Thursday 29 March 2007

Jaz's TDK Fat Tape March 07..(with breakdown)



Alright, again I am very grateful for the thoughtful comments about Wai and on the blog in general...respect all.

Here is my latest mix/compilation that I wanted to share because I have been rocking it hard all week...oh and a fat shout out to Dom (It's been a while brother, how's the garden looking? :P and Sjef...been a while for you as well friend, hope you are both good, and of course my long suffering flatties,Mike, Roy and Chrystyna...;D

Also a big hello to Nat and Ed, Apsara, Dani & Lola, Mikki D, Krystal, T Reign & Fame, Bex and Turks & Molly and my other good peoples.



1-A.D.O.R.-From The Concrete (1994)
From the ill album that never saw the light of day (stupid Atlantic records), Clark Kent and Ski lace A.D.O.R.,with the classic jazz drums from Young Holt Limited's Wah Wah Man ,some awesome horns, a humming bassline and piano while
A.D.O.R breaks down what it's really like living in Mount Vernon and used the timeless Slick Rick "slammed the child on the hard concrete" line as the hook (not sampled, he said it) from Children's Story.

Easily one of my favourite tracks from The Concrete album and a fine example of true 90's Hip Hop.



2-Main Source-Time
(1991) (off the 2006 Japanese re-issue of Breakin Atoms)

...
And speaking of true 90's Hip Hop, Large Professor reigned supreme and this unreleased track is just as dope as anything they ever done, again the
Wah Wah Man drums are used to great effect and Large Pro's little tinkle and sparse yet brilliant production makes you ask why in f---ks (kids read this blog yo) name was this NOT on the classic Breakin Atoms original release?

Extra super props to my good man fritz...

3-Big Daddy Kane-How U Get A Record Deal? (1993)

This has also been one of my favourite Kane records, simply because of the Melvin Bliss drums and the beautiful muffled Three Dog Night sample of the vocals from
Old Fashioned Love Song
("and wrapped around the music is the sound..." Trackmasters perfection if you ask me...and Kane sounded raw and as hungry as ever as he teared into weak and fake M.C.'s and wondered out loud the ultimate question "how u get a record deal?".

From his fourth and very slept on album





4-Darc Mind-Smooth With The Roughness (199?) (original demo version) off the Soul Food EP

Is there honestly another emcee like Long Island's Kev Roc?, his style to me is mad unique and I have never heard anyone flow or have the presence he does and that is a good thing, Kev and producer X-Ray (a.k.a GM Web D) are a dynamic duo as X-Ray's beats often sound bare bones, unfinished and downright dope.

Smooth With The Roughness is one of the finest examples of this, as a familiar loop, fat drums and well placed vocal samples from Poor Righteous Teachers and Nas kick off on the hook, there is also a little snippet from Keni Burke's Keep on Rising To The Top in there as well...

For some odd reason this was not on the (finally!!!) released Symptomatic Of A Greater Ill (2006, Anticon) and it's a shame, so if you haven't heard it, you know what to do....(enjoy)



5-3rd Eye ft Lord Finesse, Zone 7,Nine & Top Quality-Trooperz Represent (1994)

Listening to this again you would ask yourself why on earth the album Planets never got a proper release?, Jesse West (aka) 3rd Eye had been doing great things since 1989 and here he teams with the legendary vet Lord Finesse, Nine and Top Quality (ex Hit Squad) for a workout in solid 90's Hip Hop production, deep NYC bass, fat drums and horns... 94 was indeed the season.



6-Native Nuttz-Rock Rock On (1994)

If anyone please has any info about these kids (I have read they were from Boston?), please let me know, I remember first seeing an ad for the Nativez Is Restless album in a Rap Sheet or Rap Pages, but I could never find it, I tried to import it, but no such luck.

I have never heard the full album until this year and we can all thank the super dope bust the facts for that, the album is so ill and classic 90's shit, I chose this one because I love how they used Funky Drummer but it didn't sound dated or played out and that main sample was ill and reminded me of E Bro's or something Easy Mo Bee would do.

http://bustthefacts.blogspot.com



7-Ill Breed-Act Up

Short lived group that had one of the illest production teams behind them, Da Beatminerz and as far as I know this was it for them, it never made any sense and I can only guess that one of them went to jail and the group was done, Act Up is an ill joint and has always been a favourite.

