Monday's are always crazy days for me, so I don't have much time to post anything of significance if I don't get a heard start on it over the weekend. This weekend there was no such thing. Regardless I don't have the next label post done, so it'll be up tomorrow. In the mean time, I'll give you all a sneak preview.
Since you all obviously know that these are label type posts, so the answer is...."What Label?"
This label recently (April of this year) re-released their whole catalog, with the exception of a 1993 album, so no posting of in-print albums, but tell me what label these artists appeared on and the winner gets a new copy of UMC's "Fruit's of Nature" (the repress version, sorry).
The usual, get the email to WYDUBLOG@gmail.com by the time I post the label post (sometime tomorrow) and I will draw a winner from the correct answers and the winner gets the copy of the UMC's CD.
Street Military - Don't Give a Damn (1993)
1 Tears Came From Making This Dream (5:11)
2 I Don't Give A Damn (4:56)
3 Another Hit (4:41)
4 Street Military (Outro) (1:37)
5 Don't Play With A Gun (6:14)
6 Gasta Get Paid (4:47)
7 Dead In A Year (5:00)
11/18/2008
Guess That Label......
4/03/2008
Philaflava.com's 100 Greatest Obscure Tracks: Part Ten (The Final Chapter....sort of)
Yes, I know, nine comes after eight and before ten. Well it does when you don't have technical problems and accidentally erase Part Nine of the ten part series. I thought I was being slick and getting ahead by doing nine and ten tonight so I could work on getting some other things that NEED to get done with this blog and a guest post that is a year late. But, either blogger ate the post, or I pulled a bad one, but Part Nine is nowhere to be found. So instead of making y'all wait, Part Ten is going before Part Nine....you won't mind....and now I still have to rewrite part nine....oh well. Also, the group of us that originally put this list together, Dred Scott, Galvatron78, glavet (me), Killer Ben, madtapes Magneto, MGP, Paragraph President & Philaflava, apparently can't count either, because there is only 98 songs instead of 100, hence only eight songs appearing on the last part.
Link For All Tracks
Tragedy Khadafi - Street Life (Return of The Life)
Trendz of Culture - Off & On (Lord Finesse Remix)
Trendz of Culture - Who Got My Back (Remix) feat Method Man & Treach
UGK - It's Suppose To Bubble
Ultramagnetic MC’s – Raise It Up (Remix)
Yaggfu Front - Slappin' Suckas Silly (Diamond D Remix) feat. Diamond D
Young Zee - Stay Gold feat. Lauryn Hill
YZ - When The Road Is Covered In Snow
Intelligent Hoodlum - Street Llife (Return of the Life Mix) (Tuff Break Records, found on the "Street Life" b/w "Mad Brothers Know His Name" 12 inch, 1993).
This remix is of the "Street Life" track that would later appear on Tragedy's sophomore album "Saga Of A Hoodlum". What makes this remix so special though, is it comes from the mind of the almighty K-Def. The beat is on some other shit as K-Def laces up some melodic keys and throws against a backdrop that Trag sounds the best over. I'm sure there is a story behind this appearing on the Tuff Break label in between the two albums he did as Intelligent Hoodlum, but I don't know it. - Trav
Trendz of Culture - Off & On (Lord Finesse Remix) (Mad Sounds Recordings, on the "Trendz...." LP, from 1993)
Trends of Culture were one of my personal favorites from the era. At that time, I thought I was one of the few people that knew about them. None of my hip hop friends were checking for them back then, they were just a bit too "underground" for their tastes. The true highlight of this track though is Lord Finesse, both on the mic and behind the boards. The funkyman delivers a hardrock beat that packs an ill bassline over some funky drums to give you on trademark sound found during this time. Lyrically, it comes off like a freestyle for the most part, which makes it sound even more authentic. - Trav
Trends of Culture - Who Got My Back (Remix) feat Treach and Method Man (Mad Sound Recordings, from the "Who Got My Back" promo 12 inch (?), 1993)
I wasn't even aware this existed until WYDU's own Brian posted it up (which I'm pretty sure that's where this mp3 came from originally) over a year ago. I don't know much about the origins of this one. Not sure who the production is from, how Meth and Treach ended up on it, none of that. But I do know this joint is nice. - Trav
UGK - It's Suppose To Bubble (Jive/RCA, from the promo 12 inch "It's Supposed To Bubble", 1993)
UGK is underrated. UGK overrated. Whatever side of the coin you're own, it's undisputable; UGK went under the radar for years. Rightly or wrongly, it's the truth. To me, UGK is one of the greatest rap duos ever, and this track along with the album "Super Tight" is as important to hear as any other album to come out of the south in the 90s. Bun B and Pimp C both give their declaration to their town Port Author Texas while giving a glimpse of the daily routine of the day. UGK rap eloquently over a smooth beat, with an addictive, yet simple chorus (on the surface), leaving us with one of the best tracks of the 90s. - Original Philaflava Post
Ultramagnetic MC's - Raise It Up (Remix) (Wild Pitch/EMI, from the "Raise It Up" b/w "Saga of Dandy, The Devil and Day", 1993
Ultra could do no wrong in my book during their first three albums. This remix from their third album for the arguably best song was actually not as good as the original in my book. But hey, what do I know? It doesn't really change much from the original, but the chorus is slightly more annoying. I should know who did this remix, but for the life of me, I'm drawing a blank. - Trav
Yaggfu Front – Slappin' Suckas Silly (Remix) feat. Diamond D (Mercury, from the "Slappin Suckas Silly" Promo, 1993)
