Rap Ish of the Day 8/12/15

Rap Ish of the Day

8/12/15

Raggedy Man-True Colors

Yo--for some reason, I've been listenin' to mad Combat Jack episodes recently.  One of my favorites was when Bobbito Garcia was being interviewed.  Homeboy spoke on a lot of things but he was goin' in on some folks who, in his humble opinion, had the potential to to blow up and for some reason or another, simply did not.  One of the names he dropped was Raggedy Man.  Looked him up--dude happened to be from Paterson, New Jersey.  Being from NJ, I'm with Raggedy.  Got with this track, True Colors from the jump.  

For this track, I knew I recognized the sample immediately but could not put my finger on it.  Couple days later,  I realized it's from a Stax record I dug recently; Ain't That Lovin You by Johnnie Taylor.  Though the raggedy flip ain't got much to it, more than a straight loop, there are some cool lil' thangs thrown into the flip.  Peep the sample though.  Peace Y'all.  

Dig of the Week 8/12

August 12, 2015

Sample of the Day, George Jackson's "Talking in Your Sleep"

Been on that hard-body soul tip.  Been familiar with George Jackson for some time now after hearing the organ-laced, soul-drenched Jackson track Mackin' on You.  That shit goes dummy hard.  Each time I drop into a record store, George Jackson is on my list of "must-cops" but the gawd is rare as hell, I guess.  Saw a pricey re-issue in Frisco but I decided against that.  Instead, I went on the youtube diggin' spree; copped about 15 George Jackson tracks.  Here is one of the best finds, but all of 'em bang.  I'm in a lotta soul but there's something about my guy right here's voice.  Undoubtedly one of my soul favorites.  Buy his music though.   

Peeps of the Week

First track that has been glued to my brain all week is a release from DJ House Shoes's The Gift, Vol 8.  The Gift released a collection of beats from on-the-low Chicago producer, Raj Mahal.  Nothin' wrong with any of the other beats, however the high-pitched chords tied in with the wavy melodies on "One 4 Smokey" gives the beat divine attributes.   Hear for yourself on Raj's Soundcloud.

Next, we got Roy Ayers Ubiquity with Ain't Got Time off of the album He's Coming.  Play dis in a dim, candle-lit room with some feme's and it can get right.  Have you feel in like your in an opium den



Hear all these for yourself and show Raj Mahal some support by paying him what he deserves for his beats.

Sample of the Day, Willie Wright's "The Beauty of the Night"

        Willie Wright is one of the extremely talented musicians of the 60's-70's who appears to have just been lost in the piles and piles of musicians from that era.  This, however does not fully encapsulate Willy's lack of clout; he was simply a dude who just kept it real, choosing artistic freedom over "the sharecropper's existence to which many of the best artists of his generation were subjected".  Searching for samples in this track is like an easter egg hunt, like bobbing for apples; no matter what you end up with, shit is gonna come correct.  

Madlib/Freddie Gibbs Show @ Grammery Ballroom

I was in attendance at the Madlib/Freddie Gibbs Show in NYC last Saturday night.  This was Lib's first show in NYC in some time and I'm thankful I took this opportunity to see his performance live.  Everything about Madlib's performance aided in illustrating this phantom, 'master of disguise' image of himself; as the great Charlie Murphy once said, "his aura--I seent it."  Egon, from Stones Throw Records, was in attendance and acted as the "Paul Bearer", managerial character to the silent, mysterious Madlib; he even poured Lib's glass of wine.

Peep the great pictures from who-shot-ha.com

Madlib didn't say a word the whole time, leading me to believe he was shy on the mic.  This is not the case--he was simply letting his hands do the talking.  Here is a bangin' clip of Madlib and Jay Dee rockin' the house:

 

Cocaine Piñata Review

The duo unofficially donned, MadGibbs, consisting of Freddie Gibbs and the legendary Madlib, are slated to drop their long awaited Cocaine Piñata on March, 18th.  If you have not a clue what this is all about, please check out the three prior EP releases--these tapes set the stage for the masterpiece that shall proceed.  Some weeks before the albums release, Gibbs was interviewed saying that this record will be "a blaxploitation film on wax".  Makes sense when taking into consideration Gibbs' content and Madlib's sample choices, particularly in the interludes.

It seems many in the hip-hop world hearing Piñata are shocked at the notion of Gibbs and Madlib working together--how could two polar opposite artists come together and create such a product?  My response would be that in actuality, these two are not so different.  The truth is, they are both black men living in a racist society who have experienced a similar struggle.  Shocking to some, the content of this album--this theme of desperation leading to sin-- is not foreign to Madlib.  In fact, Lib has worked with other rappers with similar content to Gibbs' (i.e Planet Asia).  So let's stop with that rubbish and appreciate the work that these two blessed us with.  Below is a review of songs of Piñata with a distinct focus on the production of the album.  Try to tell me Knicks ain't the best!

 Shame EP 

TRACKS 1 & 2-Supplier and Scarface
The tape commences with Madlib as the Konductor (pun intended), carefully guiding the listener in, with his typical wild drum breaks, highlighted with vocal samples that serve the purpose of laying down the foundation of the album, foreshadowing what will proceed it:  The last words we hear on Supplier are"because only the strong survive".  

