Lately hip hop music has come under fire by the media and several reputed culture critics. CNN recently aired a special called "Hip Hop: Art Or Poison?" where they tried to show the correlation between the misogyny and violence in rap music and how it effects the youth in America. PBS aired Byron Hurt's (a Northeastern University alum) documentary "Beyond Beats and Rhymes", a documentary that highlights the negative aspects of rap music, the effects of the music on the youth and the image it portrays to the world at large. Most rap videos show scantily clad girls dancing, rappers driving expensive cars and wearing all kinds of costly jewelry. These videos have come under fire for treating women as sexual objects and nothing more than eye candy.
Oddly enough, where were these same detractors back when hair metal was king of the pop charts and rock videos by Motley Crue, Guns N Roses and Metallica had girls in bikinis and high heels writhing on the hoods of sports cars, being sprayed by water hoses or dancing on stages in cages while wearing dog collars? Weren't THEY being misogynistic?
Don't forget that there is a completely different side of rap called "underground" with hundreds of artists that can't get on the major video channels owned by Viacom or get in the rotation of the radio stations owned by Clearchannel or Emmis Communications. Amongst these artists that the public aren't seeing or aren't being allowed to hear could be the artists or groups that could help provide the necessary balance to rap nowadays. Why can't these emcees or groups be seen or heard now? It's all fallout from the Tellecommunications Act that happened more than 10 years ago.
The actual beginning to the end of diversity and creativity in major label rap began with the aftereffects of Ice T's "Cop Killer" controversy in 1992. People got up in arms and threatened to boycott Time Warner and it's affiliates for ever allowing Ice T's group, Body Count to record and release the song "Cop Killer". It didn't help that this all happened in an election year. Time Warner and it's associated labels ended up dropping any group or artist that would potentially bring them under fire.
Soon, other labels became afraid of garnering the same negative attention from the government and the mass media that Time Warner received so they began releasing and dropping any artists that were political or viewed as subversive (including Almighty RSO, KMD and Paris). Several conscious groups disappeared from the industry's landscape because no label was willing to take a chance on them.
The next nail in the coffin came with the passing of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, this meant that corporations could buy up as many independently owned radio stations as they wanted with no restrictions. Station after station sold themselves to Clear Channel and Emmis Communications until there were radio franchises running from the east to west coast. Once these uniform stations were placed in every major city, the new "60 Add Rule" was instituted.
This rule made it so that the only way a song could break the regular rotation at a station is if that same song was added to the rotation of 60 other stations owned by the company on the Tuesday it was released...this killed all of the local and regional music that used to gain regular spins at a station. That responsibility now fell to local college stations...if there were no local college stations the listeners were just assed out.
The deaths of 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G. threw the rap industry into turmoil as well. The void that both of their passings left in the rap world was soon filled by clones and copycats. "Thugs" emulating 2Pac, "Dons" and "Big Willies" emulating Notorious B.I.G., "Gambinos" emulating the Wu Tang Clan and a few original cats peppered in occasionally. That same year, Bad Boy Entertainment hit it big with Puff Daddy & The Family's "No Way Out" and Mase's "Harlem World" LP. No Limit Records began making major noise and their songs began getting major radio spins as well as cracking the regular rotation on video channels. Jay-Z released "In My Lifetime Vol . 1" and Wyclef Jean of The Fugees both released albums that did very well and crossed over to the pop charts. Hip Hop was about to do big things in 1998.
Hip Hop broke out in 1998 and became big business. Rap records such as Lauryn Hill's "The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill", Jay-Z's "In My Lifetime Vol. 2 Hard Knock Life", OutKast's "Aquemini", DMX's "It's Dark And Hell Is Hot", Big Pun's "Capital Punishment", Noreaga's "N.O.R.E.", Juvenile's "400 Degreez", Method Man's "Tical 2: Judgement Day", Redman "Doc's Da Name 2000", Master P's "MP Da Last Don" and Snoop Dogg's "The Game Is To Sold, Not To Be Told" all sold well and regularly knocked Country and Rock albums out of the top spot on the charts.
Rap tours were amongst the biggest and most popular tours in the country. Corporations and other entities with business interests began to try to align themselves with hip hop culture and piggyback ride its cache of cool to gain a bigger audience. Rap videos began appearing on TRL alongside teen pop acts, boy bands and girl groups. Rap was now the new reigning pop music.
Throughout all of this success and huge sales numbers, there were no conscious groups or alternative voices amongst any of those popular acts. The previous generations had Public Enemy, Brand Nubian, A Tribe Called Quest, Poor Righteous Teachers, X Clan, King Sun, Lakim Shabazz, Rakim, KRS One, KMD, The Coup, The Fugees, Jeru Tha Damaja, etc. By 1998, most if not all of these acts were gone from the scene and labels weren't looking to replace them with more conscious minded artists, they were more interested in signing clones of the acts that were already popular and moving units. The only conscious group on the scene that was signed during this era was Dead Prez...they lost their major deal when Loud Records folded shortly afterwards.
The "Bling Bling" era was kicked off once Cash Money Records appeared on the scene. They threw money around in their videos. Drove cars that cost six figures with the factory stickers still on them so you knew how much they cost. They wore platinum grills and jewelry with huge diamonds in their ears on a regular basis. They made songs about how wealthy they were and they because huge hits. Next thing you know, everyone else began doing it too. It wasn't enough to make good music...You had to move units. Talent wasn't king anymore. No one was checking for lyrics. Sales determined your worth in the rap industry now. If you didn't have a Bentley, a Phantom, or platinum jewelry you were wack...What part of the game is that?
The rap world began to mirror the corporate world instead of the streets. The bottom line became all important. Radio spins, Single sales, Videos in regular rotation, Gold plaques, Platinum plaques, Status symbols, Who stole the soul? What about the music? Music execs became as if not more popular than the people that made the damn music! Then the shit really hit the fan when BET was sold to Viacom.
BET had already dropped much of it's programming with any real merit such as Teen Summit, BET News (Ed Gordon and Tavis Smiley bounced), and all of it's regular videos shows except for Rap City and Midnight Love. It did add a flagship video countdown show that catered to teens and young adults just like TRL did at MTV...it was called 106 & Park. The final nail was hammered into the coffin at that exact moment.
Why is it now that CNN decided to run "Art or Poison?" as opposed to before? CNN never ran any specials about the overall dumbing down of America, the rise of reality TV, South Park, Jackass, Wildboyz, Punk'd, Viva La Bam or WWE, but they felt compelled to make one about rap music? The biggest problem with the music industry are these corporate entities that suck the life out of the art in pursuit of money and the bottom line.
There is a business practice called "Cool Hunting" in which advertisers and corporations hire people to find the "next big thing" or "underground niche market" so they can track the kids that love it down and then put them into focus groups. Once they gather all the information they can about said culture or fad, they use it to co-opt that underground culture and appeal to that demographic, expose it until it is no longer cool or they suck the life and edge out of it ( i.e. Grunge). Once that once underground or "cool"/"hot" culture or trend is dead and buried, they go off and find another thing to exploit for profit and commercial gain. To them Hip Hop is just another cash cow that isn't producing as it once was. I wonder if it got rid of all the bloodsucking leeches and parasites that prey on it, would it eventually get better?
That brings us to the present day. New York artists are trying to sound like they’re from the South to get spins. Artists across the board are dumbing down their lyrics in hopes to catch on with the public. Creative or original artists not named Kanye West flopped again and again in this market climate. Music executives are getting fired left and right. Record labels are dissolving into one large conglomerate. Labels are taking less and less chances. The end result? Major label rap music with no balance, no consciousness of any kind to speak of, little creativity, and a lack of originality.
I used to learn from the hip hop I grew up on. It was filled with uplifting messages for the youth and had more than enough variety and artistic merit that you couldn't possibly generalize or pigeonhole it into being one monolithic thing. Ever since it became big business and got away from the basics, it has gotten progressively worse. How can these outsiders complain about the current state of rap music when they're part of the reason it's in the state it is now? Why can't they recognize their own double standards and hypocrisy in regards to narrowcasting hip hop culture? Why would CNN cover something they know nothing about and not recognize that they're doing half assed reporting on the subject? All of this just brings us to the bigger question in my personal opinion...
What are WE as parents and consumers going to do to make hip hop music better from now on to ensure that it will still be around so that CNN will be able to complain about it 10 years from now as well?
Monday, March 12, 2007
Friday, March 9, 2007
No Words Part Three
Mos Def’s 1999 album “Black On Both Sides” was hailed as a classic when it was released on Rawkus Records. The production on this album was especially top rate with beats being provided by the likes of The Beatnuts, Diamond, Ayatollah, Hi Tek, 88 Keys and DJ Premier . This collection of instrumentals from all star producers coupled with some excellent vocal performances from Mos Def and friends made for a great album...an album that people still lord over Mos’ head as a benchmark that in their collective minds he hasn’t reached since...but you can never go back, only forward. With that said, here’s the instrumental album of “Black On Both Sides”:
Black On Both Sides Instrumentals (1999)
http://www.mediafire.com/?3yuyghmzzad
Talib Kweli and Hi Tek made another album on Rawkus that regarded as a classic, 2000’s “Train Of Thought” LP. The production was handled solely by the now legendary Cincinnatti beatsmith and he finally go the opportunity to craft an entire project instead of doing spot work. Unforunately, life has taken them different directions and they can’t work together as much as they’d like to but whenever they get together they make great material. I offer for your listening pleasure, Reflection Eternal’s “Train Of Thought” instrumentals:
Train Of Thought Instrumentals (2000)
http://www.mediafire.com/?6hmoeryhh5y
This last collection of instrumentals comes from producer 9th Wonder (formerly of Little Brother). He was most well known for producing “Threat” on Jay-Z’s “Black Album”. He also made the Nas “God’s Son” remix album entitled “God’s Stepson” which was only available for purchase online at HipHopSite.com. These are the instrumentals of said remix album, a lot of people never even heard it....fewer have the instrumentals. Here they are:
God’s Stepson Instrumentals (2003)
http://www.mediafire.com/?6ygm3zdmnut
One.
