Murder Fam "Exclusive"

You know, I've given J-Love some (well deserved) shit on this blog for his mix-CDs, but I do have to give him his due. He's not a bad producer who's worked with some of the best MCs and facilitated a lot of music from them. He's got his fair share of criticisms coming to him, but the hip-hop scene would not have been better off without him.

Case in point: this little under-the-radar white label, titled "Murder Fam." It's one of a series of split 12"s he did with production partner Ric Nice. It's got no year on it, but other entries in the series came out in 2001, so it's safe to say this came then, give or take a year. It's just two mixes of one song (albeit with Dirty, Clean and Instrumental versions of each), one produced by J and one by Ric.

It's not "Greatest Hits" material or anything, but it's a a rugged little gem by Kool G. Rap, Jinx da Juvy (not Sir Jinx, as discogs would have us believe) and an underground MC by Ike Infa Diamond. Jinx had done a couple collaborations with G Rap around that time for his Giancana Stories album... in fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this is another one of the many outtakes from that album.

It's a simple drum and bass line with a couple hot samples on it, a pure example of the New York crime rap genre. G Rap easily spits it sickest verse (and no, I'm pretty sure it hasn't been recycled anywhere), but the other two MCs try hard enough to copy his violent-mafioso-raps-twisted-into-mindbending-exercises-of-ill-wordplay style to hold up the rest of the record. The hook's just a simple vocal sample repeated a few times ("a man's gotta live up to his word") and a short, chanted refrain.

The Ric Nice mix is essentially the same but with a different sample or two. It's got a cool barrel drum sound, but otherwise the doesn't really hit as hard, especially the hook that just uses a high-pitched violin loop behind the chorus. It's good, though, and I'd be perfectly content with it if the A-side didn't exist.

Of course, J-Love recently threw this on one of his hacky mix-CDs, if you feel like hearing it in terrible sound quality with lazy radio blends at each end and J's "exclusive" name droppings all over it. Personally, I hope to never ever hear another song in that excruciating manner again in my life though; so I was happy to pick up this 12". I suggest you do the same. 8)

Top Artists of the decade

So after looking at the best albums, It is only right to just give a little attention to the top artists of the time period. Not much to say other than the sum total of their work over the period is taken into consideration along with their actual skill and influence over the hip-hop community.1. Jay-zlol it's a no brainer, since 1995/96 Jay has been constant on the scene and while we can debate

WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED ULTRAMAGNETIC BOOTLEG RELEASES

In 1994, Tuff City released The Basement Tapes 1984-1990 by The Ultramagnetic MC's (which Ced Gee refers to as volume 1 on the CD), a pretty self-explanatory compilation of some dope unreleased material. And in 1996, they released they released a second volume, New York What Is Funky. It was then that Kool Keith felt compelled to speak out, issuing a statement on the label of his Big Willie Smith 12" "Prepare" on his own Funky Ass Records. In fact, he did it twice, following up the message with a similar one on his "Don't Crush It" single (from Sex Style).

"WARNING: DO NOT BUY ANY ULTRAMAGNETIC RELEASES ON TUFF CITY RECORDS THEY ARE UNAUTHORIZED BOOTLEGS." And, yes, those are some interesting labels.

Tuff City kept on anyway, releasing albums until 1998, totaling four (and a fifth announced, but it was just a live album, so it would've been nice, but probably not such a great loss). Now, I mentioned "On the CD" above, because the CD version of each album is different than the vinyl versions. Sometimes the sequencing is different, but the key difference is that each CD has at least two bonus tracks not included on the LP. Here's a proper breakdown of those:

*The Basement Tapes 1984-1990: "Ced-G, Tim Dog (Lab Free Style)" and "Ya Not That Large"

*New York What Is Funky: "Tim Dog Live On Capital Radio" and "I Like Your Style" (an alternate mix of the song that was featured on Funk Your Head Up)

*Mo Love's Basement Tapes: "Kool Keith Wild," "Wack MC's," "Freestyle" and "D To the N"

*Smack My Bitch Up: "Nervous" and "Talkin' Out Your Ass (Remix)" (the original of which was on Mo Love's Basement Tapes)

There were also two 12" singles on Tuff City with songs from these releases, one of which included the otherwise CD-only bonus track, "Ya Not That Large." (Remember, you can get the full track-listings for both 12"s and both versions of each album on my UltraMagnetic discography page).

