Black Rob - Gun Hell (2001)

New tapes are on the way soon but it's been a while since I posted some rare or unreleased Black Rob (a year next week to be precise) so here's a song from an obscure 12" that seems to be comprised of tracks taken from an early 00s DJ Khaled mixtape. You might be aware that before becoming an internationally successful meme clown and playlist creator, Khaled was a credible club DJ and had some half decent production credits on songs that didn't feature 47 different rappers, autotune or Justin Bieber. His remix of Heads High by Mr Vegas is definitely worth picking up if you see it. Anyway, back to Black Rob and he's got a healthy amount of unreleased heat in his catalogue. Gun Hell sounds like it might be a demo track - like the Espacio demo the chorus is a bit sketchy - but he comes with his trademark thugged out wordplay and its a worthy addition to the collection if you're fan of BR (and you should be by now or I've been wasting my time).

Not sure if Khaled did the beat on this. I'm guessing no. This might be his first appearance on OB4ZL but let's not get carried away.

Shyne & Black Rob - Hot 97 freestyle (2000)

This has been sitting on my hard drive for ages and I've no idea where I got it from* but it made me realise that I miss the days of finding Hot 97 freestyles online and on mixtapes. Hearing BR do his verse from Let's Get It over the Keep It Thoro beat is a highlight. Full 30 mins above, freestyle (with DL link) below...

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*think it was off the Grime & Lime forum when that was briefly popping last year. Forget who posted it but as a significant amount of bits shared on there originated from this very site I don't feel too bad. Thanks anyway.

Black Rob - Smooth Criminal (Espacio demo)

The Black Rob rarities continue to surface on a regular basis. Once again this one appeared by way of Grime & Lime uploading this DJ Rampage mixtape. It's listed on the cover as 'Smooth Criminal' but what we appear to have is a demo/reference track for Espacio, which ended up being a single off Life Story. There's no Lil Kim on here but Rob does reference Dep and seems to rap a part possibly intended for him. The verses are different from the final version and in typical demo fashion, there's no chorus. It's another storytelling / heist type joint that BR does so well. 

Black Rob - Future Flavas freestyle (1998)

Always happy to come across a Black Rob freestyle I haven't heard before and that's exactly what happened on my drive to work this morning when he popped up in the middle of a Future Flavas show from 1998. Shout out to DJ Diablo for hooking me up with this and a bunch of other FF shows.

Black Rob & Poo Cabrocke freestyle (1999)

A Black Rob freestyle is always welcome around these parts so cheers to Grime & Lime for extracting this from Silva Sirfa's 'Fuck The World' mixtape and hooking me up. BR and Poo Cabrocke (no, me neither - the only mention I can find of him was an appearance on a 2010 G Dep album that I forgot/didn't know existed). He sounds decent enough and goes b2b with Rob over the instrumental of Pace Won's 'Step Up'.

As I mentioned in the post below, I was putting together a comp of Prodigy freestyles which I ended up posting up on twitter and a couple of forums the other day. I think they've all been posted on this blog before over the last few years but if you want them all in one place then here you go

Black Rob & Lil Vicious 'Rippin MCs' (1998)

Since it's inception, this blog has dropped more than it's fair share of rare/unreleased Black Rob tracks and here's another one. I can't tell you too much about it other than it's taken from a  DJ Avalon (no, me neither) mixtape called Laugh Now Cry Later. BR was on Bad Boy at this point but Whoa was still a good year away. You can file this one under random unexpected collaborations as he teams up with mid 90s one hit wonder Lil Vicious...



Sounds kind of like a freestyle but it had a title so they were obviously going somewhere with it. Big up Steve for sending me this.

This is only 2 minutes long so here's some other things you might want to check:

Ed Lover on The Combat Jack Show - this is brilliant. Ed's got stories for days. Well worrth a listen. CJ's interviews with Masta Ace and AZ are good too if you're a fan and have got the time.

DJ JS-1 - Sure Shot mix

Mr Thing's Pete Rock & CL Smooth at 25 mix

If you're into old school (late 80s/early 90s) WWF then go here 

Black Rob live at The Tunnel (2000)

BR doing his 'Can I Live' verse over the Deep Cover and Simon Says beats live at The Tunnel before launching into 'I Love You Baby'.
If there's anything in that sentence that doesn't scream "awesome" at you then you aren't wanted around these parts.

I want one of those Bad Boy jackets.

Rap Thangs That Shoulda Done Happened

  In the first of what might be an ongoing series, I thought I'd put a different spin on Your Favourite Blogger's Favourite Blogger's Unpopular Opinions posts. Its basically fantasy rap / idealistic thinking / me wanting to rewrite history.

#1 - Black Rob should've been on 'All About The Benjamins' instead of Sheek Louch or Lil Kim. Not hating on either of their verses but in 96-97 no-one's removing Biggie or Jada off a track so someone's got to bounce. That beat would've suited Rob down to the ground.

#2 - Ice Cube would've stayed in NWA, released 'Amerikkka's Most Wanted', appeared on 'Efil4Zaggin' and then left the group. This scenario ensures we still get AMW and 'No Vaseline' aswell as Cube over beats like 'Appetite For Destruction'. '100 Miles And Running' would have appeared on AMW as the posse cut ala 'The Grand Finale' on The DOC's album.

