Risin' Night and Day

Bob Dylan - High Water - from Love & Theft

High water risin' - risin' night and day
All the gold and silver are being stolen away
Big Joe Turner lookin' East and West
From the dark room of his mind
He made it to Kansas City
Twelfth Street and Vine
Nothing standing there
High water everywhere

High water risin', the shacks are slidin' down
Folks lose their possessions - folks are leaving town
Bertha Mason shook it - broke it
Then she hung it on a wall
Says, "You're dancin' with whom they tell you to
Or you don't dance at all."
It's tough out there
High water everywhere

I got a cravin' love for blazing speed
Got a hopped up Mustang Ford
Jump into the wagon, love, throw your panties overboard
I can write you poems, make a strong man lose his mind
I'm no pig without a wig
I hope you treat me kind
Things are breakin' up out there
High water everywhere

High water risin', six inches 'bove my head
Coffins droppin' in the street
Like balloons made out of lead
Water pourin' into Vicksburg, don't know what I'm going to do
"Don't reach out for me," she said
"Can't you see I'm drownin' too?"
It's rough out there
High water everywhere

Well, George Lewis told the Englishman, the Italian and the Jew
"You can't open your mind, boys
To every conceivable point of view."
They got Charles Darwin trapped out there on Highway Five
Judge says to the High Sheriff,
"I want him dead or alive
Either one, I don't care."
High Water everywhere

The Cuckoo is a pretty bird, she warbles as she flies
I'm preachin' the Word of God
I'm puttin' out your eyes
I asked Fat Nancy for something to eat, she said, "Take it off the shelf -
As great as you are a man,
You'll never be greater than yourself."
I told her I didn't really care
High water everywhere

I'm getting' up in the morning - I believe I'll dust my broom
Keeping away from the women
I'm givin' 'em lots of room
Thunder rolling over Clarksdale, everything is looking blue
I just can't be happy, love
Unless you're happy too
It's bad out there
High water everywhere

It's Party Friday!!

Breakestra feat. Chali 2na, Soup (from J5) & Double K (from P.U.T.S) - Family Rap (Beats and Breaks mix)

Party people in the house, say "HOOOO!", say "HO! HO!" That's right, it's Party Friday up in the Hideaway. And, I got a brand new 12" I'm about to drop on ya. The Breakestra is a funk band out of LA that plays like a DJ. On their previous disc, "Live Mix Tape Part 2" they played funky break after funky break, exactly like a DJ cutting up a record. Perfect band to play behind a couple rappers, right? Right. On the Breakestra's first studio album of original material, they brought in some of LA's finest to bust out a couple verses. Chali 2na and Soup from Jurassic 5 showed up, as well as Double K from People Under the Stairs, WHAT!!. Chali and K are two of my favorite voices in hip hop, they both have very distinctive flows. Chali 2na should have a solo album coming out soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that...and don't hate (especially you, Buster). Breakestra's new album should be dropping very soon, but until then enjoy this track from the 12" single. Listen to me now, thank me later...

GE: We Bring Good Things to Beats

generally speaking, I like elektriks

General Elektriks - Tu M'intrigue

General Elektriks - Frost On Your Sunglasses - Added 8/24!!! Cop this!!! It doesn't get much fresher

My boy "D Friendly" reminded me this morning that Quannum has a new artist debuting next Tuesday, August 23rd. I've been sitting on this mp3 for awhile since downloading it from Music For Robots, and now seems as good a time as ever to post it up for you guys. Quannum's previous release, their other new artist APSCI, really disappointed me so I'm really hoping this General Elektriks disc is a return to Quannum form (Blackalicious is next and they're going psychadelic, ya dig?) All I know is that General Elektriks is basically one French dude and a lot of vintage synths and beat machines. A lot of really cool organ put to some sick beats with great production. Sounds cool enough, right? As far as vocals are concerned, Mr. Elektriks generally gets by on this song by just whispering French nothings into the mic. (Have you ever noticed that the French, especially the women, can get away with whispering into a mic and turn it into a song? A good French chanteuse is just a sexy whisperer; but, I digress.) When Quannum picks him up, you know it's gonna be quality and something different (except in the case of APSCI). If you go to Quannum's website, you can stream a couple other songs from the album (Check out the supercool 'Frost On Your Sunglasses'. Lateef's on the other track on the site, 'Facing the Void'.). I've really liked everything I've heard so far (3 tracks) so I'm pretty sure the album that drops next Tuesday is gonna be dope. Don't sleep on GE! It's got all the earmarks of being my album of the season this fall...

