Great EPs: E-40 - "The Mailman"

Fresh from the "Illest EPs Ever" thread over at the forum, here's a Bay Area classic from the legendary 40 Fonzarelli.

Originally released in 1994, The Mail Man follows the trends set on previous efforts such as Mr. Flamboyant and Federal; E-40 kicks rapid-fire, humorous tales thick with his trademark "slanguage" over slumping mobb-style beats produced by Studio Ton and 40-Water himself. However, what distinguishes this EP from those earlier releases is a more polished, consistent sound; this most likely stems from the major-label backing bestowed upon 40 by Jive Record, the imprint that would later re-release his earlier efforts. Along with this improved production, The Mail Man shows 40 really solidifying his now-trademark style, and it shows. So many solid tunes on this record, including the all-time classics "Captain Save-A-Ho" and "Practice Lookin' Hard."

Despite the transgressions made by E-40 over the past 6 years and numerous attempts to tarnish his legacy as a Bay legend, the grip of full-lengths and extended plays that he dropped from 1991 to 1996 more than make up for it. The Mail Man is no exception. So drop ya drawls and get some 40 Water in ya life, yadadibooboo?

1. "Neva Broke"

2. "Bring the Yellow Tape"

3. "Practice Lookin' Hard"

4. "Ballin' Out of Control" (featuring Levitti)

5. "Where the Party At" (featuring The Mossie)

6. "Captain Save a Hoe" (featuring The Click)

7. "Mailman"

8. "Captain Save a Hoe" (Remix) (featuring The Click)

E-40 - "The Mailman" EP

Great EPs: Digital Underground: "This Is An EP Release"

You really ain't know hip hop if you ain't know the legendary Digital Underground. Likewise, if you've never danced your ass off to this song at a house party while singing "I once got busy in a Burger King bathroom," then you should probably bounce and go listen to some Flo-Rida or something. These dudes are Oaktown legends, and are unfairly remembered more for the fact that they gave Tupac his start in the industry than the music that they made.

Digital Underground is a fantastic rap group, don't get me wrong. However, I've got to admit that they have their faults, at least musically. As the mighty ego trip Monkey Academy once said, D.U. has "one great album, one decent EP, and far too much bullshit after that." Whereas this may be perceived as a little harsh, there's a modicum of truth to it. Sex Packets is indeed a classic hip hop album; it's bawdy, rambunctious, and totally fun. Unfortunately, after releasing this seminal piece of music, something caused D.U. to fade away into the ether.

So what happened? Too ambitious, indulgent? The constant revolving-door cycle of artists coming in and out of the D.U. camp? The actual bloatation (is that even a word?) of the group into near-Funkadelic status, with dozens of musicians, graphic artists, dancers shuffled into the collective? Who knows. I suppose that's a question for another day and another blog post. For now, we'll be focusing on just one of the other high-quality releases by Digital Underground: 1991's This Is An EP Release.

Essentially a continuation of the Sex Packets sound and themes, This Is An EP Release rides the Parliament vibe, eschewing the sample-driven sound and embracing live instrumentation; this is some of the funkiest organ work you'll ever hear on a rap record. 6 songs deep, all killer and no filler. It might not be the perfect EP but it's pretty damn close. Do yourself a favor: scoop this up and play it next Saturday night. I guarantee it will not disappoint.

1. Same Song

2. Tie the Knot

3. Way We Swing

4. Nuttin' Nis Funky

5. Packet Man (Worth a Packet Remix)

6. Arguin' on the Funk

Grab it!

- Echo Leader

The T.R.O.Y. Blog Presents: Houston, TX

Another day, another great mix from forum member Tha Town (That E. Oak LOC!). As evidenced by his great G-Funk Cali mix, Tha Town is a veritable encyclopedia of rare, obscure, and otherwise criminally unknown gangsta rap. Dude's collection is large, and he's been blessing us with some serious knowledge since he joined the Phila forum. Don't believe me? Check his threads on Louisiana and Jackson, Mississippi. Highly recommended.

Anyway, if you've read these two posts, you already know that my own tastes are pretty bugged and I'm always on the lookout for some seriously Southern-fried, gangstafied, low-budget rap music. So, I approached Tha Town about doing a mix for the blog, and he came back with a collection of marvelous tracks focusing on Houston, Texas.

Here's what the Loc himself has to say:

"If you ask me, 90's Houston is best hip-hop anywhere, or anytime. This is some of the best of the best from that region. I had a really difficult time putting this together because I had about 100 tracks I wanted to put on here. A must have. Smooth, gangsta, and strong vocal hooks. Enjoy."

Indeed. Pop the trunk and turn the street volume up to 10.

1. Deep South Playas - "Trapped in the Ghetto"

2. Rashid - "H-Town Way"

3. Mass 187 - "Gangsta Strut"

4. 20-2-Life - "Feel Me"

5. Jakol - "Hit It From The Back"

6. 5th Ward Juvenilez - "Bad News"

7. 5th Ward Boyz - "Situationz"

8. DJ DMD - "Mr. 25/8"

9. Klondike Kat - "Ghetto Baby"

10. Guerilla Maab - "Still Here"

11. DJ DMD - "Keep the Real Ones By Your Side"

12. Ka*V*R - "Baby Love"

13. 20-2-Life - "After Servin' A Deuce"

14. Cappeela - "Mama"

15. Cappeela - "Playas"

16. Mass 187 - "Lord Knows"

Get learned.

-Echo Leader

Murder Dog Presents: Pirhana Killer Fish 5823 & Ride Or Die 5810

Murder Dog is, quite simply, one of the best hip hop publications ever to hit newsstands. Though not as hilariously demented as ego trip or as comprehensive as The Source during it's Golden Age, every single issue is saturated with a wealth of artist interviews and articles. Black Dog Bone and the Murder Dog team have had their collective fingers to the pulse of underground rap music for a decade and a half and have managed to consistently put out a magazine that is almost completely devoid of industry politricks. Also, where else could you find side-by-side interviews with UGK, Haji Springer, and Danny Trejo along with a ten-page spread on the Sri Lankan hip hop scene?

