all about hiphop music

Selasa, 26 Januari 2010

Remixes Against Phony Entertainers

This is an interesting, alternative UK version of a common US 12" with an extra remix. Now, UK versions of 12"s with extra remixes aren't all that uncommon in hip-hop... but usually they're dreadful CJ Mackintosh or Norman Cook things that are best ostracized. But how about an extra SD50s' remix on a 3rd Bass 12"? Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised, too.

The 12" in question is 1991's "Pop Goes the Weasel," the debut single of 3rd Bass's second (and sadly final) album, Derelicts of Dialect. It's their anti-old to pop music... you surely remember the music video where they beat down a Vanilla Ice look-a-like and giant weasels terrorize the city? "Hip-hop got turned into hit pop the second a record was number one on the pop charts."

Now the US version came in a cheerfully colorful picture cover and featured Radio, LP and Instrumental versions of "Pop" plus four versions, including an SD50 Remix, of "Derelicts of Dialect." Well, this version comes in a sticker cover and features just two versions of each song: LP and SD50 Remix versions - which means an all new SD50 Remix of "Pop Goes the Weasel." Oh, and just to keep you on your toes, this 12" plays at 45 rpm and is mislabeled, listing the songs in the wrong order.

So yeah, the "Derelicts" remix isn't exclusive here, but if you haven't heard it, it's dope. It's smoother and mellower than Prince Paul's original, but features a bunch of extra samples and different instruments - organs, piano, flutes, scratches of crazy vocal samples... all drift in and out over a similar, but much more low-key, softer drummed track. It's more Midnight Marauders.

Well, so like how the "Derelict" remix keeps a lot of elements of the original, the "Pop" remix (called the "Weasel Remix," but the label credits tell us it's by the Stimulated Dummies, who also produced the original) keeps even more. It starts out with an old storybook vocal sample saying, "let's sing 'Pop Goes the Weasel'," and then it sounds kinda like the LP version at first - it's the same drum and bass lines, even the same sleigh bells. But the key distinction is that the signature Peter Gabriel sample is removed. You might say, "but that sample was hot!" Yeah, but it's been replaced with a new, tight horn sample. There's a few other little bits, like a little funk guitar, sprinkled into the mix sporadically to spice things up, too. But the main difference is the replacement of the signature horn sound with another.

I wonder if this is maybe an alternate version they created just in case they couldn't clear the Gabriel sample, and that's why they just threw it away on this little 12"? At any rate, I'm not sure which one is better... they're both worthwhile, and the remix has the added benefit (or weakness, depending on your PoV) of losing that instant pop tune recognizability. So I'll leave you to make your own judgments, but whichever version you consider to be definitive, it's worth picking this up to have both on call.

Minggu, 24 Januari 2010

Missy Elliot's Non-Demo

(Youtube version is here.)

Sabtu, 23 Januari 2010

A Missing Piece from Several Puzzles

The internet is awesome for finding things. Things like great music that's been lost for a decade and a half. And that's what I've just found on the internet. Five pieces (plus five more snippets) of great, unreleased music that tragically sank on the same ship: Perspective Records.

Janet Jackson left Perspective Records, and the label was done. Despite having signed a killer line-up of hip-hop acts who all recorded complete, excellent albums, which to this day remain unreleased. And this promo tape, the '96 College Rap Sampler, features nothing but unreleased gems from that line-up, one complete song and one snippet per artist.

The first artist is probably the least interesting, only because his shelved album was at least released in a mediocre-quality dub that's spread well through the tape-trading and internet circles over the years. So let's start there. Young Zee. Most of you have heard it already, so I'll just briefly state that the full unreleased song on here is "Tonsil Check," featuring Yah Lovah... and I have to say, hearing it in proper quality has increased my appreciation of this slick sex rap. The snippet is one of my favorites from the album, "Electric Chair."

Next up are The Black Spooks. These guys made a name for themselves as Digital Underground affiliates (a good legacy there!), and a couple of them went solo after their album was swallowed up by Perspective. I have an underground 12" or two by these guys, but I have to say, the tracks here feature some solid production but also really display some ill lyricism I hadn't properly credited these guys for in the past. The song is "Mad Black Spooks" and the snippet is "Make Up Your Mind," neither of which seem to've been included on any of their subsequent post-Perspective releases. Until I heard these, I can't say I was too disappointed their album never dropped, but now I am.

