MISSLES GONNA HIT YOU GET YOU/RIP THROUGH TISSUE SHOULD HAVE NEVER RHYMED THIS CAUSE I MISS YOUPosted August 6th
“Drag-On featuring Juvenile, "Down Bottom," Ruff-Ryders, 1999? Drag-On featuring Juvenile, "Down Bottom Instrumental," Ruff-Ryders, 1999?
This week is officially anointed Swizz Beatz week at Wax Nostalgia. There was no way that I could have posted a derivative of "Down Bottom" in my last entry, without paying respects to the original. And what better time than the dog days of August to reminisce on the work of a producer whose early catalog of hits was designed for testosterone induced Summertime affairs involving athletic and motor vehicle prowess?
People gloss over at how young Swizzy came up. Dude was in the right place at the right time, riding the industry tidal wave that arose out of the sea change in hip-hop's post-Bad Boy age. Thanks to Mr. Combs, this was big-time business now. Yet with all of the hate reigning down on Puff's artistic imprudences, artists like DMX stepped in to fill the need for the next big mainstream artist with street credibility, bringing Swizz along for the ride.
Apparently dude was like 16 when he made "Ruff Ryders Anthem," so he couldn't have been more than 19 at the oldest when he produced this. The rudimentary quality of this beat speaks to some happy-go lucky teenager not knowing any better, and cooking something up in like 20 minutes . You've got the notorious keyboard preset that he lifted directly from whatever Casio model he had, and was subsequently sued for. The chorus to this is also a cringeworthy salute to ignorance: "Do y'all N*ggas bust ya guns? Do ya'll f#ck em' till they come?" I feel uncomfortable just writing that.
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BIG GIRL BIG GIRL BIG GIRL BIG GIRL WATCH OUT FOR THE BIG GIRLPosted August 1st
“DJ Class, "Tear the Club Up," The Official Bootleg, ? Jimmy Jones, "Watch Out for the Big Girl," The Official Bootleg, ?
I'm pretty sure that these songs got big around NYC because of the whole Hollertronix aesthetic that started up around the early 2000's. B-More music, and stuff like Baile-Funk were the next musical trends for the hipsteratti to jump on. I'm thankful that I sort of cashed in my chips DJ wise right then and there. My rationale ran along the lines of: "Do I really want to spend all the time necessary to learn a new subgenre? I feel lame enough pretending I know dancehall."
While I don't know much about Baltimore music, these two songs have a debaucherous charm to them. The nightclub isn't a reception at the MomA, so stop trying to act all elitist and with your 15 dollar martini and get down to some of this.
On "Tear the Club Up," the infamous "my first keyboard" Casio preset, stolen by Young Swizzle on "Down Bottom," and the candor of DJ Class make for a low-brow alliance in the fight against sobriety. Mr. Class demands doesn't seem to really embody the value of his name (If you smoke a lot of weed, let me see your hands up!) But maybe such life-affirming honesty is virtuous in itself.
"Watch Out for the Big Girl," is a great ice-breaker as well. I'd like to think of this song working less as a warning, and more as a heartwarming tribute. Let's all take a momentary break from the hierarchy of Western standards of beauty, and give ...”
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Tiesto! notwithstanding…Posted July 28th
“Mary J. Blige, "Be Happy" Uptown Records, 1992 Mary J. Blige, "Be Happy Instrumental" Uptown Records, 1992
What makes the phenomenon known as Tiesto! so befuddling is his complete exemption to the one of the unrwritten rules of djing: Do not play the same of type of music for hours upon end. People are going to lose interest. The politics of tang that constitute the social arena known as the "discotheque," "nightclub," or "dance party" call for a DJ to satisfy the spectrum of various tastes and most importantly, to keep women of all shapes and sizes moving. Then again, this dude not only keeps people moving, he keeps them moving in stadiums while taking a little time out of his busy schedule of playing 10 minute long tracks and making corny hand gestures to LEAVE THE BOOTH to perform magic tricks (1:30) with his throng of worshippers.
I guess they play by different rules across the pond. And yes, I drink the Haterade. But for the rest of us plebians, we are subject to making it a multi-genre affair throughout the night. With that said, it's important to have transitional records. I came of age when the state of the "hip" dance party was in transition itself. It was pre-Hollertronix (multi genre affairs where Ludacris gets mixed with A-Ha,) but post Funkmaster Flex at the Tunnel (hip-hop for three hours straight). That added up to still playing a bunch of Big, Snoop, Jay, and the rest of the usual suspects, but it also meant owning almost every relevant Mary J. Blige single.
"Be ...”
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In case of DJ emergency, drop “Kiss” at all timesPosted July 21st
“Prince, "Kiss," House Party,? Prince, "Pop Life," House Party,? Prince, "I Wanna be your Lover," House Party,? Prince, "If I was your Girlfriend," House Party,?
