RZA ft Method Man, E40, WC, Crooked I & Jayo Felony 'We Pop' remix (2003)

"this is a Power 106 exclusive..."

I remember getting the promo 12" for the original version of 'We Pop' sent to me and not being particularly impressed with it. RZA and ODB on the same track with no other Clan members to bring a bit of style and finesse to proceedings wasn't really doing it for me at the time. This remix on the other hand, which surfaced some time later, definitely hit the mark. RZA enlists the stellar line up of WC, E40, Crooked I, Jayo Felony and Method Man to do their thing over the same beat...

The odd thing about this is that it's basically a straight jack of 'Bad Boy For Life', and like that track, its also produced by Megahertz. Not sure what the full story is behind that but RZA does take a sly shot at Diddy with his opening line. 

I've only come across the song in 2 places, initially on a Kay Slay tape and then on this bootleg 12", which seems like it doesn't turn up too often judging by Discogs.

DJ S&S - Take Me Back (2014)

S&S is still doing his thing. Here's a mix of 80s and early 90s joints he dropped on his Soundcloud page last year. Nothing you won't be familiar with but its always good to have something like this to throw on now and again...

GO HERE

Ron G - Back To School Shit pt 2 (1992)

Salute to Tobes for this one...

   STREAM SIDE A   STREAM SIDE B

Got a house move on the horizon (the first symptoms of the condition known as "record collector's regret" are surfacing) so may well be relying on high calibre donations like this for a minute. I'll try and keep things regular-ish though.

Freestyle Frenzy (2002)

OK, first things first: this isn't that 'Freestyle Frenzy' with all the classic WKCR freestyles. This is a 12" from 2002 featuring nine MCs (4 US and 5 UK), each one rhyming over a different beat produced by Joe Buhdha. Its just under 15 minutes long and features Masta Ace, Wordsworth, Canibus, Maylay Sparks, Scorzayzee, Skinnyman, Scorpio, Mr 45 and Rodney P...

DOWNLOAD

I thought I'd better drop something along these lines for anyone worried about the direction this blog was taking following the Ruff Ryders/Rocafella/Cash Money fest on the mix below. Relax, theres room for everything.
















(NB - posted this ages ago and just updated the DL link but for some reason it now shows as a new post)

Don't Sleep #8 Wan Cee 'Rememberance' (2005)

Thought I'd drop a UK joint for this month's Don't Sleep. This is definitely one of my favourite songs from that era, and probably one of the last UK rap tunes I really loved before that changing of the guard occurred and things switched up when the grime scene took over a for a minute.
I'm a sucker for a throwback joint and this is one of the best - nice soulful beat courtesy of the underrated Fusion, with that Crooklyn Dodgers sample in the chorus and Wan Cee reminiscing on growing up in London in the 80s and 90s. Air Max, Chipie Jeans, Champagne Jungle days.

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Video is kinda cool too. Got some burn on Channel U when it dropped but the track never quite got the props it deserved. Possibly because the hood kids were all checking for grime and the backpack crowd were more on that Jehst/Low Life Records tip and didn't tend to take to the more 'road' elements of UK rap because they were mostly middle class white students. Possibly.

If you like this and want to check some more UK rap from the same kind of period check my UK Bubblers mix.

For Don't Sleeps 1-7 go here

DJ Sourmilk - 1991

Nice mix of 1991 stuff by DJ Sourmilk...

GO HERE

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)

DJ S&S & Craig G - Back To School part 1 (1993)

Dope S&S and Craig G tape from '93. So many classics on here. Imagine hearing them all for the first time in the space of 90 minutes though...

        DOWNLOAD    STREAM SIDE A    STREAM SIDE B     

Been going back through some of the earliest posts on this blog and think I might re-rip a few of those tapes I was dropping back then as I didn't really get the whole fidelity/MP3 thing and most of them are at 128. Keep checking the Mixcloud page.

Q Tip 'Q Tip For President' (2008)

One more post before I leave the country for a few days. By the time I come back the election will be over and there's a slim chance we might have a new PM. I live in what might be the safest Conservative seat in the country and although my MP is one of the most disliked politicians around, he'll probably stay put given none of his challengers are particularly inspiring. Anyway, thought I'd roll with an election themed joint so here's Q Tip rapping over 'Eric B Is President'

I think this came out in the run up to the release of his 'Renaissance' LP (good album btw) when Obama had the streets on smash and rappers briefly showed an interest in politics for the first time in years.

Also, whilst having a bit of a vinyl purge I came across this remix of 3LW's 'No More' which features Nas and also uses the Eric B Is President beat, so here you go...

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May aswell post this up too. Always enjoyable although I'm sure certain purists caught feelings and considered it blasphemous when it dropped...

DJ Swing on Choice FM (1996)

Just came across another tape of DJ Swing, mixing up some R&B and Rap on London's Choice FM back in 1996...

DJ Swing - Choice FM (1996) by Djstepone on Mixcloud

Evil Dee on Hot 97 (1994)

Evil Dee in the mix on the station where Hip Hop lived once upon a time. Group Home, Nas, Dre & Cube all on this...

Evil Dee - Hot 97 (26-12-94) by Djstepone on Mixcloud

This was generously donated to the site by ya boy Barry 'Grime And Lime' Scott. If you're ever in the mood for some classic rap mix tapes by all sorts of DJs then go see him.

Also, there were some problems with the files for my 'Days Of Old' mix and the DJ Rectangle CD so I've re-ripped them and uploaded them again. You're all welcome.