Damaja at Grand Central

Jeru The Damaja: Me Or The Papes (Rae & Christian Remix)(Payday/ffrr, 1997)

Rae & Christian Feat Jeru The Damaja: Flip The Mic
From: Northern Sulphuric Soul (Grand Central Records, 1998)

Following on from the resounding success of Jeru in the Rock The Vote poll this week it only seemed logical that I should follow it up with a post about his interaction with two limeys from Manchester, Rae & Christian.

The duo made a name for themselves in the mid nineties by remixing some big names in hip hop including The Pharcyde and Jay Z. I first came across Rae & Christian's work when I flipped over my Me Or The Papes 12" and discovered their remix of Jeru's single on the otherside. I'm a big fan of DJ Premier's work (aren't we all) but I do believe that Rae & Christian outshine him this time, taking Jeru's vocals and turning it from the original, chilled, piano version to a more upbeat number. I love the bass heavy beats that lace the track and the menacing strings that weave in and out of the beat intertwined with the simplest of flute loops.

Needless to say, after this I was intrigued to see what they did next and awaited the release of their debut album, Northern Sulphuric Soul, on their own label Grand Central with great anticipation.
While the album as a whole featured a mixture of excellent tracks I was most intrigued to hear Jeru's contribution as this time he would be supplying vocals specifically for their beats. I wasn't disappointed. A hypnotic horn riff forms the basis of the track while Jeru's lyrics flow effortlessly over the top, giving a lesson in mcing to the young pretenders. An excellent track suddenly goes into overdrive when the strings kick in halfway through, combining with the horns to create a truly lush soundscape. This track is an absolute killer.

Ghostdini

Ghostface Killah: "Milk Em (MHE mix)"
From Milk Em 12" (Sound In Color, 2005)


Back when "36 Chambers" dropped, I don't know if anyone would have predicted that Ghostface would emerge as the most consistently charismatic and entertaining member of the crew more than ten years down the road. Something about the dude is just magnetic.

The recently released Sound In Color 12" features 5 different mixes of this cut, with Ghost dropping jewels left and right. Rapping about Frosted Flakes? What? The Trife verse isn't too bad either, and I had to give the MHE mix some shine, not just because they're from San Diego, but because this is some of the hardest shit I've heard Ghost spit over in a minute. Hold your head when the beat drops!

Wax On Wax Off

Jeru the Damaja: Ya Playin' Yaself (Music Video)
From Wrath of the Math [Full Frequency, 1996]

Based in Brooklyn, Jeru the Damaja got his start with the Gang Starr Foundation, featured on the group's Daily Operation album in 1992. "Come Clean" blew up the spot though, riding a minimalistic Shelly Manne sample and fully exposing Jeru's raw lyricism and talent. His debut The Sun Rises in the East and his 1996 follow-up Wrath of the Math are considered seminal hip hop albums, with the latter featuring the single "Ya Playin' Yaself." As usual Jeru drops knowledge on the many shortcommings of society while displaying his hidden talent for martial arts. Amusing to say the least.

Roots of Four (Tet)

Four Tet: The Butterfly Effect
From Dialogue (Output, 1999)

Four Tet (Kieran Hebden) released a new album, Everything Ecstatic, today. If you read any review of it, I guarantee that the following three words will appear: "folktronica" (the genre tag that Hebden's music has been burdened with), Pause and Rounds (his second and third albums, respectively). However, critics almost never mention Four Tet's debut, Dialogue, which complicates the common thesis that Four Tet = countryside + computers. The songs on Dialogue have more in common with free jazz than folk. The Butterfly Effect, for example, throws hyperactive percussion and squawking sax lines into the mix, along with Hebden's signature drum programming and twinkling melodies.

Rock the Vote Vol. 3

Alright yall, rock it.

Oh, and for those that are late, post a comment with the video you want to see and we'll post it for Monday's update.


