Common "Resurrection" (October 4, 1994)

In Hip Hop geography, Resurrection, definitely belongs to Chicago. No played out West Coast funk or droning keyboards. No candidates for the next Rump Shaker/Tootsie Roll content theme song.... On first listen it might sound like an East Coast record, but in production and lyrical flow, Common sense fits solidly in the Chicago soul tradition of Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions, Leroy Hutson, and the Chi-Lites. Most of the production was done by the Un-American Caravan's No I.D., who also worked on Common's first album. The music has the feel of an early 70's Curtin Mayfield or Donny Hathaway record. The samples are fresh with catchy piano, keyboard or sax loops up top and strong, looping, basslines underneath to keep the music moving forward. Hip Hop production has moved away from the frantic sound of P.E. and a thousand and one James Brown breakbeats to less hyped samples and live music. But unlike too many of the new Hip-Hop producers, No I.D., maintains the level of energy in the grooves and doesn't let the sound lapse into quiet storm territory. Cont'd

The album is a view of life in urban America today in the same way Curtis Mayfield or Donny Hathaway's songs were a view of the same place in the 60's and 70's. Like many of their songs, Common Sense's rhymes are about daily life, growing up, and even family. Not as just another victim, but as someone with a strong sense of himself. The rhymes are always political, and possibly more powerful for being less direct.... But not everything is serious. There's plenty of more freestyle rhymes, heavy on metaphors.... A lot of MC's start out dope and then lose direction or run out of ideas. But since the first time I saw Common perform at the New Music Seminar in 1989 with a group called "1212" every move has been in the right direction. He's learned a lot since the first album.... The ads for Resurrection say "No gimmicks, no guns, no b*tches, no bullsh*t, just Common Sense." It says a lot about Hip Hop today that [that] description would set the album apart from most other music out there. Just about everyone who cares about Hip Hop and has paid attention for more than a few years knows that something's been lost. On the first single, "I Used to Love H.E.R.," "H.E.R." is Hip Hop and Common Sense expresses better than anybody how much the music meant, and the sense of loss as rap has moved from an art to a commodity.... Common Sense's reality is more than enough entertainment for people into lyrics and beats everywhere and anyone else willing to put down their video gats for long enough to listen. - Caught In The Middle (ZINE, 1994). 

Another Trip Around The Sun... Thank You.

Pandemic and all, I survived yet another trip around the sun! I think I can honestly say that things are going pretty well right now. Specifics are unimportant, but my overall level of peace of mind is HIGH. So, why am I stressed? I think it's because the last few years have been so tumultuous that the idea of happiness sounds like such a distant memory. Is this the calm before the storm or did I finally come out the other side of this whole thing? Forcing myself to put that to side, I woke up today, thankful for another day... I smiled my way through a shift at work, and came home to work on some other passion projects and spend time with family. It's not perfect but there's a balance to it, right? My brother Supastition said something to me during the rollout of one of the projects (and I'll paraphrase), "No matter how this album goes, I'm still gonna get up and go to work on Monday." Those words resonate and caused a shift in perspective for me. We can be happy; we can celebrate small victories and all that, but be prepared to get up tomorrow and get back to it. I also think about my brother Praverb, who passed on - what he wouldn't give and what his family wouldn't give for one more day... I can't waste it focussing on the wrong things. Anyhow, that's today's daily post, hope everyone is doing well and I'll let you know what I'm listening to tomorrow. Happy Born Day to Talib Kweli, Black Thought, Asap Rocky and more. Below is a song I've been listening to from Coney Island's NEMS, "Go Fish," where he says, "I wanna tell you that you worth it, right there where you are / Everything that's in your past don't define who you are / It's a new day, and you can choose to do whatever you want / 'Cause the Devil is a liar with the cleverest fronts / You gotta make it happen, so people know what your lifе meant / You don't wanna be 60 wondering whеre your life went / Homie, you gotta make a plan and then bubble / 'Cause there's nobody that's gonna hold your hand when you struggle." Amen to that! Peace and Love. - Sav One.

