Funk Marathon Volume 6

Ok it's time for the 6th and final Funk Marathon. These projects were a pretty lengthy undertaking. The effort has been more than worth it though. Since assembling these compilations back in 2005/2006 they have become sort of like bibles to me. This edition is 8 hours, 21 minutes and has 108 tracks. I did a little volume leveling so if there are any clicks/errors that you hear let me know. I'd pick some favorite tracks here and there but it's hard to do. Favorite sections might be more like it. After you've had a chance to check out volume 6, let me know which one you like best. Here's the tracklist. Paste this megaupload link into a new window to download it.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XGZRDR5K

01 (3:21) donald byrd - 001night whistler
02 (1:59) ahmad jamal - 002misdemeanor(mixtape edit)
03 (6:50) george benson - 003one rock don't make no boulder
04 (5:46) hubert laws - 004the baron
05 (6:07) salsoul orchestra - 005burning spear
06 (3:42) the nite-liters - 006nothing
07 (4:02) ben & the platano group - 007paris soul
08 (6:24) lafayette afro rock band - 008scorpion flower
09 (3:40) exit 9 - 009rhapsody in funk
10 (2:57) funk 45 files/(unknown- the propositions ?) - 010something different ? (mixtape edit)
11 (5:32) alphonse mouzon - 011poobli
12 (3:12) jimmy page - 012the light bearer- take six
13 (6:04) lalo schifrin - 013jaws
14 (4:33) hugh masakela - 014toejam
15 (2:39) gene page (blacula) - 015blacula (the stalkwalk)
16 (7:24) greyboy - 016lite bake-live medley (mixtape edit)
17 (3:42) people's choice - 017jam jam jam (all night long)
18 (4:02) james brown - 018bodyheat
19 (4:08) rhythm heritage - 019theme from s.w.a.t.
20. (13:27) fela kuti - 020shakara
21 (6:32) the herbaliser - 021latin horns
22 (5:46) samba soul - 022chove chuva mas que nada
23 (4:28) pucho & his latin soul brothers - 023heat! -
24 (6:29) kool and the gang - 024n.t. parts 1 and 2
25 (4:42) van mccoy & the soul city symphony - 025pick up the pieces
26 (3:29) donald byrd - 026the emperor(mixtape edit)
27 (6:37) banbarra - 027shack up (vocal version)
28 (3:38) memphis horns - 028don't abuse it
29 (2:45) jimmy lane and the incredibles - 029deal with it
30 (2:50) funk 45 files/unknown artist - 030pump it on the same...(mixtape edit)
31 (3:20) the counts - 031funk pump
32 (6:11) parliament - 032mothership connection (star child)
33 (4:42) ike and tina turner - 033whole lotta love
34 (3:37) jimi hendrix - 034somewhere over the rainbow
35 (2:54) greyboy/unknown artist - 035is there somebody (mixtape edit)
36 (4:04) james vincent - 036walking on higher ground
37 (3:57) roy ayers ubiquity - 037the black five
38 (3:15) funk 45 files/unknown artist - 038intro- let's make love tonight(mixtape edit)
39 (2:46) roy ayers - 039brawling broads
40 (6:04) harvey mason - 040what's going on
41 (1:45) what's cookin - 041audiotrack26
42 (2:41) david grisman quartet - 042e.m.d
43 (1:30) leon haywood - 043it's got to be mellow
44 (4:37) van morrison - 044moondance
45 (8:50) curtis mayfield - 045move on up
46 (3:22) greyboy/unknown artist - 046saturdays (live clip-mixtape edit)
47 (5:07) pazant brothers - 047spooky
48 (2:40) mongo santa maria - 048sweet tater pie
49 (4:48) voyage - 049latin odyssey
50 (7:54) central line - 050walking into sunshine
51 (4:36) armed gang - 051love shot`
52 (8:47) sugar hill gang - 052monster jam instrumental (vinyl rip)
53 (5:04) the mike theodore orchestra - 053moon trek
54 (7:27) parlet - 054ridin' high
55 (4:57) hot blood - 055baby frankie stein
56 (5:07) john davis and the monster orchestra - 056i can't stop
57 (7:27) nytro - 057the whitfield express
58 (8:12) space - 058carry on, turn me on (vinyl rip)
59 (4:09) billy preston - 059outaspace
60 (4:12) the magic disco machine - 060control tower
61 (7:22) louis love - 061whatcha do to me (vinyl rip)
62 (9:32) rockers revenge - 062walking on sunshine
63 (4:47) pleasure seekers - 063give up the funk
64 (5:48) bob james - 064take me to the mardi gras
65 (4:14) aaron neville - 065hercules
66 (2:57) booker t and the mgs and the mg's - 066aint it
67 (3:44) strutt - 067funky baby feet
68 (0:50) cut chemist/unknown artist - 068boogie (mixtape edit)
69 (5:49) brass construction - 069ha cha cha
70 (4:21) kashmere stage band - 070head wiggle
71 (2:18) greyboy/unknown artist) - 071percussion and blues (mixtape edit)
72 (1:58) funk 45 files - 072keys and congas (mixtape edit)
73 (4:48) freddie cole - 073brother where are you
74 (4:32) johnny hammond - 074old devil moon
75 (3:55) metropolis - 075go get it
76 (4:42) billy paul - 076brown baby
77 (1:45) herbie hancock - 077bring down the birds
78 (3:32) milly and silly - 078gettin down for xmas
79 (3:12) soul sensational orchestra - 079can't say no
80 (5:28) machine - 080power and reason (mr. exx-on 52nd st.)
81 (3:50) johnny guitar watson - 081gangster of love
82 (3:25) youngblood unlimited - 082wah wah man(mixtape edit)
83 (1:59) pete rock/unknown artist - 083pete's jam (clip- 'diggin on blue' mixtape)
84 (6:28) crowd pleasers - 084c.p.funk (c.p.theme)
85 (6:08) donald byrd - 085wind parade
86. (17:32) isaac hayes - 086ain't no sunshine (live on wattstax)
87 (2:18) funk 45 files/unknown artist - 087funk 45 flute (mixtape edit)
88 (7:06) silver convention - 088madhouse
89 (3:06) j.j. johnson - 089wrap up
90 (1:43) cut chemist/unknown artist) - 090trip(mixtape edit)
91 (4:32) lafayette afro rock band - 091heels and soles
92 (2:53) dennis coffey - 092can you feel it
93 (3:11) banbarra - 093blues riffs
94 (6:58) jack mcduff & george benson - 094pus de funk
95 (4:09) manzel - 095sugar dreams
96 (6:11) reuben wilson - 096sugar
97 (5:39) lonnie liston smith - 097cosmic funk
98 (3:35) airto - 098alue
99 (3:32) biddu orchestra - 099puerto rico
100 (3:58) ben & the platano - 100arte pino pasta
101 (2:42) james last - u-humbah
102 (2:58) willie rosari - 102watusi boogaloo
103 (3:30) ocho - 103undress my mind
104 (4:42) ry cooder and manuel galban - 104los twangueros
105 (3:39) banda black rio - 105vidigal
106 (3:13) willie bobo - 106roots
107 (3:24) tommy guerrero - 107gettin it together
108 (2:59) paul nero - 108this is soul

I'm glad people out there seem to be digging this series so far. Thanks for listening, enjoy!

