Pete Rock & CL Smooth "I Got A Love" (The Source, 10/94)

"Back in 1991, Pete Rock & CL Smooth raised the hip-hop stakes with their first LP Mecca and The Soul Brother. Gone were the days where you could slide by with a simple drum loop and a James Brown shriek. Pete and CL were comin' with the bumpin' new slick sh!t. Their super-thick production and smooth Mount Vernon flow showed us everything our Bose speakers and Blaupunkt car stereos were capable of ... Three years later, with the overabundance of Pete Rock rip-offs, it's time for this duo to take back the corner. With their new single, "I Got A Love," the PR & CL chemistry mixes up an easy-going track that ignores all gangster gimmicks and hardcore tricks." Article cont'd below...

"Pete lays a low-key "I Dream of Jeanie" xylophone hook over bangin' drums and guitar lines. And all the while, CL Smooth drops the slick Casanova rhymes, like a "Lots of Loving Part II." Both versions of the song are sure to soothe and at the same time rock the party ... Once again, Pete Rock and CL Smooth are coming with the much-needed relief from hip-hop's grim reality. And with tracks like "I Gotta Love" and others from the upcoming album, The Main Ingredient, it's plain to see that the Chocolate Boy Wonder and the Caramel King are here to please." - The Source (Oct. 1994).

Vince Staples "Hell Can Wait" (EP Stream)

I like this kid ... a lot. I think he's smart and witty and has a lot to say in his music and interviews. The musicality (that a word?) isn't 100% my flavor, but when I strip it down to content/lyrics, that locks me back in. The inspiration for Vince Staples' "Hell Can Wait" is said to be the summer between his 9th and 10th grade, which gives me a sense of nostalgia in my own way. Diggin' into the lyrics reveals the depth of his project, for example, on "65 Hunnid," Vince says, "You alone, car full of n!ggas but you alone / It's time to show how much you love your homies / One n!gga outside, two niggas up inside the store / One n!gga gon' die, the other two can come along ... Don't stop 'til he drop, don't shoot for the skies or shoot for his toes / I told you before that n!ggas gotta die for this shit to survive / Is you with it or not? Get to knockin' then ... Common sense missin' from your head when the pressure on..." That's real heavy. Combined with the artwork, you can piece together the storyline of "Hell Can Wait." It should be no surprise then that navigating the rap game is easy work for the cerebral MC from the West. Beyond that, I pray he navigates life as well as he does the music game, and that he has a bright future ahead of him. A sentiment that echoes with Nipsey Hussle, who I also respect and admire immensely in and out of music. Listen to the EP below...

Redman "Whut Thee Album?" (HHC, October 1992)

"I like to build my album up as a movie. When you're listening to me, you're watching me as well. If you get a good focus on what I'm talking about, then - with the drama and shit - it's like a movie." Ruffneck funkster Redman sinks into the big chair and describes the cinematic potential of his gruff, ghetto-flavored debut LP, 'Whut.' A rugged collection of Parliament-style loops and harder-than-hard raps, the album is spliced together with channel-hopping snatches of news reports, mini dramas and murderous dialogue. "I could act my ass off," he boasts.... Who says I can't be the next Mel Gibson or something? Straight out of Newark, "one of the hardest cities on the planet," Redman, with EPMD and K-Solo, is one of the original members of the Hit Squad. He was Erick's roomie for two years and now the pair have formed EAR (Erick and Redman) Productions to produce tracks for the Hit Squad and beyond. Sharing the same hood as Naughty By Nature, Lakim Shabazz, Latifah and a host of upcoming new stars, he's proud of his hometown, and his street-corner background. "I love Newark, my city. Word up! You can take a brother out of Newark but you can't take Newark out of the brother." ... With his strictly Funk Street attitude to hip-hop, Redman steers clear of explicit politics, leaving his hardcore ghetto stylings to speak for themselves. "I leave that messages shit to other people. The bottom line is that politics and racial shit is keepin' some of the rappers employed - cause that's all they talk about. That's cool though, I can't knock anybody how they get paid, but a lotta people just want to hear the funk. Somebody who listens to my album would say 'oh - he's funky, he's nice." - HHC, 1992. This wasn't the best interview, nor album discussion, but it's interesting to know Redman "gained his name when his face swelled up all rosy from a little girl's snowball." Is that verified? If so, I probably shoulda known that by now, huh? 

Kid Capri "10-9-89" (Mixtape, 1989)

Kid Capri was the man for this mix tape in '89. Regarded as one of the greatest mix tapes ever, because of the intro which set it off with Stephanie Mills' "Something In The Way You Make Me Feel" with The Honey Drippers' "Impeach The President" underneath. It's safe to consider that single track influenced Ron G to create a whole tape of similar blends and impacted the culture the way it did. These were creative times and the DJ was the backbone of the whole shit. You'll also hear joints from Heavy D, Eazy-E, EPMD, Big Daddy Kane, Kurtis Blow, Public Enemy, and more. Turn it up LOUD...

