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R.I.P. Whitney Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012)

Kevin — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:30:11 +0000

Reports came in last night that R&B singer Whitney Houston was found dead in her room at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Personally, I haven’t been this shocked and affected over a celebrity’s death since Michael Jackson passed 2 1/2 years ago. Whitney was an icon. Forget about her mishaps with drugs and Bobby Brown; the Whitney Houston I remember was from the late 80s an early 90s when she was one of the hottest pop/R&B stars on the planet.

At only 48 years old, this is a tragedy. According to reports this morning by TMZ, it is learned that prescription drugs were present and it’s possible that Whitney drowned in the bathtub, though we won’t know the actual cause of death until an autopsy is performed.

KN sends our thoughts and prayers to Whitney’s family and friends. Rest In Power, Whitney.

Who Flipped It Better?: J Dilla: The Look of Love

Morgan — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:00:06 +0000

Yo KN readers! In honor of February being the late great J Dilla month, today’s installment of Who Flipped It Better will examine one of my favorite Jay Dee produced tracks from his expansive catalogue from Slum Village’s classic Fan-Tas-Tic Vol.1. “The Look Of Love” samples Barney Kessel’s great jazz guitar cut of the same title. So rather than compare Jay Dee’s work against another producer, I am going to eloquently translate Dilla’s creative process into my own words.

This instrumental is not one of J Dilla’s most interesting works technically speaking, but its brilliance lies within the simplicity of it. In this case, he chose to loop a subtle part of Kessel’s song, raising its pitch and increasing the tempo, giving the loop a nice mellow groove. The original is full of sample-able portions but Jay Dee’s uncanny ear for melodies found the best part and knew just what to do with it. Rather than using quick chops throughout the song like many of his beats, he chose to lightly chop up the one section he found from which he created his own loop.

“The Look of Love’s” drum kit and pattern come in typical J Dilla fashion, complete with dusty pulsating kicks and percussion. The use of percs is minimal inside the beat but the role that they play is vital. Dilla added what sounds like an 8th note delay and swing to the shakers, carrying the beat with their rhythmic presence. His expressive drums add the perfect Hip Hop element to the smoothed out jazz sample, leaving room for only the emcee’s presence.

Slum Village’s lyricists spit light, sexually driven bars blending with the vibe of the beat perfectly. This particular track is one of the illest displays of S.V.‘s chemistry as a group. And what I love about this track is that you can put on the instrumental or the whole song and either way, you still get the same feeling. Almost as if they don’t need each other, but sound that much better together. The melody of the song also emits a vibe that doesn’t come often when listening to Hip Hop but as most of us know, this is where Dilla was a shining star! Be sure to also check out the remix as it samples Trina Broussard’s, “Inside My Love” as well as J88’s “The Look of Love Part 2”. These are two dope tracks as well but nothing beats the original.

Slum Village: The Look of Love

Slum Village: The Look of Love (Instrumental)

What do you think of “The Love of Love?” Leave your comments and opinions below and let me know what tracks you would like to see examined or compared for upcoming installments of Who Flipped/Spit It Better!!

Celebrating Dilla Six Years Later

Arasia Magnetic — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:00:40 +0000

“I’m so excited about his life. It’s such a celebration. How can you cry when you live to brighten the world with what he gave? I think his gift was something to brighten the world. So I’m just so super excited,” Ma Dukes

Six years ago today, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I received the news that Dilla passed away. Not quite sure how to take it I stopped working, turned off all the lights in my house, and played his music for the rest of the day; no interruptions.

I’ve seen and heard plenty of music from astounding artists throughout the years but none of them penetrated like Dilla. The love, energy, and precision he put into his music would send me into a complete trance. You hear people say this all the time but he TRULY was like no other. With an unrivaled ear for melodies, obscure samples, and the ability to take someone else’s beat and make it his own, Dilla was the best to ever do it…point-blank-period (I am still trying to process how he manipulated the samples for “Players” and “Find A Way.”) A complete genius behind and in front of the boards, he leaves behind one of the most luxuriant and enduring catalogs music has ever seen; not just Hip Hop. And to say his sound was unique serves absolutely no justice to his legacy. The world lost one of its brightest and most exuberant talents in Dilla but as Ma Dukes said in the aforementioned quote, he left behind so much music that the world loves, his legacy and the celebration of his contributions and life will continue on forever.

So as we take some time out to “Raise It Up” for Dilla and celebrate his life and extraordinary catalog of music, hit up the comments and share with us your favorite Dilla beat. And make sure to check for the new album, Rebirth of Detroit coming out soon as well as supporting the J Dilla Foundation, which helps fund music programs and scholarships for inner city youth.

Rest In Power

Forgotten Classics: The Nonce – World Ultimate

Jeff Leon — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:29:36 +0000

In the early 1990’s, Los Angeles’ rap scene was blowing up, bringing to the national stage the brash, violent, and powerful music known as gangsta rap, and earning the left coast the distinction as the wildest cats around. But Cali was more than guns, women, and chaos. Taking a more subtle approach was a new wave of alternative artists largely unconcerned with the gangsta lifestyle with smoother sounds, less hostility, and some striking lines. The Pharcyde, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, and Freestyle Fellowship were among this new class of L.A. groups gaining a solid following in their city and even breaking out from there.

A major element to the alternative movement was Project Blowed, a loose collective of artists who frequented the open mic nights at the Good Life Café in South Central. The spot was a mecca for L.A. artists, rappers in particular, with many artists like Ice Cube and Jurassic 5 passing through and launching the careers of others. Project Blowed included highly acclaimed figures like Aceyalone, Freestyle Fellowship, Abstract Rude, and Ghanjah K. It also brought out Nouka Basetype and Yusef Afloat, the duo known as The Nonce.

