Thoughts From the Rap Nest
vol022-021
Thoughts
This is a PSA, I am not sure who needs to hear this. I know this doesn't not apply to most people reading this but I wanted to get it off my chest. Don’t message labels and artists and complain about the cost of shipping or if a release sold out domestically before you you could cop it. As a Canadian rap fan I am more than used to paying for shipping for records, cd’s and tapes. Do I complain about the cost of shipping, you bet I do. Do I email the artist repeatedly to complain about it, no I don’t. We all hate paying for shipping and artists and labels don’t set the prices. I am not talking about gouging for shipping like Buck 65 did domestically for shipping for Canadian orders of King of Drums CD and Tapes (shots fired), I am talking about the regular rates. Also it is fair for artist labels to charge an extra couple bucks to cover the costs of mailers, tape and other materials to do their best to make sure your items arrive as safe as possible. I didn’t message Buck 65 and call him out on his shipping as much as I would have liked to. I knew what it was I made the decision to either purchase it or pass on it. I purchased it and ranted to the homies in the rap chat like the rap fanatic I am. That is the proper course of action. Vent to the homies for a minute, talk about the rap game and the bigger implications, keep it moving and charge it to the game. I think it irked me a bit more as my history with Buck 65 as a person is frustrating at best but that is a story for another Classic Material post. Although our last interaction about 5 years ago or so was the best one yet. I don’t want to make this about Buck though. Recently one of my favourite rap groups of all time dropped a tape and I was real excited but with exchange and shipping it was just too much for my already overburdened bank account to take. I was bummed for a bit because I wanted to support the release but they sold it out and I was happy for them. Despite what I think, it is simply impossible to own all the rap releases I like. I just like way too much rap.
The shipping rates continue to rise between Canada and The United States. I know this can put labels and artist in precarious predicaments with the long lead times and delays associated with vinyl. Shipping costs collected during preorders may not reflect the current rate when it comes time to ship. This is such a killer for labels when margins are already so slim to begin with. Sometimes I swear the only people making money in the indie rap game are the services and companies shipping the product.
It is wild that I can order something from Germany and it arrives generally a week earlier and is cheaper then ordering the same item from the United States. I often look for German sellers on Discogs for this reason. Shipping domestically is not a lot cheaper then getting something from Germany. The shipping game is wild, it really is a game though. There are so many tricks that are learned through trial and error. The key in Canada is to get cd’s and tapes to fit through the oversized letter slot. I got burned a few times by this and the difference in shipping rates is quite substantial. I have some great Canada Post workers at my local Shoppers Drug Mart and they broke it down to me and gave me the measurements of the oversized letter slot they use. This was a game changer.
On a side note I have maybe the best letter carrier in the world. He will text me when I have packages or if there are issues. We chat a lot and he is a record collector of rock music. One time I ordered from someone on Discogs that he orderd from a lot and he was really stoked about that. We chat a lot. His name is Brian and the neighbourhood kids on multiple occasions on difference blocks will write large thank you notes on the sidewalk with his name. I wish everyone had a relationship with their letter carrier like this and I wish every letter carrier was a good as him. Recently he was unable to deliver a record to me because it rained too hard and the street was flooded, the water was up to my knees. He came back later after he finished the rest of his deliveries to see if the water had receded and it had and he delivered the record.
My all time co-favourite mc Awol One dropped the debut episode of the Speakerface Podcast last night on Spotify. For the record my other co-favourite mc is Masta Ace. The debut episode is an introduction and features Awol One interviewing himself and setting the script for upcoming episodes. He is going to talk to interesting people doing interesting things in music, art, illustration, screen printing or their work. I am looking forward to future episodes and seeing who he has as guests. Check for it on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from.
If you remember in last weeks issue I teased a release from the good folks at Audio Recon. That release was Ajai 2 with raps by Serengeti and production from Child Actor. I did not know this was in the works until a week before it was going to drop. The first batch of 100 record sold out in like 136 minutes. So, I know some behind the scenes fan-dangling was done to secure a pressing plant to add a second lot of 100 copies to give another 100 people a shot at owning this one. Audio Recon is one of those really special rap labels that is run by a Rap Fanatic much like myself and they are always trying to make things attainable for fans. If you have not had a chance to grab one I would highly recommend doing so before they are gone and you will be at the mercy of the reseller vultures. Also grab Darko the Super and Height Keech - You Gotta Have Friends album while you are there as it is now shipping and you could also add the classic Serengeti - Don’t Give Up as well.
The long time homies and two of the best people on the planet are back with a new album! The Gumshoe Strut and Yy are Turn The Gun. I am so excited about this record. I was able to hear the album early on as The Gumshoe Strut reached out to see if I would be down to lay some cuts on the project! Not only was I down, I was honored to contribute to the project. This past Tuesday they dropped a preorder for the album, Perpetual Survival on CD, and cassette. Along with some super fresh shirts and a combo that includes Perpetual Survival Cassette or Cd, T-Shirt, Keychain, Stickers. I know a bunch of you reading this have already coped this but for the rest of you I would highly recommend doing so right now.
This album is also available from the homies at Pen Thief Records and features a bonus track which is a remix by the homie Noblonski of my favourite song on the album, Ally. There are lots of great releases to grab while you are there so spread those shipping dollars out over a few releases.
