Questlove has one of my favorite Puffy stories
intro to film tarrentino style
“lemme tell you something playboy. i live that lifestyle. my man loved yall dusty ******. he had real love for yall. yall **** on my mans. he was the reason brooklyn loved yall ******. see i do real things like **** 3 ******* at a time. i do **** like spread love and buy out the bar. my life is fab my man you hear me?—no no no no dont you look at the ground look me in the eye like a man….
i do REAL **** playboy.”
real ****.”
-sean puffy combs backstage at the wetlands to ahmir thompson for an underground/commercial summit meeting tween me tip mos, him and 13 big guys.
fade.
opening film.
we had spent a majority of 96-97 in europe.
big had spent late 96 getting back at all who dissed him on wax (jeru got a pass cause primo intervened for “playin ya self”), pac (dilla made the beat but they ixnayed it) ogc (the story the d and d engineer told me of this revenge act was something out of new jack city and i am AMAZED this story never got out)—he had made it known he was looking for us too for the “what they do” video. which he assumed was us dissing him for THINKING he was dissing us on “flavor in your ear” (both parties are wrong)
anywho….he passed away and we made our return to the states in april of 97.
tip invited me to roll with him to go to our OG black lily spot wetlands to watch this new kid in action named mos def to lyricist lounge. i was like “sure”! (had only known mos for his stint with de la on stakes album.)
he played me some demos from the new tribe album (OG version of “against the world>>> album version of against the world)
so we get there and its packed to the hilt.
tip hosts and brings up some noteables.
so the Mos is introduced next and he KILLS it with his intro and his overall friendly and joking manner onstage.—we aint seen a mofo this nice since the fresh prince talk to an audience. that within itself made him instantly engaging.
so he says he is working on a collaborative project called black star and he wants to do an acapella cut for us before he leaves.
now again
it is MAD crowded.
this is my first night in america since march 9th…..really since “what they do” was on the air.
Once upon a time not long ago
When people wore Adidas and lived life slow
When laws were stern and justice stood
And people was behavin’ like hip-hop was good
(he is taking gaps in between his spoken word so we understand his lyrics and emphasis)
There lived a little boy who was misled
By a little Sha-tan and this is what he said
“Me and you kid we gonna make some cash,
Jackin’ old beats and makin’ the dash…”
(we INSTANTLY knew this was gonna be classic……*grabs popcorn*)
They jacked the beats, money came wit’ ease
But son, he couldn’t stop, it’s like he had a disease
He jacked another and another, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder
Set some R & B over the track for ‘Deep Cover’ (187!)
The kid got wild startin’ actin’ erratic
He said “Yo, that presidential I got ta have it…”
(oh ****! WE KNOW WHO HE TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!)
With liquor in his belly son, he made up the track
But little did he know that his joints was wack
(–he repeated it one more time for the hearing impared)
ut little did he know that his joints was wack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The shiny A & R said “Great new hit G!”
“Whenever you need a loop, yo come get me…”
The kid got amped and he starts to figure
“I’m-a get dough like all-a these otha ******!”
So, he’s in the studio workin’ ’round the clock
For pop radio, jacked the beat to ‘Planet Rock’
(we are HOWLING. like HOWLING WITH ROAR BY NOW mos is like “shhhhhhhhh!”)
Was out in the street when he met this sister
Who couldn’t sing for shhhh but the mix wit’ her sister
Hooked up the track and in excitation
He decided he’d head for the radio station
But (But!) he was runnin’ and he made a left
Was skeezin’ at top speed and ran into Mos Def
I slowed the young man down and I started: “Yo money,
Yo, why you sellin’ lies to our wives and children?”
(we let out a “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ****!!!!”)
He ran upstairs up to the top floor
Opened up the door then guess what he saw? (Who?)
JANE the chickenhead radio host
Who be yappin’ ’bout beef between east and west coast
He said “This one’s a bullet, you got ta give it run!”
The chicken said “Thanks.” and spanked it #1
(everyone is still laughing…..mos is waiting so he can drop this lil gem on us)
He went outside, was gettin’ props all over
Then he dipped into his ride, the 4-point Rover
Raced up the block doin’ 83
Some cats with Hennessey saw him at a R-E-D
He winked his eye like his star status mattered
They rat-a-tat-tatted to make his blood splatter
“You rockin’ crazy ice and all you do is cling static
And rollin’ down to Brooklyn late night is problematic…”
His eyes was bloody red, he hung on every word they said
They told the kid “Back down, that playa **** is dead.”
(whut!!!!!!!!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!)
Deep in his heart, he knew he was gone
But he grabbed his 45 and decide to blaze on
Wit’ shades on founded had him astounded an’
Before long, the young man got surrounded
Those grabbed the guns, so goes the glory
And that is the way I got ta end this story
He was out chasin’ cream and the American dream
Tryin’ to pretend the ends justify the means
This ain’t funny so don’t you dare laugh
It’s just what comes to pass when you sell your *** Life is more than what your hands can grasp
Good Night!
he held this bboy freeze
http://rammy.alkem.org/Image22.gif
and we HOWLED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i HELD MY ARMS THANKING GOD FOR HIP HOP’S SAVIOR!!!! (thank you god!)
I HIGH FIVED!!! (yo that is that ****)
I YELLED (tell the truth my brother!!! tell the truth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
ME AND TIPS BOY WAS SO ELATED WE HUGGED!!! (man hip hop is a beautiful thing)
I WAS SO BESIDE MYSELF!!!! I 360’d the ROOM!!!!!!!!
a 2 minute applause!
HE WAS STILL HOLDING THE FREEZE!!!!!!!!!!
*turns my body to walk to the bar area to get a water and then….
go to 8:24
that was the picture perfect zoom of
turning my body from the stage to say excuse me to the guy standing right behind me to go to the bar.
except it was puff.
and he watched EVERY moment of my cheering mos on.
puff was 14 deep.
i literally said to myself “my god im about to get mo betta’d up in the alleyway”
