E-40 – “Tanji Pt. II”
E-40 – “Rasta Funky Style”
E-40 – “Get ‘Em Up“
from Federal Original (Sick Wid It/SMG, 1993)

1993′s follow up “Federal” showed a much darker side of E-40 and set the stage for the mob sound that The Click was to explore for a career. Studio Ton’s production was so on point, unfortunately, Jive fugged it up once again. The three tracks that were omitted from the reissue show a very different 40 water than the rest of the record – heavily sample oriented and playful. Aside from these, on the Jive version, “Hide N’ Seek” and “Extra Manish” are remixed, and a few other intros/interludes were cut. Unlike Down & Dirty, most of the albums better cuts (“Carlos Rossi”, “Rat Heads”, “Let ‘Em Have It”) remain unedited, so the OG isn’t quite as essential, but it is recommended.

Just a quick note on the ‘Guide To Sick Wid It/SMG vs. Jive pressings’ tip – The Jive pressing of 40′s Mail Man EP actually benefits from two bonus tracks – “Ballin’ Outta Control” & “Captain Save A Hoe (Remix)”, neither of which appear on the cassette. And there’s no wack remixes either!

The Click – “Daily Routine”
The Click – “Party In The V-Town“
from Down & Dirty Original (Sick Wid It, 1991)
The Click – “You !!! Up When You Slammed My Motha”
The Click – “Let’s Side“
from Down & Dirty Original Cassette (Sick Wid It, 1991)

And so it begins… This week we’ll be focusing on one of my favorite labels/crews, The Click/SICK WID IT RECORDS. After releasing their Most Valuable Players “All The Kings Men” 12″ (which we’ll save for a “embarrassing debut records by otherwise dope rappers” series), E-40, sister Suga T, brother D-Shot and cousin B-Legit changed their name to The Click and started pushing their Sick Wid It records and tapes out the trunk in the purest form of early hip hop distribution. They first released two EPs – The Clicks “Let’s Side” and 40′s “Mr. Flamboyant” (which i’m still desperately trying to get a hold of), which was quickly followed by Down & Dirty, The Click’s debut LP. After gradually gaining local acclaim in their home of Vallejo and in the greater Bay Area, 40 & crew signed a distribution deal with Jive in ’94. As part of this deal, Jive reissued much of their back catalog to a wider audience – or so it would seem. The Jive pressings were actually far inferior to the originals – often, presumably to dodge sample clearance issues, the tracks were remixed, rerecorded or completely omitted from the Jive reissues. These Jive reissues are what are on the shelf nowadays.

The worst of these hack jobs was the labels first full length – Down & Dirty – Seven tracks of the 18 tracks from the original tape were omitted completely and five were remixed, leaving just 6 cuts, or one third of the record, in it’s original form (and one, “Click’s Concert” is just a skit). I’m not on some “I got the rare OG” hyperbole tip when I say that the reissue is completely inferior. I wish I had the time/space/bandwidth to give you guys the whole original album here, but all I can do is give you a taste and encourage, no beg, that you do NOT buy that shoddy Jive release, instead, beg/borrow/steal a copy of the OG.

Quick side by side comparisons of the two releases: “You !!! Up When You Slammed My Motha” and “Let’s Side are exclusive to the original Sick Wid It cassette. “Ballers”, “Sohabs”, “Daily Routine”, “Porno Star” and “Party In The V-Town” are on the CD and tape Sick Wid It release but do not appear in any form on the Jive Version. And different mixes of “Let’s Get Drunk”, “On A Mission”, “(Street) Life”, “Old School”, “The Shit That Will Fuck With Your Brain Boy”. They also left off a few skits, most notably the sung intro to “She was only 16″.

Tomorrow we’ll look at 40′s solo debut “Federal”, which suffered a similar (but not quite as drastic) fate at the hands of Jive.

360 Degrees – “Pelon“
from 360 Degrees / The Producer Speaks / Years To Build 12″(Pelon Records, 1988)
Karim Jamal – “Pelon Rising“
from Pelon Rising / Ghetto Appeal 12″(Official Jointz, 199?)

Yeah the Bronx is where it started at, but it’s like after BDP’s declaration of as much, that it kinda became a hip hop wasteland (no disrespect to lord tariq and peter gunz). The obscurity of either of these joints doesn’t really dispel that, but yeah, they’re kinda tight, mostly on the production end of things. And they rep they’re borrough HARD. The first is mostly notable to collectors because it featured the late, legendary Paul C behind the boards, and the OG 12″ has been known to fetch upwards of $800 on ebay (although, turntablelab has been pushing some bootleg copies for a minute, and some pricks have been knowingly flipping them on ebay for much loot). The other is a more recent underground joint (no year on the label, but I’d put it at late 90′s maybe ’98ish) that doesn’t get mentioned too often, but is kinda hot.

Everyone enjoy their thanksgiving, except KRS, that is.

NEW MESSAGE BOARD! NEW MESSAGE BOARD!
How surrious is the “we got raided by a bear” message board? Surrious, but not quite as surrious as the new cocaine blunts board

and yeah, you get mp3s too:

Outkast: “Benz Or Beamer“
from New Jersey Drive Soundtrack (Tommy Boy, 1995)
Outkast: “Gangsta Shit (Original)“
from Stankonia Advance (Arista, 2000)

More Dungeon Family today. Benz Or Beamer may very well be one of the greatest soundtrack cuts of all time; The original version of “Gangsta Shit” features a more sparse/”southern” sounding version of the beat.

Goodie Mob f/ Mystikal – “Dirty South Remix“
from Dirty South Remix 12″ (La Face, 1996)
Goodie Mob f/ Outkast – “Black Ice (Goodie Mob Version)“
from Black Ice CD Single

Goodie are one of my favorite rap groups ever. I told you this already, so I won’t waste anymore time gushing, I’ll just get on to the mp3s.

“Dirty South (Remix)” has absolutely nothing to do with the original (I love “remixes” like these) – new verses, new beat, new hook, featuring a blazing, uncredited, shot from Mystikal (who smokes more weed than Queen Latifah and Julius Caesar)

The Goodie Mob version of “Black Ice” brings new verses from all of Goodie (including Cee-Lo, who was suspiciously absent from the original) AND keeps the closing verses from Outkast in tact.

No Cocaine Blunts radio tonight or next Friday. We’ll be back on Dec. 3

hot link of the day: the very funny WIZNUTZZ Wizards fan site bring their God Shammgod mixtape series to the next level (not that last weeks C-Webb cut wasn’t doing it), this time digging up E-40′s infamous Rasheed Wallace diss “Record Haters.” On the intro fake ‘sheed also claims “I don’t fool with the Goud-E Mobs”.