One Be Lo "The Original B.O.R.N. O.N.E.S." (Album Stream)

"What happens when One culture takes over another? What happened when Christianity met the indigenous peoples in the New World? What happened when the Ottomon Turks invaded Constantinople? This picture was taken at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. Here is one of the Original Mosaics that was plastered over after Constantinople was conquered by the Turks. The Church was converted in a Mosque, and the name of city Constantinople was changed to Istanbul. In the early 20th century, the Mosque was converted into a museum and experts were brought in to remove the plaster to reveal the original art work. So what happened when Chief Seattle Bean One met Chief Pontiac One Be Lo? The history of this work reminded me of the music that I originally recorded with Bean One in Seattle back in 2006. The Born Ones (Bean One recorded Nahshid once Nahshid entered Seattle) is finally here. We started working on this album together in 2006 and then due to other circumstances we put the project on pause. While we both continued to record more music, this project sat on my hard drive until January 2016. I decided to uncover these original copies, for the world to see. Releasing this project during Black History month is symbolic, because here One Be Lo writes and records his own history. 80% of this project is the original recordings of 10 years ago. To keep the project relevant, I decided to uncover some of the issues being addressed right here in 2016 and beyond. This is what happened when Chief Seattle met Chief Pontiac, and now the Original Born Ones are reborn." - One Be Lo. Stream it below.

Gang Starr "The Legacy" (Mix by DJ Leroy Rey)

DJ Leroy Ray has compiled this hour-long compilation called "The Legacy." It features Gang Starr bonus tracks, b-sides, soundtrack exclusives, and cuts produced by DJ Premier also featuring Guru on the guest verse. It has been compiled and sequenced to sound like a full-length album. Although the tracks are not really rare of hard to find, it's a nice tribute to Guru, R.I.P. (Updated audio).

Squeeze Radio "Show Finale" (February 24, 2016)

"This is it. The last Squeeze Radio episode via 89.1FM and perhaps the last episode via terrestrial radio ever. It's fitting that the last episode was more of a family reunion than anything else. Each guest on this episode is directly linked to the Squeeze Radio show family, from Stretch and Bobbito who opened the doors to The Higher Up (whose producer happens to be Breeze Brewin's son) to Timeless Truth. All talented folks, all fam. 13 years. It's been a lovely run and we thank anyone who's ever been a guest, an intern, a listener, a friend to the show. It's been our pleasure to do this for you and we hope you've enjoyed listening as much as we've enjoyed doing it. From our family to yours we say thank you. We appreciate you tuning in and we hope you continue to do so when we return. SQUEEZE 'EM!" Much respect & thanks to Sucio Smash and the Squeeze Radio family. Salute!

Rawcotiks "Unsigned Hype" (The Source, 3/97)

"...Though it's safe to say things have changed since Tito from The Fearless Four picked up the mic, the Hispanic MC has yet to earn his/her well-deserved title as a mic-wrecka. A glimpse through the Rawcotiks' demo might change your perspective on Hispanic mcees/lyricists. Rawcotiks consists of two impressive vocalists: Jeff Valentino and Butta Lee... Each armed with his own distinctive style, and can paint vivid pictures of topics which range from currency to skills to the ever-present wack MC. As Lee's unpredictable change of style naturally mixes in with Valentino's diverse use of rhyming syllables, each song on their demo carries a different vibe - lyrical, hardcore, criminal or reminiscent: "I'ma continue the struggle / until it's time for the shovel to hit the earth / that's when it's time to disperse..." Representing Washington Heights, New York, these two mcees have the potential to retrieve much needed recognition for the Latino segment of the hip-hop nation... if given the chance. And it's a chance record labels have to take in order to experience the sound and feeling of original acts in hip-hop." - The Source (3/97) / Updated, check "Hardcore Hip-Hop," below.

Mos Def & Talib Kweli at Fat Beats (October 26, 1997)

DJ Eclipse has dug into his archives once again - this time pulling out some classic footage of the Fat Beats 1 Year Anniversary in L.A. on October 26, 1997. In E's own words, "All Mos had out at that time was the "Universal Magnetic" 12" (not including features and UTD). Once he brings out Talib Kweli, you can hear the early beginnings of what would soon become Black Star. Shout-out to the Beat Junkies and Skratch Piklz who also rocked that show." Hit the tags below for lots of other memories from Fat Beats, and I do hope the OG continues to bless us with more rare footage!

