A Small Medium At Large

We speak of rap's yesteryear to marvel over the beats, perhaps even the slang, the gear, the personalities, all style variants. We presume the history of the rap genre to be mostly a mysterious series of stylistic collisions. Styles come and go and randomly dissipate into the ether, like that. We forget that the grandmasters have armies, that style is not simply unfettered intuitive poetic rumbling but also theory, conjecture, high concept, in short, propaganda. The idea is usually barebones "THISISME," or "THIS IS IT! THIS IS IT!" or some such similar epiphanic nonsense made important by a puffed chest, an ice grille, an emphatic, insistent tone.

Rap insists on moving forward, on burning every opponent or elder statesman, causing much damage to any system it encounters. We stole this lexicon from graffiti, of course, and out of this militant terminology the most desparate, egoistic, and noble endeavors were launched. Neo-Quasi-Egyptian Cosmic Race Baiting, Jheri-Curled Pseudo-Outlaw Agitprop, Sewerbound Cartoonish Babble - whatever the movement du jour, all victories were in the abstract. The imagined gladiatorial confrontations were simply vehicles for broadcasting ideas, scattering seeds, proclaiming "I a somebody" and carving that message in the clouds or shooting it to the moon.

It gradually became very important thing in the collective imagination to be a Johnny Appleseed of some such rap coalition or style or trend. The roughly hewn primary documents - the lyrics, the smashed together samples, the static, the sirens became less noteworthy than the assertions of the propagandists. Rap, as a cultural phenomenon, inexplicably shifted its focus from the poet who stares down shards of glass and sees transcendent hope to the self-styled journalist propping himself for stumbling upon said poet during his formative idealistic years. Find lightening in a bottle, then dig a hole to pass it on to China, making sure the brand of the smuggler is uttered in the same breath as the brand of the originator. Hustle.

Which is all well and good, because after the blackout of '77 birthed a million DJs, each advance in listening technology was sure to produce self-proclaimed tastemakers, the too-powerful and often small-minded "heads" that Chuck D. warned us about in his autobiography. Anyone with a blog (or an iPod, for that matter) is descendent of this phenomenon. That everyone is now a critic with the potential to amplify their critiques no matter how kneejerk is not an inherently bad thing. This genre was always a hugely critical, discursive one, and its culture of critique became only more cutthroat and intense with every technological advent.

It was probably inevitable that the armchair rap critic snatched power and voice back from the published 'zines, who had failed for the most part to sustain a generative and nuanced discussion of the art. Day in and day out the blogosphere does that the printed giants cannot - inject insight, dissent, sobriety, contemplation, nuanced critique into the discussion. Do some bloggers simply rehash the same bullshit that can be found in the increasingly emaciated print 'zines? Sure. Is our ability as bloggers/fans/heads/critics/broadcasters/propagandaists/player participators to help the cream rise to the top magnified? Y equals self, indeed. The proof is in the pudding - when the print 'zine cannot even offer a remotely credible assessment of the blogosphere, the game has not only changed in nature, but in venue, reach, and every other way. T.R.O.Y. isn't on XXL's rap blog radar but judging by how slim slim slimmy the rag is looking these days, we'd rather be out in St. Elsewhere, right?

Just last month T.R.O.Y. celebrated is first year anniversary. It might not seem very long ago, but I assure you everyday for the last 13 months we've been putting in work in hopes you come back to us. From our interviews, to our thought-provoking analysis, comprehensive lists, to our endless amounts of compilations covering samples, b-sides, remixes or complete discographies--we're out for the gusto!

We've managed to bring you guest blogging from the likes of Kurious Jorge, JVC Force, B-Real, Chip Fu, Tame One, and L.G. among others. Our main aim has always been to celebrate the music with our readers. To discover, relive or retrieve music we all appreciate. While hip-hop might be a dying art, or your favorite magazine publications cease to exist or shows like The Box, Pump It Up and Yo! MTV Rap are long gone, T.R.O.Y. will be here.

We realize the hip-hop we all know and love might not exist in the real world anymore, but it will always exists here. Every single day until the T.R.O.Y. casket drops we're going to make sure you have a place to reminisce. Whether we're challenging Dante Ross or campaigning for Easy Mo Bee, T.R.O.Y. will be here. Whether we're compiling our lists, conducting interviews with Prodigy, Guru or Henry Chalfant, T.R.O.Y. will be here. T.R.O.Y. will be here because Paul C. still matters. Because Big L will not be forgotten. Because we should know where the music originates from. Because it's important we don't forget our roots in this rap game. It's rewarding to get props from Prince Paul, Stretch Armstrong, Dres or when Vibe Magazine recognized us as the#20 best rap blog, but what's more rewarding is that you all take away something when you visit us. Hey, at least Quincy got it right!