--Schenectadyfan

Funk Marathon Volume 5

Hot on the heels of volume 4 I'm coming at ya with a fifth endurance event. Funk Marathon 5 is another epic. Of course there are some breaks in here that have been sampled to fame. Others are pretty gosh-darn-obscure. This is a collection which will have your head nodding for hours. Like 8 hours and 26 minutes. I did these lengthy compilations about 5-6 years ago and I find myself going back to them all the time. I hope these funk marathons get the same kind of love in your collection, now and years down the road. To appease my wise, sagey critics I am going to quit pontificating now and let the music speak for itself. Download it here --

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=AWLIPJ7R

01 (2:27) lalo schifrin - 001secret code
02 (8:02) grover washington jr. - 002knucklehead
03 (4:47) reuben wilson - 003inner city blues
04 (3:59) s.o.u.l - 004burning spear
05 (6:28) jack mcduff - 005magnetic feel
06 (5:00) george benson - 006the wind and i
07 (5:16) greyboy allstars - 007soul dream
08 (2:55) roy ayers - 008aragon
09 (6:18) billy brooks - 009fourty days
10 (9:00) blue mitchell - 010dorado
11 (12:30) afrodizz - 011kif kif
12 (8:16) booker t & the mg's - 012melting pot
13 (6:15) ramsey lewis trio - 013slippin' into darkness
14 (3:27) joe thomas - 014thank you
15 (5:12) idris muhammed - 015crab apple
16 (4:05) the blackbyrds - 016the blackbyrds theme
17 (4:04) norman connors - 017back on the street
18 (3:33) the headhunters - 018mugic
19 (1:17) don julian - 019savage
20 (4:52) manzel - 020space funk-extended version
21 (5:00) frank zappa - 021transylvania boogie
22 (3:03) african music machine - 022gold
23 (2:31) karl denson - 023the grind (reprise)
24 (5:21) sonny stitt - 024slick eddie
25 (3:48) the counts - 025magic ride
26 (2:08) 24 carat black - 026synopsis two-mother's day
27 (5:06) curtis mayfield - 027pusherman
28 (2:51) marvin holmes and the uptights - 028day of rest
29 (3:50) the commodores - 029i feel sanctified
30 (4:14) dirty funk - 030live jam 04
31 (2:44) pucho and his latin soul brothers - 031get out of my way
32 (2:54) los brasilios - 032brasilian beat
33 (3:53) beleza tropical - 033beleza tropical
34 (12:42) bohannon - 034maybe you can dance
35 (2:58) huck daniels - 035foolish man
36 (4:43) bobby womack - 036communication
37 (2:14) carleen and the groovers - 037right on
38 (3:45) 24 carat black - 038ghetto-misfortune's wealth
39 (6:22) pointer sisters - 039don't it drive you crazy
40 (3:52) minnie riperton - 040every time he comes around
41 (2:16) galt macdermot - 041hair
42 (3:35) ryo kawasaki - 042bamboo child
43 (4:40) tommy guerrero - 043audiotrack 08
44 (6:20) lafayette afro rock band - 044darkest light
45 (3:22) the invaders - 045track 08
46 (9:19) lonnie smith - 046afrodesia
47 (3:05) calypso king & the soul investigators - 047struggling my way
48 (3:34) david grisman - 048minor swing
49 (7:17) o'donel levy - 049bad bad simba
50 (9:42) george benson - 050the world is a ghetto
51 (6:30) caesar frazier - 051hail caesar
52 (6:50) norman connors - 052mother of the future
53 (7:50) charlie hunter - 053the shango pt. iii
54 (4:49) ramon morris - 054first come, first serve
55 (3:21) galt macdermot - 055coffee cold
56 (4:58) marc moulin - 056aria
57 (5:30) mike mandel - 057as fine as you are
58 (2:37) dennis coffey - 058theme from 'black belt jones
59 (4:31) azymuth - 059dear limmertz
60 (14:50) carlos santana & bill laswell - 060angel of sunlight
61 (7:24) david axelrod - 061the shadow knows
62 (5:05) marc ribot y los cubanos postizos - 062fiesta en el solar
63 (5:57) sergio mendes and brasil '77 - 063superstition
64 (9:39) hugh masakela - 064ashiko
65 (8:44) dick hyman - 065fantomfingers
66 (3:11) roy ayers - 066everybody loves the sunshine
67 (7:58) milt jackson - 067i'm not so sure
68 (3:47) don julian - 068where i'm coming from
69 (4:38) fugi - 069jo jo
70 (3:26) olympic runners - 070drag it over here
71 (6:35) eddie harris funk project - 071how can i find some way to show you
72 (5:05) bob james - 072nautilus
73 (3:02) funkhouse express - 073music makes you move
74 (3:30) the phoenix authority - 074come together
75 (3:16) the meters - 075look ka py py
76 (3:23) jimmy castor bunch - 076space age
77 (5:29) brand new heavies - 077headhunters
78 (6:02) johnny hammond - 078fantasy
79 (5:06) exodus quartet - 079taxi ride
80 (5:30) michael longo - 080like a thief in the night
81 (4:16) greyboy allstars - 081toys r us
82 (3:23) dexter wansel - 082stargazer
83 (4:07) dizzy gillespie - 083matrix
84 (5:17) the ripple - 084ripplin'
85 (7:31) herbie hancock - 085hang up your hang ups
86 (3:18) mandrill - 086fat city strut
87 (3:06) edwin starr - 087ain't it hell up in harlen (instrumental)
88 (8:01) patrice rushen - 088haw-right now
89 (3:58) olympic runners - 089go no further
90 (3:31) tommy guerrero - 090audiotrack 15
91 (5:16) soulive - 091one in seven
92 (6:44) herbie mann - 092paper man
93 (6:40) oneness of juju - 093everyway but loose
94 (9:11) ripple - 094sons of the gods
95 (0:47) unknown artist - 095crazy disco guitar!!
96 (6:28) pleasure - 096joyous
97 (2:26) manu dibango - 097the panther
98 (6:35) the j.b.'s - 098future shock
99 (2:25) the magic disco machine - 099jumbo sam

Thanks for checking Funk Marathon 5, let me know what you think.

--Schenectadyfan

Funk Marathon Volume 4

My roomate hates hip hop. Once in awhile I give him a break. A long break., such as 9 hours and 46 minutes of solid funk instead. Anything is worth doing is worth doing thoroughly, like 141 continuous tracks in a row thoroughly. I'm a fan of all kinds of music save perhaps Verizon's god awful smooth jazz while customers stay on hold for 20 minutes. I should get a new job as the hack who picks waiting music for the corporate world. People could rock out until the supervisor comes on to confirm that yes indeed, you really ARE shit-out-of-luck-sir. On a less cynical note, I figure you funk diggers will recognize some of the gems here. Hopefully you'll come across alot of new cuts. Most of the selections here are 70's tracks but there are a few earlier and later songs too. Turn this compilation up at the barbeque, on your headphones while you drift in cyberspace, while you hang onto the wheel 9 hours in traffic. If you love funk as much as I do Funk Marathon Volume 4 will keep you satisfied for a long time to come.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DKPNMJTS

