Great to see the Celtics pull of the win in game 5 last night. Talk about an edge-of-your-seat game, but it was excellent when Miller botched the first free throw at the end.
I'm using exciting NBA playoff basketball to segue into this incredible video I just peeped at The Meaning Of Dope
I got to thank them for uploading footage from Slammin' the Rap Video Magazine Volume 1, which features Ice-T and the Syndicate Posse hanging out at Ice's home. Tecmo Bowl is in effect, as is the Posse kicking their rhymes from "What Ya Wanna Do." However, I gotta say the highlight for me was Ice explaining how he isn't a perfect role model:
"I say don't do drugs, go to school, don't go to jail, get your education 'cause that's the only chance you got. BUT, I like Jason, I like Freddy Krueger, if you open up a Playboy magazine I might look at it, and if I catch you stealing one of my cars I might shoot you."
Oh yeah, I segued into this from the Cs game last night because of Ice's attire in the video. Is this an indicator of who he's rooting for in this series?
Check out a young Everlast kicking his "What Ya Wanna Do" verse. What an INCREDIBLE album "The Iceberg (Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say)" is. I remember my next door neighbor, Andrew Lane, bought this when I was in 7th grade. He wasn't even big on rap, he was more of the type to get me up on Operation Ivy than a classic hip hop album, but for some reason he picked this up, and we both were in love with it. That was around the time he filmed me making my own home music video to PE "Night of the Living Baseheads." Perhaps I should upload that embarrassing failure at some point. Actually, I'm glad we were filming a lot of stupid shit during that time. We had a lot of fun back then! Don't expect me to upload the "Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man" video, though.
As for why it's called the "Atom Heart Mirror" Remix... well, besides the play on the Pink Floyd album title, it's a little foreshadowing regarding my upcoming project. More info to follow in the near future!
Here's some rare footage of the man himself, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, doing his classic, "I Put A Spell On You."
I always like to do a little trivia, so who can tell me what movie this performance is from? Let me just take this opportunity to make fun of something (damn, I thought I wasn't going to be using this blog to do that).
"Trivia contestants are competing for what's most important... respect!"
Sounds lame, right? No prize? What a dick! But holllld up, I jacked that ridiculous phrase from the new Common "Gladiator" Remix Contest. Check the jpeg flyer (towards the bottom)
Have fun competing for respect, producers! Am I missing something here? I admit, I didn't study the rules, but you don't even get your remix featured on a single or project? You don't even get a couple bucks for the cab fare home? I mean, you HAVE to be at the event in LA to enter? Is this the recession in full effect?
What's gonna happen there... is Common gonna watch you "do your thing"? That'd just be awkward, if he's going to be as lethargic as he appears below. He's looking like Dwight Schrute with the tight long sleeves in that new "The Office" episode.
Like Common says so enthusiastically at the end of the clip, "Let's Go"
Watch it... it had me cracking up.
Sorry Petey Wheatstraw from the South Side of Chicago, you got many classics under your belt, but this is too easy to rag on. Hell, with the level of success he's attained, he probably isn't so excited to hear a new fresh and dope beat for a contest he probably didn't even put together. I'm an ass. I don't wanna be on some hardcore bloggin' where I nitpick artists... I'm an artist, for Christ's sake... gotta snap out of it!
Okay, here we go-
This is the original Hawkins "I Put A Spell On You," used by a certain someone for a certain something. I'd get more specific, but that certain someone hates shit like that...
... and yes, I don't want to be part of the demographic of people he's pissed at and has called out on various skits throughout his career.
I'm kind of realizing if you're not really into some of the stuff I'm talking about in this post, none of it is making sense. I'm acting like a little bitch right now. I'm acting real paranoid and shit. And I bolded that for no reason.
One of the great things about living in Boston is there are some great records shops. A lot of times, you can come across some pretty cool stuff. Of course, you have a better chance here more than anywhere else at finding some Boston classics. Talk about an obvious statement there. Still, all the good hip hop stuff is scarce. Prices usually suck... going to a record store in '09 to "collect" can pretty much suck. I've been steering clear of it for awhile now, strictly adhering to grabbing stuff at Good Wills for a buck to hopefully find good material to sample.
Every once in awhile though, it's a fun time to go see what's lurking out in those shops in the hip hop section. Looney Tunes on Boylston and Mass Ave knows what's up. They've let me squeeze myself into some crevices I'm not sure how I got into, and I've unearthed some good stuff when doing so. Plus, if you catch the right dude to price them, you don't get taken for a ride. Here's a little something that was around one of those twists and turns.
