Rumpletilskinz "What Is A Rumpletilskinz?" (The Source, 9/93)

"Perhaps you remember this group from Charlie Brown's line on "Sound of the Zeekers," when he said "Down with the Rumpletil and I love to hit skinz." Perhaps you got open to their debut single, "Attitudes." Well, regardless of where you recognize this group, you owe it to yourself to settle down with a pair of good headphones, your walkman and maybe a fat blunt, so you can best lose yourself in this album's sea of dope tracks. Jeranimo (former dancer of L.O.N.S.), L.S. (former roommate of Busta Rhymes) and Shanow form a recipe for hip-hop success with rough lyrics and smooth rhyme flow connecting with rugged beats and simple, energetic melodies that keep you absorbed in the music. At a time when everyone and their mother seems to be copying Busta Rhymes' gruff voice style, this group delivers an album that sets them apart from the crowd. The Skinz possess the ability to take elements of popular rap trends, flip the script and create a unique sound. If you can imagine a group with the verbal dexterity of the Leaders of the New School but capable of a rough Onyx-like delivery, then you know what to expect." Peep the album, cont'd below...

"While you don't really have to fast-forward much here, those who like to skip around will strike immediate gold with cuts like "Sweet Theory," with its blend of rough voices and soothing melodies, and the crowd-moving excitement of "Hudz" and "Mad M.F.'s." For you kids with boomin' systems, we have "Is It Alright?" and "Earthquake," which are perfect for red light system battles. My favorite cut, "Mushroom Talk," takes the "get high" fad to a new level as the Skinz introduce 'shrooms to the musical drug scene. In terms of quality and consistency, this album easily has what it takes to compete with this summer's best. Strong Island wins again." - The Source (September, 1993) 3.5 Mics.

Miilkbone "Da' Miilkrate" (The Source, July 1995)

"With many smooth tracks containing easily played baselines, piano and dreamy, music box-type sounds, there are many non-complex productions on Miilkbone's debut - but for the most part the end result is still funky. The album is not what you would consider especially memorable, but then again it's not exactly forgettable. In fact, it's nudged right between the two. The first single "Keep It Real," highlight's Miilk's penchant Slick-Rick-esque flow (rhyming on one track, responding on another) while hitting you with horns, bass line and a monotonous piano. "Where'z Da Party At?" uses Kool & The Gang's "It's Too Hot" as the foundation, while the hook is supplied by The Notorious B.I.G. It's East Coast G-Funk at its best, accompanied by a plethora of gibes, puns and plays on words that utilize past and present MCs and song titles. If the record company has any sense they will let the man from Perth Ambody's Delancy Projects (in New Jersey) just rhyme and refrain promoting him as the "The Caucasian Sensation" or anything similar. Why? Because Miilkbone has got skills, lyrics, flow and punchlines." - The Source, July 1995. Listen to Miilkbone's Da' Miilkrate below...

"Keep It Real" is still a classic track. Peep the full review below...

Chris Read "Classic Material: 2000" (Mix, 2012)

This mix in Chris Read's Classic Material series pays tribute to the hip hop of the year 2000, the beginning of a new decade and the end of what many consider to be hip hop’s greatest era, the '90s. The year 2000 marked a turning point for the independent scene with artists such as De La Soul, DJ Premier and others proving to the so called ‘back pack’ fraternity that credibility and club friendly / commercial music could co-exist. Dig into the archives for more Classic Material mixes...

Entrepreneurial Rappers (Billboard, June 5, 1999)

"It's no secret that many rap artists moonlight as entrepreneurs. Master P owns a real-estate agency and a sports management company, as well as other businesses. Sean Combs owns a successful restaurant and is embarking on a film career. Both Master P and Combs own record labels and clothing lines, as well. But clothing lines and record labels are not the only way for rappin' retailers to keep themselves busy when they're off stage. After bit parts in "House Party" and "Jungle Fever," Queen Latifah landed a starring role on the sitcom "Living Single." After the show was cancelled, Latifah returned to film in larger roles in movies like "Set It Off" and more recently "Living Out Loud" ... She also wrote an inspirational book for young women, "Ladies First: Revelations From A Strong Woman." Rap Veteran Spinderalla, Mos Def & Talib Kweli of Black Star and Lauryn Hill have all chosen distinctly different projects to help give back to their communities, establish themselves as a brand name or simply earn extra cash." Billboard looks into these artists and their successful business ventures outside of music, check it scanned above. Down below is an important video/message from Mos Def at Nkiru Books in Brooklyn, owned by him and Talib Kweli at the time. 

