Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Terminator X - Buck Whylin' (Video) @MRCHUCKD



This joint still goes HARD!! Miss hip hop with a message.....

Double XX Posse - Headcracker (VIDEO)



Shouts to Storm...lol Double X Posse! #classic

Lord Finesse, Sadat X, Large Pro, Grand Puba - Actual Facts (VIDEO)



#CLASSIC

DJ DAS & DJ E.R.O.C. - THE LEGENDARY SERIES: DIAMOND D

DITC CIRCA 1991 @ JAZZY JAY STUDIOS BX NY


Disc 1:
01. Diamond D – Superman
02. Showbiz & AG feat. Diamond D & D-Flow – Put It In Your System
03. Lord Finesse & Diamond D – Do Your Thing Kid
04. D.I.T.C. – Day One
05. Fat Joe feat. Grand Puba & Diamond D – Watch the Sound
06. Justice System – Dedicated To Bambaataa (Diamond D Reminisce Version)
07. Lord Finesse – Bad Mutha
08. Brand Nubian – Punks Jump Up To Get The Beat Down
09. Diamond D – I Went For Mine
10. Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs – Streets Of The Ghetto
11. Ultimate Force feat. Fat Joe – C’mon
12. Yaggfu Front feat. Diamond D – Slappin’ Suckas Silly (Diamond D Remix)
13. Diamond D – Best Kept Secret (Diamond D Remix)
14. Cypress Hill – When The Shit Goes Down (Diamond D Remix)
15. AG, Cedric Ceballos, Dana Barrous, Diamond D, Grand Puba & Sadat X – Ya Don’t Stop
16. The Alkaholiks – Let It Out
17. Organized Konfusion – Questions
18. Diamond D – No Wonduh
19. Illegal feat. Diamond D – Crumb Snatcher
20. Scientifik feat. Diamond D – I Got Planz
21. Broadway – Enjoy Yourself
22. Ras Kass – Soul On Ice (Diamond D Remix)
23. Diamond D feat. Fat Joe, Big L, Lord Finesse & AG – 5 Fingas Of Death

Disc 2:
01. Diamond D – Check One Two
02. D.I.T.C. feat. Sadat X, Grand Puba & Diamond D – I Flip Styles
03. Diamond D – U Can’t Be Me
04. Diamond D feat. John Dough – MC2
05. Mos Def – Hip Hop
06. Leaders Of New School – Classic Material (Diamond D Remix)
07. Showbiz & AG feat. Diamond D – Still Diggin
08. Showbiz & AG feat. Diamond D & Lord Finesse – Diggin’in the Crates
09. House Of Pain feat. Diamond D – Word Is Bond (Diamond D Remix)
10. Sadat X – You Can’t Deny
11. Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs – Love Comes & Goes
12. The Fugees feat. Diamond D – The Score
13. Apache – Get Ya Weight Up
14. Diamond D – Im Outta Here (Diamond D Remix)
15. A Tribe Called Quest feat. Brand Nubian & Diamond D – Show Business
16. Diamond D – Fuck What U Heard
17. Diamond D – Freestyle (Yo,Thats That Shit)
18. The A.T.E.E.M. – Yeah
19. A.D.O.R. – The Kid Is Crazy
20. Red Hot Lover Tone – Give It Up (Diamond D Remix)
21. Raekwon feat. Ghost Face KIllah & Jodeci – Rainy Dayz (Mr.Dalvin Remix)
22. Xzibit feat. Catastraphe, Hurricane G & J-Ro – Bird’s Eye View
23. Outkast – Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (Diamond D Remix)
24. Celph Titled & Buckwild feat. Sadat X, Grand Puba, AG, OC & Diamond D – There Will Be Blood

Shouts to SOUL for this one. Great collection of joints produced by my man Diamond D.

DISC 1

DISC 2

BEAT LIFE EDITION - LARGE PROFESSOR (VIDEO)



PART 2


Shouts to the Large Professor....