Formed in 1992, The Nonce issued their first single, “The Picnic Song,” but it wasn’t until the next year that they received some major local attention with the single, “Mix Tapes.” From there, it took a while and some wrangling with labels before their debut, World Ultimate, dropped in 1995. And for this edition of Forgotten Classics, I wanted to shed some light on this very slept on listen from the 90’s.

Some often compare the sounds and approach of Nouka and Yusef to that of A Tribe Called Quest; Jazz inflected beats, which bump pretty smoothly as well as Yusef’s higher-pitched voice, which can draw some similarities to Q-Tip’s. But to write them off as a Tribe clone would do them a disservice. For one thing, their approach was very understated favoring minimalist beats and World Ultimate carries a sublimely laidback feel which at times, seems almost freeform, with no barriers or limits to the sounds. The opener, “On The Air,” nails the vibe with a subtle drumbeat and the occasional horn sample, which fades in. It’s airy and open, and the duo let things develop on their own terms. Nouka and Yusef ruminate on their place in Hip Hop, dismissing commercial success and gimmicks for something more substantial.

From there, the album jumps off into, “Keep It On,” one of the very few amped-up listens of the record; their take on a banger and one of my favorites with an overwhelming groove and some solid scratching and samples. Yusef takes point with gems like, “Praying that I blow up, make a deal with devil? I’d rather trust my eyes, and drop the wax and packs, play the ball where it lies, drop a tag where I stood, anywhere that I could, rooted deep in the hood and I tell you it’s good…” It’s aggressive and bold, a commanding listen, which proves that the duo can really be forceful when they want to…but again, they do it on their terms.

For the most part, World Ultimate is that perfect weekend or late night listen, which is easygoing and expansive, with some straightforward rhymes about life, rappin’, and their dedication to Los Angeles. “Bus Stops” is a cool dedication to the women around their world of L.A. while “Mix Tapes” is audio nostalgia with Nouka reminiscing about his rise from hawking mixtapes to picking up a mic and looking up to figures like MC Shan. “Money, really wasn’t part of the rap / Paid, was having people starting to clap…” he remembers. “The West Is…” with guests Butta B. and Meen Green, is a celebration of Los Angeles over a blunt two-note beat, with the scratched in samples declaring that, “The West is…about to blow the fuck up!” Even better is the oddly fitting cameo from Aceyalone at the end. Another highlight is the title track, “World Ultimate,” a bouncy, very catchy tune with a slight piano loop and the tag-team rhymes of Nouka and Yusef, with Nouka rhyming, “It’s a world, world, world, world ultimate when the crew you love is on the mix.”

Critically acclaimed on release, the album sold poorly. Even abroad, there was difficulty gaining traction because in the UK, the word “nonce,” which is defined as a present or immediate moment, fitting for their style, was a slang word for a sexual offender (damn it Brits).

It took the duo a few years before they dropped new material, the stellar EP, The Sight of Things in 1998. Sadly in 2000, Yusef Afloat was killed in a traffic accident and the group was dissolved. Nouka renamed himself “Sach” and dropped the solo efforts Suckas Hate Me in 2002 and Sach 5^th Ave in 2004. And both World Ultimate and The Sight of Things are out of print and somewhat rare releases though a few copies exist on Amazon and eBay. In the early 2000’s, there was some chatter about a potential re-release of Ultimate, however it happened only in Japan in 2005. But with rising interest in the group, some unofficial releases have surfaced from Europe, with rare tracks and remixes including the 2006 compilation Advanced State of Regression and the 2010 mixtape by French DJ Bachir, The Only Mixtape.

Definitely track down World Ultimate, a L.A. underground classic, which is deserving of a listen.

The Nonce: Keep It On

The Nonce: Bus Stops (feat. Aceyalone)

The Nonce: World Ultimate

Celebrating Big Pun 12 Years Later

Arasia Magnetic — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:00:54 +0000

“Dead in the middle of Little Italy little did we know that we riddled some middleman who didn’t do diddily”

I remember the first time I heard Big Pun spit. It was 1997 and I was entering my senior year in high school. My boyfriend, homegirl and I were on our way to school playing everything from Organized Konfusion to N.W.A. while partaking in herbal treats. Needless to say, we were out of it and not really paying attention to what were listening to. And then, The Beatnuts’ “Off The Books” came on and I heard this voice blast through the speakers and I immediately shouted, “Who the fuck is that!” From then, I was hooked.

What I loved about Pun was how unbelievably technical and precise he was as a rapper. At times, I often wondered when he had time to breathe because it seemed like he would never stop and take a breath. His multi-syllable rhyme schemes and ridiculous breath control made for some of the most memorable lines that Hip Hop has seen and continue to quote 12 years after his death. His debut Capital Punishment stayed in constant rotation from the moment I skipped class to cop it and it remains as one of my favorite albums of all time. From top to bottom, that album commanded my attention and still does. Put on “Super Lyrical” with Black Thought or “Dream Shatterer” with me in the room and watch me spazz out on some Sticky Fingaz ish! Yep, Pun was that penetrable. He was one of the illest lyricists to pick up a mic and like most heads, I can’t help but wonder what would have been had he lived beyond his short 29 years.

As we celebrate the music and life of Big Pun on the 12th anniversary of his death, I want to know, what is your favorite track from his catalog? Let us know in the comments and make sure to find some time today to bump some Pun.

The Magnetic Mindset: The Dreamers

Arasia Magnetic — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:30:41 +0000

It started with a dream and became a reality…

Five years ago, Kevin had a dream. As a DJ and avid lover of music, he set out to create a destination for those that shared his tastes in music. In addition, he also wanted a place where he could rant (how many of you remember Kevin’s Rants?) In doing so, he embarked on a path that would lead him to being the namesake of the best underground Hip Hop site in the game. I know Mr. Nottingham, as I affectionately call him, had no idea that this dream would grow into what you see today. I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Kevin and have come to understand him on a greater level than just the “unseen blogger.” Although he gets annoyed, I mean REALLY annoyed, he absolutely loves what he does and is truly amazed by what he has created and the community he’s built as a result of that dream.

