Everyone's got their break-up songs. Those joints that you sit in a dark room with, playing over and over while you drink and/or sob for hours at a stretch. To a certain extent those sessions are cathartic and kind of necessary to get over whatever mess brought you to that point in the first place. Then, there's what Kieron Gillen referred in the second issue of his music-as-magic mini-series Phonogram: The Singles Club (the follow-up to excellent Phonogram: Rue Britannia, with Jamie McKelvie on the artwork) as cursed songs:
"A curse record is the opposite. A curse song will, in a real way, open old wounds, tearing the stitches you're trying to make hold. A curse song should be avoided at all costs. I have friends who, suffering through the virulent stages of the curse, abandon entire bands or even genres of music due to the associated poison."
The concept is one that I'd never really thought of before. Never really thought that there was a difference between the standard break-up joint and its more toxic cousin, I just avoided them both outright because both were immediately unpleasant to deal with, even if one was supposed to be healthy. After reading the story "Wine And Bed And More And Again" in which a character is "cursed" by a song, I instantly knew that I didn't just have a curse song, I have a whole album. So what'd I do? I went and dug it up.
Walls Don't Exist is a beautifully put together instrumental album by Afrobeat and Hip Hop artist, Wale Oyejide, recorded under the moniker of Science Fiction. It follows a narrative of 'boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-better', and while that certainly sounds like fodder the former, I suppose my reaction to it as a whole really brings into sharp focus just how personal the latter is.
The whole album is admittedly a pretty painful experience for me, but I regularly recommend it to people as example of just how beautiful and powerful a musical form Hip Hop can be. I guess this is just another, less positive facet of that power showing itself.
I'll share the joints that hit me the hardest, from the 'boy-meets' and 'boy-looses' sections respectively, and as always I recommend picking it up if you can find it(from what I understand, it's out of print, so if people ask nice I might post it up). Just don't ask me to listen to it with you:
Science Fiction - This Is Where I Landed When I Fell For You
Science Fiction - Losing You Is What Drowning Feels Like
Showing posts with label all that yackity yak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label all that yackity yak. Show all posts
Friday, May 8, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
"...Heaven sent, heavenly scent that later crippled me..."
I've only really gotten really personal with this blog once, at the beginning when I spoke on President Obama's victory back in November. That's because I wanted to keep this place as a space about what interested me, and things that I thought people would want to get put up on, particularly with the music.
Lately, though, I hadn't been listening to too much on my own, just for personal enjoyment and I thought it was because I just wasn't finding a lot worth listening to, but a conversation with a good friend of mine made me see things differently. Considering how much inspiration I get from music in writing, I started to realize that I'd been avoiding getting too deeply consumed with listening to music because I was afraid of what it would bring out of me.
I've been writing a lot of poetry lately, some of it for RPG supplemental material but a fair amount for myself as well, and music has played a large role in the output. In the past few weeks Blu and Exile have caused me to, for better or worse, reexamine some parts of my life that I thought I'd left well behind. Rather than blather on about the specifics, I'll let the tunes and the poems speak for themselves.
I do not want her to smile for only me.
A smile is the soul’s searchlight.
A beacon for the weary
To find a moment’s assuredness
In the middle of stormy seas
Or simply a confirmation
During a seemingly solitary journey
That a traveler is not alone.
Her smile is not mine to own.
It is a mobius strip of radiance
Where the beauty she gives the world
And the beauty the world gives to her coalesce.
It is impossible for a mortal
To hold such a phenomenon in his hands,
And only an evil man would try.
I would only hope,
That when she smiles
Whatever she holds from me,
In her heart
Is part of what’s shining out.
Exile - Love Line
Atrium
Ventricle
And all other associated parts
Spread out in front of me
In thin slices
On a platter of silver.
One by one,
I take each piece
Into my mouth
Letting each one settle
And melt across my tongue
Before moving on
To the next.
The textures vary
From piece to piece.
Some are buttery
And smooth like silk
As they dissipate.
Others require
Great gnashing
Of teeth and jaw
To process.
All in an effort
To bring together
These parts
One final time.
For when the stomach’s work
Is done
And they are all gone
There will be nothing left
But sleep
And dreams
Of the repast’s
More humble origins.
Blu - Amnesia
Bonus: Courtesy of Fresh Selects Blu coasts over the instrumental for "Love Line" and leaves me fiendin' for a follow up to Below The Heavens.
Blu vs. Exile - LoveLine(s),DedicatedToLastFe’vrier
Lately, though, I hadn't been listening to too much on my own, just for personal enjoyment and I thought it was because I just wasn't finding a lot worth listening to, but a conversation with a good friend of mine made me see things differently. Considering how much inspiration I get from music in writing, I started to realize that I'd been avoiding getting too deeply consumed with listening to music because I was afraid of what it would bring out of me.
I've been writing a lot of poetry lately, some of it for RPG supplemental material but a fair amount for myself as well, and music has played a large role in the output. In the past few weeks Blu and Exile have caused me to, for better or worse, reexamine some parts of my life that I thought I'd left well behind. Rather than blather on about the specifics, I'll let the tunes and the poems speak for themselves.
I do not want her to smile for only me.
A smile is the soul’s searchlight.
A beacon for the weary
To find a moment’s assuredness
In the middle of stormy seas
Or simply a confirmation
During a seemingly solitary journey
That a traveler is not alone.
Her smile is not mine to own.
It is a mobius strip of radiance
Where the beauty she gives the world
And the beauty the world gives to her coalesce.
It is impossible for a mortal
To hold such a phenomenon in his hands,
And only an evil man would try.
I would only hope,
That when she smiles
Whatever she holds from me,
In her heart
Is part of what’s shining out.
Exile - Love Line
Atrium
Ventricle
And all other associated parts
Spread out in front of me
In thin slices
On a platter of silver.
One by one,
I take each piece
Into my mouth
Letting each one settle
And melt across my tongue
Before moving on
To the next.
The textures vary
From piece to piece.
Some are buttery
And smooth like silk
As they dissipate.
Others require
Great gnashing
Of teeth and jaw
To process.
All in an effort
To bring together
These parts
One final time.
For when the stomach’s work
Is done
And they are all gone
There will be nothing left
But sleep
And dreams
Of the repast’s
More humble origins.
Blu - Amnesia
Bonus: Courtesy of Fresh Selects Blu coasts over the instrumental for "Love Line" and leaves me fiendin' for a follow up to Below The Heavens.
Blu vs. Exile - LoveLine(s),DedicatedToLastFe’vrier
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thursday Throwback: I'm Still Livin'
But apparently this blog isn't. Even with almost none of my fanbase (aka: People that know a friend of mine and got badgered into following) left, I'm gonna try and get this thing back on its feet. What better way to do it than highlight some dopeness from one of the people who made me start this thing in the first place. Jim Mahfood's one of my favorite artist and writers, so I was honored to meet him at Wondercon a few years back. We talked about music, since I was always a big fan of how he integrated it into his work, Hip Hop in particular. Just before I broke out, I told him I'd send him the info for a blog based on my old radio show as soon as I'd gotten my shit together and put it together. After I got about a week's worth of posts in the bank I dropped a line to him, and he hit me back with a thank you. I'm still not sure how much of this spot he's actually read, but after getting the notification that he'd joined my woefully neglected Twitter feed I couldn't help but have the same feeling I did that afternoon at the 'Con: Jim Mahfood's a cool motherfucker.
In honor of the aforementioned fothermucker, and seeing as how it's Thursday, I'm posting up one of Mahfood's mixtapes, liberated at his man Plex Lowery's blog. It's a dope mix of old-school Hip Hop and funk joints that is just right for chilling at the crib, or riding around with on a lazy afternoon.
Click here to read up on the tape and listen to the stream.
Edit: Here's a Mediafire link to the mix, and the tape cover. Food One Mix CD Vol. 1
Also, Jim, if you're reading this, thanks for the convo and the sketch. Really made my day.
In honor of the aforementioned fothermucker, and seeing as how it's Thursday, I'm posting up one of Mahfood's mixtapes, liberated at his man Plex Lowery's blog. It's a dope mix of old-school Hip Hop and funk joints that is just right for chilling at the crib, or riding around with on a lazy afternoon.
Click here to read up on the tape and listen to the stream.
Edit: Here's a Mediafire link to the mix, and the tape cover. Food One Mix CD Vol. 1
Also, Jim, if you're reading this, thanks for the convo and the sketch. Really made my day.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
My Thoughts on Watchmen or What Kind of Fan Are You?
So Watchmen, if you're a fan of genre films is a definite must see. It is an ambitious piece of cinema that does not compromise what it wants to do for its entire running time. While it's not perfect, in terms of its recreation of the book there are some deviations, and there are flaws (the tone of the film jumps around a bit, and I still haven't decided if it worked for me) but it's a better viewing experience for it. It's one of the first, if not the first comic book adaptations that works because less because of slavish devotion to what's on the page (but to be clear, it's pretty damned tight to the page) and more because of another quality that it shares with the original book: it invites discussion. Within five minutes after leaving the theater, the friends I watched it with were already talking about the purpose behind the level of gore and the way the fight scenes were filmed (My take: Given the very adult themes examined, and the meta nature of the source material? All the exaggerated bits of violence are "grown-up" version of the campy onomatopoeia that was in the old Batman TV show, or in comics. It wasn't a cool way to show violence, but rather, an in film context way to remind the viewer that this is a comic book.). That barely cracks the surface of the sort of conversations we got into afterwards.
Now I said that this is a must see for genre film fans. I didn't say comic book fans, because there are two sorts of us. There's the fan that's excited at the prospect of comic book properties being treated with the respect they deserve. Then there's the sort that aren't happy with anything but complete carbon-copy translation, and even then they are prepared to hate it before they've seen one frame. In the weeks leading up to the film I heard plenty of comic book fans voice their displeasure with the film, from the fairly standard jabs at Zach Snyder's use of the speed-cranking slow-mo technique (which, while it shows up, is restrained and works for what it's there for) and the lack of a certain cephalopod. Then there was word from "fans" who had apparently gotten to see early screenings of the film, claiming that the principal cast couldn't act. Now that the movie is actually out I've heard plenty of intelligent discussion about it, both positive and negative, but there are still comic book fans who're bound and determined to hate on the flick just because it exists. These fans, even in the face of being able to discuss their fandom in an way that doesn't patronize or disrespect the material are unable to accept the idea of what is precious to them being delivered to people outside of their niche group.
