Return of the Devil's Cash In

The latest of many posthumous Big L albums, Return Of the Devil's Son bills itself as a "brand new album with 21-unreleased songs." That's a pretty bold statement considering it... isn't. Let's break it down song-by-song, and then we'll come back to sum up and see how it compares to the many other Big L compilation albums.

Are these unreleased tracks genuinely [UNRELEASED], [OLD] previously released stuff, or just some readily available [FREESTYLES]s?

1. Return Of the Devil's Son [OLD] 1:46 - This isn't actually a properly recorded song even, but a clip from a live performance with Big L kicking an alternate verse for "Devil's Son." Specifically it's taken from a CD Sandbox used to sell called Live From Amsterdam, and it was also released as "Live in Amsterdam" and "Devil's Son (Europe Version)" from those Harlem's Finest releases.

2. Devil's Son From Lifestylez [OLD] 4:00 - This one was included on the initial, promo version of L's debut album (though at least this one admits it in the title), but it was more popularly available as a 12" single, which I reviewed here.

3. Zone Of Danger [OLD] 3:39 - The first of many (intentionally?) garbled titles on this album; "Zone of Danger" is actually a remix of "Danger Zone" by J-Love that was one of his "exclusives" a few years ago. At least this version doesn't have J-Love's vocal tags over it... I'm not sure if this was ever released anywhere without the tags on it, so that's nice.

4. Sandman 118 [FREESTYLE] 2:55 - This is an old freestyle off one of Sandman's 12"s from 1995, where it was originally titled "L's Big Freestyle."

5. School Days [OLD] 3:15 - Another one from the promo version of Lifestylez Ov da Poor & Dangerous, and later on vinyl on the Uptown Connection LP and various other vinyl boots.

6. Principal Of the New School [OLD] 3:54 - This one's from Lord Finesse's Rare Selections vol. 2 EP.

7. Unexpected [OLD] 3:36 - This is "Unexpected Flava," also from Lord Finesse's Rare Selections vol. 2 EP.

8. Tony's Touch [FREESTYLE] 1:55 - An old freestyle. On 2009's Harlem's Greatest compilation album, this was titled "139," and "Tony Touch '139'" on the Harlem's Finest vinyl from 2001.

9. Right To the Top Feat Royal Flush & Kool G. Rap [OLD] 3:27 -This is the one with the big name guest stars they hype in their press releases, but I hope you didn't get too excited, because it's really just the song "Double Up" masquerading under a new title... Remember that old Royal Flush 12" I blogged about here?

10. Once Again [OLD] 3:31 - This one's been on mixtapes (perhaps most notably by J-Love) for years. ...I'm actually not sure where it first debuted, but it's really just another remix of recycled material anyway, as the vocals are from "On the Mic" (which were also recycled for "Size 'Em Up" on The Big Picture... these rhymes have seen many a repackaging!).

11. Harlem World Universal [Freestyle] 1:22 - This was called "Universal Freestyle" on Harlem's Finest and 139 & Lenox.

12. I Won't [OLD] 4:01 - This is "How Will I Make It" from that Harlem's Finest vol. 2 EP.

13. Hard To Kill [FREESTYLE] 2:11 - This old freestyle was titled "Stretch and Bobbito '93" on Harlem's Finest.

14. Power Moves [OLD] 4:01 - More sneaky retitling... This is the song "Now Or Never" that's been on other recent Big L compilation albums like The Archives and 139 & Lenox.

15. If You Not Aware [OLD] 3:45 - Retitling of "Games Females Play" from The Archives, 139 & Lenox, etc.

16. I Should Have Used [OLD] 4:26 - This is really the song "Clinic," although it's been previously released on vinyl under this title as well.

17. Doo Wop #5 [FREESTYLE] 1:31 - Obviously a Doo Wop freestyle. This one was titled "Doo Wop 'My Niggaz'" when it was released on the Harlem's Finest wax.

