Mr. Lif "Live From The Plantation" (Hip Hop Connection, 2005)

A nice video review of Mr. Lif's "Live From The Plantation" in Hip-Hop Connection: "It's about how nine-to-five office hell can be soul-sucking and drive you to extreme acts of violence!" - a truth as universal and sure as life and death itself. From his rude awakening - still clothed and locked in an embrace with an MPC after, we assume, a long night of beat making... Lif is locked in a twilight world, slipping between workday drudgery and the kind of violent daydreams that even peace-loving wage-slaves like Lif dream... "While the song's message was a strong one, I also felt that certain parts of the song lent themselves to a more cartoonish, comedic approach," says the video director Ian Levasseur. And that comedy is best expressed in the video's itchy, scratchy, extreme violence."

"I think that my favorite part of the video is where Lif chokes out his nemesis in the bathroom," Levasseur continues. "It still makes me laugh now. But MTV flexed their political power by vetoing our original edit. We were forced to cut out a number of scenes that they considered questionable: the guy with the noose, Lif making a gun gesture and also a number of other scenes ... MTV is the anti-christ to independent hip-hop" ... Like Lif's lyrics - which often take the position of affable and concerned everyman - it manages to make a point - that we sell ourselves to work, that it crushes your soul - while avoiding any trace of preachiness. And like Lif, it does this through a knowing use of humor. The result is a classic laugh-out-loud portrayal of soul-suckingness that no doubt chimes with 20-something b-boy wage slaves everywhere..." - Hip-Hop Connection, 2005. Peace to Mr. Lif!

Frank The Butcher & DJ 7L "It's The Roc: Original Samples" (Mix)

Boston-based creatives Frank The Butcher and DJ 7L have collaborated to produce "It's The Roc: Original Samples Mix," a compilation that delves into the foundational tracks sampled in some of Roc-A-Fella Records' most iconic releases. This mix offers listeners a unique perspective on the artistry behind sampling, highlighting the original songs that inspired hits from artists like Jay-Z and Kanye West. The mix features a diverse array of tracks from artists such as the Ohio Players, Billy Stewart, Allen Toussaint, Simon Haseley, Creative Source, Labi Siffre, Curtis Mayfield, and Ennio Morricone. By presenting these original samples, Frank The Butcher and DJ 7L illuminate the rich musical tapestry that Roc-A-Fella's producers wove into their beats, showcasing the label's deep-rooted connections to various musical genres. Hopefully this doesn't get taken down. Listen below...

Bee Why "The Lost Tapes" / "G.A.T.S." (12", 1998)

Let's go back to 1998 for this one; a nice 12" by Bee Why called "G.A.T.S." with "Crazy Queens" on the B-Side. Bee Why or Byron Stacey was an MC out of Queens, he had a few 12" releases on a label called Wolfpak; 2 of which dropped before "G.A.T.S": "Reality" and "The Boros." The production was handled by a DJ/Producer then known as Gee The Nutty Professor aka Ayatollah, who later produced the classic "Miss Fat Booty" for Mos Def, and Styles P & Pharoahe Monch's "The Life," among others. It took until 2013 but the Wolfpak label finally released cassettes and CDs for a project called "The Lost Tapes." The project features over a dozen rare and unreleased recordings - all remastered and produced by Ayatollah. Click HERE to check out "The Lost Tapes," for sure!

Tony Touch "Hip Hop 58: Underground Express" (Mixtape, 1998)

Tony Touch's Tape 58 was also called Underground Express... It was released in 1998 on Dope on Tape in Germany. Running the best of the underground joints that were making noise at the time, Tony Touch mixes tracks from M.O.P., Fat Joe, Def Squad, Marley Marl, Sunz of Man, KRS-One, Street Smartz, Big Daddy Kane, Raekwon, Noreaga, DMX, Funkmaster Flex, Buckshot, Afu-Ra, Ghostface Killah, Powerule, Kid Carpi, Dynasty, Paula Perry, Lord Digga, A Tribe Called Quest, Lord Tariq, Heltah Skeltah and more. This wasn't my favorite of his tapes, but it still goes hard today...

