Why so few updates ?

Yeah, I know. 3 months and only three updates is my all time low. No need to mention the poor quality of my latest writings... But I don't resign, keep checking once in a while ! I strongly suggest you also check the other blog I do : Press Rewind. If you like hand picked track with interesting writing, you will bookmark it.

But that's really not what's the most time consuming. What keeps me from posting more is this project :



I'm starting a new label, the first 12" should be out in a couple of days. It's a three-song single, you can listen to two of them on our MySpace : http://www.myspace.com/brawlrecords.

This 12" contains material recorded between 1995 and 2000. The organic-hardcore-hip-hop feel of "Definition Of A Yee-Yee" which was produced by a beat maker who used to be know under the moniker of Mudfoot (Whooliganz, Soul Assassin...), coupled with the smooth jazzy side of "Foolish Pride" (an Herbaliser composition), should give the listener an idea of the width of T-Love's repertoire. "Butcher's Hook" is a b-side exclusive where T is having fun, flexing east-London lingo with her version of the cockney accent.

No, you can't download them, I won't put full mp3 of the tracks here. If you want good quality, just buy the record. We'll make sure it's available online, and I'll post the address of the stores who carry it on our myspace.

If I don't lose too much money with the 12", an album is ready to drop before the end of the year.

If you're a store owner who want to carry it, or a writer for a magazine and you want to review it, feel free to drop me an e-mail @ slurgd@hotmail.com.

De La Soul : Skip To My Loop (From Jenifa Taught Me 12")

De La Soul : Skip To My Loop (Tommy Boy, 1988)

Prince Paul genius has been quite heavily documented, and people always credit him for eing the first to put skits on his albums. But what is never mentioned is that he also was the first to put skits on singles. Musicians were doing concept albums for ages, and that sometimes require to link the songs with interludes. Having skits on singles elevate the 12" to the rank of art. With a skit a 12" is not just a promotional tool anymore, it's a piece of art in itself.

I know that the actual skit presented here is not really great, but at least the record has nice artwork. There was also an EP on tape with the same artwork that got released at the time with both the Jenifa 12" and their first record, Plug Tunin. But that's for later.

Twin Hype : Lyrical Rundown (from For Those Who Like To Groove 12")

Twin Hype : Lyrical Rundown (Profile, 1989)
Style : What A Brother Know (Select, 1990)

This record is really special, as far as I know this maybe the only rap record wher you could see people wearing old dirty Air Force. Actually Daddy Rich has some fucked up sneakers on the cover of "Derelicts Of Dialect", but then again he's supposed to be homeless. But not a neat looking homeless like Common Sense on "Can I Borrow A Dollar".

This is also one of the hardest work of Twin Hype. Like most of their tracks Lyrical Rundown was produced by Rick Pagan aka Hollywood Impact, best known for his work with King Sun, and a bunch of long forgotten hip-house acts. From what I understand this song was supposed to appear on their never released second album "Double Barrel". But by that time the hip-house trend was over and nobody was interested in them anymore.

Style is the other duo who was working with The Hollywood Impact, much more hardcore, but unfortunately their career was even shorter. If you want to know more aobout Hollywood impact, a year ago Can I Bring My Gat did an entry about him which quickly became a meeting point for his family and friends. I'm sure you can holler at him through this page !

Swollen Members feat Tony Da Skitzo, Mr Brady & Mixmaster Mike : Paradise Lost (from Shatter Proof 12")

Swollen Members feat Tony Da Skitzo, Mr Brady & Mixmaster Mike : Paradise Lost (Battle Axe, 1997)
Swollen Members feat Aceyalone : Consumption (Battle Axe, 1997)

There are probably more different pressings of Swollen Members' first album Balance than there are of Black Rock & Ron's. I know at least four different ones, and I'm not even a fan. So depending of where and when you bought the album you may or may not have "Consumption" on it. You probably don't have "Paradise Lost" which as far as I know was not on any version of "Balance".

The best thing about those two tracks is the guests. I don't know too many people going crazy over a Madchild or a Prevail verse. On "Consumption" they both try real hard to sound like Acey, but all we really wish is to hear what PEACE and Mikah 9 would have to say instead.

Well the best thing about any Swollen Members song is usually the guest (and obviously they know that since they had the nerve to use other people's logo on the following single) and on "Paradise Lost" it's really Mixmaster Mike who makes the song for me, not to say that Mr Brady or Tony Da Skitzo are boring, but yeah, they are.

