TruSkool

June First Two Thousand Nine

Posted by Alpha Emeritus, Coach Bundy, Eyelife, Janitor Pee Jones and Language Art.

Today marks a special date for all those that reside in the most southwest corner of the continental United States. In case you missed it, the date marked on your calendars and schedule books is 6/1/9. We here at Truskool Tuesdays thought we’d celebrate this special San Diego day with the rest of the internet by taking a look back at our local hip hop scene. Although relatively young, we’d like to pay tribute to the local heroes who have paved the way and demystify any notions that San Diego hip hop is unaccomplished.

DISCLAIMER: In no way is this an attempt to create a definitive, authoritative source of San Diego Hip-Hop luminaries. The list referenced here simply reflects an off-the-top discussion (in our limited mind capacity, at least) of important/contributing persons in SD. And as such, if you the reader, feel in anyway that yourself, or any other prominent figure was left off the list, it was purely unintentional. So don’t get your butt hurt! Add discussion in the comments section and let us know. And if you don’t know, now you know.

Access Hiphop: Following in the footsteps of Tools of the Trade, Access is San Diego’s premiere source for underground hip hop. Located in Pacific Beach in, Access has shown nothing but love for San Diego’s hip hop scene, throwing free in-store shows by numerous hip hop legends. These are perfect for the young, enthusiastic hip hop heads who aren’t old enough to catch a show at a 21+ venue. Also, if you’re lucky enough to stop by when our very own DJ Norm Rocwell is working, you can chop it up with him about hip hop for hours…

Blame One: Virtually part of our extended fam (Kids of Soul!), Truskool Tuesdays is quite partial to Blame One. His unparalleled wit and maturity on the mic have allowed him to hold it down for North County rappers since he dropped his “Grown Man Rap”. However, it’s his hustle that has led to him sharing the mic with the likes of Sean Price and has allowed him to find his way into the iPods of hip hop heads everywhere.

Charlie Rock: Charlie Rock started out popping and locking as part of the World Famous Rock Steady Crew before delving into the realm of DJing. He went on to hold down spots downtown such as the Martini Room with his bi-monthly hip hop event entitled “The Bus Stop” which hosted up and coming DJ’s as well as more well known acts like the Beat Junkies and Visionaries. You can catch him at Sole Sauce every Friday in the Red C Lounge downtown representing Dojo Sessions. 

Chongo: 5-10 years ago, this name was synonymous with SD hip hop. Throwing shows in venues such as the Mira Mesa Epicentre, the Scene, and Club Xanth, he brought underground hip hop superstars such as the Living Legends, Atmosphere, Loot pack, and Def Jux’s “Revenge of the Robots Tour” to San Diego. Chongo showed underground acts everywhere that San Diego is a place to stop by and do a show.

CROS1: The man really needs no introduction. He has been an integral part of the San Diego hip hop community since he started the Freestyle Sessions back in 1997. While still holding it down for the worldwide b-boy event, he also holds down numerous spots in downtown and North Park, opened up a slew of Armory retail stores, and had a hand in the production of several B-boy video games among other things.

DJ Artistic: Also known for bringing quality hip hop shows to San Diego, DJ Artistic started the “Breakthrough” @ the Scene. DJ Artistic also started Djing numerous spots in the downtown and North Park areas. He’s probably most known as the DJ for the SD hip hop group Deep Rooted, with fellow SD hip hoppers Mr. Brady, Johaz, and Brea.

DJ Hektik: If you’ve been down for San Diego hip hop for a while, you most likely have heard of DJ Hektik. DJing on San Diego hip hop radio station Z90, he broke the monotony of the usual rotation by playing golden era hip hop. He is also credited with DJing Friday Night Flavas and starting his own internet radio station titled “State of Mind Radio.”

DJ King of Cuts: DJ King of Cuts released many memorable mixtapes (read, actual cassette tapes) during the 1990s in San Diego. His “Hip-Hop Junkie” mixtape series had remixes that may have even outshined the originals. Down with Mo Mix Entertainment and 3 Deep.

Earthbound Radio: Earthbound began as a crew which evolved into an internet radio station. The radio station has grown tremendously with the aide of affiliates such as Armory Massive, Tribe of Kings, Homegrown Blends, and Kids of Soul Crew. They have represented underground hip hop to the fullest by continuously bringing underground music to anyone with an internet connection, all for free! Over the years, Earthbound Radio has been fortunate to feature guests like DJ Red Alert, DJ Q-BERT, LMNO, Abstract Rude, DJ Neil Armstrong, Aloe Blacc, Ladybug Mecca (of Digable Planets), Spice 1, Busdriver, DJ Shortkut, D-Styles, Exile, Akil, and the Rocness monster himself.

Greyboy: Dubbed as an acid jazz DJ, Greyboy has dropped some underground hip hop classics with the help of the P-Jays Unda-Pendent Hip Hop Volumes 1 and 2 (circa late 90’s). He has since dropped numerous solo works as well as projects with the Greyboy Allstars and is currently signed to Ubiquity Records.

