EiGHTBaLL & MJG`s "LiSTeN To The LyRiCs [CaSSeTTe SiNGLe]"...

Had this tape ripped & ready to go for the next post in the Tuesday Tape Rip series, but unfortunately Time Warner had some problems with their services yesterday. So for about 8 hours or so I didn`t have any cable, home phone or internet! Oh y`all know the joys of having one company for all 3 services...LoL! It actually sucks like $2 hooker$ on pay~day!!!

 

Needless to say it was no fun trying to explain to my 2 year old son how he couldn`t go on the ABCMouse website because our internet wasn`t working. His reply was simply; 

"`Puter, `puter daddy! I want `Mouse on the `puter daddy!!!" 

Followed by a little disappointment once the site wouldn`t load up on the laptop....LoL, kids are priceless! Anyway, let me get back on topic.Gotta send a King Hippo SiZeD shout~out to C-Gull~E for hookin` me up with the tape so I could rip it to share with y`all, so BiG~uPs goes out to him!!! 

 

Since I had this all ready to go, forget waitin` until next Tuesday to post it. There just won`t be a Tuesday Tape Rip this week that`s all, I know you`re sad about that....LoL! Now what am I sharing today? Well this joint is another cassette single, but this one is by the Memphis, Tennessee duo 8-Ball (8Ball, 8 Ball or Eightball) & MJG. It was released way back in the year 1991 by On The Strength Records & it`s titled "Listen To The Lyrics". It`s 3 tracks deep. I`ll be honest & say that I haven`t really heard any of their group albums, but I have listened to some of their solo work so I am somewhat familiar with each artist...

 

Eightball`s solo double album (3 CD`s if you count the bonus disc) "Lost", released in 1998 is a solid album. While MJG`s solo album titled "No More Glory" from 1997 is also another great effort. As for the duo I don`t know much about `em aside from them reppin` Memphis, Tennessee & first meeting each other back in 1984. From what I`ve been told "Listen To The Lyrics" is `Ball &`G's first single. They followed the single up with their debut album in 1993 titled "Comin` Out Hard" released by Suave House Records...

They`ve definitely built up a strong & loyal fan-base, releasing albums pretty consistently; "Comin` Out Hard" in 1993, "On The Outside Looking In" in 1994, "On Top Of The World" in 1995, "Lyrics Of  A Pimp (Strictly For Da Underground)" in 1997, "In Our Lifetime Vol. 1" in 1999, "Space Age 4 Eva" in 2000, "Living Legends" in 2004, "Ridin` High" in 2007, "Ten Toes Down" in 2010 & "From The Bottom 2 The Top" also released in 2010. As you can see they`ve certainly put in some work! If you`re a fan of theirs & you haven`t heard these tunes you should check `em out for sure, so you can hear their beginnings & see just how far they have come. The songs aren`t mind blowingly awesome, but they`re not bad either. I like "Got To Be Real" & "Listen To The Lyrics" the most overall. So there ya have it, go `head & check `em out for ya`self...

 

 8 Ball & MJG - Listen To The Lyrics [Cassette Single]

Label: On The Strength Records

Released: 1991

A1. Listen To The Lyrics

A2. Pimp In The House

B1. Got To Be Real

MeGa LiNK...

N`JoY...

VaRiouS ARTiSTs: "The LaWHouSe ExPeRieNCe VoL. 1"...

Links have been freshly Re~uPP`d!!!

What`s up  y`all? Hope all is great & Life`s treatin` you well! Today I`m dustin` off a compilation album that was released back in 1997 to share with y`all. This compilation joint was put together by the late & superbly great producer/songwriter Laylaw (R.I.P.). For those of you that aren`t familiar with his work he has done production for Above The Law, N.W.A., Eazy-E, Kokane ("Addictive Hip Hop Muzick"), Michel`le (wrote most of her self-titled debut album), Ice Cube, 2Pac ("Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.", "California Love [Rmx]") & E-40 to name a few. It`s safe to say that he`s been puttin` in that work on the West Coast for a long while & has worked with plenty of talented artists. Honestly, I always thought that he was an unofficial member of Above The Law, but apparently that`s not the case at all....LoL, he did release 2 Electro styled singles as a solo artist in the early 1980`s thru his own label Rolex Records. "Monster Rapping" was the first single, released in 1985. It may have been cool for a novelty style record at the time, but by today`s standards not so much. Gotta love that authentic Count Dracula accent... 

 

While "What`s Your Name?" was released in 1986. It`s actually the more enjoyable single of the 2, my opinion of course, 38 years later at that. Honestly after listening to it for the first time tho it was stuck in my head for a week, mainly the hook but overall that joint`s pretty iLL!!!.......LoL, anyway Laylaw was more of a humble kat & preferred to lay low & preferred more to shine on the production side of things. That`s exactly how he eventually ended up rollin` with his homie Dr. Dre over to Ruthless Records landing some production work with Above The Law, while also writing for other artists on the label. `Law also linked up with another producer by the name of D`Maq & the two worked together to produce the entirety of the Los Angles group Anotha Level`s debut album titled "On Another Level" released in 1994 thru Priority Records. The album includes features from Don "Wicked" Jagwarr, Ice Cube & The Pharcyde...

