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.

Various Artists "Classic Whites" (Volume 1, 2005)

Classic Whites Vol.1 was released in March, 2005, on vinyl and CD. I remember covering the release at the time, but it wasn't until a few years later that it resurfaced (around '08). We had it at Fat Beats but in limited quantities. I copped a copy and was sure other heads would, too, but I was wrong. For the most part it collected dust on the shelf. Was it the artwork? Or, did people overlook how classic some of these records were? Y'all slept. Either way, the project covered rare records like: 3 tracks from Kool G Rap: "Check Da Bitch," "Fast Life (Remix)", and "Hey Mister" (I do NOT co-sign his lyrics); Big L's "Let Me Find Out," "Dopefiend" by Noreaga, "The Wickedest" B.I.G., "Cop Hell" from Mobb Deep and more. Sure, you can find these elsewhere with the internet at your disposal, but on one album (even a bootleg), I think it was a solid release. Stream all 13-tracks below...

Jay-Z "Pre-Reasonable Doubt" (Demo Tape)

The breadth of Jay Z‘s raw talent is on full display with the emergence of a Pre-Reasonable Doubt demo tape that finds a hungry spitter from Marcy pulling out all the stops. The great and powerful internet comes through yet again, serving up a 10-track window into the making of one of Brooklyn’s most famous sons. Mass Appeal was kind enough to drop this gem, which is equal parts hip-hop history lesson and a master class in cadence for rising MCs. Crashing the boards with a bevy of entendres and a consistently clever approach, young Hova offers much more than a fleeting glimpse at the titanic talent he would eventually deploy to take the rap world by storm. - OKP. Dig...

Saafir "Unsigned Hype" & "Demo Tape" (8/92)

"Stretching our earlobes over to the West Coast, this month takes us to San Francisco Bay Area. Boasting one of the most booming underground hip-hop scenes in the country, the Bay Area is far too often slept on by other regions. Artists like Ice Cube's cousin, Del tha Funke Homosapien, have helped Frisco start to earn respect in New York, but what many kids don't know yet is that there's more where that came from. Hailing directly from Oakland, Saafir The Saucee Nomad rolls strapped with solid beats and fortified lyrics for any region he might stumble upon. Saafir strikes a fine balance in his delivery between a Too Short pimp sound and a more friendly Del appeal with that Hieroglyphic lyrical lean. Produced on an in-house 4-track by The Seven, the tracks blend East Coast jazz flavor with that thick West Coast funk." Artwork for his demo and more, cont'd below...

"After an ill violin intro Saafir sets it off with "It''s A Pimp Thang," flippin' lyrics like: "Go to hell 'cause I don't play / You say you're dope but on a scale you don't even weigh / Talkin' about a motherf#ckin shotgun / But when it comes to hearts, brothas ain't got none." The next jam "Mark" is some 'ole slow funky Biz type shit. A 'mark' is what they call a sucker out west. The last jam, "Prime Time After Seven," freaks some crazy jazz pianos with a sample of CL Smooth's "Ready or not prime time after seven" from Mecca and the Soul Brother as a hook. Let's hope the Saucee Nomad finds his way to a record deal." - The Source, August '92. Bonus, Saafir's demo tape below...

Common "Unsigned Hype" + "UnAmerican Caravan" ('91 Demo Tape)

"As talent continues to sprout from all over the map, Chicago rises to the top of the crop this month with the "Greatest UnAmerican Hero," Common Sense. At the ripe age of nineteen, Sense introduces what he describes as an Avante Garde School approach to entering the rap game through his portrayal of different characters and altered egos. His rhymes display a melting pot of personalities. He has a distinct, squeeky but likeable voice and impressive rhyme skills especially for an MC coming out of Chicago. The tracks, produced by Sense's homeboys the 3 Wise Men, bring out the best in his unique vocals. His loops are creative and the hooks are catchy. The beats and samples flow in and out smoothly with a professionally polished feel to the production. The combination of these talents creates a package with the potential to attract a wide variety of audiences from all regions without losing the hardcore crowd." - Unsigned Hype, The Source - October, 1991. Bonus: you can listen to a copy of Common's "UnAmerican Caravan" demo tape below...