Hex Murda "Hex Hates U" (Mixtape, 2012)

In September of 2012, Detroit legend Hex Murda presented the Hex Hates You mixtape in conjunction with District 81 and Burn Rubber. It was mixed and hosted by Statik Selektah and Sammy Needlz of Showoff Radio. The mix featured tracks from Random Axe, Proof, Sean Price, Bumpy Knuckles, Ras Kass, Black Milk, Fat Ray, Glasses Malone, D-12, Royce Da 5'9 and more. Hex Murda is a larger-than-life personality that I came to loosely know through Black Milk and his connection as a signed artist to Fat Beats Records. Up in the warehouse, at the store, or at live events, Hex was a presence, to say the least. When a fight broke out at Southpaw, I think Hex took it personally that the idiots were interrupting Black Milk's set... so much so that you didn't realize Hex was the DJ, how'd he get to the foot of the stage so quickly? He had to be held back by another Detroit homie. Anyhow, after a Pontine Stroke almost took his life, things changed but his spirit and reputation remained in tact, perhaps even stronger having survived a stroke with such a high mortality rate. That said, people know him a lot better than the short hellos we exchanged in passing, so I don't want to say too much. Sometimes I revisit projects that seem to be left behind by time, but revisit this mixtape for a lot of dope shit out Detroit and surrounding areas. Oh and a reminder from the caption sent along with the mix, "Fuck George Zimmerman." Also, if you're asking, does Hex give a shit what we think? His answer is probably, "No." (c) Hex. Salute that man. Listen...

"Caught In The Middle of A 3-Way Mix" (Tribute to "Paul's Boutique", 2012)

Several years ago, Solid Steel DJs Cheeba, Moneyshot and Food had the idea of collaborating on a version of the Beastie Boys' Paul’s Boutique album, made entirely from the original sample sources. The result is titled ‘Caught In The Middle Of A 3-Way Mix’ - each of them have taken a third of the album to work on and combined their efforts into a mix that will make you hear it in a new way. Aside from the original sample sources they’ve included commentary from the Beasties, vintage interviews, demo versions and much more. The mix was over half way completed when they heard the tragic news of MCA‘s death in May, 2012, so the impetus to finish it was instantly doubled and new meaning was given to the project. It goes without saying that this is also a tribute to Adam Yauch and the legacy he left behind. Check out their tribute to the Beastie's Paul's Boutique below...

Beanie Sigel "Batcave Freestyle" (Video, 2012)

I'm not sure why this was on my mind so heavy today, but I wanted to take it back to a freestyle Beanie Sigel spit some years back... I read a caption that shared, "Right before Beans got locked up he drove his Crown Vic, with the spotlight still on it, up to N. 3rd St. and spit some serious shit at Batcave Studio…..guns, pills, syrup, duckin’ cops, incarceration." Over a classic break instrumental, Beans did what he does best, raw street raps with an equal dose of real life and pain. Props to Gillie the Kid and all the real spitters out of Philly. This exclusive freestyle from Beanie Sigel was featured on Black Deniro's DVD/CD "Money Is The Mission," directed by Rick Dange. Around the time, Beans was locked up and the streets held this one close until his return. "Money Is The Mission" featured never before seen footage of all the hottest artist in Philadelphia including Cassidy, Freeway, Gillie Da Kid, and many more. You can find it on Amazon or other online retailers.

Joey Badass "1999" (June 12, 2012)

The 17-year-old Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$ doesn't sound like his contemporaries. The handful of young rappers with tread, most notably Chicago's Chief Keef or the recently returned-from-exile prince of Odd Future, Earl Sweatshirt, make music with pomp and bombast, as aggressive as it is catchy. But the kind of music Joey BadA$$ makes hasn't sounded contemporary since the mid-1990s, or around the time he was born. Today, Joey is the most visible member of a young artist collective called the Progressive Era (Pro Era), a crew mostly comprised of students from Brooklyn's Edward R. Murrow High School. These kids take musical inspiration from a time before any of them existed, specifically, the era referred to by hip-hop purists of a certain age as the "Golden Age." That time period, however, was dead if not fully decomposed by 1999, the year of this tape's title. While albums from 1999 like Mos Def's Black on Both Sides and MF Doom's Operation Doomsday offered potent alternatives that year to the power-balling of Jay-Z's Vol. 3: Life and Times… and the literal "Bling Bling" of BG's Chopper City in the Ghetto, rap about "keeping it real" was as rare a find as those upholding the practice. Joey Bada$$, however, is doing his best to further the period's legacy of boom-bap production as an authenticator and advanced-level lyricism as a meal ticket. 

