Rating: NNNNN
Bobby Digital strikes back
Anyone checking the label credits for the new Afu-Ra single on D&D Records will notice that the Blvd track has a guest rhyme by Guru and production by his GangStarr accomplice DJ Premier and figure that’s the joint. But there’s a reason Blvd is on the B-side, and you’ll know why once the needle hits the block-rockin’ Dangerous Language. The RZA , in his Bobby Digital guise, rips it ragged over nasty-nice beats provided by the True Master . GangStarr upstaged? Believe it.
Heavy soul
While working on a home-brew monkey pox vaccine this weekend, it occurred to me that it’s about time Kent vault scavengers Ady Croasdell and John Ridley put their northern soul obsession on hold long enough to uncover some worthwhile soul-funk crossover joints. They’ve done just that on the unexpectedly delightful Pounds Of Soul (Kent) comp, assembled from the thoroughly picked-over Modern holdings. Despite great bluesy deep tracks from Johnny Copeland and Z.Z. Hill , it’s lesser known talents like Betty Bibbs (check that dope break on the title track) and Jeb Stuart that make this disc a keeper. Frank-N-Danky-panky
The backwards cover image of Detroit hiphop badboys Frank-N-Dank on the new 48 HRS CD, combined with the conspicuous absence of composer credits and label info, might lead some people to think this isn’t an entirely legitimate release. Maybe, but I’ve seen worse graphics on official releases. In any case, the real reason anyone would be interested in a Frank-N-Dank disc is the Jay Dee production, and even for J-Dilla this is extremely lo-fi, twittering with video game blippery like a well-blunted demo session cut in a suburban mall arcade. Hilarious.
House reconstruction
The New Mastersounds original funk overhaul of Masters at Work ‘s Nervous was the greatest-ever salvage job in the history of house music. DJ Keb Darge decided to give it a drum-boosting remix to play at his disco parties, only the sneaky bastard only cut one dub plate for himself. Graciously, Darge has decided to share his handiwork, releasing his bangin’ Nervous mix as a limited 45 on the new Kay-Dee subsidiary of the MAW Records empire. Grab it on the double.
