Has-Lo – You Can Live Through Anything If Magic Made It: A Has-Lo Remix Project
We’ve been dropping hints on you all month with little teasers, well tomorrow is finally the day. The answer is now. You thought Has-Lo was just a dope MC? He is also a beast behind the boards and his newest Remix project sets out to show the world his skills. “You Can Live Through Anything If Magic Made It”, will drop tomorrow night, so be on the look out for that.
In the mean time, check out this preview of what you’re in for…
A couple weeks ago, we had one of the closest “This or That” we’ve ever had. When I started debating in my head which Alkaholiks liked better, it was difficult, very difficult. It was also one of the few that I couldn’t really predict the outcome before I started writing it. The last time I checked last Sunday night, it was tied up with about two hours left. The final result ended up being 57-54 in favor of the sophomore effort, Coast II Coast won out in the end.
This week, we feature one of my original all-time favorites. Yes, I haven’t bought an album from his since 1995, but at one time, he epitomized what an MC was. Full of “piss and vinegar” and the swagger before it was a word, LL Cool J came onto the scene with both guns blazing as the poster boy for the new Def Jam label in 1985. He appeared on Krush Groovin’ decked out in his soon to be trademarked Kangol hat, a thick gold rope, complete with his cocky persona, Cool J was well on his way to be a superstar and a legend in the hip hop game.
While some could argue with putting in LL’s first album, Radio, into this mix, I’m going to bypass it. For me personally, it was an album that I went back to after being totally hypnotized by Bigger & Deffer. I’ll still probably throw Radio up in the mix of votes, since after all it was the introduction to LL for the world and both singles, “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” and “I Need a Beat” are classics in my book. I’ll also probably put Walking With A Panther in the votes as well. I loved the album, and still do to this day. If I had to rank out my favorite LL albums, it would be third, right after the two albums we are going to cover today. But LL caught a shit load of flack for the album. When hip hop was changing, becoming more lyrical, more passionate and more socially challenging, where Walking With A Panther is straight up beats and arrogant rhymes. So what two albums are we going to cover? Shouldn’t it be obvious?
Bigger & Deffer Vs. Mama Said Knock You Out
Bigger & Deffer
My initial introduction to hip hop was through Run DMC and their Raising Hell LP. From there, I can’t really recall the precise order. LA DreamTeam was in there somewhere, so was the Beasties and the Fat Boys. But the album that got the most play from me at the time was LL Cool J’s “Bigger and Deffer” album. I really can’t remember my introduction to LL Cool J, but my then best friend had something to do with it, but I don’t remember the specifics. I played the album non stop. I had my tape, that I borrowed from someone and never returned, and I would pop it into my walkman just about anytime I went outside or did anything. I had the words down, and it’s an album I can still spit rhyme for rhyme.
If you were into hip hop at the time, you knew what the “Calling all cars, calling all cars….”, over the radio meant, it was time for “Bad” to drop. Back in these days, I was all about the lyrics and I knew “Bad” like I knew the back of my hand. LL displayed the “baddest b-boy image” perfectly on the song. It’s nothing that was going to make you better person after listening to it, but it was simply what hip hop was meant to be. Hip Hop started out in the parks, with MCs eventually trying to out do each other. It was all about competition and who could say the flyest rhymes. That’s what LL is all bout on “Bad” and most of the Bigger & Deffer album.
No rapper can rap quite like I can I’ll take a musclebound man and put his face in the sand Not the last Mafioso I’m a MC cop Make you say, “Go L.L. and do the wop”
If you think you can outrhyme me, yeah boy I bet Cause I ain’t met a motherfucker who can do that yet Trendsetter I’m better my rhymes are good I got a gourmet plate that says I wish you would
And when rap begin then I gotta join in and Before my rhyme is over you know I’m a win Cool J has arrived so you better make way Ask anybody in the crowd they say the kid don’t play!
Sparring competition that’s my hobby and job I don’t wear a disguise because I don’t own the mob Got a pinpoint rap that makes you feel trapped So many girls on my jock I think my phone here is tapped
It’s not that L was just cocky, he could also back it up. Yes, the lyrics aren’t complex for today’s standards, but this was before Rakim really stepped things up to the next level. And it wasn’t just LL’s lyrics that made him one of the elite hip hop artists at this time, it was the energy he packed into his rhymes. You only needed to witness/hear tracks like “Get Down”, “.357 Break It On Down”, or the incredibly infectious “Go Cut Creator Go”. I used to rock out to “Go Cut Creator Go” in the mirror, much like previous generations would rock out to the Chuck Berry sample it takes its riff from.
Just about every song on Bigger & Deffer would be my favorite for a certain amount of time. I used to like the tempo change and minor delivery change found on “The Breakthrough” and the track still remains one of my favorites from the album. For a kid in the eighth grade who had yet to hear 2 Live Crew or Too Short, “Bristol Hotel” and “Kandy” were both on the risque tip, and of course “My Rhyme Ain’t Done” is the predecessor to all the Andrew Dice Clay wanna be x-rated fairy tales that would become a rage in the early 90′s. For me, the album basically ended at “Ahh, Let’s Get Ill”, which again packed as much energy as a electric plant. I can remember laying in bed with my headphones on, imagining I was LL rockin’ the stage. Ahh, those were the days.
Bigger and Deffer isn’t without it’s flaws, and it’s these flaws that probably keep it from being largely regarded as a “classic”. There was nothing more that I hated than the hip hop love song and LL was the early king of this. Anytime “I Need Love” came on Yo! MTV Raps, I would quickly mute it or change the channel. I can handle it a little more in my older years, but it’s still not anything I get crazy over. “The Doo Wop” is rather pointless as well. After listening to it once or twice, you really had no interest in ever listening to it again. Despite these downfalls, and the fact that it hasn’t really aged as gracefully as one would hope, Bigger & Deffer will forever remain one of the main reasons I got into hip hop.
Mama Said Knock You Out It’s hard to believe this album is going to be 20 years old next year. It doesn’t seem that long ago I was a senior in high school, jamming Mama Said Knock You Out on the way to school in my little Jetta. My friends weren’t as hardcore into hip hop as I was, but they were on board whenever I shoved Mama Said… into the tape deck. L said “Don’t call it a comeback”, but that’s exactly what it was, a comeback.