18. Yes You Can [OLD] 3:55 - This is just "Hit It" (which you can find on The Archives album) under another fake title.

19. Audition [FREESTYLE] 4:48 - This was titled "Rock N Will Audition" on Harlem's Finest.

20. M.C.'s Whats Going On [OLD] 3:46 - A mistitling of "I Can't Understand It (Original Demo Version)" from Lord Finesse's Rare Selections vol 3 EP.

21. Slaying the Mic [FREESTYLE] 1:53 - And we conclude with one more old, retitled freestyle... you'll remember it as "Kay Slay Freestyle" from Harlem's Finest.

Oh, look at that! Not a single one of these songs actually got an [UNRELEASED] tag! And just to clarify, even the FREESTYLES are all OLD. This compilation does have the dubious distinction of throwing a lot of misinformation into the Big L fandom, though, by mistitling a lot of its songs to make it appear as though a lot of its content was new. You can't even say, "oh well, this is old stuff, but at least it's their first appearance on vinyl," because this was CD only.

There's really no distinction in sound quality between this and any of the past posthumous albums, so if you wanna pick one of these posthumous compilation albums up, I'd recommend 139 & Lenox on wax instead. Return Of the Devil's Son really has the least going for it of any of these albums (and did I mention it's a pack of lies?).

The quality is going down, not up, folks! ...Maybe it's time to stop releasing these things?

Check Amper Rock Out, Baby

"Generating my fan base on mixtapes in NYC, undergrounder surfaced, blessed by R-E-D."

What we have here is a rare, single-sided, promo-only 12" of one of the great exclusive joints from Red Alert's mixtapes that he released over the years on Next Plateau Records. Specifically it's King Amper Rock's "Check me Out Baby" on Not Productions (the label's only release, catalog # NOT-001). There's no date on the label, but smart money would put it right around the same year as Red Alert's album on which it appears, making it 1996.

This is exciting first of all because it's a great song. The mix of funky, old school conga drums with dark, atmospheric samples is pure New York. And so is Amper Rock, with a voice and flow reminiscent of Lord Finesse, with just a slightly rougher edge. Lyrically, he's just focused on some light flow flexing and representing where he's from - Uptown, emphasized by the DJ cutting up the phrase "Uptown style" on the hooks. The DJ is uncredited, but production credit is given to Big Will, a producer who did a lot in the late 90's/early 2000's, often with partner Heathcliff.

This is more exciting because, since Red Alert's albums -even though they were pressed on wax - were mixed. As anyone who's longed for a proper version of Ultramagnetic's "Bait" on 12", with it's final verse can tell you, a good mixtape can be an affecting musical experience in and of itself, but it's far from a definitive way to enjoy a song you're a fan of. So only with this 12" can you hear it play through properly.

And it's exciting because this 12" has an exclusive remix. Actually, it has three, but the other two are just minor variations of the one. Basically you've the LP Version, which is the one you know from Red Alert Presents... Then you've got the Party Remix, which is practically a completely different song. The beat's a bit familiar, but it's completely different than the LP Version, even darker and smoother, with no scratching. And more than that, it's a complete lyrically remix as well! All three verses have been swapped out with three new, completely different verses. It's essentially a whole new song, with only the cue to "check me out, baby" on the hook carrying over from the original.

And even that similarity is stripped from the Harlem On the Rise Version. This one's the same as the Party Remix except that the hook has been replaced with a softer, "Uptown's gettin' money" hook, which was heard briefly as the intro to the Party Remix. So now there's really no connection to the original left at all. And interestingly, by the way, the label has an asterisk marked after this version, with nothing else on the label suggesting what that asterisk is supposed to mean. I expect it's there because this new hook is being provided by somebody other than Amper Rock (the voice does sound different) and they intended to credit him somewhere on the label, but then forgot.

Anyway, finally is the Party Remix - Radio Edit. This one's exactly what you'd expect: the Party Remix with the few curse words censored.

So, all in all, this is a pretty hot 12" with more exclusive material than you might think. And it's a nice display of a talented MC representing Harlem who should've gone on to a lot more. Amper Rock has stayed in the game for years (and an unreleased demo I found of his from 1998 shows some of his unrealized potential), but unfortunately, this was his only record. So seek it out; it's worth it.

