十年轮回，Rawkus王牌归来
新载于网刊Dig for Fire。转载请联系作者，有叮嘱，谢谢。新千年后，Underground Hip-Hop Scene如火如荼的蔓延于全球的Hip-Hop圈中。Mush、Anticon、Definitive Jux、Rhymesayers、甚至老牌舞曲厂牌Warp都已确立各自的地位。而那个曾经为Underground Hip-Hop指标的著名厂牌Rawkus却出人意料的消失于人们的实现中。今天，令人感到幸运的是这个拥有着绝对王牌尖兵的Label再次启动，仿佛我们已经听到了一架重型B52的隐隐发动。
近日，传奇地下说唱乐（Underground Hip-Hop）厂牌Rawkus犹如幽灵骑士般的奇迹复出了。出手的第一重拳即是一张集结公司十年之久，以名噪一时的地下饶舌乐手Mos Def、Big L、Talib Kweli等人领衔的精选唱片《Best of Decade I》。这是在“死亡”一年之久的Rawkus最新的举动。
这间由Jarret Myer和Brian Brater在1996年创办的以说唱艺术为核心的独立唱片公司在过去的近十年的时间里为所有的地下说唱乐迷带来了不容质疑的欣喜和希望。他被誉为最有发展潜质的说唱乐厂牌之一，同时也曾为说唱音乐的历史写下重要而辉煌的一页。却又令人遗憾的原因于去年突然停止。这曾经让众多乐迷惋惜不已。而今天，我们竟要拭目以待的迎接他的归来，真算得上是悲喜交加、使人兴奋。
据悉，Rawkus的此次复出乃借助于与索尼BMG（Sony BMG）公司旗下致力于独立厂牌分销的RED签下为期三年的合同。未来的Rawkus不仅将继续推出高质量的说唱音乐、成立自己的管理公司（Rawkus Management），并且还将进军电影市场。但无论如何，Rawkus都被认作为一家传奇的独立唱片公司。
Company Flow :《Funcrusher Plus》
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他不仅为现在如日中天的Mos Def、Talib Kweli、Pharoahe Monch等在他们一文不名的时候提供了机会和最宝贵的支持。甚至在今天的地下说唱圈以及实验音乐圈都已功成名就的El-P和他自己的厂牌Def Jux，都要感谢Rawkus所给予的帮助。当2002年El-P的《Fantastic Damage》成为经典的实验说唱/ 地下说唱/ Glith－Hop里程碑式作品的时候，无数人为之着迷或者欢呼雀跃、乐评和传媒也对此众口一词的宣称这是跨时代的一步。人们都不该忘记El-P的三人组合Company Flow还在无名的彷徨于九十年代时，是Rawkus独具慧眼般将他们带入唱片圈。1997年的《Funcrusher Plus》是El-P和他的Company Flow载入唱片历史的最初时刻。这张无与伦比的地下说唱乐唱片精确的表达了El-P前瞻性的音乐观点、伟大的野心，《Funcrusher Plus》精致、黑暗、怪诞、甚至荒谬，为说唱乐的未来开拓了崭新的道路。连事后单飞的El-P也都认为他和Def Jux现在所作的都应该是Rawkus已经做到的东西，如此可见端倪。
Mos Def&Talib Kweli:《Black Star》
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Mos Def和Talib Kweli搭档完成的《Black Star》是Rawkus历史上的又一重要的记忆。如果说Company Flow的《Funcrusher Plus》开创了厂牌深厚的基石，那么《Black Star》该成为Rawkus浮出冰面的标志。Mos Def和Talib Kweli以令人匪夷所思的“旧派”（Old School）饶舌方式扣开了主流说唱乐的大门，吸引了所有乐迷的眼球。Mos Def的幽默睿智和Talib Kweli的高超技巧成为最具杀伤力的武器。《Black Star》融入了两人深刻的政治思考、对音乐本身的沉淀和生活哲学，引发了巨大的共鸣。
Mos Def:《Black on Both Sides》
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然而，第一个令Rawkus迎来金唱片的却不是《Funcrusher Plus》或者《Black Star》。前者太过地下和前卫，使人却步；后者尽管伟大，却不逢时。两者的成功吸引了商业说唱乐的注意，为二分之一“黑星”（Black Star）的Mos Def奠定了必胜的基础。《Black Star》发表的第二年，布鲁克林饶舌乐手Mos Def推出了这张接近完美的《Black on Both Sides》。他不但持续爆发着“黑星”般的魅力，更是创新于音乐的内容和形式。在音乐风格中融入了大量的流行乐、灵魂乐、疯克乐，甚至于摇滚乐，他不仅Rap、唱歌，还进行了各种真乐器的演绎。像一个万能的天才（事实也已经证明了这一点），《Black on Both Sides》在一片惊呼声中悄悄的得到了数万的销量。此刻，Rawkus达到了他短暂十年中最强盛的顶点。
