Mr. Scarface Goes To Washington
Rare Essence f/ Scarface – “Freestyle/Let Me Roll“
from @ Eastside 11/17/93 (PA Tape, 1993)
Northeast Groovers f/ Scarface – “Southside“
from @ Ibex 7/18/98 (PA Tape, 1998)
Backyard Band f/ Scarface – “First Light Of The Day/Medley“
from @ The Armory 5/29/99 (PA, 1999)
It is a myth that Rap-A-Lot doesn’t know how to market artists. While it’s true that Z-Ro should be a national legend and Devin a pop celebrity by now. But that’s the thing about RAL, they have a marketing plan, it just doesn’t involve superstardom. The J. Prince buisness marketing plan focuses Rap-A-Lot artists directly where they’d be most comfortable: small, primarily black cities throughout the midwest and south. In short Prince and them are simply completely unconcerned about about selling records to whitey. (My Rap-A-Lot connect used to return my phone calls and emails with the quickness when I wrote for Vibe and XXL. It’s been all tumbleweeds since I’ve approached them as a writer for the Washington Post and NPR…) This might not be a horrible business plan in this day and age because whitey doesn’t buy music anymore. Oh and also it’s made RAL the longest running independent rap label in the history of genre. DC might be the most obvious case study for these localized successes. Until recently DC seemed like Houston-North musically – screw tapes, UGK, etc. all go hard here. This is because Rap-A-Lot has marketed directly to DC natives for the entirety of the labels existence. Devin is damn near a superstar. Ro is an underground legend. Even Yukmouth moves units in the DMV. And Scarface is undeniably the city’s favorite rapper.
To this day The Diary is a car stereo classic and many to most pre-Wale area rappers owe a large chunk of their style to him (Section 8, Tony Blunt, Mahdi Mobb, those random guys on “5 O’Clock“). Which brings me to the point of this rambling post. I presume that a large part of this DC RAL love stems from the respect their artists have shown to (and are shown by) the go-go community. Historically RAL artists have always been in the go-gos, not just sharing the bill, but rocking with the bands. Of course RAL is far from the only rap crew in the go-go. There are tapes floating around of Pac, Juvenile, Biz Mark, Busta, etc. all rocking with bands. These stand as interesting artifacts (there are so few recordings of rappers performing live in the pre-flip cam era) but rarely more than that.
Brad in particular might be the only out of town emcee who truly sounds at home in this environment. Listening to him spit on these tapes recalls his “Sellout” verse: “you can’t tell me shit about your hood, I walked on your beat.” He is so incredibly comfortable, not just rapping but chanting and talking inna go-go style and shouting out specific hoods and crews. And I don’t think I’ve ever heard a legitimate, off the top, freestyle from Face before I heard the RE tape. He then grabs a bass guitar and jams with them! It’s funny that he opens with the “Life is Too Short” bassline which he would replay for UGK nearly fifteen years later. The BYB collab might be the real standout here though, with them turning down the funk so wise grandpa Face can kick knowledge. Scarface should be everyone’s grandfather.
October 12th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
further proof (to me) that here in new york, fools are sdupit.
October 12th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
i’m sorry, that comment might seem out of place, but this just refuses to happen in the new york scene. or maybe im not getting out enough.
October 12th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Amazing.
October 12th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
“This might not be a horrible business plan in this day and age because whitey doesn’t buy music anymore.”
We don’t buy music anymore? Do they? What did Foundation sell? It’s like the only people who bought it live in a 1/2 mile radius of the artists’ block. At least if you market to white people they’ll pay 80 bucks to go see your concert. Wayne’s concerts are all white teens and sorority girls.
October 12th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
“First Light Of The Day/Medley“ is tough
October 12th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
“At least if you market to white people they’ll pay 80 bucks to go see your concert. Wayne’s concerts are all white teens and sorority girls.”
Have you ever actually been to a rap show, Tray?
October 12th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
im listening to brother ali right now smh
October 12th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
i blame de public on Ro’s lack of superstardom mo den R-A-L. while dey clearly needed ta market him more mayn, i juss feel like Ro too much fo de general public. Dey rather hear Drake get all emotional bout his torn ACL den hear Ro say “I dont love nothin iss gon take my mama comin back from the grave for me ta love something”. smh.
October 12th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Wow @ hurt feelings gushing forth in “do they?”
October 12th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Good one.
October 12th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Yo, technically it is the “School Boy Crush” bassline that face is playing.
