[VIDEO] Edo G - "What They Say"

Here goes the second single from Edo G's next full-length "Intelligence & Ignorance", following the previous hit "Power". Edo's still better than most and the laid-back production works like a charm; I got a real good feeling about this album which is released on February 5 so be sure to support (hopefully it will get a physical release as well).

AKBAR - "PLANET X"

Akbar is a seriously ill spitter who I first became aquianted with through memorable apperances on records by KRS-One and Freestyle Professors. Fact is that he's been dropping 12"'s since the mid-'90s with producer partner DJ Parker Lee, and released the debut "The Big Bang Boogie" in 2001. Now he's finally releasing his sophomore LP, "Planet X" this year via the newly started Peasant Podium Music. Through uncompromising conscious and political lyrics Akbar's taking a stance with his music that will appeal to fans of the classic music by dead prez, Ras Kass, and KRS-1. "Planet X" is something refreshingly unusual these days as an album without guests, but production is handled by DJ Parker Lee, Preservation, Soul Supreme and a few more. Check out the three singles via Soundcloud and order from iTunes or PPM's site.

AZ - "Genesis"

AZ is still working on his much anticipated "Doe Or Die II" and is now heading out on an European tour backed by DJ Doo Wop (see dates on flyer above). February will also see the second official leak from the LP, a Statik Selektah produced joint called "We Moving". In the meantime, A lets loose of an impressive freestyle over "Genesis".

Brown Bag AllStars - "BRWN" [J57 Remix]

Check out the visuals for J57's re-interpretation of the "BRWN" single which can be found on the Brown Bag AllStars crew's latest. The very dope "Brown Bag 2" EP can be streamed and purchased from brownbagallstars.com. 

Lord Finesse's "Slave to My Soundwave" 7" in February

This apparantly made it's way on to the interweb a whole month ago, but I've been losing track of Slice-Of-Spice lately and I'm sure I'm not the only one this is news to anyway. As you should know, The Funk Soul Brother teamed up with indie label Slice-Of-Spice about a year ago which has resulted in lots of dope exclusive 7" singles of previously unreleased material, and the full "Funky Technician" instrumentals for the first time ever. But the run is not over, as the team is preparing more material for year 13; and first out is a new interpretation of the classic "Slave to My Soundwave", remixed by Japan's finest - DJ Muro who's giving it a mad funky touch up that's not cheap on the instruments, you got several horn instruments, turntables, bass guitar, vibes, pounding drums and of course Lord Finesse who's voice is no doubt an instrument in itself.  This sounds like it's got the potential of a masterpiece. Here's also the snippet for the instrumental and pre-order straight from slice-of-spice.com.

What's really interesting is that it seems that much of the ill-fated "Funky Man Remix Project" is finally being released, but spread out over various singles and compilations. The following listed five tracks would make a fucking deadly EP, but imagine a whole LP of this caliber.. It simply NEEDS to be released:
* "Here I Come" [Large Professor Remix]
* "I Keep The Crowd Listeninng" [DJ Premier Remix]
* "Slave to My Soundwave" [DJ Muro Remix]
* "You Know What I'm About" [Lord Finesse Remix]
* "S.K.I.T.S." [DJ Spinna Remix]

[Mixtape] SLUM VILLAGE - "Dirty Slums 2"

So here it is, DJ Mick Boogie's second collaboration with the new edition of Slum Village (which I believe is T3, Young RJ and Illa J). This is actually sounnding good, and is probably better than the first installment in the "Dirty Slums" series. Thanks to the brilliance of DJBooth, listenners get the choice of purchasing a 320 kbps rip of the album, while the other alternantives (streaming and downloading) is completely free of charge but not quite as good as the other one. Completely produced by Young RJ, the album has guest spots from Guilty Simpson, Rapper Big Pooh, Fat Ray, Focus, and more, as well as including the beautiful T3 and Baatin song "The World is Yours" which was premiered as a single yesterday.

[Video] TALIB KWELI - "Upper Echelon"

Talib Kweli let loose the official video for his Harry Fraud produced single "Upper Echelon", directed by Fredo Tovar & Scott Fleishman. This is a bit of a different sound for Kweli, but the emphasis on synth melodies and powerful drum programming puts him right in the zone, I got high hopes for "Prisoner Of Consciousness" (I also hope that those tracks RZA produced for it will still make the final product).

OhNo x Souls Of Mischief - "Controlled Riots"

This massive track boosts a very welcome Souls Of Mischief feature, that takes the crew into an agressively psychadelic Oh No landscape quite far from the legendary Hiero's comfort zone. Dope? Yes indeed! Oh No's "Disrupted Ads" is out today on the small label Kash Roc Entertainmet. Though slightly lighter on the guest features than Oh's previous "OhNoMite", the project is still strapped with cameos from Alchemist (Gangrene!), MidaZ The Beast, Roc C, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Blu, MED, Charli 2na, Rapsody, and Dudley Perkins. Sounds interesting? Cop it @ iTunes or grab a physical copy over @ UGHH in your choice of 2xLP (with bonus 7") or CD.

OHNO x SOULS OF MISCHIEF - "CONTROLLED RIOTS"

CZARFACE . "Air Em Out" (Ft. Action Bronson)

The third single off Czarface's (Inspectah Deck + 7L & Esoteric) self-titled debut album as a group is here, and so far, so good. Just like on the previous leaks, "Air 'Em Out" features a guest apperannce, this time that spot is held down by Action Bronson who's been on a real roll lately. Inspectah Deck impresses as usual, and it will be crazy innteresting to hear an album full of INS rhyming over fat production, something which was seriously lacking on his last project; 7L is a talented guy behind the boars, but what I really can't wait for is to finally hear Deck reunited with DJ Premier for the first time since the classic "Above the Clouds" fifteen years ago. "Czarface" will be released by Brick Records on February 19.

DIRT PLATOON - "Better"

Now this is that hardbodie street hop we all love to bang out loud as hell! The Baltimore duo Dirt Platoon has hooked up with the talented beatsmith DJ Brans to release the "Start Ya Bids" EP which is out now on Effiscienz Records. The vinyl is very limited edition so hurry up if you want a copy, but there's also CD and mp3 versions for the digi heads. Support real hip-hop as it's guaranteed to be worth the price!

