People Under the Stairs – “Tuxedo Rap”

People Under the Stairs – “Tuxedo Rap”

I heard of PUTS a while ago , but I never actually got a chance to hear them until the other day. Boy, am I impressed! Not only do the duo have a really free rhyme flow, but their self-composed beats have a really unique sound to them. Now at this point, I realize how limited my lexicon is when describing hip hop, so I won’t. Instead, I’ll give you this great little track to hopefully illustrate my point. It’s crisp, and swinging. It’s loose, but tight at the same time. It’s fun enough to showcase some old-school throwbacks, and  it’s crafted with some nice, subtle suprises. Perfect for bouncing in your seat!

• People Under the Stairs – “Tuxedo Rap”
• PUTS, 2006

Black Sheep – “Pass the 40″

Black Sheep – “Pass the 40″

I would say something like “Oohh child, this track takes me back!“, except then I would be telling a half-truth. This song came out in 1991, just as I reached the wise and majestic age of…six years old.  But this track holds a place in my heart as one of the first hip hop tracks I really loved — and still do! It speaks to me of a time when MC’s had skills, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a beat that didn’t feature a well-selected jazz nugget.  Case and point the pure funk gold of this Jimmy McGriff sample. And if that wasn’t enough to make you say “daaaamn”, then listen to a pre-teen Chi-Ali! I mean, how often do you hear rappers with squeaky voices…that aren’t being exploited by Jermaine Dupri? Hmm? Enjoy, friends. I hope it grows on you the way it did on me.

• Black Sheep “Pass the 40″
• Mercury, 1991