Along with their interviews, scene coverage, and producer biopsies Murder Dog has also been dedicated to bringing the underground to light through extremely comprehensive regional compilations. The two I bring to you today were actually packaged with early issues of Murder Dog, and are entitled "5823 Pirhana Killer Fish" and "5810 Ride Or Die." They are ridiculously rare in physical form, and as such command top dollar from caked-up rap nerds that have no problem blowing $200 on an out-of-print cd.

Although I wouldn't spend that much cash, the music contained within is indeed top-quality. Low budget environments striving for perfection, naw'mean? Real underground 4-track, recorded-in-a-washing-room sounding records. If you like the obscure regional compilations that schenectadyfan brings us on the reg, you will love these discs. True to first-generation Murder Dog, they have a exclusive focus on the southern and west-coast scene, with raps from Al Kapone, the Botany Boys, and Kool Daddy Fresh, and lesser known talents such as the Funxsouljaz. There's even an old Mac Dre song on "5810 Ride Or Die." These definitely get the EL stamp-of-approval

Grab these compilations while they're hot; I guarantee they won't disappoint.

- Echo Leader

Murder Dog Presents: 5823 Pirhana Killer Fish

1. El Kaye & Nino Brown - Leave The Light On
2. Ska Face Al Kapone - To Tha Death
3. NonFiktion, Lo-Skee & Mr. K Geeta - Raw Game
4. Pat Chilla, H-Bomb & Ski Loc - Watch Your Back
5. Land of Da Lost & DJ T-Ski - Nutt'n
6. Young Dre-D & Sonya Dinkins - Sucka Free
7. Skip Dog - By Any Means
8. Lil' Gene (aka The Sandman), Von OP & Mo-B - Tow-O-Sic-Shit
9. 11/5 & UDI - Kill-a-Hoe
10. Mad Dog Clique - Only Made 2 Bump
11. Kool Daddy Fresh - Born To Slang (Part 2)
12. Funxsouljaz - Ill Gott'N Gain
13. Closed Caption - Greens
14. KNS - Survival's In The Game
15. No Face Phantom - The Island
16. Squeek Nutty Bug & Kevin Gardner - 3 Cides of Life
17. 51/50, MsChief, Solo, Masta G & Popcorn - Automatically

Mediafire

Murder Dog Presents: 5810 Ride Or Die

1. Ska-Face Al Kapone - Ride or Die
2. Hollow Tip - Chasin' $'s
3. Botany Boys - Thought of Many Ways
4. JD Walker - Bogus Bangin'
5. Pistol - High 'Til I Die
6. Tha Funxsouljaz & Ska-Face Al Kapone - Don't Nobody Know Me
7. Crooked Path - Mo' Mail
8. STN - Richmond Rulaz
9. Elite G'z - Planet G
10. Triple Deep - Imagine This
11. Lil' Milt - The Prophecy
12. Doff Kapone - Saussy Lifestyle
13. Fat Kev & Mac Dre - The Game Will Neva Change
14. Central Dynasty - Ghetto Greed
15. Iceburg - Ghetto Therapy
16. Ballers Ona Mission (BOM) - Da Game'z Tryna Take Me Out
17. Kriz & Big D (Major Weight Media) - Maintain'n
18. Mob Related & Snook Tha Crook - Strictly Grind'n
19. Ball Player & Andre - This One's For You
20. Black Rhino - No Seeds (Tax Evasion)

Mediafire

100 Tracks You Need To Hear (97-99) Part IV

The T.R.O.Y. Blog Presents
100 Tracks You Need To Hear Part IV

1997-1999. You swear it wasn’t that long ago, but you know it might as well have been eons ago. Depending on your outlook, this is either the tail end of a gilded age or the beginning of the apocalypse. During this time, the hip hop artists born circa 1970 who catapulted the genre forward as teenagers and young adults in the ’87-’94 heyday are beginning to mellow out or gloss it up. Sampling laws are enforced more than ever but the indie labels are resolute in refusing to go the glittery route. Radio is dominated by obvious samples and tales of upward mobility and debauchery, while the underground mixshows stay saturated with eccentric rhyming clinics and surreal poetics. The divide is not entirely clean, however. In this era you can find surreal poets waxing profound on diamonds and champagne, gritty crime narratives on major label releases, and a whole host of songs that defy categorization (and a few that even defy simple explanation). This series is for those of you who know that the late ‘90s is deeper than just Organized Konfusion, Ras Kass, Mase, Nas, and Company Flow (no disrespect intended of course). This is for those of you that know that great hip hop comes from all corners of the USA and around the world, that the b-sides of overlooked 12”s and the album cuts of long forgotten tapes contain true gems. Songs that speak to our hunger for dope beats and lyrics and manage to stand out from the crowd. We made a special effort to seek out songs that you probably haven’t heard or don’t really remember too clearly, while making sure that each selection hearkens backs to the last era in which musical diversity and quality could be taken for granted. You need to hear this. Enjoy our 100 picks, coming at you at the rate of twenty five per day just in time for the holidays.

R.A.W. - Linguistic Ventriloquist
Straight out of Delaware, R.A.W. drops a relentless rhyme style over a crisp, jazzy beat. A rare but very worthwhile treat.

Rakim - Waiting For The World To End
The God MC describes life in the bleak world of Wyandanche, Strong Island over understated but fitting production.

Rasco - Heat Seeking
Rezidue - Droppin Rezidue

Saafir - I'm Saafir (The Saucy Nomad)
I image some west coast G-Funk producer left his studio door open by accident, then a drunken MC walked in and recorded some fucked up vocals over the beat as a joke. Yet it worked out even nicer than any gangsta rapper could have done it.

Sach - Poetical Me
One part of The Nonce group, Nouka Basetype, now known as Sach, has dropped a cassette only album, with really dope cuts on it. On this track you can check how poetical he can be.

Scaramanga - Holdin' New Cards

Seagram - Sleepin In My Nikes feat. Scarface
This is such a creepy track as it starts with Scarface reminding us that Seagram Miller is no longer alive, so I automatically imagine Seagram in a coffin with his nikes on. I truly think this is the coldest track in hiphop history.

Self Scientific - Degrees
Oh man, this beat was truly next level and would probably be revered by
other 'trippy' types of genres, if they only knew. Chase Infinite truly drops
degrees here, well after it was the 'cool' thing to do.

Shamus - Tight Team
New York's obscure artist has released his first and only album, EP style. A very dark and obscure release. Two tracks, including this one were produced by Buckwild.

