Time Is Illmatic

After writing up my last post on Guru’s Jazzmatazz: Vol. 1 and beginning my assumed next post on The Roots debut album, Organix, all this jazz influenced hip-hop made me think about the subject of today’s post (Well, listening to Organix actually made me think about them, since The Roots make reference to them at least twice on that album). I’ve had the album in my collection for years, so I did some date checking and found that I wrote the wrong release date on my spreadsheet, which isn’t the first time and I’m sure won’t be the last. You can file this one right after Apache’s Apache Ain’t Shit.

When it comes to jazz infused hip-hop it’s fair to say the A Tribe Called Quest fathered the style (I know they weren’t the first group in hip-hop to sample jazz records, but no one did it as consistently, skillfully or was more impactful with the style than ATCQ, and I’m sticking to my story). As the nineties continued many more groups surfaced using jazz flavored production reminiscent of ATCQ. Seemingly out of know where, the Digable Planets were one of those groups to arrive on the scene.

While none of the true three members in Digable Planets are from New York (the group’s founder and chief emcee, Butterfly is from Seattle, Doodlebug is from Philly, and Ladybug Mecca is from Maryland by way of Brazil) the group’s birth is rooted in Brooklyn (Check out Brian Coleman’s Check The Technique for in-depth detail on the groups beginnings and formation). I say true members in the last sentence, because the group had a few different line ups prior to finalizing the roster and signing their deal with Pendulum in 1992 and releasing their debut album, Reachin’ (A New Refutation Of Time And Space) in early 1993.

The liner notes make it clear that Butterfly is the brains of the operation on Reachin’, as it reads the album was “conceived, freaked, arranged and produced” by him. It was also Butterfly’s idea to have each member take on a moniker of an insect, which tied in to some of his socialist/communist ideology that the group should “work together for the good of the colony”(shout out to Bernie Sanders). Thanks in large part to their smash hit lead single (that we’ll get to shortly) Reachin’ earned the trio a gold plaque (for both the album and the single) and a Grammy. Despite the groups commercial success, Digable Planets did catch some criticism from some of their peers who thought their jazzy-hipster brand of hip-hop was too soft (most notably, the highly respected god emcee KRS-One).

It’s not often that a commercially successful album matches is critical acclaim, but it does happen from time to time.

It’s Good To Be Here – Reachin’ opens with a smooth instrumental that falls somewhere in between laid back and mid-tempo. The trio use it to celebrate their arrival to planet earth (the album’s running theme is that the DP’s are from outer space, which is supposed to explain (or justify) their abstract rhyming styling), and the opportunity to bless the mic and share their music with the world. Nice start to the evening.

Pacifics (From The Soundtrack To The Motion Picture N.Y. Is Red Hot”) –  Butterfly goes dolo on this one (well, for the most part…Ladybug and Doodlebug make a very brief appearance during the second verse), as he describes the happenings of the wild Brooklyn neighborhood he lives in. Butterfly’s rhymes are cool, but his backdrop is brilliant. Random factoid: This was not including on the soundtrack for “N.Y. Is Red Hot”. Matter of fact, the movie doesn’t even exist. Butterfly just thought it would make the song title sound iller. I can’t say that it made much of a difference, but whatever.

Where I’m From – This was the third single released from Reachin’ . Butterfly hooks up a smooth loop from K.C. And The Sunshine Band’s “Ain’t Nothing Wrong” (the same one DJ Quik used for 2nd II None’s, um, “Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong”) for the backdrop, and the DP’s each give you a verbal glimpse of where they come from. This was dope, but the instrumental on the “Aural G Ride” remix is bananas!

What Cool Breezes Do – The theme for this one is: to do you, as long as you’re being true to who you really are, and I can dig that. Butterfly hooks up a low-key rumbling bass line and adds a dope horn loop which makes for an enjoyable backdrop.

Time & Space (A New Refutation Of) – Butterfly’s instrumental feels like a mix of swing music and jazz, as he, Ladybug and Doodlebug smoothly talk their shit in their own abstract hipster way.

Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat) – This was the lead single from Reachin’ and is easily the biggest hit the Digable Planets limited catalog. I still remember hearing this song for the first time on BET’s Rap City back in the day. The black and white video had the Digable Planets taking the stage at a jazz club (which was probably supposed to be the facetious Cocoon Club that they jam at on the interludes throughout Reachin’) with a full band backing them as they spit their raps to a full crowd. At that point no one would have imagined (at least I wouldn’t) that this song would blow up the way it did, and eventually lead to the trio winning a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Some so-called hip-hop purists might have thought this was too soft back in the day, but you’re full of shit if you say you weren’t vibin’ to the rumbling bass line and addictive Art Blakey horn loop. And who was immune to repeating the catchy hook or the last bar from Butterfly’s opening verse (“we be to rap, what key be to lock”)? This was not only a smash pop hit, but is also a certified hip-hop classic.

Last Of The Spiddyocks – A spiddyock is apparently an old slang term used for a jazzhead, which if you haven’t noticed by now describes the DP’s pretty well. Props to whoever was in charge of the sequencing because this was the perfect way to follow-up “Rebirth Of Slick”. Butterfly sprinkles a slick trumpet loop over a dope bass line and drums, as the trio represent their love for both jazz and hip-hop.

Jimmi Diggin’ Cats – The DP’s go retro on this one, and pay tribute to the music and pop culture from the seventies. Butterfly loops up Kool & The Gang’s “Summer Madness”, and gives the smooth loop a different flavor than DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s flippage of the same loop on their mega hit “Summertime”. This was dope. Legend has it that the DP’s originally wanted to used a vocal sample from a live Jimi Hendrix performance, hence the song title. They couldn’t get sample clearance, so the male voice you hear speaking in between verses tries to capture the magic of that Jimi sample. You can be the judge of whether he succeeded or not.

La Femme Fetal – “Rebirth Of Slick” is the strongest song on the album, but in my opinion this one is a close second. Butterfly hooks up an emotional backdrop and resorts to a spoken word delivery (that he admits he borrowed from Jalil from the Last Poets) to tell the story of a pregnant female friend who is contemplating abortion. Butterfly sets his abstract rhymes aside and takes on a more straight forward approach and winds up delivering the strongest and most powerful verses on Reachin’ . This is a much slept on classic.

Escapism (Gettin’ Free) – Over funky guitar licks, Butterfly, Doodlebug and Ladybug each take a turn to get open and get free. Random factoid: Butterfly reveals in Brian Coleman’s Check The Technique that they originally were going to use Parliament’s “P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)” on the hook, but couldn’t get sample clearance.

Appointment At The Fat Clinic – This may be my least favorite song on Reachin’ . And it’s still not a bad song, which says a lot about the quality of the album.

Nickel Bags –  This was the second single from Reachin’ . No, they’re not talking about weed, but they do compare their music to the herbal medicine, hence the song title. Butterfly’s instrumental has a nice breezy summertime feel mixed with a touch of funk swag. This was a nice way to follow-up “Rebirth Of Slick” and show a slightly different musical side to the group.

Swoon Units – Butterfly hooks up a smooth-melodic backdrop that he and Doodlebug use to celebrate beautiful women, aka swoon units. You can put this one next to De La Soul’s “Buddy” or ATCQ’s “Bonita Applebum” and “Electric Relaxation”. I’m probably trippin’ with that last statement, but it is a dope record.

Examination Of What – Every time I hear this it sounds like they ripped the whole idea from ATCQ’s “What” (and I feel like I’ve mentioned ATCQ’s way too many times in this post). That said, I still like their verbal abstractions and Butterfly’s understated and slightly mournful backdrop. “We’re just babies, man”.

