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Showing posts with label Souls Of Mischief. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Souls Of Mischief. Show all posts
Many moons ago a friend of mine Sean "The" Grace turned me on to a group called Hieroglyphics with their track "You Never Knew" and for me it was the start of a wonderful journey down the road of grouped and solo emcee's. So needless to say this e-mail brought a smile to my face.
Souls of Mischief are back after 9 years with a new release. The albums name is Montezuma’s Revenge will be coming on November 10th, via HieroImperium Records. Whats going to be so special is that they have been in the studio for at least 3 years now working on this album with Prince Paul.
now if your not familiar with Prince Paul hes worth looking up, he worked with several WYDU favored artists most notably "De La Sol". in fact he produced their first three albums. He also worked with J-Live, Gravediggaz, Del The FunkeeHomosapien and an MC who always seems to crack me up MC Paul Barnum.
This tour has 19 dates in the U.S. and 16 in Europe, so this is sure to be a treat for the global audience.
Tour Dates:
10/03 San Diego, CA Canes (w/Andre Nikatina)
10/04 Scottsdale, AZ Chasers
10/05 Flagstaff, AZ The Green Room
10/06 Albuquerque, NM LaunchPad
10/08 Denver, CO Marquis Theatre
10/09 Colorado Springs, CO Black Sheep
10/10 CO TBA
10/11 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
10/13 MissoulaBadlander
10/14 Seattle, WA Neumos
10/15 Bellingham TBA
10/16 Portland, WA Berbati's Pan
10/17 Eugene Wow Hall (w/Swollen Members)
10/18 Eureka Red Fox Tavern (w/Swollen Members)
10/20 San Francisco, CA Slim's (w/Ghostface)
10/21 San Jose, CA Avalon
10/22 Brooklyn, NY Southpaw
10/23 San Bernadino, CA Smoke Out (w/Hieroglyphics)
10/24 SLO Downtown Brew
10/29 LinzKapu
10/30 Helsinki Nosturi
10/31 WienSzene
11/03 Lyon La Marquise
11/04 Leipzig Conne Island
11/05 Berlin Bohannn
11/06 Jona Zak Saturday, 11/07 Wil Gare De Lion
11/08 Paris Batofar
11/10 Amsterdam Fouronefour
11/11 Copenhagen Rust (w/Prince Paul)
11/12 Basel Kaserne (w/Prince Paul)
11/13 KolnBogen2 (w/Prince Paul)
11/14 Bulgaria TBC (w/Prince Paul)
11/15 Heidelberg Karlstorbahnhof (w/Prince Paul)
Personally i think I'm going to drive a little extra and check them out at Canes if i can get out of this Audio gig tomorrow night. This tours going to be a non stop month and a half for these guys and I'm sure not one show will be a disappointment.
The Hieroglyphics crew is among one of the most revered hip-hop conglomerates out there. You can find their logo anywhere from skate board comps, bmx events, break dancing exhibitions and white, black, brown and probably even green kids wearing their logos. They have quite the hardcore following. In the early 90's, the crew was killing it. Del The Funkee Homosapian was the first to drop, with his I Wish My Brother George Was Here. While I LOVE the funk vibes found on I Wish...., it's almost hard to call this a typical Hiero release, or even a Del release. Ice Cube's executive producer presence is felt all over the release and is more a release in the eyes of Cube than it was of Del's.
It wouldn't be until the Souls of Mischief's debut release that fans would really get to hear the Hieroglyphics sound, a sound that would soon come to define the crews releases. Armed with producers Domino, A-Plus and Del providing the main sounds (also check outSnupe,Casual and Jay-Biz's discography on the T.R.O.Y. blog), the crew came with a series of three excellent albums (four if you want to include Extra Prolific's debut album). Soul's 93 'Til Infinity and Del'sNo Need For Alarm dropped the later half of '93, while Casual's Fear Itself was released early '94. Quite the run for the crew, as all three albums could be debated as classics. I'm sure everyone has their personal favorite, that's why we'll run it down the line and get to the debate......
THIS OR THAT: 93 'Til Infinity Vs. No Need For Alarm Vs. Fear Itself
Souls Of Mischief - 93 'Til Infinity (Jive/RCA, Released Sept 6th, 1993)
The title cut, "93 'Til Infinity" will go down as one of the greatest hip hop tracks of all-times. Producer A-Plus (also my favorite MC of the bunch) hooked the beat up into one of those era-defining grooves. It was the introduction for most people to the Souls and their jazzy type sound and four emcees that accompanied the sound very well. Comprised of A-Plus, Tajai, Opio and Phesto, they were similar enough to compliment each other, but different enough that you could tell them apart. And despite their jazzy-like production, the Souls could get loose with a hard rock edge as well. On tracks like "Let 'Em Know", "That's When You Lost", and "Anything Can Happen" can bang with the best of the hardcore gangster rappers of the day.
