I had originally planned for this to be a millenium-end special addition of The New World Of Beats, featuring highlights from the last 1000 years of hip hop. That was until I realized that this is not the end of the millenium. This millenium isn't really over until the END of the year 2000- that'll be the end of 2000 years, or the end of two milleniums. I think that's how it works, right? Well, whatever. I'm sick of all this Y2K shit anyway, so I ain't gonna be a part of it. Plus I don't remember all the details of the great moments in hip hop's last 1000 years anyway (MC Honest Abe getting bucked down in the place to be, Martin Luther King's classic mc battle with Malcolm X, Julius Caesar throwing wack emcees to the lions, etc.).

        So instead I'm just gonna cover the things that I think I know are ending on December 31st, 1999- year, decade, score & century. Print this shit out and store it in your time capsule, kiddies, so that future civilizations can know what The Soulman thinks was hot hip hop-wise in the 20th century. And please keep in mind that none of these lists are neccessarily in any kind of order...

        TOP TEN JOINTS OF 1999: Y'know, while going over all of the songs that came out in 1999, I've come to one conclusion: Hip Hop '99 really sucked. Well, maybe not sucked- I guess there were a lot of songs that I liked this past year. Just not many that I LOVED. You know, the type of joint that you hear on the radio for the first time and just go into a damn coma... you can't move, can't speak, a long string of saliva dangles from your bottom lip as your jaw hangs down below your belly button... then you finally snap out of it and yell "oh SHIT!!! What the hell is THAT???" (For further reference, check The Soulman's Top Ten "Oh Shit" Moments In Hip Hop History elsewhere in this article.) Regardless, I guess these are my favorites of 1999...

THE SOULMAN'S TOP 10 "OH SHIT" MOMENTS IN HIP HOP HISTORY

        All of these are important moments in my life as a hip hop fan, recollections of my first time hearing certain classic hip hop songs that made me say "Oh shit!!" for one reason or another.  The memories are as vivid today as they were all those years ago...

1. The Sugar Hill Gang "Rapper's Delight", 1979
        I'd been going to parties for awhile at this point, even though I was a little snotty nosed kid, so hearing cats rhyming wasn't anything new- really, it wasn't even a big deal. And Fatback's "King Tim III" was getting play on college radio, so even hearing rap on record or on the radio wasn't totally foreign. But when I heard that "Hip, hop, the hibbit to the hibbity" shit on NY's WBLS one afternoon, my first thought was "Yo! They're playing a tape from a party on the radio... okay." Then came the realization- "That wasn't a tape. That's a RECORD. Damn, this shit is getting serious!" I had a feeling that things wouldn't be the same after that.

2. Run DMC "Sucker MC's", 1983
        Before this record came out I felt that rap was gonna die very soon- the old school cats were making terrible records, running around in high leather boots and sadomasochistic spiked collars, all Jheri-curl juiced out and shit. Planet Rock beats had replaced those slow, hard breaks as the sound of choice. To put it simply, shit was wack. Then one day I was sitting in my cousin's kitchen listening to Lady B's AM radio show in Philly when she said something like "Check out the beat box!" Then came those infamous intro snare taps... boom-BAP-BAP-BAP-BAP-BAP-BAP-BAP... sounded like Orange Krush's classic "Action" break on steroids. Then the rhymes- "Two years ago / a friend of mine..."
        Oh-my-god.
        This was the ILLEST thing I had ever heard in my life!! Run's rhyme wasn't revolutionary... it was just all that fly shit that cats wanted to hear. Nobody was making records like that. In fact, just like when I'd heard the Sugar Hill record four years earlier, I thought it was a tape. The beat dropping out while the deejay scratched, the fact that it was just a BEAT, no music... no, I'd never heard a record done like that before. But it was sooo fresh. I now knew that hip hop had a future.

3a. LL Cool J's live freestyle over the "It's Yours" beat, Philly, 1985
        LL had already given me 2 "oh shit" moments- his 1st record "I Need A Beat" (which I bought on the same day I bought UTFO's "Roxanne Roxanne") and his 2nd record "Dangerous". The latter I actually thought was the greatest display of emceeing I'd ever heard at that time- couldn't understand why nobody was really feeling it, yet they were loving The Triple Threat MC's & Fresh Gordon. Oh well... Anyway, I think people began to figure out what I already knew- that L was a bad, bad man- when they heard his freestyle recorded live at Philly's After Midnight and debuted exclusively on Lady B's radio show (by now on Power 99 FM). I remember just sitting by the radio in a state of shock... here I was, a fledgling wannabe emcee and I'd just heard something that made me want to go back to the drawing board. Sure, it's easy to look back now and say he wasn't saying a damn thing and sometimes just using big words that he didn't even understand ("my voice matriculates like a grand piano"... okay, L, just what school did your voice and that well-educated grand piano of yours matriculate at???). But to put it in perspective for some of you younger cats who only know L as a Milk Dud headed, sitcom actin', pop hit rapper, Cool J was the Canibus or Eminem of his day- that kid that exploded on the scene with rhymes galore, making people think that he just might be the greatest of all time.

