Alan The Chemist EP's X 2

Alan Maman, aka The Alchemist, has been hitting up the underground hip-hop scene with some of the heaviest hip-hop records for well over a decade now, starting to get placements on important albums back in 1996 and 1997 and over the years he has quickly became one of the absolute finest beatmakers in the industry. And he's productive as hell too, without the quality of his product declining over the years which is many legendary producers has failed on. For more than a decade he has laced classics for everyone from Mobb Deep N Prodigy, Mugg's Soul Assassins, Defari, Group Home, Pharoahe Monch, Terror Squad, Dilated Peoples, CNN, Guru, NaS and many, many more. And in a way he's just getting better for the most part,

I want to bring out two EP:s/mini-albums/street albums that got me alot of enjoynment since they dropped; a 9 tracks EP with some exclusive Al/Dilated Peoples non-album material that was released in 2003 called "Heavy Surveillance" featuring some exclusive verses from GURU, Havoc and Talib Kweli.  The second I want to bring out is something that's more recent, and only runs for about 20+ minutes. I'm talking about Fashawn's street-tape/EP, "The Antidote", which features 11 short that all falls in the category of bangers. That's one I banged alot considering I love Fashawn's style and Alc is always Alc! That one is one some blaxploatation vibe with Fash' ripping the beats like there's no tommorw. Very enjoyable shit...Also in case you missed it; earlier this year Curren$y teamed up with the producer for his critically acclaimed free street tape: "Couvert Coup", check the tracklist and download your copy here! There's no doubt Alc is on a run right now, his shit for Raekwon, the Gangreene stuff, "Chemical Warfare" and much more. Hard to complain right, if you missed out on those two releases below, do yourself a favor and check 'em out ASAP, if you're a ALC fan you will hardly be dissapointed, that's my word!


01. "Intro"
02. "Shall Come A New Name"
03. "Fash Plays it Cool"
04. "The Antidote"
05.  "Gone in 60 Seconds"
06. "Rap Seduction"
07. "What's Your World"
08. "From The Creation" (Ft. Alchemist, Oh No & Roc C)
09. "FYT"
10. "Lost in New York"
11. "Got it Sewn"

FASHAWN - "THE ANTIDOTE"

   

01. "Alchemist Intro"

02. "Heavy Surveillance Freestyle"

03. "Thieves" (Ft. Prodigy)

04. "Big Twinz Skit"

05. "Marathon" (Edit Excerpts from "Neighbour Hood Watch")

06. "Under The Sun"

07. "Dilatin'"

08. "Worst Comes to Worst (Rmx)" (Ft. GURU & Havoc)

09. "Live On Stag (Rmx)" (Ft. Talib Kweli)

ALCHEMIST Pres. DILATED PEOPLES - "HEAVY SURVEILLANCE"

Common kicks a new verse...

Common took the time to spit some bars from his upcoming single, "Blue Sky", while visiting Power 106 the other day. While it's not much, it's sounding good and I know a Com' album fully produced by No I.D. has been on the hip-hop wishlist of alot of us fiends for years. I can't wait to get my hands on the LP, "The Dreamer, The Believer", which should be one of the three best albums of the year. Both of these two artists are very diverse and can go from a succesful mainstream single to the rawest street-hop in a hand-turn, yet I hope the focus will be on the latter for this project. The LP is set for release on November 22 and the single ("Blue Sky") was supposed to drop two days ago, but it shouldn't be too long. Below you can see the artwork for the single release, reminds me of some ECM jazz release.

LORD FINESSE - "Instrumentals" [Promo LP]

This is a real gem for all the D.I.T.C. heads; fourty minutes of uncut funk from the Funkyman Lord Finesse himself. Released as promo gear only and even at that in limited quantity, these banging instrumentals slipped past way too many fans when it was released in 2006. From what I recognize, at least half of the beats on here are primarily unreleased besides this vinyl, which is a shame since I can hear a number of rappers making hardcore masterpieces to these breaks. There's a few classics on here as well, Show & A's "Add On" makes an apperance as do L's "School Daze" and "All Black", for example. Check it out for yourself, all tracks produced by ´Ness.

01. "Intro"
02. "Papa Was Too"
03. "Ultramagnetic"
04. "Master Ya High"
05. "Let's Get it On"
06. "School Daze"
07. "Add On"
08. "Enchanted"
09. "Let 'Em Know"
10. "All Black"
11. "Soundtrack Theme"
12. "Makes The World Go 'Round"
13. "Timez Iz Hard"
14. "Baby, Baby"

LORD FINESSE - "INSTRUMENTALS" LP

Video: RANDOM AXE - "Chewbacca"

One of my favorite joints off Sean Price's, Black Milk's and Guilty Simpson's collaborative "Random Axe" album gets the visual treatment. And it's a pretty damn funny video too. Directed by Noah Friedman and produced by bkellyvideo & Third Street Works; music of course laced by Black Milk. If you haven't already, you can order the album now, both CD and LP available.

J DILLA - "REBIRTH OF DETROIT" Coming!