Another key difference is that the first two volumes featured intermittent narration by Ced Gee, telling you (briefly) the history of some of the songs. If you're a vinyl purist, but want to get a sense of what that was like, check out that aforementioned "I'm Fuckin' Flippin'" 12" with "Ya Not That Large On" on the B-side... they include Ced's explanation narration for that song there, where he explains why the song cuts out in the middle (because the engineer was "gettin' weeded").

And the last difference is that, on the back cover of the 1998 Smack By Bitch Up CD (it's not anywhere on the LP), Tuff City finally responded to Keith's label shots with one of their own:
"Don't Believe the Gripe: Kool Keith Cashes Tuff City Checks." From what I recall, there was never any question that they might actually be straight up bootlegs, but that Ced Gee perhaps sold the material to Tuff City without including the other members. Davey D paraphrased a radio interview, where Keith explained, "producer Ced Gee had fallen onto some hard times [he's hooked on crack] and had done some very hurtful things to the group in an attempt to satisfy his habit. One of the things he did was sell the groups old studio out takes and practice songs to Tuff City Records. Tim Dog explained that the label owner Aaron Fuchs then put out a 'fake' Ultramagnetic MCs album. Not only was he issuing old studio out takes as songs, but he also scanned some pictures and with the aid of adobe photoshop had created an album cover which depicted the group alongside a guy they didn't even know. Kool Keith explained he had no idea when the photos were taken... and what's ironic the 'unknown' member of the group was just as shocked as Kool Keith to see himself on the cover. Entitled 'New York What Is Funky'.. Tim Dog explained as he shook his head that the lp with it's sub par recording made the group look bad and it's sad that folks will go so far to make a buck..."

I believe Kool Keith has since recanted the "crack" comment. Certainly, Tim Dog told Vinyl Addicts that, "to my knowledge Ced Gee was never on crack. But I once made a reference to the way he sold the music to Aaron Fuchs like a crack head. Basically a crack head would sell your moms TV which costs 500 euro and sell it for 50 because they’re desperate. So I made that reference to Ced Gee," which I think explains that rumor away.

But it's worth noting that while Tuff City responded that Keith had indeed gotten paid, they didn't say that 'till 1998 (remember, Keith called them out in 1996), so it's possible they only finally squared it away with Keith and them after two years. Anyway, TR Love gave a less sensationalistic account of what happened years later in an interview with Unkut, which I'm inclined to believe is a little more accurate, "Actually, those tapes had gotten stolen and got in to the wrong hands, and when Ced found out he immediately thought he needed to get it out there, so he started doing The Basement Tapes. There was rumour goin’ around that Ced was on drugs, this, that and the third, that’s why he was sellin’ the tapes – but it wasn’t that. It was just the fact that we wanted to get those songs out, but we were gonna do something like a compilation of our greatest hits, but when the first couple of songs started leaking, everything just snowballed. So we just let it go. Aaron Fuchs was just a lucky person to buy into the situation and be able to do what he had to do to produce it."

At any rate, if you've allowed Keith's remarks to make you write off and dismiss these albums, you've really missed something here - there's a lot of nice material on all of these. Granted, the sound quality was varied, and one song ("Smack My Bitch Up" which was also made the title of one of the compilations) was doubled up and included on two volumes - did they think heads were really that excited that some punk/dance band sampled that same "Give the Drummer Some" phrase that it would be some kind of goldmine? Oh well. There's still a crapload of great material here, from a sick demo track to radio promos to a superior alternate O.G. version of "Message From the Boss" from their second album. Some songs are better than others and you could nitpick all day, but there albums blow anything the group put out themselves at the time.