Blu "The Color Blu(e)" (Album Stream)

Acclaimed L.A. rapper Blu has left an indelible mark on the hip-hop landscape. Now, the gifted lyricist is back with The Color Blu(e), the latest addition to his impressive catalog. Among Blu’s most conceptual albums to date, The Color Blu(e) is an artistic thesis statement, celebrating and reflecting on a remarkable creative journey. The word “Blu(e)” is featured in every song title, and “Blue” is also weaved into each of the album’s soundscapes. While he typically works with a single producer on each project, this time Blu embraced a diverse sonic texture, with Sirplus, my brother J57, and longtime collaborator Exile all contributing beats. An unapologetically personal collection with no features, The Color Blu(e) is packed with intricate wordplay and dynamic production, reaffirming the unique talent of the artist known as Blu. Another excellent album from Blu. Listen to the LP below...

maticulous "no caps" (Album Stream)

After producing for others over the past several years, Brooklyn-based producer maticulous puts the spotlight on his gifts as an artist with his new compilation, no caps. His production, pacing, and sequencing all truly shine on here, as well as his ability to pick just the right guest emcees to appear on his instrumentals. Whether it’s Guilty Simpson expertly crafting a narrative on “Home Goin’” or yU and Uptown XO talking their sh*t on “Bein’ This Nice,” no caps is brimming with standout features. It makes sense, then, that maticulous calls this his “favorite project to create” to date. “It was born out of being completely locked down for months,” he says. “I would wake up everyday, listen to records, and become inspired with the only expectation of wanting to create music.” That time resulted in the creation of six of the eight instrumentals you hear on no caps, with the upbeat and soulful “Everything” being one of the two exceptions. He actually made that beat in 2012, and it stayed one of his favorites for years. But as he was putting together this project, he just felt it was time for the world to hear it—and he’s not wrong. Skyzoo and Justo The MC do their thing on the track, making it one of the best on here. More than anything else, however, maticulous just wants this release to be a breath of fresh air for listeners. “It’s very easy, for hip-hop especially, to get stuck in a formula,” he says. “One person has success and a hundred people try to make the same sounding stuff. No one needs to reinvent the wheel to make dope, timeless music.” Much respect to my fellow Fat Beats alumni, check out his new LP no caps below...

Happy Born Day, Marley Marl! (Playlist)

One of hip hop’s first and finest Radio DJs and Super Producers, Marley Marl created many of the sharpest beats and hooks in rap history and continues his industry leadership to the present day. Famous for representing the rap Mecca Queensbridge, and known for introducing hip hop producers to sampling, Marley, born Marlon Williams, appears at the forefront of many of hip hop’s most important moments and movements: including rocking alongside Mr. Magic on Rap Attack, co-founding the legendary Juice Crew, battling KRS One and BDP in the infamous Bridge Wars, producing LL Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out, breaking new talent on Future Flavas, even inspiring the late great Notorious B.I.G. Marley’s discography is extensive, with classics including "Around the Way Girl," "Eric B. Is President," "Nobody Beats the Biz," "The Symphony" and hundreds more. The longstanding rivalry with KRS One was even put to rest when he and Marley collaborated on Hip Hop Lives in 2007. Marl is in the studio, on the decks, and on the airwaves daily, and can be heard on Golden Era Radio with co-host Roxanne Shanté every Friday night from 8pm to 10pm on WBLS 107.5 FM, as well as his new podcast, Legendize. Join me in celebrating the life of Marley Marl on his born day with a brief playlist of some of my favorite cuts from the man himself. Did I miss or even worse, mis-credit something? Way too many ill tracks to include everything, but listen below...

OutKast "Aquemini" (September 29, 1998)

They brought you the Platinum Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. Then they brought the Platinum plus ATLiens. Now Big Boi and Dre, the player and the poet, bring you their highly anticipated third album, Aquemini, destined for at least Double Platinum. OutKast consistently provides superb lyrics laced over bumpin' tracks which have earned them Platinum albums, #1 hit singles, awards and respect in the world of rap. In 1994 the duo entered the hip-hop scene with the Organized Noize (TLC, EnVogue, Goodibe Mob) produced Platinum album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. It debuted at #3 on the R&B Billboard Chart, received a 4.5 mic rating (out of 5) from The Source magazine and the group received a Source Award for Best New Group or Duo. The album's first single, "Player's Ball," went Gold in a matter of weeks, holding down the #1 spot on Billboard Rap Chart for over six consecutive weeks. In short, OutKast made the industry stop and respect that rap can flow from the dirty south. OutKast came right back with their sophomore album, ATLiens, which sold 1.5 million units. ATLiens reached Platinum status within a few weeks of its release when it entered the Billboard Top 200 at #2 (directly behind Pearl Jam). The album, also produced by ONP, marked the very impressive production debut by Big Boi and Dre, who crafted the first release off ATLiens, "Elevators." The single stayed at #1 for weeks, reached Platinum status, and had hip-hop heads across the nation chanting, "Me & you, your momma and your cousin too, rollin down the strip on vogues, comin up slammin cadillac doors." - Press Release, 1998. Revisit Aquemini, cont'd below...

