Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Vainglorious: Still Protected by the Red, the Black and The Green, Sisssiiiieeeeeee!
Lumumba Carson, aka Professor X of X-Clan, R.I.P.
Don't know about X-Clan? You better recognize. X-Clan did they thing back in the early 90's incongruously (?) blending Black nationalism, Afrocentrism and P-Funk to create a series hip hop polemics over two albums that could make you dance and (in the parlance of the era) rock your dome. Unfortunately, while they did well, they always seemed to be overlooked for media and fan attention and critical acclaim by KRS-One and of course Public Enemy. Which is too bad because X-Clan's music has held up pretty well over time.
Their first album To The East, Blackwards happens to be one of the few old schoool hip hop albums I've put on my ipod so far and, completey by coincidence, was playing regularly even before Carson's untimely recent passing. Along with EPMD, they were one of the few East Coast groups that were really appreciated nationwide for extensively incorporating 70's funk into their sound as opposed to only using it on a token album track or two. Hearing this album again also made me realize how, despite cribbing elements of Jungle Brothers and PE in his rhyme style, underrated Brother J was as an MC.
Folks just slightly older than me (ahem!) constantly bemoan the state of current hip hop and herald the "Golden era" as being better and having more conscious and polical hip hop but, truth be told, politcal hip hop is still out there to be discovered for those who care to look a little harder. Some recent stuff I got put up on:
The Lost Children of Babylon The 911 Report: The Ultimate Conspiracy (click here for more info and to hear music)
Primeridian - peep the ballistics on the spoken word reprise track "Tatuduhendi" from their album Da Allnighta. Now that's real talk. (click here for more)
Flipsyde - The Roots meets (political) 2Pac? Check out the remix of their "U.S. History" track available on their excellent DJ Sharp-mixed The Pen and the Sword - Revolution Radio mixtape. Also, the Urbanix remix of their single "Someday" featuring Styles P. Original versions of both from their recently-released We the People album. (Click here for more)
And don't forget even street mixtape master and former G-Unit DJ Green Lantern is getting political with underground MC Immortal Technique and a host of others on the "Impeach the President" rap remake.
More tribute for Professor X: imageyenation.com (via Oh Word) | Odeo.com (via Hiphopmusic.com)
