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Pop Rock Nation

Category: People

all-about-musicians-and-the-people-who-help-them-make-music

  • MC Breed (1972-2008)

    It was reported over the weekend that rapper MC Breed (Eric Breed), most famous for the song Ain’t No Future in Yo Frontin’, passed away from what I believe to be injuries related to kidney failure. He was in the hospital earlier in September of this year after collapsing because of kidney failure.

    Rapreviews.com has a statement up from Breed’s family and management.

    We are saddened by our great loss. More than just an artist, we mourn the loss of a beloved father, son, brother and friend. We are overwhelmed by the tremendous outpouring of love and support during this difficult time. We are thankful and blessed to have been in his presence and want him to be remembered for his creative, caring, talented and hard-working spirit.

    Personally, I remember 106.1 KMEL (San Francisco) playing Ain’t No Future in Yo Frontin’ like crazy and it really became an anthem at the time. You couldn’t go anywhere without hearing that song. Gotta Get Mine came out a couple years later and featured Tupac Shakur right as he was really blowing up. The latter song reached a new audience in 2002 when it was featured on Eminem’s second soundtrack to his movie 8 Mile. It’s the third track on More Music From 8 Mile which also featured music by some heavy hitters of early 90s rap.

    I’ve included the videos to both songs.

    Ain’t No Future in Yo Frontin’

    Gotta Get Mine

  • New Music Files 11/24/08: Special Monday Edition

    I hope the music industry doesn’t use this week as a model going forward.

    Not only are there albums coming out this Tuesday, like normal, but there’s also a handful of albums coming out today (Monday), and one album that came out yesterday (Sunday)! All of this left me at a loss for when I was going to publish my column this week. Y’all can’t be doin’ that, record industry.

    Anyway, lots of big names this week. Here’s the line-up.

    Guns ‘n Roses Chinese Democracy: You’ve waited fourteen years. You thought it would never see the light of day in your lifetime. Hell, most of us never thought it would see the light of day in ANYONE’s lifetime. However, Axl Rose and his merry band of scabs have finally released Chinese Democracy. One of you guys will have to tell me whether it’s worth the wait. Unless I hear absolutely mind-blowing things, I’ll stick to my copy of Appetite for Destruction…although I must admit that I am intrigued. BTW, this album is only being released at Best Buy stores, bestbuy.com and iTunes.

    (more…)

  • Infatueighties #68: “Self Destruction”

    Get just about every rapper who was someone on one track, lamenting negative images and black-on-black crime. Think you’d be able to put something like that together these days? Not with Young Jeezy-types littering the hip-hop scene. At any rate, this Gold single reads like a who’s who of golden-age hip hop: Doug E. Fresh, Stetsasonic, Heavy D., Public Enemy, Kool Moe Dee, MC Lyte (whose verse was written by LL Cool J) and the Stop the Violence Movement’s founder, KRS-ONE.

    Not only was Self Destruction one of the first (and still one of the best) posse cuts in hip-hop history, but it was for a good cause. KRS founded the Stop the Violence movement in response to the senseless death of his Boogie Down Productions partner Scott LaRock, and for a while, it was almost impossible to find a hip-hop album cover without the Stop the Violence logo on the back. Of course, part of what gives hip-hop its’ allure these days IS violence. Ah well, can’t get the glory days back, but at least we’ll always have this video.