Da Bush Babees "Gravity" (Press Kit + Vibe Review, 10/96)

"Bush Babees sit in a semi-circle, looking half-perplexed. The huddle is comprised of two 22-year-olds, Khaliyl aka Mr. Man and Lee aka Lee Major (formerly Babyface Kaos), and one 21-year-old, Jamal aka Light (formerly Y-Tee). The Flatbush, Brooklyn hip-hop trio are set to release their sophomore LP, Gravity, to follow-up 1994's critically acclaimed Ambushed, which yielded the indisputable bi-coastral hits, "We Run Things" and "Remember We." But it's the oft repeated question of the minute, that has their minds moving. "Why Bush Babees'?" ... Mr. Man answers: "Always Bush Babees," he declares of the group's moniker, defiant of any threat of growing old; and his reasoning falls on theoretically stable ground. "It sounds better than Bush Men." Peep the visuals to "The Love Song," with lyrics like: "I came all the way from Brooklyn to present my rep / Lyrically deep like sleep; I rock hard like Led Zepp..." with a nice guest feature from Mos Def, cont'd below...

"It's the name," adds Lee. "We're always new to this - we're just a little more developed now. For Gravity, we definitely dug into ourselves." It seems odd enough: as these lyrical architects take greater steps towards manhood, they remain Babees having musical babies; and when they searched for gravity, they looked inward. But, upon listening to Gravity, it becomes clear that the only way to bring the evolution of the musical artform decreed as hip-hop to the future, was to find its roots in the past. "When we do our thing, we try not to listen to the radio," confides Lee. "We just listen to our beats and do what we do. That way we're not trapped in time." - via "Gravity" press kit. As a bonus, check out the review for "Gravity" in Vibe, October 1996. Peep the album HERE.

Jeru The Damaja "Wrath Of The Math" (CMJ, 12/96)

"Mr. Ignorance, the same one immortalized on "You Can't Stop The Prophet" from Jeru The Damaja's debut album, is in the crosshairs once again on Wrath Of The Math. On this sequel to The Sun Rises In The East, Jeru is packing even more lethal levels of confidence and venom than he did the first time around, and the songs on this awesome sophomore release reflect that in one sonic firestorm after another. Wrath sounds like a heap of twisted, rusty metal, bearing sharp, pointed lyrical edges as well as weighty, yet crafty, beats (courtesy of DJ Premier)." Check "Ya Playin' Yaself," cont'd...

"Jeru battles the current bland state of hip-hop, as he expertly addresses its lack of individuality and creativity ("Whatever") and, especially on "One Day," gets so brutally honest that certain record label moguls are rumored to be angered and insulted. To Jeru's credit, it's always been his candid, heavy-enunciated rhyme style that has attracted listeners. His audacity on the mic isn't just loaded with cheap shots and false accusations: as you'll hear on the "The Frustrated N!gga," "Tha Bullshit" and "Not The Average," Jeru simply chooses to call it as he sees it." - CMJ, December 1996.

DJ Unexpected "4 Assassins" (Mixtape, 2010)

Hevehitta and DJ Unexpected released their 4 Assassins mixtape in 2010. On this mix, you'll hear joints from Jadakiss, Styles P, Ghostface Killah, and Raekwon as well as features with Consequence, The Notorious B.I.G., Beanie Sigel, Method Man, and more. Lots of slept-on tracks and nice twists on familiar records from these giants of rap. "All For the Love" by Jadakiss and "Flawless Crowns" by Raekwon also happen to be 2 of my favorite cuts! Add this to your collection, it's a solid mix...

DJ 4our 5ive "The Best of Old School Hip-Hop" (Volume 1)

I'm not sure exactly when DJ 4our 5ive released "The Best of Old-School Hip Hop, Volume 1," but it seems he uploaded the mix to a few sites (and his own blog) around November, 2013. It's a nice mix of tracks from MC Shan, Boogie Down Productions, LL Cool J, De La Soul, Kool G Rap, Eric B. & Rakim, Slick Rick, A Tribe Called Quest, Special Ed, Audio Two, Run DMC, Biz Markie, Marley Marl, Ultra Magnetic MCs, MC Lyte and Leaders of the New School. 4our 5ive has DJ'd for some great artists and I gave his 2Pac and GZA mixes a lot of burn in the early 2000s, too. If you're looking for a timeless mix you can just throw on and enjoy, this is another one to add to the list. Listen below...

