Missing track from Wu-Massacre or OB4CL2?

The Wu-Massacre album has leaked and although a little bit shorter than I expected on the whole its a dope album. I'll be posting a review in a day or so when I've had a few real good listens. However as with any Wu album there is of course at least one track that was leaked that hasn't made the final cut, its a Raekwon solo joint so it could well have meant to be on Cuban Linx 2 or just one of those strange Raekwon joints that makes it onto the net either way here it is for y'all to enjoy.

Pioneers

The Wu-Massacre approaches

Meth, Ghost and Rae have dropped another dope joint from their new album. The track is called Dangerous and can be bought from iTunes, if you live in the US that is. For those of us not residing stateside you can find the joint to DL if you know where to look. This album is sounding better and better with each leaked joint, lets hope theres a vinyl version.

What's the science?

Camp Lo's Adventures in the Land of Music

The Summer of 1996 was a special time for me; I had just become a father for the first time, I was living away from my family and a new job had given more money to spend on music than I had ever had before. One of the biggest tunes I bought that Summer was Camp Lo's Luchini. It was so different to everything out at the time, a hyped up fun summer track where the emcees didnt take themselves too seriously.
I picked this 12" up from Deal Real in London's West End which was where I was getting most of my music at that time. The 12" had Luchini on the A-Side and Swing on the B. Both tracks were produced by Ski as was all of the album, Uptown Saturday Night. Theres a radio edit, instrumental and a capella of Luchini and radio edit of Swing and and instrumental too.

For the next section I have to say thanks to Mr Thing for putting me onto the break for Luchini. The break is taken from a track called Adventures in the land of Music taken form the 1980 album of the same name by the funk soul outsift Dynasty. The track itself is an amazing slice of early eighties funk soul with the obvious horns sample jacked by Ski for Luchini.
In fact if early eighties soul and funk is something that you're into then this album is a rarely heard gem that is worth digging out and it has been pretty much untouched other than the title track people looking for nice samples and breakz. Check the link below for the rip and the break.

This is it what, Luchini pouring from the sky.

Anotha' Wu Banga

Heres some more new joints from the upcoming Wu-Massacre album due out by the end of March. The first one is called Miranda and is classic Raekwon and could have come straight from either of the Cuban Linx albums. It features a dope piano loop and a cool vocal sample running through the whole track with Raekwon, Ghost and Meth dropping nice lyrics all of the tune. I have no idea who is behind the boards on this joint but its nice.

The second track is Youngstown Heist f. Trife Diesel, Sheek Louch & Bully and is produced by the underrated Scram Jones. Its a dope track with a ice cymbal loop over a almost marching beat. All of the emcees drop nice short verses over the vocal samples that make up the background of the song. Its a decent enough track although not as good as the others we've heard so far from this project.

I have also upped the dope Meth Vs Chef part two which is also from the album. Although the original version of Meth Vs Chef from the underrated Tical was a sick track and untouchable in my mind, this comes close. It uses what sounds like a horns sample taken from a 70s cop show like the Streets of San Francisco. The song ends with Meth and Rae trading mum curses in the style of 36th Chambers. This album is shaping up to be real good tapping into the energy of the three most consistant members of the Clan. I'm also loving the artwork for this project obviously going for a real comic vibe with it, heres hoping this gets a real vinyl release.

I bet this never happens to Jay-Z

R.I.P. B.I.G.

Today marks the thirteenth anniversary of the death of Christopher George Latore Wallace aka The Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie Smalls aka Frank White so pay respect to one of Brooklyn's, if not Hip Hop's Finest. Lets hope the next year brings some justice and closure to this scandal so that Biggie's family and the Hip Hop world as a whole can move on. Follow the link below to an amazing Biggie mix by my man DJ MK.