"The Rebirth Of Detroit" is the title of the upcoming new DILLA album which I remember reading about a few months ago. Once again, it's the great producers mother, Ma Dukes, who is behind the project and making sure things go down right which is a great thing since she cares alot about her son's legacy. Up to this point, Dilla's posthumous catalouge has been handled alot more respectfully than those of 2Pac and B.I.G. and I bet this will continue in that tradition. Jay Dee was so god damn creative and just by what leaked to the net over the years there are loads of beat-tapes that all feature quality material. As Pete Rock and Karieem Riggins has both been musical supervisors and co-producers on the last posthumous releases, I wonder who will get the honor this time. ?uestlove maybe... Or they might want to get someone from the D? We'll have to wait and see... But until then, check out the first snippet (about 2 minutes) of "Detroit Madness" featuring Dilla's P.N.C., Phat Kat. I'm feeling this joint alot, definitely sounds like something Yancey cooked up with a Detroit artist in mind. For additional information, check out this clip from April with Ma Dukes speaking on the album:

J DILLA - "DETROIT MADNESS" (Ft. Phat Kat)

DJ SHADOW - "The Less You Know The Better" [Stream]

DJ Shadow's first album in over five years has been in the work for quite some time, and now "The Less You Know The Better" is finally ready for the world to be heard. Although "Entroducing" is one of the finest sample-based instrumental albums ever laid to wax, and "Pre-emptive Strike" and "Psyence Fiction" were both strong efforts, Shadow's music hasn't really grabbed me in a long time. I'm hoping this will be satisfactory because we all know how talented this guy truly are. The only joint I've listened to so far is the collaboration with Posdnous and Talib Kweli which I've been wanting to hear for a long time. Shit does not dissapoint in my opinion. I always wanted to hear more quality emcees over Shadow's instrumental so this is right on the mark.

The new LP will be available on October 4 and can be pre-ordered in all formats @ Amazon.com.Head over to NPR below and check out as much of the album you want by streaming it.

DJ SHADOW - "THE LESS YOU KNOW, THE BETTER"

Cormega - "RAW Forever"

Cormega's new double album, "Raw Forever", hits stores via Aura Records tomorrow and just like anything he ever released before, it will definitely be worth picking up. "Raw..." will feature both a typical 'Best Of' disc as well as one disc containing new interpretations of previous 'Mega classics with Brooklyn based live band The Revelations (who previously worked with Wu-Tang, Tre Williams and M.O.P.).  

Order your copy @ UGHH (tracklist included in the link) and check out the new live instrumentation laced take on "Professional Style" feat. AZ and Nature.
 

CORMEGA - "VI" (Feat. AZ & Nature)

Lord Finesse Projects on the Way

The Funkyman is the latest hip-hop legend to hook up with the Slice-Of-Spice record label in order to bless the market with some rare and previously unheard gems. Unlike some of the previous artists thats been involved with S.O.S., 'Ness is planning to drop several projects through the label. Besides the long-awaited and super delayed Funky Technician Remix Album, we'll also get the chance to pick up Funky Technician Instrumental LP, Return Of The Funkyman Instrumental LP and suprisingly a remix album for Return Of... as well. There's also a couple of singles planned for release; Signature 7" Series (which will include three different 7" singles) and a flexi-disc featuring a previously unheard 2005 remix of the classic "You Know What I'm About" which can be heard on S.O.S.'s SoundCloud page. The remix also makes great use of the same sample rocked by Jay-Z for "Sweet" for his "American Gangster" LP a couple of years ago. The promotional flexi-disc will only be available at the NYC WFMU Record Fair in October. Thanks to Justice for all the info, check out the teaser track below.

LORD FINESSE - "YOU KNOW WHAT I'M ABOUT"

Evidence breaks down "Cats & Dogs"

Presented by DJ Booth, the Dilated Peoples front-man takes us into the process of creating his new album with a track-by-track breakdown. Essential reading for fans of the LP so don't sleep on either the music or the link below. I first listened through Ev's "Cats & Dogs" yesterday and went over it again this morning and I have to say that I'm extremely impressed by it. I can't think of another album released this year that I like more right now so I bet it will be a strong contender for that position at the end of December. Although he's perfectly capable of holding down both production and microphone duties on his own he's here backed up by an all-star team including MCs Prodigy, Roc Marciano, Lil' Fame, Raekwon, Ras Kass, Krondon and producers Alchemist, DJ Premier, Sid Roams and a couple of names that's new to me (TwizTheBeatPro and Charlie Brown) but who came through in a major way. DJ Babu only appears on one of the iTunes bonues which also features Fashawn, called "Same Folks". I'm definitely spending money on the vinyl set for this, and I hope all y'all who are feeling it will support too.

EVIDENCE BREAKS DOWN "CATS & DOGS" @ DJBOOTH.COM

1st single off Cappadonna's next LP

Cappadonna's next album will be called "The Pilgrimage" and is set to drop via Chamber Music sometime this year. It originally had a release date announced to be March 29 but the first sign of this album actually coming to fruition can be heard today in the form of the official single "Cuban Link Kings". I'm loving this track on first listen, Cappadonna's flow and lyrics are tight as hell. You'll never quite know what you get with Cappa, on one track he can spit something outright wack with no flow and on the next he can rip shit on the level of the sickest emcees you ever heard. The production by Phantom Of The Beats, who previously laced Ghostface and INS with several heaters, is severely dope too, a perfect fit for Cappachino. This song really got me hyped for this album now, I hope the rest will be in the key of this song, quality wise. Shouts to Chris Stylez ... Right click on the link + "save target as" if you want to download the joint.

CAPPADONNA - "CUBAN LINK KINGS"

Free LP: MAFFEW RAGAZINO

Maffew Ragazino's debut album "Rhyme Pays" not only bangs hard as hell, but he's giving out as a free download as well! This is a great way to get familiar with the Brownsville spitter, judging by the sounds of this LP, we will hopefully hear alot from him in the near future. Supporting his undeniably sick verses is production supported by Frank Dukes (who laced some of the best tracks on Ghost's last one), DJ Clark Kent, Harry Fraud, Digga, Sha Banga and others. Fellow Outdoorsmen member Action Bronson joins in on the track "Jordan vs. Bird". While you're at it, check out the new interview with Ragazino @ HipHopDX.com. To see the tracklist, click the picture below to enlarge.

