Lord Finesse dug through his massive collection and dusted off some records for us.

Title [Lord Finesse Rare and Unreleased Vol.2 ]
Artist [VA ]
Label [No Sleep Records ] Genre [Hip-Hop ]
Quality/Size [44,1 @VBR 96,7 MB] Ripped [12-30-2008 ]
Grabbed from [CDDA ] Enc [Lame 3.97 ]
Website [n/a ]

Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t know much about the history of this album or the producer [Belief] but I stumbled across it and it’s dope. Not too sure why this isn’t around moreso, being that it stars some of underground hip-hop’s most heralded artists (C-Rayz Walz, Vordul Mega, Murs, Wordsworth and AG respectfully). But nevertheless, here it is; enjoy. Solidly dope album here.

What’s in a name? When you have a firm conviction of your own abilities, nothing seems impossible. Like Popeye needs his spinach, musicians need that conviction when they are doing their bid in that tough marriage of art and finance. But if you call yourself Belief, your own label Worker B Records, and your debut “Dedication,” stakes is high.

Belief’s credentials are a treasure every underground producer would cherish. Like most, he started out polishing his craft in his bedroom when he was still in high school. He was fortunate enough to find himself walking the same hallways as ‘beat Gandalf’ Eligh, and the more well-known mischievous mockingbird Murs. Belief moved to New York to further improve his musical skills at NYU, but never lost sight of his West Coast roots. He ended up doing multiple songs for Murs’ Definitive Jux debut “The End Of The Beginning,” but also produced for East Coast underground jewel Jean Grae. With an abstract style with firm roots in funky breaks, Belief wants to make the world believe people should take notice, and dedicate their ears to his Worker B beats.

“Dedication” should be the next step in that direction. The front cover of the promo pressing depicts the bearded Belief, flanked by his own ‘Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ Wordsworth, Vordul Mega, Murs, and C Rayz Walz. With an additional guest spot by Andre The Giant (AG), you have the cream of the crop, perhaps even an underground match made in heaven.

New Diggin’ in the Crates Crew! I personally haven’t had a chance to check their newest project; I’m sure it won’t be anywhere near the classic gems they used to drop back in the day but it’s really not fair to measure up against those. The goons over at HipHopDX with a review:

In 1992, Showbiz & A.G. released a song called “Diggin’ In The Crates” [click to read] on the Soul Clap EP. Joined by fellow Jazzy Jay protégés Diamond D [click to read] and Lord Finesse, the foursome were among the most versatile in Hip Hop, employing the ability to outdo most in the cipher, with a shared love of breakbeats and rare groove-based production. As the family tree expanded to include emcees O.C., Fat Joe [click to read] and the late Big L as well as producer Buckwild, D.I.T.C., an acronym of the song became synonymous as a link between Hip Hop’s fundamentals and its present day streets. Although individually, the group all has classics under their belt, the lone 2000 release and collection of live recordings, bootlegs and mixtapes have oft been two great singles surrounded by filler. The Movement may not be a sum of D.I.T.C.’s remaining parts, but it’s high and above the group’s previous false starts in the last decade.

Using the D.I.T.C. name alone may be questionable to purists for this release. Besides Big L, the Diamond D and Fat Joe sect is notably absent from the group. Although renaming the collective Wild Life was discussed five years ago, the banner remains as O.C. and A.G. hold down the fort. Even the controversy of the absences is addressed on “Time Travel” [click to listen]. Andre the Giant totes, “I don’t really care how small my crew get / Y’all care about who left, I care about who’s left.” Still, the autobiography of the group addresses all members past and present, in recognizing why the brothers united, and career highlights. Again, it’s the two initial namesakes that make “Energy” come alive, as A.G., a historically descriptive emcee, seems to have added a strong dose of arrogance to his influential delivery. Although this pair of singles would’ve been another acclaimed D.I.T.C. twelve-inch, it’s the reliance upon people like Ghetto Dwellas alums Party Arty and D-Flow and Money Boss Players where Diamond, Joe and L once stood that make this release blasphemous to some, if not a departure lyrically.