Yaggfu Front is group that should have blown up, but unfortunately, they never did. The group came straight outta North Cacalaca (North Carolina) and consisted of D'Ranged & Damage, Spin, and Jingle Bel. They were on the lighter side of hip-hop, sort of like an East Coast Pharcyde. Surprisingly enough, the remix version that DITC alum Diamond D, doesn't differ greatly from the version that appears on the LP beat wise. He keeps the general arrangement, but beefs up the bass line into its own creature, especially when played on some monster speakers. It provides some bounce that will keep that head noddin'. Diamond also adds some scratches to accompany the horns that already gave it that DITC "feel". He drops the keys that could be found in the original version, which gives it a richer feeling. Lyrically, the chorus has been changed up, with Diamond handling those duties and completely changing it up. He also drops a few bars. While Yaggfu never blew up like they could have/ should have, this track is one that deserves more props than it currently does in this day of age in the hip-hop history books. Dope rhymes, head nodding bass line and a chorus that one is shouting out to by the end of the sing is all that a great hip hop song needs, yet so very few are found like this. - Original Philaflava Post (Written by yours truly, and I nominated the song)
Young Zee - Stay Gold feat. Lauryn Hill (White Label, from the 12 inch single "Stay Gold", 1997)
Young Zee of The Outsidaz is a tremendously talented rapper that never got his just due. His style was the catalyst of Eminem's career and while his Musical Meltdown LP is almost as good as any album to come out of New Jersey, it never saw the light of day. This track, Stay Gold with Lauryn Hill was a single waiting to happen. The hottest new artists of the past 5 years Lauryn Hill doing the honors of spitting a verse and singing a wonderful hook with Young Zee demonstrating his superior rap skills with a unique flow and voice. This track could've been a classic in any format, in any era, yet do to label politics and the like, it never was to be. Still, this track showcases one of raps most hidden talents with another great artist, giving the audience a memorable song that 'til this day bumps like it just came out. - Original Philaflava Post (maybe me?)
YZ - The Road Is Covered In Snow (Tuff City, from the "EP", 1991)
YZ is another cat that I always thought should have had more success than he did. Straight from New Jers, he released this "EP", in 1991, which contained some excellent tracks, "When The Road is Covered In Snow" is one of them. Produced by Tony D (who I've always been a fan of) hooked up a familiar sample and just let YZ do his thing on it. We need some more YZ in the '08 - Trav
3/25/2008
Philaflava.com's 100 Greatest Obscure Tracks: Part Five
Link To All Of Part 5
Joe Sinistr - Under The Sun
Kilo G. – Release Me feat. Pimp C.
Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo - 2 To The Head feat. Ice Cube, Scarface & Bushwick Bill
Kool G. Rap- Mister Mister
Kool Keith – Yo Black (Buckwild Remix)
Kurious – Mansion And A Yacht feat. Sadat X & Mike G
Leaders of The New School – Classic Material (Diamond D Remix)
LL Cool J - Crime Stories
Lord Finesse – Shorties Kaught In The System
Mac Dre - California Livin
Joe Sinistr - Under The Sun (P.R.O. Division,
from the 12 inch "Under The Sun" b/w "Krunchtime" as well as the Terminatior X & Godfathers of Threatt)
I've mentioned many times in the past that my favorite MC that only dropped two joints then vanished is Joe Sinistr. He appeared on Erick Sermon's solo debut on the "Payback II" track. A year later, much to my delight, he was featured on Terminator X's second debut album with "Under The Sun". Dude was just straight ill. He would have made some major noise with the right funk type of production and backing. But it wasn't meant to be as I never heard of him again after this track. It's one of those things that bothers me the most in hip hop, what happened to Joe Sinistr? This track is some stank funk that just drips of the thick bassline that accompanies the track. The track was produced by Jam Master Jay and T-Funk, and they do it up well. Joe is one of those MC's, like Redman in his early days (and even presently if you ask me) that sounds at home over these type of funk beats. It's a shame that we never heard from Joe again. - Trav
Kilo G - Release Me feat Pimp C (Cash Money Records, from "The Bloody City" LP, 1995)
I was never much on any of the Cash Money releases, much to disdain of Noz from Cocaine Blunts. No real reason at that time, because I was more open to the "reality rap" than I am today, I just never had anyone recommend or I didn't see it in The Source or on Yo! back in the day. It's got a pretty smooth, player, Caddy, playistic type of beat going down for it, that is kind of cool. Worth a listen whether your a fan of early Cash Money or not. - Trav
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Two To The Head feat Ice Cube, Scarface, Bushwick Bill (Cold Chillin', on the "Live & Let Die" LP, 1992)
I wouldn't call this obscure either, but I would call it one of my favorite posse tracks off all-time. I liked it from the first time I heard it. G Rap, Cube and Scarface all just tear their verses to shreds. Bushwick was a little outclassed on this one, but he still manages to do his thing. The track is on some "killin'" type of shit with an eerie sound effects and a fairly common drum break. Great track, just not all that obscure - Trav
Kool G. Rap - Hey Mister (White Label, 1995)
One day DJ Mike Nice was chilling out at Upstairs Records in Brooklyn and Dr. Butcher appeared out of nowhere with a stack of white labels in his hand. A couple weeks later a second pressing appeared at Mr. Bongos in London. This was right around the time The Kool Genius of Rap dropped his solo debut 4,5,6. G. Rap was known for his graphic story-telling. Drug deals gone bad, shoot outs with cops, talking like sex- he almost covered the full spectrum of extreme and explicit writing, almost. And then he wrote a song that no record label could ever release.