And in case you forgot...

Creme De La Creme
Sounds Like The 90s
Philaflava.com's 100 Greatest Obscure Tracks
Fifty Remixes You Need To Hear (1-50)
Native Tongues Month
Gang Starr Month
Hieroglyphic Month
Touring The States
Every One Leg Up Release
Ego Trip Singles ('79-88)
Easy Mo Bee Career Retrospective
Eric B "Eric B"
The Fondle 'Em Collection
L.O.N.S. And The Crisis Of Time, Part 1
20 Hip Hop Songs You Must Listen To Before Voting
Every Schenectadyfan Compilation
All The Ras Kass Singles That Really Matter

Analysis & Commentary
Ghostface Killah "The Sun"
Juggaknots "Generally"
Black Sheep "Still In The Ghetto"
The Legion "New Niggas"
RZA "Sunshower"
Das Efx "Hard Like A Criminal"
GP Wu "Black On Black Crime"
An Infamous Genealogy, Pt. 1
Figure Eight: Slavery
Ultramagnetic MCs and Inexplicable Mobility
The Most Prominent Member Out The Group (Pause)
Security Blanket
Various Videos

Non Album Tracks
Artifacts Spotlight
Ras Kass - Non-Album Tracks (1994-1996)
Chino XL Spotlight
Diamond D - Non-Album Tracks
Black Sheep - Non-Album Tracks
K-Solo Non-Album Tracks
J-Live - Non-Album Tracks (1995-2002)
Leaders Of The New School - Non-Album Tracks
Big Daddy Kane - Non-Album Tracks (1986-1990)
Krs-One - Non-Album Tracks (1986-1997)
JVC Force Non-Album Tracks
Bush Babees - Non-Album Tracks
De La Soul - The Instrumentals (1988-1998)

Interviews
Philaflava Exlusive Prodigy Interview
Philaflava Exclusive Guru Interview
The Henry Chalfant Interview Part. 1
The Henry Chalfant Interview Part 2

Compilations
Thirty & Good Vol 1 (90s R&B)
Valentine's Stimulus (90s R&B)
T.R.O.Y. Presents: The Moaning
Valentine's Weekend "Funk Drops" Compilation
Jingle Jangle: Rock The Sleigh Bells
History of Hip-Hop: 90's
Dancehall/Raggamuffin Meets Hip Hop
Big L - The Best of The Rest

Guest Bloggers
T.R.O.Y. Guest Blogger w/9th Wonder
T.R.O.Y. Guest Blogger w/Jean Grae
T.R.O.Y. Guest Blogger w/ Chip Fu
T.R.O.Y. Guest Blogger w/Tame One
T.R.O.Y. Guest Blogger w/ AJ Woodson (JVC Force)
T.R.O.Y. Guest Blogger w/B-Real
T.R.O.Y. Guest Blogger w/Superstar Quamallah
The Top 10 Tracks I've Produced by LG
Kurious Jorge's Top 10 Posse Cuts

Diamonds In The Rough
The Diggaman (Lord Digga Discography)
In Search Of A Complete Prince Paul Discography
Omar Epps' Wolfpack
Ca$h Money Click
PHD (Poet & Hot Day)
Big Kwam
This ol' clan from Now Born got shit locked...
Paul C. Lives
Producer Highlight - Mel Man
Rakim "The Cellar" EP

Samples
That Backwards Sample
Sample Compilation 3
Les McCann - Samples Volume 1
A Tribute To Freddie Hubbard
Quincy Jones "Summer In The City" Samples
The Meters (Vol. 1-3)
Who Flipped It Better? Company Flow, Parallax, Lord Digga?

Peace to Harry Allen.

The Faculty - Yes You May ( Big L Tribute)

Here's an exclusive that's gonna be a bonus feature on the Street Struck: The Big L Story DVD. Peace to The Big Sleep, DJ Mike Nice, BigLOnline, Dangerzone Films & Venom Records for this one. --Philaflava



The Faculty (Ei8trak & LY.F.E.) - Yes You May

Cameos By: Andre the Giant (A.G.), DJ Mike Nice, Donald "Don Ice" Phinazee (Big L's oldest brother), Lord Finesse & Stan Spit

Directed By: Jewlz the Director / Tommy (childhood friend of Big L)

The Philaflava Project (Various Artists)

Our sister blog Steady Bloggin' recently dropped the latest Philaflava compilation featuring many rappers and producers found on our website. While this isn't necessarily old school, there are several tracks on here I feel will grab you. It's a quick listen and I'm proud to be behind this project as we continue to bring fourth new music on both Philaflava and its blogs. --Philaflava

The Philaflava Project

Download Compilation

Back-Up Links:
#1

Masta Killa (off No Said Date) (Chinese Sample)

Song: Masta Killa - Masta Killa (2004) Produced by Baby Dooks


Original Sample: 王昭君（粤语）　刘君儿　广东民歌 Wang Zhao Jun (Cantonese Version)


This is probably my favorite song from No Said Date. I had been looking for this sample ever since I heard the album. I even asked people on forums but no one knew. Glad I found it!

