Tuesday, 18 March 2025

These are the breaks

Caveman - I'm Ready
(From Positive Reaction album; 1991)



The classic U.K Rap single by the one and only U.K Rap group to be signed by Profile Records. I'm gonna call I'm Ready the most Rave-friendly U.K Rap song of the early 90s based on the empirical evidence it got played at a local Illegal Rave I went to in 1992 at the tender age of 14. Dubbed The Melt Down Zone, the party was hosted in a disused former Agri-Electrics building by some local pikeys who weren't fussy about letting underage kidz in as long as we had the £5 entry fee. The DJ was an ex Hip-Hop head who'd had his head/dick turned by the drugs and girls at Rave parties, but would still play some uptempo Rap tracks in amongst the Rave choonz. I have very specific memories of hearing I'm Ready and Naughty By Nature's O.P.P that night because they were 2 of my favourite singles of that era and it was the first time I'd heard Rap music played in what was, essentially, a club. I also have very specific memories of having to leave early because my parents wouldn't let me stay out beyond 10:30 PM. They f**k your adolescent nights up, your mum and dad.

I've always wondered whether Percee P & Ekim and/or T-Ray heard Caveman's Fry You Like Fish. It's plausible innit since Profile Records would have ensured the single made its way into New York's record shops.

4 comments:

admiral said...

Props to the Tim Westwood sighting at 2:43

Spartan said...

That Crosstown Traffic sample will always be genius.

Would hear the occasional US rap songs at house parties around that same period, but the closest thing to UK rap (or any rap, for that matter) at raves and clubs was often proto-jungle like Rebel MC’s ‘The Wickedest Sound’. That choon was everywhere.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

He pops up a few times throughout the video,

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Unique 3's Musical Melody got play at the Melt Down Zone too.