" Troopers On The Set "
Remember when you could rock Troop gear on the avenue without looking like some type of weirdo ?
I used to post up in those ill Troop tracksuits backday…Shit, I can’t even front, I had enough balls to wear a crisp pair of Ice Lamb’s to school one day even though I knew dudes would try to crack jokes…HAHA..
But once brothers heard rumors of the brand being run by Ku Klux Klan members, that was a motherfucking wrap for the Troopers duke. Even the most dedicated Troop enthusiast turned their back on the brand with a quickness.
A couple years ago I scoped out a new Troop jacket at one of those new age corny boutique type joints (You know what the fuck I am talking about)… I halfway considered copping one just for nostalgia purposes, but I came to my senses and realized that I can’t come off like these average “THROWBACK BROTHERS” on the strip …
Anyway, Sneaker Freaker caught up with Troop’s Design & Market Director Mike Rhodes for a interesting interview that you should peep…
" The Ill Cyde Vaults "
If your lucky enough to spot an original pressing of any Henchmen material you are going to have to spend a pretty penny homeboy…Recently I read about someone paying over a thousand dollars for one of their records….CRAZY..
Instead of trying to go the Big Willy route, you can catch a reissue for a much cheaper price with the good folks over at CHOPPED HERRING RECORDS…
Hip Hop Battlefield top picks…
“Brooklyn Bastards”…..Produced by Ticnology.
“What You Going To Do”……Produced by Ticnology..
“Da Henchmen were made up of a bunch of different MC’s hailing from all corners of NYC. They appeared around 1993 and 1994 as support act in NYC club venues for the likes of Doug E fresh, King Sun and Frankie Cutlass among others. They released an extended EP called ‘Beware: Lyricly Dangerous’ and a 12” ‘Watcha Gonna Do’ in 1994 both on Ill Cyde Records, which was set up solely to push the group. Contrary to mythology, there was no third single – but there was a different crew from NYC called Da Henchmen! Another overlooked fact was that two of the members, Ray Boogie and True Da Grynch (aka The Evil Twins) featured on Frankie Cutlass’ huge Hip Hop club hit ‘Puerto Rico’ where they shout out Da Henchmen in their rhymes. Apart from these minor nuggets of information, as well as the status of both their releases as hugely desirable Indy Holy Grails, very little is known about this grimey,underground Hip Hop crew from NYC. Chopped Herring Records hopes to change that”….
" Joint Of The Day "
Todays joint of the day has to go to the Bronx Bombers Showbiz & A.G. “In Trouble”….Another leak off the MUGSHOT MUSIC album that we are all anxiously waiting for..
" Let The Beats Rock "
Sometimes it’s nice to hear strictly instrumentals when your trying to get in a certain type of zone…
Debonair P lets the instrumentals breathe on this Hydra Beats Mega Mix (80 Beats In 80 Minutes) session which rocks nonstop goodness with productions by Godfather Don, Kid Called Roots, Sean C, Beat Nuts, and many more…
I had this mix for over a month, but I never got around to listening to it until last night and it instantly helped me get my motherfucking mind right…
I’m positive it will do the same for you homeboy !
" Daily Diggers Radio "
This 90 minute broadcast from Mr. Breaks for Days (Kid Dyno) is packed full of quality selections…
The first segment rocks a heavy dose of breaks that will force you to hit the rewind button…And for the last 30 minutes he brings some under the radar nuggets to the table…Don’t sleep.
" Drasar Monumental Wrecks The Remix "
The Double X Posse released a couple albums on Big Beat Records in the early 90’s (Put Ya Boots On & Ruff, Rugged, and Raw)….There biggest hit was the anti-gold digger anthem “Not Going To Be Able To Do It”, but the crew had some other joints up their sleeve that deserve attention as well..
For instance, the Lord Finesse produced “Money Talks” accurately describes the frustrations of trying to accumulate wealth in a “crabs in a barrel” environment……You can literally feel the hunger in Sugar Ray’s voice when he yells, “Nowadays it’s hard with no money to stay alive / some people might do anything, it goes with the will to survive”…..
So I decided to give the song the HIP HOP BATTLEFIELD remix makeover…
Instead of sticking to one groove, I switched up the beat several times to keep the momentum pumping…No keyboards, no kits, no cornball arrangements, just raw wattage blazing out of the speakers….Big up to everyone that appreciates how I get down over here……Take a listen trooper..
