The Masters Mixed by The Conmen (Jake One & Mr. Supreme)

I'm a huge fucking fan of soul and funk from the 60's, 70's and of course the 80's, and I'm extra critical when cats try to drop these lil' "throwback" type mixes. Often times they leave out the best shit. I mean how many times am I gonna grab a Soul/Funk mix and have to hear James Brown's "Funky Drummer"?? Come on man....even the 88er's are hip to that record now....break out the good shit man...break out the shit that people are gonna be like "damn, I'bve never heard that record before, but the break on that shit is amazing....". I mean I can't tell you how many cats have tried to craft a mix like this, but failed miserably. That's where the Conmen come in. These guys both must have a really firm grip on the genres and a nice record collection because this is a really comprehensive mix of breaks. I completely just was able to throw it on and listen the whole way through....this is a must grab for any soul fanatic or break grabber....

-BIG D O



*No Tracklist*


http://www.zshare.net/audio/190278328331b3d7/

Video: Blu - Johnson & Johnson

New joint from Blu, who's gonna try and replicate the greatness that he displayed on "Below The Heavens", with his new "Johnson & Johnson" project. Don't know if he can do that (Exile is a hell of a beatmaker, he'll be missed) but I know that I love this video...Gots a retro rolling credits theme to it....very original...

-BIG D O

DJ K.O. presents Picture This...

Most likely this gem will fly waaaay under the radar because of how spoiled we're getting due to all the dope compilations that are dropping (DJ Revolution, Jake One, DJ Babu) and just because nobody really checks for dope music anymore, but trust me, you cannot let this get by you if your a true lover of dope underground Hip-Hop!

The DJ/Producer who was born and raised in the Garden State and attended Rutgers University first got his start in Hip-Hop there, doing mixtapes that featured his ear catching production. From there he moved on to New York City where he got into promoting parties. Even though he was networking with a lot of NY heads, K.O. kept one foot firmly in his New Jersey roots. He would eventually start Elementality Productions, which served as an outlet for not only himself, but for other NJ artists and talents to do shows around the New Brunswick area. Currently Elementality Productions is home to such artist's as up and coming producer Analogic, as well as underground lyrical lexicons Silent Knight, East and Kaze.

"Picture This..." simply put, is the best fucking compilation out there right now and dare I say better than any other one that will be released in 2008. LOL, maybe I'm piling on with the praise, but there will be many heads around Jersey that will and should be able to argue that statement to death. I haven't heard beats this good and a lineup of artist's this profoundly devoted to scribing technically faultless verses, in a long, long time. Hypnotizing samples with crackling static from old Vinyl record's resonates throughout this LP's production landscape as a who's who of the underground scene rhymes ever so sharply over densely layered samples, thudding kick drums and striking snares. Talib Kweli, Masta Ace, Kenn Starr, O.C., Torae, Soulstice, K-Hill, Median, Emilio Rojas, Chaundon, Shabaam Sahdeeq, and Sean Boog are some of the names and voices that harmonize so impeccably with the stunning production on "Picture This...". The poetic wordplay combined with the tasteful beats make K.O.'s new LP a must have for all back pack wielding fans of clandestine Hip-Hop as well as something for the rougher, rowdier, worn out timberland boot rockin' cat, that always states that he "hasn't bought a rap CD since Eric B. and Rakim dropped Don't Sweat The Technique".

Usually when I wrap up a review about a new project I throw out 2 or 3 joints that are "must listens" for the people to be sure and peep....this time around I'mma just say this; make sure you play this whole joint. Sure I have my favorites, but all of the material is supremely worthy.

-BIG D O




01. Here We Go (feat. East & Silent Knight) 03:49
02. Best To Do It (feat. Royce Da 5′9″, Elzhi, Supastition) 03:39
03. Get ‘Em (feat. Silent Knight, Skyzoo, Emilio Rojas) 03:03
04. Someday 04:20
(feat. Torae, John Robinson, Talib Kweli, Tiffany Paige)
05. Ladder Of Success 04:38
(feat. Phonte, Wordsworth, K-Hill, Masta Ace)
06. It’s Time (feat. Soulstice, Eternia, Kenn Starr) 03:29
07. Nobody Like Me (feat. Edo.G, Diamond D, Kaze) 03:22
08. Mind Of A Genius 04:33
(feat. Chaundon, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Finale, Sean Boog)
09. 3 In The Chamber (feat. O.C., Torae, Kaze) 03:45
10. This Land (feat. Silent Knight, J. Siinasttah, Archival) 04:17
11. That Knack (feat. Wordsworth, Stricklin, Torae) 04:01
12. Start It All Over (feat. Skyzoo, Emilio Rojas, Median) 11:25

http://rapidshare.com/files/146135538/DJ_K.O.-Picture_This-2008-C4.rar

EP Of The Month: El Da Sensei & The Returners - Global Takeover

Back with a dope ass EP that's longer and better than most artist's LP's nowadays, one of Jersey's finest and underground luminary El Da Sensei introduces Polish production duo The Returners to the world with "Global Takeover". The first time I heard El Da Sensei I was instantly a fan, the same applies to when I heard DJ Chwial and Little's beats for the first time. They totally embody everything I love about boom bap production. Gritty drums, precision scratching, ill sample selection/manipulation and a great taste in whom they choose to work with, The Returners collectivly are proving that good hip-hop knows no international lines.

Europe has been coming on strong in the 2K with ill boom bap producers and production teams. France boasts the Get Large duo and Grim Team, Finland brought us The Kollabo Brothers, The Netherlands introduced us to Ciph Barker, Norway contributed the uncomparable Tommy Tee and Germany imported Shuko to us. All the guys named are dope boom bap rap beatmaker's, and yet none of em' really have the momentum that The Returners have. It is a little bit unsettling that if there was an olympic event for Hip-Hop production the U.S. probably wouldn't be favored, but I would still love watching the Euro's battle it out.

