Brothers of the Mind - 1992-1996

There are a ton of '90s rap acts that released killer singles but never dropped an album. NYC duo Brothers of the Mind just might be the quintessential '90s rap act that never dropped an album. Consider their names. Brothers of the Mind consisted of DJ Krazy Kraz and MC Lyrical Freestyle. I rest my case. 

That being said, their music, while very much of its era, also holds up exceedingly well today and not only because '90s rap has come back into vogue. Krazy Kraz and Lyrical Freestyle were clearly skilled in their craft, which would explain why, according to Kraz, in April 1992, renowned DJ, engineer and producer Pal Joey judged them best out of 85 acts he auditioned for a deal. 

The group released two singles, both produced by Pal Joey and recorded in his Astoria studio, The Temple. However, apparently they did a lot more songs with Joey than that, as, in 2010, his Foot Stompin Records issued a compilation of 15 Brothers of Mind tracks Pal Joey produced between 1992 and 1996. In addition to showcasing the unsung talents of both Krazy Kraz and Lyrical Freestyle, the project demonstrates that Pal Joey clearly knew his way around a rap tune. It's likely Kraz also had a hand in the production, as he worked as an assistant engineer and co-producer with Joey during the time these songs were recorded (you can also hear Kraz scratching on a bunch of instrumental 12 inches Joey dropped in this period). Regardless of who did what on which beat, it seems the project was very much Pal Joey's baby since he still put it out 14 years after the fact. Eleven years since then, it's my pleasure to share it here with you.

Pal Joey's Mid-'90s Hip-Hop Mixes

Joseph "Pal Joey" Longo's name rings loudest in halls of house, but the Central Islip raised, SUNY Farmingdale educated DJ has never been shy about his hip-hop roots. After coming up making pause tapes, he was present for the recording of many a classic as second engineer at Power Play Studios, went on to produce for the likes of Boogie Down Productions and even claims to have done demos with a young Nas. Below, four hip-hop mixes from 1993, '94, '95 and '96, all taken from Pal Joey's Mixcloud page. If you're unfamiliar, definitely check that out along with his online "diary."

Get 2 Know Deaf 2 U

Deaf 2 U aka Deaf 2 U Productions/Inc. was the production duo of Lucious "Luck" Mercer and Neal "Purp" Forrester, who first met at Amityville Junior High School. The group produced three songs for Gee Street singer Ambersunshower (previously a member of the duo Groove Garden) and another three for De La Soul, culminating with masterpiece "Trying People," the final track on AOI: Bionix. Shortly thereafter, they reemerged producing and rapping under the new name, Mood Doctors, with their debut album General Medicine released independently on a label called Deaf 2 U. (Mood Doctors have since released no fewer than seven albums, but that's for another post or seven.) 

Mercer and Forrester did also rap under the name Deaf 2 U on at least one song, "Caution," which appeared on Tags Of The Times Version 2.0, a compilation put out by Japanese label Mary Joy Recordings in 1999. An interesting artifact of its times, this compilation series featured tracks from some of the most popular underground hip-hop acts of the late '90s and early '00s, including Company Flow, MF DOOM, Talib Kweli, Aesop Rock and Aceylaone to name just a few. Nevertheless, Deaf 2 U's appearance stands out and not just because it's the only song they released under the name. It's also noteworthy to hear two artists who came up under De La Soul (if you haven't figured it out already Luck is Posdnuos's brother) rapping on a song produced by Da Beatminerz's Mr. Walt in a kind of alternative hip-hop setting. In that sense, "Caution" foreshadows the turn De La themselves would take on their AOI albums.

Below you can hear "Caution" followed by Deaf 2 U's first credit, Ambersunshower's "Blue Skies Butterflies" (1995), and De La Soul's "Oooh," "Foolin'" and "Trying People." (For the other two Ambersunshower tracks Deaf 2 U did, you'll have to dig up her Walter T. maxi-single.)

Busta Rhymes Freestyles 10 Minutes for UK Radio

 Today feels like a 1995 Busta Rhymes freestyle kind of day.

"Eric B. Is President" Extended DJ Screw Mix (and other slow delights)

For his time especially, Rakim's delivery has always been notably cool and calm, not necessarily slower than all of his peers but usually deeper in register. This makes the effect of screwing or otherwise slowing his music all the more stirring. Where some other MCs might sound slurred under this treatment, the God resonates like an actual ancient deity, the clarity and precision of his scrolls embedded in stone like commandments in tablets.

