Music is... (Quannum Edition)

Okay. I know. Everyone has a music blog.

I don't.

Now I do.

For a (possibly) recurring music feature, I will be highlighting my favorite songs, albums, decades, moments, whatnots, and hoozits. It will depend on my mood. And my drive. We'll see what happens.

For this very first installment, all you need to know is that I generally enjoy underground hip-hop. By the way, I really hate the word "hip-hop". It makes the genre sound so dumb.

One of the greatest (in my mind) hip-hop labels in the last 20 or so years is Quannum. It was founded in 1992 and boasts some of the most talented and respected producers, rappers, and DJs in the industry. They have created some of my favorite albums and songs, always focused on quality and aural experimentation. I hope that I can showcase some of their best work for you in this blog.

MY TOP 10 QUANNUM PROJECTS SONGS (in reverse order):

10. Pigeon John - "Hey You"

I've been a fan of PJ's since waaaay back and when he signed with Quannum I was stoked. However, while his music with them is still great stuff, his best stuff is from his pre-signed days. This song is a lot of fun, though, and catchy, to boot. I might do a top 10 PJ list eventually, because he has some really fun and well-written songs. Enjoy this fan-made video!

9. Blackalicious - "Deception"

For a song about meteoric rise and the deception that money and success can hold for people, there sure is a slightly upbeat tone to this song. It's actually rather perfect, with a slightly dark lilt and a chord progression that somehow seems familiar and comfortable. The Gift of Gab's lyrics here aren't as creative as some of his other stuff (I hate how he says Count of Monte Crisco), but they tell a good story. I used to listen to this all the time in high school.

8. Lyrics Born - "Bad Dreams"

Takes me back to working at The Sports Authority and driving around the Eastside and Seattle. Before I ever saw a picture of Lyrics Born, I always thought he was some older dude with a cool voice and some singing chops. Now I know he's an Asian man with chops. He can flow like nobody's business and his range is surprising. This was the first song on his "Later That Day" album.

7. Latyrx - "Latyrx"

One of the strangest songs I've ever heard. The first verse is actually two verses at once, one in either channel. Lyrics Born raps on the left while Lateef raps on the right. It's almost like there isn't a care as to whether or not we understand what they are saying, but more interest in the sound of voices making different melodic and rhythmic noises over the top of a nice beat. From there the song skips and sputters, finds it's groove with a few more verses and rap harmonies, then sputters and coasts to a finish.

6. Blackalicious - "First in Flight"

This one is off Blackalicious' sophomore album, 'Blazing Arrow'. It's really an almost perfect album, with many great songs, but this one in particular makes my day when I listen to it. It's got a funky, inspirational, and soulful feel to it.

5. DJ Shadow - "Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain"

I once tried to make a video to this song. I was on a crazy DJ Shadow kick for a while where I couldn't stop listening to his albums over and over again. His music is very much like a soundtrack to life. It was to a point where I would just listen and imagine movie scenes. The music would essentially create the scenes for me and all I wanted to do was to film them. I've never been on drugs.

4. Latyrx - "Lady Don't Tek No"

With a classic bassline (think "Another One Bites the Dust" crossed with "The Message"), "Lady Don't Tek No" is a funky and easily listenable experience that busts the door wide open on what Latyrx is capable of. Not only is the production tight, but the verses and delivery are entertaining. If there was one song that I would play in order to try and convert someone into digging underground hip-hop, it would be this one.

3. Lyrics Born - "I Changed My Mind"

I'm pretty sure this song is a collaboration with The Poets of Rhythm (another Quannum group), but in any case it's a great song to sing along to when you just want to belt some tunes. Another showcase for Lyrics Born's unique voice and singing skills, "I Changed My Mind" has made the rounds to different remix artists and there are many different versions of it that can be found.

2. Blackalicious - "Swan Lake"

Probably one of the most chill and timeless rap songs I've ever heard, "Swan Lake" is a rare track, in that it has a whole section of shout-outs that don't ruin the song for me. I really don't like shout-out tracks, because really, why in the world should a song just have you mentioning a bunch of people that I don't know. Why would I pay for that? In any case, I really really dig this song and think it's one of the best produced beats ever. Even the first 20 seconds of unrelated and slightly off-putting DJ junk doesn't ruin this track.

1. Blackalicious - "Alphabet Aerobics"

Could it really be any other song? Blackalicious is really a heavy part of what makes Quannum such a great label and they really haven't made anything quite as far-reaching and fun as this song. They have deeper tracks, catchier tracks, more polished tracks, etc. But they have yet to make a song quite as classic as this one.

THAT'S IT!

I hope you found something that piques your interest. Let me just recommend some albums for your listening, all of which should be available on Spotify to listen at your leisure. From Blackalicious I highly recommend "Nia" and "Blazing Arrow". From DJ Shadow there's the classic (literally; it's pretty much the most respected DJ album of all time) "Endtroducing....." and the mighty impressive "Live! In Tune and On Time". From Pigeon John there's the well-received "Pigeon John and the Summertime Pool Party". And from Lyrics Born, there are some great songs on "Later that Day" and "Same Sh--, Different Day" (unfortunately, he's got a handful of stinkers in there, too).

Thanks for listening!