Gza - Cold World


Jeru the Damaja - Ya Playin' Yaself


Lords of the Underground - Funky child


Outkast - Git Up Git Out


Showbiz & AG - Next Level Remix

Looking At My Gucci It's Cowbell Time

Schoolly D: Housing The Joint and Saturday Night
From: Saturday Night! The Album (Schoolly D Records, 1986 & Jive, 1987)

You know, it's a mystery to me why Schoolly D is not more celebrated than he is. Sure, if you ask people about the founding fathers of modern hip hop Schoolly's name will often pop up on the list but want I want to know is why people don't actually play his records anymore? Unlike some other legendary influential figures, Schoolly's eighties records more than stand up to the test of time, their period flavour adding to the appeal not to mention that most of them contain absolutely killer beats.

Saturday Night! The Album has always been one of my favourite Schoolly productions. Despite causing controversy on it's release for it's tales of inner city life, the album focuses more on the inane and surreal than the political. This record also symbolizes the forward thinking of the man, originally being released in 1986 on his own record label, the imaginatively titled Schoolly D records, before being rereleased in 1987 with extra tracks on Jive Records.

Schoolly kicks off the album with Housing The Joint and what a way to start an album. Introducing the proceedings with a pounding apache beat, Schoolly combines this with some raw as hell cut up scratching of Sly & The Family Stone's Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin) from DJ Cold Money and little more than a tease of a funky guitar riff. Schoolly's mcing on this track is almost of no importance as the hypnotic beats and scratching quickly take over.

The title track itself, Saturday Night, is rightly regarded as one of Schoolly's best. If you've ever expressed remorse at the lack of cowbell in rap these days then look no further than this record my friend because this is the ultimate in cowbell tracks. Utilizing the oft sampled Synthetic Substitution break, Schoolly comes hard on this tracks production, cowbells clanging and snares and kickdrums thumping hard. This time round Schoolly graces the track with a full rap, narrating his tales of weekend adventures and coming of like some kind of proto Slick Rick.

I know many people have dissed Schoolly for his rapping skills but when he combine s it with production of the caliber of this album then it really is high time people started putting him back on their playlists.

Hit Parade

Kool G Rap: On the Run (remix)
From Modern Hits EP (Dinkytown, 2002)

Rakim: Follow the Leader (remix)
From More Modern Hits (Dinkytown, 2003)

Andrew Broder (aka Fog) takes the concept of remixing into deep leftfield with these two EPs. In fact, calling Broder's song treatments 'remixes' is almost an understatement. He abducts hip-hop acapellas from their native habitats and transplants them in totally strange new musical surroundings.

The tense bass/guitar interplay during "On the Run" expands Kool G Rap's already vivid verses to cinematic proportions. The moaning vocal chorus gives the track a mournful tone - there's no triumph here, only weariness and resignation.

"Follow the Leader" gets launched into deep space, Rakim's raps drowned by flying-saucer drones and washed-out dub effects. In this context, "let's travel at magnificent speeds around the universe" takes on a whole new significance.

Sometimes these remixes are way too abstract for me to listen to, but on other days I think they're brilliant. Decide for yourself.

Harlem Pop Trotters

Harlem Pop Trotters: Penwick and Plongee Synthetique
From: Harlem Pop Trotters (Les Treteaux, 1975 / Kif/Melodie En Sous Sol, 1994)

So, back to my neighbours across the pond with another classic French funk release, this time from the mysteriously mustached bikers that called themselves the Harlem Pop Trotters. Bizarre name, bizarre front cover, but a great album of jazz/funk fusion.

I won't even pretend to have got my hand on an OG version of this as everything has it's limits including my bank account. This is from a French reissue by Kif/Melodie En Sous Sol from 2004 which is very reasonably priced and definitely worth picking up. The original version appeared on the highly collectible Les Treteaux label home to many much sought after records including the legendary Godchild.

