The number of great posse cuts has seemed to dwindle over the years. In the past, the posse cut seemed to be a way to put on others in your crew, or posse, and make the public aware of their talents. Sometimes they were members of the same crew, and sometimes they were other label mates that were, at times, forced onto the same track. The nineties were a big time for such a posse cuts and featured many classic songs.
Some felt a bit forced as the overall talent level began to dwindle, and the posse cut lost it's legitimacy in some ways. I started to dread some of these tracks, because I didn't want to hear so-and-so's third cousin fumble through some lame verse trying to score a deal (which is why some posse cuts existed, in my mind, just to get some dude a record deal).
Anyway, here are a few of my favorites from the nineties and beyond:
Scenario - A Tribe Called Quest feat. Leaders of the New School
This might be the mother of all posse cuts. It’s a testament to how good this song is when you can hear various other songs that sample verses from this song. Basically, every verse is top notch, starting with Phife:
Aiyyo Bo knows this (what?) and Bo knows that (what?)
But Bo don't know jack, cause Bo can't rap
Well whaddya know, the di-dawg, is first up to bat
No batteries included, and no strings attached
No holds barred, no time for move fakin
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon
Brothers front, they say the Tribe can't flow
But we've been known to do the impossible like Broadway Joe so
Sleep if you want, like we'll help you get your z's troop
But here's the real scoop
I'm all that and then some, short dark and handsome
Bust a nut inside your eye, to show you where I come from
I'm vexed, fumin', i've had it up to here
My days of payin dues are over, acknowledge me as in there (yeah)
Head for the border, go get a taco
I'll be wreckin from the jump street, meaning from the get-go
Sit back relax and let yourself go
Don't sweat what you heard, but act like you know
This is also the song that threw Busta Rhymes into the hip-hop stratosphere. After hearing Busta’s verse, most hip-hop heads took notice and his energy was even more evident during live performances.
I also included the remix in the download. The remix is nice, but the original is so good that the remix seemed unnecessary.
Buddy - De La Soul feat. Jungle Brothers and Q-Tip
This is another Native Tongues flavored posse cut and the first time I heard Q-Tip. I think this is the first time I heard of male genitalia referred to as Jimmy, which became a very common term (see Jimmy hat) and they also used Jenny for the ladies. The basic theme of this song is about knockin’ boots.
Buddy (remix):
Bring It On - The Geto Boys (w/ just about everyone on Rap-A-Lot from the mid-90’s)
Man, everyone is on this track. We used to play this song all the time in high school and we had most of the lyrics down. Rap-A-Lot had some damn good MC’s with differing styles. Unfortunately, their LP’s didn’t always live up to their talent, as in the case with Seagram and Gangsta Nip (in my opinion). At over 8 minutes, this is one of the longer posse cuts that I’ve heard, if not the longest.
Rap-A-Lot definitely wasn’t anti-disabled people, as they had a couple little people and a blind, handicapped motherfucker, as that dude (not Devin the Dude, but Rob Quest) from The Odd Squad says in Bring It On.
Save the Children - Nice and Smooth feat. Everlast
This isn’t really a posse cut, per se, but I always liked this song and wanted to add it here because it was always a mystery with me. The title has absolutely nothing to do with any of the lyrics in the song and I have no idea why they decided to call the song Save the Children. The only time they saw anything about the “children” is at the very beginning when, I think Smooth B, says save the children a few times before the song starts.
Everlast starts the track and is followed by Smooth B, which is a sharp contrast in styles, which always amused me as well. That being said, Nice & Smooth were just different than most artists, so they kind of clash in general, but they’ve always been favorites of mine.
Back to the Grill - MC Serch feat. Nasty Nas, Red Hot Lover Tone and Chubb Rock
This song features the first time I heard Nas, before dropping the Nasty, and he kills his verse (This is Nas kid you know how it runs, I’m waving automatic guns at nuns.) That’s just a funny ass line, although, given Nas’s style (especially when he was younger), it wasn’t really meant as humor.
Overall, this is kind of a weird mix of MC’s. Pretty much all of them are bringing some humor here, and are kind of known for a sense of humor and then you have Nas waiving automatic guns at nuns. But, overall it’s a nice track.
