Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, RZA & Slick Rick - 'The Sun' (Bulletproof Wallets 2001)
The Wu & Ricky D get their heliocentric on. This song is a celebration of the Sun and is really very positive and informative. "The Sun kiss scrumptious son, it's nutritious" exclaims Ghost likening the Sun to a juice drink. "Prisoners get out, look up, run at you and then kiss the ground", explains Rae, reminding us of the lack of sunlight & exercise many prisoners receive whilst incarcerated.
It's clear in the way Ghost & Rae drop it that they are paying homage to Rick in their verses. Ricky D comes with signature water flows & his distinct storyteller tone, extolling truth and wisdom in his effortless drawl, "Isn't it cool how it spreads joy, hons lay in it/And it's hard to go back to work, when your lunch breaks finished."
Ricky D gets deep and philosophical with his closing bars:
"...since dinosaurs, and Adam and Eve That Sun's hovered, to the extermination of us It's a peephole, which leads to the firmament above us."
Rick poignantly reminds us of our own mortality and insignificance, The Sun will one day engulf this planet when it reaches the end of it's life cycle. Firmament is also not a word rappers typically use. He has a great vocabulary! Rick does state earlier in his verse that, "A theory I've clung to deep within/Souls have to go through the sun to reach Heaven", which is an interesting concept.
RZA chimes in with two bars after Rick's verse about the Sun's role in the water cycle:
"Who can take a raindrop And turn it to 3? And drawn up 6 miles, over tropical isles And bring it to the sea."
This track is straight poetry, philosophy and science. It is a celebration of the Sun and an explanation of it's impact on the peoples of Earth. In my humble view it makes more sense to make a song about the Sun than any God(s).
Producer 14KT who graduated from the Dilla school of Hip Hop production mixes 10 beats in 10 minutes for #1 of the Spine Beat Tape series. The format of ten minutes allows producers a free reign to fit in as many beats as possible or focus on fewer more intricate pieces.
Subscribe to the podcast on itunes here. Or download it here.
Bastard is a cult classic, a modern masterpiece. Tyler is a beast on the mic, his beats are phenomenal, they either bang hard or are as mellow as f*ck. Tyler is the product of LA skate & music culture . Think early Eminem or Redman meets Southpark with a bit of RZA, Quasimoto, MF Doom & Lil B sprinkled into the mix. Tyler's lyrics are far from conventional: rape, murder, drugs & casual misogyny being is topics of choice. But whilst Tyler can shock his rhymes are both an examination of his immediate surroundings: LA youth culture and a wider culture of American homicide & crime. Think the Cohen Brother's No Country For Old Men meets Wu Tang Clan's 36 Chambers.
Track's such as 'French' & 'VCR/Wheels' immediately stand out for their beats. When I heard 'French' performed live it sounded ridiculous on the levels of Beastie Boy & Run DMC anthems. 'VCR/Wheels' are beautiful beat sketches with Tyler's low pitched vocals over the top. Referencing beats that are usually reserved for RnB crooners, 'Wheels/VCR' are songs of the highest irony, Tylers subject matter of rape & kidnap are eerily juxtaposed over the pleasant beats. The rest of the album is fire, riddled with gnarly rhyme patterns, double entendres and teenage angst. I eagerly await his forthcoming album Wolf. But for now I'm happy to listen to Bastard, a shocking concept album complete with dope beats & fresh rhymes. 5/5
Casey Veggies is a 17 year old rapper from LA who is pals with the Odd Future mandem. This track 'It's All Good' from his mixtape 'Customized Greatly' released in 2009 is ill. His laid back demeanor & the summery beat make this a winner in my neck of the woods.
Wednesday night was the launch party for the Hermes: J'aime Mon Carre pop up shop in Arnold Circus, London, E2. Party goers got the opportunity to try on scarves and then get a photo of themselves donned in silk. Girl, punk band Warpaint performed & champagne, beer & radishes were enjoyed by all. The pop-up store is open until Sunday, if high fashion is your thing definitely worth a visit.