BIG DADDY KANE / DJ PREMIER - "28 BARS"

Whenever a new Big Daddy Kane track pops up, you know you're in for a real treat. And especially if it's, as in this case produced by none other than DJ Premier who gives Kane a steady banger perfectly suited for his breathless 1 minute delivery of 28 bars. The song is unfortunately a promo teaser for an upcoming Kane/Preem LP, but rather made to promote Nike's latest Air Jordans, The XX8's. Makes you wonder whatever happened with that new album BDK was working on together with a live band which he showed some studio clips with in that VH1 documentary. Oh well, I can live off this for a while... Spotted @ EgoTrip.

BIG DADDY KANE - "28 BARS OF KANE"

Bumpy Knuckles x Wayne Ski - "Peep The Resume"

Bumpy Knuckles is HOUSING shit right now! He's been killing every guest spot this past year, his albums with DJ Premier, Statik Selektah and Jesse West has been in constant rotation, the occassional loose singles have all been straight fire, and the live show I saw with him and Preem back in November was one of the illest ones I ever attended. He seems to enjoy using one producer for an entire album worth, so it's possible DJ Wayne Ski is next in line for a Freddie Foxxx LP. He certainly seems up to the task, as the previous single "PhUcKu" definitely left a hunger for more. That hunger can now temporarily be stilled, as the duo lines up a second single in the form of "Peep The Resume"...

Prodigy x Alchemist - "Give 'Em Hell"

Despite releasing the most dissapointing album of 2012, I still haven't lost all my faith for the once so brilliant Prodigy of Mobb Deep fame. The vast majority of good or great music the emcee has released over the last decade has been in collaboration with The Alchemist, including the latter's work on the otherwise wack feast that was "H.N.I.C. 3". Their have been some talk about a full-length album from the two for some time now, and if "Albert Einstein" as it's called is reminiscent of their previous LP, "Return of the Mac", we are in for a real Mobb Deep renaissance. The first single from the project is called "Give 'Em Hell" and was premiered today exclusively by Sway.

PRODIGY x ALCHEMIST - "GIVE 'EM HELL" @ SWAY'S UNIVERSE

[Album/Stream] Uptown X.O. - "Colour de Grey"

Uptown X.O., one third of the trio Diamond District who made a heavy impact on me with their 2009 debut "In The Ruff", is releasing his solo album "Colour de Grey" via Mello Music Group/Fat Beats today. The album doesn't pack any big name guests but X.O. and his proucer A.B. The Pro does a great job holding down the fourteen tracks by themeselves; vivid lyrics that range from self-reflecting to political over hard drums and sample based music that aims to respect the roots of vintage hip-hop is usually a recipe for great music if the artists are talented and dedicated. And so is the case, stream the album below (thanks to DJBooth)  and order the CD here.

MadKem - "Pryor On Fire (a.k.a. Freebase)"

Elementality Productions is killing shit in 2013, and we still have a few days left off January. Watch out for this crew this year, take my word for that. Prominent members of EMP include, but are not limited to, DJ K.O., MadKem and Silent Knight. The latest single from the crew comes from MadKem and is a hardknock cut called "Pryor On Fire (a.k.a. Freebase)" (those who know their great comedians know what the title is referring to). This one features Justin Bates and is produced by DroP Beats who once again does an excellent job though he's flipping a sample that many of us are already well familiar with; still it comes off as fresh so that's always most positive. This single, together with the previous "Hard Work", will appear on the "Kola La Vie" EP which drops on February 19 so be sure to check The Lost Tapes then for your dose.

Slum Village (w. Baatin) - "The World is Yours"

Considering that T3 is, tragically, the only living member of the original trio known as Slum Village and the mad talented eLzhi has cut his ties with the name I find it to be somewhat of a mystery who's really in the crew these days. I believe it's T3, Illa J and Young RJ but I'm not sure.. Either way, the "new SV" is releasing another mixtape tomorrow, the sequel to the Mick Boogie presented "Dirty Slums" so check The Lost Tapes tomorrow to grab it. There's been a couple of singles released in promotion so far, but to me this is by far the best, plus I'm very pleased to hear a previously unreleased Baatin verse on here! The song is called "The World is Yours" and in usual order is produced by Young RJ.

[Classic CDS] CYPRESS HILL - "Throw Ya Set In The Air"

Cypress Hill during the "Temples Of Boom" era around 1995 was not to be fucked with. They were pretty much the perfect group from all aspects and '95 was their absolute peak, and say what you want but from the atmosphere, beats, samples, lyrics, the chemistry between the three members, "Cypress Hill III" is trio's undisputed masterpieces; one they never came close to duplicate neither sooner or later. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of "Cypress Hill", "Black Sunday", and "IV" as well, but the aforementioned LP is up there as one of the best hip-hop albums of all time; it sold multi-platinum, making it commercial in a sense, but at the same time it's as uncompromising as any album ever was.

The 15 songs on the project are all masterpieces, but as if that wasn't enough the B-sides and remixes found on the promotional single were just as incredible. Today I will focus on the first single from the LP, presenting you with a 320 kbps rip of the original maxi-CD. We are all familiar with the main version of "Throw Your Set in the Air" but it's a powerful, unforgiving and haunting song that introuced the group's new sound to a world still unknowing what Muggs, Sen Dog, and B-Real would unleash on Hallowen, 1995. From here things get REAL interesting, as DJ Muggs gives the heads not only one but two remixes of the track; both so slamming it's not an easy task picking a favorite of them - basically they are just as good as the original, though completely different. 

The "Club Remix" is hardly something you would expect to hear in a club these days, I'll tell you that. It only saves the slightest element from the original version, putting the focus on a powerful bassline that thumps along throughout the entire song while Muggs inforces it with another haunting female vocal sample, and the slightest horn excerpt. This is powerful shit though it's a smoother joint than the original, no question. Smoother is also my personal favorite version of "Throw Your Set in the Air", the "Slow Roll" remix. The BPM is greatly slowed down to some real low rider cruiser music, once again emphasizing a mighty bassline, background vocal sample, an mesmerizing rhythm track and most of all a beautiful guitar loop that gives the joint a lot of personality. B-Real sounds fantastic over this beat; in fact this is Muggs and B-Real at their finest. There was in fact also ANOTHER remix of the title track, which appeared on another version of the single than the one I'm presenting here, but you can find that on the "Unreleased & Revamped" EP from 1996 as well. That mix is closest in its musical setting to the Club Remix heard here, but is retitled "Throw Your Hands in the Air" and features the always brillaint MC Eiht, Redman and Erick Sermon alongside the power trio (watch the video below).

