J.M.S. Presents - Sum Ol 92 Ish!

Word is born! I will always hold 1992 as the greatest year in Hip Hop music after 1988, both years had such an abundance of consistency dope releases, genre defining music, smorgasbords of styles and of course '92 was a pinnacle year for legendary and iconic greats like EPMD and The Hit Squad, Gang Starr, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, D.I.T.C 
as well as a whole slew of other established artists and mad independent artists.

It's actually quite staggering that all of these tracks are or will reach their 25th year anniversary in 2017 and I personally think they all still sound really dope and are only a small handful of tracks that define the sound, creativity, soul and true character of 92.

R.I.P.
Big-L
Guru
Chris Charity (Solid Scheme)

Enjoy...

J.M.S. Presents - Sum Ol 92 Ish!

01 EPMD-Crossover (Trunk Mix)

02 Double X Posse - Put Ya Boots On

03 Das EFX -They Want EFX (Remix)

04 K-Solo - Letterman (Solid Scheme Remix)

05 Lord Finesse - Return Of The Funky Man

06 Black Sheep - Similak Child (Homogenized Mix)

07 Showbiz And A.G. - Represent (feat. Big L, Deshawn, Lord Finesse)

08 Diamond And The Psychotic Neurotics - Fuck What U Heard

09 Main Source - Fakin' The Funk (Remix)

10 Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - For Pete's Sake

11 Rough House Survivers - Straight From The Soul

12 Powerule - Pass The Vibes (The Vibe Mix)

13 Gang Starr - Much Too Much (Mack A Mill)

14 Chubb Rock- I'm Too Much (Hands On The Sax Mix)

15 Mysterme, DJ 2020 - Unsolved Mysterme

Sean Price - Imperius Rex LP

Just a little over 2 years ago, the Hip Hop World sadly lost another one if it's great Son's
The inimitable P! aka Sean Price aka Ruck.

Now on the second year anniversary of his passing, Duck Down have unleashed his posthumous LP, Imperius Rex and it's a certified banger!!!...Head nodding beats and Sean's hilarious violent threats and twisted wordplay are once again in effect but you also get some of the old BCC, MF Doom and Wu crew shining as well.

But enough of me babbling on...check out the guests, production credits and stream it and also check out a couple of videos below.







We miss you Big Ruck!

Pick up the LP and limited edition bundles from the Duck Down store.

J.M.S. Joint of The Week - Big-L -"School Dayz" (Produced by Lord Finesse)

I seriously wish that the late, great Big-L was still here as he would absolutely clown these horrible and ignorant mumble/trap "rapping" morons, "eat them like souffles" and would send them running home with hurt feelings and sore pride so this weeks JMS Joint of The Week is from the legend himself and is produced by the legendary and oddly underrated Lord Finesse, this cut should have been on The Lifestyles Ov... LP (it was only on the promo cassette and didn't make the retail version) and it's the classic D.I.T.C. recipe, kicking jazzy drums, deep and melodic bass-lines, horns and Lamont's ill and commanding vocal presence.

"School Dayz" has been around the net in various quality versions over the years but I think the best quality version I have heard is from the Devil's Son EP (From the Vaults) EP released in 2017.

I am guessing that Lord Finesse created this beat around the same time he produced Ground Floor's '94 classic "Dig On That"  (an all time fave) which I think I will feature at a later stage.

One

Big-L -"School Dayz" (Produced by Lord Finesse)

The Doppelgangaz - Dopp Hopp Review

The long awaited fifth full studio album release from Orange County, NYC duo (well trio if you included Big Josh) The Doppelgangaz is finally here and is a great listen from start to finish.

The production as you would expect is superb and runs the gamut of a solid Hip Hop production arsenal: deep bass kicks, kicking drums (a break or two in the mix but not full break-beat loops), swirling keyboards, all kind of samples from flamenco guitar, soul etc and rumbling and smoothed out bass lines, not to mention that they get quite experimental with some of their break downs ("Bubblin" for one is a great example of this), which just shows just how devoted and serious about the craft The Doppelgangaz are.

