ST. NICK ENTERTAINMENT INC.

Well, there's countless unheard names in the game of hip hop – for example close friends of famous artists, managers acting behind the scenes, dancers of groups from the late 80's/early 90's, founders of small independent record labels or people who helped unknown talented and hungry MC's to launch their careers, while they remained staying in the shadow of these artists theirselves. Despite the fact having a strangely different "task" in the hip hop game, all these people had a common goal to achieve: To live their life for and by the music they love. Let me introduce a man who ain't known by many though he as been involved in the hip hop game for a long period of time. He was down with the whole Mount Vernon, NY posse (I'm sure you know who I mean) in the early 90's before he founded his own independent record label and management company "St. Nick Entertainment Inc." (so all those people who ever thought that the Rob-O vinyl releases were bootlegs get schooled right now!), he's a very close friend of INI's Rob-O, he was responsible for the Pete Rock & CL Smooth reunion 12" "Shine On Me" and he's now working as CL Smooth's manager. The man I'm talking about? Nick Taylor (see photo). Here's a short report about this Mt. Vernon, NY veteran.

Nick Taylor is 39 years young and was born and raised in Harlem, NYC. He moved to Mount Vernon, NY as a teenager and put his roots down there. He was fortunate enough to meet and grow up with a great group of close friends, one of them being Heavy D. They were and are still great friends and all his friends enjoyed his successes as he shared his world with them. Heavy D is mostly responsible for Nick's pursuit in music. Being a part of that world Nick had the opportunity to learn about the music biz at the highest level. Now with the knowledge and experiences that he attained during this period, he found himself very interested in the welfare of artists and their pursuit of a career in music. Upon the birth of his first daughter he decided that this was the career he wanted and started the management company "St. Nick Entertainment Inc." - inspired by his birth place in Harlem, 119 St. Nicholas Ave.

Pete Rock was also one of those great friends that he grew up with in Mount Vernon. Pete was also one of Heavy D's close friends as well (and his cousin), so once he took off it opened up a bunch of opportunities for a lot of local rappers. And one of them was Rob-O and his group INI. Things didn't work out for Rob-O (and INI) and Pete (this is a story for itself), though they had some success with their Elektra released "Fakin' Jax" single. This success helped to establish Rob-O on the hip hop market because now he had lots of people checking for him. Rob wanted to pursuit his own solo career and asked for Nick's help to which he ecstatically agreed. Nick and Rob-O started by the normal procedures. Without getting the expected responses from several record labels, they decided it would be better to establish some independence from the acceptance of these fools and go at it theirselves! Nick obtained a distribution deal with a small great company outta Long Island called UNIQUE DISTRIBUTION (STRONG SHOUT OUT to APOLLO R.I.P) and they helped them by giving them a chance to make, market and distribute their own material. But this was in the mid 90's and wax began to fade, so sales suffered and that was the reason why Nick is still sitting on a few boxes of Rob-O's vinyl-only album "Superspectacular", which is a collection of all the previous Rob-O 12-inches plus a few bonus cuts. They were very limited as far as funding for the project goes but "...we are still proud of the work because that's HIP HOP 101...", Nick mentioned. "Rob-O is my man till this day and I love and respect that cat for believing in me as the person to try and help him make his dream come true!"
Nick is now - and has been for his solo career - the manager for the legend CL Smooth (see photo). "You can check for him and all of his works and that's all me!", Nick notes. He also has a sensational R&B artist from Atlanta, GA named Ray Rush. This guy recently released a new itunes song titled "I Can't Let Her Go". Check it out!
Nick's still in contact with Rob-O. "I have an office around the corner from his (Rob-O) home so we bump into each other from time to time. I just seen his son in front of the building!".

Asking Nick about the relationship between Pete Rock and him, he details: "But as for me and Pete: Nah we aren't friends any more but that's between us, and the "Shine On Me" record came about because I managed to pursuade Pete and CL to get back together in 2000. And after years of come back tales the DJ and hip hop community needed something concrete to go on, so I swung a deal with Fatbeats to press up vinyl copies, so that I could service the DJ's with something new from them".