After the slightly more chilled out remixes, the hardcore ish is back in full effect with the album version of one of my personal favorites: "Killa Hill". Produced by The RZA for Wu-Tang Productions, the song has a beautiful mixture of the vibes of Wu and Cypress at their absolute peak; it don't get much better than this. The way B-Real's voice is repeated for a hook while Sen Dog screams about the coming revolution in spanish over this agressive murder music is as classic as it gets. Of course, The RZA and U-God both makes outstanding performances as well. With all these factors, the single is rounded off to be one of the strongest of 1995 which is saying a whole lot. If you have yet not heard the remixes, make sure to grab them below and if you don't got "Temples of Boom" in your collection.... Shame on you!!

01. "Throw Your Set In The Air" [Album Version]
02. "Throw Your Set In The Air" [Club Mix]
03. "Throw Your Set In The Air" [Slow Roll Mix]
04. "Killa Hill" [Album Version] (Ft. RZA & U-God)

CYPRESS HILL - "THROW YOUR SET IN THE AIR" CDM

[Video] Tony Bones Ft. Slug & AG - "Story Of Moral"

This video actually made it's debut on the first of this month, but since I first came across it it definitely warrants a post. Tony Bones rounds up two legendary emcees for his single "The Story Of Moral"; AG of D.I.T.C. and Slug of Atmosphere. They all comes through with inspiring performances over a beat filled with heart and soul provided by Jaron McDaniel of WestEnd Productions. The song willl be featured on Tony Bones limited CD/vinyl "We Only Live Ones" that will only be available in very selected stores (Fifth Element in Uptown, Minneapolis to be exact).

[Video] Kyle Rapps x Action Bronson - "Get It In"

Harlem and Queens connect on the first single "Get It In" from Kyle Rapps' upcoming mixtape "SUB" which will hit the net this spring. The video which is directed by Robbie Barclay is absolutely hilarious and will guarantee at least a few laughs while you nod your head to this banger.

[Comp] BIG KWAN - "VERBALIZED: Raw Skills"

I've had heard a few Big Kwam joints on mixtapes, cameos, and such back in the days, but about six months I picked up the "Verbalize: DJ Spinna Remix" 12" B/W "Capacity Blown". Needless to say, I was absolutely blown away by this talented wordsmith that embodied the NYC underground scene of the mid-'90s underground I first fell in love with. In fact he reminded me slighttly of an original mixture Inspectah Deck at his peak and a young Nasty Nas with a lot of uniqueness of his own to bring to the table. I am destined to find the rest of his discography eventually, but right now I'm sad to say that the aforementioned single is the only entry of his in my collection so far, but trust me when I say that they one day will find their ways into mt crates. Kwam's got a rather small discography however, but thanks to the digtial age, some "net digging" and frequent Lost Tapes collaborator Fritz giving a helping hand, I have managed to collectt all his recorded/released material which enables me to to introducing my trusted readers with a complete compilation of the rhyme slingers strictly impeccable works. And what an "album"/"compilation" it is; I really hope I will manage ti turn a few heads on to this lyrical beast who has such good taste in beats after a listen to these 17 songs.

Not much are known about Big Kwam, he pretty much dissapeared frm the scene as soon as he made his entrance with the powerful VLS. With only a few exceptions Kwan clearly put qualtity over quanlity. Kwam certainly were a part of The Creators' extended family, as they single handedly produced all of the five 12":s he released between 1996 and 1998; save for some outstanding remixes by DJ Spinna, Vinyl Reanimators, Peanut Butter Wolf, and Mr. Mayhem. He also made two apperances on the duo's '96 debut "The Creators Have A Master Plane". After solid guest apperances between '96 and 2000 holding his own LP where he bumped his lyrical head with veterans such as Pacewon, Diamond D, El Da Sensei, Twan, Aquasky, over beat by Buckwild, Da Beatminerz and Nick Wiz. This collected disography begs two question - what the hell happened to a lyricist like Big Kwam that could go far on the underground scene, as the seventeen joints and 67 minutes will have any true hip-hop will rejuoice over. So TURN IT THE F' UP and mad props to Fritz and my local record shop and my digital crates.

01. "Verbalize" [DJ Spinna Remix]
02. "I Don't Give A Fuck"
03. "Regardless"
04. "Raw Skills" [Da Beatminerz Mix] (w. Aquasky)
05. "Capacity Blown"
06. "Mic to Mic"
07. "The Reunion" (Ft. Big Twan)
08. "I Don't Give A Whut: I Don't Give A Fuck Pt. 2"
09. "Execution Expert"
10. "The Hellgate"Rebel" (Ft, Big Twan)
11. "Verbalize" [Creators Mix]
12. "Timeless Piece"
14. "Live Shit" (Ft. El Da Sensei, PaceWon & Diamond)
15. "The Reunion" [Peanut Butter Wolf Mix]
16. "It's Like That" (Ft. Q-Major, M.G.M. & Tru)
17. "Kwamaniz"

BIG KWAM - "VERBALIZE: Raw Skillz"

Kendrick Lamar rips "Nas is Like" & "Keep It Thoro"

Kendrick Lamar's "GOOD Kid M.A.A.D City" was one of the freshest and most original debut album to drop in 2012, no question. Beside a few tracks I couldn't care less for, the album packed plenty of heat, and innnovative lyrical concepts and mad interesting flows. So now that the young MC is back in the states after an extended European tour, Lamar visisted Funkmaster Flex show and tore down two classic East Coast beats with a lot of finesse. Check out his take on the DJ Premier produced Nas classic "Nas is Like" up top, and scoll down a bit to see him rip The Alchemist produced "Keep It Thoro" (Prodigy's "H.N.I.C.) of course.