A-Plus "Let 'Em Know"
I say that nigga AThat nigga A-K Can make a nigga dayIn a very special nigga way Breaking backs and fists As I smack and dis Wackness Cuz they lack this Phatness In fact this Very booty indeed Prayin you could be freed From torture Or I'll scorch ya With a torch a'Gasoline I smash your spleenI 'm quick to blast a fiend You betta jet if ya' ass is keen Yeah, I got a masta plan I'm fasta thanDrastic Man My thing is "Who would blast a friend?" I only blast wack rhymas It's time to find ya' own flows I throw spines and bones Your assextremely assY ou see me passThe senior class Yo- and now I'm free at last So let me bust a grill if I must Making blood spill and your eyes fill with puss When I bust
They proved that they weren't some soft silly suckas up on the mic, but they could also get with the smooth ish, such as that title track, or even the very next track after "Let 'Em Know," which featured a smooth live trumpet accompaniment. The somber track deals with the bumps and bruises found on the streets they lived on. Not preachy or corny, it just deals with the cause and effects of ones actions on the street. All four brought their own vibe to tracks which lead to a cohesive, yet diverse enough effort to really get the lyrics up in ones head.
The production could quite possibly be the best on any of the Hiero efforts. For having multiple producers involved, the beats while different in nature, still have old dusty, dirty feel to them. Domino was involved in producing five cuts, Del with three, Jay-Biz is credited with two, A-Plus had his hand in four (including "93 'Til Infinity") and even Casual did two beats. The production is top notch and probably the crown jewel of 93 'Til Infinity.
I must be getting old, but for some reason the specifics of me picking up 93 'Til... truly escape me. I know that "93 'Til Infinity" was getting a lot of play that summer, and I was all up on it myself as well. I'm pretty sure I picked it up shortly after it was release, if not the day it was. I was always on top of things in those days as far as making sure I hit one of the local spots on Tuesday's (release days). The album is one that has gotten better to me over time. If we would have done this little debate 10 years ago, hands down it would have been No Need For Alarm, as I didn't truly appreciate the jazzy yet hard edged sounds found on 93 'Til Infinity until the past four or five years.
Trav's Favorite Songs: Let 'Em Know Live & Let Live That's When Ya Lost What A Way To Go Out 93 'Til Infinity Anything Can Happen
Disliked Songs: Disseshowedo usually gets the fast foward/skip treatment
Del Tha Funkee Homosapian - No Need For Alarm (Elektra, Released November 23rd, 1993)
While I don't remember the specifics of how I acquired Soul Of Mischief's debut album, 93 'Til Infinity, the complete opposite is true for Del's sophomore release, No Need For Alarm. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was working at a local hospital with the official title of "Food Service Aide", but it was more like putting the food on patients plates, then cleaning the kitchen when we were done serving. It kinda sucked, but it was only four hours a night, so it was perfect for a college student like I was at the time. Anyway, I remember getting off of work and heading straight to the Record Exchange, which wasn't too far from the hospital. I had already purchased the cassingle for "Catch A Bad One," one of my favorite songs of the year. It also had a couple other songs off of the album on the single as well, so I already had a good idea that Del was going in a different direction. I drove around in my GMC Jimmy and listened to the deep bottomed bass rumble through my speakers. After listening to the whole album, I was feeling a bit confused about the whole thing, I went home and popped the CD into my little portable stereo I had in my room. By the time I got through the second listen, I was thinking Del was either a genius or just made the biggest mistake of his life with this new direction he had taken.
Del was/is one of the few cats that I pay more attention to his emceeing skills over the beats he rhymes on. There isn't many of them, but Del is one of them. And Del is at his pinnacle on No Need For Alarm. His somewhat awkward, yet addictive flow just grabs the listener's ear as he drops chopped up lyrics in that trademarked delivery of his. Tracks like "Check It Out," "In & Out," and "Worldwide,"Del just flexes his lyrical muscle and gives fans more of what they want and drags some new fans into the mix. I can't say enough about "Catch A Bad One," so I'm sure I'll mention it again, but I can't count ho many times I've rewinded his last verse....
Del - "Catch A Bad One"
Weak MC's make me earl Earl as your world is crushed because I gotta make you hush You gotta be eliminated, the way I demonstrate it you hate it, but still I am the greatest Like a boxer, I'ma knock your socks off Nowhere to run to, exits are blocked off Steadily I'm dissin men, I hope you're listenin Brothers like my flow Others ride my jock like a bicycle, but I'm psycho Fools try to play me like Tyco, gotsta pull the rifle Daisy, graze the ass with the bee-bee It comes speedy, sign the peace treaty Or you'll be needin Medical attention when I leave you bleedin Throw a monkey wrench in your program crammed up your ass and it's just too bad, son Catch a bad one
But while Del was still Del lyrically (maybe more polished and on point) as he was on I Wish My Brother George Was Here, it was the beats that caused the whole album to be a complete 180 degree turn from his debut album. Gone was the Boogiemen, DJ Pooh, Rashad and Bobcat. In were Domino, Del, and Casual (who produced the dope "Catch A Bad One") and even a couple beats from the SD50's. Instead of the funk loops of George Clinton, it was jazzy type bass lines and strings. I think I can honestly trace my love of strings back to this album. Going back to "Catch A Bad One" again, the strings were nothing short of dark, haunting and menacing, but they gave it that "Low End Theory" type of feel to the album. Lots of string samples give the album a dark, smokey jazz room type of feel to it.
