A Prince & A Pharoahe

Boof baf, here is, the latest round up of freshness from around the interwebz.  There's always a lack of new releases early in the year, and 2014 has been no exception, but history shows that by March/April things start to hot up and there's usually something that looks promising.  See what you think.

Dropping Diamonds

As Diamond D gets ready to drop his new LP The Diam Piece he hits us off with the first video, a collaboration with Pharoahe Monch entitled Rap Life.  Both of them are on top form with Monch sounding effortless over Diamond's production.  The video was directed by Deacon The Villian from Cunninglynguists.

B-Boy Stance

O.C. has just dropped this track on a limited edition 7".  It's as fresh as a newly laid egg, with O.C. reminiscing about the golden era of hip hop, but rather frustratingly there is little more information about it.  Even the website where you can purchase the vinyl doesn't bother to list what else you might, so we'll have to assume its a double A side of the same track and there's nothing more to come!

Ain't Saying Something

It's an observation that many artists have already made, but J-Live's stab at wack emcees with nothing to say takes a slightly different angle as he guns for the ones with dope sounding tracks, but when you scratch beneath the surface...

Probably The Greatest (Hip Hop) Concept Album

Prince Paul's classic LP A Prince Amongst Thieves is now 15 years old, but it still sounds as good today as it did back in 1999.  And  looking back, it's surprising that it wasn't more of a launch pad for Breeze Brewin to go on do much bigger things.
Well, Breeze recently took time out to inform Red Bull Music Academy of some of the history behind the album, including Prince Paul's original intention of having Chino XL in the other lead role!

http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/breeze-brewin-interview

Ace & Perry On Rap City

Skimming through some of my old VHS rips, I spotted this old episode of Rap City from 1994 that was hosted by Masta Ace and Paula Perry.  This is Ace from the Born to Roll era of his career, and seeing this made reminded me just how much Ace has adapted over the last two decades.

First off, he talks about the careers that are about to launch for each member of his INC crew (which clearly never materialised!), you also get to smirk at Paula Perry's hair (which could never be considered a good look in any era), and Ace empties his backpack to let the viewers see what random items he travels with, which is slightly bizarre.  A thousand guesses wouldn't provide the answers, but look out for the super size Madden '94 cartridge and some skin cream! Props to Masta Ace for keeping it real since day one.

Re-educated

What might you have missed from around the web this month?  Well, there is sure to be something here that will spark your interest.  There's a strong sense of history in this months review, but don't overlook the last item which will certain lighten your mood?

Who Used That?

Most of the samples in this video aren't that difficult to decipher, but that's not really the point.  This little clip is a really effective way of pulling together over 50 years of sampling in just 3 minutes.  I could have watched another 10 minutes, its good stuff.

Live From The Shed

If you haven't come across the Hot Butter Soul Music Archaeology (HBSMA) chaps or their numerous video blogs before then you've been missing out.  They've had several notable artists pass through their shed (yes, you read that correctly!) to discuss breakbeats, influences, music history and plenty more. 
Don't let the no frills accommodation and countryside attire put you off though, these guys know their stuff and are great to watch.  This month they had M.C.M. of Caveman pass through, who talked about the rise and fall of Caveman, his musical influences, and he brought along some breaks from his personal collection to share. 

9th Wonder Goes Back to School

Oh boy, watch this and just wonder what your further education choices would have been like, if this type of course had been available 20+ years ago!  This is just the trailer for a full length documentary on 9th Wonder's tenure at Harvard University teaching The Standards of Hip Hop.  This is some serious shit when academic institutions are recognising the significance and importance of hip hop culture and want to explore it's history, long may it continue.
Further information on the documentary and other artists becoming involved can be found on their website - http://thehiphopfellow.com/

Tap the bottle and... blow across the top!?!?!

So let's end this review on a lighter note.  I think I've seen everything now!  No explanation is needed, just hit play and watch something that raises more questions than it answers, but is damned clever too.  Oh, and its more fun to look away from the screen and guess the tunes.

