New Juggaknots Podcast!

After a hiatus that pained me, the Juggaknots are returning with a new studio effort, Use Your Confusion, due out in October through Amalgam Entertainment. I was lucky enough to work together with Buddy Slim, Breezly Brewin, and Queen Herawin to announce their return with this podcast, featuring a nice interview combined with classic tracks, elusive b-sides, and a select preview or two. Click the links below to download and be sure to peep the Juggs' website.

Special thanks to the Juggaknots, DJ Next, Ambidex, El Tripps, and DJ Tommy Hearns for working hard to complete this.

Juggaknots Podcast (If a link is expired, try another. More will be added everyday)
(yousendit) (link 1) updated 8/21
(rapidshare) (link 1)

Amalgam Entertainment
Juggaknots at Myspace.com
Use Your Confusion Trailer @ Youtube.com

DJ Spinna Podcast

Please check out Rap Nerd Radio's new DJ Spinna podcast. Downloads are now available through Sendspace as Younsendit has established a 50MB upload cap. As always, be the first to submit the podcast's tracklisting to kevduce@gmail.com, and receive a fabulous prize. If you missed the Jaydee Tribute, it has been re-uploaded.

4/23/06 DJ Spinna Podcast (link 1)
3/26/06 Jaydee Tribute (re-up link)

Jaydee Tribute

Please check out The Rapnerd's Jaydee tribute available via the Yousendit links below. It's tough for me to believe that he's actually gone. From enjoyable vocals on 'McNasty Filth' or 'Fuck The Police' to his timeless beats, Jaydee has made countless tracks that I wore out. Enjoy some of his better and more obscure here. If you can identify all vocal tracks, e-mail the list to kevduce@gmail.com for some nice vinyl.

Jaydee: Rap Nerd Radio Tribute (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
Buy 'Donuts' (Amazon.com) (Sandbox) (Hiphopsite) (UGHH.com)
Jaydee Discography

Rapnerd Update

The Rapnerd has updated with Juggaknots and DJ Eli here.

The Rap Nerd Returns

The rapnerd will return in the next 24 hours thanks to my good friends at www.ohmsi.com. My hiatus was due mostly to my inability to deal with the technical side of this blog, and Misters Ohm and Dunmore at Ohmsi will nicely handle that aspect for me. My posts can be seen here.

Gave Her No Food, Strictly Similak

The rap game is funny. Saxophonist Tom Scott exemplifies this nicely.

Who would of thought that everytime you've bumped "T.R.O.Y." or Black Sheep's "Similak Child," you would be indirectly jocking Tom Scott?

Well, you were. In addition to having a long career both solo and with his L.A. Express, Tom Scott produced the theme songs for Family Ties, "Starsky & Hutch", the "Academy Awards", the "Emmy Awards", the "People’s Choice Awards", "Comic Relief", the "Carol Burnett Show", the "Pat Sajak Show", and released "Today" on The Honeysuckle Breeze. At the time, in 1968, he was 19, and probably didn't realize that "Today" featured two very different sounding samples, that Black Sheep and Pete Rock would craft into respective hit and mega-mega-hit (critically speaking at least.)

Enjoy Tom Scott's "Today."

Tom Scott: Today (yousendit link1) (yousendit link2) (yousendit link 3) (Buy It!)

PS: That list of scores is unreal. Has any of heard his scores less than 100 times in your life? I've probably heard the Family Ties one 100 times alone. And, the "Similak" sample was also utilized on Masta Ace's "Saturday Night Live (LA Jay Remix),"

Peace Crumb, I Bring To You Good News

I distinctly remember the backlash as rap's late 1990's underground began churning out rap that sounded a bit different. Despite Anticon and Company Flow and a rapidly expanding underground roster all sounding respectively unique, many 'purists' chafed at the entire set, often characterized as 'nerd rap (not to be confused with Rapnerd, which Google often confuses.)' Eventually, after much investigation, I formed my own opinions on many of the emerging artists and realized how different each of them were. I could never truly enjoy Anticon but was impressed with how much of the early Def Jux material seemed to be basically themed hip-hop with updated production (often provided by El-P) and unique emcee styles. Whether I liked Aesop Rock (no), Cannibal Ox (yes), or Mr. Lif (at times), I realized that much of the Jux material was about rap's common themes (women, bravado, politics, and hip-hop itself) but involved a creativity that was galvanizing to rap's super fan.

Particular pleasing to me among the early Jux work were Cannibal Ox's "F-Word" (women) and "B-Boy Alpha" (hip-hop), and today's selection Masai Bay's "Paper Mache" (bravado.)

Barring any gross misinterpretation on my part, Masai's chorus is masterfully blasphemous. "Every DJ's roleplay is Moses per se" seems to hint that spinning a Masai record is bringing God's word to the people. Overall, his one-of-a-kind rambling, cryptic flow pairs perfectly with El-P's mechanical, hypnotic production to legitimize an occasional non-rhyming stanza that would sound lazy from most. The song's opening exemplifies this:

"Peace, crumb, I bring to you, good news
My equipment's at a minimum in some of the beats
you will hear what I possibly could use
When I get it, you are gonna need a miracle."

Enjoy "Paper Mache," unique and ire inducing, and as always, drop a comment.

Masai Bay: Paper Mache (Yousendit 1) (Yousendit 2) (Yousendit 3) (Buy It)

Further Rapnerd/Def Jux Favorites (in no particular order)

1. MURS: Badman/The Dance/God's Work
2. Rob Sonic: Sniper Picnic
3. Cannibal Ox: Stress Rap
4. Aesop Rock: Daylight
5. C Rayz Walz: Battle Me
6. El-P: Jukie Skate Rock
7. Mr. Lif: Avengers
8. PFAC: Beer, Bak 'N De Dayz
9. RJD2: June, Final Frontier