COMMON MARKET LP LINER NOTES
001 - RE-FRESH: 0:03:43:07
Intro tracks are a challenge. On one hand you want a piece that’s strong enough to lay the foundation for the rest of the album; on the other hand you don’t want your listeners to be disappointed as they progress through each cut. This joint lies in the balance; it’s not the weightiest track on the album but a lot is being said here (analyze the hook, sun). It was the horns that got me open. When Sabzi first laced me with this one I was just beginning to overcome the frustration I’d been feelin’ toward the local ‘scene;’ KRS had just breezed through the Chop, Hiphop Appreciation Week was just around the corner and, if even for a brief moment, Heads were comin’ together to support a common cause. Where were you the day Hiphop took over the Capitol Hill Branch Library? I reminisce, I reminisce… By the way, the train motif is symbolic - homage to Illmatic, cousin - that’s what’s up.
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002 - PUSH: 0:03:23:62
I’ve long been compelled to test the efficacy of religious dogma (growing up in the Southern Baptist Church provided ample subject matter). By the age of 14 I felt so subjugated by the church’s stance against ‘secular’ music that I found myself skipping out on sermons to listen to Ice-T on my Walkman - there seemed to be no conciliation. In 1990 I attended a Bahá’í Youth Conference in Atlanta where a dance group was performing a choreographed routine to C&C Music Factory’s Everybody Dance Now. It wasn’t exactly Too Short, but I got the feeling these cats were open to rap - six months later I declared myself a Bahá’í (so powerful is the love of music). Today I find that while the Faith may be several steps ahead of DeHaven in regards to tolerance, we still have a long way to go before we (not only as Bahá’ís, but as a society) begin to recognize the benefits of Hiphop as a tool to educate, liberate and elevate our true nature. Say Amen - nah - Say Word!
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003 - G’DANG DIGGY: 0:04:15:61
Obviously this piece predates Re-Fresh. The idea for this joint hit me when I heard Johnny Horn play an old Esther Phillips record called Home Is Where The Hatred Is. As if the relevance of the soulful cut wasn’t inspirational enough, the tag at the end has Esther and her back-up ladies cryin’ “diggy dang, diggy dang, g’dang g’dang diggy…” Wow. All this time I thought Tip was emulatin’ Busy Bee - turns out Busy was playin’ off Little Esther. Hiphop is chock-full of these gems, sun - dig deep. Ironically, Sabzi was a partial impetus in the composition of this piece a full year before he’d agreed to do the Common Market project. He used to tell me I lived too far outside the city for him to fuck with me. That shit made me so angry I had to put it down in verse, but ultimately it commanded more dedication and persistence on my part; when I proved my ambition Sabz came through in the clutch - now if only the rest of the Heads would come around…
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004 - CONNECT FOR: 0:03:17:04
Yes, the Seattle Hiphop Community is fragmented - so whatchu gonna do? I laid my cards on the table with this one. I knew the second I heard this beat (“#7! #7!!! I gotta get #7, man…) it had to be on some next level ish - Sabz came with the classic formula right here (study the beauty of the track’s intro as it ‘builds’ on each bar - compare it to T.R.O.Y. and you’ll see what I mean). The vision came to me in dramatic fashion: call ‘em out by name if you want ‘em to hear you. Oddly enough, cats will probably refer to this joint as ‘the one where he disses Wordsayer’ - child, please. To J Moore I say it’s time to use your influence for the benefit of your entire community, cousin - there is so much talent here. That’s not disrespectful - that’s my duty, sun. Peace to all the Heads mentioned on the track, and to all the rest o’ ya I’mma get you on Connect Five…
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005 - CROSSBLOW: 03:29:03
Hmmm. This one’s complicated. More than once Sabzi looked at me during the recording session as if to say “I’m not sure what you’re sayin’ but I’m sure you’re sayin’ something.” True indeed. To explain too much would be to take away from the listener’s experience of discovery and realization (yes, I am hopeful that some people will actually process these 64 bars), but I will tell you that my interpretation of Matthew 22:14 is a little different from Billy Graham’s. This country is riding a wave of Neo-Conservative enthusiasm rooted deeply in fundamental Christianity - so much so that, phenomenally in ‘04, Americans voted against their own economic interests to put a self-serving, maniacal neophyte in office for a second term. The farther this country swings to the right the more abhorrent we appear to the rest of the world. I, for one, am not willing to sacrifice any more civil liberties or religious freedom under the pretense of promoting ‘democracy’ in the Middle East - just because that’s what God told George to do. Enough is enough - it’s time we take control back from the zealots; all it takes is for one person to stand up and say “hey” - the interjection interrupts the status quo…
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006 - EVERY LAST ONE: 0:02:41:44
Each Memorial Day Weekend an extrodinary youth conference takes place in a tiny mountainous town along the Washington/Oregon border; a preternatural gathering appropriately dubbed “Windstock.” I was invited to perform at the conference several years ago, and having never been before I asked some young friends what to expect. “Its in the woods - way out; you sleep in tents, take baths with a hose and everybody stays up ‘til, like, 4 in the morning even though we’re supposed to go to bed at 11.” God, I love the Youth. I asked if there’d be a sound system for the show; “Uh, I don’t think they have electricity.” Perfect. I’ve done plenty of acoustic shows with nothing but my Djembe drum to back me up, so I crafted a 45-minute set and drove down to the hills. Nothing could have prepared me for the experience - nothing. It is still, to this day, unlike any other assemblage of young people I’ve ever witnessed. Words can’t explain it, but the spirit of the collective consciousness was so powerful it felt as though I was surrounded by young warriors.
