Although the majority of you will know these tunes inside out, there is always something highly satisfying about a mix that brings together some quality beats with skill and finesse. These are the sort of albums that I throw on when friends are around as they appeal to even casual hip hop listeners due to the high standard of cuts throughout. However, there is also something here for your more serious head as the mix puts a unique spin on otherwise familiar tunes. This Nervous Hip Hop compilation fits nicely into this bracket, with Kenny Dope selecting some classic Boot Camp joints and a few other bits and pieces to keep that head nodding.
I love the way that this mix has some extended instrumental sections that blend seemlessly with other cuts that have vocals over the top. Big beats and funky horn loops are the key link between the selections here and the mix as a whole is dope. In all truth I don’t have a great deal to say about this album, although perhaps ‘Six Million Ways To Die’ deserves a special mention. I love Nine’s gritty delivery and there are very few non-LP appearances by the man so this is a bonus in a quality mix. There is some nice back spinning at the beginning of the tune that extends the intro and when the vocals kick in it is as good as any track off ‘Nine Livez’ or ‘Cloud 9’. Skip to the bottom of this post for the link and enjoy.
MPC500:
Thought I’d chuck in a couple of other bits today due to the slightly short post. Saw this in a magazine aimed at those involved in the production game today and couldn’t resist sharing it with you. As I imagine is the case for many a diehard fan, the dream of delving into beatmaking at times seems all to appealing. This new mobile MPC would be top of my gadget hitlist if I had bottomless pockets and hours of time to kill pressing little rubber pads and pretending that I had moved up in status from avid listener to bangin’ producer. Fortunately I have enough awareness of myself to know that I have neither the record collection nor the musical ability to warrant owning one. Still, you can’t stop a man from dreaming and this battery powered unit has me sat on a late night train putting together beats that sound like Pete Rock c. ’94. Check out the Chocolate Boy Wonder doing his thing, close your eyes and imagine people…
Filed under: Album Reviews
Amazingly I haven’t seen this posted up anywhere else so I’m grabbing the chance and throwing up a true classic of the mid-’90s era. ‘From Where???’ is straight bangin’ from start to finish and is an essential addition to your collection if you’re feeling that second golden era flava (of course you are!).
What makes this album really stand out for me is that both production and Skillz’s mic handling abilities are as strong as one another; a rarity within the genre. I seldom find an album that combines the two arts with such finesse but ‘From Where???’ seems to do it with ease and pounds of style. Buckwild, Dilla, Shawn J. Period, The Beatnuts and Large Pro all contribute on the boards, an astonishing dream team of mid-’90s producers that speaks for itself. The beats are polished but retain that gritty straught up vibe that characterises quality hip hop. ‘Move Ya Body’ is the only cut on this album that I skip as it is a little cheesy, but every other track is absolutely slammin’. From the crazy horn loop on ‘Tongues Of The Next Shit’ to the summertime flava of ‘Get Your Groove On’, through the neck snapping ‘Nod Factor’ and the eerie sounding album closer ‘Inherit The World’, the beats here are truly on point. Crispy snares, big kicks and simple yet subtly flipped samples mean that this album represents the pinnacle of east coast hip hop production.
Skillz is tight on the mic as well, verbally throwing less accomplished MCs onto the scrapheap and then kicking them whilst they’re down. Although the content is essentially made up of bragging verses, Skillz’s delivery feels fresh and original. I always thought that there was a similarity in tone and delivery to Big L which in itself should be seen as highly complimentary, but Skillz has a unique and engaging delivery that is all his own. He has also (very publicly) ghost written for a whole host of mainstream rappers which demonstrates his lyrical prowess and ability to switch his game up without selling out his own on-mic persona.
I try to resist the temptation to label albums as ‘classic’. As I have said before this term gets banded about a little too much in this here hip hop game for my liking, taking away from those albums that truly warrant the tag. However, I’m willing to put my neck on the line with this one. This is a shining example of how great rap music can be and if you haven’t heard it you are in for a serious treat. Get your volume maxed out and bop your head until you can’t bop it anymore: this is classic material for all you true heads out there.
