Atban Klann: Grass Roots (repost, Part II)

Here is the rest of the Grass Roots record by Atban Klann (now better known as Black Eyed Peas). You can grab the first eight tracks here. No telling how long I’ll keep these up; it’s a drag on the ol’ server space. And server space doesn’t grow on trees, ya know.

This batch has a few of my favorites (No Sequel, Focus On You and Puddles of H2O) and a couple of snippets that I’ve decided to title “interlude.”

Again, these are posted in order of how I have them on my copy. So these would be tracks 9-19. The first post is 1-8.

Hope you enjoy.

• Atban Klann | No Sequel
• Atban Klann | Rain On Me
• Atban Klann | Dedicated
• Atban Klann | interlude
• Atban Klann | Focus On You
• Atban Klann | Puddles of H2O
• Atban Klann | interlude
• Atban Klann | Duet
• Atban Klann | Strolling
• Atban Klann | Yougohdah
• Atban Klann | La Borio Woman Beater

Atban Klann: Grass Roots (repost, Part I)

In my two-plus years of writing this blog, I don’t think I’ve ever made a wholesale rerun of a block of tracks from a previous post. And I usually keep mp3s up for about a month (or more if I’m lazy). That means I get some requests to repost tracks. More than any post(s) I’ve done, my digital conversion of a dubbed cassette of Atban Klann’s shelved Grass Roots album has, no doubt, been requested for repost the most. (I split it into four parts: Here, here, here and here.)

Quick summary: Atban Klann was Black Eyed Peas before they were Black Eyed Peas. Here’s what I wrote in that first post back in September 2005:

“Formed in Los Angeles in the early 1990s, Atban (A Tribe Beyond A Nation) brought current BEPs Apl.de.ap and Will.I.Am together to produce some cuts that might surprise you. It might surprise you also to know that Atban Klann was signed to Ruthless Records, run by none other than Eazy-E. Unfortunately, the album, Grass Roots, was shelved and never found its way to the public. Story has it that Ruthless was unsure how to market a group whose positive vibes ran contrary to Ruthless’ gangsta image.”

One of my more prized (if not slightly warped) pieces of my vinyl collection is a 12-inch single for Puddles of H2O (b/w Let Me Get Down), which, I’m presuming, would have been the lead single.

Anyway, as I also said in that original post, my copy of the album (on a Maxell UR cassette) is probably a copy of a copy. Still, you get the idea. One note: The order I’m posting the tracks is the order I have them on my copy, so I’m not sure if that would have been the official sequence on the final product.

• Atban Klann | Open Your Mind
• Atban Klann | Going for a Ride
• Atban Klann | Adidas
• Atban Klann | Lord of the Flies
• Atban Klann | Quid Pro Quo
• Atban Klann | Jugglin’ My Nuts (interlude … not sure if that’s the title.)
• Atban Klann | Mountain Top
• Atban Klann | World’s Gone Mad

Part II coming in the next day or so.

Kaleef “Golden Brown”

Back in the day, you know, when Al Gore invented the Internet, I spent a hell of a lot of time on the Hieroglyphics message board. Peeps were trading tapes, mixes, CDs, records, you name it. You see, kids, this is how they did it before mp3 blogs. Mix tapes were meticulously recorded then sent out through real, actual mail.

Well, I still have a shit ton (heh, “shit ton”; that’s for Chris) of those mixes – yes, you might say I have tapes ‘n tapes. I’ve not taken the time to sort through and digitize them, though there are some gems in there. Like this track, Golden Brown by Kaleef. This was one of the greatest tracks I received on any mix, and I had (and still have) no clue who this Kaleef character is.

So I was quite thrilled to see the great Analog Giant drop a post with the original track from which Kaleef sampled. The song – also called Golden Brown – was composed by the Stranglers, yet another artist about which I admittedly know nothing.

No matter because this is one of my favorite exercises in listening to music, hip-hop especially: samples, how they’re used and finding the original source material from which the sample derived. I imagine if you’re a DJ or producer, the vast potential of sampling material must be overwhelming. This relatively unknown Kaleef track is probably indicative of the thousands of creative sample uses that go unnoticed.

Kaleef | Golden Brown
The Stranglers | Golden Brown (@ Analog Giant)

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Here’s a few pics from Thursday night’s People Under the Stairs show with Psalm One and Time Machine. That was my first time seeing PUtS, and those guys bring serious energy with the good-time vibes.

Thes One and Double K are People Under the Stairs.

Double K rocks his T: “Hip-hop … is not on the radio.”

T

hes One ripped off some kid’s hat for this rap.

A hip-hop x-mas / I&W/Calexico cover art

We hung Christmas lights on the homestead Wednesday night, and it’s starting to feel like the holidays. Hell, the weather is so chilly in Arizona I’m breaking out a sweatshirt!

Before I get to the Christmas tunes, loyal reader Katharine designed a CD cover for the Iron and Wine / Calexico set I posted from a few days ago. So if you burned a CD or just wanna drop it into your iTunes library, check it out here. It’s really cool. Thank you, Katharine!

