Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Nastymix Records

In 1970 Nasty-Nes Rodriguez moved from the Philippines to the U.S. "While my sister was attending New York University, I would spend my summer vacations in the big apple back in the late 70's peeping out radio stations WKTU & Mr Magic's Rap Attack show on WBLS.""That gave me the incentive to be a radio deejay and a mix deejay after seeing Grandmaster Flash live in New York". In 1980 Nasty Nes started Seattles first hip hop show called "Freshtracks"on 1250 KFOX. In 1985 Nasty Nes started an independant record label with Sir Mix A Lot called Nastymix Records. Sir Mix A Lot was the first artist signed, he released a 12" ("I Just Love My Beat/Square Dance Rap") that year. His style was a bit of a bite of the Egyptian Lover but the track "Square Dance Rap" was a huge underground success.



In 1986 Sir Mix A Lot released an EP titled "I'm A Trip" and this was followed by the Swass and Seminar albums, both went platinum. Nastymix also signed Mix A Lot prodeje` Kid Sensation who earlier appeared on a couple of Mix A Lot's tracks like "Rippn'". Kid Sensation released his first album "Rollin' With Number 1" followed by "Power Of Rhyme" in '92 which featured a mad track "The Way I Swing" with baseball star Ken Griffey Jr who he met in a Seattle electrical store buying a stereo. They made an agreement with each other that Kid Sensation would teach Griffey how to rap in exchange of hitting lessons.



Other Nastymix signings were a bunch of mediocre groups like Cause & Effect, Side Fx,Whiz Kid, 4 Way and High Performance. Although they also signed three of the best groups I have ever heard, Insane Poetry who released possibly my favorite album of all time "Grim Reality" in '92 (formerly "His Majesti" and signed to Egyptian Lovers label Egyptian Empire), Rodney O & Joe Cooley who released "Get Ready To Roll" (also signed from Egyptian Empire) and one of the most under rated groups in hip hop, Criminal Nation who released the incredible album "Release The Pressure" in '90 and the dissapointing "Trouble In The Hood" in '92 which is when Nastymix records came to an end unfortunately before releasing a few of their last titles on vinyl including Insane Poetry's "Grim Reality".



Sir Mix A Lot started his own label after releasing Seminar, he named the label "Rhyme Cartel". Kid Sensation brought out "Seatown Funk" on Ichiban in '95 then changed his name to Mr K-Sen and released a self titled album in '96 and "From The Cradle" in 2000. Insane poetry has released a few albums since (see the interview below for more info) and MC Deff from Criminal Nation moved to Canada before being held at the border, he then escaped back to the U.S. and changed his name to Wojack and released 3 albums ("Where Ya Going Wo?", "Guerrilla Music" and "Black OP's"). Criminal Nation released "Ressurection" although the members are actually not the OG Criminal Nation members but the members from the DCP (Def City Posse) Clee Bone, D-Rob etc. MC deff was a member of the D.C.P. and they featured on the b-side of the 1990 12" of "Black Power Nation" on a track titled "Niggaz From The Ghetto". The D.C.P also released an album in 1993 called "The D.C.P. Organization"



Over all if you you take out the average shit that Nastmix released you are left with some of the best shit ever released albums, 12"s with b-side tracks not on the albums and some of the most incredible videos I've seen. Nasty Nes is still on the airwaves doing what he loves most.


MP3:
Sir Mix A Lot - You Cant Slip

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

fucking awesome. thats seattle history rite there. filthy.