Now we get to the really exciting stuff. How about some lost material from Pudgee's King of New York album? If you read my 'The Lost King of New York' post on the subject, you know I had found an old catalog title of a song called "Say Goodbye." When I asked Pudgee about it, he said he never released it. Well, I just found out it was a song intended for the Perspective album, 'cause here's a snippet of it on the sampler. The full length song is also mentioned briefly in that past blog entry, where I list some song titles mentioned in a King Of New York album review in The Source. The tape has no production credits unfortunately, but from a line in the intro, I gather this one was produced by The Beatminerz. It has a very similar feel to his single, "On the Regular."

Next is the highly under-rated artist The Almighty Arrogant. It doesn't help that his absolute weakest joint, "Lay Tight," was the only song Perspective ever put out by him. The tracks here are much better... he's like a west coast Young Zee, with a bugged out song called "Toxic Urb," which is about just that. The snippet is called "Arrogant Wayz (Remix)" and is pretty hot, too. Man, I just want to shake the Perspective tree and have all his material fall out already!

Finally comes Rufus Blaq. Now, if you're clever, you might point out that unlike the other four artists you've covered, Perspective did put Blaq's album out. And that's true, but for whatever reason, these two songs aren't on it. The full song is called "NRG" and the snippet is "Make It Last," and both show Blaq as a more rugged yet punch-liney MC than I remember him being. I like these tracks... I may have to go pick up his album which I never copped. If it's as good as these songs, I'll be happy.

It's great to have these songs, but it just makes me wish even harder that someone would give these albums their proper releases already. That way everybody can hear these tracks, and all the other ones still unheard; and the artists can finally get their due. So, I gotta thank the internet for a nice treat, but that's what really needs to happen. Sigh. ...If only hip-hop fans still bought music.

Missin JMJ

Everyone knows that Rev Run kept up a healthy solo output post-Run DMC, but DMC's 2006 solo CD, Checks, Thugs and Rock N Roll, seems to've rolled in well below most fans' radar. And that's just as well, considering what a mess of generic rock, country and R&Bish production mish-mosh this is. Lots of boring studio instrumentation and ill-advised guest spots by artists like Kid Rock, Sarah Mclachlan, Aerosmith (but not the lead singer), The Cars, Buck Cherry and other pop and rock bands I know nothing about. There was a single ("Freaky Chick") and everything, all of which can be yours for the price of a penny on Amazon.

So maybe you never heard of any of that, or maybe you did and just pushed it out of your mind like me, but you might be a little more encouraged to hear that the Japanese disc featured a new, decidedly better song, as a bonus track. And better still, that bonus track received a small run on vinyl as a promo-only 12".

Now, don't get me wrong. When I say "decidedly better," you still have to be feeling pretty sappy and forgiving if you're gonna give this a spin. But if you are, then you'll find a pretty respectable - even touching - dedication to Jam Master Jay called "Missin My Friend." DMC, who's at the verge of losing his voice around this time, doesn't sound like we knew him back in the day, but his sounding softer and muted works much better on this dedication track than it does on the rest of his album. The production (uncredited) is on the light, R&Bish side, but not bad for what it is, and it features a well sung hook, which is also uncredited. According to an interview in The Source, this is the first song DMC wrote without writing any lyrics down, which is interesting, since his lyrics are much better here than on the rest of his album, where they often sound simplistic and kinda dopey. Here he's sincere, authentic and really kind of touching:

"I seen you on the bus playin' video games;
You beat all of us, I ain't sayin' no names.
You was a real cool cat; you never caused trouble;
You would relax your mind doin' a crossword puzzle.
You and Run would argue: who's better in ball?
And I would sit back and just laugh at y'all.
I miss ya, Jay, I ain't gonna front,
I'd give anything to see you smoke one more blunt.
So when asked who's best, we all will say:
Jason Mizell, Jam Master Jay.
When asked who's best, we all will say:
Jason Mizell, Jam Master Jay!"

The label to this 12" gives us practically no info (just a defunct url), but playing through the record tells us the track-listing is as follows: A1) Clean Version A2) Instrumental B1) Dirty Version B2) Acapella. There's not much distinction between the clean and dirty versions since, as you'd imagine, there's not much cursing on here, but there is a single usage of the word "nigga" silenced out.

So, while steering as far clear of the album as possible, you still might want to add this 12" to your crates. Even if you're realistically not gonna break it out and spin it too often, it's just nice to have it in there as a tribute to the great Jam Master Jay.

Kamis, 21 Januari 2010

I don't like mixtapes

This post is about a sore spot I have with the new rap industry, mix tapes. Now This isn't at anyone specific though I have listened to a few mix tapes recently, this is a problem that began in the early part of last decade. Mix tapes aren't mixes anymore, they are el cheapo albums which is why I refuse to buy them unless prodded by the wife when we are out and she is feeling sympathetic. I'm

Kick In the B.A.S.S.