Generic list post: June 2020

Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month when someone finally solved the mystery of MF DOOM's Arrow Root sample. Now someone needs to solve the mystery of why DOOM decided to waste such a glorious beat on Scienz Of Life.

Smiley Culture - Roots Reality (1985)
Max B - Didn't Mean To Kill A Man (2020)
Ruste Juxx - Still Paper Thin (2020)
Heavy Steppers - Whateva (2020)
Trap Beckham ft. Flo Milli - Back It Up (2020)
Flo Milli - Like That Bitch (2020)
YG - FTP (2020)
79rs Gang - Shot That Signal (2020)
Jenevieve - Baby Powder (2020)
SAULT - Wildfires (2020)
Archers Of Loaf - Talking Over Talk (2020)

Other notables: totally slept on Cavalier's Go Brooklyn until it belatedly got blessed with a video; Eatem & Female Rapper's Bing Bing Bam is a better Whoop Sum sequel than the Whoop Sum remix; two new entries in the Boyz-n-the-Hoodcore canon this month with Boosie's Dope Muzik and Megan Thee Stallion's Girls In The Hood; Zaybang's New Rem is cool but really needed a hook; other than the new episodes of What We Do In The Shadows, the best TV show of June was DJ Quik's episode of Unsung.

Further listing: the best songs of 2020 so far imho.

Further listening: my Top Shelf 8/8/88 sequel compilation.

PS: R.I.P Young Curt. I hope Heaven got a function where No Bitch gets slapped as much as D-Lo's No Hoe.

Charly XCX

"This life I live is pricey, man
Mama ain't give me dollars for the icey-man"

Max B - Didn't Mean To Kill A Man
(From Charly EP; 2020)


Bah bah dah dah dah. Bring out the piano from the Purple City ByrdGang video for this one. The World Boss Vybz Kartel and the Boss Don Max B are the only people in the history of music who can record pristine classic shit in a prison cell.

Previously: To The Max (no Stezo).

Reasons why I love YouTube part whatever

Because the recent DJ Quik episode of Unsung is on there! Job's a good 'un, though the show occasionally favours The Drama™ over The Music™ to its detriment - Quik's work with Suga Free deserved more screentime, as did Quik's triumphant return on the album with Kurupt. Oh well, feels churlish to complain about a TV which includes a segment detailing the recording of the Penthouse Players Clique LP dunnit?

Trap Goin' (Beck)Ham

Trap Beckham ft. Flo Milli - Back It Up
(From the internet; 2020)

Trap Beckham · Back It Up feat. Flo Milli (Spring Break Anthem)

It's a game of two halves, Clive. They just don't make booty anthems like this anymore: songs that sound like the past, present and future at the SAME DAMN TIME! Back of the net, my son & shawty.

Who'd have ever thunk there'd be a Rapper called Trap Beckham tho? You'll never win anything with kidz unless you've got a different class of '92: Crunk Giggs, Atlanta Bass Scholes, Snap Butt, and the Futuristic Swag Neville Brothers.

Bonus beats: Flo Milli's new single is hardbody. Not so much death by stereo as death by stiletto.

Flo Milli - Like That Bitch
(From the internet; 2020)

Flo Milli · Like That Bitch

"Big top, small legs - bitch built like a wine glass!"

Bounce (For The Juracán) Part 2

79rs Gang - Shot That Signal
(From Expect The Unexpected album; 2020)


Some more spiritual miracle Mardi Gras Bounce by the Sitting Chiefs of Injun raindance Lil' Slim-core 79rs Gang. Shout outs to all the fallen New Orleans souljas whose souls are still dancing!

The best songs of 2020 so far imho

Arm, leg, egg, arm, head.

Everyday feel like it's an off day with Ferris Bueller, but everything ain't going according to plan, man. Six months deep into this annus bizarriblis, here's a generic list of my favourite 25 songs of 2020 (+ very late 2019) thus far. Music is a great escape from life's bullshit, so twist those shoulders like a Muppet to these:

Duke Deuce - Bad News
Max B - Phenomenon
Eatem - Spent It All
Flo Milli - Not Friendly
Mozzy - Big Homie From The Hood
Mic Terror - Head In The Morning
79rs Gang - 79rs Bout To Blow
Yhung T.O - You Know
NHale - Dealin' Wit A Hoe
Boldy James & The Alchemist - Speed Demon Freestyle
Rio Da Yung OG - Take A Day
Nefew - Blockaholic
Dee-1 - Corona Clap
GetEmTree - Opp Watching
Nef The Pharaoh - ABC
Heavy Steppers - Whateva
Ether Da Connect ft. Mr. Swipey & Waka Flocka Flame - WAKA (Remix)
Sada Baby - Slide
Quelle Chris & Chris Keys - Sudden Death
J Hus ft. Burna Boy - Play Play
Jenevieve - Baby Powder
Usher ft. Ella Mai - Don't Waste My Time
The Chats - Pub Feed
Archers Of Loaf - Rayleigh Days
Juiceboxxx - Drive Around

It's so rowdy in the Rouge part 3

"This gon' be the first song a bitch whoop your ass on"

Eatem ft. Female Rapper - Bing Bing Bam
(From YouTube; 2020)


Three points here: this is a better Whoop Sum sequel than the actual Whoop Sum remix; nobody can ever say "there's no such thing as a female rapper" again now; and the influence of Skeme's ski goggles in Style Wars endures 4eva.

