Who is Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, you ask? Well he was mostly widely known as being a longtime member of Hall & Oates' backing band, but he was a busy musician who worked with a number of other artists, both in-studio, and in live settings. Unfortunately, T-Bone passed away a few weeks ago due to a heart attack, which was crushing news for both Hall and Oates, and really anyone who, like myself, had come to know T-Bone by watching Live From Darryl's House.

Our love for the H&O here at the hill has been well-documented (by us), but how can even we tie in the passing of their bass player to old school hip hop? Well, it's rather simple, as the link is right in T-Bone's own bio:

"For those of you don't know, T-Bone Wolk is that guy with "the hat" who, among other activities, has been playing bass guitar with Daryl Hall and John Oates since 1981. He originally got the gig after playing bass on the first gold rap record, "These Are The Breaks", by Kurtis Blow in early 1981."

There you have it, a sad bit of awesomeness, but awesomeness all the same. I don't think we've ever posted The Breaks before, and so even though it is a somber occasion, it still seems like a perfect time to put it up. So here it is, along with a couple other jams from Kurtis' first album: Rappin' Blow (Part 2) which is essentially The Breaks part 2, which I don't think I've ever heard before, and Blow's Message-esque Hard Times. Enjoy, and R.I.P. T-Bone.

MP3:: Kurtis Blow - The Breaks

MP3:: Kurtis Blow - Rappin' Blow (Part 2)

MP3:: Kurtis Blow - Hard Times

Labels: Hall and Oates, Hip Hop, Kurtis Blow, Old School Mondays

Posting time is tight right now for yer man Naedoo, as I try to run the gauntlet between impending moves in real life and blog life (former: we're building a new house, latter: we are moving this baby to Wordpress as we speak), and so you can expect a steady diet of this here kind of post. What kind of post is it? Simply one where I tell you about a group, album, or song, then tell you it's good, and you take it from there. I get a post up, you get music without all my usual waffle. It's win and then win again.

Today's group then? It's The Nope, which is a duo comprised of Psy from the Oddities and Canada's rap endurance champ, Moka Only. Their debut album, Melba came out on Urbnet in December, and if you like anything in Moka's substantial back-catalog, you're gonna be saying Yep to The Nope in a hurry. After all, according to their bio, the guys aren't trying to break any ground here:

As The Nope emcee Psy shares, "We're exactly the same as every other music group you've ever heard before. So, prepare for absolute boredom." For once, a rapper tells the truth.

Certainly a little bit of the facetiousness in there, as they play on the fact that so much hip hop does sound alike in '010, but there's no much boredom to be found. What you can find is Moka's trademark chugging grooves in their production, and Psy is a perfect lyrical foil for Ron Contour, as they are both able wrap the lightest of lyrics around the most mundane topic.

It's good springtime music, this, so go check it out.

MP3:: The Nope - Rain All Day
MYSPACE::www.myspace.com/itsthenope
GET IT::thenope.bandcamp.com

Labels: Canadian Hip Hop, Hip Hop, Moka Only, Vancouver

I kind of wish I had something Canada-related to post on this Monday after the Vancouver Olympics, where we finished with a record number of Gold Medals, and an upstanding young man from the other side of Halifax Harbour scored a dramatic, Gold Medal goal to cap off the event in style. However, I had this Ultramagnetic MC's post lined up since last week for a couple reasons (not that I would need any reason to post on Critical Beatdown, and in fact I'm sure I've done a similar post in the past, but I care not):

1. Somehow I came across this awesome "Oral History" of Ultra, that accompanied the 2004 re-issue of the groups magnum opus. It might just be me, but I love reading this stuff about how albums and songs come together - and I love it even more when it's about classic hip hop albums, because the stories are always great. Like this for example:

Ced Gee: After the album, we did the Chorus Line. That was when Tim Dog joined. Tim was living with me and my family, and he kept saying he could rhyme. He got on the Chorus Line because Keith had a boy who wanted to get on there too, so Paul and I said, 'Whoever's got the best rhymes gets it'. And Tim beat him up. That was the start of him.

Grrrrrrrr and gold. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that there's a quote from Guru in that article, and with him being in a coma right now after suffering a heart attack, it only seems right to send some get well soon wishes his way.

2. Look at the bottom of this page. Last week Ack found that video - the 1989 NBA All-Star Rap, which is Ced Gee and Kool Keith doing a rappin' intro for every player in the '89 All-Star game. And it's twice as good as you think it will be. For example,

From the east here's Barkley, strong and cocky, power-forward, aiming for, a slam, so watch out man, don't dare jump cause he'll break your hand, cause he's an all-star

Amazing, and it gets better from there. No idea why I hadn't heard this before, but to make up for that, I've not only posted the video, but I've made it into an mp3 as well. You're welcome.

As for Critical Beatdown itself, it's simply one of my favorite hip hop albums ever. I obtained my cassette copy in a way that the whippersnappers of today likely cannot relate to: when I was in Jr. High, I scanned the liner notes of It Takes a Nation of Millions to look for groups mentioned that I'd never heard of, and the one that stuck with me was Ultramagnetic. The next time my Dad went to the US, I gave him a list of names, and one of the tapes he brought back was Critical Beatdown. I'm guessing he brought back some other crap too, but I cannot remember them. I played the hell out of CB though, and have loved it since.

So anyway, here's the bottom line, Ultramagnetic = awesome. No matter what you think of Kool Keith, Ultra remains awesome. If you've never heard this album in full, go find it - I've been pumping the re-issued version today, and it never gets old. Here's a couple songs, the 12" version of Ego Trippin', and Travelling At The Speed Of Thought, because it has a nutty video I had also never seen before. Enjoy.

