RMHH Blogs

I'm not sure how many people outside of the UK know about Abu Hamza, your respective media outlets probably have their own domestic demons to report about but in the UK the hooked cleric has become as close to public enemy number one as is possible.

He's basically an extremist trying to claim Islam as the foundation of his hate, you know like Bin Laden, except... Abu has a hook! (Sorry it makes me think that I'm trapped in a Bond movie whenever I see it mentioned.)

He's been blamed for everything in the tabloids, welfare fraud, plotting terrorist attacks, having Bin Laden round his house for tea and crumpets...

In all fairness he's a little nuts.

Anyway my point was it was only a matter of time until Hip-Hop was dragged into this witch hunt. The Sun (the biggest selling daily paper in the UK) have un-surprisingly linked the two 'evils'.

Reads the headline (shockingly un-pun filled) to an article about Abu's son being an MC who they claim has performed at the Wembley Arena and also Oxford University...

Yeah that'll be the same University that banned KRS ONE from speaking on campus, so you know they're going to jump at the chance to let a convicted terrorist perform aren't they?

As with most of what is published within the pages of the Sun this story's validity is suspect but even if it is correct, what's the problem?

Do they honestly think he's going to become the next Eminem and sell millions of records the world over?

They quote one of his tracks...

'I was born to be a soldier, Kalashnikov in my shoulder, peace to Hamas and Hezbollah, that'’s the way of the lord Allah . . . we'’re Jihad through, defend my religion with the holy sword.'

I can't see many MC's feeling threatened by his lyrical prowess.

I also can't see many people being all that interested in a MC with the image of an Islamic Terrorist. I know shock tactics sell but somehow I think that might just push that idea beyond its limits.

The story itself is perfect for the Sun, it kills two birds with one stone. It brings the demon hook back into the public eye and it demonises Hip-Hop, which as we all know is going to be the downfall of civilised society.

In some what related news, Eminem is apparently the music of choice when torturing people at Guantanamo Bay.

That's either the US Government trying to indoctrinate alleged terrorists into the ways of using Hip-Hop as a medium to spread their message and therefore another way for Bush and his ilk to attack Hip-Hop or it's a damning indictment on the irritability of Marshall's music. I think it's more than likely the latter but come to your own conclusion...

Some music to round off the post...

Ghostface & MF Doom - Angeles - From a new Nature Sounds compliation and it's claimed it's from the upcoming collab album.

Six-Two - Weed & Snortin - Don't know much about this other than it's supposed to be produced by Dre and I've been told to stop singing the hook...

AWOL ONE (Feat. 2Mex & KRS ONE) - Underground Killz - From AWOL ONE's new album 'The War Of Art'.

Tags: Hip-Hop, Abu Hamza, Ghostface, MF Doom

West really, peoples?

So I wanted to start this here blog off with a bang and was gonna hook up two prime-time The Conscious Daughters remixes produced by Paris that are dope as fuck. If you like some West Coast Ridin’ Shit (not to be confused with West Coast Rider Shit), you will LOVE these two remixes. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to locate one of the two vinyls so far, but I know it’s here somewhere in these 4,000 records, so stay tuned for that one.

Instead, I’m gonna start things out with a small pop at least, with a couple of Eazy E remixes that I had completely forgotton about:

“Still Talkin’” (remix) & “We Want Eazy” (remix)

We Want Eazy was interestingly co-produced by MC Ren(?) If anyone wants to take a guess at what Ren does here, feel free.

