After getting screwed over by Def Jam, who attempted to replace him with young upstart LL Cool J, T La Rock bounced back with a new record and a new deal. “Breakdown” and “He’s Incredible” are featured on the recent CD release of Lyrical King, so I’ll instead focus on the third cut from the single. “T La Rock Rockin The Party”.
With only a stuttering drum machine to accompany him (programmed by olderyounger bro Special K), T La recreates that classic house party feel, unleashing an impressive selection of verses from his arsenal for over five minutes, without so much as a chorus (although he throws in an appropriate little call-and-response routine).
T La Rock – T La Rock Rockin’ The Party (Fresh, 1985)
Actually Special K is T La Rock’s YOUNGER BROTHE
Who knows what his debut album would have sounded like if it was released on Def Jam. I doubt it would have had the Fresh sound we all love.
Until a few days ago I never knew the young LL copied his style (rhymes and appearance) from other artists. I read that in some interviews. But you have to admit he did it well. ‘Radio’ and ‘Bigger And Deffer’ were def albums.
Robbie, thanks for this track. :)
I’m another one who never realised that LL bit Kool and T La Rock HARRRD until you edutained me with his shit!!! That’s why Just Ice said: “You Can’t Rhyme You Lollipop Liar” on Cold Gettin Dumb II.
Def Jam were gonna release L.L’s debut 12″ “i can’t live without my radio” under the name T. La Rock cause “it’s yours” was such a huge hit but noone knew what he looked like and they figured L.L had more mass appeal due to his image. Simmons has always been a shady motherfucker.
T. La Rock over Rick Rubin production woulda been a good look, though. I’m wid dat.
The high points of “bigger and deffer” are classic material but it’s very patchy and there’s a lot of crap on there.
“Go cut creator go” is corny as hell but you just can’t front on such a dope track, can you..?
Damn “Hustle” Simmons (Thanks Chuck)! Plus Terry wasn’t down with taking his shirt off every five minutes.
“Go Cut Creator Go” reminds me of Marty McFly rocking out in Back To The Future… but in a good way.
“Radio” is my shit though. Even the love jams were good.
There are only two tracks on ‘B.A.D.’ that I don’t like and those are ‘I Need Love’ and ‘Do Wop’. ‘Radio’ is a strong album, but I always liked ‘B.A.D.’ more because of the use of samples and the fast scratches of Bobcat.
From a business point of view Russell made the right decision to choose for LL.
great post.
i can’t live without my radio wasn’t LL’s first single,it was i need a beat in 1984
Surely the appeal With T lA Rock was Mantronik’s 808 beats & production skills and the diamond touch of ‘edit kings’ like Omar Santana & Chep Nunez (RIP)
(by the way loved LL’s 1st DefJam single ‘I need a Beat’- was that Burzootie on the drum machine back then ??)
…and the diamond touch of ‘edit kings’ like Omar Santana & Chep Nunez (RIP)
True. Without those edits the Mantronix sound wouldn’t have been quite as exciting.
Talking about edits, check out the site of my fellow Dutchman Gershwin:
http://www.mastamove.com/edits_list.php
Hot azz track. It’s yours remains that ultimate olkd school shit for me.
One of my secret industry rumors is that JAY-Z was LL COOL J’s ghostwriter for a long time. This is what allowed him to get a chance to work with Rubin and to assume the presidency at Def Jam.
I’m glad to finally see a T La Rock Cd! This was the music that shaped my middle school years. It seems so many of the artists I love, including T La Rock, were being erased out of hip hop history. “Bass Machine/Breakin’ Bells” was one of my favorite singles in ’86! I hated that T pretty disappeared from the scene in ’88.
Elphonics, T La Rock didn’t disappear he just went underground and he was killing shit
Mantronik was definetily creating music history with his teck-hop sound.Pretty exciting stuff back then and it still holds up in 2007.
Bass Machine and Back to burn were raw and hard hitting.Those tracks are getting harder and harder to find. I still haven’t seen a T La Rock cd come in at our local music stores. There’s alot of ol skool hip hop that has been reissued over the years,so it’s a mystery why the big T hasn’t made it yet ? Can anyone fill me in on the hold up ? And can anyone out there please let me know where the background looping voice on “Back to Burn” came from ? It simply repeats “Annihilate” over and over again. I’ve heard this on a few techno and bass songs over the years, but those were in the 90’s. Back to Burn was released in 1986, so I’m wondering if Mantronik created that himself or was it sampled from an earlier source. I’ve asked all my d.j. buds and they alwayz say they can find out, but they never end up knowing shit from shinola.Any feedback would be helpful.
“And can anyone out there please let me know where the background looping voice on “Back to Burn” came from ? It simply repeats “Annihilate” over and over again.”
I’d say Mantronik made that himself. He had the biggest collections of samplers on the planet at one stage, or so I’ve heard.
The “Hes Incredible” EP was produced by me ( T la Rock my younger brother Special K and my DJ Louie Lou.
The “Lyrical King” LP was produced by me and DJ Louie Lou. With the Exception of “Back To Burn” and “Bass Machine”
“Breaking Bells” was produced by me and dj Louie Lou.
I Brought in Omar Santana to perform the edits.
We spent 8 hours( no exaggeration)In the edit lab
Brain storming, Omar spent an additional four hours with out me.If you listen to the edits you will understand. Omar performed all of the edits by splicing the tape.Everything was done hands on.
myspace.com/tlarock1
THAT IS DA ORIGINO DJ LOUIE LOU IN THAT PICTURE WITH T LA ROCK IN THE BACKROUND!! THEY WERE IN GERMANY IN THIS PIC!! I KNOW BECAUSE I AM DA ORIGINO DJ LOUIE LOU!!!!!!!!!!!!AND IT WAS ME AND RICK RUBIN WHO WORKED ON THE ITS YOURS BEAT!! REAL TALK!!!!