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Download – The CJ Moore Collection
As a member of The Chosen Few, Trio Connection and Black By Demand, CJ Moore did his thing as a rapper in the 80’s while honing his skills as an engineer and mixer. Here are some examples of CJ in...
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Download: Bob James Unkut, Volume 2.1
Following up the the first Bob James Unkut compilation from 2008, here are 24 more sure-shots based around my all-time favorite sample source – ‘Nautilus’. Considering that Bob James’ masterpiece is...
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Download: A Salute To The Rhyme Syndicate
Ice-T’s Rhyme Syndicate was one of the more unusual extended rap crews, with a core membership that included everyone from old school veteran Donald D, ‘Caucasian Sensation’ Everlast, rapper/crooner...
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Download: A Salute To Greg Nice Solo Guest Shots
Eff a Fatman Scoop, the only old guy you need yelling on your records is Greg N-I-C-E. While recent years have seen king of the human echo chamber reduced to consorting with the likes of Jason Nevins...
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Download: A Salute To The Blackwatch Movement
I had the good fortune of connecting with Paradise The Architect from X-Clan on the phone last week for an interview, which gave me cause to revisit the Blackwatch discography, since he was heavily...
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Download: A Salute To Jigmastas
DJ Spinna and Kriminal provided the 1996 indy stand-out single, ‘Beyond Real’/’Dead Man Walking,’ which proved to be the one of the highlights of an extensive discography over the next six years....
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Download: Mobb Deep – Soundtrack and Compilation Cuts
Twelve non-LP Mobb Deep tracks that were officially released on someone else’s album, as opposed to the seemingly endless supply of stuff that never got a proper retail release. UPDATE: By popular...
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A Tribute To Pumpkinhead
Pumpkinhead and Sucio Smash [Photo by: Photo Rob] As most of you already know, long-time indy rap champion Pumpkinhead passed away this week at only 39 years old, tragically leaving behind his...
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Download: A Salute To The Sugar Hill Band
For a jam-packed four year stretch, The Sugar Hill Band was the most powerful force in recorded rap, providing the beats for The Furious Five, Funky 4+1, Treacherous Three, Crash Crew, Spoonie Gee,...
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Download: A Salute To Slick Rick Cameos
Slick Rick The Ruler was the go-to guy for late nineties R&B remixes for a while, but it’s been his work adding his unique vocal stylings to rap tracks that have shone the brightest. From over...
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Download: A Salute To Noise
There was a brilliant period in hip-hop and electro records where the engineers seemed determined to warp and distort the original track to near unrecognizable forms, splattering echo and gated snares...
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Download: A Salute To Nice & Smooth
If you don’t enjoy the bombastic nonsense that is Greg Nice combined with the ultra relaxed musings of Smooth B then there isn’t much hope for you in life. I recommend drinking bleach, playing chicken...
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Download: A Salute To One Shot Wonders
Some of my favorite moments in rap have been provided by crews who only ever managed to release one single (or spot on a compilation) before vanishing from the limelight. This collection of sixteen...
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Download: A Salute To Hurby Luv Bug
Hurby ‘Lug Bug’ Azor played a big part in exposing a different style of Queens rap to the world as his Idol Makers crew concentrated on dressing fly, club hopping and bagging the opposite sex, largely...
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Download: A Salute To Howie Tee
Hitman Howie Tee got his start as part of CD III, before laying down the demo version of ‘Roxanne Roxanne’ for UTFO and helping out Full Force with some material, before lending his talents to...
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Download: A Salute To The Original Flavor Unit
To compliment the Flavor Unit Oral History I did for RBMA, here are my sixteen favorite tracks from the first generation of Flavor Unit MC’s through to passing the torch to Naughty By Nature for the...
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Download: A Salute To Milk Carton Posse Cuts
The qualification to make it onto this compilation requires that two or more of the rappers were never heard from again1. Let us sit back and bask in the fleeting glory that is getting to rap on your...
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Download: A Salute To Rap-A-Lot Records
Some of my favorite rap sprung from Houston’s Rap-A-Lot Records, as the label incorporated organs, harmonicas and funk guitar with traditional breakbeats, creating a unique blend of east coast and...
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Download: A Salute To Showbiz Remixes
Photo: richdirection Remember that time that A.G. fired shots at Arrested Development in The Source for not mentioning Show when they won the Grammy for ‘Tennesee’? Here’s the remix in question,...
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Download: A Salute To Original Demo Versions
As much as it’s always a treat to hear the early, unreleased demo efforts of great rappers, it’s also intriguing to be able to experience the early, rough takes of songs that would be polished-up,...
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