Today marks the anniversary of the death of Paul C in 1989 (it also would have been Guru's 50th Birthday!).
Any respectable hip hop head who was 'living hip hop' in the late 80's and very early 90's will now know who Paul C was (if ya don't know, then this is a must read). I say 'now know' because at that time he wasn't a big name commercially. He was the guy behind the scenes, the man behind the desk, the dude whose name appeared in the small footnotes in the bottom corner on the back of the album cover. He was largely unknown.
How someone who was so instrumental in progressing the art of production and taking things to that next level could be so overlooked is beyond comprehension.
It was only later on, after his murder, that ordinary folk really started to understand just how talented and influential Paul C was. He was completely ahead of his time, he was an innovator and creator, and he fully deserves his place in hip hop history alongside Herc, Bambaataa, Flash, Marley Marl etc. Many of the artists he worked with at that time knew of his skills and recognised that he was a pioneer, but this respect and recognition didn't really extend to the record buying public. Mainly because his name wasn't always shown in the credits.
Fortunately, in 2001 Dave Tompkins spent 3 months researching the story of Paul C and put together this fascinating, absorbing and compelling narrative. This has got to be the most concise collection of facts and recollections about someone who is largely undocumented.
With contributions from Ultramagnetic, Rahzel, Large Professor, Pharoah Monch, Prince Po and many more, this is about as close to a biography or written documentary as we're ever likely to get.
I'm not going to dwell on this any further as Tompkins' article tells you everything you need to know and a lot more besides. He sets the scene, he takes you right back to that time and he puts you in the mindset of those who were there. It's not a quick read, so grab a drink and a snack and absorb yourself in some classic hip hop history. You're hip hop knowledge will be expanded by the end of it!
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!
(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/
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
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.
This is a nice little rarity to share with you. In fact it's so rare I can't tell you that much about it! As it's a promo DVD it's not going to be listed or reviewed on any credible music related website or online store, and I can't seem to find any further info in any forums either. So it's left to me to give you the low down on what to expect from it.
From what I can tell it was produced in early 2004 to promote his Die Rugged Man Die LP. The first music video on this promo is for the hidden track at the end of his album called I Should'a Never. Although this video can be seen on YouTube it has been censored due to the explicit content. This DVD has the fully uncensored version which besides the female nudity, it also has scenes of R.A. removing his brain with a fork and various other provocative and suggestive imagery.
In many respects this is just what you'd expect from an R.A. video, his style and comedic approach are as prominent here as they ever have been. However, this is from a time that isn't too far after his Crustified Dibbs era and so his rhyming style is the old, and less impressive, technique. Whereas his latest reinvention with his verb flipping, tongue tieing, machine gun lyrics (as displayed here in one of my earlier posts) is definitively unique to R.A. and puts him firmly at the top of his game.
We're then blessed with a great little interview with Bobbito (of Stretch & Bobbito fame) where he talks about their history on the radio and his early beginings etc. But this is followed by a series of bizarre film reviews with his girlfriend (he was writting movie reviews at that time). R.A. showcases numerous retro B movies from his collection which all seems a bit pointless until he explains the title of his unreleased 1994 debut LP when he went under the Crustified Dibbs persona.
There is also a trailer for what he describes as his own (soon to be released) movie called The Landlord Stretcher, but its actually a video for the rare track American Lowlife.
For a promo DVD it's very nice. Promo's DVD's usually consist of one (two if you're lucky) full length music videos to promote a single or album. But this is much better as it's running time is 42 minutes long!
This isn't the kind of video that you'll watch time and time again, but if you're a collector of music videos, particularly the rarer stuff, then this is worth having purely for the uncencorsed version of I Should'a Never which I've not seen anywhere else (until now!).
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!
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...........