This immediately thrusts us into Scarface, which is Gibbs' first appearance.  Before hitting the track, Gibbs carries the theme of 'desperation leading to sin', from the intro into Scarface when he orders, "kill that motherfucker point blank".  This short track sounds closer to Gibbs' ESGN jawn with some Madlib flavored parmesan cheese doused on top, namsayin'?   I am going to couple the first two tracks into one and give it the rating of....PAUSE.  

THE INTERLUDE.  At around 2:20 into the entire album, I was shakin' my shoulders thinking, "OK, this is goin' somewhere, we'll have to wait a little" but BAM!  This interlude is totally unexpected, inconsistent and fucking beautiful.  The two minutes and twenty seconds leading up to this interlude were ugly, crime ridden and most importantly, the exact opposite of this interlude.  That is the beauty of if; contrast--the existence of beauty in such horror, perfectly personified by Madlib's one of a kind production.  

The Scareface interlude leaves me no other choice but to rate the first track an 8.5/10.  I expect to be digging for that sample for the next six months.  

Track 3- Deeper:
This is a track where you can't help but to acknowledge the obvious similarities to Nas' 1994 album, Illmatic, widely regarded as the greatest hip-hop album of all time.  This is a G'd out tale of lost love--a woman unable to do a bid with her man.  One can make an argument that it is an ode to Nas's, One Love though I have also read an opinion that it is an ode to Common's I Used to Love H.E.R--a love letter written to hip-hop, disguised as a woman.  

The beat, which samples The Legends, A Fool For You, sounds tailor made for Gibbs' pistol-whip flow and cadillac content.  A high pitched merry-go-round loop coupled with a filtered kick drum and a hard-ass rim shot.  The funny thing is, it was originally released on Madlib's Medicine Show 11 in 2011.  This is an indictment on Gibbs' flow and passion.  He owns this beat.  
Rating: 9/10



Track 4- High:
The original sample, Freda Payne's I Get High almost won't allow you to make a song without marijuana being the theme.  

There were a couple of subtleties of this track that I appreciated:
(1)Madlib can always be counted on for a good drop and the one he gives us on High is no different.  
(2)If you listen closely, there are vocal snippets of Biggie's Sky's The Limit during the intro.
(3)The outro is pure production genius; the "I get high" refrain plays out in an increasingly lagged, slow motion manner while Madlib adds the most appropriate of movie scenes.  As the vocals get more sickly and deeper, a woman asks "Are you OK?  Your slobberin', you Ok?".  Great digging by Lib.

Overall, I have to admit-- I can almost do without the played out, corny-ish marijuana anthem of every hip-hop album.  With that being said, Madlib's clever production makes this your enjoyable, above-average marijuana anthem.  7/10

Track 5- Harold's:
An ode to a food landmark--I fuck with that concept.  When this was first released on the Deeper EP, I disregarded it because of the 808 Drums (A bit snobby, I know).  Upon hearing the album in whole, I rediscovered Harold's and find it to be catchy as hell.  Gibbs delivers one of the best hooks on the album:

                         "Skinny ni**a, 6 wings mild sauce
                          With all the fries you can give me I tear them bitches off."

I mob to this now! 8/10

Track 6-Bomb
I won't go all too deep into this track--Another good drop from Lib.  Gibbs flows like an ice pick over this cold-ass beat.  Madlib lays down some bangin' descending basslines that give the beat a whole 'nother bounce to it.  Don't care all too much for Raekown's verse, I must admit.

Again THE INTERLUDE.  Some heavily-filtered horns under stupid-hard drums and a bassline that hammers and slides.  I am happily-confused as to how Lib laid this baseline down--truth be told, I don't even wanna know.  Just let greatness be great.  Peace.  7.5/10.

Track 8-Thuggin:
The Thuggin' beat is one of the more odd ones on the album--the amorphous instrument leading the high pitched melody can only be identified as a guitar when hearing the original  sample below.  


Either way, this seems to be the consensus number one track on the album.  There is so much momentum bottled between each note, partially due to the way Madlib warped the loop, that there is no need for drums to be laid over the tack.  The track has all of the elements (bounce) that drums can give it, without putting drums over it.  

Gibbs murks this beat in what can be considered his ode to the game.  With revealing lines like;
                           "Still do my business on the side...."

And

                           "Pants gon' be saggin 'til i'm 40....", 

Gibbs displays just how neck-deep into the game he is.  Though these are aspects of the song that are clearly commemorating his life as a hustler, he is very careful when he reaffirms that this life was not a choice;
                          
                           "I'm tryna feed my family, could give a fuck about your feedback." 

He, like many others in nearly identical situations, have been forced into this economy of robbery and drug dealing as a means to survive.  This is not the first time Gibbs intertwines ideas of leftist social thought into his raps, you just have to listen.

