Back when Marley Marl was making records in his sister’s lounge room, slapping echo on everything to compensate for the fact that he didn’t have any reverb to play with, he cut some seriously raw, gritty tracks. 14 year old Percy (who was calling himself MC Jade at the time) used to bug Marl to let him get on a record, and when he finally agreed to give him a shot, “Coke Is It” was born.
When it was released on the NIA label, the song was titled “The Tragedy (Don’t Do It)”, thus eliminating any possible legal action from everyone’s favourite peddlers of carbonated swine juice. It’s unclear why it was credited to The Super Kids, since I’m pretty sure that Percy had adopted the Tragedy handle at this stage….
This track is still massive thanks to it’s brutal, distorted snares and hi-hats which underpin the crude guitar stabs and squeeky, echo-soaked vocals. Everything in the mix is turned-up to twelve, and when the Captain Caveman scratches kick in, you’re ears will feel like they’ve just been slashed with a broken bottle of Becks – which is exactly the effect that Marley was aiming for.
Tragedy – Coke Is It (NIA, 1985)
Intelligent Hoodlum – Your Tragedy (“Coke Is It” Remix) (Intelligent Hoodlum CD bonus track, A&M, 1989) [Thanks to Lotuz for hooking this up.]
Honey, I shrunk M.C. Shan. ;)
I love the rawness of this track.
I heard this was the track Rick Rubin put in reverse for the Paul Revere drums. Can anyone confirm?
I love this era of Marley too, with the distorted Oberheim DMX drums mastered to tape. Good point about the use of echo and not reverb.
The ‘Paul Revere’ drums sound like they’re from a TR-808. Probably the exact same drum machine he used for ‘It’s Yours’ and other Rick Rubin classics.
Here’s the version from the ‘Intelligent Hoodlum’ album called Your Tragedy.
LOTUZ, thanx for that version! was lookin for ceedee for a ages, just to get that bonus joint. well, my search is over, thanx again…ps. did u cut it at the end or is that the actual ending?
That was a great hard to find hip hop classic by Marley and Tragedy Khadafi. I thought Shan’s Left My Lonely(remix) and Another One To Get Jealous Of (remix) and MC Poet’s All Hell’s Breakin’ Loose songs were also good unknown hits too.
The “Your Tragedy” audio has been moved to the main post.
Ruube, I’ve got the “Left Me Lonely” remix but I’ve never heard the “Jealous” remix. Was that on a 12″?
yo props for this track, real nice. trag is king of qb
I’m not sure if it was on a 12″. I heard it on my friend’s tape back in ’92. He taped it from on radio station in Boston. Marley used some samples from the Longsey D reggae joint on Prism record. I can’t remember the name of the song. I’m surprised that these songs were not on Shan’s best album… I like these old school post, brings back memories. I noticed that MC Poet doesn’t get much publicity like the other QB MCs. I thought he was dope especially when he dissed BDP backed in the late 80’s and early 90’s.
Robbie,
The name of the 12″ that Marley use was from LONGSY D. & CUTMASTER M.C.- HIP HOP REGGAE.
Yeah, Poet is a legend. All of his PHD stuff on Tuff City is great as well.
Is that Poet from Screwball?
Yep. He now calls himself Blaq Poet.
Yeah, he changed his name to Blaq Poet now. He’s down with DJ Premier. Hope he makes an album this year…
WOW crazy
God knows when or if that Blaq Poet album will drop. Same goes for The NYGz.
‘Shan is very underrated, at least for everything up to his second album. Anything after that , though, sucks.
hot post, dude.
This is the first time I realize Poet of Screwball is the same guy as the one that made ‘The Wopp Sensation’ that’s on this compilation album (‘Serious Beats 1’) I have. I also have the ‘Queensbridge Sessions’ CD with another version of this track and also ‘Beat You Down’. This man goes back two decades! Robbie, you should do an article on this man, if you haven’t already. Never heard of PHD, but I see that they made an album called ‘Without Warning’ in 1991.
Yeah, Poet is a legend. All of his PHD stuff on Tuff City is great as well.
So this PHD album is worth buying?
hey lotuz..
get yourself over here..
if you haven`t got ‘i`m flippin’ on 12″ then you need that too
I got PHD’s “Without Warning” on Mp3’s if anyone is interested. Twenty five bucks is kind of steep if you are not a collector. I’d be more than happy to share it.
Pretty much all the PHD stuff is worth getting, especially the records Marley produced with all the Screwball crew on ’em.
I’ve listened to the snippets that are on the Tuff City site and it sounds pretty good. Buying the CD is rather pricey because of the shipping (to Europe). Maybe if I’ll find some other Tuff City CDs I want, then the total costs become acceptable.
Damn! Why don’t they have that YZ ‘Sons Of The Father’ CD anymore? :(
Love the tragedy, amazing track. So why has he fallen off now? Last good thing I heard was the street life 12″ with K-def & Salaam Remi remixes
cocaine blunts has a poet post now
I have heard before that he named his Tragedy because of that song. The sample pretty much “named” him. Can’t remember where I heard that but I’m pretty sure I heard it somewhere…
is this that ”woke up one morning turned your radio on look for your brother and your money was gone” song? OH… MY… !!!! (now i’ll download these two versions and see… please please please!!!!)
you guys with marley marl, craig g and shan stuff.
this is heaven.
for real.
“I heard this was the track Rick Rubin put in reverse for the Paul Revere drums. Can anyone confirm?”
“The ‘Paul Revere’ drums sound like they’re from a TR-808. Probably the exact same drum machine he used for ‘It’s Yours’ and other Rick Rubin classics.”
“Paul Revere” sounds more like it has the drums from “Go Queensbridge”, a track with Hot Day Dante, put in reverse. “Go Queensbridge” has the “I Like Funky Music” sample from Uncle Louie that Def Jam records used to use a lot put in reverse, so if that track was reversed on “Paul Revere”, the Uncle Louie would be in its original form, which is how it is on “Paul Revere”.
Ruube & Robbie,
I remember that Another One To Get Jealous Of remix. I heard Tim Westwood play it once in 1988. There was also mention of it in his NME hip hop chart, labelled as “MC Man” or something. I’m also sure it was a lot faster as well
Never released AFAIK… but would love a clip!
It turns up…!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_49c1Vonz04