St. Nick Entertainment Inc. discography:

STN12010 Rob-O Superspectacular (LP, Album)
STN12001 Rob-O World Premier (12")
STN12002 Rob-O Gotta Let You Know (12")
STN12003 Rob-O Don't You Love It (12")
STN12004 Rob-O Wunderlust (12")
STN12005 Rob-O So Many Rappers (12")
STN12007 Rob-O Holy War (12")
STN12008 Rob-O Science The Gods (12")
STN 0001 Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth Shine On Me / Climax (12")


If you still need a copy of the classic Rob-O "Superspectacular" LP or one of his 12-inches, please contact me at abrotherwithsoul at arcor dot de and I will get that wax for you for a reasonable price directly from the man of this little story, Nick Taylor.
Have a listen to the snippets of the "Superspectacular" LP here:


Please also check out Rob-O's best of CD titled "Rhyme Pro" (Sound Of Dissent Records) and the "Mention Me / Rhyme Tighter" 12" (Sound Of Dissent Records) and CL Smooth's solo albums "American Me" (Shaman Work) and "The Outsider" (Blackheart). All releases are worth checking out! And if you still don't own a copy of the amazing "Superspectacular" LP (many tracks produced by Pete Rock), you know who you need to contact!




Peace,
Benny aka ABWS & Nick Taylor

KOMBINED QUEENS MINDS

Party people, I’m back again with some great news straight out of the Poor Pocket Muzik camp. PPM is ready to release an amazing vinyl album featuring Nut-Rageous, Koron, Semi-Auto, Lucky Dice & Crooked 5. All MC's on this album hail from Queens, New York. While Koron (see photo) and Semi-Auto already could be heard on some of the dope Nut-Rageous releases, Lucky Dice and Crooked 5 are quite unknown and hungry MC’s showing their mic skills.

“Kombined Mindz Entertainment presents… The Collection” was officially released as a 12 track strong CD-only album in 2002, so Carlos aka Cee Da Cuban decided to re-release the dopest cuts of the CD as a limited vinyl edition. You can listen to the whole CD here, but only six tracks off this album will make it on the new vinyl. Carlos will also take two Nut-Rageous tracks off his classic “Raw Nuts” CD and one track of the “Fuck Dat! I Don’t Need A Record Deal” CD (hosted by the legendary Kool DJ Red Alert) to complete the album. "1979", "Somebody Likes Me" and "Here Today Gone 2Moro” are the chosen titels, so we finally have a few more cuts of this very talented Queens cat on wax.

The whole production on this LP is provided by the NowWhat? production team made up of Ron Mills & Cee da Cuban.
PPM will only press 200 copies of this album and all copies will be hand numbered from 1 to 200. The price will be $25 including worldwide shipping.
For more info contact Carlos at carloscuban@tmail.com or to pre-order this strictly limited and not to be repressed LP send $25 to the paypal account poorpocketproductions@yahoo.com

Here’s the track listing:

1. "Everybody Knows" feat. Semi-Auto, Koron & Nut-Rageous
2. "Don't U Remember" feat. Crooked 5
3. "PFL" feat. Semi-Auto & Koron
4. "Anotha Morning" feat. Semi-Auto
5. "Killa Queens" feat. Crooked 5 & Lucky Dice
6. "Puttin’ In Work" feat. Koron
7. "Here Today Gone 2Moro" feat. Nut-Rageous
8. "Somebody Loves Me" feat. Nut-Rageous
9. "1979" feat. Nut-Rageous

Nut-Rageous "1979"


By the way, if you still slept on Nut-Rageous and his quality releases, go and cop his stuff! Believe me, you won’t regret it. This man got skills for sure. By now Nut-Rageous released two 12”s, two EP’s, the "Paint Tha Town Red" CD and a kinda “best of” CD (including some unreleased joints as well), all on the Poor Pocket Muzik label.
Before the “Kombined Mindz Entertainment presents… The Collection” LP will tease your eardrums, there's already another dope Nut-Rageous record ready to hit the streets in late November: The “Wat’s Poppin’ (mixed by DJ Premier) / Nuts & Screws” 12”. This limited 12” will also feature KL (R.I.P.), Kyron and Blaq Poet of the infamous Queens group Screwball and is produced by Cuban & Ron Mills and 12 Finger Dan. To pre-order this soon to be classic 12”, get in contact with Carlos. Pre-orders already started and this single has almost sold out, so hurry up and get your orders in…



Peace
Benny aka ABWS

'93 FLAVOR FOR YOUR EARS

Well, it's been a while since my last post, but I was mad busy during the last few weeks. But I've already started working on some future posts which will include a Boostin' Kev review, a Wild Style movie report and a huge Freestyle Professors review containing an exclusive interview with the FPs to please you record fiends. So stay tuned and check back regularly!

Let's put the focus on today's post: A review of three very dope and hard to find records from '93. The so called "random rap era" from 87-92 definitely brought us some of the illest, rarest and best records of the entire hip hop catalogue, but the year right after '92 has to offer many jewels as well. Check out yourself and feel the '93 flavor...

