Thoughts From The Rap Nest

vol022-007 seven eleven back on up

Thoughts

Another Record Store Day came and went on Saturday. I, like many suckers, lined up at our favourite local record store Saturday morning. I went to the Vinyl Exchange here in downtown Saskatoon. I went about 35 minutes early and was sixth in line. I did the thing that I always do where I try to speculate on what records those ahead of me are going to buy to try and ease my mind that I will be able to secure what it is I am looking for. Nowadays RSD consists of people perusing the store’s Instagram for what they got in and then heading to the shop, buying that item and leaving. They don’t look around the shop and look for other items which was the original intention of the day before all the special releases took over. About 20 people in total lined up and the store was empty 20 minutes after it opened because that is how long it took to complete everyoes’s transactions and people were rushing out to stop at the other record store in town, The Vinyl Diner. I am not sure what this is doing to help support and promote independent brick and mortar stores in the big picture, I mean maybe it is a nice injection of sales but I am not sure what it is doing in attracting new people to record stores. I don’t think there was a person in line under 30. That can’t be a good sign for the future. There are not many things these days outside of lining up for a vaccine that people line up for. Back in my younger days people would camp out for concert tickets. I once waited in line for Blades playoff tickets for almost 8 hours, pissed my pants and didn’t get tickets due to a computer glitch in printing the tickets. To be fair it was 1989 and I was 11 and my Dad dropped me off and left me there to get the tickets. No food or water. I also got hit and yelled at for pissing my pants on the way home. Anyways enough of the digression, my point is that I don’t mind waiting in line and that it is actually my favourite part of RSD. I enjoy the excitement and the anticipation that is felt while waiting line. I could tell everyone was in good spirits and genuinely excited about the prospects of getting the RSD releases on their list.

The prices of these RSD releases are doing nothing to attract new or younger buyers. I experienced some sticker shock this year which I had not in past years. I get inflation, gas and everything is up but I was still surprised by some of the prices of records this year. I paired down my purchases to 2 release; Czarface - Czarmagedon and The Grouch - Show You The World.  I would have bought 2 to 3 more things but the prices just wouldn’t allow me to this go around. All the people that were at the store were longtime customers and collectors and people that I recognized from past RSD. I spent some time digging through the cds because I am looking for certain used things, but I didn’t find anything I was looking for. I guess there is a RSD coming up in June so I am sure you will find me lined up once again feeling like a loser once again.

Vulgar Records which is a dope boutique label out of France that specializes in super obscure west coast underground releases of demos and unreleased, materials on vinyl is back with an incredible release. Lackadasical – shameless Self Promotion Ep, is a 1995 demo produced by Hen Boogie of The Dereliks. This release includes a 4-page booklet with various photographs and liner notes to accompany this release.  These are limited to 120 vinyl copies and selling extremely fast. Just 3 left here.

90’s Tapes a label affiliated with HHV.de out of Germany that features classic released, under and unreleased albums from the 90’s. This series is popular, and many releases sell out with hours of going live. They dropped Shadez Ov Blac sophomore album Comprehension this week on vinyl, cd and cassette. Shadez Ov Blac are a rap group from Winnipeg Manitoba consisting of Mista Christy, Scuskotch The Ill Lyrasis and Marvelous. This was such a pleasant surprise to wake up to and see on Tuesday. cop one before they are gone.

The return of Buck 65 seems to be upon us. After taking an extended hiatus he has popped up as of late with an upcoming album with Tachichi. Check out the remix from the homie Noblonski that I did the cuts on. It is a bonus digital track when you purchase the album. Buck 65 just released a revisited rerecorded version of the three Wildlife tracks. Check it out!

