The Boogie Boys Vs. Kool Moe Dee

I'm surprised more people don't know about this one, though I guess the reason why is kinda obvious: it's a 12" exclusive B-side to a song that didn't catch on. But it's cool, and really ought to be better appreciated.

Ya see, back in 1987, Kool Moe Dee issued the now infamous "Report Card" - where we he graded the twenty or thirty-odd top rappers of the day, giving them scores in various categories like vocabulary, voice, creativity, etc. (click right to enlarge-->) - with copies of his latest album, How Ya Like Me Now. I actually didn't see it until years later, because the report card wasn't included with the cassette version. :( The lowest scoring group was (unsurprisingly) The Beastie Boys, earning a C (70). The second lowest was The Boogie Boys (77, C+).

True story: I have a friend who, when she got a C in grad school class, went to her lawyer, threatened the teacher and school with legal action, and got her grade improved to an A. How fucking Ferris Bueller awesome is that?

Well, in that same spirit, I guess The Boogie Boys decided not to take heir C lying down, and issued a diss record towards Kool Moe Dee. "Body" b/w "K.M.D.[as in Kool Moe Dee, see?] Step Off" dropped on Capitol Records in 1988.

In an interview I did with Romeo JD, he described working on the third album, "You know, I'm not really criticizing the producer to a degree, because he was just trying to be on the next level. Sometimes you've gotta do that; it's a risk you take. But at that time, we were like the only group that was on a major, major label, and we had to do something to try and separate ourselves. But you have to be careful, taking yourself so far that you take yourself out of your element. That's why on the Romeo Knight album we tried to make sure we reached back and had a couple of joints that were just real basic and raw. We had a song called "This Is Us," that was my favorite joint on that album. It had just this beat, you know? Another joint Boogie wrote was "Pitbull," and that's the kinda joint we really wanted to make sure we had on that album. And then we had a couple joints that were a little more musical or whatever, because some people expected that from us." Well, "Body" would surely fall under that latter category.

Actually, like all of The Boogie Boys' production, it's got a pretty cool, unique sound. It's got a hard, fresh beat and some interesting samples and a few cool scratches. The only real corniness comes from the songwriting's basic concept, an ode to the human body. The lyrics have a distinct "this was written for children" vibe that comes up in a number of Boogie Boys songs. But if you can get past how silly it is (and nobody's around to overhear the silly songs you're listening to), it's a pretty solid song, worth checking out.

But if "Body" is an example of the Boys' crossover capitulation to their mainstream audiences, then "K.M.D. Step Off" is one of their most successful cases of keeping it real and raw.

Now, this is kinda interesting. First of all, "K.M.D. Step Off" isn't on the album, it's an exclusive B-side. And if you actually read the label (which is no easy feat considering the shiny silver lettering they printed over the bright yellow background!), it's the "12" Remix" version. But there was no other version released before or since, so this "remix" is actually the only version ever (except for some lost original version probably locked away in Capitol's vaults somewhere).

This version doesn't feel much like a remix, anyway. It's one hardcore, kinda West coast sounding (like something early NWA or CMW would use) breakbeat, with scratches by both DJ Shock and Romeo JD. At first the lyrics are standard battle rhymes (although the opening, "From the South/ To the West/ To the East/ To the North/ K.M.D./ Step Off, step off!" is clearly a reference to The Treacherous Three's "New Rap Language"). But about halfway through, Boogie Knight calls out Moe Dee specifically, and the rest of the song is about him (and they call him "homepiss" a lot):

"K.M.D.,
I'm screamin' on you.
My name is Boogie Knight
From the Boogie Boys crew.
Homepiss, you're dope,
I must admit;
But your judgement on the Boys
Are illegit.
On your report card,
We got a low score;
But you're on your own tip.
You got us all wrong.
Got the nerve
To say you're more versatile,
When we rap AND sing;
You must be wild!
Nigga, please,
To you no credit is due.
The rap world
Doesn't revolve around you.
Our records are better
Than the ones ya made,
Even though
We didn't get... stupid paid!
Survival of the Freshest
(in old school, harmonizing style) Was a masterpiece
In versatility...
And creativity...
And most of all,
In originality.
(back to straight raps) Check out the rap called
'Colorblind World;'
The words and rhymes
Made a scholar's head twirl.
K.M.D.,
For your own concern,
Take notes, homepiss,
Look, listen and learn!
I know you, I see you,
I can't believe
You got beside yourself
Like that - nigga, please!
Just got on the chart
And you're talkin';
We had an album and a single
That went top ten.
Next time you're judgin',
Better look real deep;
Compared to whatever we do,
(Say what?) You're weak!"

One really cool part of the song is how they vary their styles, at one point declaring "now we're gonna do just what you do, but do it much better than you" and diss him in the "New Rap Language"-style delivery. It sounds really fresh!

So, it's a fun piece of old school rap history... even "Body" isn't so bad. And it's a cool little sticker cover 12" with dub versions of both tracks, and it can be scored super cheap. Even if you passed on Romeo Knight (and you're missing out on having one great album cover in your collections if you do), the 12" is definitely worth scooping up.

