12/28/17

Marlo DeMore - "Solitaire"

New Marlo produced by On3trackmind fka Ra the Beat Archaeologist — one can only speculate that the "Faded Black and Gold 10" track description refers to a 10-song sequel to their hallmark 2015 EP. "One" being me "only" speculating because I haven't spoken to either of these gentlemen in about as long.

12/13/17

J Readi - Stakes Is High Freestyle

It's Rakim's nephew rapping over what some might argue is the best De La Soul beat of all time. What more can you ask for? Before you snidely reply, "Rakim rapping over that beat himself," click play and peep game at 1:20 in particular.

Muja Messiah - Saran Rap (prod. Roc Marciano)

You thought Roc Marciano only put out one project in 2017? Think again. On November 24, Man Bites Dog Records released Saran Rap, a six-song EP by Minneapolis MC Muja Messiah, produced entirely by Roc Marciano.

In addition to providing beat, Roc also features on the first track, "You Haven't Lived,"and appears in its video. Stream that and the EP both below, and click through Bandcamp to cop the vinyl pictured here, a limited edition of 150.

DJ Pr!nce - Blast into the Past pt. 2

DJ Prince kicked off a very productive 2017 with this old school mix, just the thing for heart-warming holiday celebration or grown-sexy New Year's gathering.

12/3/17

Pozy One - "The Crazy Never Die"

DOOM - The Missing Notebook Rhymes

DOOM's supposedly canceled series of semi-unreleased exploits featuring the likes of Sean Price, Jay Electronica and Kool Keith. If the stream below is taken down, call conspiracy. Download all seven songs here.

11/13/17

Lisaan'dro - "A Million Caribbeans" / "Cloudy Skies"

Flee Sport - Hoodie Szn

Athletic wordplay is what it takes to flow comfortably over an unconventional beatsmith the likes of DJ Pr!nce (we keeps it exclamatory around these parts, seen).

Case in point: all my real-deal digi-diggers ought to recognize this "Chinaman" jawn and revel in the post-bap glory of it all, cushioned of course by some mighty healthy mixtape freestyles, like um, "Mighty Healthy."

If you have no idea what any of this is about, then we're getting somewhere. Flee Sport plays the triangle offense below, kid. Post up.

11/9/17

Llewkritive x Kenny Orlando x ALLAN "DKv2"

ALLAN: "Our original idea for the video was to go to the same spot where we went to shoot 'KOH,' and needless to say we weren't allowed to be there. The cops showed up with about 10 cars to remind us of that. Nonetheless it got energy going to shoot a great video out in Farmingdale a little while later."

11/8/17

svrin - nightmare 2014

If only I'd checked my email in the past month, this dude might've ended up on the Halloween mix below. At 20, Syosset's svrin is low-key putting out some of the scariest music I've heard in a minute (and the beats below were done in 2014, so the same could be said of 17-yo svrin).

"Low-key" both because his play counts are in the teens (don't ask how), and in that his beats favor subtle suspense over cheap thrills, like how Suspiria will always be scarier than say Paranormal Activity.

Lease or buy beats here.

10/26/17

Suffolk County DA Charged With Obstructing

Now, now, now, let's not let a few bad eggs soil the reputation of one of the nation's most handsomely paid and distinguished police forces. It's not as if the department chief beat up a heroin addict who was in police custody after being arrested for stealing a bag of the chief's sex toys ... oh, wait.

OK, OK, OK, but it's not like said police chief was a linchpin in a government-wide network of corrupt lawmakers, enforcers and other public officials, stretching all the way up to the district attorney, who aided in a cover-up of the aforementioned dildo-shame beating ... oh wait.

"Suffolk Prosecutor Charged With Obstructing Police Assault Investigation."

10/15/17

Prince Paul - The Redux

On the strength of his work with De La Soul, Gravediggaz, Breeze Brewin and Horror City, I rank Prince Paul as the greatest producer of all time ... yes, even above DJ Premier. That's just how I feel. So you can understand why, when I saw there was a new Prince Paul project out featuring unreleased songs with Breeze Brewin, RZA, and De La Soul — not to mention Long Island Rap favorites Truth Enola and Bumpy Knuckles — I shit on myself. A couple days have passed, I've tossed my doo-doo pants, and now I'm prepared to share this brown-note magic with you (it's a thing; look it up). Stream the single-track mix below. Download it in four parts via Bandcamp. Click thru to Soundcloud for the tracklist.

9/20/17

Public Enemy - "Toxic" (Original Threepeeoh Mix)

Atlanta producer Threepeeoh is a good friend of Public Enemy's DJ Lord and a longtime Public Enemy fan who had collaborated on several songs with Chuck D but never on an official Public Enemy album cut, that is, until "Toxic" from 2017's Nothing Is Quick In The Desert. As it turns out, a confidant of Threepeeoh informs us that the version of "Toxic" included on the album is actually a remix, a Threepeeoh-produced remix which was preferred by Chuck D, but a remix nevertheless. The original version, streaming exclusively below, was also produced by Threepeeoh, but features a slightly different chorus and scratches, as well as a much harder beat. Follow the link above to compare this version with the album cut, and check out more Threepeeoh collabos with Chuck D and DJ Lord here. A long-winded description, I realize, but trust me, this is one of this site's best posts.

