Propz Monkey

Ras Kass - Rasassination

2011-10-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/94780311c40b6ebd/

1. Endtro
2. Rasassination
3. Ghetto Fabulous (feat. Dr. Dre & Mack 10)
4. Lapdance (feat. RC)
5. (Skit #1)
6. Conceited Bastard
7. Ice Age (feat. Kurupt & El-Drex)
8. ...In a Coogi Sweatsuit (skit)
9. H2OProof (feat. Saafir)
10. It Is What It Is (feat. Jazze Pha)
11. Interview With a Vampire (feat. God & Satan)
12. Wild Pitch (feat. Xzibit & Jah Skillz)
13. OohWee!
14. All or Nuthin' (feat. Twista)
15. Grindin' (feat. Bad Azz)
16. I Ain't Fucking With You
17. Get at Me
18. The End (feat. RZA)

Like most everyone else in the hip hop world, I was massively disappointed when Ras Kass dropped this as his follow up to the indisputable classic, 'Soul on Ice'. This album was about as radical a departure as one could imagine, and as such, was universally panned by fans and critics alike. Its polished beats, poppy hooks, and more relaxed take on lyricism alienated Ras's original fan base in such a way that he still, to this day hasnt fully recovered.

You want to know a secret though? This album is actually pretty amazing in retrospect. I mean sure, its no 'SOI', but when not being held up against another body of work, and being taken in strictly for what it is, its actually a very solid record and suitable follow up. Its true the album took a more mainstream approach to the Ras Kass formula, but honestly it really isnt as radical a departure as one would think. I mean isnt it an artist job to continue to experiment and grow musically? Can anyone really blame Ras Kass for doing it big when a little more cash was thrown at him? The answer of course will vary from listener to listener, in my humble opinion though it was the natural evolution of one of the West Coast's finest mc's.

Looking back on the album I can honestly say there really isnt a weak beat amongst the bunch. The Dr Dre and Mack 10 featured 'Ghetto Fabulous' is a banging, ominous piece of production that matches Rassy perfectly. 'Conceited Bastard' sounds like it could have been a SOI outtake, and the title cut 'Rasassination' was so ahead of its time that we wouldnt see mc's and producers catching up to that sound until as late as 2006.

An album isnt solely defined by its production though, and as any Ras fan can tell you, the main draw for his debut classic was his flawless display on the mic. The Ras Kass we find here isnt as technically strong as the one on SOI, but he's still just as gifted. 'Soul On Ice' sounded like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders, this album though sounds like someone who's happy to be living life and having a good time while doing it. Thats not to say that SOI Ras doesnt show up every now and again, just check the instantly classic cut "Interview With a Vampire ", this is the type of track that most rappers couldnt even begin to think of creating, let alone fully executing it. In fact you would be hard pressed to find a single weak verse form Ras Kass on this album, his performance as a whole stands the test of time and sounds even better today then it did on its release.

The main critisim that was thrown at SOI was that the production was lacking, some even found it outright boring, Ras Kass did everything in his power to fix that on this release and consequently had his fans turn on him for doing so, a real "damned if you do, damned if you dont" situation. But really this has been what Rassy's career has been about all along, from day one its been him against the world. Fuck it though, Ras has created and album with some of the strongest songwriting of his career, lyrically very few mc's can see him on this, and concept wise he's untouchable. I urge everyone who gave this a bad review (and even those who havnt heard it yet) to revisit this album with an open mind, I think you're going to be surprised by just how well this lp as aged.

Pro's
-Very strong production values
-Great songwriting
-Top notch lyricism
-Amazing concepts

Con's
-a potential shock for those coming straight off of 'SOI'
-If you're not a fan of a more polished, mainstream sound, then this may not do much for you

Overall 4/5

David Banner & 9th Wonder - Death Of A Pop Star

2011-09-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/944478922f887757/

1. Diamonds on My Pinky

2. No Denying (Channel 3)

3. Mas 4

4. The Light

5. Slow Down (feat. Heather Victoria)

6. Be With You (feat. Ludacris & Marsha Ambrosius)

7. Stutter (feat. Anthony Hamilton)

8. Silly (feat. Erykah Badu)

9. Something Is Wrong (feat. Lisa Ivey)

10. Strange (feat. Big Remo)

David Banner has cemented his reputation as one of the most thought provoking, yet club ready mc's to ever emerge from the dirty south. Need proof? look no further then his debut lp "Mississippi". The albums two biggest singles rested on opposite ends of the hip hop spectrum. "Like a Pimp" knocked so hard it blew more then its fair share of speakers; while "Cadillacs on 22's" was a soulful; thought provoking ode to everything wrong in the south, and how with enough perseverance we can overcome just about anything. The biggest complaint I've ever had with Banner though is that he never seemed to properly fuse these two sounds together in to one cohesive record. His songs were very much a "one or the other" type of affair. I'm very happy to report that with this 9th Wonder assisted lp though, he seems to have finally found that perfect balance and fully matured as an artist.

One line in particular sums up David Banner perfectly. It's found at the very end of 'Diamonds on my Pinky; the albums opening cut. Over a brilliant 9th Wonder beat, Banner closes the song with:

"But im from Mississippi where you let your nuts hang/

and where the white folks let my ancestors do the same"

My jaw literally dropped when I first heard this. Never has a single rhyme so perfectly reflected what an artist is truly about. If someone were to ask me to describe David Banner then this is the first thing coming out of my mouth. The line has a bit of everything that banner is about. It has his nut grabbing bravado, his socially conscious mind frame, and his no nonsense; almost militant bluntness. This is the David Banner that is presented throughout the whole lp, he's sure to offend more then a few people, but for those willing to listen with an open mind its nothing short of an absolutely fascinating look in to one of hip hop's most interesting minds. Lyrically David's style never falters; this is going to be the album that proves his worth to all of his critics. In a single verse he covers more topics then most mc's do on their whole albums. He effortlessly bounces from in-depth, thought provoking lyricism, to all out shit talking and never once misses a beat.

....Ok well that's no entirely true. If Banner does have one fault on this album its in his flow. Ive always thought Banner had a superb flow in the past, but here it sometimes comes across and sloppy and rushed. I think I may have an explanation for this though. I've read interviews with long time 9th Wonder collaborator Murs in the past; he was the first to point out that that when recording with 9th Wonder you only get one take to record your lyrics. 9th believes that the more takes you do, the less fresh and live the verse will sound. Therefore even if the mc flubs, the verse is kept. Is this what happened here? I cant say for sure, but at times it does indeed sound like that may be the case.

Speaking of 9th, his production here is some of the best he's ever churned out. His signature soul sampling is still intact, but he finds new and interesting ways to customize his beats to better suite his Mississippi partner. These don't sound like beats that 9th just gave to Banner; rather something he crafted with David in mind. The end result is a very natural sound that showcases both artist raw talents. Really the only other negative that can be leveled at the album is the running time. Originally intended to be a mixtape this lp runs incredibly short at times. Some of the best tracks clock in at just over 2 minutes, and the album as a whole only runs about 30 minutes. Though it should be noted that I copped the Best Buy version which features an extra 3 track that extend the album by about 10 minutes.

As a whole the album is superb. Though I feel that with a little more work it could have been better. Had some extra time been taken to really polish the release it might have been an instant classic. As it stands though its a very short, very sweet ride that shows an incredible amount of potential for the future of these two. Fingers crossed that we get a more fleshed out follow up.

Pro's

-Flawless production

-Fantastic lyrics

-.....moves at a brisk pace?

Con's

-Sounds somewhat sloppy at times

-.....moves at a brisk pace?

Overall 4/5

KRS-ONE - Adventures In Emceein

2011-08-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/93664154bcdbcff2/

1. Today's Topics
2. Our Soldiers
3. Money
4. We Dem Teachas
5. Better & Better
6. The Way It's Goin' Down
7. The Teacha Returns
8. The Real Hiphop
9. Watch This!
10. What's Your Plan?
11. All Right
12. Don't Get So High [Dancehall Mix]
13. I Got You
14. All My Love
15. Over 30 [Remix]
16. Getaway
17. Don't Give It Up
18. Gro---oh! (Hiphop Nation)
19. It's All Love
20. Wachanoabout

Albums like this frustrate me. KRS ONE has turned in what easily could have been his strongest album (or compilation since this is more of a collection of songs recorded between '04 and '07) since "I Got Next", but sadly it's crippled by being too bloated, and too unfocused. Patience is key though, and given you have enough patience to dig through this monstrous 21 track LP, then longtime fans and newcomers alike will find a very rewarding, very well crafted album from one of hip hop's greats.

The album starts off with a quick intro from Rakim; which is followed by what is essentially another skit/spoken word piece by Chuck D (Though Kris does end the track by spitting a few bars, it's hardly enough to be considered anything more then a glorified skit). The album gets its proper start with "Our Soldiers", the track finds KRS spewing venom over ominous sirens

What about the promises that were made?/
No one in America feels any safer, in fact we feel betrayed/
Over 200 family's played/
With an American flag and a letter that says your child got sprayed

"Money" is a nice surprise for longtime fans as it finds Kris briefly returning to his "I Got Next" flow while MC Lyte handles the hook with a spoken word flair (gotta appreciate the irony of this...KRS has Rakim, Chuck D, Lyte AND Nas on this album, and all any of them do is speak). "Better and Better" is one of the albums best offerings in my opinion. The beat has a very dark; almost "Kill A Rapper" vibe to it, and KRS controls the production masterfully with his polished flow and lyrics. Sadly a throw-away verse from Pee-Doe will no doubt keep this one from showing up on any future "best of" compilations.

In fact it's worth mentioning that every guest rap here is pretty much throw-away. I hate to discredit the mc's, but honestly none of these guys are fit to be rapping alongside the Blastmaster; this is especially true considering how on point Kris is for most of the lp. It's the little things like this that begin to add up and derail the lp. For example did we really need an remix to "Over 30"? Especially one that's wildly inferior to the original? Or how about the albums closer "Wachanoabout"; which is easily one of the worst songs KRS has ever had his name attached to. The track is a heavy metal/hip hop mash up that sounds more Necro then the T'Cha, and though Kris does an admiral job in riding this musical abortion it still has no place on this album, or any other for that matter.

There's also some more minor head scratching moments. Like the inclusion of two tracks both built around vocal samples of the word "Love". The album probably could have really done without "All My Love". The beat sounds almost like a cheap Cam'Ron throw away, and KRS doesn't really say anything of any real substance here. On the flip side though "It's All Love" would have been the perfect way to end the lp. The beat is piano driven, and when the hook drops you would swear the instrumental was something MF DOOM had cooked up.

Two more standouts I would feel bad without mentioning. "I Got You" finds KRS at his absolute best over a minimalist beat that sounds vaguely like something Marley Marl would have produced. Later in the album "Gro---Oh!" comes storming in with thundering drums and claps that mesh perfectly with Kris's flow. If KRS and Madlib were to ever make a song I would imagine it would turn out like that.

At the end of the day it's really up to you to make the best out of what's given to you. Not the highest praise ever given I know, but it really is worth it to take the time to listen to this lp in full and trim the fat for yourself. As it stands though, this is still one of KRS One's strongest albums and one that shouldn't be missed by any fan. The production is mostly on point, and aside from the disappointing guest spots the lyrics and flows are some of the best Kris has offered up in years. I truly wish KRS would have taken the time to cut the filler, but really you cant blame the man for wanting to give the fans their money's worth.

Pro's
-Surprisingly strong production that recalls the works of other great producers
-KRS is lyrically stronger here then he has been in years
-Unlike his other albums around this time (and after) Kris uses a wide variety of flows
-As always the T'Cha offers up a lot of positive and insightful lyrics

Con's
-Very weak guest verses
-Wasted (and misleading) features from Nas, Rakim, Chuck D and MC Lyte
-A handful of weaker songs kills the momentum of the album
-Way too bloated for its own good
-Some are bound to find Kris preachy

Overall - 3/5

Busta Rhymes - E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front

2011-08-19T02:42:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/936603677f03e579/

1. There's Only One Year Left!!! (Intro)
2. Everybody Rise
3. Where We Are About to Take It
4. Level Event (The Song of Salvation)
5. Tear da Roof Off
6. Against All Odds (feat.Flipmode)
7. Just Give It to Me Raw
8. Do It to Death
9. Keepin' It Tight
10. Gimme Some More
11. Iz They Wildin' Wit Us & Gettin' Rowdy Wit Us? (feat. Mystikal)
12. Party Is Goin' on Over Here
13. Do the Bus a Bus
14. Take It Off
15. What's It Gonna Be (feat.Janet Jackosn)
16. Hot Shit Makin' Ya Bounce
17. What the Fuck You Want!!
18. This Means War!! (feat.Ozzy Osbourne)
19. The Burial Song (Outro)

This album could have easily been a 5 star masterpiece had Busta shown a bit of restraint. Like most of his 90's work though this is simply too bloated for its own good. Bloated or not though this still stands as one of busta greatest achievements. You would think that at 19 tracks the album would be riddled with filler, but in truth its not. There are 2 skits that get their own track; plus a few more that are tacked on to the end of a few songs. Which is a shame because had the skits alone been trimmed it could have saved this album from dragging on too long. None of them are worth keeping, and the only real purpose they serve is to pad the running time.

