How about a throwback to something I wrote just before Christmas 2008??Welcome to the “
iPod Shuffle shuffle”. I really hope that’s not the name of an internet/ringtone hip-now song and dance, yet. Really, I hope it never becomes one, but if it does, I call 50% royalties for making up the title.
So, basically, I’m really…and I mean really bored and I felt the urge to turn on my iPod little guy to random and do a mini-review write up on every song that comes up. (No skipping allowed!!) The way I put the playlist together was variably random anyway, so it’s a super grab-bag of my tastes. Sure I may have been one of the last cats on the block with an iPod since I dislike all things Apple (I once spent over ten minutes trying to log on to the internet on a Mac computer…and still failed to even find an icon) and always stay loyal to a Discman, but I can get down with 170 or so songs for $50 anyday.
Without further ado, we’re off and running…
Diamond D “Feel the Vibe” ft. Showbiz- Gotta live boom bap beats with loud saxophone loops-- NY style all the way. Diggin’ in the Crates producer/emcee Diamond D is the man. A straight B-boy classic was his 1992 debut ‘Stunts, Blunts, & Hip-Hop’…and this cut highlights it perfectly. Diamond and fellow-DITC cohort Showbiz tell you what you need to make a funky jam without selling out or faking the funk. Aside from Diamond mispronouncing ‘sporadic’ [as spore-ottic] to rhyme it with neurotic and psychotic, the lyrics are super fat with no further explanations needed. And this that a xylophone I hear in the background? Let’s continue with what’s on the menu…
Jemini the Gifted One and Dangermouse “Ghetto Pop Life”- Orchestral, operatic backing vocals give this joint an epic feeling. We all know DM as half of unclassifiable and genre-bending Gnarls Barkley (with Cee-Lo), but he can roll straight Hip-Hop no problemo with dope drums. Lyrics by Jemini highlight the absurdity of what scores rappers claim to be. He’s a brother that won’t compromise his art and bouncy vocals give the title track from the duo’s 2004’s album a fresh feeling of fun.
OutKast “Call Of Da Wild” ft. Goodie Mob- I still don’t get or remember the line about Kenny Anderson (New Jersey Nets guard?) slammin’ them SOB’s, but Andre Benjamin leads off a fiercely brass posse banger from the future-ATLiens 1994 debut ‘Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik’. The first official appearance of the Goodie Mob, “Call Of Da Wild” is four emcees sharing stories from their lives with Cee-Lo’s lingering chants on the hook. Organized Noize drops an astounding instrumental that could double as a marching band number, but it’s Khujo Goodie who steals the show with his finale verse. “Parkay! How do you like the hot butter melting through your biscuit?!” Big Willie Knighton is forced to take off his hat but still blows away the track.
Common “The People”- The lead single from 2007’s ‘Finding Forever’ finds Common revealing his worldwide brothers and sisters’ unsung struggles. He was also the first man on record to advocate now-president Barack Obama. He urges the people to rise above their shortcomings and achieve (much like his friend Obama did during his campaign). Although calling Kanye the new Premo might be a big stretch, especially considering his misplaced and almost mood-killing sample during the verses, the beat is worth the price of entrance. The chopped up humming adds to the down-home, store-front preaching vibe Common conveys. I forget who sings the hook, but he does a great job supporting the mission of the common folk.
Aaliyah “4 Page Letter”- Synopsis- The late songstress is too shy to approach the man of her dreams. She writes a passionate letter and encloses it with a kiss. The mailman had better deliver it on time. A pre-email (imagine how cheap and corny such a story might be if this song was recorded today) beautiful 1990’s R&B ballad for certain-- if Mary J was the queen of Hip-Hop beats under soulful lyrics, Aaliyah was the princess whose reign never came to be. Working with Missy and Timbaland for her second album in 1996, Baby Girl brought out her romantic side.