Long title aside, albums like Reachin’ (A New Refutation Of Time And Space) are truly the reason I enjoy doing this blog. I’ll be the first to admit that about ninety percent of the stuff I loved and appreciated back in the day sounds dated or juvenile when I listen to it today. It’s rare that an album that I listened to as a snot-nosed kid sounds equal or better today than it did way back then. Reachin’ is one of those rare occasions. Musically, from beginning to end, Butterfly’s slick jazz concocted (with a slight touch of funk sprinkled here and there) soundscapes are just as enjoyable today as they were over twenty years ago. But the trio’s abstract rhyming sounds more intriguing now than it did back in the day (which can probably be contributed to my more developed attention span and personal intellectual growth). Reachin’  isn’t gangsta, but I wouldn’t call it soft either . It’s simply grown folks hip-hop. And a classic hip-hop album that stands the test of time.

-Deedub

It’s safe to say that with three solid albums under their belts (well, at least two solid albums…No More Mr. Nice Guy was questionable) and another one to come the following year, that by 1993 Gang Starr was peaking (shout out to the makers of the Netflix series Marvel’s Luke Cage for naming each of the episodes in the first season after Gang Starr songs, But I digress). A Premo beat was quickly becoming high demand, so when he wasn’t cooking up hot shit for his partner Guru to spit over, he was providing audible goodies for several other artists and quietly building his catalog and legacy as arguably the greatest hip-hop producer of all time. Not to be out done by Premo and his individual endeavors, Guru would also take on a side venture of his own. Many of the loops that Premo used on Gang Starr songs came from jazz records, so it wasn’t a far reach to hear Guru was releasing Jazzmatazz Vol. 1, which was his experimental solo project that would fuse hip-hop with live jazz.

Jazzmatazz would include live instrumentation and vocal contributions from such names as Donald Byrd, Roy Ayers, Lonnie Liston Smith and Ronnie Jordan, to name a few. Jazzmatazz didn’t sell a ton of units domestically, but it did manage to break the Billboards Top 200 R&B/Hip-hop albums (peaking at #91), and it also sold pretty well in Europe where jazz is more popular.

But you know my motto: sales don’t mean shit when it comes to determining the quality of music.

Introduction – Over a simple trumpet loop (or maybe Donald Byrd playing live? The liner notes don’t specify for some reason), Guru opens Jazzmatazz explaining why he took on this “experiment”, and shout outs all the parties that contributed to the album. Short and sweet.

Loungin’ – This was the first single released from Jazzmatazz . Jazz legend Donald Byrd puts in work on the trumpet and piano over hard drums and a dope bass line. Guru’s rhymes are kind of all over the place, but the instrumental work is sick. This one still knocks today.

When You’re Near – Guru invites Brand New Heavies’ vocalist N’Dea Davenport to join him on this very tastefully done hip-hop/r&b love duet. N’Dea contributes most of the vocalist, with Guru weaving in and out dropping a line or two, here and there. The production is credited to Simon Law (formerly of Soul II Soul) on the keyboards, which is cool, but the nasty bass guitar licks is what gives this song a soul.

Transit Ride – With Branford Marsalis on alto and soprano sax, and Zachary Breaux on guitar, Guru attempts to verbally paint the visual of a train ride through Brooklyn. The end results are decent.

No Time To Play – This was the final single released from Jazzmatazz . Guru stresses the importance of planning and hard work in order to be successful, while Ronny Jordan adds some nice guitar licks to Guru’s drum beat. DC Lee (who sounds a lot like N’Dea Davenport) and Group Home alum, Big Shug add some pretty solid vocals to complete this successful experimentation.

Down The Backstreets – Guru invites jazz pianist Lonnie Liston Smith to help create a dark sonic atmosphere, as he sends warnings, advice and threats to his rivals. I don’t know if Guru’s rhymes were that effective (or focused), but the instrumental is dope.

Respectful Dedications – Guru starts off the second half of Jazzmatazz (or side two if you’re listening on cassette) giving his dedications over what I’m pretty sure is Roy Ayers on vibes.

Take A Look (At Yourself) – Speaking of Roy Ayers, he is definitely present on this one. He lays down some dope vibes, as Guru gives constructive criticism to the “suckas always complaining about their situation”. This one is nasty. Definitely one of the strongest songs on Jazzmatazz .

Trust Me – I believe this was the second single released from Jazzmatazz . On this one Guru is trying to convenience his weary woman to stay with him. N’Dea Davenport makes her second appearance of the evening, and provides some dope vocals over the beautiful jazzy/bluesy Guru produced backdrop. After all these years, this one still sounds fresh.

Slicker Than Most –  Guru gets into some emcee shit on this one, spitting battle bars over Gary Barnacle’s sax and flute, and an uncredited guitar bass line. Well done, Guru.

Le Bien, Le Mal – This was the third single (I think) released from Jazzmatazz . French emcee MC Solaar joins Guru on this duet, as they discuss “the good and the bad” (at least Guru does…Solaar spits his rhymes in French, so hopefully he stuck to the script) over a slick backdrop.

Sights In The City – Guru wraps Jazzmatazz with this somber number that has him recalling some of the sad events that take place in the inner city. Courtney Pine plays alto sax, soprano sax and the flute, Simon Law is on keys and Carleen Anderson sings the borderline annoying hook. The song isn’t terrible, but if there is one song that could have been leave off of Jazzmatazz it would be this one.

Jazzmatazz Vol. 1 proves that live jazz fused with hip-hop can be pleasurable to the earlobes. Guru does a great job of staying true to hip-hop on Jazzmatazz , while allowing all his guests to shine and showcase their talents as well. Guru’s lyrics aren’t terrible on Jazzmatazz , but they definitely take a backseat to the music. All in all, the experiment was a success.

-Deedub

Thanks to groups like Cypress Hill, Redman, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre’s mammoth solo debut album, The Chronic, weed became a vogue topic in hip-hop in the early nineties. While many rappers have bragged about getting blunted and provided free advertisement for dealers around the world, the self-proclaimed marijuana band Total Devastation, who may be a forgotten blip in the annals of hip-hop, may also have been the most dedicated hip-hoppers to the weed movement.

Total Devastation is the Oakland based collective of Da Soopa, Red Eye and DJ Tuf Cut Tim (who is also credited as the producer for most of their debut album). The trio released their debut self-titled (and I believe only) album in the spring of 1993 on PGA Records(which was a subsidiary label of Arista), home to such acts as gospel singer Pat Reid (yeah, I’ve never heard of him or the label before today, either). Total Devastation would not only boast of partaking in the herbal essence, but would also serve as advocates for the legalization of marijuana as well (they actually dedicate a full page in the liner notes to contact information for several regional and national groups working for drug law reform). I don’t personally know any one who bought this album back in the day (although I wouldn’t be surprised if Tony A Wilson owns a copy) and would be willing to make an educated guess that it didn’t move many units.

I copped Total Devastation a few months ago from one my favorite used music stores (shout out to Cheapos!) for a few dollars on the strength of the lead single that I kind of dug back in the day (more on that in a bit). I’ve never listened to the album in its entirety until today. So, come and join me on this musical adventure, folks!

Legalize Today! – The album opens with a loop from Peter Tosh’s “Legalize It”, which sets the tone for what you can expect to hear on Total Devastation.

Hemp Rally – Yep. The title is pretty self-explanatory. Over a very drab backdrop, Red Eye and Da Soopa takes turns endorsing their favorite pastime. And folks, I’ve never heard two rappers make smoking weed sound so boring. Other than the dope Busta Rhymes vocal sample on the hook, this shit was weak.