"Global Takeover" has everything that any production head could want, some new verses from El Da Sensei and some dope guest features courtesy of Doujah Raze, Reef The Lost Cauze and former Flipmode lyricist Roc Marciano. Definitely one of the stronger releases this month and perhaps the best EP of 2008.

-BIG D O




1 Global Takeover Intro: The Beginning 1:08
2 Introducin’ 2:49
3 Hard To Find 2:52
4 Aight Then ! 3:21
5 Super-Fly Jazzy-J (Interlude) 1:23
6 Got Fire feat. Doujah Raze 3:41
7 Life It Is 4:15
8 Money feat. Reef The Lost Cauze & Roc Marciano 4:05
9 And You Know… (Interlude) 1:48
10 It’s Not That Way 4:42
11 Global Takeover Outro: … It’s Only The Beginning 6:59

http://rapidshare.com/files/147732267/El_Da_Sensei_And_Returners-Global_Takeover-_AR-C72_-CD-2008-RACEME.rar

Crooked I - The Block Obama Mixtape

I've been awaiting this project for months now and finally it's here. Finally I had a chance to sit down with the Long Beach native known as Crooked I's new material, in the the form of a mixtape. "The Block Obama" has been heavilly anticipated in L.A. and abroad for some time now, as in recent weeks we've seen a few of the tracks from it leak and give us all an abundance of hope. Hope for a new west coast, a return to L.A.'s dominance and the possibility that Crooked I, a downright lethal emcee, would finally get that ever so coveted respect that he truly deserves....

I have to say after 2 months of waiting time and lofty expectations of this to be an all out insane effort, bumping it was a pretty sobering experience. It falls short of what it was supposed to have been in my opinion. Crooked was supposed to flex his muscles a bit, figuratively speaking. He was supposed to utilize his vast connections and link up with some of the west's more talented and respected emcee's and producers. What was Ras Kass doin that you couldn't have hit him on the horn and asked for a verse? Why couldn't you have gotten a beat or two from someone like Battlecat, DJ Quik or Mack 10? No disrespect to Christian Crooner Jim Gettum or the hit-or-miss Komplex, they both did their thing on here at times, but come on Crooked, you gotta understand that now isn't the time to be fickle about ya budget. Ask, beg, grovel, whatever....do what ya gotta do, but you have to link up with other worthy names out west that are on your level lyrically and production wise to keep things interesting. I'm not saying don't bring the new guys along, by all means give em' their shots, but also be sure to give the kids what they've been fiendin' over.

Look, the tape as a whole I would say is somewhat of a success...Crooked establishes his new crew of sorts Horse Shoe Gang, his new company C.O.B. (Circle Of Bosses) and puts on a few new producers who were sparingly effective. There's even a few songs on here that I really was feelin'..."Welcome To My City" is a brillant ode to the LBC, "Straighten It Out" is groovy & reminiscent of L.A.'s past "playalistic" glory and "Trafficin' Green" is an effective new take on an older sample and a gloriously grandiose tale of vice. If Crooked had stuck to the script that these three joints followed he would've had a classic tape. Instead he chose to sell out in tiny portions along the way and that watered down this effort a lot. Mainly it was his selection of beats that he chose to freestyle over that I had the biggest problem with. "A Mille"? "Stronger"?....not what I had expected, nor what I wanted...

Then there's the whole "Obama" theme Crooked chose to run with...He shouts Obama's name repetitively during the tape, but rarely recites any verses that I think truly reflect any of the good senator's view's or initiative's. I like that he's subconsciously raising awareness about voting for Barack and supporting the right candidate though, but a more politically tinged project would've followed the theme better....lol, I would've loved to see them pass this out at the DNC!

One thing I will credit Crooked for doing and praise him endlessly for is making this project his, by keeping the features to a minimum and putting out 20+ tracks for the people who waited so patiently. Despite it's overall lack of high brow features, Crooked does get fellow up and coming Long Beach resident G. Malone and hardcore NYC Lyrical sensation Nino Bless to contribute well to this.

"The Block Obama" provides a hefty load of music and a decent production lineup, but Crooked doesn't dazzle as often as he usually does. Often he sounds un-inspired and one can only wonder if those endless Hip-Hop Weekly's didn't drain him creatively. Not saying he suffered a complete writer's block on this, there's a good amount of meaty metaphors, just not as many berserk, rapid fire bars as in the past. All in all it's the best tape to drop this week, but I doubt, beyond a handful of tracks that it has any real longevity.

-BIG D O




1.Intro
2. Rappers Ain’t Shit
3. A Millie Freestyle prod. by Komplex
4.Trafficin’ Green
5.I’m Cold ft. G Malone and Hard Head
6.Hood Politics
7.Straightin’ it Out ft. Sauce da Boss
8. Hard on da Blvd
9. Stronger Freestyle
10. Circle Gnag ft. Horse Shoe Gang prod. by Jim Gettum
11. Freak [NC-17] Prod. by KG
12. W’s Down prod. by Komplex
13. New West Baby ft. Coniyac
14. Signs ft. One-2 prod. by Komplex
15. Lift em Up ft. Nino Bless
16. Horse Shoe Gang Freestyle
17. Swagga Like Crook prod. by Komplex
18. What’s Hip-Hop?
19. Fast Money
20. Welcome to My City
21. [Bonus track] I’m a Problem ft. S.C

http://www.sendspace.com/file/2nf9qf

Dr. Doom AKA Kool Keith - Dr. Doom 2

Time for some wierd shit!! LOL, I kid of course....here's Kool Keith's second reprisal of his wildly popular "Dr. Doom" alter ego, who has gained much noteriety for being completely out of his mind, but only in the most diverting of ways of course. "Dr. Doom 2" features Keith's non-stop, rambling style of flow, that I must admit can truly draw you in. Weaving together dense rhymes and metaphors, Keith covers all his usual bases and addresses his lack of enthusiasm over the way that Hip-Hop is currently going. From my standpoint it don't get more underground than this here. The entire album (except for track 8) is produced by transcendent west coast figure and frequent Keith collaborator KutMaster Kurt, who un-surprisingly dishes out some of his most intoxicating beats to date.

