RSSGRORTNETA*: “Fortified Live”
(*Good Records On Rawkus That Nobody Ever Talks About)
Reflection Eternal – “Fortified Live”
Reflection Eternal – “2000 Seasons“
from Fortified Live 12″ (Rawkus, 1997)
I didn’t forget about this series. Today we continue to be that snail crawling on the edge of the Rawkus razor blade with the debut of Mr. Talib Kweli alongside producer Hi-Tek. This was truly the moment that Rawkus first entered the sociopolitical realm (unless you count Company Flow’s “independent as fuck” as a bold statement of individuality). Well, sociopolitical in the sense that these guys knew who Mumia was and weren’t afraid to mention him in a oddly constructed punchline.
“Fortified Live” was technically the leadoff but it was basically a double a-side as far as reception went. But we’ll start where they started. Once again you hear whimsical post-De La Mos here “drinking wishing well water imported from pluto.” It’s meaningful how little meaning there is to that line. Add in Kweli’s classic Richard Gere / gerbils line and you have an most ignorant conscious absurdist record on a so stupidly simple it’s brilliant reggae loop. Really the only weak link is ex-Bush Babee Mr. Man who sounds like a parody of an imaginary 1997 indie rapper, dropping something or other like he was a clumsy waiter. I wonder what happened to that guy. I imagine he is either bouncing off the walls of some upstate asylum trying to figure out as many words as possible that rhyme with “fascinate” or he’s in Africa or some shit. I think it’s funny when Mos shouts out “all my favorite sporting outlets” at the end.
“2000 Seasons,” seems too influential. For one it predicted the coming onslaught of Okayplayerish records with sort of deep/sort of arbitrary literary references in their title. (Because rappers read books too. This was a big selling point in 1997.) But more than that it set the standard for agenda-less agenda driven hip hop. It’s basically a battle rap record with a few good off the cuff conventional wisdom type conscious lines dropped on top. “The world is run by men who use laws as tools” vs. “emcees are soft like playdough” and “I’m on a roll like Sonic!” “An A&R tried to tell me I used to many catch phrases / true I’m trying to catch my people in all different phases” would have been a nice subtle punch to close on, but then he also feels a need to mention that he’s also trying to catch them in all different stages. As if “phases” and “stages” are so significantly different that both warranted mention. He couldn’t possibly leave one out. Textbook Kweli overreaching.
Well I’m being snarky because it’s what bloggers are supposed to do. To be honest this record was pretty earth shatteringly awesome when it dropped, whatever trash Kweli has made since is redeemed by its existence. I mean it was deep to a 14 year old. Even if it wasn’t. It also helped that Hi-Tek had a really good grasp on what Kweli needed back them, giving him this calming, almost hypnotizing loop to go in over. I want the “2000 Seasons” instrumental to be my hold music one day. Assuming I ever become important enough to have a reason to put someone on hold.
Today It’s strange to imagine an time where intellectuals would be embarrassed by a discussion of ebonics . All of the intellectuals I’ve ever met are completely in awe of ebonics. I’m pretty sure intellectuals created the word ebonics. Now it’s quaint to hear anyone use it unironically. Or maybe I have just become that intellectual who is now embarrassed to hear Kweli discussing ebonics? See how deep it gets! I’m free falling for nothing. Into a hole. A deep hole.
Now that we’ve got the more obvious Rawkus stuff out of the way, I’m going to get a little deeper with the next post. Oh and here are BREAKSSON:
26 Comments, Comment or Ping
TSF
These joints were so important for me in high school. Before I heard them, the only rap I knew was Wu-Tang and OutKast, and whatever g-funk records I remembered from elementary school. Funny thing is that I’ve done a complete 180 since then, come back to realize the wacky brilliance of the Wu’s and, of course, Dre 3K’s super-sick lyrics and basically abandoned all hope for Mos and Kweli ever since Blackstar, also coming to the realization that it wasn’t as “smart” as I thought it was when I was sixteen. Still, from ‘98-’00, Rawkus introduced me to rap in a way I hadn’t been exposed to it previously and I gotta acknowledge that.
Rawkus: bringing crackety-ass crackas into the rap fold since 1997.
Sep 3rd, 2009
Stunt
“2000 Seasons” has always been one of those tracks that makes me hope all hip hop scenes get their own Nuggets-style box set; sample clearance be damned.*
*This idea sounds too good to have been conceived originally by me, so it’s highly likely you’ve said this identical thing, more succinctly, in another post. So it goes.
Sep 3rd, 2009
Sean
“I mean it was deep to a 14 year old.”
I still can’t reconcile this to myself.
