MC Shy D - I've Got To Be Tough - The South rears its head in HipHop music
I was recently driving my car in my home town of Ipswich Town here in England.
During this journey, I normally have the car radio on blaring away to my heart's content.
It was then that I heard the track called “Runnin/Brazilian Rhyme” by the group EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE (year of release 1977) make an appearance on the same radio show which made me smile.
I haven’t heard this track in about 10 years via listening to the UK National Radio show.
However, I was lucky that I was listening to a Community Radio station here in Ipswich, called Ipswich Community Radio.
For the life of me, I did not take note of the presenter's name but I liked what I was hearing.
It was then with that same track formerly in my mind the same Radio presenter started playing a few classic Hip Hop Tracks to boot as well from the late 1980s to early 1990s.
That put me in the mind to search for a Hip-hop Track that I purchased from that period that featured the same Earth, Wind, and Fire track used as a "sample" within the record.
I was determined to find the record in my record collection which I knew that I had that featured a sample of the track that I had previously just heard during my car journey.
As soon as I got home. I looked for the track via the social media platform that is YouTube to see if it existed there. It did. The track in question was called “Got to be Tough” by Mc Shy D.
I then, for good measure decided to check that I had that track in person. It took some time to find it. But sure enough, it was there in the loft area of my house.
I smiled as I remembered buying this from the Record Store that is still based here in Ipswich Town called “Out of Time Records”.
I remember when the track came out in 1986. However, I didn’t buy it when it was available to purchase when it came out the first time. I was lucky to get a copy of the single eventually.
I managed to get hold of a copy of this single; 7 months after the release date via the out-of-time records store.
They managed to have just one copy left of the single in the store which I quickly snapped up.
The rapper who went by the stage name Mc Shy D was born in the area of New York City called the Bronx. His real name is Peter T Jones. However, he was raised in Atlanta, Florida.
It seems as if his start in the music industry started with these two singles.
“Rap will never die” (that uses the “Pink Panther Beat/sample used”) and “Shy D is back"( that uses the Sanford and Sons” beat/sample).
These singles didn’t seem to appeal to the local rap audience of the time. However, Mc Shy D hit gold with his next release – “I've Gotta Be Tough”.
I am sure this was a big underground club hit within the USA at the time.
However, here in the UK via the Underground clubs/Underground dance venus this was a huge hit for the hip hop fan and just flew out of the records stores.
The track also featured many mixtape/s and vinyl record complications at the time as well.
The label on which the song was released was called Luke Skywalker Records (a Miami-based record label that was run by Luke Campbell a former member of the 2 live Crew team) who helped to produce musically this single that allowed Mc Shy D to “rap” with “attitude” over the music.
However, the label that was known as LUKE SKYWALKER RECORDS was changed to LUKE RECORDS due to fair use laws.
Campbell shortened the name to Luke records (a result of George Lucas's successful lawsuit for Campbell using the name "Skywalker" within the label's name).
That “Attitude" that I am referring to is similar to the school of rapping preferred by LL COOL JAY and Run DMC at the time.
The single and the subsequence album also called “Gotta be tough” was recorded in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. But it doesn’t have a Florida-type rap flavor to it at all.
Or even come to think of it a “Southern Hip Hop feel” to it.
In fact, it “feels” like it has a New York Hip Hop edge to it more than anything else.
It was one of the biggest hits of the year in regards to hip-hop music for the year 1986 that's for sure.
The chorus will make you hum it for the rest of the day as soon as you hear it.
Also, there is a nice passage within it that Mc Shy D’s rap lays down that gives credit to RUN DMC that just makes you smile when you hear it.
Here are the words to the "RAPP Lyrics" and the Youtube Video to the song below.
Mc Shy D - I've Got To Be Tough - 1986
[Intro dialogue]
Everything I say, you know is rough
I'm MC Shy D and I gotta be tough
[Hook]
"Bada-bop-bop-bop-bop-bop" "Action!"
"Bada-bop-bop-bop" "Action!"
"Bada-bop-bop-bah" "Action!"
"Bodya-bodya-bodyadiyadiyadiyadiya"
"Bada-bop-bop-bah" "Action!"
[Verse 1]
Yo yo yo yo yo
You know I came to the place to give you a lesson
To let you know that I'm not fessin'
I'm a certified rapper and my name is Shy D
I'm capable of taking out any MC
I'm back and not crackin' with the word that I say
All you soft MC's need to step out my way
Don't try me or deny me 'cause I'm number one
And when I rap on the mic, I get the job done
'Cause everything I say, you know it's rough
I'm MC Shy D and I gotta be tough
Everybody sing this song...
