[Article / Comp] Timbo King Pt. 1

I'm sure that the expanded amount of articles and posts related to Wu-Tang Clan and its affiliates haven't passed the avid The Lost Tapes reader by unnoticed. Since I don't get paid for maintaining this site and publishing articles I merely write about what captures my interest at the moment, and lately I've been on somewhat of a Wu-Tang trip so you can look forward (if that's how you see it) to a few more Wu related compilations and articles in the near future. However my intention is not to dwell on the A-list cast of the that mythical Clan but some of the unsung heroes within their circle. First out is a post and compilation dedicated to Timbo King, one of the original Killa Beez and leader of the superb Royal Fam which often acted as a one man army rather than a hip hop group on wax. Hailing from Bushwick, Brookltn, 'Bo King has a deep and commanding voice with well-researched lyrics put into street laguage that naturally grabs the listeners attention. A natural wordsmith with something to say - a breed of MC's that there's far to few of today. Hence, when he's placed on a solid beat on a posse cut (as he often was back in the late 1990s, early 2000s  alongside his Wu bretheren) he would not seldom come out the most domineering lyricist on the track, amid some some pretty damn steep competition. 

Just like Prince Rakeem and The Genius before him, Timbo King was one of only two future Killa Bee affiliates (the other being young Shyheim) who was able to secure a record contract and release projects on the strength of his own skills and charmisa alone rather than by association as many later affiliates would get on. This speaks much of Timbo's single-minded determination to break into the industry no matter what. As was often the case in 1992 and 1993 groups often produced themeselves with groups or duos almost always including a DJ/producer. This lead to 'Bo King hooking up with a neighborhood friend and produer/DJ who went by Spark 950 (M. Moore), and started recording whenever they had a chance. The result was a bunch of demo tapes, which they started shopping around to different labels. One such label was Uptown Records whose R&B/Rap department was run by André Harris and  the young Sean Puffy Commbs. At the time they were working on putting together the soundtrack to the Doctor Dre and Ed Lover comedy vehicle "Who's The Man?!" and was looking for a mixture of new and talented artists mixed with some better known ones. It was here BIG's first single "Party & Bullshit" made its first apperance, but it also featured a blazing Pete Rock & CL Smooth cut (with the impeccable Grover Washington Jr. on sax), new tracks by Erick Sermon, Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, JuJu Banton, House Of Pain and 3rd Eye. So the lone Spark 950 and Timbo King track, "Who's The Man" was clearly in good company.

A move and placement like that a long with a solid demo tape generated some buzz in the industry, and the group's contract was eventually bought up and distributed by Street Life Records, a division of Scotti Bros Records who had at different points in times signed acts like James Brown, Weird "Al" Yankovic, pop star Leif Garrett and so on. All this was of course in the '70s and '80s. But no matter what, the duo of Timbo King and Spark 950 got a little budget, some studio time and a one record contract with chance for reneweal if the record did well. With hindsight it did not do well at all, and this can likely be chalked up to several reasons. Spark 950 was not a bad producer at all, but he was in no way groundbraking in any sense of the word. It was very typical 1993 standard Hip Hop flair. Add to that that Timbo King, while still having an ill voice and some neatly structured bars, had yet to find his own style and/or niche. I think it is quite comparable to Prince Rakeem's debut EP, "Ooh We Love You Rakeem", as you get the impression that the executives from Street Life Recocrds was in the guys ear teling them they needed a song with this theme or a song with that theme. Something that never works. Last but not least, it's a minor problem but the label kind of shadily passed this off as an 11-track album when there is infact only six songs - all good enough to nod your head to, but none of them good enough to remember. Check out the first Spark 950 & Timbo King, "Hello It's Me" as a bonus cut on the compilaion presented below.


You can draw some further parallels between The Genius and Prince Rakeem's defeat at the hand of record labels which led them to forming the Wu-Tang Clan to Timbo King's own pah. A true artist knows in his heart that he can and will make it, and never doubting himself he want back to his Brooklyn, Bushwick stomping grounds, assembled some of his rhyming and musical friends to form the Royal Fam - a group that he would be the defacto leader of. One of those members were Bushwick's Dreddy Kruger who had already appeared on Gravediggaz' first album and kept in contact with the Wu while also introudcing them to his crew of producer Y-Kim the Ill Figure, legendary reagger singer Mikey Jarrett's son of the same name, Stoneface and of course Timbo King. Togeher these artists would form the Royal Fam, one of the first Wu-Tang offshoots - this was back when the Wu wouldn't fuck with you unless you were really talented and could create albums of your own, at the same time RZA, Divine, Power and Ghost were also be on hand to help out their new under-regimes. Shyheim was already a factor before the Wu and as you can see by his first album, his main producer and guests on there were RNS and the GP Wu clique, so the real Wu-Tang Killa Beez to be introduced first was to be Sunz Of Man, Killarmy (hence the posse cut "Soldiers Of Darkness) and Royal Fam. Remember these were the days when anything with a Wu logo on meant BUYER BEWARE - HIGH QUALIYTY!

Royal Fam had their own main producer in Y-Kim The Ill-Figure who was complemented by Q-Base (a.k.a. Arabian Knight) and Lynx #6; 4th Disciple was more or less a semi-official member of Killarmy and Sunz Of Man originally had Supreme (though their final album would be dominated by The Wu-Elementz). The same went for another cat that was signed at the time, called Darkim Be Allah (who produced "12 Jewelz" for Gravediggaz and had the single "Bronx War Stories" with AllahWise on "The Swarm"). But as they were all under the Wu-Tang umbrella they started to notice that they were not always first priority, remember this was the same time that "Wu-Tang Forever" was being recorded. RZA set up and signed them to Razor Sharp/Wu-Tang Records under Priority and there were even ads for Sunz Of Man's "Nothing New Under The Sun" 2xLP in 1996 in magazines like The Source, but nothing happened.

Royal Fam got to drop what I for years have considered to be one of the absolute best double-A side 12" single reelased in the mid-'90s (whcih is of course saying A LOT). The main track, "Something Gots To Give" (with a video directed by GZA, see above) is a direct response to the way he experienced the record industry and how easy they take advantage of you unless you are on your toes, something that 'Bo King definitely wouldn't repeat after his failed dealings with Spark 950. Over a truly rugged beat, that captures the harder and most minimalist Wu-Tang flavor nicely with thumping yet crisp drum beat, an omnipresent horns and atmospheric keyboards. But it's really Timbo's vocals that are the instrument that really sets this apart - the agression combined with the witty lines makes every single bar memorable or quotable. The B-side was once again produced by Y-Kim, and following its predecessors theme it bears the title "I Declare War", and its just as dope. The beat is a bit more on high-energy, with dark, brooding piano, horns and that way only Hip Hop producers can manipulate real hard, repetitive drums. Both of these songs were a war chant, without a dobut, and would set things up for the Fam's official debut album to be released in 1996 or at the very latest 1997. I you look at the single mentioned above, the sticker right at the top of it says "The legend born from "The Black Castle".

Sunz Of Man was able to release two singles on Wu-Tang/Priority ("Soldiers Of Darkness"/"No Love Without Hate" and "Bloody Choices" before things came to a halt, and despite the aforementioend ads and a more or less completed album that would turn heads in 1996 (check it out for yourself) they decided to take matters in to their own hands. Led by Razah the group felt enough was enough and took manners into their own hands, contacting businesswoman Cathy Jones and owner of Red Ant Entertainment. The material for what is basically their second album was of course tied up at Wu-Tang / Priority since they owned the masters but for a huge amount of money RZA and Jones came to an agreement that "The Last Shall Be First" could be released as a joint venture if Red Ant payed for all the Wu-Tang artists and producers as guest artists. As Razah puts it, "Wu-Tang Records was distributed by Priority then.  None of [the] other Wu groups or subsidiary groups that ever came out on their own like Sunz of Man and that’s because I pulled off that deal with Red Ant Records. I got [us] signed to Red Ant, got RZA paid back with all he spent to build up Sunz of Man’s career.  Then certain members got paid to be featured on that album" (source). It was a done deal, and so the album went out in stores to great reviews and sells. 

Out of the three original Killa Beez group it seems only Killarmy has really been treated fair, having released tree albums between 1997 and 2001, all overseen and executively producer The RZA (who often even appeared in their videos). But then again 9th Prince is RZA's lil' brother and I guess blood is thicker than water then.... Royal Fam and Timbo surely didn't have the same luck - though they were still working on their "Black Castle" in '98 or early '99 the final blow came when their masters (mostly finished or close to finished  songs but not mixed, etc.) was stolen from the studio they were using along with Darkim Be Allah's album "Truth Or Dare". Darkim's album did never turn up anywhere (I will be making a post on this extremely underrated emcee soon as well), but what looked like some type of semi-official label calling themeselves Wu-International released those masters to the public in at least Europe, under the title "Yesetrday, Today iz Tomorrow". Looking and soundingvery much like an official release, with producer credits and even thank yous if i remember right. Wu International also released identical versions to Shyheim's "Manchild", a vinyl version of "Golden Arms Redemption" (U-God), and RZA & Big Kap's Wu mixtape CD. Perhaps the strangest thing is that these (or at least the Royal Fam CD since that's the only one I have) was distributed by the well-established and official PIAS [Play It Again Sam]. Although it was only released in Europe, it was hardly your standard bootleg - I saw it in Tower Records in London and several legit record stores in Sweden at the time of its release and never suspected there was anything odd about it (rememember we didn't have the net like that back then).