Yo! International - UK

When the Saturday edition of Yo! MTV Raps used to air, when Fab 5 Freddy was the host, he toured a variety of locations to meet rappers, usually in their home town or on the location of a video shoot.  On one of those occassions, the MTV budget stretched a little further than usual and they paid for Freddy to grace the shores of the UK and present this edition of the series.

I would love to know the reasoning behind the selection of artists for this particular show.  MTV had shown the London Posse some love and previously played several of their videos, but to present Black Radcal Mk II to the international stage was a surprise to me.  I'm not saying they shouldn't have been there as they'd put out a lot of good material at the time, but in the early 90's there were so many excellent and successful artists in the UK, I just feel some others should also have been given a chance to shine and better represent the UK's hip hop diversity.  On the up side, it's was great to see MTV recognise some of the more underground groups.

Nevertheless, this little selection of interviews is still interesting and it's great that MTV took the time to explore hip hop beyond the US.

A Nice Interview Pete

Following on from last weeks footage of the 3rd Bass reunion gig, I thought some of you might like this.  

If you appreciated 3^rd Bass in their heyday and have half an hour to kill, then let me recommend this excellent interview with the Pete Nice to mark the 20 year anniversary of his solo album Dust to Dust. The interviewer, Ryan Proctor, really gets into the detail during his extensive chat with rap’s Prime Minister, and uncovers a wealth of interesting history. Pete really opens up and reflects on the formation of 3^rd Bass, the origins of the MC Hammer beef (which was several years before either artist were really famous), their verbal attacks on the Beastie Boys, who their original DJ was (before Daddy Rich), the affiliate who coined the term ‘Gas Face’ and plenty more besides. This is one of those rare interviews that most artists never give.

http://oldtothenew.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/old-to-the-new-qa-prime-minister-pete-nice-part-one/

Long time followers of FoaWP will probably remember that 2 years ago I posted an incredible MC Serch interview that the P Brothers had conducted back in 2003. That interview gave by far the best insight into 3^rd Bass’ history, and this interview with Pete Nice is the perfect compliment to it, providing the counter balance that it deserves.  If you haven't read the Serch interview, I highly recommend it as it's just as compelling 10 years later and goes over the history of Nas, O.C., Non Phixion etc.

What do you ask god?

It's been an interesting month on the internet.  Aside the drama around Tim Dog's supposedly fake death, and the passing of one half of Kris Kross, there's also been some retro goodness.  Here we go....

The Microphone Master

The Red Bull Music Academy has been consistently representing good hip hop for a few years now, but now they bring us nearly 2 hours of discussion with hip hop's greatest emcee.  I don't think I need say any more, let Ra do the talking.

NYC Live Throw Down: 1979-1985

Just take another look at that image!  26 hours!!!  Props to Janka-man for sharing this.  It turned up on one of the best websites there is for finding obscure and out of print records.  I'd never seen it before, so I'm assuming many of you won't have either.  Here's the description:

Over 1 full day (33 live performances) of vintage and official live throwdowns, spanning from 1979 to 1985.  New York City's original school together in one complete set.  This collector's set includes one data DVD containing 3.5 GB of high quality (320 Bit Rate) mp3's.  Each show is ID'd and sequenced, resulting in convenient use and enjoyment, as opposed to each show being one thirty to ninety minute-long continuous track.  

No collection is complete without the infamous Kool Moe Dee / Busy Bee scuffle, or the notorious routines of the Force MCs, Treacherous Three, and Cold Crush 4 MCs.  The list of essentials on this disc is endless. Includes a 24 page full color booklet of vintage NYC show flyers and artwork.

If you're an old schooler with a passion for this type of stuff, then download, buy some food supplies and lock yourself in a room for a couple of days whilst you reminisce.  All the links and a detailed track listing can be found here:

http://1994hiphop.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/nyc-live-throw-down-1979-1985-2007-dvd.html

G.U.R.U.

Last month was the 3rd anniversary of Guru's death.  Somehow this tribute track from Marco Polo, Talib Kweli and DJ Premier completely passed me by, which is a shame, because it's pretty nice.  See what you think.

Would You Like a Demo of ESP?