Maffew Raggazino - "Box Office Smash"

Maffew Raggazino dropped a free LP last year that featured plenty of heat, but since then he's been responsible for a large amount of dope singles awaiting his next free album "While Gold" which hit the net next month. The latest single from the Brownsville emcee is titled "Box Office Smash", and is prodcued by Joe Black & Royz for Jokey Ent, features a cameo from Troy Ave and is presented by Complex Magazine. Dope!

SKYZOO / TALIB KWELI - "Spike Lee Was My Hero"

Some days the possibility of making an update is barely possible, while other days the web is flooded with new and interesting hip-hop music; and such a day it is today. Skyzoo dropped his second official album "A Dream Deferred" this October, and while it wasn't as amazing as his 2009 debut, it featured it's share of dope music. One of the stand out tracks being the Spike Lee tribute "Spike Lee Was My Hero" which featured impressive verses by both Skyzoo and guest Talib Kweli, and a nice horn-driven beat by Tall Black Guy. The song now gets the visual treatment, complete with a Spike Lee cameo near the end. The "A Dream Deferred" CD is available @ UGHH amongst other retailers.

[Tracklist] EDO G - "Intelligence & Ignorance"

I wasn't too impressed by Edo G's last release "A Face in the Crowd" save for a few cuts. I got higher hopes for his fourth solo album "Intelligence & Ignorance" after hearing the powerful single/video "POWER", seeing that the Boston emcee's opted for just ten tracks which hopefully means that he's opting for quality over quantity this time around, and finally the guest apperances from Freestyle, Noel Gourdin and production by Oh No. The LP, which is distributed by Envision Etertainment, is another album that's been given the release date of February 5. Check out the tracklist below, though no production credits available yet:

01. "Done Talking"
02. "What They Say"
03. "Power"
04. "Easy"
05. "Love I Need" (Ft. Freestyle)
06. "Bags & Shoes"
07. "Give It To Me"
08. "Can't Wait" (Ft. Noel Gourdin)
09. "Change" (Ft. Noel Gourdin)
10. "Hold U"

[Out-Of-Print] VERNON REID - "MISTAKEN IDENTITY"

 

Vernon Reid was born in England, but soon move with his parents to the US; eventually picking up the electric guitar and making a name for himself as one of the most innovative, daring, skilled and experimental rock artists of all time. Throughout his career he has been a restless soul, never afraid to cross musical boundaries, creating an unique style to say the least. In 1984 he collaborated with the innovative jazz musician and guitarist Bill Frisell before assembling his own band, Living Colour, an all black NYC quartet in which he acted as the leader. Their mixture of different genres such as Punk, Funk, Metal and Hip-Hop aesthetics caught the eye of producer Prince Paul who in 1988 remixed their single "Living Colour" under the Stetsasonic name. That same year Vernon Reid also appeared on Public Enemy's "Yo! Bumrush the Show" where he laid down the guitar solos for "Sophisticated Bitch". His love for hip-hop was growing stornger and through the years he has laid down guitar parts for the likes of The Roots, DJ Spooky, Spearhead X, MC900 Ft. Jesus, Pharoahe Monch, and many more.

After the split of Living Color, and with Reid going solo things started to get really intersting; in 1996 he released his debut album "Mistaken Identity" which was an agressive but sophisticated LP that did not deal in subtlety. As expected, the guitar parts were out of this world as and to my pleasure a large chunk of the project was instrumental; the few guest spots came through hip-hop veterans such as Chubb Rock, Beans of Anti-Pop Consortium, and MC Kan who De La Soul fans remember from "Long Island Wildin'". The majority of the album is trippy, instrumetal music, with insane guitar riffs, deep bass lines, weird sound effects, turntable work, mesmorizing keys, avant-gardish saxophone, smooth turntable work (courtesy of Paul) and heavy smacking drum patterns..

But beside the immense talents displayed by one of our times' greatest guitarits, what really made me take notice of this record is the production; handled by two of my absolute favorites who I would never have dreamnt would handle an album together - hip-hop afficionando Prince Paul, who any serious rap fan are undoubtedly familiar with, on the one hand... And on the other none less than Mr. Teo Macero, the main producer behind some of jazz legend Miles Davis' (another one of my favorite artists) most unorthodox fusion records. This could turn out to be either a real mess, or one of the best produced albums of the year (it was released in 1996). It's experimental but these guys really worked great together, enhancing each other's strenghts as well as making sure that Vernon Reid was at his absolute ace. The album is now out of print, but If you ever come across it, trust me an pick up a physical copy if you ever come across it! You can always buy it via iTunes if you like what you're hearing though any serious record collector knows that ain't the same as owninf the actual record.

01. "CP Time" (Ft. Beans)
02. "Mistaken Identity" (Ft. Seikou Sundiata)
03. "You Say He's Just A Psychich Friend" (Ft. Chubb Rock)
04. "Who Are You (Mutation #1)" (Ft. Takagi Kan)
05. "Lightning"
06. "The Projects"
07. "Uptown Drifter"
08. "Saint Cobain"
09. "Important Safety Instructions (Mutation #2)
10. "What's My Name"
11. "Signed Fictions" (Ft. Beans)
12. "Call Waiting to Exhale" (Ft. Laurence Fishburn)
13. "My Last Nerve" (Ft. Graham Haynes on Cornet)
14. "Fresh Water Coconut" (Ft. Lady Apache)
15. "Myserious Power"
16. "Unborn Embrace"

VERNON REID - "MISTAKEN IDENTITY"

[LP Stream] RAS KASS - "Barmageddon"

On November 14, one of the West's finest lyricists Ras Kass released his mixtape "Bare Arms Presents: Barmageddon" as a free digital mixtape. The 23-tracks included here works as a prequel to Kass' forthcoming full-length LP, "Barmagedon", including classic guest spots, freestyles and new material..Whenn the tape was released, the official album was announced to be release date of December 19. The project has since been pushed back to February 12, but unfortunately only seems to be available in digital format via iTunes where you can now pre-order the album.

The good news is that Ras' and his crew have already made the entire album up for streaming via the emcees' Bandcamp page. The eighteen tracks featured here, includes collaboration from Guilty Simpson, Sick Jaken, Talib Kweli, Planet Asia, Kendrick Lamar, Ice-T, Agallah, Monie Love, Dina Rae, and more. Production comes from the likes of FOCUS, Agallah, Illinformed, Klassic, and more. In other words a definnite listen, and if you're feeling this please support it over at iTunes, or if we're really lucky we will eventually get a physical relase. TURN IT UP!