3b. LL Cool J performing "Rock The Bells" for the first time ever, Philly, 1985
        L debuted this at The Uptown in Philly right before the "Radio" album came out- he was red hot from the success of "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and his cameo in "Krush Groove". The place went crazy when he performed "I Can't Live...", but he ended his set with a new song that no one had ever heard before. "LL Cool J is hard as HELL! Battle anybody I don't care who you TELL!" He then proceeded for the next three-plus minutes to rip into an absurdly dope jam that we later knew was titled "Rock The Bells". But you know what? The crowd just stood silently and watched while he debuted this song. And when he left the stage, no cheers- nothing. I think I was the only person in the crowd who knew he'd just heard something incredible.

4. Run DMC "Peter Piper", 1986
        Everybody was waiting on the new Run joint, wondering if they could come back with it in the midst of "Cool J Mania". I heard "My Adidas" on the radio- Darryl & Joe rapping to a swing beat a la Doug E. Fresh was kinda strange to me, yet it was still that hardcore Run shit that we all knew and love. But heads told me that the other new cut, "Peter Piper" was the one. So I bought the 12", took it home, put the needle to the wax and then proceeded to lose my muthafuckin' mind. Jam Master Jay rockin' "Mardi Gras" over an uptempo 808 beat? Rapid fire nursery rhymes from the Kings from Queens? Oh yeah, I lost it. I musta been bouncing off the walls of my shabby North Philly apartment for the next three days playing that record over and over and over...

5. Rakim on "Eric B Is President", 1986
        I'd heard people talking about Ra, there was a little street buzz going on about the record, but I still hadn't peeped it yet. So I finally catch it on the radio- as soon as I heard the beat, I knew this had to be the joint that everyone was talking about. Then that voice came in. Understand that at this moment we were at the height of the LL / Run / Beasties "screamin' and yellin'" style of rap, so to hear this laid back dude rhyming was so out of the ordinary. As a true old schooler it wasn't anything new to me- most emcees were cool with their delivery back in the day. But in 1986, Rakim's style was the exception. When he ended his last verse with "thought I was a donut, ya tried to glaze me"... I knew I'd just listened to the next great emcee. What I didn't know was that years later he'd be widely considered as the greatest ever. Hell, I doubted that "Eric B Is President" would even be more than a minor hit! I loved it, but I didn't think the masses would get it. Guess I was wrong, huh?

6. Public Enemy
        There were so many "oh shit" moments from PE back in the day that I can't really pick out just one. "Public Enemy No. 1" was wild to hear at first because of Chuck D's voice moreso than the noise factor- hell, I knew about The JB's "Blow Your Head", the irritating sound was no big deal to me. Same with their use of "The Grunt" for "Rebel Without A Pause" (PE wasn't even the first to use that sample- some other rappers, who I can't remember, had already used that whistling sound). I guess the biggest "oh shits" for me were "Bring The Noise", "Night Of The Living Bassheads" (which amazed me with the sheer amount of sampled bits that were tossed into the mix), "Welcome To The Terrordome" and the severely slept on "B-Side Wins Again". Another PE "Oh Shit" moment would be my first time hearing the "Shut Em Down" remix, but that's more a Pete Rock "Oh Shit", I guess. I still remember that dude AJ Shine on WKDU in Philly playing the record and afterwards saying that it was only "a-ight". Of course the phones lit up with listeners who loved the record. The Pete Rock era had officially begun.

7. Big Daddy Kane "Wrath Of Kane", 1988
        I wilded out when I heard "Raw", "Set It Off" and a lot of Kane's early joints. But for some reason that "Wrath Of Kane" shit just hit me- I think the speed of it all combined with the quirky little parts, like dropping the music out in the middle of the song and Mister Cee on the turntable fucking with the pitch near the end of the song. It's funny how today Rakim is exalted and respected yet Kane doesn't get the same kinda love. But at the time this joint came out Big Daddy was THE hottest thing in hip hop... nobody, not Ra, not KRS, not Kool G Rap, NOBODY was fuckin' with King Asiatic. Unfortunately, after this record the big fall from grace began...

