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HardC.O.R.E. Vol. 3 Issue 4
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| | | | | \ | / C O O R R E
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Vol. 3, Issue 4 July, 1995
The electronic magazine of hip-hop music and culture
Brought to you as a service of the Committee of Rap Excellence
Section 1 -- ONE
***A***
Table of Contents
Sect. Contents Author
----- -------- ------
001 The introduction
A Da 411 - table of contents staff
B Da 411 - HardC.O.R.E. staff
C Yo! We Want Your Demos staff
D Note from the interim Editor rapotter@colby.edu
002 Monthly Articles
A Regional Report: Atlanta martay@america.net
B Regional Report: Europe helmut@cosy.sbg.ac.at
C The Inside Scoop r.macmichael@genie.geis.com
-- The English Reggae Connection:MACKA B, NOLAN IRIE
D Homeboy from Hell Monthly isbell@ai.mit.edu
-- Mobb Deep, _The Infamous_
E The Singles File 3JB3BAUERJ@VMS.CSD.MU.EDU
F Back to the Old School r.macmichael@genie.geis.com
G Roots-N-Rap rapotter@colby.edu
-- The Meters
003 HardC.O.R.E. Editorials
A The Source -- Straight Slippin' krs_one@iastate.edu
004 The Official HardC.O.R.E. Album Review Section
A Catalyst Entertainment krs_one@iastate.edu
B Channel Live/Mad Lion rapotter@colby.edu
C Collapsed Lung N.A.Smith@bradford.ac.uk
D East Coast Tribe krs_one@iastate.edu
E Fun^Da^Mental rapotter@colby.edu
F Herbie Hancock rapotter@colby.edu
G J. Bond and DJ Goldfinger r.macmichael@genie.geis.com
H Main Perspective krs_one@iastate.edu
I Masta Ase Inc. davidj@vnet.net
J MC Breed 3JB3BAUERJ@VMS.CSD.MU.EDU
K Prophets of Truth davidj@vnet.net
L Pump Ya Fist r.macmichael@genie.geis.com
M Urban Dance Squad r.macmichael@genie.geis.com
***B***
The C.O.R.E. creed
We at C.O.R.E. support underground hip-hop (none of that crossover
bullshucks). That means we also support the 1st Amendment and the
right to uncensored music.
The C.O.R.E. anthems
I Used To Love H.E.R. Common Sense
Crossover EPMD
Mass Appeal Gangstarr
True to the Game Ice Cube
Outta Here KRS-One
How About Some HardC.O.R.E. M.O.P.
Time's Up O.C.
Straighten It Out Pete Rock and CL Smooth
In the Trunk Too $hort
Remember Where You Came From Whodini
Access info:
FTP: ftp://ftp.etext.org/pub/Zines/HardCORE/
Gopher: gopher://gopher.etext.org:70/11/Zines/HardCORE
WWW: (Site is moving, more info to come.)
E-mail: to subscribe, e-mail listserv@vnet.net with this line of
text in body of your message:
subscribe hardcore-l <your name>
***C***
Aight, let's say you got a hip-hop demo that you've been trying
to shop around. A few people like it, but nobody with some clout is
buying. Or let's say you know someone who's got some skills, but you
don't know what you can do to help 'em get on. Suppose even further,
that you've got an internet account and want to give you and your
friends' efforts a little publicity. Well, have we got a deal for
you...
HardC.O.R.E.'s review section isn't just for the major labels.
In fact, some of us would much rather review what the independent folks
are making, since they aren't affected by the A&R and high level decisions
of major labels.
So we want to hear what you guys are making. A few groups are
getting their demos reviewed here among the likes of Gangstarr, Heavy D.
and the Boys, A Tribe Called Quest and Ol' Dirty Bastard. Who knows?
You might even hear bigger and better things from The Mo'Fessionals, DOA,
Raw Produce, and Union of Authority before you know it. With all the
people subscribing to or reading HardCORE, you never know who might
want to hear your music.
Give us a shout. You can e-mail me at davidj@vnet.net or Flash
at krs_one@iastate.edu, and we'll let you know where you can send your
tape. Keep in mind that we're pretty honest with our reviews (if we
think your shit is wack, we'll say so to your face), but if you think
you got what it takes, you'll see a review from us before you know it.
All you have to lose is a tape, right?
Peace... the HardC.O.R.E. Review Staff
***D***
Professa R.A.P.
---------------
NOTE FROM THE INTERIM EDITOR
This is a test of the HardC.O.R.E. prevention against Sucka Hip-
Hop Zines: in the event of a real emergency, you would have been
instructed on which magazines to read, and how hard to throw them into
the nearest (virtual) wastebasket.
Once again we're back, with another issue that's more solid than
Khallid Muhammad, while other publications just suck a little harder at
the big music industry tit. Now this issue may be a little slimmer than
usual -- but it still has just as much bounce to the ounce. And you
know ain't nobody gettin' paid for the work we put into this -- we only
do it out of love for the music.
It's been said before, but it's worth saying again: hip-hop will
never die! Despite the barrage of recent attacks by Bob Dole, William
Bennett, C. Delores Tucker -- and despite the corporate cowards over at
Time-Warner who are running every which way to satisfy them -- the music
goes on. It's true, I think, that there's been something of a slump
lately -- the same old same old in new packages. But this isn't the
doing of hip-hop artists so much as it is the work of a music industry
that can't tell which way the wind is blowing until someone else pisses
into it.
For those sucka MC's who can't come up with rhymes besides
blunt, front, and stunt, ease back muthafuckas, it's gonna go to a whole
new level. It's happened before, and it's gonna happen again; hip-hop
has always re-invented itself out of a mix of the old and the new --
Grandmaster Flash did it in '82, Run DMC in '83, LL in '85, PE in '87,
Tribe in '89 -- and the book on the 9-5 is still being written. For
those who think hip-hop comes in a factory-sealed package, skip it,
g'won home and take only those medications prescribed by your employer.
For the rest of y'all, 'ere's de real ting.
* * * *
[Before I sign off, I'd like to thank Flash, David J., and Laze for
helping me put this thing together -- it takes more work than you'd
think!]
//peace//
<---RAP--->
Section 2 -- TWO
***A***
Martay the Hip-Hop Wiz
----------------------
THE ATLANTA SCENE
Atlanta is about to heat up this summer, so get ready to sweat.
Too Short, who lives here more often than not these days
(supposedly he splits time between here and Oaktown, but he seems to be
here mostly), recently held a celebration for another Gold record at
Club Illusions. I guess "Short Dog" is hella used to these events by
now as many as he's had, but congratulations are due once again. Also
at Club Illusions (there's always somethin') was a record release party
for the Dayton Family from Po Broke records. American Rap Makers host
Arnell Starr was in the house taping for his weekly video show. Po
Broke (as you may have seen in the ads recently) has a deal with
Relativity (who doesn't these days) and they have relocated to Atlanta
from Flint, Michigan (following their homies Breed and Andre Rison?).
Local rapper DJ Wen was shooting a video for his single "Thank
you Mom (for being my Dad)" on Mother's Day. This is the 2nd single
from his LP "You Got to Give 'em What They Want" on A & A records.
Creep Dog (from the DOGS) is back on the scene solo with a new label
here in Atlanta (Uniroyal Records) and a new single "Bounce that Booty".
Freaknik rolled through Atlanta and mad kids came through
(though not quite as many as last year) and of course Midtown and
Downtown were on LockDown. The systems were bumpin' Montell, Adina and
that Meth & Mary joint along with massive amounts of Miami Bass. Tha
Bomb had a special Freaknik show that lasted from 8pm til 2am and that
was even a simulcast with WRFG's Saturday night Hip-Hop show, so
basically Freaknik was cool with the exception of a little bad weather
and a few incidents of ignorance by some knuckleheads representin' dumb
shit.
Finally, MC Lyte was just in town recording material for her new
LP and she's working with Jermaine Dupri, so I would expect something
interesting from that combination (So that's why she's hangin' with Da
Brat in that video).
Anyway, peace for now.
Martay
***B***
Helmut Mayer
------------
THE EUROPEAN SCENE
"Graffitis: Same Art, Different Flavor"
In the wake the mysterious January 31st incident in Fernando
Valley, California, when William Masters shot at two young graffiti
sprayers, killing one 18-year-old with a bullet in the back of the head
and severely injuring the other (yet another case where it's rather
obvious that skin color plays an all-too-important role in people's
judgment), I'd like to take a look at the European, especially German,
graffiti scene.
It all started in the beginning of the '80s when the first waves
of graffiti swept over from the States and the first grafs could be seen
on walls in London and Paris. First, most grafs have been just tags of
the sprayer, his/her name written on walls in graf style. I wonder, if
this could be interpreted as marking territory in analogy to animal
behavior.
Now I could be trapped as labeling sprayers as animals, but this
trap should be easily passed by thinking of people who shoot at
sprayers. Why does Bob Marley's line "It's not the human race, it's just
a rat race" come to my mind? Anyway, the style of names was also adopted
from the US, some letters and a number at the end, for example KRS-1.
Right from the start the connection with rap music was loose.
Some sprayers are pure artists, some are DJs or MCs in a rap group. The
thing they had in common was the thrill of illegally spraying on walls
and articulating things their way. A main point of attraction for
sprayers are train stations and industrial zones due to the lowered
probability of running into people having problems with colors on grey
walls.
Stars quickly emerged inside the graf scene, and in the last
several years more and more sprayers have been invited to spray a public
building officially. The "illegal" art remains, however, and in Germany
special police task forces are employed to chase down sprayers.
Usually, the caught sprayers are fined as much as $70,000 (also
depending on the estimated value of the building they sprayed on). As
you might guess, many are unable to afford this, and they often go to
jail for a year on the average.
Some prominent names among insiders are Can2, Loomit, Gee1
(Germany) and Mode2 (France). And to all brothers and sisters in Great
Britain: don't hit me for not mentioning your scene. I hope to visit
London soon following up with some special pieces on HipHop culture over
there. "Hip-hop's all around, the members is growing." Digable
Planets' line applies very well to the graf scene in Germany where more
and more sprayers come together in posses and try to take their art form
to the next (hopefully peaceful) levels.
Is there a special sprayer's greeting and farewell? I don't
know, but this is always good...
PEACE -- Helmut
***C***
Ryan 'Laze' MacMichael
----------------------
INSIDE SCOOP
Macka B, Nolan Irie, and Mad Professor: The English Reggae Connection
Now, sure, Jamaica is known for it's reggae, but Britain?!?
Few realize the power of the strong UK reggae scene. Names like
Tippa Irie and Macka B lead off the DJ set while Mad Professor, an
absolute genius in the realm of dub (and beyond), takes credit for the
sweetest production that side of the Atlantic.
