Saturday, December 30, 2023

DJ Emskee - Pen Joints Show #349 - December 29th 2023

 


This is the Pen Joints Show #349 aired on Bushwick Radio and on WRAP.fm . The Show can be heard every Friday evening for the Rush Hour from 5PM to 6PM, where DJ Emskee plays the best in old & new underground/independant Hip-Hop.




Kool Keith in HHC - July 1996

 

From Hip Hop Connection Magazine - July 1996 


Video : REKS & Samir - Eat Well, Travel Often - 2023




Lyric Video for "Eat Well, Travel Often", taken from Reks & Samir's collabo EP entitled "Rather Unique". Visualized by Queen Philosophical. 





Thursday, December 28, 2023

Straight Outta Queens : Lil' Joon & Don Complete




South Jamaica Queens ... 134th Avenue & Guy Brewer Boulevard is a well known place for many because of the life of Curtis Jackson a.k.a 50 Cent, but it's also the place where 2 rappers named Lil' Joon and Don Complete came from.

Photo courtesy of Poncho Nueve

In 1994, Lil' Joon dropped his debut single entitled "Life" on A.T.B. Recordings, a small indie record label managed by Carlo & Kev who also handled the productions.


12" - 1994 - A.T.B. Recordings 




 

2 years later, A.T.B. Recordings was back with a second 12", with Lil' Joon featuring Shorty Black on the A-side and Don Complete on the B-Side. Both of them deliver 3 tracks each, with Carlo and Kev still behind all the productions. 


12" - 1996 - A.T.B. Recordings  






As usual, no info about those kats on the internet.. so I had to talk to one of the persons involved... the producer and label owner Carlo. Here is what he told me :



Carlo : "We were all from South Jamaica Queens... 50 Cent, all of us... You all know the hood as 134 Guy R Brewer ! We all lived in the back blocks, and mine was the Jamaican block. Me, Joon and Kev share a common Jamaican heritageLil' Joon was the lil homie back then and Don Complete lived on my street but on another Ave.


We dropped Lil' Joon debut 12" in 1994 so I'd say that I started producing a year or two before. My production partner Kev is my best friend, he is my brother from another ! Everything was recorded in his basement where was based our studio. We were both DJs first... I decided to go into production because my mother kicked my dj equipment out because of the noise. We produced the Lil' Joon single and that kinda of blew us up in the hood. Freaky Tah (RIP), Fif (50 Cent), Tony Yayo, all came through our doors in the short time.


Don Complete bugged out after the single which was released in 1996... Lol... He thought he was Jay-Z before Sean was Jay-Z. He was from the generation before me actually, he came up in the Supreme Team era... Gangsta fo real ! I don't know what happened to him. Me, Joon and Kev moved to Atlanta after that.


We lost a lot of history from another friend's basement. We trusted my friend to keep the records safe because of the person he is but we lost everything when the block got flooded...We had some Joon's unreleased material on some cassettes. We had 50 Cent's first 3 demos... smh. I wish I had those today... lol 

When we first did Fif demos, we thought about dropping Fif first but we were already moving forward with our lil homie from our block. Fif was always fire. If you listen to Joon and listen to Fif you'll hear the similarities... the smooth flow. Pleasant to the ears... that's what I like !


A.T.B. was Around The Back studios because everything came to the back of house to the basement. We pressed 500 copies of each 12". We had no idea of the business, and Joon didn't like the limelight. Fif, as we can see, bathed in it. You gotta want to do it to get it done."



Both 12" are still rare and for sure won't be reissued from the original masters. So if you see a copy for sale, specially Joon's debut single from '94, you should jump on it !

 


Mad Props to Carlo, thanks for your time.  



Vaughn Smith - Diamondz And Pearlz - 2023




3 months after the reissue of the album "Livest Spot In The City" on 90's Tapes, Vaughn Smith is back with the help of Dust & Dope Recordings and Hip Hop Enterprise with the release of his debut album entitled "Diamondz and Pearlz" which was originally dropped on tape in 1996. 


"The incredibly rare cassette-only 1996 debut of North Philly's Vaughn Smith has finally been restored on this brand new CD from Dust & Dope Recordings / Hip-Hop Enterprise. Diamondz and Pearlz is a surprisingly mature, understated and jazzy album that sounds better now than it ever has before. Working with Smith, who produced all 14 tracks himself, the original DAT masters were recovered but severely damaged, so this release was remastered by Jee Van Cleef from an original tape. Includes an 8-page booklet with an all-new, exclusive interview by Werner von Wallenrod.⁠"


Available on CD (300 copies) / Vinyl coming Soon... stay tuned ! 

Shipping : Mid-January 2024

Pre-Order 


Monday, December 25, 2023

Karbine - Winter Warz - 2023

 



NY-based beatmaker Karbine delivers a brand new album, half remixes half instrumental. It includes remixes from Scientifik, Da Youngsta's, Herb McGruff and Kamakaze.




Body Bag Ben & ETO - Integrity 2 - 2023

 

LP - 2023 - Body Bag Productions


Oxnard Producer/MC Body Bag Ben and Rochesters New York’s Producer/ MC ETO deliver their second collaborative album "Integrity 2" on vinyl via Fat Beats & HHV. 


"The long awaited second installment, “Integrity 2”, from Oxnard native Body Bag Ben and Rochester's finest Eto, has arrived!! After first connecting in 2018 for the “Integrity” EP, the two joined forces again in 2023 for “Integrity 2”. The duo showcases that vintage hardcore Hip-Hop sound with relentless rhymes over masterful production. “Integrity 2” is a boom bap masterclass for listeners who want to hear a lyrical killing spree over neck breaking beats! “We kept the format the same, It’s still Ben & Eto but we elevated it”, Ben explains, as he pays homage to the late great Guru (Gangstarr). For those who have been following the two over the years “Integrity 2” is exactly what you would expect out of the deadly combination as they make this a statement piece to the culture" 





Pre-Order : FatBeats / HHV  



Saturday, December 23, 2023

Radio Shows :



If you want to stay tuned with the hottest old and new hip-hop joints, here are the latest episode of the radio shows who deliver the best selections. Enjoy your weekend ! Peace   






















Blah Blah Blahz...


From Hip Hop Connection Magazine - November 1996

 

Video : Beedie x Rim - Milk & Cookies- 2023

 



Visuals for "Milk & Cookies", first single taken from Beedie & Rim's collaborative 9-Track EP entitled "Trading Places". The production is handled by Maticulous and the video is directed by Northside Pro Media. 




Friday, December 22, 2023

Blaakarme - Low Budget Silencer - 1996

 


12" - 1996 - Da Dropsect 


Here is the first and only Blaakarme single released in 1996 by Da Dropsect, which was a production team comprised of Carlos Bess (C-12), Jose "Choco" Reynoso a.k.a DJ Choco, Pedro and Packman. During the mid/late 90s, Dropsect also produced material for people like Shabazz the Disciple or Sunz Of Man. No Info about who were the Blaakarme members exactly ... the only info written on the label is about the group management which was handled by Generule Assassin and Captain Punisher. Anyway, their excellent single "Low Budget Silencer" is on the B-side of this wax and is produced by Pedro. It's the only reason to try to grab this rare wax... the flip side is a Ragga joint recorded by an artist named Captain Kirk.





Dizzy Dustin - Where Do I Go From Here​?​ [The Blue Tint Version]

 







Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Show - January 15th 1998 - WKCR

 


Little update as LiamF has just uploaded the first part of the show from January 15,1998. It includes the interview and the freestyle session from the group All City. 




? WKCR Promo

Mission Impossible Theme

Talk Break

Indelible MCs - Weight

Haiku D’Etat - Los Dangerous

Divine Styler - Before Mecca

L’Roneous Da Versifier - L’Chemy

Cyclops 4000 (Sir Menelik) - Macroscope

DJ Krush - Only the Strong Survive ft. C.L. Smooth

Abstract Tribe Unique - The Chase

Colored Section - Bomb MC

Self Scientific - Run the Depth

Mr. Lif - Madness in a Cup (95')

Talk Break

Das EFX - Raw Breed

Onyx - The Worst ft. Wu-Tang Clan

Onyx - Shut ‘Em Down ‘98

Cappadonna - Slang Editorial

Talk Break

Jay Z, DMX & Ja Rule - Murdergram

Rakim - The Saga Begins

Mos Def - Body Rock ft. Tash & Q-Tip

All City - Priceless

Talk Break

All City - ’98 Stretch & Bobbito Interview & Freestyle

Talk Break

All City - The Actual

Cru - Bluntz & Bakakeemis ft. Antoinette, Jim Hydro & Tracey Lee

Mobb Deep - It Could Happen to You (Vinyl Reanimators Remix)

Cappadonna - Run

Outsidaz - Rain or Shine

?

