Gang Starr "Hard To Earn" (Rap Pages, 12/94)

"We know who we are/But do you know who you are?" This is the final line off the new Gang Starr album's opening, "ALONGWAYTOGO," a track where Guru turns the tables on those naysayers and shit-kickers who felt and feared that his Jazzmatazz journey would lead to the demise of the duo known as Gang Starr. Well, there's no need to fear (you can trust me), Donald Byrd's tumpet-blowing and N'Dea Davenport's harmonizing have been put on creative hold, with DJ Premier's precise, innovative jazz samples back in effect. The only difference between Hard To Earn and the previous ones is that here Guru not only flips his pinpoint monotone style, but also steps up as a producer, creating three tracks: "Code of the Streets," "F.A.L.A." and "Suckas Need Bodyguards." "Code" is the best of the three, "Just To Get A Rep"-flavored with its crazy fat bass line. Vocally, Guru takes the time to drop a little science: "They might say that we're a menace to society/But at the same time I say, why is it me?/Am I the target for destruction?/What about the system and total corruption?" Later, on "Tonz o' Gunz," Guru continues his inner-city-life sermonizing by discussing the biggest problem facing youth today--the influx of automatic weapons into our communities. He laments on how some brothers need to feel steel in order to be a man. Of course, what would a Gang Starr album be without representation from their foundation of dope MCs. "Speak Ya Clout" is the mandatory posse cut, featuring Lil' Dap and everyone's favorite new rhymer, Jeru The Damaja. These ill kids run the mic in the reverse order of Daily Operation's "I'm the Man," with Preemo cutting up pieces of that same song for their individual introductions. Also, don't sleep on newcomer Nutcracker, a 16-year-old from the Bronx who rips a minute-and-a-half freestyle that's sure to get you open. Guru and Premier know that Gang Starr's vital role in the Hip-Hop world has been hard to earn, and they continue to stay true to their own sound. - Rap Pages (June, 1994). Listen below...

This is still a fan-favorite, but it's not their BEST album! Debate me. Art by QFetti.

Pete Rock & CL Smooth "The Main Ingredient" (30th Ann. Mix)

My excitement for this album was on par with A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders and Hard to Earn by Gang Starr; Keepers of the Funk by Lords of the Underground and even Wu-Tang Forever in '97. You just don't get that same feeling anymore, but enter Toronto's DJ Filthy Rich, who brings that classic nostalgia with his anniversary mixes that celebrate classic albums like this, The Main Ingredient by Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Filthy Rich's 30th Anniversary mix includes original samples, LP cuts, original blends and unreleased gems. He adds, "Pete's production went from a harder/dusty sound on MATSB, to a warm/melodic vibe on TMI. The samples Pete chose hit your soul in that sweet spot: from Cannonball Adderley on 'In The House', to George Benson on 'I Get Physical' + 'In The Flesh', to Roy Ayers on 'Searching'....masterful. Pair that with CL's smooth voice and flow, and your soul starts to vibrate...." Dig in and celebrate over 30 years of this classic below...

The Notorious B.I.G. "Ready To Die" (30th Anniv. Mix by DJ Filthy Rich)

Shout-out to the homie, DJ Filthy Rich out of Toronto, who continues to bless us with these fine tribute mixes. The latest installment pays tribute to the late Notorious B.I.G. and his classic debut album, Ready To Die, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Some albums just mark the time and I can remember so vividly sitting with this album in McClancy High School out in Queens, NY. Updated from his 25th anniversary mix, this is Volume 1 of the 30th with original samples and classic cuts from 1994. Rest In Peace, Notorious B.I.G. and DJ Mister Cee.  Unfortunately, due to copyright restrictions a small piece of the mix has been muted, but rock with it anyway y'all. Dig in...

Cypress Hill "Black Sunday" (30the Anniversary Mix by Filthy Rich)

DJ Filthy Rich celebrates 30 years of Cypress Hill's classic sophomore LP 'Black Sunday' with a mix of original samples, remixes, b-sides and original blends. I remember coppin' the 12 of "Insane In The Brain" with the b-side, "When The Shit Goes Down" and knowing the follow-up LP was gonna be a smash. The album cuts were just as hard and while the content wasn't always "my bag", I appreciate the artistry and especially the production by DJ Muggs. You can definitely understand why it crossed over and made such an impact in the rock and hip-hop communities. The 30th anniversary Expanded Edition of Black Sunday includes a remix from Statik Selektah, DJ Muggs and more if you haven't had a chance to cop that release. Meanwhile, dig into the mix from DJ Filthy Rich below...