"Dr. Doom 2" is really just what his most ardent fans will be expecting and wanting. Filled to the brim with his usual theatrics and blood curdling, over the top rhetoric, it's definitely going to garner some serious attention amogst the subterranean heads. Flat out masterpiece if you go just by his lyrics alone....he really does an excellent job of creating the theme and enhancing it; a skill that is consistent in most of his albums. Whether he's doing the hardcore sex talk, or drawing on his experiences from his onetime stay at Bellvue as a psychiatric patient, Keith is always ultra (no pun intended) graphic and puts you into full on listening mode instantly. Never corny and over done he's what horrorcore/hardcore rappers wish they could be....just supremely genuine and authentic. Really he's the most entertaining and original personality in Hip-Hop right now and the tragic thing is that he's always been this way; always been himself.

Whether your searching for intense gore, masterful dialogue or just intensly gory masterful dialogue this is the way to go on your next trip to the back of the record store.

-BIG D O




01. 02:45 Simon
02. 03:30 The Countdown
03. 03:22 R.I.P. Dr. Octagon
04. 03:38 I’m Creepin’
05. 03:14 I Followed You
06. 03:53 Run For Your Life Feat. Fathered
07. 02:57 Step-N-Fetchers
08. 04:01 The God Of Rap
09. 03:30 How Sexy Feat. Denis Deft
10. 03:14 That Girl Is A Monster
11. 03:38 Do Not Disturb
12. 03:03 Take That Ride
13. 03:15 Mopped Up
14. 03:54 Always Talkin’ Out Your Ass
15. 04:21 Surgery Feat. Motion Man

http://rapidshare.com/files/147479746/Dr._Dooom__aka_Kool_Keith_-Dr._Dooom_2-2008-Xplode.rar

illmind - Blaps, Rhymes & Life mixed by DJ Dub MD

Few producers within the game, or industry rather, of Hip-Hop have ever really managed to successfully walk the line between legitimate underground street beatmaker and accomplished, mainstream radio hit maker. Enter in illmind. The true definition of diversity himself, the Filipino beatsmith from Broomfield, NJ has had the unique opportunity to work with the game's little known and overly saturated artist's alike. From El Da Sensei, Organic Thoughts and Supastition to 50 Cent and Ghostface Killah, illmind has proven his worth through being able to truly provide for whichever artist he is working with at the time.

A lot of my favorite producers ever, admittedly are guys that were very one dimensional. What can I say? I'mma a Hip-Hop head that loves his hardcore stylings. Honestly though, I'd also be lying if I said that I didn't go out from time to time and that a change of pace in clubs can be, well....nice. While I do admire my idols like DJ Premier, I had to give him props for being able to switch it up and produce records for Christina Aguillera, gettin' his money, gettin' his fair share of the American dream. We all want our favorite hardcore shit all the time, but fact is that in the 2K the biggest consumers of retail CD's is women. Our treasured boom bap icons of production have had to adapt or face being permanently relegated to the underground realms, where the dough is much shorter, the tours are longer and their work is falling on fewer and fewer ears....

To those small few that have chosen to brave the cold and unpredictable waters of the underground scene where nothing is promised, including a prolonged career, in the name of keeping real Hip-Hop alive...man, I can't thank them enough. And I do thank them; whether it's buying their new mixtape or a T-shirt on some shady online store run by their eccentric manager's or going to their "standing room only" shows at the smallest hole in the wall bars when they run through my town, I give back and try my best to show them my support, and there's thousands of die hard fans just like me who routinely do the same things. We still have that huge love and apprecaition for our underground "king's" and the music that they so selflessly continue to push on and make. Bouncing around from shitty indie label to shitty indie label, carving out a living on what most major label guys spend at the mall on sneakers. Damn shame is what that is.... That's why when guys like illmind come along I can somewhat understand the underground's relative indifference and coyness toward him.

young, capable and well trained illmind is the wave of the future. A guy that doesn't rely on just any one weapon, but instead is skilled in a wide array of tactics, that include but are certainly not limited to making "Hip-Pop" records. However, for all his prowess at crafting hit songs and whatnot, it's most likely his underground work you know him for. I like illmind's hustle. He'll never be in my top 10, but he'll never be broke either. He's too skilled and overall guys like him are the one's leading the way into 2009 man....50 saw this right off and immediately signed him to "the machine", insuring that he would have his lil' hitmaker exclusively himself and that anyone else that wanted to enlist his talents for their crossover record or underground anthem would have to pay the current going rate.

"Blaps, Rhymes & Life" is a great introduction to illmind's more grimey efforts, but there are a few of his more, well, how should I put this, "across the board" type of efforts on here as well. Pretty solid "best of" style tape, a couple of these I had been lookin for my damn self. If your new to illmind's stuff, tracks to definitely peep on here are Supastition's "Thankful", Skyzoo's "Lyrically Inclined" and LL's Queens boro anthem that includes Kool G Rap, Prodigy, Tony Yayo and 50 Cent; "Queens".

