Girl, You Know You Want It!

It's time for another DJ Magic Mike single, I think. Today's is "Get On It Dog Gon' It" from 1994 on Mike's own Magic Records. That's right, no more Cheetah Records. This is the year Magic Mike struck out on his own, releasing his music on his own label. This is the single off of the album Bass Bowl, a generally disappointing album overall, going a bit overboard on the speaker-testing rumblings and light on the incredible scratches and the rhyming.

Fortunately, however, "Get On It Dog Gon' It" has both. This is one of the few tracks not produced by Mike himself, but rather one of his Royal Posse members, DJ Chief, who also provides some of the scratching (along with Mike himself). Unlike a lot of the mainly instrumental content of the album, this song is a more traditional number, with three verses by Posse member Daddy Rae, broken up with a shouted hook ("Get on it, dog gone it! Girl, you know you want it!") and some nice scratching of Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It" ("Ow!"). For the most part, it's not a stand-out song in Mike's catalog... it's a very standard Miami bass cut, with very the staple samples every Miami bass artist had already been using for years... the bulk of the instrumental. In fact, is the same as The 2 Live Crew's "Move Something" but with ultrasonic bass notes. And Rae's rhymes dedicated simply asking the girls to shake their booty to the song. There's a fun moment, though, where Mike himself takes the mic to spit his own verse at the end ("I'm like Jenny Craig 'cause you know I knock off the pounds").

But the highlight comes on hook and especially the breakdowns. The cuts are are fast and furious - of the "holy shit!" variety - and he changes the flavor by bringing in some classic old school breaks. And the effect is amplified on the 12" exclusive Club Mix, which doubles the length of the song. This mix really turns a good song into a great song, sometimes just letting the beat ride, and other times providing extra cuts.

But if you're bored 'cause the beats are too familiar, the B-side has Mike's Funk Mix, which swaps out all the samples for ones you've never heard before. Personally, I prefer the original - there's a reason the old tried and true standbys became the tried and true standbys - but it's a cool alternative. The B-side also includes the instrumental of the original version.

This isn't necessarily one of Mike's best songs... the breakdowns are a real highlight but otherwise he plays it too safe. But hard drums, deep bass, competent rhymes, fast breaks and wicked cuts always add up to a winner. And Magic Mike himself must've liked this one a lot. Not only did he pick it for the single, but he returned to it a few years later with "Get On it Girl" on The Ghost Is Back album (his reunion album with Vicious Bass) and again with "Get On It ('98 Style)," on Scratch & Bass.

The Dream Team... Posse?

Ok, to appreciate this one, you'll need to know the history of The LA Dream Team; so let me break that down real quick to start with. The Dream Team consisted of two guys, Rudy Pardee and Snake Puppy, who started putting out catchy hip-hop club records in 1985 on their own label, Dream Team Records, which was distributed by Macola (their label also put out some other early West coast artists). On the strength of their hits like "Rockberry Jam" and "Calling On th Dream Team," they got signed to MCA Records. There they put out a couple full-lengths and a bunch of singles, which are generally critically frowned on by the hip-hop community... They were like light, kid-friendly, with very pop-music production sensibilities. I think they're fun records, but it's all definitely dollar bin material.

Finally, in 1989, MCA dropped them, and that was the end of the LA Dream Team. Snake Puppy quit, and Pardee continued to perform solo as The Dream Team for a little while, but that was it. Pardee tragically died in a scuba diving accident in the 90's and there were never anymore records. Except there was. This one.

In 1990, Dream Team Records (and Macola again) released its final record, "The Bounce" by Dream Team Posse featuring Rudy Pardee. I'm not entirely sure who the "Posse" is in reference to, since this song is written, produced and performed by Rudy Pardee. He does credit a DJ for the scratches though, Black Caesar, so I guess he's one.

Anyway, you'll probably be surprised to hear that this record is actually good. I mean, if you hate everything from the Dream Team including their early stuff, this isn't gonna convince ya. But if you like their brand of old school west coast hip-hop, this is a solid entry. It's obviously a simple dance track, but Rudy steps up his lyricism as much as he was ever going to, and with a slightly harder delivery than usual. The track uses some fairly common (one might even say cliche) old school samples, but layers a bunch of them, combining the familiar into something new you haven't heard before. And it all fits; it never feels like a jumbled wall of disparate noises. The aforementioned scratches are about as barely here, there's only one or two little ones during the breakdown, but they do add to it all.

Given the chance to craft full verses on his own (with no back and forth, etc), Rudy shines here. And it makes me wonder what a full Pardee solo album would've sounded like. But, maybe this one single is enough.

