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Download: A Salute To Scrapped Original Versions
Following on from last week’s Demo Versions comp, this is a collection of original versions of rap songs which had their beat completely changed for the album. Unlike tracks which have to get redone...
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Download: A Salute To Failed Sample Clearances
To complete the theme that I’ve running with these past few weeks, here are fifteen rap songs which were either scrapped altogether, released as promo only or re-recorded for the album. It’s limited...
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Download: A Salute To Old School Throwbacks
There’s nothing like pretending to rap like it’s 1985 (or better yet, 1977) well after the fact, or recruiting some veteran MC’s to kick some old styles. While some of these attempts have fallen flat...
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Download: A Salute To MF Doom
It could be said that the world doesn’t need another DOOM compilation, but considering that most of them are amateurish fan mash-ups I’d argue that a definite collection of the Metal Faced Villain‘s...
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Download: A Salute To The Least Awful Eric B & Rakim Remixes
For such an iconic group, Eric B & Rakim really had a rough trot as far as having shitty UK clun remixes tacked on to their singles. For reasons still I’m still trying to figure out, I thought it...
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Download: A Salute To Eric ‘Vietnam’ Sadler
Eric ‘Vietnam’ Sadler was the Bomb Squad‘s secret weapon. It was his programming expertise that kept their ‘wall of noise’ production style in the pocket, assigned to translate Hank Shocklee and Chuck...
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Download: A Salute To Ice-T
When I first went to high school, I remember I’d memorized the entire intro to Rhyme Pays and would recite it to pretty girls for reasons which now escape me. Let’s just say it was a simpler time....
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Download: A Salute To Big Jaz Productions
The career of The Jaz aka Big Jaz aka Jaz-O is tricky to summarize. On one hand, he had to deal with being eclipsed by his young protege, which is always going to be a blow to the ego. On the other...
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Download: A Salute To The Trackmasters
While we now consider the Trackmasters to be just Poke and ‘Red Hot Lover’ Tone, it originally included Alex Richberg and Frank Nitty in the early days. After cutting their teeth on Finesse and...
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Download: A Salute To EZ Elpee
After cutting his teeth over at Big Beat with The Artifacts, Mad Skillz and Junior M.A.F.I.A, EZ Elpee made important contributions to the catalogs of Queens artists such as Royal Flush,...
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Download: A Salute To New Flips of Old Breaks
This is a slightly different approach to the usual ‘A Salute To…’ series, in that it’s a collection of face-offs of two tracks that flip a well-worn loop in a fresh new way, plus a couple of bonus...
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Download: A Salute To Non-Album B-Sides [Nineties Edition]
After reading through the responses to the ‘Death of the b-side’ article, it was clear to me that the streets were fiending for a ZR&T collection of b-sides. There turned out to be so many great...
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Download: A Salute To Non-Album B-Sides [Nineties Edition, Vol. 2]
By popular demand – and because there were so many tracks that I had to leave off the first volume – here’s part two of the nineties edition of Non-Album B-Sides. Thanks to everyone who suggested some...
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Download: A Salute To AZ
AZ is a great rapper who also made his mark as a Conservative Rap Coalition style icon thanks to his affinity for sweater vests, polos and sensible shirts. While he had to work a little harder than...
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Download: A Salute To Non-Album B-Sides [80’s Edition, Volume 1]
As promised, here’s the first part of the Eighties Edition. This period is a little trickier, as for much of it rap was still a ‘singles’ medium, so many artists never even got to release albums at...
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Download: A Salute To Tony D
This is an update of my 2009 salute to the late Tony D, now with extra Zippyshare. Yet another example of how important New Jersey has been to the rap landscape. Download: A Salute To Tony D Track...
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Download: A Salute To Beat Changes
This is a bit of a mixed bunch. The requirements being that the beat or loop changes at least three times in the track. In the case of the Pete Rock song, it’s a case of the loops changing over the...
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Download: A Salute To Pumpkin
Here’s a soundtrack to yesterday’s interview, presented in approximately chronological order. Download: A Salute To Pumpkin
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Download: A Tribute To David Bowie Raps
With the surprise passing of David Bowie aka The OG Rappin’ Duke, I thought I’d assemble some notable rap tracks that drank from his expansive musical well. Disappointingly, it seems that only ‘Fame’...
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Download: A Salute To Story Rap Deep Cuts
Following the huge response to the question ‘What is the greatest story rap ever?’ it’s become clear that there was no way that one compilation could do the genre justice, so for starters here are...
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