INT: Kitchen Table
Laptop open, DAD’s head bobs slightly as a song begins to resonate from the laptop’s tepid onboard speakers.
Kid: Friday and whatnot?
Dad: (smiles, looks up bewildered) Yup.
Kid: Knew it!
I’m proud to actually have done these enough that my daughter has that positive association. The origins of Friday and whatnot come from the necessarily motivating push of music to start the end of the week. It was an ingrained habit that I didn’t fully recognize until it was gone. That she has the awareness on-going makes me smile.
The title this week comes from a phrase I uttered, and embraced, on a college spring break trip. Some heavy consumption of light beer and a general lack of sleep, lead me to the conclusion that 9pm was nap time. I stumbled to the living room to let everyone know I was “throwing one on it”, as you do.
I let it fly like that was actually a phrase and when questioned by Collin, I told him it meant throw a nap on it. Like duh, obviously. For some reason the fact that I was trying to nap in the top bunk within the main hallway of our modest hotel room makes it better. If I remember correctly this is the same hotel we emptied the fridge out, removed the shelves, and were able to balance a keg inside of it, leveled underneath by some paperback books left in the room.
th1rt3en “666 (Three, Six Word Stories)”
Pharoahe Monch is on the blog enough to claim he’s in Little Brother, but here we go again. This time the rap gawd has blessed us with some hard rock, dark visuals, and the expected lyrical genius. His latest project called th1rt3en is a three piece band with Daru Jones (drums) and Marcus Machado (guitar).
Sure, most know Pharoahe from the hip-hop world, but he’s never been a shy to admit his penchant for myriad types of music. Growing up on Black Sabbath and Doors clearly left an impression on him.
These guys are all over the place right now, for good reason. Check ’em out from their Tiny Desk concert or listen to Pharoahe on the QLS podcast. It was a special episode where you could tell Quest and Phonte were geeking out getting to ask hip-hop questions they’d had for years. Pharoahe tells about ghostwriting for Puffy again, always a good story.
EPMD “You Gots to Chill”
A classic from one of the best to do it. Early in the song Erick Sermon drops the type of knowledge I’m here for, throwing one on it. After instructing the listener to be quiet to listen to the MC rap, he cautions:
But if you tired, then go take a nap!
Erick Sermon, EPMD
We are in the mid 80’s here, so the fact that the song is built on a few clearly recognizable samples is pretty standard. Kool and the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie” and the often used “More Bounce to the Ounce” by Zapp give this some funk and soul vibes.
Erick let you know he “be the personal computer information on rap”, long before rappers starting name dropping Wikipedia (ahem, Big Sean, VIC MENSA, Drake, and today’s next group ATCQ).
A Tribe Called Quest “Solid Wall of Sound”
Hooray, more sample driven hip-hop. This one had to be cleared though right? I don’t see Elton John letting the use of “Benny and the Jets” just slide in there unpaid for.
We Got it From Here… Thank You for Your Service was the first release in 10 years for the guys back in 2016, around the time of Phife Dawg’s death. It is an incredible album with the lyrics, rhymes, vocals, and beats you’d come to expect from some of the best to do it.
ATCQ has always been at the center of classic hip-hop in my mind. The Chavez’ had long referenced “Can I Kick It?” as the pinnacle of hip-hop gold and they weren’t wrong. Even after all these years, I was hype to hear it in the background of that beer commercial this super bowl.