8. A Tribe Called Quest "The Scenario (Remix)",1992
        The original version of this song was my favorite jam on "The Low End Theory"- I would've never thought that they could outdo themselves. But the remix, in my opinion, took it up yet another notch, thanks in big part to Hood, the nasty ass nigga who set the whole thing off but tragically died before the record could even be released. The beat, a simple yet amazing amalgam of Kool & The Gang, The Emotions & The Ohio Players, grabbed me instantaneously- in part because they flipped the "Blind Alley" break the same way I'd done it a year earlier on one of my unreleased joints. Yeah, you know it... great minds think alike!

9. Ghostface Killah, "Daytona 500", 1996
        I don't think I even know another person who likes this song, but to me it captures the essence of hip hop as it was circa 1987- hyperactive old school beat, lightning fast lyrics and some scratchin' as an added touch. Okay, so what if you don't like this one... hey, these are MY "Oh Shit" moments, not yours!

10. Mos Def, "Universal Magnetic", 1997
        The kick and snare intro was ill in itself, but when that Sean J. Period beat came in and Mos started tearin' it up... yo, that shit took me back, kid. Nobody makes records like this anymore!!! And it's understandable, because I don't think I heard this record played once on the commercial stations here in Philly. A record like this would've been the biggest thing on the streets back in the glory days of hip hop. I don't think I've had an "Oh Shit" moment since.

1. Aretha Franklin's Greatest Hits lp (Columbia)
2. Mos Def "Black On Both Sides" lp (Rawkus)
3. Living Funk "Let Your Mind Take The Place Of Your Body" 7" (Funk Music Unlimited)
4. Harvey Scales "Sun Won't Come Out" 7" single (Mercury)
5. Ernest Van Trose And The McDaniel, Mary Street Band "Popcorn Push Push" 7" (RCA)
6. Keni Burke "Rising To The Top" 12" single (RCA)
7. Punto Sur "Juguette Caro" lp (Jaguar)
8. Conmen "4" cd
9. Lenny Kravitz "5" cd (Virgin)
10. The Fatback Band "Let's Do It Again" lp (Perception)

MOST UNDERRATED HIP HOP B-SIDES  & ODDITIES: 1979-1989

        These are records that I thought were ridiculously dope when they came out, but for some reason didn't get much run. Most of these are b-sides, some are just kinda obscure and unfairly overlooked.

1. Public Enemy "The B-Side Wins Again" (12" version) 
        No, it didn't. But it should have.

2. Salt N Pepa "Part II At Warp Speed"
        Ill 1986-ish ghost written rhymes over live drums and classic breaks.

3. Great Peso & Mr. Nasty "It's Time To Rock"
        Peso from the Fearless freestylin' with his brother.

4. Fearless Four "Fearless Freestyle"
        Top notch old school lyricism.

5. LL Cool J "Dangerous"
        Big words spoken ferociously over slow, thunderous drum machine beats.

6. Boogie Down Productions "Essays In BDPism"
        KRS meets The Meters.

7. Grandmaster Caz "Get Down Grandmaster"
        Caz just never sounded comfortable in the studio, but with Ced Gee's beats this was still nice to me.

8. Grandmaster Flash "Freelance"
        Flash cutting up the classics: "Apache", "Mardi Gras", etc. Even with those second rate Furious 5 understudies on the mic, how could you go wrong?

9. Treacherous Three "Gotta Rock"
        Funny, but the b-side to this record, Kool Moe Dee's solo "Turn It Up" was the one that made some noise. Still, the underappreciated a-side was the lyrical forerunner to what all the Rakims, Kanes & KRSes were doing in the late 80's.

10. Slick Rick "The Moment I Feared"
        Yeah, I know it's not a b-side or obscure. But this was my favorite Slick Rick studio recorded song (not counting the live versions of "Treat Her Like A Prostitute", "Davy Crockett" and "Vanessa Williams"). Most people liked "Mona Lisa", "Childrens Story", etc., but this was my shit off of Rick's 1st lp.  Check the style, then listen to Naughty By Nature's "OPP" and you tell me where Treach got that rapid-fire flow from.

