DJ Radar’s Concerto for Turntable

I’ve talked up Z-Trip quite a bit on this site, but now I’m shifting gears (pun intended) for a post on his former Bombshelter DJs mate Radar.

If you live in the New York area, Radar is providing a special treat on Sunday. He’s performing his Concerto for Turntable, a three-movement concerto that features the turntable as the centerpiece instrument alongside sixty collegiate classical musicians. Oh, did I mention the performance is taking place at Carnegie Hall? Buy your tickets here.

Radar is like a mad scientist on the turntable. He developed a system called “scratch notation,” which, according to the concerto site, documents all of the scratching techniques that can be performed on a turntable and translates them into Western musical notation.

Watching Radar live is pretty amazing. He was the turntable technician of the Bombshelter crew. Having seen the Bombshelter boys on a regular basis back in the day, I dare say his scratching is unmatched by any of his peers. His dexterity is absurd, and his fingers move with wild precision.

I wouldn’t pass the chance to see this event.

DJ Radar | Radar Frees Tibet (Gasho mix)
DJ Radar presents Four Hand Stroke | Antimatter

New Pharoahe Monch track

Was there a more underrated hip-hop group in the 1990s than Organized Konfusion? Stress: The Extinction Agenda is a must-have for any collection. Although the group dissolved, Prince Poetry and Pharoahe Monch have branched off into solo careers.

Prince Po dropped The Slickness last year, and Monch got some mainstream attention with the slammin’ single Simon Says off Internal Affairs in 1999.

It appears Monch is back with the new single Book of Judges, an angry political track that sounds like he’s employed a live rock band to back him. Not sure how I feel about it yet. Give it a whirl. (Props to Spine Magazine.)

Pharoahe Monch Book of Judges

Atban Klann: the finale

You asked for it, you got it: The final few tracks from Atban Klann’s Grass Roots, from the group that now is the Black Eyed Peas. For those that missed the previous three posts, scroll down.

The final few tracks offer my favorite, Puddles of H20, which I also own as a 12″ single on vinyl (which is, unfortunately, slightly warped). Another gem is La Borio Woman Beater, a Slick Rick-like narrative. Notice the title Duet, which was revived on Behind the Front, although this Duet is a much better song.

Atban Klann | Puddles of H20
Atban Klann | DuetAtban Klann | StrollingAtban Klann | YougohdahAtban Klann | La Borio Woman Beater

---

Football wrap-up: After a rough go of it last week, I rebounded nicely this weekend. For starters, Arizona State (No. 18 in AP poll) stomped Northwestern 52-21 and, in the process, rolled up a school-record 773 yards of offense. Sam Keller threw for 409 yards and four TDs, and freshman stud Keegan Herring finished with 197 yards on 23 attempts. Next up: Pac-10 opener at Oregon State this week.

Then on Sunday, the Bears punked the Lions 38-6, intercepting Joey Harrington five times, which surely made Chris long for the days of Rodney Peete (or maybe Erik Kramer? Yikes). QB Kyle Orton and WR Muhsin Muhammad hooked up on a 28-yard TD, and Thomas Jones rushed for 139 yards and two TDs.But it was the Bears’ defense that carried me to a huuuuge victory in my money fantasy league, and Terrell Owens’ big game. Did I mention I picked up Owens in the THIRD ROUND?

Then I rode T. Jones and Bears ‘D’ and toppled Ryan in our Blogger Fanatasy Football league, giving me ample trash-talking opportunities in Austin this weekend. That improves me to 2-0 with a clash vs. Chris this week while we’re in Austin. I smell wagers.

Atban Klann, Part III

OK, six more tracks from Grass Roots, the album that never was released by Atban Klann (aka the Black Eyed Peas when the Black Eyed Peas were cool). This bunch includes pretty sweet tracks, including Focus on You and No Sequel. Like Chris andDodge said, it makes you sad for what BEP has become — in a word, sellouts.

One more batch tomorrow, which will include the hottest track on the album (in my opinion), will be the last of it. Enjoy.

Atban Klann | World’s Gone Mad
Atban Klann | No SequelAtban Klann | Rain on Me
Atban Klann | Dedicated
Atban Klann | title unknown (sort of an interlude)
Atban Klann | Focus on You

By request, more Atban Klann

Because of popular demand — yes, two comments is considered “demand” in these parts — I’m continuing to offer tracks from the never-was-released Grass Roots from Atban Klann (now known as Black Eyed Peas).

This lot offers one of my faves, Mountain Top, and the anti-cop track Lord of the Flies. Again, I’m trying my best to clean up the sound with Audio Hijack Pro, but gimme some feedback — too much bass? too much treble? — and I’ll try to correct it. There’s about seven or eight tracks left, which includes my No. 1 favorite on the album. (Ahem, I’m not above bribery to polish this project off; worth a try anyway.)

