...when I see billboards for Reggaeton (a Puerto Rican blend of reggae toasting/ hip hop) all over Los Angeles or I hear it blasting out of car speakers I feel like one of those old cats sitting in the barber shop on Eddie Murphy's film Coming to America ("shee-it boy, that ain't nothin' but an ultra Perm!")...as one of those heads who was actually walking around when Jamaican style toasting hit US shores, I'm reminded of the first time I copped Supercat's masterpiece Don Dada album which dropped back in the 90s and had American heads bobbing to big beats straight from the Yard...
...too, I think of artists like King Yellow Man, Dillinger and Shabba Ranks among many others...and then there's Eek-a-Mouse who had one of the most unique toasting styles of 'em all...as fate would have it, I got many chances to open for him with my band whenever he'd come and play around DC and Virginia (for little or no money, mind you, but who cared?)...dude's about 6'5, did this long-armed strolling-in-place dance and rocked tight, all-leather Judas Priest-ish ensembles and toasted over electrified reggae beats with some of the tightest backing bands around...I'd love to turn some of those new kids onto some of Mouse's shite as he's put out a ton of LPs since his heyday but time marches on blah-blah-blah...
...having mentioned all of this, if you're new to his stuff, and have never heard of the guy, I'd recommend scooping his first Best of that holds many of the tunes I used to see him blow up the spot with on those small stages back in the day...cuts to check are "Anerexol", "Noah's Ark", "Peeni Walli" and "Assassinator"...
...the only LP of consistently solid older material (that I'd suggest outright)would be the classic Wa-Do-Dem LP (which holds "Ganja Smuggling", one of his phattest tracks and the first tune I ever heard him play live)...
see for yourself, yo: peep the Mouse doing "Ganja Smugglin" it brings back memories of opening for him at the Roxy back in DC...(note: the mix is a trifle loud)...
My Trusted MOGs
i like the gold lining in his robe! excellent video...wish i could've been around to see those performances
My Trusted MOGs
Late 80's early 90's DJ's styles were my favorites. A friend of mine moved out to Brooklyn in '86 and would send me many mix tapes, like this one called: The Sound Of Brooklyn. Side 1 was new Hip Hop and side 2 was Reggae Condom-Lloyd Stiff Think Me Did Done-Admiral Bailey Level The Vibes-Half Pint (a favorite) Ruff Neck Chicken-Santa Ranking Don't Bend Down- Lovindeer Arabajan Hoi-Dennis Brown Ole A Fresh-Red Dragon Bat and Don't Score-Screwdriver Tiger in the Dance-Tiger Nah Follow Nuh Fashion-Sugar Minott Rough and Rugged-Shinehead Punaany-Admiral Bailey We used to rank our tapes for acidity (or how good they would sound while tripping) This was a PH:3 (1 is the most acidic)
The friend who made this tape for me is now going through a tough time. I wanted to show some MOGlove for my man, DJ-K.
Thanks Crash
My Trusted MOGs
In the early 90's I was living in the outer banks of North Carolina. I was walking home from work one day when this tall lanky freak ran up to me with his much shorter sleazier sidekick. It was Eek-A-Mouse and his road manager looking for directions to a club. I couldn't understand a word that Eek said but the manager promised me guest list for the show if I gave them good directions. I guess my directions weren't very good because when I showed up that night no one at the club had heard of me. Bummer night great toaster.
My Trusted MOGs
...that happens sometimes; kinda sucks when it does...funnily enough, my first summer playing Nag's Head/ Kill Devil Hills I caught a ride down there with some of friends and hung out for a couple of days before the shows...I wonder if Turtuga's Lie is still there...they had some killer sammies at that joint...
My Trusted MOGs
I arrived at an airport in South of France to join my family, when I see Don Letts, legendary DJ, filmmaker and all round nice bloke. Now at this little airport (Nimes) you don't see that many dreads. He looked a little lost, so knowing my way around I introduced myself and asked if he needed help. He and Dan Donavan (both running a sound system together) were playing at a Reggae Festival in south of France but their ride hadn't turned up. I helped them out and in return got a few names on the VIP list. Absolutely brilliant night. When Don and Dan played their tunes, they had Ranking Joe on the mike for the hour. The man still delivers.
Anyone who hasn't heard Ranking Joe tunes all you have to do is start with Wood for my Fire with Black Uhuru or Slave Driver with Dennis Brown...
Thanks Crash
My Trusted MOGs
Eek-a-mouse!!! I have totally forgotten about this guy. Wa-Do-Dem was on heavy rotation with the guys I lived with back in college Univ. of Vermont. Then the summer after I graduated, he played a very small club in Burlington. I think there may have been (at the most) 100 people in the place and we were all stoned out of our mind, including Eek-A-Mouse.
my most vivid memory of that show is this exchange during his encore while Mouse was working the crowd.
Eek-a-mouse: "Do you want the Mouse to staaaaaaaay?"
Crowd: "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH"
Eek-a-mouse: "Do you want the Mouse to gooooooooooooo?"
Crowd: "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH"
He paused and took a step back with look on his face after that was one of "you guys are totally fucked up". Priceless.
Thanks for bringing back the memories, Crash.