Christopher George Latore Wallace May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997

A forgotten 12"- Ras Kass, Pharoahe Monch & Hi-Tek-Can you see what I see

Whilst looking for a particular 12" in my garage, where I keep the records that I don't listen to on a regular basis or have already converted to MP3s I can across this Counterflow Recordings 12" from 2004 and thought I'd share it with Y'all. I had totally forgotten I had even bought this joint back in the Summer 0f 2004, I had picked it up in HMV on Grafton street, in Dublin whilst on holiday for £5.99.
The A Side is produced by Hi-Tek and is a light bouncy track with a strings loop, very reminiscent of Mos Def's Oh No joint from Lyricist Lounge Volume 2. The emcees on this are a lyrics fanatics dream come true, Rass Kass and Pharoahe Monch. Two emcees who can drop intricate metaphors and similes with ease. Generally a dope track although without the two emcees it would sound a little generic and quite similar to a lot of other indie tracks released around that time when there seemed to be a new indie label out every week, most of which no longer even have a MySpace page let alone still release records.
The AA Side features two tracks; the first by Dave Ghetto, hands High and the second by another dude called Basic Vocab called Represent. I have to be honest and say that these are pretty much run of the mill indie hip hop joints from the mid noughties. I can imagine either of these getting a lot of play at the time and although neither are bad they were just a couple of joints in the flood of similar joints form around that era. Both are produced by Tony Balvin who has clearly been influenced by the likes of ATCQ and Large Pro however will never reach their levels. As I said not bad but neither overly impressive.
As I did you should Dl this rip because of the fact that it has one of the best late nineties-early noughties indie producers, Hi-Tek supplying beats for two of the most complex rappers to pick up mics ever. Check the link for the rip.

Can You See What I See?

The many styles of Criminology

Following the two leaked joints form the upcoming Method Man, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah album, Wu-Massacre I was already looking forward to what seemed like a return to form for the three Wu heavy weights and now to top it off they have leaked Criminology 2.5 from the new album. Obviously the first version of Criminiology was first released on the double A-Side 12" back in 1995 with Glaciers of Ice on the flip. This was the first 12" from the legendary Only Built for Cuban Linx. Upon hearing that 12" I began hunting for the break that Rza had flipped so magnificently and you can read about that here, it was of course the fantastic 'Why Marry' by The Sweet Inspirations. But Criminology became more than that with Raekwon performing it with the amazing jazz band the El Michaels Affair and then later making a Criminology Part 2. Criminology part 2 was supposed to be included on Only Built for Cuban Linx part 2 which of course dropped last year to very strong reviews and of course it is entirely deserving of those reviews. But at the last minute it was taken off the album for some unexplained reason, which was very disappointing as its a dope track which flips the same break as the original although in a slightly different manner.

However fear not as it now appears that its going to be included on the Wu Massacre album and will also feature an extra verse by Method Man as well as the verses by Raekwon and also Ghostface Killah. Its a fantastic tune using a slightly longer section of the Sweet Inspiration joint. As I like to spread good hard to find and unreleased music I have zipped up the original Criminology, the instrumental, The El Michaels version, Part 2, 2.5 and the original break as well. Check the link below for the niceness.

'That Witty Unpredictable shit'

Praying GURU makes a full recovery

On February 28, 2010 Guru suffered a cardiac arrest and is currently in a medically induced coma although is recovering from from surgery. Earlier today DJ Premier tweeted, "Good news: #guru surgery was successful, keep sending him love." He later added, "#Guru still in a med induced coma, he's breathing with machine help. And please reporters, don't copy without care. #Pray."

As one of the greatest and most consistent Hip Hop acts ever Ganstarr dropped easily some of the best albums of the late eighties right up until the early noughties
Albums

No More Mr. Nice Guy (1989)
Step in the Arena (1991)
Daily Operation (1992)
Hard to Earn (1994)
Moment of Truth (1998)
Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr (1999)
The Ownerz (2003)

However in 2005 GURU (The name Guru is a backronym that stands for "Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal" and the less often used "God is Universal, he is the Ruler Universal") said the group had ended and not broken up. Although GURU has never reclaimed the glory of his times with Premier one cannot underestimate his skills as an MC. Below are a couple of rarer Gangstarr tracks; I'm not Superman and Tongue of Terror as well as a live verison of Full Clip recorded on Jools Holland's BBC show. In addition to these track there is also a four part best of Gangstarr mix that was released as a limtited edition vinyl around the time Full Clip was released and it is mixed by Premier. GURU and his family are in my prayers and I hope he makes a full recovery.

GURU-One of the best yet