FRANK-N-DANK / DILLA on February 5

Despite James Yancey, aka J Dilla, aka Jay Dee, passed away in early 2006, his legacy sure lives on through the huge amount of incredible music he left behind him; both in terms of the classic productions and albums he completed during his lifetime, as well as the vast amount of unreleased music left in the stash. Ma Dukes has made it her life mission to continue Dilla's legacy. Together with Delicious Vinyl, the label in positiion of much of Dilla's earliest material, Yancey Media Group are planning quite a few releases of official, but vaulted music, from the late producer in 2013. Two releases from the label will drop on February 5; the four track EP "Music From The Lost Scolls Vol. 1", featuring four tracks ("DeWitt to Do It" / "Smack A Bitch" / "Ruff & Rugged" / "The Throwaway") both produced and performed by Dilla. PRE-ORDER it here.

The second release is even more interesting for a hardcore Dilla collector like myself; in 2002 Dilla spent a year at MCA Records to record two albums. One by his Detroit brethren Frank-N-Dank entitled "48 HRS" and his solo album, though sporting productions by other talented beatsmiths. The former LP, "48 HRS" went to a lot of trouble before defing completely shelved; the first version was scrapped because it featured a large amount of samples. JD and FND then went back in the studio and completed a version with barely no samples, sounding something like a mix of Neptunes, Dilla, and Timbaland. It was not a bad LP, but it is easily the most unimaginative record Yancey ever produced with the exception of maybe five songs. I have the semi-official bootleg with cover and everything that I believe Frank-N-Dank themeselves put out, so if this turns out to be the same version I will not cop it (the tracklisting is slightly different though). If it on the other hand, is the sample driven version, I can't wait to finally get this in my collection! PRE-ORDER it here.

NOW PLEASE - Release the complete and mastered version of Dilla's MCA 2002 album "PAY JAY", an album that simply needs to get a proper release out of repsect for the late genius. It is the final and only project which features Yancey's vision and complete overseeing of an album that has not yet been released. Just like ODB's "A Son Unique" it's a huge disrespect that these albums have not yet been released. Keep your fingers crossed!

[EP Stream] J-LIVE - "Always Has Been"

When J-Live broke through the scene in 1995 with his double-A side single "Braggin' Writes" / "Longevity", the underground NY scene was acquainted with one of the most fierce, lyrical and clever debut emcees to emerge in quite some time. Both joints were extremely powerful, but especially "Braggin' Writes" stands as one of the definite classic records of the entire 1990s. The follow-up the following year was the 12" and maxi-single "Can I Get It" B/W "Hush The Crowd" and the brilliant The Dome Crackers' remix of "Braggin' Writes"; a mix that would be the start of a long and fruitful relationship with the unbelivably talented DJ Spinna (Dome Crackers was what Spinna and Joc Max called themeselves when working as a production duo).

With the releases of J-Live's impeccable two first official solo albums ("The Best Part" and "All Of The Above"), the emcee had started his own imprint called Triple Threat Productions. To hold fans over to his third solo LP, "Then What Happened", J-Live released two EP:s via the label in 2003, featuring a total of 14 songs spread over close to one hour of previously unreleased music. The second record was titled "Always Will Been", and featured eight newly recorded self-produced songs and a guest feature from Wordsworth. The real treat however, was the previous EP, simply titled "Always Has Been".

The aforementioned EP were by far the most interesting, collecting all the previously released music leading up to J-Live's signing and the recording of "The Best Part" in late 1998. It featured all five songs from J's two debut singles ("Longevity" / "Braggin' Writes"; "Can I Get It" / "Hush The Crowd" / "Braggin' Writes" - The DomeCracker Remix) as well as 88-Keys' original mix of "School's In" which would appear in a remix by the same producer on "The Best Part" a couple of years later. This is an extraordinary listen from one of, at the time, most promising lyrics and the production by George Sulmers, Domecrackers (Spinna & Joc Max), and 88-Keys. One of the biggest curiousity for me about J-Live's early 12":s that they were all produced by the aforementioned Sullivan; considering how dope, pure hip-hop these cuts are it's head scraching that he really doesn't have any other credits to his name. If you haven't heard this EP before (which is now, of course, out of print), the good emcee has uploaded the entire project to his Soundcloud page where you can stream it in its entirety, with the option to purchase a digital copy. Enjoy some of the finest singles of the mid-'90s. J-Live - "Always Has Been" EP.

[Snippets] Diamond D Ft. Grand Daddy IU / Diamond D

Diamond D is at the very least one of the ten best producers in the game, having been active since 1988 and still pumping out HEAT (though there's of course been some real clunkers in such a long career). His "Huge Hefner Chronicles" had some bangers but left a lot to be desired, but over the last couple of years since he has regained that spot as one of the illest and most trustworthy beatmakers with brilliant work for Pharoahe Monch, J-Live, himself ("Deflate Cha"), Freestyle Professors, and Collective Efforts. Therefore news of his next album, "The Diam Piece" seems extremely promising, as the DITC veteran will handle all the production while the tracklist is chock full of extremely talented guests. The tracklist leaked quite a while ago (see the link above), but there's a good chance that there's still room for changes, as we've since heard several dope snippets that's not included there ("Love" for example).

Diamond just dropped two more banging snippets via his Soundcloud Page; one solo joint called "Magnifying Glass" and one featuring a very welcome guest spot from none other than the always impressive Grand Daddy I.U. ripping Diam's well-executed soul excursion.

AUDIBLE DOCTOR - "Bars Of Death Remix Pack"

A couple of weeks back BBAS' The Audible Doctor dropped an extremely impressive four track EP called "The Winter Tape". I've been banging the shit out of that, and while all the songs are straight up bangers, my personal favorite might just be the opening track "Bars Of Death" featuring J. Nics. Now, The Good Dcotor has released the song as a digital single featuring not only the original version, but also a knocking remix that warrants a download from me and anyone else who felt the original tape. There's also clean and instrumental versions of all tracks included.