So this past weekend, I imagined where I’d be had Kevin not had a dream. Would I be writing for a money driven publication that had no true understanding or commitment to Hip Hop? Maybe, I would be managing some upcoming artist or possibly raising kids with a husband although the latter is highly unlikely. Nevertheless, I hit play on iTunes and allowed it to be the soundtrack as my imagination drifted off. My music game is as scattered as the Republican Party, yet for some reason, iTunes continuously played Common tracks. I do have a sick Common collection (told ya’ll I’m a Stan) but I took it as a sign, because he is the ultimate underdog and dreamer…and so are we. Common has been in this game well over 20 years and has a true love and passion for Hip Hop. No matter how many mistakes or questionable moments he’s had, he always stands on the foundation of Hip Hop. It’s his air. He’s been shitted on, forgotten, laughed at, ridiculed, but he is still here doing it and is just now getting the recognition he should have received when he first told us he was as bad as Leroy Brown.

Now we don’t have 20 plus years like Rashid but we damn sure have been counted out, shitted on, made some dumb choices, have some forgettable moments, and have and remain the underdogs of this Hip Hop blogging world. And maybe we aren’t as bad as Leroy Brown, but five years later, we are still here; still going and still getting it all because we dare to dream. This entire staff that probably don’t realize it, share a [Common] dream (see how this works). We all dream about being a part of a site that exposes people to new music, one that challenges their thinking, connects them to others through agreements as well as difference of opinions, educates, acknowledges the history, but one that ultimately follows the FUBU mantra=for us, by us AND guided by US…those that live, breathe, know, respect, and love Hip Hop.

This year marks KN.com’s fifth anniversary and I’m determined to dream even bigger than I ever have. I am ridiculously proud to be a part of this site that has lasted five years and hasn’t lost its voice but enhanced it. And I hope that each of you will celebrate with the KN crew as we look back, laugh, ask what we were thinking, and appreciate where we started and where our dreams are going to take us for the next five years. So please enjoy our regular postings that you’ve come to love: Ripostes and Replays with Michael, Forgotten Classics with Jeff, New Music Tuesdays with Carsten, Who Flipped It Better with Morgan, and Salute The DJ with Jeremiah. And don’t forget to check our new columns with our scholarly professor Phillip, Form of Intellect, The Underground Rundown with Uptown Bobby, and an oldie, The Great Debate, which Alex has made all his own. Look out for some new offerings from Daniella and introduce yourself to our newest writer, Will also. And of course, the best damn editor in chief in the game, Justin AKA Archer AKA the breathing Hip Hop encyclopedia will also bring forth his Open Thought Surgery series as well as keep us up on all the haps in the underground world like only he can. We we will continue to bring interviews, reviews, and regular music that we rock with in addition to a few other surprises to commemorate five years and counting. So pop bottles for and with us as we pat ourselves on the back. Humble we are, but we earned this moment to be cocky so let us have it. Also, make sure to keep your ears to the street because you might just see the KN crew pop up with a stage and some of your favorite artists in your area. Until then, make sure to peep our very first posting, Blogging Is Sexy, to get a feel of our evolution. And while you are at it, take some time to stop and dream because you never know where it might take you….

“A letter to the people love always,”

Arasia Magnetic

Executive Editor

PS. Thank you Common. You too Mr. Nottingham (smile)

Ten Canadian Emcees To Watch For In 2012

Jeff Leon — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:00:22 +0000

Hailing from Toronto, I try to keep up with rap released north of the border. While Canada’s had a Hip Hop scene since the early 80’s, it wasn’t until the late 90’s that we really started making noise. And within the past few years, we’ve seen the scene grow and artists and producers become recognized and even accepted in America. Though I’m not the biggest fan of Drake, I do have to admit that he’s gone very far with his success and has brought some more attention to Canadian Hip Hop. But for this list, let’s forget about him and focus on a few artists you should be checking for, and see what kind of uniqueness Canucks bring to the table.

Shad: From London, Ontario, Shad is one of the best and brightest rappers around, having issued three solid albums so far, as well as a recent mixtape, Besides. An excellent rhymer and a thoughtful dude, let’s hope he has a collaboration in the works with…

k-os: Mixing Hip Hop with rock, electro, and lots of instruments, Toronto’s own k-os does things VERY differently. This summer, he’s releasing the double album, BLack on BLonde, an ode to both rock and Hip Hop.

K’Naan: Originally from Mogadishu, Somalia, K’Naan introduces a worldly experience to his sound and speaks beyond his years. Scoring a global anthem in “Waving Flag” in 2009, he’s at work on his third record hopefully dropping this year.

Saukrates: Having been on the scene since the mid-nineties, Toronto’s Saukrates is well respected, collaborating with artists such as Nas, Method Man, and Redman. This year, he’s set to release Season One, his first full length since his ’99 debut The Underground Tapes.

Kardinall Offishall: A legend, Kardi was instrumental in the creation of “Northern Touch,” the posse track which resuscitated Canadian Hip Hop in ’98, and he’s well known for bringing heavy reggae vibes to his music. Having scored a US hit with Akon in 2008 on “Dangerous,” he’s back to release Mr. International this year.

Eternia: With her strong lyricism and collaborations with artists like DJ JS-1, Hasan Salaam, and Reef The Lost Cauze, Eternia is out to prove that your favorite rapper wears a skirt. It’ll be dope to see what tracks and collabs she creates this year.

D-Sisive: Known for his personal and fractured rhymes, D-Sisive is on the come up with collaborations alongside fellow Canadian emcees like Shad and Munshine. His projects are like a journey into his soul and I’m intrigued to hear his next project.

