Microphone Mathematics

Okay, so 10 years isn’t exactly diggin’ in the crates but it is enough time to where you might have not listened to this gem in a while & having listened to this album a few times on my trip it reminded me how much I liked it in 1998 (and still do). Two other things also happened when I recently listened to the album:

1) It reminded me how much my friend Ben was a fan of the album & how he had a personal story/experience with Mos way back when – so I asked him to write a little about that and the album.

2) I forgot how on-point Mos’ skills are in his intro verse to the track “Respiration” – listed below after Ben’s part…

Ben writes:

Whether you’re watching Talib Kweli’s self-produced Blacksmith TV (which you should definitely peep) or grooving to Mos Def and his jazz band, The Watermelon Syndicate (which recently closed out the first day of the Newport Jazz Festival), you immediately notice one thing – 1998 was a long time ago! These two artists have continued moving through time and space and conquering new frontiers since they dropped an indelible bomb on the world of hip-hop in the form of Black Star, a one-shot, album-length duo that lives on in the annals of fame.

Not too long after the album drop, I had an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend several days in May 1999 with Mos Def, his keyboardist Weldon Irvine (R.I.P.), Mos’s dad, and his manager Shaka (R.I.P.) in the Netherlands. That was my first opportunity to see Mos Def perform live and he most definitely rocked the socks off everyone in the audience with solo renditions of “Definition,” “Respiration,” and “Thieves in the Night.” What struck me more than anything, though, except for the fact that Mos Def had forgotten his passport back in New York and yours truly had to show immigration officials in Amsterdam the Black Star CD cover so they would release him into the country, was the way that Mos Def integrated his entire being – family, musical influences, travel experiences, romantic relationships, and knowledge of self – into his lyrics, music, and persona, which I truly believe are inseparable from each other. A great example is that Weldon Irvine, Mos Def Sr. (Darrell Toler), and I, just before Mos was to go on stage and perform, were discussing the finer points of slave rebellions in African-American history when Mos Def (Dante Smith) happened by. Instead of hustling me along and insisting that Weldon accompany him on stage, Mos joined us during the final part of our discussion and, once on stage, made a specific reference to the transcendence of freedom struggles in the lives of African Americans and all peoples across the globe. Mos never missed a beat and, on the contrary, lives and breathes his entire experience. This depth of knowledge and perspective is shared by Kweli and masterfully reflected in the Black Star album.

Dust off your Black Star album. Do it for Brooklyn. Do it for hip-hop. Do it for the greatest decade in the canon of lyrics. (Don’t do it for Rawkus, though, as Rupert Murdoch’s son, James, ran that joint into the ground.)

One two three/Mos Def and Talib Kweli/We came to rock it on to the tip-top/Best alliance in hip-hop, Y-O.

* Brought to you by Benny Blanco from the Left Coast, by way of BKLYN and the D.F (Mexico City). Also, check out the Scratchamama Crew (MySpace), a weekly hip-hop radio show in Mexico City, at Ibero 90.9 FM every Thursday from 10 – 11 pm CST.

Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (LP) – HERE

The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis
Shinin, like who on top of this?
People was tusslin, arguin and bustlin
Gangstaz of gotham hardcore hustlin
I’m wrestlin with words and ideas
My ears is picky, seekin what will transmit
The scribes can apply to transcript, yo
This ain’t no time where the usual is suitable
Tonight alive, let’s describe the inscrutable
The indisputable, we New York the narcotic
Strength in metal and fiber optics
Where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips
For profits, thirsty criminals take pockets
Hard knuckles on the second hands of workin class watches
Skyscrapers is collosus, the cost of living
Is preposterous, stay alive, you play or die, no options
No batman and robin, can’t tell between
The cops and the robbers, they both partners, they all heartless
With no conscience, back streets stay darkened
Where unbeliever hearts stay hardened
My eagle talons stay sharpened, like city lights stay throbbin
You either make a way or stay sobbin, the shiny apple
Is bruised but sweet and if you choose to eat
You could lose your teeth, many crews retreat
Nightly news repeat, who got shot down and locked down
Spotlight to savages, nasdaq averages
My narrative, rose to explain this existance
Amidst the harbor lights which remain in the distance…

This is sorta way overdue but figured I would throw it up here. Been on vacation since 5/28 and not coming back till 9/1.