Filed under: Album Reviews
We’re going continental here at FDB again. ‘Paris Sous Les Bombes’ is categorically one of the best albums to emerge from the French scene and is the product of another of the country’s extremely successful hip hop outfits. Made up of MCs Kool Shen and Joey Starr and a range of different producers, Supreme NTM are an unabashedly hardcore group that is suggested by their name itself: ‘NTM’ stands for ‘nique ta mere’ which translates as ‘fuck your mum’. I’m not sure what message this sends out to the people buying their records, but it is a signifier of the fact that these Parisian boys mean business and do not intend to cover up their often brutal message.
Formed in 1989 and with six albums now under their belts, the group have had serious success in their homeland with their latest effort approaching platinum status. The lyrical content revolves heavily around the group’s feelings towards the police which are resoundingly negative, the violence of life on the streets and their various battles with the French authorities. They represent the voice of a disempowered and angry French youth who have lost all faith in the system and aren’t afraid to shout about it. I have always felt that the French language was well suited to rapping, and despite the odd transgression into shouting and ranting, the MCs have a smooth delivery that can be enjoyed despite the language barrier. The album also features a remix of ‘Affirmative Action’ off Nas’ ‘It Was Written…’ LP which sees the French boys hook up wih The Firm crew. The beat remains the same, but the presence of the Supreme NTM MCs puts a nice spin on the track.
The production is also solid, featuring many samples and drum breaks that you may recognise from American joints. This is not to say that the beats are simply lifted from their US counterparts: the samples are flipped with originality and flava. My favourite cut is ‘Tout N’est Pas Si Facile’ which is a serious head nodder with sweeping strings and a beautiful sax loop. Generally speaking the beats have a classic mid-’90s feel with heavy drums and funky samples laid over the top. Gotta love that.
Let me try and draw an analogy here with another French artist already featured on FDB with the use of something typically continental: coffee. If MC Solaar is a cafe au lait in a tall glass drunk in a cafe overlooking the Palace of Versailles, Supreme NTM are a triple espresso drunk from a short and stumpy mug in the roughest parts of the nation’s capital. Solaar is smooth, warm and fluid with a well rounded and subtle flavour. Supreme NTM are a thick, syrupy, caffeine-laden brew that will blow your head off. Both have their place in the wide spectrum of hip hop and both outfits demonstrate the quality of rap music in France, with neither being more valuable than the other. Peep it and enjoy.
Filed under: Album Reviews
There is at times a tendency within hip hop circles to hold up a little known underground gem and to label it ‘classic material’. I can’t help but feel that this is sometimes misplaced and occurs due to the deterioration of the genre in recent times and the subsequent searching for quality music from the past. This can push objectivity to one side. Having said this, albums can live up to the hype. Although I am not 100% convinced that ‘The Natural’ necessarily warrants the ‘classic material’ tag, I believe that it is as close as some of these sort of albums can come.
First up is the production. With Buckwild and Da Beatminerz on the boards and the year being ’95, you can be pretty sure that the beats will be on point. They don’t disappoint. ‘Masta I.C.’ is a beautifully put together cut with some tasty sleighbells; ‘Time To Build’ is aggressive and extremely hard-hitting and ‘Sharane’ has an excellent opening 16 or so bars which build the beat up subtly and with a serious head noddy vibe. Some of the beats lack that quality that gives you that warm mushy feeling inside, but generally the production is flawless.
The rhymes ain’t bad either. Mic Geronimo isn’t the most intelligent or charismatic of MCs, but he has a nice flow that works well with the beats. There are also some very well delivered guest spots. ‘Time To Build’ is strong vocally throughout, but the Jay Z verse is a pleasing early glimpse at the man who has had such success in the commercial market. I’m not sure who features on the fourth verse of this particular cut, but it is one of the roughest, grittiest verses that I have ever heard. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you are in the mood it is truly sensational.
However, like so many albums of the era it could be said that there is something indefinable missing here. Nothing substantial, but something that stops it reaching the heights of the true classics of the era like ‘Illmatic’. As I have said before, the difference is not definable in discussion… but there is a difference. Don’t let this put you off: this is a quality album that you will come back to on repeated occasions, and some of the highlights are excellent examples of the strength of the genre at this stage in its development.
Although I’ve seen ‘Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop’ relatively regularly in blogworld, I’ve yet to see Diamond D’s (I still can’t bring myself to drop the ‘D’) second effort appear. Cue ‘Hatred, Passion And Infidelity’. I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to love this album and at times I almost manage to convince myself that I do, but the harsh reality is that this has to be considered a victim of the hip hop slide and I consider it to be a disappointment.