As I mentioned in the intro of this little write up, LL had a misstep when he dropped Walking With a Panther. Hip hop was changing every six months or so, and LL was so…. yesterday in his sounds and topics that were found on that album. Mix in some really shitty R&B rap songs (a sign of things to come) and a lot of people wrote off LL. So what did Uncle L do? He adapted. He hooked up with one of the best producers of the day in Marley Marl, who in turn updated LL’s sound. His last two albums were produced by the LA Posse for the most part, who I like a lot, but they weren’t up on the expanding sound found in hip hop at that time. Marley on the other hand was THE man at the time. Next, LL eased off the excessive braggadocio rhymes. I mean, yes, he was still telling all the sucka MCs that they weren’t shit, but he through in songs like “Cheesy Rat Blues”, “Power of God” and even dropped some social commentary on “Illegal Search”.
Around this time, Run DMC who were my original favorite hip hop artists, had started their downward spiral, so I considered LL my favorite. Fully aware of the backlash LL caught for Walking With a Panther, I knew he needed to really come with it on the new album. That summer, the first single, “The Boomin’ System” dropped on Yo! and this immediately kicked up the anticipation a notch for the new album.
The actual video was ho-hum, but you had to be fixin’ for the album after hearing Marley lace L with a funky beat. We also had a sneak preview of what to expect when Marley remixed “Jingling Baby”, which appeared in it’s original format on the Panther album. The song was a hit in many facets of the game. I personally didn’t mind the original all that much, but Marley brought new life to the track and really gave the listeners something to look forward to.
Soon after “The Boomin’ System” dropping, the album would drop and it was official, LL was back. Before the title track was even released as a single later that fall, I was all over the track. Talk about packing energy into a song, “Mama Said Knock You Out”, is full of the stuff. It was what any good entry song should be for anyone about to do battle, it was just simply a bad ass song.
Dont u call this a regular jam Im gonna rock this land Im gonna take this itty bitty world by storm And Im just gettin warm Just like muhummad ali they called him cassius Watch me bash this beat like a skull Cuz u know I had beef wit Why do u riff with me, the maniac psycho And when I pull out my jammy get ready cuz it might go Blaaaaw, how ya like me now? The river will not allow U to get with, mr. smith, dont riff Listen to my gear shift Im blastin, outlastin Kinda like shaft, so u could say Im shaftin Old english filled my mind And I came up with a funky rhyme
In some ways, he might have dumbed down his approach, but he more than made up for i
t in other aspects.
Going through the album the first time, I realized it was a much more diverse album than his previous album. Jumping into the second song, “Around The Way Girl”, it was the smooth R&B type thing LL was getting to be known for, but this track was actually decent, compared to the garbage R&B songs found on Panther. In fact, it was more than decent and can fairly put up there with the great female influenced jams of hip hop lore with “Electric Relaxation” and others. “Eat Em Up L, Chill” is another track that showcases LL’s diversity on the album. It’s fair to say that people overlook LL’s ability to switch up styles on a song and “Eat Em Up…” has Uncle L maxin’ to the fullest in a similar fashion as “Mr. Goodbar”.
LL didn’t lose steam though when it came to dropping outright bangers. Besides the title track, L brought the heat on the Rapmania recorded “Murdergram”, which just that, Cool J straight up murking fools. LL also had a few beefs to get off of his chest, and he did just that when he roasted MC Hammer, Ice T, and Kool Moe Dee on one track. Each got their own verse specially made up for them. The track first appeared on the House Party soundtrack, but it was full wrath was felt when the album dropped. You also had “Cheesy Rat Blues”, which had some people hating on it, but I’ve always loved the track. In my life, I’ve seen some people who I thought were my friends, but really never was so this track was one that I could always relate to.
Mama Said Knock You Out is an album that brought LL back to being relevant, if he wasn’t already. Featuring a healthy dose of just about everything and all over banging beats, LL was once again the man in charge. There were a couple songs that I wasn’t feeling all that much, with the album version of “6 Minutes of Pleasure” being somewhat drab (the remix is much, much better) and at the time, “The Power of God”, wasn’t really my thing (although I dig the song now). The weed carrier song, “Farmers Blvd”, had some decent verses from some of L’s homies, but for the most part, I would skip over this track, and still do. The beauty of this album though lies in the diversity found on it, something that the three previous LL albums didn’t have much of.
Verdict
If you need any evidence on how much hip hop’s sound evolved in a short time, just check these two albums. In three short years, the sound found on Bigger & Deffer was remarkably different from that found on Mama Said Knock You Out. In the end, I think it will come down to those of us who grew up with Bigger & Deffer, and those that are younger who might be able to identify with the sounds found on Mama Said Knock You Out.
As for myself personally, I went back and forth one which album I would consider my favorite and even as I write this, I’m still not totally sold on my choice, but I’m going to go with nostalgia once again and pick Bigger & Deffer. I’ll concede the fact that Mama Said Knock You Out is probably the technically better album. But the songs on Bigger & Deffer just mean more to me. I have a strong suspicion that Mama Said…. is going to roll this week, but I’ve been wrong before (once I think…haha)
Guest Opinions (From the magical new tool, Twitter)
Dart Adams: I gotta go with “Bigger And Deffer” over “Mama Said Knock You Out”. No one expected that LL could deliver a monster LP like it. That album made LL Cool J as big as Run DMC and a legitimate superstar. He was on American Bandstand with that album. It was classic.
Kid Hum:I’d probably pick BAD cause it has more songs I like, but “Mama Said..” is my favorite Cool J song ever, hands down, for what its worth
I say this all the time these days. Just because you may never heard of a group or an artist, don’t automatically discount it. A lot of those “unheard” guys are the hungriest, and lets face it, hunger makes for great music. Proof of that is found on the album “Blak Market”, which was released by the Philly duo, Drumz & Llingo. As a big fan of the yesteryear sound myself, Drumz (aka Drumat!c) and Llingo (aka Llingo Apt) bring us a raw sounding album that conjures up the memories of the golden age and hip hop in all its glory. Llingo brings it both in the terms of beats and lyrics, while Drumat!c drops the dusty drums and sounds. This year has been rather lackluster in terms of quality hip hop releases, but this album is ranks as my favorite so far this years, although it was released in mid Dec of last year.
This is a group that I highly suggest checking out if you are a fan of the “true school” hip hop sound. I might have missed them myself if it wasn’t for Dface of DXA (who hopefully you remember being featured on WYDU last year) emailing me the album. From there, it’s been all butta!
Also, be sure to check out the extremely dope t-shirts that Drumat!c designed earlier this year. They are currently sold out, but get on the list for the next printing, they are well worth it.
WYDU: What’s good guys? Let’s get the introductions and background info out of the way as far as who you are and what you do…..
