Rome Clientel Ft. Skyzoo & Alycat - "Holdin It Down"

Another choice cut from Rome Clientel's booming EP "The Lost Catacombs", which you should definitely not sleep on. "Holdin' it Down" features Skyzoo and Alycat with DJ A&S on the turntables. Real hip-hop in the building!

SHOWBIZ & AG - "PRELOADED"

D.I.T.C. fans all over the world has been eagerly awaiting this date, as May 8 equals the release of Showbiz & AG's brand new, free street album "Mugshot Music: Preloaded". I've had the pleasure of listening regulary to this for quite some time now, and as I pointed out in my recent review, this is vintage Show & A music. If you're already initiated with the boom bap esthetics of this superior MC/Producer duo, this 15 exclusive tracks is more of the same formula that has made their name synonymous with the finest true school hip-hop out there. This is not Show & A's official album, but a collection of tracks recorded for the forthcoming "Mugshot Music" that won't make the final cut for one reason or another. 

Produced by Showbiz, vocals by AG, mix and cuts by DJ Premier and guest verses by OC. And it doesn't cost you a thing, so the least you can do is make sure that you cop the "Mugshot Music" retail when it drops. And while you're at it, why not support Showbiz' sick instrumental LP, "Still Diggin' Vol. 1" from iTunes. Crank this up LOUD, and feel free to drop a comment with your thoughts on the direction of this project.

UPDATE: It has come to my attention that D.I.T.C. Records gives fans the option to enjoy the album for free, or purchase "Peloaded: The Deluxe Version" @ iTunes. By choosing the latter, you are not only supporting some of the best artists on the scene, but you also get three exclusive bonus tracks; and trust me when I say that they are no throwaway cuts either!

01. "DJ Premier's Road Test"

02. "That Nigga Crazy"

03. "Wolves" (Ft. OC)

04. "Here & Now"

05. "I Just Go Along"

06. "God is 4 Us"

07. "Berri Love" (Ft. OC)

08. "Walk With Me"

09. "You in Trouble" (Ft. DJ Premier)

10. "My Imagination"

11. "Show & A"

12. "South Bronx Shit" (Ft. DJ Premier)

13. "Experience"

14. "Suspended Animation"

15. "The Bond"

SHOWBIZ & AG - "MUGSHOT MUSIC: PRELOADED"

Cormega, Roc Marcy, Saigon & Bronson - "MARS"

Only a few days ago, Extra-P announced his upcoming album "Professor @ Large", as well as revealing his new distribution deal and the official tracklist. Besides "Key to the City", a little suprisisingly the other song included we've already heard is "M.A.R.S."; the superb posse cut with Cormega, Roc Marciano, Saigon and Action Bronson. What's confusing is that was a song supposedly recorded for the forthcoming Large Pro produced Cormega album. However, as we all remember from the "Main Source" album, W.P. Mitchell included the AZ/Styles P collaboration "The Hardest" as a bonus track although it already had appeared on both AZ's and Style's respective albums. This might be a similiar situation, but... 

Whatever the case, the song bangs hard as hell and now we can enjoy the full music video for "Mars", featuring apperances from all the emcees. Directed by Chris Krook and Large Professor himself.

[Full LP Stream] KILLER MIKE - "R.A.P. Music"

ATL veteran and legend Killer Mike has been killing verses like there was no tomorrow, since his 2000 wax debut on Oukast's "Stankonia". Despite some heavy mixtapes, his previous retail albums have left much to be desired in my opinion; enter Def Jux mastermind El-Producto and that is all about to change on May 15. The twelve songs that make up Killer's new full-length, "R.A.P. Music" , is from top to bottom produced by El-P. As unexpected a collaboration it might be, all the leaks have been nothing but straight fire. 

Lucky for you and me, we don't have to wait an entire additional week as the great people at Spin Magazine has been allowed to put up the entire full-length album for free streaming on their website. Besides the actual music, as if that wasn't enough, Killer Mike gives a quick breakdown of each song. TURN IT UP!!

KILLER MIKE - "R.A.P. MUSIC" @ SPIN.COM

The Purist Ft. Roc Marciano - "Change"

UK producer on the rise, The Purist, has just released his two debut EP:s this year via King Kong Holding Company's BandCamp. The first, "Connect The Spdif EP", features local artists Jhest, Fharma G and Buggsy, as well as some instrumental cuts. Of more interest to The Lost Tapes readers is the "Double Feature E.P.", which features US emcees Roc Marciano, Action Bronson and Ty Nitty rocking over The Purist sick beats. You can stream all nine tracks, including instrumentals, with the option to purchase the mp3s via the link above. A limited 7" 45 single has also been pressed up, featuring the A-side "Change" with Roc Marcy (which you can download for free below) and "Northern & Rozy" with Action Bronson on the flip. The single will be on sale tomorrow and will be packaged with a bonus poster, grab it @ Fat Beats while you still can. This shit is DOPE!

