Back in 2017, we had the privilege to share with you Atlanta producer Threepeeoh's unreleased original version of the Public Enemy song, "Toxic." As we mentioned, the remix of that song (also by Threepeeoh) ended up on PE's Nothing Is Quick in the Desert album. Today, we are proud to premiere another unreleased Threepeeoh remix for another song off that album, the incendiary "Terrorwrist."
The story behind it goes like this: the current DJ for Public Enemy and Prophets of Rage, DJ Lord, recently released a project with Kool Keith and Chuck D called Afterburn, and one of the cuts on here is a Threepeeoh remix to "Terrorwrist." However, it wasn't the only remix Threepeeoh did for that song. "Being the weirdo that I am, I made like five," the producer tells us. (To be fair, if I had the chance to do a remix for Chuck D, I would probably show him five versions also.) As it turns out, Chuck ended up passing on Threepeoh's favorite, so he passed it on to yours truly. Check it out below, and if you're digging what you hear, support the artists by copping Afterburnon CD or digital.
It's been too long since our last Lost Island Records post, but then I guess the mistake befits the moniker. Speaking of, today's featured artist from that collective shares a name with one of professional boxing's all-time characters, Mitch Green. However, this Green has a story all his own, one "on contemporary feelings and modern trial and error," told from the critical perspective of "a young black man from Long Island." If that sounds overly broad, let Mitch's music fill in the gaps. He's asked nicely, Help Me Help You.
For anyone who missed Nomad Carlos's 2018 project, aptly titled The Nomad Carlos Project, "Post Up" provides notice you might need to go back and hear exactly what you missed. For this new single (not on the 2018 project), the Nomadic one teams with Toronto-based production duo The Quarter Inch Kings. Menace ensues.
"Crime pays on fine days ... knuckle game gave you migraines and blind rage snatching supply chains in nine ways." Bars abound.
With the Wyandanch High School football squad
(from Rakim's Instagram page).
This post takes the site full circle in a sense. As some readers might remember, the famous live recording of Kid Wizard Rakim, Biz Markie, Grandmaster BMC (aka DJ Belal) and MC Chilly Dawg at Wyandanch High School was featured in one of our earliest posts (the fourth to be exact). Today, we have a much, much longer recording from that day.
The jam kicks off with DJ Fantasy and a rotating cast of MCs. It's tough to make out all the names, but one I did recognize called by the DJ (whether an audience member or someone who steps up to the mic) was Teddy Ted, who may have been a former rhyme partner of Ra's from his day's in the Almighty 5 Mcs. At any rate, most of these rappers from the beginning of the jam sound cut from the old Busy Bee body-rock cloth of the early '80s. However, at around the 32:40 mark Biz Markie takes the mic (yes, there is about 30 minutes of Biz before the "main event").
With the Milton L. Olive Middle School basketball team
(same source as above).
Biz's opening routine is so raunchy for the time it's shocking to think it was actually performed at a high school without the whole show being shut down. (Then again, remember Belal saying they basically turned the high school into a house party, so this fits that narrative perfectly.) The Diabolical one follows this up with a long beat-boxing set, and MC Chilly Dawg joins in around 49 minutes in. Now keep in mind, all of this comes before the cypher featuring Kid Wizard Rakim. He comes in around 55:30 on this recording. There's also some more beatboxing by Biz and an early performance of "Make the Music With Your Mouth Biz," both of which come after the Rakim cypher, so you're getting a bunch of additional gems in this longer recording.
Below, I've included two streams: one from YouTube, one from Mixcloud. The latter sounds much louder, but those of us in the U.S. can't rewind it due to licensing issues, so take your pick.
This concludes Long Island Rap Blog's 5th Annual Rakim Week. I hope you've enjoyed the sights and sounds. Thanks again to all of the creators, as well as the original listeners who had the good sense to record what they were hearing for posterity.
EDIT: The previous YouTube recording has been taken down. Another version has been uploaded by Tape Deck Wreck, but it doesn't look like the time stamps above match up with it.
