[Comp] RICK RUBIN - "The Bith Of The Boom Bap: 1984-1989"

For the longest time I've been wanting to make several compilations focused on the true hip-hop pioneers in the early to late '80s - I did have the Bomb Squad compilation a few years ago but there's a lot of incredible producers that are not named Marley Marl that are almost forgotten today. Back then if you wasn't inventing and reinventing yourself on a regular basis, you'd soon be forgotten no matter how skilled an emcee or producer you were. Rubin is not only one of the true pioneers of what in the mid- to late-'80s was then described as a "new school"; favoring a heavily stripped down sound that paved the way for the minimalist boom bap that would be the epitome of the hardcore hip-hop album in the early to mid-'90s. Rubin's first album as a producer / or rather "reducer" as he was credited on LL's first albums and singles in the mid-'80s. The duo went to work on 18-year old LL Cool J and his 1985 debut "Radio"; which to me, together with his "comeback" album "Mama Said Knock You Out" sounds as refreshing, innovative and original as any other hip-hop album of their respective eras. More than that, both albums should be considered two of the finest and most groundbreaking albums ever created. Only a year later, in 1986, Rubin also produced the debut albums of Beastie Boys "Licensed to Ill" and Run DMC's "Raising Hell". Both which are often considered the respective group's best work to date, and also helped them propell into the mainstream (or in the case of Run DMC, even more). Alll three of these LP:s are must haves for any serious hip-hop collector and showed that Rubin not only had a signature sound, but he also made sure each album and artist had their own signature sound on display on their respective LP:s.

 

After being the executive producer on Public Enemy's three first albums (albeit not in any studio capacity) he parted with Def Jam in favor of his own Def Americana; a more rock-focused imprint. This was kind of a natural move considering that he had already as far back as in 1987 prouced albums for the likes of trash metal band Slayer. Since then Rick Rubin has become one of the most highly sought after producers in the game, producing from every one to Metallica, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Audioslave, Slipknot, AC/DC, Dixe Chicks, Rage Against The Machine, and many, many more.

 

Although Rick Rubin has never cut down a bit on his production habits, instead focusing on his talents on broading his horizons, it's his stripped down, hard punch hip-hop beats that made him a legend among us beat and rap heads. In usual Lost Tapes order I have decided to cut down any song included on any of the three albums mentioned above, as they are definitely records you should all have in your collection. Another thing is that Rubin quite recently again started producing hip-hop records for artists like Jay-Z, Eminem and KanYe West - though I decided to focus this compilation on the period between the recording of these three main albums and Everything Rubin produced for Def Jam during his rather short stay there. If you are not familiar with those 2000:s cuts, I strongly recommend you check out his original version of "Better Than I've Ever Been" (2006), "Bezerk"/"Rhyme & Reason"/"Love Game" by Eminem (2013) and the entirety of KanYe's "Yeezus" (2013). While he didn't actually produce any music per se on the latter, he did help out KanYe a whole lot in what he likes saying reducing the album into the state that it was eventually released in over a 16-days period. Check out this video for some interesting information about that. But overall I'm just glad and hope that this is a trend that means Rubin will slowly but surely get more and more back to hip-hop and rap music. Until then, let's revisit 16 tracks from Rubin's early Def Jam Days, including remixes, 12" only singles and B-sides that he produced from 1984-1989 for his label artists. It's a great listen if you're into '80s hip-hop, and should of course be played LOUD!

 

01. T La Rock - "It's Yours"

02. LL Cool J - " I Need A Beat" [Original]

03. LL Cool J - "Rock The Bells" [Original]

04. Beastie Boys - "Rock Hard"

05. Hollis Crew  "It's The Beat"

06. Run DMC - "Christmas in Hollis"

07. Jazzy Jay - "Def Jam"

08. Junkyard Band - "The World"

09. Jimmy Spicer - "This is It"

10. Jazzy Jay - "Cold Chillin' in the Spot"

11. Run DMC - "Jam Master Jammin'"

12. LL Cool J - "Going Back to Cali"

13. LL Cool J - "Jack The Ripper"

14. Run DMC - "Mary, Mary"

15. Queen - "We Will Rock You" [Remix Reduced by Rubin] [*]

 

RICK RUBIN - "The Birth Of The Boom Bap: 1984 - 1989"

[Album] BEATIE BOYS - "B-Sides & Bullshit"

The trio of Beastie Boys hails from New York City and is one of the most hailed old school acts of all time. And on top of that, they are still active, 25 years later. Despite the success, they were always different than their peers on the current hip-hop scene, yet quickly was accepted by their peers. There style and apperance always differed vastly from the rypical hip-hop ac;, their music was more rooted in punk and roc attitudesk than their fellow peers funk, soul and jazz.,To say the trio that wasn't always htecily rooted in the hip-hop music of its time, woul be to sell them way short.

Once The Beasties' decided to go the hip-hop route full throttle, after in the early '80s releasing a few ill-fated punk rock singles, the group consisted of Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horowitz and Adam "MCA" Yauch. Despite them all being cacausians, a rarity amongst respected and serious hip-hop acts in those days sif we are being honest, they found respect and praise from both their musical peers, hip-hop fans and even music critics. Some of the artists they early found respect from was De La Soul, Tribe, Run-DMC, BDP and even Public Enemy. 

