Haul of Records

Lee “Scratch” Perry

Being the eager student seeking to increase my musical education and learn more about the reggae pioneer, I knew I had to be there when the Lee “Scratch” Perry documentary was being screened by Blue Sunshine.

The documentary was pretty informative for anyone that knew little about Lee “Scratch” Perry. I was privy to some stories about Lee “Scratch” Perry long before. My reggae music mentor and Dansez Chez Vous colleague Dubny told me a lot about the Black Ark Studio, his burning it down and his marriage to a younger woman. Most of what I was told was confirmed. I got to hear Lee “Scratch” Perry's perspective and see archived footage to go along with the stories.

I hadn’t taken notes in the dark since my Introduction to Film Studies class. The documentary stated the Lee “Scratch” Perry songs and artists and I wrote down as many as I could for my future research.

Dub Echoes made me understand how important Lee Perry is to electronic music.

I wonder if Lee Perry & George Clinton ever met or recorded music together.

Perry is as peculiar as he was described and I imagined.

Regardless of those eccentricities, he is responsible for a great deal where reggae music is concerned, especially its greatest export Bob Marley & the Wailers.

Bun-B

Bun B makes his way onto this blog out of sheer respect alone.

I of course paid no mind to the U.G.K. material. I did however pay attention to him on Big Pimpin. If Jay Z featured them on a song, it meant to me that they had to be worth something.

Since my awareness of him as an MC, Bun B has never disappointed me lyrically. I didn’t dig deep into his discography but I’m always willing to hear a Bun B banger when I can.

In a random discussion about music with some co-workers, I found out that Bun-B's Trill O.G. received 5 mics from The Source.

The first thing about that info that struck me is how little phased I am about the info. Years ago, when I was at the same age as the young man that told us this info, The Source giving an album 5 mics was either cause to celebrate or raise hell. Regardless, any Source mic rating was a conversation piece among peeps.

Next, I was struck by how long it's been since a hip hop album was deemed classic by The Source or any magazine. Not to play the I-told-you-so-card but my critical, nostalgic perspective on hip hop today seemed justified when I heard the info.

Lastly, I was struck because I, like most people that share my point of view, always felt deep inside that Bun-B was an MC capable of delivering a hip hop classic. The day has finally arrived.

The Suite Delight new time slot is Tuesday morning 2-3am EST on www.ckut.ca & 90.3 FM.

If you haven't already, please make yourself familiar with the link below for more of your favorite show and mine.

Below is a podcast to bring you up to speed. Click here to download them and more.

Check out the player below as well as the more recent playlists.

The Suite Delight - 2014- 05-27 by Dj Solespin on Mixcloud

The Suite Delight - May 27, 2014 Playlist:

1. Quantic & Anita Tijoux - Doo Wop (That Thing)
2. Sola Rosa - Turn Around Ft. Iva Lamkum (DJ Vadim Remix)
3. The Seatbelts - Cat Blues (Mr. Scruff Remix)
4. James Brown - Funky Drummer
5. The Cactus Channel - Wooden Boy (Part 1)
6. The Roots – Don't Feel Right feat. Maimouna Youssef
7. J Dilla (aka Jay Dee) - Love Movin' feat. Black Thought
8. Nas - It Ain't Hard to Tell
9. Termanology - How We Rock Feat. Bun B
10. Marco Polo - Lay It Down Feat. Roc Marciano
11. Buff1 - Never Fall feat. Black Milk
12. The Extremities - New Season feat. Ohmega Watts & Moka Only
13. Lords Of The Underground - Tic Toc (Remix)
14. Lone Catalysts - The Ultimate (Kev Brown Remix)

Smoothe Da Hustler ‎– Once Upon A Time In America (1996)

During one of my treks to the WFMU Record Fair in the last few years, I found the 12” single to Smoothe Da Hustler & Trigger the Gambler’s Broken Language.

I had not heard the song since its heyday and was pleased as punch to purchase the hot slice of wax.

