dodgy Bootlegs Number 4-The Lone Ranger (Q-Tip) It's Yours

This is a strange kinda bootleg because often bootlegs are put out without the artists permission. This one however was put out by Q-Tip under the pseudonym The Lone Ranger as to avoid any sort of trouble from his label at the time Jive. This was purchased from Uptown records in the summer or 1998. I usually wouldn't buy from Uptown because they were usually a little bit more expensive than the other london stores likes Deal Real, Bongos, Wild Pitch, Unity and even HMV. But if you missed a 12" at the other shops there was usually an over priced version on the shelves at Uptown once it had disappeared from the other joints. The other thing about Uptown was that it made most of its money by selling shit RnB which meant it was always full of people asking for the latest Mary J Blige clone or Jodeci clone which I used to find really annoying.
Anyway getting back to the point this is a dope joint produced by Q-Tip as a tribute to the great T-La Rock. Its a bouncy upbeat track reminiscent of some of Tribe's best work. I remember at the time being told that this would be on Tribe's underrated swan song album The Love Movement but unfortunately its wasn't. I have posted the track itself and the instrumental for your listening pleasure.

Oh and by the way Happy New Year Y'all and all the best for 2009. Expect more breakz, Bootlegs and general dopeness from this blog in the new year.

A crackerjack Joint to put on ya ring finger

Dodgy Bootlegs Number 3-De La Soul featuring Pete Rock Stay Away

This is the third in my series of Dodgy Bootlegs and this one is From about 1999 and is De La Soul featuring Pete Rock's dope Stay Away. I picked this up in the now closed down Mr Bongos in London's SoHo. If I remember correctly it cost about £6 and was well worth the money.
Its a Pete Rock produced track with De La dropping the usual lyrics but it also heavily features long time Pete Rock collaborator Rob-O despite him not being credited on the label. A dope beat if somewhat slower than Pete's usual jam but well worth checking out. I am unsure where this was originally supposed to end up but it did appear again on vinyl a few years back with the Pete Rock produced compilations For Pete Sake:The remix years which featured a number of Pete Rock produced tracks. It also showed up in 2004 on the Days Off Promo CD which came out just before the Grind Date and was distributed by Hiphopsite.com. However it didn't appear on the Grind Date album.

Stay Away, don't come back here no more

Freddie Hubbard R.I.P.

Once again its is with sadness that I tell you of the passing of another legend. Freddie Hubbard has died.
Freddie Hubbard played trumpet with legends such as John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, McCoy Tyner, Art Blakey and Herbie Hancock, died today (Dec. 29) in Sherman Oaks, Calif. Freddie had suffered a heart attack in November and was 70 years old when he passed away. May he rest in peace.

Freddie was sampled by the following Hip Hop artists; Souls of Mischief, Blackalicious, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Masta Ace, A Tribe Called Quest, Big Daddy Kane, Black Sheep, Murs, UMC and King T.

Dodgy Bootlegs Number 2-Mobb Deep and Cormega Killaz Theme

This is the second in my series of dodgy 90's bootlegs and this time its the turn of Mobb Deep and Cormega. I picked this up in the long since closed Unity records in London's SoHo back in the late nineties. Its a dope Havoc produced Mobb Deep and Cormega joint that I've only ever seen on this particular bootleg although it was rumored to be from the original version of Cormega's shelved Def Jam album Testamant.
Its a darkly orchestral beat typical of Havoc at that time and the lyrics are the usual crime riddled, morbid threats that those Queensbridge kids throw about so well. Prodigy handles the first verse, Cormega the second and Hav drops the last one. Prodigy's verse is the strongest in my opinion with this classic quote;
'Overdose music
It's theraputic to the user
Driving wild under the influence of this
Careful, cuz ya might just crash ya shit
Total ya whip and still pull my tape out the deck'
Pure Queensbridge Classic. Check the link

Q.B.C. representative, I'm just trying to live
If I can't get to you, I'ma take it to ya kids

Eartha Kitt Purrs no longer

Another Christmas and another legend passes away.
I first remember her as Catwoman and later for her Christmas anthem Santa Baby, she had an unmistakable voice and style. She sadly passed away on Christmas Day 2008 from cancer. May she rest in peace.

Goodbye Catwoman

Dodgy Bootlegs Number 1-Tragedy Strange Fruit and Real

This is the first in a series of dodgy mid to late nineties bootlegs that I have taken from my collection and am posting up here for you guys to enjoy. This 12" was picked up from either Mr Bongo's or Deal Real in London's west end in probably about late 1996 or early 1997. At that time you couldn't go into a London record shop without finding some sort of dodgy bootleg hip hop 12" or another.


This one features two songs from Tragedy the QB legend. The first track is Strange Fruit which is a Pete Rock produced track featuring Capone and Noreaga. Another version of this track would later appear on Pete's first solo album Soul Survivor with an altrer line up of Tragedy, Pete Rock , Cappadonna and Sticky Fingaz. Fo this track Pete samples the creative genius of David Axelrod. The track he uses is called Smile and is taken from his 1968 album Songs of innocence.


The B Side is simply called Real and thanks to my man Zingama who informs me that this track is produced by the dope Tokyo producer Dj Krush. I have no idea who produced it but I think its using the Skull Snaps drums, but I could be wrong. Chekc the link below for the vinyl rips of the bootleg and the Axelrod sample.

Burning Live on the Roof

Mobb Deep's Demo Tape?

I'm going to try and upload a few treats between now and the New Year for those of you who check Hip Hop and Breakz on the regular. The first of these treats is a collection of Mobb Deep tracks that were recorded in between their 'Juvenile Hell' album and their Loud debut 'The Infamous' in or before 1994. I'm a big Queensbridge fan and in particular Mobb Deep. I think its often underestimated how much Havoc's dark and ominous production style influenced the whole sound of the East throughout the mid to late 90's and beyond.
Some of these tracks went on to become tracks on the 'The Infamous', tracks like; Give up the Goods, Up North Trip, Survival of the fittest and Temperature's rising. Whereas some of the other tracks have only ever shown up on mix-tapes and dodgy bootlegs.
I'm unsure if this really is Havoc and Prodigy's pre Loud demo but it certainly is a nice little collection of tracks that deserve their place in any Mobb Deep fan's collection. As you would expect the sound quality is'nt the best but the production is unmistakably an early example of Havoc's style. The rhymes are vintage Hav and P, slightly threatening and vividly morbid. With a guest appearance from another QB General, Illa Ghee.
Check it out and post any comments you may have. I will try and up some more rare Mobb Deep tracks later on this week, so check back soon.

Its the M O double B

The Re-Up is here

A number of you guys have bee requesting that I re up some of the files that I uploaded earlier this year. Below is a link to a copy of the files that I am able to re up and also the ones I haven't been asked to take down. The files is split into Breakz and Hip Hop.
The Breakz are a load of MFSB breakz, some Sweet Inspirations, Booker T, Black Ivory and some Peabo Bryson. The hip hop is some Mobb Deep, Raekwon and Mic Geronimo tracks that I uploaded earlier this year. Check it out as these will only be available for 1 month and thats it. Asd for the rest of this week I'm going to try and upload some vinyl hip hop gems from the mid to late nineties including artists like Mike Zoot, Non Phixion, Oldworlddisorder and some other dope shit so keep checking back. These will all be full vinyl rips including instrumentals and all.

Check the Re Up man