-BIG D O




01.) Get Ya Ass Up! (Intro) (Produced By Illmind)
02.) Heltah Skeltah - Everything Is Heltah Skeltah (Produced By Illmind)
03.) Brooklyn Academy - Raise Ya Hands (feat. Jean Grae) (Produced By Illmind)
04.) Fresh Daily - Get Over (Produced By Illmind)
05.) D. Black - The Come Up (feat. Skyzoo) (Produced By Illmind)
06.) 50 Cent - Make A Movie (Produced By Illmind)
07.) Supastition - Thankful (feat. Kil Ripkin) (Produced By Illmind)
08.) Naturel - The Bullets (Produced By Illmind)
09.) K.O. (K-Otix) - 48 Seasons (Produced By Illmind)
10.) Torae - New Blood (feat. Skyzoo, Emilio Rojas & Fresh Daily) (Produced By Illmind)
11.) Fortilive - The Come Up (Produced By Illmind)
12.) Broken English - Different World (Produced By Illmind)
13.) Skyzoo - Lyrically Inclined (feat. Wale) (Produced By Illmind)
14.) Naps N Dreds - Do What I Should (feat. Copywrite) (Produced By Illmind)
15.) Quan - Geez Like Deez (feat. Rapper Big Pooh) (Produced By Illmind)
16.) Naturel - Resurrect (Produced By Illmind)
17.) 8th W1 - A Fool's Lullaby (Produced By Illmind)
18.) Faro-Z - Clap Ya Hands (Produced By Illmind)
19.) A.P.E.X. - One More Time (Produced By Illmind)
20.) LL Cool J - Queens (feat. Prodigy, 50 Cent, Kool G Rap, & Tony Yayo) (Produced By Illmind)
21.) Wannabe? (Outro) (Produced By Illmind)

http://www.mediafire.com/?4mhm2mxyzrt

Video: Strong Arm Steady - Can't Let Go

S.A.S. is back with a really crisp and beautifully shot video, "Can't Let Go". Using the high-speed Phantom camera to shoot this, watching made me wanna get back out to L.A. baby! Lowriders, beautiful women and a wonderful, true west coast beat all add to the imagery of this joint. This is just the Youtube version, I highly recommend you go watch this on better media player, it's amazing. Personally I'm a huge fan and I can't wait for the Arm And Hammer album. These guys are one of teh last real L.A. based hip-hop groups man....

-BIG D O

Video: Lord Tariq - Pop Off

Aaaaiight!! New one from Lord Tariq right here and it's about time. Been wondering where duke had been at. The Bronx vet returns with a really dope, hardcore video. The imaging is really what I look for in a more edgy effort, and it's definitely one of Tariq's stronger vid's all-time. Song is pretty decent as well. The old addage "Less is more" definitely applies here.....this vid prolly cost a grand or so to make, maybe less, but to me is one of the better joint out now. Real creative shit man....shouts to tariq yo!!

-BIG D O

Video: Nas - Yall My Niggas

Powerful, thought provoking, artistic, and eye catching, Nas drops his new video for one of the more controversial records on his new album. Done in black and white the images captured in it are powerful and resonant. Directed by "Taj", "Yall My Niggas" is the perfect Hip-Hop video. It takes the focus off of all that does not matter and channels the energy of Nas's word's into the form of a young child rapping with his head phones on in an environment that is not only hectic, but moody and beautiful. This one definitely will be remembered.

-BIG D O

Indie Record To Peep: The SolIllaquists Of Sound - As If We Existed

This is the debut LP from the Orlando based group SolIllaquists Of Sound. To sort of sum up their style, I would say they're eclectic and that they utilize a "jack" format. All of you that are familiar with radio termanology know that "jack" refers to, well, nothing. Meaning that they don't have a format and they draw their influences from many different genres of music. From Soul to Jazz and Rock, the group comprised of members Swamburger, Tonya Combs, Alexandra and DiVinci have coined an acronym to describe their music in FAHEEM, which stands for "Free Astral Hip Hop Extraterrestrially Energized Message". LOL, now before you go nuts and decide that they're your average, hipster rap idiots, just chill out and listen to what I gotta say. I at first was a bit hesitant about these guys too, but after I heard DiVinci's production I eased up a bit. I also saw that there was two females in the group...not always a great sign...but after listening them two femcees straight proved their worth as artist's. Look, if you like good indie shit with thoughtful rhymes and unique production then grab this, if not just keep it movin'. It's a lil' artsy in spots, but like I said, solid production carry's this joint in it's more off pace moments. Be sure to bump "Choices", "Our 2 Cents" and the title track "As If We Existed".

-BIG D O



1. Pledge of Resonance
2. Property & Malt Liquor
3. As If We Existed
4. Mark It Place
5. Ask Me If I Care
6. Black Guy Peace
7. Choices
8. Berlin
9. Beautiful Catastrophe
10. Ur Turn
11. All Too Common
12. Our 2 Cents

http://rapidshare.com/files/121343447/So.Illaquists_-_As_If_We_Existed.rar

Loose Music Presents...Champion Hoods Featuring Von Pea, Spec Boogie & Elucid

Some of the underground's bright and creative new stars team up to freestyle over 90's hip-hop instrumentals. Not the first time this idea has been done and admittedly I'm pissed that we won't be hearing any new beats from Von Pea, but still worth the listen. Kind of a preparatory thing this mixtape...reminds you that winter is right around the corner, and for many of us that means short days and long nights couped up inside with nothing to do. There are some perks to winter however....you do get to dress in layers, lol.....and what is my favorite winter garment? That's right, the aforementioned "Champion" Hoodie. Not the cheap ass ones either...I'm talkin the 70 dollar super hood that has a pointy hood when it's brand new. Yeahhh.....nuthin beats those Champion hoodies....takes me back to better times. I think the whole "trying to bring out the nostalgia in people" shtick is wearing a lil' thin though...even if I fuck wit these guy's music pretty regularly, I ain't feelin the gimmicky approach this time around...I mean we get it...the first time I found some of these instrumentals online I fucked with em' too, but come on man....you gotta know your market...underground heads want your new stuff....new beats, new rhymes etc., etc.,. Leave the classics alone man.

