on deck March 21, 1997 - putting a spell on you

on deck
the sure shot singles

start here


Buckshot Lefonque: Music Evolution (COLUMBIA)

While the lyrics for this song are predictably mundane (when's the last time a jazz artist really dug up a quality MC?), the production by both Branford Marsalis and DJ Premier hold their own quite well. Branford's has a nice acoustic bassline that intros the piece itself, and shifts into a smooth, jazzy work. Premier keeps the vibes going, but laces it up East NY style through his use of the same drum loop that folks last heard on "Livin Proof". Not one of Primo's better works, but worth checking nonetheless.


Common: Instrumentals for "Resurrection" (WL)

While it's a bit late (but then again, many of these instrumental albums have been), it's nice to have access to a lot of the butter tracks that were on "Resurrection"...especially a lot of the exemplery cuts that No ID put together. It's on the double vinyl too, ironic given that the original LP was only single. This is currently only a white-label test pressing, so I'm not sure when it'll hit the market, but I doubt it'll be too long.


DJ Shadow: Midnight In a Perfect World/The Number Song/Red Bus Needs to Leave! (MO WAX)

Mo Wax is getting ready to release their first domestic US single, and Shadow gets the honor of being the first graced with this. Even though the import mixes of "Midnight" have been out for months, this new US single won't be out until the end of April, but it's well worth waiting for. The Gab m ix of "Midnight..." is cool, though I think most would rather have Gab kick some lyrics instead of recite a poem. "Red Bus..." was on the limited edition "Stem" 5" that never got released here...it's short, but Shadow-y sweet. The real gem though is Cut Chemist''s remix of "The Number Song"...consider how Cut, like Shadow, is sampling fiend, you know he's gonna do this song right with his great reworking of the song, retaining some key thematic parks, but making the rest all his in a collage of dope ass drum breaks.


Frankie Cutlass: Cypher 3 remix (RELATIVITY)

Perhaps realizing that no one was feeling the lackluster tre-quel to "The Symphony" (why f--- with perfection?), Cutlass has slightly remixed the song, in accordance with the video, to include 3/4ths of his snooze-fest original but then totally flip the proverbial script with a cameo by Heltah Skeltah. Thought H.S. didn't blow doors off with their LP, this new addition (and new beat to go with it) is tight, and while I'm still not happy having to suffer through the return of Shante, Craig G and Biz, at least there's something sweet at the end of it, a hip hop dessert for an otherwise bland banquet.


Ghostface Killer: All That I Got Is You remix (EPIC)

Sooooo...the Ghostface Killer, "All That I Got Is You" remix is out, but really, who the f--- cares? Here's the story behind this remix: Some NY DJ liked the song enough (why?) to go out and remix the song on his own...basically by sticking the now infamous ATCQ, "Bonita Applebaum" guitar and drum break underneath the original version of the song in order to give it some mixability. As I complained in an earlier SSS review...it's L A Z Y. Some sh*t I could have done at home in five minutes. However, what makes this different is that he decided to go bootleg the sh*t and make some dolo. Normally, this is good grounds to have the label come in and kick some copyright ass, but the remix got popular in the local area, particularly on the radio so Epic actually bought the remix off the kid who made it (for $5,000) and made it their own. Now, if this DJ isn't the luckiest MF since US3 (who basically got caught looping Blue Note tracks and ended up signing a record deal with the label), I don't know who else is. Not only did he not get sued, he got paid for his minimal effort to make this GF song a little more dance-floor friendly.


Grand: The Visitor/Bring It Live (BLINDSIDE)

In a weird shuffling of artists and labels, Grand (fka 50 Grand) has temporarily parted ways with his Homeliss Derelik partner, G Luv (aka the Architect, last heard on the new Stonesthrow single by Encore) and hooked up with long time South Bay peers, Peanut Butter Wolf and Fanatik. The result is now released on the UK label, Blind Side, which most recently had singles out from Big Kwam and B+ and A-Butta. (Um...O Dub, you gonna talk about THIS single at any point?) Oh yeah, anyway, so the Grand single is decent, but I wasn't as bowled over as I might have thought. Even though Peanut and Fanatik put this sh*t together, neither of their beats are as good as other works I've heard. And lyrically, Grand was better, in my opinion, on his last Homeliss Dereliks 12" that Stonesthrow put out.


