As time marches on, hip-hop is now at the stage where there are a significant number of rapper’s in their 30’s and 40’s releasing new music. No big deal, right? Except that now that internets record labels can release your album with a promotional budget of $50, all these characters who might have been left on the scrap heap back ten years back are allowed to release new albums! The ? Remains…is this a good thing? Let’s examine some of the flood of new rap records made by dudes who probably have kids old enough to make their own songs…. (more…)
Some tracks from the Live Hard sessions that didn’t make the final EP. The only info I have on them is that ‘Trouble’ was “recorded weirdly”, while ‘About This Flow’ was produced by Lord Finesse. Another Unkut exclusive…
Despite being voted the Greatest of All-Time here at Unkut, KRS doesn’t always hit the mark these days. This isn’t one of those days. Taken from ALC’s Chemical Warfare.
Ghostface live, huh? Yeah, that shit was quality. It featured everything you’d hope for from a Starks’ set - an overpowering smell of weed surrounding the stage, winning live renditions of ‘Nutmeg’, ‘Run’ and ‘Mighty Healthy’, Ghost diddy-bopping around like an excited kid who just ate a bag of candy and….a bunch of cover versions? Sure, a musical tribute to the late, great Ol’ Dirty Bastard and nods of respect to GZA and ‘em are understandable, but when Ghost launched into non-Wu covers, I was puzzled. Why is half of the Theodore Unit performing Pharcyde’s ‘Passin’ Me By’? With seven official solo albums under his belt, plus all the Wu-Tang and Theodore stuff, it’s not like Pretty Toney is short of material, so why throw a Biggie cover in there, of all people? It’s not just GFK that I’ve seen do this, this techniques seems to have become as much a part of the modern rap set as trying to determine which side of the room is “more live” and asking us if we like that “real hip-hop”.
Do you feel ripped off when an MC performs other rapper’s songs on stage?
Ghost performing a similar set in Berlin, Germany 3 weeks ago: (more…)
What better way to pay respect to the King of Pop than these two gems…one of the most inspired blends ever courtesy of mixtape royalty Ron G, and an album of dope Jackson 5 chops from The Are…
For the second part of our talk, Doo Wop discusses the Bounce Squad, issues with Kid Capri and teaming-up with Tony Touch…
Robbie: So who was the full line-up of the Bounce Squad?
Doo Wop: Rev. Gotti, All That, Snagglepuss, Uneek. Snagglepuss, towards the end he had brought his brother Leatherface – rhymed on two tapes. He got a good response but he didn’t get too much light. Lord Tariq was like a cousin. He was the first one to rhyme on my tape that I made that nobody probably even heard. It was in like ‘91, this guy named Big-O from Soundview projects that I knew, he’s like, ‘Yo, you’re making tapes right? I’mma bring me man to your house. He gonna spit’. He brought Lord Tariq and I was fuckin’ buggin’. Tariq was spitting that cocaine type rap in 91. Nobody was even really doin’ that shit, so it was crazy. (more…)
The Uptown Bounce Master (aka Doo Wop) is a true mixtape pioneer. He took the idea of intro’s to the next stage by assembling an all-star cast for his two part ‘95 Live series. He’s also nicer on the mic than most full-time MC’s. He broke-down the history of his classic tape features with me last-week, as well as the two legends who got away…
Robbie: You were the only person who really called Lil’ Wayne out when he shat on mixtapes. It was kinda ironic, wasn’t it?
Doo Wop: Exactly, like how could you do that? And he’s dope to me! The day after I did that, I still played his shit at a party, because that’s what the people want! If you just Google the word ‘mixtapes’, I won’t come-up right now at the top page – Kid Capri won’t even come-up! It’ll be pictures of Lil’ Wayne! He’s dope, he deserves all the fame he gets, but it was just real arrogant and unnecessary [when he was interviewed by Foundation Mag]. Why would you even do that? I did something – he probably never even heard it – but whatever. I just did it to stand-up for the DJ’s. These dude’s just let that shit slide like it’s OK. It didn’t make sense. If I wasn’t me, and a DJ made a record standing up for DJ’s, I’d play the shit out of that record! I never heard it on the radio – Flex never played it. Enuff didn’t play it. DJ’s that I was cool with, and I’m standin’ up for y’all too! Even one time? He shitted on y’all! He’s like, ‘Mixtape DJ’s can suck my dick!’ That’s what he said! First of all, you’re not gonna say nothing. Second of all, somebody else says something, you’re not gonna support it, but you play his shit right after that… (more…)
Everyone likes to boast about how hard they’re working these days. DJ Johnny Juice - the guy who performed the cuts on ‘Rebel Without A Pause’, amongst other things - makes these blowhards look like the posers they really are. Just check out what he’s got cooking in the studio:
Leaders of the New School album (Charlie Brown, Dinco D and Milo):
“I’m trying to set up multiple shows for L.O.N.S. and S.O.B. for the fall, since I’m producing both of their albums, and since I’m LONS’s DJ”.
A Son Of Bazerk project:
“We have finished 3 songs and have 2 others in the works. The idea is to finish a whole album. It’s taking a little while because they are a little rusty but they still sound dope”.
Chuck D solo album:
“A lot of songs that he did that Flavor didn’t get on or that he did in the immediacy of the moment”.
Two DMC solo albums:
“One is already complete. I did about 4 or 5 songs. I am doing the whole 2nd album - an all-”King of Rock”-ish type album for him”.
A new X-Vandal album: “The lead MC from Puerto Rican punk group Ricanstruction and myself. Kind of like a Puerto Rican P.E.”
He’s also making a mixtape based on original Public Enemy sample sources, an Old School Hip Hop tape, a break beat mix, an Old School R&B mixtape and an Old School House (Classics) tape.
Short but nothin’ sweet about this old mouf convention. Sounds like Large Paul did the track too. Grand Puba’s Retroactive drops on the 23rd via Babygrande.
DX: Do you remember your initial reaction when you first heard “Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down” and “Pass The Gat”?
Grand Puba: That’s the thing that kinda messed me up [after leaving the group to go solo], ‘cause I wish I was on “Punks,” I woulda murdered that shit. I was like, “Damn!” It’s like I know [Sadat] X wish he was on “360,” and Jamar wish he was on “Soul Controller.” I had that [moment after “Punks”] like, “Damn, man.” That shit, and the “Pass The Gat” shit. Those are my regrets, man. I wish I was on them joints right there
Since Muggs has a new Soul Assassins records about to drop, it seems like the perfect time to unearth this Max and Dave interview with him from January of 2007.
One of graff’s greatest characters has passed on. Having set records for bombing outsides in his prime, he underwent a blood transfer after suffering kidney failure in 1996 as a result of a life of inhaling paint fumes, having started his world famous career in 1972. It was this same condition that finally claimed his life on June 17, 2009. Rest In Peace IZ.
P Brother’s The Gas was the best rap album released in 2008. Yak Ballz is some third-rate Fondle ‘Em alumni who no one gives two shits about, but seems to enjoys ripping-off cover artwork.
