EASIN/ROLLER

Keep It Oldskool Presents:
Original to Sample

     Edwin Star "Easin In" 

But they are all just wick wick wack

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL PRESENTS
"OLDSKOOL LYRICS OF THE DAY"

Boogie Down Productions- My Philosophy 1988

Let's begin, what, where, why, or when

will all be explained like instructions to a game

See I'm not insane, in fact, I'm kind of rational

when I be asking you, "Who is more dramatical?"

This one or that one, the white one or the black one

pick the punk, and I'll jump up to attack one

KRS-One is just the guy to lead a crew

right up to your face and dis you

Everyone saw me on the last album cover

Holding a pistol something far from a lover

Beside my brother, S-C-O-T-T

I just laughed, cause no one can defeat me

This is lecture number two, "My Philosophy"

Number one, was "Poetry" you know it's me

This is my philosophy, many artists got to learn

I'm not flammable, I don't burn

so please stop burnin, and learn to earn respect

'cause that's just what KR collects

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL MOVIE OF THE WEEK



Saturday Night Fever was released in 1977. The movie directed by John Badham was in instant smash and in rare class of cult and critic favorite. The movie further propelled Welcome Back Kotter TV show actor John Travolta into super stardom.The movie is also known for its dance scenes as well as soundtrack.

The movie centers around main character Tony Manero (Travolta)  and his merry bunch of hooligans.Tony works a dead end job at paint store all week while living at home with his parents. Tony cruises along during the week till he gets to the weekend where he can cut loose. Tony is an exceptional dancer that is known throughout the entire area. There are subplots as most movies have them regarding a dance contest,gang fights and a love interest. Along with his buddies we watch the endless cycle of work then dance. Tony's  former dance partner Annette (played by Donna Pescow) is pushed over for Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney). We watch as his friends descend into a deeply disturbing act. We also see his friend racked with despair regarding an unwanted pregnancy and of course we get to see Tony dance. The music is a much  of a character as the actors are .The movies of this era all have the inevitable climax in which a tragedy induces a realization and this movie is no different. In the end as Tony realizes that he needs to change is life we as an audience hold out hope that he will succeed.



This movie was considered a disco movie and rightfully so. The movie made on a budget of 3.5 million dollars went on to gross  $282,400.000. The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack stayed on top of the Billboard charts for 24 weeks, had five number one singles and took three Australian brothers with the last name of Gibb(Bee Gees) into the pinnacle of their success. The movie featured 2 releases a PG non rape, on fight version and the R rated original version. In the late 90s the movie came back to the forefront as the British author of the article that the movie is based on and was reported to be a true story acknowledged that although based on a acquaintance did not have any of the things in the story happen to him. Most people think of this movie and only think of the dancing by John Travolta who was taught by Deney Terrio. But to do that does the great acting as well as story a disservice.That being said here are some dancing clips from the movie. (with an assist from the Bee Gees)

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big/go

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL PRESENTS:
ORIGINAL TO SAMPLE

Billy Squire "Big Beat"

distance/victory

Keep It Oldskool Present:
Original to Sample

Bill Conti "Going the distance"

7/AINT/SUPER/THING

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL PRESENTS
"Original to Samples"

7 minutes of Funk-The Whole Darn Family 1976

Melting/Victory

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL PRESENTS 
"Original to Sample"

Booker T & the MGs "Melting Pot" 1971

California/Technique

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL PRESENTS:
"Original to Sample "

Marlena Shaw "California Soul" (written by Ashford and Simpson) 

Keep It Oldskool Movie of the week

Ragtime was released in 1981 and was directed by Milos Forman. The movie starred Howard Rollins Jr,Mary Steenburgen, Elizabeth Mcgovern,Debbie Allen and in one of his last screen rolls James Cagney. The film was nominated for 8 academy awards and featured now famous stars in early screen rolls Samuel Jackson,Jeff Daniels and Mandy Patinkin 





The movie centers around Father, Mother and Younger Brother. The time is early 1900s. Father and Mother (Steenburgen) find an African American baby on the doorstep the mother and father of the child (Allen and Rollins) are not together. That changes as Coalhouse Walker Jr ( child's father played by Rollins) becomes a prosperous ragtime musician. He comes home in a brand new Model T car to find his child and child's mother and is promptly insulted and treated unfairly by the local fire department and police.Coalhouse tries every legal recourse to get satisfaction and constantly told to accept and forget it. He decides that he has had enough and sets forth with his cohorts which includes Caucasian "Younger brother" to teach the city and the perpetrators of the his wrongdoing a lesson.