Nope, I'm not offering to read your mind, or bend a spoon.  I'm talking about the demo tape of Tha Alkaholiks when they went under their previous name, the Educated Street Poets or ESP.  I've previously covered this demo (and 29 others) here, but the tracks were embedded and were not available for download, whereas this downloadable version contains all 6 tracks.  Props to Warlord for sharing this rarity.

http://www.fileswap.com/dl/OuO8V1ygRV/Tha_Alkaholiks_aka_E.S.P._Demo.rar.html

More of the God MC

Producer Dominic Owen has released the 3rd instalment of his unreleased Rakim tracks.  This time round we're blessed with Get Visual (which eventually made it onto Rakim's debut LP The 18th Letter under the title When I'm Flowing).
For me, this is an interesting piece of history that adds another layer to this track.  As you can see from the Soundcloud title, Dominic produced this track in 1995, but the LP wasn't released until 1997!  This version is far superior to the album cut, but then I've always hated the LP version.  Why?  Because there is another (bootleg) version that ranks as one of my all time favourite Rakim tracks.  Both versions are presented here, you decide which is better, but don't waste your time with the LP version.

Ed Piskor Revisited

Almost a year ago, I recommended that you take a look at a hip hop comic strip that had been created by cartoonist Ed Piskor.  Even more intriguing than the creation of a credible hip hop comic, was Ed's 'family tree' format that really helped you to piece together the jigsaw pieces of hip hop history.

Well the comic strip is still going strong with more pieces of the puzzle being added all the time.  But now we get an in depth interview with the man behind it all.  Ed let's us in on how the idea came to fruition, where he intends to take it, and the publication of his first hop hop comic book later this year.  If you've enjoyed the comics, then you'll need to read his interview.

In depth interview: http://boingboing.net/2013/02/11/the-ed-piskor-interview.html

Hip Hop Family Tree Comic: http://boingboing.net/tag/hip-hop-family-tree

Fresh Fest 2

This is Video Music Box’s televised coverage of Fresh Fest 2 from 1985. This comes from the era when multiple headlining acts doing stadium tours was something new, and this footage shows how it all went down. 

Presented in the style of a documentary, we get to see Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5, Whodini, Fat Boys and Run DMC all perform their live sets.   And let’s not forget that this is when they were at their peak and performing what we now call ‘their classics’. There’s plenty of interesting back stage clips, a press conference with Whodini and Run DMC doing a collaborative freestyle and a few other artists making surprise cameo appearances too.

This is a must see for old school enthusiasts, but if you’re a graf fan, then be prepared for the over-the-top anti graffiti messages (no doubt encouraged by NY Mayor Ed Koch, famed for his anti graffiti views). Incidentally, Ed died last week (1st Feb), but that’s purely co-incidence and not the reason I’m sharing this. Check out Mario Van Peebles ‘Don’t Do It’ skit, it’ll make you cringe.

I'd also recommend you check out Robbie's recent interview with Ralph McDaniels, who filmed this concert, over at Unkut.com.  Ralph McDaniels is the creator of Video Music Box that pre existed MTV Raps and BET, and in the interview he details how this concert was filmed along with a whole host of other interesting hip hop history.  One of the things he mentions, is his involvement with filming the Lifers Group documentary.  I just checked YouTube and it isn't on there.  I have a copy, so will endeavour to get that uploaded and shared in the near future.

Ralph McDaniels interview - Part1 and Part 2.

Flashback

It's a brief look back at some of the gems from around the internet this month, but don't let that fool you.  The two interviews are quality pieces that explore untapped history from two very different artists.  And then I had a macabre few minutes deciding to share the final piece, but there's something about it I find quite fascinating. 

MC Shan Interview

This is a corker. Anyone who is familiar with Shan will know that he’s honest, upfront and outspoken, which are all the ingredients required to serve up a good interview. And Robbie (from Unkut.com) does a sterling job (as always) in asking Shan some unique questions to draw out some great stories and hip hop history. Shan recalls dissing LL Cool J (and his fans turning LL’s limo over), the formation of Cold Chilin Records, drug addiction, various beefs and why hid didn’t appear on The Symphony. Definitely worth digesting!

Unkut - MC Shan Interview

What happened to Kool Kim?

