My Vinyl Weighs a Ton

by Peanut Butter Wolf

Overview

Digger of crates, master of tracks, Peanut Butter Wolf has an influences list that stretches into the hundreds (nearly all of them are actually listed in the credits, broken down by year) and a working knowledge of beats and samples that must number in the thousands. There aren't quite that many on his first production album, but he winnowed it down to a cool 75 or 100 to create one of the grooviest, funkiest underground records of the '90s. Unlike fellow NoCal mixer/producer DJ Shadow, PBW has plenty of space for collaborations, with nearly a dozen different rappers stopping by, along with nearly every top turntablist of the era: Babu, Q-Bert, Rob Swift, Cut Chemist, Kid Koala, Z-Trip, Shortkut, and A-Trak (granted, quite a few of them all show up for one gigantic posse track, "Tale of Five Cities"). My Vinyl Weighs a Ton boasts deep beats and choice samples, all of them working brilliantly together, and enough great cutting to keep each track raw and full of energy. Obviously learning a few lessons about sequencing and pacing from classic mixtapes (of his and of others), PBW sprinkles the rappers throughout this record and only recruits the best. Vocal highlights come with Planet Asia's mid-tempo grind "In Your Area," Pablo's feature on "Rock Unorthodox," and a two-part soundclash for the excellent Lootpack crew on "Styles Crew Flows Beats." He name-checked Wild Man Fischer along with Erick & Parrish; got recommendations from rare-groove heroes like Reuben Wilson, Galt MacDermot, and Fred Wesley; and delivered an excellent record that offered just as much to fans of rare grooves, great rappers, and deft DJs. ~ John Bush

Product Details

Release Date:	02/22/1999
Label:	Stones Throw
UPC:	0659457201715
Rank:	6618

Tracks

1. In Your Area
2. Styles Crew Flow Beats
3. Casio
4. Hold Up
5. The Everling
6. Rock Unorthodox
7. Necromancin'
8. Breaks Em Down
9. Tales of Five Cities
10. Definition of Ill
11. Theme From a Peanut Butter Wolf
12. Run the Line Rasco
13. Phonies
14. Mobbin'

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Peanut Butter Wolf   Primary Artist,Bass,Kazoo
Shortkut   Featured Artist
J Rocc   Featured Artist
Rasco   Featured Artist
DJ Hands   Featured Artist
DJ Design   Featured Artist
A-Trak   Featured Artist
Zest   Featured Artist
DJ Babu   Featured Artist
DJ Total Eclipse   Featured Artist
Z-Trip   Featured Artist
Kid Koala   Turntables,Featured Artist
Cut Chemist   Turntables,Featured Artist
Lootpack   Featured Artist
Rob Swift   Featured Artist
Planet Asia   Vocals,Featured Artist
Rhettmatic   Featured Artist
DJ Q-Bert   Turntables
Dave Dub   Featured Artist
The Quest   Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Peanut Butter Wolf   Cut,Beats,Mixing,Writer,Producer
Otis Jackson, Jr.   Composer
Madlib   Additional Production
Rasco   Rhymes,Performer
J. Brown   Composer
DJ Babu   Cut,Performer
Z-Trip   Cut
Kid Koala   Cut
Cut Chemist   Cut
Lootpack   Performer
Rob Swift   Performer
C.E. Hicks   Composer
J. Green   Composer
Jeff Carlson   Composer