Thoughts
Coloured vinyl. It is no secret that I hate coloured vinyl. If there is an option to buy the tried, tested and true classic black vinyl edition of a record, I will buy it ten times out of ten. My hate for coloured vinyl mostly comes from its impracticality in a dj and radio cueing sense. The translucent coloured vinyl where you can see the grooves from the other side are simply the worst and impractical. Also it makes it difficult when trying to identify the name of a track when it is not clear which grooves are from which side of the record. It also renders the turntable light ineffective for curing in low light situations. I don’t think the coloured vinyl craze will age well. I am generally a positive person and only like to put my energy into things I like but I had to say something as the vinyl colour thing doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.
Thanks for all the great feedback and people who requested to subscribe. Shout out to the homie Pip Skid who to my surprise informed me that Birdapres did not pass records to Jeff Spec to make the beats for the Foolish Immortals album. That was quite surprising to me actually. Chaps speculation 0, Rap 1. Shout out to Nestor Wynrush as he will be pretty much the only person that understands that.
Things you should check for. Mike Decline dropped a 3 track gem called called Manifest featuring a slamming track with Teekay of Dragon Fly Empire. Rove put out a great remix of Fat Tony’s Unwind. Factor drops Time Invested 2 on Monday and dropped this video with as Sunspot Jonz. I am sure I will have more about that release in the future as I am really looking forward to it. Some great preorders bundles up here.
In some circles I am know as a self appointed Graffiti Consultant extraordinaire and my love of vandalizing trains is no secret. I have had the privilege of being an insider in this outsider world thanks to some really great people. The homie Odis is doing some really cool printing on HO scale trains. Check out his Instagram
Noblonski, sorry for always making typos, but I got love you homie!
Record 1
Swamp Thing - World War Swamp
The trio of Timbuktu, Chokeules and Savilion are back with their latest installment of there annual Halloween treat Swamp Thing. Yes I said this is a Hallowwen treat but the vinyl world being in the state it is I just got the vinyl in the mail today. I had planned to spotlight this record prior to it arriving in the mail so this was just anice coincidence. Smokescreen is my jam. Bazooka Joe 204 should be the unofficial 4th member of this crew. I really hope he shows up on next years instalment. Dj Irate comes super correct on the cuts. I really like his style. It adds some real nice flavour and nuance to the songs. Real classic like. This is a record I look forward to every year and 2022 is no exception.
Record 2
Roughneck Jihad and Awkward- Return of the Rawk
I have been a fan of Jihad The Roughneck MC (Jihad) since I first heard him in his group Third Sight on the Rhymes Like A Scientist 12”. Jihad is a hip hop fanatics mc. I literally loose my mind every time I listen to this record. Fresh Ultimate Two DJ is the ultimate battle track. Awkward’s cuts are perfect on this record. They are classic battle cuts that cut through the beats (which he produced all of them and you are probably familiar with him on The Cloaks records) in the best way and you would be hard pressed to find a better three song run on a record in the past 5 years then they one of Fresh Ultimate Two, Rawk (Original Version) and The Return of The Rawk. I have been signing the praises of this record since I got it and have turned a few people onto it and the rest of Jihad’s expansive catalogue. The Return of Rawk features one of my favourite bass-lines (no sample snitching here) that has been sampled a few times over the years and I never get tired of it. You can really tell the genius of an mc by how they flex on it and Jihad straight murders it as expected. There is not really anything else i can say about this record other then I truly love it and I really hope you check it out if you have not heard it. Jihad is top 5 dead or alive.
Top 5
Elucid & Von Pea - Dirtee Deacon
Endemik Remote Ensemble - They Fired With Their Lives
Skizza - Bridge City Underdog
Dillon & J57 - ‘83 Kids
Spoken Nerd & Juan Cosby - Grapes
Classic Material
We Came From Beyond
In the folklore of campus radio shows I put Mike Nardone’s We Came From Beyond right up there with any on the planet. One of the first radio shows to champion the Freestyle Fellowship enough said on its legitimacy and importance right there. Being such a fan of community/campus rap radio when Matre asked if we wanted to go Layola Marymount and 88.9 FM-KXLU I lost my mind with excitement. We were on tour Epic, Brzowski, Matre and me and we headed to campus to appear on the air with Mike Nardone. It was all pretty surreal and kinda weird to be on the other side of the mic and not having to guide the conversation. Mike was so kind and welcoming and the experience was everything I could have hoped for and more. It is a top 5 hip hop moment for me and one I will cherish forever.
The first volume of the We Came From Beyond compilations dropped in 2001. It featured Rob One Rock On by the Rob One All-Stars. Rob One Rock On this is without a doubt the best posse cut ever made. The beat is trance like and the lineup of mc’s is legendary. A who’s who of the LA Underground. It is one of the most beautiful songs (all 17 minutes and 42 seconds) ever made and fitting tribute the man they call Rob One (RIP).
Closing Ramblings
I host two weekly radio shows Third Verse on CFCR 90.5 fm in Saskatoon Saskatchewan every Wednesday 9 -10:30pm CST and You Know The Rules on UMFM 101.5 in Winnipeg Manitoba every Sunday Night 10-11pm They are pretty great and you should check em out.
Also i got some cool shirts, poster and hats in the Ugsmag Shop if you want that fly shit.
**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