Black On Both Sides Instrumentals (1999)
http://www.mediafire.com/?3yuyghmzzad
Talib Kweli and Hi Tek made another album on Rawkus that regarded as a classic, 2000’s “Train Of Thought” LP. The production was handled solely by the now legendary Cincinnatti beatsmith and he finally go the opportunity to craft an entire project instead of doing spot work. Unforunately, life has taken them different directions and they can’t work together as much as they’d like to but whenever they get together they make great material. I offer for your listening pleasure, Reflection Eternal’s “Train Of Thought” instrumentals:
Train Of Thought Instrumentals (2000)
http://www.mediafire.com/?6hmoeryhh5y
This last collection of instrumentals comes from producer 9th Wonder (formerly of Little Brother). He was most well known for producing “Threat” on Jay-Z’s “Black Album”. He also made the Nas “God’s Son” remix album entitled “God’s Stepson” which was only available for purchase online at HipHopSite.com. These are the instrumentals of said remix album, a lot of people never even heard it....fewer have the instrumentals. Here they are:
God’s Stepson Instrumentals (2003)
http://www.mediafire.com/?6ygm3zdmnut
One.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
I Talk A Lot Of Shit About Movies AKA Dartflix Edition #10
I recently saw a documentary that was made partly by Ted Demme (R.I.P.) called “Boffo!: Tinseltown’s Bombs And Blockbusters” all about the 70’s and all of the seminal films, writer and directors from that era (also see IFC’s Decade Under The Influence). This era is universally regarded as the Golden Age Of Hollywood (some argue that the Golden Age goes from 1968-1980 while others say 1964-1976) and most agree that it ended either with the release of one of two blockbusters, Star Wars (1977) or Jaws (1980).
These films ended the era of the “inmates running the asylum” and afterwards, studio executives and produces began becoming less adventurous and abandoned art in hopes of making blockbusters that appealed to wide audiences that in turn dumbed down the movie industry (sound familiar to anyone?). Damn, Donnie Hathaway and Brand Nubian were right...Everything IS Everything.
Right now, Hip Hop itself is at a pitstop itself and we can possibly blame everything on Hip Hop getting super popular from 1997-2002. While the music was selling out everywhere it got less and less creative and the artistry became unimportant. The bottom line became the bootom line. Opening week numbers, airplay, video play, single sales, etc. If it wasn’t for indie films and channels like Sundance and IFC Films (and a special thanks to the AZN Network) a film junkie like me’d probably go insane. By the same token with hip hop, there aren’t the same outlets unless you’re constantly online. Comcast On Demand doesn’t have a true dedicated hip hop channel with underground videos and there sure as hell isn’t one on cable (sorry...VH1 Soul doesn’t count).
The independent film movement provides the neccessary balance that the film industry needs and helps people recognize the wide array of voices that are out there. Without that same balance, mainstream rap music has become stale and redundant. Commerce may be sucking the soul out of the industry, but art is used to inspire, relay ideas, and show people fresh images that may enlighten them. We must never lose sight of that whether we speak of the cinema or music. Enough of me, let’s get to point here.
Dart’s Three Trailers Of The Week (3/4/07-3/10/07)
Next
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435705/trailers
Ocean’s 13
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0496806/trailers
Skinwalkers
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0461703/trailers
More Netflix releases to consider putting on your queue now:
Talk To Her
Y Tu Mama Tambien
The Devil’s Backbone
A Mighty Wind
Irreversible
The Battle Of Shaker Heights
Ichi The Killer
City Of Lost Souls
Contract Killer
Fulltime Killer
Big Bullet
A Bullet In The Head
City On Fire
Dead Or Alive
Dead Or Alive 2: Angels
Gun Opera
The Shape Of Things
Roger Dodger
The Believer
The Recruit
Bichunmoo
Knockaround Guys
Full Frontal
Brother
The Royal Tenenbaums
Frailty
The Machinist
The Killing (1956 noir classic)
In America
The Cooler
Shattered Glass
Wonderland
Dart’s Picks For The Week:
Little Miss Sunshine-I’ve avoided putting on my list long enough. It’s too good a story and too well made a movie to keep fronting on it (Eddie Mrphy STILL should’ve beat out Arkin for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, though)
Threat- I mentoined this movie in last week’s Dartflix list, but I’m officially reccomending it here. I first heard of this film back in 2000 when King’s Mob were still working on it. They used to tour with this independent film going from state to state doing screenings of it for years until they gained enough money to recut it based on what some audiences felt were improvements to the film. Eventually, in 2005 the film was purchased by TLA and was finally distributed and put on video and DVD.
I tried to get a screening for this film in Boston back in 2001. The good people at King’s Mob fought, sweat and bled for this project to come to life the guerilla way and I think people should see it. It’s essentially about what happens when we all let the powers that be pit young people of different walks of life against each other as opposed of making it so that they work together..the worst case scenario of all possible worst case scenarios happens at the climax of this film. Compelling.
Dart’s WTF? Award/Watch This Bullshit At Your Own Risk:
Let’s Go To Prison-Uhh...no, let’s not.
One.
These films ended the era of the “inmates running the asylum” and afterwards, studio executives and produces began becoming less adventurous and abandoned art in hopes of making blockbusters that appealed to wide audiences that in turn dumbed down the movie industry (sound familiar to anyone?). Damn, Donnie Hathaway and Brand Nubian were right...Everything IS Everything.
Right now, Hip Hop itself is at a pitstop itself and we can possibly blame everything on Hip Hop getting super popular from 1997-2002. While the music was selling out everywhere it got less and less creative and the artistry became unimportant. The bottom line became the bootom line. Opening week numbers, airplay, video play, single sales, etc. If it wasn’t for indie films and channels like Sundance and IFC Films (and a special thanks to the AZN Network) a film junkie like me’d probably go insane. By the same token with hip hop, there aren’t the same outlets unless you’re constantly online. Comcast On Demand doesn’t have a true dedicated hip hop channel with underground videos and there sure as hell isn’t one on cable (sorry...VH1 Soul doesn’t count).
The independent film movement provides the neccessary balance that the film industry needs and helps people recognize the wide array of voices that are out there. Without that same balance, mainstream rap music has become stale and redundant. Commerce may be sucking the soul out of the industry, but art is used to inspire, relay ideas, and show people fresh images that may enlighten them. We must never lose sight of that whether we speak of the cinema or music. Enough of me, let’s get to point here.
Dart’s Three Trailers Of The Week (3/4/07-3/10/07)
Next
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435705/trailers
Ocean’s 13
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0496806/trailers
Skinwalkers
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0461703/trailers
More Netflix releases to consider putting on your queue now:
Talk To Her
Y Tu Mama Tambien
The Devil’s Backbone
A Mighty Wind
Irreversible
The Battle Of Shaker Heights
Ichi The Killer
City Of Lost Souls
Contract Killer
Fulltime Killer
Big Bullet
A Bullet In The Head
City On Fire
Dead Or Alive
Dead Or Alive 2: Angels
Gun Opera
The Shape Of Things
Roger Dodger
The Believer
The Recruit
Bichunmoo
Knockaround Guys
Full Frontal
Brother
The Royal Tenenbaums
Frailty
The Machinist
The Killing (1956 noir classic)
In America
The Cooler
Shattered Glass
Wonderland
Dart’s Picks For The Week:
Little Miss Sunshine-I’ve avoided putting on my list long enough. It’s too good a story and too well made a movie to keep fronting on it (Eddie Mrphy STILL should’ve beat out Arkin for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, though)
Threat- I mentoined this movie in last week’s Dartflix list, but I’m officially reccomending it here. I first heard of this film back in 2000 when King’s Mob were still working on it. They used to tour with this independent film going from state to state doing screenings of it for years until they gained enough money to recut it based on what some audiences felt were improvements to the film. Eventually, in 2005 the film was purchased by TLA and was finally distributed and put on video and DVD.
I tried to get a screening for this film in Boston back in 2001. The good people at King’s Mob fought, sweat and bled for this project to come to life the guerilla way and I think people should see it. It’s essentially about what happens when we all let the powers that be pit young people of different walks of life against each other as opposed of making it so that they work together..the worst case scenario of all possible worst case scenarios happens at the climax of this film. Compelling.
Dart’s WTF? Award/Watch This Bullshit At Your Own Risk:
Let’s Go To Prison-Uhh...no, let’s not.