Constant Utopia

Since they started doing interviews, The Constant Deviants have told people that they had two full, unreleased albums recorded: one from '95-'96, and one from '97-'99. This one, Concrete Utopia, is the '95 one and it's pressed and available now on double vinyl from Six 2 Six Records.

Like I wrote in my review of their "Problem Child" 12", their music has a real understated feel to. Nothing flashy, just smooth samples, fresh cuts for hooks, and a mellow flow from M.I.C. There's no party or danceable stuff on here, nothing remotely pop, and barely any guests. Only One Speaker Supreme appears on "Violence Interlude," which is pretty much a fresh single verse freestyle over a cool, atmospheric beat.

But that's not to say there aren't any surprises to be found. For starters, the album starts out with an uber-serious song on the horrors of war.

"If I get home, will I remember this?
Medics bag the body, send their names through the system.
My man got hit: grenade victim.
I'm laid in the cut,
Watchin' tears droppin'.
Me and him got drafted in.
Everybody else laughin';
To them, he died for his country.
I wanna know:
Would the president die for me?"

Concrete Utopia is a perfectly preserved time capsule of the mid-90's scene, so it does have more similes and generic punchlines than it needs: "I blow up spots like Cambodians," "I cut throats like Mexicans," etc etc. But being that it's a time capsule, it makes it almost as endearing as much as it's a drawback. And the quality production definitely smooths over any lyrical bumps the songs have. And DJ Cutt kills it on every single song! Really, at the end of the day, the smooth, head-nodding vibes and Cutt's masterful work are what I take away from every moment on this album. If this is your kind of hip-hop, you're gonna love this, because it's a consistently exemplary example.

And this is all unreleased, unheard material. "Problem Child" and their other singles are not on here. There is an exclusive remix of their debut 12", "Competition Catch Speedknots," though.

This is limited to 300 copies, which... for a double LP in a picture cover is barely any higher than the standard cost of a new album. If you've been a fan of Constant Deviants indie 12"s and radio rips, waiting for their shelved material to finally come out... or if you're just appreciative of the subtler, smarter side of 90's hip-hop, then this is absolutely it. The sound quality is top notch, and the music lives up to expectations. And it's still available (click here), so don't miss out. You'll want to support, too, because Six 2 Six have a lot more in their vaults that we'd all love to see follow in Concrete Utopia's footsteps.

One Man, One Hundred Dollars and a

I can remember when I first saw Stinky Dink's tape in the stores as a kid. I didn't know who he was and I laughed at his name (Urban Dictionary defines a stinky dink as, "a half-expose turd log that is so large it can be used like a cock." Go look it up yourself if you want to read how it can also be used as a verb). The fact that he appended his name twice on the cover (to Stinky Dink (The Rickety Raw) A Rapper Named Hawk) just made it more absurd. But Stinky Dink was actually an important figure in Washington DC scene of go-go hip-hop, performing with the likes of DC Scorpio and Rare Essence. And this was his hit record, "One Track Mind" on East 11305 Records.

The hook, "one man, one hundred dollars and a one-track mind!" is fun and memorable. Stinky Dink was no lyrical wizard, but he's got a good voice and rocks well over a fresh go-go beat, plus he sounds more like a real rapper than just a shouting DJ like, say, DJ Kool. He does have a penchant for forced, contrived rhymes: "kiss a few cheeks, females suck a few deeks, like these movie star freaks and you'll reach your peaks." At another point he also pronounces "gentle" as "gentile" just to fit the rhyme.

One of the most notable things about this song, though, is its use of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" sample. It uses the same piece and in the same way, bringing it in for the hook just like Large Professor did on "It Ain't Hard To Tell." But needless to say, this was years before Nas's Illmatic... this is where they jacked it from!

So, this single features three tracks in addition to the main version of "One Track Mind." First we'll look at the b-side, "The Rickety Raw Revenge." This is similar in tone to "One Track Mind"... both of course have go-go beats, and you could swap any of Stinky's verses from one song, stick it on the other, and it'd fit right in. It's a totally different song, mind you, just in the same vein. However, about midway through the song, another MC pops up to take over mic duties, a guy named Katoe. The music also has a bit more of a live feel, with a lot of hype horns.

