TheMeaningOfDope

Photo Credit-my man Phil at Dope-A-Lot aka the go-to guy from now on. Taken last night at the NY Giants Dj Series.

So being that I like to nerd out and really really get my point across, I’ve prepared a list of my favourite Diamond D(fuck the herb who trademarked the name and made D legally change his performing name to just Diamond, it’s Diamond D for life) tracks that I hope will get some run tonight and some that he played in his DJ set last night that I definitely consider his best work.
1. Freestyle (Yo That’s That Shit) from the Stunts, Blunts, and Hip-Hop LP

i’m just an ordinary/brother who is very/dedicated to real rap so don’t compare me/to another brother

First Diamond D joint I ever heard. As Funkmaster Flex said on his now-famous July 4th weekend mix, “this record created the word bop!” and nothing could be more true. I dare you motherfuckers to listen to this and not bop your head. The shit is contagious, from A-yo wait a minute this track just makes me get live and Diamond sets the bar for producers rocking on the mic. I had to actually turn the track off while writing this because I was practically writing the verse down.

2. Feel The Vibe from the Stunts, Blunts, and Hip Hop LP

you gotta get your fingers dusty/and keep your ear to the street so you won’t get rusty

All kiddies, take note. Learn your roots and put on your Timberland Boots. Diamond and Showbiz lace these chunky drums and the ill repeating horn sample with a fresh hook and a couple solid verses. Diamond is already lamenting the passing of realness in music and tells a very timeless hip-hop story in his last verse. Not to mention how they throw in that vocal sample from “Fanatic of the B-Word” as a sort of outro. That was my shit from De La Soul is Dead. Word up.

3. A Day In The Life from the Stunts, Blunts, and Hip-Hop LP

hit the stereo in an instant/then I twist up a bud/light an incense

I’ve definitely started plenty of days like that, and thanks to Madlib, I was able to pick my quote from this song immediately. Lord Jamar and Derek(ahem, oh I forgot, I meant Sadat) X from Brand Nubian join Diamond D on this absolutely classic joint. The only guest appearance on this album that wasn’t immediate crew, and could this song be any easier to listen to? I swear by the time Sadat’s verse is on, I’m already wanting to run it back. The ill minor flange on the adlibs at the end of both Lord J and Sadat’s verses is one of those things I just picked up listening to this joint 5 times in a row.

4. I Went For Mine from the Stunts, Blunts and Hip-Hop LP

the object of a song is to keep your head movin’

This album was so stacked. 17-18 tracks deep, a couple ill interludes and like 3 singles before the actual album(tape) ended up in my hands. Instantly, my favourite joint on the album was clear to me. This shit was just so smooth. I remember getting shivers when the flute first comes in. This is one of those breaks that I can listen to the whole song and enjoy almost as much as the track that sampled it too. Just pure magic. I wasn’t that stoked when Dj Scratch flipped this again for Busta, but I guess the heads will always know that it’s the Diamond joint first and I never mind hearing both of them followed by the break in a dj set.

5. You Can’t Front (B-Side) from the Fuck What You Heard 12′

n*&%@s was sleepin’/but now have awakened/ask the boriquas/ask the jamaicans

B-Side, B-Side, B-Side. Those were the words you wanted to hear when a new 12′ came out. Having a dope new track with Finesse and Sadat X on it was definitely a huge deal when this shit dropped. The first time I heard this it was on +4 at least so I def had to speed it up when I finally got my copy, but still this track is pure fire. I can’t pick a best verse, but I’m leaning towards Finesse. “I write rhymes more than bitches get they hair done”?? Come on! Ill shit. The beat is crazy too, such heavy drums.

6. Slappin’ Suckas Silly Remix(Yaggfu Front) from the Busted Loop 12′

I got the stamina of a Vietnam Vet..

Not sure why Diamond kicks a sex rhyme for the ladies on this joint, but regardless this was an ill remix. A couple chopped up drum loops and chunky bass. Sound familiar? The classic DITC formula and Diamond wrote the book. Where the fuck are Yaggfu Front? Like for real, these kids were ill.

7. Welcome To The Next Level(Tha Alkaholiks) from the Coast II Coast LP

so recognize when you feel it/DITC-you can’t steal it.

Besides coining one my favourite phrases in life ever, the safest way to have sex is right between the titties, this joint was probably my shit from this album. Diamond brings the ill repeating horns in the chorus and the soft echo-y snare to lace up Cali’s finest and they don’t disappoint with the rhymes. My favourite shit about Diamond D at this point was that he dropped a verse on everybody’s tracks that he produced to further his point that he was the best producer on the mic.