Expect new posts and music then…

M

Back in early 2008 – I posed the what I think was the first of the Jazz Lib projects and it was a damn fine listen. Now comes another installment ….

“A timeless mix of jazzy beatcraft by the Jazz Liberatorz — from breezy, laidback soul jazz soundscapes to more of a funky boom bap on the more MC oriented tracks – with stellar roster of vocal guests including Aloe Blacc, Fat Lip, Wildchild, Mos Def and others! The French beatmaking trio of Madhi, Dusty & DJ Damage do really impressive job of paying tribute to the past without getting bogged down in revivalism, and also bring a lot more of the soul jazz atmosphere into the sound, with lots of groovy keys in the mix. Fruits Of The Past features great stuff and remixed material from earlier 12″s and brand new stuff — and it’s fresh all the way! Titles include ”Music In My Mind” (Parts 1 & 2) “What’s Real”, “Dark Keys” feat M’Selem, “What’s Next On The Menu”, “Force Be With You”, “It Was Only A Song”, “My Style Is Fly”, ”Capture Your Mind”, “That’s Right”, “Breathing Pleasure”, “My Style Is Fly” (Dela rmx), ”What’s Next” and more.”

Jazz Liberatorz’ “Fruit of the Past” – HERE

01. Music Is My Mind Pt. 1
02. Loop Prisoner
03. What’s Real feat Emanon
04. Dark Keys feat M’Selem
05. What’s Next On The Menu
06. Music Makes the World Go Round feat Declaime (20SYL Remix)
07. Force Be With You feat T.Love
08. Diggin Sound
09. It Was Only A Song
10. Always Something
11. My Style Is Fly feat Fat Lip
12. Capture Your Mind
13. A Paris
14. After Party feat Wildchild (Jazz Lib Remix)
15. That’s Right
16. Mountain Sunlight feat Mos Def
17. Breathing Pleasure feat Rico
18. Music In My Mind Part 2
19. That’s Reality
20. Blue Avenue
21. Back Packers feat Fat Lip
22. Slow Down
23. Force Be With You (Drum Brothers Remix)
24. My Style Is Fly (Dela Remix)
25. Music Makes The World Go Round feat Declaime
26. What’s Next

Just came across this mixtape earlier today. Nothing new on this mix but it’s probably been a little while since you listened to some Beasties – so it will be a decent listen.

DJ Reason’s “Hand Me Down Puma Mixtape” – HERE

01. the biz vs. the nudge
02. shame in your game
03. dope lil song
04. rootdown (free zone remix)
05. get it together (buckwild remix)
06. skills to pay the bills
07. hold it now hit it
08. ricky’s theme
09. scratch your rump (irt medley) / shake your rump
10. the vibes
11. car thief
12. mullet head
13. sure shot (european b-boy mix) / sure shot (large professor remix)
14. something’s got to give
15. slow and low
16. dub the mic
17. pass the mic (pt.2 skills to pay the bills)
18. electric worm
19. cooky puss

Skins when I please, hit from here to Tel Aviv
I’m gettin G’s, no more time for the line of free cheese
Here’s the 4-1-1 hon, the one who gets the job done
I know you know the flavor of the Puba.

Grand Puba:  a reminder of Polo Gear, Girbaud Jeans, and the occaisonal Sprite commercial back in the day. Two classic Puba tracks from his first solo efforts outside Brand Nubian.

The above video comes from the Meaning of Dope – which blows me away each time I visit the site. You should take the time to scroll through the video posts as they’ve got some footage from over the years that you’ve never seen.

