Scribbler's "Get Out of My Brain!" Countdown of the Month (August 2016)

The month of July leading into August was an interesting time for music for a few reasons.  First and foremost, this is one of the few times where every song that entered the countdown stayed on the countdown--which is ironic because the beginning of the month found me flooding my ears with music, but I was probably tired of having melodies and beats on my mind for the majority of the last 24 days.  Second, there were a lot of times where one song would make me think of another song or one moment would remind me of another moment where I was thinking about the same song or sets of songs...pretty much a real fustercluck.  Third, I've had quite a few instances where I've had the desire to hear music either from those with whom I've broken bread or who I've known better than the back of my hand.  (Hold on...checking this extra hairy patch on the back of my hand...okay, I'm good.)  So in the August edition of the "'Get Out of My Brain!' Countdown of the Month", you all will witness "Moments In Intersectionality", "Moments In Shameless Plugging" and two other songs that won't leave me alone.  Let's jump to it...

RANDOM THOUGHT ALERTS!!! (Vol. 1, No. 6)

There are days when I feel like I've betrayed the legacy of Rosa Parks, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Abernathy and everyone who participated in the year-long Montgomery bus boycott.  As much hell as Parks endured for sitting at the front of the bus and as much walking as the boycott participants did in lieu of financially supporting the Montgomery City Lines, I should at least sit in a spot halfway between the front and the back, right?  Well, ever since I've been catching the Metrobus, my inclination has been to either sit at one of the window seats or in the middle seat at the very back of the bus.  The reasons have varied between looking out the rear window of the old school GMC "Fishbowl" and Flxible "New Look" buses, having more space to sit on the five-seat row because passengers often don't sit between people and (perhaps the most noble reason of all) leaving the seats closer to the front for the elderly, the disabled, women to have first dibs.  No matter the reason, I usually don't feel but so bad because I fully exercise my right and my choice to sit at the back of the bus in lieu of being ordered to sit there, and that's what gives me confidence that Ms. Parks isn't turning in her grave.  Now that I've given the most introspective and serious intro to a "RANDOM THOUGHT ALERTS!!!" post ever, let's have some fun, shall we...

Scribbler's Rave & Favorite Five: A Countdown for Mrs. Scribbler

If I've said it before, then I'll say it again: as much as music keeps me going on my own, music is often the life blood between me and my closest family members, friends, lovers lost and lovers kept and Mrs. Scribbler is certainly no exception to that rule.  Whether it's been on long road trips, date nights, hanging out in the house or just random moments, there are so many songs and albums that have provided the soundtrack to our life as best friends, boyfriend and girlfriend and eventually husband and wife.  So to kick off the celebration of our eighth wedding anniversary, I share with you all a special "Rave & Favorite Five" dedicated to my Babushka.  Be warned: the majority of it might make you need a barf bag and be on your Ice Pick from Don't Be a Menace "aiight, that's enough of that sentimental sh--" flow.  Let's go...

Scribbler's 3-for-1 After Tuesday Special: A Tribute to Phife Dawg

Now y'all know that something or someone has to be special for me to buck the trend and post on a Wednesday when this blog is New Problem Tuesdays.  However, if special exceptions are made when popes, kings, queens, princes, princesses, presidents and political leaders pass away, then the same must be done for hip-hop royalty.  When I was scrolling through my Facebook news feed last night before bed and saw a report that Malik Taylor aka Phife Dawg--one-fourth of one of my favorite hip-hop groups of all time, A Tribe Called Quest--had passed away at the age of 45, my heart immediately sunk and I knew that his storied bout with diabetes was the culprit--although the family hadn't confirmed it yet.  It made me feel two different things: 1) I felt like I lost one of my favorite uncles or older brothers and 2) I hate diabetes with a passion because of what it can do to people over time, especially if not properly handled.  I immediately resigned myself to listen to my two favorite albums of theirs, The Low End Theory (1991) and Midnight Marauders (1993)--the latter being the very first hip-hop album that I ever purchased.  Then I thought, "How can I honor Phife Dawg without unveiling my 'Rave & Favorite Five' hip-hop duos & groups too soon and going out of order again and waiting until next Tuesday to do it?"  The answer is threefold: 1) Tribe albums will be "In Heavy Rotation" for a while; 2) by the time this post hit the Innanets, it will be an "11th Hour Post of the Week"; and 3) I can share my "Rave & Favorite Five" Phife Dawg verses.  (You see what I did there...you're welcome.)  Hence, I bring you the first "3-for-1 After Tuesday Special" in NPT history.  Let's roll...

