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Sunday, April 28, 2013

[Exclusive Interview] DIAMOND D

Diamond D hardly needs no large introduction, if you're truly into hip-hop, you know Diamond, it's as simple as that. Classic albums like "Stunts, Blunts & Hip-Hop", "Hatred, Passions & Infidelity" and "Worldwide" with D.I.T.C, which he's a founding member of, should have a sacred place in any rap music connoisseur's record collection. For the latest interview @ The Lost Tapes, I got the chance to pick the brains of this musical genius; resulting in a conversation that sheds light on forthcoming projects, straightens out questionmarks surrounding some of his classic productions that have baffled fans for years and much more... Just read on!

claaa7: Were there more tracks recorded between you and Master Rob as Ultimate Force that are still in the vaults? Or was that all serious stuff you recorded together [that appeared on the Traffic LP] with the “Best Kept Secret” joint as your solo venture?

Diamond D: YES THERE ARE SOME OTHER SONGS WE RECORDED THAT WERENT RELEASED ON THE LP THAT STRONG CITY RECORDS PUT OUT. SOME WERE JUST IDEAS WE RECORDED.

c7:  Do you have any contact with Master Rob from Ultimate Force today?

D.D.: YES...

c7: You are really nasty on the turntables as heard on your numerous live sets and on the Ultimate Force album, yet you rarely cut shit up on your own albums or add cuts to your productions. Why is that?
D.D.: I DONT REALLY HAVE AN ANSWER…BUT GOOD QUESTION…MAYBE ON FUTURE SONGS I WILL DO THE SCRATCHING MYSELF…LOL…ITS JUST WEIRD TO WEAR ALL THOSE HATS IN A SESSION, BUT ITS GOOD TO KNOW THAT I AM SELF SUFFICIENT.  

c7: How long did it take to record “Stunts, Blunts & Hip-Hop”?

D.D.: 6 MONTHS

c7: Why did you decide to release the album almost as a group LP although it’s by all means a solo project with a lot of guests; who were the Pyscothic Neurotics in reality?

D.D.: THERE WERE MY DJ AND MY HYPE MEN/DANCERS….REMEMBER THAT WAS 92 SO…

c7: How come the vinyl release of “Stunts, Blunts…” were limited to promo copies only and even then, not even in its complete version?

D.D.: THE INDUSTRY WAS TRYING TO DO AWAY WITH VINYL BACK IN THE EARLY 90's AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS PROMO PROVES THIS.

c7: You and Showbiz produced or co-produced quite a few tracks on your respective debuts; I was curious about how much of the beats to “Hard to Kill” and “Soul Clap” were you as far as initiating the beats?

D.D.: I PRODUCED "SOUL CLAP" AND THE ORIGINAL "HARD TO KILL" THAT WASNT USED ON THE LP. 

c7: Starting with “A Day in the Life”, “Show Business” and “Punks Jump Up…” you have maintained an extremely close relationship with Brand Nubian and especially Sadat X. Did you get to know each other through the music industry, or how did y’all first hook up? 

D.D.: WHEN ME AND X MET WE JUST CLICKED…SAME AGE, SAME PART OF NYC, SAME SCHOOLING AND WE RESPECTED EACH OTHERS TALENTS…I GOT ALONG WITH ALL OF THE BRAND NUBIAN THO

c7: On a related note, what happened to the Omen project you had with Sadat X and Camari?

D.D.: THAT LP IS DONE AND IN THE VAULTS...

c7: You of course were HEAVILY involved with Fat Joe’s debut album too, so I have a few questions about that; for example there's a real fat beat on one of the uncredited interludes which I was wondering if you did, and were there any songs left on the cutting room floor?

D.D.: I DID PRACTICALLY ALL OF JOE'S LP EXCEPT FOR 1 OR 2 JOINTS….THERE ARE SONGS WE RECORDED THAT DIDNT MAKE HIS LP TOO….

c7: That soundtrack joint that was released the following year called “I’m Trying to Make It”; was that originally recorded for "Represent"?

D.D.: "I'M TRYING TO MAKE IT" WAS SPECIFICALLY RECORDED FOR THE SOUNDTRACK.

c7: One thing I always wondered regarding "Flow Joe" is why you decided to change the beat for the album version, using a completely different breakdown of the beat for the hook. To be honest with you I always thought the 12”/video version had a much better flow. 

D.D.: JUST A DIFFERENT SPIN ON THE SAME RECORD...

c7: Moving on, there’s quite a huge difference in sound between “Stunts, Blunts…” and “Hatred, Passions…”. From the sound of it, you used a lot less samples when creating your second album and relied more on dope grooves and loops. Was this a conscious decision on your development as an artist or were there any label pressure involved? Also how long did you work on your second LP?

D.D.: NO I HAD TOTAL ARTISTIC CONTROL RECORDING MY LPs. I RECORDED [THE] 2ND LP IN 1O MONTHS.

c7: I never understood why the press and many fans somewhat slammed “Hatred…” when it dropped; to me it’s pretty much a classic album. I know in an early interview before the album was released you said that the new album would be even better than your debut. How do you feel today, are they equal, or if not, which do you consider the finest album out of the two?  
D.D.: MY 1ST LP WAS MORE FEEL GOOD MUSIC…SKITS…DUDES CRACKIN JOKES… AND THAT SHOWS IN THE FLOW OF THE SONGS….THE SECOND ONE WAS A LIL MORE SERIOUS…LESS SKITS…LESS SONGS…NO JOKES…LOL… MAYBE THE FANS WANTED A STUNTS BLUNTS PART 2…THE MUSIC SCENE HAD SHIFTED SOME SINCE 92 AND I WAS IN A DIFFERENT PLACE BY 97. MY RHYMES WERE BETTER ON MY 2ND LP SO I DUNNO….ITS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS.

c7: On “Hatred…” the most prominent features were K-Terror and John Dough. K-Terror still appears every now and then with you, but what happened to John Dough?

D.D.: HE MAKES BEATS NOW… GWOP SULLIVAN ON FACEBOOK.

c7: How come you didn’t release another album, or even a mixtape, until 2003’s “Grown Man Talk”? And do you consider “Grown Man Talk” an official album or would you say that “Huge Hefner Chronicles” is your third solo album?

