music-selections

DJ mp45 – Back to Hip Hop

[by DJMP45]

Here at Martini & Jopparelli you’ll always find lots of funk and soul stuff, lots of records that have been sampled by hip hop artist: here we all started to listen to hip hop around 91-92 and just later we got into what is the foundation of hip hop.

In my previous mixes I concentrated on breaks and funk, but this time I’m going to take you back to the hip-hop (as the title of this mix suggests).

Lately I was listening to all this old Stretch Armstrong shows and I thought about how great hip-hop was back then, when I started to listen to it, not the crap stuff they make now.

Generally in classic hip hop mixes you’ll hear mostly the same tunes, which in a way it bothers me because I think there are a lot of classics that are not used enough, stuff that aren’t played so much.

With this mix I tried to play some “underground classics” mainly from the late 80’s and the early 90’s.

This is the tracklist and the breakdown on each tune:

1-Lord Shafiyq – My mic is on fire

I found this tune on the Ego Trip’s the big playback album and I absolutely love it!
Lord Shafiyq used to battle Justice and Ason Inique (later known as the Gza And Odb) in Brooklyn and pressed just 2000 copies of this single in 1987 (the originals go for crazy money): the quality of this recording is really raw and that’s probably why I like it so much.
Surely it was one of the first to use a Nautilus sample.

2-Kool G Rap & Dj Polo – Truly yours

What can I say about this one? G rap is the mc than more than other influenced the all 90’s New York movement (Biggie, Nas, etc).
This is a gem from his first album: great Kool & the Gang sample (N.T) and Marley Marl on production, what more do you need?

3 –Ultimate Force – I’m not playing

Another tune from the Ego Trip’s the big playback album.
This used to be Diamond D first group with Master Rob on the vocals.
Later on, Diamond D provided some of the most amazing performances and productions in hip hop history.

4 – Biz Markie – Funk is back

Lots of people forget about how great the diabolical one was: this tune is from the “All sample cleared” album. Nice production on the drums by Large Professor (any doubt about it?) and the piano on this one is amazing.

5 – Masta Ace – Me & the biz

Masta Ace is one of my favourite mc ever, probably the most consistent one.
On this one, despite the title, there is no Biz Markie, but just Ace impersonating Biz.
Very dope loop of Cymande’s “the message”(which I played inone of my previous mixes) and Ace kill it (plus the cover of the single is very cool!)

6 – Positive K – Night Shift

Some pimpin action on this one: Positive K is never mention (only stretch armstrong did a cool post about him ) as a great mc, but I think he deserve more respect and this tune prove why!

7 – Troubleneck brothers –Back to the hip hop

I remember the video for this tune on Yo!Mtv raps and I always thought it was a great tune, even if I didn’t have a clue about who they were and in a way I completely forgot about them.
Couple of years ago I listened to a mixtape by Dj K-Delight who was playing it and since then I was on the hunt for this 12” which is quite rare and sought after. Luckly I found it on ebay for a decent price:essential tune.

8 – Showbiz & A.g. – Diggin in the crates (soul clap ep version)

This is a different version of the album cut and it feature Diamond D and Lord Finesse.
I was lucky to find this repress at Rarekind here in Brighton (check their website at www.rarekind.co.uk, they have some great stuff on there). The original of this goes for crazy money because Showbiz pressed them and sold it out of his car boot in the Bronx.
I can put this tune against anything that came out after 2000 and it will win: this is hip-hop in his purest form.

9- Erule- listen up

Another tune I remember from Yo!Mtv raps and that I found in Rarekind (Ewan: thanks a lot for this one!): it’s on Pallas records, which I think was owned by Fab 5 Freddy (but our readers probably know better and if it’s so, please correct me).
This is the only west coast on this mix tape, but I think he deserve it!
Clever usage of Roy Ayers “Everybody loves the sunshine” and an amazing flow for an mc that hasn’t released much. In my opinion this is a proper classic and not just because it’s quite rare and expensive.

10- Top Choice clique – peace of mind

I didn’t have a clue about this record, but when I listened to it, the word “classic” came to my mind instantly.Top Choice Clique is a group out of Boston and probably this is their best effort.The other song on this 12”(“you can’t deal”) is quite a cool tune as well and I used it later on this mix tape.