Don't dry for me, Angelina

Jenevieve - Baby Powder
(From YouTube; 2020)


If, like me, you've been waiting for someone to make an R&B song outta Anri's dreamy Japanese City-Pop classic Last Summer Whisper then Jenevieve's Baby Powder is the jam 4 U. Song is so sultry it can even survive the deeply unerotic baby powder metaphor. Word around town, Jenevieve is gonna drop a sequel to this song. It's title? Jennifer Canesten.

Born To Audiomack: Top Shelf 8/8/88 Part 2

Obviously there's no such thing as a sequel to Top Shelf 8/8/88, but there could be if I made a playlist comprised of 15 songs from 2007 onwards possessed by the Golden-Era spirit. Stuck to East Coast artists because expanding the regional parameters would be too much food for thought tbh. Let's party like it's 1987 to 1992!!!

The Martorialist presents Top Shelf 8/8/88 Part 2
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Peedi Crakk - Brand New Funk 2k7 (2007)
AZ - Doin' That (Memphis Sessions mix) (2007)
Max B - De La Soul (2007)
Azie of MobStyle - The 80's (2008)
Prodigy - Raining Guns And Shanks (2008)
De La Soul - Excursions '09 (2009)
Grand Puba ft. Q-Tip - Good To Go (2009)
N.O.R.E ft. Flava Flav - Nutcracker (2010)
The Bounce Squad ft. Black Rob - Live At The State Building (2011)
Kurious Jorge - Best In The World (2014)
MF DOOM & Madlib - Avalanche (2016)
Edan - Real Bad Promo (2018)
Slick Rick - Midas Touch (2019)
Positive K & MC Lyte - I'm Still Not Havin' It (2019)
A-Mafia - Wunn (2019)


Busta's Don't Touch Me (Throw Da Water On 'Em) was a no brainer for inclusion but Audiomack removed it automatically on upload. The Man™ tryna ruin my crazy visionz or wot?

(Loadsa folks argue that the Golden-Era ended in 1991 but I disagree. It ended in 1992 with the break-ups of Eric B. & Rakim and EPMD; the rises of Redman, Nas, Wu-Tang and Black Moon; and the release of The Chronic.)

Born To Audiomack: Top Shelf 8/8/88 (O.G version)

The good news: browsing the 'net before and I noticed that Top Shelf 8/8/88 is now available on all digital retail/streaming platforms. The bad news: the entire compilation has been remixed with new beats which sound like they belong on a DJ Format album. Here at The Martorialist we do not approve of such tinkering with history, so here's the original 2007 version for your streamable pleasure. The songs by Black Sheep, Biz Markie, MC Lyte, Grand Puba, Smooth B, Special Ed, Melle Mel & Grandmaster Caz and Master Ace are all legit choons, with Ace's song being more bittersweet than ever right now.

Various - Top Shelf 8/8/88 (O.G 2007 version)
1. Fab 5 Freddy - Intro
2. Black Sheep - I'm The One
3. Big Daddy Kane - Like That Y'all
4. Biz Markie - My Name Is
5. MC Lyte - Listen Up
6. Grand Puba - Let's Go
7. Smooth B - I Want My Money Back
8. Craig G - Catch A Lyrical Beatdown
9. Chubb Rock - Chubb Rocks The Party
10. Special Ed - This Mic
11. Doug E. Fresh - It Ain't Nothin'
12. Jungle Brothers - Back In The Jungle
13. Just Ice - I Run The Streets
14. Melle Mel & Grandmaster Caz - The Battle Is On
15. Master Ace - Revolution's 'Bout To Start

Whateva Men

"We be gettin' groovy or whateva
WE LIKE MAKIN' MOVIES
Get another one 'cause two can could do it better
COME GET THIS TWO-PIECE"

Heavy Steppers - Whateva
(From the internet; 2020)


Whateva's USP: the Drill duo behind Heavy Steppers doing a BlocBoy JB song (sorta.) Far prefer this one to Heavy Steppers meself, TBH. Talk about video hoes that'll take your breath away, though. Time to get laid, blow up like the World Trade if they copped their dolls from Trotter's Independent Traders.

Same clique bonus beats: Grandmaster Spazz.

Nobody's smilin'

Smiley Culture - Police Officer
(From Police Officer single; 1984)


Probably a good day to point out that the U.K is still waiting for a proper investigation into Smiley Culture's supposed "suicide" during a raid on his house by the plod. In Police Officer Smiley got let off during a stop & search because the copper’s kids & mum were fans of his. Alas, he didn’t get so lucky with the coppers who stabbed him in his own home (allegedly!)

How many coppers does it take to throw a prisoner down the stairs? None, the prisoner accidentally fell.