Bloggerhouse Hip Hop

83. M.O.P.-Firing Squad

Is it possible to have a soft spot for M.O.P.?? Or what about….”M.O.P. has always been a sentimental favorite of mine”? The two just don’t mix do they? Surprisingly, of the first three albums that have made my “Top 100″, my favorite M.O.P. album (“Warriorz“) won’t even make the cut due to the fact that I really don’t plan on posting any album’s from 2000- forward. With M.O.P.’s second disc “Firing Squad” came the announcement of the group’s affiliation with the legendary Dj Premier who also produced the better half of “Firing Squad” and handled the mixing of the album. The inclusion of Preemo is recognizable on “Firing Squad” the second you press play…that is once you bypass the “Intro” followed by the “Firing Squad (skit)”. By the way, don’t ever start an album off with an “Intro” followed by a “Skit”…talk about wasting two tracks!! Okay, so after bypassing the B.S. your nearly knocked on your ass with Preemo’s production that is consecutively found on “Firing Squad”, “New Jack City” and the ridiculous, Kool G Rap assisted “Stick To Ya’ Gunz“. “Stick To Ya’ Gunz” was my introduction to “Firing Squad” after hearing it on various mixtapes that one of my co-workers used to bring back from Philly after visiting with his Mom. Man, “Stick To Ya’ Gunz” was killin‘ it…..at the time of it’s release I can remember bumpin‘ it along with O.G.C’s “No Fear” & Paula Perry’s “Paula’s Jam” for about a month straight in early 1996. Damn, I want to think that this shit dropped in 1995, but Discogs proves me wrong yet again. Also, “Firing Squad” found Teflon filling the role of Phife to A.T.C.Q. and Milo to L.O.N.S. or even better yet Big Noyd to Mobb Deep or Consequence on Tribe’s “Beats, Rhymes & Life”, serving as the group’s unofficial third member while appearing on both “Firing Squad” and “New Jack City”. Lil Fame & Billy Danz have always brought the ruckus and then some……could you ever imagine this duo makin‘ a song about the honeys? Damn, that would come outta’ left field huh? Something that caught my eye, Ali Dee (the whiteboy who released “Bring It On” on EMI in 93′) produced “Dead & Gone”, while Jaz (not that Jaz, who does an excellent interview over at Wake Your Daughter Up”…rather Jaz of the Jay-Z fame or should I say Jay-Z of the Jaz fame???) is listed on the album insert production credits as Big Jaz. Nevertheless, a very solid sophomore effort from the most famous “ruckus bringers” in Hip Hop. Sh*t, did I post this album in my “sophomore success Saturdays” post already?? Oh well, here it is again, Enjoy!…-Eric

84. Big L-Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous

“Big L Rest In Peace!….DUN, da,dun,dun,dun…uh, uh, uh, uh”! Funny thing, I’ve seen Big L’s debut “Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous” labeled as CLASSIC…..just as I’ve seen Big Pun’s debut, Dilla’s “Donuts” and basically everything in Pac’s discography tagged the same as well. No disrespect to Hip Hop’s fallen soldiers, but if these artists were still crankin‘ out albums today…..well, would the aforementioned releases be indeed considered as CLASSICS? I highly doubt it, but what is most evident with “Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous” is an extremely impressive rookie effort from a very talented lyricist with endless possibilities who’s untimely death has left alot of us fiendin‘ for more from the “Most Valuable Poet on the M-I-C”. Also, it doesn’t hurt to have the bulk (9/10) of your album produced by the infamous Diggin‘ In The Crates crew. Hmmmm, where shall I begin?? If I can recall “Put It On” feat. Kid Capri was actually the first single and video that Big L dropped. I also considered “Put It On” as the album’s shining moment, so in my opinion it was an obvious “good choice” for a first single….too bad it just never really garnered any type of national exposure, but it did make a few waves on the East Coast. Big L has always been one of my favorite artists lyrically, as well as he was to many others in the industry….remember the so called “bidding war” on L right before the time of his passing. Rumor even has it that L was close to inking a deal with Rocafella…hmmm, that would have been an interesting turn of events. Anyway, the horns courtesy of Lord Finesse make “Fed Up With The Bullshit” another notable highlight of “Lifestyles….” along with the Showbiz produced “No Endz No Skinz” which provides a nice change of pace from Big L while at the same time showcases his well rounded lyrical abilities. Something else of note, it’s pretty intriguing to hear a pubescent Camron on the posse cut “8 Iz Enuff” and even more interesting is Jay-Z’s appearance on “Da Graveyard” which is another posse cut that solidifies the fact that Jay-Z has come full circle as a lyricist….what I mean, Jay-Z is what he is now as what he was then (uhh, does that make any sense?)…”Glimpes of briallance intertwined with corniness”. In closing, if you’ve never peeped Big L’s beware…after listening yo

u’ll be left wondering what the future really had in store from this lyrical dynamo…R.I.P…..-Eric

85. Akinyele-Vagina Diner

Am I the only one who remembers The Source hyping Akinyele as “Hip Hop’s next saving grace” back in 1993? Yeah right, like Hip Hop was in desperate need of any “saving” back in those days….my,my,my! Not soon after his appearance on what would become the legendary “Live At The BBQ” (which appeared on Main Source’s CLASSIC debut), Akinyele set forth to stake his claim as part of the “resurrection crew” (Black Moon, Wu, ATCQ, etc), in a valiant attempt to bring back “that ol‘ New York Rap” back to NYC…while it was currently chillin‘ in the West Coast thanks to Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic”. Released on Interscope Records with production in it’s entirety by the now legendary Large Professor, Akinyele scored a wonderful debut when compared to most of the freshman releases we’re subjected to nowadays. Although, “Vagina Diner” did fall short of our expectations in 93′. Still, over the years this album has never failed me, packed with an overabundance of metaphors and boasts, Akinyele would have fared very well in today’s underground “battle” circuit where mostly everything is based on an overreliance of punchlines and braggadocio. While Akiniyele is far from a herb lyrically, the constant metaphors do wear thin by album’s end. So how did “Vagina Diner” end up on this list? Simple enough…..Large Professor!! The beats on this album are pure Golden Age boom-bap brought to you by the only notable member of the now defunct Main Source. The album begins with a less than stellar Extra P production with “WorldWide“, of course Large Pro’s “less than stellar” beats far surpassed that of 90% of his peers even then (read: it was no “Looking At The Front Door”, but still decent). Quickly, things turn around with the irresistible “head nod” found courtesy of “Outta State”, which also finds Aktapuss “ready to make papes somewhere other than his place of residence”. For some peculiar reason, the album’s most disturbing track “I Luh Her” has always been the centerpiece of “Vagina Diner” for me. On “I Luh Her”, Akinyele’s disturbing (well..not at the time but nowadays rappin‘ about “killin‘ babies with coat hangers wouldn’t go over with the public too well) lyrics are virtually subdued by Large Pro’s masterful production yet again. Overall, “Vagina Diner” has always been a fun, lighthearted listen…I mean, c’mon…..Who else would make a song about hating to work out as Aknell did with “Exercixe“??? Plus, other than Main Source’s “Breaking Atoms” and Large Pro’s “The Lp” & “First Class” where else are you gonna’ find an album with beats produced 100% by the legendary Extra P?….-Eric

Just thinking of football and had to post the greatest football game since….well for a long ass time, if not ever. I hadn’t heard Paul J. Schneider, Boise States long time announcer call the win yet, until the wonder that is Youtube

There has been a lot said over the state of Hip-Hop lately. Those of us that were around since the ’80′s are getting up there in age and don’t necessarily agree with the direction the art form is taking. Some of the younger kids view us as old and out of touch with what is happening in the music today. It happens in all forms of music, it happened in Jazz, it happened in Rock and its happening in Hip-Hop now. I think its natural for a form of music to grow and develop over its existence. In fact I think you have to have evolution for a form of music to exist as more than a passing fad. An art form will become stale if it never “grows”. With that being said, if you venture to far from what the art form “originally” was, then I think you lose the true essence that the art form contained.