Atban Klann | Lord of the Flies
Atban Klann | Quid Pro Quo
Atban Klann | Jugglin’ My Nuts (a little jokey interlude; not sure if that’s actually the name of the song)
Atban Klann | Mountain Top 

Atban Klann (aka Black Eyed Peas)

We all know who the Black Eyed Peas are (I have to bite my tongue about how I really feel about them now). But did we all know before Black Eyed Peas there was Atban Klann?

Formed in Los Angeles in the early 1990s, Atban (A Tribe Beyond A Nation) brought current BEPs Apl.de.ap and Will.I.Am together to produce some cuts that might surprise you. It might surprise you also to know that Atban Klann was signed to Ruthless Records, run by none other than Eazy-E. Unfortunately, the album, Grass Roots, was shelved and never found its way to the public. Story has it that Ruthless was unsure how to market a group whose positive vibes ran contrary to Ruthless’ gangsta image.

Alas, all that exists are bootleg cassettes of the album, like the one that I own. I converted a few of the tracks to mp3 from the cassette. I tried to clean the sound as best I could; keep in mind, my copy is probably the copy of a copy of a copy. But if demand is high enough (hint: leave a comment), I’ll convert the rest of the album. These are the first three tracks.

Atban Klann | Open Your Mind
Atban Klann | Going for a Ride
Atban Klann | Adidas (Put on your adidas and step off!)

Digable Planets fall tour

According the unofficial home page of the Digable Planets, the recently reunited trio will be heading out this fall — dates here — to support the release of Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles, a best of album due for release on Oct. 4.

Although there’s no Az. stop on this tour, I highly recommend going to see these cats. I caught ‘em in Tempe in June, and I couldn’t be happier that they’re back together.

If you’re jonesing for new material, you can peep Ladybug Mecca’s solo offering Trip the Light Fantastic.

Digable Planets | Graffitti (Noise) (TV mix)
Digable Planets | Califlower (Spiddyocks Go West)

One Block Radius

Had I been able to catch Hieroglyphics in Tempe earlier this month, I also would have had the opportunity to see One Block Radius as a support act. The California-based trio is just another reason to think that hip-hop is cycling back to the good-time vibes of the early ’90s while pushing the genre in new creative directions.

Producer/singer Marty James, turntablist MDA (both formerly of Scapegoat Wax) and Hiero-affiliated rapper Z-Man make up One Block Radius, which recently dropped the LPLong Story Short.

James says on the group’s bio: “I hope the album sparks people’s creative sides. I want us to keep progressing in the fashion of an OutKast where you have the first record and it just grows and when it’s fully developed, it’s a beautiful thing. We are dudes that want to push the boundaries creatively.”

Creativity isn’t in doubt here. These guys are chameleon-like, going from the totally danceable Loud and Clear to the beatbox basics of Champion.

The links come via the group’s Web site. Check ‘em at MySpace, too.

One Block Radius | Look Out Below
One Block Radius | Loud and Clear
One Block Radius | Black Mercedes
One Block Radius | Champion

Check out the video for Loud and Clear here.

New Blackalicious track

If you didn’t know, Blackalicious of the Quannum crew has a new album coming out Sept. 27: The Craft. The buzz is getting big, and the record label Anti has a new track available. Peep it.

Blackalicious (feat. Lifesavas) | Your Move

Flashback Friday: Goin’ Back to Cali.

Well, I’m headed off to LA today for the weekend and figured this would be a perfect time to bust out this vinyl 45 flashback: LL Cool J’s Goin’ Back to Cali.

When you’re talking about greatest rappers of all time, LL’s name has to come up, and I’m speaking strictly pre-Mr. Smith era (though I’d guess LL could take out any young whipper snapper … hello, Canibus). For raw beats and brash lyrics, LL’s Radio and Bigger and Deffer are hard to top. Radio stands atop my hip-hop collection with the likes of Run-DMC’s Tougher than Leather and A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory.

As for Goin’ Back to Cali. (on Walking With a Panther and the Less Than Zero soundtrack), it’s interesting to note the cultural influence the title alone has. If you google the title, you’ll find a lot of links to newspapers that used the headline “Goin’ back to Cali.” for some story relating to the state. I’ll never forget the video, all black and white with LL rollin’ in his ride when he drops the line: “Bikini small / heels tall / she said she likes the ocean.”

The B-side to the 45 single is Jack the Ripper, which I don’t believe appeared on any studio albums (but does show up on multiple Best of Def Jam compilations). It’s classic LL: in your face with a funky James Brown guitar sample and production by Rick Rubin.

