Re~uPP`d, originally posted 01.02.2013...
Today is a wonderful day y`all! Why`s that you ask? Well I have another joint to share with y`all that received the HeRBaN DeLuXe treatment! That album is Choclair`s debut album released thru Virgin Music back in 1999 titled "Ice Cold" (the American version of the album was released by Priority Records). The reason that I decided to 'enhance' the album by making it an HeRBaN DeLuXe VeRSioN is really simple. "Suave Dirt Dogs", the collabo` with the late, great & unforgettable Ol` Dirty Bastard never made it to the album & the US version of the album actually has a song featuring Rahzel that`s not on the Canadian release; "First Thing". I always wanted that O.D.B. collabo` on there & why not have that joint with Rahzel as well to extend the listening experience? Finally, there`s the lil` interludes that I added...well I didn`t really add them, they were at the end of some songs. I just did a lil` editing & made `em their own tracks to make listening to the album a much smoother transition from track to track...
To make things a lil` more interesting I made this album a sort of choose your own adventure type thing....LoL, remember them books in grade school? Y`all `80's babies should anyway....LoL, you can listen to the album as it is with tracks 1-23 or you could remove track #22 "Rollin` [Radio]" & replace it with the Rahzel collabo` "First Thing". The reason I suggest the latter is simple really, it`s not the actual 'Radio version' of the track, it`s pretty much the same as the album version with all the cussin` & ish it just has a shorter intro on the track which makes it about a minute shorter in length. Guess they just meant that it was a shorter track so it would fit better into a radio station`s playlist or something, `cuz honestly there`s nothing edited about the track.....LoL
Now for those of you that may not be up on just who Choclair is I`ll make an attempt to school ya. Choclair, reps Scarborough, Ontario (East Toronto) & first stepped onto the Hip Hop scene in the early 1990`s. Eventually he released his first 12 inch single, the Day Productions produced "Twenty One Years" in 1995 thru his own independently run label Knee Deep Records. His track is actually on the B-Side of the single....another gem of a track is on the flip side & that track is none other than Saukrates` "Father Time". Two CLaSSiC Canadian Hip Hop songs, not too shabby at all for a label`s first release! The following year in 1996 the label would also go on to release another first, that first was from Kardinal Offishall. Knee Deep Records released his debut single "Naughty Dread" which earned him a Juno Award nomination, but that`s another story all together for another post....so let`s get back to Choclair...
The underground quickly caught on to the emcee`s debut track. All that attention eventually led to other folks taking notice & not just the folks up in Canada either. The legendary DJ Premier sampled the track for Gang Starr`s "You Know My Steez" (maybe that`s what led to Guru`s appearance on "Bare Witness" who knows?). Clearly Choclair was doin` something right, so he continued working on his music & in 1996 he released another 12 inch single "Just A Second b/w What It Takes". Both tracks continued to impress the heads, I`m still a fan of "What It Takes" which also features fellow Circle member Jully Black on the hook. The Circle; a combination of The Figurez Of Speech crew & the Paranormal crew, is basically a collective of artists & producers from Toronto. Members include; Saukrates, Choclair, Kardinal Offishall, Frankenstein, YLook, Jully Black, Marvel, Solitair, Ro Ro Dolla, Thrust & Tara Chase...
With the success of his first two singles Choclair felt that it only made sense to take the next step. So he decided to test the waters & released an EP titled "What It Takes" in 1997 using his Knee Deep Records label once again. It contained 10 tracks in total; 4 songs, an Interlude & 5 Instrumentals. The EP did well, after all it did earn Choclair a Juno Award in 1997 for Best Rap Recording. The "What It Takes" music video & the 12 inch single for "What It Takes [Rmx]" helped Choclair`s project get more exposure..
After the EP he continued to
release music to keep his name buzzin`. One thing that he did that`s
cemented his name in the Canadian Hip Hop History Books is that he
landed a feature on the CLaSSiC collabo` "Northern Touch"
along with fellow Canadians the Rascalz, Kardinal Offishall, Checkmate
& Thrust. This Hip Hop anthem earned all the artists involved a gold
record (sales~wise)...
In 1998 he dropped another 12 inch single "Internal Affairs b/w Silver Surfer". The A-Side of the single "Internal Affairs" is a Choclair joint that also features fellow Circle members Frankenstein, Kardinal Offishall & Marvel, while the B-Side of the single is a Solitair solo joint titled "Silver Surfer". Following that single Knee Deep Records released the "Planet Mars EP"; a short compilation of sorts that features joints from Marvel, Solitair & Choclair, Kardinal Offishall (ft. YLook), Nefarious, Frankenstein, Thrust & K-OS. It wasn`t too long after releasing the "Planet Mars EP" that Choclair decided that it was time to expand his team so he joined with Virgin Music Canada & in 1999 he signed with Priority Records so he could release his debut album titled "Ice Cold"...
Once he signed with the major label of course that`s when a lot of heads started hatin` on Choclair claimin` that he had sold out. So he responded by releasing "Flagrant" as a single in 1999. The track was produced by Saukrates, it`s basically a very DoPe 'BiG Fuck You!' to the industry, his critics & everyone else that was doubting him at the time. He followed that single up with his debut album, "Ice Cold" which mostly featured production from members of The Circle (Saukrates, Kardinal Offishall, Frankenstein & Solitair), but Da Grassroots & K-Cut also had a helping hand with the beats. The album was certified Gold in Canada & the album`s hit single "Let`s Ride" featuring Saukrates has been a Summer anthem up in Canada since it`s release. With all that being said let`s get to the album shall we???
