[Stream] BENEFICENCE - "Basement Chemistry"

Beneficence is a rapper from New Jersey who has been putting in work for a long time, gaining the respect of many of the hottest rappers and producers throughout the East Coast due to his skilled rhyming and down to earth persona. Though he put out his first 12"s in 1994 and 1998, respectively, it wasn't until he hooked up with Ill Adrenaline Records in 2010 that I and many with me really came across his work. On his debut album "Sidewalk Science" for the label he worked extensively with Diamond D on the production while Roc Marciano, Truth Enola, Rob-O, The Legion, Diamond D, Lord Tariq, Prince Po and Frank-N-Dank shared microphone duties. His follow up, "Concrete Soul" was released a year later in 2012 and was even more packed with big names that had a lot of underground fanatics drooling. I'm talking beats and rhymes from Buckwild, K-DEF, InI, Lord Tariq, DJ Doo Wop, Gensu Dean, Confidence, Roc Marciano, B1, Herb McGruff, Da Beatminerz, AG, El Da Sensei, Nature, Masta Ace and many more. A true '90s hip-hop extravaganza if I ever heard one and funny thing is that it all worked in bringing back that sound we all love and cherish.

 

Now Beneficence and Ill Adrenaline is back for round three, and as they say if the formula ain't broke, don't fix it. "Basement Chemistry" is a little lighter on the guest features but still manages to pull some impressive rhymes and beats from Inspectah Deck, DJ Spinna, Da Beatminerz, AG, Masta Ace, MC Eiht, El Da Sensei, L'Orange, Chubb Rock, MindsOne, Confidence, Black Sheep + The Legion and more. The latter two appears on the single and accompanying video for "Make It Hot (Jingle Jangle v.2)", the sequel of Dres and Legion's classic 1993 single. You can peep the video above and stream the entire album below. The LP is available on CD, cassette and vinyl and can be purchased from UGHH now.

[DJ Mix] JIGMASTAS / DJ KENSEI - "The Grasroots Mix"

DJ Spinna is by far the most underrated producer in the game if you ask me. Sure he gets his props but not on the level of say Preemo, RZA, Extra-P, Dilla and Diamond D. For me since I first became aquainted with his works on the excellent Rawkus EP "Heavy Beats Volume One", production work for IG Hazardous, his work with emcee Kriminul as Jigmastas (dropping one low-key classic in 2001, "Infectious", and an equally impressive mini album a few years earlier called "Grass Roots"). This is straight booming hip-hop, with a dark, stripped down aesthetic that heavy as hell on the bass and rhythm aspects of each track. After "Infectious" they dropped the ocassional guest spots, soundtrack apperance or remix as well as apperances on Spinna's terrific solo albums "Sonic Smash" and "Here to There". One of the thing that's so great about DJ Spinna is that he can do a plethora of styles and do it just as dope and authentic sounding at that - whether it's deep soul/house like on "Intergalactic Soul", classic New York boom bap on the aforementioned album and underground singles (by the likes of SPoX PhD and Sputnik Brown), incredible R&B mixes,vintage Soul tracks, powerfully seamless DJ mixes, you name it, he never sounds out of his lane and he has managed to gain respect in all areas he is active in. A true musical wonderchild, and if there's one thing these days it is that hip-hop need more producers and artists like this that are not afraid to truly venture out. DJ Kensei has put together a hard knocking 45 minutes mix of nothing but JIgmasta's classics as a little teaser while we wait for the full EP. Check it out up top!

Still the Jigmasta's suff remains some of the Brooklyn producers' finest works yet, which is equally important to the equation as his distinctive voice and moral street stories is the perfect fit for the DJ's piano driven, bass heavy and eclectic sound. A couple of months ago Jigmastas' finally returned to the scene via a 12" single on Redefinition Records featuring two songs and instrumentals, ""Magnetize" / "The Resurge" (click to check out the very promising sampler). DJ Spinna are back with London based BBE Records (Barely Breaking Even) again; the label who released his "Here to There LP" and a bunch of his offcial DJ mix retail releases. This time the Jig's and BBE have hooked up for a remastered, expanded re-release of their first official full-length release "Grass Roots", for the first time available on vinyl. This is truly a classic release that showcases the duo's incredible chemistry and also shows the pair at their absolute peak so if you don't have this in your collection be sure to don't sleep. It's now called "Grassroots (The Prequel)" and has been expanded with almost twice as many songs than the original. Other songs not present on the original include most of the non-album 12" singles that lead up to their distribution deal, a couple of rare compilation songs, and some previously unreleased remixes by the highly underrated Joc Max. This is hip hop at it's finest... Don't fucing sleep and since this is a run of 500 copies only be sure as hell to cop one while they are still available! Available in CD, digital and 2xLP formats and can be copped @ BBE. You can count on me picking this one up ASAP! To refresh the memories of the true heads, considering it's been a while Jigmastas' dropped anything at this point, BBE has enlisted DJ Kensei to put together a slamming 45 minutes true DJ mix of a bunch of classics, rarities and remixes by Spinna and Krim. Check it out below and be sure to TURN IT UP!!

