Changes: Black Bastards

Revision as of 19:20, 17 January 2021

Black Bastards (stylized as Bl_ck B_st_rds) is the second studio album by American Hip hop group KMD. It was scheduled for a May 24, 1994 release but was shelved by Elektra Records reportedly due to its controversial cover art: a Sambo figure featured in past KMD works being lynched. Recording sessions took place at Aunt Marlene's Basement, Chung King Studios, PIE Studios in New York City and at LGK Studios in New Jersey from March to August 1993. The album was produced by group members Zev Love X and Subroc themselves. It features guest appearances by Kurious, MF Grimm, Hard 2 Obtain, Lord Sear and Earth Quake.

Group member Onyx the Birthstone Kid left KMD before the recording of the album, reducing the group to a duo of brothers Zev Love X and Subroc. During the album's production, Subroc was killed when he was struck by a car on April 23, 1993. Zev Love X completed the album as the only member of KMD.

The album's only single, "What a N*gga Know?", was released in 1994 and Elektra sent promotional versions of the album for review. One review by Terri Rossi of Billboard, who criticised the cover as being extremely racist, is often cited as the reason for Elektra's decision to pull the album and drop KMD as an act.^[1] Zev Love X was paid $20,000 and given the Black Bastards masters as compensation for leaving the label. No other label wanted to release the album.

Bootlegs of the album circulated in the years after its release. Fondle 'Em Records released an EP titled Black Bastards Ruffs+Rares in 1998 that featured four songs from the album. Black Bastards was officially reissued in full for the first time in 2000 on the label Readyrock Records. It was rereleased in 2001 on Sub Verse Music and Metal Face Records.^[1]

Track listing

All songs produced by KMD, except for "Constip_ted Monkey.", co-produced by Q4.


No.	Title	Performer(s)	Time
1.	"G_rb_ge D_y #3"	-	2:13
2.	"Get-U-Now"	Zev Love X	2:27
3.	"Wh_t _ Nigg_ Know?"	Zev Love X, Subroc	3:32
4.	"Sweet Premium Wine"	Zev Love X, Subroc	3:02
5.	"Plumskinnz. (Loose Hoe, God & Cupid)"	Zev Love X	1:43
6.	"Smokin' Th_t S*@%!"	Zev Love X, Kurious, Earth Quake, Lord Sear, Subroc	4:40
7.	"Cont_ct Blitt.."	Zev Love X	2:42
8.	"Gimme!"	Subroc	3:47
9.	"Bl_ck B_st_rds!"	Zev Love X	4:00
10.	"It Sounded Like _ Roc!"	Subroc	4:34
11.	"Plumskinzz. (Oh No I Don't Believe It!)"	Onyx the Birthstone Kid	1:40
12.	"Constip_ted Monkey."	Zev Love X	2:47
13.	"F*@# Wit' Y_ He_d!!"	Zev Love X, Subroc, H2O	4:35
14.	"Suspended _nim_tion"	Zev Love X	2:20
15.	"Wh_t _ Nigg_ Know? (Remix)"	Zev Love X, MF Grimm	3:36
16.	"Q3-113"	Subroc	1:10

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Ducker, Eric (November 6, 2014). "A Rational Conversation: The 20-Year-Old Album That's MF DOOM's Missing Link". NPR.

[ducker-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Ducker, Eric (November 6, 2014). "A Rational Conversation: The 20-Year-Old Album That's MF DOOM's Missing Link". NPR.

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Infobox_album|title1=''Black Bastards''|image1=File:Black Bastards.jpg|caption1=Studio album by [[KMD]]|released=2000|recorded=1991 ("Plumskinzz") <br> March - August 1993|studio=Auntie Marlene's Basement (New York City, NY)|genre=[[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]|length=44:07|record_label=Elektra (original) <br> Readyrock Records (rerelease)|producer=[[KMD]], Q4
+{{Infobox_album|title1=''Black Bastards''|image1=File:Black Bastards.jpg|caption1=Studio album by [[KMD]]|released=2000|recorded=1991 ("Plumskinzz") <br> March - August 1993|studio=Auntie Marlene's Basement (New York City, New York) <br> Chung King Studios <br> (Manhattan, New York) <br> PIE Studios <br> (New York City, New York) <br> LGK Studios <br> (Leonia, New Jersey)|genre=[[Hip hop]], [[East Coast hip hop]], [[Underground hip hop]], [[Hardcore hip hop]]|length=44:07|record_label=Elektra (original) <br> Readyrock Records (rerelease)|producer=[[KMD]], Q4
 }}
-'''''Black Bastards''''' (stylized as '''''Bl_ck B_st_rds''''') is the second studio album by American hip hop group [[KMD]]. It was scheduled for a May 1994 release but was shelved by Elektra Records reportedly due to its controversial cover art: a Sambo figure featured in past KMD works being lynched. The album was produced by group members [[Zev Love X]] and [[Subroc]]. It features guest appearances by [[Kurious]], [[MF Grimm]], [[Hard 2 Obtain]], [[Lord Sear]] and Earth Quake.
+'''''Black Bastards''''' (stylized as '''''Bl_ck B_st_rds''''') is the second studio album by American [[Hip hop]] group [[KMD]]. It was scheduled for a May 24, 1994 release but was shelved by Elektra Records reportedly due to its controversial cover art: a Sambo figure featured in past KMD works being lynched. Recording sessions took place at Aunt Marlene's Basement, Chung King Studios, PIE Studios in New York City and at LGK Studios in New Jersey from March to August 1993. The album was produced by group members [[Zev Love X]] and [[Subroc]] themselves. It features guest appearances by [[Kurious]], [[MF Grimm]], [[Hard 2 Obtain]], [[Lord Sear]] and Earth Quake.
 Group member Onyx the Birthstone Kid left KMD before the recording of the album, reducing the group to a duo of brothers Zev Love X and Subroc. During the album's production, Subroc was killed when he was struck by a car on April 23, 1993. Zev Love X completed the album as the only member of KMD.