The Return of Hot Chillin'

Back in 2007, the early days of the "limited" game, a new record label entered the scene, run by none other than the man himself, Marley Marl. One of the greatest, if not the greatest, hip-hop producers of all time releasing unreleased Juice Crew classics restored from the original masters from his very own vaults? There's no reason to ask questions - anything Hot Chillin' puts out is an immediate essential.

Like with 2009's Juice Crew EP, though, Hot Chillin' is more of an imprint than the actual label doing the releasing. It's still a never-before released, vintage Juice Crew hit directly from Marley's vaults, but this time the pressing, distribution etc are being handled by a new partner, Roots Forward Records, marking their first release. And for a beginning label, you can't ask for a better first release than a cracking, unreleased Craig G song from 1987.

But is it vintage? Other sites covering this 7" are playing it safe and just skating entirely around this issue, but fuck it; I'm going to tackle it. It's been brought up by multiple heads that this song "sounds too new" to be legit (remember Top Shelf 8/8/88?). Of course in many ways it sounds old - his flow is straight out of "The Symphony" rather than anything he's kicking nowadays. And the drums (more on them later) are classic Marley alright - right down tot he fact that he's used them before. And Marley has 'fessed up to reusing drums on multiple records that did get released, so it's hardly unlikely that you'd hear the same break in an unreleased joint from his vaults. If it's newly recorded, it was definitely meant to fool us.

But the argument is that it sounds "too clean," too "glossy" to be 25 years old, and to be honest it really kinda does. I mean, you gotta remember, 1987 would put this right after "Oh! Veronica" and "Transformer," which are absolutely primitive by comparison. And now, nothing on Roots Forward's site, Facebook, Soundcloud etc. state exactly what year this song is from... they just say "pulled from the vaults of the legendary Marley Marl;" but that doesn't mean anything date-wise - he could've recorded it and put it in his vault yesterday. Bloggers and vloggers are saying "'88" a lot, but I can't figure out where they're getting that year from. I found an old facebook announcement from Roots Forward that specifies, "from the golden era," and that's it.

Well, the controversy was enough for me to take it to Twitter and ask the man himself, @MC_Craig_G. And he replied back, "Nah it's a song from 1987." Assuming for a minute that it's not a Top Shelf-style hoax, Craig shouts out "buyin' records on Cold Chillin'," so it's gotta be before 1989, because Craig signed to Atlantic, not Cold Chillin' like the majority of the Juice Crew. At the end of the day, it still has an unexpectedly smooth sound to it, but I don't see firm enough grounds to accuse anyone of faking the funk (and, after all, Marley has tons of genuine unreleased heat is his vaults, why would he mock one up?). And, just like with Top Shelf 8/8/88 - even if it IS a fake; it's an awesome fake that sounds great and I'd have to have it in my collection even if it was newly recorded! :)

Now, until some new, concrete info comes forward, I'd say the case is closed... even if that may not to be everyone's satisfaction. So let's put it behind us and talk about what a neat, little record this is!

The joint's a banger, with - as I said - Craig G in full "Symphony" mode over a hot break-beat from Dexter Wansel. You surely remember "Theme From the Planets" being used to awesome effect in records like "In Control" by Sway and Tech, "Last Night" by Kid N Play, "Gutfest '89" by Digital Underground, the "Understand Me, Vanessa" remix by Anttex and "Tuffest Man Alive" by The Fila Fresh Crew. But unlike those songs which take practically the whole instrumental - which always sounds incredible - this one stops short, only using the opening drum loop. Like I said before, it's one Marley used famously elsewhere - after the big programmed drums at the opening, which Eric (cough cough, Marley) B keeps on top for the whole song - this is the drum loop he brings in for Eric B & Rakim's "I Ain't No Joke."

But then he flips it to a whole new direction, and brings in a smooth, head-nodding piano loop, helped quietly along by some atmospheric synth sounds in the background. And there's just some very simple, subtle scratching of a Rakim vocal sample ("tear it - tear it up") for the hook. In fact, it kinda sounds too subtle for '87... Uh-oh, wait; let's not go there again!

This record is limited to 300 hand-numbered copies; 100 pressed on clear (clear) vinyl, and 200 on black. As you can see, mine's clear and #17. It's not too unreasonably priced at $20, though that's a bit high considering this is just a 7", as opposed to a proper 12" (probably the only reason they haven't already sold out by now). Those of us who pre-ordered it over the holidays also received a nice, little bonus: a mix CD of disco-era Christmas rap songs,, including even one or two I wasn't hip to. Definitely appreciate that.

After all due consideration, this record has both my support and recommendation. And there seem to be both clear and black copies still available, so if you haven't already, I'd suggest dropping by the Roots Forward store and grabbing yourself a copy.And as for the future, Roots Forward has already announced four upcoming vinyl projects, including "the 2nd label release which will be an early 90?s gem being released again as a limited edition 7" single." And Hot Chillin'? Well, it's been ages, but they still have a page promoting their next release, HC003: Marley and Premier mixes of that wonderful tribute to Mr. Magic that was released mp3-only in 2009. Man, I hope that still happens!