The young man clearly has an old soul. 1999 opens with "Summer Knights", an interlude produced by fellow Pro Era member Chuck Strangers, that with its shimmering keys, loop of gentle background singing, and words from Bada$$ decrying the lack of rap "style wit no gimmicks," sounds like the direct spawn of Nas' "Memory Lane". "Waves", whose intro regarding the coveted hairstyle of young black men nationwide is the only reference to the song's title, continues in the same manner, with smooth jazz production and Bada$$ rapping, "Like I told you, I know niggas who trash rapping/ Worried 'bout the tending fashions rather than ascendin' passion." There's no chorus, but he drops a 2Pac soundbite about rap not being ready for a "real person" in the middle of two verses... It's not enough to simply appreciate the sound: Bada$$ is wholly invested in the period. For all his "old New York" posturing, though, he's a prodigious rapper, one who could have guested on a revered proving ground like the now defunct Stretch and Bobbito radio show, only to have his freestyle dubbed continuously from cassette to cassette.... Bada$$ himself treats every verse as an opportunity to best whomever you'd been listening to prior, a habit that could have been altogether exhausting for the listener if not for his ability to stay on topic.... Regardless, Joey Bada$$ has succeeded at getting the attention he wants for the music he wants to be making. That in itself is a victory in any era. - Pitchfork (June 26, 2012). Joey is very talented and 1999 is still a solid album, revisit it!

Angel Haze "Classick" (Mixtape, 2012 + "Same Love", 2013)

In 2012, New York-based MC Angel Haze released a 6-track mixtape titled, Classick. On the mixtape, Angel rapped over familiar beats from the likes of Eminem, Jay-Z, Missy, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and Lupe Fiasco. On "Cleaning Out My Closet," she recounts "a staggering tale of sexual abuse that began when she was 7. In brutal detail, she recounts the experience, the aftermath, and her survival," said Fact Mag. It took incredible strength to write and release such a record. If you dig into her catalog, there's much to be discovered -- several mixtapes and four full-length albums. Perhaps this will wet your appetite to dig back into her catalog. Stream Classick and more below...

In 2013, Angel Haze also flipped Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' "Same Love" with the same level of honesty and vulnerability she displayed on "Cleaning Out My Closet." Spin Magazine covered the song back in '13, "Haze uses the opportunity to tell her story as a young teenager facing challenges at home due to her sexuality. “Hi mom,” she begins. “I’m really scared right now, but I have to.” Enter that warm but heavy piano line, and let the spitting begin: “At age 13, my mother knew I wasn’t straight / She didn’t understand but she had so much to say / She sat me on the couch, looked me straight in my face / And said ‘You’ll burn in hell, or probably die of AIDS.'” Watch below...

Mick Boogie "Illadelph/Matic" (Mixtape, 2012)

Illadelph/matic was released by Mick Boogie roughly 10 years ago... a unique mix of rarities and remixes featuring Nas and the legendary Roots crew. Presented by OkayPlayer, MICK put the mix together as part of some super bowl event in 2012. In his own words, MICK shared, "The Roots and Nas are two of my favorite performers ever... and have such an amazing catalog of gems the average fan never heard. This was a great opportunity to put something together for the people to enjoy!" I suspect none of my readers are "average fans," but nevertheless, let's revisit this gem of a mixtape that features Nas and The Roots in rare form. You really can't go wrong clicking play below...

Wrecking Crew "Wu-Tang Pulp" (2012)

Philadelphia conglomerate The Wrecking Crew have just release their first full-length project, Wu-Tang Pulp. Has-Lo, Zilla Rocca and Curly Castro have reworked cuts from the iconic ’90s group’s catalog and, for some tracks, done straight cover songs. Zilla Rocca had the following to say of the project: “What started as a simple idea in 2009 has formed into a completely flushed out re-imagining of the most iconic collective in Hip Hop history. Wu-Tang Pulp is an album shaped from the hearts and minds of three die-hard killa bee fanatics who spared no details in paying the ultimate homage to their heroes. Tackling records from RZA, Ghostface, Method Man, etc. is no easy task when you grew up with 36 Chambers in your Walkman, drawing the “W” on your high school composition books, and rocking Tommy Hilfiger tees in the summer because Raekwon said so.” - via Respect Mag. Check out 2012's Wu-Tang Pulp as an exclusive Bandcamp release streaming below...

