Tha Alkaholiks "21 & Over" (August 24, 1993)

Ohio natives turned West Coast underground kings, Tha Alkahokiks have long been one of hip-hop's best-kept secrets: hilarious lyrical acrobats who have never received the critical or commercial support they deserve. Assembled by gangsta rapper King Tee, they offer a witty, anarchic, and party-friendly alternative to the stone-faced, largely humorless gangsta rap that ruled the West Coast throughout much of the early '90s. With the punch lines and comic timing of comedians and undeniable skills and killer delivery of topnotch MCs, rappers J-Ro and Tash have more than enough talent and energy to back up their endlessly clever boasting. Producer, DJ, and occasional MC, E-Swift is the group's secret weapon, an unjustly underrated beatsmith whose rubbery grooves and infectious production help make Tha Alkaholiks perhaps the greatest party group in hip-hop history. With titles like "Last Call," "Mary Jane," and "Only When I'm Drunk," Tha Alkaholiks will never be mistaken for members of some sort of latter-day temperance movement, but their music, rhymes, and beats are so irreverent, infectious, and just plain fun that their booze-loving shtick never gets old. Brief (only ten songs) and filler-free, 21 & Over is perhaps the quintessential West Coast party album, as well as one of the most promising debut albums of the '90s, regardless of genre. - Old School Rap & Hip-Hop. On their press kit, they encouraged fans "not to drive when they drink" and "chose to title their album 21 and Over... In other words, alcohol is not the end all and be all to Tha Alkaholiks - they simply like to drink and have fun." Art above by Alphonze. Revisit the album below...

21 & Over is an undeniable classic via Loud Records in 1993.

Happy 49th Birthday, Hip-Hop (The Source, 1993)

In 1993, The Source Magazine celebrated its 50th issue with well-known hip-hop personalities taking a walk down memory lane. They asked each of them their favorite album of all-time, their favorite 12-inch of all-time and their fondest hip-hop moment. As you can imagine, most of them found it hard to pick just one of each! As today marks the 49th birthday of Hip-Hop, I thought it'd be a fun way to celebrate and look back at what artists had to say were some of their favorite albums, singles and moments in their hip-hop lives. Maybe by the end of reading this, I'll share some of my own, too! Yeah that sounds like fun... Well, my favorite hip-hop album of all-time is "Illmatic" by Nas, "The Low End Theory" by A Tribe Called Quest and more recently, Blu & Exile's "Below the Heavens" to add something post-2000. My favorite 12" singles would be "Protect Ya Neck" bw "Method Man" by Wu-Tang Clan; AZ's "Sugar Hill" and "Rather Unique" and Eric B. & Rakim's "Know The Ledge (Juice)" from 1992. My favorite hip-hop moment... that's so hard to narrow down. One of the Rock Steady Crew anniversaries; going up to DJ Premier's show with Eternia on Sirius and he cut up records for 2 hours; after hours at Fat Beats on Halloween and Christmas parties; the Knitting Factory with Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, Kanye West, and so many others. I can't narrow it down. I really can't. Hip-Hop has given us all so much, to know it'll be celebrating 50 years in 2023, I can't wait to see what the culture does to honor it. Anyhow, read below for answers from Casual, Positive K, Too Short, MC Eight, Maseo, Luke, Masta Ace, Biz Markie (R.I.P.), Red Alert, 2Pac (R.I.P.), DJ Quik, Jam Master Jay (R.I.P.), MC Shan, Craig G, Heavy D (R.I.P.), Kool G Rap, Fab Five Freddy, Fat Joe, KRS-One, MC Serch, Scarface, Chuck D, DIamond D, Common, Sadat X and many more.... HBD!!!!