JD Era: Championed and recently signed by Da Chef himself Raekwon, Toronto’s JD Era has a lot of potential with his smooth rhymes. It’ll be interesting to see where he goes from here.

Classified: Because you can’t have a Canadian emcee list without Classified, a very prolific and respected emcee out of Nova Scotia, who started catching attention up North. He’s now ten albums deep and released a legit Canadian Hip Hop anthem with “Oh, Canada” in 2010.

Sweatshop Union: A collective of the Vancouver-based groups Pigeon Hole, Dirty Circus, Kyprios and Innocent Bystander, Sweatshop represents some of Western Canada’s most acclaimed underground acts, focused on conscious and politically-minded raps, and with a strong EP release in 2011 with The Bill Murray EP. I’m definitely for hearing more of them in 2012.

Now this is not an exhaustive list and my picks are a bit skewed toward T-Dot (‘cuz that’s my city!), so if you have some artists you don’t see here, hit up the comments and let us know who you are checking for!

Vision Behind The Spittin: Phonte

KN Staff — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:00:28 +0000

The latest edition of our Vision Behind The Spittin’ series is special not only because we have Phonte sharing his visions with us, but also because it’s our first audio entry. Unlike our past versions, you’ll get to hear direclty from the Little Brother and Foreign Exchange emcee as he breaks down some of the best tracks in his outstanding discography. Phonte gives us insight into songs spanning from LB’s The Listening to his critically acclaimed solo debut Charity Starts At Home. So enjoy this journey as Phonte Coleman takes you through his Vision Behind The Spittin.

Little Brother – Tigallo For Dolo

Little Brother – The Yo Yo

The Foreign Exchange – Raw Life (feat Joe Scudda)

Little Brother – All For You

Little Brother – Boondock Saints (feat Chaundon & L.E.G.A.C.Y.)

Phonte – The Good Fight

Lyric Jones: Jones St. [Artwork + Tracklist]

Kevin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:15:47 +0000

KevinNottingham.com got the jump on the artwork and tracklisting for the upcoming debut album, Jones St, from Lyric Jones. The Atlanta emcee has been hot on our radar since we caught wind of her last year. We were even fortunate enough to have her perform on our A3C Underground Express stage back in October. This album right here is one that I have been highly anticipating. Check the tracklist below and look for the album to drop next Tuesday, February 7th.

Appetizer Menu
Trapped In The City Lights
Gotta Go (feat Aleon Craft & Playboy Tre)
23rd St.
Where’s The Rent (Interlude)
Fearless (feat Young Scolla)
Loss On Repeat (feat Esperanza Spalding)
Tin Can
Sunshine (Remix)
Where You Atl – Lil John Roberts (Interlude)
Downtime (feat J-Live)
Mr. DC
Middle of The World
Sha Dop (feat StaHHr & Methuzulah)
Yousa ILL Emcee – Phife Dawg of ATCQ (Interlude)
20 Mins

R.I.P. Clare Fischer

Duane Powell — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:17:25 +0000

The music industry lost another major player this weekend. Grammy award winning musician, producer, and legendary composer Clare Fischer died at the age of 83 on Friday from a heart attack. No musician has maintained a career in music as diverse as Fischer. He touched almost every genre of popular music in his fifty-year span. From his early days playing with his be-bop trio, to working with legends including Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Shank, Art Blake, and his longtime union with Cal Tjader. Then, on to vocalese with arrangements for vocal groups including Singers Unlimited, The Hi-Lo’s, and Manhattan Transfer. In that time he also wrote and produced many beautiful tunes in the Brazilian and Latin Jazz world. Throughout the 70’s, he worked with Quincy Jones on film scores and took his arranging skill into the world of jazz, funk, and soul working on hits for artists including Rufus & Chaka, Hubert Laws, Carlos Santana, The Jacksons, A Taste Of Honey, and Peabo Bryson. And from the 80′s until his untimely death, he took his talents further into work with artist including Prince (where he conducted the entire Under The Cherry Moon film and album), DeBarge, Atlantic Starr, Brian McKnight, and Toni Braxton amongst others. His music continued to live on in Hip Hop with many of his compositions being sampled by the likes of Dilla and Madlib to Just Blaze and Sean “Puffy” Combs. The music world will definitely miss him but his spirit is forever.

Ski Beatz Celebrates the 15th Anniversary of Camp Lo’s Uptown Saturday Night

Jeremiah — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:45:34 +0000

As hard as it may be to believe, Camp Lo’s Uptown Saturday Night turns 15 years old today. I remember listening to this album for the first time like it was yesterday. And being able to take a trip down memory lane with the albums producer, the one and only Ski Beatz, truly made this a special anniversary for me.

This is one of those conversations that I wish you were there to hear because you are not able to truly grasp the love that Ski Beatz has for Sonny Cheeba, Geechi Suede, and Uptown Saturday Night just by reading it like I was able to during our conversation. However, Ski will take you back to the studio, tell you why the experience was fresh for everyone involved, why Camp Lo wanted the beat for Jay-Z’s “Politics As Usual,” why the videos were so dope and much more. Check it out!

Jeremiah: What’s good Ski? We’re coming up on the 15th year anniversary of Uptown Saturday Night and wanted to get your thoughts and memories on the project. You started making the album in ’96 right?

Ski Beatz: Yeah, it was around that time. It was in my apartment in Harlem in this building called 1199. They used to come up to my apartment – we had no idea we were working on the album…we were more or less just making a bunch of songs ya’ know.

Jeremiah: So you had no idea you were making one of the top albums of ’97?

Ski Beatz: What’s weird is only two of the songs that we made at the time actually made it to the album that Profile put out. But we had another whole album of 10-15 records that actually captured the interest of Profile Records. After we captured their interest, we went in for real and started creating the songs for Uptown Saturday Night. So there was the demo then the actual album.

