Anyone into The Low End Theory? Rolling Stone printed an article titled "Low End Theory: 10 Things You Didn't Know." The 10 facts are below, and the story behind each can be read here: A Tribe Called Quest's 'The Low End Theory': 10 Things You Didn't Know 1. In order to make The Low End Theory, Q-Tip had to pull Phife off the street. 2. N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton helped inspire Tribe. 3. Phife had to fight for his "Butter" spotlight. 4. Competition between De La Soul and Tribe led to Vinia Mojica's hook on "Verses from the Abstract." 5. "Industry Rule #4,080" may refer to Jive Records. 6. Phife Dawg's stray shots almost led to bloodshed. 7. Pete Rock made the original "Jazz (We Got)." 8. "Scenario" originally included more members of the Native Tongues. 9. Q-Tip wrote part of Busta Rhymes' iconic rap on "Scenario." 10. The Low End Theory marked the beginning of the end of Native Tongues. Here's a quote from Bob Power (producer/engineer on the album): "There are a bunch of reasons why that record was so different than anything else. One thing was that technology had finally caught up to people’s visions. Tip and Ali both had this uncanny way of hearing music, where they can hear a bunch of different records, get an idea of different samples to use from those different records and not just hear them in their original context but also hear in their mind’s ear what they will sound like when combined. "You could synchronize things, so even if your sampler didn’t have enough memory to lay down all the samples you wanted to, you could lay down a few of them on tape tracks. Run the tape back, synchronize it, lay down a few more, lay down a few more. Instead of having the same little piece of sample play over and over again, you could actually build elaborate musical constructions. That’s why, to me, the work around that time was so genre-bending."
Aaron, I have to confess that, after this point in time, I pretty much lost interest in rap, turning my interest to grunge and pop, with only artists like Eminem, Outkast, Nicki Minaj, and the other occasional rap hit by Ice Cube afterward. I may be motivated to check out some of the stuff you all are talking about at some point in the future, but, I have to say I have nothing left to contribute until the late 90s.
Same, with some artist like you mentioned along a couple Lupe Fiasco albums, some Kanye West, Jay Z. There hasn't been to many hip-hop artist that interest me today.
It's probably my favorite rap album of all time. I remember feverishly tracking down the Scenario Remix since it wasn't included on the album.
Most fans don't realize that March 1, 1991 is one of the most important dates in Hip Hop history. What happened on that day? Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data for Nielsen on March 1, 1991. Thus beginning the SoundScan era that eventually would track every CD sold across the country for the major labels. It was a revolution in the music industry that would push Rap music into its golden era - music labels before SoundScan had no idea that two genres usually dismissed by New York and L.A. record executives, Rap and Country, were huge sellers across America. It was why MTV quickly shifted to more and more urban music as the Grunge fad ended. The major labels started pouring millions into Rap record labels and artists, which gave us many of the Hip Hop acts from the era now considered all-time greats.
Yes!! Brilliant remix! And for the record, Bad Boy/Puff Daddy didn't "invent the remix." The Native Tongues did. First it was the remix to "Buddy" and then the "Scenario" remix, both of which were brand new recordings from start to finish--new backing track and new vocals/lyrics. Nobody else was doing that as early as these guys.
Hopefully you will continue to follow along with us, @Grant. Perhaps the mid-'90s will be a period of new discovery for you, as there are some real gems that came out in the upcoming years to be discussed.
Interesting observation. I would argue that the explosion of rap and country would've happened regardless, but SoundScan gave the industry a way to track sales very accurately and look at trends on a micro level.
Here's one from '91: Rappin' 4-Tay Is Back!!! I've been listening to a lot of Rappin' 4-Tay lately. Not so much this album, but some of his later stuff. It's all good. Very west coast which is a good thing. He's got a great flow and some classic rhymes.
Released 27 years ago this week... DJ Quik Quik Is The Name "To the man up above, to whom thanks I'm givin' I'll never drink again if you just let me keep livin'" "Tonite" music video
Released on the same day (January 15, 1991) as Quik Is The Name was this classic from DJ Premier & Guru (aka Gang Starr): Step In The Arena "Just To Get A Rep" music video
DJ Premier on recording Step In The Arena: “Once we got signed, that album took exactly 30 days to record. We did it at Calliope [in Manhattan], and ended up there because we was always just lookin’ for a sound. We knew we had a distinctive style, but we wanted to see which studio could make our sound come out the best. Calliope was a place to go because I used to like the way that De La Soul’s stuff sounded, and Queen Latifah’s first album [All Hail The Queen], too.” Gang Starr didn’t actually record all their album tracks there – seven out of 18 were recorded at Brooklyn’s Such-A-Sound and Firehouse Studios, where their first album was done – but Calliope was where the bulk of work was completed and polished. Excerpt taken from egotripland.com | DJ Premier Looks Back at Gang Starr’s ‘Step In The Arena’ with Author Brian Coleman.