WILD STYLE - Double Trouble Live at the Amphitheatre (VIDEO)



#CLASSIC

CLASSIC PARTY FLYERS

Monday, January 30, 2012

Cope 2 | Defiance | Paris 2012 (VIDEO)


Cope 2 | Defiance | Paris 2012 from COPE 2 on Vimeo.

Shouts to the Legend Cope2. Below is a description.

Sixteen months after his first exhibition in Paris (Burning Hearts in November 2010), the famous graffiti artist Cope 2 presents New York for the second time in Paris. MathGoth proposed by the gallery, the exhibition Defiance meet from February 18 to March 1 works of an international graffiti legends whose work, not settle down, now combines the techniques of graffiti with the dexterity of brush or collages.

No denial in the work of Cope2: the king with his bubbles markers and bombs remains at the heart of each of the paintings but with new spaces and new technology investment. A real change in his work already begun in his first exhibition in Paris Burning Hearts, in November 2010, when appeared the first signs of a burgeoning style.

Now focusing on studio work, more thorough, deeper Cope2 this for a very accomplished performance. Exit the metro line 4 in New York debut, the canvas is now her favorite material, which contributes to the accessibility of the artist in the defying paradox of street art. Cope2 has become a real painter workshop with the rigor and torments involved.

Seize mois après sa première exposition parisienne (Burnings Hearts en novembre 2010), le célèbre graffeur new yorkais Cope2 expose pour la deuxième fois à Paris. Proposée par la galerie MathGoth, l’exposition Defiance réunira du 18 février au 1er mars prochain des œuvres d’une des légendes du graffiti international dont le travail, sans s’assagir, conjugue désormais les techniques du graffiti avec la dextérité du pinceau ou des collages.


Pas de reniement dans l’œuvre de Cope2 : la patte du king avec ses bubbles aux marqueurs et bombes demeure au cœur de chacune des toiles mais avec de nouveaux espaces et de nouvelles techniques investis. Une vraie évolution dans son travail, déjà amorcée lors de sa première exposition parisienne Burnings Hearts, en novembre 2010, où apparaissaient les premiers signes d’un style en pleine effervescence.

Désormais, privilégiant le travail en atelier, plus minutieux, Cope2 approfondit cette évolution pour une performance très aboutie. Exit la ligne 4 du métro new yorkais de ses débuts, la toile est désormais sa matière de prédilection, ce qui concourt à l’accessibilité de l’artiste en défiant le paradoxe du street art. Cope2 est devenu un véritable peintre d’atelier avec la rigueur et les tourments que cela implique.

@KOMIKA INTERVIEW WITH BANNED FROM THE INDUSTRY DVD



Shouts to Komika and Dan the Man. Looking for Komika to do big things this year. Always gonna support her! #SALUTE

OLIVIA - WALK AWAY (OFFICIAL VIDEO) @1ANDONLY OLIVIA



Shouts to Olivia for believing in herself and her talent. Gotta respect that. Love this song too.

Friday, January 27, 2012

UNSUNG - THE FAT BOYS ( FULL EPISODE) (VIDEO)



The Fat Boys.....#Legends

BIG DADDY KANE & KOOL G RAP - RAW (ORIGINAL VERSION) (AUDIO)



#CLASSIC

UNSUNG - BIG DADDY KANE (FULL DOCUMENTARY) (VIDEO)


2116285939 by yardie4lifever2

DO THE KNOWLEDGE! Shouts to BDK

LORD FINESSE & AG - FREESTYLE ON STRETCH ARMSTRONG & BOBBITO SHOW 1991 (AUDIO)



Shouts to Finesse and AG. #DITC

CORMEGA & LORD FINESSE - FREESTYLE ON FUTURE FLAVAS WITH MARLEY MARL & PETE ROCK

NAS & CORMEGA - FREESTYLE 1996 @FUNKMASTERFLEX (AUDIO)



Shouts to Cormega and Nas. Lyrical Warfare still coming.......

