Tag: 25 Years

Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip: The 25th Anniversary!

It all started with three young women from Atlanta and Philly. These three young women were totally different but when they came together, they were magic. This magic then made them into the greatest female group of all time. It was a cool, deep throated singer with a swag that was ahead of her time by the name of Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, a crazy, energetic, creative, free spirited and outspoken one with the nasally raps whose no longer with us but is deeply loved and missed by the name of Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes and a sexy, sultry, with the R&B vocals and smooth dance moves who goes by the name Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, together they are the hip hop, R&B and pop group also known as the “crazysexycool” ones, also known as TLC. It was 25 years ago when the world got its first taste of what and how different girl groups can be without the typical glamour and perfect harmonies with dresses and high heeled shoes, instead we got baggy, colorful clothes with condoms pinned all over and heavy Doc Marten boots with at least 4 layers of thick colorful socks, crazy but fun dance moves and lots of powerful and positive statements made in the music that represented female empowerment. Way before Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation” or Beyoncé’s “Lemonade”, there was “Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip.” With 7 O’s and 3 H’s, the O’s represented the days of the week, the H’s represented the three members, “on the tip” was 90’s slang for “on my jock”, “flow”, “vibe”, or “mood.” The title lets you know that you were on the TLC vibe and we fell in love with it. The open starts with a short but simple skit of what sounds like a Caucasian male on the phone giving his opinion about the girls’ look and how he thinks it’s “just a fad” and “it must be a black thing!” but in the same breathe compliments them by saying “but they’re pretty cute!” That intro was a perfect representation of how different TLC appeared to the eye. The next track and debut single from the group “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg” is a catchy hip hop/new jack or “new jill swing” joint about safe sex, hence why they wore condoms pinned to their clothes. They heavily promoted the importance of safe sex. They also talk about not being ashamed or don’t mind begging their significant other for sex. The next joint “Shock Dat Monkey” is a joint I personally always skip. I just never cared for the song but it’s not bad song at all. The intermissions on the album are pretty hilarious too. On the first one, the girls sing a catchy but hilarious song about getting “rid of a ho” that a male friend they’re hanging out with admires for wearing tight clothes and the girls are against the whole wearing tight clothes and exposing body parts to get attention. The intermission was a perfect one before “Hat 2 Da Back” comes on. The final single released from this album but this song is about being a woman whose comfortable with wearing baggy clothes and not always showing off your body for attention. “Das Da Way We Like ‘Em” is one of my favorite joints on the album. Not only is the production so dope but it’s another “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg” type of joint to me. Something you can definitely dance to. It’s a catchy joint about being accepted for who you are what you’re not. Speaking of acceptance, “What About Your Friends” is the third single released from this album and joint about the importance of friendships and whether or not should you keep them around based on circumstances. “His Story” is another favorite of mine. A song about the story of a woman named Tawana Brawley, who was a woman that made accusations about being raped and nobody taking her side and instead taking the men’s side of the story. The song touched a wider scale of how the world always brush aside women’s issues and take up for men and quick to defend a man. It’s a song about calling out male privilege. The second intermission comes on about T-Boz and her man fighting over whether or not she will be going out for a night of fun. She slaps him for lying about taking her, after changing his mind, and then let’s him know that she’s going. The perfect transition into the next joint “Bad By Myself”, which is another favorite of mine on the album. Crazy ass beat, another banger on the album but the song is about the encouragement of women being able to do what she wants and take care of herself without depending on a man to do so. “Somethin’ You Wanna Know” is a cool, laid back joint you enjoy while wiping the sweat off of you from dancing throughout majority of the album and then another laid back love joint “Baby-Baby-Baby” kicks in. This joint was the second single released from the album. It’s the song that caught the attention of older folk who don’t usually listen to what “the kids” are listening to but sometimes, what “the kids” are listening to can definitely do something that’s relatable for all audiences to enjoy. The album concludes with another Marley Marl joint “This Is How It Should Be Done”, which is my second favorite album and followed by my first favorite “Depend On Myself”, another uplifting joint about not depending on a man. Left-Eye finishes off the album with a final important message about safe sex and the girls finish with a classic trademark chant of theirs “Ooooooohhh on the TLC tip!” The album is not only a great debut for the group and their legacy but to come right out the gate so impactful and positive like that was something different and never before seen like that from any other girl groups. TLC’s legacy continues with 3 more albums including, “CrazySexyCool” in 1994, “FanMail” in 1999, and “3D” in 2002. It’s unfortunate that Left-Eye is no longer here to see the fruits of her labor 25 years later. T-Boz and Chilli are both still doing the damn thing and still got us, the TLC Army behind them the whole ride through. As the girls once said and did in a chant “I’m the T, tiggity, tiggity, tiggity, T-BOZ, I’m the liggy, liggy, *CLAP CLAP* LEFT-EYE, I’m the C, and It be the chills, CHILL-LAYYYY, and that is Ooooooohhh on the TLC TIP!” This one was definitely for Lisa. Rest In Peace beautiful. Peace and love to T-Boz, Chilli, the TLC Army and their families. 25 Years later, and the party still don’t stop when a TLC song comes on. Let’s do it like it’s 1992 again!

