Hell let's continue on this jazz trip here at The Lost Tapes with a very rare official Easy Mo Bee remix of "Blow" from Miles' final '91 album "Doo Bop". Throughout his entire career Miles never stood still, he always wanted to get involved with the stuff the young black kids listened to. Just listen to "On The Corner", "Big Fun''s "Ife" and tracks like "Calypso Frelimo" . But in early 1991 when Hip Hop was what all the hip urban radio stations was blazing Miles had a feeling he could do an excellent take on that by himself if he just had the right collaborators. He asked his friend Russel Simmons to gather up some contenders, one which was Easy Mo Bee whose work with The Genius and Big Daddy Kane really impressed him, one was Sid Reynolds, one was Public Enemy/The Bomb Squad.
Mo Bee's audition in Miles' Manhattan apartment was filled with producers, and in his own word he beat the competition through his perfectionism - "I'm a guy with an SP-1200 sampling drum machine and an Akai 950 rack sampler. What I do is I call it creative samping, not just plain looping like a lot of the guys do. I get really, really intense with my sampling. It has a lot to do with harmonics and everything has to be in tune". In other words Mo Bee came at it from a musician's point of view rather than the regular joe with a sampler and a bunch of records. "Blow" was originally a joint created for The Genius (he was also a huge fan of GZA's "True Fresh MC"), but whose gonna turn down one of the most prolific musican of the last five decades?
"Doo Bop" received mixed criticism when it was first released, the jazz purist saw it another case of selling out (which it certainly wasn't), while some hip-hop purist was dissapointed that Mo Bee had given him rather too smooth and soulful hip-hop beats instead of the hardhitting neckbreakers. I can't find the interview new, but Mo Bee's answer was firm in that that was the type of sound Miles wanted for his album - the type of beat his horn would mesh best with, and he was most certainly right. "Doo Bop" is in fact a very underrated album - the main thing that marrs it is the two or three songs featuring horrrendous rapping by Mo Bee and his group R.I.F. Why the hell wouldn't he ask Kane or GZA do the honors? Anyway the long out of print 12" single of "Blow" features a much rougher and harder version of the song which might give you an idea how Miles would have sounded if Easy had given him his hardcore beats. It's definitely a nice piece, so check it out up top and also peep the DJ Vlad interview where the legendary producer reveals that "Doo Bop" is the greatest feat of his career!
Having released classic albums and 12":s with his Da Bulldogs crew as far back as 1991, Boston emcee Edo G has truly proved time and time again that constant elevation and logevity can go hand in hand. This year he released one of the finest albums of 2014 so far, the short but straight to the point "After All These Years" which is unfortunately still ridiciously slept-on in many circles. For this post I want to bring back one of Edo's more unknown records, a Japan only EP that forms a bridge between his early 2000s solo catalouge and his early work as part of Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs. Most comonly refered as the "Dedication" EP, this piece of vinyl shows brilliant lyricismms delivered in Edo's unmistakable monotonous but heartfelt flow over a thumping but dark, and sometimes laid-back beats of the boom bap aesthetic - completely supplied by The Vinyl Reanimators (Joe Mansfield and Sean C on the production; DJ Shame and DJ Nestle Quick on the turntables). Released in 1996 on the small Japanese label Solid Records, it is sometimes known as "The Six Song EP" and are available in a few different versions - one with six tracks, and one that also includes two additional tracks towards the end. The latter one is the one I want to share with you here.
There's not a single weak or half-mediocre song on here, whether we're focusing on production or lyrical performance, and without no guests both Edo G and Vinyl Reanimators really gets to shine together as their chemistry is unmistakable. I'm a big fan of the EP format, as I'd rather take a near perfect six or seven songs outing than a fifteen track album where four of the songs straihgt up suck. And this is about as good an EP as they come - it's all here; that headnodding '90s boom bap esthetic where samples were always crisp, drums were pounding you in the head and artists put a lot of effort into their lyrics to really mean something. If you haven't heard this gem before do yourself a favor and download it ASAP, press play, sit back, TURN IT UP and let your head start nodding. And don't forget to cop Edo G's "After All These Years" as it's definitely an album worth to have in the collection.
You know I don't fuck with those blogs and websites that straight up steal from hard working artists by leaking their albums and making them available for free download. Mark my words that you will never see The Lost Tapes turn into one of that type of bullshit site; however every once in a while I like to do an "Out-Of-Print" article where I put the spotlight on an older album that is both out-of-print and never quite have gotten the credit it deserves. So with that little disclaimer now out of the way let us get down to business...
