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.

Reasons why I love YouTube part whatever

Black Sheep performing that song live at MTV Spring Break in 1992 with Cypress Hill and Smooth B joining them onstage as impromptu back-up dancers. Clip is so hype it can make you temporarily forget that The Choice Is Yours (Revisited) is one of those legitimate 10/10 classics to have been ruined by lazy DJs overplaying it - ubiquity's gonna kill your favourite 90s banger quicker than a favour or a bullet.

Heavy C

"Catch your baby momma, make my young'n's steal her purse
I know a lotta n*ggas want me in the hearse
But I'm strapped you fuckin' clown, you muhfuckin' jerk
I got n*ggas in black all round your house, you 'bout to get merked"

70th Street Carlos - Big Knots
(From t'internet; 2018)


Really wish rappers wouldn't invite visits from the Grim Reaper upon themselves in their #barz like that. Here at The Martorialist we definitely ain't tryna see 70th Street Carlos become Baton Rouge's answer to Heavy D on some The Overweight Lover's In The Hearse type shit.

Anyhoo, Big Knots initially felt like a disappointment after last month's trifecta of Bang Bang, Sprite, and Wreck, but shit's a grower like chickweed on your granddad's allotment. A proper bells of doom 4 Horsemen Of The Apocalypse entrance theme.

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.

You 48 and you still slappin'? Mmmmm

"The streets talkin', them bullets like HUUUUUMMMM
No name for the blame but a barrel of a gun
But, whoooooa, them streets is cold
And that's the same thing as hot when you on my block, let's go!"

Dru Down ft. Mistah F.A.B - Streets Is Cold
(From G.P. No P.C. Lock Up album; 2018)


Good old man pimpidoo mob music from D Squared & some uncredited breh who sounds vaguely familiar. Moral of the slap? Stick to ya cataplults if you ain't got no aim, lil' hombres. Ideally this one would have dropped on a cassingle with My 501's and For Real (retitled as Tube Socks on Dru's new album.)

*EDIT* Guest is Mistah F.A.B sounding far more contemplative than his usual self.

Generic list post: 80s non-Rap 101

Robert Tepper dramatically lip-syncing his way through the best song from the Rocky IV OST on some German TV show. Lotta speculation in the YouTube comments about whether Tepper colours his hair or not, but I couldn't care less meself - if he dyes, he dyes ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It's non-Rap week here on The Martorialist, mainly because ya host has been struck down by a strong dose of blogger's block. Thus, here's a companion to the 80's Rap 101 post generic list post: 101 great non-Rap songs from the decade when Paolo Rossi was never called an arsehole.

