There's a hole in the ozone layer I'm dippin vampires You think I give a fuck who's the biggest player? Or who got the fattest bank roll?
What be it if a man gains the world and lose his own soul?
And with that one line I was permanently a Jeru fan:
You think I give a fuck who's the biggest player?
Shit. It's Monday. Let's start the week off right with a little Scientifical Madness...
You know the drill. Primo on the beat (which is dope is hell, but it sounds like something got stuck in the soundboard). Jeru killz the whole shit. I can't expand on the math Jeru drops, so I'll just let him speak for himself.
Warlocks keep the covenant And the souls of the ignorant ones empower it It's transparent You see Uncle Sam as your parent When America has beef you jump up to defend it But you can still be a defendant
This post is easy street. All we do is publish the lyrics to a verse that we find particularly dope. Just like how the Source used to publish the hip hop quoteable. Except today you could just do a google for the lyrics.
Today we're featuring Deck's verse from Gang Starr's "Above the Clouds". When this album came out (1998), Gang Starr were considered hip hop elders and had achieved legendary status. While Deck was riding the top of the Wu Tang wave. You might remember that RZA's five year plan ended in 1997 so all of the clansmen were left to fend for themselves at this point (I guess). So we got a lot of guest spots. This is one of the best guest spots of all time.
Deck is easily one of the best spitters in the Clan, and this is just one his best verses. He sounds charged on the Premier beat and apparently remembers who he is rapping next to: the all time pro Guru. So he brought his "A" game.
After spinning that I must say that Guru could have easily got his verse quoted here as well. Not to mention Premier's beat. This song is just three experts working together. Perfect.
So, here is Deck's contribution.
Yeah; I leave scientists mentally scarred, triple extra large Wild like rock stars who smash guitars Poison bars from the Gods bust holes in your mirage and catch a charge shake em down like the riot squad Invade your zone, ruin like ancient Rome I span the universe and return to Earth to claim my throne The maker, owner, plus soul controller Ayatollah rest in the sky, the cloud's my sofa Stand like Collossus, regardless to whom or what Numerous attempts at my life, so who to trust Who but us, to supply you with the fire? The burning truth, 150 Absolut proof On the mic like Moses spoke in golden scribe Survivor of the oldest tribe whose soldiers died I notified families, we shed tears and more but our hands are the ammo cause the battle's still on Sound the horn; we come rumblin through the function Precise laser beam technique to touch somethin When we die hard, to build the monument to honor us with Humungous effect in the world - we could have conquered it
IN CONCLUSION: Can you get any better than that? No. Beef up your rhymes and get back to me, slackers.
ABOVE THE CLOUDS SCORE 10/10 DECK SCORE 10/10 GURU SCORE 10/10 PRIMO SCORE 10/10
We’ve spent so much time screwing around with dumbshit lately that we’ve forgotten to post classic tracks, and that’s one of the main reasons we exist: to school you wide eyed parrots about what’s really good. So today we’re going to cut right to the chase and post up some classic tracks (over ten years old) that get everything right (yes, there is more to the old school than the Wu-Tang Clan). Let’s do it…
1992
“Ill Street Blues”
Kool G Rap + DJ Polo
G Rap No DOY!
1995
"Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers"
Crooklyn Dodgers (Chubb Rock, O.C., and Jeru the Damaja)
What more do you want?
1996
“Fakin Jax” Pete Rock & INI
You can’t sleep on Pete Rock’s genius production (or that Mobb Deep sample)
2000
“Ice Pirates” Sunspot Jonz Feat. Del Tha Funky Homosapien "Propel like Helecopts"
2002 “Break it Down”
DJ Jazzy Jeff feat. J. Live Half of you cats don’t know what he’s sayin’, the other half don’t care. Check the scratching. Philly FOOLZ.
So the West Coast no longer gets the respect that it used to pull. That's because you are all idiots. There is plenty of high quality hip hop coming out of the whole west and we have at least a few heavy hitters that maintain the West Coast crown. One of the heaviest of heavy hitters is Game, who consistently murders everything he touches with his top notch skill and ability to name drop everyone ever.
So this is his new collaboration with the king of hip hop DJ Premier. Needless to say it's dope. One of the best producers working with one of the best MCs. What more do you want?
This week the Tortoise General is celebrating hip hop legend Jeru the Damaja. Word Up! Plus this is a double Line for Line post covering both mental and physical stamina.