MP3:: Ultramagnetic MC's - Ego Trippin (12 Version)

MP3:: Ultramagnetic MC's - Travelling At The Speed Of Thought (Remix)

MP3:: Ultramagnetic MC's - NBA All-Star Rap

VIDEO:: Ultramagnetic MC's - Traveling At The Speed Of Thought


VIDEO:: NBA All-Star Rap 1989

Labels: Ced Gee, Hip Hop, Kool Keith 80's NBA, Old School Mondays, Ultramagnetic MC's

It's February, which is Black History Month in North America, but here in Nova Scotia the official name is African Heritage Month, and so I figured it makes sense to use that title for this post. It's a good fit for OSM, because not only are there plenty of awesome "conscious", old school songs that are perfect for this post, but also because, even though many folks outside the province might not know it, people of African descent have an incredibly rich history here in Nova Scotia.

It's a shame there aren't too many old school Canadian hip hop jams that fit the bill for this kind of post (I'll ask this again, but if anyone has an mp3 of Devon's Mr. Metro, you NEED to send it our way), but there is certainly one perfect one: Maestro's Nothing At All. What other song schooled folks on Canadian olympic boxer Egerton Marcus? That's a great jam, and you have to love his Rocket Ismail Argos jersey in the video too. It only makes sense to follow that up with a song Maestro mentions, Tragedy's Black And Proud, which is really under-appreciated I think.

This kind of post has to have some PE in it if I'm doing it, and so I went with something I don't think I've posted before: Rightstarter (Message to a Black Man) from Bumrush The Show. To wrap things up, we have to have something from the Teacha, and I can't think of anything better than You Must Learn, which runs down some Black history in the most entertaining fashion I can think of. Plus, the Live From Caucus Mountains Extended Remix is also perhaps one of my favorite songs ever, and so, it's a must. What better way to wrap things up than with the KRS-helmed Stop The Violence Movement? I can't think of one, so if you've never seen this classic video, do so below immediately.

So, enjoy these songs, but learn something this month as well.

MP3:: Maestro Fresh Wes - Nothin' At All

MP3:: Intelligent Hoodlum - Black And Proud

MP3:: Public Enemy - Rightstarter (Message to a Black Man)

MP3:: BDP - You Must Learn (Live From Caucus Mountains Extended Remix)

MP3:: Stop The Violence Movement - Self Destruction (Extended Mix)

VIDEO:: Maestro Fresh Wes - Nothing At All


VIDEO:: Boogie Down Productions - You Must Learn


Stop The Violence Movement - Self Destruction

Labels: BDP, Canadian Hip Hop, Hip Hop, KRS-One, Maestro Fresh Wes, Old School Mondays, Public Enemy

I like Kwiz Massturrz. I do not like their name. I have already mis-spelled it in an impressive number of incorrect variations considering the few times I've actually written it. So I guess it's not their name I dislike as much as the spelling. However, we aren't here to discuss my spelling frailties, we're here to discuss this Ottawa/Montreal/T.O. based trio and their last album, Talkies Ruined My Life In The Pictures, that I've been meaning to shine some of that hill cyber-light on since last fall.

Since I came right out the chute telling you what it is I don't like about the Kwiz Massturrz, I'll dive right into what it is that I like about them. For starters, the production values on the album feel incredibly high hip hop for an indie hip hop release. Brothers Kwes and Owel Five handle the lyrical duties, but the production from James Hancock lured me in right away. It's lush, layered with what sounds like plenty of live guitar and other instruments, but easily maintaining a hip hop feel. As for Owel & Kwes, the thing that caught my ear was their brand of lyricism - their actual lyrics, concept and delivery - brings late 90's/early 00's underground hip hop to mind (catching a line like "I've been blazed High & Mighty for eons, you peons" certainly re-inforces that), and with everyone and their mom putting on some tight jeans & big tongued nikes to try and get their indie crossover-electro rap on, I have to respect anyone who makes the kind of hip hop they are passionate about.

And really, if you can make a conceptual hip hop song about Canadian silent-film star Mary Pickford as interesting and memorable as the Kwiz-krewe has, then you deserve some propers. But I don't mean to give you the impression that Talkies is all rap-nerd concepts, as there's plenty of good, old-fashioned backpacker hip hop, as the opening 1-2 punch of Avant Garde Rails and Baggage Claim, or the dual-flow goodness of Nintendo can attest. The speed-stutter of Dwarf Planet Rock is a perfect example of an electro-influenced beat that works perfectly, as it seems to suit the MC's to a T. The group is equally adept at more melancholy fare too, as songs like Knots Landing are also pretty engaging.

Listening to this album again reinforces my initial enjoyment, and makes me think I should have got to it sooner. But no matter, I'm telling you about it now aren't I? Hopefully the Massturrz of Kwiz are hard at work on new material, but if you're in the market for some quality hip hop that hearkens back to a time when Anticon or Def Jux were likely the most relevant labels for hip hop fans who weren't up in the club, I'd give these fellas a go.

MP3:: Kwiz Massturrz - Mary Picford
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/kwizmassturrz

Labels: Canadian Hip Hip, Hip Hop, Kwiz Massturrz, ottawa

I have to say, after back-to-back R.I.P. style OSM's, my main aim this week was simply to post songs by folks that were still alive. So while I was thinking about what to post, I saw George Clinton rocking out in the crowd during the Grammy Awards (you know, because my wife was watching it, not because I wanted to see teen-country-pop sensation Taylor Swift *swoon*), and since there likely isn't anyone still living that's been sampled more than George, it seemed like a perfect fit.

Seriously, ole Uncle George is an un-questioned legend (can you think of anyone else who could excite both L.A. OG's and patchouli-powered hippies with the mere mention of their name?) and he's long been revered by hip hop's beatmakers & MC's alike. I could have easily done this post using nothing but songs the sample Atomic Dog (I could actually do like 5 OSM's on it), but I decided to spread it around a bit. That said, any herohill/George Clinton post has to have some Rodney O Joe Cooley in the mix, and so we've got two Atomic Dog-sampling jams, This Is For The Homies from their debut album Me and Joe, and Why Must I Be Like That (sing it hoes!) from the awesomely bitter F___ New York.