The drums are lifted from Fatback Band's-Let The Drums Speak (first used on Jungle Brother's Acknowledge Your Own History (1989) and a vibed out sample from Earth, Wind & Fire's Bad Tune, truthfully these kids should have had an album and if anyone knows what happened with them, please let me know.






8-Diamond-D_ft_Showbiz-Feel The Vibe (1992)

The Bronx and DITC legend released one of the dopest albums of 92 and this was one of the best cuts of it, what is to be said really?, those loud drums were insane (you can do your digging to find the original source and who else used them, :P) and you will see the reason this followed the Ill Breed track.

This track also makes me miss Showbiz as an M.C., I never understood why he gave up the mic because he was raw and had his own style, just like Diamond D, the De La Soul sample also added to making this such an incredible and classic joint.



9-Shorty Long-My Peoplez (1994)

More Bronx illness this is from the short lived career of Shorty Long and the B-Side to the crucial
Shorty'z Doin' His Own Thang, produced by Plead The 5th (Not the one associated with Blueprint) and a perfect recipe of a dirty jazz sample, horns, a rumbling bass and drums that kick you in the head.

Another one of those artists that should have had an album and having DITC on his side it's a mystery as to why he didn't, Shorty dropped another single in 96/97 and then vanished.

http://www.discogs.com/release/914980

10-Splattahouse-Men of War(1996)

Thanks to the awesome rare joints and vinyl collectors of
ral278 and "mirro at http://indie-cratez.blogspot.com
I finally got an mp3 of a track I have wanted since 1996 after hearing it on a Backspin mixtape, what I love about this track is the simplicity of it, a
hypnotic dusty and short sample, slow drums and a mix down that sounds unfinished but still sounds dope, they only did one other 12" "Hell Hole" and then vanished.



11-All Natural-Hip Hop Is Back (1993)

Roy Johnson, remember that name, because he has been supplying www.philaflava.com with some of the most incredible and not often heard underground Chicago Hip Hop, including this the very first All Natural joint, it was only on a Wild Pitch records mixtape because they were originally signed to them and the mixtape is incredibly hard to track it down, I couldn't even get a dub back in the day.

Hip Hop Is Back is a classic, a jazz bass sample and the ill Lou Donaldson drums that Showbiz used for Catchin Wreck (it sounds like they sampled that use and chopped them up a bit).

What I really want to know is, is there other material they recorded at this time?.



12-PMD-Many Often Wonder (1997)

Parrish Smith proved he could still be relevant and dope in 1997, tens years after he and Erick first ventured onto the rap scene, this is a just a by numbers PMD joint but it bangs, using a familiar sample he used for K-Solo (I am not 100% but I think it was Speed Blocks off his first album).

Throw in a rumbling funk bassline, plus some vocal samples of himself from EPMD's Rampage and you have one of the dopest solo PMD joints in history.





13-Little Shawn-Why Ya Gotta Act That Way(1992)

Howie Tee (first worked with UTFO) did do some cheese (Color Me Badd...blerrggghhh) but he is best remembered for his incredible production work for Special Ed, Chubb Rock, The Real Roxanne and of course the smooth Little Shawn who only released the one album, 1992's Voice In The Mirror and went to jail and decided to rename himself Shawn Pen...(hmmmm) so the story goes.

Howie Tee flips the Mountain Long Red sample (and I mean he chops it up, listen closely) and the Sly & Family Stone-Sing A Simple Song drums over an awesome funk guitar loop and Little Shawn's flow was cool, although I think Chubb would have been better over this.

14-Action & Ace-Simon Says (1988)

Ace was none other Master Ace flexing incredible verbals over the Marley Marl produced concoction of Kool & The Gang's Chocolate Buttermilk drums and horns from James Brown's There It Is, very sparse and very dope or as Ace himself said "This Jam is fly and I'm the pilot".

An '88 classic from the great and often sought after album...





15-Lazy Laz-Mystery (1989)

Thanks to my man Fritz for this one, a great, rare and fat joint from the Top Billin Music/First Priority imprint in 1989 that kicked off with a James Brown vocal and The Commodore's Assembly Line, Bob James Nautilus and the infamous UFO sample, the Rakim vocal snippet makes the track as well as does the (I think) Jackson 5 sample at the end of the track.

Once you hear this you will know it's not surprising that Audio 2 co-produced this and the A-Side Smooth was just as dope.