Recently, DJ Macka B, crooner Nolan Irie, and dub king Mad
Professor made a 5-city showcase tour in the United States that got an
extremely good response. Two shows in Honolulu, Hawaii (where "Squeeze
Me" was the #1 single for the *entire* summer) started the tour off, and
it ended at The Roxy in Washington, DC. I had the opportunity to make a
night-trip to The Roxy to catch the show, but due to transportation
problems (namely getting screwed by my ride there two days before the
show and being forced to take public transportation) I only got to see
the so-so opening act, local reggae band Blacki Locks. Either I need to
get a car or convince the Metro to run beyond midnight.
In any event, though I didn't get to catch the performance I had
been waiting to see for several months, I did get to speak with Macka B
and Nolan Irie -- the two vocalists on "Squeeze Me". Here's what came
down at the upstairs of the noisy Roxy, in a hallway, away from the
press party:
LAZE: I noticed over the last few albums... actually, the last 10 or 11
albums (laugh)... that you've covered just about the whole gamut of
political topics. Where are you planning to go from here since you've
already covered so much material?
MACKA B: Well, until we have a perfect world, I will still continue to
do what I'm doing. It's far from being a perfect world, you know? Even
though I've covered some things in the past, they got to be covered
again, 'cause the more the people hear things, not just from me but from
everybody, the more chance there is of changing things, you know? I'll
just continue to do what I do. I can't say whether I'm going to do this
or I'm going to do that -- I get an inspiration, and I just do it. It's
kept me in good standing up till now, so I'll just keeping doing it.
LAZE: Your first number one hit was using the "Invasion Dub" in about
1986, what got you working with Mad Professor?
MACKA B: At the time I was doing some TV work in England, and I was on
this show. Every week I had to do a topical lyric about something that
happened in the week. And Professor saw one of these shows and sent a
message to Birmingham, where I live, and asked if I would do some work
with him. So I took some of my lyrics down to him and played them to
him, and he said, "Yeah man,"... he wants to do something definitely.
So in the next week we got together and he gave me some of his riddims,
and I put some of my lyrics to his riddim and we came up with the piece
"Sign of the Times." On the reggae circuit it did very well, number one
on the reggae charts and those things. People in different countries
seemed to like it as well. From then, every year we've been doing LPs
and 45s.
LAZE: (to Nolan Irie) Have you worked with Macka B or Mad Professor
very much previous to this?
NOLAN IRIE: Well, I started in Ariwa four years ago where I met Macka
B. Around '90, '91, '92, '93 time I started to team up with Macka B to
do a few combinations and stuff. But prior to that I was working with
Professor for four years, so far, in the studio for my own album which I
have out called WORK SO HARD. I'm working on a second album right now.
But me and Macka B generally team up every now and again to do a tune
for the people. Stuff like "Squeeze Me" or "Here Comes Trouble,"
whatever vibes take us at the time.
LAZE: How have your shows been going so far?
MACKA B: They've been going very well. We started in Hawaii and it was
excellent. "Squeeze Me" was a big hit over there. The reaction was
great. We did two shows in one day in Hawaii and we went to L.A. and it
was good as well. And San Francisco and New York. And now Washington.
LAZE: Is this your last stop?
MACKA B: Yeah, yeah. Then back to England.
LAZE: (to Nolan Irie) Are you pleased with how it's been going?
NOLAN IRIE: Very pleased.
LAZE: (again, to Nolan Irie) Are you from England, too?
NOLAN IRIE: I'm from a town around 50 miles away from London. It takes
me about an hour to get to the studio. I'm quite near to where the
vibes is happening. But, yeah, I've been here in America. Touring
around is being excellent and the vibes is being great. And you guys
(points to me) are being great, too.
LAZE: Thanks... have a good show.
MACKA B: Alright... respect due.
NOLAN IRIE: Thanks a lot, man.
Both guys were very polite and wonderful to deal with. Later on
I accidentally stepped on Macka B's foot (he stands a full foot taller
than me -- a big, BIG man) and simply got a friendly smile in return.
And I spoke again shortly with Nolan Irie as he chilled himself out at
the bar. Respect due to both. I'm quite disappointed I didn't get to
see the rest of the show or catch up with Mad Professor.
In any event, the most recent of Macka B's releases,
DISCRIMINATION (ARI 098) is a very strong political statement, yet at
the same time fun and entertaining 'cause "the vibes is right." Also
notable are his other recent releases, HERE COMES TROUBLE (ARI 088)
which features the single "Squeeze Me" (on CD 5" at ARI 7048), JAMAICA,
NO PROBLEM? (ARI 078), and BUPPIE CULTURE (ARI 048). Macka B is an
often overlooked talent on the DJ scene even with his distinctive
English/Jamaican accent and powerful tracks.
Mad Professor owns the Ariwa label and has innumerable albums.
The most recent are his "greatest-hits" of sorts, IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD,
MAD PROFESSOR (ARI 105), BLACK LIBERATION DUB PT. 1 (ARI 095), and THE
LOST SCROLLS OF MOSES (ARI 087). All are amazing examples of the Mad
Professor's unique dub ingenuity that have yet to be matched.
These guys are a very important part of the reggae scene and are
often overshadowed by dancehall killers like Buju, Mega, Shabba, or Mad
Cobra. But give them their due respect and check their albums and any
shows near you.
***D***
Charles Isbell
--------------
HOMEBOY FROM HELL MONTHLY
What? You mean you've already bought it?
This time: _The Infamous_ by Mobb Deep
Next time: _Hiphopera_ by Volume 10
_Boxcar Sessions_ by Saafir
_Black Business_ by Poor Righteous Teachers
Last time: _Holy Terror_ by The Last Poets
_Non-Fiction_ by Black Sheep
_Genocide and Juice_ by The Coup
_Muse Sick-N-Hour Mess Age_ by Public Enemy
_Illmatic_ by Nas
_Hard To Earn_ by Gang Starr
Catch Ups: _Tricks of The Shade_ by The Goats [Ed. note: Yeah, right.]
_Straight Outta Compton_ by N.W.A
_Enta Da Wu Tang (36 Chambers)_ by Wu Tang Clan
_Cypress Hill_ by Cypress Hill
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distinctiveness: Shrug.
Dopeness Rating: In point of fact, this is a solid Phat. But despite
that I find myself thinking, "Well, so what?"
Shrug.
Rap Part: Something about the voices are a bit too, too,
something, but they *do* have solid skillz and
every once in a while they get off a strong lyric,
even if it's about the same ol' thing. Shrug.
Sounds: Usually phat, but way too familiar. Shrug.
Predictions: Well, they appear to have blown up.
Rotation Weight: Apparently, quite heavy... at least for a while.
Message: Gangsta is still in... even in NYC.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tracks: 16 at 67 minutes.
Label: RCA
Producers: Exec'd by Mobb Deep, Matt Life and Schott Free
Profanity: Yep, yep.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I get email from a lot of folks about my reviews. Usually, it's to say
something like "I like your reviews" or "I respect your opinions even
though I disagree with what you thought about MC so-and-so."
Sometimes, I actually get letters that border on threatening (usually
from relatively young men who tell me stuff like "you don't understand
true hip hop" and "you'd better hope that no one from SomeToughCity,
USA ever reads your stuff, 'cause you might get beat down").
But, like I say, by and large it's fairly positive and I don't seem to
be universally hated.
On the other hand, there are times when I *know* going in that I'm a
pretty much all alone. For example, I can't stand Nice & Smooth.
They just grate on me in a way that I can't describe. Since N&S get
props, I tend to be the only one spouting this opinion at any given
time.
I think this is about to happen again. As far as I can tell Mobb Deep
is thought to be the shiznit by a whole lot of folks. I think MD is
pretty good, but there's nothing about them that's spectacular or even
distinctive or interesting. After listening to them for awhile, all I
can do is shrug.
I mean, check it: I'm not saying that they're bad (not bad meaning
good, but bad meaning bad), I'm just saying that they're pretty much
in the middle of the pack in their subgenre. In a time when everybody
with some skillz has a record contract, it's not enough to be good and
solid. I want the folks who blow up to either bring something new to
the table or to do the old stuff pretty damn well. When I load up my
CD player with five CDs, I don't want to feel like I'm listening to
one long record by the interchangeable MCs.
The folks who make up Mobb Deep are solid, they got skillz, but that's
all I can say for them.
I mean, think about the NBA. Just about all of the players are better
than everybody else in the world at what they do (or close enough,
anyway); however, that's just not good enough. Once you make it to
the NBA, you'd better do *something* more than just be better than
the folks watching you on TV if you want to get special props.
See what I mean?
Hmmmm.
Let's get this review started.
"The Start of Your Ending (41st Side)" is not the obligatory
introduction. It's actually a song. Five points. Havoc is up
first.
"25? Nah, kid, you're gettin' life
Forever burnin' in hell
Niggas is trife
It's the... semi-auto
You can bring it on, yo
I'm pullin' down,
strippin' niggas just like a porno
flick, I'm sick"
Nice muzak. Prodigy steps up next.
"Where you been at?
You musta cut class
If it ain't me
another member of my crew
will kick your ass
We do damage to limbs
In 91 stompin' you out with black timbs"
This track is pretty representative of the whole CD. A nice, vaguely
WTC-like piece of muzak, some folks talking in the background, some
well-delivered, if straightforward, lyrics with one or two really good
lines.
Can't complain.
In "[The Infamous Prelude]", Prodigy takes some time out to explain a
few things to us, rapper-to-listeners.
"So don't ever in your life
get me confused with some of them other niggas
that you might see on TV or hear on the radio and such
Know what I'm sayin'?
I mean, this is me, P
I'm speakin' for my f*ckin' self
When you see me at the show,
on stage, or on the street
I definitely, got the gat on me,
know what I'm sayin'?
Know what I mean?
<Sniff>
It ain't like I'm tryin' to be a tough guy
Or tryin' to make people think I'm crazy
by sayin' all this sh*t"
"I ain't super nigga
I'm a little skinny motherf*cker
It's all about who gets who first, though"
I found it pretty ironic, actually, but I'm probably reading far too
much into it.
So, anyway, that brings us to "Survival of the Fittest," one of their
big hits. Not a bad track, all things considered. Nice muzak, if a
bit familar and repetitive. Lyrics said with authority.
"As long as fiends smoke crack
I'll be on the block hustling
countin' my stacks"
"But sh*t happens for a reason
You find who's your true peoples
when you upstate bleedin'"
But they're the same lyrics you heard before, aren't they? Or am I
just insane?
Anyway, this a good release in that it tells you a lot about the
album. If you really like this song, you'll probably be into the
whole CD.
That brings us to "Eye for an Eye (Your Beef is Mines)". This one
features Raekwon the Chef and, of course, Nas, last year's NY
wunderkind.
"Let me start at the beginning"
"Another war story from a thirsty young hustler
Won't trust ya, I'd rather bust ya
And leave ya cold for the cops to discover"
Anyway, another solid effort. Good choice o' beat. Nice lyrics.
Can't say anything bad about it.
"[Just Step Prelude]" comes up next. It's about a minute of a
capella...