To my shame I know pretty much nothing about this band apart from that this appears to be their only album and that it was released in the mid seventies. I have also been led to believe that the men behind it are Library musicians Jean-Claude Pierric and Francois Rolland though I can't back that up with proof. I like to think that this adds to the legend of the album but that could just be me being lazy.

The first tune I have for you is their most famous track, Penwick. Breaking straight in with a sublime bass groove, the track builds on this with the lightest of guitars and proper seventies synthesizers. None of those lame ass delicate strings here this is pure and beefy electronic noise. Add on a playful guitar accompaniment and you have a real summertime headnodder of a track

The second tune, Plongee Sythentique, is (as the title helpfully suggests) way way way more out there. A warped bassline throbs throughout the track with true space age chords layered over the top. The beats too are more like early Aphex Twin than something you would expect on a jazz/funk album, scattered randomly throughout and made up of layers of crashes and chimes. In fact, the whole track sounds more like a precursor to early Detroit techno than anything else. Despite all this, the track is resolutely funky to the end. Great stuff.

Props to DJ Mawhie from Da Loft Crew for introducing me to this record.

Here Comes the Fuzz

KMD Peachfuzz (Music Video)
From Mr. Hood [Elektra, 1991]

I think when KMD (Zevlove X, DJ Subroc, and Onyx) dropped their 1991 debut Mr. Hood, heads weren't ready, and because hip hop in the mainstream was really in its experimental phase, record labels and execs stubborn to relinquish artistic freedom, Elektra did what they did to many hip hop artists and dropped them before their follow-up, Black Bastards, was released. Tragically Subroc was killed in a car accident which pushed Zevlove to take a break from the recording industry, only to resurface years later as the masked alter ego now known as MF Doom, now one of the most prolific artists in the game today. A much more detailed history of KMD and the evolution of Doom can be found here.

Mr. Hood and Black Bastards are now considered classics, and "Peachfuzz" was one of the few singles to ever be made into a music video. In fact it may be the only one. This is the only time I've seen Doom in his unmasked and lanky incarnation, the sounds and rhymes clearly harking back to the crispness of hip hop's golden era. I'll admit, it took me a while to appreciate these guys, but everything about the music puts a smile on my face. I hear there's a new KMD release in the works as well; whether or not Doom will revert back to Zevlove and remove the iron mask is unclear.

300 Pounds of Gangsta

The Click: Mic Check
From Down and Dirty [Sick Wid It, 1994]

The Click: World Went Crazy
From Game Related [Sick Wid It, 1995]

E-40: Da Bumble
From In a Major Way [Jive, 1995]

There's been a lot of talk recently about who's the next to blow up in the Bay Area. the FADER did an extensive article on the current Bay Area rap climate in the February issue I believe, highlighting the existing talent but lack of exposure. As far as Bay Area rappers that have really broken through, there's been Too Short and E-40, with the latter being the focus of this post.

Born Earl Stevens, 40 aspired to follow in the footsteps of the looming legend Too Short, and with an unorthodox flow, sharp and crisp delivery, and street edge, 40 definitely had all of the ingredients to do just that. He started out like must aspiring rappers, slanging tapes out of his trunk and developing street cred in the Bay. His Sick Wid' It label soon followed along with his national debut The Mail Man and a radio hit in "Captain Save a Hoe." Next came his album Federal and Down and Dirty with his group the Click, all of which caught the attention of Jive Records which offered to distribute the entire Sick Wid' It catalog.

The rest is history as 40 broke through to the mainstream, reaching both coasts with his boistorous rhymes. He's never managed to permeate popular culture, but I'm sure he's happy just where he is, enjoying his success in relative obscurity in much the same way Too Short did.

Here I present three tracks, two of them from albums he put out with The Click and one from his album In a Major Way. I think they all highlight different aspects of his talent, and they definitely all bang hard just the way Bay Area rap is supposed to.