One.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
No Words Part Two
The legendary production team of Organized Noise (Rico Wade, Ray Murray and Pat “Sleepy” Brown) helped create the signature sound of SWAT (South West Atlanta) as well as introduce the world to the Dungeon Family, one of the most talented and diverse crews in the history of hip hop. This album is but one of the legendary soundscapes crafted by these men and it became the album that let the world know that OutKast was here to stay and their classic debut was far from a fluke. Listening to the “ATLiens” instrumentals reminds you that while hip hop is largely created from other kinds of music, it is a music form all it’s own that requires talent and creativity to make. Enjoy another classic by the DF fam:
ATLiens Instrumentals (1996)
http://www.mediafire.com/?dtjxmmhjnng
This producer needs no introduction. His albums sell millions. He is revered by both the underground and mainstream. Other producers worship at his altar and his music has crossed over but he hasn’t lost his street audience or credibility after almost 25 years in the game. I’m speaking of the legendary Dr. Dre and the instrumental album I’ve uploaded by the perfectionist producer is his last one, “2001”. Here it is:
2001 Instrumentals (2001)
http://www.mediafire.com/?9zgdinmttxz
This particular project has been referred to as one of the best produced hip hop albums of all times. This is astonishing considerin g that this album didn’t sell particularly well and the group that made it wasn’t very well regarded lyrically or creatively. The album I’m speaking of is DJ Premier’s masterpiece that he created for Group Home “Livin’ Proof” . This tape got regular burn back in the days and every beathead I knew used to rock this joint like crazy. Once the vinyl instrumental LP was first released years ago I copped it for $7 with my Tower Records employee discount. This is a vinyl rip of the instrumental album, enjoy:
Livin’ Proof Instrumentals (1996)
http://www.mediafire.com/?6ndyvzznyyz
One.
ATLiens Instrumentals (1996)
http://www.mediafire.com/?dtjxmmhjnng
This producer needs no introduction. His albums sell millions. He is revered by both the underground and mainstream. Other producers worship at his altar and his music has crossed over but he hasn’t lost his street audience or credibility after almost 25 years in the game. I’m speaking of the legendary Dr. Dre and the instrumental album I’ve uploaded by the perfectionist producer is his last one, “2001”. Here it is:
2001 Instrumentals (2001)
http://www.mediafire.com/?9zgdinmttxz
This particular project has been referred to as one of the best produced hip hop albums of all times. This is astonishing considerin g that this album didn’t sell particularly well and the group that made it wasn’t very well regarded lyrically or creatively. The album I’m speaking of is DJ Premier’s masterpiece that he created for Group Home “Livin’ Proof” . This tape got regular burn back in the days and every beathead I knew used to rock this joint like crazy. Once the vinyl instrumental LP was first released years ago I copped it for $7 with my Tower Records employee discount. This is a vinyl rip of the instrumental album, enjoy:
Livin’ Proof Instrumentals (1996)
http://www.mediafire.com/?6ndyvzznyyz
One.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
No Words Part One
This week I will be upping several instrumental albums that I’ve acquired over the years through various means and formats, some are vinyl rips, some are unofficial CD’s and some are official instrumental releases that the labels put out. I will post as many as I can for as long as I can, if you’re one of those people that like playing hip hop instrumentals or you’re a beathead like I am, then you’ll thoroughly enjoy this week plus of Poisonous Paragraph posts. I’ll do a short write up of each upload and who provided beats for the project and then have the link directly below the text. Let’s go:
This is from a CD-R given out as apromo item that I got when I bought RZA’s Digital Bullet album online years back. It has selected instrumentals from the monumental Wu Tang Clan double album “Wu Tang Forever” there are in total about 15 instrumental on here. Here it is:
Selected Instrumentals from Wu Tang Forever (1997)
http://www.mediafire.com/?0mjza0wzmlz
When I bought J Love’s Ghostface Killah mixtape “Hidden Darts 2” online, it came with Ghostface Killah’s “Supreme Clientele” instrumentals on a grey CD-R for free. The production on this album was done by RZA, Inspectah Deck, Mathematics, Fantom Of The Beat, and. This album was released when the Wu were going through a dark time and a downswing in popularity. Just an aside, I had to fight myself not to remove the “Cherchez La Ghost” instrumental from this album. Other than that it’s all classic material. I present to you, Supreme Clientele:
Supreme Clientele Instrumentals (2002)
http://www.mediafire.com/?bxjwww4m2zw
Back when Mobb Deep could do no wrong. Back when Prodigy still had that hunger and fire in the belly. Back when Prodigy stayed winning with the classic joints that he cheffed up behind the boards. Back when you’d hear Nas, Cormega, Infamous Mobb and Rapper Noyd on tracks with them...you know the good ol’ days. Why don’t you take a listen to the good ol’ days and fondly remember back before CNN and PBS were airing specials about how harmful and devoid of artistic merit hip hop music is? Enjoy:
Hell On Earth Instrumentals (1997)
http://www.mediafire.com/?0mgnd4jnzvv
One.
This is from a CD-R given out as apromo item that I got when I bought RZA’s Digital Bullet album online years back. It has selected instrumentals from the monumental Wu Tang Clan double album “Wu Tang Forever” there are in total about 15 instrumental on here. Here it is:
Selected Instrumentals from Wu Tang Forever (1997)
http://www.mediafire.com/?0mjza0wzmlz
When I bought J Love’s Ghostface Killah mixtape “Hidden Darts 2” online, it came with Ghostface Killah’s “Supreme Clientele” instrumentals on a grey CD-R for free. The production on this album was done by RZA, Inspectah Deck, Mathematics, Fantom Of The Beat, and. This album was released when the Wu were going through a dark time and a downswing in popularity. Just an aside, I had to fight myself not to remove the “Cherchez La Ghost” instrumental from this album. Other than that it’s all classic material. I present to you, Supreme Clientele:
Supreme Clientele Instrumentals (2002)
http://www.mediafire.com/?bxjwww4m2zw
Back when Mobb Deep could do no wrong. Back when Prodigy still had that hunger and fire in the belly. Back when Prodigy stayed winning with the classic joints that he cheffed up behind the boards. Back when you’d hear Nas, Cormega, Infamous Mobb and Rapper Noyd on tracks with them...you know the good ol’ days. Why don’t you take a listen to the good ol’ days and fondly remember back before CNN and PBS were airing specials about how harmful and devoid of artistic merit hip hop music is? Enjoy:
Hell On Earth Instrumentals (1997)
http://www.mediafire.com/?0mgnd4jnzvv
One.
Monday, March 5, 2007
The Illest Hobo Plus Live At The Future Primitive Soundsessions
Doo Wop, Tony Touch, G Bo The Pro & Double R, Ron G & DJ Clue weren’t the only DJ’s making famous underground mixtapes in 1995. Back in 1995, Mr. Dibbs of the crew 1200 Hobos made the classic turntable mixtape called “Turntable Scientifics”. The tape spread throughout the midwestern states, then into the east coast by 1996. The tape had two 30 minute sides, side A was called “Aneurysms” and side B was called “Hypothalamus”. After years of selling briskly through hip hop mailorder and online, it was finally made available for purchase on CD in 1998 through Mr. Dibbs indie label Four Ways To Rock.
Mr. Dibbs was a staple of the Midwestern hip hop scene as well as a major draw at the early Scribble Jams (I have old ass back issues of Scribble Magazine with the mailorder catalogs to prove it).He’d later release projects by Sebutones, Moka Only and several other Midwest hip hop legends. He’s currently working with Rhymesayers Entertainment and recording material with El-P AKA Mr. I’m Not Only The President Of Def Jux, I’m Also An Artist. Download “Turntable Scientifics” to experience on of the greatest and seminal projects made by a legendary turntablists.
In the late 90’s in San Francisco, Dave Herlihy thought it’d be a good idea to throw a bi monthly event at different venues that not only catered to the hip hop crowd, but included all of the elements of hip hop culture. The events often married hip hop being spun on 5 turntables by two different DJ’s with emcees, spoken word artists, graf writers, visual artists and B Boys/B Girls. Future Primitive had a regular DJ named DJ Anna, but they often brought in the best and brightest DJ’s to perform at their shows.
In 1998, two CD’s were produced by Future Primitive, the first one being Cut Chemist of Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli and Shorkut of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz collaborating live on 5 turntables and the second being Z Trip and Radar from the crew Bombshelter DJ’s playing 20 years of hip hop records live on 5 turntables (it was 1998 at the time it was done). Both of these CD’s are great because they are both moments in hip hop history forever perserved in amber that can be revisited again and again.
The whole resurgence of interest in DJ/beat culture and underground hip hop that started out roughly 10 years ago in the post Telecommunications Act Era helped provide a much needed balance to the shiny suit wearing Bad Boys, fake thugs, dons and mafiosos with multiple AKA’s (didn’t Rae and Ghost tell y’all muthafuckas what NOT to do on “Shark Niggas (Biters)” on the purple tape? I swore I heard it!) that all popped out of the woodwork at the time...but it could’ve been worse I guess. They all still could’ve been rhyming like Das Efx, Fu-Schnickens and Treach. The whole turntable project run of Poisonous Paragraphs has now officially come to an end with these uploads. Next up, instrumental albums.
All uploaded albums are Zip files. For cover art, full tracklistings and more info, check http://www.discogs.com or do a regular Google search. Here are the links, enjoy ‘em:
Mr. Dibbs-Turntable Scientifics (1995/1998)
http://www.mediafire.com/?3zttqznmovy
Live At The Future Primitive Soundsessions Vol. 1-Cut Chemist Meets Shortkut (1998)
http://www.mediafire.com/?333ltmnockf
Live At The Future Primitive Soundsessions Vol. 2-Bombshelter DJ’s Z-Trip & Radar (1998)
http://www.mediafire.com/?8mhnzdwjd23
One.
Mr. Dibbs was a staple of the Midwestern hip hop scene as well as a major draw at the early Scribble Jams (I have old ass back issues of Scribble Magazine with the mailorder catalogs to prove it).He’d later release projects by Sebutones, Moka Only and several other Midwest hip hop legends. He’s currently working with Rhymesayers Entertainment and recording material with El-P AKA Mr. I’m Not Only The President Of Def Jux, I’m Also An Artist. Download “Turntable Scientifics” to experience on of the greatest and seminal projects made by a legendary turntablists.
