[Comp] AMED - "The Secret Weapon"

Amed has been down with the D.I.T.C. crew since way back in the early days and on his best days he can produce a hard boiled banger that knocks as anything by Showbiz or Lord Finesse. Amed originally went by the name of (DJ) Timbalan and started rapping in the late '80s, which led to DJ:ing and then eventually producing. His first major credit was for his work as a turntablist with Freestyle Professors and Show on the classic F.P. EP "Your Pockets Been Picked". He next made an early apperance as part of a compilation showcasing the D.I.T.C. family on an at the time untitled compilation album which was to be released in early 1995 (you can hear AG mention it in this Yo! MTV Raps interview). What was completed of that album was however shelved and didn't find its way to the publics ears until 2008 when Show put it out as "Unreleased Production (1994)". The unfinished album featured two songs of Amed rapping along with a cat called 40oz who has since dissappeared altogether from the scene. One of the tracks ("Down For The Crown") also features his production, making it the earliest known released beat by the man. This might have been around the time that he really found his interest and knack for producing which made him leave his microphone tactics behind and start focusing entirely on his production work, heavily inspired by his fellow D.I.T.C. alumni (especially his close companion Showbiz) while giving it his own unique spin.

Since 1998 he produced the classic group single "Time to Get This Money" which featured on point verses by OC, AG, Diamond D, cuts by DJ Premier and a headbanger boogie type boom bap beat that was very memorable. Since then he has been used as kind of a secret weapon, not producing or at least releasing too much, but whenever his name is attached to a record you can count on it being DOPE. He made his mark producing bangers for Grand Agent, Ghetto Dwellas, Show & AG, Mykill Miers, and two of the best cuts from AG's first solo outing ("The Dirty Version"). The highest honor he could get from his peers came when his beat was picked for the backdrop of the 1999 Big L tribute track on "Worldwide", a somber, reflective yet relatively hard hitting song that really sets the tone for AG, OC and Lord Finesse's heartfelt verses for their fallen comrade. Other work around this time, his most prolific period, included several songs for Milano who was by then a new artist and their collaboration "Rep For The Slums" still stands as one of the emcees best known tracks. To this day he is still working closely with Milano and a joint album has been in the works for quite some time by now. Very importantly he was also a major player in the extension of D.I.T.C. and it's extended family in to Wild Life Entertainment circa 2001, producing many of the 12" singles at the time. What many don't know however is that Amed told me that he was the one that started Wild Life in the first place and that he had been repping it all the way back since 1989 when he started getting serious about his work as a musician.

Amed is a man who likes to work in the shadows and even many dedicated Hip Hop fans aren't even aware of his name, though definitely his work. Add to that the fact that he got snubbed for the credit for "Pain", the hands down best song on OC & AG's collaborative "Oasis" LP back in '08. With this in mind it's only right that The Lost Tapes put a spotlight on this man and all the work he has put in throughout the years. Although Amed's name hasn't really been attached to a D.I.T.C. project since the aforementioned track and "The Movement" compilation I really hope we will see more of his work on the upcoming group album on Slice-Of-Spice. Though his name hasn't been attached to very much since, he was heavily involved in Milano's "The Hurt Locker" mixtape and had a very dope placement on an album by Delta called "Pyramid Schemes" (stream their collabo "Missing Link" above). While we wait for news on that I thought it only right to bring y'all a compilation of some of my favorite works of Mr. Amed, featurng a combination of some of his lesser known works as well as some of his most recognizable tracks - spanning 1994 to 2008... So let's get busy and dig in the crates! Oh, and don't forget to turn that shit WAY UP!

01.Amed & 40oz. - "Just One Of Those Days"

02. Shorty Long - "Purple Rain"
03. GD & AG - "Flip Shit"
04. AG - "We Do That Too"
05. Harlem Kngihts - "Harlem Knights"
06. Grand Agent Ft. AG - "Rap Niggaz"
07. Milano - "Rep For The Slums"
08. Mykill Miers Ft. AG & Party Arty - "Straight Dirt"
09. Wild Life Ft. OC, Party Arty & A Bless - "Bad Rep"
10. Wild Life Ft. Fat Joe & Big Pun - "Best Behavior"
11. M.O.P. - "Pounds Up"
12. Freddie Foxxx - "Hey Ho"
13. OC - "Doin' Dirt"
14. Wild Life Ft. GD & A Bless - "Rap Game"
15. Remy Ma Ft. Fat Joe - "That's That Shit"
16. D.I.T.C. - "Time to Get This Money"
17. OC & AG - "Pain"

AMED - "The Secret Weapon"

[Out Now] MILANO CONSTANTINE - "The Believers"

Ever since he held his own next to Big Punisher on the D.I.T.C. classic "Where Ya At?" back in '99 real heads have definitely been fiending for more music from Milano Constantine. Back in the early 2000s the Wild Life member signed to T-Ray's Beatdown Recordings and recorded the full-length album "The Believers" with an all star line-up of producers including Showbiz, Lord Finesse, Amed, Buckwild and T-Ray. Unfortunately the LP was shelved leaving the public only with the three track EP "That's Milano". Now the 15 song album is finally seeing an official release, with the digital copies already being sold through iTunes and the CD coming very soon. Support this one y'all, this shit goes HARD!