Slick Rick - King Piece In The Chess Game
Unfairly overlooked and underrated gem from Ricky D's "Art Of Storytelling" album. The fact that this joint was originally released on white-label under the name "Panties Stay Wet" should be enough reason for you to listen.

Souls Of Mischief - Shooting Stars
Opio catches wreck over a most unorthodox beat, getting great mileage out of his extended metaphor and devoting the last verse to clowning Chino XL

Spice 1 - Suckas Do What They Can Real Playas feat. Yukmouth, Too Short & Rouger Troutman

Storm The Unpredictable - MC's Be Killin Me
Oxon Hill's greatest rapper of all-time? Boom-Bap lyrically lyrical shit that you just don't find today. Storm was that dude.

Street Smartz - Don't Trust Anyone
Buckwild laced a smooth melodic beat backed up by F.T rugged flow. DJ KO scratches the line "Ain't No One We Can Trust" from Onyx's Evil Streets for the chorus.

T Love - I'm Coming
A Kid Called Miles lays down a murky, funky banger for the West Coast femcee, off of her extremely underrated debut EP.

Tasc 4orce - Root Of All Evil
Thrust - Emcee
Tony Da Skitzo - Let's Drift

Ugly Duckling - Einstein's Takin' Off
Einstein leaves his physics on the side and starts his theoretical work on SP 1200.

Voodu - Introduction
Western Hemisfear rapper and producer brings to you the darkest introductio from his dark regions.

Wee Bee Foolish - The Kid

Witchdoctor, Khujo, & T-Mo Goodie - Smooth Shit
A true gem from one of the Dungeon Family's most prolific yet ignored talents. The title alone tells you what to expect, so just kick back and vibe to the Witchdoctor's unique blend of spirituality, smoke, and sex.

Wu-Syndicate - Where Was Heaven
All That I Got Is You Pt.2", Mylanski talks about his young life growing up in the VA projects.

Yah Supreme - Old & Wise
Not enough can be said of this emcee who disappeared as quick as he emerged. In a class of his own, style similar to none, this song is a perfect intro to his music and a gem you should never forget.

Young Lay - Got 2 Survive feat. Mac Mall, Ray Luv & 2Pac

Underrated producer Khayree and his label Young Black Brotha Records deliever another Bay Area collabo that leaves you missing this very sound is missed today.

[Download Part IV here]

100 Tracks You Need To Hear (97-99) Part III

The T.R.O.Y. Blog Presents
100 Tracks You Need To Hear Part III

1997-1999. You swear it wasn’t that long ago, but you know it might as well have been eons ago. Depending on your outlook, this is either the tail end of a gilded age or the beginning of the apocalypse. During this time, the hip hop artists born circa 1970 who catapulted the genre forward as teenagers and young adults in the ’87-’94 heyday are beginning to mellow out or gloss it up. Sampling laws are enforced more than ever but the indie labels are resolute in refusing to go the glittery route. Radio is dominated by obvious samples and tales of upward mobility and debauchery, while the underground mixshows stay saturated with eccentric rhyming clinics and surreal poetics. The divide is not entirely clean, however. In this era you can find surreal poets waxing profound on diamonds and champagne, gritty crime narratives on major label releases, and a whole host of songs that defy categorization (and a few that even defy simple explanation). This series is for those of you who know that the late ‘90s is deeper than just Organized Konfusion, Ras Kass, Mase, Nas, and Company Flow (no disrespect intended of course). This is for those of you that know that great hip hop comes from all corners of the USA and around the world, that the b-sides of overlooked 12”s and the album cuts of long forgotten tapes contain true gems. Songs that speak to our hunger for dope beats and lyrics and manage to stand out from the crowd. We made a special effort to seek out songs that you probably haven’t heard or don’t really remember too clearly, while making sure that each selection hearkens backs to the last era in which musical diversity and quality could be taken for granted. You need to hear this. Enjoy our 100 picks, coming at you at the rate of twenty five per day just in time for the holidays.

Ill Advised - Mic-Adelphia
Straight from the Quake City valuts boasting a Sadat X sample and Illadelph swag.

Jedi Son of Spock & Yeshua dapoED - Spitmode
Classic late 90’s indie flava from Yesh’s ill-named protégé. The two display some amazing back-and-forth chemistry, trading verses like water over dapoED’s organic production.

Killarmy - Allah Sees Everything

Kool DJ EQ - Three Emcees feat. Casual, DEL & Xzibit
An unusual combo that works wonders.

Kool Keith - Plastic World
"Payola scams switched DJ’s like a rubber band. Everybody clear with beats trying to be Premier..."

K-Otix - Do You Wanna Be An Emcee? feat. DJ Jazzy Jeff
Texas meets Philly and asks the most common rap question.

La The Darkman - Az The World Turnz feat. Raekwon

Last Emperor - Echo Leader
Last Emp gets down for the dorks. Pop culture references abound amidst the crunching instrumental on this ’98 banger.

Living Legends - Hip Hop
Lords of the Underground - Retaliate
L'Roneous da Versifier - L'chemy

Mac Dre - Rapper Gone Bad
Fools who think Ronald Dregan could only rap about ecstasy pills and going dumb are about to get wig-flipped. While Dre is no Rakim, he proves he can easily hold his own on the centerpiece from his 1999 album of the same name. Yadadi?

Mike Zoot - The Turn Pt. 2 feat. Royal Flush
Moodswingaz - Musslin

Mountain Brothers - Thoroughbred
Styles, Peril-L & CHOPS over funky basslines break down their throughness lifting a Posdnous line from "Stakes Is High."

Mr. Live & Tony Bones - Splashin' Over Monica
Goofy platter from one of rap’s most underrated duos. Funky enough…for a state dinner? Echo Leader thinks so.

Murs - All Day
When Nick Carter was just having fun, sampling De La Soul and would drop lines like "on Monday nights I watch RAW (WWF) and Ally McBeal.

Neek The Exotic - Exotic Is Raw
This is Neek's first solo record from 98'. Still down' with Large Pro, Extra P gives him one of his best head-nodding signature beat. Neek truly shows his rawness on the mic.

No I.D. - Original Man feat. Dug Infinite
Chicago producer teamed up with his Chicago fellow, Dug Infinite, to make this very slept on album. On this track their slogan is simple: They originate, you duplicate.