Depending on what sort of comic book fan you are, you may not want to see Watchmen. As for myself, I'm glad that I saw it because even I didn't like it I would have had a lot to talk about. Regardless of where you fall in your opinion on the movie, you can't deny that a lot of care and thought went into it being made. If you're like me, I'm pretty sure you'll feel like that alone deserve at least a look. So, what kind of fan are you?
Now I said that this is a must see for genre film fans. I didn't say comic book fans, because there are two sorts of us. There's the fan that's excited at the prospect of comic book properties being treated with the respect they deserve. Then there's the sort that aren't happy with anything but complete carbon-copy translation, and even then they are prepared to hate it before they've seen one frame. In the weeks leading up to the film I heard plenty of comic book fans voice their displeasure with the film, from the fairly standard jabs at Zach Snyder's use of the speed-cranking slow-mo technique (which, while it shows up, is restrained and works for what it's there for) and the lack of a certain cephalopod. Then there was word from "fans" who had apparently gotten to see early screenings of the film, claiming that the principal cast couldn't act. Now that the movie is actually out I've heard plenty of intelligent discussion about it, both positive and negative, but there are still comic book fans who're bound and determined to hate on the flick just because it exists. These fans, even in the face of being able to discuss their fandom in an way that doesn't patronize or disrespect the material are unable to accept the idea of what is precious to them being delivered to people outside of their niche group.
Depending on what sort of comic book fan you are, you may not want to see Watchmen. As for myself, I'm glad that I saw it because even I didn't like it I would have had a lot to talk about. Regardless of where you fall in your opinion on the movie, you can't deny that a lot of care and thought went into it being made. If you're like me, I'm pretty sure you'll feel like that alone deserve at least a look. So, what kind of fan are you?
Friday, February 13, 2009
Mix Tapes - Wu-Tang vs. The Abbott
"It ain't to the point where the crew is breaking up, we just not fucking with The Abbott…If this album drops or we don't come to some solution, of fixing what we all need to be comfortable with and what we all feel we need to be represented with, if we don't' get that and it's just about the politics then, let it be what it be…I already feel like the [Wu-Tang minus RZA] album is gonna have to come out."
This was Raekwon back in November of 2007, a month before the release of one of the most divisive albums of the Wu-Tang Clan's career, 8 Diagrams. Moreso than the fans, it very publicly divided the Clan as Raekwon and Ghost in particular aired out grievances with the RZA about finances and more notably the creative direction of the album. While Rae and Ghost (and admittedly most fans) wanted a return to the gritty, dark production of the Clan's heyday, the RZA was pulling from the work he's done on his own with live instrumentation and more orchestral sounds. The riffs calmed down as the album got closer to release but for many, Rae's gripes were well-founded and fans such as myself wondered when that RZAless Wu-Tang album was coming.
Well it's been more than a year since Raekwon told an interviewer that Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang would be coming and we haven't heard a peep about it from anyone involved in the Clan though they've all been active since. There have been tours, Rae's been amping up the Cuban Linx 2 talk yet again (with some impressive joints leaked, to boot) and RZA's been back at work with the Afro Samurai franchise, scoring another movie as well as the game. Yet and still, there have only been non-committal references to another Wu album by various members, with or without RZA.
After playing around with the idea, and a few conversations with friends about the notion of other producers working on a Wu full length, I decided to get to work on my own idea of what it might sound like. Entitled Wu-Tang vs. The Abbott, I've selected 11 producers who have either already worked with the Clan in some capacity or whose sound I believe with compliment Shaolin's Finest:
The Probable/Likely
DJ Muggs (1. General Principal, 2. Advance Pawns)
The RZA to Cypress Hill's Wu-Tang Clan, both crews have held allegiances with one another for quite a while, dating back to RZA and U-God appearing on "Killa Hill Niggas" on 1995's III: Temples of Boom. Muggs' dark, moody production fits the Clan's style, as is evidenced on these two tracks from his collaborative effort with GZA Grandmasters.
Pete Rock (3. The PJs, 4. Strange Fruit)
Another legendary beatmaker in the mix, Pete Rock's already worked with the Wu, producing more than a couple of bangers for Ghostface's solo album, and featuring clan members on each of his solo records.
DJ Premier (5. Jeru Da Damaja - One Day, 6. Crookyln Dodgers - The Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers)
The first producer I included in this list who I was actually surprised to learn that he hasn't yet worked with the Wu. As I'm typing this up I'm still looking around for anything at all, so if you find it, please drop a line in the comments to correct me. Premier literally defines that gritty sound of New York's early and mid-nineties golden era, using hard break loops and samples to craft Hip Hop classics. The Wu over a Premo track could be a match in Hip Hop heaven.
Mathematics (7. Ghostface Killah - Mighty Healthy, 8. GZA - Fam (Members Only))
While the RZA handled the majority of the Clan's production in the early days, there have been a few understudies in the crew: 4th Disciple, True Master and the next producer in the mix Allah Mathematics, better known as Mathematics. The influences of the Abbott are evident, but he's carved out his own niche over the years with solo joints and his own record company Quewisha.
Bronze Nazereth (8. Masta Killa feat. Inspektah Deck & GZA - Street Corner, 9. Bronze Nazareth, Solomon Childs & Byata - Street Corners)
One-third of the group Wisemen, Bronze Nazareth was invited into Wu's group of in-house soundsmiths back in 2002, and three years later he handled the bulk of the production on the compilation album Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture. One of favorite joints from it, "Street Corners" appears on Masta Killa's Made In Brooklyn. I included both since Masta Killa's version features clan members and further illustrates how well they can fit into someone else's production.
Carlos "6 July" Broady (11. Ghostface Killah - We Made It, 12. Royce Da 5'9" - Street Hop)
Even though he's apart of The Hitmen (Bad Boy's production team) he's one of the more underrated producers in the game. I got familiar with his work on Royce Da 5'9"'s album Death Is Certain, and his ability to balance soulful sounds with punch-you-in-face joints would suit the clan as a whole well.
The Wishlist
Da Beatminerz (13. Tek & Steele - Tools of the Trade, 14. Heltah Skeltah - Prowl)
The sonic backbone of another iconic NYC rap crew, Boot Camp Click, Da Beatminerz have worked with many East Coast underground luminaries over the years, and considering their signature sound of hard drums and samples is synonymous with New York rap, it's not hard to imagine how a Wu-Tang/Beatminerz joint would sound.
Khrysis (15. Sean Price - King Kong, 16. Sean Price - Stop)
As a member of the North Carolina's Justus League (Little Brother's their most well-known export), his efforts were overshadowed by his fellow JL beatmaker, 9th Wonder. When 9th parted ways with Little Brother, Khrysis' star seemed to shine a little brighter with spots on several Justus League affiliated projects, including these two joints from Sean Price's Jesus Price Superstar. When one of New York's most respected lyricists refers to you as his "personal go-to guy", you know you're onto something.
Marco Polo (17. Heltah Skeltah - Insane, 18. Marquee (Instrumental))
His 2007 album Port Authority was like a love letter to those that miss that ol' New York boom-bap, and has earned the respect of spitters like O.C., Masta Ace, and Kool G. Rap. With more than a few bangers crafted for East Coast heavy hitters, he'd have no trouble cooking up something for the Wu.
Dan the Automator & Prince Paul (19. Handsome Boy Modeling School - Waterworld feat. Encore, 20. Handsome Boy Modeling School - The Truth feat. J-Live & Róisín Murphy)
Both are incredible producers in their own right, collaborating with damn near the entirety of the Hip Hop community between the two of them. Their team effort, Handsome Boy Modeling School, particularly the debut album So...How's Your Girl? produced some of the murkiest, dustiest and atmospheric tracks they'd put out to that point. Most tracks were co-produced, but these two were solo joints, Automator on the former and Paul on the latter.
Maker (21. The Beginning, 22. Broken Wing feat. Qwel, 23. World of Shadows feat. Thawfor)
The most unlikely out of all of these, simply because of the producer's visibility and connection to the Clan in comparison to the other folks in the mix. I got put on to Maker when I was in college with his production for the group Glue, and as a member of the three man DJ squad The Comeups (Side Note: At the time they hadn't decided on a solid name, so they went through a few. When I first went to a party they DJ'd they were going by The Lou Ferrigno Experience). I was regularly blown away by his soulful and atmospheric production. His use of dusty samples and solid drums to make dark soundscapes would fit the Wu like a glove, IMHO.
Bonus: I can't believe I didn't mention this before, but I snuck a gem onto the end of the mix, "State of Grace" by Raekwon, produced by none other than the RZA. One of the first tracks to leak from Only Built For Cuban Linx 2, it's proof positive that RZA still has it in him to do the sort of record that Wu fans are looking for. It's precisely the sort of thing I thought of whenever talk of OBFCL2 was bandied about, and represents that there's still hope, however slight for the RZA and the rest of the Wu to hash out their creative differences and make a dope album again.
D/L: Wu-Tang vs. The Abbott
Hope you enjoy it, and let me know who YOU think should be included if Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang ever sees the light of day.
This was Raekwon back in November of 2007, a month before the release of one of the most divisive albums of the Wu-Tang Clan's career, 8 Diagrams. Moreso than the fans, it very publicly divided the Clan as Raekwon and Ghost in particular aired out grievances with the RZA about finances and more notably the creative direction of the album. While Rae and Ghost (and admittedly most fans) wanted a return to the gritty, dark production of the Clan's heyday, the RZA was pulling from the work he's done on his own with live instrumentation and more orchestral sounds. The riffs calmed down as the album got closer to release but for many, Rae's gripes were well-founded and fans such as myself wondered when that RZAless Wu-Tang album was coming.
