FIRST!

First day of the month.
First song of the album.
Four songs.














KRS-One "KRS-One Attacks" // Return Of The Boom Bap (1993)


This isn't even a full song, and I love it. It's just this amalgam of Blastmaster KRS-One cut together by the legend DJ Premier. I think it's the beginning of the song that gets me every time. The "We will be here FOR-E-VER!" That line alone gets me hyped up.

In fact, this song is the best representation of what going to a KRS-One show is like. From the beats to the rhymes, "KRS-One Attacks" reminds me of what it was like being front row at the Metro years ago in Chicago. I remember jumping up and down watching the Teacher rock the crowd for a solid hour. Best show I've ever been to.

"How many real Hip Hoppers are in the place right about now?"













Obsidian Blue "Glacial Advance" // Freon (2005)

Freon is the best Hip-Hop instrumental album you've never heard.

During my unemployed days I used to spend my extra EXTRA free time trying to put together a Chicago Hip Hop TV show called Go Ill. My guy Avery and I used to hit up different spots around the city to do man on the street interviews, talk to underground artists and showcase the music Chicago hadn't seen yet. In our time traveling from scene to scene with a big camera, we attracted a lot of "up and coming" MC's and producers. Any time we pulled out a camera...

"Yo dog, let me showcase my new album! 35 tracks of real hip-hop."
"Aye man, check out my album."
"Y'all doing a TV show? Come shoot me writing my rhymes."
"Can I do a freestyle? Let's battle right quick."

...and so forth.

It got to the point where I didn't really like taking people's burned CD-R's. I have about 15 CD's I've collected from that time period I've never listened to. There are a lot of MC's out there making really bad music. It's difficult to weed through it all. Another moment like this came up from my guy DVS, except he wasn't hawking his own album, it was his boy Obsidian Blue. "I hope your car stereo can handle it."

Handle it? What was that supposed to mean? I was soon about to find out. I tossed the CD in my player thinking it wasn't going to make it to the next block. THIS song comes on and I immediately pulled the car over. Wow! In this one song Obsidian Blue was channeling Jay Dee and the RZA. It was the smoothest "dirty" I'd ever heard, and it was beautiful! Track after track, the bass shook my spare tire all around. The music was so thick and rich, I had to open my windows to release some of the pressure.

It's kinda difficult to pin point his influences, but if I had to pick some musicians, producers and beat makers that helped shape his sound, I'd start with:

- jay dee (the claps, finger snaps and bass lines)
- roy ayers (vibes & keys)
- madlib (very space/sci fi like)
- rza (the dirty side. like someone dragged his tracks through the sand)

Again, Freon is the best Hip-Hop instrumental album you've never heard.
YES, the album is that good...and it gets better than this track.
Support this brother and buy the album.














Led Zeppelin "Black Dog" // Led Zeppelin IV (1971)


I'm a Zeppelin novice. I bought Led Zeppelin I about three years ago, and I just copped Led Zeppelin II about a month ago. Without fulling digesting II, I copped Led Zeppelin IV at a new used CD place I found not too far from the Las Vegas Strip.

I actually had Houses Of The Holy in my hand but put it back. I've been trying to go through Zeppelin's discography from beginning to end so I can actually hear the progression. Sometimes the order takes a back seat to a good sale.

There are probably people out there who can express the true feelings and power of this group better than I can. I can only tell you what the music does to ME personally. "Black Dog" hit me harder than any Zeppelin song before it. Why? I think it's because I can hear the progress the group has made since the first album. It's more focused. It's cleaner. Sharp. Granted an entire album was released before this one (III), so I'll have to check that out too. To be honest I haven't even listened past "Black Dog".

I'll get to it eventually.














Herbie Hancock "Palm Grease" // Thrust (1974)


The last Wax Poetic issue I received had a great article on Herbie Hancock, an artist I've been wanting to get in to for a long time. The article focused more on his avant garde work, Fat Albert Rotunda and Mwandishi, it also talked about his more funkier efforts that were influenced by Sly Stone. My ears perked up at the thought of hearing any Hancock that was influenced by Sly.

I added Hancock's Head Hunters album to a list of future CD purchases. I keep that list in my wallet so I can remember to look for stuff when I'm at the store. I finally came across Head Hunters at this spot here in Vegas called Zia about a month ago. I bumped it on a road trip to Los Angeles, and really liked it.

Fast forward to a couple weeks later I found myself in another used CD store and found Thrust. In reading the back I read that this is the follow up album to Head Hunters. Being that the store was having a sale, I copped it. No lie, I've played this album about four times from beginning to end since I've bought it. You can check my Lastfm charts if you want, this album has been on repeat the past few days.

I'm trying to keep with the tradition of FIRST by only posting the first track, but "Palm Grease" isn't even my favorite song. While I'm really enjoying the entire album, but I can't stop playing "Butterfly".

Herbie's fender rhodes laced with Sly Stone funk is the only way I can describe it.