Touring The States: Minnesota

Midwest is a region forgotten by many, but our tour drove us here, in Minnesota. The year was 1996 when Twice Mike & Koko had been released their first album "Actin' A Fool" on Get Somewhere Productions. Twice Mike has produced the whole album. I can say that this is the only info i have about them. Little bit more info you can find in the booklet which is inside of the download file. We can't say that this album can wear a title as a classic, but it is quite enjoyable, easy edible with mostly pleasant beats for your ears but it also includes some heavy but listenable beats.

01. Smokin' On The Tron 02. Mutual Feelings 03. Wild Wild Midwest 04. Actin' A Fool 05. Cool It Down 06. Brother's Farewell 07. Watcha Want 08. Bounce 09. Live 10. Life Struggles 11. Do You Stack Ends

Check some samples:


DOWNLOAD HERE WITH FULL COVER

-- Markshot

Jesse West Productions

A few hours before, thomasv introduced you Jesse West's album. Now i would like to present you Jesse West productions. Here's all of the tracks which Jesse has produced, except his projects as a 3rd Eye. Personaly, when i was checking Jesse West's discogs, i was amazed when i saw some of the tracks that i never thought they could be produced by Jesse. Selection on this compilation is made chronologically, so that you can see how Jesse West grew into a great producer.


01. The Genius - Come Do Me (1991)
02. Mary J. Blige - Reminisce (Bad Boy Remix) Feat. C.L. Smooth (1992)
03. Heavy D & The Boyz - Slow Down (1992)
04. Heavy D & The Boyz - Silky (1992)
05. Heavy D & The Boyz - A Buncha Niggas Feat. 3rd Eye, Guru, Notorious B.I.G., Rob-O & Busta Rhymes (1992)
06. Super Cat - Dolly My Baby (Bad Boy Extended Mix) Feat. 3rd Eye, Puff Daddy, Notorious B.I.G. & Mary J. Blige (Vocals) (1993)
07. Trends Of Culture - Valley Of The Skinz (Jesse West Remix) (1993)
08. Top Quality - What (Radio Version Uncut) Feat. 3rd Eye (1994)
09. Top Quality - U Know My Name
10. Heavy D, The Notorious B.I.G. & Troo-Koola - Jam Session (1994)
11. PMD - No Shorts And No Sleep Feat. Top Quality, 3rd Eye And Zone 7 (1994)
12. Apache Indian And Tim Dog - Make Way For The Indian (Blind Mix) (1995)
13. Mystidious Misfitss - Gimme The Boom (1995)
14. Mystidious Misfitss - Hard Rock (1995)
15. Lord Finesse - Actual Facts Feat. Sadat X, Grand Puba & Large Professor (1995)
16. Ill Biskits - Exclusive Debut (1996)
17. Nine - Richman Poorman (Act One) Feat. 3rd Eye (1996)
18. KRS-One - Step Into A World (Rapture's Delight) (1997)
19. Xzibit - What U See Is What U Get (1998)
20. Funkmaster Flex - Thug Brothers Feat. Big Punisher & Noreaga (1998)
21. Funkmaster Flex - Seriously Feat. Canibus (1998)
22. Positive K - Supreme Alphabet (2001)
23. Northern State - A Thousand Words (2002)
24. Young Maylay, Deadly Threat, King T - The Grind (2005)
25. Diamond D - Get Up (2008)
26. Positive K - Heat Rock (Snippet) (2008)

Download Part 1 Here
Download Part 2 Here

I had some problems with downloading this whole compilation in one file, so i needed to split into two parts. Thanks for understanding.

Don't forget to check Jesse's myspace page too, to stay in touch with his new projects.

--Markshot

Jesse West - No Prisoners (1989)

In 1989, Jesse West released his first LP "No Prisoners." It is known for being the first hip-hop album ever released by legendary Motown records. Unfortunately, Motown records didn't promote their first rap album well enough. Today, this album is mostly forgotten and is a long-time out-of-print cd. It was produced by Commission Gordon (aka Gordon Williams) and Jesse West. Jesse West might be better known to some as 3rd Eye.

1		No Prisoners (4:02)
2		Renegade (3:47)
3		I'm A Warrior (5:26)
4		State Of Your Mind (4:34)
5		Prelude To Madness (1:06)
6		This Is Madness (5:14)
7		Do You Wanna Party (4:07)
8		I Saw You (4:33)
9		The Master (3:51)
10		For James (1:30)
11		Concrete Jungle (3:53)
12		Black Bomb (4:54)

Download

Editor's Note: The "Alize For Dolo" VLS from the 8-Off post has been added. I forgot to include the link on the original post. Go to the post or click here to download.