Reading interviews with Timbo King on why he didn't like that being out there, other than the fact that of course it was stolen material, was that much of the material was not finished and definitely not mixed and he compained about how fans got inferior versions of what the Royal Fam actually can and intended to do. Still I got to give it up to Timbo and Royal Fam, since I first heard it as a kid I loved it and I still bump it and get goosebumps. To me that's the definition of an extremely dope album, damn near close to a masterpiece. It's excellently sequenced, it features the right amount of emcees with Timbo King, the most talented clearly taking center stage. The beats, the guest features and production from the likes of Y-Kim, Lynx #6, John The Baptist, RZA (albeit they reused "The Legacy", its such a good track I can live with that as the epic album opener it is). Every single song on here is marvelous; it is short - only 12 tracks, with one having already been out 18 months, but as far as Wu-Tang releases go it is a whole lot better than whatever Wu affiliates drop these days (and yes that include Bronze Nazareth and the Wisemen). The thing is that had they been able to complete it there probably would be more songs on there, maybe some crazy interludes and what not and as it stands now it's pretty close to a classic - so maybe it really would have been a classic.

After that fiasco (although it did put Royal Fam's name even more on the map as any European believed it be an official release), Timbo King spent a lot of time building up his brand further by appearing on loads of dope records as a guest artist; both with his Wu-Tang brethren like on GZA's "Beneath The Surace" and RZA's "In Stereo", but also by international artists like Soldafada and IAM (see above for the former while the latter is includedin in the comp). I have put together some of these gems here, trying to find a nice balance between songs that represent for those who are relatively new to Timbo but I also want to give those who are very well familiar with him some harder to find stuff as well. I obviously haven't included anything from "Yesterday, Today iz Tomorrow" or the second failed attempt to release "Black Castle" in 2005 via BabyGrande. But one thing is fore sure, an emcee this talented needs to be heard...

 So without further a due, here he is 'BO KING, ROYAL FAM in a huge amount of various settings! And I have to say, as much as I'm familiar with 'Bo King through "Yesterday, Today....", "Black Castle", and all of his apperances on Clan albums this compilation really came out in-fucking-credible. Proof that Timbo King will put his soul in whatver he jumps on, which is quite rare. Of course in 2010 Timbo King finally got his due, hooking up with Bronze Nazareth, Lil' Fame, RZA, Hell Razah, William Cooper, Killah Priest, Junior Reid, and more. With songs like "Bar Exam", "The Autobiography of Timothy Drayton" and "Thinking Cap" the proof was in the pudding that The King still gor his crown though I personally revisit "Yesterday, Today..." and the "Black Castle" advance more but either way there's no question that Timbo is one of the most talented Wu affiliates and it's a shame the trials and tribulations that he had to endure in the industry. Be sure to support the cause and purchase Timbo King's long-awaited solo debut album, "´From Babylon to Timbuk2" @ UGHH.

01. "Righteous Talk"

02. "Braveheart" (solo for United Kingdom)
03 "United Kings" (Ft. United Kingdom)

04. "La Saga" (w. IAM, Dreddy Kruger & Podigal Sunn)

05. "To All The Killas" (w. Krumb Snatcha)

06. "In Here" (w. GURU as Bald Head Slick, Killah Priest & Black Jesus)

07. "Armored Truck" (Ft. Masta Killa)

08. "Black & White" (w. RA The Rugged Man)

09. "FIRE" (w. Royal Fam)

10. "Walk The Dogs" (w. Royal Fam & LA The Darkman)

11. "Destroy The Scenery" (w. United Kingdom)

12. "So High (G-12)" (w. RZA)

13. "Digi-Electronics" (w. Bobby Digital, Timbo King, Doc Doom, FreeMurda & Shyheim)

14. "Revenge" (w. Cappadonna & Free Murda)

15. "To Be An Expert (Flame Throwerz)" (w. J-Love Ft. Sunz Of Man & Timbo King)

16. "Soul in the Hole" (w. Timbo King, Dreddy Kruger, Shyheim & Tekitha)

17. "Outro" (Ft. LA The Darkman) 

18, "Hello It's Me" (Timbo King & Spark 950) [Bonus] 

TIMBO KING - "STRAIGHT ROYALTY"

[comp] LARGE PRO - "This Is The NEW Shit"

Ok so a few days back I made a compilation on Pete Rock's non-album tracks that he produced for other artists between 2012 and 2016 and it got some very good response. I always been very fascinated with the production aspect of Hip Hop, and as I started listening extensively to jazz, and some soul and funk and even rock, I find it even more incredible how talented these guys are with the way they flip classics and obscure joints to create something truly original and long-lasting as the original. On the flip side it has also exposed to me in a larger way how many how many relatively acclaimed producers don't really do jack shit and could barely be called musicians. But guys like Pete Rock, Large Professor, J Dilla, Diamond D, Buckwild, DJ Premier, Madlib, Drasar Monumental, Bomb Squad, Marley, RZA. Q-Tip/Ali Shaheed, ?uestlove and a dedicated host of others definitely creates magic by using records, turntables and samplers as instruments in their own rights and are without a doubt true musicians. I've had the pleasure of seeing several of these guys, including the holy "Illmatic" trio of Pete Rock, Large Pro and DJ Premier so I wanted to build a sequel to that well-received Pete Rock compilation I mentiond above. Hopefully this will be a series focusing on some of my favorite producers more recent works, all under the "This Is The NEW Shit" banner so stau tuned!

This time the focus is on Large Professor, perhaps the only producer that in my humble opinion ALWAYS comes with mega heat without being trapped in a standard formula. I wouldn't place in at number #1 perhaps, but can you think of a weak or even average Extra-P beat? All the way back from his early work as a 16-17 year old kid working with Inelligent Hoodlum (Tragedy), Kool G Rap and Rakim to the stuff on this compilation he always been extremely consistent. I mean Pete Rock had a few duds although he's definitely got way more heat than average beats, RZA used to be 5 for 5 but nowadays he's very inconsitent, unfortunately. Dilla is dead (R.I.P. brother). Madlib is too crazy and experimental to be consistant, and DJ Premier while he rarely puts out anything that isn't hot and a banger, he's been somewhat caught in a formula. But with Large Pro you don't know exactly what you gonna get, but you know it will be outstanding! The only time I can think that he falted a bit was on his album "1st Class", but a lot of that was weak rhymes so maybe those beats would have sounded a lot better with some other emcee rhyming over them. Case in point - the track he had on there that used the same beat Nas had recored "Star Wars" for for "Gods Son" but used for himself when Nas decided not to use it (of course he put it out  a few years later instead). Large Pro's version on "1st Class" didn't do anythng for me, the beat didn't grab me, rhymes didn't grab me, nothing. But when Nas grabbed it, I realized that beat was a monster.

So without further a due heres volume two of "This Is The NEW Shit", Extra-P's entry. As I said with Pete's entry the title might not be entirely accurate since it spans four years of productions and in this microwave musical society something is ony NEW for a week but fuck it i'm stuck in the old when we were happy when an artist dropped an album every 3 year or so, no mixtapes, maybe a soundtrack cut here or there and a guest feature or guest production.,Either way there's a lot of heat here and most likely a few cuts you've missed out on before. I got 16 songs here for y'all listening pleasure, almost all of them in 320 kbps bitrate and clocking in at 60 minutes. Don't forget that he also produced the abslutely marvelous full-lenght collaboration with Cormega between these years as well - as that's a full project nothing of that is included here. 'Mega is however! There's both expected and some very unexpecteed collaboratios here so all I can suggest is grab it, sit back and enjoy.... Oh and turn that shit up!