As far as the music is concerned though? utterly amazing. The only bad track worth noting is song 5; "Tear da Roof Off". The song suffers from a flat out terrible beat courtesy of Swizz Beatz; this coupled with an annoying hook and awkward flow make the song a complete disaster. "Do the Bus a Bus" could have been done without as well (even if Busta's second verse is jaw dropping). Other then that though the album is near perfect. The production is masterful. "Where We Are About to Take It", "Everybody Rise", and "Gimme Some More" stand out as some of the greatest beats of the 90's. The rest of the production isnt far behind these classics and give the album a very diverse and live feel to it.

Busta turns in an equally strong performance. His flow is as off the wall crazy as ever, and his lyrics are tongue twistingly fantastic. Not so surprisingly the features are equally as good. Busta and Mystikal feed off of each others energy and turn in performances that would make MOP sound subdued. While later in the album Janet Jackson and Ozzy Osbourne don't sound nearly as out of place as one might imagine. The running times for these tracks also help keep the album moving forward. Some tracks clock in at 5 minutes or more; while others are just a shade over 2. It helps create a diversity that keeps the album's sound from getting redundant.

Overall - I honestly think this is a fantastic starting point for people looking to get in to Busta Rhymes. The album straddles the line between mainstream and underground fantastically. The raw production mixed with Busta's poppy hooks and flawless flow create a truly one of a kind sound. My advice? take the album; chop the skits and track 5, and enjoy this for the classic that it could have been.

Pro's
-Amazing Production
-Strong Songwriting
-Strong performance from Busta
-The at first odd Guest list turn out to be awesome.

Con's
-Track 5 is flat out terrible
-Too many skits tacked on kill the flow

Overall 4.5/5

C-Rayz Walz - Ravivpops (The Substance)

2011-08-16T09:13:00.001-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/93658026d4656c2c/

1. Floe

2. The Essence

3. Guns And Butter

4. Protect My Family

5. Thug Melody

6. 86

7. The Line Up (Feat. Breezly Brewin, J-Treds, MF DOOM, Thirstin Howl III, Vast Aire & Wordsworth)

8. Buck 80

9. Battle Me

10. Elephant Gun

11. We Live

12. Yeah

13. Seal Killa

14. Dead Buffalos

15. Camouflage

16. 3 Card Molly

17. Revelations 15:2

I wasnt really sure what to think of C-Rayz Walz when this album dropped. Despite having an already impressive back catalog, this was actually the first release of his I ever checked out. I had heard his name mentioned countless times in the freestyle battle circuit, and he later caught my attention with his scorching verse on Cannibal Ox's 2001 masterpiece, 'The Cold Vein'. By the time this album's release rolled around I was completely immersed in the world of Def Jux. The record label was slowly and surely making me reassess what exactly it was I considered "Hip Hop" to be.

To make a long story slightly shorter....I pretty much copped this solely off the strength of it being a Def Jux release. I wish I could say I was down with Walz from the jump, but hey, better late then never, right? My first few sit downs with this album didnt turn out for the best. Sure it was an ok record, but I didnt really understand Walz as an mc. Was he a comical, punchline driven mc ala Eminem? Was he a social commentator and revolutionary like longtime collaborator Immortal Technique? Really I wasnt sure. Walz displayed so many different personalities all at once on this record, and to be honest it was a bit much to take in, it simply overwhelmed me and I shelved the album, not quite sure exactly what it was I had just listened to.

Revisiting the album years later though provided me with quite a shock. Coming back to this record with a more matured musical palette really opened it up for me. I finally understood the brilliance of C-Rayz's style. That being that it simply cant be fit in to any one category, his lyrics and flow evolve and change with every few bars and his mind is constantly shuffling a million different thoughts all at once. He bounces from clever punchline centered raps (see 'Battle Me': You work for who? so, I dont wanna get signed/my shadows chasing me, basically im ahead of my time), to heartbreaking revelations involving his past, on 'We Live' Walz shares...

Be Strong, the same thing I told my Mother/

With blood on her shoulder while she was holding my brother/

(We Live) where do-rags stay under the hat/

and you dont want waves, but the bandanna gotta match

Walz again touches the subject with greater detail on '3 Card Molly'

for the 5 times those dum dum's blast/

in the chest of my brother, that breath was the last one/

I dont believe it, my heart need a cast/

I told him "get out that lane cause it was too fast"/

Ain't it time to, cut these yellow lines/

the show must go on I got his younger brother on my mind/

Past tragic, wish I knew magic tricks/

I'd bring it back to the physical script/

And dreams is broke, he got smoked for coke/

in the form of rock What it made worse, he was on his own block/

At the funeral, I cried then laughed/

At the same time, my wrath, had me happy and sad

The album is littered with moments like this and every song finds us exploring a different personality of Mr. Walz. His songwriting is worth noting as well, C-Rayz proves himself to be one of the best songwriters the underground has to offer. At first I didnt think much of it, but months after my initial listen I found myself singing his choruses, something I can very, very rarely say for an underground mc. He plays with vocal inflections and melodies in such a way that you simply cant help but get his songs stuck in your head, its rather brilliant and ties his verses together to make the songs a cohesive entity, rather then random raps that were just thrown over the beats.

Speaking of which, the production is almost as brilliant as C-rayz himself. I would be lying if I said I knew who most of these dudes were, but they each turn in stunning performances. With beats ranging from absolutely haunting (the aforementioned 'We live') to light hearted and playful (Floe). 'Elephant Guns' and 'Dead Buffaloes' also stand out as utterly amazing instrumentals. Much like C-rayz's verse, every beat serves a purpose on this album and each and every one is put to use in the most effective manner. Couple all this with a classic Posse cut featuring a show stealing Verse from MF DOOM (The Line Up) and you have what is easily one of the best albums to come out of the Def Jux camp.

The only negatives I can find are the running time and the immense amount of depth that Walz displays on the mic. Firstly, at 17 full tracks, most of which clock in at over 4 minutes, the album can start to drag in the second half. Its not that the music is any less effective, its just that with such long running time it really takes a certain level of dedication to get through it all in one sitting. Walz himself can be a very hard mc to get in to, his quirky voice and flows can make him hard to understand at times, and his lyrics often take multiple listens and rewinds to decipher. People such as myself will love this, others wont bother investing the time to see the end reward, shame really.

Overall the album is simply amazing, its one thats going to take a while to grow on you, but given the chance im sure you'll fall just as deeply in love with it as I have. From the polished production to the catchy hooks, the album delivers on just about every level and is a must for underground hip hop fans.

Pro's

-Great flows and lyrics

-Very solid productions

-Well crafted hooks

-Interesting subject matter and concepts

Con's

-Album runs a bit long

-Its a pretty hard album to get in to, Walz is an acquired taste

-Walz sometimes has trouble focusing on one subject for long periods of time

Overall - 4/5

Eyedea and Abilities - By The Throat

2011-08-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/93657531d0dc91ff/

01. Hay Fever
02. Spin Cycle
03. Time Flies When You Have A Gun
04. Burnt Fetish
05. Sky Diver
06. Junk
07. Forgive My Synapses
08. This Story
09. Factory
10. Smile
11. By The Throat

I almost feel the need to defend this album. Many critics and fans alike have been lukewarm towards this release, and I have to wonder if we had all been listening to the same album or not. I think the problem is that the majority of these people went in to this record with preconceived notions of what they were going to get. The simple fact of the matter though is that Eyedea had long since grown tired of battle rap. He had been doing it since before his official lp debut in 2001, meaning that he'd had 8 years of growth to showcase on this release. Eyedea gained fans with his experimental styles and wildly imaginative lyrics. He was always pushing the boundaries of hip hop and creating new sounds and styles; why people assumed he would shoehorn himself in to one genre, let alone one as simple and unimaginative as "battle rap" is beyond me.

The Eyedea we have on this album is, for all intent and purposes, a fully developed and realized artist. His choruses are amazing (as proven on the ridiculously catchy "Spin Cycle). His concepts are strong (see: Time Flies When You Have a Gun), and his lyrics are nothing short of brilliant (look no further then 'Forgive Me for my Synapses). He had reached a point in his career that most artist can only dream of; he was making music that would appeal to fans of any genre, and he was making it his way or no way at all.

The production is equally as strong. Abilities laces Eyedea with music that straddles genre's as effortlessly as Eyedea himself. Half Hip Hop, half Punk Rock, 100 percent amazing. The production meshes with Eyedea perfectly and creates a very cohesive and organic sound. I've seen many people complain about the running time, but honestly I just cant understand where they're coming from. E&A crafted an album with absolutely no filler. Meaning it may only be 30 minutes long, but each and every minute is absolutely essential. I'll take a brilliant 2 minute song over a lousy 4 minute one any day. Besides, the album is very obviously heavily inspired by classic Punk albums. Anyone who knows their music history can tell you that punk albums very rarely lasted over 25 to 30 minutes. If you want a bloated album that badly then by all means pick out any one of Master P's 'No Limit' releases.

But I digress. Lets not lose focus of the most important thing here, that being that the album itself is simply amazing. As it stands its very, very unappreciated, but ive no doubt in my mind that in the coming years this is going to be looked back at and given the props it deserves. E&A have created an album that exist outside of genre's, and indeed outside of time itself. A fitting end to one of the most underrated groups to ever bless us with music.
RIP Eyedea

Pro's
-Amazing songwriting
-Flawless lyrical performance
-Mind Bending flows
-Great production
-Engaging Concepts

Con's
-The album starts out with the weakest track it has, 'Hay Fever'. It should have been moved deeper in the mix, or replaced altogether.

Overall - 4.5/5

Everything You Need To Know About: The Remix Files

2011-08-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may not know this about me; I'm a huge, huge, huge fan of remix's. Many times if presented with the Remix and the OG version of the same song I just dig right in to the remix. Why? Cant say for sure. There's just something about a producer taking a piece of work and presenting it in a different way, the way that he hears it in his head. I've just always found it very interesting to hear how different people interpret different songs. In Hip Hop it's pretty much the equivalent of doing a "cover song" from a band you love and respect. You take something familiar, and put your own fingerprints on it.

This leads us in to the newest segment for the site; The Remix Files. Over the coming months I will be trying to put together completely comprehensive mixtapes of any given producers remix work. My Goal with these tapes is to track down every hard to find remix, and put them all together for everyone to enjoy in one sitting. Hopefully with a little luck I can make it happen.

Some Random info to keep in mind.

1. Please, if you notice I am missing ANY remix from a compilation I urge you to bring it to my attention. Even if you're not 100% sure. I'm more then happy to do the leg work and dig for info on it.

2. No matter how thorough I am, I'm bound to miss some remix's. As such I plan to keep updating the mixes. I'll edit the original post with the updates letting you know what has been added so you can decide if it's worth your time or not. Also I wont make early adopters re-download a whole tape just to get an extra song or two. I'll also up them separately in the comments section bellow each post

3. There are some occasions where producers are credited as "co-producing" a song. for example; while working on the Erick Sermon compilation I ran in to two instances where a one song was co-produced by Parish (labeled as a EPMD remix), and one with DJ Premier (I'm assuming Preemo did the cuts). In both instances I will include these in the Erick Sermon comp. Simply because he had a hand in the remix, and is indeed credited for it. I'll try to point out tracks that are co-produced.

4. As with most anything on my blog. You are more then welcome to share these tapes with other people and sites. All I ask is that I am given credit and you link back to my page. Other then that have at it.

5. A lot of these mix's are super obscure and hard to find. Many time's I can only find mp3's that sound like absolute shit. I'm talking like 50+kbps (*ahem*...Ol Dirty Bastard - Give It To Ya Raw SD50 Remix). If you have a better quality version of a song then hook me up. I'll add it to the tape immediately. Again i'll add these updated songs to the comment section.

6. I will also be doing little mini compilations. Some producers only have like...2 to 4 songs they've remixed. So I might just up those in a little mini file just for the hell of it to hold dudes over for some of the bigger compilations. At some point I'll probably up them all in one bigger file to.

That's all for now. Keep checking back for updates. And as always, enjoy and spread the blog!

