RSSVeteran’s Day
Blaq Poet – “S.O.S.” (Prod. By DJ Premier)
from The Blaqprint (Year Round, 2009)
Willie Isz (Khujo Goodie & Jneiro Jarel) – “Blast Off“
from Georgiavania (Lex, 2009)
It’s been a long time since I had a good rant here. But two old heads dropped albums on Tuesday and the blogs are basically pretending they didn’t when they did.
First up is Blaqprint the two decade late solo debut Blaq Poet, a Queens folk hero and second string veteran of the Bronx/Bridge wars. As a rapper Poet was and always will be something of a one trick pony but his one trick is busting skulls open. It’s a pretty useful one trick to have. Ask Freddie Foxxx. Oh and Poet’s album is almost entirely produced by DJ Premier. Remember that guy? He was in a little group called Gang Starr. He is still a great producer even though Jay-Z screens all his calls. Blaqprint is an exercise utilitarian boom bap by two guys who will be able do that effortlessly and forever.
Willie Isz the exact opposite. Old head turned new. Goodie Mob’s Khujo brought in young buck post-Dilla rapper/producer Jnerio Jarel to create a brilliantly rambling medieval shoegaze freakout rap album that never really sacrifices the rap album part of the formula. It stretches the Dungeon Family blueprint to its further extremes, across genres and planets and nobody is really listening. White people media outlets have been giving it some minor attention but that is mostly of its tangential connection to Gnarls Barkley and TV On The Radio. The hip hop world is pretending it doesn’t exist because most of the people in a position to give it some shine are the same idiots who sit around talking about how Cee-Lo was the only good rapper in Goodie. Or those who have never heard anything even remotely resembling actual experimental music but are impressed by bells and whistles racial barrier breaking bait like Lil Wayne remaking a Green Day record poorly (or, you know, Gnarls Barkley). Likely both. The buzz for this record is so weak that nobody even bothered to bootleg it!
Fuck the internet for real. I am calling out Real Talk NY for not even acknowledging a full length collaboration between two of the realest NY* artists of all time. I am calling out 2 Dope Boyz (a site named after a Dungeon Fam record for fuck’s sake!) for not once mentioning Willie while giving endless attention to inferior artists trying to ride a bicycle in the same lane of Khujo and Jnerio’s interstate highway and getting their skinny jeans all caught in the spokes. I’m not really saying either of these albums are masterpieces, but they are both very solid in very different ways. And more importantly they were made by people who deserve our respect or at least our attention. Any eccentric millionaires want to back my pro bono e-publicity firm for old rappers on indie labels?
*Well NY via Houston.
34 Comments, Comment or Ping
MAYNHOLUP
ahh mayn cant get enough uv makin fun uv rappers who wear skinny jeans
Jul 2nd, 2009
Jeff
I asked for a copy of Willie Isz months ago, telling Lex and whoever worked their PR that I really wanted to hear it. They said they’d send it and never did. It is possible that a lot of people had similar experiences and thus, haven’t heard it. I know I haven’t. Yes, Blaqprint is a good record that should be getting more attention than the new Kid Daytona tape, but that’s a different rant.
Jul 2nd, 2009
kidbristol
Both of these tracks are great. As soon as my bank account swells past that $30 mark, I’m investing. That Primo beat is awesome, and the Willie Isz song sounds like Khujo speed rapping over the theme music to an early-90s Saturday-morning action cartoon. What’s weirder than good rap? Nothing.
Jul 2nd, 2009
quan
Yeah, that’s really sad about the Willie Isz. I think like one store in all of San Diego carries it, literally. I went to 4 different spots before I found a copy. Solid listen so far halfway through.
Jul 2nd, 2009
brandonsoderberg
Co-sign what Jeff said in regards to LEX but really, this entire write-up here is spot-on. Was planning a “The Film Critic of Tomorrow, Today” style bitch-fest on this very topic, but you already deed it.
I think a big part of the lack of hype is that no one can jack it for free on blogsearch, and because no one out there fucking buys CDs ever, it just isn’t getting written about. Worse though, this is not available in any stores within 60 miles of me and I just don’t pay 9.99 for mp3s unless its digital-only Egyptian Lover EPs. And I just can’t hack CD price plus shipping price, and so I guess I just won’t hear it for awhile.
Jul 2nd, 2009
Aurich
I’ve been waiting on that Willie Isz, didn’t realize it was out, so thanks for ranting. ;)
Jul 2nd, 2009
Elijah
This has really been a year for veterans, hasn’t it? What with the two albums called Black(q)out. Can’t wait to listen to the Blaq Poet shit, and the remix with MC Eiht just seals the deal.
