This essay on Duck Down Records’ 15th anniversary was posted April 9 on the Rhapsody Music Stuff Place blog and its new Rhapsody Hip-Hop Blog. I have a weekly column called Rap is Not Pop.

————————————–

Rap is Not Pop: Why Duck Down Matters

Duck Down Records, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, may be the last of the great New York throwbacks. Its flagship group, Boot Camp Clik, came of age during the “Stakes Is High” era of hip-hop, those years before the Notorious B.I.G.’s Life After Death and Diddy’s No Way Out introduced a set of conspicuously materialistic values that changed the culture forever. (Some grumpy old heads would argue that they “killed” hip-hop.) Shortly after came the underground scene’s rise and fall; a shift in the universe from the Rotten Apple to the Dirty South; and a current split between D-boy/street values and alternative/pop dreams.

Every independent rap label has struggled in recent years, and few from that halcyon ’90s period have survived. (Stones Throw is a notable exception; more on them later.) For Boot Camp Clik, the course has been particularly torturous. Being known for street rap classics such as Black Moon’s Enta Da Stage and Smif-N-Wessun’s Dah Shinin’ can serve as a unique kind of weight; it’s what fans love and expect from them, even if that era of bleedy-eyed rhymes and casual lyrical violence has passed. But Duck Down has managed to satiate its hardcore following and look forward to the future.

That feat took some maneuvering. Cofounders Dru Ha and Buckshot landed a distribution deal with Priority Records only after escaping a litigious relationship with Nervous Records, the label behind Enta Da Stage and Dah Shinin’. Originally designed as a next-to-blow label, it found early Billboard chart success with gems like Heltah Skeltah’s Nocturnal, Originoo Gunn Clappaz’ Da Storm and the Boot Camp Clik group album For the People. But as the “jiggy” sound took over in the late ’90s, destroying any chance of underground-to-mainstream growth, Duck Down seemed unable to adjust creatively.

Then again, Boot Camp Clik have often appeared slightly out of place. During their mid-’90s heyday, they seemed more smoked-out and insular than street rap contemporaries such as Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, the Gang Starr Foundation and M.O.P. They spoke their own version of Ebonics (known as “Bootcampian”), used military iconography and fused reggae and dancehall with eerily slow dub vibes. The beats, mostly produced by Da Beatminerz in the early years, were more akin to Portishead trip-hop than Pete Rock soul. Today, they’re even more isolated from the post-Diddy New York of Big Willies, urban pop stars and underground “true school” emcees. Don’t get it twisted: this isn’t a crew of backpackers, even though Buckshot rapped about his “knapsack” on Black Moon’s “Who Got Da Props?”. But even mainstream superthugs like N.O.R.E. and DMX were too limited for their vocabulary.

It wasn’t until Buckshot teamed with producer 9th Wonder for a series of collaborations, beginning with 2005′s Chemistry, that Duck Down found its stride. That same year, Sean Price (formerly known as Rock from Heltah Skeltah) dropped Monkey Barz; in his Rhapsody review, Sam Chennault wrote that it was “reminiscent of a time when emcees would rather whoop your ass in the alley than steal your girl at the club.” Further Boot Camp Clik efforts like Buckshot’s The Formula (again with 9th) and Survival Skills (this time with KRS-One) and Sean Price’s Jesus Price Supastar were often heard as nostalgic evocations of ’90s ethics, a time when street rap was a thing of mystery and noir, not simply a backdrop for money-grubbing D-boys to flaunt their latest club dances.

However, these new Boot Camp recordings were also an attempt to deal with their considerable legacy and build something new. Jesus Price Supastar may be defiantly old school, but it doesn’t sound like those ’90s classics. It’s the classicist approach — sample-heavy beats and snarled, half-serious gun threats — that fools us into thinking that they’re old instead of new.

Meanwhile, Duck Down Records is signing new artists, and not just extended fam like Pharoahe Monch (whose new album, W.A.R., is slated for this summer) or like-minded soldiers such as Torae and Marco Polo (authors of 2009′s impressive Double Barrel). The appearance of Kidz in the Hall’s The In Crowd — a new rap gen opus whose middle-class house-party sound has little in common with the grimy street poetry of the Clik — probably surprised a lot of fans, as did an announcement that the label was aligning with Northwest activists Blue Scholars for a distribution/marketing deal.

Duck Down Records is no longer a movement limited to a particular crew, but a symbol of independent-minded (if not necessarily indie) hip-hop. The amazing thing is that Dru Ha and Buckshot learned to take advantage of that.

There are few others. The aforementioned Stones Throw began as an outpost of Bay Area hip-hop, evolved into a clearinghouse for Madlib’s catalog, and then grew into its best incarnation as a progressive imprint defined by a raw, visceral approach to funk, rap, electronics and other psychedelic sounds. The important thing is to sustain the brand while expanding its definition.

I’m not surprised that Stones Throw figured that out — Peanut Butter Wolf and co. always seemed like smart rap guys — but I didn’t expect Duck Down to get there, too. After all, many others didn’t, from Fondle ‘Em and Rawkus to Definitive Jux (which barely survives as a catalog label). While the music industry emerges from the wreckage of the digital revolution, we need a few heroes to show us that renewal is possible.

While the Plug One 50′s top 20 albums list is designed to be authoritative (or at least highly opinionated), the top 30 tracks list tends to be a mishmash of random favorites.

These are a few songs that caught my ear. Some were important singles; others were just “YouTube singles”; and still others were random MP3s. It was actually difficult to put together, not due to an abundance of choices, but because I usually pay attention to albums, not songs. I can’t promise that the situation will improve next year, and I’ll learn to remember the cuts that I liked, but shit, it would make this job a lot easier, wouldn’t it?

I decided to rank the top ten, if only to highlight the ones that truly stood out for me, and then alphabetized the rest.

1. Raekwon, “House of Flying Daggers”
Ice H20 Records/EMI

Raekwon caught everyone’s attention with this throwback to the glory days of Wu. Over a banging track from the late J Dilla — which, it should be noted, was reportedly commissioned before Dilla’s death — Rae, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface and Meth drop a bag of heat rocks, with GZA on the chorus. It let us know that the long-delayed Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt II would actually be good.

2. Eminem, “Beautiful”
Interscope

Relapse should have sounded like this bittersweet single, not the drug-addled attempts to reclaim Slim Shady glory that made it such a disappointment. It proves that Eminem, when not sheltered by Jimmy Iovine and a nation of suburban Stans, is still capable of producing great records. Bonus points earned for “Beautiful’s” accompanying video, which paid elegiac tribute to Em’s native, broken-down Detroit.

3. The Roots, “How I Got Over”
Def Jam

“Out on the streets, where I grew up/First thing they teach you is not to give a fuck/That type of thinking will get you nowhere/Someone has to care.” Brilliant.

4. Cage, “Nothing Left to Say”
Definitive Jux

Cage’s official single, the serial killer fantasy “Depart From Me,” got the Shia LaBouef video treatment, but this teaser single made a bigger impression on me. It honors his late friend and rhyme partner Tero “Camu Tao” Smith, an underappreciated vet who died from cancer last year. (A few major blogs who shall remain nameless, unaware of Camu Tao’s talents, struggled to mount tributes.) Cage gives him the musical tribute he deserves, promising to “live through Camu” over smash-mouth guitars and a raucous El-P beat.

5. Hudson Mohawke, Polyfolk Dance EP
Warp

This five-track instrumental 12-inch summarized Hudson Mohawke’s ideas, with the standout “Velvet Peel” at its whimsically digital center.

6. Buckshot & KRS-One, “Robot”
Duck Down Records

After Jay-Z’s “D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)” blew up, the airwaves Buckshot tried to claim credit for starting the anti-vocoder trend since his track dropped first. I liked when KRS-One rapped”Go online, look up Kraftwerk/everything we doing is past work.” It was kinda corny: these days, any teeny bopper can not only download Kraftwerk’s complete catalog, but their influences and their followers, which is neatly documented by Allmusic.com. You have to read deeper into Kris’ line to get his overall point — these silly trends really are reverberations of what’s come before them. It’s simple wisdom.

7. Anti-Pop Consortium, “Volcano”
Big Dada

After reuniting last year following a six-year layoff, I wondered if Anti-Pop still had the potential to “disturb the equilibrium.” This vibrant battle rap let me know that my fears were unfounded.

8. Sa-Ra Creative Partners, “Love Czars”
Ubiquity Recordings

Technically, this 10-minute locked-groove symphony isn’t a hip hop track; you’ll have to dig up the remix featuring Jay Electronica and Ta’Raach for that. However, it exemplified future soul, and all the cross-currents — from hip hop to house music and future jazz — that flow through it.

9. J Dilla feat. Black Thought, “Reality Check”
Nature Sounds

“Reality Check” was a diamond amidst the rough, unfinished beats and sloppy vocals of Jay Stay Paid. Black Thought’s rant about reality TV hell, with its allusions to Public Enemy’s “She Watches Channel Zero,” rolled over Dilla’s synth-y track like a third rail.

10. Mos Def, “Casa Bey”
Downtown Records

Mos Def’s The Ecstatic was effortlessly innovative, and this laser-sharp example of his lyrical prowess, set to his own jazzy shapeshifting beat, was a sterling representation.

And here’s the rest of the list in alphabetical order:

Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones, “The Lonely Ones”
Decon

Asher Roth, “Lark in My Go-Kart”
SRC

Busdriver, “Least Favorite Rapper”
Anti-

Cage, “Depart From Me”
Definitive Jux

Cam’ron, “I Hate My Job”
Asylum

Clipse, “Kinda Like A Big Deal”
Columbia Records

The Clonius, Adroit Adventures EP
Ubiquity Recordings

Del and Tame One, “The Franchise”
Gold Dust Media

Dorian Concept, “Tropical Trilingual Tease” (online sample track from “Trilingual Dance Sexperience”)
Affine Records

Drake, “Best I Ever Had”
Universal Motown

Filastine, “Marxa”
Soot Records

Finale, “Jungle Music”
online MP3

Kero One, “Welcome to the Bay”
Plug Label

Mos Def, “Supermagic”
Downtown Records

MF Doom, “Lightworks”
Lex Records

Pill, “Trap Goin’ Ham”
Grade A Muzik

Raekwon, “Surgical Gloves”
Ice H20 Records/EMI

Tanya Morgan, “Hardcore Gentlemen”
Interdependent Media

Themselves, “Roman Is As Roman Does”
Anticon

Theophilus London, “Cold Pillow”
online MP3

The Teacha and Buckshot Shorty interface with Tron. I like how each video from this project has them confronting a seemingly futuristic industry built on the same old scams.

Directed by Todd Angkasuwan. From Survival Skills, out now.

As I work through a massive backlog of press material, here’s another one to watch out for. KRS-One and Buckshot’s collabo Survival Skills drops September 15 on Duck Down Records. It’s packed with guests, from Mary J. Blige and Melanie Fiona to Talib Kweli and Slug from Atmosphere. And, of couse, lots of Duck Down members show up, including Smif-N-Wessun and new signee Geologic from Blue Scholars. Production comes from Black Milk, Illmind, Marco Polo, Khrysis, Nottz and 9th Wonder.

The first single, “Robot,” was produced by Havoc and has percolated around the Internet for a minute. Here’s some press info:

On the surface the album is a testament to the resiliency of two lyrical titans, but at its root Survival Skills is a blueprint for life. For instance on the infectious head-nodder “Robot,” which was released 6 weeks prior to Jay Z’s “The Death Of Auto Tune” track, and already available World Wide at Digital Retail Shops, such as iTunes, the duo speak-out against the recent overuse of the Auto-Tune vocal effect in urban music, but under the surface the message is much deeper. “I don’t want people to get the averaged clichéd version and thinking that we’re dissing people,’” Buckshot clarifies. “What we’re calling out here is the biters, the people that feel like because this guy sold X amount of records doing this, that I’m going to turn around and do it as well,” KRS says of the array of artists who have followed in the creative footsteps of Roger Troutman, Afrikka Bambatta, Teddy Riley and T-Pain. Despite its heavy message, sonically the track, produced by Mobb Deep’s Havoc, is as inviting as anything on the radio today. The video for “ROBOT,” directed by Todd Angkaswan, has been added into rotation at MTV & BET. The track has also been included in the sound track for Activision’s upcoming Tony Hawk skate game in stores this Fall.

Coincidently, ROBOT is not the first example of where Jay Z has released similar material and concepts from KRS-ONE & BUCKSHOT. In 2003, Buckshot’s group Black Moon recorded a song called “Stay Real,” which was, again, released 6 weeks prior to Jay Z’s “Public Service Announcement” track, that ironically contained the same sample as Black Moon’s “Stay Real.”

A couple years prior to this Jay Z released “THE BLUEPRINT,” which was the same title used by KRS-ONE in his classic album, Boogie Down Productions “Ghetto Music: The BLUEPRINT of Hip Hop.” …

For all of their individual accomplishments, KRS-ONE and Buckshot remain fans of each other’s work; complementing each other’s strengthens. “That’s still KRS-One at the end of the day. I didn’t know how to rhyme back when I first started listening to Kris,” says Buck alluding to his partner’s dominant history. In turn, KRS gives all praises to the Black Moon front man. “I am the humble teacher on the track, Buckshot is clearly the man,” he says.

Still gritty tracks like “Clean Up,” featuring Rock of Heltah Skeltah and the politically minded “Running Away” featuring Immortal Technique, make Survival Skills a Hip-Hop fan’s dream, catering to those that love lyrics and the boom-bap. Equally as rich is the album’s Black Milk-produced track, “The Way I Live” featuring the Queen of hip-hop soul, Mary J. Blige. Together they create a triumphant anthem for all those on the grind trying to conquer their dreams. The song’s summery feel and soothing melodies make it an instant hit.

Throughout, both veterans sound as hungry and invigorated as any of their rap counterparts. “Projects like these are projects that motivate me,” KRS says. “The idea to work with another MC that has his own persona and style and do a real collaboration in the studio, that’s motivation. I already got 16 albums of my own,” he adds.

What KRS-One and Buckshot have created is an album that is socially responsible, lyrically sharp and sonically banging. Buckshot sums it up best, “Hip-Hop was started as an option to not killing each other. We were in the ghettos and we were real fucked up. We created Hip-Hop so we didn’t have to do that anymore.”

“The album is called Survival Skills, because that is what it takes.”

Here’s the track listing:

• 1. “Survival Skills” (feat. DJ Revolution)
• 2. “Robot”
• 3. “The Way I Live” (feat. Mary J. Blige)
• 4. “Clean Up Crew” (feat. Rock of Heltah Skeltah)
• 5. “Oh Really” (feat. Talib Kweli & Geologic of Blue Scholars)
• 6. “We Made It” (feat. Slug of Atmosphere)
• 7. “Runnin Away” (feat. Immortal Technique)
• 8. “Think Of All The Things” (feat. K’naan)
• 9. “Connection” (feat. Smif-N-Wessun)
• 10. “Hear No Evil”
• 11. “One Shot” (feat. Pharoahe Monch)
• 12. “Murder 1″ (feat. Bounty Killer)
• 13. “Amazin’” (feat. Sean Price & Loudmouf Choir)
• 14. “Past, Present, Future” (feat. Melanie Fiona & Naledge of Kidz In The Hall)

I’m late on this one, but it’s such a great video that I’m posting it anyway.

From KRS-One and Buckshot’s Survival Skills, out September 15.

Allhiphop.com reports that Buckshot just suffered a series of seizures that led to his hospitalization:

According to Duck Down co-founder and CEO Dru Ha, the legendary MC was returning home from a European trip, when he suffered from multiple seizures.

“I got to see him today and he’s doing OK but obviously needs time to recover,” Dru Ha told AllHipHop.com in an emailed statement.

Meanwhile, Yarah Bravo writes on her MySpace blog that DJ Vadim has been diagnosed with cancer:

Vadim has been diagnosed with Cancer!!!
(If you would like to know more about it, please google it.
As i do not want to delve into it here.
The name is: Ocular Melanoma / choroidal melanoma and
it is a very rare type of cancer)

This has obviously been a shock for all of us.

Thankfully, it seems that neither man is in mortal danger. Nevertheless, my thoughts go out to them.

As most 9th Wonder fans know by now, Asylum Records has put the North Carolina producer’s major-label debut The Wonder Years on hold … for now. However, it’s full speed ahead for the second leg of 9th’s spring attack: a new album with Buckshot from Boot Camp Clik.

9th Wonder and Buckshot’s The Formula drops April 15 on Duck Down Records. It’s the follow-up to the duo’s 2005 collaboration, Chemistry. The project includes a few guests such as North Carolina singer Carlitta Durand, Talib Kweli and several members of M1 Platoon.

“Every song is dealing with a topic. Each track specifically has a formula,” says Buckshot in a press release. “I’ve always had a certain sound within Hip-Hop and 9th Wonder helps bring out my unique style. We share a comfort level that allows me to be at ease when it comes to recording and that natural sound translates into great music.”

Heads tend to scrutinize and fuss over 9th Wonder’s work; it’s why he’s one of the most influential producers to emerge this decade. Will The Formula meet his fans’ high standards? Check out the track listing below.

