strictly cassette

REWINDING WITH EXILE

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Mon, 28 May 2012 05:41:00 +0000

PHOTO: COURTESY OF EXILE | INTERVIEW BY LAST MAN

If you are on this site then I shouldn't have to introduce the man known as Exile. For those who are just getting hip...just ask Aloe Blacc, Mobb Deep, Slum Village, Rakaa , Blu...wow, the list goes on. Exile has been lacin the blappers for years. He's accumulated a catalog that name checks the who's who of mc's. He recently pressed up a few of his new projects on cassette as well and even admits that he holds the medium in high regard. Again my good colleague Last Man comes thru in the clutch to catch up with Exile and talk about his cassette releases both old and new.

14 Pearly Gates (Non-Album Version) - Mobb Deep ft. 50 Cent (Exclusive) by DIRTY SCIENCE

(SC) The first time I heard your music was on tape. What's the story behind the Emanon cassettes?

It was 1994 when I first decided to press my tapes and sell them. It was a mixtape called Dream sequence, just me cutting and scratching over 4 tracks beats and what not. I first brought these tapes to Beat Non Stop (La record shop) and I played the tape to the homie Dj Coco and he went nuts and had my back to help push them. I would also sell them myself outside after shows and what not. I remember asking my boy Jelly Bean (LOL funny ass name) to get serious and rap over some of my beats because we used to freestyle alot. He was like na thats not for me man, but I know this kid who's pretty nice with it, It was Aloe Blacc. So me and Aloe met at some food spot and we ended up having a little cypher outside and right after that we made our first song called "isolated format" on a four track. So we built up a nice collection of songs and I was like "yo Im gonna make a mixtape and have one side be me Djing and have the other side be all these songs we've been making. I figured people would cop our tape regardless because of my mixtape but then they could also get to hear all these songs we were making. This tape was called Stretch Marx. Aloe was 16. I was 17 or 18. So we kept dirt hustlin' these tapes at mom and pop shops and outside of Hip Hop functions till we did our first show In Long Beach. Dj Josh One and J Rocc were spinning and I showed up with my 4 trak hahah and made sure Aloe's Raps were turned down, pressed play and would scratch along with the tape. Anyhow,we just kept it moving the same way with our next tape "Imaginary Friends" and this one really kinda took off. A fan had called the number on the tape 714 364 6759 and was like yo I wanna press a record. So we did and it got played on Friday night Flavors out here in LA and we just kept it moving ever since. Also we pressed more tapes, shit I still press tapes. Press Play

PHOTO CREDIT: BANG2000XL

(SC) Is it safe to say that there are piles of Exile beat tapes laying around? If so, will any of those see the light of day? Maybe even on cassette?

There are piles of beat tapes and many beats that will never see the light of day. But then there is some that will. And to those few that will see the light of day I say Fly! Fly to the ears of young and old beat heads alike and shine! Shine like ear wax glissening in the sun! Dont use the Q tip of our for fathers use the the Q tip of a Native tongue and speak to the world of what you have heard!!! Na but I do have a project I will be releasing called ZIP DISKS AND FLOPPIES that will be on cassette and they will be beats.

(SC) What made you decide to release Radio and AM/FM on cassette?

I still have a tape player in my car and wanted to bump it in there haha. Well that and just to have it on tape for me is nastalgic. As much as I am a record head I am a tape head and love me some cassette, so I just had to do it.

(SC) Your recent release (4TRK MIND) was recorded on a 4-track recorder. What inspired that idea vs. using recording software?

Well I started this album before I had Protools at the crib. I Used to just record at Sound In colors Studio or at Mainframes crib both in Long beach. Well that was when me and Blu were recording alot for Below the heavens. But I also had been recording my raps at home on 4-track. I like to record them shits by myself and that was all I had at my crib at the time aside from my mpc. I liked the way it sounded on tape tho it gave me a grimier sound and shit. So as I recorded I was like "you know what? Im just gonna put this out with these tape recordings to pay homage to my past and to show these cats what I can make without protools and with just 4 tracks."

PHOTO: COURTESY OF EXILE

(SC) I remember reading about how your Father was in a Psyche band. Tell us about the project you are working on where you are going to sample your Father's music on tapes.

Yes I found a couple boxes of my fathers reel to reels from his old band Lost and found and more. I will probably call the album family tree or something. I have already made like 4 beats from it but I need to get my 4 track repaired. I will tell you more info about it when it gets closer to a release date.

(SC) Let's hop into a time machine and go back to 1994. What 5 cassettes would be rotating in the walkman?

Freestyle fellowship
King Tee
Dj Magic Mike
The Alkaholiks
Too $hort

(SC) Any last shout outs/comments?

Well in the eyes of this man the tape generation was way doper than the internet generation. There was more appreciation of the art. Now the mystery is taken out. Everyone can have anything without the magical hunt for it. Bunch of spoiled brats out there. Not all of them but damn near. Shout out to all the tape slangers mixtape dirt hustlers!

ADAM YAUCH (1964-2012)

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Sun, 06 May 2012 21:56:00 +0000

WRITTEN BY CHRIS CAMMACK

The Bodhisattva Path Is One Of Power And Strength

A Strength From Within To Go The Length

Seeing Others As Important As Myself

I Strive For A Happiness Of Mental Wealth

With The Interconnectedness That We Share As One

Every Action That We Take Affects Everyone

So In Deciding For What A Situation Calls

There Is A Path For The Good For All

I Try To Make My Every Action For That Highest Good

With The Altruistic Wish To Achive Buddhahood

So I Pledge Here Before Everyone Who's Listening

To Try To Make My Every Action For The Good Of All Beings

For The Rest Of My Lifetimes And Even Beyond

I Vow To Do My Best To Do No Harm

And In Times Of Doubt I Can Think On The Dharma

And The Enlightened Ones Who've Graduated Samsara

A tribute to Adam Yauch aka MCA.

STRICTLY CASSETTE MCA TRIBUTE BY: buttonpusha

In 1987 my mum bought me two records that would change my musical landscape forever. Those records were 'Licensed To Ill and Raising Hell." I hadn't heard anything like them before. They combined the familiar rock sounds my little brain knew but added this new thing, this new style that I didn't fully understand. It was like a new language, it was talking but not the talking my mum and friends did. This was my first introduction to rapping. I was hooked from the moment I heard "Rhymin' & stealin" till the last seconds of "Time to get ill." I'm sitting here now typing this and the memories are flooding back. It was a time when the music they made took me away from the problems between my parents. I listened to the tape of the album my mum made me (record player was downstairs) and would disappear in to my Beastie Boys world. It was my escape. Hip Hop has always been my escape to be honest. I was a fan from that moment in 87 till this very day. MCA and the Beasties opened up a world of music to me from all genres that I may have never experienced without them paving the way. Each album pushed in different directions and is clear that what they saw and did influenced them greatly. If it hadn't been for MCA I wouldn't have known what Buddhism is. Thats the true power of music.