Record 1

Live Poets - What’s it All About

Originally released in 1996 by trio of Sole, JD Walker and Moodswing9 on CD I actually have never heard this album prior to this vinyl release. I had head the Live Poets 12” but never this CD. It is an abridged version of the CD as they had to trim a few tracks as it is single vinyl pressing. My favourite tracks are All of Me, Days of Confused and Clueless. It is wild to how advanced this sounds for an indie rap release in 1996 as I listen in 2022. Big shouts to Smoke On Records out of Germany for reissuing this. If you didn’t know this was reissued don’t sweat it as it sprung up our of nowhere and there has been very little buzz online about it. That was really surprising to me. Grab a copy while you can.

Record 2

Dillon & Paten Locke - Studies In Hunger

Now I am not unfamiliar with Dillon & Paten Locke as I picked Food Chain when it dropped a few years back however I have been sleeping since. I need to shout out the homies Rove and Id Obelus for getting back on track. I recently ordered this album which is the first time to vinyl 10th anniversary release. It is everything I expected and I am glad I am no longer sleeping. My favourite tracks are Hot Mess, Rosie Perez, Love Died and Identify. This is a great record front to back classic rap. There are still a couple vinyl copies from Full Plate Records. RIP Paten Locke.

Top 5

Czarface - Czarmegedon

Typical Cats - Civil Service

The Library Steps - Rap Dad, Real Dad

Dillon and Batsauce - On Their Way

Thorts & Haunted Days - Hanky Man

Classic Material

Rap Traxx

This is a seminal release for Canadian hip hop fans born in the late 70’s and early 80’s. I know most of the Canadian rap fans reading this will have their own stories and memories about this Poly Tel compilation and series. Volume one was released in 1989. This compilation was hitting hard from to back. I was in grade 6 and 11 years old in 1989. I remember getting this for my birthday on cassette. I had been cutting grass for a couple of years at this point in the neighbourhood and in my grandmas neighbouhood and had saved money to buy myself an RCA boom box so i was super excited as this was the first new tape I got since I had bought it at the local Woolco. I had one other rap tape at this point and it was Run DMC - Raising Hell that I got from the spoils of a skate demo at the Confederation Park Plaza that my dad who worked at the Woolco who put on the skate demo brought home.

Rap Traxx was a game changer for me as I am sure it was for a lot of people. I am sure I will get a few messages from others sharing their memories of this tape or one like it. I think the US equivalent is the Rap Masters series. The compilation album in this format was critically important in exposing people to music and was a wildly popular format for music fans in Canada mostly thanks especially to the mighty K-Tel company out of Winnipeg Manitoba. PolyTel was the TV merchandising label for PolyGram Group Canada.  This compilation featured 12 tracks and was a great mix of the biggest artist of the day. The Track Listing is as follows:

1 Tone Loc–Wild Thing

2 D.J. Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince–Parents Just Don't Understand

3 Rob Base & D.J. EZ Rock–It Takes Two

4 L.L. Cool J.–Going Back To Cali

5 Whodini–Friends

6 Salt 'N Pepa–Push It

7 Public Enemy–Don't Believe The Hype

8 Run D.M.C.–Walk This Way

9 Morris Minor And The Majors–Stutter Rap (No Sleep Til Bedtime)

10 Eric B. & Rakim–Paid In Full (The Cold-Cut Remix)

12 Beastie Boys–Fight For Your Right

I listened to this tape hundreds of times front to back. With the favourite track being Paid In Full (The Cold-Cut Remix). However this exposed me to a wide variety of rap and I became life long fans of a lot of these groups as a result. One of the things I am really stoked about with our crew Saskatoon Folk Rap Records/Audio Recon/Pen Thief Records is the compilations/samplers that we have dropped over the past two years. Each one brings back the same feelings I got when i first listened to this tape. Be on the lookout as there is a new one coming soon.

Closing Ramblings

I have two new shirts up at Stylesmakefights.ca One for my radio Show You Know The Rules designed by the homie Aiden Searle and the other formy dj crew The Stone Cold Party Rockers with the homie Rove designed by the homie Awol One. Also the homies at Audio Recon have some dope new shirts too

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