Whoa, Mack Daddy!

"Mr. Womack...uh, I don't know how to tell you this...but...Elton John called. He says he wants his glasses back."

Bobby Womack - Fire and Rain - My favorite of all his covers. The brotha gets over on this one...

Bobby Womack - Sweet Caroline - Arguably the finest performance of this song I've heard. That is, best I've heard since I performed it with the American Mastodon and a friend at Dennison University's weekly karaoke night at the student union.

Bobby Womack - The Preacher/More Than I Can Stand - Imagine a black baptist preacher telling a hilarious story to his congregation about walking in on his wife cheating on him. Then, add some funky music behind him and you've got a close approximation of this song.

In my opinion, if you have a discussion about the greatest soul singers of all time and Bobby Womack’s name is not mentioned, you’ve committed a criminal offense. Whether writing songs (including the Rolling Stones 1st U.K. #1 “It’s All Over Now)”or playing guitar (on Sly & the Family Stone’s “There’s a Riot Goin On”), he’s been a part of many of pop music’s greatest albums. Check him out at ubl.com to get the full biography, but the guy had the full swing going from a pastor’s son singing gospel tunes, to becoming a rich and famous soul musician, to bottoming out from drug abuse, to desiring to record a country album (with the hilariously stunning title “Step Aside, Charley Pride, Give Another Nigger a Try”), to becoming a washed up soul singer with some famous friends, and most recently recording a gospel album. The man has done it all. However, I will always remember him for two things, 1) His “inventively reimagined pop covers” and 2) His “lengthy spoken philosophical monologues”. Like few performers, Bobby Womack gives you a glimpse of his soul with every performance. Full of humor, melancholy, and passion, he laid it all out on vinyl for the rest of the world to experience with him.

Always Pimpin, Never Slippin (That's How It Is)

King Koopa's most recent after party...

There are a few things in life that every man needs to have. A Mach 3 razor. A record player. A recipe you know how to cook. A bottle of fine liquor. A great afterparty mix cd. I’d love to help out the rest of the dudes out there with all these essentials, but there’s only so much I can do. I’m only one man. But, my compassion for my fellow man requires that I try and at least help out with the last one on the list, the afterparty mix. We all know what the after-party is all about. Da ladies. Songs must be carefully chosen. They need to be of the utmost smoovness, yet danceable. Slow jams, knowwhatimean? Dr. Dre can produce a bangin beat that’ll keep their heads ringin till next friday, but when you’re looking for smoovness you gotta look elsewhere. (And, at this point of the night nobody cares how obscure a track is, you're looking for universal smoovality, not obscurity.) But, there’s the risk of going over the top with the smoovness and coming off looking corny. That’s where personalization comes into play. I could never pull off rockin a Ralph Tresvant or SWV track. Some guys could; I couldn’t (I'm toe-ing the line with the Teddy Pendegrass song I included.) So, without any further rambling, here’s my afterparty mix:

1. Outkast - Spottieottiedopaliscious
2. Sleepy Brown - Still Smokin (Sleepy's Theme)
3. Notorious B.I.G. - Big Poppa
4. Big Pun feat. Fat Joe - Still Not a Player
5. Outkast - Player's Ball
6. Amerie - One Thing (Siik Remix)
7. Big Boi feat. Sleepy Brown - Bowtie
8. Karl Denson - Groove On
9. Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy
10. Kanye West - Slow Jamz
11. Lynden David Hall - Sleeping With Victor
12. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Take You There (9th Wonder Remix)
13. Jack Herrera - Jack Herrera for President
14. Outkast - Aquemini
15. Teddy Pendegrass - Choose Me
16. Lauren Hill/Bob Marley - Turn Your Lights Down Low

