Apathy "Mom & Dad" (Album Stream)

With Mom & Dad, veteran wordsmith Apathy delivers his most personal and conceptually rich project to date—an album steeped in nostalgia, anchored in sharp cultural critique, and draped in the breezy textures of his new “Shore Life” sound. The title nods to Ronald and Nancy Reagan, casting Apathy as a child of the '80s raised under the shadow of Reaganomics. But this isn't just a trip down memory lane—it's a reflective deep dive into the socio-political climate that shaped his youth, told with the masterful penmanship fans have come to expect from the CT legend. The first release from his newly launched imprint, Anchors Up Rec, Mom & Dad showcases Apathy’s evolution as both emcee and producer. He helms the boards for 9 of the 12 tracks, crafting lush, sample-heavy beats that blend laid-back vibes with surgical precision. Additional production comes from rising star Playa Haze and longtime collaborator Little Vic. Standout tracks include the haunting “Lee Harv” (feat. Little Vic), the soul-drenched “All Good,” and the sharp, shoreline serenade “WHALERS.” Guest spots from Suave-Ski, Slaine, Ryu, and Little Vic round out an album that’s both personal memoir and lyrical masterclass. Listen to Apathy's new album Mom & Dad streaming below...

DL Presents: DJ Crossphader "The Basement Experience" (Mixtape, 2000)

Here's another gem from 2000: DL Presents: DJ Crossphader "The Basement Experience." This 2-cassette-only mixtape was released on Phono Synthetic Productions, which was co-founded by DL and HB, both hosts of The Basement; a college radio show on WUSB 90.1FM at Stony Brook University. Like previous mixes, they captured the essence of the indie "backpack" scene at the time and their tapes were highly sought after. Just some of the many lyricists included are: Common, Ran Reed, Reflection Eternal, De La Soul, Large Professor, Mass Influence, Dilated Peoples, Slum Village, L-Fudge, Freddie Foxxx, Jigmastas, J-Live, Cella Dwellas, Pharoahe Monch, Masta Ace, Screwball, Mad Skillz, Rascalz, and lots more. Other projects released on the label include "The Time Has Come," "Another L.I. Groove," "What's Next On The Menu?", "A Long Rhyme Coming" and more - some of which have already been posted/discussed. Another perfect time capsule, dig into this mix below...

If you're interested, below is the full tracklist for both cassettes. Enjoy!

David Begun "A Tribe Called Soul" (Album Stream)

Every once in a while, a mashup project comes along that feels less like a gimmick and more like a proper tribute — thoughtful, rooted in respect, and crafted with real ears. David Begun’s A Tribe Called Soul is one of those projects. Released with zero fanfare and all substance, the project fuses the unmistakable vocals of A Tribe Called Quest with the deep, velvety textures of De La Soul classics. David Begun, who’s quietly built a rep with similar projects handles the mashup format with a producer’s ear — not just cutting and pasting, but restructuring. Rearranging bars. Matching tones. Honoring both sources. The results don’t sound forced — they sound meant to be. Q-Tip’s smooth baritone floats over Rhodes chords like they were written in the same session. Phife’s bounce feels right at home against Dilla-inspired swing. It’s less of a remix and more of an alternate timeline. And what really sells it is the feel. There’s warmth all over this project. For heads who dig concept blends with depth, this one’s a keeper. David Begun continues to build one of the more interesting catalogs in the remix/mashup world — always rooted in love for the music, and it shows.