Afu-Ra and Jeru the Damaja
"Mental Stamina"
--Official Stats-- Artist: Jeru the Damaja featuring Afu-Ra Producers: DJ Premier and Jeru the Damaja Album: "The Sun Rises in the East" Song: "Mental Stamina" Release Date: May 24, 1994
If there is one thing you can say about Jeru it's that he has dope lyrics. But I think he shined the brightest when he shared the mic with his fellow Gang Starr Foundation member Afu-Ra. Mental Stamina, from Jeru's "The Sun Rises in the East" album features a back and forth between the two MCs plus a few great verses, and needless to say: it's illllllll. It was never a single or anything like that, it's one of those grimy tracks that nobody ever hears buried deep on the album. The beat is downright jarring, it's so raw that it honestly sounds like racket...which is a great thing (although it's nowhere near as chaotic as the beat on Physical Stamina, which is a beat so raw that it defies reason). So let's just get to the best part...the back and forth:
Jeru: Pugilistic linguistics, check out the mystics, we're fantistic Afu: You mean fantastic? Jeru: Fuck it, you'll get your ass kicked / Challenge my verbal gymnastics Afu: Vanacrobatics Jeru:Vocabulary calisthenics / Can't understand the mathematics are esoteric
Watch the style but also peep the lyrics /my lightning, my thunder
Way back I stomped out Her-cu-les / But now I stomp out MC's
Can't chill, because the Sun don't freeze
Heavy metal, hard like titaniam / Alchemist, I turn wax into platinum Afu: Influential, scientifical power / My mental violence will shower Devour at a crazy rate, my speed'll do your circuits
and I'll perforate in data banks
I could honestly just print the rest of the lyrics, they are high quality all the way through. Afu calls himself a "Poisonous Taoist" and that's just amazing. Shit, I HAVE to print more...
[Afu]
I whirlwind through cities
Breaking down substances, combining matter
Test my hand skills and back bones splatter
Rough and tough although the mental will stomp ya
Pugilism electrocute like Blanka
There you go. Case closed. I know this is Jeru week and I kind of focused on Afu-Ra for this track, but WHO CARES? You gotta admit the boy kills it. But Jeru does too. Go look up the lyrics to this track, pull out your dictionary and see what these guys are saying. They are geniuses. Everybody kills it. This song is the best ever. Except maybe for...
"Physical Stamina"
--Official Stats--
Artist: Jeru the Damaja featuring Afu-Ra
Producers: DJ Premier and Jeru the Damaja
Album: "Wrath of the Math"
Song: "Physical Stamina" Release Date: October 26, 1996
So take all of the good things I said about Mental Stamina and then apply them again to Physical Stamina. Both tracks are great (but I think Mental Stamina is a little better). Both tracks start exactly the same way ("...Let's freak that rhyme we was freakin' the other night...") but they proceed much differently. This track doesn't have a back and forth, which is a shame becasue it was the best part of the other. Much like Mental Stamina, the beat here is also racket, but this time it sounds like someone banging around an apartment and crashing into various musical instruments. It's crazy raw and a perfect fit for these brilliant MCs.
[Jeru]
I damage in the mental and physical universe
You quake the earth when you hit face-first / Brake before it gets worse
But those that thirst for abuse get loose
'Cause soon I'll be around that neck tight like a noose
God, show n' prove
[Afu]
More strength than the Juggernaut
Electric like Magneto
Know you couldn't test Mental, or now the sequel
I slip to the floor for the grapple
I crack your collarbone, while I bust your Adam's apple
What? All other MC's just throw in the towel becasue you ain't matching that Magneto line, or any of these lines for that matter. This song is brutal. Seriously, if you have a weak constitution or are some kind of amateur, don't listen to these tracks, they'll kill you.
[Jeru]
You think that you could stop me?
Perverted monks, so now we apply pressure
The Stamina's style is iller than its predecessor
Daoist professor, mix up the elixir
Internal power, MCs we devour
This week the Tortoise General is celebrating hip hop legend Jeru the Damaja. Word Up!
The best way to start off Jeru the Damaja Week is to find out what he’s been up to lately. I mean I would consider myself a knowledgeable fan but I haven’t really heard anything from him in a long time. Sure I caught some tracks and verses over the years but I don’t remember anything about them. What gives?
So let’s see what Jeru jas dropped for dolo over his career:
Wow. I spun “The Sun Rises in the East*” and “Wrath of the Math” thousands of times, I think I picked up “Heroz4hire” and listened to it once, and I’ve never heard any of the other albums. So, how is this possible? I'm a big fan. Well, I think it’s important to note that the first two albums were produced by DJ Premier. Then Jeru ventured out on his own and his production stunk. “Heroz4hire” sucked. Apparently Jeru needed Premier. He should have set aside his differences (something about his sister and some hook ups *rumor*). So let's skip way ahead to today, the last Premier produced Jeru album came out over fifteen years ago, Premier is still hittin', but where is Jeru?
"Watch Your Step"
Well, in 2009 he did some drum and bass. Kabuki Watch Your Step. Yikes!