Jul 2nd, 2009
noz
But Jeff that’s sort of the problem, everybody is sitting on their hands waiting to be serviced (||?) instead of going out and actively finding music. Kid Daytona gets attention because he has a team of people making attention happen. Blaq Poet does not. This was a major fault of print journalism. Blogging was supposed to level that playing field. It has not.
Jul 2nd, 2009
phil
you think it’s bad in san diego? try finding that willie isz record in england…
Jul 2nd, 2009
Kyu
Oh yeah! That PRIMO beat is fire!
Jul 2nd, 2009
Blast
The Willie Isz album is ultimately disappointing. Sure, there are some really original and genuinely fantastic tracks, but they fail uncomfortably when they go electro where they should have gone organic. Less Pharrell, More Funkadelic. Still a cool album, but nothing worth carrying a torch for.
Jul 2nd, 2009
Jeff
I agree with you, but the record only came out on Tuesday. If it doesn’t leak and publicists are off-point, there’s only so much you can do in a 48-hour interim, particularly if you have other listening/writing on your agenda. Processing a record and having something interesting to say about it should take more than one or two listens.
Of course, I’d much rather see guys digging for obscure, off-the-beaten path than 16 bars of mass-blasted, sub-Mase, Drake freestyles , but I don’t necessarily think it’s completely bleak. The under-promoted Quik record gained some critical mass and surely Willie Isz will eventually gain traction too. But part of the onus is on these guys too. The Internet affords them the ability to find out who to reach out to. Granted, I don’t want Khujo monitoring his Google Blogsearch alert a la Wale, but surely someone around his camp could figure out who to reach out to.
Jul 2nd, 2009
noz
Most of the blogs I’m thinking about do not process.
Jul 2nd, 2009
dan
you think it’s bad in san diego and england? try finding that willie isz record in ireland…blank stares is what you’ll get, most places anyway.
Jul 2nd, 2009
mark p.
What?? In my world everyone is still psyched about these two albums.
Jul 2nd, 2009
er4se
willie isz gonna be crazy… im patient i can wait a few days
Jul 2nd, 2009
er4se
im still bumping the last khujo and shape of broad minds joints… thnx for the reminder tho noz
Jul 2nd, 2009
MF
The Poet album is pretty dope despite suffering from some boring Primo clunkers and some shit guests (particularly the cracker) but it could’ve been a genuine NY classic a la Y2K or Warriorz if they’d not fleffed around over the years and actually included the likes of Poet Is Coming, Poet Has Come, Bang This, Message From Poet and The Foulest.
Jul 3rd, 2009
August
I usually try to find vinyl copies of records (no hipster) and San Diego’s actually the only place I’ve been able to find it. Apparently Access Hiphop’s got it and they have good web distribution. I swear though, I did the exact “Georgiavania rapidshare” google and have been since it came out. Nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m buying, but I’m trying to hunt it down locally.
Jul 3rd, 2009
brandonsoderberg
This whole thing is really fascinating on a like, nerd-interested-in-the-industry way because it clearly didn’t leak in part because they didn’t send out promotional copies.
It also hasn’t ended up on blogsearch because it presumably isn’t readily available to purchase and so the only people buying it are really seeking it out or maybe ordering it and aren’t the kind of douchebags to upload it to BANGINNEWMUSIC.BLOGSPOT.COM.
Noz, were you able to find it in the DC/MD area?
Though I don’t care about copies sold personally, the shit will be interesting as I’d like to see the sales on this vs. Blaqkout–which leaked…but was also available at SOME major retailers.
All this though, doesn’t “free” mp3-posting blogs like 2DopeBoyz (and plenty more) because a sampler’s been out forever. When I THOUGHT it was coming out on June 16, I posted a track from the sampler in lieu of not-previously heard album cuts.
Jul 3rd, 2009
B. Ware Tha Siniq
Good post. I covered Poet’s album on our blog (albeit a bit fanboyishly upon my first few listens… but I did want to try and light a little fire behind it, since the blogosphere is almost completely ignoring it), but I think it’s a great record. The concept of some of these beats being Primo “clunkers” is a little funny to me. But it’s one I’ve seen in the comments sections of the few threads and posts I’ve seen about this album across the interwebz. Not everything is “Boom.” Primo has always scattered solid minimalist production designed to put foreground the emcee across his albums, even when the emcees weren’t that deep (eg Group Home, Poet, etc). Moment of Truth, being one of the only real exceptions that stands out in my mind. Yet it seems as though MOT spoiled Primo fans. Every Primo helmed record to come out since then has been met with chants of “Primo fell off,” or “throwaway Primo beats.” Really? Is Daily Operation full of Primo throwaway beats? What about The Sun Rises In The East? I’m not comparing Blaqprint to those albums, because for one we’re talking different eras, relevancy, etc and those were (re)defining albums. Blaqprint is just great music. But there are maybe two beats on there that should’ve been reworked, otherwise it’s an excellent album.