Jabbawockeez: Not much needs to be said about the Jabbawockeez. B-boy crew representin’ SD and rode with CROS1 all the way to the top of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew. In my opinion, no one was really touching them.

LPSD: If you haven’t heard of LPSD, then you must have not been down for San Diego underground hip hop in the late 90’s. Their most notable work was a track titled “Back Atcha” which was featured on Volume 1 of The World Famous Beatjunkies mixtape series.

Orko: In the late 90’s, you could see Orko in the flesh at almost any underground hip hop event. He made his mark as part of the Master of the Universe on the underground circuit showcasing his freestyle skills and joining the ranks of the legendary Project Blowed as well as signing to ninja tune. One of his notable projects is his work with Bigg Jus from company flow fame.

Zodak: Zodak is a San Diego based world renowned graffiti artist probably best known by hip hop heads for the album covers he produced for DJ Qbert. He’s also known for his clothing line”Top 2 Bot’m.

3 years ago | Tags: Access Music Alpha Emeritus Blame One Charlie Rock Chongo Coach Bundy DJ Hektik DJ King of Cuts Dj Artistic Earthbound Radio Eyelife Greyboy Jabbawockeez Janitor Pee Jones LPSD Language Art Orko Zodak Cros1

Truskool Tuesdays Exclusive Audio: Existence 76 Live Mix and Interview

Posted by Language Art

Existence 76 is a man who may not always knows what he wants, but he’s definitely sure about a few things. When it comes to representing his birthplace, he’s almost always rockin’ a Giants ballcap. When it comes to representing his crew, he’ll tell you straight up he rides with Homegrown Blends. When it comes to representing Hip Hop, he’s the type of DJ that loves that dusty feeling on his fingertips.

Existence 76 is a true Hip Hop DJ. Still spinning mainly vinyl whether it be breakbeats to old school jams from the 80’s/90’s to more recent underground classics, Existence 76 loves to show his listeners what he thinks is “good music” and Truskool Tuesdays was blessed enough to have him mix it up on the show and get a few words from him. A connoisseur of music, sit down with him and he’ll school you on what samples were used in what track, but don’t ask him about that new Flo Rida track you just heard on the radio.

Download Existence 76’s live Mix and Interview on Truskool Tuesdays!

Be sure to pick up his mixtape entitled “Headnodic Rhetoric” at Access Hip Hop or Fresh Crate.

4 years ago | Tags: Language Art Existence 76 Exclusive Audio Homegrown Blends Access Music Headnodic Rhetoric Fresh Crate

2nd Fiddle

Posted by Language Art

The entertainment duo is a familiar staple in pop culture. There’s something about the relationship between two great personalities that cannot be replicated by half of the duo and often times can be more dynamic than that of a larger group. Lucy and Desi, Paul and John, Romeo and Juliet – some even exist as a single entity, i.e. “Bennifer” and “Brangelina.” The only drawback to the duo is the fact that one member may outshine the other. Potentially, one may become more popular; and although both may be extremely talented, the comparison might often leave the less favorable member overlooked in obscurity. Let’s shine the light on the often overlooked members of some Hip-Hop’s most legendary duos.

Outkast: Big Boi

Probably the most famous on this list. For years this group has put it down for the Dirty following in the footsteps of the Geto Boys. Before the dirty south was associated with crunk and snap music, Outkast offered thought-provoking lyricism while retaining the soul of southern blues. This duo consistently walked the line between underground and mainstream and while Andre3000 a.k.a the rapper formerly known simply as Andre, is in my personal top 5 dead or alive, Big Boi is the main reason the group has stayed relevant in the mainstream. Many conscious artists have fallen into a category of being too preachy and no longer in touch with “the hood” that they were raised in. The more that Dre became an alien, Big Boi kept Outkast’s UFO in the ATL. Big Boi was no slouch on the mic either. His flow is perfected and although something can be said about him sounding the same on any beat, you can’t fault the man for not trying to fix something that isn’t broken. His charisma is always on high and his lyrics are a true representation of who he is. Peep his solo track, “West Savannah” off of one of the best albums (any genre) of all time, Aquemini. Without Dre, Big Boi holds his own in this narrative that took Outkast fans back to the Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik days:

“See, niggaz in the South wear gold teeth and gold chains/
Been doin it for years, so these niggaz ain’t gone change/
They comin around the ghetto so you might call em soul/
Been wearin furry Kangol’s, so that shit is old/
You might slang a rock or two just to pay the rent/
Five dollars for a table dance so now your money’s spent/
You listen to that booty shake music in your trunk/
as long as there’s that “tic tic” followed by that bump”

His hood mentality is his gift and his curse. Many Hip-Hop fans dismiss the “ghetto talk” as being less introspective, but Big Boi is a master at giving the listener his life experience through words.

