R&B-Phenomenon Frank Ocean just dropped a new song on his Tumblr and…it’s all rap! Plain rap. FUCKING GOOD rap! Luv it! You’ll too!
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Up for today is the second installment of the God bless the Dead-series. Today’s feature is H-Town Legend and original Screwed Up Click Member Fat Pat.
2. Fat Pat – All Eyez on the Fat Gangster
You have educated, well spoken gangsters that seem too reasonable to be G and then you got the hyper-sympathic funny Go-to-Guys like Fat Pat. Born in Houston, on December 4, 1970, Patrick Lamark Hawkins, was an original member of DJ Screw’s Screwed Up Click and Dead End Alliance. But even more so a certified street legend in Houston’s infamous South Park-neighborhood.
Trying to touch on Pat’s legacy is almost impossible to describe with words.
Pat wasn’t most notable for his music, but more for his personality, just being a real street dude, staying real to the game and it’s rules. His grind, his style, his swag – that’s what made him such an important figure for Houston’s diverse scene.
A lot of rumors surround the death of Patrick Hawkins, most of them connected to the drug game – they all proved to be wrong, when DJ Screw shed light on the mystery, when bein‘ interviewed back in 1999.
Pat in fact was killed by a Austin, Texas drug lord named Weasel, being part-time concert promoter. One day Pat and Screw performed in Austin. Weasel video taped the show and sold bootlegs of it on the streets. When Pat confronted him with the claim, he denied it. Pat wasn’t too pleased with that and the two got into a bad argument which was solved without bad results though. Soon after Weasel got robbed and thought Fat Pat was to be blamed for it. To „solve“ the problem, Weasel invited Pat over to his place in Austin, claiming he wanted to pay him for the tapes. Well, things turned out different and Pat got shot by Weasel over the robbery.
And once again a key figure got killed, for keeping it real. For going there without no protection. Like a man. Getting killed for it – within the blink of an eye.
The saddest thing about it all is, that he never saw the big success of his debut-album Ghetto Dreams, as he was killed February 3, 1998. Ghetto Dreams was released March 17, 1998. The album achieved to reach the No. 5-spot on the US Rap-Charts. Moving 20.000 units in it’s first week, eventually reaching sales of 60.000 units. Independently.
Long gone, never forgotten – we mourn him with his own song – we miss our G!
Some artists never achieve the success they really deserve. Chicago crooner Johnny P is among them. Remembered by most for his extra terrestrial hook-work on songs such as Do Or Die’s Po‘ Pimp or Scarface’s Smile, featuring the late 2Pac, he is most unknown for his solo-works, which is more than tragic, since it’s, well – awesome!
His sophomore-release (we’ll come to his debut sometime later) is his magnum opus. The Next features slow jams as the contagious Bed Time Story, sporting Jodeci-esque swag and vocal timbre somewhere in between Michael Jackson and fellow Chicagoan R. Kelly or Don’t Deserve It, a self depicting song, full of shame and realization, assisted by Do Or Die-chopper A.K..
But there’s even more than your average compilation of baby making music. There’s hella funk, too!
Munchies For Ya makes you wanna get freaky with, well – basically every girl next to you (better never bump that one next to your wife AND some unknown females). Deep bass groves, hard snare drums and sparse melody let Johnny’s voice take over and the rhythm hit’em – with force!
Talking about force – it’s all over the release, with features by Do Or Die, Scarface and Low Ride, vicious double time flows and smooth player antics are guaranteed. The Next came in a period, when Rap-A-Lot was making a big transition from their classic days with artists like Geto Boys, Seagram, Big Mello, Too Much Trouble and Ganksta NIP, to the shiny era with a more No Limit Records-approach. This is what the album probably suffered from – a lack of promotion and a somewhat unclear identity. RAL had never released an R&B-album before and the mistakes were obvious.
While being hell of a cool song, Take It Like A Playa, featuring sinister Dirty South-beats and explicit raps in corporation with a Mob Style-video, might not’ve been the best way to break a sensitive R&B-vocalist like Johnny P.
That’s where it all goes wrong: the album’s quality is unquestionable. P’s trademark adlibs and superb singing, the state of the art-production and overall-aesthetic – it’s top knotch. But you’re not gonna create a classic record without letting everybody know you DID.
That’s why The Next stays a gem among those that deeply love R&B and/or the Rap-A-Lot-catalogue. Either way – it’s a pick well worth owning and just what one of the album’s song states: Not 4 The Radio!
Flatbush ZOMBiES‚ own Erick Arc Elliott drops his newest single French, off of his upcoming solo-project Been here before, slated for a Fall release.
RiRi does Rocky. Or the other way round… Anyway: A$AP Rocky knocks a quick 16 on the remix for Rihanna’s remix of Cockiness (Like It). Song is…kinda aight, I guess. It’s nice to see Rocky jumping on songs by artists like Usher and Rihanna and getting the exposure he deserves, I just hope that won’t effect the grittyness of his upcoming album LongLiveA$AP, slated for a Halloween-release.
Alright! Finally! FINALLY! A$AP Mob drop their new mixtape/album/callitwhachuwanna Lords Never Worry. 18 songs of Mob Madness! Stop readin‘. Give it a spin! Link comes courtesy of Live Mixtapes!
DOWNLOAD: A$AP Mob – Lords Never Worry:
Urrrr-right – 50 done did it! Today’s Curtis‘ birthday but instead of being greedy, he gives away a big present to the audience: his new mixtape 5 (Murder By Numbers) which can be downloaded from his homepage. 10 joints feat. ScHoolboy Q, Kidd Kidd & Brevi. G G G G G Unit/not?