01. ll Bill - "Acid Relux"
02. Funkoars - "The Quicknening"
03. Capone-N-Noreaga - "Pizza"
04. Diamond District - "Working Weekends" [Remix]
05. Homeboy Sandman - "It's Cold" (Ft. Steve Arrington)
06. Blu - "Kiss The Sky" [Remix]
07. Illa Ghee - 90
08. Mayer Hawthorne - "Her Favorite Song" [Remix]
09. Halcut - "Last Call"
10. Meyhem Lauren - "Not Guilty"
11. J-Love - "Firenando" (Ft. AG Coroner, Prince OG, Take-It)
12. Southpaw - "Here We Go"  [Remix]
13. N.O.R.E. - "Built Pyramids"
14. Real Wolrf . "Legacy (Ft, Ill Bill & Slaine)
15. Ill Bill - "Canarsie High"
16. Jeru The Damaja - "Solar Flames"
17. Public Enemy - "Catch The Throne" (Ft. Cormega &Lare Pro)

LARGE PRO - "THIS IS THE NEW SHIT"

[comp] PETE ROCK - "This is the NEW Shit"

Since I first heard ".T.R.O.Y.", "Shut 'Em Down", Pete's take on "Jump Around", "Nighttrain" and so many more, I've heald Pete as one of the holy trinity of Hip-Hop production. There's of course plenty of great rducers out there, but Pete reallt walked the extra mile putting together and layering something rottally original. This was the early '90s and songs like "T.R.OY", "The Basement" and basically the whole LP, there never was a qiuestion Pete Rock still got it. Simple as that. His sound might have changed quite a bit since the classic SP1200 days with CL Smooth and "Letterman" but though the man is still cranking out bangers on a semi-regular basis, he sure as hess stillgot,. In the last couple of years he served Hip Hop heads with serious dopeness on his full-length collaboration with Smif-N-Wessun ("Monumental"), brought out the ill instrumental grooves on "Petestrumentals II" and released two free digital mixtapes with Camp Lo that featured enough hot exclusives to make up a nice little album. One of the joys of being a dedicated Pete Rock fan, however, is not only checking for his LP releases and special projects but of course to keep eyes and ears open for whatever singles he's invited to produce or remix. While his work in the 2010s might not be as consistantly mindblowing as his early '90s years there's been plenty of Pete Rock heatrocks released on various albums over the last three years or so. Ron Carter was a bassic that Miles wanTed in his badn fot quote time -and thereS unodubtedly weak homes. "There Will Be Blood" is undoubtddly one of the best children's 

Last week I saw a GREAT concert performance by Pete Rock and CL Smooth in Copenhagen which really got me in a Soul Brother listening mode. Hence I dug up this compilation I made a while back for personal listening, but why not share the goods, right? This comp is basically an overlook of Stank for other artists between 2012 and 2016. I've tried to find all joints in the best possible quality as far as Mp3 goes (320 kbps) but a few of the songs is in lower bitrate as that was how they hit the internet in the case of some of these digital loosies. Either way it's a pretty cool front-to-back listen for anyone who still considers himself a Pete Rock fan... Check it out!

01. Torae - "Get Down"

02. Edo G - "Let Da Horns Blow"

03. Ill Bill - "Truth"

04. .38 Spesh - "Gone" (Ft. Sean Hayes)

05. Mack Wilds - "Duck Sauce"

06. Mac Miller - "Melt" (Ft. Schoolboy Q)
07. Robert Glasper Experiment - "Black Radio" RMX (Ft. Yasiin Bey)

08. Panda Bear - "Crosswords" RMX

09. NORE - "Vitamins" (Ft. Pete Rock)

10. Styles P - "Children" (Ft. Pharoahe Monch)

11. .38 Spesh - "Support" (Ft. Styles P)

12. Blu - "The Clean Hand"
13. Edo G - "2 Turntables & A Mic"
14. Ill Bill - "When I Die" RMX
15. Mack Wilds - "The Art Of Falling"
16. Smoke DZA - "Achieve"

 PETE ROCK - "THIS IS THE NEW SHIT"

[Comp] RZA as BOBBY DIGITAL - "Pre-In Stereo"

Following up my article on the merits of RZA's 1998 solo debut "In Stereo" on GeeStreet/V2, I decided to put together a compilation highlighting the transforation of Bobby Steels to Bobby Digital on wax as we was able to hear it. As I mentioned in the article, although it might have sounded like that to many of us at the time, the stripped down sound of RZA's digitized orchestra wasn't born out of thin ear but was something The Abbot was slowly perfecting deep down in his basement studios, only letting out small pieces at a time for heads to show up before letting the whole album touch down in late '98, following up Method Man's "Tical 2000: Judgement Day" and Cappadonna's "The Pillage". To me it's very close to a personal classic and a stronger LP than either of the aforementioned projects - it is also the only solo album by RZA that I think really shows how dope he really is as an artist. The close-to-sample free sonic enviroment created through a multiplex of keyboards and synthesizers that could come close to the sound of a 19 piece orchestra. A brilliant mix of the digital and the analog, and to top it all off it was a well put together concept album - telling the story of the superhero Bobby Digital and his struggles in the Americna ghetto. As "Wu-Tang Forever" and songs like "Sunshower" pointed our RZA was preparing an intense project full of wisdom and knowledge with lyrics touching on politics, 5% and Nation of Islam teachings, the art of war, and spirituality. This album was to be titled "The Cure" and has today taken on almost mythical proportions as the rapping producer realized he wasn't in the right mindstate to proudce such an important lyrical masterpiece. Instead he created the persona of Bobby Digital, mixing his own hectic upbring in the '70s and '80s with blaxploatation flicks and comic books in the creation of his very own superhero. In the masked character of Bobby Digital he was able to indulge in full misoginy, weapon fetishes, violence, drugs, and over the top movie scenarios.

85 percent of the LP was produced by RZA hismelf, with the exception of Inspectah Decks excellent, mystic Portishead sampling "Kiss Of A Black Widow" and the interlude "Airwaves" which really is RZA's verse stricty lifted from the Wake Up Show Anthem '99 twelve inch - the linear notes mistakenly credit King Tech as the prodcuer of "Love Jones" which is most likely wrong. RZA got a special, kind of ruff and rugged voice so he sure needs several guests and not too long a running time to create a poewerful vibe that never let the listener lose interest - and "In Stereo" is a front-to-back materpiece as long as you lose the four bonus tracks at the end. 


Not couning the music on "Wu-Tang Forever" (where he first started using the digitial orchestra) there is at least 10 songs that is increasingly Bobby Digital joints, starting with the Hide-Out Remix to Method Man's "The Riddler" from 1996 and ending with "Cakes" by Bobby Digital and Kool  Rap. Grab it below for a nice bite size of Bobby Digi Digi..

BOBBY DIGITAL - "STEREO OR MONO - ITS B.O.B.B.Y." (1998)

01. "Belly Of The Beast"
02."The Chase"
03. "The Riddler" [Bobby's Hide-Out Mix] (w. Method Man)
04. "Nurmeg" (w. Ghostface Killah)
05. "Windpipe" (w. Ol' DIrty Bastard & Ghostface Killah)
06. "Project Talk" (Ft. Beretta 9) [Interlude]
07. "Terrorist" [Director's Cut] (Ft. Black Knights & Killarmy)
08.  "And Justice For All" (w. Method Man & Killarmy)
09. "Shaolin (6eme Chaundron)" (w. Arsenik)
10. "Cakes" (Ft Kool G Rap)
11. "Do You Hear The Bells" [So Called Freestyle]
12. "Bobby Digital Audio Interview: 'In Stereo Bonus Disc'"

BOBBY DIGITAL - "IN STEREO OR MONO.... It's B.o.B.B.Y." ('98)

[Comp] JAY-Z, DMX & JA RULE - "Introducing Murder Inc. '95-'99"

The debate about commercial Hip Hop vs mainstream Hip Hop was as hot a topic back in the second half of the '90s that it is today, and I sure took a stance against many artists that I later had to backtrack on and admit I had been sleeping on some serious talent. It was nothing as watered down as the mainstream bullshit we hear today though - trust me I will never backtrack on calling out wack juice artists like Chief Keef, Rick Ross, Lil' Durk, Stitches, the entire Trap movement, and so on and so on, but back in the days a popular emcee like Jay-Z and later Eminem had underground heads divided while failing to realize (or denying) their immense talent.

With that out of the way any serious Hip Hop fan not too wet behind the ears knows that Irv Gotti's original plan for his Murder Inc. group was a trio album featuring Jay-Z, DMX and Ja Rule. Now the latter is an artist I still don't have much respect for, as I really feel he never did anything worthwhile but listening to some of his verses from back in like '95 he did have some semi-hot shit on the table nontheless. There were some bad blood between DMX and Jay-Z and between Ja Rule and DMX and though songs were recorded they remains unreleased til' this day. We only got "Murdergram" on the "Streets Are Watching" soundtrack, "It's Murda" on Ja's '99 LP "Venni Vetti Vecci" and a couple of older, perhaps a little more rare (to the not initiated underground head) records like their meeting with Mic Geronimo on the excellent "Time to Build". This is well known to be the first record all three of these guys first appeared and was produced by Irv Gotti like the rest of the records (whereas some were co-produced by Ty Fyffe). Well, it used to be well known but it turns out that there was what is perhaps an earlier record, or at least recorded around the same time, called "If It's On, It's On". The '95 underground sound is evident as it's a vintage posse cut starring Jay-Z, Ja Rule (who damn near steals the show), DMX (who also KILLS it), Jaz-O, Black Child (turning in a memorable performance) and someone called Nemesis. The latter two and Ja were part of an early mid-'90s group called Cash Money Click and the song made it's only apperance on a dodgy bootleg called "Freaknik' 96" as a C.M.C. track featuring JZ (with no mention of Jaz-O or DMX). Up until a couple of days ago I never in my life had heard this piece of Hip Hop history.