-- Thomas V

Shoveling Out The New York Crates - Phase 4

Recently Verge started a thread on the t.r.o.y. forum strictly for eps. It reminded me that my ep sampler series has gone by the wayside for awhile now. Here's volume 4 from the New York ep collections. There are 8 volumes more to come so check back. Look closely and you'll see some pretty rare material on this compilation. Tracks 1 and 4 are not from eps but they fit right in.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PDHGKPYC

01 (3:53) Freestyle Professors - Rap Mathematician (1994?)
02 (4:40) Gunrunners - Shakedown 1995
03 (5:02) Lodd Manafess - You Dont Wanna Tess 1994
04 (4:03) Ra Capone - Down With The Black Mob 1995
05 (3:20) Rakim - I Get Visual 1996
06 (4:09) Prose (Steady And Efeks) - One People 199?
07 (5:45) Black Majik - Rotten Apple 1996
08 (4:12) Da Phathedz - Darkness Surrounds Me Ft. Lord Rebel 1996
09 (4:23) Herb Mcgruff - 8 Iz Enuff (Demo Version) 199?
10 (4:32) People Without Shoes - Green Shoelaces 1995
11 (2:46) Main Source - Bootlegging 1994
12 (4:06) Nappy Crumbsnatchas - Black Rain 1994
13 (3:55) Mg1 & Brownsville Mobsters - The Sun Never Shines 1995
14 (0:46) Troopa Deal - Interlude 1995
15 (2:15) Branded Black - Zones (3:47 A.m.) 199?
16 (4:39) Shadez Of Brooklyn - Wanted Man 1997
17 (5:05) Da Noe Doe Network - Once Upon A Time 1997
18 (4:24) Pete Rock and CL Smooth - In The House 1994
19 (4:12) Dysfunkshunal Familee - To Have Or Have Not 1994
20 (3:49) Lace Da Booms - Ain't No Secret (Clean) 1997

I tried to stick with a relatively narrow time range, 1994-1997. The number of dope eps from just these three years alone is incalculable. Let me know what you like, I'll be glad to share any of the full eps these tracks are pulled from. Enjoy volume 4 in the meantime!

--Schenectadyfan

Edit: Apparently the .rar file was missing track 11. Here is another link with that cut included.

http://sharebee.com/6cb00f60

Touring The States: Kenosha, WI

I was thinking that you g-funk lovers would appreciate an album with dope beats, familiar samples and solid mc-ing (from two emcees that I cannot identify by name). Anyway you look at it, this release is definitely not worthless.

Worthless Freedom - Introduction To Death (1996)

01. Dead Man
02. The Devils Anthem
03. Dead R Alive
04. Them Fall
05. Concrete Jungle
06. Up In The Life
07. Ain't No Love
08. No American Dream
09. Ghetto Soldiers
10. Mr. Man
11. Gimmie Dat Money
12. Death
13. Concrete Jungle (Remix)
14. Ain't No Love (Remix)

Preview:


DOWNLOAD

-- Markshot

Recap 11/01/09 - 11/15/09

Sawed off shotgun, hand on the pump

Artifacts Rhyme Biting Scandal - Because we hate a rhyme biter's rhyme.

In Full Gear, 20 Years Later - Speaking of a crew called Stetsa.

Sounds Like The 90s (Volume 11) - Ever feel like you're living in New Jack City? Bridge the present to the past with the latest installment of our popular series.

Who Flipped It Better? "The Rub" - George and Gwen McRae are given new life by Mobb Deep, Meth and Red, The Coup, and Brand Nubian. But who flipped it loveliest? Listen and decide for yourself.

Philly Retrospective Volume 8 - Listen if only for the fact that The City of Brotherly Love still get overlooked for its immense contributions to hip hop music.

Beef: X-Clan vs. Boogie Down Productions - Their beef was ideological, they kept it on wax and made some great music, and then they reconciled and collaborated. How it should be done.