D.D.: "GMT" TOOK ME AWHILE BECAUSE I WAS FOCUSED ON PRODUCTIONS AND LESS ON MCing AND IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AN OFFICIAL MIXTAPE…THE "HHC" WAS AN ALBUM.

c7: A 12” EP released on DITC records featuring what many thought was the hottest 7 tracks from the "GMT" project surfaced around the time the full-length CD dropped. Was this an official release from you or a bootleg? 

D.D.: BOOTLEG!!!!

c7: How much of the “Rainy Dayz” remix (Raekwon) that was credited to Mr. Dalvin did you actually do?

D.D.: I REPROGRAMMED THE DRUMS ON THE BEAT, JUST FATTENED THEM UP WITH BETTER ONES.

c7: Another track I was curious about is the song “Foundation” from the D.I.T.C. album. At least on the European Tommy Boy version that I have the production credit goes to Showbiz, but on the actual song AG shouts you and your beat out. What’s the deal? 

D.D.. I PRODUCED FOUNDATION SO I'M UNAWARE OF THIS TYPO ON THE EURO VERSION….

c7: You once produced a song for Too $hort and Jay-Z ("Here We Go"). As far as I figure your original version was never released, but rather a remix by Jermaine Dupri. Does that differ very much from your original version, and are there any chance we’ll ever get to hear your original mix you think? 
D.D.: THE ONLY THING JD DID WAS PUT VOCALS ON THE HOOK…THE BEAT IS ALL MINE

c7: In 2006 you wrote that you were grammy nominated for Natalie Cole’s “Leaving” album, and I believe the song “Day Dreaming”: I know the album was produced by your old working companion Dallan Austin, but strangely on the album you are not credited in any capacity at all. What’s up with that?`

D.D.: THE VAMP AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SONG CAME FROM ONE OF MY BEATS THAT NATALIE LIKED…SO THE MUSICIANS REPLAYED IT OVER AND IT BECAME PART OF THE SONG…WHEN THE CREDITS WERE TURNED IN SOMEHOW I WASNT LISTED BUT I DIDNT REALLY SWEAT IT BECAUSE ITS A REMAKE IN ITSELF OF ARETHA FRANKLIN'S SONG….THEY CUT ME A CHECK AND NO ONE NEITHER DALLAS OR NATALIE HAS CALLED ME OUT ON IT IN INTERVIEWS BECAUSE ITS THE TRUTH. WAS AN HONOR MEETING MS COLE!

c7: Are there other songs that you might have produced or remixed but got screwed of the credit which you would like the people to know about? 

D.D.: THERES ONE BUT ITS SO WACK IM GLAD ITS CREDITED TO SOME NON DESCRIPT PERSON

c7: I know you said that you produced something for J Dilla’s unreleased “Pay Jay” album on MCA back in the early 2000s. Have anyone reached out to you about releasing that song(s), considering they are finally releasing that LP this year as I understand it?

D.D.: NOPE IT WASNT USED

c7: In a pretty recent interview you mentioned a project with Pete Rock. Is this still happening and if so, in what form will you collaborate and how far a long are you with the recording? 

D.D.: ME AND PETE ARE RHYMING TOGETHER ON A SONG I PRODUCED ON MY NEW LP THE DIAM PIECE DROPPING LATER THIS YEAR!

c7: You are also working on a soul album with Blake Carrington, right? Could you tell me a little about that? 
D.D.: HIPHOP/SOUL AT ITS BEST….BLAKE IS A GREAT SINGER IN THE SAME VEIN AS RAHEEM DEVAUGHN AND ERIC ROBERSON AND SONICALLY THE SOUND IS SOMETHING I CALLED BRAND NEW RETRO. HOPEFULLY THE FANS WILL FUCK WITH IT WHEN WE DROP

c7: Besides being a real ill soul producer, you also have some fantastic jazz remixes. For a jazz and hip-hop head like me a Diamond D produced or remix jazz album would be straight up incredible. Do you think this will ever happen? 

D.D.: ITS POSSIBLE….I WORKED ON THE 1ST BLUE NOTE'S RECORDS REMIX LP WITH THE ROOTS AND TRIBE BACK IN THE MID 90s…IM OPEN TO DO MORE THO

c7: Considering the questions above, it seems you have a lot of stuff going right now. We have yet not mentioned “The Diam Piece LP” which you announced not too long ago. The tracklist on that looks absolutely mind blowing man!

D.D.: THE TRACKLIST IS SOLID, IM MAKING ADDITIONS AND DELTIONS…THE WILL BE MY 1ST FULL LENGTH PRODUCER COMPILATION LP AND ITS COMING OUT CRAZY. IM IN A GOOD WORK ETHIC FLOW NOW

c7: On the recent single “Time is Now”, you got AG and Sadat rhyming over a real dark, gutter type of beat. Is this the style we can expect to hear on the forthcoming LP?
D.D.: THAT WILL APPEAR ON THE DIAM PIECE LP….WE RECORDED THAT IN EUROPE AND SHOT THE VIDEO CLIP IN PARIS JUST A TEASER…IT GETS ALOT OF LOVE ON YOUTUBE

c7: What are some of the craziest tracks that we especially need to look out for on “The Diam Piece”? 

D.D.: HARD TO SAY…I WILL SAY THIS…I JUST GOT BACK CHINO XL'S VERSES AND DUDE IS A FUCKIN BEAST….FEATURES PETE ROCK, HITEK, K-TERROR, NOTTZ, PHAROAHE MONCH, AG, OC, FATJOE, FREDDIE FOXXX, BLACK ROB, SMITH AND WESSUN, RAS KASS, SADAT X, LORD JAMAR, J-LIVE,THE PHARCYDE, THE ALKAHOLIKS, THE ARTIFACTS, CHI ALI, GUILTY SIMPSON, KEV BROWN, MASTER ACE, DADDY I.U…..STILL RECORDING SONGS AND FEATURES BUT ONLY THE CREAM OF THE CROP WILL BE USED

c7: Wow, that must be the sickest line-up in a LONG time; can't wait to hear that! Is the album being released on BabyGrande, because I seem to recall that you had a two-album deal with them? 

D.D: HELL NO…LOL

c7: Have your move to the South had a profound impact on your music? For example the song on “Huge Hefner Chronicles”, ‘Good Tyme’, seemed heavily influenced by the ATL bass sound. 