Of course the future of The Beasties' right now is very uncertain as Adam Yauch this year passed away due to terminal cancer. A true legend who blessed us with many hours of classic music and entertainment, I would like to dedicate this post and out-of-print mixtape to the one and only MCA! Rest in power brother!

If you´re not up on the Beastie's vast catalouge yet, it's never too late to dig into it. In my personal opinion, you should start with their 1992 materpiece "Check Your Head", possibly followed by "Paul's Boutique", "Hello Nasty" and the '86 debut is a given. In 2006, Grand Slam Records released the limited, but absolutely fantastic vinyl only "B-Sides & Bullshit; a compilation of rare remixes, classic B-sides and previously unreleased material.Again, if you're still new to the trio's out-there, unique brand off hip-hop; this serves as a great introuction to their sound, at the same time as it has enough material to satisfy the most dedicared fan. The music spans more than a decade, and althogh The Beasties' are great producers in their own rightt; the 15 songs repsented on "B-Sides & Bullshit" features rare and absolutely knocking remies from tue hip-hop lrgrm including Madlib, Large Professor, Kutmasta Kurt, the Beastie's themeselves, Prince Paul, Paul Nice, Sever & Hoffer aand more. A definite listen no matter how huge a Beastie fan you happen to be, so before we get into the music I would jusr ask tou to TURN IT UP!!

01.  "Intergalactic" [Sever & Hoffman Remix]

02. "Shake Your Rump" [Madlib Remix]

03. "Sure Shot" [Large Professor Remix]

04. "Dub the Mic"

05. "Hey Ladies" [Paul Nice Remix]

06. "Looking For The Barrell Of A Gun" [Egon & John Doe Remix]

07. "Body Movin'" [Kutmaster Kurt Remix]

08. "Honky Rink"

09. "So Watcha Want" [All The Way Live Freestyle Mix]

10. "Shadrach" [Peanut Butter Wolf Remix]

11. "Pass The Mic Pt. 2: Skills That Pay The Bills"

12. "Root Down" [Prince Paul Baloon Mix]

13. "Alive" [Evidence Remix]

14. "Stand Together" [Live At French's Tavern]

15. "Intergalagtic" [Original 94' Version]

BEASTIE BOYS - "B-SIDES & BULLSHIT"

BEASTIE BOYS - "Jimmy James" [Original Mix]

"Check Your Head" is partly known as the project where the trio left behind most of the extreme sampling that created the sound of its predecessor, and insteaad saw bassist MCA, guitarist Ad-Rock and drummer Mike D pick up their respective instruments. Besides producer Mario Caladato, who had worked as an engineer on "Paul's Boutique", they were also joined in the studio by the very talented Keyboard Money Mark who played a very important part on the project, literally. Reading about the three year process it took The Beasties' to produce "Check Your Head", documented in Brian Coleman's "Check the Technique" amongst many other sources,  is truly fascinating and greatly inspiring. It was a complete turnaround from the way that "Paul's Boutique" was recorded, not only because of the lesser amount of samples, or the trio's re-introduction as instrumentalists, but because they spent the majority of their budget on building their own studio; G-Son. The group has talked about the massive freedom, and the importance, this created, allowing them to experiment as much as they wanted and however they wanted... And "Check Your Head" is an extremely experimental record, especially for the time it was conceived, but that's also where its brilliance lays.

The idea was originally to produce an all-out instrumental project, and although much of those elements remained, vocal tracks such as "So Watcha Want" and "Pass the Mic" ultimately took the LP to the next level. One of the songs featuring MCA's, Ad-Rock's and Mike D's trademark lyrical styles was the blazing introduction, titled "Jimmy James". The cut introduced the group's new direction with a bang, displaying a majority of the wide spread influences that went into the making of the LP. Unfortunately, sample clearances can be a bitch, resulting in a much reduced version than intended making it to the presses. However, the track was eventually released as a single, including the so called "Original Original Version". This mix, which was instrumental, featured several samples of different Jimi Hendrix records, giving it a rawer, yet more accomplished feel than the LP version. In memory of the late MCA, who gets busy on the turntables on this one too, y'all should all listen to this classic joint as it was originally meant to be heard. Also make sure to tune in to Toca Tuesdays via Sirius XM this Tuesday, as Al Lindstrom will dedicate the show to the memory of the legendary MCA.

BEASTIE BOYS - "JIMMY JAMES" [ORIGINAL ORIGINAL VERSION]

Beastie Boys' MCA Dead at 47

Adam Yauch, also known as MCA of the Beastie Boys; legends, pioneers and innovators who always remained open  to push the envelope of this hip-hop game. Yauch was not only an emcee, but also played a damn good bass and produced with his brothers in his group. Back in 2009, the public learned about the artist's battle with cancer. After going through treatmeant, the word was that things started to look more positive, but unfortunately today he lost the battle and returned to the essence. Through his large catalouge, which includes amazing albums like "Check Your Head" and "Paul's Boutique", his legacy will continue to live on; Rest in peace Adam Yauch. Check out these choice words from Rakim about MCA's and Beastie Boys' importance to hip-hop.

"There have been a lot of people who have molded the face and history of Hip Hop over the years, but no one can deny that my three dudes from New York City were paramount in taking it from a local thing and breaking it world wide. Last saw my man at the [Vh1] Hip Hop Honors Awards and he was upbeat, gracious and spiritual as always. R.I.P. to MCA...see you in the next one, brother." - Rakim