Biggie & Co. @ The Hit Factory.

Rare footage of Biggie Smalls, Puff, Junior M.A.F.I.A., Naughty By Nature, and Onyx having a photo session at the Hit Factory circa 1994. This is dope. Big's rocking a Karl Kani hoody, Sticky Fingaz is rolling a blunt, and Puff is barking orders. Classic.

Run DMC on Reading Rainbow.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat. Yesterday I find Levar Burton on Twitter, and now this? Talk about childhood memories, get your reminisce on with me. It's like I hopped in a Delorean and set the flux capacitor to 1986. On the real, I used to look FORWARD to this show, and always got mad geeked when that gangster ass psychedelic theme song started.

(Fun fact: Did you know Chaka Khan sang the OG theme song? Seriously. This show was fucking epic. That's like Alicia Keys lacing the intro for Dora the Explorer.)

Reading Rainbow was way iller than the crap they have on TV for kids nowadays. That's all mind control, brain washing and flashing lights. It's designed to keep your children QUIET and glued to the TV so you don't have to babysit them. No wonder kids grow up with ADD and inability to think for themselves. There's a reason they're called television "programs." They're conditioning these kids to be sheep.

Daily Dopeness: Blowing Down

To this day, the Digable Planets are one of the most underrated hip hop groups of all time, and I dare you to argue with me. Their laid back, jazz-influenced style remains one of my favorites. They were the epitome of cool in the 1990s. in fact, you felt cooler just listening to them. Call them contemporary beatniks, if you will. Their album, Blowing Down, is still one of my favorites til this day, and I keep it in constant rotation. it's perfect for lazy Sundays or cruising in the whip on a sunny day with the windows down.

DOWNLOAD: Digable Planets - "Blowing Down"

The Common (Sense) Demo Tape.

This is truly a gem. This is the actual tape that got Common into the Source's Unsigned Hype column back in 1992. This has been conformed by NO I.D. himself (aka Common's producer)

DOWNLOAD: The Common (Sense) Demo Tape

Public Enemy #1.

It's a debate that we've all had. From the corner, to barbershops, to schoolyard blacktops. From message boards, to house parties, to backyard BBQs. We have all argued over the greatest hip-hop song of all time.

VH1 has entered the argument and compiled its own list of the 100 greatest hip-hop songs, and Public Enemy’s black power anthem “Fight the Power” tops the list. Video Hits One will count down its list in a series of shows starting next Monday (Sept 29). The Top 5 looks like a little something like this:

(1) Public Enemy - "Fight The Power"
(2) Sugar Hill Gang - "Rapper's Delight"
(3) Dr. Dre - "Nuthin But a G-Thang"
(4) Run DMC - "Walk This Way"
(5) Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5 - "The Message"


Salt ’N Pepa was the only female act in the top 10, with their early hit “Push It.” Widely regarded as the one of the greatest of all time, Jay-Z didn’t make the top 10. Neither did Nas.

Let the debate begin. But in the meantime...listen to Chuck

What's My Name?

Young Snoop + Old Arsenio = Timeless Classic.

P.S. Peep Dre doing his thing on the turntables. "Hellllllll Yeeeeeeah" (c) Dr. Dre

Now The Formula is This: Me, Tip and Ali.

Oh my God, yes Oh My God. This is ill. A Tribe Called Quest performing one of my Top 3 Tribe songs live on Conan O'Brien back in the day. I didn't even know Conan was up on his hip-op like that. Sick performance. Phife and Tip go back and forth effortlessly, complimenting each others verse with their ad-libs. These cats know how to rock like no other. Props to The Meaning of Dope.

Tribe Called Quest (feat. Brand Nubian) - Georgie Porgie (Unreleased)

This is crazy. Unreleased Tribe featuring Brand Nubian circa 1991. This is the original version of Tribe's "Show Business" from their album Low End Theory. The song is called "Georgie Porgie" which features Brand Nubian, and is about their dislike of gay dudes. Straight up (no pun), they're basically gay-bashing on the whole song. Rumor has it, this version was rejected by their label Jive Records due to the homophobic nature, so they made a new song with the same beat. Apparently, Grand Puba didn't want to re-do the song with a new topic, so he's not on "Show Business". See, you learn something new everyday.