9/10/17

AMDAMEISTER - This Is Too Much

This Is Too Much is something of a pivot for AM da Meister. Like fellow Eight Immortal Akari, AM has grown from skilled boom-bap homage payer to a versatile songwriter unconfined by a single style or subgenre. Instead, there's a range of emotions and aesthetic flourishes on display here.

Mastery of one's craft unearths a breadth of possibility if not also a world of opportunity. Clocking in at just over 15 minutes between five songs, This Is Too Much is just enough to begin peeling back the layers of AM's tremendous potential.

9/6/17

Trpl Blk + DJ Prince - National Debt

Jay-Z recently spit a couple bars about flipping Basquiats and real estate, and everybody went nuts. To paraphrase Charli Baltimore's ex, he may have made it a hot song, but Trpl Blk & DJ Prince made it a hot album.

Finding America in a state of moral bankruptcy and financial fuckery, National Debt can be heard as an affront to neocapitalist wage slavery, a true free-market rallying cry in the tradition of Black Wall Street, and most pressingly, a profitable partnership pairing Bruiser Brigade MC Trpl Blk with Mobile Kitchen maestro DJ Prince. Yes, sound investment advice abounds, but so do innovative sounds and rhyme styles that expose everyday hustle raps for ponzi schemes. Do the math.

8/28/17

1st Class Dro: Long Island Rap interviews Lisaan'dro

Who is Lisaan'dro? For a while, his rap resume was limited to an uncredited guest appearance on the outro of Roc Marciano's "Ridin Around" off his proper solo debut Marcberg, a memorable contribution but one so minor compared to the monumental impact of that album that a name may have never been attached to it had Roc not mentioned Lisaan'dro when asked about the song in an interview with Nah Right.

About a year after Marcberg, Lisaan'dro's name resurfaces with a solo track called "Foam Cups & Foamposites," on which, as one critic said, Lisaan'dro "pitches his voice higher and more nasally, and absolutely rips shit over a No ID instrumental." The rapper gave us a high-end Nike over a pair of huge breasts, three high-quality verses over a huge beat, and then...

Over the next five years, not a line was heard from Lisaan'dro, until in early 2017 he released "Something Greater," a song which definitely lived up to its name. Soon thereafter, he dropped four songs in about as many months, each every bit as exciting as, arguably even better than, the last. Why the disappearance and sudden resurgence? Where had Lisaan'dro been, and for that matter, where had this remarkable MC, who'd debuted on a bonafide classic, come from in the first place?

The answers to these questions and more in LongIslandRap.com's first long-form interview, below.

8/27/17

BP - "Stacking Ammo" ft. Frukwan & 9th Prince

There's a common misconception about the Wu, that the entire movement fell off when the quality of the nine generals' solo work started to wane a bit. That might be true if you're weighing the impact with Billboard charts and radio play, but to some ears, the mid-'00s were every bit as fertile a period for the Wu, predominantly on the strength of the combined output of Wu's Killa Bee offshoots. To those ears, albums like 9th Prince's Granddaddy Flow, from 2003, are seminal works of la Wu familia.

With BP having cut his teeth toward the tail end of this era, working with acts like Black Market Militia and Timbo King, as well as 9th, "Stacking Ammo," which features he and former Gravedigga Frukwan, is a perfect entry point for the leadup to Timeless Music, BP's upcoming album, which also features guest appearances from RZA, Killah Priest, Shyheim, and the late Sean P and Prodigy, among a host of others.

8/25/17

TrueFreedom - "Champpain" (prod. by Grandmilly)

ALLAN and Keef of TrueFreedom dropped off another video, this one for a song off VooDoo, their project with Grandmilly on the boards. Long Island Rap advises you drink responsibly.

8/15/17

Lisaan'dro - "For You and Yours"

Ask and ye shall receive. Interview in the works, coming soon.

8/14/17

time keeps on sLIppin'

Steve Miller, who Miles Davis famously called a "sorry ass cat" and "non-playing motherfucker," is also known for giving the world "Fly Like an Eagle," which is the sample source for Puff Daddy's "Watcha Gon' Do," featuring Rick Ross, and for EPMD's "You're a Customer." Interestingly, it was EPMD's Erick Sermon who in 2000 put out one of Ross's earliest recordings, the Def Squad song "Aint Shit to Discuss," which featured Ross rapping as Teflon Da Don. Also worth noting, "You're a Customer" wasn't the only "Fly Like an Eagle"-sampling song from 1987 by a Long Island-based hip-hop artist; Patchogue native Biz Markie's "Nobody Beats the Biz" also flipped the Miller tune that year. Which song was recorded first? Which was written first? Or is time actually even linear in the first place? Tik tak toot-toot-toot-tooroom.

