Working through my list of D.I.T.C. members to interview (only Fat Joe, Buckwild and O.Gee remaining), I got to talk shop with O.C. recently to ask the question that’s been burning my soul slow since 1994 – why didn’t he use that Rakim sample on ‘Time’s Up’!? Why did you decide to rap? I grew-up…
Category: Rap Veterans
The Awful Truth About Rap Shelf Life
The limited shelf life of most rap groups is a an unfortunate reality. For some MC’s, the window of opportunity is so small that getting stuck in record label limbo for two or three years can spell career ruin, while even some of the genre’s greatest groups such as Run-DMC and Public Enemy suffered album…
CJ Moore [Black By Demand] – The Unkut Interview, Part Two
Engineer all-star CJ Moore delves into the behind the scenes events of Kool G Rap‘s Roots of Evil and the infamous Rawkus album, heading out west, working with the Live Squad and much more in the second part of this interview trilogy. Robbie: What happened after the Akinyele sessions finished? CJ Moore: When money started…
Al’ Tariq aka Fashion – The Unkut Interview, Part 2
Continuing my interview with Kool-Ass Fash, we discuss him leaving The Beatnuts, meeting Kanye West, forming Missin’ Linx, getting beat-jacked by Dr. Dre and his ill-fated experience signing with Dante Ross. Robbie: At what stage did you decide to do a solo album? Al’ Tariq: While we were out on tour doing The Beatnuts joint,…
Al’ Tariq aka Fashion – The Unkut Interview, Part 1
The artist formerly known as Fashion aka Kool-Ass Fash took some time out to discuss the ups and downs of his career as both a soloist and as a member of The Beatnuts. This first part focuses on his early days, revealing that the Intoxicated Demons EP could have been completely different had fate not…
Download: Grandmaster Caz – The Grandest Of Them All LP [Ced-Gee Version]
Photo: Joe Conzo Back before rap magazines and the internet, I heard a rumor that Grandmaster Caz and Ced-Gee were working on an album together. Needless to say, my young mind was blown at the possibility of these two rap geniuses teaming-up. While we only got a couple of Tuff City singles from this meeting…
Lord Finesse – The Unkut Interview
At long last, I got around to interviewing the great Lord Finesse officially. I’m also deep into completing the first proper book of Unkut interviews, so I’m saving the second half of this piece for print, along with a whole bunch of recent follow-up interviews that I’ve been doing. That being said, I didn’t want…
Buckshot – The Unkut Mini Interview
Once again I found myself subjected to indignities of a press day, where you have ten or fifteen minutes allotted to talk to a rapper who has already bored themselves to death speaking to the twenty other jerks before you and some herb always messes up the schedule and as a result that fifteen minutes…
Great Moments In Rap: LL Cool J Sons Run At The Roxy
A great moment in rap – the time that LL Cool J went at Run at The Roxy: Dr. Butcher: That was not Jam-Master Jay, that was [Jay] Philpot [the second Cut Creator] his DJ on the turntables when he was rhyming. Run-DMC was performing after him, so when he’s freestyling he’s talking about Run…
Spoonie Gee – The Unkut Interview
Thanks to Will and Aaron from Tuff City records, I had the chance to speak to pioneering Harlem rapper Spoonie Gee last week, who set the standard for street tales and slick talk on his earlier work for Enjoy and Sugarhill before he enjoyed a late 80’s comeback with Marley Marl and Teddy Riley providing…
Download: MC Eiht – The CRC Collection
It goes without saying that the first three Compton’s Most Wanted albums are an essential part of any Conservative Rap Coalition members collection, but just in case you’ve neglected MC Eiht‘s extensive feature work and b-sides, I’ve assembled a collection of eighteen more pieces of Eiht hype that will please the ears of East-Coast Elitist’s…
Buze Brovaz feat. Sadat X – 100 Proof
Fresh off lacing the Counterstrike 2 tape with an exclusive burner, Him-Lo has thrown me a new track with his brother Clever One and The Great Dot X, aka three seasoned gentlemen who will drink you under the table without a second thought.