Shabazz The Disciple "Built To Last" (Mix)

France's Built to Last radio is back with another fine tribute to add to their growing catalog... for their latest episode, they show love to underground icon, Shabazz The Disciple from Red Hook, Brooklyn. The 24-track mix features tracks alongside his crew Sunz of Man, Gravediggaz, Freestyle & D-Stroy of the Arsonists, Nine, Lord Jamar and more. "Death By The Penalty," "Crime Saga" and "Diary Of a Madman" are just a few of the underground gems you'll hear on the mix. Much respect to Corrado for keeping the culture alive out in France. Listen to the latest Built To Last mix below...

KMD "Black Bastards" (Article from May 11, 1994)

Time Warner-owned labels seem to be dropping as many rappers as they sign these days. Latest to get the boot is KMD, cut in April by Elektra after the group submitted cover art for its "Black Bastards" album. The cover, drawn by member Zev Love X, shows a white man in blackface being lynched. Described as a commentary on "whites misappropriating black culture," the drawing, according to a spokesman for KMD, "represented the hanging of stereotypes. It was a parody of the game 'Hangman' -- you get it wrong enough times and you die." Jackie Martinez, head of KMD's Hit U Off Management, says the group, which included a small "Sambo" caricature on the cover of its debut album, "Mr. Hood," was addressing "what (black) people were once portrayed as, nothing more than that. The artwork is just the opposite of what people interpreted it to be." Apparently, that explanation didn't wash with Elektra executives, who also rejected KMD's offer to change the cover. According to a statement by the label, "the imagery has exacerbated existing concerns within Elektra, and a decision has been made that it is best that the record be taken in its intended form elsewhere. We do not wish to tamper with KMD's statement by asking them to change it." "That they were dropped is totally ridiculous," says Martinez. "Time Warner apparently did not want to deal with another Ice-T incident," she said. A furor arose in 1992 over Ice-T's "Cop Killer" follow-up, "Home Invasion," leading to a boycott of Time Warner companies and stock divestment by several law enforcement unions. "They just want to avoid any kind of controversy. In order to not have it come to that, the quickest way is to just drop the artists. At this point, KMD is not signed to anyone." Lynching images are hardly new to rap album covers, much less to rap lyrics. The cover for the 1992 Public Enemy single, "Hazy Shade of Criminal," featured the infamous news photo of the August 1930 lynching of two black men in Marion, Ind.; Kool G Rap and DJ Polo's "Live and Let Die" featured Rottweilers and two hooded black men about to pull chairs from under two noosed-up whites. - Washington Post (May 11, 1994). Below are scans from KMD's special, deluxe edition release of Black Bastards with tons of additional information about the album, the controversial cover art, group members and a lot more. R.I.P. Subroc and MF DOOM. Props to Pete Nice and Dante Ross.

Take It Personal Podcast "Mos Def Tribute"

If there was a poster that defined the indie hip-hop movement, it would have the face of The Mighty Mos Def on it. Whether you first heard him on "My Kung Fu," "The Love Song" or "Stakes Is High Remix," you immediately knew what you heard was special. We're talking a generational talent. Mos Def had the voice, the sound, the style, the charm, the humor, the endless stories and the ability to spit bars as great as singing those melodic hooks. A real dual-threat. Triple-threat when you factor in his acting chops. If LL Cool J is the face of Def Jam, Mos Def is the face of Rawkus. He breathed new life into hip-hop in the late 90s. Mos was the last Jedi able to carry on that Native Tongues torch. On Episode 85, the Take It Personal crew cover the catalog, the guest spots and discuss their favorite Mos Def moments. Enjoy another great episode of their podcast below...

Mad Lion "Real Ting" (May 9, 1995)

Released on May 9, 1995 on Weeded / Nervous Records, “Real Ting” entered the Billboard Reggae Album Chart at No 1, and was the source of two massssssive singles, “Take It Easy” and “Shoot To Kill,” that are both signature classics of the Hip Hop / Reggae format that blew up the streets in the 90’s! The album was produced by hip Hop legend - The Blastmaster KRS-One. Additional singles included "Double Trouble" (I prefer the Third World remix not included on the album), "Own Destiny" and the title track, "Real Ting." Released on Weeded Records (Nervous Records), the label alone attracted listeners, none of which were disappointed by the major singles and the album as a whole in 1995. In the mid-90s, I used to run the instrumental to Mad Lion's "Take It Easy" to test the speakers when I'd set them up for DJ gigs, lol. You probably haven't peep'd it in a minute, do it now...