What is to like there? Nothing. That’s really terrible. The funny thing is that when Jeru started spitting I was loving it, Jeru is the best! But man, this sucks. No thanks.
Then he worked on a Guru tribute in 2010 (fine).
"Oddałbyn"
In 2011 he somehow ended up working with a Polish hip hop group called Slums Attack on a song called Oddałbyn. Good Greif.
Well this is just weird. Really weird. I can’t believe this at all. Weeeeiiiiiiiiiirrrrrddddd. The beat is okay I GUESS.The Polish words are WEIRD because I don’t understand them. I’m not saying that Polish hip hop is weird (it is), it’s weird that Jeru is on here. Weird. Well, Jeru’s verse is good but WTF is everyone else talking about (LOL?).The scratching at the end is fantastic. Do more of that Poland. We love you?
Now Jeru claims to be working on a new album where he is calling in heavy hitting production (mainly DJ Premier). I hope it comes out hard and it gets five mics or whatever. That is if he can stop doing photography for five minutes, what??
JeruKabuki Score: 2/10
Jeru Peja Reedukacja Oddałbyn Score: 4/10
* “The Sun Rises in the East” is a hip hop classic and you should have already been heard this. Otherwise, get out my face. Word.
I know you've got your iPod on set on Slacker or Pandora or whatever. Fine. Shuffle mix and all that. But I'm going to let you in on an insider secret: DJ's are good at their jobs!
DJ's mix music! And they do a lot better job then your robot mixers. WAY BETTER. So a lot of times when I want to hear good hip hop (both new and old school) I go looking for mixes by a real live DJ instead of putting some shit on shuffle or looking to some dumb website. And it pays off. That's the way we did shit before the internet: we listened to DJ's for new music.
Anyway here is a mix of some classic golden age cuts by DJ Finesse (not Lord Finesse) from Primo's HeadQCourterz camp. I gather that it was pulled together for Soul Assassins Radio, it's mad good and just listen to it.
Artist: Nas Title: "Nas Is Like" From Album: "I Am..."
Release Date: March 2, 1999 Producer: DJ Premier
Aliases: Nasty Nas, Escobar
Affiliations: The Firm, Queensbridge
You and I already know who Nas is so there is no reason to go into all of that, is there?
I was introduced to Nas thanks to Rap City occasionally playing his "The World Is Yours" video. I was impressed, but not enough to buy his debut album Illmatic. As time passed and it became apparent that Nas was dope through his hundreds of guest verses on hot songs I built up the courage to buy It Was Written despite the "If I Ruled The World" video, which was on MTV almost all day everyday. I really liked the album (and still do), so I went back and picked up Illmatic and was both blown away and kicking myself for not buying it sooner. This was in 1996.
Years passed, I wasted some money on The Firm (but I blamed big business for that mess), and finally in March of 1999 I found the single for "Nas Is Like" in my neighborhood Sam Goody, PAID FOR IT (this was 1999), and loved it. Nas was back! And at that time he had never really gone away. Just a month later I went in to pick up Nas' third album I Am and this is what I saw:
HOLY CRAP! ART SCORE: 0/10
Any normal person would pass on an atrocity like that just based on, well everything. Gold, Egyptian, creepy, etc.. But, being a fan (and an idiot) I bought it anyway. I sat in a parking lot near the Tower Records on South Street (in Philly) listening to this album and being disappointed immensely. I instantly knew the ranking (which is still true today):
The album is officially awful (you can find a good review of it by my friend Max here). It is so bad they made an announcement that the President of the United States, Bill Clinton, had declared it a disaster area, and the public rallied together and helped Nas sell over two million copies of his shitty album in the national interest (a definite stab wound to hip hop). Thank goodness this wasn't a double LP like it was originally intended.
So anyway, as sticking with my tradition of too much typing, I can now get to my review of ONE SONG: "Nas Is Like" is good. Done. Actually I think this song is significant in several ways. First, it is one of the few REAL Nas songs that dropped in the six years between It Was Written and Stillmatic. Second, the lyrics are veteran level. I'm not even going to quote the good lines because the whole track is good. Do you want me to just post all the lyrics? Do you? I didn't think so. Finally, the beat is EPIC. DJ Premire tapped his premium resources for this one. He blends in some of his trademark chorus/scratching to keep the track sick, then he pulls from the oddest of sources for the beat: Christmas narration. Primo, you're a genius, and also, where do you dig up this stuff? From what crates? In the end, the final project is DOPE INFINITY, meaning a 7/10 (not his best work but better than almost anyone else could do). So.....COP THIS.
The sample (Primo, you crazy for this one):
And the official Jawn...
If you don't like this one, you're demoted to Private. In fact, get out of my Army.
