A mainstay on my iPod for the last several weeks has been Ahead of the Curve, a mix-tape by Lateef and DJ Z-Trip. I’m not too well versed in the current underground hip-hop / mix-tape scene, but let me tell you, this stuff is right up my alley. It’s probably due to the old school influence that pervades this album – er- mix tape.

Lateef the Truthspeaker is a west coast rapper originally from East Oakland, CA. His dad was a member of the Black Panthers, and his mom was also in the organization, as a medic (?). He was a founding member of a collective called Solesides, and has worked with Fatboy Slim and DJ Shadow, among many others.

Z-Trip comes from my neck of the woods – Phoenix, Arizona. He’s out of L.A. now, and is a member of a collective called the Bombshelter DJ’s, which also features DJ’s Emile and Radar. He’s featured in a 2001 DJ documentary called Scratch.

I’ll definitely be jumping into more of their music, and into the scene in general. As one who was disillusioned by mainstream hip hop in the mid-late 90’s, little did I know that all I needed to do was dig a few feet under ground. Shame on me.

This one is the third track, dedicated to and featuring Z-Trip, another funky Caucasian from Arizona. At times, it sounds like a classic Bomb Squad production, with Public Enemy’s Terminator X on the wheels of steel. But nope, it’s 2007. It’s Z-Trip. It’s Lateef. It’s – what are the kids saying these days – dope / tight / off the chizzle.

Lateef & Z-Trip – Listen to the DJ (mp3)

Lateef the Truthspeaker’s MySpace.
Z-Trip’s MySpace and Official Site.

BUY Ahead of the Curve.

Aceyalone is no secret to the underground / “intelligent” hip-hop scene, but I never took the time to really jump into his stuff. My mistake. One of the reasons I’ve shied away from hip-hop over the last decade is due to the mainstream “money and bitches” formula that has overwhelmed the airwaves and media. Eminem may be a genius. 50 Cent and Kanye continue to fight it out. But something about all of it has by and large turned me off. I should have kept my ear to the pulse of the underground, because I’ve clearly been missing out on some quality hip-hop.

So though I’m late to the party, hearing Aceyalone’s stuff for the first time is pretty damn refreshing. It started with an email I got promoting his latest release, Lightning Strikes, released tomorrow (Oct. 2nd). On this record, he combines hip-hop with dancehall, and the two songs I’ve heard ssssmoke. It’s produced by L.A.-based Bionik, known for his affinity at fusing dub, dancehall and roots reggae with other genres. I’ll definitely be picking it up this week.

Aceyalone is a founding member of the Freestyle Fellowship, an underground L.A. hip-hop collective in the mid-90’s. He was also part of Haiku d’Etat (with Mikah 9 and Abstract Rude) and the A-Team (with Abstract Rude). I’ve got some catching up to do.

Listen to these two tracks off Lightning Strikes.

Aceyalone – Eazy – feat. Chali 2Na of Jurassic 5 (mp3)

Aceyalone – Shango (mp3)

Buy Lightning Strikes.

Aceyalone’s MySpace.

Eazy video on YouTube.

Authors Note: This is the kickoff of what I hope to be a bi-weekly feature. I have a few lined up but if you have any suggestions or recommendations leave a comment or drop a line to michael at ickmusic.com.

Album: Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album
Genre: Psychedelic Hip-Hop
Status: Disbanded

1994 Stands as one of those monumental years in Hip-Hop. The Notorious B.I.G. unleashed Ready to Die on the world, Nas dropped his classic Illmatic and we were all learning just how deep The Wu Tang Clan rolled with solo efforts from Method Man and The GZA. This year also stands out for all the underground acts that were bubbling up to the surface on smaller imprint labels. Groups like Souls Of Mischief, Black Moon and the subject of this file, The Boogiemonsters, released much slept on classic records during this time.

The Boogiemonsters’ four MC’s formed in and around ’92 when Brooklyn natives Vex and Mondo met the Jamaican born brothers Yodared and Myntric at Virginia State University. They ascended through the underground and college scene and were picked up by Pendulum Records in 1993. On August 9^th, 1994 they released their debut album Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album.

I clearly remember the first time I listened to the record. Swishy, heavily effected beats with touches of soul layered over it drew me in and made me nod my head while the lyrics gave way to a higher level of conscious, much in the same vein of A Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul. There was a message and a feeling to this record that separated from the rest. A passion that was on the positive with a flow so sweet it dripped like honey. Each of the four MC’s complementing the preceding style perfectly without sounding like a clone.

The single “Recognized Thresholds of Negative Stress” is a pure mission statement put to rhythm and verse.

“The cytoplasma, is gettin phatter as it grows
and expansions of the soul so throw the trash below dig within
Your mental will extend upon arrival of the truth the spiritual”

My mind was blown. And it continued on throughout the rest of the record and to this day I can turn on this record and get lost in it. In writing this article I listened to it at least three times and found it just as fresh and new as it did in ’94.

According to sources on the interweb the group lost two members for “spiritual” reasons and their 1997 sophomore album God Sound cast them into hip-hop obscurity.

Boogiemonsters – Recognized Thresholds Of Negative Stress (MP3)

Boogiemonsters – Muzic Appreciation (Sweet Music) (MP3)

Bonus Video Files:

Boogiemonsters – Recognized Thresholds Of Negative Stress (Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARc_mdE_r6A 336 278]

Boogiemonsters – Honeydips in Gotham (Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtwkFj1IZ4g 336 278]

Buy Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album: Amazon*

Links: MySpace (Vex Davortex)

*(The record is out of print, but it appears that you can pick it up from Amazon used.)

Talib Kweli has a new album coming soon on Warner Bros. records called Eardrum. In the late 90’s Talib and Mos Def paired up as Black Star. Since then, he’s released a number of solo albums and mixtapes.

Here’s a sneak peek at a new one from Eardrum, produced by the ubiquitous Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. I have to admit that what drew me to the tune initially was to see if Prince’s “Hot Thing” played any sort of part in it (Will.i.am being a big Prince fan). No Prince samples, but still a nice laid back fuh-low.

Talib Kweli – Hot Thing (Quicktime) | Hot Thing (Windows MP)

Check Talib out on or on Amazon.

Talib’s Official Site | MySpace