Here's the tracklist--

01 (5:18) oliver sain - 001on the hill
02 (4:10) jimi hendrix - 002doriella du fontaine (instrumental)
03 (3:12) the young lovers - 003barbarella
04 (7:30) funky lowlives - 004latazz
05 (8:13) johnny hammond - 005star borne
06 (4:29) calypso king & the soul investigators - 006some funk
07 (3:46) the pace setters - 007freedom and justice
08 (3:04) the commodores - 008rapid fire
09 (2:31) boys in the band - 009sumpin heavy
10 (6:09) atu - 010rare grooves#2
11 (1:04) soul fire education - 011fast tempo funk instrumental
12 (3:09) banda black rio - 012gafieira universal
13 (3:53) scott brothers - 013side trackin
14 (1:57) cool breeze - 014fight back
15 (2:08) alan hawkshaw - 015the detectives
16 (2:09) donald austin - 016side saddle
17 (3:07) march wind - 017all the way down
18 (4:28) big boss man - 018sea groove
19 (2:41) meters - 019live wire
20 (5:08) barrabas - 020wild safari
21 (1:50) breakestra - 021soul power '74
22 (3:25) pete moore - 022shady blues
23 (6:59) black heat - 023m & m's
24 (2:38) i gres - 024duo balls
25 (4:24) the invaders - 025instrumental5
26 (3:35) the bongolian - 026valve news reel
27 (4:24) asphalt jungle - 027freakin' time pt.1
28 (4:50) brass construction - 028startin all over again
29 (5:49) lakeside - 029it's all the way live
30 (4:05) donny hathaway - 030sugar lee
31 (2:50) jean knight - 031do me
32 (3:15) the detroit sex machines - 032funky crawl
33 (3:24) exit 9 - 033straight up
34 (3:05) african music machine - 034black water (gold)
35 (4:55) george mccrae - 035look at you
36 (5:06) side effect - 036always there
37 (8:25) brothers unique - 037school daze (instrumental) (glad hemp 1981)
38 (3:35) hamilton bohannon - 038the stop and go
39 (1:55) les baxter - 039hogin's machine
40 (2:02) the bongolian - 040rollin' with you
41 (3:53) fabulous originals - 041it ain't fun but it's fun
42 (4:11) lalo schifrin - 042theme from king kong
43 (5:12) montana orchestra - 043ride like the wind
44 (4:46) cecil holmes soulful sounds - 044shaft
45 (5:18) paul scriver - 045dis-locution
46 (2:19) j. hines and the fellows - 046victory strut
47 (5:29) funk inc - 047smokin' at tiffany's
48 (3:37) isaac hayes - 048disco connection
49 (4:53) incredible bongo band - 049apache
50 (4:45) francis mcdonald&christopher rae - 050party people
51 (4:21) the o'jays - 051family affair instr.
52 (3:00) jesse gresham plus 3 - 052shootin the grease
53 (5:28) jimmy castor bunch - 053supersound
54 (4:09) al foster band - 054night of the wolf
55 (4:17) t connection - 055groove to get down
56 (0:00) jimmy g. & the tackheads - 056break my heart
57 (3:50) eddy grant - 057electric avenue
58 (6:00) one way - 058mr. groove
59 (6:32) mass production - 059firecracker
60 (6:42) armed gang - 060funky fever
61 (4:19) twennynine & lenny white - 061peanut butter
62 (7:33) oliver cheatham - 062get down saturday night
63 (6:01) wild sugar - 063bring it there
64 (4:32) ray parker jr - 064for those who like to groove
65 (4:00) lipps inc - 065funkytown
66 (3:08) kc & the sunshine band - 066shake your booty
67 (1:35) roy ayers - 067hey, uh - what you say, come on
68 (3:42) dr. didg - 068sun of tut
69 (4:47) ben and the platano group - 069platano split
70 (3:07) i gres - 070restless
71 (8:40) sambo soul - 071mambo #5
72 (5:19) mongo santamaria - 072cloud nine
73 (4:36) ananda shankar - 073streets of calcutta
74 (1:56) willie tell & the overtures - 074the kick-back
75 (2:59) florence miller - 075the groove i'm in
76 (2:24) chosen few - 076funky buttercup
77 (2:58) aretha franklin - 077chain of fools
78 (3:06) lee fields & the explorers - 078i'm the man
79 (2:17) ann robinson - 079you did it
80 (2:43) nancy sinatra - 080boots are made for walkin'
81 (2:04) soul brothers - 081testify
82 (4:24) monk higgins - 082heavyweight
83 (5:04) skyy - 083let's turn it out
84 (2:27) spittin image - 084j.b.'s latin
85 (4:57) malo - 085street man
86 (3:05) steve miller band - 086fly like an eagle
87 (2:23) the commodores - 087machine gu
88 (3:05) john dankworth - 088theme from mode
89 (3:35) 4th coming - 089the dead don't die alive
90 (3:26) dennis coffey - 090son of scorpio
91 (3:03) young - 091soulful strut
92 (2:48) funky meters - 092nine till five
93 (4:12) johnny pate - 093outrageous
94 (2:51) mike jackson and the soul providers - 094saturday in the park (fast)
95 (2:20) fabulous counts - 095dirty red
96 (3:29) paul kass - 096causeway
97 (2:17) calypso king & the soul investigators - 097raw grapes
98 (8:14) jimi hendrix - 098third stone from the sun(live)
99 (2:45) the rimshots - 099neighbour! get your own
100 (1:01) james william guerico - 100the chase
101 (2:28) tommy guerrero - 101audiotrack12
102 (5:24) galt mcdermot - 102ripped open by metal explosions
103 (3:05) willie bobo - 103fried neckbones & homefries
104 (2:15) little royal & the swingmasters - 104razor blade
105 (2:45) the soul diggers - 105soul dig part 1
106 (2:17) cold grits - 106it's your thing
107 (2:16) bobby womack - 107harlem clavinette (instrumental)
108 (1:33) the two ronnies - 108the detectives
109 (2:44) lalo schifrin - 109most wanted theme
110 (2:15) eclipse soul - 110psicose
111 (2:36) nino nardini & roger roger - 111tropical call
112 (8:10) caesar frazier - 112hicky burr
113 (6:15) luv'n'haight - 113track07
114 (6:54) uncle louie - 114full tilt boogie (12 inch version)
115 (2:04) the soul machine - 115twitchie feet
116 (6:06) experience unlimited - 116knock him out sugar ray
117 (3:35) 100% pure poison - 117holes in my shoes
118 (4:35) black heat - 118zimba ku
119 (3:33) we the people - 119breakdown
120 (6:29) gwen mcrae - 120funky sensation
121 (3:26) melvin bliss - 121synthetic substitution
122 (7:33) eddie kendricks - 122girl you need a change of mind (long version)
123 (3:13) thunder & lightning - 123bumpin' bus stop
124 (2:38) marva whitney - 124unwind yourself
125 (2:46) brother soul - 125cookies
126 (2:56) skull snaps - 126its a new day
127 (6:28) pleasure - 127glide
128 (5:07) gary tom`s empire - 128blow your whistle
129 (3:48) the kay-gees - 129kilowatt invasion
130 (6:47) zapp & roger - 130funky bounce
131 (2:20) african music machine - 131tropical
132 (2:35) outlaw gang - 132weedhopper
133 (5:33) sapo - 133been had
134 (3:39) brooklyn people - 134peace & love
135 (3:25) dickie goodman - 135friends
136 (4:30) united 8 - 136getting uptown
137 (7:24) david axelrod - 137the shadow knows
138 (9:05) nightmares on wax - 138pipes honour
139 (9:56) billy paul - 139war of the gods
140. (11:18) isaac hayes - 140joy
141 (5:12) dramatics - 141in the rain

Can anyone identify the artist on track 10 ? I've dug that one for years but don't know anything about it. I hope y'all dig the sounds. If you want to check out the 1st three volumes you can find them here--

http://philaflava.blogspot.com/2008/12/on-your-marks-its-funk-marathon-stage-1.html

http://philaflava.blogspot.com/2009/01/on-starting-line-funk-marathon-2.html

http://philaflava.blogspot.com/2009/02/on-starting-line-funk-marathon-volume-3.html


Hit me up with some feedback, thanks for reading/listening. Enjoy!

