Back in the day, maybe sometime in 1994(not positive), I remember listening to Stretch and Bobbito one night when the following occurred:Stretch or Bob announced that they had received a certain demo in the mail. They played the first verse of said demo, check it out-
Lo Down - Mask Of The Phantom
Well, this verse sounded a little too familiar to the record breaking duo. It rang such a resounding bell because it was the same exact verse Tame One had kicked in a freestyle on their show in the past. They just happened to have that freestyle on hand and immediately played it after that demo. Peep it-
Tame One Freestyle
Yep. Same exact verse. I guess if this happened now a days, it wouldn't mean anything. But we all know that biting, especially straight lyric jacking, was not cool back then. And it still isn't, in our book, right?
I don't remember what exactly ensued after this was exposed, but I don't remember ever seeing many records by the Lo Down crew. It's a shame, too, they had some pretty good beats. Shouldn't have bit.
Download includes full Lo Down song and full Artifacts freestyle.
Thanks to Mad Human at the T.R.O.Y. forum for uploading the Lo Down EP in our definitive Ill EPs thread. Over a 100 EPs and counting, join in and add on.
Thanks to Roy Johnson for the Artifacts freestyle. I'm pretty sure that's who posted it. If not, claim your props in the comments.
And congratulations to Bobbito for getting his name on the Pro-Keds Royal Flash sneakers.
--Verge
wow.
ReplyDeleteBest radio show ever. Putting tapes on record, going to sleep, waking up hoping u caught some good shit and then being mad that your tape ended right when someone ill started rapping! I remember taping over terminator X and the valley of the jeep beats (Don't ask) and hearing pharoah monch the next day on my way to school. I miss shit like that.
ReplyDeleteSame shit Snoop did with Slick Rick's "La Di Da Di" at the same time, and there were only few heads complaining about it back then.
ReplyDeleteTame was a monster on the mic during his Artifacts days, he should have launched a career like Redman. But that's no excuse for reciting his freestyle on your demo...
Kool Max Power,
ReplyDeleteThat is not the same thing. Snoop paying homage to Slick Rick, and switching up some of the words and lyrics, is totally different.
These dudes lifted a freestyle that was on the radio, not from a known song, and tried to pass it as their own.
Not really the same. Tisk Tisk to Lo Down (and dirty).
Pooch
You know what was the worst, though? Falling asleep with record and pause on, waiting for the show to start, and then waking up either in the middle of the show or with nothing. Ahh, those times sucked. Lol
ReplyDeleteIf anybody actually still has this night on mp3, let me know. I'll edit it into the post.
Pooch, you're right, it's not EXACTLY the same thing. Nevertheless it was a bitch move by Snoop who already built his career on Slick Rick's style. Paying homage to a legendary artist by adopting the original lyrics is not what hip hop was all about - that's the bullshit rock dudes come up with.
ReplyDeletethe other song on this 12'' bites a whole wu tang verse.
ReplyDeleteOh shit! You're right. The last verse on Instruments of Chaos is most definitely Wu.
ReplyDeleteHe even flows it in this particular Wu members style for a second.
http://www.zshare.net/audio/6799051374966113/
Anyone wanna guess who's verse was bitten here?
That idiot from Lo Down bit Raekwon's verse on "Meth vs. Chef" WORD FOR WORD.
ReplyDeleteNice Wu knowledge, Musty Jooooks.
ReplyDeleteMuch T.R.O.Y. blog props.
Lo Down click was doing some grimy shit. I'm glad they never amounted to anything.
But who knows, with that shady kinda behavior, they could be A n Rs at some wack label by now.
Kool Max Power - you are dead wrong
ReplyDelete