Donnie Propa "Straight From The Crate Cave: Gang Starr" (Mix)

Straight From The Crate Cave: Gang Starr Edition — a no-frills, deeply curated tribute to one of hip-hop’s most iconic duos! As always with Donnie’s work, the focus is on the music. This isn’t a mix built to impress with tricks or hyper-speed blends. It’s a thoughtfully selected, tightly woven tribute to Guru and DJ Premier, pulling from all corners of the Gang Starr discography — from the early Wild Pitch days right through to the later albums. Deep cuts, classic joints, remixes, collabs, B-sides — it’s all here. But more importantly, it’s sequenced with feel. What Donnie Propa understands — and what many younger DJs miss — is the importance of pace, tone, and space. He lets the records breathe. The cuts are clean, the transitions smooth, and the selections speak for themselves. Guru’s voice still cuts through like a jazz horn in the fog. Premier’s drums still punch holes in your speakers. Together, they crafted a sound that defined eras, and Donnie Propa’s mix treats that legacy with the proper respect. Rest in Peace, Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal. Eternal props to the G.O.A.T., DJ Premier. And respect to Donnie Propa for keeping the format alive.

Mathematics x Wu-Tang Clan "Black Samson, The Bastard Swordsman"

After enjoying its heyday in the 90s and 2000s as arguably the greatest hip-hop group ever, the Wu-Tang Clan spent the late 2010s to mid-2020s solidifying its legacy in various ways--a television series, a docuseries, a Las Vegas residency, a cross-generational pop-culture touchstone. But fans who've wanted a Wu-Tang Clan album have often had to accept consolation prizes; 2015's Once Upon a Time in Shaolin was a single copy auctioned for millions of dollars. Mathematics is as legitimate as anyone to continue the Wu-Tang Clan's legacy. He isn't one of the original nine members, but he's produced songs on some of the group's most beloved solo and group albums (The W, Supreme Clientele, and Bulletproof Wallets, for example), has served as their longtime DJ, and is even the creator of its iconic W logo. Black Samson, The Bastard Swordsman is his second collaborative album with the group, and earns its Wu-Tang Clan co-billing: All the members of the group make appearances here, and he capably continues the group's distinctively dark, cinematic aesthetic. There aren't any songs that feature more than 3-4 Wu-Tang Clan members at once, but everyone shows up and delivers authentically sharp verses, and with Mathematics' expert understanding of the Wu sound, fans of the group will be satisfied with this addition to the catalog. - Apple Music.

Noreaga & Beanie Sigel "Badman" (2005)

My stomach was growling so I just made a midnight food run. On the way back, a song from Noreaga and Beanie Sigel randomly popped in my head. "Badman" was part of the "Tracklist Magazine Mixtape: Def Jam Edition (The Inc, Roc-a-Fella, South)," a compilation that highlighted various artists under the Def Jam umbrella in 2005. The song "Friendz" by Noreaga with Mariah Carey and Big Pun was also on that project (go find that, too!). Originally written by The Who in 1971, "Behind Blue Eyes" was redone by Limp Bizkit in 2003 and the sampled hook went: "No one knows what it's like / To be the bad man / To be the sad man / Behind blue eyes / No one knows what it's like / To be hated / To be fated / To telling only lies." "Badman" was produced by the underrated Scram Jones. At one point I believe the project was available to stream through Spotify and other DSPs but it's since been removed. I'd have to search through my vinyl, but I believe the NORE tracks were on a Killah Kuts 12" or something similar as well. Nevertheless, that catchy hook has been replaying in my head and I thought I'd revisit and share it with y'all tonight. Listen below...

2Pac "Me Against The World" (30th Anniversary • 3/14/95)