-BIG D O




01 Champion Hood Intro
02 Shadowboxing
03 Superstar
04 Iced Down Medallions
05 Brooklyn Kids
06 Can't Stop the Chopping
07 Loosie-La
08 Diner's Club Era
10 Tried by 12 (feat. Lek)
11 Tonight's Da Night
12 Code of the Streets
13 Loosie or Leave it Alone
14 Breakadawn
15 Criminology
16 Last Dayz

http://rapidshare.com/files/146685921/Loosie_All-Stars_-_Champion_Hoods.rar

Killah Priest and Chief Kamachi - Beautiful Minds

When authentic heads get together and talk about their favorite hardcore and socially aware Hip-Hop artist's, the names Chief Kamachi and Killah Priest usually would be a couple of no brainer's to include. Kamachi is one of the most highly touted members of The Army Of Pharoah's and Priest has for a long time been a very notable Wu-Tang affiliate. Both have released plenty of albums that have garnered huge critical acclaim and done pretty well for independent releases. Fresh off releasing "Behind The Stained Glass" and Kamachi's "The ritual Of Battle", these two special emcee's are poised for more underground success. In order to attain this ever so coveted success, they've decided to join forces and release their highly anticipated "Beautiful Minds" project on Good Hands records.

Combining their powerful, poetry infused lyricism and a combined 30+ years in the game, Priest and Kamachi aren't newcomers to making worthy releases. Both men boast resume's that display a huge commitment to making Hip-Hop that wholly and fully represents the underground culture in all it's outside-the-box thinking, truth exsposing and unapologetic grander. To those that have never experienced either one of these guys rhyming, smarten up. There's only a handful of emcee's out there that still put it all together the way they do.

Putting their collective ears in the proverbial pot, Kamachi and Priest collaborate well on "Beautiful Minds", trading precise and searing verse for precise and searing verse. The lyrical showmanship is on full display for this outing and tracks like "Reflections", "Blessing" and "Don't Waste Your Lungs" prove that Priest and Kamachi are tailor made to rhyme side by side with one another and that this project was ingenious. Their chemistry is quite complimentary and the whole album is a true collaboration as it only contains one guest feature in Fresno, CA rhyme veteran Planet Asia. No complaining from me on his inclusion at all. "Beautiful Minds" is a grasping project that takes you into a lyrical tour de force and never lets up.

The production on here is very, very impressive as well. Priest and Kamachi combine their connections to enlist beatmekers like Tekneek (Kurupt, Tha Dogg Pound), E. Dan (Reef The Lost Cauze, Kamachi, Wiz Khalifa), C Sik (Dilated Peoples, Strong Arm Steady), Dev Rocka, and Diamond Legit amongest others. Many of the names, while worked, will most likely still be new to most, but that's a surprising twist that works out well for the duo. The production is outstanding and diverse. Rich in drums and provocative sampling, the beats create a unique sound scape that is exactly what you wanna hear in a underground release like this.

At the end of the day the only major misgiving that this album has is it's entirely too short and only contains 12 tracks. I much rather would have waited longer for this and gotten at least 16 to 18 joints, but hey, at least we're getting something. Something that is gonna be in your rotation pretty heavy if your a fan of dense lyricism.

-BIG D O




01 beautiful minds 02:56
02 all hail 03:54
03 closest 03:28
04 reflections 02:58
05 illest feat. planet asia and dj rhettmatic 04:26
06 most high 03:54
07 time out revisited 01:28
08 don’t waste your lungs 02:49
09 all been buried 04:07
10 blessing 03:00
11 see clearly 04:55
12 scrolls feat. dj rhettmatic 03:07

http://rapidshare.com/files/146635779/Killah_Priest_and_Chief_Kamachi-Beautiful_Minds-2008-2N_INT.rar

G4 Freestyle Video/New Artist Feature: Fashawn

LINK FOR VID: http://www.g4tv.com/thepile/videos/28557/Freestyle_101_New_Artist_Month_Fashawn.html

Dope lil' freestyle vid from newcomer Fashawn (pronounced fash-on), who reps Fresno, CA to the fullest. I've actually seen joints from this kid here and there on tapes and whatnot, ut I've never heard him til' now. He's talented. Real talented. Talented enough for me to kick myself in the leg for not checking his music out earlier. This is a very well put together video that also has me kicking myself for neglecting G4TV.com and what they're bringing to the table. I saw some really clear footage, a top of the line mic, good post-freestyle interview, heard a crisp, new beat and enjoyed the graphics and the layout design for the vid a lot. Top of the line shit, really, hats off to the cats at G4TV yo....

-BIG D O

DJ Fade Presents...New York Giants Vol.2: Big L & Big Pun

As everyone knows I ain't too big on mixtapes these days...most of em' ain't worth the CD-R's they're copied to, but as you can see, I've been having some luck finding a few today that I thought were aaiight....this one isn't super spectacular or anything, but in the way mixtapes go it's a hell of a lot better than the majority of the pack right now.

There's not much of a back story or plot that I need to outline for ya'll with this one. All DJ Fade has done is gather up some of the best tracks ever from two of the best emcee's New York has ever known and slap em' all on a mixtpae. You'll find the usual all-time great tracks on here that are routine when a "best of" type of mixtape for either of these guys is made, but DJ Fade does drop a few more lesser-known and unorthodox joints for this particuliar ode to Pun's and L's greatness. For example, the often overlooked Big Pun cut's (which in actuality aren't his cuts at all, but tracks he appeared on as a guest) "Cross Bronx Expressway" and "Heavyweights" make their way on here and that's a special delight for me. A lot of the time people forget that Pun was a guest feature machine and collaborated with tons of people outside of his Terror Squad camp. Fade does a decent job of highlighting a few of those feature spots he did, that while memorable, are consistently ignored on many a tribute tape to him. I attribute that small problem of using the same material over and again to most DJ's not really knowing Pun's music and just trying to buy themselves some cred with the hardcore crowd and his die hard fans by releasing a routine "best of" by him, with the same old recycled lineup of songs. Fade proves that this tape ain't really in that same model and provides a nice twist by including another great hardcore lyricist in Big L on the tape.