This weeks feature album from the good homies at Audio Recon is soso’s coming of age album Tinfoil on the Windows. This album is a bit of a departure from his earlier works production wise and marries the incomparable sounds of Maybe Smith with classic soso rhymes that make you contemplate everything in your life from the base boards in your kitchen to the sunrise at dawn. This album is beautiful in every sense of the word. I was privy to an advance of the album. I was walking down to Third Verse from the University Campus where I was living at the time. It was dark out already and I remember the song for a Girl On A far Away Hill coming on as I approached the University Bridge and just stopping and staring at the river and lights not sure if I should wait for the song to end or to continue walking to the station. It literally stopped me in my tracks. I think I paused for a good 45 seconds before continuing on. It is not very often a record or song moves you to stop what you are doing and take it in. I am honored to profile this album at a discounted price 20% off with discount code tinfoilthoughts through August 11. Love you soso!
I received my contributor copies of the debut issue of the Ugsmag Zine. I am so honoured to be a part of it and I can’t wait for issue 2. I will return with a Thoughts From The Rap Nest Column and I am thinking about one other contribution. Thank you Noyz for issue 002 and for all of your hard work in making this a reality. There are still a few copies available here.
Record One
Mood - Doom
This album from Cincinnati‘s Mood is celebrating 25 years young with not one but two reissues within a week of each other. The first was a Triple LP release from 90’s Tapes/HHV and the second being a Double LP release from Fat Beats. The 90’s tapes one sold out in less than 24 hours but the Fat Beats one is still available and features a previously unreleased J Dilla remix for Secrets of the Sands. I never owned this record when it dropped so I was really excited when I woke up a couple Thursday’s ago and logged into Instagram and saw it was reissued. It was an instant cop as I didn’t have this when it was originally released. I am really happy to have this classic in the collection.
Record Two
Thrust OG x Bofaat - Broken Arrow
I have been a huge fan of Thrust’s since the first time I saw the Rage video in 1996 on Much Music’s Rap City. I was blown away and extra excited that he was Canadian. I am so happy that Thrust, now going by Thrust OG is still rapping and making quality music after all these years. Broken Arrow is a great records front to back. I really like side B and especially the second half. This I Know is my jam. It is classic Thrust. The album is complimented with dope cuts from Dystracted and the production from Bofaat is perfectely crafted to allow Thrust to shine. The only knock is it is coloured vinyl and not classic black. I will let it slide though.
Classic Material
Hip Hop Weiners - All Beef, No Chicken
This album is celebrating 20 years this year and when I realized that I was shocked. This was a polarizing release at the time for many long time Peanuts and Corn (P&C) fans as it was a bit of a departure from the classic P&C sound/formula that fans were used to. However, it was a big hit in the Saskatoon scene.
I lugged this album across the Atlantic Ocean as the central piece of a trade with Siaz from The Shadow Animals in 2005. Epic, soso and I headed to Europe to rock some shows and our first in Amiens France with the Shadow Animals, Marcus Graap and Pierre the Motionless. We arrived in Paris and made our way Claremont with Pierre the Motionless. Where we got our bearings slept and drove to Amiens for a show the next day.
I was like extra excited to be in France rocking with Epic and soso, meeting all the homies I had only talked to online.We arrived in Amiens, a very pretty picturesque town, that had a river or canal running through it. We linked up with Shadow Animals, Marcus Graap and some of their homies and the beers started flowing. I was a little concerned about impacting my performance that night but my excitement got the best of me and I crushed beer after beer. All types of beers I would not normally drink but when in France they say. We talked rap in between drinking beers and more beers and more rap.
We went for a walk I think to the venue. It was amazing. There were couples having romantic dinners along the canal/river like something you would see out of a movie. As we were walking I started to not feel so great. We approached this walking bridge and we crossed it. As we got to the middle I felt the worst and knew I was in trouble. I puked over the side of bridge into the canal/river as couples shared romantic diners and wine below. I was so embarrassed. Fucking Canadians am I right? I was so incredibly embarrassed. I had just met all these people we were about to go on tour and play our first show. I also probably ruined someones beautiful date or meal. The one plus side was I was pretty sober at that point as most of the liquor was not processed yet. We made our way to the venue and rocked the show. It was so fun as I got to see a lot of my new homies rock for the first time and I was not phased by the liquor and was able to perform up to my standards.
We didn’t make the record trade that night. We made it later that tour when we made our way to Kortrijk Belgium. We made the trade in Siaz’s studio. I got some really great records in return so it was worth lugging the records in trade around. I am still embarrassed about puking on that bridge but I have to laugh about it now.
Closing Ramblings
I have two shirts up at Stylesmakefights.ca One for my radio Show You Know The Rules designed by the homie Aiden Searle and the other for my dj crew The Stone Cold Party Rockers with the homie Rove designed by the homie Awol One. Also the homies at Audio Recon have some dope shirts too
I host two weekly radio shows Third Verse on CFCR 90.5 fm in Saskatoon Saskatchewan every Wednesday 9 -10:30pm CST and You Know The Rules on UMFM 101.5 in Winnipeg Manitoba every Sunday Night 10-11pm They are pretty great and you should check em out.
Also i got some cool shirts, poster and hats in the Ugsmag Shop if you want that fly shit.
**legal disclaimer all records and songs were run through the RAP NEST 5000 SUPER ANALYTIC COMPTROLLER MACHINE that is certified by the I.A.A.R.R.A (International Association of Analytical Rap Recordings Analysis) in layman’s terms, it means the machine is never wrong.
Catch you next week with more thoughts from the rap nest.
Peace
-chaps
Understand your frustration regarding shipping prices. I'm sure there must be some benefits to being so close to the US, however. Where I'm from, the shipping price for vinyl is often more than the price of the record!