Throwback Jones

Don't Call It A Comeback...

2011-07-25T14:00:00.005-04:00

Ok, maybe you should. It's been a minute since I've thrown an old school gem up on the blog (What can I say? Life happens...), so I'm gonna get back to doing that on the regular. I'm kinda hyped that I got 12 followers, so that serves as a bit of motivation. lol I do take requests, so feel free to do so. Anyway, I'm off to see what I can dig out of my library for y'all. Just hold tight.

Peace...

Black Sheep

2010-01-19T13:31:00.008-05:00

Black Sheep.

Non-Fiction [Mercury Records 1994]

1. Non-Fiction Intro
2. Autobiographical
3. B.B.S.
4. City Lights
5. Do Your Thing
6. E.F.F.E.C.T.
7. Freak Y'all
8. Gotta Get Up
9. Let's Get Crazy
10. Me & My Brother
11.North South East West
12. Peace To The Niggas
13. Summa Tha Time
14. We Boys
15. Who's Next
16. Without A Doubt
17. Non-Fiction Outro

Pete Rock & CL Smooth

2009-09-22T13:28:00.004-04:00

No need for a description here. The classic follow up to Mecca & The Soul Brother. If you dig that early to mid nineties boom bap with heavy handed sampling of jazz breaks, then this should be a cornerstone in your collection. If it's not (WTF?) then quit playin' and get it. Pete Rock. CL Smooth. 'Nuff said...

The Main Ingredient [Elektra Records, 1994]

1. In The House
2. Carmel City
3. I Get Physical
4. Sun Won't Come Out
5. I Got A Love
6. Escape
7. The Main Ingredient
8. Worldwide
9. All The Places
10. Tell Me
11. Take You There
12. Searching
13. Check It Out
14. In The Flesh
15. It's On You
16. Get On The Mic

Tash

2009-09-20T14:17:00.006-04:00

Rap Life is an album that boasts a pretty diverse lineup and some really solid production. J-Swift handles about 40% while (then) no names like Minnesota, Rockwilder, Fred Wreck, Sir Jinx and one or two others fill out the rest of the production lineup. The sound jumps back and forth between western funk and eastern thump. The guest lineup is equally diverse with names like Outkast, Raekwon, Kurupt, Carl Thomas and Ice T showing up to give an assist along with the expected names like J-Ro, E-Swift, and Xzibit. The end result is a solid album that showcases Tash at peak form. It's funny, it's lyrical, and it's evident that Tash put a lot of thought into this album. You'll enjoy this one...

Also included is a bonus disc that came with it called Tape Proprietors. It's basically a showcase of the talent on the (now defunct) Loud Records roster. Names like Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, Project Pat, Mobb Deep, dead prez, IGT (who?), Tear The Club Thugs, Big Pun, Beatnuts, and one or two others. You probably have the songs on the disc already, but I threw it in there anyway. Enjoy.

Rap Life [Loud / Columbia Records 1999]

1. Ricochet
2. Cops Skit
3. G's Iz G's feat. Kurupt
4. Pimpin' Ain't Easy
5. Rap Life feat. Raekwon
6. The Game feat. Carl Thomas
7. Game Show Skit
8. Only When I'm Drunker feat. E-Swift, J-Ro & Phillip Johnson
9. Goggles Skit
10. Nightfall
11. Bill Clinton Skit
12. Smokefest 1999 feat. Phil Da Agony, Big Boi & Dre (Outkast) & B-Real
13. Fallin' On
14. Tash Rules feat. LV
15. Ice T Skit feat. Ice T
16. True Homies feat. Phil Da Agony & Xzibit
17. Blackula feat. Tha Alkaholiks
18. Bermuda Triangle

Slum Village

2009-09-17T22:59:00.004-04:00

Fantastic, Vol. 2 is probably the album that turned me on my ear and made me worship J Dilla's production talents. Dude had a way with sounds that I thought (and still think is) out of this world. He hadn't quite perfected his sound on this 2000 release, but it was still light years ahead of anything out at the time. Interesting features from Kurupt, Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip and others makes it all that much sweeter. Baatin (R.I.P.) & T3 held down the lyrics as well. It's mostly a platform for Dilla's beats, if you ask me and the beats here are smooth, laid back and funky. Dig into this one, y'all.

Fantastic Vol. 2 [Barak / Goodvibe Recordings 2000]

1. Intro
2. Conant Gardens
3. I Don't Know feat. DJ Jazzy Jeff
4. Jealousy
5. Climax (Girl Shit)
6. Hold Tight feat. Q-Tip
7. Tell Me feat. D'Angelo
8. What It's All About feat. Busta Rhymes
9. Forth and Back feat. Kurupt
10. Untitled/Fantastic
11. Fall In Love
12. Get Dis Money
13. Raise It Up
14. Once Upon A Time feat. Pete Rock
15. Players
16. Eyes Up
17. 2U4U
18. CB4
19. Go Ladies
20. Thelonius feat. Common [Bonus Track]
21. Fall In Love (The Remix) [Bonus Track]

DJ Muggs

2009-09-15T21:15:00.004-04:00

DJ Muggs is one of the more underrated producers out there. I dusted this album off earlier today and found that he really did top notch work on the boards. He produces, arranges, and composes every track on this album. Muggs enthusiasts probably have this one already, but anyone not familiar with his board work should jump on this one. It even boasts a nice multidimensional lineup from Goodie Mob to MC Eiht to Wyclef. This one is sure to please.

Muggs Presents...The Soul Assassins, Chapter 1 [Columbia Records 1997]

1. The Time Has Come
2. Puppet Master (Dr. Dre & B Real)
3. Decisions, Decisions (Goodie Mob)
4. Third World (RZA & GZA)
5. Battle of 2001 (Cypress Hill)
6. Devil In A Blue Dress (La The Darkman)
7. Heavy Weights (MC Eiht)
8. Move Ahead (KRS-One)
9. It Could Happen To You (Mobb Deep)
10. Life Is Tragic (Infamous Mobb)
11. New York Undercover (Call O' Da Wild)
12. John 3:16 (Wyclef From Refugee Camp)

Five Deez

2009-09-14T12:56:00.004-04:00

Koolmotor is the first album from the Cincinnati, Ohio collective that I ever heard. I'd seen their names before but mostly ignored them. I just got into their material about two weeks ago. I downloaded this album and immediately loved it. I loved it so much that I immediately went and bought all of the Five Deez albums I could find. For those that dig jazzy, laid back material; this one should be right up your alley.

Koolmotor [Counterflow Records 2001]

1. Say Intro
2. Latitude
3. Omni
4. Got Dough
5. Decapitated Orgasms
6. Instruments of the Trade (The Word)
7. Sexual For Elizabeth feat. Shing02
8. Possibly
9. B.E.A.T.
10. Ten
11. Sugar
12. Even
13. Plasma Avenue
14. Afghanistan Dan's Skating Stand

Compton's Most Wanted

2009-09-13T00:34:00.003-04:00

I bought this album as soon as it dropped. I didn't know much about CMW at the time, but I bought the Boyz N The Hood soundtrack a year or two beforehand and that album had a dope CMW track on it. Back then, you could buy blind if the artist was dope. Anyway, I saw the video for "Hood Took Me Under" and immediately decided to purchase it only to find that the video version for that track was a remix. I was let down somewhat, but the rest of the album more than made up for it. dope beats, dope rhymes. It's all here. Eiht was at his best on these early CMW albums (there are two more before this one), so make sure you check out all of them. I'll be posting more later on.

Music To Driveby [Orpheus / Epic Records 1992]

1. Intro
2. Hit The Floor
3. Hood Took Me Under
4. Jack Mode
5. Compton 4 Life
6. 8 Iz Enough
7. Duck Sick II
8. Dead Men Tell No Lies
9. N 2 Deep feat. Mr. Scarface
10. Who's Xxxxing Who?
11. This Is A Gang
12. Hoodrat
13. Niggaz Strugglin'
14. I Gots Ta Get Over
15. U's A Bitch
16. Another Victim
17. Def Wish II
18. Music To Driveby

Juice: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

2009-09-09T15:03:00.005-04:00

The Juice soundtrack is best remember for classic cuts from Naughty By Nature (Uptown anthem), Eric B. & Rakim (Juice - Know The Ledge) and Big Daddy Kane (Nuff Respect), but the lesser known tracks are pretty good too. I forgot all about those tracks until I gave it a spin today, so I figured it was worthy of a blog post (that... and the fact that I haven't posted in so long lol). Anyway, the production is good and there are only one or two throwaway tracks. Enjoy everyone.

Juice: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [MCA Records 1992]

1. Uptown Anthem - Naughty By Nature
2. Juice (Know The Ledge) - Eric B. & Rakim
3. Is It Good To You feat. Tammy Lucas - Teddy Riley
4. Sex, Money & Murder - MC Pooh
5. Nuff' Respect - Big Daddy Kane
6. So You Want To Be A Gangster - Too Short
7. It's Going Down - EPMD
8. Don't Be Afraid - Aaron Hall
9. He's Gamin' On Ya - Salt & Pepa
10. Shoot 'Em Up - Cypress Hill Crew
11. Flipside - Juvenile Committee
12. What Could Be Better Bitch - Son of Bazerk
13. Does Your Man Know About Me - Rahiem
14. People Get Ready (Remix) - The Brand New Heavies featuring N'Dea Davenport

Redman

2009-06-29T12:27:00.005-04:00

It's been a minute since I've made a blog post, so thanks for still checkin' for a dude. Here's another classic album from Redman to hold y'all over. I got a few other posts that need to be edited and submitted, but this should hold y'all until I'm done with those. Enjoy, people.

Muddy Waters [Def Jam Music Group 1996]
1. Intro
2. Iz He 4 Real
3. Rock Da Spot
4. Welcome (Interlude)
5. Case Closed

6. Pick It Up

7. Skit

8. Smoke Buddah

9. Whateva Man

10. Chicken Head Convention [Skit]

11. On Fire

12. Do What Ya Feel

13. The Stick Up [Skit]

14. Creepin'

15. It's Like That (My Big Brother)

16. Da Bump

17. Skit

18. Yesh Yesh Y'all

19. What U Lookin' 4

20. Soopaman Luva 3 Interview [Skit]

21. Soopaman Luva 3

22. Rollin'

23. Da Ill Out

Dilated Peoples

2009-06-27T09:32:00.007-04:00

I'm not alll that into these guys nowadays, but when Dilated Peoples debuted, they had a passion about them that made me look past their flaws. Production is tight thanks to names like Alchemist, JuJu, DJ Premier, Da Beatminerz and ?uestlove adding to already dope production from Evidence and Babu. The rhymes are dope, for the most part, and guest appearances add tremedously to the album. I think you guys will dig this one if you haven't heard it already.

Expansion Team [Capital/EMI Records 2001]

1. Live On Stage
2. Worst Comes To Worst
3. Clockwork
4. Trade Money
5. Heavy Rotation feat. Tha Liks
6. Self Defense
7. Phil Da Agony Interlude
8. Proper Propaganda
9. Dilated Junkies feat. J-Rocc, Rhettmatic, and Melo-D
10. Panic
11. Pay Attention
12. Night Life
13. War
14. Hard Hitters feat. Black Thought
15. Defari Interlude
16. Expansion Team Theme

Boogie Down Productions

2009-06-27T09:11:00.004-04:00

As a young'un, KRS-One was the gold standard for emceein'. Freestyle, writtens, you name it and KRS could do it. He was even a dope DJ and graf artist. When I think of hip hop in the pure form, I think of this guy. Live! Hardcore Worldwide is one of the first live recordings in the genre and I remember diggin' it from day one. The sound quality tolerable for a live show with so much bass. The album was recorded in New York, France, and England and KRS shows you what a real emcee is capable of. Enjoy.

Live Hardcore Worldwide [Jive/Zomba/RCA 1991]

(Live At Cuando, NY, NY)

1. KRS-One Intro
2. Lick A Shot
3. The Eye Opener
4. Jack of Spades
5. My Philosophy
6. Still #1 (Freestyle)
7. Poetry
8. House Nigga's
9. Criminal Minded
10. Jimmy
11. The Bridge Is Over
12. Ya Know the Rules

(Live at S.O.B., NY, NY)

13. Kenny Parker Intro
14. South Bronx
15. Reggae Medley (includes 9mm)
16. Super Hoe

(Live In London)

17. Up To Date
18. Why Is That
19. Stop The Violence

(Live In Paris)

20. Bo Bo Bo
21. Come To The Teacher
22. Breath Control
23. Self Destruction

DFC

2009-06-25T18:17:00.004-04:00

I was diggin' through some CD Singles and came across this joint. I couldn't remember what it sounded like, so I put it on and quickly found out that it's definitely worthy of a blog post. It's only two tracks, and the second track isn't anything special, but the title track is guaranteed dope. Enjoy, folks. Oh, and excuse the crappy art...

Listen (Five Minutes) [Penalty/Big Beat/Power 1997]

1. Listen (Five Minutes)
2. Blaugh

Streets Is Watching

2009-06-25T17:54:00.006-04:00

Streets Is Watching is one of those albums that people just seemed to love when it dropped. Though it was solid, I didn't quite get what the buzz was about. 11 years after its release, it's grown on me a little, so I figured I'd thrown it on here after giving it a spin or two. The lineup is pretty solid, but it's not 100% hip hop; there's some R&B joints sprinkled throughout. The production is solid and even the R&B joints are pretty good.

Streets Is Watching Soundtrack [Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam 1998]

1. It's Alright (Memphis Bleek & Jay-Z)
2. Love For Free (Rell feat. Jay-Z)
3. Only A Customer (Jay-Z)
4. Pimp This Love (Christion)
5. Murdergram (Murder Inc)
6. The Dough (Diamonds In Da Rough)
7. Crazy (Usual Suspects)
8. In My Lifetime (Remix) (Jay-Z)
9. Your Love (Christion feat. Jay-Z)
10. Thugs R Us (DJ Clue feat. Noreaga)
11. My Nigga Hillfigga (M.O.P.)
12. Celebration (Team Roc - Starring Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, Sauce Money, & Wais of The Ranjahz)

Kurtis Blow

2009-06-22T13:45:00.004-04:00

I'm not old enough to remember Kurtis Blow with much clarity, but I do remember when his hits were hitting the airwaves because we used to pop lock to them on our way to school. Fast forward to 2005... I wound up coppin' all of his shit on wax from a flea market/thrift store spot in Montgomery, Alabama for less than $35. Turns out that I remembered a lot more than I thought after giving him a few spins. Either way, I figured it's be cool to get some older rap on the site since the name of it would accurately suggest a strong yearning for old school rap. Here's his second LP. It plays more like an EP, and the beats are your typical 80's styled beats, but it's great for pop locking to if you're still into tha sort of thing. Just don't expect mind blowing lyricism; things hadn't got all that complex in '81, I guess...

Deuce [Mercury Records 1981]

1. Deuce
2. It's Gettin' Hot
3. Getaway
4. Starlite
5. Do The Do
6. Rockin'

Mr. Lif

2009-06-22T11:40:00.003-04:00

I'd didn't get into Lif until about 5 or 6 years after his debut. I used to avoid Def Jux like the plague because I assumed they went out of their way to be different for the sake of different instead of just making good music. Out of curiousity, I checked out Lif on the internet and I was instantly hooked on this EP. I still spin it 7 years later -- in fact, Lif and El-P are the only Jukies I ever loved right off the bat. Everything else takes some warming up to. Production is dope and Lif's flow is unlike anyone elses. Enjoy this one, people...