Organized Konfusion: Prince Poetry

Arguably the most overlooked in this list, Organized Konfusion took MC’ing to a new level. Most memorable is Pharoahe Monche’s performance on every track he touched. However, with Stress: The Extinction Agenda, BOTH members of OK helped to usher in lyricism as we know it today. Pharoahe’s attention to cadence definitely made him the standout of the duo, but the fact that Prince Po was never completely outshined on any track shared with his OK counterpart speaks volumes of his talent on the mic. Narratives like that of the classic “Stray Bullet” are reasons why Prince Po is still dropping relevant shit post-OK:

“Gun balls of fire, I’m travelling at higher speeds/
To proceed to penetrate flesh, hitting the splint/
After splitting the chest of a queens fiend/
Age of pagers shredded to pieces from the glock 9”

Peep his releases since OK split. If you were an OK fan, you’re sure to find something to bring you back to that incomparable era of Hip-Hop.

Mobb Deep: Havoc

A lot can be said of Havoc’s skills as a producer. He made himself a legend in the rap game off the strength of two albums (The Infamous and Hell on Earth), but when it comes to MC’ing, most fans of Mobb Deep look toward the other infamous MC, Prodigy. However, Havoc often showed why he wasn’t the type of producer to just stay behind the scenes:

“No doubt kid, I hit them niggaz like a bid/
The prosecutor, runnin up in your crib/
Do your dirt, I do my dirt all by my lonely/
It’s only me, and the gat that’s holdin me”

His ability to talk tough is no doubt displayed in every track. But what separates Mobb Deep from the other gangsta rappers, are lines like the above. For example, Havoc calling himself the prosecutor is significant in that it shows that he feels as if his actions, moral or immoral (he calls it “his dirt”), are justified in his eyes. The dirt that he does is just in that he is forced to do what “the gat that’s holding him” pleases.

Although a lot of fans of the old Mobb Deep have turned their backs on them, they still churn out quality music. Prodigy and Havoc also both drop solo material. Peep Havoc’s The Kush series, even if you’re just a fan of Havoc’s beats.

The Clipse: Malice

The only MC on this list whom I prefer over his groupmate, Malice is a beast on the mic. It’s easy to say that Malice is underrated since both members of The Clipse are usually written off as nothing more than the run of the mill “Coke” rappers. However, it puzzles me why those that do recognize this duo for their skills on the mic, prefer Pusha T. Not to downplay Pusha’s skills, he in fact does have more “swag” on the mic, but Malice (not unlike Mobb Deep) possesses the ability to add a level of profoundness to a sub-genre that you wouldn’t expect to find much depth. Check the poetry on “I’m Not You” off their debut album Lord Willin’, a track in which Malice stands out among NY veterans like Jadakiss:

“Rappers is talkin’ to me as if, we in the same boat/I tell them quick, no – I move coke/And you and I don’t share no common bonds/So forgive me if I don’t receive you with open arms/It shames me to no end/To be poison to those who could very well be my kin/But where there’s demand, someone will supply/So I feed them their needs and at the same time cry/Yes it pains me to see them need this/All of them lost souls, and I’m their Jesus/Deepest regrets and sympathy to the streets/I see them pay for their fix, when their kids couldn’t eat/And with this in mind, I still didn’t quit/And that’s how I know, that I ain’t shit/My heart bleed, but that’s aside from the fact/I live for my kids and theirs, and them youngin’s after that.”

To up the ante, Malice can take his skill and use it to dismantle rappers on the battle tip with one-liners like:

“Say dog/Let’s not get involved/You don’t wanna tango/I’ll dress you in a halo.”

And let’s not forget their niche:

“You mistook me for a rapper, huh?/Well that makes me an actor,cuz I would rather clap a gun…”

At first glance, Malice sounds like a one-dimensional mainstream rapper boasting about how much coke he can push. Even if this were the case, he’s still one of the best of his era and genre, but I implore you to peel the first layer of the onion on this rapper. You won’t be sorry.

A Tribe Called Quest: Phife

Definitely my favorite MC on this list. Phife AKA Phife Dawg AKA The Five Footer AKA Mutty Ranks along with The Abstract Poet really knew how to have fun on a track. In a genre filled with guns and mean mugs, listeners are in dire need of a duo like the Tribe. Admittedly once more, Phife’s counterpart is a personal top 5 dead or alive MC. However, Phife is not far behind. Where Q-Tip displayed his skills with abstract multi-layered poetry, Phife perfectly balanced the Tribe’s sound with his timid ferocity. Lyricism is his forte and he ripped every track he touched. In fact, I don’t feel the need to quote any of his verses, just peep his whole catalogue.

Many times comparisons can skew one’s evaluation of talent. However, without both, the duo may not have the same appeal. This is in fact the case for many of the solo albums that came from any of the listed duos. Although most of the MCs on this list may not be as universally applauded as their duomates, they should not be dismissed.

Feel free to add your own duos in the comments…

4 years ago | Tags: Language Art Big Boi Outkast Mobb Deep Havoc Organized Konfusion Prince Po The Clipse Malice A Tribe Called Quest Phife