BEATNUTS - "U Suckers Ain't" ´[1994]

Early Beatnuts ("Intoxicated Demons"; "Street Level" type-of-Nuts) is some straight up classic Hip Hop that always gets my head nodding whenever I throw one of their records on my turntable.There's some official, semi-official and straight up bootlegs of songs recorded around the time of their self-titled debut (a.k.a. "Street Level") such as "Fluid", "The Hellraiser Remix" and "Ya Better Believe It". I will most likely make a compilation of those early rare 'Nuts for me and you but until then check out this rare alternative mix of the equally unreleased and under the radar banger "We Came Here". Personally I prefer the harder bounce of the "U Suckers Ain't" mix and though both tracks are credited to 1995 my guess is that these are "Street Level" outtakes.The differences between the mixes are not large by any means but it's interesting to hear for a hardcore fan. It's also obvious that "We Came Here" is the prper title of the song.

Props to Egotripland (who I borrowed this post from) as I never heard this before and it really brought back my love for that classic Beatnuts sound. Of course a.big thank you goes out to the original YouTube uploader OGDonNinja as wel. Download a 320 rip of te "We Came Here" below and let that head get to nodding.

BEATNUTS - "We Came Here" [320]

PSYCHO LES Ft. TRAGEDY KHADAFI, ROYAL FLUSH & ILLA GHEE - "Thunder Bells"

Don't know too much where this might end up, but the line-up here is crazy to say the least. Psycho Les brings a hot Bob James sampling beat while Tragedy Khadafi (don't sleep on his "Pre-Magnum Opus" LP btw), Royal Flush and Illa Ghee gets loose. Banger!

[Mixtape] DEBONAIR P Presents - "HYDRA BEATS" Megamix

For those really into the rawest underground hip-hop of the mid-'90s should be well aware of the Hydra labels/crews impeccable "Hydra Beats" 12" EP series that ran for a couple of years. The series featured several installments of pure, dark boom bap hip-hop at its finest with each record focusing on one or two of the finest underground producers associated with the label, which included excellent instrumental sets from Godfather Don, The Beatnuts, Ghetto Pro's, E-Boogie, A Kid Called Roots, Mike Heron, Nick Wiz, and a few others. As these are quite hard to come by this day, we should all be thankful that the great producer/remixer and DJ/collector Debonair P has put together a 79 minutes mix of some of the finest beats found on the majority of the volumes for our listening pleause. It's been floating around the net for a while but I never posted it before, and this is something you most def wan't to hear if you want to put on a screwface and nod your head HARD. A huge thanks goes out to Debonair for making this happen, we are all extremely grateful. Peep the tracklist below, and if you want these in your collection eBay and sites like that are your best choice. Check out the tracklist below and stream or download the entire mix up top. TURN IT UP!!