Emergency Rations [Def Jux 2002]

1. Intro (Missing Person's File) feat. Akrobatik & Brotha PC
2. Jugular Vein
3. Heavy Artillery
4. Home Of The Brave
5. Pull Out Your Cut
6. Get Wise '91 feat. Edan
7. The Unorthodox
8. Phantom feat. EL-P

Steady B

2009-06-20T20:27:00.002-04:00

My first time hearing Steady B was back in the late 80's when his video for "Serious" came on The Box (video jukebox, remember that? lol). I didn't know it at the time, but it was the BDP remix produced by Krs-One. The lyricism was on point and the production was fine, but it was Tat Money on the 1's and 2's that demanded my attention. He killed the last few seconds of that song. He was so good that it compelled me to go and get my dad's turntable and wear out his records. Anyway. I eventually copped the album and was bummed when I found out the remix was nowhere to be found. I quickly tossed the album on the shelf and left it there for years. One day, while looking for albums to trade in, I figured I'd give it a listen to see if it was worth trading in or not. Turns out the album is pretty good. Production is your typical late 80's fare with Steady holding down the entire album on his own. It's not required listening, but I'm glad I gave this one a chance. It's definitely worth holding on to. Oh, and I threw the remix in there for those that haven't heard it. In hindsight, the remix isn't all that different from the original, but I still love it more. I think will.i.am sampled this joint when he did that track on Chrisette Michelle's debut album. Crate junkies probably already knew that though...

Let The Hustlers Play [Jive/RCA Records 1988]

1. Let The Hustlers Play
2. Certified Dope
3. The Undertaker
4. I Got Cha
5. Turn It Loose
6. Ya Know My Rucka
7. Serious
8. Do What You Wanna Do
9. Who's Makin' Ya Dance
10. On The Real Tip
11. Through Thick-N-Thin
Bonus Cut:
12. Serious (BDP Remix)

Missin' Linx

2009-06-20T15:36:00.005-04:00

I don't know a whole lot about Missin' Linx outside of the fact that they're dope. I purchased the second installment of Hip Hop Forever (mixed by Jazzy Jeff -- it's a classic; get it if you haven't already) and there was a track called M.I.A. on it that stood out to me somewhat. Anyway, it turns out that Missin' Linx consisted of Al Tariq, Black Attack, and Problemz. I'd only heard a few underground 12" singles from Black & Problemz, so I wasn't really that familiar, but I already had God Connections, so I copped this on the strength of how dope that album is. The end result is a short (6 tracks, just over 23 minutes) and so-so release comprised of typical Y2K production from the likes of Necro, Alchemist, Adam 12, DJ Emz, and V.I.C. along with some dope lyrics. Though you'll rarely (if ever) hear from these guys again, I'd have to say it's not worth the king's ransom that I see it going for online. It's definitely worth coppin' if you can find it for a nice price, though.

Exhibit A [Stimulated Records 2000]

1. What It Is
2. Ain't Nothin'
3. Hotness feat. JuJu of The Beatnuts
4. Family Ties feat. Freddie Foxxx
5. That's That
6. M.I.A.

Raekwon

2009-05-31T18:40:00.002-04:00

I figured I'd throw this on the blog since a buddy requested it. This joint is what made me a believer in Chef Raekwon. I wasn't really feelin' his style on Enter The 36, but there was simply no way any fan of the Wu could front on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...it was (and still is) simply flawless. As we all know by now, RZA handled the production and Ghostface appears as a "guest star" for what went on to become one of the illest Wu albums ever. Enjoy, people.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... [Loud / RCA 1995]

1. Striving For Perfection
2. Knuckleheadz feat. Ghostface Killah & U-God
3. Knowledge God
4. Criminology feat. Ghostface Killah
5. Incarcerated Scarfaces
6. Rainy Dayz feat. Ghostface Killah & Blue Raspberry
7. Guillotine [Swordz] feat. Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, & GZA
8. Can It All Be So Simple [Remix] feat. Ghostface Killah
9. Shark Niggas [Biters]
10. Ice Water feat. Ghostface Killah & Cappadonna
11. Glaciers of Ice feat. Ghostface Killah, Masta Killah, 60 Second Assassin, & Blue Raspberry
12. Verbal Intercourse feat. Ghostface Killah & Nas
13. Wisdom Body feat. Ghostface Killah
14. Spot Rusherz
15. Ice Cream feat. Ghostface Killah, Method Man, & Cappadonna
16. Wu-Gambinos feat. Ghostface Killah, Method Man, RZA, & Masta Killah
17. Heaven & Hell feat. Ghostface Killah
18. North Star [Jewelz]

Onyx

2009-05-25T13:05:00.006-04:00

When Onyx debuted, I wasn't that big a fan of all the screaming and gimmicks that they brought along with them. In fact, despite diggin' a few of the singles, I thought they were really, really corny. Well, their sophomore effort, which was criminally underrated, answered the question of what they were capable of if they just ditched the gimmicks, went to the lab, and rocked over some tight production. Sure, some of the gimmicks surface here or there, but the overall outcome was nothing short of top notch. Though the first album was a top selling pop smash, this is the album that made official heads recognize skill.

All We Got Iz Us [JMJ/RAL/Def Jam 1995]

1. Life Or Death (Skit)
2. Last Dayz
3. All We Got Iz Us (Evil Streets)
4. Purse Snatchaz
5. Shout
6. I Murder U (Skit)
7. Betta Off Dead
8. Live Niguz
9. Punkmotherfukaz
10. Most Def
11. Act Up (Skit)
12. Getto Mentalitee
13. 2 Wrongs
14. Maintain (Skit)
15. Walk In New York

Little Brother

2009-05-10T11:58:00.006-04:00

I first heard of Little Brother while I was living in Texas (late '02/early '03). The internet was buzzing about them, but I didn't know much about downloading, so I got on Limewire and downloaded like 3 tracks. That's all it took, though, because I was hooked after hearing them. It took me about a month to download the entire album (lol) due to a crappy connection and not much availability but, when I did get the whole thing, the CD stayed in rotation for about 5 months straight. I mean, I didn't play anything else during that period -- car, iPod, whatever...it was all LB all day. I was floored by the production and the two rappers -- Phonte and Pooh -- were on some "have fun with it" type of vibe. I pretty much bought anything with their name on it from that point. Fast forward to 2009 and I still call this one a classic. They hadn't been well worn by the industry yet and their music reflected that. That element is what's missing from subsequent releases, in my opinion, but I'll forever be thankful for this overlooked gem. Flawless from top to bottom.

The Listening [ABB Records 2002]

1. Morning feat. Chaundon
2. Groupie Pt. 2
3. For You
4. Speed
5. Whatever You Say
6. Make Me Hot (Interlude)
7. The Yo-Yo
8. Shorty On the Lookout feat. Median
9. Love Joint Revisited
10. So Fabulous feat. L.E.G.A.C.Y.
11. The Way You Do It
12. Roy Lee, Producer Extraordinaire (Interlude)
13. The Get-Up
14. Away From Me
15. Nobody But You feat. Keisha Shontelle
16. Home
17. Nighttime Maneuvers
18. The Listening

Slick Rick

2009-05-10T10:06:00.005-04:00

This is it. This is the album that launched Slick Rick into the stratosphere and made him a household name. It's also his debut solo joint after label politics forced him out of Doug E Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew (looks like the label did him a favor, if you ask me). The album doesn't reall need a description if you have any idea who Slick Rick is -- the album is a certified classic. Anyway, I'm dropping his entire solo discography on the blog. I was gonna post him or Ghostface, but I looked and found out that I don't have Big Doe Rehab, so it wouldn't have been complete. Enjoy.

The Great Adventures of Slick Rick [Def Jam / Columbia 1988]

1. Treat Her Like A Prostitute
2. The Ruler's Back
3. Children's Story
4. The Moment I Feared
5. Let's Get Crazy
6. Indian Girl (An Adult Story)
7. Teenage Love
8. Mona Lisa
9. Kit (What's The Scoop)
10. Hey Young World
11. Teacher, Teacher
12. Lick The Balls

Slick Rick

2009-05-09T20:44:00.005-04:00

The sophomore set set from Rick plays more like The Great Adventures Part 2. I don't mean that in a bad way, but you can sort of tell that he didn't deviate very far from the original script, if you will. While just as dope, Rick failed to yield any timeless singles this time around. To his credit, the album was rushed because of a jail sentence was hanging over his head. I'm under the impression that he would've put out a stronger product if he had the time to do so. That said, it still went gold, but it failed to reach the bar that he set so astronomically high with his debut...

The Ruler's Back [Def Jam 1991]

1. King
2. I Shouldn't Have Done It
3. Bond
4. Moses
5. Tonto
6. Mistakes of A Woman In Love With Other Men
7. Venus
8. Ship
9. It's A Boy
10. Top Cat
11. Runaway
12. Slick Rick - The Ruler

Slick Rick

2009-05-09T18:33:00.004-04:00

The third release from Slick Rick didn't make much of a splash. It came out while he was locked up and didn't get the kind of promotion it deserved. Despite all of that, the album almost went gold anyway. The production is handled by Pete rock, Large Professor, Easy Mo Bee (so underrated), and Prince Paul. I don't think Rick has released anything that would get less than 4 out of 5 from this listener and this album is no exception...

Behind Bars [Def Jam 1994]

1. Behind Bars
2. All Alone (No One To Be With)
3. Sittin' In My Car feat. Doug E. Fresh
4. A Love That's True (Part 1)
5. Cuz It's Wrong
6. Let's All Get Down feat. Nice & Smooth
7. I'm Captive
8. Get A Job
9. A Love That's True (Part 2)
10. It's A Boy (Large Professor Remix)
11. Behind ars (Dum Ditty Dum Mix) feat. Warren G.

Slick Rick

2009-05-09T16:02:00.006-04:00

The Art of Storytelling is the last release from Slick Rick. It's not bad at all. As a matter of fact, it's pretty good. I expected a fall off from Ricky D after such a long layoff, but he proved that he still had it, in my opinion. There are a handful of so-so tracks, but the majority of the album is nothing but solid production and tight rhymes...Rick still has it. Now, I just need a new album from him...

The Art Of Storytelling [Def Jam 1999]

1. Jail Skit feat. Ed Lover, DJ Rev. Run, & Redman
2. Kill Niggaz
3. Street Talkin' feat. Outkast
4. Me & Nas Bring It To Your Hardest feat. Nas
5. I Own America Part 1
6. Bugsy Radio Skit feat. Bugsy
7. Who Rotten 'Em
8. 2 Way Street
9. King Piece In The Chess Game feat. Canibus
10. Trapped In Me
11. Impress The Kid feat. S&S
12. Q-Tip & Peter Gunz Skit feat. Q-Tip & Peter Gunz
13. I Run This
14. Frozen feat. Raekwon
15. Why, Why, Why
16. Adults Only
17. Memories
18. Unify (Kid Capri feat. Snoop Dogg & Slick Rick)
19. Bugsy Radio Skit feat. Bugsy
20. I Own America Part 2
21. CEO Outro
22. We Turn It On feat. Doug E. Fresh
23. La Di Da Di [Live] feat. Doug E. Fresh
24. The Show [Live] feat. Doug E. Fresh

Sunz Of Man

2009-05-09T15:30:00.004-04:00

The debut album from Sunz Of Man. Most of the production is handled by 4th Disciple and True Master with RZA, Supreme, and Wyclef sprinkling in a track here and there. The overall product is nothing short of dope if you like your hip hop with a heavy dose of east coast boom bap.

The Last Shall Be First [Red Ant Entertainment 1998]

1. Intro
2. Cold
3. Naturla High
4. Flaming Swords
5. Illusions feat. Masta Killah
6. Shining Star feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard
7. Israeli News
8. Tribulations
9. The Interview
10. The Plan
11. Collaboration '98 feat. Method Man
12. Inmates To The Fire
13. Not Promised Tomorrow feat. Tekitha
14. For The Lust Of Money/The Grandz
15. Can I See You
16. The Battle
17. Next Up feat. Method Man
18. Intellectuals feat. Raekwon & U-God
19. Five Arch Angels

Erick Sermon

2009-04-28T11:00:00.002-04:00

E Double is one of those guys that, no matter how tight his track record is, he never really gets the props he truly deserves. The man is one of the best producers ever. I think I covered all of this in the Insomnia post, though. Anyway, Double or Nothing is the sophomore solo joint from the Green Eyed and, as expected, the production is on point. I think his only shortcoming is his delivery (and the occasional wack simile), but his output is still second to none. This album wasn't as well received as his debut, but it's on the same level. The strength is definitely in the production (obviously). If you slept on this, like most people did, be sure to give it chance.

Double Or Nothing [RAL / Def Jam 1995]

1. Intro [Skit]
2. Bomdigi
3. Freak Out feat. Redman
4. In The Heat
5. Tell 'Em feat. Roz & Keith Murray
6. In The Studio [Skit]
7. Boy Meets World
8. Welcome feat. Keith Murray & Aaron Hall
9. Live In The Backyard [Skit]
10. Set It Off feat. Keith Murray
11. Focus
12. Move On feat. Redman & Passion
13. Smooth Thought [Skit]
14. Do Your Thing
15. Man Above
16. The Message [Skit]
17. Open Fire feat. Keith Murray & Redman

Cash Money & Marvelous

2009-04-27T00:18:00.006-04:00

Cash Money & Marvelous have a style that's similar to DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.It's pretty much the same light, radio friendly material, but it doesn't feel as pop. The production is par for the course when you talk about 1988 rap. I think the most popular song on the album would be the classic "Uly People Be Quiet", but I think the first track I heard from them was "Find An Ugly Woman" and I loved it the first time I heard it. If you're at all familiar with those tracks, then you have a pretty good idea what the entire album sounds like since a lot of the production is the same and there isn't much topic range. That said, it was great for partying to when it dropped and it's still good for cutting the occasional rug. Enjoy, people...

Where's The Party At? [Sleeping Bag 1988]

1. Find An Ugly Woman
2. Play It Kool
3. Is It Real
4. Time Is Up
5. A Real Mutha For Ya
6. Marvelous' Drawers
7. Ugly People Be Quiet (Remix)
8. Ugly People Be Quiet
9. The Mighty Hard Rocker
10. Who's In The Place
11. Where's The Party At?
12. All About Partyin'
13. The Music Maker

Dru Down

2009-04-26T20:27:00.006-04:00

Dru Down is a rapper I didn't see a lot of when I was growing up. Being on the east coast, you simply didn't see a lot of west coast cats unless they were multi-platinum superstars like Dre or Snoop. So it wasn't until about a year agao that I actually found this sitting in my local record store for $5 used (but in like new condition). I popped it in, because I remember the video for "Can You Feel Me" and I found that this album was pretty good from top to bottom. He has a voice that took a minute for me to get used to, but the beats were pretty solid. Not as advanced as production in '96 should've been, but still good. The end result for this listener was a 4 star album that just as slept on as his debut. Peep this shit, y'all.

Can You Feel Me [C-Note / Relativity 1996]

1. Intro
2. Playa Fo Real
3. Baby Bubba feat. Bootsy Collins
4. Can You Feel Me
5. Choppin' It Up feat. Chris "C.H." Hicks
6. Head & Shoulders
7. Mista Busta
8. Hustlin' Ain't No Thang
9. The Game
10. Breezy feat. Yukmouth & Poppa LQ
11. Freaks Come Out feat. Luniz & L.V.
12. Deal Went Bad
13. Underestimated feat. Soopafly
14. I'm Wondering
15. Suspect One
16. 500 Mobsters
17. The Mobb feat. Luniz, Knucklehead, Eclipse, NicNac, & T. Luney

Rjd2

2009-04-21T10:02:00.004-04:00

RJD2 is a dope producer that I got into almost accidentally while living in Texas (of all places). There isn't a whole lot to be said about instrumental albums -- which this happens to be -- unless the producer is wack. RJ is far from wack, so you can expect dope production throughout. If you're not into instrumental albums, take a pass on this one. I don't recommend that, though. Enjoy.

