All The King’s Horses – Nobody Knows Where The Red Fern Grows
(tape, 1993)
All The King’s Horses consisted of James Excel, Square Root, and Scrapz aka Vitamin C, and were based in Oakland and Berkeley. Named after the Grover Washington, Jr. LP of the same name, ATKH pioneered a whimsical, cerebral hip-hop style that was rather unique for the Bay Area; they certainly deserved to be as well-known as their peers Hieroglyphics and Mystik Journeymen. I saw ATKH perform a few times around the East Bay; they had a dope live show and very professional-sounding production by comparison to other local acts. Alas, the group was not long for the world. Jimmy (Excel) would affiliate with the Bay Area Art Collective, and Elam (Square Root) with the revered B.U.M. Tribe. There may well be more unreleased music from this era, but the crew never made another “official” release.
I have been searching for a rip of this tape forever and it is well worth the wait. It totally lives up to the hype that existed my memory banks for so long. “Picking Plums” could’ve been a great single and “Hot Bowl Of Grits” could’ve been a mixshow classic. If you’re into this style I recommend downloading it – you’ve got the crew’s blessing.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/wnlmmc
big shout out to the folks at ghetto tyylit for the rip, Jibs for the h/t, and of course Elam Jimmy and Scrapz.
taperips