Thoughts From The Rap Nest
vol023-068
Thoughts
I received my May issue of The Underground Vault, which has become one of my most anticipated things to look forward to each month. If you have not copped one or have fallen behind on some issues, do yourself a favour and get caught up and grab the latest issue. The amount of research and depth that Alex Kuchma puts into each interview is really amazing. This is really a magazine for the rap fiend. I hope they never stop being released as I learn a few things each issue and I am exposed to music that is not necessarily in my rap lane, but adjacent and it it has been nice to check out some of the things mentioned. Another incredible issue!
The third and final single for the upcoming Ol’ Gorilla Bones Revenge Vol.2 album dropped this week. I really like Vol 1 and listen to int a lot so this may be one of my most anticipated releases of 2023. I can’t wait for this one to drop. Until then I will just have to enjoy these singles and wait patiently until it drops.
The East Of East Atlantic Canadian Hip Hop Archive dropped this week. It is an archival project by the homie Hermitofthewoods. It is super dope. Lots of really awesome flyers and posters and great information about Halifax and Atlantic Canadian Hip Hop releases. Definitely worth your time in checking out. The following is from the About section from the website and gives a great overview and introduction to this amazing resource!
Hip hop has thrived on the East Coast of Canada since the early 1980s, with graffiti writers, b-boys and b-girls, MCs, and DJs contributing to the cultural life of the Atlantic Provinces. Representing diverse communities and identities, the work of these artists showcases a multiplicity of voices, perspectives, and ideas.
As the majority of the hip hop-based cultural projects in Atlantic Canada are created and released independently, preserving them as historical documents is a critical concern. Without a concerted effort to document and protect these works, this aspect of our cultural heritage risks disappearing over time.
The East of East Atlantic Canadian Hip Hop Archive was started in 2017 by Michael McGuire, Ph.D. aka Hermitofthewoods to establish a formal historical record of Atlantic Canada’s hip hop culture so that it might serve as a resource for researchers, educators, and fans and as a way to celebrate the artists and communities that have contributed to this important aspect of the region’s cultural legacy.
East of East is a work in progress. The goal is to create a comprehensive archive representing hip hop in Atlantic Canada, and the current collection is only the beginning.
East of East is an archival project intended to document recordings, posters, video, biographical information, and other ephemera related to Atlantic Canadian hip hop culture. All rights to the works included in the archive belong to the creators and every effort will be made to properly attribute any and all materials.
Please do not reproduce any East of East content without proper permission and attribution
Don’t worry I reached out and got permission to post this! Check it out now!
https://www.eastofeastarchive.com
Homeboy Sandman dropped a new album and vinyl preorder today for a new record called Rich. Looking forward to this one as always.
Missed Third Verse last night? Well so did Ceschi and Factor. 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.
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
Aj Seude - Indica Music
The Seude Gawd did it again! Seriously though, this record is so good. I had not heard any of it until the vinyl arrived. His stuff as of late has always seemed to have found its way to vinyl so I have just been waiting patiently each time. I have a weird patience when it comes to listen to rap music. I can wait years for a physical to drop or arrive before I listen to something, eventhogh the ability to listen to anything at anytime exists. This worked best for me and I feel I am always rewarded for my patience and AJ Seude continues to reward my patience. I don’t smoke weed and have never been a weed smoker but if I ever do take it up I will definetly put this record on. I bet it is enhanced like 10-20% while smoking some Indica. Maybe someone out there can confirm this. The production is so good, and perfect for the Seude Gawd’s flow, but you already know what time it is though.
Record Two
The Gumshoe Strut - NT2D
I have heard this album before in its entirety when I was working on cuts for some tracks., but there is nothing more satisfying than taking out out of the shrink wrap for the first time, ejecting the cd carousel, pacing the cd on it and pushing play for the first time. The mix and master of the album is incredible. It sounds full and warm but still has those hints of an indie release that I love. It is the the perfect balance for my listening tastes. I love that The Gumshoe Strut doe sit all with his releases. it is mind blowing and really impressive. When you get one of his releases you know it is all of him and that really comes through form the beats, the raps, the arts the mix and master to the design and layout. Gumshoe has always been one of those MC’s that has worn his heart on his sleeve and that is what has always had me coming back as a fan time and time again and NT2D delivers once again. I know I say this with every release but this one somehow outdoes the last. It is such a treat to be able to watch an artist grow and mature as they age as an MC and continue to make the best music off their career with each release. It almost isn't fait to compare the releases because they are all so good in their own right but as. producer and mc The Gumshoe Strut has never been better. There are nothing but jams on this one but my ultimate jam is Somma That.
Rap Shirt
love this classic Nestor Wynrush shirt!
Classic Material
I was looking through my record collection like I do from time to time for various reasons. Sometimes it is because I am looking for something that is out of place or or other times just for fun while I am listening to music. While flipping through recently I started thinking about the records as I looked at them, especially the ones where I have multiple copies. I thought about where I grabbed it or acquired it and how it found its way into my collection. It is fun too lose yourself in your collection and reminisce and reflect on the pieces in it. While I was doming this it got me thinking about a few things about my music collection and my buying habits. There were three things that I kept coming back to as I looked at things. I know I usually post a release in this section or an event and expand on it with some personal story centred around it , but this week I am going. to flip it a bit. This is similar in approach but more general in scope.
In the days before Discogs and you could grab any record you were after existed and became the norm, you had to track things down in the wild. The wildest phenomena to me was that there would always be a record I wanted really bad. It would be something I saw in a magazine or a homies collection and would dream of owning. It seems like it just didn’t really exist outside of those spaces and was unatainible, especially in my neck of the woods. Then when I started touring and traveling for rap I started to see these things. It was always so exciting the first time you finally founding of these records. The weirdest thing wood happen after though. As Soon as I got a copy, I would without fail start to see it everywhere. This has happened so many times I have lost count over the years. There is really no explanation for this phenomena.
Another weird phenomena I do and some of the homies do, is if you see a record you really like and you already have it, but the price is nice or you just don’t want to leave it behind so you cop it. It doesn’t matter how many copies you have. You could already have two or three but the record is that good that you have to grab it every time you see it. I know soso used to do this with Boz Scaggs’ album Silk Degrees. It seemed like he almost had a shelf full of these at one time. Hell I even copped a couple along the way because soso always grabbed them. One of the best things about doing this is you can hook up your homies with things that were regional and or they just missed out on them for various reasons when they were released. It is a great feeling scooping something and they later being in the position to give it to someone that you know will appreciate it.
Another idiosyncrasy is if you see it and you want it, you have to get it then and there no questions asked or you may never get another chance. This is one I religiously subscribe to. Especially in the wild world these daysnof buying 100 copy runs of albums. You have a chance to buy it you have to buy it right then, no regrets. Figure out the money later, you will never regret spending the money but you will regret not buying that record. I handcuff myself all the time over the years financially. I have done this so many times it is just second nature at this point. As grim as it may have seemed in days past, it always seemed to work itself out one way or another. There isn’t a piece of music I regret buying in any one of these countless scenarios. This one kind of goes hand in hand with the once you see it and have it, you will see it again and if you don’t cop it, you will not see it again.
I am not sure what any of this means or says about me as a person. Some of it may be positive others parts detrimental but I am not ready to analyze it on that level. I am just living one release to the next and filing in the days in between as best as I can.
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
Spot on thoughts! I need that quickening/wreckoning record... why you hoarding them all?!