Raekwon Defends ODB's Memory (Rock The Bells, 2006)

On the night of August 5, 2006, Steve-O attended the "Rock The Bells IV" Hip-Hop Festival in San Bernardino, California. The concert was headlined by the Wu-Tang Clan and the event was organized as a tribute to clan member Ol' Dirty Bastard (R.I.P.). While on stage with the Wu-Tang, Steve-O proceeded to show his affection for ODB by getting nude, tucking his penis between his legs and doing a back flip... while Ol' Dirty's mom was in attendance. Raekwon took to the mic and expressed his ill-feelings on the incident and threatened to knock him out if he didn't apologize. That night, a member in attendance shared more about the incident: "Wu-Tang was one of many acts to grace the stage at the show, and during their tribute to ODB, for some reason, STEVE-O from Jackass comes out on stage and embarrasses himself and disgraces ODB (in front of his mother no less) by doing a "dirty stunt" ... claiming that he wanted to do it because he was recently locked in the same jail cell that ODB stayed in at one point in L.A. county jail. Steve-O proceeded to pull off his clothes (surrounded by all remaining members of the WU and in front of an ODB painting) and tuck his 'ish behind his legs and do a backflip... Afterwards the RZA made a comment about Steve-O belonging in a Zoo, then went on with the show... but a couple songs later, Raekwon brought Steve-O front and center and told him over the mic that if he didn't apologize for the disgusting display, he would knock him out on the spot. With a trembling voice, Steve-O apologized to the Wu-Tang and ODB's mother, much to the approval of the crowd." Of course, there's video of the incident, and Raekwon later addressed it in a 2013 VladTV interview, as well, where Rae shared: "Rest In Peace, my brother... I was livid... My brother dead and THIS is what you're doing? And you got his mother there... Is you crazy? N!gg@s coulda bit his face off!" Rest In Peace, Ol' Dirty Bastard. Salute, Raekwon the Chef! Edit: the full video was removed after this post, but below is the portion of Rae talking to Steve-O.

Original flyer for Rock The Bells IV, 2006...

DJ Clue "The 4,5,6 Goin' For Broke" (Mixtape, 1996)

Right now, I'm revisiting DJ Clue’s 1996 mix-tape, The 4,5,6 Goin’ For Broke. DJ Clue set it off with a freestyle with Nas and Nature, then classics from Mobb Deep, Ghostface Killah, Lil’ Kim, Akinyele, KRS-One, Nas, Keith Murray, Capone-N-Noreaga, M.O.P., Raekwon and another freestyle from Jay-Z. On the B-Side, Clue smoothes it on the R&B tip with tracks from 112, Keith Sweat, D’Angelo, Monica, and Mona Lisa before jumping back into hip-hop with other cuts from Dr. Dre, Redman, McGruff, Big Noyd and more. I remember the first time I heard Mobb Deep's "Drop A Gem On Em," and thinking they came correct going at 2Pac. They pushed the song to radio and had plans to do a video, but then 2Pac died, and rightfully so, they switched the single to the title track from Hell On Earth. Nevertheless, smart as he was, DJ Clue front-loaded all of his mix-tapes with the rawest shit and set it off lovely! It was definitely a moment, so dig back into The 4,5,6 Goin' For Broke below... 

Insane Prophet "Brooklyn Zoo: The Legend of Iceberg Slim" (2017)

Brooklyn Zoo: The Legend of Iceberg Slim is a mash-up mixtape with vocals from one of the greatest MCs of all time, Jay-Z, and beats from one of the most influential music groups EVER, the Wu-Tang Clan. While it was uncredited on the CD bootlegs, the mash-ups were done by The Insane Prophet, who also took vocals from The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, 2Pac, DMX, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Lil' Wanye, Ghostface Killah and Ol' Dirty Bastard to put together this exceptional project in 2017. The following year (2018), he also released a project re-imagining Nas rhyming over the classic beats to Biggie's Ready To Die, aptly titled "Ready to Illmatic." These kinds of projects--when done properly--are a true labor of love, and this was absolutely done well, so dig into it below and look out for a follow-up post about that Ready To Illmatic tape when I revisit that one as well. Enjoy it...

Statik Selektah "Yeezy Duz It: The Sole of Kanye West"

To celebrate the launch of the Yeezy 450 'Utility Black,' Atmos USA enlisted the talented DJ/producer Statik Selektah for this special hour-long mixtape titled, Yeezy Duz It: The Sole of Kanye West. Statik does it proper mixing some classics together with rare versions and unreleased joints! In his own words, "The genius of Ye will be put on full display here and it's an honor, being a fan since the beginning to working with him in Hawaii on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. There will be special moments on this tape. It also brings me back to my mixtape roots when I would do similar style mixes for Nas, John Legend, Akon and many more." An excellent job by Statitk Selektah and the artwork is dope, too. Dig into Yeezy Duz It: The Sole of Kanye West below, and keep in mind, I have NO clue what the Yeezy 450 'Utility Black' are, but definitely cop those if that's your thing?

Brock Berrigan "Breaking Bad" (Instrumental Album)

Producer extraordinaire Brock Berrigan has cooked up 15 instrumentals for his latest offering, Breaking Bread. In his own words, "I tried to encapsulate the feeling of hiking canyons and the desert in solitude into audio form for this album. Put over a year of my life into this project and am very happy with how it all came together. Sit back and enjoy." Perhaps you can't relate to hiking canyons (or solitude lol), but you can feel these beats. With an exceptional back catalog of music -- many of which you can dig into in the archives -- Breaking Bread is another fine instrumental album. A little less drum heavy, but more reflective and smoothed-out. Artwork by Ian Klarer. Dig into it...

