DJ Stretch Armstrong “Volume Four” Mixtape (1996)

As I continue on through the box of tapes that I located in my basement, here is a semi mysterious DJ Stretch Armstrong "Volume Four" tape. I could find zero info on this one, so I turned to (the mixtape master of the Philaflava forum) Andyman187 for some help. He determined that this tape is a recording from a Stretch & Bobbito show on Hot97 that aired Sundays from 12pm-2pm sometime in 1996. Andyman187 was also kind enough to study the audio and put together a tracklist for me. If anyone out there can help by filling in the blanks or correcting any mistakes, please leave a comment. And the .rar files contain all the scans plus the full j-card.

Side A
01 KRS-One & Lord Finesse - SP-1200 Freestyle
02 Jay-Z - I Shot Ya (Remix) Freestyle
03 Busta Rhymes - Freestyle
04 Capone-N-Noreaga - Freestyle
05 Beatnuts - Find That
06 Bahamadia - Three The Hard Way
07 Pete Rock & The Large Professor - The Rap World
08 Capone-N-Noreaga - Illegal Life
09 Artifacts - Art Of Facts
10 M.O.P. - World Famous
11 McGruff feat. LOX - Reppin Uptown
12 Sun Dullah (aka King Sun) feat. Doo Wop - NY Love (2Pac Diss)

Side B
01 Heltah Skeltah - Intro (Here We Come)
02 Heltah Skeltah - Freestyle
03 Heltah Skeltah - Sean Price (Exclusive)
04 Heltah Skeltah - Soldiers Gone Psycho
05 Akinyele feat. CJ Moore - Freaky
06 Mobb Deep - Street Life
07 Shadez Of Brooklyn - Change
08 De La Soul - Itzsoeezze
09 Shabaam Shadeeq - Freestyle
10 Shabaam Shadeeq - On A Mission
11 Stretch & Bobbito - Shout Outs

DOWNLOAD SIDE A

DOWNLOAD SIDE B

enjoy,
--dirt_dog

Frankenstein “Live From New York (The Remixx Album)” (1996)

One of my favorite pieces from my vinyl collection. I picked this up back in 1996 just for Method Man's "P.L.O. Style" remix and I was pleasantly surprised with all the other tracks. In the last few years I've tracked down audio for just about everything that Frankenstein has ever done. I sure wish he'd come out from wherever he's hiding (a teacher in Canada?) and bless us with some new material.

DOWNLOAD

enjoy,
--dirt_dog

Mark 563's Hip Hop Portrait Sketches: East Coast

Mark 563 is a DJ, a graphic designer, he is also into amateur photography, but he also dabble into illustrations.

He is also a proud owner of one of the greatest vinyl collection i have ever seen.
Stay tunned after this one, cause soon after we will show you some more of his great work.
Enjoy and pleas leave the feedback, thanks.

** Click on the image to see it in a bigger resolution.













-- Markshot

R.I.P. Roc Raida

No word on what happened but it was confirmed by Busta Rhymes, who Raida used to DJ for.

Busta announced the unexpected news via his Twitter account Saturday afternoon.

"I am sorry 2 say that on this day at 2:05 Sept 19th we lost another incredible life...Dj Roc Raida died 2day my personal Dj is gone... I just wanna thank everyone 4 ur love and support and ur prayers...We will never let ur name die Roc...We love u and will 4ever miss u...RIP." (Busta Rhymes' Twitter)

Raida was reportedly checked into a hospital earlier this month after becoming the victim of a car accident.

Rest in peace to one of the best to ever do it. --Philaflava

VIDEO: Q-Tip ft. Busta Rhymes - Scenario (Live at Knitting Factory)

Remember the good 'ol days? --Philaflava

DJ Skipmode & The Illvibe Collective “The Best Of The Native Tongues Mixtape v1”

If I had any DJing abilities, this is exactly the kind of mix I'd love to make. But since I don't, may I present to you... DJ Skipmode & The Illvibe Collective “The Best Of The Native Tongues Mixtape v1.” It's a perfect mix from beginning to end, covering all the bases from the Native Tongues posse. The mix was labeled as 2004, but I can't find any information about it. If you know anything about this one, please leave me a comment. And if you like to make a donation to DJ Skipmode (and get a free cd) hit him up HERE. Or if you're in the Philly area and want to connect with The Illvibe Collective, go HERE.