Drumat!c: Peace, everybody! I operate under the secret identity, DRUMAT!C. I’ve been collecting vinyl + djing for over 11 years. I started dabbling into production around 1999 — breaks and music loops. Soon after, my pops (the fusion drummer) helped me out with some basic equipment: DR-202 drum machine, SP-808 sampler and a Dell computer for mult-track editing. Later, I discovered the SP-12 turbo through my brother’s friend, Ron (peace to Ron out in LA). This kid Ron used to flip vintage gear on E-bay. One week, he had an SP-12 turbo and lent it to me. That way I could learn to use it and eventually get my own. Eventually, saved up some dough and found a mint one. Mastered some of the basics of step sequencing and programming drum patterns. Sold the SP-12 turbo to my man, got an MPC-2000XL, displeased me very much. I sold that and got an MPC-60, loved it. I sold it for college tuition. I got an SP-1200 from LLINGO + Akai S950 off of Ebay… they now appear in many family photos!
Llingo:I’m Llingo Apt. I was born in Philadelphia, spent my younger years in the Philly area until I was in 7th grade, then I moved to the Low Country, Hilton Head/Bluffton , South Carolina. Came back to Philly for College at Temple University. Now I teach high school, world history in the Philadelphia public school system. I’ve been writing rhymes hard core since 95’. I started makin beats around 01’ when I met Drumat!c.
W: Sticking with more of the same ole same ole as far as questions, producers are notoriously known for having some monster egos. How did two producers such as yourselves hook up to form Drumz And Llingo?
D: Yeah. Llingo and I met through mutual friends. My wife and his wife used to work with him at a local steakhouse, that’s a long story though. Anyhow, we used to meet up in Llingo’s Aunt’s attic. He had a Numark turntable and a Korg EM-1 midi production unit. This thing was unable to sample sounds, but we used to mess around with it, programming beats + recording our rap + scratch sessions. I’d hook up a simple beat, cut on the tables, he’d rap and we’d just bug out. From then on we eventually got a hold of our own equipment and started diggin’ at all the recor
d spots together. He can explain the rest.
L: Well, when we started I was looking to link up with someone who could make beats I could rip over. I was stackin loot so I got this Sp12 from Drumat!c and this Yamaha rs700 machine, which was flipped into an Sp1200 shortly there after. I figured if I got some equipment Drumat!c could learn some different machines and we could get the sound we were looking for. But initially anyway, I was an Emcee only, I played around and learned the SP’s but I’ve only been makin beats for 7 years. We understand each others views and styles so there are no ego’s competing. We both know were always learning.
W: In what ways are your approach into making beats and the overall sounds different from each other?
D: He get’s high and I get low. Haha. J/k. I’m a hard-core drum addict (hence the name). I’m overly meticulous when it comes to drum sounds, sequences, and arrangements. At times I’ll spend 10-30 hours on a beat. I’m insane… I know this.
L: I hear his beats and they inspire me to make the dopest material possible. He does spend mad time on his drums! I just try to make the best collage possible and still maintain a simplicity that allows an Emcee to flex.
W: You released the album, Blak Market, this past December. You couldn’t really call it a producers album, since Llingo does some rhyming on it. What is the concept behind it? Did it come out the way you intended it to?
D:Llingo does much of the rhyming on it because he’s also a highly skilled lyricist. The concept was hard, gritty beats over that underground Philly flow. Our whole production/emcee crew — KicDrum Products — is the most underrated. We’re like the DITC of Philadelphia. We got cats from Rhode Island, NY, California, the UK, Japan, Croatia and Germany all down with our crew. If we had more money in the budget I would’ve like to add a bit more live instrumentation and spend more time developing the overall sound. I dig the sparseness and simplicity behind the album. A lot of hip-hop beats lack that simplicity, allowing a lyricist/emcee to flex their skill on the mic. Now a days, everything is over produced and you got the producers trying to outshine the emcees… that is ass-backwards.
L: Yeah, I mean we just wanted to have hard beats and hard rhymes on there.
W: On the album, there are four songs in which both of you are credited as the producer. How difficult is it working with another producer and each other in general?
D: It’s quite easy. I’ll hook up the drum samples, sequences, etc. Maybe add the bass line, throw a horn in here, or do a synth pattern there, and LLINGO will take that and just build on it. We obviously both own an SP1200, so it’s actually that much easier for us to go back and forth. But he owns an EMAX and I own the S950… so that’s where our sound differs. Different textures and styles converging to form new sounds. When we work on tracks together there’s always a nice juxtaposition of sounds. Sometimes I’ll come to his crib and hear his beat, and I’ll just suggest adding something here and there. We’ll try it out. If it works he’ll keep it. If not, he’ll delete it or we’ll try other records. There’s always that mutual respect for one another. We both have mad skills on the beats. And we both offer something different, creatively.
L: Usually the way it works is… he comes over my crib and looks through my records. We listen to some albums listen for sounds and arrangements we like, figure out what break were gonna chop or upload into the SP and then he goes to work on the drum patterns. We find the music and I chop it and lay it down, same with the bass, we each add to the bass or sometimes just one person has a dope arrangement. I usually add some atmosphere and percussion and Drumat!c handles the transitions.
W: You have several guests on the album, who did you work with and how did you go about choosing who to put on the album?
D: Again…The crew is so underrated. We’ve met some of the most talented individuals over the years. We met Ikan at the Philly Hip-Hop gathering in West Philly – University Campus. We met DXA through the MPC_Forums. We met Need Not Worry from SoundClick. WiseDome was a breaker that met Bamboo, who is my younger brother. Bamboo is just insanely talented — he also makes beats and rhymes.
L: These guys are just great talents that we build with and who inspire us on the daily so it was only natural to work with these heads. Everybody sounds different! Everyone has their own flavor but the sound of the LP stays cohesive. We wanted their creativity and energy to be a part of our mixture and we couldn’t be happier!
W: The album has a real “analog” feel to the album, how did y’ll go about getting that type of vibe?
D: A while back my pop’s asked me to help him find a recording studio that had 2″ tapes. He recorded at Phil Nicolo’s studio (1 half of the Butcher Bros. — Joe the Butcher) in Conshohocken, PA. That kinda fell apart and so he was looking to record elsewhere. He had all his music on 2″ tape and needed to get his last few songs mixed down. Anyhow, I did some hardcore research on the net and came across this spot in South Philly, PLAN B STUDIOS aka the SPICE FACTORY — http://www.myspace.com/planbstudiosphila The crazy thing is that this studio is located across the street from my old high school — CAPA. It’s actually where the old South Philly Bank used to be on 11th + Montrose.
L: Yup the studio was all his doing. We used analog reels, boards and used only the SP1200 and EMAX rack unit for production. We didn’t use pro-tools to record our beats or vocals.
