Been a while since I posted anything but not really had anything of note to share (mostly been messing around with acapellas on Twitter). My man at Grime & Lime kindly sent me over a couple of tapes including this Red Alert mix on Kiss FM's Mastermix Dance Party from December 1989 so here you go.
I have been trying to source more tapes - they are out there - but it's easier said than done. Hopefully someone comes through soon. If you've got some you'd like to get digitised get in touch.
Out of Eddie's collection emerges a healthy amount of early 90s UK artists on rap radio. Freestyles and live recordings taken from Richie Rich's Rap Academy and Max & Dave's show on Kiss FM, and Westwood. Rather than drip feed them I thought I'd gather them up in one big zipfile for you. It's mostly names you'll recognise if you're familiar with that scene although there is a couple of lesser known artists. This era is kind of a niche sub-genre of hip hop and in terms of the history of the UK scene its often overlooked in favour of the 80's golden era (London Posse, Monie Love, MC Duke etc) and the early 00s generation (Jehst, Klashnekoff, Task Force).
Essentially the dance music explosion of the 90s sidelined hip hop for most of the decade in England. I was going to go into more detail but this article covers a lot and is worth a read if you want to know more.
As for the comp, I've posted the two MC D freestyles before, and I think the Caveman one is from somewhere else (?) but the rest is brand new. Enjoy.
I've got a big soft spot for 2002 Hip Hop. There was still some good indie releases around, the UK scene was firing and the major label US stuff was fucking great. Here's Skully in the mix on late night Kiss FM, straight from the archives of the man himself...
Don't call it a comeback! Hardware/software issues seem to be sorted just in time for Lockdown II so I thought I'd kick it off with a treat. MC Serch on Richie Rich's Rap Academy going in for nearly 10 minutes over some UBBs and he sounds particularly dope over Got To Be Real and Dance To The Drummer's Beat. This is from around the time Derelicts Of Dialect dropped so guess 3rd Bass were in the UK doing some promo. Shout to Eddie, who's tapes I'll be getting back into over the next few weeks. Hopefully there's more gems like this.
Thanks to Brett from This Is For The Hustlers for the hints and tips on the new blogger layout.
Before Skully started doing his weekly show on Kiss he did a few guest spots on the station. This one from August 2002 is just before he represented for the UK at the DMC finals and came second. Here's 45 minutes of dope head nod hip hop for you...
tracklist
Jaz O - Love Is Gone
Masta Ace - Survival
Camp Lo - Glow
Morcheeba ft Slick Rick - Women Lose Weight (Alchemist remix)
Jazzy Jeff ft Baby Blak & Pauly Yamz - For Da Love Of Da Game
Chuck Chillout on the wheels for the Kiss FM Mastermix Dance Party back in (what I think is) March '88. Yvonne Mobley hosts while Chuck cuts up Rob Base, Kane and Public Enemy.
Another one from the Yoda collection. Uncle Red on Kiss FM, this time from 1990 and the selection is ridiculously classic. If you don't enjoy hearing Spread Love with a "45 King exclusive" drop on it then you might be dead inside.
Max & Dave's Wednesday night show from September 1994. On this tape you get part of the chart (and what a selection that is) and then the second half of the show (from 8pm onwards) is a UK special with tracks selected by the listeners. Full playlist is on Mixcloud, or on the Hip Hop Radio Archive where you can also download it.
Kool DJ Red Alert on WKRS in December 1990. Another one where I'm not entirely sure of the original source as I just found it on a CDR with some other bits from 2007.
Not one of my own tapes but I found it buried deep in the depths of Soundcloud and thought it deserved to be bought back to life, and this blog is the perfect home for such a thing.
LONS alongside Pete Rock and CL perform on Richie Rich's Rap Academy on London's Kiss FM back in May '92. If you want a good example of how record labels handled hip hop in the UK back then, Elektra had both groups performing at different venues in town on the same night. Top work there lads.
As you would expect from anything involving a young Busta Rhymes, this a lively affair with them hyping each other up and ad libbing all over the place. Classic material.
Haven't done many R&B posts so here's an hour of Steve Jervier on London's Kiss FM from January '93. The interesting discovery on this tape was the original version of Groove Theory's 'Tell Me' by UK act Rhythm & Bass, which it seems not too many people (on my twitter feed anyway) know about. Both acts were on Sony and it seems like the song was written by GT's Amel Larrieux. Obviously their version with the Edie Brickell sample featuring Brand Nubian is the superior of the two. Quite enjoying the Bryan Powell track on here which I vaguely remember from back in the day, and Wreckx N Effect sound slightly aggy on their tune, which makes me wonder if it's directed at Q Tip given they got into a scuffle at some point.
Guy - Dog Me Out
Wreckx N Effect - Wreckx N Effect
Artz & Kraftz - All Of It
Kenny Dope - Ramajama
unknown - unknown
Rhythm & Bass - Tell Me (If You Want Me To)
Bryan Powell - It's Alright
Force One Network - Sista Sista
Jeff Redd - You Called And Told Me
Intro - Love Thang
Tisha - Love Me Down
Jodeci - My Phone
unknown - unknown
Bell Biv Devoe - Gangsta
>> Chris Phillips' show
Liberty - Who Is She
Mary J Blige - Reminisce (remix)
Thanks to Mr Lawson for sending me this with a few other tapes. The 30 minutes preceding this show was the rap show with Max & Dave, which has me wanting to go and hear more of that Apache LP. Gangsta Bitch was pretty big at the time but I never heard the album. Looking at production line up including 45 King, Q Tip, Diamond D and Large Professor I figure it has to be worth investigating.
Kool DJ Red Alert in the mix on Kiss 98.7 FM back in '94. Like the other Red tapes I've heard, there's no talking (and even some of the drops are pretty quiet) but the selection is on point. I've taken a guess at the date, based partly on the 30 minutes of a Flex Street Jams show on the same tape. Liking that Markey Fresh track produced by 45 King. Not heard it before but going to seek that out.
Big Ted and Shortee Blitz drop tracks by Erick Sermon, Cam'ron, Jadakiss and Young Gunz, plus the excellent Bangers by Alchemist and Lloyd Banks. SAS and Mr Complex are the studio guests.
47 minutes of The Chubby Kids throwing down some heat on Kiss FM back in 2004, including new isht from MOP, Jadakiss, Nas, Beatnuts, Lakey The Kid, Yungun and Klashnekoff.
The man now officially rolling as Mysdiggi up on Kiss FM with Big Ted and Shortee Blitz back in 2004 around the time he dropped the Music Mystro EP. As you'd expect with these 3 in the same studio there's jokes and jams and then a big freestyle sesh with Youngblood joining him on the mic.
It's good to see Mys blowing up off the back of that Sainsburys advert, which has almost banished the memory of that Christmas shitshow they dropped with the horrific vocal stylings of Bantz4Hire cheese monster J Corden. Almost.
Shortee Blitz and Big Ted aka The Chubby Kids took over from Max & Dave on Kiss FM's Wednesday night Rap show around 1997. Here's 90 minutes from May 2004. UK veteran MC Mell'O' in the studio for a bit, and music from Nas, MOP, Pete Rock, The UN, Klashnekoff, Cali Agents and more.