D.D.: IM NOT IN THE SOUTH MUCH JUST IN AND OUT…AND YES GOOD TYME DID HAVE A BOUNCE TO IT….LOL….BUT IM STILL A DIGGER AND WHEN CATS DISCOVER WHAT I SAMPLED THEY REALIZE THAT EVEN ON SOME BOUNCE SHIT IS STILL ME ON MY DIGGIN SHYT

c7: What are you using for producing these days as far as equipment goes? 

D.D.: YAMAHA ES8

c7: You've been doing a lot of terrific DJ sets using nothing but 45:s in recent days; are you also preferring to sample from 7” singles when producing your music? 

D.D.: NO I SAMPLE FROM LPS AND 7INCHES…WHEREVER THE HEAT IS

c7: In closing, you know I gotta ask you about what’s happening, and if it’s happening, with a new DITC album? I know that question might be somewhat of a cliché at this point, but the fans are dying to know this so it would be cool to hear your word on it, and if you possibly even have recorded anything for it? 

D.D.: THERE WERE SOME NEW SONGS RECORDED SO IT MAY SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY...

c7: Alright man, thank you so much for taking the time for this interview, it’s truly appreciated. Any last words or shout outs? 

D.D.: THESE WERE THE BEST INTERVIEW QUESTIONS IVE HAD IN A MINUTE

[Video] Yu Mamiya & Large Pro - "Back & 4th Scrambler"

Japanese producer Yu Maimya invites Extra-P to spit some of that trademark Large shit on this hot new single called "Back & 4th Scrambler". The Ed Jensen video is a must see for any hip-hop head as well as it plays like a great homage to the entire culture. Other peeps who recently worked on new music with Yu Maimya includes General Steele, Rasheed Chappell and Akir so hopefully we'll get to hear a full album with quality music like this ASAP!

Friday, April 26, 2013

Redman Ft. Mr. Cheeks & Doitall - "Hands Up"

This god-banging new Redman single was actually released on 4/20 to celebrate the annual weed day. However, I totally forgot to post it, but considering how dope Red, Doitall and Mr. Cheeks goes in over this smooth Easy Mo Bee knocker, better late than never. The cover art is crazy too!


Thursday, April 25, 2013

Sheek Louch & Ghostface - "Young, Gifted & Black Freestyke"

The most prominent Wu-Block duo recored this freestyle over the Big Daddy Kane/Marley Marl classic "Young, Gifted & Black" for Funkmaster Flex's latest mixtape. Unfortunately it didn't make the final cut of the mix, but that don't stop us fans in this day and age where we get to hear each and everything in due time. Check it out for yourslf; this up sounds impeccahle together an Marley's beat still ain't othing to F' eith.

DIAMOND D - Untitled

Here's a two minute pretty neat snippet of a new Diamond D track, where Kirkland holding it down on boh the beat and vocals. Diam has announced plenty of projects the last couple of years, but we really haven't got much more than the ocassional snippets- He's still in my top 10 (top 5 on a good day), but where's "The Diam Piece LP? Where's the Blake Carrringtn project? Even a collaboration with Pete Rock has been anounced, and then there's of course the full-length LP he's producing for ATL emcee Big REC, and based on the snippets shit is sounding serious. Just for the fuck of it, I'm posting the one minute excerpt of their collabo "The Dawning" as well... So you got about three minutes to nod your head and wait for something official.


Mr. Complex - "Commercial Rap"

It's been a while since I heard Mr. Complex, but I always felt the cat had skills and I especially like his collaborations with DJ Spinna. A couple of days ago he released his new single "Commercial Rap", produced by Mortal 1, available for free download and stream via Sub-Bombin' Records. Good news for Complex heads is the announcement that this is the first single from a new album that's in the work from the man.

Mos Def x Preservation - "Quiet Dog Bite Hard" Remix

I still haven't got used to calling Mos Def Yasiin Bey, and since 2009's "The Ecstatic" was released under the Mos moniker I'ma post this under the former Rawkus' king's original name. "The Ecstatic" was one of my most played albums of that year, and Preservation's several contributions were all off the hook, so it's pleasant enws that he is remixing the entire album which will be released as The REcstatic. Word is that the newly interpreted LP will land sometime during next month, but if you want to kow what to expect check out the first single bwlow; "Quiet Dog Bite Hard" (which was actually laced by Preservation in its original form). I have a hard time imagining this will be as terrific as the OG CD/LP but this bangs pretty hard nontheless, and I'm looking forward to hearing what Preservation got in store for this project.

Supastition & Stoupe are VESTIGE

Since Stoupe The Enemy Of Mankind left Jedi Mind Tricks to focus on various solo projects and all kinds of collaborations, a lot of fat music has materialized. His solo album "Decalouge" featured some really intense collabos with M.O.P., Saigon, Reef The Lost Cauze, Joell Ortiz, and of course Supastition who's now will hanle all the rhyming on a forthcoming Stoupe LP. I was also a big fan of his team-up with singer Liz Fullerton as DUTCH which was a really good album.

The LP with Supastition is titlted "The Inanimate Life" and is set for a release sometime this summer; ""The Inanimate Life" which documents the fictional life story of a man born to an unfit mother and how his life spirals out of control due to her actions, as well as his own mistakes. The story and lyrics were written by Supastition with Stoupe and his production team (Bad Tape) handling the music which meshes together hip hop, downtempo, and live instrumentation." Sounds like a keeper, that's for sure.,.. Stay tuned for more info and the first single.

Dragon Fli Empire Ft. Sadat X - "Daily News Pt. 2"

Sadat X is by far one of my favorite emcees out there right now, and has been so for at least a decade. Funnily enough, he has already done a sequel to his solo track "The Daily News", calledd "The Post"; a concept record where X weaves his rhymes while reading the daily news paper. When Canada emcee Dragon Fli Empire enlisted the X-Man for a cameo, the two decided to do yet another installment in the series, and so here is "The Daily News Pt. 2". I'm feeling it!

[EPK] GANG STARR - "Step in the Arena"

EgoTripLand posted this classic VHS promo sent out to various channels in promotion of GURU and DJ Premier's classic January '91 album "Step in the Arena". We'll get some nice behind the scenes footage of sessions, live performances and interviews nit inky by the griup themeselves but also Branford ´Marsalis and Biz Markie to drop by to drop sme wizdom. Shouts to EgoTripLand and DJSandman.