Happy Born Day, Chris Lighty! (Mogul, 2017)

In the new Spotify-exclusive series Mogul: The Life & Death of Chris Lighty, Ossé chronicles the rise and tragic fall of one of hip-hop's most beloved and pivotal industry executives through in-depth interviews with the former celebrity clients, family and friends who knew him best. A collaborative production between Loud Speakers and Gimlet Media (Startup), Mogul is the first major foray into narrative storytelling for a hip-hop podcast. It's also the result of a cross-pollination between two digital media companies with very different core audiences and platforms — one known for producing personality-driven shows with in-depth interviews and loose talk for urban listeners, the other spawned from the public radio world where journalistic, serial storytelling is prized. The result is a six-part series that dives deep into the groundbreaking success and questionable death of a figure as instrumental to hip-hop's mainstream dominance as the stars whose careers he guided. More than an artist manager, Lighty was a street legend who "fought his way from the Bronx to the boardroom to become one of the most powerful players in hip-hop...."

Lighty's own transformation reflected hip-hop's origin story as the culture rose from the concrete jungle of the South Bronx, where white flight, urban decay, poverty and gangs left a void ripe for rebirth. True to his roots from the streets to the suites, Lighty would use the name of his former crew of hard rocks, the Violators, to brand his eventual Violator Management company and later, Violator Records. A shortlist of his clients reads like a roll call for hip-hop's hall of fame: A Tribe Called Quest, LL Cool J, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, 50 Cent and so on. Because he was of the culture, too, he earned a reputation as a manager who spoke his artists' language and translated it into monumental deals. But it's Lighty's tragic passing, ruled a suicide in 2012, that makes his story similar to so many hip-hop icons whose deaths remain mysterious. It also made unearthing the details of his life that much harder. With the first two episodes, Ossé talked about why making Mogul was such a scary endeavor, how he gained the trust of those closest to Lighty who were reluctant to participate, and what he hopes this narrative endeavor could mean for the future of hip-hop podcasting. - NPR (2017). Rest In Peace to Chris Lighty and Reggie Ossé (Combat Jack), two amazing brothers that the world surely misses as their impact continues to be felt to this very day. My heart remains truly heavy, but this series is a masterpiece in hip-hop journalism.

Dr. Octagon "Dr. Octagonecologyst" (May 7, 1996)

Change is not a thing that flows by itself, but a plant to be cultivated and watered with the care of a wailing soul. This is the freshest, most creative, forward-thinking hip-hop adventure to emerge from the bowls of US minds in years. On the mic is the psychologically unstable Kool Keith ('armed with seven rounds of space-doo-doo crystals') of the Ultramagnetic MCs, while the seemingly poisoned beats come from various underground producers and DMC Battle Champs, like Q-Bert and the Automator. If The Roots and Dr. Octagon aren't the most next millenium hip-hop joints around in mid-1996, I don't know who is. This is one of those albums that takes a long time, open ears and a full pull on a big bong. Who said he could go ahead and break every rule every written on lyrical delivery? And where has Keith been hiding these last three years? Kool Keith at his most off-the-deep-end state in recording history, but like Poppa Large says on "Earth People", I was born on Jupiter, New York and California - so is this fucking record! Intense, creepy, exhilarating and brilliant. A left-field lyrical first in the history of hip-hop. Warning: A frontal lobotomy may be necessary after your first listening. See if you can follow it. - Revisit Kool Keith's off-the-wall classic below...

The above is as accurate today as it was when it was written in 1996.

Cordae "Just Until..." (EP Stream)

Cordae returns with a slick little 4-track EP simply entitled, Just Until... Formerly called YBN Cordae, the Maryland MC features a really dope stand-out single with Q-Tip called "More Life," which I heard on the radio the other day (I don't listen to the radio much), or else I wouldn't have known this project even existed. I didn't have to look much further than that track to consider this EP a success... in my eyes. His debut in 2019, The Lost Boy, was (surprisingly) one of my favorite mainstream releases that year, so I'd consider his sophomore effort to be highly anticipated. I guess it's taking longer than expected, but if you're open to it, this EP will hold you over, just until...

What Had Happened Was "I'll Sleep When You're Dead" (Podcast)

In 2007, El-P released his second solo album I'll Sleep When You're Dead. In this episode El tells the story of creating this project, which he calls his favorite of his solo works. He details his excitement at collaborating with Trent Reznor and explains the stories behind tracks like "Habeas Corpses," "The Overly Dramatic Truth" and "Tasmanian Pain Coaster." Hit the archives for past episodes of What Had Happened Was, and listen below to more great stories from El-P. Props again to Open Mike Eagle...