First, I gotta say a little on AbCreole before I get to the featured song. Back in the early days of this site, I featured an album by AbCreole, Sexy Beast. It is, without a doubt, one of my favorite hip-hop albums of all time. I wanted to get their music out, again, because I feel most of you probably haven’t searched that far back on the site, and they are definitely worth mentioning, again… and again. Unfortunately, they haven’t created anything new since, other than collaborating on some solo projects, so I decided to put a favorite of mine from Sexy Beast. If you like this one then check out their others in my original post on Sexy Beast. And so with that I present you the feature, “The Beautiful” by Abyssinian Creole…
The reason I chose “The Beautiful” is because of the lyrics (if I wanted to go for the beat, it would’ve been “Unconfined”). Although, every track on Sexy Beast has its own deep meaning, this one especially rings true for me. The two MC’s, Teodros & Khingz, spit such inspiring lyrics that seem to flow more fluid than syrup on waffles (they’re the lyricists, not me). Most of their music, including this one, deals with their African roots, but like I said in the original post – their music may not directly relate to everyone, but it can be appreciated by anyone.
Another funny note about my post on Sexy Beast – Khingz from Abyssinian Creole commented on the article, pointing out my mistake in thinking they were under the Mass Line Media label. Let’s just hope my research skills have improved since then…
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Another group from Seattle?… I think I may be a little bias in geographic locations, but the Northwest really is coming out with the best emerging hip-hop (which I like to mention over and over again). Cancer Rising may not be the top acts from the region, but they do have some top quality MC’s. Both Judas & Gatsby take on different rap styles, both working well off each other and DJ TilesOne’s beats. I especially love Judas’s style.. or maybe Gatsby’s… I really don’t know who… whoever’s @ 1:10. The dude simply has character, the #1 thing I look for in an MC: character, character, character! It’s by far the one thing that sets great MC’s apart from the rest of the mess… and gets ‘em featured on this site!
Bruce Illest (featured on this track) may be an even better example of character in rap; he definitely gives Judas & Gatsby a run for their money. Although, one thing that bugs me about him is how reps his name every so often (even if it’s only a couple of times). I understand that artists want to get their name out there, but it starts to get tedious after a while. Maybe not in this case so much, but I’ve seen it overused a couple of times, and it really ruins it for me (for some reason). Doomtree is a good example; I respect the group, they’re from my home state of Minnesota, and they’ve got a bunch of talent, but listening to ‘em shout off their name every ten words gets annoying, I know your damn name, I don’t need it repeated in my head. I guess it’s not that big of a deal, I just need shit to talk about (and I love to ramble… on… and on…. and on (ok, I’m done).
Check it, listen up, and tell me who brings the best out of three… my vote goes to Bruce Illest (love his name, by the way).
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Boom Bap Project is a group based out of Seattle, Washington. The group signed with Rhymesayers Entertainment back sometime in ’04, but I checked Rhymesayer’s website and they weren’t listed, so I’m not actually sure if they’re still with ‘em (their website & MySpace haven’t been updated in a while). My best guess is that they’re pursuing solo acts for the time being. But who really cares, let’s get to the good stuff…
Another one from the “Nogood” vault (i.e. i’ve had this one for a while), but it’s a goodie (I promise). Gotta say my favorite part is the chorus, done by… oh wait, they didn’t give her credit, so I have no idea, but she’s damn good nonetheless (edit: with a lot of digging around, I found out the featured artists, Chocolate & Snafu, though I’m not exactly sure who they are, and which one she is… I’m gonna go with Chocolate). Anyways, the other two performers are apart of Boom Bap, Karim & Destro, rappin’ back ‘n’ fourth with “straight Northwest” style (love it!). I’ve never been much of a fan of the Eastcoast style, other than a few exceptions (e.g. Jedi Mind Tricks). I just like the more relaxed, carefree style of the Northwest. Give it a listen, but unlike every other post, do not post a comment. Please! I beg of you! ;)
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I’ve been following Gabriel Teodros on Facebook for a while now (yes, I’m an Internet stalker, selectively though :D). He made an interesting comment a little while back about a guy who wanted to fight him ’cause the guy thought he was a terrorist! It reminded me of my friend’s story about flying out from Tucson when a kid came up and asked if he was a terrorist. Now, I can understand why a kid would say this; kids speak their mind (that’s the beauty in ‘em), and don’t usually mean anything by it, but in Teodros’s case, it’s inexcusable. As Lincoln said, “better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt”.
But this isn’t a politic blog (thank god!), so let’s get to the music. Teodros has created some damn fine music. With Khingz in their group, Abyssinian Creole, and his solo works, not to mention his side projects (well, I guess I just did), Teodros has created some inspiring lyrics on soulful beats. His style stems from deep African roots with a NorthWest flavor, covering topics on racism (hmm… wonder why?), sexism, and basically anything but the usual bubblegum pop. His lyrics may not be relatable to everyone, but can be appreciated by anyone!
I decided to feature No Label (Esma Remix) first, so check it and tell me what you think… (I do like hearing your opinion, occasionally ;))
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RA Scion is best described as having a conscious style of rap: thought provoking and introspective. Put them in with Sabzi’s original beats, and what do you get?… something that sizzles just below premium cut. As much as I respect the sound Common Market puts out, I can’t put aside that Blue Scholars puts it out better. RA Scion has some praiseworthy lyrics, but Geologic (from Blue Scholars) has a style that is among hip-hop’s best. But that aside, Common Market can put up some chill shiiit, especially from their first album. My favorite track is, of course, Trinity. So give it a listen, and tell me what you think… or i’ll stop posting this shit for you!… maybe. ;)
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I’ll admit it, I was wrong when I said, “[n]ever has a hip-hop album got it so right on the first track”, referring to an article on Mission Statement by Mayday. But, to my defense I did say “I over embellish at times”… which I do.
That aside, never has a hip-hop album got it so right on the first track. ;) But, seriously… The introduction (or reintroduction) on Blue Scholar’s self-titled album is a slick start to a legit album. Sabzi, DJ & producer, creates one chill beat, which Geologic (MC) lays some mighty fine lines to.
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Sexy Beast is Abyssinian Creole’s first full length album, which premiered in late 2005. The album clearly expresses the group’s African roots in a raw and poetic way. Each song is a unique perspective of the two emcee’s history, which may or may not pertain to everyone, but can be appreciated by anyone.
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