DOWNLOAD: Tribe Called Quest (feat. Brand Nubian) - Georgie Porgie (Unreleased)

Tribe Called Quest - Scenario (Unreleased Version)

This is a true gem right here. This is what hip hop affectionados live for. This, my internet friends, is a rare version of one of the first takes on the classic Tribe song, "Scenario"

You'll notice the beat varies a little, and the lineup is also different. It seems that the whole Native Tongues posse jumped on this including De La Soul, Black Sheep, and L.O.N.S. Here's a little back story from DJ Johnny Juice (who worked with L.O.N.S. and PE):

A Tribe Called Quest was doing ‘Scenario’. It was me, Dinco, Busta, Jarobi was there – everybody was in that motherfucker – Dres from Black Sheep was there, both of ‘em, Chris Lighty, Mase and Pos from De La, all them motherfuckers rhymed on ‘Scenario’. Everybody rhymed on it but Q-Tip, and the best motherfucker on that shit was Posdnuos. He fuckin’ destroyed it, and he ain’t even like the beat! And after he finished rhyming, everybody went back and rewrote their rhymes!

DOWNLOAD: Tribe Called Quest (Ft. De La Soul, Black Sheep, and L.O.N.S.) - Scenario (Unreleased Version)

Westcoast Wednesday.

Above the Law - "Black Superman"

Greatest Fight Scene Ever.

Bruce Lee? Jackie Chan? Chuck Norris? Jet Li? Nope. The greatest fight scene of all time goes to Captain James T. Kirk. Whatchu know about that?

This is intense. Hold on to your butts. (c) Sam Jackson

These Are The Breaks.

(Our weekly look back at the original songs your favorite Hip-Hop records sampled)

THIS WEEK: James Brown.

A new week, a new break. It's no surprise that the Godfather of Soul (R.I.P.) has made his way into this section. In fact, James Brown is the most sampled artist in music history, as he's been flipped almost 1000 different times (and counting). His song "Funky Drummer" is the most sampled song of all time, and the drum break at the end of the song has been used over 100 times - this all before sampling was illegal.

"I made 7 whole albums with no James Brown,
and even though I love his music, I just can't stand...
the way they used it all up and didn't pay the man." (c) Too Short.

But we're going to dig a little deeper here, and take a look at one of his lesser known samples. His song, "Blind Man Can See It" was originally from the soundtrack to the blaxploitation flick, Black Caesar starring Shaft himself - Fred Williamson. The movie was a remake of the 1931 film Little Caesar, and though it wasn't a commercial success it featured a notable musical score by James Brown (with heavy input from his bandleader Fred Wesley), which happened to be his first experience for writing music for film. The soundtrack is dope, through and through, and features one of James' most bad-ass songs "The Boss."

"Blind Man Can See It" is a superfunky instrumental track that keeps a fairly simple funk melody throughout the beginning of the song, and then at 0:45 seconds in - that's where the magic happens. At that point, the beat drops...and there, my friends is where we find today's sample.

LISTEN: James Brown - "Blind Man Can See It"

Most of you will riggitty-recognize it instantly, as it's that classic biggity-bum rush music from the niggity-nappy headed duo striggity-straight from the sewer.


Das EFX - "They Want EFX"

These Are The Breaks.

(Our weekly look back at the original songs that your favorite Hip-Hop records sampled)


Since the 4th of July was last week, and some idiots are still lighting off fireworks in my neighborhood I thought this week's entry of These Are the Breaks should be firecracker-related. Confused yet? Don't worry...these things tend to work themselves out.

Mass Production was a Virginia-based funk band in the late 70's and early 80's, and one one of the largest of its time - in size, not stature. The group included 10 band members. Although, they are somewhat obscure, they had one hit record, titled "Fire Cracker" (see the connection?) which hit number four on the R&B charts in the late summer of 1979.

LISTEN: Mass Production - "Firecracker"

The song would later be sampled and flipped into one of the raunchiest and more controversial rap songs ever.


The song, 2 Live Crew's "Me So Horny" also borrowed its hook from a Stanley Kubrik's classic movie, Full Metal Jacket, in a scene where a Vietnamese hooker propositions 2 American soldiers. Me love you long time.

A Tribe Called Quest - "Youthful Expression" (Live)

Here's a retro performance from Tribe performing the heavily slept on track from their first album, People's Instinctive Travels...