Flava in Ya Ear (remix) - Craig Mack feat. LL Cool J, Biggie, Rampage and Busta Rhymes
Craig Mack had a huge hit with the original version, but the remix featured that up-and-coming rapper named The Notorious B.I.G., who Puffy was trying to get on everything he could, which was definitely the correct strategy. Basically, this version has the same beat as the original, but featured a few guest MC’s.
Enjoy the video with LL at the height of his roll-up-one-pant-leg phase:
616 Rewind - CunninLynguists feat. Tonedef, Sankofa, Kashal-Tee and Celph Titled -
Obligatory Posse Cut - Extended Fam feat. CunninLynguists, Jean Grae and more
I wanted to get something a little newer on here. Basically, the next 2 songs here are QN5 related and solid posse cuts. CunninLynguists and a lot of the QN5 peeps like to add humor into their music, so you have a fun track with a nice beat. Celph Titled adds a bit of a contrast with his rougher, masochistic, homophobic verse.
Here are a couple highly quotable verses from 616 Rewind:
Tonedef: From parts of the south so dirty, you’ll want to be given a bath.
Kno: I’m so nice, Mr. Roger’s sued my ass for copy write infringement.
You have a bit of a sequel with Obligatory Posse Cut from Extended Fam’s only LP.
http://www.zshare.net/download/691940954dc2de6b/
11/30/2009
A Tribe Called Quest's Scenario and Other Posse Cuts
11/03/2009
Album Covers
What makes a good album cover? Well, obviously it’s subjective and everyone is going to have there own ideas of what makes good art.
Some of them are made good because of how much you like an artist and may not seem significant to non-fans. A simple picture of the group, or artist, can be special to a fan, but may seem plain to those that aren’t big fans, or even know who that group or artist is.
All of the above being said, here are some that I thought of, mostly off the top of my head, that are great and some that are not. I’m sure I’m missing some that I like or hate, but I had to cut myself short, because this had the potential to really get out of hand.
Great LP Covers
This is a small list of great album covers. I’ll explain a little about the artwork and a quick synopsis of the actual music. I also tried to keep it to one per artist, because some have consistently great artwork and I didn't want to post a 12 page article. Here are some (and I know I’m missing a lot, feel free to share your faves):
The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
Artwork: I like simple, uncluttered stuff. The album artwork is real simple and clean. I always loved this cover featuring a small child (maybe Big’s, maybe Puff’s, I was unable to find this info).
Music: Classic. This LP is an all-around great piece of music, including the intro, which may be one of the best intros ever.
Nas - Illmatic
Artwork: Nas as a child over his childhood home. Again, a pretty simple concept, but a great.
Music: Another classic. Sometimes I think the artwork, or cover, can be seen as even better than it is when the music is so good. I’m not saying that’s the case here, because I really do like the artwork, but great artwork can be seen as even better when the music is on point.
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
Artwork: Man, this is one of my favorites ever. Just the fact that they had all those other dudes on their album was a cool idea to me. For some reason, I thought my CD was green, but all I could find was the above picture and I can’t find my CD right now.
Music: This is my favorite Tribe LP. I mean this is a great LP with some classic tracks (Electric Relaxation, Steve Biko, Award Tour, We Can Get Down, Clap Your Hands, Oh My God). All of those songs could easily be in my top 100 songs of all-time.
Beastie Boys - Check Your Head
Artwork: It’s pretty simple. All their albums have had great artwork, but this is my favorite. This is one where being a huge fan really makes the artwork better. Black and white with the Beasties showing off their respective instruments, which they decided to pick up for this album.
Music: I’m a huge fan and this is my favorite album from them. Just like Tribe, there are a couple different albums that could be considered my favorite at any time. To me, this album is solid all the way through and the instrumentals work well in the flow of this LP. I didn’t quite feel the same way with Ill Communication, but it’s still a great piece of music.
Camp Lo - Uptown Saturday Night
Artwork: This is lame, but I don’t remember what this artwork is an interpolation of. I know the title is from the old movie of the same title, but I feel like the artwork was from something else, maybe Cooley high?
