Excuse Me, Is That A Rump Shaker?

Fresh off the finish line of the #90sRumpShaker BlueSky challenge, hosted by  @stevenh1974.bsky.social, with 31 songs, sorted and (re)sequenced as 3 hour-long selections over the next 3 days.

I'll address the elephant in the room straight away, in case you've been peeking ahead at the tracklisting.

Yes I know that Eye Know by De La Soul was released in 1989....well, at least, I remembered after I'd already posted it on 25th August. However, I will point out that Eye Know was still in the Top 100 UK singles by January 1990, the same month that parent album 3 Feet High And Rising finally went Top 20. 

So, Eye Know gets in on a technicality. Besides, the 12" remix by CJ Mackintosh and Dave Dorrell was too good to leave out.

By 1990, Bananarama lost Siobahn Fahey and gained Jacqui O'Sullivan, and swapped PWL for Boy's Own with a scene-referencing remix of Only Your Love by Terry Farley.

Fluke were on a roll in 1993, their remixes here, there and everywhere, including the one featured here, a magical Magimix of Spooky by New Order.

Everybody was getting in on the remix act, including Annie Lennox, whose chart-friendly hit Little Bird was taken out, consumed copious amounts of booze and drugs, and found itself raving in a field at 3:00am to the sounds of N-Joi.

Even The Fall were not immune. My 10" single of 1998 single Masquerade contains not only a PWL remix but a makeover by Mr. Natural aka Aaron Gilbert that's a fair approximation of The Chemical Brothers.

And there's plenty more where that came from! See you tomorrow.

1) Eye Know (The Know It All Mix): De La Soul (1989)

2) Bodyrock (Single Remix): Moby ft. Nikki D (1999)

3) Everybody Dance (Chic Inspirational Mix) (Cover of Chic): Evolution ft. Yvonne Shelton (1993)

4) Only Your Love (A Tribute To Barry Mooncult Mix): Bananarama (1990)

5) Little Bird (N-Joi Version): Annie Lennox (1993)

6) Fall From Grace (Free Me) (Remix By Eskimos & Egypt & Pro-Gress): Eskimos & Egypt ft. Diane Charlemagne (1992)

7) Spooky (Magimix By Fluke): New Order (1993)

8) Moves Like You (Album Version): Cath Carroll (1991)

9) Flavor (Part 2) (Reorganized, Repeated, Destroyed & Simonized By Beck, Mario Caldato Jr. & Mike D.): The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (1995)

10) Masquerade (Mr. Natural Mix): The Fall (1998)

11) Rude Boy Rock (Album Version): Lionrock (1998)

#90sRumpShakersVolumeOne (1:02:40) (GD) (M)

Style Is Surely Our Own Thing, Not The False Disguise Of Showbiz

Well, if I thought yesterday's music heralded the start of Spring, then I'd missed the fact that 3rd March was official De La Soul Day. At least, if you were there for their Tiny Desk Concert. And boy, do I wish I was.

Whilst it's sad that De La Soul is now fronted as a 2-piece of Posdnuos aka Kelvin Mercer and Maseo aka Vincent Mason following Trugoy The Dove aka Dave Jolicoeur's passing in 2023, the latter is with them throughout, whether through frequent name checks, a "would Dave approve?" check when assembling the setlist, boldly emblazoned on Maseo's T-shirt and a name card on the desk, front and centre.

It's a joyous performance, an impressive seven musicians and singers crammed in behind the desk with Pos and Maseo, and a whopping ten tracks in 20-odd minutes, a reminder why De La Soul were - and remain - such a vital force and hugely influential in music.

1) YUHDONTSTOP (3:00)

2) Will Be (1:27)

3) Much More (2:25)

5) Sunny Storms (2:17)

6) Different World (1:45)

7) Breakadawn (2:43)

8) Pony Ride (1:55)

9) A Quick 16 For Mama (2:24)

10) Me Myself And I (3:21)

Tryna' Keep Cool

Today I'm in the mood for rap, rhymes and beats. Spanning 1986 to 2023, ten blistering tracks covering old school greats, stone cold classics, genre-mashing, effing and jeffing and a chunk of words and music that I've only discovered in the last few years. And enough spare tape on the C90 to add your own favourites to the mixtape.