 

 In 1997 Laylaw released this West Coast compilation (the only folks that weren`t reppin` the West on there are Eightball & MJG) titled "The Lawhouse Experience Vol. 1" on his very own label Lawhouse Records. I think if I`m not mistaken that this comp` is the only project that was released thru Lawhouse Records, that is until he decides to drop "Lawhouse Greatest Hitz" which is supposed to be a 3-Disc Box Set. It`s said to feature both released & unreleased music from Ice Cube, 2Pac, DJ Quik, E-40, Above The Law, Eazy-E, MC Ren, Nas, Flo-Rida, Pharcyde, Luniz, Michel’le, Stanley Clarke & George Duke amongst others. As a teen I remember seeing this `97 Lawhouse compilation CD on the shelves at the records stores & wanted to cop it, especially since the featured artists were some of the best from the West. But back then with limited funds as a teen I chose to skip out on it because the price tag was just not all that attractive at $24.99.....LoL, especially when I was able to grab a newer release for $12-15. Fast~forward 15-16 years later I was able to cop this joint for a whole $4.25 so I did (guess it paid off to wait.....hehe~heh!) Anyways let`s get to the music now shall we???

 

 

Now right off the top I have to be honest & say that the Intro, Skits, Interlude & Outro are nothing short of just album filler. Sure there are some aspects of the Phat Freddie skits that are a lil` comical, but really if you don`t hear them you aren`t missing out on anything. Once you get passed that there`s really only 1 joint on this compilation that I didn`t really care for much; L.V.`s "I Just Wanna Play". L.V.`s joint isn`t wack I just find that it`s a lil` out of place since it`s the only R&B flavored joint on this comp`. The rest of the artists on this compilation deliver some pretty decent joints overall, nothing super spectacular but also nothing that`s crazy wack either. Standout tracks for me are the Ras Kass & Xzibit collabo` "Arch Angels", Ice Cube`s "Legal Paper", Kausion`s "Lil` Sumpin`", Phalos` "Phalosmode", K-Dee`s "World Wide" & Da Pharcyde`s "Westcyde 242". Above The Law`s former DJ, Go Mack`s "One Way In" isn`t too shabby either. In conclusion I wouldn`t say that this album`s to die for, but if you`re a fan of the late 1990`s West Coast sound you should give it a listen. So there ya have it y`all now go `head & check it out for ya`self...

If you`re interested in reading a lil` more about Laylaw & his beginings in the Rap world you should peep this interview that he did with Hip Hop DX back in 2011. He talks about his early days, working with Dre, working with Eazy & Ruthless Records, as well as working with 2Pac amongst other interesting ish...

Various Artists - The Lawhouse Experience Vol. 1

Label: Street Life Records/ Lawhouse Records

Released: 1997

1. Entrance [Intro] {Coolio & Kokane}

2. Arch Angels {Ras Kass ft. Xzibit}

3. Give It Up {W.C.}

4. Legal Paper {Ice Cube}

5. Spank That Ass [Skit] {Phat Freddie}

6. Your Hustle Ain`t On {Ice-T}

7. One Way In {Go Mack}

8. Lil` Sumpin` {Kausion}

9. Drank Break [Skit] {Barney Rubble}

10. Live Yo` Life {The Luniz ft. Dru Down}

11. You Might Get Stuck {Above The Law}

12. Phalosmode {Phalos}

13. Housin` [Interlude] {Eightball & M.J.G.}

14. World Wide {K-Dee}

15. Westcyde 242 {Da Pharcyde}

16. I Just Wanna Play {L.V.}

17. Phat Chance [Skit] {Phat Freddie}

18. Exit [Outro] {Kokane}

BaCK~uP LiNK...

R.i.P. LaYLaW & KMG...

Mr. MiKe`s "WiCKeD WaYZ"...

Headin` on down to Texas (Houston to get specific) with this post. I was fortunate enough to come across Mr. Mike`s debut album titled "Wicked Wayz" for a reasonable 2 bucks so I decided to pick it up. This joint dropped back in 1996 thru Suave House Records/ Relativity Records. Now as for who Mr. Mike is I can`t really tell ya, I`m sorry....LoL, on the album cover it says he`s a part of South Circle. I found out that they were another group that was signed to Suave House around 1995 which is when they dropped the album titled "Anotha Day Anotha Balla" -- aside from that I know nothing about Mr. Mike...

