Insane Prophet "Brooklyn Zoo: The Legend of Iceberg Slim" (2017)

Brooklyn Zoo: The Legend of Iceberg Slim is a mash-up mixtape with vocals from one of the greatest MCs of all time, Jay-Z, and beats from one of the most influential music groups EVER, the Wu-Tang Clan. While it was uncredited on the CD bootlegs, the mash-ups were done by The Insane Prophet, who also took vocals from The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, 2Pac, DMX, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Lil' Wanye, Ghostface Killah and Ol' Dirty Bastard to put together this exceptional project in 2017. The following year (2018), he also released a project re-imagining Nas rhyming over the classic beats to Biggie's Ready To Die, aptly titled "Ready to Illmatic." These kinds of projects--when done properly--are a true labor of love, and this was absolutely done well, so dig into it below and look out for a follow-up post about that Ready To Illmatic tape when I revisit that one as well. Enjoy it...

Happy Born Day, Chris Lighty! (Mogul, 2017)

In the new Spotify-exclusive series Mogul: The Life & Death of Chris Lighty, Ossé chronicles the rise and tragic fall of one of hip-hop's most beloved and pivotal industry executives through in-depth interviews with the former celebrity clients, family and friends who knew him best. A collaborative production between Loud Speakers and Gimlet Media (Startup), Mogul is the first major foray into narrative storytelling for a hip-hop podcast. It's also the result of a cross-pollination between two digital media companies with very different core audiences and platforms — one known for producing personality-driven shows with in-depth interviews and loose talk for urban listeners, the other spawned from the public radio world where journalistic, serial storytelling is prized. The result is a six-part series that dives deep into the groundbreaking success and questionable death of a figure as instrumental to hip-hop's mainstream dominance as the stars whose careers he guided. More than an artist manager, Lighty was a street legend who "fought his way from the Bronx to the boardroom to become one of the most powerful players in hip-hop...."

Lighty's own transformation reflected hip-hop's origin story as the culture rose from the concrete jungle of the South Bronx, where white flight, urban decay, poverty and gangs left a void ripe for rebirth. True to his roots from the streets to the suites, Lighty would use the name of his former crew of hard rocks, the Violators, to brand his eventual Violator Management company and later, Violator Records. A shortlist of his clients reads like a roll call for hip-hop's hall of fame: A Tribe Called Quest, LL Cool J, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, 50 Cent and so on. Because he was of the culture, too, he earned a reputation as a manager who spoke his artists' language and translated it into monumental deals. But it's Lighty's tragic passing, ruled a suicide in 2012, that makes his story similar to so many hip-hop icons whose deaths remain mysterious. It also made unearthing the details of his life that much harder. With the first two episodes, Ossé talked about why making Mogul was such a scary endeavor, how he gained the trust of those closest to Lighty who were reluctant to participate, and what he hopes this narrative endeavor could mean for the future of hip-hop podcasting. - NPR (2017). Rest In Peace to Chris Lighty and Reggie Ossé (Combat Jack), two amazing brothers that the world surely misses as their impact continues to be felt to this very day. My heart remains truly heavy, but this series is a masterpiece in hip-hop journalism.

NahRight Presents "Griselda Megamix" (Mixtape, 2017)

Three years ago, Nah Right's Stan Ipcus released over an hour of bangers in this “Griselda Megamix.” The megamix includes original tracks and freestyles with Griselda Records artists Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Benny The Butcher, as well as features from Your Old Droog, Prodigy, Sadat X, Action Bronson, and production by Daringer, The Alchemist, Roc Marciano, Green Lantern, Big Ghost Ltd, Statik Selektah, Apollo Brown, Nicholas Craven and more. Dig into it...

DJ Fase "What's On The Flip?" (Mixtape, 2017)

This is DJ Fase's What's On The Flip? mixtape, which represents classic 90's b-sides and remixes! The mix features tracks from A Tribe Called Quest, Masta Ace, Gang Starr, Tha Alkaholiks, Organized Konfusion, Fat Joe, Casual, Del The Funkee Homosapien, Godfather Don, Artifacts, Lord Finesse, Das EFX, Souls of Mischief, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Craig Mack, EPMD, The Roots, The Pharcyde, KRS-One, Frank-N-Dank, Jeru The Damaja, Big Shug, Black Moon, Noreaga, Smif-N-Wessun, Blahzay Blahzay, The Beatnuts, Pete Rock & CL Smooth and more! Dope series, stay tuned for more mixes...

DJ Soul "THINK B.I.G." (Mix, 2017)

On March 10, 2017, DJ Soul recorded a tribute mix for The Notorious B.I.G. mix on Q-Tip's Beats1 radio show, "Abstract Radio." The mix consists of all original material that B.I.G. recorded when he was alive - demos, freestyles, B-sides, original version of album cuts, singles as well as original samples. It's roughly two hours long and was released today by DJ Soul. You can't go wrong with another Biggie mix, so click play and enjoy one of the best to ever do it.... Rest In Peace, B.I.G.

Masta Ace "Son Of Yvonne" (Remix Album)

Some of the dopest German producers are enlisted to remix the Masta Ace album, "Son of Yvonne." These remixes cast the project in a completely new light. Some of the producers include Wun Two, Philantrope, Retrogott, Dramadigs, Django, Knowsum, Figub Brazlevic, Dude26, Flitz & Suppe, Haitian Star and more! I remember Masta Ace working on the original project with Fat Beats at the time, but I was working on separate projects, so I never really got to dig into Son of Yvonne. The original beats were sourced from the Special Herbs series of instrumental mixes put out by MF Doom. It wasn't a direct collaboration between Masta Ace and MF Doom, so to remix these vocals and create an entirely new project from them is a fitting idea, to me. And... it works, so dig into it below...

Theory Hazit "Soul Chops" (Beat Tape)

Soul Chops is the December installment of Theory Hazit's critically-acclaimed monthly beat tape series. To celebrate the success of this series, Theory Hazit has partnered with indie record label Kiasu Records to release "Soul Chops" as a limited-edition double LP on white vinyl (12"). "Soul Chops" is a collection of "chops" sampled from classic soul records. Kiasu Records is releasing a limited quantity of 200 copies. Can you dig up the original source material from these beats?

Rasheed Chappel & Crimeapple "The Bridge" (Freestyle)

I don't post too many loosies here on the site, I am more of an album-minded fan, but something tells me this dope freestyle from Rasheed Chappell & Crimeapple won't pop up on an official release, so I've gotta support it separately here! Both lyricists drop bars over MC Shan's Marley Marl-produced classic, "The Bridge," live from the Diggin In The Crates studio to your ears, listen...

Chong Wizard "The Last Mixtape" (Mixtape)

Chong Wizard's Star Wars-themed mixtape titled, The Last Mixtape, is hosted by Ras Kass. This fine mix boasts 25 tracks, which feature a grip of dope artists like Planet Asia, Willie The Kid, Ty Farris, Waterr, Vic Spencer, Chris Crack, Lil' Eto, Recognize Ali, Daniel Son, PhybaOptikz, SmooVth, King Magnetic, SageInfinite, Heem Stogied, Paranom, Tesla's Ghost, Jermiside, Zilla Rocca, Junclassic, Yamin Semali, and more! A very original and well-executed mix... perhaps something just a little different for your eardrums! Definitely dig into Chong Wizard's The Last Mixtape streaming down below...

Donnie Propa "Dirty Rotten Mixtape" (Jeru The Damaja)

The Dirty Rotten Mixtape is another fresh cassette mixtape from Donnie Propa (and Chrome), featuring a fresh selection of classics and hidden gems from the legendary eMCee from East New York, Jeru The Damaja. As a fellow member of the Gang Starr Foundation, Jeru The Damaja's first two classic albums were produced by the greatest of all time, DJ Premier: The Sun Rises In The East and Wrath Of The Math. The mix is pulled strictly from vinyl and available on cassette HERE.

D.R.U.G.S Beats "Beats of 10, Vol.1" (Beat Tape)

"With over a decade of making music under his belt, D.R.U.G.S is taking a quick breath to reflect and anthologize his work — graciously offering Micro-Chop an exclusive, three volume beat mix retrospective titled "Beats of 10". In this series D.R.U.G.S breaks his endless collection of instrumental music down by time period. The series as a whole will cover the years 2007–2017, with the first edition focusing on beats from 2007–2010. In addition to giving listeners and hour’s worth of nonstop instrumental music on Vol. 1, D.R.U.G.S also sneaks in an unreleased Nipsey Hussle verse around the 15 minute mark." - Micro-Chop. Much respect to Gino Sorcinelli. He's created a great platform for producers and beatmakers at Micro-Chop. Very informative and a great resource.

Mr. Krum's ATCQ, EPMD and De La Soul Discography Posters

These limited edition discography prints - by Mr. Krum - document all of these groups' official U.S. output, including commercially available albums and 12"s, as well as hard to find promo only releases. All images have been created from the original sleeves / labels (including "hype stickers"), scanned in at 600dpi and meticulously restored to ensure the highest possible quality for print reproduction. Title, catalogue number and full track listing for each release is also noted below every image. I believe EPMD's print includes the years 1987-1997, to be accurate. Mr. Krum handles the graphic design/album artwork for some of your favorite artists' and label re-issues - truly remarkable at what he does! A Tribe Called Quest, EPMD, and De La Soul discography prints are available now -  order your copies via Mr. Krum's page HERE! I think these would make the perfect Christmas gift for a Hip-Hop head! Contact Mr. Krum via Instagram for more info on shipping and merch questions.

Conway The Machine "Grimiest of All-Time" (Album Stream)

Conway The Machine is back at it ... AGAIN. No wonder they call him the machine, he pumps out music at an incredible rate. The latest opus, "Grimiest of all-time" is explained better over at 2DBZ, "The Machine is ending the label’s 2017 with a bang, in the form of his latest release, G.O.A.T. (Grimiest Of All Time). Revealing the drop on his Instagram page a few days prior, Conway excitedly said “X-Mas comes early! The hardest beats and the illest lyrics I promise you!” The guest list is stacked too. As well as Gunn and Benny, the likes of Alchemist, Raekwon, Prodigy, Royce 5’9″, Styles P and Lloyd Banks join him on the 10-track release; produced majorly by Daringer with a bonus beat by Alchemist." Listen to it below and cop the limited edition physicals when they drop. 100%.

Rest In Peace, Reggie Ossé aka Combat Jack

This is sad news ... Hip-Hop just lost a good man; one of our culture's most important voices, listeners and pioneers in new media. I'm not the right person to properly discuss his background in entertainment law, or how he came up; I wanna defer to his close friends and those more knowledgable for that. I can only say that he was a forward-thinker; humble and always encouraging, and I've never met someone with a bad word to say about him. It seemed like everyone knew Reggie and the conversations were always positive and uplifting - some point in their lives where he dropped a gem on 'em. Hanging out up at PNC Studios in Brooklyn a lot, we crossed paths a bunch; my close friend Justin had a show on the station also and their interviews were both always very insightful, so I think of them both often. Justin, or The Company Man as many of you know him, was also forward-thinking and heavy into new media; it's no surprise both of these gentleman found ways to curate a slice of the culture that has been consumed by millions of people. Some years back I found myself breaking up a fight on the train to work at Fat Beats and the screen on my phone broke. I headed over to the Verizon store and got a new phone, but they weren't able to transfer over my numbers, so I sent an e-mail to my friends and peers asking them to send me their info to get back up and running. All these years later, Combat Jack's is one of only two messages I still remember because he really encouraged me to reach out more, and that humbled me. I guess in times like this, these are the things we think about, so I really look forward to the culture showing love and sharing a lot of small stories of their own random experiences with Combat Jack. Hip-Hop, as a whole, will remember him in his rightful place as a pioneer, and if we ever get a home for Hip-Hop memories and nostalgia, there will be a proud spot for him, no question! He kept it positive - even in his final days, so my heart deeply goes out to his loved ones, and I send my deepest condolences to them. Rest In Peace, Reggie Ossé. We mourn collectively as a culture.

Dr. Dre "The Chronic" (25th Anniversary Mix)

I think it's a dope trend that DJs are creating anniversary mixes of such high caliber like this one, as well as what Chris Read, DJ Filthy Rich & more have been doing over the last few years. This one is by DJ Matman - who I think is a dope DJ - in support of the 25th anniversary of Dr. Dre's classic album in '92, "The Chronic." Once again, it's promoted by WhoSampled & Wax Poetics, so you know there's plenty of background samples, loops and original albums cuts to dig through. In their words, "To celebrate the 25th anniversary of West Coast classic 'The Chronic', Dr. Dre's debut solo LP, our buddy DJ Matman has crafted a dope mix of album tracks, alternative versions, remixes, and original sample material." As the kids are saying these days, "say less," you know what it is, enjoy the mix...

Madlib "Boiler Room" (Madrid DJ Set, Video)

The one and only, Stones Throw legend and absolute badman, Madlib, puts it down for their Madrid show with Budweiser. Madlib runs through joints from Frank-N-Dank, Ol' Dirty Bastard (R.I.P.), J Dilla (R.I.P.), Black Milk, Freddie Gibbs, A Tribe Called Quest, Brand Nubian, Mobb Deep, Talib Kweli, Madvillain, Jaylib, Emilio Santiago, Psychedelic Frankie, Tomorrow, Tony Allen and lots more! This is my first time watching one of these Boiler Room sets, but the fans get live widdit, check it out below...

9th Wonder "Zion II" (Instrumental Album)

Producer 9th Wonder is having another great year. His protégé Rapsody nabbed a pair of GRAMMY nominations for Laila’s Wisdom and he produced arguably the best song on Kendrick Lamar‘s DAMN. in “DUCKWORTH.” So, why not surprise fans with a new project? After teasing it on his social media page, 9th Wonder surprises fans with Zion II, a 43-track instrumental project. In the same vein as J Dilla‘s 2006 album Donuts, it can be started at any track. - via 2DopeBoyz. Listen to Zion II below...

Black Thought Freestyles On Funk Flex (Hot 97, Video)

10 minutes of absolute BARS from the legendary Black Thought of The Roots. Last year, I touched on Funk Flex's freestyle series after Joe Budden was up at Hot 97. There's since been a few other dope freestyles, but none have shifted perspective and made fans rethink their T5DOA and had artists questioning their pen game as much as Black Thought's freestyle. There's so many quotables to shine a light on here, but some of my favorites are: "Gun fire and flares, sirens glare / I'm in a iron chair where people who care don't get the lion's share / When I don't give a f#ck then I ain't fair" and "Same cadence as D.O.C. pre-accident / Maybe my acumen's on par with Kool G. Rap and them / Give me the proper respect, mothaf#cka, we back again..." and "Go through the vein to the brain, fabulous and strange / My journalistic range is a catalyst for change / It got anybody that listen pissing flame / And ’cause the Hall of Fame got so many missing names." Black Thought blazed the mic up at Sway a couple months back, he's at it again ... Rappers were put on notice, give Black Thought his proper respect and watch this freestyle below with a pen and a pad in your hand.

Statik Selektah "8" (Album Stream)

8 is the eighth studio album from producer Statik Selektah. The album was released via Duck Down Music and Statik's label Showoff Records. The album features guest appearances from vocal artists, such as 2 Chainz, Action Bronson, Joey Badass, Termanology, Run The Jewels, The L.O.X., Wale, Royce da 5'9", Joyner Lucas, Raekwon, Mtume, Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, Sean Price and G-Eazy. Statik is one of the most consistent, most prolific producers of our generation. Listen below...

Kendrick Lamar "Damn." (Album Streams)

Whether you listen to the album front to back or back to front, "Damn" is still one helluva album. It took me a minute to get to it - I like to wait for the buzz and smoke to clear so my view of the album isn't distracted by 'popular opinion - but, then it took me even longer to sit with it, so now new and Deluxe versions are hitting the stores. Arguably, they reveal a new flow and rhythm to the project and provide new vibes and intricacies that Top and Kendrick thought ahead to introduce to the LP. It's this genius way of approaching packaging and providing a full vision that makes Kendrick one of the most important artists of our generation. To have that in the mainstream is an incredible thing, because it will surely invite new listeners into the culture and helps validate some of the efforts of lesser known artist that are also pushing the envelope and creating new paths to success. Not to mention, it's great business sense: listeners stream it again, fans of physicals buy the album again ... it's a win on all fronts. The album features production from a variety of record producers, including executive producer and Top Dawg Entertainment label-head Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, Sounwave, DJ Dahi, Mike Will Made It and Ricci Riera; as well as further production contributions from James Blake, Steve Lacy, BadBadNotGood, Greg Kurstin, The Alchemist and 9th Wonder, among others. Damn features appearances from singers Rihanna and Top Dawg signee Zacari, along with Irish rock band U2. You can stream the original LP, as well as the collector's edition below. What awards will "Damn." receive? A lot ... and it isn't even his best album! Damn.