Thoughts From The Rap Nest
vol022-041
Thoughts
We were talking in a recent Saturday morning coffee and rap video chat, and I kept pulling out records or CD’s that were mentioned. Id Obelus was like, “how do you keep finding things so quickly. How do you organize your collection, alphabetically?” In a classic record collector snob fashion, I scoffed at that question and quickly dismissed the idea of organizing your collection by alphabetizing it as sacrilegious. I think I called it lazy as well. Of course, this was said mostly in jest to the homies, but I do feel that way to some extent.
I understand there is a need to organize your music collection, but I think it should be done by your own unique personalized system. I think organizing your collection alphabetically is both lazy and boring and using the pseudo–Dewey Decimal system of Discogs to organize it takes all the fun out of it. I know some of my best homies organize their collections this way and I am sure they are going to roast me over this thought. Don’t get me wrong I understand the convenience and straightforwardness of this systems but if you have to check Discogs to see if you own something, then you need to spend more time with your collection. A collection should interact with itself and I have a sort of photographic type memory that relies heavily on references to places dates, times, experiences etc. So maybe this is why I prefer this systems and it is the one I use for my collection and not the others. I also spend a lot of time thinking about records which I know sounds absurd but they randomly comes in and out of my consciousness all day.
So cut the chase already Chaps you say, tell us how you organize your collection? The first sort is medium. Music is initially sorted as follows.
Tapes and CDS break down into three categories:
Old school
New school
Underground
Then it is sorted by country
Canadian
American
The Rest of the World
Then it is sorted by
Crews
Affiliations
Regions
The initial sort on Vinyl is as follows:
Album
12”
Then the 12” and Albums are sorted by
Old school
New school
Underground
Then it is sorted by country
Canadian
American
The Rest of the World
Then it is sorted by
Crews
Affiliations
Regions
There are some anomalies in this system. The first is I keep newer records. CD’s, Tapes I am playing on the radio together. As they work their way out of radio rotation then they get filed as above. My 7”s are a mess and all sit on one shelf that need a major sorting. Clearly there are more efficient ways of organizing a collection. This works for me in some weird way that I know Sererengeti records are bedside Why? records which are beside Open Mike Eagle Records that are beside RAP Ferreira records. Does that make sense? Well to me it is a natural fit, but to others not so much. This is probably the most confusing explanation of a system that is completely second nature and that has evolved over 30 years.
A quick Stevie update. We were able to get the infections in her eyes under control. We have had a couple vet visits since my last update. The ophthalmologist at the Veterinary College where she had her surgery says it is healing but slowly and we are not out if thew woodwork yet but it is showing progress. We got another round of drops to administer, and she is scheduled for a checkup January 3rd. She must keep wearing her cone which sucks but she doesn’t seem to mind it all that much as she has worn it so often due to her ongoing eye issues. She seems happy and in good spirits overall.
A new single, Opium from the homie Rob Crooks on the raps and Rove on the beat dropped today on Rove’s Bandcamp. It is super dope and I hope it leads to them working more together in the future.
The Questions Hip Hop released a pre-order for a 300-card trivia game this week. It is a home version spinoff from their live game that takes place on Instagram live. I am really excited about it and I can’t wait for it to ship in the new year! The Questions Hip-Hop Trivia releases on January 24, 2023 via Penguin Random House. Pre-order here.
“This is ultimately a collection of questions designed to serve both the seasoned hip-hop super-nerd as well as people who have a more casual relationship to hip-hop,” Kantrowitz added. “My hope is that after playing The Questions, everybody can walk away with a new piece of knowledge or perspective that they didn’t have before.”
I received this super dope package from the good folks at Ugsmag and it totally made my year! It was in recognition for completing the Canadian Hip Hop Crossword Puzzle in the back of Ugsmag Issue 002. I am not going to lie I felt a lot of pressure to complete this first and there was a lot of stress and agonizing in completing it. I had no idea what the prize pack was, but it far exceeded my expectations. In the package was a really dope UGSMAG keychain, copies of 319Heads two new Zines and a super sick certificate of recognition that I am really proud of and that I can’t wait to get a frame for and display proudly in the Rap Nest. It is so incredibly dope and such a nice touch! The resurgence of Ugsmag into a print edition and being able to contribute to the magazine launch and success has been my favorite thing of 2022! Also Ugsmag has gift certificates for the special someone available NOW!
Missed Third Verse last night? Ugsmag has you covered once again to stream or download NOW! Catch Third Verse on CFCR 90.5 fm in Saskatoon, SK every Wednesday 9-10:30pm CST. Stream online via CFCR.ca or Radio Garden.
The last 10 episodes of my other weekly radio show You Know Know the Rules on UMFM in Winnipeg airing every Sunday night 10:00pm -11pm CST. Episodes availible NOW!
