Arabian Prince - Situation Critical

I missed the fantastic Stones Throw compilation, 'Innovative Life Anthology' that was released in 2008 and have been after once ever since and finally quenched my thirst a few weeks back and it's been an Arabian Prince-athon ever since.I never bought this first time around either so I bought one last week, decent condition and the picture sleeve is looking good for it's age too and all for the tidy sum of  £1.49. One of the better tracks lifted from his excellent LP, 'Dope Thang' being the highlight, for me at least. If you like 808 bass heaviness, this is definitely one for you.

Download

Fat Boys - Fat Boys Scratch (Remix)

Always liked the Fat Boys stuff. Their first album was the first album I owned that was just by the one rap artist and not a compilation like the legendary Streetsounds Electro series. This is actually the b-side as you can see 'cos I think it's better than 'Don't Be Stupid' on the flip. I even bought that limited edition pizza box a few years back now which is a really great package if you can find one. A staple diet for all b-boys of a certain age I would suggest.

Download

MC Craig G - Transformer

I think someone asked for a re-up of this some years ago now and the link was clicked a few days back I think.

Download

Progression - Tom Tom

I had to hunt this record down after Mike Allen played it one time and it took me years to get a copy but I eventually copped one from Roulette Records in the city centre. I traded it many years back and only actually returned it to the ever increasing collection a couple of years back now, in fact almost exactly two years ago today. Top tunage.

Download

Divine Sounds - Do Or Die Bed Sty

A few posts back I briefly mentioned the devestatin' DJ Cheese and his use of this record in his world championship winning set from '86 so I did a fresh 320 rip for y'all. It's tucked away on the b-side of a really mediocre and irritating a-side cut too and it wasn't mentioned on the Beat Street Records list I bought it off many years ago now, around about '87 or '88 I would think so I just chanced my arm and was fortunate enough to hit the jackpot. One of my all time faves, love it.

Check out Mike Music on the funky scratch...

The Spin Masters - Brothers

This is a great record. I have fond memories of listening to the club, dub version whilst bombing the hell out of my old school with some like minded acquaintances. I had the privilege of seeing them live too when they were on the road with Ice T on the Rhyme Syndicate tour around '90-'91 I think which was pretty cool. I think they made another record at some point after this one but it wasn't very good and Evil E famously went on to become Ice's full time DJ. Mr. T himself even had a hand in the writing of this particular track.
Going back to the RS tour, Ice T was sat at the back of the Leadmill when we walked in on one of those plastic chairs that stack up like you had at school. He said 'Alright' when we walked by. We all looked at each other saying something along the lines of 'that's 'im innit'?
A great night, although Hijack stole the show. For me anyway.

Download

Cazal Boys - Snatchin' Cazals

Bagged myself a copy of this a few months back, the second copy I ever owned, the first being a freebie from a mate I did the radio show with way back when. I never knew the real title as it was on a tape with no inlay (as they always were) and he asked me if I'd heard it. 'Never heard of it' I said so he went and fetched the record, said I could keep it, spun it when I got home and was all like that cow in the nursery rhyme. Still managed to trade it, as you do but crossed it off my long list just before Christmas. Top tune.

Download

Rock Hill - Rock The Beat

This is one of those records that slips your mind - when you've heard it you may think, 'yeah, now I know why' - but I like it and I'm sure it was on the same tape as 'Rappin' Insane' (see below) and when you're young and have little or no money or resources, listening to the same tape over and over pretty much daily imprints certain tunes, particularly from this era into the old grey matter for life. I did forget about this one till quite late and only copped one a few years ago. but it won't be the only one and if I ever begin to suffer from some debilitating mind illness I'm sure a few rotations of these kinds of jams will be the trigger I need to bring me back into the here and now. I don't wish to make light of such illnesses but, you know, it could happen to any one of us. My short term memory is pretty useless but once you're hooked on these, you're hooked for life and it's nice to have a good memory brought back once in a while, don't you think?

Download

Freddy B & The Mighty Mic Masters - Freddy's Back / The Main Event...Word

I treated myself to one of these just recently and at £1.50 it was a steal. 'The Main Event' is the one though and a throwback to the John Peel days too. Top tunage.

Download

Scorpio & Jazzy Jay - (Go Michael) Air Jordan

Been busy, busy, busy so thought I'd offer up a really nice and criminally (geddit?) under rated 12" to keep you going a little while..

Download

Word Of Mouth (Feat.DJ Cheese) - Coast To Coast

There's a thing on the radio next week about John Peel presented by Annie Nightingale and for some reason when I read the blurb on it I was reminded of this record. There was a thing ages back on BBC2 and he introduced WOM doing this track as it was their new single. It's nowhere near as good as the mighty 'King Kut' but it's ok.

