Episode 192 : Box/Fresh

"...I already know what they sayin'."

- Curren$y

This month we maintain a steady pace as we move between some of the newest releases, some overlooked gems, and the odd well-known classic. Definitely one of those where if you already know every track, then let me know - I'd be impressed!

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Twitch : @airadam13

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Playlist/Notes

Superbad Solace & Tha Natural : Charging Extra

Queens stand up! A new Solace release is always welcome and this year we got the three-track "Flying Colors" EP, which has the veteran MC and Polo devotee Solace joining forces with producer and fellow 'Lo head Tha Natural for some real, from-the-essence music. This one gives you a grand, slow intro (complete with vinyl surface noise) before settling into the main groove and self-assured bars. The hypebeasts should feel a little sensitive by the end of this cut...

Marco Polo : The Rub

A little something to nod your head to, courtesy of one of the modern keepers of the traditional flame when it comes to making crispy Hip-Hop beats. This is part of Marco Polo's contribution to the "Baker's Dozen" series of albums/beat tapes, and one that definitely gets my recommendation.

Supastition ft. E.Smitty : Look At God!

For those unfamiliar with the expression, he's not calling himself God, he's basically saying "look at what God did"! With this gospel-themed self-produced track from last year's "All That Was Left Unsaid", featuring E. Smitty with some strong background vocals, Supastition speaks on the trials and tribulations of his come-up. He may not be the biggest name on the radio, but he's had a two-decade career in the industry and a catalogue he can rightly look back and be proud of.

Method Man & Redman : The ?

If you missed the "Blackout!" LP from this pair of musical soulmates, you'll never have heard this album cut, and even if you know the album, I bet you've not heard this in a while! The rhymes are the quality you'd expect, but if you'd forgotten that Redman is a highly-capable producer, this track should give you a striking reminder.

Xzibit ft. Dr. Dre and Ty Dolla $ign : Leave Me Alone

The polish of the sound drew me in immediately on this new release. Swizz Beatz and Dr. Dre come together for this beast from the "Kingmaker" LP, the first solo studio output from X in years. Every line has its ending highlighted not by a change in vocal tone, or any other aspect of the MCs' performances, but by having the whole backing track basically shut down for the fourth beat of every bar. Definitely one of my favourite purchases this month, and a welcome return for Xzibit.

Clipse : Keys Open Doors

One of those tracks I could have sworn I'd played at some point, this is a dark masterpiece from the third (yes, the third) Clipse album "Hell Hath No Fury". With a distinctly wintry vibe, courtesy of The Neptunes, Malice and Pusha spit some of their quintessential coke dealer bars with the cold affect that has made them legends.

Duett : r e n d e z v o u s

Despite the name, Duett is actually a single musician, a UK-based studio wizard who has taken advantage of the modern options for music distribution to release the work he's really passionate about - synthwave, the 80s-referencing genre that brings back the then-futuristic vibe of the time. This track is from his "Outlines 2" album, a ten-tracker with the core of each track composed in a single day - and in some cases, work to lengthen the running time done later. This is a chilled, drumless piece to give you a pause and a palate cleansing before we go heavy again - but do check out the rest of the album if you want a quality listen!

J-Zone : Funky Child

Had to dig deep and go onto Discogs to get a physical copy of an album/beat tape I'd downloaded almost twenty years ago, "Experienced!" by J-Zone, with each track built around Jimi Hendrix samples. This one is just raw, heavy, bassy goodness, with the MC Ren sample from "Alwayz Into Somethin" being perfectly apt.

MC Ren : Great Elephant

I could lie and say this this was intentionally placed here as a link from the Ren sample on the previous track, but no - I just like it and thought it fit well sonically to help take us where we're going! The too-often overlooked MC from NWA is justified in talking big here, reminding everyone of his pioneering role in the gangsta rap subgenre in one long, unbroken verse. Jessie Willard, who has also worked with Kam and Menace Clan, cooks up a dark, grinding, and tense instrumental for this pick from "The Villain In Black".

