4.29.2008

Bounce Blueprints 2

Derek B Rock the Beat
(1987, Music for Life)

This is what allmusic.com has to say about rapper Derek B:

British rapper Derek B elicited some mild response from his debut release, Bullet From a Gun, on Profile. He displayed decent rapping skills and the beats were competent, if not awesome or outstanding. It did not make a substantial impact on the hip-hop or R&B front, however, and also failed to register on the pop scene.

What they left out of their bio was this record's seminal role in shaping the sound of New Orleans Bounce. Breaks copped from this appeared later on one of Cameron Paul's DJ Battle Weapon Beats & Pieces compilation's, under the title "Brown Beats", a name that both stuck and helped obscure the roots of its sample source. This became the second most important record for bounce sampling and the first instance of a British rapper breaking into the American market. To throw around a back-handed complement about beat competence is some real bullshit. Allmusic should change their site name to something a bit more narrow.

4.27.2008

Juke / Crank Nexus


DJ Slugo Born Ghetto - From My Hood To Your Hood
(2001, Databass) @ 320 kbps

Pop It Off Boyz Crank Dat Batman
(A capella, Instrumental) @ 320 kbps


I suppose regional styles spread swiftly in the new century, allowing Carbondale's Pop It Off Boyz to somehow cop post-soulja boy crank moves and press it to vinyl faster than anyone in A-Town (the only other Crank 12" I've seen is 3rd Flo's "The Heizman"), though Crank's roots may lie more firmly in the digital county of Youtube than some GA neighborhood. Either way, I'm happy to have happened across this lone example of Juke-Crank cross-pollination, and am taking this opportunity to open up this blog's doors to the club purism branches of the ghetto rap family tree.

A cappella and instrumentals only of the POB original for those inspired enough to make their own club bangers. I'm holding out on the full so as not to step between CG & Lil Action and their Itunes grind though I admit the vinyl pop ads a much needed warmth to the 808-via-Fruity Loops budget production. These two do move beyond a straight jacking of ATL style, adding a little Chi-town rapid-fire flare and enough vocal cutting to imply some ghetto house influence.

The Slugo joint is the fully, though that depends on how you look at it since listed track B3, Telegraph, is curiously absent. It looks more and more like Detroit/Chicago/Baltimore club musics are fixed to exert the kind of life-blood influence on mainstream rap that Bounce had on Buck music, or Freestyle or Italo or something had on Bass. You can and should cop a handful of Slugo Juke mixes, artist direct, here and anyone who hasn't should watch this short doc on Ghetto House feat. DJ Funk, Waxmaster, DJ Deeon, Rated X, Jammin Gerald and Ray Barney.

4.26.2008

Complete Big Bang

The Showboys:

Drag Rap (Triggerman)
(Profile, 1986) vinyl rip @ 320 kbps

The Ten Laws of Rap / Cold Frontin'
(Profile, 1985) vinyl rip @ 320 kbps

"That's What I Want for Christmas"
from Christmas Rap
(Profile, 1985) vinyl rip @ 320 kbps

YIIG's (parts 1 & 2)
(Papergame, 2000) @ 320 kbps

The complete recorded history of Orville "Buggs Can Can" Hall & Phil D. "Triggaman". Enough compressed sample data to birth at least 3 new regional dance rap styles in addition to a full-length extrapolation and revisiting of the one track that already did. I'm not actually able to conceive of how Ten Laws of Rap / Cold Frontin could be put to use but the "What I Want" chants from the Christmas jam are begging for recontextualization.

I do look forward to grabbing Scratch issue #19 and seeing what bits of Showboys history pop up in its Triggaman feature, not to mention catching DJ Spanish Fly's drag rap perspective. I haven't seen this issue on the rack at my local Walgreen's so I may have to save my pennies and buy it here, which seems to be the lone internet distributor of this (sadly) OOP periodical.