Download

MC Shy D - DJ Man Cuts It Up

Always rated Shy D back when I was breaking so buying this was a no brainer. 4Sight's pressings weren't always that great - the flimsy vinyl doesn't help - but it's very listenable and a good reminder of how we used to listen to music. I'm still trying to make some of my workmates understand but they shake their iphones at me and tell me that's all they need. My vinyl will last longer than your telephones you fuckers. That's what I tell 'em.

Download

The Masterdon Committee - Get Off My Tip

This has been on heavy rotation just recently. I remember John Peel playing it and remarking on how fresh Pebblee sounded and she still sounds fresh today. Brilliant record.

Download

C-Jam & Kid Frost - Commando Rock

Bank holiday Monday in England. Pissing with rain as usual. No way am I visiting any garden centre or diy store. This day was made for listening to fresh electro jams from commando rockin' '84. While you do the ironing..

Download

Rhythm Radicals - Dig The Move

Bought a copy of this again a few months back, only cost a couple o' quid, a decent record obviously highly influenced by PE but I think I'm going through some sort of crisis and need to get all the records I used to have to complete my collection. Then I'll stop. No, I will.

What's this world coming to?..

Newcleus - Computer Age (Push The button)

I remember playing this on the radio and got complaints for talking over the end bit. Not this time though.

Computer age is now...

M.C. Flex & The FBI Crew - Rockin' It

Here's another Beat Street Records purchase and the first time I heard it was at the youth club at a school on Myrtle Road. There were some guys who lived further up the road than we did and they used to come down and battle us at first before we kinda teamed up and there was this one guy who had a tape with stuff I'd not heard so I had to be impressed with his breaking skills in order to get the tape that had this on it from him. I was successful in doing that but having said that he did have some skills on the cardboard, the windmills were his specialty as I recall but I had more variations, you know, hands on your chest, hand on your knees, behind the back, etc. Oh, the glory days when I was young. And thin(ner).

Download 

MC QP - I'm Hard

MC QP's only release is a mixture of hardcore hip hop and the almost verging on house music style electro so you can take a guess which is my fave on this particular 12". 'I'm Hard' was on a tape I acquired at school from 'the new guy' - I think I mentioned him before - and I was blown away. It didn't occur to me at the time but it's an obvious homage, I think rather than 'bite' of Run DMC's game changing classic, 'Sucker MCs' and a track I would forward or rewind to regularly because it was so, well, hard. Only one of my mates actually picked up a copy along with myself which I found puzzling but what the hell, they all started listening to house music anyway so fuck 'em. I'm joking of course. About the fuck 'em comment, not the house music. Well, part of me is. I hate that shit. That's why there's little mention of 'Hello Baby' over here. I don't like that tune. It was never on that tape I had either so I'm not the only one.

Download

Downtown Science - Radioactive

A bit of a leap forward this one if recent entries are to go by to 1991 and probably the best record of their short career. Sam Sever had been around a while before teaming up with Bosco Money for a couple of singles and a pretty decent LP. I had the other single off the album, 'Room To Breathe' but it fell out of the sleeve when I was getting out of my car after a deejaying sesh at a mates house and it skidded across the gravelly road runining one side completely. The worst part was one of my neighbours saw it happen and he he was also in the deejay 'profession' - weddings, birthday parties, you know, that kind - and he made some sarcastic comment which pissed me of a little. Still, I could mix and scratch and he couldn't. Probably.

Download

UTFO - Leader Of The Pack

UTFO had their moments. I wasn't keen on their debut release but I bought it all the same. This was always my fave though; picked it up some years back now, still sealed and a steal at two and a half quid. The emcees had skils but it was always the deejay I was interested in. Mixmaster Ice was underrated I reckon. He had that particularly cool scratch where you had to be real quick on the cross fade and do a kind of double back and forth with the record whilst doing the same with the fader, difficult to explain and I hope you know what I mean but it took me years to perfect but I did and I was the only one in our 'circle' that could. I don't know any other deejay that did that scratch; there probably was but he was the first I ever heard that did. Later releases didn't interest me that much. I bought a couple more of their LPs, 'Skeezer Pleezer' and 'Doin' It' but they just sat in the crate for years with little interest shown so they eventually went the way of the bay. Full Force's production skills were alright I guess but their harmonising on some of UTFO's stuff is ok for some but it's not for me, thanks all the same. 'Bite It' comes a close second to this for me which I'll get at some point no doubt, until then this is the only slice of wax I have but I think it's their best.

Download