Friday Funk: Cell Therapy

-Notice that there are no muppets playing instruments.
-And no one is dressed as a large peacock.
-Gwyneth Paltrow is not in this video.
-When this song was released in 1995, she was in four movies, including “Seven” and an uncredited role in “High Learning”
-Busta Rhymes and Ice Cube were also in that flick. Paltrow considered changing her name to ‘G-Pal’ for the role.
-A lot of the song alludes to a “new world order.” Goodie Mob: Freemasons?
-Who’s that looking in my window? Maybe it is someone admiring your floral drapes.
-If “black helicopters swoop down” over your W-2 or 1099’s, you might want to fire your accountant. Just syain.
-Goodie Mob means “The Good Die Mostly Over Bullshit”
-The group’s first appearances were on Outkast’s classic Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
- Who’s that looking in my window? Maybe it is Chris Broussard, seeing if you have any info on Melo.
-The album Soul Food went gold.
-Cee-Lo’s real name: Thomas DeCarlo Calloway. That was also a name of the “bad guy” in a 1980’s “coming of age” movie.
-He is credited as Thomas Burton throughout the album.
-Maybe the snowboard manufacturer sued him.
-With this album, Goodie Mob went with conspiracy theories, racism, changing neighborhoods, and social issues.
-Fast forward 15 years and Southern Hip Hop is rims, girls, and cars. Progress.
-Cee Lo is wearing a University of Georgia shirt. This video was most likely shot following the 94 football season. The top rusher on that team? Terrell Davis. Slushy Gutter connections, son.
-Who’s that looking in my window? The dude from Coldplay (G-Pal’s husband)
- “My mind won’t allow me to not be curious.” Who hasn’t seen that on a fortune cookie?
-Cee Lo left the group after their third album in 2000.
-Besides Cee-Lo, Goodie Mob consisted of T-Lo, Khujo, and Big Gipp. The group "reunited" at teh 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards.
-Who’s that looking in my window? Jim Henson wanting some freaking royalties.

Friday Funk: I Got It Made

SPECIAL ED'S CLASSIC "I GOT IT MADE" - SOME RANDOM FACTS, MEMORIES, AND THOUGHTS:

-Ed had a cameo appearance in the film Juice, although it was uncredited. He played the new man of Raheem's baby mama Keesha. Ed is rolling hard in the film in a Nissan Sentra. Geo Storm passed on the free pub.
-I checked with my Cajun friends and "alligator souffle" isn't a common dish.
- "Make a million dollars every record that I cut." Damn, Ed had some bomb ass royalty points back in 1989.
-Real name: Ed Archer
-DJ Premier sampled the lyrics on Group Home's "Supa Star"
- "Treaty with Tahiti" Yes, unknown to many world scholars is that Ed did possess a great diplomatic skill. He negoitiated a treaty with the South Pacific island in which he got a percent of land and they got some Brooklyn bodega quarter waters.
-Ed appeared on an episode of The Cosby Show as the rapper JT Freeze. No relation to Kid Frost.
-The track samples a group named Ripple and their track "I Don't Know What It Is, but It Sure Is Funky" from 1973.
-Yes, Ripple, Fred Sanford's favorite drink. Go into your local liquor store and ask for ripple. Props to anyone that actually gets a clerk that knows what the hell it is.
-The track peaked at #9 on the Billboard Rap Singles Chart.
- "I got a dog with a solid gold bone." Those dudes from all the 1-800-Buy-Gold sites would be freaking out over that.
-While in college my homie Kid Ci$co took another song from this album, "Fly MC" and transcribed word for word for his poetry class. He received an "A". Apparently the professor had not been getting her Word Up magazines.
-Jay-Z references the track in "Empire State of Mind." Props to Hov for referencing an old school classic, but ironically Ed is a few years younger than Jay-Z.
-Ed was 16 years old when this video came out.
-Ed had a friendship with Malcom Jamal Warner of The Cosby Show, and MJW even directed his video "Im The Magnificent (Remix)"
-Ed included that remix on his second album Legal, I made a big deal about the record when it came out and went and bought it the first day it was available. Listening to it with some chick I was trying to get with (of course a young Commish knew all the words- it had been out since the prior year) but she was impressed, even saying "This CD just came out and you know the words?!" Damn straight, now get me a day glo comb to get this mullet straight.
- "I'm not a Puerto Rican but I'm speakin so that 'jou know'" Oh, I get it! All these years I thought it was a reference to Alaska's capital.
-For some reason, my folks used to let me make the outgoing answering machine message back in the day. The background music if you call the Commish House back in 1989? Damn, straight, "I Got it Made." No word if the business associate calling for Pops busted into the running man.
-The High School in the video is Erasmus Hall in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
-The producer on the track was Hitman Howie Tee and the entire album Youngets In Charge was released in May 1989.
-Howie's most popular rap single other than this might've been Chubb Rock's "Treat Em Right", but his most popular pop hit was none other than Color Me Badd's "I Wanna Sex You Up"
-Special Ed was not considered to be a member of that group; although he did rap on the group's follow up single "I Adore Mi Amor" where he rocked a silk shirt and rapped in Spanish.
-I made that last part up.
-Ed raps "you burn me...really?" Ed was known to rock flame retardant jackets.