Oh, and by the way, the MC who scored highest marks on Moe Dee's report card? K.M.D. himself, of course.

Return To the Realm of the Mystics - UG Interview

The Cella Dwellas was one of the illest lyrical groups in the 90's that put out a few hot records, but never really got the chance to do everything they could do. Well, now UG (a.k.a. Lan Outlaw) is coming back to set that record straight, with his own label, Spaz Out Entertainment (here's a link to his myspace).

Well, let's begin with how the Cella Dwellas formed… wasn't there a third member at one time? I remember some press releases referencing…

Oh yeah. It actually wasn't a third member, just when you run with a group of people… it was a person that we had with us named Lord Have Mercy.

Lord Have Mercy from Flipmode?

Yes. My partner had actually got him signed with Busta's management. We also had got him a situation with Das EFX and them: The Hit Squad. That was like the third member of the group.

Yeah, because I think I remember the press release stating that you each represented, like, different elements, and he represented robotics.

Right. It was the mystics, the hypnotics and the robotics. It was three - 'cause we were called Realm 3 and it was three realms represented the Realm 3 camp.

And did you guys ever record anything like that? I mean, I know there wasn't a record as Realm 3, but did you ever record demos, or…?

Well, what happened is the first record we had recorded was "Duck, Duck, Goose." That was the first time that all three of us had recorded. And as we recorded the record and laid it down… throughout the process of recording the album, we offered the third member some money. We were like, "yo, let's do this. Let's get you on a record; let's get you some money." He was like, "nah, nah, I'll just do it for free;" we were like, "nah, let's get you some money."

You know, so we got him some money. And that's when my partner got Busta to manage him and put him down with Flipmode. We were like, "yo, you need your own situation. We're close with Bus; why don't you go over there?" Because prior to that I had got him signed to Hit Squad, and whatever happened, the situation between him and them got messed up.

Then, when he got signed to Flipmode, after he got done recording the verse for the album, I guess he had a talk with Busta. After that, he came back to me and Phantasm and said, "Busta said I should get some more money." And we were just saying to ourselves, "you wanted to do it for free at first!" We told him, "we got you some money, now towards the end of the album, you're down with Flipmode and Busta told you that you need some more money, you come over here." So we clipped that song from the album. That song was never released. But I have it.

Man, I'd love to hear that. It would be great if you could put that out somehow…

Well, what I'ma do… I've got a bunch of Dwella songs that never got released, so I'm trying to put that together right now.

And then, the situation after that, it kinda turned. Not for the worse, but he went his way and we went our way. Because Lord, he was headstrong. He wanted to be the leader and so forth, and as a group we were just like no leaders. We represented three realms, and that's just that. But you know how people get, you go through the politics, the industry, you smell a little success, you run with the people that are successful, and it kinda changes you if you don't have nobody to level you out.

Yeah, actually, listening to Lord Have Mercy, especially his early material, you can hear in his flow and his lyrical style how he could be a part of the same group as you guys.

Well, to tell you the truth, when I first met Phantasm, he wasn't an original Cella Dwellas member. There was a person that was before him even. And him and Lord wanted to manage me or produce for us. And the person I was with went to play football overseas, and I was doin' it by myself. And when I met Lord and Phantasm, their whole style was totally different. Phantasm was Special Ed-ish, and Lord was Special Ed-ish with 'im. So when I started talking about dragons and casting spells and stuff like that, it was something new to them, and they were like, "yo, let's ride this!" And that's how they got involved with the mystics, the hypnotics and the robotics. They got that through me. That's why everything was so similar, because we were always together, and they were like, "yo, let me hear that!" And I would rhyme the castle, large winds… stuff like that and they were like, "yo, that's kinda crazy." I was like, "since it's something new, let's all just ride it." And that's how that happened.

Yeah; speaking of that, I feel like you guys kinda got caught out there a little bit... that you guys were coming out with something really creative and then the whole "horrorcore" fad blew up around you guys. So it kinda got tarnished with this brush of being corny because of all these new horrorcore artists coming up all of a sudden…

Well, you know what it was also? LOUD back then was made up more of fans than people that wanted to work records. And they had the PRs and the street teams, and they were Wu-Tang stans. LOUD at that point was just like, "let's throw this out and see if this sticks." So we had to go out on the road and do shows on our own and support our own album, and sell 250,000 copies on our own. It was sort of a lean towards Wu. And Wu was crazy, they were doing their thing; but as a label I always thought when you put a project out, you're supposed to push everything equally. If Wu is taking off, then you don't have to push them anymore.

We were on the road with The Liks, The Mobb before "Shook Ones" blew… and then they blew. So they didn't need the push no more because the record was pushing itself. And the Liks got into their little altercations with the record labels, and the stations didn't want to have them up their because their name was Tha Alkaholiks. So they had their issues, but we just always thought that we didn't get that direct push.

Now we were doing shows; we were demolishing headliners! The underground fans were coming out and we were demolishing people. That's how we started to sell units on our own. You know? So the first album passed, the second album came, and they started to realize that they had something. I just thing we were ahead of our time with that.