THE PURIST x ROC MARCIANO - "CHANGE"

[REVIEW] Showbiz & AG - "PRELOADED"

The albums I first bought from the D.I.T.C. crew was Big L's "Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous", and Fat Joe's "Jealous One's Envy", but the albums that really put these guys at the top of the list for me was the discovery of Showbiz & AG's catalouge. Still to this day, I will purchase any drop this duo releases as soon as it becomes available. Few hip-hop acts have been able to mantain such an impeccable legacy for such an amount of time in the record business. And now that GURU has passed away and Gang Starr only lives on in our minds and hearts, Show & A is the best duo still doing it in my humble opinion.

In 2008, they released the "Live Hard" EP on CD and limited vinyl; a release tha was nothing short of a masterpiece, both from a production and lyrical standpoint. Four years later, they are countinuing where they left off with that EP, as they are working on "Mugshot Music"; their first proper album since 1995's "Good Fellas" or arguably 2002's "Full Scale LP" (which was an extension of the classic '98 five track EP, beefed up with various other 12" singles released during the same time).  "Mugshot Music" was announced in 2011, and soon after a load of impressive leaks started hitting the net one after another. Tracks like "South Bronx Shit", "Show & A" and "Suspended Animation" proved that the Bronx bombers was back, full throttle; Showbiz's minimalistic but always hard hitting boom bap sound is more reminiscent of the agressive neckbreakers on the "Full Scale EP" than the jazzy production on, say, "Runaway Slave". As for AG's performance, it's damn near flawless - I said many times that A is one of those rare emcees that, just like a fine wine, only gets better and wiser with age. He might not be the most technical rapper out there, but his lyrics is so full of heart, passion and knowledge, that it more than makes up for it. On top of that, he got one of the best voices in the game, and always delivers well-written verses with perfect clarity.

"Mugshot Music" is still coming out, but before that goes down, Show & A is dropping "Mugshot Music.: Preloaded". The free promotional street album is filled with forty minutes of brand new music and hits the net on May 8. But don't be fooled, this is not a mixtape as much as it's an actual album. The fifteen songs that make up the project is all recently recorded, previously unreleased, and with no exceptions appears in full versions without annoying DJ shoutouts, blends or mixing between cuts. All the five leaks that was announced as singles from the official album album, like those mentioned above, are included on "Preloaded". They are without a doubt some of the best songs the street album has to offer, but trust me when I say that there's plenty of heat to be found all over it. The thing is that as a duo, Showbiz and AG compliments eachother in a way that very few been able to do, before or since. That chemistry was evident on their brilliant debut, "Runaway Slave", and has only grown stronger over the years, and not suprisingly that MC/producer dynamic is found here as well. There's a very interesting, almost contradictory element to their sound; Show constantly provides very gully backdrops, with rugged rhythm taking the front and center stage with basic samples or bass key melodies underlining the music. AG, on the other hand, always speaks his mind with a very calm tone, which again comes down to the clarity of his delivery. Despite their differences, or maybe more likely because of it, their respective styles makes for the perfect marriage between beats and rhymes.

Most of the tracks on "Preloaded" are hard body bangers, however there are a few more soulful cuts included as well, such as the impressive "Walk With Me". Here AG spits three verses describing the three personas that together form Andre Barnes, and everything he stands for - the man he is today, the young boy he once was as well as the person he's striving to be. It's obviously a very personal cut and Show does a great job complimenting that by filling the soundscape with warm strings, a low static female vocal sample and a repeating horn sounding effect. A similiar cut is "My Imagination" where once again the super gully boom bap is toned down a notch, as Show brings out the glaring horns, another sampled female vocalist and effectful keys that works great with the bassline and the snare and kicks. AG kicks some heavy knowledge, speaking about how his dreams and imagination has taken him exactly where he want to be, implying that you have the power to create your own destiny. The song is full of motivational quotes, delievred in vintage AG fashion; "Your career versus mine is an interlude, The Cyclop gets the mic hot/ Penny for your thoughts, like a Nike shot/ You see it, go get it, it's yours for real; Dreams are made to be fullfilled".