This is not to say that the album doesn’t have its moments. I really like the spacious feel of ‘Flowin” which could almost be an outro beat given its laid back and light, head nodding vibe. Similarly, I love the use of the Sister Nancy sample on ‘MC Iz My Ambition’ coupled with a smooth Axelrod loop. ‘5 Fingas Of Death’ is also bangin’, although ironically this wasn’t produced by Diamond but by the omnipresent Kid Capri instead. In fact, I do like a lot of the tunes on this album, but there is a lack of energy and enthusiasm here that means that the overall impact of the album falls way short of expectation.
This album also features two of the worst Diamond D beats I think I have ever heard. ‘Can’t Keep My Grands To Myself’ is a travesty, featuring a super cheesy sung chorus hook that sounds like it could have been lifted off a throwaway tune from the disco era. I simply can’t believe how this song came about. Was it an attempt to break into a more commercial market? Had Diamond D smoked one too many blunts? Or had he totally lost his mind? ‘Cream N Sunshine’ is similarly grating and as much as I can I distance these songs from all of his other work and try to ignore that they ever happened.
I recently checked Diamond D’s MySpace page just to see what sort of beats he was producing now. Unfortunately, it looks like the man has officially fallen off. It kills me that this is the case. Songs like ‘Sally Got a One Track Mind’ and ‘Step To Me’ rank as some of my favourite hip hop cuts of all time and ‘Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop’ is a certified classic. Somebody please drop a comment and enlighten me as to what I’m missing on this album: I want to love it but can’t bring myself to do so.
Filed under: Album Reviews
And we’re back! Hope everyone has had an enjoyable festive season; I know I have. Still recovering somewhat from over-eating but that can hardly be construed as a complaint. Have had a great week or so catching up with family and relaxing with the girlfriend (who presented me with this here selection: well done Samantha), hit the sales and picked up a bit of music although Oxford Street is not a pleasant place to be at this time of year. Starting to feel the January lull kicking in already but still one night of celebration to go. Have a good one!
Zimbabwe Legit could have been a gimmicky disaster but in fact this release fits in well with other works of the era. Drawn to hip hop via their older sibling, brothers Akim and Dumi involved themselves in as much as the culture as possible in their native Zimbabwe although accessibility to the genre was limited in Africa in the early ’90s. Still, through a passion and hunger for the artform as well as the dawn of the afrocentric era they made it to New York in 1990 and hooked up with Dave Funkenklein who was writing for The Source at the time as well as holding connections with the Native Tongues collective. Recognisng their skills, he worked hard to set them up with American producers including Mr. Lawnge and a little known Bay Area DJ who called himself Shadow. The result was a four track EP that was critically acclaimed but a commercial flop due to a lack of marketing and publicity. Sadly, Funkenklein passed away in ’94, but this and other works make for a legacy of a man who had a passion and understanding for hip hop that is rarely seen in the culture nowadays.
The commercial failure of this release was a real shame because the ‘Brothers From The Mother’ were charismatic MCs who had skills and a clear affinity with the Native Tongues sound. Drawing on their African roots as fodder for their rhymes, Akim and Dumi boast and brag with intelligence and insight, even utilising their native language on a couple of cuts. The production is solid, although there are a few joints that are easily skipped over. Favourties of mine are ‘Straight From The Mothership’ with its crisp snares and juicy horns; ‘Doin’ Damage In My Native Language’ which sees the pair rapping in (you guessed it) their native tongue and ‘Shadow’s Legitimate Mix’ which is nothing short of sensational, employing horns and pianos to create an atmospheric and laid back joint that will have your neck aching by the end of its six minute duration.
As far as I am aware this was never conceived as a full length album and this reissue seems to simply draw together the group’s work from that era including all the songs that appeared on the original EP. This goes some way to explaining why this is not perhaps the most coherent or consistent of works, but it is still well worth a purchase. It is also yet another example of a record label not understanding the potential of the artists under their control and the subsequent lack of success being an inevitable consequence of a failure to deliver the vital promotion needed at the final hurdle. As a finger up to all those record company execs who wouldn’t know real hip hop if it bit them in the arse, put this album in rotation and pay your respects to a group who can genuinely claim to have helped open the door for international hip hop.