Legion of Doom "Puttin My Thang Down" (Distinctive Records 1993)
Philly brought us some great rap records from day one. I've always been a fan of that Philly stuff – whether it's old school, random or indie records – Philly left his mark in the land of hip hop with tons of good artists and dope releases – Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince, DJ Miz, Steady B, Cool C, Three Times Dope, Another 1-4-U-2-N-V, Phill Most Chill, Tuff Crew, Schoolly D, just to name a few. Get a taste of that Philly flavor on the amazing mix CD "The Wreckshop Philly Golden Era Vol. 1" by Aroe & The Soundmakers.
Let me tell you about a group that wasn't featured on the above-mentioned CD. There were a few different crews from different regions that went by the name of "Legion of Doom" in the 90's, and Philly had its own Legion of Doom too. That Philly Legion of Doom already released the very dope "Gangster Boogie / Here I Come / Live Bait" 12" in 1989 or 1990 on Bill Collectors, which is a tough one to find. I've first heard about this group in 2003, and from then on I've started the mission to find out more about this group and their releases. Well, what I can tell you so far is that Philly's Legion of Doom released two 12" singles – the "Gangster Boogie" and the "Puttin My Thang Down" 12" – plus a cassette only album with the title "2 Hard 4 The Radio" (Distinctive Records 1993). I've also heard some LOD tunes on a mixtape cassette that weren't on any of their three mentioned releases... So where do these tunes come from? On which medium where they released? Until now, I still couldn't get any further infos and it seems that my mission ain't accomplished yet.
Phill Most Chill did a great review job on Legion of Doom's "Live Bait" – an amazing track taken from their first 12" – on his blogsite "That Real Schitt", so let me continue Phill The Soulman's work and give you some infos about this group's second, dope as hell 12" with the title "Puttin My Thang Down / No More Music". The label already reveals what this 12" is all about: "Too Hard for the Radio!". While the a-side is packed with a funky and sample based beat, the b-side delivers some ruff rhymes with the chorus "I guarantee you no more music by the suckers". So you know the deal.
The Legion of Doom consisted of two members: Live and Charlie Bass. Production is handled by both, but you can only hear Live spitting lyrics. The statement "Too Hard for the Radio" was also taken as the title for their tape only album that followed later in '93.
It took me some time to find this 12" in great condition for a reasonable price. Due to its rareness and quality this is a much sought after piece of wax amongst collectors and always fetches very high prices on auction sites.
Listen to the soundclips below and you know why I simply love this record! Philly at its best!




Pryme Tyme "Brother Wit' Soul" (B.O.M.B. Records 1993)
I don't know much about this Brooklyn group. Pryme Tyme was a duo, consisting of Micah D. Robbins and Raymond Ortiz (sorry, but I couldn't figure out their pseudonyms) and it seems that this is the only record they've put out. If anyone knows about any other release by this duo, please give me a shout.
A very good friend of mine played me this 12" over the phone, and I was like WOW - I need to get this record! Fortunately he had a spare and I didn't hesitate to spend some hard earned loot on this monster!
There are two tracks on this 12", both with vocal and instrumental version: "Brother Wit' Soul" and "P.H.D. (Pot Heads Degree)". Both are top-notch tunes with tight production and good lyrics.
Please note: What most people don't know is that there exist two different pressings of this 12". Not track-wise, but label-look-wise. My copy has a black label with golden letters, but there are also copies around with a vice versa looking label. If you're lucky enough, you'll find a copy that still has the fresh graffiti-style sticker on the shrink. This seldom spotted record got very popular amongst collectors and DJ's since both tracks made it on the nice DJ Sunao & DJ Komuro "Cross Collector" mixtape a couple of years ago. Japanese collectors went on a hunt for this record...
Whenever I saw this 12" on ebay, it always went for big bucks, so expect to pay about $150 for this little treasure.




Gunrunners "Gunrunners" (Shakedown Records 1993)
The Bronx. Ruff. Rugged. Raw. These four words simply describe this highly collectable record. Just like some other famous Bronx indie groups like Da Henchmen or DNA, the Gunrunners stand for that ultimate raw Bronx flavor. They only released two records – the "Gunrunners / Consequences" 12" and the 6-track "Life And Death" EP (Shakedown Records 1995). Both records are very rare and always in demand. And of course they are very expensive as well. What might be interesting to know: Lord Tariq, well known member of the Bronx based Money Boss Players, was part of this group too.
Both tunes – "Gunrunners" and "Consequences" – were produced by EP Dog and feature a whole bunch of hungry and rugged rhyming MC's with each of them spitting a dope verse - including Lord Tariq. Even a female MC who goes by the name of "Destruction" delivers some verbal heat.
If you love that raw Bronx sound, you need to get your hands on a copy of this underground classic.