Grand Puba’s “360″ – Zshare / Mediafire

Mary J. Blige w/ Puba “What’s the 411?” - Zshare / Mediafire 

Ready in the intro, cue up the Serch-lite 
Promised to the center stage I’ll grab the first mic
Projectin the voice with this mic that I’m cuffin’ 
You ain’t my nucker, sucker I’m snuffin’

I don’t care what anyone else says cause this was a friggin’ awesome album back in the day. I really miss albums like this because it not only had good songs and beats but it was also all over the place with it’s style and humor – and it definitely has the Prince Paul production sound and feel to it.  This album still holds up today with solid tracks like: Gas Face, Sons of 3rd Base, Brooklyn Queens, Steppin’ to the A.M., and Product of the Environment. Also, before the TV show The Wire was biting on Tom Waits for their intro – 3B had already beaten them to the punch back in 89′.

I’m not saying this is one of the best albums ever but it was one of the best in it’s time and it’s still a fun listen on the headphones. If you haven’t given this a dust off in the last few years then take it out for another spin this week.

Their 1989 Def Jam debut The Cactus Album was greeted with enthusiastic reviews. Clever, good-humored singles like “The Gas Face,” “Steppin’ to the A.M.,” and “Brooklyn-Queens” helped make 3rd Bass a name in hip-hop. Matching MC Serch’s bombastic, goofy good nature and Prime Minister Pete Nice’s gritty, English-trained wordsmith (sounding like a young Don in training), 3rd Bass’ debut album is revelatory in its way. For one, it is full of great songs, alternately upbeat rollers, casual-but-sincere disses, razor-sharp street didacticism, and sweaty city anthems, with A-plus production by heavyweights Prince Paul and Bomb Squad, as well as the surprising, overshadowing work of Sam Sever. The duo may not have come from the streets, but their hearts were there, and it shows. The album embodies New York life. The Cactus Album was important because it proved to hip-hop heads that white kids could play without bastardizing the culture. It may not have absolutely integrated rap, but it was a precursor to a culture that became more inclusive and widespread after its arrival.

I was a little saddened that I couldn’t find the video clip of them with Zev Love X (a skinny MF Doom) performing “The Gas Face” live on Showtime at the Apollo where they seemed to be booed and heckled the entire performance. If you haven’t watch “The Gas Face” video in a long while then peep it below and check out the young MF Doom.

3rd Base’s “The Cactus Album (or C/Dee)” – HERE

“Dudes actin’ like they street when they barely sidewalk”

My buddy Ben in NYC (via Mexico City – via Seattle) sent me the video below in an email the other day saying:

This is from Nyle, a cat I know from NYU. This boy is young, but he got what it takes. It would be great to put this out on Microphone Mathematics and even Scratchamama, no?

FYI – Scratchamama is a hip hop radio program in Mexico City that my man Ben was involved with for a little while when he was in the D.F..

Anyways, check out the video below (Nyle’s version of a Lil Wayne cover) as it’s a friggin’ tight video and dope lyrics! Also check out Nyle’s website (HERE) when you get a chance and read a little more about the NYU sophomore.

I’ll hopefully be enjoying a bagel in 2 weeks with Ben and as we make a visit to Fat Beats.

Here’s a little “gettin’ to know ya”

Nyle’s Wildkick – HERE
Nyle’s Breakdown ft. David Chalk – HERE

Once you experience a whole Kane rhyme
I’ll have you dancin in a Soul Train line

The B-I-G, D-A-double-D-Y-K-A-N-E.  The video below has been out for a little while now but since it’s new to me – peep this 15 minute film made by Lyricist Lounge founder Ant Marshall on the BDK.

Again, I’ve been pretty busy – so here’s a quickie…

I was at Kinkos about a week ago and playing in the background on Kinko’s “I wanna shoot myself in the head for having to listen to this staion all day while I work at Kinkos” FM was the Spinners’ classic “It’s a Shame”. As much as I like the original track – I was a bigger fan of Monie Love’s samplin’ of the tune back in 1990 off her album “Down to Earth”. Really dope guitar riff and chorus sample.

Monie Love’s “It’s a Shame (My Sister)” – HERE