I had not played the song on my show until my show with guest DJ Rocambole.

After dropping the needle, I took to Twitter to announce I was playing the track.

DJ Rocambole went nuts as the drums pounded. It was his first time hearing Broken Language. As for me, that was the kind of microphone-ripping I have loved and missed from hip hop in years. I realized I would want more Smoothe Da Hustler songs to add to future playlists.

The timing to have reached for the single could not have been better because I found out Smoothe Da Hustler has new music. Visit here for more info and click play below to hear the classic song again if it has been a long time for you too.

Souls of Mischief

Groups like Souls of Mischief intrigued me a lot back in the day. How could all of those MCs sounds so East Coast but come from the same place as DJ Quik and E-40?

Any MC sounding like what I came to know and love as the East Coast sound had me from the opening bars of their track regardless of where they came from.

When I first heard That’s When Ya Lost, I couldn’t wait to know the crew name, where in New York they were from and when their album was going to drop.

Their vibe was almost as crazy as A Tribe Called Quest's Scenario and I was hooked. Instead, I found out they were down with Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, meaning they were from California. Once I got over that shock, I waited for more tracks to see what else they could do.

On a 1993 school trip to New York & Washington D.C., I bought Souls' Never No More cassette single, along with Gang Starr's Mass Appeal.

In the early 90s, I was crazy for hip hop remixes and still am. Souls of Mischief remixes rank among my most highly sought after. Their That's When Ya Lost 12" sparked my interest in the group and the remix is quite interesting as well. I never owned a copy of that 12" single but always wanted to. Therefore, the fire and desire to obtain more Souls sounds grew.

Word is I missed a hot concert when they performed in Montreal with A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. I don't need rumors or speculation to know that would be a great show. That too probably caused me to seek more Souls afterwards to make up for what I missed that night. I did catch Souls of Mischief at Les Foufounes Electriques years later and got to meet the group members afterwards.

In the late 90s/early 2000s, I was on a self-imposed hiatus from hip hop but kept an eye and ear open for what was happening. I naturally checked up on the Hieroglyphics' moves and silently supported them from wherever I was perched. From discovering the group to blogging about them years later, it is clear that Souls of Mischief's impact will stay with me until infinity.

Below are some playlists to bring you up to speed. Click here to download.

The Suite Delight - 2014-05-13 Playlist:

1. Ice Cube - Check Yo Self (Remix) feat. Das-Efx
2. Kurious - Baby Bust It
3. De La Soul - Breakadawn
4. Gang Starr - Code of the Streets
5. Souls of Mischief - That's When Ya Lost
6. Del - Mistadobalina (Remix)
7. Snoop Dogg - Ain't No Fun (If The Homies Can't Have None)
8. Keith Murray - Incredible feat. LL Cool J
9. Jay-Z - (Always Be My) Sunshine featuring Babyface & Foxy Brown
10. Queen Latifah - Latifah's Had It Up 2 Here
11. The Roots - Adrenaline
12. Poor Righteous Teachers - Rock Dis Funky Joint
13. Digable Planets ‎– 9th Wonder (Blackitolism)
14. Camp Lo - Luchini (This Is It)

The Suite Delight - March 4, 2013 Playlist:

1. Kokolo - Soul Power (Lack Of Afro Remix)
2. Kelis - Trick Me
3. Nickodemus – 2 Sips & Magic (Second Sky & Thomas Blondet Remix)
4. The Souljazz Orchestra - Celestial Blues
5. Fabolous - So Into You feat Tamia
6. DJ Honda - When You Hot, You Hot feat. No I.D. & Dug Infinite
7. Fashawn - LIfe As a Shorty
8. Oh No - Beware feat. Cali Agents
9. Brand Nubian - Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down (Remix) Featuring Diamond D
10. Souls of Mischief - Good Feeling
11. De La Soul - Afro Connections At A Hi 5
12. Moka Only & Chief - Crickets
13. Grand Analog - Take It Slow (Spaces & Places)