In 2004 I spent 2 months in Canada. At the time "To the five Boroughs" had been released and the Beasties were in Toronto for the Much Music awards. They had closed off the street next to the MM studio. We saw the Beasties soundcheck & preform. It was during the performance that I was up the front and stuck my hand out to find it being slapped my MCA. It was a mere second in time. A fleeting moment but to me it meant the world. It was a brief connection but one with a hero of mine. Thats a memory that will never leave me. I'm smiling thinking about it now.

As the earth spins into brand new day 

I see the light on the horizons's not fading away 

Gonna shine from within like a bright white sun 

No need to hide and no place to run 

Got the vibrations of the music 

Bringing light to your mind

 So you can move and groove 

And feel the beat of the time 

Sense the power in the air as it starts to move 

You get a real good feeling that you just can't lose  

Contemplation time, intuition time 

Evolution time, resolution time  

Free your mind it's time for good times 

And let yourself move it's a time to shine

 Spread your wings in the sky, feelin' good inside

 Breaking fool with no need to hide

 I got the music cuttin' throught me

 Takin' control of my soul

 I can't hold back I've got to let go

  Stand together people come together now

 It's about time we've got to get together y'all

It's with a sadness that I type today. The world lost a great musician and human being yesterday at such a young age. I wanted to write more but I find that I can't. Having lost loved ones to cancer I can understand the pain that his family and friends are going through. The pain does turn in to happiness. Happiness in the remembering of the person and the spirit they possessed. Adam Yauch will live on in the music and the memories that we have as fans. Lets share those memories. The physical maybe be gone but the spirit of what he stood for never dies. May he rest in peace.

BEASTIE BOYS AUDIO COMMENTARIES

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Sun, 06 May 2012 21:43:00 +0000

Continuing our tribute to MCA. We compiled these audio commentaries of the Beasties talking about the making of some of their classic contributions. Check the intimate sessions as they break down the production behind Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head, Ill Communication and Hello Nasty.

HELLO NASTY TOUR LIVE

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Sat, 05 May 2012 04:58:00 +0000

Beastie Boys Live - Hello Nasty Tour by TapeShift

JAY DEE CASSETTES RETURNED TO MA DUKES

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:32:00 +0000

PHOTO CREDIT: B+

A few weeks ago, a record store owner from Detroit acquired 7,000+ records along with a box of cassette tapes. This wasn't just an ordinary music collection. The once belonged to the legendary producer: Jay Dee aka J-Dilla. At first, Jeff Bubeck (Co-owner of UHF Record Store) didn't know what he came across. As a Record store owner, Bubeck is always out on house calls to look at record collections. This collection was just another one that he found abandoned in a storage locker. At first, he processed the records as normal. As he was digging further into the boxes, he discovered some junk letters that had the name James Yancey on them. Curious about the name, he looked it up on his smart phone. Sure as shit, he runs across the J-Dilla wikipedia page. The next thing he finds is a cash disbursement receipt issued to Slum Village. This confirmed that the collection belonged to Dilla. The next thing he found was a box of cassettes with "Jay Dee Beats" written on them with a black marker.

PHOTO CREDIT: ALLHIPHOP.COM

Immediately upon discovering that the records and cassettes were from the Dilla estate, Bubeck attempted to contact Maureen Yancey aka Ma Dukes. His attempts were unsuccessful. Considering how many emails she gets about her son, I can imagine it can get kinda old. On Record Store Day, Bubeck announced that records from Dilla's personal collection would be sold. This drew immediate attention from the media including the Detroit News, Pitchfork and Rolling Stone. Shortly after the first article was published online, it went viral and raised a lot of attention from fans and more importantly...Maureen Yancey aka Ma Dukes. Recently, Bubeck linked up with Ma Dukes to put the collection back into the right hands. Although the UHF Facebook page caught alot of hard feelings from Dilla fans about returning the collection, I'd have to tip my hat off to Bubeck for doing the right thing in preserving the musical legacy of one of the most influential producers of our time. Word...

PHOTO CREDIT: UHF Record Store

SOURCE: PASTEMAGAZINE.COM

REDEF CASSETTES AVAILABLE NOW!

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:10:00 +0000

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://damuthefudgemunk.bandcamp.com/album/how-it-should-sound-volume-1-2"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;How It Should Sound Volume 1 &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; 2 by Damu The Fudgemunk&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

http://www.redefinitionrecords.com/

Damu The Fudgemunk - How It Should Sound (Vol 1 + 2 ) (Cassette) and the Alexander Green Project (CD + Cassette Bundle) are available now. Cop em both from REDEF RECORDS.

Big ups to Redef. They were actually the first ones to be featured on Strictly Cassette. Check the feature HERE if you haven't peeped it yet.

RIDING THE STORM

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:31:00 +0000

THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE BOOGIE MONSTERS

WRITTEN BY : BUTTONPUSHA

Boogiemonsters were always ahead of time. Between the revolutionary/spiritual content and immaculate production, the Jugganauts definitely raised the bar in Hip Hop. The crew consisted of Mondo McCann, Vex Da Vortex, Yodared and Myntric. Although the group hasn't released an album in over a decade, their music continues to gain a cult like following. In 2009, Vex announced on his Myspace blog that their first album: Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album climbed to #2 of the TOP 5 International Rap Chart on Amazon. I'm not sure if this info can be verified but their music is not an easy pick up on any format. Even though their work is hardly mentioned amongst other Hip Hop classics, the BM's story is unique and somewhat...untold.

PHOTO CREDIT: PAUL POSEY

The BM's first came together during their college years at Virginia State University. The crew put together demos and rocked shows across the campus. A turning point in their early Rap career was at Howard University's Hip Hop Convention where they took first place in a performance competition. Shortly after being recognized at VSU they eventually graduated from college shows to the world stage. In 1994, the 4 Man crew struck a record deal with Pendulum/EMI who gave them the opportunity to drop their first album. By 1997, the crew was down to two members when they released their final albeit darker album: God Sound.

PHOTO CREDIT: STRICTLY CASSETTE

I always felt that Riders of the Storm had a wide mix of moods. From real pleasant tunes like "Muzic Appreciation" to darker joints like "Mark of the Beast" and "Old Man Jacob's Well." Their first single "Recognized Thresholds of Negative Stress" gained a lot of radio play across the globe and quickly became a classic summer jam. It's a smooth after school joint with a positive message about overcoming everyday stress. Vex's verses come in and out with a distorted vocal effect:

"Well I came through the door, I said it before, I never let the stress get me down anymore, so as we walk through the thresholds of snake in the grass, I thought of super vicious shapes, lyrics begin to mass..."

The single "Honeydips in Gotham" was their buttery ode to the ladies while the follow up single "Strange" exhibits more of the group's conscious side. Lyrics like:

"The empire's falling, check the New World Order, for the slaughter, run for shelter, underwater..."