MAFFEW RAGAZINO - "RHYME PAYS" LP

Masta Ace completes "MA DOOM" LP

Masta Ace keeps making moves after his so-called retirement from recording solo albums following his brilliant "A Long Hot Summer" in 2004. But while we've heard him in a group setting with EMC and his collaboration with Boston legend Edo G, for his new project The Juice Crew member is once again going to hold it down all by himself. "MA DOOM: Son Of Yvonne" is in a way a collaboration with MF DOOM although Ace has confirmed via Twitter that the beats he uses for the album is strictly from DOOM's instrumental "Special Herbz" series. Some of these has previously been used by emcees such as Ghostface Killah and John Robinson but personally I'm still excited to hear Ace's take on this material. With stuff like this dropping I'm kinda glad I haven't got around to peep "Special Herbz" in full yet, since this will sound just as fresh as if DOOM cooked up a batch of new beats for him. A little dissapointing is that he apparantly didn't manage to get ahold of a new verse from the producer for the album but oh, well. The planned date of release is sometime this November. If you haven't heard the single "PBS" yet, you can check it out below to get a taste of what to expect. It's been revealed that it most likely will not be apart of the LP though.

MA DOOM - "PBS"

Free EP: HAS-LO - "Illegaly Yours"

In collaboration with Mello Music Group and Illegal-Promo.com, Philly emcee Has-Lo has cooked up the EP "Illegally Yours" to give away for free download. Although it's fucked up how great artists can hardly sell records anymore, you also gotta love the internet for all the good free music artists are giving out these days. On the five tracks that make up "Illegally Yours", Has-Lo provides rhymes as sharp as those found on his praised 2011 debut album, "In Case I Don't Make It", over smooth, feel-good production. Just the beats is one of the main differences between the LP and this new EP, rather than spitting over his own productions he has here enlisted the help of DJ Soulclap, Odin Smith and Danny Diggs. My personal favorite is the closing chapter, "Live to Write", a chopped up soul sampling, ruff banger. So if you're interested in 15 minutes of good, relaxing hip-hop that might very well put a smile on your face while keeping your head nodding, this is for you!

Thanks to Armenio Miranda, who painted the cover artwork, for reaching out to The Lost Tapes with this joint! Below you'll find two links, the top one is a direct download while the SoundCloud links gives you a chance to stream all the songs as well as download them track-by-track. Enjoy!

HAS-LO - "ILLEGALY YOURS EP" @ MEDIAFIRE
HAS-LO - "ILLEGALLY YOURS EP" @ SOUNDCLOUD

NEW Hassaan Mackey / Apollo Brown

For those who can't get enough of that "Daily Bread", the Detroit MC/Producer duo of Hassaan Mackey and Apollo Brown just dropped this exclusive bonus track for you. From what I gather from the press release I got from Mello Music Group, this song, which is called "Night Time", was in fact recorded after the completion of the album which might mean we'll get another album from these two eventually. I certainly wouldn't mind it! In related news, Apollo Brown is about to hit the road with his group The Left and labelmate Oddisee for an European tour. Check out Mello Music Group for more info and news on these cats.

HASSAAN MACKEY / APOLLO BROWN - "NIGHT TIME"

VIDEO: LEP/Bogus Boys w. Mobb Deep

I don't know much about the young team of rappers called LEP Bogus Boys besides that they are a rather new crew hailing from Chi City. This track featuring The Infamous Mobb Deep caught my interest and the shit goes HARD! Both P and Hav joins the group to rap their verses in the visual version of the song which is available now as you see above. If you want the joint, which has been out for a good while now, in Mp3 format you can grab your download below, courtesy of 2DopeBoyz!

LEP/BOGUS BOYS / MOBB DEEP - "GANSTAS ONLY"

M.O.P. / Snowgoons - First taste

As The Lost Tapes reported back in July, The Mash Out Posse is working on a full-length project with production team Snowgoons to be released through BabyGrande Records in a near future. Now we finally are getting the first taste of what to expect from the album with the single "Anybody Can Get It". The track might appear on the album but it will first and foremost make it way onto a compilation with various artists called "The A3C v.1 Compilation" available on October 4. Besides this M.O.P. joint the comp will  include exclusive songs from the likes of Murs, Freddie Gibbs, Torae, Action Bronson, Cory Gunz, Reks, Statik Selektah, Thurz and others. I noticed alot of people had doubts about the collaboration between these two teams but I never had a worry and based on this first single, I'm assured that the full-length will be straight FIIIIIYYAAHHH!!!

M.O.P. / SNOWGOONS - "ANYBODY CAN GET IT"

Back to the "D": The Final Installment

That's right, we're going back to Detroit with this one in order for me to bring you the final compilation of my Producers from the D series. Following previous installments featuring works of Apollo Brown, Bronze Nazareth and Black Milk, it should come as no suprise that the top spot is owned by the late, great J Dilla. There's not much that can be said about James Yancey that hasn't already been said, but it's just amazing to see how strong this man's legacy is. Five years after his tragic and untimely passing, new generations of fans are finding out about his music and getting touched by it, at the same time as new projects like "Jay Stay Paid" and "Yancey Boys" are being released to satisfy the hunger of the older heads. T-shirts with the text "J Dilla Changed My Life" are worn by peeps all over the world who feels that statement enough to rock them, and while it's clearly over-dramatic, it does speaks volumes on the impact Dilla's music had on his fans. In fact, I can't think of any other producer who's been able to capture the pure essence of his soul and convey it into music the way Yancey did - especially on later works like "Stop", "One For Ghost" and "Last Donut Of the Night" from his final opus, "Donuts". The best way to describe Jay Dee's sound in one word would have to be TIMELESS.

