P-Money: Wonder Boy and Don’t Talk Rough (feat Blacks)
From: P-Money Is Power [Uptown, 2008]

Back with the heavy heavy sounds from Ol’ Blighty today in the form of some love it or hate it Grime. It seems to be one of those truths that, with the exception of one or two artists, a Grime MC’s underground work is always more exciting and interesting that any subsequent major label albums they put out. Maybe this is due to the urgency and home grown nature of these products or maybe it’s due to the lack of interference from labels who want to polish the sound with some more radio friendly output but, either way, it’s something that seems to be as true now as it was five years ago and a staple of any British music that makes its way out of the underground.

With this in mind I’m here today to celebrate an absolutely outstanding release from P-Money. It’s worth noting that this isn’t a mixtape in the traditional sense of the word, put together with original rhymes over original beats it’s more a street tape in the style of Killer Mike’s Grind Time releases.

As wired and sonically overwhelming as you could possibly hope, P-Money comes hard on these tracks displaying the key elements of vocal dexterity and the ability to pen a memorable hook without ever resorting to played out eighties loops.

Wonder Boy is a great example of Money’s mastering of flow as he rides the deceptively minimalist beat to perfection, no need for hooks or big instrumentation – this is purely Money and the beat and it’s absolute killer.

This isn’t to say that the producers showcased on P-Money Is Power don’t come with the goods though as Don’t Talk Rough ably demonstrates. Starting with jarring synth stabs the track then ratchets up the intensity with a modulating bassline designed to fuck up your head with a swiftness. To be played at high volume, preferably in a residential area.

With the big names in the scene venturing ever further into the pop market it’s refreshing to hear the the original grime sound is still very much alive and well in releases like this. Fingers crossed that if Money ever crosses over he can keep the intensity rolling on.

I have to hold up my hands on a late pass as this actually came out last year, despite my valiant attempts I’ve only really caught up on a couple of the artists making big noises at the moment (Money, Ghetto and Chipmunk). Anyone else I should be hitching onto the bandwagon of?

Loose Joints: Is It all Over My Face (Larry Levan Mix)
From: Larry Levan’s Classic West End Records Remixes [West End, 1999]

Mustafa Ozkent Orchestra: Burcak
From: Genclik Ile Elele [Finders Keepers Reissue, 2006]

Genya Raven: Little By Little
From: Goldie Zelkowitz [Janus, 1974]

Mauruce Cultier: Joe
From: Joe 7″ [197?]

Ashantis: Safari
From: Disco Play [Harmony 1977]

The Jaz: I’ll Smoke You
From: To Your Soul [Capitol, 1990]

The pale fingers of winter are now eagerly gripping these shores as my day is plunged into various shades of grey and the temperature rarely seems to get above absolutely freezing. Couple the general lethargy this brings on with a resoundingly bastard of a workload over the last couple of week and I’ve been struggling to find the time I needed to update the site or go through my records.
In these times of trouble a solid soundtrack is always required and my weapon of choice for this period was an eclectic fix of the weird and the wonderful. The only required criteria was basslines to rattle my brain, beats that wouldn’t quit no matter what, and just enough happy vibes to break through the cold barrier and let a little sunshine through.

Since these tunes did a sterling job of getting me through and because my brain is still too pickled to work to any great extent I thought it was only decent that I shared the love with you, the Ear Fuzz readers. Enjoy.

First off we have Larry Levan’s take on Loose Joints provocatively titled Is It All Over My Face. A brilliant piece of funky disco, what always got me with this track is the way the vocals sweep in and out of the instrumentation, almost like an afterthought to the rhythm. Off the beaten path and fuelling it’s own particular route, it’s still one of the most unique tracks from this period that I know off.

Next up, with enough breaks for any head to comprehend, is the rare as they come Mustafa Ozkent Orchestra. Now reissued on Finders Keepers, this album always reminds me of the previously featured La Formule Du Baron album in that its style and production seem to have been channelled from an entirely different age. Just listen to Burcak and and see what you think but it certainly does the job for me, I think I hear cowbells too…. You can find more about this album with a nice write up by Andy Votel here.

Right, what next? Hows about some Betty Davis style funk rock from Genya Raven? Already ten years deep in the industry by the time of this release due to her work in various group, Genya goes for broke on this album and absolutely destroys the mix of original and cover versions on offer. Just as with Ruth Copeland, the power of the conviction is outstanding on this long player. Little by Little is a great stop start roller as Genya sleazes over the top. Highly recommended.

Back to the dancefloor with Afrofunk legend Mauruce Cultier. As far as I know this cut, Joe, was never released on any of his albums (or at least any that I could find) but it’s a fantastic tune. Fading in with the band already in full swing the track feels more like a live jam session than a prepared track and is all the better for it – the enthusiasm and energy of the band translating brilliantly to the vinyl.

Movin on to something a little bit more laid back as the Ashantis finish off their extremely upbeat 1977 release Disco Play (does what it says on the tin) with this controlled and impressive piece of smooth groove that gets in the rhythm from the off and stays firmly there at all times. Animal noises apart, I love the little instrument solos that fade in and out over the ever resilient bassline.