16-King Sun-Comin Soon (1989)

Another jewel from 1989, this time from the great King Sun at his rawest, looping up the drums and guitar from Issac Hayes Breakthrough track and weaving a wicked tale about him and an episode with an older lady, yes Sun's voice was similar to Rakim's but not by much and he should be remembered more.

Taken from the 1989 LP





17-Stezo-Time To Blow Ya Mine (1996)

Yep, Stezo was around in 1996 (he was also around in 1994 but I can't find Bop Ya Headz/Shining Star...:( .)but I don't think anybody really noticed,produced Chris Cosby (Lowe) produced this sparse but effective joint, tight drums and a different but still good flow from the ex EPMD dancer, it was released on an independent label and he had one other joint with K-Solo that was pretty medicore to be honest and then he vanished only to appear later on Chris Lowe and Dooley-O records in the 00's. word




18-Homeliss Derelix-Operations-1996

It's an injustice that the H.D's got slept on because everything they have done is dope and well worth hearing, Grand The Vis (itor) is one the smoothest emcee's from the West Coast ever and Architect's production is just dirty, raw, underground funk.

For Operations Architect just looped some classic drums from Stanley Clarke and
some very laid back bass, a few cuts and a great Parrish Smith vocal cut from EPMD from You A Customer,ahhhh perfection it doesn't come often enough.




19-Phat Mob-Wrong Number-1996 (from The Do The Math LP)

Who knew that Seattle could produce Hip Hop of this timeless quality?, almost every time I played this out (normally towards the end of the set) I would get asked who this was where could they get it, the same with radio as well...it's just so incredibly laid back and chill and those ...that you can't but help but love it.




20-Down South-Southern Comfort(1994) (from the Lost In Brooklyn LP)

Made up of breezy Roy Ayers and Charlie Parker samples, plus the timeless drums from the Shades of Brown record,made this one of Shawn J Period's best ever produced tracks along with his other emcee's Soda Pop & , man I remember this in old Wellington clubs and it made the floors full every time, a real cool out joint and one for a summer cruise mix as well.






Don't forget to check out some of my fave sites/blogs...

The Veteran himself Robbie E
www.unkut.com

Wake Your Daugher Up (WYDU)...
http://wakeyourdaughterup.blogspot.com


Crooklyn Classics Rare & Out Of Print Post
http://crooklyns.blogspot.com/2007/03/rare-out-of-print-cds.html

Dan Love's ill and updated blog site
http://fromdabricks.blogspot.com/2007/03/new-look-is-complete.html

I.R.A. Soldier's Irish Boombox

http://irishboombox.blogspot.com/index.html

Dart Adam's Poisonous Paragraph's.
http://poisonousparagraphs.blogspot.com

DR OK's And It Don't Stop
http://forrealheadz-anditdontstop.blogspot.com/index.html

Slurg's Press Rewind If I Haven't Blown Your Mind
http://pressrewind.wordpress.com



and I can't believe I had not seen this site before...(dude has all of the ill shit and mixtapes for days...)
Compleck's Blog site
http://compleckshiphop.blogspot.com

and of course everyone in my links...

peace all...


http://www.sendspace.com/file/1hu4ej


oh and it was ummmm 1991 or 92




Fat Shout to the infamous MVC Posse

swayze







































































































until next time...

Monday 26 March 2007

Rest In Peace Wai....

I got some very shocking and really sad news Today, a young girl who I have known since she was little, sadly passed away in the weekend and because I didn't know until today I didn't get to attend the funeral and it hurts, it hurts that even though we have had some differences in the past we never got to patch things up,it hurts that she had a lot of friends and a loving family that cared her for her very much.

Wai was a beautiful soul who grew up around music and came from a great family of DJ's who really knew music and radio, Wai was funny and down to earth and would without a doubt be the life of the party,I remember when she was younger and how she used to voice a lot of Active 89 FM ads and do the Drive show with her Dad and she definitely was a natural when it came to being on the radio and from what I hear she was turning out to be a great farmer as well.

Wai would sometimes hang out at the Weds Nite Jam show and crack jokes, be cheeky, argue with me and just be her usual self, I know how all of her friends and family and extended family must be hurting now and this post is for all of them, Rest In Peace
Wai and thank you for your time here and the memories, I know it's a cliche but you maybe gone but you will never be forgotten...it's still hard to comprehend I am never going to see you again.

Love heaps and this is for your memory Wai Pie.