-- Thomas V

Southern Series Volumes 2 & 3 (1990-1995)

Today I am posting 2 compilations at the same time. The reason being that they contrast sharply and I want to give you readers enough variety to keep everyone interested. As usual I have a fair number of compilations along these lines, so I will generally be bringing you the southern underground series one volume at a time. Hip hop scenes below the mason-dixon put forth enough unique sounds that 'southern rap' almost defies categorization. Volume 2 has more 'gangsta rap' and volume 3 has more 'hip hop' but both are varied. Personally I like both styles but I find it's difficult to split hairs. Neither term really does justice to the music. To illustrate the difference between., for example, Black Rhino and Hip Hop Dickheads with such limited language is an exercise that doesn't really do justice to the state of mind which came from the artists. In your opinion, what are the qualitative differences between these 2 sub-genres ? Is hip hop more 'aware' ? Is gangster rap only ego and bravado ? Is it solely based on production style ? Whose studio time is financed with drug money and whose is not ? How are these distinctions fueled by cultural and musical influences in a particular region ? I think we all know the answers aren't simple, but the questions beg investigation. To me, alot of gangster rap displays a greater degree of depth and insight than it is given credit for. The hard-knocks meditation on violence found in 'Don't Kill Your Brother' by Game Boyz is infinitely more meaningful than much of the odd-ball backpacker garbage passed off as 'conscious hip hop'. Sometimes we can get stuck on image and miss the message. Let me hear what your thoughts are, I am curious to know. Feel free to leave some comments, right wrongs, officiate, fornicate, pontificate, stand on your head, and talk about the musical ideas presented here.

Volume 2 -
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3QMW7S13

01 (4:04) Azim - Scream It (Texas 1993)
02 (4:52) E.R.C. - Visitations To Blackland (New Orleans 1994)
03 (4:30) Gangsta Tribe - Diary Of Death Row (Atlanta 1995)
04 (3:06) Black Rhino - Definitions (Texas 1994)
05 (3:25) Dynamic Syncopation & Mass Influence - Dedicated (Atlanta 1995)
06 (5:02) Lowc - Livin' Like Animals (Atlanta 1995)
07 (3:53) G Town Hustlers - What-U-Wanna-Do (Memphis 1995)
08 (3:13) Lethal Conceptions - Foxx Murder One (Texas 1994)
09 (4:28) Mace - O.G. Hustler (Memphis 1995)
10 (3:52) Murder Inc. - Playin For Keeps (Texas 1995)
11 (5:04) Organized Crime - When The Spot Light.. (Texas 1995)
12 (4:57) Trick Daddy & SNS All Stars - Nineteen Ninety Until.. (Memphis 1990)
13 (5:31) Ovatone - Deep In The Mind (Memphis 1995)
14 (3:43) Lil Slim Feat. Pxmxwx & Pimp Daddy - Blunt After Blunt (New Orleans 1994)

volume 3 -
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OWKOKKDL

01 (4:26) Hip Hop Dickheads - How Many Kids (Original Mix) (Tampa 1995)
02 (4:52) Willie D - U Got Homeboys, We Got Homeboys (Texas 1994)
03 (4:27) K-Rino - Four Dimensions Of A Universe (Georgia 1994)
04 (4:50) Al Kapone - Trouble On My Mind (Atlanta 1994)
05 (3:02) South Memphis Kings - Da Real Side Of Me (Tennessee 1991)
06 woops
07 (3:48) Azim - Solo Creep (Houston 1993)
08 (4:45) Greek (S.P.C.) - U Betta Ask Somebody (Texas 1993)
09 (2:07) Lethal Conceptions - Light Tha' Herbs (Fort Worth 1994)
10 (4:25) Jazzie Redd - Mile High Madness (Houston/Denver 1994)(he moved)
11 (4:48) Game Boyz - Don't Kill Your Brother (Houston 1994)
12 (3:55) Street Military - The Episode (Atlanta 1991)
13 (6:28) Lokee - Puttin Niggas On Da News (New Orleans 1995)
14 (0:32) Game Boyz - Words To The Wise (Houston 1994)
15 (5:33) Snake Eyez - Spook N Tha Corna (New Orleans 1995)
16 (4:20) Death - Life As A Psycho (Louisiana 1995)
17 (2:21) Lokee - Mr. Groove (New Orleans 1995)


Enjoy these 2 compilations, I'll be bringing more to your sound system just around the corner so stay tuned!

--Schenectadyfan

DJ Honda - The Best Producer You Rarely Acknowledge

This post is dedicated to DJ Honda, "the DJ, not the car" as the great Sadat X once made a point of mentioning. You see, Honda is a DJ and producer par excellence. He demonstrates an admirable commitment to working with skilled vocalists (from Grand Puba to Jeru to Redman to De La Soul), regardless of whether or not they fill out arenas or make records that go platinum. The instrumentals he crafts for these legendary emcees match their flows perfectly while retaining a style that is unmistakably his own; he is one of those producers with a sound you can pick out in seconds. And yet, I feel that his accomplishments are not widely known. It seems that "Travellin' Man" (featuring the "mighty" if woefully misinformed Mos Def) is the only piece of music associated with DJ Honda that anyone seems to remember.

