From The Source - March 1995 - Scans courtesy of Fred Thecle
Wednesday, June 30, 2021
Remix Session : Shaolin Drunk - HEAMIXES VOL. 1 - 2021
The Brazilian beatmaker Shaolin Drunk drops his remix project entitled "HEAMIXES VOL. 1" including 11 remixes produced between 2013 and 2021.
"On this album, Shaolin brings his own versions of classics from the 90s that inspire him. Inspired by other producers like Dj Honda, Buckwild, Pete Rock who also had their great contributions to the culture of remixes, Shaolin Drunk maintains the essence of the golden age of hip hop with dirty beats, samples with noise and textures."
The instrumental version is also available here
Video : T.D.S Mob - What’s This World Coming To / TDS Scratch Reaction - 1989
WernerVonWallenrod uploaded recently on his youtube channel 2 official videos of the singles "What’s This World Coming To" and "TDS Scratch Reaction" recorded by T.D.S Mob in 1989. The Videos come from the CD + DVD Combo dropped by Diggers With Gratitude (DWG) in 2010. Enjoy !
Anarkick Beat Records - Elements (Compilation) - 2021
The Netherland-based label Anarkick Beat Records releases his first instrumental compilation titled "Elements" which is a tribute to the hip-hop culture.
Tuesday, June 29, 2021
Roughneck Soldiers - Kill Or Be Killed / Freestyle Thing - 1995
12" - 1995 - Phat Wax Records
I think I bought this 12" randomly in 1995 at Street Sound record store in Paris when it came out... and to be honest I knew nothing about Roughneck Soldiers at that time.
R.N.S a.k.a Roughneck Soldiers (a.k.a Reality Negativity & Stress) was a crew from Sunset Park, Brooklyn or Gunset Park like they used to say. The crew was consisted of Destruction a.k.a Destruct (Charles Hernandez, better known under the name of Charlie Hustle nowadays), Disaster (Tony Lopez) and Big Dee (Diego Santiago). Rapping together since High School, the group began rhyming on New York's underground circuit in the early 90s.
Roughneck Soldiers - 1995 - Photo courtesy of Disaster
Their debut 12-Inch "Kill Or Be Killed / Freestyle Thing" was realeased on Phat Wax Records, with both tracks fully produced by Kenny Gonzales a.k.a Kenny Dope. "Kill Or Be Killed" available in its Main, Instrumental and Radio versions on the A-side, and "Freestyle Thing" available in its Dirty, Instrumental and Radio versions on the B-Side. Nothing is mentioned about it online, but the single also came out on cassette tape.
In terms of productions, Kenny Dope used for "Kill Or Be Killed" a sample of "Light My Fire" released in 1970 and performed by Shirley Bassey. For "Freestyle Thing" he used a sample of "I Am a Walrus" released in 1968 and performed by Freddie McCoy.
In November 1995, the group was invited by Stretch & Bobbito on WKCR for the release of their single. Here is the short interview and Freestyle dropped that night by the trio, it was a few years before Destruct got locked...
Roughneck Soldiers - 1993 - Photo courtesy of Disaster
Phil Tyler & Vandolizm - That's Fly / Like This - 2021
Beatmakers Phil Tyler from Germany & Vandolizm from Switzerland team up to drop the double instrumental singles "That's Fly" & "Like This" via Krekpek Records. Artwork by Hydrogenii.
Sunday, June 27, 2021
Poets Of Darkness - Poets Of Darkness EP - 2021
EP - 2021 - HJR
"Here we finally have the Poets Of Darkness EP which includes the 5 tracks from their '94 demo tape. This Bronx/Queens crew was made up of the 4 members Six Nine, Tee, Big Rez & DJ Tech One. They are mostly known for their track "21 In the Ghetto" which appeared on the New Jersey Drive Soundtrack in '95. But one year earlier they released one of the best demo tapes from the 90s. Six Nine told me that Nas gave them money to record this demo and the production was made by Spunk Bigga, Tre Bag and Young Lord. With this producer line up you know that's a guarantee for phat beats. The record comes in a black sticker cover with dope artwork designed by Stilts. All tracks analog remastered by Adam Boose. Enjoy the 5 tracks here in a short snippetmix made by Chris Cutter." - courtesy of Heavy Jewelz Records
300 copies only ... it will be shipped in August
Video : UFO Fev & Vanderslice - Crack Shifts Ft. Flee Lord - 2021
UFO Fev & Vanderslice drop the video of their single "Crack Shifts" off their upcoming collaborative album "Enigma of Dalí", available now for pre-order (vinyl & CD) via Coalmine Records.