QUASIMOTO - "Planned Attack"

As if you didn't know Quasimoto is the helium-voiced alter ego of super producer Madlib, and under that alias he has released two of the finest albums ever released on Stones Throw. The last album under the name was 2003:s brilliant "The Further Adventures Of Lord Quas", so deem of my suprise when I saw a new Quas joint in my inbox acccompanying a press release for a forthcoming Quas full-length called "Yessir Whatever".

The album will include twelve tracks; recorded over roughly as many years. Some of the songs are new or at least previously unreleased, while some of the songs have previously been made available on rare, limited, and now out-of-print 7" singles and such. All songs have been properly mastered and mixed for the first time. June 18 is the releate date, though digital is already available for purchase, both through The Stones Throw Store and read more here. Check out the first single "Planned Attack" below:

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Spectac & Amiiri Ft.. MidaZ The Beast, & Maniac - ""This, That & The 3:rd" (Remix)

New York duo Spectac & Amiri has dropped plenty of impressive singles over the least year. Their latest endeavor is a remix album called "Soul Beauiful" featuring gripping takes on classic Spectac & Amiri joints by producers from all over the world. The first single is "This That & The Third", in a new interpreation by german producer Maniac who also supplies a guest verse together with the always dope MidaZ The Beast. "Soul Purpose" hit stores on April 30 and will be available on both digital format och on compact disc. Stay tuned for more information, and in the meantime peep the first official single, "Them That's Not Remix" which you'll find below.

[Video] MILANO - "Fishin' Rough"

Milano Constantine of D.I.T.C./Wild Life fame has droppped plenty of quality material throughout the years, and his latest endeavor is gearing up for a soon-to-breleased mixtape entitlted "Alfa Romeo". Spotted at UNKUT who recently interviewed the Bronx bomber about his ties with the DI crew, his new music, among many other things. The interview will be up in the next couple of weeks, but until then you can bang your head to his latest single from the upcoming tape "Fishin' Rough". No release date has been given yet, but look out for it in a near future, I will of course update here with any related news.

Marco Polo Ft. Lil' Fame, Tragedy & Adrian Younge - "Stand Up" Remix

As readers of this and other blogs know a lot of heads feel Marco is one of the illest producers out there right now; he's one of the last producers with some success that'll never forgot his roots while always having amazing guest artists on all his project. "Port Authority" , his official debut from 2007, truly certified him in the game as an outstanding artist, partly due to the amazing set of guest artists he managed to get together for the project. Now the Canadian beat maestro is gearing up for the second installment in that series, but first he's releasing a mixtape of songs that didn't make the final cut for one reason or another. "Newport Authority" is the prequel tape that will be released very soon and we already heard brilliant joints by the likes of Rakim, and The Artifacts. It's hard not to get the impression that, between these two releases, this is going to have the finest guest spots in one place since Pete Rock's "Soul Survivor". For the latest single, the remix of "Stand Up", you got two of my favorite emcees all categories go at it with no lesser legends than The Delphonics and super talented but still rising Adrian Younge!

[ALBUM] GHOSTFACE x APOLLO BROWN - "The Brown Tape"

This is absolutely AMAZING news, so F'n great that it's hard to believe it if you ask me; but nah, this ain't no false alarm or a drill peeps. Earlier this month one of the best emcees of all time, Ghostface Killah, hooked up with a ridiciously dope producer on the rise named Adrian Younge who, despite his young age, already had worked with the likes of William Hart and The Delphonics. The fourty minutes that make up Younge N Ghost's LP, "Twelve Reasons to Die", has been given PLENTY of front-to-back plays where I'm at since it first dropped. There's not a single weak song on here, neither when dissecting vocal or musical performances; I love the  lyrical concept, I love the production that's a mix between Enio Morricone and old-school RZA,i love the mixing that got GFK's voice just right (whereas many engineers make it too high-pitched), i love every single one of the guest apperances, the artwork, and so forth. The album is available from RZA's newly started Soul Temple Records in your choice of digital, cassette, vinyl or CD. And as if that wasn't enough, the first 500 pre-orderss received a cassette tape of the album, featuring all the tracks with original vocals, although completely remixed by none other than one of Detroit's top producers of the day in Apollo Brown.

Due to heavy pushing from fans, SoulTemple is now releasing the Apollo Brown remix as a separate release on both wax, CD and digital on June 4; Count me in! I haven't bought the original yet as my economy hasn't been the best recently, but I will definitely pick up both at the end of the month, that's for sure. As if this fantastic news wasn't enough Soul Temple has thrown up a full stream of the ENTIRE album (no snippets opr anything like that) for your pleasure. And let me tell you, this shit is off the fucking meatrack; I can't deciede which one I like the better, which is saying a lot considering that Younge's take might be GFK's best since 2000. Don't sleep on this limited edition peeps, and press play on the Music player below and let it run from´front-to-back. And while you're at it, heaad over to SoulTempleMusic.com to order your copy. Until then, press play below and TURN IT UP!!


[12" Throwback] OL' DIRTY BASTARD - "O.D.B. EP."

I wrote a good chunk about this EP, but to my vast irritation every single one of my words were destroyed when my comp unexpectedly shut down; but shame those who give in. So here's my second take on Ol' Dirty's "O.D.B.E.P.", released in 1996 through Elektra, and available in Japanese stores only for a limited amount of time. The Dirty One's mid-summer debut LP on the imprint, this 13 tracks long collection of instrumentals, remixes, and B-sides work as a great companion piece to ODB's last year debut album. This Japan only EP featured two exclusive RZA productions that originally had appeared as B-sides to 12" on a couple of the album singles; meaning that they might have originally been conceived for inclusion on the album but had to be cut when so much material kept coming in.