Deadringer [Def Jux 2002]

1. The Horror
2. Salud
3. Smoke & Mirrors
4. Good Times Roll Pt. 2
5. Final Frontier feat. Blueprint
6. Ghostwriter
7. Cut Out To FL
8. F.H.H. feat. Jakki Da Motamouth
9. Shot In The Dark
10. Chicken-Bone Circuit
11. The Proxy
12. 2 More Dead
13. Take The Picture Off
14. Silver Fox
15. June feat. Copywrite
16. Work (w/ bonus track "Here's What's Left")

Smoothe Da Hustler

2009-04-19T23:53:00.005-04:00

Smoothe's major label debut was what most would refer to as slept on, but outside of the classic "Broken Language", I don't remember hearing much from the guy. It's a shame too, because this album is solid from top to bottom. Production, lyricism, guest shots -- from DV Alias Christ and his brother, Trigger Tha Gambler -- this album had it all. It did hit store shelves during the dawn of the jiggy era, so it may have been too hardcore east coast for most. For those that want to hear NY represent for '96 like it was supposed to, then peep this album. You won't be sorry.

Once Upon A Time In America [Profile 1996]

1. Once Upon A Time...
2. Fuck Watcha Heard feat. Trigger Tha Gambler
3. Dollar Bill feat. D.V. Alias Christ
4. Glocks On Cock
5. Broken Language feat. Trigger Tha Gambler
6. Speak My Peace
7. Neva Dia Alone
8. Food For Thoughts
9. Family Conflicts
10. Only Human
11. Hustler's Theme
12. Murdafest feat. Trigger Tha Gambler & D.V. Alias Christ
13. Hustlin'
14. My Brother My Ace feat. Trigger Tha Gambler
15. Dedication

Above The Law

2009-04-18T10:09:00.001-04:00

Above The Law is one of those groups that I didn't get too familiar with until after they stopped making records. I knew that they were on Ruthless records and down with Eazy-E, but that was pretty much the extent of it. I copped albums but never gave them spins. It turns out that the beats on a lot o their albums are second to none. I've been spinnin' their shit quite a bit here lately, so I figured I'd throw this on the blog. It's a solid 4 stars and worth checking out. The track listing, as usual, is copied directly from the back of the CD, so those are not typos that you see listed below. Also, track six (Call It What You Want) credits Digital Underground with an appearance, but the more accurate description would be more like Money B & Tupac. Just an FYI.

Black Mafia Life: The Album [Ruthless 1992]

1. Black Triangle
2. Never Missin' A Beat
3. Why Must I Feel Like Dat
4. Commin' Up
5. Pimpology 101
6. Call It What You Want feat. Digital Underground
7. Harda U R Tha Doppa U Faal
8. Game Wreck-Oniz-Iz Game feat. Eazy-E
9. Pimp Clinic
10. V.S.O.P.
11. Process of Elimination (Untouchakickamurdaqtion) feat. MC Ren
12. G's & Macaronies
13. G-Rupies Best Friend
14. Mee Vs. My Ego
15. Outro

Jamal

2009-04-14T21:48:00.004-04:00

Jamalis one of those rappers that never got a fair look. He had all the intangibles -- flow, solid production, a strong crew to back him up -- but he never managed to catch on for some strange reason. His debut alongside Mr. Malik as the kiddie duo Illegal was dope and you could tell then that, despite them being teenagers, Jamal had skills. well, Last Chance, No Breaks was a good display of his talents, but it wasn't a very coherent album. It was really hard to figure out what he was going for here because it seems like he was trying to carve out an identity for himself. The production is another story. Erick Sermon, Rockwilder, Redman, Easy Mo Bee and a handful of others contribute nothing but bangers. His lead single -- the classic "Fades 'Em All" -- is a pretty good indicator of what you can expect for the most part when it comes to the beats. Pete Rock did remix Fades 'Em All and it's heads and shoulders above the original, in my humble opinion. I'll be sure to upload that once I find the vinyl I have laying around here somewhere...

Last Chance, No Breaks [Rowdy/Arista 1995]

1. Live Illegal
2. Keep It Live
3. Situation
4. Insane Creation feat. Redman
5. Fades 'Em All
6. The Game
7. Da Come Up
8. Don't Trust No
9. Keep It Real
10. Genetic For Terror feat. Keith Murray, L.O.D., Erick Sermon, & Redman
11. Unfuckwittable feat. George Clinton & Passion

k-os

2009-04-14T15:56:00.004-04:00

I can't really put a finger on how to describe k-os. The closest I've seen described him as a "male version of Lauryn Hill." While that's close, it doesn't really do the man justice. He's dropped 3 albums that are nothing sort of classic in my opinion -- this one along with Joyful Rebellion and Atlantis: Hymns for Disco. He has a new album dropping soon (the tentatively titled "Yes"), so I figured I'd put this one up on the blog -- besides, it makes my 7 year cutoff requirement. lol Anyway, the album is free of flaws or wack tracks and should please the ears of anyone that chooses to take a chance on it. Be warned, it's not 100% pure hip hop. There's some reggae, rock, and pop influences in there. Also, be sure to peep the Heaven Only Knows remix that is hidden at the end of the album as well -- I listed it, but it isn't listed in the credits. It's the same version that was used for the video. Enjoy...

Exit [Astralwerks/EMI Canada 2003]

1. Intro
2. Fantastique
3. Call Me
4. Heaven Only Knows
5. Superstarr Pt. 1
6. Freeze
7. The Anthem
8. Patience
9. Higher
10. Masquerade
11. Follow Me
12. Superstarr Pt. 2
13. Neutroniks
14. Superstarr Pt. Zero
15. Heaven Only Knows (Kdash Kemo Remix)

Craig Mack

2009-04-14T15:43:00.003-04:00

Apologies for the lame album art, but I couldn't find a decent one to scan or pick from on the 'net. Anyway, Craig Mack's most popular single was dropped in '94 and is nothing short of classic in my book. This is a vinyl rip and I didn't bother to remove any of the pops or clicks (as usual) because, well, I like them. I like that authentic vinyl sound. It's best known for one serious verse from Biggie, but Craig Mack did his thing as well. It's a shame he was outshone by Biggie (despite being recruited as the flagship artist for a then fledgling Bad Boy Entertainment) because his album is a solid 4 star effort. Enjoy this classic cut, people -- they most definitely don't make 'em like this anymore...

Flava In Your Ear (Remix) [Bad Boy 1994]

1. Flava In Ya Ear (Club Mix)
2. Flava In Ya Ear (Remix) [Dirty]
3. Flava In Ya Ear (Easy Mo Mix)
4. Radio Edit Instrumental
5. Remix Instrumental
6. NashMack Mix Instrumental

Down South

2009-04-12T20:34:00.004-04:00

Just so y'all know, with this post, I've officially switched from Megaupload to MediaFire. So any further posts or re-ups will be done with MediaFire. Anyway, I don't know a whole lot about this particular album. All I know is that this album got a lot of love over on one of the forums that I frequent, so I figured I'd cop it. It's a solid album, but it's nothing out of this world. I'd say it's your typical 1994 east coast flavored rap by three relative unknowns. One of those unknown members was Shawn J. Period -- he went on to have a pretty solid career as a producer (he's got a few classics under his belt). Lost In Brooklyn is a worthwhile listen, but I wouldn't call it required listening.

Lost In Brooklyn [Big Beat/Atlantic 1994]

1. Down South
2. Southern Comfort
3. Tractors, Rakes, and Hoes
4. Jimi Crack Korn
5. Spin Da Bottle feat. The Funkaholic & Bobbito
6. Departure
7. Lost In Brooklyn
8. Sitting Here
9. Big Wheels
10. Grupo De Rap
11. Around The Clock
12. The Carbonated One
13. Oh My
14. Open Sesame

Das EFX

2009-04-10T08:27:00.009-04:00

The second album from Dray and Skoob is their first drop after the break up of EPMD and the Hit Squad (which included the Def Squad at the time). While Redman and Keith Murray decided to roll with Erick Sermon, Das EFX stayed with PMD/Parrish Smith. Personally, I think that was a mistake since this album was virtually ignored; which is a problem since I think it's better than their platinum debut. They would go on to have a solid career, probably more solid than, say, Keith Murray, but I think these guys could've been just as popular as Redman had they rolled with E Double -- who had the 90's on lock at one point. They did drop the "iggety" style on this album since so many people bit their style (everyone from Masta Ace to Kriss Kross was biting their shit) and, to my surprise, it was still really, really good.

Straight Up Sewaside [Eastwest 1993]

1. Intro
2. Undaground Rappa
3. Gimme Dat Microphone
4. Check It Out
5. Interlude
6. Freakit
7. Rappaz
8. Interview
9. Baknaffek
10. Kaught In Da Ak
11. Wontu
12. Krazy Wit Da Books
13. It'z Like Dat
14. Host Wit Da Most (Rappaz Remix)

Miilkbone

2009-04-09T22:46:00.005-04:00

Straight to the point -- Miilkbone's debut is dope. Out of five stars, I'd give it a four and a half. The classic "Keep It Real" can be found on this album along with the lukewarm "Where'z Da Party At?" single that followed it. Production is handled mostly by Nick Whiz with contributions from KayGee of Naughty by Nature fame. The result is excellent production for a capable rhymeslinger like Miilk. It's too bad he didn't put out more quality work. I copped the sophomore set and it simply doesn't measure up to Da Miilkrate. Give this one a fair listen and be sure to peep the "Keep It Real" remix that's hidden at the end of the album. Nice use of AZ and Redman samples there...

Da' Miilkrate [Capital Records 1995]

1. No Gimmicks
2. Ghettobiz
3. Keep It Real
4. Mindgamez
5. Traffic Jam
6. Move Wit' Da' Groove
7. How Ya Like It?
8. Freestyle
9. Set It Off
10. Where'z Da' Party At?
11. Murder Verbs
12. Fast Cash
13. Kids On The Ave
14. Check Me Out
15. Bamma Fam
16. Ketchrek
17. It Ain't The Same
18. 2 All Y'all

EmAy

2009-03-19T10:07:00.008-04:00

This is an independent release from a 17 year old up and coming producer out of Canada that goes by the name of EmAy. A.D.D. is a mas up of EmAy beats and a cappella lyrics froms some of my favorite rappers. The music is mellow and laid back in some areas and melancholy in others. I'm feelin' the production here and I think the young man has a future in hip hop music. Check this out and please leave some feedback for the young brother.

A.D.D. (Altered Dynamic Dimensions)

1. Intro/Curved Air (Featuring Gravediggaz) prod. emay

2. Get Down (Featuring Method Man & MF DOOM) prod. emay

3. Q&A (Interlude/Instrumental) prod. lion

4. Work (Featuring Smif N Wessun & Prodigy) prod. emay

5. Know More (Featuring T.I.) prod. emay

6. Fading Beauty (featuring Big Daddy Kane) prod. emay

7. Angelic Whispers prod. emay

8. I Gotcha (featuring Lupe Fiasco) prod. emay

9. Cowboy Cross (Featuring Nas and Vinnie Paz) prod. emay

10. Abstract (Interlude) (featuring Q-Tip) prod. emay

11. Most Valuable Poet (featuring Big L) prod. emay

12. Onion Talk (featuring Sean Price & Buckshot) prod. emay

13. Don't Give a F**k (featuring Eminem) prod. emay

14. Cash Caged (featuring Kool G. Rap, 50 Cent & Young Jeezy) prod. emay

15. Golf Balls and Consciousness (Interlude) prod. emay

16. Times Irrelevant (featuring Cassidy & Ludacris) prod. emay

17. Perfect Timing (featuring C.L. Smooth & Skyzoo) prod. emay

18. Azma (featuring AZ & O.C.) prod. emay

19. Take Break (Interlude) prod. emay

20. How Many Cats (Featuring Dex) prod. emay**original track, not remix

21. How High (Interlude) (featuring Redman) prod. emay

22. The Depths Of (featuring Notorious B.I.G.) prod. emay

Nas

2009-02-19T16:23:00.005-05:00

It's funny that a bunch of outtakes and omissions turn out to be considered one of the best Nas albums ever. Especially since the man is revered as one of the best emcees in rap history. The Lost Tapes, from what I understand, were songs that didn't make the cut for either I Am or Nastradamus (not sure which one) after they were leaked on the internet. The result is a super tight album from one of NY's finest. Production,, lyrics...it's all there. Enjoy.

The Lost Tapes [Ill Will/Columbia 2002]

1. Doo Rags
2. My Way
3. U Gotta Love It
4. Nothing Lasts Forever
5. No Ideas Original
6. Blaze A 50
7. Everybody's Crazy
8. Purple
9. Drunk By Myself
10. Black Zombie
11. Poppa Was A Playa

Eazy-E

2009-02-13T16:47:00.004-05:00

Eazy E's 1992 EP may be short, but two of his most popular songs can be found here. It's a solid little chunk of gangsta rap despite Eazy being somewhat obsessed with taking out Dr. Dre. There isn't a whole lot to be said here due to the short run time, but I figured I'd toss it in the mix since EPs don't take as long to upload and post (lol). In short, great beats and decent lyrics. Give it a shot.

5150: Home 4 Tha Sick [Ruthless / Priority 1992]

1. Intro: New Year's E-Vil
2. Only If You Want It
3. Neighborhood Sniper
4. Niggaz My Height Don't Fight
5. Merry Muthafuckin' Xmas

The Roots

2009-02-08T23:00:00.004-05:00

This particular album is one of my all time favorites. In terms of sales, it's also the most popular album by The Roots. The production here is top notch and Black Thought teams up with Malik B on what would be Malik's last full tour of duty with the group. He was my favorite rapper in the group before his departure and he rarely ever disappoints (check their newer shit, he still rips even after the hiatus). Anyway, this album is pretty much flawless from top to bottom. Check it out. I put everything in numerical order just like they do on all of their albums. There are about 142 official tracks and I'll eventually post every last one of them...

Things Fall Apart [Geffen / MCA Records 1999]

54. Act Won...Things Fall Apart
55. Table Of Contents (Parts 1 & 2)
56. The Next Movement feat. DJ Jazzy Jeff
57. Step Into The Realm
58. The Spark
59. Dynamite!
60. Without A Doubt
61. Ain't Sayin' Nothin' New
62 Double Trouble feat. Mos Def
63 Act Too...The Love Of My Life feat. Common
64 100% Dundee
65 Diedre Vs. Dice
66 Adrenaline feat. Beanie Sigel
67 3rd Act: ? Vs. Scratch 2...Electric Boogaloo
68 You Got Me feat. Erykah Badu & Eve
69 You Don't See Us
70 Return To Innocence Lost
71 Act Fore...The End? [Hidden Track]

Big Ed

2009-02-08T22:25:00.005-05:00

Big Ed's debut album is one of those albums that I thought was just so-so upon first listen but turned out to be a keeper later on down the road. There really isn't anything contained on this disc that I would call required listening and, granted, it's a No Limit release after all and I didn't expect much in the way of gems from that label. The Assassin is a solid album when graded against other gangsta rap albums, though. Ed did managed to drop two more albums before succumbing to cancer in 2001, but neither of those are as good as his debut. Back in '98 this was worth checking out for the Beats By The Pound production alone -- it's incredibly dated and generic now, but it was pretty decent when it dropped. Give it a shot. You might like it.

The Assassin [No Limit / Priority 1998]

1. Intro
2. My Entourage feat. Silkk The Shocker & Mystikal
3. I'm Yo Soldier feat. Silkk the Shocker & Master P
4. Rodeo feat. Silkk the Shocker & Mia X
5. Make Some Room feat. Mia X, Mac, C-Murder, Snoop Dogg
6. We Some feat. Steady Mobb'n
7. Go 2 War feat. Mystikal, Full Blooded, & Master P
8. Life feat. Master P
9. Uh Oh feat. Mystikal, Fiend, & Master P
10. I Miss 'Em feat. Mac & O'Dell
11. Buck 'Em feat. Fiend & Magic
12. Just Me & U
13. We Represent feat. Mia X, C-Murder, Mr. Serv-On, & Silkk the Shocker
14. Assassin feat. Master P
15. Shake'm Up feat. Mac, C-Murder, & The Gambino Family
16. Come Home w/Me feat. Mr. Serv-On & Mo B. Dick
17. Come Get Me feat. Mia X
18. Scriptures

Boogiemonsters

2009-02-02T13:25:00.008-05:00

This here is another single I ripped from Vinyl. I'm not where I want to be just yet, but I'm getting better and better at ripping vinyl to mp3, so the focus of the blog may shift from albums to singles every now and then until I get all of this wax ripped to mp3 (which may take a while). Anyway, I know I've been neglecting the site, so here's a Boogiemonsters single to hold folks over. I may throw a few more up here before days end. Enjoy.