As he gave us a glimpse on 2005’s Street Talk before some kinks on Live Hard [click to read], Show is back in full force, behind the boards. “Boys Doin It” is a broken down Funk sample in the vein of late ‘90s “Whoa” or “Hard Knock Life” production. A loop or not, Show’s careful technique hints towards a man that made classics like KRS-One’s [click to read] “Sound Of Da Police.” Lord Finesse, whose polished production may be an even rarer commodity, drops in with “Time Travel” and “Air Y’all,” featuring an energetic Joell Ortiz [click to read], the album’s most impressive guest. As with the lyrical substitutions, over half the album comes from E Blaze and Drawzilla, with longtime affiliate Ahmed also chipping in. Again, one has to question if throughout the ‘90s rise to acclaim, D.I.T.C. would’ve tolerated any helping hands.

When Big L ripped his Hip Hop Quotable verse overtop Diamond’s stone-cold chop on 1999’s “Day One,” seven years after it started, every listener knew what D.I.T.C. was about not by telling, but by showing. Nine years later, “Time Travel” proves it’s more about telling these days. Production purists and enthusiasts for O and A’s mixture of weed, women and wisdom rhymes may appreciate, but the fire is a great deal dimmer. The Movement is hardly over and hardly week. Lyrically, the aforementioned duo provides more interesting rhymes of recent, but with a rumored collaborative LP due in 2009 in their own right, this effort seems to be another table cleared of strong material, patched together with guests and fill-ins, living in the both the shadows of what was and what could properly be.

Buy the CD here.

Read the rest of this entry »

What a funky release this turned out to be. I won’t bother you with too much details, if you’re into Soul / Funk-type albums then this is a perfect fit for you. 

15 years, 5 albums, and many singles after his debut release, Ubiquity is delighted to release a “best of” which includes previously unreleased materials, hard to find mixes, and the tracks which made Greyboy famous as the originator of a new laid back, sunny, jazz and soul-inflicted West Coast sound. 15 Years of West Coast Cool includes appearances from Sharon Jones, Quantic, AG (of Showbiz and AG), Bart Davenport (of Honeycut), Shawn Lee, Nino Moschella, Jeremy Ellis and others.

Andreas Stevens, aka Greyboy, born 1970, was the first artist to sign to Ubiquity. Freestylin’, his first full-length album, holds cult-status and is up-there with the label’s all-time best sellers. Not bad for a record that cost less than $4000 to make, and sold on an advertising budget of $0! He was a man in the right place at the right time. While the acid jazz phenomenon was brewing in Europe in the early 1990s, Greyboy became the first American producer to mix instrumental hip-hop with jazz. His chunky beat-making sensibilities earned him praise from the European crowd, and his tracks were heard by crowds checking out DJs like UK-based Gilles Peterson, Marcus Wyatt (LA), and DJ Smash (NYC). “When I first started making beats, I was making hip-hop. Since I couldn’t find MC’s to work with, I decided to try the jazz thing and lace my tracks with live instruments instead. That’s where Karl Denson and the Greyboy Allstars came into the picture”, explains Greyboy. Beyond recognition from the DJ crowd, music by Greyboy also ended up in movies like Get Shorty and Celtic Pride, The Kelly Slater Surf Pro video game, Budweiser commercials, and he was picked to provide a mix CD for DC shoes. Since the release of Freestylin’ he has released the equally jazz-based instrumental Land of the Lost and the soundtrack and hip hop inspired Mastered The Art, which featured musicians and MCs in a prelude to the vocal-heavy Soul Mosaic album.

Greyboy has recorded with AG (Showbiz and AG), Sharon Jones, and the Greyboy All-Stars (whom he helped put together and produce). Over the years Greyboy has DJ’d in Japan, Europe, and across the USA. He has played to 5000 people in the countryside outside of Rome, and over 20,000 people a night on tour with Ben Harper and Jack Johnson. 

