Ism & Blues

Ism & Blues
Studio album by Hard 2 Obtain
Released	May 1994
Recorded	May 1993 - January 1994
Studio	The Hit Factory (New York City, New York)
Genre	Underground hip hop, East Coast hip hop, Hardcore hip hop
Length	1:13:15
Label	Atlantic Records
Producer	DJ Nastee, Rob Periman (exec.) Stimulated Dummies (also exec.)

Ism & Blues is the debut studio album by American hip hop trio Hard 2 Obtain. It was released on May 1994 through Atlantic Records. Recording sessions took place at The Hit Factory in New York City from May 1993 to January 1994. Production was entirely handled by Stimulated Dummies, with the exception of two tracks produced by DJ Nastee. It includes guest apperances by Artifacts, Vinia Mojica and Raquel.

Ism & Blues released the two singles: "L.I. Groove" and "Ghetto Diamond". The album failed to reach any Billboard charts, and the group were dropped by Atlantic Records without releasing any additional material on the label.

Track listing

No.	Title	Performer(s)	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Joker's World"	Taste, DL	Dajani, Gamble, Mason, Ross, Smith	Stimulated Dummies	4:44
2.	"Babble On"	Taste, DL	Dajani, Gamble, Mason, Ross, Smith	Stimulated Dummies	3:51
3.	"Heels Without Souls"	Taste, DL	Dajani, Gamble, Mason, Ross, Smith	Stimulated Dummies	4:51
4.	"Shit We Do"	Taste, DL	Balgochian, Mason, Smith	DJ Nastee	4:10
5.	"Street Dwellers"	Taste, DL	Dajani, Gamble, Mason, Ross, Smith	Stimulated Dummies	4:15
6.	"A Lil Sumthing"	Taste, DL, Artifacts, Raquel	Ali, Brown, Dajani, Gamble, Mason, Ross, Smith, William	Stimulated Dummies	5:26
7.	"L.I. Groove"	Taste, DL	Dajani, Gamble, Mason, Ross, Smith	Stimulated Dummies	5:44
8.	"Time"	Taste, DL	Dajani, Gamble, Mason, Ross, Smith	Stimulated Dummies	3:50
9.	"Local Hero"	Taste, DL	Dajani, Gamble, Mason, Ross, Smith	Stimulated Dummies	3:50
10.	"Gaining Pounds"	Taste, DL	Dajani, Gamble, Mason, Ross, Smith	Stimulated Dummies	3:51
11.	"Parkyard Lingo"	Taste, DL	Dajani, Gamble, Mason, Ross, Smith	Stimulated Dummies	4:47
12.	"Bust Me Down"	Taste, DL, DJ Six Seven	Calhoun, Dajani, Gamble, Mason, Ross, Smith	Stimulated Dummies	4:39
13.	"No Batter Swing"	Taste, DL, DJ Six Seven	Calhoun, Dajani, Gamble, Mason, Ross, Smith	Stimulated Dummies	4:49
14.	"Ghetto Diamond"	Taste, DL, DJ Six Seven	Balgochian, Calhoun, Mason, Smith	DJ Nastee	3:52
15.	"Joker's World (Next Mix)"	Taste, DL	Dajani, Gamble, Mason, Ross, Smith	Stimulated Dummies	4:25
16.	"L.I. Groove Reprise"	Taste, DL	Dajani, Gamble, Mason, Ross, Smith	Stimulated Dummies	6:46

Notes

• Scratches performed by Six Seven, Rockraider and D.J. Nastee.
• Track 1 features horns performed by Miles Evans, and bass performed by Anton Pukshansky.
• Track 2 features bass performed by Anton Pukshansky.
• Track 5 features keyboards performed by Sugapop, and additional vocals performed by Treydonya Jones, Nocoli Telemaque and Charle.
• Track 12 features keyboards performed by Sugapop, horns performed by Miles Evans, bass performed by Daryl Jenifer, and additional vocals performed by Vinia Mojica.
• Track 13 features bass performed by Jay Nichols.

Samples

Joker's World

• "Capricorn" and "Cannon Raps" by The Cannonball Adderley Quintet
• "Standing in the Grits Line" by Don Covay
• "One Cylinder" by Lou Donaldson
• "Ain't No Sunshine" by Harlem Underground Band

Babble On

• "Tramp" by Brian Auger and the Trinity
• "I'm Mad" by EPMD
• "I'll Say It Again" by Linda Tillery
• "Chilly Chilly" by Willie Mitchell

Heels Without Souls

• "Black Fox" by Monk Higgins

Shit We Do

• "I'm Gonna Git Ya" by Betty Harris
• "Open Up Wide" by Chase
• "La Di Da Di" by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick

Street Dwellers

• "The Rich (and the Poor)" by Keith Jarrett
• "Shuggie's Boogie" by Shuggie Otis
• "Come Dancing" by Jeff Beck
• "Happiness Is Loving You" by Alphonse Mouzon
• "Keep Your Soul Together" by Freddie Hubbard
• "Blind Man" by The New Birth
• "Crisis" by Freddie Hubbard

A Lil Sumthing

• "Tress-Cun-Deo-La" by Joe Henderson
• "Rubber Lips" by Young-Holt Unlimited
• "If You've Got It, Flaunt It" by Ramsey Lewis Trio
• "I Got to Have It" by Ed O.G. and Da Bulldogs
• "North, East, South, West" by Kool & the Gang