David Banner spoke about the album in The Source's Record Report and had this to say, "I look at OutKast as being visionary. They are one of the few groups that show there is dexterity in their music. From the poetry to the live feeling, this album change the way people look at rap music. They brought in orchestras and African drummers, different types of instruments that you're not used to hearing in rap music. Big Boi took care of the streets while Andre took us to the next galaxy. It's like a diary to a Southern cat's life. "Return of the G" was the feeling of the streets and "Rosa Parks" was like going to church in the South. That's what made the album great. If you felt like you need "Liberation" you had it. It wasn't too much of anything, it was just enough. I don't care if you the hardest gangsta in the world, you not killing somebody every day. No one is happy every day. A dope fiend ain't high every single day. And I don't give a f#ck what nobody says: Andre Benjamin is one of the top five lyricists of all time. From their first album to now, he has never kicked a weak rhyme... Let's embrace them while they're alive." - The Source. Agreed, top 5 lyricist of ALL-TIME!

KRS-One "Return of the Boombap" (September 28, 1993)

The song "KRS-One attacks" starts off with this line: "We will be here forever, do you understand that? Forever and ever." And judging from his long list of career accomplishments, it is hard to dispute his claim. Like Coca-Cola Classic, you can always count on Kris to come out every year with a joint to make you go, "Oh shit!" Every year. Go ahead and count, yo. Every year. From Criminal Minded in '87 to Sex and Violence in '92, he has been about one thing--real hip-hop. But album number seven has a new approach. This is not a BDP album. It is a KRS-One solo album, which means that he can work with people outside his traditional BDP family. It was a good move on his part. This disc is a treat, not only does Kris rip it on the mic, but with DJ Premier, Kid Capri and Showbiz helping with the beats, his whole sound seems rejuvenated. Containing the same amount of tracks as the number of semesters he's been rocking albums, Return serves up instant gems. "Outta Here" is a flavorful and personal detailing of the trials and tribulations of the rap rat race. On "I Can't Get Up," our hero dreams that he's a blunt being passed around a host of dope MCs. And "Mad Crew," quite simply, is the latest entry in the long series of KRS freestyle winners. Cont'd below and listen...

Lyrically, KRS still dazzles--in both content and style--when his pen hits the paper. On "Sound Of Da Police" and "Higher Level," he offers the straight-forward conscious lyrics he is famous for. And for all of you rockers enthusiasts, he gives you a healthy dose of Caribbean flavor with "Uh-Oh" and "Brown Skin Women." All in all KRS-One keeps his end of the bargain and provides you with real hip-hop. And not only does Return showcase his commitment, but in light of last year's commercially disappointing Sex and Violence LP, it gives him a forum to ask what is probably the most serious question facing hip-hop today: "How many real hip-hoppers in the place right about now?" Think about it. - The Source (November, 1993). The production on this LP was dope, a near classic (to me). 

Evidence "Cats & Dogs" (September 27, 2011)

Grammy award-winning producer and one-third of venerable hip hop icons Dilated Peoples, Evidence is regarded by many as a legend of the scene. With production credits on Kanye West’s ‘College Dropout’, he has warranted enough pulling power to enlist some of hip hop’s cover stars to contribute lyrics to his second solo LP and debut for Rhymesayers, ‘Cats & Dogs’. With appearances from the likes of Slug from Atmosphere, Wu Tang’s Raekwon, Aloe Blacc, Mobb Deep’s Prodigy, Aesop Rock, Krondon and production from the likes of The Alchemist, DJ Premier and DJ Babu, ‘Cats & Dogs’ has been pencilled in as a genuine event in the world of hip-hop.... What is most satisfying about ‘Cats & Dogs’ is its consistency; here we are presented with a natural demonstration of boom bap instrumental sensibility married with witty rhyme schemes. Evidence’s brutal honesty comes to the fore as he dissects his own life and goes deeper and opens up more than ever before. This, while maintaining his characteristic flow, deadpan delivery and sincere gravitas that has earned him the tag of ‘Mr. Slow Flow‘. The singles ‘To Be Continued’ and ‘You’ have the expected head nodding effect with a pitch perfect combination of vocal delivery and beats... One misgiving would be that ‘Same Folks’ featuring Fashawn, is only a bonus track on the album, a shame as it is by far one of Evidence’s most catchy tunes. Nevertheless, ‘Strangers’ features production that resembles a certain DJ Shadow in all the right ways. And as for track 13: “There is no track 13 on purpose. The first line of ‘To Be Continued’ starts ’10 commandments, 24 hours, the 13th floor was missing from the towers…’ For me to leave it [the 13th track] blank and then explain why in the first line of the next track to me is genius.” Clearly not lacking in confidence, Evidence has come up with a truthful, hard-hitting album, moulding together content, rhymes and production into one cohesive whole, and making it Evidence’s most established and successful release to date, a laudable fact considering his already worshipped status. - The Find Mag. Revisit this fine LP below...

"So if you're reading this... thank you." - Evidence.