The "Juice" Soundtrack (1992)

Encore! Encore! Juice isn't talked about enough, but it remains a phenomenal film from 1992. The soundtrack boasts a lineup that stands as a veritable who's who of early-'90s hip-hop. Heavyweights such as Naughty by Nature, Salt-N-Pepa, and Cypress Hill all check in with stellar contributions to this remarkably consistent collection. In addition, respected pioneers of the genre also lend their talents to the album, with Eric B. & Rakim's propulsive "Juice (Know the Ledge)" and Teddy Riley featuring Tammy Lucas' slinky "Is It Good to You?" Other notable tracks include Too Short's cautionary tale "So You Want to Be a Gangster?" and EPMD's cooly confident "It's Going Down." Juice showcases a group of performers whose work can be appreciated because of their integrity and rhyming skills rather than their blatant sampling of entire hit songs or video gimmickry. In short, it represents everything that is right about hip-hop. - AllMusic. I still argue that "Know The Ledge" is the single greatest hip-hop song of all-time, and the exclusivity of "Uptown Anthem" on the soundtrack--at the time--was remarkable, making it a must-have. Peace to DJ Scratch, Majesty, Queen Latifah, Special Ed, EPMD, Treach, Ed Lover, Doctor Dre, Fab Five Freddy + more.... 

You can find more photos below and in the archives, too...

Happy Born Day, LeBron James!

LeBron's meteoric rise started early in his tenure at St. Vincent -- St. Mary's high school in Akron, OH, where he and famed "Fab Five" led the school to three state titles in their historic run. Along the way, he earned accolades including Mr. Ohio Basketball. In the 2003 NBA Draft, LeBron was selected number one overall to his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his first season, he became the franchise's first player -- and the youngest player ever -- to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. LeBron spent his first seven seasons in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers. A leader on and off the floor, LeBron helped lead the Cavs to three postseason appearances. In the 2007-2008 season, he won the NBA scoring title averaging 30 points per game. After exercising his free agency for the first time in his career, James joined the Miami Heat in the 2010-2011 season. The team won back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013 with LeBron earning Finals MVP awards in each campaign. In July of 2014, LeBron memorably announced he would return to the Cleveland Cavaliers on a mission to deliver his home state a title. After making it to the Finals but falling short in his first season back, in year two, LeBron led the Cavaliers back from a 3-1 deficit to win the franchise's first championship and the city's first title in more than 50 years. He was again voted Finals MVP. He would bring the Cavaliers back to the finals the following two seasons, capping a historic run of eight straight finals appearances. In 2018, LeBron joined the Los Angeles Lakers, taking the opportunity to help return the historic franchise to its former glory. Following in the footsteps of the game's largest legends, LeBron is now in his second season in purple and gold. Happy Born Day to one of the greatest athletes of all time! Enjoy some highlights from his career...

Styles P & Havoc "Wreckage Manner" (Album Stream)

Wreckage Manner is the collaborative project between Mobb Deep’s Havoc and The Lox’ Styles P. Entirely produced by Havoc, Wreckage Manner includes the previously released single “Nightmares 2 Dreams” ​​​alongside nine other songs that find The LOX wordsmith and Mobb Deep producer at the peak of their powers. In tandem with the release, Havoc shared some thoughts about working with Styles P. “Making this piece of work reminded me of working with P (the late, great Prodigy of Mobb Deep),” he said in a statement. “Styles is an artist that I was a fan of over the years, so making this project was truly a pleasure.” “Authentic, vibrant, quote-worthy, raw uncut hip hop,” Styles added. “Get ready for the ride!!!” We still mourn the loss of Prodigy, but I'm glad that Styles P and Hav were able to come together and make this art happen. I hesitated for several weeks to click play, may have been jaded by some negative reviews but after listening, I think it's a solid album. Dig into Styles P and Havoc's collaborative project, Wreckage Manner, below...

Jay-Z "Vol.3: Life and Times of S.Carter" (Dec. 28, 1999)

In the fall of 1999, Def Jam posted a billboard atop the intersection of Flatbush and DeKalb avenues in downtown Brooklyn to advertise Jay-Z’s new album. Fittingly, the blown-up cover image for Vol. 3 … Life and Times of S. Carter depicted the rapper flanked by skyscrapers, peering downward. (Hov always did love a good metaphor.) He was now above the competition—in his home borough, in New York City, and in hip-hop. By the time Vol. 3 dropped in late December, Jay-Z was rap’s undisputed ruler. Vol. 3 went no. 1, as did all nine of his subsequent solo releases. Beyond his transcendent skill, Jay’s nimbleness and ambition would become the hallmarks of a long-running monarchy. He hewed his sound to adapt to radio trends and collaborated with the right people at the right time. And he was ruthlessly competitive, on and off the mic, which only added to his longevity. While Vol. 3 isn’t regarded as Jay’s best album—that accolade is reserved for his debut or 2001’s The Blueprint—it does have a wide-ranging aesthetic that reveals the expansive kingdom that Jay-Z oversaw when he first assumed power. The South was rising. Dr. Dre returned. New disrupters were en route. And hip-hop in general was on the verge of going fully mainstream. Jay observed the terrain and adapted accordingly. From his very first words on the album—Yeah, I know you just ripped the packaging off your CD—to the bootlegged songs that were left off the final cut, Vol. 3 provides a perfect time capsule of rap as it headed into the new millennium. - The Ringer. Revisit the LP below.

