60 Raw Ones (Re-Issue) by Mac McRaw - Album Review

 

60 Raw Ones

By

Mac McRaw

Album Review

 

The EMU SP-1200 has provided Hip Hop producers with a staple diet of beats that have become what is the classic Hip Hop sound. In fact, you could go so far as to say that the short 10 second beats that are produced by the SP-1200 are the core of the true Hip Hop sound.

60 Raw Ones is a mixtape style release from respected UK DJ, producer and crate digger, Mac McRaw who has had a long and varied career to date. He started his DJ career in 1986 following initial years from 1984 as a B-Boy. In 1990 he produced the highly sought after and first South Coast Hip Hop 12” single, The Struggle Continues/Back to Basics by Severe Carnage. 1993 saw him living in Oakland California where he was first introduced to the EMU SP-1200. During this time Del the Funky Homosapien in Europe and had lent his own SP 1200 to friend and through this friend Mac McRaw would learn the craft of the SP1200. Later in 93 he would return to the UK and acquire his own SP-1200. In 2000 he would start the first Hip Hop label to exclusively release 7” only singles. In 2010 he put together the Vinyl Veterans DJ crew, which includes such names as DJ Format, Oxygen, Soundsci, Daily Diggers, Rob Life and many more. Two years later he would team with fellow crate digger and Hip Hop artwork supremo Mr Krum to form Cold Rock Stuff Records. During all this time Mac McRaw would continue to DJ on the Brighton Hip Hop scene and support such acts as Kool Herc, Ultramagnetic MC’s, Big Daddy Kane, Jazzy Jeff, Cash Money, Schoolly D and more.

What Mac McRaw has done with 60 Raw Ones is to take 60 raw beats, those 10 second raw sounds, that have come straight from his SP-1200 between 1993 and 2020. He has then added some movie dialog originally intended for a mixtape in 1990, some lyric samples, minimal scratches and a dusting of drops from some of the cream of Hip Hop DJ, Producers and Emcees, all flowing along between 84 to 120bpm.

Released on digital and classic audio cassette by Bristol’s definitive Hip Hop label AE-Productions, 60 Raw Ones consists of two tracks nigh on 30mins each, the initial run has already sold out. In lieu of a possible second run of this instant classic, what exactly does this sound like…

 

Side A features a wicked mix of vibes that range from Head Nod Boom Bap to Funky Jazz with a glass and a half of Golden Era, a nice mix of Guitar, piano, keys and percussion with samples and breaks galore and a pinch of scratching. Add to that drops from Oxygen, Chucky Smash, Breakbeat Lou, Mr Supreme, Mr Walt, J-Zone, Forrest Getum Gump, Kool Kim, Dooley-O and Skeme Richards and you will definitely not stop moving to this one even to flip it over.

Side B draws you in from an initial laid-back vibe building you up to another dope mix of head nod, pounding  and funk fuelled beats mixed with a host of horns, guitar, jazzy keys, samples and even dipping into some big band vibes at times and keeping that sprinkling of scratching to spice it up. Shouts on this side come from DJ Nu-Mark, K-Def, Lewis Parker, U George, Gensu Dean, Johnny Juice, Audessey, Boogie Blind, Danny Dan the Beat Man and Phill Most Chill.

Overall, these two sides bring you the essence what it is to produce music from the SP-1200 and exactly what you can do with those beats. It is almost impossible to pick this apart and describe exactly what you can hear, it’s like a Hip Hop meditative experience that takes you into an altered state where moving and grooving to the beat is both mandatory and optional. It is like a three step experience for each side, you start of just feeling it and knowing you want to feel this, by the 10 minute mark you are into it, at 20 mins you are losing yourself to beat and by the end you are simply a part of it.

There is not one era of music you can pick out from this and you just don’t need to. The flow of each side is impeccable and seamless. It keeps you focused, drawing you into a powerful experience of what is a masterpiece of in tune and on time. 60 Raw Ones is a demonstration of the one true era of real Hip Hop music and what that core essence of that music is to those who grew up and felt that vibe evolve. I truly believe that the ride you get from this release will be different depending on you own personal tastes because what 60 Raw Ones does is to have a vibe that will merge and adapt to the ears of the listener. If you don’t believe me, give it a listen and see for yourself.

This really is a credit to the pedigree of Mac McRaw as a DJ/Producer. To take 60 raw beats and to craft, from that, such a highly listenable end product is just quality. Any one of those individual beats could have made an individual classic track but, here we are treated to an out and out masterclass of production and a fitting tribute to the SP-1200.

60 Raw Ones is released by AE Productions with design by Mr Krum and Logo by Richie Phoe.

Peace, I’m Out

Steve

Buy the Reissue of 60 Raw Ones Here: 

https://www.ae-productions.co.uk/product-page/mac-mcraw-60-raw-ones-cassette