Thoughts
So, 90 of these things released. That is wild to me. Some weeks I feel more inspired than others, but I always try my best with what I have that day when I am putting these things together. I appreciate all the support and feedback each and every week! It means a lot! Thank you as always!
Super dope new track from the homie Factor Chandelier feat the legendary Moka Only titled Heart at Home dropped last Friday. Seriously give this one a listen. Saskatoon producers always pulling the best out of Moka Only and this song is n o exception to that rule!
The homie Kay The Aquanaut teamed up with cee.reality and dropped a new album this week! Rumour has it there will be some physical copies of this at some point so that is really exciting! In the mean time check it out here!
The homie Chetose put together a really dope book highliting his year in graffiti. It is beautifully constructed printed on photo quality paper. I am a big fan of this! I have seen a few of these pieces in real life so it is extra cool to see them in print form. If you want to add one of these to your collection shoot him a message on his instagram. The hand drawn obi type strip is so fresh, is such a nice addition to the book!
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
Rob Crooks - Time is Not a Circle, It’s a Fire Burning
Rob Crooks is back with another sure shot. Emerging as one of the most important Prairie Rappers of our our time, he is back again with another heater. This time on vinyl with guests Kitz Willman and Yy chipping in some heater versus! This is revolutionary music that captures the decay of Western Civilization in the most beautiful way possible. The record cover features some really dope artwork from Aidan Searle that captures the content of the record perfectly. It is on Standard Chaps Black Vinyl pressing so it hits extra hard. Only complaint is I wish it were longer. It seems like a couple more tracks could have fit on this one but these four songs are so good. Grab one of these before they are gone forever!
The “A” side features some “really nice guy” but you already know that.
Record Two
Ol’ Gorilla Bones x The Dirty Sample - Revenge Vol. 2
This is the perfect continuation from Revenge Vol. 1, picking up right where it left off. The dark melancholic groggy flows are captivating, it is such a great refreshing rhyme style. The record is one of those records you put on the turntable, drop the needle, hit the start button, sit back and relax to. It is a journey, not a sprint and it is best enjoyed as a whole rather than in pieces. The tracks flow in and out of one another flawlessly. This one might be better than Vol. 1 and I think that is really saying something as that is a really dope record. I like how the sides are listed as part 3 and part 4 to really tie it into vol. 1. I must confess I didn’t have a lot of faith that we would see vol 2. as the track record of follow up albums in Hip Hop has not always been the best. Especially when they are on vinyl. Cost, life, other projects etc all can derail a project like this. I am very happy to eat my words on this one and I am so happy that this one got pressed and released. My Jams on this one are Honest Proposal and Red Rum! Standard Chaps Black Vinyl going two for two this week! It is always a good week when I can say that!
Revenge Vol 1 is also still available in case you missed it or were waiting to get both of them at the same time. There is a nicely priced vinyl bundle deal for both volumes.
Classic Material
M.Phasis - Sound Gallery
This album has two tracks that really capture an era in Saskatoon Hip Hop history perfectly. Every time I listen to them, I am immediatey transported to shows and venues in Saskatoon of the late 90’s early 2000’s. It was such a fun time, we for the most part didn’t really know what we were doing, but we were doing it together, supporting one another, encouraging each other to take risks etc. These were some really formative years for all of us. I wish this era was documented more, but also I am glad it wasn’t in as sense, as we were all so young, learning growing and still honing our crafts respectively. It might have produced some cringe videos. Also some things are better left in memories and for those that were there. As time ticks context is lost, forgotten, misremembered. This is something I struggle with all the time when I am recollecting things, sharing stories or writing. I feel I do a pretty good job at presenting things from the past but I realize that my perspective on things is different than another persons that was there at those early events. I also realize that I am putting these things in perspective with 20 plus years growth, development, experience and perspective. So those things need to be balanced as I write things. I am not really sure what I am getting at other then trying my best to remember things and put things into perspective as best as I can,
Speaker Chillin was a thing that we used to do a lot of at hip hop events. When the DJ dropped a track that we were really vibing with we, M.Phasis, Funky and I, would head to the speaker to show our approval and love for the track. It became known as “speaker chillin’” and was the highest form of praise that we could show towards a song and the DJ that played it. This was turned into a Saskatoon anthem on M.Phasis’s Sound Gallery album. He captured the essence of what it meant to speaker chill to perfection on the self produced first track on this album. I cut up EPMD vocals from You Gots To Chill on this one naturally. This is M.Phasis in his lane to perfection. His story telling on tracks, is some of my favourite ever. He has a style all his own, from our freestyle cyphers in the basement of my child hood home to accompanying M’Phasis on stage, he has always been one of my favourites!
I love this song because it takes me back to our real formative years in building a hip hop scene and community here in Saskatoon. Most of the Speaker Chillin’ was pioneered at the legendary Zombies venue in Saskatoon. Zombies not only gave hip hop music a home when no one else was willing to, it also gave a home to other forms of electronic DJ’s, music and scenes. It was a hub for DJ’s and music enthusiasts.
The other track, Trouble at a Show also captures the woes of throwing shows yourself. The struggles with sound, not having money for proper sound techs or sound in general. The lack of microphones, the lack of monitors, the lack of low end etc. Non existent soundchecks to soundchecks delayed or taking forever. So many lessons learned, so many delays in the show. This era was marred with fights/altercations at the show and are vocalized in the track. Delays in the show, shows running long, not starting on time all theses within this track and captured this era perfectly.
I layed down cuts on this one as well and used the phrase form Abstract Rude’s tack Slow Lights, “I don’t want no trouble or no fights” that fit perfect in my mind for the track. It fit the vibe perfect and Slow Lights was such an anthem for us in that era. Everything Abstract Rude did in that era influenced us in the best ways.
I love that these two tracks were made and capture this era as perfectly as humanly possible to do on a rap song!
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