TSOP

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL PRESENTS ARTIST PROFILE 
TSOP (The sound of Philadelphia) 




(From Left to Right)  Linda Creed,Gamble & Huff, Thom Bell McFadden & Whitehead MFSB)


The Sound of Philadelphia or Philly Soul as it also know was born from the need of producers and song writers in the City of Brotherly Love to distinguish themselves from other music and sounds and make a name for themselves and Philadelphia. Some of the more prominent artists in R&B during that time (early till late 70s) made the pilgrimage to Sigma Studios in Philly to record songs with the distinctive Philly sound. From "T.S.O.P" (which Don Cornelius commandeered to make the title sequence for his Soul Train TV for a number of years)  to the Gamble & Huff penned "For the Love of Money" by the O'jays there are some songs that transcend any era or genre.

    "TSOP" 1974 by MFSB feat The Three Degrees

    "For the Love of Money" 1973 by the Ojays 

Any Talk of  R&B at that time that was the embodiment of the The Sound of Philadelphia has to include Teddy Pendergrass. As a member of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes Teddy's booming voice was one that you remembered. Once Teddy went solo he became even bigger. It didn't hurt also that the females loved him.With songs like "I Don't Love You Anymore","Come Go with Me"  and "Love T.K.O." Teddy was a one man wrecking crew.Even after the horrific 1982 car accident Teddy continued to inspire and make great music.

     "Come and Go with Me" 1979  by Teddy Pendergrass

    "Get up Get Funky Get Loose" 1971 By Teddy Pendergrass

The Philly soul had a distinctive sound completely independent from the music being done anywhere else. In addition to the established acts that were coming in to work with the producers and song writers in Philadelphia, there was alot of home grown talent in Philadelphia at the time. They included:

The Delfonics

The Stylistics

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes 

Billy Paul

The Three Degrees

MFSB

   "You Are Everything" 1971 The Stylistics (written by Thom Bell & Linda Creed) 

   "Rubberband Man" 1976 The Spinners (written by Thom Bell & Linda Creed) 

Like all cycles in music the Philly Soul sound did begin to wane but not before a song writing duo who had written hit songs like "Wake Up Everybody" "Bad Luck" and "The more I get the more I want" for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes decided to go into the studio and create a classic for themselves. Mcfadden & Whitehead's "Aint No Stopping Us Now"  was one of the last great songs from that era.In the 80s R&B changed again and although some of the songs were similar to the Philly Sound most of the music was made elsewhere. The Philly Soul  continues to live on in the classics that you can hear on the radio at any given time. 

   "Aint No Stopping Us Now" 1979  Mcfadden & Whitehead  

  

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My album just went double lead

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Video of the day 

FRESH PHOTOS

   

"UMM Jamaica"

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Video of the day 

crazy ass crooklyn kids

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Video of the Day 

 " Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers" Crooklyn Dodgers 95
     Beat by Dj Premier

EVOLUTION OF THE HIP HOP DANCE

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"DO MY DANCE"

 After the Jimmy Fallon, Will Smith "Evolultion of Hip Hop Dance" the other night (see below)  

Keep it Oldskool  posts  some of Hip Hop Classic Dance Songs

   "Return of the Biz Dance"  Biz Markie

   "Pee Wee Dance"  Joeski Love 

  

    "Steve Martin"  Epmd

    "Do the Fila" MC Boob aka Steady B 

remember theses?

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Jawns you Probably don't remember
90s Edition 

  

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Forgotten King

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"Columns from the Board"


Kareem Benson aka "Respect My Fresh" is a board member of Keep It Oldskool. We will be posting columns from board members starting today





THE FORGOTTEN KING OF THE BEATS
                                                By Kareem "Respect My Fresh" Benson 


Rewind back to the mid 80’s you’d be hard pressed not to find an urban teenager that wasn’t entrenched in the signature “Guitar Riffed Bass Drum High Hat” driven sound that was pioneered by Rick Rubin, after all this was the infancy era of the powerhouse label that was Def Jam Recordings. Around this time a Jamaican born in store DJ by the name of Kurtis Mantronix had begun to make a name for himself with his Roland series 808 & 909, soon he would be in production with the likes of T La Rock and fellow Jamaican Just-Ice producing his debut album “Back to the old School” but it was the commercial success of Mantronix The Album that put the world on notice forming a duo with MC Tee an almost tailor made lyrical acrobat for Mantronix electronic style the album spawned Club/Dance hits as well as top chart Rap singles. “Fresh is the word” was a dance club success as well as “Ladies” and “Baseline” while “Needle to the Groove” and “Hard core Hip Hop” made their marks amongst the Hip Hop crowds.

