Following on from last year’s interview with former Beatnut Al’ Tariq, I finally got a chance to speak with Psycho Les about the ups and downs of one of rap’s greatest groups. Turns out that Les’ history foes back even further than I thought, as he revealed he worked at Music Factory during high school…
Category: Features
In-depth coverage
Def IV – Sample Pioneers?
The Def IV Nice & Hard album was always something I went back to when it was released in 1988. As the fourth album released on the Rap-A-Lot label, this group of New York transplants, which consisted of two brothers – Vicious Lee and Jon B – beat maker and DJ Lonnie Mac and vocalist…
Aaron Fuchs [Tuff City] – The Unkut Interview, Part Two
Concluding my discussion with Tuff City Records founder Aaron Fuchs, he talks about working with The 45 King, Lakim Shabazz and the Flavor Unit, the ‘Crack It Up’ single, the Ultramagnetic compilations and the highlights of his discography. Robbie: The 45 King had a big impact on the Tuff City discography. How did that relationship…
Aaron Fuchs [Tuff City] – The Unkut Interview, Part One
Aaron Fuchs‘ Tuff City label was the David to Def Jam‘s Goliath in the early 80’s. The label would go on to deliver important records from the Cold Crush Brothers, Spoonie Gee, The 45 King and Lakim Shabazz, to name but a few. Aaron talked extensively about how to keep your head above water in…
Gettin’ Kinda Hectic: Snap! and Chill Rob G’s Epic ‘Power’ Struggle
Newest latest for the good people at Cuepoint is an in-depth look at the story behind Snap! and ‘The Power,’ covering Chill Rob G‘s response, how Penny Ford was recruited to add new vocals and an unfortunate incident involving Turbo B and some drag queens in Boston. Gettin’ Kinda Hectic: Snap! and Chill Rob G’s…
Ho or Hoe? Finally, A Practical Use For Twitter!
Here’s something from my drafts folder that I forgot to post from a couple of years ago… For many people, Twitter is nothing more than a self-indulgent stream of fuckybergs telling the world how many pieces of French toast they consumed at brunch. Last Monday, that all changed, after some struggle “comedian” lady finally got…
The Missing Ingredients – When Good Rap Chemistry Gets Abandoned
You know those times when groups are greater than the sum of their parts? Here are some examples of rappers and producers who, despite their talents, were less effective on their own. CL Smooth without Pete Rock Corey has always been technically strong but without Peter it was hard to care about what he was…
How might rap have evolved without the record business?
After transcribing my video interview with Tuff City founder Aaron Fuchs recently, I came across this intriguing quote: Aaron Fuchs: The Bronx and Harlem were worlds apart cultural by the time the 70’s happened, because Harlem’s a community and The Bronx was burnt-out, but they were geographically very close to each other. You had hip-hop…
Rap Albums To Get Stuck On A Desert Island With [2000-2015 Edition]
If, by some tragic turn of fate, all rap released prior to the year 2000 was somehow obliterated from the face of the earth and you were given the opportunity to take twenty CD’s to pass the time while I wasted away in exile on some deserted island (stay with me here), then what would…
Deconstructing The Classics: Eric B. & Rakim – Follow The Leader
Despite being one of the greatest rappers to ever enter a recording studio, Rakim‘s four albums with Eric B. were pretty patchy, mainly due to the abundance of filler and sub par scratch showcases. This wasn’t such a big deal on Paid In Full, since every with vocals was amazing and 1987 rap LP’s usually…
Ultimate Breaks and Beats: An Oral History
Photo: K-Prince. This one has been cooking up for long time now, but it’s finally out of the oven and ready to throw on your plate with a side of mash – the history of the Ultimate Breaks and Beats series told by the people who put them together and some of the DJ’s and…
Phill Most Chill aka Soulman – The Unkut Interview
Phill Most Chill came up drawing flyers for local crews before dropping his own independent record in 1988, moving into some production work and eventually landing a regular spot at Rap Sheet. From there he became a record dealer and collector, released over 100 mixtapes and eventually returned to the microphone in 2005, and has…