You could ask almost any hip-hop head about what made Public Enemy so special and most likely get answers involving either the commanding voice and lyrics of Chuck D or the explosive production style of The Bomb Squad. A few might even mention the innovative and often hilarious but always funky fresh antics of Flava Flav, but I can almost guarantee you that not once are you likely to hear the name Terminator X being mentioned. What made Public Enemy the perfect group was that they all complimented eachother to a degree few rap groups have done since or before, making every member as integral as the next. The presence of Terminator X's fists of fury and razor sharp preciseness on the wheels of steel loomed over everything the crew created at their highly charged peak - his beautifully violent scratch sessions we're all over "Yo! Bumrush The Show",(1987) "It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back", (1988) "Fear Of A Black Planet", (1990) "Apocalypse '91" (1991) and "Muse-Sick-n-Hour Mess Age" (1994). What's so beautiful about Public Enemy as a group was that each member possessed a totally unique style that meshed so well with the group sound - it was almost like they were born to make the music they did and the albums they did. If you listen closely you'll realize that Chuck D rhymes as naturally and organic as the beats concocted by the Shocklee brothers and Eric Sadler, while Flav's unpredictability and hype antics is a much needed counterpoint to both Chuck's afro-centric lyrics and baritone voice and the bombastic production. At the same time. The last piece of the puzzle is Terminator X who uses two records, turntables and a crossfader to cut shit up in exactly the same "wall of noise" manneristics as The Bomb Squad creates NOISE. There are few hip-hop groups that at leas doesn't have one weak link that gets constantly overshadowed by the rest. The original line-up of Public Enemy, just like e.g. the classic John Coltrane Quartet, always worked extremely well because they relied on each other and grew together. That is one of the main reasons they managed to create some of the best hip-hop records of all time and are still to this day the epitome of the perfect hip-hop group. The group mentality also shun through on the first solo albums by Chuck D and Terminator X' which, aside from being very underrated, both sounnd very much like left overs from P.E. sessions in many respects
Between "Fear Of A Black Planet" and "Apocalypse '91", Rogers started working on a solo venture of his own under his Terminator X moniker. Though he was never credited as a producer on any of the Enemy projects it's not hatd to tell that he's been a student of The Bomb Squad and their bombastic, sample heavy cluster productions when preparing his own work. The monstrous blast of pumping drums, kicking snares and chunky bass lines making way for a thick collage of sampled grooves (the infamous Wall Of Noise) fills the speakers from the opening "Vendetta... The Big Getback" and continues throughout the set with various suceeding results. Sometimes it works great and sometimes less so, but there's no mistaking which crew this guy is part of when listening. But although it sounds like an Enemy record in spirit, it never reaches the heights one has come to expect from those albums; neither are there any standouts a long the lines of "Rebel Without A Pause", "Fight The Power" or "Party For Your Right To Fight". Those records may have been done 25 years ago but they don't feel the least dated today, they are simply timelesss. "Terminator X in The Valley Of Jeep Beats" on the other hand feels very rooted in 1991, the year it was made. That doesn't at all mean that it's a bad album; on the contrary it is actually a pretty dope listen but it's not no classic either. There's some slamming beats here that'll have your head nodding in agreement, X's scratches are not only juicy but he takes every chance he can to let his turntable fury loose which is the constant highlight of the album, and on "Buck Whylin'" Chuck D shares vocal duties with Sistah Souljah over a powerful breakbeat that might very well be the best cut on the LP. Most of the other guests are relative unknowns which stands as its biggest achilles heel. With some real strong guest apperances and a couple of tracks co-produced by The Bomb Squad or other beat maestros of the time this could've been one hell of an album. As it stands now it's a solid release by one of the greatest hip-hop DJ:s of all time and is a well worth listen both for initiated P.E. fans and newcomers. And although I can't help but drool a little at the idea of a full album of songs in the vein of "Terminator X at the edge of Panic" I can't deny that the talented DJ did in fact release a worthwhile album in 1991 that should be in any Public Enemey heads collection... So if you haven't heard it yet be sure to check it out below and if you ever come across a vinyl copy in the dollar bin (which I've seen several times), don't hesitate to pick it up.. PUBLIC ENEMY NO. #1!
01. "Vendetta... The Big Getback"
02. "Buck Whylin'" (Ft. Chuck D & Sister Souljah)
03. "Honey Don't Play" (Ft. Bonnie N Clyde)
04. "Juvenile Delinquintz" (Ft. Juvenile Delinquintz)
05. "The Blues" (Andreas 13)
06. "Back to the Secret of the Base (Ft. The Interegators)
07. "Can't Take My Style"
08. "Wanna Be Dancin'" (Ft. Celo of the Casino Brothers)
09. "DJ Is the Selector" (Ft. Dubmaster)
10. "Run That Go-Power Thang" (Ft. Spacey B. Experience)
11. "No Further" (Ft. Section 8)
12. "High Priest of Turbulence"
13. "Ain't Got Nuttin'" (Ft. The Chief Groovy Loo)
Frankie Cutlass is a dance and hip-hop DJ from Spanish Harlem in New York with family roots in Puerto Rico. He was affiliated with Funkmaster Flex and the Flip Squad in the '90s and started interesting himself in producing his own records as well as keeping up his mixing skills. As a result he recorded and released his debut album by 1993. Titled "The Frankie Cutlass Show" the LP was fully produced by Cutlass and featured a bunch of guests in Rayvon, Evil Twins, Madstyle and Selector. Although it had flashes of brilliance it didn't make much noise on the scene and isn't well remembered today.