Here is a brief bio about The Illvibe Collective, taken from their blog:

“Since its founding in 2000, ILLVIBE COLLECTIVE has been solidifying its eminence as Philadelphias most prolific, well-respected DJ crew. An amalgam of partyrockers and turntablists extraordinaire whose combined experience totals over a half-century, this five-man family, comprised of Statik, Panek, Phillee Blunt, Lil Dave and Skipmode, has been making an indelible mark on the Illadelph music scene, both individually and as a team. Pick your poison: dance floors, mix tapes or radio airwaves, and its guaranteed that ILLVIBE COLLECTIVE will rock em well -- with their loyal, worldwide following as co-signers.”

01 Queen Latifah-Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children

02 Queen Latifah-Dance For ME

03 Monie Love-Monie In The Middle

04 Leaders Of The New School-International Zone Coaster

05 De La Soul-A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays

06 NERD-She Wants To Move (Native Tongues Remix)

07 Jungle Brothers-I'll House You

08 Queen Latifah-Come Into My House

09 Dee Lite-Groove Is In The Heart

10 A Tribe Called Quest-Sucka Nigga

11 Common-Stolen Moments 3

12 De La Soul-Stakes Is High

13 Da Bush Babees-We Run Things

14 A Tribe Called Quest-Electric Relaxation (Remix)

15 Jungle Brothers feat. Q-Tip-On The Road (Remix)

16 Black Sheep-Have You U N E Pull (Remix)

17 Leaders Of The New School-What's Next (Remix)

18 De La Soul-En Focus

19 A Tribe Called Quest-Steve Biko

20 Jungle Brothers-How You Want It We Got It

21 Black Sheep-Gimme Tha Finga

22 A Tribe Called Quest-Everything Is Fair

23 Common-Soul By The Pound

24 De La Soul feat. ATCQ, Queen Latifah & Monie Love-Buddy (Native Tongue Decision)

25 Leaders Of The New School-Case Of The PTA

26 Monie Love-It's A Shame

27 De La Soul-I Am I Be

28 A Tribe Called Quest-Push It Along

29 Queen Latifah-Wrath Of My Madness

30 De La Soul-Afro Connections At A Hi 5

31 A Tribe Called Quest-Buggin' Out

32 Busta Rhymes feat. Q-Tip-The Illvibe (Skipmode Remix)

33 De La Soul-Area

34 Jungle Brothers-Straight Out The Jungle

35 De La Soul feat. Jeff-Macdaddy On The Left

36 DJ Skipmode & The Illvibe Collective-Skit 5

download

enjoy,

--dirt_dog

Rap All Stars - Freestyle Live @ Yo! MTV Raps (Spring Break 1992)

djedyk

Live Music: Brand New Heavies

Vocals: Dinco D, B-Real, Salt, Dres, Treach, Phife Dawg, Ed Lover, Busta Rhymes, & Q-Tip (Native Tongues)

Download MP3 (Exclusively @ T.R.O.Y.)

Fun Trivia: Greg Nice can been seen with a Grayson & Jasun "Get Bizzy" T-Shirt.

Enjoy!!!

-- Thomas V

A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders Videos

Artwork Edited By dirt_dog

Hot Sex first appeared on the "Boomerang" soundtrack released in 1992. It was later included on the European version of Midnight Marauders. Throughout the video, Q-Tip can be seen wearing a ski mask looking like a '93 Ghostface Killer. So why was he wearing a mask? Well, Q-Tip was jumped by Wreckx-N-Effect's thugged out associates prior to the video shoot leaving him with a serious eye jammie. Phife Dawg in "Jazz": 'Strictly hardcore tracks, not a new jack swing'. Unable to hide the wounds with makeup, Q-Tip was forced to wear the mask for the video. Hot Sex wasn't included on the A Tribe Called Quest Anthology DVD. Thanks to Mamli for providing me with a high quality video tape rip. The rest of the videos taken from the DVD are Award Tour, Electric Relaxtion, & Oh My God. Enjoy!

