Old Rap Songs
Very quickly, here are some loose joints that have been collecting dust on the hard drive.
A Tribe Called Quest – “Georgie Porgie“
from Low End Theory Sessions (Jive Unreleased, 1991)
By much delayed request. “Show Buisness” seems like one of the more “conscious” moments of Tribe’s career, educating misled youth on how to not get took by shiesty record execs. In reality they were just hurt because some TI wouldn’t let them “holler down faggots,” as a K-Mart intern once so artfully put it. Industry rule #4081: ignorance fuels everything. I’ve often theorized that part of the reason Brand Nubian isn’t as revered as the Natives because they were so explicitly anti-gay at points. It’s fun to imagine how Tribe’s legacy might have been rewritten had this track ended up on LET. Would much of their headwrap fanbase, proudly comfortable kicking it with ADAM AND STEVE types, have accepted such hatred? Maybe they should be thanking their label for scrapping this. (via Vincent, I thimk)
Ju’C – “Eat The Cat“
from Eat The Cat 12″ (Ready Or Not, 1992)
News of another unfortunate death this week: T&G’s Jib Kidder informed me that New Orleans Bounce emcee Cicely “Ju’C” Crawford McCallon was shot and killed last month at the age of just 37. Ju’C was one of the earliest females recording bounce music and was married to short-term No Limit Signee Tre-8. “Eat The Cat” is her awesome response to Lil Elt’s “Get The Gat.” I’ve been meaning to post this track forever, it’s a shame that I ended up doing so on such a sad note.
Almighty Arrogant – “Red Rain“
from Demos (Unreleased, 199?)
Almighty Arrogant is a truly great rap name. It says so much about both the rapper and the art of rapping itself. Otherwise I don’t know too much about the dude, was from LA (?), used to run with the Wake Up Show crowd for a while, raps about goat’s blood and was signed to Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis’ Perspective records for a short while (what a bizarre and great rap roster they had before they folded – Arrogant, Young Zee, Tech N9ne/NnuttHowze, Pudgee).
Shelby Forest Click – “Ten Toez Tall“
from Bump Down 1963 (No Label, 2001)
Here’s a slumper from the old crew of current day 3-6 affiliate Lil Wyte [as fuck and does not play] before he got all strung out on oxys. It’s hard to believe this song is from this decade it is so hard.
Wu-Tang Clan – “Method Man (Crazy C’s Swisher Mix)“
from Method Man CD Single (Loud, 1993)
Even though it sounds more West than South (when the South was West), this is one of the earliest token Southern rap remixes that I can think of. Produce by Crazy of Rap-A-Lot pedigree, it was pretty forward of Loud to recognize that as a unique market so early down the line. At the same time I’m sort of bothered by the existence of this remix, because Crazy C isn’t RZA. But it feels notable and I thought you might like to hear it.
November 19th, 2009 at 3:31 am
Wow, been wanting to hear that “Georgie Porgie” for years, thanks! I think you´re right, their career might have went down differently if they had released that song ….
November 19th, 2009 at 3:33 am
Ahhhhhh maynnnn!!!! mah boi Zizek on CocaineBlunts!!
November 19th, 2009 at 4:45 am
This version of Georgie Porgie is much better quality than the one which was previously floating around.
I don’t think homophobia is the reason Brand Nu’ aren’t more revered (P.E were just as homophobic, after all, and they’re critical darlings), i think it’s just because they only really have the one classic album, whereas Tribe and De La each have a succession of them.
This is also the reason why the JBs and Black Sheep aren’t really thought of in the same way as their fellow Native Tongues, even though their respective best album is as good as whatever your favourite De La or Tribe album is.
November 19th, 2009 at 4:46 am
Also, did that fucker ever manage to sell his record collection?
November 19th, 2009 at 4:55 am
The JBs have more great albums than Tribe.
November 19th, 2009 at 6:13 am
[...] Ju’c “Eat the Cat” [...]
November 19th, 2009 at 9:12 am
That Method Man remix is fascinating. The Wu were definitely more regionally aware than they’re given credit for. Remember the Studio Ton remix of “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” with MC Eiht and 40 Water?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYmkOJMQa6A
And Eiht was also in the vid for “C.R.E.A.M.”, though I’ve never been able to spot him in it.
November 19th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Huh. Not a good look for Tribe, but not really that surprising. On Beats, Rhymes and Life, there was a little of that as well. Hey, Noz, what’s the other great JB album? “Jungle,” “Forces of Nature,” and… “Remedy”?
November 19th, 2009 at 11:22 am
I don’t know what Brand Nubian’s “one classic album” would even be. I usually like In God We Trust slightly more than One For All, but you could make an argument for either one being the best. I’ve even seen a few people make a pretty strong case for Everything Is Everything.
November 19th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Beats, Rhymes and Life is a great album.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
the version of “10 toes tall” from the first lil wyte album is one of my fav. non-Three 6 tracks to come out of Hypnotize Minds. this original is okay i guess, definitely a different vibe. it needs more of Lil Wyte acting like a crazy redneck
November 19th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
“Hey, Noz, what’s the other great JB album? “Jungle,” “Forces of Nature,” and… “Remedy”?”
Yes.
November 19th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Remedy is very great.
November 19th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
When I dubbed those Tribe demos in ‘91 and played them for many of my friends just before the album came out, everyone wondered why ‘Georgie Porgie’ didn’t make the final cut. We never thought that it would have hurt them in the slightest. Homophobia wasn’t even a thought in those days.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:03 am
sfc’s beat is crazy insane on ten toez tall.do you know where i can get an instro??