Friday Funk: Time's Up

-Lack of vitamin C can lead to a disease called scurvy, which can cause splochy skin and spongy gums. The disease was common among pirates in the 16th and 17th century.
-The producer of the track was Buckwild, whose heyday was the mid-90's scene. He produced other DITC artists, as well as Commish favorite "Stress" by Organized Confusion. His most recognizable beat may be Black Rob's "Whoa!"
-Mos Def samples the tack on "Hip Hop" from his album Black on Both Sides.
-Plexiglass is a thermoplastic and transparent plastic. However, its aura is undefined by many shamans and witch doctors.
-The hook ("their time's limited, hard rocks too") is sampled from Slick Rick's "Hey Young Word"
-The line "Rappers are in danger" was also used a few short months later on KRS-One's "Rappaz R N Danger"
-A young Commish worked on delivery truck in the Spring of 95 with a fiend named Big Guy and we listened to a mix that featured this track. The line "What's-her-face told me you shot this kid last week in the park,that's a lie, you was in church with your moms" was particularly amusing to Big Guy, as he stumbled to spit it out for about two months.
-OC first appeared on Organized Confusion's "Fudge Pudge" in 1991.
-The track samples Les DeMerle's 1968 "A Day in the Life."
-DeMerle was a Brooklyn norn jazz musician and bandleader who worked with jazz greats Chick Corea, Al Jarreau, Freddie Hubbard, and the Manhatten Transfer.
-In the movie 8 Mile, Eminem's character B Rabbit freestyles over the insrumental when he battles the late Proof's character Lil' Tic.
-Proof's illest line: Rip the Rabbit's head, toss it to Hugh Hefner, cause I don't play, boy, now tell my who's fresher.
-The song is alleged to take over a year for OC to write.
-The album was released in October 1994 on the iconic label Wild Pitch, and it charted at #34 on the R&B rankings.
-Cracking someone's head with a 4 X 4 would most likley require a two handed grip or a carpenter or lumber store employee assistance.
-The Source ranked the track as the 14th best beat ever concocted.
-DITC sampes the line "fuck who did I offend" on the track "Enemy" from 2000's compilation album.
-Niacin is also known as B3, and a lack of it can lead to Pellagra. Symptons include dementia, aggression, weakness, and diarrhea. Or a typical morning after in the Slushy Gutter realm.