W: For each of you, what goes into making a good beat? How important is a good sample in that creation process?
D: Drums are most important to me. The i
nitial drum break, sample, etc. should be meaty, have good clarity, and have just enough air between the hits that will allow you to chop in the SP. The SP has a very difficult decay function. It’s another long story. Those who know about the SP know the deal. Samples are most important to the person composing the music. You can make dope beats out of the corniest records. It’s all in how you use them.
L: Samples are very important because I get almost all my sounds from samples, whether I chop or loop em. I sample my own sounds into the SP as well as sounds off record, but a sample is a sample. I think sampling is an art. Its like creating a collage, using sounds instead of pictures. A good beat has to have drums that knock and bass that thumps everything else is like icing on the cake ya know?
W: Hailing from Philly, it feels like the city is starting to make a strong comeback as of late. Do you guys get that feeling as well? How would you describe the current scene there?
D: We’re very disconnected from the scene. Being that we’re adults with careers, hip-hop is a passionate hobby for us. We are hip-hop, but not the kind of individuals that hang out in clubs and drive around in pimped out rides. We’re just regular cats that love music + art. We grew up on the music so we’re making music WE want to hear not what we think people will like. It’s gotta be about you first and foremost. The first person you have to impress is you. I think hip-hop has lost that creative drive. Not to say that there aren’t cats out there being creative. I’m saying, as a whole, it’s lost that competition for being hailed as the best. It’s harder for this younger generation to get a grasp on the culture. They’re losing touch with it and subjected to the hyper- commercialism of it all. Now you got hip-hop in every product and marketing campaign, car commercials, toys, video-games, the gap. It’s ridiculous. It’s like seeing a Japanese samurai or a Native American/ African tribal dance appearing everywhere as a way to sell product.
L: Like he said we both work and are married. I teach high school so I don’t go out on week days. I think the scene in Philly is pretty dope though. The quality of DJ in the city is great but the quality of the music varies. Groups like Outer Space, Jedi Mind, and The Roots of course, are thriving. Philly has one of the greatest Hip-Hop events in country once a month at the Rotunda on Penn’s campus in West Philly called the Gathering and there’s always a stage show, B-Boys and Girls from all around the North East corridor, Writers and Emcees come from everywhere and its all free. We used to hit up Beat Society all the time in Philly, Drumat!c was featured on one of their shows, but they moved the venue out of Philly. Beats and Rhymes and Fresh Produce still go on which are similar events and 215hipop.com has a strong following. The Hip-Hop history in this city is long though you know, you better have some dope spots!
W: Anybody in the game you really want to work with?
D: Large Professor. Roc Marciano. Planet Asia. BLU, Deda
L: Rakim, Gza, GhostFace, Lauryn Hill, O.C, Rise, Tash and Dres
W: What does the future hold for Drumz & Llingo? Are you guys going to do some solo work?
D&L: Definitely doing solo work. the DRUMZ and LLINGO concept was just that. It was a way for us to make music that we really miss. We want to hear more of that boom bap style, east coast style hip-hop. We’ll always do random collaborations, but we’ll always do our solo work as well.
W: Any last words for the non believers out there?
D&L: Go buy the album. Listen to it and learn it. It’s got a lot of depth to it. The album sounds like it was release in 1991 because we didn’t have any pro tools involvement. The album is strictly 12-bit gear, 2″ Otari Tape machine, a 24-track Soundcraft board, vintage pre-amps, compressors, spring reverbs, etc. It’s an all organic album. It’s definitely a fun compilation of music that contains a tremendous amount of spirit + energy. The fact that we did the album as a crew in an actual studio, is even a rare thing. We had each and every member of the album come into the studio and rhyme on the mics that everybody else used. We had people hanging out like the good old days. Nothing was done remotely. It was all done in-house. It was fantastic experience that we’ll never forget! We miss that in hip-hop. Hopefully we’ll inspire dudes to bring that shit back to reality. Computers have taken over everything. They’re great for facilitation of music, design, and movies but sometimes you have to remember what it’s like to be a human, you know, interacting with each other in a socialized atmosphere.
W: Good luck guys and thanks for one of the best albums I’ve heard this year so far (It’s going on the 2009 list since it’s so close to the end of the year
It’s that time of the year again, spring break time. Millions of drunken college kids invade warm places for plentiful booze, sex and all out craziness. Now that I’m a little past that age, I’d like to think I’ve “grown up” a bit, but I’m still aware of the countless college kids that visit WYDU. Hip Hop is a young man’s game, so in order to celebrate the month of March and the spring break that accompanies the month, WYDU style., with classic tracks from the not so distant past all the way back to the late 80′s.
I did the same thing back in 2007, which you can still catch. The link might not be good, but I’m pretty sure there is an active link somewhere on the blog for it. It’s amazing what two years can do for you. Two years ago, I was living in Denver, and I was drinking quite a bit. I didn’t need an excuse to drink, I could grab a 12 pack and bring it home. I’d start writing on the blog and before you know it, the 12 pack would be gone. I can still go through this blog and laugh at the posts that I wrote drunk. Don’t get me wrong, I had several partners in crime while living in Denver. Many drunken nights at Rockies games, many drunken nights running from the bars to catch the last light rail train of the night (only to puke all over Evans Station), and just ask CH Commish about playing beer pong with me and my numerous rants through out that night (I still hate Sid Bream). Two years later though, I’ve mellowed. I still like some beers, but no longer can I polish off a 12 pack without much thought. I still go out about once a month or so and drink enough to remind why I don’t do it much anymore.
Regardless of my old age kicking in, nothing like a tossing a few cold ones and what better way to enjoy some cold ones than with some quality music. This collection of alcohol themed music is kinda different from the one from two years ago. The one from two years ago contained mostly classics, either to me or to the average hip hop head. This collection, while having a few “classics” is mostly some rare and obscure joints. I hope they become the new “Classics” for some kid out there while he is getting ready to head out for the night. I hope it’s the soundtrack for some late night “asshole” games, or gets played at some BBQs. Trust me, there is some good shit to be found on this one…..
I kinda broke this up into a “start of the night” stage, a “middle of the night” stage and an “end of the night” stage
Act One: The Start You know how it is, the jump off. You are getting ready, thinking about the endless possibilities that lay ahead for the night. You then head to a friend’s house. You might toss a few back at his crib while you play playstation or whatever. Then you head to the bars. If you were like me, you got there early and went to the local hole in the wall first for some beers.
1. King Tee – Drunk Tekneek (From: Tha Trifflin’ Album, 1993)
I had to put it on this one to make up for missing it the last time around. Classic jam all the way around.