In the late 90’s in San Francisco, Dave Herlihy thought it’d be a good idea to throw a bi monthly event at different venues that not only catered to the hip hop crowd, but included all of the elements of hip hop culture. The events often married hip hop being spun on 5 turntables by two different DJ’s with emcees, spoken word artists, graf writers, visual artists and B Boys/B Girls. Future Primitive had a regular DJ named DJ Anna, but they often brought in the best and brightest DJ’s to perform at their shows.
In 1998, two CD’s were produced by Future Primitive, the first one being Cut Chemist of Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli and Shorkut of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz collaborating live on 5 turntables and the second being Z Trip and Radar from the crew Bombshelter DJ’s playing 20 years of hip hop records live on 5 turntables (it was 1998 at the time it was done). Both of these CD’s are great because they are both moments in hip hop history forever perserved in amber that can be revisited again and again.
The whole resurgence of interest in DJ/beat culture and underground hip hop that started out roughly 10 years ago in the post Telecommunications Act Era helped provide a much needed balance to the shiny suit wearing Bad Boys, fake thugs, dons and mafiosos with multiple AKA’s (didn’t Rae and Ghost tell y’all muthafuckas what NOT to do on “Shark Niggas (Biters)” on the purple tape? I swore I heard it!) that all popped out of the woodwork at the time...but it could’ve been worse I guess. They all still could’ve been rhyming like Das Efx, Fu-Schnickens and Treach. The whole turntable project run of Poisonous Paragraphs has now officially come to an end with these uploads. Next up, instrumental albums.
All uploaded albums are Zip files. For cover art, full tracklistings and more info, check http://www.discogs.com or do a regular Google search. Here are the links, enjoy ‘em:
Mr. Dibbs-Turntable Scientifics (1995/1998)
http://www.mediafire.com/?3zttqznmovy
Live At The Future Primitive Soundsessions Vol. 1-Cut Chemist Meets Shortkut (1998)
http://www.mediafire.com/?333ltmnockf
Live At The Future Primitive Soundsessions Vol. 2-Bombshelter DJ’s Z-Trip & Radar (1998)
http://www.mediafire.com/?8mhnzdwjd23
One.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Craze The Conqueror AKA Deciphiring The Riddle Of The Wheels Of Steel*
There once was a DJ named Craze who lived in Miami, for the first four years of his journey as a DJ he was more than happy with just mixing and spinning at parties and jams locally. Sometime during his fifth year as a DJ, he became intrigued with the creative allure of turntablism and threw himself into it with everything he had. The wide array of music that he was used to spinning and listening to growing up in the Miiami area helped him tremendously when he first immersed himself the world of body tricks, speed stratching, transforming, crabbing, beat juggling, manipulating the fader, and battle techniques. He immediately sought out the illest turntablists to practice with and help push him along and speed up his learning curve. With their collective information sharing, practices, experimentation and collaborations Craze took to turntablism like Neo did in theConstruct onceMorpheus began tutoring him on it’s inner workings (I know, I know...Matrix references are played out in 2007..step your keyboard game up!)
In a relatively short amount of time, Craze became a world class up and coming turntablist. His appearances on DJ Faust’s “Man Or Myth” and his collaboration with Faust and Shortee on the legendary “Fathomless EP” led to David Paul of Bomb Hip Hop Records signing DJ Craze to a deal for his own solo project. This was all before Craze threw his his hat into ring that is the DMC World Champoinships qualifier in 1998. Craze surprised many by blowing through each round of the DMC competition, he was like a man possesed on the decks. His manual dexterity, superior record selection, technical skill and natural instincts were a deadly combination. Once they were coupled with his inherent creativity , tireless work ethic and tight perfectly timed routines Craze was damn near unstoppable.
He appeared in the World Championship round and faced the greatest competition on the planet...and yoked all of his comp with the flying guillotine on his way to capturing the DMC World Championship in the face of what seemed like insurmountable odds. Much like a young Cassius Clay in his prime, Craze shocked the world...Little did the world know that they hadn’t seen shit yet.
Craze also entered the 1998 ITF Championships on a whim. It was damn near impossible to think that anyone that wasn’t named QBert, Mixmaster Mike, Rob Swift or Roc Raida could be expected to go against a collection of the greatest turntablists in the world and win two major battle championships in the SAME YEAR. DJ Craze was once again the underdog, it didn’t matter that he’d already stood up to the best and walked away with the DMC crown. He had to do it again to turn all the doubting Thomases and Thomasinas into believers.
Needless to say, an inspired Craze put all his competition into a big ass Cuisinart and pushed the “puree” button. The nimble Nicaraugan put together flawless set after flawless set as he dispatched each worthy adversary he faced. The greatest turntablists in the world got a chance to see him in the flesh...and get taken into the torture chamber every time his digits touched the decks. By the time the ITF World Championship round was done it was painfully obvious that Craze was the greatest in the world. He had done the impossible and unified the DMC and ITF Championships. He was The Last Dragon (he had The Glow!) and The One (He could manipulate The Matrix!) all at the same damn time. All hail to his hands! All hail Craze The Conqueror!
Craze was crowned as DMC and ITF World Champion on the heels of the birth of his daughter. Things could not be better for him, he was doing sold out shows, he was endorsing DJ equipment for major companies and he was appearing in magazines while his face graced the cover of DVD’s that were being sold and shipped all over the world. He was the new poster boy of turntablism, he fell back into his crew and support system (named The Allies) and began to record material for several upcoming projects. The first being his debut solo release on Bomb Hip Hop Records, entiled “Crazee Musick”.
Craze’s first solo album just scratched the surface of what he’d later be able to do with his turntables as he applied himself to the medium of recording. The album was mostly recorded at Craze’s home studio in Miiami with assistance from DJ Slyce and DJ Infamous. He came up with some routines on the fly and arranged and performed them to excellent effect. The album was released in early 1999 to capitalize off of Craze’s recent DMC and ITF wins...while the album did well it seemed to underwhelm most of the people who normally bought turntable CD’s. They expected more from the man who unified the turntablist belts (which was unfair due to the fact that heads like QBert, Mixmaster Mike, Roc Raida, Rob Swift, DJ Shadow, DJ Honda, DJ Disk, DJ Cam, DJ Vadim, DJ Faust, etc. all had more experience than Craze recording solo projects).
Craze did a collaboration later that same year with Push Button Objects (Edgar Farinas) as the group Ko-Wreck Technique. The result was the Ko-Wrecktion EP that was released on Chocolate Industries (12 Oz. Prophets record label). The 5 tracks included on this EP include a remix by Plaid and some brilliant work on the side of both contributors. PBO and Craze made the perfect blend of beats and turntable wizardry and Craze clearly began to come into his own as a composer and arranger in regards to making a complete recording.
Inbetween making music, Craze successfully defended his DMC crown in 1999 (he declined to defend the ITF title because he felt the ITF did a bad job in taking care of their DJ’s). Craze also concentrated on tightening up his circle and his crew (The Allies) featured an imposing lineup of J-Smoke, Spictackular, Develop, Infamous, A-Trak (former DMC World Champion & member of ISP) and Craze (later Klever would be put down as well). Naut Humon offered the crew the opportunity to do a project on Asphodel Records. In 2000, The Allies recorded the impressive “D-Day” EP that featured solo tracks for each member along with three team routines (“D-Day”, “Live Session I” & “Live Session II”) and appearances from Dave 1 (drum programming on “All Hail To My Hands”), and emcee Mayhem (he spit rhymes on “Gotcha Covered”). This EP was a prime example of how far Craze had come as a turntablist and an artist in the span of less than 2 years.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Craze came back in 2000 and won his 3rd straight DMC World Championship, a feat that had never happened before and is a very tall task for anyone to ever duplicate. Props, respect, reverence and fear are all Craze’s as he has figured out the riddle of the wheels of steel...the flesh is weak, but it is the mind which controls the flesh that in turn weilds the steel. With that understanding, one could conquer all those who oppose him and rule the world.
I have uploaded Craze’s Bomb Hip Hop debut “Crazee Musick”, his Push Button Objects collabo project as Ko-Wreck Technique “Ko-Wrecktion EP” and his Asphodel release with The Allies “D-Day EP”. All are available to download for your listening pleasure just below...you know how I do.
*For those that don’t know, the title of this entry references the Conan legends from Marvel/Epic Comics that were later popularized by Dino DeLaurentis and Arnold Schwartzenegger in film (and summarily shit on past the first joint of the series).
All uploaded albums are Zip files. For cover art, full tracklistings and more info, check http://www.discogs.com or do a regular Google search. Here are the links, enjoy ‘em:
Craze-Crazee Musick (1999)
http://www.mediafire.com/?2ndmmoemuoz
Ko-Wreck Technique (Push Button Objects & DJ Craze)-Ko-Wrecktion EP (1999)
http://www.mediafire.com/?1zmtmqjogzt
The Allies-D-Day EP (2000)
http://www.mediafire.com/?cgczdd0bytj
One.
In a relatively short amount of time, Craze became a world class up and coming turntablist. His appearances on DJ Faust’s “Man Or Myth” and his collaboration with Faust and Shortee on the legendary “Fathomless EP” led to David Paul of Bomb Hip Hop Records signing DJ Craze to a deal for his own solo project. This was all before Craze threw his his hat into ring that is the DMC World Champoinships qualifier in 1998. Craze surprised many by blowing through each round of the DMC competition, he was like a man possesed on the decks. His manual dexterity, superior record selection, technical skill and natural instincts were a deadly combination. Once they were coupled with his inherent creativity , tireless work ethic and tight perfectly timed routines Craze was damn near unstoppable.
