Tape Kingz #5: Tobes

 You may know Tobes from the dope Sparkle Motion mixes (with DJ Yoda) and as part of Blood Money (with DJ Dub), or for his work on Spine Magazine back in the day. He's also a mixtape aficionado and has contributed some of his extensive collection to this site in the past. Here's his top 3...

Doo Wop - Spring '94 (1994) 

To be a teenage rap fanatic in the Spring of 1994 was a true blessing. Looking back, I honestly feel so fortunate to have experienced it all. As consumers we were completely spoiled for amazing music on a weekly basis. This tape was a perfect snapshot of the time. Completely unskippable, every track a banger. Plus you had the Bounce Squad intro, and Wop hyping every song like crazy throughout the tape. I listen to this one every now and then and the memories come flooding back. It was an amazing time.      

Ron G - Mixes 12 (1993)  

I have every Ron G mixtape he put out in the 90s. This is probably my favorite along with It's On Pt. II and 187. Mixes 12 featured classic hip hop beats paired with various acapellas, everything from Tina Turner to Buju Banton. It was a big influence for Sparkle Motion's 'Mega Blends' mix which has Ron on the intro. He had the art of the mixtape blend down to a science. The opening Jomanda 'I Like It' / Steady B 'Use Me' blend is so cold. I would play the transformer scratch he did on that over and over and over again, completely mesmerized. It was so ill. Still is. I feel like Ron G never got the props he deserves. His R&B/hip hop blends helped shape the sound of 90's/00's R&B as we know it. Ask Puffy. 

Kid Capri - 52 Beats (1991)  

The fact that this tape was recorded live in one take just makes it so ill to me. When the records skip a few times and Capri jokes "ooops excuse that!" gave it that raw factor, along with tons of tape hiss. I miss tape hiss! It was all breakbeats, but it doesn't get any more hip hop than this. So many break mixes came after, but none were as good. It's a magical listening experience that every hip hop head should be forced to listen to!

BONUS! Tobes and I collaborated on the internet hood classic A Queensbridge Project a few years back which you should definitely check out when  you're in the mood for some early 00s QB raps.

Tape Kingz #1 : DJ 7L

 Mixtapes are as big a part of some people's musical history as albums, in some cases more so. They provided the soundtrack for memorable times of years gone by. That one tape that was stuck in your walkman for a whole summer, or played endlessly in your mates car when you were at college. The one you played so much that the songs on it don't sound the same when they're played in any other context. 

Depending on where you where from or what age you are you were probably all bumping different mixes. They might've been by local DJs, purchased on trips out of town or abroad, or recorded off the radio. They might've put you onto songs you didn't know about and never heard elsewhere and if you're a DJ there's almost certainly some in particular that inspired you or made you want to step your game up. 

The thing is, there's a lot of tapes out there and although most of the notable ones have appeared online by now, it's easy to be a bit overwhelmed and not know where to start if you're looking for some good ones to check out. With that in mind (and with no tapes to rip at the moment) I hit up some DJs of note to find out what their favourite tapes of all time are.

Because OB4ZL is taking no shorts in the Deuce-1 (remember when years had rap names?), we're starting the series off properly. Boston's DJ 7L of Czarface, Bladerunners and 7L & Esoteric fame. He's a dope DJ and he knows his shit. Here's his Top 3:

7L: I am sure if I sit and think there would be much deeper ones, but these are the tapes I played to death...

DJ S&S - Old School Volume 3 (1994)

 

I bought this on a school trip to New York. I just really liked the energy of this mix, and I remember playing it around the clock in my car for a good 2 years. It has the classic New York slam style of mixing and great mic work.

Doo Wop - Cool Out '93

This one I got when we went to New York for Rock Steady Anniversary for the first time. I got this near Rock&Soul. This was another tape that I remember playing for many years, had all the R&B I liked, and again the mic work and mixing was great. Mixtapes back then were like albums to me, even if I knew the music on it, if it was done in a cool way it was all I needed. I saw Doo Wop a few times back then when he would come to Boston, and live he was incredible. One time he was at North Eastern (College) and only had one working turntable, and still killed it for 20 minutes by using the mic and just grabbing records and dropping them. A fight ended the party early. Another mix that ties in with this is Biz's Classic Cuts - Theory of Old School

DJ Shame & Kool DJ EQ - Wreckord Fiendz (1994)  

Man..Shame's side of this mix is still one of my favorites of all time, it's just wild. It had the DJ mix intro, then his own remixes, with his own cut up hooks, plus an amazing selection all in a seamless megamix. Shame was very mythological to me back then, I hadn't met him yet, but you heard a lot about him from other DJ's, or from his name on the radio or his remixes. A year earlier he did Travelling Through Sampleland which is probably a tie with this mix as being outstandingly influential on me.

