Generic list post: December 2024

Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month which is basically an excuse to make various vanity lists. And so: my favourite songs of 2024, my favourite non-2024 songs I discovered in 2024 and my favourite movies & TV shows of 2024. How much do I love bloggin'? Like Tyson Fury loves bacon, lettuce & tomato. See yous in 2025.

UGK - Funky Connection (1990/????)
LaRussell & Cam Cortez ft. Malachi - Brainchild (2024)
LaRussell & Cam Cortez - Beautiful Day In The Bay (2024)
Seiji Oda ft. LARussell - Peaceful 2 (2024)
Nef The Pharaoh - Puppet Theatre (2024)
Richie Rich ft. The Yee Section - Side Show (live at The Bakery) (2024)
Ka - Borrowed Time (2024)
Rio Da Yung OG - Rio Free (2024)
Ramones - Wart Hog (live) (1985)

Bonus bloggin: 1nce again I'm gonna use my monthly wrap-up post to keep track of the best movies and TV shows I've been watching. * indicates rewatches dunnit.

Movies I watched and liked:
What's Up, Doc? (1972)
Porridge (1979) *
Repo Man (1984) *
Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992) *
Anora (2024)
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024)
Grand Theft Hamlet (2024)

TV shows I watched and liked:
Doctor Who - The War Games (colourised re-edit) (1969/2024)
Porridge - No Way Out episode (1975) *
Porridge - The Desperate Hours episode (1976) *
Prisoner: Cell Block H (episodes 164 to 169) (1980/1981)
Neighbours (new episodes) (2024)
WHAM!: Last Christmas Upwrapped (documentary) (2024)
Cunk on Life (2024)
Only Connect (new episodes) (2024)
Match Of The Day 1 and 2 (new episodes) (2024)
Toy Shop on Tour (series 3 episodes 1 to 6) (2024)

Shout outs to Dadadebaser, Chicken-N-Kalinka and Crimedawgbylaw for comin' through with some cool 2024 lists.

Wart Hog Barbarians

Allow me one more killer clip of the Ramones performing live on the British TV show Old Grey Whistle Test. Here they are cranking out Dee Dee & Johnny's hardcore-inspired choon Wart Hog in 1985. This was the song where the Reagan twentysomethings bodied Reagan Youth with their own style. Highlights include Joey awkwardly throwin' shapes with no vocals to contribute, and Richie stealin' the show by shrieking the chorus like he's accidentally stepped on a Hedgehog.

Ramones - Wart Hog (live)
(From Old Grey Whistle Test TV show; 1985)

From the BBQ to The Bakery (part 2)

So the Splash Bakery YouTube channel is basically Tiny Desk Concerts but for NorCal Rap fiends, backed by a group called The Yee Section who are legit NorCal Rap fiends themselves (they work with LARussell, Seiji Oda and Lil' Ricefield.) The performances occasionally get a bit too Real Musicians With Real Instruments™ for my liking, but when they do work they genuinely make Slap-Classicos hit different. My fave performances so far are Nef The Pharaoh doing Big Tymin', Seiji Oda doing A Gentle Gigg, DaBoii doing Calvin Cambridge, and this new clip of Richie Rich doing... wait for it... Side Show from the first 415 album! Now that's a Christmas surprise nobody was expecting.

Richie Rich ft. The Yee Section - Side Show (live at The Bakery)
(From Splash Bakery channel; 2024)


Oi Splash Bakery crew, get E-40 in to perform Flashin'. The Yee Section lads could potentially make that shit sound flambrilliant.

In The Woods

"No if, ands or maybes
I like butts tho
You can look all you want
But don't touch tho"

Seiji Oda ft. LARussell - Peaceful 2
(From Peaceful 2 single; 2024)


Refrained from posting this because I've already blogged about three LARussell songs this month. But it'd be disingenuous of me not to post it since it's my go-to jam of the last week or so. Sendin' this one out to all Nature Boiz-In-The-Hood searching for some peace of mind rather than a piece of mine. LARussell caught that Turf Bucaneer Furley Ghost at 2:05 with my favourite pirate impersonation since Tom Baker in Blackadder. I've never liked Mac Dre's Thuzzle Dance, but for some weird reason I fuxwit interpolations of it like this and Nef The Pharaoh's Tattooed.

Previously: Twinkle twinkle, little slap (part 2) and Don't worry, be hyphy.

Dont Watch Dat, Watch Deez

It was a trip when The Muppet Show made Young Marty cry, didn't know, didn't ask, didn't wonder why.

Back by unpopular demand 1nce again, it's the Martorialist best movies and TV shows awards post. Told ya, you shoulda killed me last year. Damn, it feels good to be a blogger when you can inflict your year-end lists on the internet. I have no idea whether 2024 will go down as A Vintage Year™ for movies & television, I just know that I've watched some stuff which tickled my specific fancies. Is Natasia Demetriou nadja average actress? Then let's talk turkey.

Best movies and documentaries of 2024 IMHO:
Robot Dreams
Anora
The Substance
Love Lies Bleeding
Late Night With The Devil
You'll Never Find Me
Heretic
Grand Theft Hamlet
Getting It Back: The Cymande Story
Scala!!!

Best TV shows of 2024 IMHO:
What We Do In The Shadows (series 6)
Colin From Accounts (series 2)
Inside No. 9 (series 9)
Peacock (series 2)
Mandy (series 3)
Neighbours (2024 episodes)
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing (series 7)
Mr. McMahon (all 6 episodes)
Mammals (series 1)
Saucy! Secrets Of The British Sex Comedy (both episodes)
Only Connect (2024 episodes)
Match Of The Day 1 and 2 (2024 episodes)
Toy Shop on Tour (series 3 so far)


** Kevin Bacon's sleazy hick P.I character from MaXXXine needs his own spin-off prequel movie.

** 2024 movies I still need to see: MadS and The Zone Of Interest.

Best old movies I saw for the first time this year: The Long Kiss Goodnight, Little Shop Of Horrors (director's cut), Near Dark, Miracle Mile, Meantime, Restless Natives, The Cars That Ate Paris, X, The Lavender Hill Mob and Eating Raoul.

** Since coming to the conclusion that the Ramones were the greatest Rock band ever, I've spent 2024 constantly rewatching bits of their movie Rock "N' Roll High School. This is surely one of the best opening credits sequences in the history of cinema innit?

Obligatory shout out to Party Sparty for running my favourite movie/TV blog.

Trunk Muzik

TREE - The 3rd Floor
(From The 3rd Floor mixtape; 2010)


The 3rd Floor has gotta be one of TREE's best songs, right? If he'd never recorded any more music after this, he'd still go down in the history books as mastering the art of Soul-Trap musik on this song. Also a good example of how percussion-free Rap can knock with motion and not linger in the air like a fart in a cold car.

Digging through TREE's YouTube page recently it seems like My Ether was his debut single as a solo artist. Peep his exquisite use of ad libs to fill the spaces during the chorus. A very good debut single which doesn't sound like anything else that dropped in 2010, albeit a very good debut single which doesn't sound like the Soul-Trap musik TREE became known for either.

TREE - My Ether
(From The 3rd Floor mixtape; 2010)


Then again, TREE's sound has always been broader than a lotta folks : Know Y was Swag-Rap with a Chicago twist; 1 Is For The Money sounded like DJ Toomp hooked up a track with the Films drum-break; Probably Nu It sounded like a game of Pong turnt Rap musik; Like Whoa sounds regionally ambiguous in a good way etc etc.

Sittin' here thinking of potential pseudonyms for TREE. So far I've got TREE AKA Branch Nubian AKA Bark The 45 King AKA Chief Leaf AKA Afrika Bambootaa AKA Log Foe.

The obligatory BEST RAP SONGS OF 2024 post

UrFavGrannie - Boy Bye
(From Boy Bye single; 2024)


Martatina says cast ya votes. Tell E-40, yeah grab ya peacoats. Tell Lakim Shabazz, yeah grab ya notes. And DJ Kool & crew, y'all lads clear ya throats. Check it out, I'm bloggin' on the spot, postin' like an anvil ready to drop.

Nowadays, I'm at the point where I consider the modern music I like as the apex of contemporary art, and the modern music I dislike as the worst shit I've ever heard in my life. Listen, anybody can write words, who's prepared to do the dirty work like a swineherd? And searching for new Rap I like REALLY feels like dirty work when I've listened to eight terrible songs in a row just to find that one Killer Track™. Nobody ever said finding Legit Choonz™ would be easy, but when I'm lying on my deathbed I'll definitely regret the time I've wasted separating Rap music's thumbs up from its thumbs down. Fortunately, the pain and strain of listening to audio dung is eased when I come across Certified Gems™ like these songs. That's the beautiful thing about Bona Fide Jams™ - anybody can get 'em and anybody can give 'em to ya, they're like Secret Santa.

