Welcome to the newest regular feature here at True Genius Requires Insanity, the “Crate Dig.” As you may already be aware, we strongly feel as though it’s time to advocate a “back to basics” movement in music. We feel that instead of everyone being an innovator, that some of us need to be preserving the importance of original source material. To that end, the “Crate Dig” will feature members of the TGRIOnline.com staff, the “Hustlers of Culture,” digging through their mental crates to remember the songs that made them appreciate music. There will be some amazing, and yes, embarrassing choices here, but always the key impact is to remember when music was not something to be over studied, remixed, downloaded, forgotten and torn asunder. We’re remembering when music was simply a song you liked, and really couldn’t tell you more than a sentence or two why. Sit back, reminisce, and enjoy the building blocks of music appreciation.
Song: Channel Live – Spark Mad Izm feat. KRS-One
Year released: 1994 – Year “discovered” by me: 1994-5
Reason discovered: Stoner babysitter
Why a fan?
Last time I reminisced, I talked about how Lovebug Starski blindsided me with old school hip hop. I might ridicule my former self – ignorant of the big picture (but not “The Big Picture”), placing way too much emphasis on “the four elements,” and generally trying to look way cooler than I was. Don’t mistake it, though: I have been a true hip hop fan since the age of 12.
I was in my babysitter’s car. Some kind of dark green Honda, I recall. We were going to pick up my brother from some sort of sports practice, or maybe returning from dropping him off, whichever. Andrew, who must have been about 16 or 17 and to the eyes of his contemporaries likely nothing more than an awkward stoner redhead, was the epitome of cool as far as I was concerned. So when he put in a mixtape, you can be damn sure I paid attention.
Let me step back. What was I listening to then? Classic reggae, certainly – the dub stuff my pops liked, it would have been right before I got into dancehall. The pop rock and radio R&B that was en vogue with my girlfriends – Boyz To Men II was definitely in the rotation then. Rap was around all the time, sure, and I liked it, but I didn’t know much beyond radio singles.
So like I said, knowing these musical proclivities to be sadly less than cool, you can be damn sure I paid attention when Andrew said this tape was the coolest. I was 100% prepared to believe him, but when Channel Live and KRS-One “Spark Mad Izm” came on, my mind was blown. God only knows why! I was still a straight-A student and herb was reserved for my slacker friends.
Whatever reason it was that attracted me so intensely to this song – the flows weren’t quite like what I’d heard on the radio, the beat was so much more chill, so many reasons, good or bad – I fell in love with hip hop and never looked back. I remember the other tracks on that tape, because of course I made him copy it for me: Black Moon, Del, De La Soul, Wu Tang. Come to think of it, I think maybe my taste in music hasn’t really progressed much since that car ride.
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