Pete Rock & CL Smooth + Questlove LIVE in Vancouver!

A couple of ill shows n the next couple of week at Bar None Vancouver. The first is Pete Rock & CL Smooth performing their masterpiece Mecca & The Soul Brother in its entirety! A week after that we have Questlove here for a RBMA Q&A and DJ set. Tickets for Pete Rock & CL can be copped HERE, and Questlove tickets HERE.

Classic Material: A Tribe Called Quest - Live in Paris (1990)

This came out in 1990 when Tribe put out a VHS tape called The Art Of Moving Butts In Europe. The video is Q-Tip, Phife, Ali Shaheed and Jarobi (who hadn't bounced yet) performing live in Paris making people move their butts. ATCQ runs through half of People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm before ending it off with a freestyle. This is dope as hell for any Tribe fan. Enjoy!

ATCQ's The Art Of Moving Butts In Europe Setlist

1. Intro

2. Pubic Enemy

3. Push It Along

4. Description Of A Fool

5. Youthful Expression

6. I Left My Wallet In El Segundo

7. Rhythm (Devoted To The Art Of Moving Butts)

8. Freestyle

Questlove's Bonnaroo Superjam w/ D'Angelo (Full Performance)

Some epic shit went down this past weekend at Bonnaroo that was, well, epic!

Questlove held a Superjam after The Roots' show that not only included his Most Incredible Roots crew, but also members of Parliament/Funkadelic and The Time. As dope as that was, the epic status occurred when Questo said the following words... "I've been waiting 12 years to say this. Ladies and gentlemen, D'Angelo!"

For those not following along at home, it had been 12+ years since D'Angelo performed on American soil. The Bonnaroo Super Jam also marked the first time in over a decade that the Soulquarians performed together when D'Angelo, Questlove and James Posner reunited for the evening. No doubt the 4th member of the crew, the late J Dilla, was there in spirit and watching from above. With D'Angelo set to make his official return to the stage in the states next month (he's done a few shows in Europe recently), the crew stayed away from anything D'Angelo instead running through covers of Led Zeppelin, Ohio Players, Sly & The Family Stone, Curtis Mayfield, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and of course Funkadelic and The Time joints.

Check the video at the bottom for the finally of the Superjam to get a glimpse of what went down, and hit the link below to download the ENTIRE performance. Large up Okayplayer for the goods!

Bonnaroo (June 9th, 2012)

Questlove's Super Jam

1. Questlove's Superjam - "Intro"

2. Jimi Hendrix - "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)"

3. Ohio Players - "Pride And Vanity"

4. Ohio Players - "Players Balling (Players Doin’ Their Own Thing)"

5. Funkadelic - "Funky Dollar Bill"

6. Funkadelic - "Hit It And Quit It"

7. Led Zeppelin - "What Is And What Should Never Be"

8. Sly & The Family Stone - "Babies Making Babies"

9. Bootsy Collins - "Hollywood Squares"

10. Curtis Mayfield - "Mother’s Son"

11. Band of Gypsys - "Power of Soul"

12. The Beatles - "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window"

13. The Time - "My Summertime Thang"

14. Questlove's Superjam - "Jam" (including Ohio Players "Fire" and other teases)

Classic Material: LL Cool J - 1987 Def Jam Tour

Not much to say here, other than this is DOPE AS FUCK!

Def Jam tour, 1987.

Classic Material: N.W.A. - Live in Concert (Video)

N.W.A. is on my list of artists that I'd give anything to have seen live, but due to all kinds of reasons that will never happen. A few years back we posted the audio of this show as Rap Treat #54, but this is a dvd rip of the Houston, Texas concert which means the audio came straight from the mixing board and is professionally shot and edited (at least to 1989 standards anyways). Unlike many artists from the late '80's N.W.A. was not known for their live show, but this concert does not disappoint. They have a dope stage set, their show is put together tight, they have mad hits to rock, and they have a couple dancers! I didn't really see that coming but then again having a couple of fly girls dancing on stage works for them. This is easily worth 25 minutes of your life, especially if you were never lucky enough to witness The World's Most Dangerous Band in concert before Ice Cube left and Eazy passed away.

You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge.

Rap Treats #97: Beastie Boys - Live on Madonna Tour (1985) + Live at CBGB (1982)

Here are a couple of early concert by the Beastie Boys. They aren't super rare or hard to find, but I wanted to ad them to list. The first is their opening set on Madonna's Like A Virgin Tour from 1885. This was before they blew up and the material was all pre Licenced To Ill. They were on Def Jam by this point and their show is mostly based on the Def Jam 12" MCA put out in '85. The second show is from their punk band days and has nothing to do with Hip-Hop. It's still dope though because it's the Beastie Boys at legendary NYC punk venue CBGB in 1982.