Many Clouds Of Smoke – This was the first single and the only song I’ve ever heard from Total Devastation before listening today. Tuf Cut Tim loops up Billy Brooks’ “Forty Days” (which you may recognize from ATCQ’s “Luck Of Lucien”) to create the dope backdrop. So, even though Red Eye and Da Soopa’s rhymes are sub par, you can still enjoy the lovely instrumental work.

Da Soopa Doopa – This is Da Soopa’s solo joint, and everything about this song sucks. Da Soopa just may have the most boring rap voice in the history of hip-hop. And it doesn’t help matters that his lyrics are garbage as well.

Fat Blunt Caper – Total Devastation continues to discuss their favorite pastime, and invite their buddy Da Rymeskeme to help them celebrate. Red Eye takes the last verse and goes on a weird rant about a women accusing him of rape, and him proving his innocence by producing a video tape of the activities (which is also a crime without the lady’s consent, homie). Even before Red Eye’s random rant this song was headed in the wrong direction.

Da Horny Man – Da Soopa had a solo joint, so it’s only right that Red Eye gets one too. Over a generic up-tempo backdrop, Red Eye drops one quick verse before gettin’ the hell out of Dodge. I must admit, he sounds a lot better than his partner in rhyme, Da Soopa. That said, this song is still trash.

Wonderful World Of Skins – Total Devastation takes a brief break from their favorite topic, to discuss another popular subject in hip-hop: sex, aka skins. It’s pretty clear at this point that Da Soopa and Red Eye aren’t going to impress lyrically, but at least Tuf Cut Tim’s instrumental is decent.

Come Again – Hot Garbage.

Cloud Nine – More monotonous praise and campaigning for the legalization of weed. Tuf Cut Tim manages to hook up a decent backdrop, but Red Eye and Da Soopa bring absolutely no lyrical value to.

The D.G.F. Style – Total Devastation invites Flymar and Whoop “D” Wham (which will definitely earn him a spot as a candidate for worst moniker) to join them on this cipher joint, as they display their “don’t give a fuck” style. As you probably already expected, no one impresses on this one, but it was kind of interesting to hear Da Soopa fire coded shots at the Oakland emcee Paris (“the devil made me do it, and break the grip of shame (both titles to Paris songs), punk muthafucka stay true to the game…poppin’ that shit about sleeping with the enemy, used to be a friend, but now you’re not shit to me”) and direct shots at N2Deep (“ya tryna sound black, but your shit sounds wack”) on his verse. I’m sure his futile verbal bullets didn’t even leave flesh wounds on his victims.

You’ll Get Blasted – The last line from “The D.G.F. Style” has Da Soopa talking about his tech-nine going “bow!”, which then immediately goes into this song. Da Soopa and Red Eye spend the length of this song threatening to put hot led in their adversaries asses. Threats that are hard to take serious coming from two weed head rappers with a frat boy persona. The instrumental is kind of nice, and the Ice Cube (‘with the boom, ping, ping!”) and RBX (“every night they shoot, it’s like Beirut”) vocal samples are a nice added touch.

Zooted – More praise and worship of marijuana, over a decent blunted instrumental. This time they invite their buddy Nappy (no, seriously…that’s what he goes by) to join them in the festivities.

Hemp Hemp Hooray (Relegalize Today) – The proper albums ends with a blunted instrumental and a man who sounds like he should be a game show announcer, sharing random facts about the history of hemp, and some of them are quite interesting.

Many Clouds Of Smoke (Remix) – The remix uses the same Billy Brooks’ sample as the original, but also includes a beautiful trumpet loop from the same song, giving it a little added flavor, which makes it more enjoyable than the original.

The self-proclaimed marijuana band, stays true to their cause and purpose on their self-titled debut album. Unfortunately, that doesn’t result in quality output. Tuf Cut Tim manages to hook up a couple of nice backdrops, but misses more often than he hits. But the biggest issue I have with Total Devastation is the emceeing: Red Eye and Da Soopa are both the quintessential wack emcee. From the content, to the lyrics, to the delivery, to their energy, the blunted duo bring absolutely nothing to the table, other than a dime bag of weed and a blunt, of course. Ultimately, Total Devastation is almost a total waste of wax, vinyl, tape and time.

-Deedub

We last heard from Masta Ace in 1990 with his debut album Take A Look Around. The album didn’t move a ton of units, but it was a critical success. Nearly three years later Ace would switch labels (leaving Cold Chillin’ for Delicious Vinyl), regroup, literally, and come back as Masta Ace Incorporated for his second release SlaughtaHouse. Ace adds the “Incorporated” to the name because his UmDada crew members (Lord Digga, Paula Perry, Uneek, Eyce, Latief, the Bluez Brothas, etc.) would make appearances and contribute to the production on SlaughtaHouse. Interestingly enough (to me, at least), Marley Marl doesn’t produce not one song on SlaughtaHouse. I’ve always wonder if Ace and Marley fell out after Take A Look Around, since Marley hasn’t produced an Ace song since. But I digress.

Like his previous release, SlaughtaHouse didn’t do well numbers wise, but was respected and appreciated by hip-hop heads alike. SlaughtaHouse would also mark the beginning of Ace’s current stretch of concept albums, including one he’s release just this year.

A Walk Thru The Valley – SlaughtaHouse opens with a bassy backdrop over heavy drums that Ace uses to spit a poem about the paranoia and cautious mind state a brother naturally acquires growing up in the concrete jungle. Not terrible, but I’ve heard better. The song ends with a short interlude that has Professor Masta Ace teaching a course in Hardcore Rap 101. He hilariously instructs his students to embrace all the clichés of hardcore hip-hop (“now when you rhyme, you have to say that you smoke blunts…also, you have to mention that you drink forties… you have to mention that you carry a nine millimeter, a tech nine, a mac ten, M-16, or an oozy”), setting up the next song…

SlaughtaHouse – This one opens with the faux rap duo of MC Negro and Ignorant MC, spewing out violent rhymes, as they promote their new LP, Brains On The Sidewalk. Then Paula Perry and Lord Digga interrupt things, introducing Masta Ace, as Uneek’s hard drums come in and Ace spews battle rhymes declaring war on all wack emcees.

Diggadome (Intro) – Over a simple instrumental, Lord Digga drops in to give the listener a formal introduction to SlaughtaHouse, and gives a brief explanation on the title and concept behind the album.

Late Model Sedan – Latief  lays down a jazzy up tempo instrumental that Ace uses to share the trials and tribulations of living in the hood. There is also an underlying story line about some kids who do a shooting and get away in a late-model sedan, hence the song title. This was pretty solid.

Jeep Ass Niguh – “Braniac dum dums, bust the scientifical, approach to the course and the force is centrifugal” may be the illest opening bar to a song in the history of hip-hop. Casual hip-hop fans may recognize the lyrics to this song from “Born To Roll”, which is actually the remix to this song (which was included on Ace’s third release, Sittin’ On Chrome). The Bluez Brothas hook up a disgustingly sick backdrop that Ace uses to celebrate his jeep’s bangin’ sound system. “Born To Roll” is easily the biggest hit in Ace’s catalog, and I love the instrumental on it, but the backdrop on the original is dope in its own right.

The Big East – Ace drops freestyle rhymes over a smooth mid-tempo backdrop, brought to you courtesy of The Beatheads. Lord Digga provides the hook, and Ace is kind enough to let him drop half of a bar. What a generous guy.

Jack B. Nimble – Over a simple Uneek instrumental, Ace tells the story of a drug dealer named Jack and his run in, and run from, the police. Decent song, but definitely one of my least favorites on the album.

