Does the world need another American Gangster remix album? Considering I haven’t listened to any of ‘em, and only have a passing familiarity with the original, all I can tell you on first listen is that K-Def’s versions of “Pray”, “Hello Brooklyn” and “Blue Magic” easily outclass the retail mixes.
It’s been an effed-up few weeks here at Unkut Dot Com after a car accident left me with a serious concussion. The only good part getting a chance to go through some of my old records….
The P Brothers feat. Boss Money - “New Religion” (snippet) (more…)
Thanks to the ever-vigilant Dallas Penn, I was reminded of Elliott Wilson’s 24 For 24 blog marathon which he had promised via email a week ago. I’d requested that he attempt to refrain from any mention of that guy who hangs out on yachts, and – to his credit – the XXL Mag honch lasted seven posts without any reference to you-know-who. I’ve also added extra points for a great story about the time he was ducking The Legion after shitting on the second Black Sheep album.
AJ Rok was the first dude I interviewed for Unkut Dot Com, and back in 2005 he mentioned his Heavy Rotation Magazine Radio project which he was developing. The show officially launched a couple of weeks ago, but if haven’t caught it yet I recommend you check out the latest episode featuring MC Shan. Magazine fiends might remember some of the great work AJ Woodson did for On The Go on the interview tip, so you know dude knows his stuff.
Here’s a drop from Bill Zimmerman, who originally penned this feature for another mag we worked at which is currently “on hiatus”:
The NYG’z have little to show in the way of musical output after years on DJ Premier’s Year Round label, but they’re about to be rewarded for their patience. After a few 12-inch singles and a “street” album, Shabeeno and Panchi are working on a proper debut that will be entirely produced by their legendary boss. Only a few MC’s have had the privilege to rap over a full-length collection of Premo beats, and when any rumors of all-Premier produced projects emerge, the topic usually sets off a frenzy of speculation among underground rap fans. (Remember the prospect of a Nas/Premo album?) Soon the Bronx duo will join the likes of Guru, Group Home and Jeru The Damaja in an exclusive group of artists who have worked on entire albums with Premier.
Even the gruff-voiced Panchi, real name Andre Davis, admitted that the pressure to deliver can be intimidating. “It’s dope though because it’s going to generate interest,” he said. “I don’t care if they say it’s dope. I don’t care if they say it’s wack. I just care that they say.” In October the NYG’z released Welcome to G-Dom, a collection of new and previously-released material featuring a handful of producers – including DJ Premier – and a slew of guest rappers. It’s a quality introduction, but the NYG’z prefer to think of it as a “street” album, an introduction of what’s to come with their official debut, Pros & Cons. According them, that disc will be short on guests and big on originality. “They (listeners) can expect a brand new sound from a brand new group,” Panchi said. “And Premier is going get the most of that sound we need. So after you hear the static on the record, when you hear the beat drop, you’ll know that’s NYGz without all the music sounding exactly the same.” (more…)
To call Percee P – the “legendary lyricist of the subterranean” – ahead of his time doesn’t even begin to do justice to his legacy. Even though Perseverance is his first album, it was nineteen years ago that he first blessed vinyl with his brain-melting rapid-fire rap style that many still haven’t caught up to (even today), while his sporadic 12″ appearances have maintained his status throughout the nineties. After meeting the Stones Throw crew while selling tapes a couple of years back, Perc is about to be introduced to a whole new generation of rap fans.
Robbie: How did you get to know Lord Finesse? Was he from the same area in the Bronx?
Percee P: I battled Lord Finesse, that’s when I met him, in 1989. There’s a DVD that’s out called SBX! that has the actual footage of us battling. So that’s the first time that I met him, but A.G. is the one who told me that he wanted me on the album – ‘cos A.G. is from the same housing project where I’m from – so he told me “Finesse is doing another album, and he wants you on the album, Perc, with me and him rhyming.” I wound-up doing another song with just Finesse called “Kickin’ Flavor Wit My Man”.
That was crazy that one, man. So was that battle in 1989 actually set-up earlier? Because someone had brought a video camera and everything.
Yeah, the guy that was hosting it – he was the one who started the battle – he’s from my project. His name is Tony Web. He basically knew me and Finesse, so he would tell Finesse how I would take everybody out in Forest Projects – that’s where Finesse is from, with Fat Joe and Diamond D, and Showbiz is from up there. So he just told him that, but I didn’t know Finesse, he was just trying to instigate something. He came back to me sayin’ the same thing: “This guy named Finesse, from Forest, he’s sayin’ that he can beat everybody from Patterson Projects…including you!” and all this nonsense. So it just went back and forth, to the point where Finesse come around Patterson looking for me, then I come around his project looking for him, until we finally met-up. Before we started the battle I told my man to go get his camcorder…my friend Dave. My man D-Nique got his box, his radio, and I always carried tapes on me with beats on it, like 45 King beat tapes I used to just record from my DJ Ekim’s house, just so I could write rhymes off it, and that’s what I had on me so that’s why we kept rewinding the “Funky Drummer” beat back, before we started the next round. The rest was history. (more…)
Following on from Rudy’s finest solo shots, here is some of his better work with other dudes. It’s amazing what a Flush verse and a Buckwild remix can do for an otherwise mediocre record from an otherwise unexceptional indy rapper, as Lace Da Boom’s “Cut That Weak Shit” is given a much-needed makeover. Big Pun, NORE and Flush over The Meters’ “Hand Clapping Song”? That’s white-label gold right there. Big Ran, who happens to be Royal Flush’s brother, only provides the hook for “No Love” but also receives top billing on the song. Go figure. “Queens Represent” is another “never made retail” cut from the Ghetto Millionaire sessions, as the Wastelandz crew all get a piece of the action, while Tommy Tee recruits a solid team for “No Holds Barred” (although it would have made more of an impression if F.T. had rapped and made Matt Fingez do the chorus instead). Rounding off proceedings is the Big L and Flush freestyle, which is sometimes labeled as “Flamboyant 2″ although it’s clearly just some mixtape shit. (more…)
Smooth Assassin was a great album…Lead Pipe? Not so much. But fact remains that Grand Daddy I.U. (who you would have last heard from on Big L’s “Da Graveyard”) was an ill motherfucker in his day, and it turns out his new album is easily the strongest “comeback” album I’ve heard in years. Clocking in at nineteen cuts, there are inevitably a handful of songs let-down by weak hooks or music, but the good tracks are well worth the price of admission. You should be familiar with “Da Veteran”, the burner he did for Marco Polo’s album that was never gonna get cleared (but turned-up on Polo’s mixtape), but there are plenty of other winners here, as I.U. continues to combine his trademark sex raps (the Large Pro contribution “Mack of the Year”) with quality bragging (“Mills Lane Freestyle”) and gun talk. Pudgee even turns up for a guest drop, if anyone cares. Stick To The Script demonstrates that some rap vets can still keep up with the youngsters, and in this case the U outclasses most of the class of ‘07 in terms of creating an enjoyable and varied long player. Check dude destroying the break last heard on GFK’s “Murder Goons” for proof:
Big Neek’s been covered, so you know that the next stop on the Flushing excursion had to be a visit with Royal Flush, who is best described as a hustler that can rap his ass off. Following his numerous cameos on Mic Geronimo’s album, Flush unleashed a strong LP of slick-talk and ill beats. It could be argued that Blunt Records dropped the ball by not putting the supreme “Rotten Apple” on the Ghetto Millionaire album, but RF hasn’t let any set-backs slow his roll, as he’s continued to drop white labels and street CD’s over the years. (more…)