DOWNLOAD: 50 Cent – 5 (Murder By Numbers)
I kind of caught the blues prior to writing this installment of „Throwback Thursday„, which made me chose this certain record. Now, Scratch Master K’s (how old school is that?!) second album really ain’t nothing too sad, but it’s got this mellow vibe, that goes with any kind of emotion. Therefor I found myself playing it countless times over the years.
SMK originally is from Rochester, New York, but you could never tell, judging on the sound of this album. Few producers have helped shaping the sound of Memphis Rap, the way SMK has. He’s made his mark with his soulful approach, relying heavily on funky basslines and mellow vibes, to kick back and zone out to. This here is straight Gangster Walk-music. Bump for the trunk. Gettin‘ Blowed-tracks. Of course it is – the cover depicts SMK not only smoking one, but TWO blunts at a time.
It’s straight underground. In a way. But you could still play Slow Down or Yo! It ain’t EZ for your girlfriend or even your mums and they will most likely feel it. While SMK might not be the most lyrical rapper of all time, he catches atmosphere and bumps it through the speakers.
M-Town is one of those songs. While the intro plays for about 50 seconds and is totally different from the song itself, you’ll find yourself bopping your head and moving your behind like a muuuuuuuh, as soon as the beat kicks in. SMK makes gangstas not only boogie. He makes them dance! And that’s what makes this album so special: it’s straight forward, you can tell by the cover, this is some explicit ish. But at the same time it’s diverse as can be, in it’s own right.
K takes on social criticism (All I know), reps his town (M-Town), his crew (B.P.P. in Yo Trunk), raps about smoking and getting drunk (Who’s got the Fi), dancing (Gangsta Walk) and – of course – women. Still it won’t leave you puzzled. This is one you can leave playing without skipping. Throw away your remote and activate replay-mode. Because that’s what you will find yourself doing: replaying the ish out of this record.
I told you I caught the blues. That’s why I’ll wrap it up with Hoes got me boned. To me this is the jam! SMK’s masterpiece. The bass takes you in zone. The drums make your neck hurt. The chorus gets you amped and the flow just makes you FEEL it.
Yupp – Aint nuttin shakin is a Gangsta/Thug/Drug Rap album. But there way more to it. So many personal aspects, facets and tweeks that it won’t leave your playlist for a long time!
A few weeks ago I received an eMail from the fellas of Classic Tattoo Berlin. They brought the Miami Ink-guys over to Germany and wanted us to have a lil‘ interview-thing with them at the radio station. Sure thing – why not?! The mail also mentioned some unknown Cypress Hill-vocalist they’d bring over. Mr. H.C.I.C. (Head Cracker In Charge that is) John and me were wondering. Who could that be?! Would they bring B-Real or Sen Dog? So we asked them and reply was „Mr. Psycho Rylm“ [sic]. SAY WHAT?! They’d bring Sick Jacken wit‘ them?! HELL YEAH, they did! Now THIS was a big thing for me, since I’ve been a Sick Side-listener for the past 15 years. Only a listener though. Never a soldier, which was obvious, when a non-familiar-looking guy in a blue shirt complimented me on my South Central Cartel-shirt. Little did I know it was the person I spoke about later. Jacken and me chopped it up on the chit-chat-tip when I told him „How long’s this Terror Tapes 2 been out?! I just LOVE Cynic, his voice and his flow are off the chain“ – Jacken laughed and pointed over to the guy sittin‘ on the couch „That’s my brother over there“. Ice was broken.
So we got our interview on. Jumpin‘ off with an explanation on what the whole „Sick Side“ is all about and where that came from.
This directly led us to the meaning of all this military vocabulary in the Sick Symphonies-Movement. Sick Side Soldiers/Uniforms, Street Platoons, War Story… Check out how Jacken explains all the military imagery.
Since Jacken and Cynic came to Berlin to promote their new collaborative effort Terror Tapes 2 (which, by the way, is pretty dope, so GET IT), I had to ask Cynic how it feels working with Jacken…
Next on the agenda was a question that I asked myself countless times over the years: how did that collaboration between 2Mex and Jacken happen?! It was FAR from obvious, even though both are of Mexican descent (ooooh – get the wordplay?!). Mr. Jacken shed a lil‘ light on that one.
Alright, since I had the chance to speak to Jacken, you know I would have to touch on the accident that happened to his brother Duke, destroyed Psycho Realm as a group and the most sad thing: his ability to walk and way of livin‘ the way he was used to. I really didn’t wanna go all dramatic and insightful on it though. It’s been done a billion times already. Also, it was written. By the man himself. So those that know know and those of you who don’t, READ IT UP. This easily is one of the most honest and saddest things I’ve ever come across. You think you know anything about courage, pride or manhood? You don’t know jack until your read this.
So I asked Jacken in what way it changed his take on music when Duke left. He kept it professional, touchin‘ on a very emotional topic which really impressed me.
Accidents like this one teach you to live without regrets, I guess. Which would explain Jacken’s answer when I asked him what he would have told the Young Jacken, 15 years ago, when the first Psycho Realm-LP dropped…
To wrap it up, I asked Cynic what a picture perfect morning in the life of Cynic would look like. And his answer was just as honest and humble as his rhymes are. Those dudes are real – 100.
To all of those that kept on readin‘ up until now: there’s a lottery this time. You want a signed copy of Terror Tapes 2? Of course you do! Like the facebook-page to register for the lottery and grant your chance to win a copy of the CD!
Thanks to Jacken, Cynic, Classic Tattoo, Miami Ink and anybody else I might’ve forgotten, that enabled this interview!