Then you've got two remixes of "One Track Mind," both of which are substantially long... one is 8 minutes and fourteen seconds, and the other is six fifty. The reason they're so long is because they both merge "One Track Mind" with "The Rickety Raw Revenge" into one, longer monster jam. The "Hype Mix" is essentially just that... the two songs pasted and together, blended to smooth the transition. But then the "Radio Mix," the one you'd expect to stand out the least, actually changes the music... it's still essentially the same but replayed, with harder beats and they even replay the Michael Jackson riff louder and more dynamic.

"One Track Mind" was a big record in its small pond, but it never crossed over to the mainstream (personally, I blame the Stinky Dink moniker). He's still been a fixture in the scene, though, doing appearances on other DC artists' songs and even dropped his own record in 2003 called "Chic At the Bar." And just this past summer, in 2010, he's been a very public figure. He's been doing popular and controversial campaign songs for Washington mayor Adrian Fenty's re-election campaign. He first dropped "Five for Fenty," a play on The Luniz' "I Got Five On It." Click here to listen to it and read some reactions... be sure to read through the comments for some amusing confusion from non-hip-hop heads over what the phrase "I got five on it" means. Then, more recently, he recorded and made a video for "Oh You Fenty Huh" which is of course a play on Drake's "Fancy." Granted, Fenty just lost that election; but I hope Stinky Dink doesn't let that discourage him.

E-40 & The Click Week: Day 6: The Prequel!

(Youtube version is here.)

See you guys in 2011!

E-40 & The Click Week: Day 5: The Mail Men

The Mail Man was the one. Federal, Down & Dirty, Mr. Flamboyant, Let's Slide... all impressive, indie albums, but The Mail Man is E-40's masterpiece. Of course, it had the epic lead single, which even added the concept of "Captain Save A Hoe" to the lexicons of New York heads, and has forever immortalized "the package deal down there at, uh, Cellular One." hehe But it also featured the dramatic imagery of "Bring the Yellow Tape" and while other gangsters would die if a crack showed in the shield of their bravado, 40 glibly turned the confession "I got a mirror in my pocket and I practice lookin' hard" into a hit song.

For me, though, even more than "Captain Save A Hoe," the signature tune was "Neva Broke." With it's live production and throwback vocoder hook (a concept MC 900 Ft Jesus jacked and used for his big MTV hit a few months later), the tune was immediately addictive. But all that only served to showcase E-40's stand-out mic skills, with his fluctuating delivery and raw street rhymes. I mean, even though NWA and such had been around for years, a verse about tying up a man's wife and making him watch him rape her was still shocking in '94, especially when he goes on to add, "now folks remember, I'm skanless and I'm anti-fuckless. I carry diseases such as Herpes." Who says shit like that? Only E-40! Then as he cheerfully sings (not raps, sings), "I need a flathead screwdriver but a butter knife will do," it's just one of the illest, rawest narrative verses about crime in hip-hop history, and I'd stand it right alongside anything by G Rap, Raekwon or Slick Rick. That's The Mail Man.

"But jeez, Werner, don't tell us it's the same story again?" Yes, I'm afraid so. Based off of the success of "Captain Save a Hoe," Jive signed E-40 and picked up his EP, The Mail Man and released it first. Then Sick Wid' It put it out independently and removed some songs... wait. What is this? Bizzaro World?

Apparently! The Sick Wid' It version has six songs and is dated 1995, and the Jive version has eight tracks and is dated 1994. Part of this can be explained away, more or less. The Sick Wid' It EP is just plain dated wrong. I know because I bought these when they were new, and I remember then that it was dated into the future. I have no idea why, but I'm pretty sure they both came out in 1994 (or even late '93 for the original), and it's on the success of the 6-song Sick Wid' It version (and the single, amusing titled "Captain Save Them Thoe"), that Jive reissued it that same year. The really surprising part is just that Jive didn't mess it up like they did all the other Click albums they reissued. Instead they actually added tracks!