Tracklist after the jump. Buy the CD here.

Read the rest of this entry »

Requested by my boy Ant, here low on the official mixtape series for the critically acclaimed anime series, Aaron McGruder’s The Boondocks. Anybody who’s seen a few episodes of the show has probably caught onto many of the social undertones and themes of the show (many which have carried over from McGruder’s comic strip by the same title), and his same anti-mainstream society motif shows up in the majority of the musical features on the tapes. Skyzoo, Talib Kweli, Tanya Morgan, Pacific Division, Jean Grae, Mos Def, Little Brother, Blu, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Tribe, Cunninlynguists, AZ, Rakim, Quasimoto, Bishop Lamonot and so many more. Do yourself a favor and at least peep one of these.

Read the rest of this entry »

Legendary left coast DJ and Dilated People’s group member puts it down on the third installation of his Duck Season series. Features several different indie A-listers from Little Brother, Termanology, Bishop Lamont, Evidence and Sean Price to lesser known cats such as Chace Infinite, Roc Marciano, Likwit Junkies, and Niko. Much like his East Coast contemporary Statik Seletah’s Stick to the Script, Babu offers listeners an all star lineup with equally praiseworthy production and where Statik may be a better producer, Babu is a beast on the boards. A pleasant surprise for anybody looking still hungry for a little bit of a west coast centric compilation after the majority of the past few month’s major releases coming out of the East Coast.

Read the rest of this entry »

So I’ve been talking about the release of this compilation for sometime now and it’s finally here along with two new members of the CTR team. As those who frequent the site know I did a search for somebody to help with the site since the original members (all of who are still affiliated with the site) have become rather busy with… well, life. Based on responses to several questions we sent out to everyone who showed interest in contributing, the two who’ve been chosen (as of right now) are LedD and Thedude… not familiar names now, but you’ll become accquainted with them in during the next few days, weeks, months and maybe years (If you were not chosen, but opted to participate in the new blog we’re planning on starting, you’ll recieve an email in the next few days… thanks to everyone else). Welcome them here and check the mixtape (pass it around if you like). Tracklist after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

I had this album in my first post for CTR, but I don’t think anybody read it. I try and get as many people as possible on to this album, so I have to throw it up again. Statik Selektah is easily in my top 3 favorite producers and his new album, Stick 2 The Script is at the top of my highly anticipated list.  Here is the first single from that album also.

Statik Selektah ft. Termanology, Saigon, & Cassidy - To The Top (Stick 2 The Script)

Enjoy that single, but seriously check out Spell My Name Right if you haven’t heard it yet. Some of my favorite production ever. Enjoy.

1. Spell My Name Right Intro (feat. DJ Premier & Termanology) (1:31)
2. Stop, Look, Listen (feat. Styles, Termanology, Q-Tip) (3:46)
3. Express Yourself 08 (feat. Termanology, Talib Kweli, Consequence) (3:21)
4. 6 In The Morning (feat. Joell Ortiz, Kool G Rap, Sheek Louch) (3:39)
5. What Would You Do!? (feat. Freeway & Cassidy) (3:12)
6. Make A Movie (Interlude) (feat. DJ Khaled) (0:45)
7. Bam Bam (feat. Red Cafe, Termanology, Mims) (3:07)
8. G Shit (Showoff Mix) (feat. Uncle Murda, Sev-One, Termanology & Jadakiss) (4:13)
9. Back Against The Wall (feat. Cormega & Royce 5′9″) (2:33)
10. Hardcore (So You Wanna Be) (feat. Reks & Termanology) (3:49)
11. No Mistakes Allowed (feat. Doug E. Fresh, Tony Touch, Scram Jones, DP-One, DJ GI-JOE, DJ Revolution, Esoteric) (4:09)
12. Interlude (0:47)
13. Punch Out (feat. Big Shug) (2:13)
14. The Good Life (Give It Up) (feat. M.O.P.) (1:06)
15. Big Dreamers (feat. Reks) (3:34)
16. No Holding Back (feat. AZ & Cormega) (2:49)
17. Got Me Goin’ (Hip Hop) (feat. Slum Village & Granite State) (3:22)
18. Time To Say Goodbye (feat. Evidence & The Alchemist) (2:17)
19. It’s Over Now (feat. Termanology & A.G.) (2:42)
20. Talk To Me (feat. Jon Hope, Reks, Skyzoo) (3:36)
21. Did What We Had To Do (feat. KRS-One, Large Professor, L Da Headtoucha) (3:39)

