The Best Links Since We Entered The Scene

We luh da blogosphere. Without a doubt.

The T.R.O.Y. blog debuted at the very tail end of September of 2008.  Four months later, we're approaching 300 posts deep and we're not stopping any time soon. 

When we aren't concocting compilations, analyses, mixes, or interviews for you, we're perusing the blogosphere for the best in throwback rap related goodness, and we shine the spotlight on our fellow bloggers as often as possible. Peep the "All Eye Seeing" widget in the lower right, under our numerous tags for a glimpse of what catches our notice in Google Reader.

Since we've debuted, there's been quite a bit of great material popping up all around the blogosphere, and the following selection represents some of the best of the past four months. This isn't meant to represent a comprehensive study of everything on the internet worth reading, but as far as the blogs we follow and respect, this is a good sample of stuff you should catch up on. Additional shout outs are in order for blogs that are especially good at churning out consistently great posts with a relatively narrow focus - Def Momentum (for '80s rap vinyl downloads), THIMK (for Source magazine scans in .pdf format and demos), amd GRANDGOOD (for keeping us up to date on everything). Enjoy! -- Thun

P.S. - If I didn't give your blog props, and you deserve them, LET ME KNOW YOU EXIST. Drop us a line! Suggest a collaborative project! Let's organize!

P.P.S. - Fellow bloggers, keep up the good work, but know that T.R.O.Y. is the one to beat in '09!

P.P.P.S.- Readers, followers, well-wisher, collaborators - stay tuned! We're off to better things like a Hip Hop Forum.

Artist Specific Coverage

Mr. Complex VLS & Freestyles (Dirty Waters)

Producer's Guild: Six Shots From DJ Premier (Hip Hop Isn't Dead)

Nas: Illmatic Promo Video + Source Review PDF (THIMK)

Prodigy and Big Noyd Live On Hot97 in 1998 (GRANDGOOD)

Diamond D "The Hiatus Remix" (Metal Lungies)

Grandmaster Flowers Park Jam 1979 (Essential Elements)

Lord Finesse "Bust A Move" Demo (unkut)

INI Freestyles, 1996 (Dirty Waters)

Positive K: The Lost Priority Album (Ain't It Good To You)

Diamond D Remix Files (CRDS)

Pete Rock-Produced Promos, Remixes, Etc. (Hip Hop Is Read)

Mobb Deep Demos (Hip Hop And Breakz)

Gunrunners "Life And Death" EP (File Under Dope)

Various Artists Compilations, Continuous Mixes, And Other Audio Treats

CRDS Fat Tape Volume 9 (Cold Rock Da Spot)

Mister Cee's Legendary 4 Hour Biggie Mix (Rosenberg Radio)

History Of Hip Hop Radio: New York, 1986-1991 (Hotasballs)

DJ Soul "No Gimmicks" Mixtape from 1996 (MIC CHECK)

Female Emcees Vol. 1-4 (Cartwheels On Concrete)

DJ Prince Ice Dopemix, 1988 (Ripped Open By Metal Explosions)

WYDU Classics II (WYDU)

Freddy Fresh Mixes (Essential Elements)

Boom Bap Mix (The Hip Hop Spot)

Alkuttraz "Bullet For A Bullet" Mix (Crates Of AG)

CM Famalam Show New Year's 1999 (Dirty Waters)

Print Interviews

Large Professor (CBRAP)

Tony D (Fat Lace Magazine)

Audio Interviews

Mr. Magic & Busy Bee Interview, 1987 (Ain't It Good To You?)

Video Interviews

Clark Kent discusses sneakrs, DJing, Jay-Z, the music biz (Notes From A Different Kitchen)

1994 German TV Interview With U-God, Masta Killa, Inspektah Deck (Old To The New)

RZA Explains, Among Other Things, The Meaning Of  'Bong Bong' (Crate Kings)

Large Professor On The Juan Epstein Show (Crate Kings)

Raekwon and Ghostface Killah On Rap City Circa 1996 (Rap Video For Free)

Large Professor Discusses Nas, Main Source, Recent Projects (Crate Kings)

Doug E. Fresh and MC Serch Discuss Meeting Slick Rick and Puffy (GRANDGOOD)

Derick "D-Dot" Angelettie On Biggie and Production (Crate Kings)

Derick "D-Dot" Angelettie @ Roundtable Discussion (CrateKings)

Easy Mo Bee On Bad Boy, Biggie, and 'Pac (Nah Right)

True Hip-Hop Stories: Masta Ace (D-Nice Journal)

Wu-Tang Clan, 1992 (Just V-D-B)

Funk, Soul, Rare Groove, etc.

Ubiquitous Drums 101 "Sorcerer Of Isis" (From Da Bricks)

Latin Party Starters (Soul Sides)

Under Covers Mix (Soul Sides)

Alice Coltrane "Universal Consciousness" (Passion Of The Weiss)

Patterns In The Sky - Boogie Funk Special (One Day Later)

Deconstructing Beats/ Sample Sources

Player's Anthem Beat Deconstruction (From Da Bricks)

Souled On Samples XXII - Darondo, Gloria Scott, The Dells, and More (Souled On)

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Studio Discography: The Samples (Hip Hop Is Read)

Homegrown Remixing

Children Of The Corn "American Dream" Remix (Martin & Joparelli's Music Selections)

Music Criticism/ Discussion

The Search For The Ultimate NY Anthem (Unkut)