Another banger from Ace the Creator AKA Tyler. This track has been receiving heavy rotation this week. The way the vocals are pitched it reminds me of Madlib's Quasimoto. Tyler & Quas need make a track ASAP. They are both on very similar wavelengths.
Nike Basketball and Jordan have always made the best commercials. The brands have managed to become synonymous with cool. Many of the ads reflect wider black culture: film, comedy & music. The above example features music from the Wu-Tang clan, Anime style animation along side live footage of Lebron James doing what he does best. Nike's consistent ability to produce innovative, fresh content for commercials is probably what has helped to keep them number one on many people's list of favorite sports brands. It's no secret that Nike spend a large portion of their annual budget on advertising & PR to ensure the brand retains it's street cred & gargantuan status.
Throughout my entire life I have found that Nike & Jordan advertising campaigns have been the ones I have like the most, they spoke to me far more than any other brands. Some Nike adverts resonate with me as much as my favorite films & songs (many Nike B-Ball & Jordan ads were directed by Spike Lee). The Nike Basketball & Jordan brands have managed to capture in their campaigns what it is about Basketball & the culture that surrounds it, that makes it exciting, addictive, life-consuming etc...
The ads work. It's clear they were made with an emphasis on creativity and innovation, the ads are designed to tap into aspirations of inner city youth who play ball & listen to hip-hop and are into the culture that surrounds the game: sneakers, music, clothes & the lifestyle & those who aspired to it. I bought the shoes.
It's weird to think about the way a sneaker brand has impacted your life. But Nike & Jordan shoes have not been just influential in my life, they have had a huge impact on Hip-Hop & popular culture. Basketball shoes such as The Air Force One & the entire Jordan series have become symbols of Hip Hop culture, fresh AF1's being an emblem of status.
Jordan, is not only one of the best Basketball players of all time, he was also the first to have his own shoe that became a distinct brand in itself generating millions. Jordan's status as best in the world helped make the brand seem like the best in the world, a formula Nike have continued to follow with Lebron James & Kobe Bryant. Being the best in the world and having the most popular shoe/clothing brand was very inspiring to me as a youth.
Everyone knows clothes & footwear are an important part of Hip-Hop & sports culture and the two are both closely interlinked. Hip-Hop music has undoubtedly had a large impact on the way athletes dress, as sportswear has always played a large part in Hip-Hop. Many rappers have their own clothing lines. Jay-z & 50 Cent both have their own shoes, a bit like Jordan.
Basketball isn't really as popular in the UK as it is in the U.S and mainland Europe, I'm not really sure why, but a well considered UK Nike Basketball campaign could do wonders to invigorate the sport. An entire generation of kids who listen to hip-hop & wear Nike basketball shoes, who may not even play the game would immediately recognize and understand the imagery of Basketball having being exposed to the game through other media: TV, music, fashion, movies etc...
Basketball events & coverage are few & far between in the UK, TV shows are on late at night and games hardly get a mention in the national press. Information & games are to be found online at places such as www.hoopsfix.com. Although Nike does have a presence at events such as Midnight Madness and at the store Nike Town, that's about it.
A documentary that aims to encourage people to back Team Great Britian, 'Back British Basketball' was released online prior to Team GB's Olympic qualifiers earlier this year. Despite England winning all four qualifying matches, Basketball in England remains an untapped market, largely ignored by the media. Team GB matches are not broadcast on TV, such coverage pales in comparison to Nike's sponsorship & promotion of the US team.
Check this VCR footage of my homeboy FunkinEven 1956 discussing his origins in Hip-Hop & the Barbershop out in West London. It was shot by fly girl Grace Ladoja for Acyde's TMI. The dope title card contains a photo by Vent Fury.
The ish comes across like an old school music documentary that you'd watch in school, on acid with a futuristic house soundtrack. Funkineven has put out music on Eglo Records, collaborating with artists such as Fatima, a funky soulful vocalist.
Quotables
"I dress, eat, shit, hi top, fades, lines everything hip hop."
