mfr world exclusive
coming to you from Portland by way of San Fran:
first of all, big ups to the Quannum folks for allowing the robots to bring you this previously unreleased gem. second of all, I feel like the Lifesavas are somehow suffering from a baffling case of underexposure on the right coast, and I'd like to take this opportunity to clear their name. there is nothing about their LP or performance that doesn't deserve the full respect that the other artists on Quannum seem to garner by default. yes, they're from Portland, and no, they don't have the same clout as some of their labelmates in the popular press (but who really draws name recognition like Shadow anyway?), but if you get off your ass and see them live, they'll change all that. at the Quannum world tour this past April, Jumbo and Versatyl were shoulder to shoulder with Lateef, Gab, LB and the entire crew; when I saw Lyrics Born play to a crowd of about 32 dirty hippies in Burlington, they got everyone bouncing in a way that even the big man couldn't; at the Blackalicious show in Boston, they damn near stole the entire thing from Xcel and Lateef (Gab was on medical leave). my point is this - see them live. they're hip-hop artists through and through, but more importantly you've got a chance to see a fantastic trio of entertainment professionals in your favorite venues in anytown USA and you're most likely missing it. the album is damn good, no question, but their live shows put them ahead of almost any other indie hip-hop act in that regard. seriously. they leave it all onstage. and from what I gathered during a brief chat outside in the Higher Ground parking lot, they're decent fellas as well.
anyhow. all that said, Fa Show was definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album (the original was on the minimix I posted ages ago, you can hear it streaming here), and the remix gives it a jazzy, funked-out retake that distills the tremendous vocals of the album mix to create a mostly instrumental bumper, complete with almost a full minute of shoutouts! in case your mental roster of powerhouse female emcees was lacking, they hit it all in this tribute, from Bahamadia (also posted ages ago) to Salt n' Peppa to Medusa to Queen Latifah.
anyhow, enjoy the remix, and see them live when you have the chance. and of course, [buy their excellent, refreshing LP], and check Versatyl's guest appearances on Gift of Gab's album [get the track or buy Gab's LP].