8. No Wonduh (The Projects) from the Hatred,Passions and Infidelity LP

Dice games and robberies/til I hit the lottery

The intro of this song is tight! From the opening speaker and the intense sirens, it totally sets the scene for a descriptive track where Diamond opens his project windows to us. I love how the siren sneaks back in to the track here and there and then gets hectic in the chorus all over again. Not to mention, he samples Posdonus’s classic line. This track is such a well-executed concept. Kudos, Diamond D.

9. Flowin’ from the Hatred, Passions and Infidelity LP

Yours truly, don’t forget my name

Who’s John Dough? Just saying the guy who tears a ton of tracks on this album along with K-Terribull won’t cut it? These 2 cats came out of nowhere and have sick cadence and tight rhymes, Diamond def made a powermove putting them on. Did I mention that I like feelgood album cuts yet? This is another perfect example, and it even fits in the short song category clocking in under 3 minutes long. I love short songs, and I’m not even sure why. The shouts in the hooks are fresh, too. Sometimes dudes gotta get shouted out and why not throw them on the hook?

10. Never from the Hatred, Passions and Infidelity LP

When cats was anti-drugs/there was weed seeds in my rugs

Hey gang, I’ve got some grass! I have been a huge weedsmoker at many times in my life and this was one of my anthems for real. What is it about Diamond and Sadat that automatically makes any track they’re on together fire? He takes the song in my opinion..definitely tells a totally true story and manages to slip in some humour too. The mini-skit scenes in the choruses are some dope shit too. I can relate to both. This is another Diamond break that I appreciate as much as the track too. Jerry Butler, what? Oh, so now I can’t smoke on a blunt, right? Ha.

11. This One from the Hatred,Passions and Infidelity LP

even had a brother on a pair of ice skates/turned me on to snacking on rice cakes.

A love song done proper for real. Diamond shows his sensitive side, but still over some heavy drums and a vibey loop. Throw Busta on the chorus complete with a little profanity, and it just ends up being an anthem for any of the thugs with a thoro wifey out there.

12. Double Dare (produced by Mark the 45 King) from the Drop Da Bomb 12′

lay in the cut/see the game about to change

I don’t know much about this track except that it bumps like craig mack’s grill and both Diamond and K-Terribull rip it up. A banger I recently discovered that sounds retarded on a big system.

13. You’re In The Wrong Place (B-Side) from the With The Dope Sound 12′

It ain’t a game duke/you can’t call mine!

A release on Diamond’s indie imprint, Dusty Fingers that came out shortly after Hatred, Passions and Infidelity. It features Jon Dough, K-Terribull, some other guy, and none other than Ras Kass. I can just see all the NY dudes trying to write something that would outshine Ras who absolutely shits on this track coming in the last spot. He ever airs out Ray Benzino. Reality Bites like bad blowjobs? Word up..oh and Diamond’s beat is crazy, but he doesn’t even rhyme on it which was a bit of a surprise considering his track record.

Once again, please enjoy this zip file of all the songs listed here. Especially that You’re In The Wrong Place shit, that was a last-minute vinyl rip right before I made this post. On my way to the show, see you T.O. heads there.

Photo Credit-Thesmokingsessions on flickr. Thanks Gotty and Crew!

Word the fuck up. Last night was ill. Ag, Diamond D, Lord Finesse, O.C., Extra P, Juju and Psycho Les ALL in the building for the NY Giants Dj series. Finesse tore it up more than anyone in my opinion but the whole night was banger after banger.

To get people in the mood for tonight’s festivities at The Opera House in Toronto, I’ve compiled a list of my 13 Showbiz and Ag tracks that I want to hear tonight. Whether this actually happens, who knows..I tend to like album cuts way more than singles, but either way this is a thoro list, y’all.

1. Giant In The Mental from the Party Groove/Soul Clap EP

i’m hittin hard/and what does my card say? i’m unstoppable/you had to find out the hard way

Ag steps to the world on this one, like fuck all y’all…I’m a 5′3 tornado on the mic. The fierce horn stabs and drums sound like some Bomb Squad shit just way crispier. This was probably the first song after Party Groove and Soul Clap that I heard and I was bugging out. He is so proving a point that he really felt he was better than everyone else out.

2. Catchin’ Wreck from the Runaway Slave LP

a petty diss, i’ll ignore it..