"The future is the past, the past is the future, every thing's been done already."
Henny Moan came hard & correct (pause) with Volume 1 of The Lurrrvtapes series. Or in his words: "Want to Play some seductive lady music then some weird shit."
This features tracks from Odd Future & Slum Village, two of my favorite crews & heaps more aural goodness. The Lurrrvtape is the perfect blend of shit you've never heard before & crack cocaine to keep you warm on these harsh Winter nights. So sit back, light that kush & unwind...
Mellowhype are Hodgy Beats & Left Brain, members of the Odd Future Wolf Gang camp. They have just released the album 'BLACKENEDWHITE', definitely a dope album. Previously they have put out the mixtape YELLOWHITE which is worth checking out.
Lyrical content is a mix of casual thuggery, kush talk & determination. Hodgy Beats has a clear, clean style reminiscent of Wiz Khalifa & Lil B. The beats as always with Odd Future are fresh, lush & bangin. Both Hodgy & Left Brain produce.
Hodgy has traces of Kanye & Wiz Khalifa in his voice but is a lyrical beast in his own right. Flipping mad syllables, his mellow west coast flow contains confidence & hunger. Leftbrain spits less often, dropping bombs here & there. He kicks a dope verse on Fuck The Police Feat. Tyler The Creator.
Stand out tracks on BLACKENEDWHITE are Loco, Brain featuring Hodgy Beats, Corduroy Feat. Earl, Loaded & Right Here Feat. Mike G. Polyurthane & Rolex from YELLOWHITE
Mike G is probably the most low key of Odd Future. His laidback drawl is reminiscent of someone much older than his teenage years. Flows begin on beat and end up off beat, Mike G's style is unique he combines the new age flows of Drake or Kid Cudi with the more recogniseable styles of Warren G & Snoop. The King Mike G is an eloquent thug on an space funk mission. The beats on Ali are incredible: lo-fi & hazy. Mike G also makes dope Chopped & Screwed tracks. Light it up.
Stand out tracks are Moracular Word, Ok MikeG, Crazy, King Stick Up Feat. Earl is fantastic. Timeless Feat. Tyler is also a superb concept track. In fact the whole shit is tight. Fresher than crest breath is.
Tyler The Creator is a foul mouthed, sex obsessed teenager from California. He produces dope hip-hop beats, films videos, designs album artwork & can rap is ass off. Try & find the Bastard Tape to gain an insight into the life of a 19 year old kid from LA who has a fascination with rape, murder, white girls, the devil & music. Bastard is an examination of the impact his life has had without a father. Tyler makes advanced, ill music. He is the leader of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, a posse of Supreme rocking skater kids who make dope music.
Mar's cover of Lil Waynes single as part of his Variations series, which has some very nice Blue Note inspired artwork. I do like this. But I'm pretty sure he says "Nigga" like Lil Wayne does in the original. I'm not sure if dutch Neo-Soul crooner's are allowed to say this or not, I'm not the racism police. But he does say it. Anyway, I do like this song. Boy can sing and the beats nice.
Quotable
"Polo T-shirt, Polo draws, now make me take this polo off. Girl you can get broken off, I'll f*ck you for an hour and then smoke it all.'
16 year old LA rapper Earl Sweatshirt is ill, he's like MF DOOM meets Lil B/Wiz Khalifa. It's good to hear some young cats keeping it lyrical and not taking themselves too seriously. They are drinking some funky concoction in this video. Crazy kids.
EARL is part of a collective known as OFWGKTA or Odd Future who seem to be churning out music at a Madlib like rate all available to download for free on their tumblr. I hope they continue to make more bugged out, hedonistic rap.
My good friend Jack Cannon is celebrating the launch of his clothing label SILENT at Basing House next Saturday in conjunction with Stop Begging, his monthly Grime night that he runs with DJ Motive.
The night will be hosted by Mighty Moe of the Heartless Crew and the creme of London's DJs will be holding down the 1's and 2's. Not to be missed.