[Hook]
"Bada-bop-bop-bop-bop-bop" "Action!"
"Bada-bop-bop-bop" "Action!"
"Bada-bop-bop-bah" "Action!"
"Bodya-bodya-bodyadiyadiyadiyadiya"
"Bada-bop-bop-bah" "Action!"
[Verse 3]
You know I gotta be tough 'cause there's a lot of competition
So I drink milk 'cause that's my nutrition
When it's time to rock, I rock on top
But I do not sing 'cause I'm running down rough
And when I'm on the microphone I will take all the credit
I'm down with Man, so don't you never forget it
He's my mellow, my man, my pal, my ice
You wanna battle ice; you know you better think twice
'Cause we're on our way to be number one
But we don't rock the house free, we do it for fun
'Cause the time is now, the price is right
So all y'all ducks don't get uptight
'Cause I know it's real hard how you step in my face
But you know it's hard to keep up the pace
You gotta be like me, MC Shy D
And be capable of taking out any MC
'Cause I break your back, put you out of whack
So don't try to battle, that's a fact
I'm not for a game, I get the job done
That's why they call me 'Super Rapper Number One'
And everything I say, you know it's rough
I'm Shy D and I've gotta be tough
Now everybody sing this song...
[Hook]
"Bada-bop-bop-bop-bop-bop" "Action!"
"Bada-bop-bop-bop" "Action!"
"Bada-bop-bop-bah" "Action!"
"Bodya-bodya-bodyadiyadiyadiyadiya"
"Bada-bop-bop-bah" "Action!"
[Verse 4]
Yo...
When I'm on the microphone you know I'm the aggressor
I can even rock harder when I'm under pressure
MC's talk crap, but I know they fear me
'Cause I'm devastated that they can't get near me
You could try to play big like you have no fear
But when I grab a mic, you better beware
You try to play fly; you think you're a leader
And I know you didn't know that I'm a MC defeater
You can even call me Peter; you can call me Shy D
My favorite group is Run-DMC
'Cause they're the King of Rock, there is none higher
They will always rock hard 'til the day they retire
To burn their kingdom, you must use fire
It's Run-DMC that I admire
It's like that, and you will hear it from me
I'm talking to all you sucker MC's
I'm the S, the H, the Y, the D
You wanna battle me, you better bring three
'Cause one is not enough, you can even bring two
Bring three, four, five, 'cause you're gonna need a crew
'Cause everything I say, you know it's rough
I'm MC Shy D and I got to be tough
Ah check it out...breakdown!
[Hook]
"Bada-bop-bop-bop-bop-bop" "Action!"
"Bada-bop-bop-bop-bop-bop" "Action!"
"Bada-bop-bop-bop-bop-bop" "Action!"
"Bada-bop-bop-bop-bop-bop" "Action!"
"Bada-bop-bop-bop" "Action!"
"Bada-bop-bop-bah" "Action!"
"Bodya-bodya-bodyadiyadiyadiyadiya"
"Bada-bop-bop-bah" "Action!"
Yo, let's kick this funky beat!
[Hook]
"Bada-bop-bop-bop-bop-bop" "Action!"
"Bada-bop-bop-bop" "Action!"
"Bada-bop-bop-bah" "Action!"
"Bodya-bodya-bodyadiyadiyadiyadiya"
"Bada-bop-bop-bah" "Action!"
Yo, DJ Man, I'm breaking out 'cause my throat is sore
Tell me what you think of that, homeboy
*scratching* "That was fresh!"
|
I've Gotta Be Tough (Vocal) |
5:36 |
|
I've Gotta Be Tough (Instrumental) |
5:36 |
|
We Don't Play (Vocal) |
5:26 |
|
We Don't Play (Instrumental) |
5:26 |
The track contains elements:
- The track contains elements from Brazilian Rhyme (Beijo Interlude)" by Earth, Wind, and Fire (1977)
As I mentioned it was huge when it was released in 1986 in the Uk that's for sure.
Many fans of Southern-style Hip Hop music state that this was the song that made the Hip Hop nation sit up and take notice of songs coming out of the "SOUTH" (USA).
It certainly did that for me...
Are you a rap music fan? Can you remember this song coming in the year 1986, and you were from Atlanta (USA) at the time? If you got back to us and tell us what effect it had on the area.
In my book, it is a true classic hip-hop track that still sounds good today...
Well, that's all folks for me now anyway.
Please
Dj Mistri and the Electric Soul Show © www.electricsoulshow.com