Jul 3rd, 2009
beez
I found it pretty easy getting the Willie Isz CD. It ought to be easiest here, LEX being a British label and all. HMVs have them, even small ones. The vinyl it looking tougher but HMV had it on order after selling the two they got in apparently.
I really like the album. It’s not spectacular but it’s definitely the best DF 1st gen record in many years. Better than Idlewild for instance.
I notice there are some print reviews for it this week in the UK papers, must be that old WARP connection working it’s magic.
Jul 3rd, 2009
Cash
Willie Isz – ‘Georgiavania’ Sampler
http://uploaded.to/file/b1dzga/
Jul 4th, 2009
gillesenteuse
Georgiavania is on emusic…
Jul 5th, 2009
Tray
“Poet’s album is almost entirely produced by DJ Premier. Remember that guy? He was in a little group called Gang Starr. He is still a great producer even though Jay-Z screens all his calls.”
Yeah, well we’re lucky that Jay screens all his calls, who wants to hear him ruin Premo’s still-surprisingly-okay beats. Other than that, I would suggest that the audience for the Blaq Poet audience consists of yourself, Robbie Etelson, and the other 800 people in the world who have heard of Boostin Kev, while the audience for this Willie Isz project consists of you, Khujo’s mother, probably 2% of your readers, and no one else. Which isn’t to suggest that these aren’t fine records, the tracks you post from them are awfully good and great respectively, but it is what it is. So as always, this and other moralistic rantings about how the evil blogs and critics won’t prop up some record that never had a chance of moving over a thousand units because they’re, I don’t know, racists, or lazy, or have something against rap about poor people (of course, the motivations in all these accounts are always sketchily hinted at, so that the tin-foil hat theories don’t sound as stupid as they would if they got fully threshed out),* are silly to me. We live in a market economy, not some sort of blogger fantasy land where the right push from tastemakers like yourself can turn teenage girls, or the boys courting them, off from Drake and onto a couple of ancient rappers who did their best work 15 years ago, and even then they were also-rans. A 2DopeBoys, a RealTalkNY, a Nah Right is obliged to post music from artists that a large number of people care about so as to keep up traffic and ad revenue. They serve as avenues by which people can find about the artists they already know they like, not public services that report on rap from forgotten old heads that their readers wouldn’t care about anyway, even if alerted to. That’s what you and others are for. Carping about this is like my stupid complaints a few weeks ago that CNN and the rest of TV news took a total pass on bothering to report on the Supreme Court’s (regrettable) decision to avoid throwing out part of the Voting Rights Act. The public doesn’t care and would stop watching whatever channel spent too much time delving into such matters.
* To your credit, you don’t do that sort of bullshit here.
Jul 6th, 2009
noz
My point is that I think both these acts are fully marketable to the type of people who are still complaining about why nas doesn’t get primo beats (a large portion of nah right readers) and the type of people who listen to flying lotus (2dbz, okayplayer, etc), respectively. It’s not like I am talking about a Toddy Tee comeback album or a Freestyle Professors reunion.
And trust that teenage girls do not read any of these sites.
Jul 6th, 2009
Drizzle
I’m with blast, georgiavania was ultimately disappointing. Maybe I expected too much on the strength of the early tracks. I’m usually all for different and experimental shit, but this one just didn’t grab me.
Jul 6th, 2009
ANU
I’m very disappointed “in the red” did not make the album.
Jul 6th, 2009
ANU
okay okay it is just missing my version, but it is on the album.
Jul 6th, 2009
quan
for what its worth, i bootlegged the willie isz on my blog. bc i guess i’m one of out like 9 people in the world who actually have a physical copy in hand. here’s for anyone still waiting on their Amazon order to come through:
http://haterplayer.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/willie-isz-georgiavania/
Jul 6th, 2009
Tucson
Just bought the only copy they order at my local zia, so good luck to all finding it…it is fuckin dope though
Jul 7th, 2009
Tom
I like the interest in how it all works.
