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.
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…)
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
Uptown tape king DJ Doo Wop threw me this exclusive blend video he made, which answers the question - What if Nas and Biggie had gone at each other on the same stage, verse for verse? Here’s how it might have gone down…
Before Com was making shitty club music and movies, he was a ‘rhyme animal’. Here we catch him blacking-out on Max and Dave’s The Kiss-FM Rap Show in the UK, joined by British MC legend Tony Rotten of Blak Twang over a live jam session courtesy of the mighty Brand New Heavies.
“Last time I was in London, people seen me drunk…”
If you have even the slightest clue about this here rap shit, then you have to acknowledge the fact that Erick and Parrish pretty much had the game in motherfuckin’ headlock with their first four albums. They brought a brand new funk to the scene with Strictly Business, delivered cutting-edge beat science on Unfinished Business and executed a near-flawless B-Boy document with Business As Usual, while Business Never Personal showcased the mighty Hit Squad at the height of their powers while slapping the shit outta listeners with ultra-hard cuts like ‘Boon Dox’. Combat Jack is going to tell you that based on the strength of this discography they automatically qualify as rap’s ‘Dopest Duo’ (word to Craig G), but that’s not the whole equation. My main motivation behind the ‘M.O.P are the greatest’ declaration is the fact that they’ve outlasted everyone and are still bringing that heat. It soon became clear that the most effective way to illustrate the Mash Out Posse’s superiority is through the classic Take An ‘L’ Comparison Test. Let’s get it in! (more…)
Combine a thumbs-up from Lil’ Fame with a co-sign from TheKidLEGEND and I was actually considering giving this character some air time…next thing you know, he steals the show on the new Soul Assassins album - Interlude.