November 2009

When Anti-Pop Consortium announced that it was breaking up way back in 2002 (or ’03 dependent upon whether or not you count the Matthew Ship helmed disc as a proper Anti-Pop release) it seemed like the end of an era. It kinda was. There wouldn’t any longer be a central figure in the weirdo, off kilter rap game. Surely, Anticon and Def Jux were still around, but no one on either of those rosters sat in the same territory of Beans, M. Sayyid and Priest. How could they? The confluence of electronics, BK styled rap stuff and plain artistic invention was so succinctly reveled in over the Anti-Pop discography that it simply couldn’t have been approached again.

But for some reason, the trio’s gotten back together.

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The various sagas that make up lifetimes of session musicians – and no, not the session players that the Kinks lampoon in its song – make for some sad footnotes to recorded music in the States. Of course the Funk Brothers come to mind. Having a documentary made about you probably should result in your latter day success. And members of that band have certainly benefited from the raised level of visibility that the group’s received in years since that film, but not everyone gets that shot. McKinley Jackson, Melvin Griffin, Roderick Chandler, Clay Robinson, and Zachary Slater – the folks responsible for trucking out the funk and soul Hof olland-Dozier-Holland – who comprise the Politicians haven’t had that break as of yet. And they probably won’t get it.

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Haven't heard from this Boston based emcee in a while. I woulda preferred a new track as opposed to an interview, but that's how it goes.

Ladies and gentleman, the inimitable Jay Electronica.

Being sampled by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest on "Show Business" from the group’s 1991 album The Low End Theory should probably cement any group’s importance. And really, the fact that the Fatback Band wasn’t still in the charts or performing regularly during the ‘90s is kinda surprising. Releasing music during the better part of both the ‘70s and ‘80s, the ensemble – comprised of Bill Curtis as the group’s drummer, guitarist Johnny King, bassist Johnny Flippin, trumpet player George Williams, saxophonist Earl Shelton, flautist George Adams, and keyboardist Gerry Thomas – enjoyed various spurts of success. Its music changed over the years, but that beat remained roughly the same in conception if not in practice.

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MF Doom
MM..Food
(Rhymesayers Entertainment, 2004)
www.rhymesayers.com

As far as traditional styled beats go (as opposed to the Anticon/Plague Language style) no one does it better than Doom. Period. Concept albums galore, Doom doesn’t rest. MM..Food, technically the follow up to Operation: Doomsday, continues the goofiness which is much appreciated. I mean, “Hoe Cakes,” what’s better than that? But amidst all of the jokes, Doom really talks about human relationships. In “Deep Fried Frenz” he says, “Call you when they need something/Trees for the Bluntin’.” See, Super-Villains don’t like to be taken advantage of either. They have feelings. A vocal sample on “Poo-Putt Platter” says “Negro humor always escaped me,” and I say that I may miss a Jesse Jackson reference every now and then, but it’s amusing nonetheless. Grover, amuses me too, and it sounds as if he’s talking on “Fig Leaf Bicarbonate.”  I would like more than a single Guinness. And as if Doom knew it, he had Angelika guest on that track. It’s rare to hear good rappers and even more rare to hear good rappers that happen to be female. “How come all of you college boys wear those faggoty white shoes?”  Good question.  Only more entertainment follows. I have nothing all that deep to proclaim. But I do know that this slab is worth the price of listening. Mr. Fantastik and Doom thought about knishes for god’s sake, come on.

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Here goes another bit of live Blu & Exile. The sound/video on this one's a bit better...either way, these guys are monsters.

It's the entire set, so sit back and enjoy it...