The Boogie Monsters aren't exactly considered a Christian Hip Hop group however they've made it clear that they center themselves around the belief in God. In addition to lyrical references to the bible and song titles, proof of this could be found on the credits and even their live interviews. Shortly after the release of the Underwater album, Yodared and Myntric began to get more involved with church as they became devoted Seventh-Day Adventists. Along with more success and notoriety came the challenge of their spiritual beliefs. Surprisingly, Yodared would later on become a lead pastor at Templeton Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church (Templeton, Ca) Recently, he openly spoke out against the Hip Hop lifestyle that he once lived. A recent sermon of his includes an account of his experience with the music industry and why he chose to leave it behind.

PHOTO CREDIT: STRICTLY CASSETTE

I remember when God Sound dropped, I was shocked to see only 2 members on the cover. Right off the bat, it made the album more interesting and caused me to look further. Song titles like "The Beginning Of The End" , "Behold a Pale Horse" and "Sodom & Gamorrah" gave me an idea of what the album was about. The cover art is a picture of Vex and Mondo in front of a tall building with a huge megaphone speaker standing there like two of God's holiest prophets. It was clear that these guys had a message to bring to the masses.

PHOTO CREDIT: SLANG DISCO

The first track and lead single "The Beginning Of The End" is a straight forward wake up and open your eyes anthem. The Domingo produced banger consists of a pitched down Isaac Hayes loop over punchy drum programming while Mondo and Vex spit about the end of freedom and the ensuing police state. Mondo is quick to pull the cards of the world's elite with:

"Yo Domingo slide the faders on the bass and I'mma lay it all out in they face...most of the presidents was Masons, with one thing in mind...to keep it in the family they must eliminate the swine and the swine is us so who's God do you trust, it's getting realer by the second in the future...say what?"

The B-side/title track: God Sound is a slower tempo joint with a walking bassline with echoing guitars. The uptempo joint "Bodya" features Mondo breaking it down with the line:

"It's time we realize that this New World Order is on the rise with no disguise to the wise, I'm obliged whenever I speak on those lies..."

God Sound is not nearly as praised as the Underwater album but there are definitely jewels on it. The content of the album is a little bit heavier which may have been a little too much for most listeners. God Sound is definitely on the more conscious side as Mondo and Vex draw inspiration from books like "Behold a Pale Horse" by William Cooper as well as "The Keys of This Blood" by Malachi Martin. Both books cover topics about the Illuminati, Masons and the quest for World Domination.

Another highlight of the second album is the joint "Say Word" featuring Bahamadia spitting her classic whisper flow:

"Presents to be a fiddax right towards my righteous acts, but I'm human And to front angelic illusion is just too time-consumin Be 29 plus 1 and still bloomin Blessed with ability to drop a jewel or two..."

I think the part that stuck out the most to me wasn't even a song. The interlude titled "And Then What..." provides some real food for thought as Mondo speaks over a slow night time track:

"If you got 5 minutes or an hour or a whole LP or somethin' to speak to me man, then change my life...word..."

It's been years since we heard from the Boogie Monsters. God Sound would be the last time that we ever hear Mondo McCann on a record however, Vex continues to release music all the way up to 2009. In fact, he recently uploaded some of his newer tunes on Youtube. I can't say that his solo material is in any way comparable to his material with the BM's but it's fresh to see that he is still practicing his craft. Although a future Boogie Monsters reunion is probably not in the cards, it's always dope to revisit both of their albums. As a devoted fan, it was difficult to see each member of the group part ways but I'll always remember the Boogie Monsters as the guys in this video:

PARIS: THE DAYS OF OLD

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:33:00 +0000

RAP INDUSTRY CONSPIRACY

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:01:00 +0000

SOURCE: WAXPOETICS

We all know a conspiracy theorist. Their stories are full of exaggerations inspired by paranoia and bits and pieces of information. It can get pretty overwhelming just listening to some of the theories out there. Some of them sound like they are straight out of a Hollywood script however, there are some that sound just like the real world.

A letter known as "The Secret Meeting That Changed Rap Music and Destroyed a Generation" has been circulating all over the net. To spare you a long read, it's basically a letter from a music industry insider telling his account of a private meeting with an elite group in 1991. A group with highly invested interests in both the Music industry and the prison industrial complex. Their interests included keeping prisons packed by infiltrating Rap Music and using it to promote violence and negativity. Check the letter out after the jump. This is something that all fans of Hip Hop should read...no matter what generation. I thought this was interesting considering that cassettes are still big business within prison walls.

PERCEEP P ON CASSETTE

noreply@blogger.com (STRICLY CASSETTE) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:57:00 +0000

SOURCE: BEAT BOP SCHOLAR

Percee P tells us a few tales about his early career including a cassette release on Big Beat Records. Peep the video and enjoy. Big ups to Beat Bop Scholar for sending this our way.

REWINDING WITH EASY ROC

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:56:00 +0000

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY LAST MAN
FORWARD BY : BUTTONPUSHA

Everybody should know about the legendary B-boy: Easy Roc. The former Rock Steady Crew veteran is one of the most respected dancers in the world. He helped pioneer an era of b-boying with his smooth style of footwork and top rocking that new schoolers can only emulate. As an old-schooler who paved the way for many others, Easy comes from the era of carrying a boombox to the park with a piece of cardboard. With that said, the cassette tape has played a huge role in his career as a highly influential B-boy. In addition to killing the dancefloor, he also dabbles in the world of bmx, art, lowriders and all things creative. Recently, my good colleague/tape hunter/Zulu Nation Chapter Leader: Last Man...had the chance to link up with Easy Roc to talk a little bit about the cassette era's influence in the B-Boy culture.

PHOTO CREDIT: LAST MAN

Last Man here and I'm here with Old School Rock Steady/Zulu Nation/Pioneer/Bboy: Easy Roc. I'm just gonna ask you a couple of questions pertaining to cassette/boombox culture. What do you see as the importance of the boombox and the cassette tape within B-boy culture?

First off, I would say that if you were B-boy back in the day and you didn't have a boombox it was pretty sad because that was something that was mandatory. B-boyin is a very free thing. It's one of those things where no matter where you are from (rich or poor) you didn't have to spend alot of money to be a b-boy. The only thing that you really NEED is the music. To play that music, you needed to have a boombox. The difference is nowadays...with all the technology, I see the kids just holding their phone up to their ear and do their little bug out...whether it's the jerk or the shuffle or whatever the new dance is that's coming out. It's just not quite the same you know what I mean? First of all, it's too personal. People think you're like a weirdo doing that kinda thing. They don't see a box with music coming out.

The other thing is that Hip Hop was and should be a very rebellious thing. For you to have a big ol' offensive box just booming your music for all to hear is making a statement like "Hey, check me out...I'm doing this and I don't care what anybody thinks." Whether it was right or wrong, we were in people's faces with our big boombox. I guess it's alot of things. It's like in California with the car culture. People can't live without their car and you gotta have sounds in your car. It gives you a freedom and a sense of pride and confidence to be like "yeah, this is me...this is my world, my music and what represents me." The boombox is just so important to the early days and it still should be. B-boys today should be going out and trying to find boomboxes. The new ones just aren't quite the same. So its hard, you really got to try and hunt for one.

