not in kansas anymore...

anybody remember "alternative rap?" do any of these names ring a bell... arrested development? digable planets? disposable heroes of hiphoprisy? me phi me? pm dawn? gumbo? justin warfield? new kingdom? the goats?

a movement in journalistic name only, "alternative rap" was the catch-all term for early 90s rap that, ahem, didn't scare white people. a native tongue influence mixed with jazz, reggae, rock & roll, electronic, psychedelic, blues, folk, or anything else for that matter. basically, if it wasn't cali gangsta rap, or east coast boom-bap, and white bohemian college kids were into it, it likely fit the "alternative rap" category.

jazz rap? conscious hip-hop? rock-rap? psychedelic rap? neo soul? underground rap? indie rap?

me, i was listening to all of this stuff, the umc's and too short shared discman time in my life...

anyway, as i keep digging through my stacks, i'll be sharing some of this stuff with you. some you'll have heard of, some you'll have not...

we'll start with this...




basehead - not in kansas anymore (download.)

1. Not in Kansas
2. Introduction
3. Brown Kisses, Pt. 1
4. I Need a Joint
5. Pass the Thought
6. Greener Pastures
7. Brown Kisses, Pt. 2
8. Commercial Break
9. Shouldna Dunnit
10. Split Personality
11. Not the Same
12. Hoes on Tour, Pt. 1
13. Popeye Philosophy
14. Hoes on Tour, Pt. 2
15. Fluffy and Richard
16. Hoes on Tour (Deel Drie)
17. Nite Out on the Town
18. Do You Wanna Fuck (Or What) ?
19. Hoes on Tour, Pt. 4

it's pretty mellow. jazzy, i guess. dude's vocal style is kind of half-rapping half-slurring, sort of a raspy hangover drawl, spoken wordy. he talks a lot about girls, smoking weed, racism, etc. it's a good album.

i'm still looking for their first one, play with toys, if anyone has it...