The Echo Chamber Blog

"I'm con-fid-aunt with this"

I figured this would be an appropriate time to make a Frankie Riptide post, considering Fro just wrote about The Karate Kid remake and included the Daniel Larusso ass-kicking montage that features “You’re the Best” (for those that don’t know, I’ll explain later in the entry).

Let’s start it like this — Frankie Riptide is like no other.  Unless you’ve ever had the opportunity to see Frankie live or meet him in person, chances are, you probably won’t understand why I think he’s so great.

Ultimately, in his Rhode Island days, I thought Frankie Riptide was hilarious.  Why?  Probably from the combination of Frank’s off-the-top wittiness,  ridiculous vulgarity, and, most of all, ego that couldn’t be fucked with.

For the most part, I knew Frankie Riptide as a battle emcee.  Shortly after his decision to stop battling he moved to Atlanta, and I haven’t heard much from him since then.  But, before that, he was “Rhode Island’s Premier Technician In Defeating Emcees.”  I swear, on the microphone, Riptide used to straight-up embarrass kids—so much so that I can almost say his gigantic ego was justified.  Frankie never thought he lost a battle.  Sure, he took a few losses from judge’s voting against him and/or crowd bias, but, honestly, I never saw anyone – live or on tape — completely serve Frankie Riptide.  He’s one of the best (and one of my favorites) battle emcees to ever pick up the mic.

Unfortunately, after talking up Frankie’s battle skills, I have no way of proving any of this because his best battle footage has all but vanished off of the internet.  Although, I do have is a few free downloads.  But first, a couple random tracks from the kid that aren’t on the DL’s below…

I got a hold of “Off With His Head” courtesy of MC Battle Blog.  It’s not Frank’s best track, but it gives a little more life to my claims of his extremely foul-mouth.  Especially my closing quote.

And here’s “When I’m Drunk,” an offensive-as-usual Frankie Riptide track with Okwerdz over a Jake One beat.

Here’s The Music Is My Bitch, Bitch Mixtape.  I think this mixtape dropped in ’03—when Rhode Island hip-hop was at it’s best, and right about when the battle scene fell off.  The mixtape features Moe Mentum (of Hybrid H), Okwerdz, Chino XL, Apathy, and 8th Wundah.  Frank’s single, “Best Around,” in which 8th Wundah samples the chorus of Joe Esposito’s “You’re the Best” (featured in The Karate Kid), is on this mixtape.

Uptop Game came out a year or two later.  This is more of an album by Frank because it has all original production.  It features Moe Mentum, Okwerdz, Sean Price, and 8th Wundah (who produces almost all twenty tracks).

MonstarMusik came out after he moved to Atlanta.  It’s only four songs…and it’s not exactly the same Frankie Riptide, more like the Dirty South transformation of himself.  But fuck it.  Last time I heard from him I’m pretty sure he said “Big Bidness” was actually getting spins on the radio.  I apologize in advance for the quality of the upload.

So, I hope you enjoy the downloads.

I have a few questions before I go, though:

1.) Who the fuck has all the Mic-Wars and Unity footage of Frankie?  And, more importantly, why aren’t they making it available?
2.) Question #1 also goes out to the people with Frankie Riptide footage from Boston’s Superbowl Battle, his three weeks on 106 & Park‘s Freestyle Friday, and any other battle he was in.
3.) Why did Brainstorm Battle 4 never get released on DVD?
4.) Who did Frankie battle in Scribble Jam, and why has that footage never surfaced?

Your feedback on the downloads, answers to my questions, and any stories about Frank Ripple would be greatly appreciated.

By the way, if any of the links expire, which I’m sure they will, don’t hesitate to ask me for a re-up.

Peace.

“Eat a dick, bitch.”