Or his partner Hass G for that matter?  Well, if you ever wondered what happened to The UMC's check out Unkut's upfront interview with Kool Kim who explains what went down, reminisces on growing up with the Wu Tang  on Staten Island (and battling Shyheim), and recalibrates people's opinion on whether they were hard or soft.  

Unkut.com - Kool Kim Interview

Biggie Smalls - The Autopsy Report

I know it's a bit grim, but at the same time its kind of fascinating, and I know some of you will be intrigued by this.  TMZ have obtained a copy of The Notorious B.I.G.'s autopsy report which details how many times he was shot and what, from a medical point of view, actually killed him.

What's most interesting to me is the details of the entry and exit wounds.  If you do the math, it's clear that he was moving around in an attempt to minimise the risk of being hit.  It paints a grim picture of the chaos that must have occurred in those few tragic seconds.

http://www.tmz.com/2012/12/07/notorious-b-i-g-autopsy-death-report-christopher-wallace-gunshots-heart-arm-scrotum/

Month in Review

October has been a fairly quiet month in the blogasphere and interwebz.  Nevertheless there is always something of interest out there.  Here's my cream of the crop for October:

The Man With The Iron Fists - Soundtrack

With Rza dropping his (and Quentin Tarantion's) new film, it may surprise you to know that the accompanying soundtrack can be streamed in full, for free!  And just as you would expect from the Rza, it's a mainly hip hop affair.  Many of the Wu Tang members put in an appearance, alongside Pharoahe Monch, Kool G Rap, Talib Kweli, Kanye West and more. 
Which probably makes this one of the best soundtracks to accompany a mainstream movie for quite some time.  Although I guess that wasn't a particularly challenging achievement given the poor quality of most movie soundtracks.  Still, you might just enjoy it, especially Rivers of Blood with G Rap, it's the Wu-Tang back to their best.  If in doubt, check it out.

New Bumpy Knucks

Check out this new Bumpy Knuckles and Statik Selektah track, personally I thought it was better than Bumpy's recent efforts with Premo and this beat and tempo really suit his style and flow.

Chris Conway - Interview

You're probably saying to yourself 'who is Chris Conway?'.  Well read this interview and you'll see that he's one of hip hop's greatest unsung heroes.  As an engineer, Chris has worked closely with many of the biggest names in hip hop over the last two decades, including Kool G Rap, The Beatnuts, Eminem, most of DITC etc.  He's had a hand in many of our favourite classics.
Chris tells how he inadvertently taught Showbiz to use the MPC-60,  he reflects on Big L, discusses Eminem's intense attention to detail and how he influenced the mega hit Stan and plenty more.  To be honest I think Chris could have filled a 5 part interview with stories for days. 

http://othersounds.com/archives/1574

Peace out,
Mike Check

Latest Bloggings

Here is this months round up of goodness from around the web and bloggasphere.  As is often the case with my highlights from the web, it's a mixed bag of old and new, but hopefully it's still full of the realness that us true hip hop heads are in need of (if not, please let me know in the comments section).

Before I get into some of these gems, I want to welcome Moyinka to the FoaWP team. He's an experienced blogger who shares many of his old school rarities (1986-1991) over at the To The Break of Dawn blog (which I recommend you check out). I think he's got something slightly different planned for this blog, but I don't want to spoil any surprises.

Up North Trips Presents The 10s

The fella's at Up North Trips have paid homage to one of the most significant album releases of the 90's, Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth's Mecca and the Soul Brother which celebrated it's 20th anniversary earlier this month. 
They've picked 10 tracks from the album and focused on the samples and beat construction to highlight the complexity and ingenuity of Pete Rock's production and thus the major influence his work has had on other producers ever since.  The end product is a brilliant mix of the original samples blended with the finished tracks.
You can listen to the mix on the Soundcloud player below, but I'd strongly recommend reading the full article to gain the full appreciation of this mix. 
 

Large Professor - Part 2

Following on from last months update, Extra P continues to break down his classic records in part 2 of Complex's review.  He not only talks about his productions, but also the tracks he featured on as an emcee working with people like Nas, Pete Rock, Beatnuts etc.  He also gives insights behind Nas' groundbreaking track Rewind (the one where he tells the story in reverse). 
http://www.complex.com/music/2012/06/large-professor-tells-all-the-stories-behind-his-classic-records-part-2/

Kurious & A.G.