8/6/17

Conway - "50 Shots" (prod. by X-Ray da Mindbenda) /
Mobb Deep - "Hoodlum" ft. Rakim (X-Ray Remix)

As a Griselda Gang co-founder and recent signee to Shady Records, Conway the Machine has one of the hottest brands in hip-hop right now, and it shows with the rate at which his physical releases go from "limited edition" to "sold out." Fifty or $100 for a CD or vinyl is far from unheard of this world. One piece of wax, which you can still get your hands on at an affordable price, is the 50 Shots 12" released by the UK's Heavy Crates label, featuring Conway over a beat by X-Ray da Mindbenda, with remixes by George Fields and Part Time aka Figure 42. X-Ray was kind enough to break us off with the stream, and as a (sadly) timely bonus I'm including a Mobb remix he dropped four years ago.

URBVN ARCHITECTS NYC - "I Got the Call" ft. Smerk

URBVN ARCHITECTS NYC, the breakout crew comprised of Josh Alias, Blaq Kush and Yung K, has released the first visuals from their debut project, Mutual Understandings. In "I Got the Call," scenes of cyberpunk sprawl eerily recall the architectural and overall aesthetic of the Nassau-Queens border vistas of Elmont, Floral Park and Bellerose, where the squad resides.

8/3/17

Public Enemy - Live on FM Tokyo 80.0 (March 17, 1989)

Here we have a live in-studio performance by Public Enemy, which aired on FM Tokyo 80.0 on March 17, 1989, one day before their concert at Club Citta in Kawasaki.

On a program called Tokyo Radical Mystery Night, Chuck and Flavor kick live renditions of "B Side Wins Again," "Cold Lampin' with Flavor," "Fight the Power," "Prophets of Rage," "Party for the Right to Fight," "Rebel Without a Pause" and "Bring the Noise," with some beat-boxing, crooning and break beats thrown in for good measure.

8/1/17

Theravada & Marlo DeMore - "Told My Girl Don't You Switch Up Like the Verizon Man"

About, I don't know, three or four years ago, I had the pleasure of not only meeting Marlo DeMore and Theravada but watching them perform together at the same Bellmore pool hall at which I spent a good chunk of my mid-20s. A couple weeks later, the place closed. Ever since then, I've been waiting for them put out songs together. Welcome as this is, the chemistry is almost frustrating, as it only furthers my impression these two might be sitting on an album's worth of the best material either of them has ever done.

7/29/17

GEDA & Grand Wizzard MC - "Kenn vs. R.Y.U."
(Long Island Rap Exclusive)

An exclusive world premiere brought to you by the Green Enk Society label and a bunch of companies that presumably do things, "Kenn vs. R.Y.U." features Bay Shore titans GEDA and Grand Wizzard MC in out-the-box-style home-arcade entertainment, like kick back, take two Hadokens to the face, and call it an evening. Side note: Grand Wizzard MC is a classy name, and I dig it.




7/27/17

Superstar - "Superstar In Da Club"

Horror City impresario Superstar aka Big Supe turns up over a Nizzy Tracks beat that sounds like it was made for the 2686 dance floor, circa 2004; a contrast in styles, for sure, but a smooth departure nonetheless.

7/23/17

Akari - If I Made a Video Game

Since losing the Illucid moniker, 19-year-old Jordan Taylor aka Akari has been on a tear, releasing one ambitious remix after another. Summer anthems, contemporary R&B classics, southern rap sacrosanct: none of these are out of reach or done disservice by the talented hand of this young producer.

Below, check out his latest instrumental project, If I Made a Video Game, which was uploaded earlier today, along with the remixes alluded to above, including his recent take on Outkast's heretofore untouchable "Art of Storytellin Part 1."

7/21/17

Lisaan'dro - "You Already Know"

It's all happening.

7/18/17

The Militant Messenger - "How It All Began"

"How It All Began," by The Militant Messenger, is, at least as far as Discogs can tell, the only project ever released by that artist or by Megadope Records. Containing five songs spread across six tracks (with one remix, one instrumental), it survives today via a lone YouTube stream (below) and the occasional online sale in which the wax fetches anywhere from $20-$90 (currently, it's only available from two overseas retailers that are asking for $57 and $75, plus shipping).

Perhaps one of the draws is the fact that this single is among the earliest productions from Ray "GM Web D" Davis, aka X-Ray Da Mindbenda who's achieved acclaim in the U.S., U.K. and abroad as a producer for DOOM, Monsta Island Czars and Darc Mind, as well as for his solo work, rapping under the name King Cesar. Below, a message worth listening to from him, B. McMoore and T. Campbell.


If you've any other info on this release, please drop a line in the comments.