I know some people give me the cold internet eye (haha) whenever I put something on about Jay-Z but fuck it he was one of the most talented emcees to ever pick up a mic at one point and though bullshit records like "Blueprint 3" and "Magna Carta Holy Grail" should have been left unreleased, I will never discredit his early work. Therefore I have put together a 320 kbps compilation of all the Jay-Z/DMX/Ja Rule collabos from '95 to '99, some of them only featuring DMX and Jay-Z, some featuring all three of them and then some, and some featuring only Jay-Z and Ja Rule. Download if you want, if not at least check out the YouTube clip on the rare "If It's On..." joint up top and leave it at that and feel free to flood my guestbook on why I am a dickrider for digging Hova. 


01. "If Its On, Its On" (Ja Rule, DMX, JayZ, Jaz-O, Black Child, Nemesis) [1995]
02. "Time To Build" (Mic Geronimo, Jay-Z, DMX & Ja Rule) [1995]
03. "Murdergram" (Jay-Z, DMX & Ja Rule) [1998]
04. "Money, Cash, Hoes" (Jay-Z & DMX) [1998]
05. "Why We Die" (Busta Rhymes, DMX & Jay-Z) [1999]
06. "Blackout" (DMX, Jay-Z, The LOX) [1998]
07. "The Grand Finale" (DMX, Ja Rule, Nas & Method Man) [1998]
08. "Gangsta Shit" (DJ Clue presents Ja Rule & Jay-Z) [1998]
09. "More Money, Cash & Hoes" (Jay-Z, DMX, Beanie Sigel & Bleek) [1999]
10. "Mudergram" (Jay-Z, DMX & Ja Rule)

INTRODUCING MURDER INC. (The '95-'99 Recordings)"

[Comp] LORD JAMAR - "ON THE DEVIL'S COUCH"

I remember first hearing Brand Nubian's sophomore album "In God We Trust" and being blown away by the beats and rhymes - matter of fact this was my first introduction to Brand Nubian. Sure as a white guy, it took some critical thinking to truly get past some of the more outrageous things said, but once I understood that it's not all a matter of black and white (though it of course plays a big part), I started understand the incredible chemistry, production and lyrical onslaught that these two guys possessed. At the time the group only consisted of Lord Jamar and Sadat X with DJ Sincere, as Alamo and Grand Puba had fled after the group's other members felt they were underepresented on their classic debut "One For All" - which they definitely were; while Puba was on 14 out of 16 songs, the other two members where on about half of that. "One For All" was like a Grand Puba album guest starring two of his protogés on a bunch of tracks - ultimately, Jamar and Derric X (as we called then) received one solo track each, but out of the 16 songs on the CD edition, no less than 7 of them were Grand Puba solo joints in all but name. 

While the entire group all were heavily indoctrined in 5% ideology Puba had always been the fun-loving, laid back super slick rhymer, Derric X was the introspective MC who touched upon the perils of his and people in his personal lives, while Lord Jamar was the most political outspoken (and remains so to this day). So when Grand Puba went, many people thought the group would just fizzle out. Hell no, was the response of the remaining memebers, creating an album almost as a revenge to show that they could do it with or without the veteran Masters Of Ceremony almuni. The first hting they needed were a good producer, as Grand Puba had produced nearly all of the debut, with a few notable exceptions - three tracks was laced by Dante Ross' production team the SD50's and Dante was still with them as managerss by the time of "In God We Trust") and the song "Ragtime" was produced by Skeff Anselm, a regular alumni at Jazzy J's infamous studio where countless Hip Hop classics were created back in those day. Oh and Dave Hall produced that horrible New Jack Swing track "Try To Do Me". Speaking on the creation of the album with Unkut.com, Jamar told a no-names-given story of how it was decided that one of the producers who had worked briefly on the first record. In Jamar's word this producer kind of looked down on these two young artists, and demanded an incredible high price for each beat which would totally fuck up the budget. The producer wasn't called out by name, but it's pretty easy to figure out that it was Skeff Anslem considering that Dante Ross and SD50's was sitll involved in the making of the later albums (although in a background capacity). 

Instead Lord Jamar picked up a dusty SP1200, and a long with the record collection between the trio and their families, asked Dante Ross and some of the engineers to show him the ropes (although it's clear that he took a keen interest in the process already on the first album). The result was a much less polished album, one with all the roughness and grittiness of someone relatively new to production, but you couldn't deny the talent as Lord Jamar clearly had an ear for hot samples and the result was a much darker and more militant album than the first one. "In God We Trust" is a straight-up militant hardcore album, from the accoustic bass heavy boom bap opening of "Allah U Akbar" to the Diamond D produced Rocky sampling all-time classic "Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down" (i'm personally a huge fan of the album version while many dismiss it in favor of the single remix): and this was reflected in both the lyrics and production. Whereas "One For All" had plenty of 5% idelology it was balanced out with some fun tracks and some less-serious party anthems, whereas "In God We Trust" was Sadat X and Lord Jamar getting straight up in your face with their beliefs over earth shattering beats. It was an unexpected success amongst true heads for sure.

In 1994 the trio (with DJ Science) released the critically (severely) misunderstood "Everything is Everything" which to my ears is even better - a dividing album that is in some circles cited as the worst Brand Nubian album of all time, and in some circles as the absolute illest. To me it's closer to the latter; save for a song by Buckwild, Lord Jamar again handles all the beat making and it's now evident that he really got a grip of how to really produce sick records. The material and mixing is slicker, and there's a brilliant strangeness in the sample choices from unexpected sources such as The Average White Band, Simply Red and The Fuzz along with more typical sample stapes of the time like Lou Donaldson, George Benson and Luther Ingram.Not to mention the Simply Red sampling/covered single "Holdin' On", which has caught some hate but which I always loved. The group reuinted with Puba and released "The Foundation" in 1998 (a very good album but not as coherrent as the predecessors, despite having D.I.T.C. and DJ Premier on board), and later a forgettable LP called "Fire in the Hole". Oh and don't forget to check out his one and only solo album, "The 5% Album", featuring guest and production from Preservation, Bronze Nazareth and several Wu-Tang Clan alumni.

I've been wanting to make a compilation of Lord Jamar material and the main reason is that these youngings don't know how dope this guy really. They know him from fucking DJ Vlad's BS gossip interviews that NEVER focuses on music (doens't matter who he's talking to) - it's like the TMZ of Hip Hop - and guess what Vlad is on record saying stuff that Nas only has one good album, not any songs that could rival "New York State Of Mind", and that the best hip-hop single in the last 10 years or so happens to be "Lollipop" by Lil' Wayne. So for the sake of Hip Hop, a compilation like this is much needed to give Lord Jamar his proper credit.  The album focus mostly on Jamar's excellent prodction work throughout the late '90s for acts like Shabazz The Disciple, dead prez, Red Foxx and UGK, intersperesed with some fine guest apperances. The compilation is bookended by two of my favorite Jamar focused joints on "Everything...", something I rarely do but these two tracks are just too good and as I know a lot of people are hesitant to give this even a chance I think it works well in the context. "Return Of The Dread" is a perfect opener as it's a Jamar solo tracks and discusses beats that's pancake fat - how could you go wrong with  that. The final song, "Claimin' I'm A Criminal" is not only one of the Nu's best songs but one of the more heartfelt hip-hop joints of all time... So withour further due, download, press play, and enjoy "The Devil & His Couch" and turn that militant shit way up brothers and trusted readers.

01. Brand Nubian - "Return Of The Dread"
02. Daddy Dogg Ft. Dead Prez - "Bluesanova" [Dead Prez Remix]
03. Artifacts Ft. Lord Finesse & Lord Jamar - "Collaborations Of Mics"
04. Shabazz The Disciple - "Prelude to Pestilence" (Interlude)
05. Shabazz The Disciple - "Street Parables" (Ft. Lord Jamar)
06. Dead Prez - "Propaganda"
07. Kool G Rap Ft. Lord Jamar & Talib Kweli - "Oz Thme 2000"
08. Sadat X Ft. Brand Nubian - "The Lump Lump" [Nubian Mix]
09. Shabazz The Disciple - "The Link..." (Interlude)
10. Shabazz The Disciple - "Organized Rhyme Pt. II"
11. Red Foxx - "What The Girls Want" [Raggamuffin Hip Hop Mix]
11. UGK Ft. Keith Murray & Lord Jamar - "Live Wires Connect"
13. Brand Nubian - "Lick Dem Muthafuckas" [OG Mix]
14. Dead Prez - "The Pistol"
15. Lord Jamar - "The Sun"
16. Brand Nubian - "Claimin' Im A Criminal"

All tracks produced by Lord Jamar except:
03 prod. by Lord Finesse, 07 prod. by Domingo, 08 prod. by Buckwild

LORD JAMAR - "ON THE DEVIL'S COUCH"