So yeah, like you said there are alot of the new ones. Like even now...Lasonic put out a new boombox that's similar to the TRC- 931 but its got an Ipod Connection.

I think that was somebody's clever idea. It was probably a designer of our age/generation that said "I miss this, I wanna see these back out but let's make it hip for the new people." So yeah, it was kind of a shocker when Urban Outfitters had this identical box to the one I have but just a little thinner. I was like "What? what is that?" When I went a little closer, I noticed that it wasn't quite the same. There wasn't a cassette deck and it was all ready to adapt for your ipod. The funny thing is even that technology will be gone in a few years. It's silly how fast everything moves.

But yeah, there's so much you can talk about the era of the Boombox and the tape. It's funny cuz now when you talk about a mixtape. What is a mixtape? It's a Cassette tape. It was a little shortlived and then cds came in and they didn't seem like they lasted very long either. Now it's all digital technology. Just like with wax....people get to the point where they wanna reminisce and go against the grain. The hunt for wax is now become the hunt for tape because if you have a working boombox you'd want to be able to play a tape in it. I always have a tape in mine. It's usually James Brown or something else. If I had to take it somewhere and it was the last thing on earth...and I grab my boombox, its gotta have James Brown in the tape player.

PHOTO CREDIT: LAST MAN

So you mentioned James Brown. That brings me to my next questions. From your collection back in the day and over time...what were your favorite tapes or must haves? What are your holy grail tapes. Let me hear your top 5.

Well, that's kind of a hard one cuz if you go way back like say the 80's, it would be all the recorded stuff from KDAY. I still have recordings of the Mixmasters shows and where I lived, you couldn't get it really clear so there was alot of interference and static. So it wasn't something that you would use in your box to go practice with. You'd probably just listen to it. I used to listen to those again and again while I was painting denim jackets! You know, I'm talking like the mid 80's.

PHOTO CREDIT: LAST MAN

Some of the tapes I still have til this day that I bought during that time would be like the Tommy Boy compilation tape or Egyptian lover. Back then we were dancing to Egyptian Lover and Soul Sonic Force. We were so young and I wasn't much of a music collector per se. I sort of just recorded and dubbed tapes from other people. That was the thing when the dual cassette came out. That's when you could try to be a DJ in your own right so I was always doing my stop/pause mix tapes. I used to try and do fancy stuff with just two cassette decks and it was fun. That's what Hip Hop is about. You always try to emulate what you are hearing. I probably have some really bad tapes or crazy mixes I did and some funny songs that came out. That was pretty much it. I recorded a lot of stuff off the radio so having a stash of blank tapes was mandatory. I would hear a mixshow come on and I would race to my stereo and just pop that tape in.

PHOTO CREDIT: STRICTLY CASSETTE

Certain tapes were a must have. You got albums like the Boogie Down Productions: Blueprint of Hip Hop in here.

Well when the late 80's came in and you were getting more signed acts, music groups became more available. That's when I started to get my collection together. Boogie Down Productions: The Blue print of Hip Hop. I took that with me on tour in 1988 when I went across the states on a BMX tour. We listened to that until the tape disintegrated. That was probably the one tape that we had to buy again and again. It was such a good time. Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet came out like in 88 or 89. Just around that time, NWA came out. Then I got into the blasting tapes in the car. At that point, it was like Ice-T who was one of my favorites. Power was one of my favorites back then. I was rocking other stuff back then too like Rick James or...Cold Blooded who always had the nice bass. When I first got a car its like I upgraded to having a boombox in the car. Then it was all about going to the swapmeets and buying all the funk mixtapes like the best of One Way, Zapp, etc...I got into that because of the whole lowriding culture too. There was a time when I didn't even have a stereo in my car but I would just take the boombox and put it under my seat. I'd have a plastic bag full of cassettes in the car. It's funny cuz when I talk to alot of people, they did the same thing. Even my wife. She had a 69 Volvo and she used to roll around with tape deck. It was freedom. The tape was freedom to get away.

That's relative to the way hip hop started. When you talked about the boombox in the car, I thought of Kool Herc in the convertible with the big house speakers. He fathered all of this and came from Jamaica with these big house speakers. It's like he said fuck that, I'm gonna drive around the five boroughs bumpin' in my car.

Yeah, as I mentioned...it's about getting attention. It's about being rebellious. It's about saying "Hey! this is new, this is me...check me out!" That's Hip hop. It's about fame and getting attention. It's about making ourselves loud and being proud. Even what we wear. It's about getting attention. It's like saying "Hey I'm here and remember me." So playing your music loud and making a statement, that's all a part of it.

I think all of us in Hip Hop culture had boomboxes and tapes. We all played and walked around with them but I think that Breakdance/b-boy culture bears a certain significance. You guys call it "Hittin" or Streetshows and you had to have the boombox there with your cardboard or linoleum.

With "Hittin" and taking out your boombox was more common. We were fortunate enough in the late 80's and 90's to have access to mixtapes. In the 90's it was really easy to get them from certain djs. There were alot of mixes coming out and alot of people were finding new records. Someone would bless you with a tape you were gonna play that all the time. Everybody would get familiar with that tape. Then somebody would say "Where did you get that? I need that tape, I like that mix, Who is that? "Oh...well, that's so and so's mixtape." Then they would be like "well okay, let me get that tape." And that was really good for the DJ's at the time. It was unheard of for a DJ to put out a record. DJ's were just selling their mixtapes out of their backpacks after a show or out in the street. It was kinda neat back then. Nowadays people will say "Didn't Too Short do that?"

PERSONAL RECORDINGS GIVEN TO EASY ROCK BY THE LEGENDARY FROSTY FREEZE. PHOTO CREDIT: LAST MAN

You know other people took it to another level. Look at JT the Bigga Figga in the Bay. Master P and all them. You know where Lil Wayne came from. They were all slanging cassette tapes before CD's out of the trunks of their cars and now they're super stars. So that brings me to my last question. We took a picture of some special tapes of yours. Can you talk about what these are and how important these recordings are to you.

That stack of tapes right there. By looking at it, you wouldn't know what it is but those were given to me by a very good friend named Frosty Freeze. Frosty came out here a couple times and stayed with me in Los Angeles. One of the things about him was that he was a very giving individual. He didn't have alot of money but what he would do is give out some of his tapes of old-school radio recordings.. Sometimes back in the day you would see cats in the club with their boombox wtih a tape rolling and a pocketful of tapes ready to go when that tape ran out. Well, Frosty was one of those individuals and he had some really interesting live recordings from some night club stuff with different crews battling. He was dubbing those tapes off and selling them out of his bag. He happened to give me about a dozen of them for free. He said "Here these are just for you because you're my friend." So when he passed, I was just devastated. A few months later I was coming out of it and then I remembered about those tapes. I wanted to find them just so I can have some kind of connection with my friend. I ended up finding them and just started listening to them and it brought back alot of memories.