?

L’Roneous Da Versifier - Implosion

MassInfluence - Clown Syndrome





Big Kwam - Execution Expert

Polyrhyhtm Addicts - Not Ordinary

Talk Break

Polyrhyhtm Addicts - Not Ordinary

Lace Da Booms - Glory

O.C - Your Life feat U-Nast

Talk Break

O.C - Your Life feat U-Nast

Dilated Peoples - Ruggedness

Adagio! - Hold Tight

Persevere - Small Time in This 

Mark B & Blade - Born To Rule 

Juice - Freestyle Or Written

Canibus - How We Roll 

Talk Break

Canibus - How We Roll 

Defari - Just Business

Noreaga - Noreminati

Rakim - Guess Who’s Back (Buckwild Remix)

Jay-Z - A Million & One Questions

Jay-Z - Rhyme No More

Talk Break

Krunchtime



Check the Stretch&Bobbito Archives for more shows !


Thursday, December 21, 2023

WANTED! Smif-N-Wessun in HHC - 1995

 

From Hip Hop Connection Magazine - June 1995 



Mix : Dj Skeli, Rug & Hex-Air - Underground Hip Hop Vinyl Mix Session



More than 3 hours of indie hip-hop joints mixed by the Hamburg-based DJs Skeli, RuggedMind & Hex-Air. Here is a quick tracklist from what I know or can remember. Feel free to fill the missing track IDs in the comment section ... Enjoy the Mix !


Mr Lif - Madness In a Cup (95')

Centa of Da Web - Outer Regions Feat Outa Limits

War Click - Bullet for a Bullet

? Instrumental

Zion-I -Mic Jonez

Mischievous LQ And The Mad Mischief Crew - Boyah Bumbaclot

Chief Rugged - On the Real

The Imperial One - Madness

Afro Jazz - Afrocalypse

Mr Low Kash N Da Shady Bunch - Heatholders

Horse-Men - No Guestlist

NSV - Strickly Creepin

Benie Siegel - Peep The Steelo

Lo-Life - No Weak Signs

Heavy Metal Konnect - Why Ask Why 

Headnodic - Proverb

Yasheen & The Murder-1 Squad - Bring It!

? Instrumental 

Cocoa Brovaz - Back 2 Life Blend / Remix

? Instrumental

Cocoa Brovaz - Back 2 Life Blend / Remix

? Instrumental

East Flatbush Project - Tried By 12 Blend / Remix 

1:08:13 ?

Fifth City Mob - Dark Side

1:15:33 ?

Jaleel -  I Call It Like I See It

Finsta Bundy - Feel The High Pt 2 Instrumental

DJ Peak - Curb Loop

Finsta Bundy - Feel The High Pt 2 Instrumental

Finsta Bundy - Feel The High Pt 2 Blend / Remix

Made Men - Adidas feat Havoc & Man Terror Of The Wiseguys

Encore _ Love & Hate

Born Allah - Someone to Hate

Born Allah - Someone to Hate Blend / Remix

Amad Jamal - LA City

1:41:40 ?

1:45:23 ?

1:46:42 ? Instrumental

1:50:37 ?

1:56:30 ? 

Milkbone - Where’z Da Party At ?

Grand Agent Feat Planet Asia - It’s Only Right

The Funk League feat Large Professor - Through Good & Bad

Poètes Maudits - Sans Remission 

Instrumental ?

2:13:51 ?

2:16:36 ?

Mr Low Kash N Da Shady Bunch - The Best At This

Kamakaze - House O'Hitz Crew

Necro - Underground Instrumental

Mr Voodoo - Hemlock

Starvin Art Clique - Alone

Aiello Wilson - 80 Proof Rhymes

L Da Head Toucha aka Larry Cheeba - Evolution

Ten Thieves - Straight From The Slums Blend / Remix

Storm The Unpredictable Ft Priest Da Nomad - In Case You Forgot

IIID - Peep The Flow

2:48:20 ? 

Rae & Christian feat Jungle Bros - Play On Blend / Remix 

2:53:33 ?

Smoov U - Many Styles

3:01:03 ?

3:02:11 ?

3:06:32 ? instrumental

3:06:58 ?

Microphone Pager - 方通行