Not that the new tracks are anything to get too excited about. One of them, the "Captain Save a Hoe (Remix)" is really just the clean version ("you wanna kill me 'cause I tossed yo chick"). And the other track, "Ballin' Outta Control," is at least a proper song into itself - and it was an exciting exclusive at the time, with an attention-getting hook by Levitti - but Jive later wound up including it on E's 1998 album, The Element of Surprise.

By the way, a quick interjection: the Sick Wid' It CD also lists eight songs, including two that might first appear to be exclusives: "Real Shit" and "Playa Hater." But these are really just the otherwise uncredited intro and outro skits that are featured on every version of The Mail Man... nothing to get excited about.

So yeah... there's really no clear winner here. The original is cool to own just because it's the original. But the reissue no different, content-wise; and the extras, while nothing special, are still a bit of added value. And that's the way reissues should work. And really, if Jive could only get one album right, at least they chose the masterpiece not to screw up. Whichever version you have, you can't lose. 8)

E-40 & The Click Week: Day 4, Tryin' To Get a Fuck and Get Up

Before we get started, I would just like to point out that five - count 'em, five - songs on this album begin with one dude askin' another dude, "what's up?" I find that impressive, because I believe it was unintentional. I mean, I don't think he kept asking "what's up" by accident. I just don't think anyone involved with the production of this album at any point noticed how much the "what's up" intros were piling up, to the point where it's funny in an absurdist kind of way. Anyway, if you can't tell from the title or the picture, the album I'm talking about today is B-Legit the Savage's debut album, Tryin' To Get a Buck.

If you've read my past entries this week, you already know the story even if you don't already know the story. B-Legit released his debut on Sick Wid' It Records (in 1994) and upon The Click's major label signing, Jive rereleased it (in 1995). Now, if you bought this album concerned you weren't sure how B-Legit would fare on his own without The Click's resident wunderkind to back him up, you needn't have been concerned, because E-40 appears on a full six songs on this album (that's even more than how many songs he has saying "what's up!").

But let's cut to the crux of the matter. The question at the forefront of our minds isn't whether B-Legit is able to release a quality album on his own merits (though he is), the question is what the Hell did Jive do the album this time? And actually, the answer is not so much.

...At least, when compared to the major changes to Federal or the complete devastation of Down & Dirty. Nothing's been remixed here... I mean, yeah, "Daily Routine" is different and inferior to the version first featured on Down & Dirty, but it's the same across both versions of Tryin' To Get a Buck. Jive can't be blamed for that alteration, except for the fact that they opted to remove the original from The Click album. No, Jive had no songs altered here for the better or worse. They only removed one song.

Fuuuck. Yes, once again, the internationally distributed major label release was flawed and the original is the definitive one you should've gotten but probably didn't. So which song did they remove?

"Fuck and Get Up," which is one of my favorites on the album. I mean, it's probably not my very favorite - I think that still goes to "B-Legit" which makes fantastic use of "Eazy Duz It" on the hook, and creates an anthem out of the guy's name (always a smart move if you can pull it off). And "Dank Game" is kinda fun, but sort of ruined once you realize the keyboardist is just playing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" throughout the song. No, if "Fuck and Get Up" isn't my favorite, it's the definite runner-up...

See, one of the drawbacks with this album is that B-Legit has a low-key flow... which is good in general, 'cause the crew doesn't need two E-40's. But when he's on his own, his albums can feel a little lethargic. That's worsened when his production is that slow, keyboard heavy kinda g-funk stuff that's all over this album. But "Fuck and Get Up" breaks that stagnancy. The concept is simple and aims low, but it works as a song, and while the music's emphasis is still on hardcore funk like the rest of the album, it's also got some serious bounce to it. And though B-Legit more than adequately carries the bulk of the song and proves he could do it perfectly well by himself, his cousin Little Bruce drops by and kicks a final verse. And, after all, any additional voice is a welcome one on this album. So, bottom line: this song is catchy.

...So of course Jive got rid of it. This makes the original once again the definitive version to own, but unlike the previous cases, there's no reason for even hardcore fans to pick up the rerelease, because there's nothing new or unique about that Tryin' To Get a Buck. All it's doing is missing a song.