2. Lexicon – Party Party People (From: Youth Is Yours, 2003)
I remember hearing this track a few times back when it dropped, but forgotten about it until recently. A classic bar track, great for playing before heading out, hoping your night goes like the story in this song.
3. YZ – Drink at the Bar (From: The Ghetto’s Been Good To Me, 1993)
I’d consider this a borderline classic, although I never owned the CD in my party years. Figured this would be another song to get me “warmed” up for the night.
4. Lordz of Brooklyn - Saturday Night Fever (From: All In The Family, 2005)
I was never the biggest Lordz of Brooklyn fan, to me they were kinda of House of Pain rip-offs. But this song was a cool song to get you pumped. Anyone got the Kenny Dope remix, hook me up.
5. Lord Finesse – Party Over Here (Remix) (From: Party Over Here 12 Inch)
This is the remix, which was different from the album version, although it has Showbiz, who also did the original. Not really about drinking, but it was a “get the party started” type of track.
6. ALT & Lost Civilization – Tequila (From: Timebomb, 1992)
I’m not usually big on remix of old rock songs (we are talking OLD rock songs), but this was kinda of a cool track and “Tequila” in it’s original form was a favorite of mine. Kinda of bites the Spice 1 concept of naming characters of a story after alcoholic beverages.
Act II: The Middle of the Night
You know how it goes usually, after the cheap ass “hole in the wall” places, you head to where all the action is. Now, I haven’t lived in a city that hasn’t had a main focal place for bars. You know the spot. If the town has a college in it, then it’s even more pronounced. That’s where you go when you are a youngin’. There’s women, booze, and it’s the place to be seen. You know that it’s where all the action will take place, where the memories will be made….
7. Diversion Tactics - Pubs, Drunks & Hip Hop (From: Pubs, Drunk, & Hip Hop LP)
How can you not have a collection of drinking songs without a song that is named “Pubs, Drunks, & Hip Hop”. The crew is out of the UK, and I only knew of them because J-Zone and the Old Maid Billio
naires did some stuff with them, but this track is worthy of being on here.
8. Mighty Casey - Liqourland (From: The EP, 2000)
Part of the indie boom of the late 90′s/early turn of the century, this joint was one of those that I stumbled across during my napster/audio galaxy days. It quickly became a classic for those drunken nights.
9. Mr. X & Mr. Z – Drink Old Gold (From: 12 Inch single, 1987) Still a classic after all these years. You should really know this and if you don’t then familiarize yourself with it.
10. Big Daddy Kane – 3 Forties & a Bottle of Moet (From: Daddy’s Home, 1994) Kane does the crazy drunken style, like you should be doing after about four hours of drinking.
11. Das EFX – 40 & a Blunt (From: Hold It Down, 1995) “All I wanna do is smoke a blunt and drink some fuckin’ brew”. Is there anything else you need in a song when you are drinking?
12. Erule – Rum & Coke (From: Cold Currentz, 2000?)
Erule captures the essence of club hopping, which every spring breaker does sometime on their trip.
13. Lord Sear – Alcoholic Vibes (From: 12 Inch Single, 1997)
Drunkin’ funk from Lord Sear.
14. Baritone Tiplove - Turn Up The Bottle (From: Livin’ Foul, 1991)
This would have been a classic if the album it was on had reached more cats. Phill The Soulman is hilarious on this track.
15. Tha Alkaholiks – Hip Hop Drunkies (Vinyl Reanimators Remix)
A different version of an old favorite
16. Javier & the Str8jackers – Pass Me Da 40oz (From: The Hard Way, 1991)
I wasn’t aware of this album until I found it on Bust The Facts, but this track got some play during those drunken nights in Denver.
17. Drunken Hoodlumz – 20 Forties & 40 Blunts (From: Drunken Hoodlumz Presents Blunts, Beats & Brew, 1997) It’s only an instrumental track, but so what? You should know what sample they use just from the song’s title. Drunk funk music, that end of the night music that they start playing at the bar to get your asses out of there.
18. Kage – Pass Me A 40 (From: Everyday Thangs, 1994)
If you were like me, once you got kicked out of the bars (either by the fact it was closing time, or other means) you went straight to the corner store and picked up more beer. Usually it was a 40 in the younger years, and usually you’d find a 3/4 full 40 sitting next to you on the couch when you woke up the next morning. Act III: The End
After the bars are closing, you stumble back to your ride (which hopefully you have a DD, be smart, you are not invincible) and end up at a friends crib. You would usually drink some more, although you didn’t really need to. You play more video games (Mortal Kombat was my shit back in the days) and pass out on the couch.
19. Louis Logic – Dos Factotum (From: Sin-A-Matic, 2003) Part two of a CLASSIC drinking song. This one is just as good, and reminds me of stumbling around, being way too drunk.
20. Little Shawn – Dom Perignon (From: New York Undercover EP, 1995)
If you got lucky, you went home with a lady friend. That is if you didn’t get too drunk and make a fool of yourself (I did that often). You need some bubbly once you get her back to your crib or hotel room if you are on spring break. And you need some seduction music. This is as close as it gets to Barry White.
21. Rehab – Sittin’ At The Bar (2008 Remix) (From: Sittin’ At A Bar, 2008 although the original appeared on Southern Comfort, 2000)
Not sure how “hip hop” this is, but it does have a some spitting lyrics in over the bridge. It’s one of those end of the night sing-a-long songs. Fortunately, this is one of the few things I can say never happened to me after a night of drinking, and if it happens to you, shit’s over.
Damn…Damn…Damn…I know it’s been quite some time since I’ve been able to update this site. However, don’t fret-the good thing is that I’ve been able to catch more than a few Villanova B-Ball home games (including last week’s first round “scare” vs. American and the second round BASHING of UCLA) and I’m super amped for this week’s Sweet 16 match-up with Puke…errr…Dook….ahem, excuse me…Duke! Peep the history of the site, it’s crazy slow around here when College Basketball season is winding down. Meanwhile, while I’ve been hopping flights between Little Rock and Philadelphia (jet-lag is a Beeeyatch!!) for the last month, my inbox has been flooded with an abundance of BANGING albums that will be released over the next month or two. It looks as if things are slowly starting to pick up after three months of quiet nothingness. Quick, name the best album released thus far in 2009! See, it’s not so easy is it? Trust me, you’ll soon be accustomed to reeling off the names Finale, Illogic and tha Connection soon enough, without much hesitation at all.