How Kendrick Lamar Didn't Get Robbed at the Grammys

Last year, I posted an in-depth summary of the 55th Grammy Awards.  Yeah...totally not going on and on about Pharrell's faux pas with those ranger hats; Jay-Z's "I wanna thank God, but only a little bit" statement taken way out of proportion; or Katy Perry becoming the newest member of the Illuminati.  In the illustrious words of Chester Cheetah, "Yasss, we know."  However, a bigger topic that jumped out at me is the whole issue of Kendrick Lamar getting shut out of winning any awards.  Many people have turned this into a "battle" between him and Macklemore--which is silly because the two artists are actually in contact with and respect each other.  Now I can't speak too much on the Seattle rap artist or proclaim to be a fan of his because I've only heard like three of his songs--I do like "Same Love" a lot--but I do plan on listening toThe Heist to make a more sound judgment and, if necessary, comparison.  Nevertheless, I've come to four major conclusions about this whole situation--none of which lean toward Kendrick getting "robbed".

Album Review: Jay-Z, "Magna Carta...Holy Grail"

As I have matured in the way that I listen to music, I have become one of those people that doesn't rush to declare an album's greatness until I've had ample time to sit with and study the product in its entirety.  Thus, you can imagine how annoyed I became at seeing so many people gawk at my favorite rapper's twelfth studio album, Magna Carta... Holy Grail.  Granted, Jay-Z flexed his hustler's muscle once again by selling a million records well before his much-anticipated album even hit the market, so you know this only fueled the frenzy.  What built the anticipation even more was that a lot of his core fans had been disappointed with his product as of late--some since American Gangster and many since as far back as The Black Album.  However, I knew there was trouble afoot for our beloved superhero (or beloved villain depending on who you ask)...

Scribbler's Borrowers & Lenders of the Week: Jay-Z, "No Hook"

So the resident Jay-Z fan posted a Jay-Z song on his revamped series.  Surprise, surprise.  Ah well...deal with it because there will be more to come.  Anyway, the original Mr. Carter has been the beneficiary of "borrowing" many times throughout his storied career, and like last week's "Borrower" in Big K.R.I.T., he proves over and over again that he possesses quite the superb musical ear.  When he put out the super-dope American Gangster album and unoffical soundtrack (2007, Roc-A-Fella), "No Hook" immediately stood out.  (ASIDE: the song has a bit of sentimental value for me because whenever I think about riding around Philly with Mrs. Scribbler before she became the Mrs. and listening to this CD for the first time with her, "No Hook" is the first song that comes to mind.  That's enough of that sentimental ish...back to biz, kids.)  With Sean C & LV bringing the sample and Diddy calling upon the assistance of live musicians, the end result is a match made in heaven and the perfect platform for Jay to spit one of his many signature tales about the highs and lows of the streets:

Living Legend or Urban Myth? The Concept of "Real Hip-Hop"

(First things first: I must give credit where it's due to my unofficial contributor for this particular post, Mrs. Scribbler.  Many of the issues that I plan on tackling in this potentially-controversial post are the end results of a conversation that she and I had on this topic recently, and for that, I say "thank you beeb" :-)!  Now, let's start the show...)

When I did a Google search for "real hip-hop", the image above was the first that popped up, including several variations of it further down the page.  The next image featured 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G. and Run-D.M.C. in the center with other hip-hop legends like LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Rakim, Ice Cube, Jay-Z, Nas, KRS-One, Public Enemy and a host of others on the outskirts.  Conversely, the sixth image in the search showed a picture saying "THIS ISN'T HIP-HOP" with an "X" through pictures of artists like Lil' Wayne, Drake, Big Sean, Rick Ross, Wale, Wiz Khalifa, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj and even Busta Rhymes--whose face ironically appeared on the aforementioned collage with the hip-hop legends.  I also saw images of graffiti, DJing, breaking, boomboxes, cassette tapes, microphones, headphones, and all of the typical associations with "real" hip-hop.  However, I write this post because I have become perplexed and somewhat annoyed by the notions of "real hip-hop" or "real hip-hop is not on the radio"--concepts that I believe are nothing more than "urban myths".

