Real Lies Shit

Real Lies - Valentine
(From Various - RIFT Two compilation; 2023)

Real Lies · Valentine

The thing about Real Lies songs is that what you take into them is what you get out of them. And so, to me, Valentine is a surrender to emotions; being sobered by feelings; what would happen if Giggs were a sad lad who fronted Everything But The Girl; the perfect companion to Everything But The Girl's actual new single where Tracey Thorn sounds a dead ringer for Holly Johnson. Real Lies sanger Kev Kharas did a brief guide to Valentine video and it turns out that what I get out of the song kinda tallies up with what he took into the song when he wrote it. Consequently, it felt like I was part of something 4 real.

Bonus beats: shout out to Larry-O & K-Def and all the lads.

Breakfast At Twista's

Tung Twista - Back 2 School
(From Runnin' Off At Da Mouth album; 1992)


Crazy visions, BOOM: Back 2 School shoulda been the main single from Twista's first album with a video which flipped & bounced the G.O.A.T Chicago movie The Breakfast Club. Picture the cameras rollin' in 1992: Tung Twista playin' the position of Judd Nelson, DJ Quicksilver Cooley playin' the position of Emilio Estevez, Common Sense playin' the position of Anthony Michael Hall, and a couple of fit local lasses playin' the positions of Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy. Have cameos from Paul Gleason and John Capelos reprising their respective Breakfast Club teacher and janitor roles, and Twista woulda had the best Rap video set in a high school since De La's Me, Myself & I. Amirite or am I right?

Generic list post: January 2023

Chief Keef - It's Cracking
(From Bang mixtape; 2011)


Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month when 2023 got off to a cracking start in more ways than one. It ain't all fun and games, though: R.I.P to Gangsta Boo, Dangerous Dame, and The Rap Internet's very own Nyquil.

Lebra Jolie - What Kinda (2022)
Day Day Sustaaa - B.A.N.P (2022)
Coi Leray - Players (2022)
Max B ft. DJ Drama - Lemonade (2023)
Homeboy Sandman - Dia de Los Reyes (2023)
Mic Terror - Juiceman Freestyle (2023)
Gzus Piece - Globetrottin' (2023)
MoneyBagg Yo ft. GloRilla - On Wat U On (2023)
Gloss Up ft. GloRilla - Best Frenn (2023)
Eatem - Europe (2023)
Everything But The Girl - Nothing Left To Lose (2023)
Real Lies - Valentine (2023)

Other notables: that new Nef The Pharoah song with the Da Brat & Tyrese sample is pretty cool; also notable on the nostalgia-bait tip is BiC Fizzle's Kris Kross beatjack.

Other stuff: making a list of my favourite Rap songs of 1983 was a fun parlour game; Xanaxfantasia came through with a zipfile for my best of Seiji Oda playlist; some Bork label put out a remastered CD of all the Children Of The Corn songs so of course I had to order a copy.

On my worst day you couldn't even sit next to me, respectfully!

"Bitch, I'm tryna break that n*gga pockets, break a n*gga pockets
I'm tryna break a n*gga pockets, break the n*gga pocket
Ain't got no cash, can't get no ass, that's just how we rockin'
Don't want no feelings or no dealings if you can't take me shoppin'
Bitch, I'm tryna break that n*gga pockets, break a n*gga pockets
I'm tryna break a n*gga pockets, break the n*gga pocket
Me and my guhs want the plug, we ain't talkin' sockets
Who got the p's, not the ones who don't make no profits"

Day Day Sustaaa - B.A.N.P
(From B.A.N.P single; 2022)


Here at The Martorialist we've been feelin' Da Ladeez talkin' flagrantly on tracks this month, so here's an insanely 'ard Baton Rouge song to go with Lebra Jolie's What Kinda and Gloss Up & GloRilla's Best Frenn. Sisters on that back like a bra strap or wot? Turns out this Day Day Sustaaa lass already has an internet-hit with a C-Murder beatjack, so fingers crossed the TikTok massive work their viral magic with B.A.N.P too. Sharing is caring.

That's what you pay your licence fee for!

Apropos of the BBC repeating Public Enemy's Behind The Beat special last weekend, here's P.E's live performance of Rebel Without A Pause filmed at London's Hammersmith Odeon in 1987. You might not have seen the Behind The Beat special, but you've definitely heard it because it's Public Enemy's infamous live show which was used throughout It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. Peep Chuck D's very rare onstage outfit: #athleisurewear white jogging suit, Flavor Flav clock around his neck, and the brim of his baseball cap flipped up like he's Mike Muir from Suicidal Tendencies.

First live Rap concert ya host ever saw was Public Enemy in 1992. I was still in high school, but I was already 6 feet high & rising so I got in the venue no problem. Incredible show featuring all the classics from the first 4 P.E albums, and the group hadn't yet ruined their own live performances with Real Musicians™ playing Real Instruments™. You just can't recreate them Bomb Squad beats with a backing band, even if the backing band includes a low end auteurist like Davy DMX on bass guitar.