When people ask me what music I like I usually reply, ‘everything’, then I proceed to list off a few genres; ‘Jazz, Dub, Soul, Old School Hip Hop’, in an attempt to sound like I know what I’m talking about. But what I really, really want to say in this situation is I like ‘Space Music’ or more specifically ‘Space Funk’. But I can’t because unless you listen to exactly the same music as me you will have no idea what I am talking about and probably think I’m a bit weird. ‘Space Funk’ is a genre entirely of my own conception but most of my favorite tunes seem to fit into the category. In the course of this article I will attempt to define ‘Space Funk’ and what musicians and songs fit in to my made up genre.
Space
For eons man has gazed at the sky and understood by the sheer volume of stars and the infinite nature of the galaxy that we are not alone. No musician better understood this than George Clinton, who is considered the inventor of Funk and headed the group Parliament Funkadelic. On his 1975 LP ‘Mothership Connection’, the album cover artwork depicts George looking pretty funky, chilling out the side of a spaceship amongst a cluster of star nebulae. This an overt reference to theories that suggest that the human race are descended from beings from elsewhere in the universe. Many ancient civilizations such as the Syrians and Babylonians mention extraterrestrials in their mythology.
The Dogon people who live in the Homburi Mountains near Timbuktu have known about the existence of a star called Sirius B for hundreds of years, NASA only managed to photographed it for the first time in 1970. George Clinton’s Hit Song ‘Atomic Dog’ released in 1982, is a reference to Sirius B, which is also known as the Dogstar.
In terms of music space can represent many different things: the unknown, the future, it represents a great chasm of possibility. The celestial bodies have inspired musicians throughout the ages and continue to fascinate us to this day. Artists such as Sun Ra explored concepts of time and space through music by experimenting with time signature, tone and frequency. Music is a very powerful tool and Sun Ra believed if used in the right way it could transform the planet, bring about peace and understanding by altering people’s conciousness. Sun Ra’s music is about thinking beyond the perimeters of your daily existence and shifting your thinking to a more cosmic scale. Some artists such as Dam-Funk make their music with aliens in mind, like in the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind directed by Stephen Spielberg, where humans use music as a tool to communicate with aliens.
J Dilla
Jay Dee or J Dilla is a famous hip hop producer from Detroit, Michigan who was one third of the original Slum Village line up. He has produced tracks for Common, Erykah Badu and D’angelo to name a few. Nowadays he seems to be everybody’s favorite producer from your local Size sales assistant to your under grad stoner, but I remember a time when you had to be a really nerdy hip hop back packer to know about him. Since his death in 2006 DJs such as 1Xtra’s Benji B and Stones Throws J Rocc have a done a good job of spreading Jay Dee’s soulful musical message of love and togetherness around the world.
A small amount of study of Jay Dee’s music will reveal his vast influence on not just the Hip Hop community but music as a whole. Slum Village really represented the soulful, conscious side of Hip Hop in a way that has never been done quite as effectively since the LPs Fantastic Vol 1. & 2 . Dilla, aided by the recognition of Fantastic went on to produce tracks for Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest as well as teaming up with Madlib to create the Jaylib - Champion Sound project.
Whilst early Slum Village relied on Jazz & Soul samples, Dilla moved into more experimental realms on the work he did for Common’s Electric Circus LP as well as the Jaylib - Champion Sound project and Ruff Draft, using more synth based sounds, these records fit snugly into the ‘Space Funk’ category.
Stand out Jay Dee tracks of the ‘Space Funk’ oeuvre are:
Star 69 -Common Feat. Bilal & Prince - Electic Circus LP
Love Junkee Feat. Cameo (Jay Dee Remix) - Dj Cam & Cameo
As Serious As Your Life Is (Jay Dee Remix) - Fourtet
If you can get your hands on any of the Dilla Beat tapes floating around, many of the more recent ones contain outlandishly good space funk.
There is no doubt that Jay Dee’s production has had a large influence on a whole host of beat makers whose music continues to explore the outer reaches of Space Funk, such as Hudson Mohawke, Flying Lotus & Onra to name a few.