The album's (Canadian) one-sheet boasts "sales points" and "facts" as: Vol.3: Life and Times of S.Carter is his highly anticipated fourth release with his charismatic dazzling lyrical acrobatics, stunning verbal versatility and fierce, driving beats. Album includes 2 hidden tracks: "Jigga My N!gga" and "Girls Best Friend" (from the Blue Streak soundtrack). Guest artists include Mariah Carey, Juvenile, UGK, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek and Amil, as well as production from Swizz Beats, Timbaland, Big Jaz and "a few newcomers", failing to specifically mention DJ Premier, Rockwilder, DJ Clue, Duro, and Irv Gotti. Definitely not my favorite Jay-Z album... but it absolutely did have joints: "So Ghetto", "Do It Again", "Things U Do", "Big Pimpin'", "Anything" and the 2 hidden tracks, of course. 

The LOX "Knicks Freestyle" (Video)

In late 2020, clothing line Kith revealed their collaboration with Nike and the New York Knicks with a freestyle video starring The Diplomats (Juelz Santana, Cam’ron, and Jim Jones). Now into their second year, Kith shares a second freestyle featuring the Dips’ VERZUZ opponents, The LOX. While standing on center court of Madison Square Garden, not far from where the trio beat their Harlem contemporaries in their VERZUZ session, Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, and Styles P unleash a barrage of bars for three minutes. It’s safe to assume that a reveal of the Kith x Nike x New York Knicks collaboration will arrive soon, too. - via 2DopeBoyz. “New York, New York, what’s bigger than this/The home of Jay-Z and Nas, matter of fact, the home of Biggie and Kiss/Donnie and P L-O-X way before Cube we were the big three.” Peep the dope visuals below... ain't none of y'all better...

Happy Born Day, Marco Polo! (Playlist)

Marco Polo is a Toronto born, Brooklyn based producer known for his hard drums, 90s-inspired boom-bap beats, and working with some of the most elite lyricists in hip-hop. Venturing from Toronto to NY in the 2000s, he became an assistant engineer at famed studio, The Cutting Room, where he networked and made industry-wide connections while honing his skills as a producer. He's produced albums with Masta Ace, Torae, Ruste Juxx, Hannibal Stax, A-F-R-O, as well as international acts, instrumental albums, production kits and a handful of production albums featuring a who's who of various hip-hop legends. Marco's production is a reminder of hip-hop at its very best, and, as such, he's widely considered one of the best producers in the game. I've had the pleasure of working with him on Supastition projects, for various interviews, and sharing stages in the U.S. and in various tour spots around the world. To celebrate his born day today, below is just a small sample of same of my favorite cuts from his catalog... and the artwork above is by the talented Dan Lish! Listen below, then hit the archives for various full projects from the over the years... HBD, Marco!

El Michels Affair "The Abominable" (EP Stream)

El Michels Affair follows up the massive success of their full length Yeti Season with The Abominable EP. A collection of unreleased tracks, alternate takes, and instrumentals from the Yeti Season recording sessions. EMA’s blending their signature cinematic soul sound with influences from Turkish Funk and the grittiest of Bollywood soundtracks yielded an instant classic The Fader calls “a carnival of dusty funk and soul.” The EP starts off with the unreleased gem “Messy Grass” whose synth intro, peppered with distant yeti cries, gives way to a tremendous backing track that Tamer Pinarbasi’s Qanun dances over. On “Cham Cham” EMA invites Piya Malik to the microphone again to share her styled storytelling vocals over the instrumental track from Yeti Season’s “Perfect Harmony.” Where some of the tunes on the EP have vocals added, some of them have them removed letting the band take center stage; “Poison Song,” “Uncut Gem,” “Smoked,” and “Progress” are all instrumental here giving them a wholly different energy than the vocal versions. Dig into it below...

A MF'in DOOM Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I couldn't fathom what to share this year on Christmas, and then I was reminded that we learned of MF DOOM's death on December 31st last year. He'd passed away 2 months prior. I know there's a Cookin' Soul "Doom Xmas!" and remixes, but I thought I'd take it to Adult Swim on Christmas Eve, 2006. I found the video on YouTube, along with the following message: "These are the Christmas with Doom bumps that aired on Adult Swim on Christmas Eve 2006. Adult Swim has brought MF DOOM, a rapper, to host the block that year for Christmas. This was pretty interesting and funny. I vaguely remember watching some of the stuff this night when I was younger, most notably Pee Wee's Christmas." Do you remember when this aired? A little something different this year, dig into the archives for past posts and more Christmas-inspired music/promo. Merry Christmas! Rest In Peace to the late MF DOOM, one of the greatest MCs! Stay blessed, y'all!