Foreign Shores

Aoki Takamasa: Walk on the Ocean
From Simply Funk (Progressive Form, 2004)
They've Been Waiting
From Quantum (Cirque, 2003)

In the age of the internet, I (like many heads), tend to believe that any worthy new music, no matter where in the globe it originates, will eventually make its way to my ears. Last month, I saw Aoki Takamasa perform in New York, and I realized how wrong I was. I'd never heard of him before that night, but his sound manipulations blew me away, and I copped two of his CDs on my way out. Aoki is a true international bell ringer, born in Osaka, Japan and currently living in Paris, France. His music isn't that stylistically separate from the legions of laptop producers out there, but it has a certain emotional tinge that many similar-sounding artists lack.

"Walk on the Ocean" is easily the most accessible track on either album, due largely to presence of Glen Phillips (from rock band Toad the Wet Sprocket). Phillips isn't the greatest singer, so it's Aoki who steals the show here, combining his own gently pulsating digital texture with fractured reflections of Phillips' vocals.

"They've Been Waiting" also features singing, but in a very different way. A wordless female vocal, sustained for five minutes and smeared across the stereo field, becomes the heart of the song, surrounded by soft synths and minimal click percussion. This is a great track to listen to on headphones just before falling asleep at night.

The King of Rock and Soul

Solomon Burke: Got To Get You Off My Mind
From Got to Get You Off My Mind 7" (Atlantic, 1965)
Solomon Burke: Get Out My Life Woman
From Get Out My Life Woman 7" (Atlantic, 1968)
Solomon Burke: Over and Over
From Back to My Roots (Chess, 1976)


Solomon Burke's music seems to have across the board appeal. Everyone from Southern old timers to Elvis Costello to Cusack's character in High Fidelity are jocking dude. A friend of mine just went to see him play in San Francisco and said that despite being over an hour late due to traffic, he left everyone with the impression that he was one of the most humble and professional showmen to hit the stage.

The legends surrounding the man run deep. I've heard that he's an ordained Bishop, a mortition, the father of over 20 children, and that he used to take the stage in full crown and cape regalia. And that's just from liner notes.

Songs like "Got to Get You Off of My Mind" always make me think of how different music production is now than it was 40 years ago. It's a fairly stripped down soul arrangement, but there's still so much going on considering that it can't have been recorded on more than a couple mics. In fact, if you listen close enough, you can hear one of the backup singers do a false start after the first chorus. Fixing that if it were recorded today would be a matter of a simple keystroke, but the fact that it's left in solidifies my picture of all the musicians performing together in one room.

For a dude with a such a fantastic voice, it's probably unnecessary to focus on Burke's backup singers, but they absolutely kill it on "Get Out My Life Woman" too. I can just see the women in sequin dresses, wagging their fingers with one hand on their hips.

I also tossed in a later and less heralded track to get your pimp on to. His current stuff isn't shabby either. Both of the recent albums are solid, the earlier of which features songs written for him by artists such as Brian Wilson, Tom Waits, and Bob Dylan. See the Solomon Burke show when it rolls through your city, as it is a unique opportunity to catch a true show business king.

Straight From the Heart With Ann Peebles

Anne Peebles: Trouble, Heartaches and Sadnessand Somebody's On The Case
From: Straight From The Heart (Hi, 1971)

So, over the weekend I finally got my hands on a copy of the Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings album, Naturally, and let me be the 999th blogger to tell you how good it is. Enough people far more talented and in tune than me have covered the record before so I'll leave it there.

However, what with that and the sun finally making it's way to this island's shores, I found myself well in the mood for some more top drawer female soul. Flicking through my collection it dawned on me that I don't listen to Ann Peebles work nearly enough so, in way of an apology, I'm dedicating today's post to her. Ann, please forgive me for my fickle past.

