The place for great and not-so-great nearly forgotten videos from the decade of Miami Vice, mullets, and acid wash jeans. All praise to the bands, YouTube, and the original posters of these videos.
MC Lyte was a female trailblazer in hip hop and is the answer to a trivia question: who is the first solo female artist to release a rap record? (Answer: MC Lyte - Lyte As a Rock, 1988).
Born in Brooklyn, NY as Lana Moorer, MC Lyte began rapping at 12, and recorded her first song at 14. Lyte's first album came out when she was 17; though it was not a huge commercial hit, it did establish her as an important rising hip hop artist.
Lyte's second album (1989's Eyes on This) did better, reaching #86 on the album charts, and peaking at #6 on the rap album charts. "Cha Cha Cha" did not land on the singles charts, but was a #1 song on the rap charts for two weeks.
MC Lyte would go on to have further successes in the 1990s, and would expanding into acting, business ventures, philanthropy, and political causes over time.
Cool trivia fact: the video for "Cha Cha Cha" was directed by Tamra Davis, who has directed a bunch of movies, TV shows, and music videos. Davis was married to Mike D of the Beastie Boys for years, although they are now legally separated.
The late 1980s were a weird time for hip hop. Following the huge success of the Beastie Boys' License to Ill, the genre found itself becoming more and more mainstream. The backlash to this was predictable - and led to concern over artists "selling out" or "going commercial."
LL Cool J was in the midst of this maelstrom. Born James Smith, he opted for a stage name based on Ladies Love Cool James. He started rapping at 9, and was a rising star by 1988. He also had a vision for hip hop that added ballads and pop sensibilities to the growing segment, something that was controversial back in the day.
"Going Back to Cali," with its nostalgic intro, highlights LL Cool J's vision, and became his second top 40 hit ("I Need Love" was the first). The song was originally released on the Less Than Zero soundtrack (best known for The Bangles cover of "Hazy Shade of Winter"), and was also released on the Walking with a Panther album, which reached #6 on the album charts.
As many readers will know, LL Cool J would go on to have a long and successful musical career, before transitioning to acting. He remains active in both art forms at the time of this writing.
Check out any list of the most influential hip hop artists ever and Eric B. & Rakim will be on it - probably near the top. Their vintage sampling and laid back, complex rhyming showed the template for modern hip hop. In fact, many critics view Eric B. & Rakim as the seminal act that helped create the transition from old school to new school rap.
Eric B. (Barrier) and Rakim (born as William Griffin, but changed his name upon his conversion to Islam) were part of the vibrant metro New York rap scene of the 1980s. By 1986 they were working together, and that same year released their first single, "Eric B. Is President." The following year saw the release of the Paid in Full LP, often viewed as one of the most important and influential hip hop albums ever.
In spite of their innovative approach to hip hop (from both a DJ and MC perspective), Eric B. & Rakim had only modest commercial success - the duo did not have a top 40 single or a top 20 album. This was partly due to the duo's image - they were viewed as authentic rap artists, and made little effort to modify their image or their songs to become more commercially successful.
For the blog, we went with the timeless "Follow the Leader" video, off the 1988 album of the same name. The song reached #16 on the R&B charts, but did not break the top 40. The album hit #22 - their highest charting effort.
Starting in 1992, tensions over their recording contract and perhaps their master tapes led to an extended legal conflict. As a result, Eric B. & Rakim broke up, although they remained in the industry as solo artists. However, in 2017, they re-united for a tour and appear to be together as of this writing.
Although American readers may remember Neneh Cherry as a one hit wonder, she actually had two top 10 hits ("Kisses on the Wind" is the song that you forgot about). And while her period of commercial success was brief in the U.S., she had a longer stretch in Europe. For instance, in Britain Cherry had 10 top 40 singles, running through the late 1990s.
Interestingly, Neneh Cherry was born in Sweden, and is the stepdaughter of jazz musician Don Cherry (hence the surname). After moving to London as a teenager in the late 1970s, she became active in the punk scene but soon expanded into other musical genres. This would eventually lead to catching lightning in a bottle, as "Buffalo Stance" became a huge hit (reaching #3 in both the U.S. and U.K.)
The song refers to a photo shoot stance, and is named after the Ray Pretri's Buffalo group. It also pays homage to Malcolm McLaren's 1983 song "Buffalo Gals" (which it samples from). The catchy tune combines dance and hip hop elements, while the video is a perfect late 1980s timepiece:
However, the 1988 hit version of the song was actually a re-make (cover?) of a 1986 Morgan McVey B side, "Looking Good Diving With The Wild Bunch" that featured Neneh Cherry. Morgan McVey were comprised of Jamie Morgan and Cameron McVey, and released one single ever - 1986's "Looking Good Diving." Two years later, Cameron McVey and Neneh Cherry were an item (they married in 1990) and McVey was producing Cherry's solo album ... and well, you know the rest.
