1994 TV Report on Gangsta Rap: Interviews with Eazy-E, BG Knocc Out, Dresta, Russell Simmons

There are at least 3 reasons to watch this video: 1. The concerned look on Tom Brokaw’s face… he really IS concerned 2. The Reverend Calvin Butts, who is so angry at Rap that he holds public “Rap stompings” 3. The serious female journalist with serious hair asking Eazy-E and his crew if they are [...]

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Compton is the city that I’m claimin’

Comptons Most Wanted – Straight CheckN ‘Em Year: 1991 Does anybody else miss the time when Rap tracks contained cuts and scratches? I do. Just one of the many reasons to get a hold of this Album by CMW. There’s cutting and scratching on almost every track courtesy of DJ Mike T. There are a [...]

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Where’s the Sniper?

Volume 10 – Hip-Hopera Year: 1994 “Hip Hopera”, released on RCA Records/Immortal records, is one of the most underrated albums from the west coast, period. I took notice of Volume 10 through his affiliation with Freestyle Fellowship (he was featured on the track “Heavyweights” on “Innercity Griots”), and “Pistol Grip Pump” was kind of a [...]

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It runs in the Family

Mobstyle – Game of Death Year: 1992 This one is about as real as it gets. Mobstyle was formed by Azie (AZ) Faison, a real life drug dealer. As a matter of fact, the New York drug trade in the 80′s was practically run by him and his friends, Alpo Martinez and  Rich Porter. Not [...]

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Nowhere to run to, baby…

N.W.A – 100 Miles and Runnin’ Year: 1990 This 5-Track EP was released in 1990 on Ruthless Records. 5 Tracks? That’s all? Yes, it is, and guess what, the last track isn’t even a song, but a commercial for the groups follow-up album Efil4zaggin. So, just 4 tracks then, does this mean this is a [...]

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And we at it again, and we at it again, and we at it again…

Hard 2 Obtain – Ism & Blues Year: 1994 So, some day in 1994, I sat in my chair, chillin, watching Yo! MTV Raps, hoping for some new joints to come on. That’s how I found out about Hard 2 Obtain, basically. Fab 5 Freddy played the Video for “L.I. Groove”, the bassline kicked in, [...]

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Mac’s Drive ‘Lac’s…

Bone Hard Productions starring Big Mello – Bone Hard Zaggin Year: 1992 I wasn’t familiar with Big Mello when I bought this album. To tell you the truth, I probably bought it because the cover appealed to me: it looked like a straight up action movie poster. Plus there was the Rap-A-Lot records Logo on [...]

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Raza Unite…

Kid Frost – East Side Story Year:  1992 I bought this album on vacation in the US when it was released in 1992, and to this day I listen to it on a regular basis. This record got the whole westcoast vibe to it – as far as I can tell, not even being from [...]

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I’m back like a Rebel makin’ Trouble…

The Geto Boys – The Geto Boys Year: 1990 Let’s start with the Geto Boys, consisting of Scarface, Bushwick Bill, Willie D, and, back then, DJ Ready Red. Hailin’ from Houston, Texas, their self-titled album released in 1990 on Rick Rubins Def-American-Records remains a true classic.  With its extremely violent lyrical content, it shits on [...]

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