Joey Bada$$ : Pardon Me

A release from earlier this year has this Brooklyn MC bringing it to his opposition with all (lyrical) guns blazing, over a beat by The Heatmakerz (an one-man crew of producer Rsonist), who made a strong mark a generation ago with production for Dipset. The "chipmunk soul" style is back here to underscore Joey's NY roots on the title track of his new three-track single.

Jay-Z : People Talkin'

I imagine this one will be new to a lot of people, despite being a release from almost twenty-five years ago! This was only available as a hidden/bonus track on the "Jay-Z : Unplugged" album, and came at the tail end of the storied battle between Jay and Nas; Jay opened hostilities with "Takeover", but Nas' "Ether" was a blow that many thought effectively ended the competition. Shortly after, we had this Ski-produced track, with some of Jay's feelings on the circus around the battle and even those close to home being aired out. I read someone on Reddit describing this cut as a "concession speech" and that might be pretty close to the mark.

9th Wonder :  Beat III

This one makes me think "late night phone-in show theme music" every time! I'm not sure if this was ever rhymed on by any MCs, but you can get this beat on 9th Wonder's "Unreleased Instrumentals Vol. 3" - if you can find a copy!

Gang Starr : 92 Interlude

The episode number made this one pop into my head - a really short track from Gang Starr's third album, "Daily Operation". Heavy D talked Preemo into re-animating this into the track "Yes Y'all" from the "Blue Funk" LP, but since I've already played that on the show, I couldn't follow up with it. Instead...

Rapsody : Laila's Wisdom

...I found another track based around the same sample! Virginia's Nottz did it proud, hooking it up in his own way - using more of the original track, and chopping it up mercilessly. Rapsody gives us, wrapped up in her bars, her inheritance of strength and wisdom from her grandmother (the "Laila" of the title). I'd like to think this title track from Rapsody's second LP would have made her proud.

Royce Da 5'9" : Regardless

With Carlos "Six July" Broady providing a bed of cooked up from steaming hot classic soul, Royce's opening salvo from his 2004 "Death Is Certain" album serves up beef with some of his fellow Detroit artists - should be plainly obvious who if you listen!

Sean Price : Angel Dust

A well-known sample here, borrowing from a classic track of the same name, and then pretty much staying on-theme! This is a track from the late great Sean P which didn't get an official release but which was included on the "The Lost Files" compilation back in 2012.

Dark Sun Riders : Zoneweilder's Groove

Should that have been "Zonewielder's"? Wish I knew. Either way, this is dopeness from the camp of Brother J, best known as part of X Clan, who also founded this crew that released their sole LP "Seeds Of Evolution" in 1995 - an LP good enough that I've bought it twice over the years. UltraMan is on production and kicks it off with some finger clicks, vibe/bell sounds, and chants that make you think you're in for a meditation and yoga session before the drums and bass kick in! On the mic, the voice of Brother J is unmistakeable, so settle in for styles from a true original.

[L.E.S] Royal Flush : World Wide (Instrumental)

A classic 90s NYC boom-bap instrumental! L.E.S, known to many for his work on Nas' "Life's A Bitch", cooked up this one for fellow Queens native Royal Flush for his reply to Dogg Pound's "New York New York" - which also goes at his fellow Big Apple MCs for not, in Flush's estimation, responding with enough fire. A simple loop with some nice drum programming over the top and the odd sound effect, this is a testament to the power of adding just enough.

Curren$y & Harry Fraud : News On Mute

Curren$y features on the show fairly regularly, and this car system favourite has an ending that makes the perfect place for it the end of an episode. Spitta is in his usual lifestyle/luxury/motivational bag here on a no-chorus track (he even refers you back to earlier in the lone verse at one point), and Harry Fraud gives him a soundtrack for a late night mission in a cigarette boat, complete with that ending news broadcast sample. "The Director's Cut" was a fine EP, with this being a standout track for me.

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