Gang Starr "Full Clip: A Decade Of Gang Starr" (1999)

"For most hip-hop artists, the arrival of a "Best Of" compilation signals the end of their tour of active duty in the trenches of creative combat. Gang Starr, however, are most definitely not your average hip-hop artists. Coming off of their critically acclaimed album with last year's universally heralded Moment Of Truth, and commemorating 10 years together as one of hip-hop's greatest units, Gang Starr's sixth album, Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr, assembles the group's greatest hits, widely acclaimed B-Sides, remixes, soundtrack contributions and two new tracks into one two-disc package. For hip-hop fanatics it is, quite simply, an essential collection. For the duo of charismatic frontman Guru and super-producer DJ Premier, it is an opportunity to reflect on their collective role as the most enduring and prestigious rhyme-and-beats battalion in rap music."

 Big L, Rest In Peace. Guru, Rest In Peace...

Statik Selektah "Lucky 7" (Album Stream)

Lucky 7 is the seventh studio album by producer Statik Selektah. The album was released via Duck Down Music and Statik Selektah's Showoff Records. The album features guest appearances from Rapsody, Action Bronson, Joey Badass, Your Old Droog, Chauncy Sherod, Dave East, Big K.R.I.T., Royce Da 5'9", Mick Jenkins, Smif-n-Wessun, Young M.A, Buckshot, Illa Ghee, Sean Price, Lil' Fame, Bodega Bamz, Skyzoo, Ea$y Money, Domo Genesis, Masspike Miles, Termanology, Bun B, Styles P, A$AP Twelvyy, Kirk Knight, Wais P, Jared Evan, Ab-Soul, Elle Varner, CJ Fly, Talib Kweli and Cane. I don't know where he finds the time and patience to collab with this many artists! Listen to it below...

The Boombox "Underground Airwaves, Vol.1" (Mixtape, 1999)

All the freestyles on the tape were recorded live on the Boombox Show on Oxygen 107.9FM, in Oxford. This gem of a tape was put together by "Da Boombox" on Oxford radio station Oxygen FM (later Passion FM now Oxford's FM 107.9). The Boombox crew consisted of Kid Fury, DL the Controller, Mr Ben, Ant Style and Bennie G of the Mixologists, The show's guests included the like of Roots Manuva, Braintax, Lewis Parker, Rodney P, Aspects, Scratch Perverts, MK and Jehst as well as a number of prominent US Artists such as Co Flow, All Natural, Lootpack and the X-Ecutioners. The Boombox crew disbanded in 2001, leaving Kid Fury to carry on the show solo. This particular tape compiles together some of the best live mixes and freestyles from the show between February 1997 and May 1999. The guest list is impressive, putting together a veritable who's who of the UK scene at a really exciting time just before the likes of Low Life and Big Dada blew up and started shifting significant quantities of product. DJ sets from MK and Tony Vegas alongside freestyles from Rodney P, Braintax, Lewis Parker, Task Force and Skinnyman amongst others are all entertaining and paint a decent audio picture of the musical moves being made at the time. An added bonus is the significant contribution of the US emcees and DJs make to the tape. Freestyles from the the likes of El-P, Big Jus and All Natural alongside awesome DJ sets from Mista Sinista and Rob Swift of the X-Men ensure the sandards are kept very high from the first to the last minute. The tape doesn't have a catalogue number or anything like that but seems to be sponsored by Mat C's Fatboss Magazine - yet another early example of the man now known as Jaguar Skills heavy involvement in UK hip hop throughout the 90s. - via Discogs. Dig into this dope mix tape from '99...

Slade Savage "Good Son / War Stories" (12", 1999)

Queens-bred MC, Slade Savage released this 12" in 1999. I've never really gotten into the A-Side, "Good Son," but I do dig the B-Side's "War Stories." The production was handled by Bezo, who flips the familiar "Wake Up Everybody" sample by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. The 12" was released by Mike Heron and Gerald Famolari's classic underground label, Hydra Entertainment. Hydra Entertainment is responsible for niche-classics with Screwball, Powerful, Godfather Don, Triflicts (Creature and Gab Gotcha), and among others, an entire Hydra Beats collection available on vinyl. 

I don't know much else about Slade Savage - in fact, I don't even know if he's from Queens, but all the people I know attached to him from back in the 90s came up in Queens, so I'm just connecting the dots. If you're looking for more content, he's featured on another Bezo-produced joint called "Money Matters," by Budda Tye. Word was, he became a father (a few times over) and got a regular 9 to 5 away from music, so that's all I've got in the stash. Dig into the full 12" below ... got more info? Beyond that, check out DJ Koco's "Underground's Finest," a nice tribute to the Hydra catalog.