Fave Hip Hop 12" Covers...

I have been posting up a series of photos on my Instragram and thought I should do it on the JMS blog and include some music to go along with the descriptions...so without further ado, these are some of my all time fave Hip Hop 12" covers (I will add to this post each time I post up at IG)

Always loved this one: Redman in the corner mean grilling it and sporting a wild fro, a Philly blunt in hand and rocking a Carharrt hoodie with a city buildings and blue sky backdrop, "Rockafella" was the lead single release from Red's classic second LP, Dare Iz A Darkside (1994) (go back to this album if you haven't heard it in years).

The flipside of this 12" was also ill, it featured Red and DJ Twins rocking black skullies (Red's was a Carhartt one) and laced up Timberland boots (DJ Twins) and hoodies and the photo was shot in what looks to be under a bridge or overpass.

"Rockafella" is not necessarily the greatest thing Redman has done but it was still dope and the remix provided by Erick Sermon gave heads a taste of what his sophomore solo album Double or Nothing would be like.

Redman - Rockafella (Remix)



Next one up soon...

J.M.S. Joint of The Week: EPMD - "Do It Again" (1997)

This week's joint of the week is from (as you would already well know) my all time fave MC team EPMD and while I dive into Erick Sermon's lengthy resume, I'm starting to wonder why he never gets mentioned alongside DJ Premier and Pete Rock, Dilla and Marley Marl when he has done so much for not only Hip Hop but R&B & Reggae/Hip Hop as well and while I'm not a fan he has also produced some commercial material that should have seen him earn big bucks but it didn't really happen and I wonder if he regrets supplying dope beats for overblown and overrated fraudulent rappers?...who knows lol

"Do It Again" is "Green Eyed Bandit Funk" formula for sure but damn it works, when I first heard this back in 1997 on their comeback album "Back In Business" I was surprised that E-Dub had not usedTom Browne's classic Jazz Funk number "Funkin' For Jamaica" before, sure E had used elements of it in L.O.D.'s "Feel It" (1996) and a few other joints but he hadn't used it like he did on "Do It Again" incorporating elements of it
and I suspect it might have been difficult to chop up as there is a lot of busy vocal work among the instruments but E flipped it superbly and Erick and Parrish throw rhymes back like and forth like old times and sound right at home.

The Back In Business LP certainly had it's moments but it's not overly an essential EPMD album in my view, some tracks felt a bit thrown together and they were capable of much better, still it is worth revisiting and this track was one of the highlights for me.

Bonus Joint: L.O.D. -"I Feel It"

Peace

New EPMD joint...

I just got this in my inbox, so here it is (do it like this, coming from the sewer and you know we never miss) the brand new EPMD cut "Don't Get Clapped", it looks like the rap vets Erick Sermon and PMD will have a new album soon, more details once I know them.

word up...


Enjoy...


http://www.mediafire.com/?6j1foxww137ck5m

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Erick+Sermon

http://www.discogs.com/artist/EPMD

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Parrish+Smith

EPMD and Oh No live in Melbourne (2009)

"MC's out there you better stand clear..."
















Oh Yes Y'all, Yes Y'all (Kick It E)...I was crazy fortunate to be able to stay in a beautiful little seaside village called Williamstown with my younger brother D (thanks for everything and I mean everything, love you bro) while I patiently waited for Friday night to roll around and even though I am now back in Wellington, New Zealand, I still can't quite believe that yes I finally got to see EPMD tear shit up on stage and being that it was their first time in Australia, I felt very lucky to be there.

Oh No (Madlib's younger brother for those not in the know) was really just a great bonus, or as Erick Sermon said "Fuck Oh No, I had no idea you were that nice" (or something similar anyway)


The show was at the Espy (Esplanade Hotel) where I had seen People Under The Stairs and Atmosphere, Brother Ali and P.O.S. perform dope shows before and the warm up and support DJ Mark 563 rocked some straight up 90's classic with precision beat mixing, I thought the Low Budget crew okay, but a little well...boring, personally I think it would be better if it was 2 MC's going back and forth rather than just one MC, I just didn't find them that good, then Oh No came out all hooded up and basically blessing the M.I.C. with his trademark ill beats and when Oh wanted the sound to be a bit louder or whatever, then Oh did that shit by himself and left the DJ looking a little bit silly, Oh was dope and he ran through a few solo tracks and tracks off The Disrupt album, with the highlight being the J-Dilla (R.I.P.) produced banger "Move" making the heads roar in appreciation, myself included, I had a good spot where I was and met some dope cats (what's good Mark, Alex Louie and Kris) they were all feeding off the live energy and when PMD took the stage and got the crowd to ask for Erick, the place erupted with loud chants, whistles and appreciation.

