New & Classic HipHop Music

X-Clan

Funkin’ Lesson
Grand Verbalizer, What Time Is It?
Heed the Word of the Brother
In The Ways of The Scales
from From The East, Blackwards (1990, 4th & Broadway)

The Vanglorious 4, Brother J, Professor X, Paradise and Sugar Shaft of X-Clan struck the world hard with their 1990 release, To The East, Blackwards, gaining them success thru smooth lyrics spreading knowledge, social activism and afrocentrism, that was prevalent at the time. Here is a couple of outstanding tracks from that album, that is definitely one of the best things recorded in mankind. The lyrics and beats are too off the hook, even now.

-Audio1

Diverse
Ain’t Right
Under the Hammer ft. Jean Grae
from Certified (2003, Chocolate Industries)

Good day. Well not really, does anyone else have their eyes glued to the news? I guess everything seems more like a reality when bombs hit West. So amidst all the world’s troubles, I’m lacing ya with tracks that calmed things down one summer. I seriously think Diverse’s debut was pretty slept on, he came through with impressive delivery and command not to mention all the tight producers that backed him up. From RJD2 to Madlib to Prefuse 73, he had the who’s who of prominent record producers at that time droppin the fresh gourmet beats. Madlib invades “Ain’t Right” track for somethin you can grill and ponder how society got you that meat after. And before sleeping, watch out for “Under the Hammer” cuz RJD2 pounds it, don’t sleep on that Jean Grae verse too!!!

-BoogaLeo

I know, I know… This is a hiphop audioblog and we rarely ever speak of other genres or advertise stuff, but we gonna take a moment to let ya know about some dope music making moves and one of its key players here on the west side. Dont hurt to be versatile every once in a while….
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What we have these days stateside is a big interest on a musical style popular in the UK underground… GRIME. Originally evolving from the Pirate Radio and Rave scenes, The sound encompasses many influences and styles. You hear elements of 2step/8bar/sublow, crunk, hiphop, drum&bass and dancehall riddims. In the UK, It’s the equivalent of underground rap here in the states (for example, The Bay Area rap scene, Keak The Sneak, E-40, Federation, Mac Dre (R.I.P.), Frontline, E-A-Ski….) It is the sound of the streets. The voice of the people. Recently, Grime artists are finally breaking into UK music charts and groups like Roll Deep Crew are playing shows like Top Of The Pops. It isn’t common for grime acts to get top billing but the tide is changing.

At the forefront of the American grime movement is Tha Megatron, straight outta Richmond, CA, home to grimey rappers, sideshows, scrapers and getting hyphy. His latest release, “Road Work Vol. 1-Constructing The UK/US Grime Connection” is a tightly mixed 36-track banger featuring the choiciest beats and super exclusive freestyles. You get all the names like Dizzie Rascal, SLK, Kano, Lethal B, Flirta D, Wiley, Roll Deep and many more flexin’ lyrical abilities with a soundtrack to make your system bump like Too Short in Oakland. It is a great representation of grime from a stateside point of view. I’m definitely feeling the vibe and progression of this mix. The fact that it has some infamous west coast rappers, like Ralph Sleeze, MC Child, Kirby Dominant and Balance spittin’ over riddims is truly amazing. Make sure to check out Tha Megatron’s turntablist abilities throughout the set as well. Having won numerous competitions in the Bay Area, You can only expect the best from Tha Megatron. Here is the tracklist to this release:

