Recently found this 'mixtape' CD on that 'lost & newly found hard-drive' that I`ve been talkin` about in a few of my previous posts. DJ Kay Slay & Foxy Brown together on a mixtape...what`s not to like about that? I`m not even going to lie, now in 2022 I miss Foxy Brown in HiP HoP! My teenage`D self has always had a crush on her ever since I first heard her verse on that "I Shot Ya [Rmx]" so there`ll definitely always be a spot for her in my musical rotation. I was kind of surprised when I found this joint because to my knowledge Foxy hasn`t really done a whole lot of mixtapes, so this was a nice little find. This 'tape' isn`t rare, at least to my knowledge anyway however there`s definitely some tracks on here that haven`t seen retail releases so that makes it worth a listen fo` sho`! With that being mentioned, I couldn`t help myself but to put a little HeRBaN DeLuXe VeRSioN touch on to this one. I didn`t like how the tracks were split on the original files because it cut off & didn`t flow naturally on a lot of tracks, plus they were too low volume~wise. So I boosted up the volume, did some cutting, pasting & mixing to make things flow smoother. As well as separated the interludes between the tracks to make it easier to listen to if you wanted to skip tracks...
This project served as some double promo for Foxy`s "Ill Na Na 2: The Fever" (seeing as how there`s a few joints off that unfortunately never officially released album; "Open Book", "I Need A Man" & "Fan Love") & DJ Kay Slay`s "Streetsweeper Vol. 1" album, genius maneuver in my ears anyway. Aside from the Nate Dogg appearance on 50 Cent`s "21 Questions" & the Bun B & Jadakiss collabo` "Dope Game" this 'mixtape' is pretty much an East Coast affair. Things open up with a little intro from Foxy before she busts into a nice but short freestyle that leads into her "Open Book". It`s a Dipset thang with "Drama Gang, Drama King"; Cam`, Juelz & Jones bring it solid. Mobb Deep follow things up with "Serious", a darker lil` flip on Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five`s "The Message". After a bit of a shit talkin` interlude comes the Foxy Brown & Rah Dolla collabo` "Beef Pop Off". Can`t say I have heard any other Ra Dolla songs, but he does his thing on this joint...
After another interlude Remy Martin displays her skills on the Raekwon assisted "Respect Mine". The only Southern contribution comes from Bun B`s "Dope Game" featuring Jadakiss, as expected neither one of these emcees disappoint. Foxy drops a couple freestyles before she gets to introducing "I Need A Man". 50 & Nate Dogg close out the 'A Side' of this tape. One thing that I have always respected about DJ Kay Slay was that he always kept it Hip Hop & didn`t take sides, as you can see with the inclusion of "Magic Stick". Only a fool wouldn`t know just how much Foxy loves Lil` Kim....LoL, regardless of who may be featured on Ginuwine`s "Hell Yeah [Rmx]" I can`t front it`s not too shabby. The first single "Too Much For Me" off Slay`s "Streetsweepers Vol. 1" features Foxy Brown, Nas, Baby & Amerie. After another shit talkin` interlude from Foxy comes "Fan Love" followed by a freestyle. Vita brings "Take You Away" to the table, it`s decent. Where`s she at anyway? "Hotta This Year" is an exclusive joint for this project, I definitely dig the island vibes on this one! Connecticut`s House Of Reps deliver "This Life", a solid tune with an gritty underground vibe. Bristal brings his self-proclaimed 'club banger' "Get It" & reps Bed-Stuy nicely. Things on this 'tape' end out on somewhat of a weak note, my opinion of course, with Fox-5`s "Turn It Out"...
1. Freestyle {Foxy Brown} 2. Open Book {Foxy Brown} 3. Beauty & The Beast [Interlude]{Foxy Brown & DJ Kay Slay} 4. Drama Gang, Drama King {Cam`Ron ft. Juelz Santana & Jim Jones} 5. Style On These DJs [Interlude]{Foxy Brown} 6. Serious {Mobb Deep} 7. Shit Poppin` [Interlude]{Foxy Brown & DJ Kay Slay} 8. Beef Pop Off {Foxy Brown ft. Rah Dolla} 9. CLiCK~CLaCK Salute [Interlude] {Foxy Brown} 10. Respect Mine {Remy Martin ft. Raekwon} 11. Dope Game {Bun B ft. Jadakiss} 12. Freestyle {Foxy Brown} 13. I Need A Man [Intro]{Foxy Brown} 14. I Need A Man {Foxy Brown} 15. Straight Hood [Interlude]{Foxy Brown} 16. 21 Questions {50 Cent ft. Nate Dogg} 17. Magic Stick {50 Cent ft. Lil` Kim} 18. Hell Yeah [Rmx] {Ginuwine ft. Baby, Clipse & R. Kelly} 19. Too Much For Me [Intro]{Foxy Brown} 20. Too Much For Me {DJ Kay Slay ft. Amerie, Nas, Baby & Foxy Brown} 21. That Don`t Make You Hood [Interlude]{Foxy Brown} 22. Fan Love {Foxy Brown} 23. Freestyle {Foxy Brown} 24. Take You Away {Vita} 25. Pussy Fi Dun [Interlude]{Foxy Brown} 26. Hotta This Year {Foxy Brown} 27. This Life {House Of Reps} 28. Get It {Bristal} 29. That Ain`t `Bout Nothin` [Interlude]{Foxy Brown} 30. Turn It Out {Fox-5}
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh man, lost but newly found external hard-drives are truly a treasure to discover again.....LoL, long story short I just recently found a few boxes with some external hard-drives that I thought were looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong lost! Unfortunately there are some that don`t seem to be workin` at the moment, but I have found a few that contained some joints worth sharing. So before the rest of these drives die here`s the first joint that I figured was worthy of a share. I`m not sure exactly what the story is behind this album & why the project went 'unreleased' but either way here y`all go for your listening pleasure...