He appeared in the World Championship round and faced the greatest competition on the planet...and yoked all of his comp with the flying guillotine on his way to capturing the DMC World Championship in the face of what seemed like insurmountable odds. Much like a young Cassius Clay in his prime, Craze shocked the world...Little did the world know that they hadn’t seen shit yet.
Craze also entered the 1998 ITF Championships on a whim. It was damn near impossible to think that anyone that wasn’t named QBert, Mixmaster Mike, Rob Swift or Roc Raida could be expected to go against a collection of the greatest turntablists in the world and win two major battle championships in the SAME YEAR. DJ Craze was once again the underdog, it didn’t matter that he’d already stood up to the best and walked away with the DMC crown. He had to do it again to turn all the doubting Thomases and Thomasinas into believers.
Needless to say, an inspired Craze put all his competition into a big ass Cuisinart and pushed the “puree” button. The nimble Nicaraugan put together flawless set after flawless set as he dispatched each worthy adversary he faced. The greatest turntablists in the world got a chance to see him in the flesh...and get taken into the torture chamber every time his digits touched the decks. By the time the ITF World Championship round was done it was painfully obvious that Craze was the greatest in the world. He had done the impossible and unified the DMC and ITF Championships. He was The Last Dragon (he had The Glow!) and The One (He could manipulate The Matrix!) all at the same damn time. All hail to his hands! All hail Craze The Conqueror!
Craze was crowned as DMC and ITF World Champion on the heels of the birth of his daughter. Things could not be better for him, he was doing sold out shows, he was endorsing DJ equipment for major companies and he was appearing in magazines while his face graced the cover of DVD’s that were being sold and shipped all over the world. He was the new poster boy of turntablism, he fell back into his crew and support system (named The Allies) and began to record material for several upcoming projects. The first being his debut solo release on Bomb Hip Hop Records, entiled “Crazee Musick”.
Craze’s first solo album just scratched the surface of what he’d later be able to do with his turntables as he applied himself to the medium of recording. The album was mostly recorded at Craze’s home studio in Miiami with assistance from DJ Slyce and DJ Infamous. He came up with some routines on the fly and arranged and performed them to excellent effect. The album was released in early 1999 to capitalize off of Craze’s recent DMC and ITF wins...while the album did well it seemed to underwhelm most of the people who normally bought turntable CD’s. They expected more from the man who unified the turntablist belts (which was unfair due to the fact that heads like QBert, Mixmaster Mike, Roc Raida, Rob Swift, DJ Shadow, DJ Honda, DJ Disk, DJ Cam, DJ Vadim, DJ Faust, etc. all had more experience than Craze recording solo projects).
Craze did a collaboration later that same year with Push Button Objects (Edgar Farinas) as the group Ko-Wreck Technique. The result was the Ko-Wrecktion EP that was released on Chocolate Industries (12 Oz. Prophets record label). The 5 tracks included on this EP include a remix by Plaid and some brilliant work on the side of both contributors. PBO and Craze made the perfect blend of beats and turntable wizardry and Craze clearly began to come into his own as a composer and arranger in regards to making a complete recording.
Inbetween making music, Craze successfully defended his DMC crown in 1999 (he declined to defend the ITF title because he felt the ITF did a bad job in taking care of their DJ’s). Craze also concentrated on tightening up his circle and his crew (The Allies) featured an imposing lineup of J-Smoke, Spictackular, Develop, Infamous, A-Trak (former DMC World Champion & member of ISP) and Craze (later Klever would be put down as well). Naut Humon offered the crew the opportunity to do a project on Asphodel Records. In 2000, The Allies recorded the impressive “D-Day” EP that featured solo tracks for each member along with three team routines (“D-Day”, “Live Session I” & “Live Session II”) and appearances from Dave 1 (drum programming on “All Hail To My Hands”), and emcee Mayhem (he spit rhymes on “Gotcha Covered”). This EP was a prime example of how far Craze had come as a turntablist and an artist in the span of less than 2 years.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Craze came back in 2000 and won his 3rd straight DMC World Championship, a feat that had never happened before and is a very tall task for anyone to ever duplicate. Props, respect, reverence and fear are all Craze’s as he has figured out the riddle of the wheels of steel...the flesh is weak, but it is the mind which controls the flesh that in turn weilds the steel. With that understanding, one could conquer all those who oppose him and rule the world.
I have uploaded Craze’s Bomb Hip Hop debut “Crazee Musick”, his Push Button Objects collabo project as Ko-Wreck Technique “Ko-Wrecktion EP” and his Asphodel release with The Allies “D-Day EP”. All are available to download for your listening pleasure just below...you know how I do.
*For those that don’t know, the title of this entry references the Conan legends from Marvel/Epic Comics that were later popularized by Dino DeLaurentis and Arnold Schwartzenegger in film (and summarily shit on past the first joint of the series).
All uploaded albums are Zip files. For cover art, full tracklistings and more info, check http://www.discogs.com or do a regular Google search. Here are the links, enjoy ‘em:
Craze-Crazee Musick (1999)
http://www.mediafire.com/?2ndmmoemuoz
Ko-Wreck Technique (Push Button Objects & DJ Craze)-Ko-Wrecktion EP (1999)
http://www.mediafire.com/?1zmtmqjogzt
The Allies-D-Day EP (2000)
http://www.mediafire.com/?cgczdd0bytj
One.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
My Personal Take On The Sacred Medium That Is Film AKA Dartflix Edition #9
Now that the whole “award tour” season is over we can get back to normal as far as the world of movies is concerned. This year there was no real serious social film to impact how people thought and guilt them into voting for it like “Crash” did last year (unless you count Al Gore’s doc “An Inconvnenient Truth”...how else did it produce the Best Song winner when “Showgirls was nominated with multiple ones?). I didn’t expect Eddie Murphy (“Dreamgirls”) or Djimon Honsou (“Blood Diamond”) to beat out Alan Arkin (“Little Miiss Sunshine”) for Best Supporting Actor (Don’t these people watch the Independent Spirit Awards?)..I suspect Eddie won’t receive an award from the Academy until they present him with a lifetime achievement award a la Ennio Morricone. The Jennifer Hudson (“Dreamgirls”) and Helen Mirren (“The Queen") wins weren’t big surprises either.
My curiousity has been piqued by all this “Pan’s Labyrinth” talk (and them winning everything under the damn sun), could it really be as good as advertised? I was convinced that Forrest Whitaker would take Best Actor for “The Last King Of Scotland” and that Scorsese would take Best Director for “The Departed” (it’s about damn time!), but I do have mixed feelings about it winning Best Movie. Being a black Bostonian is frustrating because there are very few people you can point to from the Boston, MA minority community that “made it” the same way other people from the Boston/MA area can. You could make a long ass list of celebrities, comedians, writers and directors form the MA area...but VERY FEW with any melanin. This ensures that the films that get made about Boston rarely represents the full experience of living in this city...just one side (the same side they always show).
I have people from other parts of the country e-mail me constantly with questions like “How canyou live in such a racist city?” or “How come there are no Black/Latinos in Boston?” This is actually FAR from the truth, the problem is that we aren’t actively working on getting OUR stories out to balance out all of the other “Boston” movies like “The Friends Of Eddie Coyle”, “Blown Away”, “Southie”, “Boondock Saints”, “Celtic Pride”, “Fever Pitch”, “Mystic River”, “Spartan”, “Monument Ave”, “What’s The Worst Thing That Could Happen”, “Next Stop Wonderland” and “Good Will Hunting” which all marginalize the existance of anyone in Boston that ISN’T Irish or Italian...and I suspect the upcoming “Gone Daddy Gone” will lean along the same lines as well...don’t even get me started on TV!
Why hasn’t my city produced a Spike Lee type (or types) to actually make accurate depictions of what life is like in the city of Boston yet (“Blue Hill Avenue” doesn’t count)? We have an overabundance of schools, resources and programs in Boston...so why aren’t the kids that would make these type of films in the future given access to them? Everyone doesn’t have a goddamn “pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd” accent (and if you find a brother with one in the city take it as a sign of the impending Apocalypse). Last but not least, who in the fuck did Jack Nicholson think he was banning people from wearing Celtics gear on the set of “The Departed”? In Boston? He couldn’t have pulled that shit in Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan or the South End...heads wouldn’t have gone for it. The only people that were making Boston movies were Khari Streeter and DeMane Davis (“Black, White And Red All Over” and “Lift”)...they haven’t made a movie in six years! That’s enough ranting from me, onto other issues:
I could swear that the upcoming movie “The Last Mimzy” sorta reminds me of a Ray Bradbury short story called “Zero Hour”. Speaking of Bradbury, where the hell is the film adaptation of “Fahreheit 451”? I’ve been hearing the project being tossed around in Hollywood since 1999! My final question is why can’t I find La Haine (FR), Kidulthood (UK), or Guy Ritchie’s last film Revolver (UK) available anywhere for rental or purchase but I can EASILY get a new joint from Korea, China or Japan? Shouldn’t it bethe other way around? Anyways, on to the list.