Oh, and yes. "Fuck and Get Up" starts out with B-Legit asking his friends "what's up?"

E-40 & The Click Week: Day 3, Watered Down & Dirty

If you thought what Jive did to Federal was bad (and you were right; it was), wait'll we get into what they did to The Click's debut full-length, Down & Dirty. Like Federal, Down & Dirty was released before E-40 blew up with "Captain Save a Hoe" - specifically, 1993. And like Federal, Jive picked it up and rereleased it (in 1995), but only after making some drastic and somewhat baffling decisions.

Just to give you an idea of how much damage was done: the original Down & Dirty was 18 songs long. Well... at least the cassette version was. The vinyl version shaved off a few to fit onto a single LP. But the reissue is only 11 songs long; that's seven gone missing! What's more, even some of the songs they kept were completely remixed. You have to ask, how much of the album does that even leave after all that tinkering and slashing? I mean, heck, seven songs is almost an album onto itself.

Let's break it down song by song, shall we?

1. Let's Get Drunk - REMIXED - Let's be fair to the remixes. They don't all suck and this isn't a case of every remixed song being ruined. I prefer the original, though, because for some reason the sampled hook plays as funnier, and that's key to this song.

2. On a Mission - REMIXED - This version is actually funkier than the original though, with some cool old school horn samples.

3. Ballers - REMOVED - But it's just a skit, so no great loss.

4. Street Life - REMIXED - Adds elements including a muzak-like flute to the already already over-produced retread of the original "Street Life."

5. Mic Check - REMIXED - The big, overbearing keyboards are the same on both, but this was lacks the funky, rolling piano that Marley Marl used on "We Write the Songs." Boo!

6. Mr. Flamboyant - LEFT INTACT - Though if you're in the market for an alternate version of this song, remember the Mr. Flamboyant EP has a slightly stripped down version.

7. Tramp Dogs - LEFT INTACT - And this is one they easily could've removed, since it's also featured on B-Legit's first album, under the title "Dank Room." That deletion would make sense, but nooo... they had to pull the plug on the songs coming up instead.

8. Old School - REMIXED - And the original is more fun with Malcolm McLaren scratches and stuff throughout.

9. The Shit That Will Fuck Up Your Brain - LEFT INTACT

10. She Was Only 16 - LEFT INTACT

11. Tired Of Being Stepped On - LEFT INTACT - Three songs left alone in a row? Hey, maybe Jive didn't do such a hatchet job after all...

12. Sohabs - REMOVED - ...Oh never mind. Here goes one of the better songs, with a funky beat, flute, and the only appearance by Click member Suga T. It's also an early example of E & The Click introducing the world to their unique slang, which has become a signature of theirs.

13. Daily Routine - REMOVED - A slow, deep and funky solo joint by B-Legit. One of the best songs on the album. Now, I hear what a few of you fans are thinking, "but, Werner, this was on B-Legit's album, too; so who cares?" Yeah, but unlike "Tramp Dogs"/ "Dank Room," this version is completely remixed. And furthermore, it's much better here. Argh, Jive, what were you thinking!?

14. Clicks Concert - LEFT INTACT - But it's just a 15 second skit, so who cares?

15. Porno Star - REMOVED - Holy shit! They removed "Porno Star?" Damn, I love this song! Now I really feel sorry for the people who got the Jive version ...which, remember, was most people.

16. Party In the V-Town - REMOVED - Like the Mr. Flaboyant songs I mentioned, this one adds some fun energy to The Click's catalog, and the horn sample is like something out of The $% King catalog (ok, it probably IS right out of his catalog). I'd really miss this one from the album.

17. You Fucked Up When You Slammed My Motha - REMOVED - Damn, that's it. I don't know wha Jive released, but it isn't Down & Dirty. The Jive version is just some kind of sampler EP or something... it just can't be Down & Dirty anymore.

18. Let's Side - REMOVED - A bevy of funky old samples, fresh scratches and a playful delivery by E-40. This was the title cut of their debut EP and still one of their greatest hits. Sigh...

