Was listening to the DMX joint "Bring your whole crew" off the "Flesh of my Flesh" album while I was coming in to work today, and it struck me how when DMX lets off that crazy wild scream at the beginning of the song it took some great studio engineering skills to capture that crazy moment and the energy without any distortion in the sound.
Made me wonder how many times we take the engineers in Hip-Hop for granted and always give proprs to Producers and Beatmakers. I'm sure on a technical level its not easy to record dudes like Busta but we take that shit for granted everytime we bump our favourite tunes.
Anyway this is my little big up to the engineers in Hip-Hop. Any other moments/tracks that you take for granted but realise are actually not posible without an engineer who knows what the f*** they're doing in the studio.
To me its Easy Mo B. Dude is basically responsible for putting Bad Boy Records on the map.
He produced all Craig Mack as well as Biggie's early hits. In-fact without him there might have been no Bad Boy records.
He also did some production for Tupac on Me Against The World for joints like "If I die 2nite" & "Temptations".
The guy was also very accomplished musically coz he won a grammy for producing Miles Davis' last album. I'm surprised nobody even seems to mention him anymore.
The most underrated SA record of the last decade to me was Kwani Experience : "Birth of da muthaland funk".
This is one of the best records I have ever had the pleasure of listening to in my entire life and I put it right up there with my favourite Jazz album of all time Miles Davis' "A Kind of Blue".
Its sad how the Kwani record wasn't really appreciated that is a real work of art. Maybe it was before its time.
Which other records do you guys think were underrated over the last decade.
Was just on you tube listening to some old school joints. I used to play this album all day.
The Mystikal verse kills me:
"We got shit to live for/ weak bitch die skinny/ without a penny!!!!"
Lol. Its funny looking at all the different eras in Hip-Hop. I wonder what's next. Its pointless to hate and wish things could be as they were in the 90s coz Hip-Hop will always be changing. I wonder what's after the "Young Money" era that seems to be popping now.
Don't know what you guys think but this joint sounds wack.
Snoop and Dre sound like 2 old men refusing to grow up.
Production wise it sounds repetitive like a left over beat from the Game's "Documentary". Am not really feeling this track wonder whether Detox will really be worth the wait. It sounds like Dre's sound hasn't evolved for the past 5 years.
Mizi's joints for the last Teargas album like "Take it Easy" and "Go Away" sound fresher and more original.
I thought Detox would finally lead to me taking out the Teargas joints from the ride but it doesn't sound like it. I hope the rest of the album is better for the sake of Dre's own Hip-Hop legacy.
I don't know if this was posted up b4, if it was my apologies, but I just read this article from F.E.D.S. magazine. Its about 3 guys (AZ, Alpo & Rich Porter who were big in the drug game in Harlem in the 80s whilst they were still teenagers. One of the guys Alpo was the first black person to buy a Lamborghini in the US at 18 yrs old. This dude was rocking Louis Vuitton in like 1989.
The flick "Paid in Full" is based on these guys but it didin't do their real lives justice.
These guys basically influenced all the rappers from LL, Rakim right thru to Jigga, Biggie and the whole NY "crack dealer" style.
This article is amazing it really helps you understand the NY street scene and how Hip-Hop changed to be the way it is 2day :
Also here's a link to a documentary called "Game Over" which is based on a book by the same name wriiten by AZ, the leader of the crew:
This is some real live shit and educational at the same time.
Check it out. These NY boys do not play. Made me understand the whole Harlem and NY "flossing" thing from dudes like Mase, Cam'ron, Dipset, Jay-Z as well as the Bad Boy camp. They're trying to emulate these real street dudes.
Put me on a desert island with one album each from Sade, Bob Marley and Tupac and I'm all good.
This shit is bananas!!!!!!
Re-defines Jazz/soul/rnb in one fell swoop.
I like the strong Hip-Hop influence that comes through in this joint.
Its always been there in Sade's music especially with the drumming on the last album "Lover's Rock" but this time its been brought more upfront and it sounds wonderful.
Hi guys. I know its been a while. Work and life have been keeping me quite busy. I'm a Dad now so life's been a bit hectic the last couple of months.
Anyway, for all the business-minded heads in here or anyone else who may be interested, I am pleased to inform you that on the 5th of August 2009 at 18H30, I will on behalf of my firm VBK International be giving a free presentation tilted “The Consumer Protection Act and Your Business” at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville Campus auditorium.
The presentation is for the benefit of business people, their respective employees as well as independent professionals, and will provide insight into the legal implications and compliance obligations imposed on businesses by the recently enacted Consumer Protection Act.
For full details and to RSVP you can click on the advert displayed at www.cput.ac.za, and for a profile on the firm VBK International you can visit www.vbkinternational.com
You can e-mail me directly at : vernon@vbkinternational.com with regard to any enquiries you may have with respect to the talk.
Ndeipi machinda.Pliz check ur PM 2moro 4 a link to my Mixtape. Its called "Zvakagwamba". I'd lyk u 2 spread it 2 all the Zimbos and anyone else who might feel it worlwide.