Ag is way more simple and less furious on this joint, but it’s just so clean. The flute loop and bassline just keep my head bopping and both Show and Ag rhyme proper on this one. I really think it’s the chorus to be totally honest. Shit gets stuck in my head like crazy.

3. Diggin’ In The Crates from the Soul Clap/Party Groove EP

back when i was a hoodlum/beatin on nerds..

This is the joint that really really did it for me. It was pretty much the first time I realized how thoro this click really was. Diamond sets it off, then Showbiz with a tight verse including the quote above, Ag then Lord Finesse. Wow. The horn sample in the chorus is butters, and the piano breakdown that comes in a couple times, too. Not to mention this has the vocal sample that Show later used for Fat Pockets. This is definitely one of the best posse cuts of all time. I have realized that all over again.

4. Still Diggin’ from the Runaway Slave LP

when show drops the beat/i say holy mackerel!

This track is on some Yaggfu Front-Busted Loop shit. Chaotic, tight and almost abrasive horn samples. The whole basis of the song is horn samples..so sick. Wtf happened to horns? They aren’t cool anymore, producers? Take a page from Show and Diamond on this shit. Horns can be super ill. Somehow Ag and Finesse didn’t make this one, but Diamond makes up for it with the opening verse for sure.

5. Hold Ya Head from the Runaway Slave LP

it’s too easy to kill another young muthafucka

Ok. The fucking drums on the intro to this shit? Bananas! I swear Premo flipped those on the intro to You Know My Steez. Anyways, like I said. I love album cuts, and I love songs that are saying something. This is the mostly-Showbiz rhyme joint where he gives a little life advice and they shout out some peeps in tough times or who passed away. The filtered bassline is so smooth, and the whole track gives me a dope happysad feeling.

6. Silence Of The Lambs from the Runaway Slave LP

you think you’re able to win, huh/you better chill/cuz you never will/you ain’t even never been

Another sick intro! This time with Freddie Foxxx and him talking shit over a sick little loop that Show probably cooked up in 3 minutes. The flute loop is my favourite part of this track by far, and there’s a different effect on Ag’s voice that sounds ill. He goes in on this joint, really setting the bar with his layered rhyme patterns and staggered punchlines. I love Ag’s flow and he’s still fucking with it to this day, and it’s STILL just as dope as when I first figured it out.

7. Bounce Ta This from the Runaway Slave LP

my respect/and all that dough/that’s all that counts

How the fuck does Cipha Sounds not like this track? Yeah I heard you making fun of it, B! That doesn’t make any sense. To me, this is like the perfect pairing. 2 emcees that no one ever bit or emulated because their structure was just way too fucking advanced for the rest of the fools to catch up to. Seriously, this song was such a banger. I lost it when this first played on a mix show here, Ciph you need a good reason to hate that hard.

8. Next Level OG Version from the Good Fellas LP

the shit is type hype/cause the sample is tight, right?

Indeed it is, AG. Indeed it is. I don’t give a shit, sorry. The Premo remix is the obvious choice and I’m not the obvious guy. I think I even heard this version AFTER the remix and appreciated it that much more. The subtle strings that fade in and out here and there(I think they’re strings) are so dope, and the guitar loop in the chorus? Hell yeah, I’m still GOIN’ IN. Ag’s flow on this is absolutely razorsharp. Considering how long it was between Runaway Slave and this, it was good to hear how tight Ag still was, not to mention that he had totally improved. Quiet is kept, it’s best that you step on the low. I could quote this song all day.

9. Got Ya Back from the Good Fellas LP

and momma duke gets nuff respect/because she kept me in check/one deep..now that’s a roughneck

Another feelgood album cut. Right up my fucking alley for sure. The Wally World who we’ve been hearing shouts out for since the first EP ends up rhyming on a cut. Ill. I did like your debut quite a lot, good sir. After seeing DITC all together(minus Crack TS and Show) last night, I totally believe everything Ag is saying in this cut. They have each other’s back for real and shit like that is why they’ve had such longevity and are true legends in this game. Period.

10. Medicine from the Good Fellas LP

the loot’ll come through if we stay true now/but some can’t stay true/cuz they don’t know how

Definitely on some dark, eerie sounding mid 90’s NYC underground shit. I love this track though. That snare is basically punching you in the face everytime it hits. I think Deshawn does the chorus on this, right? Either way, Ag goes in like every single track on this album and the sneaky Masta Ase vocal sample here and there adds an extra dimension to the track. I just love how this song feels.

