Filed under: Buckshot Lefonque, Craig Mack, Eric B & Rakim, Gang Starr, Ice Cube, Nas, Specials, The Pharcyde, Too Short, Video | Tags: black & white rap videos, Buckshot Lefonque, Craig Mack, D-Nice, Eric B, Gang Starr, Ice Cube, Nas, Pharcyde, Rakim, Slick Rick, Too Short
Here is my personal Top 10 of black&white Rap Videos from the Golden Era, a nice counterpart to some of those polished and colorful clips you see nowadays… I chose videos on the basis of how well the visuals and the track work together, and here it is, all classics as usual:
The Pharcyde – Passin’ Me By
The track for every man whose world has been turned upside down by womankind; Pharcyde from LA always had innovative videos, this being their second.
Too $hort – I Want To Be Free
“Shorty The Pimp” versus police brutality and East Oaklands Finest in particular.
Eric B. & Rakim – In The Ghetto
A dark video that got mad airplay back in the days on YO!, showing the unadorned bleakness of the projects.
D-Nice – 25 Ta Life
D-Nice tells us how fast you can get from a summer’s day flirt to doing 25 to life.
Nas – The World Is Yours
‘Nuff said. The world is ours.
Buckshot LeFonque – No Pain No Gain (Salaam Remi Remix)
Branford Marsalis (former bandleader on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show) plays the Sax, the video captures the whole NYC vibe, and the track is a true underrated classic.
Craig Mack feat. Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes & Rampage – Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)
The video as minimalist as the track – nevertheless pioneering style-wise – this remix outshines the original.
Slick Rick – Mistakes
The undisputed king of storytelling narrates of women in love with other men, and this artistic video fits perfectly.
Gang Starr – Just To Get A Rep
The G.ifted U.nlimited R.hymes U.niversal on one of Preemos early gems, and a video telling its own story.
Ice Cube – Dead Homiez
Ice Cube takes the top spot with this farewell to all the dead homies, no doubt this video had to be shot in black & white… the combination of beat, vocals and images still sends shivers down one’s spine.
Filed under: 1996, Reviews, Smoothe Da Hustler, Video | Tags: Once Upon A Time In America, Smoothe Da Hustler, Trigger Tha Gambler
Smoothe Da Hustler – Once Upon A Time In America
Year: 1996
Titled after the epic Sergio Leone movie from 1984 starring Robert DeNiro, the debut LP by Smoothe Da Hustler came out 12 years later. If you saw that movie, you would expect a lot from an album named after it and well, what you wouldn’t be is dissapointed. This is a record that captures the whole rough, rugged and raw atmosphere of the golden nineties.
After a little intro, things get started with Fuck Whatcha Heard featuring Smoothe’s brother Trigger Tha Gambler (together they ran as the Smith Brothers). The harmony between the MCs and the beat is flawless. The track got a real menacing vibe, and by that I mean it seems ready to jump right out of your speakers, grab you by the throat and choke you at any time. That goes for most of the other tracks as well, rollin slow, but bearing a highly aggressive energy, not least because of Smoothe’s rough voice. But of course he holds his own on Only Human, one of the songs with a more mellow kinda vibe, too.
Except for his brother Trigger, the only other featured rap artist is D.V. alias Christ, whose trademark style perfects Dollar Bill and Murdafest. No need for other guest rhymers, Smoothe Da Hustler got lyrics for days and kills every track on this fine piece of plastic. Of course, his most famous tune is on here too, Broken Language, and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you slept on one of the most original rap tracks of the 90s… This one ist just raw. There is no hook. No R&B. No nothing. Just a hard ass beat by DR Period (who handled the entire production) with Smoothe and Trigger taking turns in doing what they do best: delivering hardcore rap from the streets of Brooklyn. You can bump this one 25 years from now, and it will still be one of the hardest tracks out there; Broken Language represents everything I loved about NYC HipHop back in the days.