Towards the end of the tape, the only not completely new joint appears, as Show remixes "Experience"; the Show & AG song that appeared on the D.I.T.C. Records compilation "The Movement" a few years back. The original version blew me away when I first heard it, and still does, so the point of this far inferior remix's inclusion is somewhat of a mystery, as it doesn't add anything to the original version. AG's vocals remains the same, and while they still  are as good as they was in 2008, the repetitive and flat out boring production never come close to make his wise words any justice. The two final tracks, the short but deadly single "Suspended Animation" and the album closer "The Bond" more than makes up for the minor missteps though. Both tracks ends the street album on a perfect note and will have you fiending for more ASAP. "Suspended Animation" is straight up futuristic boom bap, meant to be played out LOUD for the best effect, complete with a mean verse filled with sick battle rhymes. "The Bond" is one of the finest pieces on the entire LP; the duo uses the three minutes to create a testament as to why and how they have managed to stay together and relevant for all those years. AG is citing all the greats that broke up over the years, from Roc-A-Fella, to Pete Rock & CL Smooth, to Gang Starr and even The Beatles and The Supremes. Even Showbiz grabs the microphone on this one, not to rhyme like back in the day, but he's dropping some real jewels in between each verse. The beat really bonds with the lyrics, as it's reflective in nature but with just the type of fat drum kicks that makes this type of music so rugged and beautiful at the same time.

"Mugshot Music: Preloaded" is a great street album, no question about that. I wouldn't compare it to any of their earlier albums as a whole but the best moments on the LP is clear proof that these guys still are the truth. DJ Premier comes through to introduce the tape, mix it and provide some signature cuts while fellow group member OC drops by to rhyme on "Wolves" and "Berri Love". A few of the songs feels a little on "auto-pilot" mode, but the vast majority here is nothing but pure heat. And considering that this is just the "Free album before the album" (as Preemo puts it in the intro), I would imagine that these were all joints originally recorded for "Mugshot Music" which didn't make the final cut for whatever reason. That all the singles originally released as tracks from the actual LP appears here, I would say is a clear confirmation of that theory. Makes me really look forward even more to the release of the retail album when it drops; if the scrapped tracks are this hot, I can only imagine how slamming Show & A's "real" album will be. Together with OC's "Trophies", produced by Apollo Brown, "Preloaded" is without a doubt enough to hold down any D.I.T.C. head til' we'll be able to pick up "Mugshot Music". Showbiz & AG's "Preloaded" will be available on May 8, and will be up for download from The Lost Tapes right away that day, so hold on a couple days more...

Damu The Fudgemunk - "Yes We Can"

Redefinition Records remains one of the illest labels out there, especially when it comes to instrumental true school hip-hop. There two flagship artists are the impeccable K-Def and co-owner Damu the Fudgemunk. The latter has just dropped a fantastic freebie that he recorded, produced and mixed in 2008. It was made in the upcoming election time and given the title "Yes We Can" and is of course an homage to Barack Obama; a musical prayer that he would take home the victory, which he of course did.

The booming, bass heavy track with it's great turntablism and punch you in the face drum beat is nothing short of an amazing musical statement. I love how Damu incorporates the bassline from KRS-One's classic "Squash All Beef" every now and then, as it's one of my favorite KRS joints of all time. You can both stream and download the song for free so make sure to do just that, enjoy and TURN IT UP!!

Large Professor @ Large

Last year, the Flushing, Queens born and bred super producer Large Professor helped Neek the Exotic to create "Still On The Hustle"; an album that made my top 10 of 2011 list. A few months ago, he released the limited 12" single "Key to the City" (which I of course supported). It turns out this is the official first to The Professor's brand new upcoming full-length LP, "Professor @ Large". William Paul Mitchell, as his real name is, is not only incredible on the beats but can also hold his own on the microphone and has a sick catalouge. With that in mind and guest features from a bunch of heavy hitters, I'd be suprised if this doesn't make my top 10 countdown this year. No release date yet, but the album will be distributed by Fat Beats / Distrolord Digital. Peep the tracklist below and feel your mouth start watering for that true school boom bap.

01. " Key To The City"
02. "UNOWHTMSAYN"
03. "Straight From The Golden" (Ft. Busta Rhymes)
04. "Focused Up" (Ft. Cormega & Tragedy Khadafi)
05. "Happy Days R Here" (Ft. Lil' Fame)
06. "Professor @ Large"
07. "Light Years"
08. "Barber Shop Chop"
09. "Live Again"
10. "Mack Don Illz" (Ft. Mic Geronimo & Grand Daddy IU)
11. "Sun, Star & Crescents"
12. "Kick Da Habit"
13. "L.P. Surprise"
14. "Back In Time"
15. "M.A.R.S." (Ft. Cormega, Action Bronson, Roc Marciano & Saigon)

Beastie Boys' MCA Dead at 47

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

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

OC Interview @ HipHopDX

A couple of days ago, the Brooklyn born legend OC and Detroit producer-on-the-rise Appolo Brown dropped their amazing "Throphies" LP. I'm still waiting for my Deluxe Edition 2xLP package to arrive in the mail; someting all of y'all should order if you haven't yet. While we're waiting or listening to the album, HipHopDX.com has just dropped a great and extensive interview with OC, where he speaks on the making of the album, classic moments in his career and much more, so make sure to check it out!

OC INTERVIEW @ HipHop.DX