Episode 193 : Tower of Power

"You need this in your life."

- Prodigy

This month's selection is on the reverse warm-up strategy, as we start off uptempo out of the gate with a stone classic, then move through the show to end with a chilled modern gem. As we remember the late great Prodigy, there's a Mobb Deep mixtape cut that you may have missed, a reunion of legends of the culture, and lyrical themes ranging from flossing to fatherhood. Let's get into it...

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Playlist/Notes

Big Daddy Kane : Mortal Combat

We start out firing, with one of the greatest of all time spitting what he himself says are the best bars of his storied career. I actually didn't realise until putting this episode together that he produced the track as well, blending one of the most sampled drum breaks of all time with another killer sample, and knowing the whole time that he was going to step into the booth and breathe fire all over the combination. Definitely take a listen to Kane's catalogue if you don't know his music well, including this LP, "It's A Big Daddy Thing".

Mecca:83 : Moon Dance

A short instrumental from last year's "Samskara" beat tape, this is a lovely bit of Asian-influenced drum programming from a similarly-themed collection that's well worth your listening time!

Masta Killa ft. Raekwon and Cappadonna : Eagle Claw

Stripped-down, quintessential Wu - right down to the kung-fu sample! This brand new Masta Killa cut comes from his latest LP "Balance", and while it's MK's track, Raekwon steals the show for me, still spitting that raw after all these years.

Talib Kweli and J. Rawls ft. Maseo, Black Thought, Posdnuos, Mike G, Afrika Baby Bam, Busta Rhymes  : Native Sons Part 2

Talib and J.Rawls have done a stellar job here bringing this lineup together, a union of some of the actual legends of the Native Tongues with some of the second generation and even spiritual offspring. Throughout, you hear samples of and tributes to some of the classic tracks from the Tongues' catalogue, bringing up all those warm nostalgic feelings as these veterans get busy. I hear this track, which I bought digitally, is coming out on 45 - despite the crazy prices of 7" singles these days, I'm going to have to have it!

Shanice : It's For You

The same classic drum break from the previous track makes a welcome appearance here! This R&B number from the "Meteor Man" soundtrack only came to my attention last year when someone played it on Twitch, at which point I knew I had to search out a copy of the 12" single. Shanice is best known for "I Love Your Smile" but this is a superior track, more sonic edge on production while still maintaining her lyrical sweetness.

Camp Lo : Bubblin'

The sound quality is rough, but that's because this is one of Camp Lo's original demos, which was finally made available on the "On The Way Uptown" album - with that title alluding to the path they took to their debut LP "Uptown Saturday Night". My understanding is that they wouldn't have been able to get the sample clearance for this one, as they loop up the Anita Baker classic "Caught Up In The Rapture" underneath some snapping drums (all likely the work of Ski), which is a shame as I'd love to have heard this in full studio glory! All the same, the vintage-soaked, slang-heavy style of Cheeba and Geechi is present in pretty much its final form, and from their Rob Base reference in the very first line, they kill it from start to finish.

MF DOOM : The Finest (Instrumental)

One of my favourite cuts from "Operation : Doomsday", now minus the lyrics! As I said when I played the original version many moons ago, DOOM didn't do too much to the original sample, and the track is all the better for it.

Mobb Deep : Three Stories

Deep in the crates for this early-2000s track from Mobb, taken from the "Infamous Allegiance" mixtape. Over a typically sinister beat from Havoc, the late great Prodigy goes solo on the mic here, using his skills to tell the titular three stories from the dark side of life. The crop of modern rappers who rely on punch-ins and refuse to write anything down could never...

Boot Camp Clik : Here We Come

I could have believed this was a Beatminerz track, but it's part of the ongoing relationship between 9th Wonder and the mighty Boot Camp Clik, taken from their LP "The Last Stand", which somehow is almost twenty years old already! When Rock's unmistakeable voice comes in, you know it's going to be classic BCC, as Starang joins him on the chorus before the main course of those verses arrives - with Sean Price and Rock (both of Heltah Skeltah), Buckshot, and Steele all throwing down on this modern-ish boom-bap gem.

DJ Jazzy Jeff ft. Last Emperor : Mystery Man

There are so many good tracks on DJ Jazzy Jeff's first solo LP "The Magnificent", where he very much plays the Quincy Jones role as the grand conductor and creative orchestrating a highly-talented cast, while also jumping in as a primary beatmaker and DJ. This particular track is based around a beat from Ken Wood and lyrics from underground legend Last Emperor, with the scratching contributed, if I understand correctly, by Jeff himself, adding the perfect seasoning. Despite being a hoops fan, I didn't realise how many people primarily know this track from the fifth volume of the And 1 mixtapes - they certainly knew how to pick some heat!

Rain 910 : This Way

Some algorithm or other must have brought this one to me, but I'm glad it did! Rain's self-produced beat is mean, with the growling pitch-bend in the beat sounding like someone hitting the accelerator every couple of bars, while his bars are half-braggadocious and half-judgemental, definitely putting across some strong points of view. The North Carolina native's "7 Keys" album appropriately has seven tracks, but this is the master key to me.

Black Milk : Lookatusnow (Instrumental)

The vocal version of this was on the "Popular Demand" LP, but it was great that the Detroit MC and producer Black Milk gave us an all-instrumental version of the album, from which this is drawn. It's so Detroit as well, and somehow feels like it couldn't have come from anywhere else. There's a lot to be said for regional flavour!

Beedie & Big Jerm : Break The Cycle

A great record on a painful subject, this selection from the "Lord Byron" album sees Pittsburgh MC Beedie speaking from the perspective of someone without a positive father in their life growing up - and who makes the decision to do things better when they enter parenthood. Big Jerm's beat has the right degree of solemnity to carry the theme, and is reserved enough to allow the lyrics to take centre stage, as they should.

Novacain : Flights To Hawaii

Montreal-native DJ Manifest's 80s-inspired production has been getting a lot of play on my system this year, and it's through him that I found Novacain's 2023 "How To Be A Playa" EP. Smooth vibes all the way, with Novacain's voice being as calming as the drug he names himself after, and the beat being based around a classic big of 80s synth soul. Kansas City, midwest flavour.

Clear Soul Forces : Still Driving Down The Freeway

CSF, from their very first release, have been a sure bet to deliver bars upon bars, which they do in spades here. You might be familiar with their ability to burn an uptempo track down, but they slow things to a leisurely roll on this late-night-drive, Ilajide-produced composition from "Detroit Revolution(s)", and tap into some nostalgic memories to boot.

Roc Marciano : True Love

A self-produced gem from 2024's "Marciology" LP, this both has far more drum action than the average Roc Marci track while also being just as laid back. Being able to cover both production and MC duties means he crafts backdrops that suit his lyrical style perfectly, and his trademark low tone and street talk is complemented amazingly by the roots reggae flavours of the beat. 

Horace Andy, Joseph Hoo Kim : Girl A Love You Riddim

I wanted to keep the reggae vibe going after the previous cut, so dipped into my 45s stash for this downtempo riddim that's on the clip of Shabba Ranks' "Have This Woman" single.

Lady Wray : Joy And Pain (Pete Rock Remix)

We finish up with a nice 45 I picked up on a trip to France last year! Lady Wray is getting well-deserved respect from those in the know for her soulful vocals, and this track is a perfect showcase. As great as the original from "Piece Of Me" was, my personal taste profile means that I think that Pete Rock's remix only elevates it further, with his head-nod beat adding a touch of melancholy. 

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Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!