Kicking things off with a mindblowing Lord Digga of The Bluez Brothers/Masta Ace Inc crew who provides a completely different take on Dirt's #1 classic "Brookltn Zoo", incorporating an oriental sample over agressive drums and -bass, and best of all plenty of new ad-libs from Dirt. I suspect that´Dirty recorded all of his verses over to this beat, as the editing is absolutely beautiful.  "Give it to Ya Raw" is a classic RZA's mid-'90s production, with knocking drums in an almost old-school breakbeat fashion, filthy and filter-processed samples, and a real murky bassline. The Dirty one screaming things like "Give it to Ya Raw" and giving shout outs to the piopneers adds to the fact just how rugged and shit-stained this joint is, and personally, I wouldn't have mind hearing this on the LP rather than something like "Sweet Sugar Pie". It also works as an homage to those who came before; the true pioneers; with Dirt giving shouts tothose who came before like Grandmaster Caz, and many more. This is vintage mid-'90s Dirt & RZA right here. This is followed by Elektra's in-house producer's take on the previous funk-jam; the SD50 remix (a trio consisting of Tommy Boy mainstays Dante Ross, Johnn Gamle & Geeby Dajani). The drums and agressive bassline are still in full tact but it's indeed a little cleaner than Prince Rakeem's take on it. You got a lot more keys and plenty of horns to keep it moving on the latter, but placing ODB's unorthdox rhyming style over a brand new drum pattern shows how incredible these three guiys were at manipulating a voice to fir a completely new sound..

Followed here are the so called extended version of "Shimmy Shimmy Ya"; by far, one of Dirt's most cherished songs. RZA's and ODB's original album recordings is pretty much intact for the first and second verse (the regular verse and the backmasked verse is still there) Before Buddha Monk appears together with ODB tying up the loose ends. It's not an essential joint per se, though it runs through an entire new verse by ODB is never heard elsewhere, resulting in the song given a facelift.

For me, the West Coast remix of "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" is without a doubt the most transformed and the most different mix out of them all, for the first time showing Dirt's fascination for the West Coast sound which would later be followed up by collabos with Alkaholiks, Coolio, and Mack 10. Studio Ton brings on a club bouncer fitting for the West Coast scene at the time, with crazy bass, Moog synthesizer, and repetitive but hard-hitting drums. It's a far cry from the original if you ask me, but it's definitely worth several listens especially as it features exclusive verses by Mack 10, WC, and Dirt himself.  Next up we find the second RZA produced outtake from the album in "Don't U Kmow Pt. II" which picks up right where the prequel from Dirt's debut closed out (remember "....Part 2 coming your way!"). The production is similiar, yet it's not a tired repetition. amd on top of that although Priest is curiously missing here. But we get another brilliantview into the chemistry between ODB and RZA this is a must hear for everyone.

The final cut on the EP is another very FAT track, featuring ODB going head to head with the very underrated cousin 12 O'Clock, who I always liked a whole lot. All these tracks were included as bonus tracks on the newly released Get On Down 2xCD edition of "Return of the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version". Enjoy, and TURN IT UP - this is classic Ol' Dirty right here... May you rest in everlasting piece Russel!,
01. "Brooklyn Zoo" [Clean Lord Digga Mix]
02. "Brooklyn Zoo" [LP Instrumental]
03. "Brooklyn Zoo" [Lord Digga Mix Instrumental]
04. "Give it to Ya Raw: Clean" [prod. by The RZA]
05. "Give it to Ya Raw" [SD50 Remix]
06. "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" [Extended]
07."Shuimmy Shimma Ya" [Stidop Ton Remix] (Ft- MC Eith & WC)
08. "Don¨'t U Know Part 2"
09. "Ol' Dirty's Back" (Ft. 12 O'Clock)

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

[Video] Ruste Juxx & Shae Money - "Over Here"

The unmistakable, super gruff voice of original Boot Camp Clik affiliate Ruste Juxx has rightfully blown up over the last few years with album after album of hardcore street rhymes set over production by some of the finest beatsmiths around. I love how he can do an album with somewhat legendary Marco Polo, and follow it up with a collaboration with super dope but fat less famous Kyo Itachi. Now the turn has come to up-and-coming Denver, Colorado producer, Shae Money (not to be confused with Sha Money XL). The duo has completed recorded. Neither a tracklist or an album artwork has been released to the public yet, but at least we can bang our heads to "Over Here" in a video edition directed by Adam Waltner. If this joint is even just a small indiciation of what to expect from the Duck Down LP which hasn't been given an official release date yet; but stay tuned!

Shuko Ft. Blu - "Be Yourself"

Producer Shuko has over the years really became someone we can trust with bringing true heat for underground artist, packing a true boom-bap renaissance sound many times for recording sessions. Here Shuko revisits an instrumental cut from his "Sleepless" album, the instrumental for a joint called "Sad Day", albeit here it is an a slightly better version and renamed "Be Yourself" features no lesser emcee than Blu.. And the ish is pretty damn fantastic! A definite check out for all of y'all, i'll tell you that so press PLAY ASAP, Check it out!!

The song will appear on Shuko's "The Awakening EP" as well as on a limited 10% release for all the militant vinylists. It's very limited and very experiencieve, but it's a dope release although I personaölly wouldn't give that much money for this project. Listen to snippets, covers and all that good shit and pre-oder youe copy @ "The Awakening EP"  which will be shipped very soon, DOPE!

DJ MUGGS Ft. Rahzel - "Breathe Slow"

DJ Muggs' been one of my absolute favorites since I first heard him on "Black Sunday" and "Temples of Boom" and "IV", and then of course the the first Cypress albums. And since then he has provided us with more incredible music than most producers, "The Soul Assassins" albums, his underrated "Dust", and so much of his catalouge will hold up for a long time to come.

We've heard some songs from his upcoming project, which is somewhat of a dubstep/very unorthodox project, and here's another really dope jam with Muggs on the board and none other than Rahzel from the legendary The Roots Crew. Despite the huge depature for Luggerud, this track is a must-hear an personally i have liked some of his straight forrays innto dub-step ifluenced material, but this one is one of the best so far. Check it out for yourself below!

[Snippets/Interview] Apollo Brown, Verbal Kent, Red Pill are UGLY HEROES

As I announced in a previous post some time ago, three Mello Music Group artists have joined forces for a brand new group called "Ugly Heroes"; with Apollo Brown on the beats, Verbal Kent on the rhymes together with a rhymer I'm not previuosuly familiar with named Red Pill. They are about to release a full-length album on the MMG imprint that drops May 28 this year. The trio very recently was interviewed about the upcoming album by UHF Cable Access Channel 43; The video above also features lots of small bits and pieces from the album. Sounds pretty great at that too! Check it out for yourself, and get ready for the "Ugly Heroes" project in just slightly more than a month. You can pre-order your copy from UGHH now, in your choice of CD, 2xLP or a limited deluxe edition - pick your favorite @ UGHH.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

SOUNDSCI to drop "Soundsational"

Fresh from one of the very stand-out releases of the past winter with the "The Ultimate EP", the Soundsci quintet has signed a deal with the often interesting Ubiquity Records. The deal has resulted in a full-length album, featuring 10 tracks based around samples from the early catalouge of Mike James Kirklannd. "The result are 10 songs that delve deep into Hip-hop’s Golden Era with the boom-bap sound and soul samples combined to create an instant classic. Be on the look out for the album set to drop in late June 2013!" Build up your anticipation with a complete set of snippets below (or click here if there's any problem).

