Thoughts From The Rap Nest

vol023-93

Thoughts

2023 is winding down quickly, and with that comes a time for refelction, dreams and new beginnings. I hope all of you had an amazing year and I wish all of you, your families and loved ones a happy holiday season. 2023 was a banner year for rap release new and old and maybe one of the best in the last decade. It has been a fun adventure and I am thankful to have been along for the ride to enjoy it! I can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store for rap!

A really great single from the homies dropped late last week produced by Rove featuring Memphis Reigns and Perfect Colour Combination.

Missed Third Verse last night? Well, are you ever in luck as UGSMAG once again has you covered!! 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.

As always 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 available NOW!

Record One

Chuck D as Mistachuck - We Wreck Stadiums (Home to Rap & Baseball Heroes)

I didn’t know this full-length existed until I saw and Instastories post from the homie Awful of the almighty CBS crew. I responded to his story. “How is this??? I really want to get it. I bet it is amazing.” This is like my favourite things ever, Baseball, Rap and Chuck D. My mind was blown. I thought he just made a song for ESPN sunday night baseball, I didn’t know he made a full-length record. Awful responded, “Dude you won’t regret it. Actually I wanna get it for you what’s your addy” I was completely blown away at this generous offer. I could not believe it and it was honestly one of the nicest gestures I received all year. It really came at the perfect time and really warmed my heart. Awful, I know you read this, I really want to send a shout out to you once and again and a really big thank you!

This record is the best it has tracks about Canadian Hall Of Fame Pitcher Ferguson Jenkins, who I once had the opportunity to meet at Wrigley Field, chat with briefly and get a baseball singed. Charlie Hustle aka Pete Rose who I have never met but I once bought an autographed baseball of his from a pretty famous card shop in Hollywood California. And of course the straw the stirs the drink, Mr. October himself Reggie Jackson. Those are just a few of the tracks. Only downfall it is on Coke Bottle Glass coloured vinyl. I actually really like this colour, like a lot, but it just doesn’t belong on vinyl.

Record Two

Schoolly D

I have been adding a number of reissues to the collection on vinyl in 2023. It has been such an amazing year for reissues and first time to vinyl releases. It is always really fun to add something on vinyl that you may have only had the tape or CD of. Black Friday Record Store day had a number of releases that I was really interested in. One of those was from the originator of Gangsta Rap, according to the Ice-T, in Philadelphia’s Park Side Killer himself Schoolly D. Originally released in 1985, this self titled album is beyond groundbreaking and was a no doubter to add to the collection. I am not sure what else I can say about him that his music or other have not already said, but thank you for pioneering and influencing Ice-T to write 6 in the Morning. IF I would recommending listening to P.S.K. What Does It Mean? and Ice-T’s 6 in the Mornin back to back!

Another yellow and black splatter coloured vinyl pressing for this one. Coloured vinyl is extra in agitating when it comes to reissues and classics.

Classic Material

Souls Of Mischief- 93 ‘till infinity

As I was typing the vol023-093, seeing 93, 93 ‘till infinity immediately jumped in my head. It was the fall of 1993. I was in Grade 10. I was trying out for the senior football team at the time. M.Phasis and I had played on the Junior Football team together the year previous. We dominated at our positions. I played defensive halfback and M.Phasis played the cornerback position on the same side. I don’t think anyone completed a pass that season on our side of the field. It was so much fun. Practice that year is where we became fast friends and inseparable. He was a year older than I was and no longer eligible to play Junior Football. If we were going to play together I had to make the Senior team as a starter, which was no small feat in and of itself. Honestly, I never once doubted that I was going to make the team and that we were going to play together. I made the team and once again we held down the left side of the defence.

We hungout all the time after practice. M.Phasis had a mid 80’s Dodge Caravan that we went everywhere in together. The song 93 ‘till infinity dropped that September. We saw the video on Rap City for the first time and we were blown away in the same fashion that any person that heard that song was at the time and the first time anyone hears that song ever I am sure. It is an all time undisputed classic. One of the greatest beats ever made. No need to even state it or debate it. Certified Hip Hop Classic. Now this part is a little grainy for me. We had a really big game coming up, I remember it was Thursday and we got out off school early on Thursdays at 2:10pm. We went to Records On Wheels at its Second Avenue location and they had the 93 ‘till infinity 12” and M.Phasis bought it. I am sure he lent it to one of the Isosceles at a later date and never saw it again.

We left the record store and drove to Mc Donalds and each got a Big Mac meal. We then took our meal back to M.Phasis’ house. His mom had a turntable in the living room that we were not supposed to use for the most part. We, however did on many occasions. We put the 12” and listened to it over and over and over and over again until we had to return to school to get ready for our football game. It was a different landscape back then, especially when it came to music. No one on our team outside of us and two other guys even listened to any type of rap music. In the locker room it was mostly late 80’s and early 90’s hair metal. We absolutely hated that shit and really spent no time in the locker room as a result. We were definitely outcasts on the team as a result. We didn’t care at all though. We knew who we were and what we liked and it didn’t matter what others thought. We never talked about rap music outside of one another on the team. I would often get the classic phrase back them of “what do you think you are black?” I unfortunately didn’t have the the skills to confront that in any meaningful way at the time, so for self preservations sake and being the youngest guy on the team I would just ignore it. I understand now the privilege associated with being able to do that and I also have the vernacular to speak out and shut that shit down now. I wish had that knowledge back then. They of course would never say that if M.Phasis was in ear shot. Racism back then was super weird covert and not always obvious. It was so institutionally engrained in things it was hard to discern at times. I knew what the were saying was wrong and these were the first experiences with racism that I remember experiencing and helped me explore, learned and grow to combat in meaningful ways.

We left the locker room after we got dressed quickly to go outside to warm up and wait for the bus to take us to the game. We talked about how awesome the song was ands how cool the record jacket was. It really fired us up. I had an interception that game and I believe we won. I honestly didn’t care about wining or losing. I just wanted to play my best and do my part. I think the only reason I remember any of this is because of how special hearing that song on a 12” record was that day. That was not a typical experience at all all and may have been the first for me hearing a new song in a physical format on vinyl. It was an overcast day and one I will never forget.

Closing Ramblings

As always, thank you for reading and for the feedback!

**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