The Almighty R.S.O. Crew- legendary and feared. I won't go on about their history, because chances are you probably know it, and I'm also not the guy to be telling it... I missed that era in Boston. Above is an acetate pressing of their single from 1988, "We're Notorious / Time to Relax / Def Jeff." The actual picture cover is incredible... the crew standing in Cambridge near MIT campus, with Boston in the background.
Anyways, I'll fill out this rant with some audio. Here's a pretty clean copy of their "The Greatest Show On Earth" 12" from 1986 on Boot Records. Actually, the record was sealed and only opened for this post... is that a waste? GulLlllllllLLl
The Greatest Show On Earth (Vocal)
The Greatest Show On Earth (Remix Instrumental)
Here's a ridiculously great track from their 1987 Boot Records "We'll Remember You" 12"...
Call Us The All-
The "Call Us The All" audio came from Esoteric's "The Seamus Test" compilation, not straight from the 12". Let's trace it back... I'm SURE it came from the straight vinyl from either Eso or 7L's collection, so the only difference here is the "A Bronx Tale" dialogue piece at the beginning... can't knock that movie though!
Last year, record companies were chumpin' me I was featured on Esoteric's "Esoteric Vs. Japan- Pterodactyl Takes Tokyo" album, on the tracks "Wrestlelectro" and "Heroic Trio," the latter also featuring KARMA (God Complex in e-f-f-e-c-t!).
It was and always is an honor to work with Eso, one of the most hard working and innovative artists I've ever known. No seriously, it's actually difficult to fathom how he's managed to pump out so much fresh material over the past couple of years, all while starting a family. If you haven't heard "Wrestlelectro," check it out on my myspace.
Also, just do yourself a favor if you haven't already and snag "Esoteric Vs. Japan." "Armed only with the sounds of 70s and 80s Japanese classics," the homie ES manipulates a slew of material into one superb listening experience.
Exhibit A:
To
And yeah, that first one is some sort of odd Japanese karaoke cover record.
I took my part of "Wrestlelectro" and reworked it over pieces of Key-Matic's electro classic "Breakin' In Space." I love me some "Breakin' In Space." There might be some... how you say... dated (?) parts in the original Key-Matic audio, but hopefully the random inclusion of Andre the Giant saying "Gene, you see me now..." from Wrestlemania III will make it all okay. Like that logic? Mix is a little raw but just having fun. Here it is!
I’m breakin in space / I’m taking the taste out your mouth when I smack ya faster / I’m taking the bass out your voice, ya’ll cats is actors / I snap on like bad bra strap unfasteners / combat with masterdon raps will splash your palms fast- ya death / make ya breathin’ / breath and stop like Tip after quest / my click track finesse will riff raff correct and bitch slap the rest / my wits pass the test- I complete the mission / I leave without a scratch like Plug 3 was missing / I’ve seen the other cats, they’re drug fiends and / infinite umpteens and quicker than Chun Li was kickin, they’re slippin’ / Like the Deep Purple sample was working / you’re Steve Urkel with women and girls twitch when you’re flirtin’ / like Lisa Turtle allergic to Screech, C’ll be working with speech / ‘cause on the scratch never made it past chirpin’ a beep
I’m breakin – ya’ll hang with Jane in the basement / sayin’ “ya’ll take a look at this rock” / your legacy on wax is the crack ya bought / Shan- smashed the flask ya’ll act distraught / when I – cook up a set you’re shook, onlookers will scope / a solo rookie like Ford pre-Wookie booked "A New Hope” / I’ll put a hook at your throat – cut ya – sucker sucker / I rhyme like I’m Chuck-A-Luck a
Like I said, Eso moves fast. Don't sleep on his new instrumental offering, "Serve Or Suffer." Urb, which reviewed it with 4.5 Stars, had this to say:
"Esoteric is able to make a convincing statement about the activities we are passionate about (whether that is hip-hop, comic books, videogames, or anything else)and stress the importance of never losing sight of these passions."
Nobody can front on Hip Hop Connection Magazine. They got something for everybody in their pages, and know exactly how to cater to a wide range of the global hip hop audience. For the last year or so, they even added an old school oriented mini-mag to the back of their issues called "The Original," which has been filled with some spectacular writing. Guest columns by T La Rock, features on obscure hip hop wax that will make you scratch your head... you name it.