RZA - The Remix Files

2011-08-05T07:22:00.001-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/93355246aa660307/

01. GZA - Words_from_the_genius_(prince_rakeem_remix)

02. Method Man - Bring The Pain (RZA Remix)

03. Super Cat-Scalp Dem (Wu Tang Mix)

04. Gravediggaz - 1-800-Suicide (Poisonous Mix)

05. Gravediggaz - 1-800-Suicide (Poisonous Mix) Instrumental

06. GZA - Cold World [RZA Mix]

07. GZA - Labels (GZA Mix) a `

08. Method Man - The Riddler (The Riddler Hide-Out Remix)

09. Ol Dirty Bastard - Give It To Ya Raw (SD50 Remix)

10. tricky-tonite_is_a_special_nite_(chaos_mass_confusion_mix)

11. shaq - No hook (RZA Remix)

12. AZ - Doe Or Die (Rza Remix)

13. Bounty Killer - War face (Ask fi war remix)

14. Bjork - Bachelorette ( Rza Remix )

15. Wu - Gambinos (Hidden Chamber Remix)

16. Ii B.S. (Rza's Mingus Bounce Remix)

17. Prodigal Sunn - Brutality (RZA Remix)

18. 60 Second Assassin (War Zone Remix)

19. Method Man - Your all i need (RZA Remix)

20. Bounty Killer - Eyes A Bleed (RZA Remix)

21. Cilvaringz - Man Woman And Child (Rza Remix)

22. Gravediggaz - Mommy what a gravedigga (RZA mix)

23. Prodigy - Keep It Thoro (RZA Halfway Version)

24. fried - When you get out of jail (RZA gets out of Jail remix)

25. Raekwon - (Rainy Dayz Remix)

I've decided to start this series with the man I consider to be the greatest music producer of all time; Wu-Tang Clan Abbot, The RZA. The Abbot has had his hands in countless classics and was a key figure in shaping the hip hop landscape in to what it is today. His sparse backdrops mixed with his knocking drums and kung fu samples literally revolutionized the game. Here I present you with a collection of classic songs, re-imagined by the GOAT producer. Some are more obvious choices (His Wu-Tang brethren being among the most obvious), but then you have artist like Bjork, Fried and Charles Mingus. All head scratching choices to be sure, but when RZA blesses them with his golden touch then it all makes sense. I hope you guys enjoy this collection as much as I do.

Everything You Need To Know About: The Site Returning

2011-01-19T10:00:00.001-08:00

Ive seen the comments, I know most of the links are dead, and im aware that I havnt posted anything in forever. This will all be changing soon though! I was somewhat caught off gaurd by the onslaught of stuff that happened all at once in my life. The birth of my son and my main computer crashing made it hard to focus on this blog, but rest assured, it is coming back.

Im hoping to start re-upping the links within the next week or two, then im going to work on revising and editing some reviews and upping some new underground gems.

And for all my readers out there with no accounts who simply post as guest. I encourage you to create an account of some kind and at least follow this blog, that way you can stay up to date with the link re-ups and new post. You can also help the site out by stopping through every few days and clicking the album links to make sure they stay live, every little bit helps.

Thanks to everyone who's been patiently waiting for new links, I know personally how frustrating it can be to only find one post on an album you're looking for only to have it be on an abandon blog that no one moderates anymore. Changes are coming, patience will be rewarded.

Peace

Vocab

......................................

EDIT: 08/07/2011

Rather then make another new post and clutter up the blog I decided to just edit this bad boy and let everyone know whats up. As you can see I have been somewhat more active on the blog, hitting you guys with a brand tape and announcing a new series along with it. My next goal is to re-up all the downed links and to re-write some of the reviews. I like to think I have grown slightly as a writer, and reading some of these old reviews is somewhat "cringe worthy".

I recently purchased a very large external hard-drive and will be in the process of transferring all of my cd's to it. What this means for the site is that I will be able to more quickly upload, and re-upload albums. As it is now I have to track down every cd from my collection and rip it, zip it, then up it. This way should save me a lot of hassle and be much more convenient. I've had people ask me why I don't just grab links for the albums that are already on the web. To that I answer this; I want everyone who visits this blog to know that what they are downloading is 100% safe. I never want anyone to feel like they may be getting a virus or a bunch of junk with their album. With that in mind I rip and upload everything myself to ensure absolute security.

And there you have it. With any luck I should have this place back up and running again in no time. I'm currently hard at work at putting together more of "The Remix Files" series, but as of this moment right now my main concern is getting these links back up for the good people who have stopped through, only to find them dead.

I am looking for help. 2 things you can do to really help this blog. The first being very simple; pass on the word. Let your friends know about this place and help me pull in a few more readers. I would really like to build this site up and make it in to something rather special.

Second I am looking for a team of people who can go through all the links I post every Month or so and just hit the download button to make sure they stay active. I was doing this myself for a while, but with every album I add it gets to be more and more tiring. If you're interested in helping then please email, it's a very easy thing you can do that will help me go a long way. I'll even give you a shoutout in this post when I edit it later...haha. Zshare says that links stay active for 60 days then go down if no one has downloaded them in that time. Should be easy enough right?

That's all for now. Check back again soon for more updates and thanks for taking the time.

.........................................

EDIT: 8/13/11

In the process of getting all the links up. The majority of them are actually up and going as of right now. Just rounding up a few of the mixtapes and everything should be good to go. Also getting ready to post up some new album's, then i'll be editing the older reviews and expanding on many of them to fit in to my new review style.

Also just a heads up. Not every album I upload will be obscure underground gems. I'm working really hard on creating a site that will expose any type of music fan to an album on the opposite end of their usual spectrum. Personally I listen to every sub-genre of hip hop. Mainstream, Underground, and everything in between. I might be listening to some of Snoop Dogg's pop records, but then turn around and dig right in to a rare Rodan ep. I love it all.

Basically what i'm saying is for every few underground joints I put up, I will also be upping one or two mainstream joints that I really appreciate. All I ask is that you keep an open mind.

that's all for now. hit me up if you have any questions. Peace.

Kurupt - Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha

2010-04-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/936401146437ccb9/

1. I Call Shots

2. Loose Cannons

3. Who Ride Wit Us

4. Represent Dat G.C.

5. Welcome Home

6. Tequila

7. Trylogy

8. Neva Gonna Give It Up

9. Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha

10. Ya Can't Trust Nobody

11. It Ain't About You

12. Girls All Pause

13. Your Gyrl Friend

14. Ho's a Housewife

15. I Ain't SH%T Without My Homeboyz

16. Step Up

17. Live on th Mic

18. Callin out Names

When Eminem name dropped Kurupt as one of his top 10 mc's on the song 'Till I Collapse' a lot of people were left scratching their heads, to those not hip to the West Coast movement the name Kurupt barely registered, "wasnt he one of those guys who rapped with Snoop Dogg?" Listening to this album though more then proves that Slim Shady does indeed know what he is talking about, 'Tha Streetz iz a Mutha' finds the Dogg Pound mc showing and proving that he is indeed one of the best lyricist of all time.

As a Kurupt fan myself I can tell you that the mc doesnt always bring his A game, many albums find him lazily rhyming about nothing and are littered with excessive use of profanities, luckily this wasnt one of those album. the Kurupt on 'Streetz' is a focused and deadly mc, his flow is monstrous and his lyrics brash and impressive all at the same time. The song 'Trylogy' is the perfect example of what he is capable of , Kurupt attacks the Bink laced beat and never lets up until the track is at its end, from start to finish its a masterpiece of lyricism and flow...

"Cervical veins lacerated lost to missiles

Interrogated and I paraded posted with pistols

Time for war this is when the heart's exposed

Change up the game, cockin and sparks explode

I'm a marksman, touch of death, ten steps to draw

And that's all, end to anything before

In a world war, off like a Concorde jet

But fool, D.P.G.'s the set"

Simply put Kurupt is an animal out to destroy any mc foolish enough to do him any wrong, DMX being one of them on the fierce 'Callin Out Names' where Kurupt airs out X among others. Another notable highlight is the KRS One assisted 'Live on the Mic, the track finds Kurupt and KRS ONE trading Freestyles for over 4 minutes, and when I say Freestyle I mean REAL Freestyle, Kurupt and Kris are coming off the top effortlessly and having a good time doing it, KRS is of course known as one of the best freestyle mc's ever but Kurupt doesnt let him steal the show, flexing his amazing talents off the dome he damn near outshines Kris many times, for hip hop fans its a true treat, Freestyle at its finest.

The album as a whole bangs though, from track 1 to 18 its pure west coast perfection, the beats thump in the system and Kurupt proves he's worthy of his top 10 spot, guest features come in the form of the already mentioned KRS ONE, as well as some of the normal suspect, Dr Dre, Daz, Xzibit, ect. West Coast fan or not I urge everyone to peep this album, Kurupt truly is one of the most talented mc's in the game and he's been slept on long enough, crank this up in the whip and bump it loud, all respect due to the West.

Overall - 5/5

MF GRIMM - Girlfriend (New Song 2010)

2010-02-17T17:01:00.000-08:00

MF Grimm - Girlfriend

http://www.zshare.net/audio/726984406c7cf701/

Here ya go folks, world exclusive. New MF Grimm song for everyone's enjoyment.

Here's what the press release says...

At this time, we cannot confirm this song will be featured on the tracklist for MF GRIMM's upcoming album, You Only Live Twice: The Audio Graphic Novel, set to release May 18, 2010. Twice features faultless rhythm, intelligent lyrics and edgy cover art.

The song itself starts off with a skit, almost reminiscent of 2pac's skit from 'All Eyez On Me' with him talking to some random chick. Grimm's skit though is HILARIOUS, it sums up what a lot of Heads have been thinking for the last few years, a fantastic satire of current trends.

The song itself follows the same subject matter as the skit...

Stop wearing your girlfriends pants/

you looking real soft in your b-boy stance!

Grimm airs out every trendy hipster who thinks it "cool" to rock those bullshit skinny jeans, speaking from his heart as a man who grew up with hip hop and simply doesnt like where its going, Grimm comes across very sincere, he doesnt necessarily sound like he's pointing fingers or calling any one person out, rather he's holding up a mirror to hip hop and society itself just so they can see how ridiculous they look.

The beat serves its purpose. It doesnt eclipse Grimm, rather simply serves as his backdrop and nothing more. I think a stronger beat may have helped push this song to another level but as it is it doesnt hurt the track, its just kinda there. Almost reminds me of something off of 'Digital Tears' to be honest. Either way this track serves as a perfect appetizer for what Grimm has in store for us in 2010, he's heading back to the streets to retake hip hop, and I for one cant wait to see what else he has on the way.

Cookin Soul - Big Pun & J Dilla: BIG Dilla

2010-02-10T18:54:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/724170127f555872/

1. Nore Intro

2. Toes Down

3. Dream Shatterer

4. Red Made Men

5. Fat Joe Skit

6. Twinz React

7. Running Across Da Bronx

8. Pun Skit

9. Oh No Dont Push

10. Leather Face Pt. 2

11. Take Dem Cloths Off 100 Percent

12. Junkilla

13. Groupies Skit

14. Thug vs Playa

15. Outro

First props where props are due, this blend comes to us via the always fantastic 2dopeboyz, peep the original post here

http://2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com/2010/02/08/cookin-soul-x-big-pun-x-j-dilla-big-dilla-mixtape/

Ok, now that thats out of the way. As you might have suspected this is a blend tape featuring the legendary Big Pun rhyming over the equally legendary J Dilla's production. Ive said before that I was a huge fan of remix's and blend tapes are no different, only problem is its so hard to find GOOD blend tapes these days, so many times the dj's have the vocals synced wrong or the tracks mastered poorly, nothing kills a vibe quicker then not being able to hear the artist or to have them flat out sound off beat. You would be surprised how many half assed blend tapes I sort through to get to the good stuff...thank god this is some of the good stuff.

Cookin Soul has put together this blend tape fantastically, the vocals are synced up perfectly, never sounding even a bit off beat, and the mastering is top notch, very professional. The beats range from Dilla more laid back joints to his abstract, off the wall shit. Puns vocals of course run from his hits to some lesser known joints and the beats they've been combined with work together perfectly, never do the songs sound forced or awkward, so well done is this blend that you would almost swear these had been recorded while both artist were still alive.

Skits are sprinkled between the tracks, these mainly consist of other artist reflecting on Big Pun and sharing stories with him, this brings to the forefront my one and only flaw with the tape....J Dilla is all but ignored outside of production and the occasional "RIP J Dilla" plug, this disappointed me for a lot of reasons, the main one being of course that this is suppose to be a tape showcasing the talent of BOTH artist, Dilla's beats are just as much the star here as Pun's vocals, to have him glossed over here seems somewhat disrespectful as well as a missed opportunity to have a few more interesting stories on the late beatmaker.

I would also like to take the time to say thank you to Cookin Soul for not having annoying tags all over the songs, true they do have the random drop every now and again but they keep it strictly to before and after songs, never during or over any of the vocals. Overall this is one of the best blend tapes ive ever had a chance to hear, the type of joint I would actually drop money on should they ever press up hard copies. A Must have for any fan of either artist. I

Overall - 4/5

The Mic Planet Sessions

2010-02-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/94109855edab2d9f/

1. Mic Planet Sessions 101 - E-Dot, L.I.F.E. Long, Beyond That & Loser Velocity
2. Current Events - DJ Revolution, Mystic
3. Rebel - Immortal Technique
4. Raw Raps - Poison Pen & Mecca
5. Special Forces - Bahamadia, Planet Asia, Rasco
6. Here It Is - Erule
7. Pop Quiz - KutMasta Kurt, MF Doom & Iz Real
8. Atomic Zen - Styles of Beyond
9. Spectacular - Kool Keith, Iz Real & Lork
10. Mic Planet Freestyle - Rack-Lo, Thirstin Howl III
11. Double Homicide - Cash Brown & Royce Da 5'9
12. Come Up - Lexicon & 4 Zone
13. Listen - 2Mex & Mums the Word

One of my favorite underground compilation albums comes via the fine folks over at Insomniac, probably best known as the label that released MF DOOM's 'Venomous Villain' album. As you can see from the tracklist this is a real who's who of underground hip hop, from east to west and everywhere in-between, this comp even unearths the criminally underrated Bahamedia, one of the illest female mc's to ever rock the mic. Looking at the lineup should give you an idea of what to expect sonically. The mc's rarely venture outside of their comfort zones and as a result everything sounds tight and focuses...even if it does have that "heard it before" quality about it.

The beats are almost always on point, as ive said before the mc's pretty much stick to the production that they sound good over which offers us a wide variety of sound. MF DOOM and Kool Keith flow over some funky spaced out beats, Immortal Technique sticks to a raw New York sound, Planet Asia kicks it over some vintage West Coast bounce, ect. Each mc turns in fantastic performances, Bahamedia and Planet Asia go bar for bar in whats easily one of the most lyrical cuts on the album (which looking at the guest thats saying something), Immortal Technique rips through what is essentially a 2 minute mix of written and freestyle, Thurtsin Howl sounds as raw as ever and Royce Da 5'9 murder his verse, simply put fans of lyrics and wild flows will be in love.

Flaws, of course with such a wide variety of artist there's always going to be some beat or mc you dont like, me for example, I really dont care for Poison Pen, I respect dudes hustle but his flow doesnt do it for me and the beat he spits over is better left as background noise. Really though I dont have too many complaints, you'll be able to take one look at the track list and know right off the bat what tracks you're going to love and which you're going to hate. If you like an artist its safe to assume you're going to be bumping the shit out of whatever cut they have, on the flip side though an mc you dont care for isnt going to do much to change your mind. Had the artist here taken more risk it may have resulted in a more interested listen but as it is its still a wonderfully solid compilation that will appeal to just about any underground head.

Overall - 4/5

MF DOOM & Trunks - Unicron

2010-02-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/935805320a9dc9ef/

1. Monsters
2. Devastator
3. Lockjaw
4. Last Laugh
5. The Story
6. Who's a Hero?

Most of you will remember Trunks as that cat who had the short but sweet track on MF DOOM's King Geedorah album, the track was Lockjaw (which is featured again on this ep) and found the then unknown mc attacking the track with such an energy that he simply couldnt be ignore

Trunks aint a rapper, he's a monsta from the future/
twisting your body in more positions then comasutra

the track clocked in at barely over a minute but that was all that was needed for Trunks to make his mark, mc's everywhere were put on notice, the future was here and with it a new Monsta...

Fast forward a few years and we havnt really heard from Trunks, he all but disappeared after his amazing debut, then this pops up seemingly out of nowhere, Trunks drops his debut ep fully produced by the one and only, MF DOOM. The ep more of less lives up to the hype that trunks had built off his one vocal feature. He spits here with the same focus and intensity that made us take notice in the first place. The problem comes when we realize that in all honestly Trunks isnt much more then a slightly more lyrical punchline mc, take your Cassidy's or Lloyd Bank's and replace every punchline they have about there diamonds with some slick reference to transformers or comic books and you pretty much have trunks.

Now im not trying to bash, I dont think there is anything wrong with mc's like Cass or Banks, its just at times I feel like Trunks is simply pushing himself to be different rather then actually being different...if that makes any sense. To some mc's it comes naturally, DOOM naturally sounds off his rocker, Andre 3000 naturally sounds like he's from outer space, Aesop Rock naturally fucks with our minds with immense metaphors, Trunks though often sounds like he's forcing some of his odder styles.

This isnt to say the man isnt a talented mc, believe me he's def above average. His rhythms almost always impress me and he puts together his words wonderfully, even if I dont feel that its 100% authentic I still have to give him his props because he's still just as talented as when we first heard him. The production is amazing as always, DOOM never fails to impress, its a nice throwback to his older sound and I would love to hear more of it, im not sure if any of its recycled but it all sounds fresh to me (with the exception of Lockjaw of course)

At the end of the day what we have is a talented, if not confused mc who's good at what he does. The beats are wonderful and the mc skilled, not much more you can ask for at the end of the day. Hopefully trunks puts out a full length and finds himself a bit more by then, im still a fan though and look forward to anything he puts out in the future.

Overall - 3/5

Everything You Need To Know About: The Archives

2010-01-28T20:06:00.000-08:00

Thought some of ya'll might find this interesting, for any wondering about my 'archive' I thought I would give you a glimpse inside of my world, here's a chance to see the majority of my collection and where I get the albums I upload for everyone to enjoy.

*first up is the bulk of the cd collection. I have been collecting for many years, pretty much since ive been a child. I've always loved music, and cd's especially. I'm one of the few people left who believes firmly that if you enjoy an artist and his music, then you must support them. I go out of my way to show support to the people I really believe in. This is just as true now as when I started collecting as a kid. I have a lot of rare joints in here, and the majority of it is hip hop. I would say about 80%. A good chunk of it is also Jazz and the rest is made of Rock, County, Techno, random Asian import albums, ect. You name it, it's in here.

*a few stray albums land over here, but mostly I use it for promo's, mixtapes, burned off cd's, ect. The promo's and mixtapes are usually random albums I get in the mail. I'm sure by now you're familiar with them seeing as how I dedicated a good week or two with hooking you up with some of the best I have.As for the burned cd's, they're either...

1: rare albums ive copped brand new and didnt want to open. Every now and again i'll stumble across a rare gem when digging that is still sealed. I go ahead and burn off a copy ive downloaded (GASP!) and keep the official copy sealed up.

2: albums I flat out cant find or dont own. It's not often I cant track down an album im looking for, but every once in a while some of them get away from me. A few joints I only have on burned cd's, the Rodan album for example ive only ever had a bootleg of. I always wanted an official copy but it'll have to do until I find one

EDIT 8/10/2011: I actually copped that Rodan album! got it for $30. Which honestly I think is an absolute steal. Next project is to track down Megalon's "The Nickle Bag". If anyone knows where I can find out hit me up!

3: if I find some really dope radio shows, podcast, or just random rare shit that doesnt belong on albums or hasnt been put out officially I burn it off. Bootlegs of live performances, live mixes, and everything under the sun.

*I love wax but admittedly I dont own a lot. What you see there is pretty much all I have. Im a huge fan of singles though. I go out of my way to track down singles simply because im a HUGE fan of remix's, and 90% of the time the wax single will have one (if not 2 or 3) remix's that never made it out on cd or any other format. I have singles from Kool Keith, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, MIC, KRS ONE and a lot of other cats that I really enjoy. Like I said I love remix's so any single I run across that has remix's on it I cop.

*A neat little grab bag of goodies ive collected over the years. Some very neat stuff in here. My favorite is probably the key chain thats made to look like the brass knuckles from the DJ Muggs and Planet Asia album. Very dope. Also flyers, inserts, stickers, even mints (atmosphere mints at that...dont ask). Just a lot of random stuff ive either gotten at live shows or in the mail.

*im also a sucker for reading reviews from XXL, Source, Vibe, ect. I had been buying all 3 for pretty much as long as I can remember and it started to eat away at a lot of my space. Magazines take up a lot of room. Sometime around 2004 I came up with the idea of putting together my 'Hip Hop Bible'. I took every review from the years worth of magazined I had and put them in this book. I also took some of the best interviews and sprinkled them in there as well. Leads me to wonder why neither the Source nore XXL has taken all their reviews and bound them up in hard cover books, think how fantastic it would be to have all those reviews at your fingertips? like a hip hop history book. Someone needs to get on that. Yo Source and XXL, hit me up and we can work out the details! haha

RIP Apache

2010-01-23T06:10:00.000-08:00

More sad news for hip hop in 2010, Flavor Unit mc Apache has officially left us. Apache opened the door for New Jersey artist and dropped classic cuts like 'Gangsta Bitch'. The brother hadnt done much with the music since the 90's but his influence is still felt to this day. RIP to another fallen comrade.

I'll be digging through the archive later today to see if I cant turn up Apache's self titled album, i'll edit this later with a link if it turns up

Killa Sha - H.N.I.O

2010-01-18T20:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/9424121078e7a7f0/

01. Intro
02. NYC Giant
03. Going Out Of Biz
04. Thing Called Love
05. Deep Thoughtz
06. Work The Plan Out (Feat. Havoc)
07. The Windo
08. The Order (Interlude)
09. M'Z Up
10. Fully
11. Face the Facts
12. Back Up
13. Thingz
14. Push the Botton (Feat. Extra P)
15. School (Remix)
16. 3 Min Workout (RIP J Dilla)
17. Cake Freestyle
18. Front Line (Feat. Extra P)
19. Lyfe
20. Tunes of Life
21. Fed Up
22. Pull Da Wool
23. RIP Freestyle
24. Outro
25. Bonus

Dug this out from the archives to pay respects to the brother Killa Sha, for those who havnt heard he passed from complications due to diabetes . He was an ill mc and a true talent, peep this mixtape, I wont be critiquing it, just let the music speak for itself.

please show his family some support and cop the homies album, it was a banger, very dope.

Killa Sha - God Walk on Water

http://www.amazon.com/God-Walk-Water-Killa-Sha/dp/B000WDVIVA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1263874616&sr=1-1

EDIT: It's worth noting that while upping this I realized I had the wrong tracklisting. You see the tracklist I had, and the one floating around the net only contained about 15 songs, whereas the actual version is 25 tracks long. So the tracklisting as been updated with the proper songs now.

Final Thoughts On: Monsta Island Czars

2010-01-17T09:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, it only took months and months but MIC week has officially come to an end. Wanted to take some time to reflect and expand on the MIC legacy.

firstly this is NOT by any stretch all the albums the MIC has to offer, for example

*Ravage the MeccaGodZilla

- Soundclash #1: MeccaGodZilla vs. 007

- Erroars (classic album!)

*Junclassic aka Gabarah

- 2 Much Aint Enuff

- Overqualified

- Late Nites & Early Mournings EP (free download!)

*MF Bash

- That Floods

*MF MEZ & Self Suffice aka King Orga

- The Manhattanites

*X-Ray

- The Ear Hustler

- The Boot

*Darc Mind (X-Ray produces these albums)

- Bipolar

- Symptomatic of A Greater Ill

So much more from the MIC to be explored so please dont stop digging, hell maybe i'll even do an MIC Week 2 sometime in the future. Also if you like ANYTHING you hear please support the artist by copping the album, true many of these are out of print but you can still show some support and cop the digital release

here's some myspace links, you can cop albums from the artist or find out where you can from there

MIC

http://www.myspace.com/monstaislandczars4life

Kurious

http://www.myspace.com/kjorge10

Junclassic

http://www.myspace.com/junclassic

Kamackeris

http://www.myspace.com/kwitedefakakamackeris

Kong

http://www.myspace.com/kingkongcrete

X-Ray

http://www.myspace.com/xraydamindbenda

Megalon

http://www.myspace.com/tommygunmindbenda

Monster X

http://www.myspace.com/monstax

Mez

http://www.myspace.com/mezmerizer

Ravage

www.myspace.com/meccagodzilla

Also on a final note, some of you may know im an avid cd collector, im looking for Rodan's album, Megalon's The Nickle Bag, and The Manhattanites album, contact me if any of ya'll are interested in selling them and maybe we can make a deal.

Monsta Island Czars - Escape From Monsta Island

2010-01-17T09:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/935766742440b61c/

1. What's The Name Of This Place?
2. M.N.Y.A. (Kamackeris, Rodan, Kong, Megalon)
3. F@#k Y'all Ni@@#s (Kamackeris, Megalon)
4. Witchcraft (Rodan, Megalon, Kong)
5. 1,2 . . .1,2 (Kong, Megalon, Rodan)
6. Scientific Civilization Skit
7. Mic Line (King Ghidra)
8. Poizon Windz (Megalon, Rodan, Gigan)
9. Under Pressure (Spiega, Megalon, Rodan, Kong)
10. Became A Monsta (Spiega)
11. There's A Legend Skit
12. Out My Mind (King Ceasar, Kamackeris)
13. Warning (Kong)
14. Make It Squash! (Kong, Megalon, King Ceasar, Rodan)
15. Gunz N Swordz (Gigan, Megalon)
16. Sumthin' To Prove (Rodan)
17. Live Son of A Bitch Skit
18. Comin' At You (Megalon, Rodan, Kamackeris, Kong)
19. Take Control (Kamackeris)
20. Escape From Monsta Isle (Rodan, Megalon, Kong, Spiega)

Here we go folks, this is the big one, the one and only official MIC album. This is the only lp the original lineup (save for MF GRIMM who doesnt appear here) put out together before parting ways. Production is handled by MF DOOM and X-Ray and is easily some of the best beats either has ever turned in (you'll recognize the DOOM beats because they were later re-used by Ghostface on his Fishscale lp). The mc's are all in top form, feeding off the energy of one another and ripping every track to pieces, there isnt a weak verse to be found on the whole lp, each mc just keeps elevating the track until there's simply no more that can be done with it, then the Monsta's move on to the next beat to feast all over again, its the never ending hunger that keeps this album moving and on track. The song 'Under Pressure' sums up the album perfectly, the beat is amazing and the MIC simply destroy the production to the point where no other mc would dare to fuck with it.

I could gush for days over how amazing this album is but for the sake of not losing your interest i'll keep it short, simply put this is one of the BEST underground albums ever made, MIC was at its peak when this was put together and it shows, the music is perfection. The one and only fault I can find is the lack of verses from MF GRIMM, I recall reading in a old interview with Grimm that he said he did indeed record on the album but that DOOM had removed his verses while Grimm was in prison, why this was done we may never know and we're left to wonder just how much more amazing this could have been with Grimm on it.