Music: This is definitely one of my favorite albums and I can just listen to it all the way through without skipping a track.
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Artwork: This is just an iconic image for hip-hop heads. If you’re a PE fan, you remember the video for Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos.
Music: “I got a letter from the government the other day, I opened and read it, it said they were suckers.” Great album and arguably the best from PE.
EPMD - Business As Usual
Artwork: I dig this artwork and EPMD is one of my favorite groups. This isn’t my favorite album from the duo, but it has the best art of all their albums.
Music: It’s a great album and I actually think I like it better than when I first got it, and I liked it then. EPMD was talking about the pitfalls of Gold Diggers before Mr. West and made some music with LL before he got bit by a shark.
Masta Ace - Disposable Arts
Artwork: Everything on this cover is cool. The angle and the lighting, just lounging’ in the street on a car seat. It’s just a real cool picture and Ace is my favorite emcee, so that helps I’m sure.
Music: DA was a triumphant return from MA. This album is what TNT would call a ‘new classic’ if they played music instead of Jason Bourne movies.
The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
Artwork: It’s a bit infantile when you view the entire thing, but the artwork is great.
Music: “I got a letter from the DMV the other day, I opened and read it, it said they were suckers.” This is one of those albums that just holds a special place in the pantheon of 90’s hip-hop. One of the few west coast artists that bucked the gangster trend and just had fun.
Tha Alkaholiks - 21 and Over
Artwork: There’s just something about the view from inside the fridge as the Liks partake in one of their favorite past times. It’s simple, but it fit’s the group perfectly.
Music: It’s a short album, but a classic. The entire album is perfect for that party that you’ve been wanting to throw, so just put this on repeat and get your drink on. Tha Liks are one of those groups that I’ve had numerous people (non-rap fans) comment on how much they like them when I play one of their CD’s. How they never just blew up, I don’t know.
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Artwork: This is one of those covers that just fit in with the Wu. It’s raw, like the Wu was one the first hit the seen. I imagine it looks even better in the form of a vinyl cover, where the title and W symbol would fit a little better.
Music: I remember not being into Wu-Tang the first time I heard Protect Ya Neck, but then I came to my senses. It’s a phenomenal piece of music and a great debut.
Bad LP Covers
There are a lot of albums that I could probably put in here, but I tried to relegate the list to stuff I own, or artists I like, with the exception of Lil’ Flip. Pretty much all of those LP’s from the south back in the late 90’s/early aught could go in here (No Limit, etc.).
Again, I could have went nuts here, so here’s just a small list:
Nas - I Am…
Artwork: Okay, the It Was Written made sense, it seemed to complete the gap from child Nas to adult Nas, but here he’s a pharaoh from the future I guess. I don’t know, he pushed it.
Music: After Illmatic, I bought the next 2 albums and they both disappointed. This LP has the classic “Nas Is Like” and that’s about it from what I remember. It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to anything from here except “Nas Is Like“.
Goodie M.O.B. - World Party
Artwork: Goodie M.O.B. caves in to all the artwork from the south during the time that this LP came out. Nothing bothers me more than when people copy something that’s popular, especially when that something popular is lame (see Autotune).
Music: There was some alright stuff on here, but I really didn’t get into this album much.
Lil’ Flip - I Need Mine
Artwork: I don’t own this. I just think this is one of the most ridiculous covers I’ve ever seen, so I had to include it. Who does this appeal to? If I was living in the ghetto or the trailer park, I’d want to beat the holy living hell out of this guy, not run out and buy his album. I think he covers all the stereotypes here (grill, money, jewelry). The capper here is the giant wad of cash, which has always been lame as hell to me, whether it was Pac or lame ass Lil’ Flip.
Music: I’m sure it’s awesome. I mean, he has Lil’ in his name. That’s original.
Heltah Skeltah - D.I.R.T.
Artwork - This cover makes me laugh. I think that’s what they were going for, but it still looks goofy.
Music: I was really impressed with this album. It definitely was a surprise to me. It’s worth picking up.