Beastie Boys

Live at St. Paul Civic Center (Madonna Tour - May 21st, 1985)

1. "Intro"

2. "It's Yours"

3. "She's On It"

4. "Drum Machine"

5. "Beastie's Groove"

6. "Rock Hard"

Beastie Boys

Live at CBGB, NY (Nov. 20th, 1982)

Rap Treats #94: Outkast - Live at House Of Blues (2000)

It's crazy to think that this recording is 12 years old. This is Outkast at their best in my books. I'm cool with everything that has come after (minus Idlewild), but it's this era and the previous 6 years that puts them in the discussion for best duo ever. Courtesy of TROY, here is the audio of Outkast performing at the House Of Blues in L.A. October 16th, 2000.

Outkast

Live at House Of Blues L.A. (2000)

1. Gasoline Dreams Atliens

2. So Fresh So Clean

3. Spottieottiedopealicious

4. Skew It On The Bar-B

5. Southernplayalisticadillacfunkymuzik

6. Elevators

7. Da Art Of Storytelling

8. Spaghetti Junction

9. Humble Mumble

10. Miss Jackson

11. Red Velvet

12. Gansta Shit

13. Rosa Parks

14. Bombs Over Baghdad

15. Call Before I Come

Rap Treats #91: Nas - SXSW Illmatic Concert (Full Performance)

Usually this would fall under the Classic Material category, but it may just be the illest Rap Treat on Nation Of Millions. At SXSW this year Nas performed Illmatic in it's entirety complete with DJ's Premier and Pete Rock on the tables and AZ to rock his verse on "Life's A Bitch". Not sure why the powers that be didn't hook up one video with the whole show, but these videos should do the trick. This isn't the show in its entirety, but it is all of Illmatic. Primo and Pete Rock took time out in the middle of the show to battle - Primo beat versus Pete Rock beat! Also, Nas rocked his verse from Main Source's "Live At The BBQ" during his set, as well as a few of his hits ending with "Made You Look" (which I included at the bottom). How do I know all this? Because I was there - geeked as a motherfucker. Easily in my top 5 concerts that I've been too. Watch all these videos asap. Nas rocks well, it ain't hard to tell!

Bonus Illmatic - Here is a 45 Minute set from Funk Flex and Lovebug Starski from The Tunnel that includes the Nas' Illmatic release party (previous Rap Treat).

Funk Flex & Lovebug Starski
Live at The Tunnel/Nas Illmatic Release Party (1994)

Jay-Z's SXSW Amex Sync Show (Full Concert)

Here goes the full concert of Hov's Amex Sync Show from SXSW featuring Jay-Z performing your requests.

Part 1 above, party 2 below.

Rap Treats #90: Nas - Columbia Records Illmatic Release Party Performance (1994)

"Y'all ready for Nas? Y'all ready for Nasty Nas?!"

This is quite the Rap Treat - a recording of Nas performing at his Columbia Records' Illmatic album release party from 1994. Gems like this don't surface every day. Whoever is responsable for pressing record on the tape deck and then ripping it 15+ years later I salute you. This is one of my favorite albums of all time and one of the albums to receive 5 mics from The Source back when The Source was THE authority on Hip-Hop (click HERE to read the review). Having the audio of Nas' performance is just crazy to me and another reason the internet is the fucking shit. Nas and crew run through a few cuts from the album including "Represent" (with a different beat) and his "new single" "It Ain't Hard To Tell". It also features a lot of yelling from his his crew, AZ on "Life's a Bitch", and the "Y'all ready for Nasty Nas" sound bite that is used on Nas' "Nasty" record.

*Re-Upped with a much better sounding copy + the extended version featuring Funkmaster Flex's set before and after Nas' performance. Queensbridge is most definitely in the house!

Nas

Columbia Records Illmatic Release Party Performance

1. "Represent"

2. "It Ain't Hard To Tell"

3. "The World Is Yours"

4. "Life's A Bitch"

Funkmaster Flex w/ Luvbug Starski & Nas

Columbia Records Illmatic Release Party DJ Set

Rap Treats #89: Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch The Throne Concert

There are two concert this year that have me geeked out. The first is motherfucking Prince, and the very next night it is these two - Jay-Z & Kanye. That's right, Prince and Watch the Throne back to back. Throw in Pete Rock vs. Premier in town that same weekend and odds are I'm going to lose my fucking mind. Anyways, if you can't make (or afford) the Watch The Throne show then here is your fix - a recording of the whole concert from North Carolina. Hov & 'Ye Stans rejoice. 40+ songs. AGAIN!