Jungle Brothers: Brain (GEE ST.)

The Roots produce this worthy follow-up to "How You Want It?". It's a butter Roots job...hella jazzy and smooth, sure to go over well with both fans of the Illadelph as well as worried JBs fans who thought that Mike G and company might be on some "hard" sh*t given "How Ya Want It?"s forceful stylee. No fear, the JBs can still come off lovely on the more mellow tip too. A fine addition to any crate.


Live Wire: As the Tables Turn (?)

My man laced me with this next East Flatbush Project song, but after getting hyped on "Tried by 12", I was disappointed by this latest offering. Quite simply, it sounds like a lot of other sh*t coming out of NYC nowadays, neither the production, nor the lyrics really stood out to me. Right now, it's on tape, but vinyl should be forthcoming soon.


Mary J Blige: Love Is All We Need (MCA)

The "Queen of Hip Hop Soul" (a bad title if ever there was one) hooks up with mega-hit producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (who made Janet Jackson into the gargantuan star she is today). While the song is a'ight, it's not really as good as her older material...it's rather middle-of-the-road. Nas' appearance is tolerable, but he has even less presence on this song than Lauryn Hill had on "If I Ruled the World". If Bad Boy remixes it (and expect them too), I think that's when the real funky sh*t will start hitting.


Mobb Deep: The Nighttime G.O.D. Pt. III (LOUD)

What a mediocore remix. Mobb Deep fans will probably be hunting me down with the infrared for saying that, but yo, this sh*t adds ZERO to the song, and if anything, drags it down into "Friday the 13th" kitsch. It takes more than looping a horror movie theme to make sh*t truly dark. Mobb Deep is fairly adept at doing it themselves w/o relying on all-too-obvious sources.


PMD: It's the Pee '97 (RELATIVITY)

PMD has a long, long way to go, still, to resurrect his comeback career. Even if he does a remake of "Knick Knack Paddy Wack", you just realize for far Parrish Smith has to go to recapture the EPMD magic. And enlisting Mobb Deep is no big deal. Their cameos, nowadays, add little, except that they sound like new Mobb Deep tracks, ironically, making PMD the cameo more so than the Infamous themselves.


Raidermen/Natural Elements: Magnetic (?)

All I have is a tape copy of this song which should give eager Natural Elements' fans something to chew on when it actually gets released. Charlamagne, one of NY's most underrated producers, does the job on this one, though surprisingly, some claim its a Mobb Deep bite. The track has certain QBC qualities, but I never had it confused. L Swift drops one of many dope verses on this cut and even the Raidermen (who had a horrible last single) represent well. Look out for it in the summer.


Rascalz: Dreaded Fist/Clockwork/FitnRedi (FIGURE IV)

The more I've been hearing from these Canadian (Vancouver?) kids, the more I like. This latest single does suffer a little from weak hooks, but this is quickly forgiven as dope rhymes and beats make quick amnesiacs out of initial skeptics. The A-side has a very likeable piano-flavored track but the B-side hides the gift. Though the "Day of Our Lives" loop at the start is a bit corny, when bassline comes in to wet the track...it's on. Another winner from the north.


Refugee Camp All-Stars (Lauryn Hill): The Sweetest Thing (COLUMBIA)

You're not normally going to find me plugging R&B, but I have to give it up to the new Lauryn Hill song from "Love Jones". It's called "The Sweetest Thing" and her joint production with Wyclef is simply butter. You can PH on the Fugees, but don't front on their musical licks. Sh*t is smoooooooth as f---. A nice song. Same goes for "Hopeless" on the same soundtrack, but that hasn't gotten released on single yet.


Sic Sense: Positional Bypass/Onementality (LUGE)

Talk about slept-on, this single came out in 1995 originally. Maybe b/c it had Canadian origins or something, but I only heard of it recently and was sorry I didn't catch onto it earlier. Production is nice, a lot of vibes and keys color the track on both sides. Lyrics come ok...it's on that "next level" sh*t which I think is good in theory, but hella hard to pull off effectively w/o seeming like the MC is trying to hard to drop some futuristic stylistics verbally speaking. Sic Sense does quite ok for itself on that tip though. If you've been taking the two year snooze, give this joint a listen and see if it perks your drowsiness.


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