"Hey Mister Mister, what the fuck you doin'?
Hey Mister Mister... KEEP WALKIN' PAST! Hey
mister mister, what the fuck you doin? DON'T
INTERUPT ME WHILE I'm BEATING ON MY BITCH
ASS."
Yes, that's right folk; an ode to spousal abuse. The internet has led to this song becoming more and more well known but it really is quite obscure outside the confines of cyberspace. There were two pressings of this Dr. Butcher-produced white label. Remember the honky-tonk western vibe of "The Symphony," which G. Rap murked about a decade earlier- well think of a similar piano loop that is louder and angrier. Add in a little boy's voice being scratched-in, pleading for G. Rap's attention, a no-good bitch pilfering from G. Rap's hustle, and G. Rap hitting her "until her face gets bigger" and we have a real winner here folks. Not only did this deserve a commercial release, it also deserved a video complete with a bloodied-up Superhead. Ah the injustice! Well, at least I had "Hey Mister" played at my wedding reception. - Original Philaflava post
Kool Keith/Ultra - Yo Black (Buckwild Remix) (Remix from the original that appeared on "Four Horsemen" LP, 1993)
Kool Keith rides this dark, menacing beat from DITC crowned prince, Buckwild. I was a big fan of Keith during his Ultra days and this song is perfect reason why. Keith was just ill as fuck during these days. He was truly one of the best MC's at the time. The beat sounds a lot different than a lot of Buck's material. As previously mentioned, it's dark with a deep, fuzzy bassline that just draws along. It packs some bottom that sounds best on a good system. Not sure if this was ever commercially released or not. - Trav
Kurious Jorge - A Mansion & A Yacht feat Sadat X & Mike G (Columbia, on the "I'm Kurious" b/w "A Mansion & A Yacht", 1994)
Another joint that at one time was pretty hard to come by and a lot of heads were clamoring for. Produced by the Groove Merchantz, this would have fit in nicely on the "Constipated Monkey" LP, but it didn't make it for some reason. All three MC's do their thing on this, with Sadat dropping a classic verse as he was on top of his game during this time. The song has a classic sound, like it could have almost dropped in '84, if it wasn't for the advanced rhyming found on it. - Trav
Leaders Of The New School - Classic Material (Diamond D remix) (Elektra, from a promo 12 inch of "Classic Material" b/w Spontaneous", 1993
Another track that might fit the "obscure" label. They jump on a trademark Diamond beat, with the horns, a tight bassline and the gritty DITC feel to it. I wasn't a fan of the original version of "Classic Material", but Diamond remixed this joint proper. It's just on some classic mid 90's flava that makes people like me miss the "good ole days". - Trav
LL Cool J - Crime Stories (Def Jam, appeared as a cassette only track on "Walking With A Panther" LP, 1989)
I forgot all about this joint. For a small time, cassettes were the main media being sold. So naturally, groups would put bonus tracks on just the cassettes. Digital did the same thing on "Sex Packets". This joint isn't one of the stronger tracks on the critically abused "Walking With A Panther", but I always kind of liked it. It is slightly different than a lot of the tracks that appeared on that album. It's more of a social message about not doing the crime if you can't do the time. It's upbeat in nature as LL does what he does best, just rip it apart. Good listen if you haven't heard it - Trav
Lord Finesse – Shorties Kaught In The System
Lord Finesse like his protégé Big L was mostly known for his wordplay and ability to make sucker MC’s duck for cover. Hell, he single-handedly dissected and annihilated the entire "Lords of the Underground" with one 2 minute freestyle. Shorties Kaught In The System is track depicting the urban life, of a young male, trapped in a cycle of crime and desperation, trying to survive in his environment. And the harsh reality is, songs like these are no longer a necessity, but are considered "out of left field" and "unconventional" when it should be the norm. Unfortunately the world is so cynical now, but this track stands the test
of time, and is even more important today. - Original Philaflava post
Mac Dre - California Livin' (Strictly Business Records, from the "California Livin'" EP, 1991
Listening to this now, it's kind of surprising this didn't make noise than it did. Of course, unless you were Ice T or NWA, Cali wasn't really accepted much in '91. This almost sounds like some Coolio shit that would drop three to four years later. Has that upbeat, party like beat, such as some of those Coolio joints like "Fantastic Voyage" and the such. I'm not the best person to talk about Mac Dre's legacy as even I kind of slept on him back in the day, but he was a talented artist and this song defintely lends evidence to that claim. - Trav
5/29/2007
Tuesday Lite