Saturday, June 26, 2021
M.W.P. - Remarcable - 2021
LP - 2021- HHE
" "ReMarcable" is an album that includes a few tracks that appear on previously released projects (not including solo projects) and a bunch of exclusive unreleased tracks, including an alternate version of "Dikembe Mutombo" with Roc Marciano, ILL Conscious & SageInfinite. Incredible additional line-up of Hus Kingpin, Smoovth, DJ Grazzhoppa, SageInfinite, Jay Royale, Skyzoo, Omniscence, Recognize Ali, Don Streat and more!" - courtesy of Hip-Hop Enterprise
01. ReMarcable (Intro)
02. Crown Me
03. Dikembe Mutombo (Alternate Version)
04. Hamlet
05. Jive (M.W.P. Remix)
06. Moses Malone
07. Never Be The Same
08. Thousand Gram Figero
09. Ziplocks
10. 1995
11. 24 Hours
Limited to only 100 copies on Beige Opaque Vinyl w/ Black Marble, 150 copies on Black Vinyl & 150 copies on CD.
Friday, June 25, 2021
Zooty Zoo
First time I've heard about Zooty Zoo was when I listened to the Cypha Session Part II on the B-side of the Ecko Unlimited Mixtape - Underground Airplay Vol.II released in 1994, featuring two MCs from Brooklyn named Building Block & Herbal E who were part of this group. A bunch of other emcees also featured on this Nick Wiz-Produced track, like Vice Grip, Starchild, UG & Phantasm (Cella Dwellas) & Lord Digga.
What a surprise for me a few years later when I've seen that some unreleased tracks recorded by the same group (tagged under the name of Zoodizoo) were on the Cellar Selections compilations dropped by Nick Wiz & Gentleman's Relief Records.
01 - Jane Doe
02 - The Zoodizoo Theme
03 - We On Beyond
04 - Wild Like A Zoo
05 - Physical Form
06 - Partners In Crime
If you're looking for more info about Zooty Zoo, you need to know that the crew originally consisted of Will Tell, Herbal E a.k.a Eddie P. (RIP) and Block McCloud a.k.a Building Block.
Will Tell - Block & Herbal E - Photo courtesy of Will Tell
Will Tell started the group around '89, then added Block and Herbal E (RIP). Later members included Red Jesus and Ben the Beyonder. They were all from the same hood, Park Slope Brooklyn, NY. Their first demo recorded in the early 90s featured Will Tell and Block only, and it was recorded in Mantronix Studio in Queens. The demo was produced by Alyasha, who was better known for being Phat Farm's creative director in 1993.
Alyasha & John Forte - 1993 - Photo courtesy of Alyasha
At that time the members couldn’t afford to press anything up, they were just kids...After that, Will Tell bought his studio and started making all the beats for the group. They played majority of vocals at Nick Wiz basement in Teaneck New Jersey. Nick Wiz produced a few tracks as well, but Will Tell produced majority of all the Zooty Zoo records... Zooty Zoo eventually became Word A' Mouth, which turned into Brooklyn Academy a few years later, a crew consisting of Block McCloud, Will Tell, Pumpkinhead, Mr. Metaphor, Wordamouth... just to name a few.
Herbal E. (RIP) & Will Tell - Photo courtesy of Will Tell
Mad Props to Will Tell, thanks for your time. This is dedicated to Eddie Picket a.k.a Herbal E. who recently passed away... Rest In Peace
Video : Evidence - Where We Going From Here...- 2021
Video of the 4th single "Where We Going From Here" dropped by Evidence, off his latest project "Unlearning Vol.1" now available to order.
Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Microphone Check - The Source, July 1993
From The Source - July 1993 - Scans courtesy of Fred Thecle
Cella Dwellas - Realms 'N Reality - 2021
The Brooklyn-duo consisted of U.G. and Phantasm a.k.a the Cella Dwellas team up with the German labels 90's Tapes & HHV to drop a reissue of their debut album originally released in 1996 and mostly produced by the legendary Nick Wiz.