I'm showing the cassette single here, but the 12" uses the same cover art. Both the tape and the 12" feature just the one version of the one song, no instrumentals or anything, on both sides. Don't put this at the top of your wish lists or anything, but if you're looking for an old school west coast single that you haven't already heard before and you can pick up on the cheap... you could do a lot worse than "The Bounce."

Some More CD Only Bonus Tracks

Craig G's second LP, Now, That's More Like It, was really good. But the CD was even better... by three whole songs! Still on Atlantic Records, Craig and Marley Marl were back (with a little help from Salaam Remi) in '91 with a unique but fresh sound. Granted, two of the songs were more than a little too new jack swing-ish for many tastes ("Girls" and "I Want To Be In Luv"), but there's really nothing else to complain about on this album. And fortunately, the three additional tracks don't break that record.

All three are produced by Marley, and none of them are on swing tip. They're strictly freestyle battle-rap type songs over fresh but hard beats.

The first is called "Swiftness." The track uses some funky, unusual drums and a cool horn loop. There's a little scratching on the hook, and Craig dedicates three verses of skill flexing "to all the MCs who that I couldn't get with it."

Next is "Live Off the Top." Like the title suggests, he rocks freestyle off-the-dome for the whole song. The beat is a solid head-nodder with rhythm scratches, hand-claps and a short but crispy horn sample. The rhymes feel a little looser than on the rest of the album, 'cause they're not written, but the production is layered enough that it really feels like a proper song rather than just a bonus freestyle.

Finally is "Going for the Throat." This is the one that gets the most attention, 'cause it's his infamous MC Shan diss. The track is cool - it uses a familiar old school funk-guitar sample, but changes up the drum and adds another sample, putting a new twist on an old standby. But of course, the first fifty times you listen to this, you probably won't even pay attention to the beat and just focus on Craig's vicious disses of Shan:

"It seems a brother that I went way back wit
Is coming out the woodwork, talkin' shit.
At first it didn't mean all that,
'Cause he was washed up and strung out on crack.
Freebase. His life was a waste to the rap world;
Nobody cared about him or his wack girl.
So, yo, I took it in stride,
And continued with the rest of my life.
Until recently, he showed some form of indecency:
Went in a magazine and tried to release on me.
Huh. But now it's the last straw;
I'm gonna wreck him and everything he stands for.
...
Go wash windows, that should be your career;
I could give a fuck about what you pioneered.
Straight up, that don't mean shit.
So won't you take your vine and swing the fuck off a cliff!
Yeah. I mean business;
Don't ever in your life try to diss this,
'Cause, punk, I'll rip you to shreads,
And mail your record company your head.
Hmph! I know it sounds a little graphic...
I heard your album's double plastic."

Shan came back at Craig on "Even If I Tore It," a B-side-only song from a 12" I covered recently, but Craig's disses were more vicious. Interestingly, though, Craig's second verse is the same verse he kicked on his classic duet with Tragedy, "Live and Direct From the House of Hits." It's essentially word for word, except Shan's name is occasionally added. So for instance, the line "slow down, kid, before you enter a speed trap" becomes, "slow down, Shan, before you enter a speed trap."

So these tracks aren't so obscure or overlooked as the Whistle ones I covered the other day. In fact, because of them, the CD tends to cost a pretty penny nowadays. But it's worth picking up, because they really enhance and already great album.

Word To Your Mother

I'm sure you're all at least passingly familiar (whether you want to be or not) with this album[left]: Vanilla Ice's To the Extreme on SBK Records from 1990. It's still one of the biggest selling rap albums of all time. The success of the lead single, "Ice, Ice Baby" led SBK to drop their entire hip-hop roster and focus exclusively on promoting the ice man for years, costing us some dope albums in lieu of lots of awful, awful Vanilla Ice follow-ups.

But how many of you are aware of the prototypical Vanilla Ice album that preceded To the Extreme and the break out success of "Ice, Ice Baby?" It was called Hooked[right] (named after the song "Hooked" which was also on To the Extreme) and came out on Ichiban Records earlier that same year. It's basically a rough, unpolished version of To the Extreme... When SBK signed him they rerecorded the music and added a bunch of extra songs.

So, yes, "Ice, Ice Baby" is on here, too. Ichiban actually originally released this as a B-side to what they thought was the hit of the album, "Play That Funky Music." It didn't take off, but as the saying goes, "B-side wins again," and "Ice, Ice Baby" started getting radio spins. And that's what led to SBK signing him.