Ras Kass "Soul On Ice" (The Source, 10/96)

"Ever since some record label bigwigs saw the earning potential of pre-packaged hip-hop and began saturating the market with cardboard cut-out rappers and their fill-in-the-black rhymes, naysayers and the weak of faith have bemoaned the "death" of our culture. Journalists, recording artists and industry-haters from all points on the compass have given their prophetical views about our music's seemingly impending doomsday. Along comes Ras Kass to dead all such talk. Soul On Ice, the sixteen track debut headshot from this Carson, Cali delegate, is a lyrical - I repeat - lyrical journey into the mental of a young n!gga with maaad shit on his mind. Be forewarned, however, this is not another "life got me stressed / shit is hectic / fuck the world 'cuz I'm a depressed ass ghetto denizen" type of deal. Ras Kass may indeed be streetwise, but he also comes off as being an extremely well-read muthaf#cka. This kid drops material that'll have history buffs, religious theorists and English majors alike reaching for their reference books..." Peep the title track below...

"Not to say you need a Ph. D to follow the bouncing ball. There's a little something for everybody here ... what makes this joint so tight is Ras' ability to maintain the same persona throughout each cut. Whether he's spittin' the ill Biblically laced with battle rhymes on "On Earth As It is In Heaven," pullin' files on the gub'mint on the album's title song or even screaming on groupie bitches ... what you hear is a knowledgable cat who can debate, hang out or rumble with the best of 'em... This album should serve as a reassurance that despite all the negative gab about "The End," true heads will prevail. Rappers can continue to hack out bullshit songs and disguise them as lyrics in order to win their record contracts, but as long as MCs like Ras Kass keep flexin' the grey matter after-hours, creating verbals when normal joes are clockin' Z's, Hip-hop, The Artform, will be around when our grand-seeds are the ones rippin' mics and writing jewels." - The Source, October 1996.

Beanie Sigel on The Breakfast Club (Video)

Beanie Sigel has been back in the news recently because of his friendship-turned-rivalry with fellow Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill. Although Sigel appeared on Meek's Game-directed diss track "Ooouu," he later disparaged Meek in a lengthy interview on the Tax Season podcast and dropped two diss records aimed at him. On Tuesday morning, Sigel appeared on The Breakfast Club to discuss the issue, and he jumped right into his problems with Charlamagne Tha God, who accused Beans of being a hater. "I don't even think you qualified to say I sound like a hater, because you don't know all the particulars," Beans said, explaining that he was trying to school Meek about his behavior instead of hate on him. "Get the fuck out of here, Charlamagne," Sigel then said after Charlamagne accused him of being opportunistic with the beef. Later, Sigel went into the incident in which he was confronted by a member of Meek Mill's crew. "The situation sticky because it's close. It ain't like it was one of Meek's goons, it's like this is family," he said. "It ain't about Meek, it's because he's from Philadelphia. That's why. He represent Philadelphia. He's the voice for Philly right now... He's like a target because he's a young fly n!gga with a bad chick, regardless if he's real, if it's facade, who cares?" he said." - Complex. I think this has been an interesting exchange, and something we'll remember for years. I've always been a fan of Beanie Sigel, and hope he stays healthy and can deliver new, introspective music. Surely more will follow as The Game's 1992 album is dropping in a few days. You can watch the entire, tense interview about the ongoing beef in the video below.

DJ Big Texas "Mr. Scarface Is Back (Originals)" (Mixtape)

Mr. Scarface Is Back is the solo debut album from Scarface of the Geto Boys. It was released on October 8, 1991 via Rap-A-Lot with production from Crazy C and Scarface. On its 25th Anniversary, DJ Big Texas has dug in the crates to pay tribute to this classic album with original sample materials and edits, showcasing what a true gem this album is both lyrically and sonically. The success of the mix led to an extended deluxe edition being released by DJ Big Texas, which now includes bonus tracks and new remixes. Mixes like this are very important, dig in below... Props to DJ Big Texas.

The Notorious B.I.G. in Hip Hop Connection (7/95)

As featured in Hip-Hop Connection back in 1995, The Notorious B.I.G. selects 10 tracks that were influential to his life and career as an artist. His choices may surprise you, let's look closer ... 1st selection is EPMD because of their consistency, self-production and how they modeled their career. KRS because of his rhyming abilities, messages and original flavors to his music, flow and delivery. Salt-N-Pepa for their dedication to the game, creating a lane for future artists to follow behind them and their positive stance. The Dogg Pound for making quality shit from the West Coast. RUN DMC for their incredible live shows and being pioneers in the game. Slick Rick for his storytelling and flipping different voices on a record. Redman for his catchy metaphors; the funk in his records and being someone that inspired him to be a better MC. Marvin Gaye for his beats and lyrics about his personal life in the music. Keith Murray for the way he flips his flows and style, while still being super lyrical. And lastly, Nas for being a street MC and having a lot of depth to his rhymes. - Hip Hop Connection (Ten Tunes That Influence A Life), July 1995. I dunno if these tracks actually inspired his "life," but it's a nice selection of artists. Rest In Peace, The Notorious B.I.G.; never forgotten!