Episode 185 : Brooklyn's Finest

"...I'd be filthy rich if not for integrity."

- Ka

The title and theme of this episode came into focus after the second of two tragic losses to the Hip-Hop family this month, both from the same borough - first the peerless wordsmith Ka, and then the legendary producer and DJ Clark Kent. Both Brooklyn natives were held in the highest esteem by all practicioners of their respective arts as experts, and more importantly, spoken highly of as human beings. We feature the music of Ka and Clark Kent in this month's selection alongside some deep cuts from my crates...lock in.

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Playlist/Notes

Ka : Sad To Say

You may have other favourites, but no-one can narrate and reflect on the street life quite like the legendary Ka of Brownsville, Brooklyn - a man who you'll have heard me say before is one of the greatest writers we've ever had. Of all the artists in the culture, he ranks in the very highest tier of those who refused to compromise their artistic principles to chase as much as a penny, and so his albums are best enjoyed by those who respect that. This piece is taken from 2021's "A Martyr's Reward" and features Ka's trademark subdued production underneath his heavy, heavy pen. While other artists may have got social media fame, their work won't be being studied and analysed for years to come - Ka's will.

[RZA] Wu-Tang Clan : I Can't Go To Sleep (Live Instrumental)

The live performance of this track which was included on the Wu's "The W" album in its original form brings an even more dramatic air to it than the first version. Strangely, there's nothing on the single this comes from to credit the performers of this live version but they do a fine job replaying RZA's production, itself based around some classic Isaac Hayes.

Trae ft. L-Boogie : I Deserve

This near-drumless track felt like an appropriate inclusion here - what was maybe less appropriate was Don Cannon yelling wildly all over the intro, which I tried to mostly omit! Houston legend Trae is talking about real life on this selection from the 2011 "Undisputed" mixtape, with Dre & Vidal taking a tiny sliver of modern soul and turning it into a somewhat mournful backing. As an aside, the L-Boogie lending her vocals to this is not Lauryn Hill!

Knucks & Venna : Alpha House

From Texas we come all the way back to the UK, for a track that couldn't for a second be mistaken for coming from anywhere else - even without Knucks' London accent. It's only a short song, but powerful, as he tells a story going all the way back to where everything started for him. The track carries on long past the final lyric, with the saxophonist Venna playing over Knucks' beautiful production. This is the perfectly-chosen opener from his 2022 "Alpha Place" album, named after the street he grew up on.

Curren$y : Game On Freeze

We go back to 2018's "The Spring Collection" album for this bassy, low-slung track - two short verses from  New Orleans' Curren$y, short enough that the hook almost gets equal time, on top of the beat from Sledgren of Taylor Gang. Anyone that is hating on Curren$y can only be jealous of the success he describes, since by all accounts he's one of the most personable artists around!

Organized Noize ft. Joi and 2 Chainz : Kush

Finding one of the supposed 500 copies of the "Organized Noize EP" was a great result from regular local record shopping! The famed production trio (RIP Rico Wade) get free reign to put this collection of tracks together their way, and they go slow, low, dark, and smoked out with this ode to the good weed, starring fellow Atlanta natives Joi and 2 Chainz on vocals. This was released as a single too, and justifiably so.

[Shadetek] Rodan : Witchcraft II (Instrumental)

Dark, grinding, and pretty much completely forgotten by me in favour of the other track on this 12", "Ruler Of Day & Night"! Shadetek does his thing on this, a sequel to "Witchcraft" on the Monsta Island Czars' "Escape From Monsta Island" LP that is drastically slower and much grimmer sonically.

MF DOOM ft. Kurious : ?

A favourite from the classic "Operation : Doomsday" LP, and one of the more poignant tracks as the now-late DOOM talks about his deceased brother, known to most of us as DJ Subroc of KMD, their first group. He self-produces this one, occasionally lightening up the music by swapping out the moody main loop (which is my favourite) with a more optimistically-tinged sample from the same original track. Special guest Kurious does the honours on the second verse, which comes in at first like it's a hook...but then he just keeps going.

The Stic : Qi Gong

I bet you didn't check the notes this month expecting to find a track about a Chinese system of breathing, movement, and meditation! Stic of dead prez gave us the original "The Workout" album full of health and fitness-oriented motivational tracks back in 2011, but we had to hold on until 2020 to get the sequel, which this is drawn from. Unfortunately I don't have a production credit for this one (it was a digital purchase with no information in the files), but the instrumental definitely provides the right mood for an MC who more than most seems to walk what he talks.