 

AUDIBLE DOCTOR - "BARS OF DEATH" [REMIX PACK]

[Mixtape] AYATOLLAH - "Me Myself & Akai"

As readers of The Lost Tapes sure should know by now, the DJ K.O. helmed Elementality Productions is one of the most interesting underground labels doing at the moment. They have recently released superb free music by DJ K.O., MadKem and Silent Knight, and their latest endeavour is a full-length project by the legendary producer Ayatollah, a man who needs no further introduction. The label will release a 13-tracks instrumental album by 'Tollah on their label, which will be available on iTunes and other retailers on March 5 and is titled "Avant Garde", which hints at this being something of an unusual sound from what we've come to expect from the talented beatsmith.

 

With nine instrumental LP:s already to his name, it will be interesting to see what he will do with this one, especially considering it's on a new label and with a title that might raise a few eyebrows. " “I wanted people to see my different sounds and styles” says Ayatollah. While some of Tollah’s previous instrumental efforts focused on the exploration of sound, "Avant Garde" was crafted with that Rawkus-era in mind. “I really got to open up and truly get raw on the drum machine”, he explains. “I do not set out to adapt the music I make to new trends. I would rather the music I create become or set new trends on its own terms, naturally.”

 

While we're waiting for the first official single in early February, the label is presenting a 40+ minutes mix of the producers' biggest hits, lesser known cuts and DJ K.O. exclusives. A definite headbanger in other words so make sure to check this one out below. Peep the 34 songs tracklist here.

CZARFACE Ft. Action Bronson - "It's Raw"

The release of Wu-Tang legend Inspectah Deck and Boston duo 7L & Esoteric's full-length project as Czarface is getting closer everyday. The 19:th of February is the date when it drops in record stores via Brick Records' distribution. The third single features a solid boom bap beat by 7L, an impeccable verse by Deck, and even Esoteric doing his thing, and as if that wasn't enough we get a very welcome cameo from Action Bronson who has really stepped up over the last couple of years. The joint is fittingly titled "It's Raw" and is the third single from the project, and like the previous outings is sure does not dissapoint. With all the intense guest features shining on the tracklist and to finally hear Deck rip a DJ Premier beat again, promises great things for this. Check out the new single below and make sure you are ready when the album drops.

[Comp] MEKOLICIOUS - "The Rude Youth"

Right before Pete Rock's Soul Brother Recordings imprint through Elektra was ultimately shelved, Pete Rock put his last cards on another talented emcee that he was fully to back up and eventually produce a full-lenght album for; this took place around late '96 and early '97. Mekolicious released a few underground classics in the form of rare 12":s and radio exclusives such as "The Youth", "Meccalicious", "Hope the World Don't Stop" and "How You Feel?". All is hard to come by but still remains vintage Pete Rock productions accompanying a very talented spitter. Pete's new protogé also appeared on unreleased versions of two songs that later appeared without his verses on the producers' 98 solo album "Soul Survivor" ("Verbal Murder" and "Strange Fruit"). In addition, Mekolcious also appeared on mid-'90s collaborations with both Rob-O (on two tracks that didn't surface until several years later) and the latter's now defunct INI crew in '96; the "Center of Attention" album cut "Grown Man Sport", as well as the Rude Youth Mix of the stand-out single "Fakin' Jax which appeared on the 12" single".

These ten tracks definitely deserve a Lost Tapes complation as they are all produced by The Soul Brother; something I've been meaning to do for quite some time but it has kept slipping be my by until now; but as the sayinng goes, better late than never. Though some of the sound qualities of certain soungs leave much to be desired this is a must hear for anyone who has yet to hear it, so whatever you do don't sleep as this speaks volumes on why Pete Rock should awyays be considered one of the three greatest producers to ever to do it. So grab the link below, TURN IT UP, nod your head and imagine what a full mastered album from Mekolicious (handled mainly be Pete Rock) in 1997 or '98 actually would've sounded like. I think it might very well have been held as a true classic today.

01."One Time" (Ft. Pete Red)

02. "Hope The World Don't Stop"
03. "How You Feel"
04. "Fakin' Jax" [Rude Youth Mix] (Ft. INI)
05. "Mention Me" (Ft. Rob-O)
06. "Slow it Down (Rewind That Part)" (Ft. Rob-O)
07. "Verbal Murder" (Ft. Pete Rock & Buddah Monk)
08. "Strange Fruit" (Ft. Pete Rock, Tragedy & Noreaga)
09. "The Youth"
10. "Grown Man Sport" (Ft. INI)

MEKOLICIOUS - "THE RUDE YOUTH"

HAVOC - "To My Face" (Ft. Royce 5'9")

 

Havoc's debut solo album, 2007's "The Kush" was a major dissapointment, despite Tragedy Khadafi being the overseer of the project. However, the beef with former PNC Prodigy seems to have really fired up the QB/Mobb Deep veteran and so far the singles have been pretty close to top notch, making me pretty damn hype about this release. There's still no official release date for what has been tentatively labeled as "13", but the fierce singles "Separate the Real From the Fake" and "Same Shit, Different Day"; and now this self-produced Royce Da 5'9" blessed single "Tell My To My Face" already points that this gonna be miles better than P's horrible "H.N.I.C. Pt. 3".

Chris MoSS' DJ PREMIER interview

The homie and occassional Lost Tapes contributor Chris MoSS put together this great Preemo interview for Al Lindstrom.com which I think a lot of y'all will enjoy. Here he talks about some of his most recent works which is always interesting; he touches upon the recent Joey Bada$$ collaboration, how his most recent Game collabo came about ("HVN4AGANGSTA"), his desire to record with 2Chaiz and more on MC Eiht's long awaited "Which Way iz West" which I certainly have not given up on; especially after the SLAMMING "Keep It Hood" EP that definitely works as a three-way collabo between Eiht, the amazing prducer Brenk Sinatra and Preem who added all turntable work and mixed the entire record. Shouts to Chris on this good interview; also me and him got some good stuff coming here on The Lost Tapes in 2013 so be on the look out for that!