"It's all strange
My niggas locked down
thinking long-range
And see they names
in the Daily News
third page"
...that presumably acts as somewhat of an intro for "Give Up The Goods
(Just Step)" featuring Noyd. This one's a bit less familar on the
muzak tip, a bit sparser with even more in-your-face lyrical stylin'.
"I can't cope
with these niggas
tryin' to shorten my rope"
"Know what I mean?
I'm a natural born hustler
Won't try to cut ya
Pull out my 44 and bust ya"
I like this one a little more than I do the other tracks so far, but
I'm not really sure why. It might be the combo of the faster tempo
behind the otherwise more relaxed muzak. Whatever it is, I kinda
like it.
Similary, "Temperature's Rising" does it for me, as well. Nice
sample, too (except that drum really gets on my nerves).
"Just say ya guilty"
It's more of a story that the other tracks and I appreciate the
effort.
"Years ago when we were younger
Seems the hood took us under"
Pretty good. This brings us to "Up North Trip."
"Chill for a while,
make them think the beef's stopped"
"Watch the cocaine boil
Keep my eye on it
so the sh*t won't spoil"
I don't like it. Plain muzak and so-so lyrics that don't go well
together.
"Trife Life" is better. Better sample, too.
"Check it out, son
So we take the gats for precautions
Plus this trick lives in Brooklyn,
home of the coffins
She might got a whole battalion of buck-downers
waitin' for us to get off the train and surround us.
Or maybe I'm blowin' the sh*t out of proportion
But the sh*T do happen to niggas very often
So f*ck it, a nigga gotta do what he meant to
'F*ck the world' is my mental"
Nothin' new story-wise, but it's told well, so that's fine.
"Q.U.-Hectic" has solid muzak. Solid flow. Solid delivery.
"Ain't nothin' soft or sweet
I lift ya off your feet
When I cock back the heat"
It's nothing special, really.
"Right Back At You" is a bit more original. I kinda like it. Big Noyd
and Raekwon return, joining Ghostface Killer (is there any album some
Wu-Tang Clan member isn't on? Anywhere?).
"Imma point the finger
at all you wannabe gun-slingers
You got a real ice grill
but are you really real?
Step to the hill and
Imma test your gun skillz
Cause real niggas don't try to profile
You just a chump who needs to get drunk to buck wild
But swing that bullsh*t this way
and Imma make your vist to the bridge
a motherf*ckin' short stay"
I like it anyway.
"[The Grave Prelude]" reminds me of the middle sequence from Cube's
"Alive on Arrival" off _Death Certificate_.
"Don't worry about me, man. Get Boyd."
It segues to "Cradle To the Grave"
"They locked me up for twelve days
I can't comprehend
Now I'm a free man on the streets again
chasin' St Ides down with some Segram's Gin
Life is like a dice game and I'm in it to win."
"Yo got my mind on a place to hide from police
sweatin' dogs as I'm runnin' cross 12th street"
This is another good one, muzak wise. Otherwise, same story,
different track.
Q-Tip is featured on "Drink Away The Pain (Situations)." It opens
with a nice little play on the UTFO candy-rhyme from way back when
with candies replaced by, well, you guess.
"You know she drive me crazy
She's my number one lady
Met her back in '89
actin' like she's forty"
Anyway, to no one's surprise, Q-Tip is on and the production is all
good. Muzak is top-notch and the lyrics are much better than usual.
"She started gettin' jealous
Steamed, cause I spent more green on the fellas
'F*ck them niggas, spend that cheese on me.
See if they be around when you need p*ssy.'"
This brings us to "Shook Ones Pt II". Like "Survival of the Fittest,"
it's done quite well on the radio/video circuit and has been played to
death.
"Cowards like you
just get they whole body laced up
with bullet holes and such
Speak the wrong words and you will be touched"
"And no such things as halfway crooks."
Anyway, you've heard the song before. It's pretty good at what it is
and it's fairly representative of the whole album.
Big Noyd returns for the last track, "Party Over." Damn good beat.
"My beeper kept beepin'
the other numbers startin' leakin'
Who was this on my mind I was thinkin'"
And Big Noyd drops serious lyrical bombs this time around.
"'But she's cryin' and she says has feelin's and sh*t'"
I really like that line.
Hmmmm. Well, that's it.
Bottom line?
Well, I like 'em. And if you like the songs you've heard from them so
far, you won't be disappointed with the CD. You'll listen to it for a
little while and bob your head when you hear a song on the radio or
see them on BET. If that makes you happy, then by all means pick up
the album and be happy. Go forth.
Ahhh, but will you grab this CD five years from now when you're
looking for a semi-classic? Or even a year from now?
My guess is: no and no. If you're in a gangsta mood, you'll probably
pick up _Straight Outta Compton_ or _Amerikkka's Most Wanted_ instead.
Or maybe _OG_.
On the other hand, it's not like every hip hop album you own has to be
a classic. This is a solid effort and, like I say, if you like the
releases so far, you won't be upset with the album (as opposed to,
say, Craig Mack, who had a great single and a compartively weak
album).
I guess I'm saying that they're good. Not great. Not weak-as-hell.
Good. It's a nice album and probably as good as most of the stuff you
own. It's not like you'd be buying Hammer or something.
There. Glad I could help.
But that's just one Black man's opinion--what's yours?
(C) Copyright 1995, Charles L Isbell, Jr.
All my Hip Hop reviews are available on the World Wide Web. Use the
URL: http://www.ai.mit.edu/~isbell/isbell.html and follow the
pointers....
***E***
Jesse Bauer
-----------
THE SINGLES FILE
Sunz of Man: "Soldiers of Darkness" b/w "Five Arch Angels"
Wu-Tang Records is coming out hard with new group Sunz of Man.
The crew is very reminiscent of Gravediggaz; both tracks feature
undoubtedly shaolin beats with an especially eerie twist and horrorcore-
type rhymes. "Soldiers of Darkness" and the b-side, "Five Arch Angels,"
are both solid tracks produced by 4th Disciple. Sure, you may at first
want to say they are copies of other shaolin groups, but when you get
down to it, the shit is good as hell.
The Gza/Genius: "Labels"
Another solo bid out of the Wu (although not his first), the
Genius gives us "Labels" in which he illustrates his hate for record
companies and their structure. Currently its not available for retail
sale, but should be out on a B-side sometime in the near future. Check
out the clever lyrics as the Gza is "hittin' batters up with the Wild
Pitch style" (notice the reference to the now-extinct label -- RIP).
The Rza-produced song has both a Gza mix and a Rza mix with original,
clean, instrumental, and acapella versions included. Both mixes are
nice.
The B.U.M.S: "Take a Look Around" b/w "Rain"
Hella mixes are on this 12" for the A-side, but what you really
need to do is check out "Rain". The cut features Saafir and is produced
by Joe Quixx. Damn! With the B.U.M.S lyrics like "I bet your body
jiggle like gelatin / when I crack your vertabraes and extract ya
endoskeleton", the Saucee Nomad's ill style (my man comes off PHAT on
his verse) and Joe Quixx rippin it up "on the fader" you could "put 20
bitches in a circle and you still couldn't fuck around" with it!! A
must peep!!
Special Ed: "Neva Go Back" b/w "Just A Killa"
Special Ed finally gives us another one, after years and years
of waiting. The first single of the new LP is fairly promising. Ed is
"pumpin' like Donovan, plus a little vicious" on this one with a phat
sound. Plenty of versions (album, radio, instrumental, and acapella)
are included on the 12". The only real negative is the B-side featuring
Bounty Killer. Straight up, the song is BUTT. Still, "Neva Go Back"
and the fact that it is Special Ed makes it a must.
AZ: "Sugar Hill"
Phat, melodic beats with fine singing on the part of Miss Jones
accompany AZ's flow very well. The song definitely makes you think back
to Nas and "Life's a Bitch" which, of course, isn't too bad of a thing
to remember. Usually I'm not a fan of singing in my hiphop songs, but
"Sugar Hill" gets only better because of it...
Lin Que: "Let It Fall" b/w "Par Ley"
What the hell happened to Lin Que? She is back and she has some
rough beats and rough rhymes. "Let It Fall" proves she can rap with the
best of female MCs and after an abscence, is a very pleasant surprise.
***F***
Ryan "Laze" MacMichael
----------------------
BACK TO THE OLD SCHOOL
This month I'm going to take us back... way back...
Pre-Grandmaster Flash. Pre-Sugarhill Gang. Back to August
1969. That's when Miles Davis' style-changing BITCHES BREW was
recorded. Over 90 minutes of some of the weirdest jazz to ever be
recorded by one of the true masterminds of the music.
This is one of the hardest albums for old-school Miles' fans to
digest. It's such a drastic change from MILES SMILES, KIND OF BLUE, and
especially his earlier BIRTH OF THE COOL work. I had a very tough time
accepting it when I listened to it a year or so ago. I picked it up
from the library again, recently, though to give it another listen. I'm
glad I did. Because even though I love the classic Miles Davis more
than _anything_, this record changed music as a whole. Everything from
70's rock (this album eventually led to the TRIBUTE TO JACK JOHNSON
shortly after) to modern jazz was affected. And today, looking back,
hip-hop was also affected, even though it was still in it's embryonic
stages at that time.
The first cut, "Pharoah's Dance" has such an odd electric feel
to it that if you can't dig the first two minutes, the rest of the album
isn't worth the time for you. But at the same time, there are loops
galore in this first two minutes that have a frighteningly eerie feel to
them -- eerie enough to give the water samples in "Come Clean" a run for
their money. This cut is prophetic in the idea that it predicted the
down, dirty, scummy electric-sounding samples that would be used in hip-
hop 25 years later.
The second cut is the title track. This song has perhaps the
illest bassline one will ever hear -- why it hasn't been sampled I don't
know (or should I say, before I just sampled it). Then about three
minutes into the cut come the drums -- they are the backbone of this
piece of the 27 minute song. A drum roll leads in, and instead of
dropping a snare on the first down beat, the drummer pauses and hits on
the upbeat and then moves into a more conventional, yet hip-hoppish
stutter-style drum set. As I listened to this cut, I started to
freestyle... it seemed so right. This bit of the song is a break beat
gone berserk with sounds! Pure flavor.
"Spanish Key" kicks off with drums and bass that make it sound
like Curtis Mayfield's going to break out with "Superfly", but then the
odd Scooby-Dooish wavering keys come in along with seemingly random
electric piano shots by none other than Chick Corea. Miles' trumpet
seem a lot more deliberate and on beat than the previous two cuts, which
helps the organized confusion of this song. About three minutes into
this one, the flavor drops to strict head-bobbing with a moving bass,
active drums and noise all over!
Following is "John McLaughlin", a much shorter cut than any of
the others on this album. It's a pretty hard cut to dig, to tell the
truth. There seems to be very little structure to this song except for
the guitar which knows exactly where it's going (sounds like Eric
Clapton) -- a totally different direction from the rest of the
instruments.
From the get-go "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" sounds like a
slowed-down, funked-up version of a track that Cypress Hill would be
rhyming on. This 14-minute groove is fluid. Just jump on the wave and
ride it. Period.