I hope everyone had a great and safe holiday weekend that consisted of no DUI’s or any run-ins with Po-Po, no accidents, but plenty of memories and hot bitches (or women for those easily offended). Memorial Day is made for BBQ’s and lot’s of drinking for those of you overseas. Some of my most fond memories occur on Memorial Day’s of the past. This one won’t be in any scrapbooks for me, if I did that type of shit, but it was pretty “ho-hum”. Saturday consisted of a 14-hour day doing catering. The morning blew ass, sitting up tables for a 250 people person party all by myself and taking it down pretty much all by myself. The afternoon was a bit better since we did a private party with a filthy rich doctor who liked his booze. The good doctor ended up doing shots with us and it was even rumored he was taking a few tokes of the Mary Jane, although I didn’t witness that. By the time I got home and took a shower it was late enough that I blew off the BBQ I was supposed to be at. It was already late and I was beat and didn’t want to deal with the massive operation of playing catch up with the rest of the drunken assholes. So I just sat down with a 12-pack of cold CL’s and watched “Beerfest” until I could no longer keep my eyes open.
Sunday was spent recovering from basically moving 50 tables and 500 chairs from the day before. My old ass isn’t in the shape it once was. It wasn’t a bad day to go storm chasing here, but I didn’t want to do anything but sit on my ass, which is what I did. There was a few video games, sleeping on the couch watching the resurgent
I’ve decided to “loosely” track my beer intake this summer to see how close I get to my fellow
MUSIC
Well since this is a music blog, I best be for tossing up some music for the peoples consumption. Again, no real rhyme or reason behind these particular tracks except it’s shit I like. Some I might actually be in or over my heading explaining a couple of them, but what the hell, I never said I knew everything. First off....
Some Shameless Promotion
If you've been around this blog since the beginning, and I doubt many of you have, one of our firsts posts was a review for an MC who I have a lot of respect for, my man Lex. I agree that it's easier to like someones music when you actually have some sort of connection with them, whether it be friends in the "real world" or just through message
boards and that way, but while Lex is a cool dude who have had the pleasure to deal with in the past, his music speaks for itself. I hate using labels such as this, but it's "Grown Folks" music, dealing with real life issues that us 30 somethings with kids and bills deal with. I highly suggest giving this a listen. I have yet to listen to it (I just got the link for it 5 minutes ago), but if this is half the album the "Vague Clarity" is, it's well worth the listen.
Peace y'all. I've just released my second CD entitled "forward movement." This is to serve as a Street Album/Mixtape style album. My main objective with this project is to show my talent and versatility on the mic as well as generate a buzz for my upcoming projects. There are 21 songs on this project and it is being released for free d/l as well as tangible purchase. If you would like to purchase a CD, you can visit my myspace page here. Domestic sales are $5 (shipping & handling included) & foreign sales are $8 (s & h included). Paypal is my preferred method of payment.
I encourage anyone with a blog or website that enjoys the CD to post a link to the album on their page. I also encourage you to post this link, or your own on any messageboards and online communities that you may frequent. Again, my mission is to spread the word on my music and the best way to make that happen is thru word of mouth. If you support the music, please help me push it forward. Anyone who wishes to review the CD please feel free to do so and post it on your page. I ask that if you do decide to write a review that you send it over to me once it's posted. All feedback is welcome.
http://myspace.com/lexsinistahcircle
Lexicon718@gmail.com
Lex - Forward Movement http://www.diabloarcher.com/LEX_-_forward_movement.zip
2. Strut prod. by Duke Entertainment
3. Let Em Know prod. by LR Hook
4. The Fight prod. by C-Royal
6. Bobby prod. by Bluntmosphere
7. Everybody prod. by Eska Hines
8. Our Day Will Come prod. by DJ Wallsauce
9. The Spotlight prod. & cuts by C-Royal
10. I Found You prod. by DJ SoulClap
11. Manage Your Fate ft. Laif & Crash prod. by Absoul85
12. Schemin prod. by Maurice Marotte
13. The Raw Deal prod. by Rashid Hadee
14. Sins (Remix) ft. Laif prod. by N1Illa
15. Enterprising (Acapella)
16. HARDCORE prod. by Mercury Waters
17. Step Up Your Game prod. by RaRa Aguilar
18. Nice Guys ft. Amen Almighty prod. by E-Noids
19. Politickin prod. by ND
20. For The Kids prod. by E-Noids
Give it a listen, leave feedback, post it on your blogs if you like it....