DJ REVOLVER GROWN & SEXY R&B VOL1 - LADIES NIGHT MIX (AUDIO)

Grown & Sexy R&B Vol. I - Ladies Night Mix..... (((FREE TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD))) by revolver215

Shouts to DJ Revolver....nice mix for the ladies

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Saturday, January 21, 2012

PUBLIC ENEMY - DEF JAM TOUR UK 1987 (FULL DOCUMENTARY 48MIN)



Just finished watching this. Great look back @ one of the most influential groups of all time.

LL COOL J FREESTYLE W/ JAM MASTER JAY - LIVE @ THE ROXY NYC



LL went in so hard on this. JMJ precise with the cuts! RIP JMJ #CLASSIC

238BEATS PRESENTS " THE FOUNDATION " T SHIRT (VIDEO)




238Beats is pleased to announce the launch of our new T Shirt line honoring CLASSIC HIP HOP MUSIC & CULTURE. The first piece honors the 4 Elements of HIP HOP and is called " THE FOUNDATION " Purchase of "THE FOUNDATION" shirt will include a special mixtape from DJ Doo Wop & DJ Sureshot.

$25 USD including shipping & handling in the US
$25 USD plus shipping & handling outside the US
SIZES L, XL .XXL 3XL

For all orders please email: foundationtshirt@gmail.com
ALL ORDERS PROCESSED THRU PAY PAL

MISS JONES FEAT DOUGIE FRESH - IN OUR SMALL WAY



Shouts to Easy Mo Bee for reminding me about this one right here. Haven't heard this in YEARS. Shouts to Miss Jones!!

DJ STARCHILD - LIVE @ THE TOWNHOUSE PT 2


Another great tape by the legendary Starchild. Classic r&b joints done as only Starchild can do it. Shouts to DaMixtapeLibrary for this one.

Friday, January 20, 2012

LORD FINESSE - 10/20/90 (MIXTAPE)


Shouts to DaMixtapeLibrary for this one.  Classic Finesse mixtape.. Shouts to Finesse

***NEW MUSIC*** JHA JHA - LESSONS (VIDEO) @DarealJhaJha



Shouts to Jha Jha....

LARGE PROFESSOR DJ SETS ON EASTVILLAGERADIO.COM


Great sets from Extra P, playing some original breaks & classics. Don't have the audio ripped YET...but will soon. Collectors item for sure. Shouts to Large Pro and the good people over at EastVillageRadio.com. ENJOY!

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

***NEW MUSIC*** Prince AK -Feat Doitall & RiqDakid-Blackout (VIDEO)



Shouts to Doitall

ZULU NATION LIVE IN 123 PARK 1979



RESPECT TO THE ALL MIGHTY ZULU NATION......

Eric B And Rakim - Yo MTV Raps 1991



#CLASSIC

Run-DMC - Yo MTV Raps 1988



Shouts to the Kings of Rock

STOP SOPA!!!!




PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

DJ MARLEY MARL WBLS MIDDAY MLK KINGDAY MIX 2012



WBLS MIDDAY MLK DJ MARLEY MARL KINGDAY MIX 2012 by DJ Marley Marl

Shouts to Marley on the MLK mix....#classic

SHA-ROCK & LISA LEE feat. DJ JAZZY-JAY WHBI 105.9 FM



Shouts to Jazzy Jay

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

DJ R-WAN & MC STIK-E LIVE PARIS



Shouts to my man Rock Logic aka Stik E.... International Party Starter Extraordinaire..... Shouts to DJ R Wan...

Monday, January 16, 2012

RIP JIMMY CASTOR



RIP TO JIMMY CASTOR. Below is some info on him in case you don't know...DO THE KNOWLEDGE!