However, "The F.C. Show" did get him noticed by executives at Relativity Records which at the time was something of a haven for hardcore rap. This opened the door for Cutlass to secure guest spots on new projects from a bunch of great and well respected artists in the hip-hop community. In 1995 he released the banger "Bouriquas On Da Set" featuring fellow Puerto Rican's Fat Joe, DJ Doo Wop and The Evil Twinz. The boom bap sounds of the single pointed the way to his full-length on the label "Politics & Bullshit" the following year. Reminiscent of albums like Marley Marl's "In Control", Cutlass here gathered some of the most acclaimed emcees of tthe time for a bunch of posse cuts based around his production. Included on the set were peeps like M.O.P., Kool G Rap, Lost Boyz, Smif-N-Wessun, Big Daddy Kane, Craig G, Heltah Skeltah, Mobb Deep and Redman. The music on the disc certainly goes hard and is worth the attention of any fan of the vintage sounds of the mid '90s.
What's most suprising is the fact that "Politics & Bullshit" for some reason turned out to be the DJ and producer's final release .Since then not even many production credits has been added to his name. Why this is I have no idea but it's possible that Cutlass decided to focus on doing DJ sets full time instead. However that may be the album stands as a great document of where rap music was at in 1997 and is filled with hot beats and rhymes - what more could you ask for?
The Legion were a hardcore rap crew from The Bronx that first made their mark as associates of Showbiz & AG and Black Sheep. It's not unfair to say that their music forms as a fusion of the above mentioned groups and shares many similarities with both. The Legion was made up of a trio consisting of Chucky Smash, Cee-Low and Molecules who also produced most of the group's material. According to Smash, 'Cules was a real street cat who also worked the SP1200, Cee-Low a player and club-goer and himself heavily into graffiti and the culture of hip-hop. With all these styles combined The Legion was born. Chucky Smash also told in the UNKUT interview how they used to live together with Showbiz and Dres and moving in the same circles which certainly rubbed off heavily on their own music.
Like most, my first introduction to The Legion was through that banging interlude on Show & A's "Runaway Slave" where a hardboiled beat's rocking and a voice declares that "The Legion's in the house... Cee-Low's in the house....Molecules's in the house" and so on. The first time that interlude cut off I was pissed because I was so hyped by the sounds of it and was just starting to expect to hear the full thing. However, The Legion got signed to Mercury Records and one year after the "Runaway..." interlude, in 1993 that is, the trio came out with their debut single and video, for the song "Jingle Jangle". The hard cooking sounds with its strong jazz influence was a common sound at the time but the guys displayed a lyrical style and chemistry that was both humoros and hardcore and made them stand out on their own. "Jingle Jangle" also featured an excellent performance by Dres of Black Sheep which revealed another connection that would prove important for the future.
After some moderate success with the single, Mercury gave the group the thumbs up and a budget to record a full-length album for the label. The result was to be the strangely titled "Theme + Echo = Krill", a largely self-produced album that continued where the preceeding single had left off both from a lyrical perspective as well as with the beats. Cee-Low, Molecules and Chucky Smash all hold down their parts on the microphone well, but what really has made this album stand the test of time, at least for the initiated who actually knows about it, is the banging production. The record is full of jazz and funk samples, prominently with keys and all sorts of horns, pounding bass (often accoustic stand-up bass) and thick drums. Not suprisingly, the sounds are reminiscent of what D.I.T.C. and Mista Lawgne were doing in the early '90s. Several of the samples would much later be used by major artists like Mobb Deep, Smif-N-Wessun and MF DOOM. Molecules would later go on to produce slamming records for Mos Def and Dres although his placements has been few and far in between.
The album was completed and ready for release in the middle of 1994 but was heavily under promoted by Mercury, in fact the vinyl version were only pressed up in promo copies and both versions quickly went out of print. "Theme + Echo = Krill" was a great album with a bit of an old school feel to it but in 1994 hip-hop was starting to move on into new territory. Had this album been released at the same time as "Runaway Slave" or "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" I'm confident in saying that this LP would have been remembered much in the same way as those records. Unfortunately for the crew, the hard work they put into making a great album passed quietly above most hip-hop heads and both the vinyl and CD copies of "Theme + Echo" quickly became out of print and an eBay item. Could we get a reissue please? Traffic, I'm looking at you!