So while that sample-usage might be on the obvious side, there's also plenty instances where most would have no idea the source, like Erick Sermon's Hittin' Switches, which samples a song from You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish, which I'd never heard of before. It's also awesome that a perfect slab of old school NY hardcore hip hop like Eric B. & Rakim's Lyrics of Fury samples a song like No Head, No Backstage Pass.

There's also the near-endless output from the bands/collectives that George has been involved in too, any of which could spawn their own army of posts - like Nothing Can Stop Us from Serious Lee Fine not only satisfies the George Clinton requirement due to it's sampling of Funkadelic's One Nation Under a Groove, but it should also please hill alumnus Mr. E as he put in a request for it a while ago. And since I brought up One Nation Under a Groove, we might as well post one of the more quintessential Clinton-inspired (and featuring!) tracks, Cube's Bop Gun. Enjoy.

MP3:: Rodney O Joe Cooley - This Is For The Homies

MP3:: Rodney O Joe Cooley - Why Must I Be Like That

MP3:: Erick Sermon - Hittin' Switches

MP3:: Eric B. & Rakim - Lyrics Of Fury

MP3:: Serious Lee Fine - Nothing Can Stop Us

MP3:: Ice Cube - Bop Gun (One Nation) f. George Clinton

VIDEO:: Erick Sermon- Hittin' Switches


VIDEO:: Serious Lee Fine - Nothing Can Stop Us

Labels: Eric B. and Rakim, George Clinton, Hip Hop, Ice Cube, Old School Mondays, Rodney O Joe Cooley

Last night's epic NFC title tilt between the 40 Year Old Pinata-led Vikings and my beloved Saints was a draining, evening-long event so I had no time to prepare much for today's OSM. However, the Ack brought to my intention the fact that Flavour Unit MC Apache has died (click that for a much better synopsis of Apache's life & impact than I can hope to offer). Sad news indeed, Apache and Gangsta Bitch is one of those songs that if you're of a certain age you still maintain a soft spot for. I know I still have my cassette copy of Apache Ain't Shit. Makes sense really, cause if there was something a skinny, white, high-school kid in Halifax, NS could relate too, it was the search for a hardcore lady I could do dirt with.

Jokes aside, Gangsta Bitch was a great jam, mainly on the strength of the awesome Q-Tip beat and addictive chorus, but like many golden age dudes, it's a shame to remember Apache as a one-hit wonder. He rocked the semi-crass, grimey NYC steez, but he did it with a kind energy and charisma that made it more enjoyable than heavy-handed. Plus his debut also featured beats from folks like Showbiz, Large Pro, Mark the 45 King, and the aforementioned Q-Tip gem, which must have been one of the Abstract's first beats for another artist.

It's no fun seeing once-vibrant figures from your youth pass on, but it's a sad fact of life I guess.

R.I.P. Apache, aka Anthony Teaks.

MP3:: Apache - Keep It Real

MP3:: Apache - Do Fa Self

MP3:: Apache - Gangsta Bitch

VIDEO:: Apache - Gangsta Bitch

Labels: Apache, Gangsta Bitch, Hip Hop, Old School Mondays, R.I.P.

Because my wife is away for a mini-business trip, last night meant double-Daddy duty for me, and that unfortunately deprives you of the usual, in-depth waffle I try and serve up on a daily basis. However, I didn't want to leave you hanging with nothing new for your Tuesday afternoon, so I'll out you in the know about Back To The Beat vol.II, which is a remix album done by NYC producer Nomadic Beatz that gives some classic golden age hip hop tracks a modern re-working.

It features some well-known jams like Stop The Violence, I Cram To Understand U, and Just A Friend , but it also re-works some lesser-appreciated jams like hill-fav Cinderfella Dana Dane, Chill Rob G's Court Is Now In Session, and The Posse Is Large from the awesome Lakim Shabazz. The remixes are more on the subtle tip, with Nomadic Beatz not trying to outshine the vocals with any block-rocking beats, and it's a wise move as the songs still retain their classic qualities but still feel updated.

Cinderfella is given a laid back soul vibe, while Stop The Violence is graced with some appropriate snippets from Obama. The somewhat obscure Salt & Pepa track Everybody Get Up is given an excellent, Beatnuts-esque flute-looped beat and Lyte's classic I Cram To Understand You sounds like a Mayer Hawthorne song at the start. NT laces the one song I couldn't recall hearing before I Gotta Good Thing, by Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud, with an accordion filled beat that really gives the song a modern feel (impressive for an '88 era song). I know you're intriqued, but there's still more! The track list:

1. Fresh Stuff Intro
2. Cinderfella Dana Dane – Dana Dane
3. Stop The Violence – Boogie Down Productions
4. I Cram To Understand U – MC Lyte
5. Princess Of The Posse – Queen Latifah
6. The Posse Is Large – Lakim Shabazz
7. Just A Friend – Biz Markie
8. Set It Off – Big Daddy Kane
9. Everybody Get Up – Salt-N-Pepa
10. I Gotta Good Thing - Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud
11. Fresh Is The Word – Mantronix
12. Court Is Now In Session – Chill Rob G
13. Ill Street Blues Dub Outro – Kool G Rap

All this for a low, low price you can afford: free.99. So grab this today why don't you?

MP3:: Dana Dane - Cinderfella Dana Dane (Nomadic Trackz Remix)

MP3:: Biz Markie - Just A Friend (Nomadic Trackz Remix)
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/nomadictrackz

Labels: Hip Hop, Nomadic Trackz, Old School, Remix

These R.I.P. posts are certainly a double-edged sword, because although they usually allow me to post some excellent songs, it invariably means we've lost another legend. In this case the legend in question is Teddy Pendergrass, former member of the sublime Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, and of course well known for his own solo career. Sadly Teddy passed away last week at the age of 59 from colon cancer.