[Comp/Article] THE LIFE & TIMES OF PHIFE DAWG

With the tragic passing of one of hip-hop's legendary punchline kings and rhyming sports enthusiasts music fans all over the world has been grieving since the news of Malik Taylor's passing hit the internet last week. Taylor was a man of many names, but to most people he was known as Phife Dawg from the group that perhaps was THE epitome of '90s Hip Hop, A Tribe Called Quest. I can't think of any other MC that elevated himself from a rather mediocre spitter (in my honest opinon) on "People's Instinctive Travels..." to a quick, witted, well flowing, and unique wordsmith in just a little over a year. But that is exactly what Phife did in time for "The Low End Theory" (1991) where he played a significant role and would be the beginning of Tribe including stand-out tracks featuring Phife as the sole emcee (these include one of my all time favorite songs in "8 Million Stories"). For a jazz fanatic such myself I'd have to say that A Tribe Called Quest probably came closer than any other hip-hop group or artist (including other worthy players such as GURU, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Digable Planets and Buckshot LeFonque) in actually chanelling the esthetics and spirits of jazz and seemingly effortlessly transcribing it into a Hip Hop language. Phife and Q-Tip often used their distinct voices in the same way an alto sax player like Cannonball and a tenor player like 'Trane either built tension in "dueling" each other or built on each other solos/verses. Not to mention the call-and-response nature of so many of their classic hooks, a main staple of american black music dating all the way back to the plantation field and becoming an important part of both jazz and blues ... And that's just in speaking about the vocal part of the group's legacy. Tribe truly introduced the power of the low end to Hip Hop, with their heavy use of the acoustic bass (or stand up bass if you will) to fantastic effect... not to mention their heavy reliance on the Fender Rhodes electric piano which instantly recognizable sound had helped define jazz since the late '60s and been especially important in soul jazz and early jazz fusion - two subgenres that would become extremely important as sample sources in Hip Hop over the coming years. But it was Tribe (and a few others like Showbiz and DJ Premier) who really started that trend. Hell they even got Ron Carter to play on "The Low End Theory"!

While some people unflinchingly give too much, sometimes all, credit to Q-Tip alone for Tribe's success story I would go as far as call that straight up blasphemous. I don't buy that for a second. Q-Tip was of course the defacto leader but his claim that he produced all of those records solely by himself I feel are strongly revisionist history - check out a track like "La Schmoove" by Fu Schnickens or the amazing remixes for BDP's "We In There" and that Ice Cube joint that Ali Shaheed produced all by himself. Or why not go back to the HHC interview with the whole group that ran around the time of "Midnight Mauraders" where both Ali and Tip was asked and answered the question what they used when producing their music. And it's a safe bet that up and until "Beats, Rhymes & Life", Phife had suggestions for additions to the music as well - that's just how it works within a group. The whole thing about Tribe could never have come from any single man of the crew, but was the result of thee great, yet different minds came together. In their 10 years as a functioning, working unit this powerhouse trio released five albums - four of them being extremely good, while their last album showed a group struggling to keep it together which is not to say that it doesn't have it's selection of bangers. Although it probably never would have happened either way it is now certain that that final Tribe reunion album will definitely never happen now, and that is a sad confirmation.

But I do hope that Phife recorded enough material and was close enough to finalizing his sophomore solo album which he constantly mentioned in interviews over the last years. The first single, the DJ Rasta Root produced "Dear Dilla" was both a heartfelt dedication to a fallen comrade and an incredibly dope track that spoke to any true hip hop conniseours. As most fans are likely to have whipped out their Tribe albums during the past week, I have a feeling people are still sleeping on Phife's original 1999 debut "Ventilation: Da LP". Released in the same year as Q-Tip's "Amplified", it's easy to see why Tribe didnt have a chance of continuinig post "The Love Movement" at the same time as the differences between the albums sheds light on why the latter album lacked a coherrent sound. While Q-Tip was obviously interested in going a more commercial route, with a stripped down sound without the lush Fender Rhodes sounds and sample heavy jazz esthetic mentioned above, Phife kept it as real as his love for The Knicks for his project. Interestingly enough Jay Dee played a major role in the production of both LP:s (creating four songs for "Ventilation" and its singles) but Phife would complement his work with slamming cuts by Pete Rock (including the criminally overlooked "Melody Adonis", a boom bap manifesto which also featured a Beatminer on the turntables), Hi-Tek, Supa Dave West, Fred Wreck and least succesfully Rick Rock. While it's not a perfect album by far, it is still well worth several listens and was ample proof that Phife could do it on his own although it in a way did show that he sounded best in a grou setting. The same can be said about Q-Tip and "Amplified", and Shaheed's subsequent Lucy Pearl LP the following year. What all three projects truly proved was that each member of A Tribe Called Quest were dope on their own but when they came together as a unit that they truly made miracles happen. Don't forget that!

Though Phife Dawg was quiet the last few years, barely even making guest appearnces (save for some excellent contributions to Slum Village's last two albums and a banger for producer Oh No), he had already left his mark on hip-hop as a culture, on hip-hop as a music form, and on hip-hop as an art form. I hope more people will start to realize how integreal he truly was to A Tribe Called Quest, a group that is often held in the highest of high esteem and often top countdowns of the genre's greatest groups of all time. So while we continue to bump Phife Dawg's music over the coming weeks, let us bump "Ventilation: Da LP" and its B-sides, let us bump Tribe's "People's Instinctive Travels...", "Low End Theory", "Midnight Mauraders", "Beats, Rhymes & Life" and let us bump "The Love Movement". But why should we stop there?!

For your listneing pleasure and in honor of Malik Taylor, also known as The Funky Diabetic and The 5 Foot Assassin, I have put together a compilation of some of his work not appearing on either of the albums mentioned above. It also excludes remixes unless it feature a unique verse by Tha Dawg, such as on the "Stressed Out" single version. Included are tracks ranging from his breakout year, 1991, and up until his final single - the previously mentioned "Dear Dilla", which takes on another dimension of sadness now thaat he himself faced a somewhat similiar fate at a way too early age. Included are production work and additional vocals by musicians such as Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Q-Tip, Consequence, Chi-Ali, Black Sheep, De La Soul, Diamond D, Pete Rock, Chip Fu, Whitey Don, Oh No, J Dilla and Slum Village but there's no question that this is Phife's show all the way. Included are also most of the rare underground 12" EP:s he released throughout the years. YOU'RE ON POINT PHIFE!! REST IN POWER!!

01. "Ya Heard Me"? [prod. by Dilla] [1998]
02. "If Men Are Dogs" (1997)
03. "Brooklyn / Queens AllStars" (1997)
04. "Pains & Strife" (w. Diamond D & Pete Rock) [1997]
05. "Scheming" (w. Slum Village & Posdnous) [prod. Dilla] (2010)
06. "Push It Along" (w. Slum Village) [prod. by Dilla] (2013)
07. "Miscallenous" [DJ Hi-Tek's Luv Boat Mix] (1999)
08. "La Schmoove" (w. Phife & Ali Shaheed) [1992]
09. "Let The Horns Blow" (w. Chi-Ali, Black Sheep & Dove)
10. "Artical" [Original Posse Mix] (w. Whitey Don & Chip-Fu) [1992]
11. "Game Day" (Ft. Rodney Hampton) [prod. by Dilla] (1996]
12. "Diggy Diaect" (w. Hawkeye) [prod. by DJ Rasta Root] [2003]
13. "U Know U Want It" (w. Charlie & Rose) [prod. DJ Rasta Root] (2003]
14. "Who Got The Funk" (w. Scientists Of Sound) [prod. by Q-Tip] (1995)
15. "Dues N Don'ts" (w. Jesse James) [prod. by Oh No] [2008]
16. "Thought U Wuz Nice" [prod. by J Dilla] [1996]
17. "Dear Dilla" (The Closing Statement) [prod. Rasta Root] [2012]

BONUS TRACK
18. "Stressed Out" [Baby Phife's Version] [prod. by The Ummah] [1996]

PHIFE DAWG - "CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MALIK TAYLOR" 
[mirror link]

[Comp] BADBADNOTGOOD - "The New Thing"

As you, my trusted reader, very well know I'm a borderline Hip Hop and Jazz aficionando, and though my love for jazz mainly lies with the older legends like Miles, Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Sam Rivers, and so on, there's a select few young players that I still find makes excellent music that keeps pushing the music forward which I really love. Robert Glasper is the first that comes to mind, given his vast knowledge of what came before, his love for and ability to fuse other black genres in a convincing manner. But there's also cats like Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington, Ravi Coltrane and a bunch of others holding down tradition. And then there's BadBadNotGood - when I first came across them I was weary of them as a jazz band to be honest. For one they look like high school kids, and while apperances shouldn't matter, if we are all honest with ourselves I think we'll find that things like this do have a bearing. And then they were associated with Odd Future whom I don't got much love for. So it was first when they started collaborating with people like MF DOOM, Wu-Tang Clan, Talib Kweli and especially their excellent work on Ghostface's "Sour Soul" album a year or two ago that really opened up my eyes. These guys are all good players despite not being close to true virtuosos. But it's their love for and ability to combine hip-hop elements with traditional jazz elements (or mainly jazz fusion styles to be fair) that really sets them apart and make them a crew to look out for. Much of their music has been produced by themeselves but as on "Sour Soul", "Rivers of Blood", Danny Brown's "Float On" it's when they are collaborating with the excellent Frank Dukes that the most interesting and professional sounding work tends to happen.

