Can't Truss It

Check out this article off of CNN and then peep the very insightful letter by my man Ox.
Let's Discuss...

Al Sharpton vs Rap Radio

___________________


Open Letter to Al Sharpton:

Al, I applaud your efforts, but I think you are
barking up the wrong tree. As much as I despise these
commercial artists, the problem is not 50 cent, Lloyd
Banks or the Ying Yang twins or whatever commercial
hip hop disaster of an artist that is posing as an
emcee. The problem is music corporations. How are you
JUST going to blame the plantation slave
(radio/rapper) and not the slave master (marketing and
music corporations)? Maybe it's the fact that you have
to curry favor with these corporations to back many of
your campaigns, so going after them would be biting
the hand that feeds you.

All of the folks in my hip hop generation have
listened to our "50 cent" in our day. Whether is was
G-Rap (Talk Like Sex, F*ck U Man, Train Robbery), NWA
(F*ck the Police, Straight outta Compton), Onyx (Throw
ya Gunz in the Air), etc. The difference is we had
balance.

With every NWA we had our X-Clan, with every G-Rap we
had our Intelligent Hoodlum or KRS, with every Adina
Howard we had our Mc Lyte. Right now we have music
that encourages gangsta behavior, materialism and
hyper-sexuality because that is what music
corporations are paying the conduits (rappers/radio)
to be. If you play that garbage all day without
balancing it out with more uplifting forms of hip hop
(Sage Francis, Lauryn Hill, Common, KRS, Blackstar, Dead
Prez, Sonya Blade, Immortal Technique, J-Live, etc), you create
an imbalance. No Ying without a Yang equals
destruction, no pun intended.

Going to the radio and rapper is like telling the
field hand that he should not be on the plantation
anymore and he should leave. It's not that he/she
wants to be there, but the field hand doesn't have as
many options because the slave master (has the power
to free the slave and be objective) is pulling all the
strings. The FCC is in bed with more music
corporations than I know what to think. They have no
power other than to slap the wrist of corporations for
the occasional over the top antic.

If you want to really send a message about your
dislike in the violence in hip hop you need to ask and
investigate the process of record companies giving
payola (blood money) to DJs, radio stations, and clubs
while pushing music that encourages bad behavior? That
is how they influence the industry. The rappers and
radio stations have no power. There will always be
some down on his luck and striving wannabe hood thug
actor/actress emcee who is ready to plug himself into
the plantation take the place of a 50 Cent, Nelly or
Lil Kim, and if you shut down hot97 there will be
another hot67 to take it's place, so focus on the
source of the problem and get people to rally against
those music corporations that put money behind these
artist and you've then fixed the problem.

- Ox

*A very good dialogue starter for yawl to arm yourself with. Do you and your knowledge massive a favor and take this discussion to your folks/friends/family/counterparts and see what they have to say. Do they know about this issue? Do they have an opinion? Do they care? Remember that education is the first step to gaining true power. Also, if you got kids, bring them into the discussion, cause they really are the future of this kulture of ours. It's time to take back the music folks.

If you are interested in gaining more information on the issue, check out the dope dealers:

Warner Brothers
Universal Music Group
Sony Music
The EMI Group
Sony BMG

And here is a pretty good look at how it breaks down percentage wise:

The Big 5

And a pretty good pro-active group:

Downhill Battle

So check 'em out and educate the masses...

Check Yawl On Monday...
Brother B. with help from The Almighty Ox

"To Teach To Each Is What Rap Inteded" - D-Nice from "Self Destruction 12"

Let Your Horns Blow!

GUEST POST!!!
_________________

The Steve Martin - EPMD
The Ruler's Back - Slick Rick
Straighten It Out - Pete Rock & CL Smooth
Jump Around (Remix) - House Of Pain
Here Come The Lords - Lords Of The Underground
Bucktown - Smif N' Wesson
Iced Down Medallions - Royal Flush
That's When Ya Lost - Souls of Mischief

What’s up funksters? It’s TiVo Thursday, a day late again and definitely a dollar short.

Hip-hop evolves quickly, both lyrically and musically. Years later, we can look back and recognize the trends as they were. Something’s been bugging me about hip-hop beats these days. I’m not the only one to say it, but different people have varying reasons for the general disappointment on the musical side of things these days, as the MCs have clearly run laps around the vast majority of beat-makers out there.