Honeydips In Gotham b/w Jugganauts

1. Honeydips In Gotham (Monster Mix)
2. Honeydips In Gotham (Monster Hip Hop Mix)
3. Honeydips In Gotham (Honeydips Original Mix)
4. Honeydips In Gotham (Monster Remix Instrumental)
5. Jugganauts (Bump Mix)

Paperboy

2008-12-13T13:07:00.004-05:00

This album was requested over on the Amazon forums, so I figured I'd post it here as well. I don't really know a whole lot about Paperboy. All I know is that he's from California and that his single, the infectious "Ditty", was a pop hit back in '93. The album itself isn't really anything special, but it isn't necessarily a bad one either. On a scale of 1 - 5, I'd probably give this one a 3. It's entirely produced by Rhythm D -- most recognized for producing bangers for the late Eazy E and the Ruthless Records camp. Check it out for yourselves, people.

The Nine Yards [Full Frequency Range / Next Plateau 1993]

1. Ditty
2. Bumpin' (Adaptation Of Humpin')
3. Studs feat. Rhythm D.
4. Goin' On
5. Zooted feat. Rhythm D.
6. Jack Move
7. The Nine Yards
8. Little Somethin' For The Summer
9. Shoutouts
10. Ditty (Divine Street Mix)

Queen Latifah

2008-12-06T17:35:00.008-05:00

Not a whole lot is made of Queen Latifah's discography anymore, but I've noticed that, after a few spins of each of her discs, her discography is pretty strong. None of her albums are what I'd call required listening, but they rarely ever disappoint. Of all the albums she has released over the years, Black Reign is easily my favorite. The production, the rhymes, the overall vibe and presentation is spot on. It's that album where everything comes together perfectly. Every artist worth their salt has that one peak album. This is Latifah's "peak" album in my humble opinion. Be sure to check for some dope production from the highly underrated S.I.D. and also look for classics like "Just Another Day", "Black Hand Side", and "U.N.I.T.Y." The high point comes at the end when Latifah dedicates "Winki's Theme" to her deceased brother (who had recently died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident) -- she doesn't do a whole lot of rapping on it and her singing is pretty flawless there. Black Reign is just short of classic for this listener, but it's pretty damn close. Enjoy, people.

Black Reign [Motown 1993]

1. Black Hand Side
2. Listen 2 Me
3. I Can't Understand
4. Rough... feat. Treach, Heavy D, & KRS-One
5. 4 The D.J.'s (Interlude)
6. Bring The Flavor
7. Coochie Bang...
8. Superstar
9. No Work
10. Just A Flow (Interlude)
11. Just Another Day...
12. U.N.I.T.Y.
13. Weekend Love feat. Tony Rebel
14. Mood Is Right
15. Winki's Theme

Boot Camp Clik

2008-12-01T16:57:00.006-05:00

What we have here is the debut album from the collective known as the Boot Camp Clik (or BCC for short). This is their debut as a collective and features some of their current stars in peak form (like Heltah Skeltah, for example). For The People got a lukewarm reception when it dropped and some still dismiss is as an average album, but I dig it quite a bit and figured I'd share it with those of y'all that don't have it already. If you're just getting into groups like Black Moon & Heltah Skeltah or you just dig that unfiltered, unadulterated rap music, then you definitely won't be disappointed with this one.

For The People [Duck Down/Priority 1997]
1. 1-900 Get Da Boot
2. Down By Law
3. Night Riders
4. Headz Are Reddee Pt. II
5. Watch Your Step
6. Illa Noyz
7. Rag Time
8. Blackout
9. Ohkeedoke
10. Rugged Terrain
11. The Dugout
12. Go For Yours
13. Likkle Youth Man Dem (Bonus Track)
14. Last Time

Method Man

2008-11-29T12:44:00.003-05:00

When Method Man dropped his solo debut back in November of '94, he was pretty much the most popular member of the legendary Wu Tang Clan. Anticipation for this LP was pretty high and it went platinum almost instantly upon release. This type of music getting played on MTV and major radio is pretty much out of the question nowadays, but it was a reality in '94 -- which is what happens when the fans make the call instead of the labels. Anyway, the production is all courtesy of The RZA (with co production on two tracks from Meth and 4th Disciple respectively). A lot of folks overlook this album when discussing solo albums from Wu members, but I think Tical is right up there with the best of them...

Tical [Def Jam 1994]

1. Tical
2. Biscuits
3. Bring The Pain
4. All I Need
5. What The Blood Clot
6. Meth Vs. Chef
7. Sub Crazy
8. Release Yo Delf
9. P.L.O. Style
10. I Get My Thang In Action
11. Mr. Sandman
12. Stimulation
13. Method Man (Remix)

The U.N.

2008-11-29T11:58:00.003-05:00

I don't know a whole lot about The U.N. I know that they made an appearance on Pete Rock's Petestrumentals LP and that one of their members was a part of the Flipmode Squad for a short while. Outside of that, all I know about them is this album right here. I only bought it because I recognized Rock Marciano's name. I was expecting some Flipmode, commercial type shit, but I got the exact opposite. This album is unadulterated, boom bap style hip hop circa 2004 (which is hard to come by nowadays). Tight flows, hard hitting beats -- if that's your thing, then you should jump all over this one. Enjoy.

UN Or U Out [456 Entertainment 2004]

1. Buildin'
2. Mind Blowin'
3. D.O.A.
4. Avenue
5. What They Want
6. P. Money Setup
7. Golden Grail
8. Ain't No Thang
9. Monsta
10. Get Yo ******
11. Russian Hat Wear
12. Shakedown
13. The Art
14. Game Of Death (G.O.D.)

Souls Of Mischief

2008-11-22T19:11:00.003-05:00

The third release from Souls of Mischief is one that I've been ignoring ever since I copped it. I really hadn't given anything they dropped after their debut much rotation. I don't know, I they just sort of fell off my radar. I copped the albums, but they collected dust after that. Well, I'd have to say I slept on this album. The strength is in the production, but the overall package is tight. The flows of the four members --Tajai, Phesto, A Plus, & Opio -- have changed a little since their debut, but they still come off nice. There are few cameos and interludes that I could do without, but nothing worth mentioning. I'd give this album a 4 out of 5 stars. It's solid, no frills hip hop music. Enjoy.

Trilogy: Conflict, Climax, Resolution [Heiro Imperium Recordings 2000]

1. Intro
2. Trilogy
3. Interrogation feat. Casual & Pep Love
4. Last Night
5. Save The Babies (Conflict) feat. J. Crow
6. Bad Business
7. Danglin'
8. Mama Knows Best feat. George Clinton & Mystic
9. Medication
10. That Ain't Life (Climax) feat. The B.L.A.C.K. Experience, Pep Love, & Mystic
11. 4th Floor Freaks
12. Acupuncture
13. Fucked...
14. Soundscience
15. Supdoder
16. Airborne Rangers
17. Phoenix Rising (Resolution) feat. Mystic
18. Enemy Minds

Mic Geronimo

2008-11-19T19:59:00.007-05:00

Mic Geronimo was discovered by Murder Inc head honcho Irv Gotti. His debut was preceded by a few singles -- Shit's Real, for one. Released in 1995, Mic created a small buzz with the real heads, but he didn't really make much of a dent after that. He has released a few more albums since then, but this is by far the best out of all of them. It falls just short of classic for me, but the whole thing is nothing short of 100% dope. Check for the joint "Time To Build" which features Ja Rule, DMX, and Jay-Z before all three had a deal. DMX sounds like an Onyx reject -- shit is hilarious. Anyway...enjoy, people.

The Natural [TVT / Blunt Recordings 1995]

1. The Natural
2. Lifecheck
3. Wherever You Are
4. Masta I.C.
5. Man Of My Own
6. Time To Build feat. Ja Rule, Jay-Z, & DMX
7. Shit's Real
8. Three Stories High
9. Sharane
10. Men V. Many feat. O.C. & Royal Flush
11. Train Of Thought
12. Things Change
13. Masta I.C. [Remix] feat. The Lost Boyz

Finesse & Synquis

2008-11-14T11:07:00.005-05:00

I was thumbing through some vinyl I had sitting upstairs to see if I could successfully upload one from a digital turntable and it not sound like crap. I came across this joint from Finesse & Synquis. By no means is it required listening, but more like my guinea pig because, if this works, I'll be doing it more often. Anyway, this duo was down with Andre Harrell and the Uptown Crew (you know, the "Uptown" in Uptown/MCA?) and they rap in a similar style to that of Salt & Pepa, but with less interesting production. I mean, it came out in 1988, so only so much can be expected beat wise -- apparently, they missed the bus since '88 is when production standards took a huge leap forward. But, hey, what can ya do, right? Some of you may remember Finesse as a member of the Wu Tang affiliates known as the Deadly Venoms (basically an all girl super group). Anyway, enjoy the album, people.

Soul Sisters [MCA Records 1988]

1. Soul Sisters
2. We Can Do This
3. Strictly For Business
4. I'll Be There
5. Soft But Deadly
6. I Can Do Better
7. Fatal Beauty
8. A Jam Ain't A Jam

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

2008-10-07T16:48:00.005-04:00

When Bone Thugs first burst onto the scene, I didn't know much, if anything, about them. All I knew was that Eazy-E co-signed them and that was pretty much all I needed. Their speedy flows were also an endearing quality for me. Bizzy is probably my favorite of the group with Krayzie and Layzie tied for 2nd. Wish is ok, but his flow was slow compared to the others. This is only an EP, so there isn't a whole lot o be said about it other than the production is dope -- check for the DJ Uneek productions...they bang -- and the flows are insane. Check it out and enjoy.

Creepin' On Ah Come Up [Ruthless Records 1994]

1. Intro
2. Mr. Quija
3. Thuggish Ruggish Bone feat. Shatasha Williams
4. No Surrender
5. Down Foe My Thang
6. Creepin On Ah Come Up
7. Foe Tha Love Of $ feat. Eazy-E
8. Moe Cheese

Showbiz & A.G.

2008-09-08T19:13:00.003-04:00

I'm not really sure what to call this particular album. See, I lost the front art for this album and I can't remember whether the picture above is the one that came with the original pressing. So, I'm not sure whether this is called the Soul Clap EP, Party Groove / Soul Clap EP or the Showbiz & A.G. EP. The spine of the jewel case doesn't say Soul Clap on it -- it only has their names -- so I'm going to call it the Showbiz & A.G. EP. No matter what you call it, though, the end result is still nothing less than classic material. The first thing to stand out to me was the funk. Funk is something that is sorely missing from the mainstream nowadays, but I won't begin that rant. Download and enjoy.

Showbiz & A.G. EP [London / Payday 1992]

1. Intro
2. Party Groove [Instrumental]
3. Soul Clap [Short Version]
4. Catchin' Wreck
5. Party Groove [Bass Mix]
6. Diggin' In The Crates feat. Lord Finesse & Diamond D.
7. Soul Clap [Off Beat Mix]
8. Giant In The Mental

Boss

2008-08-26T10:40:00.003-04:00

Boss doesn't really have much of a discography, but her debut album was one that showed a lot of promise. For reasons beyond me, she fell off the mainstream map after this album dropped despite releasing successful singles like "Recipe of A Hoe" and "Deeper" -- both of which hit #1 on the Billboard charts. According to Wikipedia, Boss is currently working on her third LP, entitled American Street-Heart. I'm not sure what to expect, but let's hope It's as good as her debut. It's definitely worth a a few spins.

Born Gangstaz [Def Jam West/Chaos/Columbia 1993]

1. Intro: A Call From Mom
2. Deeper
3. Comin' To Gethca
4. Mai Sista Izza Bitch
5. Thelma & Louise
6. Drive By
7. Progress Of Elimination
8. Livin' Loc'd
9. Recipe Of A Hoe
10. A Blind Date With Boss
11. Catch A Bad One
12. Born Gangsta
13. 1-800-Body-Bags
14. Diary Of A Mad Bitch
15. 2 To Da Head
16. I Don't Give A Fuck
17. Outro: A Call From Dad

Common Sense

2008-08-22T07:47:00.006-04:00

I think the first time I ever heard of Common Sense -- or, Common, to you noobs -- it was back in the summer of 1992 when I saw his video for "Take It EZ" on the video jukebox channel. I was instantly hooked on the guy after that. He'd later release dope singles like "Breaker 1/9" and and the ill remix for "Soul By The Pound" which strengthened his rep in the the underground, but his debut album didn't really sell many units. Can I Borrow A Dollar? boasts production from The Beatnuts, 2 Pc. Dark, Twilite Tone, and Immenslope -- you know Immenslope by his more popular name; No I.D. Lyrically, this incarnation of Common Sense is way different from the guy the world knows for albums like Be and Finding Forever. He hadn't grown up yet, so this album tends to capture the essence of a young b-boy that chases shorties and guzzles 40s. It's a very fun listen and should come as a bit of a surprise to those just getting on the Common Sense bandwagon. Enjoy.

P.S. -- Since he had to change his name (for legal reasons), I included a snapshot of the original cover for anyone at all curious. It's the same as the one above, but with the "Sense" included.

Can I Borrow A Dollar? [Relativity Records 1992]

1. A Penny For My Thoughts
2. Charms Alarm
3. Take It EZ
4. Heidi Hoe
5. Breaker 1/9
6. Two Scoops Of Raisins
7. No Defense
8. Blows To The Temple
9. Just In The Nick Of Rhyme
10. Tricks Up My Sleeve
11. Puppy Chow
12. Soul By The Pound
13. Pitchin' Pennies

Wale'

2008-08-18T17:41:00.003-04:00

Here's another mixtape from Wale'. It's a little older than the others I've posted already -- March, I think -- so some of the material you've probably heard already. Either way, here it goes. If you're at all familiar with Wale', then you can expect more of the same fire he's becoming well known for. Dude is pretty consistent, and he's my favorite new cat out there along with Shad. I'll continue to shout him out and put his music out there so more people can hear him, but I digress. Enjoy the free music...

The Beast Of The Beltway [Free Internet Release 2008]

1. Intro
2. Go Mode feat. Bun B.
3. Fish N' Chips
4. Big Spender
5. Another Freestyle
6. Flashing Lights
7. From MD Freestyle
8. Dangerous Girls feat. Danger (M.A.F. Mash-Up)
9. I Know D.C.
10. Kiss Kiss (Remix)
11. Nike Boots
12. Good Life (D.C. Remix) feat. Kanye West & T-Pain
13. Get It
14. W.A.L.E.F.R.I.E.N.D.S. feat. Justice (M.A.F. Mash-Up)

The Pharcyde

2008-08-15T12:12:00.003-04:00

Back in 1992, Dr. Dre was crafting a sound that would later come to define the mainstream West Coast sound. Death Row would begin it's legendary run and gangster rap would enjoy a affluence that it may never ever get to see again. Not even a month before Dre's seminal LP hit stores, there was a foursome from California that dropped one of the dopest albums to come out of the left coast. Problem is, despite some wildly successful singles, no one paid them any attention. Part of that was due to them not sounding anything like your average west coast rap act -- I mean, they toured with De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest if that tells you anything -- and people in general weren't usually open to any deviation from the norm back in '92. Anyway, the album is a classic IMO and features flawless production from J-Swift (his story is a sad one and a topic all its own...) as well as energetic and playful rhymes that were most certainly on point. The group would pretty much collapse after their slept on sophomore release due to drug use (Fatlip & J-Swift) and solo aspirations (SlimKid). Let's hope that the reappearance of them as a foursome leads to some sort of new material.

Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde [Delicious Vinyl 1992]

1.4 Better Or 4 Worse (Interlude)
2. Oh Shit
3. It's Jiggaboo Time
4. 4. Better Or 4 Worse
5. I'm That Type Of Nigga
6. If I Were President
7. Soul Flower (Remix)
8. On The DL
9. Pack The Pipe (Interlude)
10. Officer
11. Ya Mama
12. Passing Me By
13. Otha Fish
14. Quinton's On The Way
15. Pack The Pipe
16. Return Of The B-Boy

Camp Lo

2008-08-02T13:48:00.003-04:00

Camp Lo rose from obscurity to drop what could arguably be called the hip hop album of 1997. When they arrived, they came with a style and flow that was all their own. Blaxploitation themes, original flows, and slang that took a while to decipher but was still accessible -- everything about them was extra tight. The production was handled solely by Ski -- the man responsible for the production on Jay-Z's 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt -- so you know the production was crazy. I'd even go as far as to say that the production was better on Uptown Saturday Night than it was on Reasonable Doubt. Camp Lo have dropped a few more albums, but none of them come close to this one. This is one of the top 3 rap releases of 1997.

Uptown Saturday Night [Profile Records 1997]

1. Krystal Karrington
2. Luchini AKA This Is It
3. Park Joint
4. B-Side To Hollywood feat. Trugoy the Dove of De La Soul
5. Killin' Em Softly
6. Sparkle
7. Black Connection
8. Swing feat. Ish AKA Butterfly of Digable Planets
9. Rockin' It AKA Spanish Harlem
10. Say Word feat. Jungle Brown
11. Negro League feat. Bones & Karachi R.A.W.
12. Nicky Barnes AKA It's Alright feat. Jungle Brown
13. Black Nostaljack AKA Come On
14. Coolie High
15. Sparkle (Mr. Midnight Mix)

DJ Quik

2008-07-31T10:05:00.002-04:00

As requested, here's DJ Quik's debut album. You can tell from listening to this that Quik hadn't quite perfected his beatmaking craft just yet. Don't get me wrong, the beats are definitely on point, but he would grow a little more and develop a more well rounded sound over the coming years. Lyrically, Quik is one of the better rapping producers out there, so you can expect some solid material with this album. As a matter of fact, all of his albums are at least 4 star efforts in my book. Enjoy.

Quik Is The Name [Profile Records 1991]

1. Sweet Black Pussy
2. Tonite
3. Born And Raised In Compton
4. Deep
5. Tha Bombudd
6. Dedication
7. Quik Is The Name
8. Loked Out Hood
9. 8 Ball
10. Quik's Groove
11. Tear It Off
12. I Got That Feelin'
13. Skanless

Grand Daddy I.U.

2008-07-17T19:54:00.008-04:00

This right here is a joint that I'd long forgotten about. If it hadn't been requested, it'd still be sitting on the CD rack collecting dust. It's sad because that's pretty much been the modus operandi for Grand Daddy I.U. over the course of his career -- he releases solid joints that spark little to no interest and wind up being forgotten. The real shame is the fact that this album was a banger from top to bottom. Production that was ahead of its time, tight lyrics, I mean, this joint was just the total package. I remember seeing a video for Something New when it came out and I instantly loved it. According to published reports, I.U. and DJ Kay Cee (his brother) produced the whole album by themselves, but Biz Markie stiffed them on publishing and production credits -- which is all kinds of foul, but typical of the rap game and the music business in general -- so, I guess it's safe to say that all the dope tracks contained within this album were done courtesy of I.U. and Kay Cee. This album was hard as hell to come by at one point, but has since been reissued. I'd recommend grabbing it as soon as possible because not even the reissues will be hanging around for very long.

Smooth Assassin [Cold Chillin' / Warner 1990]

1. The U Is Smooth
2. Pick Up The Pace
3. Something New
4. I Kick Ass
5. Mass Destruction
6. Gals Dem So Hot
7. Girl In The Mall
8. Kay Cee Is Nasty
9. Nobody Move
10. Dominos
11. Behind Bars
12. Soul Touch
13. This Is A Recording
14. Sugar Free
15. Phuck 'Em Up U
16. Shout Outs

50 Cent

2008-07-09T09:23:00.005-04:00

50 Cent is one of those rappers that, because of his massive popularity, rarely ever gets a fair shake. I won't sit here and pretend like I'm a big fan or anything (because I'm not), but I thought his major label debut was one of his few quality releases. On a scale of one to five, I'd give this album a solid four. The production -- mostly handled by Dr. Dre and Eminem -- is probably the strongest point of the album, but 50 holds his own in light of all the stellar production. Lyrically, this is typical 50 -- I mean, come on, no one will be mistaking him for Canibus or even Royce Da 5' 9" anytime soon -- but, since he wasn't really known outside of NY at the time of this release, it seemed like something different at the time. It seemed as if he had a solid foundation to build on and would indeed get better. Too bad that didn't happen. Anyway, give this album a shot. 50 was probably a sellout from day one, but this album is the least obvious of all his attempts.

Get Rich Or Die Trying [Shady / Aftermath / G Unit / Interscope 2003]

1. Intro
2. What Up Gangsta
3. Patiently Waiting feat. Eminem
4. Many Men [Wish Death]
5. In Da Club
6. High All The Time
7. Heat
8. If I Can't
9. Blood Hound feat. Young Buck
10. Back Down
11. P.I.M.P.
12. Like My Style feat. Tony Yayo
13. Poor Lil Rich
14. 21 Questions feat. Nate Dogg
15. Don't Push Me feat. Lloyd Banks & Eminem
16. Gotta Make It To Heaven
Bonus Tracks:
17. U Not Like Me
18. Life's On The Line

Wale'

2008-07-02T14:20:00.009-04:00

Here's another free mixtape from Wale'. The title is pretty much a spin on the whole Seinfeld shtick. I thought it was cool. It's on par with 100 Miles and Running -- which I happened to like -- but it delves a little deeper into things worth hearing as opposed to sneaker odes and braggadocio. It's a good change and a good look for him. Enjoy, everyone.

The Mixtape About Nothing | Mixed By Nick Catchdubs [2008 ]

1. The Opening Title Sequence
2. The Roots Song Wale Is On feat. Chrisette Michele
3. The Feature Heavy Song feat. Bun B., Pusha T., and Tre from UCB
4. The Freestyle (Roc Boys)
5. The Perfect Plan
6. The Kramer
7. The Crazy
8. The Vacation From Ourselves
9. The Remake of A Remake (All I Need) feat. Tawiah
10. The Grown Up
11. The Manipulation
12. The Artistic Integrity
13. The Star
14. The Skit (Untz Untz)
15. The Cliche Lil Wayne Feature (It's The Remix Baby!)
16. The Bmore Club Slam
17. The Chicago Falcon Remix feat. The Budos Band
18. The Hype
19. The End Credits

Kool G. Rap

2008-06-27T09:25:00.003-04:00

Highly overlooked, 4,5,6 is the first solo album from the legendary Kool G. Rap. Up until that point it was strictly G. Rap & Polo -- who were ill in their own right, check those albums as well. Released in 1995, it never achieved the commercial success it should have despite the obvious attempt at radio spins -- songs like the jiggy-esque "Fast Life" featuring a dope verse from Nas, for example. Mostly produced by the underrated T-Ray, the production is stripped and gritty. No frills, no fluff. It's the perfect kind of production for G. Rap sense his flow is pushed to the forefront. It came out in '95, so you can expect a certain level of quality. Dude has been releasing albums since '89 and they've all been on point. Give this one a spin. You won't be sorry.

4, 5, 6 [Cold Chillin' / Epic Street 1995]

1. Intro
2. 4, 5, 6
3. It's A Shame
4. Take 'Em To War feat. B1 & Grimm
5. Executioner Style
6. For Da Brothaz
7. Blowin' Up In The World
8. Fast Life feat. Nas
9. Ghetto Knows
10. It's A Shame (Da Butcher's Mix)
11. Money On My Brain

Heavy D & The Boyz

2008-06-19T16:23:00.003-04:00

Living Large is the debut LP from the legendary (?) Heavy D & The Boyz. Released in 1987, it had the major hits "Mr. Big Stuff", the classic "The Overweight Lovers In The House", and "Don't You Know." The production, handled by Teddy Riley, Marley Marl, Eddie F., and Andre Harrell is typical 80's fare -- fun, simple, and heavy on the drum beats. I didn't dig "Mr. Big Stuff" when it first came out. I only bought this when I did because it was dirt cheap. IT turned out to be a pretty good listen for me. If you dig 80's rap at all, I recommend giving this one a listen. It may not be required listening, but it definitely won't disappoint either. Enjoy, everyone.

Living Large [Uptown / MCA Records 1987]

1. The Overweight Lovers In The House
2. Nike
3. Chunky But Funky [Remix]
4. Dedicated feat. Al B. Sure!
5. Here We Go
6. On The Dance Floor
7. Money Earnin' Mount Vernon feat. Al B. Sure!
8. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
9. Overweighter
10. I'm Getting Paid
11. Rock The Bass
12. Mr. Big Stuff [Remix]
13. Don't You Know feat. Al B. Sure!

Wise Intelligent

2008-06-18T08:49:00.003-04:00

First, let me apologize for the crappy album art. The digital camera is acting like it doesn't want to work, so I can't take a picture of mine and everything on the 'net looks like shit, so...

Poor Righteous Teachers front man Wise Intelligent kind of caught me by surprise the first time I ever heard him. I was on the blue line listening to my walkman when "Rock This Funky Joint" came blasting through the earphones -- Poor Righteous Teachers on the radio...remember that? Remember how you could turn on the radio and still hear Wu Tang, EPMD, or Del The Funky Homosapien? Variety -- it's sorely missing from the radio today. That's all I'm tryin' to say. Shit is like a foreign concept nowadays. Go figure... *sigh* Anyway, I thought dude [Wise] was crazy dope at the time and I'd check for any PRT/Wise material every chance I got. Well, you can imagine my excitement when I found out Wise was droppin' a solo joint on the masses back in '96. Thing about it though, even though I love this album, I found that it wasn't on the level of any previously released Poor Righteous teachers material. It didn't have the same energy, in my opinion. It still makes for a good listen though. Enjoy.

Killin' U... For Fun [Slangspit / Contract / Profile Records 1996]

1. My Sound
2. Shitty Inna City
3. I'll Never Kill Again
4. Freestyle (A Conscious Lyric)
5. Steady Slangin'
6. Black Juice
7. Name Brand Gunn
8. TV Shoom Pang
9. So Low
10. Rastafarian Girl
11. Kingpins
12. Send Fe Me Gunn

MJG

2008-06-18T07:41:00.003-04:00

I've always been a big fan of MJG, so when he dropped this solo joint back in '97, I snapped it up without hesitation. In my eyes, MJG always had a better flow than his more popular running mate, Eightball. That flow is fairly represented on this album. Of course, since this was released in 1997 -- the dawn of the jiggy era, there are a few lame attempts at major radio hits (That Girl, for example). Those attempts are kept to a minimum though and what's left is a fairly solid, albeit ignored album. Fans of Eighball & MJG probably already know about this joint, but I don't think too many others were really checking for it. There isn't really much more for me to add here. The production, handled exclusively by Mo-Suave-A -- if I'm reading the credits correctly, is distinctly southern on some tracks and universally dope on others. It makes for a good mix and a pretty good listen from on the South's most overlooked rappers.

No More Glory [Suave House / Universal Records 1997]

1. Keep Your Mind
2. Hip Hop Voodoo
3. 10th Grade [Skit]
4. Good Damm Man
5. Shine and Recline feat. Eightball
6. That Girl feat. Rodney Ellis
7. Slippin'
8. Take No Shit feat. The FEDZ & Bun B.
9. Pimpin' Ain't Easy
10. Black Mac Is Back feat. Eightball
11. No More Glory
12. What Is This
13. Questions [Skit]
14. Don't Hold Back
15. Reflections
16. Hard But Fair
17. Middle Of The Night feat. Eightball

Mike Boo

2008-06-12T11:14:00.003-04:00

I don't know much about Mike Boo. As a matter of fact, when I got this album in the mail, I was going to trash it because I saw the Alpha Pup label on the side. I can respect when someone wants to try something different, but a good portion of what I've heard from this camp has been pretty wack -- like Blackbird, for example. Anyway, before I decided to put it in the "store credit" pile, I decided to google his name. I found out that dude is a DJ and that this was a strictly instrumental album. Since I'm a sucker for a good instrumental album, I gave it a shot and it's been getting steady rotation ever since the first listen. The entire album is done with two turntables and nothing more -- that means sound effects, bass lines, and the whole nine. The sound is dark and mellow -- definitely nothing to get hype to. I won't go on and on with this one. Just give it a shot. If you're into turntablism, or you dig the technical side of being a DJ, chances are good that you'll find something you can appreciate on this album.

Dunhill Drone Committee [Alpha Pup Records 2005]

1. For Your Box
2. Curdled
3. Laid In Soyetyland
4. Cantrec
5. Resolution
6. Wearing Signals Away
7. Here Are The Faxes You Requested
8. Oaksterdam Goo
9. Pathway
10. Vibrations Transcend Space And Time

Ghostface Killah

2008-06-11T10:21:00.003-04:00

The Wu Tang clan is by far my favorite crew/group of all time. When they were on top of their game, they couldn't be fucked with. One hell of a run indeed. When it comes to their solos, there's a lot of debate when it comes to which one is the best -- some say Liquid Swords, some say Only Built For Cuban Linx, others toss around Ironman. I've even heard Tical get mentioned in a few of those conversations. Well, while there's no denying that a lot of those early albums are classics or near classics, none of them get rotation from me as much as Ghostface's sophmore joint -- Supreme Clientele. It was one of the first joints from a Wu soloist to depart from RZA's exclusive production even though RZA did lay down two tracks -- Buck 50 & Child's Play. I'm not saying it's better than Liquid Swords or Only Built For Cuban Linx but, in my mind, it's just as good. Just so y'all know, though, the credits are fucked up. So, if you download this, the credits might be thrown off. Like, for example, Inspectah Deck doesn't appear on Wu Banga 101 even though he's credited with the appearance. Like I said, just so y'all know. Also, check for the hilarious 50 Cent diss on the Clyde Smith Skit. It cracks me up every time I hear it...

Supreme Clientele [Epic / Razor Sharp Records 2000]

1. Intro
2. Nutmeg feat. RZA
3. One
4. Saturday Nite
5. Ghost Deini feat. Superb
6. Apollo Kids feat. Raekwon
7. The Grain feat. RZA
8. Buck 50 feat. Cappadonna, Method Man, Masta Killah & Redman
9. Mighty Healthy
10. Woodrow The Base Head (Skit)
11. Stay True
12. We Made It feat. Superb
13. Stroke Of Death
14. Iron's Theme (Intermission)
15. Malcolm
16. Who Would You Fuck? (Interlude)
17. Child's Play
18. Cherzchez LaGhost feat. U-God
19. Wu Banga 101 feat. GZA, Raekwon, Cappadonna, & Masta Killah
20. Clyde Smith (Skit)
21. Iron's Theme (Conclusion)

Bahamadia

2008-06-05T21:09:00.003-04:00

To break up the monotony, I figured I'd up a single instead of another entire album. There's not a lot to be said about it, really. I Confess was the 3rd single released from her underrated debut, Kollage. While I'm not the biggest fan of that track, I upped this because the single is backed with 3 Tha Hard Way which is a dope track. It features some dope lyrics from K-Swift and Mecca Star and it was laced by DJ Premier at D&D Studios. I don't really think much more than that has to be said. So, check it out, y'all.

I Confess b/w 3 Tha Hard Way [Chrysalis/EMI Records 1996]

1. I Confess [Album Version]
2. I Confess [Album Instrumental w/ Hook]
3. 3 Tha Hard Way [Radio Version] feat. K-Swift & Mecca Star
4. 3 Tha Hard Way [Street Version] feat. K-Swift & Mecca Star
5. 3 Tha Hard Way [Album Instrumental]

The Fat Boys

2008-06-02T15:18:00.005-04:00

Ah yes, one of my very first albums. This came out when hip hop was still very fresh in the mind of this listener. At the time, not a lot of acts were releasing full albums -- though that was beginning to change and pick up momentum with the ever rising popularity of rap music -- so The Fat Boys releasing this album was kind of a big deal. Their 1984 self titled release had heavy influence on the genre and has been cited by greats like The Notorious B.I.G. and Nas and has been heavily sampled by everyone from Erick Sermon to Dru Down. It's only 7 tracks deep, but those 7 tracks were nothing short of guaranteed satisfaction when it came out. Sure, it sounds totally dated now, but, in all honesty, I wouldn't have it any other way. Dig in.