7/17/17

RumpleStromSkins - "Waisted Talent"

Not to be confused with unsung LONS affiliates Rumpletilskinz, RumpleStromSkins are the brains behind "Waisted Talent" and the Vision Bored mixtape. Intentional misspellings abound.

Nomad Carlos - "Lavish Livity" / "Back Home"

Coming to your area via Elmont by way of Kingston, Jamaica, Nomad Carlos represents one fourth of The Council. Below catch him globalizing along with the UK's Sonnyjim and fellow Jamaican Councilman Five Steez. Both songs were produced by Sosa for ArkHouse Music Group.

Aamen Arthur - "Aamenboi"

I'm not going to lie to you. Half the reason I'm posting this is the furry head. The other half-reason: it's dope and Aamen will soon be releasing his first project. You can catch part of a video for the above (minus the teddy-head), shot at Field 4, via Aamen's IG.

Nick Dillinger - Lifeless

While you were obsessing over memes and ISIS, Nick Dillinger was going through a quarter-life crisis. So he made some songs. And now he has his first self-produced project. And then I sent him an email asking if I could add him to my email list, to which he said, "Yeah for sure. Can you peep my new tape too?" So I did. It's pretty cool, not my favorite, not bad though. You might dig it. I don't know, bro. I'm obsessing over memes and ISIS ... and mexican food ... and Star Trek: The Next Generation. That's what I think. What do YOU think? Wait, I'm bugging. This is a blog post. Yo be cool. Microdose everything.

7/15/17

AZOMALI - "Fuck Trump"

What more needs to be said?

Quis Christ - "Back from the Tombs"

Quis Christ dips once again into the Ski Beatz vault 'o classics, this time coming through with the always delightful "Luchini" chorus for "Back from the Tombs," the first single off his new Life as a Shortie project.

7/6/17

Lisaan'dro - "E.P.M.D." / "Something Greater"

Discussing the outro of 2010's "Ridin Around," Roc Marciano told NahRight, "That’s my man Lisaan’dro rapping. He’s one of my homies who I grew up with, one of my good friends. A good guy ... He spits every now and then. He ain’t a dude that’s rappin’ professionally."

"Every now and then" was right. As far as I can tell, Lisaan'dro dropped one other song five years ago. But in 2017, he's dropped two, both killers. I've heard of keeping a low-profile, but I've got to believe there are more joints in the archive. To be continued for now...

7/3/17

Public Enemy - Nothing Is Quick In The Desert

Public Enemy celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and to commemorate the occasion, Chuck D announced last week that the group's newest album would be given away free of charge. "The 41 min journey is not made for singles but rather a walk through a sonic desert," he writes. Per Rolling Stone, "The 13-track album features guest appearances from Ice-T, PMD of EPMD, Easy Mo Bee, Sammy Vegas and Solé. Longtime collaborator David "CDOC" Snyder produced the record, with help from Stetsasonic's Daddy-O, DJ Pain 1, Mike Redman, Dejuan Boyd, JP Hesser and Public Enemy's Professor Griff and DJ Lord." And it's also just in time for Independence Day!!! Power to the people.

JustWoz - No Rules

JustWoz may or may not have his photo on the wall of the West Hempstead taco spot I frequent. He definitely makes most of his own beats, though, so props for that.

JHershey - "Broken Skies" / "Scrap Brain"

J-Hershey writes, "Wassgudd yo. Im a producer from Valley Stream. Tryna spread my instrumentals to som other rappers on the island." Hit him up.

6/29/17

R.I.P. Prodigy

The loss of a great artist always cuts deep. The passing of Prodigy, an MC nonpareil in the conveyance of tragedy and suffering, is all the more poignant, because in his absence the world recognizes the cold reality he illustrated so well, yet now there's no one left to vocalize it.

A number of touching tributes have been written and mixed in the days since June 20: Cormega's, Mister Cee's, Knxledge's, and the list will surely continue to grow.

To honor the legacy of Prodigy, Long Island Rap Blog reached out to artists who've been featured on this site before and asked them to share their favorite Prodigy or Mobb Deep tracks. Not surprisingly, many found the task of narrowing down their list impossible.

Hus Kingpin, of LA by way of Hempstead, said, "Too many favs to choose just one."

Elucid, of NYC by way of Deer Park,  said, "My favorite Prodigy verses never ended up on records! Tony Touch/Clue tapes had the jewels ... Anything on Hell on Earth though kicko."

Others simply didn't respond. From those who did, we've compiled a 10-song playlist documenting some of Long Island's favorite Prodigy recordings. These include solo cuts and Mobb Deep classics, as well as features that are sure to become the stuff of legend as Prodigy held his own alongside some of the all-time greats (namely Nas, Ghostface, Raekwon and Rakim).

Peace to Prodigy, his friends and family. Our thoughts are with them.

R.I.P.P.

