Slanging That Rhyme
The ATX rap wax discography
By Robert Gabriel, Fri., July 9, 2004
Without artifacts, it's difficult to ascertain history. As such, the story of Austin hip-hop is best told through its records. Analog imprints of music in motion, vinyl has always served as the main ingredient in hip-hop. Windows in time, phase-shifted to the present, vinyl is every bit as utilitarian as it is entertaining. Slap it down on a turntable and feel the warmth of its vibrations, Texas heat unleashed. Spinning tales of yesteryear through telegraphic drum patterns and respiratory bass, its codified language unveils a local musical community ever on the move.
Project Crew
"Army Man" 12-inch (Night Life, 1988)Project Crew
"I Should've Loved You" 12-inch(Project Crew, 1988)
Austin's very first rap song committed to wax might have also been its most successful. Not only did "Army Man" by Project Crew become a local smash in 1988, earning regular spins on KAZI radio and at Playland Skate Center, it also resonated with soldiers stationed at nearby military outposts in Killeen and San Antonio.
Teaming the love-struck rhymes of the Rapper Clay Moe and a forlorn chorus by Lady T with minimalist production by DJ Cassanova, "Army Man" captured an emerging hip-hop scene in desperate need of leadership.
"We had this gangster-type acquaintance who offered to buy us equipment on the condition that we basically rush to release a product," recalls Cassanova. "Within three days of owning our new SP1200 we had three songs ready to go."
As "Rap Rookie" presented Clay Moe in fierce battle mode, MC Teddy Lee introduced himself on "Shop Around" by way of the line "moved to Austin from San Antone, had my Adidas warm-up and my Giorgio cologne." Having toured the modern day Texas chitlin circuit, which included small clubs in Giddings and Waco as well as a large concert hall in Houston, Project Crew invested in the self-release of yet another three-song record.
With Terry T augmenting the flows of Clay Moe and Teddy Lee, "I Should've Loved You" and "Tricks" placed Project Crew among a Texas peer group that included the Geto Boys and the Fila Fresh Crew. While Cassanova's heightened sampling techniques invigorated "I'm on a Roll" with newfound complexity, Clay Moe clamored, "Back in the afro days I used to rock it, my mic was my soul brother, pick in my back pocket."
With a year of hard work culminating in a three-month tour of Japan, Project Crew had the world at its feet before parting ways shortly after their return to Texas.
Lady I.C. & MC K.B.
"Takin' It to the Ism" 12-inch (Sunshine, 1988)In 1988, the A-Town Posse, Rock T., J. Rock, LaTRail, K.B., Lady I.C., Mona Lisa, Dinky D., and Wink D., released a local hit of their own, K.B.'s "I'm More." Mixing sharp drum sequences with flashed samples of Zapp's "More Bounce to the Ounce," the song embodied the raw braggadocio style of the Def Jam era.
K.B., who once opened for EPMD at the Travis County Expo Center, contributed another cut called "Do It K.B.," which, in theory, approached the realm of classic material by Ice-T and Too $hort. Commanding "Dinky scratch it up so the people stop itching, Winky pump the bass 'til the people start kicking," Lady I.C. ripped a party anthem on the B-side of the record called "Lady I.C. Is Here."
Bad Mutha Goose & the Brothers Grimm
"Jump the Funk" 12-inch (Fable, 1988)"Be Somebody" 12-inch (Fable, 1989)
"Be Somebody" 12-inch (Alpha International, 1991)
Building on the funk momentum of his former group, the Big Boys, guitarist Tim Kerr joined up with a multicultural crew of Austin musicians in 1987 to form Bad Mutha Goose. Initially modeled after Sly & the Family Stone, the enthralling live band not only inspired fellow local funkateers Retarted Elf and Joe RockHead, they also referenced hip-hop territory by way of collaborations with J.T. Def and Rockmaster K.J. of Loud Posse.
Rockmaster K.J., now known as Hot 93.3's newest on-air deejay Brotha K, recalls "the days when the opening slot at a Bad Mutha Goose show was about the only opportunity for a rap group to get on stage downtown." Utilizing an Alesis drum machine to lay a foundation of Schoolly D-styled backbeats, the Purple Voodoo Mix of "Rev It Up" on 1988's "Jump the Funk" 12-inch presents Goose vocalists Alvin Dedeaux and Billy Pringle doing their best Beastie Boys impersonations.