Fat Boys [Sutra Records 1984]

1. Jail House Rap
2. Stick 'Em
3. Can You Feel It
4. Fat Boys
5. The Place To Be
6. Human Beat Box
7. Don't You Dog Me

Blackalicious

2008-06-01T11:52:00.003-04:00

Blackalicious is one of the first groups, along with People Under The Stairs, that I used to make my case when it came to downloading being a good promotional tool for artists. I mean, let's face it, freeloading bums are freeloading bums -- before downloading came along, they were dubbing tapes and CDs. Leeches will be leeches regardless, but those of us that actually buy the music use it as sort of a test drive for unknown artists. Back in 2000, after checking them out because they were recommended to me, I was bumpin' their shit but couldn't find it any store I went to. Being in college at the time and residing in Middle Of Nowhere, Virginia may have had something to do with that, but I used Napster (back when it was free) to obtain Blackalicious and P.U.T.S. albums. I then proceeded to buy up all the material I could find from that point (online, of course). That being said, I guess my point is that downloading exposed me to a lot of dope material back in the day that I probably would've never heard otherwise. I mean, the acts I checked out rarely ever promoted or toured on the east coast back in '99/'00 (and still don't, if I'm not mistaken) and were all but alien to me until their names were dropped on a forum or two. Nia was the first album I ever downloaded and I was totally surprised by it. Up until then, I thought Cali rap was just a bunch of gangster posturing and palm trees. Anyway, this is where I began my search and I hope it's just as enlightening for others as it was for me. Enjoy.

Nia [Quannum Projects/Subverse Music 2000]

1. Searching
2. The Fabulous Ones
3. Do This My Way
4. Deception
5. A To G
6. Cliff Hanger
7. Shallow Days
8. Ego Trip by Nikki Giovanni
9. You Didn't Know That Though
10. If I May
11. Dream Seasons
12. Trouble (Eve Of Destruction)
13. Smithzonian Institute Of Rhyme
14. As The World Turns
15. Reanimation
16. Beyonder
17. Making Progress
18. Sleep
19. Finding

The Primeridian

2008-05-30T19:30:00.003-04:00

The Primeridian were actually my introduction to the record label known as All Natural. They, along with Eulorhythmics, changed my entire perspective on Chicago rap music and midwestern rap in general. While I've found some nice pieces to come out of that region, a lot of what I know was pretty much forced onto me by friends. Well, that all changed after giving this (and the Eulo album) a listen while driving on the beltway -- if you're familiar with the DC area, you know that soothing music is to your advantage while driving on I-495. lol Anyway, I haven't listened to it in a while (I ripped it for a buddy), but I do remember the production standing out the most. It's laid back and smoky, but provides 'nuff thump for that ass. The lyrics are cool -- courtesy of Tree Tha Scarecrow and See-Me-On -- and they have the type of range that keeps a guy like me interested for more than 20 minutes (trust me, this is a good thing). Enjoy, everyone. Hell, maybe I'll give this a spin myself; it's been a hot minute...

Da All Nighta [All Natural Hip Hop 2005]

1. Close The Door
2. Floatin'
3. Smoke Signals
4. Trumpets Of Zion
5. Yeah, Yeah We Know
6. When We First Kissed
7. Pose To Do
8. Tatuduhendi (Boogie Man)
9. Broken Wings
10. Social Studies Pt. Two
11. Off Tha Track
12. Brain Power
13. Midwest Grit
14. Our Life's Passion (Ooo-Lala)
15. Wisdom (Reprise)
16. Melody
17. From The Go
18. Shoutro
19. Tatuduhendi (Reprise)

Zhigge

2008-05-26T12:03:00.005-04:00

I don't really know much about Zhigge. I mean, really, they didn't hang around long enough for me to get to know them any. Their self titled debut dropped back in 1992 and some of you guys may even remember the singles "Toss It Up" (which I thought was dope as hell) and Rakin' In The Dough. The entire album is produced by the underrated Salaam Remi (with Milo Johnson co-producing one track). Remi is most notable for crafting bangers for Nas ("Made U Look" being one of them). The sound of the album is different than the stuff he does for Nas now; it has more of a uplifting, party vibe to it. The rappers -- Prance, Sound, Tonga, Kazo, & Face -- all do their thing over typical 90's styled beats. Anyway, it's a cool album with it's peaks and valleys, but the production is solid enough and the overall album is pretty good. I haven't really heard anything from these cats after this album dropped. I wonder what they're doing now. Anyway, give it a listen. If you dig early to mid 90's rap, there's enough here to warrant a listen or two. There are also videos for Toss It Up and Rakin' In The Dough on YouTube.

Zhigge [Polydor Records 1992]

1. Rakin' In The Dough
2. Harlem
3. No Time To Fess
4. Toss It Up
5. Whatcha Gonna Do
6. Drop The Beat Salaam!!
7. Zhigge Man
8. I Wanna Be With You
9. Make Ya Hips Hop
10. Toss It Up (The After Party)
11. Some Ol' Low-Life Skit!!
12. Born Black
13. All That Glitters Ain't Gold
14. Now What!!

DFC

2008-05-09T20:59:00.008-04:00

Before this album, the duo known as DFC were probably most famous for being MC Breed's "sidekicks" (for lack of a better term). I'm not too familiar with any of those old albums -- midwest hip hop was hard to break into the mainstream back in the day unless you had a smash hit, so I was only familiar with Breed's "Ain't No Future..." at the time. As far as the album goes, it's pretty solid stuff. MC Eiht and DJ Slip (1/2 Oz Productions) lent their talents to the most popular song on the album (Caps Get Peeled) and Warren G. drops a few tight beats, but Sedric 'Swift' Barnett contributed the most tracks. It's a typical 1994 rap release -- smooth beats, heavy bass, gangsta lyrics, etc. One could argue that MC Breed deserves a share of the title since he appears on 5 of 11 tracks. lol I do believe this album is out of print now, so that makes listening to this one that much sweeter to this listener since it's a time capsule in some small way. Take a listen and enjoy.

Things In Tha Hood [Assault/Big Beat/Atlantic Records 1994]

1. A Piece Of Mind (Intro) feat. Bushwick Bill
2. Put Your Locs On feat. MC Breed
3. Caps Get Peeled feat. MC Eiht
4. Mo' Love feat. MC Eiht
5. Things In Tha Hood feat. MC Breed & Nate Dogg
6. Pass The Hooter feat. Warren G.
7. 2-2 The Chest feat. MC Breed
8. Death B-4 Dishonesty feat. MC Breed
9. Hand's On My Nine
10. Roll With The Clan
11. Digga Bigga Ditch
12. You Can Get The Dick feat. MC Breed
13. Da Bomb

Mad Skillz

2008-05-07T15:06:00.005-04:00

Mad Skillz dropped this album to almost no acclaim back in '96. He has since dropped "Mad" from his moniker and dropped a second lukewarm album in 2005 (Confessions Of A Ghostwriter), but this album right here is a gem. It was a big deal for me because Skillz was the first rapper I'd ever heard claim Virginia and rap music here in the DC, MD, VA area was pretty much nonexistant on a mainstream level. Getting this album was a must for me. -- it showed me that local acts could get signed to major labels (a big deal at the time). From the lyrics to the beats, there's nothing weak to be said about this album. The production is handled by the likes of Large Professor, The Beatnuts, Buckwild, Clark Kent, Shawn J. Period, and some young cat callin' himself Jay Dee (*wink wink*). Guest appearances are kept to a minimum -- Q Tip, Large Professor, and some of Skillz' SupaFriendz collective all show up. The album was all but ignored when it dropped despite two lukewarm singles -- The Nod Factor and Move Ya Body -- but anyone that paid attention when it came out was in for a real treat once they got it. I even cut school to go pick it up when it came out. lol Enjoy everyone...

From Where??? [Big Beat / Atlantic Records 1996]

1. From Where??? (Intro)
2. It's Goin' Down
3. The Nod Factor
4. VA In The House
5. Tongues Of The Next Shit feat. Kalonji the Immortal
6. Doin' Time In The Cypha
7. Tip Of The Tongue
8. Extra Abstract Skillz feat. Q-Tip & Large Professor
9. WMAD (Interlude)
10. Get Your Groove On feat. Khim Davis
11. The Jam
12. Move Ya Body
13. Street Rules
14. All In It
15. Unseen World feat. Dr. Mindbenda, Javon the Medieval, Kalonji the Immortal, Lil' Roc & Lonnie B.
16. Inherit The World

A.D.O.R.

2008-04-30T21:53:00.003-04:00

I was surfing the video hosting sites for some dope old school shit when I came across a track I hadn't heard in at least 13 years (if only you could've seen my "Oh Shit" reaction when I spotted it -- lol). A cat that went by the name A.D.O.R. dropped a Pete Rock produced single called "Let It All Hang Out" back in '92 (?) and never dropped an album to follow it. Maybe I'm mistaken about his album but, after hearing the single, I was geekin' for an album and never saw one. Maybe someone can help with that bit of information on this guy since he appears to have thrown in the towel on his career as a rapper. I found the video after browsing the 'net for a while and settled on the AOL version since YouTube joints tend to be all kinds of grainy and poor in quality. I hope everyone enjoys this video as much as I do/did.

Peace.

Wale'

2008-04-30T12:04:00.007-04:00

A few people already know who Wale (pronounced Wah-Lay) is. Dude is a local rapper who's trying to put D.C. on the map when it comes to mainstream rap music. A lot of the beats he rhymes over have a distinct Go Go flavor to them and his flow is better than any other rapper I've heard come out of DC. Anyway, he released a free mixtape on the internet last year. While it has its moments where it falls flat, those moments few and far in between. He's recently been featured on The Roots new single "Rising Up" with Chrisette Michele and I'm hoping it gets the guy more buzz. Everything I've heard from him so far has been pretty good and he definitely deserves the attention.

Check him out at MySpace and at Elitaste.

100 Miles And Running | Mixed By Nick Catchdubs [2007]

1. Let's Ride feat. Daniel Merriweather
2. DC Gorillaz
3. Breakdown
4. Ice Cream Girl
5. Tasty (Skit)
6. Payback
7. Jay Joint
8. Please Listen
9. The People
10. Daytona Squared
11. Bonified feat. Tabi Bonney
12. W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.
13. Good Girls
14. Work
15. Warming Up Cane
16. Smile [Remix]
17. Camp Lo
18. Nobody
19. Rehab
20. Rediscover Me

The Roots - Rising Up feat. Wale & Chrisette Michele

Mystikal

2008-04-24T12:00:00.006-04:00

Here's another No Limit release that I think is pretty damn good. No Limit got panned a lot (and deservedly so) for flooding the market with wack material, but there were a few gems amongst all the sewage and Unpredictable is one of them. Though it's not his debut album, it's his first drop for No Limit and a lot of people were anticipating it. He'd already dropped a dope LP (Mind Of Mystikal) on his own and teaming up with No Limit right when they were developing heavy buzz only made people want this album even more. The production is handled, of course, by Beats By The Pound -- mostly by childhood friend and BBTP member KLC, though. Mystikal's rapid fire flow is well known to most and it's at its best on this album, in my opinion. It even has fewer guests than the typical No Limit release. Give it a listen. It's better than a lot of the other No Limit albums out there.

Unpredictable [Jive / No Limit Records 1997]

1. Born 2 Be A Soldier feat. Master P. & Silkk The Shocker
2. Murder 2
3. 13 Years
4. Unpredictable
5. Ain't No Limit feat. Silkk The Shocker
6. Ghetto Child feat. Master P. & Silkk The Shocker
7. Did I Do It
8. Here We Go feat. B-Legit, E-40, & Master P.
9. We Got The Clout feat. Mia X
10. Still Smokin'
11. U Can't Handle This
12. The Man Right Chea
13. Dick On The Track
14. Sleepin' With Me feat. O'Dell
15. It Yearns
16. Gangstas feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg & Master P.
17. Shine

K-Dee

2008-04-16T16:13:00.006-04:00

Not too many people remember K-Dee, but he was an Ice Cube protege. If you know anything about Ice Cube proteges, then you already know that they tend to have a very short career expectancy. Anyway, Ass Gas or Cash is K-Dee's only album (that I know of, anyway). It came out in 1994 with little to no buzz despite being cosigned by Ice Cube -- a Cube endorsement back in '94 was worth more than its wight in gold. The guest appearances are kept to a minimum. Morris Day makes an appearance while Bootsy Collins and Ice Cube both show up twice. The theme is pretty much obvious from the onset -- pimpin' and gettin' paid. That's pretty much it. It's a fairly solid album despite its lack of topic range, and I know it's out of print, but it's not worth the outrageous prices I see on the internet. For more info on the album, check out: http://www.discogs.com/release/473969

Ass, Gas Or Cash (No One Rides For Free) [Lench Mob Records 1994]

1. Intro
2. Best Thing Goin'
3. Hittin' Corners
4. Freshest MC In The World
5. Pimping And Pandering (Part 1)
6. Make The Music
7. Gigalos Get Lonely Too feat. Morris Day
8. Neva Was A Baller
9. Where's The Cat?
10. Thought I Saw A Pussy Cat feat. Ice Cube & Bootsy Collins
11. K-Swinga
12. Pimping And Pandering (Part 2)
13. Talk Of The Town
14. Into You
15. Words To The Wise
16. Ain't Nothin' Poppin' feat. Snow
17. Assoline
18. Ass, Gas Or Cash feat. Bootsy Collins

Scarface

2008-03-20T12:02:00.010-04:00

Scarface has a pretty impressive discography. All of his albums are consistently strong and hold up well over the years. I read on several sites that this was a weak album. I went ahead and put it up here so others could hear it because I don't think it's weak at all. The production is a little different, but it's still tight and we all know how Scarface paints pictures with words, so I'm not really sure how this album is weak at all. Is it his strongest release? No, but it's still pretty damn good in its own right. Go ahead and take a listen and then you be the judge.

The Untouchable [Rap-A-Lot Records 1997]

1. Intro
2. Untouchable
3. No Warning
4. Southside
5. Sunshine feat. Lisa Crawford
6. Money Makes The World Go Round feat. Daz
7. For Real
8. Ya Money Or Ya Life
9. Mary Jane
10. Smile feat. 2Pac and Johnny P.
11. Smartz
12. Faith
13. Game Over feat. Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, & Too $hort
14. Outro

Redman

2008-03-02T11:25:00.007-05:00

Redman's second album, along with a lot of the other albums that you'll find here, is one of the joints in his discography that rarely ever gets the love that it deserves. Some say the production all sounds the same. Others say that Redman isn't at his best lyrically. I'd say both charges are completely false. Red switched his style up from the first LP (Whut! Thee Album) and he was just as fresh. I think the idea was to make a bass heavy album with a smoked out theme to it. If you ask me, he did exactly that and sprinkled in a little wit to boot. Just like any Def Squad release from the 90's, Dare Iz A Darkside is guaranteed satisfaction.

Dare Iz A Darkside [RAL / Def Jam 1994]

1. Dr. Trevis
2. Bobyahed2dis
3. Journey Throo Da Darkside
4. Da Journee
5. A Million And 1 Buddah Spots
6. Noorotic
7. Boodah Session
8. Cosmic Slop
9. Rockafella (R.I.P.)
10. Rockafella
11. Green Island
12. Basically
13. Can't Wait
14. Winicumuhround
15. Wuditlooklike
16. Slide And Rock On
17. Sooperman Luva II
18. We Run N.Y.
19. Dr. Trevis (Sighs Off)
20. Tonight's Da Nite (Remix)

NYOil

2008-02-20T14:54:00.007-05:00

This particular album is a free internet only release from indie rapper NYOil. I've heard a single from it, but I haven't heard the whole thing yet. It's basically NYOil rhyming over classic 9th Wonder beats. I'd say that, after hearing HoodTreason: The Warm Up Album, I'd gladly support anything the man does -- which includes spreading the word about him. The link isn't mine though, I got it off his MySpace page, but here it is...the new joint from NYOil.