Even though Fade successfully breaks the status quo and standard modus operandi for "Best of Big Pun" type tapes, he unfortunately cannot reproduce the same magic for New York Giants's co-star Big L. I took it easy on him with the criticism on that though. Unlike Pun, L rarely collaborated outside of his D.I.T.C. circle, and when he did it was noted and those tracks have been played, played and played over and again. He wasn't the efficient RBI notching workman like Pun was but rather more of a home run or power hitter. L's greatest strength was his 3 pronged attack; delivery, flow and lyrics and most of the time he was such a devastating force, few emcees could actually get in the booth after him or get on the stage next to him and sound good...he was an animal on that mic and his ferocity and fearlessness to say anything, was un-matched. In that fact he and Pun are very much in the same vein as artist's. Two of the best ever and I personally have a lot of memories set to the music these guys made.

-BIG D O



1. (00:02:51) - Back in the hood - big l ft. party arty
2. (00:03:29) - Thug love - remy martin ft. big pun
3. (00:03:17) - Who you slidin' wit - big l ft. stan spit
4. (00:03:45) - Still not a player - big pun ft. joe
5. (00:03:13) - Hit it - big l
6. (00:03:21) - I'm not a player - big pun
7. (00:03:09) - Internationally known - d.i.t.c. ft. o.c., big l, fat joe & lord finesse
8. (00:04:05) - John blaze - fat joe ft. nas, big pun, raekwon & jadakiss
9. (00:04:04) - Get yours - d.i.t.c. ft. big l, o.c. & diamond d
10. (00:04:07) - Drop it heavy - d.i.t.c. ft. krs-one, big pun & a.g.
11. (00:03:17) - All love - d.i.t.c. ft. fat joe, lord finesse & big l
12. (00:05:12 - Cross bronx expressway - lord tariq & peter gunz ft. fat joe & big pun
13. (00:02:39) - Flamboyant - big l
14. (00:03:56) - Heavy weights - violator ft. fat joe, big pun & eightball
15. (00:02:34) - Ebonics - big l
16. (00:02:09) - Best behavior - big pun ft. fat joe
17. (00:03:14) - Platinum plus - big l ft. big daddy kane
18. (00:03:17) - Tres leches (triboro trilogy) - big pun ft. prodigy & inspectah deck
19. (00:05:06) - Da graveyard - big l ft. jay-z, lord finesse, grand daddy i.u., party arty & microphone nut
20. (00:03:22) - New york giants - big pun ft. m.o.p.
21. (00:02:52) - Size 'em up - big l
22. (00:03:48) - You ain't a killer - big pun
23. (00:00:57) - Psalm 23 - o.c. (big l tribute)

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WHCR15X5

Mixtape Of The Month: K-Hill - The Return Of Monroe Hutchin

This month's most outstanding mixtape title undeniably goes to the distinguished and multi-talented artist K-Hill. Underground heads are familiar with K-Hill because of the extensive work he's done with Justus League and 9th Wonder. Make no mistake however, K-Hill has collaborated with the best in the hardcore rap business. From Nature, Big Daddy Kane and Jean Grae, he's built up a pretty solid resume for an upstart producer. The Durham, NC native with the inate faculty for both producing catchy, soul drenched beats and rhyming with the sharp wittyness of a true school veteran has opted to deliver to us fans a whole mixtape of his works completely free of charge. A meaningful gesture considering that he surely could sell his stuff...It unequivocally is the type of bona fide Hip-Hop material that underground junkies reavenously seek out and pay fifteen bucks for.

"The Return Of Monroe Hutchin" has all the right componants to be deemed memorable, if not classic. It's a consistent effort, which has purpose behind all of it's selections. Even the title has a meaning that is much more than your annoying and self-serving designation that you'll typically find on the front of most mixtapes these days. For all those that don't understand the significance of the name "Monroe Hutchin", it stems from the name of a fictional movie character that was played by Wesley snipes in the film he co-produced called "Undisputed", which was released sometime in 2002. Hutchin is an intelligent and low-key inmate in one of the highest security prisons in America. He' also is the undisputed heavyweight boxng champion of the prison ten years and running. Hutchin landed himself in jail by beating a man to death using his bare hands which as any fan of pugilism knows, are registered as lethal weapons. K-Hill takes on the role of the brillant, yet un-assuming Hutchin, as he also displays how his hands are lethal weapons when he writes rhymes and composes beats.

In the lyrical category we have K-Hill dispatching some of his best verses ever in his slight southern accent alongside a prime supporting cast, that includes the extremely complimentary services of emcee's like Torae, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Supastition, L.E.G.A.C.Y., Soulstice and the legendary Grand Daddy I.U.. In the production grouping we discover K-Hill has indeed not limited this tape's phonetic arrangement's to be provided by him alone. Assembling a cast of heavilly respected beatsmiths in Marco Polo, J Dilla and The Gyphted, he is sure to absorb any fan of good music with the array of head-nodding and grandly melodious sequences.

As far as the overall theme and tone of this tape goes, K-Hill delivers many an important message to his Hip-Hop peers while the dope composition's coincide. From learning how to let go of the past, dealing with the constant "indie" artist frustrations and understanding what really matters in this world of material things, this project is filled with silver-tongued moments and substansive attitudes. Not totally consumed by all the austere and reflective subjects that he's no doubt surrounded by, K-Hill is just as cagey with his production when it comes to the segments of the tape that take a less heavy approach. Supplying beats for tracks like "So High", "Ving Rhames" and "Back In The Day" K-Hill manifests a unique quality to model beats perfectly for the emcee's subject matter as well as shwing he can keep it light; a skill that has no doubt carried him to the buzz he's arrived at now and will continue to fuel his meteoric rise through the vast ranks of masterful underground producer's and emcee's.