Aesop Rock-Daylight
http://www.sendspace.com/file/8i52tb

xxoo

Jaz

12 Buckwild tracks NOT on the new compilation



I personally think that it's a crime to not mention Buckwild in the same list as
Marley Marl
45 King
Paul C
Howie Tee
Hurby Luv Bug
DJ Premier
Pete Rock
RZA
Salaam Remi
DJ Muggs
Dr Dre
(NWA-to Chronic early Snoop days)
Trackmastaz
Prince Paul
Beatnuts
Erick Sermon
Bomb Squad
K-Def
Havoc
No I.D.
Large Professor
Diamond D

J-Swift
Lord Finesse
Showbiz
J Dilla
Madlib
Oh No
J Zone
SD50's
Easy Mo Bee
et al (add your favourite producers here-------------------------------------------------------------------) would be on because he really was/is a master of that dark straight raw New York shit (his drums and drum loops were always dope) and he flipped samples way before other producers found them.

Buckwild could also produce beats that could set you at ease as well,
Reservoir Doggz-Back At Berth for a perfect example of a soothing piano sample or the laid back tone on Organized Konfusion's very heartfelt Invetro.

It's strange that Buckwild is not as acclaimed as he should be, maybe he was overshadowed by the other DITC members or something?, I don't know but I do know and remember that he was one of the names of classic 90's Hip Hop production and worked with pretty much everyone East & West Coast... I am really pleased that this compilation has been released because now today's kids can hear what they missed.



http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/store/detail.asp?UPC=GF01CD

It must have been a hard process selecting all of those tracks (or they could have just seen Sentenza'SOHH's 2005 comps ha ha) and while I think that the 2 Disc comp was insane...I feel that a few dope and timeless joints were missed so here they are...enjoy



1. Big L ft Jay-Z,
Lord Finesse, Microphone Nut,Party Arty, Y.U. - Da Graveyard (1995)
from the album


2. Mad Skillz - Doin' Time In The Cypha (1995)
from the album


3. Mic Geronimo - Train Of Thought (1995)
from the album


4. Terror Tongue - Lyrical Threat (1997)
from the Next Level 12" (Japan)

5. Red Hot Lover Tone - 98 (1995)
from the album


6. Big L ft Terra, Herb McGruff,
Buddah Bless, Twan, Killa Cam, Mike Boogie, Trooper J- 8 Iz Enuff (1995)

7. Shamus ft Flu - Tight Team (1997)
from the 12"


8 OC. & Buckwild-What I Represent (1996)
from the album


9. Organized Konfusion- Invetro (1997)
from the album


10.Big L- Who you slidin' wit' (2000)
from the album


11.OC-Times Up (1994)


12.OC-The O-Zone (1994)
both tracks from the album


http://www.sendspace.com/file/211rli

dope article from Robbie @ unkut.com
http://www.unkut.com/2006/02/buckwild-rappages-producer-profile

Buckwild production resume at discogs

http://hiphop.discogs.com/artist/Buckwild










Thursday 22 March 2007

EPMD-The Sample Business Never Personal Part 2...








Yes Yes Y'all (Kick It E)...



Here is part 2 of my breakdown of the ill Business Never Personal album and I want to thank you all greatly for the links, love and props the first post got.

6-Scratch Bring It Back Pt 2 (Mic Doc)

The only DJ Scratch produced track on the album is just incredible, kicking off with a classic KRS ONE sample from BDP's-Duck Down (1992) 12" and Sex & Violence LP
http://www.sendspace.com/file/vdt2px



and Busta Rhymes from the classic
A Tribe Called Quest-Scenario (1991) and Low End Theory LP
http://www.sendspace.com/file/l6aoxm



samples riding a rumbling bassline and drums from
The Emotions-I Like It (also used by Old Dirty Bastard (RIP) and The Arsonists)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/8hq8b4
off the album So I Can Love You
(1969)



and a sample I haven't been able to track down (and believe me I have tried...ha ha)

then as Parrish delivers a sloppy off beat flow, E comes in and tells him to get off that bullshucks and kick the hardcore style for the b-boy...PMD happily obliges and rips shop over Scratch's simple but highly effective concoction off the haunting strings from
ESG-UFO
http://www.sendspace.com/file/bcni8k

and the timeless break from
Melvin Bliss-Synthetic Substitution (1973)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/mhw87s



after PMD finishes, DJ Scratch absolutely murders the turntables and cuts the shit out of
EPMD ft LL Cool J-Rampage(1991) and Business As Usual (1990)LP
http://www.sendspace.com/file/76zikk