It's actually my contention that "Ice, Ice Baby" isn't a bad song. Let's face it, the beat caught on because it was an ideal hip-hop sample (Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure")... which is why dope hip-hop acts like The UBC and The SCC used it since (and probably a lot more would if it wasn't tainted with Ice's legacy lol). The lyrics are freestyle, so while he's often criticized for not saying anything substantive on this track, that could be said of a lot of rap classics ("DWYCK," anyone?). And the delivery is actually pretty fun and effective... in fact, you may remember my theory that he lifted it from another, lesser known Miami MC named K-Ponce. So, it's a probably stolen rhyme scheme (at any rate, he certainly at least had co-writers, including his DJ Earthquake, who are credited)... but hey, I'd much rather hear a tested style that sounds good than something that's original but crappy. Unfortunately, he didn't keep stealing styles (or at least not any good ones), because he never made any songs one iota as compelling as "Ice, Ice Baby" since.

So, yeah. The songs are "remixed," but essentially they're the same. They use the same samples, lyrics etc. They've basically just been re-recorded with better technology, so the basslines sound smoother, the drums sound richer, etc. It was apparently a regular practice with SBK Records... you can read in my Keymaster Snow interview how they used the same process on Partners In Kryme's material. They also added several additional songs. The songs "Yo Vanilla," "Stop That Train," "Life Is a Fantasy," "Ice Is Workin' It," "Juice To Get Loose Boy" and "Havin' a Roni" are only on To the Extreme, not Hooked. That sounds like a lot, but a couple of those are just skits.

Hooked does have one exclusive itself, however (not counting the rough versions of all the songs as exclusives, which they really kinda are... and in some cases at least, like "Hooked," they are a little better): "Satisfaction." And it's actually one of the best songs on either album (for what little that's worth). It liberally uses the sample of The Rolling Stones' "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" married to a fun, very 80's drum track. That sample is why it was left off To the Extreme - couldn't clear it - but it's also what makes the song fun. A version without that sample would be pointless. They did eventually wind up releasing a live performance of the song on his live album, Extremely Live, but this is the only album with the original studio recorded version (although SBK eventually released a single with some studio remixed versions later on).

Anyway, it's Vanilla Ice, so it's hardly a must-have... But it's an interesting artifact, no?

Happy April First!

Some Overlooked CD Bonus Cuts

Today I thought we'd talk about... oh you read the title already? Ok, then let's just get on with the specifics. This is probably one of the last albums you'd expect to find out has CD bonus cuts on it (Hell, it's almost surprising there's a CD edition of this album at all), but sure enough, here they are. Whistle's second album, Transformation, was released in 1988 on Select Records. It's called Transformation because this is the album that really bridges the gap from rappers to singers. Sure they sang some on their first album, too; but they were known for their rapping. And this follow-up is the herald of their departure - after this, they'd be an all-singing group from then on - and it's split right down the middle. It features all R&B on side A, and all hip-hop on side B.

And like the blurb on the CD cover[pictured, above] says, it "INCLUDES TWO BONUS CUTS." Fortunately for us, the bonus cuts both appear on the hip-hop side. Both tracks are kinda short. And like most of the tracks on the album, they're produced by Kangol and Howie Tee and co-produced by Whistle.

The first is called "And This Is True," a reference to the hook of their biggest hit ("Nothing' Serious (Just Buggin')," that goes, "we're called Whistle/ And this is true/ We love to do the things that we're not supposed to do/ We don't be lyin'/ Stealin' or muggin'/ In fact don't take it seriously - we're only buggin'!" It's basically a Kool Doobie solo song, though the group croons in the background, over a super hard drum track (with the occasional heavy metal guitar riff). It's a single verse with a hook, but it's interesting for being possibly the most hardcore sounding track Whistle has ever done. The way he ends by declaring "suckers!" and all... I actually think this song may've been inspired by BDP's Criminal Minded.

The next is probably a little more in tune with what you'd expect from a Whistle song. It's called "Hello Skeezer," and has Jazz kicking some fun story raps about "a type of girl/ That's known throughout the country/ And half the world/ We call them skeezers/ For those who don't Know/ A skeezer's a pleaser/ Or hip-hop ho/ They go from show to show/ And place to place/ You might recognize the body/ As well as the face." It's definitely lighter, and features a classic old school sample set (it's buggin' me that I can't remember the hip-hop classic that used it first, but you'll recognize it instantly... especially the whistling on the hook) blended together with Howie's unique drum sounds. This is a fun song for any Whistle song, though it feels a little to short... it's basically two verses with a minimal hook and some shout-outs at the end. A third verse would've made it feel more full, I think, but fuck it. There's too few rap songs by Whistle in this world as it is, and I'm happy to find two more that've long been overlooked. So I'm just enjoying. :)

Another Jazz Thing 4 U 2 NV

(YouTube version is here. ...And another14u2nv.ning.com is the place to go if you want to pre-order.)

How To Rap

Ok, we're gonna make a little shift and get literary here at Werner's tonight. I do own a bookstore, after all; so I really ought to have more than one book review on this site. And there's a new book out now making the rounds - you might've seen a spot or two of promotion for it online - called How To Rap by Paul Edwards from Chicago Review Press.