 

    Fresh Is The Word 1985

    Baseline 1985

The sophomore project “Music Madness” had stand out tracks such as “Who is it” and “Scream” but by the time his third album “In Full Effect” dropped It seemed most fans had grown weary of the signature Mantronix sound this was the dawn of a new Era in Hip Hop groups like De La Soul and Jungle Brothers had burst onto the scene and NWA was all the rage with inner city youth with their anti-Police message. So it was time for Kurtis to reinvent himself and that’s just what he did, his work on Joyce Sims’ “(You Are) My All and All” a Club smash in the UK as well as the States  skyrocketed the talented beat conductor back into mega stardom and another single from the same album “Gotta have your love” written by Kurtis himself as well as Bryce Wilson of Groove Theory fame solidified the legendary producer for following years to come his signature hi-hat triplet sound has been credited for birthing “Trap Music” not sure how true that is but I know I will always credit Kurtis Khaleel Mantronix for being one of the Pioneer producers in Hip Hop
    Joyce Sims "(You Are) My All and All" 1988

   Mantronix Feat Wondress "Gotta Have Your Love" 1989

    Here are some more of Mantronix's best tracks:

    Just Ice "Col Getting Dumb" 1986

   Just Ice "Lyric Licking" 1987

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Happy/Life

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From Original to Sample


   Surface " Happy"

Nas Kool G Rap "Fast Life"

 

 

LYTE VS ANTIONETTE

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"DA BATTLES" OLDSKOOL VIDEOS OF THE DAY 

HEY YALL I GOT THIS GREAT

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Our Commercials (The ones we loved) 

First Up "Hey Love"
F

Breakdown/Said then dun

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ORIGINAL AND THE SAMPLE 

Rufus Thomas "The Breakdown"  Part 1 1971
(performed live at WATTSTAX) 

Eazy-E  "Eazy-er Said Than Dunn" (1988)

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Tell Shorty with the Big Mouth to Bank His clothes

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The story behind a classic

LL Cool J feat Canibus, DMX Redman,Method Man Master P  "4,3,2,1"

   

The year is 1998 the man,the legend the, guava oil on the chest spokesman LL Cool J is working on  a new song that will include Def Jam label mates DMX.Redman, Method Man and an MC who is slowly building a name for himself as an up and coming M.C Canibus (also on the song for some reason was Master P which is a mystery in itself) . That is where all the agreements ends. Both Canibus have both given different stories on the beef that was tenderized then cooked. Apparently  Canibus recorded a verse that made a reference to borrowing the microphone tattooed on LL's arm. After hearing the verse LL advised  that Canibus change it as it may be perceived to be a dis. Canibus relented and changed his verse. However, LL who had written a response to the verse (at which Canibus states that LL said that he would change) used the verse which belittled the up and coming MC. It has always been LL's contention that he never stated that he would change his verse BUT if Canibus changed his no one would know that verse was written about Canibus. Of course it did leak out to whom LL verse was for and one of the most lopsided battles since Krs One vs Nelly was begun.  You have to give Canibus props for even attempting to battle LL but after a track with Mike Tyson co-signing (2nd Round Knockout) he was destroyed with "Guava Oil Man"  exclaiming "99% of your fans don't exist"  It was pretty much over for Canibus after that Tough break homie there is always joining the army or working security for Kevin Hart. 
 

