Commercial Rap: LL Cool J's 900 Number

1-900-909-COOL

This was how you would hear an album before bootleggers and the internet. Just had to call this number to hear a new song every day leading up to the release day for LL's Walking With A Panther. LL Cool J stay paid.

Nardwuar vs. A$AP Rocky

Nardwuar invades SXSW and interviews pretty much every new school rapper who was there This is the 1st instalment. A$AP!

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

Nardwuar vs. Action Bronson

Records: Biz Markie - Goin' Off 12"s

Nobody beats the Biz! The Juice Crew's Biz Markie is one of the original characters in Hip-Hop. For real, I can't think of another artist that compares to him. The dude rapped about doo doo, picking his nose, rapping on the toilet, liking a girl who dissed him for her "friend", and all kinds of other bugged out shit during an era when bravado on the mic was what made an MC. He even made a hit record using the jingle from an electronic store commercial (check the Wiz commercial below). His debut album Goin' Off couldn't have been more appropriately titled. Add to all that the fact he had the most retarded dance and had everybody doing the "Biz" and I challenge you to think of another artist that was on his own shit like Biz Markie in the late 80's and early 90's. Here are all the singles from Biz's first album. Like I said, nobody beats the BIZ!!

Biz Markie

Make The Music With Your Mouth, Biz EP (1986)

(Prism Records)

A1 "Make The Music With Your Mouth, Biz"

A2 "The Biz Dance"

A3 "They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha-Haa"

B1 "A One, Two"

B2 "The Biz Dance" (Dub Version)

B3 "Make The Music With Your Mouth, Biz" (Instrumental)

Produced by Marley Marl

Biz Markie

"Nobody Beats The Biz" 12" (1987)

(Prism Records)

A1 "Nobody Beats The Biz"

B1 "Nobody Beats The Biz" (Dub Version)

Produced by Marley Marl

Biz Markie

"Pickin' Boogers" 12" (1987)

(Prism Records)

A1 "Pickin' Boogers"

B2 "Pickin' Boogers" (Dub)

Produced by Marley Marl

Biz Markie

"Biz Is Goin' Off" 12" (1988)

(Cold Chillin' Records)

A1 "Biz Is Goin' Off" (12" Vocal Remix)

A2 "The Do Do" (Bonus Beats)

B1 "Biz Is Goin' Off" (Dub)

Produced by Marley Marl

Biz Markie

"This Is Something For The Radio" 12" (1988)

(Cold Chillin' Records)

A1 "This Is Something For The Radio" (Rap Remix)

B1 "This Is Something For The Radio" (Dub)

B2 "This Is Something For The Radio" (Dub-Appella)

Produced by Marley Marl

Biz Markie

"Vapors" Remix 12" (1988)

(Cold Chillin' Records)

A1 "Vapors" (Remix)

B1 "Vapors" (Dub)

Produced by Marley Marl

Nardwuar vs. Ghostface Killah

Records: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - "Touch Of Jazz" 12"

This one is kind of random. I should really re-up this with the rest of their 12"s from the first 2 DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince album, but for now this will have to do. My favourite Jeff/Prince song.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

"A Touch Of Jazz" 12" (1987)

(Jive Records)

A1 "A Touch Of Jazz" (Extended Re-Touch)

A2 "A Touch Of Jazz"

B1 "A Touch Of Jazz" (Collapsed In The Street Mix)

B2 "A Touch Of Jazz" (Collapsed In The Street Edit)

Produced by Brian "Chuck" New

Records: Def Jam Original 12"s (DJ001-DJ007)

There are a few legendary record labels that are synonymous with Hip-Hop music. Sugar Hill, Enjoy, Cold Chillin', Tommy Boy, Loud, Death Row, and Bad Boy Records all come to mind, but for a Hip-Hop junkie like myself none are more legendary than Def Jam Recordings. Founded by Rick Rubin in his NYU dorm room in 1982 when he released a punk record by his band Hose (the real first record on Def Jam), Def Jam became the the label we know today when Russell Simmons got involved in 1984. I'm not going to run down the history of Def Jam here because it's pretty well documented, plus you can just go HERE and get the full story. This post is all about the first 7 releases on the label. For those that don't collect vinyl, or never got their hands on the original seven, the thing that sets these 12 inches apart are basically the labels. Def Jam's classic black label has become pretty recognizable, but the first seven releases were on a burgundy label. Not sure why they changed the direction of the artwork, and it was probably for the better, but it makes the first seven releases on Def Jam pretty rare and special for record nerds like myself. Some of the original artists like LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys went on to hall of fame careers, others such as Hollis Crew and Jimmy Spicer didn't quite make it to prime time. Either way these records are the shit to me and represent the birth of a dynasty. And just for some bonus Def Jam treats, I threw in the T-La Rock & Jazzy Jay "It's Yours" 12" which was the first Hip-Hop record to have the Def Jam logo on it, and a few tracks by Rick Ruban's band Hose so you can get a taste of what a pre Hip-Hop Rick Ruban was into before he had a hand in blowing Hip-Hop music up worldwide. It isn't Hip-Hop, or even def for the matter, just some music nerdology for you crumbs!

LL Cool J (DJ001)

"I Need A Beat" 12" (1984)

A1 "I Need A Beat" (Vocal)

B1 "I Need A Beat" (Zootie Mix)

B2 "I Need A Beat" (Instrumental)

Produced by Rick Ruben

Beastie Boys (DJ002)

"Rock Hard" 12" (1985)

A1 "Rock Hard"

A2 "Party's Getting Rough"

B1 "Beastie Groove"

B2 "Beastie Groove" (Instrumental)

Produced by Rick Ruben & Beasties

Jazzy Jay (DJ003)

"Def Jam" 12" (1985)

A1 "Def Jam"

B1 "Cold Chillin' In The Spot" Featuring Russell Rush

B2 "Cold Chillin' In The Spot" (Instrumental)

Produced by Rick Ruben

MCA & Burzootie (DJ004)

"Drum Machine" 12" (1985)

A1 "Drum Machine"

A2 "Drum Machine" (Mini Jerk Edit)

B1 "Drum Machine" ((That) Psycho Dust Version)

Produced by Burzootie

LL Cool J (DJ005)

"I Want You" 12" (1985)

A1 "I Want You"

A2 "I Want You" (Instrumental)

B1 "Dangerous"

B2 "Dangerous" (Instrumental)

B3 "Dangerous" (Burnt Mix)

Produced by Rick Ruben

Jimmy Spicer (DJ006)

"This Is It" 12" (1985)

A1 "This Is It"

A2 "This Is It" (Chant, Instrumental)

B1 "Beat The Clock"

B2 "Beat The Clock" (Instrumental)

Produced by Rick Ruben

Hollis Crew (DJ007)

"It's The Beat" 12" (1985)

A1 "It's The Beat"

B1 "It's The Beat" (Instrumental)

B2 "The Beat"

Produced by Jam Master Jay, DJ Run and Rick Ruben

T-La Rock & Jazzy Jay

"It's Yours" 12" (1984)

A1 "It's Yours" (Radio Mix)

A2 "It's Yours" (Instrumental)

B1 "It's Yours" (Scratch Party Death Mix)

B2 "It's Yours" (Instrumental Party)

Produced by Rick Ruban

Hose

(I don't have the full 7" release or the EP, but these are a few tracks of Rick Ruban's band that appeared on the first two Def Jam Recordings releases circa 1982)

1. Girls

2. Dope Fiend

3. Only The Astronaut Knows The Truth

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

Nardwuar vs. Kreyshawn

I can't believe this chick is famous. Actually, on second thought I can.