The album opens up with Manal ''Prima'' Hajj (not too sure who she is) babblin`. Eventually she warns us not to bootleg the album or "you`ll get bashed"...Ha~HaH! The album`s title track "Ice Cold" clues the listeners into what know what they`re in store for. Da Grassroots do a great job providing an iLL mellow but cool`D out beat for Choclair to flex his shit~talkin`, sexual & all around ice cold lyrics. The Kardinal Offishall produced "Let`s Ride" follows & it features Saukrates on the hook & intro of the track. It`s a great joint for the Summer & gets every BBQ movin`, Little X also did a good job directing the music video...
Ok, so for the first Interlude on this HeRBaN DeLuXe VeRSioN I simply just took it & split if from the end of "Let`s Ride" & made it its own track. Saukrates produced "Rubbin`" & he also appears on the hook. This one has Choclair expressin` his love for the ladies, with it`s clubbish vibes it`s sure to get a few folks dancing. "Takin` It In" is another joint produced by Saukrates. Choclair targets the fakers & wannabe playas on this one, exposin` `em for what they are. On "Bare Witness" Choclair connected with the late & great Guru of Gang Starr over a thumpin` beat produced by Kardinal Offishall with cuts by DJ Tony Touch, most definitely a banger! For the second Interlude, I just split it from then end of "Bare Witness" & made its own track. Choclair just let`s the listeners know that he likes to party & have a good time just as much as the next kat...
"Jambone" is another party~vibed track for the ladies produced by Kardinal Offishall that also features Ro Ro Dolla. Fellow Circle member Solitair steps up to produce the next joint "Fresh". On here Choclair does what he does best, talks that shit!....LoL, straight braggadocios type flows here. After that Kardinal Offishall stops in & drops a quick P.S.A. for the ladies. Speakin` of ladies, Jully Black shows up & gives Choclair a hand on "Rollin`" a joint produced by former Main Source DJ K-Cut. Jay-Z`s protege Memphis Bleek makes a guest appearance on the Solitair produced "Young Gunz", it`s nothing spectacular but it`s far from wack. "Runnin` Wid Us" has Choclair flowin` over a beat produced by Kardinal Offishall who also lends a nice verse to the song. The previously released as a white label single "Flagrant" follows the Kardinal collabo` & as mentioned before it`s produced by Saukrates. In my opinion this track is the best on the album, definitely one to BuMP...
The third Interlude was just split from the end of "Flagrant" & made its own track. On "Die Hard", a solid West & East Coast collabo` Choclair reconnects with the Rascalz over a track produced by Solitair with Saukrates on the hook. "S.O.T." is another Circle collabo` with Choclair sharing the mic with Kardinal Offishall & Solitair, while the beat itself was produced by Solitair. The fourth Interlude was split from the end of "S.O.T." & made into its own track. K-Cut provides the bouncy backdrop for "Da Chiznock". Choclair decides to put the partying on pause long enough to drop an iLL storytelling track produced by Frankenstein a.k.a. Frank Fallico on "Situation 9". It`s a great song warning folks about what they`ll get caught up in if they don`t pay attention to who & what surrounds them. "Rollin` [Radio]" is pretty much the same as the previous version of the track on the album, it just has a shorter intro...
Now for the joints that I added to this version; I added them to improve the listener`s experience trust me! "Suave Dirt Dogs" features the late, great & always entertaining Ol` Dirty Bastard as well as fellow Canuck Saukrates. It was originally intended to be included on the retail release of "Ice Cold", but for whatever the reason.....it was more likely label politics that prevented it from happening. It was eventually released in 2000 however as a white label single, so I just decided to add it to the album like it was initially intended to be. "First Thing" is a collabo` with Rahzel that is only featured on the US release of "Ice Cold" for some reason. So there you have it y`all, an enhanced version of the album. Go `head & check out the music for ya`self & enjoy...
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Choclair - Ice Cold [HeRBaN DeLuXe VeRSioN]
Label: Virgin Music
Released:1999-2012
1. Intro {ft. Manal ''Prima'' Hajj}
2. Ice Cold {ft. Ro Ro Dolla, Saukrates & Solitair}
3. Let`s Ride {ft. Saukrates}
4. Interlude #1
5. Rubbin` {ft. Saukrates}
6. Takin` It In {ft. Giz & Saukrates}
7. Bare Witness {ft. YLook & Guru of Gang Starr}
8. Interlude #2
9. Jambone {ft. Ro Ro Dolla}
10. Fresh {ft. Solitair}
11. Kardi`s P.S.A. {ft. Kardinal Offishall}
12. Rollin` {ft. Jully Black}
13. Young Gunz {ft. Memphis Bleek}
14. Runnin` Wid Us {ft. Kardinal Offishall}
15. Flagrant {ft. Saukrates}
16. Interlude #3
17. Die Hard {ft. Rascalz & Saukrates}
18. S.O.T. {ft. Kardinal Offishall & Solitair}
19. Interlude #4
20. Da Chiznock
21. Situation 9
22. Rollin` [Radio] {ft. Jully Black}
23. Suave Dirt Dogs {ft. Ol` Dirty Bastard & Saukrates}
*Bonus Joint: First Thing {ft. Rahzel}
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