Thursday, January 05, 2006
The Struggle Continues.
Damn it, I knew I was forgetting something. Sorry, Bluepint. I am such a bastard. This album was so dope, and I totally forgot to give it the recognition it deserved. It came out last year and should have easily made my top 20 for 2005. But it didn't, because I flaked out and forgot its entire existence while compiling the list. Because there's always that one, you know? That one you bump incessantly and hope it will grow on you and then it disappears when you make the shift outward.Truth be told though, 1988 wasn't a very memorable album. But it's still a very stellar album. I can only think of a few tracks I really enjoyed off the top my head. Like the title track, and "Big Girls Need Love Too" (it had to be done), and of course, "Fresh". I guess a few factors came into play here to why I slept...
1. I have apparently misplaced the album, and when I was finally getting to moving in all of my CDs into my apartment, the absence of 1988 caused me to oversee its presence as a contender.
2. When I got my iPod I was so entranced by the song I'm about to post in moments time, that I nearly forgot about all the other songs. Maybe this is why it is indeed useful to put entire albums on iPods anyway (something I normally don't even entertain the possibility of---I still got a discman, bitches!).
Blueprint is a good cat. Tours constantly with his Rhymesayers fam, really easy to approach in casual conversation, and has a very good handle on how to eclipse past the nuances of a normal battle rapper. At his live show he did a freestyle over "Billy Jean," and when I noticed the crowd reaction, I was pleased to see that young fans are being able to appreciate the lesser known cats, as oppose to clinging onto Slug for dear life.
Let me backpedal here for a second. Another Rhymesayers stablemate, MF DOOM, for example, doesn't tour really that much, he just gladly gathers up all the checks Cartoon Network's been cutting him so he can raise his family in between what I'd like to call The Next MF DOOM Collaborations. Right now these are his album with Ghostface, and Madvillain 2. You could say he's one of the few who can stay in the studio and still make quite a bit of money off it. Meanwhile, the rest of Rhymesayers doesn't have the luxury. Nor the patience: it's all about touring when you're the typical starving artist. It's a good thing that at least Rhymesayers is bar none, if not the most successful, up there with those Jef Dux hipstahs as the most successful underground hip-hop label of the 21st Century.
But I'd still wager on Stone's Throw bringing more realness to the table when all is said and done at the end of this decade.
By the way, in case you were wondering if I've got some proof with the dee-licious pudding, the Kork Agency released some numbers this past fall about the Atmosphere tour. The link to the statistic has since gone astray, but the facts still remain: $500K, and that's NOT including what was made off of merchandise (and they sell a lot of merch, believe me). They obviously are doing something right, and they've got plenty of the right artists to keep the grind steady.
Whoa, I got off topic faster than a plane to the tropics. Do yourself a favor. Let's refresh, ok? If you haven't picked up that Blueprint album yet, go to Amazon or any other site you frequent to buy albums, and check it out if its your thing. The track I'm about to post did not make the album. Instead it graces the b-side to 1988's first single, "Boombox". That track is alright I guess, but the b-side is what keeps the wax worthwhile in my opinion.
"Dead Presidents" (mp3)
Unless someone is vehemently opposed to Rapidshare, I'm going to use it instead of YouSendIt. Mainly because the YSI website was all crapped out when I tried getting to it just now, so in any case, let me know your thoughts and I can adapt to your needs. You picky little bastards.
Apparently, at this very moment, somewhere in this big city (most likely in Midtown), my alma mater is hosting a Network Night like I went to last year. I am so glad I don't have to be there. If only I could lie. If only...
And so, on a final note before I wrap things up for the night.....well, simply put, I had this idea in mind. Tell me what you guys think. Today is the birthday of my good friend Mel the Canuck. I was thinking....every time someone I know (WHO READS THIS) has a birthday, I will post up a song from my collection to serve as their birthday present of sorts. I figure at the end of the day, music is probably my greatest asset to make someone out there happier.
And so for this sparkling occasion, which I will hearby dub from now on The Most Compressed Birthday Presents Ever (*ahem* working title), I have decided on posting up a rare Charizma track I got off Freemotion several months ago (ah! another link to add to my site. visit them, they've got the ill goods to last you until next year, including *ta-da*, an excellent new Blueprint track, whaddyaknow). It's called, aptly, "Phone Ring Track." Being that our beloved Canadian is a closet PB and Charizma fan, this will do just the trick. Teach your kid well when they enter the world, Mel. It ain't all about metal.
Happy Birthday!
Cheers,
~*E*~