1. Prodigy - ABC (Selected by Aesop Rock, Northport)
2. Mobb Deep - Eye for an Eye ft. Nas & Raekwon (Selected by Eternal Intellect, Amityville)
3. Mobb Deep - G.O.D. Pt. III (Selected by Theravada, Bellmore)
4. Prodigy - Keep It Thoro (Selected by Siege Spitfire, Brentwood)
5. Prodigy - Nickel and a Nail (Selected by Disco Vietnam, Huntington Station)
6. Tony Touch - Basics ft. Prodigy (Liked by Elucid, Deer Park)
7. Pete Rock - Tha Game ft. Prodigy, Raekwon & Ghostface (Selected by ADUM7, Freeport)
8. Big Noyd - Hoodlum ft. Mobb Deep & Rakim (Selected by Break Plissken, Stewart Manor)
9. Mobb Deep - Get Away (Selected by Chilo, Riverhead)
10. Prodigy - Mac 10 Handle (Selected by Aesop Rock, Northport)

6/24/17

Big Breakfast - "Magnolia"

"Your favorite blog maybe not gonna cover it / But this shit Long Island Rap arc of the covenant." Aw, you shouldn't have. "Catch the kid getting fresh like a peppermint / The only white LI rapper you should be messing with." Shots fired! Also, nah but go ahead. "When I'm in Mastic Beach I'm like the president / You should get my ass impeached like the president / I'm getting cash at least like the president / But I don't have to scam or cheat or embezzle it." 👾

6/8/17

TrueFreedom x Grandmilly - Voodoo

Word on the Tweet is that Grandmilly and frequent collaborator Shozae have signed to a certain record label that rhymes with thrones stow. So if you don't already know, you'll soon know all about Grandmilly the rapper. But what about Grandmilly the producer? Well, here's a little-heard collabo he did with the truth speakers from The TF Society. Stop sleeping.

6/5/17

Hus Kingpin - Cocaine Beach


"The vibe on this project is flat out what you see on the cover yo...the soundscapes of that 80s crack epidemic. Dirty Money. Reaganomics...dookie ropes n medallions the size of small rodents...Dapper Dan suits...Lamborghini Countaches n Ferrari Testarossas...Miami Vice...Chicks rockin aerobic shit wit colorful thong leotards on top of spandex leggings...Headbands... Let the music carry you away to that time...to a place called Cocaine Beach."
Only in America can a man establish himself as a Ghostface-aping rap reviewer and parlay that reputation into a critically acclaimed run as a rap producer. Download Cocaine Beach here.

5/29/17

Pozy One - "Train to Heaven" / "One of Those Days"

Pozy is not the best rapper on Long Island, but he's definitely one of the most consistently creative and courageous. The kid is constantly pushing the envelope, and it's one he stuffed and sealed by his own damn self, which is something you have to respect. Here are two new visuals from the Pozy One, with an assist from Rob-O on the first.

Siege Spitfire - "Practice"

"Not cocky, a little bit, little inconsiderate / I could read minds, they illiterate / I don't got time to remind my illegitimate children when I rhyme that I'm killing it."

If this is "Practice" for Sage Spitfire, then you can imagine what game time is like.

As you can tell from the cover art, "Practice" comes from The Kindling EP, which I believe dropped back in 2012 or so. For something more current, check out 2015's Triangle Overnight EP.

5/16/17

LongIslandRap.Comp Volume 3



"You really was going off the sound of the record. Straight skills. Once it started getting more publicized and hip-hop started being more of a money-making thing, then you get these corporate ideas where you wanna put what it looks like to sell what it sounds like..."
-Daniel Dumile

Download LongIslandRap.Comp Volume 3 via Dropbox or MediaFire. Support the artists.

Prodigy - "Don't Be A Follower" from Black and White - The Soundtrack released on Loud Records; Kasper Dangers - "Hell's Winter" from It's Raining Outside; Theravada - "Bombs In Manhattan" unreleased; DJ Pr!nce - "KRK" from Chop Fui; Big Breakfast - "Sade Joint" from SPORTS PLUS; Josh Alias - "Bass Drop Til I Say Stop" unreleased; Oscar O'Malley - "Vitality Stone" from Orange Starburst Baboon an da First Offense Vol. 1; Eternal Intellect - "Power Up" unreleased; Mido - "Melancholy High" unreleased; QS - "Omw in 5" unreleased; Quis Christ - "Free Sons" from upcoming album; Uncle John - "Mary Poppins Wasn't My Babysitter" from Guns, Drugs & Love; Monsta Island Czars (Megalon, Egyptian Queen, King Cesar, Spiega, Loch Ness, Kong) - "DIE (Organik Poisons Remix)" unreleased; Eric B. & Rakim - "In The Ghetto (Drums Mix) from In The Ghetto VLS released on MCA Records; James Bomb - "Trapped Music" released on The SpitSlam Record Label Group; June - "2k17"/"What's Good" unreleased; Marlo DeMore - "Mangos" ft. Buddy Lofton (prod. by BMC Beats) unreleased; Versive - "Endless" from The Demonstration EP; BONUS CUT: AZOMALI & DJ Surrup - "Burmese Ruby (Slowed & Throwed Mix)" from LongIslandRap.Comp V2.SL0W.