Sweet N’ Lo feat Tha Alkaholiks – Excuse Me As I Rip It
Since we are discussing beer and binge drinking, we might as well post up a
track from the ultimate hip-hop drinkers, Tha Alkaholiks. This was from the Sweet N’ Lo album from . I don’t know much about them, after all I was never big on female MC’s or groups for the most part, but in my quest to track down most of Tha Liks material, I ran across this and had to have it. I believe they say in the track that it’s produced by E Swift, which I can totally see, it sounds like some E Swift beats. Swift used to be one of the most slept on producers around. As of late, he seems more focused on trying to fit in with the mainstream instead of sticking to his own signature dope sound, but it’s all good. All I know this track gets me amped for the J-Ro and Tash solo albums that are reportedly supposed to drop this summer.
The Mighty Maestro – One Man Band & Stop Selling Me Dreams
These are from a
Positive K – Quarter Gram Pam
I’ve always liked Pos K, even before his “I Got A Man” which is the reasoning behind his one hit wonder label applied to him by the mainstream. I can’t remember if I first heard him on the “Nightshift” 12 inch or “I Ain’t Havin’ It” track with him and MC Lyte, but I liked both, especially the “Nightshift” single that contained both the album version and the remix version with Big Daddy Kane. Despite all of that, this track dropped way back in ’87 a good five years before the “Nightshift” single. He definitely improved from this track, which he sounds a bit uncomfortable on the mic and doesn’t have that cocky arrogance found on his only LP he released. I won’t even venture to guess who produced this joint either, but it’s nothing remarkable. He had been known to work with Big Daddy Kane, who I greatly doubt produced this since he himself was just starting out at this time. He also did some work with Jazzy Jay of the Zulu Nation fame, which is possible or maybe even one of the First Priority Family members such as Milk D or King of Chill. It sort of reminds me of LL Cool J’s “Dear Evette” or “Bristol Hotel”, which kind of deals with the same fast woman as the subject matter. The main reason I put it up is it’s early introduction to Positive K, who will always been known as “that guy who did that song “I Got A Man”.
The Tribezmen – Who Got The Vibe
Some typical Boom-Bap Jeep music from the mid 90’s, which fine by me. I know next to nothing about this group. I think it was one of those tracks I picked up off of Vinyl Addicts during they’re heyday. It’s nothing out of the ordinary from the music that came out during this time. It sounds like something that Da King & I, Das Efx, Lords Of The Underground or any of those groups from that time could have made. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing because that’s the reason I love that era of hip-hop and if you were down with that era of hip hop, you’ll probably more than likely love this track. I wouldn’t mind hearing an album from these cats though.
King Bee w/ Ultramagnetic MC’s – Cold Slammin’ (Hydro Mix)
Why the hell I haven’t put this on a WYDU Classics Volume
already I have no clue, but it should have been on one of the first ones. This shit is fucking incredible. Although, I’m not a big fan of Kool Keith on his post Ultra days, I was a big Kool Keith fan from the Ultra days and this track shows why. Again, it’s not totally different from other stuff that was coming out during this time, but it just does it so well. There is a version that appears on King Bee’s “Royal Jelly” LP that was released ’90 that isn’t as good as this one,but it’s not bad either. One of the King Bee MC's sounds like the dude from “Urban Dance Squad” which isn’t a good thing. The album, which I think a lot was done by Ced Gee isn’t all that bad and I think can be found on Bust The Facts.
Trav’s Top Spins For The Week
After not really downloading anything for almost two weeks, I finally took a day and caught up on some of the stuff I wanted to listen to. This past weekend was a good way to sit down and listen to some albums I’ve been meaning to listen to and a few things got more than one listen and here’s the list.
I didn’t know what to expect from this when I started listening to it. I’m not going to say it’s classic or anything, because it’s not. That being said, it’s the best thing I’ve heard from KRS since “I Got Next” and that’s coming from someone who considers KRS as one of the top 3 most important figures in modern Hip Hop history. It does get a little tiring listening to Kris say the same thing over and over and over again, but he has a right to say what he’s saying. The beats aren’t as good as I was hoping, but Marley hasn’t really made anything “mind blowing” in my opinion since the Lords and one could argue that K-Def did most of that album. I found it mildly annoying that he uses the same horn lope for the third time Musika. With all that being said, I can see this growing on me. I listened to it once then for some reason I wanted to listen to it again about three hours later, which is always a good sign.
3. Blue Scholars – Bayani
5. DJ Jazzy Jeff – The Return Of The Magnificent
WHY?????