To conclude…
‘Space Jazz’ is a piece of music that whilst containing futuristic aspects such as synths and plug-ins, the beat also pays respect to older genres such as Electro, Boogie Funk as well as Jazz & Soul. The entire genre of dubstep or certain types of house or hip hop can all be described as Space Funk. It’s not so much the label thats attached to the music, it’s the futuristic feeling of the track and the philosophy behind the music. When I say ‘Space’ I suppose I mean a more universal outlook on things. A lot of people stare up at the sky and wonder what’s going on up there and if what’s going on up in Space has any affect on us down here on Earth, ‘Space Funk’ is for the those dreamers, ponderers and sky watchers.
Other Space Funkers
Madlib
Sa-Ra creative partners
Mark Pritchard
Flying Lotus
Hudson Mohawke
Jazzy Sport
Stevie J
J Davey
Herbie Hancock
Jamiroquai
Spacek
This article originally appeared on Sweet and Sound in October 2009.
Yo Truth had me up against the ropes semi-concious without no boxing skills Fear of it makes hair on my neck grow like minoxodil Watchin the clock is ill when, faced with the truth Parallels observing, amateur video tapes of Twenty-one top notch NYPD cops get ill Fill they minds not to kill, still son, never revealed True feelings We speakin on the truth right now in itself is a healing See The Creator created existence and balance At right angles, unless it was conceived and stated So whoever shall stray away from right lives wrong The deliverance of the word false Opposite of truth off course Sure as my slave name sending Troy Donald Jamerson paves the path enabling truth to stay stable and cling to EARTH! Sorta similar to the way static electricity sting See, truth brings light, light refracts off the mirror Visions of yourself and error could never be clearer The truth is that you ugly, not on the outside But in the inside, on the outside you frontin you lovely The discovery of these things and all are well hidden But when you in denial of self it is forbidden That's the truth
I saw these guys the other day at Ronnie Scotts and they killed it. Eight brothers from Chicago all on horns and a drummer. Each guy had a go at either speaking in between songs or rapping. Most of the tracks they played were quite up tempo & intense, perhaps more suitable to the large arenas they mentioned they had been playing in. They did play one downtempo number which they said was from their forthcoming album. Shit sounded ridiculous.
In between songs they told jokes and explained their philosophy and inspirations such as the cosmos & Sun - Ra. They played a song called Mercury, named after the closest planet to the Sun, explaining they played it whenever it was raining or gloomy & they wanted the Sun to come out. Scarily it was apparently often successful!
Hypnotic's horn playing is definitely tight & the raps they were busting were kind of slum village esque scat raps but a little bit more profane. They had all of Ronnie Scotts singing along to "Bang, Bang, Skeet, Skeet" which was pretty funny!
This shit still gets me. I remember playing this track on repeat from my Tim Westwood Mix CD on my Discman riding in the back of Mum's car!
This song is the epitome of everything good about Hi-Tek & Talib Kweli. Possibly the duos best track from their album of the same name.
The video is very ill & matches the track with it's classic Hip-Hop vibe. If you watch closely you'll notice Rawkus labelmates Pharoahe Monch & Mos Def appear briefly.
I also fucks with the remix featuring Erykah Badu.
This beat by Devonwho has me bugging. Homeboy rides the beat nonchalantly & very precise. No nonsense. The video was directed by Nicholas Heller, a very talented guy out of Boston & NYC. You will be seeing a lot more of his work on this blog & on Spine TV.
This track was was written by Rokusuke Ei and Hachidai Nakamura, this version was recorded by Kyu Sakamoto in 1963. It reached the top of the Billboard 100 chart in the U.S that year and sold 13 million copies internationally. The melody is extremely catchy and the song has a beautiful melancholy, wistful vibe about it. The Japanese name for the song is "Ue o muite arukō" which translates as "I walk looking up." Apparently it can be interpreted in three ways: as a man on his way to his execution, as someone trying to be optimistic despite life's trials, or as the story of an ended love affair
English language cover versions of this song were recorded in 1981 by a Taste Of Honey, a Disco/Soul group who also covered Smoky Robinson & The Miracles. Boy band 4 P.M also recorded a barbershop version in 1995. In both cases the singles were huge hits, both were about love, the song's orignal meaning had been lost slightly in translation. The lyrics written by Rokusuke Ei and Hachidai Nakamura were mostly about being sad & alone, and looking up.