Del really switched it up on his sophomore album. I've read in some interviews that Dante Ross takes credit for how this album turned out. He claimed that it wasn't as structured song wise and numerous other things. It's a claim that I tend to believe, since Future Development and Both Sides of the Brain (one of my most hated albums of all-time, sue me Del Stans) are basically jumbled cluster fucks. Regardless, this is an album I still love to pull out and play every few months, especially when I just want to hear Del wreck shit over thick jazz bass lines.
Trav's Favorite Songs You're In Shambles Catch A Bad One Wack MC's Boo Boo Heads Worldwide No More Worries In & Out Check It Out
Disliked Songs Miles To Go Don't Forget
Trivia: I had no clue "Unicorn" was actually Del until the internet age......I kept waiting for something else from this 16 year old prodigy.
Casual - Fear Itself (Jive/RCA, February 1st, 1994)
In what was becoming typical Hiero fashion, Casual kicked of the anticipation for his album with an incredible single, "That's How It Is." By the time it dropped, we had already been blessed with "93 'Til Infinity" and "Catch A Bad One," so when The Source has "That's How It Is" in their "Sure Shot Singles" one month, I was FIENDING to hear it. Then of course there was the mention of a Audio Two single, which even made me want to hear it more. Of course, it wouldn't disappoint as the single (I had it at #58 on my Top 100 songs off all-time two years ago). It would introduce the world to a MC that sounded hungry:
Casual - That's How It Is
I write raps, And when niggaz bite, I clap, 'Cos their shit sounds better now. You done let me down, I thought it would be dope, but instead, Your shit's dead, You gets fed To the alligators lurking in the moat, Peep what I wrote, You bit so hard, I though your shit was a quote. But still I'm taxing, axing the competition, And any wack men, I stomp & dis 'em Easily. And you can feel the pressure, plus When I bust MCs'll be Trampling eachother trying to exit, When I flex it, The way I wreck shit is not unexpected. Niggaz just lose when I choose The best crews of MCs, And turn 'em into refugees. I slaughter a lotta MCs that are the ?Styles I compiles?, and cut 'em up like ?vows?. Think to yourself I write the shit So you can bite the shit, And I'll know, despite you get props. [To da beat!] Niggaz get dropped.
Again, I can't really recall the day I bought Fear Itself. I think something similar to Del's album, I bought after work at the hospital. I remember not being real impressed with the whole project and to this day it's still my least favorite of the three. That's not saying this is a bad album at all.
What's wrong with Fear Itself, you ask? It's not Casual as an MC. At the time, he was one of my favorite MCs, he sounded like he had be left locked up and starved for a week, then was let loose in a Mickey D's or some shit. Meaning dude sounded hungry and just ripped shit. Almost like Del, I paid more attention to what he was saying than his beats right off the bat. He was the essence of being an emcee in my mind.
So was it the beats? No, not really. While I wouldn't say they were better than those found on 93 'Til Infinity, they were up to par with those found on No Need For Alarm. Handled by the usual suspects that were found on the Souls and Del albums, they were a mix of hard hitting and smooth. "Me-O-Mi-O" sounds like it could have been a beat from Del's without any problem. Del returned the favor after Casual blessed him with the beat for "Catch A Bad One," by concocting the banger for "That's How It Is," which is nothing simply short of amazing. The heavy drums, the horns, that shit is what grabbed me.
So what is it that makes me not like Fear Itself as much as the other two? Simply, it's the hooks. A lot of the hooks are simple and very similar to each other. They are regulated of just saying the same shit over and over for five to six times in a row. I hated "Me-O-Mi-O" at the time (although I do like it now), "Get Off It", "Follow The Funk", "Who's It On", "I Didn't Mean To", "We Got It Like That", "This Is How We Rip Shit", they all follow the same formula. It gets redundant and leaves a bad taste in my mouth every time I listen to the album.
Trav's Favorites You Flunked Me-O-Mi-O That's How It Is That Bullshit Follow The Funk Who's It On I Didn't Mean To This Is How We Rip Shit
Disliked Songs Always skipped over the last three songs
Trivia: Saafir almost stole the show for me on Fear Itself. I used to play his short little interlude over and over and over again. I thought he was going to be the next biggest thing. I was somewhat disappointed when his solo album dropped, but this is still one of the best interludes in hip hop history imho... "I wanted express fuck you...."
FINAL VERDICT
As I mentioned, if we did this 10 years ago, I would have went with No Need For Alarm in a heart beat. Since then though, Souls Of Mischief have held up the best over time and dare I might say that the album was ahead of its time in some ways. It sounds just as good today as it did some 16 (gulp) years ago. All four MCs do their thing (although, does anyone ever remember Phesto is in the group?) and the beats can bang in any system....
February sucks. There I said it. There is only NBA as far as sports, music is still in a fourth quarter hangover, and the weather blows. Then you toss in Valentines Day, and February could quite possibly be the worst month of the year. Oh well, fuck it.
