random old rap you are loving

ive never heard of this record or group or any of the rappers. sounds good to me right now tho.

I think the only mc on it who had any sort of recognition was k-os. If I'm remembering the bit of press I heard about the album at the time, it was a supergroup of Toronto-based producers.

yeah k-os i recognized now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpOYPH1dgaU

cru — "loungin wit my cru" (1997)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rknNci3T4xw

i think it was a little too soon for new jack swing nostalgia to have kicked in when this album came out in `97, but this has officially become a favorite jam.

those slow phased drums
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkGY5EzA-h4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkUO_tODZ0o

2pac — "me against the world (soul power remix)" (1995)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLVQT0BaKWk

love this bob james sample version. always been my favorite.

I have that Cru album on vinyl that's a gem

yeah, that's a solid one for any collection i'd say. the main dude in the group (yogi) was one of p diddy's "hitmen" production team and probably had some significant input into some of badboy's 95-97 hits. enough to get his whole crew signed to a rival label. wonder how that went down.

j dilla with common and d'angelo — "so far to go"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw64fXeWe_8

seems like this is kind of forgotten by now because it was an "old" beat by the time it came out and they sort of re-did it again on common's next album. but it still holds up for me. common was one of the only people who could get away with such raps and this was his last hurrah.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPUQvSk44Rc

it's being used in the vaccination ad campaign here in NYC - i'm actually glad to hear it play all the time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkX29avJ838

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuRY1skaH4M

Godfather Don - Status

Amazing how I can still stumble across new-to-me 90s rappers. Judging from the view count on this video, he's not exactly unknown!

granny did you ever hear any of those eddie ill + d.l. mixtapes from the late 90s / early 2000s? all sorts of indie rap obscurities. here's some info on discogs: eddie ill, d.l.

i've found some on youtube, but they come and go on there. not everything on them is great, but sometimes they would throw in unreleased stuff or freestyles and to this day those tapes are the only place i remember hearing some of those things.

No I have not. Thanks I'll check em out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJuU5KekXOo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuzkM43TEek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVqCqSvZvfA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4PJZWatdX0

That Godfather Don track is dope as is the funky alcoholic track.
here's clearer audio of the latter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdRYMyJb6ew

funky alcoholic has been on repeat for days

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M0eglmgSUQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB_QSvLWFE4

Also liked when Kane used that Pleasure sample the year before:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STRRnW-hdAM

it’s supposed to bubble is so classic

maybe skirting the threshold of random or old but whatever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ4eJBCFBj0

Grand Daddy I.U., least famous of the Juice Crew, ghostwriter for Biz and Shante, this sunny day loop makes me smile every time, great rhymer too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88Z1RqwvK8w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaxyUrA8unQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-p_2NRiMfA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfVCh55dI-Q

Rick Ross & Meek Moll (produced by Alchemist) - "Perfectionist"

I'm randomly loving the tag team attack with the beat switch-up for each hand off

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_QzZQCs7VE

Nice. 7.4 million views?!?

Both sides of that 12" was on every mixtape during the golden era

Was also on the Haze/Premo comp New York Reality Check 101 official release

big jaz / jaz-o — "waitin'" (1996)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKRJ44DFSj8

the song that hipped me to loose ends.

Nico Suave - vergesslich (2001)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPh7wtMJ6bc

DJ Kay Slay (hopefully recovering) with 3-6 Mafia, Frayser Boy, Lil Wyte: Who Gives a Fuck Where You From
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jRS8gcGNa8

can't find this absolute classic on spotify. what the hell man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IUE3ivHAB0

(blackstar w/ black thought — "respiration (flying high remix)" produced by pete rock (1998)

ras kass - "understandable smooth" (1998)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNSNiN3iMAU

mixtape classic.

ras kass — "soul on ice (diamond remix)" (1996)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkVgC_9705c

acknowledged classic. everything about this is holy shit.

i loved "miami life" so much, classic definitely

loving this old bay area underground classic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY5CRYDiqQQ

Yee

can't find this absolute classic on spotify. what the hell man.

This tune, gadzooks. So slept on.

Top verse? Fierce competition but I’m calling it for Black Thought. It’s just incendiary, in the best possible way.

Random old rap you are loving finding around the house on ancient cassettes: New Orleans "brass-hop" band Coolbone. Corny, but I liked this back in the day. Posting mostly to see if anyone can identify the flute/strings sample at :39 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4v4ec1_9ws

dj muggs with goodie mob — "decisions decisions" (1997)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruCNMf8FGDs

when that "nothin but that GOODDAAAYYYYY" hits. unreal.

bush babees f/mos def — "the love song" (1996) produced by posdnuous from de la soul

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SgUWz6jCrY

mixtape classic and definitely one that deserves a retro-revival. man. just such a classic jam.

live performance by Snoop and Pac from 96, with a looooong diatribe from Pac dissing Biggie for what seems like ten minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_PBESwpH8I

Snoop doin this classsiiiic in 2011

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-I2W9VrMsM