E came out and EPMD formed and then proceeded to rock the shit out of the Espy, running through a series of their greatest hits "You A Customer", "It's My Thing","Crossover" "Golddigger" (with E & P saying that Kanye bit that shit ha ha), "Rampage" (with E's verse as an accapella),"So Wat Cha Sayin", "Headbanger" (with Oh No nodding his head like crazy on the side of the stage) "Richter Scale", "Da Joint" (twice, both times had the crowd hyped liked they had ten pounds of coffee) "You Gots To Chill".

E & P also rocked some solo shit including PMD's "Ruff, Rugged and Raw" and E's "React", it was very clear that E & P enjoyed this crowd and they said sorry that it had taken them 20 years to get to Oz I thought this show was just mad incredible and from screaming out lyrics and yelling so much, I lost my voice, it's still croaky (lol) check out Mark 563's blog for video footage and pics

http://runtheline.blogspot.com

Major super duper crazy props to Fresh Pair Promotions for putting this show on and thanks to Pip for broadening her horizons and coming to the show, thank you for your generosity and sorry we missed each other after the show.

Here are some of the pics I took, I'm kind...I didn't post the blurry ones.

Oh No





EPMD


















One

Jaz

Erick Sermon Got Funk for days... The Funklord Files Volume 2

Yes Yes Y'all...kick it E...

No descriptions necessary, here is the second volume of The Funklord Files because I made you kids wait so long for the first one and I really appreciate the comments and positive feedback about the blog and the comps...

enjoy

Jaz Presents-The Funklord Files Volume 2

http://www.sendspace.com/file/i2ynq5

1. jamal - situation (95)
2. def squad - say word (98)
3. redman & method man - (95)
4. epmd - gold digger (e and p's remix) (90)
video (for og version) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNrF4zKCZVI
5. keith murray - this that shit! (95)
6-kapone - get down to it (clean)(95)
7-xross breed- the vibe (96)
8-redman-rockafella remix (94)
9-boss-2 to da head (92)
10-keith murray feat. passion, lbm & kel vicious - pay per view (95)
11-erick sermon (feat redman & keith murray) - hostility (00)
12-redman-time 4 sum aksion (erick sermon remix) (92)
video for og version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxjh4ufcUUY
13-the wixtons- up jump the boogie (96)
14-erick sermon-reign (96)
15-def-squad-check n me out (98)
16-illegal ft.erick sermon-we getz buzy (93)
17-erick sermon ft tommy gun-bomdigi remix (95)
18-roger ft epmd- (everybody) get up(epmd diesel low remix) (91)
19-keith murray - get lifted (erick sermon remix) (95)
20-redman-cant wait remix 2 (95)
21-questionmark asylum-lookaway (erick sermon remix)(95)

One...

It's the E Double who?...The Funklord Files Volume 1

Yes Yes Ya'll coldrockdaspot. is back in E.F.F.E.C.T and here is Volume 1 of the Funklord Files to say thanks for the e-mails and your patience...during the downtime.


Welcome to another installment at C.R.D.S, thank you for your time reading and you must know that all of you ill kids that leave comments and help this blog out it any way...that I am mad grateful and consider you kids an important part of this blog, speaking of...they just get better?...don't they?, I got this cool Ozzie kid named Lynton

onto

www.poisonousparagraphs.blogspot.com

and he told me it took him a week to go through it...that is dedication and when you visit Dart's site you will see why...EVERY link that I have in my links section I highly recommend you check it if you haven't...






and I would also appreciate it if you signed up to X-Ray's Mindbenda.com forum
http://www.mindbenda.com

Please peep the really dope X-Tacy Radio Shows if you haven't, the selection and Kev Roc's unique voice as a host make for in my honest opinion, one of the greatest Hip Hop shows I have ever had the pleasure to listen to.


...and it's on...


I make no apologies or bones (in ice cream..:P) for posting a lot about EPMD and in my eyes and ears Erick Sermon is as dope as an M.C. as he is a producer, he has remixed and produced hundreds of tracks since debuting on the Hip Hop scene in 1987 as the E of EPMD.