Closing out the set is "Sanctuary". Though not especially hip-
hop sounding, the overpowering Davis trumpet solo has some good sampling
opportunities.
So the question I'm asking myself now is: "Where were my
producer's ears last year?" I guess certain things grow on you as your
mind expands and you begin to notice early influences in works like
BITCHES BREW. To tell the truth, maybe Miles should have left Easy Mo
Bee alone during the Doo-Bop recording and called Wayne Shorter and crew
back in.
***G***
Professa R.A.P.
---------------
ROOTS 'N' RAP
Diggin' in the Crates, part 2: The Meters / Josie Records
There's no mistaking Hip-hop's distinctive beat -- boom-bap,
original rap -- whether it's backing up Heavy D and his Boyz or Sinead
O'Connor. And when you start to search for the roots of this beat, the
telltale trail takes you to one of two places -- Memphis, where Booker
T. and the MG's Al Jackson Jr. sent out a whiff of those funky onions,
or else a bit further down south -- N'Awlins to be precise -- where
Joseph "Ziggy" Modeliste put sticks to skins and plugged in the original
live wire of fatback funk with the Meters.
Modeliste's driving, funk-hop beats are without peer, and have
made the Meters' Josie Records singles among the most sought after by
DJ's for years. But the ultimate history of the Meters is as old as
Crescent City itself, and is tangled up with that first family of funky
southern soul, the Nevilles. So let's take it on back:
The Neville brothers had been making music since the mid-50's,
when Art Neville's vocals on "Mardi Gras Mambo" kicked off his career
with Hawketts. By the mid-60's, though, he was looking for new avenues
of creativity, forming a band fronted by brothers Aaron and Cyril that
was then known as the Neville Sounds. It was this band which brought
aboard Modeliste, along with George Porter Jr. on bass -- and which
inspired Art to switch to a Hammond B-3 organ. Guitarist Leo Nocentelli
filled out the instrumental sound with his combination of well-timed
solos and burning bits of rhythm.
While the Neville Sounds honed their skills with regular live
gigs, it was the instrumental backbone that caught the ears of producer
Allen Toussaint, who brought them to his Sansu label, where they became
the in-house band, much as Booker T. and the MG's had up at Stax. At
Sansu, they backed up artists such as Lee Dorsey, Betty Harris, Irma
Thomas, and brother Aaron. In 1969, they signed a contract with Josie
Records and became The Meters, turning out more classics that year than
most artists do in a decade, among them "Sophisticated Cissy" (Josie
1001), "Cissy Strut" (Josie 1005), "Ease Back" (Josie 1008), and "Look a
Py-Py" (Josie 1015). Another standout cut from this period is 1970's
"Chicken Strut" (Josie 1018), which was picked up by DJ Mark the 45 King
for Queen Latifah's "Wrath of My Madness."
What was it that made these tracks so potent, so suggestive, so
effortlessly funky? Modeliste's drum style is part of the answer, but
the true reason is deeper than that: everyone in the Meters played
rhythm. Unlike many other bands of the time, who played all over the
beat, the Meters accented the drums and built their sounds within
Modeliste's percussive parsing. The result was something wholly new,
and though they couldn't have known it at the time, it was a hip-hop
DJ's dream come true. Any Meters album is a breakbeat album; as Porter
describes it:
"I guess the reason why our tracks are used so much in the hip-
hop thing is that they were serious rhythm tracks waiting for a
melody. It was like having a window without the curtains
because we had nice big, gaping holes in the music."
(qtd. in the _Funkify Your Life_ booklet)
Seeing the Meters live around 1970 must have been something like
seeing hip-hop _in utero_; many of these classic tracks (such as "Cissy
Strut") started out as "break songs" -- that is, instrumentals played
just before the band took a break, during which Art Neville would tell
the crowd to stick around, they'd be right back. It had all the
ingredients of hip-hop except a turntable.
Within the next couple of years the Meters branched out further,
filling out a new prescription for funk that was so far ahead of its
time that no other pharmacy could dispense it. In 1970, way back before
Bootsy Collins, the Meters were already exhorting their audiences to
"Stretch Your Rubber Band" over a dense conjunction of pumping drums,
thumping bass, and alternating keyboards and guitar riffs. "A Message
from the Meters," recorded that same year, brought social commentary
together with funky backup in a way that foreshadowed everyone from
George Clinton to Grandmaster Flash.
The mid-70's saw more expansion for the Meters, and a major-
label contract with Warner Brothers/Reprise. For better or worse, this
contract meant what it still means for all too many groups: less control
of the final product. Nocentelli, putting it politely, notes in
retrospect that "at that time, Warner Brothers was very, very
inexperienced in terms of R&B." The group put in long hours in the
studio, only to see the results rejected by Warners' staff (check out
the Rounder records compilation _Good Old Funky Music_ to hear some of
the "outtakes" from these sessions -- some of the funkiest grooves ever
committed to tape).
Eventually, under pressure from all sides, the members of the
group went their separate ways, though they have reunited on occasion,
and a version of the group tours today with Art Neville as "The Funky
Meters," (George Porter is the only other original group member to
remain in this new configuration). Nocentelli and Modeliste have
gravitated to Los Angeles, where Nocentelli bases his own namesake band;
the two have also joined to provide backup for artists such as Earl King
and Maceo Parker. Modeliste took a turn on drums on Nicky Skopelitis's
Laswell-produced _Ekstasis_ album, besides his regular gig with the
Nervis Brothers band. If you listen to his drumming on _Ekstasis_, you
can hear that it still packs every ounce of funk that it did twenty-six
years ago, even when buried under new-agey funk-rock guitar.
In part on account of their relative obscurity, the Meters are
in the odd position of having samples that are more recognizable than
the originals. Besides the "Funky Chicken" loop on "Wrath of my
Madness" mentioned earlier, the Meters have turned up in all kinds of
surprising places. As far back as 1970, "Look-ka Py Py" generated a
Jamaican cover version (by the Hippy Boys), and the cross-currents
between the islands and the Meters remains strong (check out 1972's
"Soul Island" for the other half of the call-and-response). Del tha
Funkyhomosapien took a slowed-down loop of "Same Old Thing" for his diss
track "Same Ol' Thing" (on 1991's "I Wish my Brother George was Here").
Jam Master Jay cut a snippet of the same track on Run-DMC's "For the
Maker" on their "Down with the King" album. And K-Cut picked up "Ease
Back" (along with a snippet from Wilmer and the Dukes, another Sansu
records act) to help Queen Latifah demonstrate "The Way We Flow."
In fact, the more you start listening for them, the more Meters
loops you start to hear -- Salt'n'Pepa, Heavy D & the Boyz, Das EFX, Ice
Cube, and Big Daddy Kane have all wrapped their rhymes around a Meters
track or two.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
Luckily for all of us, Rhino Records earlier this year issued
the first anthology to cover the Meters' recordings for both Josie
Records and Reprise in real depth. The title is "Funkify Your Life: The
Meters Anthology" (R2 71869), and it fills 2 cd's to the brim with uncut
N'Awlins funk.
For those interested in searching out more, the various Charly
Records releases include most of the Meters' early recordings, as well
as other configurations of the Neville Brothers; you could start with
"Legacy: A History of the Nevilles" (CD NEV 001-2), which includes a
generous helping of the Meters. Rounder Records has also done its
share, both by re-releasing the Look-ka-Py-Py album (Rounder CD 2103)
and by issuing the studio tapes that form "Good Old Funky Music"
(Rounder CD 2104).
Those interested in a sample of what the Meters sounded like
live can also check out "Uptown Rulers! Live on the Queen Mary" (Rhino
R2 70376), a sonic treat recorded in 1975 at an industry party for Paul
McCartney and Wings (with whom the Meters had recorded on "Venus and
Mars").
I'm indebted in this article to Don Snowden for his extensive
liner notes to "Funkify Your Life," as well as to Gilles Bacon and Clive
Anderson for discographical and historical information.
Section 3 -- THREE
***A***
Steve 'Flash' Juon
------------------
THE SOURCE -- STRAIGHT SLIPPIN'
Here's a quiz for all the hip-hop heads in the internet who
digest music periodicals the way I snack on Pringles Right Crisps: who
remembers the following in The Source magazine --
1. Regional Reports?
2. A Top 15 instead of a "Heavy Rotation?"
3. No fashion spreads?
4. Record ratings you could actually trust?
5. Singles got reviewed alongside the albums instead of "Sure Shot
Singles?"
6. When Havoc and Prodigy won "Unsigned Hype" before they were Mobb
Deep?
7. On the tip of #6, remember when Biggie Smallz won? The Artifacts?
8. When James Bernard used to "Do the Knowledge?"
9. When Reginald C. Dennis was in any way involved?
Ponder six and seven for a moment. Why have none of the recent
Unsigned Hype winners gotten large? Back in the days, KRS-ONE and I
both knew rap would never die, and the hip-hop nation knew The Source
was truly THE SOURCE for hip-hop music and culture, coast to coast. One
minute you had an Islamic Summit, the next minute Public Enemy was on
the cover, and you could find full-length interviews with Heavy D, KMD,
and 3rd Bass between the same sheets. Those were the days...
Nowadays, however, The Source can't seem to get anything right.
In fact, they look and read more like an 8th grade suburban hip-hop
wannabe. This magazine, once the bible of hip-hop, now seems unable to
keep the difference between tracks on an NWA LP and on their EP straight
(just check their Eazy-E post mortem).
Speaking of Eazy, how many times did they put him or Luke on the
cover in the past 18 months? And what about somebody a little more
deserving like Pharcyde or Brand Nubian? GOOD LUCK. I should have
known better the first time TLC graced an issue.
And since when did I care about what gear the most upwardly
mobile hip-hop head could afford to wear? My perspective is that I'd
rather wear torn jeans, a ratty hat, and some ass-out faded dungy gray
Nike's than sport all the shit they show in the magazine and have NO
money for my hip-hop music. Who's with me on this? Did you really want
to look at some Michael Jackson impersonator giving Karl Kani another
free ad? I don't give a FUCK about that shit (and that's word to Vibe
magazine too).
We've all known it ever since the staff walked because Almighty
RSO threatened their way into an issue. Still, the words need to be
said, and to those hip-hop journalists, personalities, and fans
everywhere who read HardC.O.R.E., I'm putting it out there for everyone
to see: The Source is STRAIGHT SLIPPIN'.
And do me a favor -- somebody tell that wack-ass samlove@aol.com
that you do NOT subscribe to HardC.O.R.E. by e-mailing the guys in
charge at their old, cancelled e-mail addresses. Why didn't he come to
THE MAN with the facts instead of reprinting facts from a year-old
subscription drive? These guys check facts about as well as Biggie
checks his figure.
When my subscription runs out, I'm letting it. If your
subscription is running out, do yourself a favor and do the same.
Section 4 -- FOUR
****************************************************************************
THE OFFICIAL HARDC.O.R.E. REVIEW SECTION
The pH scale
6/pHat -- EE-YOW!! A hip-hop classic!
