Thoughts
A little bit of a slow start for rap to start 2024 and I am not complaining as I am still catching up on things from a banner 2023 year for rap. January is typically super slow for releases, but offers a great chance to catch up on some things you missed or couldn't afford when they dropped. Also I am waiting on a number of things to arrive that I ordered in 2023.
I did a horrible job of keeping track of things that I ordered and what I have outstanding as far as preorders go from last year. I used to be pretty dialed in on it and would keep a sticky note in my wallet and add as I ordered and cross off as it came in. I abandoned that for some reason. I liked that system and it worked well for me. I was talking to Rove at the radio station about this and he said he was in the same boat and keeping terrible track of it. He suggested just adding it to the notes feature on your phone, which would be easy and makes a lot of sense actually. I think I may do that, but I need to go over emails and do some forensics on it to compile that list and I can’t even be bothered to catalogue my current collection. I really need to do that in 2024.
I bought an app the other day to catalogue my dvd/blu ray/vhs movie collection. I made great progress on the first day cataloguing 317 titles, but I lost steam and stopped for some-reason. I think I got about 40% done. I need to finish this though. The app is great and you can scan barcodes and enter things that way which I have found to be about 90% effective. Sometimes it brings up multiple items and you have to select from the list, or manually enter it which is actually super easy. We will see what progress I make in the coming week.
2023 was a pretty amazing year for Indie rap mags with the Ugsmag quarterly issues and The Underground Vaults which is an Underground Hip-Hop Monthly “magazine”, who am I kidding it is a monthly book.
Ugsmag Issue 006: Sixtoo, is a really special issue as it comes with a special edition commemorative issue celebrating the life of Conspiracy. It features a really nice forward from the homie Jon B and some historical interviews and features from past Ugsmag issues. It was a very nice feature that provided some insight to the artistry of the man they call Conspiracy. There are also some QR code links to the Mars Project documentary.
Issue 6 also features some really great interviews with Mc Homeless, Mindbender, Kid Koala and the cover feature with N8NOFACE. It is filled with incredible illustrations as always from the homies Noyz, Allan Lorde and Aidan Searle. I really like the super glossy cover and I usually hate glossy finishes but this one is super nice. I also have a TFTRN article laying out the perfectly pressed record. It is always an honour and privilege to contribute to each one of these. It blows my mind that Noyz prints what I have to write. I also don’t give him titles for my work most of the time, so it is exciting to see what titles he comes up. You Should definitely grab one if you have not already done so NOW!
The homie Alex Kuchma who I have had the pleasure to connect with and get to know over the past number of years is truly one of a kind. I love his passion, dedication and commitment to researching, writing and publishing a novel each month about Hip-Hop. I finally have all 12 Issues and I am blown away by volume one. It is an incredible accomplishment and I am super excited for volume 2 which sounds like it will be a deep dive on the expansive Toronto Hip-Hop scene. He also mentioned that he was going to make significant headway on his expansive Canadian Hip Hop Book, which I am sure will clock in at over 500 pages. I love the switch in format that happened half way through the year to the current print on demand format from Amazon. It was a great change. Highlights form the year for me where the interviews with Roughneck Jihad, the Masters of the Universe feature, L*Roneous, and all the other artists and scenes I was not familiar with. Congratulations homie on an incredible undertaking execution of this project! All the best in 2024!
Record One
Ear Kanal - Number Eleven (mixtape)
I don’t know what I did to get on the list to receive not only one but a second one of these custom dubbed mixtapes. This one is as amazing as the first, but the 2.0 version has more custom collage art on the tape itself. The track selection is perfect and a really nice mix to relax to while thinking and scheming about rap. I know a few of you reading this have been as fortunate as I have to receive one of these incredibly thoughtful and beautiful mixtapes! Thanks you so very much homie for this one, it is perfect!
Record Two
Hermitofthewoods - smell the flowers while the resistance fades
This was a really pleasant surprise in the mail. “ a little something extra. - Hermit” it said on a sticky note attached to the tape case. I didn’t know anything about it other than I saw the homie Scott Da Ros post it on his instastories. I am super humbled and stoked to receive this incredible tape! It is #3 of I am not sure how many. I love this tape. I am not sure if it will receive a wider release, if it does I would cop one immediately if I were you.
Classic Material
Above The Law - Uncle Sam's Curse
There are those records from your most formative high school days that stay with you forever and this is one of them. To finally own it on vinyl seems like a life coming full circle. Just seeing the cover, instantly transports me back to those care free summer days, where all you had to do was work a shift at Mc Donald's and then link up with the homies, hop in the whip head to the 7-11 for some nachos and a Dr.Pepper Super Big Gulp. Then we would drive around the city blasting albums like this. Life has been pretty amazing since, but these times were also pretty amazing and some of may most favourite. This album will always be a favourite of mine. There are so many classic tracks and the beats are incredible. I know everyone has records that carry the same meaning and feelings as this one does for me.
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