Like any soul legend active in the 70's, Teddy served as inspiration for beatmakers during hip hop's sampling heyday of the late 80's and early 90's, and although the list of songs I could find that sample his work is fairly small, there are some solid jams there. Anytime I think of Teddy Pendergrass and hip hop, I think of one song: Back In The Day by Ahmad, which is firmly entrenched in the "songs I look back on wistfully" portion of my brain (which is kind of ironic, as the song itself is about looking back wistfully). I've posted on Ahmad before, but not Back In The Day, so I'm happy to put it up today, despite the sad circumstances. Seriously, if you remember Ahmad, I'm going to guess the odds are roughly 2 to 1 that you say "Oh, I love this song" whenever you hear this one.

There's more Pendergrass-related goodness to be had though, a little D.O.C. anyone? If you know our history, you know that we take any chance to post some D.O.C., and so here's Portrait Of A Master Piece. You can add to that some gangster shiz from both coasts: Can I Kill It from Compton's Most Wanted and Mobb Deep's Cradle To The Grave. One has to think that Pendergrass might've had a bigger solo career without the car accident that left him paralyzed, but his catalogue is still very full and his life was, by all accounts very rich, pre and post accident. So RIP Teddy, and enjoy these songs.

MP3:: The D.O.C. - Portrait Of A Master Piece

MP3:: Compton's Most Wanted - Can I Kill It

MP3:: Ahmad - Back in the Day

MP3:: Mobb Deep - Cradle To The Grave

VIDEO:: Teddy Pendergrass - Love T.K.O.

Labels: Ahmad, CMW, Hip Hop, Mobb Deep, Old School Mondays, Teddy Pendergrass, The D.O.C.

Last week I mentioned that I had amassed a list of Canadian hip hop records that I'd been meaning to write about for a while now, and these dudes right here are #1 on that list. The dudes in question are the three hungry Vancouver MC's that comprise Brass Tackz: Snak The Ripper, Young Sin, and
Evil Ebenezer. They released this EP to get some buzz going for a potential Brass Tackz full length, and after going back and listening to The Outfit a few times over the last couple days, I would welcome more material from the trio for sure.

I must confess that I'd seen these MC's names here and there on the ole internet box (and unless I'm mistaken, Evil was featured on the last Josh Martinez album), but I'd never heard anything from any of them. Well, there's a wrong I'm happy to have righted, and I'm not sure how close the 3 MC's were before doing this project, but they have plenty of chemistry. Snak The Ripper has a demonic high pitched flow which contrasts well with Young Sin's confident baritone, and Evil is somewhere in between the two, so the mix works well. As the cover might suggest (as well as the creepy guest vocal contributions from Edmonton's legendary Junkyard Dog) there are certainly some aggressive, Horror-core in the Gravediggaz sense, songs on the EP (October Skies, Moral Terror & Find Out), but they aren't afraid to also tackle something like an ode to their respective Moms' Mom Dukes.

Right from the jump you get a "little taste" of what Brass Tackz is all about on the smoothed-out, yet creepy opener October Skies, that features each MC spitting some dark, free-flowing, braggadocios rhymes over a piano-laced QB8 beat. Authentik sounds great - it features bubbly xylophone mixed with old-timey horns and some bumpin' drums provide the backdrop for the trio to rundown their hard-earned hip hop history. The somber-but-still-catchy Broken Promises is the kind of thing pretty much any Canadian rapper can relate too: struggling to continue making music when everyone close to you likely thinks your crazy. Also, the line "It's either broken promises or broken dreams, where I see a career you see hopeless schemes" would also work as the slogan for this here blog. The Aries-produced beat for Find Out mixes electronic bleeps with ominous backing sounds and an ominous & addictive chorus. I should also mention that video for this song was my intro to the group, I was intrigued by the quality of the song as well as the visuals - not many rap groups go with the "western hobo" theme for their videos. Perhaps they should. The heartfelt mom-ode Mom Dukes has a really banging guitar-laced beat that the guys seem to be feeling, as they all turn in pretty enthusiastic performances on the vocals and the chorus is a bit of an ear worm.

You can get yourself a copy of The Outfit gratis from Camobear Ditigal, so why wouldn't you? Solid Canadian hip hop for a price anyone can afford. Get on it.

MP3:: Brass Tackz - Authentik

MP3:: Brass Tackz - Find Out
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/brasstackz

VIDEO:: Brass Tackz - Find Out

Labels: Brass Tackz, Canadian Hip Hip, Evil, Hip Hop, Quick Hitters, Snak The Ripper, Vancouver, Young Sin

That right there is my early front-runner for our 2010 artwork of the year award (which I will likely invent, just for this reason). We've been pretty unabashed in our appreciation for the moves D-Sisive has made in the last couple years (search D-Sisive on the hill to see what I mean), so any new material from him is greeted with open ears. We're even more eager to hear what D has to offer when it's something as interesting as his new single Anvil. Inspired by the unlikely combination of Anvil! The Story Of Anvil, a documentary about the forgotten Canadian metal legends of the same name (that I will now be watching in the near future), and the creepy goth-folk of duo Dead Man's Bones (one half of which happens to be Canadian actor Ryan Gosling), the song "is an updated 'Brian Wilson'" letting everyone know where D finds himself in 2010.

And where is D exactly? Well I think he's happy with the success and plaudits that have come his way in his home country since 2008, but he knows he's not going to retire on rap profits - and how long will he chase the dream? He promises not to turn out like the fellas in Anvil, still chasing the fame 25 years later. It's a great introspective track over a twinkling, piano-laced beat. More good stuff from D-Sisive, which isn't surprising at this point. C'maaan America. get on board!

MP3:: D-Sisive - Anvil
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/dsisive

Labels: Anvil, Canadian Hip Hip, D-Sisive, Hip Hop, Toronto

In last week's OSM I mentioned how nutty it is that 1990 is now 20 years ago, and it's even more insane that The Simpsons has been on for that entire time. As you might have heard, The Simpsons celebrated their 20th year and 450th show last night, and so I thought I should pay the show a little tribute via OSM. Because although it's been on so long now that it's pretty much ubiquitous, The Simpsons was a must-watch for both the Ack and I for a long, long time. Neither of us have been regular viewers for a while, but there are tons of lines from the show that we still use in our enthralling daily banter.