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007 - POISON: 0:04:12:65
Believe it or not, some real crazy shit went down after KRS came through Seattle on March 9th, 2005. I was on fire for weeks afterwards; runnin' around town talkin' about "March 9th is no longer a day in which we acknowledge the death of Biggie Smalls, but rather a day in which we rejoice in the re-birth of Hiphop in our community…" I told you I grew up as a Southern Baptist, and if nothing else I've carried with me the tendency to preach. At KRS's behest, Piece, Seattle's Grand Slam poet laureate, called a meeting to organize various events for Hiphop Appreciation Week (May 15th-22nd). At the meeting I suggested that all of our efforts be focused on the Temple of Hiphop since the Temple, essentially, was responsible for the inauguration of the week-long celebration of Kulture. I even suggested that proceeds from these events be donated, in part, to the Temple out of respect. Apparently I stepped on some toes. Within days, word on the street was "RA Scion's a crank, a zealot, an overenthusiast," and eventually "a racist." WHAT? How does this happen? Then it hit me: these heads are lookin' at me the same way I look at the ‘born-agains;' they think I'm tryin' to assimilate them into a ‘ministry' they have no interest in serving. They see my passion for the Temple as dangerous and divisive, and ultimately their mission is to destroy my credibility. I get it. In a word this song is about "fanaticism;" in the first verse I acknowledge others' perception of my devotion to the Temple of Hiphop, and in the second verse I describe my feelings towards a fanatic of the Faith. In both cases it's essential to recognize how quickly a Cause designed to promote unity can become the reason for dissention and conflict; a poison of sorts. Would you be willing to sacrifice dedication to your cause for the sake of a greater one? Tough question…
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08 - TRINITY: 0:04:46:15
Sometimes a writer simply serves as a medium; this joint is a case in point. Sabzi hit me with this one early on in the collaboration process, and from the first time I heard it, the music actually told me what to write. It's a little ironic, in a way, seeing as how Sabz never understood what the hell I was writing about here. I like to think that he was divinely inspired to create this beat, and that his inspiration compelled me to pen the verse – a ‘trinity' in and of itself. I also believe so strongly in Hiphop as a miens to convey the eternal message of ‘liberation' that I have no choice but to represent to the fullest: with mind, body and soul. Check for subtle references to some classics here – this is one for the heads.
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09 - KAMPO: 0:02:01:32
This piece is too beautiful to be called an ‘interlude.' Kampo is Sabzi at his best: melodic overtones, signature shakers, contrasting big-bass low ends and sparse snares (it's so Fresh Coast) – the kid's got the craft on lock. When Sabzi and I originally started discussing the idea of this project it was gonna be a 7-song EP with instrumental versions included (still a novel concept, if you ask me). As I was listening to the selection of beats I just kept writing and writing and writing to everything; we started recording with the intent to cut the weaker tracks and ended up keeping it all – well, almost (ask Sabzi's brother why Get Together and Spread never made it past guide vocals). I heard this track for the first time at the mastering session, and I'm sure Sabz never played it for me before then because he knew I'd try and write to it! But this one was too powerful for words; I mean, if you can't think of one single person to love or one reason to live life after playing this joint, you have no soul and you don't deserve a copy of this album – give it to someone else in hopes that, through the act of sharing, God may look favorably upon you and make you human once more. I love you, Sabz, and I don't mind tellin' you.
