Doo Wop "95 Live" (Mixtape, 1995)

Originally released in the winter of 1995, Doo Wop's "95 Live" is one of the classic mix tapes that changed the game. One of the first street mix tapes to include exclusive freestyles from so many MCs: from Keith Murray to Q-Tip; Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, M.O.P., Guru (R.I.P.), Wu-Tang Clan, and much more. In addition, it features some of the hottest tracks of '95 with Nine, KRS-One, Jay-Z, Method Man, Mobb Deep, Biggie, Nas, Lord Finesse and even the underground gem, "Funky Piano," by the E. Bros. It's an undeniable classic, so let's honor it 20 years later. Revisit this classic below...

Film Skool Rejekts "The Workprint" (Mixtape, 2008)

In the time I worked at Fat Beats, I saw countless artists come into the store to drop off demos, giveaways and even submit projects for consignment. Add them all together and it was only a small few that really deserved special attention. To me, one of those projects was from Film Skool Rejekts. The group was Cyrus The Great, Future Joyner, Sheen Phillips and DJ Prince. It might sound arrogant to call your mixtape 'The Greatest Mixtape of All Time,' but they put their best foot forward on all elements of their project. Cyrus The Great has since released a great production album called 'King Kong Ain't Got Shit On Me' and for those that don't know, Future Joyner changed his name to Joyner Lucas, released a couple solid mixtapes (hit the tags), some great concept records, a blazing freestyle at the BET Cipher, and went on to sign a major deal with Atlantic Records for $2M. On cassette store day, FSR released this limited cassette tape, and of course, I supported it. Mind you, the CD was '08, but the cassette didn't get released until 2014. As of today, you can still download the digital version with the 'name your price' option on Bandcamp. Also, DJ Prince has a solid album called 'Test My Sound' that you should check out too. I should have posted this sooner, but it's never too late to share dope music! Listen to it below...

Goobie Mob "Soul Food" (XXL, Classic Material)

"Midway through the '90s, hip-hop's plate consisted mainly of two flavors - East Coast lyrical bravado and West Coast gangsta tales. The South, at the time, was still seen as a condiment - good to add, but not always needed. But every so often, an artist or group from below the Mason-Dixon Line would emerge and whet the people's appetite. Composed of Robert "T-Mo" Barnett, Thomas "Cee-Lo" Callaway, Cameron "Big Gipp" Gipp and Willie "Khujo" Knighton Jr., Goodie Mob blended the alley, the church and the school into one necessary concoction, their 1995 debut, Soul Food. "We said we gonna do great shit on all ends of the spectrum so no one could diss us," says Gipp. "We showed the people who dissed [the South], the ones who said we ain't rapping about nothing, that we are rapping about something. But are you smart enough to listen? Originally an Organized Noize-helmed compilation project, Soul Food was to feature the OutKast production team's new crop of artists: T-Mo and Khujo as a duo and Cee-Lo and Gipp as solo rappers." Click play, cont'd below... 

"...But during the recording process, a strong musical chemistry formed, and the four A-Town rappers christened themselves Goodie Mob (Good Die Mostly Over Bullshit). Impressed with the guys' cameo verses... L.A. Reid signed the group to LaFace Records in 1994. They thought we was gonna be more like OutKast. I think that's what initiated the deal," laughs Cee-Lo. "We was nothin' like them, but after we was done with the album, they was kinda stuck with us." What they were stuck with was an organic album that painted the gritty, not-so-playalistic side of Atlanta and literally made the South dirty." The feature below in XXL adds, "With the region they helped build now eating good, the G-Mob shares the ingredients of their classic" discussing "Cell Therapy," "Thought Process," "Dirty South," and "Soul Food" from Goodie Mob's classic, Soul Food." - XXL.

Fat Joe "Jealous One's Envy" (Album Review, 11/95)

"I know you remember "Flow Joe" from the album Represent back in '93. A lot of heads might even remember the phat remix for "The Shit Is Real." But I don't think too many of y'all were anticipating or fiendin' for whatever Fat Joe might drop next. Well, it's '95 and the big man's back, representin' with Jealous One's Envy. "Bronxtale" opens the music saga. A very polite KRS-One requests, "Music please," and the Kings of the Boogie Down proceed to rip the track, accompanied by a skipping, slightly off-beat, deliberately played bassline, and chiming, almost serene, organ-like hits. Fat Joe has definitely upped the lyrical ante, as demonstrated by the next joint, "Success." An upright sounding bass and a constant hard snare are layered by lingering keys and orchestral string sounds. Crisp and precise, Joe puts forth the hustler's national anthem: "hustling is the key to success, money is the key to sex." Revisit Jealous One's Envy and continue reading The Source's LP review below...

"Envy is a slow, funky, almost bouncy usage of Marvin Gaye's classic "Sexual Healing." It's an ode to life and death, a groove caressed by the angelic crooning of a female voice. The way heads peeped Biggie's remix of "One More Chance" should definitely have them fiendin' for some "Envy" flavor ... Other standout tracks include "Watch Out," which features Joe's crew - Armageddon, Big Dog Punisher and Keith Nut - "Bronx Keeps Creating," a joint that transports you to the New York borough wars on wax circa 1986, and "Fat Joe's In Town," which asks you to "keep this rap shit true" and brilliantly uses Raphael Saadiq vocalizing "that's all I ask of you" as the response. All you can say is phat lyrics, phat production, Fat Joe." - The Source (November 1995). Sticker + review is below...

Blahzay Blahzay "Danger" (Review, 1995)

Blahzay Blahzay is the Brooklyn duo of PF Cuttin (producer/DJ) & Outloud (MC). Their underground smash "Danger" was a huge success from their debut album in '96, "Blah Blah Blah." The single was featured by The Source as one of their Sure Shot Singles in November, 1995. "After Jeru The Damaja dropped "Come Clean," he began to cast a long shadow over hip-hop music. To wack MCs, he is a physical embodiment of the music's conscience. Few in hip-hop can deny that Tha Damaja has the verbal gymnastics to move a crowd, which may explain why Brooklyn neighbors Blahzay Blahzay wisely count him among their influences and present their take on what may fast become the "East (New York)" sound." Check out the official music video for "Danger" and continue reading below...

"Blahzay's baritone Outloud takes it to the streets of Brooklyn with a multi-part warning of trife endeavors: rowdy teens spit razors, shoes are stolen, crackheads go all out for lucci and gunfights are daily operation. "Danger" pushes the point that modern hip-hop itself is in "danger" of respecting gun violence over lyrical skills. Rousing and powerful, "Danger" offers a more grassroots alternative to the odious ilk currently dragging a once respectable art form away from it's time-honored roots. Production wise PF Cuttin's track captures the essence of simplicity that make various records from the 1980s perfectly enjoyable today in the 90s: loud insistent drums uncluttered by unnecessary instrumentation. Blahzay Blahzay, who offer their own brand of "downtown science," may find home with fans of cerebral lyrics." Full review in The Source is below.

Elzhi "Out Of Focus" (EP Stream, 1998)

In 1998, Elzhi recorded a number of songs with Detroit hip-hop artist DJ Houseshoes with DJ Rios. These recording sessions yielded material that would become the Out of Focus EP, but the project was abandoned due to personal obligations and a lack of distribution options in Detroit. During the mixing process, DJ Houseshoes passed the DATs onto Dilla (R.I.P.), who allegedly intended on remixing the whole album before his passing. In late 2000, Elzhi acquired Dilla's master tapes and provided his close friends with CD's of the Out of Focus EP, plus 3 extra tracks. With a few CD's out in the open, the EP eventually leaked onto the Internet under the name "Unreleased Solo Project", but many CD's sold or distributed under this title are mislabeled with inaccurate track-listings and credits. The project was re-released in 2011 on his official website with a 27-minute bonus track showcasing verses from past features. Dilla asked Elzhi to take his place in the group Slum Village because he believed in Elzhi's gift and Dilla was battling Lupus. Please listen to this phenomenal EP below...

Jamal "Last Chance, No Breaks" (The Source, 12/95)

"By now you know the rules. Unless an MC kicks verses 'bout bitches, glocks, da ghetto and little white rocks, he ain't hard. But coming off hard, on the mic or on the corner, isn't about what you say but how you say it. That's the lesson the best MCs learn early. And on his debut solo record, Last Chance, No Breaks, 16-year old Jamal Phillips shows that for all his prodigal talent, it's a lesson he hasn't quite gotten down yet. Jamal, formerly known as Mally G, broke back in 1993 when he and Mr. Malik emerged as the rap duo Illegal. Their album, The Untold Truth, earned props from the press and the street. But the two parted amicably to pursue solo work. Now, like Redman and Keith Murray, Jamal counts himself a member of Erick Sermon's Def Squad. Last Chance... owes much to that background. Murray and Redman guest on two tracks, while Red and Sermon produce another two." Check out the official music video for Jamal's classic, "Fades 'Em All," article cont'd below...

"With beats rooted in the old skool rugged-and-raw sound godfathered by Sermon, and an on-point lyrical attack reminiscent of groups like Black Moon and Wu-Tang, Jamal keeps heads bobbin'. But his chest thumpin' raps - focused mostly on his own skillz and the tough streets of Southwest Philly - can come off hollow, slipping in and out of any real flow. It's the production of Sermon, Redman and executive producer Dallas Austin (along with Erotic D and Easy Mo Bee) that elevates the album. Nearly all the tracks feature juicy grooves and precision selection of understated samples - like the tip-toe piano of Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon In The Sky" heard on "Keep It Real" or the thick-funk backbeat of the lead single, "Fades Em All." The results are unassuming, rich and textured beats that fit Jamal like a phat down jacket while making up for most of his lyrical missteps. But no disrespect, Jamal is only 16 and does show much promise. He'll learn his lessons, and it's hip-hop that will be better for it." - The Source, December 1995. Full review below. Photograph above by Danny Hastings.

Chris Read "The Little Brother Show" (Unmixed, 2009)

Chris Read shares: "Ever since putting out the Diary Volume 1.5 Remixtape earlier this year, I've been wanting to do another remix project with a more current feel. Whilst there's been something of a trend for producers remixing entire albums in the past few years, the truth is that there's a very small number of modern hip hop acts who genuinely inspire me, let alone ones that have published acapella albums. Little Brother on the other hand impress me consistently and are one of the few contemporary hip hop acts who I always check for. So I gathered together the limited acapellas that I have obtained over the years and used them (along with a few instrumental skits) to produce this 9 track remix EP." The original link is down, but listen below to a newer link below...