From what I can tell this project was originally set for a 1996 release thru All City Records, but for whatever reasons it wasn`t released commercially. Only promo CDs, cassettes & vinyl exist from what I can see during my online searches. I can`t remember where I actually got this file from, but it`s definitely not my CD rip, unfortunately it is only in 192. I however did boost the volume on everyone of these tracks because they were crazy low!! It`s truly a shame, at least to my ears because there are quite a few joints that folks out there need to hear especially from kats like Steve Def, Kool Kaz & Noggin Nodders! The King Tech remixes of D`Angelo`s "Dreamin` Eyes Of Mine", "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker" & "Brown Sugar" are pretty solid. Chino XL gets his shine on with his three features, but my favorite is "Rappaz Are In Danger". Gotta love how he tears apart his former Art Of Origin rhymin` partner! The "Wake Up Show Anthem" is pretty DoPe for what it is collabo`~wise & definitely deserves it`s spot in the Hip Hop Archives. However what really stands out to me on this comp` is the songs from the lesser~known artists like Steve Def, Kool Kaz, Noggin Nodders & The BUMS. Check it out & enjoy...
Since I didn`t have any cassette rips to share for the Tuesday Tape Rip series this week I figured that I could at the very least share with y`all this mixtape that I`ve been listening to for the last few days. Lately there`s been quite a few 2Pac news articles being published on the various Hip Hop news sites, so naturally I`ve been checkin` `em out. I can only guess that all the media attention given to `Pac was due to
the fact that his birthday had just passed on June 16th. Anyway, all that reading that I was doing also led to me dustin` off this mixtape presented by Tapemasters Inc.
& Keyz titled "2Pac: Runnin` With An Outlaw" which they released
back in 2005, it`s a pretty solid effort overall. They definitely made some great selections when it came to the songs that they picked for this mixtape. Since it was the 12th edition of their Collabo series Tapemasters Inc. & Keyz decided to choose some of 2Pac`s better collaborations although some of them were created after his death like "Loyal To The Game" with 50 Cent & G-Unit or "N.I.G.G.A." with Jadakiss for example...
The only downside (it`s only minor) about this joint is that they chose to use the edited version of the `Pac & Scarface collabo` "Smile". Aside from that though this joint is almost a 5 star effort. I think had they used the original versions of "Loyal To The Game", "Runnin`", "One Day At A Time" & "Military Minds" then this mixtape would`ve been gold star sticker worthy....LoL, my opinion of course. I`ve never been a super huge fan of `Pac like say my cousin Dawson is, but I definitely am a fan of the man`s work! He had some great charisma on the mic & when he spit his lyrics you definitely felt them. Whether he was spittin` DiSSeS, some political ish or even some positive uplifting stuff for the women, whatever it was he made sure that you experienced some type of emotion. It really is a DaMn shame that he was taken away from us so early in his career! I`m sure he would`ve been doing some great things had he not been killed in Las Vegas. Hopefully someday soon in the near future they can figure out who was TRULY responsible for taking his Life so justice can be served & we no longer have to see the theories (here`s a nice lil` article about some of them). Wishful thinking, yes I know, but hey I had to put it out there. Anyway take a lil` trip while listening to this joint & enjoy some of `Pac's best collaboration songs spanning from early in his career all the way to after his death. I`m sure you`ll like it even if you aren`t a 2Pac fan...
