Re: hip hop headz - rants and raves


Pirkka Hartikainen (pirkka.hartikainen@pp.htv.fi)
Wed, 29 Sep 1999 18:43:21 +0300



my 2 cents to the hip hop tips discussion:

newer 12"
---------

Ugly Duckling: Everybody C'mon/Lay It On me (1500)
[excellent double-a-side, perfect beats, witty MCing & positive vibe]

Unspoken Heard & 7Headz: Jamboree EP (7Heads)
["Jamboree" = DOPE one-take freestyle over a tasty jazz instrumental
featuring J-Live, Mr. Complex etc. + other nice tracks]

Sound Providers: Get Down/No Time (ABB/quarternote)
[damn fonkee loops here with some basic party/battle lyrics]

Basement Chemist: Everybody (Beyond Real *repress*)
[incredible production by DJ Spinna with a spirited MC, worth the money for
the instrumentals alone]

High & Mighty: B-Boy Document (Rawkus *repress*)
[forget the wack '99 remix, and get the original while you can! look for the
original Hands On Experience EP as well as it's a must]

Pharoah Monch/Shabaam Sahdeeq: WWIII (Rawkus)
[phat, if not essential.. check all Pharoah Monch shit!]

a bit older 12"
---------------

MF Doom: The Mic/Red Gold (Fondle Em)
[one of 1998's best singles]

Dead Prez: Hip Hop (Loud)
[straight-up anthem from this leftist NY group]

Dilated Peoples: Work The Angles (ABB)
[Dilated Peoples' two first singles on ABB are both essential]

LP's
----
Quannum MC's: Quannum Spectrum (Mo'Wax)
[just buy this]

Polyrhythm Addicts: Rhyme Related (Nervous)
[nice Spinna-prod. LP with Complex, Sahdeeq & Apani]

KMD: Mr. Hood (reissue from '91)
[definite classic by the most slept on group in hip hop]

Organized Konfusion: all 3 LP's
[no hip hop collection is complete without, start with "Stress"]

Ugly Duckling: Fresh Mode (1500 Records)
[don't sleep - this is a dope mini-lp]

The Coup: Steal This Album (Dogday)
[my favourite hip hop album for a long time.. check the lyrics!]

Some general thoughts
---------------------

I think this "left coast" hype in the mainstream independent hip hop media
is pretty funny considering how much great music there has been made on the
West coast throughout the nineties, from "mainstream" to "underground", from
Dr. Dre to Project Blowed to MC Eiht to Pharcyde. It's great to see all
these new acts like Dilated getting their props though!!!

Also, even though I like their music, I've started to have a problem with
groups like Lootpack who seem to only rhyme about topics like "real hip hop"
and what happens to "wack emcees" crossing their path. It kinda gets boring
after a while!

"it's bigger than Hip Hop.."
Pirkka

now playing: Extra Prolific: Like It Should Be

PS. If you live in Finland, some of these records can be bought at Lifesaver
Records, Helsinki.



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