If you suffer from the Winter doldrums, then maybe a little comedy is in your need. What better way to get some of that than from an old WYDU friend, Mike Dikk. Some of you long time readers will remember Dumpin.net, in which Mike and several fellas would basically talk shit about everything from music, sports and popular culture and was always good for a few laughs. Over the last half year or so, the site has kinda gotten quieter and quieter. But alas, fans of the Dumpin sense of humor can rejoice as Mike returns (or actually has already been doing) with his own podcast of humor and what not, in Buncocky. What is Buncocky? Well, it's kinda like an audio version of Dumpin...sorta...kinda.... It's Mike and Jay talking about all sorts of shit...such as Episode 15, in which they discuss the art of Male, Male, Female threesomes. Only people with a sense of humor need apply, cause I'm sure this can and would offend the faint of heart.
The first month of the year is a rather dead one in the music industry in general. No different in the hip hop world either, which means the amount of new material is limited to some of the rather unknowns trying to get heard in this laxed time. Personally, I take time to reflect back on the past year and to revisit some of the older material in my digital crates. Around this time, things start to slowly appear, and since my man Eric already did his little post about some of the most recent songs, I figured it was time for me give some exposure of what's been getting play time on the ole iPod. I thought this would be somewhat tough, but the only thing tough was narrowing it down to 10 songs. Nothing really amazing, alright, I take that back, the number one and number two songs are pretty amazing and I expect to see again at the end of the year in a pretty high position, hell probably number three as well. So, without further ado, I present WYDU's top 10 for....well for the past couple weeks.
I'm admittedly not the biggest P.O.S. fan, although I did like the group album he did with Doomtree. His new album, Never Better, is full of the reasons I don't usually care for him, just weird ass shit. I usually like weird, but not this much. Despite that, while I while giving the album the courtesy listen, I ran across "Savion Glover", which did meet some of the reasons I like a particular cut. For one, the crazy scratching layered over a spastic drum track, make for a high energy track. P.O.S.is actually a good MC when given the chance and I'm not distract by audio garbage.
Ameer dropped the The New Dream toward the end of 2007 and since then, I've been keeping my ear open for some new music and I finally got my wish. "Never Be Shits" is a soundtrack for all the underdogs out there. Over a sparse, but loud, drum pattern and a rolling piano sample, Ameer provides hope for those out there with the cards against them. It's nice to have meaning in a hip hop song, not nearly enough out there.
Phonte needs to take singing lessons from Deacon of Cunninlynguists. The cat has some true vocal chops that just drip soul. The title track from the EP, So True, is blessed by Deacon on the hook. That's not the only reason why I'm banging this joint daily since it's early January release. Tunji does his job on the mic, catching the listener and sucking him into piano stabs and strings. On the strength of their last couple projects, including their free EP , So True, I'm waiting for Inverse come correct with a full length release.
7. Tecknowledgy feat 2ew Gunn Ciz, Chaundon & Web - That's How It Go Down
I'm lost how I came into possession of this track, I'm guessing maybe Zilla Rocca due to his alliance with 2ew Gunn Ciz. Regardless, everyone involved brought the heat lyrically over a hard beat, reminds you of a Mobb Deep beat from years past. Sharp keys found on "That's How It Go Down", give that Alfred Hitchcock "Psycho" feeling of a slasher flick. It's good to hear Chaundon come correct after a somewhat disappointing album that dropped lost year. Nothing ground breaking here, but just a solid track.
While I was familiar with the name, I couldn't tell you much about Blacastan. I was sent a couple tracks from his promotion company and must say I loved both. This particular track is great as far as originality and it's concept. "Life of a Tape" is about...well, the life of a tape. You youngins won't appreciate it as much as us old fogies, but tapes were a big thing to us back then. You had your home made ones, the ones you bought from the store, everything was on "tapes" back then if you didn't do vinyl. To top it all off, the beat is dope as fuck as well. A speed up vocal sample (done right) is used as an instrument of sorts as it's a true inspiring head nodder. This has to get you excited about future material coming from Blacastan.
As my anticipation mounts for the upcoming Pugs AtomzLP, Roof Top, Pugs keeps dropping dope leaks. On "Blue Blazer", pugs brings a long fellow Chi-Town artist Rashid Hadee and Theo. After Detroit, Chicago might be my next favorite region/city to be doing it lately. On "Roof Top", DJ Vadim drops an infectious groove, as Pugs just rides the beat perfectly. If these two songs are indication what the album is going to sound like....Daaayum.
This is the most Wu sounding track I've heard in a minute. After turning my noise up at "Wu Ohh" originally, it was saved by the iPod shuffle. It's another track using the vocal sample as a major part of the song which gives it that Wu like flavor. It's great to hear Meth do his thing over the track, as he provides a nice hook. I can't recall if this was on the upcoming Cuban Linx II or not, but this shows some promise.
I posted this track up on WYDU toward the end of December to rave reviews. The Prince Paul produced track is a welcome back to a great producer and made one of the legendary Hiero crew members relevant again in the Souls of Mischief. The track is a classic hip hop in all it's glory as the boys sound like they haven't missed a step from '93 Til Infinity. The beat sounds tailor made for SOM, with that added Paul sound. If this is any indication what to expect from the all Prince Paul produced Souls album, then it could be a doozy.
