In 10 days I’ll be in Salvador, which is pretty much the blackest place on the planet outside of the motherland. Obviously, I’m very excited about this. I’ve been slacking on my Portuguese podcast crash course but I’ve been diligently assembling my digging target list and live music itinerary. Big ups to the homie Neal for the helpful tips.
After funneling huge chunks of my income to Dusty Groove for years, I finally had a chance to visit them in person. I’ve been to bigger spots and have had transcendent digging experiences elsewhere but I’ve not had a more significant, extended relationship with any shop outside of DC than Dusty Groove. They put an enormous amount of care into their stock and that discerning hand is prominently reflected in my collection. For this trip, I had to really blind myself to the beckoning shelves of enticing re-issues and left field jazz and soul bits from around the world. I could order all that stuff online from them like I usually do. If I was going to be there in person I had to focus on things that I’d miss if I weren’t putting my fingers through the bins. And I also had to grab a few instant gratification joints that I might not see again for a while.
Beady Belle - Belvedere (CD) [This group CAN DO NO WRONG with me. I've been a stan since 2001 and they're completely incapable of making anything that isn't stunning. What I love about them is that every album is a unique experience that touches different styles from the others. You really never know what you're going to hear every time they drop a new record. Most of my favorite artists share this same characteristic. So many fans want their favorite groups to re-hash the stuff they love best. I prefer a gift-wrapped surprise package.]
Phase N’ Rhythm - Swollen Pockets/Hook-N-Sling (12″) [I knew I could finish my odyssey at this point. I'd been looking for this for a long time. Wasn't cheap either, but worth it. It's out of print and I caught a promo. R.I.P. Paul C.!]
Fortunately a real hip-hopper was on hand among the Hollywood stiffs to bear witness and capture the moment. Sure is nice when you can land gigs like that.
Will notes that the tour will be all classic material with nothing new. Now I know Will is one of the biggest actors on the planet and the rap game is quite a different animal but I think that if Will got back with Jeff, stopped giving a damn about fitting in with what cats are doing now and just focused on the fun and chemistry him and Jeff still have, they could make a decent record. I believe ?uestlove had some brief discussions with him about collaborating. A bootcamp with Jeff and a lot of the underground talents he keeps around him could get Will back in fighting shape quickly. No ghostwriters, no hot producers of the moment, just back to basics. Maybe being an intergalactic megastar has extinguished the type of energy a hungry emcee has to draw from but he’s Will Smith, he doesn’t have anything to prove. He doesn’t have to worry about sales. He really could approach it from a purist perspective.
Wishful thinking? An old head’s desperate self-delusion?
The “ho stroll” being my personal terminology for the mainstream gigs I occasionally play. Despite the fact that the money is always better than any of my gigs where I can be creative and play good music, the ho stroll gigs are becoming increasingly difficult. The last few of them paid for my birthday trip abroad and a bathroom renovation so I should be motivated to keep chasing that paper. But I’m struggling.
I basically have to play music I hate for people I can’t relate to. This nullifies my biggest asset, which is my ability to make an emotional connection with my audience, otherwise known as that whole vibe conducting thing.
It should be easy actually, because most of today’s popular music takes no skill to mix. Actually, you generally don’t have to mix at all. Most of the songs are mad slow and you just drop them on the one and folks go nuts.
To keep the ho stroll money steady, I have to stay current. Usually I just get a zip file from my WPGC connect. That’s much better than the days when I’d have to prepare for such gigs by actually wasting money buying the records. Of course those songs weren’t as bad as today’s songs either. Still, the instant playlist approach means that I end up not knowing the songs very well, so sometimes I have to break down and listen to the radio (nOva, you’re a bigger man than I.)
It withers the soul and makes my brain ache.
Occasionally there’s a decent tune. I’m not mad at the new Lloyd jont, with Weezy interpolating “Paid In Full”. But that appeals to my old school sensibilities so maybe that’s not a good example.
I was struck by the fact that The Dream has a tune with a good melody. The most classic way to make a solid song is so rare on commercial radio that when you hear a standout melody it’s an event. I can’t front though, T-Pain has crafted a few quality melodies. But the props I had ready for The Dream were soured when I heard the album version that has a refrain of “fuck that nigga” sung in falsetto. I recommend the radio edit.
And sometimes I feel like I’m the only one noticing things that should make everyone howl in disbelief, like hearing Too Short’s old ass (who I admittedly loved as a youth) drop these jewels…
I got ten bad bitches, actin’ retarded
I’m tryin’ to meet a few new ones
What’s up with you girl, maybe we can do somethin’
Do you drink, do you smoke?
I could tell by your purse and your shoes you ain’t broke
Hang with me, the first thing you do is get stuck
Take you somewhere, later on you’ll get fucked, beotch!
But the pièce de résistance (for now) has to be “Bust It Baby”. This one is actually worth an embed. First of all, I can’t believe this saga has three parts, one of which features Janet Jackson (to hell with you Jermaine Dupri).
