#DaFiveFingerDiscount: Libretto – Captain Crook Snatchin’ Crumbs and All [Album Preview]

Really excited to share the latest edition of #DaFiveFingerDiscount! Before you go ahead and cop Libretto’s new album (which you should), we asked Libretto to give us a behind-the-scenes look at 5 of the new songs. We featured an EP from Libretto back in 2014 and it is great to see him releasing music again.

1) “A Loan” is a special song to me due to the fact it was created at a very crucial point in my life…. The music alone is another divine creation by Rev. Shines and Sedell Jones, the same producers who produced the first 12″ off this album “Ride to Dat” Feat. Guilty Simpson. And the vocals on this song were recorded in Watts CA. In my dude Rare S’s crib…. My comrade Poodie-Wacc was present at the session who is now resting with the ancestors, Mi$$ Viccey (RIP) and Nicco as well who was killed a few days after this session and Dcokah who is featured on this song was shot in the face with an AK-47 the same night Nicco was killed. This was his last recording before had to have reconstructive jaw surgery…. since then hasnt had the same voice. When my dude Dcokah was writing the chorus we never thought that it would be so… “real” if y ou will…. the title and meaning takes on a whole new meaning now.

2) “Good For Me” was a joint that I actually co-produced with Tony Ozier. It started out as a chopped sample that I flipped on the ASR-X. I gave it to Tony and he went HAM on it! Ha ha… turned it into a masterpiece. The reason this song is so special to me is because my man Vursatyl of Lifesavas wrote the chorus and came up with the melody, and we ended getting Barry Hampton (RIP) to get on it and Michael “Beatzilla” Whitmore to polish it off…and its actually the first song that Vursatyl and myself actually did together by ourselves.

3) “The City” was a beat that I had been sitting on for years… It was originally supposed to feature the Lifesavas. It was produced by a good friend of mines Huze He?! When I made bail in the Feds and got out on home confinement. I relocated from The Bronx to Philly with family members.

While I was in Philly, I was introduced to Aul Purpis and Fat Nice from the group “84” through Vurstayl. Purp and I immediately hit it off and began hangin out vibing, chilling and creating. I had my equipment sent in from Portland, Oregon and began recording… “The City” was one of many songs that Purp and I created during that time…. it came out so dope and epic I had to put it on the album.

4) “Boosterz”…. very personal song right here as well. Jumbo of Lifesavas produced this track and I recorded like 2 songs to it that I didnt like… I had the music since the early 2000’s….The actual concept was inspired by my daughters mothers fam… they all were boosterz and use to make a living out of the lifestyle for as long as I can remember. So I was always around them… and just wanted to acknowledge that hustle just like selling drugs or taking scores…Any how, on the music side of things, Harold “Scrap” Fretty producer of Tupacs “Only God Can Judge Me” wrote the bassline and played it and my sister Angela Davis played the piano. Vocally, I had Lady Bug Mecca all in for the feature and something happen with her situation and management that it wasnt able to happen…. hurt me big time tho! She heard it and was writing to it and hit me back like I cant do it…smh.

So, I got my homegirl Mi$$ Viccy (RIP) to get on it, and she bodied it! I love her verse on that song…. my dude Wolveryne came through on the chorus and it just became one my all time favorite joints! One of the few times where Wolveryne and Jumbo has collaborated on the same song.

5) “Take Time”. This one is really close to me as well…. due to the fact that I had dropped “ILL-oet…The Last Element” on Dim Mak Records in 2004 and it was now 2008 and I still hadnt dropped a follow up. My father had passed in 2004 which was why I was in hiatus as far as recording music and I was really “taking time” off from music and dealing with my own personal feeling and emotions about life in general. So when my A-Alike Rev.Shines of the Lifesavas gave me a tape of the music… I went in on it and just let it all out. We added the cutz at the end with Rakim Allah on the chorus…and the rest his Our-story.