Overall - 5/5

X-Ray - Monsta Mixes Vol. 2

2010-01-17T08:58:00.001-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/935803337df3472d/

1. X-Ray - The Beginning Of Space (Intro)

2. Monsta Island Czars - Witchcraft (Remix)

3. Kong - Get Your Money Right

4. B-Wyze - It's Like That

5. X-Ray - A Monsta (Skit)

6. MF Doom - My Favorite Ladies (Remix)

7. Megalon - Hell Razor

8. Ray Long - Smash This

9. X-Ray - Monstaball

10. Gigan - In Search Of (I.S.O.)

11. Monsta Island Czars - Evacuate The Club

12. Dirt Nation - Mocknecks

13. Rodan - One Week

14. Kamackeris - Live Life

15. Spiga & King Ceasar - Ride The Arrow

16. X-Ray - A Giant Grave (Skit)

17. Spiga - Now That's Sweet

18. MF Doom - Go With The Flow (Live)

19. X-Ray - Wavelengths (Skit)

20. Darc Mind - Covert Op

Vol. 2 of X-Rays Monsta Mixes series tops the first in just about every way, more original tracks, less music we've heard before on other projects, and an overall more polished feel. true it does have some remix's, but they're limited to only 2 songs, the rest is pretty much fresh MIC material. To be honest the album is so well put together and diverse that it almost feel more like an official MIC album rather then a mixtape style format album. True it doesnt have many tracks with ALL the Monsta's on it at once but each mc gets time to shine on solo joints and links up for features and MIC tracks when needed, as a whole it doesnt feel like a bunch of mc's forced together and trying to fight for mic time, it has a much more natural and each mc gets plenty of room to breath and flex their creative muscles.

The production is, once again classic MIC styled beats (tired of reading that yet?), you know what to expect, X-Ray isnt pushing any boundaries as far as the MIC sound go's, but when compared to other production out there its absolutely on another planet. Simply put there isnt a weak beat in the bunch and they all offer a different sound to keep the album from feeling boring or uninspired. The songwriting is great, the mc's all turn in solid performances and the production is spot on, the perfect mix to throw on and vibe out to. Hopefully we get a Vol. 3 soon

Overall - 4/5

X-Ray - Monsta Mixes Vol. 1

2010-01-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/93579736995fc034/

1. Monsta Island Czars - Run The Sphere (Remix)

2. Gigan - Live Wirez

3. Kurious - Fast Lane

4. Megalon & Kong - Gorilla Warfare

5. Monsta Island Czars - Blindfold

6. Kong - Broken Nose Flow

7. Darc - You Da One

8. King Ghidra - Mic Line

9. Spiega - I Seen It All

10. Quiz - New York, New York

11. MF Grimm - The Original (Fakts One Remix)

12. Megalon - Feel It (Hitlist)

13. Ray Long - We Got Beef With Da Cops

14. Kamackeris - Untouchable

15. Rodan & Megalon - Century 21

16. MF Doom - Doomsday (Remix)

By now im sure we're all very familiar with X-Ray, the man has single handedly produced the bulk of the MIC's albums, his quality and output is almost comparable to the RZA's in the early 90's, its simply staggering. This was his first volume of his Monsta Mixes series, it features remix's from some of the best MIC cuts, then un-released tracks, live cuts, lost classics and more. the albums production is superb with very little to complain about, if you're a fan of the MIC's production then you're going to love this, the mc's featured are from the original lineup so expect to see such talent as MF DOOM, Kong, Rodan, Gigan(!!!) and more.

This album walks a very fine line between mixtape and lp, but it has enough fresh material that im going to label it under lp and give it a proper score. As ive said if you're an MIC fan then you're going to eat this up, but there are faults, mainly that by now we've heard a good chunk of these songs on other MIC projects, now can I fault an album that was released in the past for having cuts that would be later used? no rightfully I dont think I could, it is something to keep in mind though and with the power of retrospect, keeps this from reaching the greatness that Vol. 2 would eventually obtain.

Overall - 3/5

RAVAGE the MeccaGodZilla & Jaysage - Mike Marvelous

2010-01-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/93674492680155b7/

1. Gone
2. Dont Stop
3. Oh oh oh
4. What goes Around
5. 78 Ben Interlude
6. Rain
7. So Fly
8. 83 Ben Interlude
9. Ben
10. Why

Rav is back at it again, this time paying tribute to none other then the king of pop, Micheal Jackson. RAVAGE and Jaysage take the late King of pops classic tracks, cut them up, and pay tribute like any true hip hop head would...by creating new masterpieces out of old ones. What the two producers have done here is remarkable, its hard enough to get by on an MJ sample without it being terribly obvious, but to flat out tell us up front what they're doing and then to STILL have it sound fresh is flat out amazing. check the highlight track 'Gone' for further proof. This was an album that was made by fans, for fans and it really shows, the music has been sampled and crafted with love and thought and as an end result its one of the best MJ tribute albums to ever be produced. Wisely this is kept a strictly instrumental affair, meaning there is no vocals to distract from the star of the show, this truly is about MJ in every way.

I cant say enough about how dope this is, plus it was free!!! wow, hopefully Rav will get some hard copies of this produced cause I NEED this tucked away in my archive, its simply fantastic.

Overall - 4/5

RAVAGE the MeccaGodZilla - American Monsta

2010-01-17T08:31:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/712261515cb8b979/

1. Into
2. Pray
3. American Dreamin
4. Hello Brooklyn
5. No HOok
6. Roc Boys
7. Sweet
8. I know
9. Party LIfe
10. Ignorant Sh*t
11. Say Hello
12. Success
13. Fallin
14. Blue Magic Ravage
15. American Monster
16. Mecca "Nas"Zilla (Nas' Hope remix)
17. WVFS 89.7 FM (OUTRO) w/Amond Jackson

Ravage the MeccaGodZilla aka the secret Weapon of the MIC, beat maker, mc, artist, and an amazingly creative person in general. Fans such as myself have been waiting years for some fully produced Ravage albums, little did we know we would be getting one in the form of a Jigga remix but its dope all the same. Ravage takes the vocals from Jay-Z's 'American Gangster' album and combines them with his own masterful production to great effect, Ravage gives these songs a new life and truly makes them his own. Rav's productions style is very much his own, he doesnt sound like X-Ray or DOOM and his beats as a whole have a much wider range of sound then the other MIC producers, Rav's beats can swing from dark and ominous to light hearted and playful all the while banging hard enough to make you wish he had released an instrumental version of this. The only true fault I can find with this lp was 'Hello Brooklyn feat Lil Wayne' where the vocals seemed to be synced up wrong, thankfully this is the only time on the 17 tracks that this happens and the rest of the album bangs.

Really not a whole lot to say about this, its a remix album, the beats are often times better then the originals were, the songs have new life breathed in to them, and best of all it was free (although you can, like me, cop a copy from Rav himself). Make sure not to sleep on this, very creative and dope album and one of the better remix joints ive heard

Overall - 4/5

Rodan - Theophany: The Book of Elevations

2010-01-15T22:05:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/93577650b129efa7/

1. Intro
2. The Conqueror
3. F.E.D.'s
4. No Snakes Alive Pt. II featuring Shaman
5. Roll Call featuring Kong, Kamackeris and Gigan
6. War In Heaven Pt 2
7. Erotic Peaks
8. Flight Lessons
9. Sumthin To Prove (Remix)
10. No Degrees
11. War In Heaven Prt. II
12. The Wilderness
13. G.O.D.
14. Human Inquisition
15. Outro
16. Century 21 featuring Megalon
17. Run the Sphere v.2.3 featuring Kong, Loch Ness, Megalon, King Ceasar, Kamackeris, MF Doom and MF Grimm
18. Ability to Speak

Easily one of the best MIC albums to ever be created, and indeed one of the best underground albums to ever come out of New York City. Rodan was one of the first MIC members I recall hearing, and with the exception of DOOM and Grimm's album it was actually the first MIC album I heard, period. For those unfamiliar with Rodan let me try to explain what to expect, his style is almost like a force of nature, its unrelenting and never seems to let up, its here one second ripping every fucking thing it can out of the ground and hurling it across the city then gone in the very next second. His flow could be compared to Megalon's in its non-stop, rapid fire approach only I find Rodan's to be even more fierce and focused, literally any track he touches its almost guaranteed he's going to be stealing the show. This album is no different, its 18 tracks of Rodan showing every other mc out there how to put it down properly.

Lyrically Rodan's words are every bit as powerful as his flow, his metaphors are damn near unmatched and the imagery he invokes with his rhymes is staggering, when he says "I cut the head off the devil and throw it at you" you wont doubt for a second that son really will live up to his word. His vocals are deep and powerful, spitting every rhyme with an urgent like nature, like he simply HAS to get this off of his chest. the production backing him is just as stellar as his performance, X-Ray handles the bulk of the beats with RAVAGE also contributing and true to form they're just as dark and gritty as you would expect, making Rodan sound all the more threatening over them.

Guest come in the form of pretty much every MIC member up to that time, they all hold it down wonderfully but none of them ever steal the show from Rodan, this is mos def his album and he wants the world to know. As far as faults, Rodan is a hate him or love him mc, some will find his never ending barrage of words fairly annoying, its not a style thats meant for everyone and im sure its going to turn a lot of people away. Also worth noting that while the song writing isnt bad by any means, Rodan's style doesnt lend itself well to catchy hooks, this is sure to bug some people as well. As for me though? this is classic MIC and underground at its finest and I love every second of it

Overall - 4/5

Megalon & Ray Long - The Nickel Bag

2010-01-15T06:56:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/9357728946a31e89/

1. Burn it Down
2. Death Before Dishonor
3. The Art of Flowing
4. Back to NY
5. Im Counting on You
6. Where it at?
7. You Was My Son
8. You fuckin Up My high
9. Yakoo Pt 2
10. Everyday Thug
11. $5 in Change
12. 12 Pounds and Ounces
13. Free Ray Long

Megalon is back at it again, riding again with the homie X-Ray who produces all of the album. Sadly X-Ray's production is much less effective here then it was on his past work with Mega, the beats dont really fit Mega's style in my opinion, that and to be completely honest I just flat out dont like the production on this that much, thats not to say its bad by any means, just somthing about it rubs me the wrong way.

Megalon is still nasty, his flow and lyrics are razor sharp and the album as a whole is put together much better, you'll notice it clocks in at a lean 13 tracks and doesnt overstay its welcome. The songwriting as a whole is strong and the concepts are what we've come to expect from him, his style is firmly grounded in the streets and his rapid-fire flow hasnt slowed a bit. Mega keeps things interesting on this by trying many different styles and rhythms, there's actually many times on the album where you're going to have trouble telling if its Tommy Gunn or not, it keeps things fresh and really sets it apart from his past works.

The only problem I have with this album is, as ive said before, the production does very little for me. The beats are solid, mega is fantastic, but the two just dont mesh as well as they should have. Had Mega had some better beats this could have easily been on par with his debut, as it is though its a step below, still worth checking though.

Overall - 3/5

Megalon - A Penny for Your Thoughts

2010-01-15T06:20:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/936748893c322c8a/

1. Sons of Sarah Connors
2. Death B4 Dishonor
3. The Soul of Jah
4. Street Souljahz
5. Keep Gettin Money
6. Got My Wings
7. 12 Deciplez
8. Black Jesus
9. Yahkoo
10. Feel It (Hitlist)
11. No Pain
12. Thugs Cry
13. Thief in the Night
14. No! Just Us
15. Feel Gods Pain
16. Rainblood
17. They Dont Make Em Like Me No More
18. Raise Hell
19. Hell Razor
20. Revelations
21. What A Bum
22. When I Go Out

My first encounter with Megalon was on MF DOOM's classic album 'Operation Doomsday', Mega first appeared as Tommy Gunn on 'The Finest' and again ripped it as Megalon on 'Greenbacks', instantly creating a huge buzz for himself in the underground. It would be a full 5 years though before Mega blesses us with this gem, and luckily for the fans it lives up to everything we could have wanted.

