The Good Old Days

Reel to Reel 25th Anniversary Mixtape

Mixes, Music, The Good Old Days

When I got my first CD player, my Grandma Sooky took me to Sam Goody in The Galleria to buy me some CDs. I picked out three—A Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory, The Beatles Abbey Road and Grand Puba Reel to Reel. 25 years later, Reel to Reel remains one of my favorite albums. It was a huge influence on me as a young rap artist, and I still listen to it all the time.

Celebrate a true 914 rap classic with this dope Reel to Reel 25th anniversary mix courtesy of Chris Read and Wax Poetics. Big up Grand Puba, one of the illest MCs ever!

Hiero B-Sides Mix

Music, The Good Old Days

DJ Severe on the 1s and 2s.

Contact High Gem

Art, Music, The Good Old Days

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Look what the Contact High Project uncovered—Nas, 2Pac and Redman in the same photo?! Crazy.

The Making of Jewelz with O.C.

Articles, Interviews, Music, Published Material, The Good Old Days

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I used to have the magazine ad for Jewelz hanging on my wall in college, and listened to it constantly my sophomore year. So to interview O.C. 20 years later about the making of the album was special. Read HERE.

Lesson Learn’d

Articles, Interviews, Music, The Good Old Days

More new Wu, featuring Inspectah Deck and Def Squad affiliate Redman. Beat is tough.

Related: The Oral History of Redman’s Sooperman Lover Series

 

The Lost Album

Articles, Interviews, Music, The Good Old Days

Its Overture presents their take on what a Nas and Large Professor collaborative album would sound like. Well done!

Related: An Oral History of Nas’ The Lost Tapes

Back To School Shit

Mixes, Mixtape Memories, Music, The Good Old Days

To honor the return of yet another school year, here’s Craig G & DJ S&S’s 1993 classic mixtape Back To School Shit Pt. 1. Props to my man DJ E Feezy for the upload.

Stevie Wonder x Stretch & Bobbito

Interviews, Music, Podcasts, The Good Old Days

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Stretch & Bobbito keep pulling crazy guests for their new podcast. This Stevie Wonder interview is amazing. Check it out HERE, and below are links to the two songs they play for him during their Impression Session—incredible selections.

*Bonus*

Here’s one of my favorite Common songs, which samples the above…

 

RIP Prodigy

Articles, Events, Mixes, Music, My Dudes, The Good Old Days

This Prodigy tribute is brought to you by UpNorthTrips. Listen to the mix above created by myself and Vinylcologist from 2011—featuring 10 classic Prodigy and Alchemist collaborations which are among my favorite rap songs ever—while you peep the Pee pics below compiled over the years by my bro Ev Boogie…

01 Feb 1995, New York State, USA — Prodigy and Havoc (Mobb Deep) with NAS and Wu-Tang clan member, Raekwon. They were in the studio recording, ‘Eye for an Eye (Your Beef is Mines)’. (Prodigy, front left, Nas , front right, Havoc, standing, left, and Raekwon, form Wu-Tang Clan, standing, right) — Image by © Chi Modu/Diverse Images/Corbis
ca. 1999-2001 — Rapper Prodigy of Mobb Deep — Image by © Erin Patrice O’Brien/Corbis

RIP Prodigy. Hands down one of my favorite rappers of all-time, an artist I’ve spent a huge percentage of my life listening to. Pee and Mobb have always been my go-to in the whip, and will continue to be.

“Gangsters don’t die, they just turn to legends…”

*Update*

Check out this Prodigy tribute mix I made for NahRight…

H.N.I.C. Mix (Prodigy Tribute) – Tracklist

Quiet Storm (Original Version)
Power Rap
Basics
Street Life
How Many MCs Freestyle
Motherless Child Freestyle
Eye For An Eye (Original Version)
Avirex
Rep The QBC
Live Nigga Rap
Killaz Theme
Back At You
True Lies
Dog Shit
What’s Poppin’ Thun
What A Real Mobb Do
You Ain’t A Killer Freestyle
Cut Em Short
Gun Love
Finest
Pebble Beach
We Don’t Love Them Hoes
Tough Love
Young Luv
I Want You
Jay Z Diss
When It Comes To The Beef
Waterboarding
License To Kill
Pop Them Thangs
Three Stories
The Start Of Your Ending (41st Side)

 

 

Dedication

Mixes, Music, The Good Old Days

In one of my nerdier hip-hop endeavors, I constructed a Spotify playlist made up of songs by artists that Fat Joe shouts out on “Dedication.” Check the song above and the link to the playlist HERE.