[VIDEO] Ruste Juxx - "Rock To The Rhythm"

Ruste Juxx clearly knows a sick beat when he hear one, and he seems to have a knack for fiinding relatively new producers. Fresh of the release of the knocking "Hardbodie Hip Hop" with Kyo Itachi, Juxx is gearing up a 15-track project fully laced by The Arctype. "V.I.C." is the title; September 25 the date, and the first single heard above is called "Rock to the Rhythm". Tight!

[ALBUM] MidaZ The Beast - "LOOPS"

MidaZ The Beast finally drops his brand new project, "LOOPS", taking it back to the basics. No guest features, no over produced bullshit, just straight up dope beats and rhymes. This is officially a mixtape, but considering how it plays out I personally hear it almost more like an album. You can read my full review of the project below. The official full-length album is about to come so start preparing folks!

[REVIEW] Midaz The Beast - "Loops"

As is custom with Orlando emcee MidaZ The Beast, his latest project is a concept album; and it all revolves around "LOOPS" (as in a short sampled passage that is then repeated), which is beautifully illustrated by the cover. While the music then becomes a lot more basic than the overblown Kanye West type of productions we hear on the radio, which has both its pros and cons, it does give MidaZ the freedom to take center stage and deliver his best lyrical performance yet.

One thing with MidaZ music is that as good as all his material has been born out of a concept of some sort or the other. "LOOPS" is no exception to this rule, although it is a fresh concept for both MidaZ and for today's hip-hop mixtape scene. As the title suggests, the music is stripped down to its most basic form by hooking up a specific part of a record into a continious loop, for the rhymes to be delivered over. On "LOOPS" it is in the realm of soul classics that we are dwelling. What I like about this idea, is that it basically takes us back to the origins of hip hop music; a fly break is maintained while an emcee must show and prove. DJ Sharp, who is the co-conspirator of the tape, begins the project with a sample of Chi-Ali's voice: "I took a funky beat and I looped it". This is repeated a number of times, building up anticipation before a haunting vocal sample, a nice jazz guitar and a funky bassline builds up a cool intro. Soon the real track kicks in, "Take Me With You". Over a familiar, dirty bass guitar and a soothing vocal sample, MidaZ enters the booth for the first time; making his presense known with a declaration of sincere love to his other half. This is honoring the theme from the original soul joint the song is based on, and the way MidaZ voice, cadence and rhyme scheme marries with the beat is all excellent. Still, I think it would have been wiser to open up with something a little harder, that would really make our jaws drop.

Frequent collaborator IMAKEMADBEATZ loops up what sounds like a high pitched soul-jazz cut, with a real addictive guitar sample which influences Midaz to write a rhyme on "Time Wins" and how you can never beat it. This is an early favorite of mine; barely lasting 90 seconds, the repeat button is best to keep close at hand for this one. "Is it possibly something that you can really trade? Like, write me a check for $50, I give you them 30 days/ No, it's more like, nigga play your cards right, be alright/ Unless you're in a hospital bed, regrets all night/ Hold every moment as true, and use your honor too/ 'Cuz though time is man made, it's behind you AND follows you / Time Wins!" - Midaz cleverly spits with a delivery as sharp as his DJ. For me, this would have been the optimal introduction to the record.

MidaZ jumps between themes and concepts, but always has something to say. Two of the strongest cuts comes in the form of the similiar, yet very different, autobiographical "In My Life" and "Flash Forward", respectively. The latter has a more uptempo beat, and beautiful vocal chops, which inspiries our rhymer to take a nostalgic trip through growing up, picking out a few happy memories of every summer that gives us insight into both where he's been and where he's heading. "In My Life" on the other hand is more somber with it's 70's oozing bass and guitar groove as MidaZ instead remembers the more troubled parts of his life; growing up with a drug-addicted father, confidence issues, fallen friends and other vivid but painful memories. It's often said that heartbreak and pain makes for the greatest art, a statement that is often true; so also here, as "In My Life" is one of the absolute strongest moments of the album. An emotional ride full of quotables - "In my life, I had friends I could've saved from their faith/ Do it again, and I'd had taken their place/ But I learned life shies from making mistakes, that's why I might cry but take it as, Hey; what can you do right? I used to open my pad, and write by the moonlight/ Now I keep them feelings inside, wrapped in coocoons, tight". It seems the coocoons are opening up again.

