"So much on my mind that I can't recline..."
Written: Apr 25 '06 (Updated Apr 26 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great look back at a time where Rawkus Records was at its prime
Cons: Not enough Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, etc.
The Bottom Line: "Rawkus Records..." is a great collection of songs from Rawkus artists. It just doesn't include the whole Rawkus experience.
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| poeticone16's Full Review: Rawkus Records: Best of Decade 1,... [PA] - Variou... |
"So much on my mind that I can't recline..."
Black Star f/Common - "Respiration"
Thinking about the current era of trap-hop, where most rap artists who have a genuine love for their craft continue to be made unaware to the general populace, brings to mind a similar situation years ago when bling-rap and jigginess was in style. While not as culturally destructive as this era's inexplicable love for crack music, the bling era featured the same problem for people who were looking for music that could engage the mind while also touching the soul. However, one of the main differences between the two eras was the presence of an easily accessible and recognizable underground rap label that was the home for soulful, smart, and invigorating hip-hop music. A label named Rawkus Records.
Originally established in 1995 as a label that tried promoting progressive music, it struggled to find a niche, while being funded by James Murdoch (son of media magnate Rupert Murdoch), until the group Company Flow (led by producer-emcee El-P) joined their ranks. With the release of their abstract official debut "Funcrusher Plus" punctuated by the repeated battle cry "independent as f*ck", they provided the beginnings of Rawkus Records being a legitimate underground rap label. The compilation "Rawkus Records-Best Of Decade I (1995-2005)" attempts to show the best this label offered in its attempts to differentiate from the mainstream's lack of originality.
One thing that is immediately noticeable about this compilation is that there are no Company Flow records on here. Perhaps that can be explained by the ugly break-up (mostly over promotion) between the two parties that ended the first incarnation of Rawkus Records. With Company Flow leaving (and El-P creating the Def Jux label in his image of what Rawkus should have been), Rawkus Records needed a new face. That face became Mos Def a.k.a. Pretty Flacko a.k.a. Black Dante.
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"My name is Mos Def, this is good as it gets,
Baby, I make you rub your lips like sardines and grits"
Mos Def - "Universal Magnetic" on 1997's Soundbombing Vol. 1
"I want black people to be free, to be free, to be free."
Mos Def - "Umi Says" on 1999's Black on Both Sides
When Mos Def made his debut on the braggadocio-filled 12-inch single "Universal Magnetic", Company Flow's nihilistic visions were still the focus of Rawkus Records. It would not be until his Black Star album in 1998 with partner Talib Kweli that helped switch the label's focus to more accessible (yet still intelligent) rap music and it was his solo debut album Black on Both Sides in 1999 that made him this label's shining star. It's no wonder why this compilation is largely filled with his songs and collaborations with other artists affiliated with Rawkus Records.
"Rawkus Records..." features highlights from his entire career at the record label, first showcasing his jovial descriptions of an encounter with a beautiful gold-digger who played him for a fool on the Ayatollah-produced "Ms. Fat Booty" and then his still-relevant lyrics on what "Beef" really is: "beef ain't the Summer Jam for Hot 97/ beef is the cocaine and AIDS epidemic/Beef don't come with a radio edit/beef is when the judge is callin' you "defendant". I also cannot forget to mention the uplifting jazz-soul modern classic "Umi Says" where Mos wants to "shine his light on the world" so that his people "will be free, will be free".
The same awareness fueled his collaborations with Talib Kweli in which this compilation explores with the inclusions of the two singles from their Black Star album: "Respiration" and "Definition". On the former, with the assistance of Common, they expertly use metaphors to describe their city as a living, breathing being while mentioning what needs to be done to keep it alive ("For trees to grow in Brooklyn, seeds need to be planted."). And, on the latter, they decry the negative aspects of hip-hop and life in general while also proclaiming their togetherness. It is almost enough to make rap fans not notice the comparative lack of Rawkus's next two biggest stars: Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch.
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"They ask me what I'm writing for, I'm writing to show you what we fightin' for"
Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek f/Vinia Mojica - "The Blast" on 2000's Reflection Eternal
While Mos Def became this label's biggest star when his solo debut album went gold, led by the success of his single "Ms. Fat Booty", many argue that Pharoahe Monch should have had similar success with his hit single "Simon Says". But, for whatever reason, Monch's album did not come close to selling as well and he became one of Rawkus's forgotten artists (joining the ranks of R.A. the Rugged Man, The High & Mighty, etc.). This compilation also forgets about him by featuring none of his solo joints and only including his guest appearances on a couple tracks: "Oh No" with Mos Def and Nate Dogg on 2000's Lyricist Lounge Vol. 2 and his horrible singing spot accompanying Styles P on "The Life" that was on 2002's Soundbombing III which happened to be one of Rawkus's last significant releases.
The makers of this compilation don’t undergo such amnesia with Talib Kweli but it’s amazing that "Get By" is the only Talib solo joint on here. I applaud the makers for including the video version of "The Blast" that features an extra Kweli verse, however, since that's the only track included from his Reflection Eternal album with Hi-Tek, my praise is somewhat limited. I have nothing against Common, but he gets three appearances (even though he never signed to the label), which is more than the slots given to Pharoahe and equal to Talib's (even after counting his songs as part of Black Star).
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"I've got my reasons just to get by..."
Talib Kweli - "Get By" on 2002's Quality
"Rawkus Records..." claims to include Rawkus songs until the year 2005, but for all intents and purposes, the last significant release from the label was Kweli's "Quality" which undersold and led to Rawkus being sold to Interscope/Geffen (the company that released this compilation) and eventually dismantled. In fact, all of the songs on this compilation come from the five-year period of 1997-2002 where Rawkus artists were able to release material that gave rap listeners an enjoyable diversion from what was popular in the mainstream.
Will there be another Rawkus Records? A recognizable underground label that was effectively able to promote their artists due to a big bankroll provided by the Murdochs. An underground label that was able to have videos and singles constantly on rotation. I don't think so. Even if there's someone willing to fund an underground label to the extent that Rawkus was, it would only flounder due to what eventually brought Rawkus down: an emphasis of sales over artistic creativity (if Rawkus were to be established today, there would be no collabos such as the ones between Q-Tip and Mos Def on "Body Rock" or Common and Sadat X on "1999"--both of which are on this collection--because they wouldn't have contributed to the bottom line).
Still this compilation is good for a look back at a time when there was a collective of emcees that were allowed to be themselves and actually got quasi-major label type support even if it does not include the whole Rawkus experience. But at a time where crack music is immensely popular, talentless rappers are disgracing Prince records, and cats are rapping about holdin' drugs in front of the U.S. Capitol, I can do nothing except fully recommend this collection of songs.
4.0 stars
Recommended:
Yes
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poeticone16
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Location: Chi-town, Illinois
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