Castor started as a doo-wop singer in New York. He wrote and recorded "I Promise to Remember" in 1956. Castor then replaced Frankie Lymon in The Teenagers in 1957 before switching to the saxophone in 1960. He had a solo hit with "Hey Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You" on Smash Records in 1966. Castor also played sax on Dave "Baby" Cortez's hit "Rinky Dink." He formed the Jimmy Castor Bunch in 1972 and signed with RCA. As leader of The Jimmy Castor Bunch in the 1970s, and also as a solo artist, he has released several successful albums and singles. The group reached the peak of their commercial success in 1972 with the release of their album, It's Just Begun, which featured two hit singles: the title track and "Troglodyte (Cave Man)," which was a large hit in the U.S., peaking at #6 in the Billboard Hot 100. The track stayed in the chart for 14 weeks and was a million seller by 30 June 1972, and received a gold disc award from the R.I.A.A.[1]

Castor continued the trend in 1975 with "The Bertha Butt Boogie" and later recorded "E-Man Boogie," "King Kong," "Bom Bom," and "Potential." The Castor band included keyboardist/trumpeter Gerry Thomas, bassist Doug Gibson, guitarist Harry Jensen, conga player Lenny Fridle, Jr., and drummer Bobby Manigault.[1] Thomas, who simultaneously recorded with the Fatback Band, left in the '80s to exclusively record with them. Castor recorded as a solo performer from 1976 until 1988. He had one of his bigger hits in many years with a 1988 revival of "Love Makes a Woman," which paired him with disco diva Joyce Sims. Castor had his own record label, Long Distance, in the 1980s.

Many of the group's tunes have been heavily sampled in films and in hip-hop. In particular, the saxophone hook and groove from "It's Just Begun" and the spoken word intro and groove from "Troglodyte" (namely, "What we're gonna do right here is go back...") have been sampled extensively.
[edit] Discography

Popular songs by Jimmy Castor include:

"Hey, Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You" (1966), #31

with The Jimmy Castor Bunch:

"It's Just Begun" (1972)
"Troglodyte (Cave Man)" (1972), #6
"The Bertha Butt Boogie (part 1)" (1975), #16
"King Kong (part 1)" (1975), #69

As a solo artist:

"Love Makes a Woman" (1988) (with Joyce Sims)

Albums:

Hey Leroy (1968) (Smash)
It's Just Begun (1972) (RCA)
Phase 2 (1972) (RCA)
Dimension 3 (1973) (RCA)
The Jimmy Castor Bunch featuring The Everything Man (1974) (Atlantic)
Butt Of Course... (1975) (Atlantic)
Supersound (1975) (Atlantic)
E-Man Groovin' (1976) (Atlantic)
Maximum Stimulation (1977) (Atlantic)
Let It Out (1978) (Drive/T.K. Records)
The Jimmy Castor Bunch (1979) (Cotillion/Atlantic)
C (1980) (Long Distance)
The Return of Leroy (1983) (Dream)
The Everything Man-The Best of The Jimmy Castor Bunch (1995) (Rhino)

MARLEY MARL FEAT MC SHAN - MARLEY MARL SCRATCH



#CLASSIC

*** CORRECTED*** Marley Marl Response to Mc Shan vol 1.5



Shouts to 2 legends in this game Marley Marl & MC Shan. Be clear this is not "beef" these are 2 MEN voicing their opinions as grown MEN. No matter what differences they have they maintain mutual respect for each other and are not tarnishing their legacies.

MC Shan's True Stories Vol. I.5 (Response To Marley Marl)




Shouts to 2 legends in this game Marley Marl & MC Shan. Be clear this is not "beef" these are 2 MEN voicing their opinions as grown MEN. No matter what differences they have they maintain mutual respect for each other and are not tarnishing their legacies.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

MARLEY MARL NOON MIX ON 107.5 WBLS (AUDIO)



WBLS MARLEY MARL NOON MIX by DJ Marley Marl

Marley Marl still in control eveyday @ noon on 107.5 WBLS NYC.

MARLEY MARL IN RESPONSE TO MC SHAN



Shouts to Marley Marl.

