Friday, February 15, 2008

Old School Friday - Who Are You Again?

This week is all about debut appearances. The first couple performances by an artist are hardly indicative of how they will end up, as you will soon see. So, it's cool to go back and see how it all started. It's real cool to see videos from '90 to '93 just to see all the Cross Colours. What was that all about? Why did we beg our parents to spend hundreds of dollars on such ridiculous clothes? I would ground my son for a month if he asked me to buy some $75 bright red jeans. Either that or he's going to the mill to get a job. But anyways, enjoy the vids. And fellas, I hope you did right by your ladies yesterday. Holla.

BTW, check out my old roommate's blog, Finessed & Blessed. He's also representing the Old School. "211" up in this piece! [inside joke]

MC Serch feat Red Hot Lover Tone, Nas, & Chubb Rock - Back To The Grill

"Serial killer who works by the phone book."
Nas on a MC Serch track? It may seem funny now, but a lot of people forget that Serch executive produced "Illmatic." After I heard this song, I couldn't wait for Nas' album to come out. When I heard "Halftime" I was like uhhhhhhh....nice video. But "Ain't Hard To Tell" came out soon after, and it was all good again. Well until that whole "Nastradamus" period, which sucked ass through a straw.




SuperCat feat Biggie, Puff, & Trevor Sparks - Dolly my baby

Whatever happened to Supercat? He can't get any run now? You mean the world is a better place with Souljah Boy cashing checks instead of Supercat? But I digress. Big's verse is OK, not spectacular. Obviously, he grew as an artist between this song and "Ready To Die." The less words written about Trevor and Puff's verses, the better,




Original Flavor feat Jay-Z - Can I Get Open?


"I'm so crazy. Ahhhhh."
OK, I realize that Jay was in a few videos with Jaz, but those songs are kind of wack. I actually dig this joint. But the video is pure early 90's. The Karl Kani beanie with the plate on the front. 1992 where have you gone? And where did Jay's original flow go? He's spittin' just a little differently nowadays. But it's cool. The smart ones know when to change.




Father MC - I'll Do 4 U

If you look past the rapping Chris Rock impersonator and listen closely, you can hear a familiar voice. Is that? Could it be? Yep, it's a young Mary J Blige. The end of the song is funny, cause Mary doesn't rip it like you know she wanted to. She kind of holds back. If this song were recorded now, Mary would blow the wire mesh off the microphone.




Eric Sermon feat Keith Murray - Hostile


"Cause my delivery is so complex."
This video introduced kids in the south to the practice of keeping razor blades in one's mouth. After this, all the wanna-be thugs at my high school started doing it. You're either born gully or not. You can't acquire it through visuals. Anyway, Keith rips this track.




Tyrese - Coke

When his first album came out, I was like "Isn't that the dude from the Coke commercial?" I'm pretty sure that's what everyone else was thinking too. But, obviously it worked out for him. I guess dreams do come true...if you drink Coke.




Xzibit - Papparazzi

Hmmm...so you went from recording Papparazzi to spitting lines like "Cock back the weight, spread hate. Heavy metal we settle and set shit straight." Interesting how his whole steelo changed once Dre came calling. I'm not hating, but it is hilarious watching this video, knowing how things turned out. I guess he couldn't envision "Pimp My Ride" back in '96.




AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT


The Cardigans - Lovefool

A little ditty in honor of Valentine's Day this week. Unfortunately, I've kind of slept on The Cardigans. They're kind of soulful for a pop band from Sweden. Speaking of Sweden, they pretty much eat Abba for breakfast. No comparison at all.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

First and foremost, X to tha Z has made classic album up until the last two I think. Papparazzi still gets airtime in the whip. Now, Serch was the first gifted white rapper bar none. Some may say Everlast...... not really... no street cred. Serch was dope and EVERYONE was doing the gas face!!!!

What happened to Father MC?
What happened to Redhead Kingpin?
What happened to Boss?
What happened to Ms. Melodie?

Talk to me somebody!!!!

K-Dawg Khronicles

Gangsta D said...

Damn. Ms Melodie. Totally forgot about her. She's a born again rebel, for crying out loud:)

Serch was dope and quite underrated. Keep a look out for my "East Coast Slept On" post.

Anonymous said...

"You got a crew you betta tellem"

Keith Murray was the shit!

I used to bang Enigma until my boys started blunt ashin on the CD case when I pulled up to the corner store coppin three swishers more.

Gangsta D said...

Damn, they couldn't find another CD case? lol

Anonymous said...

Nah they got so sick of World Be Free that they decided to take matters into their own hands...haters!

Keith where you goooin?
I gotta flight ta catch...

Unknown said...

Nice... a "first appearance" motif today. You missed Redman in the Headbanger, though!

Agree with anon above - 3rd Bass was the best, though, to be fair, the pre-Dre Eminem was ripping sh*t, too. He was like a white Big L.

Boss! She used to scare me, actually. Wasn't she supposedly homeless when she got her record deal? Or was that just a backstory to sell the image?

The Cardigans are actually more of a punk/hard rock pop band. This song kinda misrepresented them. The only other song they did that even notched any radio play in the US was "My Favorite Game", which was a bit more like their normal tempo. They even have a remake of Sabbath's "Iron Man" on one of their albums. Stuff like that amuses me.

Like how Sugar Ray, before teaming up with... Supercat!... was a speed metal band. Their first album was all speed hard rock songs, then one song with a reggae motif and a Supercat appearance. Next album... "Every Morning" type ish... lol. Seriously, they must have broken the Onyx record for "Quickest changing of style to sell records"....

Gangsta D said...

Ahh, SML is always on point. I peeped The Cardigans' cover of Iron Man. It will make an appearance soon:)

Boss wasn't homeless, she was a private schooled studio gangsta. But her first album is dope, and no one can tell me different.

Anonymous said...

anonymous...look for the three Nas Where are they now Remixes. There are a WHOLE lotta cats out there.