November 20th, 2009 at 4:42 am
The ‘J. Beez Wit The Remedy’ is a great album? Eh. I didn’t even think it was that great by ‘93 standards, but to be honest, I can’t really judge its time-testedness either. I’d be lying if I said I had any desire to hear it again since 16 years or so ago.
I’ve tried to tell a few people about that ‘Method Man’ remix and everyone always thinks I’m talking about the original one, not the remix of the remix. That was kinda odd, as was the ‘Shimmy Shimmy Ya’ remix, but they are some interesting pieces of their history.
And yeah, Tribe woulda caught some backlash over that, especially with Low End being the one that broke them on a mainstream level. All woulda been good until that track popped up, and everyone who commended their positivity and non-gangstadom heard what they thought of fagg…homosexuality.
-D!
November 20th, 2009 at 6:52 am
> We never thought that it would have hurt them in the slightest. Homophobia wasn’t even a thought in those days.
Well, as far as I understand and can gather from some Milk Dee interviews and stuff, Audio Two pretty much lost their deal with Atlantic over some homophobia controversy around the same time, so as far as THE INDUSTRY is concerned this would be about the exact time that this really became an issue …
November 20th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
That SFC shit is great – never knew about this album, only the Underground Tape (all about the original ‘It’s On’, but the new one is even bucker), nice one. I think Wyte’s one of the most overlooked rappers doing it, especially considering Paul and Juice do actually give him decent to strong beats. He’s the first dude I reach for nh when I’m very very drunk.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Noz: You just blew my fucking mind with that Georgie Porgie joint. I had heard rumors that “Show Business” was a re-recording but I never knew the full story behind why and now that I’ve heard the OG – holy shit, I can see why a label would have balked; this is considerably more homophobic than anything I can immediately think of. It’s one thing to have a homophobic verse but an entire song dedicated to why gays should die from the germ?
It makes, say, Common’s problems with homophobia seem quaintly mild.
Gotta disagree with you about why BN weren’t as revered as other Tongues members. From my recollection, their homophobia was never an issue at the time. I think one thing that impacted their legacy was that Puba left and while “In God We Trust” was well-received by any measure (except maybe sales), it’s just not the same group at that point; it’d be like if Tip left Quest and Jarobi and Phife were left behind to hold it down. Moreover, “Everything Is Everything” didn’t make much of an impression. In contrast, you look at the reception around Tribe’s albums 1-3 (or De La’s for that matter) and it’s a solid streak in a way that BN never achieved.
I also think – and this is purely personal – that “One For All,” great as it was, sounds a lot more anachronistic now than some of the Tongues albums which aged better.
But yo – thanks for that lost demo cut. It’s kind of fucking up my world right now.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
I remember seeing Ali Shaheed DJ in (Williamsburg) Brooklyn once and interrupt his set to remind everyone of his Muslim status and run down homosexuals (in response to a comment from some girls in the crowd I think). There followed a very awkward silence before he brought the beats back in…
November 20th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
>Gotta disagree with you about why BN weren’t as revered as other Tongues members. From my recollection, their homophobia was never an issue at the time.
THAT line from “Punks Jump Up” was mos definitely discussed at the time.
November 21st, 2009 at 1:04 am
“THAT line from “Punks Jump Up” was mos definitely discussed at the time”
It was but I never remember it being a lingering issue, let alone something that stained the group’s legacy.
Had “Georgie Porgie” come out, yeeks, that would have done some serious damage to BOTH groups’ image.
November 21st, 2009 at 4:35 am
Not going to d/l Georgie Porgie. The song is a vault song, and it was made almost 20 years ago..
just like “meet the g that killed me” — which actually was released — Hindsight/tolerance/hopefully learning from things said in the past/etc. I’d imagine the PE and ATCQ of TODAY would prefer to go back in time and erase those tracks, perhaps.
The creative blowtorch is necessary when you’re young, but sometimes some really ugly stuff can pop out.
Definitely agreed that ATCQ are lucky this track was just a vault track.
November 21st, 2009 at 4:37 am
PS we should be more concerned about homobigot tracks that are comin out today still, tbf
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:15 am
great post noz
November 24th, 2009 at 1:12 am
Didn’t Puba state in “Check the Technique” that “Georgie Porgy” was recorded for “One For All” but both groups agreed to scrape it?
November 24th, 2009 at 5:37 am
Speaking of the Jungle Brothers – Georgie Porgy wouldn’t have anything to do with Baby Bam’s sexuality now would it?
December 1st, 2009 at 12:14 am
JBz having more great albums than Tribe is just some kneejerk backlash idiocy. We get it, you’re the different and cool guy. Cheap shots, I know, sorry.
Anyways, Almighty Arrogant was pretty damn great. I think Nick Wiz might have done some beats for him. Not sure why I think that, though.
Also, he may be from Chicago. I say this because Kev Beacham leaked his demo tape at philaflava awhile back and at the time he was mostly uploading Chicago stuff, as that’s where he’s from.
Great drop.
And releasing “Georgie Porgy” wouldn’t have hurt Tribe or Nubians image at all. If anything it would have only helped them back then.
Mo bags weren’t all so accepted as they are now, back then. It would not have been a big deal. IMO, it was just Q Tip not wanting to be offensive, plain and simple.
December 1st, 2009 at 12:15 am
Oh yeah, good drop. Thanks for the uploads.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:06 am
i gotta say verge is on point with that one, tribe>>>>jbs