Metal Lungies

It has been waaaaaay too long since I broke you guys off with some ML diggin, well fear no more. The goodies are back. Check these two duos.

1)Ok so.. I can’t provide ANY (!!) background info on the duo, let alone this particular track, other then the year it came out in was 1992. But you don’t want to turn down this dope golden era track. If you have any info about the group/track hit up the comments!

Underground Mafia-Caught Up In The System

2) Yg’z were Pete Rock’s homies, though they never took off they recorded some good 90s hip-hop, due in part to Pete Rock’s beats. There is also a classic story about them & Pete Rock over at Bol’s site. This particular track appeared on the Menace II Society soundtrack and goes 6 verses deep. My favorite line is ‘So back up, be ghost when I keep my toast Murder She Wrote yo’.

Pete Rock & CL Smooth Ft. YGz-Death Becomes You

out.

More and more I have been interested in the work of Tenessee rapper, Project Pat. As many of you know, Pat is signed to Hypnotize Minds and was released from prison in July 2005 after serving time for assault charges. Now why would I choose to profile Project Pat, you ask?

Well, I was listening to some old mixtapes earlier today and I came across my copy of God’s Plan. While I was listening to it I could not help to notice one of the standout tracks on the record, 187 Ya Yo. This Tony Yayo freestyle reminded me of a talented gangster rapper who has long since dissappeared and been replaced by this travesty. But throughout it all I could not see any reason why this perfectly good MC turned into the crap he is today.

My only explanation: Tony Yayo had his rap ability raped out of him in prison. Now, many will try to say that the downward trend has effected the entire Guerilla Unit and Tony’s prison stint has nothing to do with the lack of quality in his recent music. I deny this simply based on the fact that 50, Lloyd, and Buck can still ryhme as hard as they used to, but they have changed their style for a more commercial, less threatening, demeanor. Tony, on the other hand, has changed his style, but has lost a notable amount of rap abilty.

Examine the evidence:

187 Ya Yo (Tony Yayo Pre-Prison)

Curious ft. Joe (Tony Yayo Post-Prison)

This brings me back to my original topic, Project Pat. After his prison term it seems that Pat’s rap ability has actually improved. This is especially evident in his already impressive punchlines. Now, Pat has never been a lyrical behemoth but he has always been a rapper who can motivate a riot when necessary. His new material is no exception and makes me wanna tear it up even harder.

Long Story Short. Cop that new LP, Crook By The Book, when it comes out.

I didn’t really need to go into the whole Tony Yayo thing……thats just been buggin me for a minute.

Ah yes 3rd Bass. What a classic group from the golden age of hip-hop. But I noticed something when I was looking over my copy of The Cactus Album, they featured Zev Love X, an MC from a group called KMD, on their single Gas Face. KMD would later disband due to the death of group member DJ Subroc. His brother Zev Love X dissappeared from hip-hop and apparently lived “damn-near homeless” in Manhattan until he resurfaced in 1997 at some local poetry jams. You may be more familiar with his current moniker, MF Doom.

Check the vid from 1989! Doom is the guy in the glasses. This was before he wore a mask, and rapped monotone.

Enjoy.

Recovering from having my wisdom teeth savagely taken from me, I decided to search through some of my old school hip-hop yesterday. I came upon my old copy of Licensed to Ill (I have 4 copies). It was then I remembered that I heard the Beasties were a hardcore punk band before they went to hip-hop. So after a little research (big-up to the Wiki) I found the name of their first punk EP, Pollywog Stew (pictured above). After more research I found that all of the songs on this obscure EP, including some other hardcore songs from their other punk EP’s, had been re-released in 1995 on the LP Some Old Bullshit. So I copped it, and let me tell you that this is not only some good hardcore but this also gives me a greater appreciation for one of my favorite hip-hop groups who have now become one of my favorite hardcore groups as well.

Check a Sample: Beastie Boys- Ode To; (off of their first EP)

Here a two tracks you can enjoy for some nice lazy sunday listening…

First off is a timeless piece from Herbie Hancock, ‘Wiggle Waggle’. This is one of my favorite tracks from him, the trumpets on this tracks are just perfect. FYI Did you know Herbie Hancock was the first person to feature a Dj scratching on a mainstream single with ‘Rockit’ which featured Grand Mixer DXT on the 1’s and 2′ way back in 1983?

Mp3 Link

Next is ‘Beef’ from Royce Da 5’9″, this is just a nice track where Royce let’s you know know what he thinks beef is, and I like it. One of the better tracks off of his ‘Death is Certain’ 2004 album.

Mp3 Link

out.

This Classic Track by Joe Cocker, ‘Woman to Woman’ has been sampled in one of the most famous songs of 90s, hip-hop, if you don’t know or recongnize the song its sampled in, you haven’t heard 2Pac’s ‘California Love (shame on you!), produced by Dr. Dre. The original track is a monster.

Mp3 Link

Leon Haywood’s ‘I Wanna Do Something Freaky to You’ is another timeless song from the Dr. Dre used sample catalog, it was used in ‘Nuthin But a G’ Thing’, one of the biggest rap songs he has ever made.

Mp3 Link

Here is one of the songs I liked the most from 2005, and it even came from a Boost Mobile commerical (!!), It is The Game ft. Ludacris & Kanye West and I think the beat is dope and everyone drops a hot verse, while many of you might’ve only heard the 30 second spot, here is the full length version.

Mp3 Link

So hopefully this is a series I’ll be able to run which I post some random tracks that I’m into or are I think you should check out.
ok so to kick it off..

This is the extended remix of TLC’s 1992 hit ‘What About Your Friends’ ft. The Outkast (yes kids they were doing hot shit way before B.O.B./Ms. Jackson), this track is produced by Organized Noize and really shows why TLC is one of the best if not the best female groups of our generation, anyways check it out.

Mp3 Link.

bonus: my ‘current’ track of the day (maybe week? month?) Clipse Ft. Slim Thug-Wamp Wamp, courtesy of the nice fellas at spinemagazine.