Jeremiah: When you guys were putting the actual album together what would you say was the biggest challenge?

Ski Beatz: Singles. We had the album done or we had the gist of what we wanted to do with the album and Profile was like, “It sounds good but we need a single, we need something for the radio.” And you know, at the last hour, the last song that we recorded was “Luchini.” So I guess the biggest challenge was coming up with a song that the radio was going to play and I was blessed to find the Dynasty, “Adventures in the Land of Music” sample for “Luchini” and I let the guys hear it and you know, it became what it became, the biggest record man. I sat at the crib for like a week just digging through the crates trying to find that perfect beat.

It’s crazy ‘cause at the same time I made “Luchini,” I had made “Politics As Usual” for Jay-Z and Camp Lo heard the horns and loved them. They were like, “Man c’mon, how you gonna give that beat to Jay-Z? You know that beat is us.” That was always the problem I had working with Jay and Camp Lo at the same time…I would play a beat for Jay-Z and be like, “Yo Camp Lo about to kill this!” and Jay would be like “Man c’mon, you know that’s my beat.” It would go back and forth with them. So for me to find a horn beat that turned into a great single for the guys was great…it worked perfect, everything worked perfectly.

Jeremiah: That’s funny and not a real bad problem to have! Besides “Luchini,” what were some of you favorites on the album?

Ski Beatz: “Sparkle,” I love “Sparkle” because it was all live instrumentation. We had the bass player, we had the keyboard player, [and] we just put together a musical piece. I love “Krystal Karrington,” I love “Black Nostaljack,” I love “Black Connection” it’s one of my favorite records of all time…I love that song. The whole album to me was just dope…it was different. It was ahead of its time…it was so refreshing and fun to do because it felt like we were doing something new.

Jeremiah: Definitely it was something new. I was looking at the top Hip Hop albums of ’97 and a bulk of the other albums on the list had very similar sounds where Uptown Saturday Night had a very unique sound to it. You guys came up against some heavy hitters too….Biggie put out Life After Death, Busta, When Disaster Strikes, the list goes on. What was the thought process like…how did you come up with such a different sound?

Ski Beatz: I feel like we came up with such a different sound by not listening to what everybody else was doing. Me personally, I wasn’t all into the radio. I wasn’t listening to what was hot or what the trend was. I was just trying to create something new…something original. Being different is always something that I wanted to do. So when I worked with Camp Lo, it gave me the opportunity to really step out the box…them guys didn’t really care what was going on…they were in their own world. That whole 70’s blaxploitation, the fashion, the slang, the whole imagery was dope, it was just different…I definitely felt like when the world caught on to what they were doing they were going to have their own little lane anyway. I wasn’t really concerned about what Biggie was doing, what Jay or Busta or anybody was doing at the time. It was just Camp Lo ya’ know.

Jeremiah: I feel ya’. Take us in the studio…were there specific tracks that were a lot of fun to work on in the studio or anything that wasn’t so dope? Was there anything that you wish you would have done differently?

Ski Beatz: The studio sessions were fun man…it was new. I had been in the studio before but it was a brand new experience for Suede and Cheeba so it was fresh, it was fresh off the street, it was fresh doing the whole studio thing. Actually Suede’s first session – before they were Camp Lo, I was working with Suede, it was ahh, I forget his name, I think it was Divine before he was Geechi Suede, he was young, he was 14 or 15 whatever – I took him to [DJ] Clark Kent’s house and did a record with him called “I Heard You Could Rhyme Kid” and that was his first actual experience and this kids eyes light up when he heard his voice clear on a record ya’ know. I know when I first heard my voice crystal clear on the mic, I was like, “Whoa! This is dope!” So to see them in the studio when they got to hear the finished product, it was dope man. They had a lot of fun, I had fun with them while making it and it was just crazy man. The vibe was always good, good energy – it was a healthy environment, everyone was positive. We had some good people, my man Will Fulton, the A&R with Profile Records, the guy that actually signed them was always hands on with the project. He helped me get whatever musician, whatever I asked for the album, he made sure I had it. He had a big hand in the album…he co-produced “Black Nostaljack” with me. It was one of those moments in time where it was perfect, everything was working out perfectly.

Jeremiah: What about “Coolie High?” You remember working on “Coolie High?”

Ski Beatz: Yeah, “Coolie High” was originally produced by the homeboy Jocko. When Jocko did it, Profile said it was cool but it was missing something so they made me go in the studio and actually redo the song. What I did is, I took the sample out, got the live girls singing, [and] got the keyboard guys…I just switched the whole record up completely.

It was really dope actually…my first experience working with live musicians was on this Camp Lo album. On Jay-Z’s album, I had a bass guy come in here or there but nothing like the Camp Lo album. Some of the records on Uptown Saturday Night were completely reworked with vocals and instrumentation and just rebuilt.

Jeremiah: How about “Black Nostaljack?” What went into that with Ill Will Fulton?

Ski Beatz: Will came to me like, “Yo man, I’ve got this dope sample, it sounds so much like Camp Lo man, I promise you if you flip this sample, it will be dope.” So I listened to the sample and fell in love with it…it was crazy. I chopped the sample up and the guys came in and did their thing on it.

What was cool was the video…I think the video is what made me fall in love with that song even more because I’m a big time fan of Good Times and JJ [Jimmie Walker] you know…that whole 70’s sitcom era that I was into as a kid. So for them to actually have some of the cast members and to have the video look like it was in the apartment…it was just amazing, I loved it. It just sealed the deal as far as who Camp Lo was…as far as that whole retro 70’s slanged out type of Hip Hop group.