Special thanks to all the artists who submitted songs for this compilation.

5/9/17

Uncle John - Lyrical Assassin 2

"I does what I does, I do what I do, aint nothing more / I changed my name from Sky Walker 'cause I went with the force / Now I'm Uncle John..." And with that, the artist formerly known as Sky Walker stakes out new territory with a familial name, a renewed focus and the re-energized bars to go along with it. Lyrical Assassin 2 may be the titular follow up to the last Sky Walker tape, but it's also one of six projects that he's dropped since changing his name last year. A recent signee to Cashius Green's Promisd Land Records, Uncle John has already churned out a mixtape (this one) and an EP (Belly of the Beast) for the label and is now working on an album, so look out for that as well.

5/8/17

TDK Presents Gas Drawls: The Birth of DOOM

Listening to Black Bastards and Operation Doomsday back to back, the contrast in sounds and moods is so stark, it's almost hard to believe they're born of the same mind. Almost. I've found that the more you listen to Daniel Dumile's late Zev Love X recordings and early MF DOOM tracks, the more similarities you uncover. Tragedy turned Love to DOOM, no doubt, but in retrospect, certain lines from either persona seem to indicate that the transition between the two was more seamless than history would have us believe. British DJ Tape Deck King (TDK) shows just how fluid the transformation really is in a musical sense, by compiling a mix of late-Love and early-Doom recordings, including some very dope demos and 12" versions of songs that later ended up on Operation Doomsday. For greater context, listen while reading the pieces linked below.

"International God of Mystery: An M.F.'n Look Back With M.F. Doom" by Noah Callahan-Bever
ego trip #12, 1998
"The Mask of Doom" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The New Yorker, September 21, 2009
"MF Doom: My Adventures Shooting the Supervillain..." by Adam Bhala Lough
The Daily Swarm, October 31, 2012
"KMD's Black Bastards and the Birth of MF Doom" by Brian Coleman
Check the Technique Volume 2, 2014

5/7/17

Subscribe to Long Island Rap News

The first issue of Long Island Rap News has been sent. Signed up yet?

The inaugural edition includes links to download LongIslandRap.Comp V1 and V2, a call for V3 submissions, 10 Soundcloud highlights from the past week or so, and listings for a few upcoming shows.

If you didn't get the newsletter, check it out here. If you like what you see and want to get future issues, subscribe here. It's free and ad-less.

5/1/17

jFire - "RECOGNIZE"

Jaylyn "jFire" Jackson moved with his family from Bowling Green, Kentucky, to East Meadow in February 2016. Specifically, he resides in an area called Mitchel Manor, which he says is "specified for members of the military," like his mom. He also says, "I try to really have meaning with my music, and I hope my listeners get a special feeling when listening to it." My feeling is that the kid is nice with his, and this song he sent us, "RECOGNIZE," is aptly titled, because that's what one ought to do after listening.

Look for the Fire and Ice EP by jFire and producer YearLong, currently in the works.

4/30/17

LL Cool J - Live in Philadelphia (1984/86)

Couldn't let this site go a full three years without a single LL Cool J post, so here go some oldies. You probably don't care but there are date discrepancies about both of these. The first recording streaming below, a live freestyle at the After Midnight club, which was played on Philadelphia radio in the mid-80s, has been dated 1985 (and that may in fact be when it was played), but thanks to an appearance by LL Cool J on the Philly TV show "Beats & Rhymes," hosted by Brian Dennis, we know that the freestyle was actually recorded in 1984 and later edited for radio. The second recording below is of LL and DJ Cut Creator performing "Rock the Bells" live in Philadelphia (possibly somewhere called Lan) in 1986. I'm saying it's 1986, even though the internet says 1987, because LL says in the recording that he's celebrating his 18th birthday that night. LL was born on January 14, 1968, so this would have to be January 14, 1986. If you're keeping score, that means he was only 16 during the first recording. What did you sound like at 16?

4/29/17

Eternal Intellect - Grey Skies

Learning is fun! And we can all stand to learn a thing or two from Eternal Intellect. Passive listeners beware, though: this is not dumb-out music, not by any stretch. Zone-out? Definitely. But sleepy heads need not apply. If, however, you dig tunes that don't just reward repeated enjoyment but hit so hard they wear out the rewind key to the point that each song is extended by default, then soak this up.

the pure - present

Here's another impressive project from the 456 Movement, the same clique that had us drinking Kmplx Vzn's "Kool Aid." This one, though, is by a rapper called the pure. It was he who actually put me onto Kmplx Vzn in the first place, but make no mistake; this is a totally different sound. Across seven tracks, present flirts with jazz, house, trap and pop styles, but keeps the vibe fresh, airy and kinetic throughout. In the words of Big Pun, "What you wanna do? You wanna wile up? You wanna dance?" Well, with this, you can do both.

