beat bop as performed by Rammelzee and K-Rob (though the official performer credit is "Rammelzee Vs K-Rob") ... this is seriously the jam ... aside from the fact that Basquiat designed the cover and did production (the 12" single goes for around 70 bux because of this) this is a really hep track ... clocking in at over 10 minutes this is definitely not for the casual listener, but the vocal effects and strange violin "bridge" make the time fly by ... the beat makes me think of something Madlib would have done if had been producing in the 80s ... this is one of a handful of songs regularly pulled up on my itunes from a compilation i picked up (digitally, i'd kill for the original vinyl) simply entitled "Rap 1" (i also have "Rap 2") ... "Rap 1" is a Profile Records compilation of NYC hip-hop from the early 80s ... Profile is responsible for a core of classic NYC hip hop ... according to discogs.com ...
in other music "news", had reason to be in Evanston this past weekend so took the opportunity to hit Second Hand Tunes used record shop. i really like that place, i always find decent stuff for good prices. i got some early roy ayers and tom waits, but struck a nice find in "Thomas Mapfumo - The Chimurenga Singles 1976-1980" on the original Meadowlark label. here's some info on the man, and some more. stuff is really amazing. the album features an apology at the bottom of back cover for "... the recording quality being less then desirable. however, keep in mind some of these songs were recorded under war conditions." i like african music but have a hard time getting into as most of what's given to me by friends is the current form of afropop. that is to say dx-7 keyboards, drum machines, and midi, MIDI, MIDI! it's really hard for me to take that stuff seriously. this album features 2 different live bands "The Blacks Unlimited" and "The Acid Band" playing an excellent variety of polyrhythmic beats behind Mapfumo's combination of melancholy and ecstatic talk/singing. the back cover also features translations of what Mapfumo is saying over the tracks.
oh yeah, and "record store day" ... not really sure what it was as i was in record stores on friday and sunday, but not the actual day (saturday, 4.19) ... i did score a free LP on sunday in madison in conjunction with "record store day"... Columbia Records was apparently giving out free LP samplers with the purchase of any album on Columbia ... i think this store was just trying to get rid of em so i snatched one ... anyway, it can now be proudly stated... i own an LP containing both John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change" and RUN-DMC's "It's Tricky" ... awesome ?
and the non-sequitur ...
this is an awesome picture for so many reasons.
One of the earliest hip-hop labels. Founded in New York in 1981 by Steve Plotnicki and Cory Robbins. Robbins left the label in 1995 and founded Robbins Entertainment. Plotnicki remained with the label unti he decided to sell it in 1997. After a fierce bidding war between Tommy Boy Music and BMG's Arista Records, the latter won, and what was in print at the time was reissued with new BMG catalog numbers. Some new product was released since then, but it was eventually shut down by its new parent and its artists became Arista artists but were eventually dropped by the label anyway. The entire catalog, save for Run-D.M.C., is now out-of-print. The offices that it occupied are now those of Koch Records. First release was by Grace Kennedy #nr PRO-7001.artists on this compliation that didn't make the Arista cut ... 3 Fresh MCs, Disco Four, Pumpkin (video), and Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde (get ya skates on)
in other music "news", had reason to be in Evanston this past weekend so took the opportunity to hit Second Hand Tunes used record shop. i really like that place, i always find decent stuff for good prices. i got some early roy ayers and tom waits, but struck a nice find in "Thomas Mapfumo - The Chimurenga Singles 1976-1980" on the original Meadowlark label. here's some info on the man, and some more. stuff is really amazing. the album features an apology at the bottom of back cover for "... the recording quality being less then desirable. however, keep in mind some of these songs were recorded under war conditions." i like african music but have a hard time getting into as most of what's given to me by friends is the current form of afropop. that is to say dx-7 keyboards, drum machines, and midi, MIDI, MIDI! it's really hard for me to take that stuff seriously. this album features 2 different live bands "The Blacks Unlimited" and "The Acid Band" playing an excellent variety of polyrhythmic beats behind Mapfumo's combination of melancholy and ecstatic talk/singing. the back cover also features translations of what Mapfumo is saying over the tracks.
oh yeah, and "record store day" ... not really sure what it was as i was in record stores on friday and sunday, but not the actual day (saturday, 4.19) ... i did score a free LP on sunday in madison in conjunction with "record store day"... Columbia Records was apparently giving out free LP samplers with the purchase of any album on Columbia ... i think this store was just trying to get rid of em so i snatched one ... anyway, it can now be proudly stated... i own an LP containing both John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change" and RUN-DMC's "It's Tricky" ... awesome ?
and the non-sequitur ...
this is an awesome picture for so many reasons.
oh, and happy 420 i guess ... not really into the "holiday" ... did catch a lil of half baked on cable though ... "SAMPSON SIMPSON, I STICK BAH MAH STOREE ... I'M FRUM JAMAICA" ... good stuff ...
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