For a little bonus for the true heads I have uploaded the first Jigmastas' song ever released. The song appeared on a free mixtape entitled "Fat Flavor '93: Unsigned Hype" and features a DJ Spinna produced song for the duo called "Dirty Gutta Butta". A very interesting listen to say the least. Check it out and download the song as a bonus below...

[Bonus] Jigmastas - "Dirty Gutta Butta" ['93] 

[Out Now] DJ SPINNA - "Compositions 4" LP + 7''

I often find that the mega talented DJ Spinna is often left out of discussions of the best producers in the game which to me is absolutely ludacris. Whenever I'm out looking for records and find a 12" featuring a DJ Spinna remix or production you can bet that I'm going home with that record. "Compositions" is the beat maestros series of previously unreleased instrumental compositions and number four was just released yesterday. Featuring 20 choice cuts of deep hip hop grooves this is no doubt another great set from the legend. Cop it and read more @ Fat Beats.

[DJ Mix] DJ SPINNA - "Jazz Attitudes Special Mix"

If you know me, then you are well aware that I'm not only a hip-hop - well hip-hop is my #1, but I absolutely love jazz music in almost all its forms, Soul/R&B (you know Beyonce, Rhianna, Kanye West on his 808s, and all that good shit... Or hell no, I'm talking Marvin Gaye, The Delphonics, etc.) and of course '70s funk (like Sly & The Family Stone, Parliament and Funkadelic, etc.) But I gotta say jazz and hip-hop is the thing that's getting the most spin on my turntables. And of course DJ Spinna is both a favorite DJ and producer so this exclusive Jazz set he put together on the Summer Madness 2 festival this September 4. Spinna is a master DJ on basically every genre, and here he lets agressive syncopated rhythms, vibes, a plethora of horns, both electric and stand-up bass and of course beautiful piano makes for an evening that I'm sure was unforgettable to those we were there. And for thsoe of us who wasn't, I strongly recommend checking this out - even if you're not a jazz fanatic like myself it's a very good chance you really gonna dig this - stream it below or click this direct link! TURN IT UP FELLAS!

[Album] REVOLUTIONARY RHYHM - "The Art Of Gallery"

Revolutionary Rhythm is an underground hip-hop trio representing Los Angeles´consisting of Kid Abstract, Predominance and DJ Million Faces. I had never heard of this group before but after receiving an e-mail the other day saying that none other than DJ Spinna will be the responsible producer for the entirety of the trio's next album. Now if you follow my blog or a personal friend to me, you'd know I'd consider Spinna to be amongst the 5-10 best producers of all time, any day. So you know I had to check out this group and see what the fuss is about and headed over to their Bandcamp page. Their most recent album, "The Art Gallery", is a triumphant mix of jazz beats, soulful melodies, laid-back hip-hop and introspective raps. The emcee does a good job holding down the microphone, and the soul singer who provides the choruses and ocassional R&B-type verses is pue gold. Then there's the turntable work which is proper and the beats is sample-heavy, often laid back, but with headnod inducing rhythm tracks, sometimes even evoking a reagge flavor on cuts like "Jerry Session".At other times the cadence of main emcee Kid Abstract almost reminds me of Talib Kweli, and I don't mean that in any bad way.

"The Art Gallery" is without question a pretty damn cool listen; while it's not a perfect album, it's also void of filler material. With the help of the incredible DJ Spinna I have a feeling that this expanded quartet can makes wonder with an upcoming full-lengther. To be fair, it's not hard to see why Spinna woould like to lend his hand to this group's sound as much of the music on "The Art Gallery" is quite reminiscent of some of the tracks he did for "Here to There", his sole entry in the Beat Generaton Series ("Surely", "All Up In It", "Rock: Unplugged"). Anyway, it's not a perfect album, but definitely a solid listen and I can't wait to see what Spinna will do togethet with these guys so stay tuned y'all!