#3 - Suge Knight never bails 2Pac out of jail and as a result the beats for 'Ambitionz Az A Ridah', 'California Love' and 'Hail Mary' all end up on Kurupt's solo album, which features Daz, Snoop, Rage etc, and is to 'The Chronic' what 'Only Built For Cuban Linx' is to '36 Chambers'.

More as and when they come to me. Suggestions welcome.
I was lucky enough to be given a fat stack of golden era tapes yesterday. Looks like there's lots of treats in there so keep checking back as they'll begin to appear over the next few weeks.
Also, I'm on Kane FM tonight from 9-11pm (UK time) playing old rap music. Come join me if you can.

Kay Slay on Hot 97 (2004)

I recorded this on a trip to NYC in 2004, back when East Coast rap wasnt a dirty word. 'Lean Back', 'Why' and 'Breathe' were all in heavy rotation on daytime radio and G Unit, Dipset, Rocafella and D- Block were still forces to be reckoned with.
Here we find the DJ formerly known as Dezzy Dezz in the studio with guests Black Rob and The Alchemist.
Before showcasing Robert and Alan's new material (which may or may not include a still unreleased BR track - can anyone confirm?), Kay drops newies by Fat Joe, Lloyd Banks, Dipset, Jon Doe & Papoose, Frankie Krutches and Canibus aswell as that T.I. '99 Problems' joint dissing Lil Flip.

Kay Slay - Hot 97 (Sept 2004) by Djstepone on Mixcloud

Black Rob ft The LOX 'Can I Live' unreleased version (1999)

What you know about an alternative version of one of Bad Boy's finest moments with a different Black Rob verse? Hopefully the answer to that question is a blank stare and not "its on the Japanese import of 'Life Story'" because as far as I know this has never been put out there before.



BR's verse on the album version is a personal favourite of mine (especially that "my night time prowess in grimey after-hours/Karl Kani, Mau Malone wear, Eddie Bauers bit") so I wouldnt say this is necessarily better but I know The Internet is always down to hear some rare unreleased 90s business, so you can add this to the list of shit you done heard here first. If anyone knows the background on this get at me. I did tweet Rob about it but havent heard back as yet.

Tracey Lee ft Black Rob, Buckshot, Kurupt & Madd Rapper 'Evo 3000' (1999)

I only discovered this track recently when I found it on a bootleg 12" I picked up whilst out digging the other week. No hook, a heavyweight line up, and definitely typical of the posse cuts that were ubiquitous on albums and mixtapes around the turn of the century.
After reaching out to Tracey Lee he confirmed it's from his unreleased album 'Live From The 215'. I don't recall seeing it online before so here you go...

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Black Rob 'Permanent Scars' (2004)

I love this track. I was only made aware of it last year and recently Mike Nice has been kind enough to hook me up with the full length, untagged version. I was originally put onto it by esteemed blogger The Martorialist so its only right I hand over to him on this one...

Realistically, I only have 2 claims to fame in this internet-Rap shit : originating "Hennessey/enemies" 2pac jokes and being the first person to upload Permanent Scars by Black Rob to the 'net after my friend Bradley brought me the Kay Slay mixtape it originally appeared on back from NYC in summer 2004. I've since managed to lose the CD but, for the record, it was the same 'tape that Juelz's Red Bandana freestyle debuted and the 2 songs were mixed together as a shining beacon in amongst a plethora of shitty freestyles by Papoose, Grafh and J-Hood.

Permanent Scars, the original title of Black Rob's shelved 2nd album, ended up being rebilled as Live From The Eastside when it reappeared on Kay Slay's essential The Return Of Black Rob collection in late 2004 (which included many of the tracks recorded for the B.R album like Business Never Personal; probably the only time you'll hear a Neptunes production being used as a hookless storytelling joint) and it comes with some prime Rap-nerd trivia since Heavy D resold the beat to Beanie Sigel for Feel It In The Air after the B.R song ended up in mixtape purgatory, and Feel It.. went on to become a minor hit as well as one of the greatest Emo-Rap jams of the last decade.

Beanie's take is the superior cut, but Permanent Scars/Live From The Eastside is a mixtape classic and there are enough differences between the two songs that you can enjoy them both as separate entities anyway. Thanks to Mike Nice for unearthing this untagged version, although it's pretty weird to hear it with no Kay Slay bellowing after it's been a personal favourite of mine these past near-eight years.



Thanks to Mike Nice and The Martorialist on this one.

Kay Slay freestyles

Sorting through some CDs yesterday I found an old compilation of freestyles from Kay Slay mixtapes that I'd copped on a visit to Canal Street back in 2004. Here's the pick of the bunch...

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Tracklist
1- Big L, Black Rob, Puertorock & Bathgate
2- Cam'ron & McGruff
3- Capone N Noreaga
4- Da Ranjahz
5- Ghostface & Trife
6- Prodigy
7- Sauce Money

Royce 5'9, Sauce Money & Black Rob freestyles (1998)

3 very dope and some what underrated MCs here: Royce 5'9 and Sauce Money on The Wake-Up Show with Sway & Tech, and a Black Rob freestyle from a DJ Self mixtape. All 3 are from 1998 (I think)

ROYCE 5'9 FREESTYLE

SAUCE MONEY FREESTYLE

BLACK ROB FREESTYLE