TOP TEN ALL-TIME CLASSIC BREAKBEATS

1. Melvin Bliss, "Synthetic Substitution"
2. The Honeydrippers, "Impeach The President"
3. Lafayette Afro Rock Band, "Hihache"
4. Lee Dorsey, "Get Out Of My Life Woman"
5. Bob James, "Take Me To The Mardi Gras" / "Nautilus"
6. The Whole Darn Family, "Seven Minutes Of Funk"
7. Incredible Bongo Band, "Apache"
8. James Brown, "Funky Drummer"
9. Graham Central Station, "The Jam"
10. Skull Snaps, "It's A New Day"

* Webmaster's Bonus Pick: The Turtles, "I'm Chief Kamanawanalea"

SEVEN NEW MILLENIUM CLASSIC BREAKS

1. Titanic
2. Wayne McGhee & The Sounds Of Joy
3. Salt
4. Niagara
5. Eclipse
6. Paz
7. Bob Azzam 

TOP TEN FLICKS (NON-PORNO) IN MY VIDEO COLLECTION

1. JD's Revenge
2. The Mack
3. Wildstyle
4. Style Wars
5. Fists Of The White Lotus
6. Scarface
7. Coffy
8. Dance Of The Drunk Mantis
9. Menace II Society
10. Scared Straight

MEMORABLE RECORD SHOW MOMENTS

1. The $400 Sale
        I found this odd looking record, Bob Azzam & The Great Expectation, in a junky-ass record spot in Delaware. There was a little drumbreak on it, but I didn't think it was all that. I took it to the next record show to see if people knew about it. I showed it to The Vinyl Dogs, they weren't up on it. Then I showed it to Buckwild and he was like "OH SHIT!! Where did you find THIS??" Then he goes on to tell me that it's a mega-rare record that he'd found multiple copies of out in California, and that he'd used it on one of his tracks. Next I showed it to PM Dawn's Prince B, and he damn near lost his mind. "How much do you want for it?" he asked. "Not for sale", was my reply. To which Prince said "Every man has his price", and then proceeded to offer me crazy amounts of dough for the record. His highest offer was $700! Of course, now I'm ready to sell, but it comes to our attention that Diamond has just bought a repressing of the same record from Bob Gibson, whose table is right across from mine, for about $325. So I ended up giving it to Prince for $400, which is still my biggest sale ever.

2. Bumpy Knuckles Keeps It Real
        One time I was diggin' next to Freddie Foxxx, a/k/a Bumpy Knuckles, and he asked the dealer how much a certain record was. The guy told him the price, which was pretty damn high, to which Freddie looked at him and said, "I oughta slap the shit outta you with this record for even sayin' some shit like that to me"! Neither me, the dealer, or anybody else in the near proximity had any doubts that he'd do it, too!

3. A Gift From The 45 King
        I had a slightly beat up copy of the Giant record at one show, and DJ Mark The 45 King wanted it. "It's a little crunchy but it plays", I told him. He listened to it and decided that it was cool, even with a few crackles. I gave him a good price on it, and he was so happy that when he gave me the money he also slipped something else into my hand... a somewhat bent-up-and-worn-looking joint! I didn't have the heart to tell him I don't smoke- hey, it's the thought that counts.

4. Movie Stars Dig, Too
        A surprise visitor to my table on one occassion was film actor Matt Dillon, looking for some South American records, I believe. He walked up very inconspicuously with his baseball cap pulled down low- I didn't recognize him, but my partner Abdullah did right away. "Hey, you're...", but before "Dullah could even get his name out, Matt put two fingers to his lips and said "Shhhh". He asked if we had what he was looking for, we didn't, and he smiled and quickly dissapeared into the crowd. I don't think anybody else even noticed who he was.

5. "He Was Gonna Wet That Kid!!"
        This particular morning at the record convention was real hectic- lots of producers and collectors buying lots of records. I was busy pulling shit out of my crates to play for people and making transactions, but out of the corner of my eye I noticed right in front of my table a certain well known producer, who I've decided not to name, was highly agitated at somebody. There were some words being exchanged, but I was too busy selling records to pay close attention to it all. After everything died down, Abdullah says to me, "Oh shit, did you see that? He was gonna wet that kid!!" I'm not 100% sure of the details, but what I heard was that this upset producer had put the other cat up on the Oliver Sain "On The Hill" sample, which he was about to use for an upcoming single. The other guy turned around and used the sample on Craig Mack's "When God Comes" remix before the mad producer could use it. Rumour has it that when they ran into each other at the record show, the angered beatmaker pulled something out right there in front of my table and made dude give up some loot! Now, like I said, I was mad busy when all this happened so I didn't see any of it, so if any of my facts are wrong please forgive me. But that's what I was told went down... 