DJ Quik on getting his record deal: “It was surreal. The most I ever had at that point was $280,” Quik told me in a 2011 interview for L.A. Weekly. “Everything was lining up. I looked at myself in the mirror and wasn’t a geeky little kid anymore. I had facial hair. I was growing into myself as a man. Then Profile [Records] offered $125,000 and I jumped up and down, screaming like James Brown.” Having already laid down the demos, the rapper-producer cut Quik Is the Name in just 20 weed-clouded days. Excerpt taken from How Quik Is the Name Became an Instant West Coast Classic
Funny bit of 1991 trivia: Nice & Smooth's Ain't A Damn Thing Changed came out the exact same day (September 17, 1991) as WC And The Maad Circle's Ain't A Damn Thang Changed.
I know some people are really into the Tim Dog release Penicillin on Wax, but I've just never been a fan. Anyone used to rock this one back in the day (or still do)? The single "F--k Compton" hit #1 on Billboard's Hot Rap Singles chart, which surely had to be based on sales alone. I don't ever recall seeing MTV play the video, and I can't imagine many radio stations were spinning it. Anyone from NY recall hearing it on late night radio?
Before we move into 1992, there's one more album that hasn't been talked about much. I have the clean version of this classic, and it's extremely hard to find: Mr. Scarface Is Back (Clean Version) Mr. Scarface Is Back (Explicit Version) As a full album, this one is my #1 favorite of any Geto Boys or solo release. Although the Geto Boys have some excellent albums in their catalog, I've always felt that each one has a few clunkers on it that have prevented it from being a 5-star masterpiece. IMO, this one stands just above the rest.
1992 Time for another fun collage of album covers! What are your favorite hip hop songs and albums from 1992?
My favorites from 1992: Albums 01. Das EFX - Dead Serious 02. Dr. Dre - The Chronic 03. Paris - Sleeping With The Enemy 04. The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II The Parcyde 05. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca And The Soul Brother 06. Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of... 07. EPMD -Business Never Personal 08. Beastie Boys - Check Your Head 09. Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy - Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury 10. Divine Styler - Spiral Walls Containing Autumns Of Light Songs 01. The Pharcyde - Passin' Me By 02. House Of Pain - Jump Around 03. Das EFX - If Only 04. Arrested Development - Mama's Always On Stage 05. K-Solo - Letterman 06. Dr. Dre - High Powered 07. Us3 - Cantaloop 08. Paris - Bush Killa 09. EPMD - Chill 10. Hard Knocks - Dirty Cop Named Harry 11. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - For Pete's Sake 12. Beastie Boys - Something's Got To Give 13. Gang Starr - Soliloquy Of Chaos 14. Redman - Time 4 Sum Aktion 15. Body Count - Cop Killer
Are there any other songs that were so controversial that they were removed from the parent album and never reissued? As risqué as a lot of hip-hop albums are, this is the only song I can think of at the moment that caused such a stir. I'm sure there must be others, though.
My top 5 favorite hip hop albums of 1992: 5. Brand New Heavies Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol. 1 4. Redman Whut? Thee Album 3. Pharcyde Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde 2. Dr. Dre The Chronic 1. Pete Rock & CL Smooth Mecca And The Soul Brother Honorable mention: The Predator (Ice Cube), Daily Operation (Gang Starr), Reel To Reel (Grand Puba) It was very hard to narrow down, but I think I was able to make a fairly accurate top 10 "songs" list for '92. My top 10 favorite hip hop songs of 1992: 10. "Uptown Anthem" by Naughty By Nature 9. "I Got A Man" by Positive K 8. "Jump Around" by House Of Pain 7. "DWYCK" by Gang Starr feat. Nice & Smooth 6. "Juice (Know The Ledge)" by Eric B. & Rakim 5. "Rump Shaker" (Teddy 2 Remix) by Wreckx-N-Effect 4. "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang" by Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg 3. "They Want EFX" by Das EFX (both the the original and remix are equally killer!) 2. "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" by Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth 1. "Check Yo Self" (Remix) by Ice Cube feat. Das EFX Honorable mention: "So What Cha Want" by Beastie Boys, "Passin' Me By" by Pharcyde, "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot, "Deep Cover" by Dr. Dr introducing Snoop Doggy Dogg, "People Everyday" (Remix) by Arrested Development, "Don't Sweat The Technique" by Eric B. & Rakim