[Album] J-LIVE - "Around The Sun"

 One of my most anicipated albums of the year is J-Live's "Around The Sun" which we so far heard some terrific singles from. Now the album is out and can be purchased (and stream) from its Bandcamp page or iTunes. It seems that this is a digital release only, which is very unfortunate, since I can't find any pre-order links at UGHH or Fat Beats. I really hope they eventually will give it the release it deserves because this is a tight album no doubt; there are a couple of filler tracks, and a track or two that isn't all that special. But overall this is very good, J-Live ges it in as usual, and as with his clever writing you know you'll need to hear this several times before you really catch up (as recently happened to me with Pharoahe Monch's excellent "PSTD" outing just recently). Tanya Morgan makes inspired performances, and the same goes for Homeboy Sandman and Boog Brown. Complementing J-Live's impeccable writing talents and cuts, his gripping voice and flow, is an array of ill producers who've given 'Live classics to work on before. I'm talking about the talents of DJ Spinna ("Equionox)", Illastrate ("The Fun Razor Remix"), Oddisee ("Money Burns", "Worlds Apart""), DJ Nu-Mark ("Walk LIke"), Audible Doctor ("Hang On High"), PJ Katz ("City to the City") with the rest of songs produced by That Guy With The Glasses himself. So be sure to check this one out, if you're a J-Live fan I sincerely doubt you are not going to feel strong about this one as well. TURN IT UP!! (Remember that the emberded player below start as track 11; just rewind to track one or click here if it doesn't work at all).

[EP] V/A - "Hip-Hop Underground's Finest" (1999)

Now this is a real underrated underground gem that was released on the always trustworthy Hydra Entertainment back in early 1999, highlighting some of the artists or producers half-affiliated with the label around that time like Prince Po, Godfather Don (of course), L Swift of Natural Elements, Edo G, Sir Menelik and more with production supplied by Don, Nick Wiz, Alchemist, Prince Poetry, DJ Spinna, and Rich Boogie so you know this is a quality release that you need to get up on if you haven't heard it before. It was released on both CD and 2x12" on Hydra Entertainment, and this rip features all the six main tracks from the CD edition; unfortunately excluding the instrumental and clean versions however. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do, pure underground hip-hop at it's finest with some of my favorite producers of the era and some very impressive vocal performances as well (and some not so impressive - High & Mighty I'm looking at you, but with a dope Alchemist beat to back them up it gets a pass). Download, TURN IT UP!! and enjoy!

01. Godfather Don, Sir Menelik & Mic L - "No Competition" [prod. Godfather Don]

02. Matt Fingaz w. Punch & Words - "Just Ask Us" [prod. Nick Wiz]

03. L Swift & Eddie Brock - "Meltodown" [prod. Rich Boogie]

04. High & Mighty - "The Conflict" [prod. by The Alchemist]

05. Ed O.G. - "You All About Nothin'" [prod. by DJ Spinna]

06. Prince Po & Boku Rule - "Hot Syrup" [prod. by  Prince Poetry]

HYDRA - "HIP-HOP UNDERGROUND'S FINEST"

[Video] SMTH Ft. CAPITAL STEEZ - "Last Straw"

Six months ago Brooklyn young spitter SMTH released his "Last Straw" (alongside the "The SMTH Project"), a knocking track that only sported a tight beat by the always great DJ Spinna, but also the final verse by Pro Era member Capital STEEZ. I can't say I was aware of either STEEZ or SMTH prior to this and basically checked it bc of Spinna's name, but damn STEEZ (who was the first verse on the song) really had a bright future ahead of him. Truly sad that he passed away as young, as it always is when people do that. Rest in peace!

JIGMASTAS - "The Resurge"

Damn, this is some fantastic news right here... DJ Spinna and Kriminul links back up as Jigmastas for the first time in several years, so it's real cool to hear that the chemistry and that deep bassed vintage JIG sound is in full effect from the jump. Let's hope this "Resurge" will lead to a proper follow-up to the ridiciously overlooked "Infectious" and "Grass Roots" albums. You know you 'll need to keep the volume LOUD on this one! [BTW, also HQ free download or stream of Clean and Instrumental versions @ Spinna Soundcloud]

[12" Throwback] WIZDOM LIFE & MATT FINGAZ - "Fruits of Labor in the Sunshine"

It's been a while since I did a 12" Throwback post, so here goes one for a single I stumbled across in a used vinyl store about a year ago. I picked up on the strength of the DJ Spinna production who is easily one of my favorites to ever do it. For this single New York emcee Wizdom Life teamed up with Matt Fingaz (a.k.a. FingaTip), better known as a manager and the founder of '90s indie powerhouse Guesswhyld than a rapper, to drop this pretty fat 12" single on Wreck Records back in early 1998. This was their only release together, and Wizdom Life faded into obscurity after dropping a album produced by Shawn J Period, released only a year after this single while Fingaz decided to focus his talents in other aspects of the music biz. 