Marco Polo Ft. Talib Kweli & DJ Premier - "G.U.R.U."

I should have posted this when it was released yesterday as April 19 of course marks the three-year anniversary of the passing of the great Keith Elam, best known as GURU. Although we've heard a few slamming recent Marco Polo tracks, but this track of greatness with Preem and Kweli works as the actual lead single for the Canandian beatsmith's forthcoming "Port Authority 2: The Director's Cut". Prepare yourself for the July release on Soulspazm Records as it should be one of the definite records of the summer!

Ghostface Killah x Apollo Brown - "Murder Spree"

Ghostface Killah's collaboration with producer Adrian Younge is going hot right now, and a few lucky bastards is sitting on the remix LP by Apollo Brown ("The Brown Tape") right now as well. For us others, at least we are lucky to get to hear a few jams, such as the incredible interpretation of "Murder Spree" above, while we wait for a rip or a more widespread release, which according to Apollo's management is not an impossibility if the hunger for it is big.

DJ Duke Ft. Supernatural - "The Medicine Man"

We've heard several gripping previews of tracks sporting high-profile guest spots from DJ Duke's upcoming "Here Comes the City Brother" which lands in September this year. The new single is called "The Medicine Man" and packs both the quality vibe and the ill cameo, this time from MC Supernatural who comes correct as usual. This track will also appear on a compilation called "Classic Astro", in stores May 7.

King Ramses - "Dirt Napp"

Here goes another dope, funky jam from King Ramses, this time featuring guest vocals by Trife and INF Beam. "Dirt Napp" can be found on the official debut, "The Making of Ramses", which is out NOW on iTunes and other digital retailers so make sure to check for that! Also peep the sampler @ DatPiff.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

[Video] GHOSTFACE KILLAH - "Rise Of The Ghostface Killah"

Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge's "Twelve Reasons to Die" is out in all it's glory now, and it is indeed the best Wu album in years. I can't wait til' I get a refill on the account so I can pick up the LP set for myself, but until then I'm good with the video for "Rise Of The Ghostface Killah"; one of the illest tracks from the project. Head over to SoulTempleMusic.com and support Ghost and Younge by picking up one of the many different editions of the album.

Statik Selektah Ft. Raekwon, Black Thought & Joey Bada$$ - "Bird's Eye View"

Statik Selektah is gearing up for another one of his solo projects, and in usual order has assembled some dream teams to rock over his powerhouse beats. On the first single from "Extended Play" he got no lesser emcees than Raekwon, and Black Thought with young Joey Bada$$ spitting HEAT over a beautiful backdrop of chopped female vocals and graceful keys. Tariq absolutely MURDERS this... "Extended Play" is out June 18 on Duck Down Records.

Nametag & Nameless - "Oxyxmoron" (Ft. Black Milk)

Nametag and Nameless brings that raw street soul straight from the D on their latest single, "Oxymoron" which is lifted from the just released "For Namesake". Nametag on the rhymes, Nameless on the beats, Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, and Miz Korona holding down the guest spots... Grab it @ iTunes ASAP!

Malik B. & Mr. Green - "Devil"

Malik B. of The Roots has been apart of classic albums like "Illadelph Halflife" and "Do You Want More?!!", yet he continues to be quite the underrated emcee. On "Devil", producer Mr. Green gives him a dope bass- and strings driven beat well suited for the Philladelphia native's talents. This is apparantly the first single from an upcoming collaborative LP from the pair, so you better watch out for that 1!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

[Video] Hannibal Stax & Marco Polo - "46 Bars Of Death"

I've been a fan of Hannibal Stax since the glory days of Gang Starr, and it's really about time he gets to shine with a solo release of his own. The fact that it's a project made in collaboration with one of the sharpest boom bap preservers out there, Marco Polo, of course points further towards marvelous results. "Seize the Day" drops via Soulspazm Records on May 7; in the mean time you can nod your head to the sounds of the first single, "46 Bars Of Death".

[Mixtape] TREK LIFE x RHETTMATIC - "Hometown Heroes"

Trek Life's new album "Hometown Foreigner" with producer Duke Westlake is out and available now, which I'm sure some of y'all caught when I posted the stream last week. If you're still trying to catch up on Trek's musical journey, or just want to spend another hour with fat beats and slick rhymes in your ear, DJ Rhettmatic of The Beat Junkies' has put together a knocking mixtape called "Hometown Heroes". This was originally pressed up on very limited cassette, but now we get a chance to hear the digital version for free via Mello Music Group. If you want the cassette, it's still available as a bonus item when you purchase "Hometown Foreigner" @ UGHH.

Monday, April 15, 2013

[Comp] PAULA PERRY - "FORT KNOX"

The name Paula Perry first came to attention as the ruff female voice of Masta Ace's The I.N.C. collective. First introduced on Ace's '93 classic "Slaughtahouse" where she made hip-hop fans around the world take notice with a strong solo cut of her own called "Who U Jackin?". When it then came time for the second Ace release with the clique, "Sitting On Chrome", Perry was given a much more prominent role, holding her own against the seasoned leader and fellow emcee Lord Digga on several stand out songs from the LP. The original idea from here was for each member of The I.N.C. quartet to deliver solo albums of their own, starting out with R&B singer Leschea's "Rhythm & Beats" in '97, where Perry made an apperance on the opening track "My Flow". 