And with the whole horrorcore situation, their style was similar to ours. I met Russell Simmons nephew. They came to our shows... I seen these dudes at our shows, like, "yo, y'all style is crazy!" And then next thing you know, "horrorcore" pops up! They decided to change the mystics stuff around to horror, and I don't know if Russell Simmons thought it was gonna be a good idea, but you know… You can tell when a person's not real with what they're speaking or they're spitting. So a lot of people wasn't believing that crap.

Same thing happened when RZA and the others had, what was the name of that group?

Gravediggaz?

There you go. And they tried to do the same thing! And they did it for a minute, but then they wound up breaking up. You know, it was crazy, but a lot of things stemmed from that style. But that's the one thing I didn't like, because, you know, I took time with the lyrics. We weren't just trying to rhyme over records, we were trying to paint pictures then.

And then Inspectah Deck got his deal with LOUD, and Phan brought up that we need to get a solo deal, because everybody's breaking off and getting a solo deal, let's try to see if we could do that. So we started to do that. And when the second album came, we started to get the features: Pharaoh Monch, Large Pro, and everything we wanted. The second album was crazy; but again, LOUD didn't do they job. You know, Steve just snorted too much coke or whatever it was.

(Laughs)

You know, it was just crazy! He was buying movie companies and spending money on all types of shit that he didn't need to spend money on. So that's how we got caught in that loophole, and that's how we got moved to Stimulated. We felt that was more of an underground label, more of a Koch force, and they'd focus on us. Our A&R at the time was like, "that would be a good move, because they over there bullshittin' at LOUD."

That was Dante Ross's label, right? Stimulated?

Yes! And Dante was cool. He was with it. But then LOUD wasn't giving him the backing, and we just kept getting caught in all this shit. And then, down the line, me and my partner started getting into a little bullshit. I don't want to point fingers, but at the same time… work ethics wasn't the same. Motherfucker was getting caught up with the broads and the bitches and he was missing shoots and all kinds of shit. And that just threw a real bad taste in my mouth. So we just kept working harder and harder on our solo shit until we just split up. I never had no beef; but I just saw at one point or another, his work ethics weren't the same no more.

Well, I have noticed that of the two, you're the one that always did guest spots and put out a series of solo 12"'s; Phantasm didn't really do too much…

Right. Because, like I said, instead of him putting work first, he would put the women first. All the time. And we would argue about that, because I would tell him: it's gonna come with the territory. There's gonna be millions of them, but let's make this money first. He was just so used to being a solo artist, he was his own man, he had all the attention… and it was just little, dumb arguments. Then I just decided the group thing wasn't for me because it's too much ego. When people can't put their egos aside, I couldn't do it. Phan is still my man, but I don't know. As far as doing records? It'd take something real, real big for me to do a record with him again.

Well, you guys did come together for one reunion 12". On Underground Academy?

Yeah, but that was done during the second album. When we were on tour in Paris, the guy from Underground Academy named Olivier had us do that record. But that was it. And I started to realize there's gotta be more to me than just rhyming on top of beats; there's gotta be something else. And you know, I got into the business side of it, and me and my manager put a company together called Spaz Out Entertainment.

And right now, the mix-tape: XXL is putting it out. I got a street album coming out. Me and Sean Price is also working on an album right now. Everything is in the works.

Everything is good. Everything happened for a reason. I kinda took time off to raise my son for a minute, and I learned the business aspect of the game and got my own company now. We got a clothing line coming out in the summer time… I've been working hard.

And are you still working a lot with Nick Wiz?

Well, you know, I didn't really do anything with Nick Wiz since the second album because the same situation kinda happened with him, too. He kinda burned a bridge with me, because his label wanted to give me a deal; and Nick Wiz had introduced me to the person that wanted to give me the deal. But he tried to tell them he was gonna do all the production on my album and he was gonna have control… It was all about control and I couldn't understand why, because every album we did, we made sure that Nick Wiz had nine, ten songs on there. So it became a conflict of interests, and that just never happened. That went down the tubes. So I started to realize, if that's the way it's gonna be in the industry, you know, it is what it is, people change or whatever.

But it was a learning process for me, honestly. You know, I never thought that me and Phan would break up. Never. But that's what you get for saying never... it always happens. Things happen for a reason, though; and I'm not bitter. I still love them dudes, but as far as us doing a bunch of things? That might not ever happen. We would have to sit down and really talk about things.

But so much is happening now. I got this totally underground, overseas album that's crazy. I've got a bunch of features, Steele, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Pharoahe Monch is hollerin'. Everything has been beautiful. We got producers, singers, dudes that shoot videos. And I never knew this side of the business, 'cause all I wanted to do was be a rapper.

Well, let me ask you this about the new stuff. Do you have anything coming out, or ever plan in future, on touching that mystical style again? Or is that something you kinda put behind you back then...

Nah. In fact, the underground album - I don't have a title for it yet - but that's all it is, basically. I never really changed that 'cause that's what got me in the game. That was MY style, so I never really changed that. All I did was adapt to what you hear now. But, like, you will never hear me doing a "Superman" song. I will always stay lyrical. Wherever I get on, if the hook is stupid? The lyrics are gonna be crazy! You've gotta adapt to the game. But as far as mystically? I'm better than I was back then! I wish you were recording right now, I'd spit something for you!

