Man, people always sleep on the Northwest scene. Yeah, everyone laughs at Sir Mix-A-Lot, but that didn’t keep Lil Wayne from biting his style on Dedication II. And what about Grayskul, Vitamin D and the mighty Oldominion crew?
Well, no one takes Lifesavas for a joke. In 2003 their first album, Spirit in Stone, drew major notice and respectable sales, thanks to its release on Quannum Records. Their new album, Gutterfly: The Original Soundtrack, will take it to the next level. It’s a full-fledged blaxploitation musical a la Prince Paul’s A Prince Among Thieves. Vursatyl (Bumpy Johnson), Jumbo (Sleepy Floyd) and DJ Rev Shines (Jimmy Slimwater) play characters who, according to the bio, “fight their way out of the perilous confines of a mythologized Portland, Razorblade City, in away that’s reminiscent of the creation myth behind man a hip-hop partnership in the history of the genre (from OutKast to Tribe Called Quest).”
In addition to beats from MC/producer Jumbo, Jake One, Oh No and Vitamin D contribute tracks. The guest list ranges from rap vets Camp Lo, Smif ‘N Wessun and dead prez to black rock giants Fishbone and Vernon Reid. Gutterfly: The Original Soundtrack is scheduled for release on April 24.
The track listing:
- 1: Intro – Welcome to Razorblade City
- 2: Double Up
- 3: Gutterfly (feat. Camp Lo)
- 4: No Surprise
- Scene 1 – Fly Paper
- 5: Shine Language
- 6: Take Me Away
- 7: A Serpent’s Love (feat. Ish/Butterfly from Digable Planets)
- Scene 2 – Jimmy Slimwater’s New Orleans Funeral
- 8: Dead Ones (feat. Fishbone)
- Scene 3 – Revenge
- 9: The Warning
- 10: Superburn
- Scene 4 – Trouble
- 11: Night Out (feat. George Clinton & Meganut)
- Scene 5 – Connects
- 12: The Squeeze (feat. Smif ‘N Wessun)
- 13: Long Letter (feat. Don Blackman)
- 14: Freedom Walk (feat. dead prez & Vernon Reid)
- Scene 6 – Marvelous the Mouthpiece
- 15: Celebrate
- Finale