Non-Phixion - How To Kill A Cop
The most prominent conspiracy theorists in rap flip Redman’s original concept to a T, trading blunts and chickenheads for Glocks and dust. Some may call it heresy, but I call it hilarity.

Outsidaz - Money Money Money
Young Zee & New Jeruz' most maligned rap crew tear up this atmospheric ode to the green. Who says that acid and rap don't mix?

People Under The Stairs - The Turndown
One of the funniest and doppest PUTS tracks. Have you ever experienced that kind of the turndown like they did?

Pep Love - Trinity
Hiero's most underrated talent flows effortlessly and revives the lost of art of rap storytelling at the same time, with a biblical twist that doesn't come off to preachy.

Planet Asia - Kalidascope
Track off Fresno's native debut release. I will quote one of his lines: "Adjust your lenses, and analyze the scenes that I wreck."

Pyro - Status Quotient
Chicago native and then-Harvard graduate student delivers a thesis on race relations and the corporate co-optation of hip hop, in rhyme form. It turns out much better than you'd expect.

[Download Part III here]

100 Tracks You Need To Hear (97-99) Part II

The T.R.O.Y. Blog Presents
100 Tracks You Need To Hear Part II

1997-1999. You swear it wasn’t that long ago, but you know it might as well have been eons ago. Depending on your outlook, this is either the tail end of a gilded age or the beginning of the apocalypse. During this time, the hip hop artists born circa 1970 who catapulted the genre forward as teenagers and young adults in the ’87-’94 heyday are beginning to mellow out or gloss it up. Sampling laws are enforced more than ever but the indie labels are resolute in refusing to go the glittery route. Radio is dominated by obvious samples and tales of upward mobility and debauchery, while the underground mixshows stay saturated with eccentric rhyming clinics and surreal poetics. The divide is not entirely clean, however. In this era you can find surreal poets waxing profound on diamonds and champagne, gritty crime narratives on major label releases, and a whole host of songs that defy categorization (and a few that even defy simple explanation). This series is for those of you who know that the late ‘90s is deeper than just Organized Konfusion, Ras Kass, Mase, Nas, and Company Flow (no disrespect intended of course). This is for those of you that know that great hip hop comes from all corners of the USA and around the world, that the b-sides of overlooked 12”s and the album cuts of long forgotten tapes contain true gems. Songs that speak to our hunger for dope beats and lyrics and manage to stand out from the crowd. We made a special effort to seek out songs that you probably haven’t heard or don’t really remember too clearly, while making sure that each selection hearkens backs to the last era in which musical diversity and quality could be taken for granted. You need to hear this. Enjoy our 100 picks, coming at you at the rate of twenty five per day just in time for the holidays.

D. Auguste - Sunset
The Bostonian emcee celebrates dusk as the time to "relax and chill" and also to "step out and build" over music that sets the mood precisely.

Da Great Deity Dah - Ready To Kill

Da Ruckus & Eminem - We Shine
Life’s a b up in the D.

Danja Mowf - Make It Hot feat. Lonnie B
Supafriendz go line-4-line over this '97 IRC favorite that you could have found in either #Dalnet, #Undernet or where Danja and Friendz would dwell, #Efnet.

Defari - Say It Twice
Evidence on another sound mission with Defair Heru deliever the goods.

Demastas - Feel No Guilt feat. Nine
Virgin Island's hip-hop crew Demastas & Nine kicks rhymes on one of the illest piano sampled beat with a classic Audio Two sample produced by Rob Lewis who also produced many of Nine's classics songs. This was their second 12" but unfortunately nothing ever followed.

Devin The Dude & K-Dee - One Day At A Time
The Dude connects with MIA Ice Cube-affiliate K-Dee to kick a message everyone can relate to. Just remember to hit 'em with the dub when you see 'em out mobbin'.


Diamond D - Flowin
If you aren't feeling this song you just weren't meant for this life.

Digital Underground - The Odd Couple (Humpty Hump and Biz Markie)
This classic mashup of the two oddest MC's in the hiphop game will forever be the closest that hiphop will come to making Rap-Stand-Up-Comedy.

Divine Styler - Before Mecca
The god released this banger, ripping it reminiscent to his earlier days,
and was able to pull it off with divine results. Sadly the album was way
under the radar and none of the beats quite lived up to this one.

DJ Shadow - Organ Donor (Extended Overhaul)
When "Endroducing" dropped in 1996, I always wished that "Organ Donor" was longer. Turns out there was an extended version on the "High Noon" single. Just took me a few years to find it.

Dres - Hi & Lo
It's strange to hear such a clever MC who always has a joke on deck get deep about the low's that he's hit as a musician. One of Dres' dopest tracks.

Equilibrium - Windows '98
Ill Bill Gates rides for Equilibrium.

Finsta Bundy - Don't Stress Tomorrow
An anthem for us who have always struggled to keep food in fridge,
it still holds weight today more than ever. But hey, don't stress tomorrow.

Fly Guy Kool Kim - Ya Gotta Know (Dolo Fly Guy Version)
Solo track from UMC member, produced by Haas G. Equally as good was the b side "Skilz R Amazing."

Foul Play - Break It Down (Maylay Sparks)
Before Rahsheed aka Maylay Sparks got down with Ill Advised he was making noise with his original crew, Foul Play.

Frankenstein - Rain Is Gone
Frank is one of Canada’s most underrated producer/MCs and this song, his ode to the backstabbers, will show you why. Lace up your boots and zip up your goose, it's about to get chilly.

Govna Mattic - Family Day feat. Redman, Tame One, Young Zee, Pace Won, Runt Dog & Roz Noble

Grouch - Once Upon A Rhyme
He's far from Rakim on the mic and he's hardly Pete Rock behind the boards. Yet somehow Grouch makes it all work, really well.

Guerilla Maab - Keep Watching Me
Z-Ro shows why heads who know still check for him in this slightly head-spinning double-time SUC exhibition.

Haiku De'Tat - Non Compos Mentis
Eschewing the abrasiveness that often characterized Freestyle Fellowship songs, Aceyalone, Ab Rude, and Mikah-9 drop mellifluous rhymes over smooth live instrumentation and the result is something transcendent yet palatable.