When you take a look at a preferred era in hip-hop, about 1988-93, give or take a few months, the beats weren’t complicated, but they were better. I’m no music student, but even I could tell some were simple drum tracks, some were samples from familiar songs, and the DJs and producers from that era we now regard as great simply carved out their own sound.

Two of the best, of course, were Pete Rock and DJ Premier. Actually, scratch that were, they still are.

But when I think back to the two of them in their prime, it makes me wonder: What the hell happened to the horn loop?

Seriously, it’s a lost art.

Take Pete Rock & CL Smooth’s seminal classic T.R.O.Y. As soon as I think of that song, I can hear the horn loop in my head, followed by Pete Rock whispering “they reminisce, they reminisce.”

Pete had some other great horn-laced classics. Straighten it Out. I Got A Love. One in a Million. But the best might be his remix of House of Pain’s Jump Around, which I prefer over the overplayed original. The horns on those tracks simply defined the songs.

And the Premier of that era pulled some great horns out of the vaults too. I’m sure a better crate-digger/music student could tell you where they came from and what instruments are used, but for me the horn section takes me back to certain places.

I’m standing on the field at Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, N.J. circa 1992 anytime I hear the horns from Gangstarr’s Check the Technique (a very underrated song off Step in the Arena, by the way). I remember being stunned that our rich-kid rivals were using a non-single off Gangstarr’s second album as a warm-up song. I can hear “you puny protozoa…” blasting over the loudspeaker. Then my memory devolves into a goal-line stand and something about a 19-8 loss.

Primo collected a couple other notches on the horn belt: Love Sick, Ex Girl to the Next Girl, off the same album, and the Dwyck remix “horny” instrumental, which I only have on cassette single. (Damn, my son will barely know what a cassette is when he grows up, except for the stunning collection of A.D.O.R. and J.J. Fad maxi-singles in our home).

Pete and Primo may have been the best horn users, but they certainly weren’t the only ones.

EPMD rocked the horn set while trying to blow up The Steve Martin dance on 1988’s Strictly Business.

Slick Rick became Rick the Ruler to a horn background. On 1989’s The Great Adventures of…, the song The Ruler’s Back was as horny as a single dude in a strip club.

Lords of the Underground blessed Here Come the Lords with an identifiable horn piece. (By the way, one of my favorite groups of all time. Where’ve they been?)

Look at how versatile the instrument was: Royal Flush ripped Iced Down Medallions and its horns. There were strong horns on Smif N Wessun’s Bucktown. There were little horn parts at least, on Shyheim’s “On and On,” Black Moon’s “I Gotcha Opin (Remix)” and Souls of Mischief’s “That’s When Ya Lost.”

There was even DJ Kool and his “hit me with the horns Twenty” on that club hit he had around 1997. (Ed Note: Let Me Clear My Throat)

So what ever happened to the horn? Maybe it was all done before and it was time to move on.

Still, even if it never comes back in vogue, us Golden Agers can always appreciate that what the RZA did for the piano and the Beatnuts did for the flute, Pete Rock and Premier’s early work did for the horn section.

Follow-up

On the heels of last week’s lost-member-of-the-group rant, listening to Onyx’s Throw Ya Gunz reminded me of another lost member. There were four bald heads orginially, but over time, the same Big DS that Fredro, Sticky and the other dude that never made it into acting were planning to go bust out of jail was apparently busted out of the group instead.

Next week

“My Philosophy,” “Time’s Up,” others: Still relevant?

The Sendoff

A’ight man, I have to quit. Clicking the clips on Sandbox Automatic to verify a few horn sets got me interested in purchasing The Best of Schoolly D and the 12-inch of Just Ice’s Way Back. That’s why I stay away from those sites. It’s like drugs to me.

Until next Thursday (or Friday)…

TiVo

* As an added bonus, here are some of the funky jawns that I'm listening to while drifting in and out of an Acetamenaphine (sp?) induced haze:

24 Carat Black - 24 Carat Black
I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You (Non-Vocal) - Leon Haywood
Celestial Blues - Gary Bartz Ntu Troop
A Girl Like You - Edwyn Collins
What Planet - DJ Day
Bam Bam - Sister Nancy
Case Of The PTA - L.O.N.S.

As a side note: Happy Birthday to Jer Young...you bama you! And Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it.

I'll be back next week in Full Force MD's.
Keep on Funkin'
Brother B.

Kaboom!!! Guess Who Stepped In The Room...