By mixing old school beats with goofy lyrics, Digital Underground (DU) created a cool and unique sound that led to one big hit, though by all rights they could have been much more successful. The group was led by Greg Jacobs, who went by Shock G -- though in DU he played a character called Humpty Hump.
Jacobs grew up in Tampa, Florida, but formed Digital Underground after relocating to Oakland, California in 1987. The group's sound relied heavily on old school samples, especially from Parliament Funkadelic and Sly and the Family Stone. (Not coincidentally, both acts were sampled for "The Humpty Dance.") DU's debut LP, 1990's Sex Packets became a hit, reaching #24 on the charts. However, this proved to be Digital Underground's biggest success, though the band continued to record and perform through 2008.
Needless to say, "The Humpty Dance" was DU's biggest hit at #11. The video became a mainstay on MTV for a time in 1989 (the song and video came out prior to the LP). The crazy lyrics, and Humpty Humps' Groucho Marx glasses and vintage clothes created a visual image completely different from anything else on MTV at the time. Unfortunately, this momentum proved hard to maintain.
Although Digital Underground soldiered on for years, Jacobs (Shock G) was no one trick pony, as he also has worked as a solo artist and producer. He remains active in the industry as of this writing.
Cool trivia fact: None other than Tupac Shakur got his start as a member of Digital Underground, starting in 1991. In addition, G Shock produced several early Tupac songs.
Cool trivia fact #2: Digital Underground is not a one hit wonder, as 1991's "Kiss You Back" reached #40 on the charts.
The previous time that we discussed Billy Squier was last August, when Squire's amazingly terrible video, "Rock Me Tonight" was featured on the blog. "Rock Me Tonight" is sometimes viewed as the worst major video ever made, and one that may have contributed to the decline of Billy Squier's career and/or Western civilization as a whole.
While Squier continued recording through the mid-1990s, he did not have a top 40 single or album after "Rock Me Tonight," making it an interesting and somewhat sad anecdote. And that would be the end of the Billy Squier story, except ...
Squier's trademark sound was punctuated by a driving beat, something that is particularly evident on his earlier work ("The Stroke," for instance). Bolstered by the superb (and loud) Bobby Chouinard, this strong backbeat would differentiate Squier's songs from many of his contemporaries. In fact, he led off his first solo album -- 1980's Tale of the Tape -- with a drum intro on "The Big Beat" (side 1, song 1).
Having a clean drum break proved to be irresistible to early rap acts, and the drum intro on "The Big Beat" was sampled as early as 1981. Over time, the enthusiasm for the drum line has not waned, and it has been used by artists including: Jay-Z ("99 Problems"), Run-D.M.C. ("Here We Go"), and Alicia Keys ("Girl on Fire'). As of this writing, "The Big Beat" has been sampled in nearly 200 songs, and is one of the 10 most popular samples of all time. Other Squier songs, particularly "The Stroke" are also popular samples.
Unfortunately, this popularity has not translated to a resurgence in Squier's career, and in recent interviews he seems someone ambivalent about the sampling. For readers who are interested, Squier's first two LPs -- Tale of the Tape and Don't Say No are particularly strong and well worth a listen.
We don't recall ever seeing the original video for "The Big Beat" on MTV back in the day, so it definitely qualifies are a rare (and cool) video. We're not totally sure about the yellow pants, though. Also worth checking out: roller skates! (1:20) and an obscure Eraserhead marquee (2:30, but blink and you'll miss it).
Although they never became a household name, EPMD was a hugely influential East Coast rap act. The duo from Long Island, NY formed in 1986 and took their name from the two MCs -- Erick Sermon (Easy Erick, E Double, E) and Parrish Smith (Parrish Mic Doc, PMD). Some sources state that the group started as EEPMD, and then shortened the name to make it easier to pronounce.
EPMD's first album, 1988's Strictly Business, was a breath of fresh air in the rap scene. Instead of using dance or electronica as the basis for their music, EPMD relied heavily on old school funk, with a dose of rock and pop thrown in for good measure. This, combined with their strong but laid back rhyming translated to a sound that was trailblazing,
While none of the singles from the album charted on the Billboard pop charts, the album reached #80 and went gold. Over time, it has been recognized as a classic, and was even ranked #453 on Rolling Stones' list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Respect.
For the blog, we went with the title cut, which nicely represents EPMD's sound and solid use of grooves. While Eric Clapton's cover of "I Shot the Sheriff" is the main sample, pieces of "Jungle Boogie" (Kool & the Gang) and "Auto Man" (Newcleus) are also used, as is an earlier EPMD song "It's My Thing."
EPMD remained successful within the rap scene until their 1993 breakup, and had a second successful stint in the late 1990s before a second breakup. They appear to be together again as of this writing.
Brooklyn rappers Whodini were pioneers in the emerging New York rap scene, and are especially notable for their musical approach, which combined R&B with rapping. As a result, many critics credit the band with laying the groundwork for the New Jack Swing genre that took off at the end of the decade.
The group consisted of Jalil Hutchins and Ecstasy (John Fletcher). From 1986 on, the act also included DJ Grandmaster Dee (Drew Carter). The group originally formed when DJ John "Mr. Magic" Rivas asked an intern (Jalil Hutchins) to write a song for the Rap Attack show (originally on WHBI, then on WBLS in New York). Hutchins wrote and recorded a song, but decided that he needed another voice, and asked Ecstasy (a rival rapper) to join him. "Magic's Wand" became the theme song for the Rap Attack show and eventually led to a recording contract for Hutchins and Ecstasy.
The act was named Whodini due to the single "Magic's Wand". Interestingly, Thomas Dolby co-produced the band's debut record on Jive Records -- Dolby had become interested in rap, as many early artists used electronic music, and Dolby had sent a demo recording to Jive Records, who proceeded to hook him up with Whodini. Small world, huh?
The video for "Magic's Wand" was one of the first rap videos made, but did not receive much airplay on MTV. Along the same lines, the group picked up airplay on urban stations but never crossed over, and saw their popularity decline during the 1980s, hurt by management and label changes. While Whodini's output dropped over the years, they remain together and still perform as of this writing.
A prototypical one hit wonder, Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock burst onto the music scene with their infectious (and possibly overplayed) "It Takes Two" in 1988 and then faded into the background nearly as quickly.
Rob Base (Rob Ginyard) and DJ EZ Rock (Skip Bryce) came out of Harlem and had immediate success with their first album, also titled It Takes Two. The LP went to #31 on the charts, while the single of the same name reached #36. "It Takes Two" liberally samples the 1972 song "Think (About It)" from Lyn Collins, assisted by James Brown (who co-wrote and produced the song). The intro music is from "Space Dust" by The Galactic Force Band.
In the aftermath of It Takes Two, Base and DJ EZ Rock split up; Base released the 1989 follow up, The Incredible Base as a solo album. It did not do as well, and failed to produce a hit single. The duo then worked together on a 1994 album, Break of Dawn, but it did not generate any traction.
Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock remained in the industry and continued to sporadically perform until EZ Rock's untimely death on April 27, 2014.
As an added bonus, here is the Lyn Collins song "Think (About It)." The break at 1:23 is the sample.
By mixing comedy, fresh rhymes and cheesy singing, Biz Markie created some solid and fun rap during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Biz (given name: Marcel Hall) came out of the Cold Chillin' Records scene in New York, where he became known for beat boxing and rapping. He released his first album in 1988, but broke through with his sophomore (pun intended) effort, 1989's The Biz Never Sleeps. That album features his one hit, "Just a Friend," which would go on to reach #9 on the main charts. (To be fair, Markie did have 4 songs that broke the top 100 on the R&B charts, although none would climb higher than #80, except for "Just a Friend.")
The video for "Just a Friend" is pure rap comic genius, highlighted by Markie in full Mozart get up at the piano. The visuals were unlike anything in rap at the time and helped the video move into heavy rotation on MTV for a while.
Unfortunately, Markie's success came back to bite him when he used Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)" as the basis for a song on his next album (1991's I Need a Haircut). O'Sullivan sued Markie and won in a landmark ruling that helped create the precedent that samples had to be cleared by the original artist before they could be used. I Need a Haircut was pulled from store shelves, and Markie's rap career never recovered. We love that Markie's 1993 album was titled All Samples Cleared, showing that the man never lost his sense of humor.
With his recording career on the outs, Markie transitioned to become a TV personality and commercial spokesman. He continues to work in the industry to the present day.
As many readers will know (or suspect), the chorus for "Just a Friend" samples the 1968 Freddie Scott song, "(You) Got What I Need," included below.
An early and somewhat forgotten rap success story belongs to Anthony Smith, aka Tone Lōc. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Lōc left Compton (and the infamous Crips gang) to seek fame and fortune as a rapper. He then had the good fortune to work with Young MC and The Dust Brothers; the result was 1989's Lōc-ed After Dark, which became the second rap album to hit #1 on the charts, following The Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill.
"Funky Cold Medina" was the second Young MC penned song to become a huge hit, reaching #3 on the charts ("Wild Thing" had previously hit #2). The song used Foreigner's "Hot Blooded" as the main sample, but also sampled "Honky Tonk Women" and "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones and "Christine Sixteen" by Kiss. (Ahh, the pre-litigation days of sampling ...)
Sadly, "Funky Cold Medina" was it as far as Tone Lōc's successful rapping career went -- he would never have another charting LP or top 40 single. He then transitioned to acting, and seems to be making a decent living.
The video is Lōc-tastic and shows off his larger than life personality and sense of humor. Definitely one of our favorites from back in the day.
Powerful, political and controversial, Public Enemy (PE) helped to re-define rap, transforming it to a 'new school' sound. However, unlike the gangsta rap acts, PE's lyrics were sophisticated and political, complimenting the strong backing sounds.
Public Enemy came out of Long Island, NY and was led by Chuck D (Carlton Douglas Ridenhour), complemented by sidekick/class clown Flavor Flav (William Drayton) and DJ Terminator X (Norman Rogers). The group's entourage included bodyguards who helped the group present a strong, militant image.
While PE's debut LP, 1987's Yo! Bum Rush the Show generated some buzz within the hip hop community, it was their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988) that really broke the band. The aggressive funk/rock backing music seemed to be perfectly paired with Chuck D's words (and Flavor Flav's jokes). The album would become critically acclaimed and commercially successful, helping to usher in the golden age of new school hip hop.
For the blog, we went with "Don't Believe the Hype" off the group's second album. We don't believe that the song charted, while the album reached #42. Of course, PE would go on to have tremendous success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. While they have taken several breaks over the years, we believe that they are still together as of this writing.
Cool trivia fact: PE is an official one hit wonder, as only 1994's "Give It Up" (#33) broke the top 40.
Cool trivia fact #2: Rolling Stone views It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back as the 12th greatest album of the 1980s and the 15th greatest album ever.
When De La Soul's debut album came out in 1989, it created quite a stir in the music industry. At a time when old school rap had started to feel stale, De La Soul's funky, jazzy and quirky take on hip hop was a breath of fresh air. That album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was both critically and commercially successful and was hailed by many critics as a sign of things to come.
The lead single from the LP was "Me Myself and I" which would go on to become De La Soul's only top 40 hit (at #34), while the album would reach #24 and go platinum. At the time, the group's positive message and broad use of samples seemed to be pushing hip hop in an upbeat, artistic direction; it was easy to believe that this was the beginning of a new era. This sense of a movement was reinforced by the Native Tongues collective, which was a grouping of artists (led by De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Jungle Brothers) who shared a musical vision that was positive, laid-back and somewhat Afrocentric.
Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan for De La Soul. First, The Turtles sued the band for not obtaining permission to use their song "You Showed Me" as a sample (in "Transmitting Live from Mars"). The Turtles eventually won the case, which had a huge impact on the rap industry, as samples now had to be cleared (and paid for) prior to work being released. This delayed the group's second album, and made it more difficult to produce the layered songs that they favored.
In addition, the group had a difficult time artistically as their recordings varied in style but did not resonate as well with critics and listeners. To my ear, it almost sounds as if they were trying to find their sound, something that became more difficult after the industry's shift to gangster rap in the early 1990s. While the band continued to record, their audience seemed to shrink with every record. To their credit, De La Soul has stayed together and continues to record to the present day.
Cool trivia fact: Rolling Stone rated 3 Feet High and Rising as the 103rd album on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
1989 was Young MC's year. He co-wrote the two major hits for Tone Lōc's smash LP Lōc-ed After Dark, which went to #1. The two hits both broke the top 5, with "Wild Thing" reaching #2 and "Funky Cold Medina" hitting #3. Young MC then released his first album, Stone Cold Rhymin'. That album peaked at #9, and produced two additional top 40 hits -- "Bust a Move" (#7) and "Principal's Office" (#33). Incredibly, Young MC never had another top 40 hit.
Young MC (Marvin Young) was born in England, but his family moved to Queens, NYC when he was eight. While he was at college at USC, he joined Delicious Vinyl, which led to the success with Lōc-ed After Dark and Stone Cold Rhymin'. However, he left the label after his first LP, due to a series of creative and legal disputes and eventually signed with Capital Records. His subsequent releases did not catch on, with 1991's Brainstorm being the only subsequent album to chart (it hit #66). While his later material was solid, it remained a bit stylized and changes in the hip hop scene pushed him out of the limelight. In recent years, Young MC has acted and appeared on a few celebrity-themed reality shows. He continues to write and record, as well.