Why does Pharaoh Monch sound completely out of place on that “Rehab” remix by Amy Wino errr Winehouse. Don’t get me wrong, I love anything Pharaoh Monch usually puts out, but listening to him rhyme about Nicole Ritchie and Lindsey Lohan on a song that might as well be their theme song, it just all seemed a little…hmmm…contradictory?
Why couldn’t I put down the book written entirely about the making of the Beastie Boys “Paul’s Boutique”? It’s no secret that I love that album and think it’s one of the most creative albums of any genre, so reading about how it came about in a 123 page book was good enough for me to knock out 76 pages in one sitting last week. I haven’t read it since, but I’ve been busy.
Why is being a professional football player hazardous to your health? Another NFL player, Marquis Hill, passed this weekend. At least it wasn’t a Denver Bronco this time.
Why can the Tennessee Titans kiss their hopes of a good season goodbye next year? See the Madden ’08 cover. To me, they are still the Houston Oilers, so fine by me.
Why do I hate that “Throw Some D’s On It” joint so fucking much?
Why do I have no clue who this Mims dude is? Am I really that old?
Why am I really getting amped for that Royce and DJ Premier album after listening to “Hit ‘Em” over and over? (someone hook me up with a non mixtape version)
Why aren’t more people doing remixes like they did in the old days, like “Flava In Your Ear”, with a bunch of guest artists…I kind of miss that.
Why does there seem to be more quality songs this year than last year? So far this year, I could argue that “Nostalgia”, “Can’t Forget About You” and “Mr. Slow Flow” are all worthy of the top spot so far, at least in my book and all could have easily been the best last year.
Why do I just want to punch the TV screen everytime I see that fat pig Rosie O’Fat aka Rosie O’Donnell. That fat bitch just annoys the fuck out of me and shouldn’t be allowed on public TV anytime between the hours of 6 a.m. and midnight. Don’t get me wrong, I’m fairly liberal, but she’s just a fucking quack.
Why is the Hip Hop magazine an endangered species? Will they ever come back? Probably not.
Why did Miss
Why are
Why do I HATE all the reality bullshit shows. Age of Love? The Bachelor? Give me a break.
Why do I feel guilty then to say I kind of like that “The Lot” show about movie directors. I originally stopped on the channel because of the hot Latina announcer it had then laughed at one of the movies and started watching it I’m not sure it’ll rope me totally, but summer TV is pretty shitty usually.
Why did I want to go Phil Helumuth on the bitch who went chasing for a flush against me last week while playing poker and why did I just get up and walk away when she caught it on the river? I flopped a set and bet it hard, this was already after raising my pockets pre-flop. This lady had nothing on the flop and had to catch runner runner anyway you looked at it when she called my bet, but still made the call. Heart on the turn and heart on the river….good night now.
Why after listening to “Hip Hop Lives” did I have a dream that KRS stole money from me?
Why would Domingo have that same dream?
Why am I just now enjoying Pack FM’s “Whutduzfmstand4?”
Why is my uhhh cracked copy of Fruity Loops not working now? Not that I’m trying to be the next Primo, but it’s fun to play around with.
Why can’t even a Primo beat on “Get It Done” save Skyzoo? He just makes me want to fall asleep.
And finally…..
Why can women get away with blowing off their significant other all day, but if a guy does that we are in deep shit?
3/31/2007
Sunday Lite: Opening Day.
The smell of the grass, the crack of the bat, the aroma of hot dogs and brats, the taste of a cold beer on a hot day, these are things I love about baseball. I know football 
(American style) is the more popular sport these days here in the states, but call me old fashioned, but there is just something about baseball that I love. I'm not sure what drew me to the sport at an early age. I don't know if it was crawling up in my old man's lap and watching a Braves or Cubs game on TV when I was barely old enough to understand the sport, or the fact that I started playing baseball when I was 6 and continued all the way through High School, when my bad attitude (I once told a coach to fuck himself, not good), grades (I was a snot nosed punk my Freshman and Sophomore years) and arm injuries finally caught up to me and kept me from going on to college on a scholarship.
I know a lot of people don't care for it, but to me it's a game of immense skill (ever try hitting a fastball coming at you at 85 mph, let alone the 90's most MLB's see with a stick?) and a game of logic. You have to try to out think the pitcher, is he brave enough to throw you a curve on a 3-1 count? Watching all the little match ups within the game is incredibly exciting to me. For me, there is no better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than at the ball park with a buddy or two, tossing back a few cold ones and scarfing down on some of the most expensive hot dogs you will ever find.
I would be lying if I said one of the reasons I chose to move to Denver to finish my degree wasn't the fact that they had a MLB team. Growing up where I did, there wasn't any close MLB teams. We did have a short season Rookie League team, which is great as well, but growing up, I desperately wanted to see an real MLB 
game. It wouldn't be until '97 that I would get my chance. My then g/f (and future baby's mother) and a couple buddies drove from Salt Lake to Denver to catch a Pirates (my favorite team) and Rockies game. The Pirates would lose and ironically what I didn't know at the time, I would be going to Rockies game on the regular in about 8 years, but it was an incredible moment for me. The second game I caught was with my current g/f in Los Angeles for a Dodgers and Cubs game. Funny thing about that, we didn't get to the game until the second inning because we were.....uhhh....doing things that caused us to be late and the only run scored that game was a Sammy Sosa solo shot in the first inning.
