Schooly D - "Smoke Some Kill" C/D

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Found this affordable in the local shop and remembered it was OOP (and recommended by Phil in Lost in the Grooves), so I picked it up. I've got to admit I'm a bit underwhelmed, but by no means am I ready to say "dud" yet.

hit me, nu-ilx hivemind.

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Thursday, 22 February 2007 03:07 (nineteen years ago)

I didn't really like it when it came out. Seemed like a big falling off from Saturday Night. And the "Kashmir" song sounded dumb.

― Stormy Davis, Thursday, 22 February 2007 03:15 (nineteen years ago)

i loved it when it came out.

― scott seward, Thursday, 22 February 2007 03:18 (nineteen years ago)

If I found a copy, I sure wouldn't pass it up.

I used to play "No More Rock 'n' Roll" every night when I closed the record store I worked in.

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Thursday, 22 February 2007 08:43 (nineteen years ago)

this ain't cinderella

― dave q, Thursday, 22 February 2007 10:12 (nineteen years ago)

it's a cool record, with some massive fuckin beats. but it doesn't have that dense, party vibe groove thing of "Saturday Night," which is just one of the coolest songs ever. I still own my copy, though.

― QuantumNoise, Thursday, 22 February 2007 12:36 (nineteen years ago)

It's not going to knock you on your ass with its unmitigated brilliance, but it's a sturdy play with some great songs and the filler is easy on the ears. At the time it was considered a flop, it sounded dated as soon as it came out. Native Tongues / NWA were pushing things in new directions. People weren't interested in hearing about fat gold chains and b-boy stances in '88. I don't think I really appreciated how great it was until the early 90s.

There's a dub-like sense of space throughout with some cavernous standout tracks, "Mr. Big Dick", "Here We Go Again", and "Same White Bitch" (one of my alltime favorite hip-hop songs evah). Here's a tip: if the bass in "Here We Go Again" isn't turning the air into taffy then you're not playing it loud enough. Sounds really good on car cassette deck set to stun.

Lotsa great stoopid funny lines, too.

turn left! no homie turn right!

I was smokin' I was tokin'
my mom said boy you must be jokin'
threw me outside it was rainin' I was soakin'
that weed so damn provokin'

mr big dick is always on the rise
to look at mine, you need 4 eyes
why? because of the size
on the ave I always will hold it
when it get big sometime I will fold it

I'mma put my shades on so I can see what you ain't doing

― Edward III, Thursday, 22 February 2007 17:18 (nineteen years ago)

Still love this album (and Schoolly's music in general, all the way up to Welcome To America) as much as I did when I wrote about it for LITG, but currently my favorite is Am I Black Enough For You?.

― unperson, Thursday, 22 February 2007 17:28 (nineteen years ago)

i love everything up to and including am i black enough for you. i think am i black enough is better than smoke some kill, but i still love smoke some kill. both of those albums should be available. together in one package even! he lost me with how a blackman feels and welcome to america, but even they probably have some good stuff on them. i just haven't listened to them in years.

― scott seward, Thursday, 22 February 2007 17:31 (nineteen years ago)

"Kashmir" song sounded dumb

Probably because it was recorded when the band was warming up, Schoolly didn't even know the tape was rolling. They put it on the record as a goof.

Here's an interview I did with Schoolly back in '94 where he talks about it and the ensuing legal fracas:
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Show/1490/uglyamerican.htm

― Edward III, Thursday, 22 February 2007 17:33 (nineteen years ago)

html parser be fuckin wit me

schoolly interview

― Edward III, Thursday, 22 February 2007 17:35 (nineteen years ago)

Sadly Smoke Some Kill will probably never get reissued cuz of the Led Zeppelin rights shit.

― Edward III, Thursday, 22 February 2007 17:40 (nineteen years ago)

i love the signifiying rapper!

awesome album overall.

― M@tt He1ges0n, Thursday, 22 February 2007 17:43 (nineteen years ago)

he lost me with how a blackman feels and welcome to america, but even they probably have some good stuff on them.

Funny thing about How A Blackman Feels, side 1 sucks, side 2 is awesome so I guess it's easy to come away underwhelmed. I thought Welcome to America was brilliant and it's still his most underrated record. The production job on that is fucking insane.

― Edward III, Thursday, 22 February 2007 17:45 (nineteen years ago)

that's a great interview, thanks

― Milton Parker, Thursday, 22 February 2007 20:42 (nineteen years ago)

Thanks. It was surreal, being on the like 541st floor of the Sony bldg in NYC talking to Schoolly D. Whoever transcribed the interview left out my favorite part, where the lunch guy comes and brings Schoolly the wrong soup. The lunch guy asked, "Should I sleep with one eye open?" and Schoolly's buddy said, "Both."

After the interview he went to give me a pound and I held out my open hand total dorky white guy style - it was like bizarro credits of Enus...

― Edward III, Thursday, 22 February 2007 21:24 (nineteen years ago)

er, Enos

― Edward III, Thursday, 22 February 2007 21:27 (nineteen years ago)

Nice piece, Edward. Sounds like a fun interview.

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, 23 February 2007 01:04 (nineteen years ago)

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