Truth be told, I have always likened Matter OV Fact and EP to EPMD as they have that kind of chemistry and once again MOF and EP drop amusing lines about the opposite sex (“Strong Ankles”), pharmaceuticals, the cloak lifestyle ("Pride's Cloak", "If It Wasn't For The Cloak") Humourous ish (“Boston Beard”) and amusing anecdotes "Beak Wet", "Dopp Hopp" on well everything really.

The engineering on Dopp Hopp is top notch too and you can pick up little things in your headphones especially on "Future 86" that vocal distortion is ill AF.

There are a handful of tracks on Dopp Hopp that in a realistic World should be all over radio "Roll Flee ft Tnava)", "Die 4 It" (a perfect outro song for an album) and "Bubblin", E.W.W.” all sound like they were designed for cruising down the road with the system pumping loud and the windows down (12’ o’clock at night mostly ;)

In all actuality Dopp Hopp often reminds me of Masta Ace Inc's classic sophomore album Sittin' On Chrome (1995) simply because some of the production has an East meets West feel and the album is a mesh of solid boom bap tracks and smoothed out joints, Dopp Hopp is a much needed breath of fresh air from the lame, boring and dull music currently polluting the industry and the culture.

It wouldn’t come as a shock to hear some longtime fans say that they aren’t feeling this album but I for one am seeing, hearing, feeling and appreciating the Dopp progression…say yeah!

8/10 






Pick up Dopp Hopp here 

2017-J.M.S. Presents - R.I.P. Prodigy

Like so many worldwide I am still reeling at this loss (A special thanks to my old Friend Matt B for notifying me of the tragic and sad news the day that it hit), this one hit me hard and it never gets easier losing someone that (sonically) had become such a huge part of your life for so long and in all honesty as much as I love "Shook Ones Pt. II"..."Survival of The Fittest" was the joint that gave me serious chills down my spine and has in my honest opinion the illest use of a pitched down piano and horn samples in Hip Hop music period.

Needless to say that it was worn out by the repeat button and thankfully I got to see Mobb Deep live a little while ago but it's crazy to think that there won't be a Hav and P anymore.

I planned to do a lengthy tribute post but because I don't have the energy (we just keep losing the great ones) or the time (my Family return home soon which will certainly mean way less posts but this blog in various forms has been going since 2007 and I refuse to let it die) I am just going to let this 25 track deep compilation (which was really tough to compile) speak for itself and in short Prodigy was a beast and was the epitome of raw, grimy and hardcore Hip Hop and he proudly represented Queensbridge and East Coast Hip Hop to the fullest.

Since P's passing I have listened to well over 300 of his recordings and like the late, great Guru said it's mostly the voice and Prodigy indeed had that but he also had a stand up and pay attention prose, a seriously ill, menacing and cold flow and he could rap circles around some of the vets, he also worked with many of the great Producers and MC's and that is why he is so revered in Hip Hop.

My sheer condolences go out to the Johnson Family, Havoc, Tragedy, Big Noyd, Infamous Mobb, Cormega, Nas etc and to all every true Hip Hop head that knows exactly how much the passing of Albert "Prodigy" Johnson is one of the greatest losses in Hip Hop since Phife's passing.

2017-J.M.S. Presents - R.I.P. Prodigy

01 Mobb Deep - Flavor For The Non Believes
02 Mobb Deep - Peer Pressure (The Large Professor Remix)
03 Mobb Deep - Shook Ones
04 Mobb Deep - Survival of the Fittest
05 Mobb Deep - Back At You
06 Nas - Live Nigga Rap (feat. Mobb Deep)
07 Mobb Deep -The Bridge
08 Screwball - The Heat Is On ft. Prodigy, Godfather Don
09 Frankie Cutlass - Know Da Game (feat. Mobb Deep, Kool G Rap, M.O.P.)
10 Mobb Deep - G.O.D. PT. III (Je$u$ RMX)
11 PMD - It's The Pee 97 (Street) (feat. Prodigy)
12 Cormega - Killaz Theme (feat. Mobb Deep)
13 Durag Dynasty -  Fish Meat (featuring Prodigy)
14 Das EFX ft Mobb Deep - Microphone Master (41st Side Remix)
15 Big Pun - Tres Leches (Triboro Triology) (ft. Prodigy, Rebel INS)
16 Pete Rock - The Game (Feat. Raekwon, Prodigy, Ghostface Killah)
17 Mobb Deep - Hoodlum (ft. Big Noyd, Rakim)
18 Mobb Deep - Feel My Gat Blow
19 AZ - Save Them (feat. Raekwon, Prodigy)
20 Prodigy - R.I.P. (Ft Havoc, Raekwon)
21 Mobb Deep - Spread Love
22 Prodigy - Stronger (Prod. by King Benny)
23 Mobb Deep - Never Goin' Back
24 Mobb Deep - Where Ya Heart At
25 Prodigy - You Can Never Feel My Pain