01. "The Believers Intro" [prod. Buckwild]

02. "When You Hear" [prod. Emile]

03. "Drama" (Ft. A Black) [prod. Lord Finesse]

04. "Hope You Listening" [prod. Showbiz]

05. "Bring It Home" [prod. Showbiz]

06. "Tramps Freestyle"

07. "Awful" [prod. Amed]

08. "That's Milano" [prod. T-Ray]

09. "Show 'Em" [prod. Showbiz]

10. "Morir Sonando" [prod. Lord Finesse]

11. "Harlem" [prod. Showbiz]

12. "Live Your Life" [prod. Showbiz]

13. "New York City" [prod. Molecules of The Legion]

14. "Where Ya At?" (Ft. Big Pun) [prod. DJ Premier]

15. "Warrior's Drum" [prod. Lord Finesse]

16. "Everybody Hurts" [prod. T-Ray]

"THE BELIEVERS" @ iTUNES

[Album] MILANO CONSTANTINE - "The Believers"

Only a few days ago I posted the back cover of Milano's new mixtape from his mixtape which featured both newsongs and classics. Well, it turns out that this is actually the abum Milano recorded when he was signed with T-Ray on Beatdown Recordings which only resulted in the three track EP "Show 'Em" / "That's Milano" / "Morir Sorando" that was released in 2004, although the album was recorded in 2002 and featured a few older jams like the DJ Premier remix of "Where Ya At?"featuring Big Punisher. Thisgonna be a real interesting listen as I've always been a uge Milano fan and i never felt he got the proper props he deserved.

As I could only reveal the back cover with the tracklist and production credits when I first posted on it, it is now thanks to Unkut.com revealed that the title of the album is "The Wariors" by Milano Constantine, and not only that he got a hold of the entire album - How amazingis that?. Production by the usual D.I.T.C. co-horts, T-Ray, Molecules and Emile. A huge thanks to Robbie @ Unkut - you truly made my otherwise shitty day!

[Mixtape] V/A - "Counterstrike 2: A Decade of UNKUT"

Robbie Etterson's brilliant hip-hop site UNKUT was definitely one of the reasons I wanted to get into this blog game, and it still remains one of my favorite sites. A few years ago Robbie got together a gang of dope underground rappers and producers and released the Unkut mixtape "Counterstrike". But now, on the 10 year anniversary of the sites incarnation, Robbie definitely steps it up with "Counterstrike 2: A Decade Of UNKUT", featuring 20 tracks with exclusive material from a lot of my favorite artists and producers. Some of the most interesting is the first Real Live material in years (K-Def and Larry-O for those not in the know), an Amed produced Milano banger, Grand Daddy I.U., Omniscience, Beneficence, $amhill, Craig G/Agallah and several others. This is a definite must hear if you love underground hip-hop, in the true school end of things, and is available for free download and CD and possible tape editions will pop up as well. 

Executive produced by Robbie Ettelson, mixed by Crate Cartel's Discourse, artwork and design by BURN Crew and (C) by unkut.com 2014. Click here to read more, check out the tracklist, etc.. Download or stream below and MEGA props to Robbie for this one; you're da fucking man!!

DOWNLOAD @ ZIPPYSHARE

PETAWANE Ft. Amed & Miz Thewiz - "I Wanna Know"

This is some real nice, smooth soul shit right here and what's even more interesting is that it is actually produced by, and co-written by, D.I.T.C. alumni Amed Harris (a very different joint from what we're used to hearing from him). "I Wanna Know" is the new single by Harlem soul singer Petawane (Brand Nubian, OC, Afrika Bambaata) lifted from his debut album "Last Of The Soul Singers" which is out now on iTunes.