I know, I know...it`s been a minute since my last post & I do apologize for that but hey what can I say Life as a father of a 2 year old keeps ya pretty busy...LoL, if I just wanted to be like every other music blog out there that just posts up albums, mixtapes or whatever without a write up I could have weekly posts, but that`s just not how I like to do things. I want to bring a little something extra to the table, maybe educate ya on a little something about the music that you`re going to listen to. I treat this blog like something that I would enjoy so that is why I take the extra time to do the write ups/ reviews. I want a little more substance with my music & since we are all in the digi[tal] days now folks are missing out on the linear notes (you don`t get that with your i-Tunes purchases) I figured that I`d give you something like the equivalent with my write ups. Anyway, I`m done rambling let`s get into the music now shall we???
What I have dug out to share with y`all this time around was released back in 2002 thru Full Clip Records by 50 Cent & it`s titled "Guess Who`s Back?". Most of my homies call this joint a mixtape, but I think that it`s more of a street album compilation type of joint because it doesn`t have all of its tracks blended into each other & well there`s also no DJ shouting all over the tracks either....LoL, anyways if ya don`t know who 50 Cent is well then you probably should just leave this blog right now. However if you still don`t know about him & you want to stay I`ll try & give ya the quick~fast story so we can get to the music...
Born in South Jamaica, Queens (New York) Curtis Jackson III (50 Cent to the Hip Hop world) was raised by his mother Sabrina. Unfortunately she chose the Life of a Cocaine dealer & when Curtis was only 12 years old in 1988 she was murdered. Apparently she was having drinks with someone, they spiked her drink with something & she blacked out. While she was unconscious whoever drugged her closed up all the windows in the apartment & turned on the gas stove closing the door behind them leaving her there in the apartment to die. Without anyone else to care for him he moved in with his grandparents. Not too long after that he took on the role of a drug dealer, this was during the late 1980`s at the height of the Crack epidemic. Just like his mother he was out for the quick cash...
He continued down this path for a few years until 1994 when he was arrested for selling 4 vials of Cocaine to an undercover cop. A few weeks later he was arrested again when police searched his residence & found 10 ounces of Crack, a starter pistol & some Heroin. Originally sentenced to a 3-to-9 [years] in prison he got off lucky & only had to serve 6 months in a boot camp type of program where he was also able to earn his GED. A few years later he began rappin` at a friend`s home where they had some turntables set up in the basement. There he`d record his raps over various instrumentals played on his friend`s turntable set up. Curtis chose the moniker 50 Cent because he said that it was a metaphor for change. It was also inspired by a infamous 1980`s Brooklyn stick-up kid, Kelvin "50 Cent" Martin. He chose it "because it says everything I want it to say. I`m the same kind of person 50 Cent was. I provide for myself by any means"...
In 1996 one of 50`s homies introduced him to the late great Jam Master Jay of Run DMC fame who was just trying to get his Jam Master Jay Records label off the ground at the time. Jay seen the potential that 50 Cent had so he decided to take him in under his wing schooling him on how to write hooks, count bars, structure songs & overall make records. This apprenticeship eventually led to 50`s first appearance on a record in 1998 on the song titled "React". The song was off of the album "Shut `Em Down" by Onyx another Hip Hop group from Queens that Jay was mentoring. 50 continued to work with Jay & during this period of time it`s been rumored that Jam Master Jay did the production for an album of 50`s that never got released. I guess that may be the reason why 50 Cent eventually left Jay & linked up with the production duo Tone & Poke a.k.a. the Trackmasters who helped get him signed to Columbia Records. Once signed the Trackmasters set him up in an upstate New York recording studio where he finished off 36 songs in a 2 week span. Out of the 3 dozen completed tracks 18 of them were used for his debut album titled "Power Of A Dollar" which was set for a 1999 release in October...
Fan made video...
With the release of the underground single titled "How To Rob..." 50 Cent really started to garner a buzz although most of it was controversy. You see "How To Rob..." was basically a flip of Biggie`s "Dreams", but instead of rappin` about all the R&B singers that he was goin` to have sexual escapades with 50 raps in a comical way about goin` on a robbin` spree stickin` up a lot of famous artists without worrying about who`s name he drops. Naturally some of the artists mentioned didn`t see the humor in it, got salty & decided to respond to the track with some DiSSeS of their own; DMX, Wyclef, Wu-Tang Clan, Kurupt, Jay-Z, Big Pun & Sticky Fingaz to name a few. Regardless of the hate 50 Cent was getting a huge buzz so the label was set to film a music video for "Thug Love", another single from "Power Of A Dollar" that featured Destiny`s Child. Unfortunately for 50 a few days before the scheduled filming took place he was shot 9 times at close range just outside his grandparents` home in South Jamaica, Queens...