First things first, Mega is as sharp as he's ever been, his rapid-fire. non-stop flow is hate it or love it but fans of Tommy's machine gun flow will be in heaven when hearing this very talented mc rip through this 22 track album without missing a breath. His lyrics are deep and complex, taking multiple listens to fully decipher and become more rewarding with each listen. Production is handled of course by X-Ray who laces the album with beats that fit tommy perfectly, DOOM also contributes a beat in the form of the classic 'Rainblood' which finds Tommy hitting the streets full force. The album is very much a Tommy Gunn affair, with very few guest verses (from Ray Long) its pretty much Megalon all the way through, this also leads to the albums only real fault as well though, 22 tracks of Mega's style can be somewhat hard to swollow, the lp would have been much better served had it been cut down to 16 tracks or so. Still an amazing listen and a classic NY underground album, a must check for MIC fans

Overall - 4/5

Kong - Shackles Off

2010-01-15T05:41:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/93578851f09eeda9/

1. Intro
2. Pure Poetry feat. Kandee, Ikon
3. Babylon feat. Megalon, Spiega, 5th Element
4. Broken Safety feat. Spiega, Ikon
5. Weasal feat. Spiega
6. It's Official feat. M.F. Grimm, Gabarah, Spiega, Ikon, Monsta X
7. Shackles Off feat. Nhguav Rotkiv, Spiega
8. Who
9. Lifted feat. Gabarah, Monsta X
10. Brown Eyes (Skit)
11. Endless Nights feat. Gabarah, Monsta X, Ikon
12. What Had Happened Was
13. Ultimate Sacrifice
14. Slumz (Skit)
15. War feat. 5th Element, Spiega
16. Hated feat. Gabarah, Monsta X, RAVAGE
17. Blood feat. 5th Element
18. Red Tears feat. Spiega, Delilah

Kong, the rapid-fire, multi-syllable master of the MIC dropped his first solo album in 08 and was criminally slept on. the production is again classic NY underground, the always amazing Ravage the MeccaGodZilla handles 8 of the 18 tracks with the rest of the beats being done by various producers ive never really heard of (with the exception of Gabarah and Kong himself), I found it odd that X-Ray didnt contribute any beats but he does drop a few verses so its all good. Kong holds the album down wonderfully with his complicated verses but it is worth noting that at times he seems to lack energy and charisma, his rhymes would look very impressive on paper but he sometimes loses focus on some of his bars.

Along for the ride is partner in rhyme Spiega (my favorite MIC mc!) who contributes his vocals to 7 tracks essentially making this the MIC version of Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cubin Linx with Kong playing the part of Rae while Spi rides shotgun as his Ghostface counterpart. The rest of the guest features are the usual suspects and they all turn in fantastic performances, Gabarah especially seems to be begging for a Ravage produced album...

One of the major faults of this album would have to be the songwriting itself, while Kong is an amazingly talented mc he's somewhat of a sub-par song writer, many of the hooks seem tacked on and honestly just are not all that engaging. Still fans of lyricism are sure to be impressed, Kong and his MIC brothers rip verse after verse with the technical skills that are sorely missed from hip hop right now, had the songwriting been a bit better this would have easily ranked among the best of the MIC releases.

Overall 3/5

Kamackeris & King Ceaser - Artz and Craftz

2010-01-14T20:05:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/9357920129908bd5/

1. All is Fair
2. Keep Smoking
3. Killed or be Killed
4. fyi
5. Mocknecks
6. Khadijah
7. Bitches Aint Shit
8. You Aint No Soldier
9. Check the Jewlz
10. Live Life
11. You Ill
12. Just One

You may know Kamackeris as the mc on the MIC album that vocally sounded very much like Freeway, his raw flow and lyricism were the perfect fit for the Monsta's and his semi unique voice made him stand out. This album finds Kamackeris aka Kwite Def stepping out in to the spotlight to get his shine on, and shine he does. I didnt really know what to expect when I first went in to this album, I was only familiar with Kwite based on his performance on the MIC album, he was dope but I never really got a feel for him as a person, this album though changes all of that. Kwite turns out to be a very charismatic and captivating mc, his raw flow and voice are counterbalanced by his strong song writing and ear for production.

Speaking of which the production is handled masterfully by King Ceaser aka X-Ray, the beats all vary in sound but at the same time are all grounded in the dark and gritty new york production that MIC fans have come to expect. Kwite and X-Ray have fantastic chemistry together and vibe perfectly throughout the album, fellow MIC mc Spiga also stops through to contribute his unique presence to the album. Overall the album is everything an MIC fan could hope for, with the exception of maybe 1 or 2 weaker hooks the whole album is fire, Kamackeris dropped what was honestly the most surprising albums of 07 that still gets play today.

Overall - 4/5

King Geedorah - Take Me to Your Leader

2010-01-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/9358105739ac3b58/

1. Fazers (King Geedorah)

2. Fastlane (Biolante aka Kurious)

3. Krazy World (Gigan)

4. The final Hour (MF DOOM)

5. Monster Zero (skit)

6. Next Level (Lil' Sci, ID 4 Winds & Stahhr)

7. No Snakes Alive (King Geedorah, Jet-Jaguar aka MF GRIMM & Rodan)

8. Anti Matter (MF DOOM & Mr. Fantastik

9. Take Me To Your Leader (skit)

10. Lockjaw (Trunks)

11. I Wonder ( Hassan Chop)

12. One Smart Nigger

13. The Fine Print (King Geedorah)

I was thinking of saving this album for the occasion that I decide to do an MF DOOM themed drop, in the end though I felt it only right to include it with the rest of the MIC releases since this is probably the best example of what the group was and is capable of.

King Geedorah is of course the MIC alter ego of the one and only MF DOOM, this album finds DOOM producing all of the 13 cuts and lending his vocals to 5 songs. The rest of the album is composed of skits and features from the other members of MIC. Firstly the production, all top notch and classic DOOM, out of all of his work I would have to say this is probably my favorite, the beats are out of this world, smooth Jazz samples mix with bugged out space sounds and old cartoon samples to create an amazing atmosphere for the MIC to lace. DOOM himself spit as dope as he ever has, under his Geedorah alter ego he sounds even more off his rocker then normal and it works perfectly here, DOOM has managed to truly separate his Geedorah persona from his DOOM alias and create a living and breathing character to rock the mic and boards.

The guest features are just as good, if not better. Kurious stops by as Biolante and vibes perfectly with Geedorah's production, Trunks stops in for a face melter of a verse, Grimm and Rodan kick mind bending flows along side one another and Gigan steals the show, turning in what is easily the best song of the album in the form of 'Krazy World', he effortlessly creates a catchy sing song hook and spits some jaw dropping verses, a true masterpiece of a track.

The only faults one can find with this album is the skits, you either love DOOM's skits or you dont, personally im a huge fan of them, I love hearing him chop up vocal samples over his signature production to create a story, I can easily see why someone would be put off of it though, especially here when the skits can reach up to 5 minutes in length (no that wasnt a typo...5 minutes...). As ive said though im a huge fan of everything thats been done on this album, I think its a masterpiece and easily the best example of the early MIC lineup at its absolute best. Sadly many of these artist have split from one another and no longer work together, luckily though we'll always have this joint as a reminder of what could have been...now someone get Gigan back in the booth to drop a solo!

Overall - 5/5

MF GRIMM - Story by MF GRIMM

2010-01-14T17:52:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/936743021fd97da3/

1. TMX

2. Processio

3. One Love

4. Everyday

5. Slow - Original

6. The Words of Hazel

7. How the Hell Do You Do That

8. Days Selling Rock

9. Any Bloody Use For It

Im somewhat at a loss as to how to review this album. On one hand its only 9 tracks long, it opens with 2 skits that do nothing to add to the ep, the third track clocks in at under a minute, the fifth and sixth track both clock in at under 2 minutes, track 7 is a 2 minute skit, and finally the album ends with yet another skit....so out of 9 tracks we have 2 full length songs, 3 shorter almost freestyle tracks, and a handful of skits that honestly add very little to the overall experience. But on the other hand it IS a free download, and the tracks Grimm does spit on are jaw dropping, the track 'Everyday' for example finds Grimm spitting better then ive heard him do it in years

Many drown while trying to entertain
they say dont hold ya breath but I hold it like David Blaine

the production is solid as well but again we come to the problem that...there just isnt much of it there. Im going to try to keep this review a bit shorter and simply say this, its hard to be disappointed by a free album, you have literally paid nothing for it and what music is here is amazingly dope, but the filler crammed in here really hurts it...so im torn. Do I give the album a 2/5 based on its weaknesses as an actual ep or do I score it a 3/5 for its strengths as a freebie? Think I may go the cheap way here and simply not score this one, treating it as a mixtape. Still check it out though, def makes me look forward to the projects Grimm has planned for 2010

Overall - N/A

MF GRIMM - The Hunt for the Gingerbread Man

2010-01-14T17:24:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/935780061b98b009/

1. Intro

2. The Hunt for the Gingerbread Man

3. Head in the Clouds

4. Gingy

5. Half Baked

6. The Fox

7. My House

8. Fame

9. Earth

10. Gangsta Pastries

11. See No Evil

12. Head in the Clouds (Remix)

13. See No Evil (Remix)

This was Grimm's most focused conceptual album to date, for those who didnt check the pre-album mixtape let me fill you in...Grimm takes the role of the gingerbread man from the classics children's story, only this time when he's eaten by the fox he escapes his stomach and goes on the run as a Fugitive...

still with me? good. Grimm pulls the album off wonderfully, he avoids the problems that plagued his mixtape following the same concept, mainly the album is a lean 50 minutes which keeps things from dragging on and the metaphors have been combed over with a fine tooth comb to insure that only the best make the album. Its also worth noting that while this IS strictly a concept album Grimm goes about it in a way that doesnt force it down your throat, he doesnt feel the need to keep reminding you of the concept, he simply immerses himself, as well as the listener in to this world he's created for himself.

The production is very dark for the most part, Grimm creates a very enclosed and paranoid atmosphere, not to the extent of his 'Digital Tears' album of course but dark all the same. The most important factor in all of this though is Grimm himself, and honestly he's in top form, his performance is to be commended. His flow is back to its silky smooth perfection and his lyrics are witty and sharp, he flips complicated concepts better then most rappers do regular verses. The bottom line is Grimm has created a fantastic concept album, his world is fleshed out and his characters have depth to them, as for faults though it really comes down to one thing, that being that you will either appreciate the concept for what it is or dismiss it as flat out corny, its not going to be an album for everyone. For those who "get it" though are going to be in love, Grimm silences all of his critics with an amazing return to form.

Overall - 4/5

MF GRIMM - The Order Of The Baker Gingerbread Man Mixtape

2010-01-14T17:14:00.000-08:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/936234409c912302/

1. Gingy

2. Earth

3. Earth (Sammsonite RMX)

4. Half Baked

5. Road to the Biscuits

6. Secret Recipe

7. Shake it Off

8. Sugar Rush

9. As the World Twirls

10. Evil Ingredients

11. The Oven

12. On the Rise

13. This Way

14. Im Ready

15. Dancin

16. The Original

17. United (Feat. Large Pro)

18. Ten Stories

19. Taken

20. Emotions (Feat B-One)

21. Still My Love

22. King of NY

23. The Whole World

24. Take Em to War (Feat. Kool G Rap)

25. Boing

26. Dedicated

27. The Gingerbread Man

28. Get Down

29. Do it for the Kids

This is definitely an interesting mixtape, it follows the same concept as his The 'Hunt for the Gingerbread Man' Album. Grimm drops food related metaphors at an astonishing rate over some of the most varied production he's ever touched. One second he's flowing over some raw Underground joints, the next some Golden Age classics, then right on to some southern mainsteam type shit, all the while never sounding out of place. The album concludes with a refresher for new and old fans alike as Grimm takes you through some of his classic 90's cuts with some fan favorites and rare gems to balance things out.

The problem here comes in 2 major areas, the first is that because the production is such a wide range of sounds you're almost guaranteed to find something you dont care for, if you were not a fan of the southern hip hop that was dominating the airwaves around the time this mix dropped then some of the more mainstream beats are sure to grate on your nerves. The second is the concept itself wears thin pretty quickly, many times his metaphors walk a very fine line between "clever" and "corny", and sadly I found myself cringing at more then one of Grimms lines.

All of that being said its still a very solid mix to throw on and vibe out to, it serves as a great preview for the album that would follow and as a recap for fans who may have missed out on some of Grimms classics.

Overall - 3/5

MF GRIMM - American Hunger

2009-10-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Disk 1

http://www.zshare.net/download/936466119a05e58d/

Disk 2

http://www.zshare.net/download/93647285f8721d65/

Disk 3

http://www.zshare.net/download/9364797786699d50/

Disk 1: Breakfast1. American Hunger (Breakfast)
2. When Faith Is Lost
3. Page Six
4. The Life I Lead
5. Wonderland
6. Code Noir (Revenge Of The Masked Avengers)
7. Right There
8. I Rather Be Wrong
9. Watch Out!
10. Yes Or No
11. The Trees (Featuring Baron From Red Clay)
12. The Path (Featuring Monsta Island Czars)
13. Still My Love
14. Steal It
15. My Mentality
16. A Mother's Heart
17. Street General
18. M.I.C. (Featuring Monsta Island Czars)
19. The Gingerbread Man
20. I Don't Know
Disc 2: Lunch
1. American Hunger (Lunch)
2. Playground
3. Boing (Featuring PMD, MF MEZ)
4. It's No Secret
5. I Remember
6. United (Featuring Large Professor)
7. I Love You
8. Travelling (ft. Kurious And Lord Smog (Scotch) And Bashton The Invizabul Mang)
9. Delilah
10. Vultures
11. Everyone
12. Agony (No Jugamos)
13. Master Builders
14. Things I've Said (Featuring Baron Of Red Clay)
15. Broken Glasses
16. Dark Skies (No Jugamos) (Featuring Nate Denver, Bashton The Invizabul Mang)
17. Teacher
18. Crazy (Featuring Block McCloud And MF MEZ)
19. Who Rock (Featuring Duece Gangsta)
20. F__K You
Disc 3: The Last Supper
1. American Hunger (The Last Supper)
2. Children Of Abel
3. Give
4. Adam & Eve
5. Lift Me Up (Snakes & Ladders)
6. Heaven Can Wait
7. Children Of Cain
8. Revolution
9. Manhattan Murder (Featuring MF MEZ)
10. Karma (Featuring Ill Bill And Block McCloud)
11. G.O.D. (Government Of Deception)
12. Brand New (Featuring Monsta Island Czars)
13. No One
14. Elevate (Featuring Majesty & Infinit Evolution)
15. Everything (ft. Block McCloud, Majesty, Mr. Met And Baron From Red Clay)
16. The Whole World (Featuring Infinit Evol)
17. Ten Stories
18. Twin Peaks (Featuring MF MEZ, Hasan Salaam)
19. Simple Rhyme
20. The Book Of Daniel (ft. MF MEZ And Bashton The Invizabul Mang Aka MF Bash Of M.I.C.)