Read the rest of this entry »

I had this album in my first post for CTR, but I don’t think anybody read it. I try and get as many people as possible on to this album, so I have to throw it up again. Statik Selektah is easily in my top 3 favorite producers and his new album, Stick 2 The Script is at the top of my highly anticipated list.  Here is the first single from that album also.

Statik Selektah ft. Termanology, Saigon, & Cassidy - To The Top (Stick 2 The Script)

Enjoy that single, but seriously check out Spell My Name Right if you haven’t heard it yet. Some of my favorite production ever. Enjoy.

1. Spell My Name Right Intro (feat. DJ Premier & Termanology) (1:31)
2. Stop, Look, Listen (feat. Styles, Termanology, Q-Tip) (3:46)
3. Express Yourself 08 (feat. Termanology, Talib Kweli, Consequence) (3:21)
4. 6 In The Morning (feat. Joell Ortiz, Kool G Rap, Sheek Louch) (3:39)
5. What Would You Do!? (feat. Freeway & Cassidy) (3:12)
6. Make A Movie (Interlude) (feat. DJ Khaled) (0:45)
7. Bam Bam (feat. Red Cafe, Termanology, Mims) (3:07)
8. G Shit (Showoff Mix) (feat. Uncle Murda, Sev-One, Termanology & Jadakiss) (4:13)
9. Back Against The Wall (feat. Cormega & Royce 5′9″) (2:33)
10. Hardcore (So You Wanna Be) (feat. Reks & Termanology) (3:49)
11. No Mistakes Allowed (feat. Doug E. Fresh, Tony Touch, Scram Jones, DP-One, DJ GI-JOE, DJ Revolution, Esoteric) (4:09)
12. Interlude (0:47)
13. Punch Out (feat. Big Shug) (2:13)
14. The Good Life (Give It Up) (feat. M.O.P.) (1:06)
15. Big Dreamers (feat. Reks) (3:34)
16. No Holding Back (feat. AZ & Cormega) (2:49)
17. Got Me Goin’ (Hip Hop) (feat. Slum Village & Granite State) (3:22)
18. Time To Say Goodbye (feat. Evidence & The Alchemist) (2:17)
19. It’s Over Now (feat. Termanology & A.G.) (2:42)
20. Talk To Me (feat. Jon Hope, Reks, Skyzoo) (3:36)
21. Did What We Had To Do (feat. KRS-One, Large Professor, L Da Headtoucha) (3:39)

Read the rest of this entry »

I had this album in my first post for CTR, but I don’t think anybody read it. I try and get as many people as possible on to this album, so I have to throw it up again. Statik Selektah is easily in my top 3 favorite producers and his new album, Stick 2 The Script is at the top of my highly anticipated list.  Here is the first single from that album also.

Statik Selektah ft. Termanology, Saigon, & Cassidy - To The Top (Stick 2 The Script)

Enjoy that single, but seriously check out Spell My Name Right if you haven’t heard it yet. Some of my favorite production ever. Enjoy.