01. A Kid Called Roots - Ghetto Love
02. Godfather Don - Creepin
03. A Kid Called Roots - Brooklyn
04. The Beatnuts - Purse Snatcher
05. Godfather Don - As The World Burns
06. VIC (Ghetto Professionals) - Strictly Ammo
07. Godfather Don - Pure Elevation
08. Nick Wiz - Finally
09. Godfather Don - She'S Gone
10. A Kid Called Roots - Brian Leech
11. Godfather Don - Fist Full of Pastelles
12. A Kid Called Roots - Thug Tones
13. Godfather Don - Fuck It Up
14. E-Boogie - And You Don't Stop
15. A Kid Called Roots - Black Italians
16. Godfather Don - Talk About
17. The Unsociables - Queens Side
18. Godfather Don - Where I'm Coming From
19. A Kid Called Roots - West Bass
20. Godfather Don - One In Your Ass
21. Nick Wiz - Mind Crusher
22. Godfather Don - Buster
23. A Kid Called Roots - Choosen
24. Godfather Don - To the Bank
25. E-Boogie - Funky Piano
26. The Unsociables - Shotguns Loaded
27. A Kid Called Roots - Drop Top Ride
28. The Beatnuts - Highly Recognized
29. VIC (Ghetto Professionals) - ???
30. The Beatnuts - Relax Yourself
31. Nick Wiz - For Da Mental
32. The Beatnuts - Gonna Fly
33. Godfather Don - Ream-embering Ivy
34. VIC (Ghetto Professionals) - Where The Cash At
35. The Beatnuts - Original
36. E-Boogie - Rock On
37. Godfather Don - Pay Back
38. The Beatnuts - Hip Smasher
39. E-Boogie - And Da Fat Lady Sings
40. Mike Heron (Ghetto Pros) - Joey & Ann
41. Godfather Don - Call Me A Cab
42. Nick Wiz - Starite
43. A Kid Called Roots - Mike Heron
44. E-Boogie - Da Muthafuckin Man
45. Nick Wiz - Four Elements
46. Mike Heron (Ghetto Pros) - Thinkin' Of Vic
47. Godfather Don - Executive Technology
48. Sean C - Keep It Reala
49. The Unsociables - Recognize
50. The Beatnuts - Crab Ni@@as
51. Godfather Don - Cream of Corina
52. VIC (Ghetto Professionals) - Sex
53. A Kid Called Roots - Don't Question It
54. Godfather Don - Depressed
55. The Unsociables - Forever
56. The Beatnuts - I Want It With You
57. Godfather Don - Dark Church
58. The Unsociables - On My Way
59. DJ Fusion - Sunday Diggin'
60. VIC (Ghetto Professionals) - The Hutchison Joint
61. The Unsociables - RIP Lil Spunk
62. The Beatnuts - Jungle
63. DJ Fusion - Live
64. A Kid Called Roots - Spring Action
65. Nick Wiz - Over Drive
66. The Beatnuts - I Can’t Relate
67. DJ Fusion - Stolen Moments
68. Nick Wiz - Lockness
69. A Kid Called Roots - Matty C & Free
70. Godfather Don - Combustible
71. DJ Fusion - For Good & Forever
72. VIC (Ghetto Professionals) - Yeah
73. E-Boogie - Girl Sings
74. Mike Heron (Ghetto Pros) - Beefsteak With Rice & Beans
75. The Unsociables - 1 Time Lullabye
76. The Beatnuts - The Chase
77. Mike Heron (Ghetto Pros) - Ego Trippin
78. Godfather Don - Beep Lance
79. Sean C - Across 110th
80. Godfather Don - Unreliable

JERU THE DAMAJA Ft. The Beatnuts - "A.R.M.E.D."

We've been eagerly anticipating the return of Jeru The Damaja since his smashing collaboration with Large Professor on "Solar Flares". Now "The Hammer" EP has landed at digital retailers, and beside the Extra-P banger also features production by JuJu, PF Cuttin', long-time collaborator Luis "Sabor" Tineo and The Polish Kid. The EP is available from iTunes for the cheap price of $3.99, so stream the JuJu produced/Beatnuts featuring second single "A.R.M.E.D." below and purchase a copy for yourself.

KILLA SHA - "My Enviroment" [prod. by JuJu]

The tragic death of Killa Sha was a great loss for QB's music scene and hip-hop in general; having only released one official solo album (the highly inredible "God Walk On Water" in early 2007), he was working on several new musical projects at the time of his death. The most ambitious of this is his "The Shepherd" album which will feature a lot of production from Large Professor, Beatnuts, Audible Doctor and many more with the LP being treated with the fullest respect by executive producers Tragedy Khadafi, Large Pro, and Gustavo Guerra. Originally set for a January 2014 release, it has obviously been pushed back but with the second single here i have a feeling we won't have to wait much longer. Just like the first single, the Audible Doctor laced banging remix of "Cash". For the second single which is titled "My Enviroment" Killa Sha enlisted JuJu of The Beatnuts for an absolutely marvellous cut - listening to the song and the chemistry displayed here it's obvious that this is not a cut-and-paste job but an organic recording session. Enjoy and stay tuned for more info on "The Shepherd".

JuJu Ft. TRAGEDY KHADAFI - "Thriller"

I must admit I wasn't 100% I wanted to post this but on a few more listens, I like it a little more than I first did. JuJu of The Beatnuts isn't that strong of a rhymer but just like he's partner Psycho LES he's funny as fuck which goes a long way over dope beats (and they are the first to admit it!). As I said I'm not too sold on the beat, especially considering if this is JuJu's own, but it does have some redeeming bassy bounce qualities and it's good to see JuJu back in the studio and with Tragedy Khadafi nontheless, so you know that is another plus. I'll take this while I wait for The LikNuts project and the forthcoming Tragedy project! Thx to HipHopSite for the link!

