Classic Tape Week: Stretch Armstong & Puff Daddy - Bad Boy Mix Tape Vol 3

Real heads already know the science behind this classic dose of mixtape history. Ya see, Bad Boy was a super label in the late 90's and part of the reason why they reached such mythic status on the east coast and all over the world and country is because of their unique ability to balance the bubbly R&B shit with the thugged out hardcore shit. It was a unique balancing act that left many a fan enamored with the label's duality and appeased that they offered quality acts for every urban music fan's particuliar genre taste. One thing that Bad Boy Records did do early on was distribute some mixtapes showcasing their roster's collective talent. Not exactly something that the bigger, more successful labels were known for doing. Another thing that wasn't common in those days was for the label president (Puff in this situation) to be all over the tape bigging up his artist's and really making a huge name for himself as well. A big part of Bad Boy's success early on was due to Puff's undying willingness to put himself out there and sell the "saavy, street smart, playboy" image and force feed the streets and the radio stations his vision of hip-hop. And he did magnificently, despite his clean cut un-menacing appearance and his adolescent private school background, he did. The hard sell worked and Bad Boy soon became the class of east coast hip-hop labels. Another proactive and really innovative thing that they did was issue a few mixtapes via some of the game's illest Tape DJ's (Doo Wop, Clue, Etc., Etc.,). This volumes's DJ was none other than the WKCR superstar Stretch Armstrong. Volume 3 finds Stretch cutting and mixing some of 96's illest joints in the beggining. Stuff like Nas, Biggie, Redman, Jay-Z, Wu and Das Efx. Then Stretch gradually shifts the tape into R&B mode, while Puff adlibs (and annoys) through the stellar lineup of material. Shit was a pretty dope tape overall actually. I didn't even mind Puff on it to be honest. Shit I liked his personality back then way more than I do now. What can I say? It was 96', and that was a time period before Bad Boy became really, really commercial and mainstream as well as a time when Biggie (R.I.P.) was still alive roaming the streets of Brooklyn, clipping off ashes from his blunt. To me the Bad Boy Mixtapes symbolized everything good about the label and what it was in it's prime.

-BIG D O

http://rapidshare.com/files/106273138/Stretch_Armstrong___Puffy_Daddy_-_Bad_Boy_Mix_Tape_Vol_3.mp3