--Schenectadyfan

Southern Series Volume 7 (1991-1999)

It's been freezing lately, the roads are sketchy, my pipes are frozen. brr! Somehow I cant help thinking about how nice it must be down there on the south coast. Corpus Christi would do the trick right now. To fight off the cold I'm bringing you more dope shit out of the south today, 1991-1999. Black Saturday is off the hook every time. One of these days soon I'll post the whole ep. You need to hear it if you haven't yet. Favorite tracks for me here are numbers 1, 4, and 8. Like the past volumes, this compilation showcases the breadth and depth of southern hip hop. I hope y'all dig this. Here's a link and the tracklist --

DOWNLOAD

01 (5:18) Black Saturday - 3 D's (Florida 1992)
02 (4:12) Mad Flava - To Tha Break (Texas 1994)
03 (4:06) Da Phlayva - World Premier (South Carolina 1994)
04 (3:55) E.R.C. - Whip'n Ya Ass (Left To Right) (New Orleans 1993)
05 (2:09) Terrorists - Full Scale Attack Intro (Texas 1995)
06 (4:01) Jammin-G - Comin Off (Florida 1995)
07 (2:50) Odd Squad - Smokin Dat Weed (Undaground) (Texas 1994)
08 (4:06) Yall So Stupid - Super Nigga (Atlanta 1994)
09 (2:24) Dawgzillaz - Intro (Florida 1995)
10 (4:07) Native Nuttz - Skinflower (Atlanta 1994)
11 (4:45) 90 MPH - Satisfied (Atlanta 1994)
12 (2:51) Trinity Garden Cartel - In-Hoe (Intro)(Texas 1995)
13 (4:09) 2 Too Many - The Way It Really Happened (Philly I think, woops)(1992)
14 (3:52) FM - Out Of Control (New Orleans 1992)
15 (4:06) B.O.X. - Life of A Gangsta (Texas 1991)
16 (5:10) 11-59 - Question Of Justice (Texas 1994)
17 (3:33) Supastition - Fountain Of Youth (Slopfunkdust Remix) (North Carolina 1999)
18 (5:23) Nefek - The Bad Seed (Texas 1992)
19 (3:38) Dan Prothero - The Get Down (Tennesee 1993)

Now this is tongue-in-cheek, but I hope volume 7 here thaws some of these cold east coast hardened hearts.

--Schenectadyfan

Boston Underground - Volume Two (1993-1997)

Ok Boston locals, give me the lowdown. What are the best spots for picking up (used) vinyl ? I'm out here on the west coast but next time I make it back that way I want to know where to hunt. I did a trip there in 2006 but didn't have time for any crate digging. Alas. This compilation is something I put together back in 2007. It is volume 2 of an 8 part series. I figure most of the tracks here are already familiar to underground heads, but it's still a good lineup. Put the needle on and listen up. Okay, okay click the play button and then listen up. Here's a link and the tracklist.

Download

01 (4:53) Top Choice Clique - Push It Past Red (Full Length Mix) 1994
02 (2:31) Joint Ventures - Something For The Head 1993
03 (2:59) Big Shug - P.D.S. 1995
04 (4:44) Concrete Click - Criminal 1995
05 (3:37) M Slash - If You Test We (Main) 1996
06 (3:59) Juice With Soul - Nickel Plated Funk 1993
07 (5:41) Mike Ladd & Company Flow - Bladerunners 1995
08 (5:35) The Almighty RSO - Hellbound (The RSO Saga Part 2) 1994
09 (4:11) Knucklehedz - Savages 1993
10 (5:09) Krumb Snatcha - Hustlers and Hardcore 1997
11 (4:39) Street Poets - Cant Find My Way 1995
12 (4:03) Mr. Lif - Madness in A Cup (Original '95 Demo) 1995
13 (4:38) T-Max - Business 1996
14 (5:10) Easy Business - Wear Your Anorak 1994
15 (2:55) Knowledge X - Put On Your X-Hat 1993
16 (3:23) Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - Streets Of The Ghetto 1994
17 (4:15) Laster - Off Balance (Rmx Dirty) 1997
18 (4:48) Xcaliber - Always So Hard 1997
19 (3:47) God Complex - Over Flow 1995
20 (3:46) Criminal Scientifik - Criminal (prod Ed OG) 1994
21 (3:55) Raw Produce - Cycles 1995

Enjoy volume 2, thanks for checking us out here at T.R.O.Y. and spread the word!

--Schenectadyfan

Connecticut Underground 1992-2005

Connecticut is fertile ground for hip hop, but it can be hard to find. Like many other regional scenes across the country the state hasn't gotten much attention nationally. This compilation will definitely give you a good look into the underground there. You'll hear from a few 'well known' names like Lonnie O, Stezo and Bas Blasta but pay attention to some of the others whose work is really obscure. For example 'The Apacalypse' by 'Seven Angels' is a rare banger with some serious replay value. Track 2 by Lonnie O has me hooked liked crack. His (1st ?) single from 1992 'Dream On' is probably more common, but I dig the '94 flavor better.

If you're a fan of the New Haven crew Hyperdermic Needlz, check out track 13. This is from a cassingle of mine. I believe it's a tape-only track. The vinyl 12" 'Always bw/Word Up' does not feature 'Almost Gone'. The cassette version is also put out by 'Cook Rock Records' but isn't listed on discogs. If anyone out there can provide some background on the tape release it'd be nice to find out more. In the meantime, here's a link and the tracklist to the 1st of several underground compilations representing Ct.

Download

01 (3:45) Spectrum Live - Fifty Grand 1997
02 (5:11) Lonnie O - It's Like That 1994
03 (3:51) Stezo - Tension Off The Chest 1995
04 (4:36) Dahru - My Home 1997
05 (4:27) Connecticut Kartel - C.k. State Of Mind 1997
06 (3:00) Millionz - 97 Mentality
07 (2:00) Mic Profit - Young James Bond 2005
08 (4:15) House of Reps - Grey Skies 2000
09 (5:10) Inna Citi - Project Shit 2000
10 (4:35) The Unit - Life Is Trouble 1998
11 (5:05) Foundation Clique - Things Ain't Easy 1996
12 (4:44) Russ Bee - Flavors From The Hill (Hill Remix) 1994
13 (2:40) Hyperdermic Needlez - Almost Gone (Bonus Jack Kevorkian Solo) 1994
14 (4:24) Chis Lowe - 1 Midnight Blue 1993
15 (3:41) The Ill Pedestrians - All Out Ta Bomb 1992
16 (4:13) Ack The Brother Grimm - Chaotic Dayz 1998
17 (4:09) Bas Blasta - Aint Whatcha Do (Radio) 1994
18 (5:52) Seven Angels - The Apacalypse 1997
19 (3:39) D Vine - Say Hi To The Bad Guy 1994

The 'The Ill Pedestrians' cut is from a compilation called 'The Basement Tapes'. The cd is absolutely worth picking up. Dooley O is a Connecticut producer who put out this collection of unreleased local hip hop circa 1988-1994. It should be on your cd shelf!

On another note, I wish I could detail the tracks down by city for you, but I am not 100% sure on all of them. The artists on tracks 10, 16 and 18 are from Bridgeport. Any Ct natives out there who can break down the local scenes for us by city would be cool to hear from! I hope everyone enjoys this hand-picked slice of the northeast. Leave some comments, drop some science if you've got that uncommon knowledge. Thanks for reading!

--Schenectadyfan

New MIllennium Underground 2000-2009

These two compilations were inspired by the 'Sounds Like The 90's' series. Yes we are primarily a throwback blog, but there has been a wealth of solid underground from 2000 until now. I suppose tracks like 'Two Trains' or 'Ready For War' are not exactly new anymore. I figure what the hell though, most of my own posts are of music from the early/mid 90's. I'm glad I gave the 'new school' another shot recently. These two lineups feature a few artists I knew already, and a bunch of new names to me. They have both been on repeat since I put them together. Hope ya like!