Then at the end of the “Luchini” video there’s a song called “Swing” featuring Butterfly…that was a cool experience too because, you know, I was always a Digable Planets fan because I love the whole Jazz fusion with Hip Hop. So for me as a fan, for him to say, “Yo, I love this beat” that was just an ill co-sign for me. And he did his thing…it definitely sealed the deal as far as the visuals on the video also ‘cause I was not expecting Butterfly to pull off his mask and be driving the van at the end of the video…that shit was dope!

Jeremiah: Bringing it back full circle to “Luchini.” Alright my man, I appreciate your time and the trip down memory lane. I’m looking forward to bumping Uptown Saturday Night on the anniversary.

Ski Beatz: Perfect, everything worked out perfectly.

KN Certified: Boog Brown Rap Up

Kevin — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:00:07 +0000

This past week, Boog Brown has been the center of our attention, as she was named KN Certified for the month of January. Special thanks goes out to Boog and Mello Music Group for helping make this week a success and thanks to the whole KN staff for their contributions this week.

The Boog Brown Beat Contest is officially over. Boog has all of the beats and will pick one to rock over for a KN exclusive track in the coming weeks. If you missed anything that went down this week, including Arasia’s amazing two part interview with Boog Brown, Boog’s Vision Behind The Spittin piece and her iPod playlist, you can check up on all things Boog Brown right here on KN.

What’s On Boog Brown’s iPod?

Kevin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:00:58 +0000

To finish up this week’s KN Certified with Boog Brown, Boog came through to share what she’s currently listening to. You’ll find a really nice blend of tracks from her Mello Music Group label mates to some more eclectic tracks from Radiohead and Tricky. The playlist is real nice and will definitely be transferred to my collection.

“Love Died” by Dillon & Patten Locke
“Nerd English” by Willie Evans Jr
“HiHatspectations” by 14KT
“Country Livin” by Esthero
“Paranoid Android” by Radiohead
“Waiting Line” by Zero 7
“Let Go” by Frou Frou
“Overcome” by Tricky
“Last Call” by Illastrate
“Far Beyond” by Clan Destined
“I Believe” by yU
“Ekundayo!” by Ekundayo
“All Matter” by Bilal
“Senic Route to You” by Oddisee
“Just Because (Remix)” by J*Davey
“I Mean Business” by Diamond District
“Hey” by Ta’Raach
“Keep it Thoro” by Prodigy
“Under Ground Kings” by Drake
“Midwest Kids” by Black Noise

DOWNLOAD

Forgotten Classic: Arts The Beatdoctor – Transitions

Jeff Leon — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:00:37 +0000

I’m always on the search for Hip Hop from different locales and one scene I keep coming back to is from the Netherlands. Yup, Holland has a dedicated Hip Hop scene, which features artists rhyming both in Dutch and in English, along with some very musical producers, the most notable one on this side of the Atlantic being Nicolay of The Foreign Exchange. But another worthy beatmaker who has remarkable talent at creating evocative sounds is Arts The Beatdoctor, the artist behind this edition of Forgotten Classics.

Hailing from Utrecht, the somewhat mysterious Arts got his start producing a track for a 2003 Hip Hop compilation record known as Diamonds R 4ever, presented by rapper Lord Cyrus, which featured several underground US rappers and producers like MF Grimm. He caught the attention of Dutch rapper Pete Philly (of the acclaimed duo Pete Philly and Perquisite), who heard his demo and was impressed by Arts’ jazzy and abstract approach to production and helped him secure a deal with the Amsterdam based label Unexpected Records. In 2006, Arts released an EP known as Fragments and the next year released his debut, Transitions.

Transitions features a handful of rap guest spots from local rappers The Proov, Skiggy Rapz and Pete Philly, but on the whole, it’s an instrumental album featuring Arts’ talents in jazz, soul, and very downtempo beats. It’s an album full of subtle movements, wheels turning within wheels, which requires a close listen. Once you give it the attention it deserves, it opens up with some of the smoothest, most atmospheric music you’ll hear anywhere. The record is very evocative and it’s easy to get lost in the sounds, making you envision specific places and elements, as the artist in the vocal sample of the introductory track “Blending Quality” speaks about painting with sound. It’s the perfect soundtrack and a terrific late night burner. When “The Anthem” kicks in, you’re instantly into the music, as Pete Philly and the very live band go off on a really transcendent funky soul kick, with a strong piano and bass combo and Pete playing around and having fun announcing that the Netherlands is here. It’s a worldly approach to Hip Hop, different, but very welcome. Right after, Arts follows it up with “Laughs, Drinks, Jokes, Tricks,” which expertly expresses how atmospheric his productions can be, with the horns, strings, and subtle movements, which are opulent and full of intrigue. It’s the supreme soundtrack to a fall evening in some large city, with you and your friends having fun and hopping from place to place. Building from this wonderful track is “Revolve,” which sounds organic with its guitar and the breathless harmonies of guest vocalist Esther.

Transitions really nails the feel of a natural, living sound, which grows and changes, and nothing sounds out of place or ordinary. The live instrumentation really helps in this regard, so does the exploratory nature of Arts, who doesn’t push things too hard but instead lets them develop, like on “Fragments” with the wandering lead saxophone or “Split Personality (Part 1)” with its Rhodes piano keys, full of movement and probing vibes. The centerpiece of the record is “Transitions,” with guest The Proov rhyming about living in his own head over a moody, mysterious affair, which really gives me the feel of a train ride on a rainy day in some European city. It’s a really fantastic track, which has remained on my playlist for a long while.

Transitions’ release in 2007 led to much critical acclaim for Arts’ production and style, but became a record that while celebrated in some circles, was pretty much unknown in others. It’s the type of record you tend to stumble onto and wonder why people aren’t speaking more about it. Since the release, Arts has issued the EP Progressions in 2008, and has produced and remixed tracks for artists like Pete Philly and Perquisite, The Proov, and Joe Kickass. Though secretive on his next record, he’s hinted at something new and different, moving away from Hip Hop, and in early 2012, launched a contest where fans could send in their vocals (singing, rap, or otherwise), for the chance of being included as a guest on his next project. Until that next project hits, definitely give Transitions a spin. It’s a smooth, sublime experience.