Anyways, New Orleans' Drag Rap debt is oft noted but this was a crucial record in Memphis, too, which is where YIIG's, the Showboys' decade-late full-length debut was recorded. Some of the earliest DJ Paul Mixtapes are just Paul fucking around with Bitches Reply, and Memphis had a minor Bounce hit with a different "Where They At" response record, Freakmaster's "Gimme What You Got". As best I can tell, this is the first and only release from Papergame records, and I know nothing about any rapper featured here (Gambino? Toni Price? Do Dirty? Ali Bahbah?) but I wonder about who's not here - TT Tucker? DJ Jimi? I also feel like Pen & Pixel should have taken on this cover, Pro Bono.

All of the production on YIIG's (with the exception of the original Triggaman) was done by Archie "Baldhead" Mitchell, who happens to be the son of Hi Records founder and Al Green collaborator Willie Mitchell. The four original Showboys tracks were all produced by Cliff Hall (who I'm guessing is Orville's brother), and since its the instrumental thats so frequently lifted he may be the man most responsible for the shape of Down South's Rap Big Bang.

4.24.2008

More Bass: More Pac Than Pac

6PAC Platinum Party
(1998, Grilled-Up Records)
@ 320 kbps: parts one & two

Three 6 Mafia is Two 6-in it, but this release's empty promise advertisements include a group called One-6-Mafia which seems to be part of the same complex rap algebra that landed this dude his stage name. This one's more about the party than the car boom and though I realize thats apparent from the title (and absence of speaker-destruction warning label) , its also revealed through reverent sampling of Disco / Italo classics. Solid throughout.

Bass Tapes: Its Past Your Bass Time

2 BMF
Caucasian Bass Invasion
(1994, Pandisc) @ 320 kbps
[circum side, uncircum side]

No Bass health disclaimers but strange dick-style side names to make up for it. Production by Mr. Bassman, later to be known as DJ Trip. Weird liner notes read:

If you have a song that sucks send it in, we'll use it...not!!! Send it to Vanilla Ice our mentor. Mr. Clean is bald but he bites weenies. The weather's great in Miami, it's good for the doggy style. Remember girls to free Willy and feed him. He's starving. If you want to get laid... crawl up a chicken's ass and wait. 1-900-SEXY-HORNET
Then there's a Cristina Applegate marriage proposal.

4.22.2008

One More 4 the Bassheads

G.A. Girlz G.A. Girlz 'N Da House
(1997, Move the Crowd) @ 320 kbps

Bass is the Place! Sorry to break the vibe, this one's on disc. More tapes to come, though, I'm just tryin 2 preserve my Pause button. I hope last year's self-titled track by these two and the Crime Mob girls is part of some larger in-the-works release and I hate to say it but the Princess solo disc was weak. Anyways, I heard that Diamond got booted out the group and I'm looking more forward to her future output than the Crime Mob trio's.

Holler in the holler box if you have any interest in the second GA Girlz disc.

Stuff White People Bump

Po' White Trash & the Trailer Park Symphony Po' Like Dis
(2001, Pocket Change Prod.) @ 320

Sorry yall, but I couldn't keep this b-bin find to myself. Worth the 50 cent paid at least for the cover and what the fuck, Organized Noize folk all over this: Cee-Lo & Big Rube cameos, Earthtone III & Lil Jon production... I'm imagining this dude and Cee-Lo sitting around in P-Dub's N. Carolina dorm room listening to Primus.

All things considered, its not that bad I just can't stomach the timbre of his voice. Actually, I'd be happy to cop the "Po Punch" instrumental and Big Rube's closing statement is on point enough to almost commit me to a second listen.

Characteristically horrible article in the Village Voice here, check it out if you're interested in some fully off-point race/culture analysis. 2 birds fully flipped from this blog author. At who, exactly, I don't know since N. Bedford Couch seems like a pseudonym. And if its supposed to be satire it still sucks.

