Memoirs Of Redefinition Radio #11: Random Rap Thoughts
This article coincides with the radio show on: 6-17-06
here it here: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/programs/redefinition_radio/
Rufus Thomas was a rapper…seriously. He had a string of singles in the 70s that were as Hip Hop as anything that has come since. He did "rhythmic talking" in rhyme form over stripped down drum beats…what's more Hip Hop than that? "Funky Penguin" is one of those songs and it's also related to what was one of the key elements to the career of Rufus Thomas…new dances. He introduced the "Funky Chicken", "Push N Pull", "Breakdown" and then the "Funky Penguin". Many will recognize the drum break from a variety of Hip Hop songs thru out the 80s to the present (actually the following four songs in the set; MC Shan, 45 King, Domination, and Lord Finesse are just a few that sample from it). Oh yeah, and since this is a radio show it's worthwhile trivia to mention that Rufus was also a popular on air personality in the 40s on WDIA in Memphis which, according to Wikipedia was "one of the first radio stations in the US to feature an all-black staff and programming geared toward blacks". He passed away in 2001 leaving a long legacy of funky music and dances for us to enjoy for an eternity.
I know Rakim gets the credit most often for taking the multi-syllabic rhyming to the next level, particularly with "Check Out My Melody" '86 (ex: "my unusual style well confuse ya a while…"). I can't front on that, however I think that Kool Moe Dee gets overlooked for being a big part of getting it to that level and that MC Shan gets overlooked for being one of the first to really perfect it. By that I mean, "I Pioneered This" has to be one of the first if not the first song where nearly the entire song is multi-syllabic. It was hearing it on there that made me really understand it. I think the Juice Crew (of which MC Shan was a part of, which you should already know hopefully…ha) are recognized as "pioneers" of the style but I think mainly that credit seems to go to Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane, who definitely deserve their props as well. Anyway, this is about the man named Shan. I gotta admit this track has one of those lines that just randomly appears in my head and/or out my mouth from time to time just because I love the way it flows, "I'll sit back and write a rhyme stronger than Hercules, funky parts I go back and circle these. Put 'em together fix the conjunctions and I'mma bust rhymes until my brain malfunctions". Very impressive I say. This is just one excellent track on his "Born To Wild" sophomore LP that is seriously slept on. I also to think it's some of Marley's most creative and finest production. Speaking of which I just recently noticed that it was the "Funky Penguin" drums that he sampled for "I Pioneered This". I have always been in love with that beat, I honestly think of it as a perfect beat. It's simple and subtle but has all the essentials; bass heavy, funky bassline, well arranged, and just enough variations to keep it interesting and then some.
Domination was one several groups that were associated with Ice T's Rhyme Syndicate. At the time when this released it was the period were Ice T was turning that long time crew name into a actual record label with a deal thru Epic Records (which released the other Domination 12"…more on that in a second). However, "You Haven't Heard Nothing" is from the Rhyme Syndicate Comin' Thru Compilation released on Warner Bros. It featured and intro track by Ice T and he left the rest of the LP to introduce the world to his crew; Low Profile, Spin Masters, Everlast, Bango, Toddy Tee, Nat The Cat, Donald D, Bronx Style Bob, T.D.F, and Domination. Domination consists of Kid Jazz (MC) and Kid Scratch (DJ). Kid Jazz was a freestyle MC. You can clearly hear it in his flow. He was all about just going for his and taking any suckers out he could along the way. On the aforementioned Epic Records 12" he must of have been trying to show that there was more to him than just that by including one Dance/Hip Hop House track and then his stab at a "smooth" track. I was never impressed with those but for the 3rd track on the 12" he had "Back At It Again". Back at what you ask? I imagine he means picking up where "You Haven't Heard Nuthin'" left off and that suits me just fine. In the same year of this release he also won the New Music Seminar MC Battle. After that I expected to hear more from him, but unfortunately it was the last I ever heard from him.