Visions Behind The Spittin: Boog Brown

KN Staff — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:00:37 +0000

There is nothing like listening to or reading about what went into the making of an artists’ musical catalog. From single songs to full albums, that inside view into the creative process, the meaning behind certain lyrics, studio session stories, and overall perspective is always interesting and nothing shy of fascinating. And our column Visions Behind The Spittin gives you, our readers, the opportunity to be that much closer to those stories and experiences.

For this edition, we bring you our KN Certified artist for January, Boog Brown in which she gives her account of five tracks from her mixtape Grind Season to her classic album, Brown Study. So listen to the tracks first and then check out what Boog had to say about them. And feel free to give your ideas of what you thought the songs were about, and any other artist you want to see on Visions Behind The Spittin. Enjoy!

The Essence

Aight, this joint right here was supposed to just be an opener for my live show. When Brian Price of Late September Pictures decided to put a visual to it, it took on a whole new embodiment. Its one of my signature cuts now. I just wrote it as a platform to show or rather tell what my intentions and point of reference was.

Detroit

This is a love song about a lover who is not perfect traditionally but perfect in their imperfections. It’s loving in spite of it all and seeing beyond the surface. It’s turning a def ear to the rumors, while remaining aware and grateful for loves influence in life. That is Detroit.

The Mirror

This song took me like three years to write. It’s a very personal song about my parents and my view of our relationships. My biological father died when I was 11 and while I knew him, he was unavailable mentally, physically, and spiritually to be my father. I was very angry with him because I loved him dearly. Everyone who knew him said I looked just like him. His name does not appear on my birth certificate and I have nothing but memories to show of our relationship. It took me years to not be angry with him. I had to learn that he was abused himself which probably lead to his substance abuse, which lead to his unavailability. Like a chain reaction, I had to learn to love him again.

My mother, who died when I was 15, was a whole other thing. She was a fighter, strong willed, strict. She was tough [and] not the easiest woman to get along with. I think I take after her a great deal. If it were not for her and the way she raised us, I truly don’t think I would be where I am today. I don’t want to make it seem like it was peaches and cream cause it was not but it definitely wasn’t all bad either. The culture she exposed us to, the desire to aspire for greater than what was in front of our faces is a priceless gift along with the will to keep going!! I find myself being so grateful for her influence in my life that I could never thank her enough for.

My father John is the reason I know when to shut up and listen among so many other lessons he taught me. He took on the task of raising five girls by himself after our mother, his wife died. I must say, he did an excellent job considering. I don’t think I could ever express the gratitude and the extreme amount of love I have for this man who stepped in and filled that void of a father and continues to fill to this day.

My Love

I wrote this when I was falling in love. I wrote it cause I didn’t want it to be another sappy love song. I wanted it to celebrate this beautiful being I was beginning to share my life with and to celebrate the beauty of this black man. There are so many sex songs and songs dogging them and I didn’t want to fall in with those.

Carpe Diem

This is like my “Witness my Growth” project by Elzhi but in one song. It’s better just to listen to it!

Playdough: Road Doggin [Exclusive]

Justin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:00:09 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV28A8o6qYk

We here at KN.com are proud to bring you some exclusive footage of Playdough’s most recent tour in a video dubbed Road Doggin. The short film highlights the Deepspace5 member’s tour adventures from shows, backstage hilarity, freestyling in vans and more. Don’t forget to cop Playdough’s new album Hotdoggin, which is available now on iTunes.

KN Certified: Boog Brown

Arasia Magnetic — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:00:45 +0000

The first time I met Boog Brown was last year in Atlanta at A3C. She had been on my radar for a while, but after hearing Brown Study, she put a chokehold on my attention, Buff Bagwell style. I immersed myself in the album from the stellar production, to the amazing stories that Boog told. It was and remains one of my favorite albums of all time. And because of this, I became instantly intrigued by this gorgeous woman with a voice full of venom and baby doll eyes. So I approached her and was shocked at how soft spoken she was. Although she is a Detroiter to her core, Atlanta is where she calls home and that southern hospitality kicked in. We chopped it up briefly and agreed to keep in touch but I didn’t truly “sit” with her until months later.

We finally had an in-depth conversation and I discovered that Boog is that around the way girl that women admire, secretly and outright, and all the men want to date and kick it with…even take home to momma because she is balanced. When speaking about other female rappers, she doesn’t diss them in a catty manner like some tend to do; she actually touches on their positives and negatives with grace. Her love for the D bleeds into her words as the smile on her face transfers through the phone when she mentions which Coney she prefers. Her uncompromising spirit exudes as she shares dreams of love and hot beats to rip apart while quickly becoming vulnerable as we turn to lost loves and judgment. But don’t act like Keith Sweat and get it twisted. We soon divert to people that have crossed her in which I’m convinced that Boog has a mean left hook. Possibly right. Weak she is not but relatable she is, no matter your gender. And this in itself is the kryptonite that fuels Boog Brown.

Often times when I debate Hip Hop with my peers, gender comes up more than I’d like. My male friends always say, “Some of these “femcees” are cool but I don’t want to hear about no girl shit” while the females say, “He’s dope but I can’t relate to what he is speaking about.” So you have this gender identifier that is applied to Hip Hop when it isn’t necessary because as far as I’m concerned, if the music is penetrable enough, it will speak to men AND women. And when an emcee comes along that has a universal voice, a star is born AKA Boog Brown. She can talk shit in a skirt, cook up a mean pot of greens, admit to having a crush on a boy, and enjoy a brew while watching the Superbowl. And if that wasn’t enough, she can spit her ass off and has an ear for production that is lethal.