One of the most interesting views on this subject that I have read came in the form of the liner notes from People Under The Stairs 2002 release “O.S.T.”.

In a world of swirling disevolution, it’s nice to know some things never change. This music and its culture, out culture, is older than most of us who carry its torch. Thus, one must question “progression” when it seems to be taking us farther and farther away from the point. Some things are so fundamental to an art form that true-schoolisms, they are the very rules by which we define our music. Sampling is not “old school”, it is our medium; as a sculptor uses clay, or a painter uses paint, we use old records to make our music. Lyrics don’t necessarily have to be anything. Diamond D still goes on and on like popcorn and it’s still classic. Scratching, no matter how fast or turntablist, still sounds best easy and on beat. The rules never change. Thus , we present to you another album, just like the first two: not old school or mid school or underground or breakbeat or true school. Just good old hip hop.

There is a third paragraph that I’ll just leave out, since its more about the album and not relevant to this discussion. When I first read this, I was in my “Rap Sucks” mode, so at that time I probably agreed with it much more than I do now. I guess I’m split on my feelings of this issue and what PUTS feelings on it are.

A few years ago, I was adamant about Hip-Hop staying real. I was almost disillusioned by the fact that I hated what was happening to the music that I loved so much. These days, I’m more open to the fact that shit changes, and it has to in order to survive. I enjoy originality when its done right, I want to hear something progressive. I don’t think its healthy if shit stays the same from 1993. I think you need the Roots (I almost got the feeling that part of this was aimed at them for some reason) to bring the live stuff to table. They weren’t the first ones to use live instrumentation in Hip-Hop.

I’m getting too preachy and nerdy, so I’ll end at that, but I’m interested in hearing what others think. We will never solve anything, the music is what it is right now. We can stay dreaming of the “good old days”, but I don’t think its healthy to be stuck there. Everyone has their own opinion on the state of the music, but thats exactly what it is, an opinion, people need to remember that.

Change Is In The Air

Wu-Tang Interview
http://www.bodog.tv/media/wu-tang-epk#

This is rather interesting to say the least. It goes about 21 minutes and they cover everything from the loss of ODB to how well they work together to their legacy in the hip hop game and even a little blurb on the upcoming album “The 8 Diagrams”, which honestly I wasn’t believing until this. Some interesting things; Meth looks mad high and still demonstrates why he is still the most charismatic member of the bunch, RZA says some shit that you are waiting for him to say “No homo” after (something about the Wu doing Gang Bangs) and GZA spends half the time looking at RZA like “What the fuck you just say” and rolling his eyes at him. They mention having different producers on this project, not just RZA and other Wu affliated members. Easy Moe Bee and DJ Scratch were the two that stick in my mind, but there were others as well. GZA throws a little barb at G-Unit and they mention that Ghost was almost not on this. U God makes an appearance and acts like nothing ever happened between him and RZA…..so be it.

Trav’s Top Spins For The Week

1. Storm Davis – Kegstand Poetry For The Recovering Alcoholic

Yeah, I slept on this for long enough. I wouldn’t say this is the greatest album ever but I don’t care, I’m really enjoying this album currently. More and more songs are growing on me, so if I can listen to an album for more than a few songs, to me thats a good album and despite being 20 joints long, there is enough quality on this for me play it pretty much all the way through without skipping.

2. Junk Science – Feeding Einstein
This, like the Storm Davis, has been out for awhile, with this project dropping in 2005. And like the Storm Davis, there are more and more songs on this growing on me. And like the above album, some might write off as “nerd rap”, but I like it, so I could care less what anyone says. I like it so thats all that really matters to me. Maybe there is some hope for NY after all.

3. Blue Scholars – Bayani
No, still not tired of this album which I would almost consider calling the best album of the year so far. Beats and rhymes are in check. This is some quality ish.

4. Blu & Exile – Below The Heavens
I’d officially call myself an Exile fan now with last years “Dirty Science” making my top 5 and now this album. As I said last week there are some REAL weak spots, but also some GREAT stuff on here as well.

5. Redman Discography (meaning mainly “Whut” and “Dare…”)
Every once in a while I need my dose of the sloppy, stankin’ funk and what better to get it than to pull out those two albums and dream of the days Red was the shit.

WHY????

Why haven’t you heard the new eMC track yet? If you haven’t, check it out now

Why do I like this Chamillionare track so damn much? Maybe its because Rickey D is on it with him. Props to Chamillionare for keeping the originators in the game. The Video is pretty dope as well. Check the track out.

Why am I getting excited for this Little Brother joint even though 9th isn’t on it? Actually I think it’ll be even better without 9th, Check “Good Clothes” out if you haven’t heard it yet

Why has Primo been KILLIN’ it lately, he even makes the NYG’Z sound good with their track “Ur Dayz R #’d”

Why do I think I should really like Skyzoo, but the fact is he just puts me to sleep?

Why do I despise Akon so damn much, anytime I hear him I vomit a little bit in my mouth.

Why is that “Beautiful Girls” song just as annoying itself. Radio music really sucks, I need to fix my CD player in my car or just buy a new one.

Why, speaking of shitty radio music, does this summer suck so bad for it. At least year we had “Crazy” or that Young Joc song that was at least listenable and didn’t.

Why is it every time I start respecting Kayne as a musician, he goes and opens his mouth and says some stupid shit. This time, he says “I’ll rip any mc out there that’s really how I feel. Wayne, close your ears. I’ll rip everybody out there, discluding Wayne.” Give me break, those two could compete for being the worse MC maybe. Get o
ver self Kayne. He won’t get any of my dough just because he is an arrogant ass.

Why did I nearly toss a book through the TV last night when I was watching some dude blaming Hip Hop and the culture for the the popularity of dog fighting. He goes on to use DMX as an example. Excuse me, DMX? Has he been relevant in hip hop this decade? Give me a break.

Why when I watched videos of dog fights, did it make me want to throw the book even more at Vick. That was some sick shit.