Adapting to the ways of the world, HHC has decided to go digital with their magazine. Their first issue is being offeredFREE -HERE
Great to see that "The Original" is surviving the transition from print to digital (First mini-mag issue to drop May 1st). The magazine is still packed with all the great writing you'd expect, so rest assured, and step into the new era of a staple publication in the hip hop world!
Check out this video! This is like a dream come true to see that Marley has video footage of WBLS during the "In Control" era. I really hope this potential DVD sees the light of day in a proper fashion. I love how Marley's doing the commentary. If this is expanded into a full length, I'll for sure be scoopin' up a copy.
Also, check this out... incredible. It's Marley lip synching to his original version of "No Bullshit." A totally reworked version of "No Bullshit" wound up on "In Control Volume 2," but I like this one better. Most likely, by the time volume 2 was coming out, the "I'm Your Puppet" sample had popped up in enough places. Not sure if I'm getting ahead of myself on dates of release, but what comes to mind is it being used on Nice and Smooth's first album, Grand Daddy IU "Something New," and Marley's own track with Intelligent Hoodlum and Craig G, "Live and Direct From The House of Hits" within the same couple years. I know at the beginning of the album version of "No Bullshit" you hear the "I'm Your Puppet" sample come in, then he says something like "brother's jacked that already." You know what, instead of me rambling, I'll just post the album version of "No Bullshit" as well. First, here's the link to the video:
On another note, the version he's lip synching to is a little different from the rip I have from a Westwood radio show. Different vocal take for sure. He took a line he had dissing Magic out in this video version. Alright, here's the album version (confusing enough?):
Marley Marly- "No Bullshit" (From In Control Volume 2)
Big ups to Hot Chillin', where they posted these videos!
I promise the bulk of this blog's output won't be saturated with hating on things. I'm trying to steer clear of going that route. However, a catchy little phrase caught my attention tonight while I was eating my dinner and watching t.v.
"He'll Do Anything to Keep His Heart On."
INCREDIBLE! Talk about the most pointlessly sexual and ridiculous movie tag line ever. The trailer was for "Crank High Voltage." I never paid much attention to the first one. It seemed to be the movie "Speed," but with a dude instead of a bus. Apparently they found a way to make a sequel (they found a way with "Speed" also- see below).
I googled "Crank High Voltage" and this is one of the first images I got.
Looks promising. Random post I know, but I figured I'd share something that gave me a laugh. Who really gets psyched to see these?
Here's the plot synopsis:
Hitman Chev Chelios is kidnapped by a mysterious Chinese mobster. Three months later, he wakes up to discover his nearly indestructible heart has been surgically removed and replaced with a battery-operated ticker that requires regular jolts of electricity in order to work.
The homeboy Chris Faraone is showin' love to the new blog. Check out his collaborative effort with Sleezy Trees and others, the always entertaining Jump The Turnstyle
"If there’s one dude whose blog we don’t mind hyping, it’s Boston-based archivist/DJ/throwback-ologist Will C. In case you don’t remember his last project with Mr. Magic, check out the exclusive JTTS coveragehereand here (really - check it - lots of sick downloads and literally impossible-to-find-elsewhere old school cuts in those posts). And be sure to check homeboy’s new blog spot."
We're gonna finish off Mr. Magic where we began on two different levels... sort of.
First off, way back, probably a year or two ago at this point, before "Down The Dial" dropped, I let a real special clip get out there into internet land. Transferred from one of those classic tapes from the vaults of Starrlite (and featured on the "Down The Dial" poster) is the oldest cassette salvaged from her collection. A tape of the Mr. Magic Disco Showcase 1981 (that's right, BEFORE the Rap Attack). This is before Magic's radio show had even integrated entirely into hip hop. I mean, at this time, there weren't even enough Rap 12"s to fill an entire slot on WHBI. Like I said in "New York Class,"
"Before the skill was saturated / he couldn't fill his format with rap, he played / funk and jazz and rock and roll / Ty or Starrlite'd tape the show / this is the Disco Showcase if you know / predates Rap Attack and In Control..."
Yeah that's right, I just quoted myself. Check the entire track here. Beat is by my main man Raydar Ellis. Don't make the mistake of sleeping on him.
Will C. - "New York Class" (Produced by Raydar Ellis)
Raydar just put out an exceptional album as a tag team alongside Quite Nyce of Radix. Cop "Champs Vs. The League"here.
