I do not generally agree with posting up stuff that I do not actually physically own, as the point of the blog for me is to share things from my own personal collection with others. In doing so, it also encourages me to still go out and hunt down CDs and to avoid relying too heavily on sourcing stuff from the internet alone. Today is an exception, as Large Professor’s shelved LP never received a CD release and I imagine only exists as vinyl promos or bootlegs. I also own the ‘IJUSWANNACHILL’ 12” so feel that I can justify posting this up.

There isn’t much to say about Large Pro that you probably don’t know already. With production credits on some of the most important albums in the genre’s history as well as a load of remix work he is without doubt one of the most accomplished and prolific hip hop producers of all time. Like others in this category, he has a unique and defined quality to his work that means you know you’re listening to Large Pro even if you can’t put into words exactly what makes the track his own. Of course, he’s had his lower points as well with ‘1st Class’ being a definite disappointment, and I wasn’t really feelin’ his most recent instrumental LP although haven’t given it much of a chance. Still, these are small gripes with such a strong and bangin’ discography. By the way, did I mention that he’s pretty tight on the mic as well?

I simply cannot understand how ‘The LP’ was never released. Hip hop seems to have been plagued with these sort of mistakes, with Freddie Foxxx’s sophomore LP receiving the same treatment as well as a whole host of quality albums that never saw the light of day. How can these record companies not have realised what they had on their hands? I think this was due to drop in ‘96 and easily stands up against the strongest releases of the year. There’s a guest appearance from Nas that surely would have guaranteed sales and with Large Pro’s track record it seems astonishing that this never got a proper release. They even made a relatively high budget looking video for ‘IJUSWANNACHILL’ (see below), so how could they not have taken that final step and got this out there?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZsxcsQ0of0]

Whatever the reason, Geffen made a categoric error. ‘The LP’ is an exceptional album that will be appreciated by any fan of the genre. Large Professor in his prime: it doesn’t get much better than this.

The LP

The kiddy rap phenomenon of the early ’90s produced a surprising amount of quality acts given its gimmicky nature. Illegal, Chi-Ali and Shyheim all released solid LPs during this period in the genre’s history, but no act managed the consistent quality that Da Youngsta’s achieved. Four albums over a period of just three years also makes them one of the most prolific of all hip hop acts, kiddy or otherwise, and the fact that they were able to maintain a high standard over all four releases is relatively astonishing. After ‘I’ll Make U Famous’, their last album, they fell off the hip hop radar and this is a great shame as I consider them to be a seriously slept on group who deserved significantly more props than they got.

‘No Mercy’ was their third studio album and is arguably their best. The group’s debut ‘Something For Da Youngstas’ suffered from being perhaps a little too soft, and their sophomore release ‘The Aftermath’ is excellent in places but lacks coherence over the whole album due to a wide range of production credits (although the pedigree of beatmaker on this album is significant). Produced largely by Marley Marl and K-Def, ‘No Mercy’ features bangin’ beats that combine elements of jazz with hard, gritty drums that complement the MCs consolidated senses of style. Funnily enough, ‘Hip Hop Ride’ was the track that made the most impact commercially although it is not representative of the sound of the remainder of the album where street narratives and bragging verses prevail.

Just flicking through the tracks on ‘No Mercy’ again highlights the point to me that there really isn’t a dud track on here and there are plenty of bangers to boot. ‘Mad Props’ is an upbeat party anthem with a warm and bouncy feel (check the video below); ‘Put Me On’ sees the group delve into a ghetto romance backed by an atmospheric and head noddy beat; ‘Illy Filly Funk’ features some sweeping strings and a subtle horn loop (this nearly made the cut for the strings mix) and ‘In The City’ has a similar ‘cityscape at sunset’ vibe about it. Tajj, Tarik and Qu’ran also do the beats justice, with relaxed and accomplished flows delivered with post-pubescent voices that match the edgier content of the rhymes found on both ‘The Aftermath’ and this release.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZES5cbNqHs]

Whether this is totally new to you or if you just haven’t got a hold of it for some reason then this comes highly recommended at From Da Bricks. The consistently high standard of the production plus the maturity of the MCs make this an excellent album that you should not fail to add to your collection. Kiddies they may have been, but there is nothing gimmicky or adolescent about ‘No Mercy’: this is quality hip hop from front to back.