There are at least three Eric B. & Rakim songs with DJ Screw remixes, all of which you can hear on Long Island Rap's 6:31 'n the Mornin' tribute. In revisiting that compilation, I noted that none of those songs were particularly heavy on the chopping front. On closer inspection, I found that much of the scratching was reserved for songs that came before or after on the original Screw tapes. The song that had the most Screw flavor was "Eric B. Is President," mostly because Screw and his friends can be heard talking over it a bunch of times. Going back to 1995's Diary of the Originator Chapter 222: My Block, I heard more of the song on the subsequent track, Spice 1's "Fucked In the Game." In fact, the "Eric B. Is President" beat is so heavy in the mix for so much of that track, it's essentially a blend. That being the case, I decided to take about 50% of that track and attach it to the "Eric B. Is President" mix to create an extended Chopped + Screwed version, now with more chatting and chopping. Feel the purple ambience below. (Note I'm colorblind, so sorry if these photos are more blue or pink than purple.)


Of course, Screw isn't the only DJ who ever had the idea to slow down Rakim's music. DJ Crystal Clear has slowed and chopped all of Paid in Full and Follow the Leader. Both sound promising. There's also video of a DJ Grim Reefer remixing the first album as such. Perhaps truest to DJ Screw's spirit of tape hustling, however, is Pipomixes' Stoney B & Rakim, which he describes as "Rakim stoned-up, blended with all sorts of funky, slow beats." Replacing Michael Jackson's head with Pikachu smoking a Poké bong also goes a long way toward describing the sound here, I think.


R.I.P. DJ Screw who would be turning 49 this year.

Craig Mack - That's My Word EP

"I got my album getting ready to come out this summer, called That's My Word, you know what I mean? Because that's what it is." That was Craig Mack talking to BBC Radio 1's Tim Westwood in June of 2000. The album never dropped, but Mack did drop a number of singles that year as well as a fantastic freestyle that night. In memory of the late Craig Mack, British DJ Tape Deck King compiled those cuts into an EP that imagines what Mack's lost album might have sounded like had it materialized during his lifetime. The freestlye and other segments from that Westwood interview are thrown in for context. Stream below and as a bonus check out the 1995 concert to which Westwood refers at the start of their convo.

Behind of the Boards of Coldcut's "Paid In Full" 7 Minutes of Madness Mix

As monumental as the title cut off Eric B. & Rakim's debut album is, the success of this fifth single is owed in large part to the work of British DJ duo Coldcut. With their 7 Minutes of Madness Mix, Jonathan More and Matt Black revolutionized the art of the remix and helped launch Eric B. & Rakim to new heights of international success. (More and Black went on to found Ninja Tune, one of the most pioneering electronic labels in history, but that's another story.) According to a 1997 article from the Chicago Tribune, Coldcut were paid 700 British pounds for their remix. "When he heard it, Eric B described it as `girly disco music,'" says More, "and Rakim said it was the best remix he'd ever heard; I thought both assessments were quite brilliant."

A year after the release of the 7 Minutes of Madness Mix, Coldcut dropped an instrumental version cheekily titled "Not Paid Enough"; likely a reference to the success Eric B. & Rakim achieved as a result of the remix, hindsight always being 20/20. In 1995, Coldcut revisited the journey-into-sound-collage theme of 7 Minutes with their 70 Minutes of Madness Mix, which has often been called "the best DJ mix album of all time." Below, stream Coldcut's behind-the-boards commentary on the sample sources of their 7 Minutes mix, the remix itself, the instrumental version and the aforementioned mix album.

Kaleber - A History of Rhymin 3: X C V

A trove of previously unreleased tracks by a talented Wyandanch teenager, circa 1995ish. Per The Rebel AK of Mutiny Music Group:

Who is Kaleber? Hailing from Wyandanch New York, this Long Island native and class of The Source magazine's 1999 Unsigned Hype, would have been a crown contender and easily included in the many "who's the best emcee" arguments throughout the 90's. Making his debut in 1994 with a independent release of his 1st single "Game from the Truth" and "How it Runs" , Kaleber was right on par with the top New York emcees of that time.

He represented the archetype emcee. Lyrically ferocious, skillfully versatile, diverse subject matter and dope production from producers like Sahpreem King, grafitti artist turned producer Den-One, the under rated K-Def of Real Live fame, production team Poisoned Ivy League and even a young DJ now super producer Mark Ronson.

All the stars seemed to be lined up in Kaleber's favor to cut out his own piece of rap music legacy. So what happened? Kaleber found out the hard way that being loyal to the wrong people in the music business can derail any and every opportunity to succeed. Being associated with bad management lead to a lot of closed doors and everything from production to record deals became null and void. And so history became legend, and legend became myth.

But, fortunately for us, all was not lost. Like a buried treasure chest washing up unexpectedly ashore, Kaleber's never before heard and unreleased songs from that era have surfaced. A moment of the last days of the golden era captured in this Hip Hop time capsule.

Kaleber's 1st of his 3rd installment of his "History of Rhymin" series is a full length 10 track album called "X C V" , the roman numeral for 95, the possible year this album would have been released. "X C V" introduces us to a 17 year old Kaleber who right out the gate, sounded like a veteran emcee. Track by Track, he lyrical grows right before your ears and showcases himself as a clever wordsmith.