MC SHANS RESPONSE ON FB:


  • Mc Shan NIGGA WANNA SEE THE ADDRESS ON MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE NIGGA BUT IMA PUT THIS UP ON MY SHIT
    30 minutes ago ·
  • Mc Shan NIGGA STOP BITIN MY STYLE
    29 minutes ago ·
  • Mc Shan IM GLAD YOU OPENED UP THE DRUG STORY CAUSE NOW ITS OPEN GAME ...LOL
    28 minutes ago ·
  • Mc Shan YOU THE NIGGA THAT STARTED ME SMOKIN CRACK ...LOL POT CALL THE KETTLE BLACK ...LOL I FEEL YOU IN YOUR HEART CAUSE I FELT THAT SAME WAY WHEN I SEEN WHAT YOU TOLD THESE NIGGAS
    24 minutes ago ·
  • Mc Shan IM SO REAL WITH IT I POSTED YOUR SHIT ON ALL MY PAGES
    20 minutes ago ·

MC Shan's True Stories Vol. I - Addressing Marly Marl



Shouts to MC Shan

Saturday, January 14, 2012

DMX & SUPERIOR - FLAVA IN YA EAR FREESTYLE (RARE)



Shouts to Easy Mo Bee who put me up on this one this morning. Very rare DMX freestyle with his man Superior. Probably 3 years before he dropped. Respect to the DOG.

Friday, January 13, 2012

DIVINE FORCE - MY UPTOWN BEAT



#CLASSIC

Classic Hits - Tralier (VIDEO)



Classic Hits -- New York's Pioneering Subway Graffiti Writers, is a book by Alan Fleisher and Paul Iovino, with Introduction by Phase 2, published by Dokument Press.
Classic Hits is the most visual book on early 1970s graffiti ever published!
Early 70s New York saw the growth of a new phenomenon. Graffiti is the greatest and most influential artistic movement of our time. It was created by kids, for kids. In Classic Hits, the key persons and pioneers tell their own story. Classic Hits is an eye- opening first-hand story told in unique pictures and text.
From Taki 183 to Blade to Iz the Wiz. Their names have garnered star status far beyond graffiti culture, and without them, no Seen, no Banksy, no Revok. In Classic Hits, the pioneers talk about how they got started and where graffiti took them. Together, the essays offer an invaluable picture of graffiti in the early, playful years.
Author Alan Fleisher started writing graffiti in the Bronx in 1972. Un- like most, he always carried his camera with him. Through his many adventures in the subway depots, he got to know several of the greatest writers of New York. His experiences give Classic Hits a unique insider view. Essays and quotations by: Ale One, All Jive 161, Blade, Cay 161, Checker 170, Clyde, Death, Fdt 56, Flint 707, Iz The Wiz, Jester 1, Joe 182, Lava, Lsd OM, Mico, Pnut 2, Roger 1, Ski 168, Snake 1, Taki 183 and Vamm.

DMC1988 Final DJ Cash Money "The Legendary Performance!!" (VIDEO)



#RESPECTTHEDJ

Thursday, January 12, 2012

***REPOST*** FUNKMASTER FLEX & DJ RED ALERT CHRISTMAS EVE 2010 OLD SCHOOL MIX ON HOT 97




Part 1



Part 2


238BEATS PRESENTS " THE FOUNDATION " T SHIRT (COMMERCIAL)



238Beats is pleased to announce the launch of our new T Shirt line honoring CLASSIC HIP HOP MUSIC & CULTURE. The first piece honors the 4 Elements of HIP HOP and is called " THE FOUNDATION " Purchase of "THE FOUNDATION" shirt will include a special mixtape from DJ Doo Wop & DJ Sureshot.

$25 USD including shipping & handling in the US
$25 USD plus shipping & handling outside the US
SIZES L, XL .XXL

For all orders please email: foundationtshirt@gmail.com
ALL ORDERS PROCESSED THRU PAY PAL


Shouts to Brother Ron RSC , Henry Chalfant, Wild Style & all the pioneers that made this possible.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

T LA ROCK & MANTRONIX - LIVE IN LONDON 1986 (VIDEO)

T LA ROCK - INTERVIEW (VIDEO)



Respect to T LA ROCK & JAZZY JAY

Label Conscious: The Ghosts of Def Jam's Past



Great article by  Dave Tompkins spotted 

DO THE KNOWLEDGE....

