New & Classic HipHop Music

Starving Artists Crew
Artistry Original
Four Square
Four Square (Remix)
from Artistry Original 12″ (SAC Records, 2001)

Throughout the monotony of most hiphop releases, past and present, every so often you get one release that blows the rest out the frame. Here I present the 4 man crew outta Michigan named Starving Artists Crew. Like most groups, Their hustle started really early with self-released singles and an album that got them praise all over the world, including a feature track on a Stealth Magazine compilation which drew more attention to them.

This release here features 3 hot tracks. Artistry Original is a n incredible bboy type jam with beats driven by SP and cuts by Eduardo Scizzahandz. What you notice with this and the other tracks is the chemistry between the 3 mc’s, SP, Brainstorm and IQ. It has that old skool feel with lots of rhyme trading and clever punchlines, without overdoing it. Not to mention the beatwork is amazing, with great boom bap drums, catchy melodies and clean turntablism. The 2nd track on the single is Four Square, which is driven by IQ’s production and Tekayone’s skratches. Thes One from PUTS makes a cameo on this track and only make it that much hotter of a release. If the cameo wasnt enough, Thes One lends a remix of Four Square (which is the 3rd track) for this release, putting yet another funky twist to this 12″.

This is the release that gained them the most recognition with mixtape play, making radio playlists and reviews in Elemental and URB Magazine. It also sold a respectable amount in Japan, where they feel Hip Hop way more than we do in the states. If more releases were just like this, I’d be that much a happier Hip Hop head.

-Audio1

p.s.
I’d like to give a shoutout to all the hardworking hip hop audioblogs out there. Big thanks to Soul-Sides and Cocaine Blunts for setting it off proper, inspiring us and alot of the blogs that sprang up… Peace to The Rookie, Can I Bring My Gat?, Free Motion, Steady Bootleggin’, Eric’s Archives, Ear Fuzz, Moist Works, Weekly Vinyl. Treat Williams, The Low End Theory, Rhyme Crime Boss, The Rap Nerd, Digital Bombing, Funk Digital, Notes from a Different Kitchen and newcomer, The Perfect Beat. Peace to all audioblogs.

Al’ Tariq
Think Not
Peace Akki (feat. The Beatnuts)
from God Connections LP (1996, Correct)

Tax day is here and this BrokeBBoy aint feeling it… Funny, My state has no funds for education and public services but we have to pay dues to fund a war that kills innocent people overseas.. Right…. Sorry, Rant of the day. Call me a commie.

Yall might remember him as The MC formerly known as Fashion, from The Beatnuts fame. They laced some ill production and remix work for groups like Da Lench Mob, Jungle Brothers, Naughty BY Nature, Monie Love and Cypress Hill amongst others. They flipped the mics on and unleashed verbal weaponry on the Intoxicated Demons EP in 1993. At that point, A series of events changed Fashion’s fate… Fashion was arrested and jailed on a drug charge then went into hiatus for 3 years. He changed his name to Al Tariq after converting to Islam and began work on his solo project, God Connections.

This here is the lead single from God Connections. Al’s delivery is smooth over Beatnuts production, with its mixture of street tales and knowledge… I never understood why he’d go solo and have his old crew do the beats.. anyways. The Hook says it itself..

“All around the world they sling rocks and lick shots /
Everywhere you go, same thing, connect the dots THINK NOT? /
Stop what you thinkin, stop all that fussin /
The shit is all the same and that’s the point of this discussion… /”

While Think Not is a hot track, The B-Side is my favorite. Peace Akki features the Beatnuts on the mic. Psycho Les sets it off with some classic lines…

“Straight out the ruggedest streets /
we bless you with the ruggedest beats /
To bang speakers through the metro got you petrol /
Once my tec blow, hollows at yo’ project-o”

What else is expected from these veteran beatsmiths. Overall a great record with well balanced production and lyrics. I still believe that Al’ Tariq should have stayed with The Beatnuts. His 2 projects, God Connections and Kool Fresh, were really overlooked by many. He did come back with some hot projects like Missin’ Linx (Al’ Tariq, Black Attack and Problemz) and some more solo bizness. If anyone has any, Holler. Have a good weekend.

-Audio1

p.s.
When you google the name Al Tariq, the first response you get is
الطريق موقع الحزب الشيوعي العراقي

Funkytown Pros
White Green Stream / Download
Satisfaction Stream / Download
Fallin Stream / Download
from Reachin a level of assassination (1991, Island)

The Funkytown Pros apparently tried to with some precision production and anti-capitalist bombs…”America’s so twisted/slit-wristed/I can’t see how you enlisted” from Satisfaction. Check the imagery. Made up of MC Boiwundah and producer Devastatin aka The Rhythm Fluctuator. They hailed from LA and were down with Def Jef which probably explains the heavy “east-coast” flava comin out from cali. Personally I think Boiwundah’s style fits better uptempo like the song “Fallin” but I guess stickin with one bpm wouldn’t make me a Funkytown Pro. Peace

-BoogaLeo

Log Cabin
Submental
Melancholy Manuscript
Sunspray
from Log Cabin (Self-released, 1991)

What’s up,

Here’s some music from the Log Cabin Project I came across recently. I don’t know too much about the Legends other than some work of Grouch and Eligh. But this sound takes me back to the days when I was just fiendin rap music beyond Tag Team and Hammer, replacing them with Hiero, Freestyle Fellowship, Project blowed, Of Mexican Descent, Beneath the Surface comp, the Skratch Piklz, Beat Junkies….

Growing up in Florida, I complained for days to music stores how come none of them knew. I knew I was livin on the wrong coast. So, I still say this to all you westcoast mofos… you’re all SPOILED dammit!! Feel free to drop your knowledge on this crew. Enjoy, oh and is that a Nirvana sample? Nice.

-BoogaLeo

p.s.
Thanks to Cult Status for the following 2 Living Legends tracks… We’ll host them since yousendit expires after 25 downloads. Good looking out homie!

Put It Down (??)
Wish You A Good Day