Friday Funk: 93 Til Infinity

-The album of the same name was released on September 28, 1993.
-MC lineup: A-Plus, Opio, Phesto & Tajai.
-Do not confuse Phesto with pesto; although some pesto pasta is mighty delicious.
-Bridget's man guess: Verne Troyer.
-Production was handled by A-Plus, who also produced perhaps the album's best track: "That's When Ya Lost"
-"Here's a forty, swig it, I got em chilling in the cooler, break out the ruler." Well, if you say so, but you want me to measure the beer?
-Black Timbs, the quintessential early 90's Hip Hop piece of gear, even on the West Coast.
-JayBiz is shouted out in the outro of the track. Haters, take note, it's not the same guy.
-The song samples "Heather" by Bill Cobham. He was a Panamanian drummer who worked with Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, and Peter Gabriel.
-The b-side was "Disseshowedo"
-Bridget's man guess: Herve Villechaize
-The song reached #72 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #11 on the Rap chart.
-The album may be considered the Hieroglyphics' crew best of their entire catalog. The Slushy Gutter vote for that honor? Casual's Fear Itself.
-Bridget's man guess: Earl Boykins
-Solo albums: A Plus: 1; Phesto: 0; Tajai: 3; Opio: 2 (check this year's Vulture's Wisdom, Volume One)
-The Hiero logo was designed by Del The Funkee Homosapien, who's father was an artist.
-Oakland Athletic's 1993 roster included: Dennis Eckersley, Rick Honeycutt, current Brewer's manager Dale Sveum, Rickey Henderson, and 08 Hall of Famer Goose Gossage.
-The symbol for infinity does not appear on a standard keyboard.

Friday Funk: Super Bowl Shuffle

-Order of the "MCs": Walter Payton, Willie Gault,Mike Singletary, Jim McMahon, otis Wilson, Steve Fuller, Mike Richardson, Richard Dent, Gary Fencik, William "The Refrigerator" Perry.
-A few Bears declined, notably Dan Hampton, and a very young Chicago-based Kanye West was miffed that he wasn't invited to be on the track.
-The song's idea came from record producer Randy Weigand, who was a friend of Willie Gault's, who Gaultmet through Weigland's girlfriend, Courtney Larson,who was a cheerleader for the team.
-The music was produced and composed by Bobby Daniels and Lloyd Barry; Daniels had remembered a song and dance number from the "Amos & Andy Show" called "The Kingfish Shuffle"
-Daniels was a former drummer for Kenny Rogers-The track was actually recorded the day after the Bears lost their first game of the year.
-Somewhere, George Halas is either throwing up, or rocking a Adidas sweat suit, untied sneakers, and dooky ropes.
-Mike Singletary is currently the LB coach for the 49ers; no word if he still rocks the fresh Gazelle glasses.
-The track received a Grammy nomination for BestRhythm and Blues Performance by a Duo or Group (Princeand the Revolution's "Kiss" won.)
-Unfotunate copy cat: San Francisco 49ers
-Richard E. Meyer and Melvin Owens are credited as the song's writers.
-Damn, I could've sworn Rakim and Big Daddy Kane wrote this gem.
-McMahon and Payton were absent at the shooting andwere imposed in later. Dang, who could ever tell that? Did George Lucas special effect them in?
-No, that's not ?uestlove on the drums, silly,that's Stefan Humphires, a former OLineman for the Bears
-Humphries played briefly for the Broncos, then attended CU medical school and is currently in medical administration.
-Payton was elected to the Hall Of Fame in 1993 and passed away in 1999.
-I've listened to rap music for over 20 years, and heard literally thousands of MCs, and Steve Fuller might be one of the worst to ever touch a mic.
-Unfortunate copy cat: 1987 Mizzou Tigers
-Jim McMahon might be the "punky QB" by these QBs were punks: Jeff George, Ryan Leaf, Tom Marinovich, and Art Schlichter.
-The song reached #41 on the Billboard charts.
-Unfortunate copy cat: 1986 New York Mets

Friday Funk: Christmas in Hollis

CHECKIN OUT RUN-DMC'S CLASSIC "CHRISTMAS IN HOLLIS"

