Roxanne’s Revenge: Roxanne Shanté – 1984
Hey, y’all! ceetay here! Okay, let’s cut to my lame excuse. I had to move
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Wassup! ceetay here! Doc Brown to your Marty McFly is not only in the house, I’m also on the control panel getting us ready for our next trip. Which year are we heading to? Think of a time after school seeing Prince Adam hit by the power of Grayskull and turning into He-Man. When Reagan was so infatuated with Star Wars, he named his nuclear weapons defense system two months before Return of The Jedi opened in theaters. Yet, no one could defend themselves from crazed parents snatching Cabbage Patch Dolls off store shelves. That’s right! Put on your Jellies. We’re going back to 1983.
Uh, just a heads up. When you hear The Police’s Every Breath You Take, and you’ll hear it constantly, the main point of the song was about being a stalker, not eulogizing a loved one. Okay. Seatbelt on? Look, I get it. Our routine voyage isn’t as monumental as Challenger’s first space shuttle launch was, but we still need to follow strict safety protocols.
Now hit the play button.
When sounds of bombs exploded from my radio, four times to be exact, I instantly knew which record was coming next on Mr. Magic’s Rap Attack. This was one of the few jams I remembered more as an instrumental. It’s Your Rock by Fantasy 3 has been imprinted on my mind to this day. It was also the first jam I ever heard blasting out of the speakers from the nearby Junior High School one hot Summer night. The beats echoed so loud I almost considered walking over there. I couldn’t chance breaking the eleventh commandment for kids in the 80s: Thou shall not remain outside after the streetlights are on.
The track was similar, yet different from the songs I recorded off the radio. After the bombastic intro came the beat. Then periodic voices dropped in and out like a DJ flipping the volume up and down the crossfader just enough to whet people’s appetite for what would come next. What did come next was out of this world. The sweeping electric chords and the high pitched twinkling synthesized keys felt as if I was flying up to space. Yet, the sound wasn’t as overt as a Twilight 22, Soul Sonic Force or Captain Rock record.
The image of my hand slapping my forehead came to me years after I finally knew Fantasy 3 made this jam. Of course, It’s Your Rock sounded futuristic! It was the essence of what they were going for. Ay yo! Don’t come for me. I didn’t even know there was a vocal version until many years later. The instrumental was all I heard on the radio, which brings me to another thing I didn’t know at the time.
I wasn’t aware that The Crash Crew’s On The Radio bit It’s Your Rock. To me, both songs didn’t, and they still don’t, sound the same. The way the melody played on those tracks felt different. Fantasy 3’s track felt like I was taken to another world. Whereas The Crash Crew’s record was more grounded. Maybe that was why On The Radio was more commercially successful. Crash Crew’s lyrics were more relatable and their vocals were actually played on the radio, which I believe gave them the advantage. The jam blew up to the point where most rap artists craved like a job promotion. It was as if the song had a self fulfilling prophecy. On The Radio was on the radio spinning on heavy rotation. I usually caught hearing it at least once a day on 98.7 KISS-FM.
Personally, I love both records for different reasons. The younger 1983 me, appealed more to The Crash Crew’s rhymes and their harmonizing. But, again, I had no idea I had to compare On The Radio with anything else. I just enjoyed listening to it. The 1983 me also loved It’s Your Rock whenever I heard it during Mr. Magic’s radio show.
The present 2023 me, after repeatedly listening to It’s Your Rock throughout the years, listening to both vocal and instrumental tracks, the Fantasy 3 joint is much more memorable. I find myself rapping along to Fantasy 3. I’ve done this while listening to On The Radio too, but not as much. The music on It’s Your Rock was more ambitious. It took more chances with sound effects while solidifying the track with a meaty bassline. It’s a shame emcees Silver Fox, Charlie Rock and Larry D haven’t been well known, even back then. I can’t tell you why the vocal version wasn’t played on the radio.
Had I known the name of the group I would’ve bought it on the strength of the instrumental alone. I definitely lost out because the vocal side highlighted Fantasy 3’s infectious harmonies and the instrumental side unearthed the cosmic mixture of Rap and Electric Funk. It tip-toed into Jonzun Crew’s Pac Jam territory without speeding up the tempo.