Jay-Z & Kanye West

Watch The Throne Concert (Audio)

1. Throne Music

2. H.A.M.

3. Who Gon Stop Me

4.Try a Little Tenderness

5. Otis

6. Welcome To The Jungle

7. Gotta Have It

8. Where I'm From

9. Nigga What? Nigga Who?

10. Can't Tell Me Nothing

11. Flashing Lights

12. Jesus Walks

13. Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)

14. PSA

15. U Don't Know

16. Run This Town

17. Monster

18. Power/Power Remix

19. Made In America

20. New Day

21. Hard Knock Life

22. Izzo

23. Empire State oOf Mind

24. Runaway

25. Heartless

26. Stronger

27. On To The Next One

28. Dirt Off Your Shoulders

29. Give It To Me

30. That's My Bitch

31. Good Life

32. Touch The Sky

33. All Of The Lights

34. Big Pimpin'

35. Gold Digger

36. 99 Problems

37. What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong)

38. No Church in the Wild

39. Lift Off

40. Niggas In Paris

41. Niggas In Paris

42. Niggas In Paris

43. Encore

Rap Treats #84: Wu-Tang Clan Live @ The Source Awards (1995)

Wu-Tang is for the children. Just a reminder. Anyways, this is the audio from the 1995 Source Awards of Wu at the height of their buzz. Hip-Hop's hottest new group at Hip-Hop's most influential magazine's award show (sorry Right On). These dudes sound hungry as fuck. Ah, the good old days.

Wu-Tang Clan

Live @ The Source Awards (1995)

1. Intro

2. Wu-Tnag Clan Ain't Nuthin To Fuck Wit

3. Protect ya Neck

4. Shame On A Nigga

5. C.R.E.A.M.

6. Clan In Da Front

7. 7th Chamber

8. Method Man

9. Rosie Perez Presents Gold Record

Rap Treats #83: Public Enemy Live in Concert (1992)

That's right. Back to back PE Rap Treats. If you haven't noticed, ItTakesANationOfMillionsToHoldThisSac are Public Enemy fans. This treat is a recording of Public Enemy live in concert from April 1992 when they were on tour supporting their Apocalypse '91... The Enemy Strikes Black album. Classic, classic shit right here.

Public Enemy

Live In Concert (4.9.92)

1. Lost At Birth

2. Night of the Living Baseheads

3. Bring the Noise/Welcome to the Terrordome

4. Nighttrain

5. By the Time I Get to Arizona

6. Fight the Power

7. Gotta Do What I Gotta Do

8. Buck Whylin'/She Watch Channel Zero

9. How to Kill a Radio Consultant

10. More News at 11

11. A Letter to the NY Post/I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga

12. Rebel without a Pause/Public Enemy No. 1/Don't Believe the Hype

13. Shut Em Down

14. 911 is a Joke

15. Can't Truss It

Rap Treats #81: Jay-Z & The ROC @ The Tunnel (Audio)

The Roc is in the building... and that building is the infamous Tunnel Nightclub in NYC. This is a recording of the video we put up a while back of Jay, Beans, Memph Bleek and Amil tearing down the club. Click HERE to check out the video. This was right around the time Hov started to become THAT dude

Jay-Z & The Roc

Live @ The Tunnel (1999)

1. Pain In The Ass Intro

2. Jay Z - Its Hot

3. Jay Z - Jigga My Nigga

4. Jay Z - So Ghetto

5. Jay Z feat. Amil - Can I Get A...

6. Jay Z - Money Aint A Thang

7. Jay Z feat. Memphis Bleek - Its Alright

8. Memphis Bleek feat. Jay Z - What You Think Of That

9. Memphis Bleek - Memphis Bleek Is...

10. Beanie Sigel - What A Thug About

11. Beanie Sigel - 45 Freestyle

12. Jay Z - Who U Wit

13. Jay Z - Aint No Nigga

14. Jay Z - Imaginary Player

15. Jay Z feat. Amil - Jigga What, Jigga Who

16. Jay Z feat. Memphis Bleek & Beanie Sigel - Money, Cash, Hoes

17. Jay Z feat. Beanie Sigel - Put Your Hands Up (Do It Again)

Rap Treats #74: KDAY Concerts - Eazy-E & N.W.A + Public Enemy + King Tee Live From Skateland USA, Compton