On the flip side of the same record, "Texas" pairs Alvin's whimsical rap narratives with Kerr playing a funky blues over a wicked kick drum pattern. Kerr recounts that "Rick Rubin told Alvin and me that if we wanted to quit Bad Mutha Goose and do a whole record like 'Texas' that he would sign us up." The allusions to hip-hop continued for the band with their 1989 version of the "Be Somebody" 12-inch containing "One Man One Vote," a collage of anti-apartheid voiceovers merged with Bomb Squad-esque production provided by legendary SST affiliate Spot.
The record also featured the Mega Dope Swing Beats remix of "Jump the Funk," which is capped off by J.T. Def spitting such local flare as "drove me by the party on the 19th Street, 10 kegs of beer and lots of girlies to meet." On the 1991 version of the "Be Somebody" 12-inch, board-work by Joe "the Butcher" Nicolo, who'd previously recorded with Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, yielded a precursor to Hip Hop Humpday's instrumental orientation with a jam titled "Time to Get."
Candy Fresh
"We Wanna Get Paid (Up the Money)" 12-inch (2 Sweet, 1990)With assistance from Fresh Kid Ice of Miami's 2 Live Crew, Candy Fresh made noise on KAZI airwaves and beyond with this release on 2 Sweet Records. While her "Me So Horny" knockoff "We Wanna Get Paid" enjoyed top billing, it was an alternate track titled "Do the (Get Busy)" that ultimately hogged the spotlight. Interspersing samples from Kraftwerk and Debbie Deb across uptempo patterns of freestyle drum and bass, Wink D. supplied Candy with just the right hype to make her simple-yet-sassy rhymes sparkle.
Papa Chuk
"Funky Science" 12-inch (Pendulum, 1992)"Desolate One" 12-inch (Pendulum, 1994)
"Trunk of Funk" 12-inch (Pendulum, 1994)
The Badlands LP (Pendulum, 1994)
After years of bouncing between projects with fellow locals Cassanova and Quince, Papa Chuk attracted the attention of New York's Pendulum Records, which at the time was also handling Digable Planets and Lords of the Underground. Once Chuk's "Funky Science" charted in the Bay Area and London, Pendulum rolled out the red carpet for the burly MC, leading him far astray from his Texas roots.
"Basically the label was trying to make me like every other MC from New York." Chuk remembers. "They really didn't know how to market me. They just weren't used to my gangsta style. Instead of Texas, fools in New York thought I was from Jamaica."
As Badlands finds Chuk navigating a sea of generic instrumentals, his vocal style resembles that of Redman as he tackles perplexing topics such as war protest and child abuse. While the LP racked up a favorable review in The Source and enjoyed airplay on MTV, its East Coast sound didn't catch on down south.
"My regret from the experience is that I never got a chance to build my market at home. I'm proud that I was able to do something that I had dreamed about since I was a little kid, and I'm proud that I was successful, but I didn't get the chance to do it my way."
Prince Poetry & QB
"Long Distance" 12-inch (Five Finger, 1998)While in Austin for one of the last Organized Konfusion shows before the New York group's breakup in 1997, Prince Poetry mentioned to local DJ NickNack that he was interested in doing a song with a Texas MC. Pooling his resources with Hip Hop Mecca's Dave Crump and former Foundation DJ X-Man, Nick weighed his options and decided Beaumont's QB would be the right man for the job.
Bringing Prince Po and QB together at Cassanova's North Austin studio to rhyme over a beat produced by Foul Mouth, the resulting "Long Distance" became a minor hit on college radio. With NickNack, X-Man, and another former Foundation DJ, Snoopi, supplying turntable cuts on the flipside, QB and his Beaumont clique Environment vocalized another pair of Foul Mouth tracks called "Top to Bottom" and "The Truth."
Foul Mouth
The Connection EP (Wax Werx, 1999)With Foul Mouth manning the boards on this 1999 compilation, contemporary songs by NickNack, Dr. Mic Livingston, Tray God, Shitzo, Sub Zeero, Brotha K, and Environment stood side-by-side with the throwback mentality of "Move" by Shortfuze and Kemusabe. Eluding to Austin as an educational breeding ground ("the last five years my life has revolved around tuition"), the Zealots brushed up on the dizzying spray of "Error in the Era." Most notably, the record presented Austin's most crucial posse cut to date, "Forever Like Whatever," complete with fevered verses from every member of "the Wax Werx garage entourage."