Handsome Boy Modeling School - The Truth feat. J-Live & Roisin Murphy
Herbaliser - 8 Pt. Agenda feat. Latryx
I-Power - Under Da Sun

Ice-T - NY NY
This track starts off with a drop by Onyx representin' NY. You already know that Ice-T represents LA all the way to NY. Marc Live gave Ice-T the perfect beat for this type of song.

[Download Pt.2 here]

100 Tracks You Need To Hear ('97-'99) Part I

The T.R.O.Y. Blog Presents
100 Tracks You Need To Hear ('97-'99) Part I

1997-1999. You swear it wasn’t that long ago, but you know it might as well have been eons ago. Depending on your outlook, this is either the tail end of a gilded age or the beginning of the apocalypse. During this time, the hip hop artists born circa 1970 who catapulted the genre forward as teenagers and young adults in the ’87-’94 heyday are beginning to mellow out or gloss it up. Sampling laws are enforced more than ever but the indie labels are resolute in refusing to go the glittery route. Radio is dominated by obvious samples and tales of upward mobility and debauchery, while the underground mixshows stay saturated with eccentric rhyming clinics and surreal poetics. The divide is not entirely clean, however. In this era you can find surreal poets waxing profound on diamonds and champagne, gritty crime narratives on major label releases, and a whole host of songs that defy categorization (and a few that even defy simple explanation). This series is for those of you who know that the late ‘90s is deeper than just Organized Konfusion, Ras Kass, Mase, Nas, and Company Flow (no disrespect intended of course). This is for those of you that know that great hip hop comes from all corners of the USA and around the world, that the b-sides of overlooked 12”s and the album cuts of long forgotten tapes contain true gems. Songs that speak to our hunger for dope beats and lyrics and manage to stand out from the crowd. We made a special effort to seek out songs that you probably haven’t heard or don’t really remember too clearly, while making sure that each selection hearkens backs to the last era in which musical diversity and quality could be taken for granted. You need to hear this. Enjoy our 100 picks, coming at you at the rate of twenty five per day just in time for the holidays.

100x - Philly Niggas International feat. Black Thought, Malik B & Rasheed Wallace
Courtesy of L.E. Square's private stash, 100x teams up with Roots Crew members and Simon Gratz stand-out and NBA's public enemy #1, Rasheed Wallace.

2Rude - Innovations feat. Saukrates & Pharaohe Monch

3X Krazy - Keep It On The Real
Bay Area heads will no doubt recognize this classic track from the trio’s “Stackin’ Chips” album. Ethereal Oaktown madness.

Above the Law - Deep Az The Root
Although they are better known for living like hustlers, this acoustic guitar-laced track renders homage to the sadder events that have made them stronger. The chorus ask "Everyday is an episode, can you handle the load?"

Aceyalone & Abstract Rude - Me & My Main

Adagio - The Break
Consisting of Big Cousin "The Obvious Wonder" and Reign Supreme, Adagio repped hard between Uptown and Philly. Their signature ill smoothed out approach to beats is evident here and Reign Supreme's mic demolition is in full swing. They were down with the Juggaknots, nuff said.

Agallah - Crookie Monster
What do you get when you cross a beloved Muppet and one of the Alchemist’s illest beats? That’s that Crookie, duns.

All City - Afta Hourz
Better check how they do it or you can get robbed blind quick before you can blink.

All Natural - Writer's Block
Capital D draws the listener into his fictional world and tells a story we can all relate to.

Arsonists - Fat Laces
The Bushwick crew eschew their usually obstreperous deliveries for a much smoother approach on the mic, and it works wonders.

B-1 - Life We Lead
Bee Why - Come Up

Big Kwam - The Reunion
I swear I can hear a faint trace of Minnie Riperton howling in the background of this. Kind of a Natural Elements influenced duo, they both tear it down back and forth. Ring The Alarm!

Binary Star - Evolution Of Man
Pontiac, Michigan duo, brought to us an excellent underground record with some pure gems on it, similar like this one here.

BQE - Last Messiah
Brainsick Enterprize - Time To Shine

Brick City Kids - What What
Recorded under the BCK alias in order to avoid contract violation, El Da Sensei and Tame One flip rugged braggadocio over some Ghetto Pros heat. Classic ‘Facts, undeniably Jerz.

Burnt Batch - Temptation
The Stockton, CA crew narrates cautionary tales of lust, crime, and deception over a shimmering Crusaders sample.

Camp Lo - Black Nostaljack (Remix) feat. Kid Capri and Run
Capone-N-Noreaga - Closer (Sam Sneed Version)

C-Bo - Money By The Ton
Math lessons from the gas chamber.

Chubb Rock - The Mind
CNN - Bloody Money Part IV (Remix) feat. Nas

It's not mentioned anywhere, but there is a (recycled?) verse from Big L in here. And I believe this was only released on some bootleg vinyl.

Connecticut Cartel - All Out (97)
Cru - Nothin' But feat. Black Rob

Download Part I

Great EPs: King Sun x Cold Chillin' - "Strictly Ghetto"

For those of you that frequent the forum, you will undoubtedly have noticed the "Illest EPs Ever" thread that's been ongoing for the past month or so. Too many dope EPs to name have been uploaded by numerous forum members.

One of the best EPs to be uploaded, in my humble opinion, is King Sun's "Strictly Ghetto" EP. Released in 1994 on Cold Chillin' Records, one look at the cover tells you this is a different King Sun than the one you remember from "Righteous But Ruthless." Sun-D Moet traded in his kufi for a Carhartt jacket, and forging a harder-edged street-level experience for the listener. If you are a fan of the TROY blog, I guarantee you will love this record. The beats are top notch (I'm not sure who helmed the boards, as a Google search proves fruitless) and Sun definitely stepped up his lyrical game.

Unfortunately, the EP seemed to get lost in the decline and eventual demise of Cold Chillin' Records shortly after it's release. It's currently out of print, but you can get a CD copy on Amazon for under $100...you know, if paying exorbitant prices for obscure early 90's rap records is your thing.

Enjoy this dope little slice of '94, courtesy of Echo Leader & the TROY blog.

1. Humm Deez Nuts
2. Street Corner
3. BNS Sex
4. Once Upon A Time
5. Suck No Dick
6. Robbin' Of Da Hood
7. Get Down With Da Get Down

Mediafire

- Echo Leader

Project Blowed Spotlight: The Afterlife / Curbserver Camp

Here's a quick primer one of Los Angeles' most ground-breaking yet under-appreciated rap crews.