L.I. Groove

• "If You Want My Love" by Melvin Sparks feat. Jimmy Scott
• "My Melody" by Eric B. & Rakim
• "Wilford's Gone" by The Blackbyrds

Time

• "Jug Eyes" by Gene Ammons
• "Memphis Underground" by Herbie Mann
• "Compared to What" by Les McCann and Eddie Harris
• "Footprints" by Miles Davis
• "I Feel Like Dancing" by Bad Bascomb

Local Hero

• "Inside Straight" by The Cannonball Adderley Quintet
• "Feeling You Feeling Me" by Monk Higgins
• "Overnight Sensation" by Avalanche
• "Headstart" by David "Fathead" Newman

Gaining Pounds

• "Matrix" by Dizzy Gillespie
• "Say It Loud I’m Black and I’m Proud" by Lou Donaldson
• "A House Is Not a Home" by Sonny Rollins
• "Bounce ta This" by Showbiz & A.G.
• "The Team" by Joe Hicks

Parkyard Lingo

• "Sing a Simple Song" by Please
• "Zimba Ku" by Black Heat
• "Pocahontas" by Maynard Ferguson
• "Flyjack" by Groove Holmes
• "Georgia Cottonfield" by The Crusaders
• "Green Green Grass of Home" by Johnny Robinson
• "Is It Him or Me" by Jackie Jackson

Bust Me Down 

• "You Can Fly" by Sons of Champlin 
• "Cherrystones" by Eugene McDaniels

No Batter Swing

• "Hot Wind" by Les Baxter
• "Music, You All" by The Cannonball Adderley Quintet
• "Tails Out" by Willie Mitchell
• "Magnificent Sanctuary Band" by Donny Hathaway
• "Smiling" by Charles Earland
• "Get Up Offa That Thing" by James Brown
• "Transformers" by Leaders of the New School

Ghetto Diamond

• "Rumplestiltskin" by The Cannonball Adderley Quintet
• "Deja Vu" by Weldon Irvine
• "You Can Fly" by Sons of Champlin
• "Wild! Wild! Wild! Wild!" by Wild Man Steve
• "Spinning Wheel" by Lonnie Smith
• "Look at Granny Run Run" by Howard Tate

L.I. Groove Reprise

• "Keep on Bumpin' Before You Give Out of Gas" by The Last Word
• "Granite and Concrete" by Blue Mitchell
• "Ooga-Boo-Ga-Loo" by The Jazz Crusaders
• "Reggins" by The Blackbyrds
• "My Melody" by Eric B. & Rakim

Credits

• Executive Producers: SD50 and Rob Periman.
• A&R: Rob Perlman.
• Management: Bobbito Garcia.
• Engineer: John Gamble.
• Assistant Engineer: Jack Hersca.
• Mastering: Tom Coyne.
• Art Direction & Design: Jean Cronin.
• Photography: Rex Miller.
• Additional Design & Layout: KARMA.

Album shout-outs

HARD 2 OBTAIN and SD50 thank the Dajani family, the Gamble family, the Ross family, the Mason family, the Brawley family, the Calhoun family, Evelyn Calhoun thanks for all your help and support, GOD, FWD Crew, Urban Blight, T.D.A. Crew (Totally Drunk Always), Powerful, 11th St. Crew, J.T., Joe from Jersey, Laura & John King & Chung King House of Metal, Pete and Paul Moore (BBQ Brothers), Big John, Little John, Sewell Brothers, Chelsea Projects crew, Fulton Projects crew, Westbeth crew, Macki, Sugarpop, Rene Soto, Andy Tavei, Miles Balgochian, Anton Pukshanksky, Bad Brains, Beastie Boys, Sean Carasov, Stretch Armstrong, FUTURA 2000, Trackmasterz, Sam Sever, Mob Deep, Hieroglyphics, DEL, Sophia Chang, Richie Rich, DredKnotz, Kool Keith, Constipated Monkeys, Dave P./Kind Clothing, 2 Kool, John Meniely, Surge, All graffiti writers everywhere, Brandon (good lookin' out), Domino, Rich Posada, Jack Hersca, Jill Revon, GFS/NFC (thanks for the gear), Fresh Five (thanks Rick), Mare, Roc Steady, Jessie Pias, Bennie B, Nintendo Hockey, Yolando Darren A.K.A. Chowling, Slap Magazine, Diamond D, Riverdale Projects (Brownville peoples), CBGB's (our first 2 shows-thanks), Massive ups to all the people that helped this project like Jason Florn, Richard Nash, Kevin Curry, Jean Cronin, Shelby Meade and Beth Jacobson. Massive peace to the ICU mob around the way for massive support, Dre Neal A.K.A. Kabrutis for the first demos over. Velt mob, Freeport mob, Hempstead mob, Eas Da Barber, Todd Smith, 40 Drills, the Whole M.D. mob, Big AKH, Kwam lover, the Eason family (Joyce thanks for puttin' up with the 40 bottles and the 5 mob, Carlton Band family, & you & you & them, can't forget you & oh yeah all of them, Long Beach mob, Neil with the steel, Shap Dog & Niggs, Big Arch. O all true believers- peace.

Special Thanks: Taste: I'd like to say thanks to mom, pops and Tante, luv ya all for putting up with the bull**** throughout this whole search for a record deal.

dl: I'd like to ay thanks to mom, pops, family and the Brawley family. To all the herbs and crabs that tried to jam us up, yall can eat balls. If you even think this means you, have a nice meal. Peace, Hard 2 Obtain & SD50.