R.I.P Sinead O'Connor

So, this is the point where everyone pretends they've always been big Sinead O'Connor fans. See Me? I was a big fan of I Want Your (Hands on Me) being used to marvellous effect twice in the fourth A Nightmare On Elm Street fillum. Pour out a little Jameson for the only Na hÉireannaigh lass to ever record a song with MC Lyte. She was Ireland's first minister of the First Priotity posse and that's word to Auldio Two.

Sinead O'Connor ft. MC Lyte - I Want Your (Hands On Me) (remix)
(From I Want Your (Hands on Me) single; 1988)

When Doves Fly: R.I.P Trugoy

"Just as a reminder from the last step
Negative ones are lost in the footsteps"

Tell me what's more frequent: the deaths of goldfish, wrestlers or rappers? Generalist music fans get sad about boomer singers from the 1960s and 1970s dying off nowadays; try being a Rap fan where it seems like long-time favourites and promising young talents die every other week.

And so we bid farewell to Dove from De La Soul as he hops aboard the Chattanooga choo choo to Rap Heaven. The biggest compliment you can pay a rapper like Dove is that he rhymed shit no other M.C could or would have ever thought of saying. Dove had a problem... seriously: he was almost too good a fit for soulmate brother Plug One Posdnous because their partnership in rhyme was the gold standard for Rap duo chemistry during De La's peak. I am I be a British bloke who's been a fanatic of the DLS words since 1989 so their music really does Hit Different™ for me: they changed in speak what Rap could sound like, flipped the script on what rappers could look like, and inadvertently tapped into the spirit of Acid House's second summer of love here in the U.K. Ain't hip to be labelled a hippie, though, thus De La were masters of reinvention which left square listeners lost like high school history.

Since so much of The Discourse™ around De La Soul in recent years has been little more than basic bastard Rap fans moaning about De La's music not being on DSPs, here's one of their best B-sides which you can only currently stream on my Audiomack page. Peace out, Plug Two - I hope Heaven got a buncha bitties in the B.K Lounge.

De La Soul - What's More?
(From Me Myself & I 12"; 1989)


Personal highlight: bumped into De La in Manchester on the day of their 3 Feet High And Rising show circa 2014 and hit Dove with an "alright, Dave?".

Peace party peep, haha, see ya later!

Pour out a lil' Maker's Mark for Mr. Make The Music With Your Mouth. Of course, Biz Markie was the O.G ODB, a damn fine DJ, and a menswear pioneer who was solely responsible for the cult status of Nike's Air Safari kicks. More importantly, Biz's Goin' Off LP is #actually the best album Cold Chillin' Records ever released because that shit is stacked with anthems from top to bottom. Anyhoo, if you want some deep cuts from the Diabolical then allow me to reintroduce his Converse promo cassette single:


Since Biz recorded the G.O.A.T Elton John cover version, it's only right that Elton re-records Candle In The Wind as a tribute - goodbye Norma Jean Marcel Theo and hold ya head, Diamond Shell. I hope Heaven got a copy of that CTI 12" of Take Me To The Mardi Gras without the bells.

**EDIT** Sum shit I never saw before: Roxanne Shante & a trim-ish Biz onstage in 1986 performing Def Fresh Crew. Pardon me, the mighty Def Fresh Crew.


Footage comes from this documentary where some Bork visited New York.

Generic list post: April 2021

Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month when Something For The Weekend unfortunately meant Rappers dying every week. Pour out a little beverage of your choice for Shock G and Black Rob. DMX too, though I only like a handful of his songs tbqh.

Me & E - Whatcha Need (1989)
Major Weight Media - Natural (1997)
Homeboy Sandman - Conjugal Visit To The Prison Of The Mind (2014)
P-Lo - Boomerang (2020)
P-Lo - Walked In (2021)
Mac J - Gotta Grudge (2021)
CupcaKKe - Mosh Pit (2021)
Chilly - For Your Love (12" version) (1978)
Cajmere - So Happy (2021)
Beabadoobee - Apple Cider (2019)
Other notables: that Gzus Haze album ain't bad but doesn't really have any stand-out songs imho; did anyone need a Real Instruments™ remake of Grand Puba's I Like It?; for my sins, I quite enjoy the CBeebies U.K Drill of Latest Trends by A1 & J1.