When MC Rell came out he was one of several MCS that got criticized as sounding too much like Rakim. I agree there was some similarity, but that didn't stop me from enjoying select cuts from his 1989 debut and only album, "Into The Future". One thing that caught my attention early on was that Cutmaster D.C., who had already made quite the name for himself as a top notch D.J. and then some, handles the album's scratching. "Soundwave Sermon" is probably my favorite cut on the album. I think the production is big part of that as it complements MC Rell so nicely. Van Gibbs is listed as the albums producer, but this track gives "additional production" credit to the Awesome 2 (Special K & Teddy Ted) and "rhythm contribution" (no, I have no idea what that means either…ha) to Salaam Remi (that has to be some of his earliest stuff I would guess). Another album stand out track is "Life Of An Entertainer" where Rell explains to anyone wishing to jump into the rap game for the fame, fortune and groupies that it's not really as easy as it may look. That leaves us with a timeless track that is as relevant if not more so today. I played that track a while back on the August 20th, 2004 show.
King T told me once that Breeze got blackballed in the industry and that's apparently why he never had a second album. Not sure if that's the complete story but I wish he could have found someway around it. I was thankful King T featured him on nearly all of his albums:
Act A Fool: "Just Clowing" w/Breeze & Mixmaster Spade
At Your Own Risk: "Played Like A Piano" w/Ice Cube & Breeze
King T IV Life: "Freestyle Ghetto" w/Breeze, The Lixx, & Xzibit
He was also featured on the L.A. Posse album alongside Lady Of Rage and Big Ill. Plus had an indie single in '92 that I read about in a Hip Hop magazine back then. I even called the number in the review and talked to Breeze once and we were supposed to stay in touch but you know how that goes… Beyond that all I know about him is his T.Y.S.O.N (The Young Son Of No One) album in '89. Man, I really like this album. L.A. Posse nicely handles the albums production (with one great production contribution from DJ Pooh, "Goin' Thru A Phase"). Breeze has a gift for being smooth and rugged all at the same time. He's got very concise delivery and a great voice to enhance it. "Steadily Trying To Flow Like" allows Breeze to showcase all of these elements perfectly. I've played a couple other Breeze tracks before as well. The aforementioned "Goin Thru A Phase" on Sept 10th, 2005 and his debut single "LA Posse" on June 18th, 2005.
Every once in a while an MC comes around that just has a very odd way of saying things that catches your attention. Voodu! Is certainly one of those MCs. On "2 Deadly Sins" he drops lines like "who gathers all things mortal with cold immortal hands? Voodu…synonymous with Vietnam" or "My vocal chords is Samurai Swords, You can't blaspheme against the God of war". The second deadly sin here is Mean Green who gives what I think is the finest performance I've heard from him yet. He comes with some interesting one-liners such as "My style is similar to chloroform" or "practicing Taoism on Tascam". They both were down with a crew called the West Coast Avengers that at one point included Ras Kass before they had a falling out. I'm also big fan of the use of the Wild Wild West original T.V. show theme music here as it is relevant to their crew name, their crusade to represent West Coast Hip Hop, and that is one of the greatest T.V. shows of all time…really.
Another MC that often presented a interesting way of expressing himself is I Self Devine. He started his career legacy as the lyricist for the Micranots. He once said that "Decapitation III" is one of the tracks he did that might have been slept on lyrically. I admit I slept. Upon him telling me that I went back to check it out and without a doubt he is murdering it on this track. The flow is swift, witty, engaging and very visual. He is known to use a "short hand" style of MCing where he leaves out some words in his flow and leaves the listener to decipher the obvious while simultaneously leaving him plenty of space to fill his verbal canvas with words of blinding imagery. His mind is clearly in another place when writing things like,
"Many clashes, splashing victims with acid out of the depths of the ashes smash glasses, my mission is math it extracts the vital elements from savage, above average, the most lavish, the tiger eye lotus rocker, the platinum helmet with jade nuggets enforcer, pearl fronts endorser, capitalist, diamond vest sporter, duct tape with tape recorder recall messages of your slaughter to your first daughter. I'm vexed, Expelled from Georgia Tech for holding a Tech at a Lab Technicians neck, never mind of this…" whoa! I just couldn't stop…he is killing it…ha. This track is a non-stop lyrical onslaught. This is merely one piece of proof that I Self is one illest lyricist of his time and his time is still now.