Some of them were even Rocksteady Jams in the Park?

Yeah and there were just alot of random stuff that he thought that people would enjoy. They were very modestly written on with what they are.

One of them didn't even have a title. One of em just says 1984.

They don't say Frosty Freeze's mix or Frosty. He wasn't even on an ego thing. He just liked to share with people. Just listening to those tapes is just magical. It transports me to a time and I just imagine being there with Frosty at those moments when he recorded them. I do want to put them out for anyone who wasn't able to get them. I'm sure that people did buy them but they probably have gone missing by now. I will let some people dub them so they can enjoy where he was coming from. Obviously he put them on tapes so other people can enjoy them. So those tapes are super special to me and I don't ever want to let them out of my sight!

REST IN PEACE FROSTY FREEZE - 1963-2008

So anything else you want to touch on before we turn off this recorder. Anything you want to say or any other tape/hip hop related things you wanna say? Any shout outs?

Not so much. I just think that it's refreshing that you guys are going to do this feature and shed some light back on the tape/boombox scene. I think people should just keep their eyes wide open. So if you're pasing by a thrift store, take a second to step in there and see what kind of old technology they got. We don't wanna see this stuff end up in the trash or junkyards. I'd rather see them on someone's shelf. Maybe you can do a page where people can send in photos of their collections. Let's just start a whole revolution of reverse technology. You got guys that still roll around with 8-tracks in their cars and I think that's cool. Let's not get to swept up by this fast paced technology. We always gotta remember what came first. There's alot of fun attached to these eras.

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK!

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:52:00 +0000

PHOTO CREDIT: SKYLAR WOODMAN

This is the line we used on the back our our flyers. For those that never left the cassettes behind, you can probably relate to this. Our colleague Skylar Woodman from Manifest Worldwide sent us this photo. Thought it was perfect to reiterate our slogan!

NON-HIPSTER RAP COLLECTOR

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 01:05:00 +0000

Okay, so maybe our last title we used was a little abrasive. Thanks for the shout though...

BLACASTAN - LIFE OF A CASSETTE

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:23:00 +0000

Released in 2007 but still fresh as ever. Peep Blacastan break down the "Life of a Cassette." Kinda reminiscent of some Nas "I Gave you Power" type shit. Dooley-O on the boards.

THE NONCE

noreply@blogger.com (STRICLY CASSETTE) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:46:00 +0000

WRITTEN BY BUTTONPUSHA

As a group, The Nonce always stood out for a number of reasons. As a duo out of Los Angeles, they stayed away from the more popular sound of the time. In fact, you could probably slide a Nonce tape right next to the Pharcyde although they were a little more on the serious side behind the mic. Coming from the Goodlife/Project Blowed collective, they had the reputation for bass heavy and jazzy production under distinctive true school rhymes. The duo would eventually lend their signature sound to other L.A. artists such as Superb, Ganjah K, AceyAlone and the High School Dropouts.

PHOTO CREDIT: STRICTLY CASSETTE

The Nonce consisted of Nouka Basetype (aka Sach) and Yusef Afloat. Both were active as a duo in the 90s (releasing material from 1992 to 1999.) Their first release was the single titled "The Picnic Song' in 1992. The track was actually a more friendlier possibly De La Soul inspired track. Take one look at the cassette cover and you can see what I'm talking about.

It wasn't until 1994 when The Nonce got their break. That was the year that they dropped the classic anthem "Mixtapes." In comparison to their debut single, Mixtapes was more of a true school joint paying respects to DJ and cassette tape culture. Even the cassingle cover drew references from old Blue Note jazz covers. Who knew that a song about graduating from the turntables to the microphone would have become a radio hit? Only in the 90's could something like that happen.

I remember when I first heard this joint on Power 106. I didn't know anything about the group but just loved the beat and the visuals that the lyrics painted. Me and my boys would just shout the hook in unison..."I used to sell mixtapes...but now I'm an MC....I got the rhymes and beats...I used to rock them tapes... " Not much has changed when this song pops up in conversation. Aside from the song itself, the video was crazy with visuals of tapes, boomboxes and turntables. As a group coming from the West Coast, it was refreshing to see these dudes dressed up in their flannels and cackies reppin' real Hip Hop shit...

The other single was called "Bus Stops." A real smooth bass driven groove with warm keys against a jazzy horn that comes in on the one. This time you had Yusef on the hook almost whispering "They on the bus stops, they out bumpin' the sound, they at every mall in the city, take a look at 'em cruising around..." This was kinda like The Nonce's equivalent of Tribe's Bonita Apple Bum. The video was brilliant. Timeless frames of Los Angeles in Black and White. All of this is witnessed from the inside of a colorful public transit bus full of honeys of all flavors. Throw in a cameo from Aceyalone and now you got a video that's untouchable.

PHOTO CREDIT: STRICTLY CASSETTE

Fast forward a few years and Sach continued to stay active. In 1998, he dropped a cassette only album titled "Seven Days To Engineer." The follow up came in 2002 with the "Suckas Hate Me" LP on Mary Joy. The last project he dropped was his 3rd solo release: Sach 5th Ave. Since his days with The Nonce, his production was featured on a multitude of LA Underground albums from artists like Medusa, Freestyle Fellowship and Global Phlowtations to name a few.

Yusef Afloat has a few appearances since The Nonce. His wordplay is featured on tracks titled "Like It's 1999" off of Jizzm - Archives as well as "Look At Me Mean" from DJ Rob One's West Koast Indie's Vol. One Mixtape. His last release was the Hard Times EP which even the just the titles of the songs (Possessing Evil, Dancing in the Dark) show a darker moment in his life.

On May 21st, 2000, Yusef Afloat was found dead alongside the 110 Freeway in Los Angeles. Not much is known about his death. In the Goodlife/Project Blowed documentary called "This Is The Life" there are segments where some of LA's underground luminaries give their accounts of the way Yusef lived and even some details about his last moments alive. Aside from the mystery of his death, we can only imagine what Yusef could have contributed to Hip Hop today.

There's no question that this duo left a huge foot print on Hip Hop. Check the following interview to hear what they duo has to say about classics and their take on the future of Hip Hop. Their views only add to the legacy. It would be a shame to have a blog called Strictly Cassette and not mention The Nonce. Definitely one of my favorite groups of all time.

CAGE: FOR YOUR BOX

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:05:00 +0000

PHOTO CREDIT: BANG 2000XL

In 1999 Cage recorded & handmade a limited run of 100 tapes to promote his Debut album: "Movies For The Blind." They were only recorded on TDK/Sony 60 minute cassettes. He wrote a different message on all the covers from "Shit hits the fan", "Some rough shit", "Shit for you to taste" & "This could be your girl" to name a few.