Cypress Hill "Black Sunday" (July 20, 1993)

"Insane In The Brain" is the name of the first single and video clip from Cypress Hill's new Ruffhouse/Columbia album, Black Sunday. It's also a warning: that when it comes to the Cypress Hill crew, crazed intensity is more than skin deep; it's a state of mind and a way of life. Cypress Hill -- visionary rappers B-Real and Sen Dog, and DJ/Producer Muggs -- are back again and explosive as ever. The group's self-titled Ruffhouse/Columbia RIAA platinum debut album of 1991 has sold more than 1 million copies to date in the US, establishing them as one of the most popular as well as hardest hitting, musically innovative, hip-hop acts on the planet Earth. The Cypress Hill album remained in the upper reaches of the Billboard's Pop Album chart for over 73 weeks, earning the group the Billboard Music Award for Best Rap Artist. That's a hard act to follow, but B-Real and company remained cool under pressure. "When it came to Black Sunday, people asked 'can we top the last one,' you know? What we did was take all those questions about making a follow-up and asked ourselves that shit." "With everything that had been going on this year, we felt we should have made this album months ago but we were doing a lot of shows and that took time away from doin' the album. We were kind of frustrated that we hadn't started yet, because we were so eager to make this record. We came up with a lot of dope shit that we felt topped the last one. So being that we were hungry to do it, it brought out the best when we finally got to record." They continue, "The new album is named Black Sunday because its whole vibe is ominous. The album was recorded in Muggs' native New York in early '93. (Revisit the LP, the press release continues below)...

"Insane In The Bran" features a hydraulic bass groove and pounding beat being strafed by braying screeches -- classic Cypress Hill. "I wrote "Insane In The Brain" about when people come to our concerts they lose their mind in the adrenaline of it all. It's also talking about some of the people on the street, who are just crazy motherf#ckers." "When The Shit Goes Down," the B-side to "Insane In The Brain," and second video, is also cautionary. Cypress Hill may be stoners, but don't think for a minute they're sleeping. The rap is a reminder for everybody out there to be ready when the going gets rough. "It's saying, 'don't sleep,' because if you sleep and let somebody get the drop on you, whether it's in the business, sports, rap, or out on the street fighting, you just gotta be ready for anything." Muggs cooks up an ultra-funky mix of scratchy deep fried soul guitars and fat bass licks. "Ain't Goin' Out Like That" opens with looped feedback, giving way to saxophone screeches, a jazzy bass figure and crackling drums. B and Sen's raps reprise some of the rhymes from the debut album that helped establish them as the hardest and smartest hip hoppers on the street, promising more of the same and then some this time around. In addition, Black Sunday includes special new, never commercially available versions of "A to the K" (the original appeared on the Juice soundtrack) and "Hand On The Glock" (a radical remodeling of "Hand on the Pump"). In order to make the album more readily available to Cypress' younger fans, there will be a clean, unstickered version. - Press Kit '93. 

"Poetic Justice" (Soundtrack, June 29, 1993)

Poetic Justice is a '90's film that not only defined a generation but also put a spotlight on the power of language. As the movie highlighted the poetry of Maya Angelou, the John Singleton-directed-and-penned movie became a box office hit -- it grossed more than $27 million since its release in 1993. Sure, it's safe to say that the film had its fair share of big names including Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Q-Tip and Regina King, but it was also the soundtrack that helped solidify it as a piece of pop culture history. - DropFM. "One In A Million" by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, as well as "Cash In My Hands" by Nice & Smooth got a lot of love, but it was "Poor Man's Poetry" by Naughty By Nature that I ran back a lot at the time. You couldn't tell me Treach wasn't one of the nicest EVER on the microphone. Of course, it hasn't aged so well and would likely never get spins today because of the references to the World Trade Center. The most popular song from the film was Janet Jackson's classic, "Again," which was not included on the soundtrack due to contractual issues. Some other joints from the soundtrack include "Indo Smoke" by Mista Grimm, "Get It Up" from TLC and others from Tha Dogg Pound, 2Pac (R.I.P.) and more. Revisit the movie and OST today...

Rest In Peace, Tupac Shakur...