I moved to Denver in Jan of '04 so I was PUMPED to hit up opening day for the first time in my life. For those of you who don't live in a baseball town, opening day might as well be a holiday. People go crazy. That first year, I had only lived here a few months and didn't really know anyone and I'm not so self conscious that I won't go do something by myself, so that's what I did, went by myself. I had a good time and yes, it would have been more fun going with someone I knew, but I busted my Opening
Day cherry and that's all that mattered. The next year, I had a test on opening day, so I couldn't make it, but a buddy and I headed over to an Old Chicago across from the Auraria Campus and catch the game in the fourth inning. That was the year the Rocks came back in the 9th inning against my "second favorite team", the San Diego Padres (my g/f is from San Diego, so by default, I have to yell for them to keep the peace, except when they play the Pirates). My friend and I got so trashed while watching the game, then attempted to ride his Vespa home after the game....NEVER put two drunk people on a Vespa, you are asking for trouble. We went home and drank a case (24 beers) while watching the NCAA championship game.
completely. I ended the day by calling another friend to come get me at around 7pm. The only problem, I had NO CLUE where I was at. I could barely read the street sign on the corner and could only tell my buddy (who I am going with this year and watched the game with the year before) I was one a street that started with a "W", I'd would later figure out it was Wykoop that I was on, for all the Denver readers.This year, I meeting up with L-Cruz, my "hispanic causing panic" buddy, who luckily lives with in walking distance of the staduim. I'm looking forward to it. I'm supposed to be at work at 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning, but I'm trying to switch it to the afternoon shift, cause Tuesday morning has the chance of being a little rough, but I'm only going with a couple Peter Gammons errrr Andrew Jacksons in my wallet, so it's going to be a little more difficult to over indulge.
Hip Hop is not really on the baseball thing. I was going to try to wrestle up some baseball related hip hop tracks, but only really three tracks came to mind, so I'll share those with you and throw a couple other "grand slam" tracks (yeah, corny, I know).
Kid Sensation feat Ken Griffey Jr. - The Way I Swing
No shit, THAT Ken Griffey Jr. Kid Sensation was down with Mix-a-Lots ECP (Emerald City
Posse for ya SUCKAS!) posse back in the day and recorded this song for Kid Sensation's "The Power Of Rhyme" back in '92, well being from Seattle it was only natural that "The Kid" Griffey, who was playing for the Seattle Mariners and a self professed hip hop head would collaborate with the other "Kid".While it is what it is, which is another athlete playing rapper, it has a little something to it. The violin sample that Kid Sensation used on the beat is rather ill in my mind. As far as Ken Griffey Jr as an MC, I've heard worse in both the terms of athletes on the mic (Shaq anybody?) and MC's (Paul Wall anyone?). It's still basically a novelty act, but it's kind of cool to hear a baseball player embrace the Hip Hop culture. Not many baseball players promote the hip hop culture. The only one I can think of is Royce Clayton who once got in a fight with a teammate for turning off his hip hop in the dug out once. I think he also might have a label of his own.
Pete Nice & DJ Daddy Rich - Rap Prime Minister (original version of "Rat Bastard" from the "Dust To Dust" LP).
Why am I putting this track in a collection of baseball tracks? Well for those of you who don't know, my man Peter Nash aka Prime Minister Peeeeete NIIIIIIIIICE nice nice nice (KICK 'Em THE GRILL PETE! Sorry couldn't help myself) is a rather famous baseball historian these days. Pete was a jock before his rap career in the first place, playing basketball for Columbia U back in the day as a point guard, which is also where he got his start in hip hop, hosting a radio show with Clark Kent.After Pete put down the microphone, he would move to Cooperstown, New York, where the baseball Hall Of Fame is located and opened a baseball memorabilia store that is rumored to be the second largest in the world. Pete Nice also became Peter Nash, author, as he would write three baseball based books.
Main Source - A Friendly Game Of Baseball (Remix 1)
Not necessarily a traditional
baseball song, but hey it incorporates baseball termanology, so we'll go ahead and use it. I first really got into this song from it's appearance on the "Boyz N The Hood" soundtrack.This is the alternate version found on "Breaking Atoms". Large Pro equates the treatment of blacks by the police departments around the nation as a game of "baseball". Not exactly "Fuck The Police", but one of the more powerful anti police songs that are out there.