In 1995, the head-trauma wing at a nursing home in Bensonhurst began acquiring the lost memories of Def Jam's first rapper. Terry Keaton, a new patient at Haym Salomon hospital, had emerged from a coma unaware that he was T La Rock. Or that T La Rock had a hit in 1984 called "It's Yours." All of this was news to Keaton, as it was to neurologists. What was known is that the history of T La Rock — and perhaps the time of his life — had been purged from Terry Keaton's mind with a blunt instrument.

The assailant was never caught, and Keaton spent much of his rehab listening to "It's Yours," recollecting lines that the rest of the hip-hop world had been quoting for the past decade. Residents at Haym Salomon — many suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's — would trundle into Keaton's room and learn that T La Rock once called himself a reason for a very nice day. (This is not hyperbole: He is really a nice guy.) Though "It's Yours" wasn't exactly targeting the Yiddish-speaking Russian-granny demographic, this Def Jam moment essentially became theirs: a new memory that required an additional memory for all that excess bass. Listening to an 808 drum machine certainly beat not recognizing your loved ones.

As happens often with severe head-injury cases, Keaton began recalling details that had been vague prior to the attack. One in particular concerned the Beastie Boys' presence in the studio when "It's Yours" was recorded in 1983. Loaded off their first slugs of Brass Monkey — a German-engineered cocktail of beer and orange juice — the Beasties provided background party noise, some chanted assonance that seemed to be mimicking a hungover barnyard. How strange this low-end therapy must've been to nonagenarians at Haym Salomon, listening in their robes and slippers to a guy whom they originally mistook as an orderly, as if Keaton was just there for bathroom navigation. What it must've sounded like to Terry Keaton himself, hearing T La Rock for the first time, again.

The Brass Monkey story appears in Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label, a combination scrapbook and oral history of the first rap label to become a brand. (T La Rock's brain injury, and much of what follows, does not appear in the book; these are just supplemental implants, actualities that have kept me awake over the years.) I hauled this carry-on maroon tombstone throughout holiday airports in Europe, just to read accounts of Russell Simmons' elbow patches and look at photos of the Beastie Boys chasing Madonna across stage with squirt guns. I imagined Public Enemy's Security of the First World going through security. Sir, your plastic UZI is in direct violation of FAA tonnage restrictions. Or Flavor Flav's neck clock gliding down the conveyor in its own tub. During the TSA scan, I made Jay-Z hands above my head and pondered essential questions like, why are there no bells in "Rock the Bells"? (Answer: The bells went to Run-DMC's "Peter Piper," recently heard in the Chesapeake Energy Arena on Christmas Day, when the Oklahoma City Thunder annihilated the Orlando Magic.)1

I first saw the book while Christmas shopping and Scrooged it for myself — not the first time Def Jam had compromised holiday largesse. December of 1985, I bought a copy of LL's debut album, Radio, for a friend, but decided it was better off in my collection. Long before Russell Simmons Phat-Farmed America, the purchase of a Def Jam 12-inch was a label-conscious consumer act. In high school, we coveted Def Jam tour jackets and defaced homework with blobby bootlegs of the PE logo, a target in soft focus. Back then, Public Enemy was killing it and nearly took me out in the process. When I first saw them on the '87 Def Jam tour, I ended up in the emergency room, wired to an EKG. Inflammation of the pericardial sac, said the cardiologist, ruling out "Rebel Without a Pause." According to MC Serch's account in Def Jam Recordings: You couldn't hear that song in a club without someone getting robbed or beat up. Proximity to mayhem is always good for the lore.