Nas "Illmatic" 30th Ann. Mix (Side B, DJ Filthy Rich)

As promised, when Side B was released by DJ Filthy Rich, that mix would be posted ASAPually! Here it is, Side B aka 41st Side South; the 30th Anniversary Mix for the Nas classic, Illmatic. Like his previous mixes, Toronto's DJ Filthy Rich digs in the crates and blesses us with original samples, unique and original blends and remixes. Joints like "It Ain't Hard To Tell," "Nas Will Prevail," "Life's a Bitch," "Memory Lane," "The World Is Yours," and "One Time 4 Your Mind" are heard in original, remixed or blended form here on this mix. What else you wanna know? Click through and enjoy + hit the tags for more mixes and posts in tribute to the single greatest hip-hop album of all time. Dig in!

Nas "Illmatic" 30th Ann. Mix (Side A, DJ Filthy Rich)

A tribute to the classic Illmatic? Sure you right. Toronto's DJ Filthy Rich has blessed us with another fine mix; this is Side A in honor of the 30th Anniversary of the debut opus from Nas, Illmatic. Side A aka 40 Side North, includes a mix of original samples, original blends and remixes including early gems like "Live at the BBQ," "Back To The Grill," a freestyle from '93 on Stretch and Bobbito; blends to "Genesis," "Represent" and "Halftime," as well as the remix to "One Love" and more. Y'all already know, this is the single greatest hip-hop LP of all-time, to me... always has been. When Side B comes out, you bet it'll be posted here as well. Meanwhile, listen below and hit the tags for a dozen posts in honor of Illmatic over the years (press kits, publicity photos, mixes, reviews + more).

Gang Starr "Hard To Earn" (30th Anniv. Mix by DJ Filthy Rich)

Back once again, Toronto's DJ Filthy Rich drops his latest offering; a tribute to my favorite group of all-time, Gang Starr and their classic effort, Hard To Earn. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the mix features a revamped version of his 25th anniversary mix from 2019 (which got taken down) with original blends, samples, b-sides and unreleased tracks. Rest in Peace to Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal and, of course, we continue to represent for the greatest producer of all-time, DJ Premier. Dig into another phenomenal mix by DJ Filthy Rich below and hit the archives for more...

Gravediggaz "6 Feet Deep" (August 9, 1994)

The video for "Diary of a Madman" by the rap band the Gravediggaz includes a warning that the clip does not condone Satanism or blasphemy; the video for "Live Evil" by the Flatlinerz depicts members of the hip hop band rapping from the inside of a grave, and the video for "Hellbound" by the Almighty RSO takes the deaths of the band members as a starting point and climaxes when the rapper E. Devious is shown with the mark of the Devil, 666, shaved into his head. With gangsta rap having exhausted nearly every imaginable murder scenario, a new breed of rappers is taking hip-hop beyond the grave. Some call this development horrorcore because it uses horror film as metaphors for ghetto life. Others prefer the term death rap because the genre takes hip-hop to musical and lyrical extremes in the same way that death metal bands like Obituary and Carcass bring rock to a boiling point. To a certain degree, both death metal and death rap try to escape from reality, offering nihilism as a cure-all. But in doing so, both end up commenting on a reality so grim and alienating that the only direction its outcasts turn is toward darkness. The fans of the two genres find comfort in fantasy, in finding a collective myth for their private pain. Unlike heavy metal, rap has had death on its agenda since its inception. The genre's earliest tracks were usually counterbalanced by cautionary tales of drugs and shootings. Rap has also always looked to horror films to conjure a quick image, from the Sugar Hill Gang dropping "Rapper's Delight" to DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince parodying Freddy Krueger in 1988's "Nightmare on My Street." Cont'd below...