Re-ups

Jungle Brothers – Raw Deluxe (Gee Street, 1997)

I forgot who wanted this and I apologize to whoever it was, because I kept forgetting to look for my copy. I bought both this one and the release that came out after this one. Well one was so shitty that I ended up getting rid of it and I never sell my CD’s, but I did that one, that’s how bad it was. Well “Raw Deluxe” wasn’t the bad one and I still had it in my collection. Its not great by any means, but the “How Ya Want It We Got It” Native Tongues Remix with De La is worth downloading this album.

House Party Original Soundtrack (Motown, 1990)

I won’t lie, I dug this shit. And I hated most R&B back when this came out. I was down with “Why You Get Funky On Me” by Today (Big Bub was that dude) and some of the other R&B stuff that is found on here. That along with the fact that at the time this was the first time I heard both “To Da Break Of Dawn” and “I Can’t Do Nuthin’ For You Man” (they showed up on here before their respective albums) then throw on “The Battle” with Kid ‘N Play doing their battle that was done in the movie and you have a fairly entertaining soundtrack. I just about wanted to do the kick step listening to this just now.

Bobby Jimmy – Hip Hop Prankster (Priority Music, 1990)

Here it is again. I just saved y’all $94 bucks if you bought it on Amazon, so just send any Beers to 710 E Jefferson…….

K-Dee- Ass, Gas, or Grass (Lench Mob Records, 1994)

For some reason, Cube’s Lench Mob Records never really took off and its kind of a shame because there was some good music that didn’t get heard. This is one of them. I was just starting to get out of the west coast music when this drop and I can’t recall if I actually owned this one back in the day (I want to say I did, but it got jacked in a book of CD’s I left in my Jimmy and forgot to turn the alarm on). This is some pure west coast shit for those of you into it, if you haven’t heard, nows your chance. And since it’s going for $67.97 on Amazon, I just saved y’all a gang of money today……

Various Artists-Who’s The Man? O.S.T.

We begin “Soundtrack Sunday” with one of my favorite Soundtracks of all time. In terms of quality music and a commendable assemblance of artists it’s safe to say that I would group the original soundtrack to “Who’s The Man?” amongst the likes of Death Row CLASSICS “Above The Rim” & “Murder Was The Case” (yeah, I was on my West Coast kick in High School just like every other die-hard “East Coast” head!!). Released in 1993 on Uptown Records, it’s hard to imagine that Executive Producers Sean “Puffy” Combs & Andre Harrell had anything else on their mind other than providing a showcase for their impressive label roster (B.I.G., Jodeci, Mary J. Blige & Father MC were all signed to Uptown and pop up on the soundtrack). The soundtrack starts off with a bang in the fashion of “Party & Bullshit” provided by an artist who went by the moniker BIG (who would later go on to make some “waves” in the world of Hip Hop…insert sarcasm). Oh, here’s a nice little tidbit for you….I, for one always thought that “Party & Bullshit” was produced by Clark Kent….nope, it was indeed Easy Mo Bee (thank you once again Discogs!!). Next up, you had Erick Sermon’s “Hittin‘ Switches” which still to this day remains one of my favorite beats he ever did. The track also made an appearance on Sermon’s solo debut “No Pressure” (hmmmm, I might pull that one out today and give it a listen). Another favorite of mine which was recently included in my “When They Reminisce Vol.II” compilation, House Of Pain’s “Who’s The Man?”. Produced by DJ Lethal, “Who’s The Man” ranks up their with H.O.P.’s best material along with the Diamond D featured “Word Is Bond” and both the original & Pete Rock Remix of “Jump Around”. It’s really hard to enjoy Jodeci’s “Let’s Go Through The Motions”, it’s sorta’ like listening to BoyzIIMen nowadays….even though it was surefire babymakin‘ music in High School, by comparison today it sounds kinda’ lame. Also, as with most soundtracks you have alot of “leftovers”. What I mean by “leftovers” are cuts that most of the time don’t make the artists own album and Pete Rock & CL Smooth’s “What’s Next On The Menu” is a prime example of this. “What’s Next On The Menu” pales in comparison to anything that was included on “Mecca & The Soul Brother”…..but, it’s still Pete & CL!!! After you check out the soundtrack I highly recommend you also try and dig up the accompanying movie as every major rapper from 1993 and their baby’s mamma make an appearance in “Who’s The Man?”, and it’s also good for a few laughs…-Eric

Various Artists-Trespass Original Soundtrack

Released in 1992 on the now defunct Sire Records (for some odd reason, I think that they were a subsidiary of Warner Bros.), “Trespass” was a solid but not awe inspiring soundtrack to the movie that featured two of the West Coast most notorious gangsta rap legends Ice Cube & Ice-T. I really dug this one up about a month ago and gave it a spin based on the fact that the sample Ill Poetic used for “Common Knowledge” off of his outstanding “The World Is Ours”, is also the same sample that GangStarr flipped for “Gotta’ Get Over”. Now, first of all this soundtrack does have some fast forward material as the uninspired “Do What I Gotta’ Do” was an obvious omission from P.E.’s “Apocalypse 91…The Enemy Strikes Black” and Cube & Ice-T’s collabo “Trespass” isn’t really what you’d expect from a pairing of two of the “left side’s” finest. The tracks that shine on Trespass..SHINE! For instance, “You Know What I’m About” is one of the hardest beats that I’ve ever enjoyed from D.I.T.C. alumni Lord Finesse and “I Check My Bank” is without a doubt the only Sir Mix-A-Lot track that I’ve ever desired to hear more than once. Damn, Mix is probably one of the only artists whose work I’ve never checked for…even out of shear curiosity. Of course you’ll find AMG up to his usual shenanigans on “Don’t Be A 304″ and AMG’s pals Penthouse Players Clique don’t stray too far from AMG’s winning formula on “I’m A Playa” (damn…original title, huh?). Now, for the real winners…the aforementioned “Gotta’ Get Over” by GangStarr is “Trespass’” shining moment (be sure to check for the Large Professor remix as well if you’ve never heard it) and Black Sheep’s “Off The Wall” was an impressive submission from the Native Tongue’s extended fam during their heyday. I can’t remember how this movie was so I wouldn’t say I’d recommend it as I did “Who’s The Man?”, but you definitely are sleepin‘ if you’ve never heard the soundtrack…-Eric

Hmmmm, while I was looking forward to hearing Keith Murray’s leak “Rap Murr Phobia”, at the same time I’ve been somewhat hesitant just based on his subpar performance on his last two (“It’s A Beautiful Thing” & “He’s Keith Murray”) releases. While the single with Tyrese on the hook (“Nobody Do It Better”) is a nice little ditty, it’s the only track that I’ve let play out on “Rap-Murr-Phobia” thus far as the beat is somewhat reminiscent of Murray’s first single “The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World”. I don’t know man, I may be an old soul but I do miss the day’s of the production found on Erick Sermon’s “Double Or Nothing”, Redman’s “Dare Iz A Darkside” & Murray’s aforementioned “Most Beautifullest…” & even “Enigma” (although, I still ranked it as a “sophomore slump” for Murray). The production on this album ranks somewhere between the production that can be found on Redman’s…….Jesus, that album was so forgettable I can’t even remember the album’s title…(as I return from checking discogs)…ahhh, “Red Gone Wild” & Method Man’s “4:21 The Day After”). I don’t’ want to completely write this one of yet, and by no means am I trying to spoil your listening adventure with “Rap-Murr-Phobia”. It’s just that I have mentioned on numerous occasions that my “DJ’s ear” gets the best of me sometimes and after skimming through this album nothing has grabbed me at all! If you missed out on the leak you can find it HERE (BTW, this dude has been killing it lately!!)