Kurious is back with a new joint which features A.G. on the mic and Diamond D on the boards.  It's not what you might expect from Kurious or the DITC veteran, but it's still funky all the same.  Thanks to the DJ Premier Blog for sharing this.



Mike Check

Golden Era History

Large Pro breaks down his classic records

I think the title says it all.  Extra P tells Complex.com the stories behind some of his classic joints whilst this month sees him release his latest LP Professor @ Large.  Essential reading:

http://www.complex.com/music/2012/05/large-professor-tells-all-the-stories-behind-his-classic-records-part-i/#gallery

Nas - The Making of It Was Written

Complex.com has produced a number of gems this month.  As well as the Large Pro stories, they've also produced something that is long overdue, a proper look at Nas' 2nd LP It Was Written.  His debut LP Illmatic has been analysed, dissected and digested to the point where there is nothing new left to say, but his 2nd LP is largely ignored.  As Complex rightly point out, it's his best selling LP to date and there was so much riding on it.  How the hell do you follow up Illmatic?  It could have easily been a flop and signalled the end of Nas' career, but it didn't, so how was this achieved:

http://www.complex.com/music/2012/05/the-making-of-nas-it-was-written/

Free Ice-T albums

The OG rapper has offered to share two of his lesser known albums for free. 

The first is an album that was originally recorded in 2004 when he was part of the SMG collective which consisted of Smoothe Da Hustler, Trigger Tha Gambler and the Ice man himself.  However this album was never released worldwide and therefore it is relatively unheard.

The second album is more recent and is released under his Twitter moniker, Final Level. 

To obtain your free copies, go to his bandcamp page and select to 'buy' the album.  Then enter 'zero' in the price box.

Peace
Mike Check

Who shot Biggie Smalls, if we don’t get them they gonna get us all.

That Dead Prez lyric may no longer hold true, as Biggie’s killer (apparently) can’t get us all. According to this interview with Greg Kading, a former L.A.P.D. detective who spent 3 years heading the investigation into the murder of the Notorious B.I.G., he says that he knows who killed Biggie. And what’s more he names them, along with Tupac’s killer, and many of the conspirators. But what’s most intriguing is his certainty that neither of these cases will ever be formally solved, and he explains why.

The sceptics and conspiracy theorist’s will no doubt cast shadows of doubt over these claims (and any others), but given that Greg Kading is one of the few people who has spoken to all sides involved and seen all the evidence, his story is compelling and cannot be ignored.

See what you think:
http://www.complex.com/music/2012/03/interview-former-lapd-detective-says-he-knows-who-killed-the-notorious-big/page/1

Mike Check

Chromosomal Beatdown

This interview isn't new, but its always good to hear from Dr Octogon (or any of his other aliases).  It's just what you'd expect from the Ultramags hardest working emcee, Kool Keith, it really is some off the wall ish!!!  His digressions about the future of the human race and the increasing number of ugly people is interesting whilst at the same time classic Kool Keith.  Enjoy it, but don't take it too seriously, we're not all going to end up ugly.

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.1229/title.kool-keith-chromosomal-beatdown

Mike Check

What did your teachers teach you...

...well if your school was anything like mine, then probably not half as much as 'The Teacha' (aka KRS One)!  So why not take the time out to listen to some more of his wise words and interesting takes on a wide range of subjects? 

This is a lengthy interview, but its definitely worth watching.  KRS is one of the few artists that I would give up an hour and half of my time to hear what he has to say, and thinking about it, I've actually done this on several occassions.  Having attended one of his lectures I experienced first hand how good KRS is as a public speaker.  A lot of artists these days can't fill a 10 minute interview with anything particularly interesting, but KRS is always engaging and often causes controversy with his frank and honest viewpoints.  Enough said, just hit play.

Mike Check

Ace In Action

HipHipDX recently sat down with Masta Ace for an up to date interview that explores his soon to be released collaboration with MF Doom, the current state of hip hop and he reflects on the 10 year anniversary of his classic LP Disposable Arts amongst other subjects.  Check it out.

http://www.hiphopdx.com/m/index.php?s=news&id=17549

Mike Check.