THIRSTIN HOWL III Ft. LIKNUTS - "Beautiful People"

Damn, check this fresh collaboration between some true veterans in the game. The underrated Thirstin Howl III grabs LikNuts (Alkaholiks & The Beatnuts) for his new single called "Beautiful People". This is the first leak from Thirstin's upcoming full-lengther "Survival of the Skillest" and boosts production by Psycho Les.

THEO 3 w/ DJ Grouch - "Why I Came" [prod. Pyscho Les]

"That's Why I Came" is my introduction to Theology 3 (Theo 3 for short) and if this is what to expect from the man in the future, write me up as a fan. Besides a rough voiced ill rapping, we get DJ Grouch tearing it up behind the tables and none other than The Beatnuts' Psycho Les providing the heat. Following all their credits on Tony Touch recent "The Piecemaker III" , the 'Nuts is definitely on a roll. As an extra bonus, down bottom you'll find Another crazy Theo 3 single, produced by The Audible Doctor called "Clouds".
 

[Album] TONY TOUCH - "PIECE MAKER 3"

"Piece Maker 3: Return Of The 50 MC's" works as an installment in two of Tony Touch's best and most memorable mixtape and/or album series. Released today via Soul Temple Records, Touch has choosen to premier the entire project through free streaming on always trustworthy DJBooth. Kicking things off with the DJ Premier produced collaboration with D-Stroy, you know you are in for a treat with this one.. Other highlights (at least on paper; just started listening myself) include tracks with Liknuts (Alkaholiks x Beatnuts), M.O.P., B-Real, Wu-Tang Clan, AG & Masta Ace, Rah Digga, KRS-One, Fat Joe & Sadat X, D-Block and many more; a good amount of the beats are produced by Beatnuts too, which is real exciting in its own right. Check out the tracklist for yourself if you're still not convinced to press that link, or head over to UGHH and order the CD.

1. Tony Touch / D Stroy – “Touch And D Stroy”
2. Rah Digga – “Freestyle”
3. A.G. & Masta Ace – “Double A”
4. Busta Rhymes, J. Doe, Reek da Villian & Roc Marciano – “Hold That”
5. M.O.P – “You Know You Love This”
6. Too Short, Kurupt & Xzibit – “V.I.P.”
7. B-Real – “Hit This (Freestyle)”
8. Papoose & Uncle Murda – “Brooklyn’s The Borough”
9. Sean Price & Guilty Simpson – “Random”
10. Black Thought – “Thought Process”
11. Styles P, Sheek Louch & Jadakiss – “B.A.R.S.”
12. Liknuts – “World Premier”
13. Raekwon, JD Era, Ghostface Killah & RZA – “Unorthodox”
14. Twista & Bun B – “Bounce”
15. Thirstin Howl III – ‘One Person Thirstin’
16. Willie The Kid – “Power Cypha”
17. Action Bronson & Kool G. Rap – “A Queen’s Thing”
18. KRS-One, Fat Joe & Sadat X – “Take It To The Bronx”
19. Termanology – “Aw Shux”
20. Joel Ortiz, Royce Da 5’9” & Crooked I – “Slaughter Session”
21. Eminem – “Untitled”
22. Redman, Method Man & Erick Sermon – “Let’s Go”
23. Prodigy – “Untitled”
24. N.O.R.E., Al Joseph & Reek da Villian – “Questions”
25. Gob Goblin, Starvin B & Spit Gemz – “Untitled”

"PIECE MAKER 3: RETURN OF 50 MC'S" 

[Comp] BEATNUTS - "THE NUTS FACTOR"

JuJu and Psycho LES have been dropping HEAT under The Beatnuts name since the release of their mind-blowing '93 debut "Intoxicated Demons". This was of course followed by their self-titled first full-length, an album which belongs in any list of great hip-hop albums and is my personal favorite in the Nuts' catalouge. Though they are less active today, chances are that if you see a production credit in their name, the track will be fat. One of the illest things about this pair of boom bap fanatics is how they always been able to bridge the reigning underground sounds with their own neck breaking mix of funk, jazz and breakbeat classics, finding devoted fans in all different camps.

 

It's kind of weird that I haven't put together a Beatnuts compilation before, but better late than never, right? On "The Nuts Factor" I have included 19 nutty bangers, stretching from early remixes for Ice-T and Fat Joe to joints with Dilated Peoples and Soulive in the new millenium, balancing classics and hopefuly what is some rarer cuts. This should be a good hold over while waiting for the "LikNuts" project with Tha Alkaholiks, so grab your bottles, sit back and turn up the volume. Peace to Chris for initiating the idea of this comp.