Boom Bashin’ – Ace hooks up a monster instrumental with an extra nasty bass line, and drops pretty solid battle rhymes, with Lord Digga again stopping by to handle the hook and drops a few bars. Again, Ace’s backdrop is bananas.

The Mad Wunz – Ace’s rhymes are all over the place on this one. And his new-found “onbeat-offbeat” flow is on full display, while Lord Digga continues to do what he’s done for pretty much all the other songs on SlaughtaHouse to this point. Latief’s jazzy loop and heavy drums sound great behind Ace’s rhymes. The song ends with Ace talking about slavery and how the oppressors now use “cages” (aka the hood), to keep blacks in bondage, before going into the next song…

Style Wars – Masta Ace goes to war with himself, mixing conscious/militant rhymes with braggadocio lines, sometimes within the same bar. And what would a song on SlaughtaHouse be without Lord Digga’s minimal contribution? Ace and Digga’s rhymes are cool, but Ace’s hard instrumental is the true star of this one.

Who U Jackin’? – Paula Perry makes her only real appearance on SlaughtaHouse (no, I’m not counting the minimal contribution she made to the title song), as she plays the prey to Masta Ace’s stick up kid character. I know the subject matter sounds heavy, but Ace, Paula and the playful but solid Bluez Brothas instrumental, help keep things light. Shout out to Ace for including the question mark in the song title.

Rollin’ Wit UmDada – Ace uses this song to talk about a night out partying with his crew, UmDada. Ace’s rhymes aren’t that impressive on this one, but I love his instrumental, especially the warm horn loop brought in on the hook. The second part of this is a hidden track that has Ace kickin’ a playful freestyle over a backdrop that sounds a lot like one used on EPMD’s “Hardcore”.

Ain’t U Da Masta – More Ace freestyle rhymes over a decent Bluez Brothas’ backdrop, driven by a bluesy-drunken piano loop.

Crazy Drunken Style – The song begins with Ace and company making Lord Digga’s name into an acronym and spitting out comical randomness for each of the letters in his name as they spell it out over a simple, but dope, drum beat. Then the Bluez Brothas sick instrumental drops and Digga and Ace take turns spitting on it. Neither one of them sound spectacular on it, but they get the job done.

Don’t F*** Around (Outro) – An uncredited female (is that Paula Perry?) sings/sends a warning to all would be adversaries to not mess (or fuck) around with UmDada. The instrumental is built around the same loop that Dr. Dre previously used and made into a hit record for The D.O.C.’s “It’s Funky Enough”, which kind of takes away from Ace’s flipage of the loop.

Saturday Nite Live – Ace closes SlaughtaHouse with this cipher cut, inviting Uneek, Lord Digga and Eyce to join him (where’s Paula Perry at?), as they each take turns slicing up Uneek’s hard backdrop. It’s always nice to hear a cipher joint that each party involved holds their own weight.

On his debut album Take A Look Around, Ace had a lot to say. And while it had its share of fun freestyles, it also had a lot of well thought out social commentary pieces. I won’t say SlaughtaHouse is without substance, but Ace is definitely more focused on battle rhymes and showing off his new “onbeat-offbeat” flow than sound song concepts. Surprisingly, with all the hands involved in the production on SlaughtaHouse, it still manages to maintain a quality and cohesive soundscape. SlaughtaHouse definitely shows a different side of Ace than his fans were accustom to, but it’s still a dope album and holds up pretty well, twenty plus years after its release.

-Deedub

The Coup is an Oakland based group that came on the national scene in the early nineties. Upon its conception, The Coup consisted of three: chief emcee, Boots Riley, E Roc and the group’s deejay, Pam The Funkstress (nowadays, they’re pretty much a full ensemble band). Unlike the majority of west coast hip-hop groups in the early nineties, who were on some gangster shit, The Coup had a black militant stance and spewed consciousness in their songs. They signed to the now defunct Wild Pitch label and released their debut album Kill My Landlord, which was a clever way of calling out their white oppressors, and is a clever enough title to earn a TimeIsIllmatic nomination for best album title of 1993.

The liner notes for Kill My Landlord credit the production and arrangement to Boots, but as Boots adds in the “Producer’s notes”: “There’s hella shit on this album that’s naked-live, original basslines, hard to find drum samples, other live instrumentation, etc.”. Kill My Landlord didn’t move a ton of units, but it did receive favorable reviews.

The roster has changed through the years (and the labels), but The Coup is still making music today, with Boots as the face and voice (and afro) of the band. And even though they’ve tweaked their musical stylings over the years, they’re one of the few groups that have never compromised the message in their music, and that is commendable.

Dig It! – Kill My Landlord starts with a mid-tempo funk groove that has Boots and E-Roc setting the foundation on what political and conscious messages you can expect to hear throughout the album. Nice start to the evening’s proceedings.

Not Yet Free – This was the first single released from Kill My Landlord. Over a laid back groove Boots and E Roc give several reasons why the black man in America isn’t truly liberated, but only experiencing “casual freedom”. I love Boots’ final bars of the song: “my teacher told me that I didn’t know what right was, but she was wrong because I knew what a right was, and a left and an uppercut too…I had a hunch, a sucker punch is what my people got, that why I’m constantly red, black and blue”. Deep.

Fuck A Perm – Short interlude that Boots shows his black pride, stressing that “beauty is a natural fact”, so there is no need for brothers and sisters to put chemicals in their hair. Or as the title simple states, “fuck a perm”.

The Coup – Over a mid-tempo groove (with some dope live instrumentation) Boots gives a long drawn out explanation on the meaning of his group’s name, and during the process drops a lot of meat for the listener to chew on. It was kind of interesting to hear Boots call out Donald Trump twenty plus years before anyone thought he would be running for POTUS. Time is truly illmatic.

I Know You – Boots and E Roc discuss the tumultuous relationship between the black community and the police. The mid-tempo backdrop will touch your soul as it takes you on an emotional roller coaster (I love the organ on the hook). I love this song, and it couldn’t be more relevant based on the current climate of things in America.

I Ain’t The Nigga – Boots and company lighten the mood (well, kind of) with this one, as they make an argument on why it’s not cool for black folks to call them themselves the N- word. The instrumental uses a Sesame Street vocal sample, and the same Cymande loop Masta Ace used on “Me and The Biz” for the backdrop. This was dope.

Last Blunt – While most rappers endorse marijuana, Boots provides an interesting perspective and speaks to why we should not partake in the herbal essence. By the way, the female vocalist singing the hook almost single handily brings this song down in a fiery wreck. Yes, she’s that bad.

Funk – Boots relays a story about being mistaken for a crackhead, and the drama, or funk, that it brings him. He also asks the great question: Why is it so easy for the black man to bring the funk on their own instead of their white oppressors? Boots sounds good on the mic, but the true star of this one is the incredibly funky and infectious bass line.

Liberation Of Lonzo Williams – Over a ridiculously slow-paced instrumental, Boots and E Roc tell the story of their boy’s journey from drug dealer to freedom fighter. I couldn’t really get into this one.

Pam’s Song – The Coup’s deejay Pam the Funkstress, gets to showcase her skills on the ones and twos over a pretty dope backdrop, and she actually does a good job.

Fo Da Money – E Roc uses his solo joint (with an intro and outro speech provided by Boots) to share the perspective of three different black men and the circumstances that made them turn to a life of crime to make ends meet. Props to E Roc on the intent, but it’s painful to listen to him carry a song on his own. The dragging pace of the instrumental doesn’t make matters any better.

Foul Play – The instrumental is cool, and Boots sounds sharp as usual, but something about this song just doesn’t grab me. Maybe it’s the annoying loop on the hook that has a female voice repeatedly saying “It’s funky, it’s funky, it’s funky, it’s a funky situation”.