-Run DMC is listed as the producers of the song.
-Co-Producers: Rick Rubin, Russel Simmons, and Steve Ett.
-The Naughty/Nice device that the elf is utilizing has got to be a modified Simon game.
-Released in 1987 on A Very Special Christmas album, all proceeds went to the Special Olympics.
-Run is rocking the sleek Portland Trailblazers' coat; by miles Portland is the second furthest NBA franchise from Hollis, New York.
-Top three scorers on the 1987-88 Trailblazers: Clyde Drexler, Kiki Vandweghe, and Jerome Kersey.
-The song was featured in the original Die Hard movie.
-This song was the only origianl song featured on the Special Christmas album, all others were covers of carols and other Christmas songs.
-The song's sample is Clarence Carter's "Back Door Santa".
-Mrs. Claus also calls her husband "Back Door Santa" from time to time.
-That's because he and Rudolph can run a perfect pick and roll play on the basketball court, get your mind out of the gutter, you pervert.
-A few of the names on the Naughty/Nice screen: Coco (Fiji), Big "O" (New York), Bobby Lee (Hong Kong), Tim Simpson (Chicago).
-No word if DMC actually shot the deer head above the fireplace.
-Other famous Hollis natives: Stephen A Smith and Al Sharpton
-When Run removes the license from Santa's wallet, is it a standard license, or did he have to get a special Sleigh Operator's stamp?
-It was featured on Run DMC's Together Forever, a greatest hits compilation.
-More names that appear on the Naughty/Nice screen: Iman Zumbal (Nigeria), Mette Madsen (Oslo), and Paul Raymond (Sydney).
-Song before this on the Special album: "Gabriel's Message" by Sting.
-According to Wikipedia, Collard Greens are also called borekale.

Friday Funk: Self Destruction

A FEW SNIPPETS ABOUT THE CLASSIC "SELF DESTRUCTION" VIDEO BY THE STOP THE VIOLENCE MOVEMENT:

-MCs in order: KRS-One, MC Delite (Stetsasonic), Kool Moe Dee, MC Lyte, Daddy-O and Wise (Stet), D-Nice, Ms. Melodie, Doug E. Fresh, Just-Ice, Heavy D, Fruitkwan (Stet), Chuck D and Flavor Flav

-D-Nice was credited as a producer on the track along with KRS-One. Hank Shocklee of Bom Squad fame is credited as an "associate" producer.
-D-Nice is now a party DJ and photographer.
-Wise of Stetsasonic normally beat-boxed on tracks, however on this song he flipped a verse with Stet frontman Daddy-O.
-SG consensus on the wackest verse: Ms. Melodie. Was she breaking down defenses in a film session during her verse?
-Ms. Melodie's verse may have helped lead to her and KRS-One's divorce in 1992
-All proceeds for this song went to the National Urban League
-SG consensus on the sickest verse: MC Lyte; she freaking killed it even with the satin Champion jacket on.
-Kool Moe Dee's glasses are now used by numerous X-Game snowboarders.
-Noticeably absent: Rakim; although the cat sitting next to KRS has a Eric B & Rakim hat on.
-The song samples The J.B.'s "You Can Have Watergate, Just Gimme Some Bucks & I'll Be Straight." Yes, that's a real song name.
-Big Daddy Kane appears in video, but rumor has it his label would not let him spit a verse or even move his lips during the chorus.
-This weekend if your team fumbles/throws an interception/turns over the basketball/does something stupid, try singing the chorus and see if anyone catches on.
-Fruitkwan of Stetsasonic later joined RZA, Prince Paul, and Too Poetic to form the Gravediggaz and release 1994's classic 6 Feet Under.
-1989 style: door knocker earrings, acid wash, full length coat, Troop coats, medallions, painted jeans... Fresh for 89, y'all.
-During Doug E Fresh's verse, he is flanked by DJ red Alert and Marley Marl.
-Noticeably absent: Run-DMC
-The track reached #1 on the Hot Rap Singles on March 11, 1989; it later peaked at #70 on the Billboard 100, and it sold over 500,000 copies
-Does anybody know why Tone Loc was there?
-A lot of the "meeting" settings were shot at the Schomberg Center for Black Studies in Harlem
-The song samples Gil Scot Heron and Brian Jackson's "The Bottle"
-Why does Heavy D look like he just got off his job as the host at a local Chili's?
-Noticeably absent: LL Cool J