The movie is set against the backdrop of the "Hip Hop" of its day Ragtime. This movie was powerful as we watch a law abiding man pushed to the brink for no other reason then the cost of repairing a car. We see that a mans dignity especially an African American is not something to be trivialized. This was one of Howard  Rollins Jr's best known rolls. It is a shame that an Oscar win did not come with that epic performance. This is not the normal Keep It Oldskool slapstick, 80s fun movie. This movie was serious and reflected a serious subject matter.The sad part that in 100 plus years this still happens.   

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sista duo love

No More Props

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL PRESENTS
"OLDSKOOL LYRICS OF THE DAY"

"Planet earth was my place of birth

Born to be the sole controller of the universe

Besides the part of the map I hit first

Any a rhyme that I can adapt when it gets worst

The rough gets going, the going gets rough

When I start flowing, the mic might bust

The next state, I shake from the power I generate

People in cali used to think it was earthquakes

’cause times was hard on the boulevard

So I vote God and never get scarred and gauled

But it seems like I’m locked in hell

Looking over the edge but the r never fell

A trip to slip ’cause my nikes got grip

Stand on my own two feet and come equip

Any stage I’m seen on, a mic I fiend on

I stand alone and need nothing to lean on

Going for self wit a long way to go

So much to say but I still flow slow

I come correct and I won’t look back

’cause it ain’t where you’re from, it’s where

You’re at

Even the (ghetto)"

SYNTHETIC/EGO/DWYK

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL PRESENTS :

"Original to Samples"
Melvin Bliss "Synthetic Substitution 

TIMEBOMB/JUST KISSED/NEVER SEEN

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL'S
ORIGINAL TO SAMPLES 

The Meters "Just Kissed My Baby"  and the samples it spawned 

Lets Hear it For the Boy

Keep It Oldskool Movie of the week




*Disclaimer* Before I start I want to say there will be men of my age (42) and older who will  say "naw I never saw that" My man yeah you! We all know you saw it so stop it!

Footloose was released in 1984 and was directed by Herbert Ross. The movie starred Kevin Bacon,Lori Singer, John Lithgow and Diane Wiest. The movie followed the tried and true 80s movie formula which meant it was a crowd pleaser.

The movie follows big city transplant Ren (Bacon) who moves to a small town where of course like most 80s movies there are not many brothers and sisters. The town has an ordinance that bans rock music and dancing. Ren who enjoys both initially tried to fit in. The town preacher's (Lithgow) daughter Ariel (Singer) of course catches his eye. There is also a town bully that Ren must face down. Ren gathers most of the kids in the senior class to petition the town for the right to have a senior prom. What is an 80s movie without and music montage or dance number? In this movie we seen Ren (or better yet his stunt double in some shots) flip and dance around in the "I'm frustrated so  I have to dance"  part of the movie (Many times this author also gets frustrated and jumps into his yellow VW Beetle to find an abandoned factory to dance in) Footloose ends kind of the way you would expect it to but that doesn't diminish that despite there are no African Americans to provide the break dancing portion of the finale it's still a good but not great movie





This movie is also known for it's soundtrack. There were songs by Kenny Loggins (who has to be 100 by now) "Footloose", Bonnie Tyler "I need a hero" and of course my favorite "Let's Hear for the Boy" by Deniece Williams. There was a remake made in 2011  It wasn't  very good but they made it. This movie launched Kevin Bacon a Philadelphia, Pa native into stardom. Whenever I am channel flipping and I see that it is on I admit that I do stop and watch a bit of it. Don't you?

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL 

LADY T

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL ARTIST PROFILE 



There is/was no other Caucasian artist male or female that was universally "adopted" by the R&B and Soul crowd and radio stations. Sure there are some that would you would hear on the soul stations (Hall and Oats, Michael Mcdonald etc) But none of them had the longevity and love that Lady T enjoyed for her whole career. Keep It Oldskool salutes TEENA MARIE.


Teena Marie spent her childhood in Mission Hills, California. She took to singing at the early age of 2. By the age of 10 she had appeared in a Beverly Hillbillies episode and sang at Jerry Lewis's sons wedding. Signed to Motown in 1979 she sat in limbo for while as she recorded material that was never released or shelved. It wasn't until lablemate Rick James heard her sing and decided to switch from working with Diana Ross to Lady T.  This would start a collaboration/relationship/friendship that would last many years. Teena Marie's first album featured no picture of her and radio stations assumed  that she Teena was a "sista" It wasn't until her performance on Soul Train in 1979 (becoming the first female Caucasian guest) did everyone realize that Teena was in fact Caucasian.

