Tracks That You’d Sell A Kidney For

Posted on by Robbie

Consider this less a ‘wants list’ and more of a dream team of obscure tapes that will most likely never see the light of the day.1 The whole issue of the fabled Rakim salvo ‘Break The Wrath in Half’ / ‘Cut The Kane In Half’ reminded me of some of the shit I’ve heard of through various interviews over the years, both those I’ve conducted and the info gleaned from my collection of tattered old rap rags. Here are a few that spring to mind:

1. ‘Takin’ Niggaz’ – B-1 feat. Freddie Foxxx, Kool G Rap and MF Grimm.

Possibly the only copy of this joint lies in the hands of whoever wrote the demo section in RapPages, as it was reviewed. I asked Grimm about this and he remembered it but didn’t know if it still existed anywhere. Oh yeah and Lord Finesse handled the beat…

2. Untitled team-up between The 45 King and T La Rock in the late 80’s.

It’s fair to say I nearly shat myself when T La Rock casually mentioned that he’d recorded some stuff with Jersey’s King of The Beats while they were both at the height of their powers. Lord Ali-Baski also told of video footage of hours of freestlye sessions featuring the original Flavor Unit in Mark’s basement. Here’s hoping that Aaron Fuchs didn’t stash it all somewhere…

3. ‘Live At The BBQ’ (original take) – Main Source feat. Nas, Akinyele and Joe Fatal.

When Fatal delivered this bomb, I almost dropped the phone. The thought of an alternative take with totally different verses from everyone sounded too good to be true. And according to everyone connected to the project that I’ve spoken with since, there’s no evidence that it actually exists outside of Joe’s recollection.

4. ‘Scenario’ – A Tribe Called Quest feat. ‘Baby’ Chris Lighty, Black Sheep, De La Soul, LONS, The Jungle Brothers and the pizza delivery guy.

This one is a definate. Johnny Juice went as far as to rap some of the removed verses and actually has a copy of that version on cassette somewhere.

5. ‘Soul Survivor’ (Original Version) – LL Cool J

I’d love to hear the original, raw version of this street sweeper from the 14 Shots To The Dome LP. It got leaked to mixtapes back in ’93 before QD3 remixed it, but I’ve had no luck getting my hands on this one so far.

Bonus: Anything from the lost TJ Swan album featuring Kane, Shan or Biz dropping guest shots over the vintage ‘Project Sound’ of Marley Marl. The New-Jack Swing stuff? Not so much.

That should be enough to set things off. Feel free to ‘add on, just like arithmetic’ as the great man once said.

  1. 1. Actually that’s pretty much the same thing, only it sounds slighty less lame. [↩]

50 thoughts on “Tracks That You’d Sell A Kidney For”

  1. Trugoy doing Chi Ali’s roadrunner as a demo
    Diamond D(cant remember the name of the song)but it goes”give me a pen ill write a def jam
    I crack jaws with my right
    wipe my ass with my left hand”

    thats about it for now…im off to rocksteady. audi 5000

  2. joe fatal might have been clownin… another live at the bbq cut discovered would be priceless…

  4. The OG version of MC Champions.
    The OG versions from Tragedys second LP that never made it..

  5. While we’re on the subject of RapPages, what about the ’93 Organized Konfusion interview where they tell Bobbito about “Rack ‘Em Up”, a Prince Po song using the game of pool as a metaphor for white supremacy? Not to mention the “songs upon songs” that never got released?

    Godfather Don told diggerswithgratitude.com about a pre-Hazardous demo he did produced by Boostin’ Kev. Dying to hear that and the complete 3-CD box set of all the Cenobites tracks in existence.

    This sounds totally made up but Greil Marcus in the Village Voice wrote about an alleged as-of-then-unreleased LP by Public Enemy (circa 1989, so it would have been the follow-up to Nation, instead of Fear) titled after the book “Protocols of the Elders of Zion”. He even mentioned track names, including a supposed anti-Semitic Griff cut called “How the Jews Stole Xmas”!! This was a hoax, right?

    Supernat did a song with KRS in ’95 where they stickup a music equipment store, demanding all the mixers, mics, and SP12s or else! That song got leaked, but I have a hard time believing it’s the only collabo between them…

  6. Vibe magazine made mention of a Jay Z track featuring Saddat X. Think it was for one of the Blueprints.

  7. Also Cormega feat. Rakim – My Melody, which was supposed to land on The Testament. It was mentioned in the sneak preview section of The Source back in ’97.

  8. ‘Rack ‘Em Up’, a Prince Po song using the game of pool as a metaphor for white supremacy.

    ^ Sounds epic.