Well it's been more than a year since Raekwon told an interviewer that Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang would be coming and we haven't heard a peep about it from anyone involved in the Clan though they've all been active since. There have been tours, Rae's been amping up the Cuban Linx 2 talk yet again (with some impressive joints leaked, to boot) and RZA's been back at work with the Afro Samurai franchise, scoring another movie as well as the game. Yet and still, there have only been non-committal references to another Wu album by various members, with or without RZA.
After playing around with the idea, and a few conversations with friends about the notion of other producers working on a Wu full length, I decided to get to work on my own idea of what it might sound like. Entitled Wu-Tang vs. The Abbott, I've selected 11 producers who have either already worked with the Clan in some capacity or whose sound I believe with compliment Shaolin's Finest:
The Probable/Likely
DJ Muggs (1. General Principal, 2. Advance Pawns)
The RZA to Cypress Hill's Wu-Tang Clan, both crews have held allegiances with one another for quite a while, dating back to RZA and U-God appearing on "Killa Hill Niggas" on 1995's III: Temples of Boom. Muggs' dark, moody production fits the Clan's style, as is evidenced on these two tracks from his collaborative effort with GZA Grandmasters.
Pete Rock (3. The PJs, 4. Strange Fruit)
Another legendary beatmaker in the mix, Pete Rock's already worked with the Wu, producing more than a couple of bangers for Ghostface's solo album, and featuring clan members on each of his solo records.
DJ Premier (5. Jeru Da Damaja - One Day, 6. Crookyln Dodgers - The Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers)
The first producer I included in this list who I was actually surprised to learn that he hasn't yet worked with the Wu. As I'm typing this up I'm still looking around for anything at all, so if you find it, please drop a line in the comments to correct me. Premier literally defines that gritty sound of New York's early and mid-nineties golden era, using hard break loops and samples to craft Hip Hop classics. The Wu over a Premo track could be a match in Hip Hop heaven.
Mathematics (7. Ghostface Killah - Mighty Healthy, 8. GZA - Fam (Members Only))
While the RZA handled the majority of the Clan's production in the early days, there have been a few understudies in the crew: 4th Disciple, True Master and the next producer in the mix Allah Mathematics, better known as Mathematics. The influences of the Abbott are evident, but he's carved out his own niche over the years with solo joints and his own record company Quewisha.
Bronze Nazereth (8. Masta Killa feat. Inspektah Deck & GZA - Street Corner, 9. Bronze Nazareth, Solomon Childs & Byata - Street Corners)
One-third of the group Wisemen, Bronze Nazareth was invited into Wu's group of in-house soundsmiths back in 2002, and three years later he handled the bulk of the production on the compilation album Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture. One of favorite joints from it, "Street Corners" appears on Masta Killa's Made In Brooklyn. I included both since Masta Killa's version features clan members and further illustrates how well they can fit into someone else's production.
Carlos "6 July" Broady (11. Ghostface Killah - We Made It, 12. Royce Da 5'9" - Street Hop)
Even though he's apart of The Hitmen (Bad Boy's production team) he's one of the more underrated producers in the game. I got familiar with his work on Royce Da 5'9"'s album Death Is Certain, and his ability to balance soulful sounds with punch-you-in-face joints would suit the clan as a whole well.
The Wishlist
Da Beatminerz (13. Tek & Steele - Tools of the Trade, 14. Heltah Skeltah - Prowl)
The sonic backbone of another iconic NYC rap crew, Boot Camp Click, Da Beatminerz have worked with many East Coast underground luminaries over the years, and considering their signature sound of hard drums and samples is synonymous with New York rap, it's not hard to imagine how a Wu-Tang/Beatminerz joint would sound.
Khrysis (15. Sean Price - King Kong, 16. Sean Price - Stop)
As a member of the North Carolina's Justus League (Little Brother's their most well-known export), his efforts were overshadowed by his fellow JL beatmaker, 9th Wonder. When 9th parted ways with Little Brother, Khrysis' star seemed to shine a little brighter with spots on several Justus League affiliated projects, including these two joints from Sean Price's Jesus Price Superstar. When one of New York's most respected lyricists refers to you as his "personal go-to guy", you know you're onto something.
Marco Polo (17. Heltah Skeltah - Insane, 18. Marquee (Instrumental))
His 2007 album Port Authority was like a love letter to those that miss that ol' New York boom-bap, and has earned the respect of spitters like O.C., Masta Ace, and Kool G. Rap. With more than a few bangers crafted for East Coast heavy hitters, he'd have no trouble cooking up something for the Wu.
Dan the Automator & Prince Paul (19. Handsome Boy Modeling School - Waterworld feat. Encore, 20. Handsome Boy Modeling School - The Truth feat. J-Live & Róisín Murphy)
Both are incredible producers in their own right, collaborating with damn near the entirety of the Hip Hop community between the two of them. Their team effort, Handsome Boy Modeling School, particularly the debut album So...How's Your Girl? produced some of the murkiest, dustiest and atmospheric tracks they'd put out to that point. Most tracks were co-produced, but these two were solo joints, Automator on the former and Paul on the latter.
Maker (21. The Beginning, 22. Broken Wing feat. Qwel, 23. World of Shadows feat. Thawfor)
The most unlikely out of all of these, simply because of the producer's visibility and connection to the Clan in comparison to the other folks in the mix. I got put on to Maker when I was in college with his production for the group Glue, and as a member of the three man DJ squad The Comeups (Side Note: At the time they hadn't decided on a solid name, so they went through a few. When I first went to a party they DJ'd they were going by The Lou Ferrigno Experience). I was regularly blown away by his soulful and atmospheric production. His use of dusty samples and solid drums to make dark soundscapes would fit the Wu like a glove, IMHO.
Bonus: I can't believe I didn't mention this before, but I snuck a gem onto the end of the mix, "State of Grace" by Raekwon, produced by none other than the RZA. One of the first tracks to leak from Only Built For Cuban Linx 2, it's proof positive that RZA still has it in him to do the sort of record that Wu fans are looking for. It's precisely the sort of thing I thought of whenever talk of OBFCL2 was bandied about, and represents that there's still hope, however slight for the RZA and the rest of the Wu to hash out their creative differences and make a dope album again.
D/L: Wu-Tang vs. The Abbott
Hope you enjoy it, and let me know who YOU think should be included if Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang ever sees the light of day.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Throwback Thursday - The Thin Purple Line Edition
Since I gave you the soundtrack to my Feng Shui game, I'll bless you with a few of the videos for songs that didn't make the final cut.
From The 7 Day Theory (Amazon|iTunes), "To Live & Die in L.A" was going to serve as the "acceptable losses" ending if the players hadn't achieved the happy ending that they did.
Apocalypse Now by way of Menace II Society was a good way to describe the tone I was going for with the tone of hood warfare in the game. "Illusions" was perfect in certain scenes, but didn't make the final tracklist just 'cause of space issues. (Amazon|iTunes)
Another joint that personified how the neighborhood where the game's climax took place was otherworldly in its despair, "Cold World" by GZA from Liquid Swords. (Amazon|iTunes)
From The 7 Day Theory (Amazon|iTunes), "To Live & Die in L.A" was going to serve as the "acceptable losses" ending if the players hadn't achieved the happy ending that they did.
Apocalypse Now by way of Menace II Society was a good way to describe the tone I was going for with the tone of hood warfare in the game. "Illusions" was perfect in certain scenes, but didn't make the final tracklist just 'cause of space issues. (Amazon|iTunes)
Another joint that personified how the neighborhood where the game's climax took place was otherworldly in its despair, "Cold World" by GZA from Liquid Swords. (Amazon|iTunes)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Game Night - The Thin Purple Line
I've dropped one RPG related music mix on you before, and since I do these pretty regularly I figure I'll keep 'em coming with a new series of posts called Game Night. This next one's pretty timely, as it's the soundtrack I put together for my gaming group after finishing up our Feng Shui game. Naw, we weren't arranging furniture or nothin' like that, it's an RPG based on Action Flicks, Asian ones in particular. Joints like Hard Boiled, Once Upon A Time In China, and Fist of Legend are among the scores of source material that's used for the basic setting. On top of the basic idea of the game taking place in an action movie universe, it also takes place in a few different time periods, with the main time period being 1996. Pretty crucial time period to the setting, because of England losing its lease on Hong Kong in the following year. Most people running the game tend to at least start in Hong Kong, if not do their entire runs there, but I decided to do this one a little differently and start the show in 1996 L.A. That gave me the chance to pull in a lot of cool plot elements and pull from real life. I make reference to the Tupac and Biggie murders, the aftermath of the L.A. Riots, the Rampart Division scandal and a lot of other stuff. We're pretty grown up when we play pretend over here. To cut to the chase, putting together the soundtrack for each Saturday evening was a pleasant trip back in time, and I tried to capture the feel of the whole game when I put the final list together:
1. A Tribe Called Quest feat. Consequence - Jam (Remix) - The game opener took place at the opening of a nightclub, and the remix of this record from Beats, Rhymes & Life fit the bill to kick things off. (Amazon|iTunes).
