Underground Airplay, Vol. 1-6 (Mixtapes, 1993-1997)

One of the original series of mix tapes to represent hip-hop culture and fashion, curated by Echo Unlimited and Lyricist Lounge's Danny Castro and Anthony Marshall. From the years 1993 to 1997, 6 tapes were released, along with a 7th that I can never seem to get my hands on, as well as 2001's DJ Spinbad-mixed Version 1.0 on CD, and Peter Rosenberg's 2013 "The New York Renaissance," which was a reboot of the classic series when Joey Bada$$ was named the creative director and helped curate the mix along with his Pro Era squad. These complimentary mix tapes were seen as a form of promotion and branding for Mark Ecko's fashion company. He initially pressed 10,000 of the 44-minute promotional tapes which were distributed with each purchased T-shirt and featured some of the best of hip-hop's underground scene. Both signed and independent artists were included from Cella Dwellas, Problemz, Mad Skillz, Ran Reed, Natural Elements, Shabaam Sahdeeq and more. With the release of its 6th volume in 1997, the production totaled over 250,000 copies. '97 is also the year that they were legally forced to change the company's original "Echo" name to its current "Ecko" (via Free Stylin'). Lyricist Lounge was a perfect fit for these tapes as they were establishing themselves as the premiere platform for underground artists to showcase their skills. While some of the artists never became household names, these tapes still represent a great time in underground music and all the tapes remain highly sought after to this day. Enjoy Volumes 1-6 down below, much respect to the Lyricist Lounge. Be patient if the page is slow to load with all the audio embedded.

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...

Lyricist Lounge Volume 1 (May 5, 1998)

Lyricist Lounge Vol.1 was released on this day in 1998 through Rawkus Records and inspired by the work of Danny Castro and Anthony Marshall. In its rawest form, Lyricist Lounge was originally an open-mic gathering of underground MCs on various stages throughout New York City. It was a platform that launched many successful careers and gave an outlet to countless others to be inspired and share their art. From official releases, mixtapes, open mic nights, the Lyricist Lounge show on MTV, and all the park jams and events they continue to throw, I salute Danny Castro and Anthony Marshall for laying the foundation. I've worked with Danny Castro through my artist, Eternia, on several occasions and they hold some of my fondest memories in NYC. This double-disc release was one movement in a long line of things they helped do to push the culture forward, and 19 years later, it still deserves our support and recognition. Vol.1 includes classic underground records from Mos Def & Q-Tip, Pharoahe Monch & Black Thought, Punchline & Wordsworth, O.C. & Rass Kass, De La Soul, Bahamadia & Rah Digga, The Last Emperor, Indelible MC's & so much more.