Friday 3 January 2014

Ayo Herb McGruff

You should release the CDQ version of Creep because it's the best solo cut you ever recorded, and the chil'ren ain't even know you're one of the founding fathers of Harlem henchman-Rap since most of your best solo tracks never came out officially:

"While you fakin', I knocked ya ass out in Green Haven
Cup cake, you used to wash my drawers upstate"


Herb McGruff - Creep
(From the Villain Guys bootleg EP; 1998)


Being such a hardrock that you had other rappers washing your underwear in prison is, of course, one of the central tenets of Harlem henchman-Rap which runs through the catalogues of the sub-genre's pioneers MobStyle right up to its most most notable recent exponent A-Mafia. Although the Villain Guys EP came out in 1998, Creep was intended to be McGruff's debut street single for Uptown Records in early 1996 until Isaac Hayes sabotaged the plan by not clearing the sample because the song's content offended him. I'll never understand how Ike let Biggie get away with Warning yet felt the need to nix Snoop's G'z Up Hoez Down and this McGruff joint.

15 comments:

Jamie said...

Gruff be on yer back like a shadow!

Unknown said...

It's to bad Mcgruff's album wasn't that good cause all the tracks that weren't on the album were great.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Yeah, the only song on 'Gruff's CD to live up to his potential is Danger Zone.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Also, Creep would have sounded so good next to the Real Live Shit remix on my 1996 pause-tape compilations.

step one said...

Reppin Uptown, Harlem Kids Get Biz and especially Harlem World (over 'Strawberry Letter 23') off McGruff's debut are all great.

Unknown said...

Reppin Uptown was pretty good the version that didn't make the album with a Mase verse was better though. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1nF5rqMpbM

Krisch said...

Isn't that the same version that was on the Uptown promo with "Make it Hot" on the other side?

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Ohhhh. Is it better quality on there, Krisch?

Krisch said...

Not quite sure, I just ripped it from the 12". The crackles are part of the song though. Do you have an e-mail I can send it to?

Would love to know who produced Creep and Villain Guys. Is there any info out there?

@step one: Harlem World wasn't included on Destined to Be

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Don't drop emails in these comments because you'll just end up getting spammed by Korean sites selling fake Jordans.

Upload it to Zippyfile!

I have no idea who did the beat. Weren't most of McGruff's uptown tracks produced by Heavy D & Tony Dofat?

step one said...

@Krisch - Weird. I've only ever had it on a CDR I copied off someone and its on tagged on the end. Assume they coldnt clear that sample either.

Krisch said...

Spunk Bigga, Ty Fyffe and others also did beats for him.

Now we have a problem, cause I don't want to get spammed by German law firms reppin Uptown or rather Universal.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

I'd imagine it's safe to upload some song which appeared on the b side of a promo 12" in 1996 to the internet in 2014.

Krisch said...

Alright, i take your word for it:

http://www59.zippyshare.com/v/86751614/file.html

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Cheers!