Anything (Old School Mix) - SWV feat Wu-Tang Clan
I Love You - Mary J. Blige feat Smif N' Wesson
Rub You The Right Way - Johnny Gill feat CL Smooth

More mid 90's R&B jammies but this time featuring some guest cameos from the era's lyrical heavyweights. These were those type of tracks that would ge some spin during Albie D's set on PGC back in the day, cause normally at night, he'd play a rack of R&B stuff but hardly any hip hop. Of course that would change after Self Destruction came out. Every night he'd end his show with that joint. It was classic. But that is another story. Anyhow, the R&B with some rappin' added for "street cred" purposes was really in it's mainstream infancy before these tracks made their debuts. Back then it wasn't really a marketing ploy (like today) per se, but more of good music by some of the days best artists. So let's get to the tracks, cause I'm late for a date, seen!

SWV was one of those groups that as soon as you heard them sing, you knew who it was. Can I just call them the official girl group of the New Jack Swing Era? I know Total and some other groups came out shortly after they did but Teddy Riley had his hand in their careers right? So by default they can claim the title as far as Brother B is concerned. This track, the OG version, was off of that b-movie classic, "Above The Rim". But the remix, was a classic. The line up of Old Dirt Dog (RIP), Method Man, & Golden Arms brought some extra funky flavor for your Craig Mackin' ears. Check the technique:

[Ol Dirty Bastard]
Dirty Bas, style cuts like glass
Gotta gotta keep it high power to the mass
Yo Gods, another like platinum hit
Party people all around be sayin that's the shit!

[Method Man]
Kaboom! Guess who stepped in the room Tical, hailing from the Shaolin Isle
It be me the killer bee, on the M-I-C With the S-S-double-double-U (W) to the V-V
Me me goin downtown, let me see If we all and together now,
make it mo' better now Listen, I ain't sweatin no competition
Flow, goin mad low like I'm dissin

[U-God]
Another chapter from the Wu-Tang group
Take a look or a peak, killer bees never sleep
Nonstop, put you on the choppin block
Unorthodox, attitude to melting pot

[Method Man]
I'll do anything, I'm so into you Right here,
I win, downtown with the Wu
Kaboom!
Guess who stepped in the room The S S Double Double U V V to the boom

Mary J. Blige has been in the proverbial "game" for a long time. From "What's the 411?" with The Grand Puba to some crackhouse shit with JaFool, she has amassed a very impressive resume of hits and collabs. Her most famous of course was the remake of Marvin Gaye's "All I Need" with Method Man (aka The Track That Made Meth A Sex Symbol To The Ladies). But if I had to choose her best collabo (if not best song) it would be the track we have here for you today. "I Can Love You" takes that really mellowed out funk piece from DJ Hollywood, "Hollywood's World" and flips it a bit to create a track that really yearns to be played when it's raining/foggy SF style when you and your significant other need to reconcile the day of arguments over the color of the table cloth. It works, believe me.

Finally, DC gets some love up in here. Johnny Gill, who to this day has been responsible for more newborn babies besides Teddy P and the Rev. Al Green, once did a live version of "My My My" that if I ever find it will be the completion of my final "Music To Make Babies To" mix series. I might just have to find a bride after that cause it's pretty much the pinnacle. But this track, upbeat and even a dance floor massive type hit, does it's best to separate from the New Edition style JG was used to by enlisting the Caramel Lover, CL Smooth to kick some Honey-Licious words on Johnny's behalf. I will forever wonder if this song would have been a classic for reals if Pete Rock would have done the production instead of the Teddy Riley clone. We may never know. But I like it anyhow. How can you not like Johnny Gill?

Alrighty peoples, hope that all is well and that you are spreading the Wisdom of The Funk to all corners of the globe...cause I'm out of frequent flyer miles and pockets are mos def on E!

THOUGHT PROVOKING QUESTION ALERT!

What if any, is the relevance of EPMD's "Crossover" in today's hip hop scene?

Catch yawl on the flip side.

Funky since 1978,
Brother B.

Cocaine's A Helluva Drug...

Don't Be Cruel - Bobby Brown
Tender Roni - Bobby Brown
Every Little Step - Bobby Brown

Sorry for the missed post yesterday folks, I didn't get out of the bed all day. But for today, I'm back among the living thanks in part to Public Enemy's greatest hits (not misses!), a years supply of chicken noodle soup, and that new Jenna Jameson video...sike! Anyhow, I'm feeling better, but not good enough to go back to work but don't tell the bosses. I need to catch up on the happenings with "The Wire" and whatnot.