9 Wonders: The NYOil vs 9th Wonder Digital EP [Petroleum Empire Media Group 2008]

1. Each Morning
2. More And More
3. Close Your Eyes
4. Drop Squad
5. Cap'n Save A Hoe!
6. Big Nay feat. Big Nay
7. CONspiracy Theory
8. The Investor
9. Seems Like feat. Dan Wallace

De La Soul

2008-02-20T12:15:00.006-05:00

Lately, I've been putting up multiple albums for every artists that I post. I figured that might shorten the life of my blog, so after the Fat Boys discog, I think I'm going to hold off on that. Anyway, here's a De La album that I talked up over at Amazon. I think it's the most well rounded album they ever put out. While some of their other releases were over the heads of many and a little off the wall, this joint is probably the most accessible and straightforward of all their releases without sacrificing that De La vibe that we've all come to know and love. Updated, but still the same, is what I'm trying to say, I guess. There are some great verses on the album from guests like Ghostface, Common, and MF Doom. With production from the likes of Supa Dave West, J-Dilla (R.I.P.), Madlib, 9th Wonder, and Jake One, you really can't miss here. Listen. Nod. Enjoy. Oh yeah, um, I threw in the video for Shopping Bags (produced by Madlib) at the bottom.

The Grind Date [AOI/Sanctuary Urban Records 2004]

1. The Future
2. Verbal Clap
3. Much More feat. Yummy
4. Shopping Bags (She Got From You)
5. The Grind Date
6. Church feat. Spike Lee
7. It's Like That feat. Carl Thomas
8. He Comes feat. Ghostface
9. Days Of Our Lives feat. Common
10. Come On Down feat. Flava Flav
11. No feat. Butta Verses
12. Rock Co.Kane Flow feat. MF Doom

Three Times Dope

2008-02-03T18:44:00.002-05:00

Most old school heads already know abot the Philadelphia trio known as Three Times Dope. When they dropped their debut, they were down with the Hilltop Hustlers posse (wait, who says "posse" anymore?) that included the likes of Cool C., Steady B., DJ Tat Money. And before Tat Money showed up, there was DJ Grand Dragon. Anyway, the Hilltop Hustlers dropped a lot of dope, underrated material during the mid to late 80's and the early 90's. Steady B was probably the most popular of the whole crew, but I think Three Times Dope dropped the best album of the whole crew.

Original Stylin' [1989 Arista Records]

1. Greatest Man Alive
2. Original Stylin'
3. Funky Dividends
4. Improvin' Da Groovin'
5. Increase The Peace/What's Going On
6. From Da Giddy Up
7. Once More You Hear the Dope Stuff
8. Believe Dat
9. Straight Up
10. Who Is This?
11. Crushin n' Bussin [Remix] feat. Cool C.
12. Joe Familiar

Unfortunately, the Hilltop Hustlers crew would dissolve after a falling out and 3xD kind of changed things up for the second album. While the sound doesn't stick as closely to the b-boy script, and despite having one of the dumbest album titles and lamest attempts at slang integration in rap history (what the fuck does "Acknickulous" mean anyway?), it's still a decent listen...but the first album is an undeniable classic in my book and this one falls kind of short when compared to it. They did manage to drop a third album called "The Sequel" and, from what I've been able to gather, it's solid, but not up to the previous 3xD standard. I'll have to find that album and take a listen for myself. In the meanwhile, enjoy these two great albums...

Live From Acknickulous Land

1. Return Home (Intro-Mission)
2. Mr. Sandman
3. Mellow But Smooth
4. Weak At The Knees
5. No Words
6. Make Ya $
7. In Effect
8. 10 Lil' Sucka Emceez
9. Make Dat Move
10. I Ain't Tryin' 2 Hear It
11. Peace Ya' Self
12. I Got It
13. Do U Wanna C It
14. Live!!! From Acknickulous Land

The B.U.M.S.

2008-02-01T11:06:00.000-05:00

You know, I don't really remember much about this album from The B.U.M.S. (an acronym for "Brothas Unda Madness"). If it hadn't been requested, it'd probably still be sitting in a shoebox right now (good call, Kev). Anyway, since I only remember two singles from the album getting play on the radio when I was younger (that would be the ultra tight "Take A Look Around" and "Elevation"), I don't really have much to say about it. I gave it a listen while I was ripping it and it's definitely on point. I'm not quite sure how this one fell between the cracks. D-Wyze and E-Vocalist are nice on the mic and don't quite come off as the typical Cali rapppers on their '95 debut. There's more of a east/west blend going on here. I wonder if they ever put out a second album? It'd be a shame if this is all they ever got a chance to show the public. I noticed that it's going for $55 over on Amazon.com, so even if I didn't like it, I'd still take great pleasure in cutting these vulture's sales. Enjoy...

Lyfe 'N' Tyme [1995 Priority Records]

1. Brothas Unda Madness
2. Non-Stoppin' The Groove
3. I Don't Know
4. Wreck Your Ears (Can Do)
5. Cup Of Jokes
6. Take a Look Around
7. 6 Figures And Up
8. Flex Uv A Finga
9. Diggin' In The Crate
10. Let The Music Take Your Mind
11. Suck My Dick
12. Elevation (Free My Mind)
13. Food For Thought
14. West Coast Smack
15. Harry Joenick
16. Lyfe'n'tyme
17. For My Brothas
18. Wake Up
19. Can You Do Without
20. Who Gives You the Right

Rhyme & Reason

2008-01-29T18:34:00.001-05:00

Rhyme & Reason is a movie I've never seen before. I do remember it coming out after The Show did so well. I figured it would be similar and went and snatched it up when it dropped. I remember not feelin' it when I first played it and banishing it to the dusty realms (aka my CD racks). I think I went about 4 years without never giving it a chance when one I day I popped it in out of curiosity. It's actually pretty good. I think my tastes had evolved between listens. Anyway, it's a soundtrack, and the guest list definitely reads like one. The all-over-the-place lineup kind of takes away from the cohesion. It's still pretty cool to hear current rhyme slingers like Sean Price, Ras Kass, and Canibus rhyme with hunger. I think RZA's "Tradgedy" is a classic cut and Mack 10 & Tha Dogg Pound collaborate on the only single I'm aware of -- the bangin' "Nothin' But The Cavi Hit." The production swings from your typical 90's styled east coast underground to thumping Cali styled bass. The album is great in sections but, like I said before, the lack of cohesion kind of keeps it from being the home run that it should've been.

Rhyme & Reason - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack {1997 Priority Records}

1. Nothin' But The Cavi Hit - Mack 10 & Tha Dogg Pound
2. Wild Hot - Busta Rhymes & A Tribe Called Quest
3. Reason For Rhyme - Eightball & MJG
4. Uni-4-Orm - Ras Kass, Heltah Skeltah, & Canibus
5. Bogus Mayn - Crucial Conflict
6. Every Year - E-40
7. Tragedy - RZA
8. Represent - MC Eiht
9. Niggaz Don't Want It - The Lost Boyz
10. Bring It Back - KRS One
11. Is There A Heaven For A Gangsta? - Master P
12. Liquor Store Run - Volume 10
13. The Way It Iz - Guru, Kai:Bee, & Lil' Dap
14. Business First - Nyoo & Decoca
15. No Identity - Deliquent Habits

Duice

2008-01-29T16:27:00.000-05:00

I have a soft spot for "booty" music. Especially the old shit. It's like the goofy kid brother in relation to what some would call "real" hip hop. It's great for dancing to and the artists in the genre don't take themselves as seriously. I figured I'd throw this Duice album up just for shits and giggles. I mean, it's their only album and the (double platinum?!) dance classic "Dazzey Duks" is on here. I mean, it's not even the best booty music out there, but it's fun -- that's if you can get past Creo-D's annoying voice. I don't really need to get into what the production like. If you dig Luke records, you'll dig this since this is like some C grade Luke music. Do they even make booty music anymore? I remember when the genre was strong back in the 90's. Anyway, finding album art for this joint was a pain in the ass, so I had to snap a pic of it myself. Sorry if it looks crappy. I may just start taking pictures of the albums I put up anyway since finding art is a pain in the ass. We'll see. Oh, and the track listing was screwed up, so I corrected it. Enjoy some of this here '92 booty music. Here's a video to refresh the memory if you're at all curious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzAkvJVbP-k

Dazzey Duks {1992 Bellmark / Tony Mercedes Records}

1. Dazzey Duks
2. Feel What I Feel
3. The Pawee
4. Bring The Bass
5. Duice Is In The House
6. Booty Call
7. Dazzey Duks [Remix]
8. Shitty-Shitty
9. Pass The Mic

Boogiemonsters

2008-01-28T12:53:00.000-05:00

The Boogiemonsters are one of the most overlooked groups to come out of the 90's. They burst onto the scene with classics like "Strange", "Recognized Thresholds of Negative Stress", and "Honeydips In Gotham." The production is credited to someone that goes only by "D!" The four members of the group -- Vex, Mondo, Yodared, and Myntric -- supply the rhymes. Mondo and Vex tend to get more of the spotlight than Yodared and Myntric, but they're all very capable rhymeslingers. There are a few religious tracks like "Mark Of The Beast" (classic) and "Old Man Jacob's Well", but the rest revolves around chicks, rhymes, and other 90's styled b-boyisms. It's funny, I looked these guys up on wikipedia and it turns out that Yodared actually became a minister and preaches the gospel out in California now. I mean, who saw that comin'?

Riders Of The Storm: The Underwater Album {1994 EMI / Pendulum Records}

1. Jugganauts
2. Recognized Thresholds Of Negative Stress
3. Boogie
4. Muzic Appreciation (Sweet Music)
5. Mark Of The Beast
6. Altered States Of Conciousness
7. Honeydips In Gotham
8. Strange
9. Old Man Jacob's Well
10. Bronx Bombas
11. Salt Water Taffy (Slo Jam)
12. Riders Of The Storm
13. Recognized Thresholds Of Negative Stress [Stressless Mix]

Their sophomore LP, while solid, doesn't stand up very well to their debut. This is where the Boogiemonsters became a duo due to Yodared and Myntric's departure to pursue religious aspirations. The production is handled by quite a few people, so the sound isn't as coherent as their debut, but the production is still strong. Though it sounds a little more mainstream where as the debut had it's own uniques sound. People wanted sequels back then. That being said, I think a lot of people wanted Riders Of The Storm Part II which is why God Sound was largely ignored by so many people. Not only that, this album was a lot more serious than the debut. The religious aspect is more prevalent and the vibe is sort of dark. I still love it though and I'd recommend it to anyone.

God Sound {1997 EMI / Pendulum Records}

1. Intro
2. The Beginning Of The End
3. God Sound
4. ...And Then What?
5. Say Word feat. Bahamadia
6. Mark Of The Beast II (R.S.V.)
7. Hot Water In The Wilderness feat. Tysha
8. M.C.
9. Bodya
10. Behold A Pale Horse
11. Photographic Memory
12. Sodom & Gomorrah
13. The Lunchroom Table
14. Whoever You Ar (Wherever You Ar)
15. Whistles In The Wind feat. John Doe
16. Warning

Insomnia: Erick Sermon Compilation

2008-01-28T11:24:00.005-05:00

So, I'm over on Wake Your Daughter Up when I spot a LOTUG video for "What I'm After." After watching it like 10 times straight (lol), I spot Keith Murray's "It's That Hit" in the menu bar. I don't know about anyone else, but I fuckin' love that song along with the other single from that album -- Redman's "Funkorama." Remember how videos used to be low budget and still come off extra lovely? Maybe I'm just old, but now it seems like the bigger the budget, the poorer the video. Enough with the mini tangents though. I went and dug up "Funkorama" and I put both videos just underneath the track listing. Back to the album though. In my book, Erick Sermon is one of the best producers in hip hop/rap history. This entire album (obviously) is produced by him. It's not his best stuff in terms of production, but his C level stuff was better than a lot of other producers A level material. The rhymes are supplied by the usual Def Squad suspects -- Redman, Keith Murray, Erick Sermon, Jamal -- as well as lesser known acts from their various offshoot crews (PPP, L.O.D., etc). The lesser known acts are decent, but you can kind of hear why they stayed in the background. They aren't bad, but they don't jump out at you or wow you in any way either. Just for clarification purposes, I feel it necessary to mention that the Tommy Gunn listed on this album is not the M.I.C. rapper Megalon (Megalon uses "Tommy Gunn" as an alias). The Tommy Gunn on this album passed away back in 1996 just before the release of this album.

Insomnia: The Erick Sermon Compilation Album [Interscope Records 1996]

1. Intro
2. Funkorama - Redman
3. The Vibe - Xross Breed
4. As The... - Passion
5. Beez Like That (Sometimes) - Jamal & Calif
6. It's That Hit - Keith Murray
7. Up Jump The Boogie - The Wixtons
8. Caller's Interlude
9. I Feel It - L.O.D.
10. On The Regular - Duo
11. Fear - Tommy Gunn
12. Ready For War - Domo
13. Reign - Erick Sermon

Psyche Origami

2008-01-27T08:52:00.000-05:00

Some of you may remember Psyche Origami's tracks getting played on Adult Swim back when their debut dropped (if anyone has that, linkage would be much appreciated). As far as I know, that's what their most famous for. When I was writing for Modern Fix, they sent this to me for review. Had it not been for that, I probably wouldn't know who they were either. Basically, they're a trio from Georgia. It's definitely not your stereotypical type of southern rap though. No grills or bling to be found here. As a matter of fact, it's quite the opposite. DJs Dainja and Synthesis are excellent on the wheels and that will win this listener over almost every time. Mr. Wyzard (aka MC Wyzsztyck) supplies the rhymes. I like him, but he doesn't jump out at me. He's definitely skilled though. Overall, I'd say that it's a worthwhile listen. This is some not-so-southern hip hop straight out of Georgia. Check them out at: www.psycheorigami.com

The Standard {2005 Arc The Finger Records}

1. Fool Service
2. For Those That Know
3. No Line, No Waiting
4. Wherever You Are
5. Maybeesandifs
6. Critics Choice
7. Commercial Property feat. X:144 & Swamburger
8. Self-Serv-Us feat. Jax & Flux (of Binkis)
9. The Quantum Mechanics
10. Get It Correct
11. The Standard
12. Directions
13. Three Eighty Seven (Interlude)
14. Get Gassed-Up feat. Killa Kalm (of Binkis)
15. Spare Change
16. Check-Out Line feat. Bambu & Jmil (of Collective Efforts)

EL-P

2008-01-26T18:16:00.000-05:00

For me, EL-P is kind of hit or miss. When he makes a beat that hits, it really hits. But when he makes a bad beat, it's really bad. That's just my take though. Fantastic Damage is one of his releases that hits. I mean it really hits. Lyrically, it's nothing out of this world. It's the production that stands out the most here. The best way I can think to describe it would be "mechanical" with sprinkles of that old boom bap. I'm not sure if that quite covers it, but I'm not really sure if there is a way to accurately describe this LP. I can't front, when I first heard it, I dismissed it as headache inducing noise...now I can't get enough of it. There are some nice guest appearances as well. Names like Mr. Lif, Aesop Rock, Ill Bill, Camu Tao, and Rob Sonic can be found in the list of credits along with a few others. Enough rambling from me though. If you dig the Def Jux sound, you'll love this album. In my mind, it's a progression of the Funcrusher Plus sound. It's one of those albums that people either love or hate though. There don't to seem to be too many in betweeners out there.