Like most hip hop bloggers, I keep an eye on a number of other blogs to feed my own interests and to ensure that our standards are up there with the very best of ‘em. Every now and then I stumble across something that is so good I feel the need to share it with you, but the reality is I never actually get round to it. But all that is about to change, as I bring to you a monthly update showcasing the best that other blogs have to offer.
The month of May has been pretty good to me with plenty of interesting finds. Here is the cream of the crop:
Lord Finesse Interview
The Funky Man reflects on the historic battle between him and Percee P in 1989, but what makes this great interview even more amazing is that the battle was filmed and the footage is at the end of the interview. Enjoy some rare and classic history. Thanks to Thun for finding this little gem. http://www.egotripland.com/interview-lord-finesse/
Mike Allen interview
If you grew up listening to hip hop in the UK in the 1980’s then the name Mike Allen should be familiar to you. Mike was like an John Peel of hip hop and kind of like the complete opposite of Tim Westwood! He did so much to bring the music to the masses at a time when nobody was playing it. You simply must read this interview he did with The Essex Rockerz, he’s a legend. http://www.stylewarrior.co.uk/pdf/MikeAlleninterview.pdf
New Blog
For those who are still mourning the end of the brilliant Underground Strikes Back blog, fear not, a replacement has arisen from the ashes. Check out http://pieandears.blogspot.com for your fix of B-boy and graffiti related content, but this time it comes with an injection of comical additives too!
Hopefully that little lot should keep you busy for a while (it did me!). If you spot any great interviews, rare mixtapes, or anything else that is interesting then shout up and we'll add it to next months update.
These Campers were a couple of smooth fellows. Fresh from a meticulously planned armed robbery, resplendent with pre-purchased masks, straight into your local greasy spoon for a cholesterol caper that is so dangerous that the staff go back into the seventies to serve it! That is how they spent Saturdays. Makes my lay in until three o'clock seem like a complete waste of time!
Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede must have been pleased with the reviews their first album "Uptown Saturday Night' garnered. It was a slice of Bronx dopeness that didn't trouble heads with yet more of the grimy plagiarism that seemed to plague the era and leave you feeling like one one rapper was at work in the whole of NY for that particularly period, and he was gargling with gravel. Funk, funk funk was the order of the day; props from peers and critics alike flowed, no doubt seduced by the charismatic duo's effortless rhyming and the sheer variety of instrumentation/samples used. If you don't have a copy, i would suggest that you head over to your local record shop, curse that you completely forgot it closed, and succumb inevitably to the great CD rack in the sky at Amazon.
The link below will furnish you with a copy of their crossover hit 'Lucini' that troubled the Billboard charts as i recall at the time. Sadly a couple of mediocre albums followed, with only the odd guest appearance to remind us of what was. However rumour has it that they are still recording and a certain Peter Rock is behind the boards!!
This is a corker of an interview, a blog review and a free download all in a single update. Don't say that we don't spoil you every now and then.
If you're not already aware of Werner Von Wallenrod's Humble Little Hip Hop Blog then you need to check it out. Werner is a hip hop nerd, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. He knows his hip hop inside out, back to front, upside down and from many other angles that you've never seen. Think of him as a human hip hop encyclopedia - a Wernerpedia!
If there are various versions of a single, then Werner is the type of guy who will track down each version and draw his comparisons. He is a true collector, so he knows the minuscule details of every item within his collection including the writing and production credits, the different labels, the history etc. You get my point.
He also publishes his videos on his Youtube channel so that you can hear for yourself some of the rarer and more obscure releases from his collection before you track them down for yourself.
Now in case that wasn't enough inspiration to go and visit his blog, then this might persuade you. He has just interviewed Kool G Rap. Thankfully Werner stays away from all the usual interview cliches and gets down to some really interesting stuff that seems to surprise Kool G himself. But I'm not going to spoil anything here, go check it out for yourself.
And to top things off, if you follow the interview right to the end, you'll find a link to download G Rap's Offer You Can't Refuse EP for FREE! So what are you waiting for?