  9. Yep, agreed with Beatlover – the OG Ultra – MC Champions would do it for me.

  10. I heard a couple of the unreleased T La Rock songs at his house one time. Not sure if they were the 45 King ones, but they were pretty dope.

  11. what about the 2nd raw breed lp killah instinct, does that even exsist? came out before blood sweat and tears, supposedly.

  12. This old article:
    http://pressrewind.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/hood_source5921.JPG
    mentions that Hood (kid from first verse of scenario remix) had songs in the works, but that would mean hunting up Kool T from the Afros, manager Kenny Lee, and Q-Tip, (Think those guys might have a tape of that shit?)

    And what about those three albums that Bazerk said he made that Hank Shocklee never released?!?!?

    I’ve heard there’s video footage of Saafir picking Casual’s wallet during an on-stage battle filmed by the group Dereliks (Bomb Magazine Hip Hop Compilation)who opened for Casual that night somewhere in the Bay Area circa their famous wake-up show radio battle era

  14. THIS IS WHY I LOVE THIS SITE!!!But anyway,what about this’collection’of unused’Juice Crew’tracks from-Kane,Shante,Biz,G.Rap etc.,that Marley Marl claimed he had on hours of studio reels and planned to release about…5 YEARS AGO?

  15. Oh and ironically,KRS-ONE told(Word Up!magazine)back in ’87 after Scott la rock’s murder,that fans of BDP who enjoyed Criminal MInded shouldn’t worry about the future of the Group,because he,Scott and D-nice(and I’m sure Cedgee & Dj Doc)had recorded enough tracks for a least 4 more-Boogie Down Production albums.I’m thinking we got a taste of those unused tracks with-‘Essays on BDPism’and’Still Number One'(remix)..but that was it.

  16. And what happened to that Lord finesse:Funky Technician-(remix)project that was suppose to feature remixes by The Beatnuts,Diamond D,Buckwild,Showbiz,and Large Prof.?
    And speaking of Large Prof,ever wonder what happened to the original follow-up album he and Main Source recorded after’Breaking Atoms’?I remember the Source magazine reviewing it in their preview of ’92 summer music releases,they listed tracks,and even a title-The Science.

  17. Sometime around 1990 or 1991 I remember hearing a version of “Sound of Da Police” from Heather B on the Awesome Two radio show. KRS-One only did the chorus and that was the only time I ever heard that song.

  18. yo, Peter if you really got that o.g. version of “Scenario” then lace me with that man. i been looking for that forever…

  20. What about that unreleased joint with Biggie and ‘Pac on it from the Above the Rim soundtrack that featured Faith Evans on the chorus.

  21. that remix project by finesse is in the making. i already heard a few cuts off it and it is pretty dope…probably one of the best lp’s to come out in the next years! just be patient:-)

  22. Word, I got a mp3 of one of the Large Pro remixes for the Finesse project and its pretty dope.

  24. I remember Organized Konfusion or/and O.C talking bout a track they recorded with Ras Kass around 94/95 that never saw the light even though it got mentioned in some magazines.

  25. Oh, I have a ‘Stone Crazy’ era Beatnuts track that never came out called ‘Robbed, Stole’. It was on an official Relativity promo cassetted – never saw vinyl for it

  26. Noreaga’s “Blood Money” with the Nas verse
    2Pac’s “Mind Made Up” with Inspektah Deck’s verse

  27. Mic Geronimo – Hardrocks
    Dueces Wild (Nine Double M & Funk Flex) – Bodies On The Nine
    Dueces Wild (Nine Double M & Funk Flex) – Talk About The Green
    Puerto Rock – Never Ever Say Remix (Feat. Ghostface & Raekwon)
    M.O.P. – Blood, Sweat & Tears Remix (Feat Smooth B.)
    Cuban Link – Rock On (Feat Triple Seis)
    Sauce Money – 38 Special (Feat Jay-Z)
    Money Boss Players – Makes Me Wanna Holla
    Money Boss Players – W.E. Gon Get This Money
    Money Boss Players – M.B.P.
    Cash Money Click – If It’s On, It’s On (Feat Jay-Z)
    Pete Rock & Deda/Baby Pah – Blah Uno (12” Remix)
    Mark Morrison – Return of the Mack Beatminerz Remix
    RGZ, Digga, Lord Have Mercy-King Kong Niggaz
    full force-Back Together Again (Nine Livez Remix)
    Pudgee- inner city blues ft. dmx (dr period), Money Don’t Make the World Stop w/ D-Nice, MOP & Royal Flush
    Tragedy Khadafi, DMX, Mic Geronimo, Jadakiss, Ja Rule, Styles P.-The Siege
    Mic Geronimo f/ Hurricane G, Napoleon, Noreaga, Tragedy-Criminal Warfare ’99 (The 1999 Posse Cut)
    Mic Geronimo f/ Black Rob, DMX-Nothin’ Move but the Money (Remix)
    Method Man, DV Alias Khrist-Around Here
    M.O.P. – To The Death (Remix)
    Teflon-rawness remix
    a song with M.O.P., Ras Kass, and Jaz-O I forgot the name of

    Man I can do this all day, so much shit I ain’t got…

    Oh yeah, O.C. has a song with Ras Kass and DJ Lt. Dan called Action Guaranteed.