Binary Star - Masters of the Universe
Artwork: I think my little cousin drew this. It’s a real goofy cover, but it’s an extremely indy album, so I guess I’ll let it go.
Music: Oh, and it’s a great album, so who cares about the artwork really. Buy it if you can find it.
If you're checking this blog out, you probably have most of these albums, but here's a download with a track from every album above, with the exception of Lil' Flip:
Download it Here
6/15/2009
Native Tongue Singles: Tribe & De La
I'll admit this is a attempt to quickly post something up for the Monday morning start of the week. Most of y'all should know the story behind the Native Tongues, so I'll just skip right on by the history of one of the greatest collectives of musicians in hip hop history.
Instead, we'll jump into a couple singles from two of the groups that were major players in the collective, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. If you haven't caught on yet, you'll notice that I try to post up singles that are either hard to find or have a remix or two on them. The later is precisely why I'm posting up the singles for Tribe's "Can I Kick It?" and De La's "Millie Pulled a Pistol On Santa" b/w "Keepin' The Faith." Both singles are packed with remixes and "Can I Kick It?" has a b-side only "If The Papes Come". Back during the golden age, remixes could be found more often than not on singles, and not these ones that have the same beat but all the hottest MCs on them neither. They were genuine remixes.
A Tribe Called Quest dropped "Can I Kick It?" as the fourth single from People's Instinctive Travels... It was really the single that got me on the Tribe bandwagon. I thought "Bonita Applebum" and "Left My Wallet In El Segundo" were alright, slightly weird compared to my Big Daddy Kane, Eric B & Rakim, LL Cool J music that I was into at that time. But when I heard the video version for "Can I Kick It?", I was hooked. That video version is on this single, known as the "Spirit Mix", appearing on the A-side. It's really a great track with it's uptempo beat compared to the LP version, which is good in it's on right, just a different feeling.
After the edited version of "Can I Kick It?", another remix shows up as the "Phase 5" remix, named so after the producer who did the remixing, Phase 5. I don't know a lot about Phase 5, other than the fact he was an European producer (Germany?) and he did work with the Fu-Schnicks among others. He provides a much more livelier beat for "Can I Kick It?", giving it almost a life of it's own. Stuffed with horn stabs and guitar licks, it gives the song a different dimension and look, one that takes some getting used to, but the more I hear this version, the more I like it, just not as much as the "Spirit Mix" or even the LP version.
The B-side only track comes in the form of "If The Papes Come", which features Baby Bam of the Jungle Brothers on the non "remix" version. The track isn't obscure by any stretch of the imagination, since it has shown up on countless compilations, movie soundtracks and other various online Tribe projects. A fairly simple song, it utilizes the "Pot Belly" sample that can be found on numerous hip hop songs, most notably for me would be "Driveby Miss Daisy" by Compton's Most Wanted as well as "Just A Friendly Game of Baseball" by Main Source. It's basically just Tip running wild over the jazzy beat. It is a track like this though, let's people peer into the lyrical prowness of Q-Tip. Tip may not be included in the best MCs debate, but dude had flavor on the mic.The "Remix" (and I do use this term loosely) is basically a slight change in the "Pot Belly" sample and the shedding of the Baby Bam verse.
A Tribe Called Quest - Can I Kick It? VLS (Jive/RCA, 1990)
A1 Can I Kick It? (Spirit Mix) (4:11)
A2 Can I Kick It? (Edit) (3:23)
A3 Can I Kick It? (Phase 5 Mix) (4:33)
A4 Spirits (2:02)
B1 If The Papes Come (5:46)
B2 If The Papes Come (Remix) (4:14)
B3 Can I Kick It? (LP Version) (4:11)
The second single is the De La Soul treat, "Millie Pulled a Pistol On Santa" b/w "Keepin' The Faith". The remix for "Millie..." is kind of a let down, as they incorporate a rather feeble attempt at putting some singing on the hook. The original is kind of simple, but that's the beauty of it. It's an alright remix, but give me the single any time.