Well, actually, I am recording this...



Let me ask you this real quick, too, before we break off. Obviously Raekwon is pretty famous for having the purple tape, but you had it...

First! Yes sir. That just goes to show you, you know. I think we were just a little bit ahead of our time then, man. If they would've really embraced it, and if we would've hit the colleges really hard, it would've been crazy. We'd've been rock stars right now.

So, it's long been my theory... let me ask you if I'm right. Having the purple tape made perfect sense with the song "Land of the Lost"...

Exactly!

And with LOUD then doing it with Raekwon, I wondered if it was just because they had it set up already with you, like they used your left-over purple plastic.

That's exactly why we made the tape purple! That was the images that we had. It went with the big lock, and the purple sticker with the gold lock on it. Those were the images we had. We had the pages for the book, just the authors that had the money didn't want to produce the copies of it. We had the visuals... We had somebody that was gonna do a cartoon! It was crazy.

But everything happened for a reason. Because now, everyone that we came up in the game with, we're getting back together and everybody wants to form this alliance. Because we're tired of what's going on. These dudes are not even rapping no more. Nobody's taking their time and painting pictures no more; they're just babbling.

Well, now that you're running your own company, how do you feel about the comeback of vinyl? Would you consider putting out a 12" now, or....

I would come out on anything! And everything is coming back around full circle anyway. The beats is coming back to regular boom-bap. Even listen to Busta's new stuff. Premo's coming back. Everything's coming around, so I wouldn't mind putting out anything on vinyl at all. In fact, let me tell you how funny some things are. I just got a letter from Universal, they bought Sony or something happened over there. And I got a call where LOUD didn't sign off on the papers on The Last Shall Be First, so we're gonna re-release that album. Everything comes full circle. It is what it is, I guess; that's hip-hop or that's the world.

Shout out to a.d. - bklyn mint - spazout ent.-and creative juices.

The Devil's Debut

Top 100 Hip-Hop Songs

The following was originally intended to be part of a collaborative project between all us hip-hop bloggers, webmasters, etc., where each of us made a list of what we felt were "the top 100 songs in the history of hip hop as it relates to the importance of the culture." Each of us would have our lists published, and then each song would be tallied to create a final Top 100 list out of all of our lists. But unfortunately, for whatever reason (people slack on making their lists, the guy putting it all together? I don't know; but it's a shame, because I saw some interesting names involved, and would've liked to see what they came up with), the project seems to have run aground. So, not to let good work go to waste: here's my list, complete with intro, that was intended for that project. Hope you enjoy it!

Now, you can't avoid highlighting a lot of firsts (first hip-hop record, first female hip-hop song, first west coast hip-hop record, etc); but I tried not to get too carried away with "firsts." And I tried not to just name the biggest sellers. In both cases, everybody participating would just wind up making the same independently verifiable lists that each of you readers could also just as well have put together on your own. So, what was the main deciding factor for what made my list? Influence. I picked the songs that changed the game... that made producers and MCs adapt new styles, or that switched audiences expectations of what a hip-hop song could or should be.

Some of my choices are more regionally specific than others; but in all cases, I tried to pick songs that crossed those boundaries the most... the Miami bass or Boston indie singles that reached out the widest to change how people everywhere made or felt about hip-hop. I've also decided to leave out the song-specific commentary and let each song speak for itself - I think most of them do. But I'm looking forward to participating in the debate that follows our lists... not to mention the "Oh sh-!! I so should've included THAT" moments when I see everybody else's Top 100 Hip-Hop Songs.

So, without further ado... I hope you don't hate my choices too much! ;)

1. Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight
2. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message
3. The Fatback Band featuring King Tim III - King Tim III (Personality Jock)
4. Grandmaster Flash - The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash On the Wheels of Steel
5. Treacherous Three & Spoonie Gee - New Rap Language
6. Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock
7. The Sequence - Funk It Up
8. Doug E Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew featuring MC Ricky D - La Di Da Di
9. Eric B & Rakim - Eric B Is President
10. UTFO - Roxanne, Roxanne
11. Run DMC - It's Like That
12. Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg - Nothin' But a G Thang
13. DJ Mark the 45 King - The 900 Number
14. De La Soul - Potholes In My Lawn
15. Audio Two - Top Billin'
16. Souls of Mischief - 93 Til Infinity
17. 2 Live Crew - Me So Horny
18. NWA - Fuck the Police
19. Slick Rick - Children's Story
20. MC Lyte - Paper Thin
21. Boogie Down Productions - The Bridge Is Over
22. Common Sense - Resurrection '95
23. LL Cool J - I Need Love
24. Big Daddy Kane - Smooth Operator
25. Public Enemy - Black Steel In the Hour of Chaos
26. Disco Daddy and Captain Rapp - Gigolo Rapp
27. Deep Puddle Dynamics - Rain Men
28. Jimmy Spicer - The Adventures of Super Rhymes
29. Queen Latifah & Monie Love - Ladies First
30. Mister Voodoo - Lyrical Tactics
31. Stop the Violence Movement - Self Destruction
32. Eric B & Rakim - Follow the Leader
33. X-Clan - Funkin' Lesson
34. Uncle Jamm's Army - Dial-A-Freak
35. PEACE, T-Love, A.C., Nefertiti, Self-Jupiter, BJ, Ganjah K, Medusa, Ko Ko, Myka Nyne & Volume 10 - Heavyweights Round 2
36. Rodney O & Joe Cooley - Everlasting Bass
37. Too $hort - The Freaky Tales
38. Ice-T - 6 In the Mornin'
39. Asher D & Daddy Freddy - Ragamuffin Hip-Hop
40. Schoolly D - (P.S.K. What Does It Mean?)
41. Boogie Down Productions - You Must Learn
42. Ras Kass - Nature Of the Threat
43. LL Cool J - Rock the Bells
44. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don't Understand
45. T-La Rock - It's Yours
46. Run DMC - King of Rock
47. Wrecks-N-Effect - New Jack Swing
48. Dr. Octagon - Blue Flowers
49. Wu-Tang Clan - Protect Ya Neck
50. Marley Marl featuring Master Ace, Craig G, Big Daddy Kane & Kool G Rap - The Symphony
51. Puff Daddy & Mase - All About the Benjamins
52. Master P featuring Fiend, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X & Mysitkal - Make 'Em Say Uhh!
53. Rammelzee vs. K-Rob - Beat Bop
54. A Tribe Called Quest - Check the Rhime
55. Cool C - Glamorous Life
56. 7L & Esoteric - Be Alert
57. E-40 & Keak da Sneak - Tell Me When To Go
58. Special Ed - I Got It Made
59. Invisbl Skratch Picklz - Invasion Of the Octopus People
60. MC ADE - Bass Rock Express
61. Wayne & Charlie - Check It Out
62. Afrika Bambaataa & James Brown - Unity
63. Ultramagnetic MCs - Traveling At the Speed of Thought
64. Too $hort & The Last Poets - The Ghetto
65. Poor Righteous Teachers - Rock Dis Funky Joint
66. Xololanxinco, All Deadly Jizzm, RadioInactive, Awol One & Circus - Farmers Market Uv da Beast
67. Stetsasonic - Talkin' All That Jazz
68. Double Dee & Steinski - Lesson 1: The Payoff Mix
69. Geto Boys - My Minds Playing Tricks On Me
70. Jay-Z & Foxy Brown - Ain't No Nigga
71. Kurtis Blow - Christmas Rappin'
72. Positive K & MC Lyte - I'm Not Havin' It
73. Top Priority - Let the Homicides Begin
74. Funky Four Plus One - That's the Joint
75. Chill Rob G - The Power
76. EPMD - Strictly Business
77. Public Enemy - Fight the Power
78. Biz Markie - The Vapors
79. Whodini - Freaks Come Out At Night
80. Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock - It Takes Two
81. Run DMC & Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Down With the King
82. Outkast & The Goodie Mob - Git Up, Git Out and Git Something
83. Fat Boys - Fat Boys
84. King Tee & Tha Alkaholiks - Got It Bad Y'all
85. Hip-Hop Against Apartheid - Free South Africa
86. Derek B - Good Groove
87. O.C. - Time's Up
88. Brand Nubian - Sunshine
89. Showbiz & AG - Soul Clap
90. Compton's Most Wanted - 1 Time Gaffled 'Em Up
91. Redman - Time 4 Sum Aksion
92. JVC Force - Strong Island
93. Big Daddy Kane - Ain't No Half Steppin'
94. UMCs - Blue Cheese
95. Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde - Genius Rap
96. Gangstarr - Words I Manifest
97. Main Source w/ Akinyele, Joe Fatal & Nas - Live At the Barbecue
98. Awol One with Circus and Tommy V - Mountains; More Mountains
99. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Road To the Riches
100. Spyder-D - I Can't Wait (To Rock the Mic)

Snowed In With Lyte Week, Day 7: Uncensored

Ok, there's no more snow on the ground... it was a pleasant day out. So it's time we wind up this week with one final MC Lyte outing.

This 1991 12" is from Lyte's third album, Act Like You Know. This is the one where Lyte really started getting off-track in a seeming bid for cross-over success. While she still had a handful of beats by Audio Two and the King of Chill (and even a couple from The 45 King!), more than half the album was produced by two pop producers named Bret Mazur and Richard Wolf. The big lead single was the cheesy "When In Love" with the sappy R&B chorus, which was followed by "Poor Georgie," which feels like a weak attempt at recapturing the success of "I Cram 2 Understand U," with Lyte dating an alcoholic this time, instead of a crack head. Except with more pop music in the instrumental.

And that was about it for that album, except for this final, promo-only 12" single the label kinda snuck out before moving on. Someone from the comments section here actually put me onto it, so thanks. :) The A-side is not bad... they chose one of the few Audio Two-produced tracks, "All That." It's not one of their best tracks, but it's pretty solid. Lyrically, it's a bit of a mixed bag. Lyte freestyles, with a bit of narrative, but basically just to highlight her brags... some of the lines are fun, typical Lyte (that's a good thing), but others are corny("I know your kind, you roam around the fuckin' town/ You wanna slap it, flip it, and rub it down"). Basicially, it's just ok (but a big step up from her previous singles), and comes as a standard "Dirty" album version and a "Clean" one.

