My IPod Weighs a Ton

2005-10-31T21:31:00.000-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2005-10-19T19:52:00.000-05:00

EXPERIENCE HISTORY X

Sadat X is the hardest working man in the game, the undisputed king of the guest appearance and has never denied anyone with studio time and a live mike.

The first time I heard sadat was on some tapes recorded at Jazzy Jay's studio with some other Now Rule (New Rochelle, NY) MC's who would later incarnate into Brand Nubian. Grand Puba started with his experienced flow, but Sadat (then Derek) had some real shit to say. When Brand Nu went on with out Puba, he proved that. After dropping notable verses with KMD, Diamond D, and A Tribe Called Quest, Sadat was everywhere. Sadat was blurring the boundaries between "Independent" and "Commercial" Hip Hop, you could hear Sadat on joints with Biggie, Nas, or a white label promo from Japan or Europe.

Then why has his solo success eluded him? with the release of Experience and Education (on Female Fun Records) a mature Sadat not only spits well thought out and pertinent rhymes, but evades the gimmicks and concepts (see cowboy hats) that hindered earlier attempts. This time X hosts his own guests including Diamond D, Money Boss Players, and a reunited Heltah Skeltah.

Aged and matured, Sadat is not only a full-time MC, he’s a New York City league basketball coach, Elementary school teacher and enrolled student himself. He’s played Point Guard for Howard University, toured the globe many times over with Brand Nubian, and collaborated with a countless list of luminaries in the world of hip-hop. Now he's made a long overdue successful solo joint!
Photo: Peter Agoston

CHECK THE FINE PRINT

COME ON

STRAIGHT TALK FROM NEW YORK

NITTY GRITTY REMIX

PUNKS JUMP UP REMIX

A DAY IN THE LIFE

B BALLS BEST KEPT SECRET

7XL

HANDLE YOUR TIME

WHY (LESBIAN) OUTTAKE

2005-10-18T21:27:00.000-05:00

YOUNG GRAND PUBA...

Ahh, early Grand Puba, the Masters of Ceremony, Early Brand Nubian...with a new joint on the Missy Elliot album with Mary J Blige and a "resurrected" solo career with Flip Mode Squad, makes one reminisce about the early days of Puba's career.

It all started with Jazzy Jay in 1986, who signed Puba, his cousin Dr. Who, DJ Shabazz and early american dancehall rapper, Don Barron, as The Masters of Ceremony. After two hit singles and an album on Jay's Strong City imprint, Puba continued to record with Jay and bring by some of his New Rochelle up and coming MC's (solo artists Derek X and lord Jamar included)

One piece of strange recorded Puba history is "Oh Susanna" credited to Mr. Freeze (of Rock Steady fame) and the Homewreckers, produced by Jazzy Jay. Next came Brand Nubian, some ghost writing for his cousin, CL Smooth's DJ (see publishing for the creator) and some successful solo work.

SEXY

CRACKED OUT

OH SUSANNA

OH SUSANNA REMIX

FATRAT

MIND YOUR BUSINESS

FEELS SO GOOD

WAKE UP REMIX

MY STRUGGLES

2005-09-20T12:29:00.000-05:00

HELPING MY FELLOW DIGGERS DRY OUT...

Sorry for the delay in posts but my heart and help has been with the record spots destroyed in Katrina's wake. Please help out how you deem fit, be back with the moldy hotness soon...

DRYING OUT VINYL

2005-09-03T19:19:00.000-05:00

THE CROWN PRINCE OF LEGAL FEES

Biz Markie is firmly established in hip hop history, his early LP’s and 12”s such as "Goin’ Off" and "The Diabolical Biz Markie" are certified classics, so why the 10 year wait for a new album?

Quite simply the Biz is a legal nigtmare. It is amazing in an era where sampling is so prevalent that the biz is still an infringement target. Biz was at the center of hiphop’s sampling problems back in the mid-eighties when "I Need a Haircut" was withdrawn from the shelves. This set a precedent, from that point on all samples had to be cleared with their artists or publishers, he encountered the most intense legal action on any hip hop artist (De La being a close second) I came across some of Biz's early legal papers and "on a Smoking gun type mission" have included them for download here.

