Emanon "Acid Nine" EP (1998)

Emanon's EP is an example of late-90's indie hip-hop that worked -- three of four cuts (not counting the instrumentals) are worthy of rotation over a decade later. This record has enough support that you can find it posted (Grant P ripped the cassette last month), but for those that are still sleeping on Aloe Blacc & Exile's early effort, here's a high-quality vinyl rip:

Emanon "Acid Nine" EP

Another record that is more hippie than hard-rock, you've got Exile's well-chosen, oddly familiar (but not played) samples paired with Aloe Blacc's literate wordplay. It's not hard to see why this played the back in an era when Busta's cartoonishness was at its peak; the gem here ("Personification") is Aloe's meditation on existing as a tree, soil, the ocean, the wind...yeah.

A lot of mc's will rhyme about climbing through the depths of their mind, but you have to respect Aloe & Exile for pulling this off. Exile's flute loop (I'm giving Exile the credit here but DJ Cheapshot was also on the beats) perfectly sets the mood, and the chill break gives it the right lift to ensure head-nodding. Aloe's thesis expands on a familiar theme:

I am a rock, I am an island, I am the wind, I am a moon
I am a drum, I am a violin, I am the sound, I am a tune

That might not hit you as crazy wordplay, but the flow here is about the larger conceptual piece which is worth the effort to digest. The track itself isn't too densely packed with lyrics, and manages to roll through a few sax interludes while clocking in at 5 1/2 minutes.

"Acid-9" (the remix of the title track, "Asinine") is worth checking for one of the more abstract 'fuck wack mc's' cuts you'll hear, over a tightly constructed track; "Path of the Divine" is more abstractness at a quicker pace.

Includes "Asinine", "Acid-9", "Path of the Divine", and "Personification" as well as instrumentals for the latter three -- really, the ones you want.

looking back: re-ups

This blog has obviously lost any consistency in posting (uh, quantity not quality) -- but since it's been a long-ass time since i've done re-ups, i'll hit a dozen or so requests if anyone has 'em. I don't have time to go through and check old links and/or comments (and apologies if I haven't responded to an email), but drop a request in the comments or c-box and I'll update the old post and drop the updated link here as well.

Oh, and this blog isn't dead (in the sense that there will be more sporadic posting)...but check the 2006 archives, they're thick.

Double XX Posse "Not Gonna Be Able To Do It" 12"
re-up / original post

Jodeci "Come and Talk to Me" 12"
re-up / original post

Brooklyn Zoo "Masters of Zooniverse" 12"
re-up / original post

Ruthless Bastards "Murder We Wrote" 12"
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World Renown "How Nice I Am" 12"
re-up / original post

Insight "Evolve" (2004)

As far as I can tell, Insight hasn't been the most slept-on MC in the last five years, so this twelve should come as no surprise to anyone who's been keeping up with (underground) hip-hop. If you're still mostly stuck in the 90's, here's a relatively recent cut that should get you geeked:

Insight "Evolve" 12"

I remember hearing some unremarkable tracks by Insight around 2000, and had him tagged as a lessor Kweli. The man put in work between then and 2004, because "Evolve" was one of the year's better tracks. "Evolve" could coast on the strength of its instrumental: shit is chill jazz and hum-along head-nodder at the same time. The main flute loop is buoyant enough (or is that an oboe?) - moving from slightly dark to sunshiney-as-hell, but when the chopped-up vocal loop drops, gotta snap that neck.

Lyrically, the theme stays tight around the process of personal evolution, but Insight moves from broader metaphors to chronicles of his own experiences. As much as I appreciate Insight's aspirations lyrically (Kweli-esque substance over style/delivery), some of his tracks fall short; everything here comes together perfectly.

See, I evolve - into a man from a baby
Pretty little girl with dolls - evolves into a grown lady
who leaves when she feels like the situation is shady
Notice, she can spot a player who's picture-painting like crazy
She evolved now because she sees it all like the Matrix
In calculus, Insight stepped to Advanced from Basic
I evolved, yes y'all and stand five feet tall
I use speech to bust rhymes through a concrete wall

B-side "Daily Routine" is also fresh, with another strong jazzy beat, albeit slightly darker. It's appropriate enough as Insight runs through stories of some grimier daily routines before offering his own perspective on finding your own path.

Includes "Evolve" (radio and instrumental), "Daily Routine" (DJ Real mix and instrumental), "Inventors(Black)", and the interlude "What Life Would be Like Without..."