Thanks to 7L for stepping up with the first contribution to the series. I interviewed him for this very blog 10 years ago now. You can check that out here.

Doo Wop on the Radio 1 Rap Show (1996)

An hour long Doo Wop mix recorded especially for the Radio 1 Rap Show. Things start off with a Keith Murray and Redman freestyle (over Teddy Pendergrass' Believe In Love, no less) and its all good from then on in.

download at the hip hop radio archive

tracklist

Keith Murray & Redman - Freestyle

Busta Rhymes & Rampage - Abandon Ship

OGC & Heltah Skeltah - LeFlah part 2

Smooth Da Hustler - Hustlers Theme

Tragedy ft Prodigy & CNN - LA LA

Doo Wop - Freestyle

Fugees - Killing Me Softly

Uneek - Diamonds

Bahamadia - Wordplay

Paula Perry - Paula's Jam

Brandy - Best Friend (blend w/ Real Live Shit)

Yvette Michelle ft Doo Wop - Everynight And Everyday (remix)

Busta Rhymes ft Zhane - Its A Party

Lost Boyz - Renee (remix)

Lost Boyz - Freestyle

Mad Lion & KRS One - Double Trouble

Large Professor - Mad Scientist

Jay Z - 22 Two's

Rakim - New York To Cali

Shout to the legendary DJ Yoda for providing the tape of this one. He was good enough to hook me up with this and a few others out of his collection recently so there's more treats on the way over the next few weeks. Coincidentally, I recently posted the first part of this show a few weeks ago and was a bit disappointed to find the recording cut off before the mix started, so this was a nice surprise.

Doo Wop - Xmas Jams '93

DOWNLOAD

Another tape that I posted in the early days of the blog that I've just re-ripped at 320kbps. An awesome Bounce Squad freestyle session on the intro followed by Wop setting things off by shouting over the intro to Snoop's 'Gz And Hustlaz' is an all time mixtape highlight of mine. That was some goosebump business back in the day when I popped the tape in the walkman.

Tracklist

Bounce Squad intro

Snoop Dogg - Gz And Hustlaz

Erick Sermon, Keith Murray & Redman - Swing It Over Here

KRS One - Hip Hop Vs Rap

Jodeci ft Redman - You Got It

Erick Sermon - Stay Real

Shaquille O'Neal & Fu-Schnickens - Boom! Turn Up The Volume

Wu Tang Clan - Da Mystery Of Chessboxing

YZ - The Ghetto's Been Good To Me

Queen Latifah - Black Hand Side

A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation

Original Flavour - Can I Get A Hit

Das EFX - Freak It

Father - 69 (remix)

Rakim - Heat It Up (remix)

De La Soul ft Biz Markie - Lovely How I Let My Mind Float

Mary J Blige ft Biggie - Whats The 411 (remix)

Domino - Getto Jam

2Pac - Keep Ya Head Up

Wu Tang Clan - Can It Be All So Simple

DRS - Gangsta Lean

Das EFX - Kaught In Da Ak

Snoop Dogg - Gin & Juice

KRS One - Sound Of Da Police (remix)

A Tribe Called Quest - We Can Get Down

Erick Sermon - Payback part 2

Madstyle - Run

Original Flavour - Can I Get Open

Wu Tang Clan - Method Man (remix)

YGz - Ghetto Celeb

Doo Wop - 15.09.94

This was one of the first tapes I posted when I started the blog in 2009, but it was in 3 parts, with the first part of side 2 cut out and the whole thing was at 128 kbps. Here's the full tape at 320. Still not a huge fan of the Bounce Squad live bit at the beginning of the side 2 (not the most polished live show you'll hear and it's a bit shouty) but the blends that make up the first part of the mix are all fully on point. Classic mixtape business from a time when it wasn't just about getting exclusives.

DOWNLOAD

According to a comment on the mixcloud page this tape is also known as 'Sandy's Birthday'. My Tape Kingz cassette has no mention of that so I'll stick with the title on the cover...