Wojavelli "Wojavelli All Stars" (Ragga Hip-Hop Mixtape)

Philadelphia's Wojavelli drops off his latest mixtape, a Ragga Hip-Hop remix tape entitled, Wojavelli All Stars (I don't know why). Here, all "refixes' are done by Wojavelli and feature tracks from Bounty Killer, Baby Cham, Capleton, Beenie Man, Funkmaster Flex & the Ghetto Celebs, Super Cat, Red Rat, Elephant Man, Vybz Kartel and more. Lots of dope blends/remixes on this one and if you're looking for more, dancehall-inspired tapes, dig in the archives or click through for several other dancehall mixes done by Wojavelli. While you're at it, check out tribute tapes for Mase, Fat Joe, The Beatnuts, Rawcotiks, The Alcehmist and more. All his mixes are critical, so listen to Wojavelli All Stars below...

Raekwon "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." (August 1, 1995)

Damn, where's Mr. T when you need him? This is the part where he's supposed to come in and bark, "I pity the fool who don't get down with Raekwon's shit!" If I were Catholic, I'd probably have to say a zillion Hail Mary's and another thousand whatchamacallits for being a nonbeliever of the might Chef's skills. But consider me born-again after tasting Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., his solo enchilada. It's banging. Who said that gangsta rappers are a West Coast phenomenon? Built builds an engrossing epic of cinematic proportions, complete with cocaine snorts, gun blasts, protecting the corner spot, sex-for-the-sport-of-it and, well, more gun blasts. Only this is all from a God's perspective. The dimension this adds to the proceedings is a dynamic one -- you get inside the minds of Lou Diamonds and Tony Starks (Raekwon and Ghostface's new aliases) and see the complexity of their plight (best exemplified in the astonishing "Criminology," the booming remix of "Can It Be," "Spot Rushers" and "Knowledge God"). Much like the main character of Cain in Menace II Society and Biggie in his Ready To Die odyssey, Rae is threatening, funny, calculated, arrogant, charismatic, talented, so on and so on. In other words, he's human and not some second-rate cartoon character posing as a thug. And Ghostface Killah, staying true to his name, is constantly lurking in the shadows, rhyming and shining on practically all of the tracks. The compelling, chest-swelling intro sets the stage lovely for the trip we are about to embark on. The talk of Rae and Ghost getting out of the game, as serene and sad music floats in the air, is in many ways the American dream personified -- getting yours at all costs. It feels like a scene right out of a movie and leaves you wide open for the incredible "Knuckleheads," a head-nodding jolt right out the gate. It cooks, as does the entire album, the best release from the Wu yet. Revisit the LP, cont'd below...

By the time you arrive at "Incarcerated Scarfaces," the concise and sharp rhyme schemes of the Chef ("I move rhymes like retail/Make sure shit sell/From where we at to my man's cell") have already proven themselves to be major-league talent. His words slice with precision, and the bloody mess is our enjoyment. The truly creepy structure of "Rainy Days" solidifies the RZA's status of auteur among amateurs as he orchestrates off-key singing from Blue Raspberry along with a nervous swirl of keys and sounds of children playing. The original Wu-Tang sound keeps growing (even if some of RZA's beats do sound similar -- but, hey, he has done five albums in the last two years) and has established itself as a driving force in Hip-Hop. Speaking of the family, fans know that the best cuts happen when the Killer Bees swarm together, and here we get four-star gems like "Guillotines," featuring the one-and-only Inspectah Deck (when is his album due?) and the Godfather of the Clan, the Genius, who always sews up these lyrical gang-bangs with words of wisdom. There's also "Wu Gambinos," which marches through toward the end of this saga and features Meth as well as Masta Killa (did someone say "record deal"?). Listening to cuts like these is reminiscent of the rush you got when somebody yelled out "Fight!" during lunch. And, at no extra cost, Nas Escobar, in top form, breaks the "members only" rule (you know, the "only Wu-related guest on the albums" directive) on the addictive "Verbal Intercourse." You also got the nastiest Wu joint ever, "Ice Cream." From the fly-on-the-wall details of the skits to the colorful descriptions of flashy gold links, Donna Karan gear and 9mms in the lyrics, Rae serves up a meal hotter than the watch on your wrist. The best shit of 1995 so far. - Rap Pages (October, 1995). I'll never get tired of this classic LP!

Big L "The Big Picture" (August 1, 2000)

In recent years, hip hop fans have become all too familiar with the once inconceivable idea of posthumous album. In many ways, Big L was to the underground what Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur were to the mainstream -- a fan favorite as well as an icon. Although his 1995 debut, Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous, lacked focus and dimension, his talent was evident. Over the next several years, L honed his writing and began to release songs, like 1998's "Ebonics," that truly reflected his cleverness and relentless flow. But when he was tragically murdered in 1999, it looked like his gifts would never be fully displayed. Fortunately, Rawkus has pieced together a collection of Big L's previously released classics and unheard new material, Born Again-style, as a final testament to his legacy. Featuring highlights like "Flamboyant," the Mike Heron-produced future classic, The Big Picture truly captures L's energy and rhythm. No matter what the beat, he remains in the pocket like wallets and car keys. Problems arise only on "Holdin' It Down": Despite Pete Rock's hot track, L's lyrics are poorly synced, and, consequently, painfully offbeat at times. Thankfully, the majority of the disc--which boasts such unlikely guests as Tupac, Big Daddy Kane, and Sadat X--shows L at his best. The Big Picture proves once again why he was the Most Valuable Poet on the M-I-C. - Vibe Magazine (October, 2000). Dig into the archives for more about this album and Big L. Rest In Peace.

The full review in Vibe is below. Rest In Peace, Big L.