PHOTO CREDIT: DIRTY HANK

These tapes were not sold in stores but could only be obtained if you purchased the album through UGHH or Hiphopsite. 50/50 & never released on cassette again although in 2002 it was re-released on a cdr by him (Cage) with different artwork and a couple tracks left off. This made the cassette even more sought after. Being a long time Eastern Conference Rawkus Record fan, this was a real treat when he decided to release this.

PHOTO CREDIT: DIRTY HANK

There are original demo versions of songs from Cage & Necro like Clockwork Orange (Agent Orange) & Radiohead along with some rare New York radio promos and freestyles. There are a couple dope WKCR Godfather Don promos on the tape too. For some of the younger fans For Your Box also has the original Eminem diss tracks titled 4 Letter Word & Bitch Lady. In 98/99, I know everybody heard the Slim Shady LP's Role Model, in which he makes a Cage reference:

"Bought Cage's tape opened it, and dubbed over it..."

then again in 1999 on the Wake-up show's This or That on Get You Mad:

"Went on stage and sprayed Cage wit Agent Orange And wiped my ass wit his page in Source..."

Cage made it clear that he wasn't going to allow Eminem to continue his rap career unchecked. On "4 Letter Word" he spits:

"All the way live, we bring to you to host the annual drowning, in Lake Michigan.." (a announcer says this on the intro then Cage starts rappin these lyrics.)

"I heard some blonde bitch walking through New York looking for cage. I'll stab you in the face, ten times in the same place. Lace your little infants til you thinking different. When in the same building on the street lift you off your feet.."

And then on "Bitch Lady" he comes at Marshal Mathers with more darts:

"Bitch lady, nerd bitch like Jan Brady..."

"Actin out the life of Cage childhood steez, wearin straight jackets in videos & magazines..."

All this started when Cage said Eminem bit his style...but this tape has alot of the Cage tracks that started & ended this beef. With material from 1992-98, this is technically the only cassette that he put out besides the Smut Peddlers Porn again in 2001 with Mr. Eon from High & Mighty. If you are 1 of the lucky few to own this Cage tape, u are one lucky son of a #!+*%...

The Illest 4 Letter word & the words Cage!!

WRITTEN BY: BANG 2000XL

GOODWOOD X WUTANG

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:25:00 +0000

We don't need to explain much about this tape. We talked about it HERE. Now you can walk around and represent one of the most talked about cassette of all time. So in paying homage of Raekwon’s classic album, wooden jewelry company Good Wood NYC recently released the “Purple Tape” pendant necklace & bracelet.

Both are available at The Giant Peach.

REWINDING WITH SKEME RICHARDS

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 06:45:00 +0000

PHOTO CREDIT: STEVE BELIEVE

The tape was the first medium in which the average person could access the means to record just about anything. During the start of Hip Hop, cassettes was medium in which many of those park jam flavors were shared. Skeme Richards knows this from being there first hand.

His cassette archives include a few original recordings from that time period. His involvement in Philly's early Hip Hop scene is what molded him to be one of the most respected DJ's in the world today. Whether it's taking his successful soul party "Hot Peas & Butta" on the road or rocking breakbeats for thousands of B-boys...Skeme's signature style of true schoolism can't be duplicated...

As a member of the world famous Rock Steady Crew, Skeme knows the importance of sharing Hip Hop's history. It was only right that we connected with him to share a few words.

(SC) You've been participating in Hip Hop culture since the beginning...more specifically in the Philly scene. Through your eyes, what role did the cassette play during those formative years?

The cassette played a major role because without that technology battles, parties and practice basement sessions would never had been preserved. You would've had to have been in the place to actually witness what was going on and that time would only exist within your memories. It's was also important in being able to hear what your competition as a DJ or MC was doing across town, not so that you could bite but to know where you needed to be skill wise.

(SC) Can you tell us about some mix-tapes or cassette recordings that influenced your DJ style?

Oh man! Philly has some of the best DJ's in world hands down so having having early tapes by people like DJ Groove, Grandmaster Nell, Jazzy Jeff, Cash Money, Cosmic Kev is what defined not only my style but every Hip Hop DJ worldwide and most have never even heard those tapes. And as a younger cat at the time, hearing all their names and knowing they all had skills I knew that I had to come correct as well.

PHOTO CREDIT: STEVE BELIEVE

(SC) During Hip Hop's earliest years....jams, freestyles, parties and radio shows were recorded on cassette. I can imagine a culture of dubbing and trading tapes. How hard was it to obtain copies of those?

Hip Hop has always been about being something that someone else was not and having something that others don't so having copies of those tapes weren't easy to obtain because people wanted to be the only ones with them. If you were cool with people then yeah you could get copies of certain stuff but alot of times you needed something to trade for. But having certain things makes you special because people hold you in high regards as the dude that has xyz and he's the only one with it. Still to this day I have mixes that the people who made them don't even have and I hold onto stuff like that because the minute it hits Youtube it's value has now decreased. As a person who spent hours, days and weeks searching for mixes you value that time that you'll never get back so your not trying to give anything up too easy. This younger generation doesn't place value on physical items as we did in the past, for them it's download this email that so they basically don't have a connection to it, it's more of a want at the time and then forget about it on their hard drive.

PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Beon

(SC) Do you think people use the word "Mixtape" a little too loosely these days?

Honestly it doesn't really bother me when people use the term out of context, ie mixtape actually being a CD. But what does bother me is when people put up a digital download and call it a mixtape, NO!, it's a digital download, an MP3, a Wav it's not a mixtape, there is not physical media being used, bought or sold. I think people have just become lazy to terminology, the same way everything is labeled as Hip Hop, the word mixtape has become a generic term for a DJ recording a mix. Alot of older people will say did you hear so and so's record, even though it's not recorded on vinyl but it's the term that they grew up using.

(SC) As the tape phased out, we've seen Hip Hop's sound become saturated and compromised. How do you think MP3's have changed not only our listening experience but also how music sounds?

I don't think the cassette is the cause of Hip Hop's sound becoming saturated, I think it's the fact that too many people claim to do Hip Hop is the reason for it's saturation. Back in 70's and 80's you had 10% of the people that were DJ's, MC's, BBoys and the other 90% was party people so things were regulated and the scene was tight. When it became too easy for people to start claiming these titles without having to battle for the rights everyone claimed to do an element and less were party people. MP3's have changed our listening experience only in the fact that you can have the one good song that an artist put out instead of his entire album. It does however change how music sounds because in the past you perfected your shit, saved up your money, went to the studio and came out with quality product. Now all these bedroom producers, MC's, DJ's record at home and litter the internet without having to go in public to battle or get boo'd so their style never gets perfected because people don't want to or don't want to waste time dissing them online.

PHOTO CREDIT: MICHAEL T REGAN

(SC) You are known as the "Nostalgia King" who collects everything from Vinyl to Blaxploitation memorabilia to arcade machines. Could you tell us about how you feel when you see cassettes these days?