Sep 3rd, 2009
emynd
You know, you’re snarky about this record, but (I think we’re agreeing with each other here) this is a really great record, man. Sure the psuedo-consciousness is somewhat ridiculous, but it’s also really solid, entertaining rap. I dont think these records are really TRYING to be intellectually stimulating and I think it’s a bit unfair to be too harsh on them for having somewhat silly intellectual “shortcomings” or whatever (which I’m not claiming you’re doing… just re-iterating what I take to be youre thesis here). Like a record like “Nature of the Threat” (a record I love, btw)? You can be critical of that record all you want for its ridiculous intellectual claims, but these two songs have always struck me as less didactic, and kind’ve just fun records with wacky “conscious” moments that kindve just earmark what may make these dudes an alternative to the rap of that era.
I fucks with this record.
-e
Sep 3rd, 2009
Jonathan
(Because rappers read books too. This was a big selling point in 1997.)
They bought a book store, dude!
Sep 3rd, 2009
whoa-man
As someone who first got into rawkus when Reflection Eternal dropped, im definitely appreciating these tracks from the early days of rawkus records. Listening right now on some “oh thats what my dude mos was refering to with that ’still sipping wishing well water’ line. Nevermind “independent as fuck,” Kweli sounds earnest as fuck on these early tracks. Keep up the good work.
Sep 3rd, 2009
noz
E – You seriously think “Nature of The Threat” was supposed to be “fun”?
Sep 3rd, 2009
Jonathan
Ha. Even the beat was on some end-of-days schitt.
Sep 3rd, 2009
MF POON
aAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaah i thought ther would never be music like this on cb 4 a while
Sep 3rd, 2009
faux_rillz
I think E*** is offering “Nature of the Threat” as a contrast with the Kweli tracks.
Wait–do we have a gerbil reference tie-in, though?
Sep 3rd, 2009
Jonathan
Re-reading it, you’re right.
Sep 3rd, 2009
Jonathan
*puts gerbil on Christmas list*
Sep 3rd, 2009
Dinero
The one thing that I love about this is that Talib Kweli is the rapper that most people who only kind of listen to rap but like to pretend they know the ins and outs of “the culture” mention when they’re listing their favorite artists. ie the Pitchfork crowd
“Oh yeah, you know I like Talib Kweli, Mos Def, and…. and…..”
“And?”
Sep 3rd, 2009
MF
I aways thought Mr Man’s verse was pretty good.
Sep 3rd, 2009
Naes
I was thinking about this 12′ yesterday.
Sep 3rd, 2009
titchyschneider
kweli always had the worst ever similies. i just didnt notice it at that time, prob cos the production was so sympathetic. that first album was when i first started noticing his weaknesses. he seems to be more aware of what they are these days but the problem is that kweli without his weaknesses makes him strangely even more weak and less kweli-like. so i think he should just be happy to be nerdy, wordy, and not try and come with any battle raps. thats when it all falls apart.
Sep 3rd, 2009
quan
“I mean it was deep to a 14 year old.”
I think that pretty much sums up why people hold up stuff like Blackstar and Blackonbothsides to such high regard. You can’t detach that music from how it made you feel in high school when you didn’t know any better. To this day, I can’t bring myself to not check either a Roots, Mos, or Talib record just in vain hopes that it’ll make me feel that naively “rebellious” way again
Sep 3rd, 2009
Baltimore
Yes I remember they used to play this on 88.9 Strictly Hip Hop!!!!
Nigguhz used to stay up 12-5am with the tape deck on record all night!!
Sep 3rd, 2009
August
Company Flow occasionally had some sociopolitical stuff, such as “Krazy Kings,” and Mos eventually developed to a point where his commentary didn’t just seem deep, but actually was pretty intelligent at times.
Sep 3rd, 2009
TSF
“kweli always had the worst ever similies.”
^^Co-sign.
Sep 4th, 2009
david
rawkus records: the company that sold underground hiphop the fuck out
Sep 4th, 2009
nico
everytime I take a turn emcees take a losssssss
yeayuh
very nice informative post noz… these are a few of my favorite thangs.
Sep 5th, 2009
DJ Sleepy Floyd
Reading that post made my head hurt. Then I listened to the two tracks and I felt better.
Pretty much sums up my feelings on mid to late 90s rap and hiphop.
Sep 9th, 2009
Stuart
Great record cover.
Sep 12th, 2009
LB
Mr. Man is actually Mr. Khaliyl his producer name. He actually produced Ms. Fat Booty.
Sep 30th, 2009
Reply to “GRORTNETA*: “Fortified Live””