2. Elastica - Line Up - Solid piece of traveling/background music from the self-titled album of one of my favorite Britpop bands of the time. (Elastica|iTunes)
3. Cardigans - Lovefool - This song was dumb huge back then, and you're lying if you didn't get it stuck in your head at least once. In our game, one of the players was chased out of an Italian restaurant by the kitchen staff while this played in the background. Mind drilling qualities of that single aside, First Band on the Moon was a solid album. (Amazon|iTunes)
4. The Toadies - I Come From the Water - Most people know these guys from the song "Possum Kingdom" but the whole of Rubberneck a good record, and made for fine fight music in the game. (Amazon|iTunes)
5. Ghostface Killah - Daytona 500 - I finally got to realize my dream of setting a car chase to this song. I upped the ante by setting this chase on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. If you don't have Ironman, you're not a proper Ghostface fan. (Amazon|iTunes
6. Deftones - Teething - The Deftones were lumped in with bands like Korn and other nu-metal acts, but the difference with Deftones is that I actually like them. This song from the soundtrack to The Crow: City of Angels made for good music to commit violence by. (Amazon)
7. Tricky - Hell Is 'Round The Corner - When I was introducing the players to a South Central L.A. neighborhood that wasn't too far removed from a war zone, I wanted a less than obvious choice. Tricky's take on his Bristol neighborhood worked for me. From Maxinquaye. (Amazon|iTunes)
8. Xzibit - At The Speed of Life - Background music for group's time in South Central, from one of my favorite albums by Mr. X to the Z. (Amazon)
9. Ice Cube - Really Doe - More South Central background music, from Lethal Injection. (Amazon|iTunes)
10. DJ Shadow - What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt. 1 - With time travel being a major theme of Feng Shui, there's a place that exists in between all the time periods called the The Netherworld. This song from DJ Shadow's groundbreaking Endtroducing... introduced my players to it. (Amazon|iTunes)
11. Bishop Lamont feat. Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Busta Rhymes - Mouth Music - From the sublime to the base, one of the group's first spots to hit up in the Netherworld was a strip club. This was on the house speakers as they arrived. From Bishop Lamont and Black Milk's collaboration, Caltroit that you can download for free from DubCNN.
12. M.I.A. - Paper Planes - Before this song blew the 'eff up (after being out for quite a while already) I'd had it in mind to use for my game. By the time the group got to meet the character it was attached to, an African child soldier turned arms dealer, they got familiar with it in a different context. From M.I.A.'s album Kala (Amazon|iTunes)
13. DJ Krush - OCE 9504 - Given the strange and mysterious nature of the Netherworld, many of Meiso's tracks made perfect background music(Amazon).
14. Goodie Mob - Soul Food - Back in the real world, our players were tasked with protecting a Community Center in the war-torn neighborhood I introduced with Tricky earlier. Given that I took a lot of the personalities from that were running it from my younger days in the South, I felt it was more than appropriate to use this Goodie Mob classic. This song also came in handy during the group's trip to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. (Amazon|iTunes)
15. Raekwon - Verbal Intercourse - One of the characters was a cop, and I chose this to be the first bit of background music the players heard as he entered the precinct. Something about this joint from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx always sounded like it could've been right at home in a 70s cop show, dunno why. (Amazon)
16. De La Soul - Stakes Is High - Once things started to edge closer to the climax, the music reflect the dire turns the plot was taking. The title track off of De La's '96 album fit the game's themes like a glove. (Amazon)
17. Outkast - Mainstream - Along with Stakes Is High, plenty of stuff from Atliens fit the tone of the game in its late stages, this song in particular. (Amazon|iTunes)
18. Blu & Exile - So(ul) Amazing (Steel Blazin') - And here's the closer. Considering that the gang brought a bit of a brighter future to L.A., I thought that a song from one of the West's brighter spots in music nowadays would be appropriate. From the modern day classic Below the Heavens. (Amazon|iTunes)
19. Blu - CityOfLos(t)Angel(e)s f. Co$$ - The alternate ending, for the results they could have achieved. Less hopeful, more focused on the rough patches of L.A. From Blu's MySpace that he liberated a while back.
Here's the mix, which gets its title from the name of the game, which I took from a documentary called The Thin Blue Line. Google it if you don't already know, as it's late and this took a lot longer than I was anticipating:
Feng Shui - The Thin Purple Line
Bonus: I was going to actually include this remix of Paper Planes with verses from Bun B and Rich Boy in the soundtrack, but it wouldn't fit on CD with the rest of the sountrack. My players' loss is the internet's gain.
M.I.A. feat. Bun B and Rich Boy - Paper Planes(Remix)
1. A Tribe Called Quest feat. Consequence - Jam (Remix) - The game opener took place at the opening of a nightclub, and the remix of this record from Beats, Rhymes & Life fit the bill to kick things off. (Amazon|iTunes).
2. Elastica - Line Up - Solid piece of traveling/background music from the self-titled album of one of my favorite Britpop bands of the time. (Elastica|iTunes)
3. Cardigans - Lovefool - This song was dumb huge back then, and you're lying if you didn't get it stuck in your head at least once. In our game, one of the players was chased out of an Italian restaurant by the kitchen staff while this played in the background. Mind drilling qualities of that single aside, First Band on the Moon was a solid album. (Amazon|iTunes)
4. The Toadies - I Come From the Water - Most people know these guys from the song "Possum Kingdom" but the whole of Rubberneck a good record, and made for fine fight music in the game. (Amazon|iTunes)
5. Ghostface Killah - Daytona 500 - I finally got to realize my dream of setting a car chase to this song. I upped the ante by setting this chase on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. If you don't have Ironman, you're not a proper Ghostface fan. (Amazon|iTunes
6. Deftones - Teething - The Deftones were lumped in with bands like Korn and other nu-metal acts, but the difference with Deftones is that I actually like them. This song from the soundtrack to The Crow: City of Angels made for good music to commit violence by. (Amazon)
7. Tricky - Hell Is 'Round The Corner - When I was introducing the players to a South Central L.A. neighborhood that wasn't too far removed from a war zone, I wanted a less than obvious choice. Tricky's take on his Bristol neighborhood worked for me. From Maxinquaye. (Amazon|iTunes)
8. Xzibit - At The Speed of Life - Background music for group's time in South Central, from one of my favorite albums by Mr. X to the Z. (Amazon)
9. Ice Cube - Really Doe - More South Central background music, from Lethal Injection. (Amazon|iTunes)
10. DJ Shadow - What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt. 1 - With time travel being a major theme of Feng Shui, there's a place that exists in between all the time periods called the The Netherworld. This song from DJ Shadow's groundbreaking Endtroducing... introduced my players to it. (Amazon|iTunes)
11. Bishop Lamont feat. Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Busta Rhymes - Mouth Music - From the sublime to the base, one of the group's first spots to hit up in the Netherworld was a strip club. This was on the house speakers as they arrived. From Bishop Lamont and Black Milk's collaboration, Caltroit that you can download for free from DubCNN.
12. M.I.A. - Paper Planes - Before this song blew the 'eff up (after being out for quite a while already) I'd had it in mind to use for my game. By the time the group got to meet the character it was attached to, an African child soldier turned arms dealer, they got familiar with it in a different context. From M.I.A.'s album Kala (Amazon|iTunes)
13. DJ Krush - OCE 9504 - Given the strange and mysterious nature of the Netherworld, many of Meiso's tracks made perfect background music(Amazon).
14. Goodie Mob - Soul Food - Back in the real world, our players were tasked with protecting a Community Center in the war-torn neighborhood I introduced with Tricky earlier. Given that I took a lot of the personalities from that were running it from my younger days in the South, I felt it was more than appropriate to use this Goodie Mob classic. This song also came in handy during the group's trip to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. (Amazon|iTunes)
15. Raekwon - Verbal Intercourse - One of the characters was a cop, and I chose this to be the first bit of background music the players heard as he entered the precinct. Something about this joint from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx always sounded like it could've been right at home in a 70s cop show, dunno why. (Amazon)
16. De La Soul - Stakes Is High - Once things started to edge closer to the climax, the music reflect the dire turns the plot was taking. The title track off of De La's '96 album fit the game's themes like a glove. (Amazon)
17. Outkast - Mainstream - Along with Stakes Is High, plenty of stuff from Atliens fit the tone of the game in its late stages, this song in particular. (Amazon|iTunes)
18. Blu & Exile - So(ul) Amazing (Steel Blazin') - And here's the closer. Considering that the gang brought a bit of a brighter future to L.A., I thought that a song from one of the West's brighter spots in music nowadays would be appropriate. From the modern day classic Below the Heavens. (Amazon|iTunes)
19. Blu - CityOfLos(t)Angel(e)s f. Co$$ - The alternate ending, for the results they could have achieved. Less hopeful, more focused on the rough patches of L.A. From Blu's MySpace that he liberated a while back.
Here's the mix, which gets its title from the name of the game, which I took from a documentary called The Thin Blue Line. Google it if you don't already know, as it's late and this took a lot longer than I was anticipating:
Feng Shui - The Thin Purple Line
Bonus: I was going to actually include this remix of Paper Planes with verses from Bun B and Rich Boy in the soundtrack, but it wouldn't fit on CD with the rest of the sountrack. My players' loss is the internet's gain.
M.I.A. feat. Bun B and Rich Boy - Paper Planes(Remix)
Saturday, January 31, 2009
For The Kids - Hip Hop for Youngins
I was lucky as a little kid as far as my introduction to Hip Hop goes. Living in Chattanooga, TN we weren't exactly in a mecca for heads, but my older cousins always kept a lot of good stuff around me. Even though I didn't become a full fledged devotee of that ol' boom bap until my teenaged years, I got an ample earful of Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markee and Slick Rick as a child (and 2 Live Crew, don't tell my mom), cruising around with them when they'd have me. I always told myself if I had the chance to play the big brother role, I'd try to introduce the little brats to quality Hip Hop. I've been lucky enough to have younger cousins I could pass music onto, and more recently I put together a mix of tunes for a dear friend so her young son could get a taste of decent Hip Hop early. I mixed old with a little new, and basically tried to keep in mind what sort of stuff I would've liked listening to as a little kid. Since it's actually for a little kid, I did a few radio edits here and there, some for words (but not many, 'cause y'know, I kept mindful) and others for space and less obvious reasons (the static and jargon at the end of DJ Shadow's "Changeling" probably would've freaked me out a little bit).
I didn't put them in any kind of order so play them however you'd like, though if you're making a tape for a kid, I recommend Blackalicious' "Sleep" as the closer. It's a fine lullaby.
For The Kids - Hip Hop For Youngins
Bonus: Here's the Exile joint that I actually got the title of the post from.
Exile - For the Kids
I didn't put them in any kind of order so play them however you'd like, though if you're making a tape for a kid, I recommend Blackalicious' "Sleep" as the closer. It's a fine lullaby.
For The Kids - Hip Hop For Youngins
Bonus: Here's the Exile joint that I actually got the title of the post from.
Exile - For the Kids
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
"I write in the night to bring truth to the light."