Doo Wop & The Bounce Squad ft Sadat X Spring #1 Freestyle (1994)

Shout out to Steve who recently sent me a bunch of goodies that I'm still going through. Doo Wop's 'Spring #1' tape was one of them so thought I'd liberate this one for you. I don't think I've ever heard an intro to a Bounce Squad tape that I didn't like. This one is no exception: Lord Tariq and Snagglepuss bring it as usual and it's always nice to hear Sadat X in his prime.

Doo Wop & The Bounce Squad - Puffin On Blunts (1993)

Doo Wop, Snaggapuss and another member of the Bounce Squad (Chris G?) go in over Dre's Puffin On Blunts beat, taken from the intro of a 1993 Wop mixtape. Had this on repeat for the last few days ater copping the full tape off the ever reliable Barry over at Grime & Lime

Doo Wop & The Bounce Squad - Fall Flavour '94 (1994)

As I mentioned in the previous post, there's a few tapes I posted back in the early days of this blog that needed re-ripping in better quality - 320 rather than 128 kbps for starters. Here's the first of the bunch . A personal favourite of mine (and the first one I ever bought) that I copped on New Years Eve 1994 from Handspun Records in London's West End

DOWNLOAD   STREAM SIDE A   STREAM SIDE B

Things kick off with an intro not entirely dissimilar to Gang Starr's 'Aiiight Chill' with various NYC DJs leaving answer phone messages for Doo Wop. Then Biz Markie kicks a freestyle before the Bounce Squad get busy over a bunch of different instrumentals, which is always a highlight. The track list for for the rest of side A reads like a 'best of the mid 90s'  with joints by Craig Mack, Keith Murray, Pete Rock, Redman and Biggie but my favourite part is still the mix of The ? Remains into Mad Izm ("1-2-3 BOUNCE!")

The B side begins with a blend of Mary J's 'Be Happy' over Flava In Ya Ear, followed by Dogg Pound & Jodeci's 'Come Up To My Room' into some Big Daddy Kane, Black Sheep, Bas Blasta, Champ MC, Artifacts, Outkast and even Biggie and Ra's 'Cunt Renaissance'. I highly recommend this one.

(NB: Fall Flavour 94 isn't mentioned anywhere on the cover or the cassette itself and for years I called it Original Flavour 1995 so if you've got that sitting on your hard drive somewhere then bin it and get this instead)

Doo Wop 'The War Report Volume 2' (2002)

I dropped Volume 1 of this about 3 years ago and came up on this CD on a long delayed record buying trip this past weekend. Stand outs have to be the Boss Money freestyles but it's a decent listen overall as you'd expect from a Wop CD...

DOWNLOAD

Doo Wop 'True Blends' (2013)

The Bouncemaster just dropped this 36 minute blend mix on his Soundcloud page. New and old acapellas and instrumentals all mixed up 90s style...

GO HERE

Doo Wop & Tony Touch freestyle (2001)

Weird 12" time: The Diaz Brothers rhyming over a Neptunes beat that I cant place the name of right now. I think this is from an old DJ Enuff tape.

DOWNLOAD

Just noticed this blog is 3 years old today!

Doo Wop - Summer Jam Freestyles (1996)

I recently picked this up on a trip to London. It wasn't a good idea in retrospect with rain, tourists, shitty trains and closed bargain basements making it less than enjoyable. Anyway, on this 12" you get seven freestyles taken from Wop's 1996 mixtape, including Flipmode Squad, Fab 5, Smoothe Da Hustler & DV Alias Khrist, Ed Lover and Sadat X. The pick of the bunch (in my opinion) is Lord Finesse rhyming over 'I Shot Ya'. Enjoy...

DOWNLOAD

If you missed it first time out, my Doo Wop compilation 'Best Of Da Bouncemaster' is still up here

Doo Wop 'The War Report' (2001)

One of the lesser spotted Wop mixtapes, this dropped in late 2001 and features more than a few rappers who'd qualify for XXL's 'Milk Carton' feature (is that still going?). There was a time when Ali Vegas, Poster Boy, Dutch & Spade and Littles were all vying for the position of NYCs 'next to blow' but never quite made the cut in the ensuing Roc/Dipset/G Unit era that followed. Anyway, if you like your early 00s NYC Street Hop this is worth a look...

DOWNLOAD

Doo Wop 'Gangstas Paradise' (2000)

I've been meaning to rip this for ages as anything Doo Wop related seems to go down well round these parts...