BadBadNotGood is a trio representing Toronto, Ontario and works in a classic jazz quartet constellation while using mainly electric or amplified instruments. The group consists of Leland Whitty on Saxophones (who was the last member to join), Matthew Tavares on keyboards, Chester Hansen on bass and Alexander Sowinski on bass (accoustic and electric). The group met at a college for jazz studies and realized they shared a common love for Hip Hop music as well as jazz and when deciding to form a band wanted to interpet hip hop tracks in a jazz setting. This was realized on their first full-length, the digital release "BBNG 1" (2011) where they covered classics and newer material in a trio setting by artists like A Tribe Called Quest, Gucci Mane, Slum Village, Gang Starr, Nas, Ol' Dirty Bastard and many others. You can check out the full album @ the BBNG Bandcamp. This album caught the attention of a lot of artists, including Odd Future, but to my ears more importantly it was when they caught the ears of RZA who included their production and instruemtnal skills for two tracks on his somewhat overlooked soundtrack to "The Man With The Iron Fists"; co-producing and playing on two songs ("Rivers Of Blood" / Wu-Tang Clan Ft. Kool G Rap and "Sex as a Weapon"

Following their first album, "BBNG #2" introduced new member, reedman Leland Whitty and it's here I feel that they really and truly came into their own as an excellent jazz ensemble. A piano trio (which is one of the usual jazz constellation and consists of bass, drums and piano with the pianist holding down all or most of the solo parts) only really works when all three of the musicians are absolutely excellent, but when bumping up the members to a full on classic quartet the circle was cose and some truly exceptional music was starting to get produced. Another important factor was the inclusion of their main producer Frank Dukes who has produced much of the guys' work since. One of their most recent projects was a full-length collaboration with Ghostface Killah and producer Frank Dukes called "Sour Soul" which received rave reviews from many publications and especially production wise they created an absolutely incredible soundbed for GFK to spit his knowledge over.

I wanted to make a compilation of some of these guys excellent work, possibly it can put on a few more on them as they deifnitely deserve it. Jazz is not dead - the jazz of old perhaps (though all those classic records will live forever), but there's lots of artists out there still making very interesting albums. That and the fact that these young guys have impressed me immensely with much of their material so be sure to keep an eye on them if you feel the same way, check and support for new material at the Bandcamp link above and sites like The Lost Tapes. But right now I just want you to sit back, let that volume bump and shake your head to this sick shit. And while you're at it be sure to cop the aforementioned Ghost / BBNG album from LEX if you haven't already, a very good album no doubt.

01. BBNG - "DOOM" ["Fazers" Cover]

02. Earl Sweatshirt - "Hoarse"

03. JJ Doom - "Guv'nor" [BBNG Version]

04. Ghostface Killah - "Tone's Rap" [Instrumental 7'' Version]

05. BBNG - "Mass Appeal" [Gang Starr Cover]

06. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - "Shame" [BBNG Version]

07. Wu-Tang Clan Ft. Kool G Rap - "Rivers Of Blood"

08.Tyler The Creator - "She" [BBNG Remix]
09. Danny Brown - "Float On"
10. BBNG - "Fall In Love" [Slum Village Cover]
11. Talib Kweli & RES - "Sex As A Weapon"
12. Mick Jenkins - "On The Map" [BBNG Remix]
13. BBNG - "CS60"
14. Black Milk / BSNG - "Now Or Never"

BADBADNOTGOOD - "BadBadMeaningGood"

[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"

[Comp] LA THE DARKMAN - "Darkman Sightings Volume One"

Back in the mid- to late '90s Wu-Tang was pretty much the epitome of dope and original East Coast Hip-Hop which is hardly suprising considering that everything that carried that powerful "W"-emblem at that time promised of the highest musical standards this genre has to offer. One of the most cherished discs to come out of the camp from someone not in the immediate circle (as in the 9 generals) around this time was the 1998 debut album of LA The Darkman. Already back in '96 dedicated underground followers and DJs had been introduced to the very young Grand Rapids, MI to Crown Heights, BK verbal spitter through his outstanding apperance on the first "Soul Assassins" compilation and his own 12" single "I Want It All" / "As The World Turns". With an immediately recognizable voice, a whole lot of attitutde, cinematic street stories for days and musical co-signings by some of the heaviest names around at the time (including DJ Muggs, Carlos Broady of The Hitmen, 4th Disciple, Raekwon, RZA, Ghost and Masta Killa) it was clear from the get go that LAD had a whole lot of potential and was not only street smart, but also business smart like a MF. With the aforementioned debut album this potential was more than realized and with songs like "Lucci", "Shine", "Street Life", "Love", "Polluted Wisdom" and so on it's hard to deny that "Heist Of The Century" to this day still holds up as a somewhat overlooked street classic. It is extremely well crafted from both a production, writing, performance and sequencing standpoint and still sound as fresh as when it first dropped - always inviting a front-to-back listen despite it's 70 minutes duration.

Since then fans have been holding their breath for a proper second LP from the MC who at times has been called "the 11th member of Wu-Tang Clan" by official sources... and kept holding it. Though there's been rumors of LAD working on a project called "Darkman II" throughout the years it seems that The Darkman's heart is not in making an album as such anymore. Despite his talents it seems that LA is more interested in the business aspect of the hip-hop game than making another full-length LP as I guess he feels he has already proven his point - which was that he can make a dope album enough which will let him live on this hip-hop shit through the doors that album opened for him. Through his Wu connection and business savy he was able to make more money of his debut than a lot of artists on a major label would do by going two times platinum. Instead he has kept his name alive through the ocassional guest spot and a bunch of mixtapes - including a stint with DJ Drama and The Aphilliates. Musically he largely seems to have passed the baton to his younger brother Willie The Kid who is a very dope rapper in his own right (though for my money, he is no LA The Darkman).

I've been a fan of LA since the first time I heard him and I like many, many others have eagerly waited for a proper follow up to that incredible album that hit us all so hard back in '98. I have never been crazy about the type of non-turntablist DJ driven mixtapes that are so popular these days and has thus missed a lot of crazy material from the man throughout the years. Thanks to a discussion with constant Lost Tapes supporter and homie Antoine, who was nice enough to shoot me through a folder of his personal favorites of the deep LAD mixtape catalouge, I decided it was time for myself to fine comb that very catalouge for myself. As a result I am going to present to you with two different compilations of LA The Darkman entitled "Darkman Sightings". This first volume focuses on his illest guest apperances, spanning from the very earliest LAD sighting on "Devil in a Blue Dress" to more recent lore like the excellent "Fuck That Man Up" with Sean Price, J-Love and Willie The Kid and his contribution to Bronze Nazareth and Willie The Kid LP. Volume Two will be a compilation of the best from his many mixtapes so stay tuned but don't forget to blast this one LOUD AS FUCK!

01. "I Want It All" [Cents Mix] [Clean]

02. "Devil in a Blue Dress" [prod. by DJ Muggs]
03. "Pain in Many Forms" (w. Bowtie & Kool G Rap)
04. "Fire Implanters" (w. Bronze Nazareth)
05. "War Zone" (w. Division, Prodigal Sunn, Timbo King & 60 Sec.)
06. "Rap Scholar" (w. Deadly Venoms) [prod. by RZA]
07. "Hav Mercy" (w. Killa Sin) [prod. by Mathematics]
08. "The Glide" (w. Wu-Tang Clan) [prod. by RZA]
09. "Lovin' You" (w. Inspectah Deck)
10. "So Good" (w. Davina & Ol' Dirty Bastard)
11. "Freestyle Intermission" (as told to Tony Touch)
12. "How It Goes" (as told to Popa Wu)
13. "Unbreakable" (w. The Homie Vanilla Ice)
14. "Fuck That Man Up" (w. Sean Price, Willie The Kid & J-Love)
15. "Fucking Blades" (w. Willie The Kid & Bronze Nazareth)
16. "Gettin' High" (w. Brooklyn Zu as told to Ol' Dirty Bastard)
17. "All We Got is Us" (w. Sunz Of Man)
18. "Verses" (w. GZA, Ras Kass & Scaramanga)
19. "Outro" (w. Timbo King as told to GZA)

LAD - "DARKMAN SIGHTINGS VOL. ONE" 

[Comp] BUSTA RHYMES - "The Second Coming"

Whatever your opinion is on Busta Rhymes the man sure as hell deserves massive props for having been a forerunner in hip-hop since the early '90s to the mid 2010s. I can't think of many other hip hop artist that has managed to stay current by updating his sound with the times and manage to do it in a succesful manner. Most rappers who were succesful in the '90s when boom bap type hip hop were a big thing on radio that has tried to stray from their original formula in an attempt to sell records fails miserable. But year after year, decade after decade, Busta keeps the hits coming, gaining new fans while at the same time still giving his original fanbase something to bang their heads to. Granted, he hasn't released an album that I really liked since 2006's "Big Bang" (which overall is an underrated LP) but even "Year Of The Dragon" had some bangers. For every "I Love My Bitch" there's a "You Can't Hold The Torch"; for every "Arab Money" there's a "Wheel Of Fortune"; and while his new single "Twerk It" is one of the most horrible tracks released this year, the follow-up single "Thank You" featuring Q-Tip is absolutely excellent. So yes I am still a Busta fan, despite his many questionable releases. Oh, and for the record "Dillagence" has to be one of the best mixtapes ever released.

