“By Any Means” is a gritty, no-frills boom bap odyssey that captures the raw essence of golden era hip-hop while carving a lane firmly rooted in the present. Powered by dusty drums, chopped soul loops, and hypnotic jazz samples sourced by Nozs, the album weaves together verses from an elite lineup of underground icons and lyrical technicians.
Brooklyn's own Thirstin Howl The 3rd brings his signature wit, bilingual flex, and rugged charisma, setting the tone with streetwise real life storytelling and unorthodox punchlines. The Album kicks off with Son Doobie, the Funkdoobiest legend, he delivers wildstyle bars and left-field bravado that crash through the speakers like a cipher in full swing. Canada's prolific Moka Only offers introspective gems with buttery flow, while Massachusetts rhyme vets Termanology & Ea$y Money spit razor-sharp verses soaked in East Coast tradition and hard-earned wisdom.
Rounding out the lineup is Flex Mathews, repping Washington, DC with verbal dexterity and grounded authenticity—his presence bridges coasts and styles, proving that mic skills transcend geography.
“By Any Means” isn't chasing trends—it’s "Preserving The Culture". For heads who still nod to SP-1200 textures and rewind bars to catch every nuance, this record is a celebration of hip-hop’s core pillars: beats, rhymes, and respect
A1 - Laurens Orphans feat. Son Doobie
A2 - 2 AM Flight Instrumental
A3 - Preserve the Culture feat. Ea$y Money
A4 - Sals Basement #2
A5 - Forward feat. Moka Only
B1 - Jazz Instrumental
B2 - She Cool Cool feat. Flex Mathews
B3 - Keep Pushin Instrumental
B4 - Real Experience feat. Ea$y Money & Termanology
B5 - Organized Wise feat. Thirstin Howl The 3rd
Listen to the full snippets and order your copy HERE !
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"Hot Ramen" is the first single from the upcoming collaborative album of the same name, delivered by Beatmaker/Producer Budamunk from Tokyo, Japan and Scienz Of Life 's John Robinson. The album is available on super limited edition vinyl via Vinyl Digital (only 100 copies, each with a special OBI strip). Check the video !
Crooked Ozone was a group from Southside Jamaica Queens, consisted of 7 OD and the Voodoo Priest (RIP), together they formed a duo called Doom Of Darkness along with Chris Lo, and L OD who were a duo called Mass Hysteria, and two other cats from their neighborhood named Smoke Screen and D Lo Peasant Career.
7 OD : " Crooked Ozone was formed from a song we made where I called my neighborhood CROOKED LETTER (S) OZONE base off South Ozone Park, NY where I was born and raised.
So since we all represented from the same hood we said we should bring it together under one umbrella individually and collectively and represent as one though we all had different lanes and didn’t sound the same we had a crooked way of thinking so to speak can never get things straight (laugh)
We all went to the same junior high school and high school and hung around each other on the block everyone brought something to the table at the time. I was on two records at the time and was trying to break in the industry, me and the Voodoo Priest did a song in Harlem one night at a producer's home that my god sister connected us with, and the very next day we met up on Sutter ave on the corner of 135 PL in Queens in the back streets of Rockaway blvd, my man Chris Lo heard the song and said Yo! L that part in the hook where you say crooked letter ozone repetitively we should come together and call our selves CROOKED OZONE being that we all was from Southside Queens, South Ozone wasn’t being talked about as much we didn’t see the vision until we saw that that’s the lane we were going to go with and when we were together we were a force to be reckoned with with this rap shit. "
- The productions were managed by Tony T. Could you give me more info about him ?
7 OD : " Tony T was the producer, he hailed from Coney Island and produced on a record for Mack Da Maniak who was signed to Select Records that featured myself, Rog-A-Rab of The Brooklyn Zoo, Mr Cheeks and Freaky Tah of The Lost Boyz who is also from my neighborhood as well as Onyx. "
7 OD : " We are still friends to this day, Tony T had a studio in Coney Island we would all go to and record, he djs now in club New York in Las Vegas. But it was L OD who set up the single with Tony T to do a A side & B side that we would press up ourselves and distribute ourselves with a 1000 vinyl and 500 cassettes at first. "
- Why is there no more single dropped by the group after the 12inch in 1994 ? Does an unreleased album exist ?
7 OD : " So unfortunately we lost a brother out the group the Voodoo Priest who took his life due to suicide and it took a toll on everybody... we all did music individually but couldn’t quite come together. In 2017 we put out another song in commemoration of our falling brother and was once again going the independent route but life and other situations for seen the project. I will send you the last record we did but for the most part we still have hopes of dropping again. "
The 12" remains hard to find in a record store. I think I've never seen a copy for sale from my own eyes. So Discogs will be your last chance in my opinion if you really need it in your record collection.
Kool G Rap& DJ Polo f. Biz Markie & Big Daddy Kane “Erase Racism”
A Tribe Called Quest “Bonita Applebum (Hootie Mix)”
Master Ace “Me and the Biz”
King Tee f. Ice Cube & MC Breeze “Played Like a Piano”
Poor Righteous Teachers “Shakiyla”
The Bizzie Boyz “Droppin’ It”
Ice Cube “Who’s the Mack”
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo “Streets of New York”
K-Solo “Fugitive”
Freshco & Miz “Ain’t U Freshco?”
EPMD f. Redman “Hardcore”
Brand Nubian “Wake Up (Reprise in the Sunshine)”
JVC Force “Force Field”
A Tribe Called Quest “Ham ‘N’ Eggs”
Eric B. & Rakim “In the Ghetto”
Boogie Down Productions “Love’s Gonna Getcha”
Grand Daddy IU “Something New”
Intelligent Hoodlum f. Craig G. “Live & Direct from the House of Hits”
Brand Nubian “Slow Down”
Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth “Funky Technician”
LL Cool J “Boomin’ System”
Poor Righteous Teachers “Rock Dis Funky Joint”
X-Clan “Grand Verbalizer, What Time Is It?”
3rd Bass “Product of the Environment (Project Remix)”
A Tribe Called Quest “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo”
Big Daddy Kane “Down the Line”
King Sun “Be Black”
EPMD f. Redman “Brothers on My Jock”
Master Ace “Music Man”
YZ “Thinking of a Master Plan”
A Tribe Called Quest “Can I Kick It?”
Above the Law “Murder Rap”
Jaz f. Jay-Z “Originators”
West Coast All-Stars “We’re All in the Same Gang”
D-Nice “Crumbs on the Table (Otis Mix)”
Gang Starr “Just to Get a Rep”
Brand Nubian “All for One”
LL Cool J “Mama Said Knock You Out”
Main Source “Looking Out the Front Door”
Public Enemy “Brothers Gonna Work It Out”
Special Ed “Ready 2 Attack”
Eric B. & Rakim “Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em”