Well, I’ve seen lots of Christmas tunes, but not too many on the hip-hop tip. Thought I’d rectify that with this post. So maybe the De La Soul track isn’t a typical cheery holiday tune, but it’s got a Christmas theme. And it’s a remix from a cassette single (cassingle?). We all are suckers for remixes. Cheers and happy holidays.

Run-DMC | Christmas in Hollis
Kurtis Blow | Christmas Rappin’ (from 45 vinyl single)
De La Soul | Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa
De La Soul | Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa (full mix)

Atban Klann: the finale

You asked for it, you got it: The final few tracks from Atban Klann’s Grass Roots, from the group that now is the Black Eyed Peas. For those that missed the previous three posts, scroll down.

The final few tracks offer my favorite, Puddles of H20, which I also own as a 12″ single on vinyl (which is, unfortunately, slightly warped). Another gem is La Borio Woman Beater, a Slick Rick-like narrative. Notice the title Duet, which was revived on Behind the Front, although this Duet is a much better song.

Atban Klann | Puddles of H20
Atban Klann | Duet
Atban Klann | Strolling
Atban Klann | Yougohdah
Atban Klann | La Borio Woman Beater

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Football wrap-up: After a rough go of it last week, I rebounded nicely this weekend. For starters, Arizona State (No. 18 in AP poll) stomped Northwestern 52-21 and, in the process, rolled up a school-record 773 yards of offense. Sam Keller threw for 409 yards and four TDs, and freshman stud Keegan Herring finished with 197 yards on 23 attempts. Next up: Pac-10 opener at Oregon State this week.
Then on Sunday, the Bears punked the Lions 38-6, intercepting Joey Harrington five times, which surely made Chris long for the days of Rodney Peete (or maybe Erik Kramer? Yikes). QB Kyle Orton and WR Muhsin Muhammad hooked up on a 28-yard TD, and Thomas Jones rushed for 139 yards and two TDs.But it was the Bears’ defense that carried me to a huuuuge victory in my money fantasy league, and Terrell Owens’ big game. Did I mention I picked up Owens in the THIRD ROUND?

Then I rode T. Jones and Bears ‘D’ and toppled Ryan in our Blogger Fanatasy Football league, giving me ample trash-talking opportunities in Austin this weekend. That improves me to 2-0 with a clash vs. Chris this week while we’re in Austin. I smell wagers.

Atban Klann, Part III

OK, six more tracks from Grass Roots, the album that never was released by Atban Klann (aka the Black Eyed Peas when the Black Eyed Peas were cool). This bunch includes pretty sweet tracks, including Focus on You and No Sequel. Like Chris and Dodge said, it makes you sad for what BEP has become — in a word, sellouts.

One more batch tomorrow, which will include the hottest track on the album (in my opinion), will be the last of it. Enjoy.

Atban Klann | World’s Gone Mad
Atban Klann | No SequelAtban Klann | Rain on Me
Atban Klann | Dedicated
Atban Klann | title unknown (sort of an interlude)
Atban Klann | Focus on You

By request, more Atban Klann

Because of popular demand — yes, two comments is considered “demand” in these parts — I’m continuing to offer tracks from the never-was-released Grass Roots from Atban Klann (now known as Black Eyed Peas).

This lot offers one of my faves, Mountain Top, and the anti-cop track Lord of the Flies. Again, I’m trying my best to clean up the sound with Audio Hijack Pro, but gimme some feedback — too much bass? too much treble? — and I’ll try to correct it. There’s about seven or eight tracks left, which includes my No. 1 favorite on the album. (Ahem, I’m not above bribery to polish this project off; worth a try anyway.)

Atban Klann | Lord of the Flies
Atban Klann | Quid Pro Quo
Atban Klann | Jugglin’ My Nuts (a little jokey interlude; not sure if that’s actually the name of the song)
Atban Klann | Mountain Top

Atban Klann (aka Black Eyed Peas)

We all know who the Black Eyed Peas are (I have to bite my tongue about how I really feel about them now). But did we all know before Black Eyed Peas there was Atban Klann?

Formed in Los Angeles in the early 1990s, Atban (A Tribe Beyond A Nation) brought current BEPs Apl.de.ap and Will.I.Am together to produce some cuts that might surprise you. It might surprise you also to know that Atban Klann was signed to Ruthless Records, run by none other than Eazy-E. Unfortunately, the album, Grass Roots, was shelved and never found its way to the public. Story has it that Ruthless was unsure how to market a group whose positive vibes ran contrary to Ruthless’ gangsta image.

Alas, all that exists are bootleg cassettes of the album, like the one that I own. I converted a few of the tracks to mp3 from the cassette. I tried to clean the sound as best I could; keep in mind, my copy is probably the copy of a copy of a copy. But if demand is high enough (hint: leave a comment), I’ll convert the rest of the album. These are the first three tracks.

Atban Klann | Open Your Mind
Atban Klann | Going for a Ride
Atban Klann | Adidas (Put on your adidas and step off!)