E was indeed the first producer to introduce, Roger Troutman's classic funk claps of Zapp to Hip Hop on the timeless You Gots To Chill...

I have heard people say that EPMD are/were over rated and how Erick was weak a lot of the time, but you know what?... this kind of thinking makes me laugh because EPMD influenced everyone from Dr Dre, to MC Breed, MC Breeze, Ill Al Skatch, Smif N Wesson...the list goes on and on like a Shyheim joint with a classic DJ Premier remix :D.

You have to really look at Erick's extensive remix and production catalogue
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Erick+Sermon

and see how his style of beat making still influences so many to this day.

In E's own words it was the Hardcore funk that make ya wanna pump a chump,that made the head nod frantically... but also that E Dub could easily make the smoothest of joints with MC Breed, Bahamadia and D'Angelo, believe me Erick Sermon was not lying when he rhymed Erick Sermon got funk for days on Straight Loonie with Keith Murray in 1994.

Not only did E remix a ton of groups and artists he also introduced us to Atlanta's, Illegal and Shadz of Lingo, the long missing in action Joe Sinistr, Keith Murray,L.O.D, Humanreck,Tommy Gunn (R.I.P.) and a few others, each of his remixes or production would be pure Erick Sermon...

I can't even honestly tell you many times he used samples from the Kool and The Gang, Stevie Wonder,Gap Band, Zapp, Rick James, James Brown,George Clinton,Lonnie Smith, Skull Snaps, Joe Tex, Crusaders, The Emotions etc...because that was the beauty of E's production, you knew it was one of his remixes or beats because there would almost always be a sample he had used before in the mix somewhere (especially Biz Markie or Slick Rick vocal samples) and you could also hear E doing his Pete Rock type adlibs...yeah...uh huh...uhhhhh...the funk...true...say what...word up.

Not all of Erick Sermon's work was classic and he did make some just average material throughout the years, but I am sure very producer suffers from this when they put on an impressive output of work, I still really enjoy listening to it and in some aspects some of his material just sounds even better today than when it was first released.

Besides the artists listed here and on this first compilation, Erick has also produced for Jay-Z, Method Man, Busta Rhymes, Alfonzo Hunter,Ludacris,Xzibit, Laz,Boss, Jodeci, AZ, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Warren G, Boyz II Men, Beverly Knight, Lynden David Hall, Blackstreet, Heavy D, Bounty Killer, Angie Stone, Scarface and many more...

It has taken me a while to do up this compilation and it would not have been fully done without the help of 2 ill cats Terence...aka Onion and Fritz thank you so much brothers.

It's great knowing that their are cats out there like you that are mad good to get dope music through, I will always return the favour.

So here I introduce to you my first compilation of Erick Sermon, remixes, b-sides and dope production moments through out the years 1992-2002.

Jaz Presents-The Funklord Files_Volume_1

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZER17AM3

1-Jamal-Keep It Real (95)
2-Bahamadia-I Confess (E. Sermon remix)(96)
3-L.O.D.-I Feel It (E. Sermon remix) (96)
4-MC Breed ft Erick Sermon-To Da Beat Chall (96)
5-Powerule-Rock Ya Knot Quick (98)
6-Erick Sermon ft Trigga, Heltah Skeltah & OGC-If You...(unreleased 96)
7-Kapone-No Jurisdiction (unreleased 95)
8-Dougie Dee-Do U Wanna Ride (Green Eyed Bandit remix) (93)
9-Erick Sermon-Safe Sex (remix) (unreleased 93)
10-Jay-Z ft The Lox & Sauce Money-Reservoir Dogs (98)
11-Tommy Gunn-Fear (96)
12-Erick Sermon-Stay Real (remix) (93)
13-Troy S.L.U.G.S.-Party Goin On (E. Sermon remix) (02)
14-Keith Murray-Dip Dip Di (You remix me) (94)
15-Redman-Funkorama (Double Green remix)(96)
16-Humanreck-No Gunz (E. Sermon remix) (98)
17-Erick Sermon-Maintain (96)
18-Keith Murray-East Left (95)
19-K-Solo-Rock Bottom (92)
20-Illegal- Head or Gut (93)





Interesting fact: Erick Sermon was originally supposed to have a verse on The Alkaholiks-All The Way Live (95), but the verse he contributed ended up being the one he had already used on Keith Murray's Straight Loonie (94)..which means there is a version in the Liks vaults of this somewhere.


Volume 2 will be up soon...

P.E.A.C.E.