DJ PREMIER interview by Chris MOSS

[EP] SILENT KNIGHT - "Busy is My Best Friend II"

 

Thanks to the homie and Lost Tapes' fan DJ K.O. who run Elementality Productions who's turned out to be one of the most interesting underground labels of 2012, going into 2013. A while back it was announced that the vastly dope but still unknown emcee Silent Knight would soon release an EP called "Busy is My Best Friend II", and I was fortunate enough to get a very early sneek peak of the four track (+ínstrumentals) EP which is why I have made several comments promising this to be one of the hottest releases the early 2013.

The EP features intense rhyming that should Busy Knight on a lot of peep's check list, as he certainly did mine. The four tracks included here features nothing but stand outs, produced by !llmind, Madwreck, and Walrus; all bringing their A-game that does a great job complimenting the harsh lyrics of Silent Knight. While this EP certainly stand on it's own, I just received the amazing news that this is just a warm-up to a full-length album of the same name that will be available on digital retailers such as iTunes, and feature additional contributions from Audible Doctor, Madwreck, DJ K.O., J57, and more; the project should be out this spring. In the meantime check out the project below; the stream AND download is free so whatchu waiting for?

Talib Kweli / Kendrick Lamar / Curren$y - "Push Thru" [Remix]

Marco Polo is responsible for this impressive remix of Talib Kweli's latest single "Push Thru", featuring young stars Kendrick Lamar and Curren$y. I wouldn't mind this version appearing on the much anticipated "Prisoner of Consciousness". That doesn't seem too likely however, as this was conceived during the remix round of latest Beat Society gathering in NYC.

TALIB KWELI - "PUSH THRU" [MARCO POLO REMIX]

Reks Ft. Bishop Lamont - "Trust Us"

REKS hooks up with somewhat underrated West Coast spitter Bishop Lamont for "Trust Us", the follow-up single to the Lee Bannon produced "Judas". For this single the emcee has linked back up with Numsonics, the producer whom he worked with on his previous album; "Rebelutionary". Both songs will appear on REKS' forthcoming sixth (by my accounts) LP, "Revolution Cocktail" which is slated to drop on February 26.

[Tracklist] ILL BILL - "The Grimey Awards"

Ill Bill's"The Grimey Awards" packs one of the most exciting tracklists in some time, and as Bill regulary delivers heat this should definitely be an enjoyable ride once it drops on February 26. Loads of interesting collaborations here; I can't wait to hear Shabazz, Lil' Fame and Ill Bill, not to mention the combination of OC, Cormega and Bill on a DJ Muggs production!

01. "What Does It All Mean?" [prod. by Ill Bill]
02. "Paul Baloff" [prod. by MoSS]
03. "I Don’t Know How Long It’s Gonna Last"
04. "Acceptance Speech" (Ft. A-Trak) [prod. by Junior Makhno]
05. "Truth" [prod. by Pete Rock]
06. "Exploding Octopus" [prod. by Ill Bill]
07. "Forty Deuce Hebrew" (Ft. HR of Bad Brains) [prod. by Ill Bill]
08. "How To Survive The Apocalypse" [prod. by Psycho Les]
09. "Vio-Lence" (Ft. Shabazz The Disciple & Lil Fame of M.O.P.) [prod. by DJ Skizz]
10. "Acid Reflux" [prod. by Large Professor]
11. "L’Amour East" (Ft. Meyhem Lauren & Q-Unique) [prod. by Ayatollah]
12. "Power" (Ft. OC & Cormega) [prod. by DJ Muggs]
13. "When I Die" (Ft. Tia Thomas) [prod. by Pete Rock] *
14. "Severed Heads" (Ft. El-P) [prod. by El-P]
15. "120% Darkside Justice" (Ft. Jedi Mind Tricks) [prod. by C-Lance]
16. "Canarsie High" [prod. by Large Professor]
17.  "World Premier" [prod. by DJ Premier]

* it seems that track #13 will be a Pete Rock remix of the single that was released recently (and can be heard via the link) as official sources credited that as an Ill Bill production.

Spinna & Sahdeeq drops new 7'' single

It seems I've missed a lot of gems over the last week since I really haven't had much time to check for new music and news pieces. Brooklyn's DJ Spinna is by far one of my favorite producers and his many contributions with Shabaam Sahdeeq (who's been making a strong comeback the last year) has always been top-notch material. Therefore the release of two new collaborations put out on 7" vinyl via Spinna's new imprint Correct Technique comes as fantastic news. PRE-ORDER THE SINGLE and stream both songs below.

[Video] EDO G - "Power"

Boston's legendary Edo G have unleased the visuals to his latest joint, effectively titled "POWER". The track will find its home on the O.G.'s full-length album "Intelligence & Arrogance" which drops on February 5; you can pre-order the CD @ amazon.

ILL BILL - "The Truth" [prod. Pete Rock]

Ill Bill's upcoming "The Grimey Awards" is shaping up to be one of the hardest albums of the year, real horrorshow. Chock full of A-list producers and guests, the album lands in stores February 26. One of the most anticipated records of the project is by far Pete Rock's contribution "The Truth", considering we haven't heard these two pair up since Non Phixion's classic "If You Got Love". Bill has now released the song as another single from the LP. Click here if the embedinng don't work.

Black Thought - "Rage is Back (N.Y. State Of Mind)"

DJ J. Period has masterminded several classic mixtapes over the years, always securing real intense exclusives. His latest undertaking is a mix celebrating the release of Adam Mansbach's book on the American graffiti scene called "Rage is Back" which I certainly wouldn't mind having in my bookshelf.

The first single from the mixtape is also the title track, a venomous 3 minutes verse by the lyricist of lyricists; Black Thought. Here he goes in over a slightly tweaked version of DJ Premier/Nas' epic "New York State of Mind" and does it absolute justice. Link borrowed from AllHipHop, so thanks to them!

Chi-Ali Ft. Fat Joe - "Games & Things"

The new single from Chi-Ali "Games & Things" is a real nice, laid-back joint featuring Fat Joe. This is an especially dope listen for two reasons; to hear Chi-Ali attack the mic again for one of the first time after his long bid, and to me it's still always good to hear Joey Crack on tight productions. I'm well familiar with the sample used for the song but I can't recall what song I'm thinking off right now... hmmm.

Large Pro x Kool G Rap x Big Noyd - "Naturally Born"

Three of Queen's finest emcees line up for this knock out jam called "Naturally Born", wonderfully laced by Ayatollah. This is another single from the upcoming Coalmine Records compilation that will be out sometime early this year. I believe this is the third single and so far everything has been absolutely ridiciolous.