For a rap radio junkie like myself, Los Angeles' KDAY is up there with Mr. Magic on WBLS, DJ Red Alert on KISS, Stretch & Bobbito on WKCR, and Sway & King Tech on KMEL. In fact, in my eyes it trumps them all because KDAY was the first station to adopt an all Hip-Hop format in 1983. What can you say about a station who's street team included Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Ice-T, MC Hammer, Tone Loc, Kid Frost, and Young MC to name a few. It's the station that coined the term "Traffic Jam" and was the first to play artists like N.W.A. Tapes of KDAY have been hard to come across, even in the age of the internet, but thanks to OldSchoolRapTapes a few have surfaced. These are concerts by Eazy-E & N.W.A., Public Enemy, and King Tee who performed Live in Compton that were broadcast on the station. There is also a recording of Ice-T introducing his "new" record "Colder Than Ever" that I had never heard before. These recordings are nowhere close to being CDQ so you'll have to deal with the sound quality, but 1580 KDAY was an AM station so there isn't much that could have been done about that.

N.W.A. & Eazy-E

Public Enemy

King Tee

"Live From Skateland USA, Compton"

Ice-T

"Live On KDAY/Colder Than Ever"

Rap Treats #63: LL Cool J Live @ Brixton Academy ('87/'88)

Here is a live recording of LL Cool J rocking The Brixton Academy in South London back in '87 or '88 - I'm not sure the exact date. This was the same show he performed on the '87 Def Jam tour with Public Enemy and Eric B & Rakim that you can get HERE, but since The Brixton Academy is one of the more legendary venues in the world and this was LL Cool J at the absolute top of his game I just felt that I had to throw this up. Ladies Love Cool James was so fucking raw at this moment in time. This is the LL that I want to remember, not the "Hey Lover" LL Cool J of the 1990's.

LL COOL J

Live @ The Brixton Academy

Rap Treats #60: Jaylib Live In Los Angeles (2004)

Thanks to StonesThrow for this one. This is a live recording of Jaylib performing in LA back in 2004. I'm throwing this up as a Rap Treat because it's exactly that - a fucking rap treat. I'll let the fine folks at StonesThrow break it down for you.

"This was recorded at the Henry Fonda Theater, April 4, 2004, on the first night of the Madvillain/Jaylib tour for Madvillainy. Madlib & J. Rocc had performed Jaylib songs live, but this was the first show with J. Dilla, who had just moved to Los Angeles and joined the tour without being announced on the flyers. Another unannounced guest late into the set was Common. The voices you hear are B+ & Melo-D, who recorded this set."

Jaylib

Live In Los Angeles 2004

Rap Treats #54: N.W.A Live In Houston (1989)

This is a rare recording of N.W.A. performing live in Houston back in 1989. This was a time when N.W.A. was finding it hard to perform anywhere because the Feds were trying to shut them down and the politics involved had promoters scurred. The only recordings of a N.W.A. show from this era that I've heard are this one and THIS one. For some bonus N.W.A., here is the audio and video of an Ice Cube-less N.W.A.'s appearance on the Arsenio Hall show from 1990.

N.W.A.

Live In Houston, Texas (1989)

Rap Treats #53: Kool Moe Dee vs. Busy Bee @ Harlem World 1981 (Full 90 Minute Tape)

What we have here is one of the most legendary MC battles in the history of Hip-Hop. By no means was this the first ever battle, but it may have been the first battle where one rapper went at the other MC in the fashion Kool Moe Dee went at Busy Bee. You can literally hear the art form of rapping take a giant leap forward that night. Kool Moe Dee was just on another planet compared to Busy Bee. Kool Moe Dee was a lyricist. Busy Bee was a party rocker. Battling as we know it today began with this battle. Check the video above for the full break down of what happened. The 12 minute audio of the battle has been floating around Blogland forever, but the Rap Treat here is a rip of the full 90 minute cassette tape of that historic night at Harlem World, Christmas 1981... both sides A and B... cassette hiss and everything.

Kool Moe Dee vs. Busy B

Harlem World Battle (1981) - Side A

Harlem World Battle (1981) - Side B

Kool Moe Dee vs. Busy B

Harlem World Battle (12 Minute Edited Version)

Rap Treats #52: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Live @ Union Square (Full 20 Minute Show)

This is the somewhat rare full length performance of "Live from Union Square" from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's classic album He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper. The full length version sounds kinds doo doo but is still entertaining and features Fresh Prince's "Buddy", Ready Rock Cee, his ill beatboxing partner.

Live from Union Square - November 1986

Full Performance

Live from Union Square - November 1986

LP Version