So it’s that time of year again, when I try to remember all the albums that I listened to more than once and didn’t hate so that I can order them on vinyl…thing is, this year it seems like no one bothered to actually release anything on 33 1/3. As you’d expect, Year Round supported the Blaq Poet release with both vocal and instrumental versions, and the latest MF DoomDOOM project is available in 2LP format, but what else? The only other good long player that I can cop on wax is Double Barrel. That new Raekwon? M.O.P? Big Twins? Cormega? Chamber Music? Sorry pal, no dice. (more…)
Ignoring Lil’ Romeo and Lil’ Eazy, there are a few half-decent son’s of MC’s floating around the booth these days. Given the strong family tradition of the Wu-Tang Clan, it’s hardly surprising that 90% of them are Killa Beez related. (more…)
It’s time to admit the awful truth – I wasted many years of my life as a lyrics nerd. From constantly rewinding ‘Prsioners of War’ to attempting to memorize Percee-P’s ‘Lung Collapsing Lyrics’ and even listening to Soul On Ice multiple times. Sure, I appreciated the genius of Willie D’s Shout Rap and enjoyed NWA as much as anyone, but I also went through a period of dismissing a lot of great records for their low syllable count. Then one day, I woke up and began to understand just how important the ‘Character MC’ really is. Hearing rap fans complain that rhymers like Blaq Poet, Big Twin and Tim Dog are garbage reminds me of the lessons that should have been learned during the dreaded Backpack Era – a lot of complicated but ultimately dull rhyme schemes over bland beats. Bogged down by their notebooks, the Lyricist Lounge Generation produced some incredibly boring music.
Here’s the world premier of the Sid Roams Remix EP to keep you going until the Zombie Musik album drops. Featuring remixes of classics from Big L, M.O.P., Mobb Deep, Ghostface Killah, Jay-Z and Cam’Ron.
After catching the ears of a lot of people from their work on Prodigy’s H.N.I.C.2, the production team of Joey Chavez and Bravo went on to oversee and release several impressive projects on their own Dirt Class Records label, including Product of The 80’s and The Project Kid. I caught-up with them recently yo discuss the lost art of the A&R, studio sessions and the classic bongs vs. blunts debate.
Robbie: So you guys have produced as a duo since around 2004?
Bravo: That sounds about right. We’re been making beats together since ’92-’93, but we didn’t really form Sid Roams until 2004-5. We’d been doing stuff together and then for a long time we were doing beats on our own, with Joey on the west coast and me in New York.
Joey: Both Bravo and I started off working on the first [unreleased] Dilated record in ’95-’96…
Bravo: We all grew-up on the west coast – me, Joey and Ev – we were all in the same neighborhood in Venice. Joey and Ev went to junior high-school together and then we all went to high school together and we all started making beats and Ev was rhyming. We had been in QDIII’s studio, which was next-door to Ev’s house and he had a monster studio. It was like walking into a spaceship! Lights everywhere, it was like being on Star Trek or something. We met Al[chemist] through Ev. He was also a rapper at that time, back when we were kids, but as things progressed Al really took the helm with the beats. By the time we all got out to New York, Al had a good jump on that whole Queensbridge scene, so we passed him a beat CD around 2003-2004 and he played all that stuff for Infamous Mobb. That’s how ‘Who We Ride For’ actually happened. They thought it was a beat that he made and they just flipped on it and recorded it. He played us the little demo and it sounded crazy, so we all met up and started building. (more…)
Joey Chavez and Bravo, along with their boy Alchemist, have been giving that classic Queensbridge sound a fresh coat of paint in recent times. Even the most ardent Prodigy and Infamous Mobb haters would have to admit that the sound of H.N.I.C. 2, Product of the 80’s and The Project Kid was top notch. This week I’ll be showcasing some of their finest work, dropping an interview with the crew and premiering some exclusive music. (more…)
The struggle between artistic growth and keeping the listener’s happy is a delicate balance for any musician, even more so in the ever-fickle rap world. Do you keep making remaking the same songs that got you fans in the first place or try and test the limits of your abilities by stepping outside your comfort zone? Cormega has never been afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, and even though he fills many of the tracks on Born and Raised with personal sentiment there’s no need for alarm – this isn’t some emo rap shit. Mega just spills it how he sees fit. (more…)
Congrats to BIGSPICE for delivering this amusing anecdote:
At a concert (SOB’s – I think) I snuck to where his and Mos’ dressing room was, pushed some autograph seekers away, and when Kweli’s security dude came over, I told him I was “okay player security.” Dude actually believed me and I got to chill there and watch the door. It was funny because I was actually letting people in/denying people at the door. When Kweli was getting ready to leave I talked to him for about 5 minutes, and he must have been thinking “who the fuck is this asshole?” Man I love Vodka
Hit me up here with your email so I can get that pair of tickets to Noisemakers to you.
Dallas Penn is an intehnets institution. Whether he’s dropping bombs at his blog, going in on the streets of New York with his handy cam or forming like Voltron with Rafi Kam and Casimir Nozkowski as the Internets Celebrities, he manages to school the youth and bug the fuck out all in the course of an average day. For the first part of this feature, I’ve gone into the archives to bring you the highlights of a two hour conversation from January 2008 before we move onto more recent events in the second half.
Robbie: Are you famous yet?
Dallas Penn: Part of Internets Celebrities is the ridiculousness of celebrity and how it really has no value, unless you use your celebrity to bring information to people or make that little bit of dirt you’re standing on a little better than it was a day ago. How worthless has celebrity become? You’re endorsing all kinds of bullshit, you’re endorsing nonsense, constantly. People say, ‘Oh man, you guys aren’t fucking celebrities! We don’t fucking know you!’ And they’re right – you don’t know us. But on the internets, you fuckin’ know us…or maybe not. (more…)
If you want to catch Peter Rosenberg having an extended chat with Talib Kweli for the next installment of the Noisemakers series in New York on October 21, leave you’re best Talib story/anecdote/memory in the comment section to this post. Winners will be announced first thing Monday 19 October, 2009.
Rap songs with wack beats are worthless, but what about weak rappers wasting superior tracks? Most people mention the first Group Home album in this category, but how can you be mad at a boxer who threatens to hit your moms in the head with a metal pipe? Not I. For me, it’s a little less obvious:
Real Live -The Turnaround
K-Def really delivered some cinematic masterpieces here, but Larry-O never lifted above mediocre in terms of his vocals.
Smif ‘N Wessun - Dah Shinin’
Tek and Steele aren’t wack by any stretch of the imagination, but I can’t help but wonder just how incredible this album would have been if some top shelf MC’s had been given these superior tracks.
Lords of the Underground -Here Come The Lords
Yes, I’m a LOTUG hater for life. Never apologize.
Souls of Mischief -93′ Till Infinity
I have the instrumental album of this. It’s a lot more enjoyable without those four nerds rapping on it. No shots.
Pharcyde -Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
The rapping on this was funny the first time around. Trying to listen to this now makes me want to stick my face in a bucket of bleach.