DJ Clue "Winter 1" (Mixtape, 1995)

Another one from DJ Clue, going back to the Winter of '95, competing with Doo Wop's scorching hot "95 Live" tapes that dropped around the same time. This mix tape is more heavy on the R&B blends, choppin' vocals over some classic beats, with some now-classics thrown in, as well. Ron G-style. You can hear joints from Junior M.A.F.I.A., Yvette Michelle, Total, The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, GZA & Method Man, LL Cool J, AZ, Mary J. Blige, Monica, Cypress Hill, Blahzay Blahzay, Groove Theory, Das EFX, and more. A nice cuffin' season type tape, dig into it below. Props, again, to DJ Step One.

The Roots "Things Fall Apart" (Rap Pages, 3/99)

"What is it about these cats that makes them shine through on any project? Is it the wordsmith vocals of Black Thought and Malik B., or the musical stylings of Kamal, Hub, ?uestlove and Rahzel the Godfather of Noyze? In truth, it's both. The two elements combine like hydrogen and oxygen to make a sound so fluid Aquaman would drown. On their fourth CD, aptly titled Things Fall Apart, they do, though not in a detrimental way. The Roots simply choose to travel a musically less familiar path - that of a stripped-down sonic mixture - carrying with them only the bare essentials. This minimalist approach is a new avenue for the crew, but one they maneuver with ease, ever careful not to tread lightly and feign a noncommittal stance. Things Fall Apart is an opus that gathers speed along the way, the whole while subtly introducing the impressive lyrical skills of Dice Raw."

"Step Into The Realm," a harp-based track, stops and starts like an instant-replay highlight shifting from fast-forward to rewind, while the cool-out vibe of "Ain't Sayin Nothin New" smoothly soothes. "Double Trouble" (a pairing with Black Star front man Mos Def) and the Hip-Hop ode "Act Too (Love Of My Life)" - for all intents and purposes "I Used To Love H.E.R." revisited, with an assist from Common - are both worthy tag-team duos. "You Got Me," perhaps the best joint on the album, sees the fellas reuniting with their collaborative compadre, the ubiquitous Erykah Badu. The catchy singsong hook and minuscule guitar loop will catch heads off guard. Thought not groundbreaking like Do You Want More?!!!?! or saturated with guest appearances like Illadelph Halflife, Things Fall Apart is a welcome return for The Roots." - Rap Pages, March 1999. Full review is available below.

Mystic "Fatherless Child" (Spin Magazine, October 2001)

"Mystic's mother found out her daughter had been raped in adolescence the way most fans will - by listening to her album, Cuts For Luck and Scars For Freedom. "It was never discussed," says the 27-year-old Oakland-bred rapper-singer. "I didn't want my mom to think that she'd done anything wrong." Perhaps not coincidentally, Mandolyn Wind Ludlum chose the nom-de-rhyme Mystic because it means "holder of secrets." Her stark, minor-key tracks tell noir tales of ghetto strife, as she alternates between tough-love flows and breathy, resolute vocals. She may be secretive, but Mystic has no problem sharing with the public what she couldn't tell her Mom. The confessional "Fatherless Child" ponders the effects of her dad's departure from the family. "My mother left my dad," she says. "He was a drug addict, an alcoholic, and a philanderer." Soak in the lyrics of "Fatherless Child"...

"Both on a hippie commune near Loma Lake, California, Mystic moved with her mother to Hawaii and Guadalajara, Mexico, and lived all over California through her teens. She started "wilding out" on drugs with surfers and burnouts in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Oakland. Then, at 16, a radical English teacher politicized her, and she found her calling in the spoken-word scene. She met reggae artist Jamal-Ski, who told Mystic her poetry was dope. "I felt I'd been given a gift," she says. "I kept thinking, 'If I die, it would be unfair not to do what I'm supposed to with my life'." In 1998, Mystic went on tour with Digital Underground, whose Shock-G (a.k.a. Humpty Hump) produced some of her debut. Sadly, the same day she a recording contract, her father died of a heroine overdose. "We had found peace," Mystic says of their relationship. And though he never heard "Fatherless Child," she says, 'When I sing that song, I know he hears it'." - Spin Magazine, October 2001.