So then, how to tie hip hop's Golden Age to the Simpsons? Shouldn't be too hard right? After all, the Simpsons launched right in the middle of that storied time, so one would think there would be a bunch of ways to tie them together. Well one would think, but I didn't find many. In fact, the only rappers I could remember being featured on the show were Cypress Hill, on the infamous Homerpalooza episode ("Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins. Homer Simpson, smiling politely." Oh Homer, you big silly!). I thought surely there would be more than this, but Michael Googlé croons otherwise. Well, on the one hand, that isn't much fun, but on the other, I don't think I've ever posted Insane In The Brain Before, and this appears to be as good a time as any. And for good measure, here's another favorite from Black Sunday - When The Shit Goes Down.

Not sure if you caught the mini-documentary thing after the 450th episode last night done by the Supersize Me guy, but they had a section on fanatical Simpson's collectors, which brought to mind another Simpson's collector - Buckshot! Check for the semi-embarrassing video below, but that was enough of a connection for me, and so a little Black Moon was also in order. I know this is a fairly light OSM, but never fear, to wrap things up you can also see a video for a Moby-produced, old school remix of Mr. Plow, which is simultaneously awesome (Mr. Plow!) and not awesome (Moby!). And no, I'm not posting "Do The Bartman", but was I alone in not knowing Michael Jackson ghost-wrote that song? Seems like something I would have heard before now. Anyway, exxxcellent, er rather, enjoy.

MP3:: Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain

MP3:: Cypress Hill - When The Shit Goes Down

MP3:: Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain (Extended Version)

MP3:: Black Moon - Who Got Da Props

VIDEO:: Bart Simpson - Do The Bartman


VIDEO:: Buckshot Joins The Simpson's Cast


VIDEO:: Moby Mr. Plow Hip Hop Remix

Labels: Black Moon, Cypress Hill, Hip Hop, Old School Mondays, The Simpsons

Ira Lee's new album, My Favorite Songs By Me, puts me in a bit of a quandary. I mean, I liked Ira's last album, and I really like this one, but I don't exactly know what to say to you fine folks to induce you to have a listen. And that's kind of the point isn't it? Well it's the point here, to spread the word about music we like - I realize other blog-type sites appear to have some other agenda, but your best friends here at the hill.

So then, what to say about Ira Lee? Would something like "Hey, do you like rap-house songs about a neighbor that used to masturbate in public and bang on the door looking for a fix before eventually dying of an overdose? Yes? Well then Ira Lee's Donna Jones Remix is for you!" lure you in? Perhaps not. Ira's narratives are painted from a wide-ranging palate, albeit he usually favours the section of the palate whose colours are various shades of gut-kicking sadness. When you add to this his off-kilter delivery and his clever & cantankerous personality, you get a very challenging brand of hip hop. And most people don't want challenging hip hop. Despite how many people make claims to the opposite, most folks just want the hip hop Arrowroot - easily digestible.

But here's the rub: despite all of the above, Ira's songs are really listenable. And that is impressive. He's a great storyteller, mixing people, places, and events (both personally earth-shattering and mundane) into eclectic songs that draw me in every time. Consider that his new album alone has songs about stealing a little girl's bike, the stankness of other people's bathrooms (which may or may not be Ira doing a Moka Only impression), various horrible and/or insane people he knew (Mike Brown, the aforementioned Donna Jones, Henry, The Pigman), various people he cares about (his grandmother Ruthie, his mom, and his man Matt), Montreal, and under-age lust. If you can take that list of subject matter into an engaging 16-song album, you've certainly got some talent.

I have no idea which bits are fact and which are fiction, but the detail in his writing makes everything so vivid and believable. But if I had to pick one song to try and sell this album to a first time listener, it might be Montreal, which is chock full of detail about Ira's newest city of residence, and while it seems much more positive than the similar Alberta's Trying To Kill Me from his last album, you're still kind of left wondering how he actually feels about the place. That said, it's hard to deny the appeal of the macabre glee of the sing-songy Your Little Sister's Bike, the naughty Juno-esque charm of All The Places We Did It, or the desperate sincerity of Ira's grandma-ode Ruthie.

Re-counting the the good songs on the album reminds me that I shouldn't give short shrift to the production on the album, which was done by Ira and folks like Scott Da Ros, Mattr, Funken, Ryan Stinson, Factor, petit BIG, and Critical Mass. I remember the production on Ira's last album being rather subdued for the most part, but this time it takes more of a co-starring role with Ira's narratives and beats like Factor's dusty throwback for Henry seem to inspire Ira to kick his flow into a higher gear/

Even though it's good to see that my rambling is just as strong in 2010 as it's always been, I'm gonna just assume I've peaked enough of your curiosity enough that you're ready to go check out My Favorite Songs By Me for yourself. If you're ready for a hip hop album that will make you smile, laugh, cringe, frown and perform various other one-word facial displays, then you'll likely be glad you did.

MP3:: Ira Lee - Your Little Sister's Bike

MP3:: Ira Lee - Donna Jones (Remix)
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/iralee

Labels: Bike Theft, Canadian Hip Hop, Hip Hop, Ira Lee, M for Montreal, Reviews

Well now, since I took myself a nice little blog break over the holidays, this is my first opportunity to wish you all the happiest of happy new yearseses. So I shall, and I'll also ease my self back into the posting game with a song-heavy, yet ramble-light OSM featuring some of the better jams from 1990, which is, unless my suspect math skills fail me, 20 years ago now.