But this 12" is really all about the B-side. "Why U Wanna Get Fly" is a 12" exclusive and really is just all about Lyte getting unabashedly hardcore. The track is produced by DJ Master Tee, and features her first collabaration with Lin Que, who was still going by Isis at that time. It only comes in one version, "Uncensored," partially probably 'cause it's kinda long (it's no "Adventures of Super Rhymes," but it's over 5 minutes). It's a nice, chunky beat with an early DITC sound, fly horns on the hook, some nice change-ups and even some fresh, sampled speeches. Isis sounds really good here, and they have some nice interplay between the two of them.

Before I go, of course I've gotta hit you off with a link to Lyte's myspace. But she's got much more than that! Here also is her official website, her blog and her other blog (both of which she seems to keep fairly well updated). Heck, while I'm at it, here's her YouTube channel. Lyte is definitely keeping her name out there (I'm following her on Twitter, too); now let's just hope she backs that up with some hot, new music.

Snowed In With Lyte Week, Day 6: Just Like a Test

Along with "Paper Thin," "I Cram 2 Understand U" was one of MC Lyte's first attempts at song-writing with a little more substance than freestyles and battle rhymes... and "Paper Thin" was so hard, it was almost 50% battle rhyme anyway! :-D But not "I Cram 2 Understand U." This was a song about relationships, her first narrative song, and a song with a message. Historically, such attempts are where Lyte missteps from the realm of classic bangers to awkward mistakes, but this is a rare exception that's always managed to find a warm spot in the hearts of fans.

Part of the reason for that is how the producers, the Audio Two (and mixed by Daddy O, by the way), keep it incredibly raw and simple. The beat is nothing but a simple drum track, and the hook is just one vocal sample played very briefly between verses. Lyte's really on her own out there as an MC, and she pulls it off with aplomb.

The other part is the cleverness of how the song is actually an extended metaphor, just like Common's heralded "I Used To Love H.E.R.," except this came out seven years earlier. There, Common raps about a girl he's dating, and it's only at the end we find out this "girl" was actually hip-hop, and the phases of their relationship were actually descriptions of the genre's different styles. Here, Lyte talks about being in a relationship with Sam, who seems great except he's apparnetly cheating on her. Lyte's friends try to warn her, he starts borrowing money, "Then my cousin said she saw you with this lady named C/ Well I'm clawin' my thoughts, I wonder who she could be?/ You're spending all your time with her, and not a second with me/ They say you spend your money on her and you're with her night and day." Finally, it's revealed that this "lady named C" is actually an extended metaphor for crack, and Sam is harboring a drug addiction.

This sticker cover 12" also lays out the full spread for us with this tune. It features the original, a radio version, dub and even an acapella. I mean, what more could you ask for besides maybe a hot, 12" exclusive b-side track? Oh wait, yeah; it's got that, too.

It's a short but tight cut called "Take It Lyte," also produced by the Audio Two. It's a fast-paced track with crashing cymbals and Lyte representing herself and her DJ. Lyte sounds hard (and young!) on this one, and K Rock provides some simple but effective scratches on the hook. And, thankfully, this time around there's no message. 8)

Snowed In With Lyte Week, Day 5: A Tisket, A Tasket, Yo, Fuck a Yellow Basket

"Stop, Look, Listen" was already one of the best track's on MC Lyte's second album, Eyes On This. A slow beat and atmospheric bassline provided an unusual but compelling backdrop for Lyte to kick some battle rhymes over: "I'm rhymin' and designin', also creatin'/ The dope, def rhyme that is always being taken/ By a sucker MC that wants to be like me/ No trait of originality" (note: the other half of the hook to "God Said Lyte;" also see my "Cha Cha Cha" write-up).

So they really didn't need to hit us with a new remix of such a stand-out track. But they did anyway. Wisely, the Audio Two's remix kept all the elements that made the original so strong: the slow beat and bassline, the subtle keyboard tones... they just add a bit more to funk it up and extend it. Some new drum-rolls, keyboards, vocal samples, a new breakdown. They also let the beat roll for a good minute or so at the end, and most notably, Lyte adds a fresh, new fourth verse:

"Staggering
Anyone who tries to stop me
From fulfillin' the ultimate, the ultimate goal.
Suckers takin' up room on the microphone.
I do not favor crowds; move over, stop starvin'(?) me;
I feel like I'm drowning in fans, and it's stompin' me.
Bigfoot, shield me from the uncivilized
And not-so-sane. I don't mean to criticize,
But Lyte and sweat? We don't go together,
Especially in the muggy and the rainy kinda weather."

But if you prefer the simpler, original version, that's on here too. Along with the original instrumental.