But this post ain't about the new Busta, this shit is taking it back to the mid-'90s, covering the time span in which the large mouthed one dropped his masterpiece debut "The Coming", and its almost equally dope follow-ups "When Disaster Strikes" and "E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event)". These three albums are straight up incredible on all fronts - theme albums about the upcoming end of the world that are expertly sequenced with Busta's powerful voice taking command over dark, hard hitting beats provided by a healthy mix of established veterans (DJ Scratch, Q-Tip, Rashad Smith, Easy Mo Bee) and the producers of the future (Jay Dee, Nottz, Swizz Beats). One thing about a Busta Rhymes album is that the guy always been so commited to the project that there will be plenty of dope joints left on the cutting room floor once the final tracklist is decided on. A good example is "Genesis" which originally had no less than seven J Dilla productions, but once the final album hit stores his contribution had been limited to two tracks (cutting "Keep It Poppin'", "We Alright", "How We Roll", etc.). 

Luckily for us many of the songs from these sessions instead appeared as B-sides, ended up on soundtracks or the ocassional white label bootleg. And this is where myself and The Lost Tapes come in of course. I've compiled, in as good sound quality as possible, all the non-album tracks, excluding remixes, from Busta's singles from '96-'98 and beefed it up with some of his more essential guest spots from that period. I could of course have included classics like "Scenario", "Come On Down", "Flava in Ya Ear" and so on but I really wanted this to play like a complimentary piece to Busta Rhymes three first solo albums when he still had that mega raw rah-rah style. As such I think I've succeded quite damn well as this represent Busta Rhymes at his very peak over those booming headknock type of beats we loved to hear him demolish. Production from Diamond D, DJ Scratch, Wyclef, Kid Capri, Erick Sermon and more. TURN IT UP!!

01. "Far Away" (Ft. Hurricane G)

02. "Coming Off"

03. "Wild Hot" (Ft. Q-Tip)

04. "Steppin' It Up" (w. A Tribe Called Quest & Redman)

05. "Live to Regret"

06. "On Your Mark: Ready, Set, Go"

07. "Rumble in the Jungle" (w. Fugees & A Tribe Called Quest)

08. "Flipmode is Da Squad" (Ft. Rampage, Lord Have Mercy & Serious)

09. "You Won't Tell, I Won't Tell" (w. Greg Nice)

10. "Do It Like Never Before"

11. "The Hit Off" (w. Kid Capri & Spliff Star)

12. "Starsky & Hutch" (w. LL Cool J)

13. "Yeah" (Ft. Def Squad)
14. "Woo Hah!!" [The Worldwide Remix] (Ft. Ol' Dirty Bastard)

15. "Funkmaster Flex Session" (Ft. Flipmode Squad)

16. "Bus-A-Bus" [The Diamond D Remix]

BUSTA RHYMES - "THE SECOND COMING"

[Article] Is "Mega Philosophy" CORMEGA's Best Album?

Since a documentary on the making of this beautiful album is soon to be released I would like to go back and see how well Cory McKay's "Mega Philosophy" actually holds up one year later. The short answer is that it probably even better now than it was when it first hot stores, as both the production and verbal intercourse now finally has had the chance to truly sink into us as listeners. Sure there were never no question at any time or point that this was not a very good album, though I remember hearing some "The Realness" fanatics shedding a tear over how they missed the hardcore beats and violent, drug slinging lyrics. In fact I'd go as far as to say that "Mega Philosophy" is Cormega's best album yet. If we first look at the foundation, which is the production, it's from top to bottom extremely well produced and varied enough while never sounding the least forced. After all Queens' legend Large Professor created every single beat on the album, in the studio with Cormega where they worked hard together on the sound they envisioned for the record. This can definitely be heard throughout the first to last track, and as Extra-P revealed in the extensive XXL interview shortly before the albums relase how its making was a new experience to him as no emcee he had previously worked with had been so detrimet and hands-on in adding small samples and a touch of his own flavor to the LP:s sound. The co-production credit 'Mega receives on the back cover next to Large Professor is therefore hardly a fluke or a shady label decision as is so often the case.  

"Mega Philosophy" was also released in a completely instrumental version and if you ask me this is a brilliant companion piece to the original that any fan of the album truly need to hear. It will bring you a deeper respect for not only how well crafted these ten cuts truly are, but you'll also notice that there's plenty of little vocal samples and sound effects that you'd be hard pressed to find under the vocals on the original retail release. Unlike many instrumental editions of already released albums this one is actually a project that stand on its own two legs and are a great listen on its own. Take a track like "Industy" whose chops, wild piano meodies, well arranged drums and short vocal samples from 'Mega and KRS-One will have your head nodding in seconds. After having heard the single countless times and no matter the amount of important truths Corey speaks on the song I actually prefer to zone out to this instrumental. This might also be a result of me having heard the original single countless times by now and it has never really been one of my favorites of mine compared to the rest of the LP.

But of course what really will make this a future classic is mainly Cormega's performance - he is so mature and wise beyond his years here as opposed to much of his earlier material. With that statement I must say that I've been a big fan of Cormega since I first heard him on "Affirmative Action" and later "The Realness" and "The True Meaning", so don't misinterpret the above statement. Everyone who comes from a rough background will need to come to the realization that you can't keep on living that destructive and violent lifestyle forever and is forced to grow up - and that's one major difference between this legenday emcees earlier output and this one. A key track and a personal favorite is "More" where The Professor hooks up raw boom bap drums, addictive piano keys, a beautiful breakdown of sirens and sound effects and best of all a part where the boom bap gives way to African Tribal drums to underline Mega's lyrics. Here 'Mega attacks the entire American "justice" system and the way African Americans have been and continues to be treated yesterday, today and tomorrow. The song is filled to the limit with uplifting and clever quotables - "[They] destroy our mental everyday, we more conditioned, to confirm to ignorance and ignore wisdom/ A darker pigment gets you 50 shots and a cop aquitted, while Mumia dreams of freedom in a cot in prison". And that's  just the beginnning of the first verse, I could quote the whole song but give it a spin instead, but I have to mention this clever line "We more than pant saggin' ignorants/ In fact spelling saggin' backwards is niggas/ Pick up your pants and ehance your apperance because it traps us". Almost like a sequel is the beautiful Maya Acazuna collaboration known as "Rise". With lines like "I put it it all together and realize money causes convention, resentment and moral conviction. Rappers tell you lies and glorifies the ghetto, they never speak of mother's inconceivable cries/ So the oppressive agressive of those sworn to serve and protect us, harm us/ Sean Bell the martyr was a father" there's no question Cormega is one of the illest and most important emcees of our time. Like a sister to "More", the themes and topics here are some of the most potent, truthful and important that Corey has ever spat, and just like the former has a somewhat laid back feel that make sure you don't miss a word, "Rise" too is a mellow cut centered around a beautiful guitar melody and one of Large Pro's many different trademark drums.

Now don't be fooled into thinking that there's no hardcore jams on here because there obviously are and we're gonna break  a few of them down in just a second. There's just one more of those siblings of songs I just feel I need to touch upon a little extra, which I feel together forms the albums core, and that is together with "More" and "Rise" the album closer "Valuable Lessons". Another relatively laid back jam with a sung hook by relatively unknown guest artist Jarrell Perry who does a great job. I've read a wack review saying that "Valuable Lessons" was hampered by a cheesy chorus which really undermined the songs potential. I think this is straight up BS (well HipHopDX isn't exactly known for their great reviews) - the song itself is one of the albums best and an absolutely excellent album closer where Cormega take the time to get maybe more personal than he's ever been on wax before. Although it bugs me how short the album is, which I'll be getting into soon, I coudn't think of a better way to close this LP. The tracks foundation is an irrestible mix of an accoustic guitar riff, a vintage vocal sample, accoustic background piano and that perfect drum programming that helps Large Pro's beats always knock hard as hell no matter how laid back the instrumentation is. Split into three verses, the first deal with fake friends, and how the older you get and the more problem you get yourself into you are often left on your own - something I'm sure a lot of us slightly older people here can relate to. "I risked my life for niggas who didn't write or visit, during my time in prison I realized my friendship isn't what I invested,and I'm tired of giving with no reciprocation. Thankfully times are different...". The second verse gets even more peronal as Corey airs out his dirty family laundry, including drug use, gossiping and even how his own grandmother was robbed by younger relatives, something a lot of emcees wouldn't ever dare to touch upon us. But "Mega Philosophy" from start to finish is 'Mega's journey and where he has now ended up in his life, which is why I think the three songs discussed here are the center pieces of the projet. The final verse of the album is directly dedicated to one person, McKay's ex-wife and how a great thing like love can turn to heartache and hate. If you ever had bad experiences with women in your life (and who haven't) this verse is so rewind heavy that it's just ridciolously filled with jewels. "You'd rather hate me than be mad at yourself. Now you free, we no longer trapped in lies, you never find happiness until you're happy inside".  The hook actually fits the song perfectly and the last bridge/outro really puts the dot over the i as Perry croons "Now I can finally sleep at night... I can finally sleep at night", of course meaning that our hero is on his way to overcome all of this bullshit. What a wonderful and clever way to close an album of this spiritual nature.