Bonus reading: can you believe 1991 was 30 years ago? (part 2) and shinola songs by the shittiest artists.

If we sacrifice Stevie G to a volcano can we get Shock G back?

Shock G never attacked an innocent DJ for rejecting a Phil Collins song request!


FFS is this 2021's new normal where a Rapper dies every Friday? R.I.P to Shock G AKA Humpty Hump AKA Piano Man AKA MC Blowfish AKA The Packet Man AKA Rackadelic AKA the musical genius who did think with his penis. Half the Rap eccentricities Kool Keith brags he invented, Shock G has a more legitimate claim to, and, as I recently realised, Humpty Hump even pioneered Hyphy. It seems like Digital Underground have been shunted into the margins of Rap history but this shouldn't come as a surprise - any Rappers who dare to display a sense of humour get deemed "non lyrical" and end up derided as glorified novelty acts no matter how great their music is.

Well, fuk the history books and anyone who wrote 'em because Digital Underground's first album and follow-up EP are God-tier Rap music, and Shock was a true genius Rapper/producer/dancer auteur. A man of many talents, he even bodied a couple 80's Hollywood comedy legends in their own movie, somehow coaxed a good remix out of CJ Mackintosh, and transformed a forgettable Prince single into Prince's last great song. Pop a Sex Packet for the Funk Mob Extraordinaire who originated sock puppeting on wax. Oh, how we'll forever love to bump thee.


The Apollo: officially more receptive to Digital Underground than Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince!

If we sacrifice Purple Aki to a volcano can we get Black Rob back?

Black Rob - Up North (This is What it Is)
(From Game Tested, Streets Approved album; 2011)


This month is starting to feel like a new Final Destination movie where the Grim Reaper is on the hunt for everyone who appeared on 24 Hours To Live. F*ck White Cop, R.I.P Black Rob. Readers from the dayz of wayback will remember that I was a big B.R fan and why wouldn't I be? Rob was one of Harlem's vividest authors with an eye for detail and an ear for good old fashioned songwriting. Alongside Biggie, he was the only Bad Boy Records rapper to parlay Puffy's factory farm system into a couple of good albums; Rob also had an enviable stash of officially unreleased music dating back to 1991 when he recorded his first demo with Dan The Automator - still one of the unlikeliest rapper/producer pairings ever or wot? In and out of prison up until he hit the age of 40, a tiny crumb of solace can be taken from B.R spending his last decade on Earth as a free man who could transform a 2011 graduation party into The Tunnel circa 2000.


PS: the upload of my Black Rob deep cuts compilation is still live. I'd throw it up on Audiomack as a playlist but songs from the Bad Boy catalogue tend to get nuked by the DMCA within hours.

Generic list post: February 2021

Team Toon ft. Ya Boy Big Choo - My Hot Girl
(From My Hot Girl; 2016)


Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month when Ricky Powell, Prince Markie Dee, and Blaza Da Beat Contractor all went back to the essence. You probably ain't familiar with Blaza but he was the New Orleans Bounce producer behind the boards for Ya Boy Big Choo, ReUp Reedy, 5th Ward Weebie's Club Luv, and Team Toon's R&Bounce classic My Hot Girl. R.I.P to the lads.

Foxx - Friends (2011)
CeeFineAss ft. MoneyBagg Yo - Payback 2.0 (2020)
Cellski - Clappin' (2021)
Devin The Dude - To Each His Own (2021)
TREE - For Y'all (2021)
Cookiee Kawaii - Rather Be (2020)
A Guy Called Gerald - Bad Boy Ride (1994/2012)
Real Lies - Boss Trick (2020)
Years & Years - It's A Sin (2021)
Other notables: Mouse On Tha Track's Knees Like Megan is more TikTok bait than track but still a step back in the right direction for him; nothing on Duke Deuce's new album is really stickin' for me - very disappointing since he's made a handful of my favourite songs over the past couple of years; Jim Jones is such a gym bore now that even his music videos are just extended work-out clips; it was inevitable that two dirtbag saltines like Yelawolf and Caskey would make an album together.

Bonus reading: had fun reminiscing about 2011 Rap and live performances on The Word.

Homeboy throw in the towel, ya flick got took by Ricky Powell

Damn! Smoke an invisible Jazz cigarette for Ricky Powell. Those mutton chops he sported in later life made him resemble Vassily the Meerkat but it's all pumpernickel because he's the only man to ever look fly in Pony kicks. If a picture is worth a thousand words then the Rickster's best pix were on some Moby Dick type shit. Here's ya host's top five favourite Ricky P flickaronies.

Bonus snap: Rickoi even shot the most quintessentially Edan pic of Edan ever.

Generic list post: November 2020

Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month when there was no sadder sight than European men masquerading as American political experts and arguing about Biden Verzuz Trump. You nerds need to cultivate some Yank interests which are actually fun - like Rap music, natch.

39 Posse - Got What It Takes To Make It (1991)
Mac Dre - Doin' What I Do (2001)
Jhi-Ali - My Way (2005)
Mac J - Sparky (2020)
NHale - In My Hood (2020)
Eatem ft. 70th Street Carlos - Spin The Bottle (2020)
M1llionz - B1llionz (2020)
Prince - Love Sign (Shock G's Silky Remix) (1998)
Moodymann - Just Stay A While (2020)
Michigan & Smiley - Tom's Diner (1990)

Other notables: OHFR? is the first Rico Nasty song I've kinda liked this year; listened to Goodie Mob's new album and I wish they'd replace Cee-Lo with Witchdoctor or Backbone or Nathaniel or damn near anyone who's ever appeared on a Dungeon Family album; Rio Da Yung OG should be forced to retitle his Accidental Shit Talkin' EP as Here's Some First-Take Freestyles I Can't Be Bothered Writing Any Hooks For; no matter how many times YouTube recommends it to me, I'm not listening to Kay Slay's Rolling 50 Deep 18 minute posse cut; shit I wasn't expecting this month: a Tinashe Xmas EP where she covers Wham's Last Christmas.

PS: last thing I wanna say - R.I.P Lil' Yase.

Peace Dr. Jeckyll - haha, see ya later!

Pour out a little Champagne for the Gordon Gekko of Rap/Berry Gordy of Rap & Bullshit Andre "Dr. Jeckyll" Harrell. The rapping era of Harrell's career usually gets brushed aside as a mere footnote to his A&R powermoves, but Jeckyll & Hyde were one of the best groups of the early 80s. They talked shit to Vanity 6 on The Challenge; they got the best beat of Pumpkin's tenure with Profile Records on Gettin' Money; they were ideal foils for Davy DMX (ghost)production on Fast Life and Yellow Panties; and they recorded the most underrated song of Rap's Disco-Band era with Doing The Do. Most of yer self-styled Hip Hop historians will never admit it, but Harlem bodied the Bronx on wax from 1979 to 1982 and this song is one of the key examples of Uptown's superiority:

Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde - Doing The Do
(From Jeckyll & Hyde Dance/Doing The Do 12" single; 1982)

If we sacrifice Berlin's Techno scene to a volcano can we get Florian Schneider back?

Never forget Bun B's Man-Machine print cycling shirt from GLC's Take It Off video!

