What's in a name?

Well, a little about me. I grew up in NYC. For those of you who are painfully ignorant (I highly doubt many of you are) about rap music, one of the four elements of hip-hop culture was created in the Bronx in the late 1970's. Now you might be saying: "Malcolm, I know you weren't born until the early 1980's (June 11, 1981, to be exact), so what does this have to do with you?" Well, I'll tell you. The first album I remember getting (on casette) was Tone Loc's "Loc-ed After Dark" which had the famous singles "Funky Cold Medina," and "Wild thing." on it.

Well, you may be saying, "Malcolm, I know full well that Tone Loc was from California, so what the hell does this have to do with the Bronx, and rap music?" The truth is, this really started my love affair with rap music, the strength and intensity of which may have waned from time to time over the years, but still holds a special place in my heart. Having lived in NYC my entire life until I turned 18, I couldn't help but be exposed to a critical mass of rap music, all of which was the cutting edge of rap music at the time (unlike today). I remember the first time I heard Onyx, Wu-Tang, Redman, Smif 'n' Wessun, and many other groups, all of which I immediately loved. I don't think I really thought I heard the pinnacle of hip hop greatness until I heard the likes of hard core rappers Fat Joe, Big Pun, Big L, and groups like Gang Starr. Through Fat Joe, and others I discovered D.I.T.C., which to this day remains my favorite rap group. The originators of D.I.T.C. back in 1990, among others were Showbiz & A.G., who eventually came out with a solo album in 1998, called "Full Scale." Full Scale is not necessarily the best album front to back, but it has some of my favorite songs ever, including the first track on the album "Themes, Schemes & Dreams."

With my love of the music, I fueled my hobby for many years: DJing, which led me to many different artists, some of whom I like, some of whom I no longer like, and some of whom I detest. Anyway, my blog name is a reference to the first track on a Show & A.G. album. May you be intelectually richer for knowing this information.

Here's a link to hear the song Themes, Schemes & Dreams itself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy2PAhHz_UM

Enjoy.