Even songs that at first glance, sound like their going to be light hearted with cool grooves turn out to be displays of lyrical wizardry. Songs like, "Can you feel me?", "Down for mine" and "How it Runz" with laid back production, highlight Kaleber's versatility where as songs like, "Game from the truth", "Money Talks" and "Jealous Niggaz", show Kaleber's aggressive style commanding respect for his flow. But the jewel of "X C V" is a track called "Milk & Amaretto". A superb and dazzling wordplay infused story about meeting a girl, dating a girl, until Kaleber's "spidey senses" lead him to an unforeseen fate that leads to a funny conclusion yet a very dramatic ending.

Now some of the tracks are of cassette tape quality but that doesn't stop you from nodding your head because, well, Kaleber was really that good. Plus the fact that these tracks are from 20 years ago and they still hold up against the test of time is amazing.

X C V features production from Sahpreem King and graffiti artist turned producer Den-One with special guest appearances by rap artist Blackness and R&B singer Kelly Valentine. Also, the tracks on X C V were mixed by engineer and super house music producer the late Guido Osorio (De La Soul - Stakes is High mixed & mastered) of the famed Razor & Guido production team, who also appears on one of the tracks as part of a skit. Guido passed away this summer and he is sincerely missed by all who knew him. Rest In Peace Guido.

Stream/download X C V above and be sure to explore A History of Rhymin 1 and A History of Rhymin 2, both of which are presented by Bash Brothers DJ Concept and DJ Mickey Knox.

Prince Paul Presents Horror City

A Prince Among Thieves likely still holds the title as hip-hop's greatest album-form narrative, even 16 years after its release. And as undeniable of a force as that album's lead MC Breez Brewin was and is, equal credit is due his foil, Big Sha, whose rhymes on a shelved Prince Paul-produced Horror City album laid some of the groundwork upon which APAT was built. That Prince Paul himself freely admits, "to be honest, I always liked these originals better" says more about this lost album than any review ever could. If you already have this, you know what time it is. If not, you're missing from your library a critical piece of the Long Island hip-hop canon and thus, a true LIRB essential. For the love of God, download Prince Paul Presents Horror City now.

1) war party Intro

2) Play it close

3) Pain 

4) you got flow 

5) Take it how you want it

6) Big Sha

7) Tattles Tale 

8) Horror City Terrorists ( freestyle ) 

9) MC Hustler ( original ) 

10) Headbounty 

11) War party Outro 

"I carry the weight of a whole Island while you reppin just one section of one borough."

Punk Barbarians - "Hooptie Car" Original '95 Version

If you checked out LongIslandRap.Comp V1 some time over the past few weeks, then you heard the Punk Barbarians' 1996 single "Hooptie Car" on there. If you downloaded the Hooptie Car CDS back in June then you've heard the instrumental and radio mixes as well.

What you haven't heard (not here at least) is the original version, released one year earlier on the obscure promo CD Wreck League Wreckords Soundtrack 1995, which was put out by Chuck D's short-lived label of the same name. Unfortunately this compilation is nowhere to be found on the net (as far as we can tell) and a hard copy will run you at least $50 if by some chance you find one.

The good news is that some of the songs from the comp are floating around online, one of them being the "Hooptie Car" original mix, featuring a totally different beat, as well as several alternate verses and background vocals that don't appear on the original in any shape or form. It's a rare treat, one that probably hasn't aged as well as the commercial release unless you're a big New Jack Swing fan, but worth checking out nonetheless. Stream and download it below, and head over to YouTube user dougpark17's channel to hear a few other cuts from this rare release.

Rakim - The Last Platoon

For day three of Rakim Week, we turn to The Lost Tapes blog, which, in September 2014, posted a dynamite compilation of unreleased tracks recorded in the mid '90s between Eric B. & Rakim's split and the beginning of The God's solo career. In fact, it's almost an injustice to call this a compilation, because it is so cohesive and well-sequenced that it sounds like it could just as easily be a true-to-life unreleased album. As lost-tape compiler Claaa7 writes, "It works as the perfect bridge between Don't Sweat The Technique and The 18th Letter." Download The Last Platoon, listen to it exclusively and consecutively for a week, as I did, then head over to The Lost Tapes blog to give props.

1. "Bring It On" [Dominic Owens] (1995)

2. "Shades Of Black" [Easy Mo Bee] (1995)

3. "The Original Style" [Domingo] (1995)

4. "Last Resort" [Buckwild] (1995)

5. "Living For the City" [Pete Rock] (1995)

6. "New York to Cali" [Dominic Owens] (1995]

7. "We All Got Plans" [Marley Marl] (1996)

8. "Show Me Love" (Rugged) [Nick Wiz] (1996)

9. "Heat It Up" [Gary "G-Wiz"] (1993)

10. "Remember Dat" [Clark Kent] (1995)

11. "Once Upon A Rhyme" [Nick Wiz] (1995)

12. *"Bring It On" [Domingo Mix] (1995)

13. "I Get Visual" [Dominic Owens] (1995)