It was clear that Jay Dee would top my list, but the real question was what I should include in the set to make it interesting to both fanatics like myself and the occassional listener. I decided that the best way to go about this was to include some rarities or lesser known works, some of the obvious classics and some of my personal favorites. I also wanted the compilation to come off as much as an actual album as possible which is why I decided to include alot of little interludes between songs. These instrumentals are lifted from various sources but mostly the 2005 beat tapes series. For the final track it hit me that I could use The Roots' "Can't Stop This" which is both an incredible track that captures the sound of Dilla in his last era and a great, heartfelt tribute to a fallen soldier and comrade. The first part of the song has Black Thought rapping over "Time: The Donut Of The Heart" while the second is produced by ?uestlove and James Poyser meaning it's the only part of the comp not laced by J.D. Oh, and also I didn't want to destroy the beautiful artwork I used for cover with writing anything over it but I call this comp "The Dillalade Deck" and you damn well, better TURN IT UP!! 

Also, for anyone that might've missed the incredible documentary called "Still Shining", make sure to catch it while you can. The doc was originally filmed in February and March of 2006, so this is right after Dilla's passing and much of the film focuses on the day of his funeral. Despite this, it is not a depressing watch, but rather one that wants to celebrate the memory of this great man and his enormous passion for music. "Still Shining" is produced by Brian 'B. Kyle' Atkins and was originally supposed to be included as a bonus DVD with "The Shining" album that was released in August of 2006. That obviously never happened and the film was left in limbo until earlier this year when a website called The J Dilla Project was set up. VISIT THE J DILLA PROJECT TO WATCH "STILL SHINING".

01. "Intro"
02. "Timeless" (Ft. Illa J)
03. "That Shit" (Ft. A Tribe Called Quest)
04. "Front Street" (Ft. 1st Down / Phat Kat)
05. "MPC 3000 Interlude"
06. "Party Crasher" (Ft. Big Tone)
07. "MCA" (Ft. Frank-N-Dank)
08. "Electric Piano Solo"
09. "Do You?" (Ft. Slum Village)
10. "Can U See The Pride in the Panther" [Remix] (Ft. Mos Def)
11. "Inthe'lade"
12. "Peer Pressure" (Ft. De La Soul & B-Real)
13. "Crypto" (Ft. DJ Uppercut)
14. "Secrets Of The Sand" [Remix] (Ft. Mood)
15. "Little Brother" (Ft. Black Star)
16. "Terminator Vs. Dilla"
17. "Life Goes On" (Ft. Royce Da 5'9")
18. "Keep On" (Ft. Dwele & Slum Village)
19. "Me & My Brother"
20. "One-4-Teen" [Remix] (Ft. Bahamadia & Jay Dee)
21. "Fuck the Police" (Ft. Jay Dee)
22. "Love It Here"
23. "Can't Stop This" (Ft. The Roots)

J DILLA - "THE DILLALADE DECK"

New Phonte joints

The former Little Brother emcee drops off two dope singles from his upcoming solo album, "Charity Stars At Home", available on September 27. The first track is called "The Good Fight" and is produced by no other than 9th Wonder, and as proven so many times before, these two always comes up with great music when collaborating. The second joint features guest verses from Evidence and Big K.R.I.T. and is also promising for what to expect from the LP. Shouts to the The Dope Boyz for both links!

PHONTE - "THE GOOD FIGHT"
PHONTE - "LIFE OF KINGS" (Ft. Evidence & Big K.R.I.T.)

THURZ - "La Riot" [Free LP]

Dope West Coast emcee Thurz released his solo debut, "LA Riot", to iTunes back in late August. For a limited time he has decided to give away free downloads of the project via DJ Booth so hurry up and grab it while you still got the chance. There's a good amount of ill political lyrics on important and current issues that Thurz speaks on over chaotic, heavy production from the likes of DJ Khalil, Ro BLVD, Aaron Harris and THX. I've been wanting to hear this LP since I first posted the Black Thought featuring title track and so far it doesn't dissapoint.

01. "Molotov Coctail"
02. "Rodney King"
03. "Fuck The Police"
04. "Colors" (Ft. Strong Arm Steady)
05. "Hell's Angels" (Ft. BJ The Chicago Kid)
06. "Two Clips" (Ft. Kobe)
07. "Riot" (Ft. Black Thought)
08. "The Killers" (Ft. Jazzy)
09. "Niggas"
10. "Big Ball"
11. "Prayer"
12. "Manifest Outro"
13. "Los Angeles"
14. "Dope"

THURZ - "LA RIOT" @ DJBOOTH

Gummy Soul presents FELA SOUL

Amerigo Gazaway from Gummy Soul has created this experimental mix by combining material of two of the most respected and innovative acts in their respective fields - hip-hop veterans De La Soul and afro-beat pioneer Fela Kuti. Although I usually don't fuck with these type of mash-up mixtapes, this sounded like a really nice idea that could work well if executed properly. Luckily, the producer has done justice to the legacy of both artists by creating something original and worthwhile with "Fela Soul". Gazaway samples from the extensive catalouge of the legendary Fela Kuti to combined with classic De La Soul accapellas from '93 to 2005. Clocking in at 33 minutes, this becomes a mad entertaining musical journey that's well deserving of a listen. The download package also includes full linear notes with a track-by-track breakdown of the EP:s creation.

“I came up with the concept for this project in fall of 2010. I wanted to follow through with it not only because it was a good idea, but because of the powerful impact both these artists have had on me and my music. Afrobeat, jazz, funk, and hip-hop are already so interconnected, and I always thought it would be exciting to work on a project that combined all of these elements together.

