It is almost 2008, so what better way to kick in the new year than with a fat tape?
The CRDS Fat Tape Volume 1-2008
1-Big Daddy Kane-It's Hard Being The Kane (1990)
from the Taste of Chocolate LP and Raw 91 12"
Produced by Prince Paul
Ahhhhh Big Daddy Kane, so smooth and full of clever lines, metaphors, delivered in a thick Barry White like tone and this would have to be the best cut from the fairly average third album from Antonio Hardy, there was just to much crooning and made for radio commercial syrup.
However Prince Paul came through on this joint, horn stabs, drums and bass lead into a fat bassline and percussion, while an ill horn sweeps through and Kane who is "cool as a draft" rips the mic with rhymes of raw power and dope lines,this is how the rest of the album should have sounded, what I love about this track the most is the horns.
2-Mr Voodoo-Hemlock (1996)
from the Lyrical Tactics 12"
Produced by Charlemagne
Those horns still give me chills and what about that ill bassline and Vopdoo's flow?...pure illness, this is another joint that would get a lot of requests when I played it on radio or out in bars and clubs in the 90's.
Brooklyn, New Yorks' Mr Voodoo was part of the dynamic Natural Elements crew and blessed a lot of tracks in his time, he now goes by the name Agu and still rhymes and makes music. mental receptors is setting off metal detectors...word
http://www.aguakamistervoodoo.com/index.cfm
3-Troubleneck Brothers-Gusto (1993)
from the Troubleneck Wreck 12"
Produced by Troubleneck Brothers
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=Xygsihhd8Ts&feature=related
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=DnKphOBOS0o&feature=related
Dope, I remember this being requested a little bit, back in 1993 when I cold rocked it on radio (haha), listen to that bassline, those ill drums and that old school vocal sample (I think it might be from Wild Style) and again,sadly there isn't a great deal about the Troubleneck Brother's out there, they were from the Bronx and released an independent tape album in 1992 titled Fuck You and one of them went onto to start the all hip hop website.
4-Tony Tone-Flow To The Bone (Original Laidback Mix) (1993)
from the Flow To The Bone 12"
Produced by Tony Tone
Tony Tone (of Style fame) kicks a true 93 style and you hear flavor, mad and wreck along with some iggidy in his rhymes, but it's all good, over a simple mix of a surface sample bassline and Impeach and Synthetic Substiution drums Tone does work and this still sounds great as does the horn sample in the hook, I had this on a mixtape in the 90's and it's great to hear it again...word and special thanks to Matt for the hook up.
5-Blak Twang-Real Estate (1996)
from the Real Estate 12"
Produced by DJ Rumple
A dope and honest cut from the U.K's Blak Twang where he rhymes about the poor and housing estates he dwelled in, Blak talks about seeing high unemployment rates,having chicken nuggets robbed and drug addicts and doing what he and others had to do to get money and survive, over a soild bed of bass drums and a smooth bassline, this is a great slice of raw UK Hip Hop and my favourite track from Blak Twang.
6-Brotha Life-The Wreck'a (Original Mix) (1993)
from the The Wreck'A 12" (Island Noyze Records)
Produced by Brotha Life & Nathaniel X
Here is again another great example of 1993 Hip Hop, a piano loop, shuffling drums, bass and you guessed it horns swaying in and out of the mix,not a lot is known about Brotha Life, but I think he did House records as well as Hip Hop ones, the other track and the The Wreck'A remix were dope as well and I will up them at a later date, special thanks to Matt for this and to Smoov and Redkhat for the 12" pic.
7-Masta Ace Inc-Mad Wunz (1993)
from the Slaughtahouse LP
Produced by Ase One & Latief
Ahhh those horns (did I mention I am sucker for ill horn samples?.) and those slammin' drums and Ace's flow and Lord Digga's gruff voice on the hook and... oh you just know this is one of my all time favourites and from one of my all time favourite album,s it's funny but a lot of what Ace rhymes about on here is still a problem in Hip Hop and yep Ase One was of course an alias for Masta Ace....To The Beat Y'All
8-The Beatnuts ft Al Tariq,Problemz and Marly Metal-Hammer Time (2001)
from the Take It or Squeeze It LP (2001)
Propduced by The Beatnuts
I didn't think Take It Or Squeeze It was a bad album and this track made up of an ill piano loop, bass and kicking drums was a highlight for me, it is interesting to note that Psycho Les drops the we stand strong like the twin towers line because we all know what happened in 2001.