Scribbler's Borrowers & Lenders of the Week: Big K.R.I.T., "Boobie Miles"

There's a huge reason why Big K.R.I.T. is one of my favorite rappers and producers among the newer breed of hip-hop artists: he has an awesome ear for good music, particularly in picking samples.  When I first heard "Boobie Miles" from 4eva N A Day (2012), I was absolutely in love with the song just because of the sample.  He could've been talking about penguins and polar bears over that beat and I would've thought it was the greatest song ever--or at least of 2012.  However, he actually spit something of worth and made an extremely motivational music video--a rarity among today's "creative" minds.  Hence, here's the version as made popular by this week's "borrower":

Scribbler's Native Tongue Mixtape Pick: Big K.R.I.T., "King Remembered In Time"

In becoming the new face of Mississippi hip-hop, it is extremely difficult to argue that Big K.R.I.T. hasn't been able to live up to the lofty expectations behind his acronym.  Outside of Kanye West, very few hip-hop artists have received more critical acclaim as a rapper and producer from various hip-hop "crowds" than Big K.R.I.T.  With a slew of successful mixtapes and a Def Jam album under his belt thus far, his impressive catalog can match, if not altogether surpass, that of any celebrated rapper that has come out in the past 5-10 years.  However, none of that matters to Krizzle.  He makes it abundantly clear that he wants more and shows an adamant refusal to slack off with his latest mixtape, King Remembered In Time.

Scribbler's Native Tongue Mixtape Pick: Raz Simone, "Solomon Samuel Simone"

Sifting through what seemed like an endless sea of EPs and mixtapes from March for this first review--yeah, I'm late, but I promise I'll get better in future reviews--Seattle hip-hop artist Raz Simone stood out among several tough competitors with his debut EP, Solomon Samuel Simone.  Presented by Black Umbrella and Dream & Produce (download here), Simone's five-track, 22-minute project is a raspy, raw effort that showcases the emcee's ability to "find the silver lining in the clouds".  He has no problem talking about the occasional dreariness of the clouds themselves, but he balances it out by bringing attention to each and every blessing in disguise.

Scribbler's Throwback of the Week: The O'Jays, "What Am I Waiting For"

The often overlooked beauty of hip-hop music is that it can musically provide a formal introduction to the past.  Although The O'Jays are easily in my favorite top 5 singing groups of all time, I have never owned their 1975 Survival album that features this particular gem.  I first heard it via a Jay-Z song, "You Must Love Me", from In My Lifetime, Vol. 1.  Subsequently, I purchased one of those Smooth Grooves compilation albums mainly because I was so enamored once I heard the original.  It was also notably sampled in 50 Cent's "Ski Mask Way" from The Massacre--and although the sampling was a bit more creative in Fiddy's version, Jay's lyrics were more introspective and had the advantage of Kelly Price singing the hook.  However, this post is not about them...let's talk throwbacks, shall we?

Scribbler's Throwback of the Week: The Manhattans, "Wish That You Were Mine"

I remember first hearing this song and thinking, "Dang, are all their best songs about messing around?!?!"  (Think "Kiss and Say Goodbye".)  However, that thought was quickly erased as I pressed repeat another two times.  The ever-so-smooth Winfred "Blue" Lovett opens up as always, asking his object of affection, "Baby, can we have the same table like we had yesterday?" Complementing his deep voice as the song moves along musically are the lush and melodic sounds delivered straight from Philly--which is funny since "The Manhattans" actually formed in Jersey City, New Jersey.  Led by the equally smooth Gerald Alston, the quartet delivers beautiful four-part harmony that you don't often hear from R&B groups anymore--especially considering that there aren't many of which to speak.  Taken from their 1973 album, There's No Me Without You, those who are familiar with Bronx rapper Fat Joe's catalog may recognize this sample from one of his often slept-on singles,  "All I Need" featuring Tony Sunshine & Armageddon.  (Ironic that Fat Joe made more of a rap love song that mentions coming home and staying true to one woman, but The Manhattans' song talks about wanting someone that you know you can't have when you already have somebody at home.)  Although I don't condone infidelity, "Wish That You Were Mine" is one song that makes creeping sound oh so good...but also ultimately hopeless.