Wow, score “When They Reminisce” a late pass with this one! If you’ve never heard Deep Rooted’s “The Second Coming” your missing out! I will warn you though….I’ve always been a sucker for old soul samples and trunk rattling bass knocks (see: Ill Poetic, Pete Rock, Nicolay, Illmind, Khrysis and on occasion 9th Wonder) along with an “R & B chick” on the hook. All that can be found (matter of fact there are soothing vocals…compliments of Brea that supply the hook to nearly all 17 tracks on “The Second Coming”) on “The Second Coming”. While I know very little about emcee Mr. Brady & DJ/Producer Johazz, they must have been doing something right for the likes of One Be Lo, Oh No, Planet Asia & Abstract Rude (whom all make appearances on the album) to co-sign them. If you only listen to one track from the album make it the One Be Lo featured “Break Of Dawn”. With it’s breezy production and a scene stealing verse from 1/2 of Binary Star this song truly represents “feel good music”. On the other hand, if your one of those dudes that stays angry at the world for a better portion of the day…bypass this one, for this album is the perfect soundtrack to those beautiful mid-summer evenings that our commonplace during this time of the year. Just beware, because even with me I found the “R & B hook” quite redundant around the album’s closing. Still, it’s good enough for W.T.R.’s stamp of approval. Check out “The Second Coming” HERE.

Prime example #2 of “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”. Yeah, I know what is probably going through your mind right now. “What in the hell is this Electronica album doing on ‘W.T.R.’??”. Those were my sentiments exactly (just replace ‘W.T.R.’ with “EFFICENCY“) this morning when I came across the cover art for Eternia’s new mixtape/album “Where I’m At-The Setup” at my new source for brand new “underground” stuff..EFFICIENCY. Before I even downloaded Eternia’s “Where I’m At-The Setup” I made damn sure to click on the MySpace link provided below the album’s post to ensure that I wasn’t wasting my time. Needless to say, while surfing Eternia’s MySpace page I came across the video for “Struggle” featuring Wordsworth and Kenn Starr (whose “Starr Status” was one of my favorite albums from 06′). Featuring a Primo-esque beat (I have yet to discover who produced this but I’m telling you it’s a “deadringer” for Primo) and the always on point Words, Eternia (who sounds like a more lyrically adept Angie Martinez) more than holds her own amongst the likes of two of the underground’s finest over an extremely ill production. Again, I listened to this album while working out this morning so I don’t feel comfortable giving this one any more pub…but the album is in a “mixtape” format..so out of the 26 tracks, more than half really caught my attention. I know that M-Phazes (who also sounds like a deadringer for Khrysis & 9th Wonder) did some of the beats on “Where I’m At”. Do yourself a favor and check out the video for “Struggle” HERE, I can can almost guarantee that you’ll be just as impressed as I was. Also, the mixtape/album features guest slots from the aforementioned artists along with Polyrhythm Addicts….oh shit, I just let her myspace page play out while typing this and heard “Nowhere, No More” featuring Torae and it is actually produced by 9th Wonder!!!…Damn, that’s a real nice track from 9th

n>! Anyway, this album is definitely worth checking out and that’s comin‘ from someone who only considers Jean Grae as the only reputable female emcee in the game right now. Plus, Eternia is pretty damn easy on the eyes and that’s always a good thing!! Hit me back with your take on “Where I’m At….”

Damn, now this is frustrating!! If you read my THOUGHTS for last week you more than likely came across my take on Moka Only’s 2007 release “Vermillion“. As I mentioned, “Vermillion” featured some incredibly dope production (very Ummah ish, Dilla-esque) with some not so incredible lyricism. Even as big as a production junky that I am, you can only overlook verbal “nonsense” on the mic so often. Also, after Jaz @ ColdRockDaSpot brought to my attention that Moka seems to release an album every Full Moon or so he’s now back with his newest “leak” “Airport”. Now, for starters is that the worst cover art you’ve ever seen?? I dare you to one up me on this one folks….damn Moka..ever heard of “PhotoShop??!!! Here’s where my frustration really sets in…the album’s production is once again fairly decent with each track falling between 2 and 3 minutes in length…..very sonic, bass heavy production once again. The obvious Dilla influence can be found wihin Moka’s production, but it’s also evident that he’s been listening to “Welcome 2 Detroit” and “Champion Sound” as well because Moka really sounds like Dilla on the mic. On that note, didn’t Black Thought state that Dilla was the “best producer on the mic” on “Game Theory”? Uhhhh…….no!! Anyway, like I said the production is once again worth a listen (see “It’s Done Pt. II” for a teaser), but as a recommendation…Moka stick to dropping instrumental joints from here on out! Peep “Airport” HERE

After watching the teaser video for Madlib’s new instrumental LP “Beat Konducta Vol.III:Live In India” on YouTube earlier this week I decided to go “blog hunting” in search of the newest instrumental LP from Quasimoto’s alter ego. Well, after about a half an hour of searching I finally found it! (hit me up, if you want a link). Listening to the previously leaked Oh No’s (Madlib’s younger brother) “Dr No’s Oxpirement” and L-I-B’s “Vol III:Live In India” back to back, it’s hard to disagree that there may very well be a hint of sibling rivalry taking place here between the two. Also, something that I found very interesting is that both of the album’s have a heavy “Indian” (sh*t, I guess that’s the correct terminology) influence sprinkled within each track that can become quite annoying on both albums. Still, if I had to chose one it would without a doubt be Oh No’s “Dr.No’s Oxpierement” as each track will beat the hell outta’ your trunk. The Madlib joint…while still very good doesn’t possess the sound quality the Oh No’s album does. I mean, the dustiness of the “Live In India” may serve you very well, but I’m all for sound quality, clarity and good engineering and “Dr. No’s Oxpierement” carries all of the above very well.