Here's one thing that has been lost in the Serato age: a solid regard towards 12-inch insurance policies. I don't think I knew one self-respecting DJ that did not have a copy of the House Party bootleg compilation of Prince hits. It's debatable whether "Billie Jean" is more universal, but you'd be hardpressed to find a better get out jail free card than "Kiss." If you ever played a floor-clearer, or were mired in a dreary set of neo-soul or something equally as energy-sapping, you could always break this record out to get the chickens to return to the coop.
If I was really focused sometimes, I would have this record on standby right before playing some make or break shit. If things fell apart after that blend of A-Ha and Dead Prez, you always had "Kiss," five seconds away from being cued up to mend the damage caused. I think it had something to do with the fact that you always drop "Kiss." You never blend it. Everyone knows the signature guitar riff/yelp by Prince in the first three seconds of the track, and therefore a DJ drops that and may subsequently juggle the opening bars to communicate to the crowd that it might be a good time to make your way towards the dancefloor, since you probably love this song in the "OMI-GOD" sort ...”
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REMAINING A G UNTIL THE MOMENT YOU EXPIREPosted July 17th
“Juvenile feat. Jay-Z, "Ha Remix," Blazin' Hot, Vol. 1, 1998? Jay-Z feat. DMX, Memphis Bleek, and Beanie Siegel "Money, Cash, Hoes Remix," Blazin' Hot, Vol. 1, 1998 East Coast All-Stars,"Untitled," Blazin' Hot, Vol. 1, 1998 Jodeci, "Life," Blazin' Hot, Vol. 1, 1998
Ahh yes, the bootleg hip-hop 12 inch. An exercise in the culture's shiestiness. With one track for the price of five, and a logo that looks like it belongs on a Senor Frog's banner in Cancun, records like "Blazin' Hot, Vol. 1" served one singular purpose. They were tailor made for the dj with no promo connections who absolutely had to have the hot shit for that Saturday night hoedown out in Manhasset or wherever. An early Friday evening at Rock and Soul on 35th and 7th was chock full of these dudes, myself included.
Those were exhilirating times nonetheless-you'd walk in and literally see paralegal looking guys with grocery lists of the joints that they needed. It must have been gangbusters for that outfit- Rock and Soul staff were like personal shoppers for any DJ that didn't have an obsessive knowledge of the latest fire (Oh you ain't up on this?? Yo you're gonna need that tonight, trust me.")
And I thought I would, visualizing dropping something like "Oh Boy" at around 1:45 AM, to the ass-shaking approval of a demographic that probably had no idea of what song was playing. That usually never happened, but the anticipation felt on that Metro-North ride back upstate, fresh from ...”
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P GON’ MAKE YA SAY UNGH, I’MA MAKE YOU SAY OWWWPosted July 14th
“Cash Money Millionaires, "Project Chick," Down South Classics? Big Tymers, "Get Your Roll On," Down South Classics? Master P & the No-Limit Family, "Make 'Em Say Ugh," Down South Classics? Ying-Yang Twins, "Whistle While You Twurk," Down South Classics?
In an age before "Big Pimpin," liberal arts kids snickered at Southern rap in a quasi-racist fashion. Songs like "Project Chick" became jester music for the 4 AM dorm room after-party, sandwiched in between lines like "You gotta hear this, its fkin AMAZING!," and lines of kizzy for thy nizzy.
Meanwhile, in many a state university below the Mason-Dixon, tastes slightly differed. Songs like "Make Em' Say Ugh" were more than joyfully embraced-they put a stamp on the entire academic year. Call it a tribute to ignorance if you must, but what other music gets played by your university marching band?
I'd like to think that while I may have been attending one of those liberal arts schools with the grumpy rap elitists, I was at that Grambling University pep-rally in spirit. Besides, I don't recall Mos Def ever being played during halftime of Vassar's football games.
Down South Classics age like fine wine. What music better captures the zeitgeist of America's affluence, when million dollar websites existed, the European Union didn't, and gas cost $1.75 a gallon? On "Get Your Roll On", Mannie Fresh simply lets us know of a few things that he enjoys:
"Benz, Vettes, Hummers, Jets
Ro-lex... mo' sex
Television... head rest
Twenty inches... nothin less"
The man doesn't say much, but ...”
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Summertime Theme MusicPosted July 9th
“E-Rule, "Synopsis," Pallas Records,1994 E-Rule, "Synopsis Instrumental," Pallas Records,1994 E-Rule, "Listen Up," Pallas Records,1994 E-Rule, "Listen Up Instrumental," Pallas Records,1994
Remember the days when you could listen to hip hop instrumentals by themselves? Uh, not really, actually. I mean the Nineties were great and all, but was any one really rewinding the "Award Tour" beat on side b of that maxi cassette single, just to zone out to?
That said, there are certainly some exceptions. One would be E-Rule's "Synopsis." This bloke's verse is entirely expendable. Did anyone really check for any U.K rappers before Dizzee Rascal and Mike Skinner? Yet the beat on this is precious, it sounds like some subtle jazz arrangement that is delegated to low-fidelity play and hazy memories of times long since past. I hate to be all fetishizing, but this is the theme music for those stoned teenage summers, riding around some taxi after hanging out in Washington Square. With dusk approaching, you look out the window at the blurry scenes of the city, and think that your life is sooooo dramatic. Did I just recount some scene from "Kids"?
