Does. Not. Compute. No Country For Old (Rap) Men: Why Every ‘Greatest Rapper of All-Time’ Discussion Is Wrong
Author: Robbie Ettelson
Missing In Action: Lazy aka Laze Mic
Stumbled upon this nugget of rap trivia during a follow-up interview with Dr. Butcher earlier this year – the brief story of a New York MC named Lazy who was carving out quite the name for himself on the street level in the late nineties before some he vanished from the music game altogether. These…
Download: A Salute To Noise
There was a brilliant period in hip-hop and electro records where the engineers seemed determined to warp and distort the original track to near unrecognizable forms, splattering echo and gated snares on the walls of some long-forgotten underground cavern. Let’s call it the Spelunker Period. The labels often provided not so subtle clues about what…
Eight Amusing Sugar Hill Records’ Performances
If in need of mild amusement, please proceed with caution as we look back at this selection of ten dollar videos and hooky live performances.
No Country For Old (Rap) Men: Boardroom Beatdowns
Baseball bats > record contracts. No Country For Old (Rap) Men: Boardroom Beatdowns
Are Hip-Hop Instrumental Albums A Waste of Time?
This week has seen the release of Pete Rock‘s latest album, PeteStrumentals 2, the follow-up to the first edition from 2001. Unlike the original, which was spiced-up with outstanding appearances from Roc Marciano and The UN, Freddie Foxxx, Nature and CL Smooth, the new one is a beats only affair. As much as I enjoy…
Does Record Label Interference Ever Make For Better Rap Albums?
The process of recording a rap album for a record label has often been fraught with artistic compromise, clueless A&R’s and misguided promotional campaigns. While what goes on behind the scenes has often remained a mystery, the arrival of the ‘Advance Promotional Cassettes’ in the early nineties offered a glimpse into ‘what might have been’…
Download: A Salute To Slick Rick Cameos
Slick Rick The Ruler was the go-to guy for late nineties R&B remixes for a while, but it’s been his work adding his unique vocal stylings to rap tracks that have shone the brightest. From over thirty official guest spots I’ve selected the best sixteen appearances of the Rickster for another Zippyshare Records and Tapes…
Breakbeat Lou – The Unkut Interview
Here’s the full version of my Breakbeat Lou interview, some of which was used in my Ultimate Breaks and Beats: An Oral History feature. Robbie: How did you meet Lenny Roberts? Breakbeat Lou: Lenny I’d met at Saul’s Record Pool, back in the early 80’s. There was a feedback committee meeting that we had and…
No Country For Old (Rap) Men: Rappers That Refused To Fall Off
Most rappers fall off after a certain time. These re the exceptions. No Country For Old Men: Rappers That Refused To Fall Off
Vote: Which of the Wu-Tang Clan has still got it in 2015?
The Wu-Tang Clan have been through more than share of ups and downs over the years, but there’s no denying that they brought back a much needed grit to rap music when they hit the scene in in 1992 with their self-released ‘Protect Ya Neck’/’After The Laughter Comes Tears’ single. RZA’s master plan to get…
Download: A Salute To The Sugar Hill Band
For a jam-packed four year stretch, The Sugar Hill Band was the most powerful force in recorded rap, providing the beats for The Furious Five, Funky 4+1, Treacherous Three, Crash Crew, Spoonie Gee, The Sequence and more. With it’s core membership consisting of guitarist Skip McDonald, bassist Doug Wimbish, drummer Keith LeBlanc, percussionist Ed ‘Duke…