Forgotten Treasure: Barbershop MC’s “Music, Money & Women” (1999)

“Everyone has their own “musical trajectory”, and this track represents for me a pivotal moment in my journey… But first, allow me to explain and tell you just what the hell I mean with this coinage…

I’m referring to the roads traveled sonically while on your way to discover new and original sounds that keep that spark in your soul crackling and shining… And of course, you always keep something from all those places you’ve visited. In fact, it’s like once you’ve gone there, you’ll never really leave… And of course, you have your travel partners, your comrades in arms you’re so thankful for because they point out those obscure spots in the landscape you would’ve never thought to check out were it not for their input…

This song represents a seminal time on the road I took… It all started in high school, with that one kid who could hustle all the Hip Hop that was comin’ out and bangin’ at the time to all the other kids who didn’t know any better. After waiting a few weeks (it was like a Hip Hop Library System, hallway level), my turn eventually came, and I’d asked for Dre’s The Chronic… That’s when my spark got lit… I traveled through the West Coast for a bit, then went over to the East Coast courtesy of Wu-Tang and ATCQ… I eventually got into a lot of new, unheard of flavors at once: The Roots, anything from the how-in-the-world-does-a-ridiculously-talent-ridden-label-fold Rawkus Records, Jay Dee, going back to the West Coast with new vibes from Dilated Peoples and Madlib, discovering Stones Throw…

My life soon consisted in digging and searching for new flavors in any way I could… That meant buying loads of CDs at the record store (without prior listening! Oh the discoveries!…) and hunting for new stuff on the net… “Music, Money, Women” is from right around that time, when that music shit got serious for me… Shame these cats ever only released a single and a short EP…

I could never get tired of this joint… I swear I would bounce to this track and only think of two words: DOPE & FRESH!!! You know that song that makes you catch curious stares in the public transit because you started with the bounce and the head nods without even realizing it? Yeah, this is it… ”

JayLeonn

Very little is known about this dude. But all we can tell you is that we've been trying to convince him to join the MIMS army for a long time and he's finally joined our ranks. He's going to be specializing in forgotten treasures mostly, and the second wave of the "golden era" of hip-hop... that Rawkus, late 90's vibes!