call me crazy, but "iphantom", mr' lif's debut LP is a fucking classic.
you might be asking yourself
"what's an iphantom?"
"mr. lif ? the probation officer?"
nah. maybe you've heard of him. but maybe not. and i bet you don't think about this album when you think of classic.i spend alot of time online, and have never heard anyone mention mr. lif ever.
i'm sayin - beats - el p and the other def juxies provide a prefect cinematic backdrop for lif, but not to the point of it being too "out there" for more traditional boom bap fans.
concept - lif uses the album to just talk about the boring, mundane details of the everyday grind. work, relationships, and dreams of something better for himself, the main character. some skits add to the continuity of the story,and even the liner notes play along.
lyrics - lif doesn't do anything dazzling with his wordplay. your favorite comment section mc could probably could probably rhyme "make sense" and "make cents" or blow you away with some wild shit, but lif sticks to the script here, spinning a 14 track story rhyme, and keeping your interest the whole way through.funny, i did a post with HL about story told in rhyme form, and i totally forgot about this album. this shit definitely deserves mention in that conversation, and just shows how forgotten this joint really is..
i could continue trying to make a case for this album, but you should probably just listen to it.. especially if you never have. so here's this.
or.. if you wanna be the responsible hip -hop head, here's this which will stream the whole album,in order on youtube. it should anyway. there was this weird toolbar on the screen, and it just played the whole album.
i forget what my original idea was for this post now, but it was something like, "i phantom is awesome, i wonder if anyone else knows, something something" so if you don't know, you need to. i guess ? that's what i was trying to say. i gotta stop smoking at the computer.
no one ever talks about del. he's one of my favorite mc's, and the whole hieroglyphics crew had a nice run where they were dropping lots of heat,word to "93 to infinity" anyway, just putting up a couple gems from tha funkee homosapien for your weekend.. peace and be safe out there..
so, before october of last year, i had never been to a funeral in my life. i guess i was lucky. then we got a call that one of our close friends took her own life. it was hard. real hard. then a few months later, same shit. an old homie decided to check out. and that was hard. and today, i get a call that one of my old high school friends died. shit sucks. i guess when we get older, it becomes a bigger part of life. but knowing it's gonna happen to all of us as we get older doesn't make it any easier. anyway, rest in peace, rich. love you, brother.
a question that comes up often,was the remix > the original? -
first, my son's favorite jay song,allure. just blaze or the neptunes? i remember on "fade to black" pharrell said this was the character in carlito's way setting up for on more score. but you gotta go with justin on this right?
this one is too close to call. i always imagined a young kanye doing his best to outdo fellow up and comer(ll)just blaze on the remix. hov liked the new beat enough to drop all new bars too.and sure, the OG has biz,tip,and ricky d on the hook,but rumors of a now deceased king of pop having an uncredited cameo on the yeezy edition give the remix version the edge.
i could go on and on here. what about jay murdering other people's shit? what when he gets on someone else's beat on the radio and airs that shit out? but then i'd be stanning. instead, i'll throw in what is arguably the greatest remix ever. pete rock's re-tooling of public enemy's "shut em down"
ok so, i know i said i wanted to start doing more here, so let's talk about this. i've discussed how i feel about jay electronica before. when he dropped "exhibit-c" he got peoples attention. the internet was going nuts.there was talk of a jay/just blaze mixtape called "act II" that was dropping, and heads were excited. why wouldn't they be? we finally had a true artist who embodied everything we want in an mc. bars? flow? charisma? all there. around christmas, just blaze tweeted that act II would be delivered by the holiday. welp,that came and went. then justin PROMISED that on new years day, we would have act II. nope. then sometime around spring, jay said he was waiting on nas verses to complete the project. i think the whole hip-hop scene was like "oh. well i can wait another month if we get jay elec and nas together". but guess what? still, no act II. summer is here, and most people would answer the same way if you asked them - "fuck jay electronica". people are pissed. we (hop-hop heads) have put alot of stock in you, jay. and you've gonna and pulled a dr. dre on us? i think we all figured you were above that. some even doubt the existence of the mixtape, like maybe it was all a lie. then jay was on twitter saying that he was doubting himself. he realizes how high peoples expectations are of him, and he is afraid act II will disappoint. GTFOH
then yesterday, seemingly out of nowhere, DJ semtex drops this interview,and now jay is saying that it is done. and he wants to drop it by his birthday, september 19th. semtex says that he has heard it, and it is everything your hoping for, times 10.
so with all that being said, what do you make of all this? has jay pissed you off with all these delays to the point that you won't bother with act II? cut it out. if this tape is anything like we are ALL expecting, jay electronica will have finally arrived.
i'm not going to force posts. i feel like i've been doing that lately.