Alltruisms is an MC out of the Chicago area. He's a interesting character. He has unique voice and presence on tracks. He's been giving me demos for years and I've been rather impressed with most everything. I actually came to play this because I was going thru stacks and stacks of CDRS of demos I've gotten over the years (you have no idea…ha) so I could put a bunch of them in storage to clear up some room for the next batch over the next few years…ha. However, first I wanted to burn all my favorites to my computer before I put them away. Alltruisms is the only one that I decided to make a "Best Of Demos" version of. Before I moved from Chicago to work with the Rhymesayers I was in the process of setting up my own label (3 Wisemen Ent.) and Alltruisms was one of the artists I was hoping to put out a project from (he would have been the third release actually after a Vordul 12" produced by Maker and the Monkey Wrench Factory CD…ah, the missed opportunities of life…ha). Anyway, I lost contact with him once I moved and "re-found" him via myspace (surprise…). On his myspace page he says he completed an album and then decided to travel the world rather than release it. He spent several months backpacking in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia as well as helping build houses in Laem Pom Village (Thailand) after the Tsunami. Of course, we can't front on his humanitarian efforts but hopefully at some point he'll find the time to release the album as well. "Escape Desired" is one of his lyrical best. He is very good at blending various topics and moods together and making it all relevant. He covers politics, self-deprecating humor, social consciousness all delivered with plenty of style and wit. Here's some the last verse that might better explain what I'm trying to describe:
"another tortured rotten apple in the orchard
vision distorted morbid face contorted
portrait of a private 5th class soldier of misfortune
trying to tough it out like Washington's winter troops in Valley
Forge
and morphing into a force absorbed with thwarting corporate
warpigs
a roach in the fall out and you keep calling Orkin
I might lose my head and turn murderous like the horseman
Illinois might kill me like Joesph Smith leading the Mormon's
'Yes, your Lordship' my mom sarcastically asks my Pops
while at 21, two weeks has been their son's longest courtship
my house has no Mirth like Edith Wharton
my art's been in a hundred foster homes but remains an orphan
while you try to uncork Cris* and get endorsements
I try to get my rhymes anthologized by Norton's
Sure I want my portion, but I do it for the endorphins
And it's not like I have any other reason not to go and forfeit
Maybe it's worth it, maybe it makes your son important
But I wish my peace of mind wasn't cut off with my foreskin"
*Cristal champagne
That gives you some insight not only his style, but also the man himself. You can expect to hear more from him on Redefinition for sure.
Just how we started this show we shall end it…with the "Funky Penguin" or rather a sampling it. This how I first heard Freddy B & The Mighty Mic Masters, as it might be true for many since I believe it's their debut single. I was big fan of this track when it first came out. It wasn't really that popula,r but it was on heavy rotation on my "boom box". It's basically an ode to Hip Hop culture that talks about how Hip Hop started, some the perceptions of outsiders to Hip Hop, how the early park jams went down, and describes some of the ways Hip Hop can be useful to your "form of expression", peace of mind and spiritual center….and that's all in the first two minutes. While those parts are more significant to me now it was the closing of the song when each MCs cause for solo with some braggadocio verses that always held my attention the most at age 15. The MCs are Captain G Whiz (who went on to a solo career with some singles produced by Ced Gee of Ultramagnetic's), E.S.P, & E-Z Lee. My favorite lyrics were Captain G Whiz and E-Z Lee's lyrical reworkings of history. Captain G Whiz informs us, "…I create masterpieces like Vincent Van Gogh, write a rhyme or a story like Edgar Allen Poe, repaint the Sistine Chapel for Michelangelo, take you on a expedition like Lewis & Clark, MCs see the light but they're living in the dark". E-Z Lee suggests, "…I helped Davy Crocket with the Alamo and I have enough money to buy a Sherman Tank, E-Z L double E the Titanic I sank…". With lines like that I wouldn't be surprised if E.S.P's suggestion wasn't' heeded when he says, "Now all you jackers of the mic who like to bite, get your pads out, now you're ready to write". Nuff Said.
Websites/Myspace pages:
http://www.seguerecords.com/rufusthomas/
www.myspace.com/alltruisms
http://www.myspace.com/shanfromqb
http://myspace.com/iselfdevine
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