Perhaps the first rap track to simulate the sound of a phone conversation (a trick later employed on Biggie’s “Warning,” The Firm’s “Phone Tap” and most of 88 Keys’ The Death of Adam LP), True Mathematics’ Bomb Squad-produced ‘88 single “For the Money” has become somewhat of a cult classic over the years. Yet, almost nothing is known about the artist himself, and it has been inaccurately suggested to be the alias of Bomb Squad producer Eric Sadler.
True Mathematics was actually the alias of Hempstead’s Kenny “Spam” Houston, who wrote “For the Money” while living, along with Charlie Murphy and Eddie’s half-brother (and K-9 Posse member), Vernon Lynch, in a guesthouse at Eddie Murphy’s Englewood, N.J. mansion. And “For the Money” was inspired by the Jersey gold diggers who would swarm around the Murphy boys at the time. I met Kenny/True at my homey Sugar Bear’s (of “Don’t Scandalize Mine” fame) house a few years ago, and this is how he broke it down:
“Eddie was rich at 21 so they all had hot cars. And all the girls were going after them. Me and Vernon was always driving around together and girls would try to talk to him just for his cars. I’m like, ‘that’s all you care about?’ So that’s where I got the idea for “For the Money.” That’s why at the beginning of the second verse I’m like, ‘What’s up Vern, I heard you talking to this chick from L.A. Better watch yourself.’”
For the next couple of weeks, I’ll be highlighting some slept-on joints from my ancestral home, the Isle of Strong. A sort of extended sequel to a piece I wrote in the Long Island Press back in 2004, and a prequel of sorts to another much bigger project coming soon.
Had to start with this one…
Coming across a name like Punk Barbarians on Long Island in 1996, I might have expected to hear some sort of a hardcore band like Murphy’s Law. Instead, this crew from Flavor Flav’s hometown of Freeport —Bam-Bam, Renegade, the “original” Sonny Cheba (well not quite, but not the Camp Lo guy) and some other dude—were L.I.’s answer to the Boot Camp Clik, or specifically Heltah Skeltah. “Hooptie Car” is the sort of “I’m broke, what!” track Rock and Ruck might have written if they’d hailed from the 516 instead of the 718. I can smell the Southern State listening to this one. Read the rest of this entry »
Took this shot of Yukimi at Little Dragon’s NYC show at (Le) Poisson Rouge in November. Might be the only worthwhile nighttime photo I’ve taken on the iPhone.
Been meaning to throw up some work I published between the time I left my old site for dead, and started the blog. This feature on Little Dragon ran in XLR8R’s December issue (It’s also online here; scroll down a bit to find it), though I actually wrote it much earlier in the year.
(Click to enlarge)
Somewhat randomly, I was first introduced to Little Dragon’s music by Rashad Smith, the guy who produced “Woo Hah!!” for Busta, LL’s “Doin’ It” and late-model Eric B. & Rakim. While trailing Jay Electronica for the URB cover story I did on him last year, I spent some time at Electric Lady as Erykah Badu was working on her epic New Amerykah, Pt. 1 LP. Rashad was there and when he found out I was a music writer, he asked if I knew of Little Dragon, which I didn’t. Erykah actually walked in when he was playing some tracks from their Myspace, and she gave it a very enthusiastic co-sign, which was interesting ’cause Yukimi sounds a bit like her. Odd how that worked out, too, ’cause I think the Little Dragon LP and New Amerykah were my two favorite full-length pickups last year.
I have no doubt that this new album, supposedly titled Berlinmaster, will be a monster of the most subtle variety. Here’s a clip for the first single, “Fortune.”
In this week’s Time Out, I take stock of the Ron Browz phenomenon. The thrust of this piece was that dropping a single with Browz seems to have been the key to drumming up some hype for some long delayed albums by New York rappers (Busta, Jim Jones, CNN). Naturally, the next business day after this went to press, Busta Rhymes’ publicist contacted us to say that Busta’s Back on My B.S. would, in fact, not be coming out March 24 as planned (and stated in the article) but was postponed til “May.” What a business.
I heard Busta’s album last week and we should hope that, when it does finally get released, it still contains this one track produced by DJ Scratch called “I’ma Go & Get Mine” (or something like that). It’s easily Busta’s best song in years. Next-level production, as always, from the underappreciated Scratch.
BONUS JUNK: Great essay, with MP3s, on Sacred Songs, Daryl Hall’s little-known but awesome solo album (made in ‘77, released ‘80) produced by Robert Fripp.
“…Squeeze and juice ‘em…uh Tropicana”
