Urban Rocking
The Dismasters – “Small Time Hustler“
from Small Time Hustler 12″ (Urban Rock, 1987)
Mr. X & Mr. Z – “We Drink Old Gold“
from We Drink Old Gold 12″ (Urban Rock, 1987)
Aside from being one of the hottest overground rap producers in the game (case in point – Joey Crack’s “Safe 2 Say”, if you haven’t already), Just Blaze seems like a bit of a nerd – he writes the video game column for xxl, he name drops Low End Theory whenever possible, and even pops up on the damn “blogosphere” (a word i only use in the most dire of circumstances) – blessing the homie jsmooth with an indepth interview. You’d expect a cat like this would at least keep his ear to the surface of modern underground hip hop. But unsurprisingly, he’s got the internet going nuts over the fact that he gave MF Doom some shine on this chart. More surprising to me was that he also gave two serious nods to these, arguably the two records to come from semi obscure late 80s label Urban Rock.
The Dismasters were DJ Chuck Chillout’s crew and were one of the more slept on examples of uptempo rap from the era. They also tried to popularize the slang term “SKRUM”. They failed.
“Small Time Hustler” is their warning to bootsy fake ballers. Chillout makes one of the first recorded uses of the famed Hustler Convention “Sport” loop (most recently, Nas reused this on “Sekou’s Song”). The Dismasters went on release a full length (I think only in the UK?), entitled …And Then Some, but really if you cop this 12″ and the follow up “Black and Proud”, you’re set.
“We Drink Old Gold” is a strangefunny answer track to Rakims “I Know You Got Soul”, twisting every syllable of his five percenter infused battle rap into a tribute to the brew that would have any alkaholik fiending for a bottle. “I get into like a analyst / you want to drink you gotta wipe your lips”. Mr. X & Mr. Z later released a follow up 12″ on G-Fine records and then dissapeared.
July 31st, 2010 at 11:32 am
just blaze seems like only “a bit of a nerd?” he won the north jersey spelling bee in 1985! that’s mad nerdy! just playin’, just bleezy is probably the hottest east coast producer of the moment. word to correct spelling! what up grammar!
March 19th, 2005 at 5:47 am
just blaze is a faggot for not having the same taste as everyone else. he should have listed timbaland and neptunes only. fuck him for having his own interests.
March 19th, 2005 at 5:18 pm
Just Blaze laced Fabolous with that “Breathe” joint though you gotta admit…
Dismasters were dope, they should of released that album in the US, the cat that raps has a dope voice,…
Speaking of Chuck Chillout, the album he came out with Kool Chip in ‘89 called “Masters of the Rhythm” is pretty dope, a little on the house tip but nonetheless hip-hop…
They always play that corny Mr.X song on MusicChoice’s Old School Hip-Hop channel…
March 20th, 2005 at 6:51 am
watch out.
l-r-g is out to “overthrow the masses.”
March 20th, 2005 at 10:18 am
not a million miles away from ‘new jack hustler’
March 20th, 2005 at 6:18 pm
“I start to drink, and then I think/I see elephants that are colored pink”…that’s my shit right there.
March 20th, 2005 at 11:28 pm
I remember seeing the Dismasters perform “I Drink Old Gold” in NYC back in 1987at a club called Pay Day. Small Time Hustler was always one of my favorite hip hop joints as it had major impact in Brooklyn. Thanks for the download.
Trivia: The dude that ran Pay Day was Patrick Moxie and because he was a white dude involved in Hip Hop back in the day, he was able to get a label deal with one of the majors. Anyway, Patrick was one of the few folks that realized how Jay-Z was talented (no one else was fucking with Shawn). Patrick signed Jay-Z to an exclusive deal at Pay Day for like less than 80k. As soon as Jay dropped his first single (I think it was either “In My Lifetime” or “Dead President part 1″) Payday didnt support the single and Jay got dropped. To this day, I know Patrick feels like a dick!
March 21st, 2005 at 2:14 pm
Props on posting this…. Good looking on following thru on the request.
March 21st, 2005 at 2:28 pm
Dismasters had some funny stuff on the album. They dissed Red Alert – ‘Red Alert and the jungle brothers / go on tour and play with each other’. Keisha was a hot cut as well. HOwever, the funniest thing they ever did was the picture on the cover of ‘Black and Proud’.
March 22nd, 2005 at 10:16 pm
Another one of Just Blaze’s favorite songs was Cookies Pt. 2 by MF Doom. Anyone know what that song is from or off of?
March 23rd, 2005 at 8:01 am
The rest of the DIsmasters 12″s were no biggee but “Small Time Hustler” was some ill shit.