"Listen Up" is another aural accompaniment for the heated temperatures, best enjoyed sitting in a plastic chair in one of those cement plots that NYC'ers call backyard gardens. "Everybody Loves the Sunshine " is such an obvious sample source to create that laidback vibe, but something is injected here to add some punchiness. The piano riff at the end is kind of cute. ”
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AND WHILE WERE YOUNG YES WERE GONNA HAVE SOME FUNPosted July 8th
“Fugees, "Ready or Not (Salaam Remi remix)," 1997?
This was released more or less during the apex of the Fugees reign. I don't know if it was their international popularity (they had that multi-cultural appeal with Wyclef being Hatian and jacking Bob Marley songs,etc.), or if hip-hop was just really big at that time, but you have to give it up for a group anytime their weakest link has get enough juice to land cameos in crappy summer blockbusters. A decade or so later, I see Pras in a preview for another film. This one is about living on the streets of LA's Skid Row. I wasn't sure at first whether Pras was actually homeless.
This album is a rather ho-hum affair, with a steady amount of annoying shot-out interludes. (DJ Clue: "Yo hit me with that 'Killing Me Softly' remix-its mad butta! ) Stretch and Bob, however, make a brief appearance at the end of side A. It's hard not to have those guys brighten up your day. Anywhoo, most tracks on here are rather chuckworthy, save for the Salaam Remi remix of "Ready or Not."
This track helped me realize the difference between hip hop that is good for the headphones versus hip hop that is good to play out. Some songs that sound banging on your Walkman do not translate well over at the club.
I was all hyped to play this after listening to it forever on a bunch of old-college radio dubs from high school. Lauryn's voice is all bombastic. She sounds like she's giving a sermon on some podium, channeling Barrington Levy's "Here I Come" ...”
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IN THE BUILDING MISTER WITH THE OLSEN TWINS AND THE HILTON SISTERSPosted July 3rd
“Camron, "Down and Out," Townz Sounds, 2004?Camron, "Girls," Townz Sounds, 2004?
Cam never gets enough credit for his subversiveness. Take the ingenuity of "Girls," for example. I mean sure, flipping campy 80's samples is Cam's bread and butter. But appropriating upon the soundtrack for drunk and hot girls? This is chauvinism on a more witty and inconspicuous level. Granted, Sporty Thievz did do something like this back in the day. But everyone was in on the joke. I remember chicks dancing to "No Pigeons," kind of lumbering along to the beat because they were half-way annoyed. On the other hand, I could see "Girls" being sandwiched together with Cyndi Lauper and Madonna and a bunch of boringly attractives not knowing the difference.
I had an internal debate before this purchase, because it came right around the time that Serato was being established as the new standard for playing out. Left side of brain: "Why are you investing seven dollars for some bootleg vinyl, when your'e about to go digital in a few months?"
Right side, of course wins. I'm sorry but that instrumental for "Down and Out" is just too ridiculous. Fast forward three years later, and I hear this blasting out of some rusty pickup truck, in Santa Fe, New Mexico of all places. Said decision: validated.
If you hear the original sample for this, you realize how brilliant the chopping of it was executed. That's how Kanye do, you say? Ah, ha! Kanye did not actually produce this, but got his Dr. Dre on, and took credit for the work of someone else in his camp. I think I remember him mentioning ...”
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I GOT MONEY STACKS BIGGER THAN YOUPosted June 30th
“Mobb Deep, "Burn," Loud, 2002 Mobb Deep, "Burn Instrumental," Loud, 2002
Jay gets brownie points for the extra effort he put in on "Takeover". How did he get that ballerina picture? Did he send out some Rocafella interns to do research in Queensbridge? Did he pay off some turncoat from Mobb's camp? And then, to have the foresight to debut the track at Summer Jam, plastering a 50 foot image of P, in all of his androgynous glory? On hip-hop's biggest stage, this was political genius at work.
I recently realized that Mobb must have been pretty insecure thereafter. On "Burn," Prodigy can only muster up a pretty unwitty response. "And that sh#t that you pulled ain't do me no damage." Seriously? "We don't believe you, you need more people." But what is even funnier is the fact that they obviously caught feelings from Jay's comment about their height. In the video for this, they're rolling with some barely legal chicks that look to be sizing up around 4' 10".
That notwithstanding, this track is still good times. I always liked Havoc's basslines. They have a sort of brooding, gloaming feel to them. The one seems to be in the same vein as the one from "Quiet Storm". He also put an open snare at the beginning, which is always a treat to backspin incessantly. All together, it made for a great record to juggle.
If anyone would know what I'm talking about, it would be J-Rocc, who pioneered some nifty trick mixing routine using the "Quiet Storm" beat. Dude would go back and forth between two copies of the QS instrumental, ...”
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