Pop, lock, and drop it for das funky kraut Florian Schneider. As a member of Kraftwerk old Florian accidentally birthed Techno, but let's not hold that against him because he also accidentally birthed Electro, Chicago House, and a buncha great Rap songs from artists as diverse as The Fearless Four, Agallah, Egyptian Lover, J.J. Fad, R.A The Rugged Man, 95 South, and that nonce Afrika Bambaataa. His most impressive feat, however, was making Coldplay sorta listenable and for that he is a true G.O.A.T Gerry. Rest in peace Flo' Autobahn Rida - I hope Heaven got a buncha Kraftwerk groupies who look like Helga from 'Allo 'Allo.

R.I.P 5th Ward Weebie

5th Ward Weebie ft. Wild Wayne & Trombone Shorty - Drop It How Ya Feel It
(From Soundcloud; 2018)


Let me find out that the internet is bullshitting with the news of 5th Ward Weebie's death. That man kept Bounce alive when Bounce had taken a dive, made music which sounded like Mardi Gras in Magnolia Projects, and was responsible for some of the only non-corny Real Instruments Rap™ of this past decade. Most importantly, Weebie owned the G.O.A.T Louisiana-sounding Louisiana Rap song:

5th Ward Weebie - Supa Sunday In N.O
(From Da Unexpected album; 2003)


Rest in peace lil' big man. I hope Heaven got more pop-up Seafood Gumbo restaurants you can open up with your royalties from Audrey's Nice For What.

Why couldn't God have taken Sean Spicer rather than Jimmy Spicer?

Breaker one, breaker two, Jimmy Spicer just died so let's make like Jeckyll & Hyde and do the do. Telephone or tell a friend that Jimmy was laying down "crazy space shit that don't even make no sense" on wax three years before Rammellzee's Beat Bop. When Spicer Magnetic claimed "planet Rhyme On is my place of birth" on Adventures Of Super Rhyme, it's not so much a boast as an explanation of how he appeared ex nihilo as Rap's first eccentric on wax. 1983's Money (Dollar Bill Y'all) is rightfully lauded as Jimmy's masterpiece, but it's his 1980 debut that cemented him as Rap's king of the yakety yak yard. For twelve minutes Jimmy the raconteur travels across time, space, Transylvania & Studio 54 in four different voices flipping labyrinthine storytelling rhymes to sound like freestyled stream-of-consciousness one minute, and then flipping clearly-improvised ad libs to sound like finely-honed writtens the next.

Jimmy Spicer - Adventures Of Super Rhyme
(From Adventures Of Super Rhyme 12"; 1980)


As well as being Rap's original oddball, Jimmy was also the first Rapper who didn't even need to release an album - why bother to record an LP when you've already dropped a couple of 10/10 timeless classic 12" singles with "more rhymes than a clock got chimes"? Jimmy Spicer: kinda like Jay Electronica, only actually good.

R.I.P to the O.G Super M.C. May your soul rhyme & roll in steree-eree-o forever ever.

Generic list post: June 2019

Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month when A-Wax's saltine buddy-turnt-enemy-turnt-buddy GMEBE Bandz wasn't killed by the Titanic Stone gangbangers he associated with, but a couple of Gamergaters & Kap G's teenage brother. A sincere R.I.P because Out The Streets does jam tbf.

BlocBoy JB - Mercedes (2019)
Eatem - Hit Da Drink Twice (Martorialist Edit) (2019)
70th Street Carlos - Forgive Me (2019)
Slick Rick - Can't Dance To A Track That Ain't Got No Soul (2019)
Slick Rick - Midas Touch (2019)
TREE & Parallel Thought - God Like (2019)
Extra T's - E.T Boogie (1982)

Other notables: very pleased that my favourite Young Bleed & Max Minelli song got blessed with a video 20 years after it first dropped; Polo G's Chosen 1 would make a good B-side for Deep Wounds; Sonniebo's new single is best experienced as a 40 second Instagram giggin' challenge innit; 1TakeJay's intro from the new DJ Mustard compilation gives us a glimpse of what Blueface's music might sound like if all his beats didn't sound like Joe Moses mixtape cuts from 2011; listening to the Lil' Jon & Mac Dre song is the audio equivalent of watching that computer-generated Audrey Hepburn advert for Galaxy chocolate; Mass Appeal's fake-Nas gimmick Rapper shouldn't have been allowed anywhere near G. Dep's Head Over Wheels.