OK people, the festive season is officially upon us and I’m afraid that this will be my last post until the 31st. My parents still live in London so I’m making the journey home and I’m also staying with my girlfirend for a bit in Reading. Have been really enjoying the blog since I started up at the beginning of the month so I’m slightly concerned about withdrawal symptoms (although should be beneficial to leave the computer alone for a short period).
Decided to throw up a couple of mixes today to see you through the Christmas period. DJ Abilities is based in Minnesota and holds an affiliation with the Atmosphere crew, although tends now to spend most of his time working with Eyedea (hence Eyedea & Abilities). I haven’t really checked any of his production work, but if it’s anywhere near as good as his technique behind the ones and twos then it must be worth checking out. Winner of the DMC regionals in ’99 and ’01, Abilities is particularly strong at older scratching styles and his transforms are some of the best I have ever heard. ‘For Persons With DJ Abilities’ is an excellent blend of boom bap hip hop and some newer stuff with some nice touches throughout that make this exactly what a good mix should be: complex enough to demonstrate real talent but without overcomplicating the issue and making it sound fussy. Check the use of Black Sheep’s ‘Without a Doubt’ beat twinned with De La’s ‘Itzoweezee’ lyrics over the top: pure class.
I know very little about DJ Fuse One other than that he is based in the Bay Area. His ‘Metamorphosis’ mix is a highly entertaining 60 minute journey through old and new skool hip hop with lots of original break samples used to boot. There is a DJ Shadow section on the album which is jaw-droppingly put together, utilising original source samples and various Shadow releases in an original and exciting way. Fuse One has a purist’s approach to the artform claiming in the liner notes that all of the track selections were from original pressings and therefore ‘no bootlegs, compilations, re-issues, CDs or anything else you people use to substitute the real’ were used. I’m not sure if I agree with this aggressive stance towards beat collecting (if you have the original pressing does it mean that you love the music more?) but you have to admire the commitment it must have taken to have put this album together.
Hope you all enjoy the festive period. There is nothing like getting together with the family, consuming large quantities of food and drink and treating yourself to a Christmas day nap in front of the telly: pure, heart-warming indulgence. Tune back in on the 31st for more of the good stuff. Later.
Filed under: Album Reviews
I promised a few more pieces of French hip hop earlier this month, and as a response to a request I saw over at WYDU I thought now was the right time to go continental. MC Solaar has been on the French scene since 1990 and is without a doubt the nation’s most highly acclaimed and internationally recognised hip hop artist. He has recorded six albums in the last sixteen years as well as one live album and has worked with a number of influential American figures including Guru on his ‘Jazzmatazz’ project and Missy Elliot on the single ‘All N My Grill’. Not bad for a little Parisian kid who still managed to complete his baccalauréat…
Jimmy Jay and Boom Bass of Le Funk Mob handle the majority of the production on ‘Prose Combat’ and for the most part it is excellent with a selection of indispensible cuts to boot. The opening to ‘Le Free Style d’Obsolete’ is strikingly well-produced, building slowly over 40 seconds before a drop into some heavy drums to provide a backdrop for Solaar’s charismatic flow. ‘Nouveau Western’ is moody and atmospheric taking you on a neck-snapping four minute journey and ‘Temps Mort’ features a slammin’ trumpet loop that soars over the rolling drums beneath it. The Roots also feature on the album with the track ‘I’m Doin’ Fine’ which sounds like it could have come straight off ‘Do You Want More?!’. The beat works well with Solaar’s delivery and he stands his own against The Roots’ rhyme section.
Despite the language barrier Solaar is a skilled enough MC to engage foreign listeners over the course of an album. He sounds best on the more uptempo tracks with a smooth flow that occasionally fires out some rapid multi-syllabic phrases. Even though I can’t understand what he is saying I feel like I do, which speaks for the strength of his ability: he conveys mood and tone through flow alone. His rhyme style takes in ‘wordplay, lyricism, and philosophical inquiry’ (says Wikipedia) although I’m somewhat in the dark with the exact nature of the content unfortunately. Should have taken that A Level French more seriously.
Of course, it isn’t perfect and some of the slower tracks feel a little dull, and I imagine rely more on being able to understand Solaar’s thoughts and observations of the world around him. Still, I think that this stands up with American and British releases of this era and is a shining demonstration that hip hop can work in contexts outside of the US. More French stuff to come in the future. Au revoir y’all.