6. Bacdafucup
        The first and only time I met Onyx was at one of the worst record shows I ever did. The Soul & Disco show had moved from the infamous Roosevelt Hotel to a spot on Union Square. Somehow that location didn't pan out either, so they had to relocate it to some shabby ass gymnasium. Nobody knew where this place was at, so the crowd was ridiculously small and I made next to no money. The only thing that saved me was that Abdullah, who was a friend of Fredro Starr, told Freddy and Sticky Fingaz to come to the show for beats. They were doing their own production for their second album and they needed some joints. The things that I remember most about the Onyx cats to me were 1) they were mad short to be portraying such a tough guy image, and 2) Sticky damn near broke my fingers when he shook my hand! This was before he started going around with no shirt on- I had no idea that he'd been gettin' his swoll on. I've been known to hurt a few hands myself, but Sticky had my shit cripped up for the rest of the day! Luckily he and Fredro bought a big stack of records from me, so it was worth the pain.

SOULMAN'S 25+ FAVORITE HIP HOP ALBUMS OF THE 20TH CENTURY

1. Ultramagnetic MC's "Critical Beatdown"
2. Live Convention '82
3. Live Convention '81
4. Public Enemy "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back"
5. Ice Cube "Amerikkka's Most Wanted"
6. NWA "Straight Out Of Compton"
7. Pete Rock & CL Smooth "Mecca And The Soul Brother"
8. Main Source "Breaking Atoms"
9. A Tribe Called Quest "The Low End Theory" / "Midnight Marauders"
10. Gangstarr "Moment Of Truth"
11. Diamond & The Psychotic Neurotics "Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop"
12. Showbiz & AG "Runaway Slave"
13. Jungle Brothers "Done By The Forces Of Nature" / "Straight Out The Jungle"
14. De La Soul "3 Feet High & Rising"
15. Dr. Dre "The Chronic"
16. Afrika Bambaataa "Death Mix"
17. Eric B & Rakim "Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em"
18. Boogie Down Productions "Criminal Minded"
19. Wildstyle Soundtrack
20. Mobb Deep "The Infamous"
21. Beastie Boys "Paul's Boutique"
22. The Beatnuts "The Beatnuts"
23. Mr. Scarface "Mr. Scarface Is Back"
24. Common Sense "Resurrection"
25. Chef Raekwon "Only Built For Cuban Linx Niggas"

BEST OF EGOTRIP'S BOOK OF RAP LISTS

        For my money, this tome is the Sugar Ray Robinson of hip hop books- pound for pound it beats all the rest of 'em to a Jake Lamotta-type bloody pulp. Except for maybe that "Hip Hop" book by Steven Hager from back in the early 80's- that shit was dope, too. Any way, these are some of my favorite ancedotes and eye-openers from said publication-

1. Run DMC in those plaid jackets that were so so def in NYC in the early 80's.

2. Raekwon's debut album is actually titled "Only Built For Cuban Linx Niggas" (the word Niggas is replaced by three dots on the album cover). I didn't know that.

3. KRS was gonna be down with the Juice Crew, and the whole "Bridge Wars" thing was planned out and staged by Kris and Shan to make money. Shouldn't really be that surprising, but it's still like... damn.

4. The hook on Tribe's "Elecric Relaxation" is "Relax yourself girl / Please settle down". Really? I thought that last part was some French shit.

5. Kool Moe Dee's 1999 rapper report card... an A for Mystical but only B's & B+'s for Jay Z, Nas, Black Thought, Common, Big Pun, Red Man, Mos Def, Ras Kass & Canibus? And a B for Puffy?? PUFFY???? Moe, you're a lyrical legend but do you know what time it is? Tell me do you know!

6. Kool G Rap did a verse on the original version of Big Daddy Kane's "Raw" that ended up being removed. No! Who has a tape of that original version?? I need that shit!

7. KRS' original vision for the BDP "Edutainment" lp cover: Malcolm X stabbing George Washington's cherry-tree-choppin' ass.

8. Debi Mazar's old school recollections. I didn't realize she was a b-girl!

9. The "7 Costly-Ass Artists To Sample From" piece. They could've included James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and Bob James too, from what I understand.

10. "Most Expensive Hip Hop Records". I've sold some of those for a lot less than the prices that they have listed. If only I'd have known...