“Money Talks” DRASAR MONUMENTAL REMIX…
" Live From Union Square Steez "
I’m going to place you in a Hip Hop time machine real quick ya’ll, and transplant you all the way into the Union Square nightclub circa 1986….Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince go all out on this stellar 20 minute performance that has managed to age very well…
And for the record this is the full version not the one you hear on the “He’s The DJ I’m The Rapper” release…
Straight up B-Boy madness….
" Hit Squad 2012 "
Back in the mid 90’s I was lucky enough to catch the Hit Squad tour when it rolled through town….Redman came out with a Louisville Slugger, DJ Scratch donned a Jason hockey mask while cutting shit the fuck up, Das-EFX straight up killed it, and of course EPMD housed the entire set with a barrage of classic material…
Fast forward to 2012 and the hit squad patrol is about to unleash a bomb on New York City (I honestly feel like grabbing a flight from California to see this one)…
Anyway, Combat Jack recently caught up with the duo to talk about tonight’s festivities, Long Island, beef with Rakim, Hip Hop history, and all types of other shit……
" J-Zone’s Top Ten Sample Flips "
You kids have it easy in this day in age….
When I was coming up Hip Hop was all about secrecy….During the Pre- Internet era you had to be connected if you wanted the jewels to get passed down to you..All the way from the kicks to the illest new mixtapes, you had to be on your motherfuckin toes in order to be in the know..
Now you can click a button and find out the sample source of a particular record within seconds…..CRAZY…
Things have definitely changed, but I’m not complaining at all especially when you have cats like Large Pro, Lord Finesse, K-Def, and J-Zone going in….
” Ultramagnetic MCs – “When I Burn” (Next Plateau, 1988)
Producer: Ced Gee
The funny shit about this, I didn’t actually own Critical Beatdown ‘til 1993. I had Funk Your Head Up and The Four Horsemen first and then went back to get this. I always loved the “Cookies” break beat and I’d started making beats already, so I’d always try to loop it. But there was that loud car horn at the end of the loop that kind of threw it off. I heard this and lost my mind. Ced Gee chopped it at the snare and got the effectiveness of it as a drum loop and cut out the horn. Plus he piled all that other crazy shit on top. I still want to flip “Cookies” so bad, but I’ve never come up with anything that can top this. From the first three Ultra albums to Tim Dog’s Penicillin on Wax, Ultra’s shit has never been duplicated “.
" Thursday Rockets "
A couple weeks ago I posted up Calhoun’s “Dust Your Tape Deck” mix part one, now I’m going to splash ya’ll with part two to keep your Hip Hop morale up…
You know the drill : under the radar rockets, B-Sides, and remixes…
TRACKLIST-
Odd Squad : I Can’t See
The Future Sound : Bop Step
Raw G : Busykickinrhymes2therythem
Sham and The Professor : Coney Island
Tony D : Tony Don’t Play That
Mcm : I Got Soul (Trunk A Funk Mix)
Run Dmc : Get Open
Cypress Hill : Lick A Shot (Baka Boyz Remix)
Jaz B Lat’n : Set It Off
Strange Behavior : 2 Peas In A Bucket
Asphalt Poetry : Lyrical Decay
Undaworld : Fuck Work
Yaggfu Front : Slappin Suckas Silly
Lord Finesse : You Know What I’m About
Onyx : Shiftee Remix
Doomsday Project : Step Up Front
Freestyle Professors : Your Pocket’s Been Picked
Mc Essential & Awol : Bring It Up
Da Henchmen : What U Gonna Do ?