A Banner year part 2

"What type of n*gga wear his homeboy shit?
In his baby mama crib, ridin' his baby mama whip
Man, what type of n*gga tell lies on his dick?
Always runnin' to the 'gram every time he hit a lick"

Lebra Jolie - What Kinda
(From Lebra Jolie EP; 2022/YouTube; 2023)


File this alongside YRB NY's Replace Me in the canon of Like A Pimp beat refreaks by Da Ladeez. We're equal opportunity haters here at The Martorialist and so of course we appreciate when a lass comes through talking disrespectful big shit about the lads. Essentially, this song is the latest entry into the sub-genre of Rap known as Roxanne's Revenge-core.

IF U A RESPECTABLE FELLA WHO HANDLE THEY BIZ AND TAKE CARE OF YO BIZ AND KIDZ U LAPHING AND LUVING THIS LEBRA JOLIE SONG! IF U MAD U THE ONE LEBRA TALKIN BOUT BITCH-BOY!!!!!!

Generic list post: can you believe 1983 was 40 years ago?

Gonna tell my kid this was Reservoir Dogs.

I might be the wrong side of 40 in 2023, but even I was a mere shorty in 1983. Truth be told, the only Rap song Young Marty had heard in '83 was Kenny Everett's Snot Rap because my primary interests were the Star Wars toyline and the Star Fleet TV show. But as an adult Rap connoisseur I find myself continuously returning to the music of 1983 since it was a particularly vintage year: Rap underwent its first big change in sound; some great Rap songs with no rapping were released; and a handful of songs which came from outside Hip-Hop were embraced by The Culture™ and have gone on to be bona fide classics. Here's proof in the form of my favourite 1983 Rap choonz. As ever, no particular order of preference and one song per artist.

Best Rap songs of 1983 IMHO:
Run-D.M.C. - Sucker M.C's
Jimmy Spicer - Money (Dollar Bill Y'all)
Spoonie Gee - The Big Beat (7" edit)
Love Bug Starski - You've Gotta Believe
The Fearless Four - F-4000
Herbie Hancock ft. Grand Mixer D.ST - Rockit
Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde - Gettin' Money
Disco Four - Throwdown
Cybotron - Clear
Rammellzee Vs. K-Rob - Beat Bop
Sexual Harrassment - I Need A Freak
Newcleus - Jam On Revenge (The Wikki-Wikki Song)
Whodini - Haunted House Of Rock
Beastie Boys - Cooky Puss
Hashim - Al-Naayfiysh (The Soul)
The Furious Five - New York New York
Grand Master Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Do It)
Crash Crew - We Are Known As Emcees (We Turn Parties Out)
West Street Mob - Break Dance - Electric Boogie
Dimples D. - Sucker D.J's (I Will Survive)
Chris Stein & Fab 5 Freddy - Down By Law
Jonzun Crew - Space Is The Place
G.L.O.B.E. & Whiz Kid – Play That Beat Mr. D.J
Art Of Noise - Beat Box
Malcolm McLaren & World Famous Supreme Team - World Famous
Uncle Jamms Army - Dial-A-Freak

Bonus beats: 1983's best Rap song which isn't exactly a song? Double Trouble's Stoop Rap routine from the movie Wild Style. Obviously, it was the inspiration for Nas & AZ's Sprite commercial and Jurassic 5's shtick. Less obviously, it was the precursor to Suga Free's kitchen table freestyle and Alpoko Don's steez.

**EDIT** Robbie Unkut tells me this list needs a track by The B-Boys so I'd plump for Two, Three, Break. David Drake suggested Fresh 3 M.C's Fresh and, fair play, that's a good pick. Fred asked whether Too $hort released anything this year and I remembered that there's an underground Too $hort & Freddy B song over Smerphies Dance which could possibly date back to 1983? Party Sparty reminded me that Roland Rat's Rat Rapping dropped in 1983 and, as it turns out, that was the first Rap single I ever bought; my m8 Dave says I should have included Fantasy Three's Biters In The City.

Did somebody say Just Eat?

"I don't count my blessings, but God steady sendin' 'em
Repentin' for the same thing, I'm so tired of synonyms
Bet you gon' die a BD, now you gon' need insulin
They say EATEM YOU'RE UP, they thinkin' that I'm from Switzerland"

Eatem - Europe
(From Eat Vs. Eatem mixtape; 2023)


Over on Instagram, Eatem has been doing a Jackin' For Beats video song series called Eat Vs. Eatem where he talks turkey back-and-forth with himself in the spirit of T.I. vs. T.I.P.. Watch the videos/cop the tape here. But before you do, plz identify me the beat from this clip here.