Back On Tilt

(A new On Tilt album means the return of Vrse Murphy, with raps by Luke Sick and QM!  Youtube version is here.)

Brooklyn's Disgrace... The Weirdest 3rd Bass Diss You'll Ever Hear

(Here's a weird one for you.  3rd Bass get dissed by someone named MC 29.  I can't even tell... is he meant to be funny, a la Biz Markie or Busy Bee, or an actual joke, like MC Pillsbury or Rappin' Duke?  Listen and decide for yourselves.  Youtube version is here.)

I Shouldn't've Left You

What's up, guys?  I've missed y'all!  I mentioned it in my last video, but if you missed it, I've been busy with my last semester of grad school, so I took a step back to keep my grades pretty.  But now all of that is over and done with, and I'm back with a thematically appropriate record to talk about today: Rakim's "It's Been a Long Time."  But not that "It's Been a Long Time," I wanna talk about the Suave House Remix 12", also from Universal Records.

One of my pet theories I've developed during the years of writing about music is that we tend to get hooked onto artists as fans; and then it's easy for us to be lead astray.  By that I mean, we use our full judgement at first; we can be resistant to embracing an artist, and hem and haw over whether their latest record is really all that good, etc.  But once people cross the line into becoming a fan of someone, they start accepting a lot of BS and letting some pretty mediocre stuff slide.  You know, like every post-Marley Marl Juice Crew All Star project.

Or, for a really on the nose example...  Pretty much every discerning Hip-Hop head basically had to be a fan of Kool Keith in the heyday of the Ultramagnetic MCs; but how long did it take most of us who came up with him to question his new material?  I remember being super excited for the Ultra and Sex Style albums, or listening to him on Chino XL's album just thinking how great it is he's on there being super eccentric.  It wasn't until, like Matthew that I finally started questioning: do I really need to be spending money on this?  If some new jack had come out with those albums, I would've casually passed on it right away like, "nah, I'm not feeling it," but because it was Keith, I needed to unlearn.  Anybody with I Am the West or Tical 0 in their collection knows what I mean.  It's hard to let go.

So when I came across this one in my crates the other day, I immediately got on my own back.  Ah, you're such a Rakim nerd you even had to buy this totally excessive, mainstream crossover remix.  I mean, what corny outsider label exec thought it was was a wise idea to pair Rakim up with flavor of the month Texas gangsta rap beats?  Dumb idea, and dumber me for lapping up whatever they dumped in my lap.  But I figure I own it; I might as well revisit it.

And hey, you know, it's actually not that bad.  It obviously doesn't stand up against the original, but that's because the original is a killer DJ Premier track by the man at the peak of his career.  But this version's surprisingly effective.  The synthetic sound effects of the Suave House don't come off so well in direct comparison to the musicality of Premier's mix, but this is a darker track that actually suits Rakim's vocal stylings quite well.  The bassline draws you in, and it helps a hell of a lot that they left Premier's cuts in for the hook.  And it did get fairly popular; it wound up being included as a bonus track on most versions of the album.  But if the first version didn't exist to overshadow it, and this was the only version of "It's Been a Long Time" on the market, I think this would be more critically regarded in Rakim's canon as well.

Plus, it ain't the worst, incongruous cross-coast remix of a 1997 Rakim comeback single Universal put out.  There's another one you've probably forgotten, found on this oddball little Universal Records sampler album, U.N.I. Vs. All.  I mean, first of all, it's just odd to imagine anybody being psyched for a compilation unifying around one of the most ugly, corporate conglomerate record labels in history.  Like, listen to the intro, with some guy screaming, "it's you and I verse all!" against lightning and thunder sound effects.  I don't know whatever happened to that dude, but I bet he's not associated with Universal anymore than any of the "soldiers" on this roster that got chewed up and spit out.

Also, because it's a big international label, the artists don't have much to do with each other.  New York legends, west coast gangsta rappers, Twista and Crucial Conflict out of Chicago, Tracey Lee out of... where ever he was from.  It's a real random, disparate grouping.  Of course Rakim is rapping over Suave House beats on this album.

But it's interesting because just about everything on here is exclusive.  It's a lot like a Hip-Hop soundtrack album, I guess.  A bunch of songs by big artists you can't get anywhere else.  That Crucial Conflict song was never on any of their albums.  Psycho Drama, Mafia and Rex Freestyle teemed up to create an original song just for this compilation.  Eightball and MJG have an exclusive remix of "Middle Of the Night," with Twista.  And I imagine "Take the Train" would've been featured on The Reepz' album if the label had ever put it out.  They had a video for that song and everything, and yet it's only on here.