 

1) I Don't Know Nothin 'Bout Daisies: Definition Of Sound (1991)

2) Dedicated To The City (Album Version): Subsonic 2 (1991)

3) Moment Of Clarity: Jay-Z (2003)

4) Summer Nights: Statik ft. Tom Paddington, Ears & Scorcher (2007)

5) GOB (David Andrew Sitek Remix): Dels ft. Jack Davey (2011)

6) Bite Back: Algiers ft. Billy Woods & Backxwash (2023)

7) Kids...: A Tribe Called Quest ft. André 3000 (2016)

8) Rollin Stone (Live @ Mary Anne Hobbs, BBC 6Music): Little Simz (2021)

9) Paul Revere (Vocal) (Remix By Rick Rubin): Beastie Boys (1986)

10) Brain Washed Follower (Single Version): De La Soul (1989)

1986: It's The New Style EP: 9

1989: Me Myself And I EP: 10

1991: Include Me Out: 2

1991: Wear Your Love Like Heaven EP: 1

2003: The Black Album: 3

2007: Love Music, Hate Racism (NME promo CD+MP3): 4

2011: GOB EP: 5

2016: We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service: 7

2021: Live, Mary Anne Hobbs, BBC 6Music, 15 June 2021: 8

2023: Shook: 6

Tryna' Keep Cool (38:00) (KF) (Mega)

Rollin Stone (BBC6 'Clean' Version) by Little Simz

I was in São Paulo
Eatin' palm hearts and I couldn't believe my surroundings (no)
True, I got the Ends in me, listenin' to Headie
Gettin' gassed in the mountains (yeah)
No time for the thirst trap, I'm quenched
I drink from a different fountain (sip)
Hard food when I serve that
All these likkle fish get fried and your yam get pounded (pounded yam)

 

Mm, might be a brat for a bit 

Want my farm and I want my chicks
Want my suit tailored by Gucci
First-class to Shibuya for the sushi
Give me my cheques and give me my plaques
Want breakdowns and I want my stats, pronto (now, now)

 
Yеah, yeah, God flow
Make you wanna dance all day likе Alfonso (move your body)
Wanna talk about P's, wanna talk about wage, 

but can you do the job though? (can you?)
I can't vouch for a man that ain't got the talent and business combo (no)
It's all a sport, flow on archery, don't get hit with the crossbow

 

Stayed to myself, been true to the core (stay to myself, man, I stay to myself)
I was always the illest, there's never been no cure (no medication)
Callin' shots like I call in favours, facts (true)
My fellas got me if I ever need that

Still, there's things I'm faced with
Stormz' ain't lyin', man, these fools audacious (yeah)
Might demonstrate frustration
Tryna' keep cool, but I'm losin' patience (ayy)
Hmm, no cap, we hate snakes and we hate rats
You can have opinions, just don't mislead the youth in your raps 

(please, please, please, please, please)

 

Mummy handled business, Papa was a rollin' stone
I'm a mix of both, there ain't no snitch-boy in my bones
Coming for this dough like say it's pizza
You can't get in Italia, Fashion Week, huh
Shut down Milan down to Rome

Lookin' like the future, got you fearin' the unknown
I got stories regardin' your chick I won't disclose
Picture perfect, nothing picture perfect here, I know
All illusion, why the world confusing? I don't know

You can't diss me three-time, pull up behind, you'll never see I
I'm probably the reason why your bosses has had to resign
They all follow my step, read about me like I'm Eli
I just book a flight only to land and have some me-time
Let me be, I'm (let me be, I'm)
Takin' time out, hold my spot, go through your time now (hey)

 

Huh, pull up at your spot, they're throwin' roses at my feet, yeah, yeah
What do you mean? In the presence of a queen
Bad, say that she wanna know what's underneath
I could show you things in private, know I hate to cause a scene, yeah

Range black just to match the colour of my skin
Last year, pen was crazy, this year tougher with the ink (yeah)
Know the people miss me, they like, "Where the hell you been?" (yeah)
Counted all my losses, manifested all my wins (yeah)

Can't believe it's Simbi here that's had you listenin'
Well, that chick for now, you didn't know she had a twin (yeah)
I've been in my zone, movin' lowkey in Berlin, ah
You can get the smoke, yeah yeah, das ist kein Problem, ah
Where do I begin? ah
You might just find out real soon, go through your time now

 

Rollin' stone
Rollin' stone
Rollin' stone
Rollin' stone

On The Soul...De La, That Is

A tribute to David Jude Jolicoeur aka Plug 2 aka Trugoy The Dove aka one third of hip hop legends De La Soul, 21st September 1968 to 12th February 2023.

Another sad loss, all the more tragic that Trugoy was 54 years old, barely any time in the scheme of things. But what he achieved in his life cannot be underestimated. 

 

I can't pretend that I was so on it as a teenager that I immediately switched on to hip hop and rap music and got 3 Feet High And Rising as soon as it hit the record shops in 1989. But I really liked De La Soul. Over three decades later, their impact on music as a whole - not just genres - is perhaps only just beginning to be fully appreciated. After many years of legal entanglements, the release of De La Soul's early albums on streaming services next month will bring their music to a new generation.