Dart’s Three Trailers Of The Week (2/25/07-3/3/07)
Reign Over Me
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490204/trailers
1408
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450385/trailers
Disturbia
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486822/trailers
More Netflix releases to consider putting on your queue now:
Threat (It took years to make and another 6 to make it to DVD)
Wassup Rockers
Sorry, Haters
The Dead Girl
American Gun
Man Push Cart
Born Into Brothels
Stephanie Daley
Pan’s Labyrinth
Close To Home
Volver
November
Blood Diamond
The Curse Of The Golden Flower
Letters From Iwo Jima
The Queen
Lilya 4 Ever
An Inconvenient Truth
Dexter (Season 1)
London
Micheal Collins
The Illusionist
The Prestige (they’re different..I swear)
An Unreasonable Man
Lost In La Mancha
Dart’s Picks For The Week:
A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints- Adapted from the book of the same name for the screen by the original author (a rareity nowadays). This coming of age tale set in 1986 Queens switches to the present day to give the story a completely different dimension as the author comes homes to the same place he wrote about in the fact based book about his upbringing. Great performances from Shia LaBeouf, Channing Tatum, Melodie Diaz, Robert Downey and Rosario Dawson.
A Scanner Darkly- Also adapted for the screen from the Phillip K. Dick story of the same name. This film was definitely not made to appeal to the mainstream and it might end up falling into the cult hit department along with films like Blade Runner, Fight Club, Brazil, 12 Monkeys and Donnie Darko. I was impressed with how well the film was made, if you don’t have the subtitles on you might miss key plot points, though. The computer generated animation also helped to alienate audiences.
Thank You For Not Smoking-This was a well written and well acted film from top to bottom. It managed to humanize characters that most films/writers would paint as absolutely evil and manages to make them somewhat likeable. If you haven’t seen it yet, do so soon.
Dart’s WTF? Award/Watch This Bullshit At Your Own Risk:
The Marine- Anyone that has high expectations for an actioner starring a member of the WWE simply isn’t that bright...This was even worse than I anticipated, though (and I had LOW expectations going in).
Idiocracy-This movie had the potential to be really good, however horrible execution stifled some great ideas in a movie that tried too damn hard to be a satire/smart stupid comedy. Mike Judge normally comes better than this, I was dissapointed that he couldn’t bridge the idea of the systematic dumbing down of America with corporations invading every facet of American life. The studio decided to stifle this movie by not promoting it or screening it for critics. I thought they did it because they felt the movie was too subversive...nah, it was because it just sucked really badly.
One.
My curiousity has been piqued by all this “Pan’s Labyrinth” talk (and them winning everything under the damn sun), could it really be as good as advertised? I was convinced that Forrest Whitaker would take Best Actor for “The Last King Of Scotland” and that Scorsese would take Best Director for “The Departed” (it’s about damn time!), but I do have mixed feelings about it winning Best Movie. Being a black Bostonian is frustrating because there are very few people you can point to from the Boston, MA minority community that “made it” the same way other people from the Boston/MA area can. You could make a long ass list of celebrities, comedians, writers and directors form the MA area...but VERY FEW with any melanin. This ensures that the films that get made about Boston rarely represents the full experience of living in this city...just one side (the same side they always show).
I have people from other parts of the country e-mail me constantly with questions like “How canyou live in such a racist city?” or “How come there are no Black/Latinos in Boston?” This is actually FAR from the truth, the problem is that we aren’t actively working on getting OUR stories out to balance out all of the other “Boston” movies like “The Friends Of Eddie Coyle”, “Blown Away”, “Southie”, “Boondock Saints”, “Celtic Pride”, “Fever Pitch”, “Mystic River”, “Spartan”, “Monument Ave”, “What’s The Worst Thing That Could Happen”, “Next Stop Wonderland” and “Good Will Hunting” which all marginalize the existance of anyone in Boston that ISN’T Irish or Italian...and I suspect the upcoming “Gone Daddy Gone” will lean along the same lines as well...don’t even get me started on TV!
Why hasn’t my city produced a Spike Lee type (or types) to actually make accurate depictions of what life is like in the city of Boston yet (“Blue Hill Avenue” doesn’t count)? We have an overabundance of schools, resources and programs in Boston...so why aren’t the kids that would make these type of films in the future given access to them? Everyone doesn’t have a goddamn “pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd” accent (and if you find a brother with one in the city take it as a sign of the impending Apocalypse). Last but not least, who in the fuck did Jack Nicholson think he was banning people from wearing Celtics gear on the set of “The Departed”? In Boston? He couldn’t have pulled that shit in Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan or the South End...heads wouldn’t have gone for it. The only people that were making Boston movies were Khari Streeter and DeMane Davis (“Black, White And Red All Over” and “Lift”)...they haven’t made a movie in six years! That’s enough ranting from me, onto other issues:
I could swear that the upcoming movie “The Last Mimzy” sorta reminds me of a Ray Bradbury short story called “Zero Hour”. Speaking of Bradbury, where the hell is the film adaptation of “Fahreheit 451”? I’ve been hearing the project being tossed around in Hollywood since 1999! My final question is why can’t I find La Haine (FR), Kidulthood (UK), or Guy Ritchie’s last film Revolver (UK) available anywhere for rental or purchase but I can EASILY get a new joint from Korea, China or Japan? Shouldn’t it bethe other way around? Anyways, on to the list.
Dart’s Three Trailers Of The Week (2/25/07-3/3/07)
Reign Over Me
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490204/trailers
1408
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450385/trailers
Disturbia
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486822/trailers
More Netflix releases to consider putting on your queue now:
Threat (It took years to make and another 6 to make it to DVD)
Wassup Rockers
Sorry, Haters
The Dead Girl
American Gun
Man Push Cart
Born Into Brothels
Stephanie Daley
Pan’s Labyrinth
Close To Home
Volver
November
Blood Diamond
The Curse Of The Golden Flower
Letters From Iwo Jima
The Queen
Lilya 4 Ever
An Inconvenient Truth
Dexter (Season 1)
London
Micheal Collins
The Illusionist
The Prestige (they’re different..I swear)
An Unreasonable Man
Lost In La Mancha
Dart’s Picks For The Week:
A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints- Adapted from the book of the same name for the screen by the original author (a rareity nowadays). This coming of age tale set in 1986 Queens switches to the present day to give the story a completely different dimension as the author comes homes to the same place he wrote about in the fact based book about his upbringing. Great performances from Shia LaBeouf, Channing Tatum, Melodie Diaz, Robert Downey and Rosario Dawson.
A Scanner Darkly- Also adapted for the screen from the Phillip K. Dick story of the same name. This film was definitely not made to appeal to the mainstream and it might end up falling into the cult hit department along with films like Blade Runner, Fight Club, Brazil, 12 Monkeys and Donnie Darko. I was impressed with how well the film was made, if you don’t have the subtitles on you might miss key plot points, though. The computer generated animation also helped to alienate audiences.
Thank You For Not Smoking-This was a well written and well acted film from top to bottom. It managed to humanize characters that most films/writers would paint as absolutely evil and manages to make them somewhat likeable. If you haven’t seen it yet, do so soon.
Dart’s WTF? Award/Watch This Bullshit At Your Own Risk:
The Marine- Anyone that has high expectations for an actioner starring a member of the WWE simply isn’t that bright...This was even worse than I anticipated, though (and I had LOW expectations going in).
Idiocracy-This movie had the potential to be really good, however horrible execution stifled some great ideas in a movie that tried too damn hard to be a satire/smart stupid comedy. Mike Judge normally comes better than this, I was dissapointed that he couldn’t bridge the idea of the systematic dumbing down of America with corporations invading every facet of American life. The studio decided to stifle this movie by not promoting it or screening it for critics. I thought they did it because they felt the movie was too subversive...nah, it was because it just sucked really badly.
One.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
The Story Of Bomb Hip Hop And The Citizens Of The Third World
David Paul at Bomb Hip Hop Records is a damn genius. He started up Bomb Hip Hop Magazine to give shine to the Bay Area hip hop scene back in 1990. He even included these plexidisc hip hop compilations in his magazines starting in 1992, among these recordings were early production work from Peanut Butter Wolf (with Charizma) and Dan the Automator (Bohemoth). In 1994, David Paul decided to abandon the magazine to devote more time to the store he opened a year previously and start up a label.
He put someone else in charge and he rifled through submitted demo material to make a compilation for the labels initial release. He ended up selecting tracks by Jigmastas, Homeliss Derelix, Blackalicious and Madchild (Swollen Members) and calling it simply the “Bomb Hip Hop Compilation”. It was well recieved when it was released in the summer of 1994 and it sold an excess of 8,000 copies locally with minimal promotion. The money generated from the sales of the compilation never made it to David as the guy he chose to run the label made off with all of the cash. Dave realized at that moment that he had to take matters into his own hands for the next Bomb Hip Hop release.
All of the contacts that David Paul had made at Bomb Hip Hop Magazine (which boasted regular contributors like Billy Jam, Dave Tompkins, DJ Shadow, himself and the legendary former head of Hollywood Basic Records Dave “Funken” Klein (R.I.P.)), the DJ’s he knew in the Bay Area and California as a whole and the people that frequented his store all gave him an idea...he should make a compilation that features the DJ.
He had also witnessed firsthand the phasing out of the DJ in hip hop as emcees and groups began touring and performing shows to cued up DAT’s while tuntablists such as the Beat Junkies, West Coast Rock Steady DJ’s, DJ Shadow, etc. were stretching the boundaries of what hip hop considered a DJ to be...just some random guy that spins records and occasionally scratches them.
He reached out to DJ’s worldwide and assembled an impressive lineup for his next compilation and called it “Return Of The DJ”. It was released a year later than the label’s initial release and sold a total of 5,000 copies. When David approached hip hop publications and retailers with the project they had no idea how to take it or what to do with it...to be fair it was 1995. David Paul, much like the turntablists on his compilation was simply years ahead of his own time (so ahead of his time that he also signed RJD2 before he recorded for Def Jux and DJ Craze before he even won both the DMC and ITF World Championships).