Here's the selling point, and certainly what caught my interest. As the title cover says, it features "advice and guidance from exclusive interviews with more than 100 artists." And it's a pretty terrific selection of artists. First there's a lot of good ones: MCs you'd be interested to hear from. And second, it's very well-rounded, including old school, new, indie, underground and commercial artists, from your classic NY MCs like Big Daddy Kane and MC Shan, to your favorite "art fag" artists like Cage and Murs (no Anticon, though). And I'm happy to report that this book doesn't just drop in one sentence from each so they can write their names on the cover. No, the artists actually get more ink in this book than the Edwards, who almost serves more as editor than author... just like you'd hope for. The cover also boldly touts a forward by Kool G Rap, but it's super short and says next to nothing. Fortunately, though, G Rap also appears throughout the rest of the book.

So, there's really two ways to approach this book, depending I suppose on whether you're really looking to learn how to rap, or if you're just a fan/curiosity seeker, like myself. If you're just a fan of some or a lot of the artists, you'll probably just want to pick it up and read the quotes from the artists you like. This is made very easy, with a complete index that lists every artist and where their content appears. The artists' quotes - which can be as short as a single sentence or as long as a couple paragraphs - are clearly separated from the rest of the page with the artist's name centered and bolded above (although the author sometimes sneaks even more quotes into the body of his text... you'll really have to pour through the book to hunt all those down). And in addition to the index, there's a glossary of bios for all the interviewed artists. So if you're reading this book, and keep seeing a name recur and wonder, "who the Hell is Vursatyl?" you can look him up and see he's one of The Lifesavas, a positive rap trio signed to Quannam.

If you're really looking to learn and take this book seriously, however, you'd probably be inclined to read it straight through from page 1. How does it hold up in that respect? Well...

It starts out with the basics, which are like... really basic. Not only is the sentence, "the content of a hip-hop song (sometimes called the subject matter) includes every subject you talk about in your lyrics" an actual sentence taken from the book, but that simple point is repeated again and again. This is partially due to the way the book is structured: Edwards will make a general statement, then clarify it, and then use 2-3 quotes from artists to make the same statement in their own words. And it's partly just because this book spends a good deal of time covering such basic fundamentals of language - the sentence, "content forms are the basic ways of structuring the content of a song" is no better than saying, "parking spaces are the basic spots for parking a car" - that anyone who needed this so deliberately spelled out for them would probably also need to have the book read aloud to them.

But fortunately, it does get more detailed as you soldier through. By chapter 5 or so, they're up to explaining the differences between similes and metaphors, or perfect rhymes versus assonance. It's like English class all over again, except with comments from Yukmouth and Papoose. We progress through like students towards graduation, except this book starts us all the way back in kindergarten. So the budding MC might want to skim through the opening chapters until he starts finding info that's genuinely new to him.

The book does get into things a lot of aspiring MCs (and even successful, working MCs on major labels) could really find educational, like how to count bars or tips on how to improve your enunciation. So sections of this book seem genuinely useful. ...A lot more of it, though, seems purely anecdotal. There's a big section on Places To Write, sub-divided into sections suggesting places like Home, In the Studio, Your Car, or just A Quiet Place. Sections like that seem like they only exist to house quotes of MCs talking about these things, rather than offering you explosive ideas as an aspiring song-writer ("'Home'?! That's brilliant! All these years, I've been shelling out millions of dollars to NASA for them to fly me up to the moon to write, when all this time I could've been doing it right here in the comfort of my own home. Thank you, How To Rap!"). Take the section for Times To Write. The book explicitly spells out over two pages that you could write at night... or you could write in the morning... or just "whenever the inspiration hits." Now surely, no human being could type all that out and think they're imparting useful knowledge to potential readers. But it does allow for fun quotes like this one from Vinnie Paz, "I usually drink a lot, and it's always late at night - they're the only two things that are like a constant."

I don't imagine knowing Vinnie's dedication to the bottle is going to help anyone become a better rapper. Ultimately, How To Rap boils down to a giant collection of anecdotes. But that's fun. And whether you're looking for novel insights into your favorite rappers' style as a fan, or helpful tips to hone your craft as an MC, you're sure to find some of what you're looking for in here. Think of it this way: it's a hundred plus interviews with interesting rappers. Sure they're chopped up and edited in a different way, but basically it's a just whole lot of interviews with an emphasis on craft. You'd read that, wouldn't you?