Here’s my abbreviated take on the new release from Common “Finding Forever: In a nutshell…I’m really sitting on the fence with this one folks. For the first time in recent memory, I can’t decide if I like the album or can just write it off. Let’s start with the highlights….”The People” has been killin‘ the airwaves for a bit now and as I’ve mentioned before it has grown on me significantly. Devo Springsteen (who also co-produced Kanye’s “Diamonds”) kills it with the Nina Simone sampled “Misunderstood”. The Kanye featured & produced “Southside” does sound a bit dated (due to the overused Kanye drums that seem to appear on all his guest productions) but still is a quality track..if you could only overlook Kanye spewing “South, South, South, South, South” every two seconds. Also, of note is is the haunting “Start The Show”, which features an incredible loop for the chorus and changes pace to let Common spit a decent sixteen. The thing that gets me is the praise that “Drivin‘ Me Wild” has been receiving lately….Man, that joint is HORRIBLE!! Who said “Hey Com, let’s put Lilly Allen on the hook”…..wrong move! The blatant “crossover” attempt falls way short of it’s initial intent. Another misstep is the Will I Am produced “I Want You”, which is even softer than “Come Close” off of Common’s “Electric Circus”….but hey it’s done by Will I Am (aside from Nas’ “Can’t Forget About You” I’m really not to hip on his beats). Oh, and didn’t we hear “So Far To Go” (featuring D’Angelo) almost two years ago on “The Shining”?? C’mon dude! It’s sorta’ like Good vs. Evil or the Yin and the Yang. Sorry everyone, I just can’t call it!!!

Mobb Deep-Juvenile Hell

I , much like alot of folks never came across Mobb Deep’s 1993 debut on 4th & Broadway Records “Juvenile Hell” until the release of their 1995 CLASSIC “The Infamous”. Well, to be exact I never picked this album (“Juvenile Hell”) up until early 2000, just for sheer fact of owning every Mobb Deep LP. It’s kinda’ weird I guess, I’d never even heard “Hit It From The Back” or “Peer Pressure” during the Golden Era of 1993-1994, but every once in a while I’d see one of their singles featured as a “Sure Shor Single” in The Source. Hell, I even think they may have been featured as “Unsigned Hype” before they were signed! It’s hard to believe that they even put anything out before “The Infamous”….I mean, think about it…I’m sure that your introduction to Mobb Deep was “Shook Ones Pt.II” much like myself (I believe i heard it on a LOUD records sampler/EP that also had Tha Liks “DAAM” on it…can’t remember the name of that damn EP though!). Nevertheless, “W.T.R.” is for the children and Havoc & Prodigy (damn, another thought..what the hell was up with two South Central Cartel affiliates owning the same moniker as the Mobb duo….only difference Prodigy was spelled Prodeje…hmmm) barely had hair on their chest when “Juvenile Hell” was recorded. Listening to this album now, it sounds incredibly dated even with production from Large Pro & The Bomb Squad (well at least Paul Shabazz….betcha’ you didn’t know that did ya? It’s okay I didn’t either until today….Thanks Discogs!) Admirably, even back then you could catch a glimpse of what Havoc had up his sleeve as far as beats are concerned for the future. Half of the album was produced by Mobb Deep, but if you have any inkling of Mobb Deep history you can automatically assume it was Havoc. The only track that does hold up in today’s world is the testosterone fueled “Hit It From The Back”, which actually sounds like a Large Pro assisted track but surprisingly it was laced by Mobb Deep (read: Havoc). Anyway, keen yourself to the Mobb’s starting grounds…don’t be left in the cold like most so called “Hip Hop historians” who still label “The Infamous” as Mobb’s debut….-Eric

Jamal-Last Chance, No Breaks

“1-9-to tha‘ breaka‘-1-9-9-5, Jamal represent and keep it live”…Damn, I wish I would have never listened to “Last Chance, No Breaks” while working out this morning! Here I am, sitting with my clients discussing their goals for their financial future and all I have going through my head all day has been the above lyric from Jamal’s (Mally G) “Keep It Live” from his solo 1995 release on Rowdy Records entitled “Last Chance, No Breaks”. My wife mentioned to me the other night that if my clients knew what kind of life I lived after the suit comes off that they’d never invest with me…..hmmm, she’s probably right. I mean, we do reside in Arkansas after all…where the state colors are Camouflage & Hunter Orange! Anyway, mostly everyone knows that Jamal was one half of Illegal along with Mr. Malik who also released a self titled album that featured some production from Def Squad affiliate and Jamal “overseer” Erick Sermon. Now, as far as “Last Chance, No Breaks” is concerned….I really liked this album back in 1995 & every once in a while I revert back to a few tracks from the album, particularly “Insane Creation” f. Redman (Jesus, Easy Mo Bee killed that beat….did he drop some ish during the Golden Era or what?) and the original version of “Fades Em’ All” (produced by Redman & Rockwilder, hmmm..always thought it was Erick Sermon?). For once in my life I prefer an original to a Pete Rock remix!!! (“Fades Em’ All”). There are a few notable missteps on “Last Chance…” , the Mike Dean (Geto Boys) productions “Da Come Up” & “Don’t Trust No” fail miserably as Jamal’s attempt to “broaden his horizons” sounds best over soundscapes from his Def Squad cohorts. Surprisingly, Erick Sermon only produced two cuts that are found here, “Situation” and the ever so popular 90′s phrase “Keep It Real”. It’s good to see that Mally G is still around, as he makes an appearance on Keith Murray’s new “leak” “Rap-Murr-Phobia”….-Eric

