this. It's more of "I'm talking shit because I haven't seen y'all in over a year" type of thing.

>That said, dude has a wealth of knowledge and history, and I
>really enjoyed his thoughts on the song and artists you
>played. Learned a bit here, and this was definitely one of my
>favorite episodes. I can't wait for part two.

Good, glad to be of service. From what I recall, Mark is a lot more mellow in the second installment.

>I didn't know Erule put out an album. I might seek it out, and
>give it a skim. I agree with Mark that the production on
>Listen was the highlight of the track, but I'd also give Erule
>credit as well. He didn't do anything amazing in terms of
>lyrics or flow, but his tone was perfect. Kinda CL
>Smooth-ish.

Yeah, "Cold Currentz" dropped in late 2001/early 2002. Not good. Actually, he had some unreleased tracks that surfaced in the late '90s that I got during my tape trading days. Definitely weren't recorded during the "Listen Up" era, but didn't end up on the debut album. They were pretty good. It was apparent (at least to me) that dude could actually rhyme and his flow improved.

>That Madkap track I remember hearing on the radio. Might have
>it on one of my radio tapes. Happy to now know the title.

"Look Ma Dukes..." is a pretty damn good album too. I'd recommend listening to it if you get a chance.

>I had no idea that most people preferred the album version of
>Hot Potato. By the tone of Mark's voice, I get the impression
>that fans might have been insulted by the remix. I actually
>heard the remix first, and liked it a lot. It was the only
>track I heard back in the day outside of Boundaries. Speaking
>of which, the knowledge dropped on Daddy-O was great. I can
>see it being frustrating to the group and LA heads, but I
>think it worked. It was one of the main reasons I remember
>checking for the track. Way Cool as an A-side sounds really
>interesting to me now, but back then, if I heard it, it
>probably would have confused the hell out of me.

You know, I don't think as many people hated it as Mark let's on. I think cats from LA who grew up with them before they got signed might have preferred the o.g., but I don't know if that's how most fans of the group reacted. Me, I like them both, and honestly, I don't think there's THAT much difference between the two.

And yes, "Way Cool" as a single would have melted most people's brains.

>*Shameless plug, Mr. Hood and I discussed Freestyle Fellowship
>a few weeks ago here,
>http://allthingsx2.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-year-in-review-freestyle.html

Yes, definitely check that out. Thanks again for that. Gotta link it on my page now. Forgot.

>Never heard of Lil' Puppet before listening to this. Sounds
>like a hanger-on type of person, so he probably doesn't
>warrant any more discussion.

LOL. That's not dude's name. "Lil Puppet" is a character in "American Me," and I get the impression that the Soul Assassins started calling him that after being kinda disgusted with his behavior (If you've seen the flick, you know what I mean). I have a ***guess*** as to his identity (in other words, I'm pretty sure he's a known personality), but Mark wouldn't confirm or deny anything when I asked him. I'll give you my theory via inbox if ya want.

>Was never really a fan of Jurassic and their old-school
>styling. I do respect the pedigree though, and the fact that
>they were able find some commercial success in the later part
>of their career. Shitty that they broke up under those
>circumstances.

You know, I didn't hate the third album, "Feedback." Even as a big fan of the first two full albums and especially the first EP. They are still one of the best hip-hop groups I've ever seen live. I feel like they never really got a chance to make the album they should have. But hey, that's part of being on Interscope.

>After listening to the episode I watched "Give It Here" on
>YouTube and laughed my ass off. I had some dancer friends, and
>I remember them always watching Def Jef videos, trying to draw
>inspiration from The Soul Brothers. Sucks to hear about 45
>King and Flavor Unit.

Catching the "Give it Here" video on Yo! MTV Raps was the first exposure I had to Def Jef. Hence, I was kind of taken aback when I saw the "Droppin Rhymes on Drums" video and "Black to the Future." I was like, "Um, is this really the same guy?" So when a few months later, JB loaned me the whole album, I was even more startled to hear the content of the entire thing.

>Again, really dope episode.

Word. Really glad you liked it. New one should be coming as soon as we cop a new external hard drive.