So while I was searching for some New Jack Swingness for a mix Cd I'm putting together, I ran across a few of the more famous tracks by Mr. Whitney Houston himself, Bobby Brown. If you are so inclined to get a year by year synopsis of Mr. Brown's record releases/law breakage/etc., check out this site here.

I was a fan of New Edition, I mean who wasn't trying to spit the lyrics to "If It Isn't Love" in the 5th grade to get the attention of the class cutie? Just me? Seriously? DAAM! Anyhow, Bobby Brown was an original member of NE until he bolted the group in '86 amid "creative differences". Off an on during the late 80's to early 90's, Bobby had a string of hits, three of which are linked up top for your enjoyment. But his best and in my opinion only "good" album was "Don't Be Cruel" which was released in 1988. The three songs we have for you today are off that album. Let's dissect them shall we? Lets.

Don't Be Cruel

Elvis probably was rolling over in his grave when this track came out. It's synthesized (& supersized) sound was prevalent during the late 80's R&B (that's Rhythm & BullShit) movement. As a fan of true skool hip hop music, this kinda song wouldn't really have ever been on my favorite mix tape or in heavy rotation but the girls liked it, so I did too. At first, being like 10 and all, I couldn't really get into the farce that was Bobby Brown rapping on this song. But over time it sort of grew on me. The message of the song was one of a pleading individual who was obviously putting in work in his relationship (I bought you twelve yellow roses, and candy too) but wasn't getting the "Super Mark Duper" work in return. This was/is a legitimate problem for fellas back then and even to this day. I have a feeling it's been a problem since the garden. But regardless of the purpose of this song, after 17 years it is a pretty funky song, albeit a New Jack Swing kinda funk.

Tender Roni

Ahh yes, the slow song that was pumping at all of the dances and socials back in 88 (set it straight!). This is one of my all time favorite slow jams, I mean after this song came out, dudes were calling their main ladies "tender ronies" like it wasn't akin to a Italian dish. I never knew a girl named Roni myself, but could you imagine those girls who were named Roni when this came out? Instant popularity boost. The song itself isn't really a ground breaking track, but it invokes those memories of dancing with your boy/girlfriend at that 7th grade dance. The one that you had to get your parents permission to go to. The one where when you'd get to a slow song, you had to have like 3 feet of space between the two of you or it was in school suspension. The one where while dancing, you were worried more about stepping on the other person's feet than you were about keeping rhythm. Man, those were the days.

It's sad to say, but I still have that problem now. I mean, when is my mom gonna let me do what I want to do without asking her for permission? Just joking...Seriously.

Every Little Step

Three words can sum up this track:
1. Upbeat
2. Hopeful
3. Declarative

If you are like me, and well TiVo and Dr. Mentos too, you remember stuff from old school videos more often that you remember other facts. If nobody has done it yet, I'm going to get together a Hip Hop Trivial Pursuit. How cool would that be...I'm claiming that shit right now. No Biters!!!! Well I found the video of "Every Little Step" and figured that I'd share it with you instead of writing about it. So peep it and reminisce (T.R.O.Y) on some old skool Bobby Brown madness. Before he went out like a punk.

So there you have it. Tuesday's post got me back in the loop and hopefully the remaining posts this week will be getting back to full strength. Look for the next few weeks to be going back to the "theme" format. We've been digging hard for some of your favorite funky tracks and we'll start bringing them out next week.

Side Note 1: I've never been big into Brackets or Fantasy sports for that matter but from what I am hearing, this year's NCAA tourney is a killer for almost everyone who has done one. Haven't all the two seeds been smoked? Check out Straight Bangin' for some insightful/hilarious rundowns of the action.

Side Note 2: I've only got two more classes after this semester and I'm finally done with my BBA. Thank you Jeezus!

Side Note 3: I'm mulling over getting my MBA this year, which starts about a month after I'm done with this program. Anybody got any suggestions? I'm prolly going to do a cost benefit analysis on that sucker to see if it'd be worth my incurred debt but if you have a thought, feel free to post it.

Side Note 4: Who actually wrote Bobby's raps? I'm betting on Jermaine Dupri...but that's just me.

The Funk's Video Recall Game Part 1:
Can you name the late 80's style/fashion/dance staples that are found in the Bobby Brown Video "Every Little Step"? Post your answers for a chance to win a fabulous (that's fa-bo-lo-us) prize and/or congrats from the staff.

Alright folks, I'm ghost like face until Wednesday.
Brother B