Both tracks found here features the production talents of DJ Spinna, who makes an exceptional job as always. The A-side, "Fruits of Labor in the Sunshine" marks an early collaboration with Talib Kweli who delivers a thought provoking verse much in the same vein to what was heard on classic Black Starr LP with Mos; the apperances that once and for all put him on the map. There's no question that Kweli outshines the other two emcees here, but the two main artists does a pretty good job as well. The production is a perfect compliment to the lyrics of the song, with a kind of laid back beat that still got a lot of drive, and beautifully chopped up soulful vocal and instrumental loops that even got a slight reagge vibe.

The B-Side "Mad About You" is one of those booming posse cuts that we're so popular in the '90s, and it's great to hear some of those real underground emcees that totally faded into obscurity only a  couple of years later all ripping it on a track like this (although they all had a lot of material out in the '90s; mainly banging 12" singles). Over a somewhat harder Spinna beat than the previous, with pounding drums, hard kick and snares coupled with a shaking bassline guiding the talents of Craig G, Lace Da Booms, Mike Zoot and  the two main artists of the record. Five emcees showing their passion for rhyming over carefully chopped horns, and some vintage Spinna cuts is definitely one fan of '90s golden era hip-hop NEED to hear... This is just another one of those hundreds of cool underground singles that dropped in the mid-'90s but it's also a definite keeper that you should not sleep on, so grab the complete single below in a nice 320 kbps rip, and whatever you do.... TURN IT UP!

 
A1. "Fruits Of Labor in the Sunshine" (Ft. Talib Kweli)
A2. "Fruits Of Labor in the Sunshine" [Instrumental]
B1. "Mad About You" (Ft. Craig G, Lace Da Booms & Mike Zoot)
B2. "Mad About You" [Instrumental]

WIZDOM LIFE & MATT FINGAZ - "FRUITS OF LABOR IN THE SUNSHINE" VLS

SMTH Ft. Capital Steez - "Last Straw" [prod. DJ Spinna]

Brooklyn emcee SMTH has just premiered his latest single, featuring the final verse ever recorded by Capital Steez from the Pro Era collective. The verse was recorded only five days prior to the tragic death of the young and talented Brooklyn-based artist. Together with DJ Spinna, SMTH has completed the song and is now releasing the final, superbly dope, track as "Last Straw". Rest in peace Steelo!

Oh, and while you're at it, definitely check out SMTH's free DatPiff sponsored mixtape "The Smth Project" where you find "Last Straw", along with cuts featuring peeps like Maffew Ragazino and Sean Price.

[Comp] JIGMASTAS - "B-SIDES: LOST TAPES"

If you've been following The Lost Tapes for some time now, you're well aware that I consider DJ Spinna one of the top 10, if not top 5,  hip-hop producers of all time; not least because his eclectic sound and his professional dabbling in a large amount of differet genres. Spinna's first hip-hop group was the Brooklyn based emcee/producer duo known as The Jigmastas alongside rhyme spitter Kriminul, who also acts as an executive producer on many of Spinna's Beyonnd Real releases. Since their first released track "Execution" on an underground hip-hop compilation called "Bomb Hip Hop", back in 1994, the duo continued to made their presence known by steadily releasing singles, exclusive B-sides and compilation apperances as well as the occassional guest cameo; all quality material. It wouldn't however be until 2000s "Grass Roots EP" that the world got a chance to really hear the duo as a group to be counted with. The material spoke for itself and it was easy to see how this power duo had come to stay, and had a special knack for crafting bass-heavy, melodious, well crafted and cleverly written hip-hop music. This became even more evident the following year, when the duo released their official album "Infectious" which came out in the summer of 2001. Discussing sale it wasn't what you would call a succesful album but when talking quality material, it was a very succesful project and one of the year's very best; expanding on the sound of the preceeding EP. "Infecrious" was a front-to-back burner that rewarded multiple listens and needs to be heard and appreciated by any pure hip-hop fan around!

 

I'm not sure what's the status of Jigmastas as a group are today; since the early mid-00s they've been very quiet, as a Group and I have barelt seen Spinna talk about their relationsho interviews but Krim appeared on "New York (Duck For Cover)" on Spinna's "Sonic Smash" in 2009, a very welcome reuionion. With the large amount of material these guys have put out beside their two albums, I thought it was high time to put together one of my trademark compilations for y'all, Lost Tapes stylee! Most of the rips sound pretty much fine and in tune with eachother, but there's a couple of exceptions that doesn't sound very good but clearly nothing that isn't listenable however. In the end the 20 tracks found here works a great compaion piece to The JIG's  two retail albums, and it's great to hear the chemistry between Krim's spitting and Spinna's beats which brings back a lot of memories. Their official albums is of course more-or-less an incredible album in its own right and need to be heard by fans ASAP. 

