Rescued From The Fire: Jon Kirby
An ongoing series in which we ask artists the record they’d risk life and limb to save from a burning inferno
At least, that’s the traditional model. This time however, we are doing something just a tad bit different. We ran an article the other week on CDBaby and the future of private press albums, and in response the North Carolina-residing Jonathan Kirby of Numero Group threw in a couple cents about two digital gems from the CDBaby site he would be sure to rescue from a hard drive lodged in the embers.
For the purists out there, rest assured, we will return to our traditional "physical" format. So, with Mr. Kirby providing the narrative, here goes nothing...
Resume - Request For Hire (T. Sound Pro, 2008)
Every night is Open Mic Night at CDBaby. After writing an article for Wax Poetics (Issue #40) on the Winston-Salem, North Carolina electro-soul/occasional-rap progenitors, Resume, the group was inspired to generate a few CD-Rs (shout out to clip-art), and sell them. Where else? CD Baby. I don't know how many copies of "Request for Hire" have moved, but, needless to say, they have my blessing. Which brings me to...
Grande Gato aka J.O.T. aka Supaflyy Preest - Limpiar Palabras (J.O.T. Productions, 2011)
At Brooklyn's detested vinyl mortuary, The Thing, I found a Carolina Rap curiosity that, judging by the note on the dust jacket, had slipped through the indifferent fingers of BET's Big Tigger some years ago. The clues on the label led me to Winston-Salem's Grande Gato aka JOT aka Supaflyy Preest, who has put out roughly 9 million lo-fidelity rap albums over the course of the decade. For those who love Jesus and weed in equal measure, this is the Hombre. Once, in the parking lot of Borders on Stratford Road, he showed me footage of his local news appearance (morning edition, natch).
In true CDBaby fashion, it had been recorded on his Blackberry. That’s what's up. Aspiring superstars would be amiss to use my tastes as guidelines for sure-fire fame as there are more Resumes and Supflyy Preests in my record collection than Bar-Kays and Jay-Zs. CDBaby offers a valuable platform for industry anybodies wanting to sell their products in what has become an inconsistent and unpredictable market. It’s like a socialist iTunes; they don’t play favorites, just 30 second sound clips of everybody who wishes to sell their music. That could be me one day. It's comforting to know my music will have a home. I like it. Go 'head, CDBaby.
[Ed. Note: After the publication of this piece, Kirby wrote us in dismay that he was the first person to write a Rescued From The Fire feature on a digital artifact. He wants to make it known to the world at large that he is, first and foremost, a vinyl collector. This is what he said...]
"How ironic that I, of all people, would make you deviate from the vinyl format! Also, it's worth mentioning that I own both these records and would save both from any given fire. Ironically as well, 'Carolina Street HEAT (fire?!) Volume One (he's on five) by J.O.T. aka the Supaflyy Preest contains the greats "2nd/3rd verse, same as the first" rap track since A Tribe Called Quest's "Sucka Nigga". Please indulge... Ladies and gentlemen, "20 Dub Saxx" by J.O.T. aka the Supaflyy Preest... only 100 made... and I have TWO. One's SEALED - that's the one that gets saved from the fire. The other I will gladly sacrifice to the fire gods because it's Christian. But would fire gods technically be pagan? This message was edited using vodka, hockey and teh MLA style book."