Finally, there's a hidden (it's not even mentioned on the back cover) bonus track, "Start It Up, Y'all." Like "Shut the Eff Up (Hoe)," this was at one time an amazing exclusive track that made the single a must-have, but later found its way onto an album... in this case Audio Two's I Don't Care: The Album. It's a really catchy up-tempo posse cut, with Milk Dee, Lyte and Positive K each spitting fun, freestyle verses over a pumping track that perfectly combines an ill horn sample with a dope bassline. This song would fit in a top ten list of any of the involved MC's works. But, yeah, it's no longer the special exclusive it first was in '89.

Snowed In With Lyte Week, Day 4: A Simile Because of the Usage of the Word "As"

Ok, I'm not really snowed in anymore. I went to work yesterday, and I even went out the night before. But there's still snow in my yard, so that's close enough for me to go on with awesome MC Lyte records. :)

"Lyte as a Rock" was a hot album track, with a fantastic beat and Lyte kicking fresh freestyle rhymes. But that version isn't actually on the "Lyte as a Rock" 12". This is a remix 12", with three non-album remix versions.

First up is King of Chill's "House Mix." This is the one there was a video for, where the door to a little girl's bedroom magically leads to a cave with Lyte kickin' it alongside some cavemen. Later, Lyte becomes an Egyptian queen, a 30's style gangster and an imprisoned revolutionary. It's pretty fresh. And despite being a "house mix," the remix is pretty fresh, too, retaining enough of the original to be an enjoyable variation of the original. And the way her voice is mixed so much higher over the beat with the funky bassline... it shouldn't work, but it does.

Next you've got Audio Two's "Soul Shock Mix." It's immediately very different with it's freaked horn samples, but at the same time it's the same because it reverts back to the original drums and even original keyboard sample. And after the first verse, Gizmo starts slicing up the whole thing on the tables - it gets a little crazy (at one point he even deads the beat and replaces it with the "Paper Thin" track), but it undeniably bangs. I don't think I've ever heard an Audio Two remix bug out this much, but I like it.

Finally, there's the "Miami Mix." It's not really clear from the label who produced this one - the others mixes give specific credit, but not this one. Despite it's name, it doesn't really sound like a Miami-style tune from this era, except that the drums are faster. The vocal track is often played with in a way that's just annoying rather than fresh (words are repeated, played backwards, or just dropped out, randomly). It's not terrible, but it feels like somebody's failed experiment.

So, that's it for "Lyte as a Rock" (there are no instrumentals or anything), but there is one last treat on this single: "Shut the Eff Up! (Hoe)," a raw diss track with Lyte once again taking it to Antoinette. So, essentially it's a follow-up to "10% Dis," and it's almost as good. The hook, which just consists of a few angry phrases ("hot damn, ho!" "Shut the fuck up!" "There's gonna be some shit") being scratched up, feels surprisingly rugged. When this was first released, it was a 12" exclusive - possibly because the label thought it was too nasty to allow on the album - making this a must-have single. But Atlantic later ended up putting this on Lyte's subsequent album, Eyes On This. It's still a dope song. In fact, it's one of the best on there. But it's rendered this 12" less essential. Still, the remixes are cool.

Snowed In With Lyte Week, Day 3: The Voice Gets Wetter

Any other rapper would've jumped head first into a rapid descent after peaking with such an amazing debut, but MC Lyte managed to come just as correct her second time out. I can remember "Cha Cha Cha" playing every single day on Yo! and Rap City during my high school days and being excited every single time it came on. I don't even need to play this record to revisit it; I can recall the King of Chill's ill samples that still manage to get eclipsed by the ultra-funky bassline, Lyte's voice ("The hip-hop maniac, uptown brainiac/ In full effect, MC Lyte is back" as she later quoted for her aforementioned joint "God Said Lyte"), the horn stabs that introduce K Rock's scratches on the hook.

Lyrically, she's not really saying anything amazing, but how she says it is just perfect: "And better than before, as if that was possible/ My competition: you'll find them in the hospital/ Visiting time? I think it's on a Sunday/ But notice: they only get one day... to shine/ The rest of the week is all mine/ And I'll blind you with the science that the others have yet to find/ So come along, and I'll lead you the right way/ Just clap your hands to the words I say." I don't know, it might be a generational thing, but to me this is one of the few absolute, must-have 12" records out there - great song, instrumental included, and a sweet picture cover (her first).

I just wish I could say the B-side was at all up to what we heard on the A. It's nice to get any exclusive, 12"-only cut on your singles, I guess; but they really phoned it in here. "House Power" is a twelve minute(!) long house song. It features a few vocal snippets from Lyte, but she never raps on this song. Production-wise, it's fine as far as vocal-less house tracks go; but there's just nothing here musically to sustain twelve minutes, so it becomes a real endurance test. You're supposed to leave them always wanting more, right? Now asking the DJ, "for fuck's sake, don't you have any other records you can play?" But I guess they figured with an A-side this strong, they could really throw whatever the hell they wanted on the other side and we'd be happy with this single. ...And they were right.

Snowed In With Lyte Week, Day 2: Paper Thin

Cold, snowy nights like this are perfect for revisiting one of my flat-out favorite hip-hop songs of all time. MC Lyte's "Paper Thin" is the song I go back to whenever I'm feeling down on hip-hop... When I've heard one too many untalented assclowns kicking stupid freestyles or cutting terrible dance records, and I start to question the merits of the entire artform, I revisit this. The simple but hard-hitting beat with the single, perfect sample... Lyte's voice and flow when she rides the beat: rough but playful. The lyrics and subject matter: simple yet perfect songwriting.