Benny aka ABWS

NUT-RAGEOUS, KL, BLAQ POET & DJ PREMIER - WAT'S POPPIN'?

I've already mentioned in my previous Nut-Rageous post (see below) that DJ Premier plans to remix the Nut-Rageous tune "Wat's Poppin'". After some conversations with Carlos aka Cuban of Poor Pocket Muzik, it's time to bring you some interesting news directly out of the Poor Pocket Muzik camp regarding that remix project.
After playing "Wat’s Poppin'" on his Sirius Satellite Radio show "Live From The Headquarterz", DJ Premier was asked to remix that dope mellow tune, originally produced by Ron Mills... He first wanted to do so, but due to the fact that Premo loves the original version of "Wat's Poppin'" so much, he won't remix it. Disappointed? There's no need to be, because Premo will mix the tune and he can also be heard on the intro of the record. The original version (but without the Premo intro) featuring the late great KL of Screwball / Kamakazee (see photo) can already be heard on the critically acclaimed Nut-Rageous "Raw Nuts" CD.


I think all of us have noticed the sad news that Queensbridge legend Kenneth Lewis aka KL passed away after an asthma attack a couple of months ago. So this "Wat's Poppin'" project is really something special...
"Wat's Poppin'" is only available on CD format right now, so Carlos decided to release it as a limited and signed to 200 copies 12" single on red vinyl to please vinyl fiends worldwide. Besides the original version of "Wat's Poppin'" you will find a "new" version of this amazing tune on this 12" as well. While the beat of the "new" version will stay the same as the original, it's the additional verse by Queensbridge veteran MC (Blaq) Poet of PHD and Screwball fame that adds some extra heat to the already dope original. This new version will be mixed and recorded by DJ Premier.
Btw, when I was writing this post I was listening to PHD's album "Without Warning"(released on Tuff City in '91). "I'm Flippin'" is such a classic tune!

But not enough, The Mighty V.I.C. (Victor Padilla) – member of the Ghetto Pros. and the Groove Merchantz and producer of countless rap classics for The Beatnuts, Al' Tariq, Nas, Big Pun, Missin' Linx, Powerule, Fat Joe, Big L, Rakim, Kool G Rap, Kurious etc. – will produce a remix of "Wat's Poppin'" as a bonus track which can also be found on this 12". On this remix you'll find all three rappers trading verses as well, so you can call V.I.C.'s remix, a remix of the new version. Here's the tracklist of the "Wat's Poppin'" 12":

Side A
A1 Dirty Original "Wat's Poppin'" feat. KL of Screwball mixed By DJ Premier
A2 Clean Version
A3 Instrumental
A4 Acapella

Side B
B1 Dirty "Wat's Poppin'" (new version) feat. Blaq Poet & KL mixed & recorded by DJ Premier
B2 Clean Version
B3 Instrumental
B4 Acapella
B5 Dirty "Wat's Poppin'" The Mighty V.I.C. Remix feat. Blaq Poet & KL


As I've already told you above this 12" will be pressed on red vinyl, limited to only 200 copies. It will come in a full color picture cover (see frontside above, back will be a surprise) as well and each copy will be signed by Nut-Rageous. Expected release date is August. The price for this 12" is $30 incl. worldwide shipping.
Carlos is already taking preorders for this 12", so be quick and get your copy reserved now! This record is a collector's item for sure, so I believe devoutly that this 12" will be sold out even before it's pressed up! To preorder just contact Carlos at carloscuban@tmail.com

I also have some news for you regarding Nut-Rageous' sought after underground hit single "Best In This Profession". This record was pressed in a first run of 500 copies and has already sold out (just like the dope "Ghetto Jam" 12"). Due to the high demand of this 12" Carlos decided to press up another 200 copies which he expects to receive from the pressing plant next week. So if you slept on this hot underground record, it's your chance to get your hands on a copy now. The price for this 12" is only $15 incl. worldwide shipping.
Please take a listen to the new "Best In This Profession" remix by Jay Large that ain't featured on any release yet.



For more infos about Nut-Rageous and/or his releases, don't hesitate to drop Carlos a mail or visit the Nut-Rageous / Poor Pocket Muzik myspace site.


KL R.I.P.


Benny aka ABWS

BORN IN THE BRONX

The book "Born in the Bronx: A Visual Record of the Early Days of Hip-Hop" captured me straight away after flipping it open! This timeless book, released in October 2007, takes you back to the time and place where one of the most powerful youth sub-cultures ever was born – hip hop, an expressive mouthpiece and product of The Bronx and it’s people.