Roots Manuva ft. Wildflower : Baptism

When London's own Roots Manuva comes up in discussion, it's usually the "Run Come Save Me" era that gets the shine, largely due to the monster track that was "Witness", but his first LP "Brand New Second Hand" deserves some love too if you've never heard it. Roots Manuva produced much of the LP as well as being the vocalist, so it's fair enough that he brought in a guest to hold down the second verse here! Wildflower does the business, fitting in well over a beat that conjours up strong memories of the more underground, slightly abstract UK Hip-Hop of the time - though make no mistake, not so spacey that you can't nod your head to it!

Pharoahe Monch : Livin' It Up

Bars are a cast-iron guarantee on any Pharoahe Monch track, and this one is no exception, coming from the period immediately following the release of his debut solo LP "Internal Affairs", which is where many people in  and around the mainstream first became aware of his mic skills. If you were listening to early 2000s underground Hip-Hop, you probably know the main sample here primarily from the Dilated Peoples cut "Triple Optics", but Baby Paul of the Beatminerz cooks it up with a more straightforward drum pattern and some reinforcing bass for this one, which was on the B-side of Pharoahe's "The Light" single as well as appearing on the "Next Friday" soundtrack.

Marco Polo : War (Instrumental)

Dipped into the crate to select this one just as the previous record was playing and was pleased to find that, according to Serato at least, they're both in the same key! Look at me being all fancy :) A chunky and imperious beat which is on the "War" 12" - pick up the single to hear Kardinal Offishall doing his thing on vocals.

Bob James : Shamboozie

"Nautilus" and "Take Me To The Mardi Gras" are two of the most sampled records in Hip-Hop history, but Bob James has supplied plenty of other material to the culture, including this track from his 1982 "Hands Down" LP. Definitely check out the man's back catalogue and you'll hear all kinds of snippets you know popping out! We go with just a small piece of this track and then hear how it was used by Clark Kent on...

Rakim : Guess Who's Back

While as a DJ there are other tracks on Rakim's solo debut LP "The 18th Letter" I played more, this Clark Kent production was arguably the people's choice, and one that I believe was the lead single for the LP. The sample is cut up just enough to allow some variations on the riff as the track moves, but for the most part it sounds just as it did on the Bob James record. As as far as the bars...it's Rakim. You should know by now.

Ohio Players : Ecstasy

We go into the second sample source, the title track to the 1973 LP by Ohio Players, the group's fourth. Clark Kent has said that this had been his favourite record since childhood, and that he'd tried to sample it before but hadn't captured in it the way he wanted. He eventually cracked the code on the legendary Jay-Z and Biggie collaboration we go to next...

Jay-Z ft. The Notorious B.I.G. : Brooklyn's Finest

If this it sounds a little "off" to you, it's likely because the track is arranged in groups of five bars, not four or eight - tricky for MCs and DJs alike! Clark Kent said it was the only way to properly capture the flavour of the original track and he nails it. Never a single, but one of the most highly-rated tunes from Jay-Z's debut "Reasonable Doubt", this is a street lyrical masterpiece, with each man trying to show he was better than the other. This was a small taste of a huge "what if?", with Biggie Smalls being murdered before the planned inclusion of both MCs in "The Commission", which really would have been monumental. Weird to think that only one of the three people involved in this track is still with us.

Freddie Foxxx : Stick 'Em Up

Maybe a bit niche, but Freddie Foxxx AKA Bumpy Knuckles has some of the best rhymes about robbing other rappers specifically! Clark Kent is best known for being able to give you the big singles, the party tunes, the deft re-contextualising of popular samples, but he could definitely give you different styles and here he goes all the way gully for a thugged-out album cut from 2003's "Konexion". Perfect rawness.

[DJ Premier] The Marxmen : Bloody Murdah (Instrumental)

This is more sparse than "Stick 'Em Up", but has the appropriate level of ruggedness to match it. "The Marxmen" is a cover name for Brownsville's own, world famous M.O.P. and if you're a fan, it's well worth having the "Marxmen Cinema" release - I've got it on wax, but it got a CD release too. This instrumental came from a 12" single release though, and DJ Premier, one of the group's biggest fans, goes as straightforward as it gets on production.

Ka : Beautiful

We close the episode as we began, with a track from Ka, this time from his most recent LP "The Thief Next To Jesus", released less than a month before his passing. The album explores themes around the relationship between Black people and Christianity, and in keeping with that, he works a lot of gospel sounds into his signature near/drumless production. The lyrics on this one are accessible to most, but profound rather than simplistic, and delivered with his appropriately low, subdued tones that complement the downtempo swing perfectly. We only wish he could have had the long life that he himself wished upon us on the chorus of this one.

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