What’s going on today is nothing new, it’s just being better documented. Ant Banks took to talking about it on his debut album Sittin’ On Something Phat on Jive Records back in ’93. The track “Living The Life” tells the integrate details of day to day living in Bank’s East Oakland home. an accomplished producer, Anthony Banks would go on to rule the Bay Area with his unmistakable Oakland Funk sound for the 90s and into the 2000’s.
Other than Dayton, Ohio, the funk flows in the Bay Area like nowhere else. Nobody translated that Bay Area funk sound into the hip-hop genre like Ant Banks. In 1997, after a couple successful solo albums and producing tracks for any and everyone in the Bay, Banks dropped a compilation called Big Thangs. It featured the likes of Too Short, Ice Cube, Dr Dre, WC, Ice T, E-40, Spice 1, etc. “4 Tha Hustlas” featured Dangerous Crew General Too Short, legend 2pac, and the incomparable MC Breed. Otis & Shug, Oakland’s go to R&B duo, also provided some vocal assistance. I could talk all day about Banks and his influences in the genre, but I will not, I got stuff to do. Peace.
Ant Banks is one of the best unknown, known producers in the Hip-Hop game. Coming from Oakland, California, Ant Banks embodied the Bay Area funk sound. From the Dangerous Crew, which featured Too $hort, Spice 1, Mhisani, and others, he has hits under his belt. He’s distinct sound created a demand for that Oaktown funk that you could only get from Banks. There were plenty of imitators, but never a quality duplication. “Livin’ The Life” is from his debut album on Jive Records Sittin’ On Somethin’ Phat.
SPICE 1 – TRIGGA GOTS NO HEART
I got into a twittscussion the other day about the pitfalls of the movie Menace II Society. I’ve sat and chilled on it for a few days and I think I’m going to write something up on it. I feel pretty strongly about the views that were expressed, however, that doesn’t change the fact that the soundtrack was hot, son. From Spice 1’s “Trigga Gots No Heart”, DJ Quik’s House Of Pain diss, “Can’t F*** wit *****”, UGK, Brand Nubian, Guru & The Cutthroats, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, MC Eiht, BDP, and a slew of other artists. So here I’m doing my video of the day tribute to Menace II Society, which I will roast very shortly as well….enjoy…..The movie starred a gang of rappers MC Eiht, Too Short, Saafir (Caine’s cousin Harold), and Pooh-Man. However it’s the exclusion of one particular rapper that made the most noise, Tupac Shakur was originally slated to be in the movie as Sharif, however he was fired, which lead to an butt whooping and charges being filed against Pac. Anyway…here…..we….goooooooo
UGK – POCKET FULL OF STONES (PORT ARTHUR REMIX)
MC EIHT – STREIHT UP MENACE
DJ QUIK – CAN’T F*** WITH A *****
THE CUTTHROATS – STOP LOOKING AT ME [FEAT GURU]
PETE ROCK & CL SMOOTH – DEATH BECOMES YOU [FEAT THE Y.G.z]
ANT BANKS – PACKIN’ A GUN
TOO SHORT – ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE
I decided that the rest of November will be dedicated to Oakland Funk, hip-hop style. You can’t even begin to say anything about the Bay Area music scene without mentioning Todd Shaw aka Too $hort. So i’m starting of with one of my favorite Too $hort x Posse cuts. His crew, The Dangerous Crew consisted of Ant Banks, Goldy, Pooh-Man and more. FM Blue, Father Dom, SPice 1 just to name a few more.
