Friday 9 January 2015

Oliver: Organised Konfusion - The Rough Side of Town (17 November 1991)


Melancholic nostalgia is not a phrase often associated with New York rap, but from what I've heard so far of Organised Konfusion's debut album (2 tracks played by Peel), it was a strong part of the duo's shtick.  Understandably so, as here they reflect on how Southside Queens, NY has changed over the years.  Now the police are never out of anything other than high speed chases when they're in the area. Women who were sweet as children become corrupted once they reach maturity.  In the cut, Peel played on 17/11/91, the track is introduced by a short sketch in which a naive and uncertain young woman is persuaded to try a narcotic only for it to kill her.  The am-dram radio quality of the start of this track (which isn't included on this clip) and the bogus shouts of "Yeah! Yo! Yeah!" bookend a lament about how the neighbourhood has gone to the dogs. It's great stuff, but done even better on the other Organised Konfusion track which has been saved up for the future, Who Stole My Last Piece of Chicken?

On a side issue, is there any word in the history of language that has dated worse than "yo"?

Video courtesy of toxicofera.

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