Demo-lition

 

Yesterday there was a lot of buzz around the web about this awesome mixtape from Rock Steady DJ, JS-1. It’s 3 hours of demo’s from major artists, most of which were big in the 1990’s. Don’t get me wrong, the line up looks stellar and there are quite a few that I’m eager to hear, but when you take a minute to consider some of these joints, I’m not convinced they are all true demo’s.

For example, we know from many different stories how Eric B & Rakim’s early material came to be, and there certainly wasn’t a Rakim demo tape kicking around. So what I think we really have here is a collection of tracks that are either cuts that didn’t make the album, unused remixes, or early versions before they were fully mixed down etc, with a few demos thrown in for good measure.

Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t make the mix any less interesting (in fact it probably makes it better as demo tapes can, understandably, sound very amateurish), but it’s good to keep things in perspective. I’ve included the full track list after the jump, along with the download link.

And if hearing a demo from your favourite golden era artist is your kind of thing, keep an eye out over the next few weeks as I’ll be posting 30 more demo tracks, and this time they will be the proper original demo tapes!

Mike Check.

Blogwatch - May 2011

Like most hip hop bloggers, I keep an eye on a number of other blogs to feed my own interests and to ensure that our standards are up there with the very best of ‘em. Every now and then I stumble across something that is so good I feel the need to share it with you, but the reality is I never actually get round to it. But all that is about to change, as I bring to you a monthly update showcasing the best that other blogs have to offer.

The month of May has been pretty good to me with plenty of interesting finds. Here is the cream of the crop:

Lord Finesse Interview
The Funky Man reflects on the historic battle between him and Percee P in 1989, but what makes this great interview even more amazing is that the battle was filmed and the footage is at the end of the interview. Enjoy some rare and classic history. Thanks to Thun for finding this little gem.
http://www.egotripland.com/interview-lord-finesse/

Mike Allen interview
If you grew up listening to hip hop in the UK in the 1980’s then the name Mike Allen should be familiar to you. Mike was like an John Peel of hip hop and kind of like the complete opposite of Tim Westwood! He did so much to bring the music to the masses at a time when nobody was playing it. You simply must read this interview he did with The Essex Rockerz, he’s a legend.
 http://www.stylewarrior.co.uk/pdf/MikeAlleninterview.pdf

Also, check out http://old-school-hiphop-tapes.blogspot.com where you can find many old tapes of Mike Allen from the mid 1980’s along with a 3 hour recording from Fresh ‘86. Plus there’s plenty of other good stuff on this blog if old tapes is your kind of thing.

DJ JS1 Guru Tribute
One year on from Guru’s death and JS1 (Rock Steady DJ) has done a tribute mix. Also check out the links to JS1’s blog where you can get free downloads of his mix tapes.
http://www.thetroyblog.com/2011/05/07/dj-js1-one-of-the-best-yet-guru-tribute-mix/

Kool G Rap Interview
I’ve already pointed you to this interview in one of my earlier posts, but if you haven’t read it yet then here is a gentle reminder to do so!
http://wernervonwallenrod.blogspot.com/2011/05/competive-spirit-kool-g-rap-interview.html

New Blog
For those who are still mourning the end of the brilliant Underground Strikes Back blog, fear not, a replacement has arisen from the ashes. Check out http://pieandears.blogspot.com for your fix of B-boy and graffiti related content, but this time it comes with an injection of comical additives too!


Hopefully that little lot should keep you busy for a while (it did me!).  If you spot any great interviews, rare mixtapes, or anything else that is interesting then shout up and we'll add it to next months update.
 
Peace.