Kill My Landlord – For the final song of the evening (which also happens to be the title song), The Coup invite Schwinn and T-Mor from Elements of Change and Defrost, to join them in listing reasons on why they want to kill their (literal and figurative) landlords. I couldn’t really feel this one either.

Kill My Landlord is a solid rookie effort from the Oakland collective. Boots provides meaty verses over a cohesive dosage of west coast funk that will keep the listener bobbing his or her head while chewing on the thought-provoking dishes he serves up. They could have left three or four songs on the cutting room floor (as well as E Roc), but Kill My Landlorddefinitely hits more often than it misses.

-Deedub

We last heard from Run DMC on 1990’s Back From Hell. For those who don’t read my blog religiously, a quick recap: Back From Hell had the legendary group copying current trends and sounds in an attempt to fit in and stay relevant. A few have manages to pull this off in the past (see LL Cool J), but Run DMC was not one them. Although I liked some of the production on Back From Hell, overall the album was weak, it flopped, and had many believing the self-proclaimed Kings of Rock’s reign was officially over.

Some time between 1990 and 1993, Run and D found Jesus, which helped them overcome the demons they were facing during the recording of Back From Hell (Run was said to be battling depression, and D a drinking problem). With renewed spirits, the boys from Hollis came back in 1993 to release their sixth album, Down With The King, which was both a reference to their King of Rock title and their new-found relationship with God, the ultimate King. Along with Jam Master Jay, Run DMC would recruit a handful of respected hip-hop producers to produce Down With The King. Overall, the album received favorable reviews from critics, and was considered a step in the right direction after the disappointment that was Back From Hell.

I bought Down With The King a few years back, and have never listened to it in its entirety (man, I’ve been saying that a lot lately…wait until we get into the early 2000’s!); and I’m really only familiar with the singles released from the album. Based on the list of top-tier producers with productions credits in the liner notes, even if Run and D disappoint, at least the instrumentals will bang. Right?

Down With The King – The album opens with the title song and lead single. Pete Rock provides a monster backdrop, complete with his signature heavy drums and a celestial choir like vocal sample that haunts the track, beautifully. PR and his partner in rhyme, C.L. Smooth, both contribute verses along side Run and DMC. DMC drops a decent verse, but CL walks away as the king of this song, as he easily delivers the best verse. This is probably the last classic record Run DMC will ever make.

Come On Everybody – And just like that, the momentum on Down With The King takes a steep downward spiral. It’s no surprise that Run and DMC, who were both well passed their prime by ’93, drop unimpressive rhymes. But I’m very surprised by the garbage instrumental Q-Tip gives them to rhyme over. This was terrible.

Can I Get It, Yo – Erick and Parrish (aka EPMD) are credited for this song’s instrumental. And it sounds like the duo made have helped the Kings of rock write the final verse of the song as well. EPMD’s instrumental is not nearly as bad as the hot garbage Q-Tip dished up on the previous song, but it’s nothing to write home about, either.

Hit ‘Em Hard – I have all types of problems with this one. It’s clear from the jump that Treach from Naughty By Nature wrote both Run and DMC’s verses. I’m not crazy about the idea of ghostwriting, but at least DMC recites his rhymes in his own style and voice. Run decides to take things to another level and sounds like Treach’s hand is up his ass, as he takes on all of Treach’s cadences and mannerisms. And if Run’s antics weren’t bad enough, Kay Gee’s lazy backdrop sounds almost identical to the instrumental he used for Naughty’s “Uptown Anthem”. Really?

To The Maker – Over a decent JMJ instrumental, Run and D use this interlude to give a quick shout out to God.

3 In The Head – The Bomb Squad stops by to provide the first of two instrumentals they would contribute to Down With The King. It sounds nothing like a traditional Bomb Squad instrumental, as the pace is laid back with a jazzy feel, and it doesn’t have 6 million samples, but I like it. Unfortunately, D and Run continue with their identity crisis and adapt an Onyx persona for this one. Okay. If you’re going to have any member of Onyx pen your rhymes, at least get the best lyricist of the crew (which is clearly Sticky Fingaz) to write them, not Fredro (no, Fredro’s not credited as the writer, but listen to their rhymes and tell me they don’t sound just like him…matter of fact, Fredro even contributes some adlibs on Run’s final verse). And wtf is Run saying on his final verse?

Ooh, Whatcha Gonna Do – This was the second single released from Down With The King. I never really got in to it back in the day. Probably because of Run and D’s unbelievable gangster posturing, and the ridiculous hook (“Never let a punk get away with murder, gunshots, gunshots all ya hearda, whats up, whats up, whats the worda, press your luck and buck and make a sucka just duck”). But today, I’m digging the Bomb Squad’s smooth west coastish instrumental.

Big Willie – Run and D sound more at home rapping over this instrumental, as it’s reminiscent of the kind of hip-rock that made them famous in the first place. Daniel Shulman builds the rock tinged instrumental around a Blood, Sweat and Tears sample, and it sounds pretty cool. Not a great song, but a lot better than most of the previous songs on Down With The King.

Three Little Indians – JMJ’s instrumental is decent, but he, Run, and D sound like their doing Onyx at karaoke.

In The House – Pete Rock gets his second production credit of the evening for this one. The instrumental is decent, and Run and D sound more like their old selves rapping over the track.

Can I Get A Witness – Run DMC add yet another brand name producer to the list, as Jermaine Dupri provides the backdrop for this one. The duo have absolutely nothing to say on this song, and JD’s instrumental is butt. By the way, Run DMC’s hooks suck on this album.

Get Open – JMJ and Chyskills team up to create this dope jazzy concoction for the duo to spit over. Again, Run and D don’t say anything worth quoting, but I like the backdrop.

What’s Next – Run DMC dedicates this one to the ladies, and invite Mad Cobra to add a little chanting on the hook to go with the generic reggae tinged instrumental. Both Run and D’s verses and deliveries sound circa 1984. And am I the only one that finds it amusing that DMC make a reference to Shabba Ranks when he has another dancehall artist on the song? It’s even more amusing to hear Mad Cobra’s chuckle ad lib when DMC mentions Shabba’s name.

Wreck Shop – See the comments from “In The House” and substitute “second” with “third” in the first sentence.

For 10 Years – Down With The King ends with this interlude that has DMC speaking randomness over a short and simple JMJ instrumental. That’s all folks.

Run DMC may have found Jesus in between Back From Hell and Down With The King, but they didn’t find themselves. The identity crisis they struggled with on Back From Hell is only intensified on Down With The King. While Back From Hell had them playing with different musical stylings, but staying true to their rhyming scheme, this time around, Run DMC doesn’t only tweak the musical stylings, but bite, eat, chew and digest the style, cadence and delivery of no less than four other emcees/groups (Run, more so than D and Jay). Speaking of music stylings, considering the list of legendary producers with credits in the liner notes, one would expect Down With The King to sound stellar, sonically, but this is not the case. There are a few great backdrops, but this is the exception, not the rule. Sadly, Down With The King is a disappointing effort that has one of hip-hop’s pioneering groups resting on their laurels. Or should I say, resting on the laurels of others?   

-Deedub

Freestyle Fellowship is the Los Angeles collective consisting of Aceyalone, Mikah Nine, Mtulazaji. PeAce (who I’ll simply refer to as Peace from here on out) and Self Jupiter. They originally came on the scene in 1991 with their debut album To Whom It May Concern, released on the independent label Beats & Rhymes. I’ve never heard the album, but it made enough of an impression on the powers that be at 4th & Broadway, that they signed them to a deal, where they would release their second album, and the subject of today’s review, Innercity Griots.