If you have followed this blog long enough, you know that Cunninglynguists are a favorite of mine. Their last two albums have been named in the top three on my year end list. So I was pretty excited to hear they had a new single out. I'm not sure if this is off a new album they have coming out, I haven't fully investigated yet, but they often like to throw out some collections before dropping albums (Sloppy Seconds anyone?) and this sounds more like a track that might be found on something like that. Regardless, Kno demonstrates why he is quite possibly my favorite producer going right now as he laces a soulful track as Deacon drops seemingly silly lyrics about pot brownies....or so it seems. As with a lot of Cunninlynguists tracks, I'm sure it goes much deeper than that. Looking forward to see what the dopest crew out of the south is going to bless with this year.
This was a throw together track that came on a whim? Wow.....wow....Sabzi is one of the illest producers going at it right now. That is witnessed on the critically acclaimed (especially this critic) album Bayani from '07 and the Common Market album Tobacco Road that dropped last year, both of which Sabzi produced in entirety (or at least 99% of them). The story behind this track was they put it together after a winter storm came through the area (Seattle). The angelic keys are nothing short of amazing and Geologic does his thing lyrically. A truly impressive track that only makes me more hungry for more from the Scholars.
Bonus "Tobacco and Snow Covered Roads" *Anyone got an mp3????
The Five Most Listened To Albums of the Period
1. Drumz & Llingo - Black Market
This probably isn't on any one's radar as of yet, but this was slide over to me by DXArmy, who if you recall my year end list, I was highly on. On the strength of their recommendation, I gave their boys, Drumz & Llingo a listen and I wasn't disappointed. Their album, Black Market, is full of no gimmicks, quality NYC hip hop. The beats tasty treats of hard breaks, crisp snares and full bass lines. Lyrically, while nothing ground breaking, they are very complimentary of the beats. You'll be hearing more from these cats in the future, but this one of the better things that I've had passed to me in awhile.
2. Exile - Radio
I wasn't to sure what to think of Exile's Radio the first time I listened to it, nor the second or third time. But for something kept me listening. It's like that movie that you are not sure you liked or not but you want to watch it again. I've finally had it catch on in my subconscious. It's not exactly what I expected out of Exile, who has been making a name for himself on the strength of the album he did with Blu back in '07. But if you do go back to some of his Emanon material, then the experimental nature of the beats shouldn't be too much of a surprise. I wonder how the early leak is going to effect it, which is unfortunate. If you dig the album, be sure to cop it when it drops.
3. Platinum Pied Pipers - Abundance You can't call this a hip hop album, nor could you really call it a soul album. I'm not sure what I'd label PPP's Abundance album, but I would call it good. If you can't stomach anything other than hip hop, you might want to move on. For those of you that can get down with other genres, then PPP is definitely something worth lending your ear to, as Wajeed and boys bring the buffett line of music to the masses.
4. ScholarMan - Gameshift: The Movement
The Maryland based ScholarMan is somewhat one of those cats that a lot of underground heads knows about and respect, but he has yet to gain the full notoriety that he deserves. Hopefully "Gameshift: The Movement" will help focus the spotlight on him a little more. I've had this album for awhile now, but I still give it listens, which is a sign of a good album with me. The beats are both soulful and hard, while you know what to expect from ScholarMan if you've heard his past albums, no nonsense, straight to the point lyrics that more than likely will give you something to think of.
5. Tha Connection - Trapeze
Although this album has been out for awhile, I still play this shit out of it. The NYC guys bring their own flavor of smokey roomed hip hop with plodding beats and deliberate rhymes. They definately got their own flavor and it's found all over Trapeze. If there was ever a "kick back and smoke an L" type of music, this is it.
I'm another year older this morning as I am now old enough to run for president. I have nothing left to look forward as far as milestones, except senior citizen discounts. Yeah, great. I don't really feel like getting into a big long post about turning older like I did last year, but if someone has a copy of the mix I threw up last year on my birthday, I'd be much obliged. I didn't feel like piecing back together and it wasn't on my computer. I'm sure it's on a disc somewhere, but I don't have the time to find it, if it is even unpacked. Just another day as far as birthday's go. I'm going to my incredibly boring, yet tense job today and then coming home and working on my other things. This weekend, Saturday to be exact, I'm celebrating it. Some drinks, a W.C. show here in town and I'm sure I'll end up drinking to much and making an ass out of myself before the end of the night, some people never grow up.
Back to the Bonus cuts from the Philaflava Top 100 "Hard To Find, Less known, Kind of Obscure" tracks, as felt by ME......
The Almyghty Myghty Pythons were one of those super groups that sounded great, but never really materialized. We did, however get a single out of the Souls of Mischief/Pharcyde (Bootie Brown and Imani), which is more than we get out of most of the rumored collaborations. I'm not saying this track or single is an instant classic, but it has a nice smooth flow to it, with production by A Plus that utilizes an almost spanish sound guitar lick. The hook gets in your head like a bad dream and you end up muttering it to yourself most of the day. It would have been interesting to hear what a full project between the two would have sounded like.