Filed under: Album Reviews
Booze and work colleagues makes for a potentially dangerous situation. Apologies for lack of post yesterday, I was trying not to embarrass myself at my Christmas do which I am not sure whether I achieved or not. At least the holidays last for two weeks (one of the true perks of teaching) so hopefully it will be a distant memory for all when we return in January. Fingers crossed.
I first came across the Cella Dwellas on Loud’s ‘Bring Da Ruckus’ compilation which featured a bunch of tracks from the label’s back catalogue. ‘Advance To Boardwalk’ took the Monopoly board as its theoretical framework, cleverly weaving references to the game into street narratives. On top of this, the beat was on point, keeping your head nodding throughout its three and a half minute duration. I love the way that the drums drop out after the final chorus, only to return wth a big snare hit after a four bar rest: pure and unadulterated NYC hip hop. Inexplicably, I didn’t follow this up by getting a hold of their other work and only recently acquired it. I’m glad that I did.
‘Realms ‘N Reality’ is not a dazzling album but it is consistent throughout sixteen tracks and has a number of standout cuts. The group’s first single ‘Land Of The Lost’ is included as a bonus track here as well as the single ‘Perfect Match’ which is a guilty pleasure for me; the R ‘n’ B chorus refrain is cheesy as extra mature farmhouse cheddar but I still love it. ‘Good Dwellas’ is also bangin’, detailing the Cella Dwellas rise to fame whilst facing all the trials and tribulations of the ghetto in the process. In all truth there isn’t really a bad cut on here, but then there is something slightly lacking about the album as a whole. Although similar in sound to the early Boot Camp albums it lacks the weight of these releases and just doesn’t grab the listener in the same way.
In my Buckwild post I noted that although hip hop of this era is esentially formulaic there is a ‘je ne sais quoi’ that separates truly great works from those that are just good. I don’t mean to sound derogatory about ‘Realms ‘N Reality’ as it is a solid effort with some very enjoyable tunes, but it would be an over-exaggeration to claim that this is classic material. Still, this is well worthy of a place in your collection and will have you happily nodding your head for an hour without having to skip tracks as you do so: you can’t front on that.
It is relatively rare that you find a combination of intelligent lyrics, excellent delivery and phat beats in this here game known as hip hop. Take for example yesterday’s post: Larry-O can kick it, but his visions of a gangster lifestyle are hardly thought-provoking. I don’t mean this to take away from his ability as an MC; he has presence and understands how to deliver a good rhyme, but you wouldn’t exactly put him in the ‘intellectual’ bracket and invite him to a dinner party. Similarly, too much thought-provoking material can feel too try-hard and risks missing out on the party element that could be argued is a core element of the genre. I’m struggling a little to think of examples off the top of my head, but perhaps Saul Williams could be considered ‘too wordy’; his work is interesting and valuable but it ain’t exactly going to rock a crowd.
Today’s post features an artist who has managed to combine these elements in a cohesive package that makes it look all too easy. J-Live has had his fair share of strife in hip hop, with ‘The Best Part’ going through a five year ordeal where it was shelved on two (!) separate occasions. Amazingly, he emerged from this period seemingly unscathed and in my opinion is one of hip hop’s most valuable contemporary contributors. His second album ‘All Of The Above’ is a gleeming demonstration of the fact that you don’t have to talk about guns, drugs and bitches to come off dope.
Handling production, turntable and scratch duties is no mean feat either, and J-Live does the three with style. The beats on this album are exceptionally well produced and range from straight party rockers (‘How Real It Is’) to late night head nodders (‘Nights Like This’). Spinna contributes a couple of tracks as well, although these by no means outshine J-Live’s own work. I’m not saying that the production is flawless; I don’t like ‘Stir Of Echoes’ and there are a couple of other tunes that I generally skip, but for an album released in ’02 that’s not bad going.
However, it is J-Live’s skills on the mic that really hold this album together. From flipping the well known call and response catchphrase ‘it’s like this an’ a’ into a prophetic warning of what happens to girls who give it up too easy to delivering three different possible endings to the same story on ‘One For The Griot’, J-Live’s lyrics cover a wide range of topics and all are delivered with finesse and flava. I can’t think of any other MC around at the moment who has the same ability to combine content with flow, let alone whilst producing bangin’ music to provide a backdrop. The debate is open: answers on a postcard folks.
FROM DA BRICKS 