From her first Top Ten Hit " I'm a Sucker for your Love" on Teena Marie personified SOUL Teena made a conscious effort NOT to try to cross over into the Pop area. She could have done so and made a lot more money and although there was a few "rock" missteps I think her African American buying public understood and appreciated that no matter what Lady T "kept it real". By her 3rd album Irons in the Fire she was writing and producing her own music. 1981's It Must Be Magic was a GOLD album (500,000 sold) which included songs "Square Biz" and "Portuguese Love" with the former reaching #3 on the Billboard R&B charts 

Like most artist Teena Marie experienced label problems. Locked in a fight with her label (Motown) Teena sued and eventually won her release from Motown and signed with Columbia Records. This period saw songs like "Casanova Brown", "Lovergirl" and "Ooo La La". By the 90s with music having drastically changed with Hip Hop becoming the music of the youth Teena continued to create and release music.

In 2004Teena Marie signed to Cash Money Records and had another GOLD selling album La Dona Teena was a fixture at all of the shows and festivals performing from her catalog of classic hits. Tragically on December 26th 2010 we lost Teena Marie well before her time. She was only 54 when she passed. This author did go to one of her last performances in Philly when she performed at the Robin Hood Dell East. There have been many Caucasian acts that have garnered acclaim and fans with African Americans BUT no one comes close to the level of love that Teena Marie received and still receives. KEEP IT OLDSKOOL REMEMBERS  TEENA MARIE 

Chuck Da Original Oldhead 

MAGIC/FAKIN/WAY

ORIGINAL AND SAMPLES

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL

And Battling me is

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL'S 

"Lyrics from the oldskool"

 Big Daddy Kane "The Symphony"

Settin' it off, lettin' it off, beginnin'

Rough to the endin', you never been in

To move the groove with the smooth rap lord;

Like a bottle of juice, rhymes are being poured

Down your ear, crisp and clear

As I prepare to wear, tear and smear -- then I'm outta here

With a mark left that you can all cling

Cause rockin' a party? Yo, it's a small thing

I rip many places on regular basis, and broken down mics were the only traces

That I'd been there and there at the party

The mic had my prints, and on it was a body

So take caution. I'm not horsin' around in a throwdown, clown

I'm takin' yours son

So just acknowledge the way that I kicked it

Cause if rap was a house, you'd be evicted

And dismissed from the microphone, chokin' on a bone, cause Daddy's home

And battlin' me is hazardous to your health

So put a quarter in your ass, cause ya played yourself

Like a game in the arcade. You need a far aid

I'm walkin' the path that Allah made

I'll attend and then begin to send a speech to reach and teach

So just say when

So I can let lyrics blast like a bullet

My mouth is the gun; on suckers I pull it

The trigger, ya figure, my pockets gettin' bigger

Cause when it comes to money, yo, Grant's my nigga!

You've got the groove, emcees, freeze, stand still, nobody move

It's a sabotage, as I take charge. Don't barge, cause goddamn, I'm livin' large

Like a giant. You're nothin' but a midget, a small digit

You ain't hit it, forget it, quit it

I reign superior, always takin' care o'ya

No-frill rappers, you will evaporate, disintegrate, deflate to your fate

As the great will dominate straight to the state

Of reignin', gainin'. So put Kane in, that category. Period. End of story

Cant You See

VIDEOS OF THE DAY  ORIGINAL AND SAMPLE 

" I dont eat spaghetti without the meat sauce"

Video of the Day 

DANCERS !

 As hard as it is to believe now in the late 80s most rap acts had dancers. Everyone knows or should know that Whodini was the first rap group to fully integrate dancers into their stage shows (Using Dr Ice and Kango Kid in their pre-UTFO days) From the Fresh Prince and Dj Jazzy Jeff to Heavy D and the Boyz etc the dancers were part of the act. Even some of the hardest acts out like Kool G Rap whom no one would confuse with a "dancing type"  of MC had dancers. Here is a roll call of a few MCs/Groups that had dancers and some visual aid in the form of videos

Dj Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince   

Big Daddy Kane

Kool G Rap                                                            

Heavy D & The Boyz

Masta Ace 

Queen Latifah 

MC Lyte 

Now Half of these rappers today jeans are too tight to dance in. KEEP IT OLDSKOOL REMEMBERS THE DANCERS

