Setting It Off, Letting It Off, Beginning...

Welcome to the official blog of Philaflava.com's T.R.O.Y. (They Reminisce Over You) forum. "T.R.O.Y." is of course a reference to Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth's ode to their fallen friend (Trouble T-Roy of Heavy D. and The Boyz). If the previous sentence reads like a foreign language to you, don't fret. The purpose of this blog is to explore and celebrate rap music (especially the overlooked and obscure recordings and artists) from about 1987 to 1997, give or take a few years on either end. We are not purists or elitists, just a bunch of proud rap nerds who revel in sharing our discoveries with anyone willing to listen.

Over at the T.R.O.Y. forum we spend most of our work week discussing artists like Scientifik, Godfather Don, K.M.D, Brand Nubian, Mobb Deep, Souls Of Mischief, Avatar the Articulate, Juggaknots, and the like. This daily effort results in the uploading of songs and albums previously unavailable in formats other than dusty vinyl, some of which are long out of print. We frequently take the time to compile songs that share similar themes or moods. Just as the rap culture of the '90s (think Stretch and Bobbito, Sway & Tech and countless college and mixtape DJs) demanded that a class of obsessed aficionados isolate and organize the rawest tracks floating below the radar for our listening pleasure, the Internet age demands similar vigilance.

Stay tuned - in addition to providing you with a steady stream of links straight outta T.R.O.Y. we will also be posting mixes and analyses exclusive to this blog, as well as keeping an eye out for the best of what the throwback rap blogosphere has to offer. Consider this your one stop shop for "The Rap Of Yore" - just don't ever call it that.

Because we're so glad you found us - below you'll find a little introductory gift I call "Demo Listen Derby." Happy downloading and welcome aboard. --- Thun

DEMO LISTEN DERBY