Read it here. It's by me. There will be plenty for readers of this blog to disagree with, and I'm curious to hear feedback. These lists are complicated things, guys.
No, Team Knoc didn't make the cut, but "Fruity Pebble Punk Rock" was on my brainstorm list. With all the press Lil B is getting these days, someone's gotta step up for them and point out that he didn't coin the word "Based" at all!
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23 comments:
a lot of great songs, most that i know by rote, and as with any "X greatest hits" list I give a fuck about order (as if you could honestly say Vans >> 187 Proof), but some minor to major shit that got me worried.
One, you say that Miami the Most claimed to have been dipped in glitter. Speaking as someone who copped an upper playground tee dipped in gold glitter, that would be Bubblicious [Delicious], bitch. Slipped, fell in a puddle (full of motherfucking glitter), and been shining ever since.
Two, you're missing anything by 415. Anything. Notwithstanding that a lot of greatest hits lists will put at least one song by a worthy artist, kind of like a paean to their standing alone, on the list just to prove the maker of said list is up on them. Thus, the fact that you're missing "Groupie Ass Bitch" is a grave omission. Or Rich's Sideshow, or that you thought Super Sic Wid It was worthier of a Mistah FAB shoutout than his and Too Short's seriously superior reinvention. No Blackalicious/Hiero/Zion-I/Lyrics Born yadayadayada.
Three, Conscious Daughters? Speaking as someone with two degrees, one in feminist studies: no. I taught a seminar called West Coast Rap and Women at UCSC (if you're ever thinking of teaching a similar class at a similar 2nd-tier institution, don't--the majority of people will fall into one of two camps, and shades of gray are apparently too much for the average matriculating frosh/soph). If you wanted to shout out oldschool Bay Area femcees, Suga T on Lace Me Up is fucking devastating, and Entice on Don't Fight The Feeling's so fucking good she gave Yukmouth his name.
I like the graphic though. "Nation of Thizzlam Presents". Too bad writing intelligently about Bay rap wasn't as lucrative as say, producing a song about Gulfstream jets, or your brother might have dropped out of Colombia too.
So which ones did the magazine force you to include? I am intrigued. My guess? I got 5 on it was a predetermined #1.
Leeper - I should've known you'd come through and fact-check me. It has been so long since I've watched Treal TV that, what can I say, I mixed up -- conflated? -- Bubblicious Delicious and Miami the Most in my head. Nice catch.
As for 415, I pondered putting "Sideshow" or "Groupie Ass Bitch" on there -- and even thought about putting FAB's "Sideshow" with a mention of Richie Rich -- but I opted against it for a few reasons. As for 415, they're important to that period of Bay rap, but so are people like Seagram, Spice 1, IMP, and Little Bruce. You've got to pick and choose who makes the list and who doesn't. Seagram didn't make the list, and neither did 415. It just came down to the fact that I like Spice 1, IMP, and Little Bruce better. That might make it a weaker list, but that's that.
"Fonky Expedition" is a sick song, dude. It's a classic. Suga T is already on the list with "Sprinkle Me", and while I considered "Don't Fight the Feelin", I could only give Short so many slots -- and there's a handful of Short songs that just CANNOT BE MISSED. No one has pointed out that I skipped "Player's Ball" yet. Think of all the 40 songs I skipped, too! "Hope I Don't Go Back"; "Big Ballin With My Homies"; "Carlo Rossi". This was not an easy task.
The Cataracs went to State, right?
The magazine didn't force me to include any of the songs. We did have to go back and forth a lot over some things.
It's a solid list. The backpack-y side of the Bay kind of gets short shrift, but I can understand that choice.
FWIW, "cock" is not '90s West Coast slang-- African-Americans from all over were using it decades before that.
I appreciate you not totally overlooking the sisters but what about Mystic "The Life"
I went to SF state and graduated with a half completed Women's Studies minor and I think "Fonky Expedition" is definitely a Bay Rap Classic. That track slaps bra why wouldn't you want it on the list?
And yes, I can confirm niles (Cyrano?) from the cataracs went to state.
Whaaat?! "Ayo" does exist on 12"!?!?!? I knew it had to have been pressed up on wax but I searched hard and couldn't find any info on it for so long that I just gave up. You got me back on the hunt.
I always thought I could have a youtube hit if I edited together all the raps about "cock" into a big gay rap trip video. And then made the video response with the chopped and screwed version. But that is just waay too tedious to actually make that.
willy, i changed my mind on Conscious Daughters. tbph, i wasn't up on them, and committed the dispositional fallacy of just assuming they're irrelevant because i'd never heard of them. poor form. now i got them on FLAC, and yeah, song is dope. & morrie yous a fooool hahahah.
oh and i'd heard that David from the Cataracs went to Colombia from my college roommate, who taught Lil Uno sex ed, but i guess it was a different Colombia.
also, since i'll probably never get to brag about it in person, i wanted to say i was behind fake 'Trevor'. every time.
i think got to survive woulda been a better pick for lay. ray luv's keep ya mask on is one of the best khayree beats ever with ray slaying it. also think stay on my toes woulda been a good dre pick. 2 hard is a definite classic but i think stay on my toes is one of the hardest tracks on that album. also think my opinion woulda been a better pick for mall. that 'untouchable' album cover is fucking hilarious though. another side not, you ever notice how many fucking people think that ayo is just nickatina? i've met people from all across the u.s. that know that song, and 99% have no idea who san quinn is or that he does all the verses.
D-Shot is really good at rap?
anyway, i was calling bullshit on this list, like, immediately til i saw it was you curating it. good shit.
i was glad to read something about the west coast 'cock' quandry too, i'd tried to tackle it years back (who cares) http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/bomb_ass_cock
No APG homie! Big fat hole.
Whoridaz
415
"Dope Fiend Beat"
etc etc
Can't really hate overall though. It's impossible to please everyone with these things...
Dropping serious knowledge, thanks for this. We need a zip!
welcome back. and fuck you. was going to up a post on blog about based origins/teamknoc. incidentally the version of "the makeover" i was going to up was the one from this site, years ago, complete with mis-labelled tracks.
also was askari x only big outside of the bay? i know a top list is always contentious but that guy should figure in most peoples top 50 with either ward of the state or giants vs giants.
I would agree that most of older jt the bigga figga doesnt hold up very well, but straight out the labb is one of my favorite bay area cds. On the pack song vans you say everyone wants to be or dress like a skater ahaha have you heard mac mall alley oop? it is a horrible song but he shouts out keenan milton and hubba hideout and pier 7.
leepnvac. You said you taught a seminar called West Coast Rap and Women at UCSC? ahahah any more details on that? that seems like a funny choice of schools to have it at.
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I thought this was nice and the article has a HUGE point. I have to admit though went my brother told me the change in Bay Area’s music and showed me what “Hyphy” or “Hyphie” was, I didn’t like it right off the bat but after hearing it blasting through the house its grown on me and well it’s a biased thing too don’t judge I love you. Lol. www.electrocomputerwarehouse.com
Wow i thought a great post and good article. Keep it up......
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you are the shit and i miss your posts
incidentally the version of "the makeover" i was going to up was the one from this site, years ago, complete with mis-labelled tracks.
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I MISS YOU YOUS MY NILLA GIVE ME SOMETHING TO READ ABOUT BAY AREA RAP I PROBABLY WON'T LISTEN TO AGAIN BUT WILL READ YO JIT!!!!!!!!\
maybe something about that messy marv character you were killin it on your articles about him... but what do i know
Since NoT seems to be on hiatus, check out Bay Area Slaps for a change.
http://bayareaslaps1.blogspot.com/
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