01. The Beatnuts - "The Trouble is..."

02. Mad Skillz - "The Nod Factor"

03. Screwball - "Screwed Up"

04. Ice-T - "Addicted to Danger" [Remix]

05. Da Lench Mob - "Ain't Got No Class" [Remix]

06. Kid'N'Play - "Bounce"

07. Mondo Grosso - "Le Menage" [Remix]

08. PMD - "Shade Business" [Remix]

09. Da Youngsta's - "It's Natural"

10. Triflicts - "It's Genuine"

11. Down South - "Open Sesame"

12. Fat Joe x Grand Puba x Diamond D - "Watch The Sound" [Remix]

13. No ID x Common x Dug Infinite - "State to State" [Remix]

14. Rhyemester - ""20世紀" [Beatnuts Remix]

15. Rascalz x The Beatnuts - "Can't Relate"

16. Dilated Peoples - "Self Defense"

17. Justice System - "Dedication to Bambaata" [Flamenco Mix]

18. Canibus x Journalist - "Life Liquid"

19. Soulive - "Steppin'" [Beatnuts Remix]

BEATNUTS - "THE NUTS FACTOR"

Throwback Classic: Scritti Politti & Mos Def - "Tinseltown to Boogiedown"

Scritti Politti is an experimenta british band that got their break with the late '70s New Vave/post-punk era, who has tried their hands on most any genre you could imagine. One thing they are NOT, however, are a hip-hop group in any way, shape or form; which is exactly what's make their "Tinseltown to Boogiedown" so brilliant; in fact, it's one of the best singles of  '99. Luckily, they don't themeselves try their hand at rapping, instead settling for the chorus and production while inviting The Mighty Mso Def to do the session and performs a lot more than just a simple 16 bars verse; add to this that his verses were recorded around the time as his lyrical masterpiece "Black On Both Sides". The other emcee on the song is a Lee Majors. But the most interesting part of this late '90s 12" is the high-profile remixes; Psycho Les, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Pete Rock, and Rob Swift! If you're striving to get your hands on this, this is the definite version and features all versions and its instrumentals besides the original mix which can be heard above.

Often referred to as the king of the remix, Pete Rock's interpretation of "Tinseltown" is filled with all of the typical qualities of "another Pete Rock remix"; it's soulful but with an hard edge, and sounds very close to perfection when coupled with Mos' parts..Equally stunning is the darkerm, sinister variation provided by Psycho LES, who incorporates a violin sounding synthesizer effect which becomes the songs theme, while amplifies the drum beat several notches to give the joint a real booming vibe. This might actually be my favorite out of the five versions of the song! Not unexpectedly, Tribe DJ and producer Ali Shaheed goes for a smoother sax-driven feeling by emphasizing the soul elements of the original, giving it that vintage The Ummah sound. Few versions of the single included all four versions, and the one most often left out from pressings was The Rob Swift variation, which is real heavy on the low end and percussion, and is guarantee to have your head bopping.throughout the entire record. ..  On the suject Speaking on Swift, if you have yet to hear "The Architect", the time is now! 

I'ma let the music speak for itself now, I just find it amazing how well worth the price a 12" single like this is. Too often, artists release a single featuring the main song that also appears on his/her album, backed by instrumental, clean and acapella versions of the main track. An exclusive B-side or two such as a remix or a previously unreleased song/s shouldn't just be an option, but a law! With that being said here's Scritti Politti, Mos Def, Lee Morgan, Pete Rock, Psycho LES, Rob Swift and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. TURN IT UP!!


01. "Tinseltown to Boogiedown" [Psycho Les Variation]
02. "Tinseltown to Boogiedown" [Ali Shaheed Muhammad Variaion]
03. "Tinseltown to Boogiedown" [Pete Rock Variation]
04. "Tinseltown to Boogiedown" [Rob Swift Variation]
05. "Tinseltown to Boogiedown" [Psycho Les Instrumental]
06. "Tinseltown to Boogiedown" [Ali Shaheed Instrumental]
07. "Tinseltown to Boogiedown" [Pete Rock Instrumenal]

SCRITTI POLITTI x MOS DEF - "TINSELTOWN TO BOOGIEDOWN: Variations"

VINNIE PAZ / TRAGEDY KHADAFI - "7 Fires Of Prophecy"

Vinnie Paz returns with another solo album this year, titled "God Of The Serengeti" and set for a October 23 release through Enemy Soil Records. Since the relationship between him and Stoupe soured, I think they should put Jedi Mind Tricks on ice and strictly focus on solo material; a task Vinnie Paz proved more than fit fot, as seen by the previous "Season Of The Assassin". His sophhomore LP packs a similiar high caliber list of guests and producers that will guarantee this being pure heat, something which was also revealed by the first single "Cheesesteaks". Peep the tracklist below, and grab the new single featuring Tragedy Khadafi on guest vocals and production work from Beatnick Dee.