7-Cross Over

Once again, Erick & Parrish stayed true to their roots by using yet another Roger Troutman sample, but it was all good and this was the single that got them a new fan base, here E & P used the vocal "wherever you are, uh huh whatever you need..." from
Roger Troutman-You Should Be Mine (1991)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/s66hyo




The interesting thing is the sample was actually from a track released a year earlier and came from the above Roger album
while the bubbling woh woh was taken from legendary Jazz drummer's


Idris Muhammad-Say What
http://www.sendspace.com/file/0x46di
from the Turn This Mutha Out LP (1977)



plus in the mix is a sample from (see if you can spot it :D)
Curtis Mayfield-Don't Worry If There's Hell Below...(1971)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ljhoo6




*This track (mainly vocal refrains) has also been heavily sampled by NWA, Tim Dog, Artifacts,Big Daddy Kane, Redman, Masta Ace,Stetsasonic, Pete Rock, Ultramagnetic MC's and more than a few others.


8-Cummin At Cha (ft Das EFX)

Perhaps the most basic of tracks of BNP, it just used a simple slowed down loop of the (let's be honest) well over used (I'm not not even got to go into how many artists have used it, even freaking Oasis used it once)
The Winstons-Amen Brother (1969)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/bt7ggw





break and well placed vocal samples from
D-Nice-25 Ta Life from the 12" and To The Rescue LP (1991)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/dae5b4




and
Cypress Hill-How I Could Just Kill A Man from the 12" and Cypress Hill LP (1991)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/blrr84




As E & P and their new stars Krazy Drayz & Skoob (Das EFX) giggedy gave the fans more of what they wanted, after Dead Serious blew up.

9-Play The Next Man

EPMD
continued their love affair with Parliament and looped up and used sections of the seriously out there but oh so ill
Parliament- Sir Noise D'Voidoffunk (Pay Attention - B3M) from the Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome LP (1977)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/csxkcf



and was also a favourite sample that a lot of West Coast artists Ice Cube (more than once), NWA,E 40, Schoolly D,Yo Yo plus The Afro's, Black Sheep and er C & C Music Factory have all used elements of it as well.

The "I Aint The One" cut in hook is provided by the vet Big Daddy Kane and his Marley Marl produced and timeless
Big Daddy Kane-Raw (1987) from the 12" and Long Live The Kane LP (1988)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/mu7n25




joint and the drums from

The Grassroots-You and Love are the same from the Feelings LP (1968)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/sfrwpt




What made me laugh the most is later in the track, E & P are chanting "And if ya Man done son, trade him in for a new one... cut him off man, cut him off", I'd love to know who wrote that...E or P?


10-It's Going Down

This is easily in my top 5 EPMD tracks of all time and also one of my favourite tracks of all time, I still get those chills when I listen to this and the first time I heard was on the Juice soundtrack, I remember actually breaking up a rewind button on a shitty tape deck because I thrashed the tape so much...ha ha. no half steppin, I kick back like a weapon

Here we have quite possibly my favourite use of the timeless
Mountain-Long Red from the Mountain Live LP (1972)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/2skpw3




I still can't believe how ill and hard they made those drums sound and the way they sampled from the late, great
Marin Gaye-I Want You

from the I Want You LP (1976)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/uxergp



but also the noise that resounds through the track and (I think) the Run DMC sample, and the Get On Down vocal snippet from the infamous and classic
Billy Squier-Big Beat from the Tale of The Tape LP (1980)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/kh21pc





11- Who Killed Jane?

The Jane series was always an amusing theme for EPMD records and every album since has had some crazy shit happen too her, here on the 4th segment they decide to kill her off or did E get shot?...(stay tuned).... over the dope drums from

Joe Tex-Papa Was Too from the I've Got Do A Little Better LP (1966)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/rngtuw


which was actually an answer back to Lowell Fulsom's Tramp...
and a cool sample from...
Curtis Mayfield-Stone Junkie from the Curtis Live LP (1971)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/42gp7r




and of course the infamous

Rick James-Mary Jane from the Come Get It LP (1978)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/turne1



and remember kids



was always Devoid of the Funk...

Peace

Jaz
aka The Rap Nerdologist...