Here’s a preview of the 12 Reasons To Die comic and another track from the album. There are a bunch of different limited-edition sets for the album, featuring all kind of RAERness over at Get On Down. Hopefully the Apollo Brown remix tape will be available separately in the future.
Cappadonna released a new double album last month titled Eyrth, Wynd and Fyre, which focused on more message-orientated tracks. I caught up with him for a quick discussion that provided as many jewels as it did dead-ends. He also explained he makes his music “the best way I know how, by milking this cow”, which makes me wish that more MC’s would answer questions in rhyme form.
Robbie: Ghost and Rae told me you were the Slick Rick of Staten Island. Do you agree?
Cappadonna: It just came from where we was at and where we were brought-up, just coming from Brooklyn and Staten Island. A lot of my friends were from different places, like from Queens and The Bronx, so it was a collaboration of all of those styles that was put together. We had brothers before us that was into fly things and rapping and fashion, so I mainly looked-up to cats from around my way. Mainly my brother Sham God, Ice, Ugar, Jerry G and all of ‘em. Irwin, The Villas. Phase 3, the Freedom Machine, Party Doctors, The Force MD’s. All of that was right at our fingertips, all the time. At an early age I was already mimicking some of the great styles and great flavors that caused my peers to be attracted to it. We bounced flavors around on each other, but I’m glad that my brothers feel like I put some flavor in they ear. (more…)
I can’t be bothered reviewing albums anymore since everyone that’s interested has already streamed/stolen/ordered it anyway, but I will say that the Czarface album is surprisingly enjoyable. It’s fair to say that DJ 7L is in fine form here, handling the majority of the beats and cuts, while Inspectah Deck and Esoteric display a good chemistry as they share lead microphone duties. “World War 4″ features Deck over “Assembly Line”, which is genius in itself, while the production on “Dead Zone” and “Czar Rafeli” are serious stand-outs, earning this LP my coverted “New Rap That Doesn’t Suck” stamp of approval. Available now through Brick Records.
This is the first track from 12 Reasons To Die, a new concept album from Ghostface and producer Adrian Younge. The plot revolves around Tony Starks falling for the daughter the Deluca crime family, who have him killed and “pressed Tony’s remains into 12 vinyl records, one for each member of the family”, which allows him to take his revenge from beyond the grave.
“A brutal tale of gangsters, betrayal and one vengeful soul hunting the 12 most powerful crime lords in the World”.
The latest from the upcoming Inspectah Deck and EsotericCzarface album, featuring Action “Bam Bam” Bronson. Pre-orders are available through Get On Down for the deluxe pack pictured above.
Kool Kim and Hass G began as the UMC’s (The Universal MC’s), a duo from Staten Island. Best remembered for the hit single ‘Blue Cheese’ and the under-appreciated Fruits Ov Nature album, the UMC’s poster was also a regular fixture on the lounge room wall on Martin Lawrence’s character on his classic 90’s sit-com, Martin. Their Wild Pitch debut was co-produced by RNS, who would later work on projects for Shyheim and GP-Wu. Hass went on to produce “Apollo Kids” for Ghostface and “Magic Stick” for 50 Cent, while Kool Kim re-invented himself as NYOIL and released the Hood Treason album in 2008.
Robbie: How did you meet Hass G?
Kool Kim: We used to all work at the Statue of Liberty – it was me, U-God, Meth, Deck and Hass – that’s where I met Hass. Me and Meth used to go to public school together, back when he was just Clifford Smith and I was just Kim Sharpton. Me and him used to play trumpet together, and he modeled his trumpeting style behind Clifford Smith, the trumpeter, because our band teacher used to tell him that he reminded him of him – which was pure bullshit. When I heard the real Clifford Smith I was like, ‘Get the fuck outta here!’ Son used to enjoy Clifford The Big Red Dog books. But son was in Stapleton – I wasn’t no hood dude like that, so I wasn’t gonna rock with him in Stapleton. I knew Rakeem (RZA) from back when he used to rock with this dude Forest, who calls himself Ishem now. Rakeem and Forest, they used to have they thing, ‘cos Rakeem ain’t no MC. He wack! He a wack rapper, kid. Capadonna, who used to be Original God at the time, he was ridiculous. Back then, Cappadonna was the Slick Rick of Staten Island. (more…)
Managed to fight back the Wu-Fatigue from the other week and give this new Raekwon a spin. Despite sounding a little distorted due to being mastered FAR TOO LOUD, this is pretty good. The Scram Jones tracks were the stand-outs for me, especially the “Trans-Europe Express” flip on “Came Up.” Hopefully a remastered version appears soon, but in the meantime here’s the EP with the title that English teachers hate.
Best known for his two independent singles and involvement with Marley Marl’s Future Flavas radio show, Staten Island’s J.Force revealed that he has a long history in the rap game dating back to the late 80′s when he sat down to share his story with me recently.
Robbie: How did you start in the music game?
J. Force: I made a record in 1993 called ‘Bullseye’. I sampled Black Moon ‘How Many MC’s’ and I mixed in Special Ed ‘Think About It’. Came out with a single in ’94, pumped it out my trunk, I wound-up selling to two major retailers in the city of New York – one was Fat Beats Records, the other one was Beat Street in Brooklyn – and it was all history from there. A lotta overseas people came to those stores and bought the record. I had a logo of a jester on the sticker. I also mixed it at the House of Hits with Marley Marl. I was fortunate enough to get Marley to mix the first record. Then I put out a second record in ’95, called ‘For All Thoze’ and ‘Runnin’ On E’, and Marley mixed those as well. I sampled Deathwish on ‘For All Thoze’, and for ‘Bullseye’ as well. That was my favorite soundtrack for a long time. (more…)