Hey Everybody, It's Summertime!!!

it's summertime, and it rolls

So, I’m talking on the phone the other day to my dear friend the American Mastodon. In the tradition of glass-half-emptyists the world over, my pessimistic compadre was lamenting the month of August as the beginning of the end of summer. Perpetual optimist that I am, this kinda caught me off guard, but in a way he’s right. What it made me realize more than anything is that I’m running out of time to post up my top 5 songs of summer! (Soul-Sides.com has been doing this theme all summer with various guest bloggers, and I’ve been loving it.) But, before we get to the list, what are the defining qualities that can put a song on my list? 1) Singalongability/Rapalongability. This is of utmost importance. I need to be able to belt it out while pimpin it bigwillystyle in my convertible out on a country cruise in the middle of nowhere. 2) An overall upbeat, blissful, escapist mood. Summer songs are supposed to put you in a good mood, not bum you out with that downer we call “reality”. 3) A great melody. Yeah, I know, this is a subset of the singalongability, but it deserves it’s own slot. A great melody speaks for itself and will sometimes make me forget the lyrics of the song. 4) Somewhat danceable, if only a little bit, enough to get a produce a booty-shake or two.

But, without further ado, here is the somewhat definitive list (in no particular order), King Koopa’s Top 5 Songs of Summer

1 - Marlena Shaw - California Soul - [It's] 'the sound you hear, that lingers in yer ear'

2 - Mack B Dog - Hot Breath - The dopest, silkiest 1:35 of rapping you'll ever want to hear. RIP, Mack B Dog. 'Rhymes so milky they'll be labeled as dairy'...

3 - Lyrics Born - I Changed My Mind - My dawg LB lays it down exquisitely with the kraut funksters, Poets of Rhythm as his backing band

4- Chi Lites - Stoned Out of My Mind - Put this one in your pipe and smoke it.

5 - Wyclef Jean - Stayin Alive - with a sample like 'Stayin Alive' it's hard to go too wrong. 'Clef brings it on this one from his debut solo album, then quickly begins his rapid decline into cheesiness.

Honorable Mention: Big Pun feat. Fat Joe - Still Not a Player - The guiltiest of the guilty pleasures on this list. This one is just a undeniable smile-producer. Undeniable.

Don't Push Her, She's Close To The Edge

It's like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how her dentures keep from falling out.

Georgina Dobson - The Message

Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five - The Message

Time to revisit my 'cover song' series that I started doing a few months ago. You know that old school rap song "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five? (You know the one, it's the track that Puffy and Mase jacked for Mo Money, Mo Problems.) Have you ever wondered what that song would sound like if a British grandma named Georgina Dobson was rocking the mic? Sure, the imperative refrain, "Don't push me cause I'm close to the edge" sounds a lot more crotchety and cranky when delivered by an octogenarian, but it's still effective. It maintains the tension of the original version. Georgina Dobson genuinely doesn't want to get pushed; she knows she'll break her other good hip. And, she's got a world-weary, been-there-done-that aspect to her voice that lends the song a new dimension. However, Georgina's portrait of the ghetto isn't quite as vivid as the original, in fact, she switches the setting to a London ghetto. The escalator at the "underground"? Uh, it was a subway last time I rode it. Fumbling with her keys at her "flat"? What? Next time leave your hoity toity British apartment slang across the pond, Grandma. But, my favorite part of the song has to be after the chorus when she wonders under her breath, but still on the mic, "maybe it'd be better if I stood up". Georgina: You stand for something even when you're sitting down, as this song demonstrates. You're standin up for prospective mic-rockin grandmas all around the world. Sit that old ass down, you've done enough already. (Besides, I doubt your replacement, orthopedic hip can withstand all that extraneous motion.)