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

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

Hopefully you caught my late Friday post on Skratch Bastid's new mix 110%, cause it's might good, and it's a free download, so go back and check it out if you haven't. Anyway, there was so much good stuff on that mix that I figured I'd get an idea for this week's OSM from it. And I thought it was going to be easy too, as I immediately planned on posting some Positive K, considering Bastid included I Got A Man on his mix, and I love the Pos K, it was a done deal. That is until I realized that I've already posted on Pos' one album two different times.

So it was time for a plan B, and luckily it was easy to find. The Public Enemy-The Grunt Mega-Mix from 110% cuts and splices PE with one of the breaks they are most associated with: The Grunt by The J.B.'s. PE's Nation Of Millions was the album that essentially got me addicted to hip hop, a habit I still can't kick today - regardless of how bad for me that product may be today. But anyway, anytime I hear the wailing horns laid down James Brown's posse, I get flooded with awesome memories. Night of the Living Baseheads, Rebel Without a Pause and Terminator X to the Edge of Panic (props to the Bastid for including the transformed Flash Gordon intro, awesome stuff) all use the Grunt,so that go me wondering what other songs have sampled it? So there you have this week's OSM, top 5 jams that sample The Grunt.

Night Of The Living Baseheads leads us off, because A) It is one of my favorite songs ever and B) I have never posted it. So done deal. PR & CL Smooth's Soul Brother #1 also features The Grunt's wailing horns, and I don't think I've posted nearly enough PR & CL for OSM, so this is a good call. I've said this before, and I'll say it again, you can never post too much Ultramagnetic, so Ease Back, which also features those same horns, is up next. The Jungle Brothers U Make Me Sweat is a more subtle sampler of The Grunt, but it's perfect for this, because not only have I always loved this funky track from Done By The Forces Of Nature, but the song that proceeds it on the album, What U Waitin' 4? is also included on Bastid's 100% mix. We'll finish up with more of an obscure one: Van Full of Pakistans from Y'all So Stupid. Honestly I'm not sure where this ties in, but the interweb tells me it does indeed sample The Grunt, and I'm 99% sure I have this tape in a box somewhere, and that made me smile, so I'm putting on here. Not a bad list in my humble, so enjoy.

MP3:: Public Enemy - Night of the Living Baseheads

MP3:: Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Soul Brother #1

MP3:: Ultramagnetic MC's - Ease Back

MP3:: The Jungle Brothers - U Make Me Sweat

MP3:: Y'All So Stupid - Van Full of Pakistans (Skeff Uncensored)

Video:: Public Enemy - Night of the Living Baseheads


Video:: Y'All So Stupid - Van Full of Pakistans


**BONUS TIME**
Not strictly hip hop per se, but if you ever did the running man at a school dance, then you'll enjoy this next one. I know hill co-founder Shawn Lapaix will at least.

MP3:: Joe Public - Live and Learn

Labels: Hip Hop, James Brown, Jungle Brothers, Old School Mondays, Public Enemy, Ultramagnetic