11. Biz's favorite things includes a Barbie Doll collection!

12. "Eric B Is President" was initially supposed to be an answer record to Janet Jackson's "What Have You Done For Me Lately"! So that's why he's beefin' with wifey in the last verse, huh?

BEST INVENTION OF THE MILLENIUM

        The airplane and the computer were contenders, but I gotta say it's that little rubber piece that they're putting on dustpans nowadays- helps get up every speck of grime even better than using old  Baja Marimba Band or JJ Fad album jackets!

THE E-MAIL MUST GO THROUGH

Hello,
My name is Patrick Johnson. I am a sophomore Broadcast Journalism student at Howard University. I host a show devoted to hip hop on our campus radio station WHBC 830 AM every Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6 to 8 pm. I am now working on a mixtape and I would simply like to say I am a fan of your website and would like to know when can we expect another update. Also your tape covers are also and have made me raise the bar (or my bar) in terms of what I would like to do for the cover of my tape. Also you are probably as I am a huge fan of album covers and I want people to be just as impressed by the album covers as they are by the content of the tape. I have yet been unable to buy one of your tapes (this college thing leaves a brother broke) but I hope to be able to soon. As for now the knowledge you provide on your site is priceless and has more than sufficed. From one crate digger to another thanks.

Sincerely,
Patrick Johnson

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Ohhhh shiiiit...
I found your site thru the Turntable Lab site.
You prolly dont remember me. I think last time I talked to you was thru regular mail ( 4 or so years ago) and I might have had the MC name AM/PM, not sure.  I put you on to that "Behind The Rain" record by Gato Barbieri.  I still have the MC Clayskee tape with you rhyming on it.  Haha, anyways I wanted to drop you a line and say whats up.

Peace / respect, bro
Meddafore / Dallas Short

Soulman Sez: Oh shit is right! You actually have that MC Clayskee joint featuring Soulman a/k/a Phill Most Chill on the mic spittin' the ill, nasty x-rated lyrics??? You got a rare classic there, my man. (Note: since I recieved this e-mail Meddafore was involved in a serious accident- the whole World Of Beats fam wishes him a speedy recovery.)

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Comment to your Dusty Fingers Article-
It's interesting that he (whoever he is) says it's not a money or ego thing.  I mean he also doesn't clear the samples (or does he???) and throughout the article he claims that he's "pissed off at all these simple minded producers using disco and bullshit records".  Well why doesn't he enlighten us by making hot records instead of just making a comp?  One would argue it's much harder to transform a bunch of grooves and breaks into 3 minutes of floor shaking than to just find beats - I mean he doesn't even do most of the digging, he has people looking for them for him.  My opinion is that all them cats who make comps would trade all their knowledge and their entire collection to be able to say, " yeah, I made 'One Love'."  Don't be mad cats use obivous shit, just say that making comps is the only connection you will ever  make to being associated to being creative in Hip Hop or "I can't make hot records so I make hot comps".

peace,
Georges Sulmers
Rawshack Records
(12/25/99)

Soulman Sez: I understand your point. Although I'm not out to defend the "Dusty Kid" because I have some mixed feelings about this whole comp thing myself, I will say that he has done some very hot tracks but got fronted on by artists who liked the tracks but wouldn't use them because a) they didn't want to pay him fairly or b) they preferred giving the production work to "name" producers or members of their own little clique- you know how that goes, I'm sure. So why not put out his own records with his own beats instead of comps? He actually has done some records in the past but I believe he got tired of dealing with knucklehead mc's and shady business people. I guess he feels it's easier to just put out a comp, sit back and collect the money. At least that's the impression I got from talking to this cat. (Note: an interview with Georges will appear in an upcoming World Of Beats, so look for it.)

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Soulman
You did it again with another  World Of Beats. I really enjoyed reading this one (vol 6) and of course all the other World Of Beats...
Have you thought about maybe interviewing producers like Madlib, Peanut Butter Wolf, Cut Chemist, DJ Shadow and Chief XL from Blackalicious? Yes, I do understand that you will interview people you think are interesting and those above producers I think are very much so that because they all do their own thing and continue to put out top notch hip hop. Also I want to say that I'm another one of those beat heads who started buying the Rap Sheet years ago because of your World Of Beats articles. I got to say I learned a hell of a lot years ago from you, Soulman, about drum breaks.  Thanks for all those beat titles you gave us... and still do .
I'm totally feeling the new Blackalicious lp NIA .. Why can't other fool's put out quality from the heart shit like that?? Anyway I don't wanna bitch on... you get my point. Merry Xmas and all that good stuff,

Vinko, from Australia
(12/16/99)

Soulman Sez: Yeah, I'd love to interview those dudes you mentioned. If our paths ever cross I'll definitely try to hook something up. Stay tuned. And does anybody know of any sites on the 'net where I can hear the Blackilicious album? Everybody's saying that it's the shit but I can't find it.