Curbserver / Afterlife Recordz was an outgrowth of the legendary Project Blowed collective, which I briefly touched on in this post. Although they've always been a little more hardcore / gangsta, the Afterlife MC's are absolute style kings. They switch from hyper-fast rhyming displays to slower, almost free-form jazz-influenced flows with ease and although this is the hardest pill for new listeners to swallow, if you take the time to interpret their labyrinthine lyrical showcases you'll begin realize that the rappers in question aren't being overly technical simply for the sake of it. They're great writers and storytellers too, in the true griot tradition. These dudes (and ladies) pour a lot of truth and soul into their music, concocting didactic Cali narratives that serve as the logical counterpart (at least in my mind) to their more commercial cousins such as NWA, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Cypress Hill.


The origins of the Curbservers can be traced back to the Good Life Cafe and it's inception in 1989. During the early 90's, Good Life regulars such as Freestyle Fellowship, Aceyalone, and Abstract Rude would begin to gel and form the original Project Blowed family. Although many luminaries in the LA underground scene would pass through the 'Life, the Blowdians were there nearly every damn week, freestyling, competing, and observing each other's respective styles. One Blowdian, Ellay Khule (aka Rifleman) began to form his own little family of rappers within the Blowed clique that came to utilize a unique form of rapping called "chopping" almost exclusively. This family would eventually be known as the Afterlife MCs/Curbserver camp of Project Blowed.
The sub-collective's roster has fluctuated throughout the years as MCs have come and gone, but the main gravitational forces are the Hip Hop KClan (Rifleman Ellay Khule & Pterradacto) and the Chillin Villain Empire (NgaFsh, Riddlore?, Wreccless, and bunch of other cats). Satellite members include The Eastside Badstads, Of Mexican Descent, Cypher 7, and Legion. Unfortunately, various factors including lack of monetary funds and jail time over the past 15 years have left their physical output spotty at best. The recordings that do surface (usually homemade, retrospective-style compilations burned onto low-quality cd-rs), however, are mostly excellent slices of low-fi four-track madness. No Pro-Tools allowed, cuddy!

What I've composed here is a 19-track compilation of my favorite Afterlife/Curbserver-related material. This mix is by no means comprehensive; it's merely a collection of the songs I feel the most out of the material I have heard. Some of the tracks have been taken from post-"TROY era" releases, but since a lot of those releases were compilations of previously recorded material, I would estimate the years covered by this material span from roughly 1994 to 2005. If anyone actually takes offense to material post-1997 being represented here, bounce. That's not the point. Anyway, here's the compilation:

Echo Leader's Afterlife/Curbserver Picks

1. NgaFsh, Riddlore?, & Chu - "Crack Kills"
2. Otherwize, Riddlore?, & Chu - "Writin' Unda Pressure"
3. Chu, NgaFsh, & Riddlore? - "Hut 2, 3, 4"
4. Hip Hop KClan - "Show'em How 2 Chop"
5. The Eastside Badstads - "Bluntheadz"
6. (Rifleman) Ellay Khule - "Fuck A Cop'
7. NgaFsh - "Cause & Effect"
8. NgaFsh & Tray Loc - "Party N My Trunk!"
9. (Rifleman) Ellay Khule - "Boogie On"
10. Hip Hop KClan - "Massive Meltdown"
11. NgaFsh, Riddlore?, & D-Mac - "Role Model"
12. Busdriver - "Life Or Death"
13. Otherwize - "A Wize Man's Advice"
14. Hip Hop KClan - "Everyday Things"
15. Tray Loc - "Once Upon A Freak"
16. Pterradacto - "As The World Turns"
17. NgaFsh, Riddlore?, & (Rifleman) Ellay Khule - "Street Lightz"
18. Hip Hop KClan - "Full Speed Ahead"
19. Of Mexican Descent - "Mosh 2 Da Sun"

Mediafire

Enjoy...and leave comments if you like the mix. If response is positive enough, I could be persuaded to do another one of these.


-Echo Leader

Vintage Rap-A-Lot (1988-1996)

Chances are, if you read this site (or listen to rap music at all) you know about Rap-A-Lot Records. Legendary in the southern hip hop scene, RAL is one of my favorite labels and a sure-shot candidate for "greatest independent ever to do it." Admittedly, they have enjoyed major-label distribution over the past decade and a half or so, but J. Prince and company rarely have rarely made commercial concessions and have never, ever sold out on their fan base. Not only have they remained staunchly underground for over twenty damn years, they've brought us talents such as the Geto Boys (Scarface, Willie D, Bushwick Bill and/or Big Mike), the Convicts, Devin the Dude, and Z-Ro.

Most people know the names above either because of their popularity or their overall impact on rap music (re: 'Face), but RAL was also home to a gang of damn-near unknown and criminally underrated rappers that released albums through the label. What you know about Mad CJ Mac? Poppa LQ? Blac Monks? What about Menace Clan, or Seagram? These dudes smashed records that people north of the Mason-Dixon line rarely got a chance to hear...or maybe they just ignored them. Because of both limited release and (unfortunately) limited interest, many of Rap-A-Lot's best offerings are now out of print. Most of these albums can still be found with ease on sites like Amazon or eBay, but expect to drop some serious coin. Last time I checked, Willie D's solo debut was still pushing three figures.



Thus, in the interest of bringing some shine to these oft-ignored released, I present to you a compilation of hand-picked Rap-A-Lot tracks spanning from 1988 to 1996. Those years are generally revered as the RAL Golden Age, during which most of the label's classic records were released. I tried not to include any super obvious material like "Straight Gangstaism," "Mind Playin' Tricks On Me," or anything from "The Diary." If I included some obvious stuff (and I did), well then that's because the obvious is so damn good, and I'm really only skimming the surface here anyway. I'm not trying to impress anybody with some esoteric b-side mixdown of a forgotten Choice single here. In fact, I'm not really sure who would be impressed by that in the first place. But I digress.


Simply put, these are 15 of my personal throwed-ass favorites. Nothing more, nothing less. I guarantee you will like at least one of these tracks. Hopefully you will like more.



Enjoy.