11. Hidden Crates from the Full Scale LP

look at all these fakes/musically you imitate the crates

Kae. What the hell is this sample? Jeebus! Show absolutely murders this beat on some I was always better than these other dudes, you just didn’t realize shit. Once again, years pass and Ag just got way tighter but still keeps the same flow. I wonder if Show did the cuts on the chorus? Hmmm so many questions.

12. Hold Mines from the Full Scale LP

respect this culture like i’m supposed ta/different from the jokers that talk that talk/i’m true and livin

Diamond D said it best. Keep It Simple Stupid. This beat isn’t anything crazy, just a dope fucking bassline and drums and Ag just rolling with it. I also really love the chorus, this song is just some smooth rap shit.

13. Full Scale title track from the Full Scale LP

I got some new shit here for y’all to rock to..

I’m on my own dick/like sleeping on my stomach

Arguably, the most bangin’ beat on this record. Classic Showbiz murky bassline and heavy drums. Reminds me of the joint he did on The Equinox for Organized Konfusion, just a little slicker. O.C. on the chorus? It’s a wrap. I ended the post with this joint for a reason. This is truly how hip-hop is supposed to sound and feel.

Here’s a zip file for all you new jacks or cats without digital versions of shit, hold that. You’re welcome and if you’re in TO, we better see you at the show tonight. The significance of this concert is huge.

In less than 24 hours, I’ll be up in the spot checking out Extra P kick joints from his new LP, Main Source. Honestly, I’m hoping he slips in some joints from one of my favourite albums, Breaking Atoms.

There was a Main Source reunion show up here around 2003 and it had a couple awkward moments. No disrespect to either Paul or Kevin but for real it was obvious that they hadn’t rehearsed and the show ended up being a little underwhelming. Maybe I just had high expectations since I had been geeked off Main Source since I first heard Atom.

So there’s definitely a part of me that is hoping that somehow the 2 have been keeping in touch and this LP being named Main Source has something to do with that as well. If I see K-Cut hop on the wheels during the show and Watch Roger Do His Thing or Snake Eyes comes out of the speaker, I’ll be the loudest mofo in the joint.

Anyways, we’ve been holding off on posting this video ever since finding out about the NY Giants show. This is part 1 of many clips of an interview done with Main Source in the “2 Dj’s” grandmother’s crib, complete with toaster strudels and family cameos. In this one they break down the differences between Toronto and New York. This footage is so ill, look for more parts over the next day.

In case you forgot, here’s the show I’m referring to. New York Giants DJ Series featuring Lord Finesse, Diamond D on the wheels and probably a short set from Mr. Stay Chiseled himself.

This tape was heavy in my walkman when it first dropped. Yeah I said it..cassette tape in a sony walkman bopping down the hallways in my high school on some “you clowns have no idea about the shit I’m on”. I went to a super-corny high school where I was one of the few people who really listened to hip-hop at the time. I think it might be time to download this album again and take it in since I forget every track except the singles and that one where Butterfly gets all pro-choice on that ass. Anyways, here’s a video of them performing on In Living Color during their heyday.

Ps. Butterfly later changed his name to Ish. Like really, can that be considered an upgrade? Go from being named after one of the softest insects to a short form of your real name which in slang terms is a piece of doodoo. No dis, I genuinely ride for Digable Planets on both of their albums. Just in retrospect, he had the softest name out the crew.

Pps. I saw Digable in concert in 2005/2006 and Ish had all new verses to the old tracks that were absolutely fire. He totally threw off all the concert goers who wanted to rap along with his verses since they were 100% different, but he has way more spit in him now. I was impressed and hoped that they’d have a new project out by now.

Ppps. Here’s audio of the only post-digable song I can think of that Ish is on. Swing aka the B-side of Luchini that no one ever plays(except Skratch Bastid and Dj Serious) even though it’s just as dope as Luchini.

Drunk and smiley Common Sense was the shit!  Look at how casual his demeanour is with the most annoying video show host ever.  His boy’s name is Ron in case anyone was wondering.

This is part 1 of post-concert interview footage from the aforementioned show with Common Sense, The Beatnuts, Boogiemonsters, and Troubleneck Brothers.  Unfortunately the ticket stub below is wrong since Artifacts were replaced on this date, ah well.  I still paid $15 for one of the dopest shows in 1995.

I was a major Com Sense stan at the time, Ressurection is still one of my favourite albums of all time.  So during a break in the show, the homies and I yelled at him to tell us what H.E.R. stood for.  He might have just made it up, but he told us on the mic that it was Hip-Hop’s Essence is Reality.  I was geeked!