Finishing things off, some fast rap from 1990 in the form of I’ll Smoke You off The Jaz’s second album. Probably most famous these days for launching the career of a reasonably famous rapper named Jay-Z this album is actually a more than decent slice of turn of the nineties rap in it’s own right with The Jaz displaying his linguistic abilities over a bit of JB. I’m a sucker for fast rap at any time and this is smooth, slick and expertly executed.

Now that’s the winter gloom dealt with, bring on the music…..

Ganksta N-I-P: Horror Movie Rap , Psycho and Damned Shame
From: The South Park Psycho
[Rap-A-Lot, 1992]

Following on from The Dude’s topical Halloween mix, here’s some more unpleasantness to get you in the mood for tricking and treating.
Ganksta NIP is often attributed as the first example of the nineties craze of horrorcore, the horror influenced hip hop sub genre which probably enjoyed most fame around the time of the first Gravediggaz album. While the Gravediggaz debut is a classic slice of hip hop the horror aspect of it pales in comparison with the evil on show on Ganksta’s debut album, South Park Psycho. They may have rapped about it but with Ganksta you start to believe it.

Truly one of the most chilling rap albums I’ve ever come across, the combination of unnerving off key production and Ganksta’s venomously delivered tales of slaughter, cannibalism and general evil make for hypnotic but uneasy listening. There’s no playful “They’re coming to get you Barbara” on offer here, this is the kind of music you’d expect to hear if they ever hooked up Leatherface with a sound system in his abattoir.

I didn’t want to make things too unpleasant so along with the gruesome Horror Movie Rap and Psycho I’ve also posted up Damned Shame, one of the greatest state of the nation rap tunes from the early nineties, a worthy accompaniment to G. Rap’s Streets of New York and a real mind garden classic for me.

Enjoy and apologies that the cheapest link I can find to but this is $85 – no TPing of my house please.

Big Mike: Havin Thangs and Playa Playa
From: Somethin’ Serious [Rap-A-Lot, 1994]

Here today with some southern rap to welcome in the sun and wash away the weekend cobwebs. Big Mike first hit the scene with fellow rapper 3-2 as part of the Convicts who released their classic but only album in 1991. He then went on to replace Willie D for the Geto Boys long player Till Death Do Us Part in 93 before the shit hit the fan and Wille D came back into the fold. However, this didn’t stop Big Mike and he finally released his debut solo album in 1994 titled Somethin Serious. Packed to the rim with classic southern beats and fluid rhyming, it’s an album that never fails to get appreciation when it’s given a moment to shine.

Havin Thangs is an absolute sure fire classic. Produced by and featuring Pimp C it’s as good as pretty much anything UGK released during that period with its thumping drums and screwed funk production. Epic and stunning.

Playa Playa is more on the down slow with it’s soulful strings and blunted edge but again maintains that southern flow so crucial to the sound of the album.

When I was loading the songs up to the computer to post I did a double check when I saw the date on the back of the CD and it said 1994 – hard to believe this music is now 14 years old when it still bangs as hard as ever. Mike’s follow up Still Serious is also definitely worth having and I see he’s still releasing to this day though I’m oblivious to how decent his recent stuff is. Any knowledge please let me know.

On a side note and as a heads up, we’re about to launch a new project on the Fuzz in the next day or so that is going to hopefully exploit the interactive aspect of blogging in a way not seen before. I’m very excited about the possibilities this will open so keep an eye out for it in the coming days and look forward to your feedback.

Warren G: Super Soul Sis, This is The Shack, Runnin’ Wit No Breaks
From: Regulate… G Funk Era [1994, Def Jam]

Whew! Been a while. A lot of good music coming through the Fuzz lately. Hopefully this fits in ok.

This past Memorial Day weekend, I joined some friends in an exercise of unabashed music geekdom: we sat down to collectively determine the greatest album of all time. The process began a month in advance with an invitation to 20+ people. Ultimately, 11 people chose to “compete” by nominating their 10 favorite albums into play. I won’t get into the inner-workings of the final voting/selection process; but, it involved 3 days of intensive listening, steady drinking, discussion, and a dash of politicking/vote trading. Exhausted, we eventually declared Abbey Road the victor (this was an English language classic rock crowd).

Why the story? The whole experience was surprisingly soul-searching: As I prepared my 10, I found myself ruthlessly cutting out favorite records for so many reasons (one “weak” track, too esoteric to fly with the other voters, didn’t resonate as much with my current state of mind as it did back in the day, etc…). In the end, I was surprised to name Warren G’s Regulate… G Funk Era as the sole Hip Hop representative on my top 10 list. As a start-to-finish listen, it slipped past: Illmatic, 36 Chambers, Ready to Die, The Infamous, Southernplayalistic, Da’ Shinin’, Doggystyle, Chronic. When it came down to it, I realized that not only do I listen to Regulate more than any other Hip Hop album, but that I listen to it more than many albums of any genre. And now, as I attempt to further my Hip Hop education- a good portion of which has come from this very blog and its blogroll – by reading Nelson George’s Hip Hop America, I ask myself: Is this the type of cross-over selection that would elicit a collective groan from most Hip Hop purists? Is it aging gracefully into classic status? Is it a West Coast footnote? Just where does Regulate stand in the Hip Hop canon?