JUICE: The 25th Anniversary

January 17th, 1992, the classic hip hop movie “JUICE” was released. 25 years later and the movie is still a timeless favorite from hip hop fans all over. The movie has plenty of hip hop cameos too. EPMD, Kool DJ Red Alert, Treach from Naughty By Nature, him and Tupac were really close friends and Fab 5 Freddy. The movie mostly takes place in Harlem and it’s about 4 friends who do what it takes to get respect or in other words get the “juice.” They skip school just to hang out in Steel’s house while his parents are at work all day. Bishop and Q have a fight about what it takes to get respect in their own neighborhood and why they gotta stop taking harassment from the cops everyday but in order to escape everyday harassment by the cops in their neighborhood, they all come up with an idea to rob the corner store in order to get the “juice.” Things start to change when Bishop gets control of the gun and decides to shoot Quiles dead in his store. He then gets a little too pistol happy and ends up killing Raheem in a fight because he refuses to let the gun go. Now only Q, Bishop and Steel left, Q tells Bishop that he is “crazy” and Bishop didn’t like that. Eventually, throughout the rest of the movie, Q and Steel team up together to avoid Bishop but he pops up everywhere trying to lure them into his schemes and so he can get back at them. Bishop catches Steel in the hallway of his building and ends up shooting him. Q finds out and decides that he’ll go buy a gun just in case Bishop comes for him and they end up fighting until the end of the movie when Q accidentally let’s Bishop fall to his death off the roof of the building. Everyone that was from the party inside the building saw the whole thing happened and then someone reminds Q that he’s got the “juice” but he shakes his head no and the movie ends. The movie stars Omar Epps, Khalil Kain, Jermaine Hopkins and the late great Tupac. Quincy aka Q or GQ (played by Omar Epps), is the good guy in the crew, aka The Wreckin’ Crew, who doesn’t really want to get involved in their stick up plans lead by Bishop (played by Tupac) and Raheem (played by Khalil Kain). Q is mostly focused on being a popular local DJ and winning contests at the DJ battles that are hosted by Ruffhouse MC (played by Queen Latifah). Raheem is Q’s closest friend of the crew. Raheem denies his responsibilities of being a father to his son by his ex girlfriend. He’s also the leader of the Wreckin’ Crew and it was also his idea along with Bishop to rob Quiles’ store. Steel is the guy in the crew whose always being laughed at by the crew and the one whose always late when they wanna go hang out and skip school. They go back to his place to hang out while his parents aren’t home and Bishop is the one in the crew that’s always ready for something. Always prepared to “throw down” when something happens. He gets harassed by the neighborhood bully Radames everyday and every time Radames gets a chance to. Radames always threatens to beat up or kill Bishop which adds fuel to why he eventually gone crazy throughout the movie but then Bishop comes back for Radames and kills him. The soundtrack to the movie is even just as dope. “Is It Good to You” by Tammy Lucas and “Don’t Be Afraid” by Aaron Hall are my top favorites on the soundtrack. Also can’t forget by Naughty By Nature’s “Uptown Anthem.” This movie will still be a hip hop favorite in another 10 years or more.

Haunted Hill 2016 Presents: Cypress Hill & Naughty By Nature

On the night of October 28th, 2016, I had one of the greatest experiences of my life. It was the Naughty By Nature/Cypress Hill Haunted Hill 2016 show downtown at Terminal 5. Last week, DJ Kay Gee himself direct messaged me inviting me to the show for free. I was so hyped and pumped about the show. Fast forward to yesterday. Last night, I got there around 5:30, the show starts at 7 but the show really started around 8 or 9. I spoke to the supervisor about me not buying ticket and instead I was invited for free. I got a wristband, went inside, told the lady behind the glass window that I got a free invite by one of the guys in the show. I hand her my ID and she pulls out an envelope and gives it to me. The envelope had my ticket already inside with another wristband written “VIP” on it. I go upstairs and wait probably another 30 minutes to an hour and then we go to the place where the show was gonna happen. I get there and Naughty by Nature merchandise was set up so I knew they was gonna perform first. Kay Gee walks out, notices me, points me out and gives me a peace sign. Then one of their men came up to me and gives me another wristband but this one was an invitation to actually get on stage right beside them during the show but I decided to stay in the audience because I didn’t want to lose my spot way in the front. I could’ve kissed the stage, that’s how close I was. Then, Kay Gee starts spinning a couple of classic hip hop joints and out comes Vinnie and Treach and we went ballistic in the crowd. They came out on “O.P.P” but I knew they was gonna perform that joint before Kay Gee played it because he played “ABC, 123” by the Jackson 5 and that’s the sample on “O.P.P.” Hit after hit, classic after classic, Naughty was tearing down the house. Treach even threw “You Down Wit O.P.P.” stickers and his sweaty towel and I caught both. I was too fucking hype. LMAO! At the end of their performance, Kay Gee walks up to me and shows me more love and I pointed at him and yelled “Yo, Thanks Kay Gee!” and then Cypress Hill came out. They tore it down too but to be honest, I don’t know too much about their stuff except for the usual joints. I was 100% turned up with Naughty, with Cypress, I was in and out but regardless I enjoyed the show. My boys Todd and Ashanti from school came through too and we us three left together. I left that show with a O.P.P. sticker, Treach’s sweaty towel and NBN skully hat my boy Todd copped for me. I also left wanting to cry so bad, I had the greatest time of my life. For my first hip hop concert, I got more than I expected and that’s what made it all so amazing to me. I still can’t get over all the love I was given by Kay Gee. Feels good to know that I’m being recognized for my love of hip hop culture. Real definitely can spot the real and I can always say that what Kay Gee did for me was more than real. This is definitely another hip hop moment for me I’ll never forget.