RUN-DMC "Down With The King" (May 4, 1993)

RUN DMC are the ultimate pioneers of Rap, and on this day in 1993, they released their final good album, 'Down With The King,' through Profile Records. I remember coppin' the 12" for 'Ooh, Whatcha Gonna Do?' at J&R near my mother's job at the World Trade Center; an unlikely place to cop a 12". Of course, the title track features one of Pete Rock's classic beats, and its amazing it wasn't the lead single. For those in graffiti culture, 'King' was a term for writers and most of us were heavy into bombing - especially at that time. I also grew up in the section of Queens nearest to 'Christ The King' High School, which made the song all the more popular in my area. In reality, the title was arguably more of a reference to their past title 'King of Rock,' finding God between their last album 'Back From Hell' in 1990 and a little braggadocio. With the strength of the previously mentioned singles and the EPMD-assisted 'Can I Get It, Yo,' the album was definitely looked at more favorably than 'Back From Hell,' which was a hot mess. 'Down With The King' had production from Q-Tip, Pete Rock, Kay Gee, The Bomb Squad, Jermaine Dupri, etc. Of course, Rest in Peace to Jam Master Jay! 

Rev Run & DMC discuss some of their inspirations in Spin, 1993...

"Who's The Man?" Soundtrack (April 20, 1993)

Because Uptown Records has earned a reputation in some circles as being the "champagne of rap" it should come as no surprise that their compilation for Ed and Dre's flick comes off as the "caviar" of hip-hop movie soundtracks. And even with a great diversity of artists and producers, the sophisticated Uptown sound manages to shine through. As a soundtrack this album succeeds in displaying a wealth of talent that truthfully represents the current flavor and direction of hip-hop and R&B. But more importantly, this project serves as a convenient showcase for Uptown Records' talent, both new and established. Out of the many new artist featured here (Third Eye, Crystal Johnson, Timbo King), it is rapper Biggie Smalls (the big, Black man, not the little, white boy, mind you) who livens things up with a hardcore debut on the perfectly titled "Party & Bullshit." Biggie is clearly the star of the album and you will definitely be hearing good things about him in the months to come. The collection also boasts new material from Uptown mainstays and collaborators like Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth, who freak the notes on "What's Next On The Menu," Mary J. Blige, who sings over the "Vapors" track on "You Don't Have To Worry" and Father MC, who asks you to "Pimp Or Die." Heavy D and Nesto also put in solid performances, as do a few non-Uptown guest stars. Erick Sermon gives us a taste of his funk-filled solo flavor with "Hittin' Switches" while House of Pain has the honor of kicking the gangsta rhymes on the album's hard-hitting title track. Dancehall's own "Mr. Controversy" Buju Banton battles it out with Heavy D on "Hotness" and for the roughneck audience, "Flip That Shit" pairs Biggie Smalls and Third Eye with Naughty By Nature and your favorite gun waving baldheads--Onyx! With all this to choose from, this tape should have no problem blasting from both the jeep and the bubble bath. - The Source, 1993. Revisit this classic soundtrack below...

Ed Lover and Doctor Dre publicity photos...

Mobb Deep "Juvenile Hell" (April 13, 1993)

On their debut, Havoc and Prodigy tell the listener in all sorts of overconfident manners that there are few people out there who can mess with Mobb Deep. In fact, they do so in 14 different ways on Juvenile Hell. Mostly produced by Mobb Deep themselves, this album is rawness at an unrelenting pace, with an undeniable, relentless, and often irrational energy. The intro cut sets the mood as a warning, set to a "Queens brand" production. The tempo is kind of fast, but the bassline rolls to easily facilitate a strong head nod. The sampled horn stabs help to remind you that, after all, it's still music. Over this beat Prodigy cautions: "It's called Juvenile Hell; you won't survive long." In the first few songs, Mobb acquaints the listener with the life of a "frustrated and confused young juvenile" living in Queens. Juvenile Hell is hardcore, but not void of musical pr creative effort and accomplishment; it's really cool, serious, and 100 percent hip-hop. Highlights include "Flavor for the Non Believers," "Peer Pressure," "Stomp Em Out" (featuring Big Noyd), and "Hold Down the Fort." When Juvenile Hell was initially released, it didn't do so well in the stores. Perhaps it was the excess of threats and proclamations making up Juvenile Hell that kept buyers away in 1993, or maybe it was the label's inability to market this virulent project correctly. In any event, it's an album worthy of historical note. - AllMusic. Revisit Mobb Deep's debut album, Juvenile Hell, from 1993 below...

Rest In Peace, Prodigy...

2Pac "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z." (Feb. 16, 1993)

On 2Pac's debut album, 2Pacalypse Now, the rapper showed himself to be a supremely passionate man, brimming over with ideas and anger and ready to voice his political and social opinions, call things like he saw them. This same kind of energy and lyrical acumen is found on his sophomore release, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., a record that, while it begins exploring the MC's more gangsta side ("Last Wordz," for example, which features verses from Ice Cube and Ice-T), still includes the provocative, reflective lines on which he first made his name as a solo artist, and which he continued even as he became more and more popular (and, for some, more and more frightening). "Keep Ya Head Up," one of his biggest hits, and his tribute to black women, especially single mothers, is deeply thoughtful and poignant ("And since we all came from a woman, got our name from a woman, and our game from a woman/I wonder why we take from our women, why we rape our women, do we hate our women?"), expressing opinions that aren't often equated with hardcore rappers, while tracks like "I Get Around" brags about his sexual conquests. But this was what 2Pac was, anyway, a juxtaposition between tough and sensitive, social consciousness and misogynistic boasting, and Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. shows this. The angry protest songs calling out police and politicians, reminiscent of Public Enemy -- and with Bomb Squad-esque beats to boot (albeit a lesser version of) -- the screw-the-world mentality, the soft introspection, the preaching-but-not-proselytizing, and the party anthems are all here, and though the production sometimes suffers, especially in the middle of the album, where it's utterly forgettable, the record shows a continually developing MC, with increasingly complex lyrical themes, well on his way to becoming nearly unstoppable. - AllMusic. It'd be hard to explain how "Papa'z Song" spoke to me. Revisit the LP below...

At the time, this album really hit me... it's still not celebrated nearly enough.

Brand Nubian "In God We Trust" (February 2, 1993)

"Everything is a balance," declares Brand Nubian rapper Lord Jamar. "That's what we try to show with our music -- the balance between the seriousness of trying to spread knowledge and showing that we're real people who enjoy life." On In God We Trust, Brand Nubian bring their inimitable mix of elements to a new level of precision and power. Knowledge and understanding parallel rage. Intensely held beliefs of the Five Percent Nation of Islam segue into party-hearty road tales. The ancient Muslim vocal of the first cut, "Allah U Akbar," blends with the sublime manipulation of the most sophisticated new technology. "This record is more organized and more rough," believes Sadat X. In God We Trust was recorded after the departure of original member Grand Puba Maxxwell; "It's just two different types of musical expression; people will be able to tell the difference between the two albums," says X, previously known to Nubian fans as Derek X. (Sadat is a more righteous, fitting name," he explains...) The urgent, multi-layered beats of the first single, "Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down," set the stage: "The track is about not being taken advantage of in life," explains Jamar. "The feelings you have when someone tries to take advantage of you and what we would do if that happens. It's also beating them down with the sound," he says with a smile. "We're beating them down with the lyrics, the vocals, the mentality -- and physically, if it has to be." Brand Nubian formed less than two years before making their major label debut, when Sadat X and Lord Jamar left their retrospective outfits, the Chosen Few and KD & The Ever-Lovin' 3. Sincere, officially joined the group in time to record In God We Trust, although he had creative input on Brand Nubian's first album, One For All. "We'd been friends for a long time," Jamar recalls. "We both got knowledge around the same time." The New Rochelle, New York-based group made their debut at a 1989 New Music Seminar showcase. - Press Bio, 1993. Revisit Brand Nubian's sophomore LP, In God We Trust, below...

Here's the official press release from Brand Nubian...

KRS-One "Return of the Boombap" (September 28, 1993)

The song "KRS-One attacks" starts off with this line: "We will be here forever, do you understand that? Forever and ever." And judging from his long list of career accomplishments, it is hard to dispute his claim. Like Coca-Cola Classic, you can always count on Kris to come out every year with a joint to make you go, "Oh shit!" Every year. Go ahead and count, yo. Every year. From Criminal Minded in '87 to Sex and Violence in '92, he has been about one thing--real hip-hop. But album number seven has a new approach. This is not a BDP album. It is a KRS-One solo album, which means that he can work with people outside his traditional BDP family. It was a good move on his part. This disc is a treat, not only does Kris rip it on the mic, but with DJ Premier, Kid Capri and Showbiz helping with the beats, his whole sound seems rejuvenated. Containing the same amount of tracks as the number of semesters he's been rocking albums, Return serves up instant gems. "Outta Here" is a flavorful and personal detailing of the trials and tribulations of the rap rat race. On "I Can't Get Up," our hero dreams that he's a blunt being passed around a host of dope MCs. And "Mad Crew," quite simply, is the latest entry in the long series of KRS freestyle winners. Cont'd below and listen...

Lyrically, KRS still dazzles--in both content and style--when his pen hits the paper. On "Sound Of Da Police" and "Higher Level," he offers the straight-forward conscious lyrics he is famous for. And for all of you rockers enthusiasts, he gives you a healthy dose of Caribbean flavor with "Uh-Oh" and "Brown Skin Women." All in all KRS-One keeps his end of the bargain and provides you with real hip-hop. And not only does Return showcase his commitment, but in light of last year's commercially disappointing Sex and Violence LP, it gives him a forum to ask what is probably the most serious question facing hip-hop today: "How many real hip-hoppers in the place right about now?" Think about it. - The Source (November, 1993). The production on this LP was dope, a near classic (to me). 

De La Soul "Buhloone Mind State" (September 21, 1993)

Since 1989's 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul has been paying for having been perceived as the Extra Cool Crew. It spoke to a larger audience. For a slew of reasons--but primarily because it had a darling, clean-cut look and melodic, riddle-ridden style--De La Soul crossed over big time, and the music media served it up like freshly shucked oysters, pearly and wet, ready for slurping. De La Soul was stamped "thinking" hip hop we all could get into. The antithesis of Run-D.M.C. and "Hard Times," De La was lauded for its introspection, codes, and between-song skits. It was (an) alternative. And it was clear from just the title of its muggy second album, De La Soul is Dead, that the trio hated it. While Buhloone Mind State is perhaps the least wandering De La Soul album, the songs that run the wildest through the tall cornstalk rules of grammar, poetry, and sense are the ones that give the collection its juice. The taunting "I Am I Be," a more mature sequel to 3 Feet High's "Me Myself and I," slams the record business, black Greek organizations, friendship, and most searingly, that heavy, slippery thing known as "black man's pride." Other songs, especially "Patti Dooke," which has the trio "runnin' through the trenches," stop just short of sagging with the bluesy funk of self-examination. Buhloone Mind State is black male angst in an evasive manifestation. De La is tripping, maybe hurting, even growing, and it's saying so, sort of. These are a bewildering set of songs--mazelike, a job to figure out. The tracks are seldom blunt, but often beautiful. Cont'd below...

And De La Soul wants the world to know there's no gun-toting or testicle gulping included in their angst: "I don't rest in Compton so I don't own a gat," they proclaim in "Patti Dooke," and "I be the in cuz the brother holdin' glocks is out / I be the in cuz the pusher runnin' blocks is out / I be the in cuz the kid smokin' weed shootin' seed which leads to a girl's stomach being 'bout half a ton is out," they explain in "Eye Patch." But it's when Posdnuos spits out that "gangsta shit is outdated / Posdnuous is complicated" that the album find its frozen kernel, the spot around which the rest of the album revolves. De La Soul is still blowing out nonsensical rhyme games you could easily play patty-cake to: "Can the cat's tongue slip / Ya do di dah zip / Take the horse into the Jolly Ranch... the good the bad and Uncle Tom / Beat it kid / Show the sheik / Cuz I found a fool." Prince Paul's production swells and breaks and rolls up on hip hop's rocky shore, foamy and cool, but no matter the craftsmanship of the beats or the rhymestyles, the question must come up: what the f#ck are they talking about? It's frustrating. You curse them for doing that cryptic shit on purpose, and you wish that the brothers would just say what they mean. But then a line slips off one of the boys' tongues that attaches itself to you like a pretty pink starfish: "a Day-glo n!gga gets the red doormat." That line, from the middle of "En Focus," is talking about hip hop and stardom and light-skinnedness and the need we all have for people to look at us and pay attention--all of that, all at the same time.... Like sweet favors, De La Soul grants feelings of inclusion. "Did you get it?" they seem to ask, and if you did, you're in. "Who can be--fresh / Who can be--dope / Who can be--live / Who can be--word / Who can be." If you didn't get it, you can act like you know and they wouldn't care--you could be in, anyway. - Spin Magazine (November, 1993). A real gem of an LP!

Scarface "The World Is Yours" (August 17, 1993)

Does the Original Gangsta from Houston's 5th Ward ever run out of lyrics about bitches, punk ass n!ggaz, punk cops and the life of a G? Apparently not. After the huge success of his solo debut, Mr. Scarface Is Back, and performances on Kool G Rap's Live And Let Die ("Two To The Head"), the South Central soundtrack ("Street Life"), Compton's Most Wanted's Music To Driveby ("Dead Men Tell No Lies") and the Geto Boys latest album Till Death Do Us Part, Face hits us with his second solo release. This time out Scarface takes a break from the straight up hardcore gangsta boom and goes for the G-style gangsta funk that's sweeping the country. You might want to call this one "The Chronic Pt.II with a 5th Ward Swing" because of its easy going funk beats that are perfect for n!ggaz to get budded to as they roll up on a spot to chill. When Scarface proclaimed that he had the mind of a lunatic, the man wasn't lyin'. His lyrics are like guerilla warfare, with good and evil going toe-to-toe and evil beating the shit outta good. "The Wall" is a psychological profile of a gangsta who tries to go over and around his problems instead of hitting them head on. On "Do Me A Favor," Face gives an "Indecent Proposal" of his own when he asks his woman to break his homie off some p#ssy. That's some sick shit, but only Mr. Scarface could go there and make it sound cool. Other dope tracks include "Let Me Roll," a live bass guitar funk jam about getting budded and rollin' with the homies, "You Don't Hear Me Doe," a fat gangsta beat that's made to ride to, "Dyin' With Your Boots On" with its fat live sample of Fukadelic's "I Betcha" and Scarface's 9mm lyrics. Cont'd...

The best song, the somber "Now I Feel Ya," finds Scarface reflecting on the major events of his life. Only now, after run-ins with other gangstas, women and the unjust killing of his bodyguard by Louisiana police officers, does he fully understand the value of the street knowledge his parents kicked to him as a child back in the gap. The only real disappointment comes with "Mr. Scarface Part 3: The Final Chapter," which has dope new rhymes but is limited by the familiar plot structure and a beat that seems watered down when compared to the first two episodes. Overall, The World Is Yours kicks straight up non stop funk without heavy samples from beginning to end, but it comes up a little short on concept and structure. But when you're Mr. Scarface and the "world is yours," it doesn't really matter. - The Source (Sept., 1993). Face is easily one of the greatest MCs of all-time!

Take It Personal Podcast "Ode to 1993" (Part 2)

Episode 91 is the 2nd installment of Take It Personal's 1993 Tribute. The podcast/mix features 3 hours of Take It Personal to remind you of when hip-hop was fun. They've got joints by A Tribe Called Quest, Biz Markie, De La Soul, Akinyele, The Beatnuts, Wu-Tang Clan, Black Moon, Now Born Click, Lords of the Underground, Tragedy Khadafi, Da Youngsta's, Digable Planets, KRS-One, Naughty By Nature, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Fat Joe, Erick Sermon, Illegal, Da King & I, Big L, Das EFX, Run DMC, Snoop Dogg, Masta Ace, and much more! RIP Biz Markie. Props to Philaflava, DJ 360, and Kevlar. Dig in the archives below for part 1, and all the past episodes of this world-class podcast...

Take It Personal Podcast "Ode to 1993" (Part 1)

Episode 90 is the 1st installment in Take It Personal's 1993 Tribute. Last year they put together a strong case as to why they felt 1995 was one of the greatest years in Hip-Hop. This time around they're paying homage to 1993, their favorite year in hip-hop. They've got the classics, the commercial jawns, the remixes and in typical TIP fashion, the obscure records as well. During the breaks in the mix, they discuss their favorite '93 albums, the sleepers, the wack, the  guilty pleasures and more! Enjoy episode 90 as they intertwine some memorable movie scenes with very memorable music. This is your 1993 time capsule and it's brought to you by your friends at Take It Personal. I'd imagine we can expect multiple installements in their 1993 tribute, so keep it locked...

Ict-T & Calvin Butts on Video Music Box (June 30, 1993)

“Video Music Box Special: Censorship? Rap Under Attack” is a debate on rap music and censorship that was hosted by Ralph McDaniels and broadcast live from WNYC-TV in New York on June 30, 1993. The participants are: Reverend Calvin Butts, pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem; Cynthia Horner, editor of Right On! Magazine; Coral Aubert, Youth Educator; and rap artist Ice-T. Reverend Butts had recently garnered headlines by leading a protest against explicit lyrics in rap recordings and earned the wrath of “hardcore” rappers like Ice-T. (Read: “Harlem Protest of Rap Lyrics Draws Debate and Steamroller” in The New York Times, June 6, 1993). Indeed, there are quite a few contentious exchanges between the pastor and the rapper in the course of this compelling discussion. Ice-T is quite hostile at times toward Reverend Butts, who maintains a firm but gentle demeanor throughout. There are occasional viewer phone calls. This upload contains the discussion only and omits the opening rap video montage to avoid a music copyright dispute. There are occasional video tracking problems, but the audio remains unaffected. Photo by Steve Jennings.

Original Press Release in 1993...

Wu-Tang Clan "Protect Ya Neck" (May 3, 1993)

"I wanna hear that Wu-Tang joint." "Wu-Tang again?" "Ah yeah, again and again!" The Wu... They were deeply confusing, even to those of us on the lookout for the latest in grimy, pop-unfriendly rap. Throw on a Wu-Tang song at a party-- well, except for "Method Man"-- and people would beg you to play something "fun." The RZA's beats didn't sound "budget," like he was just another underground loop-maker biding his time until he could sneak into a 48-track studio. His earliest songs, offering a new and freaky definition of "murky," sounded like a very conscious choice. This was the work of a man trying to drain his music of joy, to reduce hip-hop menace to its most concentrated dose. Plus there was the speed and density of the Clan's rhymes, the voices overlapping dizzily until you figured out who was who. Hip-hop had always been slang-dense as a way to keep out the squares, but nine dudes spinning line after knotty line of cult-like lingo? It was impossible to pick up even a fraction of the Wu's self-invented story without wearing down your Walkman's rewind button. No wonder it took a few self-conscious crossover stabs by the group's most camera-ready members before they truly entered the mainstream. All of that was part of the draw: "Non-Shaolinites, can you hang with us?" They could: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) eventually went platinum; Wu-Tang Forever did even better. Even today's grittiest radio rap sounds like a late-90s Bad Boy single when thrown up against something as stark as "Protect Ya Neck". But despite its (deserved) rep as a "let's see you top this!" line in the sand, the track still provides plenty of rap's traditional, visceral thrills: the rowdy virtuosity of the rhymes, the what-did-he-just-say? wordplay, the star-in-the-making charisma of certain Clan members, and one of the few kick-you-in-the-ass beats in the early Wu catalog. -- Jess Harvell. The 'internets' say it was released by Loud Records on this day in '93. More.