To hear a clip from the Disco Showcase is always a gem. I really truly treasure this one. It's from October 10, 1981. A BIG night in hip hop history. Magic drops the sciend::
"See actually I just got back from the lower east side amphitheater, and by the way they were filming a motion picture to come out next year called 'Wild Style.' And it's about a graffiti artist from New York City. Well, what we were doing tonight, we were filming a scene, as I said down in the lower east side of Manhattan, and I ran into a whole lot of super listeners by the way...
... The show included The Cold Crush Brothers, who furnished the sound system, and a special thank you to Charlie Chase and Tony Tone. We also heard from Busy Bee and DJ AJ, the Fantastic Romantic 5 MCs with DJ Theodore. We also heard from Double Trouble, and I had the pleasure of meeting Lisa Lee, an up and coming star. One of the few female rappers here in New York City. Special congratulations to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, who put on a fantastic show!"
Ridiculous. Damn, I really wish the Flash and the Furious footage made it onto the film. Can't remember if it was a contractual thing with Sugar Hill and the amount of dough they wanted, or that some of the footage was damaged from that night, or a combination of both.
Check... it... out
Mr. Magic Disco Showcase- October 10, 1981
Also ill to hear the show intro over Grover Washington's "Mr. Magic." This is taking it wayyyy back. A great experience just to hear how things were back then, how he spoke... all that.
On another note of ending where we started, as promised I said I have a little curveball to revisit the first Magic post concerning the infamous Public Enemy dis on the Rap Attack. This clip is from June 3rd, 1987. "Don't Believe the Hype" is pumping from the radio show and Sir Juice states:
"I must say, the most intelligent thing I ever heard from a rap record- 'don't believe the hype.' DEFINITELY sounds like a winner. 'Bout 23 minutes in front of 11 o'clock in the P.M. Public Enemy in effect, I'm proud of you guys! What can I tell you."
Who knows what inspired this. This just goes to show you, you never know what to expect on that show. Classic.
Rap Attack- June 3, 1987- (Magic Bigging Up P.E.)
Yo, so like a wise man once said:
“That about does it for yours truly until I return to burn tomorrow night starting at 9 o’clock in the PM. Anyone driving in a car, please proceed with a little extra safety and care. Super listeners, whenever you do your homework, always do it to the best of your ability and also remember that persistence always overcomes resistance. Any fool can learn from his own mistakes, but it takes a wise man, a wise guy like you, to learn from the mistakes made by others. Quick reminder to be yourself or you might find yourself by yourself, and that is definitely no fun. Just ask sister station from down the dial…”
A couple times I thought this Mr. Magic week was gonna be the death of me. Particularly tonight, fresh off of my fair share of Easter Dinner glasses of wine. I'm gonna go ahead and call it a success, even know technically it's 12:33 Monday morning right now.
Stick around and keep checking this blog. As we close out Mr. Magic week, we're gonna move on to a lot more interesting stuff. I don't know why I say we. It's just me... maybe this shit is making me crack up already. Uh oh...
Just like the Roxanne Wars, but not nearly to the same extent, there were a handful of "random" disses being thrown around during The Bridge Wars. Everyone's up on (and possibly even sick of hearing) BDP's "The Bridge Is Over" and Shan's "Kill That Noise." Some aren't random, you just don't hear them as much. A perfect example is Poet's "Beat You Down," which got many spins on the Rap Attack. Two standout tracks from this battle are MC Mitchski's "Brooklyn Blew Up The Bridge" on the BDP side, and Butchy B's "Go Magic" on the WBLS side.
I'd say Butchy B's "Go Magic" is the least mentioned out of the titles I just listed, so I decided to put a spotlight on it on this lazy Saturday. Check it out
Butchy B- "Go Magic (Radio)"
This is a pretty tough 12" to come by. It's actually more of an EP. Honestly, don't waste your time trying to get your hands on it though... "Go Magic" is the highlight. The only other track you might want to seek out is "Beatin Down KRS" on the B-side for curiosity's sake. When I showed Magic the record, he lit up... it had been so long since he heard it that he had forgot all about it. He said he used to play it all the time, but was NEVER aware it came out on record. I'm not sure what they were playing it off of though.