Nas "Life Is Good" (July 17, 2012)

We live in a different era than Illmatic, one where hip-hop has taken on so many different forms that each listener has their own definition of what can make or break the “classic” status. Nas’ latest – Life Is Good – is undoubtedly one of the strongest records of his career, but like all of his others, some will call it classic, others won’t. Life Is Good starts out remarkably with “No Introduction” – despite being a bit overproduced – Nas is at his best here, letting listeners know what he’s been up to since the last time we heard his voice. This leads into the very Illmatic-esque “Loco-Motive” (feat. Large Professor), which proves Nas could easily craft a true sequel to his classic debut, if he wanted to. But he doesn’t need to, as proven on tracks like the cinematic “A Queens Story”, the fake-gangster blasting “Accident Murderers”, and the incredibly penned “Daughters”, where Nas laments “What he date, he straight a chip off his old papa / who she date, we wait behind the door with a sawed-off…” ... “Back When” is another post-Illmatic banger, classically crafted by No I.D., while “The Don” is a dancehall fueled, Super Cat sampling New York anthem, sure to mash up the place. Closing out with a gorgeous pairing of Salaam Remi’s two greatest collaborators – Nas and Amy Winehouse – on the long overdue “Cherry Wine”, and the bittersweet dedication to his ex-wife, Kelis, on “Bye Baby” – it’s safe to say that Nas has recorded one of the best albums of his storied career. Life Is Good is easily Nas’ most personal album to date, which amazingly is one of the first albums to peel a layer away of Nas’ armored exterior – something that’s been largely kept quiet throughout his career. Like Hip-Hop Is Dead and Untitled before, Nas has crafted another amazingly solid concept album. And we’ll put that on every last one of his classics. - HipHopSite. Life Is Good was released on this day in 2012. Revisit the album below...

Some extra images that were included in the album's documentation...

Black Thought Freestyle (Lyricist Lounge 20th Ann., 5/23/12)

In 2012, the Lyricist Lounge was celebrating their 20th Anniversary with a show at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC with Black Thought as the host and a number of very special guests. Here's what I said at the time, "20 years of celebrating creativity and offering a platform for artists to express themselves as individuals and at the same time, within a tribe of like-minded artists. I salute Danny Castro and Anthony Marshall for their influence on Hip-Hop, especially the underground scene in NYC. Over the years, Eternia and myself have worked with Danny Castro, who without hesitation has always supported and maintained the focus on talent, skill and a dope live performance. Eternia has blessed stages with many of hip-hop’s true legends and we give thanks to Danny Castro and Lyricist Lounge for those opportunities... Check the flyer for all the amazing talent that will be blessing the stage. The Lyricist Lounge 20th Anniversary will continue next month with a show featuring Ghostface and Camp Lo at Prospect Park." As it happened, Prodigy, Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch, Da Bush Babees, Homeboy Sandman, Black Thought, Doug E. Fresh, J.Period, Kid Capri, Tony Touch and a ton of other legendary artists blessed that stage, including my artist Eternia. One memory I will never ever forget is Black Thought freestyling over Nas' classic "Represent" instrumental and the whole crowd was hanging on every word. Now that I'm currently living outside of NYC, it's memories like this that bring me right back home, so watch it back with me below...

S.O.U.L. Productions: "5 Deadly Dutch Venoms" (Mixtape, 2012)

5 Deadly Dutch Venoms mixtape was released in 2012 and features some of the best DJ's from Holland: DJ Broky B, DJ DBS, DJ DNS, DJ Irie & DJ TLM. This mixtape is a tribute to the classic 5 Deadly Venoms Of Brooklyn mixtape featuring Tony Touch, DJ Premier, P.F. Cuttin, Mister Cee & DJ Evil Dee, and also a tribute to the art of the real mixtape and mixtape DJ's. The mix features tracks from Redman, Reflection Eternal, Group Home, East Flatbush Project, Nine, Crooklyn Dodgers, Organized Konfusion, Ice Cube, Tribe, Biggie, Craig Mack, Nas, Mobb Deep, Fat Joe, Black Moon, Kool G Rap, Royal Flush, Method Man and so much more! Listen to another classic mixtape below...

DJ Sav One & DJ Dyllemma "FreeOfStyle" (Mixtape, 2012)

We put this mix together (in 2012) reminiscing on the days of golden era CASSETTE mixtapes. It should bring you back to that analog vibe with the sound, substance and live mixing. The theme is an ongoing debate over the two meanings of “Freestyle”: off the top of the head verses and/or unreleased writtens (discussed by Big Daddy Kane in the Intro as ‘FreeOfStyle’). The mix is 40 minutes long (all golden era content) and is 1 side of a forthcoming cassette release with original content on the flip-side. The sources are old cassettes, white label vinyl and an occasional CD. Peace to the all the DJs who laid the foundation and pushed the culture forward - this tape is as much an ode to those pioneering DJs as is to the MCs who held it down on the mic. - DJ Sav One (Update: Got a takedown notice, so a new post to update the embed link below). One-track version is HERE.

The Audible Doctor "Doctorin'" (Deluxe Version)

Originally released in 2012 - and executive produced by Large Professor - The Audible Doctor's instrumental project "Doctorin" has been re-released as a Deluxe Version, which now includes 5 brand new unreleased tracks. If you haven't heard the Pre-Med mix of instrumentals that The Audible Doctor put out ahead of this release, I recommend diggin' into that and his Brownies project, which is what caught the eye of the Large Professor in the first place. Soulful chops and hard drums - an enjoyable listen below, so dig in and stay connected on socials for new projects.

DJ Total Eclipse "The B Tape" (Mixtape, 2012)

DJ Total Eclipse from The X-Ecutioners released the second installment of his letter mixtape series entitled The B Tape in 2012, featuring mash-ups and remixes from famed artists whose names begin with the letter “B.” The B Tape includes vocals from The Notorious B.I.G., Big L, Big Pun, Bush Babees and Black Moon over the production of Detroit’s Black Milk. The mixtape is a follow-up to The J Tape, with similarly featured tracks from Jay-Z and Jay Electronica over production from the legendary J Dilla. These standout remixes include a mash-up of Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy” and Black Milk’s “Long Story Short” as well as a mash-up of Big L’s “Put It On” over Black Milk’s “The Way I Live.” The B Tape is a great example of Total Eclipse paying homage to classic material, while always putting his own twist on the music. After reposting The J Tape, it seemed right to share this too...

DJ Total Eclipse "The J Tape" (Mixtape, 2012)

The J Tape was released in 2012 by DJ Total Eclipse of the X-Excutioners and features tracks, mash ups, and remixes from famous artists sporting the J name (J. Dilla, Jay-Z, Jay Electronica). Influenced by the works of the legendary J. Dilla (RIP), Total Eclipse decided to mix Dilla's incredible production with the vocal stylings of Jay-Z, one of the greatest MCs of all time, and Jay Electronica, one of the most exciting artists to arrive on the Hip-Hop scene in a number of years. Total Eclipse recently re-released this mix to his own page, so I thought it was worth revisiting and sharing here below...

Purpose & Confidence "The Purpose of Confidence" (2012)

Purpose, founding member of the group Tragic Allies, teams up with extraordinary producer Confidence of Rashad & Confidence fame to bring you their debut album "The Purpose of Confidence". While these two artists come from different backgrounds, the sounds they put together capture the essence of pure hip-hop. The mixture of music takes you in different directions from story-telling, real world situations and lyrical onslaught. Purpose's flow, delivery and lyrics will have you engaged from start to finish while Confidence delivers on the boards as usual. This time, he switches it up to help complement Purpose's subject matter, but still providing his soulful and hard hitting trademark boom-bap sound along with more gritty beats as well. Listeners will be in for a nice surprise as these two artists help shape the landscape of hip-hop and keep that raw and authentic music pumping through the speakers. The Purpose Of Confidence was released 5 years ago today via Ill Adrenaline Records, and it's still highly recommended today!