Hearts and Minds and Ladybugs

Before you had Lauryn Hill disappointing all her fans by dropping out of the game, randomly popping up throughout the past decade or two to suggest a fake-out comeback, taunting them with what might've been, you had Ladybug Mecca doing the same thing. Also like Lauryn, Ladybug was the brightest star of an otherwise male trio. And, similarly, she also wound up wasting what sparse solo outings she did record with bland R&B cuts. I know... controversial opinion: everybody loves Lauryn's "The Sweetest Thing" and her Roberta Flack covers. Fine; but while Ladybug might share Lauryn's lack of range when it comes to her singing voice, she doesn't share the inexplicable popularity. So there. :P

Lauryn also didn't descend into house music and weird club crossovers. The point is: I can remember since way back in the 90's seeing random, sporadic releases from or featuring Ladybug, and being optimistic nearly every time. But the ones that weren't god awful were just alright. Of course, even in the Digable Planets' heyday, the releases were fraught with let-downs. So, I guess there's no real hope of finding the Ladybug Mecca music that exists in our hearts.

But I've at least stumbled onto an acceptable little release.

This is an exclusive 2007 7" vinyl from HHV - an online hip-hop vinyl store based in Germany that, like HipHopSite, has also released a series of neat, self-pressed limited edition exclusives. I got it free for ordering some other stuff from them, and I was pleasantly surprised.

This is a split single, and the A-side actually has nothing to do with Ladybug Mecca at all. It's a song called "Here Comes the Judge" by Zeph & Azeem. It's alright. It's got a nice bassline. Nothing too exciting, and the song was on their album anyway. I believe it was CD-only, though; so at least that makes it an exclusive to wax.

But the B-side is a complete exclusive to this single, "Dogg Starr (Ancient Astronauts Remix)." Now "Dogg Starr" was on her album, it was released as a single, and it was released again as an EP called Dogg Starr: The House Remixes. Clearly, they saw this as their heavy hitter tune, and at least she's not singing... but the album version never really jumps off; the beat's just boring, and part of the chorus (where Ladybug kinda coos) just doesn't match up. The Kenny Dope remix, which was on the original 12", might've been a little more noteworthy if L'il Mama hadn't already scored a hit with the exact same instrumental on "My Lip Gloss Is Poppin'." And I'm not even gonna listen to the house mixes to compare those.

So this, to me, is the definitive version of "Dogg Starr." The track is much smoother, with some nice head-nodding instrumental vibes that don't collapse into that discordant garage-band feel a lot of her backing music tends to, and the chorus actually fits. It's a shame this wound up being tucked away onto an obscure freebie, rather than being promoted like the other versions were, because I think this one had the potential to make some genuine noise with the fans. Lyrically? Well, rhyme writing's never really been a Digable strong-point, but if you've always wanted to own a Ladybug Mecca record, but didn't want to deal with the inevitably depressing disappointment, I recommend this 7". I've heard her album, her guest spots, even the obscure stuff like that Queendom compilation, and for my money, this is really the best of the lot. And - I just clicked over there and checked - HHV's still giving away copies for free!

Additionally Built for Cuban Links 2

(Youtube version is here.)

Chubb Rock's Popeye Tune

If you're anything like me (and I've slowly come to grips with the realization that not many of you out there are), you've always been curious about the Chubb Rock line, "a rhyme kicked to this Popeye tune" in his super club banger, "Ya Bad Chubbs." Well, I finally picked up the 12" single of this classic and got to the bottom of it.

"Ya Bad Chubbs" is the big 1989 single from Chubb & Howie Tee's second album, And the Winner Is... It opens with the Radio mix, which is the same version that's on his album and was in the video. It's the "Ya Bad Chubbs" we've all grown to love, with the catchy drums, hand-claps, rolling piano riff and of course the perfect LL Cool J vocal sample from the beginning of his "I'm Bad" record, "AwwwwwWWWW!!" This 12" also includes the instrumental version, and that alone (well, coupled with the killer picture cover - Chubb is raging on that mic!) would make this worthy of a place in your crates.

Y'all know the words:

"This is an introduction,
With music that just be pumpin'.
While hips just be dippin',
The intention is for humpin' the floor;
Shinin' the wood with your jeans.
If it's denim, don't worry,
It's hip hop; don't hem 'em.
Money earnin' concernin',
I'll be teachin' and learnin';
Gettin' high from my rhymes and my looks,
Not from bourbon.
No solution, no remedy,
No cure. Like a deodorant,
Yo, you have to be Sure
That if you talk up or walk up into my face,
That you wouldn't become a big public disgrace,
'Cause I'll ban you, burn you up, and tan you,
Treat you like the elephant
And man you will be hocked and locked in a jar with a lid,
Hangin' on a wall in Michael Jackson's crib.
'Cause I'm bad. In fact, I'm a thriller.
I drink milk, that's why I'm a top biller.
Like a funeral home, I'll make a killing.
I'm not Giz even though I'm still chillin'.
Guys say I'm scary. Girls say I'm cuddly,
Rough like bark, but dark and lovely.
This ain't no game and I'm no toy,
And like Anita Baker, I'll bring you joy
With my word when I open my mouth;
Scare Oliver North to go and break South.
A homo is a no-no, but you know I'll smack a faggot.
Boy, you got to see me, I'm rich like Jimmy Swaggart!
I'm a loon; and ya know comin' soon:
A rhyme kicked to this Popeye tune.
This is hip-hop with a little be-bop,
And I won't flop 'cause I can't stop.
I will mop up the slop and then go to the top,
'Cause I'm not Robocop, I'm Chubb Rock."