Born at the end of the 1940's, Ann grew up with a background in gospel singing which was no doubt part of the reason she possessed such a powerful voice in such a petite frame. Having toured the club circuit she was spotted by trumpeter Gene "Bowlegs" Miller and was soon signed to Willie Mitchell's Hi Records. While reasonably successful (most notably for her massive single I can't stand the rain), Ann never really enjoyed the level of success her talent and quality of output deserved. You can read a really rather thorough biography here.

A stablemate of Al Green , Ann benefited from having the genius production of Mitchell to assist her strong vocals. Mitchell's trademark organs and horns were put to good use on Ann's 1971 album, Straight From The Heart. Ann's voice definitely has some similarities to Tina Turner's in it's raw passion but I find it more versatile, varying from pure power to heartbreaking soul.

The first track I have for you today is the heart wrenching Trouble, Heartaches and Sadness. From the introduction of the sublime falling horns onwards this has the Hi Records top quality stamp all over it. Ann's voice is full of a kind of aching pain and passion that, correct me if I'm wrong, you just don't really get anymore. The whole production of the track is beautifully controlled with the horns being layered delicately over the most subtle of organs and a blissed guitar.

The second track, Somebody's On Your Case, is a more upbeat number, this time starting with a pure funk guitar riff and squealing horns. Ann's voice here is in pure contrast to the previous track, offering a more considered, laidback quality. This track is carried by the headnodding guitar groove as Ann chastises some woman foolish enough to even look at her man. Once again the production of Mitchell displays how ahead of the game he really was.

Great news for all you people who dig this underrated gem of an artist, she's still going strong and, as coincidence would have it, just about to start an Acoustic Soul Tour............

Making the Band

Bobby Shad and the Bad Men: I Want You Back and No Time
From A 65-Piece Rock Workshop [Mainstream, 1973]

I picked this record up recently on a whim, attracted by the fact that it was on the Mainstream label and that it was a record of jazz artists covering rock hits of the period. What really interested me were the covers for "Whole Lotta Love" and "I Want You Back," and with a $5 price tag I was all about it.

I got home and was pleasantly surprised with my find. Turns out Bobby Shad was a producer and worked with a number of artists to put this project together, very much in big band fashion with lots of instrumentation and fast percussion beats. As I hoped, the covers were spot on with the opening "Whole Lot of Love" setting up a nice tempo for the rest of the album. However, I was drawn to Shad's version of The Guess Who's "No Time," which starts off with a killer drum break leading into further musical exploration. What I seem to like about Shad's work are the various movements, breakdowns, and solos found scattered throughout each piece. They catch you off guard, but make sense and more importantly sound good.

The icing on the cake is The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" featuring a couple of trumpet duets by Burt Collins and Joe Newman, and then Mel Davis and Snooky Young with Mel Davis on piccolo trumpet. The pace here is fast and furious, and a drum breakdown greets you midway through followed by an ensemble of solos.

I'm really glad I picked this one up, and if you can find it for under $10 it's a worthy addition to anyone's collection.

Big L R.I.P.

Big L: "Put It On (Music Video)"
From Lifestyles Ov Da Poor & Dangerous [Columbia, 1995]

Fairly unanimous here, most of the votes last week went to Big L's "Put It On" video. Another day-in-the-life type deal, but L keeps it relatively fresh, and more importantly the rhymes are unstoppable. Watching this you can only wonder what could have been as many believe he had the talent to assert himself as one of the top emcees in the game today.

Anyways, enjoy.

We Don't Listen to No Justin Timberlake

Well actually some of his stuff is kinda hot, I won't lie, but in case you didn't notice there are some new links under the Stickies section to the right. They will lead you to each of our audioscrobbler pages which keep track of the stuff we've been bumping lately. It's pretty cool since it compiles lists of top artists, songs, and recently played tracks, and since we can't possibly blog about all the music we listen to, this is just about the next best thing. Plus you can make fun of us if we try to sneak in a Britney Spears track here and there.

If you have a question about any of the stuff on there, or want us to possibly feature it on Ear Fuzz don't hesitate to contact us.