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The Last Poets – When the Revolution Comes [1970]
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Edwin Starr – Easin’ In (Hell Up In Harlem OST) [1974]
Most rappers released after doing a long stretch in the bing usually come back stronger 10 fold, either on a positive, spiritual tip, or just in uber-beast mode; while others get released and put themselves in an even worse situation than they were in before (see Shyne or Weezy). I call it Writer’s D-Block (except for Weezy, that dude could never “write.”)
Luckily for Cellblock P, his die-hard fans and Hip-Hop conservatives, P spent a lot of time reading and enlightening himself, placing himself in the former category. Prodigy got in super-illustrious grind mode after his release, hitting the studio and linking back up with Havoc & Alchemist, as well as going on a press junket. This morning, Complex liberated P’s first official musical offering in EP format, titled The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson Story (google is your friend if you have no idea who that is) and it does not disappoint, despite the short, 7-track playlist. Enlisting Sid Roams (whom he’s worked with before) as well as Alchemist for a couple joints, this is boom-bap laden with heavy, dark, sinister synths. Prodigy goes through all his different characters: Cellblock P, Bandana P, HNIC P, Throw-A-TV-At-You-Crazy P, and on Black Devil, he channels his Illuminati P persona, dropping a gem on ‘em. Obviously, this is only built for those who speak the dunn language.
P.S. Sampling Nina Simone’s Four Women just made it that more great.
1. The One & Only (Produced By Alchemist)
2. Go Off (Produced By Sid Roams)
3. Black Devil (Produced By Sid Roams)
4. Twilight (Feat. Havoc) (Produced By Sid Roams)
5. For One Night Only (Produced By Alchemist)
6. Strong (Produced By King Benny)
7. Told Ya’ll (Produced By Sid Roams) (Bonus)
Releasing Saturday, March 13th
Snake: Besides this being the worst reptile to see on a plane, it’s also one of the worst things to have surrounding you, street-talk wise. You know the street definition: backstabbers, double-crossers, snitches, Judas-complexion, turncoat, snakes-in-the-grass. Although youre FITTED ohana is strictly about the ALOHA, and the extension of that ALOHA, we do have to keep ourselves safe, cutting the grass to expose those snake eyes. We see y’all!
This Saturday’s release features both a new t-shirt and hoody; the shirt features the line “I’m being watched by snake eyes, surrounded by crash dummies and empty minds” from Prodigy’s Genesis (you can listen above), topped off with a gray crown on the back. The hoody (purple) revisits one of our quintessential pieces, Survival of the Fitted featured on the front in black with white stroking; backside features the crown in black/white. You can view the entire lyrics of the above song here.