Scribbler's 'Boo This Man' Moment of the Week (Part I): Consequence

Remember how this guy from Half Baked ridiculed Thurgood Jenkins (Dave Chappelle) for being a marijuana addict in a room full of cocaine addicts? 

Hence, the name of this new series.  When I think people are on that fracka nacka, this is my way of tapping into my inner David Edwards--yup, the same one from The Real World: Los Angeles and fellow D.C. native.  (Let some tell it, this may be the highlight of his career.)  Now on to the bid-ness...

Scribbler's Throwback of the Week: Isaac Hayes, "A Few More Kisses to Go"

So Mrs. Scribbler and I were having husband and wife time recently--no, I will not share the details, although I'm sure you don't wanna know--and this song was playing in the midst of a really good set on WHUR's "The Original Quiet Storm".  (For the record, there really is nothing better to listen to for good R&B on a Sunday night, which has been their "touch the sweet spot" night as far back as I can remember.)  Many of you 90s hip-hop/R&B heads may recognize this classic (from his 1979 Don't Let Go album) from "Tonight's Da Night" by Redman and "Tonight's the Night" by Blackstreet, and just from the lush and appealing first 20-30 seconds, you can see why this sample bolstered the likeability of those tracks.  It's funny because a co-worker and I were just having a discussion about Isaac Hayes' vocals, and while he said that he never really cared much for Hayes' voice, I always felt like his melancholic but smooth tone worked for his songs.  Along with "Walk On By", this song is a prime example of that.  I mean, could you really envision somebody like Eddie Holman singing over music like this?  (Eddie Holman = the "Hey There Lonely Girl" guy for those who never know singers by their name or can barely tell other people the name of a song.)  Anyway, if you need a song to either set the opening tone or simply add to your "quality time" playlist, please listen to this one and consider the possibilities...Mrs. Scribbler had a nice night, and [in my Forrest Gump voice] that's all I have to say about that.

Rap Attack 101: What to Have Before You Leave the Studio

 

BREAKING NEWS: I'm a Jay-Z fan.  This is only my opinion and not law, but he's the greatest MC of all time because "MC" stands for "master of ceremonies" and nobody masters a ceremony as a hip-hop/rap artist like Mr. Carter.  (I will say that Doug E. Fresh is arguably more or at least equally entertaining as a one-man show.)  Now for the real point of this post...it takes a lot to go from Picture #1 to Picture #2 as a rapper, MC, artist or however you choose to bill yourself.  Seems like an obvious statement simply because Jay is the subject in these pictures.  However, judging from many of the performances that I see at open mics, artist showcases, and even "professional" concerts, it's not as consensus of a practice as one should expect it to be.  Let's forget lack of stage presence or a clear sign that an artist doesn't practice enough before they grace the stage.  Let's not even get into whether somebody is dope boy fresh or spewing wack juice all over the game.  The thing that annoys me the most is that many artists think they're so ready for Picture #2 that they leave Picture #1 without the essentials.

Scribbler's Throwback of the Week: Lyn Collins, "Think"

So I've decided to start this new thing on my blog where I try to feature a song at least once a week that has been sampled in classic hip-hop and R&B songs or gave a much-needed boost to an otherwise dud.  (Keyword: "try".  Although this blogging thing can be highly therapeutic, it can also be time-consuming--especially since I'm a step away from being a windbag.  I know, I know...some of y'all are like, "Ummmm, 'a step away from being a windbag'? Dude, you're already there!")  There might not be a better song to kick off this post than with a song that I mentioned on my Facebook page the other day: "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins.