#MICROPHONEMATHEMATICS WEEKLY UPDATE: Book Update: A few weeks back I posted about having some Hardrive issues last year and worrying about a lot of music. I finally took one in and they were able to recover the files! So, I spent the week reorganizing and re-cataloging. One big step is that I have officially secured a graphic designer for the book! I’m super excited to work with him on this and you can expect an announcement soon with more details, including the name of the design mastermind is…stay tuned. Weekly Highlights: Spent a lot of time listening to early 80s compilations, getting refreshed with a lot of great stuff. Here’s a small taste of what I listened to below… As always, drop your comments, memories, feedback or questions! Maximus Three-Are You Ready ‘81Fearless Four-It’s Magic ‘82 Spanish Fly & The Terrible Two-Spanglish ‘81 Masterdon Committee-Funkbox ‘82 + Live Show ‘81 Fearless Four-It’s Magic ‘82 Force MCs Live 1-15-85 Numarx-Rhymes So Def ‘87 Tony Rone-Fight Back ‘87 Mic Profesah-Bust The Format b/w Cry For Freedom ‘88 MC Nikke & DJ Rap N Scratch-Rap N Scratch Goes Rambo ‘88 Raheem The Dream-Eliminator, Just Base!, & The Original Tone Loc-Loc’ed After Dark ‘88 Lyric Highlights: Maximus Three’s “Are You Ready” is a single from this era that rarely gets talked about. It’s essentially a Disco Rap record like mostly everything was at the time, but all three MCs (TJ Swann, Barry B, Pee Wee Mel) have great voices and flow and they touch on some very relatable social issues, including poverty. There are also a handful of some rather creative punchlines for the time, particularly from Pee Wee Mel. Fearless Four “It’s Magic” is one of my favorite songs from this era and they one of my favorite groups as well from that time. When I first heard it, my mind was blown because it was so creative and topically different from everything else I was hearing. The concept of equating their level of lyricism to only being logically defined as magical powers made a definite impression on my young mind. The Spanish Fly & Terrible Two is a nice underground cut, particularly one of the MCs Cooly Cool had the gift. He kicks some quality speed rhymes and also goes thru a list of the top MCs of the time and calls them all out, something I never heard on a record back then. The Masterdon Committee were so tight with the performance and arrangement of their live shows and records, transitioning from great harmonies to great verses and had real street element to their music early on. Speaking of live shows, gotta give it up to the Force MCs (aka Force MDs). They were definitely one of the most polished, yet rugged, and well rounded groups of their era. They had excellent singing voices, great routines, the human beatbox element, and I don’t have any other live show tapes that I can think of from that time where an MC did the Off The Top Of The Head thing of rhyming about things in the room, people in the audience, and all that (EX: Rammellzee also pretty much does it on the Wild Style soundtrack). They knew coming from Staten Island they had to be on point to get respected and they pushed it to the limit! Please go listen to “Rap N Scratch Goes Rambo”! You need that in your life at least once. It’s hilarious, well written, and the production is ill. Da Mic Profesah was a dope MC and producer. If this 12” is any indication of where he was going with future material I sense an impressive album was on the way. Too bad he never dropped more and went to focus on production after this. Raheem The Dream is a well-known MC in Atlanta who got famous a little later for his Bass Music contributions. But, in the Mid-Late 80s he was doing music more in the vein of LL Cool J. “Eliminator” is my favorite; some nice punchlines, great scratching and a pounding 808 beat. “The Original” is a diss track to Raheem The Vigilante of Houston, who he accuses of stealing his name. Well, he actually accuses the other Raheem’s label of manufacturing him as competition and for confusion… I don’t think I ever heard the Tone Loc full album till now, never had a real reason to listen I guess. I remember when I heard him for the first time on WNUR in ‘86/’87 it was the cut “On Fire” which is a solid joint (though I was bothered it took the title from the Stetsasonic song and album title) and the album has a few battle rhyme type joints. Just average rhyming, but decent enough. The Wild Style Soundtrack was so influential to me. I wasn’t able to see the movie until a few years after it was released, so getting the soundtrack in ’83 was the best window to understanding the roots of Hip Hop and where it was said to have come from, The Bronx. At the time, you didn’t have a lot of scratching on the records, so hearing it like that, often without a crossfader, was so pure and raw. A handful of MCs stand out on the record. Personally, I think the best lyrical representation is Lil Rodney Cee (of Double Trouble and Funky Four Plus One More), but of course Grandmaster Caz is right there neck-n-neck with him. Both Master Rob and Whipper Whip of Fantastic Freaks probably have the best shining moments from their crew (though there is the a great Dota Rock moment too). Rammellzee stands out for his unique stream of conscious style and his focus on rhyming about the Culture. His partner, Shockdell, has a great natural MC essence. They both represent Queens, so they represent a slice beyond the Bronx. Accompanying Photo: Me circa ‘81/’82 in Stuttgart, Germany (Pattonville Army Base) with my first rhyming partner who I recorded my first official tape with in’82. My shirt/jacket situation is a bit sloppy, BUT I’m rocking a wristband, so I’m fly for the times…
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 03:49:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015