Bonus Joint: D.V. Alias Khrist feat Mobb Deep -Building

Peace

R.I.P. Prodigy 
November 2, 1974 - June 20, 2017

J.M.S. Joint of The Week: Sylvan Esso - "Rewind" (2017)

What Now the sophomore album from Durham, North Carolina Electro-Pop outfit
Sylvan Esso (Amelia Meath and Nicholas Sanborn) has been on high rotation since it's release back in April of 2017.

What Now is the follow up to their debut self titled album released in 2014 that contained the gems "Hey Mami" and "Play It Right".

While I enjoy all of the album a great deal, "Rewind" is one that I often go back to, it's just a perfect slice of Electro-Pop provided by Nicholas's interesting array of production, laid-back guitars, clattering kettle drums, bass and wobbling synth sound and Amelia's glittering and airy vocals.

It's all described beautifully by Amelia herself...

"This is about me watching scenes from movies over and over again when I was a kid, learning turns of phrases and dance moves, and how to be a person. The chorus is about repeated viewings on VHS — how when you are rewinding something the picture dims and when you press 'play,' the room floods with light again. It is about building your personality from media, and then slowly dismantling it to become an honest human and an amalgamation of your influences from family, friends, movies, music and idols."

2017-J.M.S. Presents - Dem No Wicked Like (90's Ragga/Hip Hop Compilation)

01 A Tribe Called Quest - His Name Is Mutty Ranks (Produced by The Ummah) (1998)
02 Nicodemus, Junior Demus, Super Cat, Junior Cat - Cabin Stabbin (Remix) (Produced by Kenny Dope and Little Louie Vega) (1994)
03 Burro Banton - Sensi Cheeba (Hip Hop Mix) (Produced by Bobby Konders) (1995)
04 Apache - Hey Girl (feat. Milo & Collie Weed) (Produced by Large Professor) (1993)
05 Asher-D - Ragga Talk (Produced by Simon Harris) (1991)
06 Shinehead ft. Sleepy Wonder - Me and Them (Produced by Sugarless) (1994)
07 Jigsy King - Gimme The Weed (Break A Dawn Remix) (Produced by Buddah Stretch) (1995)
08 Capleton ft. Q-Tip - Original Man (1997) (Produced by Herbie Miller, Ian Allen)
09 Jamal-Ski ft. Michael Rose - Ragga Youth (Produced by T-Ray) (1993)
10 Red Fox -Ya Can't Test Me Again (Produced by DJ Premier) (1993)
11 Culture Posse - For Real (Troopa's Jeep Mix) (1993) (Produced by Kasem and Kenny Dope)
12 Kali Ranks - Kill Dem All (Produced by Marc Pomeroy) (1995)
13 Shabba Ranks - Ting-A-Ling (Remix) (Produced by K-Def and Marley Marl) (1993)
14 De La Soul ft. Yankee B - Itzsoweezee (Hot) (De La Soul Remix) (1996)
15 Buju Banton - Champion [Hip Hop Remix] (Produced by "Prince Charles" Alexander and Rob "Fonksta" Bacon)
16 Da Bush Babees - Remember We (Salaam Remi Version) (1995)
17 Poor Righteous Teachers - Selah (1993) (Produced by Tony-D)
18 Terror Fabulous - Yaga Yaga ft. Gary Minott (Beatminerz Remix) (1994)
19 Mad Cobra - Flex (Sex Mix) (Produced by Clifton "Specialist" Dillon) (1992)
20 George Nooks and Lupa - Real Man (Radio Edit) (Produced by PK and Psycho Les) (1996)

2017-J.M.S. Presents - Dem No Wicked Like (90's Ragga/Hip Hop Compilation)









R.I.P.