No Mercy

Back up in it. Man, nothing worse than non-compliant technology. Anyway, I’m back from a nice weekend and fingers crossed blogger seems to be back on side: thanks for your patience. Planned to hit you with this compilation on Saturday but here it is to lift you out of your Monday blues: the ‘From Da Bricks Strings Mix’. I have been happy with all of the entries in my compilation series so far, but I think this might be the best. A string section can add untold flava to a hip hop joint, and is perhaps the most versatile of sample choices. Depending on its usage, it can either provide a dark and moody vibe or contribute to a straight up banger; I hope that this provides a cross-section of both. Here’s the tracklist:

1. Nas - Nas Is Like
2. Nine - Whutcha Want?
3. Society - Yes ‘n’ Deed
3. Royce Da 5′ 9” - Boom
5. Gangstarr - Code Of The Streets
6. Pete Rock - Tha Game
7. Real Live - The Gimmicks
8. KRS One - A Friend
9. Mobb Deep - Animal Instinct
10. Heltah Skeltah - Letha Brainz Blow
11. Black Moon - Shit Iz Real
12. Jay Z - Bring It On
13. Supreme NTM - Tout N’est Pas Si Facile
14. Pharoah Monch - The Truth
15. AZ - Mo Money, Mo Murder ‘Homicide’

The majority of these cuts are string-heavy in that they feature very prominent samples, although some are more subtle, particularly ‘Shit Iz Real’ with its creeping strings at the end of every bar during the verse sections and ‘Tout N’est Pas Si Facile’ which features sweeping strings in support of the horn loop and vocal refrain during the chorus section of the track. All of the big producers feature here: Showbiz, Diamond D, K-Def, Premier and Pete Rock, although Primo deserves a special mention providing the beats for no less than four of the selections made. This happened as a total accident: I had a few tracks in mind, but then just listened to a few albums over the weekend and made my selections. Perhaps this demonstrates Premier’s dominance in the field of string samples, or perhaps it is simply a coincidence. Any nominations for the ‘King of Strings’ gratefully received. I also want to mention that at the end of the AZ cut there is a non-strings track: I can’t do anything about this as it is added onto the end of ‘Mo Money…’ on ‘Doe Or Die’. However, the strength of this track warrants the brief deviation from the theme. Hope you enjoy it.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

As with the previous two mixes, I’m taking the opportuniy to throw up something a little different to complement my compilation. I know next to nothing about classical music, although my Dad has a relatively extensive knowledge of the genre (although this is of course an exceptionally broad musical spectrum). One of the pieces that has always left an impression on me has been ‘The Lark Ascending’, an incredibly beautiful piece of music that is led by a violin, hence its inclusion in today’s post. Composed in 1914, it is one of Vaughan Williams’ pastoral works, and there seems to be something quintessentially English about this piece. Anyway, I’m not going to pretend I know much about this at all, and it may not be something that you are interested in listening to. However, if you feel like something drastically different from your regular hip hop fix and want to appreciate the emotional power of strings in an orchestral context then give it a go. Who knows, you may never look back…

My Daily Blog Run

I thought I would also briefly give props to a selection of the blogs that I check out every day. Given that I spend a fair amount of time writing my own, I have had to streamline my time spent on other blogs. Of course, there are a load of quality blogs out there, but these are the blogs that I check out daily without fail. The key distinction for me here is that these blogs feature extensive, intelligent and unpretentious writing; a real pulling factor for me.

Wake Your Daughter Up - wakeyourdaughterup.blogspot.com
This was one of the blogs that really got me into the idea of starting my own, and it remains one of the best in the world of cyberspace. Although there are other contributors this is mainly run by Travis who has an extensive knowledge of hip hop and he loves sharing it. It is also one of the longest standing blogs out there. If you haven’t been there already, wake your sleepy arse up and peep it.

Poisonous Paragraphs - poisonousparagraphs.blogspot.com
Dart Adams has only recently come onto the scene, but it is a fantastic addition to the blogging community. Dart drops science on loads of classic ish as well as the wider world of hip hop, with articles covering film, music videos and the culture in general. His knowledge is extensive and he writes well. If you are into reading some decent hip hop literature then check it out.

Cold Rock Da Spot - coldrockdaspot.blogspot.com
Jaz has only recently started up his blog, but it is dope, with some phat compilations and written material to boot. Again, there is a lack of pretence about this blog that appeals to me: this is somebody sharing their knowledge and passion for the genre with no front whatsoever. Check it out and show some love.