I read this blog and I thought I should give you a label’s perspective, on the Willie Isz album at least…
The market is changing a very quickly at the moment. Bands and labels have to work extra hard to ship less than they would have done a couple of years ago. Media is switching from print to online. Sales are switching from physical and digital to streaming.
There is more competition for less print media space. Stores hold less stock at any time, because of the recession. With a new project, if you don’t come out of the gate running it’s very hard to get up to speed and keep the momentum going.
More importantly than ever, the timing has to be right. Live shows, media coverage, racking in stores, radio plays etc all need to hit at the same time.
The timing hasn’t been a strong point on this campaign so far. For various reason the Willie Isz European tour in June, opening for Talib Kweli, was cancelled. A lot of the promo that would have happened around that tour didn’t happen. There have been similar issues in the USA. So, it’s got off to a slow start.
Getting beyond strong review press and a run of specialist features is tough if you don’t have a lot going on (big singles, tours etc) to take it to the next level. Stores will only carry as much stock as they think the heat from promo and marketing plot requires.
In the USA the Willie Isz album is available at most good indie stores, Target (across Georgia), Best Buy, Amazon… In the UK it’s available in most good indie stores HMV, Amazon, Play… It’s also available on every major digital platform worldwide. There’s just not stacks of copies in every store because the buyers don’t see the demand yet.
With regards to press, Lex has really strong press coverage relative to the size of each project and the activity of the artist. On Willie Isz we’ve had a lot of very positive coverage from the mainstream to the specialist press. It definitely feels like there’s a consensus building that this is a great record. We serviced samplers a long time ago, and full albums to publications who came back wanting to do reviews or features. Out of every aspect of the campaign, I’m happiest with the press… But press on it’s own doesn’t sell records.
The vinyl has been held back so that we had something to focus on to push the album again.
We’re giving the whole album another push to see if we can get it moving in August / September. The vinyl is lush, a huge fold out poster and should have digital DL codes with every copy. We’re going to do another intensive round of promo at that time.
There’ll be new music and mixtapes available too for people who got on board with the first ‘soft’ release in June.
There should be the ever first Willie Isz shows around that time too. That will give us a lot t work with.
If we can get everything clicking together at that point we’ll be able to get the album off the ground.
IMO it’s a wicked album. We’re all really proud of it at Lex and we’ve been working hard and we’re going to carry on doing that.
T
“Man, Georgiavania is dope as fuck – it’s that next level shit!”
Big Boi from Outkast
“Extraordinary hip hop … diverse and eccentric.” (AOTW) Metro
“Is it too early to muse that, just four months into 2009, you might have already heard the year’s best record?” 5/5 Hip Hop Connection
“Brilliant, Outkast-like fusion of synthetic electro beats and surreal rhymes” 4/5 Q
“Georgiavania feels like a day spent mixing everything in the drinks cabinet, and everything tasting really good…” Plan B
“All silken soul and future funk mixed with the deftest lyrical delivery. Dazzling… As debuts go this is up there with the year’s best so far, regardless of genre, and within its field it’s sure to be celebrated as one of 2009’s most attractive artistic achievements in six months time.” 8/10 Clash
“Out of this world.” Dazed
“Dirty South psychedelia from Philly production wizard Jneiro Jarel together with Khujo for his most unfettered party set to date with a heavy dose of Maggot Brain-inspired cosmic slop.” Uncut
“Bridging the North and the South, the abstract and the gangster,
Georgiavania is another masterpiece in Jneiro’s collection” Waxpoetics
“Part crunk, a little psychedelic, part cosmic pop, and one-hundred-percent progressive…. Best of all, their collaboration brings about a unified focus into sounds and styles that are equally entertaining as they are unusual by commercial standards.” 4/5 Vapors
“A psychedelic journey quite unlike any other that could very well result in the creation of a completely new category of music simply known as Utopia Rap because musically it doesn’t get much better than this.” 4.5/5 Urb
“Cut to the chase, it’s game on again for our favourite Dungeon Fam frontman – Khujo” Fat Lace
“Hip-hop blog Cocaine Blunts leaked this and now we can’t listen to anything else.” XLR8R
“OK so I’m not gonna jump on the ‘Georgiavania’-is-the-best-thing-since-sliced-Outkast bandwagon but I will say there are some top tunes on this album by Jneiro Jarel and Khujo Goodie”
CertifiedBanger
Jul 10th, 2009
er4se
yup ok noz now im heated… its been weeks and still i cant find georgiavania– make a valid point of how watered down this blog shit has gotten… 2dopeboyz shit is LAME
Jul 12th, 2009
er4se
oh yeah, thanks quan…
Jul 12th, 2009
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