Besides the underground classic "Jingle Jangle", highlights include the second single, the bass heavy party anthem "Legion Groove" and the two Mista Lawgne productions, "Once Upon A Time" and "Zootie Bang". And of course it wouldn't be a early '90s album without the obligatory posse cut to show for, now would it? In this case, Show & A fans will be thrilled that "Who's It On Pt. 1" is the entire version of the "Runaway Slave" interlude and features a classic AG verse plus some Showbiz vocals over that addicting ruffneck beat. "...Part 2" in the same series adapts a different beat and features the trio going head to head with Black Sheep and Chi-Ali and you can bet it's a lyrical clashing that will take you back to the golen days of rap. It can't compare with the defining masterpieces of its time as there are moments of the album that does sound dated and unoriginal, especially as the album runs on for slightly too long, but these are mostly minor flaws and as a body of work it is a very good, and sadly very overlooked, one.
It's not all fun and games though; most of the latter part of "Theme + Echo" revolves around more serious subject matters including the use of the word nigga, it's origin and the meaning of it. Several important skits deals with this topic while songs like the dark and moody "New Niggas" has the crew spitting over a sinister piano-laced track where a murky bass clarinett gives a chilling effect as it floats in and out of the composition. One of the LP:s finest moments however comes with the closer, "Rest in Peace", a heartfelt tribute that deals with the pain of losing someone close and anyone who've done so should be able to relate. It's ill that Molecules flips the repetitive bass line (later used by Alchemist for Mobb Deep's "The Realest") for the basis of the song while he's adding several horns fading in and out to emphasize the theme. "Rest in Peace" is a great closer for a great album and will have you wishing these guys would've actually blewn up the way they deserved. After the album went wood, the group made the occassional guest apperance on albums by Black Sheep/Dres but has since faded into obscurity. I have a memory of reading somewhere in the mid-'90s that Dres was starting a record label and that he would sign The Legion as his main act; guess that never materialized.
01. "Enter The Realm"
02. "Jingle Jangle" (Ft. Dres)
03. "Buddah Break" (Ft. World Famous Brucie B)
04. "Legion Groove"
05. "Back in the Days"
06. "Step to the Stage" (Cuts by C.M.E.)
07. "Makin' Noise" (Ft. Dennis '3D' Scott)
08. "Krill Ill"
09. "Representanto"
10. "Zootie Bang" (Prod. by Mista Lawgne)
11. "Once Upon A Time" (Prod. by Mista Lawgne)
12. "I Like The Way It's Going Down"
13. "Bring It"
14. "It's Thorough"
15. "Who's It On Pt. 1" (Ft. Showbiz & AG)
16. "Who's It On Pt. 2" (Ft. Black Sheep & Chi-Ali)
17. "The Word Nigga"
18. "New Niggas"
19. "The Truth"
20. "Rest in Peace"
Not many rappers are ever able to see the amount of hype and praise without a debut album out as The Last Emperor did in the late '90s and early '00s. 12" singles and mixtape classics like "Secret Wars", "Echo Leader" and "Do You Remember?" clearly let the rap world know that Jamal Gray was far from the average emcee. The Philadelphia native has always shown a knack for weaving intricate stories and spitting no bullshit lyrics with more than enough charisma to capture the listener. Even Dr. Dre saw the potential and quickly signed him to Aftermath Entertainment, even having him ghostwrite a verse or two for "2001". The deal fell through while fans were stuck waiting for a proper album, only catching the occasional vinyl single on various labels including Rawkus, Hi-Rise and Final Hour.
Good things come to those that wait however, and in 2003 Last Emperor's real debut finally came out, although it's quite strange in many ways. I don't know the actual deal but the album was released in two different versions, on two different labels and with two different covers. The US market got "Music, Magic, Myth" on Red Planet Music/Raptivism while Penalty released "Palace Of The Pretender" in Europe. The music is farily the same but there are notable changes; for this post I will focus on "Palace..." since that is the superior version to me. I've heard people say that the 2003 album didn't represent Last Emp's raw skills in the same way as the earlier singles had done, but I'm inclined to disagree. All the things that made hip-hop fans across the globe take notice is on full display on this disc. There's plenty of heavy concepts and philosophical questions discussed on here, and the personal nature of the album is one of it's strongest points.
Many great rappers have fallen on weak beat selection but production supplied by Da Beatminerz, Prince Paul, Ayatollah and even house legend Armand Van Helden definitely shuts down that issue. Overall, there's no wack tracks on here, just press play and let the lyricism and soothing beats take over your mind for the coming hour. The biggest problem is that it's hopelessly out of print and I curse myself for not picking it up when I had the chance despite being a fan of The Emperor back then. I don't think I ever saw this in a used record store once since so I really hope this gets re-issued one day! Aight, enough talk, grab your download and TURN IT UP!!
