Cozmik Law - Loot 'A Getcha (Coast Ta Coast Bust That Dial Mix)
(From On Da Brink album; 1997)
Another song ya host Bloggy Brackins discovered via BigSleep's Bay Area Jazz-Rap compilations. A worthy entry into the For The Love Of Money canon which began properly in 1984 with its first great use Step Off by Melle Mel & The Furious Five. This mix of Loot 'A Getcha is some charmingly naive Bay Area backpack-Rap which is aimed at the dancefloor. Granted, it's a dancefloor which is 85% male, but a dancefloor is still a dancefloor innit. If the 12" containing this song had ever made it to the U.K, it would have gone gold in Mr Bongo.
A good example of why Rap songs with choruses are invariably better than Rap songs without. And this song features a chorus so catchy it sounds like summat kidz have been singing in the playground for the last 50 years. Best Monaleo song since the We Not Humping remix or wot?
LARussell & Lil' Jon - Having Like This
(From Having Like This sngle; 2025)
Lil' Jon beats X NorCal rappers is always the proverbial Good Combination™... well, apart from that one posthumous Mac Dre song which was too XXXtra Jonish for my liking. Anyhoo, props to Jon for getting LARussell to commit to a solo song which lasts longer than 2 minutes. This song sounds like it could have come out at any point between 2002 and 2006 which is exactly what it needs to sound like. The future is the past now!
Unrelated: when's the last time I watched the Clipse's $2 Bill MTV concert from 2002? At a guess it was around 2005 before I accidentally taped over it with an episode of Reno 911. Cot damn, Kelis has never looked fitter than her cameo in that concert. If you don't think Kelis was top 5 dead or alive in this clip then ur probably gay, m8.
Clipse ft. Pharrell & Kelis - When The Last Time (live)
(From MTV's $2 Bill concert; 2002)
Dilligentz ft. The Pack & Go Dav - Punk Rock (remix)
(From Fresh Impression mixtape; 2007)
I feel like Johnny F**kface the Punk Rock beezy because I never knew this song had a video. As for the song itself, it's proof that the L.A Jerk sound was just an offshoot of what NorCal rappers like The Pack and Dilligentz were already doing.
Young Bleed ft. Cold 187um - Welcome 2 Da Trap
(From YouTube; 2025)
Because every year needs one certified choon which is an Eazy-E homage. And I'll be damned if Still Talkin' doesn't sound damn good being Country-Rap Tuneified by Baton Rouge's greatest exponent of Swamp-Blues Rap + one of Eazy's old Ruthless Records buddies.
The only rapper who has ever recorded a homage to my own Eazy-E jam of choice is... Bones lolz. Blk ppl, you gotta do better.
Seiji Oda ft. Young Bari - Mobby Miyazaki
(From HUMAN+NATURE album; 2025)
Here at The Martorialist we're pleased this one now has a video. On a universal level, it's the missing link between Studio Ton and Studio Ghibli. On a personal level, it inspired me to check out Young Bari's music from his HBK Gang Uncle era where I discovered I Rep That Blocka. Most of Seiji's anime references are over my head, but that's ok - I like when rappers talk in code about crazy shit which don't make no sense to me. Peace out, it's the Boy Boy Young Mess & The Heron!
