Generic list post: September 2020

Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month when Mello-T was finally back on the BBC. (Albeit unseen footage of Mello-T when Louis Theroux revisited him in 2004.)

Mac Dre & Khayree - Times R Gettin' Crazy (acoustic) (1991)
Chilee Powdah - Nuthin' But Game (1996)
DB Tha General - Upgrade Em 3 (2020)
YG - Out On Bail (2020)
Sire Sensai - 1999 (1999)
Hollywood Holt & Million $ Mano - The Show (2011)
Mic Terror - Ride (2020)
Gzus Piece - Taladega (2020)
Mick Jenkins - Carefree (2020)
YN Jay & Louie Ray - Reflection (2020)
GetEmTree - Intro (2020)
Andwella - Hold On To Your Mind (1970)
SAULT - Son Shine (2020)

Other notables: Mac J's Go 1st makes a decent B-side to OldSkoo; Veeze's Law N Order is a notable new entry into the TV theme tune Rap canon; nice to hear a 3 minute Valee solo song and see him wearin' Adidas Superstar tracksuits again; Hotbox was right about CeeFineAss' Payback; Jmil was right about Durand Bernarr's Summons being a dope Nate Dogg homage and Jacquees dis at the same damn time; judging from the snippets of Pullin' More Strings, it sounds like A-Wax is supplying me Spotify playlist bunk with no bass in its trunk.

Generic list post: 2005 postscript bonus beats

Word to your mum, I'm in my own world. Thus I had no idea Noz was bloggin' again until someone linked me his Best 100 Rap songs of 2005 list. Other than him picking the wrong Edan song (Funky Rhyming FTW) it's a great list dedicated to the greatest year of the 2000's. Such a great year, in fact, that it's possible to keep going with songs by artists who didn't make the Noz list (technically in a couple of cases, tbf.)

M.O.P - Instigator
Fam-Lay - Amalance
Dirt McGirt - Lift Ya Skirt (12" solo mix)
Killer Mike ft. Three 6 Mafia - Get 'Em Shawty
Maino - Rumors
Bailey ft. Dave Chappelle - Fuck Yo' Couch
Purple City - It Ain't Easy
Mac Dre, Boss Hog, B-Luv & Husalah - Hustle
Husalah - Since '88
Mobb Deep - Cobra
Saigon ft. Kool G. Rap - The Letter P (remix)
Ludacris - Number One Spot
Playaz Circle ft. Shawnna - Gucci Bag
Blaq Poet - Bang Dis!
A-Wax - Money / Life
Woodie & A-Wax - The Yoc & The Burg
Redman - Gilla House Check
Down Bad Ent. - Keep Rollin'
Black Rob - Ready
Dru Down - Summer In The City
Clinton Sparks ft. Beanie Sigel & Peedi Crakk - Philly
Consequence - Caught Up In The Hype
Jakki Tha Motamouth - Cleptobrainiac

The Jerk

YG - Out On Bail
(From YouTube; 2020)



Just when I'd got outta the habit of checkin' for new YG, he pulls me back in with FTP and his new single here. Ratchet is dead, baby - this is YG reborn as 2Pac Jerkur. Half these rappers can't be bothered to write hooks nowadays, so I appreciate a song which is almost like two big hooks goin' back-and-forth on some EPMD shit for half of its two and a half minute run-time.

Hit The Flaw

"Luckily I just touch the streets sucka free with my company
Hell nah I don't remember your baby-dad, he's a chump to me
Dungarees sit on some number threes comfortably in some bucket seats
Ashin' joints out the window when crackin' up at your f*ckery"

Gzus Piece - Taladega
(From YouTube; 2020)


Honestly, this is exactly the sort of soaring Midwest fly shit that I want from a new Gzus Piece single until it gets all Lord Jamar's laundry list of complaints during the 2nd verse. But in this shite sandwich year you've gotta embrace the flaws and get your jollies wherever you can.

Please give a warm welcome to our special gust...

"Put that on my momma, 15 I was a young boss
Red dot on his nose, that's a Rudolph"

DB Tha General - Upgrade Em 3
(From 10 Years Strong album; 2020)


Oakland's Mr. Methane back up on The Martorialist. This one's a treat for us seasoned DB Tha General connoisseurs who've not kept up with his new music in recent years - the long-awaited third installment of his Upgrade Em song series. DJ Upgrade's subtle Jail House Rap interpolation means it also functions as a Rockin' In My Blues sequel for the seasoned DB connoisseur.

