If you were a rap fan outside of the USA in 1987, it was in your best interest to collect the Street Sounds Electro/Hip-Hop albums, which were compilations of an often eclectic mix of current singles, mixed together by a selection of UK DJ’s. The one that really stood out for me was Hip Hop 18, which was mixed by a fellow named R.J. Scratch [Roger Johnson] and was a particularly mixed bag of great, obscure and just plain weird rap tracks from New York. I was eventually able to find copies of ‘You Know How To Reach Us’ and ‘We Have Risin”, but the two Marley Marl produced tunes on this volume remained out of reach. As it turns out, what would have been Frick ‘N Frack’s second single was never actually released, only existing on a couple of acetates. This was annoying since it means there was no way to hear the complete, unmixed versions of these tracks – until now. Turns out that Frick ‘N Frack have uploaded some of their old songs to iTunes for those of us who have waited for 28 years to hear the last minute of ‘Who’s On Mine.’ From the preview it sounds like they’ve been dubbed off cassette from when they were played on WBLS, but for 99 cents each I guess it’s worth taking a gamble.
UPDATE: The iTunes version is just a recording of the version on the Street Sounds compilation that cuts off when the Kings Of Pressure comes in. Guess we’ll be waiting another 28 years until Marley presses it up on Hot Chillin’…
The rest of Frick ‘N Frack’s discography is already on YouTube, including their first single with Marley on Romil Records from 1986, the flip of the vaulted 1987 single featuring a guy named YG who is no relation to the Compton’s Young Gangsta, their 1989 single with Queens tape king Grandmaster Vic and some more recent material that they recorded with Louis Rankin and Uncle Murda.
Go Southside feat. YG
Who’s On Mine [compilation version]
Look Out feat. Grandmaster Vic
Christmas Time feat. Louis Rankin
Cash Rules feat Uncle Murda
I hope you got a interview coming up with them. It would be interesting to hear what happened to their verses on the “Just Rhyming With Biz” cut and why they were cut from Cold Chillin crew.
Hip-Hop out side of the east coast Sucked back then especially from other countries.
! Feature Finesse and Synquisse Instead PLEASE.
Good to see something on some of the lesser known Juice Crew folks. Go Southside was my shit!
Spot on Robbie. Have fond memories of this period and that Hip Hop 18 is one of my favorites. Roger Johnson was Dj for Dave Pearce on a London Radio show ‘Fresh Start To The Week’ not the most technically gifted Dj’s to bless the technics but solid enough just played the best tunes out on import. Respect.
Would also like to read your Frick n’ Frack interview.
Oh yes, please! A Frick n Frack Interview would be so great!
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