5/pHunky -- Definitely worth the price of admission.
4/pHine -- Pretty good, give it a listen.
3/pHair -- Some potential here, but it's not fully realized.
2/pHlat -- Falls far short of a quality product.
1/pHlat -- Get that Vanilla Lice shit outta here!
****************************************************************************
***A***
Steve 'Flash' Juon
------------------
CATALYST ENTERTAINMENT 12's
Things have kind of been on slow and low lately from my man
Marc, but I still gotta give my props where props is due for the free
shit and the good shit he keeps hooking me up with. That said, the
remix 12" of Funkdoobiest's "Dedicated" is *all* that.
Both remixes are on the money, my favorite being the Funkmaster
Flex version, although Jazzy Jeff's slice will probably get the most
radio play, and it's the only remix that also includes an instrumental.
If you haven't heard the original version of this track, it uses the
familiar Roy Ayers loop from "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" and speaks
of the homies who have fallen, gone, or moved on. The lyrics haven't
changed for these new versions, but the music is as good if not better.
Funkdoobiest remixes are never a dissapointment, which is one of the
best things the group had to their credit despite a somewhat mediocre
debut LP.
However, I think I can wholeheartedly recommend their new LP
"Brotha's Doobie" despite the fact it probably won't have the cool
remixes, and I look forward to Marc sending me a copy to review. Peace.
pH rating - 5/pHunky
***B***
Professa R.A.P.
---------------
CHANNEL LIVE, "Station Identification"
(Capitol)
MAD LION, "Real Ting"
(Weeded/Nervous)
Without question, KRS-ONE is one of the most formidable MC's on
the planet. From "Criminal Minded" to "Return of the Boom Bap," the
Blastmaster has ruled non-stop, and while other rappers from the mid-
80's are all "Outta Here," Kris just keeps getting stronger, as his mind-
bending freestyle "Ah Yeah" (on the "Pump Ya Fist" compilation) proves.
A few months ago, I read about someone who called a bunch of rappers on
the telephone and asked them to drop a freestyle on the spot -- it came
as no surprise that KRS-ONE was the only one who met the challenge.
Kris's production skills, however, are another story. His
efforts for former members of the BDP posse, such as Ms. Melodie and
Sista Harmony, were lackluster at best, and parts of the H.E.A.L. album
were downright embarrassing (no disrespect, Kris -- but hearing you and
Michael Stipe bouncing off each other along with Harmony's tuneless
vocals has gotta be one of the all-time low-marks of music in general,
never mind hip-hop). With dancehall tracks, KRS -- one of the first
rappers to drop some ragga flavor -- has fared better. He seems to be
at his best when he finds a collaborator -- like Shabba Ranks -- who has
enough lyrical prowess to fill out the raw ghetto sound he favors.
So it was with some trepidation that I picked up two recent
releases -- Channel Live's "Station Identification" and Mad Lion's "Real
Ting" -- both produced by KRS-One. Sure, "Mad Izm" was the bomb, and
Mad Lion's "Take It Easy" had been ringin' in my ears for months -- but
I wasn't sure what whole KRS-produced albums would sound like in the
'95...
I have to say I am impressed. Where others looking to blend hip-
hop and dancehall sounds have failed, Kris has prevailed, while at the
same time droppping an incredible variety of unheard-of beats with
Channel Live. I think it's safe to say that he'll be a candidate for
best producer in next year's New Jack Hip-Hop Awards. In a time of
faceless funk and production-line junk, Kris's new sound offers everyone
else a free tutorial on how to do it right.
I'll start with Mad Lion, since it's been in the works the
longest. I'll never know what it is with the recording industry, that
it takes over a year to follow up chart-busting singles with an album,
and this disc was delayed over and over in the shifting sands of the
spring lineup. I was almost beginning to forget what I was waiting for,
but hearing the new single "Own Destiny" on the "New Jersey Drive"
soundtrack reminded me. With gunshots ricocheting like Prince Buster in
Dallas, Texas ("This is a hold up!"), the Lion got lyrics in gear and
bounced off everything from Tenor Saw to I-Roy, a tour-de-force few
dancehall artists could muster. So when "Real Ting" dropped, I was
waiting in line.
Kris kicks it right off with the old boom bap: "Betcha didn't
know we was comin' like this!" "'Ow does it feel?" Not bad, for starts.
Then the Lion runs into "Double Trouble":
Double Trouble
That's what ya get when my blood pressure bubble
Dis ting'll get ya body turned into rubble
Ya never were cool, ya never were humble
Now its time fe de bad boys, dem rumble
The Lion's voice flows over #1 brother Kenny Parker's bass-heavy
riddim like boiling coffee on a hot stovetop; unlike some dancehall
rhymers (who sound as though they gargle with Drano to try to crawl down
into Buju Banton's vocal range), Mad Lion has a lot of tune in his
grumble, and uses it to full effect. He throws down challenge after
challenge, from the gangsta rhymes of "See a Man Face" to "Shoot to
Kill." The only sour note is a pointless paean to the 9mm, "Nine on my
Mind," in which the Lion flexes his "singing" skills a bit too far.
More to my liking is "That's All We Need," which opens with a
snippet of Tenor Saw stylee, followed by some madd lyrics wrapped around
a chanted chorus like fingers around a blunt:
Mad hip-hop
Reggae and weed
That is all the real niggaz dem need
It flows perfectly into the fast-paced ricochets of "Own
Destiny," which melds with equal ease into the similarly flavored
"Crazy." Hearing the singles in the context of the whole album, you
have to give Mad Lion major props for versatility in a form where it's
hard to tell one growler from another. KRS brings it all to another
level with his production skills, making "Big Box of Blunts," into a
perfect blend of hip-hop and dancehall sound, and comes to front with
"Bad Luck"
Yes, without a fraction of a doubt
Chillin'
Know what I'm sayin'?
Big respect, Bronx in the house
Know what I'm sayin'?
Brooklyn, 'nuff respect
Uptown!
You know what time it is!
This is that hard, hard hard CORE!
Word. The raw ghetto sound is in full effect here, and Mad Lion
takes the occasion to toss out his resume:
I 'member back in the days when Mad Lion wasn't paid
Bad boy from Brooklyn with the flat-top fade
Reggae artists go through all the same shit
If you ain't got no name, people cyan't get wid it
Everyone's a music critic, tellin' you the way to go
Now it's Mad Lion rippin' live show and radio
On the radio, just like a jam comedy hour
If ya say ya wack, well ya gotta go
Ya know, I'm weeded, I'm definitely heated
The chorus you'll repeat it, repeat it, repeat it!
Hip-hip glock glock, you're inna bad luck
Test my line and get fucked!
It's the kind of track that gets under your skin bit by bit,
'till you don't even need a tape to hear it -- your head will be noddin'
in your sleep.
Then the title track rolls up with its catchy counterpoint
between Lion's roars and Marlon Steward's smooth vocals, which should
give groups like the Born Jamericans a run for their money. In fact,
thinking of the Jamericans, you start to realize how deeply Lion is
steeped in Jamaican sound; I kept having to remind myself that he's from
Brooklyn. Hearing the creeping grooves of "Take It Easy" once again,
it's clear that KRS-One's production and the Lion's non-stop flow are
both part of the equation; together, they take both hip-hop and
dancehall to the next plateau. Kris's funky boom-bap minimalism draws
on the best of the current crop of Jamaican sounds, even as it remains
totally New York, and if the Lion stalks closer to the city than the
Yard, it doesn't show in his high-decibel growls. The whole tape is
butter from start to finish, and though you've probably heard a few of
these tracks before, you won't mind hearing them again.
Channel Live is one of those straight-outta-nowhere success
stories that shows that, at least some of the time, skills alone *will*
prevail. The story is that Hakim and Tuffy met KRS-ONE at one of his
H.E.A.L. lectures and gave him a copy of their tape. Ya gotta admit, it
takes nerve to do, but it worked; KRS himself sat down with these
brothers and produced a new demo, which landed them a contract with
Capitol Records. Remaining on as producer -- and lyrical counterpoint
on "Mad Izm" and "What! (Cause and Effect)," Kris lent Channel Live the
kind of doctor-assisted sucka-cide not too many young rappers get.
After hearing them trade rhymes with him, the only question is whether
they can kick it on their own -- and the rest of the tracks they prove
that they can.
That's not to say that it's all even. "Station Identification"
and "Sex for the Sport" feature Rheji Burrell's smooth-with-a-creepy
edge production, and the rhymes are up to the task -- though nothing too
special. "Lock It Up," "Alpha and Omega," and "Homicide Ride" showcase
Fugees backup man Salaam Remi, who digs a bit deeper in the crates; his
jazzy loops on "Lock It Up" have a 'Midnight Marauders' kinda feel, and
his spooky piano on "Alpha and Omega" evokes a horrorcore landscape that
matches the lyrics perfectly.
Ultimately, though, the production on this album suffers from
the smorgasbord effect, and it's the Blastmaster's back-to-basics sound
that gives the album its underlying unity. For instance, on "What!
(Cause and Effect)," Hakim drops the message over one of the funkiest
beats on the disc (listen for the samples from the Meters' "Handclapping
Song"):
Modern day slaves makin' the trade for the riches
Our bruthas ain't niggaz and our sistas ain't bitches
Mental psychosis, negative osmosis,
Yo, I be a pimp with some new type hoe shit
Which leads right into "Mad Izm," which has already blown up,
and "Reprogram," which is about to. It's some strong stuff:
I and me, don't try me, G
I rip tha beef off ya back
Ya fuckin' with the Lion and me
I got juice, for suits or groups
That wanna stoop to get slowed down like parachutes
Rippin' shit, my flavor kicks like En Vogue hits
So hold on, ya never ever fuckin' get it
Damn. After these tracks, you start to think these guys can do
anything. "Sex for the Sport" keeps the flow going, and "Down Goes the
Devil" provides the best fuck-tha-police drama since Ice Cube went
fishing for cops with donuts in "Say Hi to the Bad Guy":
I walk around maintaining, not to be a rebel
But everywhere I look or go, there's another devil
He plays a role, like ya down, faker than an actor
Before he gets to me, I'm trackin' down the damn cracker
I got madd stress, I can't take it no more
Day after day, devils follow me through the stores
Like my pores, it's sweatin' me and upsettin' me
I don't steal, but I'll wet cha G, just for testin' me
I always be looking in the mirror of my Land Rover
See-uh, the Oversee-uh, pulls me ovah
Just 'cos I got a Jeep with a fat system
Put down ya gun, we'll go toe to toe mista!
Hakim and Tuffy share KRS-One's revolutionary ethic, and their
channels transmit more reality than most "reality" rappers can handle;
it's not about packin' a gun, it's about knowing the real enemy: the
capitalistic bourgeois system.
On other cuts, though, this political awareness seems to slip a
bit; "Alpha and Omega," with Remi's catchy but predictable horrorcore
loops and its twilight-zone lyrics, comes off like a rerun on Nick at
Nite, and "Homicide Ride" (
another Remi track), despite its vivid brain-
splattering imagery, goes past the point of pointlessness in an effort
to drop showy metaphors.