The Suite Delight - February 25, 2014 (2) Playlist:

Nas - It Ain't Hard To Tell (Large Professor Remix)
Diverse - Uprock
Jay Dee - Pause feat. Frank-N-Dank
Strong Arm Steady - Questions
Souls of Mischief - That's When Ya Lost (Remix)
Soul Khan - Knuckle Puck featuring Koncept, 8thW1 & Homeboy Sandman
Quasimoto - Rappcats, Pt. 3
Supastition - Yada Yada
Murs & 9th Wonder - Murs Day
Mobb Deep - Win or Lose
Wale - Um'Ricka feat. K'Naan
K-Solo - Letterman (Pete Rock Remix)
The Extremities - Cold Cheese
D-Sisive x Tone Mason – Maybe I Will feat. DJ Grouch

Lykke Li - Youth Novels (2008)

Years ago, I found out about the young singer with an unusual name.

I was not very impressed withYouth Novels after the initial listen but had a feeling there was something to her judging by how often I came across her name.

A colleague told me that her live performances were off the hook. When the opportunity came to see her at Montreal's Club Soda. I took it in the hopes of learning what the big deal about Lykke Li was.

Both the crowd and myself were anticipating her arrival on stage. I was very eager to experience what was to come. I was not all that familiar with the music and used the crowd reactions to get an understanding of what could be important tracks. Within a short period of time, I went from an observer to a participant and contemplated moving closer to the action.

The crowd was energetic and receptive to Lykke Li. Club Soda seems to provide the ideal climate for performers and audience. Her energy and presence seemed to fuel the crowd. The energy and anticipation was so high that the crowd exploded into applause before the song's end on many occasions.

As mentioned before, certain tracks off her Youth Novels CD created more reaction than others. In the midst of one of the songs, a young lady told me we were grooving to Breaking It Up after I asked her. Complaint Department needed no consultation and caused the most damage upon impact.

At the end of the show, the crowd naturally wanted an encore and it seemed highly doubtful there would be one. Magically, the four performers returned to the stage for a final number. There was something bittersweet when they took the stage. The bittersweet feeling was expressed in the final song of the night. She and the band did a stripped down cover of A Tribe Called Quest's Can I Kick It. I was touched she returned to the stage and of all songs to cover, she chose that one.

Follow the example by checking out the CDs and her live performance whenever possible.

Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah would truly be the queen of all female MCs for me had it not been for another's crater-sized shoes to fill.

All Hail the Queen is a magnificent album. With no word of a lie, the album was hanging on a record store wall and I was nearly compelled to kneel before it.

With tons of terrific tracks waiting for you on that album, it would seem appropriate.

I’ve been waiting to own Nature of a Sista and finally got a CD copy to add to my collection.
It is not as strong as All Hail the Queen but since I was trying to be relatively complete with my Queen, it was the missing link.

I’m an Oscar nut and for her to be nominated for an Academy Award makes me all the more proud of her.

If you haven't already, please make yourself familiar with the link below for more of your favorite show and mine.

http://suitedelight.podomatic.com

Below are some podcasts to bring you up to speed. Click here to download them and more.

Wilson Pickett

I’ve seen Wilson Pickett's name and heard his voice before I knew what he looked like. When I was younger, my mother would ask me to play her 7" records on my Fisher Price record player on weekends, especially Sundays. If I was ever a record snob, I was back then when I'd downright refuse to play her old dirty records on the same Fisher Price record player that just played Thriller or Purple Rain. Who was Wilson Pickett and why was he screaming on the song? When do I stop playing her old records and get back to playing mine?

One artist I particularly want to read, know and learn more about is Wilson Pickett. I have written about how much I love his music but that was writing from a fan perspective. There are so many Wilson stories, facts and details I would like to know about but there appears to be few to no sources of information.