昂首进入新千年的Rawkus不断推出了Pharoahe Monch、Da Beatminerz、Talib Kweli和Hi Tek的新唱片。但在将公司为了获得更大的空间和资金支持的策略影响下，Rawkus接受了拥有Common、The Roots等主流艺人的唱片公司MCA的橄榄枝后，情况却变得每况愈下。由于公司重心由地下说唱乐向主流说唱乐的策略转移，发片质量的逐渐下降直接导致了Rawkus于2004年的歇业。
这一点我们不得不对Rawkus此次的复出发出谨慎的欢迎。尽管他曾经创造过说唱历史上最辉煌的一刻，也是九十年代末最有影响力的独立厂牌。今天的Rawkus已经治愈了那阵伤痛了吗？但愿他没有后遗症。 说下去，说得好极了 期待啊 Talib Kweli是我前3的MC,Mos Def是前10
可惜10年精选糟透了 清楚的记得当时每收到一张Rawkus唱片时的那种喜悦。除了《黑星》是换过来的，其他都是攒起来的。其实应该提一提那张Reflction Eternal的《Train of Thought》，这个我02年以10块RMB买的，当时老板还在当干。好像同一时期收的Smiff n' Wessen日班（10元，哇哈哈哈）、大马甲等一批今天的大牌儿。《Train of Thought》比Tweli和Hi-Tek的solo都好，个人看法。那个Tweli铁杆儿，赶紧说说。 Originally posted by badbrain at 3-13-2006 13:13:
清楚的记得当时每收到一张Rawkus唱片时的那种喜悦。除了《黑星》是换过来的，其他都是攒起来的。其实应该提一提那张Reflction Eternal的《Train of Thought》，这个我02年以10块RMB买的，当时老板还在当干。好像同 ...
妈的 Kweli 提到Talib Kweli,就不得不说Hi-Tek,1996年DJ Hi-Tek还在俄亥俄州厮混,和它的伙伴Donte,Main Flow所组成的Mood,签在Blunt Recordings/TVT旗下,此时来自纽约布鲁克林的Talib Kweli到辛辛那提旅游,结识了Hi-Tek,顿时一见如故.随后他还在Mood唯一的专辑《Doom》里掺了一脚（《Sacred Pt.1》）.随后Reflection Eternal正式组成,投入Rawkus旗下..这是在1997年
1997年的Rawkus招揽了和Buckshot不欢而散的Evil Dee和它的Da Beatminerz,随后Evil Dee主持了《Soundbombing,Vol.1》,Hip-Hop历史上最值得铭记的V.A.之一.
由于说的是Talib Kweli,因此《Soundbombing 1》不多提.里边有Kweli和Mos的freestyle,还有首《2000 Reasons》,惟独Evil Dee在前边嚷嚷了2分多钟,很是损害听觉效果.
随后是《Lyricist Lounge,Vol.1》,2CD合辑 在CD2里Talib Kweli贡献一首《The Manifesto》,技惊四座.《The Manifesto》还被收录在Mos Def/Q-Tip/Tash的《Body Rock》EP内（图片如下）
接下来就是《Black Star》,我最喜爱的唱片之一.前面几脑写了,这里也不表. Originally posted by Raffaello at 3-13-2006 13:59:
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这就是你的Review? Kweli大师！！！！ 那是挖坑的~~~~
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Artist:Hi-Tek
Album:Reflection Eternal/Train Of Thought
Released Date:Oct.17th,2000
Label:Rawkus
Composer:Talib Kweli(rap vocal),Xzibit,Rah Digga,Mos Def,Kool G Rap,De La Soul,Les Nubians,Hi-Tek(producer)
我top10最爱唱片之一.Hi-Tek奠定其大师地位的作品.清新的beat和睿智的lyrics,使这张达到完美.我喜欢的歌《The Blast》,《This Means You》,《Too Late》,《Ghetto Afterlife》,《Memories Live》,《Down For The Count》,《Love Language》,《Eternalists》,《Good Mourning》,《For Women》..其實幾乎全都喜歡!