It is so damn difficult to keep thinking of new ways to articulate my feelings of awe from Madlib's interludes on this fucking album.  This time, it felt like I got the freaking wind knocked out of me; like I just saw my true love--damn!  This sample further illustrates the said theme of "beauty in hell", where Madlib has this tear-jerking (Yes, I get like that over production) sample following one of the nastiest songs on the album.  10/10

 Track 9- Real:
Anxiously awaiting Young Jeezy's response, day by day the realization of the "ethering" that took place on this track is beginning to set in.  Gibbs goes in on a personal level, making precise references to occurrences 99% of all listeners would be unfamiliar with.  From gunning his timidity in Jeezy's confrontation with Rick Ross at the BET's to anecdotes of Gibbs possibly taking the wrap for a gun possession on a tour bus that was raided by police in Milwaukee, Gibbs attacks on all cylinders and from all angles, making a response that "ups the anti" hard to imagine.  "Gary boys ain't 'bout talkin'.   A modern day "Hit em up".

As for the production, Madlib starts out with a beat that sounds like it could be off of Beat Konductor 3-4 in India, then graces us with this hard-ass, mafia-style beat change.  You could make a valid argument that the second beat is one of the best on the entire album.  Again, the voice snippets sew the track fittingly--just before the drop of the second beat the sample says "I need him (Jeezy) alive".  Finally, I am somewhat surprised that Madlib, by producing this track, de facto involved himself in this beef.  

Track 10-Robes:
Jesus Christ.  This track is the halftime show, All-star game, pro-bowl, what ever have you!  Easily a top three track on Piñata.  To begin, this is a beautiful sample, with an undeniably nuanced chop.  Again, we are blessed with another example of Madlib's production competence--part of being a producer is knowing WHEN NOT to put drums.  Albeit his reputation of being one of the best drummers in all of hip-hop, Madlib consistently refrains from using drums at the perfect times, when he creates a tidal wave of momentum simply from the chopping of the sample itself, rendering another layer of drums erroneous.

Domo Genesis and Earl Sweatshirt are both great features to this beat and while listening, you think each of the two will claim the best verse on the song until Gibbs rocks you with the finishing Tyson-uppercut.  Gibbs even goes as far as to bless this track by singing!  

Finally, the interlude contains a slobbering-drunk Gibbs talking about who-knows-what.  While the rant is funny, Madlib adds to the humor with his clownish, villain-y caricature sample that he plays over Gibbs' discourse.  10/10

Track 11-Broken:
Arguably one of the best 1-2 punches in hip-hop history.  Broken and Robes--All-Star Weekend right here, everything else that follows is for the playoffs.  The silence following Gibb's drunken rant extends for a few seconds before the Broken beat drops.  When it dropped, it left me curled up in a ball with my hand over my mouth gasping for air.  I swear this 1-2 combo damaged me.  Incredible beat with just as grimy lyrics.  10/10

Track 13- Knicks
Following those two damaging hits from Robes and Broken, Freddie and Lib won't even give me a minute to breath with Knicks.  After my first week of spinning this album non-stop, it is clear that this song meets all criteria of pure hip-hop.  This beat is otherworldly and each passing day that I am unable to find this sample, the closer I am to homicide.  It's not so much the piano that carries the melody that impresses me so much, rather it is the subtle moaning in the backdrop of the beat that really makes me envious.  On top of that, the play on words between the New York Knicks and Nickel bags is pure literary genius.  The opening lines of the second verse in particular, flow with incomprehensible congruence to the beat:

                        "Uh! Chillin wit a bitch/
                          Watchin' Lebron put up 56 on the Knicks/
                          In 2005, police killed my n***a in 2006/
                         Only thing he loosin' is his pension, aint that bouta bitch/
                          If I see that hoe I got a slug for him/
                          I wanna kill him slow like I ain't got no love for him/"

At the time of writing this, I have heard this song an estimated 30 times already and I still am furious with anger that I was not the one to make this genius beat.  This song is perfect.  11/10

Track 14- Shame

This was my introduction to MadGibbs.  I dug this song so heavily when the Shame EP was first released some years back, I bought it on wax.  (After what, three years?)I still dig this song just as heavily, if not more.  "Sleeping with pistols under my pillow".  Madlib murks this sample by the Manhattans, utilizing so many different components of the original track.  Peace to BJ The Chicago Kid, who blesses this track so naturally, I have had several people tell me they thought his hook was part of the sample.  Another unbelievable track by this duo.  10/10


All in all, Gibbs far outshines every feature on this entire album (from Raekwon to Scarface), significantly elevating his status to sky-scraper level.   His cold-blooded, dagger-in-the-gut rhymes fused with Madlib's beautiful, bass-led production competence, leads to a once-in-a-decade album.  We will not here something like this for a long time.  10/10

Peace 

DH

Sample of the Day 3/5/14

George Duke's Capricorn
 

If you're ever dry with samples, refer to "The Duke".  You can always cook up somethin' delicious  with a George Duke flip, whether it be borrowing the hazy 70's soul breaks so frequently found in his work or choosing to go with one of numerous melodic, jazz-fusion sounds, it's hard to be disappointed with the flip.  Though I have yet to identify the spot, the street says that this is the sample for Gangstarr's Robbin Hood Theory.  Furthermore, the god, Count Bass D subtly blessed this track on his collaboration with J Rawls, though you'll have to find that for yourself.