4/15/17

R.A. The Rugged Man - Stretch & Bobbito Freestyles

R.A. The Rugged Man appeared on the Stretch & Bobbito Show at least three times by my count: May 20, 1993; October 20, 1994; and March 20, 1997 (dates from playlists on Stretch & Bobbito blog.)

As funny as the freestyles are, the on-air banter is equally hilarious, like in '97 when R.A. discussed living with brother-in-law One-Eyed Jake, or in '94 when he (successfully?) propositioned a woman in the studio before leaving.

Stream the '97 & '94 freestyles below. Download all three appearances here.

4/12/17

K-9 Posse - "This Beat Is Military"

In memory of the late Charlie Murphy, here is the video he appeared in for his half-brother Vernon "Vas" Lynch's rap group, K-9 Posse. Murphy was credited as executive producer on both of their studio albums.

Oxygen on Rare Groove Revolution (2005)

If you've ever channel surfed in NY at 2AM, you've probably seen DJ Soulero's Rare Groove Revolution. What you might not realize is that Soulero is a Long Island local hailing from South Hempstead. If you haven't seen it, the premise is simple; Soulero talks about and plays rare groove records. Sometimes he's joined by a guest. Once in 2005, that guest was none other than Oxygen, who played a number of rare Long Island funk LPs. Dig.

4/9/17

DJ Surrup - SURRADIO Episodes 1-3

DJ Surrup is best known for his slowed and throwed remix albums, but his full-tempo'ed mixes are often just as impressive, and yes, some of that is due to his cutting prowess, but it's the more essential sequencing and blending skills that really stand out, at least to my ears. The Barcelona Brazy mix series was an excellent showcase of that, as well as his eclectic tastes, another selector necessity. Those mixes have all but disappeared from the internet, but over the past month, Surrup has poured out three installments of SURRADIO, "a mixshow that may include guest mixes from other DJs, newly submitted tracks from indie artists on the rise and of course, screw music," he writes. "Genres will be diverse so have an open mind."

4/3/17

Brothers G.R.Y.M. - Ghetto Repaired Young Minds

JVC Force, Horror City, DJ Stitches, The Chosen Few, Too Poetic, and now this; it's getting to the point where the only Brits I can think of who've done more for Long Island hip-hop than Chopped Herring Records head fisherman Bob Liptich are the chaps from Coldcut.

Long story short: Brothers G.R.Y.M. was a group comprised of three brothers: a pre-Gravediggaz Poetic aka Grym Reaper, producer E# aka Goalfingaz, and Brainstorm (who was on LongIslandRap.Comp V2).

Read the long version here, preview the EP below and get your pre-order in here (ships mid-May).

Moose Raja - "Chasing the Clouds" / "Card Games"

Moose Raja embodies what this website is all about for two reasons: 1) He's lived in multiple LI neighborhoods (Valley Stream, Westbury, and currently East Meadow); and 2) having done so, he strives to "actively depict the diversity and creativity that flows on the island," as he put it to me. His last project, As A Kid, dealt with his time growing up in Westbury, and while that story is surely one many can relate to, Moose tells it with a style all his own. Download here and stream below.

4/2/17

Cryptic One - The World According 2

Cryptic One stays busy. When he's not dropping a new beat and accompanying video every goddamn day, he's churning out chunes with fellow Atoms Family kinsman Alaska as IT, digging out Vordul Mega's Verses From a Vault, curating his own greatest hits compilation, or most recently, dropping EPs from his scheduled-four-part World According series.

The first, World According..., came out in September. The second, the aptly titled World According 2, arrived Friday. Stream the video for track one below and click "hear more" for the rest.

3/29/17

Grandmilly - "The World Is Yours" / "The Da Vinci Code"

Two new joints from Grandmilly and Shozae, neither of which appear on their forthcoming album, Adventureland, which is coming soon and possibly available on cassette if you make the effort.

3/28/17

Rozewood - The Ghxst In The Mirror

Rozewood continues pushing his sound a darker, deeper, deconstructed direction, with The Ghost In The Mirror, a moody musing on death and destruction that's being pushed as "the prequel to Channel 13."

The full 12-track digital album is available for purchase. A four-song preview streams below, like smoke from the creepy cover art.      

3/22/17

Quis Christ - "Menace"

Quis Christ is a rapper out of Roosevelt who dropped his debut EP, Son..., at the top of the year (1/10/17 to be exact). This isn't on there, but it bangs.

3/21/17

Public Enemy - "Bring the Noise" (Todd Terry Mix)


This unreleased PE remix comes to us from Umberto Lampanosa's YouTube channel, a trove of exclusive acetate rips like this one. A closer look at the label shows us that this acetate was pressed May 27, 1988 (52788) by Dick Charles Recording Inc.

