Es "We Are Getting Older' (Album Stream)

"We Are Only Getting Older" is a reflective album that explores the mindset of a 40 year old in today's youth driven landscape. With the landscape being both hiphop and life, I speak on the joys and pains of both from the perspective of a proud family man and hiphop enthusiast. Big thank you to the most high for making all of this possible. Much love to my family for the unconditional support. Salute to all of the amazing collaborators on this project. You know who you are. To all the supporters who have shown me love over the years...I love you all." - Es // Stream it below.

Billboard: Hot Rap Singles (May 3, 1997)

I've been meaning to start doing this sooner, but let's introduce it today; the 'Hot Rap Singles' from 20 Years Ago (May 3, 1997). Each week I'll try to pull up these charted/hottest singles from 20 years ago to see trends and what nostalgia some of the songs generate. Charts are from Billboard but collected, compiled and provided by Soundscan. On the week of May 3, 1997, Biggie was at #1 with his lead single 'Hypnotize' off 'Life After Death.' Jay-Z was the chart's "Greatest Gainer" moving from #41 the prior week to #15 with the 4th and final single 'Feelin It' from his debut album, 'Reasonable Doubt.' 2Pac's 'How Do You Want It' was approaching a year on the charts, and Camp Lo was looking at 6 months with their smash, 'Luchini.' The list also had hits from Tracey Lee, KRS-One, Foxy Brown, Puffy & Mase + joints from Outkast, Capone-N-Noreaga, Redman, Jeru The Damaja, Lost Boyz, The Roots, Lil' Kim and more. One of the list's biggest surprises was the underground joint 'Tight Team' from Shamus; if you're not familiar, give his slept-on LP, 'Serving Life,' a listen. The full list is above, but I pulled selections from Spotify - based on taste/what was available - and made a Playlist below. Jay-Z removed 'Reasonable Doubt' from streaming services (except Tidal) so I couldn't include 'Feelin It.' I'll work on presenting the material better in future weeks.

Brother Ali "Shadows of the Sun" (5/2/03)

Celebrating the album's 14th anniversary, Brother Ali delivered his highly anticipated first Rhymesayers full-length album 'Shadows On The Sun' on this day in 2003. 'An emcee, producer and community activist, Brother Ali is a student of Hip Hop's Golden Age. The now classic 'Shadows on the Sun' was crafted with this foundation and Ali's ability to write creative songs with passion and personality. The album is produced entirely by ANT and features a guest appearance by Slug of Atmosphere.' CDs are still available HERE, but you may have to dig to find an OG copy or the 10th-Anniversary picture vinyl. Like many, my favorite track is probably 'Forest Whitiker,' although following closely are 'Picket Fence,' 'Star Quality' and 'Pay Them Back,' just to name a few! With Brother Ali's brand new album, 'All the Beauty in This Whole Life,' on its way May 5th, I want to remind you of the power Brother Ali's voice and message in today's Hip-Hop landscape; please consider supporting it, and once again, his live show performance will change your life, so see it when it comes to your city! Much respect to Ali, Siddiq & the whole RSE. Hit the labels for more.

Masta Ace Incorporated "Sittin on Chrome" (5/2/95)

"With each of his releases, Brooklyn-born Masta Ace has kept listeners grabbing at air when they try to get a grasp of his style; his musical formula can seem simple and calculated, but he still remains an elusive target. What's even more impressive is that Ace has not distanced himself from his fans. His 1990 debut, 'Take a Look Around,' was a lively, Marley Marl-produced hook-fest, while 1993's 'Slaughtahouse' (which marked the incorporation of actual group members) was one of the most artistically advanced hardcore records of that year. Ace's lyrics can go from deadpan posturing to painting live images of ghetto life, and he's known for avoiding obvious hip-hop trends. His third release, 'Sittin' on Chrome,' is just as imaginative as 'Slaughtahouse,' but you get the feeling Ace has set a few booby-traps along the way. First-time listeners may not notice the way the songs are strung together, creating an oblique storyline of Ace and his cousin who joins him and his I.N.C. posse on some beat-heavy journeys. Cuts like 'The I.N.C. Ride' and the title cut seem to dangle before you in simplistic splendor, defying you to label Ace a West Coast wannabe (he calls his sound "Brooklyn Bass"). But then the watery samples on 'Eastbound' or 'Da Answer' will send you in another direction. Never resorting to tired imagery of gratuitous bloodshed, Ace stays cool and collected throughout, letting the listeners and critics make the mistake of formulating a label for his art." - CMJ, 1995. Get On Down released a fresh 100-piece puzzle of the album's artwork in 2012, and there's also a Deluxe 3CD version you can purchase at UGHH while it still remains in their stock.

