Pace Won and Mr. Green have just leaked a new track, entitled My GOD, from their long awaited forthcoming album The Only Number That Matters is Won which follows up their 2008 LP The Only Colour That Matters is Green. The new album has been talked about for the best part of a year and feels long overdue, but it's now got a release date of September 4th 2012. The album features collaborations from Snoop Dogg, Masta Ace and Lee Scratch Perry.
These guys are the perfect blend. Green's retro sounding beats perfectly compliment Pace's authentic, old school, rhyme style, yet neither sound outdated. The end product is real, conscious hip hop that's reminiscent of how things used to be, but still contemporary enough to be fresh, new and innovative. If you need more proof, see my previous post which contains two of their best pieces of recent work.
In the meantime check out their new track which represents what we can expect more of when the album drops.
I didn't think anyone would mind if I shared some new music, especially if that new music is free to download. But most notable here is that the artists featured are well known, credible artists, and these downloads offer a great mixture of different styles and era's that I'm sure will appeal to the mature b-boy.
There are 5 albums embedded here, so readers who follow this blog through an RSS feed may need to visit the site directly to see the embedded media players and access all the download links.
Gensu Dean - Jointz Mixtape
Gensu Dean has released this Jointz mixtape that has been mixed by DJ Chief-One. It features tracks by Ed OG, Brand Nubian, CL Smooth, Large Professor, Roc Marciano and more.
Here are some more blistering sounds that will leave you scrambling for the rewind button. Ok, so finding a rewind button nowadays is like finding rocking horse doo doo, but a quick mouse click at the start of the embedded music player and you can be pleasured two or three time over, for free!
Up first, Chi towns finest....
DJ Soul x Okayplayer - Time Travelin (Best Of Common)
A few years ago, Okayplayer asked DJ Soul to do a Common mix which fans would receive (as a bonus cd) if they purchased Finding Forever on their site. With the buzz starting to build for Common's upcoming album The Dreamer, The Believer, now is the perfect time to
Here's a nice little piece of radio history. The great Mike Allen interviewing Run DMC in 1987 on Capital Radio whilst they were on their European tour with the Beastie Boys.
MF Doom breaks down his early catalogue
Egotripland have uploaded another lecture from the recent Red Bull Music Academy events in Spain. In their own words:
Bear witness as Doom discusses the early ’80s episodes of Afrika Islam’s “Zulu Beats” radio shows on WHBI, which would provide the inspiration for his signature audio collages. Listen as he explains the defining characteristics of his plethora of performance personas (Zev Love X, Doom, Viktor Vaughn, King Ghidra). Marvel as he dissects the makings of classic recordings such as KMD’s Mr. Hood and Black Bastards, Operation: Doomsday, and his essential collab with
[Note to readers using RSS etc - You may need to come to the site to see the embeded music players etc]
There's a ton of free music out there, but finding the good stuff that is worth listening to can feel like a full time skilled profession. Well hopefully we can help out a little by providing you with some great new tunes to bump in your iPod.
Has-Lo
First up is a new joint from Has-Lo. Hot on the heels of his highly rated LP In Case I Don’t Make It released earlier this year, he now releases the follow up Conversation B.
This free promotional track Light Years has been remixed by J-Zone. It's not quite the usual style of J-Zone production that we're used to (although it still has his trade mark sound to it), but it's just as distinct and inventive. It's also great to heat that J-Zone has returned to the production boards, as the news that he'd retired was almost like a bereavement.
In this edition of the series, I’m going to shine the spotlight on an emcee who has been in the game for so long, has done so much, but seen so little success when compared to his peers, partners and accomplices. I'm talking about Intelligent Hoodlum aka Tragedy Khadafi aka Jayski!!!!
We all know that Tragedy Khadafi originally went under the name Intelligent Hoodlum when his debut album (of the same name) dropped in 1990. But not so many know that 5 years before this, he went under the name Jayski and was one half of a duo who called themselves the Super Kids? The other half of Super Kids was DJ Hot Day.
Super kids dropped several 12”s in 1985 and 1986 when Tragedy was only 14 years old (although when listening to these tracks now, you would be forgiven for thinking that he was a bit younger)! Still, these early self releases on the classic Nia record label caught the attention of Marley Marl. Marley recruited Tragedy as a junior member of the Juice Crew and then featured him on several of the tracks on his 1988 In Control – Vol 1 album and again on the follow up album (In Control – Vol 2) released in 1991.
Unfortunately, the name Tragedy was an unintentionally prophetic one, as it seems that his life was to be full of turmoil and misfortune. Before Marley’s first album was released, Tragedy was convicted of robbery and sent to jail for 3 years, so he never got to enjoy his success. This probably also explains why he never blew up like all the other members of the Juice Crew, their prime years were mainly 1988 to 1990. By 1990, hip hop had moved on dramatically and he was effectively starting from scratch (again).
Damn, what a blistering month its been. The summer hiatus is over and now I feel like I'm getting high on all of the dope content that is circulating around the web. There's been so many great finds this month we've been spoilt for choice, so I hope you agree with my selection. Here's the cream of the crop (incl. a free download!):
MC Lyte & Positive K
Ever wondered what happened to MC Lyte? Well, like many of the artists from her era she's still going strong, just not on everybody's radar. She recently hooked up with Positive K for this collaboration:
And if this is a bit too soft for you, then have a listen to this one where Lyte shows that she can still kick it hardcore.
MC Lyte has a host of other tunes that can be found on her website: http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/10434598. She also has a free app that you can download for exclusive pictures, content etc. It's so good to see one of the greatest female emcee's still in the game and still going strong.
Jedi Mind Tricks Interview
On the eve of their new album Violence Begets Violence, Viinie Paz and Jus Allah talk about JMT's current sound and direction and the absence of Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind from the production boards. They also reflect on nearly two decades in the game and a return to their earlier sound.
Red Bull Music Academy - Slick Rick
Old School legend Slick Rick attends the Red Bull Music Academy's World Tour at the Bronx Paradise Theatre where he discusses his early hip hop influences, the development of his unique storytelling style and then revisits his classic debut album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick for a track by track breakdown, giving insightful recollections of their history.
The session lasts around an hour and a half and contains plenty of interesting history pertaining to Rick and some of his early associates. Check the video out here:
Also, there are four more lectures like this from the Wu Tang Clan, Black Moon, Mobb Deep & Dipset. Head over to Egotripland.com to see each video, although you might need some spare time as they're each an hour or more in length.
Murs Interview
Murs has got to be the most underrated and under recognised emcee from the west coast (feel free to disagree or suggest an alternative name). Having just released his latest album Love & Rockets Volume 1, Murs takes time out to discuss this and previous releases as well as his attempts to have a greater understanding of homosexuality, working with O.C., family life and plenty more.
Lord Finesse Breakbeat Mix
The microphone master takes to the decks for a mix of break beats and hip hop classics. As one of the golden era's finest producers, Finesse has an ear for excellent beats and demonstrates that in this nice little mix.
New Masta Ace LP
Last month I gave you the heads up on the new Masta Ace and MF Doom (MA Doom) collaboration LP that's due for release real soon. Well, to give you a taster of the new LP, Ace has released a free promo single on his website to get us all in the mood. This single is an exclusive that won't be on released LP, so go grab it whilst you can.
When I first heard this track, I really wasn't too sure about it. It felt a bit like a DJ mashup, but trust me, it's a real grower when you give it a couple of listens, and I'm now even more excited about the new project.
I don't know about you, but if a few years ago someone had asked me the question "What was Digital Underground's debut single?" I would have responded with 1989's Doowutchyalike. Well, despite owning most of Digital Underground's early material, and considering myself a fan of their early work, I'd have been completely wrong because it was actually a 12" called Underwater Rimes that was released in 1988. The b-side is a track called Your life's a cartoon.
