Uncommon Sense

Sic Sense
-Onemantality
-Positional Bypass

1995 Luge Music

Now we're getting down to the nitty-gritty. This platter is one of the hundreds... maybe thousands that surfaced during the independent revolution of the mid-nineties, and did so virtually out of nowhere. Every week there would be a gripful of lovely new 12" singles to sift through. DJ's hip-hop vinyl stacks started to grow ever-closer to their bedroom ceilings. It was almost too much to keep up with.

And the best part: Almost all of it was funky funky noise.

Sic Sense, like most of their fellow revolutionaries, never did much beyond this release. And, again like most of their peers, the hip-hop world is surely worse for it. While not the most memorable or even skillful on the mic, these guys give you enough to be satisfied while not detracting from the overall vibe of the music. Production is typical snare-heavy, jazzy riffy stuff from the era, but is a thick notch above the average demo thanks to its deep, vibey slant. Toss it on and be transported back a decade(yikes!) or so.

Assassination Day

DSA (Dark Skinned Assassin)
-Lock Shit Down
-The Horror
-Gotta Get the Creme

1995 Doe Loe Records

Though it may appear to be just one among a whole parade of Wu-affiliated singles (though trust me, at the time this was far from a bad thing), this disc manages to outshine all of the other coattailers and, thanks to RNS's fine production, even casts a shadow over many "official" Wu releases.

After an easy half-listen or so, few would be surprised that DSA is indeed a Wu affiliate. They may, however, be surprised at just how distinctive and skillful he is on the mic. True, it's mostly the voice (that makes you buck) but, in an arguably oversaturated market, his brand of "street reality" raps paint a far more vivid and critical picture than you're average thuggerific mimic.

Back it all up with some ultra-tasty beats from RNS, one of the masterminds behind early UMC's and Shyheim projects, and it finds its way well toward the top of my list of favorites from the era.

Still Ruff

Da Dysfunkshunal Familee
-New Ruff Flava (Orrazab 3rd Eye Radio Remix)
-Slipping

1994 Armageddon Records

Okay, so it might not be the slickest, most technically sound recording out there, but hey, that's part of its appeal, right? These guys, also known as "Civilized Savages," only dropped a couple of discs back in this era, and both were absolutely itchy heaters. To my ear, their main strength is that they sound like they're just having fun, not trying too hard, not putting on some silly act, and are still bringing the good stuff. This kind of raw, simple production is borderline addictive to me... though hmm... I hope that doesn't mean I'm simple minded(!?!?)

Cuban Music

As a side note, Mark Cuban, the outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a guy who knows a little something about business, wrote a scathing entry in his blog about the RIAA and the music industry in general.

If he gets it, why don't they? His point is especially sharpened when he makes mention of the boom taking place in other digital media markets (DVD's, video games, etc.).

Word, Mark. And props to Nellie for drafting Devin Harris. He'll stop folks in the big D from fretting over the loss of Nash within a year or two, promise.

Time to Execute

Third Sight - The Execution Starts

From the LP "Golden Shower Hour" 1998, Darc Brothas Records

This one, with its ironically appropriate title, seemed a natural way to set things off. These are local (Bay Area) cats, I've known them since they first hit wax and they were doing the college-show rounds, I'm a big fan, and their music is criminally slept on. Oh, and on top of all that, they've got a new project on the horizon.

First of all, how can you be mad at any crew that includes the immortal D-Styles as one of its core members? Second, the beat's a nasty, sneering head-bobber. And Third (no pun intended), the lyrics are downright ridiculous... A fantastical tale about a death-row inmate who's odd last request is clear from the jump, and serves to tie the whole twisted story together nicely. A story, by the way, so full of references and allusions that you might want to keep the encyclopedia handy during the first few listens.

Directions

So I've decided to make this an audioblog. I know plenty of them are springing up these days (maybe too many), but two main factors have influenced my decision:

One, I'm just not creative enough, interesting enough, or disciplined enough to be writing regular entries that would be worth someone's time to read (except for my mom, who says I don't talk to her enough).

Two, there seems to be a shortage of early/mid-90's independent hip-hop being made available. Y'know, the stuff from the late "Golden Era" into the thick of the independent vinyl uprising. The kind of stuff I would've played on my radio show at KZSU ('93-'99).

I plan to update about every week or so with just a song or two so I can keep this going for a while.

That's it.