"Born in the Bronx" was edited by Johan Kugelberg and features an amazing catalogue of photos shot by hip hop's first and Cold Crush Brothers' exclusive photographer Joe Conzo (see picture) in the late 70's and early 80's. You get impressed by many great photos of hip hop icons like Jazzy Jay, Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, Cold Crush Brothers, Kool DJ AJ or Busy Bee, but you can see some snapshots of people in the Bronx or b-boys in a battle as well. This book also shows you the improvisational artwork of party flyer-designer king Buddy Esquire and label scans of rap records from the early 80's in the essay "The Humble Beginnings of Hip Hop on Wax". Starting with a foreword by Zulu Nation founder and hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa, this book also introduces some old school heroes like Grandmaster Caz, Grandwizzard Theodore or LA Sunshine and contains a nice hip hop timeline by Jeff Chang, author of the critically acclaimed book "Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation".

My advice: Buy this fascinating book and witness the early days of hip hop – a time when hip hop was a non-violent, revolutionary and explosive movement until it got perverted by the music industry. You won't regret it for sure.

In addition to this book you should defenitely look for the 2006 released special edition vinyl of the original unedited battle between the Cold Crush Four and the Fantastic Romantic Five. This battle took place in 1981 at Harlem World and is considered as the greatest old school hip hop battle of all time.
The "Cold Crush Brothers vs. The Fantastic Romantic Five" 12" was part of a limited to 250 hand numbered edition book-picture-record promo set that contains a book of Buddy Esquire flyers, a book of photos from Joe Conzo, the hand numbered battle record, a signed and numbered Joe Conzo photo and a signed and numbered Buddy Esquire flyer. This set already fetched prices of $200+ on ebay. I don't own a copy of this set myself (yet), so many thanks goes out to my man Kid Dynomite for helping out with some fresh photos and a soundclip of the battle.





Keep your eyes open for this amazing promo set on auction sites... And whenever you spot a copy don't hesitate to click on "buy it now" or throw a high bid in - regardless of which price, this set is worth your hard earned money!


Benny aka ABWS

NUT-RAGEOUS - BEST IN THIS PROFESSION

I can remember checking Alex's much valued labelscans website for updates approximately one year ago when I saw an artist added to his roster I've never heard about before: Nut-Rageous. I was like "Nut-Rageous? Who the hell is this?". Alex added four Nut-Rageous releases to his database and due to the fact he normally adds only dope records, I started searching for some Nut-Rageous stuff in my favourite online stores immediately, but with a disillusioning result: Absolutely nobody was carrying any Nut-Rageous releases (Side note: I didn't see the Nut-Rageous myspace link on the labelscans site). No further searches were started by me and I forgot about him… Until 1 year later when the name "Nut-Rageous" popped up in the almighty Diggers with Gratitude (DWG) forum.

Nut-Rageous returned to my mind instantly as DWG headmaster RareDave had suggested people should check for his stuff. RD also provided a soundclip link and the myspace address of Nut's label, Poor Pocket Muzik (PPM). I got in touch with the man behind PPM, Carlos aka Cuban, regarding the records I was desperate to find over that last year. Carlos hooked me up with these records only a few days later, and since then Carlos and me have been sending emails back and forth, having some nice conversations about music and stuff. I have got to know Cuban as a very friendly person who's in the rap business for the love of hip hop, trying to put his small independent label on the map. Hence I'm proud to tell you more about Poor Pocket Muzik and present an official interview with this upcoming and very talented Flushing, Queens emcee Nut-Rageous. So enjoy the read!

Poor Pocket Muzik was founded in 2006 by Carlos aka Cuban who also runs the label. Its headquarters are in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York. Cuban has been in the rap game for a really long time and was already featured in 1991 on the b-side of the decent Renaissance "Twist Da Cap / Flyz In The Attic" 12" (released on Krazie Noise Records). He also produced the dope Street Relics / Deep Tranz split EP in 1998 (released on KME) and appeared on some more electronic-dance orientated records in the early 90's.

Cuban and Nut-Rageous met each other in 1996 when Nut was just rhyming in street ciphers, open mics and battles. So Cuban and his partner Ron Mills from Sirius Satellite Radio built a studio together and took Nut into the lab for a few years to develop him as an MC. It was not until 2006 that PPM released the first Nut-Rageous record – the very dope, limited to 700 copies "DJ Excusive 6 Song EP". Three more amazing Nut-Rageous 12"s/EP's followed ("Coconut Daytona" EP, "Ghetto Jam" 12" and "Best In This Profession" 12"), all pressed up in a quantity of 500 copies and well worth picking up. In 2008 the label put all the vinyl cuts together to release the highly recommended "Raw Nuts" CD. Already 4000 copies got sold of this "Best of" album. Take a listen to the soundclips of the whole "Raw Nuts" CD here. To purchase any Nut-Rageous stuff go on PPM's myspace site or contact Cuban directly (carloscuban@tmail.com).