Afu-Ra “Whirlwind Thru Cities”- The Perverted Monk could have been windmills or spin kicks while recording this 1998 track, made during the golden age of Rawkus Records. A Jeru protégé, Afu-Ra spills crazy and energized syllables about his lyrical escapades over a funky classical piano and horn-centered beat. No need to break this down any more, just enjoy it.
Henry Mancini “The Pink Panther”- The sly saxophone leads the way for the rest of the brass boys along with the upright bass, cymbal-heavy drum kit, and even some quiet storm strings. A flute (that’s what it is, right?) takes over the bridge verse and helps builds up to the grand finale. A timeless swingtime, but bopping Jazz tune (timeless since I don’t know when it was released originally—mid 1960’s possible), this classic will always be associated with the troublesome and oft-injured Pink Panther and his great cartoon.
Deee-Lite “Groove is in the Heart” ft. Q-Tip, Bootsy Collins- Disco was dead, but its many cousins were still alive and kicking in 1990. A couple of worldly House and Techno DJs and a big voiced fashion-plate gave Deee-Lite its super smash hit at the outset of the jet-set 1990’s. Slide whistles, go-go boots, a trumpet line, a very young Q-Tip (pre-‘Low End Theory’), and happy-go-lucky lyrics bolstered this groove that would spawn dozens of remixes. I should get Deee-Lite’s whole album to see if it’s this fun.
Spice Girls “2 Become 1”- Yes, I was really digging these 5 British chics back when I was ten years old. I may have had no idea what this song was all about back then, but now it’s some great baby-making music…probably. I haven’t tried it out yet, but the orchestral, watery, and wispy instrumentation should set the mood. The usual loud and booming “girl power” crew came across sexy and seductive here. The subject matter is simple enough to decipher, but Baby Spice reminds you to bring a Jimmy hat along just in case you won’t remember TLC’s circa-1992 message. Scary Spice’s raspy voice is left for the background, as Baby’s light and airy tone is predominantly featured here alongside strings.
King Tee “Bass”- While N.W.A. was killing you on wax, LA O.G. emcee King Tee, producer DJ Pooh, and DJ Keith Cooley were fiending for the low end-- from a drum, not a pipe—of course. Scores of samples scratched in, out, and around move this 1989 joint all over the dance floor. It shakes those floors and rattles the walls, but not as well as the remix you can hear on Tee’s ‘Act a Fool’ album and in the music video. Amidst the growing West Coast tension at the time, the King let fans temporarily forget all their troubles and just enjoy the music and the weather.
Bootsy Collins “Penetration”- This song came out in 1997, not 1983 as I had guestimated. Surprise! Nothin’ but the Funk populates Bootzilla’s greatest song in my opinion. Some ladies tell us to peep to Bootsy’s message and introduce us to the power of the music. Whirling organ keys, funkdafied bass, crazy horn segments, cool guitars, and more back Bootsy’s call to arm for grooving. “In Funk We Thrust” becomes the slogan for our One Nation Under a Groove. Bootsy and other the P-Funk alums on the track prove they’re as cool as ever. And who can forget the guitar solo?
Crankcase and Andy Cooper “The Tale of the Stolen Funk and How We Stole it Back”- One third of Long Beach Hip-Hop group Ugly Duckling Andy Cooper joins in with long time friends Crankcase in 2002 for this tale of wack musicians stealing the essence of the real. A live Funk outfit, Crankcase backed Andy’s encounter that begin when he stumbled upon drummer Pete on the street lying on his back. He had been jacked for his Soul! Andy and the boys lead the caper to recover Pete’s Funkiness from a nameless rock-rap band. The mission was a success as they banished the sucka musicians in a timely and humorous fashion. Wonder why I haven’t heard anything since ‘Model Arithmetic’ from this dirty Funk trio?