The combination had made It’s Your Rock one of the best underrated classics to this day. It also differentiated itself from other futuristic sounding tunes like Whodini’s Rap Machine, Grand Master Flash and The Furious Five’s Scorpio and Fearless Four’s F-4000. Although Fantasy 3 didn’t use a vocal modulator, It’s Your Rock had a distinct style that still makes me eager to hear after hearing the first sonic blast from my speakers.
Ready to go back? Heelllooo? Where are… Why are you hiding under the seat cushions? You started listening to It’s Your Rock after watching The Day After? Ooohhh, boooyy. I should’ve warned you about that. It’s gonna be okay. We’re heading back to 2023, which means we still exist! Here, take this. You’ll feel better after watching Michael Jackson’s Thriller on repeat for about an hour.
And we’re back. Feel better now? Yeah, I forgot how bleak that TV movie was. Cold War hysteria seeped through pop culture like kids begging to their parents they wanted their MTV. Case in point: Trouble Funk came out with Drop The Bomb in 1982. That same year the Gap Band had You Dropped The Bomb On Me.
Other than that, I hope, after you’ve had a good night’s sleep, you’ll have a deeper appreciation for Fantasy 3. I’ll drop a few links on the right including It’s Your Rock, Crash Crew’s On The Radio and Fantasy 3’s diss record about The Crash Crew Biters In The City. Then choose which record you like better. Hopefully, that’ll keep you entertained until we meet next time. I’m ceetay, your time travel guide to the old school. Catcha next time! Seeeee Yaaaaa!
In between much needed time travel arrangements, and maintenance, ceetay’s off-time consists of sitcom TV watching, Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream eating and gathering thoughts and information about old school music that have been either forgotten or buried under mountains of predatory corporate copyright claims. If you ever find yourself standing close enough, you might catch ceetay muttering, “If creativity is not allowed to be inspired by its history, culture will inevitably lose its meaning.”
Wassup! ceetay here! Doc Brown to your Marty McFly is not only in the house, I’m also on the control panel getting us ready for our next trip. Which year are we heading to? Think of a time after school seeing Prince Adam hit by the power of Grayskull and turning into He-Man. When Reagan was so infatuated with Star Wars, he named his nuclear weapons defense system two months before Return of The Jedi opened in theaters. Yet, no one could defend themselves from crazed parents snatching Cabbage Patch Dolls off store shelves. That’s right! Put on your Jellies. We’re going back to 1983.
Uh, just a heads up. When you hear The Police’s Every Breath You Take, and you’ll hear it constantly, the main point of the song was about being a stalker, not eulogizing a loved one. Okay. Seatbelt on? Look, I get it. Our routine voyage isn’t as monumental as Challenger’s first space shuttle launch was, but we still need to follow strict safety protocols.
Now hit the play button.
When sounds of bombs exploded from my radio, four times to be exact, I instantly knew which record was coming next on Mr. Magic’s Rap Attack. This was one of the few jams I remembered more as an instrumental. It’s Your Rock by Fantasy 3 has been imprinted on my mind to this day. It was also the first jam I ever heard blasting out of the speakers from the nearby Junior High School one hot Summer night. The beats echoed so loud I almost considered walking over there. I couldn’t chance breaking the eleventh commandment for kids in the 80s: Thou shall not remain outside after the streetlights are on.
The track was similar, yet different from the songs I recorded off the radio. After the bombastic intro came the beat. Then periodic voices dropped in and out like a DJ flipping the volume up and down the crossfader just enough to whet people’s appetite for what would come next. What did come next was out of this world. The sweeping electric chords and the high pitched twinkling synthesized keys felt as if I was flying up to space. Yet, the sound wasn’t as overt as a Twilight 22, Soul Sonic Force or Captain Rock record.
The image of my hand slapping my forehead came to me years after I finally knew Fantasy 3 made this jam. Of course, It’s Your Rock sounded futuristic! It was the essence of what they were going for. Ay yo! Don’t come for me. I didn’t even know there was a vocal version until many years later. The instrumental was all I heard on the radio, which brings me to another thing I didn’t know at the time.