Waxpoetics is the ideal place where die-hard or other casual Pickett fans can read and see more about the Wicked One. I’m not sure if Waxpoetics Magazine has done an in-depth article on him yet. If it hasn’t I hope my prayers for a published Pickett article come true someday.

Through my late uncle, I learned about Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and of course Wilson Pickett. He had the three-disc compilation called The Otis Redding Story which I dubbed onto audio casettes, brougtht home to Montreal and killed. Within no time, I sought and owned nearly all of Otis Redding's discography.

My uncle only had Wilson Pickett Greatest Hits but I brought home the cassette dub and killed it, just like I did with Otis Redding. However, this time it was different. At that time, James Brown was my epitome of funky soul, and still is, but his Wilson Pickett screaming in the songs got me open.

If I could sing, I would sing exactly like Wilson Pickett. I can't so therefore I reach for his music any chance I get.

I'll also keep my fingers crossed that I come across a book, books or Waxpoetics article about him sooner than later.

Please make yourself familiar with the link below for more.

http://suitedelight.podomatic.com

Below is a podcast to bring you up to speed. Click here to download.

Playlist:

1. Dave Cortez & The Moon People – Happy Soul (w/a Hook)
2. Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm – Funky Mule
3. Bo Diddley ‎– The Shape I'm In
4. Merry Clayton - Gimme Shelter
5. Harmonica Paul ‎– Motherless Child
6. Ramsey Lewis ‎– Mighty Quinn
7. Lonnie Mack - Memphis
8. The George Benson Quartet ‎– Benson's Rider
9. Clarence Carter - Snatching It Back
10. James Brown ‎– Nose Job
11. Five Stairsteps & Cubie ‎– We Must Be In Love
12. David McCallum - The Edge
13. Dyke & The Blazers ‎– You Are My Sunshine
14. Otis Redding - You Left The Water Running
15. Johnnie Taylor - Love Bones
16. The Staples Singers - If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)
17. Wilson Pickett - Take That Pollution Out Your Throat
18. Robert Palmer - Pressure Drop
19. Ken Boothe - My Love
20. Gwen McCrae - 90% Of Me Is You
21. The Illusion - Together
22. Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky
23. Patrice Rushen - Givin' It Up Is Givin' Up
24. Herbie Hancock - Watermelon Man
25. Buddy Miles - Down By The River
26. Donovan - Season Of The Witch
27. Gary Bartz NTU Troop - Celestial Blues

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien

I remember Mistadobalina and thought it was jokes for most part.

The way I fronted on artists and albums is legendary. It has been stated many times on this blog. I almost wrote Del The Funkee Homosapien off as something of a comedian back then. This is the story of how one of Del's albums made its way into my consciousness.

In 1990, I first heard the name Del The Funkee Homosapien on Ice Cube's Amerikka`s Most Wanted.

I learned he was Cube's cousin and thought that was cool. It took 1993 for me to really appreciate Del The Funkee Homosapien as an artist.

No Need For Alarm is to this day Del's best album in my humble opinion.

I was very happy to have brought home No Need For Alarm from a DJ's record sale.

If there was any Del album I would have wanted to own, I now can say I own it.

Del The Funky Homosa pien - Catch A Bad One by Fasho1123

Back in the early 1990s, nearly every piece of hip hop was good. Even the weaker hip hop had some merit. If you don't believe me, reach for The Pharcyde, Black Sheep, Leaders of the New School and Souls of Mischief and compare it to anything released since 2000. There are few post 2000 albums that can go toe to toe or track for track with early 90s hip hop.

Del, along with Dan The Automator & Kid Koala as Deltron 3030, closed the Montreal Jazz Festival on July 6, 2014.

If you haven't already, please make yourself familiar with the link below for more of your favorite show and mine.

http://suitedelight.podomatic.com

Below is the podcast to bring you up to speed. Click here to download it and more.

Wilson Pickett's Greatest Hits

Wilson Pickett's Greatest Hits is the best one-stop shop for his Atlantic Records hits.