It took about two years before the X-Ecutioners and the Invisibl Skratch Piklz helped to jumpstart the new interest in the DJ. Bomb Hip Hop Records was there in early 1997 with the second installment of the “Return Of The DJ” series. This time music publications were on board and fans were receptive to the project. It was reviewed in both underground and mainstream hip hop/urban music publications as well as mainstream music mags like Entertainment Weekly, Spin and Rolling Stone.
The breakout success of “Return Of The DJ Vol. 2” allowed Dave to reissue the first edition, which did well in it’s second life as a new audience rediscovered this two year old classic. Shortly afterwards, Bay Area music writer Dave Tompkins who previously worked with Dave Paul at Bomb Hip Hop Magazine referred him to a tuntablist by the name of DJ Faust...here begins the story of the DJ crew called the Third World Citizens.
DJ Faust is originally from Atlanta and repped two crews, the Third World Citizens (later they were just called The Citizenz) and Space Kadets Collective. His turntable techniques and unique knack for arranging routines caught the ear of David Paul when he called him and heard one of his tracks on his answering machine. Paul was so blown away that he had Faust change very little of his initial compositions made in his makeshift home studio comprising an “8 track audio recorder, 2 tuntables and a beat up MTX mixer” as Faust says in the liner notes of the CD. While this album has 27 different selections featurning his crew members DJ Shotgun, future world champion and collaborator DJ Craze and future wife and collaborator DJ Shortee, the album was mixed into one continuous 63 minute track and released on Bomb Hip Hop Records in mid 1998.
The album was reviewed in underground hip hop publications like Stress, Elemental, Subculture, Hip Hop Connection and Mass Appeal and it did quite well. That same fall, Bomb Hip Hop released the vinyl only seven track “Fathomless EP” featuring DJ Faust, DJ Shortee, and DJ Craze. This project helped raise the profile of all three DJ’s (Craze would later go on and conquer both the DMC and ITF and start up a new crew called The Allies...but that is another story).
In summer 1999, DJ Faust released his second album “Inward Journeys”and shortened the crew’s name to The Citizenz (DJ’s T Rock, Shortee & Root). This project was a concept album featuring 25 arrangements that went through four diferent stages, Fire, Wind, Water and Earth. Faust moved to a proper studio set up to record this project and the covert art, layout and CD art design was done by Shortee. That same fall, DC native Shortee released her premier album “The Dreamer”. The entire 16 track project is self produced, conceptualized and arranged by Shortee herself. This turntable able is one of the more listenable turntable projects as it’s accesible to people to aren’t even diehard scratch fanatics, this is due to the diversity and overall musical feel of the album.
Shortly after the release of these two albums, DJ Faust and Shortee announced that they were engaged to be married to no surprise of the hip hop community. These two are the among the most well known underground hip hop soulmates since the grafitti worlds union of Sane Smith and Lady Pink, the B Boy/B Girl union of Kwikstep and Rockafella and the emcee/femcee union of Young Zee and Rah Digga. Today, I have uploaded DJ Faust’s first two projects on Bomb Hip Hop as well as Shortee’s solo debut. You already know what to do, people.
All uploaded albums are Zip files. For cover art, full tracklistings and more info, check http://www.discogs.com or do a regular Google search. Here are the links, enjoy ‘em:
DJ Faust- Man Or Myth? (1998)
http://www.mediafire.com/?5ltmm4zgmzm
DJ Faust-Inward Journeys (1999)
http://www.mediafire.com/?1brwicynoo4
Shortee-The Dreamer (1999)
http://www.mediafire.com/?5qoyqjmjnjd
One.
He put someone else in charge and he rifled through submitted demo material to make a compilation for the labels initial release. He ended up selecting tracks by Jigmastas, Homeliss Derelix, Blackalicious and Madchild (Swollen Members) and calling it simply the “Bomb Hip Hop Compilation”. It was well recieved when it was released in the summer of 1994 and it sold an excess of 8,000 copies locally with minimal promotion. The money generated from the sales of the compilation never made it to David as the guy he chose to run the label made off with all of the cash. Dave realized at that moment that he had to take matters into his own hands for the next Bomb Hip Hop release.
All of the contacts that David Paul had made at Bomb Hip Hop Magazine (which boasted regular contributors like Billy Jam, Dave Tompkins, DJ Shadow, himself and the legendary former head of Hollywood Basic Records Dave “Funken” Klein (R.I.P.)), the DJ’s he knew in the Bay Area and California as a whole and the people that frequented his store all gave him an idea...he should make a compilation that features the DJ.
He had also witnessed firsthand the phasing out of the DJ in hip hop as emcees and groups began touring and performing shows to cued up DAT’s while tuntablists such as the Beat Junkies, West Coast Rock Steady DJ’s, DJ Shadow, etc. were stretching the boundaries of what hip hop considered a DJ to be...just some random guy that spins records and occasionally scratches them.
He reached out to DJ’s worldwide and assembled an impressive lineup for his next compilation and called it “Return Of The DJ”. It was released a year later than the label’s initial release and sold a total of 5,000 copies. When David approached hip hop publications and retailers with the project they had no idea how to take it or what to do with it...to be fair it was 1995. David Paul, much like the turntablists on his compilation was simply years ahead of his own time (so ahead of his time that he also signed RJD2 before he recorded for Def Jux and DJ Craze before he even won both the DMC and ITF World Championships).
It took about two years before the X-Ecutioners and the Invisibl Skratch Piklz helped to jumpstart the new interest in the DJ. Bomb Hip Hop Records was there in early 1997 with the second installment of the “Return Of The DJ” series. This time music publications were on board and fans were receptive to the project. It was reviewed in both underground and mainstream hip hop/urban music publications as well as mainstream music mags like Entertainment Weekly, Spin and Rolling Stone.
The breakout success of “Return Of The DJ Vol. 2” allowed Dave to reissue the first edition, which did well in it’s second life as a new audience rediscovered this two year old classic. Shortly afterwards, Bay Area music writer Dave Tompkins who previously worked with Dave Paul at Bomb Hip Hop Magazine referred him to a tuntablist by the name of DJ Faust...here begins the story of the DJ crew called the Third World Citizens.
DJ Faust is originally from Atlanta and repped two crews, the Third World Citizens (later they were just called The Citizenz) and Space Kadets Collective. His turntable techniques and unique knack for arranging routines caught the ear of David Paul when he called him and heard one of his tracks on his answering machine. Paul was so blown away that he had Faust change very little of his initial compositions made in his makeshift home studio comprising an “8 track audio recorder, 2 tuntables and a beat up MTX mixer” as Faust says in the liner notes of the CD. While this album has 27 different selections featurning his crew members DJ Shotgun, future world champion and collaborator DJ Craze and future wife and collaborator DJ Shortee, the album was mixed into one continuous 63 minute track and released on Bomb Hip Hop Records in mid 1998.
The album was reviewed in underground hip hop publications like Stress, Elemental, Subculture, Hip Hop Connection and Mass Appeal and it did quite well. That same fall, Bomb Hip Hop released the vinyl only seven track “Fathomless EP” featuring DJ Faust, DJ Shortee, and DJ Craze. This project helped raise the profile of all three DJ’s (Craze would later go on and conquer both the DMC and ITF and start up a new crew called The Allies...but that is another story).
In summer 1999, DJ Faust released his second album “Inward Journeys”and shortened the crew’s name to The Citizenz (DJ’s T Rock, Shortee & Root). This project was a concept album featuring 25 arrangements that went through four diferent stages, Fire, Wind, Water and Earth. Faust moved to a proper studio set up to record this project and the covert art, layout and CD art design was done by Shortee. That same fall, DC native Shortee released her premier album “The Dreamer”. The entire 16 track project is self produced, conceptualized and arranged by Shortee herself. This turntable able is one of the more listenable turntable projects as it’s accesible to people to aren’t even diehard scratch fanatics, this is due to the diversity and overall musical feel of the album.
Shortly after the release of these two albums, DJ Faust and Shortee announced that they were engaged to be married to no surprise of the hip hop community. These two are the among the most well known underground hip hop soulmates since the grafitti worlds union of Sane Smith and Lady Pink, the B Boy/B Girl union of Kwikstep and Rockafella and the emcee/femcee union of Young Zee and Rah Digga. Today, I have uploaded DJ Faust’s first two projects on Bomb Hip Hop as well as Shortee’s solo debut. You already know what to do, people.
All uploaded albums are Zip files. For cover art, full tracklistings and more info, check http://www.discogs.com or do a regular Google search. Here are the links, enjoy ‘em:
DJ Faust- Man Or Myth? (1998)
http://www.mediafire.com/?5ltmm4zgmzm
DJ Faust-Inward Journeys (1999)
http://www.mediafire.com/?1brwicynoo4
Shortee-The Dreamer (1999)
http://www.mediafire.com/?5qoyqjmjnjd
One.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Invisibl Men
Back in the late 80’s to the late 90’s, there was a collection of turntablists in Cali that used to meet in various bedrooms, basements and recording studios to practice beatjuggling, develop unorthodox stratch techniques, find/create new sounds, perform complex body tricks, blend strange recordsin hope of discovering something new, and rehearse these flawless and highly technical routines on multiple turntables for hours on end. There were many DJ’s but there were much fewer turntablists. There were several turntablists but few elite ones... these crazy mothafuckas were the elite of the elite.