LL Cool J | Goin’ Back to Cali.
LL Cool J | Jack the Ripper

(Note: Vinyl to digital conversion completed using Audio Hijack Pro.)

See y’all Tuesday, and get your captions in for the Rex Grossman photo below!

The Stop the Violence Movement: Self-Destruction

Once I discovered the blog/photo journal of old-school rapper D-Nice, I couldn’t help but click through his archives. He was (is) one of my favorite rap artists. I came across one of his posts about the single Self-Destruction, a track recorded under the Stop the Violence Movement that featured some serious hip-hop heavyweights from the East Coast and was produced by D-Nice at the tender age of 18. (Read his post for more on that.)

Anyway, it got me digging into my vinyl because I own the 12″ single and I thought I’d revive it here. Recorded in 1989, it seems pretty incredible (perhaps in a sad way) that the track still carries a worthwhile message. I didn’t find a whole lot about it on the Internet, other than this one line at Wikipedia that tells how the Stop the Violence Movement originated. You might also remember the West Coast All-Stars’ similar project We’re All in the Same Gang. (If anyone has this, I’d love to hear it again.)

Besides the strong message it carries, Self-Destruction is just a great song with a singable chorus. And all proceeds of the record were donated to National Urban League “to support and develop programming dealing with Black on Black crime and youth education” (taken from record cover).

Here’s a rundown of the emcees (in order they appear):
KRS-One, M.C. Delight, Kool Moe Dee, M.C. Lyte, Daddy-O and Wise, D-Nice, Ms. Melodie, Doug E. Fresh, Just-Ice, Heavy D., Fruit-Kwan, Chuck D and Flavor Flav.

I’ve included three of the four mixes from the single (excluded the “single edit”). Still trying to decipher the difference between the “extended mix” and the “special remix.”

Stop the Violence Movement | Self-Destruction (extended mix)
Stop the Violence Movement | Self-Destruction (special remix)
Stop the Violence Movement | Self-Destruction (instrumental)

Pete Miser video

Thanks to Mallie at South of Mainstream, I’m already a huge fan of underground hip-hopper Pete Miser now. I posted on him just about a week ago and I’ve been listening to his latest LP Camouflage is Relative non-stop.

Yesterday, I stumbled across a video for his song Scent of a Robot, courtesy of 15 Minutes to Live (another cool blog with clean design). A previous post there shows that Miser is Prince Paul-approved, which is all I needed to know.

Anyway, peep the video. The whole concept of the song is kind of intriguing: He finds out he’s a robot by accident through an e-mail at work. It almost has a Blade Runner influence to it: Pete Miser, a hip-hop replicant.

Pete Miser | Scent of a Robot (video)

Boom Bap Project

OK, I just purchased Boom Bap Project’s full-length debut Reprogram last night and had to share. A member of the absurdly cool Rhymesayers roster (hello, Atmosphereanybody?), this Seattle-based trio is on tour with Hieroglyphics right now, which is validation enough in my mind. And Reprogram is exactly the kind of hip-hop I love: fresh beats and energetic emcees on the positive tip. Guest spots include Gift of Gab (Blackalicious) and Rakaa Iriscience (Dilated Peoples).

Boom Bap Project: Welcome to Seattle
Boom Bap Project: Rock the Spot (recommended … highly)

BONUS:
Boom Bap live on KEXP (performance + interview)

Pete Miser

“Emo” isn’t the sole property of indie rock. B-boys have feelings, too. Check Pete Miserfor proof. The New York emcee, via Portland, Ore., wears his feelings on his mic on his newest release Camouflage is Relative.

Narrative prose — a la Slick Rick — is Miser’s strength. He embodies the hip-hop culture but eschews the machismo posturing that is so transparent in commercial rap. He’s an emo emcee, but he can flip a phrase with the best. On I See You, Miser raps to the object of his affection: “I’m so grimy in comparison it’s embarrassin’ / You got me weak in the knees like Nancy Kerrigan.” Final is like a diary entry about his ex in which Miser tries to excuse his emotions: “I bet this is going to seem a surprise / but I still catch them feelings when I look in her eyes.”

But no track jumps like the opener, So Sensitive, even if — or maybe because — the stuttering guitar loops recall N.W.A.’s If It Ain’t Ruff. This is where Miser flaunts his verbal prowess but bares his soul, too: “Weigh a buck fifty with a backpack / still dumb enough to slap Shaq and tell him he raps wack.” But on the chorus, he opines: “It ain’t easy being me / with all these insecurities / I’m such a sensitive emcee.”

Topped by tight production, Miser is an underground hip-hop gem.

So Sensitive (mp3)
Scent of a Robot (mp3)
Table Scraps (mp3)
Final (mp3)