Baltimore-based MC Ill Conscious delivers the single "Marginal Gains" produced by French producers Alcynoos and Parental (de Kalhex). The track is taken from their forthcoming collaborative album "The Aggregation of Marginal Gains", a project that fuses masterful lyricism with rich, jazz inspired productions. The album is available to pre-order on double vinyl via HHV Records (limited to 300 copies).
" The legendary Mista Sinista of the X'Men, later changed to X-Cutioners should need no introduction around here. The Bronx based DJ has dropped a slew of albums with the X-Cutioners on top of his outstanding career as one of the finest and most successful battel DJ's in history and is now member of the Odd Couple with DJ Rob Swift.
AE Productions is proud to present his new mixtape Back To The Lab which is available on cassette and CD - no digital and is limited copies. The mix theme is 90's remixes including all your favourite artists such as Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Nas, Organized Konfusion, A Tribe Called Quest, etc... you name the artist and they are here, sliced and diced only how a legendary battle DJ can.
Artwork by long time AE designer Fine Print completes the project but no track titles are listed as in true old school fashion you need to do some homework and dig for the cuts that you don't already know plus this keep you guessing what's coming next. " - courtesy of AE Productions
 |
| 12" - 1996 - Faculty Records |
Here is the first and only 12" released by the Bronx-based emcee Keiyon (pronounced Key-on) on Faculty Records in 1996. Keiyon was previously known under the name K-Black, member of the dope Rap duo N.B.A. a.k.a North Bronx Alliance.
The 12" features 3 tracks titled "So Glad You Choose Me" (Original and Instrumental), "The American Dream" (Vocal and Instrumental), and "Thought U Knew" (Vocal and Instrumental). The whole record is produced by Rob Dinero, who is also behind all the productions for North Bronx Alliance and Aiello Wilson. The 12" isn't particularly rare or expensive, but in my opinion it includes some solid joints that were spun by Stretch & Bobbito in 1996.
Natives In Black - Boston's In The House
Juice With Soul - Juice With Soul
Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - Skinny Dip
Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - Less Than Zero
Joint Ventures - Itz Da Joint (B-Boy Mix)
Insight - True To The Game
Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - I Got To Have It
Top Choice Clique - Push It Past Red
Akbar - Hot Ya Hot (BIG MISTAKE he's not from Boston)
D Auguste - Not 2 Far
Joint Venture - Gotta Give It Up
Paw Dukes - Amazin
Skitzofreniks - Slow It Down
The Almighty RSO - One In A Chamba
The Union - Mental Scriptures
7L & Esoteric - Protocol
Clockworx - Who's That (Celph Titled)
D Auguste - Rain Dance
L Da Headtoucha - Freestyle feat Big Oh (Special Blend)
Skitzofreniks - You Want Some More
The Almighty RSO - You'll Never Know
Akrobatik - Can't Fuck With The Style
Big Oh! - Big Oh Rox The World
Kavasci - Isreal
Manuel - Luv Luv
Big Shug - Crush
Scientifik - As Long As You Know
Da F.E.N.C.E. Men - Massacre Part II
Guru - For You
Raw Produce - Foundation
Wiseguys - Inn Tha Company Of Killaz
L Da Headtoucha - Too Complex
Laster - Gone With The Wind
Street Poets - Out Ta Flip
Cactus Jack - Act Like What U Say
Concrete Click - Keep It Street
God Complex - Secret Wars
L Da Headtoucha - It's Your Life
M-Slash - Feel It!
Scientifik - Criminal
T-Max - Execution Style
Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - Acting (Remix)
Concrete Click - Criminal
God Complex - Wild Styles
Krumbs Snatcha - Hip-Hop
Laster - Misery
Raw Produce - Weight Of The World (Remix)
Big Shug - Official
T-Max - Fantasy Island
Wiseguys - Brick Life
Concrete Click - Naive Too The Facts
Polecat - RIP
Bonafide - Stick Or Sting
Scientifik - Internal Affairs
Natives in Black - Gangsta
No need to check their résumé to know that Queens-based group The Beatnuts put in serious work during the early '90s. Before stepping into the spotlight themselves, Psycho Les and JuJu had already built a reputation behind the boards, crafting beats for names like Pete Nice and Daddy Rich (formerly of 3rd Bass), Chi-Ali, Kurious, Common Sense and more...
In 1993, they dropped their debut single "Reign of the Tec" on Relativity Records, a 12-inch that stands as one of their rawest and most memorable releases. Unfortunately Fashion (a.k.a Al' Tariq), the group's third member, wasn't able to appear on the single due to legal troubles at the time. Still, that didn't stop the record from making serious noise. The moment it hit the streets, it felt like a punch to the face, in the best possible way.