A few years ago, rap and death metal began to recognize that they were sitting on opposite sides of the same cell wall. Public Enemy sampled the Satanist band Slayer, Ice-T collaborated with them on the soundtrack for the horror film, "Judgment Night," and Cypress Hill put a Gothic-looking graveyard on the cover of its latest album, "Black Sunday." Not until this year, however, have hip-hop bands been willing to complete their move from the streets to the graveyards. "I'm the resurrector," the Gravediggaz rap on their first album, "6 Feet Deep." "Be my sacrifice. Commit suicide, and I'll bring you back to life." For those who cross the Gravediggaz, a band made up of members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Too Poetic, De La Soul and Stetsasonic, death is only the beginning of their punishment. "First I'll assassinate 'em," they rap on "Diary of a Madman." "And then I cremate 'em, and take all of his... ashes and evaporate 'em." Citing suspense-film directors from Alfred Hitchcock to Wes Craven and displaying an impressive knowledge of anatomy, the Gravediggaz rap about means of dismemberment, rituals of exorcisms and torments of hell. They never credit heavy metal as an influence, but "Diary of a Madman:" is also the title of a 1981 Ozzy Osbourne album and the song "Bang Your Head" borrows its name from the 1984 Quiet Riot metal album. Musically, death rap is developing its own repertory and cliches. The Gravediggaz use creaking doors and howling wolves as rhythm tracks and often rap in a cartoonish, exaggerated style. - New York Times (October, 1994). RZA and Prince Paul were such an amazing combination on 6 Feet Deep!

Take It Personal Podcast "Tribute to 1994, Part 3"

Do you need more proof that 1994 was the greatest year in Hip-Hop music? Well, the trilogy is complete with the 3rd installment in Take It Personal's tribute to 1994. Episode 111 features music from Organized Konfusion, Public Enemy, Y Society, Dredd Scot, UMC's, Fu-Schnickens, Lords of the Underground, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Lord Finesse, Common, Mad Flava, Brand Nubian, A Tribe Called Quest, Redman, Artifacts, Mic Geronimo, Nas, World Renown, Kurious, O.C., KRS-One, Hard 2 Obtain, House of Pain, M.O.P., Freddie Foxxx, The Legion, Bahamadia, Gang Starr, Eddie F, The Notorious B.I.G., KMD and more! So much great music, 1994 was amazing. Say less, listen more...

Coolio "It Takes A Thief" (July 19, 1994)

After what seemed like an endless wave of negative attention, it seems as if the American media has decided to leave hip-hop alone (for now at least) and concentrate on more pressing issues (Bosnia, South Africa, etc.). And since things are returning to normal, many artists are once again kicking tales about their own individual realities. So it should come as no surprise that Coolio is going to be at the top of the pile this summer. Yeah, he's from Compton, but this isn't your typical gangsta record. For Coolio, Compton isn't just the spawning ground for G-rap; it's a place where the concept of comedy and tragedy can be viewed up close and personal. Where the ills of American society (unemployment, welfare, drug addiction, homelessness...) are discussed from the first person. And like Richard Pryor did years before him, Coolio refuses to let the realities of what many would consider to be a no-win situation extinguish both his artistic spirit and sense of humor. If you don't remember Coolio, you can think back to his appearance with WC on the 1990 Low Profile album. If you can't go back that far, just peep the rhymes he rocked as a member of the M.A.A.D. Circle. Even if you missed his debut, there is no reason for you to sleep on his current reality-inspired work...

While "County Line"--a humorously cool lead-off single dealing with the shortcomings of the welfare system--didn't quite evoke the anticipated response, the current single "Fantastic Voyage" really articulates Coolio's message. The video is hilarious. As the Lakeside groove carries you along, Coolio piles about six million people in the trunk of his '64 and takes them into a magical land where race, poverty, gangs or sexual orientation don't matter and everybody is cool. On the real side, tracks like "Smokin' Sticks" and "Locked In The Closet" are '70s-styled pimp tracks that have Cool kicking real-life tales about how he used to trip out smokin' sherm (cigarettes dipped in embalming fluid or PCP) and doing cocaine. Another excellent track, "Can O' Corn," speaks on his younger days, growing up in a drug-infested household with nothing to eat but a can of corn. But then it's back to the laughs. "Ugly Bitches" is one of the funniest rap records ever. Reworking the melody that 3XDope used on "Funky Dividends," Coolio pokes fun at his homies who, when their funds were low, had to settle for the not-so-fine girls. The chorus is a killer: "When I was young/I used to have fun/F#ckin' with ugly bitches/But now that I'm grown/I leave them alone/'Cause I went from rags to riches." There are also a few standout group efforts. Le Shaun stands by her man on "Mama I'm In Love With A Gangsta," Tha Alkaholiks drop by for "I Remember" and W.C. puts in work on "U No Hoo." And when added to tracks like "On My Way To Harlem" and "Ghetto Cartoon," the album seems to take on a movie soundtrack-like quality. Perhaps for the unmade Trouble Man II or Hell Up In Compton. Whatever the case, in order to capture that '70s dusty feel, you have to get some dusty n!ggas to make the tracks and the production by Dobbs The Wino, Brian G and Crazy Toones is top notch. No P-Funk. No G-Funk. Just the best of the 8-Track pimp era. - The Source (July, 1994). Revisit it today.

Take It Personal Podcast "Tribute to 1994, Part 2"

The Take It Personal crew returns for the second installment in their phenomenal tribute to our (yes, mine too!) favorite year in hip-hop, 1994. This mix in this episode features tracks from Troubleneck Brothers, Craig Mack, Ill Al Skratch, Funkmaster Flex, Mic Geronimo, Nas, Brand Nubian, Kurious, The Beatnuts, Urban Thermo Dynamics, The Fugees, Digable Planets, Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs, The Roots, O.C., Organized Konfusion, Gang Starr, M.O.P., Gravediggaz, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, A.D.O.R., Big L, The Notorious B.I.G., Da Youngstas, Jeru The Damaja, and more. Listen below as they make the case for 1994 as the greatest year in Hip-Hop music...

Take It Personal Podcast "Tribute to 1994, Part 1"

The latest episode of the Take It Personal Podcast is a tribute to my favorite year in hip-hop: 1994! They've decided to save the long description because you just need to hit that play button! What you're about to listen to is one of the greatest (if not the greatest) years in hip-hop. We all know '88 is the blueprint with It Takes A Nation of Millions, Critical Beatdown, Straight Outta Compton, Great Adventures of Slick Rick, Follow The Leader, Long Live The Kane, Straight Out The Jungle, By All Means Necessary and Strictly Business. But do you really listen to more music from 1988 than 1994? That's the difference and they plan to make the case starting with part 1 of their 1994 Tribute. The artwork alone makes the case strong: one word - Illmatic. Let them tell it, tap in below...

Beastie Boys "Ill Communication" (May 31, 1994)

Guaranteed plan for success: Spend your formative teenage years in early '80s downtown NYC, following hip hop all-nighters with full afternoons of hardcore punk at CBGB and vice versa. Confound fans of your hardcore band by working full-on rap numbers into your repertoire, ultimately dropping instrumentation altogether. Release the first ever rap album to top the pop charts, spend a couple years as the biggest hip hop outfit ever, then go underground. Come out a few years and 180 degrees later, working live instrumental jams and straight-up punk rock back into the set. Record sales are back up past the million mark, shows selling out everywhere... and then what the f#ck do you do? Well, unless you're the Beastie Boys, you don't get this far in the first place. If you are the Beastie Boys, however, you once again release your most ambitious record to date, Ill Communication (Grand Royal/Capitol). Like its predecessor, 1992's Check Your Head, Ill Communication is a B-Boys/Mario Caldato Jr. - produced 20-song blend of genius lyrics and rhymes (John Woo/Rod Carew, Kojak/bozack, divorcee/Lee Dorsey... all by the end of the first verse of lead track/first single "Sure Shot"), soulful instrumental interludes (including the bass-overdriven "Futterman's Rule," the plaintive "Ricky's Theme," and closing cool-down "Transitions"), and the occasional blast of hardcore punk ("Tough Guy," "Heart Attack Man"). Unlike Check..., which was two years in the making, the bi-coastally recorded Ill Communication took barely seven months to complete--just over a year to the day from beginning of recording to release date--setting a precedent for a band whose fans have grown accustomed to three-year intervals between albums. "We finished the Check Your Head tour around Thanksgiving '92," Mike D recalls. "We were on tour for eight months, then we took five months off. Then we started on the new album in New York. We just got back together, set up all our equipment, and started playing right off. We then headed back to the world-famous G-Son studios in LA to sift through our collection of 'Space Truckin'-esque jams and begin working on the hip-hop tracks." - Press Kit, 1994. "Get It Together" with Q-Tip was absolutely my jam at that time. Revisit the Ill Communication album from the Beastie Boys below...

I hope history never forgets the unique impact the Beastie's had on music.

Jeru The Damaja "The Sun Rises In The East" (5/24/94)

The first time I heard Jeru The Damaja was in 1992, when he blew up Gang Starr's "I'm The Man" on Daily Operation. While every b-boy east of New York was trying to figure out who the man was, Jeru was touring with Gang Starr throughout Canada, England, Europe, West Bubblef#ck and the U.S. boondocks. After the Gang Starr movement parlayed, he showed you who the man really was with his unique, underground single, "Come Clean." With his single quickly approaching street-status gold, a fat recording and worldwide distribution deal, and a DJ Premier-produced album in the making, Jeru is well on his way to cleaning the music industry and ridding the stage of these snake-fake-wannabe-toy-emcees that misrepresent what the hip-hop culture is all about. Speaking on the album's title, The Sun Rises In The East, Jeru shared, "I chose that title 'cause that shit is on point as far as life is 'cause the sun always rises in the East. And I'm from East New York [in Brooklyn] and I represent the East Coast, you know what I'm sayin'? Plus, I'm the son of man and this son rises from the East. I try to make all my shit coincide with how shit is out here. Anything I kick is some kind of consistence 'cause that's just my thang. So even if it's just some old regular shit, still it's a message in there for somebody, 'cause it's a message in everything. You just have to take it." - The Source, April 1994. Art above by Torre Pentel. Revisit Jeru's The Sun Rises In The East below...

You won't find many albums that still bump front to back like this one...

Nas "Illmatic" (Spin Magazine, 1994)

On "The World Is Yours," from his debut album Illmatic, Nasir "Nas" Jones says twice in a sly, Zen tenor, "I'm out for Presidents to represent me," and both times a stunned peanut gallery answers, "Say what?" But as producer Pete Rock sets the moody-mood with jazz-piano chords, the 20-year old rapper from New York's Queensbridge housing project drops the sneaky-deep punch line: "I'm out for dead Presidents to represent me." In other words, nobody represents him, and he's dead set on getting paid and figuring out why. Awaited as intently as the debuts of more cocksure virtuosos Big Daddy Kane and Snoop Doggy Dogg, Illmatic pays serious mind to uncertain sources, to abstract anxiety, spiritual and otherwise. Unlike the West Coast gangsta cartoonists (and their reactionary New York progeny, Wu-Tang Clan, Black Moon, and Onyx), Nas searches for an inner-calm to break down his left-field-corner crazy streak. And don't doubt that he's got one. In part incarnations--cameos on Main Source's "Live at the BBQ" and MC Serch's "Back to the Grill"--"Nasty" Nas impulsively swiped the spotlights with talk of "snuffin' Jesus" and "waving automatic guns at nuns." But Illmatic's guest producers--Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Large Professor, Q-Tip--don't exploit Nas's shock-jock tendencies. Instead, nudging him toward Rakim-like rumination, they offer subdued, slightly downcast beats, which in hip hop today means jazz, primarily of the '70s keyboard-vibe variety (samples here include Joe Chambers, Gary Burton, the Heath Brothers). Cont'd below...

For early-20s hip hoppers, jazz represents childhood background music, overheard from their parents' living rooms, and usually signifies the hazy, bittersweet sentimentality of growing up. In Nas's case, this is implicit: His dad, the jazz trumpeter Olu Dara (sideman with David Murray, Don Pullen, and others), let his son hang out in recording studios, but then, according to Nas, shrugged at his interest in hip hop. Dara's contributes a muted, vexing solo at the close of Illmatic's "Life's a Bitch," and one wonders how he feels about his son's remorseful-resentful, coming-of-age depictions. One of the positives about hardcore gangsta rap was its site-specific narratives. After a Too $hort, Ice-T, or Ice Cube song, you felt as if you'd been on a sunrise-to-sundown drive from one dead end of the 'hood to the other. Dr. Dre codified all that, meticulously recycling the same scenes ad nauseam, but Nas breathes life into the approach. Illmatic may be the most extensive tour of a housing project ever committed to CD, replete with sleeve photos of deceased friends, and housing police atop mountain bikes. On the Premier-produced "N.Y. State of Mind" and "Represent," Nas plays sleight-of-hand with syllables, taking us on an almost anti-narrative through lobbies where wide-eyed kids watch crack fiends scrap, and down stairways where teenage boys roll dice and laugh at baseheads. These are powerfully stressed-out images, but Nas hints that he's after something more personally revealing. In "The World Is Yours," he muses about writing "All the words past the margins," and it's there, past where most rappers bother to peek, that he may eventually find his truth. And when that search is as vivid as his tour of the projects, the comparisons to Rakim will be more deserved. - Spin (August, 1994). The album was reviewed as "Go directly to your local record store. Buy this album. Immediately. Kill if you must." The G.O.A.T. album.

M.O.P. "To The Death" (April 5, 1994)

M.O.P. stands for Mash Out Posse, and its members are rappers Lil Fame and Bill Danziene. So far, the act is known for "How About Some Hardcore," the hard-edged single that also appears on the "House Party 3" soundtrack. Before that jam, Lil Fame dropped three cuts on 4th & Bway's 1992 compilation set "The Hill That's Real," including "Bring The Ruckus." Those efforts helped reinforce his name among those in the street game. According to Lil Fame, who, along with Danziene, grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, N.Y., the set contains "some around-the-way shit. We write about things we've been through, what we had to do to survive, and stuff that goes on around us." The duo was signed to Select Records by Silver D, director of A&R. In the past, he had supervised cuts on "The Hill That's Real." The process of developing M.O.P. began last October, when "How About Some Hardcore" appeared. "We felt the record was a New York thing, so we went right to local mix-show jocks like Ron G, the Awesome Two, Funkmaster Flex and Red Alert." The resulting buzz spread to New England, thanks to support from college radio. Select then focused its promotional energies on the South, where the record was gaining acceptance. "M.O.P. turned into a real word-of-mouth thing, and we've been going where we see outbreaks," says Select president Fred Munao. When the new Darryl D-produced album arrives, the label will continue its street-oriented campaign. "We'll be perfectly content with a slow build, gaining solid street credibility and street props," says Wyatt Cheek, VP of marketing at Select. Explaining his moniker, Lil Fame says, "I know mad people, and I get crazy props for what I do. Everybody be like, 'Yo, that lil' n#gga could rap!'" Going with the flow, Danziene offers an explanation of his own handle, "I earned that from the way I take care of my business," he says. "It makes it seem like I'm on top of things, like I'm controllin' shit." Among the tracks on the album are "Heistmaster," which swims in C.R.E.A.M. themes. On "F.A.G.," the duo takes it to the face of "fake ass gangstas." "Blue Steel" sports high-caliber rhymes like, "It's time to let 'em know the deal / Nowadays shit is for real - so I'm packin' blue steel." - H. Nelson. To The Death...

The full review from March 1994 and more is below...

DJ Baby G "Bomb Ass Tape II" (Mixtape, 1994)

This is DJ Baby G's Bomb Ass Tape 2, from 1994. The tape was reviewed in Caught In The Middle magazine, where they shared: Cut after cut this tape has that live club feel to it. No overused edits or dubs here, only records spinnin' back to back. There needs to be more mix tapes like BA2 that display strictly skills and less multi-track usage. On Side A, Craig Mack's "Flava In Your Ear" is chopped, cutted, and switched around like this was a DMC battle. The tape represents with blends that sound like they were meant to be together. There's no prisoners on this tape, even Tribe's "Lyrics to Go" goes to surgery as you travel the first program. Baby G also shows Chicago some love by giving Common Sense that rotation he deserves. Big ups. The B Side begins with a storm of scratches, and then breaks down into a mellow delivery with Gravediggaz's "1-800-Suicide." It kinda reminds me of when it rains real hard with thunder and all, then there's only sprinkles leavin' ya relaxed. It's not long before the inches start pourin' down again as Baby G flips the script with Channel Live's "Cause & Effect." The accapella of KRS-One's "Hip Hop vs. Rap" is well applied complete with a nice blend and a series of scratches. Solid throughout both sides BA2 displays strong diversity. If you enjoy all the elements that define a DJ, this mixtape will stay in your deck. This tape is not narrow-minded or jailed to one coast as artists from everywhere are given their due. Anything mixed should show this kind of variety. Bein' Baby G is from the group Mad Flava, this cassette is an assorted fulfillment of pure different taste. Open your mouth, swallow, and digest, you won't be hungry after this entree. Dig into the archives for Bomb Ass Tape and listen below...

Here's the full review in Caught In The Middle Magazine...

DJ Baby G "Bomb Ass Tape" (Mixtape, 1994)

This is DJ Baby G of Mad Flava's Bomb Ass Tape from 1994. The DMC champion put his foot in two mix tapes in this series with artwork by Mosquito. The tape features tracks from Mad Flava, Biz Markie, Terror Fabulous, Nas, Lady of Rage, Souls of Mischief, Fat Joe, N-TYCE, Ice Cube, Casual, Gang Starr, Sade, Eazy-E, Wu-Tang Clan, The Beatnuts, Artifacts, Lords of the Underground, Jeru The Damaja, A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, The Wascals, Bahamadia, Masta Ace, and lots more. As you can see, DJ Baby G represented the whole hip-hop at that time, it's not stuck in one location or one specific sound. Solid transitions, cuts and flips all over this mix tape. The tape was uploaded by DJ Baby G a while back, but he's still got a fresh link to download if you'd like HERE. In the meantime, you can stream it below, and definitely look out for Bomb Ass Tape 2 in a future post.