Favourite Rap songs of 2024 IMHO:
Mello Buckzz - Move
Ezale - Fun
GloRilla - Yeah Glo!
Kurious - Cow's Eye
LARussell & P-Lo ft. Malachi - Who Else You Know
Sexyy Red - Get It Sexyy
Seiji Oda - A Gentle Gigg
Common & Pete Rock - Wise Up
Pooh The WriteR - Bestie
Coyote - Devils Contract
Pookie F'n Rude - Hold Up
LL Cool J ft. Busta Rhymes - Huey In The Chair
Busta Rhymes - Do The Busabus Pt.2
Eatem - Start It Off
Mac God Dbo - A Whole Brick
Latto - Sunday Service
Brotha Hung Lynch - Da Siccness
41 - Save Me
Nef The Pharaoh - Essence
Mic Terror ft. Bruus - Big Steppas
Kendrick Lamar - Squabble Up
Doechii - Nissan Altima
Myaap & Yonaa - Choppa Sound
Bruiserwolf - Dope Boy
AMB EZ ft. Nasty Nell - Birthday (video mix)
BigXthaPlug - The Largest
Homeboy Sandman - Win Win
Daya1k ft. Kiki Tha Prize - Good
YG - Knocka
R.A.P Ferreira & Furnitake Tamura - Jes' Grew In Osaka
Heaven - In There
Ka - Borrowed Time
Rio Da Yung OG - Rio Free
Richie Rich & The Yee Section - Side Show (live at The Bakery)

Favourite British Rap songs of 2024 IMHO:
Nine & Dex - Pecan Pie
Knucks & K-Trap - Cautionary Tales

Favourite non-Rap songs of 2024 IMHO:
Tommy Richman - Million Dollar Baby
Tinashe - Getting No Sleep
Rajah Wild- Gone Bad
Mall Grab & Real Lies - Ripples In The Timeline
DMX Krew - Cloud Ocean Part 1
Alfonso de Vilallonga - Dog and Tin At The Beach
Beabaadoobee - Take A Bite
Mean Jeans - Reggie

Bonus beats: the 2024 late pass awards.

The 2024 late pass awards!

Year end season done took flight. Here at The Martorialist we're post-time, baby. That's why the old songs we discovered and fell in love with are as important as the new songs we discovered and fell in love with. If the Rap songs list below rings a bid-ell like Big L it's because ya host made a truncated Audiomack playlist out of it last month.

Best non-2024 Other Rap songs I discovered in 2024:
Hard Rock Soul Movement - Double Def Fresh (1986)
Professor X - Professor X (Saga) (1988)
LL Cool J - Illegal Search (Pre-Trial Hearing mix) (1990)
Jay Tee ft. Mac Dre - Do The Crew (CDQ version) (1990/2018)
Kurious - Fill 'Er Up (1991/2008)
G. Dep - Dollar Bill (1998)
Saafir aka Mr. No No - Street Scene (1998)
Warren G - Dope Beat (1999)
AZ - Rap Fanatic (2002)
Big Moe ft. Mike Wilson - Leave Drank Alone (2003)
Saigon - Favorite Thingz (extended version) (2006)
DaBanggaz314 - Run Up Get Dun Up (2009)
Rack-Lo - What's A Lo-Life To Me (2013)
38 Dezzie ft. Mouse On Tha Track - On My Shit (2021)
Pookie F'n Rude ft. Kedaru & Hash Hearted - One Of Them Dayz (2023)
TREE - Prom Night She Puked On Me (2023)

Best non-2024 Other Genres™ songs I discovered in 2024:
Flo & Eddie - Keep It Warm (1976)
Ramones - S-L-U-G (Road To Ruin mix) (1978/2018)
Keith Mansfield - Underlying Menace (1978)
Brian Bennett - Solstice (1978)
Haircut 100 - Nobody's Fool (1982)
Charlie Green - The Bus Stop (1983)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Police Helicopter (demo version) (1983)
Vincent Gallo - Her Smell Theme (1985)
The Feelies - Let's Go (1986)
Bribe - Squidge (1992)
Urban Jungle - Back In The Daze (1994)
Sharon Forrester - Love Inside (1994)
Rogue Unit - Good To U (Rogue Unit mix) (1995)
DMX Krew - Dry Acid (2015)

Holla @ ya host with your own late past discovery choonz of 2004.

The River Juvenile

"I make these slaps for the hustlas, made men
I pulled us out a dark hole, was cavemen
What can I say? She was a 10, I caved in
So many n***as in the Backyard it caved in
I worked for mine, this ain't somethin' you could trade in"

LaRussell & Cam Cortez ft. Malachi - Brainchild
(From From Vallejo With Love album; 2024)


One last LaRussell song for 2024. NOLA-influenced NorCal tracks always yield better results than NOLA-influenced tracks from other Rap regionals because NorCal artists tend to infuse them with a sense of fun which is generally absent elsewhere. This song, Boycott and Beautiful Day In The Bay from LaRussell's new LP with Cam Cortez behind the boards make me forgive 'Russell for that Godawful Chance The Rapper-core shite he was dropping a couple of months back.

