City of Hustlers

Infamous Syndicate were a female duo from Chicago, and released their sole album, Changing The Game in 1999. I think they had some commercial success with the single 'Jenny Jonez', but I'm much too young to have had any awareness of that. There most notable these days for being the starting place of Rashawnna "Shawnna" Guy, who of course is one of my favourite MC's (see below), but her partner, Lateefa "Teefa" Harland is also doing good stuff these days, albeit on a smaller level.

I picked up the album in Amoeba Records, Haight Street, San Francisco last time i was out there, two years ago. I wish to god i had been more on the ball and just bought every female album i could find, but i didn't sadly. I knew of Infamous Syndicate though, and was pretty excited when i found it.

The album's a mixed bag, with some of the tracks sounding just too insubstantial and/or generic late 90's for me. But actually, about half the album keeps an impressive standard up. The opening "Here I Go" is biting, laced, as with tracks on Shawnna's solo albums, with some Buddy Guy guitar. The MC's voices make a nice contrast, with Teefa's higer girlish tone next to Shawnna's familiarly deep and raw one. Top of the pile are:

Infamous Syndicate - What You Do To Me (feat. Kanye West)

Yes, Kanye West in 1999! Ahead of the curve. He produces this track, and it's beautiful, a bittersweet trilling guitar, and soft waves of electric piano. It features Teefa and Kanye alone, exchanging battle of the sexes rhymes on the theme of illicit relations. Exciting! I don't much care for Kanye on this - His style has matured in the years since it was made, and there's an uncomfortable misogynistic edge to his lines (though obviously not as bad as some). But Teefa is one hand to cut him down to size on the third verse, cutting him off like so:

I knew since the day i met you if i would fuck you or not
so later on i asked my girl how many bitches you got
i never loved you a lot
but then this nigga got turned out
he told his boy, they told his boy and now the words out
...
I swear y'all, better keep the game on 'em
yeah, y'all, now watch me change on him
rule 1: never tell your nigga who you fuck
and always smile back if he tell you he in love
rule 2: most men try to control you
take my advice cos it's so true what women go through
rule 3: you think he don't cheat and he committed
he still get invitations from the last girl he been with
let this ho get mad i bet she'll tell you that he hit it
Just check inside his pocket's find another bitches digits...

Infamous Syndicate - It's Alright

This one has both the girls and the kinda of blissed out summery beat that's a joy to listen to. No more to say.

BONUS!!!!

Check out this remix of Shawnna's 'Gettin' Some Head', featuring Teefa, an Infamous Syndicate reuinion

Shawnna - Gettin' Some Head (Remix feat. Teefa)

and to see what Teefa's doing now(ish), check out this track from a couple years back, produced by Vudu. I love this track, she's witty as a mother on this

Teefa - Jangalang

check out Teefa's website, it's got some wicked tracks off her new album, which i will be buying SOON and reporting back on



Buy Changing The Game from www.amazon.co.uk