Here we go folks, this is the The first triple disk album in hip hop history. 60 tracks over the course of 3 meals, lunch, breakfast and of course dinner. Grimm himself has said this album was never intended to be listened to in one sitting, rather it should be soaked up as separate meals just as the disk titles suggest. Grimm has damn near done the impossible on this, while most artist cant make a single disk album with no filler and can only dream of a double disk, Grimm has come through with a THREE disk album with little to no filler.

The production at its absolute worst is solid, nothing really bad to complain about, the beats all have very different sounds and different melodies that give them all there own distinct feel, you'll never have to worry about being bored of what you're hearing because all the diversity keeps things very fresh and exciting. Grimm himself is solid enough, he has moments of brilliance but also falls victim to moments of mediocrity. speaking strictly on his abilities to mc I feel he could have done better, some tracks he flows over like he has no interest in riding the beat and others he brings in lyrics so sub par that you have to check to see if the cut features a Grimm sound alike with less talent. Luckily these moments of weakness are few and far between, Grimm is still a very gifted mc and he pens concepts and executes them to great effect.

Grimm's songwriting is really the star here, his hooks and melodies carry the album through all 60 tracks. He uses just about every part of the production in some way or another and often crafts very catchy hooks that mesh perfectly to create some very solid songs. This is in fact what made it possible for Grimm to do a triple disk album, he recognized that 60 songs of an mc simply spitting tradition verses with basic rhythm and ordinary hooks simply would not work, he chose instead to craft every song to very specific points on each beat to keep things interesting. True he does sacrifice his flow as an mc, but he elevates so much more as a songwriter thats its easy to forgive.

Overall the album is a success, it does have its share of faults but they're easily overlooked as the overall product is simply amazing, 3 disk worth of good music, what more can you ask for?
Overall 4/5

MF Grimm - Digital Tears: e-mail from purgatory

2009-10-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/946109627991eac7/

1. Intro
2. All Y'all
3. Stable
4. Dr. Death
5. The Deal Is Done (Monte Smith)
6. Go Back
7. Dancin' (produced by J-Zone)
8. Enemy At Home (by Monte Smith)
9. Black Helicopter (Feat. Jihad)
10. Straight Babylon No Chaser (by Monte Smith)
11. Digital Tears
12. Ying & Yang (Ft. Agu Aka Mr. Voodoo, Su-Ann Ortiz)
13. The Way
14. Taken
15. Love Jones (Feat. Jihad)
16. Rotten
17. Voices (The Final Chapter)
18. Happy
19. Superstar J.J. (Feat. Su-Ann Ortiz)
20. Static
21. Outro

Firstly this is technically Grimm under his 'GM (Grand Master) name, its just for organizing sakes that I add the MF. Second I actually dont know a lot about this cd, I know it has production from the likes of J-Zone, X-Ray and some dudes ive never heard of. The album as a whole has a very dark and raw vibe which both works for and against it which i'll explain shortly. Grimm himself is as on point as ever, his lyrics are dope and his flow is sharp, as an mc he hasnt lost a step.

Now ive heard Grimm wrote the majority of this in prison, again Im not going to pretend like this is truth since I know little about the albums background, but keeping this in mind really helps you get a feeling for the album. I said before that the album had a very dark and raw vibe to it, so dark and raw in fact that it almost sounds as if it could have bee recorded in a prison, Grimm literally creates an atmosphere here thats very dark and claustrophobic, paranoid and angry, and above all entertaining. At times though this works against the album, so raw and unpolished is this lp that its sure to turn away new listeners. Its so stripped down to its necessity's that it almost feels as if its missing somthing, at times you'll be waiting for the rest of the beat to kick in only to find that the sparse beat is about as layered as its going to get. Also at 21 tracks it feels a bit bloated.

All of that being said the album is a must for fans, throw on some headphones and you can almost feel yourself sitting next to Grimm in his prison cell. A little more polish could have either helped this album or completely derailed it but as it stands the raw, sparse sound works more often then it doesnt.

Overall - 3/5

MF GRIMM - Scars and Memories

2009-10-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/9357844453c8a996/

1. Grandmaster Interview
2. Take 'Em To War [original version]
3. Manhattan Interview
4. King Of New York
5. Get Down (with DJ Ekim)
6. Hip-Hop Interview
7. So Watcha Want?
8. Getting Shot Interview
9. Bloody Love Letter
10. Comrade Interview
11. Scars & Memories
12. Percy Carey Interview
13. Crumb Snatchers
14. In The End (with Yves)
15. AIDS (with Kool G. Rap, Akinyele, C.J. Moore, Big Chuck)
16. MF Grimm Interview
17. The Original
18. Wack Emcees (with Nomad, Yves, Wayne-O)
19. Do It For The Kids
20. Emotions (with B-One)
21. Dedicated (with Squeeze On Intro)

This is a collection of MF Grimm songs from the early 90's up to 05. Its meant to showcase the growth of Grimm as an artist and does a fine job of doing so. Grimm's early style was much more influenced by G Rap (who appears on this LP) and his style had a much harder edge. His flow here is often much faster then the average Grimm fan will be used to but its very dope all the same. Lyrically Grimm covers multiple topics, finding a nice balance between gangster rap and social commentary, concept wise he has what could possibly be my favorite Grimm track ever, 'Bloody Love Letter' finds Grimm writing the last letter he'll ever write, lying in the snow dying after his shooting, its very well done and everything about the song works.

The album is laced with Grimm interviews that offer a lot of insight to the man behind the mic and actually add a lot more depth to the overall package. The production is typical early 90's New York, you'll either love it or not care for it, for the most part though is still sounds very good and has aged remarkably well. My only gripe is that I felt some of the mastering of the music wasnt as good as it could have been.Bottom line though is that if you're a Grimm fan, a New York Hip Hop fan, a 90's hip hop fan, or just flat out like good music then you have no excuse not to check this. The album is a banger front to back and showcases Grimm at his most hungry.

Overall - 4/5

MF GRIMM & MF DOOM - Special Herbs & Spices

2009-10-27T06:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/93676123e935b6ef/

1. Intro - Fat Man Scoop
2. Arabic Gum + Ajowan = No Snakes Alive Pt. 3
3. Calamus + Star Anise = Superhero
4. Dragons Blood + Cayenne = 1000 Degrees
5. Dragons Blood Resin + Ginger = War Paint
6. Benzoin Gum + Asafoetida = 10 Years Later
7. Red #40 + Wasabi = Bottle Rocket
8. Bergamot + Sumac = Rain Blood Pt. 2
9. Kava Kava Root + Poppy Seeds = Stress Box
10. Styrax Gum + Nutmeg = Tick Tick Pt. 2
11. Mugwort + Cinnamon = Shifting Lanes Ft. Kurious
12. Horehound + Sesame Seeds = Tonight's Show Ft. Invisible Man & Lord Smog
13. Outro - Fat Man Scoop
14. My Love

Let me Sum this album up real quick, this album is pretty much MF Grimm kicking rhymes over a bunch of DOOM laced production, the beats of course come via DOOM's special herbs series which means they're all something you've heard before. That being said though this is still a solid album, I mean yes I would have much preffered some fresh DOOM production but its also kinda cool hearing what Grimm does with some of these classics and what direction he takes them in to.

Sadly there is still another negative I must mention, Grimm himself is somewhat off on this album, half the time he sounds as if he doesnt know how he wants to flow on the beat and the other half his lyrics are really lacking. Ive been told he freestyled a good portion of this and it easily sounds as if it could be true, simply put its not up to Grimms usual standard, that isnt too say its bad, but disappointing. As a whole the album is very interesting and entertaining, the production is classic and when Grimm is on point the album works perfect, its when Grimm isnt bringing his A game that the album falters and sadly that seems to be the case for the majority of the record.

Overall - 3/5

MF GRIMM - The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera

2009-10-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/93576956b1e5af4d/

1. Alpha (Ft. Count Bass-D) 0:37
2. Time and Space 2:54
3. Life and Death 4:25
4. Freedom 3:11
5. Foolish (Ft. Megalon & MF DOOM) 3:20
6. Together 2:00
7. Break Em Off (Intermission) 4:10
8. Rain Blood (Ft. Megalon) 4:02
9. Voices Pt. 0 2:00
10. Voices Pt. 1 (Ft. MF DOOM) 1:56
11. Yes You Are (It's Only A Movie) 2:28
12. I.B.'s 3:56
13. To All My Comrades 2:09
14. Howl 2:33
15. Words 3:26
16. Teach the Babies 2:32
17. Omega 0:56

This is Grimm's 24 hour masterpiece, after being sentence to Life in prison back in 2000 he managed to come up with $100,000 needed for a one day bail, in that time he created this. Now first and foremost I want you to really think about that, this is someone who is so dedicated to hip hop that in his last 24 hours as a free man he decides he wanted to spend it recording music, out of all the things in the world he could do he chose this, and thank god he did. Also for those wondering Grimm beat his life charge and is of course a free man, but im sure you already knew that.

Downfall is somewhat of a concept album, albeit a very loose one. To sum it up simply it tells the story of a fallen angel, its not a concept the album shoves down your throat but rather somthing in the background, behind the scenes bringing everything together. Grimm also brings some concept tracks in to the fold and effectivly creates what can only be called "a concept inside of a concept", its a stroke of genius and works perfectly. The production on the album is handled by the likes of the legendary Count Bass D, DJ Rob A, DJ Eli, Cas, Dr Butcher and of course Metal Fingerz himself, MF DOOM (who handles the bulk of the production). The production is simply flawless, creating atmospheres and sonic landscapes for Grimm to vent his angst, anger and frustrations over.

Grimm himself is in top form, you would think a man about to spend his life in prison may be shook to his very foundation but Grimm uses this angst and focuses it in to his music. His flow is still as smooth as ever but his lyrics are very deep and express his inner most fears and thoughts, the standout "Voices Pt. 0" shows Grimm at his best, kicking paranoid rhymes with hints of remorse and self reflection. Guest wise MF DOOM stops by for some show stealing verses, Megalon gets a solo track in what will go down as the highlight of his career, and Count Bass D takes the time to drop a few words. The real star of this show though is Grimm and we're never let to forget that, simply put this album is his magnum opus, no matter what Grimm does after this it will all be measured against this, in the span of 24 hours he created a masterpiece, somthing most mc's wont be able to do their whole careers.

Overall 5/5

MF GRIMM & MF DOOM - The MF ep

2009-10-27T05:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/72115638c1c91a95/

1. Doomsday (Mister Jason Remix)

2. No Snakes Alive (Feat. Jet Jaguar & Rodan)

3. Impostas

4. The Original (DJ Fakts One Remix)

5. Break em Off

6. Dedicated

7. The Original (Ninja B Remix)

8. Doomsday (Mister Jason Remix) Instrumental

9. No Snakes Alive (Feat. Jet Jaguar & Rodan) Instrumental

10. Impostas Instrumental

11. The Original (DJ Fakts One Remix) Instrumental

12. Break em Off Instrumental

13. Dedicated Instrumental

14. The Original (Ninja B Remix) Instrumental

Kicking things off with the MF ep, an extended play split between MF DOOM and MF GRIMM with the instrumentals tacked on the end for good measure. Any hardcore fan will be familiar with the 3 DOOM tracks with the possible exception of the Doomsday remix that knocks just as hard as the original, 'No Snakes Alive' is an abstract masterpiece with the beat slowly creeping along then finally speeding up as each mc rips their verses (Rodan is the show stealer here) and finally 'Impostas' is classic DOOM, another murky beat with the Metal Faced Villain doing what he does best.

The Grimm side is equally as dope, sonically is takes a much different approach with a more tradition sound and songwriting style, the beats hit hard and Grimm brings his A game, his flow is smooth and his lyrics are Razor sharp, showcasing why he's one of the deepest mc's in the underground with simple yet effective lines that'll have you wearing out the rewind button. Having the instrumentals is a fantastic bonus as well, all the beats are dope and well worth the listen. The overall product is dope but this IS an ep meaning that in all reality we only have 7 tracks worth of music, most of which can be found elsewhere on either mc's albums. That being said though its a great starting point for new fans and a pleasant refresher for older fans alike.