Biff Hop - biffhop.blogspot.com
Another veteran of the scene, Biff’s hip hop spot is also one of the best blogs out there. Of late it seems to be run mainly by Alley Al who regularly comments here at From Da Bricks. Alley has been dropping some big posts recently linked by a theme, and like all of my favourite blogs, he drops knowledge whilst doing so. This is yet another example of the quality available to those of you surfing the hip hop blog scene: get there!

sām’pəld - sampuhld.blogspot.com
I also want to briefly shine some light on a brand new blog that should turn out to be excellent. Depleted, Moyinka and The Gosub Routine have just started up sām’pəld that will feature original breaks and some comment on their usage. If the quality of basslinesanglesrhymes (Depleted’s original blog) can be replicated then this is sure to join my daily rounds. Good luck boys!

I want to reiterate that this is by no means an exclusive list of the blogs that I frequent and want to send a shout to everybody who spends time and effort in a quest to keeping real hip hop alive in 2007. I have gained a substantial amount of knowledge and pleasure from the blogging community over the last four or five months and am happy to be a part of it. Keep doing your thing people!

From Da Bricks Strings Mix
The Lark Ascending

For the last couple of days I’ve been experiencing a few issues with blogger. This has mainly focussed around the publishing of images and videos, with blogger randomly deleting items that I’ve added to posts or publishing in funny sizes. I am currently deep in a computer rage that is probably one of the main causes of petty stress in modern day society. I take a lot of pride in the presentation of my blog and if I can’t get it to look right it really bugs me. It has also put me in a foul enough mood to limit the flow of my creative juices, and as you will be aware, I also take a lot of pride in the text that I post up along with album links. I was going to do a post on Da Youngsta’s today in response to a request by Kreative, but I’m afraid that you will all have to wait as I am unwilling to throw something up if it ain’t right: apologies to those expecting their daily hit of From Da Bricks.

I had also forgotten that I am out of town this weekend, so this will mark a three day hiatus in posts. Hopefully everything will be sorted by Sunday and I can get on with it as usual. This also means that the ‘FDB Strings Mix’ will also be shunted back by a few days.

If anyone has any advice on why this might be happening then please let me know: you may just save my sanity.

I have no idea how Yall So Stupid didn’t make more impact in ‘92 than they actually did. I slept on this for a long time and was really happy to cop it a year or two back with the feeling that I had unearthed a little known gem. ‘Van Full Of Pakistans’ is fun, upbeat and light-hearted hip hop that is reminscent of early Pharcyde and similar artists of the era. I would also draw an analogy with the Native Tongues collective in that the album features intelligent lyricism and funky production to boot: a comparison that should demonstrate the high quality of this release to anyone who considers themselves to be a fan of real hip hop.

I actually know very little about the group as information on the internet is somewhat limited. Interestingly, the crew are from Atlanta: not exactly the most high profile city in the universe of hip hop (cue multiple comments to the contrary…) but the sound is east coast, early mid-school through and through. The beats are upbeat and funky, with crispy snares and jazzy loops, and the majority are produced by Spearhead X with Da King & I also making a couple of contributions. I’ve fallen into the pattern recently of picking out and commenting upon individual tunes but I’m going to resist the temptation to do so here as this really is an album best enjoyed in its entirety. The majority of the tracks are upbeat party tunes, but there are also a couple of slower cuts that feature more reflective and thoughtful lyricism (see ‘Family Tree’). In general the rapping is also excellent, with all four MCs possessing nice flows with original spins on the ‘boast and brag’ content that was dominant in the early ’90s.

I’m not sure how many of these cuts made it as 12′’s, but Discogs seems to suggest that single releases from this album were limited. The only video available on YouTube is of the song that shares its name with the album itself, and it gives a feel for the crew that should leave you wanting more. Peep it!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvYxf0k5LTs]

I believe that Yall So Stupid eventually mutated into Mass Influence (check the archives) but beyond that, I really don’t have a lot more knowledge of what became of the crew’s various members. As I said before, the fact that this is not more widely known is slightly bewildering, as it is highly entertaining and accessible for serious heads and more casual listeners alike. Still, as with so many albums found online in the blogging community, this has essentially been forgotten and is no longer in print. Do yourself a favour and cop it.

Van Full Of Pakistans