Craic Your Body

Andwella - Hold On To Your Mind
(From World's End album; 1970)

delirious music · Hold On To Your Mind - Andwella

Psychedelic rockers from Northern Ireland invented House music in 1970. Listen to the opening piano on this song for the proof. Like Curtis McClain nearly sang on Marshall Jefferson's Move Your Body, gotta have Hop House all night long! Anyhoo, these fellas were a big influence on Thin Lizzy, apparently.

Bonus 1970 beats:

Ennio Morricone - Svolta Definitiva
(From Città violenta soundtrack; 1970)

delirious music · Svolta Definitiva - Ennio Morricone

Charlie motherf*ckin' Bronson always brought the best out of The Vividest Composer. Seriously - who'd have ever thunk that The Maestro™ could compose a song that sounds like The Stooges jamming with The Mohawks? Alas, ya host can neither confirm nor deny whether the movie lives up to the soundtrack

Birds can do Baton Rouge Brawl Music™ too (part 2)

"My aunty name is Kita, my other aunty Rita
They both 'bout that cheddar, they be on that Velveeta"

GetEmTree - Intro
(From YouTube; 2020)


Talk about a bird's eye view. Best way to describe GetEmTree's brand of henchwoman Baton Rouge Brawl Music: Webbie without a willy or tomboy with a Tommy drum gun? Doz that kept both eyes shut previously should also peep Opp Watching.

"I just got a call from my dawg, he comin' home
I just dropped some fondue on his books and on the phone
F*ck 12, free my n*gga right or wrong
Bitch, 'cause all I speak is facts in every song"

GetEmTree - Opp Watching
(From YouTube; 2020)


**Edit** Peep Johnny Rap's epic 230 song and rising modern Baton Rouge playlist.

Loyal T

"No, I don't think that you dumb
But I know what I woulda done
And I don't f*ck with no n*gga that blocked me from feedin' my son"

Mic Terror - Ride
(From The Rona album; 2020)

Mic Terror · Ride

Dramatic piano banger alert! A song about some real shit which gets real specific about one of Mic T's ex-m8s at the end of verse one. Nowadays I don't give a f*ck about gossip unless it's a stock tip, but the aforementioned part of the song is a heartfelt explanation of why Mic no longer fuxwit his longtime producer Mano. Song hits hard because it's a universal concept with a dash of anecdotal personal context.

"But we be killin' shows like haters kills hoes
Got me throwin' out flows just like blowin' my nose"

Hollywood Holt & Million $ Mano - The Show
(From the internet; 2011)

Colin Ofloy · Hollywood Holt & Million $ Mano - The Show

Bonus Treated Crew beats: there's a buncha Mic Terror, Gzus Piece/White Gzus songs I wish had blown up, and then there's Hollywood Holt's best song here. Sometimes the obviously corny sample is the absolutely correct sample.

Late pass like it's 1999

Sire Sensai - 1999
(From Verbally Diseased ft. The Clinic's Operation Contamination album; 1999)


Via Tha Barber's YouTube. If one of Jiggs & Cheeks had a solo song on Twista's first Legit Ballaz group album then it'd probably sound like this. It's all spaghetti, tho, because Sire Sensai was #actually makin' music years before Jiggs & Cheeks or Legit Ballaz.

Bonus beats: best video Tha Barber ever put me onto is obvs the main single from Twista's second Legit Ballaz group album. The video is Chicago's answer to the Flava In Ya Ear remix, while the song itself is the ultimate in Midwesternplayalisticjiggyshit. Watch for Twista's proto-"DATAZZ!" face at 3 seconds in.

Twista & Legit Ballaz ft. Johnny P - Ball Wit Us
(From Legit Ballin: New Testament 2k Street Scriptures - Volume 2 compilation; 2001)

What happened to Piece? (Part 2)

Mic Terror ft. Gzus Piece & Bruus - Forever Gangster
(From The Rona album; 2020)


This now has a video. Good thing it does too because it's the obvious single on Mic T's new album, and I need to rectify a slight mistake from first time round: it starts as a space-age Return Of The G and ends as the return of Big Moe from the grave and ends as the return of Jodeci. Everybody played they position like Mourinho's Porto team.

Bonus beats: every single needs a B-side so I nominate One Day as the flipside to Forever Gangster. Don't even mind the faint use of Auto-Tune on this one because it's got that classique Greg Nice echo to it.

Mic Terror ft. Bruus - One Day
(From The Rona album; 2020)

Mic Terror · One Day ft. BRUUS

Generic list post: Neptunes edition

Before The Chad & The Virgin, there was The Chad & The Pharrell. Neptunes productions are a hot topic right now so lemme add my tuppence. Top 20 fave Neptunes produced Rap songs. No repeat artists and no order of preference. You know the Neptunes were 5 star general producers of their era when they've got me enjoying early noughties Jay-Z in 2020.