While in the hospital recovering from the shots to his arm, chest, left cheek, hip, hand & both legs he was notified by Columbia Records that they were dropping him from the label. Some people say that he was dropped because the "Power Of A Dollar" album was heavily bootlegged, but I honestly think that it was more about the fact that the label was certain that he wasn`t going to truly be able to recover from his wounds & they just wanted to wash their hands of him. Either way he was dropped & blacklisted by the industry. Rumors have it that his shooting came as the result of his lyrics in the song "Ghetto Qua`ran" where he mentions & names the actions of Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff & other members of his Supreme Team (a South Jamaica, Queens based Crack distribution organization that operated in the 1980`s) as well as other street kats. Apparently he had exposed too much with the lyrics & that`s one of the reasons that he was shot in the face, they wanted to shut him up for good...
The shooting however did little to keep him quiet, it actually had the reverse effect. Once he fully recovered he decided to hit the mixtape circuit which at the time was a huge market used to help artists get noticed by labels. Seeing as how he was apparently blacklisted from the industry he felt that if he was able to flood the market & get on every DJ`s mixtape eventually the labels wouldn`t be able to deny the talent any longer & they`d cave & sign him to another contract. One trick that he had up his sleeves when it came to the mixtape game was that he`d take whatever artist`s song was hot at the moment & flip it in his own way giving them better hooks & honestly most of the time he did the songs better than the original artists did. It`s pretty much the norm` for mixtapes now~a~days, but I`m almost certain that up until 50 Cent started doing it no one else was. After working the mixtape circuit for a while 50 put together a street compilation album of sorts titled "Guess Who`s Back?" which featured tracks from his shelved "Power Of A Dollar" album, some undergrounds classics as well as a few mixtape freestyles & he released it in 2002...
Not to long after its release a copy of "Guess Who`s Back?" finds its way into Eminem`s hands. Liking what he had heard on the CD he flies 50 Cent out to L.A. & introduces him to his mentor Dr. Dre. Shortly after the meeting both Eminem & Dr. Dre sign him to a 1 million dollar recording contract. In 2003 50 Cent is finally able to release his official debut album "Get Rich Or Die Tryin`" & it goes on to sell a gang of records. It sold 872,000 copies in the first 4 days after its release & debuted at the Number 1 spot on the Billboard 200. The rest, my friends as they say is history & I`ll be leaving that for another post.....LoL, so much for the quick~fast story. Oh well, I wanted to give y`all the history on how this compilation album came to be so you could have somewhat of a better appreciation for it...
So now let`s get to the music shall we? As previously mentioned this album features 4 tracks from his shelved album; "Your Life`s On The Line", "Corner Bodega", "As The World Turns" & "Ghetto Qua`ran". It also includes some of his underground classics as well as some freestyles. At the time of its release "Guess Who`s Back?" was a way for 50 Cent to introduce himself to those listeners that may not have had the chance to hear him on the mixtapes that he was doing. Today lookin` back on this joint I think that overall it`s a great chance to hear 50 Cent at his best, you can definitely hear his hunger for success on here. The "Killa Tape Intro" starts things off on the braggadocio tip, but it`s definitely entertaining while "Rotten Apple" follows & continues the braggadocio style with a New York twist. The "Skit/Drop" isn`t anything special, 50 just mentions chillin` with the pre-Young Buck G-Unit (that`s Lloyd Banks & Tony Yayo for those that don`t know). "That`s What`s Up" features the previously mentioned Lloyd Banks & Tony Yayo delivering more of that braggin` style. It`s my least favorite track on this album, probably due to the beat on the track. I just find it too simplistic & boring, it doesn`t really make the lyrics stand out & grab your attention...
"U Not Like Me" is one of my favorite joints on here, the Red Spyda produced beat backin` it is awesome (I`ve always dug Red Spyda`s production)! Again 50 comes with the braggadocio style but hey that`s what homie is known for, shit talkin` at its finest. Just peep the lyrics from his first verse;
"Niggas wanna shine like me, rhyme like me Then walk around with a 9[mm] like me
They don`t wanna do a 3-to-9 like me And they ain`t strong enough to take 9 [shots] like me
Ay yo, you think about shittin` on 50? Save it! My songs belong in the Bible with King David
I teach niggas Sign Language, that ain`t def son
**CLiCK-CLiCK** You heard that? That mean RUN!
Ask around, I ain`t the one you wanna stunt on pa! Pull through, I`ll throw a fuckin` cocktail at ya` car
From the last shootout I got a dimple on my face It`s nothin` I could go after Ma$e[`s] fanbase
Shell hit my jaw, I ain`t wait for doc` to get it out
Hit my wisdom tooth **HuCK-Teww** spit it out
I don`t smile a lot `cuz ain`t nothin` pretty Got a Purple Heart for war & I ain`t never left the city
Hoes be like,"Fiddy you so witty!" On the dick like they heard I ghostwrite for P. Diddy
You got fat while we starve, it`s my turn
I done felt how the shells burn, I still won`t learn (won`t learn)..."
