Fat Joe Da Gangsta "Represent" (July 27, 1993)

Drop what you're doing and get a fix of this lyrical dope being pumped city wide by Fat Joe. He used to juggle the lyrical jumbs back in the day with Dee Jay (oh, excuse me) Kool DJ Red Alert - lighting up NYC with the fat radio promos for 98.7 KISS FM. In 9-3 Mr. Fat Flow Joe rolls solo, Latino mafioso style - loading the clip with rich beats and selecting lyrical styles as if they were various models of guns - in order to represent that Uptown-Boogie Down home gangsta sound. Listen for the sounds Joe makes in the night as he extorts your local badbwoy sound system for volume and delivers the uncut product that will ring bells in hell. But Joe can't do it alone so he makes sure the rest of his family gets a cut. Special guests from the NY central include Ski, Grand Puba, King Sun, Showbiz & AG, Diamond D, Apache and Kool G. Rap. Click play and continue below...

The first single, the haunting "Flow Joe," has that mid-tempo underarm Teamster swing to it, but it doesn't do justice to the other bits of uncooked talent and fit-unk the rest of the album provides. When he's not tellin' shorty that she got a fat ass, he's tellin' suckers how he's going to do them. Nevertheless, livin' fat is the central theme. But the question remains: Is Fat Joe a bad, bad man or just another rapper riding the gangsta wave? In any case, he's never been busted and is not to be f#cked with - he just wants to tie his fans up with fat laces and stay around longer than Nike. Just do it, Joe. - The Source (9/93). "Flow Joe" was all over the radio at the time, that beat is still crazy to me. Props to Joey Crack. Dig into the tags/archives for more content from Fat Joe in 1993. 

Fat Joe released a commercial in 1993 for Represent, watch it below...

Eternia "Much Vibe Commercial" (Video, 2002)

"As a Canadian youth, I watched Much Music rather religiously... especially documentary-style news programs like The New Music as well as off-beat specialties like RU Receiving and The Wedge (Big up Sook-Yin Lee! Big up Larissa Gulka!). In one particular episode of The New Music, there was a spotlight on this Toronto based event called Honey Jam which was an all female showcase of urban artists, one of which was Eternia. I remember thinking about how bold it was that she was one of few rappers amidst a majority of r&b songstresses, rolling with the boys but still holding it down for - and with - the ladies. This was obviously long before I ever saw myself as someone who would dabble with writing bars at all. I just loved the idea of an all female showcase of that type. I loved the sense of community and support Honey Jam evoked by bringing these artists together. Back then and even more recently, I was often told that my singing voice was a strength, so I focused on building my strength as a singer-songwriter. Now that my horizons have broadened, hearing Eternia do her thing in present day induces some very potent feelings of nostalgia, pride and respect. I didn’t really follow her career closely over the years but I’d heard and wondered about her every now and then. This video makes me feel like I’m watching someone I grew up with achieve goals, slay the game, and “fight the system” ... the system that attempts to leave little room for obscure femme artists to blossom at the forefront of their scenes. Many are dismantling that system today and I’m pleased to give thanks to lyricist like Eternia who graciously lead the way." (This post was edited to include writing via @Arbor_Vitae's IG in 2019... because it fit this perfectly. Thank you).

Sprite Advertisements (Videos)

Most of us remember back when Sprite was airing commercials with our legends, but do you also remember the Sprite Series' vinyl releases too? There were about 2 dozen of them, released in clear plastic sleeves & translucent Sprite-green vinyl. I had a whole stack of them. Steve Stoute calls it the 'Tanning of America,' explaining hip-hop's marketing ability in mainstream media, and to white America. Truth is, it's been happening for decades, and even our favorite artists secured the bag from various brands. Lugz, Sprite, St. Ides, Pepsi, Reebok, the list goes on. In the case of Sprite, they chose dope artists and they did it with originality and creativity; most seen in bringing KRS & MC Shan together for a mock battle - who could argue that wasn't timeless? A few years back, they licensed lyrics on the cans, which caught my attention. Below are 3 of my favorite Sprite commercials: Nas & AZ, KRS & MC Shan, and Pete Rock & CL Smooth - heavy on the nostalgia!

Big L "Lifestylez Ov Da Poor and Dangerous" (Rap Pages, 5/97)

"Soundtracks are so important. Let's face it, life is an epic, about as long as Ghandi and sometimes as exciting as a 3 a.m. episode of Barney Miller. It's up to the hero of our movie - fo' self - to maintain or fall by the wayside. In the immortal words of Wayan #1, "Every hero deserves a theme song," and Big L is no exception. I first came across the hero of this story in Ego Trip magazine in the Ignorant Lyrics of the Month section. Straight off Lenox Ave., Big L gives the listener a view of Harlem that many never see, but always hear about. In his world, wack MCs and bitches are banished, and citizens, such as Lord Finesse, rule with an iron mic. Apprenticing under the likes of Finesse and Showbiz & A.G., Big L is leaving the nest with obvious influences from his mentors..." 

"West Coast production to date is clearly based on love for the listener - the main concern is what appeals to the masses. East Coast preoccupations lie in abstraction or extreme simplicity, which results in a cloudy outing spanning all boroughs. The approach L takes clearly shows influences from both sides. The union of producers Lord Finesse, Showbiz and Buckwild was a wise move by L. You can hear they cared about this project. If you fight your way through $12 worth of testosterone and an occasional dead body of a family member, you're opened to legitimate hardcore East Coast battle rhymes that were sorely missed in 1994. Plus, these are some of the hardest beats from this particular crew in a while. Creating a listenable album in this genre is a goal not afforded by many, but Big L and his production team have provided a solid musical structure. Cleanliness is next to godliness in the heavens of Hip-Hop - the mix of vocal and production styles is immaculate here. No sloppy takeovers of beat to rhyme are in evidence. That's how L's living." - Rap Pages, May 1995.