So, in case you didn’t know, I list off the top 13 most played jambos on my little 2 gig iPod shuffle aka the J.J. Krupert gaypod. But I don’t just do it straight up how many times it gets played; I subtract the skip count to have a solid hockey-style plus/minus number, but only one listing per group per month, and then I never talk about it again in this format. Mad internetty of me, I know. Here is the September Top 13 J.J. Krupert Gaypod Countdown, although I don’t count them down so much as list them and then say stupid things...
#1: (unknown title to a beat) by Blue Globe Beats - I dug out all my old Boogie Brown Blue Globe Beat CDs to splash all the instrumentals into my laptop and write some concept albums to do out in the camper with, so I don’t even know the real names of the songs because I gave them all my own titles for whatever I had in mind when I was putting this together one weekend. This beat will be called “World Keep Spinning” once I finally do something with it, and it’s a nice ass mellow yet thumpish beat. I spent a few years making music with another dude, and had gotten pretty wrapped up into that, maximizing the creative possibilities, but then it flamed out. And it’s funny getting back to listening to Brown beats and hearing how they layer into each other, like actual music, even if it is using samples. I think with the computer programs a lot of people use today to make beats, they get caught up on that grid system where you can lay out your samples and drum beats and everything to hit on time. But the thing is, real quality music deviates from that rigid structure, and once it gets more fluid, it starts to find the type of grooves that get you going. Brown is an off-the-grid type of producer, in fact, we both geek each other up over the negative influence of robots and cybertronic forces and the unlounging realm of the computer world (like this!). I have been blessed to have Brown as a creative conspirator for like fifteen fucking years now.
#2: “Give It Up” by J-Live & R.A. The Rugged Man - Odd pairing of two of the great underground MCs. J-Live is that old boom bap era super-syllabic, library-friendly conscious rapper, and honestly, even though I find a lot of that genre played the fuck out and self-pimping an intelligence level that isn’t necessarily there, I do wish the world could’ve gave J-Live a little more love. He is like CL Smooth for contrarian types who don’t like to like things normal people know about. And R.A. has for a long minute been my favorite obscure rapper, though it’s getting to the point I’d like to see something else come out by the dude. Although I guess he’s got writing gigs for assorted magazines (including Vibe and King, which is a nice set-up for a whiteboy), plus some hip hop legend status for being banned from performing in a lot of places and having Biggie Smalls call him one of the illest MCs ever, which, with most rap fans being white people, and R.A. being a white dude, that makes people feel good. Why spoil his legendary MC status, when he can probably make more money freelance writing? It’s not like people making CDs actually make money anymore anyways.
#3: “Get On Home” by Prolo - This is a new Prolo song (can be found at our stupid cybertronic unlounging myspace page though) full of some Boogie Brown country melodies and mellow git-picking with a middle of the song verse by me, only one, allowing me to channel my inner Khujo Goodie, which is all I want to really do anyways.
#4: “Walkin’ Bum” by David Allan Coe - Previously in life, most of my David Allan Coe knowledge sprung from the For The Record greatest hits package, and blossomed out from there. But at some point this year, I downloaded a couple of his earlier records where David Allan Coe was still on some bluesy Jerry Lee Lewis wannabe wildness. It is the greatest shit ever. “Walkin’ Bum” is probably my favorite song from that era, and I consider it my theme song right now. But that era of David Allan Coe stuff, late ‘60/early ‘70s, there’s great shit throughout. The top two records on my list of wanted vinyl to magically find on the cheap by accident right now are Buckstone County Prison and Penitentiary Blues.
#5: “Lacville” by Devin the Dude - Devin the Dude is more potential than delivery throughout his career, but when he hits, he hits. This is probably the best Devin track, because it’s all probably true, as his love of his piece of shit old Cadillac is well-documented.
#6: “Alabama” by Jhi-Ali featuring Cooley Da Dude & Big P.O.P.E. - Another banger off of the Fear & Loathing in Hunts Vegas mixtape by Paper Route Gangstaz and hipster extraordinaire Diplo. I’m a big fan of country ass rap songs talking about your grandmother hooking up some collard greens. If you haven’t stolen the PRGz mixtape from last year yet, you should, since it’s free. It got them a record deal, and from the sound of that “Keyshia Cole” song that came out recently, their bonafide record is gonna fucking suck. So jump into this before your ears - and opinion - gets polluted by the bullshit they’re doing now.
#7: “More Rhymin’” by MF Doom featuring Kurious - The DOOM CD is still my favorite actual record label released CD of the year. I can’t get into a lot of the other shit that’s supposed to be good today. Raekwon and Jay-Z sound sort of bored to me, and I can’t get hyped for someone who’s bored. The Doom CD is nothing new, but it’s solid, and a great soundtrack for my continual stumbling through a mediocre life. Plus, it’s got Kurious, a true hip hop classic artist. “I’m Kurious...” man that shit was the shit, back when I actually smoked blunts instead of bowls.
#8: “Knockin’ Pictures Off The Wall” by Yungstar - Another screwed and chopped classic, and probably the best big money bragging song from that genre. “White tigers on leashes...” Yes indeed Yungstar, yes indeed. I wonder where this dude is now. Houston rap is a big scene, so he might still be coasting off the strength of this one classic jam to this day. Or he might’ve gotten shot in some ghetto ass dramatic fashion like Hawk. Or overdosed like Screw. Or had a heart attack with his fat ass like Big Moe.
#9: “Falso Amor” by Los Tigres Del Norte - This made the monthly countdown, but honestly, I think my norteno phase might’ve passed for the year, especially after jacking a bunch of Bhangra music and Gypsy breakbeats from inside the internets. I only have a tolerance for so much world music in my life, quotas I guess, limiting how much foreigner shit I can have clogging up my small-sized gaypod.
#10: “Atlantis” by Donovan - Awesome fucking song. Donovan is some great psychedelic folk music for your drug-addled asses to get all old school with. This song plays like a history lesson for the underground city of Atlantis, but gets all wacky as to be expected, and finally has a long repeating chorus to drive it all home.
#11: “Paradox” by Hawkwind - Lemmy-era Hawkwind is quality psychedelic rock-n-roll music, and once they broke apart in separate ways, because of Lemmy’s drug issues (he liked cocaine, which didn’t jibe with his hallucinogenic brethren so well), Hawkwind lost their edge. I probably listen to Hawkwind way too fucking much actually.
#12: “Uncommon Valor” by Jedi Mind Tricks featuring R.A. the Rugged Man - I snuck a second R.A. song in because he’s only featured on this one, but if you’ve ever heard this song (I think I had it on a mix on here at some point), it really shows you how great he is. It also makes Vinnie Paz look bush league by comparison.
#13: “Leading the Parade” by Corntooth - My man Matt Conner and his ol’ lady and Mark from Lamb of God and assorted other Richmond peoples of differing levels of musical fame, making some country ass music. This is shit-stomping, beer-guzzling, good shit, and it’s a shame that more of the world didn’t know about Corntooth before their musical demise.
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