 

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props are a tru thugs wife

KEEP IT OLDSKOOL PRESENTS:
The Story Behind Classics


Raekwon "Verbal Intercourse" feat Ghostface Killa and Nas 

 


Raekwon  gave an interview in 2011 to www.hiphopdx.com describing the vibe of the recording when Nasty Nas came through 

 “When Nas came aboard the Cuban Linx record, it was because when we all came out, we was familiar with certain cats in different places that was hot,” he said. “We seen him in the video and we was diggin’ him. We would hear more things in the street about this record. Actually, these girls we knew, they had a CD of the shit. It’s so crazy, they was European, that’s how you know a lot. He came to the Island, boom, we set up, we was at RZA’s crib. Next thing you know, he just up in there vibin’, RZA’s on his RZA shit, hair out, dirty Timberlands on, eating noodles and all that, ordering mad pizza. Now we hear the ‘Verbal Intercourse’ beat, and I’m like, ‘This the track I want you on.’ He was with it, but he didn’t know what rhyme to spit. So I’m like, I’ma play the A&R role right now. ‘Go in the booth, do what you want to do.’ He was just throwing different occasional rhymes and all of that. The next thing you know, I heard the ‘Through the lights, camera and action’ and I was automatically like, ‘Stop! Do that one right there!’”



   Nas "Verbal Intercourse" verse
Through the lights cameras and action, glamour glitters and gold
I unfold the scroll, plant seeds to stampede the globe
When I'm deceased, by then the beast arise like yeast
to conquer peace leaving savages to roam in the streets
Live on the run, police paying me to give in my gun
Trick my Wisdom, with the system that imprisoned my son
Smoke a gold leaf I hold heat, nonchalantly
I'm grungy, but things I do is real it never haunts me
while, funny style niggaz roll in the pile
Rooster heads profile on a bus to Riker's Isle
Holdin weed inside they pussy with they minds on the
pretty things in life, props is a true thug's wife
It's like a cycle, niggaz come home, some'll go in
Do a bullet, come back, do the same shit again
From the womb to the tomb, presume the unpredictable
Guns salute life, rapidly, that's the ritual

not official video

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Next up I believe thats me

Keep It Oldskool Presents

"The Symphony spot"

Much has be said about how Masta Ace got a spot on one of the greatest posse songs ever made "They Symphony" on Marley Marl's In Control Volume 1 album. Keep It Oldskool  is starting a new series of columns regarding the hidden stories and rumors regarding classic songs and albums.


Masta Ace gave an interview in 2008 to www.grandgood.com and stated:

 "It was recorded in ’88 at Marley Marl’s townhouse in Astoria, Queens. Everybody assumed that it was planned out that the four of us [Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Craig G, and Ace] were going to be on it, and it was going to be a classic record. But MC Shan was actually supposed to be the fourth MC on that song. But since he was a bigger name at that time than all of us, he felt like it wasn’t a good career move for him to be on this record with a bunch of new artists"




 MC Shan also spoke of the matter in a 2012 interview with www.hiphopdx.com he specifically addressed Masta Ace saying Marley said Shan thought "it would be a bad look" to be on the song

 "Let me address that. I know this is something old I'm touching on," he shared in the interview. "What y'all gotta understand is I knew Marley Marl and I've done songs with him that I didn't get paid for. So, I can understand Ace for listening to that crap Marley was tellin' him but if y'all know me, I was never one to say nothin' on the side, behind your back. If I felt something about you, I was gonna say it to your face." 
"It wasn't because Shan didn't wanna be on that record that Ace got a spot. Ace got a spot because he held his own," he added. "If he couldn't hold his own, he wouldn't have been on that record. So, Masta Ace, big shout to you for holding your own. But, all that that Marley told y'all was lies."





Marley Marl dismissed anything MC Shan has said on the Symphony situation as well as that Marley taking credit for beats he did not make (For years there have been rumors of Marley taking credit for beats such as "My Melody" by Eric B and Rakim) in a 2012 interview with www.sohh.com

 "To all the Juice Crew fans and who have loved our legacy for all these years, I'm real sorry that you have to see this go down," Marley said in a video. "To the other kids who don't know who this dude is in the background, this is MC Shan. He used to be one of the top rappers in the '80s down with the Juice Crew. ... As for me not making the records, come on man -- You saw what happened to all the artists after I wasn't producing their sh*t no more? I don't have to go there. I get to them every day on the radio. My skill levels right there, people see where I'm at so I doubt anybody believes that bullsh*t. This just comes from years of bitterness, drug abuse. Drug abuse and bitterness don't mix. This is what happens ladies and gentlemen"



Most Oldskoolers have the same opinion in this matter beef, luck, ego etc The Symphony is still one of the greatest songs in Hip Hop history

 

 

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Chuck Da Original Oldhead