Ace & Perry On Rap City

Skimming through some of my old VHS rips, I spotted this old episode of Rap City from 1994 that was hosted by Masta Ace and Paula Perry.  This is Ace from the Born to Roll era of his career, and seeing this made reminded me just how much Ace has adapted over the last two decades.

First off, he talks about the careers that are about to launch for each member of his INC crew (which clearly never materialised!), you also get to smirk at Paula Perry's hair (which could never be considered a good look in any era), and Ace empties his backpack to let the viewers see what random items he travels with, which is slightly bizarre.  A thousand guesses wouldn't provide the answers, but look out for the super size Madden '94 cartridge and some skin cream! Props to Masta Ace for keeping it real since day one.

Red Hot & Movin'

When this blog was set up it was always my intention to share much of my video collection as I have a lot of stuff that doesn't currently appear on YouTube etc.  I've had some limited success doing this over the years, but recently I've found some time to rip some of my old tapes and upload the clips to the YouTube channel.  And with my new PC being delivered soon, hopefully there'll be more of these rarities to come in the near future.

In early 1992, a group of mostly British hip hop acts came together to perform for one cause, to raise awareness of AIDS.  This resulted in a concert which was filmed and shown on Channel 4.

It features many of the biggest names in British hip hop at that time, Hijack, Caveman, Cookie Crew and the Rebel MC alongside the headliner, Master Ace (yep, before he switched up his name spelling).  The live performances are interspersed by interviews with the artists.  Given that 20+ years have passed, these are as entertaining as the performances.  Hearing K-Sly telling people to wear a condom is somewhat odd, although highly commendable.  Also featured are 11:59, Tenor Fly, Barrington Levy, Ragga Twins, Nefateri and Apache Indian.

Ace In Action

HipHipDX recently sat down with Masta Ace for an up to date interview that explores his soon to be released collaboration with MF Doom, the current state of hip hop and he reflects on the 10 year anniversary of his classic LP Disposable Arts amongst other subjects.  Check it out.

http://www.hiphopdx.com/m/index.php?s=news&id=17549

Mike Check.

D-Nice TV

This is one channel on YouTube that you've got to check out.  It's hosted by D-Nice (from Boogie Down Productions) who is now a photographer and film maker as well as a DJ. 

D-Nice has come correct with a great little series of short documentaries with old skool artists, such as Big Daddy Kane, Buckshot, Sadat X, Masta Ace, Dana Dane, Kwame, Lords of the Underground and many more.  But what makes these videos different is that each interview starts with the artist recalling a classic, well known and well recited  rhyme from their back catalogue which they then break down and explain. 
Each lyric is carefully chosen to give the viewer an insightful, and generally unheard, history lesson from their early days of Hip Hop.  You'll find Monie Love talking about Kane hitting on her, Ace talking about how he was never meant to be on The Symphony and Sadat breaks down his classic verse from Punks Jump Up.  I'll let you discover the rest.... although I've embeded a small selection below :)

http://www.youtube.com/user/dnicetv

It's also worth taking a look at his website too.  He's got some brilliant photos of some of Hip Hop's greatest artists (old and new) that have been taken in modern times, but done in a contempory style and much removed from the usual publicity shots we're used to seeing.  It's great to see D-Nice is still a player in the game with a positive contribution, peace to D-Nice.

http://d-nice.com/

Blogwatch - September 2011

Chris Marco - Dubplates
September got off to a great start with Chris Marco releasing his Dubplates - Volume 3.  For anyone who isn't familiar with these, they're a mashup of reggae instrumentals and hip hop accapella's, all mixed exceptionally well by Chris Marco.  And what makes this even better is, it's a free download! 
I'm not normally a fan of this type of mix (mostly because they're not usually executed particularly well), but this stuff is top notch and could easily be legitimate, alternative, remixes from the original 12".  Featuring classic tunes from Masta Ace, Special Ed & Buckshot, MC Lyte, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Mos Def and plenty more.

And if you like this, then check out volumes 1 and 2 that are still available for download.  Volume 1 is a King Tubby vs Wu-Tang mashup, and Volume 2 is a Bob Marley vs Jay-Z mashup.

http://chrismacro.com/vol3-available-now


Kool Keith Interview

Yup, the legend that is Kool Keith gives an insightful interview into how it all began for him, starting out with Ultramagnetic and he also breaks down many of his solo albums since. Check out the full interview along with a Flac download of the The Four Horsemen album over at Olas Un Bekons blog:

http://www.olasunbekons.com/2011/09/ultramagnetic-mcs-four-horsemen-1993.html


6th Annual Zulu Nation anniversary mixtape
I don't know what year this is from, but it's certainly going to take you a long way back in time. It features Cosmic Force, Sha Rock, Lisa Lee and the L-Brothers and lasts for about 30 minutes. It's a rip from an old tape, but for me that just adds to the authenticity of the sound, it sounds just like it used to when I was a kid!

http://old-school-hiphop-tapes.blogspot.com/2011/08/6th-annual-zulu-nation-anniversary-with.html


N.W.A. - Live from 1989
My boy Jsta has just uploaded a nice little rarity on his West Coast/Ruthless Records blog. Jsta is proving that he is still the king of the G Funk by uploading this rare concert recorded in 1989. He rightly points out that N.W.A. were banned from performing in most places, so any live recordings of their early material are very rare.

Even if N.W.A. isn't your thing, it's worth checking out his blog as you won't find a better source for old skool West Coast hip hop. He's also extremely picky (in a nice way!) about audio quality, so his rips are always top notch.

http://phuk-tha-muthaphukkin-police.blogspot.com/2008/11/nwa-live-in-anaheim-california-live.html


New Masta Ace LP
Masta Ace has announced that he's completed his collaboration album with MF Doom and it's set for a November release date. The project is titled MA Doom: Son of Yvonne (which unsurprisingly follows in the same naming style as MF Doom's previous collaboration titles). The format of the album will be MF Doom on production using beats that he previously released on his Special Herbs series, and Masta Ace providing vocals. This raises an eyebrow as to what Doom's involvement has actually been? Is this more of a mixtape or mash up than a true collaboration? I don't know, but I'm always happy to hear new material from Ace, so let's hope this doesn't disappoint.

When asked whether there will be any guest appearances on the album, Ace replied "only one, Big Daddy Kane, that's it". Is this a sign that Kane is upping his profile in preparation for a release date for his new album The Last Supper (his first album in 13 years!)?



Artful Dodger Presents - Get The Message
Style Warrior has shared this great little graffiti documentary from one of the UK's graffiti legends, Artful Dodger (aka A. DEE).  What makes this documentary a little different, is that it's not about showcasing Dodger's artwork, or a range of different pieces from around the UK.  Instead, Dodger explores graffiti culture as a whole.
The documentary lasts about 2 hours and contains many memorable clips from the past, such as appearances on Hart Beat, newspaper clippings, interviews etc.  I'm not sure when this film was produced, but I'd make an educated  guess at around 1995-1996.

http://stylewarrioruk.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/artful-dodger-presents-get-the-message/

Blogwatch - August 2011

Well, August has been a quiet month across many blogs and there's not been a great deal that I'd shout about (or take the time to share with you), but hopefully these two little gems will prove that quality is better then quantity.  I doubt many can argue that these two pieces of news are music to most people's ears.


Masta Ace Documentary
Yep, you did just read the title correctly.  What makes this good news even better, is that DJ Premier is producing the soundtrack for it.  Check out more details over at the DJ Premier blog.
http://www.djpremierblog.com/2011/08/11/dj-premier-producing-the-soundtrack-for-upcoming-masta-ace-documentary/

Premo Produced Rakim LP!
The second great piece of news coming from the DJ Premier blog this month is that Rakim is working on a new album and Premo is producing it.  Now, this collaboration is probably around 15 years over due and most people probably can't understand why this project hasn't already happened as it's a no brainer for both artists.  Check the video for more details:

Blogwatch - June 2011

(What a great rework of a classic King T album cover)

Well, another month passes us by and as the weather starts to heat up, so does my monthly round up of all the best features from across the many blogs and websites that the internet offers us.  June was a pretty good month with a variety of gems:

Masta Ace Interview
This was written a couple of years back, but I've only just stumbled upon it and as its a timeless interview it's just as interesting today as it was back then.  Ace reflects on some of his back catalogue, Kane getting dissed at his own birthday party, working with other artists and a whole bunch of other ish!  Get stuck in.
http://www.unkut.com/2008/08/masta-ace-the-unkut-interview/

Big L's brother insists the movie will be released this year
For any Big L fan, this documentary is long overdue.  L's bigga bro gives the low down on what we should expect when the documentary is finally released.
http://www.sohh.com/2011/05/big_ls_brother_still_street_struck_despi.html?

King Tee - Going Way Back
Money B (you know, the guy from Raw Fusion and Digital Underground) does a regular radio spot on Rapstation.com called Going Way Back where he only plays material released before 1999.  This month he caught up with west coast legend King Tee from the Likwit Crew.  Check out his podcast for an hours worth of classic King Tee cuts and an interview.  For the full track list follow the link.
http://moneyb69.podomatic.com/entry/2011-06-15T02_01_49-07_00

DJ Lord Ron - Black Moon Dedication
DJ Lord Ron of the mighty Zulu Nation has put together a nice little Black Moon dedication mix.  It's a free download and worth checking out if you're a Buckshot fan.
http://preservingtheculture.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/preserving-the-culture-mix9-by-d-j-lord-ronblack-moon-dedication-6-20-11/

Cronite feat. Masta Ace - Sick of it all

Masta Ace double bill - Part 2.

I'm not familiar with Cronite, all I know is that he's a German based Croation emcee who's been in the game for nearly two decades.  He's got several albums under his belt but it's his latest offering 'Magnum Opus', that is reaching far beyond his native Germany (it's available on Amazon.com if you're interested in previewing/purchasing it).

This particular tune dates back to late 2006, but for the most part it seems that it's gone completely under people's radar.  Which is a shame, because the beats are nice, Ace completely kills his verse, and although Cronite maybe isn't the most distinguish emcee he can certainly spit and he has something to say.

Ace's verse is of particular interest on this track for several reasons.  He partially flips his usual distinctive style and as a result he sounds a little like a hybrid version of himself and Royce 5' 9", but it works well. 
His lyrical style and content bears close resemblance to that of his partner Strick on the EMC track Git Sum featuring Sean Price.  On that track Strick spits:

I don't give a fuck about the guns that you're not blasting

and I don't really care about the cheques that you're not cashing

or the chicks, you know, the one's that you're not smashing

I fuck around and punk all you cats but I'm not Ashton

Compare that to Ace's lyrics on Cronite's track:

I'm sick of rappers claiming their hot when they're really not

I'm sick of rappers bragging about shit they ain't really got

These cats stay rapping about cars they don't own

I'm sick of rappers bragging about models they don't bone

However, keep in mind that Cronite's track was laid in 2006, so it pre dates EMC's Git Sum by 2 years as EMC didn't release their collaboration album The Show until 2008.  I'm not suggesting that Strick was biting from Ace and it's only a few lines rather than a whole verse or style, but it really stands out and it's possibly a good example of the close similarities between the members of EMC and why they gel together so well.

The rhyme highlight on this track has to come from Masta Ace who perfectly sums up commercial radio in one line:

I'm sick of radio playing the same 23 songs

by artists with careers shorter than Mini Me's arms!

Digest and enjoy.

Marco Polo & Masta Ace - Nostalgia (HD)

This is Part 1 of a Masta Ace double bill - you lucky peeps :0)

Ok, I acknowledge that this tune isn't new, and neither is the video, but for me it is one of the dopest productions in recent years that I've never got tired of hearing.  And now it's available in glorious high definition, yipee!

Marco Polo's production is outstanding and really shows that the appeal of old skool hip hop isn't lost forever and that good quality 'new skool' music can still be produced which has that retro feel but appeals to all skools.  Ace is unquestionably a legend in the game that will always bless any mic, but on this track his style and delivery are complimented perfectly by Marco's production.  In fact I'm surprised these two haven't been inspired to do a lot more work together, a collaborative LP would be the icing on the cake.

So, kick back, hit the full screen button and enjoy a high-def modern classic...........

What does it take to make you whyl?

For most people a can of Brasso inhaled rapidly will do the trick, for Ace, Buckshot and Special Ed, living in Crooklyn was enough. A classic video where you can almost smell the crime, of which Special Ed seems to be particularly aware as he spends most of his verse looking round like he wished the car they were tied to was travelling much, much faster. And he was inside it!

Three legends on the microphone in my opinion, i feel in particular that Special Ed didn't get his props. He had a very different style, which sounds as fresh now as it does then, and was always positive on the microphone, without making the listening feel that they'd accidentally walked into a sermon staffed by an overbearing local youth worker.

Ace was, and continues to be, one of my favourite. His lyrics were always on point, his stories always kept me interested and painted a picture that invited the listener into his world and offered you a comfy seat next to the TV. His first album, 'Take a Look Around' is a very good place to start if you fancy catching some of his insightful rhymes. Musically he was very versatile, so if this doesn't fit the bill for you, one of his later masterpieces might!

Buckshot has a flow that is instantly recognisable, and its great to see him still recording today with all manner of noted producers. 9th Wonder in particular suited his style i felt.

Firearm to your, i'm sure, gorgeous face, who would you chose as you your favourite of all time? I have to stay that is the second hardest question after, would you like to be buried or cremated? I still don't have an answer to either. Do you have any thoughts? Primarily to the first one really. I don't have a particular interest in the second unless i'm apologising profusely through teary eyes and your legs are sticking out awkwardly from under my car.

If you are interested in a copy of the video, here it is:

Crooklyn Dodgers (35mb)

New Masta Ace & Edo G Video