Friday Funk: Chief Rocka

SOME KEY HIGHLIGHTS ABOUT LORDS OF THE UNDERGROUND'S "CHIEF ROCKA" VIDEO AND SONG:

*The song samples “Twine Time” by Alvin Cash and “Born to be Blue” by Jack Bruce
*Marley Marl was the song’s producer, along with K-def, who went on to appear in the group Real Live.
*Old School artist Busy Bee was known as Chief Rocka Busy Bee
*Cameo appearance in the video: Redman. Both Red and the Lords hail from Brick City aka Newark, NJ
*To this day, the only CD that I’ve had to buy twice due to the first one being “worn out” was the album this song appears on Here Come the Lords
*One half of the MCs, Doitall, appears in the final scene from the final episode of The Sopranos, Made In America. He is credited as “African American Male #1, who enters the diner where Tony Soprano and his family are dining. Theories abound that he might have shot Tony.
*The peak position of the album Here Come the Lords was #66 on April 17, 1993
*1993 Hip Hop Fashion: Carhart Hoodies, unbuckled belts, fisherman vests, army jackets, and of course…unlaced Tims.
*The breakers appearing in the video include the legendary Crazy Legs of the Rock Steady Crew, Ken Swift of Rock Steady, and Quickstep of Full Circle.
*The trio met while undergrads at North Carolina’s Shaw University.
*The song was #1 on Billboard’s Rap Singles and #55 on the overall Hot 100 Singles.
*The “boom shocka locka” line originally appeared in a House of Pain song by the same name.
*DJ Lord Jazz was originally from Cleveland and now is based in Paris.
*The Commish saw LOUTG perform at CU’s Glenn Miller ballroom in the mid-90s. Honestly, Doitall and Mr Funke played off eachother as well as any duo I’ve ever seen.
*Opening act: Fu-Schnickens
*Rahzel does a crazy beat box version of the song’s bass line
*The actual cut “chief rocka” comes from a previous song, “Here Comes the Lords.” Marley flips it with Mr Funke: Aiyyo, Marley! Aiyyo whassup knocka? Do you hear these suckas tryin to clock the Lord Chief Rocka?
*”What goes up, must come down”- the first line from Blood, Sweat, & Tears’ 1969 release “Spinning Wheel”

Friday Funk: Steppin To The A.M.

-Pete Nice's brother is the head basketball coach at St. Francis College in Brooklyn.
-Rumor has it that the song was originally intended for Rakim.
-In the late parts of he video there's a kid laying on the ground, apparently the victim of the beatdown. On the kid's head is a Beastie Boys record cover.
-Ironic, because the hook includes the sample of the Beastie's "Time To Get Ill"
-The Beasties struck back at Serch more than three years later on Check Your Head's "Professor Booty" with the line "I'm bad ass, move ya' fat ass, cuz your wack son, dancing around like you think you're Janet Jackson."
-No contest: 3rd Bass wins on this one.
-Songs sampled include "Shack Up" by Banbarra, "Mother Earth" by Kool & the Gang, and "Can't Find the Judge" by Gary Wright.
-The song was produced by the legendary Bomb Squad.
-Why does Serch require a mic, while Pete can just rap aloud from his old wooden chair? It must have a built in boom mic.
-The hook also includes a Schoolly D sample; and the into includes a Pink Floyd snippet.
-Although the Commish never carved anything in his dome ala Serch, he had plenty of friends who did. That included a young time Slushy Gutter Winner Juck, who suffered cuts on his head from wayward clippers.
-Yes, we know, The White Rapper Show...let's skip that.
-Pete Nice now runs a baseball museum in Cooperstown, NY. He is the author of a few baseball books.
-The song reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles on July 26, 1989.
-Judging by the use of flashlights, either Def Jam really scrimped on the budget, or Pete and Serch were big campfire story fans.
-Original name of 3rd Bass: 3 the Hard Way.
-The group KMD, which featured a young MC named Zev Luv X, appears in the video. Of course, he's now underground legend MF DOOM.
-The group's DJ, Richie Rich, now lives in Arizona and is a pharmaceutical rep.
-Polka dots, day glo socks, door knocker earrings: the late 80's backup dancer's requisites.