A1. Advance To Boardwalk
A2. Mystic Freestyle
A3. Perfect Match
A4. Medina Style
B1. Recognize 'N Realize
B2. Cella Dwellas
B3. WUSSDAPLAN
B4. Good Dwellas
C1. Hold U Down
C2. Realm 3
C3. Line 4 Line
C4. Worries
D1. We Got It Hemmed
D2. Good Dwellas (Part 2)
D3. Outro
D4. Land Of The Lost
Strictly limited edition of 500 copies on black vinyl.
MF911 - Bloodsport Chronicles - 2021
A batch of MF911's material recorded between 1990 and 1997, produced by J Dilla, Antlive, Ced Gee, Ced Rat, Jason Staton, Kenny Flavor.
F.E.B. (Four Elements & Beyond) - Lightwork - 2021
Freak Tha Monsta, Miggs Son Daddy and WRD Life a.k.a Four Elements & Beyond (F.E.B.) are back with a brand new single entitled "Lightwork" produced by Freak Tha Monsta.
Monday, June 21, 2021
Microphone Check - The Source, November 1996
From The Source - November 1996 - Scans courtesy of Fred Thecle
The Wicked Takeover Ep#014 - Marco Polo Special - June 18th 2021
14th episode of The Wicked Takeover aired on June 18, 2021 hosted by DJ Wicked on WRAPfm.
"The Wicked Takeover brings you deep into the Vinyl crates of Wicked. Expect to hear everything from album cuts to b-sides, remixes, white labels, bootlegs, etc. You'll also hear Hip-Hop from the Golden Era of 1988 to the Mid-90's all the way to current times. A large focus will be on 2k Hip-Hop, especially 2010 to current. Fridays 9pm EST | 6pm PST www.wrap.fm"
Mix : UG Hip Hop Session
Saskwatch Iron - 40 Below
Lackadasical - And I...
Cipher - Peeps
Phelon - Word To God
Nautilus - Untitled #2
Omniscence - I'm On Mine
Five Deez - Fallin'
Ill Mentality - So Amazing
InI - No More Words
Grassrootz - Pro Am
Blak Forest - Battlecry
The Nonce - Keep It On
Whoridas - True Playas
Bad-N-Fluenz - Success
Al Tariq - Spectacular
2 Mental - Mental Illness
Royal Flush - Regulate
Beatnuts - Let Off A Couple
Sunday, June 20, 2021
Radio Show : NO TV RAPS - June 18th 2021
Here is the latest episode of No TV Raps Radio Show aired on June 18th 2021 on Radio FSK, Hamburg (Germany), mixed by SampleMind & Rug.
Chuck D Presents Apocalypse 91: Revolution Never Sleeps
"Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the landmark album Apocalypse 91: The Enemy Strikes Black with this commemorative sequel graphic anthology! Apocalypse 91: Revolution Never Sleeps begins on the familiar backdrop of 1991 and explodes into far-flung futures with a series of speculative fiction stories by the industry's leading creators, including Evan Narcisse (Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales), Regine Sawyer (Dark Nights: Death Metal), Che Grayson (Batman: Urban Legends), Troy-Jeffrey Allen (Villain: All Caps), and many more! Witness revolutionaries in every millennium stand up and fight the power with a little help from the rhythms and rebels of the past." - Z2 Comics
- STANDARD EDITION (Softcover) includes Softcover graphic novel.
- STANDARD EDITION (Hardcover) includes Hardcover graphic novel.
- DELUXE EDITION (Oversized Hardcover, Limited Edition of only 2,500) includes Oversized Hardcover Deluxe Edition Graphic Novel / Graphic Novel Slipcase / 'Apocalypse 91: The Enemy Strikes Black' LP on Limited Edition Colored Vinyl / Three Exclusive Art Prints.
- SUPER DELUXE EDITION (Hand-signed by Chuck D, Oversized Hardcover, Limited Edition of only 500) includes Oversized Hardcover Deluxe Edition Graphic Novel, signed by Chuck D / Graphic Novel Slipcase / 'Apocalypse 91: The Enemy Strikes Black' LP on Limited Edition Colored Vinyl / Four ed Art Prints, one of which is illustrated by Chuck D and also framed.