Record One
Id Obelus – Place Pieces
I was super excited when Id Obelus posted this album. He has so many great tracks that have been floating around on various projects and releases. It is awesome to have them in one place. I went for the limited Kunaki vinyl pressing of this one and I am glad I did. I played a small part in convincing him to make it available on this service and I am glad I did as the artwork looks really dope as a 12”. Understudy is such a great track. The track features Oblio, Chadio and Mc Homeless and is quickly becoming one of my favorite tracks. These four MC’s sound great together and they would make the ultimate super group in my opinion. I really hope they work together in the future. There are some really good remixes on this record from sign one and Noblonksi aka TECHnoblonski. My all-time favorite Id Obelus song Pursuant is on here and it is great to hear it in a new context amongst these other great tracks. I really hope 2023 brings us more from Id Obelus. I am aware of one project he is a part of as I did cuts for a track and I can’t wait for that one top drop as all of my favorite people are involved. Bonus props for Classic Black Vinyl.
Record Two
Wordburglar – The MacGuffin Device
The homie the Wordburglar is back with another Bandcamp vinyl campaign release. This one went pretty fast as far as crowd funded vinyl projects go. This is a 14 song compilation of previously released track but all first time to viny. Damage Control was previously released on a 7” but this is an exclusive remix for this record by Timbuktu. I really like this record as it is a nice sampling of Wordburglar’s discography. The sequencing of the tracks is perfect and makes it seem like a new album. I am excited that it has Rental Patient and Used Crate of Mind featuring Birdapres. I hope Birdapres and Wordburglar make some more tracks together. I honestly didn’t even check the track listing when I ordered it, so it was a nice surprise when it arrived. The only disappointing thing about this record is the colour of the vinyl of course.
Classic Material
The Oddities - Weakdays 12”
The University of Saskatchewan Student Union used to put on an event to kick off the school year called Blue Monday. This was the only Blue Monday that I attended as the musical acts were typical college music type acts of the era and that I was not generally interested in. This one was hosted at Prairieland Park on September 8 and I am guessing the year was 2003 as there was a September 8th that year and it would make sense based on other memories and references. (the 12” i got signed by the oddities is dated 2003 so that confirms it) This was a really big bill as the headlining acts were Blackalicious and American Hi-Fi with Not By Choice, Lillix and the Oddities. They had two rap acts on the bill and I was so excited. I don’t recall any other Blue Mondays having any rap acts on the bill before and to have one of my all time favourites in Blackalicious and Canadian group the Oddities, it was a no brainer that I would be there.
The night of the show arrived. I was super excited. I loaded up some records that I wanted Blackalicious and the Oddities to sign and headed to the show. There were probably like 1200 people or so at the show. It was in a large Hall used for trade shows and events. I had never seen either act live either. I think the Oddities went on first. After their set I approached them to sign a 12” from their album. I had been a fan of theirs since hearing and shortley later acquiring the Awkward Why? - Six Bubbles tape which was comprised of three members: Psy, Bookworm and J-StaRRRrrr!!!. The other members of the oddities where Three, Glizzi, Wysper and Sni-Whip. After their set I tracked them down and had a few of them sign the Weakdays 12” that I had brought with me. We got to talking and realized we had some mutual friends and hit it off like rap fanatics do and they invited me back to their green room to continue to chop it up.
They had a small rider that they complained about but they did offer me a beer, which I gladly accepted as this was one of the few times I was not working as I had just finished University that Summer and had not found a job yet. Their Green Room was right next to American Hi-Fi’s and they kept commenting on how much booze they had and that they were not even drinking it. While they were on stage a couple of us snuck into their Green Room and stole all their rider booze. It was a lot. So much in fact that I got a 40 of Polar Ice Vodka that I took home after the show that the Oddities didn’t want which I believe I ended up giving to the homie Chuck Luggage at a later date. I had such a great night kicking it with these guys and talking rap. Years later I got to kick it with Wysper who was in in Winnipeg for Paint the Peg and I was there with Rove who painted the wall beside him. I shared this story with him. He was not there that night in Saskatoon. He is a Graff writer and one of my all time favourites.
There is another interesting part of the night. While I was getting My Melodica record signed Chief Xcel asked my about some record spot that Dj Shadow had told him about in some old bank in a nearby town. I had heard of this place but I had never been as I had no real interest in records that were not rap. I had heard that Shadow had been through there on a digging trip which was extra weird because he never played in Saskatoon in that era. I knew that DJ Charlie Hustle had been there and I went and grabbed him as he was at the show. We made arrangements for the two of us to pick him up the next day at the Hotel they were staying at.
The Oddities gave me a ride home after the show in there tour van which was super dope. I didn’t get home too late but I drank a lot so I quickly fell asleep and set an alarm early to go grab Charlie Hustle to go scoop Chief Xcel for our digging trip. We got to the The ParkTown Hotel and went to the front desk and had them ring Chief Xcel’s room. At first no one answered. They called a few times and no one answered. We explained whey we were there and I believe they sent someone to the room. We waited patiently in the lobby. Someone came down from his crew, maybe a manager or something and he told us Chief Xcel did not want to go anymore. We were disappointed and left the hotel lobby. It was weird because he made such a big deal and point of going and we did a lot to organize the trip which included me borrowing a car and Charlie Hustle calling the guy who owned the Records to arrange for him to meet us there. That is how it goes sometimes. Regardless it was a super memorable night!
Closing Ramblings
I have two shirts up at Stylesmakefights.ca One for my radio Show You Know The Rulesdesigned 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
Only Blue Monday I ever attended too