Onyx "Bacdafucup" (March 30, 1993)

Yikes! It's the attack of the bald heads! Get ready for Onyx, the new solid piece of musical phatness that I had to shoot the bootlegger for. I'm open and gone on these kids and I'm seriously killin' the batteries in my Walkman. "Bacdafucup! Bacdafucup," the new NYC rudeboy rush hour theme, is just the beginning of this mad excursion through the United States Ghetto. This ain't "gangsta," this is real. Mr. Sticky Fingers has the ill voice you will never forget as he puts a Tech-9 in your mouth and robs you of your props. His partner in crime, Fredro Starr, has his back, as the rest of bald-headed massive (Big DS and Sonny Ceasar) bring it to the table hard. Sawed-off pump jams, like the current underground single "Throw Ya Guns" or rowdy LP cut "Here and Now," will make you want to reach for the ski-mask and step, but before you troop to the bullpen, be advised that this album is not just rude. It is an extremely dope vision of ugliness that is not for the sensitive. When they're not pledging allegiance to the "U.S.G.," they're offending everybody but the bad boys with hardcore XXX-rated jams like "Black Vagina Finda" and "Suckin' The Next N!gga's D!ck." While the topics they kick are real enough, after awhile the b!tch-n!gga-b!tch lyrics and the frenzied screaming do become monotonous. Nevertheless, the lyrical chemistry between Sticky Fingers and Fredro Starr combined with the phat production work of Chyskills (Large Professor's old school homey) and Kool T blows into orbit and leaves you open for more." - The Source (March, 1993). Revisit the LP below...

Also from The Source (June, 1993) are these images...

Chris Rock "CB4" (March 12, 1993)

The blurb for 1993's CB4 says: "Saturday Night Live's Chris Rock stars in this hilarious spoof of rap stars and life in the hip-hop fast lane. Albert (Rock) starts off as nothing more than your basic L.A. middle-class kid dreaming of rap stardom, until a run-in with a real ghetto hood gives him an idea. Reborn as tough, gangsta-rapper MC Gusto -- along with his homeboys Dead Mike and Stab Master Arson -- Albert creates rap's hottest new act, CB4. Soon the trio is rocketing up the charts, partying in limos, collecting groupies and gaining notoriety for their macho, street-wise tunes. Unfortunately, the real hoods are hot on their trail -- and they're not looking for autographs! This outrageous comedy features a chart-topping soundtrack, surprise appearances by rap superstars ( Ice-T, Flavor Flav, and Easy E), and an outstanding cast including Chris Elliott, Phil Hartman, Allen Payne and Deezer D." While I felt like Chris Rock might've missed the mark with this film at the time, it does have its comedic moments and certainly feels like a wink-wink-moment looking at the posturing in music in recent years. That said, if you haven't seen Fear Of A Black Hat, it's a significantly more entertaining, albeit more low-budget, comedy! The CB4 soundtrack featured music from Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Fu-Schnickens, Daddy-O, DJ Hurricane, and more, but the standout (to me) was always MC Ren's "Mayday on the Front Line," which would later appear on his album, Shock Of The Hour, in November 1993. Revisit the official trailer for CB4 below...

Some publicity photos from CB4's Press Kit in 1993...