Queensbridge legend DJ Hot Day cut a couple of raw-as-fuck, park-jam style tracks with young MC Jade (aka Tragedy) back in the mid-80’s, offering us another look into the mind of the Intelligent Hoodlum when he was still a fresh-faced whipper snapper.
Hot Day Dante went on to release an album on Tuff City (Hot Day’s Turn), before teaming up with MC Poet to form PHD. The group released the excellent Without Warning LP, as well as five or six singles between ’92 and ’95, some of which featured Hostyle and Kamakazee, spawning the seeds for the formation of Screwball (but more on that later).
“Jam Off Take It Off”*, as the title suggests, is based on the beat from Spoonie Gee‘s popular Marley Marl composed single, and showcases Trag’s teenage vocal techniques over some heavy scratching, while “Go Queensbridge” is a drum machine driven joint which finds Percy boasting of a “comprehension reading level of 12.3” over gritty cuts from Hots.
These days, DJ Hot Day is still putting in work, with his own show on Sirius, as well as putting out mixtapes through his Dream Team Entertainment site. He also did a track on Cormega‘s The True Meaning LP, and can still be found spinning at parties and clubs.
Hot Day featuring Tragedy – Jam Off Take It Off* (Tuff City, 1992)
Hot Day featuring Tragedy – Go Queensbridge (Hot Day, 1987) [Reposted courtesy of Smoov from Vinyl Addicts.]
*I’m pretty sure this is the same track that was released as “Live Hip Hop U.S.A.” on Hot Day Records, which also featured “Go Queensbridge” and “Hot Day Master Mix”, and was retitled for the 1992 Tuff City pressing. I could be wrong though.
This was a great article on Hot Day. Did he made an album on Tuff City? Whatever happened to Rockwell Noel, Anttex and Jae Supreme?
Holla back!!!
Have you all ever heard this before? I have not, and though id share my posting. It includes this track of Billie Jean by Michael, as a home demo.
MJ Demo
its cool yo.
dope stuff looking forward to the screwball article
I don’t care much for Michael Jackson tbh. But if this is a rare recording, then it’s a good find.
Those Hot Day feat. Tragedy tracks are nice.
Fiya, fiya, POP!
yeah “jam off take it off” is the same as “superkids live at hip hop usa” from the 12
good article
Please could you post these and some of the other trag tracks again, I had most of his later stuff like the Iron Sheiks tracks but these rarer tracks I admit I never even heard of, thanks for letting me know about them.