This single is more about the "Keepin' The Faith" track, which on the De La Soul Is Dead album, was one of my "skip" tracks. So when the "Straight Pass" remix kicks in after a retooled "Millie Pulled a Pistol..." remix, it's a welcomed change. It still keeps some of the original's elements, but adds more dimension to a track I considered drab before. The next remix, the "UK 12 Mix" is drifts even further from the original. This remix is fueled by a rather nice bass line that runs through out the track. It's very funky and lively. A nice touch to beef up the track.
The b-side features the instrumentals and the shorten "7" UK Mix" for "Keepin' The Faith".
De La Soul - Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa b/w Keepin' The Faith (Tommy Boy, 1991)
A1 Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa (Full Mix) (4:04)
A2 Keepin' The Faith (Straight Pass) (4:33)
A3 Keepin' The Faith (12'' UK Mix) (7:19)
A4 Keepin' The Faith (No Bass Mix) (4:34)
B1 Keepin' The Faith (LP Version) (4:45)
B2 Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa (Full Mix Instrumental) (4:02)
B3 Keepin' The Faith (Straight Pass Instrumental) (4:31)
B4 Keepin' The Faith (7" UK Version) (3:48)
4/17/2009
5x5 Day Five: WYDU Goes To Church
Now, I'm not going to argue with anyone on their views of organized religion and the such. We'll just say that I'm not into organized religion, in fact I have some strong opinions against it. I'm not saying I'm an atheist. I'm spiritual, but that's as far as I go. I also believe people are free to choose what they want to believe. There is no right or wrong answer in the end as far as I'm concerned.
With that warning statement out of the way, we goin' to church, WYDU style. You won't find any religious themed tracks, just some good music with church and the G.O.D. in the titles. It's the way we are ending these (almost) 25 lists. Head to the church and pray....
1. De La Soul - Church
2. Outkast - Church
3. Boss Hog Barbarians - Rev Get Right
4. A Tribe Called Quest - Oh My God
5. Ill Biskits - God Bless Your Life
4/16/2009
5x5 Day Four: The Best Sophomore "Slumps"
The dreaded Sophomore slump. Is it real, or something that is made up? I'm sure enough artists will tell you it's real, but when you start looking at the bigger picture, I'd almost be willing to go out on the limb and an artist's/group's second album is a finer piece of music. Once I started going through some of the classics out there, it's quickly noted that a lot of them are the second album of their career. They seem to have the right combination of hunger and knowledge to drop the classic. Not saying that first year wonders such as Nas, Snoop, and even arguably N.W.A. exist, but the list of solid second albums are rather impressive.
1. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back
Of course, my personal favorite album of all-time is Slaughtahouse by Masta Ace, which could or could not be considered his second album (is INC a group?), so to keep it simple, I stuck with the universal greatest album of all-time, PE's It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. What is arguably one of, if not the, greatest hip hop album of time, It Takes A Nation.... was an album that everyone came with their best. Chuck and Flava perfected their shtick and the Bomb Squad set off to make an album that broke all the laws of music, and succeeded.
2. A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory
You either love or hate Tribe's debut album, but their second album is a certified classic. The music was more dense and in some cases, darker. They also incorporated more of a jazz sound to it, in places (don't call it a jazz rap album, I hate that), but it's sound was defined by more bottom on the beats. The bass on this album is really only something you notice on a nice system. Lyrically, I think Q-Tip being better and the night and day difference from the first album to Low End Theory in Phife is what really put's it over the top.
3. De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead
How do you comeback from an image that you are not all that happy with on your first album? You "kill" that image and reinvent yourself. That's exactly what De La Soul did. You thought they were fun loving hippies that were rapping over Turtles breaks about flowers? Think again. On De La Soul is Dead, they brought a more mature and even somewhat darker effort. The production once again was top notch in the form of Prince Paul, and it might even be considered his greatest achievement.
4. Ice Cube - Death Certificate
Do you count this as his sophomore release? He did after all have a release with NWA. For the sake of argument, I'm going to call Death Certificate his sophomore release, since it is just that as a solo artist. We've already had the debate between his first two albums as far as which was better, but Death Certificate is an album which packs so much emotion into the sixty plus minutes that it has you. There is anger, humor, fear, and they are all rolled into one in the form of Death Certificate.