Black Sheep - Still In The Ghetto(Mercury, on the "Similak Child" b/w "Still In The Ghetto" 12 inch single, 1992) I snatched up the "Similak" cassette single back in the day, which had a blurred out picture of a nipple, which excited my 18-year old hormones. Since then, this song was rather hard to run across for whatever reason. I remember a group of us was looking for a decent rip of this track with no luck. I'm guessing it's a leftover from "A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing", which would be unfortunate, because it could have hung on that album. The Sheep drop a ill horn sample over several familiar drum breaks, basslines and piano chords. Lyrically, the song would have fit in well with the other collection of tracks found on "A Wolf....", although it carried a slightly more serious overtone to it.
Common - Tekzilla(2000-2001?, from the "Unreleased Shit" 12 inch which had "Tekzilla" b/w "1-9-9-9", on a white label)
If I remember right, "Tekzilla" was supposed to be on Hi-Tek's first solo opus, but was ditched due to sample issues. It's most unfortunate, because this song is one of my favorite Common songs. Common drops a story of sorts, rollin' thru the streets of Chicago when he catches beef with a cat and ends up throwin' blows and giving the dude an eye jammie after having a fight with his woman. I guess I just like the vibe of the story. The beat is freakin' amazing as well. Tek hooks up a piano sample with some horn stabs that just make you feel like you about to throw blows with some dip shit talking smack. Great mood music, as both the lyrical performance and music make you feel the whole situation.
Dismasters - Small Time Hustler (Urban Rock Records, featured on the "Small Time Hustler" b/w "You Must Be Crazy" 12 inch, as well as the "And Then Some" LP, Single from 1987, the LP in 1989)
I know I said I didn't like using tracks from albums, but then again, most albums are not as obscure as the "And Then Some" LP from the Dismasters crew. The Dismasters consisted of Raven T and Mike Ski and were back by Chuck Chillout, who also produced this track. I've always loved this track since the late 80's. I've often said that the late 80's were my favorite era in hip hop and this song is a prime example of why that is. The production is on some drum break and sample type of thing, but it's what I loved about the 80's. The two members are no Rakim on the mic neither, but put everything together and it just makes for a great song.
Triva question: What was the first song to play on the very first WYDU Classic? Answer: this track, "Nuttin' But Flavor". Another joint I went out and bought on a cassette single. I played the shit out of this track, mainly because it would never be on any full length LP, so I thought I was pretty cool for owning it. There was a video for it, which is how I was introduced to it. The beat is simple, but it's got some catchy piano keys that pop up on it. Then of course you have three very different MC's, and all three come in a completely different way, so you have a very entertaining joint.
Trying to find info on this is a bitch. BUT...From what I remember, this song was an originally a Kamikazee track and not a Nas track, that most sources credit it to. Kamikazee was a Queens MC that was around in the very early days. I don't know much else about him other than he was the subject of LL Cool J's ire on "I'm Bad" track. This shit is flyyyyyyyyyyy, you might know the Nas version already, and the track is some nasty ass vinyl version, meaning lots of cracks, but it's hip-hop history. True Queens shit.
The internet has made this track not as rare as it once was, with the unreleased full length "Game of Survival" floating around. Originally, the single with "Heartless" was the only thing floating around from the Live Squad. Big Stretch was the main member of the Live Squad, who was down with Tupac. Some say he was in on the set up of Pac in New York when Pac was shot five times or whatever it was. A year later to the date, Stretch was found dead, killed execution style. Not much was ever said about it after that. Tommy Boy fuc ked up this release and never dropped the LP properly, although it appears plenty of promos made it out there. "Heartless" had a video out on MTV that made me look all over hell for this song, but never could find it. I also just found out there was a video for "Murderahh", which I never knew.
Masta Ace - Splash(Tommy Boy Black Label, from the "Hip Hop 101" LP, 2000) As far as I know, Splash was never released commercially as a single. Which means it's on an album, but the album is a compilation of stuff from the Black Label which was run by Tommy Boy. The album wasn't all that popular, but I was a sucker for this Masta Ace song. So maybe it isn't all that obscure, but I couldn't pass it up to post another J-Love/Ace joint. These two worked so well together, but I guess it wasn't meant to be as Ace won't answer any questions concerning J-Love, so whatever I guess. Pete Rock feat Grap Luva - Collector's Item (Up Above Records, from the "Collector's Item" b/w "Blindsided" single, 2003)
"Collector's Item" was one of the more "obscure" 12 inchers dropped by the Chocolate Boy Wonder in the past. Only five years old, you don't hear much about this joint. I want to say it was sold originally as a hiphopsite.com only release, then later picked up.....but I could be completely wrong with that. Grap Luva spits over a fairly simple Pete beat, but I've still always felt this track and always make sure it stays on my computer.
Not a lot is known about this joint, from Science of Sound aka S.O.S. I want to say they were ATCQ project, as Tribe produced a track and of course this track, "Who Got The Funk" which featured a healthy dose of Phife. It lives up to its name as a funk filled track blesses Phife and his homies as they just kick rhymes that mean nothing, but still sound good.