But what the Heck is he talking about, "Popeye tune?" Well, the second track on side 1 answers that easily enough, the Chubb Club Mix, which is co-produced by Howie Tee and one Randy "Scotti-D" Scott. At first you'll just notice it's set to a different drum break. It's cool... the original's probably a little bit better, but both are good. The piano riff is the same, oh and the LL sample isn't used here. But once he gets to the Popeye line, the Popeye theme music kicks in on a keyboard that sounds like it's on a xylophone setting. And it's not just there for that line bar, like a back-drop punchline to his lyric; they keep the Popeye tune going, and it comes and goes through-out the song! And they also add a funky, new bassline that compliments it. It may sound a bit crazy, but then you have to remember this is the 80's, and people like Fresh Gordon and The Kartoon Krew were throwing little cartoon and sitcom ditties into rap songs all the time. I can't count how many times I've heard "Mary Had a Little Lamb" used in an otherwise very hard, street old school rap joint. It's kind of a time-honored hip-hop tradition - albeit a damn silly one - and it works if you can get past how corny it is that they're using Popeye music.

There's also a Crib Mix on side B, which is more of a house version, with a much more dance-oriented beats, stuttered vocal samples, synths and longer periods of extended instrumentation. It's also got some new Chubb lyrics, though, so be sure to check that out. He re-performs most of his lyrics as brief couplets or single lines. But he mixes in a bunch of new stuff, too. It's way more Club-y though. In fact......... I wonder if it isn't possible that the 12" here is a bit mislabed, and the funky mix with the Popeye tune is actually the Crib Mix, and this dance version is the Chubb Club Mix co-produced by Scotti-D (this one also sounds removed from Howie's style, unlike the other one, which makes me think it's Scotti's work). That's certainly my suspicion.

This 12" wraps things up with two "bonus beats." I put that in quotes, because despite the titles, they're full vocal versions. Howie's Beat is basically the Radio version with slightly tweaked percussion. And Bonus "PE" Beat is a more stripped down mix of the version with the Popeye theme (that's the "PE," in case you're feeling a little tired) but with even more of it (and it also only lasts the duration of the first verse).

Anyway, I suspect the "Chubb Club Mix" is actually the original version of this song (and, like I said, I also suspect it's really the Crib Mix). It's the only version that makes sense with the lyric, and I can understand why they would feel that if they were going to push this as a major single that they should beef up the hardcore sounds and nix the cartoon music. I'm sure the album and video version will always be the primary "Ya Bad Chubbs" in our hearts... I used to sit in class as a kid with that break and piano on loop in my head; and of course the "AwwwwwWWWW!" But this is like the lost, true version. And, just like it was meant to be when they recorded it, it's a lot of damn fun.

Capital Letters and Dots - G.L.O.B.E. interview (Soulsonic part 2)

Is it possible there's actually more Soulsonic history to learn after my in-depth interview with Pow Wow? Certainly; and it's all here in this brand new interview with the one and only G.L.O.B.E.

Do you know we, Soulsonic Force, have a proclamation from the city of New York? We were presented this about four years ago, and there's not another artist that can get that. You know, recent artists can't get that:

"Whereas the council of the city of New York is pleased and proud to join family, friends and legions of adoring fans in honoring the pioneers of an art-form known as hip-hop on this occasion of this first annual Hip-Hop Appreciation Night. Whereas hip-hop has become one of the purest forms of artistic self-expression from its early beginnings, as a vehicle through which concerns and issues of young African Americans were articulated to its current status as a driving force in the music industry. Hip-hop has influenced and informed society on many levels and it has opened an artistic legacy of a marginalized community to greater and greater expressions of cultural significance. Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force are one of the most influential groups in hip-hop history, featuring Afriaka Bambaataa, Jazzy Jay, Mr. Biggs, G.L.O.B.E., Whiz Kid and Pow Wow. Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force transformed hip-hop music with their classic hits, 'Planet Rock' and 'Looking for the Perfect Beat,' fusing funk and hip-hop. Afrika Bambaataa is considered one of the godfathers of hip-hop for his formation of the Almighty Zulu Nation and the fusing of all elements of hip-hop: rappers, DJs, breakers and graffiti artists into cultural force. And Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force have inspired a generation of MCs and DJs through their innovative and ground-breaking contributions to hip-hop. Now, therefore, be it known that the council of the city of New York honors MC G.L.O.B.E. of the Soulsonic Force for his remarkable contributions. Signed this 25th day in June, in the year 2003."