How can ya not like this joint? It actually made its way onto "Get Rich Or Die Tryin`" as a bonus track (which was a good decision in my books anyway). "50 Bars" brings a new vibe to the table, some storytelling (something that I`ve always been a fan of when it`s done well). Staying true to the song`s title 50 Cent does spit 50 bars, but it`s far from the average emcee rhymes. 50 takes the time to spit a well crafted story while droppin` some infamous street hustlers` names like Alpo, Rich Porter & Nicky Barnes to name a few. The beat on the track provides a nice backdrop for the story to take place. Next up is the Terence Dudley produced "Life`s On The Line", most kats know this track as the braggadocio Ja Rule/ Murder Inc. DiSS. Although 50 never mentions any specific names once he gets to the hook you can pretty much figure it out on your own; "Scream MURDA! I don`t believe you MURDA! Fuck around & leave you MURDA! I don`t believe you MURDA-MURDA! Your Life`s on the line"...
This track hits hard, the drums in the beat help 50`s lines pack that extra punch. The song was originally released as the third single from his shelved "Power Of A Dollar" album, but later found its way onto his official debut album "Get Rich Or Die Tryin`" as a bonus track. "Get Out The Club" follows, once again it has 50 flexin` that 'I don`t give a fuck shit talkin` style' but this time around it`s directed towards the lyin` ass gold diggin` chicks that hang out in the clubs giving out fakes names & numbers to the fellas. There`s some good lines in there, some are pretty comical but it`s really how 50 spits the lyrics that`ll hold your attention the most. 50 gets right back to the DiSS`n on "Be A Gentleman", unfortunately I can`t tell ya who produced the beat for this one because there`s no linear notes with the CD. Anyway this time around he takes some shots at Jay-Z, again he doesn`t outright say his name but after hearing the first verse you exactly who it`s aimed at -- just take a look; "Yo, no more freestyles & verses killin` Sticky [Fingaz] & Ja [Rule] I`m movin` on now, I got bigger fish to fry Since "How To Rob..." a lot of niggas been naming names Monkey see, monkey do -- I done changed the game Still niggas actin` like I don`t get down or somethin` Like I ain`t the next nigga to wear the crown or somethin` You gonna talk about your chips `til we run in your crib And you gon` ask dumb questions like, "Can I Live?" Look, if I shoot you I`m famous If you shoot me you`re brainless, you said it yourself I`m slick enough to twist your lines & send `em back at you Swift enough to snatch the Mac & pop that at you Take it personal, see if I won`t send you to Hell I done told Tone & Poke they better have my bail But if it`s over a mill` don`t put the crib up dunn `Cuz if 50 get free, nigga 50 gonna run..." As you can see 50 came slick & witty with the DiSSeS, definitely one to peep. The next joint titled "Fuck You" is another one of my favorites on this album. Although I can`t tell you for sure I believe that DJ Clark Kent is the one responsible for producing this banger. Some folks claim that it`s a DJ Premier beat because of the way the hook is all scratched up with various vocal samples, but I still don`t agree. Either way this song has all the ingredients for an underground classic; DoPe beat, wicked hook & some iLL lyrics. You can`t really ask for more than that! Just peep his second verse; "Maaaaaaan, I told niggas not to fuck with me they still push me Figured they`d get away with it `cuz Tone & Poke pussy I been goin` through static, shot at with automatics Since `90, when Nas came out with "Illmatic" If Suge [Knight] was home, Death Row [Records] would be good for me `Cuz Tommy Mattola ain`t shootin` out in the `hood wit` me I`ve been shot 9 times my nigga, that`s why I walk funny Hit in the jaw once, that`s why I talk funny With a Rugger on my hip I walk the street with no cares Thinkin` my grandma`s prayers the only reason I`m here My wrist icy, keep my ears icy Keep my neck icy, that`s why your bitch like me Son I`m a heavyweight, how dare these niggas take me lightly?! I ain`t come to make friends & niggas ain`t got ta` like me My own homie sayin`, "50 you done lost yo` mind!" `Cuz I shoot out in broad day, run & toss my 9[mm]..."
The gems on the album continue with the Nas & Nature collabo` titled "Too Hot". The track delivers just what you`d expect from emcees of this caliber, they definitely don`t disappoint with the lyrics. As for the beat, again I can`t tell you did it because there`s no linear notes included with the CD, but it`s nice. If you happen to know who did it, by all means please school me `cuz I really like it. "Who U Rep With" is another Nas collabo`, but this time around he also brought along the Bravehearts as well. It`s a decent track, Nas & 50 Cent do their thang with the first 2 verses & 50 also does a decent job handling the hook. The third verse by the Bravehearts however is a little on the hit & miss side. The first part handled by Millennium Thug is a bit on the weak side. Then Horse comes in with 4 bars & revives ish, it`s too bad his part was so short. I think he should have had more time on the mic than Millennium Thug, but hey that`s just my opinion. Anyway back to the verse....LoL, Jungle follows up Horse`s bars with a short burst of his own that isn`t really all that impressive. I mean c`mon son you used "back" to end your bars 3 times in a row, not too much skill involved there. Thankfully Wiz comes in towards the end of the verse to finish things up on a better note, sure his lyrics aren`t mind blowin` but his delivery is quite nice...