Black Sheep "Non-Fiction" (December 6, 1994)

....So, now it's Non-Fiction--another way of portraying what is "real," just in a more creatively flexible way. The Sheep's Non-Fiction is novel in that Dres says what others couldn't think to say. Non-Fiction also has a reality that may shock you: Lawnge gets on the mic.... If Lawnge can serve some lyrical purpose, then it could perhaps be forcing fools to appreciate Dres' resourcefulness and language manipulation. In "Autobiographical," Dres talks of his personal Hip Hop gestation and growth--but in a style that requires some ear reading. On "Peace to the N!ggas," Dres races past a plodding bass line that is reminiscent of "Similak's" homogenized mix. "N!ggas got reprimanded, remanded and then branded / I delve into myself to draw the strength to overstand it." There's certainly both a familial and communal consciousness that is nicely combined with MC combat. On "Do Your Thing": "Time zone / I groans for my sanity I told ya's / I woke up this morning and the world was on my shoulders / They say I'm destined to repeat / We'll see / I fall and rise / So when you look up to my son / You'll see me in his eyes." Furthermore, only Dres can flow "I clean up after my son 'cause that's my duty (dooty)" and sound fly on the shit. And, believe it or not, there's only two cuts about boning. Later, the Legion shows up on "We Boys." Here, Dres flows like a verbally feral Errol Flynn--spryly evading wackness with poetic parries.... With regard to most of the boardwork, Black Sheep sound like Black Sheep--needing, tweaky horns and strange bass lines that were charismatic on their vanguard debut. But some of the tracks are sheepish, shying away from the duo's hallmark edge and just keeping matters on the regular. So please treat this like a record and not some phantasmagorical myth. 'Cause it's rare to see such a keen grasp of the word go hand-in-hand with a skillfully firm grasp on the mic. And that's blessed within D-r-e-s. - Rap Pages (12/94).

The full review and backside of their promotional postcard are below...

Redman "Dare Iz a Darkside" (November 22, 1994)

Redman may have become a household name among the rap community by the end of the ‘90s, but there was a time when he garnered little more than a cult following. Why? Well, Dare Iz a Darkside illustrates this better than any of his other ‘90s albums—nowhere else has Redman ever been this odd, to be quite frank. It’s fairly evident here that he’d been listening to his George Clinton records and that he wasn’t fronting when he alluded to “A Million and 1 Buddah Spots” that he’d visited. In fact, this album often divides his fans. Many admire it for its eccentricities, while others deride it for being quite simply too inaccessible. It’s almost as if Redman is trying to puzzle listeners on Dare Iz a Darkside with his continually morphing persona. In fact, there’s actually little questioning his motives—it’s a matter of fact that Redman’s trying to be as crazy as he can without alienating too many of those who first knew him for his affiliation with EPMD. And while that affiliation does aid this album, since Erick Sermon plays a large role in production, it’s not quite enough. If this album has one unforgivable flaw besides the debatable quirks in Redman’s persona, it’s the production. Sermon isn’t up to his usual standards here, unfortunately, and the album could really use some of his trademark funk. But the reason most fans either feel devotion or disdain for this album isn’t the beats, but rather Redman’s antics. If you appreciate his wacky sense of insane humor, this album is a gold mine. If you’re more into his latter-day Method Man-style rhymes, then this album probably isn’t the one you want to bother with. After all, though Redman became a household name by the end of the ‘90s, it surely wasn’t because of albums like this. - AllMusicGuide. In his own words, Redman has always said he doesn’t listen or perform the songs off Dare… “I swear, I have not played Dare Iz a Darkside damn near since I did it. Seriously! I was so lost, I was so fucked up during that album.” But, when you go back to it, does is really seem as polarizing as we mighta thought at the time? I dunno. You can still argue that—next to Ice Cube—Redman had the most consistent run of solo releases in hip-hop history coming out the gate. That’s just a fact. Revisit it...

Art up above by the ever-talented ToonCrew!