*NOTE* I wrote the majority of this back in November and have been sitting on it ever since. I had planned to post it after my first used CD excursion but after taking over two hours to upload one album on a friends computer, I said fuck that and decided to wait until I got my internet situation resolved. I've added other trips as I went along. The month of December has been one of Hannah Montana and High School Musical CD's for my daughter, so hence, no trips this month. I'm going to have expose her to some better music in the next couple years. If I hear Hannah Montana again in my life, it'll be too soon.
With the move, it means "new" places for me to go digging for used CD's. In all actuality, most of these places are my old haunts that a lot of my collection has come from in the past. The town doesn't have a lot of independent music stores, which are my favorite places to go digging. The only place currently in town is "The Record Exchange", other than that, we have "Hastings", which Eric on WTR discovered this year can contain a treasure trove of goodies at times. As I said, I'm well familiar with the places around here, so as I was driving around submitting resumes to places, I had to stop by my two favorite Hastings locations in town and check out the used CD sections.
1st Stop: Hastings On Fairview Ave & South Cole RoadTotal CD's Bought: Four,Total Spent: $7.62
Hastings has raised their prices since I was last in town over the Christmas season, which kind of sucks. I saw many CD's I had bought in Denver for a few bucks going for seven to eight bucks here, which is a joke. There was some decent stuff, but I'm always on a budget, and even more so now without a job. I am going to go back and get "Boogiemonsters - God Sound" Lp when I have the dough.
I was a big fan of Domino's debut self titled LP that dropped in '95 and often wondered why although he released several other LP's after his debut, but none of them made any noise, I mean NONE, ZERO, ZILCH. Well, for a $1.99, I figured I could afford to find out. It's easy to see why he never reached "gold" again. Everything that was good about "Domino" is not found on here and everything that made west coast hip-hop fall on its face in the late 90's is found on here. But, feel free to hear for yourself.
I remember downloading the Consequence and Phil Da Agony tracks right when this album probably came out and liked both of them a lot. They both got a lot of play on my own mixtapes I'd make for myself. I looked for the CD, although probably not to hard, and never found it. Earlier this year, I think Dart Adams posted it up and I checked it then. It's a good album, and since its a producers album, the beats all have the same kind of flavor to them. Well worth checking out if you haven't already.
This was the highlight of the trip, finding this. I had this way back when, but lost it in my house party days while living in Salt Lake City. This bad boy is going for $18.99 on Amazon right now, so the couple bucks thrown down for it was more than worth it.
1. Radio Edit 2. Remix Radio Edit 3. LP Instrumental
I'm a sucka for remixes that appear on singles and for a buck, I figured I'd pick up this for the remix alone, which is actually just the same song with the same keys but using the same drum break that is found on "Mona Lisa".
This location was my homebase growing up. I spent many hours and dollars in this store. It was close to my parents house growing up, so I felt right at home there. Same story as the other store though, little on the high side for what they were trying to sell.
Pete Rock's weed carriers dropped this EP, after making noise on the "Menace II Society" soundtrack. They were not all that talented, and Pete didn't give them his best stuff, but I still think of this story every time I think of the YG'z.
I guess this dudes claim to fame would be highlited in "The Souce" (when it still meant a shit) as an Unsigned Hype artist. The album isn't all that, but it's not bad.
Sway & King Tech-Wake Up Show Freestyles Vol 1& 2 $1.99
I loved these Freestyles back in the day. I had a bunch of tapes I bought from Tapekingz or something like that in the day with a bunch of them. Then these started coming out on CD. I had a couple but lord knows where they are today. I've seen all nine or ten of these on a blog somewhere else before if someone was gung ho on collecting all of them, they are out there as is just about anything else your heart desires is.
I rarely ever take an album back if I don't like it, but the Black Sheep's sophomore album was one of those I did take back after taking one listen. Not sure if I just wasn't able to enjoy something like this album back then or if I was just so caught off guard by the complete 180 degree change they possessed on this album from their debut, but I wasn't feeling it in the least. After downloading it again a year or two ago and listening to it, it's not all that bad. The lead single "Without A Doubt" is quite possibly one of my favorite joints from the 90's and the rest of the album just showcases a more mature effort from the Sheep.
Featuring - Beef (2) , Big Roscoe & Mody , Buddha Man , Kool Gsus* , Fly Ty , Mass Murderer Mike & ACE , Tangg The Juice
I have never been a big fan of Benzino, even prior to learning of what a dickhead he is with the whole Source and Eminem beef. Needless to say, I've never owned any of the his group or solo material in the past. I did, however, like "One In Tha Chamber", which was quite popular when it first dropped, being found in The Source's "Sure Shot Singles" list, which looking back on it now, probably isn't that much of a surprise after finding out what happened there. This disc can be had for a shiny new penny on Amazon.
Most P.E. fans should recognize this group when they appeared on Terminator X's debut solo album. This album is certainly full of originality, but that doesn't always mean it's good. It was executive produced by the Chuckster himself, but this is kind of an inconsistent release.
