Meanwhile...

Casual's one of my favorite Oakland rappers. He hasn't put out an album since 2005, but lately he's stayed busy with YouTube videos.

His recent clips are all lo-fi flip-cam things. In some, he raps. In some, he studies Egyptology. In a couple, he does both.

Although my eyes and ears kinda glaze over when he gets into a lot of the Kemetic stuff, I find it charming somehow-- I guess I'm interested in the fact that he's interested in the stuff. It's cool to see a gifted rapper who's on some totally different shit from every other rapper out.

Here's a sampling of some of my favorites.

Rapping over Three 6 Mafia's "Ridin' Spinners":



With weights, guns and subtitled commentary:



Nothing but a song, but I really like the song, "N.A.G.A.S.":



You can grab this and a few other recent songs in a zip file of songs that Casual tweeted last week.

Rocking kufis, rapping about the Town, filming the cops filming him:



Rapping over crazy 8-bit beats:



Driving, punchlines:



Ancient Egyptian vocab:



Favorite line: "But I don't really know how to say that, though."

Watching all the clips inspired me to rip Casual's cassette-only Meanwhile... album. This is one of my favorite songs from that. I'm guessing on the title.



Casual: "It Don't Matter" (Hiero Imperium, 1997)

2 Busy Saying Yeah - Why you gotta keep bringing up old hits?

In this episode I play and talk about some of my favorite songs that got reissued in 2009. The bulk of it is soul and funk, although there's also disco, psych, gospel, rap and weird foreign hybrids of many of the aforementioned styles.

Most of the selections are from releases that are legitimately licensed and carefully assembled, with proper mastering, handsome packaging and thoughtful annotations. I have a lot of respect for those who take the time and effort to do it right. I hope you support them so that they can continue the work that they do.

2 Busy Saying Yeah 16: Why You Gotta Keep Bringing Up Old...

Matthew Africa's Podcast

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1. Man: “And In the Beginning” Revelation
2. Little Francisco Greaves: “Moving-Grooving” V/A - Panamá! 3: Calypso Panameño, Guajira Jazz & Cúmbia Típica on the Isthmus 1960-75
3. The Blue Rhythm Combo: “Take the Funky Feeling” V/A - Tropical Funk Experience
4. Kukumbas: “Respect” V/A - Psych Funk 101
5. Chocolate Snow: “Inflation” V/A - Eccentric Soul: Smart's Palace
6. Lyman Woodard Organization: “On Your Mind” Saturday Night Special
7. Nite-Liters: “Valdez In the Country” A-Nal-Y-Sis
8. Demon Fuzz: “Disillusioned” Afreaka!
9. The Pretty Things: “You Might Even Say” Philippe Debarge
10. P.E. Hewitt Jazz Ensemble: “Bada Que Bash” V/A - Spiritual Jazz - Esoteric, Modal + Deep Jazz From the Underground 1968-77
11. Lizzy Mercier Descloux: “Hard-Boiled Babe” V/A - Ze 30 - Ze Records Story 1979-2009
12. Gichy Dan's Beachwood No. 9: “On a Day Like Today” (Todd Terje's Friendly Children Edit) V/A - ZEVolution: ZE Records Re-Edited
13. Chemise: “She Can't Love You” V/A - DJ Spinna Presents the Boogie Back: Post Disco Club Jams
14. Cubie Burke: “Down For Double” [JM After-Session M&M Mix] V/A - John Morales - The M&M Mixes
15. Herman's Rocket: “Hanged in the Universe” V/A - Jean-Pierre Massiera - Psychoses Discoïd (1976-1981)
16. Chorus Reverendus: “Dans Son Euphorie” V/A - Wizzz! Psychorama Français 1966-70
17. Apostles of Music: “Wade In the Water” V/A - Local Customs: Downriver Revival
18. The Metros: “Since I Found My Baby” Sweetest One
19. Willie Hutch: “A Love That's Worth Havin'” Soul Portrait
20. Ronnie McNeir: “In Summertime” Ronnie McNeir
21. Andrew Brown: “You Made Me Suffer” V/A - Light: On the South Side
22. Sugar Pie DeSanto: “Use What You Got” V/A - Go Go Power • The Complete Chess Singles 1961-1966
23. The Daughters of Eve: “Help Me Boy” V/A - 2131 South Michigan Avenue: 60s Garage & Psychedelia From U.S.A. & Destination Records
24. Brigitte Fontaine: “Il Pleut“ V/A - Dirty French Psychedelics
25. 24-Carat Black: “I Want to Make Up” Gone: The Promises of Yesterday
26. Sensational Saints: “How Great Thou Art” V/A - Forge Your Own Chains
27. Amazing Farmer Singers of Chicago: “I Got a Telephone In My Bosom” V/A - Fire In My Bones: Raw Rare + Otherworldly African-American Gospel (1944-2007)
28. The Relatives: “Don't Let Me Fall” Don't Let Me Fall
29. John Heartsman & Circles: “Up From Down” Music of My Heart
30. Azambuja & CIA: “Tema De Azambuja” V/A - Black Rio 2: Original Samba Soul 1968-1981
31. Tafo: “Karye Pyar” feat. Nahid Akhtar V/A - The Sound of Wonder!
32. The Animated Egg: “Sock It My Way” Guitar Freakout
33. Natural Elements: “Tri-Boro” 1999
34. Sport "G" & Mastermind: “Live” V/A - Random Rap
35. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou: “Koutoulié” The Vodoun Effect - Funk & Sato From Benin's Obscure Labels 1972-1975