Mike Zoot "Chessbumpin" (199x)

From my point of view, the difference between unremarkable Mike Zoot tracks and notable ones lies in the production, with the "High Drama" series of cuts ("High Drama", "High Drama Remix", "High Drama Pt. 3") serving as Exhibit A. They all feature Mos Def and rhyming around the same theme ("Pt. 3" throws Kweli & Consequence into the mix), but the only listenable cut is the original.

The 2x12" he followed up with suffered from the same problem. You essentially know what Mike Zoot brings to a track as an MC, and it's not going to vary immensely from track to track; thus, the track makes all the difference. With that in mind, check "Chessbumpin'":

Mike Zoot "Chessbumpin" b/w Street Smartz & Large Pro "Yo Yo" 12"

"Chessbumpin'" is punctuated by string stabs but anchored by a lazily chill horn that gives the track a warm, confident counter-melody when it drops. It effectively captures the aesthetic Mike Zoot brings as an MC -- improbably confident in his role as the direction most of hip-hop could have taken into the late 90's, but obviously didn't.

'M' is for the money -- that I ain't yet got
The 'I' is to be the illest rap nigga in the spot
'K' is for the kicks to kick ya bloodclot
'E' stand for everything else, and what not

Having done his inventive version of the "Stakes is High" refrain in "High Drama", he rips a straightforward 'I'm just doing hip-hop' set of verses that you could essentially consider a lesson in what 'average hip-hop shit' should be. Not every cut can be "Step Into A World", this is on some everyday/walking-down-the-street/headnodder-type vibe. Which is to say -- average in THIS world is good.

Oh, yeah, and the flipside (actually the a-side) has this track "Yo, Yo" by Street Smartz and some guy called the Large Professor. Unfortunately, xtra P doesn't rhyme outside the chorus, but in anticipation of the inevitable claim that this track is actually better than the Zoot cut, I've included it here: contains Dirty, Clean, and Instrumental for both cuts.

Mannish "Jive U The Mann" (1995)

Obviously, Scratch Live has changed the entire game for a lot of DJ's and vinyl heads...people with heavyweight vinyl collections seem to be thinning them out these days, since you can just spin the digital copy anyways. If you've moved enough times, you know how the vinyl collection can feel more like an unwanted anchor than an arsenal.

As I was digging through a local spot in Philly a few weekends ago, though, I started to reconsider the whole idea. This spot was selling bonafied gems for $2-$5, and the only reason I could think of (confirmed by clerks) was the great Scratch Live sell-off. Fuck selling, now is the time to BUY...I'd almost given up hope of finding a pristine copy of this twelve, but here it was for cheap:

Mannish "Jive U The Mann" 12"

For a lot of heads, Mannish was one single -- "Expect That" -- that ultimately got buried in the avalanche of dope mid-90's indie hip-hop. The B-side to the "Jive U The Mann" 12" -- "Mannish", pictured above -- was a MONSTER cut that hardly saw the light of day.

"Mannish" is effortlessly ill, and definitive of the mid-90's hardcore underground hip-hop sound that made no one any money (see Da King & I). The beat is simultaneously thick and minimalistic; the kick & snare are heavy, but the sampling is sparse with a sinister bassline. The effect is complete: the instrumental still bangs just as hard, thirteen years later.

MC Jekill's style on this cut reminds me of Da King & I's Izzy (which isn't a bad thing), and serves as a tour of tight mid-90's delivery. It's not quotable lines as much as consistently solid wordplay, cadence variation, battle rap bravado, and MC-as-hip-hop-cultural-critic:

Real artists, the ones that can relate to what I'm sayin'
The lyrics: no bullshit, no playin'
Some of these hardcore niggas is straight gay
Slappin' women 'cause they get it up the anus every day

Aww shit -- it doesn't make any sense
'84 I dropped my metaphors on pages galore
Jekill's the general givin' my listeners lyrical mineral
Mineral lyrical listeners give in general

Consider "Mannish" essential listening if you've slept, a testament to the sound a lot of heads won't forget. Includes "Mannish" album, radio, and instrumental, as well as "Jive U The Mann" album, radio and instrumental.

"f*ck your remix!" #5 (Push Button Objects' "360°")

This version of f*ck your remix involves a Mega-Remix project courtesy of Chocolate Industries. The artist Push Button Objects released a 12-inch with Mr. Lif, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien & the ill turntablist DJ Craze called "360°." Now I'll admit the orinigal version of this track was nothing really special, but I guess Push Button and Chocolate Industries realized they had a gem on thier hands cause Lif & Del really spit some amazing verses and Craze's cuts are razor sharp. Well what did they do to pump some life into this project?, They called up some of the Underground's most renown producers to remix this track and release it as a double 12". The Final product ended up being a treat for all hip-hoppers. Each remix is like a brand new track on its own and brings a different feel on each remix. The production talent Choc. Industries enlisted includes headliners such as DJ Spinna, El-P, Kutmasta Kurt, The Herbaliser, and Prefuse 73.