There was no way I was putting out "Down The Dial" without putting this Butchy B cut on there. I decided to do a couple blends with it. The "Down The Dial" version is below
"Go Magic" (From "Down The Dial")
I wish there was an instrumental to Ultramagnetic MCs' "Delta Force One." That's one of my all time favorite beats. I love how the beat even has Ced Gee's voice in the background basically the entire time saying "HELLO! Ced Gee, the champion!" It's the best.
Probably the most ironic thing I did on my re-edit of the track: I wanted to make sure the line "said it for the record, let the bullshit cease" was NOT edited. The 12" is the radio version, so it gets taken out. I had to pull it off an actual radio show. Shouldn't it have been edited on WBLS though? Haha so the record is the edited version, but the Rap Attack radio rip is balls out. Classic
Once again, if you like what you hear, you can cop "Down The Dial" here- Underground Hip Hop
Oh, and to keep the theme of my posts constantly going on tangents or off topic, here's a clip from the Rap Attack from September 4th, 1987, where Biz Markie and Roxanne Shante are stopping by...
September 4th, 1987- Biz and Shante at WBLS
Here's some classic clips from the 1986 Dutch VPRO Documentary "Big Fun In The Big Town." At 1:50 into the first one you can see some rare footage of Magic and Marley up at WBLS.
The second clip has Biz and Shante doing "Def Fresh Crew" at 4:20
I might just be a knucklehead, but this is something I never picked up on until I heard it from Magic directly: He used to produce under the alias M². I had seen that credit on Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde's "A.M. / P.M." single, but for some reason had always just assumed it was Marley Marl.
So Magic was messing with the Linn Drum huh? Oh... word?
Check out "A.M. / P.M." below
Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde- "A.M. / P.M."
Also, for no particular reason, I decided to put Magic's "A.M. / P.M." Linn Drum beat to Mandrill's "Love Song" on my "Commercial Rap" CD from last year. I called it "M Squared," probably because I didn't know how to make the ² symbol at the time (tricky, tricky). Peep it
"M Squared"
I'd just like to say that the photo shoot for "Commercial Rap" was quite fun. It was more like an elaborate scheme to justify playing with toys again. That's really all "Commercial Rap" was.
Am I just kidding? Check this 'outtake' photo
If you wanna cop "Commercial Rap," you can pick it up at Underground Hip Hop
Anyways, after I found this out, I started noticing the M² production credit, or simply Mr. Magic production credits, on some other records (aka, I looked on discogs).
Force M.D.'s- "Let Me Love You (Vocal)"
Force M.D.'s- "Love Beats"
Magic (appearing straight up as Mr. Magic) was co producer with Tom Silverman on this classic Force M.D.'s 12". You can't front on it.
One of my favorite joints to play at random times, "All Night Long (Waterbed)" by Kevie Kev is another keeper that Magic produced on Sugar Hill Records for Kevie Kev (Waterbed Kev). It's actually pretty funny, when I played this for Magic he made the funniest face. He hadn't heard it in ages, and forgot that he actually appears on the record trying win over a girl. I mean, he closes out the record saying that he's just "maxing and relaxing, getting ready to do the wild thing". Of course he made a funny face... caught him off guard like a prick
I just need to stress this- "All Night Long" is an INCREDIBLE record. Any song that begins with a rapper saying he "touches self to prove that he's a freak... I can't hold it back the paint flowing over... touch it why don't cha??" is a winner in my book. A lot of people call that poor taste. Meh. I also love how it's a song about getting girls, but the first rap gets political
"Candidates cut each others throats / Just to get poor people out there to vote!"
Who would guess that one of the adjacent lines is...
"If you look at the sky at the stars above / It reads 'Waterbed Kev, he was made for love!"
Forgive me if my quotes are a little bit off, I'm doing this by memory. Yeah, I've listened to it that many times.
Kevie Kev (Waterbed Kev)- "All Night Long (Waterbed)"
Sorry, I'm trailing off a bit here and there in this post. "Fast Food Nation" is on the IFC. I've seen it before, but sometimes the damn television sucks me in. Mr. "Duck Rock" himself, Malcolm McLaren, produced the film. Or at least some guy named Malcolm McLaren did... I put two and two together.
Getting sidetracked here, but Jeckyll and Hyde's "A.M. / P.M." 12" is paired with Kurtis Blow's classic "Fast Life" production.
Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde- "Fast Life"
Best use of the Jeckyll and Hyde "Fast Life" 12" ? The Vinyl Reanimators remix of Kool G Rap's "Fast Life"
Kool G Rap Feat. Nas- "Fast Life (Vinyl Reanmators Remix)"