Honestly I love cassettes but I love cassettes that I've collected over the years, the rare stuff like label promos that you acquired because you were on the list, battle tapes, radio broadcasts that you can't get just anywhere. And these tapes only get played once in a blue moon because repairing popped tapes is a very tedious process. But when it comes to seeing 90's Hip Hop tapes and stuff like that I don't get the sensation of oh I got to have that because I was buying all of it on vinyl anyway and making my own tapes. Being a collector of many things I just don't have the space to dedicate to cassettes of that nature, but give me a classic Grand Master Flash tape circa 1970's then I'll make the room. I still by sealed vintage blanks though when I see them, not to record on but just for the nostalgic factor. At the end of the day we all have those songs in one way or another, cassette, vinyl or MP3 but it's the stuff rare stuff others don't have which separates the two classes.

PHOTO CREDITS: COURTESY OF SKEME RICHARDS

(SC) You've got rare tapes here which I'd like to coin as some of the Holy Grails of Hip Hop. What's the story on some of these? (KRS Exclusive, Bahamadia demo, Jazzy Jeff live at 52nd st)

Back in the early 90's I used to run with my man Money 1 aka Ramos who was a road manager for KRS, we used to be a D&D Studios while everyone was recording albums, so at the time KRS was recording Return of The Boom Bap album and that tape was one of the unmastered cassettes straight from the studio, so I had that album way before a 12" even dropped.

The Bahamadia tape is from her weekly radio show the B-Sides that she did with my man DJ Groove aka FredyBlast. This was a promo with alot of gems on it that most people at that time weren't thinking about keeping, there's alot of underground stuff that never really got the light of day to the masses but are gems

The Jazzy Jeff mixtape is from I want to say around 1985 from when parties were being thrown at the YMCA. There's a bunch of Philly history on that tape with a slew of DJ's and MC's that were incredible and just to hear the live recording transports you back to a different time. I actually have a VHS somewhere of the video recording of that night as well.

The Lady B tape is really special to me because most people don't have recordings of her early 80's radio show. Lady B was the first female MC to drop a 12" called To The Beat Ya'll in 1979, she had a radio show on A.M. until 1984 when she moved to Power 99 on FM with her show Street Beat (which I've got probably 50 tapes of those shows).

Now we all know the Transformer scratch was invented by Philly DJ's, most notably DJ Jazzy Jeff and Cash Money but the first person who did the scratch before it was perfected in the way we know it today was the original DJ Spinbad from Philly. So this tape by Spinbad and his MC's Force Five Production Band definitely holds weight because not many people outside of Philly even know that history.

The 2Kannon Cassette is one of the originals used to press up a 12" in 1991 which commands around $100 dollars on eBay.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

(SC) A few Hip Hop labels have gone back and revisited the cassette format. In the last few years we've seen releases from Stones Throw, Redef Records and Nature Soundz that have now become collectibles. Is it possible that we will see a Skeme Richards mix on cassette in the future?

I've actually been working on a physical mixtape which I want to release later this year but it will be something real limited, not more than 50 copies. Those that are gonna want them will be people who really value and appreciate the format and those who really support what I do as a whole. I've been a collector of things all my life so I'm not trying to do it for the cool factor, I want to give people something that I would want from an artist that I love.

(SC) Any last shouts or comments to add?

I want to thank Strictly Cassette for taking this time out to talk about my little collection of tapes and for keeping tape culture relevant. Shouts to FredyBlast a true Philly legend, Supreme La Rock, Maxell, TDK, Sony and Fuji for making such great blank tapes and to all the tape kings world wide that have held onto these mini reels for so long, this is history so preserve what we won't be able to retrieve again if lost!

Follow Skeme Richards on these following channels:

SKEMERICHARDS.PODOMATIC

HOT Peas & Butta

ANYTHING-GOES31

Facebook

KEITH MURRAY

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 04:37:00 +0000

WRITTEN BY CHRIS CAMMACK

Keith Murray: The most beautiful thing in the world.

It was 1993 when I first heard Keith Murray. I had bought the E-Double solo joint on cd. I thought I was king right then, only kid I knew who had this was my best mate Ian. We went back and forth a lot on releases, who bought what etc etc......

Overall I liked the album but in my heart I really wanted to hear PMD swing in on a verse and blow up the spot. But that's a whole other article I guess: E vs. P, who is best?

So back to Keith Murray......

'Hostile' is one of those classic Erick Sermon productions, thick with the funk that makes speakers rumble. (many times I got told to turn the bass down on my system) This is a joint needs to be bumped loud. After E's verse is done we get what can only be described as a boxing style introduction from Jeff Stewart to Mr Murray:

Keith Murray's, comin from the North South East and Left

Rhymin to death, makin a world when I take a deep breath

With a body boom bash, my paragraph a trey-deuce

Human behavior in a psychopath

Ooooh, I might lose my cool, and break fool

and pull out my get busy tools

I write like a mad journalist

to funk, that's deeper than a bottomless spliff (that's my word)

The most beautifullest thing in this world

is my notion, for murderous poetry in motion

And the illiotic shit I come across

form a leash you're trapped in with explosive force

I push your head through the cracks of sanity

and leave your brain doin a bid in purgatory

It's ninety-six degrees in the shade

before I catch blood on my blade

I take my frustration to the stage

and gets open dope and stupid bumblin rumblin tracks

When I rap my jams be packed like a laundromat

My context'll wreck your whole concept

Cause my delivery is so complex

And I'm inter-galactic on plastic

with the superdistinguish that I kick

I'm high strung at the top of my lung

with my tongue makin hardcore niggaz wanna get dumb

My dialogue comes straight from the slums

Damnage to your medula, cerebrum and cerebellum

if ya got a crew ya better tell em

After that Jeff Stewart lets us know that Keith will be dropping an album very soon and to stay tuned. I, like many others were eager to hear that album and first single.

Who knew that his first commercially released verse would contain the title of both of those......

As a kid in the UK we would get dubs of tapes of radio shows from NY and we had a lot of pirate stations in london and tapes would filter down to us but the man who had radio on lock for me and my friends was Tim Westwood. I would get tapes of his Capital show and then after he moved to Radio 1 I taped them myself. Now I know he gets a lot of stick from people & media but to me he is a very important part of my Hip Hop history. Back then if Westwood played it on his show then it must be a classic or was about to be one. His finger was on the pulse of NY and all the DJ's he ran with from over the pond. I wish I had my tapes of the shows but they have long since gone.

I knew that when Keith's single dropped it would be automatically on Westwood. I wasn't wrong. It was 1994 when 'The Most Beautiful Thing In the World' dropped.