Vol 1--

Download

01 (1:44) A Class - Artwork (Maryland 2007)
02 (3:29) Dim Mak - Respect (Seattle 2006)
03 (3:39) Freddiebeatz/Haak Blast - Money Long (Philadelphia 2007)
04 (4:09) Raaddrr Van aka 'Lodd Manafess' - Black Naussius (New York 2005)
05 (4:28) Monster Island Czars - Witchcraft (New York 2003)
06 (3:51) Infamous Mr Savage (Of Soul Kid Klik) - Dangerous (New York) (2006 ?)
07 (3:34) Mic Mountain - Da Jungle (Washington Dc 2008)
08 (4:09) Shabazz The Disciple - Preme (New York 2006)
09 (3:24) Sandpeople - Fiddler On The Roof (Portland Or 2005)
10 (3:36) Myalansky - We Break Laws (Virginia 2008)
11 (3:55) Altered States Of Consciousness - Brigade (Seattle Wa 2004)
12 (2:51) LSP - Death 2 U All (North Carolina 2005)
13 (5:21) Denizen Kane - Two Trains (Chicago 2002)
14 (2:26) ShellBe RAW - Tale of Two Cities (Baltimore 2005)
15 (4:29) Mass Influence - A Yo Atlanta Ya On (Georgia 2003)
16 (3:09) G-Clef (Of Soul Kid Klik) - Split Personality (New York 2003)
17 (2:58) Rugged Intellect - Like That (feat. A.G.) (New York 2007)
18 (4:59) K Sity (Featuring Ronnie L) - Unstopable Legacy (New Mexico 2005)

Vol 2--

Download

01 (3:04) Arabesque - Stardust Feat. Deesha (Toronto Canada 2005)
02 (3:07) East Coast Avengers - Let It Knock (Boston 2008)
03 (4:15) Hydroponic Sound System - Static (Michigan 2002)
04 (3:51) Volume 10 - On One (Los Angeles 2000)
05 (3:28) Asaviour - Field of Dreams (Bay Area Ca 2006)
06 (1:15) Four Zone - Intro (Los Angeles 2006)
07 (3:57) House of Reps - Ready For War (Conneticutt 2000)
08 (3:07) The Thyrday - Leaving Home (North Carolina 2005)
09 (2:00) Mic Profit - Young James Bond (Conneticutt 2005)
10 (4:43) Azeem - Paim Wine Two (Florida 2001)
11 (5:18) 2uvakynd - People Up On It (Chicago 2005)
12 (4:49) The Primeridian - Tatuduhendi (Boogie Man) (Chicago 2005)
13 (4:11) Hasan Salaam Feat. Hicoup - Concrete Watercolors (New York 2005)
14 (4:59) Sandpeople - Can't Let Go (Portland Or 2005)
15 (5:29) Inna Citi - Stop Da Rain (Conneticutt 2000)
16 (4:52) Misfit - Tryin Not To Lose (New Mexico 2001)
17 (1:36) Dim Mak - Belly Of The Infidel (Seattle 2006)
18 (4:17) Kool DJ EQ - Yes Yall (Oakland Ca 2001)
19 (3:18) The 49ers - Now & Then (Delaware 2009)
20 (4:12) Beat Detective - A Little Loopy (Salt Lake City Ut 2001)

Leave some comments, Tell me what you think about the selections here.

--Schenectadyfan

100 Tracks You Need To Hear (97-99) Part IV

The T.R.O.Y. Blog Presents
100 Tracks You Need To Hear Part IV

1997-1999. You swear it wasn’t that long ago, but you know it might as well have been eons ago. Depending on your outlook, this is either the tail end of a gilded age or the beginning of the apocalypse. During this time, the hip hop artists born circa 1970 who catapulted the genre forward as teenagers and young adults in the ’87-’94 heyday are beginning to mellow out or gloss it up. Sampling laws are enforced more than ever but the indie labels are resolute in refusing to go the glittery route. Radio is dominated by obvious samples and tales of upward mobility and debauchery, while the underground mixshows stay saturated with eccentric rhyming clinics and surreal poetics. The divide is not entirely clean, however. In this era you can find surreal poets waxing profound on diamonds and champagne, gritty crime narratives on major label releases, and a whole host of songs that defy categorization (and a few that even defy simple explanation). This series is for those of you who know that the late ‘90s is deeper than just Organized Konfusion, Ras Kass, Mase, Nas, and Company Flow (no disrespect intended of course). This is for those of you that know that great hip hop comes from all corners of the USA and around the world, that the b-sides of overlooked 12”s and the album cuts of long forgotten tapes contain true gems. Songs that speak to our hunger for dope beats and lyrics and manage to stand out from the crowd. We made a special effort to seek out songs that you probably haven’t heard or don’t really remember too clearly, while making sure that each selection hearkens backs to the last era in which musical diversity and quality could be taken for granted. You need to hear this. Enjoy our 100 picks, coming at you at the rate of twenty five per day just in time for the holidays.

R.A.W. - Linguistic Ventriloquist
Straight out of Delaware, R.A.W. drops a relentless rhyme style over a crisp, jazzy beat. A rare but very worthwhile treat.

Rakim - Waiting For The World To End
The God MC describes life in the bleak world of Wyandanche, Strong Island over understated but fitting production.

Rasco - Heat Seeking
Rezidue - Droppin Rezidue

Saafir - I'm Saafir (The Saucy Nomad)
I image some west coast G-Funk producer left his studio door open by accident, then a drunken MC walked in and recorded some fucked up vocals over the beat as a joke. Yet it worked out even nicer than any gangsta rapper could have done it.

Sach - Poetical Me
One part of The Nonce group, Nouka Basetype, now known as Sach, has dropped a cassette only album, with really dope cuts on it. On this track you can check how poetical he can be.

Scaramanga - Holdin' New Cards

Seagram - Sleepin In My Nikes feat. Scarface
This is such a creepy track as it starts with Scarface reminding us that Seagram Miller is no longer alive, so I automatically imagine Seagram in a coffin with his nikes on. I truly think this is the coldest track in hiphop history.

Self Scientific - Degrees
Oh man, this beat was truly next level and would probably be revered by
other 'trippy' types of genres, if they only knew. Chase Infinite truly drops
degrees here, well after it was the 'cool' thing to do.

Shamus - Tight Team
New York's obscure artist has released his first and only album, EP style. A very dark and obscure release. Two tracks, including this one were produced by Buckwild.

Slick Rick - King Piece In The Chess Game
Unfairly overlooked and underrated gem from Ricky D's "Art Of Storytelling" album. The fact that this joint was originally released on white-label under the name "Panties Stay Wet" should be enough reason for you to listen.

Souls Of Mischief - Shooting Stars
Opio catches wreck over a most unorthodox beat, getting great mileage out of his extended metaphor and devoting the last verse to clowning Chino XL

Spice 1 - Suckas Do What They Can Real Playas feat. Yukmouth, Too Short & Rouger Troutman

Storm The Unpredictable - MC's Be Killin Me
Oxon Hill's greatest rapper of all-time? Boom-Bap lyrically lyrical shit that you just don't find today. Storm was that dude.

Street Smartz - Don't Trust Anyone
Buckwild laced a smooth melodic beat backed up by F.T rugged flow. DJ KO scratches the line "Ain't No One We Can Trust" from Onyx's Evil Streets for the chorus.