Push Button Objects - 360° Remixes

The first remix from this project was done by my man DJ Spinna. This version has a harmonous feeling as DJ Spinna's vobes blend with Lif and Del's lyrics beautifully. Spinna lands his signature sound with the hard bass, funky samples and soul. The light voices in the beginning saying glory with light string sounds and funky samples give the track a vibrant feel. Like most Spinna production, this version puts me in a great frame of mind, and the instrumental alone, for this track is so soothing and is the best combination for the vocals in my opinion.

El-P's version is next in line and you get exactly what you expect from the former Co-Flow Frontman. First you hear the empty air whistling while Lif's lyrics begin. Then a resounding stale sample comes in and the song kicks off. El-P's remix for the vocals sound slightly empty on this version but still fits well. El-P manages to work the abnormal sounds well, but after about the 2nd verse, the repetitiveness of the main loop starts to wear on you. I mean don't get me wrong this version works, but with the plethora of remixes you have here, some obviously fold in comparison to others.


The next remix is handled by The Funky Redneck, Kutmasta Kurt. His production style for this track is minimal, and doesn't really gel with the lyrics. The chopped up horns and funky samples don't seem like the right back drop for Lif and Del to drop some thought provoking rhymes over. This by far the least effective remix of the bunch, as a stand alone track its decent, but when compared to the greatness that surrounds it on this super 12-Inch it fails in comparison..

Now I'm not too familiar next set of prodcuers, but from what I've learned The Herbaliser is actually a production duo from England. Now when they got thier hands on the 360° accapella, they included DJ Craze's cuts and added a simple yet effective beat. Its basically a simple loop with a hollow sound and a resounding sample near the end of the loop. Althought the production is very minimal and almost sounds like it was a throw away beat contributed at the last minute, it works deceivingly well.


Now shortly after releasing the double 12-inch, Chocolate Industries stepped thier game up and released the Prefuse 73 Remix on its own 12-inch. This version was originally avaialbe on the CD version of this remix project. Prefuse delivers with his incarnation of "360°." He uses a fast-paced sample that changes in pitch and brings new life to the track. The unique aspect of this version is that Prefuse adds a fresh sample to the track between verses to take place of the hook. It worked great for this track and helps make it actually one of the better remixes from the selection.

Overall, this collection of tracks serves as a pretty nice set of wax to have in the crates. The continuous use the same accapella does get redundant but in the end we get a wide spectrum of production and dopeness. I dropped another poll for the loyal visitors to pick which version hit them in the head the hardest. Lataz.

Velvet Glove Iron Fist 12" (1999)

The tree of artists that (the late great) Eazy-E put on is pretty well known with successful artists such as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Black Eye Peas, but the group known as Blood Of Abraham might have been Eazy's best kept secret. Blood Of Abraham is a Jewish hip-hop duo of conscious lyricists Benyad & Mazik. The piece of wax I present to you in this update is their first release, "Velvet Glove Iron Fist."

Velvet Glove Iron Fist 12" (fixed link)

The lead track, "Velvet Glove Iron Fist," has a melodic, dreamy vibe. Every time I listen to this song it puts me in a certain mind state. This song is all cerebral, and Benyad & Mazik hit the point dead on with their lyrics. They explore how people are pretty much infatuated with a fantasy way of living and get caught up with the so-called "The American Dream." They point how this whole concept is basically a trap to keep people in their position/place. The hook personify this point quite well.


It's just the velvet glove, that you love away and trust
Then the iron fist, comes along and then crush
and then reality..
Why is it that you fail to see they got you
Spiritually, Mentally & Physically


The producer for this track isn't listed but I have a strong feeling that they did the production themselves. The soothing vibe of the instrumental helps supply a somewhat falling feeling that draws u in and tap into your head sub-consciously. The sample saying "Spiritually, Mentally & Physically" throughout the instrumental is what caps off the cerebral feel.

On the B-side we have "99 Cent Lighter" which features B.E.P. frontman, WILL.i.am. The beat is a tad more upbeat, and this is Blood Of Abraham's version of raw shit talking lyricism. Even WILL drops a decent verse to keep pace. Both vocal and instrumental versions are available in the link. Drop a line, peace.