Wow. How did that come about?

Well… recognition. Recognition from people like yourself that get the real story.

Especially when you consider that the city didn't exactly start out embracing hip-hop.

True. Well, honestly, we were so into making noise, there was no time for negativity. We just wanted to teach everybody. They say I'm a genius. I invented that MC poppin' thing; I'm the first who ever did that on "Renegades of Funk." And even on "Planet Rock," "all girls don't want to be…" UTFO bit that, but what we said was, "do what you want to, but you know you got to be…" So that genius thing? I'd rather implant my daughter… and my dog, and the rest of the world with that shit, man. I love humans; I have nothing against anyone or anything that's poppin' off right now at all. There's no hate in my heart, no regret. I'm glad that Pow Wow and I had the strength to do what we did.

Man, shit! We took what we had across the bridge to Bambaataa! On our side of town, there was Flash and Theodore and Breakout and names you never heard of but are always huge in my heart.

So what compelled you to link up with Bambaataa as opposed to someone more in your circles.

Pow Wow. I wanted to be down with the Funky Four Plus One because we all grew up together. It was really me, KK, and Keith Caesar… Rodney and Jeff came a little later on, but they were down. KK and I were in the boy scouts together. The first time he told me he could flip, I was like, "what are you talkin' about? You can't jump!" That nigga went outside with his combat boots off! We were having our boy scout meeting held in St. John's Lutheran church, and he went outside and proved that shit to me. From that point on, me and KK were the best of friends. He broke my fingers sparring in karate class - I was taking Judo; he was taking karate - we would teach each other what we knew, B-boying, all that shit.

So by the time he got to New Jersey, for Sugar Hill, they didn't know who the fuck they were fuckin' with! We were like dreams, man, like little entities that were programmed to do incredible things.

So, what happened that you weren't on the Funky Four's records and all?

Well, what happened was The Funky Four was complete. Those were KK's words exactly. Now, remember, I'm talking about someone who used to spend the night at my house, I spent the night at his house, we'd go to the gym together, he'd flip around… he was the star. G.L.O.B.E. has always been chubby, ok. But you gotta see me now. (Laughs)

So, ok, KK and I were real close. And it got to the point where my skills were retarded. So, I said, ok, I wanna be down with the Funky and he said, The Funky is complete. I was heartbroken. So Pow Wow and I were boys. And I knew Pow Wow was down with Bam and Soulsonic. I met Pow Wow through his sister, who was this woman everybody wanted to holler at her. I was like, nah, I don't even know this little girl. I was always an entity that was positive. Because if you're negative, they'll eventually get rid of you, but if you're positive, you'll be around forever. So she would see me, say hi, and I would think, this little girl is trying to holler at my ass. So one day we sat down and talked. She said, "My brother's name is Pow Wow." I said Pow Wow? I heard of him. Take me upstairs and introduce me to him.

From there, Pow Wow taught me how to dance. He showed me mad B-boy moves. Pow Wow was the best B-boy I ever seen in my life. Ask anybody: ask Crazy Legs… Wiggles is my family, he taught me, Fable taught me. I could dance my ass off, too; I just don't. So Pow Wow said, why don't you come across and be down with Soulsonic Force? That's across the bridge. That's like going to Jersey, you know? So I said, ah fuck it, I'll go.

So I went and it was Bambaataa and Biggs in the cafeteria of Bronx River Center. And at the time, he didn't mean nothing to me, you know what I'm saying? I heard about you Bam; I heard you the master of records and all of that, blah blah blah. So they asked me to spit and I spit. Ok, there were 8 MCs in Soulsonic Force at that time. When I finished spittin', there was only 3, me Pow Wow and Biggs.

And what about your name? Is it really an acronym, or is it from how you spelled it out in your verses, or…?

It depends on the moment. So it is an acronym, it has many different meanings.

Did it start out that way, though?

My initial reason for spelling it out that way was for the articles. Whatever article that came out, Billboard or whatever was poppin', I would buy it. And I wanted my name to be bigger than everybody else's on the paper, so I asked them to use capital letters and dots in between. Then the questions came: what does it mean? Shit. But it can mean: God Loves Our Black Entertainers. It could mean: Good Lookin' Out… (laughs) It depends on the time. But I like the fact how everybody started spelling their shit out, too, man. It's crazy how they bit my shit like that. That's sick, ain't it?