Gen X - Dancing With Myself (O.G 7" version) (1980)
Mavis John - Use My Body (1980)
Motorhead - Ace Of Spades (1980)
Roger Troutman - So Ruff So Tuff (1980)
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Happy House (1980)
Diana Ross - Upside Down (1980)
The Cramps - I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1980)
Blondie - Call Me (1980)
Madness - Baggy Trousers (1980)
The Brat - Leave Me Alone (1980)
Joy Division - Isolation (1980)
Maze ft. Frankie Beverley - Before I Let Go (1981)
Kraftwerk - It's More Fun To Compute (1981)
The Jam - Funeral Pyre (1981)
Human League - Don't You Want Me (1981)
Minor Threat - Straight Edge (1981)
Glory - Let's Get Nice (7" version) (1981)
Hall & Oates - I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) (1981)
The Go-Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed (1981)
The Plugz - El Clavo Y La Cruz (1981)
John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Chase Across The 69th Street Bridge (1981)
Bad Brains - I (1982)
Fun Boy Three ft. Bananarama - It Ain't What You Do.... (1982)
Vanity 6 - Nasty Girl (1982)
John Sullivan & Ronnie Hazelhurst - Hooky Street (1982)
Michael "Mars Bar" Jackson - Billie Jean (1982)
Negative Approach - Ready To Fight (1982)
ABC - Poison Arrow (1982)
Musical Youth - Pass The Dutchie (1982)
The Freeze - Refrigerator Heaven (1982)
Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots (1982)
Deep Wound - Video Prick (1982)
Debarge - I Like It (1982)
FEAR - New York's Alright If You Like Saxophones (1982)
Haircut One Hundred - Ski Club (1982)
Blancmange - Living On The Ceiling (1982)
The Style Council - Long Hot Summer (1983)
ESG - Moody (Spaced Out) (1983)
Bananarama - Cruel Summer (1983)
The RAH Band - Messages From The Stars (1983)
Yes - Owner Of A Lonely Heart (1983)
Rick James - Cold Blooded (1983)
Mary Jane Girls - All Night Long (1983)
Suicidal Tendencies - Institutionalized (1983)
New Order - Blue Monday (1983)
Billy Joel - Careless Talk (1983)
Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody (1983)
Yellowman - Zungguzungguguzungguzeng (1983)
Prince & The Revolution - The Beautiful Ones (1984)
Nu Shooz - I Can't Wait (1984)
Black Flag - Slip It In (1984)
Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy (1984)
New Edition - Mr. Telephone Man (1984)
Philip Bailey & Phil Collins - Easy Lover (1984)
Hüsker Dü - Never Talking To You Again (1984)
Wham - Careless Whisper (1984)
Tears For Fears - Shout (1984)
Dennis Edwards ft. Siedah Garrett - Don't Look Any Further (1984)
Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F (1984)
Duran Duran - Wild Boys (1984)
Madonna - Into The Groove (1985)
Brad Fiedel - Dream Window (1985)
Simply Red - Holding Back The Years (1985)
Cherelle ft. Alexander O'Neal - Saturday Love (1985)
Robert Tepper - No Easy Way Out (1985)
Model 500 - Night Drive (Thru-Babylon) (1985)
Yello - Oh Yeah (1985)
Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) (1985)
Art Of Noise - Moments In Love (7" version) (1985)
Anita Baker - Sweet Love (1986)
Bl'ast! - Nightmare (1986)
Virgo - My Space (1986)
Mr. Fingers - Can You Feel It? (1986)
Sleezy D - I've Lost Control (Space Side) (1986)
Adonis - No Way Back (1986)
Half Man Half Biscuit - Trumpton Riots (1986)
Dag Nasty - Circles (1986)
Janet Jackson - What Have You Done For Me Lately (1986)
Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It (1986)
Cro Mags - Hard Times (1986)
Peter Gabriel - Big Time (1986)
Cameo - Candy (1986)
Guns N' Roses - It's So Easy (1987)
Frankie Knuckles ft. Jamie Principle - Baby Wants To Ride (1987)
Phuture - Your Only Friend (1987)
Tim Capello - I Still Believe (1987)
Terence Trent D'Arby - Sign Your Name (1987)
INXS - Need You Tonight (1987)
Coldcut - Beats + Pieces (1987)
Sade - Turn My Back On You (1988)
Danzig - Mother (1988)
Bobby Brown - My Perogative (1988)
Guy - Teddy's Jam (1988)
Al B. Sure! - Night And Day (1988)
Infest - Fetch The Pliers (1988)
808 State - Pacific (1989)
Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus (1989)
The Reynolds Girls - I'd Rather Jack (1989)
Faith No More - Edge Of The World (1989)
Soul II Soul - Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) (1989)
Tamsin West - Round The Twist (Theme) (1989)
***EDIT* Thanx to Noah for turning this into a YouTube playlist.

"And now for something completely different..."

Found when reading an interview with Repo Man director/former Moviedrome host Alex Cox, one of my favourite new-to-me discoveries of this decade: the 1980 EP by L.A Chicano Punk band The Brat. Bird up front on vocals, teenage angst on deck, and a strong ear for a tune. Comparisons with X are inevitable, but The Brat were rawer which generally helps Punk music age better dunnit?



Related trivia: when Alex Cox first met Harry Dean Stanton's agent he tried to get Cox to consider another one of his clients for the role of Bud in Repo Man instead of Stanton.

All seemed to be going properly and professionally, so I paid a courtesy visit to Harry's agent at the most famous Hollywood agency. This was an eye opener. I spent 20 minutes chatting to the agent about what a great actor Harry was, and the wonderful work he'd done. The agent listened and then said, ‘Harry Dean's okay, but he's past it. You need someone younger, more up-and-coming. I also represent Mick Jagger. Why don't you offer Mick the part?’

This gobsmacked me. First, Jagger was completely wrong for the role of a grizzled, burned-out L.A repo man. And second, the agent was out of line. We'd offered Harry the part, and here his agent was trying to do him out of the job. It was immoral, surely a breach of contract, and stupid. I replied that Harry's age, experience, and nationality made him the best choice, made my excuses and left.

Flid Marti

Kid Capri - Intro
(From 10/09/89 mixtape; 1989)


Doesn't matter whether your leisurewear is Prada or Primark, this is pure goosebumps under yer sweatsuit vibes. Kid Capri's blend of Stephanie Mills' Something In The Way You Make Feel acapella over the Impeach The President drum-break was Rap & Bullshit before Ron G or Uptown Records. Dome blown within the comforts of my own home that it was also Hype Williams' inspiration for using the acapella of Soul II Soul's Back To Life to soundtrack Belly's opening scene: