The some shit you’ve never seen series returns. This originally ran as part of the Hiero Rap City episode supporting Third Eye Vision (yes there was once a two hour block on daytime BET dedicated to the Hieroglyphics crew) though this video was ripped from a later “Best Of Rap City Freestyles” episode, which accounts for a few of the jerky and random edits. (A few more are my doing though). Hit the jump for bonus footage of Ras Kass and the great Joe Clair freestyling as the credits run over their faces. (more…)

Here are some recent tracks of note that we would’ve likely remained unheard if it wasn’t for the same technology that is destroying our lives. I will gladly sit through an eternity of Rick Ross sunglass scandals if it means getting a few more cuts like this.

Cult Of Isis f/ Boots Riley – “Right Turn, Wrong Street”

Cult Of Isis f/ Del – “What You Know“

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from Cult Of Isis (Demo Tape, 199?)
Not sure how this forgotten chess obsessed San Mateo crew managed to coax unheard verses (partially… Boots’ was recycled on or from Genocide & Juice) out of two of Oaktown’s finest for this, their only demo, but the world is a better place because of it. Ripped Open By Metal Explosions has the entire four track demo as well as a nice anecdote about Del tripping for days and playing Sega Genesis.

Jungle Brothers – “Troopin On The Down Low“

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Jungle Brothers – “Spittin Wicked Randomness (Original Bill Laswell)“

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from Crazy Wisdom Masters (Warner Brothers, Unreleased, 1992)
In the annals of aborted hip hop albums, there might be none stranger than Crazy Wisdom Masters. The story has been told already but just in case: scheduled to be their third LP and first second for Warner Brothers, CMW saw the Jbeez bring in new member Torture (who later became Sensational) and producer/slap bass enthusiast Bill Laswell and aimed to take their music in a new direction. That direction, spastic and formless bugged out hip hop was deemed to strange for the house that Bugs built and the Brothers were sent back to the lab to recut it as Jbeez Wit The Remedy, itself a completely bizarre and unmarketable record. But that sounds like a well polished pop collection in light of these original mixes. (more…)

Jungle Brothers f/ A Tribe Kalled Quest (Q-Tip) – “Promo No. 2 (Mind Review ’89)“

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from Beyond This World 12″ (Warner, 1989)

Del f/ Q-Tip & Pep Love – “Undisputed Champs”

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from Wrongplace 12″ (Elektra, 1993)

A Tribe Called Quest – “Mr. Incognito“

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from Mr. Incognito 12″ (White Label, 199?)

A Tribe Called Quest (Q-Tip) f/ Busta Rhymes – “Wild Hot“

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from Rhyme & Reason Soundtrack (Priority, 1997)

The Saturday Night Work Out continues. We (by we I mean me…) Me are still bumping that J-Period niceness here at the CB Cave and wanted to supplement with some less acknowledged loosies from Tip.

(Me’re still not feeling The Renaissance. Sorry, peers!)

Related: Rap Radar interviews Kaamal.

The Guidelines: A West Coast Indie Rap Compilation ’94-’00

Last week Bfred ^[1] put up a pretty great overview the late 90s backpack era that had me flashing back to gortons fisherman caps and provided a self contained compilation for my ipod so I no longer have to scroll past “L-Fudge” every time I want to hear some La Monte Young. As great as it is to have CDQs of “5 Star Generals” and “Repetition” Bfred’s mix was notably lacking on the west coast side of things, featuring only a single Dilated Peoples track.^[2] So to compliment I zipped up a bunch of West Coast indies from around the same era. (more…)

This makes me want to draw a tri-eye in the margins of my blog.