The first thing that got hold of me was the infectiousness of the E-Double beat, it was smooth and yet rugged. It felt like Erick's work but with a freshness that had maybe been missing from his solo album. The rubs that lead into the beat make your head nod as if you have no control over it. For 3 minutes & 46 seconds you are taken on a journey by Keith and his intelligent hard rock rhyme style. To this day I still don't know how he fits all the lyrics in to such a short amount of time without missing a step:

Y'all mythological niggaz is comical
The astronomical is comin' through like the flu bombing you
And embalmin' in your crew too
With the musical mystical magical you know how I do
With word attack skills and vocabulary too
My rendition of this Edition is all brand New
You're through, I make the planetarian like Doctor Who
So Who

Born to get tripped on, word is bond
I'm kickin' rhymes 'til the A.M. vultures swarm
Not Quincy but I'm Back on the Block and not sellin' crack
I'm comin' in with the fat funk flows and tracks
So what you sayin' black, with all that yackedy yack
My artifacts can't be beat with bats
I'm sayin', I eat up everything up on the menu
And bend you and send you swayin', to be continued

The most beautifullest thing in this world, is just like that
I get in ya
The most beautifullest thing in this world, is just like that
I get in ya
The most beautifullest thing in this world, is just like that
I get in ya
The most beautifullest thing in this world, is just like that
I get in ya

Spur of the moment opponents are suspects
Caught up in precipitation reign of the techniques
I speak my concepts freak
The ich-ni-son-shi funk figures of speech
Now that shit is in the open, I'm open, tokin', scopin'
Waitin' for the next nigga to get opened on
And break him down like an organic compound
That's the weight of the world as the Earth goes round

Now, how the f**k you sound?
I represent my clique, Microphone Pound
You better pack your leather, dope, or medication for the shakin'

What you folks want? Yeah
We got the funk, so come on down
What you folks want? Yeah
We got the funk, so come on down
What you folks want?

PHOTO CREDIT: CHRIS CAMMACK

Fast forward to today the 30th of March 2012 and the reason I've just written the above. It's because I have been going through boxes in my garage and come across a Jive records promo of the single. I didn't know I had it let alone know HOW I got it. A very strange but pleasant surprise. It got my thinking about the past and I felt compelled to share.

Follow Chris Cammack:

INSTAGRAM/TWITTER: @CAMMACK979

A.D.O.R. - LET IT ALL HANG OUT

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 06:44:00 +0000

[Pete Rock]

Ahhh.. yeahh..

Chillin with, A.D.O.R., c'mon

[A.D.O.R.] Me and Pete Rock

[P. Rock] Uh-huh

[A.D.O.R.] Kick the fat tracks

[P. Rock] Yeahh!

[A.D.O.R.] C'mon

[P. Rock] C'mon

[Verse One: A.D.O.R.]

Pumpin out fuel, for all to use yo

We're gettin buckwild on this A.D.O.R. slammin groove

Steppin up to bumrush the stage

Get the crew motivator by the spark of the rage

The mic is the teacher, to get you out the cage

From the get-go, the critics ranted and raved

cause Hip-Hop was too strong

The road to the riches we began to pave

Where the body, the mind, the soul become one

Intertwined with PEACE and hostility none

Is the message loud and clear, for all to hear

and may the crowds cheer (UHH) which is a season of the year

The flow, a-to a rugged kind of tempo

And what this all means it's time to let yourself go (GO)

It's time to get you on to this ninety-delic tip

I'm not a hippie but yo B I'm hip

A ninety-delic definition means no more self doubt (yeah)

Future on point yo my brother's gonna work it out

The pressure gets hot a state of mind is in with clout

Flip off the vibes c'mon and let it all hang out

[Chorus: Pete Rock scratches and talks + (A.D.O.R.)]

Let it all hang out (uhh, cause we got what ya like)

Hang it out.. let it all hang out (cause we got what ya like)

Hang it out.. (let it all hang out) yeah, c'mon, hang it out

Let it all hang out, hang it out

[Verse Two: A.D.O.R.]

C'mon, feel the vibe from the rhythm as I break the devil's ties

A feeling of good times, musical highs (yeah)

Rhythm, harmony, soul skills and that put together

for the master plan is surely to attract (UH)

The people it take, the speakers to quake, the points to make

The A.D.O.R. posesses what it takes

to make it feel good, the way it should

Give me the mic and Pete Rock and you know I could

stand up get'cha all, UHH, all night long (yeah)

It feels too right, too strong to be wrong

Let's turn it up, full blast, and make it last

Yo I'm thinkin bout the future, {*fuck*} the past

with the beat that's pumpin (uhh)

To get the people jumpin but sayin somethin

Do you know what, I'm talkin about

When I tell you to express yourself (yes sir)

And let it all hang out

[Chorus + and - some ad libs]

[A.D.O.R.] Pete Rock, give it to 'em

[Pete scratches and mutters incomprehensibly]

[Verse Three: A.D.O.R.]

So clap your hands, hip-hop fans

for Another Definition Of the Rhythm is what you demand (yeah)

Pump your fists and yell go, go

For what A.D.O.R. posesses is a feeling from seasoned soul

for all to feel, cause our feeling is real

Some new jacks don't know the deal

If you can shake it (shake it), and not fake it (fake it)

C'mon rise you're gonna make make make it

to the top of the pile, get hyped fly child (yeah)

While this record's spinnin, I'm settin the pace

Feel the bass cause the verdict is in (uh-huh)

E.M.'s on the case, to get you all, uhh

With the beat that's raw

And {?}'ll give it to you, uhh of course

I don't drink the Stout, but I get wide open (yeah)

when I shout, when I shout ah-let it all hang out

[Chorus + and - some ad libs]

[A.D.O.R.: speaking over Chorus]

Cause we got whatcha like

Ah-let it all hang out, cause we got whatcha like

[Chorus: repeat above to fade]

STRICTLY CASSETTE ON FRANK 151

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:45:00 +0000

Every Tuesday Frank151 chooses an Instagram Feed for "Pick of the week." I woke up this morning surprised that they chose us. I immediately had to shout them out SC style. Make sure you check out the kind words they said about us and drop a comment or two. Check it out HERE.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram: @buttonpusha

Hipster Rap Collector

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:33:00 +0000

Insane Clown Posse > Public Enemy? Wow...

A KID NAMED BANG

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 06:59:00 +0000

This is Bang. He kills the tape game. We did a feature for him awhile back. Check it HERE just in case you didn't catch it the first time.

GENSU DEAN - FOREVER ft. Large Pro

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:56:00 +0000

I remember hearing about Gensu Dean years ago from my man Frank Scissorhands. He used to tell me about how nice he was on the SP-1200. Later on, I would discover his beats on Myspace. I remember seeing comments from Pete Rock and Large Pro on his wall regarding some vinyl trades. After doing more research, I learned that he had production on the Crooked Lettaz album (with David Banner.) Over the years I would keep my eye on moves that he was making. Recently he got signed to Mello Music Group and dropped his album Lo-Fi Fingahz. Check for it!

4 EXTRA SEX PACKETS

noreply@blogger.com (buttonpusha) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:11:00 +0000

Our good colleague Werner Von Wallenrod goes into Digital Underground's classic party album; Sex Packets. Peep the 4 exclusive bonus tracks only available on the cassette!