On "Cheatin' On You" we instead get a large dose of black humor, as the artist deals with the the battle that is to maintain a functional relationship whie giving the time needed to a true personal passion - in this case, of course it's music that is "the other one", but it's something that could be translated into a number of things. MidaZ has some hilarious lines on here too, just the way he ends it is top notch: "I watched my woman pack her bags, and do her hair/ I think she said she's getting out of here, but I couldn't hear with the music playing... Damn!" As on most of the project the beat does what it's supposed to and is dope, but the concept and delivery is what really makes it a standout.

With the help of DJ Sharp, who inserts various vocal samples, scratches and breakdowns of the loops following Midaz's verses, the tape is a sonically strong experience. It's refreshing to hear strong records being created from the most basic of premises, and the use of nothing but 100% sampled music gives it a nostalgic value that will be appreciated amongst hip-hop listeners who grew up during the '80s or '90s. However, the production can sometimes become a little lacking, or empty, in parts of the album, so in a way the nature of the musical direction is a double edged sword. On the whole it is definitely much more on the positive side. Most of the songs are also relative short which helps to keep it musically tight, and avoid it from becoming too repetitive. Being a soul fan will definitely enhance the experience as well, as almost all tracks are either sampled straight from soul records, or sampled in a way that make them sound like they are. But that is fine, as MidaZ is bringing a whole lot of soul food to the table himself. As described above, he's just as open to invite his listeners into the darkness of growing up in a broken home, as he is to humorously describing choosing music over a girl, or creating concept tracks like "Time Wins", "Me & My Bitch 2011" or the important truth that the "President(s)" never told you. "The Rain" is another stand out, which is the cousin of Ghostface's classic "The Sun", and anyone that always wanted to hear some god damn rhymes over that insane interlude with dead prez from Pun's debut are in for a treat!

 

At the end of the day, I could go through this project track by track, and quote by quote, but as you'll all hopefuly grab this for yourself tomorrow, you will get to experience these beats and rhymes for yourself. Fans of MidaZ previous work are guaranteed to not be dissapointed, and if he doesn't gain a gang of new ones from this one, I'd be suprised to say the least. The music bangs but are never intricate enough to steal anythinng away from Midaz who's voice, mic presence and intricate rhyme schemes coupled with the well written lyrics and varied song themes makes this, in my honest opinion, MidaZ The Beast's lyrically finest hour yet. And I am sure we have just yet seen the beginning...

[Exclusive Interview] OXYGEN Pt. 1

New York based emcee Oxygen, sometimes Ox The Architect, is one of those emcees who's been paying his dues for years, dropping true quality music on a fairly regular basis. Releasing his first solo 12" back in 1990, as Jonzhaft The Psychopath, and as part of the early '90s jazz/hip-hop fusion scene with the group Jazz Not Jazz, Oxygen is one of the underground scene's best kept secrets. Fellow artists like DJ Spinna, Diamond D, Lord Finesse, Sadat X, and Kurious already recognizes the name and know the skills behind it, yet many listeners have yet to discover the true school hip-hop that Ox The Architect embodies. But things are starting to look up as more and more heads all over the world are starting to embrace his work with former crew Sputnik Brown, his duo Spox-PhD with DJ Spinna, and his latest work with super group Soundsci. The latter just dropped one of 2012's best releases in the form of "Formula 99", so if you haven't heard that yet make sure to grab it/check it out ASAP. If you know the music, it's now time to learn to know the man as Ox has graced The Lost Tapes with a very informative interview; and if you have yet to learn about the music, hopefuly this interview will help you wake up and smell the coffee!

claaa7: First of all many thanks for taking the time out of your schedule to do this interview for The Lost Tapes. It is extremely appreciated!

Oxygen: Thank you. It's an honor and pleasure to be granted this interview.

c7: For those not yet too familiar with your music and many projects, could you give us a quick breakdown of which crews you currently rep and what aliases you go by?

