*Originally posted 4/22/09

In 1996 Camden New Jersey’s, Krown Rulers dropped a second album,”Death Before Dishonor”. Why they waited almost 10 years after “Paper Chase” to release another album is a mystery to me…Regardless, the sophmore jinx scenario didn’t apply to “KR” because ” Death Before Dishonor ” rocked some heavy joints…

For instance, “Memories Of The Ruthless”, features Grand Pubah (now known as G-Law) narrating tales of turf wars, shootouts, and revenge killings..You can tell by the way he spits his rhymes that he wasn’t too far from the mix of action….

This is straight up raw Hip Hop with no apologies…

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You know it’s going to be a good year when you start it off with a TROUBLENECK BROTHERS demo….

Yeah troop, here are 3 unreleased cuts that you have NEVER heard before…BLAM,BLAM,BLAMMMM…

TRACKLIST-

1. Crime
2. Dodge City
3. Whatever

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When I first started HIP HOP BATTLEFIELD I spent a great amount of time dissing the cornballs, blowing the whistle on the fuckery, and venting recklessly about how Hip Hop was being overrun by perpetrators….

FFWD to 2014 – I’m still upset about certain things that surround this artform, but I feel it’s more constructive to shine a spotlight on the music that doesn’t get enough recognition instead of wasting energy and time on the suckers……Yeah, I’m still going to pull a few cards every once in awhile – but the MODUS OPERANDI for 2014 is going to be the same shit that I have been doing over here for 6 plus years: posting fly Hip Hop (past and present), graff, B-Boy shit, breaks, mixes, under the radar heat, Hip Hop treats, demos, books, a dash of Reggae, etc…..

Salute to everyone that has rocked out with me……I see you and I appreciate the comments, check ins, opinions, hatred, support and all that other shit that comes with a public forum….

ROCK ON-
D

SPECS ONE is a triple threat when it comes to this Hip Hop shit (graff,mics and production)…Back in 2006 he dropped the Original Space Neighbors project that had a few head nodders on it…

HIP HOP BATTLEFIELD TOP PICKS – “OSN THEME”, “THESE BARS”, and “OUTERSPACE”…

If you missed when NOW & AGAIN first dropped this, here is a second chance to catch a groove…..

A decade in the making, Soul Cal is the definitive survey of America’s best, independent, 70s soul-ensembles. Profiled within this album and book are the bands that transitioned from funk to disco; the bands that kept up the backbeat as rhythm moved to the backseat. Against the odds, they left recorded artifacts for we at Now-Again to dig out, dust off and restore. Collected here for the first time are the musical dreams of dozens, dreams that were deferred but were never discarded.

Soul Cal is presented as both a gatefold 2LP and a CD – both formats come with a perfect-bound, 80 page book….

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COP HERE….

Peep this very thorough documentary on the history of graffiti in Philadelphia, featuring interviews with Cool Earl, Kool Klepto Kidd, Johnski, Notorious BIK, MB, Kair, former mayor Wilson Goode, Jane Golden, and many more.

Over an hour of Philly handstyle goodness….VIA – R.O.

I was listening to RACK LO’S “Polo Classics” mixtape late last night, and it featured a solo song with DJ PRZM handling mic duties….PRZM was known mainly for his work behind the boards, but many are unaware of how nice he was with his bar game…..

RIP – DJ PRZM, gone but not forgotten…..

I recently stumbled onto a thread on the UGHH forums where people were talking about “GMV-2” being the album of the year….

Can’t even front, I was excited to see it up there because MF GRIMM & I put a tremendous amount of effort into the project, and it’s rewarding to see that cats appreciate our creativity….A couple clowns tried to chime in with that foolishness, but to be frank, I don’t give a flying fuck…

There are still a few copies left, you can scoop up the vinyl HERE…

PEEP….

GRAFH WROTE – “As a longtime Grimm fan, I can honestly say that the first Good Morning Vietnam features what might be the best rhyming of Grimm’s career. Dude just absolutely spazzed on that album. Impressed the hell out of me. Haven’t peeped the second one yet, but plan to do so obviously”.

GUMBY WROTE – These two Vietnam albums are fire…I just bought them off amazon for my ipod….Good shit…

READ THE REST HERE….

When I first heard “Inna Cipher” by the DOWN AND DIRTY TRIBE on a Tony Touch mixtape in the mid 90’s – I damn near lost my marbles….

The guy on the second verse absolutely tears the mic to shreds….

DOWN AND DIRTY TRIBE put out another 12inch “Trail Of Tears / Atrocities Of A Thug” but after that I didn’t hear anything else from the New Jerz crew, unfortunately….

