Hobo Junction...Limited Editon EP-1996



Saafir (Boxcar Sessions (1994) still remains a firm favourite) has always been one of my fave MC's but the whole Hobo Junction have always been on some next shit, It's solid West Coast Hip Hop(Bay Area, Oakland to be precise) with a twist of East Coast Hip Hop sensibilities and you can tell these kids love what they do and it's all about the passion for the art form rather than the almighty dollar.

The thing I love about this EP is the diverse rhyme styles and production techniques, I don't think I have ever heard Vaughn Mason's Bounce, Rock and Skate used so smoothly like The Whoridas have on Shot Callin & Big Ballin and I love the bugged out wobbling keyboards and piano tinkles on Saafir's In A Vest,

Hobo Junction have released a lot of material and it's all worth checking out and getting familiar with, but I think this EP is as good as any introduce you to the crew if you haven't heard them yet and if anyone wants to know who is sampled on Bignous's Just Not My Style, it's Akinyele off the track Exercise (1993)

  1. Townsh_t - Whoridas w/ Saafir
  2. In A Vest - Saafir
  3. What's My Weapon - Eyecue
  4. Shot Callin' & Big Ballin' - Whoridas
  5. Crooked-Letter Eye - Eyecue
  6. Just Not My Style - Bignous
  7. Heir Apparent - Bignous & Rashinel
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JUUV6XHX


Huge and (I think) complete Hobo Junction Discography

http://members.aol.com/ProfQuater/Hobo_Junction.html

http://www.myspace.com/hobojunction

Hobo Junction was the brain child of legendary Oakland rapper Plan Bee and graffiti artist Mike Dream. While both men’s lives were tragically cut short, the Junction would go on to become one of the hottest underground acts of the ’90s, gaining particular notoriety from a series of freestyle battles with the Hieroglyphics. They copped big label exposure on Saafir’s debut for Qwest, the critically-acclaimed Boxcar Sessions (1994); dropped singles for indie Delicious Vinyl; and self-released three highly-regarded street classics: Limited Edition (1996), The Black Label (1997), and The Cleaners (1999). Their atmospheric soundscapes favor murky samples floating above or below innovative beats and unconventional flows. The emcees are artful story-tellers, skilled rhymers, and masters of the old school boast. This is head-nodding funk that wrinkles your brow, and with the passage of time, the line-up sounds less like an underground crew and more like a Bay Area supergroup.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

good blog...peace

Dart Adams said...

Damn, man...you're killing me here! I just uploaded 6 old West Coast compilations on my page...Hobo Junction? Damn that brings me back to those battles and that tape. Good looks! One.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for hooking up the classic hard to find shit.

I spent every dollar and discount I had on records for years. Then I had a kid and responsibility took over then there was a storm and my collection sat in 2 feet of water for 8 hours. I've been trying to recreate my soundscape for a couple years now searching for music all over the net. Your hooking it up.

Keep doing what you're doing.

Anonymous said...

Big Nose and Co. used to be in front of Leopold's (in Berkeley) selling these tapes. I lost this tape long ago. This ep was by far my favorite of the Hobo's. Thanks for the post.

Shirkophobe said...

Yo, I heard this in 8 years since I lost my copy! Thank you sir!

Unknown said...

No problem James. :)

Anonymous said...

Just to say: thank you. Gracias.

Update

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