Flat out, if you don't have the original version of Down & Dirty, you don't have Down & Dirty. Jive straight up decimated this album, releasing only a fraction of what once was. Hell, they completely excised Suga T... I'm surprised they didn't blur out her image on the album cover. Still, the remixes are at least pretty decent - like I said, I think "On a Mission" is actually better on the second version, and I could see people preferring the original "Let's Get Drunk" if that's the one they were first introduced to. So, for hardcore fans, I'd actually recommend picking up both. But there's simply no question which version gets top priority.

E-40 & The Click Week: Day 2: Mr. Flamboyant Himself

You know how I said, yesterday, that fans might be confused by seeing a "Tanji II" on what was ostensibly being presented as a debut album? Well, I'm not gonna front. Back in the early 90's, I was confused by it, too. If Federal was E-40's debut album, even before he signed to a major label, where the heck was "Tanji" part one?

It wasn't until years later I discovered the answer to that was a rare, earlier debut called Mr. Flamboyant, released on Sick Wid' It Records back in 1991. The label actually credits it to "E-40 and the Click" on one spot, and just "The Click" on another; but hardly anybody raps on any of these songs except E-40 himself (B-Legit is credited, but he only speaks briefly between 40's verses on the one song). So, though The Click does share production credit, it is essentially a solo EP.

Now, granted, the title cut was also included on The Click's debut album, Down and Dirty, from 1993; so odds are that you've already got the song... This version is a bit different, though. It has more of a raw, demo-ish feel here. It doesn't have that intro with E singing, "yeah, I'm just a hustler..." over sleigh bells, and it doesn't have all the vocal samples that appear on the later version. But musically and lyrically, it's pretty identical, so the differences are essentially academic. Not so exciting, even if this one came first. But the rest of the EP consists of all original songs, unique to this EP. So now it's got your attention, huh?

Now, first of all, what songs you get depends which version of Mr. Flamboyant you get. As you can see, I have the vinyl version, so I get four songs, including the title track. If I had gotten the cassette version, I would've gotten three songs (including the title track) plus the instrumental for "Mr. Flamboyant." So you have to choose between a song called "Shut It Down" or the instrumental. Oddly enough, though, both versions fill space by putting the songs "Tanji" and "Club Hoppin'" twice, once on side A and once on side B. There's no difference between them, side B doesn't have instrumental mixes or clean versions... they just stuck the same songs on twice. Strange, but there you have it.

Now to "Tanji." Interestingly, "Tanji" is a short (minute and a half), single verse song, that's actually - lyrically speaking - contained entirely within "Tanji II" from Federal. The first verse from "Tanji II" is the single verse in this "Tanji"... that's why the first verse of "Tanji II" ends with "stay tuned for the next episode." It makes more sense when it's the end of the song and promising a sequel. So, anyway, the verse is the same but the music is completely different... it's got what I think are opera samples mixed with old school bells and stuff. It's kinda crazy, but works and goes with his flow and story. I'm not sure if it's better than "Tanji II," because I'm a big fan of that one... but I'd say they're both about equal, just different.

There's more old school samples on "Club Hoppin'," like the horns or whatever that sound is from "Cinderfella Dana Dane." This whole EP has a more classic hip-hop vibe to it. I guess you could say that's because it's older, so of course it sounds older. But I think E and his producers were just coming more from a place of respecting the golden age traditions on this EP, at least in the music... his flow here is still pretty cutting edge/ out there, after all.

Both "Club Hoppin'" and "Shut It Down" are very up-beat party songs. "Shut It Down" uses a little more P-funk, but they're both very 80's rap dance songs. E-40 does still kick more game than your average pop MC: "one day, moms gonna get a call, 'wouldja wouldja wouldja come identify your son?'" But this is like the NWA equivalent to "Something 2 Dance 2" rather than "Fuck the Police." Me, I always like "Something 2 Dance 2" a lot, and think it provides some much needed energy to their catalog... and I think the music on this EP works the same way for E-40. But if you really want one type of song and one type of song only from your gangsta rappers, this might be too far removed from the formula for your tastes.