Hey now, 20 years, that is something. I would have been mid-way through grade 10, and certainly looking awkward whilst sporting some Starter sports-related gear. The Ack would have been Polo & Deck-shoe'd out, whilst sporting a part you could Ginsu a tin-can with. That's just how we rolled, and if you are as old as us, you likely also cringe a little looking back, but also hopefully you smile a bit and think back on that time fondly, as we mostly do. So yes, here are some great songs from '90 that haven't gotten too much run on the hill. The original Gold Digger, the amazing Just To Get A Rep, Ruff Rhyme from the eternally under-appreciated King Tee, some classic PE, and the amazing Looking At The Front Door. Great stuff from 1990, hopefully 2010 holds the same in it's own way.

Oh, and I forgot until just now that Guru was rocking a Saints hat on that Step Into The Arena cover. That is awesome. Perhaps a sign that the stars are in fact aligned for a deep Saints playoff run? One can only hope. Let's go Saints.

MP3:: EPMD - Gold Digger

MP3:: Gang Starr - Just To Get A Rep

MP3:: King Tee - Ruff Rhyme (Back Again)

MP3:: Public Enemy - Brothers Gonna Work It Out

MP3:: Main Source - Looking At The Front Door

VIDEO:: EPMD - Gold Digger


VIDEO:: Gang Starr - Just To Get a Rep


VIDEO:: King Tee - Ruff Rhyme (Back Again)


VIDEO:: Main Source - Looking At The Front Door

Labels: 2010, Gang Starr, Hip Hop, King Tee, Main Source, Old School Mondays, Public Enemy

Perhaps you've heard this already, but Christmas is on Friday. I hope you're ready. I got my annual watching of Christmas Vacation in last night, so I'm ready to get my Xmas on. And what better way to do that then with an Christmas-themed OSM?

I thought I'd done one of these before, but a search of the hill turned up no such thing. Which makes sense, because if I had, I'd certainly have known there was a Juice Crew Xmas posse cut and that Audio Two's first single was called Christmas Rhyme. Seriously though, Cold Chillin' Christmas is awesome, it flips the same organ sample that Heav D used for Don't Curse and there's not one, but two BDK verses. Shante and Shan are also fun to hear again, but no one beats Kane on a posse cut ("now once again let your hands applause, with this contribution to Santa Claus. To Frosty, to Rudolph, etcetera, etcetera, just remember these rhymes that we said to ya" That's gold! Perhaps even frankincense!) - that's just a scientifically proven fact. Audio Two's Christmas Rhyme is a little odd, sounding rather dated (it is from 1985 in fairness) with some odd R&B Christmas Carol snippets thrown in for good measure, but it's the Audio Two, so it's still solid.

I wanted to ensure there were plenty of Xmas goodies in this post, so there's also the Kurtis Blow's classic Christmas Rappin' ("don't cha give me all that jive about things you wrote before I's alive, cause this ain't 1823, it ain't even 1970!" word Kurtis, way to not date yourself!), accompanied by a live video of it down below from British TV, which is a must-watch. There's also a solid Christmas jam from one of my favorite female MC's, Sweet Tee, and perhaps one of the most bitter Christmas songs ever, the infamous Santa Rap from the Treacherous 3 that is featured in Beat Street. Of course the video for that is down below, and it's also an absolute must-watch as Kool Moe Dee, sans wrap around shades, plays the role of a rather bitter Santa, and young Doug E. Fresh makes a nonsensical beatbox appearance.

Merry old school xmas!

MP3:: The Juice Crew - Cold Chillin' Christmas

MP3:: Kurtis Blow - Christmas Rappin'

MP3:: Sweet Tee - Let The Jingle Bells Rock

MP3:: Treacherous 3 - Xmas Rap f. Doug E. Fresh

MP3:: Audio Two - Christmas Rhyme

VIDEO::Kurtis Blow - Christmas Rapping (live on TOTP jan'80)


VIDEO:: Beat Street Santa's Christmas Xmas Rap

Labels: Audio Two, Beat Street, Christmas, Hip Hop, Juice Crew, Kurtis Blow, Old School Mondays

Tough as it is these days to sell your musical wares, we've all seen artists coming up with creative ways to do just that. That said, I'm not sure I've heard of anything as creative, or as committed to the album's concept, as the new EP from Toronto's Peter Project, who is selling his new EP in the form of an iPod-shaped bar of soap that has a download card for the songs inside. Rather clever, or perhaps Peter just has some really stinky fans and is trying to remedy that. Who's to say.

Either way, I enjoy this brief slice of eclectic goodness from TO's favorite "indie-geek-rap DJ phenomenon". I'd heard a couple Peter Project songs before, but basically knew nothing about him, so this EP serves as a nice little intro to what he's all about. After hearing it, I'd have to say it's almost more his production skills that are on display here, rather than his DJ-ing (although competent scratching with a broken arm is no small feat), as he shows himself to be a versatile beatmaker who isn't afraid to pull in a bunch of different elements but still keep a hip hop core. His DJ skills are on point though, and of course this helps with keeping that hip hop core.

EP opener Simply Fresh is a fun, 8-bit filled intro to the EP's concept that features various clips of people discussing their thoughts on personal hygene. This is likely now my second favorite hygene-related hip hop EP, second only to Birdapres' Toothpaste. Perhaps the EP's best track, Unorthodox features one of Canada's more unappreciated MC's, More Or Les, flowing over PP's rather orchestral sounding beat, and it has a funky breakdown at the end that sounds like it might have been played live on a drum machine, or that old keyboard at your parents house, or something. The Quest For Extreme Personal Freshness is perhaps the craziest track on the album, a hyper track that flips some freaky synth's and Laura Barrett's kalimba playing into a crazy dancefloor pleaser. The indie rap posse cut In Retail is an ode to the unpleasantness that is working in the retail bizz and features some nice vocal contributions from Masia One, Maylee Todd, and Haltown's favorite burglar of words, Wordburglar.

So there you go, if you've been getting your Shabba Rank on lately, and are also in need of a Canadian hip hop fix, Peter Project is your man, his Fresh EP is your plan. The EP is available from the Fuzzy Logic store, but I'm not sure if that's the bar of soap version or not.