(Big ups to Thirdbass.net for some key info)

Friday Funk: 911 Is A Joke

A few little snippets from the classic Public Enemy track and video:

*The B-Side of the single was "Revolutionary Generation"
*Samuel Jackson appears in the video looking mighty similiar to his Gator character from Jungle Fever.
*Day-Glo yellow jumpsuits sooooo need to make a comeback in the 07. Try rockin that to your parent's house for their next BBQ.
*This track samples Sound Experience's "Devil With the Bus" and Wilbur "Bad" Bascomb's "Feel Like Dancing."
*At no time in the video do you see New York, Hoops, or any other "Flavor of Love" girls. In fact, they were probably all in grade school or diapers when this dropped (Summer of 90).
*A young Commish did in fact, wear his hats with the tag still attached ala Flavor. He didn't take it as far as the clock, but he thought about it.
*In the aftermath of the Sept 11th attacks, the Clear Channel radio conglomerate deemed this as an unacceptable track to play.
*Chuck D appears in this video for a grand total of 2 seconds.
*Flavor Flav has appeared in two movies: Mo Betta Blues and New Jack City.
*A non musical sample on this was Eddie Murphy from his debut 1982 comedy album, a track called "Hit by Car" (the audio snippet, "haha, very funny muthfucka.") Also included was Vincent Price's laugh from his spoken word on Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
*Duran Duran covered this song (no joke).
*Other Hip Hop songs that feature a phone number in the title include Gravediggaz "1-800-SUICIDE" and Mary J Blige's "What's the 411." Or you can dial 1-900-Mix-A-Lot and kick those nasty thoughts.
*Davey D wrote of being harrassed by NY's finest during the production of this track.
*I can't be 100% sure, but the three men sitting on the stage with Flavor look like Slick Rick, Jam Master Jay, and Erick Sermon

Friday Funk: DWYCK

Yesterday I heard the classic banger from Gangstarr and Nice and Smooth, "DWYCK". A few nuggets about the track:

*At no time during the song is the word "Dwyck" ever said.
*My lovely wife guessed that DWYCK was an acronym for "Do Want Your Cracker Kakes?"
*Tie-top hats aren't one of the highlights of Hip Hop fashion.
*The song was only available as the B-side of 1992's "Take It Personal", until it appeared as a track on 1994's Hard To Earn album.
*When the song was put out, there was rumors the title was a thinly veiled dis to KRS-One, with the "D" in the title being a acknowledgment to KRS cohort D-Nice.
*The "Phillie at home..." line was sampled by the group Total Devastation (a blatant mid-90's rip off of Cypress Hill) who many beleived had the most samples ever on their debut album.
*Many believe it stands for "do what ya can, kid"
*After seeing the song debuted on Yo! in the memorable Summer of 1992, my homie Uncle Buck and myself found ourselves miles from the 'burbs on an East Colfax record shop copping the single. Think old school, grimey record store.
*Premier samples on the song "Hey Jude" by Clarence Wheeler and the Enforcers and "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss.
*Video was shot on Atlantic City's boardwalk.
*Lemonade is still a popular drink, 15 years later