Boogiemonsters "God Sound" (Rap Pages, 5/97)

"In 1994, a four-man crew from Virginia State University calling themselves, the Boogie Monsters introduced the Hip-Hop nation to "Recognized Thresholds of Negative Stress," the first joint to thoroughly examine the burdens put upon everyday people. What followed was a critically acclaimed debut album, Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album, which explored planes of foul human behavior like the clever child molestation/murder expose "Old Man Jacob's Well." Three years after both their former label and their group's line-up dissolved, MCs Vex and Mondo are all that remain. Truthfully, the two fare well enough on their own for this second project, God Sound. Maintaining the Boogie Monsters' position as Messianic revelation rappers, God Sound is a philosophical chemistry set for audiences craving new creations instead of the same old formula. The subject matter put forth by Vex and Mondo reaches deep into the New Testament to reveal what man can expect in the new millennium ... What makes these anti-illuminati-inspired songs is their non-tokenism: they don't name-drop about the secret society like other groups have, but rather engage in useful dialogue from their readings and observations." Watch the video for "Beginning of the End"

"Journeying through such a survival-conscious album, the Boogie Monsters aren't without their obligatory shots aimed at the gun-toting-intoxicated-drug-addict-rapper ... Musically, there are no new frontiers of being explored or created. The beat-crafting chores done primarily by Vex and Mondo give the album an ominous and head-nodding vibe not present on their first recording. Producer Jon Doe provides the deeper, soul-laden grooves on "Whisles In The Wind" and "Sodom and Gommorah." God Sounds' foreshadowing and narration of society's eminent doom provides a much-needed awareness for the non-Armageddon-believing rap fan ... Overall, the Boogie Monsters manage to balance the responsibility of being both sages and entertainers. Hip-Hop is in dire need of more responsible material to balance the overly apathetic and inebriated mass market that dominates the mainstream." - Rap Pages, May 1997.  Full review below. (Updated, image by Paul Fess).

Pete Rock "PeteStrumentals" (CMJ, 2001)

File Under: The relentless head nod! Yessir, Pete Rock released 'PeteStrumentals' through BBE on this day in 2001. It was the second in the Beat Generation series at BBE; the first being Dilla's 'Welcome To Detroit' LP. There are a few editions of the albums, all including instrumentals crafted in the early to mid-90s, then remixed and updated for the release, but the differences being the number of tracks that also had vocals. From Nature, CL Smooth, Freddie Foxx and The UN (Roc Marciano), each track was a nice complement to an already dope project and were recorded exclusively for it between 2000-2001. The 10-year anniversary edition was released on May 10, 2011; it featured the original 2001 album on Disc 1, and Disc 2 had all the 12″ inch singles from the album. The sequel, 'PeteStrumentals 2,' was released on June 23, 2015; via Mello Music Group. As a bonus, a sample from Chris Read's portion of the BBE 10th Anniversary Beat Generation mixtape, featuring joints from Pete Rock, J Dilla, Jazzy Jeff, Madlib, and more, is available to stream below...

The House List Podcast "Mr. Voodoo Interview"

"Back with another very special episode of The House List, here we sat down with Brooklyn's own Mr Voodoo aka Agu Obiakor of Natural Elements. We track the history from childhood to present day. Canvasing a NYC of another era, where Agu, became the 'poet laureate' of beloved late night radio show 'The Underground Railroad'. Hosted by J-Smooth on the revered WBAI 99.5, Agu honed his craft from intern to co-host, all the while developing what come to be one of the 'underground' hip-hop era's most respected voices. With only a few physical releases to speak of, Voodoo's notoriety grew across the globe through the 90's as demos and never-released songs made their way to NY radio and on cassettes copied and traded the world over. Voo's work as a soloist, with Natural Elements and for the imprint Fortress Records are sought after pieces of art on wax."

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony "1st of tha Month" (Food Coupon, 1995)

"Wake up, wake up, wake up / It's the 1st of the month / So get up, get up, get up..." So, it's not one of my favorite songs, but this is undoubtedly one of my favorite pieces of record label promo. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony sent out a $5 food coupon with the press-kit for their album 'E. 1999 Eternal' in 1995. The album was released through Ruthless Records, which was founded by Eazy-E and Jerry Heller, but by this release, Eazy had switched distributors from Priority Records to Relativity, (allegedly) due to concerns about Jerry Heller being funny with his money. Either way, the press kit showed up in a Relativity folder with a publicity photo, the above food coupon and a press release that stated: "When Bone Thugs-N-Harmony were coming up, the 1st of the month was a day to rejoice because the welfare check guaranteed everyone a good meal. Today, the ‘1st Of Tha Month’ is giving Bone new reason to celebrate." It was the first single off 'E. 1999 Eternal,' and the album was released just 4 short months after Eazy-E passed away from complications of AIDS. The album and song 'Tha Crossroads' were a tribute to Eazy-E and while an original version of 'Crossroads' was included on the album, it was later reworked and reissued as the 3rd single from the album. We'll revisit that another day, for now, enjoy the 1st of tha month & Rest In Peace, Eazy-E.