A Taste Of Honey
In the late 80's Slick Rick sang some of the English 'Sukiyami' lyrics on his famous hit with Doug E Fresh 'La Di Da Di':
Then I dilly, DALLY, I ran through the ALLEY I bumped into this homegirl named SALLY from the VALLEY This was a girl playing hard to get So I said "What's wrong?" cause she looked upset She said uh, "It's all because of you I'm feeling sad and blue You went away and now my life is filled with rainy days I love you so How much you'll never know Cause you took your love away from me."
Ricky D was straight singing A Touch Of Honey! He also sings some of the song on a track with Will smith 'So Fresh' that also features Biz Markie recorded in 1999. Big tune!
I've always found it interesting when rappers sing bits of other songs in their lyrics. It helps remind us where hip hop music is from, as rappers often sing bits from popular soul or rnb hits, or songs they knew from growing up. It also adds melody to a rap verse. It's a musical reference within a song. Rappers have also been known to sing entire songs, but that's another blog post.
The moral of the story is, beautiful melodies transcend musical genre, time and location. The Sukiyaki melody has been sung by everyone from Japanese pop bands to Spanish pop starlets to gold wearing rappers. It's mad to think that Slick Rick is in fact singing the melody of a 60 year old Japanese song over Hip-Hop beats.
The rabbit hole gets deeper. Sukiyaki is a prolific tune and it can heard all over the shop. These tracks all contain the Sukiyaki melody, they all reference either Ricky D's verse or the Taste of Honey jam.
This Elzhi track has me open. The flows on the first verse are way too dope. The flows combined with the Black Milk beat automatically make my head snap and my face screw up.
"Hello blue & goodbye grey skies, We on some jiggy shit, na na na na ney na."
Pharoahe breaks down the lyrics from 'Simon Says' and 'Oh No' and speaks on his asthma, and his new album W.A.R which is a call arms for righteous music and a statement of rebellion against establishment & industry.
D-Nice, is a producer, rapper, beat boxer, DJ, photographer and film maker from New York, and an ex-member of Boogie Down productions, KRS's old crew. You can tell Phroahe seems relaxed and on point in the interview, it's because the man behind the camera is also a Hip Hop legend.
This freestyle by Pharoahe is lyrical, conspiracy rap at it's best. The rhyme, flow, delivery are all perfect. The lyrical content, is relevant and brimming with esoteric, political, astrological and cultural references. Pharoahe drops into his verse in Latin! He also uses the word "innocuous", Pharoahe definitely has the best vocabulary of any emcee. I don't think Talib Kweli or Jeru are testing him. This is Pharoahe in "F*ck up any emcee" mode.
Notable Quotables
"All seeing eye ocular exam. The apocalypse, back by popular demand."
"The fur made of a lion, the eye of horus mount zion, vibrant, prominent, constellations of Orion/ The reason why my stars are in alignment."
This song belongs in that 'fucks with your soul' category, in a good way. Be warned it will make you feel extremely wistful and think about her/him....
Demo EP from Detroit soul artist Dwele and rapper Elzhi who went on to be in Slum Village. This EP is incredible, the recording is terrible, it's a demo. But if you appreciate Slum Village and you want to hear that raw Detroit soul rap then this is for you.
'Summer In The City' by the legend that is Quincy Jones. There are Pharcyde samples in here and Black Moon samples, and I'm sure a couple more. A beautiful song.
Oxnard, CA based rapper MED, new video, rapping about them Cali medical cards over a Madlib beat. If you're not familiar with the Stones Throw recording artist, check him out below. You may recognize his ill flows from The Madvillain or Lootpack albums.