Award Tour













Download

Electric Relaxation













Download

Oh My God













Download

Hot Sex












Download


-- Thomas V

A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory Videos

Artwork Edited By dirt_dog

Here we have the videos from A Tribe Called Quest's second album "The Low End Theory". Click Here if you missed the previous post with ATCQ's "People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm" Videos. Enjoy, check the vids y'all!!!

Check The Rhime













Download

Jazz (We've Got) / Buggin' Out













Download

Scenario Feat. Leaders Of The New School

Download

-- Thomas V

Doo Wop “The Best Of Doo Wop Freestyle Sessions Volume One (1995)”

Ahhh... the summer of 1996. My first summer in Chicago and one of the first things I purchased. The guy at the record shop (The Beat Parlor) wouldn't let me leave the store without buying it. It came packaged in a jewel case, no cover, no notes, no nothing but shrink wrap.

While this cd is full of great freestyles, some of my favorites are the Mad Lion one and the beginning of the Channel Live track (tracks 25 and 26). Scan of cd included. And yes, that is blue paint over Doo Wop's contact number. It actually came like that.

And since it is Gang Starr month 2009, there is a nice Guru freestyle in there.

01 Doo Wop-Intro
02 Keith Murray-Freestyle
03 Q-Tip-Freestyle
04 Busta Rhymes-Freestyle
05 Rampage The Last Boyscout-Freestyle
06 Fat Joe-Freestyle
07 Uneek-Freestyle
08 M.O.P.-Freestyle
09 Guru-Freestyle
10 Raekwon & Carlton Fisk-Freestyle
11 Ill Al Skratch-Freestyle
12 Shabba Ranks-Freestyle
13 Tragedy Khadafi & Don Black-Freestyle
14 Smoothe Da Hustler & D.V. Alias Khrist-Freestyle
15 Doo Wop, Fat Joe, Akinyele, Pretty Boy Floyd & Lord Tariq-Freestyle
16 Doo Wop-Freestyle
17 KRS-One-Freestyle
18 Treach-Freestyle
19 Keith Murray & Redman-Freestyle
20 Mobb Deep & Big Noyd-Freestyle
21 AZ-Freestyle
22 Lost Boyz-Freestyle
23 Uneek-Freestyle
24 Cocoa Brovaz-Freestyle
25 Mad Lion & KRS-One-Freestyle
26 Channel Live-Freestyle
27 King Just-Freestyle
28 Buckshot Da B.D.I. Emcee-Freestyle

Download

enjoy,

-- dirt_dog

Hot 97 Radio Freestyles Pt.3 (1996)

Here's volume 4 of the Hot 97 Freestyle AllStars vinyl series. This is probably the release with the least rare freestyles since most of the ones included were featured on Funkmaster Flex "60 Minutes of Funk Vol.1". But for example, you get the full session of the Redman & Keith Murray freestyle which is 15 min. long while it was cut short to 4 min. in the Funk Flex mixtape. The other exclusive freestyles are from Da Bush Babees, Jay-Z, and Krs-One.

A1. Redman & Keith Murray - Freestyle
B1. Da Bush Babees - Freestyle
B2. Krs-One - Freestyle
B3. Jay-Z - Freestyle
B4. Fugees - Freestyle
B5. Erick Sermon - Freestyle
B6. Redman & Method Man - Freestyle
B7. Busta Rhymes - Freestyle
B8. Q-Tip - Freestyle

Ripped exclusively by dirt_dog for The T.R.O.Y. Blog

Download

-- Thomas V

Hot 97 Radio Freestyles Pt.2 (1996)

About 3 weeks ago, I posted a 12" containing a few Hot 97 radio freestyles from the likes of Nas, Cormega, ATCQ, Wu-Tang, and Heltah Skeltah. It was part of a series of vinyls called Freestyle AllStars released on Wild Style Records. I only owned volume 2 of the series .