Ultimately, though, you have to acknowledge that these are two
talented kids who can really bust some knowledge, even in a time when
it's almost going out of style. They should watch out, though, that
they don't stray too far from their Teacha -- consciousness can
evaporate all too quickly on the music-industry hot plate.
pH level (for both albums) -- 5/pHunky
***C***
N.A.Smith@bradford.ac.uk
------------------------
COLLAPSED LUNG, "Jackpot Goalie"
(Decepetive Records)
"Who the HELL is Collapsed Lung?" you may well be asking
yourselves. God only knows, but they've got an excellent band name.
The band Collapsed Lung is a mixture of rap and rock. The only
similar type of band to compare them with is Senser, although Collapsed
Lung is perhaps not as hardcore. They previously dropped one 12 inch
("Chainsaw Wedgie") and an EP ("Thunderslyinvacar") before this album,
which was released on April 4th in the U.K. and met with lukewarm
reviews from this country's reviewers. This is a mixture of styles.
Some songs have excellent funky bass lines whilst others are straight
out mosh pit anthems.
Interested?? Read on...
The first tune is called "Maclife intro", and indeed is just
that. Loads of samples overlaying a loud bass line. Then kicks in
"Maclife". This is perhaps the most hip-hop oriented track, with the
rapper's (can't remember his name, sorry) smooth raps complementing the
drums and guitars. The Lyrics are a bit questionable in the sense that
they make no sense (e.g. "Gotta hand it to the bandits/It's a gambit but
their skin is all the thicker/Nicely into a Cherrypicker"). I suppose
if you like the Pharcyde then you'll dig this.
The following two tracks "Down with the plaid fad" and "East my
goal" have both been labeled by the Melody Maker as "dead cert singles"
and will go down well with the British indie seen (currently obsessed
with bands such as Blur and Blur). They are hardcore with thrashing
guitars and smashed up drums and have excellent chanting capabilities
(like "Jump Around" by House of Pain). It's hard to keep your feet on
the ground while listening to these two!
The fifth track is called "Interactive" and is about the
Internet. It was made for a Channel 4 television program called
Equinox) and features the talents of Anne Anxiety Bandex. The rapper's
smooth lyrics put together with the female's well-sung chorus makes this
a laid back number which is reminiscent of the Stereo MC's.
The album from here on in gets a little played with the same
styles appearing again repeatedly. Two tracks worthy of a mention are
"Burn Rubber Burn" and "Dis MX" which are both brilliant jump-up-and-
down-lots-and-get-very-sweaty songs.
Overall, I liked the album, even though I thought it wasn't as
good as their first releases. I imagine it will be one that grows on me
(such as Ill Communication by the Beastie Boys). It's not exactly
relaxing music but would be good at a party of the "Come-Up" or when
your on the way out to get pissed. Oh, and the lyrics are funny as
fuck!: "The only gangsters I know sit outside the Baptist Church and
drink Tango."
pH Level -- 4/pHine
***D***
Steve 'Flash' Juon
------------------
EAST COAST TRIBE, "Bassment Tape '95"
(Bahari Records)
Why hasn't this label gotten large yet? They've got to be
getting pretty massive in Atlanta by now. I remember when they put out
"33 1/3 First Day of School" and their roster consisted of two or three
artists. Now their roster has fairly well known small hip-hop artists
like Natural, Reign of Terror, J. Bond and DJ Goldfinger, and MUCH more.
After a short intro, B-Right (yeah, that same brotha who wrote
about Bob Marley for HardC.O.R.E.'s Feb/Mar issue) drops some serious
science on "Fight 4 Watcha Stand 4." Tossing up a nice mix of serious
MC mind development with a little reggae toasting, he comes off with KRS-
ONE flavor over a piano type loop. Yeah, I can dig it...
I think we all remember Martay talking about Natural from his
monthly column on Atlanta, well here she drops much flavor on two cuts --
"True Indeed" and "Just Don't Get It", one per side. For my money, this
girl could take on Hurricane G in a one on one and come out on the top.
Better yet, I'd like to see them in a duet together -- could be SMOOVE.
She could use some better beats though. Calling DJ Premier?
"No One is Safe" from the Reign of Terror, as they put the
horror into hip-hop the way it *should* be done. Keep an eye out for
their full length LP, coming to a record store near you soon -- should
be Halloween meets the Crypt Keeper meets Onyx meets Atlanta.
Yeah, Martay's cut is aight, but I sweat the beat more than his
flow (sorry bro). J Bond and DJ Goldfinger have got some smooth flavors
going in "J on my Mind." I've been told their album is Bass type shit
but this cut is one to groove to, real slow-like, not bump and grind
with. If their album was like this they'd give Big Daddy Kane a run for
hip-hop dons of the slow dance song.
To be honest their are weak points to this sampler. I'm not
checking for 'jerome' (damn Boyz II Men wanna-be mark), Rhythmlord, or
the Warridue Kids. None of their shit on the first or the second side
of this Bahari Sampler impresses me, but I suppose it's a good sign that
this label can afford to sign some great acts and have a few mediocre
ones as filler.
All in all, though, the future of this label is bright. If
somebody offers you a copy of this tape, it's worth the time -- as are
most of their artists.
pH rating - 5/pHunky
***E***
Professa R.A.P.
---------------
FUN^DA^MENTAL, "Seize The Time"
(Beggars Banquet/Mammoth/Atlantic)
[Editor's note: An earlier, 2-CD import version of these recordings was
reviewed a while back in Vol. 2 of HardC.O.R.E., but since these
brothers have now released their work in the U.S. on a 1-disc version on
Mammoth, it seemed like a good time to remind everyone that missed them
the first time that they're still in full effect.]
Fun^da^mental has been called the UK's answer to Public Enemy,
and with good reason. Their uncompromising assaults on racism, their
militant Islamic rhymes, and even their dense wall-of-noize mix brings
to mind the glory days of "It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us
Back." Yet something is very different too; instead of the funky
drummer, the beats are a blend of bhangra and hip-hop, with tablas
joining the cymbals, and the mix includes Islamic quwaali chants along
with flutes, digerdoos, and something called the Vox Daraaboca. It's a
unique blend, born of the UK's intersecting diasporas of Pakistan,
India, Africa, and the Caribbean that has recently given birth to such
artists as Apache Indian, Transglobal Underground, and Marxman.
Yet despite the intensity of the music and lyrics, the fusion
doesn't always work, which can make listening to the album all the way
through a frustrating experience. I can't quite put my finger on it --
but let's take it track by track, and have a look at the what works and
what doesn't.
"Dog-Tribe" opens with a threatening answering-machine message
from a British skinhead: "You communist nigger-loving Paki thumps, you
fucking dickers, we're gonna 'ang you for burning the British flag!" In
response, Fun^da^mental kicks some potent rhymes over a supercharged
bhangra beat:
The dog tribe seeks the skin and puts them in a pound
Retaliate and you'll be six feet underground
Pushin' up daisies, 'cause the devil sent you to tame me
But you can't face me
Ya see, I grips mics, wrecks mics,
Condition my mind to finally come to terms
Anyway, wake up, wake up, 'cos I'm on a self-defense vibe
Never down, but always with the tribe
It's a lyrical toe-to-toe, and Fun^da^mental pulls no punches.
Picking up on the momentum, "Seize the Time" loops a Malcolm X speech
and builds itself within the phase-shifted rhythm of its words: "You
ain't never never never never NEVER seen the wrath of the black man!":
They don't like anybody like me
X was in the X, Luther King was next
But they're only two from millions
My people been treated like aliens
Los Angeles was just a rehearsal
First we come looting, next we'll be shooting
Here comes another Huey P. Newton ...
This could easily be Paris or Chuck D here, except for the
British accent and the tablas and flutes in the background. Veteran
mixmaster Aki Nawaz (who, with Ian Astbury, founded The Cult back in the
early '80's) brings it all together in one massive wall of noise, and
when it works, it WORKS.
The next track, "Mera Mazab" takes an eerier, dub-like beat and
lays down some serious Islamic shit:
The devil operating through the media
Morality replaced with hysteria
You say money is everything and money makes the world go
Down, down, down, Quilh uallahu shadh
You go for yours, 'cos I'm in Jihad
As this song reaches its climax, the impassioned voice of a
Quwaali singer -- it sounds as though it could be Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
himself -- enters into the mix, and adds another level of intensity.
Unlike American groups whose "Allah U Akbar" is all too often just a
slogan in the mix, these guys are serious about their religion.
Still, as you listen on to the later tracks, the knowledge gets
buried deeper and deeper under a dense soup of vocal samples, multi-
layered drums, sirens, tablas, and noise. It works, but it starts to
grate on your nerves after a while. After all, even Public Enemy didn't
mix *every* cut as dense as "Terrordome."
There are some other standout tracks, though -- "No More Fear,"
which is about as close to a New York hip-hop beat as Fun^da^mental
gets, "New World Order," with its funky dub bassline, and "Mother
India," which works hard to be a womanist manifesto (though too many of
the women it praises seem to be famous mainly for their selfless
sacrifices to lovers or spouses). It's a different kind of groove, but
once you get deep enough into it, it can take you to some low down
interior planes you didn't even know existed. Fans of African Head
Charge, transglobal underground, or Marxman will feel right at home, and
even if the beats are unfamiliar the message is as strong and
uncompromising as they come. As hip-hop increasingly becomes an
international music, the kinds of fusions accomplished by Fun^Da^Mental
may well hold the future of rap music as the rhythm of resistance:
The white man fights for his so-called land
But that so-called land belongs to us
The original people of the land
So rise, rise, Aborigine, rise
Rise up, rise native tribes of America, rise
Rise, South America, rise Kayappa
Take what is rightfully yours
Rise against materialism, capitalism
Take what is yours by any means necessary ...
As the album ends, a the sound of a clock ticking drifts up
through the layers of the mix, finally standing alone, a reminder that,
as the Last Poets say, "Time is Running Out." So seize it.
pH Level -- 4/pHine
***F***
Professa R.A.P.
---------------
HERBIE HANCOCK, "Dis Is Da Drum"
(Mercury)
Back in the day, Herbie Hancock earned his place in the history-
books of Jazz with his work with the Miles Davis Quartet, as well as a
series of solo albums that pushed the sonic envelope of jazz. Over the
latter part of his career, he's charted his own course, often offending
highbrow Jazz aficionados who thought anything too funky could threaten
Jazz's status as serious music.
Starting in 1973 with "Headhunters," Hancock broke out into a
whole new aural world of possibilities, leaving aside the piano for an
ever-widening array of electronic keyboards and giving purists heart
attacks left and right. Hip-hop heads will remember 1983's "Rockit,"
which brought Hancock together with Grandmaster DST by way of producer
Bill Laswell, and in the intervening years Hancock has continued his
eclectic course; most recently he was heard on the "Red, Hot and Blue"
compilation providing funky backup for the smoky vocals of MeShell
Ndege'Ocelllo on "Nocturnal Sunshine."