Overall 3/5

The BladeRunners - Turntable Lab

2009-10-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

Tracklisting isnt available for this

Ok, I saved this joint for last purely for the reason that I know VERY little about it. I received it as a promo in the mail one day, it came in a white paper sleeve with no tracklisting, no explanation, no nothing. The Bladerunners themselves are of course DJ 7L (of 7L and Esoteric fame), Beyonder and the RaZor. What I can tell you about the mix is its an amazing variety of sounds that dont all strictly fall under the label of hip hip, this is the type of joint you can throw on for non hip hop fans and have them vibe out too, simply put the music is amazing regardless of whatever genre's you may be a fan of. I wish I had more info about it or could explain the sound better but you, like I did, are going to have to go in blind and just experience it for yourself, trust me though, its VERY worthwhile.

Psalm One - Get in the Van Vol.2

2009-10-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/72111491e0c2d10f/

1. Intro/Nake

2. Ride above

3. Rap Star

4. Enterprise

5. Long Overdue

6. Drop it like its hot

7. Time Taker

8. NeverStand Still

9. Blow

10. Bitin and Freakin

11. Damn

12. No Idea

13. Indeed

14. Standbye

15. Hello Ali/Go DJ

16. Gettin Sum Hea/Foreal

17. Lemme Know

18. What you think Remix

19. Knuck if You buck

20. The Life of a Frequint Flyer

21. Track 21

22. One Thing/Weed College

23. Snob

24. Get Throwed

25. Open Door

26. Whats Hotter?

27. Lucky

Psalm One is one of the most slept on mc's ever...period. She's easily one of the nicest females to ever do, her flow is always on point, her voice is strong, and her lyrics are razor sharp. This mixtape finds her kicking freestyles over some of the hottest beats (at the time anyways) and crafting some of her signature songs. She really is a fantastic artist and its a shame she's gone overlooked for so long, especially with the recent success of Jean Grae, you would have thought that may have opened a few more doors for female mc's, either way though when its all said and done Psalm is a worthy investment of your time and an essential female mc.

also for anyone interested i'll be upping her albums a future time

DJ Solo Presents - Soul Assassins: Classic and Exclusive

2009-10-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/7211345835e41ab4/

01 Intro (DJ SOLO Mix)

02 Cypress Hill - We Aint Goin Out Like That

03 House of Pain - Jump Around

04 Funkdoobiest - Bow Wow Wow.

05 Cypress Hill - No Entiendes La Onda (How I Could Just Kill A Man )

06 Sick Symphonies vs Cypress Hill - Double S Hip-Hop. (DJ Solo Exclusive)

07 Buc 50 Feat Eminem - Still Breathin (Wake up show Freestyle)

08 Sick Symphonies vs Funkdoobiest - In This Lifetime Blue Collar The Funkiest (DJ SOLO Mashup)

09 The Turtles feat ODB - Chief Kamanawanalaya

10 Wyclef - John 3:16

11 KRS ONE - Cant Stop, Wont Stop

12 Cypress Hill - Da-Da-Da (Unreleased Exclusive!)

13 Chronic Break (DJ SOLO Mix)

14 Cypress Hill - Hits From The Bong

15 Cypress Hill - Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk

16 Everlast - Razor To Your Throat

17 GZA& RZA - Third World

18 Muggs vs GZA - General Principles

19 GZA & ODB vs Funkdoobiest - All In Together Shimmy Shimmy Ya Pussy Aint Shit (DJ SOLO Mashup)

20 Method Man, KRS One, Prodigy & Kam - They Talk About It, We Live It

21 KRS ONE/Channel Live vs Cypress Hill - Mad Izm vs. Hand On The Pump (DJ SOLO Mashup)

22 Xzibit - The Foundation

23 Cypress Hill - Skys The Limit (Unreleased Exclusive!)

24 Ice Cube - Tear This Mutha Up

25 House of Pain - Same As It Ever Was

26 DJ SOLO Shout Outs

27 Xzibit & Kenny Knox - Ride & Smoke

28 Self Scientific - Self Scientific For Life (Unreleased Exclusive!)

Tracklist should tell you everything you need to know, this is a tape made of some classic Soul Assassin music, plus some unreleased joints and a few blend tracks from DJ Solo. the mixtape as a whole really bangs, it covers a lot of ground and showcases the Soul Assassin squad at many different times over the years, getting to hear how Muggs production evolves alone is worth the download, the unreleased and blend tracks though are simply icing on the cake. This is a must for Cypress Hill or DJ Muggs fans

J-Live - First Things First Vol. 1

2009-10-09T06:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/72114036a1bf4ce7/

1 J-Live - Intro Freestyle

2 Diamond D - Best Kept Secret

3 Notorious B.I.G. - Things Done Changed

4 Black Star - Astronomy

5 Method Man & Redman - Blackout

6 Busta Rhymes - Everybody Rise

7 Jay-Z - A Million And One Questions

8 MC Lyte - Cha Cha Cha

9 M.O.P. - Breakin' The Rules

10 LL Cool J - Droppin' Em

11 Showbiz & A.G.* - Still Diggin'

12 De La Soul - Oodles Of O's

13 Pharcyde, The - Oh Shit

14 Roots, The - Table Of Contents

15 Q-Tip - Wait Up

16 Pharoahe Monch - Intro

17 J-Live - First Things First

18 Common - Invocation

19 Eazy E* - Still Talkin'

20 BDP - The Style You Haven't Done Yet

21 Tha Alkaholiks - Wlix

22 Wordsworth - Right Now

23 GZA - Liquid Swords

24 Main Source - Snake Eyes

25 Gangstarr* - Step In The Arena

26 Outkast - Two Dope Boyz In Da Cadillac

27 Sunz Of Man - Cold

28 3rd Bass - Sons Of 3rd Bass

29 Ice Cube - Wrong Nigga To Fuck Wit

30 Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Road To The Riches

31 Run-DMC - Run's House

32 T.I. -Tha King

33 Sean Price - Peep My Words

34 Pete Rock & CL Smooth* - In The House

35 A Tribe Called Quest - Excurions

36 Big Punisher - Beware

37 Ras Kass - Rasassination

38 Smiff N Wessun* - Timz N Hood Check

39 Xzibit - At The Speed Of Life

J-Live is a man of many talents, he raps, produces, and of course...DJ's. Today we're dealing with DJ J-Live, what we have here is 39 hand picked tracks that J-Live cuts up and blends together to create one seamless mix. This works very well on two different levels, on one hand you may be new to some of these artist and its really a fantastic tape to introduce you to some artist you may have never heard otherwise, or two...well if you're a fan of these artist anyways its dope to have all these songs on one mix thats cut together so well. This is usually the tape I give out to cats who ask me to recommend them some new artist, classic hip hop from an amazing DJ, doesnt get much better then that.

Stat Quo - Underground Atlanta Vol. 3: Hot Souce

2009-10-08T12:33:00.004-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/72112266a2460eac/

01. Eminem Intro
02. Im Stat
03. Prodigy Of Mobb Deep Speaks
04. U Aint Know Ft. Bun B
05. Problems
06. Y.O. New Sh!t
07. G'd Up Freestyle
08. The saga Continues Freestyle
09. Stat Quo Introduces LT Moe aka Buddy Boie & Nitro
10. Lil Flip Speaks
11. Ooh Drama Ft. Kanye West (Midi Mafia Exclusive)
12. Y.O. Duck tape
13. Badonka Freestyle
14. Get That Money Ft. 50 Cent & Lloyd Banks
15. David Banner Speaks
16. High beams (Mel Man Exclusive)
17. On Top Of My Game
18. Ridin Ft. Nitro
19. Chaka Zulu Speaks
20. Ho' harder
21. Dead president Freestyle
22. They Wanna Fight
23. Big Oomp Speaks
24. Stat Quo Freestyle
25. Knowin My Name
26. Devin The Dude Freestyle
27. Hustla Freestyle
28. Bottom Line Ft. The Game
29. Dj Jelly Speaks
30. Drama Freestyle
31. Yall Niggas
32. Money/Power
33. Y.O. New Ground
34. Outro
35. Freestyle Ft. Dr. Dre (BONUS)

A very nice introduction to Stat Quo for those who may not have heard the former Aftermath artist. The tape consist of Stat kicking freestyles over some of the hottest beats, showing off his songwriting skills, pulling in some big name features, and being showered with words of love from some of the biggest names in hip hop. Stat himself is an interesting mc with capable lyrics and a unique flow that lends itself perfectly to mixtape format. Def a southern banger, shame son never got his chance to shine and put out an official project.

DJ Food Stamp - J Dilla Blends

2009-10-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/93652259be31b9e5/

1. Beatnuts feat. Big Pun, Cuban Link - 'Off The Books
2. Gang Starr feat. Nice & Smooth - 'Dwyck
3. Lauryn Hill (of The Fugees) - 'Doo Wop (That Thing)
4. Kool G Rap - 'On The Run
5. Common & Vinia Mojica - 'The Sun God
6. Method Man & Redman - 'How High Part II
7. DJ Nu-Mark & Pomo feat. MF DOOM - 'My Melody
8. Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg - 'The Next Episode
9. Rhymefest feat. Kanye West - 'Brand New
10. Tupac & Outlawz - 'Baby Don't Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II)
11. Masta Ace feat. Lord Digga - 'Saturday Night Live
12. O.C. - 'Born To Live
13. Lord Finesse - 'Hip 2 Da Game
14. Large Professor - 'After School
15. Mos Def - 'Travellin' Man

Not a whole lot to say about this one, read the Pete Rock blend summary and replace his name with Dilla and you've got the idea. honestly I like this one a little bit less only because I feel like Food Stamp picks some of the more abstract and awkward Dilla, and to be completely honest a lot of these artist simply dont sound natural over the legends production. its still a very nice and well done blend and I still enjoy the hell out of it, just a warning though that it may take a little while to really sink your teeth in to

DJ Food Stamp - Pete Rock Blends

2009-10-07T07:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/936526882432e8e2/

01. Nice & Smooth - Hip Hop Junkies Flown
02. Busta Rhymes - Put You Hands Where My Eyes Can See
03. Blackalicious & Outkast - Make You Feel The Wheelz
04. KRS-One - Mortal Thought
05. De La Soul & Bush Babees - Itzsoweezee To Sing A Love Song
06. Nine - Whutcha Want?
07. Outkast - ATLiens
08. Salt-N-Pepa, Mary J Blige & Notorious B.I.G. - Real Shoop
09. Common - I Used To Love H.E.R
10. Common, Kanye West & Last Poets - The Corner
11. Nas, Ludacris & Doug E Fresh - Virgo
12. Goodie Mob - Soul Food
13. Trillville - Some Cut
14. Ol Dirty Bastard - Shimmy Shimmy Ya
15. Mobb Deep - Survival Of The Shook Ones

This is but one of the many blend tapes put out by DJ Food Stamp, this tape see Stamp taking some classic tracks and cutting them together with some legendary Pete Rock production. One thing Food Stamp does better then most any other "Blend DJ" out there as...well his blends actually sound good, you never get a blend from him that sounds out of sync or awkward, he knows what he's doing and he does it well. That being said some of the tracks work better then others, some add a unique vibe to a classic track and some just dont sound very appealing at all, and even though it may not be essential listening, its still a lot of fun.

Jedi Mind Tricks - Servants In Heaven Kings In Hell Remixes

2009-10-06T06:13:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/93649705a382262e/

01.Murderous Intro
02.Put 'em In The Grave (Funeral Remix)
03.Suicide (Kavorkian Remix)
04.Uncommon Valor (A Vietnam Story)*
05.Dark Castle Interlude
06.When All Light Dies (Yours Or Mine Remix)
07.Serenity In Murder (Painkiller Remix)
08.Heavy Metal Kings (One Remix)
09.Outlive The War (Uppercut Remix)
10.Shadow Business ('94 Blunted Remix)*
11.Gutta Music (Al Capone Remix)*
12.Temples Of Rain Interlude*
13.Black Winter Day (Ruff Life Remix)

Firstly, the remix album is handled by DJ Kwestion & Haze, Haze handles 4 tracks (with the *), Kwestion takes the rest. Kwestion is JMT's tour DJ and technically a member of the group (although often overlooked). Kwes and Haze are def no Stoupe, but what they do here is pretty dope none the less, they laces each track with a new and fresh sound which sounds like nothing else Vinnie Paz has spit over, its a unique opportunity to hear a different take on a JMT record and hear Vinnie over a producer other then Stoupe. Not as good as the original, but still worth the time to check out.

DJ Muggs & Planet Asia - Pain Language the Mixtape

2009-10-06T05:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.zshare.net/download/93649322bd8d0ec6/

1 – Intro
2 – God & Satan
3 – Shadows Of Hell
4 – Nine Milli
5 – Going In
6 – Like That
7 – Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk
8 – Who Can Fuck With Us?
9 – Spazz Out
10 – Slang Museum
11 – Respect Mine
12 – Southern Dreams
13 – Cops And Coke Sales (Freestyle)
14 – Dunn Dunn
15 – That’s What It Is
16 – Top Shelf

Another banger of a mixtape, this time its the precursor to DJ Muggs and Planet Asia's classic album, Pain Language. Aside from a few cuts off the album this is pretty much a completely fresh tape. Planet Asia rips through some of Muggs most classic beats(also an MF DOOM beat oddly enough) and does them justice in the process, I cant stress enough just how talented PA is as an mc, and we already know Muggs is one of the greatest producers to ever bless us with a beat, so it stands to reason that lacing PA with Muggs already classic production can only turn out an amazing product, and luckily it does just that.