11 – Freestyle Professors – Your pockets been picked

I found the Japanese repress/bootleg of this one and in the beginning I wasn’t so sure about it. It slowly grew on me and now I adore every single tune on it(there’s a Showbiz produced track on it and it’s not even the best one out of them!).The Freestyle Professors just re-released this ep with other tune from 94 they hadn’t released , for 100$ a album: I bet all the copies are already in Japanese kids hand!

12 – Masta Ace – Born to roll instrumental with Audio two –Top billin acapella

At this point I thought “why not but a blend in the middle of the mix”.
One of the most amazing beat ever and a classic acapella over it.

13 – Brand Nubian feat. Diamond D –Punks jump up to get beat down (remix)

Everybody know the original ( which I love anyway and if you don’t know it, why are you reading this blog?) , but on this one you have an extra verse from Diamond D and a different beat (how remix should be!).

14 – Da King & I –Flip the script (Premier rmx)

At this point you were wondering “this guy don’t play any Premier stuff..” so here it is!
I’m a big fan of Premier’s 90’s production, but lately I think he lost it a little bit(I read he produced stuff for Christina Aguilera: I don’t want hear this shit anymore!!!).
Anyway Da King & I from BK released one album which is quite obscure and this is the remix of their first single.

15 – Kid Capri – the joke’s on you jack (remix)

Kid Capri is one of my idol: an innovator in mix tapes (52 beats is a classic and he was waaaaaay ahead of this time ) and he’s half Italian or something: respect due to the Kiiiiiiid Capriiiiii!
This is a remix of the single from his album on Cold Chillin “The tape”.

16 – Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – Straighten out (remix)

Pete rock remixing one of the track of their first album (not counting the ep): enough said!

17 – Mc Serch featuring Tone, Nasty Nas and Chubb Rock – Back to the grill

A mixtape is not a mixtape until you have a posse song.
This is the second tune that Nas was featured in and what a verse!
A dope Mar Keys sample, T-Ray on production and the Chubbster drop a dope verse as well(“lyrics on diet ‘cause it gets no fatter….”).

18 – Redman – time for sum akshun (remix)

A remix of the classic Funk Doc tune in pure Hit Squad style.
Redman first two album are classics, but then again I think he lost it, appearing with Mtv rock act and with Christina Aguilera(again!!): I think we should call this the Busta Rhymes syndrome:a dope hip hop artist from back in the day that for the money would do whatever or as a lot of people called it “selling out”….

19 – Grand Puba –what goes around

The best one of Brand Nubian , one of the most copied Mc, an innovator in general and this was the single of his first solo album: this is the tune to turn whatever party up, pure dopeness.

20 – Organized Konfusion feat O.C. – Fudge pudge

Organized Konfusion first two albums are both classic: this is one of the single of the first one.
It features the first appearance of O.C on wax.
I recently heard people saying how dope Pharaoh Monch is and they didn’t even know who OK were: I hope this is a demonstration how much better he was when it was in a group with Prince Po.

21-Double XX Posse – Executive class

Double XX were a really dope group, who just dropped two album, even if Sugar Ray had some stuff before them.This is the b_side of HeadCracker, which is quite a dope tune as well.

22 – Showbiz & A.G. feat Lord Finesse –It’s up to you

Another cut from the soulclap Ep (which in my opinion is the best Ep ever), this time featuring Lord Finesse who drop a really dope verse: classic Ditc shit.

23 – Top Choice clique – You can’t deal

see number 10.

In my opinion this are all classics that deserve to be played much more instead of the usual tune that you can hear around, been played millions of time, just because they are “floorfillers”.

I hope you enjoy the listening and to drop a comment is mandatory!

The next mixtape will be straight mid nineties east coast independent hip hop so stay tuned!

Keep vinyl alive!!!!

yours truly, djmp45

Listen to: DJ mp45 – Back to Hip Hop 

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This entry was posted on Friday, January 4th, 2008 at 1:37 pm. It is filed under Hip Hop, Mixtapes, Our Mixes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.