Yet in the meantime, hip-hop-jazz collaborations have multiplied
like tribbles, ranging from the serious shit of Guru's "Jazzmatazz" and
Greg Osby's "3-D Lifestyles" to the cut-and-paste hip-jazz readymades of
US3's "Cantaloop" and the elegant but too often sleep-inducing tracks of
DJ Premier & Branford Marsalis's "Buckshot LeFonque."
Hancock, though, is not one to be daunted by anything that could
be called a trend. It's clear from the outset of "Dis is da Drum" that
he's been doing this shit for years, and is taking it just where *he*
wants to take it. The result is not a rap record (the only rap on this
disc, Boo-Yaa rhymer "Roc" Griffin's effort on "The Melody," is earnest
but clunky), but it has hip-hop sound and hip-hop attitude, and on a
musical level outpaces almost anything done so far in this genre
(exception: the Roots, who make live jazz and live rap come together).
As Griffin asks:
Now tell me How many individuals would take a chance
on the sound of the streets? Let the funky beat enhance,
makin' music with the hip-hop script,
so take a sip...
It's a sip, though -- not a big gulp. While the combination of
acoustic piano and funky bass and samples on the kickoff track "Call it
'95" is definitely phat, and the Afrocentric beats of the title track
raise the ante again, the rest of the record falls short of expectations --
mine, at least. Griffin -- who besides his turn as a rapper does much
of the sampling and sequencing here, is an innovative producer, but he's
no live DJ. The absence of someone who could really cut things up
street-style, like Grandmaster DST, is felt throughout, and it would
have added something to invite some more current rappers down to flex
their skills with Hancock and his funky jazz crew. Can you imagine
Redman whopping it up over Hancock's funky piano? How about Q-Tip?
As it is, the feel is more studio than street, though the sounds
are funky the flow is a bit too laid-back to make many heads nod. For
sheer lushness and musical virtuosity, though, it's an aural treat for
your headphones, and it's much closer to the pulse of Afrocentricity in
the '90's than most of the desicated hemming and hawing of so much
contemporary jazz. There are moments, at least -- like the lowdown bass
and African polyrhythms of "Juju" -- that pump a funk as deep as
anything out there today -- it's only too bad we'll have to wait for
someone else to sample them to find out their true hip-hop potential.
pH Level -- 4/pHine
***G***
Ryan "Laze" MacMichael
----------------------
J. BOND AND DJ GOLDFINGER, "Bass Booty Mission"
(Bahari)
It's always bad news when the best cut on an album is the Intro.
It's also bad of me to judge an album so harshly without some back up.
And no, it's not *that* bad. It's just that "Bass Booty
Mission" suffers from what every bass album since 1988 has: they all
sound the same! "Bass Booty Mission" starts off with a positive-
sounding intro, there's a nice Marvin Gaye loop with a couple emcees
just coming off. But then we go into the first full cut, the title
track. Even though it has an alright sample hooked up, it begins what
is a long, tedious set of Cool Rock and Chaszy Chess drum loops and
samples and those monotonous "pop that coochie" and "tootsie roll"
chants.
But that's from a hip-hop perspective. And from that
perspective I was severely disappointed and bored in general (with the
exceptions of a couple of samples, which I have a feeling that Cue
hooked up, and not DJ Trans). However, to be fair, I should also look
at this with a bass-music eye. So let me slip on my down-south shades
and check out what I see.
"Bass Booty Mission" follows other bass albums sporting a cover
with much ass as well as using the words "bass" *and* "booty" in the
title. Fortunately, it is a good party album with some chants that I
see as working well in the clubs in the deep south, much like the 69
Boyz or 95 South (though I give J. Bond and crew a slight one-up on
them). Though it is far from the originality of a Magic Mike album
here, the more hip-hop flavored cuts stir up the mix of styles a little
bit making for something that is at least a minimal deviation from the
norm.
So, to close it out -- if you're looking for the knowledge of
Guru, the skills of Ras Kass, and the production of Premiere, you won't
find it here. But, if you are looking for a party-flavor album that
will have the fellas chanting, "Hell yeah, that'll work, / Y'all look
real good in them tennis skirts", then you have a hit formula.
pH Level - 3/pHair
***H***
Steve "Flash" Juon
------------------
MAIN PERSPECTIVE, "In Thru the Eyes"
(Brute Force)
Coming straight from Dover, NH on the Brute Force label, the
"PLAYhahd joint for rap" is the crew of TMP, Prophet G, and DJ
Diggemsmack.
I know you're sitting there thinking to yourself, "What the
fuck??!!?!", but just chill a'ight? This ain't some ol' bullshit. I
ain't saying these guys are nice on a major contender level, but this is
a quality tape which should at least make some noise in their own local.
"Paying fucked up dues, it's just a way of life
When you live by the word and die by the knife" - Prophet G
"It was my hand, that rocked the cradle..." - TMP
Those lines come straight from the first chumpie on the album,
"Not For You." The theme they kick is basically what Treach said in
"Ghetto Bastard" -- if you never lived in the ghetto, you wouldn't
understand. The beat is kind of a mellow grit funk that sounds original --
I can't say it's any played loop or beat. G has an Akineyle-style voice
but is perhaps a little too hyper with his delivery. Sometimes he flows
but sometimes he just seems to be shouting off words. TMP (I'm guessing
that means The Main Perspective) seems to be the more able mic
controller, although G sometimes kicks the better metaphors.
"Do the Dirt" has a nice theme and lyric approach, about staying
true to the hip-hop aesthetic and kicking out fake gangsta MC's. True,
it's been said better before by MC's like Del and Q-Tip, but this ain't
bad. The line "I got my East coast pride wherever I go" should make
them a lot of points with their obvious target audience.
"Back and Forth" walks the line between really good or really
strange, depending on the mood that I am in. The spoken part of the
chorus is annoying, but the scratching of Run-D.M.C.'s "Rock Box" makes
points with me. The "East coast pride" is mentioned again; it seems to
be one of their main themes.
The rest of the album reflects the same basic hip-hop/militant
political viewpoint. With song titles like "Final Call" and "Death of a
Nation," what else would you expect? "Final Call" gets the most props
of all of the side B cuts, for good lyrics and excellent scratching of
"Come Clean." It's probably my favorite cut on this short EP. I'd say
we can be looking for more interesting work from both this group and
their label.
pH rating - 4/pHine
***I***
David J.
--------
MASTA ACE INCORPORATED, "Sittin' on Chrome"
(Delicious Vinyl)
In 1993, Masta Ace and his new crew released one of the best
hip-hop albums of the year in "Slaughtahouse." Contrary to popular
belief, nobody really slept on this phat LP -- it's just that nobody
bought it, either. It showed up on more Maxell tapes than dubbed mix
tapes, prompting Ace and the I.N.C. to change their style a bit.
This resulted in the bomb remix to an already bomb hit "Jeep
Ass Niguh," which was renamed "Born To Roll" and featured the
beginnings of the crew's new sound, which they dubbed Brooklyn Bass
Music. "Keep your Daisy Duks on, just dance a little slower..."
This is the idea behind their new album, "Sittin' On Chrome."
Make no mistake about it, the I.N.C. put together something made
specifically for the jeeps and the landcruisers. If you're the type
who likes to slide a tape in the deck and boost the subwoofers so high
that the rear-view mirror vibrates, this tape is definitely for you.
But what about the rest of us, especially those of us that
actually *bought* "Slaughtahouse?" What do we get?
While we do get a good album in general, we don't quite get
the same quality material that we got from the Masta and his crew
before. In fact, most of the material presented here seems aimed more
directly at a commercial target. You'll find lots of catchy phrases
and choruses, as well as a slightly different delivery from Ace
himself. He's on a similar style he used on the "Crooklyn" single, as
opposed to the off-beat, on-beat style he hit us with last time. This
time, he just hits us with the boom and almost coasts through the
lyrics.
Not that these lyrics are *bad*, mind you -- Ace still has
plenty of skills, Digga sounds a little better than last time, and
Paula Perry is on point as always (she oughta do a solo joint). It's
just that something's missing here, something that made "Slaughtahouse"
as phat as it was.
Where there was no fast-forward material last time around,
there is here. "What's Going On" went on a little too long, "U Can't
Find Me" doesn't quite freak that Kool & The Gang sample like it
should, and "Turn It Up" is filler material -- and straight R&B filler
at that. Yeah, Shea has a good voice, but I'm not sure if I want to
hear that on an I.N.C. album, especially with that played-out Roy
Ayers' "Sunshine" sample in the background.
There's plenty to like about this album. Rhymes are solid,
some of the music is straight butter, and the bass just booms out the
ride, but it seems the I.N.C. pointed this one directly at the
commercial market to boost their sales. You can't really blame them,
after what happened with "Slaughtahouse," but IMHO, that was all the
more reason to stick with it, or at least incorporate more of that
into this album. It's sad that the commercialism of the market has
forced Masta Ace to change up like this. He deserves better than to
fall into a niche just to boost his sales.
Oh, and I gotta call out Digga for that dig at Common Sense in
"Ain't No Game," an otherwise phat cut. Point penalty, Ock -- he's not
the one to be messin' with, LD. "Resurrection" was too phat.
pH Level - 4/pHine
***J***
Jesse Bauer
-----------
MC BREED, "Big Baller"
(WRAP)
Veteran Eric Breed has been a personal favorite since dropping
the single "Ain't No Future In Yo' Frontin'" out of Flint five years
ago. Since the first LP, Breed has been putting out a release every
year. His third album, "The New Breed", featured 2pac and on a phat
track called "Gotta Get Mine", produced by Warren G. and Colin Wolfe.
Breed snuck out of the public eye for a while, but this track renewed
interest in the Michigan rapper.
The Big Baller is back with number five. He now records where
the playas play -- Atlanta, GA. And, like his last LP "Funkafied", the
Dangerous Crew helps out on production.
I've always had a liking for his voice, but the lyrics sometimes
come up short. This happens too much on this release. You can think
back to other songs such as "The Great Depression," "Black For Black,"
or "Teach My Kids" that actually have some serious subject matter, but I
have yet to find it here.
As always we start off with an AVI. That is, an Annoying Voice
Intro. Why the past three LPs he has put this synthesized voice in, I
have no clue, but BAM! "SFNU" comes on: "lutes and flutes", an ILL
guitar lick, laidback bumpin beats, and even some scratching on the
turntables. By the way, the name of the song is an acronym for Still
Fuckin' Niggas Up. It's on hit. Another interesting side-note: the
song is written by D.O.C. (look for a solo from him in the coming
months).
"Sea of Bud" features Jibri rapping and Too $hort talking about
the joints he's smoking up in the studio. With a laidback blues-feel,
this song is nice. L.A. Dre makes an appearance on the piano. I can
assure you it's not a lie when the singy chorus comes on, "I got high
one time / now I'm getting high all the time / wish I was drownin' /
drownin' in a Sea of Bud" -- I've seen the man in concert with DFC
(hella blunts up on stage).
