Yo, which one o' y'all down wit' B.B.O.?

One of the many gems posted in T.R.O.Y.'s Illest EPs Ever thread is from this little known group:

Best Ballers Out, or B.B.O., also known as The B.B.O. Crew, B.B.O. Enterprises or B.B.O. Niggas were a Harlem based group composed of (then Murda) Mase’s brother Blinky Blink (who would later be known from Harlem World), Napizm, White Bread, Beef Tha Thief, Futuristic and manager Chuck Black. (Real names according to the credits on their EP: T. Gilford, M. Foster, K. Leigh, G. Jones, G. Burgess and T. Saunders.) They had ties to DJ S&S, the Niggaz For Life crew and The Children of the Corn(er), first getting shout outs from the likes of Mase and Big L starting around ’93, their song from ’96 Get Rude may have been inspired by Mase’s ’93 track of the same name (V2 / VBR). Sometime starting around ’97, shortly before the group disappeared, they had ads up in The Source promoting what would have been their debut album: Across From 125^th St., which of course never dropped. By the end of ’98 they had basically all but vanished completely.

B.B.O – Get Rude / Dayz Lik This / Pose A Threat 12” / VLS - V2 / VBR - (1996)

A1 - Get Rude (Rude Version)

A2 - Get Rude (Nude Version)

A3 - Get Rude (Instrumental)

B1 - Dayz Lik This

B2 - Dayz Lik This (Instrumental)

B3 - Pose a Threat

DJ S&S – Beat of the Day (Throw Ya Hands Up) ft. B.B.O. 12” / VLS - V2 / VBR - (1998)

A1 - Beat of the Day ft. B.B.O. (Radio Version)

B1 - Beat of the Day ft. B.B.O. (125^th Street LP Mix)

B2 - Beat of the Day (Instrumental)

Thanks to Verge for reupping the ’97 DJ S&S track So Hot (V2 / VBR), to soopacee for originally ripping and posting the '97 DJ Capone freestyle (192 CBR) and to True King and Ed Catto (and badboy4life on the BigLOnline forums) for helpin’ out with some of the information.

-- The Big Sleep

Touring The States: Portland, ME (with Echo Leader)

Maine is generally more known for producing lobsters and lumber than rap talent. Sure, we've got some great local MC's - Well's Spose and the mid-state duo Luch & Eliza come to mind - and a relatively well-known (at least regionally) record label called Flophouse, but past that the good rappers are few and far between, and often slip through the cracks of open mic nights and backwoods poolhall performances. It's been hard to put the Pine Tree State's hip-hop scene on the map.

Sole could have done it for us, man.

After a series of industry misadventures following the recording of his first demo - including an deal with EMI that fell through at the last second - Tim Holland (bka Sole) and his DJ Cuz Tha Highlander began recording together under the moniker "Northern Exposure." During it's brief existence, the crew only put out one album, 1994's "Madd Skills & Unpaid Bills." This cassette-only effort was put out on a now-defunct local imprint called 45 Below Records, and only sold around 300 copies. Needless to say, finding an original tape is damn near impossible.

Sadly for Northern Exposure, long-term success was not to be. Shortly after the tape's release and subsequent lack of success, Sole decided to keep it movin' and began recording with a new group, the Last Poets. Thier 1996 release "What's It All About?" quietly began making the dub rounds, eventually being traded as far as Los Angeles and arguably planting the seed for an entire future crew of milquetoast, "artsy" rappers in the Yay.

The music contained on "Madd Skills..." is certainly indicative of the time during which it was recorded. Hardcore b-boy posturing. Black Moon samples all over the place. Extensive graffiti references. Gritty boom-bap beats, courtesy of Tim & Cuz. And check out the intentional misspelling of "madd" in the title! I mean, misspelling stuff worked for Redman, right?

In conclusion, Sole's contemporary fans would positively shudder to hear these grimy examples of life on the harsh, unforgiving streets of Portland, throwing off their headphones and quivering behind their scarves. I can only imagine what would have happened if Tim/Sole had stayed in Maine and kept to the course; he might have influenced a generation or more of Jedi Mind Tricks-lite kids dressed up in wheat Timbos, baggy jeans, and North Face bubble gooses. Hoods from the woods, if you will.