"i haven't upped anything in 3 days, i better pick some random track and post it"
that's cool sometimes, but i don't want to do that all the time. i think i need to scale back the internet world and just focus on real life. so this isn't a "retirement" (roff) but more of a commitment that when i post i want it to be better. there comes a time when I just gotta realize that i need to step my game up. thanks to those that have been paying attention thus far. peace
here we have one of the most sampled songs in hip-hop. "nautilus" by Bob James. released in 1974, and chopped up by one dope producer after another. who flipped it best though? there are so many different parts to be cut up here.. i'll pick a few of my favorites...
first, the OG
there are like a million more that sampled the iconic track, these are just a few of my favorites. i think the fact that every part of the song is loopable on it's own is so dope. these joints don't even sound like they sampled the same shit,because there is so much choppable shit here. anyway, who flipped "nautilus" better?
note - these are what Hl and I consider the greatest stories from the greatest storytellers. i realize not everything is on here. we had to draw the line somewhere, i mean who wants to DL a 1500 track comp?
in other news, my cousin is improving, and made it through the first round of surgeries today with no complications. thanks for your concern. oh.. and that J.Cole song that you saw on every blog today, but passed on..get that shit.that kid just might be the real deal...
HL: This story is sooo dope! Slick Rick is a soldier in the middle of Iraq. After sensing animosity from the locals, he wins the township over with his "fabulous raps". Is this a metaphor for something? Regardless, it's pure dope.
"Now the kid's considered like an Elvis of Baghdad."
ABORTATRON: This is from the "Venomous" EP, which doesn't get alot of love, and I can reluctantly see why, but damn if this isn't a hidden gem. Vik proceeds to weave a tale of his "one biddy, who gave good brain", and how he was really falling for the broad. After some quality time together, Viktor provides her with some money to get a ride home, and gives her a necklace to rock so that she knows she is his "girl". Then our tale turns sour.
"Got a call later that night and was heart broken. My man was like 'your girl just got bodied I'm not joking. Fucked her up real bad, she aint' make it. Stuck him with a cutter, she wouldn't let him take the shit. I'm like my shorty got stabbed off a piece of shit chain I had nabbed off a crab. Wouldn't give it up so i put one in his ab, grabbed the bloody chain and took a cab to the lab."
So far, this is kind of a generic, stereotypical song, but what gives it a little more uniqueness, is that we get to hear the other guys part of the story. Poison pen comes in on the second verse, and lays down his side of the story in gory detail. Long story short, he leaves the after hours spot and gets robbed for his chain, only to see some chick rocking it some time later. So of course, he has no gun which to shoot her, but we already know that he "stuck her with a cutter".
The beat here adds to the cinematic feel of the track, and they cleverly interspersed some movie dialogue. That may seem like a cheap way to make it feel more like a narrative, but it works here.
HL: This one of the illest stories ever written. I once read an interview where Gza revealed the inspiration for this song came from some documentary he caught on television. Supposedly some guy really tried to smuggle drugs through the airport, but his pirate limp gave him away. Therefore the FEDS rushed him as he was going through US Customs.
"Do you know a Don Rodriguez from the Bronx? I think you do know him..."
ABORTATRON: What the fuck is going on here? I still don't really know. Something about a drug deal gone bad, a robbery perhaps. I don't really know. Tony and his homie frank are definitely up to no good here, that much is evident. Ghost goes in at his rapidfire best. Painting a picture with blurbs, and just when you think you're starting to finally catch on and can't wait to see what is about to happen, ghost says "to be continued".. What the fuck Ghost? But really, this is possibly one of the best GFK joints of all time, and next to his verse on "Impossible" I can't think of more a more visual joint from tony. I looked up the lyrics for this joint to find a dope line to post here, and i just can't choose. The whole thing is impeccable. No hook, just a dope beat, and Ghost going the fuck in.