“I hope this project will help to bridge the gap between hip-hop and afrobeat, and serve an introduction for hip-hop fans and music fans alike who are unfamiliar with Fela Kuti or De La Soul’s music.” - Amerigo Gazaway

01. "Stakes is High"

02. "Trouble in the Water"

03. "Oooh." (Ft. Redman)

04. "Rock.Co.Kane Flow" (Ft. MF DOOM)

05. "Itzoweezee"

06. "Interlude"

07. "Much More" (Ft. Yummi)

08. "Breakadawn"

09. "Feel Good, Inc." [Bonus Track]

GUMMY SOUL PRESENTS "FELA SOUL"

TWO Unreleased PRINCE PAUL cuts

The genius producer/DJ known to the world as Prince Paul seems to have open up his own Mixcloud page where he will upload various unreleased cuts and alternative takes for our streaming pleasure. So far he has uploaded a different, original version of "Green Eggs and Swine" which was made for 3rd Bass' "Derelicts Of Dialect" album from '91. In Paul's humble opinion, this was the better version and I have to agree with him, that raunchy jazz piano sample fits like a glove. You can also listen to a song called "Ladies Man" produced by Prince Paul's own son, DJ P.Forreal with rapper Tee Harris on there.

The other Prince Paul joint currently available on the site is a rough unreleased mix of the super dope "My Life". If that doesn't ring a bell, that's because it was the last hidden bonus track (and one of the few really dope songs) on Paul's "Politics Of The Business" album. While the retail LP version had verses by Tre, Fatlip and Black Ice, the original mix heard here instead features Black Moon/Duck Down's Buckshot. The reason it didn't happen this way according to the producer was that they didn't have time to finish it in time for deaddline so duties were passed to The Pharcyde guys. Damn, I wish "Politics...." sounded more like this! Oh and thanks to Boothe @ The T.R.O.Y. Forums for this great find.

CHECK OUT PRINCE PAUL @ MIXCLOUD 

Another Bad Boy beat snatch!

I think we all know the story of how Puff Daddy heard Pete Rock's instrumental to "Juicy" at a visit to his crib and checked what was on his turntable. From there he went home and re-created Pete's beat to the best of their capabilities and ended up getting the credit (together with Poke) for what's most likely the biggest BIG hit record ever. Well, at least the rising mogul was a good sport about the situation and let Pete's original mix appear as a remix on the B-side of the "Juicy" single, huh. This went down in early '94 but only a few years later another big producer would get jacked by Puffy and his Hitmen.

Havoc was invited to do something for Notorious B.I.G.'s sophomore album, "Life After Death", resulting in the now classic "Last Dayz". According to Prodigy's autobiography "My Infamous Life", they wanted him to spit on the record but he backed out and instead The LOX got the job. But what's more interesting is this segment from P's book: "After a long studio session, Hav was so drunk that he left his beat disc in the machine - leaving behind all six songs he had crafted that day instead of one. Somebody ended up using one of the beats for Black Rob's "I Love You Baby" on the Puff Daddy & The Family album. I could tell as soon as I heard it because it had Havoc's signature drums, bass line, and all. "Hav, that's your beat!" I said when we heard the track. "That motherfucker stole your beat!""

In the booklet the song is credited to Ron "AMEN-RA" Lawrence with co-production by Jay "Waxxx" Garfield and has additional Baby Grand piano played by Stevie J. This track definitely has Havoc written all over it, from the classical sinister strings, to the hardboiled bass line and rhythm track. The accoustic piano parts were probably added on by Stevie J as the credits say but this is most def a Havoc beat. Luckily Black Rob spits two dope verses on it, while Pappa Diddy Pop only has one at the end. Makes you wonder if this was something that happened ever so often at the Bad Boy offices and studios? 

DIDDY / BLACK ROB - "I LOVE YOU BABY"  
NOTORIOUS B.I.G. - "JUICY" [PETE ROCK VERSION]

Free LP: LARGE PRO / L.E.O. (2008)

Emcee L.E.O. (an acronym for Love Equals Omnipotence) is by today standards, still a relative new rapper to emerge from the hip-hop scene. He has been rapping for a minute now and dropping some various internet only mixtapes with his crew  who just like hymself are hailing from Flushing, Queens. And as you might know this is also the place that Extra-P reps so I think it's safe to say that common friends or something of that nature is what made their collaboration happen. It's very rare for Large Professor to produce an entire album, and a free promotional digital LP is to my knowledge previously unheard of. But that's exacty what he's done; crafting eleven exclusive instrumentals for L.EO. to spit over for his  debut, "Spiritual Intelligence".

It's quite a light-hearted effort, L.E.O. rhymes with passion but doesn't always seem to take himself too seriously and while Large Professor don't bring out his G.O.A.T. beats´for the project, they damn sure ain't no throwaways either. Plus they fits the emcee they are designed for perfectly. You can definitely hear Extra-P's trademarks all over this, and if that wasn't enough, all cuts and mixing was handled by the one and only J-Zone. I unerstand alot of people have heard this before but for those of you who don't, I figured it was perfect The Lost Tapes material (especially considering Large Pro's one of the greatest beatmakers ever in my humble opinion). Also all the previous links has been uploaded to zShare which can be a real bitch for alot of internet users these days so this time I uploaded it to MediaFire instead. So g'ahead with ya bad self and hit download button. Oh, and for more info on L.E.O., check out his MySpace page.