Bonus beats: Ya host's top 50 late pass discoveries of the 2010s.

Generic list post: March 2019

Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month when Scott Walker died before he could drop his song with 70th Street Carlos. Really doe, a sincere R.I.P to Ranking Roger from The Beat.

Jakki Tha Motamouth ft. Copywrite - Widespread (2000)
Max B - Take A Flick (CDQ) (2007/2015)
AzChike - Big Chop (2018)
BlocBoy JB - House Party (2019)
TREE - Backflip (2019)
Sada Baby & FMB DZ - Ape Drip (2019)
Other notables: thank fuck someone fixed the low-end problems on Queen Key's Ratchett; just getting round to the new Quelle Chris album and Obamacare seems like the obvious highlight; this Peezy song is a good example of Detroit beatjack-Rap; if nothing else, there's now a 2019 Rap song which samples the Twilight Zone theme; heartwarming to hear Young Bleed & Max Minelli together again; kinda prefer the Mouse On Tha Track instrumental of this AK Da Ace & 70th Street Carlos song.

R.I.P Keith Flint from The Prodigy

Born Slippy was a Helluva song.

Never forget the angry Ravers who bought Prodigy's Return Of The Mac CD thinking it was a new album by The Prodigy.

R.I.P to that $hizz guy who guested on + produced Foxx's 3rd Person

"$hizz be in Arkansas, $hizz be in Texas
$hizz don't know no dance moves but I always see him flexin'"

Foxx ft. $hizz - 3rd Person
(From Don't Work Don't Eat mixtape; 2012)


Smoke one for $hizzy, who died recently according to Frankie. A notable producer/rapper because 3rd Person is one of this decade's great lost Datpiff deep cuts, and Turk & Mel at TRILL ENT fucked up by not working it as a single back in 2012.

Yo money gripp, money gripp - you was a fool for this beat!

I never seen a man misidentified 'til I seen a man die

Equal amounts of FFS & LOL, tbqh.

Does B.E.T's website employ the same subs as The Guardian and The Mail Online?

Slangin' humble pie and St. Ides in the same sentence

"16 doin' my thing, outchea fuckin' n*gga's parents
16 doin' my thing, probably stuck a n*gga's parents"

Jimmy Wopo - Elm Street 2
(From YouTube; 2017)


In hindsight, ya host was way too harsh about the late Jimmy Wopo's Elm Street 2. Shit's a slap to be treasured, so who gives a shit if it isn't quite as good as the original? As ever, writing about music isn't a bunch of declarative statements forever fixed in stone, but the ever-evolving conversation in your own head made public. Sometimes you get it right, sometimes you get it wrong, and sometimes you're kinda slow because certain songs just hit the pleasure centre in your brain late.

Another heartfelt R.I.P to Jimmy Wopo, the only rapper of this era who sounds like he should have been the guitarist in some mid 80s New York Hardcore band.

R.I.P Jimmy Wopo

Pittsburgh really is the pits, huh? Pour out a little Snapple for the tragically slain Jimmy Wopo, now cursed to be "that other rapper who died on the same day XXXHamster got snuffed". It's a mystery Scooby Doo why it's always gotta be rappers who die - it's about time some Drum & Bass producers and Death Metal bands get sent back to the essence instead to #RestoreTheBalance

It doesn't even matter that Wopo blew his creative load early in his career with Elm Street, Walkin' Bomb Pt. 2, and Nanana because a smattering of brilliant songs will always make up for a whole lotta so-so material thereafter. That said, ya host still wishes that Back Door was a solo track because that one had to potential to be Wopo's best song until Sonny Digital decided to lay a ho-hum guest verse on it.

R.I.P Wopo - I'll never be able to see Ousmane Dembélé without thinking he's a dead ringer 4 u.