Today we are checking out some hip hop records that I picked up this weekend at my local mostly used records and video games type shoppe.
I posted the cool 45s that I found yesterday, but I was pretty excited about these-found a fairly cheap scratch battle break record and a few hip hop singles, two from the 80s and one from 2000.
Rock Squad
"Facts of Life"
1985
This was probably the record I was most excited about, as I was familiar with the song but had never seen a copy of it. Reading the back, I was able to find out some new things about this group/record-The most interesting point is that the DJ of the group is "DJ Eazzy P" aka Parrish J. Smith AKA PMD from EPMD! That's pretty exciting I thought. I actually had no idea he was in this group, and it's not even on his wikipedia entry, which is pretty light in my opinion...maybe erick sermon is editing it so it makes his look better😉 Also noteworthy is that it is a Tommy Boy release and was produced by The Latin Rascals. I wonder what ever happened to the others from this group...
Ice-T
"The Hunted Child(remix)"
1989
Here is a single with a couple remixes and instrumentals that I couldn't pass up for three dollars from this famous rapper/actor/author. Seriously, read his autobiography-it's well written, very entertaining and funny. He writes it in a very casual tone, very personable. It's filled with funny anecdotes, my favorite being the time his son got arrested, trying to "prove he was hard" by breaking in to a car, stealing a laptop and tennis racket. He's like, "MF, I'm rich, I'll buy you a tennis racket! I got away from that lifestyle to become a better person, a success, and get away from all that." I'm paraphrasing but it's a great moment in the book. Anyway, this remix is very public enemy-esque. The high rollers song on the flip side is more of laid back rap as opposed to the crushing in your face sound of this song. Ice-T would kind of always give you a little bit of everything-I mean, the dude started a metal band when "alternative" was the hot stuff back in the 90s. Check out the front and back cover to the record these singles came from though... legendary.
Chino XL f/ Kool G Rap
"Let 'Em Live"
2000
Speaking of the 90s, here are two heavy hitter 90s MCs- although Kool G Rap goes back to the 80s of course. Really do yourself a favor and look up Kool G Rap if you have never heard of him-he's basically on any MC's top ten of all time list, having a great stint with Marley Marl's "Juice Crew." Chino XL kinda had name back in the 90s, being on Rick Rubin's def american label...I first heard him on that Sway and Tech this or that mixtape album in the late 90s on a track with Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap- i think it's called "three to the dome?" it's really good, all three being obviously super dope heady rhymers, coming out real hard for the late nineties...anyway, I found his Rubin CD in the dollar bin at some point, but don't remember being that into it. Maybe I need to refind it and give it a listen-I think it was from 94ish? Also i guess he was the first rapper to be a member of mensa? This track is from his album released in 2001.
Mr. Henshaw
"Needle Thrashers Delta"
2004
Here is a record filled with beats and samples made for scratch DJ', unofficially released on DJ Q Bert's Dirstyle label, I believe. This one has some dark and electro beats and cool samples-I did not have this one yet and like pokemon, "gotta catch em all"...if you can find them in the wild, that is.
Thanks for reading, I hope you liked my post!