Though "It's Yours" did not induce a coronary, it happily fragged my mom's speakers when I first played it during a thunderstorm, summer of 1984. (Acting as surge protector, my mom pulled the plug, leaving the Bass and I in darkness.) When Russell Simmons first heard "It's Yours" on the radio, his mind was blown by T La Rock's "40-letter words." He immediately sought out the song's producer, Rick Rubin, an RA's nightmare at NYU who had a thing for Captain Lou Albano and had an 808 in his dorm room. A lucrative partnership was born. At the time, Simmons was managing Run-DMC and lesser-known clients such as Spyder-D. (Russell once advised Spyder to not wear a Spider-Man costume on stage. Named for his on-court spin moves, the future owner of the Charlotte Krunk refused.)

Before Rick and Russell, there was Russell and The Guy Who Made "Zoot! Zoot! Zoot! Here Comes Santa in His Space Suit." In 1982, Simmons' ear for new sounds had led him to synth innovator Bruce Haack, a "Christmas fanatic" from Nordegg, Canada who claimed his only friends were farm animals. Haack made electronic dance records for children ("Fantastic Skullastic") and Satan ("Mean Old Devil"). It was an improbable union: Haack, the reticent analogue genius who guested on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and Simmons, the mouth about town who sipped vodka-cranberries with Prince Vince Gallo. (After registering the wall of human skulls in Haack's home studio in West Chester, Pa., Simmons suggested they record elsewhere.) The result was "Party Machine," a lo-fi, Kraftwerk jalopy that asked, "Is it hard to think of life without sex?"

It stands to reason that if you're onstage with a giant, inflatable dong and girls in cages, probably not. The Beasties returned from their License to Ill tour hungover, disillusioned, and triple platinum. (A customized "All Excess" backstage pass appears in the book.) They would ultimately leave Def Jam owing to grievances over money and career direction. But time, success, and Transcendental Meditation heals all wounds, as all parties seem at peace with the internal strife and hurt feelings, at least in retrospect. Without these beefs, there may not have been a Paul's Boutique, not to mention "99 Problems," a hatchet-burier of sorts for Rubin and Def Jam.

Adam Horovitz gives the best accounts, as would be expected from a guy who once wrote a song about an ice cream cake from outer space. He reminisces on Russell's sweater-vest days, comparing the Def Jam offices to Barney Miller — where the Beasties acquired all those Abe Vigoda references. For an informative visit to the original Def Jam offices, LL's grandmother's house, and the front seat of DMC's Cadillac, you should see the 1986 Dutch documentary Big Fun in the Big Town.2

When Method Man first arrived at Def Jam in 1993, he expected to be greeted by Slick Rick and LL. (He ended up on an abandoned bus, with lord knows how many Wu Tang shadow affiliates, for the "Bring the Pain" video, an excellent use of public transportation for a song that, according to Method Man himself, gave his own chest hairs a perm.) The way Russell tells it, they found Slick Rick in a "nuthouse" outside Atlanta after a bad turn with angel dust. (Apparently, Rick barfed upon meeting Simmons.) This was a time when Def Jam seemed to be introducing one new artist annually, each one an event, announced on the back cover of The Source. The book is a reliquary for this sort of memorabilia: business cards, Christmas party flyers, my Swatch Watch NYC Fresh Festival poster, etc. The highlight is a print ad addressing Mike D's clunky VW medallion. To discourage copycats from ripping emblems off Rabbits, Volkswagen kindly offered to mail one to you themselves. Not exactly a corporate sponsorship from adidas, but a sly endorsement of sorts.

I like the idea of how one great Redman song ("Time 4 Sum Aksion") can save an entire label, just as a Foxy Brown shopping binge could bring it financial ruin.

To some, the book's record-deal shoptalk may not be nearly as exciting as tales of LL's grandma mispronouncing Rick Rubin's name ("Flip Loogan"). But I like the idea of how one great Redman song ("Time 4 Sum Aksion") can save an entire label, just as a Foxy Brown shopping binge could bring it financial ruin. At one point, Def Jam CEO Lyor Cohen remembers how he rehearsed his fiscal end-times speech to a backyard tree (and hugged said tree) during the federal investigation of Murder Inc. for money laundering. Far more serious implications than, say, the LL couch-humping controversy of '87.