01. "Tiger Trail" [prod. Ayatollah]
02. "Karma" [prod. Ayatollah]
03. "One Life" (Ft. Poetic) [prod. Set Free]
04. "Meditation" [prod. Da Beatminerz]
05. "Do You Care?" [prod. Will Veston]
06. "Shine" [prod. Armand Van Helden]
07. "The Incredible Man" [prod. The Resources]
08. "Let's Ride" [prod. Da Beatminerz]
09. "Hold On" [prod. Da Beatminerz]
10. "Single Mother" [prod. Da Beatminerz]
11. "The Great Pretender" [prod. Prince Paul]
12. "Here We Are" [prod. Da Beatminerz]
13. "The Drifter" [prod. Set Free]
14. "Clear Day" (Ft. Masta Ace & Trugoy) [prod. Prince Paul]
15. "Echo Leader" [prod. BooLuv]
16. "Secret Wars Pt. 1" [prod. Madsol-Desar]
17. "The Underground" [prod. Da Beatminerz] [Extra Bonus Track]
Throughout this blogs history I've shared some bangin' compilations of Jay Dee material. These included the Busta Rhymes tape with all the Jay beats from his many albums, my take on what Frank-N-Dank's "48 HRS" might've sounded like if the label hadn't fucked it up and the incredible "The Soul Of Dilla" which showcased how incredible Dilla was not only as a hip-hop producer, but also as an R&B and soul producer. There were so many sides to Dilla and he reinvented his whole sound about every two years, and succesfully too!! When other underground producers started catching up he was on IT'S THE NEW!!!
I recently been revisiting The Official Jay Dee Instrumental EPs and felt like sharing the first two volumes with my readers. This was a limited edition project Dilla made for and with Bling47.com back in 2003, two volumes of 8 previously unreleased instrumentals each. Volume 2 added 5 extra beats for the CD version of the "album" and eventually a third installment that took the best from both and added a few new tracis. I'm not sure whether or not all the beats on these three volumes were tracks that had already been made or if some of them were created especially for this series. I know that the "Busta" track on Vol. 1 was a track originally made for Busta's "Genesis" back in 2001, so it is likely that for example "Kamal" was something he worked on for Q-Tip.
However that may be, both installments make for an interesting listen and while they don't rank amongst the late masterminds best material, this is unquestionable good material for any Jay Dee fan. Or any hip-hop head who enjoys listening to instrumental albums too, for that matter. If you're an MC these tracks are rhythmically much more straight forward and easier to flow on than anything on "Donuts". I got other, more rare, beat tapes by Dilla, out of print 12"s and EPs plus loads of material for compilations so expect alot more Dilla to come. But til' then, TURN IT UP!!
Brooklyn rapper Jemini The Gifted One has, sadly, got to be one of the most wasted talents hip-hop has wittnessed. In 1995 he had gotten himself a recording deal with Mercury Records, and besides releasing this amazing 7-track EP on wax, the label also released two promo singles containing songs from the EP, certainly with DJ's in mind. A video for the lead track "Funk Soul Sensation" was also made and released. In other words, the label were trying to push Jemini to a larger audience and obviously preparing for a debut album. It isn't suprising, such a talented cat, his gift to grab the audience by his words and his hardcore appeal should definitely be heard. After testing the waters my best guess is that Mercury didn't feel the same and decided to drop him from the roster, leaving only a few 12" releases and a funky video as reminder to the rest of the world that Jemini had ever existed.
Luckily the chapter on The Gifted One doesn't quite end there but it would take about eight years before we would hear from him again. This time he hooked up with DJ Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, DangerDOOM, Gorillaz), an english producer that had yet became super producer extraordinare in peoples minds, to record and release the full-length collaboration "Ghetto Pop Life". If you ever heard Danger Mouse's earlier production, you know the sound, an original approach as well as showing influences from Prince Paul, Dilla and Madlib. Jemini's unique approach to the mic and style hadn't changed much over the years and the album, which featured guests like Cee-Lo, Alkaholiks, Prince Po and The Pharcyde, ultimately proved to be among the absolute best hip-hop albums of 2003. If you havent't heard that one yet, you'd do yourself a huge favor finding it out; and if you're familiar with Danger Mouse's production work and then hear this rare EP i'm about to post I doubt you could resist.
The same year they released an EP featuring some various exclusives as well as remixes for album cuts, but since then Danger Mouse has became huge and is in 2011 working with James Shiner in Broken Bells, while Jemini has once again been left in obscurity. Wether or not we'll ever hear anything new from Jemini the Gifted One remains to see, but however that may be the few releases he has put out will always make me hold him in high regards as an emcee and entertainer. This EP also contains two of my favorite Buckwild productions; "Story of my Life" and especially "Scars & Pain". Track #2 was produced by Minnesota and tracks #4 and #5 by Organized Konfusion. TURN IT UP!!!!