First on my plate this week was the forthcoming Feelin’ Music release “Love Royale” from W.T.R. mainstays, tha Connection, fresh off the heels of the duo’s phenomenal effort, 2008′s “Trapeze” (click to read W.T.R.’s take on the album) which was released on Domination Records. One of the strongest albums and biggest surprises of ’08, “Trapeze” displayed a crazy chemistry between emcess SmooVth & Hus (think of a waaay more lyrical Group Home, but with production on the same level of consistency that DJ Premier blessed “Livin’ Proof” with) over eerie RZA-like production from a host of overseas talent (Vans Cal, whoever you are, hit a brotha’ up for an interview….your beats are AMAZING!!). Clocking in at 19 tracks deep, many could argue that albums as lengthy as “Trapeze” and “Love Royale” is quite risky, with most Hip Hop fans electing “quality” over “quantity”. However, tha Connection has mastered the art of “staying in the public eye”, releasing numerous efforts over the course of two years without supersaturation of B.S. material, dropping free releases on what seems like a bi-monthly basis.
Take it to heart when I say “Love Royale” is LOADED with flair and originality. It’s a simple equation for success, really….ill beats and ill rhymes=a dope ass album! As I’ve always mentioned, tha Connection aren’t the most lyrically-potent duo that you’ll ever come across, but it’s their cadence and deliveries that have won me over from day one. Plus, you can’t help but respect the work ethic that SmooVth and Hus put in, persistence is a muhfuc*a’ I tell you!! I don’t just like the music that Hus and Smoovth craft, I fuc*ing LOVE it!! It’s hard to not to argue, that tha Connection isn’t my favorite group that’s poppin’ right about now as “Love Royale” flows seamlessly from end to end.
From the opening moments of the Sade-sampled, Baker produced “Royale” to the bouncy, Sci-Fi laced free-for-all, “Dum Dum Dum” (which uses the infamous loop that fueled Cormega’s “Fallen Soldiers”) to the “Ex Girl ta’ Next Girl” sampled “Fool In Love”, “Love Royale” hits harder than Mike Tyson. Utilizing a wide array of producers from the immensely talented Vans Cal (just WHO is this guy??) to the bass heavy flavor of KG Boom, “Love Royale” is surprisingly as “put together” as Kim Kardashin. One would think that with such a vast contrast in production styles from the contributing beatsmiths “Love Royale” would encounter a few bumps in the road, which couldn’t be anything further from the truth! As impressed as I was with “Trapeze”, “Love Royale” has improved that much upon it’s predecessor (not counting Goon Trax’ “Moon Water” if you wanna’ dig deeper), I’m extremely impressed with this album as tha Connection has solidified themselves as a duo to keep an ear open for in 2009. Oh, and you can’t skip out on the “Revamped” version of the Vans Cal-laced instant CLASSIC “Take It Higher”, as it plays just as elegantly as the original.
It’s only fitting that during this time of “March Madness” and the NCAA tournament that rooting for the underdog is commonplace in today’s world. Well, after cats get hipped to “Love Royale”, the duo of SmooVth and Hus aka tha Connection will be underdogs no more! Do yourself a favor and give “Love Royale” a well-deserved listen, these cats definitely have the “W.T.R.” stamp of approval!
My man Ravage sent this over to me. Of course, I’m always down to hear ANYTHING with Elzhi on it, but the rest of the joint is nice as well and shouldn’t be slept on.
The song is the brand new banger produced by DJ SARASA called Bullet Train!
DJ SARASA a.k.a. Silverboombox – Bullet Train feat. Elzhi (Slum Village), Masia One & Cymarshall Law
DJ SARASA is one of the hardest working DJays in Tokyo on the come up right now. More about DJ SARASA is here: www.djsarasa.com
Full Albums, Mixtapes, EPs, Ect….
Crew54 SXSW Special Part One & Crew Deep Mixtape
Whats good fam? I finally finished editing this weeks 54 Reality Show, I have tons and tons of footage from SXSW so I had to break it up into a two part series. We got the homie Peter Rosenburg to bless us with the opening shout out (one of many) and feature footage from the days leading up to the official SXSW Music jump off. Also we covered the first day of the festival with footage of Blu, U-N-I, and the SXSW Soul show with Wayna, Bavu Blakes, & Mojoe. This is a very entertaining episode, it moves fast and we do what we always do, keep it breezy.
I discovered DJ Eleven last year, when I came across his Winter Sadness mixtape. When I say mixtape, I mean exactly that, the old school definition. That particular mixtape happen to be one of my favorites last year. It wasn’t exclusively hip hop, this particular mix contained everything from Etta James, to White Stripes to Ghostface. I like some variety in my music and I like music that creates a mood, and that’s exactly what Winter Sadness did, it created a mood. Somehow, I happen to get on DJ Eleven’s mailing list, which is quite alright with me. His most recent news letter contained a bunch of goodies, including Winter Sadness 2, which is just as good as last years, but only download it if you like variety in your music. - Trav
50 Minutes of Fresh
Don’t forget about“50 Minutes of Fresh”, a sampling of some of my favorite Mannie Fresh productions, features, and solo joints. It isn’t trying to be a greatest hits. It’s literally 50 minutes of Mannie Fresh. Enjoy & share it with friend.
Mannie Fresh – Not Tonight
Cash Money Millionaires – Project Chick
Lil Wayne – The Block Is Hot
Big Tymers – Get Your Roll On
B.G. – Bling Bling
Mannie Fresh – Real Big
Lil Wayne – Way Of Life
Mannie Fresh – The D.J.