Upon release, "Reign of the Tec" quickly earned attention from the hip-hop press. It was featured in The Source's Fat Tape section (June 1993), reviewed in Billboard (May 1993) and Spin (August 1993). According to Billboard, the track debuted in the Top 15 on pay-to-see video channel The Box, and received steady radio rotation from coast to coast, on WRKS (Kiss 98.7), WKCR and WBLS in New York, WPGC in Washington D.C., WIOQ (Q102) in Philadelphia, KPWR (Power 106) in Los Angeles, and KMEL in San Francisco.
"When I pop the trunk, hit the deck
John Wayne couldn't even stand the reign of the Tec
Head for the hills before you get wrecked
John Wayne couldn't even stand the reign of the Tec"
The chorus features guest appearances from Sadat X of Brand Nubian and Kurious Jorge who has been down with the Beatnuts since the beginning and who can be considered as affiliated with the group.
On the production side, Psycho Les and JuJu flexed their crate-digging genius. The track revolves around a menacing guitar loop sampled from "Wicked World" by Black Sabbath (1971), giving it that dark, heavy energy that matched the era's raw East Coast sound. Layered over that are multiple samples from Gene Chandler's "In My Body's House"(1969), woven together into a head nodding masterpiece.
"Reign of the Tec" might not be the rarest 12" around, but it's a must-have for any hip-hop record collector. It captures the essence of early '90s New York... dusty loops, hard drums, and pure attitude. Well according to their promo sheet, their objective was to get paid ... no doubt this single was definitely the beginning of a stunning music career, mission accomplished !!!
Da Youngsta's feat. Big Tabb - Hip Hop Ride (Mellow Mix)
Kirk - Uptown Style
Lords Of The Underground - Flow On (New Symphony) (Pete Rock Remix)
Sha'Dasious - Phunk Wucha Heard
Main Source - How My Man Went Down In The Game
King Tee - Dippin'
Artifacts - Wrong Side Of Da Tracks
Saafir - Light Sleeper
Gravediggaz - Diary Of A Madman
The Wascals - Hard Rhymes
Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit
A Tribe Called Quest - Oh My God (Remix)
Blood Of Abraham - Life (After Version)
Coolio - I Remember
K.I.D. - Fatal Attraction
Krispy 3 - I Won't Hesitate (I'd Rather Be First)
Hidden Identity - Pure Rudeness
Ill Al Skratch - Where My Homiez? (Come Around My Way)
King Just feat. Shaolin Soldiers - Move On 'Em Stomp
Shyheim - Party's Goin' O
Big Daddy Kane feat. Jay-Z, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Sauce Money & Shyheim - Show & Prove
Fearless - Rockin' It
Bustin' Melonz - 1994
Gutter Snypes - Trials Of Life
Extra Prolific - Brown Sugar
Nice & Smooth - Do Whatcha Gotta
Beastie Boys feat. Q-Tip - Get It Together (Buckwild Remix)
Kwest Tha Madd Lad - 101 Things To Do While I'm With Your Girl
Top Quality feat. 3rd Eye - What
Raw Approach - Wrong Nek Of Da Woodz (Brownsville Mix)
Freddie Foxxx - Crazy Like A Foxxx (The Beef Is On)
Shadz Of Lingo - I Step 2 U Den
Mad Flava - From Tha Ground Unda
Maxi Jazz - So Good
For the first time ever, the classic "Ghetto Chronicle Daily" EP originally released in 1994 on Section 8 Records by Money Boss Players, is being reissued by the Amsterdam-based label RRC Music Co. Don't Sleep Fellas !!
" A long-overdue vinyl reissue for this underground gem from the Bronx! Originally released in the late ’90s, Ghetto Chronicle Daily stands as a timeless snapshot of New York street rap in its rawest form — a true reflection of the city’s golden era grit and lyrical craftsmanship.
The Money Boss Players — made up of Big Ah (RIP), Lord Tariq, Tre Bag, Eddie Cheeba, C-Dubb and legendary producer Minnesota — were key figures in shaping that unmistakable Bronx sound. Their chemistry was electric: sharp lyricism, vivid street storytelling, and cinematic beats that carried the DNA of hip-hop’s golden age.
This first-ever vinyl reissue brings this underground classic back to the masses in its full glory and goes a step further with bonus tracks previously unreleased on vinyl, including “Drug War Rages” and “Same Shit” — raw, unfiltered cuts that capture the crew at their most authentic. Also included is “White Chalk Pt. 2”, featuring none other than The Notorious B.I.G., a rare collaboration that cements the group’s deep roots in the East Coast rap lineage.
Since the original release, members of Money Boss Players have continued to carve their own lanes — with Eddie Cheeba and Tray Bag evolving into Boss Money, and Lord Tariq making his mark as a solo artist. In recent years, Bronx rapper Yung JB has joined the fold, carrying the Boss legacy into a new generation.
Now, more than two decades later, Ghetto Chronicle Daily returns to turntables worldwide — remastered and pressed with care for true heads and collectors alike. A must-have piece of hip-hop history, finally on wax where it belongs." - courtesy of RRC Music Co.
