In the early eighties Per Tjernberg visited New York several times. It was the beginning of the whole Hip Hop movement: – “The Message” was spread by Grandmaster Flash through ghettoblasters everywhere, young kids doing break dance was the most exciting street entertainment, and graffiti was producing its first great artists. Inspired by the emergence of this great new folk art form he returned to Sweden convinced that elements from Hip Hop could successfully be combined with the music he was mostly into at the time, which was African, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian music, and Jazz orientated improvisational stuff. The rap artist seemed to him a modern extension of the West African “Griot” (storyteller, social commentator, history teacher). And the beats were slamming!
A friend told him about this guy from Brooklyn who was doing a little breakdancing and rapping in a Stockholm club. Michael (his last name a constant subject to change) called himself Grandmaster Funk, later shortened to GM Funk, and he soon became involved in the recordings.
The single “Don’t Stop!” was the first Swedish rap record. When released in the states it got quite a lot of attention. Especially flattering was when Afrika Bambaataa asked for a spare copy of the 12” since he had worn his out when DJ-ing.
Dr. John appears on one track.
This edition contains lots of bonus tracks!
01. The Warning
02. Miles Over Pygmyland
03. Lucumi Suite
04. Dont’ Stop!
05. 42nd Street Heartbreak
06. I Walk On Guilded Splinters
07. 2 am Berimbau
08. Funk Off (bonus track)
09. Paying The Price (bonus track)
10. Manhattan Jungle (bonus track)
11. Mondays At The Gate (bonus track)
12. Up For The Downstroke (bonus track)
13. Snowblind (bonus track)
14. Hardcore (bonus track)
Reissued 2003