SAMPLE WARS: "Smilin' Billy Suite Pt. 2"

The Heath Brothers was a US Jazz group that was active between 1975 to to 1998, with a few reunions after that to top it off. For hip-hop heads and beatmakers they are most recognized for the '75 classic "Shiny Billy Suite" which Q-Tip would use the main part of to create the mystical sounding "One Love" for a young Nas' debut album. Considering the immense street succees of that joint, Jimmy Heat's composition would clear several other hip-hop joints with his record. In this post I focus on samples that have been used by at least two artists to great success and asks my readers which one y'all think is the hottest. Let me know in the comments section. I will have both YouTube videos for streaming plus download links to the songs in question. Oh, and this great idea originally came from WuTangCorp Forum's own GHOSTLACED so I hope he don't mind me using this as a section on The Lost Tapes. Aight, here we go:

 

"Smilin' Billy Suite" appeared on the Heath Brothers duo debut in 1976, ""Marchin' On", which was released on Strata-O. In fact the eight track long LP's B-side was entirely dedicated to "Smilin Billy Suit" (hence the name), it's a four part suite. The one us hip-hop junkies are mostly interested in is Part 2 (seen in the video above and downloadable below) which was been borrowed and re-flipped for records by artists like Dr. Dre, Q-Tip/Nas, Amy Winehouse, The Beatnuts, Erick Sermon/Redman and Leschea to name a few. I'm going to focus on my three favorites though. Check it out!

Redman's third full-length, "Muddy Waters", might have been Red's redemption album; showing these fucks he's still one of the most lyrical and funniest emcees to ever grab a mic. Not that "Dare iz a Darkside" is a bad album at all (I actually think it's pretty damn sick) but at the time he was catching some flack for the way-out-there lyrics. The following offering in 1996 was more of a back to basics LP, with dirty funk-king Sermon once again handling 85% of production duties, and filled with the humorous top of the line lyricism.Red was officially back no matter who you were, even those who loved "Dare Iz...", most agrees that "Muddy Watters" is the best album in Red's catalouge. "Soopaman Lova 3" samples the Heath Brothers track in its beginning part, but after about half the song the beat switches up totally. And since the credits says both Red and Semon produced it, it might be so that Sermon produced the first part and Red the last one or vice versa. Either way, it's am incredible track and my personal favorite in the "Soopaluva" series,

This is the classic opener to the masterpiece that is The Beatnuts self-titled debut (personally I call it "Street Level" since I think it sounds better). This is one of the rare US productions by Lucién (real hip-hop heads know who he is) who lived in the country in early to mid-'90s and worked a bit with the Native Tounges Posse; he later moved back to Paris where he changed his name to Papalú and worked with the likes of Afro Jazz. On here, Lucien incorporates the "Shiny Suit" sample into his beat much more subtle than the two other producers. You can clearly hear vibraphone part floating in and out of the bacground of the beat which is pretty cool in it's own right and perfect for the record.

 

Last but not least on this three-tracks countdown is one of the most classic hip-hop song of all time, and even if The Beatnuts did it first, it was really on "One Love" that the Heath Brother's track really got to shine. Q-Tip's sole composition on Nasty's album heavily borrowed from the original song, addding some harder drums but mostly keeping it true to the formula.The mysterious production, amplified by the vibes, was the perfect backdrop for the young Nasir to spill his thoughts to and the overall record stands as a classic, still to this day.

Download all four songs in High Quaity below

SAMPLE WARS VOL. 1

Kool G Rap & A-Alikes - "To Live & Die in NY"

Giancana and underrated The A-Alikes (check out their three albums from the mid-2000 decade if you haven't) have teamed up with Bay Area Entertainment company Alchemetric, LLC (despite the name, this has nothing to do with producer/MC The Alchemist). who's behind the new compilation "Underground Overstated". 18 tracks deep, the comp is filled with banging new tracks from the likes of Edo G, R.E.K.S., Doodlebug of Digaple Planets and many others. Based on the guest features and this first single, this project should be straight. Matter of fact you can stream the entire project over @ BandCamp.

KOOL G RAP - "LIVE & DIE IN NY" (Ft. The A-Alikes)

Statik Selektah / Freddie Gibbs / Big K.R.I.T.

The heavy DJ/producer Statik Selektah is currently preparing his next solo album, to be called "Population Control". As usual the album is filled to the limit with guests spitting over Statik's production, everyone from Freddie Gibbs, Talib Kweli, Big K.R.I.T., DJ Babu, Skyzoo, Sean Price, Reks, Styles P, LEP Bogus Boys, Lil' Fame, Chuwee, Brother Ali, Joell Ortiz, Bun B, Termanology, Action Bronson and others. You'll find a complete tracklist right below + a link to the first single from the project, "Play The Game" featuring Fredie Gibbs and Big K.R.I.T at the bottom as usual. I think it's an interesting idea and if it's exectued right it can really be something. Check it out. Oh, and the date of the album is set for October 25 so be on the lookout if you're interested.

TRACKLIST
01. Population Control f. Sean Price & Termanology
02. Play the Game f. Big K.R.I.T. & Freddie Gibbs

03. Groupie Love f. Mac Miller & Josh Xantus
04. New York, New York f. Styles P, Saigon & Jared Evan
05. Sam Jack f. XV, Jon Connor & The Kid Daytona
06. Never a Dull Moment f. Action Bronson, Termanology & Bun B
07. You’re Gone f. Talib Kweli, Colin Munroe & Lil Fame
08. They Don’t Know f. Pill & Reks
09. Down f. Push! Montana & LEP Bogus Boys
10. Let’s Build f. Chace Infinite, JFK, Mitchy Slick & Wais P
11. Smoke On f. Dom Kennedy & Strong Arm Steady
12. The High Life f. Kali, GameBoi & Chris Webby
13. Half Moon Part f. Skyzoo, Chuuwee & Tayyib Ali
14. Black Swan f. Nitty Scott MC & Rapsody
15. Harlem Blues f. Smoke DZA
16. Gold In 3D f. STS & Dosage
17. Damn Right f. Joell Ortiz & Brother Ali
18. Live & Let Live f. Lecrae
19. A DJ Saved My Life f. DJ Premier, DJ Babu, Scram Jones & DJ Craze
20 4Gs f. Ea$y Money, Termanology, Scram Jones & Wais P