PPM and Nut-Rageous are very busy at the moment working on Nut's first album. They are currently recording a song with Brooklyn MC Torae (check his decent "Daily Conversation" CD-only album), produced by Mr. Green and scratches provided by DJ JS 1. Maybe we can even enjoy DJ Premier's producing skills on a Nut-Rageous track, as he wants to remix the mellow "Wat’s Poppin'" feat. KL (of Kamakazee / Screwball fame). This remix will include an additional verse by Blaq Poet as well. Already finished is a track with Juice Crew legend Craig G. Nut-Rageous will also perform on stage for the "Real Connection" show in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) together with Redman, Pete Rock and Craig G in July.

Please read the interview with Nut-Rageous below to get more infos about a man and his music.


SODF: What's up, how you doin', man? I got told you’re very busy at the moment...

Nut-Rageous: Man just came back from my short vacation and I'm back at in the lab, we getting ready to record some heaters with Torae, EMC, Big Noyd, Craig G, working with producers like Don Cannon, Reef, Jay Large (UK), DJ Wonder, Mr. Green, so we just trying to stay busy and record some good music.

You've already released two 12"s, two EP's and a "Best of" CD only album that contains most of the tracks from the vinyl releases. It's really great for a vinyl addict like me to have your stuff on wax!

Honestly, we're probably the only lunatics pressing vinyl nowadays, but it's how we support our vinyl junkies that love it like y’all (DWG)... We keep going back to the pressing labs and we're still going to keep it up. We definitely have more on the way.

I personally think "Ghetto Jam", "Devil's Gun" and "Best in this Profession" are some of your strongest cuts. Could you please gimme some background infos about 'em?



Those songs all have a piece of my heart. When we wrote those songs the vibe in the studio was incredible and it's great to see the impact of a record when others like your work and support the movement we have. "Ghetto Jam" was our party record... Not a club scene but a "cut out of school, go to your people's krib and drink and chill song"... Me and my man Semi had fun doing it. "Devil's Gun" was a clik record that we all were in the studio and Ron mills & Cee da Cuban did the beat on the spot and we laid vocals to it... That was just everyone going in the studio and kicking verses, we had a good time. "Best in this Profession" was a record we did for my underground heads that love that sinister music and authentic DJ Premier cuts on the hook. When we perform that song it's incredible.

I can imagine... The production on your releases is really tight. Cuban did most of it, but there are a few other producers who worked on your releases as well. I've never heard of KS, Seando or Ron Mills.

Carlos and Ron Mills are partners so every beat you ever heard from now on is both of them. I love their sound, they are so different. KS is amazing and we have always clicked in the studio. Seando is our homie from the hood and he got heat... You heard "Play tha Field" and "They wanna know", he is dope. Wait until you hear what we have cooking in the kitchen...

Man, I'm curious about it! How did you and Cuban begin making music together? Were there any other people involved?

My cousin brought me to Cuban and Ron Mills studio back in 1997, after that we kept it official.

You are from Queens. Do you chill with some other local MC's? I mean there are a lotta famous MC's and producers coming from your boro...

I'm from Flushing and I chill with many of your favorite MC's from Queens... Twin Gambino, KL (rest in peace), Craig G, Royal Flush... There are kings in Queens still to be heard... Time will tell!

When did you start MCing? Did you always wanna be a rapper? And when did you decide to take this rap shit seriously?

Yeah, I started MCing a little after 1988. My mom picked up the 1st Big Daddy Kane album for me. I couldn't stop playing it... from there I just kept buying more albums like Slick Rick, BDP, just to name a few. I fell in love with hip hop at that point. I really knew I wanted to be an MC... my older cousins were really into hip hop as well. In 1988 I was nine years old so my older cousins were a big influence on me and the music.

Were there any artists who inspired you?

Yeah, Big Daddy Kane, The Jungle Brothers, Gang Starr and N.W.A.

Please describe yourself as an MC. Would you consider yourself as a "street lyricist"?

For sure, down to the t. But also with good humor... Gangsta with a comical feel. Let's have fun at the end of the day.

So why does your stuff stand out from the crowd? Why should people check your stuff? You know there are too many average MC's out there trying to become a big name in hip hop.