Release Date : November 2021
KADV! Presents =M=A=D=Y= - Nod To Note / Stasevich - Starshakam - 2021
The Russian hip-hop label is back again with 2 instrumental projects which will be released this summer on limited edition cassettes. The first one "Nod To Note" produced by =M=A=D=Y= from Germany and the other one "Starshakam" produced by Stasevich from Ukrainia.
Thursday, June 17, 2021
P.H.A (Power Hittin Artist)
Back to Philly once again with these two 12-Inches released in the mid 90s by P.H.A. a.k.a Power Hittin Artist, group originally consisted of Wise Kabar (RIP), Granz and Gat.
12" - 1996 - Apex Records
Power Hittin Artist's debut 12" released in 1996 on APEX Records is composed of the tracks "Sunrize" (clean album version and instrumental), "Universal" (album version, radio edit version and instrumental) and "Chasin Clouds ('94 Basement Style)", fully produced by OMNE with all cuts done by DJ Meez a.k.a Kenny Meez (of the Federation Sound).
Granz : "Our debut 12" came out on APEX Records, a record label managed by a good friend of mine named Andrew Poppiwitz aka Pops... we call him Poppy Chules. To tell the truth I can’t remember when we formed the group exactly... Shit was on paper and we were making beats together prolly like 1991 or 92. Me and Gat knew each other from East Falls projects. Wise Kabar went to Roxborough high school with us, met Wise 10th grade biology class. One day he heard us rhyming separately and he was flabbergasted. At that point he suggested we start a group because we were already homies. Wise didn’t even rhyme at the time...OMNE is my man from middle school and fellow graff writer. I had to bring everything together. Everybody in the crew made beats...We still do ! OMNE did the beats for all the music we put on vinyl, 6 songs I think..."
OMNE & GRANZ circa 1995 - Photo courtesy of Granz
At that time Granz, OMNE and Meez were also graffiti artists affiliated with my man John Doe aka DENSKE. If you do remember they were on the cover of the Basementality project released in 1995.
OMNE did also productions in the mid and late 90s for emcees like Maylay Sparks or Philly-based groups like Aphillyation.
12" - 1997 - PHA
In 1997, the group was back with a new 12" still released independently, composed of the lead single "Don't Take Time" available in its Street, Radio and Instrumental versions on the A-side, and the tracks "Absorbtion" and "I Don't Know (I Can't Say) on the B-side". The productions were still managed by OMNE and the tracks feature Granz, Wise Kabar and a third emcee named Lord aka Prince Lord Naeem.
Granz : "Gat is my brother from the projects, high school, and the NGE. He would always make beats and write songs with us but every time we went to the studio something came up... One day we decided to take Prince Lord Naeem who is Gat's little brother and he amazed us when he got in the booth."
Granz, Prince Lord Naeem, OMNE & Wise KABAR - Photo courtesy of Granz
Wise Kabar & Granz - Studio in Brooklyn, NY circa 1996 - Photo courtesy of Granz
A third 12" was supposed to come out after that, but it never saw the light of day... The single was called " Suckas".
Granz : "OMNE’s homie John Creamer did the production for "Suckas" . He's a writer that used to live in Brooklyn . It was supposed to come out in 98 or 99 . Back when we were making records we had to recoup the funds in order to move along to the next project . Money would come back slow. Dropping records off to stores on consignment and picking up the money months later after they sold them . Timely process that slowed things down."
Granz : "Nothing else was released by the crew after the second 12", but nothing in particular happened. I guess the crew sorta just started going different directions. We all remained cool through the years... East Falls got closed down as well. But we got plenty of unreleased material ! We did songs on compilation albums with other people plus in house tapes and cds that were made... Recently exploring best way to release music on multiple streaming sites ... more importantly, making sure the business is right. Can’t sustain without the funding..."
Mad Props to Granz, thanks for the interview. Big Up to Denske, thanks for the connection. This is dedicated to the memory of Bernard John Ray a.k.a Wise Kabar (March, 4 1975 - January 4, 2015) ...Rest In Peace .
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