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Track Listing

1. “Nuthin‘ To Do“-Common Sense….”And Oh Well, Hey Hey, What Can You Say?” (“Just Anotha‘ Wasted Nite“) I’m quite aware that Com’s classic follow up to “Can I Borrow Dollar?” also includes one (maybe two if you count the title track “Resurrection”) of the greatest songs ever recorded with “I Used To Lover H.E.R., but if you asked me….this (“Nuthin‘ To Do”) is my favorite track from the album. The Ol‘ Dirty sample compliments this track perfectly.
2. “Bubblin“-CRU….This was actually the B-Side to the Slick Rick assisted first single “Just Another Case” and the first CRU track that I heard via one of Puff’s “BAD BOY” mixtapes back in 95′. Yogi’s beat is so damn bare bones and simple you can’t help but nod your head and on the mic Yogi & Chadeo are always entertaining. Chadeo spits that he’s “known to turn lesbos strickly dickly“…..CLASSIC!
3. “Dog It”-Digable Planets….From the opening horn riff you knew this shit was gonna’ be funky and once the stutter step beat kicks in it’s OVA!! Damn, just listening to this again makes me wish these cats would drop just one more album. Butterfly and Ladybug carry this one from the CLASSIC sophomore effort “Blowout Comb”. Remember the tape insert for this one was formatted as news headlines on that different print paper that smelled so damn fresh? You’ll never see that sh#t again.
4. “Uuh“-D-Nice….Taken from the Flavor Unit compilation “Roll With The Flava” that dropped in 1993. D-Nice should have kept this single for himself, at least this would have improved the listening quality of the lackluster “To That Rescue”. The drums on “Uuh” sound like the same drums Muggs used on “How I Could Just Kill A Man”.
5. “I’ll Make You Famous”-Da Illy Funktas (aka Da Youngstas)….Da Youngstas‘ fourth album was just an afterthought when compared with “The Aftermath”, but there was an array of quality tracks on the album with this one being my favorite.
6. “Brown Sugar” (Beatminerz Remix)-D’Angelo f. Kool G Rap….This has to be one of my favorite remixes of all time. What an odd combination that works beautifully, who woulda‘ thought that D’Angelo + Kool G Rap + Da Beatminerz = Success? As dope as the original was, this remix blows it outta’ the water. Da Beatminerz laid the perfect groundwork for D’Angelo’s soothing vocals.
7. “Tearz” (Ignorant Tearz Remix)-Da King & I….Not quite as fresh as the original but pretty damn close! This remix sets the track off with a more uptempo vibe that surprisingly works out. The original is probably in my top 15 tracks ever though.
8. “Real Hip Hop”-Das Efx…Yet another CLASSIC Primo production. Das came back hard on “Hold It Down” and this lead single let us know that they weren’t playin‘ around over a bare knuckles beat from the legendary beatmaker.
9. “No Equal”-The Beatnuts…Taken from their informal debut “Intoxicated Demons”, an EP that served as a teaser to the classic self titled (or some would say “Street Level”) follow up. The Beatnuts have always been wizards on the boards, but I feel that this is one of their better productions….and the Rakim vocal sample was a nice clean cut fit (“Number 1, competition is none”) .
10. “Sho Is Hype”-Volume 10….This Freestyle Fellowship affiliate has always been somewhat of an acquired taste, but this cut is undeniably ill. This song is best suited for listening with some serious wattage, when the bass knocks kick in it nearly rattles your ribcage.
11. “Clones”-The Roots…I know that everyone and their Mamma has vibed to “Clones” at least once in their life but so what!! I can remember playing this song back t0 back with Heltah Skeltah’s “Therapy” for a better portion of a week during this time of Summer in 1996. I’ve always had the utmost respect for the Roots since day one as they truly define “Hip Hop”.
12. “Dark Sun Riders”-Dark Sun Riders f. Brother J of X-Clan….Damn, probably one of the only tracks from “Seeds Of Evolution” that I’ve listened to more than once. As I mentioned in “X-Clan” post last week, there’s no doubt that Brother J was a talented dude and this track is a true showcase of his ability to ride something funky.
13. “Now You’re Mine”-GangStarr….Jesus, I watch all these old basketball videos…..you know, like “NBA’s Greatest Dunks” and sh#t along those lines. Why is it that not once have I ever seen this song served as a backdrop? I mean, this track is literally catering to NBA Films. Oh, and the Primo beat is ill….but what else is new?
14. “Our For The Cash”-DJ Honda f. The Beatnuts, Problemz & Fat Joe….I couldn’t tell you why I’ve been playing this one lately, but I’d totally forgotten that Fat Joe was on here…now that it makes that big of a difference. I always wonder why a DJ would use the moniker “Honda” ( I mean, I know the obvious…but still?).
15. “Shut Em’ Down” (Pete Rock Remix)-Public Enemy….yet another one of those unforgettable P.R. remixes. Damn, how hot was Pete when he dropped this and the remix to House Of Pain’s “Jump Around” shortly thereafter? Damn, I wanna’ go back!!!
16. “Poor Man’s Poetry”-Naught

    y By Nature…Taken from the soundtrack to the cinematic thriller “Poetic Justice” (you know I’m jokin‘, right?). I could easily see how one could confuse this cut with “Uptown Anthem” as both sound very similar. Why is Kay Gee’s name never brought up when talking about some of Hip Hop most important producers?

17. “Trilogy Of Error”-Real Live….Okay, we all know that Larry O wasn’t sayin‘ much….but damn K-Def!!! If I had one wish, I would have just let the beat that serves as the opening and the chorus ride out because that it was drew me into this song initially.
18. “Last Dayz“-Onyx….Confession: I was never really into this song until I saw Em rip this shit up on “8 Mile” (the same case could also be made for Show & AG’s “Next Level” (Primo Remix), but ever since I’ve fallen in love with it over & over again. Without a doubt the best portrait that Onyx ever painted
19. “Scarface Groove”-Paris….Paris’ music used to scare the sh$t out of me when I was a young 12 or 13 year old but know it serves as a pretty efficient soundtrack to accompany my workouts. Damn, Paris was pretty nice on the mic as well….but what’s up with the more recent stuff he’s doin‘ with P.E.?

For the first time since I started this blog, I’m suffering from a lack of ideas. Sort of. I have a couple ideas in the works, but until I get more time to work on them like I want, they will have to wait on the back burner. I wanted to crank this post out on Monday but didn’t have anything really interesting to say. In all honesty, the post I did Monday was a blurb I wrote somewhere else awhile ago, a recycled post of sorts. It sucks too, because I feel like cranking out some quality material, but like a drunk man trying to get his sex on, just can’t. So be it……

So I’ll go back to my handy backup plan when I’m void of creativity and/or time. Albumbase. Yes, I realize most of you mp3 nerds are already up on Albumbase, but some of you might not be registered or you might not thought to look for the stuff.

This all from albumbase, so I take no credit for any of this…..

Remixes Vol 1 (Not Sure What or Who did it)

1. Positive K & LG – A Good Combination ….Worth the price of admission right here
2. ADOR – Let It All Hang Out (Pete Rock Remix) ….Who doesn’t have this track?
3. The A.T.E.E.M. – Yeah (Master Vocal Mix) .….ATEEM was the shit
4. Common – I Used To Love Her (9th Wonder Remix).….umm, kind of hacked up a classic, don’t do a remix unless it’s as good or better than the original
5. House Of Pain – Jump Around (Pete Rock REmix) ….This track needs the mass confusion of the original, but this beat is smoooooooooth
6. Jungle Brothers – Brain (Da Beatminerz remix)…..????
7. Little Indian – One Little Indian (Buckwild Remix) .…I’ve only ever heard this version
8. Lord Finesse feat Big L, Percee P – Yes You May (Funk Flow Remix) ….love this version as well, listened to it much more than the original
9. Public Enemy – Night Train (Pete Rock Strong Island Mt. Vernon Meltdown Mix) ……not sure how I feel about this one, I think I like it
10. Shyheim – On and On (Primo Remix)…..there might be two Primo beats that I dislike…..and this is not one of them
11. ADOR – One For The Trouble (K-Def Remix).….K Def is the shiznit
12. Biggie – Party & Bullshit (Lord Finesse Remix)…..never cared for this version
13. 3rd Bass – Products of The Enviroment (Marley Marl Remix) .……better than the original
14. Nas – It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Large Pro Remix) …..MUCH MUCH better than the original
15. Gang Starr – Code of the Streets (Kenny Dope Remix) ….I think this is the first time I’ve heard this version…not bad
16. ADOR – One For The Trouble (Sam Sever Remix) .…..Sam Sever is that dude, I think I like this better than the K Def version
17. Tragedy – Funk Mode (Large Pro Remix) ...I LOVE this version
18. OC – Born To Live (DJ Eclipse Remix).….ehhhh

I feel like I’ve seen this collection somewhere before. When I played it, it had some of the blog names to them, so obviously homemade, but there is some good stuff on here.