But even across all these volumes, this doesn't encompass all the ill, unreleased UltraMagnetic tracks... Unkut has posted some smoking hot radio rips of alternate mixes of "MC Champion" and "Message From the Boss" (different than the one I mentioned from Mo Love's Basement Tapes) that I'd love to hear cleaned up and properly released. Kool Keith's own website also lists some unreleased UltraMagnetic songs on his discography page, but you can't tell from the titles if these are vintage songs or stuff from one of their many reunions in the 2000's. I know it's been over ten years since their last volume, but maybe we could convince Tuff City to take one more look into their vaults for a fifth Basement Tapes album? And if there's not enough material for a full album, I think we'd be exceedingly happy with a 12" of the remaining songs.

A quick hit...

I don't normally put a lot of music out there from local or unsigned artists because I don't like to be a dream killer and break some people's music down. Most people don't like or want to understand criticism, they just want someone to tell them how hot their shit is and to force feed it out to people who rely on me for the truth. In 2010 I hope to be able to do more with artists who are not in

It's a(n Alternate) Force Thing

Ok, I have to start by saying that I'm surprised JVC Force released "Intro 2 Dance" (or "Introduction 2 Dance," as it's written on the album) as their first and only single off of their second LP, Force Field. It's the literal introduction to the album, and though it's the proper length, it feels more like an intro/skit kind of thing than a "full" song. They start of talking on it, while the DJ spins their classic instrumental, Strong Island." They reference some of their old lyrics ("Listen to the situation, my son. Ah yeah! You remember that, A? Remember back in them days?") and then freestyle over the beat, and then have a long shout-outs sequence. It's very cool on the album, but this was their choice for the single?

Well, regardless; that's how it went down, with Radio and Instrumental versions. But of far more interest, I believe, is the B-side.

We're given "It's a Force Thing," which, yes, is one of their two house songs. "An Intro and a house song... great," I can hear you say, but wait. First of all, I think the JVC Force did some of the very best house songs in hip-hop... their voices and styles sound funky over any type of beat, and so lend themselves much more to being laced over dance beats then most MCs (see their "Strong Island" remix single review). So, while it's house, it's still pretty dope, and comes in Radio, Club (which is really a dub, with just the back-up vocals on the track) and Instrumental mixes.

But what really makes this 12" worth having is the "A Force Thing" track. It's written as if it were a whole new song that just happens to be very similarly titled to the other song on this record, but really it's a remix. A not-at-all-house remix (which is always the best kind). In fact, they're rhyming over "Rapper's Delight" (not, not just the "Good Times" groove - there's even samples of Wonder Mike's voice, so they're definitely using "Rapper's Delight"). They do mix a few other records into the music, including some funky vintage horns; but basically it's JVC's ill flow over a super old school rhythm.

Now, I must point out that this 12" was released before the album (1989 and 1990, respectively). So there's that and the fact that some of the vocals that are repeated or otherwise played with on "It's a Force Thing" ("guys they beef with us, 'cause girls they rock for us... 'cause girls they rock for us... 'cause girls they rock for us.") are spit just normally on "A Force Thing." Both of these things make me think that "A Force Thing" is actually the original song they recorded, and "It's a Force Thing" is just a house remix that wound up being included on the album probably at the behest of the label.

But whether "A Force Thing" is the official, proper, original version of the song (as I believe it to be) or not, it's certainly the superior one. And that makes this 12" a must-have. Plus, hey, the other songs are still good, after all.

The Top albums of the decade

So i am officially back from my winter sabbatical and i really didn't realize that this was the end of the decade until people started trotting out accolades for it. It got me to thinking, especially when you talk about the best albums of the past 10 years. I found that it wasn't even hard to come up with an initial list and no it doesn't include Lil Wayne. In fact, it doesn't even have an album

Kweli Demos

I've liked Talib Kweli since I first heard him. Mos Def I could do without, but Reflections Eternal and all were killing it. So I don't know why I never blogged about him yet - I guess there's a bunch of artists I'm a fan of I still haven't gotten to, really - but I'm about to rectify that situation now.

Before Rawkus and all that, I first heard Kweli when he was down with a crew called Mood, out of Ohio. If you haven't heard their 1997 album Doom, I suggest you go a little out of your way and cop it. They dropped some nice 12"s and stuff, too. And during those early years (though not their earliest; they dropped some stuff as far back as '94), I copped these two demo/promo tapes of theirs.