Listen to the album, and you will know why Smoothe calls himself Da Hustler. So put on your hoody, light one up and nod your head to this:
Filed under: 1993, Souls Of Mischief, Video | Tags: 93 Til Infinity, Souls Of Mischief
The Sun is shining, so let’s ring in summertime with this classic!
Filed under: 1994, Crustified Dibbs, Download, RA The Rugged Man, Reviews, Video | Tags: Crustified Dibbs, Night of the Bloody Apes, R.A. the Rugged Man
Crustified Dibbs – Night Of The Bloody Apes
Year: 1994
There are things you might not know about R.A. The Rugged Man. Yeah, he released an album in 2004, entitled Die, Rugged Man, Die. He was featured on Jedi Mind Trick’s Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story which became The Source’s HipHop Quotable of the Month in October 2006. And he contributed to the Soundbombing samplers on Rawkus Records.
But, what most people might not know, R.A. recorded an album called Night Of The Bloody Apes in 1994 as Crustified Dibbs. It was shelved by Jive Records and never came out, and it would be another 10 years until the first official Rugged Man Recording hit the stores. But thanks to the internet, things that seem lost resurface and become known to a wider public again. I remember that I saw the Bloodshed Hua Hoo video on german HipHop show Freestyle, and it was the craziest rap video I had seen to that date, straight madness. But I never heard of Crustified Dibbs again, until a generous person decided to connect his tape deck to his computer, that is. So this rare gem finally saw the light of day.
To call an album Night of the Bloody Apes (borrowed from a 1969 horror movie) might seem weird, but I must say, another title would not do this recording any justice. This is the only title that fits it. It is an like a dirty old school gore flick put on tape, and the bad audio quality just adds to the overall grimeyness. And let’s not forget Cunt Renaissance, where Biggie Smalls himself kicks some low down dirty sex rhymes.
Watch the video and download the album if you dare. This is the perfect soundtrack for all the mental cases out there.
Tracklist
1.You Ain’t Never Been Down
2.Toolbox Murderer
3.Bloodshed Hua Hoo
4.Walking Down The Street With My Nuts In My Hand
5.Every Record Label Sucks Dick
6.R.A. Meets A.R.
7.Hookin’ With The Hookers
8.Bloody Axe
9.R.A.Classroom (Skit)
10.R.A. Be Down
11.Cunt Renaissance ft. Biggie Smalls
12.Back To The Rubber Room
13.Interlude
14.Statchy
15.Bloody Body Parts In Da Fruit Punch Bowl
16.Bloodshed Hua Hoo (Nigga Niles Crusty Remix)
Filed under: 1992, Main Source, Video, Yo! MTV Raps | Tags: Fakin the Funk, Main Source, Neek the Exotic
Just stumbled upon this yesterday on Youtube, Main Source ft. Neek the Exotic with a live performance of Fakin’ The Funk on Yo! MTV Raps! Great energy going on here, this one brings back memories… Check out Ed Lover dissing wack MCs towards the end of the track, even Gerardo gets it (anybody remember Rrrrico Suave? I f’n hated it!):
Filed under: 1994, Gravediggaz, Reviews, Video | Tags: 6 Feet Deep, Gravediggaz, Niggamortis
Gravediggaz – 6 Feet Deep / Niggamortis
Year: 1994
“Super Group, that’s what the media called the Gravediggaz, consisting of Rza, Frukwan of Stetsasonic, producer Prince Paul and Poetic aka Grym Reaper. They were portrayed as the creators of a genre called horrorcore, and although other groups (like the Flatlinerz for instance) claimed they invented horrorcore, the Gravediggaz’ debut album cannot be described as anything else but pure horror, in a good way that is. 6 Feet Deep (or Niggamortis, as the LP was named for the European release), is what it would sound like if the four horsemen of the apocalypse grabbed the mic to accompany the world’s demise.
On Constant Elevation with its psychotic piano loop, a “frustrated, mentally aggravated” Poetic and Frukwan, “equipped with a chainsaw” get the listeners in the mood for the hellish trip they’re about to go on.