Touring The States: Tulsa, OK - Markshot continues his quest across the fruited plain, this time proving there's more to Oklahoma than the Trail Of Tears and the Homestead Act.

Southern Series Volume 5 (1991-1997) - It sounds like the 90s ... int he land of Dixie!

Tall Dark & Handsome - Jackson 5 - Recorded 15 B.K. (Before Kanye)

Godfather Don Samples - Volume 1 - Because we're pretty much a Godfather Don blog disguised as a throwback blog, you see....

What's that you say? You heard that we're compiling a list of late 90s gems? Hmmm .... maybe so. Maybe so.

The Godfather Don Samples - Volume 1

I've been holding out on this one for a long minute. It just didn't feel right without having some of Don's horn samples on here, but they'll have to be on Volume 2.

One of my favorite producers on the mic, of all time, who made those beats that any producer wished he had done himself. The first track, Cloudburst, starts off with a Natural Elements' sample. KA - I Mean This. You'll also catch a Double XX Posse sample in there if you pay close attention. If you can catch it, name it in the comments. All I'll say is it's off their "Ruff, Rugged, And Raw" album from 1995.

I could go on about how great some of these originals are and what other samples you'll find on them, but that would take up too much space. Do peep Marcella's Dream and see how Buckwild flipped that one for Big L's MVP Remix, though. Crazy.

Most of the Don joints here are from the Hydra Beats instrumental records he dropped in the mid 90's. The other tracks I figured you guys already had, so I just used the instrumental versions. Except the last three, which happen to be three of my favorite GFD tracks. I don't have the instrumentals for those.

If you know of any of his horn loop sample sources, please do tell in the comments.

01. Cloudburst

02. GFD - Depressed (instrumental)

03. Anti Love Song

04. GFD - Piece Of The Action (instrumental)

05. Piece Of Mind

06. GFD - Do You Know (instrumental)

07. Before I Rest

08. GFD - For My Pa (instrumental)

09. Vibrations

10. GFD - Buster (instrumental)

11. I Never Told You

12. GFD - 7 Degrees Of Elevation

13. GFD - Creepin (instrumental)

14. Marcella's Dream

15. GFD - Status

16. GFD - Forever My Lady

Some Previews:

Megaupload link.

Mediafire link.

I didn't name the original artists to avoid problems for the sampling artist. But the links on the song titles

will lead you to either more information and more music by the original artists, or to a place to support said artists.

Peace to Lyrical Gymnastics at T.R.O.Y. for the Piece Of Mind connection.

--Verge

Tall Dark & Handsome - Jackson 5

Does anyone recognize a track that sampled the beginning of "Darling Dear" by The Jackson 5? The melody and the "La La La" singing?

Back in August, I posted on the "Track ID" thread from the T.R.O.Y. forum looking for the track that sampled it. I mentioned that the track was probably from the late 80's or early 90's. At first, I thought that it was Three Times Dope but after going through their albums, it wasn't. I was still pretty sure that it was done by a group. After 5 days, no one replied so I asked again. Fellow T.R.O.Y. Bloggers Cenzi, Verge, and another forum member said that it didn't ring a bell to them.

Today, November 7 as I'm writing, I don't really remember what triggered me listen to this track but I went on Youtube to hear Tall Dark & Handsome (self titled track) from their 1988 hip-hop album on B-Boy Records. As soon as the track started, I remembered that it was that song that I was looking for 3 months straight. I knew that I wasn't dreaming.. It's definitely a classic 'ahead of its time' type of joint! If you want their album you can buy the Traffic Ent. Reissue from 2005. I still included a link courtesy of bustthefacts for those who wants to give it a quick listen.

Peace,


Tall Dark & Handsome - T.D.H. (1988)

- Thomas V

Pete Rock & CL Smooth Reunited On Stage 11/09/09

WORD!! Sorry if you already saw this on other blogs already, but it had to be posted here for obvious reasons. Not much info out there about this and I have no idea if this implies any future endeavors between the duo. But we can only hope. Apparently they are touring Europe together right now. This show was in London at Relentless Garage, Highbury.

Also, if you didn't know, Mr.Chop recently dropped an album of Pete Rock beats that he covered with some extra instrumentalists, more in the psyche/funk/jazz vein, but dope. Philaflava featured the T.R.O.Y. cover on the latest Sounds Like The 90's compilation.

But here's the kicker: Sometime in the near future, a couple of those beats will be released on 45's and will have CL Smooth rhyming on them. I don't know if he's just going to rhyme the same verses again or what, though. Stay tuned.

Thanks to CDubb over at the T.R.O.Y. forum for pulling my coat to this. Pause.

--Verge