I have always thought that Kool G Rap would destroy this and I can hear him on this... I have started listening to this album again and know my man BH enjoys Problemz so this is dedicated to him.
9-Poor Righteous Teachers-Ghetto Love (1993)
from the Black Business LP
Produced by Father Shaheed
Ahhhhh back to 1993 again, I remember thrashing this tape until to snapped and then I got a dub off a friend, this was the first PRT album with no Tony D beats and it had Father Shaheed lacing the beats on their third album, on this joint we get another use of the classic Young Holt Trio Limited drums, a piercing horn and a sample I know form a BDP track, there isn't much to say here, except for I miss those days and this type of Hip Hop.
This is especially for my man O-Fish.
10-Pure Genius-Undercover (1995)
from the Unbelievable 12" (Pure Pressure Records)
Produced by Pure Genius?
From Nottingham, England comes this dope and mellow track, using a great Lord Finesse vocal sample, a smooth bassline and fat drums (a chop of the ...Simple Song drums) you just can't go wrong,they also released "Unbelievable" and "Law of The Land" but some more info on these kids would help...anyone?
11-Lacks-The Idiology (2003)
from the Re:Lacks Vol 1 With The World LP
Produced by Lacks
This is none other than Ta'Raach, rhyming over a breezy track about lame MC's and the perils and hardships of making music for a living,the drums and keyboard sounds work well and it reminds me of some Kev Brown type of production, Lacks did the beat himself and the rest of the album is on this type of vibe and definitely worth checking out.
12-Ultramagnetic MC's-Pluckin Cards (1992)
from the Funk Your Head Up LP
Produced by Kool Keith
The second album is often a difficult one if the first album is a classic, the Ultra's didn't quite match the brilliance of Critical Beatdown, but Funk Your Head Up was it's own beast, Keith is so bugged and out of his mind with these rhymes about TV shows and er...sprinkling pepper on doo doo...wtf...haha but it's the fat Synthetic Substitution drums and warbling funk that makes this one of the stand outs, oh and some dope horns are in the mix as well.
13-Pip Skid-I Can't Front (2001)
from the P & C Factory Seconds LP
Produced by mcenroe
Another example showing mcenroe's fine production talent and I have always admired Pipi's gruff voice and honest rhymes, that sample is so freaking familiar and sounds like something the Beatnuts would use anyway it's a dope sample and I love the drums on this and of course Pip, yeah I know some kids won't enjoy this, but if you do..that's goo...oh and check for the amusing phone message from John Smith at the end.
14-The Hansoul Project-That's Life (1993)
from the That's Life 12"
Produced by -The Hansoul Project
Hmmmm bacon...listen to that ill crackle,the jazz samples and those drums just pound, ahhhhh 1993 come back, please come back, oh and yes indeed those horns but on a smile on my dial, the Hansoul Project was Spill and DJ Ran and they were signed to Loud Records when they released this, I am unsure if they had an album, so if you know please post in the comments section, props to Werner for the pic.
15-C.E.B.-Monkey on My Back (1993)
from the Countin' Endless Bank LP
Produced by Sabir
It is a sad and tragic tale about Philly's Steady B and Cool C as they should be living in good health but instead they are in jail and mostly likely for life as they were botched up a bank robbery in 1996 and an innocent police officer was shot and killed, they are both paying for their crime so we can still celebrate them as musicians, this record had a classic Ruffhouse sound, hard drums, rumbling basslines, quirky stabs and hooks and some of the lines seem to point at their eventual downfall.
the crds fat tape volume 1-2008
http://sharebee.com/b51125b0
1. big daddy kane - it's hard being the kane (5:00)
2. mr voodoo - hemlock (4:24)
3. troubleneck-brothers - gusto (4:29)
4. tony tone - flow to the bone (original laid back mix)) (3:19)
5. blak twang - real estate (4:26)
6. brotha life - the wrecka (original mix) (3:35)
7. masta ace onc - the mad wunz (4:15)
8. the beatnuts feat al tariq, problemz, marly metal - hammer time (3:46)
9. prt - ghetto we love (4:42)
10. pure genius - undercover (2:37)
11. lacks - the idiology (3:57)
12. ultramagnetic mc's - pluckin' cards (4:59)
13. pip skid - i can't front (3:49)
14. the hansoul project - thats life (radio edit) (3:39)
15. c.e.b. - monkey on my back (4:01)