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10 - LOVE ONE: 0:03:24:09
My last album, Live and Learn, was not exactly successful – certainly not financially, but not even critically which, for me, was the aim of the project. I knew I was workin' with a non-traditional format and I expected the majority of the Heads to shit on it, but I kept hoping that somebody out there (aside from my friends and family) might catch wind of it, give it an objective listen and recognize the potential in the lyrical content. With the exception of Larry Mizell and Emily Youssef (who really, in all honesty, fall more into the category of ‘friends and family') not too many critics were eager to give it more than a single thumb up. Too bad, because L and L did have some verbal gems on it – one of ‘em being Want it To, a song inspired by the hardship and reward of marriage. I've always made it a point to acknowledge the influence women have had on my life, for better or worse; unfortunately those tracks always get overlooked. I decided to try and revisit the concept – this time with a much more suitable beat. All in all, I think it works, and while it probably won't be Charles Mudede's pick for ‘single of the year' I'm glad Sabzi kept it. It's an homage to women, in general – thank you for your love…
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11 - SUCCOR MCS: 0:02:45:32
This is another one of those verses dictated by the beat. I wish you all had the chance to hear each of these instrumentals before words compromised their integrity; I wonder if you would have felt the same emotion I felt. This joint had to be one specifically for the ‘kids.' Not toddlers, mind you, but the 12-to-17-year-old demographic who are undoubtedly magnetized (positively or negatively) by Hiphop Music. Can we stop tellin' ‘em to leave rap alone and start teaching them how to use rhyme effectively? I tell the young ‘uns all the time: "If you wanna rebel, rebel against the ‘system;' you wanna be a thug, be one who distributes the wealth." If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times – Hiphop is so powerful. It's on us to see that the youth use the weapon wisely.
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12 - MY PATHOLOGY: 0:03:13:01
I am quite literally enthralled by the intricacies of the English language. Though it pales in comparison (no pun intended) to all the Indo-Iranian, Hellenic, and Italic languages, it still manages to elude most of us in our quest for mastery of its proficiency. See what I mean, already I've stopped making sense. This piece, really, is not much more than me trying to prove that communication transcends language; come see how people respond to this joint at the live show and you'll see what I mean.
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13 - KEEP TRACK: 0:03:19:21
I'll let you in on a little secret: I wrote this verse about 4 years ago when I moved to Seattle from Zambia. I was deliberately taking notice of both the differences and similarities between various cultures I'd been a part of in my travels. Time – I mean real, tangible time, like "12 o'clock" – time, more specifically the desire to know precisely what ‘time' it is seems to be universal. Of course I'm aware of the stark contrast of the "pace" of life between Chicago and the Luapula Province, but in both places I've had cats ask me for the time – more than once. But that's not the secret – the secret is that Sabzi gave me this beat a week before we were scheduled to wrap up recording and I couldn't come up with jack shit. I wanted this cut so bad I started diggin' through an old notebook full of aged rhymes. Feeling the pressure of the ‘time' constraint, this piece seemed apropos; please take a second to enjoy it.
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14 - DOORS: 0:03:59:59
No doubt about it, I'm more attached to this joint than any other on the album. Not for any good reason, either, it just feels closer to me. I don't know if many folks know this, but Sabzi and I actually worked together before this project. Well, perhaps saying we "worked together" is overstating it, but he did kick me down a couple of bangers for the Live and Learn album. Shortly afterward we talked about collaborating on EP project, and this was the first beat he gave me; I finished the verses in a week, figuring I'd better be ready the instant Sabzi called. Then a month after L and L was released the Blue Scholars album caught a tidal wave of critical acclaim. Sabzi and Geo were rockin' shows from Bellingham to Portland – 3, sometimes 4 shows-a-week; it didn't seem like Sabz was gonna have time to work on a ‘side project.' But nearly 8 months later he managed to make it happen, and this joint was the foundation we built on. This is a true renaissance piece dedicated to all the Heads who remember cassette tapes. The train of rap's ‘golden age' is about to leave the station – are you gonna be on board?
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