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.

The Bintstones

"I be bustin' out the windows, got him switchin' up his cars
He won't find shit in my phone but them lil' pictures of his cards"

MoneyBagg Yo ft. Glorilla - On Wat U On
(From On Wat U On single; 2023)


Just when it looked like GloRilla was the latest victim of Rap's cosmetic dentistry curse, she forgets to floss and starts 2023 by comin' out hard (yes Eightball & MJG.) First there was MoneyBagg Yo's battle of the sexes single, and now there's this tag-team battle single with fellow Sisterhood of Hitkidd member Gloss Up. Gangsta Boo ain't dead, she just moved into Gloss Up & GloRilla's bodies on some spiritual miracle physical manifestation type shit. If there's a harder brawl music song/video combination than Best Frenn in 2023 then I'll eat my Mac Dre cap.

"Why these bitches hatin? I don't know, they gettin' shitted on
Ridin' 'til the wheels fall off like The Flintstones"

Gloss Up ft. Glorilla - Best Frenn
(From Best Frenn single; 2023)


One thing, though: I best not see any corny Poptimist Prime dullards from Pitchfork claiming that GloRilla steals either of these songs. She perhaps deserves co-billing on the MoneyBagg Yo track, but plz believe she delivers nothing more than an assist on the Gloss Up joint.

Mondays are Terrorble

"See me with a white chick, know she a heiress
And not one of them bitches from them trailers
That's my milk of magnesia
She 'bout to pay for this Roc Marci feature"

Mic Terror - Juiceman Freestyle
(From YouTube; 2023)


Last Monday Gzus Piece dropped a new single, this past Monday Mic Terror popped up with a new single. Juiceman Freestyle is a Lyrical Exercise track but with a whopper of a chorus. As with the Gzus Piece joint, it feels more like an intro than a single, but both songs are good (re)entrées to whatever music Mic and Gzus intend to drop in 2023.

"N*ggas say they ryders, but n*ggas couldn't ride a bike
With ya punchlines about ya China white
In high school you was Napoleon Dynamite
Your Napoleon complex will make you die tonight"

Mic Terror - Cold As Hell
(From YouTube; 2007/The Terror Dome Vol 2 mixtape; 2008)


In hindsight, I regret not including Cold As Hell in my best of Mic Terror playlist. Back in 2007 it was the first Mic T song to catch my ear/eye, and alongside The Cool Kids' Mikey Rocks it announced there was a new wave of suburban Chicago irregular regular-kids creating Rap music from a Back To The Future angle. Discovered Cold As Hell and Juke Them Hoes via MySpace and searching for the MP3s led me to Drew Barber's Fake Shore Drive blog. An exciting time as new avenues for discovering/obtaining Rap music opened up just as the 12" single and mixtape CD era was drawing to a close.

Mic Terror might be one of the few rappers to wear Iron Maiden merchandise who actually listens to Iron Maiden. Not sayin' that's necessarily a good thing, mind, because I've never liked Maiden, meself. Operatic vocals over widdly-widdly guitars are the antithesis of Positive K's Good Combination™. Gimme summat more primal like Motörhead instead.

(PS: it wasn't until years later that I found out Cold As Hell was a slightly revamped Timbaland production from a 2003 Skillz single. I don't even care though - in my world it'll always be a Mic Terror song.)