Ox: Sure, I go by the name Oxygen most of the time. Sometimes I use 'Ox The Architect' or my first ever emcee name 'Just Divine'. I'm part of the groups Sputnik Brown, Soundsci and SPOX PhD with DJ Spinna. In my PAST rhyme-life I recorded under the name 'Jonzhaft The Psycopath' and 'Jon Shaft' as part of the group Jazz Not Jazz, both in the early 1990s.

c7: Many emcees would be perfectly happy just repping one crew haha; you instead have gone full throttle to get your name out there, and it definitely seems to be working!

Ox: Thanks man. I have to give praise to my parents for instilling this work ethic in me. I learned early by watching them. For me, it's all about quality over quantity. I don't accept every project that is presented to me, but if I choose to work on anything I make sure I give it my absolute best and work hard at it.

c7: Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're an emcee originally from Long Island, right? How did that surrounding inspire you in first grabbing a microphone, and how old were you when you first started rhyming?

Ox: That's correct. My area and a few of the immediate towns surrounding have bred some of the finest emcees, singers, and musicians in the industry. Some of the most notable are Rakim, Supreme Force (Freddie Foxxx 1st group), De La Soul, Too Poetic, Groove B. Chill, Bolaji, J.V.C. F.O.R.C.E., EPMD, Craig Mack, Keith Murray, LL Cool J (who is originally from my hometown of North Babylon), Tone Kapone from Def Squad, Resident Alien... The list goes on and on. There were also some ill DJ crews as well. This whole melting pot of style constantly flowing through the air by the mid-80's was crazy. But way before then, back in the early '80s, my first inspirations were the combination of a local DJ crew called Fantasy, Inc. & one of my older sisters best friends named Greg Rawls (RIP). Fantasy, Inc. used to set up their sound system on the next block over from me, and a few random emcees would hop on the mic and get loose. Then I would notice many of the emcees also spun records as well. So for me, becoming a DJ and emcee kind of happened at the same time based on seeing this. I would say I was around 11 or 12 when I caught the bug. It was Rawls who fine tuned them both for me. He was the first older guy that "allowed" me to touch his turntables. With Fantasy, Inc. that was out of the question unless you were crew. Greg would also hop into the corner ciphers when my friends and I would be out there practicing our little rhymes. I miss him a lot.

c7: You're part of at least three crews that specializes in a certain brand of hip-hop; one that I would like to call modern true school hip-hop. Do you think that's a fitting description of the music you strive to make?

Ox: Well, I'm not sure that I would label it anything. What I strive to make is simply SOUL music. My writing stems from the connection a beat has with my spirit. So at the end of the process, it's all deemed as soul music to me. With all the groups I've worked with, there was always strong emphasis on the writing. Many songs that come out these days you can instantly feel the disconnect artists have with their music, which leads to the consumer having no connection with it either. I just want my songs to stand the test of time. Something you can go back to, and have some kind of memory about the first time you heard them.

c7: I really like your take on that! Your latest endeavor is as part of the group Soundsci, which is a quintet if I'm not mistaken? Y'all just released our incredible debut album "Formula 99" to much critical acclaim. Did the release meet the expectations you were hoping for? 

Ox: Yes, Soundsci is (now) a five man crew. As far as the album, it definitely met my expectations both sonically and the way people are responding to it. We don't have any major distribution set up for it, which we're in the process of trying to change that. Still in all, the buzz has been growing and we're quite pleased.

c7: What is the meaning behind the album title, "Formula 99"?

Ox: "Formula 99" basically describes the combination of the sound we've created as a unit with us all being elements of different groups. 1999, you can say, was also the year in which the broader sound of rap music started to cross over dramatically. What we wanted to do was not so much stay stuck in the '90s, but bring that whole vibe into the future with us as we build our catalog. Most of the album was complete before I added on with the group. When I heard the tracks that had already been laid down for the album, plus the impressive "Dig For Victory" EP, I knew I needed to be a part of it in some way.

c7: Ah ok, that explains why you had so few verses on the LP compared to Audessey and U-George, which is something I was curious about. How did you officially hook up with these guys and become a full-time member?