另外开始的Nelson Mandela,和《Down For The Count》前面的Lennox Lewis都是Dave Chapelle这厮演的...不过《The Blast》后面的Gil Scott-Heron倒是真的. http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf500/f585/f58584ffor2.jpg
Artist:Talib Kweli
Album:Quality
Released Date:Nov 19, 2002
Label:Rawkus
Composer:Talib Kweli(rap vocal),Cocoa Brovaz,Novel,Vinja Mojica,Mos Def,Black Thought,Pharoahe Monch,Kendra Ross,Bilal,RES;Dave West,Jay Dee & The Soulquarians,DJ Scratch,DJ Quik,Kanye West(producer)
如同其名《Quality》,Talib Kweli的follow-up在2002年Rawkus整體水平下降嚴重時以高質量面世.相比前一張全部（除《Africa Dream》中有傳奇音樂家Weldom Irvine參與）由Hi-Tek製作,《Quality》中集聚了更多okayplayer阵营的制作人,如Dave West,Jay Dee,James Poyser,还有Roc-a-Fella的Kanye West..甚至还有西岸的DJ Quik(他倆合作的那首《Put It In The Air》也被收入《Soundbombing 3》,是其中寥寥的亮點之一)
我喜歡的歌《Get By》,《Gun Music》,《Waiting For The DJ》,《Joy》,《Put It In The Air》,《Where Do We Go》,《Stang To You Side》,《Good To You》,《Won't You Stay》.
對我個人來說《Quality》並不比《Train Of Thought》差,尤其是后半張,相當soulful,而我對Jay Dee的喜愛也是從這張唱片開始的,在聽到《Like Water For Chocolate》之前. 请“妈了逼的商业写手”同学歌名改用引号，谢谢！ http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drg400/g485/g48535z0108.jpg
Artist:Talib Kweli
Album:Beautiful Struggle
Released Date:Sep 28, 2004
Label:Rawkus
Composer:Talib Kweli(rap vocal),Jean Grae,Common Sense,Mary J.Blige,Anthony Hamilton,John Legend,Faith Evans,RES;Dave West,Hi-Tek,Kanye West,Just Blaze,Chalermagne,Nottz(producer)
這張《美麗鬥爭》被罵得一塌糊塗.不過我仍然非常喜歡它,也經常聼.看看這張的製作陣容吧,Kanye,Jus Blaze,Neptunes三大主流製作人都在列,而這次回來的Hi-Tek也已經蛻變為主流製作人..在2004年做出這樣水準的唱片,Kweli並沒有什麽值得指責的地方(至少他比永遠無法逃脫Illmatic陰影的Nas的連續性要好上許多,..)
糟糕的是《Beautiful Struggle》中首次出現了敗筆,那就是Neptunes的《Broken Glass》,真是太傻比了要多缺有多缺.但除此之外《I Try》,《Around My Way》,《Ghetto Show》,《We Got The Beat》,《Black Girl Pain》,《Never Been In Love》和《Beautiful Struggle》都是我的選擇.
記得大一的時候,《Beautiful Struggle》剛出來,那時候很多無聊的時間都是由這張的mp3打發的. 用個幾幾引號~~
我最愛的10首Kweli
1,《The Mainfesto》
2,《Brown Skin Lady》
3,《For Women》
4,《The Blast》
5,《Where Do We Go》
6,《Never Been In Love》
7,《Put It In The Air》
8,《Too Late》
9,《Thieves In The Night》
10,《Get By》
Kweli真是太熟悉了..没词可说 用JJ引“妈了逼的商业写手”aka Kweli高手。
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知道这个是谁搞得吧。Talib Kweli和Mos Def为抗议警察暴行，在Rawkus发得一个EP。
One Four Love Pt. 1 Lyrics
Yo you sent out the signal right?
And this is what happened
The voice of hip hop got heard
Never comprimised this is how we put it down c'mon
Throughout my thuglife i've seen the ???
Like ??? fight over the role of dice
Flashing whole lights when killas on a hiest
So contight, get poltergiest over the bowl of christ
Who pulled the slice from cats aiming gats who showed the hiest
Told you right she be the one that come and hold your mic
Then aim it at the whole vice squad just like ???
Rollin like every prototype was dolomight
One man recall his ice inside his gun hand he holds for life
This for the ones with holes in they graves
Waitin for they piece when the law misbehave
I say we off ??? watch 'em walk the beat
Like you can't cross streets make them all retreat
(now) judges and the jury be a little to appointed
Making us defendants when we supossed to be the plantiffs
Laugh now cause soon the thrill stops
Heads get it on and start to kill cops
I'm sober but the pull me over
What i do yo? (what we do yo?)