In short: don't sweat moving to Cali, Tim. We've been ok.

In case you're wondering what anticon's wunderkind sounded like before he grew out his facial hair, peep game. It's actually pretty interesting to hear the approach Sole started out with, considering his current sonic pedigree. (Thanks to schenectadyfan for providing a rip of this incredibly rare tape.)


Northern Exposure - Madd Skills & Unpaid Bills

1.) Intro (Real MCs)

2.) Busta

3.) Ex To Tha Next Shit

4.) Madd Skills & Unpaid Bills

5.) Wreck On Tha Regular

6.) Hoods From Tha Woods

7.) Last Minute

8.) To The East (Bonus Track)

Mediafire

Enjoy.

-Echo Leader

Edo G Megamix (1991-2004)

Here's a little gem that was recently posted in TROY by forum member (and part of Low Budget Music) Debonair P: a non-stop Edo G megamix highlighting the legendary Bostonians' recorded career from 1991 to 2004.

I've always thought Edo G a certifiable but overlooked legend of the Golden Age. He's got some near-classic albums under his belt, and is still making consistently good records even if the company with which he chooses to record is lackluster (read: Slaine).

This mix is real clean and right to the point. Debonair_P forgoes the wikki-wikki turntable gymnastics, instead choosing to simply focus on the music, and the result is dope. Essential for any Edo fan and a perfect jump-off point for new listeners who may have never heard him before, or simply don't know how deep his catalogue runs.

70 tracks of certified knuckle-headed East Coast madness.

Edo G Megamix (1991-2004) (Mixed by Debonair P)

Here's the tracklisting:

1. Just Call My Name

2. Official

3. Hot Shit

4. 304’s

5. Streets is Callin’

6. Be Thankful

7. What U Got

8. Right Wingers

9. Too Much to Live For

10. Acting

11. Whatuwankno?

12. Questions

13. Showing Skills

14. What U Know

15. Off Balance

16. Nights Like This

17. Nothing Ventured

18. Revolution

19. Better Than Before

20. Be A Father To Your Child

21. Be A Father To Your Child Remix

22. Situations

23. Dedicated

24. I Feel You

25. Bitch Up Off Me

26. I Used to Know Ya

27. Bug A Boo

28. Wishin’

29. Laughin'

30. Don’t Talk About It

31. Voices

32. Bring Truth to the Light

33. On Dogz

34. Pay the Price

35. I Gotta Have It

36. Rock the Beat

37. Check it Out

38. Speak Upon It

39. Extreme

40. Boston

41. Busted

42. Life of a Kid in the Ghetto

43. Sayin’ Somethin’

44. On Fire

45. Right Now

46. I Thought Ya Knew
47. Let’s Be Realistic
48. Ridiculous

49. Work For It

50. Stop (Think For a Moment)

51. I’ll Rip You

52. Lessons

53. Day to Day

54. Love Comes and Goes

55. I’m Different

56. I’m Different Remix

57. School ‘Em

58. Last Words

59. Less Than Zero

60. Rollin’ Dolo

61. Up and Up

62. Strategy

63. She Said it Was Great

64. Streets of the Ghetto

65. Stop Dat

66. Try Me

67. Feel Like A Nut

68. Skinny Dip

69. Let Me Tickle Your Fancy

70. Dat Ain’t Right

Tape Maniak's Crazy East Coast 12" Mix

Another homegrown contribution from the T.R.O.Y. Forum. Props to Tape Maniak -- Thun.

[Download]

01-all_city_productions-bust_your_rhymes
02-venom-boulevard
03-servin`_mic_ervin-hold_em_high
04-legit-buddah_bless_finess
05-gutter_snypes-trials_of_life
06-underground_mafia-dope_charge
07-the_funk_family-disperse
08-chemistry-how_i`m_feel_it
09-prince_ikey_c-top_of_the_head
10-uptown_kidz-i_got_da_skilz
11-thailowa-never_give_up
12-the_maniac-rock_dis_land