All those murderous cuts that he had, back then... What you think he's got now, for the future?

FG: And he's doin' production... He's got a studio out in Columbus Ohio, now, so he's doin' well. No doubt. We're about to go out there and we're gonna make that connection. The thing about 'Shadow Government' isn't about "me and my man." The Shadow Government is the sufferer's plight.

Hass: We are the rebel force that's about to come through. Representing like that. We're about to go, break them down. I feel like that. Mark my words, son. I'm gonna have the whole show goin', "Shhh..." That's representation right there. No music, just "Shhhh...."



So, Hass, are you still rhymin' at all? Or have you sort of hung it up for the production?

Hass: Uhhh.... Good question.

Because I noticed you weren't on any of the 'Shadow Government' tracks you were playin'.

Hass: No doubt, good observation. I didn't hang it up. My whole thing is I just learned a couple lessons out of life and I reevaluated a lot of things. I figure first time I came through, maybe that wasn't my nature, then. Maybe I didn't find my real foot yet. This time comin' around, there's a lot of chemistry happenin' with me rockin' beats and gettin' 'em out to people. I got something on Busta's joint, you know what I'm saying. That was the thing that "boom!" gave us the inspiration to go like, break down this door....But, back to the point of me rhymin' again, I gotta just wait `till my shit is sharp. And there ain't no harm in just waitin' it out like that, 'cause we got so much other shit that's about to blow.

Well, as you now know, Shadow Government never did wind up coming out (it's too bad, too… I heard some of what they were working on and it was hot), but Kool Kim at least, did finally manage to reinvent himself successfully. And as for the UMC's as a unit, well, they have some new tracks up on their myspace, so all is not lost. And with all this previously unreleased hip-hop that's been coming out this year, maybe there's a chance for Shadow Government still to see the light of day.

Tags: UMC's, Kool Kim, Hass G, Shadow Government, NYOIL

Phil Most Chill, Be Intelligent

So I got mine a little late, off of EBay (making this now officially the most I've ever paid for a record, by the way), but here it is: Phill Most Chill's Be Intelligent EP. It's the first release on the Diggers With Gratitude label, preceding their excellent Godfather Don EP, The Slave of New York. Limited to only 100 copies pressed; mine is #34. :)

So you've got two really hype previously unreleased joints from Phill's vaults: "Be Intelligent" and "Release Yourself" (including the instrumental for "Be Intelligent") on a top quality pressing. Plus, then they've added the instrumental for his classic, "On Tempo Jack," which was never included on the original In Effect 12" or the Landspeed rerelease. Finally, they finish things off with a recording of "Accept No Substitution," from the never released 12" of "On the Hype Tip" b/w "I Gotta Have It (Freestyle Rhymes)." An acetate was made, but the record was scrapped before it was ever pressed to vinyl and the DATs were lost, so this is the first release for that cut as well.

So, just on the off chance you needed to be told: all three cuts are bangers. Dope beats, rhymes, and a lot of scratching (courtesy of Scratchmaster Rob). Trust me, guys; you want this in your collection. But, oh yeah - expect to pay a lot for it.

In the meantime, check out his great blog (already in my site links to the right), his World of Beats website, or any of his many myspace pages (a, b, c). Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go play this 12" twenty more times.

Tags: Phill Most Chill

Kwamé Meets Original Flavor

Here's a nice, typically overlooked 12". Typically overlooked because by the time this was released, the backlash against "fun" artists like Kid 'N' Play, Dana Dane, etc was in full effect, and because, unlike the first single off Kwamé's third album, this one didn't cater to his fanbase with one of his best, but most mainstream, releases. This album takes one of the best, but less "pop"-y songs from the album, "Can You Feel It?" which features some hot production that keeps changing up, showcases Tat Money's scratching, and a hook based off of The Jazzy Five's "Jazzy Sensation" and showcases it to an audience which I'm sure Kwamé rightly felt had grown hypercritical of his style in the face of the incoming gangsta fad.

But then, even more interestingly, Kwamé takes it one (or several) steps farther... he essentially reinvents himself in a style he only really does on this one 12" (by album #4, he was essentially back to his old self). Now, Kwamé always handled his own production with his band, A New Beginning - it's one of the things that really makes his album stand as fresh, But for the "Pass the 40 Oz. Remix," he hooks up with Original Flavor. The beat is pretty stripped down, with a simple break beat and sparse horn sample... if you can imagine what Kwamé would sound like if he were a member of DITC, you get the idea. The hook is replaced with a more "roughneck" shout and response kind of thing (again, think DITC or Original Flavor's second album). DJ Tat Money gives another, different display of his scratching skills. And Kwamé's crazy flow, where he's apt to change pitch, cadence, speed, etc could already fit pretty well into the Original Flavor repertoire. ...There's also a "Pass the O.J. Mix" which is essentially the same as the "40 Oz." one.

Then, you've got his only 12" exclusive cut (originally, "It's OK" was an exclusive B-side on his "Sweet Thing" single, but then he wound up putting it on his second album), "Wake It Up." This one is again produced by Kwamé (or, as the label puts it, "produced, arranged, looked at and lived by Kwamé and A New Beginning 4 Brothers Grimmmm Productions, Inc."), but done entirely in the Original Flavor style- like in the time of Beyond Flavor, not This Is How It Is. The beat is hot - and yeah.

From the chopped horn samples, the sped up piano loop, the shouted chorus, all down to the shout outs at the end, it's a Kwamé you've never heard before. But it's just true enough to his original style(s) that it's not a totally off-putting 180 on his fans (i.e. The UMC's Unleashed). This is a dope little 12" you'll definitely want to look into picking up if you're a Kwamé fan... and maybe even if you're not.

Tags: Kwamé, Original Flavor

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