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I recently came across a slew of grime mixtapes/street albums, or should we call them road albums? In less than two weeks, I had about a dozen new mixtapes in my HD, not having enough time or attention to really listen to all the materials—ranging from artists such as Ghetto, Riko, Ears, Killa P, Jammer, Kano, Trim, and the not so grime, but definitely grimey garage crew Road Side Gees.

Jammer – Intro (to Are You Dumb, Vol. 3)

Produced by Rude Kid

Pre-album fire from a grime luminary. I feel funny about calling Jammer grime, now – especially after he states in that intro, “I make music, F grime / I make music, F crime / I’m not a lame, man, F a nine…”?

$$$

Ghetto – Mountain

Produced by Lewi White & Smasher

This one is off Ghetto’s new mixtape Freedom of Speech. Ghetto goes hard. Looking forward to his album.

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Do you ever see that stuff that be
when it get cold that is that shit you can’t see?
See that shit happens sometimes.
Yep, black ice…

some classic videos, choice quotes (italicize, without speech marks), + tunes from one of the greatest Southern rap groups (sheet, they were the first to use the words Dirty South to describe the music they create– in mid-90s ATL, Georgia.) There’s a rumor these guys were getting back together. Well, a little far-fetched, but imagine how many late-nineties rap-nerds/fan-boys/girls this reunion will make happy.

From 1995, Soul Food.

“Cell Therapy”

My mind won’t allow me to not be curious
My folk don’t understand so they don’t take it serious
But every now and then, I wonder if the gate was put up to keep crime out or to keep our asses in.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuWB9Nhoypw[/youtube]

—

From 1998, Still Standing.

“Black Ice” feat. OutKast

Who’s that looking over the shoulders of those writing dreams?
fiendin’ for the taste of menthol, missed class, stayed in the hall
Looking for a squeeze play, better yet a holiday…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ4x_eMxYxo[/youtube]

—

also,

From 1998, Still Standing.

“The Don’t Dance No Mo’”

I couldn’t find the video for the last one, but if you ever see it look for Sugar Lo, commonly known as Cee-Lo. He’s wonderful.

—

I first came across Goodie Mob in 1997/98 while I was in Guinea watching music videos from France via satellite TV, around the same time Sekouba Bambino released Kassa. I was 15 & in musical heaven.

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Mama’s Gun is one of the sexiest albums I have in my CD collection. I know, it’s a little strange. The album deals with horrific, unsexy nightmares and things like police brutality (Amadou Diallo), mental imprisonment (plus, the high rate of incarceration for black males). A large chunk of the album tackles self-esteem issues and breakups. Anyway, Miss Badu’s music is not always joyless and serious/militant/political. In fact, she’s more playful and introspective than most hiphop singers.

<pic taken by dogsivu>

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This one is haunting and amazing. Produced by Madlib, it is from her new album New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) – Only Badu can present something like national delusion in such a phunky manner (“Amerykahn Promise”).

dead prez said it’s bigger than hiphop. Killah Priest said all religion ever did was divide… Erykah sez hiphop ain’t dead yet, regardless of what Nas said. hiphop is alive, uniting cultures, races, all around the world. While I don’t think hiphop could ever be bigger than religion, she might be onto something with the government part, and her gospel in general that together the ants can conquer the elephant.

& coming soon, New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)

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A few days ago I came across the Grime encyclopedia, an excellent resource for anyone interested in the music. You are free to look around and find what you like, but they offer links to the most popular pages, to the leaders in the field. Topnotch Grime DJ Logan Sama, who has a legal grime radio show on Kiss 100, offers free rips of tracks from his show. Hmm.. there’s also a wider array of free downloads here.

Doc1

Doctor – Rise The Temprature (Produced by Cotti) (Logan Sama Grimepedia rip)

I’ve had this tiny tune here on repeat for days.

Martin Clark wrote about Doctor and his yard roots in his montly Grime/Dubstep column for Pitchfork in 2005;

“Take Doctor. for example. Save Skepta, he’s probably the hottest MC on road right now. Accepted by the East MC camp, he’s a talented South London lyricist with a distinctive enough voice to put him in Trim or Kano’s league. The difference between Doctor and those others, however, is that he makes a feature of his yard roots[Flowing like you’re from “yard” usually means you’re black with Jamaican heritage]. He regularly switches from London chat to Jamaican slang and back, most prominently “Gotta Man?”.”

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[[voices keep multiplying in here. welcome LAMIN to the DA blog.  — Rupture]]

howdy!

well, Rupture left the gate open (sort of) & so, here I am.

I found it particularly interesting that The Roots decided to call their upcoming album Rising Down. The title alone sounds dark, cynical, and intriguing too, especially in this atmosphere, this election year (liberal identity politics nightmare aside, for a second) as Obama keeps on shutting ’em down, the cynics. Then I heard “75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction)“, a relentless, anti-bullshit rap-a-thon accompanied by only drums + tuba, plus very limited efx. Now this drawing:

The Roots - Rising Down Cover

?uestlove explains;

“this drawing is entitled NEGRO RULE. and it pretty much sums up the
feeling of the Confederate Union towards the newly freed slaves and
the idea that if given power they would reek havoc and chaos on the
country.”

Now, look at this; “If Obama was a white man…”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNPeG-WtXt4&feature=related[/youtube]