Well to be honest, I like to bring in the humor in my lyrics. I want to make people laugh at the same time. So I'm not trying to be serious at all. I think that makes me a little different then the other average MC's.

In my opinion the art of MCing is doing battles as well. You can only prove to be a good MC destroying other MC's on stage...

About 1994-95 I was doing the battle thing at different clubs. The legendary Bobbito hosted a few of them as well. Yeah, battling got my name out there for sure, plus it started my career no doubt. But I hit the studio in 1997 to be exact recording my music.

Let's talk about the new album. Do you already have a title? When will it drop? Are there other MC's featured? Who are the producers?

The title is yet to be decided. We are dropping an EP with DJ Wonder. We've finalized a street album titled "Paint tha Town Red", and producers and MC's I mentioned already and we have already more folks coming into our circle from the U.S. and overseas.

How did you hook up with DJ Premier to remix "Wat's Poppin'"?

Premier heard the song and really liked it, he plays it on his Headquarters show on Sirius Satellite Radio in New York... the remix came due to the exposure the song is getting by many DJ’s worldwide. The rmx will feature Blaq Poet from Screwball, KL's cousin R.I.P.

You know, most people who'll read this interview are vinyl fiends. In the age of CD's and mp3's it's hard to make good vinyl sales, so will your album be pressed up on wax too?

We're going to shop it around to some real good labels supporting the same movement and hopefully someone will catch on, if not we do what we do best...

Do you write down your lyrics before you go into the lab or do you spit them in a more freestyle kinda way?

Both! I'm a battle MC too, freestyling in front of people to see their reaction is the best feeling man! But I do jot ideas down in the studio as well, and then put it together when I hit the vocal booth.

What can people expect from your new album?

I represent the underground so I want to resurrect the golden era and bring back that good ole feel of hip hop. Even if I don't make millions, I will make music that is fun to listen to and will take you on a walk thru the park at 4 in the morning... I love that zone and I'm happy making music so I hope people receive it well and say "his music might not be for radio but I can relate to it and it takes me to a place away from the same shit everyone does".

Are there any MC's or producers out there you would like to work with?

I love Nicolay, Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, RZA and lyrically I would love to do a joint with Game, GZA, 50 Cent, Eminem, and Jadakiss. Those dudes are beasts... They push the card every time! I'm gonna try my best and I hope one day they or an up and comer can mention me in an interview just like this.

What are your plans for the future besides the music?

I'm trying to get some roles in TV, but I wanna keep doing my music first. I feel I have a lot to say, so I'm gonna concentrate on my music now.

Man, thanks for that cool interview! Keep doing your thing! I'm really looking forward to your new album. Any shout outs?

Thanks, Benny! I like your style man! Shout out to all my DWG warriors! Plus my big homie – R.I.P. KL Screwball for life!


Benny aka ABWS

GET ON THE GOOD FOOT!

Qué pasa people, qué pasa... hit me! You all know these first words that the Godfather of Soul shouts out with high energy at the beginning of his rocking "Get on the Good Foot" tune.
Along with "Funky Drummer", "Funky President", "The Payback", "Escape-ism" and all the other well known JB, JB produced and JB related funk classics (like joints of the JB's, Fred Wesley, Bobby Byrd, Lyn Collins, Dee Felice Trio, Marva Whitney, Myra Barnes etc.) "Get on the Good Foot" has been sampled countless times by many hip hop artists. Some producers maybe used only the vocals "Qué pasa people, qué pasa... hit me!" (e.g. B.M.W. "Get A Lil’ Stupid") or just "Hit me!" (e.g. Lazy Laz "Mystery") or small passages of the tune, others made heavy use of it. And it's no surprise either - this is such an amazing tune and one of James Brown's best in my opinion. The drums, the horns, the breaks within the song and James Brown's raw and croaking voice – all parts fit together like a funky jigsaw puzzle and make this a monster of a funk tune.


As a lover of that good old hip hop music, it's a natural fact that I love sample-based beats. So the essential question is: Ain't it all about digging deep to discover the ingredients for a dope beat? And the answer: Of course it is. It's always great to find some dope intros, drums, bass lines, flutes, stabs, piano strings etc. on records of all genres, and of all prices. Whether it's an unknown record or a record that already attracted attention amongst deep-digging beat-smiths, there are so many details and subtleties on a record just asking to get sampled! Just open your ears and listen very closely...