Ox: Right, the group was already in motion by the time I added on late last year (2011). I had actually been friends with both Ollie Teeba and Jonny Cuba for a few years now. Actually the beat for the song "Formula 99" Jonny had submitted to my former group Sputnik Brown a couple of years back to rock on. We never got the chance to use it, an he was saying he could use it for this upcoming project he was working on. I did fall in love with that beat the first time I heard it, and I was a little heart broken when he snatched it back, haha. I finally met Jonny in person during my trip to London in 2010 out at Plan B in Brixton. I think it was then I basically BEGGED him to let me drop a verse on the beat once he knew what he was doing with it, and it all panned out in the end. Teeba I met initially through building on Myspace. I had linked up with him on a couple of occasions here in NYC while he was out for some DJ gigs. From there, he reached out to me and Sputnik Brown to open up a show for Herbaliser at Knitting Factory back in 2008, and we stayed in contact ever since. Tone (Audessey) and U-George I met just a year or so ago, however it seems I've known them forever. I've always been a fan of the music Aud dropped with Mass Influence & Geo with The Hemisphere. I love working with all these gentlemen.

c7: To me, all your verses on the album ("In a Flash", "Formula 99", "Ill Dialect") are true standouts; Is it safe to assume that you will be featured a lot more on forthcoming Soundsci projects?

Ox: Thanks. All the songs I have verses on that you mentioned had Audessey's verses on them already and were mostly produced, so really I just fed off the energy that was built into the tracks before I got there. We have been in the lab laboring hard on the follow-up joints, and yes it's safe to say I'll be featured on plenty more of what the world is about to be blessed with from Soundsci. 

c7: When can fans expect to hear some of this follow-up material you've been working on?

Ox: Sometime around early this fall, we have the next EP on the way from the group. Geo is presently working on his solo LP, and we've teamed up for some heat on that. Tone and I have also linked up for a couple of outside projects as well, so be on the lookout for those. Everything will be released on vinyl for all you diehards out there. We're working man.

c7: That's fantastic news, and also much props for being part of keeping vinyl alive. While we're still on the topic of "Formula 99", I have to ask you what's your personal favorite record on the LP, and why?

Ox: Wow, that's a tough one. I LOVE that remix of "Remedy". The way Tone's verses, cadence, and voice is weaving through that beat feels so incredibly right! Then the scratches to cap it off... Just beautifully done. "Da Livin'" is real fly too. Geo got busy on that one. Of course you said ONE, but that entire album is just cleverly balanced out and each track has it's own uniqueness about it. 

c7: No doubt man. As you mentioned that "Remedy" remix though, I really wish that would've made the vinyl set. "Give Thanks" is one of my own favorites, but the former was just such a dope closer too, although it of course had been released in original form on "Dig For Victory".

Ox: I THINK that remix was just an exclusive bonus for the digital sales. Not too sure. I didn't have anything to do with the track selection process.  

c7: You was also a member of the crew Sputnik Brown and works with DJ Spinna as SPOX PhD. All these groups have released some absolutely terrific material, but is it possible for you to say which one of these crews you enjoy working with the most?

Ox: Honestly, no. Each one hold a special place in my heart. Sputnik Brown I was with from the birth of it until we decided to let it go. I appreciate everything about that group from the creative process to the shows to every high point and every low point. Those are my brothers for life. We did a lot of hanging out together outside of being creative, so it made it that much easier when it came time to work. With SPOX PhD, Spinna and I very rarely create together in the same space. His schedule is bananas, so I hardly get to see him. But I'm a fan of this music first, so just being able to create ANYTHING with him is a personal blessing. With Soundsci, I'm still growing with. I've only been officially down for just a few months and the fact that we all basically live in different regions of the earth doesn't slow down our process one bit. We just have this natural understanding of our direction without even having to discuss anything. What's bugged is I haven't even met Tone and Geo in person yet. Crazy right?

c7: Haha, yeah that is weird, yet, as you say, the chemistry is there to be heard on the records.

...PART 2 OF THE INTERVIEW

Sean Price - "Haraam"

Damn, we need that "Mic Tyson" album right about NOW! At least he's keeping busy dropping hot shit like this single "Haraam" right here; not to mention those priceless Sean P's rapping school skit videos. This joint is lifted from the DJ Muggs / Supernatural hosted official "Rock The Bells 2012 Mixtape" which I have yet to fully peep but based on exclusive shit from KRS-One, RZA, Sick Jacken, Deltron 3030, Hieroglyphics and many others, it's a no brainer.

