Close But No Cigar: Daddy-O's Solo Debut

The original Rhymerator
Daddy-O: "Swung It, Blunted, Brung It"
Daddy-O: "Kid Capri"
Daddy-O: "Flowin In File"
from You Can Be A Daddy, But Never Daddy-O, 1993

The credentials were all there--founder of The Hip-Hop Band Stetsasonic, two classic albums under his belt ("Fire," and "In Full Gear"), countless production credits (Mary J. Blige, Junior MAFIA, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Queen Latifah), and piles of respect throughout the rap community--none other than Public Enemy credits Daddy-O for "lyrical inspiration." But when it came time for him to put together his debut album, let's just say the end product didn't live up to the name. Instead, the 1993 release was a muddy mix of ruffneck griminess that should have been left to the young ones coming up in the game at the time. I suppose that's the story of every aging rapper looking to make a mark on the charts well past his prime, and Daddy-O was no exception.

Lyrically, the album was kind of awkward with this originator imitating far lesser MC's in his delivery, growling through verses ("Swing It, Blunted, Brung It," or "Buc Buc Buk"). On the production tip, it's extraordinarily uneven, fluctuating between Atomic Dog samples and weird East-meets-West concoctions that results in an album that's impossible to listen to straight through. Three of the brighter spots on the album are served up in today's post.

Extrablogicular Reading
Daddy-O's ambitious Self Destruction 2 project from 2002 that never materialized (to my knowledge), in memoriam of Jam Master Jay's murder.
A to the L's interview from around the same time.

Manifest Destiny Celebrates: The Birth

Be a father, if not, why bother?
RZA: "The Birth"
from Birth of a Prince, 2003
RZA: "See the Joy"
from Birth of a Prince, 2003
AZ: "Whatever Happened (The Birth)"
from Pieces of a Man, 1998
Queen Latifah: "Mama Gave Birth to Soul Children (feat. De La Soul)"
from All Hail the Queen, 1989

Three RZA-related songs for the masses today, in celebration of my daughter's birth last week. And one bonus Native Tongue throwback for good measure.

Six weeks after dropping that last post, M Ceezy returns with a few clips in the chamber, so stay tuned. Special thanks to Hagus Shamus, the Black Irishman, for holding things down in my absence. Let's hope he continues to drop the drunken jewels. And of course a thanks goes out to all those patient readers who've kept this site bookmarked despite the lack of recent updates. Coming soon: EPMD remixes courtesy of Money Men$ch, a piece on the best MC behind the boards, the continuation of the Humor in Hip-Hop series, and much more.