The majority of the production on Innercity Griots would be handled by the production team, The Earthquake Brothers (which is The Jamm Messenger D, Mathmattiks and The Mighty O-Roc). The album didn’t sell well and would be the only album released by the foursome on the 4th & Broadway imprint. While all four would go on to release solo projects after Innercity Griots (with Aceyalone easily becoming the most successful, making a name for himself on the underground scene, with his lengthy solo catalog), it would be eight years before they would release another group project.

I’ve never listened to Innercity Griots in its entirety, but bought it a few years ago on the strength of the lead single that I liked back in the day. So, without further adieu, lets give her listen.

And if all else fails, at least the cover artwork is dope.

Blood – Innercity Griots opens with Peace making it clear that the title of this song has nothing to do with gangs, but everything to do with “physical blood that you bleed”. After that’s established, he spits a quick acapella spoken word piece, that I could take or leave.

Bullies Of The Block – The Bambawar produced backdrop is built around a Bootsy Collins funk loop and sounds like something EPMD would have hooked up back in the day, which is a compliment. In my opinion, the fellas from Freestyle Fellowship (tongue twister muchers!) aren’t great lyrically, but decent, and their colorful styles bring tasty flavors to the song.

Everything’s Everything – Again, if you’re looking for exceptional lyrics you’ve come to the wrong show. But the foursome do have great chemistry, which shines through on this song, and parts of The Earthquake Brothers’ instrumental shines as well.

Shammy’s – Freestyle Fellowship dedicates this one to the bust downs, hoes, tramps, or what they affectionately refer to them as, Shammy’s (not sure why they spelled it with an apostrophe “s”, but whatever). Decent enough song, I guess.

Heat Mizer – Quick interlude that has Aceyalone spitting over an underwhelming up-tempo Earthquake Brothers instrumental.

Six Tray – While some west coast rappers sang praises to the ’64 Impala, Peace talks about the adventures that take place in his six tray. I’m not really a fan of Peace’s rhyme style (or his content) on this song, but I absolutely love this Earthquake Brothers’ backdrop.

Danger – Not really a fan of this one.

Inner City Boundaries – This is the only song I was familiar with when I bought Innercity Griots a few years back. Daddy-O (from Stetsasonic) stops by to drop off a smooth instrumental, and contributes a verse for the album’s first single. The catchy sing-a-long hook and Daddy-O’s brilliant instrumental make this song irresistible.

Bomb Zombies – Over a dark Earthquake Brothers instrumental, Self Jupiter spits a quick verse about a woman who is murdered in front of her young child (I think?). Yeah, I know, it sounds like heavy shit, but Self Jupiter does a poor job of articulating his words, and the overall execution is terrible. I wasn’t feeling this one at all.

Cornbread -This is an Aceyalone solo joint, and he rocks the shit out of this simple old school instrumental,  as he pairs random words with food referencing (I can’t stop saying “chick-o-sticks, big fat chicks”). I don’t think I’ve ever heard utter nonsense sound so entertaining.

Way Cool – Couldn’t feel this one either.

Hot Potato – The four man crew come together and pass the mic around like the title suggest, making references to potatoes the whole way through. I love the jazzy feel of the instrumental (credited to someone by the name of Edman), which sounds even better when midnight marauding.

Mary – Aceyalone, Mikah Nine and Self Jupiter dedicate this ode to marijuana. The Earthquake Brothers’ instrumental is fire, and even though I don’t partake in herbal meditation, the fellas do a pretty good job of getting their point across, and make it sound enjoyable.

Park Bench People – Mikah Nine uses his solo joint to sing/rap about the homeless people he encounters that make the park bench their bed. The live jazz instrumentation behind Mikah is dope. Another one to add to my midnight marauding mix.

Heavyweights – Freestyle Fellowship invites their buddies, collectively known as Heavyweights (Cockney “O” Dire, Archie, Volume “pistol grip pump on my lap at all times” 10, Spoon and Ganja K) to join them on this cipher joint. This is a huge improvement from the posse cuts I’ve listened to lately (i.e. Capital Tax’s “Treetop Connection” and Mad Kap’s “Dopest Verse”), but still not great.

Tolerate – Freestyle Fellowship comes off like a step team on this interlude, as they name off a list of things they will not tolerate, in unison.

Respect Due – The fellas use this one to show respect to the old, the current, and the new schools of hip-hop. I love the intent, but intent doesn’t guarantee great execution, which is this song’s downfall.

Pure Thought – The album closes with a mid tempo instrumental with a dope rumbling bass line, as the Freestyle Fellowship brethren sound reminiscent of the Cold Crush Brothers (I invite you young bucks that don’t know who Cold Crush are to Google them), reciting most of their lyrics in unison. Great way to end Innercity Griots.

Historically within hip-hop groups, there is usually one emcee who outshines the rest of the team (see Kool Moe D in The Treacherous Three, Ice Cube in N.W.A., Andre 3K in Outkast, Lauryn Hill in the Fugees, Cee-lo Green in Goodie Mob…I could go on forever, folks). That is not the case with Freestyle Fellowship (though one could make an argument that Aceyalone is the star emcee), as all four emcees match each others skill level throughout Innercity Griots. But this is both a gift and a curse on Innercity Griots: it’s awesome to hear four different emcees match each others energy, and while I can’t call any of the four wack emcees, no one in the crew is great behind the mic either, so most of their content falls in the middle of the road. When coupled with the hit and miss production, only about half of Innercity Griots is worth your time.

-Deedub

Lets go back to March for a new addition to my collection. File this one after Flavor Unit’s “Roll Wit Tha Flava”.

Mad Kap has a place in hip-hop history next to groups like Yaggfu Front and Rumpletilskinz. Groups that came in the game and were finished faster than a fifteen year old boy getting his rocks off for the first time. Mad Kap was the Los Angeles based trio consisting of Coke, Motif and Dr. Soose (who rapped and played the trumpet). The group was one of the earliest acts signed to Loud Records (which would later be the label home to such artists as The Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Big-Pun and Dead Prez, to name a few) and released their only album to date, Look Ma Duke, No Hands , completely produced by a cat named Broadway.

When I saw this album sitting in the used bins a few weeks ago, the cover art looked vaguely familiar, but after reading the liner notes I still didn’t recognize any of the songs on the track listing. Then I noticed the Loud Records emblem, saw that it featured guest appearances from a few hip-hop artists that I like, and the price was right, I thought: “Why not give it a shot?”  After all, it is nineties hip-hop, and possibly a hidden gem.

There’s nothing wrong with being optimistic.

Da Bud Zone – Look Ma Duke opens with a short live jazzy mash-up before going into the first song…

Here Come The Breaks – The first actual song of the evening doesn’t make a great first impression. Over a boring Broadway backdrop (tongue twister much), Coke, Motif and Dr. Soose (who they also refer to as Joe at different points on Look Ma Duke) match its energy (or lack thereof) with dull rhymes. Hopefully this is not a prelude of what’s to come for the rest of Look Ma Duke.

Da Whole Kit & Kaboodle – Broadway’s instrumental makes strides in the right direction. Unfortunately, Coke and Motif’s rhymes don’t, and Dr. Soose’s trumpet play is insignificant.

Irrelevant – An adjective that also describes this song.

Dickie’s Emporium – Interlude.

When It Rains It Pours – Coke and Motif use this one to get conscious. Coke uses his verse to narrate the life of a young kid and the events that lead to him becoming a drug dealer, while Motif uses his verse to share the story of a girl who becomes a teen mom. The fellas have good intentions, but their verses ring hollow and sound disingenuous. And once again, Dr. Soose’s trumpet play adds nothing beneficial to the song. Broadway’s track is forgettable too.