After seeing a comment from dirt_dog, he informed me that he had a few of those other volumes. He immediately ripped all the volumes so that it could be shared to everyone. Below you will find all the artists involved on the first installment.

A1. Krs-One - Freestyle #1
A2. Pudgee - Freestyle #1
A3. Sadat X - Freestyle
A4. La The Darkman - Freestyle
B1. Pete Rock & INI - Freestyle
B2. Pudgee - Freestyle #2
B3. Method Man & Redman - Freestyle
B4. Krs-One - Freestyle #2
B5. Busta Rhymes & Rampage - Freestyle

Ripped exclusively by dirt_dog for The T.R.O.Y. Blog

Download

Other volumes coming soon.

-- Thomas V

XXL: Nas Illmatic, 15 Years Later

When was the last time you bought a hip-hop magazine? Basically, I never buy new hip-hop magazines but I had to make an exception for the new XXL April 2009 Issue. In the beginning of this month when the magazine cover was revealed, I noticed that there was going to be an article commemorating the 15th Anniversary of Nas's Classic 1994 LP "Illmatic". With subtitles of DJ Premier, Large Pro, Pete Rock, & Q-Tip, I knew that it was going to be worth the reading.

Yesterday, after copping the issue, I immediately skipped to the "Illmatic" article. I was stunned by seeing these old hi-res '94 pictures of Nas; there's a picture of Premier, Large Pro, Faith, Nas, Q-Tip, & L.E.S in the studio. I would like to thanks Timmotep Aku, Carl Chery, Clover Hope, Rob Markman, Starrene Rhett, Anslem Samuel for taking a trip down to memory lane and compiling a classic article on a perfect album. Below are all the representers who each took their time to talk on the making-of of their incredible work on the track which they appeared on. This isn't something that you've seen before, you will learn a lot of new trivia... Below that is the scan of the article.

Representers

• Nas
• Jungle
• Faith Newman-Orbach(Executive Producer)
  
• MC Serch
• DJ Premier
• Large Professor
• L.E.S.
• AZ
• Olu Dara
• Pete Rock
• T La Rock
• Busta Rhymes
• Grand Wizard
• Q-Tip

Download 9-Pages Scan (Hi-Res)

Make sure to support this issue by buying it at your local bookstore. This is the type of issue that will truly become a collectible. There are other noteworthy articles included in the issue that are worth reading after "Illmatic."

-- Thomas V

Editor's Note: Don't forget to grab today's other exclusive: Rakim "The Cellar EP".

L.O.N.S. And The Crisis Of Time, Part 1

"Too Much On Mind"

"Transformers"

"Just When You Thought It Was Safe"

"Teachers, Don't Teach Us Nonsense"

"Where Do We Go From Here"

1993 Interview on Max N' Dave radio show

In the past critics have reduced L.O.N.S.'s debut A Future Without A Past (Elektra, 1991) to the sum of Charlie Brown's shrieks, Busta's growls, and Dinco's non-sequiters. But are their exuberant Cold-Crush-like deliveries, which admittedly sustain a jovial mood, consistently matched with a carefree tone? Does showmanship soften the urgency of their message? Years later, I find it difficult to listen to Future and hear only frivolity. While some songs ("Feminine Fatt" springs to mind) celebrate youthful caprice, many defy this trend, even as raucous choruses and ad-libs give way to hilarity.

On Future, the interplay between song structure, vocal styling, and lyrical content is enticingly complex. "Case of the P.T.A." and "The International Zone Coaster" present the what of delinquency and truancy and mostly leave it at that. Yet the similarly rambunctious "Teachers, Don't Teach Us Nonsense," hints at the why behind rebellion. Namely, a festering resentment for miseducation coupled with a tangible anxiety for a future of rapidly disintegrating options.

But let's backtrack. The who and where are also important.