Ultimately, it was a no brainer to name Boog as our first certified artist for 2012. Who releases a damn near classic album on their first try, and comes back with a remix version of said album that is just as good? Boog does, earning her the KN Certified stamp. So please enjoy Boog Brown week where we will bring you my extensive two part interview with the first lady of Mello Music Group, Uptown’s rundown on her remix album, and a slew of video interviews, performances, and rare findings. Also, make sure you peep her Visions Behind The Spittin’ where she gives background into five tracks from her catalog, shares with us What’s On Her iPod, as well as some cool giveaways in addition to a contest for upcoming producers who will have the opportunity to submit a beat for Boog to spit a hot 16 over (She will murk your beat son). See how much we care about our Nottinghamers?

Thanks for rocking with us into the New Year and make sure to hit us up in the comments about our selecting Boog as our KN Certified artist for January. And as always, find me skilletizing with the KN crew on Twitter @ArasiaMagnetic.

R.I.P. Etta James (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012)

Kevin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:00:22 +0000

Legendary Rhythm & Blues singer Etta James passed away the other day just shy of her 74th birthday of complications from leukemia. Probably best know for her hit song “At Last”, Etta James’ music has been heavily sampled in hip hop by artists such as Kanye West, Nas, and most recently Flo’Rida. The music of Etta James will live on eternally. Listen below for a little Soulful Sunday mix featuring Etta James.

Who Spit It Better: T.W.D.Y. vs. Twista

Morgan — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:00:49 +0000

Legendary vocalist Bill Wither’s uplifting song, “Lovely Day” plays the foundation for the tracks in today’s feature of Who Spit It Better. We’ll look at the rhymes of T.W.D.Y., a bay area group consisting of Ant Banks, Rappin 4-Tay, and Captain Save-Em, on their Ant Banks produced track, “Players Holiday,” featuring Mac Mall, Too Short, and Oakland singing duo Otis & Shug. I’ll be comparing it against Twista’s toned down, yet still blazing flows on his Red Spyda produced “Sunshine,” featuring the always soulful Anthony Hamilton.

Each song stays in a similar lane as the original Wither’s track, keeping the lyrics positive and in reference to, above all things, a lovely day. Twista stretches the word positivity with his street credible bars masked by the spirited vocals of Anthony Hamilton and the undeniably happy sounding sample. Lyrics like Twista’s, “Soon as my eyes see the sunshine, my thoughts is juking the block ducking the one time,” vs. Mac Mall’s, “Beautiful black women give em much respect and ain’t no funk between the east and the west it’s just a players holiday,” highlight the basis of each song lyrically. Twista is speaking from the hustler’s perspective, celebrating the day he’ll come up off the streets onto something greater while Ant Beezy and crew celebrate the fruits of their labor in the present moment (1999).

Little known singers Otis & Shug lend a nice touch to the chorus working in their own vocals, “Today’s the day the players play, so you better be on your way, now it’s time to celebrate, hurry up and don’t be late cuz you know it’s gonna be,” before it falls into what sounds like sampled Withers vocals from his original chorus. Anthony Hamilton does his thang on the Twista cut singing a chorus anyone can relate to, “A lovely day/just got paid/stack it up/be on my way/lovely day/lovely day/lovely day.” They chose to forgo sampling any vocals, except for the intro. Instead letting Hamilton’s vocal chords put in work.

I would consider “Player’s Holiday” to be a posse cut which are always some of my favorite records. The bay area natives sound comfortable as ever trading bars with each other and their familiarity with one another’s styles shines through into the song. In other words, all of the rappers are on the same page, eloquently flowing in and out of verses. “Sunshine” isn’t Twista’s most impressive performance on the mic but it does incorporate his trademark, NFL fast, lyricism to the table. For the most part though, the laid-back track finds him slowing up and switching rhymes schemes throughout. The lyrics are motivational and Twista’s flows are on point, which to my ears equals a strong combination, especially when backed by such a classic sample and talented singer such as Anthony Hamilton.

It’s a tough decision to choose a top candidate between these two. Each song completely flipped the original into their own idea while maintaining its classic feeling and overall theme. Lyrically, “Player’s Holiday” is not as technical as “Sunshine” but its simple content is heavily relatable and can appeal to a variety of listeners. Twista’s joint has a vibrant feeling that is hard to beat and he is able to capture that essence in his delivery. The song just sounds happy, but Twista’s hustle hard attitude brings an edginess to it that isn’t hard to miss. Without there really being anything I dislike about either of these songs, I have to choose the one with the highest replay value to me. That being said, “Player’s Holiday” has been a classic in my collection for years and it still is the anthem to many a sunny days for me. The factor that made my decision ultimately was the positive content and approach of the song.

Each of these are great tracks to ease the mood and uplift your spirits and you won’t go wrong bumping either one of these on a sunny Saturday morning.

So what’s your choice? Be sure to leave your opinion in the comment section below and hit me up with any song suggestions you would like to see compared!

Bill Withers: “Lovely Day”

Twista: “Sunshine” (feat. Anthony Hamilton)

T.W.D.Y.: “Players Holiday” (feat. Mac Mall, Too Short & Otis & Shug)

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

KN Goes on Strike to STOP SOPA

Kevin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:17:32 +0000

Tomorrow, January 18th from 8am to 8pm Eastern Standard Time, KevinNottingham.com will strike in the form of a blackout in protest of SOPA & PIPA, two U.S. bills racing through Congress that threaten prosperity, online security, and freedom of expression. The only other time that KN has ever willing-fully halted operations was in 2010 when we formed a 24 hour moment of silence in honor of hip hop legend Guru’s passing. Tomorrow’s cause is an important one that we hope will make a difference in stopping these bills from becoming laws.

We cannot allow anyone to take our freedom away from us. Please help us stop Internet censorship by taking action yourself.