Putting work in on a script this evening, so I'm going to dig in the archives. I've already gone in to a small degree of how music influences me with my writing, but back when I was bright-eyed and optimistic yout' (read: three years ago), I actually started a project that was directly linked to a piece of music. J. Dilla's music touched a lot of people, and what's arguably his most inspirational work was his swansong, Donuts, a set of dusty and raw instrumentals that was released just three days before his passing. A lot of people have paid tribute to Dilla using stuff from this album as a basis, and I wanted to do the same. Trouble is I don't rhyme, make beats or any of that rot. So I decided that I was going to try and write tiny narratives for each of the tracks on the album. I didn't get very far in due to time, and tons of other factors I can't recall right now, but I always think about revisiting the idea. For now though, I'll a couple of pieces I did, starting with this micro-joint for Waves:
I was in the middle of a sea of bodies at high tide. Undulating back and forth all in unison, the DJ so adept at robbing them of their sense of self that they ceased to be anything but the mass of humanity, crowded into the disco. Everything that each individual was before they came hung heavy in the air with each wave.
Desires, fear, hopes, loves, hate. Even every hesitation to give in to the swell was so palpable you could taste it. You could practically pick out each as a scent, or a flush of sensation over the skin. I couldn't help be overwhelmed by it all as I stepped further into the dance hall. My heart raced at first…but gradually it kept time and became one with the drum as I let go.
This next joint I wrote to go along with "The New" features a character I created for an RPG community (don't worry, I've held off Nerd Stuff from this post, the nerdiness of this post itself notwithstanding) that I was apart of. He was a DJ and I had the idea of him being transported to some strange alternate past. I originally had the idea to have his story continue throughout the project in the songs "The Twister (Huh, What)" and "Gobstopper" respectively.
"The New" by J. Dilla
I was in the middle of a sea of bodies at high tide. Undulating back and forth all in unison, the DJ so adept at robbing them of their sense of self that they ceased to be anything but the mass of humanity, crowded into the disco. Everything that each individual was before they came hung heavy in the air with each wave.
Desires, fear, hopes, loves, hate. Even every hesitation to give in to the swell was so palpable you could taste it. You could practically pick out each as a scent, or a flush of sensation over the skin. I couldn't help be overwhelmed by it all as I stepped further into the dance hall. My heart raced at first…but gradually it kept time and became one with the drum as I let go.
This next joint I wrote to go along with "The New" features a character I created for an RPG community (don't worry, I've held off Nerd Stuff from this post, the nerdiness of this post itself notwithstanding) that I was apart of. He was a DJ and I had the idea of him being transported to some strange alternate past. I originally had the idea to have his story continue throughout the project in the songs "The Twister (Huh, What)" and "Gobstopper" respectively.
"The New" by J. Dilla
"I'm Korean, actually…"
Considering the lambasting that follows, perhaps that wasn't the best response to being called a "jivetime, hippie-lookin' Chinaman" but I was too dumbfounded at the time for much else. Now that I've had time to really take in my new surroundings…I'm still fairly stunned. I've been in jazz clubs before, but this place was strangely authentic. The acrid weed smoke in the air that you could cut through…and how young the crowd is. Real well dressed too, and not in that hipster, "look at this suit jacket I stole from my dad, and my hundred dollar haircut" sort of way. Genuine, real put together.
I’m pretty sure I saw a sailor or two in the back of the crowd that eyed me with a helluva lot of malice. Everyone's restless. They're clamoring for music and I'm apparently disrupting the show. I don't know how I managed to get backstage, and I definitely don't know why the bandleader is cursing my presence as though I were a new addition to the band…oh, because the bassist has brought me into the band as a last minute replacement for the drummer. I see.
How nice of him to stick up for me. I'm sure that when we're being beaten to sleep by navymen with chips on their shoulders about the Japanese Zero that wasted their buddies, we'll be looked upon favorably in the afterlife.
A doddering old man begins shoving us out onto the stage hurriedly, chastising me for my "busted threads" as he fights the shakes to keep his coke-bottle lenses on his face. Until I’m out on stage with the rest of my bandmates I don't know what he's talking about, but once I'm able to see their slick suits and even slicker pomade-laden hair…I feel practically naked.
"Lay the beat down for 'em Scratch." The bassist whispers to me from across the stage. It takes this guy knowing my name catches me so off guard that I almost don't notice what he's nodding towards. The strangest setup of decks and a mixer that I've ever seen. Every inch of it, the tables, the mixer…even the records are brass and just a little tarnished. The coffin's warn brown leather with tags from customs agencies from all over the world. Some of the countries, I couldn't even spell, let alone ever claim having been to any of them. The scent of valve and slide oil emanates from the whole rig and when I put my hands on the records they feel like taut drum skins. First time I've had butterflies about music in quite a while.
"Here goes nothin'," and I give a few scratches, sorting out a drumbreak…the band jumps right in, somewhere between following my lead and letting me take control. Every sample I bring in is a new riff that the sax, trumpet or piano stretch out. Just the same, the bandleader yelps, shouts, scats and sings in time with my cuts. The whole room seems to move with my hands. Dancing couples seem to be locked in a loop until I change tempo or sample. Stopping when I pause, even reversing when I backspin. The sailors are getting into the act. The bass player gives me a wink when our bandleader calls back to me.
"We gonna have to get the Ko-ree-in fitted for a suit!" Comforting as it is, I still don't know where in the world I am…but I'm not in a hurry to leave.
Who knows if I'll revisit the project in earnest, but I had fun with the few joints that I did get around to doing. I'd definitely like to think that Dilla himself would've gotten a kick out of people being moved enough by his work that they had to do something to show their appreciation, even if it wasn't directly related to music.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
"If I don't like it, I don't like it, that don't mean that I'm hatin'."
I was out on a drive, trying to figure out what to write about for this evening. I had a bunch things on my mind, all suitable for blogging purposes, but as often happens my stereo showed me the way. I went back and burned a copy of Little Brother's Separate But Equal mixtape they did with the Aphilliates, and came upon a track Phonte did over a Kanye beat:
Phonte - Hate
The title is apt enough, considering a snippet of an interview I happened upon earlier today, where Phonte gives his unfiltered opinion on one of the most divisive album's of last year, 808s & Heartbreak:
Now not only do I happen to share Phonte's opinion on the matter, I'm also a fan of the man's music, but I'm not going to kick around 808s anymore or crow about the awesomeness of Phonte. What I've been wondering though, is why hasn't the whole phenomenon referred to in the title from that classic Common joint cooled off? Given that less people are actually buying records nowadays, it would stand to reason that there would be a lot fewer people calling you a hater for simply speaking your mind about a record. As a fan, if you're just downloading it rather than buying it, there's no point of pride when admitting that something sucks. As an artist, these jokers aren't buying your records anyway, so aside from media training (which record labels really aren't paying for now, but that's a whole 'nother blog post), why not speak truthfully? Instead, the extent of low record sales have gotten people to co-sign some of the most awful drek and brand you a hater because you're not making the money that they are. On the artist and fan sides of the fence.
Ah well. Given the fact that more and more people are taking up Hip Hop as a trade, we'll all eventually have our own record to take up for, then maybe the hater thing will get so meta that it'll be forced into retirement for good.
As a bonus, he's the opening single from Phonte's second release with Nicolay, "Daykeeper" off of the album Leave It All Behind, where you can hear him engaging in singing sans autotune.
Foreign Exchange - Daykeeper
Phonte - Hate
The title is apt enough, considering a snippet of an interview I happened upon earlier today, where Phonte gives his unfiltered opinion on one of the most divisive album's of last year, 808s & Heartbreak:
Now not only do I happen to share Phonte's opinion on the matter, I'm also a fan of the man's music, but I'm not going to kick around 808s anymore or crow about the awesomeness of Phonte. What I've been wondering though, is why hasn't the whole phenomenon referred to in the title from that classic Common joint cooled off? Given that less people are actually buying records nowadays, it would stand to reason that there would be a lot fewer people calling you a hater for simply speaking your mind about a record. As a fan, if you're just downloading it rather than buying it, there's no point of pride when admitting that something sucks. As an artist, these jokers aren't buying your records anyway, so aside from media training (which record labels really aren't paying for now, but that's a whole 'nother blog post), why not speak truthfully? Instead, the extent of low record sales have gotten people to co-sign some of the most awful drek and brand you a hater because you're not making the money that they are. On the artist and fan sides of the fence.
Ah well. Given the fact that more and more people are taking up Hip Hop as a trade, we'll all eventually have our own record to take up for, then maybe the hater thing will get so meta that it'll be forced into retirement for good.
As a bonus, he's the opening single from Phonte's second release with Nicolay, "Daykeeper" off of the album Leave It All Behind, where you can hear him engaging in singing sans autotune.
Foreign Exchange - Daykeeper
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang - The Preview
Back when 8 Diagrams came out it did so amidst a flurry of controversy. They hadn't released an album since 2001's Iron Flag and the naysaying wasn't just coming from critics and listeners, but the Clan themselves. Ghost and Rae were particularly vocal about their financial and creative problems with RZA during the making of the album, with Raekwon going so far as to say that the Clan was going to go ahead with another album without The RZA at the helm entitled Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang.
There was definitely stuff to like about 8th Diagrams, but all in all, you could definitely see that there was trouble in the ranks. While listening to the album I couldn't help but wonder what Rae's vision of a RZA-less album would sound like. Over the years all of the members of the Clan have worked with some incredible producers, whether on solo projects or on one of the post-36 Chambers group albums so they've already got a fairly expansive catalog of soundsmiths to pick from their old material. That's to say nothing of the high profile producers that've been influenced by RZA's sound. It's something that's rolled around in my head for a while, and after seeing this article snippet over at Metal Lungies about RZA waxing on the next Wu-Tang album, I finally decided to do something about it. Namely, put together a mix of songs with producers that've either worked with Wu-Tang members or producers that sound like they could craft suitable soundscapes for the Wu to get open over. The goal being to approximate what a Wu album without RZA at the head might sound.