"Real MC" features Hurricane, and Beastie Boy beats can be heard
throughout. Also, listen close for the beat from BDP's "Love's Gonna
Get Cha (Material Love)" waaay in the background.
The second half of the LP suffers from poor lyrics and fairly
boring beats throughout much of it. Mighty Joe Riz, who makes a guest
appearance on "You Slippin'," has a certain likeness to the Wu's Genius.
Check it out.
"Nightlife" offers us something interesting with some straight
up weird sounds. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they were all in the
studio all messed up and started screwing around with sounds to come up
with the combo they did. You don't hear this kind of mix on the other
tracks.
Other than "SFNU" and "Sea of Bud", there isn't a whole lot that
is incredibly appealing. The sound is on some ol' funk shit and can be
very good at times, but not consistently. Breed's voice is still dope,
but the lyrics are still lacking. Definitely not his best work, but he
still has a ton of respect from me.
pH level - 3/pHair
***K***
David J.
--------
PROPHETS OF TRUTH, "Funkee Revelations"
(P.O.T. Records)
Prophets of Truth are a Seattle-based hip-hop group that's
starting to catch a buzz in Atlanta and Houston for their indie
release single, "I'm Outs Ta Get Mines!" Despite having no real
distribution set up for this single, they've already sold 10,000
copies of it. At the moment, they're talking with a bunch of record
labels about a contract in the near future.
They wouldn't be a bad gamble for a major label. They are a
gamble, though, because chances are a large number of hip-hop fans
aren't quite ready for their style.
Production-wise, they keep it pretty simple. They add some
slow, solid beats with a little Dre-funk, West Coast flavor, which is
sometimes on and sometimes off. We'll just say if you like the West
Coast sound, it's on. (See my review of Warren G.'s album in hc204).
It's the rhyme style that will have people either nodding their heads
or shaking them.
It's hard to put how they rhyme into words. The best way to
say it is that it sounds intentionally forced and jumps up and down
quite a bit. It's as if you took Saafir, put him on beat (most of the
time), turned his monotone around 180-degrees, and tightened up his
face so that he sounded almost like a pouty toddler.
This may sound like a dis, but it really isn't. It's just how
P.O.T. MC's Rasheed and Tas sound on the mic. You either like it or
you don't. Sometimes it works fine ("Playa Hayta"), and other times
it just doesn't work at all ("Psyche Fucked" -- *none* of this track
works at all for me). After about four cuts on this demo, it started
to grate on me personally.
Then came "Flavaz Phluxueight." On this freestyle cut, they
relaxed their voices a bit and simply brought on the skills they have
on the mic, which aren't bad at all. In fact, on this cut and "I'm
Out Ta Get Mines," they showed off better form and delivery than when
they forced their voices. Unfortunately, the beats on these two cuts
didn't strike me as hard as the others. In addition, while P.O.T.
hypes up "instilling positivity through reality-based music" and
"making its audience realize the need to contribute productively to
society" in its press releases, I really didn't hear any deep messages
in their lyrics. It may have been because of the way they said them,
though.
All in all, I'd say Prophets of Truth have some potential.
What they need to do is work a little more on their production -- make
more clean beats like the first part of their demo -- and relax their
voices a little and just let it flow, like they did on the second part
of their demo. If they can combine those two things and throw them
down on one album, you'll be hearing a lot from P.O.T. in the years to
come.
pH Level - 4/pHine
(For more information on Prophets of Truth, call the P.O.T. hotline at
206-672-3523, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST
***L***
Ryan "Laze" MacMichael
----------------------
VARIOUS ARTISTS, "Pump Ya Fist: Hip-Hop Inspired by the Black Panthers"
(Avatar/Polygram)
With the barely mediocre PANTHER soundtrack, it's only fitting
that the best of today's hip-hop generation put out an album inspired by
the Black Panther movement. And to put it on the real, I think Huey
Newton would be pumping this in his jeep if he were still around.
The album kicks off with a song currently making it's run on the
airwaves and video circuit, "Ah Yeah" by KRS-ONE. This self-produced
track has a very simple, but yet thick and powerful bassline/drum
pattern combination. And lyrically, this is Kris at his best: "Every
president we ever had lied / Ya know, I'm kinda glad Nixon died." He
takes a trip through black history, coming as Isis, Moses, Solomon,
Jesus, Harriet Tubman, Truth Sojourner, Nat Turner, Marcus Garvey, Bob
Marley, and Malcom X, stressing that as a black man, he *has* been here
before, but misunderstood. "What ya say when ya see a devil down (ah
yeah), / What ya say when ya take a devil's crown (ah yeah)."
Track number two has Kam dropping science the way only he can.
Despite the disappointing G-Funk/synth-dominated beat that seems to be
pulling Paris as well as Kam down on the production tip, he still
manages to come off with a nice, smooth cut that bumps trunks but still
kicks knowledge. The vocal hook is the highlight of the cut:
If living in America got you pissed,
then pump ya fist!
If you ever had handcuffs on your wrists,
then pump ya fist!
If you hate seeing black people get dissed,
then pump ya fist!
And If you're tired of being caught up in that twist,
then pump ya fist!"
Following Kam is the welcome return of Grand Puba with the
typical slurred, laid-back flow as he kicked on "Reel to Reel." Ain't a
damn thing changed, Puba still comes off. Vocal samples of Minister
Louis Farrakhan and a funky-ass guitar top this lyrical sundae off like
hot fudge. Puba drops: "Gunshots ringing in the heat of the night, /
Mothers sitting home worrying if their seed's alright."
Fourth up is Rakim, showing us he's obviously better off without
Eric B. (speaking of which, what's up with the solo joint on Eric's
part?!?). Easy Mo Bee, on the production, has proven he's come a *long*
way since DOO-BOP. A sweet, jazz-flavored bass and what sounds like an
organ twang provide a butter backup for Rakim's trademark flow. Yet
another direct hit for "Pump Ya Fist." "I don't need a military, / I'm
ill already."
As if this first side lineup wasn't enough, Jeru the Damaja
comes off with another nicely produced Premier track. Sure, it's pretty
much the same ol' cop story, but his unique delivery makes even the most
tired storyline well worth the listen.
Tupac's decent showing on "Throw Ya Hands Up" and Speech's too-
soft-for-this-soundtrack "Positive Vibe" close out the first side.
The Fugees lead off the second side with "Recognition", a good
overall track on which the kids recall many classic tunes from back in
the day. That is followed by an energetic "It's the Pride" by Chuck D.
which is bound to get the adrenaline flowing and the head nodding. Hats
off to Chuck, who in his mid-30's, can still kick that shit (on the mic
and on the boards).
Ahmad hits the middle of the second side with "Only If You Want
It" and damn it, I do. This 19-year-old still impresses the hell out of
me with a more deeply set rhyme scheme than I've ever witnessed and
knowledge well beyond his years. As first the "It's like a jungle
sometimes" sample didn't seem quite right, but the "Time Bomb" sample
brought this piece together to work beautifully. Ahhhhh... there *are*
some dope emcees' on Warner Brothers!
Sandwiched between the very mediocre Yo-Yo ("Crazay") and 5ive-O
("Out for Just Us") tracks is the above average, but far from mind-
blowing Dred Scott cut, "I Gotta Get Mine". Someday he will: he's very
close here, but just not quite cutting-edge. He does make a nice
contribution, nonetheless.
So to tie it all up, this 55-minute album catches a 11/14 hit
ratio (meaning only three throw-away tracks), which is extremely good.
"Pump Ya Fist" is one album that you should definitely plop the ducats
down for.
"It's better to die on your feet than to live your knees."
pH Level - 5/pHunky
***M***
Ryan "Laze" MacMichael
----------------------
URBAN DANCE SQUAD, "Persona Non Grata"
(Virgin Records)
Two full albums and one live EP under their belt, Urban Dance
Squad have developed a sort of cult following. You either dig 'em or
you don't, there really is no in between.
Their first release, "Mental Floss for the Globe," had several
very original live music/hip-hop vocal cuts, among them, "Fast Lane,"
"Deeper Shade of Soul," and "Prayer for My Demo." Their second release,
"Life 'N Perspectives of a Genuine Crossover," got a little different
with stranger guitars, but kept focus lyrically. The cuts on this one
were less memorable as individuals, but strong as a whole.
Their 1995 release, "Persona Non Grata" brings us a very hard-
edged sound, musically and vocally. In some cases it works especially
well, like "Demagogue," the first single off of the album. "Demagogue"
is hard, yet has the classic UDS sound. The second cut, "Good Grief!,"
also works nicely with hard drums, powerful guitars, and loud vocals
with "flavor like Snapple." In general, this album has a sound to it
that will appeal to the die-hard fans and those looking for something
different in this year of Notorious B.I.G. monotony.
However, there are points in the album where the vocals come
across a little too loud -- almost as if they're being forced to sound
harder than they actually are. Does this come from the fact that they
are trying to grab a new audience with false bravado? No, I really
don't think so. These kids have an energy that is so raw, true, and
rare that it's really refreshing to hear something new from them. I'm
just sorry I missed the live show when it hit Philly at the beginning of
April!
The copy I have is an advance cassette and has two bonus
versions of "Demagogue" that are listed as "CD ONLY." But if I remember
correctly, the CD is actually without these two versions. I'm not sure.
Nonetheless, the "Dust Mix" is straight up butter.
pH Level - 4/pHine
------------------------------------------------------------------------
You're probably sittin' there readin' this joint and thinking, "Damn,
it's about time they got a new issue out. What's up with these guys?"
Too much has been up, to be honest, and we're hoping to get it settled
real soon. Flash has been busy transferring to Iowa State and making
sure he can pay the bills. Sleepy's somewhere in Europe bein' Sleepy
(Where ya at, kid?), and as a result, we've had to move HardCORE's Web
site out of UNC-Charlotte. We'll be announcing the new site on the
listserv and on Usenet News soon, and we promise to hook up that "Guess
That Sample" contest like we said we would before. We'll even have
RealAudio soundbites for your computer. (Check that shit out --
http://www.realaudio.com)
As for me, I'm gettin' kicked out the house next month and may or may
not be settled in my own place soon. Parents just don't understand.
So as you can see, we all have had our own shit to deal with outside of
HardCORE. Naturally, if we got paid for this, this wouldn't be an
excuse, but we do this strictly out of love, and even a love of hip-hop
has to take a back seat to making sure you've paid the bills -- unless,
of course, that IS how you're paying the bills.
In the meantime, everyone on the HardCORE staff owes much respect and
gratitude to Professa R.A.P. for taking charge and helping us all put
this issue together. We all hope he can add more of those phat
contributions of his for years to come. Thank, Prof.
As for the months to come, all hip-hop heads hold tight -- HardCORE
ain't goin' nowhere. Until next time.
L8A...
David J.
Director of Network Distribution
"Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die."
- Joe Louis