DOWNLOAD

There's some great stuff on here, my personal favourite being Treach ripping it over the 'Keep It Thoro' beat, which serves to remind that a solo album from the NBN frontman could've been dope with the right production. Journalist spitting over 'Mass Appeal' is nice, as is Nature over 'So Ghetto'. There's also 2 Prodigy joints, one with him dissing Jay Z over the 'Hail Mary' instrumental and the other a collaboration with E-Money Bags over 'Phone Tap'. If you need any more convincing head for the Lord Tariq and Big Daddy Kane tracks.

Only Built For zShare Links presents: Doo Wop - The Best Of Da Bouncemaster

I've been wanting to drop a compilation like this for a while. This is a collection of some of the highlights of the career of Bronx mixtape king Doo Wop , probably the best DJ-on-the-mic and not a bad producer either. There's some great stuff on here, alot of which never saw an official retail release.

DOWNLOAD

Tracklist
'Original Flavour 95 intro' ft Biz Markie
'Xmas Jams 93 intro'
'Da Bouncemaster'
'Hit Em In The Head' ft Da Bounce Squad
'Bounce Rock Skate Roll' ft Da Bounce Squad
'Gotta Go Down' ft Akinyele, Lord Tariq, Fat Joe & Pretty Boy Floyd
'Freestyle (1998)'
'Things I Do' ft Don Blaq
'Ten Tape Commandments (revisited)' ft Rahzel
'Castle To Castle' ft Raekwon
'Henny & Coke' ft Mr Cheeks & Noreaga
'Not A Game'
'One Tape'

So you've got a couple of freestyle intros from his tapes (incidentally these are also the first 2 mixtapes I ever purchased, on New Years Eve 94, from DJ MK at Handspun Records when it was on Oxford Street) followed by 3 tracks from the aborted Bounce Squad album. 'Gotta Go Down' was the b-side of the legendary 'Break A Bitch Neck'and the 1998 Freestyle is taken from the Diaz Brothers mixtape (aka 'Hip Hop On Wax' which I posted here recently). The 'Rockcreek Park' sampling 'Things I Do' was a promo 12" taken from the Flip Squad album and feaures sometime collaborator Don Blaq. 'Ten Tape Commandments' is, as you've probably guessed, Wop's take on the Biggie classic and was a 12" release that has the Raekwon collabo on the flipside. 'Henny & Coke' is an East Coast take on 'Gin & Juice' and 'Not A Game' is from the 'Gangstas Paradise' mixtape. The set concludes with another remake, this time of 'One Mic' where Wop speaks on the ups and downs of the mixtape game.

Many thanks to my man dirt dog for coming through with the artwork.

Doo Wop interview with Unkut.com

Doo Wop & Tony Touch 'Hip Hop On Wax Vol 1' (1998)

Another mixtape-on-vinyl here. As you'd expect from Doo Wop & Tony Touch, there's some great stuff on this: Mobb Deep's 'Avirex', 'Friend Or Foe 98', Money Boss Players going off over 'Puffin On Blunts' and some dope freestyles. Full tracklist is in the comment section.

AZ ft Doo Wop 'For The Streets' (1998)

This a great promo only 'jackin for beats' style 12", with AZ flowing over the big tunes of the day...

Doo Wop - Live at Mecca (1995)

90 minutes of Doo Wop rocking NYC's Mecca back in 95. Party joints all the way of course. The recording picks up the crowd noise on this one so although it sounds a bit echo-y you get the call and response parts and can hear them shouting the lines when Wop cuts the sound.

[post updated 03/05/20 with full tape ripped at 320 kbps rather than 30 mins at 128. You're welcome]

Doo Wop, Akinyele, Fat Joe, Lord Tariq & Pretty Boy Floyd 'Gotta Go Down' (1995)

OK, so I didn't just drop a 4 figure sum on the Hip Hop collector's Holy Grail, but £3 did just get me a bootleg 12" that includes the b-side which did the rounds on the mixtapes back in the day...

Doo Wop - 15.09.94 (Part 3)

By popular demand (seriously!), I've finally got round to ripping the rest of this tape.
Following the blends and old school on Side A, here's the 'new' part of the tape that made up the B side. I'll post up the tracklist in the comments section.

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD PARTS 1, 2 & 3

I've actually cut the first part off. Its the Bounce Squad performing live somewhere but the sound is fucked so its basically 15 minutes of them shouting, dissing the soundman and occasionally rhyming. Quality on it isnt great but I'm gonna try and salvage the Snagglepuss freestyle.


I'm trying out mediafire as a replacement for zShare. Let me know if there's any issues.


ALSO
Good interview with DJ Riz by 7L HERE. He's also blessed you with the legendary mix Riz did for Tim Westwood back in 94.