Metal Lungies

“Father Time” is a 1995 single by Canadian rapper Saukrates, released as a 12′ shared with Choclair’s “21 Years.” It’s considered something of a underground classic, getting spin on the Stretch and Bobbito show back in the day and chosen for the first Fat Beats Compilation.

Day’s beat immediately draws you in with a hypnotic piano loop, and an odd mix of snares and hiccupping shakers. Saukrates’ lyrics are that classic 90s underground braggadocio. I love the baseball references in the 2nd verse:

A Valentine’s Day of deadly love, powerful like daddy time
Keep checking your watch
Before I’ve tooken your home plate
I’m Jackie Robinson, you’d better dodge Brooklyn
My mack will never crack
So fuck pussy bunting
I got Mother Nature sucking my dick down to nothing

Robbie at Unkut claims Saukrates is taking shots at the Wu here, but I think he’s just referencing a few Wu lines in tribute (he mentions CREAM for example.)

The chorus consists of Saukrates chanting the following lyrics over and over:

And if the time runs out
Then brother you will get turned out
And if the clock keeps ticking
Then nigga you will lose no doubt

Day also produces the remix, with additional scratching by DJ Grouch. Grouch scratches a few time-related lyrics on the intro and scratches Steve Miller singing, “Time keeps on…” on the chorus. Day beefs up the drums on the remix, with a pretty standard snare/hi-hat/kick pattern that still knocks well. The lyrics are unchanged from the original.

There you have it, a Canadian underground classic. Which version do you prefer, the original or the remix? It saddens me that Krates spends all his time nowadays carrying Redman’s weed as part of Gilla House and being the 3^rd best rapper on their posse cuts, after Red and Icadon.

Download: Saukrates – Father Time

Download: Saukrates – Father Time (Remix)

I don’t like to straight up jack people’s links, so I recommend you head to twelve inchers for the full Choclair/Saukrates 12′, complete with instrumentals. Get it here.