9th Wonder Invented The Remix
No Track Order

Amerie – Why Don’t We Fall In Love
Bilal – Love It
Common – I Used To Love HER
Ghostface – Never Be The Same
Nas – Second Childhood
Prodigy – Keep It Thoro
Royce Da 5’9 – Boom
Slum Village – Look Of Love

I used to love anything 9th touched. Not so much anymore. I don’t know what it is, but it just seems like he’s gotten lazy. I originally found this on soulseek back in the BB days (BB=Before Blogs) It’s aigh, nothing to special, but for those 9th fans that might not have heard it yet, here it is. I think he released himself back in ’04 or so or just passed it around to folks like he did “Black Album Remix”.

9th Wonder & Spectac – Shake N Beats
Sorry, no track names

Another project I found back in the soulseek days. I found info on this when I looked for it, but I can’t remember for certain what was what. I want to say, Spectac was a North Carolina MC that was loosely associated with the Justus League, but as I said I can’t recall for certain. I also don’t remember if these beats were exclusively for Spectac or if this was kind of an Access Immortal “Clear Album” thing in which AI used recycled beats from 9th’s beat tapes that can be found all over the net. Someone that wants to fill in the blanks, feel free.

Trav’s Spin For The Week

1. Blu & Exile – Below The Heavens
This album took some hits for this week. It is rather inconsistent in nature, some stuff I love and some of it I don’t care for all that much, which leads to a lot of skipping. The stuff I do like though is simply amazin’ (pun intended, if you’ve heard the album, you know which track I’m talking about). It’s still top 10 material so far this year (in my opinion of course), but it di
d lose some luster.

2. Senim Silla – The Name, THe Motto The Outcome
No more “Big Four” since I didn’t listen to either Buff1 or Ill Poetic this past week. This joint is still blazing the headphones though as it just feels good to listen to quality hip-hop

3. Storm Davis – Kegstand Poetry For the Recovering Alcoholic
More and more songs are growing on me from this after picking it up again. It really makes me wonder what other quality albums I’m sleeping on just because of the mass quanity of music to listen to out there. I actually got a “thanks” from Storm himself for mentioning the last track of this album in my “top 30 of the first half” post. It still blows me away sometimes that artists of the music I listen to actually visit this site…..crazy.

4. Blue Scholars – Bayani
I always said that my problem with albums now a days is that I don’t listen to the album longer than a week or two before I get bored with it. Guess thats not always the case anymore.

5. Jus Def & The X-Town Posse – Vocal Full Contact TIED With Digital Underground Discography
I got something coming on the Jus Def album, so I won’t let that out of the bag just yet. I read the Digital Underground piece in “Check The Technique” and it led to me making an MP3 disk of all of DU’s material at one in the morning. Truly underrated group in my humble opinion.

WHY???

Why am I boycotting Steroid Bonds run on history? I’m a baseball fan and one that greatly respects the game and its history…..maybe thats why. Fuck Bonds.

Why do I think Lil’ Wayne is the worse artist to ever live….

Why does Candyman of “Knocking Boots Fame” feel the desire to dis DJ Drama? What’s next, Paperboy dissing Mick Boogie?

Why have still not listened to the new Common? I’m not sure I really want to, but I will for my thirst to have heard every hip hop album made at least once in my life.

Why does Ja Rule feel that he needs to embarrass himself some more? Hang it up dude.

Why has Lauryn Hill went off the deep end? I can’t find the link, but I read a concert review from a recent show and chick is bugged.

Why am I digging that new “Sunshine” track off the Sad Clown Bad Summer 9 joint from Atmosphere? Good shit.

Why am I kind of sad to see HipHopSite.com go? Yeah, they were slow as fuck, but they were the first place I ever ordered from. I’ll miss them and I’ll miss going to their store when I got to Vegas

Why do I have no money to buy shit in their 60% off sale…..grrrrr

Why do I want some after work booty action with this cleaning lady walking around here?
Daaaayum!

Why, why, why why, why why why why would Kayne think that this cover would be good for an album??

Why do I have the feeling Michael Vick is going to have the book thrown at him? That is a pretty fucked up thing though.

Why can’t I wait for football season to start? Fuck the Brownies, fuck Cowboys and fuck the Bengals….and fuck the Ravens while I’m at it.

Why haven’t I done one of my Used CD shopping trips in awhile. It’s about time for one of those again.

80. Artifacts-Between A Rock & A Hard Place

After reading one of Dan Love’s (From Da Bricks) more recent post in regards to the productions of beatmaker T-Ray (Double XX Posse, MC Serch), I couldn’t help but think (I know there’s Discogs, but I have about an hour each nite to post..each minute is CRUCIAL) “didn’t T-Ray do some beats on the Artifacts joint?”. Well, I finally did break down and revert to Discogs and yes indeed he did do 7 tracks believe it or not. For some reason, I’d always thought that “Between A Rock & A Hard Place” was a Buckwild helmed production…..not so. If someone approached me and said “Eric, give me an album that represents the East Coast sound in the mid-90′s” this would be one of a select few along with “Illmatic“, “Dah Shinin” & “Enta Da Stage”. Tame One & El Da Sensei proved to be more than deserving of all the hype and attention that they received in anticipation of their debut. With more than competent lyrical content and an undeniable chemistry, Tame & MC El where destined to put New Jeruzalem (Jersey) on the map much like their predecessor fellow Brick City native Redman had done so admirably before them. With Classic singles like the graffiti laden “Wrong Side Of Da Tracks” and the Buckwild produced “neck snapper” “C’mon Wit Da Git Down”, “Between A Rock & Hard Place” was filled to the rim with quality product. I’ve always wondered why this album is often overlooked when conjuring up a list of definitive East Coast albums. Maybe it was it’s untimely release, for some reason I want to believe that this came out around the time Pete & CL dropped “The Main Ingredient” and Brand Nubian dropped “Everything Is Everything”, on the other hand a part of me thinks this came out around the time “Ready To Die” dropped. Whatever the case, with tracks such as the reminiscent “Whayback” and my favorite track.. the ode to the herbal “Lower The Boom” (damn, that beat is hard!!) fueling this release, it’s say to say that if you’ve never heard “Between A Rock & A Hard Place” you truly need a late pass. Do yourself a solid, pop this in the headphones and you’ll soon hear why I’m so big on this album. Sh*t, I’m just embarrassed I let it slide this far down my list….-Eric