The group's families all emigrated from NYC to Long Island's "Black Belt." They settled in the hamlet of Uniondale where low-rise, single family dwellings rest on tree-lined streets. By many accounts, however, the Black Belt's idyll was quickly marred by soaring living expenses, declining wages, an influx of lower-income residents, white flight, housing segregation, and a gradual decline in the quality of government services, particularly in the area of education. While Busta credits the relative ease of life in this town as a catalyst for creativity and ambition the stage was set for the Leaders to address issues of concern to the larger black collectve.

Luckily, L.O.N.S. rested one town away from Public Enemy. After honing dance and rap routines in the schoolyard at their junior high school they became the unofficial studio apprentices of The Bomb Squad's Eric "Vietnam" Sadler. They sat in on sessions at the "Spectrum City" studio in neighboring Hempstead, learning recording and production techniques and receiving a strict but caring education in conceptualizing and structuring songs. The grueling in-studio baptism of fire that Busta recounts fondly as a formative experience may have included instruction in black power ideologies, or even just the incorporation of protest into music.

I feel such speculation is safe because the structure of their early music reflects an ethos of unity and progression. During their 1993 interview on British radio show “Max N’ Dave,” their vocal synchronicity (which they demonstrate on-air in the course of unscripted conversation) is explicitly linked to a program of communal uplift. Just as they were mentored and constructively critiqued by PE, they consciously viewed their ascent in the music industry as a means to provide mentorship and employment to their fellow Uniondale brethren.

Their commitment to this ethos is evident in their frequent inclusion of Geranimo (later of Rumpletilskinz fame) in early press appearances and performances but also throughout the lyrics of their first album. On “Too Much On My Mind” Charlie Brown laments “minimum wage in the age of the future” while Dinco D relates that $99.95 will not buy “fresh.” These grievances point to the looming possibility of downward mobility, a figurative castration for the children of hard-working immigrants. Such inner-ring suburban concerns are not petty. On “Teachers, Don’t Teach Us Nonsene” they rage against an educational system that fails to prepare them for a 21st century where retail employment will not cover one’s daily needs.

A Future Without A Past is the story of a collective, a culture, and a rap group struggling for recognition and inclusion while resisting assimilation as time advances unabated.“Transformers” insists that the failure to increase future earning potential through the pursuit of unerring perfection leaves one susceptible to peer pressure. “Just When You Thought You Were Safe” is a stern warning that real dangers are already steadily encroaching on their Long Island bubble, while “Where Do We Go From Here” see L.O.N.S. plotting the next steps to ensure longevity in a crassly profit-obsessed industry. The long-term effectiveness of the L.O.N.S. credo is questionable given the group's dissolution but the attempt to incorporate it into the music is apparent even where shouting and silly noises dominate.

TO BE CONTINUED

Don't forget to peep Roy's compilation of non-album L.O.N.S. cuts.

Leaders Of The New School - Non-Album Tracks

Leaders Of The New School - Non-Album Tracks Volume 1
1. International Zone Coaster (SD50s Remix)
2. Case Of The PTA (Remix)
3. Sobb Story (Remix)
4. Mt. Airy Groove
5. Scenario
6. Scenario (Remix)
7. Scenario (7 MCs Mix)
8. Scenario (Young Nation Mix)
9. Scenario Demo #1
10. Scenario Demo #2
11. Rub Off The Wax w/ Powerule
http://www.mediafire.com/?5nmmygm0moy

Leaders Of The New School - Non-Album Tracks Volume 2
1. Can't Get Any Harder w/ James Brown
2. Shining Star
3. What's Next (Large Professor Remix)
4. Classic Material (Diamond D Remix)
5. Spontaneous (Remix)
6. Bass Is Loaded (Live)
7. L.O.N.S. Promo (Interview)
8. East Coast Stomp Fever (Interview)
9. Beatbox Session
10. Freestyle w/ Kurious Jorge
11. Scenario Juggle (DJ Eclipse)
http://www.mediafire.com/?mkute2kmyzi

Preview:

International Zone Coaster (SD50s Remix)


Mt. Airy Groove


Can't Get Any Harder


Shining Star


Beatbox Session


--Roy Johnson