Finishing up ‘Demo Week’ with the tail-end of the alphabet. In retrospect, half of these shits aren’t really ‘demos’ but however you want to describe them – ‘roughs’, ‘rehearsals’ or just ‘unreleased’ – it’s fair to say that a lot of great music never makes it to retail. Thank fuck for mix-tapes and underground radio.

Pete Rock & CL Smooth - ‘We Specialize’

Not exactly a demo, but shit wins regardless.

Poetical Prophets - ‘Flavor For The Non-Believes’ (demo)

Mobb Deep when they really were ‘little dunns’. This was one the songs they sent Matty C at The Source which they later remade for the album.

T La Rock - ‘Verbal Assassin’

T told me that some douche he lent this tape to bootlegged it on wax as The Lost Tapes.

Rass Kass - ‘Jack Frost’

Eff Santa and those Illuminati-funded reindeer.

Rakim - ‘Tryin’ To Write Rhymes’

There’s thousands of unreleased Ra cuts floating around. This is one of the better ones.

Ultramagnetic MC’s - ‘Brainiac’

Taken from the Basement Tapes LP. Recorded when The Ultra Lab was at the height of it’s powers.