Excluding some of the duo's guest apperandces (mainly Cooly's Hot Box, Double Edge), this banging comp features pretty much all of the B-sides, soundtrack cuts, official compilation material and such that the Jigmastas has released in an official capacity.As such is work as a fantastic companion piece to both The JIG's retail stuff, as well as a great entry in the superior DJ Spinna canon. Two of these songs have previously appeared on solo albums by Spinna - "You Got to Live" was a stand-out track on the producer's criminally underrated solo album "Here to There", also featuring Mr. Akil on guest vocals. The second track I wasn't at first sure to include at all, being that it wasn't recorded until 2008-2009, several years after the last Jigmastas collaboration. In the end,  "New York (Duck For Cover)" was decided to have as the final song on this compilation, which works on several planes - from a strictly musical standpoint, it's a great album closer, but even more than that it brings in a slightly new sound which makes the previous 19 tracks a transition into this final bonus cut as it's the first track we have got of what could lead to more Jigmastass' material.

There's plenty of dope material here, and clockinng it at almost exactly 80 minutes it truly plays out like a fantastic compantion piece to Krim and Spinna's two albums together. Following my two relatively recent DJ Spinna production compilations, this makes for another one not to be slept on and shou,d be played loud in your headphones or speakers, .Really not that much more to be said Before we get into the Music, except that if you're still not up on DJ Spinna you really need to pick up his solo  albums "Heavy Beats Vol.1", "Here to There" and "Sonic Smash", the two Jigmastas joints mentioned above, and most definitely the two Polyrhtyhm Addicts Projects... And that's just to name a few! But in the meantime, now let Kriminul and DJ Spinna take you on a journey through eighty minutes of neck-breaking excellencne and Sharp rhymes. Ladies and gents, let the boom bap begin!

01. "Hip Hop"

02. "Beyond Real"

03. "If..."

04. "Chandon"

05. "Dead Man's Walking"

06. "Stones" *

07. "So What" (Ft. GURU)

08. "Iz You Dee" [Spinna Mix]

09. "Execution"

10. "Days Of Our Lives"

11. "You Got to Live"

12. "Keep On Rockin'"

13. "Last Will & Testimony"

14. "Threat"

15. "Beyond Real Remix" (Ft. Skam & Bulding Bloxx)

16. "Semi-Precision"

17. "Let Me Hear It"

18. "Origianal"

19. "Outro: To The Sure Shot"

20. "New York Stories" [*Bonus*]

JIGMASTAS - "B-SIDES: D LOST TAPES"

[Mixtape] DJ SPINNA & JUST DIZLE - "Dearly Departed Pt. 1"

Now this one is just crazy... US and France unites in the form of DJ Spinna and Just Dizle who together puts together the mixtape "Dearly Departed". This is a salute to some of the finest emcees who left way too soon, including choice cuts by the likes of GURU, Apache, Big L, Nate Dogg, Big Pun, Heavy D, Proof and Pimp C. This is a definite download, and hopefully we'll get a Part 2 soon enough. Click here for a full tracklist.

[comp] LACE DA BOOMS - "MURDER SEASON"

In the mid-'90s there were so many incredibly dope acts on the hip-hop scene that unfortunately a lot of them were lost in translation, so to speak. Not too long ago, the immensely talented New York emcee Big Kwam's entire catalouge was collected in true Lost Tapes fasion as "Verbaliwed: Raw Skillz". Luckily I have been able to find all of Kwam's original 12" catalouge in my local used record shop and was totally blown away; still looking for the "Execution Expert" EP though. But Kwam is only one of many immesely talented rhymers with a great ear for beats that got a chance to drop a few singles through the mid-'90s before fading into obscurity. Big Twan is another example, who's superb EP "One Time For The Lyricist" I recently found in the used section. Then there's of course Mike Zoot, Matt Fingaz, Shades Of Brookltn, and a whole host of other hot emcees that never got their real chance to shine and has since resignde from the recording industry.

One of the most prominent out of these young rhymeslingers was Lace Da Booms, a Brooklyn native, who released a trio of 12"/EP:s between 1996 and 1997 on the Guesswhyld label; a label that was responsible for a whole lot of dope underground music. Lace first made noise in 1996 with the 12" single "Cut That Weak Shit" B/W "Ain't No Secret"; the first record on Matt Fingaz' Guesswhld imprint, and featuring headnodding mixes by Buckwild, Guesswild Production, and Obsession, with guest apperances by Quasi Modoe and Royal Flush, not countig the solo B-side, produced by none other than Domingo.