For the blog, we decided to go with "Principal's Office," as it is the rarer hit, and that's what the blog is all about. The song relies on a cool old Lee Michaels riff from "Who Could Want More." By the by, Lee Michaels is best known for his 1971 hit "Do You Know What I Mean?" The video itself is full of superb 1989 fashion goodness, right down to the acid wash jeans.
And after a brief delay (holidays, don'tchaknow) we are back. Long time readers will know that ERV likes to cover many different genres from the eighties, including the then-emerging hip hop scene. That includes arguably the most important rap band of the decade (perhaps ever), Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C. was named after the two primary rappers -- Joseph 'Run' Simmons and Darryl 'D.M.C.' McDaniels (Jason 'Jam-Master Jay' Mizell was the third member of the group). They were the first successful 'new school' rap act, and started the crossover process, where rap began to be accepted as a legitimate music genre by mainstream audiences.
King of Rock was the group's second album, and was released in 1985. The album was produced by Russell Simmons and Larry Smith and was mixed by Rick Rubin. It took hip hop directly into the rock scene, by using guitars and drums as an integral part of the music. The result was something that sounded different from anything else out there, but which was accessible to rock audiences. King of Rock was a trendsetting album, but it was not a huge hit -- it reached #52 on the album charts. The single "King of Rock" did not chart on the Billboard 100.
The video, featuring Larry 'Bud' Melman (Calvert DeForest) from David Letterman did receive some airplay on MTV back in the day, which was a rarity for rap videos. For example, Yo! MTV Raps was not launched until 1988. Again, the video was not a huge hit, but it laid the ground work for what was to come.
Run-D.M.C. would go on to have huge success with their next album, 1986's Raising Hell, which included the top ten remake of Aerosmith's "Walk this Way." They remained at the forefront of the rap scene through the early to mid 1990s, at which point they gradually faded from view. The group officially disbanded following Jam-Master Jay's murder in 2002.
Every once in a while, outside events will influence a blog posting and sadly, today is one of those days, as Adam Yauch (MCA) has passed away. For those who don't know, MCA, along with Michael Diamond (Mike D) and Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) were the Beastie Boys.
Eighties Rare Videos previously highlighted "Shadrach," from the inventive and influential Paul's Boutique album, but the impact of the Beastie Boys extends beyond that one album. In fact, the band's longevity and innovation really stand out in an industry where neither is common.
While the Beastie Boys started as a punk band in the late 1970s, they had evolved into a hip hop band by the early 1980s. They then worked with Rick Rubin and Def Jam on the License to Ill LP, and became huge stars. However, instead of continuing with the party/hard rock/rap formula, the band expanded and produced some of the most interesting music of the 1990s.
"She's On It" was an early example of the Rick Rubin rap/rock style and Rubin even appears in the video. The song was on the Krush Groove soundtrack (now who remembers that movie). The song did not chart, but the video was played on MTV and laid the groundwork for what was to come. It also seems appropriate for today, as MCA has the first line: "There's no confusion / in her conclusion."
Cool trivia fact: The model in the video is Sharon Middendorf and there is a link to an interview with her from beastiemania.com in the comments section.
In the aftermath of License to Ill, many fans and critics thought that the Beastie Boys would turn out to be a one album wonder. After all, the rock/rap album was the first hip hop LP to hit #1 on the Billboard charts, and it went on to sell 9 million units. Furthermore, the band had a contentious falling out with Def Jam Records and Rick Rubin, their co-songwriter/producer.
After relocating to California, the Beasties decided to work with the Dust Brothers production team, and released Paul's Boutique in 1989. Although critically acclaimed, the album landed with a decided thud. Hip hop fans had never heard anything like it and had no idea what to make of it. Sales were disappointing, the label stopped promoting it and MTV did not aggressively show the videos.
But gradually, fans saw the genius in the record. Rarely is a record way ahead of its time, but Paul's Boutique could easily be considered such an album. It is now widely viewed as one of the greatest hip hop albums ever and one of the strongest albums (of any genre) of the 1980s. Rolling Stone ranks it as the 125th greatest album ever.
The album is so textured and varied that no one song can really do it justice, but "Shadrach" comes close -- partly because the video seems to capture the vibe of the album. (Several critics have observed that Paul's Boutique sounds almost painted with samples.) The song's title comes from a story in the Book of Daniel, but is also used in an old Sly Stone song, "Loose Booty," which is sampled (along with 8 other old funk and rock songs, most of them sampled so cleverly that they are hard to pick up at first.)