I'm definitely not qualified to write about De La Soul's influence or Trugoy The Dove's contribution to establishing a new narrative and form of expression, but I can share a selection of songs that I love. In my usual cobbled-together-at-the-last minute style, this 10-track selection mostly draws from the earlier singles, throwing in a few songs from a budget De La Soul compilation I picked up a while ago. 

 

I also had to include their contribution to the Judgement Night film soundtrack, itself made up of collaborations between rap and hip hop artists and guitar bands, be it indie, thrash or grunge. Teenage Fanclub were the unlikely partners with De La Soul, but somehow it works. 

Gorillaz took it to it's logical next step in the 21st Century. Where else would you see De La Soul performing on stage with Damon Albarn, Gruff Rhys, Mick Jones and Paul Simonon?

Rap in power, Dave, Plug 2, Trugoy, all of you.

 

1) Eye Know (7" Mix By Prince Paul): De La Soul (1989)

2) Oooh (Rae & Christian Remix): De La Soul ft. Redman (2000)

3) Superfast Jellyfish: Gorillaz ft. De La Soul & Gruff Rhys (2010)

4) The Magic Number (1-2-3 Mix By Chad Jackson): De La Soul (1989)

5) It's A New Thing (It's Your Thing) (D-Nat & Onda Reconstruction): The Isley Brothers ft. De La Soul (2004)

6) Me Myself And I (Extended Version By Richie Rich): De La Soul (1989)

7) Long Island Degrees: De La Soul (1995)

8) A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" (Radio Home Mix By David Morales): De La Soul ft. Vinia Mojica (1991)

9) Fallin' (Faded Album Version): Teenage Fanclub & De La Soul (1994)

10) All Good?: De La Soul ft. Chaka Khan (2000)

 

On The Soul...De La, That Is (44:20) (Box) (Mega)

Time's A Double-Edged Sword

Forty five minutes of hip hop and rap, featuring Beastie Boys, De La Soul and Run-D.M.C., some next gen artists with Antipop Consortium and Young Fathers, and some lyrical treats bridging Wales and Brooklyn as Green Gartside meets Mos Def, Lee Majors and A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammad. 

 

By sheer coincidence, I flip from a young mother to the Young Fathers, with Monie Love's exhortation to Build Relationships Where Education and Enlightenment Dominate followed by Edinburgh's finest who returned after a four year break in July with Geronimo.

 

The selection starts and ends in 1998, with cuts from Hello Nasty by Beastie Boys and Jurassic 5's self-titled debut, two much-loved albums in my collection. As you might expect, a parental advisory sticker is slapped over this selection due to occasional smut and cussing.

 

1) Body Movin' (Album Version): Beastie Boys (1998)

2) The Projects ('Ocean's Eleven' Album Edit): Handsome Boy Modeling School (1999)

3) Say No Go (New Kick Instrumental) (Remix By Pasemaster Mase): De La Soul (1989)

4) War: Outkast (2003)

5) Capricorn One: Antipop Consortium ft. Mr. Live (2009)

6) Born 2 B.R.E.E.D. (The Freedom Mix): Monie Love (1993)

7) Automatic (Jayou Remix): Young Fathers (2010)

8) Feel The Vibe (Album Version): Diamond & The Psychotic Neurotics (1992)

9) Tinseltown To The Boogiedown (Ali Shaheed Muhammad Variation): Scritti Politti ft. Mos Def & Lee Majors (1999)

10) It's Tricky (Album Version By Rick Rubin & Russell Simmons): Run-D.M.C. (1986)

11) Bucky Done Gun (DJ Marlboro Funk Carioca Remix): M.I.A. (2005)

12) Lesson 6: The Lecture (Album Version): Jurassic 5 (1998)

Double-Edged Sword (44:56)

Ain't Hip Hop To Be A Hippie

Happy hip hop Monday, with just over half an hour of beats and rhymes to shake off the weekend.

 

1) Volcano (Four Tet Remix): Anti-Pop Consortium (2009)

2) Hazy Shade Of Criminal: Public Enemy (1992)

3) Ain't Hip To Be Labelled A Hippie (Single Version): De La Soul (1989)

4) Bucky Done Gun (Album Version): M.I.A. (2005)

5) Bad Boy (The Real Heat Remix): Young Fathers (2014)

6) Straight Outta Compton (Album Version): N.W.A. (1988)

7) Metaphysics: One Inch Punch (1996)

8) Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (Radio Edit): Beastie Boys ft. Santigold (2011)

9) Pro Nails (SMD Minimal Remix By Simian Mobile Disco) (Edit): Kid Sister (2008)

10) Gravel Pit (Radio Version): Wu-Tang Clan ft. Paulisa Moorman (2000)

 

Ain't Hip Hop To Be A Hippie (35:53)