Later in Def Jam Recordings, there's little room for stories, just looks. Jeezy, Ja Rule, Nas, Cam'ron. (No Freeway?) Nine pages of Ludacris. There's DMX, taking a blood bath. Rick Ross, a man whose face and beard inspired the best pumpkin of 2011. And the Roots, whose bandleader, Questlove, may have brokered one of the more intriguing, if not nerdy, deals in history: He allowed a friend to borrow four terabytes of music, including unreleased D'Angelo tracks, in exchange for a DMX drum machine used for classics by Slick Rick, LL, and Run-DMC. This is not the first time the Def Jam mystique has informed big-time decisions. And before you can rhyme legacy with currency, Watch the Throne becomes available on vinyl for twice as much as Def Jam's history on paper.

In 2005, the president of Def Jam left a message on T La Rock's answering machine at a convalescence for head-trauma victims. He referred to a line from "Big Pimpin'," "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" the one about "overcharging for what they did to the Cold Crush." A charitable nod to the old school in a business that runs on short-term memory, where disposability occurs at the expense of the past, back when Russell Simmons had once gone on record (literally, it was Def Jam's second single) and said, "We don't have to hire nobody to say nothin' and keep all the money."

"I was also overcharging for what they did to T La Rock," said Shawn Carter to Terry Keaton. Beep. Message saved, memory full.

Shockingly, there is no Def Jam tour jacket in Def Jam Recordings. However, one can be found in Raleigh, N.C., roughly 15 miles west of Terminator X's ostrich farm. It was last spotted in the kitchen of a friend, draped across a restaurant booth upholstered in Gucci, on the same night Professor Griff was caught dancing through a Soul Train Line at a party nearby that was deejayed by Davy DMX, who once released an album on Def Jam. And so on.3

These things happen.

If you drive by North Carolina State University, where I ducked out of a Local Government exam to make the 3rd Bass/Nikki D show in Wilmington, you'll pass a telephone pole that once advertised a special Saturday afternoon PE show in Chapel Hill, when rap referred to itself as being conscious.

Down the street is the YMCA, where I last heard "It's Yours" this past summer. A special a cappella version, issued live from a commode stall in the men's locker room. Old folks sagged by in paper slippers, in buck-naked recall of the day, oblivious to the voice in the echo chamber. A guy in knee-high tubes and headphones finally emerged, with the chorus and a flush. Thanks for the memories.

Dave Tompkins' first book, How To Wreck A Nice Beach: The Vocoder From World War II To Hip-Hop, is now out in paperback on StopSmiling/Melville House. Born in North Carolina, he currently lives in Brooklyn.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Pete Rock Soul Survivor Documentary (VIDEO)











Shouts to my man Pete Rock. Look out for that Pete Rock & Doo Wop album " Tango & Cash " Coming #2012

Friday, January 6, 2012

DJ PREMIER - OLD SCHOOL / NEW YEAR 2012 MIX (AUDIO)


Shouts to Premo....This is a classic mix of some classics!

238BEATS "THE FOUNDATION" T SHIRTS ON SALE NOW

CLICK TO ENLARGE



238Beats is pleased to announce the launch of our new T Shirt line honoring CLASSIC HIP HOP MUSIC & CULTURE. The first piece honors the 4 Elements of HIP HOP and is called " THE FOUNDATION "  Purchase of  "THE FOUNDATION" shirt will include a special  mixtape from DJ Doo Wop & DJ Sureshot.

$25 USD including shipping & handling in the US
$25 USD plus shipping & handling outside the US

SIZES L, XL .XXL

For all orders please email:
foundationtshirt@gmail.com

ALL ORDERS PROCESSED THRU PAY PAL