Ultramagnetic MC's - Saga of Dandy, The Devil, & Dandy
This song is actually one of my favorite Ultra tracks basically
because it covers a topic in baseball that not many touch on, the black baseball leagues of the past. Before Jackie Robinson and the whole civil rights ear, blacks were not allowed to play baseball, so they had their own leagues. It was both a travesty and an injustice that this happened. I'm sure if blacks were allowed to play, the MLB record books would be totally different.Ultra covers the black league heroes, such as Josh Gibson, who might have been one of the best players in the history of the sport, Satchell Paige and others. It's a history league that needs to be kept alive so as people don't forget the importance of these players.
Some Free Stuff
Yeah, it's ironic that I'm offering free music, when, well basically thats what most of us bloggers do anyway, but there are some legitimate "free music" being dropped around this week and I thought I'd help you all out with finding it.
JJ Brown presents Re-Release Therapy
We know by now that I am a fan of Louis Logic and part of that reason is the production of JJ Brown. Unbeknown to me, Ludacris released the accapellas for his Release Therapy LP, which I don't know enough about to comment on really. Since I had an unhealthy obsession with the Jay-Z black album remixes, I thought I'd check this out.I haven't had the chance to really go through it, but my initial impressions were pretty good. Brown uses Jackson Five samples through out the whole project and it seems to work pretty good. None the less you can download it for free without having a guilty conscience (yeah right).
http://www.sendspace.com/file/743mvh
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DZT34X4A
http://ww8.sharebigfile.com/file/124891/Re-Release-Therapy-zip.html
http://www.sendspace.com/file/p2aofw
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=25AI0U4Y
http://ww8.sharebigfile.com/file/124941/Re-Release-Therapy-rar.html
DJ Illipse Presents Uncommon Mixes: A Blends Collection
As far as I'm concerned, DJ Illipse is one of the better dudes in the game when it comes to
mixtapes. I always try to check anything dude drops because he always comes correct. Well he has a free blends collection out for free download and I'll always help this guy promote his shit and get his hustle on, so be sure to check out, it's worth the time to download. Some nice stuff so check it out.01. Ludacris - The Red Light District Intro
02. Clipse - Cot' Damn
03. Big L, Jay-Z & Obie Trice - 3V
04. Nas ft. Ludacris - Virgo
05. 2Pac - Me Against The World
06. Obie Trice - Shit Hits The Fan
07. AZ & Genetics - Never Change
08. Clipse - Mr. Me Too
09. Mos Def & Black Genius - Ms
Fat Booty10. Big L - Flamboyant
11. Clipse Ft. Slim Thug - Wamp Wamp (What It Do)
12. Common - The 6th Sense
13. Nas - Nas Is Like
14. Lil Wayne - Hustler Musik
15. AZ & K. Slack - The Come Up
16. Eminem - Without Me
17. Outkast - Wheelz of Steel
18. Nas - Hope
http://www.sendspace.com/file/2ybt70
Bestshare Link
Rapidshare Link
If you like it, be sure to drop him a line on myspace
01-rashid_hadee-duck_duck_duck_feat_augustine_02-chapter_13-no_stoppin_(prod_rashid_hadee)
03-pete_rock-appreciate_feat_cl_smooth_(rashid_hadee_remix)
04-rashid_hadee-smile_baby_smile_(prod_rashid_hadee)
05-abstract_mindstate-like_this_yall_feat_rashid_hadee_
06-augustine-we_got_that_feat_rashid_hadee_and_sho_
07-rashid_hadee-been_so_long_(prod_rashid_hadee)
08-abstract_mindstate-flyin_high_(prod_rashid_hadee)
Neblina Records is one of the hardest working and most generous labels in the game today. Jerry Juliano puts in a lot of work promoting the likes of Abstract Mindstate, Chapter 13 and this artist, who I believe is also part of Chapter 13, Rashid Hadee. The music is on some smooth soul shit, which is perfect to throw in the box, sit back with your favorite mind altering substance and listen to the mellow cool vibes.
Be sure to check out Neblina's website for some more free music in the same vein.
Trav's Top Spins Of The Week
My fascination with this release continues. I'm still not completely sure if it was El-P that changed or my own personal tastes or maybe both. I'm still not fond of his lyrics, but his style fits the beats well, so it's great to me. You might want to watch falling asleep with it playing, because you get some weird ass dreams, I found that out this afternoon.
2. Evidence - The Weatherman
This release is starting to sound better and better all the time. Alchemist really does a better job on this release than what he did on the Prodigy album, but thats all good. This shit is really starting to grow on me
3. Prodigy - Return Of The Mac
I'm still listening to it, and, eh, it's growing on me.....
4. Native Nuttz - The Nuttz Are Restless
I was looking for this release for so long, I forgot I was looking for it. My man Dread came through once again with this shit. Shit is fucking great well worth the download. And remember, the password for it is: bustthefackts, for all you suckas!
5. Ultimate Force - I'm Not Playing
Another lost classic. Diamond D, Master Rob and even some apperance from Fat Joe make this album a great listen. One has to wonder what it would have been if it was released when it was intended to.
That is all......
Peace, Trav