Pete Rock & CL Smooth “Mecca and the Soul Brother remix”- 1991’s ‘The Creator 12” single’ with this as the b-side was the world’s formal introduction to Heavy D’s little cousin, Pete Rock and his buddy on the mic, CL Smooth. If this soul-laced jam wasn’t evidence and convincing enough that this duo was bound to take over for real, you need ya head checked. Pete laid layers of samples upon the hardcore beat and laying down ad libs vocals behind CL’s confident bravado and silky smooth flow. CL Smooth doesn’t get enough credit. Sure, Pete is one of the best ever, but c’mon where’s the love for CL? If Pete made beats for wack cats (as he did on his 2008 release- ‘NY’s Finest’), he would never be as highly regarded. Finally, whoever thought they were St. Ide’s kinda guys?
Braille “The IV”- The sermon had at hand: eventhough Hip-Hop ain’t what it used to be and fans have a whole different set of preferences and expectations, Braille won’t stop giving out doses of what we need, even if we don’t know we want it. Featuring cuts by X-ecutioner Rob Swift, the lead single from the 2008 album of the same name, Portland-based Braille pulls no punches over a heroic sounding instrumental. His powerful cadence proves influential from the pulpit.
Peanut Butter Wolf & Charizma “Devotion”- Before being unfortunately murdered during a robbery in 1993, West Coast teen Charizma was set to begin a major player on the scene with flow in the same vein as Big Daddy Kane or Del. A single from 1991’s ‘Big Shots’ LP, Charizma attempted to cast away all skeezkers and focus on his music. Future Stones Throw executive, Peanut Butter Wolf produced the cut and also laid down the cuts on the wheels of steel. Playfully panned organ measures kept the upbeat mood of the track moving and heads nodding.
Souls of Mischief “That’s When Ya Lost”- A-Plus, Opio, Phesto, and Tajai are all here to tell you suckas that you’re nothing, just straight chumps. The Oakland quartet famous for being members of the Hieroglyphics crew nimbly flip over the Jazz-centric West Coast treat from the group’s 1993 debut ’93 ‘til Infinity…’. The hyper emcees blend well over the mellow, steady beat. Moral of the story- Don’t sleep on or dare step to the mighty Hiero. But you already knew that.
Crankcase and Andy Cooper- “High Noon”- The first repeat offenders on the random list first bring in the bass and the cymbals. Meanwhile Andy rallies the troops to get to work. Get ready to “Flip ya wig… like Marv Albert on a trampoline” when the whole kit erupts and the funky guitar takes center stage during the moment of truth. Andy wants to make believers out of agnostics, get off the ground like Kid Icarus, and make the seeds grow like Rogaine during his colorful, on-point performance. Just some more dope chill out and enjoyable Funk.
Mars-ILL “Next Door”- DJ Dust’s fingers must remain dirty; he digs up a bluesy guitar and a haunting organ to aide manChild in this ode to his personal gospel. The tone of the song (originally from 2003’s ‘Backbreakanomics’) might suggest a dark despair but the words imply hope and a helping hand. A female vocalist croons lovingly claiming what’s hers is ours now and promises she’ll always be there while manChild dedicates his words and prayers to us. As many times as we’ve been let down in life, in music, and in love, Mars-ILL assures us they’re not going to disappoint.
Queen “We Will Rock You”- It still rocks stadiums as simple as it is. But who can’t sing along to this Queen 1977 sports anthem? A bass drum, hand claps, and foot stomps leads us up the road to a guitar solo climax that might wake the dead.
Crown City Rockers “It’s the…”- Kat Ouano’s masterful keys are soon joined by Headnodic’s bass lines and Max McVeety’s drum tactics as this 2001 song impromptu introduces the Oakland band then-known as Mission to the world. Emcee Raashan Ahmad (joined by an unknown rapper) breaks the wall of sound and gives you the word while giving it up for his bandmates. The only thing left to debate, whose soulful beats are fresher to rap over: Crown City Rockers or Brand New Heavies?