Echo Leader's Vintage Rap-A-Lot Mix (1988-1996)

1. Geto Boys - "Read These Nikes"
2. Willie D - "Bald Headed Hoes"
3. Ganksta NIP - "Psycho"
4. The Convicts - "1-900-Dial-A-Crook (featuring Geto Boys)"
5. Scarface - "A Minute To Pray & A Second To Die"
6. Seagram - "The Dark Roads"
7. Menace Clan - "Da Bullet"
8. Too Much Trouble - "Invasion Of The Purse Snatchers"
9. 5th Ward Boyz - "Swing Wide (featuring UGK)"
10. Big Mike - "Havin' Thangs"
11. 3-2 - "Coming Down"
12. Poppa LQ - "Why Hate Me?"
13. Odd Squad - "Fa' Sho"
14. Mad CJ Mac - "Powda Puff"
15. The Terrorists - "Make A Life Out Of Living"


Mediafire

-Echo Leader

DJ Revolution - Class Of '86

Purists who claim 1994 was hip hop's best year have obviously never heard DJ Revolution's "Class Of '86" mixtape.



OK, OK, I take it back.

None of this stuff is really in the same league as any of the gang of classic records that were released in 1994, but you have to admit that 1986 was a damn fine year for rap music. Along with the first laptop, the MIR space station, and "Crocodile Dundee," 1986 brought us quality tunes from Kool G Rap, Eric B. & Rakim, and King Tee. And that's just scratching the surface.

Revolution pays homage to this year by cutting up and blending together the creme de la creme of the year with movie samples from the same era. The result? Pure dopeness.

Whether universally heralded classics, deeper B-side cuts, or gimmicky fun, this mix has it all. Do yourself a favor and grab it. Unless you get a chance to cop it in the used bin or from DJ Revolution himself, "Class of '86" will cost you close to sixty dollars at various online marketplaces. Damn price gougers.



1. Intro
2. Just-Ice - Back To The Old School
3. Run-DMC - Peter Piper
4. Original Concept - Pump That Bass/Live (Get A Little Stupid.. Ho!)
5. Cutmaster D.C. - Brooklyn Rocks The Best
6. Divine Sounds - Do Or Die Bed Sty
7. Tricky Tee - Leave It To The Drums
8. B-Fats - Woppit
9. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - It's A Demo
10. Stetsasonic - Go Stetsa I (12" Remix)
11. Fat Boys - Breakdown
12. Heavy D. & The Boyz - Mr. Big Stuff
13. Biz Markie - Make The Music With Your Mouth Biz
14. Word Of Mouth - Coast To Coast
15. The Real Roxanne & Hitman Howie Tee - (Bang Zoom) Let's Go Go
16. T La Rock - Back To Burn
17. Steady B - Bring The Beat Back
18. Just-Ice - Cold Gettin' Dumb
19. Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B Is President
20. Boogie Down Productions - South Bronx
21. MC Shan - The Bridge
22. Doug E. Fresh And The Get Fresh Crew - Nuthin'
23. Beastie Boys - Hold It, Now Hit It
24. Run-DMC - My Adidas
25. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble
26. Ice Cream Tee - Guys Ain't Nothing But Trouble
27. Ultramagnetic MC's - Ego Trippin'
28. Whodini - Funky Beat
29. King Tee - Paybacks A Mutha
30. Original Concept - Knowledge Me
31. Ice-T - Six In The Morning
32. Beastie Boys - Paul Revere
33. Salt 'N' Pepa - My Mic Sounds Nice
34. Joeski Love - Pee-Wee's Dance
35. MC Boob - Do The Fila And The Peewee Dance
36. Kool Moe Dee - Go See The Doctor
37. Just-Ice - Latoya
38. Sweet Tee & Jazzy Joyce - It's My Beat
39. Rodney O & Joe Cooley - Everlasting Bass
40. Eric B. & Rakim - Check Out My Melody

Mediafire

Enjoy.

-Echo Leader

J-Zone's "Ign'ant" Mixtape Series

J-Zone has always been one of NYC hip-hop's most under-appreciated musicians. The man came onto the scene in the late 90's, carving a niche all his own which was defined through his sharp wit and undeniable talent for creating unassuming and completely original rap music. Never making commercial concessions, J-Zone albums have always been unabashedly ignorant, extremely hilarious, and impeccably produced. These qualities are what initially distinguished Zone from the flotsam and jetsam clogging up the New York underground, and have continued to distinguish him for a decade.

Over the past ten or so years, Zone has also proven to be extremely prolific. In addition to dropping five traditional "beats & rhymes" solo records, he's released an instrumental concept soundtrack for a fake movie, three remix projects, a duo album with Celph Titled, seven instrumental compilations, and most recently, a concept record themed around the St. Ides malt liquor radio ads from the early nineties. That's not even touching his impressive production clientele, which includes Biz Markie, Tame One, Akinyele, and MF Grimm.

As stated above, Zone has always shown a penchant for the ignorant, illustrated through songs like "Ho Kung Fu!" and "Jailbait Jennifer." According to Zone himself, the influence came from a variety of places:

"I grew up on Black Comedy albums. Rudy Ray Moore, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, LaWanda Page, Blowfly, Redd Foxx. My family had all that shit and I used to make tapes of 'em and play em in school for my friends. That foul, funny and low budget element of those records was very prevalent in a lot of Southern and West Coast rap and I loved it. All the Rap-A-Lot shit, 2 Live Crew, Bustdown, Poison Clan, NWA, JCD & The Dawg Lb....Those records were like hip hop versions of those comedy albums. But I also was a fan of New York stuff because I was a funk fan and record collector and the samples drew me in. So when I created my sound it was like a lighter version of the subject matter and vibe of the ignorant shit and the offbeat sampling of the classic NY shit." - J-Zone, 2007

In 2003, J-Zone decided to pay homage to those records and dropped the first volume of his "Ign'ant" mix series, with volume two released a year later. Nearly sixty combined tracks of the most unapologetic and completely misogynistic, violent, and just plain offensive rap music known to man. A pre-No Limit Master P, Poison Clan, and Willie D all make appearances alongside lesser-known regional talents like Ron C, X-Raided, and Disco Rick & The Dogs. Trust, if C. Delores Tucker had heard these mixes she probably would have dropped dead instantly. The first volume (released through the Black Jesus World imprint) has been out of print for a few years now, so good luck finding a physical copy. As far as the second volume is concerned, I've never seen it for sale, either online or in stores, so I would assume that it's either a tour exclusive or a bonus disc for one of Zone's solo efforts.