"Corner Bodega" is a song that first appeared on 50`s shelved album "Power Of A Dollar". It`s a real short joint, just over a minute & a half in length. 50 kicks a short lil` rhyme about hittin` up the Coke spot so he can cop a pack & sell it out of town, L.E.S. handled the production on this one. I kind of wish that it was a little bit longer, but whatever it`s still a good track. The controversial "Ghetto Qua`ran" follows, just like the previously mentioned track this song was originally on the "Power Of A Dollar" album. The Trackmasters handled the production for this joint & provide 50 with a nice backdrop for his `hood tales. Now I won`t take any more time to discuss this song because I have already mentioned it a few paragraphs above this one, feel free to re~read it if ya like. "As The World Turns" is the fourth & final track taken from the "Power Of A Dollar" album. Red Spyda produced the beat & U.G.K.`s Bun B is also featured on this one. The tracklisting on the back of this CD lists the song featuring U.G.K., but Pimp C is nowhere to be found on this joint which is too bad. Although the beat`s got more of a Southern vibe to it, 50`s still comfortable ridin` it while Bun B delivers a good verse as well... The CD closes out with 3 freestyles from various mixtapes that he had previously been on. The first is a short "Whoo Kid Freestyle", it`s nothing super spectacular but 50 ends it on a comical note saying, "Yeah that`s it, it`s a freestyle. The fuck you want for free? Fuckin` A-rabs just ran the planes into the fuckin` building. Coke price went up 10 grand this fuckin` week"...LoL, one can only assume that the mixtape this was from dropped shortly after the whole 9.11 thing happened. The "Stretch Armstrong Freestyle" is a lot iLLeR than the Whoo Kid one in my opinion, again it`s pretty short but DoPe nonetheless. The "Doo Wop Freestyle" closes out the CD & I can see why 50 chose to leave it as the closer, it`s fuckin` DoPe! I think that it`s a freestyle that 50 did for a Doo Wop tape that dropped in 1999. He sounds real hungry here spittin` some iLL lines, no question! So there ya have it y`all, peep the tunes for ya`self. It`s definitely worth it, especially if you`re a fan of 50`s earlier work. My apologies for the long write up, but hey I just wanted to ensure that you thoroughly enjoy the music with a little back~story. So go `head & dig into it...
What`s up y`all? Hope all is well & Life hasn`t been stressin` ya too hard! If it has don`t let it get you all down & depressed because Life itself isn`t as long as ya think, you may not wake up tomorrow. So enjoy your days alive while you have them, I know it`s a lot easier to say than it is to do but trust me you don`t want your last day on Earth to be spent being mad at someone you love because of some petty ish! Anyways I`m done rambling on about Life, guess I just got a lil` caught up since the month that just passed (March) reminded me of how precious Life really is. The reason? Well Hip Hop lost Magic (of No Limit Records fame) on March 1st, Biggie on March 9th, Nate Dogg on March 15th, Eazy-E on March 26th & Freaky Tah on March 28th. I`m sure if ya wanted to get technical every month of the year probably has a big list of fallen soldiers, I may have even missed a few in March, but it just hit me hard because 3 of my favorite emcees (Biggie, Eazy-E & Nate Dogg) died in March. Unlike 2Pac these kats didn`t leave behind much unreleased material, at least to my knowledge anyway. So it just made me think about how short & precious ya` Life really is. Then after diggin` up this album from fallen emcee E Moneybags (because folks have been requesting a re~up) & hearing the potential that this kat had that was cut short, it`s really sad. Hip Hop has lost many great artists before they even had a chance to reach their prime, but that`s a story for another post...
Let`s get to this re~up shall we? The album in question is E Moneybags` "In E Moneybags We Trust". First thing`s first, I`m not sure if the tunes I have to share with y`all are from a cassette rip or maybe the CD source they were ripped from wasn`t of the best quality sound~wise or maybe that`s just how they originally sound like, either way the sound quality isn`t that great. Forgive me for not knowing much about this album, I believe that it was released independently in 1999 thru Grand Imperial Records, a label that Moneybags co-owned along with Majesty of the Live Squad. It`s not that long of a listen with its short running time of just over 35 minutes in length, but that doesn`t mean that it`s not worth checking out. E Moneybags definitely had some talent, but sadly Eric Smith a.k.a. E-Money Bags to the Hip Hop world, had his recording career along with his Life cut short on July 16th, 2001 while he sat in his Lincoln Navigator parked on a street in Queens Village, New York. His Navigator was reigned on by a hail of bullets, over 40 rounds from 3 different shooters. Moneybags was hit by 10 of the shots fired & died shortly after. Eric`s shooting was planned out by Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff in retaliation for the 1999 murder of Colbert "Black Just" Johnson, an associate of McGriff`s. A month later (August 2001) police found a videotape & on the video filmed from July 13, 2001 to July 16, 2001, E Moneybags is seen driving & parking his Navigator on the Queens Village street where he was later gunned down that night at 9:45pm...