Tupac Shakur is one gutsy brother. Or maybe two. The front-page Shakur is a punk, a convicted sexual felon and a fool, a hard case on a collision course with authority, a hot-head who checks himself out of the hospital hours after being shot five times and gives a stretcher-borne finger to the media. The record-making 2Pac who inhabits the recording studio, however, is a sensitive, wise and loving commentator, a straight-up observer of life and death whose measured, melodic flow gives his pained lyrics searing eloquence. In one of the many ironies that attends Shakur's existence, while the man is on his way to prison, his album is headed to the charts. Shot through the heart with grim reality and fatalism, set atop smooth, seductive atmospheres of gently rolling funk and soul, "Me Against the World" is the hip-hop album to beat in 1995. There's nothing unusual about reformed tough guys offering don't-follow-my-mistakes advice, but 2Pac cedes none of his gangsta hardness in telling young listeners not to join him in the thug life. "You could be an accountant, not a dope dealer... you could be a lawyer," he suggests, and he sounds serious. Such contradictions have always accompanied the tumult of 2Pac's combined life and art, but never before has the dichotomy been drawn in such sharp relief. The rapper-actor's fourth album begins with news dispatches about his November brushes with justice and violence, but 2Pac's obsession is evidently death, not spinning his public image. "If I Die 2 Nite," "Me Against the World" and "Death Around the Corner" ambivalently present death as everything from a fact of life to a desirable end. "I'm having visions of leaving in a hearse," he raps in "So Many Tears." "I'm suicidal / So don't stand near me / My every move is a calculated step / To bring me closer to an early death." Listen to the album, cont'd below...

Rather than an album of attempts at vindication, "Temptation" is the only song here that actually addresses the issues surrounding his sexual abuse conviction. Explaining the context of his love life, 2Pac comes off as patient and beleaguered, careful not to impose himself on a woman in the way the jury believed he did. Furthering the surprisingly positive message amid the prevailing gloom, "Dear Mama" is a tragic, tender expression of gratitude and forgiveness -- for Tupac, and for his troubled mother, Afeni Shakur. "Even as a crack fiend, mama, you always was the black queen / Mama, I finally understand for a woman it ain't easy trying to raise a man / You always was committed / A poor single mother on welfare / Tell me how you did it / There's no way I can pay you back / But the plan is to show you that I understand / You are appreciated." Likewise, 2Pac's ebullient tribute to "Old School" rap comes to terms with the past in a way that makes the future seem like an afterthought. If there's any way to separate the musician's reality from its creative translation, "Me Against the World" is one of the saddest and most affecting expositions on young black America ever offered for public display. Tupac Shakur makes the line between art and life impossible to discern, but both have the potential to leave an indelible impression. - Newsday (3/95)

Gang Starr "Hard To Earn" (Rap Pages, 12/94)

"We know who we are/But do you know who you are?" This is the final line off the new Gang Starr album's opening, "ALONGWAYTOGO," a track where Guru turns the tables on those naysayers and shit-kickers who felt and feared that his Jazzmatazz journey would lead to the demise of the duo known as Gang Starr. Well, there's no need to fear (you can trust me), Donald Byrd's tumpet-blowing and N'Dea Davenport's harmonizing have been put on creative hold, with DJ Premier's precise, innovative jazz samples back in effect. The only difference between Hard To Earn and the previous ones is that here Guru not only flips his pinpoint monotone style, but also steps up as a producer, creating three tracks: "Code of the Streets," "F.A.L.A." and "Suckas Need Bodyguards." "Code" is the best of the three, "Just To Get A Rep"-flavored with its crazy fat bass line. Vocally, Guru takes the time to drop a little science: "They might say that we're a menace to society/But at the same time I say, why is it me?/Am I the target for destruction?/What about the system and total corruption?" Later, on "Tonz o' Gunz," Guru continues his inner-city-life sermonizing by discussing the biggest problem facing youth today--the influx of automatic weapons into our communities. He laments on how some brothers need to feel steel in order to be a man. Of course, what would a Gang Starr album be without representation from their foundation of dope MCs. "Speak Ya Clout" is the mandatory posse cut, featuring Lil' Dap and everyone's favorite new rhymer, Jeru The Damaja. These ill kids run the mic in the reverse order of Daily Operation's "I'm the Man," with Preemo cutting up pieces of that same song for their individual introductions. Also, don't sleep on newcomer Nutcracker, a 16-year-old from the Bronx who rips a minute-and-a-half freestyle that's sure to get you open. Guru and Premier know that Gang Starr's vital role in the Hip-Hop world has been hard to earn, and they continue to stay true to their own sound. - Rap Pages (June, 1994). Listen below...

This is still a fan-favorite, but it's not their BEST album! Debate me. Art by QFetti.