T.R.O.Y.

Posted: 31 Dec 2008 05:30 PM CST

Courtesy of Drizzle b.k.a. Chad Sexington. Smooth, lush, optimistic tunes, many with a touch of synth, all made to bump in your luxury pleasurecraft while snorting cocaina off of a supermodel's chassie somewhere in the Antilles just as the calendar flips to '09. Or, in your living room because nobody bothered to bring their iPod to your gathering. -- Thun

Yacht Rap [Click To Download]

Trick Daddy ft. Big Boi and Cee-Lo "In the Wind"

De La Soul "Simply Havin"

Slick Rick "Mistakes Of A Woman In Love With Other Men"

Slick Rick "Frozen"

Notorious B.I.G. ft. Jay-z "I Love The Dough"

TWDY "Player's Holiday"

Pete Rock & CL Smooth "I Got A Love"

Playa G "Chillen Wit My Niggaz"

Roscoe "Smooth Sailin'"

FT "Light It Up"

Cam'Ron "Rush To The Yayo"

Cru "Loungin' Wit My Cru"

Kool G Rap ft. Nas "Fast Life" (Album Version)

A Tribe Called Quest "Bonita Applebum" (Hootie Mix)

K-Def "The Godfather"

AZ ft. Nas "How Ya Livin'"

Jay-Z "Feelin' It"

Camp-Lo "Black Connection"

You Can't Hold Us Down

Posted: 31 Dec 2008 01:00 PM CST

A1. Can't Hold Us Down (Vocal Remix)
A2. Can't Hold Us Down (Instrumental Remix)
A3. Can't Hold Us Down (Acapella)
B1. Can't Hold Us Down (Vocal Babigezus Mix)
B2. Can't Hold Us Down (Yard Boy Mix)
B3. Can't Hold Us Down (Instrumental)

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Here's a dope release from 1996 that features Greg Nice of Nice & Smooth. Produced by Babegezus(I don't know who this is), Greg Nice rhymes alongside with two other emcees. The remix produced by Da Penguin(I don't know who that is either), is definitely better than the Babigezus mix. It's a Greg Nice anthem type of ish.

A1. So Tough (Radio Though)
A2. So Tough (Toughstrumental)
A3. So Tough (Tough A Pella)
B1. So Tough (Easy Mo Tough Mix)
B2. So Tough (Sid' Mellow Mix)
B3. Crazy Like A Foxxx

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Here is Freddie Foxxx's 12" release from 1994 for then-unreleased album Crazy Like A Foxxx. So Tough was released with three different mixes. The original was produced by S.I.D.(Naughty, Apache, Queen Latifah) and had a reggae vibe to it with Queen Latifah singing on the hook. Then you had the "Tough" version produced Easy Mo Bee which made it feel more rugged. The last mix & the best was remixed by S.I.D. . It gave it a more mellow sound and took away the singing by Queen Latifah. It was more radio-friendly. The last track "Crazy Like A Foxxx" is known for being a diss to Ultragmagnetic MC's.

A1. Wunderlust (Main Mix)
B1. Wunderlust (Instrumental)
B2. Wunderlust (Acapella)

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Here's a 1996 release by Rob-O of INI. As you can see on the picture, it says "Produced By Pete Rock" but it was actually produced by the Soul Brother's bro Grap Luva. It has the same type of vibe as any song from the "Center of Attention". Wunderlust would also be included on Rob-O's Rhyme Pro cd which featured all his old materials.

A1. Move It In Move It Out (Phat Mix)
A2. Move It In Move It Out (Phat Radio)
A3. Move It In Move It Out (Acapella)
B1. Move It In Move It Out (Phat Remix)
B2. Move It In Move It Out (Phat Nitty Gritty Mix)
B3. Move It In Move It Out (Phat Remix Instrumental)

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This next 1997 release comes from the Derelect Camp. Move It In Move It Out is produced by Rockwilder(Redman, Busta Rhymes) when he had just started to get a little hype. But I got to say that Phat Remix wins, even though it is remixed by an unknown producer.

Thanks to T.R.O.Y. Regular Lyrical Gymnastics who blessed us with these vinyls.

--Thomas V

Nobodies - Fables (North Carolina 1997)

Posted: 31 Dec 2008 05:35 AM CST

In 1997, I inexplicably dropped out of hip hop for awhile. Not that I stopped listening to hip hop, but I was branching out. No excuses! 1997 was a year for much classic hip hop and this is really solid too. It's a dope east coast album I came across recently. Top tracks on this would have to be Hands To The Sky and Greatest MC's in my humble opinion. Found this review recently and I thought it was pretty fair. Will share it here:

" The Nobodies are a North Carolina duo consisting of MC's Equinox and Apocalypse... this is DIY rap for those hungry to hear cats making music THEY actually would want to hear rather than what could get them a big record deal. The beats here are gritty and feature a nice use of samples from Nas, Mobb Deep, KRS and more laced throughout to give it a classic feel. Only one R & B chorus shows up on the album but even it's forgivable due to the strong balance of lyrical content. As far as the actual rhyming goes, Apocalypse and Equinox are both well above average MC's with distinct voices and delivieries(plus a guest spot by Esau on track 2... CHECK HIS ALBUM, you'll thank me later!) and spit on a few different topics but mostly about how underappreciated they are and how hard it is to make it (basically being "nobodies" in the world of rap). This is one of those albums that you like to pop in once in awhile but it never leaves any real distinct impression on you... it's just good solid beats and rhymes(and that's all you can ask for sometimes). They followed this up with an even better album called "Now Culture" in 2003 but haven't been seen anywhere except on a milk carton since? Fingers crossed for something new in the future. "

Here's a link and the tracklist--

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=R5VSE0V0

01. Intro
02. Off the Block
03. Get What I'm Saying
04. Fables
05. Hands to the Sky
06. You Don't Know Me
07. Suicidal Tendencies
08. Ag Intro
09. Do What I Gotta Do
10. Peter Parker
11. Every Bit of You
12. Destiny
13. Check It Out
14. Greatest MC's
15. Forever Raw
16. Song 15
17. Apocrates Outro

If you like this one as much as I do, leave some comments. What are your fav tracks ? Which ones strike out ? Would you live on a desert island for 1 year with only this cd to listen to ?

--Schenectadyfan