Lil’ Wayne – This Is The Carter
/>
Big Tymers – Still Fly
Blast – Hood Rich
Juvenile – In My Life
Rick Ross – All I Have In This World
B.G. – Move Around
Mannie Fresh – Tell It Like It Is
Shawt – Im Da Man
Bun B – I’m Fresh
Plies – Pants Hang Low
Young Jeezy – And Then What
Lil Flip – What it Do
Dem Franchize Boyz – Mr. Feel Good
Squad Up – Parking Lot
Lil Wayne – Go DJ
T.I. – Front, Back
Big Tymers – Southern Boy
Big Tymers – Hello
1. Eleven & Ayres – The Glamorous Intro
2. Stephanie Mills – Putting A Rush On Me
3. New Edition – A Little Bit of Love (Is All It Takes)
4. Fatback – I Found Loving
5. Starpoint – Bring Your Sweet Lovin’ Back
6. Steve Arrington’s Hall of Fame – Nobody Can Be You
7. NY Citi Peech Boys – Don’t Make Me Wait
8. Zapp – Dancefloor
9. Roger – So Ruff, So Tuff
10. Ronnie Hudson & The Street People- West Coast Poplock
11. Chaka Khan – I Know You, I Live You
12. The Time – Get It Up
13. Midnight Star – The Midas Touch
14. Teena Marie – Behind The Groove
15. Pebbles – Mercedes Boy
16. Ollie and Jerry – Breakin’… There’s No Stopping Us
17. Apollonia 6 – Sex Shooter
18. Klymaxx – Meeting in the Ladies Room
19. The Time – The Bird
20. Tom Browne – Thighs High (Grip Your Hips And Move)
21. “D” Train – Keep On
22. Billy Ocean – Night (Feel Like Getting Down)
23. Atlantic Starr – Circles
24. I Level – Minefield
25. Gwen Guthrie – Padlock
26. Fat Larry’s Band – Act Like You Know
27. Gap Band – I Found My Baby
28. Stephanie Mills – Something In The Way (You Make Me Feel)
29. Al B Sure! – Nite and Day
30. Collage – Get In Touch with Me
31. Roger – I Want to Be Your Man
32. The Time – Gigolos Get Lonely Too
33. Prince & The New Power Generation – Diamonds and Pearls
34. Michael Jackson – The Lady In My Life
If you’ve been living under a rock for the last 30 years, can’t read the tracklist, or can’t see the art, here’s a description: great 80′s R&B. Nothing more, definitely nothing less. Cop it here at www.djeleven.com/glam_life_3.html. Enjoy responsibly!
SIDE A – MIXED BY DJ MOMA
01. Make Ur Move – Tweet
02. Old School Joint – Missy Elliott
03. Stillness In Time – Calvin Harris
04. All Woman (edit) – Kathy Diamond
05. Breakout – N.E.R.D.
06. The Last Time – Gnarls Barkley
07. Flashback – Kelis
08. Experience – Connie
09. Get Loose (edit) – Aleem & Leroy Burgess
10. Thug Rock – Sandy Kerr
11. Got You Dancin’ – Karisma feat Jocelyn Brown
12. Full Moon – Armand Van Helden feat Common
SIDE B – MIXED BY DJ ELEVEN
13. Come on Let’s Move It – Special Ed
14. Funk You Up – Sequence
15. Have A Nice Day – Roxanne Shante
16. Quiet Dog (Sake1 Edit) – Mos Def
17. No Delayin’ – Nice & Smooth
18. They Want EFX (remix) – Das EFX
19. Easy Star (DJ Eleven remix) – Poor Righteous Teachers
20. Stopper – Cutty Ranks
21. No Guns No Murder – Ray’von
22. Take It Easy – Mad Lion
23. Let’s Do It in the Dancehall – Jamal-Ski
24. Atliens (Bad Boy remix) – Outkast
25. Wanna Be Good – Ryan Leslie
26. Yo Home To Bel-Air – DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
27. It’s A Shame (My Sister) – Monie Love
28. One To Grow On – The UMCs
29. Pretty Young Thing (Demo) (U-Tern edit) – Michael Jackson
“Winter Sadness 2″ is still here. Click and download
Cosmo Baker, DJ Eleven, and DJ Ayres bring you another episode of Rub Radio, featuring guest DJ Skratch Bastid, winner of the Skribble Jam DJ Battle, DJ and Producer for Buck 65, and affable Ginger Canadian. The Bastid chats it up with The Rub dudes then blesses the turntables for a very special Rest in Peace tribute to Party Arty and a little diggin in the crates of his own. It is always live! Go to www.scion.com/channel2 or click here (then drop the playlist into your iTunes) & get to listening.
“Certified Banger is the top dog in this blogging phenomena… period!” Farma G of Task Force
Artist: VA
Title: Certified Banger Presents ‘On The Radar Volume 3’
Record label: Certified Banger Records
Release Date: 6/04/09
The third in the series of free to download compilations compiled by Certified Banger. What more is there to say?
Well actually, loads. Representing the UK and 100% supported by all artists involved ‘OTR Vol. 3’ is 21 tracks deep and features bare exclusives.
Reain (aka Wha’s His Face) has recorded an exclusive track entitled ‘On The Radar’ over one of RJD2’s finest beats. Yosh and Vee Kay have offered an up-front exclusive taken from Yosh’s forthcoming EP. The guys over at Don’t Talk To Strangers give you all the chance to get 2 tracks previously only available on a limited pressing of 200 CDs (‘When Planets Collide’ by Bane & Jonny Alpha and ‘Leafs’ by Chief Wigz).
Delegates of Culture offer you a chance to sample their soon to be released LP ‘Bad Guys’ with their track ‘Grip’. Mr. Loop brings some never-heard-before vibes with ‘Grown Man Music’ featuring Yosh, Slippa and Zoo Mark and Krate Krusaders grant you the opportunity to download their Ramson Badbonez featuring track ‘Incredible’ for the first time.
JVF Clique, Mr. Shaodow, Dialect and Stylah also provide special tunes from soon to be released projects. Elsewhere Joe Blow and Metabeats, E Hustle, Kasha, Baron Samedi, Ozmosis, JC and SonnyJim, Jee4ce and Capitol 1212 and Profisee give away tracks from previously available EPs and albums.
‘On The Radar Vol. 3’ features artists from up and down the country including Northern Ireland, South and West Yorkshire, London, Manchester, Birmingham and Cambridge – Certified Banger fully represents the talent this country holds. If you don’t recognise the names on here, there’s all the more reason to download this – you need to hear these tracks and then you need to find out more.
In a time when so much music is given away for free it’s good to remember that these guys need to eat too. ‘OTR Vol. 3’ is intended to be a signpost that points towards the places where these MCs and producers sell their wares. Check these tracks out, then buy the albums, EPs and 12”s that these artists put out.
If you follow our (mostly) weekly top 20 chart, you’ve seen Rae’s new joint with Meth and Ghost on it. That means I like it, so it’s good to see a video drop. This isn’t that video, but the making of the video which is due out….well soon I guess. - Trav
New Behind The Scenes Footage From Raekwon Video Shoot “Wu-Ohh” – March 23rd.
(Raekwon, Ghostface, Method Man, RZA, Cappadonna, Inspectah Deck Make Appearances In Video!)
————————————————————————————-
CHUBB ROCK & WORDSMITH
“OLD 2 THE NEW” (BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO) + “OUR LOVE” & “MUSIC FOR THE MILLENNIUM”
“NEW EXCLUSIVE”
…………………………………………………………………….