STATIK SELEKTAH / FREDDIE GIBBS / BIG K.R.I.T.- "Play The Game"

New MC Eiht

Hot, brand new MC Eiht single called "I Need That" from his upcoming full-length "Which Way Iz West" dropping later this year. Like the previous singles, this is produced by Austrian beatmaker Brenk Sinatra and I must say that he and Eiht displays crazy chemistry. He seems to be the main producer of the project which sounds great to me! Of course, DJ Premier will also be lacing a few tracks for the album which is hard to complain about though haha. If you didn't know he's the executive producer of the LP, and here's what he had to say about this single - "MC Eiht and his producer Brenk Sinatra keeps hittin' the streets with dat gutter hood shit. Officially for true heads of ghetto music!". Spotted @ DJPremierBlog, peace.

MC Eiht - "I Need That"

"School For The Blindman": Bonus cuts

Normally I wouldn't post something that an artist I respect makes his money off, but my hate for exclusive iTunes bonus tracks justifies this one for me. It's bugging me that we who still go out and support the artists and picks up physical copies often gets cheated of some of the illest tracks on an album. This happened many times in the past and I'm starting to get fed up with it! This time around, it's Bronze Nazareth's "School For the Blindman" that gives three exclusive heat rocks to digital consumers. These songs would all be stand-out tracks if included on the regular LP too! Interestingly enough they all feature new verses from The RZA himself and he rips them. On these and on "Fresh From the Morgue", RZAs sounding alot better than he's done over the last couple of years (an absolute low for me was his half-asleep verse on the True Master/KRS-One joint). Download below and TURN IT UP!!

21. "Carpet Burns" (Ft. The RZA)
22. "The Fellowship" (Ft. The RZA)
23. "Scot Free" (Ft. The RZA)

"SCHOOL FOR THE BLINDMAN" BONUS CUTS

9th Wonder breaks down "The Wonder Years"

North Carolina's own super producer, 9th Wonder spoke to HipHopFiend and was asked to break down his next solo album, "The Wonder Years". The result is an interesting track-by-track rundown of the LP that will leave you fiending to hear the full thing already! For those who slept I also added the full digital maxi single of the album cut "Band Practice Pt. II" featuring Phonte and Median. The single also has bonus tracks and an instrumental. September 27 is the Wonder day, check out the tracklist and some of the previous leaks if you didn't last time. Enjoy!

9TH WONDER INTERVIEW @ HIPHOPFIEND
9TH WONDER - "BAND PRACTICE PT. II" [SINGLE]

VIDEO: Sean Touré Ft. Kev Brown & AB Rock

The video above just dropped in my inbox and I'm feeling this joint; nice performances and real smooth production by Baltimore son Sean Touré. The song, which is called "A Day in the Life", is lifted from his forthcoming solo debut "Soundchanneler, The Invisible Man" which will see release in October this year. I believe this is my first time hearing this guy, and if it wasn't for Kev Brown's involvement I might very well have overlooked it, but I just put him on my checklist.

New J-LIVE / Marco Polo

Slamming new Marco Polo produced single off that upcoming new J-Live album. The track is called "The Authentic" and the album's called "S.P.T.A. (Said Person Of That Ability)" which you'll be able to pick up on September 27. Damn, J-Live is one of the most reliable cats out there when it comes to bringing that vintage true school hip-hop to the forefront, I will most likely cop the LP when it drops. Production credits features Diamond D, RJD2, J-Live and Floyd the Locsmif amongst others.From what I gather the single is an exclusive for HipHopDX.com so you will have to stream it from there for now but as soon as the Mp3 is available I will switch link.

J-LIVE - "THE AUTHENTIC"

Sick ODB re-issue!

Get On Down Records, in collaboration with ODB's estate, will release this slamming vinyl and 2xCD re-issue of the late Wu-Tang legend's classic '95 debut, "Return to 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version". Besides the additional music from the various singles off the album (instrumentals, accapellas, remixes), the package will include "a deluxe bill-fold wallet, laminated "food stamp" card, a vintage "on tour" poster, promotional sticker, extended artwork with new linear notes, milestones and accolades" according to HipHopDX. November 22 is the date; this looks really nice, I might very well pick up the vinyl set. Dame Dash should take notice and do the legacy of Ol' Dirt McGirt justice by giving "A Son Unique" an official release. Below you'll find a grimey Ol' Dirty B-side from the "Brooklyn Zoo" single, produced by The RZA.


OL' DIRTY BASTARD - "GET IT TO YA RAW"

New TRAGEDY KHADAFI

One of the true pioneers of what we know as the Queensbridge sound, Tragedey Khadafi also remains one of the illest to emerge from that project. Below you'll find the latest single from his soon-to-be-here street album, "Thug Matrix III", which will be available on September 20. I can only find pre-order links for the mp3 release of the tape so it's possible that it's strictly digital. If anyone knows what's the deal with that, hit up the comments section. Also check out this early review of the album, written by Robbie @ Unkut, who's overall very positive to it. I've personally been impressed by all three leaks from this joint so far, so this is looking mad promising in my eyes.This particular banger features cameos from Planet Asia, King David and the late, great Killa Sha.

TRAGEDY - "BEST OF BOATH COASTS"

Bronze Nazareth / LA The Darkman

Acclaimed Wu-Elementz producer Bronze Nazareth released his second official solo album today - "School For The Blindman". Everything I've heard this far has been straight up great music, I think this will outshine his 2006 debut to be honest. Get a taste of the vibe below with a certified banger from the album. Featuring the always appreciated LA The Darkman on the guest verse, "Fire Implanters" is a clear winner. Many thanks to Jammin for the upload over at the Wu-Tang Corp forums. Get your copy @ UGHH or Amazon.

