i had the illest dream, my head was in a guillotine…

Hip Hop Rules:

2. Don’t let your first track be the best cut off the album, that’s just dissapointing.

Classy

3 6 Mafia – Weak Azz Bitch

Marble Jesus

Sean Price ft. Sadat X & Buckshot – Da God

Asturias

Kev Brown – Batida

Packed my bags, then I left home

Reflection Eternal – Train of Thought * the track, not (on) the album.

we go round and round

*pic jacked from somewhere, i forget.

(review originally published here)

The Pharcyde’s Labcabincalifornia contains all the elements needed for a successful Hip Hop follow-up; signs of maturity, musical evolution and cohesiveness, put together in a dope-sounding package. This album found the foursome of Imani, Bootie Brown, Fatlip and Slim Kid Tre in a more mellowed-out and introspective mood than their first record, Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde. The MC’s understand what is needed to make a classic album as a group, and their honesty shines through in the albums aforementioned themes. The music matches their mindsets, as they utilize tight, low-end boom-bap provided by Diamond D, a young but nonetheless stellar Jay Dee and themselves.

The usage of only two outside producers to help them carve out the musical backdrop for the record helps The Pharcyde keep a consistent sound and mood throughout, with the sparing skits and interludes, including the soul-ed out ‘It’s All Good!’, acting as intermissions and transitions in between songs.

The first track, ‘Bullshit,’ is a perfect introduction for what is to come, with its jazzy, bassy beat and smooth get-up-off-that-bullshit chorus matched by lighthearted but not lightweight rhymes. The lyrics do get topic-specific on tracks like the “Passin’ Me By” re-visitation, ‘She Said’ (for real, they even sample the Bizarre Ride track), the self-reflective and bittersweet questioning of ‘Y?’ and ‘The E.N.D.,’ and one of the most heartfelt and emotive tracks on the record, “Moment In Time.” Not everything is as introspective though, as tracks like ‘Pharcyde’ and ‘Drop’ are just brilliantly simple, fun Hip Hop songs that will have your system bumping and neck snapping before the first listen is done.

One of the most stand-out tracks though, the kind you would play for non-believers, is ‘Runnin’.’ The piano-sample driven beat gets matched with a smooth-as-butter chorus, persevering rhymes and, the ice-cream sundae cherry, a sax break. Even their mini-marijuana ode ‘Splattitorium’ doesn’t miss a step, giving the beat plenty of room to breathe and create the perfect atmosphere for a midnight session.

In retrospect, this album has aged excellently over time, maybe even seeming better because of all the nostalgia us hip hop fans like to attach to past eras. It’s also of high importance because it boasts Jay Dee production that until then had only been limited to the Ummah realm on major releases, and because it’s the last album that the original MC line-up of the group would produce. Although there may be a track that doesn’t seem to fit, ‘The Hustle,’ or an interlude that seems off, ‘All Live,’ Labcabincalifornia is a perfect West Coast alternative for the reigning Death Row Gangsta empire of the time, while still keeping the beats smoking and the rhymes funky, a Cali classic.

A

Here’s some B-Sides and one of my personal favorites off the album:

Why (Jay Dee remix)
Drop (Beatminerz remix)
Moment In Time

the harder they come

I was priveledged enough to watch the first feature film to come out of Jamaica, the 1973 classic The Harder They Come, starring the real-life and real-amazing Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff. The film revolves around Ivanhoe Martin (Cliff) who comes to Kingston from the country and tries to basically make his way in a modern world. After trying to adapt and finding that things aren’t as simple or fair as he thought, Ivan is drawn into the ganga trade. What ensues in the movie is an honest critique of the society of poverty that exists in Jamaica and an unapologetic story of how hard times coupled with ambition can really fuck with your head. Oh yeah, the soundtrack is fucking dope. Do yourself a favor, find this movie, roll a spliff, watch it then get the soundtrack.

A-

Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come (The Harder They Come Soundtrack)
Jimmy Cliff – You Can Get It If You Really Want (The Harder They Come Soundtrack)
Jimmy Cliff – Sitting In Limbo (The Harder They Come Soundtrack)

jacked the picture from here.

when you hear the capital A, rappin’ll stay, with you for a while and it won’t go away

I remember reading an interview with Freeway over at my favorite gutter Hip Hop news site, where he was saying that he wasn’t tryin to be rapping past like 35 or something, and when the interviewer questioned his reasoning, citing that Jazz musicians usually play and perform till age allows, at times even getting better with time. Freeway responded in a very Hip Hop way, ignorantly. “This is different tho, I’m rappin’.”

well Free, B.B. King and Masta Ace disagree.

and so do I, new Masta Ace track, Check 1’s and 2’s (Ayatollah producer).

P.S. pic jacked from here.

P.D.S. I actually enjoy Freeway’s music, especially that flow, so it ain’t a diss blog entry, just a real blog entry.

P.D.D.S. R.I.P. to Disco D, you don’t have to be a musical legend or 20 years deep in the game for a death to be a tragedy, especially this one.

we got eyez on you

2006

In a year of over-hyped, bullshit movies (The Departed, Babel, etc.) El Laberinto del Fauno or Pan’s Labyrinth stuck with me as the most creative and honest film I saw in all the times I went to the cinema in 2K6. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, who also is responsible for my favorite comic book film of the last 5 years, Hellboy, this movie helps restore my faith in big-studio productions. The film boasts a well-rounded cast, a believeable villain and, more importantly, female and child leads that arent stereotypical or annoyingly sappy. Even the elements of fantasy blend well together with the Spanish Civil War setting without compromising the integrity of the film.It’s been out for a minute in Spain, but it’s a new release in the States as far as I know. Do yourself a favor and go see it.

A-

your approach gotta be more gorilla on it…

Hip Hop Rules:

1. The first track on any classic album HAS to be a banger (see Illmatic, All Eyez On Me, Fantastic Vol. 2, Like Water For Chocolate, Ready To Die, etc).

PE

Ghostface Killah – More Fish (the track, not the album)

madrid metro stop

Raekwon – State of Grace (RZA producer)

the Gods must be crazy

Jay Dee – Dreamy

Holland at night

The Pharcyde – Splattitorium