Black Madness : Wild Brooklyn Bandits
Greyson and Jasun : Livin Like A Troopa Remix
Legion Of Dume : Son Of Sam
The Hoodz : Pull Out Your Gatz Remix
Okey Doke : Who’s Da One Rappin
Apple and Orange : I Kick Da Flava
Born Discipline : Brothers Wanna Clown Around
2 To The Heat : Dance Wit The Devil
Funkmaster Flex & Nine Double M : Talk About The Green
Rahmel : Straight Out Of Brooklyn
Renaissance : Flyz In Da Attic
Finsta : Payday Is Bliss
Mc Cash : At The Drop Of A Dime
Double X Possee : Girls Be Frontin
No Concept : Help Us We’re Dope
The Runaways Slave : Booty Mission
Little Shawn : Keep Ya Distance
Ll Cool J : I Get Busy
Percee P : Lung Collapsing Lyrics
Rough House Survivers : Straight From The Soul
Red Hot Lover Tone : Gigalow Thing
Phase N’ Rhythm : Swollen Pockets
The Chief Groovy Lou : Ain’t Got Nuttin
Lord Ishawn and The Bronx Outlaws : Microphone Check
Crazy Sam and Da Verbal Assassins : 5 Boros
Del Tha Funky Homosapien : Ahonetwo, Ahonetwo Remix
The Hansoul Project : For The Niggas
Da Bush Babees : Swing It (Jazzyness)
Umc’s : Staten Island Comes First
Kaotic Style : Let A Nigga Flow
Money Boss Players : Nighty Night
Dougie Dee : Do You Wanna Ride Remix
Black Poets : The Hand That Robs The Cradle
Shadasious : Phunck What You Heard Remix
Fatal : Pass The Kronz
Kool G Rap : Hey Mister
Crusaders Of Real Hip-Hop : La Cosa Nostra
Gello Tha Hip-Hop Scholar : Unified Hip-Hop Nation
" Milkcrate Jewels 38 "
This past weekend I caught this nice piece of wax by the consistently funky KENNY DOPE.
“Rama Jama – Trooper Super Version” featuring the Mad Racket is the type of joint you play when your in full party preservation mode and you want to kick things into high gear…
Give it a listen, but prepare yourself for heavy turbulence.HAHA.
1993 Big Beat Records..
" For Those That Like To Groove, Part 34 "
God damn this compilation of scorchers (Brand New Wayo-Funk, Fast Times & Nigerian Boogie Badness) will put you in the right frame of mind….
Soul power, freak mode beats, and that special extra dash of African funk on deck…DONT SLEEP..
“Comb & Razor Sound launches its exploration of the colourful world of popular music from Nigeria, starting with the post-disco era of the late 1970s and early 80s.The years between 1979 and 1983 were Nigeria’s Second Republic, when democracy finally returned after 23 years of uninterrupted military dictatorship. They were also the crest of Nigeria’s oil boom, when surging crude prices made the country a land of plenty, prosperity and profligacy. The influx of petrodollars meant an expansion in industry, and the music industry in particular. Record companies upgraded their technology and cranked out a staggering level of output to an audience hungry for music to celebrate the country’s prospective rise as global power of the future”.
Tracklisting :
A1. Mixed Grill – A Brand New Wayo
A2. Kris Okotie – Show Me Your Backside
A3. Murphy Williams – Get On Up
A4. Joe Moks – Boys and Girls
B1. Amas – Slow Down
B2. Oby Onyioha – I Want To Feel Your Love
B3. Dizzy K. Falola – Excuse Me Baby
B4. Chris Mba – Funky Situation
C1. Bayo Damazio – Listen to the Music
C2. Martha Ulaeto – Music Alone
C3. Segun Robert – Big Race
C4. Amel Addmore – Jane
D1. Honey Machine – Pleasure
D2. The Stormmers – Love or Money
D3. Emma Baloka – Let’s Love Each Other
" Ali Shaheed Speaks "
Do yourself a favor and watch Mr. Ali Shaheed Muhammad drop extensive jewelry with the Red Bull Music Academy……Over an hour of Hip Hop history, nostalgia, production techniques, and all types of other goodies that will hold your attention…
TUNE IN.
Lecture: Ali Shaheed Muhammad (Los Angeles 2012) from Red Bull Music Academy on Vimeo.
" D.I.T.C Underboss "
These days I get so many E-Mails that it’s impossible to sift through all that shit without wasting a tremendous amount of time….While scanning through the inbox, I noticed that the good people over at “Slice Of Spice” are taking pre-orders for a Lord Finesse 7 inch (Hands In The Air, Mouth Shut/ Isn’t he Something Remix)..
Awww shit, I’m going to cop doubles ASAP on general principle……If your thinking along the same lines do the right thing and check in…
" Joint Of the Day "
Here is a sure shot heat rock from Gensu Dean’s “Lo-Fi Fingaz” project on Mellow Music Group, “Yen” featuring Roc Marciano…..Turn the motherfuckin volume up a couple notches..
POW.
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