SHIT I'M FEELIN'

Mos Def: Miss Fat Booty (and the whole "Black On Both Sides" LP) / Aretha Franklin "One Step":
        Damn, my apologies to Dante a/k/a The Mighty Mos for inferring that his album should possibly be retitled "Wack On Both Sides"- far from it. This is undoubtedly one of the best hip hop long players I've heard since... well, since the Blackstar album. The shining jewel of this set is the lead single, "Miss Fat Booty", which for some reason didn't move me when I first heard it on some website. Mos' story is so well woven (although I still didn't catch the ending.... help, anyone?) but the track by newcomer Kool G is sick, sick, sick. Made me run out and cop the original, queen diva Aretha Franklin's "One Step"- a joint from her early Columbia days that's feather light compared to the later Atlantic super souled-out shit, but still nice as hell to vibe on. "I know I can't afford to stop / for one moment / 'cause I'm just out of reach of your fingertips..." Hell yeah, lady. I'm playing this more than the Mos Def shit right now!

Common: The Sixth Sense
        Wasn't diggin' Primo's quirky off-kilter chop job on this at first, but the shit grew on me like the white fuzzy stuff on that year-old grapefruit in the back of your frig. Common + Premier = how can you go wrong?

B-1 & Large Professor: Put Yourself In My Place
        Kool G (see the Mos Def piece above) strikes again with another soulful banger complete with sampled vocals. "Put yourself in my place / and you wouldn't do the thiiiings you do..." yeah, that's my shit. B-1 holds it down with a nice bit of emceeing and is helped out by the best performance by Extra P, a/k/a The Large Professional, in years. Good to see he can still bring it.

Count Bass D: On The Reels / Violatin' (Remix)
        Nice return after the underground classic "Violatin'" single. Beats, rhymes, scratches all el perfecto- like hip hop's supposed to sound. Mighty V.I.C. kills the beat for the remix, and that line "I think it should be Big Joe and Fat Pun"... yo, that's some classic shit.

DJ Paul Nice: Definition Of Nice
        All y'all break record cats might know Paul from his "5 Fingers Of Death" joint, but don't snooze on his single on Bomb Hip Hop Records featuring AG, Babu & Gennessee all puttin' it down correctly. The "Re-definition Of Nice" remix re-utilizes the classic "Do It Baby" break, but the a-side is especially nasty beat-wise. Cop it when you spot it.

Dilated Peoples: Annihilation
        All the cuts on this new ABB single are, as usual, dope shit courtesy of those Dilated dudes. I have a special place in my heart for "Annihilation", though, because I love the record that they sampled and chopped up and used for the beat. What record is that, you ask? Wouldn't you like to know! Secret Squirrel rules are in effect for 2000- deal with it. In the meantime, mark March 28th, 2000 on your calendar- that's when the long awaited Dilated lp on Capitol drops.

MF Doom: LP
        Probably my favorite shit as of right now, but I can't find the album!! I'll speak on this later, after I get a copy.

THE ROOTS: That new shit I just heard on the radio
        They didn't say the name of it when J-Ski played this on Philly 103.9 last night, but the shit is CRAZY! Thought, Dice & Malik wildin' out on a real hip hop track- chopped-up, ultra lo-fi All The People drums and an ill piano. The honey dip sangin' on the chorus seems madly out of place on such a hardcore song, but even that can't fuck it up. I wouldn't go so far as saying that these cats should altogether drop the live band sound, but they most def need to rock to more traditional hip hop tracks like this one. I'm also diggin' the unreleased "Quicksand Millenium" now playing on the okayplayer.com website.

WHO'S WHO IN THE WORLD OF BEATS

HELLO! MY NAME IS:
        Jorun (a.k.a. Forrest Dank) Joseph Serra

CLAIMS TO FAME (Look What I Done Did):
        First hip hop producer in east coast Canada to release a hiphop comp that features all east coast Canadian hiphop (1993). Before this, it was unheard of. Also opened for Run-Dmc, Michie Mee, Public Enemy between 89-93... and the first beat collector in the east coast of Canada (I cleaned out most of the dope spots before anyone else here could).