Update 1/6/12: - Just heard from Roots Forward. According to Marley, the song is from 1988.

Sluts, Muppets and MC Craig G

In 1985, a B-side took off that almost managed to rival "Roxanne, Roxanne" in infamy. The Bad Boys featuring K-Love dropped their second single, "Mission" on Starlite Records. But it was the B-side, "Veronica," with the timeless "Oh, Veronica, Veronica; oh, Veronica girl" hook that everybody spun. Everybody except the radio stations, that is, because the song was filthy:

"She's a lovely lady, and she loves to fuck;
So I said, 'yo, Veronica;' she said, 'what's up?'
Said, 'girl, tell me something, if you're not a slut,
Then what's that thing, sticking up your butt?'"

And that's probably the only reason it didn't totally eclipse the "Roxanne" saga it was no doubt inspired by (it dropped in the middle of the whole "Roxanne wars" saga). Remember, 1985 was well before NWA and The 2 Live Crew*, and just after the controversy with Prince that lead to explicit lyrics warning stickers on albums. This is the original "talking nasty about a girl over a human beatbox" track that really changed the whole direction of hip-hop, from blatant rip-offs, like Just-Ice's "That Girl Is a Slut" to... a whole legacy of dirty raps. The fact that they spit it all over a crazy hip-hop version of Sesame Street's "Mahna Mahna" song just made the whole thing that much more bugged out and attracted more attention. Really, you had to feel sorry for any teenage girl named Veronica back in 1985.

So of course there had to be an answer record.

In 1986, Pop Art Records put out the female spin on the story of Veronica with "Oh! Veronica" by a duo called The Glamour Girls (their first and last record). And they actually got the same guy who produced the original, Tony D (not Tony D from NJ who produced The Poor Righteous Teachers, but the Tony D who Serch dissed on "Gasface"). But I guess they figured, if you're make the opposite of record featuring a group of guys rapping with a female beatbox, you didn't just need female MCs, but a male beatbox. So, even though Tony D regularly worked with K Love on his records, he brought in someone else for this one... he brought in MC Craig G.

Yes, that MC Craig G, the Juice Crew All Star. He's featured on this record, but only as a beatbox. The rapping is left entirely to the girls, who recount their own version of what happened when The Bad Boys met Veronica: "we were chillin' with Veronica, just hangin' out, When we met The Bad Boys - nothin' to brag about." But, interestingly, while they do use the opportunity to take a playful shot at the original "Veronica" rappers, they actually offer the same opinion of the fictitious Veronica that the Bad Boys had: she's just a huge slut. The verse ends, explaining what happened, "they thought they were slick; they all started illin'. Laid Veronica, now they're getting penicillin!"

I mean, usually when you have an answer record to a song like that, the idea is: sure, that's how so and so told you it was, but here's how it really happened! But this is an unusual case we're they're on message - they actually agree with the initial group's assessment. But then they wind up turning an easy excuse to tell "that girl's so slutty" quips into something a little more fun: hiking on the Boys for their inability to handle her:

"Bizzy walked in and he was coppin' a plea.
He said, 'I'm still a virgin; please don't hurt me!'
He went into a panic, and started to cry;
She said, 'it's okay, Bizzy, send in the next guy."

This version forgoes the Muppet music, and replaces it with a fresh whistle (sort of along the lines of the famous Good, Bad and the Ugly whistle) over a big, programmed beat (this was 1986, after all) and a lot of simple but loud scratching. And, no. No human beatboxing.

Craig G isn't on the Radio, Long or Instrumental versions of the song... the ones that most people are probably familiar with and that wind up on all the compilations. They save his contribution for a specific Beat Box mix which eschews the whole instrumental. It's all just Craig's mouth-made beats and Tony's cuts.

So, yeah, like I said, this was the one and only Glamour Girls record. At least together - the girls themselves both went on to other things. One of the MCs, Glamorous, went on to become an official Juice Crew member herself, featuring on the songs "Evolution" and "Juice Crew All Stars." She's still around, too, check out a track she dropped this year. And the other girl? She went on to release a string of hits by the name of none other than Sweet Tee; and more recently came back as Suga on The Show soundtrack. And if I have to tell you what Craig G went on to do, I think you're on the wrong blog. ...That's the (other) great thing about sluts - they wind up giving birth to so many interesting people! ;)


*Actually, technically, the 2 Live Crew was around back then... But it was before they hooked up with Luke & Brother Marquis and became controversial by rapping about sex.

Sharper Than Your Kitchen Shit

You know a label is rugged when they misspell their own name on their record label. Well today we've got Stratus (or Sratus, depending where on the label you look) bringing us the raw with a dope, indie NYC 12" from the 90's. This is the first and I believe only release by Strippoker (and indeed the only release on Stratus), titled "Reign Supreme." To be honest, I hadn't heard of it until I stumbled across it being sold cheap online. It features Craig G, so I figured worst case scenario, I'd be padding out by Juice Crew collection a little more. But no, turns out this is hot.

