Crib Notes

No longer shall he walk softly and carry a big pick:

Due to the current U.S. Economic Recession Atlanta emcee Señor Kaos is forced to cut off all his hair to save money.

Welcome to the “Funeral Of The Fro.”

Follow along as friends share their favorite “Fro Memories” and witness as the man who’s fro ruled in 09 (and for the past 7 years), cuts it all off.

Also Señor Kaos performs with 4-Ize the fans get the see the new hair cut live and direct for the first time. Check for Señor Kaos on the new 4-Ize project “Illuminated Animals.” (Available for Free Download at www.4ize.com starting TODAY) Also make sure you download SK’s latest project “Walk Softly & Carry A Big Brick”

Filmed And Edited By B Price. Haircut by Harold (Classics Barber Shop Atlanta, Ga).

Download Walk Softly & Carry a Big Brick.

Señor Kaos performs with Raekwon, and Capone N Noreaga. $18. 8 p.m. Sat., Dec. 5. Masquerade, 695 North Ave. 404-577-8178. www.masq.com. Stay tuned to win free tickets from Creative Loafing.

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NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: NYC remains Raekwon’s muse, even after four years in Atlanta.

By Philip Mlynar

In 1995, Raekwon made his slick ascent to rap’s summit by articulating through rhyme a quintessential New York dream: that years of frustration from growing up in high-rise, low-budget, pissy-stairwelled projects could be transformed into cash and celebrity. So effective was his slang-splattered, crime- and drug-addled wordplay that his gem of an album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, not only influenced rap royalty (Jay-Z and Nas), but it also became his audio albatross. Raekwon’s follow-ups (Immobilarity and The Lex Diamond Story) wilted under Linx’s  brilliant glow, and every fresh rumor of an “official” sequel was quickly consigned to the same netherworld as Dr. Dre’s eons-in-the-waiting Detox.

But now, 14 years later, the Wu-Tang Clan’s slang-master general is ready to follow Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II through to fruition.

“I moved to Atlanta four years ago,” Raekwon says in his familiar husky timbre while driving home from Virginia. “I came down here from Staten Island, New York, to get peace of mind, to constantly see growth in my life. I lived in New York for so long but I wanted to see more, you know what I mean? Atlanta’s a party scene, but for me it’s spacious and I wanted to raise my kids in a way to give them the opportunity to come outside and get some fresh air and focus. I grew up in a different time and wasn’t fortunate enough to see past the ghetto, but now I can do that for my kids.”

Continue reading “Raekwon finally drops the long-awaited Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II“

(Photo courtesy Mac Media)

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Wu-Tang member Raekwon releases Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Vol. 2, the anticipated follow-up to his ’95 album, in two weeks. Here’s the first video “House of Daggers” from the project.

The album, which has been about four years in the making, seemed to be going the way of Dr. Dre’s Detox in terms of long-awaited hip-hop records that never seem to see the light of day. But Raekwon insists he was just making sure he got it right, according to allhiphop.com:

The album, which was originally executive produced by Busta Rhymes, was reportedly complete in January 2006, with RZA added as a second executive producer. Still the project did not see the light of day. In 2007, Raekwon explained that he was determined to set the release up properly.

“I did a lot of hard work on this record,” Raekwon said during an interview. “And I refuse to throw it out and people be like, ‘Yo Rae, I ain’t know your s**t was out.’ Nah, I can’t afford that to happen no more. That happened to me on The Lex Diamond Story. That happened to me on Immobilarity. I’m not going for it on this one.”

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MF Doom — or simply DOOM, as he now wants to be known — is back after a long hiatus, particularly for someone so prolific. One thing we know for sure: His new album Born Like This is performed by him, not a masked impersonator. The album dropped yesterday, and I’m listening to it for the first time here. I’ve live-blogged my thoughts below, borrowing Byron Crawford’s format.

“Supervillain Intro” “Doom’s got a plan that’s gonna shake the heavens,” a WWE-voiced announcer tells us. Let’s hope so. He adds: “Time to get the feta!”

“Gazillion Ear” One of two J Dilla beats here. It’s pretty hot, with kind of an eerie/haunted carnival/David Lynch vibe.

“Ballskin” Now we’re talking! This Jake One beat is even hotter than “Trap Door,” from the Seattle producer’s 2008 album White Van Music, which Wikipedia tells me only sold 9,859 copies. That number makes me want to run myself over with a van (of any color). Wait, is this track already over?

“Yessir!” The Raekwon joint, and he definitely doesn’t phone it in. Doom’s beat is really repetitive and annoying, though. He may have phoned it in, whatever that could mean.

“Absolutely” The only Madlib beat here. I’m feeling it. In fact, this whole thing has a Madvillainy vibe so far. That can’t be a bad thing, right? I could do without the Cops sample at the end of the song, however. Is that honky policeman supposed to sound dramatic? Are they making fun of him? Why not just sample Reno 911, then?

(more…)

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CL caught up with Big Boi at the Georgia Grammy nominees celebration, so we decided to test some of our upcoming Lust List questions out on him.

Name one band from the past you wish you could’ve been in?
Parliament Funkadelic

Favorite karaoke song?
“Ebony Eyes” by Rick James and Smokey Robinson

Best place in Atlanta to show out-of-towners?
Right now, Atlantic Station is pretty cool. They got a nice little vibe over there with Cirque du Soleil and everything. My all-time favorite has always been Little Five Points.

Most attractive feature on the opposite sex?
I’d have to say her brain, fa sho.

What’s the worst thing somebody can do on a date?
Not suckin’ no dick — that’s just a joke though! I don’t know, man, keep stopping by the gas station or something. Just be all the way ready.

Big Boi is nominated for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group for the song, “Royal Flush,” featuring Andre 3000 and Raekwon. Stay tuned for more Lust List Q&As from Georgia Grammy nominees. The 51st Annual Grammy Awards air 8 p.m. Sun., Feb. 8 on CBS. CL’s Lust List issue drops next week.

(Photo courtesy Joeff Davis)

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