This 12" was actually pretty big in Europe and hit the #1 spot in Holland, but here in the UK it seemed to pass us by, which might explain my ignorance to it's existence!
Now with hindsight I should have known better. If I'd checked the cover of their debut LP Sex Packets I would have noticed that track 5 is shown as Underwater Rimes (Remix). Well you can't have a remix if you don't have an original to remix, so I should have known that an original mix existed somewhere. If I'd had the internet in 1990 I would have been digging around to find this, but instead it had to wait until much more recently. Still, that's the beauty of the internet, nothing is beyond our reach and many old gems can be uncovered if you dig for long enough.
Now, the thing that really stands out with this 12" is the style in which they rap when it's compared to the production. Production wise it's exactly what you'd expect from early Digital Underground and sits perfectly before their follow up single Doowutchyalike which was released a year later on Tommy Boy once they'd been signed. But the vocals are a different matter, because despite the fact that this 12" was released only a year before Doowutchyalike, the rhyme styles certainly sound much earlier and similar to what other west coast groups were doing around 1988.
There was clearly a lot of evolution in those 12 months, but what I find most interesting is how far ahead of the game Shock G's production was at that time, whereas their rhyme style needed to catch up in order to properly compliment it. Thank god it did, as in 1989 I don't think there wasn't anything else as creative and innovative coming from the west coast.
Keep in mind that in 1988 most people were listening to PE, NWA, Rakim, Kool G Rap, Kane (add on), none of whom had a sound anything like Digital Underground.
Like most of Digital Underground's early material, Shock G illustrated the cover under his graffiti pseudonym 'Rackadelic'. To this day, Shock's artwork for their early releases is still very distinctive and has stood the test of time, it doesn't look dated and it's instantly recognisable.
Now here's a bit of nerdology for you. This Underwater Rimes single later spawned a character called MC Blowfish (aka Shock G, aka Humpty Hump). There is a video for a track by MC Blowfish that was done in a cartoon style identical to the 12" cover (MC Blowfish is the one on the right). It's not available on PooTube and I only have a 30 second clip of it (which I may upload to our YouTube channel if I ever get time). But like I said earlier, anything is available if you dig around the net long enough, so its probably out there already just waiting to be found.
It still amazes me to this day that Non Phixion ever managed to get their material published. They had significant interest being shown from several major labels, were then signed to Geffen, then signed to Matador, Matador then committed to producing an album and yet 5 years later they had virtually nothing to show for it!
To the groups members, it must have seemed like the whole industry was against them. Despite them having the backing of some industry heavyweights like MC Serch and Rick Rubin along with proven sales from their early single releases, it just didn't seem like it was ever going to happen for them.
Still, perseverance pays off, and so does setting up your own label (Uncle Howie Records) as this was the eventual remedy to the Non Phixion headache.
Going back to 1996 before most of their troubles started, when MC Serch was helping to get Non Phixion a major signing. Their debut 12" entitled Legacy was released independently on the Fat Beats label and sold around 20,000 copies.
It's an interesting release, because as it was 6 years before their debut LP was released, it understandably has a completely different sound. It was produced by Serch under his Serchlite Music company, whereas their later productions would come from either Necro or Non Phixion themselves. However, it still maintains that trademark Non Phixion style.
MC Serch makes an unexpected appearance too, and somehow manages to sound a bit different without completely flipping his style, but it works quite well.
The B side is a different matter though. The track is called No Tomorrow and is produced by Necro. It's not the usual Necro style that we've become familiar with, instead this sounds much like most of the mainstream NY productions of that time. The style of the chorus is also very typical of that era and overall the track reminds me of numerous east coast melodies from the mid 90's.
It's definitely worth checking this out If nothing else, it's good to feel some more of that mid 90's east coast flavour.
For those historians out there who like to know all the minuscule details of an artist or their history etc, you'll be pleased to know that the P Brothers conducted an explicit, honest and unique interview with MC Serch back in 2003 which he claimed would be his last interview of that kind. He really went to town on setting the record straight.