"In an Arab cab blunted. Whip smelling like fish from 125th. Throwing ketchup on my fries, hitting baseball spliffs. Back seat with my leg all stiff. Push the fucking seat up!!!"
Roc Marciano - Pop
HL: Whoaaaa!!!! Roc Marc takes a phone call in the hallway to discuss street politics, but gets sidetracked.
"We trying to make a penny stretch. But back to what happened about the clapping, is he dead?"
Storytelling isn't always about having a complex plot, or intriguing characters. Sometimes it's just creating an intense atmosphere for the listener. Roc does just that on both sides of the equation. Beats and rhymes.
Biggie Smalls - Niggas Bleed
ABORTATRON: What can I really say about this track. This is probably the most vivid story ever put to wax. *ducks* I know, I know. You're probably thinking this might not be the best biggie joint, but I'd have to disagree. I remember the first time I ever listened to this, I got that edge of my seat, knot in my stomach type of feeling that you get when watching a great thriller/cliffhanger type flick. Biggie gets his greed on, setting up the mammoth lick that can put him and his people on for life. The type of gig that would provide the luxury of retirement. He organizes his troops, gives the pep talk, and sets up the scene. Biggie decides against going in guns blazing, and smokes em out instead.
"Ron, get the gasoline, this spot, we bout to blow this. Get the cash before the cops and Range Rover cats notice. Room 112, right by the staircase, perfect place. When they evacuate, they meet they fate. Ron pass the gasoline, the nigga passed me kerosene. Fuck it, its flame-able, my hunger is unexplainable. Strike the match, just what I expected. The dread kid ejected in seconds, and here come two opposite sexes. One black, one Malaysian. We in the hallway waiting patient. As soon as she hit the door we start blasting. I saw her brains hit the floor, Ron laughing, I swear to God. I hit Maxi Priest at least twelve times in the chest. Spin-t around, shot the chink in the breast. She crying, headshots put her to rest. Pop open the briefcases, nothing but Franklin faces. The spot's hot, sprinklers, alarm systems. That's when other guests start to slip in, it's time for us to get to dippin'."
The great thing about this joint is, much like Ghostface, big is a master of giving the characters in his tales life. you can picture Arizona Ron. You can see the look on "Gloria from Astoria's" face when she realizes Biggie is walking up to the counter for what she thinks is a traditional stick up job. BIG is a master craftsman on this one, and probably created my favorite "story-rap" of all time.
Raekwon - Do it in the Park
HL: There are probably only a handful of MC's on the planet that could pull this off. Shallah's "Cocainism" may have received critical acclaim, but I'm not sure if people were really able to absorb that project. This verse is only a minute long, but it's possibly the most colorful piece of rap music released this year. The main character's life flashes before the listeners eyes.
"...nigga was slick. He loved Wu-Tang...Favorite niggas? Deck & U-God. Runs through the yard with no shirt, and a heavy large banger. House nigga. Loved to pop off."
Outkast - The Art of Storytelling
ABORTATRON: When i was first approached by HL about discussing storytelling raps, this was the first song that came to mind. Aquemini dropped when I was a junior in high school, and i thought it was pretty much the dopest thing ever. I still feel pretty much the same way, and this is without a doubt one of the standout tracks among a plethora of standout tracks. Big Boi leads off, spinning a tale of Suzy Skrew, who was blessed with the moniker, because, well, she skrewed alot. He catches her at the mall, and he WANTS to fuck, but settles for a blowjob, all for the bargain basement price of a "Lil Will CD and a fuckin' poster". Like most Outkast songs, 3 Stacks murders his brother in rhyme with one of his most memorable verses. You see, Suzy Skrew had a partner named Sasha Thumper, and they grew up together, having sleepovers and what not. When Dre asks her the stereotypical question of what Sasha wants to be when she grows up, she gets all deep on us and answers:
"Alive..."
Not your average sleepover type convo, eh? So Andre grows up, and becomes a star, and upon returning to his hometown, finds that Sasha is palling around with someone who doesn't treat her so well, and a couple weeks later, was found behind a school. Dead from an overdose and two months preggers. She didn't fulfill her wish of being "alive", which is some heavy shit for Mr. Benjamin to handle.
Writing this, i realized what an incredible story this really is. Outkast takes us through a brief history of these two characters, and ultimately, we feel what they are feeling. Probably one of the best examples of a movie put to wax, you can actually picture how this would play out on film. i think Suzy Skrew would be played by Karrine Steffans, and Sasha would be played by the chick from Precious.
