Treats

"Y'all ready for Nas? Y'all ready for Nasty Nas?!"

This is quite the Rap Treat - a recording of Nas performing at his Columbia Records' Illmatic album release party from 1994. Gems like this don't surface every day. Who ever is responsable for pressing record and then ripping it to digital 15+ years later I salute you. This is one of my favorite albums of all time, top 5 easy (although there are probably 20 albums or so in my top 5). Having the audio of Nas' performance is just crazy to me. Nas and crew run through a few cuts from the album including "Represent", "It Ain't Hard To Tell", "The World Is Yours", and "Life's A Bitch". 

Nas

Columbia Records Illmatic Release Party Performance

There are two concert this year that have me geeked out. The first is motherfucking Prince, and the very next night it is these two - Jay-Z & Kanye. That's right, Prince and Watch the Throne back to back. Throw in Pete Rock vs. Premier in town that same weekend and odds are I'm going to lose my fucking mind. Anyways, if you can't make (or afford) the Watch The Throne show then here is your fix  - a recording of the whole concert from North Carolina. Hov & 'Ye Stans rejoice. 40+ songs. Cray!

Jay-Z & Kanye West

Watch The Throne Concert LIVE

L.L. Cool J is hard as hell! Well not so much these days, but this record here is much closer to the "Rock The Bells" L.L. than it is to the "Hey Lover" L.L. This was actually recorded back in '94 with K-Def, but was lost (behind a radiator) until now. Slice-Of-Splice Records is going to press up 500 copies of this record, so if you have the cash click HERE to pre order your copy. For the full story on this unreleased L.L. Cool J joint let's take it straight from the soundcloud page...

"Back in 1994 K-Def was working on some beats out of the B Room in Marly Marl's House Of Hits when LL Cool J walked in on his session and said "let's make some tracks together". Uncle L had always wanted to rhyme on a track using the famous ESG breakbeat 'UFO', so he had Def lay it down with some scratches and then went to town with the mic. Both thought they had a sure fire hit on their hands but unfortunately it was never used.

The DAT tape of the studio session was feared lost for several years before it eventually turned up stuck behind a radiator! Now, 17 years later, K-Def and Slice-of-Spice are proud to present 'Year Of The Hip Hop' in all it's vinyl glory.

As with all Slice-of-Spice pressings, no expense is being spared for this vinyl labor of love. Outside of a full color cover, with a 3mm spine, the special limited edition version comes on solid orange vinyl, with individual gold stamp numbering. Once again we're coming at you with strong cover art from the legendary Joe Buck, and personally we think this is his best one yet!"

On Dec 22th, Bar None was the place to be for an event 15 years in the making (as Swollen Member's Prevail called it). The party was Christmas Rappin', a Donnelly Fund charity event for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank that doubled as DIPT's 10 Year Anniversary party. The main event of the evening were the performers who lent their name and talent to a great cause that helped raise over 13k for the food bank! Maestro Fresh Wes, Rascalz, Swollen Members, Kyprios, Checkmate & Concise, DJ Kilo-Cee & The Incredible Ease, and DJs THOSE MFs all tore the house down and made Christmas Rappin' a legendary evening (also as Prevail put it). Below is the audio of all the performances (except for "Drop The Needle" due to the recording F'n up for some reason), including the highlight of Flipout's life getting to be Maestro's hype man for "Let Your Backbone Slide"!

CHRISTMAS RAPPIN'

(One 80 minute mp3)

CHRISTMAS RAPPIN'

(ZIP file with tracks split)

1. Intro

2. DJ Kilo-Cee & The Incredible Ease

3. Defenders Of The Faith (Checkmate & Concise)

4. Kyprios

5. Rascalz

6. Swollen Members

7. Maestro Fresh Wes

Yes, I know this is mad late and you can find it everywhere, but I wanted to add it to the Rap Treat archive so here it is. This is a piece of history that everybody should have so if you haven't yet downloaded Stretch & Bobbito's reunion show do so asap. In fact, if you aren't familiar with their show then hit google and download every old show that you can get. The Stretch & Bobbito show was a HUGE influence on my radio life and as a Hip-Hop head in general. Before the internet reigned supreme this show is where you found all the new shit, the exclusive shit, and the rare shit. Plus, dudes had jokes. Hopefully this won't be the last show there two do together.

Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Garcia

The Stretch Armstrong 20th Anniversary Show on WKCR

BIGGIE feat. Sadat X

"Come On" (Demo Version)

 - This eventually found the light of day on B.I.G.'s Born Again album, but that version doesn't come close to this one. This is that Ready To Die BIGGIE.

LL Cool J

"Unknown Demo"

- Obviously not the real title but it says it all. The track is unknown and as you can tell by the shitty quality it is pure demo.

De La Soul

"Roadrunner" (Demo Version)

- This one is basically a De La version of Chi Ali's "Roadrunner". 

The Roots

"Workinonit" (Demo Version)

- Produced by J Dilla.

Mobb Deep

"Shook Ones" (The Beatnuts Remix)

 - This one came courtesy of Stretch Armstrong. The Beatnuts remix to the original "Shook Ones" that never seen an official release.

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Wu-Tang is for the children. Just a reminder. Anyways, this is Wu at the height of their buzz. Hip-Hop's hottest new group at Hip-Hop's most influential magazine's award show (sorry Right On). These dudes sound hungry as fuck. Ah, the good old days.

Wu-Tang Clan

Live @ The Source Awards (1995)

1. Intro

2. Wu-Tnag Clan Ain't Nuthin To Fuck Wit

3. Protect ya Neck

4. Shame On A Nigga

5. C.R.E.A.M.

6. Clan In Da Front

7. 7th Chamber

8. Method Man

9. Rosie Perez Presents Gold Record

That's right. Back to back PE rap treats. We're fans over here if you haven't figured that out by now. This one is a recording of Public Enemy live in concert from 1992 when they were on tour supporting their Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black album. Classic, classic shit right here.

Public Enemy

Live In Concert (4.9.92)

1. Lost At Birth 

2. Night of the Living Baseheads 

3. Bring the Noise/Welcome to the Terrordome

4. Nighttrain

5. By the Time I Get to Arizona

6. Fight the Power

7. Gotta Do What I Gotta Do

8. Buck Whylin'/She Watch Channel Zero 

9. How to Kill a Radio Consultant

10. More News at 11   

11. A Letter to the NY Post/I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga

12. Rebel without a Pause/Public Enemy No. 1/Don't Believe the Hype 

13. Shut Em Down

14. 911 is a Joke 

15. Can't Truss It

Chuck D has always been ahead of his time, and PE's use of the internet is no exception. Back in 1998 Chuck D posted this album on Public Enemy's website for fans to download for free, but his record label freaked the fuck out and forced them to take it down. After all, who would ever give music away for free on the internet? That shit will never catch on. Anyways, here his the whole unreleased Bring The Noise 2000 album... for free... on the internet. Enjoy.

Public Enemy

Bring The Noise 2000

1. There Were More Hype Believers Than Ever in '97

2. Welcome to the Terrordome (X-games remix)

3. Bring the Noise

4. You're Gonna Get Yours

5. Whole Lotta Love Going On In the Middle Of Hell

6. Don't Believe the Hype

7. How to Kill a Radio Consultant

8. Night of the Living Baseheads

9. Cold Lampin'

10. Move!

11. Welcome to the Terrordome

12. What Side You On?

13. Hazy Shade of Criminal

14. Buck Whylin'

15. Yo! Bum Rush the Show

16. 911 Is A Joke

17. Louder Than A Bomb

18. Rebel Without A Pause

19. G'Damn That DJ Made My Day

20. Son of Public Enemy

21. Burn Hollywood Burn

22. Incident at 66.6 FM

23. Live and Undrugged

24. She Watch Channel Zero?!?!

25. Fight the Power

26. Mind Deep

27. Mind Deep (Instrumental)

The Roc is in the building... and that building is the infamous Tunnel Nightclub in NYC. This is a recording of Jay, Beans, Memph Bleek and Amil tearing down the club. This was right around the time Hov started to become THAT dude. If you want to read a better set up for this post check the TROY blog HERE because I am really just jacking for posts on this one, but fuck it. I always wanted to hear this shit and here it is!