Monday’s Mood: Johnny P – The Next (1998)

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!

God bless the dead: Hip Hop’s obsession with Death Part 1: Seagram – Man of Honor

It’s obvious: death is the superior way to stardom for every artist. But there’s no culture that’s as obsessed with death and tragedy as Hip Hop. People love rappers. They love producers and executives. But they worship martyrs. And no matter if they died fighting for their beliefs or not: any Hip Hop casualty turns into instant hero.

Let’s sum up the real tragic deaths Hip Hop had to suffer from, in a series starting with:

 

1. Seagram – Man of Honor

 

Rap has always involved tons of braggadocio on honor, respect and all those values we’ve learned from watching Goodfellas, The Godfather and Scarface. But when the chips are down – most cats simply fold. Seagram Miller didn’t. Seag was signed to Rap-A-Lot Records, back in the days. A label that was known to clown around. But his street cred ran way deeper than that.
His signing to Rap-A-Lot was due to a friendship with Houston-OG Ganksta NIP, who was infatuated with the realness Seagram brought to the table. Not only as a rapper – but as a person. He was one of those guys, nobody would have thought to be as deep in the streets as he was. Member of the 69 Street Villains, an East Oakland gang that was infamous all over town, he’d seen it all. And he displayed it within his raps. And even more: his lifestyle. When he and his comrade Gangsta P where at the Oakland Twomps-area in the early morning hours, on July 31st, 1996, a stranger opened fire on the two. Seag then jumped in the line of fire, protecting his long-time friend from the bullets, being shot numerous times – fatally.

It’s haunting, he got killed in the same Dark Roads he named his first album after. And even more tragic, he set exampled for manhood and honor by living his lyrics. Not by being gangster, but by reflecting the downward spiral of street life and gang affiliation.

Throwback Thursday: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – Creepin On Ah Come Up

When Biggie’s Ready To Die was the best debut-album in rap-history, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s Creepin‘ On Ah Come Up easily is the best debut EP to ever have been released by a rap crew, period! Yeah, there was Faces Of Death, but it wasn’t until this extended play, dropping on Eazy-E‘s Ruthless Records in 1994, that the world was introduced to the unique and contagious style of the four (originally five, but Flesh-N-Bone’s run-ins with the law made this a quartet most of the time) Clevelandians, which was somewhat of a mixture of gospel-singing, ragga-toasting and hardcore Midwest-Tongue-Twistin‘ Rap.

The dispute over who invented the style and a legendary beef between those Thugs and Psychodrama/Twista/Speedknot Mobstaz/Do Or Die from Chicago and Three 6 Mafia/etc from Memphis will never be forgotten. But more than that, the seminal, genre-changing sound of those 8 tracks will always be remembered!

Two interludes perceed the first song, creating a diabolic, voodoo-istic and extremely mystic vibe, that leads into the legendary quote of Baptist pastor Calvin O. Butts. And when he claims „We’re not against rap. We’re not against rappers…but we ARE against those THUGS„, all Hell breaks loose. Thuggish Ruggish Bone is that classic Mid-90’s G-Funk, with whiny synthesizers, deep bass grooves and a hook sung by Shatasha Williams, that will forever stick to one’s memory.

The song introduces Bone the best way possible: kickin‘ rhymes about inner city life, drugs, violence, ghetto youth without perspective and the typical „I have no opportunities, so I’ma use them„-attitude (a.k.a. I don’t give a fuck).

And that’s only the beginning of all this mayhem. No Surrender might be the most ruthless (ha – get the hint?!) „Fuck The Police“-songs, past N.W.A. Electro pianos, creepy synths, strings and the unforgettable „…’cause I’m killin‘ all you bitches, turn them blue suits red„-line by Wish Bone. Put it in your car-stereo and find yourself parolin‘ for the 5-0…for no reason, just feelin‘ what the Bone Thugs are choppin‘ up!

The title track is especially interesting. Somebody remember The New Power Generation’s „Hallucination Rain„? Those two make a PERFECT two piece. Bump ‚em back-to-back – it will take you into a psychotic daze. Distorted synths, creepy sounds and eery lyrics all over the place…

But there’s even more to it. Forget about the excellent „Foe Tha Love of $“ sportin‘ one of Eazy-E‘s most remarkable feature-parts, forget about all the skulls and Ouija-aesthetics, forget all the single elements and focus on the picture as a whole. Focus on what Bone Thugs-N-Harmony did to the rap-game with only 5 proper tracks. They changed the face of rap forever. Just like Dr. Dre did when he introduced the whole world to G-Funk in 1992. Rapping never was the same. Kickin‘ flows, incorporating singing into rap-technique and experimenting with all kind of different styles became normal.

If it wouldn’t have been for Wish Bone, Lazy Bone, Krayzie Bone, Flesh-N-Bone and Bizzy Bone, it might’ve never come that far. Even today’s Top MCs like A$AP Rocky, SpaceGhostPurrp and Kendrick Lamar drop raps, heavily influenced by the style, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony made famous.

Legendary. Period.