Bass Tapes: The Lamphead

Half Pint Stronger Than Ever
(1992, On Top Records)
cassette rip @ 320 kbps
half side, pint side

Another On Top joint, this time from Miami's Half Pint, whose style marries Thug & Shake elements much like Sammy Sam, if a bit less powerfully. He may be best known for his single "Stomp & Grind", a vinyl rip of which I'll up shortly. This one's a short and skit-heavy cassette with some curious skits of people fucking to schlocky classical music. I can't tell if thats the kind of high-class bullshit Pint throws on for the ladies or he's just rented some strange euro-porn VHS tape. The rewind sounds suggest the latter. The pint side gets that worn in water-in-the-ear effect. Extra nostalgia.

Fittingly, there is 1/2 of an informative interview with producer Devastator here.

Bass Tapes: The Iceman

Mega Jon Iceman "J"
(1993, Joey Boy)
cassette rip

DJ Bunny Hole 2000 magnanimously hooks up starving, out-of-work kid slizzard with USB mixer and the bass tapes pour out like diarrhea on your turkish vacation. I first considered stretching / defining the Twankle_n_Glisten boundaries by ripping some Juke / Jit 12s, but got held back by a lispy worn needle.

Luckily I'd just unpacked an easter basket of old cassette tapes. As this unfolds I'm on careful lookout for the most threatening Bass warning and I'm pretty sure "contaminated by radioactive material" won't come close.

Anyways, this isn't the best Bass tape ever, but be thankful cuz its about to get a whole lot worse. There are strong points though and the reggae bass track most definitely deserves your attention.

4.21.2008

Bass Tapes: The Hitman

Sammy Sam The Hit Man & D.J. 1.5 featuring Ice Ski
You Don't Know?
[cassette single]
(1991, Smith & Smith Records)

The first in what may become a long line of T&G Bass Tapes. This is the earliest release I know of by Oomp Camp's Sammy Sam and likely his first legit release considering the catalog # (SS-0001) and I like the idea that he was planning another thousand. Great interview / bio in the Murderdog Archives here.

Just in case you're still getting used to it: don't forget the password, its to your right.

4.17.2008

Half-Cockney


What I'm wondering is where the hell is Andre? He would kill this track dead. This is the kind of far-fetched collabo that breeds fantasy. I'm imagining Soulja Slim or Mr. Servon on here or what the dragged n chopped mix would feel like. I think this is only part of Dizzee's Texas campaign and I'm curious to see what other tracks pop up. Bun sounds good on this brit atari shit, can't wait to here the jam they did with Pimp C.

I like the Promethazine/Gat/Mama's boy scope. It let's us know Bun is Real Gangsta but makes no claims about Dizzee.

4.15.2008

King Ent Double Dip

The Royal Family The World Ain't Enough
(2002, King's Ent.) @ 320 kbps [side A, side B]

Hotboy Ronald Walk Like Ronald
(2002, King's Ent.) @ 320 kbps [side A, side B]

Alright yall, two King's Ent. full lengths and the inauguration of this blog's password, which is the same name as the blog itself and shouldn't really give anyone a headache even though I'm sure it will. Maybe its like blowjob prophylactics, taking safety measures too far, but if you can't pause to figure out what you're grabbing and where it came from its time to slow your hoarding roll.

Somehow there is a Michael Jackson jam on each of these discs and I'm not lying when I say that The World Ain't Enough version of "Shake Your Body Down To the Ground" was the first one I heard. Neither "Shake it Down" nor Ronald's take on "Don't Stop (Till You Get Enough)" stand too tall next the originals, but they do illustrate the just-having-a-good-time element of N.O. Bounce. I do like Soulja Slim's "Straight 2 the Dancefloor", though, which borrows "Don't Stop" elements...

Both discs are mixed affairs, but Walk Like Ronald's title track is a bounce classic and there's plenty of gems scattered about.

Queing with Q93

Lil Slim, PMW, UNLV, Pimp Daddy & Ms. Tee - Queing with Q93

4.14.2008

Ten Toes Down

A short series of essential early M-Town Junts from youtube account 10toesdown:

If you're down check this site which recently upped a pile of hard to find Street
Smart cassette releases.