I don't want to do this half-assed, so while I've got a rough tracklist put together already, I'm gonna take my time trimming and adding. To hold y'all over, here's one joint that's definitely going to make it, "The PJs" off of Pete Rock's 2008 album NY's Finest:
Pete Rock's worked with the clan on more than a couple occasions, most notably crafting bangers for Ghostface, but "The PJs" was one of the first songs I thought of when I decided to put this mix together. If Cuban Linx 2 ever sees the light of day it'll be crime if there's not a Pete Rock beat on there. PR provides the perfect backdrop for Rae's late night criminology rap.
Keep it locked to What's Good for whole mix, coming soon.
There was definitely stuff to like about 8th Diagrams, but all in all, you could definitely see that there was trouble in the ranks. While listening to the album I couldn't help but wonder what Rae's vision of a RZA-less album would sound like. Over the years all of the members of the Clan have worked with some incredible producers, whether on solo projects or on one of the post-36 Chambers group albums so they've already got a fairly expansive catalog of soundsmiths to pick from their old material. That's to say nothing of the high profile producers that've been influenced by RZA's sound. It's something that's rolled around in my head for a while, and after seeing this article snippet over at Metal Lungies about RZA waxing on the next Wu-Tang album, I finally decided to do something about it. Namely, put together a mix of songs with producers that've either worked with Wu-Tang members or producers that sound like they could craft suitable soundscapes for the Wu to get open over. The goal being to approximate what a Wu album without RZA at the head might sound.
I don't want to do this half-assed, so while I've got a rough tracklist put together already, I'm gonna take my time trimming and adding. To hold y'all over, here's one joint that's definitely going to make it, "The PJs" off of Pete Rock's 2008 album NY's Finest:
Pete Rock's worked with the clan on more than a couple occasions, most notably crafting bangers for Ghostface, but "The PJs" was one of the first songs I thought of when I decided to put this mix together. If Cuban Linx 2 ever sees the light of day it'll be crime if there's not a Pete Rock beat on there. PR provides the perfect backdrop for Rae's late night criminology rap.
Keep it locked to What's Good for whole mix, coming soon.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Lord help me, I miss Carbondale
More accurately, I'm missing the guys and gals I ran with during my time at WIDB in Carbondale. I won't get long-winded about it but I met some fine people that are lingering in my mind this evening, so I'm dropping a couple of joints that got a fair amount of burn back then.
Serengeti - Dirty Flamingo
From the album of the same name, Dirty Flamingo (after being made to ask by my co-host during an interview, I was assured that the term doesn't really mean anything) was damn near anthemic amongst the Hip Hop heads at SIUC. The only thing that topped it? 'Geti's in character ode to Chi-town, "Dennehy" or its sequel "Ozzie Guillen" which are both on the album the album Dennehy. The former tore down Hangar 9 (the bar where most of the Hip Hop shows in town went down) whenever it was performed. One of my best memories of it was on the night the White Sox won the World Series in '05. Even though I was one of the few people in the place that wasn't a native of Chicago, it was hard not to feel like an honorary Southside resident.
Seel Fresh - Starving
I got this joint via one of the first pieces of vinyl that F5 Records (a label started in St. Louis by SIUC scene alums) ever sent to me. You can actually still cop it from their website. While not my absolute favorite joint out of my time in the 'Dale, I always felt this one pretty tough just 'cause of the earnestness of the lyrics and how so many cats were in the same place with what they were trying to do at the time, be it the music or some other grind. A line about how Seel will finally manage once he has his time in the spotlight when it comes always makes me grin when I hear it: "And I won't be nervous like I'm hidin' a bomb/I'll be ear-to-ear smilin', wavin' high to my mom." I often wondered what became of him, so back in October before I got this blog off the ground it did my heart good to see him pop up on Rock the Dub with a series of sanctioned leaks for his most recent album Street Famous. Cop it via the link at Amazon and support some dope indie Chicago Hip Hop.
Bonus - The video for "Dennehy" from Serengeti:
Serengeti - Dirty Flamingo
From the album of the same name, Dirty Flamingo (after being made to ask by my co-host during an interview, I was assured that the term doesn't really mean anything) was damn near anthemic amongst the Hip Hop heads at SIUC. The only thing that topped it? 'Geti's in character ode to Chi-town, "Dennehy" or its sequel "Ozzie Guillen" which are both on the album the album Dennehy. The former tore down Hangar 9 (the bar where most of the Hip Hop shows in town went down) whenever it was performed. One of my best memories of it was on the night the White Sox won the World Series in '05. Even though I was one of the few people in the place that wasn't a native of Chicago, it was hard not to feel like an honorary Southside resident.
Seel Fresh - Starving
I got this joint via one of the first pieces of vinyl that F5 Records (a label started in St. Louis by SIUC scene alums) ever sent to me. You can actually still cop it from their website. While not my absolute favorite joint out of my time in the 'Dale, I always felt this one pretty tough just 'cause of the earnestness of the lyrics and how so many cats were in the same place with what they were trying to do at the time, be it the music or some other grind. A line about how Seel will finally manage once he has his time in the spotlight when it comes always makes me grin when I hear it: "And I won't be nervous like I'm hidin' a bomb/I'll be ear-to-ear smilin', wavin' high to my mom." I often wondered what became of him, so back in October before I got this blog off the ground it did my heart good to see him pop up on Rock the Dub with a series of sanctioned leaks for his most recent album Street Famous. Cop it via the link at Amazon and support some dope indie Chicago Hip Hop.
Bonus - The video for "Dennehy" from Serengeti:
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Seeya later, homey.
So, my roommate and one of my best friends moved out last night for Texas and given the nature of his departure we didn't get a chance to say proper goodbyes. If I had a choice on how we were going to spend our last few hours as roommates, rather than hurriedly packing his things into his car I probably would've elected to drive around the South Bay listening to Devin the Dude.
We bonded over several things, but nothing more fervently than Hip Hop's answer to the old-school dirty blues musician. A weed-smoking fornicator whose main objective when crafting a song is to make the listener laugh, but he's been known to slip in a few life lessons and valuable truths when you're not looking. His music certainly assisted in the cementing of our friendship, whether it was muscling through knuckleheads to get to to the front of the stage at one of his shows, or simply airing out the week's problems while on a late night drive up and down 101.
I'll miss my friend and hopefully we'll see each other again before too long. For today though, I'll throw on a few of the Devin joints that got a lot of burn in the whip in our travels and hope that on his way back to Texas that he's doing the same.
Devin the Dude - Do What You Wanna Do
Devin the Dude - Almighty Dollar from Waitin' To Inhale
We bonded over several things, but nothing more fervently than Hip Hop's answer to the old-school dirty blues musician. A weed-smoking fornicator whose main objective when crafting a song is to make the listener laugh, but he's been known to slip in a few life lessons and valuable truths when you're not looking. His music certainly assisted in the cementing of our friendship, whether it was muscling through knuckleheads to get to to the front of the stage at one of his shows, or simply airing out the week's problems while on a late night drive up and down 101.
I'll miss my friend and hopefully we'll see each other again before too long. For today though, I'll throw on a few of the Devin joints that got a lot of burn in the whip in our travels and hope that on his way back to Texas that he's doing the same.
Devin the Dude - Do What You Wanna Do
Devin the Dude - Almighty Dollar from Waitin' To Inhale
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Throwback Thursday: One Day It'll All Make Sense
Once again, everyone's piling hate onto Common. Apparently Universal Mind Control is an abomination the likes of which Common has not committed on the (non)record buying populous since Electric Circus, according to the internets. Barring the fact that I actually like EC and think the backlash heaped on that record stems from old-fashioned Hip Hop head stubbornness (they wanted another Resurrection) and woman-hating (blaming Erykah Badu for putting a spell on rappers is a long running Hip Hop in-joke I've never found very funny), some of the tracks I've heard from the new joint do make me long for better days.
I'm not one to cry a river when artists want to go in a different direction with their sound and try new things. One of the major problems with Hip Hop is that the fanbase tends to abhor change of any kind, confusing experimentation with selling-out or going soft. I've often taken offense at the charge that some artists have made that Hip Hop as a musical genre is too stifling, but perhaps they aren't entirely wrong, just directing their angst at the medium instead of the fickle listeners. In the case of Universal Mind Control though, there is something to be said of remembering the foundation of one's career.
So for Throwback Thursday I decided to post up one of the ways I first became acquainted with the brother formerly known as Common Sense, "Invocation", from his 1997 album One Day It'll All Make Sense.
This actually ran as a split video back in the day but I couldn't find a good copy of it anywhere, so I'll just post the entire video for the second half of the split, "Hungry."
Rumor has it that Com's next album is going to be produced entirely by No I.D. (the producer behind One Day... and his two previous albums) and Kanye West (responsible for Com's last two albums). While I tend to think of Kanye's work with him as a little flat because it's trying too hard to sound like what heads think a Common album needs to sound like, I'm holding out hope that they can come up with a record that successfully marries Com's drive to experiment with the solid music we came to him for in the first place.
I'm not one to cry a river when artists want to go in a different direction with their sound and try new things. One of the major problems with Hip Hop is that the fanbase tends to abhor change of any kind, confusing experimentation with selling-out or going soft. I've often taken offense at the charge that some artists have made that Hip Hop as a musical genre is too stifling, but perhaps they aren't entirely wrong, just directing their angst at the medium instead of the fickle listeners. In the case of Universal Mind Control though, there is something to be said of remembering the foundation of one's career.
So for Throwback Thursday I decided to post up one of the ways I first became acquainted with the brother formerly known as Common Sense, "Invocation", from his 1997 album One Day It'll All Make Sense.
This actually ran as a split video back in the day but I couldn't find a good copy of it anywhere, so I'll just post the entire video for the second half of the split, "Hungry."
Rumor has it that Com's next album is going to be produced entirely by No I.D. (the producer behind One Day... and his two previous albums) and Kanye West (responsible for Com's last two albums). While I tend to think of Kanye's work with him as a little flat because it's trying too hard to sound like what heads think a Common album needs to sound like, I'm holding out hope that they can come up with a record that successfully marries Com's drive to experiment with the solid music we came to him for in the first place.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Things I'm Thankful for this Holiday
Been a pretty rough year for the kid, but I've still got quite a lot to be thankful for. If you'll indulge me, I'm going to forgo the Throwback this week and just list some of 'em.:
I am thankful for Rock Band, as it is the only place I am allowed to sing Master Exploder out loud, in public and be praised rather than mocked.
I am thankful for my mama, and her sweet potato pie recipe...that in all likelihood is not hers, but she won't break her neck trying to correct me.
I am thankful for Questlove's recollection of dearly departed friends that just happen to be legendary beatmakers.
I am thankful that the aforementioned legendary beatmaker left behind so much classic material.
I am thankful for my friends and family. Particularly friends that send me things like this video to provide me with cheer/boundless rage (to the dearest Laurie, the two are apparently interchangeable).
I'm thankful mostly that despite everything that's gone on, I'm alive and well to celebrate another Thanksgiving. Hopefully yours was as enjoyable as mine, and if you didn't tell somebody how thankful you are for their presence in your lives, remember that you don't need a particular day to do so.
I am thankful for Rock Band, as it is the only place I am allowed to sing Master Exploder out loud, in public and be praised rather than mocked.
I am thankful for my mama, and her sweet potato pie recipe...that in all likelihood is not hers, but she won't break her neck trying to correct me.
I am thankful for Questlove's recollection of dearly departed friends that just happen to be legendary beatmakers.
I am thankful that the aforementioned legendary beatmaker left behind so much classic material.
I am thankful for my friends and family. Particularly friends that send me things like this video to provide me with cheer/boundless rage (to the dearest Laurie, the two are apparently interchangeable).
I'm thankful mostly that despite everything that's gone on, I'm alive and well to celebrate another Thanksgiving. Hopefully yours was as enjoyable as mine, and if you didn't tell somebody how thankful you are for their presence in your lives, remember that you don't need a particular day to do so.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The South needs something else to say.
The latest news out of Atlanta involves the fracas that Shawty Lo's crew got into with Grand Hustle artist Alfamega at the 2008 Dirty Awards (The Dirty Awards? Seriously folks?). While I can't help but get some enjoyment out of all the ignorance that's come out of the reports (the Hip Hop community has its new version of Chuck Norris, or rather Josh Homme, with twice the fearsomeness and not an inkling of the talent), I can't help but feel a little sad for the South's music scene, as least as far as Hip Hop is concerned.
In 1995, Outkast stood up to accept their Best New Artist award at the Source Awards in front of a hostile crowd that was already keyed up from mounting tension between the Death Row and Bad Boy Records camps. They were booed on their way to the podium. Salt-N-Pepa were the presenters for the award and they even announced the name of the winners with obvious disappointment in their voices. There was no love in that room for the South at all, it seemed. Then, in a move that would make me proud to be a Hip Hop head from the South from that day forward, Dre (no 3000, Three Stacks, or anything back then) proclaimed without fear that "...the South got something to say." Outkast used this soundbyte in the song "Chonkyfire" to close the album Aquemini:
The album ended up taking The Source's coveted Five Mic rating, a perfect score. Now, much like The Source has fallen into a state of irrelevant disarray, the South is the same mess of bickering, in-fighting and lackluster music as everywhere else. I'm still a proud Southerner, no doubt. As time goes on though, I'm having to reach further and further back to explain why.
In 1995, Outkast stood up to accept their Best New Artist award at the Source Awards in front of a hostile crowd that was already keyed up from mounting tension between the Death Row and Bad Boy Records camps. They were booed on their way to the podium. Salt-N-Pepa were the presenters for the award and they even announced the name of the winners with obvious disappointment in their voices. There was no love in that room for the South at all, it seemed. Then, in a move that would make me proud to be a Hip Hop head from the South from that day forward, Dre (no 3000, Three Stacks, or anything back then) proclaimed without fear that "...the South got something to say." Outkast used this soundbyte in the song "Chonkyfire" to close the album Aquemini:
The album ended up taking The Source's coveted Five Mic rating, a perfect score. Now, much like The Source has fallen into a state of irrelevant disarray, the South is the same mess of bickering, in-fighting and lackluster music as everywhere else. I'm still a proud Southerner, no doubt. As time goes on though, I'm having to reach further and further back to explain why.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Kanye's New LP: Convince me to drink the Kool-Aid
808s & Heartbreak drops today, and after months of leaks and opinions flying back and forth I'm still firmly in the not excited camp. I think my main problem is that the folks who are hopping on the bandwagon are citing reasons that don't jibe with what I've been hearing.
There are those who say that the album's different and innovative. Now, keep in mind that I haven't heard the record in its entirety so my opinions are just going off of the songs that've been floating around the internets (Welcome to Heartbreak, Robocop, Love Lockdown, and Street Lights are all I've heard at this point), but I will concede that the album is different. Innovative? I'm not too sure. To my ears it sounds like a New Wave or Indie Dance/Pop record and given the popularity of artists like Santogold, M.I.A., and J.U.S.T.I.C.E in recent years (particularly amongst the Hip Hop community) it doesn't sound like he's trumping those folks aside from the fact that he's Kanye. The name recognition gets more people looking and in turn more people analyzing the work (just like me, natch). It's different because it's different than the rest of his catalog. The album being different isn't so much a problem, as I feel like Hip Hop fans are being pushed to really champion this album as a work of Hip Hop when the guy who created doesn't even consider it as such.
There's also the matter of Kanye embracing the much-maligned autotune vocal effect. The very fact that it's been used and abused this year by nearly every popular R&B and Hip Hop artist of dubious vocal ability is troubling enough. You've got a guy who's supposed to be setting trends when he comes out. With his previous albums, so many producers and artists copied after him it was ridiculous. What started with an autotune laden feature on Young Jeezy's single "Put On" exploded into an album full of the crutch that T-Pain hath wrought. Now unlike T-Pain and the host of other people that use this thing, I honestly believe Kanye has something different in mind than simply covering the fact that he doesn't have the greatest singing voice in the world. Perhaps, given the themes of heartbreak and loneliness that run through the album, the cold mechanical nature of the vocal effect is suppose to juxtapose with the raw emotion that Kanye is putting out there for the listener. That's a fresh use of the autotune if that's the case. Still doesn't mean it's exactly a treat to listen to.
Which brings me to the idea that the album should be respected simply because Kanye's being emotionally vulnerable in a way that's unheard of for a Hip Hop artist. Without bothering to go back to the argument that this isn't a Hip Hop record, I'll concede that Kanye should certainly be commended for being brave enough to channel what has to be a helluva hard time into music, and going with what he feels his heart pushed him toward. All that said, it's not the first time that Hip Hop's had artists who put their hearts on their sleeves in such a way. There's examples from the underground, sure: Slug from Atmosphere built his career off of baring emotion from the Lucy Ford EP onward. Jean Grae's laid it all out there for her listeners, not only in song (the painfully raw My Story from Jeanius details her personal experience with abortion), but as a person as well. Admittedly, mainstream Hip Hop isn't exactly awash with folks willing to bare their soul on record, but not too long ago one-half of one of the most heralded Hip Hop groups of all time released a concept album based around the ups-and-down of his own love life. Andre 3000 took a lot more Ls back when Speakerboxx/The Love Below came out than Kanye has over 808s, but they're both personal pieces of music where the artist uncompromisingly follows what it is they want to do.
Which is why I still respect Kanye as an artist. Despite any shade that might get thrown at him from folks like me, he chooses to push ahead with his vision. For that reason alone his music will always get my attention, if not my outright adulation. Hopefully once I actually sit down with a purchased copy of 808s & Heatbreak being able to hear it as a complete work will change my mind. For now though, I'll be in the corner with the haters, wishing T-Pain had never decided to turn into a "sanger."
There are those who say that the album's different and innovative. Now, keep in mind that I haven't heard the record in its entirety so my opinions are just going off of the songs that've been floating around the internets (Welcome to Heartbreak, Robocop, Love Lockdown, and Street Lights are all I've heard at this point), but I will concede that the album is different. Innovative? I'm not too sure. To my ears it sounds like a New Wave or Indie Dance/Pop record and given the popularity of artists like Santogold, M.I.A., and J.U.S.T.I.C.E in recent years (particularly amongst the Hip Hop community) it doesn't sound like he's trumping those folks aside from the fact that he's Kanye. The name recognition gets more people looking and in turn more people analyzing the work (just like me, natch). It's different because it's different than the rest of his catalog. The album being different isn't so much a problem, as I feel like Hip Hop fans are being pushed to really champion this album as a work of Hip Hop when the guy who created doesn't even consider it as such.
There's also the matter of Kanye embracing the much-maligned autotune vocal effect. The very fact that it's been used and abused this year by nearly every popular R&B and Hip Hop artist of dubious vocal ability is troubling enough. You've got a guy who's supposed to be setting trends when he comes out. With his previous albums, so many producers and artists copied after him it was ridiculous. What started with an autotune laden feature on Young Jeezy's single "Put On" exploded into an album full of the crutch that T-Pain hath wrought. Now unlike T-Pain and the host of other people that use this thing, I honestly believe Kanye has something different in mind than simply covering the fact that he doesn't have the greatest singing voice in the world. Perhaps, given the themes of heartbreak and loneliness that run through the album, the cold mechanical nature of the vocal effect is suppose to juxtapose with the raw emotion that Kanye is putting out there for the listener. That's a fresh use of the autotune if that's the case. Still doesn't mean it's exactly a treat to listen to.
Which brings me to the idea that the album should be respected simply because Kanye's being emotionally vulnerable in a way that's unheard of for a Hip Hop artist. Without bothering to go back to the argument that this isn't a Hip Hop record, I'll concede that Kanye should certainly be commended for being brave enough to channel what has to be a helluva hard time into music, and going with what he feels his heart pushed him toward. All that said, it's not the first time that Hip Hop's had artists who put their hearts on their sleeves in such a way. There's examples from the underground, sure: Slug from Atmosphere built his career off of baring emotion from the Lucy Ford EP onward. Jean Grae's laid it all out there for her listeners, not only in song (the painfully raw My Story from Jeanius details her personal experience with abortion), but as a person as well. Admittedly, mainstream Hip Hop isn't exactly awash with folks willing to bare their soul on record, but not too long ago one-half of one of the most heralded Hip Hop groups of all time released a concept album based around the ups-and-down of his own love life. Andre 3000 took a lot more Ls back when Speakerboxx/The Love Below came out than Kanye has over 808s, but they're both personal pieces of music where the artist uncompromisingly follows what it is they want to do.