So, when we went down to Sugar Hill, the song we were supposed to record for Sylvia was called, "The Gift of Life." And they had me go in there, let's hear what it sound like. And I didn't know I was under a microscope; I was like 18, 17 years old. I spit this rhyme about a king and a queen. And the next thing I knew "It's Good To Be the King" came out! Ok, so we all knew, my family, Bam and all them. You went in there for a test, spit some shit, and they made records off of that. And Nate Robinson produced that one. Now, no bad talk against them. After "Pillow Talk," I have no problems with that lady.

So we went out there, our record never came out. We didn't record it, so of course that never happened. I don't know why they… I guess they didn't fuck with us because of Zulu Nation. 'Cause everybody else they fuckin' robbed! Flash, Spoonie, Funky, Sequence, Sugar Hill Gang, everybody got robbed.

Well, Pow Wow was saying you recorded a track or two that didn't come out? "Rhythm of Life…"

With Fats Comet?

Well, I think… They're usually credited as The Sugar Hill Band.

Yeah, that's Fats Comet. Make sure you put that in there: Keith, Doug, Skip… that's Fats Comet. Well, "Who You Think You're Funkin' With" was the name of one song. "What Time Is It?" That was with Keith. We did a couple of them. I knew Duke Bootee. He loved G.L.O.B.E., 'cause he knew if we ever collaborated, shit would happen. And it was like the same thing with Def Jam. I was approached my Russell and D at the Roxy, and he was like, "yo, why don't you get down? And these niggas is so and so." That's my family; I ain't goin' nowhere! So Tommy Boy gave me "Play That Beat" with Whiz, God rest his soul.

Yeah, I definitely wanted to get into your solo records… not just "Play That Beat," but like "Get Ridiculous," and "The Millions…"

That was with my dude Steve… You know about that record? That's deep. Holy cow! Oh my god, I went in on that! And there was the Two Sisters, the New Edition album, Jenny Burton on Atlantic, Nairobi…

How did that Two Sisters one come about?

Phone call from Sugarscoop to Tommy Boy. We need that bad boy on one of our joints. Yeah, have him come to the studio, cut him a check and that's it.

So you didn't know the Two Sisters at all?

Nah, but they were cute as Hell. Yo, man, we did it in an orchestrated studio! On 13th St; it was an orchestra studio. It was huge. And these two ladies were standin' there behind one microphone. What was my dude's name? He was real cool with me. Anyway, he said, yo G.L.O.B.E., scribe up some shit. I said erll I already got that, just let me get in there and spit some shit. So they let me in there… by myself, this big room, behind the mic and I spit some shit. Whew! Cuties, though…

And one I wanted to ask about specifically was "Get Ridiculous." You worked with Ralph Rolle on that…

Ralph Rolle lived in Bronx River. And I went to an outreach program, 'cause I was a little delinquent. Still graduated high school, but I wanted to do something, so I went to outreach, and he was one of the teachers. And once he found out who I was, from tearin' the fuckin' block up so many times. He lived right there, and the center was right next to his building, and our voices would bounce of those buildings like nobody's business. Ralph was cool; he was a percussionist. I don't know where he is now, but we were very close. He discovered the genius and shit; he always used to tell me how to do my thing.

But we did "Get Ridiculous," we did a song called "Crunch…" we did like three songs. But only one of them really was presented; that was on Body Rock. As far as unreleased songs… there's a slew of other things with Easy LG, the cut man. Shit that never came out, and we still got it. I own that.

Before we end this, I want to ask about what you're doing these days, or what you're planning.

Everybody has a talk: what they gonna do, what they wanna do… But when you build up an arson that is so heavy you outdo everybody else, that's what it is. That's why the United States is the greatest country in the world - 'cause we got mad arson. God forbid if we run out of ammo! (Laughs). So the music brings the money to the country.

What do you think about Rage Against the Machine?

I've never really been a fan…

Ok, well, what do you think of a band taking a hip-hop lyric and doing it over like that?

In cases like that, I'd usually rather just listen to the originals.

[Rage covered "Renegades of Funk" and made it the title cut of their 2000 album.]
Damn. Why you wanna bite me?

Well, it is a classic, though.

Yeah. Like the Black Eyed Peas, straight raping Soulsonic Force, man. They might as well just blindfold us, take us away and fucked us, as much as they been stealing our shit. That "boom, boom, boom" that's 2007 and that's "Perfect Beat"'s break. I know the whole story; I know what's going on. I'm not stupid. I'm gonna use the words someone used today. She said, you're still above ground, you're still on the ground. Period. So guys like you, doing your damn thing, put it out there. Tell the truth. Just make sure your name is on there. And if they need confirmation… huh! We don't lie. Fuck that, no lies.

Well, it has been a very incredible evening for you sir. You have spoken to somebody... wow, everybody wants to be like. Everybody. That's crazy, but it's true. (Laughs) And I want big ass capital letters and dots in between, please, sir. I mean it.