And fittingly, this great rap song has been issued on a great 12" single. First up is the version we all know, the album version. As you probably remember, on the LP, as "Paper Thin" reaches what should be the end it loops the entire instrumental, including the back-up ad-lib vocals, and replays all the way through sans lyrics. All I have to say about that is: the 12" version does this, too. Also included is a proper, separated instrumental, and also an acapella version.

Then there's the remixes. What's good about them is that they both wisely keep many elements of the original track that really make it kick, but also change things up just enough to keep it fresh. The first mix by The Audio Two adds a chunky, old school piano break and another sample (from Big Daddy Kane's "Pimpin' Ain't Easy") played behind the hook. The drum track is also constantly being chopped on the turntables, giving it a faster, high energy feel while still keeping the same tempo as the original, so Lyte's vocals still ride it perfectly. Then, The Alliance's remix goes back to the original but adds some deeper percussion and some scratching (not sure if it's by King of Chill or DJ K Rock).

Finally, there's a non-album B-side called "Spare the Rod." This is a fun cut with a reggae-style beat that feels like it could've been lifted right off of Alliance's album. It's a posse cut, featuring everyone who contributed to the 12": The Alliance, Milk Dee and even the King of Chill busts a rhyme. The beat might not be impressive enough, the hook may be too silly and the rhymes too casually freestyled to catch mainstream attention, but I could just picture this being played on a classic Red Alert show back in '88.

Great single for a great song; 'nuff said.

Snowed In With Lyte Week, Day 1: Ride With Lytro

There's a big ol' snow storm kicking up outside, so it looks like I'll be spending a lot of time indoors... which makes it time for another "week!" So, I thought I'd start with her last (to date) single, because, well, just as whim. "Ride With Me" was the 2002 lead-in and only single from MC Lyte's seventh album, Da Underground Heat, Vol. 1 Hosted by Jamie Foxx. Yeah, all of that is part of the title. She also lists her name as "MC Lyte Is Lytro," so apparently she was going for kind of a long, convoluted mouthful theme.

After her second major label deal (she started on First Priority/ Atlantic, then moved to EastWest/Elektra) ended, MC Lyte announced she was putting her next album out independently. Which I guess is what she did, although this 12"'s label credits BMG Music, SGI/ CMM, Imusic, and Sunni Gyrl! Inc.; plus there's a logo us informing us she's now the "First Lady of the Def Squad" (what? when did that happen?)... There's more tiny little logos on this record than almost any I've ever seen; but, ok, I guess it still counts as independent.

So, yeah. This single, like the entirety of the rest of the album, was produced by two guys collectively known as Maad Phunk!. And you can basically sum up the album with a simple formula: MC Lyte(great) + Maad Phunk!(bad) + overload of painfully irritating skits = one mediocre CD. But thankfully, this single successfully manages to isolate the two best songs from that disc, making this a worthwhile pick-up, assuming you're getting it cheap.

"Ride With Me" was actually nominated for a Grammy, and features one the funkiest beats from the album. It's still full of generic sample-free keyboarding and cheesy pop-rap effects; but the piano loop and the drum track sound decent and make a passable sound bed for Lyte to spit over:

"Been a long time coming, but I'm running with the torch,
Race, got a lot a rats but I can't be caught, or bought,
'Cause I won't sell out. That's why me and the big dogs, we fell out.
Not with a major, but I'm still major league;
Crash ya dome with this hit then watch your nose bleed.
You want it, you can get it anytime;
'Cause I got many lines for niggas of any kind."

Granted, it sounds a bit silly when she mentions "haters" and asks us to "get crunk" on the hook; but there's still no denying the evidence that there's a skilled MC on the mic.

But the B-side, "God Said Lyte" is even better. It's got a little funk guitar, which, yes, still has that "we're not paying to clear any samples" tin sound... but it's played low, and the rest of the track is just a basic drum track beat with hand claps that'll actually have you nodding your head. It's the kind of track that could only work with a nice MC who really knows how to ride the rhythm, and fortunately, Lyte is up to the challenge, coming with a tighter delivery and better lyrics. It even has a genuinely infectious hook that goes, "I'm rhymin' and designin', also creatin'/ The dope, def rhyme that is always bein' taken/ By a sucker MC that wants to be like me/ No trait of originality/ Don't ever second guess me/ And if you're wonderin' who could the best be/ The hip-hop maniac, uptown brainiac/ In full effect, MC Lyte is back." Honestly, the A-side is okay - but this song deserves checking out.

This 12" also gets some extra value out of being nice & loaded with clean, dirty, instrumental and acappella versions for both songs (Acappellas? Quick, somebody put Lyte's vocals over some soulful Showbiz or Pete Rock tracks!). I recommend any Lyte fan picking up the 12" for the B-side... and you may give the A-side a few spins, too, if you're feeling forgiving. So get the 12" and pass on the album - there's a reason they didn't bother to press that up on wax.