Cheeba – Dr. Soose’s trumpet solo interlude.

Check It Out – Mad Kap invites Ahlee Rocksta and Likwit crew members, King Tee and Tash (from the Alkaholiks), to join them on this cipher joint. It was nice to hear from King Tee and Tash, as they inject some much needed quality emceeing into Look Ma Duke. Unfortunately, Broadway’s instrumental doesn’t do much to accentuate their quality bars.

Oh Phuck Me Right? – This was a strange interlude.

Phuck What Ya Heard – Broadway slides Mad Kap a funky backdrop and invites Daddy Freddy to add a reggae chant in between their verses and at the end of the song, adding some much needed flavor (even though I have no idea what he’s saying) to an album that has been mostly tasteless to this point. Mad Kap brings nothing lyrically substantial to the table, but the instrumental will keep you bobbing your head.

Thoughts On The Indoe From Joe – Dr. Soose spits a short freestyle, rapping praises to his favorite strand of smoke. The indoe.

Proof Is In The Puddin’ – Broadway builds this backdrop around a smooth loop from Gene Harris’ “Feeling You, Feeling Me, Too”, which turns out to easily be his best instrumental work on Look Ma Duke. And Dr. Soose’s trumpet play actually adds flavor to the song, for once.

Excuse Me Brutha! – Interlude…

Jeff-Self – Followed by another interlude that features Broadway’s little brother going on a potty mouthed rant.

Beddie-Bye – Tash got a chance to rock it on “Check It Out”, so it’s only right that his fellow Alkaholik brethren, J-Ro and E-Swift, get an invitation to the party as well. Needless to say, they both out rap their hosts (MOYOS). Initially, I wasn’t feeling this one, but after a few listens it grew on me.

Dopest Verse – After listening to Capital Tax’s posse cut “Treetop Connection” last week, I thought I’d never hear a more boring and underwhelming cipher joint again. Then I heard this song, and my theory was destroyed. Coke, Motif and Dr. Soose invite LaQuan, L.Dub and Broadway (who fires a shot at east coast hip-hop on the final bar of the song) to help them create arguably the worst posse cut in the history of hip-hop. No exaggeration. This song is horrible.

Coke, Motif and Dr. Soose, collectively, do not have the charisma or lyrical prowess to carry an entire album, which becomes crystal clear after one listen to Look Ma Duke. The album’s producer, Broadway, has a few shining moments on the production side, but not enough to overshadow Mad Kap’s impotent emceeing (and by the way, Dr. Soose’s trumpet play adds very little, sonically to Look Ma Duke). But look at the bright side: the album is technically only nine songs long, so you don’t have to waste invest too much of your time giving it one listen.

-Deedub

About a month ago, I was skirmishing through the used cd bins at one of my favorite spots (shoutout to Cheapos!). To avoid bumping into other music miners, if someone is digging on one end of the bins I’ll go to the opposite end to begin my search. On this particular adventure there was another music miner on the left end of the bins, so I started searching from the right side and worked my way left. Eventually we ended up meeting near the middle, so I decided to jump a few bins over to the left and would work my way back to the few I missed on the right after he moved out the way. All of a sudden, I here the dude whisper to himself “yes!”. I looked over and noticed he had discovered an album I’ve had on my “want list” for several years. The late Tim Dog’s Penicillin On Wax. This album has been out of print for years and you can really only find it used on Amazon, for more than I’m willing to pay for it. I congratulated the man on a good find, but in my head I was cursing the day he was born for stealing my precious prize. If only I would have got there a few minutes prior, or if  I would have crowded his space and continued my natural course from right to left without skipping any rows. Instead, I left with a lump in my throat, sorely disappointed.

I’ve never heard Penicillin On Wax in its entirety, but I’m familiar with the singles and believe it is one of the often overlooked pieces that helped spark the west coast/east coast feud that would claim the lives of two of hip-hop’s most prolific stars in the nineties. While the album didn’t move a ton of units or garnish a ton of critical acclaim, its controversial singles “Fuck Compton” and “Step To Me” fired blatant (and unwarranted) shots at Tim Dog’s west coast counterparts that created a platform for his voice to be heard. For a few moments, at least. The dog would return in 1993 with his second album, Do Or Die.

Do Or Die would come without the same controversy that surrounded Penicillin On Wax, and it also didn’t move a ton of units or receive heaps of critical acclaim. I’ve had Do Or Die for a few years, but this is my first time listening to the album in its entirety.

To know I was that close to having Penicillin On Wax, only to let it slip through my fingers,  still bothers me, almost a month later. Since Do Or Die was coming up soon on my review list, it just seemed like fate that Penicillin On Wax would fall into my possession so I could review them back to back.  Man plans, God Laughs.

I Don’t Give A Fuck – Tim Dog opens Do Or Die with a simple, but dope, instrumental that he uses to brag about his dopeness. And he manages to throw a quick jab at his favorite target, DJ Quik.  Solid start to the evening.

Grab Your Gat – Over a dark and hard instrumental, Tim Dog talks more shit and advises all competitors to grab a gat before stepping to the dog. Tim is far from a great emcee, but he does entertain with an occasional clever punchline, like “a lot of niggas talk shit, said that I jerked ’em, that’s funny, I didn’t know you was workin’ (its sounds a lot better on wax then written), and “you’re just a man that’s next ta, if this was a movie you’d be a muthafuckin’ extra”. Someone called Preacher Earl provides adlibs at the song’s intro, during the hook, and then spits a few unimpressive bars as the song closes. As I mentioned a few sentences ago, Tim Dog’s flow is not that nice, but his rugged voice sounds dope over the hard Maurice Mo’ Gallegos/Ray Roll/ DJ Tony Touch concocted backdrop.

I Get Wrecked – Fellow Bronx native, KRS-One joins the dog on this duet. KRS-One, who was definitely in his prime in ’93, raps circles around our host (yes Tim, you got MOYOS) displaying a bit of the skill that easily makes him one of the top ten emcees of all time (“now don’t say nothin’ while I’m deckin’ ya’, causin’ hysteria, been in more battles than America”). Tim drops slightly comical rhymes and takes shots that, on the surface, sounds like their aimed at The Sugarhill Gang. But if you peel back the layers, it sounds like they were more so may aimed at Das EFX, considering Das had just blown up the previous year with their stutter style (“skibby-bepop, bepop, Scooby Doo, that bullshits not me, that bullshit is you”). And remember, Tim’s guest KRS-One, was feuding with the dreaded duo around this time as well. Yeah, I know he gives the Hit Squad a shoutout at end of the album, but I’m sticking with my theory. The TR Love/Moe Love produced instrumental is barely decent (the remix has a slightly improved backdrop), but the king and court jester chemistry between Kris and Tim makes this one pretty entertaining.

Timberlands – Back in the day when my boys and I used to freestyle over instrumentals and make real mixtapes (they were literally recorded on cassette tapes), I actually freestyled (and sung) my own ode to my favorite brand of boot, Timberland. So, it was a pleasant surprise to hear Tim Dog share the same sentiment. Unfortunately, like my Timberland freestyle, Tim’s song is also garbage. Wait…did he just say he wears his Timbs when he’s hittin’ skinz?

If I Was A Cop –  Tim uses this one discuss the things he would do if he was a cop, and also calls out crooked cops (yes, crooked cops do exist, even if you have family members that are cops). The song is not great, but the instrumental is kind of dope (especially the live saxophone, courtesy of Jay Davidson).