[Album] AG & GHETTO DWELLAS - "Take it Back to '99"

Being the huge D.I.T.C fan that I am the crew has a tendency that from time-to-time drop free or limited projects out of nowherre which is always extremely welcome. AG recently started his new website AGDITC.com and where he just let loose of a free download of a previously unreleassed 1999 EP he and The Ghetto Dwellas made together with production from Show and Amed, pretty much making it akin' to a Wild Life Entertainment release although it might be slightly before that labels time. Although some of these tracks have been released on later releases like "Rare & Unreleased" albums and a few on 12" songs, and unforutnately some of the songs cut off before they have run their course, making the 11 set into an EP clocking in at 21 minutes rather than a full album. Still this is a must hear for any D.I.T.C. fan, and especially as there's not that much Ghetto Dwellas material availalble (R.I.P. P-80) so be sure to BANG YOUR HEAD TO THIS!!

EDIT - The homie FreezyPazzy from the Philaflava/T.R.O.Y. forums came through big time on this and hooked me up with the full album, so no more two minutes snippets. Here is the full thing, and the link is just re-upped and should be working... DITC/Wild Life in the house!

01. "Intro" [prod. by Amed]

02. Ghetto Dwellas - "Flip Shit" [prod. by Amed]

03. AG - "Come On" [prod. by Show]

04. Getto Dwellas - "God Made Dirt" [prod. by Show]

05. Party Arty - "The Party Y'all" [prod. by Amed]

06. Ghetto Dwellas - "We R G&D" [prod. by Cochise]

07. AG, Ghetto Dwellas Ft. OG Ruc - "You Ain't A Killa" [prod. by Amed]

08. D-Flow - "Get It Dusty" [prod. by Show]

09. Hellbound - "You Don't Really Want It" [prod. by Amed]

10. AG, Hellbound & Courtland Cartel - "Ain't Nuthin'" [prod. Amed]

11. AG Ft. Joshia - "Will Be There For You" [prod. by Show]

AG / GHETTO DWELLAS - "Take it Back to 99" [FULL]

DELTA - "Missing Link" [prod. Amed]

D.I.T.C. affiliate Amed is currently in the lab cooking up some marvelous shit, including the first single, for XL - the newly formed group consisting of  Sadat X and El Da Sensei. Though he's output isn't exactly mindblowing, I awyays love hearing a new Amed beats as he have never, ever dissapointed and he knows how hardcore boom bap is supposed to sound. Therefore I wanted to share with y'all one of his most recent productions that I think a lot of y'all have missed out on. Dela is an Austalian artist who in February released his third album "Pyramid Schemes" which features an absolutely ruggedly sick Amed beat on the track "Missing Link" (Milano also makes an apperance on the album). TURN IT UP!!

[Mixtape] MILANO - "THE HURT LOCKER"

Milano Constantine is such an underrated emcee in so many circles, yet even amongst many of them his 2006 mixtape "The Hurt Locker" seems to have gone over a lot of people's heads. It's a dope but short mixtape, but filled with exclusives; unfortunately the only version I know of it is ripped in 128 KBPS but it's definitely listenable. Production on this tight tape is handled by D.I.T.C. affiliate Amed who contibute no less than five exclusives (who you btw gonna see a lot more here on The Lost Tapes very soon, both in the form of a compilation and a thourough interview).

Other producers include T. Ray, Will Tell, Grim Team, Agallah, and freestyles over classic '90 beats inncluding "Ain't The Devil Happy" and "Elevators". Clocking in at only 30 miutes, this is a focused mixtape, with dope production and showing Milano is always a damn dope emcee. So press play and let it run through, you won't be dissapointed. Mad thanks to Antoine for hooking me up with this, thx bro!

In related news I saw a post on Amed's Facebook page saying "Milano & Amed" album coming soon, this was posted around January but I think this got a good chance of actually manifesting, and I would love to hear that. We'll just have to wait and see, but I have high hopes for it; especially considering all the amazing music he has produced for Milano; a producer and an emcee that I always really liked, and have made a lot of underground classics together already.

01. "Warrior Call" / "Where You Been @" [prod. T-Ray]
02. "Big Dogs Freestyle"
03. "When You Hear"
04. "What You Thinking 'Bout" [prod. AKI]
05. "New York Got Me Depressed" [prod. Amed]
06. "The Formula" [prod. Amed]
07. "Global Warning" [prod. Amed]
08. "Show 'Em Part II... Freestyle"
09. "Mean" (Ft & prod. Delta]
10. "Ain't The Devil Happy Freestyle"
11. "Everybody Hurt's" [prod. Amed]
12. "The Lord is With Thee" [prod. AX]
13. "Heavy Metal" [prod. Will Tell]
14. "Hardcore" [prod. Grimm Team]
15. "Agallah & Milano" (Ft. & prod. Agallah]
16. "Elevator '90s Freestyle"
17. "That's Milano" [prod. T-Ray]

MILANO - "THE HURT LOCKER TAPE"