Tee Double
Lost Scriptures EP (Goodvibe, 1999)Mirage
Life Is a Rhythm (L.I.A.R.) EP (Goodvibe, 2000)While attending the 1988 Gavin Music Conference in San Diego, Tee Double blew up an open mic for a flock of industry bigwigs.
"I was approached by Elektra, Warner Brothers, and Def Jam, but only Goodvibe allowed me to keep my publishing and master recordings."
With Panda One of Animal Pharm and DJ Drez overseeing the release of his six-song EP, Tee Double did the home-team proud as both an MC and producer. Featuring "Lost Scriptures," which had previously been a local hit on community radio as a cassette single, an enticing ode to Austin hip-hop called "I Remember," and a blistering freestyle titled "Mixtape Material," the album did so well that Goodvibe decided to release a record by Tee's fellow Kinetic crew member Mirage.
Sporting a local hit of its own in the form of "Life Is a Rhythm (L.I.A.R.)," Mirage's debut EP encompasses its own adage: "Why make excuses, I'd rather make money."
Soundscape
"Listeners" 12-inch (Crowd Control, 2000)The duo of DJ NickNack and MC Bavu Blakes worked its way up from the inner depths of the local scene as University of Texas transplants from the Dallas area. With plenty of experience in clubs such as Catfish Station and Electric Lounge as well as on KVRX, Nick and Bavu temporarily joined forces as Soundscape for this three-song effort.
Opening with the announcement "I'm introspective and introverted, so it ain't nothing to drop an introduction," "Listeners" brandishes the calculated baritone of Bavu over a prodding bassline provided by Nick. With "Perception Is Reality" serving as its tagline, the record also presented the sensual, spoken words of Poetree on "Truth" and signs of Nick's tutelage under the wings of K-Otix producer The ARE on "Die in Your Sleep."
Bavu, ever apt to drop a quotable line, captured the pride of his craft with "If I was another MC, I'd be content just listening to me."
Arctectonics
Style & Grace LP (Marmafade, 2000)Inspired by the mid-Nineties indie rap craze sparked by the likes of Project Blowed and Company Flow, Arctectonics aimed to "absorb your orbital mind-state" with Style & Grace. As Jag, Wildcard, and Eloosiv held down mic duties on the cerebral tip, Glitch backed them with busy tapestries of shuffling rhythm. Joined by Oakland's Mystik Journeymen on "Collecting All the Winnings," the Arctectonics sound summoned underground heads "like a revolutionary beacon."
Sabado Gigante
"Vote for Gigante" 45 (Punk Rock Stripper Girl, 2000) A zany, bilingual take on elections as popularity contests, with tongue-in-cheek promises of more "game shows, goggles, chain saws, models," Jack Fiend of Sociopath Left split his rap personality over a playful track of his own devices. Completely unashamed to announce his "South Lamar Boulevard underarm fragrance" as part of his platform, a true man of the people let it all hang out on blue wax.Smackola
"Hard Timez" 12-inch (Body Head, 2000)Financed by boxing champion Roy Jones Jr., Smackola unleashed a bicoastal style of hip-hop that simultaneously represented his Sacramento, Calif., upbringing as well as his growing affinity for his adopted home-base of Austin. On "Hard Timez," the self-proclaimed Black Zorro employed a proto-crunk DJ Crash production to spin such proclamations as "to me in life, boy, you'll always have trouble, there'll never be no next level, if you ain't going through no struggle." Only two years away from the formation of his local metal-rap outfit Dirty Wormz, Smackola's rambunctious swagger was already in full effect.
NickNack
"Re:Construction" 12-inch (Crowd Control, 2001)In 2001, NickNack expressed his affinity for DJ Premier-styled beats and scratch-in choruses by way of collaboration with QB and Headkrack from Dallas. "Show You How" not only adhered to boom-bap philosophy with metronomic drums and horn stabs, it even borrowed a line from Guru: "Watch some fly niggas show you how to rhyme, asshole."