Fantastic Damage {2002 Definitive Jux Records}

1. Fantastic Damage
2. Squeegee Man Shooting
3. Deep Space 9mm
4. Tuned Mass Damper
5. Dead Disnee
6. Delorean
7. Truancy
8. The Nang, The Front, The Bush, and The Shit
9. Accidents Don't Happen
10. Stepfather Factory
11. T.O.J.
12. Dr. Hellno and The Praying Mantus
13. Lazerfaces' Warning
14. Innocent Leader
15. Constellation Funk
16. Blood

Colors Soundtrack

2008-01-26T16:20:00.001-05:00

I found this bad boy at a Salvation Army in Martinsburg, Wet Virginia. Since I don't really dig the newer stuff as much as I used to, I usually go hunting for old stuff that I never copped as a kid but always wanted. This album falls into that category and I think it cost me all of $2.00. I'd say it was worth every penny. The lineup is pretty tight and there are some classics to be found here (Raw, Paid In Full, Colors...to name a few). The thing I found odd about the soundtrack is the fact that even though the movie was about gang violence/culture in California, the hip hop artists on this soundtrack (with the exception of Ice T and 7A3) are all from New York. I mean, if you take away Eric B & Rakim, Salt & Pepa, & Ice T, you basically have a Juice Crew album on your hands (Kool G Rap & Polo, MC Shan, Roxanne Shante, & Big Daddy Kane appear on 4 out of 10 tracks) with a few scattered r&b/dance joints sprinkled about. Go figure. I guess it's just a sign of the times. The east coast pretty much dominated everything from the inception up until the mid 90's. With that being said, don't expect much west coast rap from this set.

Colors - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack {1988 Warner Bros. Records}

1. Colors - Ice T
2. Six Gun - Decadent Dub Team
3. Let The Rhythm Run - Salt & Pepa
4. Raw - Big Daddy Kane
5. Paid In Full [Seven Minutes Of Madness Mix] - Eric B. & Rakim
6. Butcher Shop - Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo
7. Mad Mad World - 7A3
8. Go On Girl - Roxanne Shante'
9. A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste - M.C. Shan
10. Everywhere I Go (Colors) - Rick James

Mac

2008-01-26T14:11:00.001-05:00

Shell Shocked is one of my favorite No Limit releases and it can be argued that it's also one of the best No Limit releases. It came out back in '98 during the peak of No Limit's popularity, but it didn't get the same shine that other releases from the label were getting. The production, just like everything else that came out of there at the time, is handled exclusively by Beats by The Pound. It's evident that Mac has rhymin' skills and he was a more than capable story teller. His second album, World War III, is okay, but it doesn't come close to this one. The vultures have jacked up the prices of his two known releases because he's doing a 30 year bid for manslaughter. Though it's definitely a great album, and one of No Limit's best releases (along with Fiend and a few others), I don't think it's worth the $34.95 I see it selling for on Amazon.

Shell Schocked {1998 No Limit Records}

1. Boss Chick feat. Mia X
2. Be All You Can Be feat. Silkk the Shocker & Fiend
3. Soldier Party feat. Master P
4. Murda, Murda, Kill, Kill feat. Mystikal
5. Tank Dogs feat. C-Murder & Fiend
6. Slow Ya Roll feat. O'Dell
7. We Don't Love 'Em
8. Wooo feat. Snoop Dogg, Mia X, Big Ed, Mr. Serv-On, & Kane & Abel
9. Can I Ball feat. Soulja Slim
10. Money Gets feat. Master P
11. The Game
12. Callin' Me
13. Memories feat. C-Murder
14. Meet Me At The Hotel feat. Mr. Serv-On, Magic, Storm, & Mo B. Dick
15. Shell Shocked feat. Fiend
16. Paranoid feat. Silkk the Shocker
17. Nobody Make A Sound feat. 2-4-1, Magic, & Fiend
18. Beef
19. Camouflage Love feat. Storm
20. Empire
21. My Brother
22. Shell Shocked (Outro)

Pharoahe Monch

2008-01-25T14:07:00.001-05:00

Pharoahe Monche's debut is one of those albums that never gets old to me. Since I was sort of disappointed in his latest album, I find myself reaching for this one more often than I reach for Desire. It kills me to see vultures on various sites jack up the price for it because, even though I love it, it's definitely not a $30 album. It's my belief that no singel CD is worth more than that (especially with the age of file sharing upon us). Anyway, Internal Affairs is full of hard hitting beats and Pharoahe Monch's nimble, stuttering flow shines throughout. It dropped on Rawkus (probably my favorite label at the time) back in '99 and has since gone out of print. From what I understand, it went out of print because Rawkus was sued for the uncleared Godzilla samples used on "Simon Says." I don't know how factual that is, but I do know that you won't find a new copy of this sitting on shelves anymore. So, for all those looking for it, here it is. Enjoy.

Internal Affairs {1999, Rawkus Records}

1. Intro

2. Behind Closed Doors

3. Queens

4. Rape

5. Simon Says

6. Official

7. Hell feat. Canibus

8. No Mercy feat. M.O.P.

9. Right Here

10. The Next Shit feat. Busta Rhymes

11. The Ass introducing Apani

12. The Light

13. God Send - Organized Konfusion

14. The Truth feat. Common & Talib Kweli

15. Simon Says [Remix] feat. Lady Luck, Redman, Method Man, Shabaam Sahdeeq, & Busta Rhymes

Low Profile

2008-01-23T20:31:00.002-05:00

Here's another Amazon request. I didn't really like Low Profile when they first came out. With the exception of NWA, Ice T, and a few others, I didn't really dig rap from Cali at all back in '89. I didn't get into this album until sometime back in '92. I didn't even know it was the Pre-Westside Connection, Pre-Maad Circle WC that was on the mic at the time (though his topic range has done an about face since this dropped). Anyway, while I wouldn't call this a classic or even required listening, I will say that it's aged very well. The production is your typical '89 Cali fare (chunky funk samples and heavy bass), but Aladdin does his thing on the turntables. That alone was reason enough for me to like it...the rest was just a bonus for me. Turns out the whole thing was dope. Who knew, right?

We're In This Together [Priority Records 1989]

1. Funky Song
2. That's Y They Do It
3. Pay Ya Dues
4. Easy Money
5. Keep 'Em Flowin'
6. Aladdin's On A Rampage
7. How Ya Livin'
8. Comin' Straight From The Heart
9. We're In This Together
10. Make Room For The Big Dub.B.U.
11. No Mercy

DJ Jazzy Jeff

2008-01-22T22:18:00.001-05:00

I figured since today is the 22nd of January that my next post should involve DJ Jazzy Jeff in some way. For those that don't know, the 22nd is Jeff's birthday -- he turned 43. I only know it because Jeff has been (and always will be) my favorite DJ ever since I was 10 years old, so I kind of studied the guy. With all that being said, I'm going to drop the entire DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince studio discography along with his two Hip Hop Forever releases. There are a few things that I should probably mention before I get started. On the "He's The DJ I'm The Rapper" LP, one of the best tracks on the album (Another Special Announcement) is missing despite being included on the vinyl and cassette versions (I have the cassette, but no vinyl).

Not only that, "Nightmare On My Street" is edited. On a totally seperate note, whatever happened to Ready Rock C? Dude was ill (beatboxing the Sanford & Son Theme underwater? fuckin' bananas...forget about it). Also, I don't have the bonus disc for Hip Hop Forever III so, obviously, I won't be including it. The bonus disc is just the songs used in the compilation, but they aren't mixed. So there's nothing to be missed unless you're just looking for some of the songs in particular. And, like with everything else I post, if there's no decent album art, I take pics of my own....so if anyone knows where I can get some decent He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper album art, hit me. That's pretty much everything that comes to mind so, um, on with the show then...

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

Rock The House {1987, Word Up Records - Jive/Zomba Recordings}

1. Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble (1988 Extended Remix)
2. Just One Of Those Days
3. Rock The House
4. Taking It To The Top
5. The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff
6. Just Rockin'
7. Guys Ain't Nothing But Trouble feat. Ice Cream Tee
8. A Touch Of Jazz
9. Don't Even Try It
10. Special Announcement

He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper {1988, Jive/Zomba Recordings}

1. Nightmare On My Street
2. Here We Go Again
3. Brand New Funk
4. Time To Chill
5. Charlie Mack (1st Out Of The Limo)
6. As We Go
7. Parents Just Don't Understand
8. Pump Up The Bass
9. Let's Get Busy Baby
10. Live At Union Square (November 1986)
11. D.J. On The Wheels
12. My Buddy
13. Rhythm Trax - House Party Style
14. He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper
15. Hip Hop Dancer's Theme
16. Jazzy's In The House
17. Human Video Game

And In This Corner... {1989, Jive/Zomba Recordings}

1. Then She Bit Me
2. I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson
3. Jazzy's Groove
4. Everything That Glitters (Ain't Always Gold)
5. You Got It (Donut)
6. The Girlie Had A Mustache
7. The Reverend
8. Who Stole My Car?
9. The Men Of Your Dreams
10. Numero Uno
11. Too Damn Hype
12. Jeff Waz On The Beat Box

Homebase {1991, Jive/Zomba Recordings}

1. I'm All That
2. Summertime
3. The Things That U Do
4. The Boy Is Smooth
5. Ring My Bell
6. A Dog Is A Dog
7. Caught In The Middle
8. Trapped On The Dance Floor
9. Who Stole The D.J.
10. You Saw My Blinker
11. Dumb Dancin'
12. Summertime (Reprise)

Code Red {1993 Jive/Zomba Recordings}

1. Somethin' Like Dis
2. I'm Looking For The One (To Be With Me)
3. Boom! Shake The Room
4. Can't Wait To Be With You feat. Christopher Williams
5. Twinkle Twinkle (I'm Not A Star)
6. Code Red
7. Shadow Dreams
8. Just Kickin' It
9. Ain't No Place Like Home
10. I Wanna Rock
11. Scream
12. Boom! Shake The Room (Street Remix)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DJ Jazzy Jeff

Hip Hop Forever II {2004, BBE Music / Rapster Records}

[Disc 1 - Mixed]

1. Ice Cream (Raekwon)
2. Danger (Blahzay Blahzay)
3. Bucktown (Smif N' Wessun)
4. How Many MC's (Black Moon)
5. Mood Swing (Asheru)
6. Square One (InI)
7. Braggin' Writes (J-Live)
8. Interlude
9. Times Up (O.C.)
10. Made U Look (Nas)
11. Buck 'Em Down (Beatminerz Remix) (Black Moon)
12. M.I.A. (Missin' Linx)
13. This Is What They Meant (Pete Rock & Grand Agent)
14. Official (Jaylib)
15. Words I Manifest (Gang Starr)
16. You Can't Stop The Prophet (Pete Rock Remix) (Jeru Tha Damaja)
17. Electric Relaxation (A Tribe Called Quest)
18. Flawless (Phife Dawg)
19. Party Up (Wildchild feat. Vinia Mojica)
20. Watch Out Now (The Beatnuts)
21. Drop (The Pharcyde)
22. How I Could Just Kill A Man (Cypress Hill)
23. Live At The BBQ (Main Source)

[Disc 2 - Unmixed]

1. Ice Cream
2. Danger
3. Bucktown
4. How Many MC's
5. Mood Swing
6. Times Up
7. Made U Look
8. Buck 'Em Down
9. M.I.A.
10. This Is What They Meant
11. The Official
12. Words I Manifest
13. You Can't Stop The Prophet (not the remix though...I know, it's some shullbit)
14. Electric Relaxation
15. Watch Out Now
16. How I Could Just Kill A Man
Live At The BBQ
17. 3ree6ix5ive (Old World Order feat. Eminem -- left off the mixed version for some reason)

Hip Hop Forever III {2006, BBE Music / Rapster Records}

1. Tear Shit Up feat. Biz Markie
2. Passin' Me By (The Pharcyde)
3. Whatever You Say (Little Brother)
4. Ijustwannachill (Large Professor)
5. Top Ten List (Masta Ace Incorporated)
6. Visualize (Mr. Complex)
7. Speed (Little Brother)
8. Ebonics (Big L)
9. Play Dis (Clean) (Saukrates feat. Common)
10. Players (Slum Village)
11. Runnin' (The Pharcyde)
12. Fuck The Police (Jay Dee)
13. Eric B. Is President (Eric B. & Rakim)
14. Droppin' Science (Marley Marl feat. Craig G.)
15. The ? Remainz (Gang Starr)
16. Mass Appeal (Gang Starr)
17. Full Clip (Gang Starr)
18. Boom (Royce Da 5'9")
19. Award Tour (A Tribe Called Quest)
20. Don't Nobody Care About Us (Phat Kat)
21. Quiet Storm (Mobb Deep)
22. Who Got The Props (Black Moon)
23. Let's Get Dirty (I Can't Get In The Club) (Redman feat. DJ Kool)
24. The Choice Is Yours (Revisited) (Black Sheep)
25. Looking At The Front Door (Main Source)
26. Them That's Not (J-Live)

Dana Dane

2008-01-22T18:20:00.000-05:00

This album is one of several requests I got over at Amazon. I've had this one for a minute, but I haven't played it much. I finally gave it a spin while I was rippin' it and I'd have to say it has aged fairly well despite the archaic production. Or maybe that's just the old geezer in me talking. Anyway, it's a light, fun piece that had me doing the wop at red lights this morning. Well, here it is...9 tracks/37 minutes worth of some of 1987's finest hip hop music. Still can't believe this album is 21 years old though...

Dana Dane With Fame {1987, Profile Records}

1. Dedication
2. Cinderfella Dana Dane
3. This Be The Def Beat
4. Dana Dane With Fame
5. Delancey Street
6. We Wanna Party
7. Nightmares
8. Keep The Groove
9. Love At First Sight

H.M.H.

2008-01-09T16:12:00.001-05:00

I don't know all that much about H.M.H. I saw this album sitting in a used bin at an FYE in Martinsburg, WV. It was $2.99 and it was a rap album, so I figured I'd take a chance. The end results aren't bad, but they're nothing spectacular either. I read up on this group and it turns out that they're from Chicago. H.M.H stands for Hang Men Homicide (don't quote me on the spelling). Wicked Wild and Toine G. are your typical gangsta rappers. KE Fresh provides the backdrops (he produces every track on the album). As expected, the sound is basically some gangsta posturing over thick bass and smoked out funk. It's a little on the generic side, and even though it hasn't aged all that well, I thought it was alright.

Comin' Off [Phat House Records 1995]

1. We On Some Sh---t
2. Funk Mode
3. Straight Bringin' Da Drama
4. Comin' Off Interlude
5. In Da Chi
6. Bit' Nigga Killa
7. Let It Ride
8. Prelude
9. Bonita
10. Boo-Tee Bounce
11. Hum-A-Side Party
12. Ghetto Madness
13. Blowin' Up
14. How Many Joints
15. Let It Ride Interlude
16. In Da Trunk
17. Comin' Off (Introducing BUJI & Allie Kat)

Twinz - Conversation {1995, G Funk Music / RAL}

2008-01-07T21:43:00.001-05:00

The Twinz are one of those groups that didn't make much of a splash when they really should've. They had everything working in their favor. Major label backing? Check. Platinum selling super producer? Check. Incredibly catchy/irresistible lead single? Check. I mean, they were dealt some great cards to play but, for reasons that go way over my head, they were largely ignored. At any rate, Conversation is a vintage piece of g funk era hip hop that has aged quite nicely over the years. Tripp and Wayniac aren't the most astounding rappers you'll ever hear, but they are what I consider the perfect match for Warren G's production. Don't quote me on this, but I don't think the ever made a second album. It's a shame, really, because these two put together what I like to call a classic album. An excellent chunk of Cali funk if ever I heard one.

Conversation

1. Conversation #1
2. Round & Round
3. Good Times
4. 4 Eyes 2 Heads
5. Jump Ta This
6. Eastside LB
7. Sorry I Kept You
8. Conversation #2
9. Journey Wit Me
10. Hollywood
11. 1st Round Draft Pick
12. Conversation #3
13. Don't Get It Twisted feat. New Birth
14. Pass It On