COMING SOON: double-disc triple 6 satellite compilation feat. lil noid, lil sko,
lil fly, lil glock, lil gin, mc mack and much more

4.13.2008

Buck Is Back

10th Ward Buck A True Bounce Artist (2004, Biggface) @ the usual 320

3rd? Buck full-length feat. the original and immeasurably superior "Drop & Gimme 50". Don't know whats up with the Mike Jones version. Despite shouting "10th Ward Buck With Us" in the intro, Buck's nowhere to be found. Replacing him with Hurricane Chris is many steps in the wrong direction and I find myself deeply annoyed with him for the first time. Not the first bounce nod from Mike, though, see also: curious Still Tippin extended version with 5th Ward Weebie and Choppa tacked on the end. Don't really get whats up with a post-yang Collipark, but I'm at least somewhat into the new V.I.C. video.

4.07.2008

More Gotti


Youtube vid to accompany previous post. GOTTI BOI GET 2 THAT MONEY!!

Oh Laaaarrd!

Gotti Boi Chris presents Bounce Down 2 (2005, Blackhouse) @ 320 kbps

First off, its in no way part of this blog's mission to knock anyone's grind. All shit uploaded is intended to be out of your consumptive reach and only available in ways that don't directly benefit the artists. If anyone shouts out otherwise, link will be down ASAP. That said, hope like hell today's featured artist makes his way (or make their way) to a national audience by way of some decent distro.

Whats happened to Bounce in the new century? Most notably its gotten faster. A lot faster. More saturated too. This stuff in particular is syncopated like Balinese monkey chanting. If the genre has been known in the past for its narrow sampling, Bounce Down 2 shows an expanded palette. Not to say that its deviated from its roots, if anything "Drag Rap" is even more present in these tracks. There's just a whole lot more going on. Some hard as fuck female MCs on here too.

It's possible that NOLA Bounce has only been able to move forward as a tradition because it's never directly penetrated the mainstream (despite its constant influence). In that sense, maybe its alright if this shit keeps moving forward. Lookout for a weirdly parodied Andre 3000.

4.06.2008

Bad Times 4 Ex-CM Families

Just a few months after Mannie Fresh's sister, Angela Bryant, was shot and killed, Juveniles four year old daughter, Jelani Deleston, is killed (along with her mother and sister) by her older brother, Anthony. This was a month back but I just caught wind of it. I'm curious to here if any coherent motive pops up cause I certainly can't fucking dream one up. Certainly doesn't sound like a Seventh Continent situation. Juvie reportedly skipped the funeral, ostensibly to avoid any kind of media circus at the event. I buy that, but there was also some dispute about paternity a couple of years back... B.G.Z. watch out for your people!

4.02.2008

MC Al

Radical T - Radical But Critical (On Top Records, 1991). First album by forgettable duo Radical T, relevant (perhaps) for featuring the professional debuts of the Fat Mack and Al Kapeezy as guest MCs. 'MC Al' has such a weak ring to it and I read recently that even when he was a kid his grandma was calling him Al Kapone. The disc is kind of like a Memphis version of Gregory D's The Real Deal in the way mainstream cheese masks nuanced local talent in a nascent scene. Ball sounds the least dated on here and I wonder if these two rapping young brothers have more of a Memphis distinction on 1997's Straight from the Jungle. One for the archives.

4.01.2008

Who Run It

Lil' E Who's Rulin' (1995, Slaughter House Records)

More Bounce for the NOLA archives and I'm left in awe of the difference between the Get Buck vibes in N.O. & Memphis. Lil E is all over the usual horror samples (Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, Halloween...) but somehow makes its feel like a 10 Ward wide party. Meanwhile he spits the word "buck" like a bullet and you'd be hard pressed to find an instance of someone shouting the word with more frequency. Makes Gregory D's Buckjump Time sound like something for the pre-school crowd, but I guess it always sounded like that anyways.