The following year the same label released the next single, including the Buckwild produced "Murder Season" with two versions of "And Once...", laced by Domingo and Sha-Self, respectively.  The Brooklynite's final '90s release is perhaps his finest, released shortly after "Murder Season", this untitled record was actually released as a 2x12" set featuring instrumental, clean and dirty versions of all eight songs found on the two discs, and only one guest apperance by  singer Hope Calabrass. However, the production credits run like a who's who of the great underground producers of the time: Buckwild, DJ Spinna, DJ Ogee, Domingo, and Derick Trottman. To me, it's probably DJ Ogee's (mainly known as OC's original DJ, and for producing a smaller amount of classic tracks throughout the years), smooth but bass- and turntable heavy contribution "The Glory" that is the real stand-out on an EP full of dope music. On a side note, I've been wanting to do a DJ Ogee collaboration for some time but not sure if the material would be enough.

To be perfectly honest I don't know too much about Lace Da Booms beside the few singles he has released, where he's from, his connections to several ill producers and record label. With remixes and alterative versions I have put together a typical Lost Tapes compilation of every VLS material Lace put out in the couple of years he was active on Guesswhyld. Clocking in at just over 45 minutes with thirteen songs (including three remixes and two guest apperances), "Murder Season" plays out like a dope album and truly makes you wonder whatever happened to Lace.  In fact, in an article from 2009 in Black Sheep Mag, here the emcee is talking about a a then forthcoming EP which will be followed by a full-llength; but this was in 2005, and I sure haven't heard anything yet. Oh well, here's ALL of Lace Da Booms tracks ever released, including singles, B-sies and his two sole guest apperancnes (tracks #3 and #13). ENJOY!!

 

01. "Murder Season"

02. "Cut That Weak Shit" [NYC Mix]

03. "Strategy"
04. "The Truth Iz..."

05. "Glory"

06. "And One" [What's Da Deal Mix]

07. "Countless Thoughts"

08. "Ain't No Secret"

09. "Cut That Weak Shit" [Buckwild Mix]

10. "Sumtimez"

11. "And One" [What's Up With A Deal Mix]

12. ""Cut That Weak Shit" [Obsession Remix]
13. "Mad Abour You"


2, 9, 12 additional guest vocals by Quasi Modo & Royal Flush)
3 additional guest vocals by Raiderman, Mr. Voodoo, Sean Price, & Mike Zoot
13 additional guest vocals by  Wizdom Life,  Matt Fingaz, Craig G & Mike Zoot
2 remixed by Guesswild Productions, 11 remixed by Obsession
1, 7, 9 prod. by Buckwild; 3, 6 prod. by Sha-Self; 4 prod. by DJ Spinna;
5 prod. by DJ Ogee; 6,8 prod. by Domingo; 10 prod. Derric Trotman.

LACE DA BOOMS -
"MURDER SEASON"                                              

[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.

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.

V/A - "WIDE ANGELS"

 "Wide Angels" was the name of a very dope compilation of some of the finest underground hip-hop available around 1999 for Blind Side Recordings. Released on the 1st of January 2000, the fifteen track collection was an impeccable mix of some of the most potent underground lyricists and producers available at the time. Sporting both somber and aggressive beats and fierce vocal styles, mesmerizing hooks and memorable 16:s, this is a must hear. While I don't have the actual album in my collection yet, my crates pack plenty of records that do appear on the project; in fact "Wide Angles" is about as powerful of a late '90s unerderground hip-hop showcase as Rawkus and their "Lyricist Lounge" and "Soundbombing" series.

I'm not sure if DJ Spinna had anything to do with actually compiling this as it was not released on but his productions and a lot of artists he worked with at the time are all over this. Things kick off with the brilliant "Voicestress" produced by Spinna and Joc Max as Domecrackers; a 12" by Truth Enola which features  De La Soul. This is a laid-back, guitar driven  song which sets things of lovely. Next up is, what is probably a left-over from the "Black Star" album, as it was originally recorded in '98. Called "Another World" it's produced by UK wizards The Creators who cooks up an uptempoi beat promting Kweli and Mos going back and forth. Next up, is what is probably one of the illest 12"s I have in my entire record collection; the Spinna remix of underground monster Big Kwam's "Verbalize". This is a true underground anthem right here, complete with a hypnotic beat, lyricism at its finest and powerful scratches. Natural Elements' L-Swift, is joined by A-Butta and talented prodcuer Kenny "Dope" Gonzales on "Ride This", a pretty dope jawn but in my opinion the weakest track so far.

Brother Alphonso Greer (better known as Joc Max) get things back to the previous mood; a laid back joint to kick your feet back to; between the accoustic guitar, the low-key turntable work and Joc Max's spoken word message, this is  a very nice midtro. The younger Soul Brother Grap Luva pops up for a beautiful solo cut, "Touch The Sky", a mellow cut where Grap sounds right at home and where he's right in his element. A solo album by Grap around this time, produced by people like Spinna, Pete Rock, and Grap himself could easily have been a classic.