T Love - I'm Coming
A Kid Called Miles lays down a murky, funky banger for the West Coast femcee, off of her extremely underrated debut EP.

Tasc 4orce - Root Of All Evil
Thrust - Emcee
Tony Da Skitzo - Let's Drift

Ugly Duckling - Einstein's Takin' Off
Einstein leaves his physics on the side and starts his theoretical work on SP 1200.

Voodu - Introduction
Western Hemisfear rapper and producer brings to you the darkest introductio from his dark regions.

Wee Bee Foolish - The Kid

Witchdoctor, Khujo, & T-Mo Goodie - Smooth Shit
A true gem from one of the Dungeon Family's most prolific yet ignored talents. The title alone tells you what to expect, so just kick back and vibe to the Witchdoctor's unique blend of spirituality, smoke, and sex.

Wu-Syndicate - Where Was Heaven
All That I Got Is You Pt.2", Mylanski talks about his young life growing up in the VA projects.

Yah Supreme - Old & Wise
Not enough can be said of this emcee who disappeared as quick as he emerged. In a class of his own, style similar to none, this song is a perfect intro to his music and a gem you should never forget.

Young Lay - Got 2 Survive feat. Mac Mall, Ray Luv & 2Pac

Underrated producer Khayree and his label Young Black Brotha Records deliever another Bay Area collabo that leaves you missing this very sound is missed today.

[Download Part IV here]

100 Tracks You Need To Hear (97-99) Part III

The T.R.O.Y. Blog Presents
100 Tracks You Need To Hear Part III

1997-1999. You swear it wasn’t that long ago, but you know it might as well have been eons ago. Depending on your outlook, this is either the tail end of a gilded age or the beginning of the apocalypse. During this time, the hip hop artists born circa 1970 who catapulted the genre forward as teenagers and young adults in the ’87-’94 heyday are beginning to mellow out or gloss it up. Sampling laws are enforced more than ever but the indie labels are resolute in refusing to go the glittery route. Radio is dominated by obvious samples and tales of upward mobility and debauchery, while the underground mixshows stay saturated with eccentric rhyming clinics and surreal poetics. The divide is not entirely clean, however. In this era you can find surreal poets waxing profound on diamonds and champagne, gritty crime narratives on major label releases, and a whole host of songs that defy categorization (and a few that even defy simple explanation). This series is for those of you who know that the late ‘90s is deeper than just Organized Konfusion, Ras Kass, Mase, Nas, and Company Flow (no disrespect intended of course). This is for those of you that know that great hip hop comes from all corners of the USA and around the world, that the b-sides of overlooked 12”s and the album cuts of long forgotten tapes contain true gems. Songs that speak to our hunger for dope beats and lyrics and manage to stand out from the crowd. We made a special effort to seek out songs that you probably haven’t heard or don’t really remember too clearly, while making sure that each selection hearkens backs to the last era in which musical diversity and quality could be taken for granted. You need to hear this. Enjoy our 100 picks, coming at you at the rate of twenty five per day just in time for the holidays.

Ill Advised - Mic-Adelphia
Straight from the Quake City valuts boasting a Sadat X sample and Illadelph swag.

Jedi Son of Spock & Yeshua dapoED - Spitmode
Classic late 90’s indie flava from Yesh’s ill-named protégé. The two display some amazing back-and-forth chemistry, trading verses like water over dapoED’s organic production.

Killarmy - Allah Sees Everything

Kool DJ EQ - Three Emcees feat. Casual, DEL & Xzibit
An unusual combo that works wonders.

Kool Keith - Plastic World
"Payola scams switched DJ’s like a rubber band. Everybody clear with beats trying to be Premier..."

K-Otix - Do You Wanna Be An Emcee? feat. DJ Jazzy Jeff
Texas meets Philly and asks the most common rap question.

La The Darkman - Az The World Turnz feat. Raekwon

Last Emperor - Echo Leader
Last Emp gets down for the dorks. Pop culture references abound amidst the crunching instrumental on this ’98 banger.

Living Legends - Hip Hop
Lords of the Underground - Retaliate
L'Roneous da Versifier - L'chemy

Mac Dre - Rapper Gone Bad
Fools who think Ronald Dregan could only rap about ecstasy pills and going dumb are about to get wig-flipped. While Dre is no Rakim, he proves he can easily hold his own on the centerpiece from his 1999 album of the same name. Yadadi?

Mike Zoot - The Turn Pt. 2 feat. Royal Flush
Moodswingaz - Musslin

Mountain Brothers - Thoroughbred
Styles, Peril-L & CHOPS over funky basslines break down their throughness lifting a Posdnous line from "Stakes Is High."

Mr. Live & Tony Bones - Splashin' Over Monica
Goofy platter from one of rap’s most underrated duos. Funky enough…for a state dinner? Echo Leader thinks so.

Murs - All Day
When Nick Carter was just having fun, sampling De La Soul and would drop lines like "on Monday nights I watch RAW (WWF) and Ally McBeal.

Neek The Exotic - Exotic Is Raw
This is Neek's first solo record from 98'. Still down' with Large Pro, Extra P gives him one of his best head-nodding signature beat. Neek truly shows his rawness on the mic.

No I.D. - Original Man feat. Dug Infinite
Chicago producer teamed up with his Chicago fellow, Dug Infinite, to make this very slept on album. On this track their slogan is simple: They originate, you duplicate.

Non-Phixion - How To Kill A Cop
The most prominent conspiracy theorists in rap flip Redman’s original concept to a T, trading blunts and chickenheads for Glocks and dust. Some may call it heresy, but I call it hilarity.

Outsidaz - Money Money Money
Young Zee & New Jeruz' most maligned rap crew tear up this atmospheric ode to the green. Who says that acid and rap don't mix?

People Under The Stairs - The Turndown
One of the funniest and doppest PUTS tracks. Have you ever experienced that kind of the turndown like they did?

Pep Love - Trinity
Hiero's most underrated talent flows effortlessly and revives the lost of art of rap storytelling at the same time, with a biblical twist that doesn't come off to preachy.

Planet Asia - Kalidascope
Track off Fresno's native debut release. I will quote one of his lines: "Adjust your lenses, and analyze the scenes that I wreck."

Pyro - Status Quotient
Chicago native and then-Harvard graduate student delivers a thesis on race relations and the corporate co-optation of hip hop, in rhyme form. It turns out much better than you'd expect.

[Download Part III here]

100 Tracks You Need To Hear (97-99) Part II

The T.R.O.Y. Blog Presents
100 Tracks You Need To Hear Part II

1997-1999. You swear it wasn’t that long ago, but you know it might as well have been eons ago. Depending on your outlook, this is either the tail end of a gilded age or the beginning of the apocalypse. During this time, the hip hop artists born circa 1970 who catapulted the genre forward as teenagers and young adults in the ’87-’94 heyday are beginning to mellow out or gloss it up. Sampling laws are enforced more than ever but the indie labels are resolute in refusing to go the glittery route. Radio is dominated by obvious samples and tales of upward mobility and debauchery, while the underground mixshows stay saturated with eccentric rhyming clinics and surreal poetics. The divide is not entirely clean, however. In this era you can find surreal poets waxing profound on diamonds and champagne, gritty crime narratives on major label releases, and a whole host of songs that defy categorization (and a few that even defy simple explanation). This series is for those of you who know that the late ‘90s is deeper than just Organized Konfusion, Ras Kass, Mase, Nas, and Company Flow (no disrespect intended of course). This is for those of you that know that great hip hop comes from all corners of the USA and around the world, that the b-sides of overlooked 12”s and the album cuts of long forgotten tapes contain true gems. Songs that speak to our hunger for dope beats and lyrics and manage to stand out from the crowd. We made a special effort to seek out songs that you probably haven’t heard or don’t really remember too clearly, while making sure that each selection hearkens backs to the last era in which musical diversity and quality could be taken for granted. You need to hear this. Enjoy our 100 picks, coming at you at the rate of twenty five per day just in time for the holidays.