Public Enemy “Shut ‘Em Down (Pete Rock remix) ft. CL Smooth”- As hard-hitting as the original version was (from 1991’s ‘Apocalypse 91…The Enemy Strike Back’), the remix is nearly as intense. Chuck D’s booming voice is highlighted by Pete’s use of heavy drums and scratches while keeping the original tempo of the song intact. But out nowhere, CL Smooth drops a verse in the middle of the song. As dope as it is, it doesn’t fit the rough and confrontational subject matter at all. All in all, it’s still incredibly composed. I do like Nike, too.
Rakim “The 18th Letter”- A mature and seasoned God-MC returned in 1997 with his solo debut of the same name as this joint. Impressive wordplay and an impeccable flow were still staples of Rakim’s verbal repertoire and he demonstrates nothing less than the best over a steady diet of melodious strings during the album’s intro here. In case you were wondering, the 18th letter of the alphabet is obviously- ‘R’.
Janelle Monae “Letting Go”- Getting fired never felt so good. Funky star-child Janelle Monae (then recording for Big Boi’s Purple Ribbon imprint) doesn’t let stress run her life. Feeling alive without being held down by a job, Ms. Monae inspires us all to break away from monotony at least for a little while and enjoy life over a spacey fun Dungeon Family synth string-driven beat. During the callout hook spelling ‘L-e-t-t-i-n-g-G-o!’, she offers some advice in her elegant, obviously Ella-inspired voice.
Big Daddy Kane “Ain’t No Half Steppin”- 1988. Juice Crew. Amazing Hip-Hop. No argument. When Kane’s pen hit the paper- awww sh….!! There are way too many awesome elements and lines in this song to quote them all. If you don’t know this one—where have you been? If there was a class in Emceeing 101, this song should be chapter 1 in the text.
DJ Jazzy & The Fresh Prince “He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper”- Will had lyrics. Underground folk try to write off his contributions as a jiggy cat. But the Fresh Prince had skills and Jazzy Jeff had his back with innovative scratches and party-rocking skills. Jeff’s skills of cutting and beat juggling are put on full display here while Fresh Prince clowns around before and after dropping a dope verse on the duo’s classic 1988 debut LP. He goes a cappella and pummels every natural disaster there is. Impressive enough, but what I wanna see is an original video of Jeff laying down the music for this cut.
Diamond D “Check One, Two”- Another drop from ‘Stunts, Blunts, & Hip-Hop’. Here Diamond breaks down his musical influences and how he constructs a break among other topics. The man who can take a blues break and break it as such and then can even refer to Yahtzee in a song is a man who deserves more accolades than he gets. P.S.- I had to look up the same of this song, when dragging songs from iTunes, I knew I wanted some Diamond, so probably just snatched up a few random songs. I’ll never forget now.
Binary Star “The KGB” ft. Athletic Mic League, Elzhi, O-Type Star, JUICE- You got a dope beat with phat drum kicks and what appears to be Gregorian chanting and humming…what are you gonna do it with? Well, of course get some of Illinois and Michigan’s dope underground emcees on it. And lots of them while you’re at it. From Binary Star’s 2000’s ‘Masters of the Universe’ album, members Senim Silla and One Man Army (presently known as One.Be.Lo) are joined by six other lyricists all spitting crazily clever battle rhymes from the annals of their greatest notebooks.
Men at Work “Who Can It Be Now?”- Hey, man, I’ll give early 1980’s Australian sax rock a spin, too. The “Land Down Under” boys just wanted to be left alone, so quit knocking on their door no matter how catchy the beat is or paranoid the lyrics are. Rockwell and Michael Jackson’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” has nothing on this song and its harmonious breakdown! Must be all them vegemite sandwiches they eat.
Little Brother “_____”- Zapp & Roger inspired keyboard grooves feature North Carolinians Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh showing their devotion to Hip-Hop and call to keep the artform pure. Phonte shows off his vocal chords for one of the first times on record. He is now just as known for his singing as he is rapping thanks to The Foreign Exchange project he put together with producer Nicolay. I totally forget where this song is from, but I know 9th Wonder does not produce it and it’s probably from like 2005 or so. Dope lyrics regardless.