After another funky piece by Alfonso Greer, the team of DJ Spinna and Pharoahe Monch.returns with the non-album cut "Toooley Crew Personified". I'm still mad that i passed on the 12" single last week, because this is a real powerful joint. An an up-tempo, agressive ans powerful beat with Pharoahe revisiting the theme of his super classic "Stray Bullet". We need a full Spinna / Monch collabo ASAP.

The intennse power trip of the previous joints take a left turn to a smoky jazz club setting; a slow jam with Fender Rhodes, accoustic bass and live drums is the recipe for the beautiful voice of Alice Russel and  her "Someday". I need to check out some of this girls albums ASAP as pretty much everything I've heard so far been real graceful. Mr. Complex, of Polyrhythm Addicts, Subterrenean, and Structure Rize follows with more hardcore underground hip-hop at its finest. Drums bangs, horn glares and emcees dominate their respecciive pieces.

DJ Spinna is the one who really dominates the set however, and its when he is credited for producion that the "album" really takes off. Much of the stand-outs are also available on 12":s, but to have tracks like Big Kwam's "Verbalize" (DJ Spinna Remix), "Tooley Crew Personified", the brilliant Big Twan joint  "One For The Lyricist", the Nick Wiz produced banger "Kwamaniz" (once again Big Kwam), the De La Soul/Truth Enola collabo and many more. All in all, this is pretty good compilation that, unlike most collections could and should be played front-to-back.... TURN IT UP!!

01. Truth Enola / De La Soul - "Voicestress"

02. Mos Def / Talib Kweli - "Another World"

03. Big Kwam - "Verbalize" [DJ Spinna Remi]

04. L Swift Ft. A-Butta - "Ride This"

05. Grap Luva - "Touch the Sky"

06. Invisible Mics - "Way Post Go"

07. Brother Alphonso Greer - "Situation Reakistic"

08. Pharoahe Monch - "Tooley Crew Personified"

09. Alice Russel - "Someday"

10. Mr. Complex - "Do It Up"

11. Subterenean - "My Style is Phreaky"

12. J-Live - "Shyste"

13. Big Twan - "One For the Lyricist"

14, Structure Rize - "Put You Hannds Up"
15. Big Kwam - "Kwamaniz"

V/A - "WIDE ANGLES" 

[Comp] DJ SPINNA - "SPINNA SPINNIN' Vol. 2"

I recently picked up the great DJ Spinna's compilation "The Beat Suite" in a impressively packaged 4x10" box set, which since has been on daily rotation. It also inspired me to dust off many of his previous records from the collection such as "Heavy Beats, Vol. 1" and "Here to There" as well as his collaborations with Polyrhythm Addicts and Jigmastas. Among the guys I would consider the top producers of the industry, Spinna would be among the few I'd consider the most diverse; from gritty underground hip-hop, to swingin' jazz remixes, from deep house music, on to warm soul and R&B, from here to there... Whatever he does, however, Spinna's music always has an element of the hip hop background he still cherries to the fullest. This allows him to turn people that's mainly into underground hip-hop on to other styles with more ease than many of his fellow producers. Of course, the DJ part of his name is not just a moniker either, as been proven time and time again with perfected mixtapes and impressed crowds.

Still, I know that a lot of people are sleeping on DJ Spinna and his vast contribution to the scene, so with the "Spinna Spinnin'" series I want to honor his impressive career as a hip-hop DJ/producer. On the first volume, I mainly concentrated on his collaborations with bigger names such as Busta Rhymes, The Roots, GURU, Sadat X, Eminem, and Masta Ace. For this second installment there's still some impressive names around (Pharoahe Monch, Mos Def, MC Eiht, De La Soul, Slick Rick, etc.), but it also showcases a few acts from his Beyond Real imprint and his talents with remixes. As usual, as this is strictly promotional, there's no music from his own retail albums, or does collaborations he's done as part of a group, etc. Enjoy!

01. Push Button Objects / Del / Mr. Lif - "360 Degrees" [Spinna Mix]
02. Mr. Complex / Pharoahe Monch - "Why Don't Cha?"
03. J-Live - "Satisfied?"
04. eLzhi - "Colors" [Remix]
05. Dynas / Slick Rick - "Family Jewels" [Spinna Mix]
06. Truth Enola / De La Soul - "Voicestress"
07. Mos Def - "Ms. Fat Booty" [Spinna Mix]
08. Quanuum - "I Changed My Mind" [Spinna Mix]
09. Pharoahe Monch - "Tooley Crew Personified"
10. Shadowman - "Wasted"
11. Sir. Menelik - "Terror Works"
12. Substantial - "If I Was Your M.I.C." [Spinna Mix]
13. MC Eiht - "You Can't See Me" [Spinna Mix]
14. Mr. Akil / Mos Def / Shadowman / Skam / Dynas  - "Ain't A Game"
15. Ronny Jordan / Mos Def - "Brighter Day" [Spinna Mix]
16. Jigmastas - "Hip Hop"