I wasn’t aware that The Crash Crew’s On The Radio bit It’s Your Rock. To me, both songs didn’t, and they still don’t, sound the same. The way the melody played on those tracks felt different. Fantasy 3’s track felt like I was taken to another world. Whereas The Crash Crew’s record was more grounded. Maybe that was why On The Radio was more commercially successful. Crash Crew’s lyrics were more relatable and their vocals were actually played on the radio, which I believe gave them the advantage. The jam blew up to the point where most rap artists craved like a job promotion. It was as if the song had a self fulfilling prophecy. On The Radio was on the radio spinning on heavy rotation. I usually caught hearing it at least once a day on 98.7 KISS-FM.
Personally, I love both records for different reasons. The younger 1983 me, appealed more to The Crash Crew’s rhymes and their harmonizing. But, again, I had no idea I had to compare On The Radio with anything else. I just enjoyed listening to it. The 1983 me also loved It’s Your Rock whenever I heard it during Mr. Magic’s radio show.
The present 2023 me, after repeatedly listening to It’s Your Rock throughout the years, listening to both vocal and instrumental tracks, the Fantasy 3 joint is much more memorable. I find myself rapping along to Fantasy 3. I’ve done this while listening to On The Radio too, but not as much. The music on It’s Your Rock was more ambitious. It took more chances with sound effects while solidifying the track with a meaty bassline. It’s a shame emcees Silver Fox, Charlie Rock and Larry D haven’t been well known, even back then. I can’t tell you why the vocal version wasn’t played on the radio.
Had I known the name of the group I would’ve bought it on the strength of the instrumental alone. I definitely lost out because the vocal side highlighted Fantasy 3’s infectious harmonies and the instrumental side unearthed the cosmic mixture of Rap and Electric Funk. It tip-toed into Jonzun Crew’s Pac Jam territory without speeding up the tempo.
The combination had made It’s Your Rock one of the best underrated classics to this day. It also differentiated itself from other futuristic sounding tunes like Whodini’s Rap Machine, Grand Master Flash and The Furious Five’s Scorpio and Fearless Four’s F-4000. Although Fantasy 3 didn’t use a vocal modulator, It’s Your Rock had a distinct style that still makes me eager to hear after hearing the first sonic blast from my speakers.
Ready to go back? Heelllooo? Where are… Why are you hiding under the seat cushions? You started listening to It’s Your Rock after watching The Day After? Ooohhh, boooyy. I should’ve warned you about that. It’s gonna be okay. We’re heading back to 2023, which means we still exist! Here, take this. You’ll feel better after watching Michael Jackson’s Thriller on repeat for about an hour.
And we’re back. Feel better now? Yeah, I forgot how bleak that TV movie was. Cold War hysteria seeped through pop culture like kids begging to their parents they wanted their MTV. Case in point: Trouble Funk came out with Drop The Bomb in 1982. That same year the Gap Band had You Dropped The Bomb On Me.
Other than that, I hope, after you’ve had a good night’s sleep, you’ll have a deeper appreciation for Fantasy 3. I’ll drop a few links below including It’s Your Rock, Crash Crew’s On The Radio and Fantasy 3’s diss record about The Crash Crew, Biters In The City. Then choose which record you like better. Hopefully, that’ll keep you entertained until we meet next time. I’m ceetay, your time travel guide to the old school. Catcha next time! Seeeee Yaaaaa!
In between much needed time travel arrangements, and maintenance, ceetay’s off-time consists of sitcom TV watching, Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream eating and gathering thoughts and information about old school music that have been either forgotten or buried under mountains of predatory corporate copyright claims. If you ever find yourself standing close enough, you might catch ceetay muttering, “If creativity is not allowed to be inspired by its history, culture will inevitably lose its meaning.”
Hey, y’all! ceetay here! Okay, let’s cut to my lame excuse. I had to move
Wassup! ceetay here, the Doc Brown to your Marty McFly. Okay, I’ll just cut to