D. Auguste - Sunset
The Bostonian emcee celebrates dusk as the time to "relax and chill" and also to "step out and build" over music that sets the mood precisely.

Da Great Deity Dah - Ready To Kill

Da Ruckus & Eminem - We Shine
Life’s a b up in the D.

Danja Mowf - Make It Hot feat. Lonnie B
Supafriendz go line-4-line over this '97 IRC favorite that you could have found in either #Dalnet, #Undernet or where Danja and Friendz would dwell, #Efnet.

Defari - Say It Twice
Evidence on another sound mission with Defair Heru deliever the goods.

Demastas - Feel No Guilt feat. Nine
Virgin Island's hip-hop crew Demastas & Nine kicks rhymes on one of the illest piano sampled beat with a classic Audio Two sample produced by Rob Lewis who also produced many of Nine's classics songs. This was their second 12" but unfortunately nothing ever followed.

Devin The Dude & K-Dee - One Day At A Time
The Dude connects with MIA Ice Cube-affiliate K-Dee to kick a message everyone can relate to. Just remember to hit 'em with the dub when you see 'em out mobbin'.


Diamond D - Flowin
If you aren't feeling this song you just weren't meant for this life.

Digital Underground - The Odd Couple (Humpty Hump and Biz Markie)
This classic mashup of the two oddest MC's in the hiphop game will forever be the closest that hiphop will come to making Rap-Stand-Up-Comedy.

Divine Styler - Before Mecca
The god released this banger, ripping it reminiscent to his earlier days,
and was able to pull it off with divine results. Sadly the album was way
under the radar and none of the beats quite lived up to this one.

DJ Shadow - Organ Donor (Extended Overhaul)
When "Endroducing" dropped in 1996, I always wished that "Organ Donor" was longer. Turns out there was an extended version on the "High Noon" single. Just took me a few years to find it.

Dres - Hi & Lo
It's strange to hear such a clever MC who always has a joke on deck get deep about the low's that he's hit as a musician. One of Dres' dopest tracks.

Equilibrium - Windows '98
Ill Bill Gates rides for Equilibrium.

Finsta Bundy - Don't Stress Tomorrow
An anthem for us who have always struggled to keep food in fridge,
it still holds weight today more than ever. But hey, don't stress tomorrow.

Fly Guy Kool Kim - Ya Gotta Know (Dolo Fly Guy Version)
Solo track from UMC member, produced by Haas G. Equally as good was the b side "Skilz R Amazing."

Foul Play - Break It Down (Maylay Sparks)
Before Rahsheed aka Maylay Sparks got down with Ill Advised he was making noise with his original crew, Foul Play.

Frankenstein - Rain Is Gone
Frank is one of Canada’s most underrated producer/MCs and this song, his ode to the backstabbers, will show you why. Lace up your boots and zip up your goose, it's about to get chilly.

Govna Mattic - Family Day feat. Redman, Tame One, Young Zee, Pace Won, Runt Dog & Roz Noble

Grouch - Once Upon A Rhyme
He's far from Rakim on the mic and he's hardly Pete Rock behind the boards. Yet somehow Grouch makes it all work, really well.

Guerilla Maab - Keep Watching Me
Z-Ro shows why heads who know still check for him in this slightly head-spinning double-time SUC exhibition.

Haiku De'Tat - Non Compos Mentis
Eschewing the abrasiveness that often characterized Freestyle Fellowship songs, Aceyalone, Ab Rude, and Mikah-9 drop mellifluous rhymes over smooth live instrumentation and the result is something transcendent yet palatable.

Handsome Boy Modeling School - The Truth feat. J-Live & Roisin Murphy
Herbaliser - 8 Pt. Agenda feat. Latryx
I-Power - Under Da Sun

Ice-T - NY NY
This track starts off with a drop by Onyx representin' NY. You already know that Ice-T represents LA all the way to NY. Marc Live gave Ice-T the perfect beat for this type of song.

[Download Pt.2 here]

100 Tracks You Need To Hear ('97-'99) Part I

The T.R.O.Y. Blog Presents
100 Tracks You Need To Hear ('97-'99) Part I

1997-1999. You swear it wasn’t that long ago, but you know it might as well have been eons ago. Depending on your outlook, this is either the tail end of a gilded age or the beginning of the apocalypse. During this time, the hip hop artists born circa 1970 who catapulted the genre forward as teenagers and young adults in the ’87-’94 heyday are beginning to mellow out or gloss it up. Sampling laws are enforced more than ever but the indie labels are resolute in refusing to go the glittery route. Radio is dominated by obvious samples and tales of upward mobility and debauchery, while the underground mixshows stay saturated with eccentric rhyming clinics and surreal poetics. The divide is not entirely clean, however. In this era you can find surreal poets waxing profound on diamonds and champagne, gritty crime narratives on major label releases, and a whole host of songs that defy categorization (and a few that even defy simple explanation). This series is for those of you who know that the late ‘90s is deeper than just Organized Konfusion, Ras Kass, Mase, Nas, and Company Flow (no disrespect intended of course). This is for those of you that know that great hip hop comes from all corners of the USA and around the world, that the b-sides of overlooked 12”s and the album cuts of long forgotten tapes contain true gems. Songs that speak to our hunger for dope beats and lyrics and manage to stand out from the crowd. We made a special effort to seek out songs that you probably haven’t heard or don’t really remember too clearly, while making sure that each selection hearkens backs to the last era in which musical diversity and quality could be taken for granted. You need to hear this. Enjoy our 100 picks, coming at you at the rate of twenty five per day just in time for the holidays.

100x - Philly Niggas International feat. Black Thought, Malik B & Rasheed Wallace
Courtesy of L.E. Square's private stash, 100x teams up with Roots Crew members and Simon Gratz stand-out and NBA's public enemy #1, Rasheed Wallace.

2Rude - Innovations feat. Saukrates & Pharaohe Monch

3X Krazy - Keep It On The Real
Bay Area heads will no doubt recognize this classic track from the trio’s “Stackin’ Chips” album. Ethereal Oaktown madness.

Above the Law - Deep Az The Root
Although they are better known for living like hustlers, this acoustic guitar-laced track renders homage to the sadder events that have made them stronger. The chorus ask "Everyday is an episode, can you handle the load?"

Aceyalone & Abstract Rude - Me & My Main

Adagio - The Break
Consisting of Big Cousin "The Obvious Wonder" and Reign Supreme, Adagio repped hard between Uptown and Philly. Their signature ill smoothed out approach to beats is evident here and Reign Supreme's mic demolition is in full swing. They were down with the Juggaknots, nuff said.

Agallah - Crookie Monster
What do you get when you cross a beloved Muppet and one of the Alchemist’s illest beats? That’s that Crookie, duns.

All City - Afta Hourz
Better check how they do it or you can get robbed blind quick before you can blink.

All Natural - Writer's Block
Capital D draws the listener into his fictional world and tells a story we can all relate to.

Arsonists - Fat Laces
The Bushwick crew eschew their usually obstreperous deliveries for a much smoother approach on the mic, and it works wonders.

B-1 - Life We Lead
Bee Why - Come Up

Big Kwam - The Reunion
I swear I can hear a faint trace of Minnie Riperton howling in the background of this. Kind of a Natural Elements influenced duo, they both tear it down back and forth. Ring The Alarm!