DJ SPINNA - "SPINNA SPINNIN' VOL. 2"

[COMP] DJ SPINNA - "Spinnin' Spinnin Vol. 1"

Vincent Williams, better known to the hip-hop community as DJ Spinna, first made his entrance into the recording industry around 1995-1996; producing and remixes stand out cuts for underground and well established artists including, J-Live, Kool G Rap, MC Eiht, Das EFX, N.O.T.S. Click and Mike Zoot and even 4 Hero and Faith No More, just to name a few. Since then he laced classics for Shabaam Sahdeeq/Eminem, Scaramanga/Brand Nubian, Edo G, Masta Ace, Defari, GURU, Ronny Jordan, Sadat X and many more. But unlike some of, especially today's hip-hop producers, Spinna's got an equal love for a wide range of different genres; putting together mixtapes celebrating Stevie Wonder, disco/funk, and definitely least house music which he have a huge love for.

In the late '90s, he was signed to the, then incredible, Rawkus Records where he released his debut solo record; the headnodding mini album "Heavy Beats, Vol. 1". The 8 tracks project saw Spinna's take on the vintage boom bap sound, not only filled with mesmerizing instrumentals, but also included vocal tracks from the likes of Eminem, Talib Kweli, Apani B. Fly Emcee and Missin' Linx. The record sold poorly, and as the quality of Rawkus rapidly lost its quality, BBE's incredible The Beat Generation Series signed the DJ and producer for a one album deal. The result was  the absolutely terrific "Here to There". The first time I head it, I wasn't exactly blown away but it's one of those albums that grow with each listen. The 75 minutes project, featured neckbreaking instrumentals full of well executed turntable work, heavy vocal hip-hop cuts featuring the likes of Shadowman, Jean Grae, Apani B. Fly Emcee, Jigmastas, Mr. Akil and more. Suprisingly to some, the LP also featured some authentic house tracks towards the end, which added to making the album a true musical journey of different genres. A very risky album indeed, and one that put the genius of Williams at the forefront.

This was followed by two further solo albums and lots of very classy 7" singles. As if that wasn't enough, Spinna was also part of, and the main producer of, Jigmastas, Polyrhythm Addicts for whom he produced two full-lengths, and most recently SPOX PhD with emcee Ox The Architect who's currently working on an album to follow up their brilliant single "Brilliance" / "Four Times Raw". There's no question that Spinna is one of the most overlooked producers of all time; and besides all the albums I mentioned above, that you need to check out eventually, what better way to intoduce new listeners to some of Spinna's outside work in a context that I believe long-time fans of the producer will be able to appreciate as well... Oh well, TURN IT UP!!

01. "When Planets Collide: Prequel"
02. "Baggin' Writes" [Dome Cracker Remix] (Ft. J-Live)
03. "5 Star Generals" (Ft. Shabaam Sahdeeq]
04. "Black October" (Ft. Sadat X)
05. "No Grease" (Ft. GURU, Mendoughza, New Child, Lae D-Trigga)
06 . "7XL" (Ft. Sadat X & Grand Puba)
07, "Soda & Soap" (Ft. Jean Grae)
08. "Don't Talk About It" (Ft. Edo G)
09. "Watch Deez" (Ft. Thirstin Howl III & Eminem)
10. "Dillagence" (Ft. Phonté)
11. "Quicksand Millenium" (Ft. Black Thought / The Roots)
12. "Microphone Master" [Dome Cracker Remix] (Ft. Das EFX / Mobb Deep)
13. "Simplistic" (Ft. Shawn J. Period)
14. "Jungle Punch" (Ft. Mike Zoot)
15. "Work is Never Done" (Ft. NOTS Click & Big L)
16. "ThreeSixFive" (Ft. OldWorldDisorder & Eminem)
17. "Dilla is the Goat: Prequel"

DJ SPINNA - "SPINNA SPINNIN' VOL. 1"

Lord Finesse / DJ Spinna - "S.K.I.T.S."

Turn up the volume on this nasty meeting between two A-team producers as the one and only DJ Spinna puts his spin on Lord Finesse's '94 classic "S.K.I.T.S." ("Shorties Kaught Up in the System" that is) resulting in a funky remix. According to 'Ness current label Slice-Of-Spice this will be a bonus joint on their "Lord Finesse's Signature Sevens" set (which is a series of exclusive 7" records) which will be going on pre-sale next week. This Spinna mix might very well have been made for the long-awaited "Funky Techician" project although "S.K.I.T.S." was a soundtrack and 12" joint released a few years after that masterpiece of an album.