During the 2nd part of the interview, Serch explains much of the background to setting up Non Phixion and openly discusses the later fallout between him and Ill Bill. It's a riveting read as it also uncovers lots of great history that hasn't previously been told about 3rd Bass, Nas, OC, Wild Pitch records etc. But it's too much to cover here, so I'll get it uploaded in the next week or two!
For those who aren’t familiar with Fresh Gordon, he was usually decked out in Fila wear and you will see from the image above that he even used Fila’s trademark ‘F’ in his name logo.
I love this retro approach to brand association; it’s from a time before corporate law suits, before people got all sensitive about how their logo might be interpreted or what damage might be caused to a company or their reputation by associating with a particular individual. If an artist bought into the brand, they just associated themselves with it and the company was generally very grateful of the additional exposure.
Fresh Gordon even acknowledges on the back of the 12" a local sportswear shop in Brooklyn for providing his outfit, how crazy is that? Although I do wonder whether he would make the same decision today. These days I think most people would struggle to find an entire outfit by Fila that they’d be happy to wear in public, unless it’s a retro outfit of course!
Fresh Gordon started off as a DJ, but like many DJ’s at that time he also picked up the mic. It was this combination that enabled him to produce his own music and get a deal with Tommy Boy Records.
His first single was The Fresh Commandments b/w My Fila. The Fresh Commandments is an electro based track and is similar in style to some of Whodini’s early material as well as being exactly what you’d expect from a Tommy Boy artist from this era. My Fila on the b-side is a response track to Run DMC’s My Adidas and is recorded in a similar style to that adopted by Run DMC (note that Run DMC clearly made a much better choice when they associated themselves with a high street brand). The track also features Prince Markie Dee from the Fat Boys, who would continue to be a future collaborator behind the scenes, but more on him and the Whodini connection later.
The Fresh Commandments is an interesting concept single as Gordon attempts to lay down new commandments in the lingo of the day, for example:
Thou shall not perpetrate and fraud,
and if you don’t want to dance you’ll be ignored
Thou shall not wear fake Gazelle’s,
fake Fila suits, or you’ll be sent to hell
His modern day parables are entertaining and enlightening, and they give the listener a clear reminder of what the average rapper was concerned about during that period.
It’s also kind of funny to see that some things haven’t changed too much either. I can still go out and buy a brand new pair of Gazelle’s and I often hear people complain that their eBay purchase was a fake (usually because they bought something from the far east at a price that could never be right, idiots!).
All in all, this is a really nice track and it’s refreshing to hear it again in 2011. Much of the Tommy Boy catalogue has been republished in one form or another and many of the popular tracks appear on numerous compilation albums, but not this one. In fact I don’t recall seeing this on anything other than the original 12”.
Now, despite being signed to Tommy Boy and producing a promising debut single, Fresh Gordon’s career as a recording artist was relatively short lived. This was mainly because his primary role was in production.
In 1985 (the year before the Fresh Commandments) he had featured on, and produced, the Choice M.C.’s single Beat of the Street b/w Gordy’s Groove. Again, this was released on Tommy Boy Records.
He followed up the Fresh Commandments with another single the following year (1987) called Feelin’ James b/w I Believe in Music which was well received, but then that was pretty much it from a solo point of view.
He worked on the production side with a number of artists including the Choice M.C.’s, Master D, Kid Panic, DJ Watkins & Tony T, but more famously he also produced some of Dana Dane’s – Dana Dane 4 Ever LP (1990) and Whodini’s Bag-a-Trix LP (1991).
Coming back to my earlier comment about his collaborations with Prince Markie Dee aka Mark Morales from the Fat Boys, Mark Morales is credited as a 'production assistant' on The Fresh Commandments as well as making an appearance. Fresh Gordon was also involved in producing a number of Fat Boys records in the late 1980’s, but in the early 1990’s when Prince Markie Dee left the Fat Boys to pursue his solo interests, they teamed up again to produced some of Father MC’s debut album Father’s Day which produced four hit singles and saw them working with the likes of Sean Combs, Howie T, L.A. Reid and Andre Harrell.