Some of it ain't really so exclusive, though.  They threw on that crazy Canibus/ Lost Boyz/ A+ song "Boyz 2 Men."  I've always really dug that one, despite A+ brandishing some of the most obvious ghost-writing in the genre's history.  But it wound up being included on his Hempstead High album.  Plus they couldn't resist including Canibus' "Second Round K.O." since it was their hottest single at the moment.  And other songs were made to look like exclusives, but are really just deceitful retitlings of mixtape freestyles that had already been widely released (just like that shady Big L compilation).  "It's Logic" and "Shout Out To the Lost Boyz" are just the famous Canibus freestyles from Tony Touch's and DJ Clue's mixtapes, respectively.  McGruff's, Tracy Lee's, and Panama PI's are just freestyles, too.  They're dope, so I can't complain too much, but sticking new titles on 'em made fans buy the tape hoping for new material, then finding out it was just stuff they already owned.

Anyway, getting to that Rakim remix.  This time they remixed "Guess Who's Back," and by they, I mean Jermaine Dupri.  That one was a nice Clark Kent banger, but this time it doesn't just lose by comparison to the original; it's a loser on its own merits.  We just get a cheap, chintzy beat that doesn't have a moody atmosphere or addictive bassline to pull you into Rakim's rhymes.  Plus, Jermaine adds two weak little verses of his own.  He also leaves the scratches on the hook, they don't connect to the rest of the instrumental, and instead just come off like two different sounds playing at the same time.

That remix was also featured on some of the 12"s (though not all versions).  The "Guess Who's Back" 12" remixes also include another Suave House remix, which is interesting with a more upbeat, almost 80s pop R&B vibe.  There's a Buckwild one, which is cool and more understated, as his production tends to be.  And there's a Prophecy Entertainment which was pretty mediocre.  That Clark Kent version was really distinct, so I don't think any of the other versions really hold up, but the Buckwild's pretty good on its own terms and the Suave House was... interesting.

So, I guess at the end of all this, I'm not really mad myself for picking up either of these singles.  They're kind of excessive, because none of the remixes could ever replace their originals; but they're alright.  You can't go wrong putting any Rakim 12" in your crate.  Except for that single with Linkin Park.  If you bought that, jeez...  Even I'm not that big of a Stan.

Obscure 80s Rap for Easter

(Happy Easter, everybody.  I'm still here!  And I brought a some albums by an 80s Christian rapper a few of you might remember.  Youtube version is here.)

Luke Sick Strikes the Clutch and Tells the World To Ask the Dust

Here's a brand new release that took me by complete surprise.  Luke Sick is back with a brand new project called Strike the Clutch, a limited cassette-only single/ EP (four songs; it's right on the bubble).  Luke, of course, is the front man of Sacred Hoop and so many other groups and projects, all of which I've been covering over the years, because he's been putting out reliably dope Hip-Hop for 20 years, which is more than I can say for just about anybody.  Admittedly, I wince a little when he strays outside the genre, but even then it's always at least worth your time to check out.

So when Strike the Clutch first popped up on my Feedly, I wasn't even sure if it was another one of those punk/ rap crossovers or what.  All I knew was that this was Luke Sick in collaboration with some guy named Damien, co-released by Luke's label Megakut and some other label called I Had an Accident Records.  Never heard of 'em, but apparently they've been putting out cassette-only releases since 2006.  Scrolling through their catalog of almost 200 releases, I do recognize a handful of names, like Ceschi, K-the-I??? and Bleubird.  But Luke's the only one I'd feel safe taking the chance on.

And first of all, no, it's not punk or any other genre meshed with Hip-Hop, it's just the pure stuff.  Apparently this Damien guy is a producer from Spokane Washington, and he's not about to replace Vrse as my favorite Sick producer, but he makes some solid, moody tracks that Luke knows absolutely how to lay into.  Just reading the titles like "Fake Happy" and "Ripping Gut," you already know this tape is bloody with the same bleak attitude he cultivated on his earliest tapes.  It's like Bring Me the Head of Sexy Henrietta part 2; even the Fletch references are back.  Sonically, it's smoother, more laid back and atmospheric.  But older fans will probably get the most out of this, because lyrically, these bars laying into sucker MCs are a total throwback to his first 12" in '96:

"Maybe you get rabies spittin' that crazy, or lames who think they strange but they're lazy little babies, and crazy rats thinkin' they can rap and need to chill, while their chicks get pealed like a loose seal.  I get weeded, get drunk, now I'm rippin' good; you wonder why the shallow graves keep gettin' dug.  'Cause something's wrong when they test my worth, endin' up on the ground with their face in the dirt."

Strike the Clutch is limited to just 100 copies, which I personally think is too limited.  Like, you don't want even your biggest fans to be missing out on your projects, right?  I ordered this the same day it popped up on Megakut and it was already sold out before it even arrived at my house.  But I guess it's been working for these I Had an Accident guys for about twelve years now, so what do I know?  Anyway, as of this writing, a couple copies are still available on their bandcamp.  Hoopsters, don't miss out; it's a tight little tape.

You Love To Hear 'Bout Father, Again and Again

Okay.  Last year, I finally wrapped up writing about every single Father MC 12" single.  But that doesn't mean the fun has to stop.  There's still plenty more of his oeuvre to explore and discover.  In fact, I bet y'all never heard of this one before: Kym Rae featuring Father MC: "Just Be Good To Me" on Situation Records from 1996.

