Favorite rapper The Mighty Ha has brought me back to blogging. (Though most likely a one-off)
Chadio has been active on Instagram sharing many audio goodies including tracks from their unfinished second album Madagascar. Highlighting this one because it's heavy on Ha toasting, and declaring many times over his love of buttocks.
"give em what they want, this is what they lookin' for"
Chadio, Yogi, The Mighty Ha
Favorite Rappers returns with a wild card, and I want to take a moment to remind readers that this is NOT a best rappers list, but a chronicle of rappers I’ve enjoyed listening to over the years. OK, enough plea copping, back to the program.
The Mighty Ha...MC or hype man?
This is one entry that is based more on presence than skill. Even his presence on CRU’s debut, Da Dirty 30 would be called into question by many. A number of people found him annoying at worst, tolerable at best. Personally, I loved every moment he appeared on the album.
Most of us were introduced to CRU in 1997; with their debut single Just Another Case, a favorite in NYC that received heavy rotation from Funkmaster Flex. Though Ha didn’t appear on the aforementioned track, his presence was felt on the b-side, Pronto. The intro to this track has Ha and a female vocalist doing an interpolation of Dennis Edwards’ “Don’t Look Any Further”. I believe Questlove once compared Ha to a cross between the Cookie Monster, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Ha as we know him may not have come into existence if Big Baby Jesus doesn’t release a classic album with his cousins and friends, but I still appreciate what he brought to their debut release.
CRU was often criticized for not being the most gifted MCs, but what I liked about the group was the way they put tracks together. Knowing that there was a possibility of Ha annoying listeners if used too often, they limited his mic time. He mostly earned his pay by providing hooks on tracks (“the one who brings the hooks with the rugged and the raw”), and often he could be heard in the background of tracks, his ramblings looped to accompany the beat and samples. Ha was also allowed to drop verses on a few tracks. Usually limited to about 8 bars or a simple back and forth with either Yogi or Chad, his limited time was used to great effect. You can’t tell me that his 2 eight bar verses on That Shit can’t stand up to the likes of say, U-God on Protect Ya Neck. I would even go as far as saying that Ha’s verse on Live at the Tunnel was dope. His solo track Lisa Lipps…well…as I mentioned earlier about Ha in general, you probably either hate it or tolerate it. I’m gonna play the kid from De La Soul is Dead and say “I kinda like it”
At some point during the recording of their second album, CRU parted ways. Chadio recently released a solo album, Yogi is still down with Diddy, and I believe Ha somewhere still lifting weights or something. If he’s ever ready to get back on the mic, I’m always down to hear more raps about blunts, bakees, lickin’ shots, buttocks, porn stars, chickenheads and the like.