Buckwild vs. Media Gasface

Buckwild is the third and latest interview subject in Media Gasface's Talkin' All That Jazz series. A very enjoyable watch as Buck talks hunting obscure samples, influences, DITC, the music industry, and more.

[Mixtape] RAEKWON - "Lost Jewelry"

I don't know how I managed to totally miss out on Raekwon releasing a brand new, free digital mixtape about three days ago. But this is dope enough to deserve a late post - better late than never, right right? 

Labeled as an EP, this is more of a mixtape or a mini album as it features no less than 12 tracks that sees The Chef spitting heat over production from Buckwild, Scram Jones, Statik Selektah, Frank G. and more. Guests include Freddie Gibbs, Faith Evans, and Maino. Peace to Rob.

01. "Intro: A Kings Chariot" [prod. Statik Selektah]

02. "Prince Of Thieves" [prod. Scram Jones]

03. "Young Boy Penalties" [prod. Scram Jones]

04. "Hold You Down" (Ft. Faith Evans) [prod. Buckwild]

05. "For The Listeners" [prod. Vin Tha Chin]

06. "Die Tonight" [prod. Frank G.]

07. "New Day" (Ft. Freddie Gibbs) [prod. Roads-Art]

08. "Lead Season" [prod. Frank G.]

09. "'86" (Ft. Altrina Renee) [prod. DJ Thoro]

10. "Came Up" [prod. Scram Jones]

11. "To The Top" (Ft. Maino) [prod. Roads-Art]

12. "Whatever, Whenever" (Ft. Big Bub) [prod. Roads-Art]

RAEKWON - "LOST JEWELRY"

Durag Dynasty - "D.D. Theme"

If there's one project that I'm truly looking forward to this year it's the Durag Dynasty joint. For those of y'all who's not up on the West Coast trio yet, it's a recently formed group consisting of Planet Asia, Tri-State and Killer Ben with Alchemist on production. The latest single "Durag Dynasty" which was just premiered by Nature Sounds lives up to the high standard already set by the previously released four tracks. If you want to download you can enter your e-mail in the player above, if you don't want to do that you can stream it via Soundcloud below.

[Re-Up] RZA - "BLADE TRINITY" EP

I took a listen to this earlier today and was reminded of how great it is, and as the link was down I figured I might as well bring it back to the first page as I would guess that there's a lot of new readers who missed out on this dope EP (it's actually a full soundtrack, but I always listen to RZA's five contributions and move on).

Throughout the '90s RZA turned out to be one of the most original, creative and diverse producer to ever emerge from the music industry. Much like the late Stanley Kubrick, RZA made something as rare as art with a huge commercial appeal. Every album he produced between 1993 and '98 all went at least platinum while at the same time also being hailed as masterpieces. From his intense production work, that often had a cinematic quality with a heavy emphasis on themes and musical symbols, which would lead to a deep interest in film music. His first step on that path came when he was offered to compose all music for Jim Jarmusch's cult classic "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" (1998); a movie praised by both fans and critics for its visual elements, original story, fine acting (especially by Forrest Whitaker) and musical cues that fit the movie perfectly. The experience gave the Wu-Tang master hunger for more which would translate to several film scores and soundtracks, .including work on Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill Vol. 1" (2003) and "Vol. 2" (2004), "Soul Plane" (2004), and "The Protector" (2005).

In 2004 RZA was also working on composing some of the music for the third installment of "The Blade" saga with Wesley Snipes. The soundtracks to the previous flicks in the series had been pretty consistant quality wise with a fusion of different musical genres, mainly hip-hop and electronica, featuring artists such as Gang Starr, M.O.P., DJ Krush, Junkie XL, Cypress Hill, Roni Size and many others. For "Blade Trinity", the concept was a little different however, with more classic hip-hop joints for RZA's section of the soundtrack and separate electronic songs on the latter half of the album. The first five tracks together form a brilliant little EP, once again showing that RZA's finest moments often occurs when creating film music these days. Just take the unbelivably ill "Fatal" which kicks off the show to great effect. Here, the producer incorporates elements of classical music through the use of a strong string section, which, when added to knock out drums and an eerie bass line, creates a true masterpiece that works just as well as the theme for the movie and as a stand-alone piece. RZA rhymes from the perspective of Blade here, who of course is a vampire, putting all of the characters anger and emotions on his sleeve to create a style that's very reminiscent of the classic verses on Gravediggaz' "6 Feet Deep" LP.

The remaining songs are all of high quality, with verses from the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, Ghostface, E-40, WC, Christ Bearer, and Lil' Flip sounding right at home over RZA's diverse productions. Each song stands on its own and you can tell there was a lot of thought and work put into each track; brilliantly arranged and then mixed, knocking beats, a haunting moody melody for Black Keith and ODB, or an up-tempo bouncy club banger for Lil' Flip and Rae & Ghost. The lyrics also often ties in well with the movie's themes, which is always a cool approach to soundtrack albums. As an EP I strongly recommend this, although the 18 minutes really makes one wonder how powerful the album would've been had RZA been allowed to create the entirety of it.

One last thing - the final song on here (track #5) is called "Daywalkers" and is a co-production between RZA and German film composer Ramin Djawadi. This 2 minute piece is not a hip-hop track at all, though it does feature additional vocals by frequent Wu-Tang collaborator Suga Bang, but more in the vein of electronica. It does manage to show off RZA's diversity and it's not a bad composition at all, though it does comes off as very odd in the context of this EP. I did decide to include it anyhow, keeping the five first songs from the soundtrack intact and in their original sequence... So if you missed out this before, enjoy and TURN IT UP!! A LITTLE LOUDER!

01. The RZA - "Fatal!"
02. Lil' Flip - "I Gotta Get Paid" (Ft. Raekwon & Ghostface Killah)
03. E-40, W.C. & CHRIST BEARER - "When The Guns Come Out'"
04. Black Keith - "Thirsty" (Ft. Ol' Dirty Bastard)
05. RAMIN DJAWADI - "Daywalkers: Outro"

THE RZA - "BLADE TRINITY: THE EP"