 
I mentioned the three songs described above as the center pieces of the album, but since I view this album as a 5/5 masterpiece that doesn't mean that the remaining eight tracks are any less dope - its just that they are other type of records than the extremely motivational and mature tracks that together form a new era in Cormega's music. "Rap Basquiat", for example, shows us how truly unbelivable the chemistry between Extra-P and 'Mega really is - the beat with it's high-powered vocal sample loop, the sampled Fender bass and boombastic drums married with the veteran spitters equally brilliant flow. I can't hear this without shaking my head at how dope his delivery has become over the years and how incredible Large's beat is. There's not many guests featured on the album, a great thing, and the few who do appear are chosen with the utmost care. Early on we are introduced to the one posse cut on the album - "M.A.R.S." featuring AZ, Styles P, and Redman. I really don't feel Redman fits in on the LP at all, but it's not much to complain about since especially AZ and Styles does a terrific job as they so often do. I also like how the album opens up with a posse cut as it reminds me of the '90s where that was pretty much a standard practice. Raekwon appears on "Honorable Mention", the first single and only to be released on physical (7" single) - most likely the hardest record on the album which explains why they went with it as the first single whereas a track like "More" might have turned off some of those "The Realness" fanatics. Rae and Mega always had a great chemistry together, going as far back as 2000 when the latter appeared on a very rare remix of The Chef's "Yae Yo" (if anyone have this please post it in the comments or e-mail me)!

Now to the final part of this article about how this album that after having marinated for almost a year has grown to be even more brilliant than when it first hit stores, likely because it was such a mature and introspective Cormega album that we might not have expected it. However, I'm all for quantity over quality but when a bunch of excellent tracks are left off a 30 minutes short record it does bug me a bit. After only roughly thirty minutes no matter how perfect the soundscapes, the lyrics, the flow and the production are, your mouth will definitely be watering for more. In my opinion they should have put a blank track of silence for 1-2 minutes and then added all of the Cormega/Large Professor songs made between "Born & Raised" and "Mega Philosophy".The album was in the works for about three years so you can count on there being lots of tracks left off the final product which in a way speaks well for the two artists integrity and how exact they knew what they wanted from the project. 

THE LOST & FOUND TRACKS FROM "MEGA PHILOSOPHY"

When asked how the album came about they both said it was beause of the insane response to "Journey" ("Born & Raised"). In that same interview they said that in honor of this they were definitely include the monster posse cut remix using roughly the same beat, but adding new verses from Cormega, Large Professor (this is another thing, I would've liked to hear a couple of verses from Extra-P on the LP), one of my all time favorites in OC and the almighty Sadat X. "Journey" was definitely a stand out on the preceding album and making a Part 2 as a posse cut was just a briliant idea. I loved how they was to pay homage to how the process started by including it on the album, but unfortunately it was scrapped and the only version that exist is the exclusive DJ Rated R mixtape premiere. Also in 2012 a single was released under Cormega's name said to be from the album called "M.A.R.S." - another posse cut produced by Large Pro and featuring Roc Marciano, Saigon, and Action Bronson that gained a lot of hype amongst underground heads at the time. In fact I would have a hard time deciding which of the two "M.A.R.S." cuts better sutied for opening the album. The one they went with is probably more in tune with the rest of the disc, but at the same time the predecessor is a HARD ASS joint, and as you know from my compilations I always figure it's a great way to kick things off with a real raw banger. The track however ended up on Large Pro's 2012 solo album "Professor @ Large", despite not even featuring so much as an adlib by That Guy With The Glasses. That same album also featured another very dope joint produced by Large Pro, with Cormega, Tragedy Khadafi (who was perhapst the one person truly missing from the album IMO) and Large. The final 2012 cut was possibly not ever intended for the album in question but it's not an impssobility either, and more than that it's an absolutely excellent cut in a way remiscent of "Fresh" from "Born & Raised" as it sees the younger Queensbridge native team up with some of his hip-hop heroes from way back in 1986. I'm talking about the Large Pro/Cormega assisted Public Enemy joint "Catch The Thrown". This is an excellent mix of the politically charged styles of CHUCK D and Corey's reflective yet street oriented gut punching attacks on the powers that be. It is not entirely impossible that this was recorded for "Philosophy". I imagine tons of music must have been recorded for the LP and perhaps Chuck D reached out to Large for a beat and he gave them this complete with the Mega verse. Also not too long ago Large Pro himself uploaded a 1:30 snippet of a song called "NGA" from the "Philosophy" sessions; see below.

 
Last but definitely not least we were treated to two remixes of the main single "Industry". The two very different versions were leaked for free to the net as promo material to boost the sales of the recently released "Mega Philosophy". The first remix entitled "The Juice Crew Remix" is an absolutely beautiful take on the original, and to be fair I'd got to say I prefer this version. The chilled out beat with it's smooth female vocals, dual accoustic piano melody and bridge set to vintage hip-hop drums really has a nice summer vibe anthem to it, which was kind of missing from the original despite the use of the same beat... and while Kool G Rap, Masta Ace, Craig G and Cormega all speaks their mind on the shady industry it isn't done in the same dark, depressing mood as on the solo version. The second installment, simply known as The Alternative Remix, is more of a sequel than a remix as it comes equipped with a completely new beat and all new verses. Since it was first made available as an exclusive free download in a rather prety damn shitty sound quality sometime in 2014, I had a hard time to truly appreciate the brilliance of this powerful, dark and brooding sequel until Large Pro included a mastered version of it on his recent "Re:Living" LP. Inspectah Deck can be very hit or miss these days but here he viciously murders the atmospheric but drum heavy remix with lines like "Nowadays everybody want to get on, they don't want to put in work, they just riding a long/ Pretty hoes in the videos styling in thongs, a few views on YouTube but who's buying the song?/ WorldStar don't give a fuck how you bodied the work, they'll desecreate your mixtape so KanYe can twerk". The same can be said about Roc Marciano, Sadat X, Lord Jamar and of course Cormega who hasn't even come close to spit a corny line on neither the entire album or the released songs from the sessions which I compiled for you below (making the album 60 minutes). In that same interview with XXL published a week before the LP:s official release date of July 22, Corey McKay reveals that he "got some remixes coming. We got one with the Juice Crew - me, Craig G, Masta Ace, and Kool G Rap. And then I got one with me, Lord Jamar, Sadat X, Rock Marciano and Inspectah Deck. Two remixes of 'Industry'" - confirming that all of these songs mentioned under this second section of this article (except for perhaps the Public Enemy/Cormega/Large Pro collabo) was recorded and in the can by the time the album came out.

CONCLUSION

With just eleven songs and a running time of 33 minutes it's not only Cormega's shortest album, it's also his most focused and to be honest his best work yet in my honest opinion. With each listen this album has grown even more on me, there are absolutely nothing that comes even close to filler, and there's a thin red line running through the project both from a lyrical and a production standpoint. In a way I could see why they woud ditch the bonus tracks and sequels mentioned above since they don't quite fit into the mold of the main album. Still as good as Large Professor's and Cormega's chemistry is here, I strongly recommened listening to it as released, with all the bonus tracks and also give the fully instrumental album at the very least one chance. I had the pleasure of seeing Large Pro and Cormega perform in Copenhagen around 2011 (what's up Rob), probably right as they were beginning to produce this album and I just hope that I will get to see them share the stage again very soon. I really don't like to give out ratings but rather let the review/article speak for itself, but this is a modern hip-hop masterpiece if I ever heard one so the rating can of course be no less than 5/5.

12. "Industry" [Juice Crew Remix] (Ft. Kool G Rap, Craig  G & Masta Ace)
13. "Journey" [Remix] (Ft. Sadat X, OC & Large Professor)
14. "Catch The Thrown" (Ft. Public Enemy & Large Professor)
15."Industry Part II" (Ft. Inspectah Deck, Rock Marciano,& Lord Jamar)
16. "Focused Up" (Ft. Large Professor & Tragedy Khadafi)
17. "M.A.R.S." (Ft. Action Bronson, Rock Marciano & Saigon)

CORMEGA - "MEGA PHILOSOPHY" [Bonus Tracks]