Resident Alien : Oooh The Dew Doo Man (From Mr Boops 12")

Resident Alien : Oooh The Dew Doo Man (Dew Doo Man, 1991)

The Dew Doo Man was only 20 when Russel Simmons gave him the opportunity to run his own label under the Rush associated Labels umbrella.

Having produced the first De La Soul album, and a couple of hit singles for Third Bass, Nikki D, Queen Latifah, Big Daddy Kane and Groove B Chill Prince Paul was happy being just a producer. It was a better status than just being a DJ in Stetsasonic, that's why he turned down the offer at first. But After Lyor Cohen insisted he gave the idea a second thought and finally agreed to do it.

He took the $50 000 advance, called three friends who really didn't rhyme, and proceed to record his first concept album, called "It Takes A Nation Of Suckas To Let Us In". From day one there was a big gap between what Russel had in mind and what Paul was doing. He had to fight with him to let him called the label Dew Doo Man records. Russel wanted him to make pop hits, and he was making a concept album.

When this 12" came out in november 1991, The Choice Is Yours and Scenario where still on rotation everywhere, so you would think it would have been quite easy to push this record, but Def Jam's staff was busy pushing more traditional stuff like Nice & Smooth or LL Cool J. So Paul decide to come together with Downtown Science and Nikki D to go and talk to Lyor, but none of them show up at the meeting but Paul. The tall Israeli decided he didn't want to be bothered by a&r who cared about music and pull the plug on the Resident Alien project and Dew Doo Man records was no more after only one 12".

Blueprint : No Half Smokin (from Print Is Goin Off 7")

Blueprint : No Half Smokin (RhymeSayers, 2005)
Visioneers : The world is yours (BBE,2005)
Nina Gordon : Straight Outta Compton


I think this rap cover trend has now jumped the shark. It was odd when Snoop first covered Ladi Dadi and then Vapors, but at least it was new. Nobody seemed to be interested in paying hommage to the elders for a long time except for a couple of indie artist, like Blackstar who covered Children Story, at the same time Mad SKillz did Lick The Balls and then Madlib had a parody of Pickin Boogers called "Hittin hookers". But the repertoire was limited to the Biz and Slick Rick then.

In the past few year we've heard covers of everybody in everystyle, from TI paying respect to UGK, to Wu-Tang Clan instrumentals, to ska version of some Outkast hit, to this folk singer doing "Straight Outta Compton" etc...

It was fun while it last, but who in his right mind thought it was cool to cover Kriss Kross' Jump ?!?!!

Do the new generation of rappers idolize Kriss Kross ? I guess that means hip-hop is dead, right ?

Reflection Eternal : 2000 Seasons (from Fortified Live 12")

Reflection Eternal featuring Home Skillit : 2000 Seasons (Rawkus, 1997)
Mood : Info For The Streets (Blunt, 1997)

Reflection Eternal featuring Mos Def & Mr Man: Fortified Live (Rawkus, 1997) (Bonus)

If you ask me, this 12” contains everything I want to hear from Talib Kweli. When you come up with two powerful songs like Fortified Live and 2000 Seasons it’s quite hard to follow up with something of the same quality.

So of course later when their album came out (like what, 4 years after this single ?!) they had rave reviews, written by people who either didn’t even know about this single or were giving props to the idea of Reflection E, the idea of an independant scene. Thus missing the point : Train Of Thought was boring.

Regardless of Rawkus unlimited sticker budget, the Fortified Live 12” was a genuine indie record, with two unpolished demos pressed up on an umastered vinyl. The static that was Hi-Tek’s trademark was nowhere to be found on the LP. Most of his loops sounded like they were sampled off of CDs. Check Mood’s Info For The Streets for a good example of a scratchy sample à la Hi-Tek.

Mic Geronimo : Hemmin Heads (from Shit's Real 12")

Mic Geronimo : Hemmin Heads (Blunt, 1994)

If Marty Mc Fly had come to me in 1994 telling me only one east coast rapper would be still relevant in 2006, I would have put my money on Mic Geronimo.

Or OC. Or Common Sense, or Buckshot, or may be Nas, but never on Jay Z. At that time he was at best considered a has been, and atworst a never-been. Even when he did that song with DMX and Ja Rule on Mic Geronimo’s second 12” I don’t think a lot of people realized he was the same JZ who rhymed with The Jaz a few years before.

Anyway, this is Geronimo’s first 12” on Blunt, produced by DJ Irv later known as Irv Gotti and it’s as good as anything off his Natural album.