His bio is comprised mostly of the stuff hip hop legends are made of. His

turn to hip hop after involvement in a rock band, and his involvement with a veritable Dream Team of emcees reminds me of that quintessential slept-on virtuosic producer from the '80s named Paul C. A few highlights:

DJ Honda was born in Hokkaido, Japan and moved to Tokyo at age 17 to pursue his dream of playing in an American influenced rock band. He started a band called, "Clique" as the vocalist & guitarist. However, the band struggled and honda was forced to seek additional employment. He began DJing in a small nearby city, Shizuoka where he was first introduced to hip hop music and various turntable techniques, including scratching. While toiling at perfecting his scratching technique, he created a popular name for himself as a DJ, leading to premiere gigs in Tokyo's largest clubs. He also appeared on Tokyo radio stations and remixed popular tracks for local record companies. Tokyo was also important because it was the place where dj honda would cultivate many valuable relationships with people like Afrika Bambaata and the Universal Zulu Nation, as well as some of the emcees who would later appear on his self-titled debut LP.

On honda's first album self-titled, "h, dj honda" successfully communicated fluid cohesion between the producer and the artist and was released in Japanese version (1995) & U.S. Version (1996).

On dj honda's second album, " h II" (Japan Version) (U.S. Version), he again championed with a few players from the first team, some rookies, and a couple of all-star veterans.

In Fall 1998, due to differences in creative vision, dj honda parted ways with Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) to eventually launch his own independent record label, dj honda RECORDINGS.

n late 2004, dj honda introduced dhf Films, Inc. (US) (JAPAN), a new film production company whose first film project, REASON was showcased in 2 film festivals: Tokyo Fantastic International Film Festival on October 14, 2004 and in H20 International Film Festival on November 5, 2004. REASON is a documentary film which chronicles the life and career of dj honda from 1992 New Music Seminar Battle for World Supremacy to present. Two versions of REASON will be produced: Japanese & English.

For all intents and purposes, hip hop listeners are probably more acquainted with weakly tricked-out Accords than the discography of the man that many consider to be one of the greatest Japanese DJ/producers of all time. Fortunately, back at the T.R.O.Y. Forum, a regular hailing from Germany named Boogs noticed the dearth of discussion surrounding Honda. Rather than theorize some xenophobic conspiracy against non-U.S. artists, he did the right thing and started a thread that sought to introduce the forum populace to the man's work, including remixes, and hard to find Japanese and Korean bonus tracks. Here are all of the uploads that appeared in the thread, organized together in a single mediafire folder for convenience; click on titles for track lists and further information.

Click Here To Access DJ Honda Folder @ Mediafire

Folder Contents:

DJ Honda - S/T (Relativity, 1996)

DJ Honda - HII (Relativity, 1998)

DJ Honda - HIII - Japanese Version (DJ Honda Recordings, 1998)

DJ Honda - Remixes

DJ Honda - Japanese and Korean Rarities

DJ Honda/PMD - Underground Connection

DJ Honda - Reason OST

DJ Honda recorded an album with longtime collaborator Problemz that dropped on March 4th, 2009. Here is the trailer for it:

-- Thun

Various Artists - Classic Elements (Seattle 1998)

Here's an underground hip hop compilation from Seattle, Washington. It was put out by 'Impact Entertainment' in 1998. The record label was actually based in Olympia, Washington where there is a small but prolific scene. Props to Eden, Cody, Jim, Doug, Max and all you other mothafuckas keeping underground hip hop alive up there in the people's republic! This one was mastered by Mark Greer and Dj Sayeed at 'Bandit Audio' in Olympia, WA. It's interesting for me to come across this cd and compare what I knew about local hip hop then to what I know now. It's a long shot but if anyone out there has some live recordings of 'The Rat Pack' I'd kill to hear them again!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JD55SU6I

01 (05:33) ghetto children - hip hop was ?
02 (04:12) jaleel - call it like i see it
03 (03:17) troubled sums - konfessions
04 (05:18) source of labor & beyond reality - aunt anna
05 (04:45) soulstice - norvus ordo seclorum
06 (04:13) arson - back home
07 (05:15) sinsemilla - sleep
08 (06:12) nobody - a.n.i.t.a.
09 (04:07) bedroom productions ft. blak - black n blind
10 (04:29) 5E - paradox (remix)
11 (04:52) ski - from bullets to poetics
12 (03:58) tilson - a little better
13 (05:19) black anger - third eye
14 (03:42) jace - what's ya defenition
15 (03:41) blak - only when i'm high
16 (04:55) nomad - sadistic flow

Many of these artists were featured on other Seattle compilations released in the mid/late 90's. Give me some feedback and I'll keep coming at ya with that northwest flava.