SEAN PRICE - "HARAAM" 

DURAG DYNASTY & ALCHEMIST is Here!!

I've been super hyped about this project since Planet Asia first announced it, proclaiming their forthcoming album to not only be produced by the Alchemist, but calling it some of his absolute finest work, while confidently promising us the best album of 2012. He also compared the overall vibe of it to Group Home's DJ Premier produced classic "Livin' Proof" and we all know that was real dark and knocking street rap. And now that the singles have been starting to drop one after the other, my anticipation is as high as when I first heard those words. Oh, and for those that don't know, Durag Dynasty is Planet Asia, Killer Ben & Tri-State.

Today Durag Dynasty hit us with the latest, "The World's Most Dangerous", a single that sounds just as dangerous as what Planet Asia proclaimed in that HipHopDX article. We have previously been treated to three other supreme tracks from this quartet; "Spudnik Webb" was released as an internet single right before ALC released his "Russian Roulette" where they appeared on the aptly titled "Junkyard Fight Scene". And somehow, I managed to miss out that they released another single in the end of May, "Glass Of Astonishment" so you can grab that now thanks to DotGotIt. With all these new tracks, you better TURN IT UP.... A LITTLE LOUDER!!!!!!!!

DJ Prince Paul - "Sponge Bob" [2004 Demo]

You can't help but to just love the twisted genius mind of a certain Paul Huston. For some time now, the producer has used his Soundcloud page to bless listeners with various rarities, unreleased demo tracks and such. It's been a wile since we were treate that cool Bob James remix, which featured yet another sample twist on the oh so familiar bassline of the classic "Nautilus". Today, the silence was broken as Prince Paul uploaded the, what i take to be, unreleased intro to the "Sponge Bob" soundtrack of all things. Said O.S.T. did however include Paul and Wordsworth's "Prince Pau's Bubble Party" (click to download), stretching the limits of hip-hop and totally blowing up the box rather than thing outside of it.

These two tracks and a 7" released in 2002, featuring the Paul cut "Back to the Lab" as a soundtrack for the children show "Dexter's Labrotary" would later help form the genesis for Dino 5, a group consisting of Paul, Words, Ladybug Mecca, Charlie 2na and Scratch's and their extremely unconventional, and groundbreaking Baby Loves Hip-Hop.  "I recorded this and Prince Paul's Bubble party for the Spongebob movie and this one got rejected .. I actually liked this the best" - Prince Paul

Substantial - "Check My Resume"

Talented Maryland to Brooklyn emcee Substantial will make sure that we'll get another edition of what we've been missing, when he drops his first album (third overall) on Mello Music Group this year, "Home is Where The Art Is"; executively produced by Oddisee. The latter also produced the first single, "Check My Resume", and Substantial's autobiographical rhymes and Odd's hard drums and overall production makes for a perfect marriage.

His past albums have had been interesting for sure so I'm hyped about this, and as I've been listening a lot to "People Hear What They See", Oddisee's first real solo album, this joint feels like an extension of that. September 4 is the date, so get your pre-order on; and for doz that slept, grab the Oddisee while we're waiting.

Antone Mecca Ft. Side Effectz - "Higher"

Check out this dope English-spoken Swedish shit for all the heads to enjoy. "Higher" is lifted from Antone Mecca's (of Goon 4) full-length "Planet Mecca", and features Lost Tapes favorites Side Effectz with the big homie Linkan killing it on guest vocals and Akopalips goes in on this soothing and, for this group, somewhat unusual production.

[ESP Video] MIDAZ The Beast - "Loops" Promo

MidaZ The Beast has been making noise on the underground circuit for several years now, and on August 2, he's dropping another free project; entitled "Loops". In the ESP documentary above, you'll see MidaZ and DJ Sharp talking about the concept of the tape, how it came together and we even gets to see some studio session footage. There's also a couple of previews on the actual music from the project, and in my opinion the snippets and commentary here should be enough to get anybody interested.

I've had a review copy of the album for maybe two weeks now, and I can assure you that this tape is straight off the fucking meatrack; front-to-back satisfaction, In fact, it might be my favorite MidaZ project yet. And no, don't ask me to to share it, because that won't happen, but of course you'll get both the review and the link to the project right here on The Lost Tapes on August 2... so stay tuned trusted readers!