Eminem

Eminem, “Guilty Conscience”

I am amused at Dr. Dre playing someone’s guilty conscience.

Bitch Magnet, “Motor”

Oh yeah, that’s the stuff. That late 80s/early 90s production really just connects to me, because of how old I was during that time. Anyway, this is how Bitch Magnet’s first album (Umber) kicked off, and it’s a good record. Ben Hur is probably a little better, but that’s not a knock on this one.

Boldy James and the Alchemist, “Scrape the Bowl”

Boldy James and the Alchemist got together for a second record, The Price of Tea in China, seven years after the first record. They’ve got great chemistry together, something they must agree on as they subsequently went on to make a third record. It’s very good, and if this track strikes your fancy, you’ll definitely enjoy it.

Public Enemy, “Miuzi Weighs A Ton”

I was going to use the phrase “old school” in my description back there, but thought better of it because I’m not even entirely sure I know what old school means to people these days. Sometimes it seems to just mean “in a style I like”. Anyway, to me? This is what it means.

Helmet, “Better”

Helmet’s debut album on Amphetamine Reptile Records was a savage and self-assured record, and they backed it up by touring heavily and blowing people away. Then, Nirvana blew up huge and the major labels started looking for heavy rock acts to sign to satisfy a market suddenly hungry for them. Every single one of them landed on Helmet, and a ferocious bidding war erupted. Interscope were the winners, signing Helmet to a million dollar deal and sending them into the studio. As a teaser, they released a CD single with three of the songs from the upcoming album (including this one) along with one live track, and I got to see what Helmet would sound like with serious dollars behind them. The answer? Helmet!

Rap heavy today.

Common, “The 6th Sense”

First appearance for Common here, this coming from his masterpiece, Like Water For Chocolate. With production from a bunch of underground greats, Common put everything together and made a landmark of underground rap that brought back the feel of the Native Tongues bands. While it might run on a bit too long, it’s still a huge pleasure to listen to, so smooth and assured.