I apologize, I`m not totally up on the whole Texas scene yet - the Hip Hop Map`s quite big to cover.....LoL, excuses - anyway let`s talk about the music. Beat~wise we are blessed with some knock`N~ass shit that has some definite G-Funk influence, but there`s also that good ol` Texas vibe to `em as well. That`s all thanks to the likes of Suave House`s production team Smoke One Productions & the underrated Oakland duo of E-A-Ski & CMT. On the mic Mr. Mike does his thang, sure he`s no Rakim but this man can sure as fuck flow & his lyrics are pretty good too! So what does this mean? Well I will tell ya, you`re in for an DoPe listen that`s what!!! I suggest maybe throwin` this joint into your ride & lettin` it BuMP while you roll thru ya` hood with it on blast `cuz it`s sure to give your speakers a good workout. Feature~wise ya get a nice lil` mix of West Coast kats like E-A-Ski & Ice Cube as well as some Down South folks like Eightball, MJG & Nola. Oh I can`t forget that the East Coast gets in on the features too....LoL, Christion handles the hook on "Where Is Ya` Love?". Y`all may remember them as an R&B group that was down with Roc-A-Fella Records at the time of this album`s release (they even dropped an album with the Roc titled "Ghetto Cyrano" in 1997). What`s great about "Wicked Wayz" is that Mr. Mike holds his own no matter who may be featured on the tracks with him, I ReSPeCT that...

The albums starts off with what probably comes to most as a a surprise, that`s the "Intro"....LoL, jokes. E-A-Ski gives the listeners a lil` briefing on what they`re about the hear, then we`re hit with the Mr. Mike & E-A-Ski collabo` "Southwest". It`s a DoPe track showin` that South & West Coast unity backed by a nice, funky & thumpin` beat that caters to both sides. "G`s Perspective" is an introspective joint backed by another smoothed out G-Funk type of beat courtesy of E-A-Ski & CMT. "Where Is Ya` Love?" has a nice laid~back kind of vibe to it with R&B group Christion signing the hook while Mr. Mike kicks some knowledge. I believe that it was one if not the only joint that was released as a single for this album. "Total Shock" starts off with a lil` intro of some fools gettin` shot up in a drive~by then Mr. Mike takes the album into a darker place spittin` some 'Killer Instinct' ish over a demonic soundin` backdrop. "Untouchable" follows featuring some vocals from Nina Creque, this joint brings the sun back out on the album.....LoL, with it`s nice chill`D~out vibes while Mike spits some of them braggidocious lyrics. "Can You Feel Me?" is definitely a hard~ass track backed by a crazy menacin` beat, serious Mob Funk right here...

"Midtro: Here`s Your Ticket" is a short lil` track just over a minute long, it`s too bad because it`s pretty iLL. It`s a cool way to break up the album though, hey at least homie didn`t decide to place a stupid~ass skippable skit in it`s place. Next up is the album`s title track "Wicked Wayz" which is also an Ice Cube collabo`. Both kats do their thang well & complement each other`s styles on the mic. "Da Boogie Man" may have a weak~ass hook ("Gangsta Boogie, Gangsta Boogie" repeated over & over....LoL), but the G-Funk`N beat more than makes up for it. Trust me it`s gon` make ya` trunk rattle! "Dope Fiction" follows & it features an appearance from O.C. of The Scientists, who they are I couldn`t tell ya. What I can tell ya is that both Mike & O.C. spit some decent verses sendin` shots to all the fake fraudulent mu` fuckas in the Rap game. Speakin` of game, that`s just what Mr. Mike is spittin` on "Game Affiliated" over a good ol` funky beat. Next up is the hazy "In The Midst Of Smoke" which features female rapper Nola. It`s the first track that I`ve ever heard her on so I have no clue who she really is. Maybe she`s an artist that was down with Suave House, who knows? Someone can school me I`m sure, anyway the track`s got an eerie vibe to it...LoL

Mr. Mike lets the listeners know just what he gives `em when he`s spittin` on "Life On Tha Line" over the backdrop provided by Smoke One Productions. The last song on the album is a collabo` with fellow label mates (at the time), the legendary Eightball & MJG titled "Stop Lying". The beat is on some Pimpadelic Space Funk with it`s wild synths & mellow`D out drum thumps while Mike, `Ball & MJG warn folks to watch what they spit out their mouth. All three kats rock the mic in an enjoyable fashion. So there ya have it y`all, honestly there really isn`t any garbage joints on this album so go `head & check it out for ya`self...

Mr. Mike - Wicked Wayz

Label: Suave House Records/ Relativity Records

Released: 1996

1. Intro {ft. E-A-Ski}

2. Southwest {ft. E-A-Ski}

3. G`s Perspective

4. Where Ya` Love At? {ft. Christion}

5. Total Shock

6. Untouchable {ft. Nina Creque}

7. Can You Feel Me?

8. Midtro: Here`s Your Ticket

9. Wicked Wayz {ft. Ice Cube}

10. Da Boogie Man

11. Dope Fiction {ft. O.C. of The Scientists}

12. Game Affiliation

13. In The Midst Of Smoke {ft. Nola}

14. Life On Tha Line

15. Stop Lying {ft. Eightball & MJG}

RaPiDSHaRe BaCK~uP LiNK...

FiLeSWaP BaCK~uP LiNK...

N`JoY...