90’s Nostalgia Week Becomes 90’s Nostalgia Month: Funkdoobiest
Sure, I could trace all this maudlin 90s nostalgia to my forthcoming LA Weekly article that addresses the history and future of Los Angeles hip-hop, but that’s just making excuses. The truth is this year’s been woefully short of really good new rap records and accordingly, I’ve spent a significant chunk of time revisiting material from the early-mid 90s that I hadn’t heard in over a decade. A treatise on Apache’s “Gangsta Bitch,” Sarah Palin and Sexism coming soon.
Another group I’ve excavated from tape deck memories and Junior High school dance flashbacks has been LA’s Funkdoobiest. In particular, the Soul Assassins affiliates’ debut, Which Doobie U B? has been on recent repeat due to its classic DJ Muggs production and Son Doobie’s B-Real-lite party raps about weed, sex and liquor. There might have been nothing particularly ground-breaking about Funkdoobiest, but between their raunchy goofiness and Muggs’ production, Son Doobie and partner Tomahawk Funk made it work.
The sex obsession wasn’t contrived either, as the group owned a local X-Rated club and a 1-900 Sex Hotline (do these even exist anymore?). And in 1997, Son Doobie debuted as a porn star in the creatively titled, Porn King, a film which later became infamous when Eminem name-dropped it on “Guilty Conscience.” According to their Myspace, the group has re-united (Tomahawk left them after their second album, Brothas Doobie) and are in the midst of a European tour, with a new album due out sometime later this year. I might just have to track them down and interview them to find out what they’ve been up to for the last decade. So long as I don’t shake their hands.
Video: Funkdoobiest-”Whopbabulubop” ft. B-Real
Download:
MP3: Funkdoobiest-”The Funkiest”
MP3: Funkdoobiest-”Bow Wow Wow”
MP3: Funkdoobiest ft. B-Real-”Whopbabulubop”
Stumble It!
September 17th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Excellent album; Soul Assassins were probably at their absolute height when this CD dropped. Saw them in the summer of 93 with House of Pain, Cypress Hill, Beastie Boys, and The Whooliganz. Probably wasn’t much weed in that tour.
September 17th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Maybe like one joint. Maybe.
September 17th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Not just 90s nostalgia but West Coast 90s nostalgia. You’re becoming the blog version of The Game.
September 17th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
So that’s why Dre won’t return my phone calls.
September 17th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Jeff Weiss stated in the blog above:
The truth is this year’s been woefully short of really good new rap records
Don’t make create a list of this year’s best albums. You wouldn’t like me to create a list of this year’s best rap albums.
I could do 25 without thinking, and 50 with a peek at my iPod. Jake One, DJ Revolution and DJ K.O. just jumped into the Top 25/50 this week alone. Wait until September 30th…all Hell’s gonna break loose.
One.
September 17th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
I think there have a been of lot of decent to very solid hip-hop albums this year. There have been only a small handful of truly exceptional ones that make me want to play them more than once or twice.
On the plus side, I do think there have been a lot of great singles in 08, probably more than at any point in the last few years.
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:19 am
Bow Wow Wow is a great track. I wish the vocals were a little higher in the mix…. alas.