Thoughts From The Rap Nest

Vol023-087

Thoughts

Bandcamp Friday tomorrow! It has the the undertones of being a big one and also an expensive one. Handsmade Collective got the jump this week the preorder for the A7pha single 12”. Such an incredible posse cut, Many Headed, featuring some real heavyweight mc’s in Buck 65, Self Jupiter, Aesop Rock and Why? There is a vinyl version that dropped this week that features all three tracks and the instrumentals. I am super happy this release got a vinyl release as that is not typical of a three track release.

I got a jump on Bandcamp Friday yesterday (you will probably want to do the same on this limited release) and grabbed copies of the the new hermitofthewoods album on CD and Cassette! I am really looking forward to this one and super excited there are physical copies!

The homie Drummachinemike dropped another great album! He has it up now for pay what you want on Bandcamp! Check it out!

Missed Third Verse last night? Well you are in luck as it is back up and streaming at UGSMAG!!! 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

The Gumshoe Strut - Extra! Extra!

Super excited to finally have the physicals of this incredible album in my possession. It is always extra special when you hold an album that you were are a part of the creative process on. I contributed cuts on four of the songs. I really enjoy working with Gumshoe on any type of project and it is an extra exciting when he reaches out for cuts for an album. For whatever reason I have really good luck in finding relative phrases/samples to use and we have this symmetry in working together that I really enjoy. This album like all of his works is incredible. Seriously, if you have not checked this one yet or any of his recent releases, do so now!

Record Two

Park Like Setting - This, That And The Third

Looks like I am going two for two in non vinyl releases this week! This one dropped on CD a couple weeks back and I have been listening to it a lot on the streams while I waited for the CD to arrive. The trio of mcenroe, yy and Bazooka Joe is undefeated! mcenroe crafted some serous heat on the production on this one. I didn’t think we would get another PLS album but I am really glad we did. This one in my opinion is their best to date. They maturity in writing and delivery on this one sets it apart from the others. They have some great chemistry on this one which was not the case on Craftsman and the first one was really dope at the time but I don’t think it has aged well for me like many of the other P&C releases at the time have. This album is super dope and should be on everyone’s must listen list! Struggle Raps is my jam!!!

Classic Material

Leaders Of The New School - A Future With Out A Past

The last two weeks I have been going through my top ten desert island tapes. Tapes that have significant meaning for me in a variety of ways. It was fun to reflect on those and to remember how the came into my world and help shap the person that I am today.

This one one is an all timer that literally changed my life. I was in grade 9 and school had just started. It seems odd to me looking back at it that we had a field trip the first week of school or a field trip in highschool at all. They loaded up all the grade 9 and 10 students taking English that semester and put us on charter city buses and shipped us downtown to the main branch of the Saskatoon Public Library. I honestly can’t seem to remember why they did that. I think we went to see an author of notoriety, but I can’t remember for the life of me who that person was. It was not the event that changed the course of my life.

I, like most people who listened to music in this era had my walkman with me. I didn’t really go anywhere without it then. I had a small but mighty tape collection at the time that I was super proud of and loved. They were my escape from a whole bunch of things going on in my world that I have only started processing in my 40’s and with the passing of my estranged father last year at this time.

I lined up like everyone else at the time and got on the bus. I was a confident teenager but I wasn’t confident in sharing the music I was listening to then for the most part. It was too special to me to just share with anyone and deal with all the comments that would come with listening to rap music at that time. I walked on the bus and moved towards the middle of the bus looking for a seat. I sat down near some grade ten students and sat there minding my own business. There was this one guy who was loud and was dissing people and joking around. He looked at me and I made eye content with him. He saw I was listening to music and was looking to strike. He figured I would be listening to some popular rock or pop music of the day. He led with a what are listing to, probably some (insert wack band of that era) garbage. I was like no, I am listening to Leaders Of The New School. That stoped this guy dead in his tracks. He was flabbergasted and didn’t know what to say other than cool. We then started to chat about it. This person was M.Phasis.

This was so out of character for M.Phasis to act in this fashion. It was pretty much the only time I could remember him acting in this manner ever. We hit it off like fast friends. We both had an insane love for Rap music. He had so many dope rap tapes that he introduced me to as well as Rap magazines.

We both played football together and spent pretty much the next two years hanging out everyday we were not playing sports or working and listening to, talking about and reading about rap music.

When I think back to this two year time period it is one of the most memeorable and impressionable that I ever experienced. I don’t really wish I could go back to any previous part of my life, but if I could it would be this time. I listened to ten years of rap music in a two year time span. We were inseparable in this era. We practically lived at each others houses.

This album was the catalyst to us being homies, rapping, DJ’ing, performing together and so much more. It was one of those chance encounters that doesn’t seem like too much when it happens that ends up changing the course and direction of your life.

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