T.R.O.Y.

Posted: 18 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Johhny Paycheck and Pratt Attack on the mics and DJ/Producer Mixmaster Quik form this tremendous, Cleveland rap group. They were on the same label (Solar) which dropped the Deep Cover soundtrack, but for whatever reason they haven't gained fame outside of Cleveland, where they were known as one of the best rap acts. I've visited numerous forums and blogs in a search for some info about this album and I have not seen one bad comment about it. As a matter of fact, plenty of people are saying this is a true classic. After listening to it thoroughly, I can say I'm not far from agreeing with that notion. So, there's only one task left for you - download it, listen to it from start to finish and see if you can give it a passing grade or even consider it a classic.

01. Intro

02. Chop Chops
03. Date Rape
04. Let Go My Ego
05. Tops & The Ball
06. Frantic
07 Stuck On Stupid
08 It's Over!
09 Before The Bell Rings
10 Message From Michael McGhee
11 KracKKa Season
12 Wait A Minute
13 Fuck Crime Stoppers
14 Niggas Scared
15 Down In The Valley
16 All Rise
17 Miss Right

Samples:

-->DOWNLOAD HERE<--

-- Markshot

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - The Basement Demos EP

Posted: 18 May 2009 03:00 AM PDT

One Leg Up kicks off their new series of rarities ["Crispy Nuggets"] with this EP of unreleased demos from Pete Rock and CL Smooth. This was ripped from my vinyl as soon as I got it and uploaded here, so I can't really give you a proper critique yet. But I listened while ripping, so I know it is worth a download. Shit, it's Pete Rock and CL Smooth. Of course it's worthy of being posted at the T.R.O.Y. blog.

Here's One Leg Up's description:

OLU Records has connected with C.L. Smooth to finally unearth some of the legendary sessions that were not included on the seminal "All Souled Out" EP. While these sessions always seemed to be a bit of an urban legend, a few of them had actually leaked on WBLS "In Control" back in the day. Once the debut EP was released, the duo quickly went on to change hip-hop history and these early tracks were all but forgotten! Fast forward to 2009.....Thought lost forever, 4XL has done the unexpected in working with C.L. to unearth these vintage treasures. Mastered and restored to optimum quality, this is a hip-hop goldmine, and this 5 track EP is a testament to the late 80's sound merging into the early 90's one. Of course, Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth were two of the main architects of this sharp turn in the golden era....Songs like the one-time WBLS exclusive "The Midnight Wrecka" and the fast-rap "Go C.L." sport an aggressive 1989/1990 feel that was probably scrapped in favor of updated material like "The Creator" or "The Good Life". Still the laid back "Cool and Calm" and "Down To Wreck Ya Body" head in the direction of the vintage "All Souled Out" flavor. Last, we are treated to a somewhat alternate version of "Go With The Flow". All the cuts are heavy on the scratching, courtesy of Pete Rock and it is lovely indeed! This is vintage Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth goodness and an essential to any Hip-Hop collection!

This alternate mix of Go With The Flow is probably my favorite cut upon first hearing this record-

http://www.divshare.com/direct/7416148-1ed.mp3

Apparently, there was an error when I zipped the folder and the Go With The Flow track didn't work.

So right above I added a separate link for that cut for those who already downloaded the original and below I fixed the mediafire link with the entire EP on it. Hopefully it works this time.

[Download EP here.]fixed

[Backup link here]missing Go with The Flow

Check for other rarities throughout the T.R.O.Y. blog here.

--Verge

Blog Building: Check The Vibe

Posted: 17 May 2009 04:50 PM PDT

After all of the hoopla and brouhaha surrounding Vibe's Rap Blog list, I have to say that our mention on the list (#20, but who's counting?) has been something of an anti-climactic experience. I am certainly grateful (and the other writers* most likely agree) to be mentioned at all in a nationally circulated magazine only eight months after setting up shop on Blogger. But let's be honest - Vibe simply cannot deliver on its old strengths (scantily clad R&B starlets and industry overview, I guess) in the internet age. With the nubile Cassie buck-nekkid n' spread eagle for all to Google and dozens of blogs covering every aspect and sub-genre under the urban umbrella, where is Quincy's print 'zine's niche exactly?

If Google Analytics is to be believed, Vibe.com's coverage of the list did not send us one single visitor. We did however receive plenty of traffic from blogs that published the list in its entirety before Vibe; it seems the blogosphere is unsurprisingly efficient at hyping itself. Thus we're not feeling too slighted by the print version of the list, which consisted of an amazingly small horizontal band of text running across several pages with no preamble. Easily missed. But as long as the readers enjoy our material and share it and keep coming back, and other bloggers link to us, we'll be alright. And that'll keep happening, in my opinion, because we do a pretty decent job of making old music seem fresh. So if anyone is reading this because Vibe's mention inspired them to point their browser at us, we're glad you found us against all odds.

Does all of this blogging about blogging have fuck all to do with Dred Scott, you ask? Well no, not really, but that's a great song and a very 90s (in that quasi-bohemian Starbucks Lisa Bonet D.A.I.S.Y. Age meets Bupward mobility kind of way) video that should resonate well on a lazy Sunday evening before the rat race restarts. It's the kind of song that certain knee-jerk reactionary critics will write off as corny or naive or simply not produced by Peat Rawk (but I'll address all that later) but take a 90s minute (no checking the iPhone) to actually listen to it and you'll probably hear a great drum break, a beautifully performed hook, and some thoughtful rhymes. Hardly the pinnacle of rap's greatness but not quite MC Skat Kat, either. Check it. Also, look out for our YouTube Channel, coming as soon as possible.

-- Thun

*Yes, T.R.O.Y. is a team blog, for those that never knew! To oversimplify: I write the lengthy analytical essays, Roy Johnson does the Non-Album track compilatons, Schenectady Fan does all of those obscure regional compilations, ThomasV digs up rare videos and promo materials, Verge is the king of sample sources, Markshot has been Touring the States, Philaflava does a little of everything, and dirt_dog is new and mysterious so I'm not sure of his niche but I'm sure he has a vision. Check the sidebar for the widget that links to our individual works - T.R.O.Y. has never made so much sense to you.