3/8/17

Knowledge the Pirate - Buried Treasury

"While Trump tweeting quotes from Mussolini / Shit I'm trying to raise my Kundalini." Those lines, juxtaposing fascism and Dharma, have won Knowledge the Pirate some well-earned praise since Rosebudd's Revenge dropped. His "No Smoke" verse, clearly a show stopper, is in point of fact just the latest in a string of solid contributions to Roc Marciano projects, following "Didn't Know" and "Drug Lords" from Marci Beaucoup; "Slingers," "Shower Posse," and "Ten Toes Down" from Pimpire Strikes Back; and "Not Told" from Reloaded. Add on the non-album cut "Her Vice" and the Ricky Dubs feature "Shot A Man," and you've got a nice playlist of Marciano-Pirate collabos.

Nice indeed, but these hardly represent the complete discography of Knowledge the Pirate aka Knowledge, an MC whose work dates back to the mid-'90s. Knowledge previously shed light on his history via a 2013 interview with the Village Voice, in which he discussed early come-ups via big-name affiliations such as Teddy Riley, The Neptunes and Will Smith. (The picture above was taken on the set of Men In Black, according to Knowledge's IG.) Though it provides a decent overview of Knowledge's first forays into the recording industry, the story fails to mention any of his early recordings by name.

With the recent news that a video for "No Smoke" is on the way (preview it here), I figured now's a good time to dig and see which rare Pirate jewels we might unearth. Using a few of the names mentioned in the VV interview, I combed Discogs and YouTube for previously unheard Knowledge the Pirate songs and came up with five tracks, including one solo cut and four guest features, which I compiled into the playlist streaming below. While you listen, note that the earliest of these tunes dates all the way back to 1994, making Knowledge's debut as much as three years older than "The Prophecy," Marciano's first appearance on wax.




1. Knowledge The Pirate - Am I The Blame (2010)
2. Will Smith - Act Like You Know [add'tl vox by Knowlege] (Born to Reign, 2002)
3. Mike E - Before We Get Too Close ft. Knowledge the Pirate & Queen Pen (Master Plan, 2000)
4. Knowledge the Pirate - Ahoy! (Harlem World Order, 1999)
4. Nutta Butta - Freak Out Remix ft. B.B.O., Knowledge the Pirate & Teddy Riley (12", 1998)
5. Wreckx-N-Effect - Criminal Minded ft. Knowledge & Rugged Baztud (Raps New Generation, 1996)
6. Wreckx-N-Effect - Something for da Radio ft. A-Q, Badd Newz, Knowledge & Rugged Baztud (Raps New Generation, 1996)
7. Wreckx-N-Effect - Sucka MC's ft. A-Plus, Knowledge, Nutta Butta (Raps New Generation, 1996)
8. Blackstreet - U Blow My Mind ft. Knowledge (Blackstreet, 1994)
9. Blackstreet - Baby Be Mine ft. Knowledge (Blackstreet, 1994)

EDIT (8/8/18): Discogs updates have allowed me to add four more tracks to the list. I also removed "The Point" as Knowledge's voice is impossible to pick out, and nobody has confirmed he's actually on there.

EDIT (3/28/23): The Nutta Butta track disappeared from YouTube so that's gone for now, but I also found out that "Ahoy!," which I previously thought was an unreleased loosie, was on DJ S&S' Harlem World Order album and added that here.

Kmplx Vzn - "Optimist (Kool Aid)"

Would you rather be confused or contented? Your answer says a lot. For those who enjoy the challenge of figuring things out, focus your attention on Kmplx Vzn, the Huntington Station MC at the forefront of the 456 Movement. His 2016 debut, Silken Web, recalls at least one time-honored LI hip-hop tradition, the skit. Don't get it twisted, though; Kmplx Vzn sees things his own way. See for yourself.

3/7/17

DJ Pr!nce - American Beauty Mix

Not entirely sure what this is but a new mix from DJ Pr!nce is always welcome. The Original Selector aka Roach Killa aka WiFi OG aka Steven A. Spliff has been getting around a lot lately, so American Beauty is probably a reference to the NYC club of that name.

As a matter of fact, if you're not already in for the evening, you might could catch DJ Pr!nce spinning some Brazilian Samba, Afro Funk, Soul and Disco at Ode to Babel, 772 Dean St. in BK. Bump this on the way.

De La Soul Live from London

Do you have a Tidal? (Tidal!)

De La Soul, they have a Tidal. (Tidal!)

and the Anonymous Nobody, he has a Tidal. (Tidal!)

Well, if you do have a Tidal (Tidal!), then you can stream De La Soul's upcoming London concert at the Roundhouse, this Friday at 4 p.m. Those who've seen De La Soul in concert know their live show's one of hip-hop's best, the result of decades of practice. For some perspective, revisit De La Soul live in Philly circa 1989, and below check out a G.O.O.D. Music party cipher from 2008 featuring De La along with Will I Am, Mos Def, Nas and Kanye West.