IT ALL BEGAN LIKE THIS:
        I first started collecting beats in '86 when I was in a crew called "Down By Law"... my M.C. would bring me records from his parent's collection to cut up ("Black Caesar", "Fred Wesley & J.B.s"., Maceo & Macks,...etc). I started noticing current artists sampling parts of these records. I gained the interest soon after but I got heavier into digging after De La's first l.p.

FAVORITE SHIZNIT TO SAMPLE:
        Jazz, rare soul 45's from around the world, kid's records, bachleor pad music....

WHAT JORUN WAS REPORTED TO HAVE DONE ON SEPT. 28, 1999:
        Makin beats and gettin stoned with Jody (dimepiece from around the way).

IS THAT YOUR FINAL ANSWER: ASS OR BEATS?
        Pshhhh! Ass! But I'd never give up beats for a piece of ass. Beats are forever....ass comes & goes...

BEST KLEPTOMANIACAL FINDS:
        Julio Finn Blues Band, Roberta Flack & Friends, A few Sun Ra l.p.s.....

FAVE EQUIPMENT TO FUCK AROUND WITH:
        Akai 614 (4-track) and Tech 1200's.

BEST CITIES FOR DIGGIN':
        Halifax, Bedford, and Moncton N.B.

HAS PRIMO'S "CHOP SUEY" STYLE STARTED TO GET STALE YET?
        Nah!

MOST LOOT PAID FOR A PIECE OF BLACK PLASTIC WITH A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE:
        $45 for the Duralcha 45 and a second copy of Melvin Bliss (both seperate).

WHO'S REALLY BOUT IT BOUT IT- NO LIMIT OR CASH MONEY?
        I don't listen to No Limit or that other shit... I don't have a t.v. so I can't see video shows and I don't buy that crap, so...

LISTENING MUSIC:
        Cymande (all l.p.s), all Roy Ayers l.p.s, especially "Coffy" and "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", Kool & The Gang "Kool Jazz", Sabu Martinez "Jazz Espagnole", Walter Wanderly "Rain Forrest".

RECORD DEALERS I DON'T LIKE VERY MUCH:
        Bob Switzer at Taz Records (he can be pretty 'anal' without provocation) and any female that answers the phone at Fat Beats.

YOU KNOW THE DRILLY, DUN- HOW MANY RECORDS YA GOT, AND CAN I HAVE SOME OF THEM?
        I currently have about 5000-6000 records. I always do trades.

JORUN'S TOP TEN BREAKS OF ALL TIME:

1. Cerrone: "Rocket In The Pocket"
2. Iron Butterfly: "Get Out Of My Life Woman"
3. Skull Snaps: "It's A New Day"
4. Silhouettes: "Fonky First"
5. Lafayette Afro Rock Band: "Hihache"
6. Love: "Doggone"
7. Marc Paulo: "Um Amore Seu Mente Meu"
8. Manzel: "Midnight's Theme"
9. Les McCann: "Harlem Buck Dance Strut"
10. 21 Guitar Hits: "Scorpio"

SOUL NOTES

        The start of a new millenium unfortunately also brings an ending- the untimely demise of Footwork Illadelph here in Philly. It's sad because this was the only spot in town that really championed the cause of underground hip hop. I just hope that someone else will pick up the torch and try to help keep the indy scene alive here. Peace to Big Rich, my girl Steph, Trane and everybody for always looking out for me and pumpin' my tapes out before anyone else did... For those interested in ordering Soulman tapes, no need to e-mail me in advance anymore if you don't want to. Tapes are $10 each, $25 for 3. So, for example, if you wanted 5 tapes it would be $45, if you want 6 it would be $50. Get it? If you don't get it just go ahead and e-mail me to be sure, I'll let you know the deal. And add $3 to any size order to help cover the mailing costs... Also, Soulman World Of Beats Vol.1 is about to be discontinued due to the fact that I don't like it anymore (the same reason that the infamously rare Soulman 60 Beats joint was discontinued). If you want it to complete your collection or something, order it now or forever hold your peace... And there's only a small amount of those Bonus Beats tapes left, and once they're gone will never be reprinted. So do whatcha gotta do and do it quick if ya wanna cop that joint... In a related note, CDs are almost here! I'll let y'all know soon when they'll be available...

        That's enough for now. We'll be back in a minute with some more of that good shit. Until next time remember that persistence overcomes resistance, and any fool can learn from their own mistakes but it takes a wise guy or gal like yourself to learn from the mistakes of others.

        Peace!