Which is why I still respect Kanye as an artist. Despite any shade that might get thrown at him from folks like me, he chooses to push ahead with his vision. For that reason alone his music will always get my attention, if not my outright adulation. Hopefully once I actually sit down with a purchased copy of 808s & Heatbreak being able to hear it as a complete work will change my mind. For now though, I'll be in the corner with the haters, wishing T-Pain had never decided to turn into a "sanger."
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Methinks the goon doth protest too much.
In my travels with this thing called Hip Hop I've listened to a lot of different kinds of the music that comes from the culture. You might not know it by what I tend to post up, but I'm a bit of a purveyor of thug rap. Gun rap. Goon music. Shit that makes you wanna punch somebody in the face. I'm done with defending my love of it, but honestly if you don't get it and you've enjoyed stories about gangsters or action flicks, you're missing the point. Ultimately, I make no apologies for it because just like movies about people getting popped in the dome, it's just entertainment. I do like taking the opportunity to get at those who take it too seriously.
Today's subject is Trick Trick, infamous Detroit figure, known by most for being a heavy dude in the streets who just happens to mess around with the music industry and his association with Eminem. He had recently been in the news for returning Yung Berg's chain after the young rapper caught a two-piece with an Ante Up special for talking reckless about Detroit before going to one of their more hospitable nightclubs with no personal security. Berg's problems are another blog post in themselves, but I digress. Trick Trick's recently garnered some attention for his opinions on gay folks. In short, they're not good. In an interview with AllHipHop.com, he recently said the following: "Homosexuals are probably not gonna like this album. I don't want your f**got money any goddamn way."
That wasn't the only thing said during the interview, and the word 'tirade' could be applied to it appropriately. Outside of the fact that gay people (or, truthfully, Hip Hop fans in general) weren't exactly chomping at the bit to cop Trick's latest opus, it's always funny to me when rappers like him get super homophobic. Why's that? Because thug rap tends to have some of the more suspiciously homoerotic lines pop up in songs. Consider this little gem from We Deep, a track from the Royce Da 5'9" mixtape, The Bar Exam 2:
Just in case you didn't quite get that, I'll type it out:
"The godfather and the king of the D, leavin' these niggas slept butt-ass naked like they was sleepin' with me."
Courtesy of The Villain himself, Trick Trick. Considering his actual presence in the streets, it's lucky I'm neither a) a prominent Hip Hop blogger or b) planning on going to Detroit anytime soon, but I gotta call it like I sees it.
Today's subject is Trick Trick, infamous Detroit figure, known by most for being a heavy dude in the streets who just happens to mess around with the music industry and his association with Eminem. He had recently been in the news for returning Yung Berg's chain after the young rapper caught a two-piece with an Ante Up special for talking reckless about Detroit before going to one of their more hospitable nightclubs with no personal security. Berg's problems are another blog post in themselves, but I digress. Trick Trick's recently garnered some attention for his opinions on gay folks. In short, they're not good. In an interview with AllHipHop.com, he recently said the following: "Homosexuals are probably not gonna like this album. I don't want your f**got money any goddamn way."
That wasn't the only thing said during the interview, and the word 'tirade' could be applied to it appropriately. Outside of the fact that gay people (or, truthfully, Hip Hop fans in general) weren't exactly chomping at the bit to cop Trick's latest opus, it's always funny to me when rappers like him get super homophobic. Why's that? Because thug rap tends to have some of the more suspiciously homoerotic lines pop up in songs. Consider this little gem from We Deep, a track from the Royce Da 5'9" mixtape, The Bar Exam 2:
Just in case you didn't quite get that, I'll type it out:
"The godfather and the king of the D, leavin' these niggas slept butt-ass naked like they was sleepin' with me."
Courtesy of The Villain himself, Trick Trick. Considering his actual presence in the streets, it's lucky I'm neither a) a prominent Hip Hop blogger or b) planning on going to Detroit anytime soon, but I gotta call it like I sees it.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Monday: The Doldruming
Not having a job for an extended period after holding down a stressful gig for a couple of years is not providing the perspective that I thought it might. Instead of being able to relax or ponder the possibility of my next job being better than the one I left, I continually picture a life stuck as an office jockey where I've grown too tired and complacent to devote any energy to creative projects.
This doesn't help much when you're attempting to do something creative in-between fits of job searching. But on I rush headlong into work drone oblivion, hurriedly in fact (just got a few rejections last week, applied for two new gigs earlier today) so I'm not sure what that says about me.
Hip Hop, as always, is with me. Here's some joints for you if you're stuck at a job you hate, not working and you hate it, or if you're just a touch bemused that your current situation hasn't shaped up to your liking.
Murs - God's Work
Aesop Rock feat. Breeze Brewin and Cage - Getaway Car
Iller Than Theirs feat. Cool Calm Pete - It Is What It Is
Pigeon John - Crazy
Junk Science - Hey!
This doesn't help much when you're attempting to do something creative in-between fits of job searching. But on I rush headlong into work drone oblivion, hurriedly in fact (just got a few rejections last week, applied for two new gigs earlier today) so I'm not sure what that says about me.
Hip Hop, as always, is with me. Here's some joints for you if you're stuck at a job you hate, not working and you hate it, or if you're just a touch bemused that your current situation hasn't shaped up to your liking.
Murs - God's Work
Aesop Rock feat. Breeze Brewin and Cage - Getaway Car
Iller Than Theirs feat. Cool Calm Pete - It Is What It Is
Pigeon John - Crazy
Junk Science - Hey!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Joints for the Day After
It'll be a bit before this place will start to look like I own it, but I suppose an introduction is due. As DJ Regular I ran the Hip Hop format of SIUC's student-run radio station WIDB. Had a show on Friday evenings for about two years called What's Good (shouts out to my co-host Lil' Constant, wherever she might be) where I played dope Hip Hop from all over. A lot times the shows had a theme, or special guests would drop by, but mostly we just kept it funky and had fun on the air. This blog's going to attempt to capture the feel of the old show, but with a broader scope. I'll talk about everything I'm interested in: music, movies, politics, games, writing. The unifying element is that it'll all be from the viewpoint of a cat that fancied himself the Hip Hop Bob Costas...until he realized that Jay Smooth existed, and decided to settled for being a plain ol' Hip Hop head that likes talkin'.
Now that the intro's outta the way it's time to get to the real point of this drop, music. With a monumental election night behind us, most folks that weren't rendered comatose by the shock of America waking up after 8 eights years got up and seized the day. Safe to say we're all feeling a myriad of emotions today, and mine had a soundtrack.
Pride
Arguably the most obvious to spot, even you cats workin' the most straight-laced gig on the planet had a little bop in your step today if you were supporting change.
Brother Ali - Mr. President (You're the Man)
Statik Selektah feat. The Justus League - On the Marquee
Determination
What I'm worried some of you out there aren't feeling is something that's been in my heart pretty heavy. We definitely proved that we can promote a change...now we need to keep doing it. A lot of promise were made and we've got to make sure that the man we elected keeps his promises to us, and we need to live up to the feat we managed last night. We can't afford to pat ourselves on the back 'cause we're going to need those hands for the heavy lifting.
Invicible feat. Finale - Don't Sleep
Talib Kweli - This Means You feat. Mos Def
Vindication
As a young black man, I grew up indoctrinated with stories about friends and family that went through the Civil Rights movement first hand, grew up in the Jim Crow era South, and struggled for all of us. I won't lie, in recent years I've often wondered if my generation was worth the trouble. Just last week we had one of the most popular (among kids, which makes this even worse) rappers of the day give props to the slave masters that brought us here. And that's not even the worst of the coonery I've seen from my people as of late. I'd always been told we were a people full of promise and immense strength. Well racism's far from over, and we've still got a lot of work ahead of us within our own community, but last night was the culmination of work that began many years ago. Proof that we actually can live up to what the older generations did for us. My only regret is that some of them, like my Grandma Henrietta, couldn't be here to see it.
Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come
Now that the intro's outta the way it's time to get to the real point of this drop, music. With a monumental election night behind us, most folks that weren't rendered comatose by the shock of America waking up after 8 eights years got up and seized the day. Safe to say we're all feeling a myriad of emotions today, and mine had a soundtrack.
Pride
Arguably the most obvious to spot, even you cats workin' the most straight-laced gig on the planet had a little bop in your step today if you were supporting change.
Brother Ali - Mr. President (You're the Man)
Statik Selektah feat. The Justus League - On the Marquee
Determination
What I'm worried some of you out there aren't feeling is something that's been in my heart pretty heavy. We definitely proved that we can promote a change...now we need to keep doing it. A lot of promise were made and we've got to make sure that the man we elected keeps his promises to us, and we need to live up to the feat we managed last night. We can't afford to pat ourselves on the back 'cause we're going to need those hands for the heavy lifting.
Invicible feat. Finale - Don't Sleep
Talib Kweli - This Means You feat. Mos Def
Vindication
As a young black man, I grew up indoctrinated with stories about friends and family that went through the Civil Rights movement first hand, grew up in the Jim Crow era South, and struggled for all of us. I won't lie, in recent years I've often wondered if my generation was worth the trouble. Just last week we had one of the most popular (among kids, which makes this even worse) rappers of the day give props to the slave masters that brought us here. And that's not even the worst of the coonery I've seen from my people as of late. I'd always been told we were a people full of promise and immense strength. Well racism's far from over, and we've still got a lot of work ahead of us within our own community, but last night was the culmination of work that began many years ago. Proof that we actually can live up to what the older generations did for us. My only regret is that some of them, like my Grandma Henrietta, couldn't be here to see it.
Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come
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