Daddy Dog - 5th Period Detention

 Another Daddy Dog mix. Strictly classics on this and nothing you won't have heard before but its really well put together with cool blends and general nice touches as far as the mixes go. It's always worth having a few sets of the golden era standards in the stash...

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This is yet another one from the JPS stash and there's still more to come.

Daddy Dog & Doboy - D Day Volume One (1999)

Back to the 90s now. The tape deck hasn't completely died yet and so I managed to finally get the second side of this one ripped. Lots of 1998 underground indie biz on this one, mixed and blended as well as you'd expect from anything with the Fifth Platoon name on it.

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Original tape courtesy of Junior Pepaseed

Funkmaster Flex - Fast Lane Part 2 (2002)

Staying on the CD tip, here's something from Flex. This dropped in the Summer of 2002 when the Rocafella - State Property - Dipset union was taking over. Some nice freestyles on this one...

DJ Envy & Dipset - Bad Guys 14 (2007)

 

Having tape deck problems at the moment so its back to the CDs. This is a bit more recent than what I'd usually post (I say that, its already 7 years old) but the Dips seem to generate a fair bit of traffic around these parts. You've probably already made up your mind on whether or not you'll download this one. All I'll say is that if you're a fan its definitely worth getting...

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There's a few bits on here that I haven't seen elsewhere. Cam only features a couple of times but the SOS Band sampling 'Weekend' is a favourite, as is JR Writer's 'Xtacy' (mainly because it uses 'Moments In Love' which is pretty much fail safe). Its mostly a solid effort all round which is unusual for something like this. Also worth mentioning is that unlike alot of 00s mixtape DJs, Envy actually puts in the effort to drop the tracks in on time and sequence them nicely.

Debonair P 'Debonair Blends 10'

Very nice mix of mid 90s jams courtesy of Debonair P. The tracklisting pretty much speaks for itself with this one, although there's some good bits on here I wasn't familiar with...

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OBFZL Exclusive! An interview with Fallacy

 It's been a while since I did an interview. Recently I reached out to one of my favourite MCs, Fallacy who kindly provided, as he put it  "the most in depth interview I've given since I fucked off" (he left a major deal with Virgin 10 years ago and took some time out from the industry). Since debuting on Blak Twang's b-side cut 'Homegrown' back in 1996, the man also known as Danny Vicious has worked with a variety of big names in UK music, from Roots Manuva and Roni Size to MJ Cole and Zed Bias. With a unique and versatile flow that sets him apart from the majority of UK rappers of his generation, he sounds as comfortable on a UK Garage track as he does spitting on a straight up Hip Hop beat. 
Here, he speaks on his time in music from starting out in 90s London to his pioneering 2003 album 'Blackmarket Boy' and what he's up to these days...


What was your "Day One" as far as Hip Hop goes? Was there one particular track or event that made you start writing?
I saw Beat Street when I was a child in the early Eighties, about 6 years old or maybe a bit younger. The first time I saw anyone rap I was mesmerised and I took every opportunity to live for words that rhyme from that moment on.

Which rappers were you checking for back then?
 At that time it was people like Doug E Fresh, Slick Rick, Kool Moe Dee, then just before the golden 90s era: Eric B & Rakim, X Clan, BDP, Positive K, then further along Keith Murray, Masta Ace, Onyx, Wu Tang, Redman, Biggie, Smif n Wessun and Mobb Deep. At the same time there were loads of UK artists that I was rating like Ty, BlakTwang, London Posse of course. And then people that don't get enough shine for the UK golden era too like Caveman, MC D, Delirious, PLZ, so many to mention. I'm blessed to have come across and worked with a lot of these guys over the years. The late Eighties and Nineties wasn't just about hip hop, there was Ragga, Jungle and House music happening too so people like Ragga Twins, General Levy, and Merlin were also key.

What was the Hip Hop scene like in London in the late 90s? Were you a regular at nights like Kung Fu, Mudlumz and Westwood's events? 
  The 90s was wild, it was a hotbed for talent and there were hundreds of artists who were fresh, had a direction, wanted to be finitely British and make a mark. I was only young too, a lot of people don't realise that I'm around 10 years younger than most of the other MCs that were on the scene in London at the time, so at 14/15 years old it was a magic time for me. 

The Hop: Live 09.12.98

 

The Hop was a Wednesday night event held at the now legendary London nightclub The End back in the late 90s. Pretty much anyone who was anyone at the time in London played there along with a host of visiting US artists. Here's a 90 minute snapshot from 1998 with DJs MK, Shortee Blitz, Pogo, Bizness and Diablo dropping joints new and old...

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The club itself was based about 10 minutes from the record shop hub of London's West End where heads would congregate at stores like Mr Bongo, Deal Real, Wild Pitch and Uptown to network and cop the latest releases. I never actually went to The Hop - I lived outside London and none of my friends at the time were into rap music - but frequented The End regularly until it closed in 2009. It had arguably the best sound system around and hosted some of the most popular promoters from a variety of genres. Personal highlights include seeing Kenny Dope and DJ Spinna back to back (literally) on 4 decks at a BBE event; going to the Urban Takeover album release party with a pile of promos of my first and only Drum & Bass release to give to the DJs, and one of the closing parties where Mr C (the co-owner) dropped a 'Back To 88-89' set and had the whole dancefloor singing along to 'Promised Land' and Inner City's 'Big Fun'. I miss that place.