01. Intro/MC Child Freestyle (Over Monster Riddim)
02. Dizzee Rascal “String Hoe”
03. SLK “Hype Hype”
04. Bruza f/ Footsie, Shizzle & Triple Threat “Bruzin'”
05. Kano f/ Lethal B, Demon, & Ghetto “Ps & Qs Remix”
06. Wiley “Morgue”
07. Ruff Squad “Anna”
08. DaVinche “Buzz Lightyear”
09. Macabre Unit “Sense”
10. Shystie f/ Crazy Titch & J2K “Make It Easy” DaVinche Remix
11. Ralph Sleeze Freestyle (Over Make It Easy Riddim)
12. Alias “Warriors”
13. Flirta D “Warp Speed”
14. Akala f/ Riko Dan, Jammer, Ears & Baby Blu “Roll Wit Us” Dexplicit Remix
15. Dizzee Rascal “Trapped”
16. Bossman “Bongo Eyes” VIP Mix
17. Jammer & DaVinche f/ Kidman “K.Dot”
18. Terror Danjah f/ Trim, Wiley, Riko Dan, D Double E & Footsie “The Boogie Man”
19. DJ Eastwood “U Aint Ready” Clash Mix
20. Wiley “Nu Era”
21. Low Deep “Straight Flush”
22. L Man Freestyle
23. D.U.S.T. Freestyle (Over Resolution Riddim)
24. DJ Mexx “Slow”
25. Crazy Titch “Sing Along”
26. Roll Deep “When Im Ere”
27. Wiley “Colder” Remix
28. Plasticman “Cha”
29. J2K & Crazy Titch “Stop”
30. Lethal B “Forward Riddim” Snowman Remix
31. Fire Camp “No!”
32. The Mitchell Brothers f/ Kano & The Streets “Routine Check”
33. Terror Danjah f/ Shola Ama “With U”
34. Kirby Dominant Freestyle (Over Sense Riddim)
35. Tinchy Stryder “Underground”
36. MC Balance Freestyle (Over T.I. U Dont Know Me Inst.)

Do yourself a favor… If you have never heard grime and want to get skooled on it, Buy yourself this CD. In the Bay Area, It’s available at Amoeba, Rasputins and B-Side Records. You can also purchase it online at www.westcoastmixtapes.com

Fat Joe Da Gangsta

Da Fat Gangsta
Flow Joe
You Must Be Out of Your Fuckin’ Mind
from Represent (1993, Relativity)

Mr. Joey Crack is a changed man. Similar to Xzibit, He is salivating the taste of success, which he used to rhyme about in the mid-nineties. He basically shut 50 Cent down in recent times and has had a slew of #1 hits in top 40 radio. Rewind back about 12 years and you get a gritty and grimy Fat Joe Da Gangsta. I first heard of him thru an old friend, Randy Taylor-Weber from Galaxy Records. He used to sell tapes and cd’s at the Coliseum swap meet and he kicked me Fat Joe’s single for Represent. I was immediately hooked. Tales of the rough street life and making ends meet at any cost, painted a surreal picture in my mind. Watching him on BET and it was true. The Bronx was definitely no joke. Pretty much the streets of NY are crazy, just like they are out here. In a sense, He isnt a changed man. He is still the same Joey Crack but now with bigger success. Here are 3 dope tracks off his Represent album. At another time, I’ll dig up more of his joints, because he had a gang of good ones. Im not going to hate on his success at all. He definitely kept on the grind all these years and proves that persistence pays off, at some point. Respect.

-Audio1

AZ and Nas

Serious
from Serious 12″ (2005, Fast Life)

Nas-The Honeymoon Is Over
AZ-Freestyle
AZ-Chillin’
from White Label 12″ (2005, White Label)

Life’s a Bitch and then you die, that’s why we puff lah…. It was about 10 years ago when that AZ/Nas collabo was all over the mixtape circuit. Fast forward 10 years in time and you still got 2 cats who demolish the microphone with alot of style and finesse. We all know Nas has had a great share of success in that time, doing all sorts of things in hiphop. AZ on the other hand has had a issues keeping him from the success he deserves ranging from label probs to lack of focus and inner beef with his crew.

Time flies and new recordings and bootlegs come about. I picked up these records recently and was trippin’ at how fresh AZ and Nas sounded together. The Serious beat on this one really reminds me of the Beasties “rhymin and stealin”… naw… “Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun” style. They put a Hot drum loop and conga sample coupled with a single heavy guitar chord every once and a while. AZ and Nas bring the ill lyrics on this track. Refreshing to my ears to say the very least. I’ve also included a white label that has a newer Nas joint, The Honeymoon Is Over and 2 recent AZ joints, Chillin’ and Freestyle, which sounds like it came from a recent Kayslay mixtape. Enjoy. I might bust out the classic AZ/Nas joints later this week.

-Audio1