The video was filmed by 2 of McGriff`s associates; Dennis "Divine" Crosby, a drug~dealer & his girlfriend Nicole Brown. Six years later in February 2007 the Supreme Team`s founder Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff was found guilty for ordering the hits on Eric "E-Money Bags" Smith & Troy Singleton in 2001. He was sentenced to Life for the murders & other drug~related crimes. As for E Money Bags, I don`t know much about him. Actually the only thing that I knew prior to doing a little research was that he repp`D Lefrak in Corona, Queens, had lots of ReSPeCT in the streets & had worked with the likes of Kool G. Rap, Prodigy, Nas, Capone-N-Noreaga, Live Squad & even the late great 2Pac to name a few. "In E Moneybags We Trust" was his first & only album released in 1999 with featured appearances by Nature, Nas, Capone-N-Noreaga, Live Squad, Kool G. Rap, Horse, Maze, Musolini, Diesel & the Show Boyz. So let`s get into my thoughts on it shall we???
Things open up with an Intro (how surprising, I know right?....LoL) that apparently features Capone of Capone-N-Noreaga fame, but it`s actually just a vocal sample taken from the "Capone Phone Home Outro" off the "War Report" album mixed into a pretty nice beat. The sample just gets looped thru~out the beat, so it`s not really anything that you`ll need to hear more than once unless you really like the beat of course. The first song on the album is "Regulate", a DoPe song backed by a sweet instrumental. It`s just a shame that they cut it so short. I know that there is a version of this song that features Prodigy of Mobb Deep (probably released posthumously) & it does seem as though they just cut out the rest of the song for some reason. It would have been great to hear the entire song, but it is what it is. "Ain`t Got A Clue" uses a Foxy Brown vocal sample taken from "Affirmative Action" for the hook. The beat uses a loop that is somewhat simplistic, but it doesn`t matter much once the drums kick in `cuz it holds a definite New York vibe to it. E Moneybags spits that street braggadocio ish, but he does it well...
"All They Do Is This" features the Showboys. I had no clue about the Showboys, but then the homie jackP over on Bomb 1st schooled me on `em a bit which was much appreciated! The Showboys are a duo that rep Queens, New York. Members consisted of Triggaman & Bugs Can Can, they first hit the Hip Hop World in 1985 with the Profile Records released "The Ten Laws Of Rap b/w Cold Frontin`" 12 inch single. Then in 1986 they released another single called "Drag Rap (Trigger Man)", which later on received somewhat of a revival of sorts when plenty of artists down South, mainly in New Orleans & Memphis ended up using it as a foundation for some of their Bounce style records. In 1991 the Boys released another 12 inch single titled "Gangster Walk" thru Get Buck Records & in 2000 they released their debut album titled "YIIG`$" thru PaperGame Records. Long story short The Showboys are the kats who ended up taking Stretch (of Live Squad) from the streets to the recording studio & under their wing...