March 24th, 2005 at 3:40 am
Man, I remember Small Time Hustler. There was a weekly rap show on Saturday nights (Foxie 103 – Augusta, GA!). There was only the first verse through the chorus, then it blended into something else. I loved to hear that bass loop.
Great job as always.
March 29th, 2005 at 7:00 pm
This is probably a “gimme” answer for most of the heads out there, but from where was the sample from Small Time Hustler lifted?
In the movie Uncle Buck, there’s a scene where John Candy goes to pick up his niece. She’s hanging out at an outdoor picnic area with some friends. Someone’s dancing on the table, and pretty much the same looped pattern in this song is what’s playing on the radio (completely instrumental). I didn’t know if it was the same or the original source or what.
March 29th, 2005 at 9:40 pm
like i said – Hustlers Convention “Sport”
March 31st, 2005 at 9:43 pm
Awesome Dismasters track. I’m lookin’ for “Black & Proud” now. Mr. X & Mr. Y ain’t that hot.
April 2nd, 2005 at 4:31 am
Guess I’m poppin back up on the blogsphere or whatever you called it. Why does it suprise you that I know these records? Especially small time hustler. That record got just as much burn in its heyday on new york mixshow as any other hot record would 2day. Str8 classic. Forgotten by the masses… but still classic. Played it when I DJed a few weeks back in ny.. crowd went nuts.
April 3rd, 2005 at 1:17 am
i wasn’t surprised you know them, just surprised to the see them mentioned in that context. look at what your peers picked – all recent/popular shit. i was real happy to see those two records in there.
anyway, thanks for stopping by…
April 4th, 2005 at 1:22 am
Here’s the version of ‘Dismasters – Black and Proud’ used on Edan’s ‘Fast Rap’ mix. This, to me, is a good reference point to a lot of the forgotten gems of hiphop’s past (much like the Dope on Plastic and We Drink Old Gold comps). I think that some take it as artists boasting about their deep crates. Whether or not that’s the intent, it’s reminded me of stuff I long forgot.
Now, the goods: http://io.rune.org/~crisis/3pm/13-dismasters-black_and_proud.mp3
If you like this, take it upon yourself to buy it.
May 13th, 2005 at 7:40 pm
Thanks for your comments. It’s good to know that people still think about The Dismasters. I’ve got all our tracks and I’ll send you a download of whichever song or all songs. Still have an original promo picture
(found it in my mother’s garage). I can email it to you. Although my partner is no longer here, I’m coming back out this year under the Dismaster name.
Raven T
Dismasters
Raventee2003@yahoo.com
September 13th, 2005 at 5:07 pm
Hmmm..I think Mr X & Mr. Z was the shit back in the day. Speaking on party songz, has anyone heard “Alcoholics Anthem” by Ziggidy Poet? That was the jam…(I know, sorry y’all, I’m goin’ off topic).
Peace
September 30th, 2005 at 9:31 pm
Do they still make Old Gold? Is this slang for 8-ball???
January 6th, 2006 at 9:18 am
funny how this seems obscure if you weren’t there when it was all going on.
next up: the ghetto girlz, my man’s playin’ tricks on me.
October 25th, 2006 at 10:55 pm
Yo you know what’s funny. No one ever asks about the co-producer Eric Isles who came up with the whole idea for using Hustlers Convention in the first place! Yeah Chuck had major imput , but it was all E’s idea period! So let the truth be said. Now the world knows.
October 25th, 2006 at 10:58 pm
Yo you know what’s funny. No one ever asks about the co-producer Eric Isles who came up with the whole idea for using Hustlers Convention for Small Time Hustler in the first place! Looped it, put the kick and snare to it and BAM! Instant hit. Yeah Chuck had major imput,whistle, scratches and vocal production, but it was all E’s musical idea period! So let the truth be said. Now the world knows.
July 17th, 2008 at 9:16 am
So the “small time hustler” sample came from “Sport” by “Hustler Convention”? IS that right? How cud I get ahold of this track or loop or whatever it is.
February 15th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I remember both tracks i’ve been looking for this track…. i remember when it was first rocked on 98.7 kiss fm back in the day by DJ Red Alert!!!…. i was in high school my man was a dj and we went to Jamaica Ave to get some records and bought I drink old gold!!!!
June 15th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Ima suck somebody dick up n here no homo that shits bringing tears to my eyes talk about golden era im from ohio but grew up off mr magic tapes & sammy b hosting the red alert show sammy b is on the cut!!!! This is an alltime classic been looking for this on itunes wow thanks kush on me!