So let's start out with the less exciting of the two. This promo tape of Mood's album Doom is largely the same as the commercial release. The sequencing is completely different, but almost all of the songs are exactly the same, and this tape is missing a couple tracks that appeared on the final product (though, interestingly, it features the bonus track, "Insights," that was only included on the 1998 UK press on Cup Of Tea Records).

But here are the highlights. First, an alternate mix of "The Vision" featuring a completely different beat (a little funkier and less ethereal) and someone making a wind "woosh"ing noise on the hook. Then a final song that wasn't included on the album, titled "Infantry." Unfortunately, as the last song on the tape, it's cut off before it ends. But that's ok; the next tape's got our back... its appearance here at least tells us that track was originally meant for the Doom album.

The more exciting tape is labeled Mood Sampler, and is essentially a 10-track demo of Mood and its associates (including a lot of Kweli). Now, a couple of the tracks aren't a big deal: "Cincinatti" and "Karma" are exactly the same as you hear on the Doom album, and "Millionaire," by Kweli featuring Rubik, wound up being released on 12" in 1999. So that leaves seven exclusive songs.

First we get "Intro," produced by DJ Hi-Tek. This is pretty short, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn if it was just one sample from one record being played.

But now we get into the real meat of the matter. Track number 2 is "Overstand," an unreleased demo track by Talib Kweli. He starts out, "from where I'm standing/ I got a nice view of Venus/ Fly traps inside my raps catch the wack/ You might've seen us/ perhaps/ in premonitions of lyrical genius." Over a nice smooth track featuring a deep cello line, sparse piano keys, rugged bass notes, snapping drums and a little rhythm scratching throughout. He does a little sing-songy thing for the hook, which isn't amazing, but gets a pass for keeping the groove.

Next we have another unreleased demo track; a song called "Treasures In Heaven" by Mood affiliate HolmSkillit. It opens with a biblical quote from Jesus, advising us, "Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where it grows rusty and moth-eaten, and thieves break in to steal it. Store up treasure in heaven, where there is no moth and no rust to spoil it, no thieves to break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Holm flows a lot like Kweli but with a softer voice, and the beat's a smooth head-nodder with slow drums and what sounds like a a xylophone riff with a few harpsichord stabs (who knew harps stabbed?).

Track six on this tape is the aforementioned "Infantry" from the Doom promo tape. It's presented here in it's entirety; and we learn now it's unreleased solo cut by Sikko of Mood. It's the hardest track on here, with a dope track that sounds like it could've come from an old Sunz of Man record (before they signed to a major and tried to crossover), and Sikko flows like early Canibus. Pretty sick.

Main Flo is up next with a solo song of his own. Another unreleased song, this one's called "Roman Empire." This has one of the nicest beats on here, and Flo's lyrics are on point, "ancient Aztec, I rise like the NASDAQ, think from a killer aspect 'till it's fast respect. Narcs and cases, deaths over parking spaces, I stopped going to Smitty's 'cause their parts were basic. How could I waste it? My own time, surrounded by signs and evil minds." If you're thinking this is a case of Kweli and his weed carriers, think again. The whole crew's on this par.

Still, if you're only interested in Kweli, he comes back with another song of his own now. It's called "Black Love," a subtle, low-key track (but with a thudding bassline) that features a slightly irritating hook; but Kweli's delivery on his verses is in top form.

Finally, the Mood Sampler rounds itself out with a DJ track. It's called "Man," produced by Mood's DJ Jahson, and features the scratching of DJ Rampage.

Now, I know it's frustrating to read about demos when you can't hear them for yourself... So I'll do something I don't normally do - because this is a demo and not a proper release - and point you to a GrandGood article linking to a rip of a 13-song Mood/Kweli demo tape. That download is marked as being from 1995, but I personally suspect that is wrong and should read 1997. Interestingly, while a bunch of our songs overlap, he's definitely got some tracks on his tape that aren't on either of mine, and some tracks on mine aren't on his. So, if we exclude songs like "Millionaire" that later got a proper release, I'd say there's 15 unreleased songs or alternate mixes that we now know of between us. That sounds like it'd make a sweet official release to me, if somebody involved with the Mood guys were up for putting this out.