Do or die, stay high till I motherfuckin' die

[TJ Xenos]

South Central Cartel f/ Spice 1, Tupac, MC Eiht, Ice T - Gangster Team
South Central Cartel f/ 3-2 and Big Mike - Gang Stories
Tru - Tru Homies
Tru - Hoody Hoo
Z Ro - Look at Me (C& by Gloc 9 of Beltway 8)
Z Ro - How Does It Feel (C&S by DJ Majestic)
Z Ro - It's A Shame (C&S by Paul Wall)
Z Ro - Continue to Roll (C&S by Paul Wall)
Z Ro - King of the Ghetto (C&S by OG Ron C)
Z Ro f/ Trae - Never Take Me Alive (C&S by SLAB)

1 & 2) Never head the 2nd SCC album back in the day, managed to score
a used (punched barcode) copy for like 2-3 bucks like 6 months back
and had it come up in the last 5 pack I pulled out of my underground G
Rap stash box. Both of these songs are gems that have stayed on the
playlist, but the entire album is mint, even the tracks that don't
have high profile guests. Gangsta Team is especially remarkable
because it's got a Pac verse that even some of my diehard Pac-rider
homies hadn't even heard it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGz7oDPJwG4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mdQPo3maUA (gotta love the disclaimer
from uncle rush in the intro)

3 & 4) Ditto the Tru album, another one I slept on but scored for 2-3
bucks at the same time as the SCC, and actually pulled out in the same
batch of albums. Obviously I heard Hoody Hoo occasionally back in the
90s when the tank was unavoidable. However, at the point the tank was
blowing up and for a few years thereafter I was caught up in punk
rock, and when I got back into hiphop I came at it from the socially
progressive (ie extraordinarily white lol) angle and wasn't really
trying to get into music that wasn't overtly political, or at the
least an expression of rage against the unfairness of the system. A
few years later on, through the guidance of underground scumbags/
malcontents like Blockhead and J Zone I learned to just appreciate
ignorant rap for what it is, MUSIC. This fresh perspective allowed me
to see the content in the lyrics in some of these songs without
writing it off first. Clearly this isn't the case for a song like
Hoody Hoo, but Tru Homies is borderline beautiful (I never thought I
would ever in my life rewind a Master P verse). One of my boys was
ranting about Tru Homies from the moment I mentioned I'd picked this
up and the first time I heard it, I realized he was completely right
and that I had gotten more than just some bangin beats and crazy flows
spitting ignorant lyrics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2aMpumi0gc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03LVO4i4aRc

5) Off Z-Ro's self titled 5th album. Nothing too special as far as
flow or content, on that generic hustla/thug shit, but a great mix by
Gloc 9 of b8 and the priceless "Don't need no soda straight out the
pint bottle, I dont care if you don't like it cuz I aint your role
model" to close each verse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcgX7QyoFmM

6) How does it feel is Ro on that emo shit, rhyming about not being
able to trust anyone and being one deep and trying to get by, and not
lose it ("How does it feel when you can't make the pain stop, walking
in the rain so your tears can blend in with the raindrops", "how does
it feel when all your kin peoples done turnt they back" etc). This
one has been on a lot of different Ro tapes, but I been jamming to the
one off of Underground Railroad 2: Thug Luv. Could only dig up the OG
off of screwed up click representa on youtube, but it'll do, as the
mix on the version I've been playing isn't that spectacular and the
song is really all about the lyrics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm7DRLOn4x8

7) More Ro on the social tip, lamenting the traps of the ghetto and
the trials of being a young black man trying to get by. Couldn't find
the slowed version on youtube so this will have to suffice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXIb1yC2L5w

8) Continue to Roll is one of my all time favorite conscious Ro
songs. The 80s sounding beat and lyrics really come across well at
screwed tempos. This isn't rowdy gangsta music for jamming in the
whip, but it's got some really powerful and moving lyrics. If I may
be so bold as to declare it to be his "Keep Ya Head Up" ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABOMrvUQcWY

9) King of the Ghetto isn't necessarily one of Ro's deepest jams, but
it's a dope beat, classic hiphop jam, and an UNBELIEVABLE mix by OG
Ron C. The whole slowed version of Joseph W McVeigh is undoubtedly
one of the highlights of Ron C's resume.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjiaidDqLZk

10) Some basic gangsta shit from Ro and Trae, bringing it back to the
Guerilla Maab days (not sonically, but in having these two tag teaming
on a track) although not so basic as to be generic. It still shines
through with that unique Pac-esque paranoia that (in his mind)
justifies Ro's aggression and violence. This isn't mindless violence
being glorified, this is more an exploration of mental illness and
estrangement and how it can lead to acting out against enemies both
real and perceived.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVUAdfu_Sp0

Sidenote - for any curious, the other 3 albums along with Tru and SCC
that came up in that batch were Lil Flip - Welcome II Screwston (06
mixtape of screwed freestyles with a few repeated at regular speed at
the end a la Ro's Gangstafied album), Keak, PSD & Messy Marv - Da
Bidness (great album. the beats slap, the guest list is on point, and
the 3 man team steeze prevents any of the 3 rappers from getting stale
as the styles are so varied, and you don't get TOO much of anyone),
Beeda Weeda - Turfology 101 (pretty decent. Slightly thugged out
Oakland rap, but not too gangsta. Half on that regular dude steeze.
Kinda reminds me of Mistah FAB. I preferred the Homework tape mixed
by Demolition Men, but this was put out through Heiro and might appeal
to an audience less rooted in the mid 2000s bay area thizz records/
hyphy scene)

[mattmatical]

>1 & 2) Never head the 2nd SCC album back in the day, managed to score

A west coast must-have. That's rmhh consensus.

>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mdQPo3maUA (gotta love the disclaimer
>from uncle rush in the intro)

I wouldn't point the finga at Rush personally, but yeah it's
ironic to see a label get on a regional bandwagon and
at the same time distancing itself from that very same
regional identity.

>Hoody Hoo, but Tru Homies is borderline beautiful (I never thought I
>would ever in my life rewind a Master P verse).

P gave some very strong performances in his lifetime.
Unfortunately they're buried under tons of derivative
bullshit.

>the end a la Ro's Gangstafied album), Keak, PSD & Messy Marv - Da
>Bidness (great album. the beats slap, the guest list is on point, and
>the 3 man team steeze prevents any of the 3 rappers from getting stale
>as the styles are so varied, and you don't get TOO much of anyone),

I covered this one for Flash. Very solid Bay release at a
time when I really wasn't expecting it anymore.


Matt

[TJ Xenos]

On Feb 8, 1:01 pm, mattmatical <i...@i.be> wrote:
> >1 & 2) Never head the 2nd SCC album back in the day, managed  to score
>
> A west coast must-have. That's rmhh consensus.

I wouldn't argue with that, and that's coming from someone who's
almost always down to argue.

> >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mdQPo3maUA (gotta love the disclaimer
> >from uncle rush in the intro)
>
> I wouldn't point the finga at Rush personally, but yeah it's
> ironic to see a label get on a regional bandwagon and
> at the same time distancing itself from that very same
> regional identity.

I think russell's name was on the disclaimer in the video intro, which
is why I singled him out.

> >Hoody Hoo, but Tru Homies is borderline beautiful (I never thought I
> >would ever in my life rewind a Master P verse).
>
> P gave some very strong performances in his lifetime.
> Unfortunately they're buried under tons of derivative
> bullshit.

TONS AND TONS.

> >the end a la Ro's Gangstafied album), Keak, PSD & Messy Marv - Da
> >Bidness (great album.  the beats slap, the guest list is on point, and
> >the 3 man team steeze prevents any of the 3 rappers from getting stale
> >as the styles are so varied, and you don't get TOO much of anyone),
>
> I covered this one for Flash. Very solid Bay release at a
> time when I really wasn't expecting it anymore.

Definitely took me by surprise with how good it was. I expected a few
bangers and a bunch of also ran type stuff, because of how prolific
most bay area artists are, but was really pleased by this.

> Matt