Hasan Salaam "Life In Black & White" (Album Stream)

Hasan Salaam is back with his latest creation, Life In Black & White. This album has been a long time coming. As far back as the Music is My Weapon EP and his journey to West Africa, Hasan Salaam has kept us on edge for this project. After all is said and done, he delivers a gem. From the jump "Grey Area" sets the tone. As my favorite track on the album, Hasan Salaam delivers with flow and lyricism that could make your favorite rapper bow down. As the album progresses, we find that he doesn't stray from his original formula but actually adds to it. He continues to touch on social issues, society as whole, morality, the streets and even sex. You definitely won't get bored with it. There's plenty of wit, sarcasm and sensible punch lines to keep it entertaining. Other notable tracks include: "The Way" where he talks about reaping what you sow, "Jericho" touches on racism and government, "#OGJM" is something for the haters, "Pain Killer" and "Scars Over Scars" also contribute to the cause. "Like Silence" is about relationships and the radio ready "Mile High Club" is a laid back vibe for the ladies. One could easily get lost in this album because there are so many songs. Yet, they are all different. Each telling a tale of Salaam's experiences and views of the world around him and abroad. The appropriately titled Life In Black & White is definitely one for the books. Stream the LP below...

Original advert for Life In Black & White on Viper Records...

Genovese "Genovese's Thesis" (12", 1997) + The Source

Genovese is a Yonkers native. His first single was released on Die Hard Records in 1997; it featured Styles P and was called "Genovese's Thesis." The song received heavy support from DJ Clue on his mixtape, "Show Me The Money," & instantly became a gem in the underground. The original vinyl pressing had the name & title spelled wrong as Genovesee, but for those of us that came up in NYC, we remember that Genovese was a household name due to the drugstore business that had stores all over the 5 boroughs and Long Island. I believe his Great-Grandfather founded the business back in the 1920s. We could call this time in Hip-Hop, the Bad Boy Era & Genovese had artists like Biggie, Jermaine Dupri, Nas and more eager to put him on. That included potential rumors of him joining Junior M.A.F.I.A., which unfortunately never happened due to the death of The Notorious B.I.G. on March 9, 1997. The original connection to Styles P of The LOX, along with Kasino & Richie Thumbs, is how he got put on to Die Hard Records, but when Genovese became the first Italian-American hip-hop artist to sign a major record label (Universal Records) in 1999, Universal bought "Genovese's Thesis" from Die Hard Records to put on his debut solo album, "My America." Another case of misfortune, Genovese was released from Universal less than a month before his album was set to be released. It's only due to the internet that "My America" surfaced on P2P platforms and message boards (before blogs) and the album had more buzz than ever. Aside from "Genovese's Thesis," other 12" releases you can dig up include "Fuck Y'All" and "My Life," which came out around 2000. Beyond that, tracks with Nature, Half-A-Mil (R.I.P.), Lord Tariq, and more recent material with his cousin, Gustapo, as the group "First Cousins," which picked up some steam in the late 2000s, featuring tracks with Joell Ortiz, Ali Vegas, Cormega and others. Revisit the first single below, then - as always - follow the breadcrumbs to find that My America LP on the net, and more.

Capone-N-Noreaga "Unsigned Hype" (October, 1995)

"By now everyone should be familiar with the resurgence Queens has made in the hip-hop arena. In particular, Queensbridge has played a major role (Mobb Deep, Nas), and with artists like Capone-N-Noreaga waiting in the wings, it doesn't appear that the borough's most notorious area will be falling off any time soon. By just glancing at the names of these two brothas, you can quickly figure out what type of vibe they're on. In the same vein as Nas Escobar and the Wu-Gambinos, this two man crew is strictly on some kingpin, "on top of the world" shit. But the topics aren't limited to drug deals and blastin' their way to the top; they focus more on the good things acquired once the pinnacle is reached... With a flow that resembles their Queensbridge counterparts, only more laid-back, Capone & Noreaga create vivid descriptions of the good life on their tracks "Creme" & "1/2 A Mill." Amazingly, the list of all that can be acquired when life is good seems to never end, as the two never get repetitive when listening to all that they've earned... Capone & Noreaga's most beneficial quality could be the tight production that accompanies their modest but vivid rhyme styles. With laid back tracks topped with thick baselines, the crew's potential to impress rap fans outside of their region is unlimited." (Unsigned Hype, The Source 10/95). Listen to the "1/2 a Mill" demo below.

Pharoahe Monch "Simon Says" Get The F*ck Up (Video, 1999)

"Y'all know the name Pharoahe f#ckin' Monch, ain't a damn thing changed.," exclaims Pharoahe on his smash hit, "Simon Says," in '99. Argued to be in the Rawkus' top 50 songs by Complex, they said and I agree, "There are artists that need synths, ghostwriters, a big name guest, and/or a bunch of other extras to make a club banger. Pharoahe Monch did it with only a four note Godzilla sample. Throw in some clever rhymes about breatesses, Tomb Raider, and ballin and viola, you have yourself one of this best hip-hop bangers ever. If you didn't "get the fuck up," chances are you're already dead. Our condolences." The song (despite its sample issues) is a hit to this day, keep it in rotation!

Peep the lyrics to the track, get familiar...