E-40 & The Click Week: Day 1, A Federal Case

It's been ages since I've done a "week," huh? Well, I think this should be a fun one... Instead of boring top tens and "year in review" retrospectives, we're gonna ride out the last week of 2010 examining the music of E-40 and The Click.

I don't think I've mentioned E much on this blog, if at all (except for my awesome interview with the man, of course); but I've always been a fan. He's like the perfect blend between the lofty, artistic end of west coast hip-hop with his inventive, off-the-wall delivery and streetwise gangsta rap with an air of first-hand knowledge. The Good Life movement meets NWA.

And Federal was his major label debut. One of the songs on that album, "Drought Season" remains one of my favorite 40 songs of all time, with him and his cousin Kaveo spitting tongue-twisting game over a retooled version of Whodini's "One Love." Federal was originally released on his own label, Sick Wid' It Records, in 1992. But after the success of his single "Captain Save a Hoe," Jive didn't just sign E-40 and his crew, The Click - they also bought and redistributed most of their back catalog. So in 1994, Federal was rereleased, reaching a mass audience for the first time. But unfortunately for them, Jive gave them an inferior version.

There are some superficial changes to the artwork and the sequencing... "Carlos Rossi" originally appeared early on the album; but on the Jive version, it's tucked all the way towards the end of side 2. But there are far more important, and disappointing, alterations to consider than that type of stuff.

The high energy "Hide-N-Seek," a first person narrative which has E-40 running in fear from the police. It features a classic old school horn sample married with hard drums and this piercing keyboard sound, giving the song a discordant, anxious vibe, mirroring 40's panic. At least it does on the original. On Jive's Federal, all that music has been removed and replaced with a much calmer, relaxed beat with soft vibes and some very g-funk keys. It's not bad, but it absolutely fails to replicate the fast-paced adrenaline rush of the original version. It would've been more fitting for a nice story of how E-40 met a girl he liked, rather than a high-speed chase.

Speaking of a story about how E-40 met a girl he liked, how about "Tanji II?" Don't remember that one? That's because Jive pulled it off their version of the album completely. This is really unfortunate, because, after "Drought Season," it's my favorite moment of Federal. It's got E-40 kicking an unusual, high speed, start-and-stop flow with a fun, stuttering hook "T-T-T-T-Tanji; I picked her up at a house party. T-T-T-Tanji!" The instrumental, with it's pop guitar samples, is definitely out of the ordinary for any music coming out of the west coast at that time, let alone from The Click's camp. And his word choice has a lot of unexpected humor to it ("radical!" he declares). Unless you got the Jive version, of course, in which case you got nuthin'. I guess they figured audiences being introduced to E-40 for the first time would be confused by the "II" in the title.

And that's not the only missing song either. "Get 'Em Up" is another casualty of Jive's, an almost New York-style cut with a hardcore shouted chorus and freestyle battle rhymes. There's old jazz horns and vocal samples flipped into a rugged rap track you'd expect to hear TR Love rhyming over, rather than anyone from the V. Then there's "Rasta Funky Style," where E-40 joins in the short-lived tradition of the token raggamuffin song MCs used to put on their album. This is the most painless loss, but it's interesting to hear how E-40's unique style and voice marries to reggae - it certainly doesn't sound like anybody else's raggamuffin song. I assume both songs were removed because they featured E-40 trying something different and drifting out of his lane... Jive wanted a gangsta rapper, not a multi-talented artist flexing his versatility. But these songs go a long way to keeping this album from getting dull and "one note."

Given the luxury of an informed decision, I can't see why anybody would choose the 1994 release of Federal over the original '92... though of course I can understand why completists would feel compelled to pick up both, just for the alternate versions of "Hide-N-Seek." But for most people, who were just going to get one Federal, the Jive version just feels like a bit of a rip-off - a trap for the new fan who didn't know enough to hold out for the original. And while I can sort of guess why Jive made the decisions they did (except with "Hide-N-Seek" - I guess they just couldn't clear the sample?), it still just seems stupid... passing off a lot of potential sales of their album to Sick Wid' It's version, which was still out in stores at the same time, after all. Oh well.

An Audio XMas

(Youtube version is here.)