Both are remixed versions of songs that originally appeared on Eazy Duz It and both are produced by High-Powered Productions(Dre & Yella’s old production team, if ya didn’t know). Both are also remixes based around the original versions of the tracks. In the case of Still Talkin’, one of the background wino weed carriers even makes fun of this fact. Still, most of the production additions are decent. But the biggest payoff here would have to be the added lyrics. Eazy kicks some new rhymes for Still Talkin’ and I believe Ren, Dre & Eazy all come differently on parts of We Want Eazy too.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds29613.html

Mad Skillz - It’s Goin’ Down 1996

Chino XL - Don’t Say A Word 2001

When I learned of Dilla’s death, I instantly knew it would affect others much more than me. Ever since he had established himself in the production game, Jay Dee was estimated to a point I could never quite relate to. Possibly fueled by what I perceived as exaggerated worship, I began to tax his influence on hip-hop as negative. I particulary thought his involvement in A Tribe Called Quest had a devastating effect on the group, seeing how I hated “Beats, Rhymes and Life” and “The Love Movement” almost as much as I loved “The Low End Theory” and “Midnight Marauders.” As an outside influence that hadn’t initially been there, he seemed like an ideal scapegoat. Whenever people come up with something innovative, there will always be some that get left behind. Sticking to my old habits of hard drums and ill loops, I consider myself one of those who got left behind by Dilla. Given the great number of people that appreciated what he did, he probably wasn’t ahead of his time, but he certainly was ahead of me.

But now that this exceptional career has been tragically cut short, I’m beginning to grasp the scope of the legacy the man leaves behind. In his recent blog entry, Soul-Sides’ Oliver Wang already summed up James Yancey’s unique position before I could come to terms with my feelings. Jay Dee was a representative of a new approach to hip-hop. He helped guide the music away from the shelters of instant sample recognition. But instead of exposing it to rugged urban terrain, he created dreamscapes where the colors were lighter, the outlines less definite and the pulse slower.

His style didn’t come out of nowhere. Within hip-hop, it can be traced back to early ’90s ATCQ and post-EPMD Erick Sermon (”Double Or Nothing”). But as with all breakthrough achievements, it takes someone to test the limits of any new approach and push it over the edge, hoping it will fly. That was Jay Dee’s role. On the other hand, he wasn’t a loner and was always willing to be part of a collective, be it Slum Village, The Ummah or The Soulquarians.

Dilla made atmospheric hip-hop that worked in subtler ways than I had been used to. His beats didn’t whip you into a frenzy, they calmed your nerves. That is, if you were willing to succumb to their charm. Like there is an ideal audience, there is also an ideal rapper for a producer. In Dilla’s case, to me Common was that ideal rapper. Others often didn’t quite seem to grasp the delicacy of his music. The same could probably be said for the two vocalists gracing the beats in our second Dilla commemoration, the way they battle and brag like they always do. But because Mad Skillz and Chino XL are both high caliber MC’s, I’m not distracted by sub-par rapping. I can’t help myself, the quality of the vocals remains a factor when I judge a producer’s work. The idea behind these selections is also to highlight the two major periods Yancey’s work can be divided into. “It’s Goin’ Down” represents the earlier, richer Jay Dee sound, “Don’t Say A Word” the later, loftier J Dilla style of production.

Rest in peace.

Mad Skillz - It’s Goin’ Down 1996

Chino XL - Don’t Say A Word 2001

When I learned of Dilla’s death, I instantly knew it would affect others much more than me. Ever since he had established himself in the production game, Jay Dee was estimated to a point I could never quite relate to. Possibly fueled by what I perceived as exaggerated worship, I began to tax his influence on hip-hop as negative. I particulary thought his involvement in A Tribe Called Quest had a devastating effect on the group, seeing how I hated “Beats, Rhymes and Life” and “The Love Movement” almost as much as I loved “The Low End Theory” and “Midnight Marauders.” As an outside influence that hadn’t initially been there, he seemed like an ideal scapegoat. Whenever people come up with something innovative, there will always be some that get left behind. Sticking to my old habits of hard drums and ill loops, I consider myself one of those who got left behind by Dilla. Given the great number of people that appreciated what he did, he probably wasn’t ahead of his time, but he certainly was ahead of me.

on the one hand everyone is talking about free speech this and that, and then this:

Red Ken

I still fail to see how what he said was that bad, maybe that makes me racist, I dunno.

He kept going until he physically couldn’t. Love his production style or hate it, dude was hip-hop:

Jay Dee’s last days