Not only does it provide Pickett's best work, the listener is also given some songs prior to In The Midnight Hour that proves he was destined to be a soul music legend.

I held the double-vinyl copy of Wilson Pickett's Greatest Hits in my hands sometime years ago.

The price was very reasonable for some that had no Wilson Pickett music in their collection to speak of or even play. I otherwise would have bought it but reason stepped in before I stepped to the cash register.

My reasoning was that I owned the CD copy of the album as well as practically every album from which the songs originally appear.

The Wilson Pickett's Greatest Hits CD that made me the fan that I am only chose to feature 2 songs from Right On.

Ironically or coincidentally, You Keep Me Hangin' On & Sugar Sugar, are covers and the Sugar Sugar still managed to be an underwhelming Top 5 hit.

Fast forward to a summer a few years ago. I popped in the CD while doing chores in my apartment. The hits literally came fast and furious and one realizes Wilson Pickett was one of the soul greats.

Before the first quarter of the compilation is done. I wish I could have been able to see him perform live during his 1960s prime. The footage available to us makes us know what we missed.

Sean Price

Sean Price was always nice on the mic.

Monkey Barz was one of the best hip hop albums I had heard in the past decade. Like Madvillany, the production quality was exactly what I needed at a time when I didn’t want to hear much hip hop.

Onion Headz is my favorite Sean Price song to date.

Sean Price was busy with various posse cut appearances and albums released.

I was very happy to have been at the Sean Price show at Cabaret de Mile End. It was one of the best concerts for that year. I waited for him to spit Onion Headz from Monkey Barz and saw I wasn’t alone. We all acted like apes as he preformed the song.

My good fortune continued when he performed at the Duck Down/Blacksmith CMJ Showcase.

To my surprise, one of my favorite Montreal spots for music had a copy of his Passion of Price DVD for sale. The DVD gives the chance to hear more Price music anytime. There are exclusive videos, interviews and footage.

R.I.P. Sean Price

Rudy Ray Moore

I believe that had Big Daddy Kane not featured Rudy Ray Moore on a track from Taste of Chocolate, I would have learned of the legendary comedian a lot later in my life.

On his third classic album, Big Daddy Kane goes toe-to-toe and verse-for-verse with the randy Rudy Ray Moore. Kane was already among the elite MCs of the day but many of my generation barely knew of Dolemite/Rudy Ray Moore.

Rudy Ray Moore is of course victorious and proved to the younger cats like myself who and why we know of Dolemite.

Many years ago, Rudy Ray Moore appeared in Montreal for a screening of Dolemite.

Me being the blogger that I am, I ventured to see the legend at the Imperial Theatre.

I don’t really remember much about the night but these few details.

If I saw Dolemite, I don’t remember much about the film. I would need to see a scene or two to refresh my memory.

What I do remember was what happened prior to my departure from the Imperial Theatre. I think I was half expecting him to perform stand up comedy at some point while he was onstage but that didn’t happen. I thought he was going to be present for a question and answer period about his movies and comedy. That didn’t happen either. Instead, Rudy Ray Moore began to sing-talk sexually laced lyrics that managed to get the crowd to erupt in boos.

The screening and booing of Rudy Ray Moore occurred dangerously close to the 1am mark. Anyone who uses public transit to get to and from the suburbs into town understands that time was neither on my side nor Rudy Ray Moore’s. I would have loved to see and hear how the events manifested but I had to leave to catch a bus.

Part of me would have booed him too had it not been for the respect I had for him being an influential part of the culture I held near and dear. If it is not known yet, I love very good stand up comedy. To not get it makes me angry à la Marvin the Martian.

Another part of me was saddened to see the legend get treated that way in my hometown. He was an old man on stage getting booed.

Quite frankly, maybe it was best I didn’t witness what happened in my absence. It is already bad enough for me to connect Rudy Ray Moore to the unpleasant booing surrounding me as I left the theatre.