These cameos and the self-released solo 12" "Paula's Jam" B/W "Problems" not only made heads take notice, but also got the ill spitting female emcee a deal with legendary power house Motown. In 1998 she recorded her solo debut for the imprint, executive produced by Masta Ace and Mister Cee and entitled "Tales From Fort Knox". The first, and unfortunately only, single from the LP was the heavy hitting DJ Premier produced "Extra, Extra" which showed a take-no-shit emcee that was really coming into her own as an artist. The B-side "Down to Die For This" was no lesser track, featuring heavy names Easy Mo Bee and Jesse West on production and guest vocals, respectively. While this 12" managed to make some noise on the underground circuit, and rightfully so, the tired bosses at Motown didn't find the sales satisfactory which led to the shelving of "Tales From Fort Knox", despite the project being already completed and assigned a catalouge number for both vinyl and CD release. There were however a few promo copies of the album pressed up on cassette, and although a rip never has surfaced online, it has been available for a lot of dough on eBay so somebody out there is sitting on this long lost gem right now. Hopefully one day it will be released through some small imprint, it's always a real shame when a honest artist's entire work is never heard by the intended public.

After the Motown deal fell through, she has only released a few independent 12":s, most of it quality stuff, the latest being 2000:s "Y'all Chicken Makes Me Laugh". My man ANT has collected all of Paula Perry's released solo material from this period for us all to enjoy, making his own version of what "Tales From Fort Knox" might have sounded like; and indeed, many of these tracks might have orginally been recorded for that project (the intro is in fact the actual OG intro, once posted by Domingo via Soundcloud). Super thanks to ANT for this dope compilation, and for the rest of y'all, enjoy and TURN IT UP.... Also while searching images for this post, I found a 2009 mixtape by Paula Perry called "The Godmommy" @ DatPiff, so peep that as well.

 
01. "Fort Knox: Intro"
02. "Paula's Jam" (Ft. Que45)
03. "Down to Die For This" (Ft. Jesse West)
04. "Extra! Extra!"
05. "Four P's in a Pod" (Ft. Precious Paris)
06. "N.V. In Em" (Ft. 4LB)
07. "Y'all Chickens Make Me Laugh"
08. "Reasons" (Ft. Que45)
09. "Six Pack" (Ft. Nikki D, Heather B, Bahamadia, Rah Digga & Precious Paris)
10. "B.Q.E." (Ft. Mr. Cheeks)
11. "Getta Grip Muthafuckas" (Ft. Mr. Cheeks)
12. "Paula's Jam" [Knobody's Remix] (Ft. Que45)

Styles P Ft. Raekwon - "Reckless"

The Ghost from D-Block is teaming up with producer Scram Jones for his new album, "Float", which hit retailers this Tuesday. Besides features from Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, Noreaga, and Bullpen, Raekwon appears on the knocking single "Reckless" which you can hear below.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

[Trailer] "Ready 4 Whatever"

New UK director M.A. Double is making moves in his career; the making of his first feature film "Ready 4 Whatever" was filled with very real obstacles, but he came through this and now his movie is being presented at the next Cannes Film Festival which of course is huge. The story of the movie is about drug dealing and a statement about the negativity it will ultimately bring to the community and the individual him/herself.

What's very interesting, and all the more fucked up, is that when making the movie M.A. was on bail and under a 16-months surveillance, facing a long prison sentence if convincted as the charge was for the smuggling of 160K. This was not a crime that he had commited, "the agreed facts between the prosecution and the defence were that a parcel containing a kilo of cocaine came into the country, the text messages and call records in my phone showed that I had knowledge of the parcel coming in, i was arrested when i turned up at the parcel depot to pick up the parcel, i shouted "no comment" to my co-defendant at the time of their arrest and was uncooperative in interview."

On top of this crazyness, the star of the film Remaine Dixon was stabbed a week before the shoot and had to undergo two major operations. Luckily, in all this misery, they were able to complete the film and five days after the shooting wrapped M.A. was found not guilty after a 5 day trial, and now "Ready 4 Whatever" will premiere as Cannes as the first film to be shown from a person who shot his/her film on bail, so keep your eyes open up for this one. Instead of gloryfing the fact, M.A. says: "I wanna express in general how its not cool to get involved in crime. you could be out there making a load of money, but i've seen it before that when the law clamps down on you, all the money goes away, all the laughter stops and you'll wish you could turn back time."

Livin' Proof - "Pure White"

Livin' Proof first caught my attention with the tight collaborationn with Chi-Ali and Maffew Ragazio that dropped a few weerks ago (just click here if you msised out on it). Here is another single, this time a solo single from his upcoming solo debut "Die For A Deal 5.0" which hit retailers on June 16. "Pure White" is produced by Jemz.

N.O.R.E. / Tragedy / Havoc - "Student Game"

Looking at the recently released cover of N.O.R.E.'s upcoming album "Student Of The Game", I was satisfied that it's released as a NORE album (with a smal text saying P.A.P.I. right beneath, rather than the other way around). I believe this is the third single so far, and from those three it seems that the former CNN member want to take it back to the ruff, rugged and raw, considering the singles have been pretty hardcore so far. We heard the Large Pro produced "Building Pyramids" which was off the meatrack; The Neptunes joint wasn't no "Super THUG" but it wasn't wack either, and for "Camoflauge Unicorns" (what?), he links back with Tragedy Khadafi and Havoc over a hypnotizing beat, mixing the soft melody with the hardcore drums. Can't wait to see what this album will turn up like in the end. The album drops next week. Spotted @ Unkut.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Ghostface Killah - "Rise Of The Black Suits" [RMX]

Apollo Brown is remixing the entire "12 Reasons to Die", giving Ghost a dose of his grimey funk trademark sound. "The Brown Tape" will be released on cassette only, accompanying the box-set of the original Adrian Younge produced version which drops on the 16:th. Above you can hear the revisited "Rise Of The Black Suits", complete with matching visuals.

[Album] SILENT KNIGHT - "Busy is My Best Friend II"

If you've been keeping up with the times, you'll know that Silent Knight got the goods, and if so you'll be pleased to know that the full-length version of his "Busy is My Best Friend II" is available now. The Elementality emcee has linked up with producers like The Audible Doctor, DJ K.O., !llmind, J57, Madwreck and Analogic to create a fittingly ruff soundtrack for the project. Joining Silent Knight on the mic are peeps like Homeboy Sandman, MadKem, Rasheed Chappell, YC The Cynic, Audible Doctor, and more... You know you want to hear this!

[Video] J DILLA - "Center Of The Movement"

The 5-Ela assisted "Center Of The Movement" from last year's "Rebirth Of Detroit" gets the video treatment. Always liked this joint, good to see it get some additional shine!