• 1. “Intro – The Formula” (feat. the Formula Crew)
• 2. “Ready (Brand New Day)”
• 3. “Be Cool” (feat. Swan)
• 4. “Go All Out” (feat. Carlitta Durand)
• 5. “No Future”
• 6. “Hold It Down” (feat. Talib Kweli & Tyler Woods)
• 7. “Whassup with U” (feat. Keisha Shontelle)
• 8. “Only For You (Lou)”
• 9. “Just Display”
• 10. “Here We Go”
• 11. “Throwin’ Shade”
• 12. “Shinin’ Yall” (feat. Arafat Yates & Big Chops of M1 Platoon)
• 13. “Man Listen”

www.9thwonder.com
www.myspace.com/9thwondermusic
www.myspace.com/bdithug

Durham, N.C. production wiz 9th Wonder is scheduled to kick off 2008 with two full-length albums.

The first, The Wonder Years, is scheduled for a January 26 release on Asylum Records. Guests on the album include Erykah Badu, Teedra Moses, Talib Kweli and Mos Def. The second album reunites him with Buckshot, with whom he made the 2005 album Chemistry. Their new collaboration, The Formula, comes out via Duck Down on March 18 and features guest spots from Kweli and Raheem DeVaughn. The first single from The Wonder Years, “Miss Diva,” features Kweli and Tyler Woods.

In an interview with HipHopDx.com, 9th Wonder said, “Sonically, people can expect bigger sounding beats, more expansion of my sound. There will be an element of classic, throwback R&B, but with a current twist. With this album, I’m not only defining myself, but I’m defining people in my age group. It’s not necessarily an underground or overground thing, you just want to find the music that fits you and where you are in your life right about now. That’s what The Wonder Years is for me.”

Other 9th Wonder credits to look for include Murs’ new album, Murs for President, which is scheduled for the spring; Erykah Badu’s upcoming album, Nu AmErykah, for which he produced the lead single, “Honey”; and tracks for underground associates such as Torae and M1 Platoon.

January 31 update: 9th Wonder’s The Wonder Years has been postponed. A new release date has not been scheduled yet.

www.myspace.com/9thwondermusic

Nearly fifteen years after its launch Duck Down Recordings, the storied NY imprint founded by industry executive Dru Ha and Black Moon leader Buckshot, is poised to experience its biggest success since the days of Dah Shinin and “Leflah.”

Duck Down has recruited Koch as its distributor for several upcoming projects. The first will be Casualties of War, a collection of outtakes from Boot Camp Clik’s 2006 album The Last Stand and tracks spotlighting the label’s roster. It’s scheduled to drop on August 14.

Rumors have swirled for months that Sean Price, one-half of Heltah Skeltah and the hero behind this year’s underground hit Jesus Price Supastar, will soon sign with Def Jam. While that has yet to pass, Price is preparing a mixtape, Master P, for release on July 24. He has also begun work on a new album tentatively titled Mic Tyson, and has formed a supergroup with Detroit rapper (and Stones Throw artist) Guilty Simpson and rapper/producer Black Milk. The trio hopes to drop an album before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Buckshot is getting ready to drop the sequel to Chemistry, his 2005 pairing with former Little Brother producer 9th Wonder. The disc is called The Formula, and it should land sometime this fall.

Other projects on deck include Special Teamz, a supergroup including Boston vet EDO.G, former Kreators member Jaysaun and G. Slaine. Their debut, Stereotypez, features guest spots by Sean Price, Buckshot, Devin the Dude and Ill Bill. DJ Premier, Marco Polo and Jake One, among others, contribute beats. Stereotypez drops on September 25.

There’s much more music to come from Boot Camp Clik, including a mixtape from Steele (Hotstyle, due July 24) and other scheduled goodies. The crew will be out and about this summer, including a few dates on the Rock the Bells tour. You can check those out below.

Black Moon:

• 7/03: Mezzanine, San Francisco, CA
• 7/18: Brower Park, Brooklyn, NY

Smif N Wessun:

• 7/24: Red Hook Park, Brooklyn, NY

Sean Price:

• 7/18: Brower Park, Brooklyn, NY

Boot Camp Clik:

• 7/28-7/29: Randall’s Island, New York, NY

7/03: w/Pirate DJs, DJ Apollo, Supreme, DJ Pause
7/24: w/dead prez
7/28-7/29: Rock the Bells w/Rage Against the Machine, Wu-Tang Clan, Erykah Badu, Rakim, Mos Def, MF Doom, Pharaoahe Monch, Immortal Technique, Jedi Mind Tricks, Public Enemy, Felt, Living Legends, Brother Ali, Cage, Mr. Lif, Grouch & Eligh, Hangar 18, Blueprint, Luckyiam, DJ Hi-Tek, Mike Relm, C-Minus, Rocky Rock

Plug One review: Sean Price, Jesus Price Supastar

www.duckdown.com
www.myspace.com/duckdownrecords