A track with Damien and Mic from K-Otix titled "The Better" unfortunately fell flat, but a reappearance of Soundscape proved Bavu Blakes to be Nick's most enigmatic partner. Navigating a majestic piano loop, Bavu dissected "Real Life" with poignant lines like "The company you keep that allows you to eat is a bittersweet bon appétit." As an added bonus, Nick included "Texas Treats," an a cappella run-down of just about every Austin rap act for DJs to utilize as a scratching post.
Hydroponic Sound System
The Synthesis EP (Alternate Take, 2002)Hydro Soundclash EP (Alternate Take, 2003)
"Delirium" 45 (Alternate Take, 2003)
Having kept up his ties to the Dallas scene, Bavu Blakes recorded a few sides with Skinny Fresh and Rube of Hydroponic Sound System. The original version of "Play the Role" appeared on The Synthesis EP in 2002, and found Bavu putting it all out there with projections such as "Mr. About-to-Be-Rap-Star, quit your job, the whole nine, 'cause you couldn't accept the corporate frame of mind."
Given the Bzzz remix treatment for the Hydro Soundclash EP, "Play the Role" had its initial sleigh-bell shuffle broken down with distorted hand claps accentuating its pulse. In rotation on Hot 93.3 and in clubs around town, "Play the Role" eventually warranted a video shoot and further remixing by Symbolic One of Waco's Strange Fruit Project. Pressed as a 7-inch single, "Delirium" signified Bavu's position as Austin's most precise lyrical aficionado: "I can't sleep tonight, every time I try, I feel the need to write."
NickNack
"Mustard Seed" 12-inch (Crowd Control, 2003)"Soul Nourishment" 12-inch (Crowd Control, 2003)
After joining drummer Brannen Temple's local jazz ensemble Blaze as a turntablist, NickNack began to incorporate the band's improvisational nature into his studio repertoire. As its video confirms, "Mustard Seed" is a laid-back, dreamy type of instrumental made for rainy days. Trumpeter Ephraim Owens blows golden rainbows on "In Hind Sight"; bassist D-Madness stirs the rich, warm blend of "Salt of the Earth"; and on each record NickNack lays down a collage of "Skipless Turntable Treats." While "Soul Nourishment" leans on the stand-up bass of Mark Miller, "Human Experience" conjures a Portishead dirge with Laura Scarborough at the helm on vocals and Wurlitzer. Possibly the highlight of the bunch, "Fighting Facts" packs a wallop with swarming guitar and killer drum kicks.
Overlord
The Re-Up EP (Dark Skin, 2003)Austin's resident rap heavyweight, Overlord was awarded an Austin Music Foundation grant in 2003 to help with the recording and promotion of The Re-Up project. His duet with Abyzz called "Life Goes On" is a forceful affirmation that in video format has enjoyed its fair share of burn on the Austin Music Network. The slick, pseudo-gangsta feel of "In the End" is balanced by the live instrumentation and R&B sensibilities of "It's a Good Life."
Tee Double
"Feel the Vibe" 12-inch (Mumbo Jumbo, 2004)Coupled with its Robbie Hardkiss remix, "Feel the Vibe" takes off on an old school funk vibe to pose localized questions such as, "Is it me, or is the town regrouping?" The B-side "Let It Go," with obvious stylistic nods to Kanye West, garnered a few weeks of sporadic airplay on Hot 93.3, but it's "The Official" that stands out, as Tee Double rides a rolling bassline and closing beat juggles in proper "Naqura denim" fashion.
Soul Odyssey
Arson Optics and Mirage Are Soul Odyssey EP (Melodic Science/Word Power, 2004)Clarifying his dual role as both an MC and producer of Soul Odyssey, Arson Optics announces, "I'm walking that, talking that, slanging that rhyme. And don't forget the beat banging, that's mine." As his quartet of instrumentals conjure a jazzier Tomita losing himself in a web of Organized Noize-inspired bounce, Mirage grounds the proceedings with a resounding "Where I been, where I am, where I'm gone be, hustling my art in my hood, 2-3."
Fossil Fuels
Since most of these records are out of print, they're also hard to find. Many thanks to Cassanova, Dinky D, Papa Chuk, Brotha K, Tee Double, Mirage, Jules Narcisse, Andre Walker, Matt Sonzala, La.D.Da., NickNack, and Tim Kerr for all the help in gathering resources for this discography. While Waterloo Records is probably the best bet for finding the newer releases, the rarer stuff pops up every now and then at Turntable Records, Cheapo Discs, and various Half Price Books stores. – R.G.