Binary Star - Evolution Of Man
Pontiac, Michigan duo, brought to us an excellent underground record with some pure gems on it, similar like this one here.

BQE - Last Messiah
Brainsick Enterprize - Time To Shine

Brick City Kids - What What
Recorded under the BCK alias in order to avoid contract violation, El Da Sensei and Tame One flip rugged braggadocio over some Ghetto Pros heat. Classic ‘Facts, undeniably Jerz.

Burnt Batch - Temptation
The Stockton, CA crew narrates cautionary tales of lust, crime, and deception over a shimmering Crusaders sample.

Camp Lo - Black Nostaljack (Remix) feat. Kid Capri and Run
Capone-N-Noreaga - Closer (Sam Sneed Version)

C-Bo - Money By The Ton
Math lessons from the gas chamber.

Chubb Rock - The Mind
CNN - Bloody Money Part IV (Remix) feat. Nas

It's not mentioned anywhere, but there is a (recycled?) verse from Big L in here. And I believe this was only released on some bootleg vinyl.

Connecticut Cartel - All Out (97)
Cru - Nothin' But feat. Black Rob

Download Part I

Friday Bonus: Golden Era Classic Selection 1991-1998

Just a treat for you before the weekend kicks off courtesy of the great schenectadyfan.


Golden Era Classic Selection 1991-1998

1. (00:03:25) Deams - Mad Game (New York 1996)
2. (00:03:32) Earthquake - Unfadeable (Washington Dc 1994)
3. (00:04:28) The Mischievous LQ & The Mad Mischief Crew - Representing (New York 1996)
4. (00:05:15) Psyclone - Headz Up (Chicago 1995)
5. (00:04:05) Under Achieva'z - Seems Kinda Strange (Washinton Dc 1996)
6. (00:04:03) Mr. Low Kash N Da Shady Bunch - R.I.P. (New Jersey 1996)
7. (00:03:37) Casual - That's How it is (Disseshowedo Remix) (Oakland Ca 1993)
8. (00:04:23) Black Saturday - What's An Excecutioner ? (Tampa Fl 1992)
9. (00:05:29) Sir Rock T - Smooth Operator (Tulsa Ok 1991)
10. (00:05:19) F1 Network - Mirror Mirror I See A Killer (Hatespells...) (Bay Area Ca 1991)
11. (00:03:25) J Gifted - How To Be A Crook (Washington Dc 1994)
12. (00:05:07) F Mob - Pump Pump (The Vibe) (Philadelphia 1994)
13. (00:03:23) RuggedNess Madd Drama - Checkin Down the Menu (Philadelphia 1994)
14. (00:04:41) Kamakazee - Spread it (Remix) (New York 1996)
15. (00:05:15) C.o.a. & Aleem The Czar - Metropolis (South Carolina 1997)
16. (00:04:01) Black Attack - Rep Da R.I. (Rhode Island 1998)

Download

One Year Bitches

So we've been building this blog for a year now. Our first post was on 9/30/08. At the time, we figured we would mostly cover the material people were posting in our forums. We soon realized that we had diverse content to share by the truckloads, and we expanded into exclusive interviews, homegrown remixes, analytical essays, guest blogging spots, and more.



As we grew in popularity, we attracted praise and denunciation from every walk of online hip hop life. Folks as far away as Indonesia praised us for dropping gems they would have otherwise never heard and for contributing greater insight than the average upload blog. Meanwhile, some people felt we didn't give enough credit where it was due or simply that we were funk faking human shade trees. No matter your opinion, we definitely garnered your attention: in only one year, 1,000+ heads subscribe to our RSS feed and many more follow us through other means.



To celebrate a year in the game, we have compiled our most noteworthy links and organized them by category. We urge you to give old posts a new chance. If you're a vinyl fiend who never found a Now Born Click b-side demo he didn't like, check out one of the sample compilations for a change. If you're a technical production head who dreams about MPC pads, read one of the lyric analyses. There's room for it all as we mingle at the ball. And there's more in store. Reply to the thread to offer congrats, or hate on us if you're so inclined. Constructive criticism and requests for something different in the future are also welcome. Whatever you do, just stay tuned...



Creme De La Creme

Sounds Like The 90s

Philaflava.com's 100 Greatest Obscure Tracks

Fifty Remixes You Need To Hear (1-50)

Touring The States

Every One Leg Up Release

Ego Trip Singles ('79-88)

Easy Mo Bee Career Retrospective

Eric B "Eric B"

The Fondle 'Em Collection

L.O.N.S. And The Crisis Of Time, Part 1

20 Hip Hop Songs You Must Listen To Before Voting

Every Schenectadyfan Compilation

All The Ras Kass Singles That Really Matter



Analysis & Commentary

Ghostface Killah "The Sun"

Juggaknots "Generally"

Black Sheep "Still In The Ghetto"

The Legion "New Niggas"

RZA "Sunshower"

Das Efx "Hard Like A Criminal"

GP Wu "Black On Black Crime"

An Infamous Genealogy, Pt. 1

Figure Eight: Slavery

Ultramagnetic MCs and Inexplicable Mobility

The Most Prominent Member Out The Group (Pause)

Security Blanket

Various Videos



Non Album Tracks

Artifacts Spotlight

Ras Kass - Non-Album Tracks (1994-1996)

Chino XL Spotlight

Diamond D - Non-Album Tracks

Black Sheep - Non-Album Tracks

K-Solo Non-Album Tracks

J-Live - Non-Album Tracks (1995-2002)

Leaders Of The New School - Non-Album Tracks

Big Daddy Kane - Non-Album Tracks (1986-1990)

Krs-One - Non-Album Tracks (1986-1997)

JVC Force Non-Album Tracks

Bush Babees - Non-Album Tracks

De La Soul - The Instrumentals (1988-1998)



Interviews

Philaflava Exlusive Prodigy Interview

Philaflava Exclusive Guru Interview

The Henry Chalfant Interview Part. 1

The Henry Chalfant Interview Part 2



Compilations

Thirty & Good Vol 1 (90s R&B)

Valentine's Stimulus (90s R&B)

T.R.O.Y. Presents: The Moaning

Valentine's Weekend "Funk Drops" Compilation

Jingle Jangle: Rock The Sleigh Bells

History of Hip-Hop: 90's

Dancehall/Raggamuffin Meets Hip Hop

Big L - The Best of The Rest



Guest Bloggers

T.R.O.Y. Guest Blogger w/9th Wonder

T.R.O.Y. Guest Blogger w/Jean Grae

T.R.O.Y. Guest Blogger w/ Chip Fu

T.R.O.Y. Guest Blogger w/Tame One

T.R.O.Y. Guest Blogger w/ AJ Woodson (JVC Force)

T.R.O.Y. Guest Blogger w/B-Real

T.R.O.Y. Guest Blogger w/Superstar Quamallah

The Top 10 Tracks I've Produced by LG

Kurious Jorge's Top 10 Posse Cuts



Diamonds In The Rough

The Diggaman (Lord Digga Discography)

In Search Of A Complete Prince Paul Discography

Omar Epps' Wolfpack

Ca$h Money Click

PHD (Poet & Hot Day)

Big Kwam

This ol' clan from Now Born got shit locked...

Paul C. Lives

Producer Highlight - Mel Man

Rakim "The Cellar" EP



Samples

That Backwards Sample

Sample Compilation 3

Les McCann - Samples Volume 1

A Tribute To Freddie Hubbard

Quincy Jones "Summer In The City" Samples

The Meters (Vol. 1-3)

Who Flipped It Better? Company Flow, Parallax, Lord Digga?