BRONZE NAZARETH & L.A.D. - "FIRE IMPLANTERS"

OC drops "O-Zone Originals" on CD!

No Sleep Records provides a golden opportunity for "those that slept" on their limited 200 each runs vinyl pressings of "O-Zone Originals". Originally divided into two 12" EPs featuring seven and eight tracks, respectively, the collection features rare and previously unreleased joints recorded by the master emcee between 1993 and 1996. These tracks are fully mastered and sounds great and this looks worthy of any serious D.I.T.C. collection. Added to this exclusive CD pressing are a few bonus remixes, including one of OC's first performances on wax; the classic remix to MC Serch's "Back to the Grill´" which I uploaded below for y'all. Check out the tracklist and get your copy @ UGHH!

MC SERCH / OC / NAS / CHUBB ROCK / TONE - "BACK TO THE GRILL"

Side Effectz + Cap - "Glorious"

The second single from Side Effectz next release, "Mechanicz: The Mixtape" is another collaboration with Cap. Nice melodic work from Juancan behind the boards on this one too.

SIDE EFFECTZ / CAP - "GLORIOUS" 

New Jedi Mind Tricks

Here's the lead single off Jedi Mind Trick's upcoming seventh group album, "Violence Begets Violence", dropping on October 25.I'm not the biggest JMT head but it's undeniable they droped alot of hot shit throughout the years plus they put on the better show when I saw them perform alongside Capone-N-Noreaga a couple years ago. One of their main attractions for me was always the timeless sonical canvas supplied by their producer Stoupe The Enemy Of Mankind though and seeing how this album is the first to feature none of his work I'm curious to see how it will end up. This first single, produced by Hypnotist Beats, goes though!

JEDI MIND TRICKS - "TARGET PRACTICE"

Video: Showbiz & AG - "Here & Now"

Real simple but effective video for Showbiz & AG's latest single, "Here & Now" off that "Mugshot Music". I'm loving how this track thumps, these guys haven't lost a step and with Premier on the mix you'll know this will be another win for the D.I.T.C. team. Gim over @ The DJ Premier Blog posted the supposed artwork for the album. Remember that they were holding an art contest where the best artwork would be used for the actual cover. It would be interesting if they put up a blog with the 20 best entries or something. What y'all think of the cover? I'm personally not blown away but it's not bad either.

BLACK MILK - "The Milky Way"

Curtis Cross, better known as Black Milk, should be considered the best current producer in Detroit since the passing of Dilla if you ask me. He has more than proved his capability of creating outstanding music that will stand the test of the time and over the years he's showed alot of diversity and abaility to adapt to different styles. I must admit that back when I first heard him, I wasn't that impressed; I thought he had some nice joints but overall was a lesser version of Jay Dee. I guess coming from the same city, moving in the same crowds and getting influenced by the same surroundings will definitely leave a mark that can make two producers sound alot alike. It didn't take long for me to realize that he deserved recognition as a great, original beatmaker in his own right and not some Dilla clone at all. 

Between the early days as part of production trio B.R. Gunna (with Fat Ray and Young R.J.) and his latest album with Sean Price and Guilty Simpson as Random Axe, Milk has lended his ear and beats to people like Pharoahe Monch, GZA/Genius, Dilla, Slum Village, Skyzoo, Elzhi, Buckshot, KRS-One, Royce Da 5'9", Phat Kat and many, many more. Often his contributions to an album will be the absolute highlight of that LP, such was the case with "Survival Skills" (KRS-One/Buckshot) and "Pro Tools" (GZA) to name a few. One of the most impressive projects of his so far has to be his 2008 solo album, "Tronic", where he completely flipped his own sound; ditching his love of classic soul samples in favor of electronica styled beats. And it was a great sonic achivement; tracks like "Long Story Short", "Bounce" and "The Matrix" really made me realize that Black Milk is one of the best and most innovative producers of the day. In case you're still a non believer, maybe this compilation will make you change your mind after all. Without further due, this is the Black Milk feature of my Detroit producer compilation series - don't forget to also check for Apollo Brown and Bronze Nazareth.

EDIT - It has been revealed that Black Milk's next project is listed for release on November 1 via Fat Beats and will be an EP together with Detroit rapper Danny Brown. The two previously worked on a cut from "Album Of The Year" named "Black & Brown" and that will also be the title of the LP. Interesting news, I'm checking for it.

 01. "Soul Glow: Intro"

02. "Marvelous" (Ft. Baatin)

03. "7 Pounds" (Ft. GZA/Genius)

04. "Don't Sleep" (Ft. Invincible / Finale)

05. "The Dollar Remix" (Ft. Bilal)

06. "Sound Of The City" (Ft. Black Milk, eLzhi & Fat Ray)

07. "Purple Intermission #1"

08. "Deep" (Ft. eLzhi)

09. "Never Fail" (Ft. Buff1)

10. "Preserverance" (Ft. Blame One)

11. "Door" (Ft. J Dilla & Fat Ray)

12. "Let's Go" (Ft. Pharoahe Monch)

13. "Purple Intermission #2"

14. "Shine On" (Ft. Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime)

15. "Sound The Alarm" (Ft. Black Milk, Royce Da 5'9" & Guilty Simpson)

16. "One Time" (Ft. Willie The Kid & Jon Connor)

17. "I'm Back" (Ft. F.T.)

18. "Reunion" (Ft. Slum Village)

19. "Purple Outro"

20. "Runnin' Away" (Ft. KRS-One, Buckshot & Immortal Technique)

BLACK MILK - "THE MILKY WAY"