01. "Can't Stop Rockin' (Tribute)" 02. "Brooklyn Kids" 03. "Scars & Pain" 04. "Letcho 'Batyflow" 05. "Funk Soul Sensation" 06. "Story Of My Life" 07. "50 MCs in a Cypher"
Two of the West Coast's illest underground crews in Souls of Mischief and The Pharcyde united in 2002 to form The Almyghty Myghty Pythons. They were supposed to release a full-length from what I remember but the collaboration begun and ended with this 12" maxi-single, or EP if you will, also released back in '02. It's easy to see that an album had plenty of potential, considering their past track records of course, but also by listening to the three tracks featured on here.
"AMP" and "Contact" were produced by The Pharcyde's Bootie Brown while founding Soul's member and incredibly underrated beatmaker A Plus handled duties on "Curb Your Nerve". The last mentioned are without a doubt the finest track on the single and is the reason I'm even posting this since that was on heavy rotation for me and the fam back when it came out and several years afterwards. It has all the trademarks of a bangin' Souls of Mischief song, you know that dreamy, sun filled that would infiltrate your mind like a musical equivallent to some high-powered cheeba. Of course having The Pharcyde do their thing over such dope soundscapes wasn't nothing to complain about either, to be honest it is probably the finest production they spat over since the best tracks on 'Labcabincalifornia'
So if you forgot how damn sweet this 12" single really was, or if you haven't heard it at all you can hit the download below since it's obviously an out-of-print release by now. If you're hung-over on this Sunday morning, I suggest you skip directly to track A2.
Besides the obvious differences in the two emcee's styles there was also a significant factor in the way that Large Professor approached his work that separated them. For 'Illmatic' he was instrumental in shaping the album by helping NaS picking out the right beats and introduce him to talented friends of his, like Q-Tip, Pete Rock and DJ Premier besides conducting three fantastic beats of his own. With Akinyele and 'Vagina Dinner' he engaged himself in producing all of the albums thirteen songs, something we haven't seen to many times in the career of Extra P, which makes it all the more special. The ruff voiced rapper's full potential is unearthed over the hardcore brew that the producer cooked up for him, using several pinches of jazz, funk and rock samples tastefully juxtaposed against walls of hard breaks and droning bass-lines; all conducted on his legendary SP-1200 machine. As a big red cherry on top, turntable maestro Rob Swift of The X-Ecutioners added his breath-taking cuts and vocal scratches all over the LP.
Maybe The AK didn't have the polished verbal talent of NaS but he provided a large dose of raw humor, a unique voice and a potent enough delivery to match the incredible beats. Despite this the album failed to make any noise on the charts and in the shadow of 'Illmatic' a year later it was more or less forgotten and has since gone out-of-print. The tasty 'Vagina Dinner' has become a rarity these days, with prices for used copies ranging from between $50 and $100 on sites like Discogs and eBay. As we have yet to see a re-press of it and it's been in my rotation the last few days I wanted to share this with my readers as I would imagine it would be interesting to all of you considering the history and production on it. Even if you have heard it before maybe now is a proper time for a revisit? Just don't forget to TURN IT UP!!
01. "Worldwide"
02. "Outta State"
03. "AK Ha Ha! AK Hoo Hoo?"
04. "Dear Diary"
05. "Bags Packed"
06. "The Bomb"
07. "Interlude Beat"
08. "Checkmate"
09. "I Luh Hur"
10. "You Know My Style"
11. "Exercise"
12. "No Exit"
13. "30 Days"
This is a special album for me as it was given to me shortly after its release by my great, late friend Rickard ”Slick Rick” Blomström (1985-2005), a real stand-up guy if I ever knew one. Rest in peace fam, we all miss you. The album in question is Mr. Len’s debut solo project, called “Pity the Fool: Experiments in Therapy behind the Mask While Handing out Dummy Smacks to Fool’s” which dropped around the beginning of 2001. As I had the 2xLP version and I haven’t had a turntable to play my vinyl on for a long time and have switched to buying CDs I hadn’t heard this album for several years until a few days ago.
As you might recognize Mr. Len was the DJ for the controversial underground rebels Company Flow although he didn’t really produce on their classic “Funcrusher Plus” LP. Therefore we were curious to know what an entire album produced by this guy might sound like when this popped up on the shelves in record stores. As I laid this on the turntable and let the needle drop I was both surprised and pleased at what I was hearing as it's both different and traditional during the hour it runs for and if you’re into experimental underground hip-hop there will definitely be something on here for you too. It packs everything from traditional boom bap bangers to industrial hip-hop alá Co Flow to hardcore anti-love anthems to rock influenced noissseeeeeeeee. Things could easily get messy with such an experiment but as a seasoned DJ, Len knows what to do and at what time to switch things up to keep the listeners interest and with the help of a heavy guest list Len manages to make this a very memorable album.