MP3:: Peter Project - Unorthadox f. More or Les
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/peterproject

Labels: Canadian Hip Hip, Hip Hop, Peter Project, Quick Hitters, Soap, Toronto

With the year coming to an end, one's thoughts usually lean towards the celebratory aspects of the season, but it's also a time to reflect on those we've lost during the year. Wow, sorry, that was a little heavy, but basically this week's OSM is about two fellows that passed away recently that I've been meaning to mention: DJ Roc Raida & Derek B.

Grandmaster Roc Raida passed away in September, and while he might not be someone that the public at large or the casual hip hop fan was familiar with, he's a legend amongst DJ's, and was involved with plenty of classic hip hop records. But don't take it from me, you'd be better off hearing it from another DJ:

Raida was an early influence on me and watching him on battle tapes move faster than anyone I had ever seen blew my mind.

That's from Skratch Bastid, who has a great post on Roc Raida on his site, which I'd encourage you to check out to get a good idea of what he meant to hip hop and the DJ-ing community. Roc Raida was likely best known as a member of the DJ supergroup the X-ecutioners (formerly the X-Men), but he was a contributor to many albums, including some old school gems. Raida seems to have been affiliated with DITC, so a lot of his early work is doing cuts for guys like O.C., Fat Joe, and Showbiz & AG. His appearance on the immortal O.C. cut Time's Up is likely enough to cement his creds, but he was also on Fat Joe's debut album, which I enjoyed more than his Joe's current persona would have one believe. Roc Raida also did some production, and one of his earliest works, Funky Piano by the E. Bros is an early 90's favorite of the internet rap nerd set (and a great beat too!).

The other person we're memorializing is Derek B, a UK hip hop pioneer who passed away last month. I've talked about Derek B before - a guy who many folks in North America likely have never heard of before, and who I only know because I stumbled across a song of his ages ago on some wacky Mr. Magic compilation. Derek DJ'd under the name Derek B, while also rapping as EZQ, so there was some early Shock G.-Humpty Hump action going on there and that makes him not only a pioneer as far as Brit-rap is concerned, but also in the realm of rapping alter-egos. Derek B is perhaps well-known by the masses in his home country for being involved with the Anfield Rap - an ode to Liverpool, but we won't hold that against him (especially in light of Arsenal's 2-1 over the stumbling Liverpudians). Anyway, I still love Get Down so I'll post it again, along with bad Young Brother, another hit from Derek's debut album Bullet From a Gun.

Enjoy the songs and R.I.P. Roc Raida and Derek B.

MP3:: O.C. - Time's Up

MP3:: Fat Joe - Bad Bad Man

MP3:: E. Bros - Funky Piano

MP3:: Derek B. - Bad Young Brother

MP3:: Derek B. - Get Down

Labels: Hip Hop, Old School Mondays, R.I.P.

If you were to ask me to name an album that came out of nowhere to become a favorite of mine, The New Tonic by The Extremities would certainly be one of the first records to come to mind. I knew of Fresh Kils and Uncle Fester individually, but knew nothing of their collaboration, and even less about their re-working of the CBC Jazz album Tonic. But, as I indicated in my review, the album was great and I was a big fan.

So, as you might imagine, news of a new Extremities album is greeted with enthusiasm. There's a new EP slated for early next year on 5&1/4 Records, but the first single, Lost Souls, is available now, and it's a good'un. Kils' drum machine expertise sounds bigger than ever, while Fester adds subtle cuts and samples for texture. The sounds are blended so expertly that it's kind of hard to tell, but I think some live musicianship is brought back again in the form of keys and horns (likely from Tim Crofts and Anthony Rinaldi who are also credited on the single). The result is a hip hop/jazz fusion that is way more headnod-inducing than one would imagine.

If you're not familiar with The Extremities, this is a great intro to their sound (although I'd encourage you to go back and check out The New Tonic), and keep your ears peeled for new music from the duo in 2010.

MP3:: The Extremities - Lost Souls
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/theextremitiesmusic

Labels: Halifax, Hip Hop, jazz, The Extremities, Toronto

I don't have too much of a fun story for this week's OSM - mainly I just wanted to hear some Pete Rock beats again. I put a Pete Rock remix up on Friday with my Me & Jay-Z birthday post, and those classic PR soul sounds - the thick drums, organs & horns - sent me scurrying to put Mecca and the Soul Brother on the ole iPhone for today's at-work listening pleasure. So I figured whilst I was at it, why not give PR & CL the OSM treatment? And so there you have it.

I hope the majority of you fine folks are familiar with Pete Rock at the very least, as the producer extrordinaire still remains active and one of the most respected beatmakers hip hop has ever produced. He's always been a favorite of mine - there's just something about his beats that feels so satisfying to me, they are always packed with a jazzy, stick-to-your-ribs goodness. Yes indeed, Heavy D's little cousin Pete has certainly carved himself a nice hip hop legacy. Now CL Smooth is a little different. Although I've always thought of him as solid, and likely a little underrated, he has his detractors (the Ack being one of them). And although CL has put out a couple solo albums in the last 5 years, it's as PR's vocal counterpart that he'll always be remebered by most folks.

And with good reason too. More than one respected hip hop "best songs ever" list likely has They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) in it's top ten. The heartfelt ode to Trouble T-roy tells tales of CL's childhood over one of the more perfect beats hip hop has ever seen. That song is of course from the aforementioned Mecca and the Soul Brother, which also contains my favorite PR & CL song, Straighten It Out. So, of course I'm posting those two songs, along with another fav from that album, Can't Front On Me. The b-side to T.R.O.Y. is another of my favorite jams, The Creator, and so I'm also posting the remix of that song. The other single from that album was Lots of Lovin', which is a mellow jam for the ladies that I never much cared for, but I've just discovered the remix, which is awesome. And so you get that too. Enjoy!