Blogwatch - January 2012

Damn, what a great start to the New Year.  It seems as though bloggers and web masters are going crazy with their content.  Here's the usual monthly round up of the internet's best offerings. 


Fab 5 Freddy discusses Gang Starr's Just to get a rep video
The DJ Premier blog has come correct twice this month!  First off is an interview with Fab 5 Freddy about the iconic Gang Starr video for their single Just to get a rep.  Fab 5 discusses the production processes of casting the right characters, picking the right locations, avoiding MTV's strict cencorship whilst still delivering one of the best hip hop videos of all time.
http://www.djpremierblog.com/2012/01/24/director-fab-5-freddy-talks-music-video-just-to-get-a-rep/


W - The story of the Wu Tang
The Pie and Ears blog has shared this great documentary on the Wu Tang Clan.  With a running time of 1 hour and 20 minutes, this is the full on story of the Wu legacy.

Do it like a G.O.

Just as J-Zone launches his new book Root for the Villian - Rap, Bullshit and a Celebration of Failure he avoids shameless promotion, but instead shares his top 5 Favourite Rap-A-Lot Albums from the 1990's (and mentions his book!). 

Root for the Villian is available to buy right now, and is a highly recommended read.  For those who might not be familiar with J-Zone's music and lyrics, he has insanely funny punchlines, speaks his mind in a refreshingly different way and he's one of the few people that is happy to self criticise and laugh at his own misfortune.  It's a rare talent to to be able to turn a negative into a positive in the way that J-Zone does. 

Now instead of interviewing Mr Zone about his new book, Ryan Proctor had the great idea of discussing with him his 5 favourite albums from the Houston based label Rap-A-Lot Records.  It's a great interview that also provides a solid reminder of a unique style and brief era in hip hop's history. 

http://oldtothenew.wordpress.com/2011/10/30/do-it-like-a-g-o-j-zone-selects-his-5-favourite-90s-rap-a-lot-albums/

Also, if you're a fan of J-Zone's production style then you might like to read his Top 10 tracks that he produced but didn't rap on.  It's an interesting and diverse selection of work from his extensive catalogue, with some rarities that you may not have heard before (and it's nice to see Al Shid getting the props that he deserves).

http://upnorthtrips.com/post/13158477670/upnorthtrips-presents-the-10s-dont-let-me-get

It's a good thing J-Zone has written his book, because if nothing else, it's made me include him in this blog much sooner than I would have done if it had been left to me (I should be ashamed for not including him much sooner!). 

Mike Check.

Blogwatch - December 2011

Although 2012 is now here, I've taken the usual look back over the last month of 2011 and pulled together some of the highlights from around the internets various sites and blogs etc.  Although the Xmas and New Year parties have now finished, I've decided to lay on a retrospective buffet of hip hop for you to feast upon, there's plenty more after the jump:

Public Enemy in Concert

The boys over at the T.R.O.Y. blog have found this great recording of P.E. live in concert.  Although it's a recent concert, they showcase many of their hits from over the decades.  Why not digest nearly 2 hours of truly classic hip hop?

Blogwatch - November 2011

Mike Allen interviewing Run DMC 22nd May 1987

Here's a nice little piece of radio history.  The great Mike Allen interviewing Run DMC in 1987 on Capital Radio whilst they were on their European tour with the Beastie Boys. 

http://old-school-hiphop-tapes.blogspot.com/2011/11/mike-allen-interviewing-run-dmc-and.html


MF Doom breaks down his early catalogue
Egotripland have uploaded another lecture from the recent Red Bull Music Academy events in Spain.  In their own words:

Bear witness as Doom discusses the early ’80s episodes of Afrika Islam’s “Zulu Beats” radio shows on WHBI, which would provide the inspiration for his signature audio collages. Listen as he explains the defining characteristics of his plethora of performance personas (Zev Love X, Doom, Viktor Vaughn, King Ghidra). Marvel as he dissects the makings of classic recordings such as KMD’s Mr. Hood and Black Bastards, Operation: Doomsday, and his essential collab with