Sunday 21 August 2011

Reasons why I love Youtube # 13

Ayo friends, Romans, countrymen, internet acquaintances, dudes searching for Razzle Romp pictures and lord knows who else reads this blog - why'd you never let me in on there being a video for Greg Nice's Set It Off single until this morning? This was a cut which didn't make much noise back when it was released back in 1995 (perhaps because he went by the name of Greg Nyce rather than Greg Nice, but more likely because it sounded out-of-step alongside Biggie, Wu, Mobb Deep, Smif-N-Wessun etc) but then got a second lease of life when it appeared on Funkmaster Flex's 2nd 60 Minutes Of Funk mixtape/compilation a couple of years later in 1997 :

Greg Nyce - Set It Off
(From Set It Off 12"; 1995)



Given that Nice & Smooth were old school party rockers cut from the cloth of Busy Bee's tweed suit in Wild Style, Greg managed to adapt to the mid-tempo shout-rap aesthetic of the mid-nineties surprisingly well, and this shit is more Dope Not Hype than any of the singles from Jewel Of The Nile or IV : Blazing Hot with the possible exception of Return Of The Hip Hop Freaks, which is only the greatest MF DOOM production which DOOM wasn't actually behind, innit?

4 comments:

Boothe said...

Greg Nice is the type of person you want at your BBQ/House Party. If everyone is chilling holding a drink, he seems like the person to get the party started by doing the "Greg Nice" by himself. (Word to Billy Idol)

Nice track, though it's kinda strange that the video appears to be one for a more anthem type track. This should have been shot in the streets of NYC, on a snowy day or something.

Haha on the greatest DOOM production that he wasn't involved in. Return of the Hip Hop Freaks is definitely a slept on tune from their catalog. It's actually one of my favorites.

"Dipped in the winter, dipped in the summer"

Remix is pretty solid too.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Rap's O.G bowler hat wearer Greg Nice is a tad too suave for hangin' out on the streets in the snow. Then again, he's a tad too suave to hang out in basketball attire too, really.

step one said...

Salaam Remi on this one if I remember right. I heard it on MK's Volume 9 tape and then couldnt find the vinyl anywhere. You think the different spelling of the name was down to him still being signed to Def Jam?

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Yes, and good call.