-BIG D O




1) Preview (prod by K-Hill)
2) Legendary Intro (prod by The Gyphted)
3) The Verdict (prod by Marco Polo)
4) Welcome Home ft. Tiffany Paige (prod by The Gyphted)
5) Jim Snooka - The Boiling Point ft. K-Hill (prod by K-Hill)
6) The Formula Radio Drop (prod by Vanderslice)
7) Shabamm Sahdeeq - Keep Comin ft. Supastition, Torae, & Tiffany Paige (prod by K-Hill)
8) J. Bully - Ving Rhamez (prod by K-Hill)
9) L.E.G.A.C.Y. - No Regrets ft. Lunatic Messiah (prod by K-Hill)
10) Granddaddy I.U. - Back In The Day Rmx ft. Pudgee Da Phat Bastard & Kal Royale (Prod by K-Hill)
11) Omniscence - So High - (prod by K-Hill)
12) DJ Flash Freestyle (J Dilla Instrumental)
13) Ving Rhames - Gunns and Butter
14) Winner’s Circle ft. Soulstice and J.Bully (prod by K-Hill)

http://rapidshare.com/files/145940357/K-Hill-The_Return_Of_Monroe_Hutchen-2008.rar

Legend, DJ Nice & Statik Selektah - Back 2 The Basics (Leaders Of The New School)

Whenever Statik Selektah drops somethin' new I always make a point to check it out because 9 outta 10 times it's gonna be noteworthy. The Lawrence, Massachusetts DJ teams up with relative unknowns DJ Nice and Legend to release a tape that for the most part is pretty flawless in delivering that wonderful "old school" and authentic Hip-Hop feeling. No surprise there, When Selektah goes in he always reps for that great east coast sound that has been somewhat lost in translation in the latter part of the 2K.

Starting things off correct, Torae blesses us with some nice, nice wordplay that for me was kinda the highlight of the first part of the tape. I'm biased though, I've been tryin to tell people bout Torae for a hot minute. The first ten tracks are all highly entertaining, boasting some pretty ill lyricism from the likes of Kiss, SkyZoo, Termanology, Stimuli and Joell Ortiz. Then the bullshit strikes. I don't know which one of the three DJ's decided it would be a good idea to poison this tape with the likes of Lil' Wayne and Kanye West's new, shitty Auto Tune'd single, but needless to say it was a dreaded move. I don't understand how you can throw these two into the mix on a tape like this, maybe Kanye could sneak on here, but definitely not with "Love Lockdown", SMH....And even worse, they put a really good Emilio Rojas track smack dab in the middle of that bullshit! LOL, sort of forcing you to navigate around the utter the lameness of Wayne and Kanye to hear some good stuff. Emilo Rojas deserves better.

Things get back on track quickly though, as AC, Talib Kweli, and John Robinson come through and bless the lineup and Statik releases one of his trademark Showoff remixes for D-Dot, Redman and Black Rob. Unfortunately it isn't long before we hear more ventures into undesirable mainstream waters. The bottonm half of the tape contains far too many unwanted tracks from over the hill and new coming, hit-seekers. Ludacris, Max B. and Curren$y all sort of inject themselves in bad spots with shitty music and take away from gloriously good moments like Big L's unreleased gem "Principles Of The New School", Naledge's Statik Selektah produced "Happy Birthday" and west coast underground sensation Blu's "HoldOn". All in all this is a really listenable mix, but I'd be lying if I said that I hadn't expected more from Selektah. That's kind of un-fair though considering he does provide the majority of the tapes best moments with his ever-improving production and remixing skills. Good but definitely not great, most likely you'll end up doing as I did, by downloading this, bumping it and then quickly moving on after you delete the five or so garbage tracks.

-BIG D O




01. Torae - Back 2 The Basics (Intro)
02. Jadakiss - Who Run This (Feat. Jay-Z) (Produced By Baby Grand)
03. Joell Ortiz - Sympathy
04. Styles P - Villian (Produced by J.Cardim)
05. Stimuli - Walk On Water 2
06. Skyzoo - Bragging Rights (Remix) (Produced by Analogic)
07. Fashawn - Our Way (Feat. Evidence) (Produced by Exile)
08. Godchild - Another Day, Another Dollar (Produced by Mike The Martyr)
09. Reks - Money On The Ave (Remix) (Feat. Skyzoo & Termanology)
10. Cambatta - What It Do (Produced by Boonie Mayfield)
11. Statik Selektah - Mr. Popularity (Feat. Consequence)
12. Cory Gunz - Lay Me Down (Produced By Nottz)
13. Lil Wayne - Still Standing (Feat. Junior Reid) (Snippet)
14. Emilio Rojas & M-Phazes - 585
15. Kanye West - Love LockDown
16. AC - I Engineer (Feat. The Senate)
17. DJ KO - Someday (Talib Kweli, Torae, John Robinson & Tiffany Paige)
18. Statik Selektah - This Is It (Showoff Remix) (Feat. D-Dot, Redman & Black Rob)
19. Ced Hughes - Back 2 The Basics (Like This) (Produced By Ced Hughes)
20. Ludacris - Undisputed (Feat. Floyd Mayweather Jr.) (Produced By Don Cannon)
21. B.o.B - I'll Be In The Sky (Produced By B.o.B)
22. ESSO - Thinkin' Out Loud IV
23. Max B - Live Comfortable
24. Big L - Principal Of The New School (Unreleased)
25. Naledge - Happy Birthday (Produced By Statik Selektah)
26. Fashawn - Because I'm Black
27. Blu - HoldOn
28. Theo - 2055 (The Future)
29. Rain - Back 2 Life (Produced By Scram Jones)
30. Curren$y - Whoa (Outro) (Produced By Kid Eight)

http://www.badongo.com/file/11361528

Duck Down Records Presents...The Duck Down Hotline

This is a pretty original take on the everyday run of the mill Hip-Hop sampler. That should come as no surprise though, because for years Duck Down Records has been run by one of the most innovative cats out there in Dru Ha. Duke is much more than the president over there at Duck Down. He has a hand in everything that comes out of his label, from the clothes they sell in the online store to the bevy of dope and well drawn out BCC mixtapes that continually drop right when you need em' (loved that X-Files joint Dru!).