HL: Big Boi's verse is better.
Nas - Small World
HL: I'm assuming this is the type of atmosphere Jay-Z attempted to create with "Meet the Parents". Karma. It's the law of the universe. Caroline from Maryland, Snook from Redhook, and Nas from Queensbridge engage in a cycle of beef. What's the moral of the story? It's a small world, watch what you do...
"Ass is curvy. Forty years old, she's passing for thirty."
Jay Electronica - When the Levees Broke
ABORTATRON: Jay Electronica takes us on a tour of post-Katrina nw'oleans (or however they say it), and tells the grim tale of what life was like in the desolate wasteland of his hometown. He opens with running into his homeboy, who doesn't have much positive to convey.
"Lil Mikey's doing time for flashing nines in Pasadena."
Not Lil' Mikey! Shit. He tried to tell him "chill", but Michael just doesn't care. Why would he? People are getting arrested for not having identification, cats are copping automatic weapons with FEMA money, and why not? Who else is gonna protect you in the post apocalyptic, Mad Max-esque city? One of the lines that hit home here was:
"On the news i seen a family of a gramma' and some kids. They tore down where she lived for 60 years and told her, here goes a voucher for some powdered milk and kleenex for your tears."
Damn jay, it's like that? It is, and i didn't really realize it. Jay Elec definitely takes the daunting task of describing the bleak situation seriously. He also most definitely puts you in his shoes. Makes you understand how fucked up it is that they were left to fend for themselves, and when they tried to do it the only way they knew how, they were punished.
"Tell me what Elijah said, bout how we came from space again?"
this reminds me of old DOOM/radiohead type shit. it's actually from something called Chris Craft and is called "hooks is extra"
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this is a video of madlib spinning a "madvillain" song which is rumored to have leaked last night, but i can't find it. best believe that if i do, i'll be posting it here. if someone can help me find that shit, dope. anyway, the alleged song is called "travis911" which supposedly contains audio clips of the 911 call from when travis the chimp took xanax and ate all those peoples faces.. so yeah. i pretty much need that shit.
oh yeah- shouts to Knowrisk for linking me the video. still no Mp3
so, this isn't anything grounbreaking, it's just a collection of really good hip-hop that cholera and i threw together last night(pause).. Not providing a tracklist, because i want people to be at least a little suprised when they dump it into itunes and see what they have. i can assure you, there is only great hip-hop on here. Dilla, Doom, Wu and the like. get it, or don't. some good stuff for your weekend, though.
every other month, i go on a big radiohead binge. last weekend, i discovered the existence of a "deluxe edition" of amnesiac. this live version of "dollars and cents" was something that i didn't figure on listening to, but it's so fucking good, i now find the studio version nearly unlistenable. enjoy. or not. i don't care.
there was a planet asia song floating around the blogosphere today, and i was reminded of this joint. wouldn't be shocked if lots of you have never heard this one. your missing out,trust. this is from peanut butter wolf's "my vinyl weighs a ton", which is dope pretty much all the way through. this one stands out though, a simple guitar and a nice break is all planet asia needs here. i do recommend the whole album if your google skills are up to par. or like, you COULD buy it.
like.. i don't know. the one for "cloverfield" was pretty amazing. even though the movie wasn't so great. ever posted something, and then decided it was shit, so you delete it, but then decide you want the deltron song to ride, so you edit the shit so that you don't have to worry that it's gay? so yeah. let's just say that this "thing" i was working on with lattisawtapes.com and let's connect, politic ditto is starting to really take shape, and i'm excited just to be a part of it. i won't say too much, but be on the look out for some dope shit next week from the 3 of us. and here's the deltron i promised.
side note- if i have to hear that dr.dre commercial again, for his stupid computers with beats technology, and that awful "under pressure" shit, i'm gonna... bitch about it.
i'm trying to give some shine to one of my best friends, and one of my favorite producers, DNTZ. i don't think his myspace account allows me to embed shit here, but i'm working on getting him to fix that. anyway, click the link, and check him out. "dave's lament" is something he composed for me when i was "away"... dark times indeed. anyway, check him out, and if your feeling his stuff (pause) drop a comment on here and let him know. he comes around this corner of the internet from time to time. peace.