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Seattle producer/ emcee/ engineer VITAMIN D is back on the set with a new collection of instrumentals entitled, “Hard Times”….I highly recommend that you give it some decent burn in the system…DONT SLEEP CUZZO..

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I have posted up a couple AROE & THE SOUNDMAKERS mixes in the past, but I was never lucky enough to track down the excellent PHILLY WRECK SHOP mix until now….

After taking one look at the playlist I’m quite sure you will fully understand that no games are being played, so quit stalling and grab this one up with a quickness…

TRACKLIST-

1 Aroe & Soundmakers, The – The Soundmakers Philly Intro
2 Robbie B & DJ Jazz* – Get Hip To The Real Thing
3 Another 1-4-U-2-N-V – You Gotdamn Right
4 Tuff Crew – Smooth Momentum
5 Cool C – Juice Crew Dis (Opsta Now Remix)
6 Three Times Dope – On The Dope Side
7 Cool C – Down To The Grissle
8 Steady B – I Gotcha (12″ Philly Mix)
9 M.C. Prelitique & Sweet – Another Lie / We Got The Right To Front
10 Von Love – This Is How It Should Be Done
11 Plush Bros. – Back To The Lab
12 Plush Bros. – No Gun
13 Ultrafunk – The Masters Here
14 3rd Dynasty – It’s Curtains
15 Larry Larr – Keep On Y’all
16 Hip City Swingers – I’m The Man
17 Larry Larr – Line 2 Line, Rhyme 4 Rhyme (Instrumental)
18 Tuff Crew – She Rides The Pony (Remix)
19 Roots, The – Boom
20 Tuff Crew – My Part Of Town (Remix)
21 Tuff Crew – Show ‘Em Hell
22 Tuff Crew – Attack From The Rear
23 Tuff Crew – Open Field Attack
24 Tuff Crew – Nut (Soundmakers Remix)
25 Mobb Sqwad – T.L. Back To Yell
26 Too Brown – Erie Avenue Is The Promised Land
27 Singing MC Breeze* – It Ain’t My Baby
28 Baritone Tiplove – All Hell Is Breaking Loose
29 Phill Most Chill – Damage
30 Another 1-4-U-2-N-V – I Am Chaka
31 Rock Hard Delegation – Just For The Audience
32 Ice Cream Tee – I Can’t Hold Back
33 Three Times Dope – Once More You Hear The Dope Stuff
34 Three Times Dope – From The Giddy Up
35 Lightnin Lee & Poppy P – Lightnin’ Is In Effect
36 Todd 1 – Give ‘Em Something Radical (Soundmakers Dangerous Mix)
37 Todd 1 – I Did It
38 DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – He’s The DJ I’m The Rapper
39 DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Hip Hop Dancers Theme
40 Singing MC Breeze* – Superbad
41 Jewel-T – I Like It Loud
42 Jewel-T – School Of Hardknocks
43 Phill Most Chill – On Tempo Jack
44 Steady B – New Breed
45 Steady B – Let The Hustlers Play
46 Steady B – Serious (Soundmakers Touch Of Jazz Remix)
47 Schoolly D – Saturday Night
48 Schoolly D – Put Your Filas On
49 Schoolly D – P.S.K. (What Does It Mean)
50 Philly Crew – P.S. P.S.K. (I’ll Tell You What It Means) Featuring – Mac Money*
51 Bizzy B (2) – I’m Stronger Than Before
52 Dominating MC’s – Knowledge Bound
53 Intellectuals Of Rhyme* – Seconds Of A Dope Rhyme
54 Mobb Sqwad – Flippin’ Keeloz
55 Tuff Crew – Wreck Shop (Soundmakers Remix)

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Even though it is currently freezing cold here in Vietnam, California – I’m still on some heavy tropical shit…

Pressure Sounds recently re-issued some rare material from Lee Scratch Perry’s BLACK ARK stash….You know the drill duke, turn the volume up, grab an ice cold Red Stripe, and catch a motherfucking zone…

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The Boiler Room is a mobile live DJ podcast that hits up various spots around the globe…This time around they bring AMIR (of Kon & Amir fame) to bless us with some potent selections….

He does bring some heat to the table, but I wish he would of taken the time to at least rock a couple blends (seems like a lost art these days)…Regardless, if your in the mood for some sample source material, rare grooves, and fly head nodders do the right thing and check in…

* Some of the cats in the background need to take a class on how to groove correctly…HAHA..

I’m quite sure you heard part one of DJ Muro’s highly explosive “SUPER FUNKY AFRO BREAKS” mix….Here is part two to help you get your mind right and exact..

Turn the volume up a few notches and prepare for heavy breakbeat turbulence duke !!!.

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Here is the second shot from the OC & Ray West collabo album “Ray’s Cafe”…
Be on the lookout for it’s release in the near future..

CHECK IN…