1. Intro (0:38) 2. All You Want (3:22) 3. Crystal Clear [Morning Blunt Mix] (5:33) 4. X-Files (3:55) 5. Bulletproof Shoutouts (2:32) 6. Ruination (4:45) 7. Murderlize (0:49) 8. Raw Raps (4:28) 9. Live Hardknox (3:27) 10. Word to the Wise (1:45) 11. Wealth & Real Estate (3:47) 12. Troublez & Trialz (3:07) 13. Satisfaction (0:42) 14. Kings of Kaos (3:43) 15. Play the Victim (3:29) 16. Aqua (1:02) 17. Crystal Clear [Rusty Water Mix] (4:56) 18. Behind the Iron Curtain (5:40)
This was a CD I bought one day when I couldn't find anything else that I didn't either have already or wouldn't buy no matter what. I had never heard of them, but snatched up regardless. I ended up liking the album but would lose it about three months after purchasing it and never saw it again. Found it on a blog earlier this year and listened to it quite a bit. Regardless when I saw it sitting in the used bin, I snatched it up with the quickness.
I've always been curious about this album every since it came out, but I have never listened to it. It's full of who's who DJ's and artists, with the likes of Funkmaster Flex, Doo Wop, Mark Ronson, Big Kap, Biz Markie, DJ Enuff and Mister Cee all a part of the the crew. I don't recall any major singles coming from this, although the first track "The Things I Do" made a little noise. I can't say that this was great in anyway, but at least my curiosity is quenched. November 20, Record Exchange
The Record Exchange is my all-time favorite music store ANYWHERE. I've been going to the stores since I was in the 8th grade. They are a little more expensive, but I'd rather support a local mom & pop store that have helped me find most anything I've ever looked for (except that damn Blu & Exile album) than a Best Buy or some shit like that. My first time walking back into the store, the owner, John who has owned it since the beginning as far as I know, might as well did cartwheels across the store. He remembered me right away and knows that I spend a lot of money in the store. It's like any other typical independent record store I've ever been in. Tons of shit on the walls, the smell of CD's and vinyl, weird music playing over the sound system, quite possibly one of my favorite places on earth.
The Porn Theater Ushers are probably my all-time favorite name for a hip hop group. I giggle like a seven year old that heard his first fart joke every time I here the name. I've used it several times in fantasy sports leagues. The group's music is also good and contains the same humor that can be found with a group name like "Porn Theater Ushers". The production, handled by Mister Jason, is addictive as well. I always thought it was unfortunate that these guys didn't blow up like they could have. Lead MC Nabo Rawk is on the solo tip and released an album this year (2007).
Process Of Elimination (Untouchakickamurdaqtion) (5:56)
Featuring - MC Ren
12
G's & Macaronies (4:04)
13
G-rupies Best Friend (5:30)
Featuring - Kokane
14
Mee Vs. My Ego (5:20)
15
Outro (2:21)
Above the Law has to be one of the best west coast groups in my book. Their debut album is a classic in my book and their sophomore LP (notice I said LP and not EP) is just a tad bit below their classic debut opus, but still damn good in its own right. Own this bad boy on tape, but had to upgrade it to a CD at least.
Keyboards - Piano Man, The (2) Producer - Digital Underground Vocals - 2Pac , Humpty Hump , Junie Morrison , Money B (2) , Schmoovy Schmoov , Shock G
2
Tie The Knot (3:13)
Producer - Digital Underground Vocals - Humpty Hump , Kent Racker , Money B (2) , Shock G
3
The Way We Swing (Remix) (4:58)
Producer - Shock G Sample Arrangements - Piano Man, The (2) Vocals - 2Pac , MC Blowfish , Money B (2) , Shock G
4
Nuttin' Nis Funky (9:41)
Producer - MC Blowfish , Piano Man, The (2) Scratches - DJ Fuze (2) Vocals - Bigg Money Odis , Humpty Hump , Schmoovy Schmoov , Shock G
5
Packet Man (Worth A Packet Remix) (4:58)
Producer - Underground, The (2) Remix - CJ Mackintosh Vocals - Humpty Hump , Shock G
6
Arguin' On The Funk (3:50)
Producer - Raw Fusion , Underground, The (2) Vocals - Humpty Hump , Money B (2) , Shock G
I've always been a fan of Digital Underground and have most of their material already. I do own this on tape, but I couldn't tell you the last time I listened to a tape. That had to change. It cost a little more than I'd like to spend on an EP, but hey, it's Digital Underground.
Souls Of Mischief - 93 Til Infinity (Jive, 1993) $7.99 I could easily have my expert internet hip hop pass revoked for not owning this already, I realize this. I did own it at one time, bought it the day it was released, but as with a lot of things I've owned over time, it disappeared.What can say about this album that hasn't been said before or that you don't already know about? I was under the impression that this was out of print, but apparently its not. That goes against my rules of posting up in print material, but I'll let this one slide this time, but I won't post up the DOC, Cypress Hill and LL Cool J debut albums that I picked up at the same time as well. Plus you should all have those by now.