It's been a great year for Duck Down Records man. They signed an "outside the box" type of group in Kidz In The Hall and saw them rise to the top of the "hipster" rap scene, they signed DJ Revolution, an all-time legend in west coast DJing, they released "The Formula", 9th Wonder and Buckshot's second collaborative effort to recieve rave reviews, they released a couple new mixtapes from Tec and Steele, they recently signed L.A. based, latino rhyme legend B-Real and they are currently prepping for release what is sure to be a contender for album of the year with Heltah Skeltah's "D.I.R.T.". Man, it don't get no better than that when it comes to a small label trying to make it in the ever shrinking world of underground, hardcore rap.

Continuing their stellar street promotion Duck Down Records has decided to give the fans what they want in a new and exclusive label sampler, that includes a large helping of some of the imprint's bright new stars and seasoned veterans alike. Never to be the ones to do something mundane or everyday, The good folks at Duck Down have spiced this sampler up a bit. Including a couple exclusive remixes, joints from brand new albums (that you shouldn't have had until yesterday!) and more than a few really dope and insightful interviews from Buckshot, Kidz In The Hall, Heltah Skeltah and DJ Revolution.

-BIG D O




1) DJ Revolution INTRO & Buckshot Interview
2) 9th Wonder & Buckshot “Brand Nu Day”
3) Buckshot Interview
4) 9th Wonder & Buckshot featuring Mickey Factz “Concrete Jungle”
5) Buckshot Interview
6) Buckshot “WHO GOT THE PROPS 2008″
7) DJ Double O of Kidz In The Hall Interview
8) Kidz In The Hall featuring Estelle “Love Hangover” (Video debuted on MTV’s TRL)
9) Naledge of Kidz In the Hall Interview
10) Kidz In The Hall “Driving Down The Block Westcoast Remix”
11) Ruste Juxx Interview
12) Ruste Juxx “Vic Flair”
13) Ruste Juxx “Wipe Off Ya Smile” off INDESTRUCTIBLE in stores October 28th
14) Heltah Skeltah Interview
15) Heltah Skeltah “Everything Is Heltah Skeltah” off D.I.R.T.
16) Heltah Skeltah “FUCK THAT RAPPER”
17) DJ Revolution Interview conducted by DJ LOGIC
18) DJ Revolution featuring KRS-ONE “THE DJ” off KING OF THE DECKS
19) DJ Revolution Interview
20) DJ Revolution featuring Bishop Lamont, Crooked I & Styliztik Jones “Funky Piano” off KING OF THE DECKS IN STORES SEPTEMBER 16th
21) DJ Revolution Outro

http://rapidshare.com/files/145951381/VA-Duckdown_Records_Presents-DuckDown_HotLine_Mixtape_Hosted_By_DJ_Revolution-2008.rar

Video: DJ Revolution feat. Special Teamz (Slaine, Jaysaun & Edo G.) - Big Top

Surprised to see that Revolution couldn't scare up a bigger budget for this, lol...still, any effort is a good effort (message to all you new artists!). Damn shame that an ill song like this didn't get better film quality, or direction for that matter...Damn Rev, holla at Rik Cordero, he's out there in Cali right? At any rate, what I'm sure was un-intentional, yet hilarious creepiness, no doubt will segway well into the Halloween season. Be sure to check out Revolution's new album "King Of The Decks" in it's entirety...it's not gonna be posted up here cause' I got too much respect for Revolution and I ain't puttin my hand in his pocket.

-BIG D O

Milano - Sidewalk Stories

Often forgotten in the all-time illest Latino emcee conversation's is none other than Milano. The Uptown Manhattan raised, Puerto Rican bred lyricist has for quite some time been puttin' it down in the name of real street Hip-Hop. Primarilly known for his collabo's with the world famous D.I.T.C. crew and the late, very great Big Punisher, Milano has released several 12" singles over the years and has appeared on numerous mixtapes hosted by the NYC's best; ranging From Tony Touch, Kay Slay, Green Lantern and DJ Enuff. Shedding his somewhat "underground" tag, Milano has decided to release a new 10 track project to the Masses entitled "Sidewalk Stories". I had previously not known that Milano was planning to release anything new, but was pleasantly surprised to see this out there for all his true fans. Unfortunately I do have some major issues with "Sidewalk Stories". Surprisingly it is, as previously stated, only 10 tracks long, making it tough to really settle in with it. And in all actuality it's only 9 tracks because the tenth one is the previously released classic "Where You At?" that features Pun. Save that shit for the "Best of" tape Milano! Another qualm I had was that all 10 tracks aren't the ultra street and boom bapped out type of joints that Milano has become known for churning out over the years. For example, "Hot Pair Of Nikes" and "Take It Off" find Milano haphazardly trying to create more modern, radio friendly hits, but miss badly. Milano does temporarily rescue himself with stellar songs like "The Ladder" and "New York City", that provide both infectious production and thoughtful wordplay. With beats by Showbiz, Agallah, Will Tell, Chaze, Grim Team and Amed this lil' appetizer should please most, but will come up short for anyone who has been starving for a heaping helping of Milano since he first burst on the scene with D.I.T.C..

-BIG D O



01 - big future
02 - holy trinity 2
03 - new york city
04 - skit
05 - the ladder
06 - take it off
07 - stay low
08 - and now
09 - how u
10 - where you at feat. big pun

http://rapidshare.com/files/145467466/Milano-Sidewalk_Stories-2008.tar