At first they were called the West Coast Rock Steady Crew DJ’s. They were so dominant, ahead of their time and in their own worlds that in 1995 the governing body of the DMC asked that DJ’sQBert and Mixmaster Mike retire from competion at their events due to the fact that they had taken the titles the four previous years by such a wide margin that competing DJ’s didn’t wanna step up front and body themselves. They still appeared in future DMC’s...as judges and to do exhibitions and demos.
Their ranks had swelled over the years and their membership boasted an impressive roster of deck demons such as DJ Quest, DJ 8 Ball, DJ Yoga Frog, DJ Disk, DJ D Styles, DJ Flare, DJ Apollo, DJ Cuts, DJ A Trak, DJ Shortkut, Mixmaster Mike and DJ QBert . They have a rather extensive list of credits as well. Individual members contributed scratches to several classic hip hop projects. They used to blow peoples minds with their innovative routines in tours, exhibitions and showcases.
They branched out and sold scratch mixtapes on their website while performing for years on a pirate radio show called the The Shiggar Fraggar Show from 1994 to 1996. They recorded five 90 minute turntable mixtapes for Hip Hop Slam out in Oakland, the final show they did in May 1996 is the source material for the 1998 Hip Hop Slam Records release “The Shiggar Fraggar Show!” that I uploaded from my own crates. This album features appearances from show hosts DJ’s Cue and Killahoe, emcee U.B. , DJ Shortkut, DJ Apollo, DJ Disk, Mixmaster Mike and DJ QBert.
These DJ’s were collectively known as the Invisibl Skratch Piklz. The mere utterance of that name struck fear in the hearts of battle DJ’s and anticipation in the fans that came to see what these turntable terrorists were gonna do next. They were so ahead of their time that the question was “What’s left for them to do?” “Who can stand on a stage with them and not get chopped up?” In 1997 the ITF brought out the only crew on Earth that could match their wizardry on the decks to battle them, The X-Ecutioners.
The battle was a watershed moment and the fallout from seeing these two great crews of DJ’s pulling out all of the stops helped the art of turntablism receive more attention than it had in years. Now electronic music based indie labels such as Asphodel, Bomb Hip Hop, Ninja Tune, Axiom and Om Records were appraoaching the top turntablists in hip hop to record their genius so the world could be exposed to it. Soon, DMC and ITF qualifiers and compilations of past World Championship videos began to fly off shelves and sell in record numbers through hip hop mailorder companies.
Turntables became the most popular selling items in music stores and a new wave of seminal albums by turntablist were now on the market, among them were the Invisibl Skratch Piklz initial Asphodel Records release “Invisibl Skratch Piklz vs. Da Klamz Uv Deth”. It and the X-Executioners “X-pressions” helped reshape the way turntablists were veiwed in hip hop culture.
DJ QBert began to step his business game up (with assistance from Yoga Frog) and started his own label, Galactic Butt Hair Records (these cats come up with the weirdest names for shit). He envisioned a concept album in which an entire story would be told from beginning to end using records, samples and manipulating sounds with turntables. To add an extra dimension to it, QBert not only came up with the concept and story but he orchestrated and composed all of the sounds, music and scratches on the project but he wanted there to be an animated feature to go along with the album itself (this was years before Daft Punk and Toei Studios created “Instellar 555” which if you haven’t seen yet..I don’t know what to tell you).
DJ QBert enlisted his fellow ISP members along with bassist Buckethead and 5th Platoon ‘s master manipulator of the crossfader Vinroc (I’ve overdone it with the alliteration and switched up to rhyming). The album and animated feature film “Wave Twisters”both were well received and critically acclaimed. The film is still sometimes shown on the Sundance and IFC Film Channels. I uploaded a copy of the 1998 release for the readers of this blogs listening pleasure as well.
Not too long afterwards, the Invisibl Skratch Piklz decided it would be best to call it a wrap as a crew (they’d done enough damage!). They had some farewell shows and exhibitions at major hip hop events (that were taped and sold mad copies...the DVD format was brand spanking new as well!) and everyone got to give these DJ’s the proper respect and the send off they deserved. The DJ was at one point the backbone of hip hop culture joint as well as the focal point of the hip hop crew...emcees used to beg DJ’s to get on. DJ’s would hold auditions for emcees to join THEIR crews. The music industry turned the culture upside down and made the emcee the focus...Crews like ISP made it so hip hoppers worldwide realized not to take the DJ for granted ever again.
All uploaded albums are Zip files. For cover art, full tracklistings and more info, check http://www.discogs.com or do a regular Google search. Here are the links, enjoy ‘em:
Invisible Skratch Piklz-The Shiggar Fraggar Show! (1998)
http://www.mediafire.com/?fojzqmookbx
DJ QBert-Wave Twisters (1998)
http://www.mediafire.com/?13izzizjijt
One.
At first they were called the West Coast Rock Steady Crew DJ’s. They were so dominant, ahead of their time and in their own worlds that in 1995 the governing body of the DMC asked that DJ’sQBert and Mixmaster Mike retire from competion at their events due to the fact that they had taken the titles the four previous years by such a wide margin that competing DJ’s didn’t wanna step up front and body themselves. They still appeared in future DMC’s...as judges and to do exhibitions and demos.
Their ranks had swelled over the years and their membership boasted an impressive roster of deck demons such as DJ Quest, DJ 8 Ball, DJ Yoga Frog, DJ Disk, DJ D Styles, DJ Flare, DJ Apollo, DJ Cuts, DJ A Trak, DJ Shortkut, Mixmaster Mike and DJ QBert . They have a rather extensive list of credits as well. Individual members contributed scratches to several classic hip hop projects. They used to blow peoples minds with their innovative routines in tours, exhibitions and showcases.
They branched out and sold scratch mixtapes on their website while performing for years on a pirate radio show called the The Shiggar Fraggar Show from 1994 to 1996. They recorded five 90 minute turntable mixtapes for Hip Hop Slam out in Oakland, the final show they did in May 1996 is the source material for the 1998 Hip Hop Slam Records release “The Shiggar Fraggar Show!” that I uploaded from my own crates. This album features appearances from show hosts DJ’s Cue and Killahoe, emcee U.B. , DJ Shortkut, DJ Apollo, DJ Disk, Mixmaster Mike and DJ QBert.
These DJ’s were collectively known as the Invisibl Skratch Piklz. The mere utterance of that name struck fear in the hearts of battle DJ’s and anticipation in the fans that came to see what these turntable terrorists were gonna do next. They were so ahead of their time that the question was “What’s left for them to do?” “Who can stand on a stage with them and not get chopped up?” In 1997 the ITF brought out the only crew on Earth that could match their wizardry on the decks to battle them, The X-Ecutioners.
The battle was a watershed moment and the fallout from seeing these two great crews of DJ’s pulling out all of the stops helped the art of turntablism receive more attention than it had in years. Now electronic music based indie labels such as Asphodel, Bomb Hip Hop, Ninja Tune, Axiom and Om Records were appraoaching the top turntablists in hip hop to record their genius so the world could be exposed to it. Soon, DMC and ITF qualifiers and compilations of past World Championship videos began to fly off shelves and sell in record numbers through hip hop mailorder companies.
Turntables became the most popular selling items in music stores and a new wave of seminal albums by turntablist were now on the market, among them were the Invisibl Skratch Piklz initial Asphodel Records release “Invisibl Skratch Piklz vs. Da Klamz Uv Deth”. It and the X-Executioners “X-pressions” helped reshape the way turntablists were veiwed in hip hop culture.
DJ QBert began to step his business game up (with assistance from Yoga Frog) and started his own label, Galactic Butt Hair Records (these cats come up with the weirdest names for shit). He envisioned a concept album in which an entire story would be told from beginning to end using records, samples and manipulating sounds with turntables. To add an extra dimension to it, QBert not only came up with the concept and story but he orchestrated and composed all of the sounds, music and scratches on the project but he wanted there to be an animated feature to go along with the album itself (this was years before Daft Punk and Toei Studios created “Instellar 555” which if you haven’t seen yet..I don’t know what to tell you).
DJ QBert enlisted his fellow ISP members along with bassist Buckethead and 5th Platoon ‘s master manipulator of the crossfader Vinroc (I’ve overdone it with the alliteration and switched up to rhyming). The album and animated feature film “Wave Twisters”both were well received and critically acclaimed. The film is still sometimes shown on the Sundance and IFC Film Channels. I uploaded a copy of the 1998 release for the readers of this blogs listening pleasure as well.
Not too long afterwards, the Invisibl Skratch Piklz decided it would be best to call it a wrap as a crew (they’d done enough damage!). They had some farewell shows and exhibitions at major hip hop events (that were taped and sold mad copies...the DVD format was brand spanking new as well!) and everyone got to give these DJ’s the proper respect and the send off they deserved. The DJ was at one point the backbone of hip hop culture joint as well as the focal point of the hip hop crew...emcees used to beg DJ’s to get on. DJ’s would hold auditions for emcees to join THEIR crews. The music industry turned the culture upside down and made the emcee the focus...Crews like ISP made it so hip hoppers worldwide realized not to take the DJ for granted ever again.
All uploaded albums are Zip files. For cover art, full tracklistings and more info, check http://www.discogs.com or do a regular Google search. Here are the links, enjoy ‘em:
Invisible Skratch Piklz-The Shiggar Fraggar Show! (1998)
http://www.mediafire.com/?fojzqmookbx
DJ QBert-Wave Twisters (1998)
http://www.mediafire.com/?13izzizjijt
One.
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