I also mentioned a Whodini connection, well apart from producing some of their Bag-a-Trix LP, Gordon also shouts out Jalil of Whodini on the back of this 12" and says "X-Rated funky thankx to Jalil of Whodini for the concept of The Fresh Commandments. This record wouldn't have been possible without you!" So Whodini were clearly friends as well as a significant influence on Gordon.
(Click image for large readable version)
He also shouts out Run DMC and clarifies that My Fila was not meant to disrespect their hit single. He acknowledges that without them doing My Adidas he could never have done My Fila.
Clicking on the image above will open a full size image for anyone wanting to read the full list of credits.
So, if you haven’t heard Fresh Gordon before now (or you hadn’t realised that he’d produced what you’re listening to), or you missed the Fresh Commandments then hit the play button and see what you missed. Or better still, download a copy of the full 12" including scans of the covers and labels.
First up in the Silver Anniversary Series has to be a record that wasn’t just a significant release in 1986, it’s probably one of the most important records in hip hop history. So, let me break it down a little further in case you might not be convinced.
The record in question is the 1986 12” release from Eric B & Rakim – Eric B is President b/w My Melody. You can listen to the remix version (from the Paid in Full LP) after the jump as well downloading a full copy of the original 12” (which has the non remix version for comparison).
For me personally, it is an all time favourite that I have never got tired of hearing. It’s a track that drew me further into hip hop and opened my eyes to what the future might hold. It provided optimism, particularly as I was starting to tire of electro which was becoming weaker and more mainstream and we hadn’t yet been blessed with the likes of PE or Cool J etc. But don’t let my personal feelings, memories and affections justify the accolade that I’ve given to this recording.
I’m not going to be breaking new ground or making any revelations if I say that Rakim is one of the greatest emcees of all time, or if I say that this is where it all started, or by listing the number of people he influenced, or by dissecting his use of internal rhymes. These topics have already been well documented and discussed, so instead, I’ll briefly explain why I think this record is so important and then provide some interesting points that are less well documented for your consideration.
One of my most prominent memories from 1987 was the explosion of pirate radio and the amazing array of talented rappers that were blaring out of my stereo. Never had my speakers had it so good. Of all the artists at that time, Big Daddy Kane was the one getting the heaviest rotation. Every time the DJ changed and the next show started, they too would play the latest BDK 12" that their predecessor had only just played half an hour before, but hey, I wasn't complaining because his shit was so dope.
Big Daddy Kane was like Rakim in that his lyrical ability and delivery truly set him apart from almost everyone around him. He struck an incredibly fine balance of using complex metaphors alongside classic battle rhymes over punchy up tempo beats whilst still managing to sound smoother than a full Brazilian wax. His diction was crisp and every word was audible, despite the speed at which he often delivered his rhymes, (something many new school artists should study, but don't get me started on the current trend of lazy rap).
To quote the legend himself: "And let's just get one more thing understood" "If I fart on a record, trust me nigga, that shit gon' sound good"
This 12", along with a couple of his other early 12"s, was released on the Prism label, which later merged with Cold Chillin. It's produced by Marley Marl and has the fantastic Just Rhymin' With Biz on the B side.
When people talk about the explosion of Hip Hop in the late 1980's they usually mention Eric B & Rakim, PE, LL, Run DMC etc but Kane is too often omitted from this list which is an injustice as his influence was as great as the fore mentioned.
Track listing:
A1 Get Into It (Vocal) 5:08
A2 Get Into It (Instrumental) 5:11
B1 Somethin' Funky 5:07
B2 Just Rhymin' With Biz 4:03
Uptown's - Dope on Plastic was an absolute classic in 1989, belting out of almost every boom box and getting heavy rotation on pirate radio. It's one of those tunes that takes you straight back to the era and floods the mind with memories of the good ol days.
This is a copy of the full 12" including the B side 'It's My Turn' and the Plastipella and Dubstramentals!
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