 

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL MOVIE OF THE WEEK

 

Across 110^th Street was released 1972. The movie that was directed by Barry Shear was released early in the Blaxploitation era. The movie starred Anthony Quinn (who also produced the movie and Yaphet Kotto. The movie also included a great Bobby Womack song from the soundtrack which was titled Across 110^TH Street

 

 

The movie’s title reflects the unofficial boundary line of Uptown aka Harlem in New York City. At the time the numbers racket was controlled by the Italian Mafia with their dirty work being farmed out to the African American gangsters in Harlem. Three down on they luck men decide to rob the “count house” for the money and in the process kill 7 which includes 2 police officers and get away with $300,00. In the hunt that ensues shady, racist cop Captain Mattelli (Quinn) has been told that he will be second in command to African American Lt Pope (Kotto). Also in pursuit is Mob capo Nicky D’Salvio. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that the cards are stacked against the 3 robbers all whom meet their reckoning.

 

 

 

 

 

Also a character in the movie is the neighborhoods that the movie is filmed in. They show the despair and deplorable conditions that can create 3 men all who know that they there are on a suicide mission but feel anything is better than how they are currently living. This movie differed from many of the Blaxploitation genre there is no “brother sticking it to whitey” ending. However Across 110^th Street is still a very good movie.

 

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL

 

 

wheeling dealing gotta funny feeling

Video of the day

I LIKE MY POCKETS

VIDEO OF THE DAY

 

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL INTERVIEW

 

Steady B and Tat Money  “Whats my Name”  album

 

Dj Tat Money has been a mainstay in the Philadelphia Hip Hop scene since the beginning. From being a member of the Hilltop Hustlers (Cool C, Steady B) and  then being the Dj for Kwame.  Keep It  Oldskool’s Chuck Da Original Oldhead  spoke to the producer/ DJ about what else? Oldskool

 

 

What is the first record that you ever bought?

“The first record , depending on what genre your speaking of since  I was buying records when I was 8.  My first one was 45 record by Parliament Funkadelic. “Aqua boogie”. My first Hip Hop record was Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five-  Freedom”

 

Why do you think Oldskool is now coming back in a big way?

“Honest opinion  is because the new artists haven't embraced the artists before them.  So you have a generation of artists that are disconnected from the people who paved the way. Very different from when we put out records because we hoped our forefathers approved.  Needless to say , this is causing most to steer clear from radio and seek their own music. Preferably something they can feel” 

 

 

What was Hip Hop like in the 80s compared to now?

“In the 80's it was more pure, more organic.  And the fact that we could sample  alone has changed the sound of Hip Hop.  Today there's what I call keyboard beats.  I feel if one is going to make this kind of stuff,  they should study the older artists. R&B, Hip Hop,  Funk and Soul to educated themselves  then find a person you like and you can't go wrong.  The other difference is it's all about the money and what you can buy today. It wasn't that way in the 80's.the songs were party oriented  and having a good time etc.  

 

Kwame and A New Beginning

 

Do you think the DJ has become forgotten?

“Of course the Dj has been removed from the picture by design.  Listen to the songs today.  I've heard there are no hit records with scratching in it.    So the labels purposely got rid of the Dj.  And the  Mc is out for the money. So that leaves he DJ out with the exception of the real Hip hop heads that still get down with a DJ”

 

In those days Philly had a lot of acts (3xdope, Fresh Prince and Jeff, Cash and Marvelous, Schooly D Steady B and Cool C) was it all rivalries?

“That was a special time  we were getting our shot and we did our thing.   I would say it was friendly competition.  And that made us all better.   At the same one we were rooting for one another.  The thought was if one made it then Philly would be on the map. That was the race  Again it was so young and organic.  Cats were innocent and weren't corrupted.  It was a fun time we had the attention of everyone.  Being out at that time remember companies didn't have dozens of artists out at the same time.  So if u have a  LP out the focus was on you.   It was the beginning of the video era so again it was like reading a book when you got into the LP. Not cheating and watching the video.  Although the video gives u that extra insight on the artists now.  Without it, you used your imagination more” 

 

What are you up to now.

“Now I'm still doing what I did. I spin for The Alumni Kwame Special Ed Chubb Rock Dana Dane and Monie Love.   And I'm co-producing a documentary based in this same topic. The essence of Hip Hop  It's titled Check the Rhyme. We hope it will be out next year”

 

Thanks for your Time Tat

 

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL