The Beach Boys - Little Deuce Coupe (1963)

I wrote about The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album earlier.

Death Of Vinyl record store held a Christmas party a few years ago and I was able to spin there among with other Dansez Chez Vous colleagues including DJ Politics, MattstaxofWax, DJ Expo 67 and DJ 7T’s.

I had an immensely good time. The music played was fantastic and I got some favorable reactions from my selections which is most often the desired effect.  One moment in time that night is worth my writing about. 

DJ Expo 67 played Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys at some point during the near 7 hours of music spun that night. I hadn’t heard the song in a long time or simply forgot about it altogether. The song’s harmonies and beat were magical and caused people to dance between the rows of records. I found it to be a wonderful song and was inspired to follow it up with another Beach Boys single.
I ran to the classic rock section of the store and briskly browsed The Beach Boys bunch of records for Little Deuce Coupe. Thankfully there was a copy of an album with the song on it. I ran back to the turntables and told Expo 67 I have an answer.

I cued the cut and a memorable time was had by most that were paying attention to the music played. Those that danced to the Christmas cut continued to groove with Deuce Coupe. The Beach Boys sound was able to linger in the store just a little longer. Expo 67 himself was pleased at my choice. I thanked him for providing me the inspiration. I had forgotten I referred to Little Deuce Coupe in the previous Beach Boys post.  It had also been a long time since I heard or thought of the song.  Both songs were welcome breaths of fresh air for me.  



Had I been one of the patrons and heard two Beach Boys bangers back-to-back, I would have danced in the store isles myself. I took pleasure in seeing the few twist and shimmy nearby.

There is something about The Beach Boys sound that is truly magical. As much as I was not born when they were in the prime of their recording careers, their music reflects what was and is good about the world.

A few minutes of The Beach Boys music can send good vibrations in these troubled economic and sociopolitical climates. One can feel happiness or a ray of sunshine in the darkest hours when listening to their classics. 

Ultimately, it is The Beach Boys who are to be thanked for the inspiration.

Cat Stevens

Years ago, my friend Craig Koskimaki compiled a Cat Stevens CD and to my surprise, he left off the classic cut Wild World!

It was inconceivable and unfathomable to me for a Cat Stevens CD, mass-produced or self-selected, to not include the song.  My using those big words should give an idea of the grief I gave him.

He explained that for as much as he loved Cat Stevens, he knew those big hits inside and out and wanted to go deeper into Cat’s catalog for his compilation cuts.

Following his example, this blog post will not have Wild World as the lone Cat Stevens video. I chose Lady D'Arbanville, the one I discovered and loved through going deeper into Cat's discography.

Ode To A Boombox 2

I believe that a boombox is the machine that ultimately symbolizes hip hop. 









Regardless of the size, model, shape or year it was manufactured, a boombox is the artifact that best represents hip hop's genesis and, at worst, its demise.



For an audio cassette aficionado like myself, the boombox is the vessel through which the jams jammed onto 60 or 90 minutes of ribbon can be heard.  At a minimum volume, the music played on the box is for solitary enjoyment. At a louder volume, you have the grounds for a jam in your hands or wherever it is stationed within proximity of people.

A boombox is as hip hop as the city where the culture originated and where the still at the top of this post was filmed. My vicarious love for New York had me hungry to record hip hop music from New York radio as a teen.  My passion for music on a whole made me hungry to be like the legendary radio show hosts I admired.  Therefore, it is clear I have a connection to boombox culture and also admire those who pursue and maintain it.  I'm thankful to have been aware of the importance of these portable stereo radio/cassette players within hip hop culture history and impacted by it.



The connection to hip hop and the boombox is more than metaphorical or symbolic.
When I said a boombox representing the death of hip hop earlier, I meant the infancy of hip hop has grown and matured to the point that these machines are outdated. They are artifacts.  Technology has evolved to the point that these machines are not compatible with the current climate of stereo equipment.



Hip hop music from the 80s is outdated depending on who you ask.  With the exception of timeless tracks recorded in the early 80s like Afrika Bambaataa's Planet Rock or Planet Patrol's Play At Your Own Risk, the majority of hip hop music from that decade is not compatible with the current climate of hip hop being produced today.



I wrote in great detail about my Toshiba RT-SX1, my first boombox and start of my devotion to the brand. 



The photos are from a record store art exhibit from a few years ago.



Thank you to all involved for allowing me to DJ at the event, take some pictures of the boombox on display and reminisce.

Ode To A Boombox 3

I was able to attend an exhibit showcasing boomboxes.

