De La Soul - "Bigger" ft. Choklate

To say De La Soul means a lot to Long Island hip-hop, this site, and me would be a tragic understatement. If there is such a thing as a Long Island sound, it's to be found in the margins between the group's dynamics. And in case you've never noticed, all the sections of this site's home page are named after De La Soul song titles. As for me, Stakes Is High got me through my final semester at college, and the best concert story I have centers around seeing De La share the Central Park Summer Stage with DOOM and Rakim—a tale for another day. My point is, whatever you and I think De La Soul means, it's bigger.

Since the first time I heard it, I've held the opinion that "Trying People" is one of the best rap songs ever made. "Bigger" shares so much emotional weight with that song that it could've been titled "Still Trying People" and nobody would've raised an eyebrow. That said, one thing "Bigger" has that "Trying People" definitely doesn't is the phenomenal vocals of neo-soul singer Choklate. Though some might be hearing her for the first time now, the Seattle-based songstress has been releasing music since the 2000s and actually featured on a Moby single last year. In fact, calling "Bigger" a previously unreleased song is only half true. A De La Soul-less version of the Vitamin D-produced track appeared under the longer title, "Bigger Than You," on Choklate's self-titled debut album in 2006. For posterity and further contemplation, stream both versions below.

Urbvn Architects NYC - "Scars" ft. Chloe Catara

Is there a Long Island sound? There's most definitely a Long Island Sound. And if you live in a desert—say Reno, Nevada—you consider the Long Island Sound the Atlantic Ocean. And you're half right, but it's a shame if you never take the 25-minute drive south to feel and hear the Atlantic Ocean how I have for most of my life. But does an island this long make a specific sound?  Well, does this site? Yesterday, G said something to that effect, though his exact words might have been "such a specific lane" or "...view" or "...niche." I can't remember exactly what, but I heard that. And if it's more than just me and what I like, maybe you'll feel this, too. 

DJ Premier & Bumpy Knuckles - StOoDiOtYmE

In 2014, I was all like, hey, I have a Long Island hip-hop website, and hey look, here's a Bumpy Knuckles album Premo produced in 2012 hey, you know what I should do, I should post this Premo-produced Bumpy Knuckles album to my Long Island hip-hop website. I fucked up, like a sucker, like a sucker who's also a butt licker to hear Freddie Foxxx tell it. That's because Kolexxxion was but one of two projects Bumpy and Premo did in 2012. They also did an EP called StOoDiOtYmE with six songs, none of which appear on their full-length album from that year. But I didn't know that. I certainly didn't know the last of those songs, "Inspired By Fire," was for the children. Now I do.