As already mentioned before "Get on the Good Foot" was sampled many times by many hip hop artists. Google it and several breaks databases make it very easy to find a list with artists who sampled this tune, but there are many missing – especially rare and independently released records are not taken into consideration.
You won’t find artists like Zee Rocks The Copy ("The Getdown Is Funky"), Top Choice Clique ("You Can't Deal"), Prince Quick Mix & Derrick Dee ("Good Foot"), V.I.C.E. ("Talk That Talk"), Mac 10 ("Soul On A Roll") or D. Moet & X-Calibur ("Good Foot") on any of those lists. I've tried my best to compile a list of artists/producers who sampled "Get on the Good Foot" – and I came to a result of 37!
Check the Prince Quick Mix & Derrick Dee soundclip below to hear some great "Good Foot" sampling work.


Let's pick out and talk about one obscure random rap record that uses "Get on the Good Foot" to great effect:

D. Moet & X-Calibur "Everything I Own" (EMF Records 1988)
This is a very dope 3-track 12", entirely produced with a SP-12 by D. Moet (that's what he told me). You already might have come across the name D. Moet (see picture) in the world of hip hop. His real name is Anthony Moody and this certain A. Moody has become a very successful producer over the years. Especially the late 90's were Moody’s time to shine. Did you know he produced Nas Escobar’s hit single "Hate Me Now"?
Hailing from Teaneck, New Jersey, Moody's first appearance as a producer is dated back in '87, when he and King Sun formed the duo King Sun-D Moet to release the "Hey Love / Mythological Rapper" 12" on the legendary Zakia label. He was also involved in producing a few other joints in the 80's as well, but nothing that needs to be mentioned necessarily – except the two 12"s that EMF Records was putting out in the late 80s. I believe that this small Teaneck, NJ based label was run by D-Moet and his brother (?) Michael, but no confirmation on the part of D-Moet yet. While Michael was "only" the executive producer on both EMF releases, A. Moody was handling the production and scratching. The other amazing record on EMF I'm talking about is the excellent R.C. Nucleus "Predator" 12". Just like the D. Moet & X-Calibur 12" this is a much sought after record amongst random rap collectors worldwide.
While "Everything I Own" got a kinda corny touch, it's "Good Foot" and "Dance To Excalibur" that make the D. Moet & X-Calibur 12" a must have for everyone who loves late 80's sample based hip hop. "Good Foot" starts with some nice scratching courtesy of D-Moet, and then the dope sample based beat kicks in. Check the soundclip below.


Back to James Brown. Without doubt, he's the most sampled artist generally – Marley Marl, Pete Rock, Paul C, Large Pro, EPMD, DJ Premier, 45 King, Tony D, Lord Finesse etc. – do you think you'll find a top-notch serious producer who never used a James Brown sample? No. So what would hip hop be without James Brown? Nothing.

Some "Get on the Good Foot" facts. "Good Foot" was a dance created in the early 70's and – as the name already reveals – focused on foot work when dancing. You can watch James Brown doing the "Good Foot" whenever he was on stage. To pay homage to this dance style he released the tune "Get on the Good Foot" and an album of the same name in 1972. "Get on the Good Foot" was also one of the first tunes that got cut up by Bronx legend Kool Herc to get the crowd rocking.

In 2003 James Brown told the Associated Press: "Disco is James Brown, hip hop is James Brown, rap is James Brown; you know what I'm saying? You hear all the rappers, 90 percent of their music is me!"

And he was damn right.

James Brown R.I.P.


Benny aka ABWS

SKILLS OVER DRUM FILLS!

Do you love the hip hop culture? Rap, graffiti, breakdancing, DJing and anything hip hop related?
Do you like that raw hip hop sound in the purest form?
Do you like hard hitting drums, funk, soul, breaks?
Do you want to know who sampled who?
Are you on a daily hunt for all the rare records that grace your wants list?
Are you a record fiend?

If you can answer any one of these questions with a simple "YES", then "SKILLS OVER DRUM FILLS" is the place for you to check regularly!

In the coming months you’ll get served a dope menu of boiling hot rap records and snacks of tasty breaks and samples. It will be a pleasure for me to pamper your eardrums with the dopest shit out there! You’ll also get hit with lots of infos about rare records, producers, hip hop history, small labels from back in the days and everything a true hip hop follower could be interested in.

Well, A Brother With Soul, who the hell is he? I am a 30-something, Southern Germany located hip hop veteran and vinyl addict always on the hunt for some dope records still missing in my crates. I was attending countless hip hop jams in Germany and Europe, including the famous Battle of the Year breaking championships. I love hip hop and everything hip hop related!

Check back soon for my first post about the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, and one of his most sampled tunes "Get on the Good Foot".

Stay tuned you dusty record fiends!


Benny aka ABWS