Montreal’s Saint Laurent Boulevard was in the midst of its bi-annual sidewalk sale and I had a lot on my dance card at that time.  

I took photos of the many vintage boombox radios and various artworks as they were setting up for the exhibition to be held that night.  

I was worried I would not be able to return later in the night when the event would have been in full swing.  

There were turntables set up and I could only imagine the jams that would be dropped that night. 

If I was thrilled to see the turntables set up for the occasion, the sight of bags of records thrilled me all the more upon my return to the store.   These radios were the stars of the show.

Kool G. Rap

It’s pretty easy for someone to talk about Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, KRS and even LL Cool J when talking about Golden-Era hip hop. It’s also pretty easy for someone to not mention Kool G. Rap. 

Considering he was in a photo on the back of Eric B. & Rakim's Paid in Full album and easily Big Daddy Kane’s lyrical twin in the Juice Crew, he is the most underrated rapper in hip hop history. He may not have had lyrical God-like status, been a teacher or ruler, but he has the distinct honor of being the best MC to have never gotten his FULL props.

Interestingly enough, from 1995 to almost present day, Kool G. Rap may not have had an album worth talking about but his guest appearances on other artists’ tracks are stellar. Like most of his Golden-Era peers who struggle to stay relevant in this modern era, Kool G. Rap’s rep as an underground lyrical Don grew which could explain why so many contemporary rappers and producers reached for his verses.

Anyone knowledgeable about hip hop music would love to hear a modern day classic album reflective of his talent. We would also love for him to receive the accolades that have escaped him. I was informed not too long ago that Kane urged that Kool G. Rap be honored at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors. One way to help the cause is to get familiar with his work so that his name gets mentioned in any discussion on hip hop lyrical greats.  

One of the greatest and most legendary rappers I can write about is Kool G. Rap. I still have no word as to whether he is a VH1 Hip Hop Honouree but he will get the royal treatment on my Suite Delight radio show.

I still believe that with the exception of a handful of rappers, Kool G. Rap not being honored by VH1 cannot be tolerated. For as long as he's been in the game and the respect he has in hip hop history, something should be done. His lyrics are timeless, his influence on today’s rappers (whether they know it or not) has to be recognized. 

On a personal note, Kool G Rap’s verse on The Symphony, one of hip hop’s earliest and best posse cuts, is my favorite.

I managed to walk into a conversation I heard among two DJ/producer friends I know not too long ago. A discussion of golden era hip hop brought one of the two to state that Kool G. Rap's first verse in Men At Work is the greatest hip hop verse of all time. That is surely a subject for debate but the admiration for Kool G. Rap is not. Therefore, I was content in my decision.

From 1986-1988, one of my New York cousins gave me an audio cassette full of hip hop radio music.

I remember It’s a Demo being on one of them.

One of my earliest solo trips to downtown Montreal was to buy Road to the Riches at Sam the Record Man.



Pete Rock, along with Large Professor, did a remake of Truly Yours on his Soul Survivor release.




Stereo MC’s choosing Road to the Riches as a track on their DJ Kicks mixtape made me understand Kool G. Rap's greatness was acknowledged outside of the North American hip hop community.

Live & Let Die reinforced that Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo were locked into gangster rap for another album after Wanted: Dead or Alive.

I was disappointed a rhyme ripper like Kool G. Rap would choose the gangster rap door.



Ill Street Blues is the strongest single of the album.



What Kool G Rap does lyrically on Letters is nothing short of brilliant.



The On the Run remixes are standouts as well if you’re willing to chase the 12” single like I am.

For some reason or another, Wanted: Dead or Alive didn’t register with me like it should or could have.

Talk Like Sex naturally made an impact on me (!) and if it weren’t for those New York cassettes, Money in the Bank and Erase Racism would have really escaped me.

I had the chance to buy the CD only once over the years while music hunting but didn’t.



Streets of New York is a fantastic song but I really knew of it after 1990.

If I can come up with a theory as to why I didn’t reach for Wanted earlier, it was probably because I didn’t like his gangster leanings.



Back in those days, I was East Coast hip hop all the way and had little time to no time for West Coast.



At the time the pose on Wanted and even the title didn’t appeal to me.  

It would take many years for me to hear the album in its entirety and realize how good it is. I should have bought that CD when I had the chance.

As much as it may have been a case of wishful thinking for him to get VH1 recognition, a matter that was literally closer to home is Kool G. Rap not performing in my hometown of Montreal. I am sure there would be a lot of appreciative people in attendance. 



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