Another fine mix from Tony Touch, hit the archives for more...

Blu & Exile "Give Me My Flowers..." (11/4/12)

Blu & Exile's "Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them" was released on this day in 2012. Definitely to be celebrated as another phenomenal album in their catalog, I wanted to share it since I didn't have the site back in '12. Fat Beats at the time shared the following in their press release: "Blu & Exile return to their collaborative origins with the release of Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them, the long-anticipated followup to the duo's landmark debut, Below the Heavens. Featuring Fashawn, Homeboy Sandman, Johaz of Dag Savage, Black Spade of Hawthorne Headhunters, and ADAD, the new album on Dirty Science / Fat Beats is both an evolution from and complement to their first: a cohesive, kicked back collection of hip-hop buoyed by Blu's gymnastic wordplay and Exile's soulful, sample-driven beats. While Blu's penchant for introspection and analysis remains intact, his perspective ebbs from the sun-soaked nostalgia of Below the Heavens to a more playful realm where raps about lost love and forgotten dreams find equal footing with those about Gondry films and delivery cheesecake. Together Blu & Exile have taken the raw materials of rap and crafted charmingly idiosyncratic, album-minded music that transcends coasts and continents alike."

50 Cent "Power Of The Dollar" (Vibe, July 2000)

"With his controversial stickup-kid anthem, "How To Rob," from last year's In Too Deep soundtrack, 50 Cent entered the hip hop world as though he had nothing to lose. His threats of making his peers run the jewels may have burned a few bridges, but his feverish storytelling and humor-filled punchlines made him one to watch in the new millennium. On his debut LP, Power Of The Dollar, the Queens, N.Y., native continues his hunt for props, once again slapping the faces of rappers and trying to boost his 'hood credibility with boasts of his thuggery." The Vibe review goes on to suggest that 50 stole Hov's rhyme style, you can check out the full review below. I don't remember feeling that way at the time ... I don't think? ... although, for sure, 50 and Hov been sending direct and subliminal shots at each other since the late 90s. You could argue that Jigga's early diss to 50 helped his career early with "I'm about a dollar, what the f#ck is 50 cents?," in response to "How To Rob." 50 responded to that with a smile and a "thank you;" they've been trolling each other since, lol.

KRS-One "MCs Act Like" (The Source, 9/95)

"For the past ten years, KRS-One has been spitting out battle rhymes and offing wack MCs, creating countless classic jams, and blazing a career unparalleled in the history of rap music. "MCs Act..." comes in the tradition of the Blast Master's classic singles, mixing Old School sensibility with his timeless rhyme style. This track reunites him with DJ Premier, his partner from The Return of the Boom Bap, who lays down a simple yet addictive piano loop which KRS proceeds to school all wanna-bee MCs over. "You could be a mack, a pimp, a hustler or player / but make sure that you is a dope rhyme sayer," are just a few of the Teacher's most recent words of wisdom." Video below...

Read the full "MCs Act Like..." review in The Source, September 1995...

Hard 2 Obtain “Heels Without Souls” (12", 1994)

Hard 2 Obtain released a niche-classic with their debut album in 1993, “Ism & Blues,” on Atlantic Records. Largely celebrated by those in the know, the Long-Island hip-hop group was composed of 2 MCs - Taste & DL - as well as their DJ, DJ Six Seven. “L.I. Groove” and “Ghetto Diamond” were the first two singles released in 1993, then the 3rd and final single in support of the album was “Heels Without Souls” in 1994. The 12" features an LP version as well as a remix, both produced by Dante Ross’ production team, The Stimulated Dummies aka SD50, with partners John Gamble and Geeby Dajani. It also has cuts by DJ Nastee and soulful (uncredited) vocals from the Queens songstress Vinia Mojica. On the B-Side is "Hip-Hop Lifestyle," with production and cuts by DJ Nastee. The track was not released on H2O's "Ism & Blues" album. Check out the full 12" below.