So let`s get back to "All They Do Is This", this joint is probably my least favorite on the album. It`s not completely wack, but in my opinion it is just too long & the beat feels uninspired to me. I think it`s a play on Goodie Mob`s "They Don`t Dance No Mo`" except they flip it; "Niggas don`t fight no mo` all they do is this"... which is followed up by guns being cocked & fired. It was kind of entertaining for the first 2 minutes or so but about 4 & a quarter minutes of it gets a little boring to me. "What You Need?" features E`s homies the Live Squad, the beginning of the track has somewhat of an interlude where they snatch up some kat & eventually kill him, well you don`t really hear that but you do hear a gun cocked so you can only guess that dude gets shot, then the song starts. One thing that you`ll notice is the chemistry that E has with Live Squad. Anyway the beat`s got a mellow vibe to it, while each emcee takes turns spitting some street tough talking business. The song`s not super spectacular, but it`s definitely not wack either... "Want It" features both Nas & Horse, even though Horse is uncredited he`s the one spitting the second verse on this track. This song also has a mellow`D out vibe to it, but even though it`s soft & relaxing in sound it still holds its street character. Of course Nas outshines all that are featured on the track, but Moneybags still manages to hold his own. "How Cool" features Nature & sounds like it could have been done for one of those late `90's mixtapes. Both kats take turns trading braggadocio rhymes & the end result is a decent effort. "Thugged Out" features Noreaga & a few members of his crew; Maze, Musolini & Diesel who for some reason are just credited as Thugged Out. This joint was probably done for some DJ Clue mixtape seeing as how they give him some shout outs on here. Like the previously mentioned Nature collabo` "Thugged Out" is another decent listen. "Friend Of Ours" is a collabo` that features the legendary Kool G. Rap as well as Nature. Unfortunately the sound quality of this song isn`t that great because this joint is a banger! The beat has a nice killer Soul sample that some may recognize (think Mood`s "Karma"). Hopefully I can eventually track down a better sounding version of this track someday. G. Rap steals the show on this one, my opinion of course -- even if he did later recycle his verse from this track for "3 To The Dome" on Sway & King Tech`s "This Or That" album... The "Esco Intro" is simply just the last few seconds of Noreaga`s "Da Story" & serves basically as a shout out to E Moneybags from Nas. The album closes out with "Thugs Calm Down" featuring Nas & Noreaga, a great tune without question. I just love that beat, the piano loop is catchy as fuck! This version is the original from what I can tell, but I know some of y`all probably heard the other version of this track that is out there that features Tragedy Khadafi instead of E Money Bags. The story behind the 2 different versions is that Tragedy took E`s verse off the track because he felt that it was wack, you can peep a little article about that story here. So there you have it, do I think that this album`s a 5 mic masterpiece? No, but it does give us a glimpse at the potential that E Moneybags possessed. He wasn`t the best rapper, but he did have his moments. I think that this kat was more concerned with his street hustlin` than he was with his rappin` hustle though, which is kind of a shame because he may still be alive had he chose to spend more time in the booth & less time hangin` out in them streets. Then again ya never know, look at what happened to Biggie. Anyway you should probably give this joint a listen if you`re a fan of that late `90's New York sound, enjoy...
1. Intro {ft. Capone} 2. Regulate 3. Ain`t Got A Clue 4. All They Do Is This {ft. Showboys} 5. What You Need? {ft. Live Squad} 6. Want It {ft. Nas & Horse} 7. How Cool {ft. Nature} 8. Thugged Out {ft. Noreaga, Maze, Musolini & Diesel} 9. Friend Of Ours {ft. Kool G. Rap & Nature} 10. Esco Intro 11. Thugs Calm Down {ft. Nas & Noreaga}
Figured that I`d take a lil` break from re~uPP`n & post somethin` that wasn`t up on here yet, so here comes the fun.....LoL, what I have to share with y`all today is a mixtape that was released back in 2008 by DJ Digga titled "The Golden Era Remixes Vol. 1". I shall be honest with y`all, up until a few hours ago I didn`t know who this kat was. I still don`t really know anything else about him expect that he`s reppin` Sweden (you can peep his blog here). The good news though is that it doesn`t matter much because his talent truly speaks for itself, at least on this project anyway. What ya get on this 10 track 27 minute long mixtape is some great beats & some good remixes. Some remixes are much better than others, but even the joints that aren`t super spectacular still have DoPe beats behind them. Honestly these remixes will have you wishing that the project was much longer in running time. Digga does a great job choosing some gems from the `90's to put his own twist on. Standout remixes for me are; Nas` "It Ain`t Hard To Tell", Saukrates` "Father Time", Rasco`s "The Unassisted", Amerie`s "Talkin` To Me" & Das EFX`s "Real Hip Hop". My fav` joint on here is the Saukrates remix, definitely a banger! The other joints are decent, but I found that even though the beats were awesome they just didn`t mesh totally with the vocals. So there you have it y`all, check it out for ya`self it`s definitely worth the 27 minutes that you`ll spend listening to it...
Before everybody & their mama started doing remix albums producer/ rapper Frankenstein did it back in 1996, even though it`s more of an EP than an actual full~length. The album in question is titled "Live From New York (The Remixx Album)", the cover says 'Remix' but the sticker label on the vinyl says 'Remixx'......LoL, either way it`s all produced by Toronto`s own Frankie Ano a.k.a. Funkmaster Frankenstein b.k.a. Frankenstein. Some of y`all may be a lil` more familiar with his album titled "UV" that was released a year later in 1997, with the tracks "Rain Is Gone", "All Hands" & "UV" to name a few. If not don`t you worry, I`ll be posting up some more of his stuff in the future...
As for "Live From New York" what you get is a total of 8 remixes from Frankenstein, some joints are much better than others. Sure there isn`t anything that`s super spectacular on here, but Frankie does do some decent work. Standout remixes for me are "Masta I.C.", "Danger", "If I Ruled The World" & "Fakin` Jax". Not too sure why this was released as some double~vinyl since it all could have probably fit on one record, but whatever it makes for a decent listen. If you`re lookin` for a lil` twist on some early '90`s joints then you should definitely check this out...