Fam-Lay - Skrung Owt (2006)
N.O.R.E - Nothin' (2002)
Ma$e ft. Puff Daddy - Lookin' At Me (1998)
Slim Thug - Like A Boss (2004)
Mystikal ft. Pharrell - Shake Ya Ass (2000)
The Clipse - Grindin' (2002)
Birdman ft. The Clipse - What Happened To That Boy? (2003)
Fabolous - Young'n (Holla Back) (2001)
Ludacris - Southern Hospitality (2000)
Busta Rhymes - As I Come Back (2001)
Philly's Most Wanted - Suckas (2001)
ODB ft. Kelis - Got Your Money (1999)
N*E*R*D ft. Lee Harvey & Vita - Lapdance (2001)
Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell - Drop It Like It's Hot (2004)
Jadakiss - Knock Yourself Out (2001)
Foxy Brown ft. Pharrell - Magnetic (2003)
Rosco P. Coldchain ft. Pharrell - Delinquent (2003)
Nelly - Hot In Herre (2002)
Black Rob - Business As Usual (2003)
Jay-Z - LA-LA-LA (2003)
Bonus beats: anyone down for a game of favourite fake-Neptunes productions?

Loon ft. Kelis - How You Want That? (2003)
Yukmouth - Stuntastic (2003)
Clinton Sparks ft. Black Rob - Knock 'Em Out (2005)
Jim Jones ft. Max B & Mel Matrix - Sour Diesel (2006)
Curren$y - Scared Of Monstas (2009)

Paddy and Mick walk into a pub...

"It just don't look like this
If you livin' carefree then you probably don't look like us
Damn, n*gga, let me cook right quick"

Mick Jenkins - Carefree
(From The Circus EP; 2020)


Need an investigation into how a Mick Jenkins single produced by Black Milk has ended up a semi-hit in the U.K. Granted, it's a legit jam about a topic that's become even more horribly pertinent as 2020 unfolds, but who'd have thunk such a song would become Big In Britain™? Personally, I'm diggin' this shit because its hazy late night vibe is the exact opposite of what I'd expect a Mick Jenkins & Black Milk collaboration would sound like.

The first Chicago Rap song to be bigger in the U.K than the U.S since Vic Mensa's Hip-House song. AKA the only Vic Mensa song where his inherent corniness could blossom into something listenable.

Jam On It

Billy Jam's HipHopSlam YouTube page has got more gems than a sunken ship. Best of all, there's the time Mac Dre & Khayree turned up at Billy's KUSF radio show in 1991 and performed an acoustic version of Times R Gettin' Crazy with Dre in Furly Guthrie mode and Khayree pulling strings (no A-Wax.) Forget drumless boom-bap, it's all about drumless mob-slap:


Billy's also uploaded a handful of electronic press kits Noo Trybe Records sent out in 1994 to promote The Bounce Squad, Diezzle Don & Tha Govenor, and The Luniz. The latter's epk is somewhat infamous because it's where they first dissed Too $hort:


Billy later broke the news to Too $hort during an interview with the Dangerous Crew and was the first to glean a response from $hort before the beef went to record:


There's a Black Artists Against Drugs PSA by Public Enemy with Chuck D in the Minor Threat t-shirt Glen E. Friedman gave him and the hilarious spectacle of Flava Flav warning da kidz not to get high:


There's even rare videos like this sweet lil' single from O.G TRU member Chilee Powdah:

Chilee Powdah - Way Too Real
(From Way Too Real album; 1996)


Lots of other good stuff on there and very active recently, so one to keep an eye on.

Strictly Business

You, a square: wow, Gunplay naming himself Don Logan after Ben Kingsley's character in Sexy Beast was a true World's Colliding moment.

Me, a connoisseur: son, Wiz Khalifa made a song that, from its title to its sample, was a homage to a specific scene in Danny Dyer's one good movie The Business.


Wiz Khalifa - The Kid Frankie
(From Kush & Orange Juice mixtape; 2010)

LeyssonL4 · Kid Frankie Wiz Khalifa

Much like Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, The Business is a Mockney crime movie that's loathable in theory but stupidly enjoyable in reality. A good chunk of its appeal comes from the lead actor's clobber, but that's true of many a movie innit? Do The Right Thing has The Shoes™, The Business has The Shorts™.

Hands up if The Kid Frankie is your fave single from Kush & Orange Juice.

Now keep 'em there if it's your fave Wiz single full stop.