Milk. - Never Dated

Continuing with the slept-on theme, here's more proof that Rick Rubin never truly grew out of hip-hop, he just grew a beard and got weirder. That's not meant to be taken as disrespect, but how many people can you think of that produced Neil Diamond, Donovan, Danzig, Slayer, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, LL Cool J, Run-DMC and more? I'll leave that list thoroughly incomplete because I could spend all day writing it, but it certainly takes someone with a unique perspective to effectively work with such a diverse list of artists.

Rick Rubin didn't produce Milk., rather he signed him to American Recordings and got the Never Dated album released in 1995. Milk., and yes that period belongs after his name, handled all the production apart from a remix by Joe Quixx and King Tech with guest vocals from the jazzyfatnastees as well as a track with co-production from Ad Rock of the Beastie Boys. As for where you may have heard Milk. from before, he's the man who provided the vocals in Audio Two, generally remembered for the awesome Top Billin', although Never Dated is just as good as anything Audio Two ever recorded with Milk. coming hard and the beats being very solid. So, why didn't it blow up then? Well...

I've mentioned before that American Recordings seems to have a poor reputation regarding the availability of it's catalog. If you're signed to American and your name isn't Johnny Cash, or if you're not part of Slayer, your catalog will most likely languish somewhere in the digital realm without mentions, reissues or any push from whatever label holds your rights. Again, none of this is meant as disrespectful to Rick, but it's clear that his label's legacy will best be remembered for Mr. Cash's late-period career resurrection and as an off-shoot of Def Jam. Back to Milk. though, it probably didn't help that his solo debut is just over twenty-five minutes long and, no matter how good it was, saw release in the mid-nineties during the peak of gangsta rap and grimy, underground hip-hop. On top of that, while it may have been intended purely for entertainment purposes, the phone call interludes on the album, with Milk.'s friends and associates calling him angrily regarding work he was supposed to turn in may be another reason he remained more of an old-school memory than a then-modern contemporary.

Whatever the real reason for Milk.'s lack of solo success, he's in top form on Never Dated, bringing lots of classic boom-bap beats and flows. It also helps that the record is practically over before it starts because his high-pitched voice might burn some listeners quickly. Unfortunately, the best moment on the record is of course Spam, the collaboration with Ad Rock and Mike D. on drums. Milk. would most likely claim people were playing favorites with Spam as the single, especially with the Beastie association, but it's the only track here that has a real chorus and sounds truly focused, whereas tracks like Go 2 Hell! and Rude & Cocky sound like they might have been mostly written off the top of his head, and that's not necessarily a good thing. Some rappers really shine when going off the beat, but Milk. simply sounds like he's giving a stream-of-consciousness rant when he tries to experiment.

All in all, Milk.'s Never Dated isn't going to change your life but you'll probably find yourself singing Get Off My Log if you're not watching yourself. The remix is even better with the extra chorus vocals from the jazzyfatnastees. Too bad things didn't work out for Milk. but at least Never Dated is a fun listen. Enjoy!


Milk. - Never Dated

01 Intro
02 Get Off My Log (feat. Big V)
03 Laid & Paid II
04 Spam (feat. The King Ad Rock)
05 Rude & Cocky
06 Go 2 Hell!
07 Ask Me How Thick
08 Smoke Up My Ass
09 Get Off My Log (the jazzyfatwoody remix)

Judge - NYHC

Judge, legendary hardcore band from New York City formed in 1987, known for it's passionate & yet aggressive music and for it's firm stance on straightedge. Although I'm not a huge hardcore fan I admit that Judge are one of the few hc bands that I like and listen to. Not that I'm a sXe or vegan, on the contrary as I find the whole sXe and vegan thing one big nonsense. Although I admit that in the beginning the sXe was a good idea, what has become now is no less than a trend for the youngsters to follow. Same goes for the vegan 'though it's even bigger bullshit. Why? Because it limits one's perception of the world, it limits his/her choices and somehow it makes one live by certain limits and that's something that doesn't fit well within my own believes. Toby Morse once said "PASSION BEFORE FASHION" but few had listened. Alas these days the hc scene in my country is more about fashion than passion.

Anyway why I'm writing this? Well because Judge are sXe. In fact they're the only sXe hc band I listen to. For me they're the best band ever. For me they're like the one of the few bands that really captures the true essence of the hardcore spirit. Besides that old-school sound was always more appealing to me than this new stuff the kids are listening to. It's a matter of taste I guess.

Judge - New York Crew (1988)

Judge - Demos & Live (1988-1990)

ДДТ/DDT - real punk since ’81

As many of you probably know DDT was founded in 1981 by Dani, Adama, Bobo and Kole. A year later they began recording meterial of their own. Their music was primerly influenced by the likes of Sex Pistols and Pekinska Patka so it is no suprise that their music is with very strong '70's and '80's punk sound. With the years passing by DDT gathered a significant following, young people who supported them through the years. For their relatively short existence the band managed to record about twenty something songs which they released in a single record simply titled "Best" including material from the period '82-92. Those songs serve as a primer to the younger generations of genuine oi punk which can withstand the test of time.
After 15 years of complete silence the bulgarian old school punk legends DDT resurface again, this time on mysace. This is a attempt to revive one of the greatest underground punk acts in bulgarian music history. What made them come out of the shadows ? The need to show to the younger generations what real punk is all about - it's for the real things in life, the friends, the foes, the respect. Back in the '80's punk wasn't a fashion thing, it was a way of life. Those who called themselves punks didn't care how they looked or how others will look at them, they only wanted to be free, to say what's on their minds and simply to have fun. And that attitude reflected on how they make music and how they perceive the world. Punk music quickly became a tribune for the young to send out their political messages as well as expressing themselves freely.
DDT wanted to be heard one more time before going into oblivion. They wanted to remind us that they're still alive and kickin'. And they're damn good in what they're doing. So all of you pay them tribute and feel the raw DIY punk in your face.

DDT - We Are DDT-Punk Will Never Die!-1981-1991

www.myspace.com/ddtbulgaria