Fast forward to Biz's latest release "Weekend Warrior" the promo CD I was sent featured several tracks which ran into sample clearance problems, as a result the album was completely overhauled into a sub-par effort, According to Biz: We had 20 records that we couldn't clear because some of the people we sampled wanted ridiculous amounts of money and we ain't used that much of the record. Just a boom - and they want $50,000 just for that? Y'all crazy! I remember in the beginning before I got sued we sampled anything and we didn't pay nobody!

"Let Me See You Bounce" featuring Elephant Man, is the only track from the original 13 featured on the promo to make the actual album, thats ridiculous! The most bizarre uncleared sample is Quincy Jones' "Soul Bossanova" which Ludicris used right after Biz to create his biggest hit. Also slightly odd is a guest appearance by none other then P Diddy, the "rip off sample" king of the world.

Anyway, that is where I come in, included here are some of the forgotten tracks that I think exemplify the Celebrity Fit Club winner's true party rhyme form. Enjoy!

BIZ LEGAL PDF

MOS FINESS

TO BE REAL

SO FUNKAY

IM A DO IT

HATERS

TEAR SHIT UP

THE ORIGINAL

DANCE PARTY SCREAM SHOUT

2005-08-28T12:18:00.000-05:00

WHO'S GONNA ROCK THE SPOT

Quite possibly the most bootlegged project in hip-hop history, INI was originally signed by Pete Rock’s cousin Heavy D, Intending on a release with Uptown Records. Pete Rock saw the potential of his younger brother’s crew and bought out their contract before Puffy could move on them.

The first group signed to Pete’s new label “Soul Brother Records” under the ownership of Elektra Records and label head Silvia Rhone, INI faced plenty of adversity throughout the recording of their album “Who's Gonna Rock The Spot” in 1995. Silvia Rhone was never happy with the finished project nor the production costs coming from Greene Street studios. The album is a true classic, bridging Rastafarian ideology with street credibility, along with Pete’s special beat formula, provided a cohesive album that stands the test of time. Q-Tip and Extra P also grace the LP with some great lyrical flows.

The first single “Fakin Jax” was released to much success and the b-side “props” was a true Pete Rock banger, Funkmaster Flex played it daily for months. The group encountered the usual label problems and the desire to cut the four-man crew to two (Rob-O and Grap Luva both definitely hold there own verbally) caused tension. After the collapse of Soul Brother Records, like many other Elektra projects (KMD, Juggaknots, etc) the album was officially scrapped along with the equally good Deda Baby Pa LP.

After the break-up, Rob-O went on to record a series of underrated 12”s independently, leaving true hip-hop heads thirsty for the finished LP to be dropped in its true form, unfortunately, it never was. The first bootleg copies were poorly pressed and an instrumental version even surfaced (as did many other Elektra projects) BBE released a confused version of the project in 2003 and even included some solo work by Rob-O, not intended for the LP, or even produced by Pete Rock. BBE even dropped a few 7”s from INI cohort, Meccalicious, who was featured on the LP as well as the “Fakin Jax” remix and “Strange Fruit” which later turned up in different form on the “Soul Survivor” LP

Forgotten on all pressings of the LP are the 4 instrumental interludes (which had become a Pete Rock trademark since the Main Ingredient LP) Strange enough, one of these instrumentals was later used by 50 cent and G Unit. Freestyles by Meccalicious and Fellow Mount Vernon native Pete Red were also included as well as the intro, midro, and outro. “Keep on” was also omitted from most pressings for reasons unknown.

KEEP ON (UNRELEASED)

INSTRUMENTAL #1
INSTRUMENTAL #2
INSTRUMENTAL #3
INSTRUMENTAL #4

INTRO
MIDRO
OUTRO

MECCALICIOUS INTERLUDE 1
MECCALICIOUS INTERLUDE 2

PETE RED INTERLUDE 1
PETE RED INTERLUDE 2