Hardcore – I love Tim’s eerie low-key instrumental. It sounds like something Extra P would have hooked up back in the day. Tim doesn’t bring much to it lyrically, but he doesn’t completely distract from the backdrop’s understated brilliance.

Game – Tim invites his buddy Truck to join him, as they each spit a verses about runnin’ game on the ladies. Tim’s delivery is pretty elementary, but his hilarious punch lines do entertain (“But I had crazy game, I souped the bitch up and told her I was Big Daddy Kane”, and “from me you gets none, all I got is a hard dick and some bumble gum…and I’m fresh out of gum” ). Unfortunately, Tim’s guest and the instrumental are very forgettable.

Skip To My Loot – Smooth B (one half of Nice & Smooth) drops by to share mic time with the dog. Smooth, who is normally laid back and, um, smooth with his delivery, comes off kind of aggressive on this one, and he sounds pretty nice (I’ve always thought Smooth B was underappreciated and underrated). Tim Dog doesn’t fare as well as he stumbles and bumbles his way through two sloppy verses. Along with Tim Dog’s messy verses, the instrumental and corny hook put this song into the wack category.

Silly Bitch – The song opens with a chick confronting Tim for dissing her on Penicillin On Wax. Tim spends the rest of the song dissing her again. Tim’s instrumental is simple but kind of dope. Speaking of simplistic, Tim’s hook is very simplistic, but still effectively hi-larious.

Maddog – Tim Dog borrows the same McCoy Tyner bass line loop that helped turn Black Sheep’s “The Choice Is Yours” into a mega hit. Of course Tim’s usage of the loop is not nearly as effective, and the hook is downright atrocious.

Make Room – This song would work in a horror movie. Tim Dog’s menacing baritone over the dark backdrop would sound perfect in the next Freddie vs. Jason joint (especially when he repeats the song title a hundred times over after his verses).

Breakin North – Tim Dog gives his shout outs over a slick backdrop (I love the piano loop) before he does what the title suggest (for you youngins, “break north” is slang for “exiting the building”, “peacing out”, “throwin’ up the deuces”, etc.).

Do Or Die is not a classic or great album, but it’s not terrible either. A portion of the album doesn’t work, but thanks to Tim’s charisma and comic relief, a few well placed guest appearances, overall sneaky quality production, and a fit and trim twelve track length, Do Or Die winds up being a decent listen and a justifiable purchase. As long as you buy it used for no more than five dollars.

-Deedub

Through the years hip-hop has spawned a million and one different acts. Out of those million acts only a small percentage have been able to create an impressive catalog and everlasting legacy that stands the test of time. Some have had one of two hot records, and fizzled out just as fast as they blew up. And an even larger percentage drop one album and are never heard from again. Capital Tax would fall into the last category.

Capital Tax was the four man crew consisting of the group’s only emcee, TMD (which is an acronym for Total Mind Devastator), DJ Cool Al, Bozie and Scruff (I’m not sure what purpose role the last two served in the group…maybe they were back-up dancers?). Back in the day, I assumed they were from D.C. based on the name, but they were actually out of East Oakland. Capital Tax signed a deal with MCA and released their only album to date The Swoll Package in the spring of 1993. I’m not sure what the critics thought of this album, but I’d be willing to place a hefty bet that it didn’t move a ton of units, as I’m the only person I know who owns this album (I’d be willing to bet that Tony A Wilson has a copy as well).

I found The Swoll Package a few years ago in the used bins at one of the spots I frequent, and picked it up because I remembered a few of the singles from back in the day that I used to vibe to. This week is my first time listening to The Swoll Package in its entirety. Let’s see if these Oakland boys’ package is as swoll as they claim.

The Lab – This may be the shortest intro in the history of hip-hop, and it adds absolutely no value to The Swoll Package.

Mista Wonka – Now hears an unusual way to start a hip-hop album. TMD uses the opening track to have a conversation with his temporarily impotent jimmy, that he affectionately refers to as Mista Wonka. Over a funky groove (and a sick saxophone sample) TMD attempts to talk his smaller head into standing up to please a PYT. I thought this was pretty solid, but I’m bias, as I’m a sucker for rappers who show vulnerability.

Make A Move Y’all – TMD’s rap voice reminds me of Stretch from Live Squad, which isn’t a diss or a compliment, just an observation. As far as the song goes, I’m not feeling TMD’s rhymes or DJ Smooth’s dry instrumental.

Freestyle – This one plays just as it reads: TMD spits a quick freestyle over a simple instrumental.

I Can’t Believe It – This was the first single released from The Swoll Package, and the song that hipped me to CT. Over a mid-tempo jazzy groove (back in the day I had the single to this, which included the instrumental that the homies and I use to freestyle over), TMD shares a tale from the perspective of a young kid living with his cousin, his crackhead auntie and his prostitute uncle who turns tricks to feed the family and his wife’s crack habit. No, it’s never made clear if the uncle’s clientele are male or female, but I find it hard to believe (no pun intended) that women would pay him (or any man for that matter) for the dick, so draw your own conclusion. The storyline is kind of weird but I love the instrumental.

We Pals – TMD celebrates friendship on this one. Unfortunately, the celebration didn’t translate into a good hip-hop song.

Can You Dig It – TMD boasts, brags and drops some battle rhymes over a dope mid-tempo instrumental. This was a pretty entertaining listen.

Nottie Natural – Filler material.

The Masha – This was the second, and I believe final single, released from The Swoll Package. I first became familiar with this song by hearing the remix (who’s instrumental is built around the same Faze-O sample EPMD used on “Please Listen To My Demo”). I prefer the remix, but that doesn’t mean that the slick piano loop the album’s instrumental is built around isn’t enjoyable as well.

In Memory Of – Capital Tax pays respect to the dead over this beautifully dark and soulful instrumental. While I’m curious to how TMD would sound spitting bars over this, it’s probably best that he didn’t.

Givin’ It Back – Over a smooth slightly jazzy instrumental, TMD stresses the importance of not forgetting where you came from when you make it. I love the sentiment, the message, and the song.

Styles I Manifest – TMD doesn’t say anything worth quoting, but I like the jazzy instrumental.

Make Some Cash – Throughout the history of hip-hop, many emcees have documented the struggle to survive in the hood and through rhyme, discussed the many different hustles they’ve used to make money. Some have robbed people to survive. Some sold drugs, and yet others actually went and got a job (imagine that). But I have to admit, I’ve never heard a rapper talk about the unique hustle TMD had back in the day. Pumping gas for people at the local BP? Wtf? Where they do that at? This must have been a common hustle in Oakland, because at one point during the song TMD sounds like a drug dealer reprimanding a rival dealer for selling in his territory, as he tells a rival, um, gas pumper, that he “owns pumps one through twelve”. TMD’s content is kind of corny, but the laid back instrumental is dope.

Poet Treeman – The song title is clever play on words, but the song is nothing more than filler material.

Treetop Connection – TMD invites some of his peeps (JH The Master, Alafi, Prophecy and Father DOM) to join him on this posse cut. And it just might be the most boring cipher joint in hip-hop history. The instrumental has no energy, and all emcees involved reciprocate the instrumental’s vibe.

Outs – The Swoll Package ends with someone other than TMD giving shout outs over a sick instrumental. And with that, The Swoll Package is over.

TMD is not a terrible emcee. His rhymes and flow are decent, but his bars don’t have personality and he lacks charisma and that “it” factor to make people remember him. On the production side, DJ Smooth brings a few gems and a few decent joints, that off set the handful of hot garbage he slides TMD to rhyme over throughout The Swoll Package. When you pair TMD’s forgettable rhymes with DJ Smooth’s hit and miss production, the package ends up more scrawny than swoll.

-Deedub