--Schenectadyfan

Sounds Like The 90's (Volume 4)

I think I did it this time. No really, I know I've said it before but I really mean it, this might be the best Sounds Like The 90's yet!

Volume 4 starts of with vintage Raekwon spitting over the classic "UFO" by ESG, which can be found on the latest MF Doom album "Born Like This." Daniel Dumile's rapping is nowhere to be found on the track so I couldn't live with myself if I didn't title the track the way I did.

And while we're talking about MF Doom, word is he no longer using the "MF" and he requested all the letters be CAPITALIZED in his name. I say until he stops fronting with his imposters at his live shows then I can't acknowledge his request, so MF Doom it is. With that said, MF Doom comes in second with "Gazzillion Ear." The hiatus was one of the best things he's done for his music, now let's just hope others follow (cough, Ghostface).

My homie Superstar Quamallah who also appeared on Vol. 3 as makes a glorious return here on Vol. 4. Once I heard the track I knew it would be perfect for Sounds Like The 90's. "88 Soul" will be on his fourthcoming EP perfectly titled ''88 Jordans With A 93 Tempo."

I'm not familiar with Danny Brown and I'm usually hesitant checkin' out new cats using their Gov't names but the dude can rip. "Contra" might start-off sounding a bit Def Poetish, but I assure you before the track ends you'll hear both Danny and Elzhi rip the track to shreds. And having the 30-man code for Nintento's Contra in the mix is an added bonus if you ask me.

Another Motown native and soon-to-be the next "it" emcee steps up with "Heat." If you aren't hip to Finale you will be soon. "A Pipe Dream And A Promise" is about to drop and you all need to check it out. It's one of my favorite albums of '09.

Things get a little grimey with the Primo laced "Too Strong,"Saigon's warning shots "Prepare For War," the latest by Slaughterhouse (Joe Budden, Royce Da 5'9, Joell Ortiz & Crooked I) "Wack MC's" and Reks' card pullin' "Killaz On Wax."

Right before you think the mix is headed in one direction we flip the script and bring in the ever soulful swagger of Brother Ali on "Good Lord." If Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates fame) could rap he would be Brother Ali. Regardless of color, Ali is one of the best rappers doing it today but I'll be damned if he isn't as soulful as the pale greats Michael McDonald, Peter Centera & Bobby Caldwell.

CunninLynguists leaked two tracks off their new album Strange Journey Vol. 1 that I thought were too good to pass up for this volume. Plus it doesn't hurt to show some Southern love every once in awhile, especially when its well-deserved. I'm a huge fan of Kno's production and after you listen to "Georgia (Remix)" and "Don't Leave" you'll understand why.

Project Blowedians Abstract Rude and Open Mike Eagle provide the much needed balance on the mix that set-ups the best thing to come out of Calgary since Brett "The Hitman"Hart, Dragon Fli Empire with their ode to hip-hop duos "2-Man Team."

I thought it was only fitting that we included Joell Ortiz covering the classic T.R.O.Y. and close it out with another Focus "homage" track to none other than Pete Rock.

Yeah I know, I own this compilation thing right here. I do this for all of you. I feed off you too, so please don't stop with the support. Tell us what you think and leave comments (good or bad). If you're an artist and you got a dope track then send it our way because we're working on Sounds Like The 90's (Readers Edition) featuring all reader submitted material. But for now, enjoy this here mix! --Philaflava

[click image to download]

Sounds Like The 90s Volume 4

01. Raekwon - Yessir (prod. MF Doom)
02. MF Doom - Gazzillion Ear
03. Superstar Quamallah - 88 Soul
04. Danny Brown - Contra feat. Elzhi
05. Finale - Heat (prod. J Dilla)
06. Blaq Poet - Too Strong
07. Saigon - Prepare For War
08. Slaughterhouse - Wack MC's
09. Reks - Killaz On Wax
10. Wale - Word Play feat. Curren$y & Tre of UCB
11. Brother Ali - Good Lord
12. CunninLynguists - George (Remix) feat. Khujo Goodi & Killer Mike
13. Jay Electronica - Exhibit A (Transformations)
14. CunninLyngists - Don't Leave (When Winter Comes) feat. Slug
15. Abstract Rude - Rejuvenation
16. Mike Eagle - iRock
17. Dragon Fli Empire - 2-Man Team
18. Oh No - Smile A Bit feat. Posdnous
19. Joell Ortiz - They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y)
20. Focus - Homage To Pete Rock feat. Rapper Pooh, Sha Stimuli & Kurupt

Download Link
Backup Link #2