  28. the OG version of California Love which was a Dre solo track.
    some of the Ski pro ducedtracks Jay Z used on Reasonable Doubt were originally intended for Camp Lo but not sure if they ever actually recorded

  29. Mic Geronimo f/ Black Rob, DMX-Nothin’ Move but the Money (Remix)

    i have this on 12″ – full official release with Usual Suspects on the flip. Are there 2 versions or something

  30. ha…word to dragondude posting up most of my request list that i’ve posted on multiple sites.

    add mekolicious’s original demo version of “verbal murder” with buddha monk as well…

  31. Haven’t heard It’s a Power Move – Master Ace
    or Midnight Wrecker – Pete Rock and CL Smooth in a while, anybody got those?

  32. Mic Geronimo – Hardrocks

    I have this its from his demo tape, let me dig it up

  34. I’d love to hear… MC Serch feat. Red Hot Lover Tone, Nas, Chubb Rock and Akinyele – “Back To The Grill” (Unreleased Version).

    So are any of you going to start posting links to the songs you say you have???

  35. Back in the days in an old issue of the source..they had a picture of treach, grand puba, biggie and some other big cats from that era. The caption said they was recording a posse cut for the Who’s the Man soundtrack…i never heard this track but would love to.

    also, i’ve heard that biggie recorded a whole album for uptown records that was different from ready to die.

    and one more last track i would love to have is a song i heard by G.P Wu featuring(if i remember right) ghostface. this was before or around the time enter the 36 chambers was released. i think the chrous went “gp wu coming through/can i get a mother fu–ing suuuu”

  36. Are you talking about BACK TO THE GRILL remix which also features OC and the beat is different

    The Who’s the man Track featured ONYX, BIG & NAUGHTY BY NATURE ive searched for years and yet to have heard or found it , it definitely exist and word is it should be turning up on the NOTORIOUS movie

    I have all the tracks he recorded while on UPTOWN

    DEAD WRONG – original version
    ANOTHER ROUGH ONE
    ANOTHER ROUGH ONE REMIX
    COME ON ft Sadat X
    WATCHA WANT – original version
    READY TO DIE – original version

  38. theres a link on the boards at philaflava.com to a mix CD with a load of Ready To Die demos/alternate versions – well worth checking

  39. I would love to hear the shit Rakim recorded while he was in the studio with Dr. Dre. Actually, I would love to hear anything Rakim did and never came out…

  40. I remember one time in mid nineties reading in The Source magazine a bit about M.O.P. having a Premo remix made for a track off of their FF4L album containing samples from Seal’s song “kiss from a rose”.
    Always wondered if that ish was true and how Premo could flip Seal with M.O.P.

  41. The B.U.M.S had a scond album that never came out around ’96. Far as I know, the single never even dropped. They even had like a quotable thing in Rap Pages or some other rag. Anyone remember this?

  42. ‘Live At The BBQ’ (original take) – Main Source feat. Nas, Akinyele and Joe Fatal.

    Back in the late 90’s a good friend of mine played me a DAT tape title ‘Bedroom Beats & Verses’. Now I can’t say if this was actually recorded in a bedroom but I can confirm it was an alternate version. It had different lyrics in places and additional verses.

    Believe……..it exists!

  43. @Fosho, that m.o.p. joint is the one that dragondude r mentioned above. it was the remix to “blood, sweat & tears” with smooth b. i been looking for it laong with the “breakin the rules remix” since i seen it reviewed in the source’s sureshot singles section back in late 98 but i have yet to find shit on it, i can’t even find a listing on discogs.com or anywhere else that proves it even exists. anyone got any info on that cd maxi-single? where to cop it or mp3s of it?

  45. There should be a board just for Rare/unreleased 90’s gems…HINT HINT

  48. i remember having a red alert show on tape with a remix version of nice & smooth “no delayin” with the same beat that they’ve used on the 2nd lp for “cake & eat it too”.. sounded way better with the “no delayin” vocals on top. 3rd bass “product of the enviroment” (marley marl remix) was played at the same show..

  49. Does anybody have a copy of the Mekolicious demo tape produced entirely by Pete Rock?

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