1. Spell My Name Right Intro (feat. DJ Premier & Termanology) (1:31)
2. Stop, Look, Listen (feat. Styles, Termanology, Q-Tip) (3:46)
3. Express Yourself 08 (feat. Termanology, Talib Kweli, Consequence) (3:21)
4. 6 In The Morning (feat. Joell Ortiz, Kool G Rap, Sheek Louch) (3:39)
5. What Would You Do!? (feat. Freeway & Cassidy) (3:12)
6. Make A Movie (Interlude) (feat. DJ Khaled) (0:45)
7. Bam Bam (feat. Red Cafe, Termanology, Mims) (3:07)
8. G Shit (Showoff Mix) (feat. Uncle Murda, Sev-One, Termanology & Jadakiss) (4:13)
9. Back Against The Wall (feat. Cormega & Royce 5′9″) (2:33)
10. Hardcore (So You Wanna Be) (feat. Reks & Termanology) (3:49)
11. No Mistakes Allowed (feat. Doug E. Fresh, Tony Touch, Scram Jones, DP-One, DJ GI-JOE, DJ Revolution, Esoteric) (4:09)
12. Interlude (0:47)
13. Punch Out (feat. Big Shug) (2:13)
14. The Good Life (Give It Up) (feat. M.O.P.) (1:06)
15. Big Dreamers (feat. Reks) (3:34)
16. No Holding Back (feat. AZ & Cormega) (2:49)
17. Got Me Goin’ (Hip Hop) (feat. Slum Village & Granite State) (3:22)
18. Time To Say Goodbye (feat. Evidence & The Alchemist) (2:17)
19. It’s Over Now (feat. Termanology & A.G.) (2:42)
20. Talk To Me (feat. Jon Hope, Reks, Skyzoo) (3:36)
21. Did What We Had To Do (feat. KRS-One, Large Professor, L Da Headtoucha) (3:39)

Read the rest of this entry »

I had this album in my first post for CTR, but I don’t think anybody read it. I try and get as many people as possible on to this album, so I have to throw it up again. Statik Selektah is easily in my top 3 favorite producers and his new album, Stick 2 The Script is at the top of my highly anticipated list.  Here is the first single from that album also.

Statik Selektah ft. Termanology, Saigon, & Cassidy - To The Top (Stick 2 The Script)

Enjoy that single, but seriously check out Spell My Name Right if you haven’t heard it yet. Some of my favorite production ever. Enjoy.

1. Spell My Name Right Intro (feat. DJ Premier & Termanology) (1:31)
2. Stop, Look, Listen (feat. Styles, Termanology, Q-Tip) (3:46)
3. Express Yourself 08 (feat. Termanology, Talib Kweli, Consequence) (3:21)
4. 6 In The Morning (feat. Joell Ortiz, Kool G Rap, Sheek Louch) (3:39)
5. What Would You Do!? (feat. Freeway & Cassidy) (3:12)
6. Make A Movie (Interlude) (feat. DJ Khaled) (0:45)
7. Bam Bam (feat. Red Cafe, Termanology, Mims) (3:07)
8. G Shit (Showoff Mix) (feat. Uncle Murda, Sev-One, Termanology & Jadakiss) (4:13)
9. Back Against The Wall (feat. Cormega & Royce 5′9″) (2:33)
10. Hardcore (So You Wanna Be) (feat. Reks & Termanology) (3:49)
11. No Mistakes Allowed (feat. Doug E. Fresh, Tony Touch, Scram Jones, DP-One, DJ GI-JOE, DJ Revolution, Esoteric) (4:09)
12. Interlude (0:47)
13. Punch Out (feat. Big Shug) (2:13)
14. The Good Life (Give It Up) (feat. M.O.P.) (1:06)
15. Big Dreamers (feat. Reks) (3:34)
16. No Holding Back (feat. AZ & Cormega) (2:49)
17. Got Me Goin’ (Hip Hop) (feat. Slum Village & Granite State) (3:22)
18. Time To Say Goodbye (feat. Evidence & The Alchemist) (2:17)
19. It’s Over Now (feat. Termanology & A.G.) (2:42)
20. Talk To Me (feat. Jon Hope, Reks, Skyzoo) (3:36)
21. Did What We Had To Do (feat. KRS-One, Large Professor, L Da Headtoucha) (3:39)

Read the rest of this entry »

What more can you ask for?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU9L1InZdKg]