So I’m obviously one of the 17 people who copped the Pete Nice solo project, which is maybe why this video has sentimental value for me.

It’s definitely weird.  There’s definitely a fat guy who for whatever reason is the main focus or at least subplot of the video.  There’s definitely at least one random rap cameo in it as well.

Sidebar..and I can’t take credit for this story.  My man Toddy Flores from montreal put me up on a crazy Pete Nice fact.  3rd Bass had a show there in the early 90’s and someone rushed the stage and tried to throw down.  Pete Nice’s ubiquitous cane suddenly becomes a huge blade after he pulls it out of it’s fake cane sheath.  NO JOKE.

Oh shit!  We are officially the first to leak the info on the PT.1 of this heavy hitter 2 night, 2 party called NY Giants that will be a Toronto exclusive.  Brought to you by the Mixtape Massacre, Shaman Fam, TBG, and your homies at The Meaning Of Dope.  Expect some exclusive content surrounding the events, and stay tuned for more info on the 2nd part.

Oh, and here’s a video of the mad scientist Extra P(don’t say the years) with his former group comprised of himself and 2 cats from Toronto.

Have you ever seen something so revolutionary and so incredible that every moment of it sticks in your memory for the rest of your life?

That was exactly the case at this concert.  The Roots, Rascalz & Saukrates 03.23.95 Opera House, Toronto.

Let’s forget about the fact that this was only a couple weeks after the show with Common and The Beatnuts.  Let’s forget about the fact that it was the first time they ever performed in Canada.  Let’s forget about the fact that Saukrates and the F.O.S.(Figures Of Speech) crew absolutely crushed their opening slot.  Let’s forget about the fact that the Rascalz also tore the shit down complete with an incredible display by their breakdancers(I see you Zeb Roc).

Let us focus on the fact that Malik B. was at this show.  I’m one of those guys who feels like The Roots without Malik is like Pharoahe Monch without Prince Po.  He brought an element to the group that they could not replace and I feel so blessed to have seen them perform as a whole with Malik and Tariq sharing duties on the mic.  They literally freestyled for close to 45 minutes combined during the course of this show.  Then Rahzel got up and did his thing and of course no-one there was expecting what he could do to be so powerful.  Hearing him do “Moments Of Love” live in a venue packed wall to wall with people absolutely amazed at his talent?  Few moments in my life will match the intensity of this show.

Anyways.  This clip has a bit of footage from this show, but it will never really capture how the whole night felt.  The interview footage is dope too.  This is probably the most special clip that I’ve posted so far because of the personal connection to that night and the impact it has had on my belief of what live performances and the exchange of energy that comes with them can and should be like.

New school cats, I feel for you.  The game done changed.

Part 2 of my Souls Of Mischief in Toronto Footage, the best Hiero show I’ve ever been to.  Casual was also on the bill.  The crowd at this show was electric.  If I can ever spot it, I’ll edit my post with a stillframe of myself in the crowd.  I pushed my way almost to the front and was getting pushed and elbowed all night.  The whole crowd was like that all night.

About 1-2 weeks before this my boy and I got robbed by a swarm of about 30 dudes right in the middle of downtown Toronto in what is now called “Club District”.  It was not as popular and thriving back then.  Some of the same guys were robbing cats outside of the venue and I straight fronted like I was with a group of 5-6 other people(I was dolo) to avoid a second jacking.

Back in ‘94, I was a 13 year old shorty splitting TTC bus tickets in half and taping them to dimes so they wouldn’t flip when I dropped them in the pay slot to get on the train. Living in the west end you never really saw a lot of dope writers. The Source was your source for what was poppin’ in the graffiti world unless you were spending most of your time downtown, in which case you started to get familiar with who was nice with it and who was just around for a few months bombing here and there.

There was a spot on Queen Street back in the day, just west of Aritzia and east of the Black Bull called, Number 6. The shop, run by Matt Robinson and Lena Kim was later relocated and renamed, “Delphic”, but even back then had some dope shit, including the first version of Style Wars on video that I had ever seen. This issue of Xylene magazine is something that I cherished growing up, as it gave some promise that there were dudes on the west coast of Canada just as hype about this Hip-Hop shit as I was, (big up Figure IV and the Rascalz crew, once again).

There was probably a whole shit load of hot shit in that spot that I was too young to even fathom, and for all I can remember this was the only thing I could probably afford. But I’m telling ya’ll, that Sunglass Hut that replaces that old shop ain’t got shit on what it used to be.

The inside cover was tagged a year later by Toronto Legend, Duro The Third.