In conclusion, if you're looking to clear out a party, offend your neighbors, or are just plain having a bad day look no further than these two mixes. Trust me, the music more than speaks for itself; it straight knocks. Burn these two mixes for play in the Protege and become a connoisseur of the ign'ant.

Volume 1 (Mediafire)

Volume 2 (Mediafire)

- Echo Leader

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

DJ Drez: Rare Soul Volumes 1-3

It's been said before: we here at the TROY blog may place the most emphasis on hip hop from the Golden Age, but we're simply not that one-dimensional either. Go ahead, scour the blog and you'll find numerous posts on sampling, breaks, and rare funk and soul records. We're not just about the rap itself, but also where it comes from and to whom it pays homage. This is where DJ Drez' Rare Soul mix series comes in.

DJ Drez is, quite simply, one of the nicest DJs on the West Coast right now and a personal favorite of mine. He's been down with Project Blowed and Abstract Tribe Unique for the longest, so you know that he's on that jazzy organic vibe. He's aso created dozens of unique mixtapes spanning every musical genre imaginable, including straight-up hip hop, reggae, middle eastern jahta vibes, you name it. If it's defined as music, chances are he's run it through two Technics and a mixer.

The four-volume Rare Soul series is Drez' testament to the loop diggas; non-stop, fresh-as-hell mixtapes chock-full of samples and breaks, some instantly recognizable and some extremely obscure. You know, vibes 'n stuff. These joints are perfect for finding a little beat-making inspiration yourself or simply cooling out on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Don't misunderstand; this isn't like every other half-assed mix of recycled Dusty Fingers samples floating around. Drez' crates are mad deep and he comes with the hard-to-find breakbeats on the reggy-reg. Despite the presence of the word soul in the title, Dr. EZ Smooth never focuses on that one genre, instead choosing to bounce back and forth between dub reggae, 70's soul, afrobeat, and jazz. In short, don't sleep because these mixes are incredible.

Unfortunately, the first four volumes of Rare Soul are currently out of print, but there are plenty of other Drez mixtapes still available over at Access Hip Hop. At ten dollars a pop, they're worth thier weight in gold. I've peeped around nine or so of his other tapes and so far none of them have disappointed.

Here are the first three rare soul mixes; no track listings though.


Enjoy!



Rare Soul, Volume 1
Mediafire



Rare Soul, Volume 2
Mediafire



Rare Soul, Volume 3
Mediafire


- 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

Ganjah K - Unreleased Material

Ganjah K's name is one that rarely comes up when discussions are held of the mighty Project Blowed, an unfortunate oversight when K's musical pedigree is more than enough to hold him in the same lofty regard as the rest of the seminal Left Coast collective. Simply put, the man makes damn good rap music. Though legendary in the Los Angeles underground circles, his own legacy is overshadowed by his more prolific contemporaries including Freestyle Fellowship, Abstract Tribe Unique, and the Curbserver/Afterlife camp. This is more than likely due to the fact that K could never seem to get an officially-released full-length record. Let's face it, in an industry where putting out six mixtapes worth of material in as many months is often not enough to get you noticed, a lack of recorded material is a serious hindrance.

At least two Ganjah K albums were produced, despite constant murmurs of their non-existence amongst Blowed heads and tape traders. The first, Danksta Life, seems to be a cassette-only underground release and features Snoop Dogg on one of the choruses ("Ups & Downs")...in-studio, no samples! Consensus on a release date seems to fall between 1992 and 1994, although I would guess closer to late 1992 or early 1993 given the Snoop appearance. K's sophomore album and major label debut, Harvest For The World, was supposed to be released in 1995 on Pallas Records, and was shelved when the label folded. I'm not sure if the album was ever actually completed as only eight songs seem to exist in tangible form.

After Pallas folded, K languished in the underground, dropping guest appearances here and there and even appearing on the soundtrack to the Martin Lawrence flick "A Thin Line Between Love & Hate." After lacing Fat Jack the Elephant with a track for his 1999 double-disc opus Cater To The DJ, Ganjah K seemingly disappeared into a haze of his own chronic smoke. According to this website, he was supposed to drop an album entitled Puff Daddy in the summer of 2002, but nothing ever materialized. Really a shame, as I always felt that K was a superbly talented cat.

Now, on to the music itself.

Ganjah K was never as stylistically monstrous as his Curbserver compatriots, but as he proved on the intermittent "Heavyweights" cuts that he could easily hold his own in a cipher. Song concepts are often limited to the man's namesake; smoking and dealing bud are the prevailing themes, although K never limits himself strictly that. The beats, which I would assume are mostly self-produced, hit you like the breeze coming off of the Pacific Ocean. Boom-bap to the core but no rough-and-rugged Timb boot stomp here; you can feel both the East and West Coast influences equally. Definitely the type of rap you'll want to crack a brew and lounge to. In my mind, there are really no weak tracks on either of these albums so all I can say is give 'em a listen and form your own opinions.

Here are a couple of links to K's two albums. Be forewarned, as the sound quality on Harvest For The World is extremely muddled as a result of multi-generation dubbing. I won't lie, they literally sound like someone ran the DATs through a meat grinder. But if you can get beyond the awful EQ levels, you're in for some dope music. One demo track, "Scene Of The Green," is tacked onto Harvest as well.


Enjoy.

Danksta Life (1992?-1994?, self-released)

1. Poverty Is A Crime
2. Paper Chase
3. Ya Too Strong
4. Danksta Life
5. When Ya Homie Dies
6. Everybody Wants To Be A G
7. Bud Berries
8. Smoke Buds & Down Brew
9. Medicine Man
10. Dis Type Of Shit
11. Ups & Downs (featuring Snoop Dogg)
12. Love Got My Mind Trippin’

Mediafire

Harvest For The World (1995, Pallas Records)

1. It Don’t Stop
2. Pound Of Herb
3. Can You Feel The High?
4. You’re All I Need
5. Untitled
6. Bud Berries
7. Untitled
8. Untitled
9. Scene Of The Green (Demo)

Mediafire

Props to TROY forum members basta & bignormy for the original uploads.

-Echo Leader