I've always like the groove of this song, and wondered why it's never mentioned as one of the "classic tracks" from that album among the ranks of Bonita Applebum, Can I Kick It?, Luck of Lucien, and I Left My Wallet...

This video also features the long lost Tribe member Jarobi, and Phife doing his best backup dancer impersonation.

The Wackness Drops Their Purple Tape.

The Purple Tape. Any Hip-Hop head knows the reference immediately. When Raekwon dropped Only Built For Cuban Linx and it came out on a purple cassette, kids were blown away. Not to mention the music was next level.

Well, the upcoming movie, The Wackness, is trying to recapture that nostalgia. The movie—which follows a weed-dealing teenager in the summer of 1994 in NYC—features a soundtrack filled with classic ’90s New York rap shit that will get you in that summertime mood. It's only fitting that they gave out a special (purple) mixtape at the screenings with 35 classic joints that didn’t make the soundtrack. With acts like Biggie, The Wu, Tribe and Nas, it’s an ill collector’s item for the rap junkie who has everything. But don't worry, if you weren't able to cop the actual tape...we got the digital version for your iPods.

DOWNLOAD: The Wackness Mixtape: Part 1 | Part 2


THE A SIDE
1. The Notorious B.I.G. “Party And Bullshit”
2. Boogie Down Productions “Duck Down”
3. Brand Nubian “Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down”
4. GZA & Method Man “Shadowboxin’”
5. Gangstarr “Take It Personal”
6. Diamond D “Fuck What U Heard”
7. Intro “Love Thang”
8. Mobb Deep “Give Up The Goods”
9. Redman “Can’t Wait”
10. Faith Evans “You Used Love Me (Remix)
11. UMCs “One To Grow On”
12. Eric B. & Rakim “Know The Ledge”
13. Ultramagnetic MCs “Raise It Up”
14. Keith Murray “The Most Beautifulest Thing In This World”
15. Mary J. Blige & Smif-N-Wessun “I Love You (Remix)”
16. Group Home “Suspended In Time (Remix)”

THE B SIDE
1. Onyx “Throw Your Gunz In The Air”
2. Black Moon “I Gotcha Open (Remix)”
3. Ol Dirty Bastard “Brooklyn Zoo (Remix)”
4. EPMD “Headbanger”
5. Das EFX “They Want EFX (Remix”
6. Nas “Represent”
7. Total & Keith Murray “Can’t You See (Remix)”
8. Main Source “Fakin’ The Funk”
9. Fu Schnickens “La Schmoove”
10. Nice & Smooth “Old To The New”
11. Wu-Tang Clan “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nothin’ To F’ Wit”
12. Chef Raekwon “Glaciers Of Ice”
13. A Tribe Called Quest “Electric Relaxation”
14. Method Man “Bring The Pain (Remix)”
15. Pete Rock & CL Smooth “Good Life”
16. Jeru The Damaja “D. Original”
17. Lords Of The Underground “Chief Rocka (Remix)”
18. Jodecei & Raekwon and Ghostface Killah “Freekin’ U (Remix)”
19. Run DMC, Pete Rock & CL Smooth “Down With The King”


BTW. Go see The Wackness. Trust Me. It hits select theaters tomorrow.

Common Sense.

This is what I'm talking about right here: classic Yo! MTV raps footage of the boy Common Sense. Yo! was one of the best shows of all time, and I loved the unscripted, spontaneous nature of the show. So Hip-Hop. No word on the actually air date, but it has to be around '94 or '95. In these clips, Com chops its up with Fab 5 Freedy about the city of Chicago, his "new" album Resurrection, and getting his dad on the track "Pop's Rap."

Sit back and reminisce.

Ice Cube on the Raw Report

Cube talks about the state of hip-hop music and the ongoing war between Old School heads (Ice-T) and these 90's Babies (Soulja Boy).

Warm It Up Kris.

What you are looking at is http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifa 2008 version of Mack Daddy and Daddy Mack, a.k.a. Kris Kross. I didn't recognize them without their clothes on backwards. I still don't know which one is which.

Where are they now? Who knows...but they missed the bus.


This photo is taken from the recent interview in Jet magazine. I forgot how huge these dudes really were back in the day, they made a cameo in a Michael Jackson video with Michael Jordan for chrissakes. They came into the game at he ages of 12 and 13. They are both 29 now. Damn, I'm old.

Read the article here and here.