Guests include Juggaknots, Lord Sear, Breezely Brewin, Chubb Rock, Mr. Live, Kice Of Course, Prince Paul and more. Maybe most importantly this was one of the first encounters for many of us with the talented Ms Jean Grae who is the star of the album as she straight up rips shit on none less than four of the albums 13 songs; including the disturbing but intriguing nine minutes epic “Taco Day” which should be considered storytelling at its most intense. With the help of the Melon Bayside High Theater Club it really turns into something else. Other memorable tracks from this producer compilation includes the Juggaknots featured first single, “This Morning”, which with its sinister production and captivating verses from Breeze and Heroine stands as a classic today. My personal favorite might just be the boom-bap’tic “What The Fuck?!”; Mr. Live’s own guide to the many usages of the English word Fuck. Entertaining to say the least… but I’m sorry to say that this album is out-of-print and has been so for quite a while now and is even remotely hard to find on the net. The rip I present below is in 128 kbps only but it works perfectly fine to listen to although I’ve been promised a higher quality rip to arrive sooner than later. So make sure to check for edits in this post if you’re interested in that. Aight let’s enjoy this abstract experiment of hip-hop y’all, this one’s for you Slick!
01. "This Morning" (Ft. Juggaknots)
02. "Get Loose" (Ft. Mass Influence)
03. "The Hurt" (Ft. Jean Grae & MURS) [mixed by Prince Paul]
04. "Straight" (Ft. Q-Unique)
05. "Girl (Got to Give it to Me)" (Ft. Lord Sear) [mixed by Prince Paul]
06. "Taco Day" (Ft. Jean Grae)
07. "Force Fed" (Ft. Agents of Man & Amplifire)
08. "Bring It To Me" (Ft. MC D-Stroy)
09. "What The Fuck?! [Gritty Version]" (Ft. Mr. Live)
10. "Love Venom" (Ft. Breeze & Jean Grae)
11. "Dummy Smacks" (Ft. Chubb Rock)
12. "Family Matters" (Ft. Kice Of Course & Steady Roc)
This two vinyl only releases quickly became out-of-print and rarities, which is a shame since they are both straight up incredible. The first one is from Money Bo$$ Players, with their extremely hardcore street'mini album "Ghetto Chronicle Daily". This was back when underrated producer Minnesota handled the majority of the beats and was a full time member of the group, as was brillaint emcee Lord Tariq together with Tray Bag and Eddie Cheeba - all repping the Bronx to the fullest with that gritty New York sound we all love. The extened EP/features no less than seven songs that hold up all the way through and with track titles like "Death Of A Salesman", "Used to Fear Death (But Not Anymore)", etc. it's easy to see why no major label wanted to push this and the group kinda fell into obscurity. This was until two of the original members reunited as the duo Bo$$ Money and in a way became DITC affiliates. Appearing on their compilation "The Movement" besides dropping their rare solo album, "Consignment", which I strongly recommend, They also appeared on pretty much every Sadat X albums between 1996 and 2009 and their work on the UK's The P Brothers album, "The Gas". That album was some of the sickest, releast shit released in 2008. Come to think about it I need to do a proper Bo$$ Money compilation to wake you out of your coma. The "Ghetto Chronicle Daily" rip below is lifted from a white label vinyl press so the sound quality ain't all that but it's definitely worth hearing. All tracks and cuts produced by Minnesota; vocals by Eddie Cheeba, LordTariq and Tray Bag.
M.B.P.'S - "GHETTO CHRONICLE DAILY LP"
A1. "Use to Fear Death"
A2. "Ghetto Chrornicle Daily"
A3. "Sat. Nite / Sunday Morning"
A4. "What You Saying?"
B1. "Nighty Nighty"
B2. "Stick N Step"
B3. "Death Of A Salesman"
B4. "Ghetto Chronicle Daily" [Instrumental]
B5. "What You Saying?" [Instrumental]
The second incredible, but sadly forgotten, and by noq is out-of-print. The release I want to focus on is the original Juggaknots album that was released in 1996 on 'Fondle 'Em Records, and if I recall right that was Bobbito's short-lived record label who also put out DOOM's first album. The self-titled mini abum features 9 songs that all hold a very high quality and this was before lady Heroine had joined the group so they were still just a duo with Breezly Breewin and his brother BMS. There's plenty of underground masterpieces on here, such as "Trouble Man" (my favorite which samples an absolutely amazing piece of McCoy Tyners piano solo from John Coltrane's "My Favorite Things"), "Jivetalk", "Clear Blue Skies", fuck it the whole album is great. They re-released the album in 2002 but with 11 additional songs (!!) and the original sequencing switched up so i figured to bring y'all the original debut release of Juggaknots. All tracs are full, CDQ editions of the elevenn song sounds great and If you're listening to both EP'syou got no less than 60 minutes of classic boombap. Enjoy!
