#6.......Hot Tracks of the Day-Main Source "Fakin The Funk" b/w Souls Of Mischief "93 Till Infinity"

"Fakin the Funk" for whatever reason is the holy grail of my hip hop mixtape. This track was contained on the White Men Can't Jump soundtrack in 1992- I had trouble buying records back then because my folks would check 'em for PARENTAL ADVISORY stickers. I couldn't cop the soundtrack b/c of that label, and I couldn't find the song on cassette single. which was quite a popular format back in the day. Anybody remember those cardboard tape sleeves with the open ends? I do. Extremely well. As the legend goes, The only time I'd hear this would be on BET's Rap City, and, if I got lucky MTV would air it on YO! MTV Raps. "Fakin" would fade into obscurity for years. Flash Forward about 8 or so months ago...I hear about a movie called "The Wackness" ...a boderline art film about a teenager growing up in New York City in the mid/late 90's. He comes of age to Biggie, Nas, Wu-Tang, Etc, much like my coming of age. I did some research and noticed that "Fakin" was on the soundtrack. I proceeded to download the track and have been bumpin' it regularly ever since. This track is an absolute gem in every way; The rhymes by Large Professor and Mikey D are slick and flashy and the beat/production is even flashier...the scratching on this track is some of the best I've heard anywhere or any time. The flute solo that plays simultaneously almost makes the scratching sound like a guitar solo.



Rounding out today's post has some west-cost flavor; I don't think I've covered anything west side since I've started blogging, which I regret. Souls of Mischief were a quadrant of MC's from East Oakland. Phesto, Tajai, Opio, and A-Plus, as they were known, made one mainstream indent in 93 Til Infinity, the album bears the same name as the track. They would make an appearance on A Tribe Called Quest's Hip Hop Classic Midnight Marauders as part of the Native Tongues and would later go on to round out the Hieroglyphics crew w/ Del the Funkee Homosapien. These cats could rhyme tough and this beat soars in almost an anthemic kind of way. From the early 90's to present day there would be a lot of hip hop to come out of the bay area. The Hieroglyphics crew would represent the cream of the crop then, and in my opinion still do.

-Marv.