Now, Situation is located in Teaneck, New Jersey; and career-wise, 1996 would situate Father after that whole Moja/ Spoiled Brat mess, but before he moved to Florida and hooked up with Uncle Luke.  So that all makes sense, right before his single on Echo.

Kym Rae was an R&B singer, not a rapper; but the type who was very tied to working with Hip-Hop acts.  She was being produced and probably managed by Redhead Kingpin and had done songs with K-Def, Sadat X and McGruff.  She was meant to have a full-length album in 1997, including this song; but it never came out.  Later on, she came back and signed with Renegade Foxxx's Still Hustlin imprint, but he never put out any records by her, so she basically just wound up singing a bunch of his hooks.

So, anyway, "Just Be Good To Me" was Kym's first single, and yes, it's a syrupy cover of the S.O.S. Band's "Just Be Good To Me."  You know the one, "I don't care about your other girls..." or, if nothing else, you've surely heard a million and one songs sample the line, "people always talkin' 'bout... reputation."  Yeah, it's that song.  But where the original was catchy and funky, this is going for a slow, smooth but 90s tip.  By 90s tip, I mean that "Real Love" style of lacing a traditional Hip-Hop breakbeat under the whole thing.  In fact, it's the very same breakbeat: "Impeach the President," this time with an extra piece of MC Shan's "The Bridge" still married to it.

So, it's not exactly an exciting record.  A song that's been covered a hundred times already with a derivative production style.  But it still sounds good if you're in the mood for a very 90s R&B groove that doesn't aim particularly high.  Kym doesn't stretch herself much vocally either, by reaching impressive high notes or challenging ranges.  She just softly sings, relying on her admittedly nice voice.  It seems surprisingly low effort for someone trying to make a name for herself with her first single, but it's definitely not bad.

But what about Father?  That's who we're all here for, right?  Well, me anyway.  Well, he's got two verses.  A real quick opener, than he comes in with the more traditional R&B guest verse in the third act.  It's... not his best stuff.  he really sounds like he's trying to imitate the trends of the day on this, opening with the line, "I keeps it hot; on the real, I keeps it raw. Father freaks the flav; I kick game out the back door."  Like, Father MC in his prime would never have said "keeps" or "flav."  And even if you're not a fan, you have to admit, Father MC had established himself and found enough of his own voice by 1996 not to have to try and fit in with the youngsters.  On the plus side, though, he doesn't just throw in a quick verse that has nothing to do with the concept with the song at large.  She's singing to her man about how she doesn't care that he's a player, and he portrays that player.  Of course, he's spent entire albums rapping about being a player, so it's not exactly a stretch.

But it's actually smartly written how he comes back in his second verse to explain how he will treat her just like she's asking for: "I'm gonna bless your finger, get you laced in white; feed your appetite tonight as I serve ya right.  Have Versace Victoria's Secret; peep it, a spread of white roses on silk satin covers, what?  I go all out 'cause you be representin' me; I be representin' you.  Don't change, Boo.  I feel blessed."  It's nice how it all works together instead of pulling in opposite directions like these collaborations often do.

Now, this 12" has a couple versions on it.  And like the name of the Kym and Father Version implies, most of the others don't feature Father MC.  Situation's an indie label, but there was a music video for this, and Father ain't in it.  If the album had ever come out, presumably he wouldn't have been on there either.  This is just a remix single.  On this single, it's the Kym Vocal Mix.  Then there's an Intimate Mix, which contrary to its name actually has some bouncier, subtle but more cheerful instrumentation.  Interestingly, Kym's Bonus Beat also features Father and Kym's vocals - is this 12" mislabeled, possibly?  Anyway, the difference is the track on this one is more stripped down, putting the Hip-Hop beat more prominently and doing away with most of the extra R&B keyboards and music.  Then the Original Bump Demo Mix is just what it sounds like, a slightly less polished recording with all the same elements, but an extra "bump" kicking through the percussion and some very minor variations and a little acapella finish.  And finally, the Instrumental is an instrumental of the main track.

Frankly, none of the variations actually vary enough to make them worth bothering with.  There's basically the version with Father, and the one without for people who hate rap.  The rest is all excess; and as you can see, the 12" comes in a sticker cover.  The song is fine, but nothing to get excited about.  I mean, you're still better off just listening to the S.O.S. Band's original.  The world doesn't really need all of these knock-offs and cash-ins.  But as far as they go, this one's pretty listenable and inoffensive.  And if you're a fan of Father's, maybe even a little charming.

Candyman's Xzibit?

(Would you buy an album for just two good songs?  What if it was super cheap.  Taking a look back at west coast rapper TNT on Pump Records.  Experimenting with a new webcam and my teaching myself FCPX for the first time, so pardon any technical shortcomings.  Youtube version is here.)