1-800 Suicide sends cold shivers down ones spine with it’s dark Sunny sample courtesy of Booker T & The MG’s, while the MCs give instructions on how to end ones life, from the usual methods like getting ” a drink from the bar, get behind your wheel and crash the car” to somewhat unusual techniques like locking oneself in the lions den at the zoo, as suggested by the Rza.
Defective Trip (Trippin’) with guest spots by MC Serch and Biz Markie is about drug abuse on the brink of death – smoking cigarettes dipped in sodium pentothal, taking mescaline, and Rza damn near loses his mind on this one (well, not only on this one).
Diary Of A Madman takes us on a journey inside the dark and twisted minds of “raving madmen”, with Scientific Shabazz and Killah Priest delivering some cold blooded verses. The video, heavily influenced by the motion picture Jacob’s Ladder, was boycotted by MTV for obvious reasons. And whoever met this crew in the subway station will certainly wish he had taken the bus:
The whole album oozes of darkness – dark humor, dark beats, dark lyrical content… Entirely produced by Prince Paul, Rza and Frukwan aka The Gatekeeper, listening to this front-to-back is a must. Another true classic.
R.I.P. Poetic.
Filed under: 1993, Mad Kap, Reviews, Video | Tags: Look Ma Duke No Hands, Mad Kap, Madkap
Mad Kap – Look Ma Duke, No Hands
Year: 1993
“Look Ma Duke, No Hands” was released in 1993 on Loud/RCA Records, the label which roster contained the likes of Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep and M.O.P. And at the first listen, one would probably think this is an eastcoast record soundwise. But it was recorded in L.A., and some well-known westcoast names drop bars on this one, like King Tee and Tash on Check It Out, and Tha Alkaholiks as a whole on Beddie-Bye. Daddy Freddy, the pioneer in blending HipHop and Ragga , adds some vocals on Phuck What Ya Heard. Mad Kap’s own Dr. Soose puts icing on the cake by playing the live trumpet on most of the songs. Among my favorites is When It Rains It Pours, where rappers Coke and Motif tell about grieving families, street violence and babies havin babies, while the rough beat with its dark bassline makes your head nod instantly. Dopest Verse, which concludes the album, is straight boom-bap sound at its best, you just wanna put on your Timberlands and jump around to it, while the posse shouts “Who’s got the motherfuckin dopest verse?”.
Unfortunately, I haven’t heard form Mad Kap since, except a guest spot they had on King Tee’s Triflin Album (1993). No solo projects either as far as I know. But, in the spirit of being content with what you have, I’m happy they released this one album. Let the head-boppin’ commence.
Filed under: 1992, Bushwick Bill, Geto Boys, Reviews, Video | Tags: 5th Ward, Bushwick Bill, Geto Boys, Little Big Man
Bushwick Bill – Little Big Man
Year: 1992
Back in the 90s, on my journeys through the record stores, I wasn’t only searching for vinyl and CDs, I was looking for info, too. Not the easiest of tasks, with rap music being generally overlooked, and the internet as we know it today wasn’t invented yet. So, it was all about the printed word back then. World of Music (WOM, a now closed music chainstore here in Berlin) had a magazine shelf with all the goodies, Rap Pages, The Source, etc. Prices were ridiculous, so I had to skip through the pages right there in the store, like an information-thief if you will.
From one of those instances I remember reading that Bushwick Bill’s solo debut only got 2.5 of the legendary 5 mics. Well, I didn’t expect it to get a high rating, but what bothered me were the harsh words of the reviewer. Feces, that’s what he basically called the album. I was a little dissapointed to read that, because for me, it lived up to all the expectations I had when I found out he’s gonna release a solo. I think that was when I saw Ever So Clear on MTV, and it blew my mind. I didn’t rest until I had the album in my hands after that. And from that day, each mixtape that I listened to in my walkman contained at least 3 Bushwick-songs.