October 12th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
OKAY POINDEXTER
October 12th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
rap a lot>>>def jam
October 12th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
I think white people still buy music, it’s just that most of us are afraid of rap coming from the south. Don’t tell a white person you like southern rap.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:23 am
Great write-up, but as much as Scarface is my favorite rapper, I’m most interested in hearing Juvenile backed by a real DC GoGo band. Can “…Goes to Washington” be a future feature/week? Can we push forward the agenda of Capra Hop?
October 13th, 2009 at 12:26 am
“Can “…Goes to Washington” be a future feature/week? ”
It will be a very short series, but sure.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:56 am
Just giving credit where it’s due.
October 13th, 2009 at 2:14 am
I’d love to hear more of this stuff too, Noz. Looking forward to the “… Goes to Washington” series!
-e
October 13th, 2009 at 2:15 am
Also dude, I know you had trouble finding pics of Scarface, but damn, this one? With that Ed Hardy shirt? Sheesh.
-e
October 13th, 2009 at 3:21 am
Yeah, seeing ‘face in an Ed Hardy shirt is the sartorial version of Nore beefing with Perez Hilton on Twitter.
October 13th, 2009 at 10:03 am
“My Rap-A-Lot connect used to return my phone calls and emails with the quickness when I wrote for Vibe and XXL. It’s been all tumbleweeds since I’ve approached them as a writer for the Washington Post and NPR…”
So true. As a freelance rap/music journalist or what have you, my problem with Rap-A-Lot—and this is just my individual problem, as someone who wants to hook artists I like up with reviews and features—is they just drop records without any warning or advanced promotion (i.e. telling people what the release date on some date prior to when the record is in stores), making it impossible for me to work with the directives that most magazines, newspaper and even website editors have to cover artists. I know they have some sort of arrangement with Warner Brothers’ Independent label group but they don’t even bother to keep those folks in the loop of what’s coming out. (In fact, I just asked someone there about the ‘Ro record and they didnt know what I was talking about, if they even knew who ‘Ro was). If J Prince’s wallets stay fat like that then I guess it’s all good but Z-Ro should have been on the cover of XXL by now, let alone the couch on 106 and Park, and I’m pretty sure he’s never even had an album review or anything more than a passing mention in there.
October 13th, 2009 at 11:29 am
“Can “…Goes to Washington” be a future feature/week? ”
It will be a very short series, but sure.
^I have in my cache a Lissen CD live from the now closed-down Club U with Jadakiss doin his classic circa ‘04. I know dudes with Back tapes with Pac on it. JYB tapes with Ice Cube.I say all that to say its way more guest-rapper gogo tapes out than these 3!
As usual great write up. U know DC rap, Noz. Mahdi Mobb? HAHAHAA!!Cant nobody say u dont!
October 13th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Good to see an update on Face! I ain’t gone lie I didn’t too much cut for Emeritus but MADE; I can play that from start to finish without skipping.
Anywho LMAO the first thing I noticed on him was the Ed Hardy! *sigh* shit is soooo tacky but I digress
:D
ps: we need a update about the Willie D situation; how is he doing?
Jesse: I agree with your sentiments on RAL, but like you said, J is the one who got all the cake, but think about it Real Talk, he ain’t doing anything different than would, lets say, P Diddy would do (ganking the artists money but hey whatever floats their boat)….I mean from Devin to 5th Ward Boyz WTF?! and also who is on their label now besides Ro and Bun B? I mean I have love for them but the things you mentioned I agreed with. Also with the Z-Ro Cocaine that dropped, was supposedly to be “Heroin” that was suppose to drop with RAL.
I wonder how that shit is gonna turn out?
-thehoustongirl
October 13th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
They used to have rapper gogo team ups alot more back in the day back when they actually broadcast from the clubs..most recent I heard was Mims and it was aiiiight but the hosts were giving him mad props and “dc cred” just for doing it.
October 13th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Fuckin’ love it. I’m dyin someone’s gotta come forth with some grainy ass warped VHS tapes
October 13th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
z-ro’s voice is way too black to allow him universally acceptance
October 28th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I’ve lived in PG County since I was 4 and never quite understood the love for Devin and Scarface, or at least y it was so big in this city. Not saying that i dont like them, but that i never knew that RAL marketed directly here (2 busy listening to ny stuff/eminem in my youth). I seriously remembering arguing with a kid that said Yukmouth was the hottest it, this now makes since to me, thanks.
November 14th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
i remember seeing yukmouth posters plastered around pg plaza all the time as a kid, and i thought they were the funniest thing. what a name.
June 30th, 2010 at 9:14 am
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