MP3:: Pete Rock & CL Smooth - They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)

MP3:: Pete Rock & CL Smooth - The Creator (Slide To The Side Remix)

MP3:: Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Straighten It Out

MP3:: Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Lots Of Lovin' (Remix)

MP3:: Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Can't Front On Me

Pete Rock & C. L. Smooth - They Reminisce Over You

Labels: CL Smooth, Hip Hop, Old School Mondays, Pete Rock, T.R.O.Y.

I'd love to sit here and tell you that the main reason I downloaded Dan-E-O's new free album/mixtape Dilla Pickles and gave it a listen is that Dan's a well-respected veteran of the Canadian hip hop scene and that his seminal tune Dear Hip Hop is a Canrap classic. Or perhaps because the album's beats are all bangers from J-Dilla, and the record serves as Dan's tribute to the late great Detroit producer. Those would be good reasons, but I'm afraid my main motivation was something different: track 8 on Dilla Pickles, Hoodafukayoo features a truly mythic Canrap figure: Kish.

Yes, Kish, aka Andrew Kishino. The man behind the much-beloved I Rhyme The World In 80 Days, is brought out of retirement by Dan-E-O to kick a verse and let the doubters and scoffers know he's still around. So yes, I was dying to hear this song, and you can't blame me, as the amount of comments on the post I wrote about this song can attest, Canadian dudes my age, who love the hip hop, still have a lot of fond memories where Mr. Kishino is concerned.

But what of the rest of the album? As you might expect from an album (as mentioned, Dan-E-O is giving this album away, both in album & mixtape format) that uses Dilla beats exclusively, it sounds pretty damn good. I'm a little chagrined to admit my knowledge of Dilla's beat canon isn't nearly up to snuff, and so I can't identify the original usage of the beats themselves but Dan has done a good job picking beats to fit his style.

And it's style that pretty much dictates my favorite songs on the album, as Dan-E-O is at his best on the energetic, up-tempo tracks like Break It Down or Lose Your Mind, which prove Dan hasn't lost a step as a battle rapper. The jazzy, Adrock sampling Check The Grind is a pretty fun tag-team between Dan & the Canadian king of the annoying PR email, FAMOUS. The aforementioned Hoodafukayoo has a real throwback beat for Dan to big up the voice-over success of Kish, and I have to say, Kish sounds pretty decent on his verse. I do have to say, as much as I love bringing Kish back (and hopefully it isn't only a temporary thing), Dan's verse, the whole "Tom Green and Kish are the biggest successes to come out of Canadian rap" thing, will likely inspire more skepticism than respect. The light, soulfull beat for Haterz is opposite in mood to the diss-fest brought on the song by Dan & Marvel, but it does include a line that shall bring a smile to the Ack's face: "I hate that Master-T ain't on Much Music no more". The album closes with some interesting tracks, as Mice To Men has a really cool sound, almost sounds like the beat was recorded live somehow, and the off-kilter The Factory uses a classic Kool Moe Dee reference on the chorus, and shows how diverse Dilla could be.

So, here's the heart of the matter at hand: good Canadian hip hop & great Dilla beats - at a price you can't beat. Oh, and Kish is involved. Seems like something one shouldn't pass up, so reach in the jar and get some Dilla Pickles for yourself.

MP3:: Dan-E-O - Break It Down

MP3:: Dan-E-O - Hoodafukayoo (feat. Kish)
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/daneo10

VIDEO:: Dan-e-o - Break it Down

Labels: Canadian Hip Hip, Dan-E-O, Hip Hop, Kish, Quick Hitters

It's weeks like this one that demonstrate why I do OSM on Mondays. Like most working stiffs, Sunday night finds me trying to shake off the effects of the weekend (having kids now makes that more like shake off the crumbs from the weekend), and get prepared to drag my carcass into work the next morning. Hence, prepping a post on Sunday night isn't something I'm always looking forward too, and some Sundays when I have nothing immediately coming to mind, I don't feel like doing one at all. But then I think of some song I used to love in 1991, and bam, we're off to the races.

That was the case this week, as my OSM landscape was barren, so I was going back through last week's posts, and whilst re-reading my review for D-Sisive's great new album Jonestown, the answer became pretty obvious: Juice. If you read the review, the reasons are obvious, but I shall explain anyway (un-necessary explanations are how we roll). On Jonestown's Boom Baba Boom, D makes mention of Biggie smiling as he watches Bishop (Tupac) falling off the roof at the end of Juice, he then goes on to break down the whole reference - why it would make Big smile, etc. So that would be enough, as Juice should easily be in anyone's "top 5 hip hop movies" list, but D also uses the line "I got the juice now, so you catch the taste", which is a ref to a much-loved Robbie Alomar juice commercial that was on Canadian TV in the early 90's. If that doesn't beg for a Juice-related OSM, I don't know what would.

Seriously, if you have never seen this Omar Epps starring, Tupac scene-stealing (his multi-level fade alone was killer) 1992 film, I suggest you do so. It has easily one of the best hip hop soundtracks ever put out, which, I know, isn't saying too much as most of them were disappointments, but it also deserves credit for appearing to have some songs written expressly for the soundtrack. Even if it's just for the 4 songs below, this one is one of the best in my humble.

I think people sleep on Naughty By Nature, but Uptown Anthem is excellent, Treach at his barely-coherent, speed-flow best. If anyone is skeptical about the excellent of Ra or BDK, just check Juice (Know The Ledge) and Nuff' Respect to be set straight. And EPMD's It's Going Down was always a sludgey favorite of mine. I should also, somewhat sheepishly, mention that the new-jack swing style R&B jams (Is It Good To You & Don't Be Afraid) were also much-loved back in the day. Enjoy!

MP3:: Naughty By Nature - Uptown Anthem

MP3:: Eric B. & Rakim - Juice (Know The Ledge)

MP3:: Big Daddy Kane - Nuff' Respect

MP3:: EPMD - It's Going Down

Big Daddy Kane - Nuff' Respect

Labels: Big, EPMD, Eric B. and Rakim, Hip Hop, Old School Mondays, Tupac