The title track, Little Big Man, was the perfect introduction to an hour of heavy funk-riffs and bloody carnage. Sometimes represented by his alter ego Chuckie (the murderous puppet from Child’s Play), Bill kicked his no-holds-barred, evil lyrics on tracks like Call Me Crazy, Skitso and Chuckwick (a reprise to the Chuckie-track contained on the Geto Boys “We Can’t Be Stopped”-album). Listening to the record right now, I still have to say that the beats James Smith and John Bido provided just fit him perfectly. The tracks just got that 90s, 5th Ward Texas vibe going on, really funky beats with disturbing lyrical content.
There was one thing the man from The Source and I agreed upon, though. The standout track on this album is Ever So Clear, the deep, self-reflecting story of how Bushwick Bill lost his eye. Most of the other tracks were too misogynistic and violent for the magazine, with the whole psychopathic killer image that the reviewer thought was dated.
For me, this remains the best solo effort from a Geto Boy since Mr. Scarface Is Back. I listened to that album many times, I still do, and I still think it’s great. I is not a 60 minute murder spree, sometimes Bill even brings positive vibes to the table (like on Letter To The KKK, also acknowledged by The Source).
In the same issue (October 1992), Willie D’s “Goin’ Out Lika Soldier” only got 2.5 mics as well. To each his own, I guess. Me, I put the magazine back on the shelf, went home, and probably listened to some Geto Boys.
Here’s some pictures of a well known group with an attitude that I just stumbled upon on my hard drive:
These are from 1987, 22 years old, let’s call it the “N.W.A. and the Posse”-years. Cube, Eazy and Dre and the moustache-rockin Arabian Prince, original member of N.W.A (see “Panic Zone”).
1989, minus Arabian Prince but plus MC Ren, colors shifting towards black, white and grey, with Ice Cube looking as serious as possible:
1991: So now there’s four ’cause the fifth couldn’t make it, but – as you can see in this picture – N.W.A stayed equipped, just in case there would be an attack by… I don’t know, but judging from those weapons, they apparently expected the National Guard or something to assault them. I saw this picture in “Newsweek” on vacation in the US, but don’t know where it originated from:
So, a lot has changed in 4 years, I mean besides shaping a whole genre of rap music of course. There’s gonna be a movie about N.W.A (not exactly the latest news), and given the legendary status of this group, one can only ask: why so late? Well, better late than never I guess. Let’s see how the movie turns out, I for one am curious…
Bo$$ – Born Gangstaz
Year: 1993
Female MCs have been a rare thing to find ever since. Looking at my collection, there’s only a handful of names that fit the category. YoYo, BWP, MC Lyte, Hurricane G, HWA… and then, there’s Bo$$.
Today we’ve seen it all. Back then it was different, and there weren’t many female gangsta rappers around, thatswhy Bo$$ from Los Angeles stirred up some controversy when she first stepped on the scene. Dressed in black, beanie, Locs, bulletproof west and heavily armed, that’s how she suddenly appeared on my TV screen in 1993. The track was Deeper, with Bo$$ focusing on themes like murder, marihuana and her tendency towards paranoid insanity. Produced by Def Jef, the track became a hit, the video was frequently played on Yo! MTV Raps, and the album Born Gangstaz climbed to #22 on the Billboard Charts.
Originally from Detroit and signed on Def Jam West, Bo$$’s lyrics lived up to her image, as was shown on tracks like Progress of Elimination, Drive By or I Don’t Give A Fuck. The producers list wasn’t short of big names like AMG, MC Serch (3rd Bass) and even Jam Master Jay. The second single accompanying the album was Recipe Of A Hoe with a catchy Isley Brothers loop and a vocal sample by Willie D who noted that “You gotta let a hoe be a hoe”.
The carreer of the self-proclaimed “Mad Bitch” came to a sudden halt when an interview with her appeared in the Wall Street Journal, where she spoke freely about her Detroit childhood. Apparently she went to Private school and took ballet lessons, so people started asking themselves if Bo$$ was really what she said she was. I don’t know, and I certainly don’t care, but if you wanna read up on that, you can do so here (the interview contains her side of the whole story). I really liked her music, and that’s all that counts in my book.