JUGGAKNOTS - "THE JUGGAKNOTS LP" (1996)
A1. "The Hunt is On"
A2. "Trouble Man"
A3. "Jivetalk"
A4. "Loosifah"
A5. "Epiphany"
B1. "Romper Room"
B2. "Circle Pt. 1"
B3. "Clear Blue Skies"
B4. "I'm Gonna Kill You"
This ain't the latest, just unearthed shit that you might be lead to believe by the title so don't get too hyped up if you're already got everything Prince Paul. It is however two full albums fully produced or co-produced by the ol' Gravedigga, both from the '90s, that leaked to the net around last summer if I recall correctly. I've been listening extensively to alot of Paul's work lately, sometimes I forget just how incredible, original and often underrated this genius of a producer are. I'd say that genius is a term that gets thrown around way too lightly when discussing music (as does the word classic) but I think if we're gonna give just one hip-hop producer that title of creative genius then Prince Paul would have to be considered King Paul in that area. The man helped De La produce their first three albums and all three of them are just insane, genre-bending, innovative and influential as hell; and already back then Paul showed that change in sound and executing different ideas was his thing. That change and risk taking has been an evident part of his career ever since, from the hardcore sounds of the Gravediggaz's debut (one of my favorites of all time) to Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid's spaced out '96 debut, to a psychotic therapy session on wax ('Psychoanalysis - What is It?") to the most well-executed concept album hip-hop has ever seen ('Prince Among Thieves') to educational hip-hop/sketch album for kids between 5-8 and raw stand-up albums by Chris Rock, I mean you name it!
Besides having a passion for steering full albums, Prince Paul was an early "go-to" producer, over the years lacing classics for Boogie Down Productions, Big Daddy Kane, Jaz-O/Jay-Z, 3rd Bass, Beastie Boys, Method Man, Biz Markie, Cypress Hill, Last Emperor, Slick Rick and many more. I will post one or two compilations highlighting his work in this field later on during the coming week and I might throw up a few of his albums that are out of print for those who missed them. But today I want to focus on two albums that got shelved in the early and mid-'90s respectively. They are fully produced by Prince Paul, yet they are distinctivly different in sound - the earlier one has more of a De La Soul vibe while the other is much mroe hardcore, sort of what he was doing with The Gravediggaz. There's really not that much information available about either of these LPs but I give a quick rundown of what I know about them below.
This album was recorded in 1991 by Prince Paul and a three man group that went by the name Resident Alien, and the title of the LP is "It Takes A Nation of Suckers to Let Us In". I don't know anything about the group at all really, they only released one 12" single (where the cover above is actually lifted from) called "Mr. Boops", which had "Shakey Grounds" (with Dres from Black Sheep on additional vocals and cuts by Maseo from De La Soul) and "The Dew Doo Man!" as B-sides. All three songs were included on this shelved album which was supposed to come out on Prince Paul's own imprint, also called The Dew Doo Man (remember that skit on 'De La Soul' is dead too, right?) which was to be a sub-division of Def Jam - a deal worked out between Russell Simmons and Paul. After only that one single 12" release the label quickly folded, leaving the Resident Alien album completed but unheard by the public for almost two decades. According to Prince Paul he also completed an LP for someone called Mic Teeke which has yet to see the light of the day so maybe we'll see another leak like this sometime in the future.
As this was recorded around the same time as 'De La Soul is Dead' it bares some similiarities and the emcees styles are more Native Tounges than NWA - there's a few bangers here and there but ultimately I could see why it was left on the shelf. Interesting listen for any fan of Prince Paul though but take warning - watch out for track #13, from 2:07 the rest of the song is fucked up with a loud buzzing static noise that's not supposed to be there so be prepared to change track there (if anyone got a complete version of the song post it in the comments section; EDIT: The Professor actually did so you can download the full album without hiss on track #13 in the comments section).
This one is called 'War Party' by Horror City, who's a little more familiar to me as they appeared as a group on a few tracks from 'A Prince Among Thieves' as well as one of their members, Big Sha, playing one of the leading roles. This is also the superior album to me, by far, this is actually really fucking great and is probably the most hardcore project Prince Paul ever did. The beats are raw and agressive and alot more stripped down than his work with De La, Resident Alien or even Gravediggaz but there's still alot of "Paul" in them, his singature drums and mad scratching are intact for example. The album consists of only 11 tracks including intro and outro and clocks in at about 35 minutes but it's one hell of a ride while it lasts. If you missed out on this one when it first leaked then please do yourself a favor and check it out.
It was supposed to be released in 1995 I believe, shortly after The Gravediggaz and from what I heard Paul was in a very depressed and angry place around that time which reflected in the more agressive music he made back then. Neither of these albums has any specific guests and this post is already too damn long so I'll just post the links without a tracklist. Enjoy and TURN IT UP!!