5. Mobb Deep - The Infamous
No, really, it's their sophomore release. I know it's easy to forget about Juvenile Hell, and Havoc and Prodigy are almost like different artists by the time they got around to dropping The Infamous, but their second album was head and shoulders above their debut album. I think Havoc coming into his own really gave a defining sound of darkness for The Infamous that really sets this album apart from the rest.
Honorable Mentions
Redman - Dare Iz The Darkside
Common - Reminisce
Run DMC - Kings of Rock
3/12/2009
It's Alllll The Waaaaaaay LIVE!!!
It's Friday, and what does that mean? It's about to LIVE!!! Well, in this case, WYDU is going "live" as we are posting up some live shows and the such. I know the whole "live" thing on tape is kinda a hit and miss thing for some listeners, I know it is for me as well. Let's face it, you don't go to a live show for the "awesome" sound quality. Most of the time, you are lucky to make out what is being said. You go for the "experience" of it all. You go for the festivities, the atmosphere and for the good time. That being said though, it's fun listening to some of the old shows floating around out there in interent land.
Today we got three shows from classic artists......
De La Soul - Live In Kentish Town, London, UK
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=V70GAF2O
Sorry, I don't have a year on this, but it's sometime in the past four years, since it's got some music from Grind Date. Mostly though, this contains a lot of their early hits, which isn't a bad thing. I saw De La way back in '96 in Boise, Idaho of all places. It was before "Stakes Is High", which sheepishly, was the first album I really went crazy over De La about. I consider them my favorite Hip Hop group of all-time, but it took me a while to fully understand just how great they were.
This show is a good representation of what you get from a De La show if you've never been to one...at least from what I remember. I need to check them out again. I missed them both in Salt Lake City (got sick as a dog the day of the show) and in Denver when my girlfriend and I got busy...ummm......getting busy. Yeah, oh well. Anyway, this is one of the easier live shows to listen to, so even if you are not usually a live music fan, this is worth checking out.
A Tribe Called Quest - Final Show Bootleg
http://rapidshare.com/files/208734253/A_Tribe_Called_Quest-Final_Show-_Bootleg___1999_.rar
Of course this was before this past summer's "Rock The Bell" shows that they performed this past summer. A Tribe Called Quest could quite easily be considered one of the top 5 hip hop groups ever, so this little piece of history, if it is indeed the last show. I saw Tribe in '98, the month they announced in The Source that they were breaking up. In fact, the first time I heard that they were breaking up was straight from their mouths, as they announced it at the show. The show itself was a Beastie Boys show in a stadium setting. It wasn't the cozy small venue that I'm used to. It's was still cool though.
Funny story though, the night before, I was bartending at a Chili's restaurant across the street from the venue they were performing in (The E Center for those of you familiar with Salt Lake City). Around 7ish, this short black dude comes in with another dread locked cat and sits down at one of the tables in the bar. I know the cat looks mad familiar, and as I go over to help them, I'm trying to place where I had seen him. When he ordered a Dr. Pepper, it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was Phife, and although I didn't recognize him until he told me who he was, he had Jarobi with him. Both were mad cool. A little later, Q-Tip came in. Tip was kinda obnoxious, but I didn't care all that much. He ordered a Foster's and asked me what there was to do in Salt Lake that night. I told them of a hip hop night at a club that I have since forgotten the name of. That was that. It was still kinda cool.
This show is ehhhhh as far as listenablity. It's truly a bootleg, but fans of Tribe that haven't heard it, you should probably check it out.
Run DMC - Live at Hammersmith London
http://rapidshare.com/files/208619899/run_dmc_-_live_at_hammersmith_london.rar
Run DMC will always be one of the greatest groups in my book as well be remembered as the group that introduced me to hip hop. I still kick myself in the ass for never seeing a show of theirs. I had one chance while I was living in Salt Lake City, but for some reason, and I don't remember why, I missed it. I wish I could go back and make a different choice. What do you do though?
This show is taken from the Raising Hell days, in which Run DMC was KILLIN it at the time. I'm also pretty sure, this is from the same show that appears on the start of Public Enemy's "It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back".
