by SCOTT C

While talking to MCA recording artist Common this week, he applauded the efforts of his label for trying to cater to his needs and wants first and foremost. He was able to make the record he wanted to with Electric Circus, a hip hop anomaly that caused considerably less commotion than the equally imaginative Speakerboxxx/The Love Below double LP given to us by Outkast late last year. These guys all understand and believe that old adage that says hip hop is anything you want it to be, and their music has changed to reflect that.

Far from the luxury of major-label budgets and carte-blanche fantasies, we find groups like Montreal's own Butta Babees putting everything they have into making sure that their music is heard by as many people possible. January 27 is a date that group members Manchilde, Ziplocks and DJ Raid have been working towards for the better part of five years. The Butta Babees will proudly unveil the 20-track Urban Eloquent LP, poised to follow closely on the success of previously released gems like "Man n' Motion," "Understand Yourself" and "U Don't Want It."

Now, it's always hard in Montreal to pinpoint just who would take the award for most anticipated release, but I will say that this record has been "coming" for a bloodcleet long time. Unlike a lot of three-man groups out there, the Butta Babees all contribute to the production duties, making for some healthy, in-house competition and a wide variety of beats. At least half of the album will be devoted to older tracks that may have been hard to get, along with the many new songs that have been polished to perfection. Guests on Urban Eloquent include Toronto MC and wordsmith Kamau, old friend and killer MC Motion, Manchilde's brother Sekou, and on a Raid-produced posse cut, Bad News Brown, Impossible from Muzion, Shogun, TFS and Sekou once again. Group manager Marc Bider told me that a record release party is being planned for February, but also added, "Just like the making of this record has been pushed back, shuffled around and rescheduled, so has the release party. We're independent, so we do what we can." That doesn't mean that it won't be done right, so for now, watch this space for details.

Meanwhile, the BBs have been drumming up momentum, with videos for all three aforementioned songs doing the rounds on the box and regular shows in Toronto, where they are respected to no end. A New York and Philly tour is in the works, and I hope they plan on showing their faces a little more often right here at home once the record is finally out there.

Seven reasons LB is still with me:
1. Myron "Darkside" (CDR)
2. Dubline "Give a Little" remix feat. Alma Horton (CDR)
3. Wax Poetic "Girl" (Ultra)
4. Fiona Shaw "Home Is Where the Hatred Is" (Laws of Motion)
5. Nas "One Love" MF Doom remix (CDR)
6. Roy Ayers "Searching"/ "Brand New Feeling" 12" (BBE/ Chrysalis)
7. Paine Spontaneous (Temposphere)

The Son of Soul is upon us… fathead@videotron.ca

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