Apathy "The Alien Tongue" (September 11, 2012)

After the much successful fanfare of Apathy's “Honkey Kong” full length from 2011, the Demigodz leader and Army of the Pharaohs soldier delivered a very special release. This album compiles some of Apathy's earliest demo recordings from as far back as 1994 up until 1998. Transferred from cassettes and ADAT studio tapes, these songs represent his early to late teen years, as well as Eternia's first recordings ever. “The Alien Tongue” is a title that takes you on a journey thru the 90's era of Apathy, fresh into his early association with Jedi Mind Tricks, as this was around the same time he was recording for their debut album, “The Psycho Social...” Also included are some of the first beats Ap ever produced, made on an old school Ensoniq ASR-10. This release gives fans a great insight into the mind of a young Apathy (and Eternia) as well as a spotlight on the beginnings of what would become a highly respected legacy. Eternia adds, "All we did was write, record, network & strategize... I was spittin’ long before I met him, but I always use the analogy that I moved to CT sounding like Salt-n-Pepa and left sounding like Pharoahe Monch... When I listen to this I am reminded of how far God has taken me!" The Alien Tongue was officially released on 9/11/12.

The Halftime Show "The 14th Anniversary" (March 7, 2012)

DJ Eclipse uploaded the audio from the 14th Anniversary of The Halftime Show. The date was March 7, 2012 up at 89.1FM WNYU and the audio represents a look back at some of the highlights from the earlier years of the show - including freestyles from Akinyele, A.G., Arsonists, Big L, Cage, Dilated Peoples, Dynasty, Eminem, Fat Joe, 50 Cent, Ghostface Killah, Godfather Don, Hieroglyphics, Method Man, Natural Elements, Non Phixion, Outsidaz, PMD, Q-Tip, Ras Kass, Redman, Royce Da 5'9, Street Smartz, Talib Kweli and more. Peace to DJ Eclipse, DJ Riz, DJ Skizz & Petey Cologne. Listen below...

Logic "Young Sinatra: Undeniable" (4/30/12)

To an untrained eye, it might feel like Logic was an overnight success, but nah ... the Maryland spitter has been putting in work since '09 releasing free mixtapes and building a very loyal fanbase. On this day in 2012, Logic released his 'Young Sinatra: Undeniable' mixtape, where he addressed such topics as his father's drug abuse, his future, growing up in Gaithersburg, his mother getting stabbed, and a lot more. The success of the four mixtapes released between 2011 and 2013 earned him his first headlining tour, a spot on XXL's Freshman List in 2013 and a label deal with Def Jam through No ID. His debut album 'Under Pressure' is a witty concept album blended with raw lyrics, melodies and bouncing production. I already know the boy can spit, so seeing his growth on a major with obvious aspirations for greater stardom, it's just a matter of how much he caters to the mainstream (sonically) whether or not I'll continue to enjoy the music. His fans are even younger than he is, ya know? I didn't care for his 'Bobby Tarantino' project, but I am gonna support his upcoming album 'Everybody' and we'll see what happens. Either way, his youthful presence and focus on lyrics are certainly welcomed in the industry and I'm pushing for his continued success. I don't listen to the mainstream often enough, so comparisons to other artists and their melodies is an issue for someone else to tackle, I think he is talented and if nothing else, he's left me with some solid projects already. You can grab all the mixtapes for free at DatPiff: 1, 2, 3, 4. Undeniable below...

The Audible Doctor "Pre-Med" (Instrumental Mix)

The Audible Doctor released this Pre-Med instrumental mash-up around 4 years ago - it's definitely become a part of my work routine while I get 'ish done. He's built a consistent catalog of music over 10 years as a producer, eMCee and founding member of BBAS; you can check out the catalog HERE. Since our days working together at Fat Beats, I always pushed his 'Brownies' release, but you can throw a dart and it'll land on a dope release. Cop it all using the catalog option and save lots of time and 40%. Keep an eye out for a Supastition x Audible Doctor project (if it ever drops!).

The Return of the Hit Squad (2/24/12)

February 24th, 2012: the Return of the Hit Squad: EPMD, Redman, Das Efx, K-Solo, and special guest, Keith Murray. The reunion show was at the Best Buy Theater (now called the Playstation Theater) in NYC. Method Man also touched the stage, as well as DJ Scratch holding it down. The final track of the night was the posse cut, 'Headbanger,' with Redman crowd-surfing! Where were you when one of the greatest collectives in music hit the stage live in New York City? A great reunion show.