| Thizznessman: Eddi Projex |
Local indie turf rap outlets SMC Recordings and Thizz Entertainment (a label founded by the late Mac Dre) have teamed up to create a subsidiary label, Town Thizzness, combining SMC's distribution and promotional networks with Thizz' street credibility and word-of-mouth buzz. The label began with two well-received releases in '08: Beeda Weeda's Tha Thizzness and J-Stalin's Gas Nation, which may not have resurrected the hyphy movement so much as hinted that the subgenre never truly died in the eyes of its true fans.
Town Thizzness seeks to build on that momentum this year, with two new releases, G-Stack's Dr. Purpthumb and Eddi Projex' Got the Streets on Fire, out this week, to be followed by upcoming albums from Live Wire, Philthy Rich, DJ Fresh, and Mistah FAB. Now's the time to brush up on ghost-riding the Volvo, so you'll be looking like a stunna come summer, blasting the Yay Area blaps on your way to the nearest Wingstop.
Are the '90s back already? If so, is it too soon? After all, we can think of several dubious trends from that decade - grunge 'uniforms' (flannel shirts and scruffy faces), sugar-coated teenie pop (think Britney Spears, 98 Degrees, 'N Sync, Backstreet Boys), stomach tattoos ( i.e. Tupac's "Thug Life"), Thighmasters, "the G-Funk Era," Cross Colors, Kriss Kross, extra extra baggy day-glo raver pants, "mobb music," acid jazz, big floppy hats (a la Jamiroquai), white "O.J." Broncos, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Teletubbies, Alanis Morissette, Newt Gingrich, and George H.W. Bush, to name a few.
'90s Style Icons: the Teletubbies
But as '90s nostalgia Website InThe90s.com explains, a case can be made for the decade's contributions to pop culture, even if that period somehow seems less cool than the '60s, '70s, and '80s. According to the Webmaster, "There are really two reasons for nostalgia of the 90s already. The first is that the majority of people like to look back a few years, as reference to see where we've been, to recognize where we're going. Then we all laugh at how naive we've been. The second, and perhaps more valid reason, is that people tend to look view their younger childhood until the end of high school years as a great time (even if it didn't seem so at the time)."
Perhaps the best reason for the '90s revival, though, is that '80s nights have been done to death. With that in mind, it's time to pull out those Fresh Jive pants, the Cypress Hill ¾-sleeve tour shirt, the Ja Rule doo-rag, and, yes, the mud-spattered Kurt Cobain flannel, and head over to Madrone Lounge tonight, where DJs Samala, Sonny Phono, Mr. Grant and special guests present "I Love the '90s," featuring "the very best cuts from the decade that brought you hi-tops and flannel, boy bands and Bud commercials." Bring in your "Best Worst Photo From the '90s" and you could win a free drink. And, as an added incentive for all you broke-ass fools, there's no cover.
