Wu Wednesday's

Its that time of the week and this reminded us of some late 90's early 2000's ...enjoy!

Ras Kass - Bars in the Booth

Wu Wednesday

Here is Champ MC's track, Keep Shit On The Real from 1994.  This is a dope track from the early/mid 90's era of gangster rap.  Still better than nearly all rap that's out today.

[Intro: E-A-Ski]
Hell yeah, 1994, yea we need to keep shit on the real You know what I'm sayin? cuz you muthafuckas is wack Yo, and all you fake ass bustas, you best to keep it real with '94 Yeah, cus we ain't playin, yo Champ, break these muthafuckas off..

[Champ MC]
It's the same old shit no matter where you go You could travel all around the world but there's no room in ghettos The other day I had some problems with the cops I Had to shoot his ass dead to get my damn props What the fuck is going on, I alwayz have to walk around strapped But that's ok with me, I lead them all in a death trap Grab my nine & load up the clip Caught him right in the dome piece, and watched the blood drip Fuck it, I'm going all out like a straight up menace I gotta leave bodies behind until my job is finished Until then, I have to think about complete my mission I'm wishin niggas don't even thinkin about trippin I'm flippin on whoever tried to beat me at my own game It's a shame. how I left that zombie as a ?? Who's to blame? Me, and I don't give a fuck Step up front nigga, and you just pressed your luck

[Chorus 4X: Champ MC (E-A-Ski)]
(Keep It Real Though) Keep shit on the real, you know the deal If you playin on us, then get the hell up out the ghetto

[Champ MC]
It's time for me to move my way up the block, collect my dough And hit'em all with the rest of the rocks, time to go I'm too hard to try to work a nine-to-five I'm strickly from the hood, so I gotta keeps it live Because I like fast money and the money likes me I like my shit hardcore, that's just how I be Fuck all the bullshit, I take care of business money wise Let me spark up this L and pass the St. Ides Workin for the next man to be is typically Try to jack me for mine, I put you out your misery See I'm not playin when it comes to gettin paid If you mess up dough the money then you got to go Shit I jump up on any chick who try to spit foul I blast your head off if you fuckin with my cash you Stupid bitch, I alwayz pack the steal you know the deal If you fuckin with me, you gotta keep shit on the real !

[Chorus 4X]

[Interlude: E-A-Ski]
Hahaha, hell yeah You better learn to keep shit on the real That's right, yo Champ, come again

[Champ MC]
Never in my lifetime will you ever hurt me I'm too down and dirty and I'm leaving niggas thirsty So don't ever sleep cus your mind is too weak And if you try to creep, it'll be your brains on the concrete Damn, I hate to walk around, watchin my back I stay strapped, I even had to kidnap I killed three other people, my shit is like a lethal weapon So stop steppin, before I blow a hole on in your mouth I get a tattoo to attack my next victim They got the nines and glocks and slugs all in them Yeah, I couldn't give a fuck about a stranger Fuckin with me and you'll be headin for danger And I'll be using your head as target pratice you hit the bed & I leave blood soakin through your mattress That's what you get for fuckin with a ghetto bitch My fingers is to pull the trigger on whoever try to snitch

[Chorus 5X]

RE: Graffiti is not an Element

For a follow up to a post we made earlier this year.  We stumbled upon this article;

uk.complex.com/music/2015/04/grandmaster-flash-hates-on-graffiti

He states, "You know what bugs me, they put hip-hop with graffiti. How do they intertwine?".  He was backed up by some old school NYC writers too like, Blade & Fargo.  Also, if you go back and read our post;

graffincdotcom.blogspot.com/2015/01/graffiti-is-not-element.html

You will see SEEN backs it up in his book.  Our argument reflects exactly what Grandmaster Flash was saying too. Besides coming from the same area at nearly the same time, how do they relate?

Wu Wednesday

For us, Wu Wednesday is about featuring rap artists that represent hip-hop.  Artists who rap because it's just part of what makes them who they are.  For us, it doesn't matter if they're making ten bucks or a million, they'd still be doing it.  That's why we call this Wu Wednesday because Wu Tang is the greatest rap group filled with some of the greatest rap artist because rap made up who they are.  That being said, we are posting another underground artist who we feel is dope, original and she's cute too, ha-ha!  Here's Gavlyn - What I do

Graffiti is not an Element

About a decade ago, I remember having a discussion/argument with a good friend of mine regarding the elements of hip-hop.  Well, it was about one element specifically, graffiti.  I remember arguing that graffiti should not be an element of hip-hop.  He did not take my point with any seriousness and came down on me for being dumb or to that effect some how.

It all started when I specifically remember reading an interview with an old 70s writer and he explained that they would go into the yards during the day time and put on the radio and listen to what is now classic rock.  I started to think about that and piece together other points.  I came to the conclusion that if rap really didn't come into play until the late 70s and graffiti started in the 60s and didn't blow up until early 70s, how are they related?  I further concluded that if rap is done while someone DJed/scratched.  An MC would host the rapper and DJ while a BBoy breakdanced in the crowd, where does graffiti fit into that?  Background, maybe, but this is not done or can be intertwined into the music event.  Graffiti picked up popularity when the other elements really started to get going as well.  Yes all elements originated from New York City's boroughs in some of the poorest neighborhoods.  However this was just coincidence.  Graffiti picked up popularity in the late 70s because this was at the same time when New York was doing a major clean up.  All the trains and walls were buffed and most of the old writers walked away.  This is when the new writers seized their opportunity and took advantage of past knowledge and reinventing it and doing bigger and better.  There were no rappers rapping while a graffiti got up in the yards.  There were no MCs or breakdancers getting down when a writer was bombing his neighborhood.

After this debate with my friend, I kept it as a small theory of mine that graffiti should not be an element of hip hop for years.  I didn't discuss it with many people(almost no one) as this is not a popular idea, in fact I would imagine not many people would have even thought it.  If they did, they're not discussing it either.  After years of silence I feel I finally have some what proof to back it up.  In the book, 'They Call me the Godfather of Graffiti' a book of SEEN's personal collection and steps through the years in the graffiti culture
.  He made comments on his images, where he started, how he got there and so on.  About half way through the book he says, "I've always listened Rock music like BLACK SABBATH, THE DOORS, LED ZEPPELIN, JANIS JOPLIN, JIMI HENDRIX and some American oldies...".  He continues on to say, "In the movie STYLE WARS, I'm the only artists didn't have Hip Hop play during my segment.  And that was no coincidence, it was totally deliberate. In all honesty it bothers me that Hip Hip and Graffiti are related.  I understand that both arts came from the streets of New York and that many wrtiers were involved in the Hip Hop scene as passionately as they were in graffiit.  But there were just as many of us not involved.  in fact, Graffiti came way before Hip Hop..."

...ahhh...

Finally!  I'm able to feel vindicated and have the words from graffiti's biggest legend to back up my own opinion.  I feel I make a strong case, not that it will change anything.  Graffiti is now and forever associated with hip-hop but I'm passionate about graffiti and love its culture.  Respecting its past and understanding its history I feel is important.