Proof x Dilla - "Keep It On The Low" (1994)

Check out this previously unreleased jam from Big Proof, produced by Jay Dee back in 1994. The two pumped out a lot of good, with a lot still unherd as they collaborated together on an unreleased project as Funky Cowboys.

[Album] EVIL MULE - "Remnants of Lost Science"

Evil Mule is a trio consisting of members A.T.S., RawDeal, and T-Roy the Billious. Their 2012 album "Remnants of Lost Science" features production from RawDeal, ATS, J-Harvest, Mr. Sleep, and Art Official, with guest musicians and vocalists Rani, Mat Enright, Tihi Kerr, Karnan Saba, Jah Red Lion, and more appearing. Stream it below, and support the cause by naming your own price for the download. Shouts to my man Jaz on the management!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

SIDE EFFECTZ - "Tha Funk"

The trio known as Side Effectz recently completed their follow-up to 2010's "The Wood Session". The 10 tracks strong album has been given the title "Wunderbaum Music" and will be available on both vinyl and digitally this June so keep your eyes and ears open! One joint that will not appear on the project is the old school flirt "Tha Funk" which blows a lot of recent shit straight out the water. It's tha FUNK baby!

[Mixtape] RAEKWON & SCRAM JONES - "Chef Vs. Beast"

As promised, Raekwon and Scram Jones has collected their favorites among their many collaborations on this free mixtape entitled "The Chef vs. The Beast". Scram and Rae make a fine combination so even though the dedicated follower will be familiar with the majority of the material, this is a nice collection to vibe out to indeed. Included are also the two previously unreleased cuts, "Restaurant" and "Footprints of Osama" and I'm pretty sure I never heard the collaboration with CL Smooth, Sauce Money & Big Bee called "Silk" before.

Oh No Ft. MidaZ The Beast - "Punchdrunkpatterns"

Oh No keeps the videos from his recent "Disrupted Ads" LP coming; the latest is the grimey collaboration with Midaz The Beast called "Punchdrunkpatterns". The video is directed and edited by Varras Tower. Pick up Oh's latest on wax from FatBeats and get an exclusive 7" flexi disc.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Raekwon x Scram Jones - "Restaurant"

The Chef is curiously missing from PNC's Ghostface's "12 Reasons to Die" considering the amount of Wu-Generals doing cameos, but on the other hand Rae's been keeping himself real busy with various projects for several years now. The latest to add to the list is a collaborative mixtape with Scram Jones, who produced 4-5 really stellar joints on "Cuban Linx... Pt. II" beside all the loose joints they have cooked up together. The mixtape is titled "The Beast: The Best of Raekwon & Scram Jones" and drops tomorrow so check back here then. Already today, we are treated to a little sneak peak as the duo lets loose of the previously unreleased collaboration "Restaurant". Thanks to NahRight.

[DJ Mix] Rob Pursey vs. DE LA SOUL - "Twelve 12''s"


Southern Hostpital continues their "Twelve 12''s" series with various DJs beyind the wheels of steel, which has previously spawned mixes for The Beatnuts, DJ Premier, KRS-One and Beastie Boys to name a few. For their 50:th (!) mix, the originator of the series Rob Pursey is bringing out twelve of De La's most classic tunes for your enjoynment... And i'll bet you fdo just that, as this mix carries a little something for everyone, whether you only like the Prince Paul assisted "all fun and weird, but deeply lyrical" sttyle, or if you are one of those who only became a fan because of their later stuff. 'Nuff said, press play, sit back and ejoy my droogs.

01. "Breakadawn"  [De La Soul Remix]
02. "Ghetto Thang" [Ghetto Ximer Mix]
03. "4 More" [Junod Clean Mix]
04. "Piles & Piles Of Demo Tapes Bi-Da Miles" [Conley's Decision]
05. "Say No Go" [New Keys Remix]
06. "Ain't Hip to be Labeled a Hippie"
07. "Much More"
08. "All Good" [Lee Stone Remix]
09. "In The Woods"
10. "Mack Daddy On The Left"
11. "Millie Pulled A Pistol on Santa" [FFull Pass]
12. "Itzoooweeezee (Hot)"         

Rome Clientel - "RVD"

After his recent signing with Golden Era Music, the skilled Elmira representative Rome Clientele is gearing up for his first proper debut album, as well as his features on a label compilation that will appear soon. The first official solo single from the man after his signing is here, titled "RVD", and is business as usual. Considering that it's recorded over a previously reelased 9th Wonder instrumental ("Dollar Circulate") it's most likely a promotional single in the wait for Rome's own album. Either way it's a head-nodder with Rome spitting impressive verses, reflecting on his life so far, while also contemplating on what the future might hold for him, so I suggest to hit that play button ASAP. What's up Dharmic!

[Live] GHOSTFACE / MASTA KILLA / KILLAH PRIEST

Backed up by The Roots band, Ghostface Killah took the Jimmy Fallon stage to promote their upcoming masterpiece "12 Reasons to Die". I first heard the album the night before yesterday and since then it has played front-to-back numerous time, and yes, I love it more than anything Ghost has done since it at least "Fishscale"; maybe even "Supreme Clientele" or the original "Bulletproof Wallets" is closer, still. Ghost sound reborn (just as the first single suggests) over Adrian Younge's live instrument-driven mix of soul, RZA and Enio Morricone's western scores. That it's a concept album really seems to light a fire under the Faced Killer, as he at times has become somewhat of a clichéd NY rapper on his last few releases. On top of that, there's plenty of Wu guests on there, all bringing their A-game (just check Deck's three outstanding verses), and last but not least Ghost once again sounds like he did on all RZA handled products between '92 and '00. This is due to RZA, who's overseeing and narrating the project, has pitched down GFK's voice just a notch; something he has been quoted as saying of other producers and engineers that they don't know how to mix Ghost. Also there's a lot of Rhodes here which is GREAT to hear in hip-hop again.... Enough with the ramblings, but I just love this LP.

No, the post is not a review of "12 Reasons...", but rather a HQ video from The Jimmy Fallon show where Ghost performs the Masta Killa guested "I Declare War". Not only does Masta appear alongside Ghost, but even Killah Priest jumps on to attack the mic with the other two killas. I really hope that The Roots will release another volume of their finest live performances on the show as 2010's super tight "Late Night With The Roots". I guess we'll have to wait and see...