Tim Westwood with Jay Z on Radio 1 (2000)

Jay Z passes through Westwood's Radio 1 Rap Show to promote his 'Volume 3' album that had dropped a couple of months earlier.

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Boom-Bap purists beware: Side A of this tape is very heavy on the Ruff Ryders-Cash Money-Bad Boy side of things, including a Puff Daddy & Shyne freestyle and that Murder Inc joint that uses the Rocky theme tune. It also features the very dope 'Queens Day' by Run DMC, Nas & Prodigy which is one of those things Nas should've snapped up for his own album (do you know anyone that bought 'Crown Royal'?).
The Jay Z stuff is all on the B side and includes the freestyle he did for Marley Marl using some old Juice Crew beats. I posted that an eternity ago so if you want it on its own GO HERE

Funkmaster Flex - 80s Hip Hop mix (1994)

20 minutes of Flex tearing up some 80s classics - Run DMC, Classical II, Biz Markie, Stetsasonic, Beastie Boys and Rakim all get an airing. This is taped off a Westwood show but was originally broadcast on Flex's 'Street Jams' slot on Hot 97.

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If you haven't already, make sure you check 7L's mix in the post below - definitely a few forgotten gems in there!

"I Was There" - exclusive DJ 7L interview & mix!

This the first of my attempts to broaden the spectrum of this blog and to try to put the music I've been posting into some sort of context. Hopefully it will be the first of many (or at least 2) features where I get rappers and DJs to speak on their Hip Hop memories and reflect on how it was back in the day.

Who You Be?
DJ 7L of 7L & Esoteric, AOTP & Bladerunners fame. I’m from Boston.

Tim Westwood - Best Of 1994

This was (I think) Westwood's first show on Radio 1, broadcast on Christmas Eve 1994. Nothing you wont have heard before but a great selection of tunes regardless. Add some slightly cringeworthy phoned in shout-outs and you've got yourself a fat tape...

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live on stage...

"never put me in your box if the shit eats tapes..."

Good Nas interview for Rolling Stone where he speaks on his memories from back in the days and taping songs off the radio...

Ill Al Skratch freestyle (1995)

This is taken from a Tim Westwood show sometime in 1995. Big Ill The Mack & Al Skratch rhyming over 'Shook Ones pt II', mainly because you weren't allowed to freestyle over anything else that year.

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J Grand 'Big In The Street' (2000)

I picked this up in Fat Beats on my first trip to Amsterdam back in 2000. Its a good snapshot of the era with a mix of major label and indie stuff. It also includes Camron's 'Gimme Some Head' which is the unreleased original version of 'What Means The World To You'.

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Mobb Deep x DJ Premier - DJ Step One blends

Been playing around with a few records this afternoon and came up with these two blends using Mobb Deep acapellas over some DJ Premier beats...

Mobb Deep 'Hell On Earth' (DJ Step One blend)
using the beat from Common's 'The 6th Sense'

Mobb Deep ft Nas 'Its Mine' (DJ Step One blend)
using the beat from Royce 5'9 'Hip Hop'

Soul Focus now at Turntable Lab

The good peoples at Turntable Lab in New York are now selling Soul Focus releases at their digital store

The label is based around party breaks and remixes, mostly with an old school Hip Hop feel - releases include our takes on classics like 'The Bridge', 'Let The Rhythm Hit Em', 'The Message' and 'Dope On Plastic'

BUY SOUL FOCUS RELEASES HERE

Funkmaster Flex on Hot 97 (1996)

I stay getting requests for more Flex tapes for heres something from February 96. Includes music by AZ, Smif N Wessun, Rawcotiks, LL and Mobb Deep...

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Original tape courtesy of MK

'Ready To Die - The Premo Edition' (2010)

This a new project from Jimmy Green pairing up Biggie's verses with DJ Premier beats. Cant lose really...

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If you missed it when it dropped, check out his 'What If Dilla Produced The Blueprint' set HERE

DJ Step One - 1999 to 2000 mix

Thought I'd take my mind of the impending return to work with a mix of some stuff from 1999-2000. This isn't a 'Best Of' that era by any means but do you really need to hear 'Simon Says' and 'Nas Is Like' again?

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Tracklist
Eminem 'Role Model'
Prodigy 'Keep It Thoro'
Cam'ron ft Prodigy 'Losin Weight'
Harlem World ft Snoop Dogg 'Cali Chronic' (LBC mix)
Pace Won 'I Declare War'
Lord Finesse & OC 'Ya Better Recognize'
The LOX 'Recognize'
Lil Cease ft Mr Bristal, G Dep & Busta Rhymes 'More Dangerous'
Gang Starr ft Total 'Discipline'
Ghostface Killah 'One'
GZA 'Publicity'
Marley Marl ft LL Cool J 'Haters'
Pete Rock & CL Smooth 'Back On The Block'
Q-N-C 'Repertoire'
De La Soul ft Redman 'Oooh'
Erick Sermon ft Redman & Keith Murray 'Hostility'
Made Men ft Big Pun, Mase & Cardin 'Deja Vu' (remix)
Juvenile ft Jay Z 'Ha' (remix)
Shyne 'Thats Gangsta'
Shabazz The Disciple 'Brooklyn Bullshit'
Black Rob & The LOX 'Can I Live'

DJ MK 'Volume 16' (2000)

The last MK tape I posted (Volume 8) proved popular so thought I'd drop another one on you...

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DJ Quest 'Butta Blends #3' (1996)

Happy 2011! Here's 90 minutes of blends, done the traditional way...

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