It's a three-song 12", and all three are produced by Art Well Smart, a name I've never heard of and that does not inspire confidence. But whoever he is, he's provided three simple but solid street-level beats. The A-side, "Reign Supreme," features Craig G, DV Shines, and DJ Sinista - possibly Mista Sinista from The X-Men? Anyway, it comes in three versions: Street, Radio and Instrumental, and it's a winner. The beat features your standard hard drums and bass with a nice Spanish guitar loop, some atmospheric samples, and killer, creative scratches on the hook. All three MCs come nice, but Craig G steals the show with some surprisingly tough lyrics:

"My words are sharper than your kitchen shit.
I'm a Mac-11, fifty shot clip in it,
Hollow point rhymes blazed down your block -
Nobody witnessed it!"

The first B-side is "QB To CO" [I believe that's referring to Corona in Queens NY, not Colorado], which also comes in Street, Radio and Instrumental versions. It's not quite as good as "Reign Supreme" - it's short a killer verse from Craig and without the nice cuts from Sinista, the track isn't quite as compelling - but it comes close. It's got a cool piano loop which reminds me of some early Jedi Mind Tricks material, but with a nice scratchy old sax sample on the hook. The label doesn't credit anybody, but there's a second MC on this song as well (maybe DV Shines again?). Whoever he is, he and Strippoker actually comes a little tighter on this track than the last one, I think:

"I be where the crooks and the thieves rest,
Crackin' St. Thug and puffin' on mad bless.
If you got beef, we be comin' to your address,
Runnin' in ya crib with the gats, 'causin' madness."

The last song is a little bit lighter, and only comes in one version: "Black James Bond." In the tradition of classic songs like "I Go To Work" and "I'm Large," this is another hip-hop track that incorporates James Bond theme music into a hip-hop beat. Lyrically, he's mostly just busting more ill freestyle rhymes ("I wet niggas up like girls' drinks") rather than any crazy "The Mission"-type Bond stories, but it's a fun track regardless.

It's a shame this 12" seems to be so slept on, 'cause it's a definite winner. So it's a real disappointment there was no follow-up. But considering most people (myself included) didn't even know this one existed, I guess we should just add this nice sticker cover to our crates and be happy. :)

Some More CD Only Bonus Tracks

Craig G's second LP, Now, That's More Like It, was really good. But the CD was even better... by three whole songs! Still on Atlantic Records, Craig and Marley Marl were back (with a little help from Salaam Remi) in '91 with a unique but fresh sound. Granted, two of the songs were more than a little too new jack swing-ish for many tastes ("Girls" and "I Want To Be In Luv"), but there's really nothing else to complain about on this album. And fortunately, the three additional tracks don't break that record.

All three are produced by Marley, and none of them are on swing tip. They're strictly freestyle battle-rap type songs over fresh but hard beats.

The first is called "Swiftness." The track uses some funky, unusual drums and a cool horn loop. There's a little scratching on the hook, and Craig dedicates three verses of skill flexing "to all the MCs who that I couldn't get with it."

Next is "Live Off the Top." Like the title suggests, he rocks freestyle off-the-dome for the whole song. The beat is a solid head-nodder with rhythm scratches, hand-claps and a short but crispy horn sample. The rhymes feel a little looser than on the rest of the album, 'cause they're not written, but the production is layered enough that it really feels like a proper song rather than just a bonus freestyle.

Finally is "Going for the Throat." This is the one that gets the most attention, 'cause it's his infamous MC Shan diss. The track is cool - it uses a familiar old school funk-guitar sample, but changes up the drum and adds another sample, putting a new twist on an old standby. But of course, the first fifty times you listen to this, you probably won't even pay attention to the beat and just focus on Craig's vicious disses of Shan:

"It seems a brother that I went way back wit
Is coming out the woodwork, talkin' shit.
At first it didn't mean all that,
'Cause he was washed up and strung out on crack.
Freebase. His life was a waste to the rap world;
Nobody cared about him or his wack girl.
So, yo, I took it in stride,
And continued with the rest of my life.
Until recently, he showed some form of indecency:
Went in a magazine and tried to release on me.
Huh. But now it's the last straw;
I'm gonna wreck him and everything he stands for.
...
Go wash windows, that should be your career;
I could give a fuck about what you pioneered.
Straight up, that don't mean shit.
So won't you take your vine and swing the fuck off a cliff!
Yeah. I mean business;
Don't ever in your life try to diss this,
'Cause, punk, I'll rip you to shreads,
And mail your record company your head.
Hmph! I know it sounds a little graphic...
I heard your album's double plastic."

Shan came back at Craig on "Even If I Tore It," a B-side-only song from a 12" I covered recently, but Craig's disses were more vicious. Interestingly, though, Craig's second verse is the same verse he kicked on his classic duet with Tragedy, "Live and Direct From the House of Hits." It's essentially word for word, except Shan's name is occasionally added. So for instance, the line "slow down, kid, before you enter a speed trap" becomes, "slow down, Shan, before you enter a speed trap."

So these tracks aren't so obscure or overlooked as the Whistle ones I covered the other day. In fact, because of them, the CD tends to cost a pretty penny nowadays. But it's worth picking up, because they really enhance and already great album.