Join Chubb Rock & Wordsmith as they shoot the video for their first single “Old 2 The New”, have no fear, Nu Revolution Entertainment was there to catch all the behinds the scenes footage. On Episode 1, Wordsmith is giving his followers on twitter constant updates while his youngest son Ezquiel is taking over the set. For all my movies buffs out there who are big Matrix fans and i know Chubb Rock is, get ready for the prequel!
Wordsmith & Chubb Rock: “Old 2 The New” (Behind The Scenes Day 1: Video Shoot)
Video:
Wordsmith & Chubb Rock: “Old 2 The New” (Behind The Scenes Day 1.5: Video Shoot)
Video: [Click Here]
Chubb Rock & Wordsmith will start releasing exclusive promo tracks that are unavailable on their album “Bridging the Gap,” over the next few months for the fans, bloggers, major hip hop sites and tastemakers. This will culminate with a mixtape called “A Crack in the Bridge” due to drop in June, so keep it locked as Chubb & Word seek to bridge the gap between the old school and new school era’s. Check out this exclusive track below from Chubb Rock called “Our Live” produced by Strada!
Watch out for Wordsmith flooding the streets and online in 2009 with his HipHopDX sponsored mixtapes: Chubb Rock & Wordsmith “A Crack in the Bridge” / “The 2009 Mid-Year Review” and “The 2009 Resolution & Re-Cap.” Also be on the look out for Chubb Rock and Wordsmith’s “Bridging the Gap” album and Wordsmith & I.N.C The Poets “A Baltimore Martini” UK album coming in the second quarter of 2009. Here’s one more exclusive for you this one is Wordsmith and Soulstice entitled “Music For The Millennium” produced by Capish!
With just three weeks until Spectacula presents fans with his new project There’s Always an Alternative, the Queens rapper has been hard at work filming and editing the video for his track UH OH from the highly anticipated project.
Displaying his deft ability to rhyme over whatever music comes his way, Spectacula continues to make his way to the top of the list as one of NYC’s hottest commodities right now.
‘Champs vs. The League’ hits stores on TODAY and features Akil from Jurassic 5, Project Move, and Soulstice… the album is the creative effort of Raydar Ellis, producer and mc known for his solo work and his collaborative efforts with Short Bus Alumni, and mc Quite Nyce, of RADix fame…
Brick Records Presents: Upcoming Raydar Ellis / Quite Nyce Shows..
4/2/2009 6:30 PM at Raydar Ellis & Quite Nyce ’Champs Vs. The League’ UGHH Free Instore Underground Hip Hop Store 234 Huntington Ave, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 Cost: FREE! –
FREE Instore Performance and Meet and Great with Raydar Ellis and Quite Nyce
4/2/2009 9:00 PM at Raydar Ellis & Quite Nyce ’Champs Vs. The League’ Boston Release Party – Western Front 343 Western Ave, Cambridge, Massachusetts Cost: $10
– Raydar Ellis & Quite Nyce (Champs Vs. The League) Blacastan, Black Element, City Slickers,
DJ Rugged One Hosted by SEEK (of RADIx) Thurs April 2nd Western Front 343 Western Ave Cambridge, MA 21+ 9pm $10 ————————————————————————————- Artist: Cymarshall Law & Mr Joeker
Song: Live While you can
Label : Freedom Ent.
Cadence and Dumi RIGHT are Alternate Reality, a hip hop duo intent on
bringing hip hop with substance to the hungry masses.
On their first single “Fast Talk,” Alternate Reality deliver a rapid
fire assault on the current state of American politics. On the heels
of Rod Blagojevic’s attempted senate seat ‘auction’ and with George
W. Bush‘s disasterous presidency having lowered the bar to previously
unimaginable depths, “Fast Talk” dismantles political double-speak and
shines a light on the corrupt practices that have left so many people
craving change they can believe in. Alternate Reality deliver ill
lyrics over a perfect backdrop provided by Lord Lamont’s (KHz
Production) high-energy track.
You can also peep out a quick youtube clip/slideshow created for this
track at the link below.
The lead single off of “Kick, Punch, Fight, Rhyme,”The Central Parking Lot Rangers features a guest appearance from Vast Aire and was produced by Atari Blitzkrieg.
The EP also features 2 additional remixes of The Central Parking Lot Rangers and features production from Krohme, Moka Only
>, Step Savage, magOwl, Tracing Happiness, Blockhead, guitars by Hiden Beatz and scratches by Mr. Len.
Kooley High goes into warps speed!!! Fresh off the heels of their classic mixtape collabo with illroots & K Salaam, Kooley just made a video for one of the bonus cuts that leaked before the tape dropped this month. Channeling the great Leonard Nimoy himself, Kooley takes you aboard the enterprise to show you how they get down. Produced by J Sol, this is just one of the many videos to come off the Kooley Is High project. Stay tuned and thanks for your support!!!
P.S. Make sure to be in the Raleigh /Durham area April 3rd for the mixtape release party ft. Blu & Exile. Kooely will also be performing at “The Hip Hop Pilgrimage” alongside Asheru & the Els in D.C. on Apr 15.
If you are a fan of Superstar Quamallah, like I know a lot of you are, you gotta check out this track. Typical Quamallah, which means it’s pure dopeness. -Trav
- produced by Izznyce - cuts by Superstar Quamallah - Appears on the forthcoming Superstar Quamallah album entitled “Invisible Man“, set for release on May 19th via Brick Records / Cotter Records.
My apologies to Sam for “losing” these two tracks for a bit. If you are late to the show, legendary NYC producer, Sam Sever, has been releasing two tracks each month for the past three months.
Here is the reminder of what you have missed so far:
“Yo Sam, Schooooool ‘Em…”. The words were spit by MC Serch on the classic (yes, I said it) Cactus Album, the debut album from MC Serch, Prime Minister Pete Nice and DJ Daddy Rich. Every since I first heard those words and I set on a hunt to find out who this Sam Sever character that was listed as producer on several of the Cactus Album tracks, I’ve been a Sam Sever fan. While the Cactus Album may have been an introduction to a ton of kids such as myself at the time, Sam has been around much longer than that.
The good news about all this is Sam is back on the scene, crafting beats. For the next few months, he will be releasing two beats/songs a month, building up to his solo album release in April. We have the two beats for the month of January, both bringing back that sound that made me fall in love with the music in the first place. I tend to lean toward “Go Back”, just cause that’s what it does, it takes you back. The stabs over a rolling percussion break bring the essence of hip hop into my mindstate when I bust the track in the headphones. It’s really a nice track that I could see a couple MCs doing damage on the track. “Day & Night” comes off as a little more modern. The strong drums back the vocals to give it a different feel. A strong track as well
Y>C>L>T>A>I>M>M>I.