81. Eric B & Rakim-Don’t Sweat The Technique

Jesus, a sure fire CLASSIC album (“Paid In Full”), what some may also categorize as classics (“Let The Rhythm Hit Em’” &”Follow The Leader”) and of course a very good album (“Don’t Sweat The Technique”) , yet could one imagine that Eric B & Rakim may have made their biggest paycheck to date when Target (yes the chain store) chose to use the instrumental to Eric B & Rakim 1992 hit “Don’t Sweat The Technique” for one of their commercials that aired early last year? Well, at least for Eric B & Ra’s sake I sure hope they did!! While not my favorite Eric B. & Rakim album “Don’t Sweat The Technique more than holds it’s own when compared against their efforts prior to this 1992 release. Almost immediately, the lead single “What’s On Your Mind?” laid the groundwork for this album, fresh off it’s inclusion on the “House Party II Soundtrack”. “What’s On Your Mind” was unlike anything I had ever heard from Rakim Allah up until that point, and to be honest I liked it! While the whispers of “ghost production” have been heard when referring to their previous release “Let The Rhythm”, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case here either. Listen to “What’s Goin‘ On” or “Pass The Hand Grenade” and tell me that those aren’t Large Professor drums that you hear. Something that I noticed today while listening to “Don’t Sweat…”, alot of the drums on this album sound eerily similar to the drums that appeared on the Large Professor productions he did for Nikki D’s long-forgotten album “Daddy’s Little Girl” (see: “Your Man Is My Man”). Anyway, this album was a prime example of what some of us label “rear-end loaded” or “saving the best for last”, which is the case with the final tracks “What’s Goin‘ On”, which is followed by “Know The Ledge” (from the Juice Soundtrack), “Don’t Sweat The Techinique” and finishes with “Kick Along”. Not to say that there is filler on the front end of the album as tracks like the aforementioned “Pass The Hand Grenade” and the speaker blowin‘, bottom heavy “Rest Assured” knock like what you’d expect from Eric B. & Rakim, although tracks like “Relax With Pep” & “Keep The Beat” do sound a bit out of place on “Don’t Sweat The Technique”. In what’s was definitely Eric B. & Ra’s “longest” album, many folks will also argue that it is the duo’s “best” and most cohesive piece of work (believe it or not, I’ve read it numerous times in blogosphere). Still, don’t miss out on an album from one of the “Top 5, Dead Or Alive” that banged out of every Jeep in 1992….-Eric

82. Das Efx-Straight Up Sewaside

Alright ya’ll, I can’t even front and I’d be willing to bet that you shared the same sentiments as me when you first heard Das Efx‘ “Straight Up Sewaside” the follow-up to their monumental debut “Dead Serious”. This is how bad it was at the time, I picked this album up along with Queen Latifah’s “Black Reign” (which still remains my favorite album from a female emcee…at least until Jean Grae drops something new) on what was probably one of my 30 or so “skip” days during my Senior year. It took months for this album to truly get any play, partly due to the fact that I loved “Black Reign” so much pushing “Straight Up….” to the waste side. I was disappointed to say the least, “Straight Up Sewaside” may have had 10 plays the first year of it’s release and I really didn’t get into this album until the early 2000′s. Now, I’ve come to the realization that this was another quality Solid Scheme production filled with entertaining, lyrics from VA’s own Drayz & Scoob. The problem has been stated many times over the course of the years that on “Straight Up Sewaside” Das Efx were truly “victims of their own style”. Say what you want, but even your favorite emcee has stolen a page our two from the originators of the “stiggedy, stiggedy style” (Common, Treach & Ice Cube being a few that instantly come to mind). If you had to pick one word that would convey the overall feeling of this album it would be “tentative”. Why “tentative”?? Quite simply, you can hear both Drayz & Scoob holding back on this album a bit, not wanting to continue on with what made them such a huge success and so recognizable. Not to say that the album still didn’t rank amongst the top 15-20 releases of 1993, but like I said….we just expected more. Still, “Straight Up Sewaside” is loaded with bangers, the uptempo “ruckus bringer” “Check It Out” always being my favorite. Also, “Gimme Dat Microphone” has the sound and tempo of “Dead Serious”….so much that one would assume that it may have been left on the cutting room floor while assembling the final track list for their debut. If Das‘ 3rd disc “Hold It Down” would have been trimmed down to say…11 or 12 tracks it would have definitely found itself in my “Top 100″ and would definitely have surpassed their sophomore effort. In all fairness, it would have been tough to match their debut in terms of cohesiveness and originality. Nonetheless, a great effort from two originators in the rap game whose debut will never be forgotten….-Eric

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I really need to hit up more live shows. In my older age, I guess I just don’t really want to deal with all the goofy ass people and such. In my younger years, I was one of those goofy ass people. I didn’t go to a show unless I had at least a six pack in my system and was always trying to run around acting like a moron. As I’ve grown older, I still don’t mind an occasional drink or two, but I’d much rather just kick back and enjoy the music. Maybe it’s my intolerance of morons in my old age, but I don’t care if you go to a Atmosphere concert or a Masta Ace concert, there are always some idiot that just doesn’t get it. Some idiot doing some hyro gyro bullshit, or some dumb chick dancing some bullshit dance.

When I went to see Ace last December in Denver, for the most part it was just real hip hop heads enjoying real hip hop music. But of course there were a group of white kids doing this rave dance bullshit….At an Ace concert??? To to top it off, they are getting all pissed cause they don’t have room to dance in the front row like a moron with eplispy. I was getting ready to mash someone in the mouth if they bumped into me one more time, but didn’t want to ruin a great concert. But YOU’RE IN THE FRONT ROW! Give me a break, of course your not at some tribal drum circle, you idiot, so of course we are not all going to form a circle around you so you can do your tree hugging dance…jackass. Going to shows up in Boulder is always an experience in of itself. Boulder is kind of a liberal tree hugging place to begin with. I saw Little Brother there last year or the year before and the mix of people was amazing. You had your traditional hip-hop people, you had the hippies, you had the neo-soul junkies, you had your normal run of the mill college kids. I had a good time just watching all the different people

Then the girls, we’ve all seen it, but you have some some tree hugging, hairy, smelly chick doing some wind walking whispering water dance. You’ve probably all seen it at a show at least a couple times in your life, the beat is rocking, and she is dancing like she is a sloth on an acid trip. This particular chick wasn’t at the Ace concert, but I’ve seen them at Cypress Hill and the Roots before. Then you have the groupies. At the Ace, two chicks were pretty much standing on stage, grabbing either Punch or Ace everytime the got close enough….DURING THE CONCERT….they gave them both some bracelet….those yellow ones (don’t get me started on those)…Punch actually put his on, but Ace looked at it and shoved it in his pocket. But every time they walked by, they would grab on them. Fuck, I didn’t pay to see you grab on the performer on stage, or see your ugly ass trying to dance on stage….

I bring this up because I’m planning on hitting up the “Rock The Bells” tour that is coming through Denver in August. With groups like Wu, Cypress, Talib Kweli, Nas and Immortal Technique, I’m expecting a little bit of everything. I’ve seen Cypress back in ’97 on the “Smoking Grooves” tour with Parliment and that was an interesting group of people. I’m sure this will be even more strange. Maybe I’ll smoke some weed so I’ll be a good and mellow mood.

Here is some live shows. One, the KRS I’m pretty sure I’ve posted up before, but it’s been probably over a year

KRS-One – Live at SOB’s

Next is an old school joint straight from the Golden Age. I got goose bumps the first time I listened to it. It is LL Cool J, Eric B & Rakim and Public Enemy live in Amsterdam. It’s almost two hours of golden age goodness.

Public Enemy, LL Cool J, & Eric B & Rakim Live In Amsterdam

Last but not least, a straight up albumbase jack, but just in case I’ve offended any of the “Sloth on Acid” dancers out there, here is a rip of a Atmosphere/Eyedea show in Souix Falls South Dakota of all places….consider it a peace offering.

Atmosphere and Eyedea & Abilities Live in Souix Falls