Diamond and The Psychotic Neurotics – Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop

 Ok, so De La Soul was a no brainer.

I feel like I have to throw those ones in from time to time because they are albums you need to own. 

But my real reason for writing this blog was to introduce the casual listener to things they don’t know about, which brings us to today’s selection, the seminal 1992 work from Diamond and The Psychotic Neurotics: “Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop”

Many people who know a little about hip hop can name at least one Diamond D song…his production credits are a mile long and include work on A Tribe Called Quest’s “The Low End Theory,” The Fugeee’s “The Score” and Mos Def’s “Black on Both Sides” just to name a few.  But few know about how awesome this album is. 

Seriously.

Joseph “Diamond D” Kirkland was born and raised in the Bronx, where he got ito the hip hop scene at an early age DJing for Jazzy Jay and the Zulu Nation before forming Ultimate Force and releasing tracks on the Cold Chillin Label.

In 1992, however the group disbanded and Diamond began assembling a new crew D.I.T.C.(Diggin in the Crates) when he recorded and released the underground showcase album “Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop.” Not only are Diamond’s beats totally on point, but he displays a previously unknown gift for the rhyme as well. But what also sets the album apart are the guest stars.  This was one of the first places the world would hear Big L (RIP) and Fat Joe before they became big name stars.

(SIDE NOTE: At the time, Fat Joe was a neighborhood dealer when he made it known he wanted to trade in his dealing shoes for a microphone.  Diamond was not not impressed until Joe won the rap battle at The Apollo four weeks in a row!  Word!)

Other notable contributors were Showbiz, AG and The Beatnuts as well as production by Mark the 2600 King, Large Professor and Q Tip.  It contains such notable hits as ‘Sally Got a One Track Mind’ and ‘Best Kept Secret’ as well as lesser known hits like ‘I went for Mine’ and my personal favorite ‘Yo, That’s That Shit.’  This is the kind of album that makes you smack the side of your head and ask “How did I miss this?!?”

Yet, for all the talent and quality it remained an underground hit only. It was only released on cassette and CD at the time, with only a hand full of promo vinyl being pressed.  Said vinyl was going for big bucks until a few years ago when it was finally reissued. 

But if you like your hip hop raw and uncut, and you somehow got this far without knowing, go get some of this. 

And tell em DJ Tim sent ya.

De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising

You know what?  Looking back at the golden age of hip hop just makes me ever more aware of how much hip hop sucks in 2008.  I check the stores and the charts all the time as part of my daily DJ chores, and aside from a smattering of singles here and there…there really isn’t much going on.

It’s disgraceful.

Sure, there’s still some good noise being made in the indie hip hop underground (Atmosphere take a bow!)  but when was the last time a really big album hit?  2005???  Compare that to the early nineties when an amazing album full of hip hop dropped almost every month.  And not just an album with a good single or two, but with an assload of singles…and a bunch of tracks that weren’t singles but you loved anyways because they fucking rocked.

I’m beginning to think the hip hop era is coming to a close. 

Maybe it’s time is up…maybe it’s time for a new popular genre to rise up and take over, or maybe the time for that is over too.  Maybe with all the internets and media sources out there, there isn’t room for a single dominant force any longer. 

Which is too bad because I really love hip hop.

Especially when it is so undeniably fun and frenetic as De La Soul’s “3 Feet High and Rising.” 

Listening to the album for the first time was like being shot out of a cannon into a pool of Jello, nerf balls and confetti.  I was freaking out to my walkman, desperate to show someone, anyone what I had found.  Because what I found seemed almost too good to be true.

Formed in high school, the trio of Posdanus, Maceo, and Trugoy (AKA:Plug One, Plug Two and Plug Three) hit paydirt when their demo of ‘Plug Tunin’ found it’s way to producer Price Paul’s (Plug Four) hands.  Together they helped form the base of the Native Tongue Posse that included The Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, and later on Monie Love, Black Sheep, Queen Latifah and Chi Ali. 

The Native tongues pretty much paved the way for new style of hip hop for the 1990’s …influencing fashion and lyrical style for years to come. But, I digress.

“3 Feet High and Rising” stands as an excellent companion to the Beastie Boy’s “Paul’s Boutique” for it’s innovative use of sampling.  It was also one of the last albums made before the sampling hammer came down on hip hop, forever changing the art.  Released in 1989, it showed and exuberance that few albums can match even to this day.  Even the group itself in all it’s varied forms has yet to top this effort.

But the day glow look and loose hippy feel would haunt the group for years as they felt they had been misunderstood and mislabeled as “hippies.” The D.A.I.S.Y. Age (DA Inner Sound Y’all) as they called it, would be short lived…but would thrive while it lasted.

Full of awesome hits like ‘Me, Myself and I,’(see below) the Steely Dan sampling ‘Eye Know’ or ‘Say No  Go’…even the misses feel like hits.  And Prince Paul’s skits were copied for, like a decade on numerous albums.  Why can’t people make shit this good anymore? 

I blame Little Jon.

In fact, I would like to take this chance to personally appeal to the boys of De La…If you’re listening, bring back Price Paul!!!  The streets are hungry for it!!!

And for an extra bonus watch the press kit from ‘89.  Sickness!

Vontel – Vision of a Dream

I will give props, where props is due, to Turntablelab for pointing out this little gem from 1998. A great example of why you can’t judge an album by it’s cover. (Seriously, look at it.  Is he from the 80’s???)

Remember when I was talking about regional music?  No?  Well, just pretend you did ’cause this is a prime example.  Something that came out in Arizona and not many other places.  I’ve searched around the web for more info on this guy and found very little, but needless to say this album is a classic.  Fo realz.

On first listen you recognize that sound: Pure west coast G-Funk.  The reason for that sound can be summed up with one contributor’s name.  Roger Troutman of Zapp, king of the vocoder and wah-wah.  Actually, there is another name too, DJ Battlecat who helped shape the careers of artists like Xzibit, Kurupt, The Eastsidaz, and Snoop Dogg.  I still can’t believe that with a line up and sound like this, this album has still managed to stay under the radar.

Take a listen to songs like ‘Ghetto Life’ and ‘4 My Homiez’ (embedded above fo dat ass!) for some true gangsta sounds, or check the sultry female vocals on ‘It’s All On You.’   Awesome production, amazing rhyming skills…this album has it locked

If you love the G-Funk, or just the whole west coast vibe, hunt this one down.  You may have to download it cause OG CD’s are going for $50-100. No kidding.

There is a reissue on vinyl going around at the moment as well, if you’re into it.  I know I am.

UPDATE!!!  I tried finding a digital copy of this and man, it is hard to track down.  None of the regular sites (Napster, iTunes) carry it, and no one on the P2Ps has it.  Finally had to download it off some Russian message board (no Shit!)  But still definitely worth the trouble!

UPDATE 2 !!!  Just go HERE.