Audible Mainframe “1,000 Lives”- A politically charged live band from Boston, Mainframe crafted this anti-Bush hymn in 2004 to broadcast their dislike of the corrupt American system and its unjust war in Iraq. The 1,000 lives of the title are what MC Exposition wants to give to the underprivileged and victims of American policy. Guitars, trumpets, and turntables all get their turn to shine before the sound winds down. Like an updated “Intercity Blues”, Audible Mainframe paints the scene with words but sets the emotion with great music.
The Gateway Drug “Walk”- We heart Hip-Hop. She’s fine and we still love H.E.R. This party time favorite by my favorite crew ever is just a good-time expression of music through some uptempo music. If MC Brew and The Top Civilian can’t fly, they’ll run, if that’s impossible…they’ll walk just to get back to their life’s passion. A million bucks goes to anyone who can identify the sample. Check out the GwD crew at:
http://www.myspace.com/thegatewaydrug1.
Big Daddy Kane “Set It Off”- Even when stuttering, he’s still on point. Is this song even better than “Ain’t No Half Steppin”? …Maybe. Fast rapping BDK and a whirling guitar break are undeniably good together. He can’t even wait for the beat starting a cappella. If I didn’t have any words to describe the level of Kane illness earlier, I still don’t. Simply put, get to know this song.
LL Cool J “The Boomin’ System”- If you’re fronting like a screen door in your car, watch out for LL’s ride. He’ll snatch your girl, just ask him. Eventhough he advocates drinking (and smoking) while driving, it’s still a party not a Cadillac-- so we can’t help but dig the arrogance. Did you know Marley Marl produced the whole ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ album, including this one? You do know.
Joi “I Believe”- Atlanta soul siren Joi inspires us to look above even in the worst times of temptation and stress. The entire band accompanies her to Church here, with a grand brass section filling in the bridges and absolutely going off during a trumpet solo. Joi has some great pipes too that lead this jam’s incredible musicianship-- from all parties involved. Get a hold on this song if you can, as it comes from Joi’s 1996 sophomore effort ‘Amoeba Cleansing Syndrome’, which was unfortunately shelved due to record label problems. Big up to Teethree from Stankonia.com for the mp3 hookup of the album back in the day.
OutKast “D.E.E.P.”- Riddle me this: what does this acronym stand for? It’s never explained, and might actually be nothing. Oh well, at least we got a glimpse of OutKast’s outerspace and futuristic future on the last original (a reprise of “Player’s Ball is the actual last track) track of their 1994 debut ‘Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik’. Andre and Big Boi hint at sobering up to maturity that definitely deviated from their childish carefree images, especially Andre’s second verse. Not even the Gemini’s twin could duplicate a verse like that as the future 3000 exposes the stereotypes people cast on young Blacks. ONP doesn’t disappoint either, dropping a wailing guitar in the background of the beat that focused on wiki-wiki scratches, a walking bass line, and extraterrestrial sound effects.
Mos Def, Q-Tip, Tash “Body Rock”- Three awesome emcees and a great wah guitar, I smell a hit. Then apparently my iPod ran out of batteries. So this is the last song. I know the song well, so eventhough it cut out in the middle, how can I deprive you of saying how dope these three dudes are…especially together on a light-hearted jam. The veteran and most seasoned emcee of the bunch-- Q-Tip is easily outshined by the Mighty Mos and CaTashtrophe from Tha Alkaholiks. Not to say, he’s not awesome, it’s just the two others were amazing. Only fitting this cheerful joint was released on the first ‘Lyricist Lounge’ compilation.
There you have it, ya’ll come back now, ya hear.
Maybe, I’ll charge up my Shuffle and do it again sometime.
PeAcE,
Diggity.