I now offer an exercise in audience participation. What is the most coonerific facet of the video below?
- the song
- the “performance”
- the outfit
- the comments
Even my little sister - a millennial who generally digs such fare - was like “I have to draw the line somewhere”.
The theory of three is still holding strong among my scarce superstitions. While absorbing the losses of Tim and George, we missed another bright light being extinguished. Cyd Charisse was a baaaaaaad broad!!!
Peep Sammy D. on the croon too:
And from my favorite Janet video of all time (yes, even over Pleasure Principle, and that’s a tough choice.) Check the glamour splash at 3:01.
Fortunately for me and my laziness, Jay Smooth breaks down my thoughts on the matter in bite-sized fashion suitable for a block quote. If I were important I’d make dude my spokesman:
I’d love to see his generation feel more of a connection with our hip-hop, but they don’t OWE that to us. It would only happen if we built relationships with them beyond the same arrogant knee-jerk hate our elders gave to our music. Like Soulja Boy said, if we think they can do better we should be helping them. Or else just accept that they have their own thing that isn’t meant for us, and move on. Cuz we’re sounding way too much like our parents at this point.
There is a troublesome challenge I’m having these days, which is to not let my adherence to standards expand to a close-minded dismissal of everything I can’t immediately relate to. It’s almost like turning into your parents is inevitable.
Well, that’s the mature, measured thought process. My id is also partial to this one.
And in related news from the “I’m old and just can’t understand” department, this hipster hop thing isn’t going away any time soon (the battlestillrages, just hasn’t merited any more discussion on these pages.)
I recently had a meeting of the minds on this topic:
stylus: so I’m trying to give the Cool Kids a chance
but it’s just alien to me
they’re talking about ‘88 like they were there PJ: i could care less.
i’ve never heard any of their shit
i find the whole thing puzzling PJ: so fucking pretentious stylus: very puzzling this article made me hate them
but i’m listening to some stuff now
because I don’t want to be old bitter dude and I want to be fair
is it homage or irony?
the “Black Mags” joint is kinda fun
about picking up a honey on your BMX bike PJ: arent they from UPENN? stylus: detroit and chicago
it’s REALLY hard for me to not hate these kids
but then I tell myself, we were borrowing heavily from the ’70s in the ’90s
how are these cats different from Camp Lo? PJ: they dont have ski beats
and they have the internets stylus: right
but you know what I mean
Camp Lo bathed in that whole blaxploitation style
isn’t that what these cats are doing, just focusing on a decade later? PJ: DING DING DING
stylus, you’ve won the contest
wait
does this mean cats are gonna start doing 90s rap next decade? stylus: very quite possibly
hoodies, Carhart and iggedy biggedy
machetes
tie-top hats PJ: lol stylus: east coast stomping
I don’t think cross colours will be resurrected though
so if these youngsters get a pass because our generation did the same shit, why am I still annoyed? PJ: because it’s lame
pretentious
internets pitchfork blog hype
thats why stylus: they’re only hot because of the online hype machine?
they actually rap pretty decent
and they name drop the old school a lot
isn’t that a positive thing?
especially since the young generation is so quick to dismiss history PJ: yeah
i guess so. stylus: I’m still annoyed though PJ: rightfully so stylus: can’t pinpoint why they’re talking about boomboxes and cassettes and shit
they were 1 and 4 years old in ‘89 PJ: they r posers stylus: so the rappers who borrowed all that 70’s pimp imagery were poseurs too? PJ: yes stylus: there you have it PJ: but
camp lo werent some upenn grads
this is ivy league suburb 80s poser
i think thats the difference stylus: where’d see they were upenn grads? PJ: maybe im making that up
or confusing them stylus: I tried to post about it a while back
then I couldn’t make myself care any more
And on the heels of this topic, be sure to peep the funky and creative exchange between the DJ and the guitarist near the end of the tune. I will definitely be biting.
Again it’s confirmed why folks I know do so well in France. Real black music thrives there, jazz and particularly hip-hop. They’ve already produced some of the world’s best b-boys.
Of course it’s definitely not all good but it comes pretty close to a bizarro version of the U.S. black musical landscape, which would be a place where quality artists actually blow up.
And even when it was much worse across the way, it looked more attractive then trying to outrun the Klan in your tourbus through the Jim Crow south, avoiding fiscal rape at the hands of record companies (plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose) or the best gigs being those where your people weren’t welcome as patrons.
I first came across this cat when he was doing backup vocals for Bilal Salaam. It’s kinda hard to keep up with the younglings sometimes. Nicholas was a student in the same HU music department that gave us Muhsinah, and she came out of nowhere too and just started smashing the world. It’s a movement, y’all. And even when they leave DC I’m still claiming ‘em! Lots of reasons to be excited about music these days and Nick is definitely one of them.
