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— Black Thought has a group with Mos Def and Common —

Pm just under the whole umbrella. That's the way E look at it.

This was the first project to come out of the can. More will be
. coming out next year, We all roll together.”

Rahzei grew up saturated in hip hop culture — his cousin
Rahim was onc of the founding members of the Furious Five
and Rahzel watched hia perform with Grandmaster Flash as a
youngster.

He began making music in his own right in Grade six per-
fecting the quintessential hip hop art form of using his voice
and body as a human beat box. Rahzel first performed on
stage with the Treacherous Three in 1986. As a teenager he
also roadied for the Ultramagnetic MCs “In every important
phase of hip hop, I was there, absorbing everything that was
going on.”

The Ultramagnetic MCs used live instrumentation on some
tracks something the Roots do all the time. How did a kid
from the Bronx get into a band from Philadelphia? “Me and
the drummer ?ucstlove hooked up and we thought it was kind

* of cool,” says Rahzel “We did a show and people liked it.”
= The Roots fatest album: Things Fall Apart is one of the
“great records of 1999 and with the help ofa guest vocal by
Erykah Badu on “You Got Mc” the radical band even made it
into rhe Top. Forty charts. She also makes an appearance on
Rahzci’s MT 2090 (“Southern Girl”) as ‘do the rest of The
‘Roots on various. tracks but i it’s definitely a solo effort with a
different vibe.
lo. artist the responsibility i is totally i up to you. The
mainly on your actions and I think its cool —

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everybody should experience it. When you're out on your awn
you have to make sure it happens. It’s a great learning experi-

ence,

” Rahzel mixes live tracks recorded at San Francisco’s

Maritime Hall with studio efforts that utilize the talents of dif-

ferent producers and musicians.

After the CD's intro, the music comes in hard with a one-
two punch on tracks from Marley Marl and Pete Rock. The
latter's production of “All I Know” yiclded the first single
and debuted on the duo’s New York radio program. The vibe
is a dynamic mix of Cold Chillin’ savvy and Rahzel’s vocal
acrobatics, “I worked with Marley when I was younger (in
the Juice Crew) so it was kind of cool working with him

again.”

MTM 2000 is a welcome addition to the hip hop catalogue a
which grows larger by the week. “It’s a good time to do hip -~

hop because everything is being scen right now — MCing,
DJing, break dancing — all the factors that made hip hop in
the beginning. More techniques, more style that’s where hip

hop originated from.”

With his knowledge of hip hop history Rahzei has a keen
eye for original work. “I don’t like the word “trend” — it’s
cool when you have one or two people doing their own style
but when you have 20 people trying to imitate them that’s
when it gets monotonous. I listen to everything because of
what I do. You have to be pretty much i in tune with every-
thing. School is always in session.”

With the success of the Roots and the establishment of his»
~ own solo career Rahzel intends to continue the pace into next

year. “Keep building from where you start. Keep building
from the foundation i in — more records, more tours — Got

to keep it going.”

_. Millionaire (Jive 01241)

Six degrees of separation in the
very: prolific hip hop nation. In

the last few. weeks a lot of new.

discs have been- added to the

© catalogue. fae

Warren Griffin is an anom-
aly — he operates out of Los_
Angeles. where his low-key,

. steady groove would normaly

lost in the flash surround: :
ing the playa ethic. But’: :

-. Warren G ean-move in and _
- out of any conceptual world °

he chooses and still make it
believable."

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anor. ere. tailored to: individual ‘interests” and capabilities,’
ISHTAR’s: Wellness ‘and ‘Vitality: Program. Our Recreation
Activities, combined ‘with gracious. hospitality: and professional:24. hour
Health Care provides the best life has to’ offer. for our valued resident

~ niatus » sounding better than ;
ever. Full production with very.
clever arrangements from the *.
KayGee. He adds a lot of: detail
to the tracks bur never over-
. producing — Nature’s Fury
sounds great with headphones:
- Wu ‘Tang soldier Rackwon’
is back with the very impres- ©
sive Insmobilarity — the only

- drawback being the use of to .

many skits as transition’
between tracks. Not on. | -
Wil! Smith's Willennise is

now just one ‘more extension —

of his superstar personality.

He’s a long wai way from: oes

. Philadelphia al lough DJ: -

Jazzy Jef does get in on the:

action: ~ . 2
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Cas ” displaying the reach
“of a savvy catertainer. Smith’
CD sknrolisento whe
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EMC Lyte and Eve) and

samples | the Clash’s “Rock the. - |

. welcome good humour. :

and Jayo Felo.
“new albums on Eureka ‘which