Poe-poe go i'm drivin to slow (cool yo)
I torin' them explorin them (damn)
For them that's why i'm ignoring them (uh-oh)
Bring like king skip
Before they bring this to some rodeny king shit
Forget them fools
Now make no sudden moves
They reachin for they tools (let's move)
You buggin dude
Kirk you ran the stop, word them pigs frontin
Yo tell like you tell 'em cousin we ain't did nothin
All they see is three blacks in a jeep with seats back
Lookin for ??? packs how the blood dog can eat that
They thirstin for a reason to blast you can't beat that
Gats and a badge to match you can beat that so bounce 'em
My people unite and let's all get down
We gotta have what? love peace and understandin
One god, one love, one light
One aim, one voice, one fight
My people unite, hop up and do it right
We gotta have what? love peace and understandin
One god, one love, one light
One aim, one voice, one fight
My people unite, hop up and do it right
Do it right ya'll, keep it tight ya'll, do it right ya'll, just do it
Blood on they hands, blood on my mans
Destroying the fam
More souljers die, another mother cries
Anthony buyers, ??? ???, diallo
Let it keep happenin and theirs more to follow
It's even deeper then that penal shot in the back
Forever we fight and cus but the world still adjust
So many bullets just to stop one man
Is that the plan,
To leave us all dead in the street
I'm an opponent of violence
To many of my guys have to condome it in silence
Law takes lives and can only do violence
And with night sticks i write quick
Hopin that
I might hit somebody in the heart
Like an arrow with her eyes on a sparrow
Yo i feel my peoples pain all in my bone marrow
I'm tellin pharoahe to let my folks go
Ma's been singin to law like they background vocals
Local, state, federal cops have been payed properly
To protect the property
How can i just stand by and watch a man die for nothin and not react
The way we spit on this track is how we bustin back
Yo i pimp slap 5-0
Get behind them and make the marks drive slow
Yo, you wanna know how to improve on the quality life?
Try respectin it step into my zone and maifest a check in it
Cops they transport me from long island to medina
With they fucked up demeanor
Dreamin of stickin it to me like abner louima
Pharoahe slash el-hajj malik shabazz
With plans of retaliations of they coward ass
God please allow me to preach for 'em
A voiceless man through a spirit i speek for him
Step to city hall if a dove flew for diallo
With a vision of cops inside the public enemy logo
All that scheming and plotting
The young absorb like cotton does
Ecspeacially in my city where the boys steady rockin in
You would thought 5-0 would cut it all short
But they play the biggest part in the art of living arms
In our land cops guns clap more then hands
As if we don't deserve what they hear to preserve
We just tryin to do it right in these worlds that we rappin in
While they trying to fill us all up with more lead then zepilin
My people unite and let's all get down
We gotta have what? love peace and understandin
One god, one love, one light
One aim, one voice, one fight
My people unite, hop up and do it right
We gotta have what? love peace and understandin
One god, one love, one light
One aim, one voice, one fight
My people unite, hop up and do it right
My people unite and let's all get down
We gotta have what? love peace and understandin
One god, one love, one light
One aim, one voice, one fight
My people unite, hop up and do it right
We gotta have what? love peace and understandin
One god, one love, one light
One aim, one voice, one fight
My people unite, hop up and do it right
My people unite and let's all get down
We gotta have what? love peace and understandin
One god, one love, one light
One aim, one voice, one fight
My people unite, hop up and do it right
We gotta have what? love peace and understandin
One god, one love, one light
One aim, one voice, one fight 操还这么多"???"
想来是这老外听力不过关听得难以辨认了
这根本就是rawkus全明星哇..
不过《Rawkus10年精选》最煞笔的一点就是选了三首从未加入过Rawkus的Common的歌,而没有Kool G Rap和Pharoahe Monch 我赌你没有这张，几几Kweli高手。 我是没有哇:tears::tears::tears::tears::tears::tears::tears::tears::tears::tears::tears::shy::shy::shy::shy::shy::shy::shy::shy::shy: Originally posted by Raffaello at 3-13-2006 15:31:
操还这么多"???"
想来是这老外听力不过关听得难以辨认了
这根本就是rawkus全明星哇..
不过《Rawkus10年精选》最煞笔的一点就是选了三首从未加入过Rawkus的Common的歌,而没有Kool G Rap和Pharoahe...
但在将公司为了获得更大的空间和资金支持的策略影响下，Rawkus接受了拥有Common、The Roots等主流艺人的唱片公司MCA的橄榄枝后，情况却变得每况愈下。。。
完全是商业行为。Rawkus的后期很让人讨厌。
《Hip Hop for Respect》是Kweli发起的，背面引用的是他的讲话。就是号召anti-police！ 我要哇:tears::tears::tears::tears::tears::tears::tears::tears: 我们都忘了写Big L了。操，这个好像是换来的！