Standing By Starz

The RAH Band - Messages From The Stars (12" mix)
(From Messages From The Stars 12" single; 1983)


LARussell & Cam Cortez - Beautiful Day In The Bay
(From From Vallejo With Love album; 2024)


Riddle me this, Blapman: how come Northen California is the only Rap region to recognise & realise the brilliance of The RAH Band's space-boogie classic Messages From The Stars? DJ Fresh freaked it for Keak Da Sneak back in 2011, and now Cam Cortez has hooked it up for LARussell in 2024. Basically, Messages From The Stars is the greatest Trevor Horn & Anne Dudley production which wasn't actually produced by Trevor Horn & Anne Dudley. Props to the song's #actual creators husband & wife Richard Hewson & Liz Winning; they put their whole artistic solar plexus into composing a choon which sounds like it was beamed down to Earth from a whole 'nother solar system.

Flip you, melon farmer!

Apropos of El Calvo Y La Cruz by The Plugz featuring in the latest episode of What We Do In The Shadows, here's some music from Repo Man the movie which wasn't included on Repo Man the soundtrack. Used in the scene where Otto chases J. Frank Parnell's Chevy Malibu through L.A's streets, it's some instrumental score work based on the movie's main theme by Steven Hufsteter & Humberto Larriva from The Plugz. True story: that East Bay Ray type Surf-Punk guitar as Otto frantically descends the freeway's steps at 0:55 is one of my favourite marriages of music and moving image captured on film. Call me the chairman of the (surf)board.


Another frustrating omission from the Repo Man soundtrack is the instrumental version of the main theme which was used during the opening credits sequence. It's time for an expanded reissue of the OST album which includes that track, all the Hufsteter & Larriva instrumental scores, and other frustrating omissions from the original OST album like Rhumboogie by The Andrews Sisters and See See Rider by Louis Armstrong. Ayo Alex Cox - put it all on a CD, son, I'll enjoy it more.

Northern Exposure

"Reagan set us back 100 years, I'm glad he died
Zimmerman done killed Trayvon, he still alive
I ain't tryna hear your lil' song 'bout how you slide
If I don't change the world before I die just know I tried"

LARussell - Boycott
(From From Vallejo With Love album; 2024)


Don't say the truck is a monster, say that thing got a BBL. A BBL made from them 1980s WWF steroids or sumfink. Coldest LARussell song/video I've heard/seen since all the singles with P-Lo in the boiler room. Speaking of which, let's talk about NorCal Rap in 2024...

* Weighing up which of the LARussell & P-Lo singles is gonna make my 2024 EOY list. Yankin' is their best song and thee anthem, but Who Else You Know is the song I've jammed the most.

* P-Lo's sequel to Player's Holiday has gotta be the biggest NorCal disappointment of 2024. If P-Lo decided on that line-up then he should donate all his profits from the song to charity.

* Ezale's Fun gets my vote for best NorCal Rap single of 2024. Pity the video got removed from Ezale's YouTube channel due to illegal usage of a FedEx truck (lol) and ended up quietly reuploaded on the video director's own channel.

* Seiji Oda's A Gentle Gigg is his best song since City Pop 001 IMHO. Props to him for good-naturedly eluding to my frustrations with his singy Auto-Tune music in an interview.

* Mac God Dbo's A Whole Brick is my favourite unexpected random NorCal slap of 2024. If I never dig another Mac God Dbo song in my life at least I'll always have A Whole Brick.

* Forever inconsistent but always dependable for a few slaps per annum, Nef The Pharaoh's top 3 songs of 2024 are Essence, Don't Stop and the Splash Bakery performance of Big Tymin' IMHO. He's been inconsistent but dependable for a decade now too because Bitch I'm From Vallejo celebrated its 10th birthday this year.

I Post You With A Passion

"This shit remind me of, like, Andre Nickatina Killa Whales type shit... foreal, foreal"

Nef The Pharaoh - Puppet Theatre
(From Vallejo Playa album; 2024)


Here's a melancholy knock from Nef The Pharaoh's latest album which he compares to Andre Nickatina's Killa Whale. The kid really missed a trick by not AKA-ing himself as Changdre Nickatina or Nef The Fillmoe. Not sure I catch Nef's drift with that comparison tho tbh. This is more like some Andre Nickatina Ghost Of Fillmoe type shit innit? Whateva, man - Puppet Theatre best gets in where it fits in as the B-side to Don't Stop.

Mask Off

"Yo, make sure the mics is right, I'm gonna take my mask off and reveal my identity out here... DAMN!"

MF DOOM - Gas Drawls
(live at Wetlands, New York; 2000)


The New York backpack scene was full of irksome, myopic people, but hats off to whichever one of them captured DOOM's third show on video where he removed his mask to perform Gas Drawls. Dome blown in the comforts of my own home at him actually wearing a Stetson hat like Paul C. Hats off to Megalon too who kept his mask on under those nuclear-grade stage lights. The only Rap sidekick to hit the stage lookin' like a Cobra Techno-Viper or wot?