01. “Shadow Of The Guillotine” (Ft/ Q-Unique) [prod. by DJ Lethal]

02. “Slum Chemist” [prod. by C-Lance]
03. “The Oracle” [prod. by DJ Premier]
04. “And Your Blood Will Blot Out The Sun” (Ft. Immortal Technique & Poison Pen) [prod. by Tony Kenyatta]

05. “Last Breath” (Ft. Baby Pun & Whispers) [prod. by C-Lance]

06. “Crime Library” (Ft. Blaq Poet) [prod. by Marco Polo]
07.“Feign Submission” (Interlude) [prod. by JBL the Titan]
08. “Duel To The Death” (Ft. Mobb Deep) [prod. by Stu Bangas]
09. “Problem Solver” (Ft. Scarface) [prod. by The Arcitype]
10. “Battle Hymn” (Ft. Apathy, King Syze, Crypt the Warchild, Jus Allah, Esoteric, Blacastan, Celph Titled & Planetary) [prod. by Mr. Green]
11. “Geometry of Business” (Ft. La Coka Nostra) [prod. by Havoc]
12. “Jake LaMotta” [prod. by Illinformed]
13. “7 Fires Of Prophecy” (Ft. Tragedy Khadafi) [prod. by Beatnick Dee]
14. “Cheesesteaks” [prod. by Psycho Les]
15. “Cold, Dark, and Empty” (Ft/ FT & Smoke) [prod. by Jack Of All Trades]
16. “Razor Gloves” (Ft. R.A. the Rugged Man) [prod. by MTK]
17. “Wolves Amongst The Sheep” (Ft. Kool G. Rap & Block McCloud) [prod. by C-Lance]
18. “You Can’t Be Neutral On A Moving Train” [prod. by C-Lance & JBL the Titan]
19. “Kingdom Crusher” (Ft. Block McCloud) [prod. by Paul Nice] 

LikNuts - "Grumpy Crocodile"

Roughly a year ago, the collaboration between Tha Alkaholiks and The Beatnuts as LikNuts was first announced. Now, we gets to hear the first single from the upcoming project, "Grumpy Crocodile". Pretty raunchy joint that does a fine job combining the styles of both groups... Bring out the bottles!!

2 new Sadat X Bangers

Even though I think the Brand Nubian legend is kinda overflooding the market I am always up for some new music from the X-Man. He hasn't really released a near flawless album since 2005 but all his later LP:s has at least featured a bunch of bangers and there's been plenty of hot loose joints appearing on the net throughout the last couple of years. 

Today no less than two songs from Derrick X has been made available; the most interesting being The Beatnut's Psyco Les produced "X & Sandman", a collaboration with Stones Throw's Homeboy Sandman. The second track of the day, "Here I Am", and is a solo X record produced by his long-time affiliate AG's producer; Mike the Martyr. Enjoy!

SADAT X / HOMEBOY SANDMAN - "X & SANDMAN"
SADAT X - "HERE I AM"

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

Beatnuts & Alkaholiks team up for EP

JuJu and Psycho LES of the The Beatnuts recently revealed to German Splash! Magazine that they are working on a collaboration with Tha Liks. In the interview they reveal that a few songs have been recorded and are finished while they plan to do two or three more which will complete an EP they plan to title "LikNuts" (hahah). The Beatnuts are also preparing a full-length album called "Planet Of The Crates", which I hope will be better than the dissapointing "Milk Me". Either way, JuJu and Psycho LES are great producers and Tha Alkaholiks are some funny, skilled fuckers so this is most definitely on my watchlist for the year. Thanks to Taskmaster for the heads up on the news!

I was looking through my mind and then on the net to see if I could find a previous collaboration between the two teams, but found nada. If anyone knows about an existing song, let me know in the comments section.