The Low End Theory: The 25th Anniversary

2 months ago, “Beats, Rhymes & Life” turned 20, now here we are on September 24th, 2016, and another classic Tribe album has an anniversary. “The Low End Theory”, my favorite ATCQ album turns 25. Before I get into this album track by track, I spent some time on Phife’s Instagram account and it still hurts that he’s not here. It’s surreal, I think about this man everyday. I just wish he was here to see “Beats, Rhymes & Life” turning 20, 2 months ago and now “The Low End Theory”, turning 25. This album is known for it’s jazzy sounds that influenced a lot of other hip hop artists and albums. “Excursions”, the opening track on the album is a head nodder and Q-Tip rips this joint. The next joint “Buggin’ Out”, is the joint you hear at the end of the “Scenario” music video and this time Phife is who we hear first and then Tip comes in afterwards. It’s the classic yin and yang thing that the fellas do in their music. “Rap Promoter” has a beat that knocks a little bit more harder than the first two joints on the album and bit more bass too. The next joint “Butter” is one of my all time favorite Tribe joints. This song always plays in my head out of all the Tribe joints there are and it’s my favorite song to listen to when I’m on the train just cruising on my way downtown doing what I usually do, shopping or going to visit family in Queens. Haha, how ironic, Queens is the hometown of Tribe, except Ali Shaheed, he’s from Bed-Stuy. Just like hook goes the joint is strictly BUTTER. “Not no Parkay, not no margarine but strictly butter baby!” The next joint “Verses From the Abstract” is a smooth joint from the Abstract himself. It has a cypher kinda style where a couple of guys come together randomly on the sidewalks and just nod their heads to a dope beat like this joint and do their thing. “Show Business” is another favorite joint of mine on this album. It’s a catchy joint about having the guts and courage to deal with dealing with the rap industry, questioning those who are willing and dedicated to do this. “Vibes and Stuff” has the perfect title. It’s just vibes and stuff. Dope smooth beat and a head nod. “The Infamous Date Rape”, a song that touches on the subject of date rape. An important topic should be discussed more so that people understand what does it mean when someone says NO! The next joint “Check the Rhime”, the first single released from this album and of course a classic. I loved how the video had everyone from the neighborhood Kickin’ it with Tribe. By the way, the ATCQ mural on Linden Boulevard is the exact same place where the video for this joint took place 25 years ago. I’m just glad I was there. Word. “Everything Is Fair” is one of those Tribe joints where they obviously use a sample that takes over the entire the song. This joint coulda been an instrumental and it would still work. “Jazz (We’ve Got)”, awwww maannnn! This is my all time favorite Tribe joint. I am obsessed with this joint all the way yo! Everything was perfect about this joint. The beat, the jazzy horns sounds, Tip, Phife, the simple rhythmic hook “We’ve got the jazz, we’ve got the jazz.” My favorite part on this joint is the beginning of Phife’s part when he uses his Trinidadian accent and goes “Competition dem Phifer come sideway, but competition dey mus me come straightway.” I lose it at that part all the time. “Skypager” was cool. The beat is dope but that’s pretty much it. It was more like an interlude or a short skit to me. “What?”…… The perfect title for it. Didn’t like this joint and of course the album ends with “Scenario.” Another classic Tribe joint with the help from Leaders of the New School, Busta Rhymes original rap group. It was Busta, Charlie Brown, Cut Monitor Milo and Dinco D. The video was perfect for the song too. It was just as hype as the song. Another hip hop classic right here, from beginning to end. This album is always up for debate with “Midnight Marauders” amongst hip hop and Tribe fans about which is Tribe’s better album and whose is what favorite. Once again, much love and peace to my man Phife Dawg. Rest in peace King.