Philaflava.com's 100 Greatest Obscure Tracks: Part Six

Good morning party people. Like the Biz sang, it's spring again....unless you live where I live and there are a chance of snow showers today. Go fuckin' figure. Regardless, we've made it through January and February, two months that I can't really stand. March isn't all that great either, but it's tolerable. April is the birth month of many friends and myself for that matter, but it is still kind of crappy, except for those warm spring days that litter the month from time to time. I guess what I'm trying to say, I'm ready for good weather once again. It's time for baseball, it's time for swimming, it's time for short shorts on the hotties, it's time for BBQ's (went to my first one of the year last weekend). Being back home, I'm hoping for a return of the summers I remember before I moved. Of course I won't be able to spend my days drinking beer and floating the river while living off my severance package as I did the last summer I spent here (2003), but I still look forward to having some fun. What does this have to do with Part VI of the Philaflava 100 "Kinda" Obscure? Nothing, so let's go to that. Oh and go out and buy EMC - The Show.....buy one for your homeboy while your at it.

Link For All Song in Part IV
Mac Mall - Let's Get A Telly
Main Source - Set It Off feat. The LOX
Mase - Drug Wars
Masta Ace – The B Side feat. Paula Perry & Lord Digga
MC Serch - Back To The Grill (Remix) feat. Chub Rock, Red Hot Lover Tone, Nas & O.C.
Mean Green – L.A. Finest feat. Mykill Miers
MF Grimm- So Watcha Want Nigga
Mic Geronimo - Three Stories High feat. Royal Flush
Mobb Deep - First Day of Spring feat. Tragedy Khadafi
Mobb Deep- Cop Hell (DJ Premier Remix)

Mac Mall - Let's Get A Telly (Relativity, from the "Let's Get A Telly" b/w "Servin Game" 12 inch, 1996

Again, another west coast artist I wasn't all that familiar with. Word to herb, I just didn't get into some of the Mac _____ (fill in your choice), for whatever reason. By the mid 90's, when this came out, I was starting to shy away from some of the west coast albums, although I remember bumping Dru Down a lot. As I said, I don't see anything wrong with Mac Mall, he was a hell of a lot better than a lot of the dick riding west coat artists that just jumped on "The Chronic's" coattails and made the G-Funk era one of the most duplicated eras ever in hip hop. This was the first time hearing this joint. It's a catchy joint, one that I like. It has that west coast funk sound that I did like. I fuzzy bassline hooks it up and a catchy chorus sticks in your head. I think it's worth a listen if you are unfamiliar with it. -Trav

Main Source - Set It Off feat The Lox, Shaqueen, Lotto (Wild Pitch, from the "Fuck What You Think" LP, (officially) 1998)

"Set It Off" is from the post Large Professor Main Source era. One of my "against the grain" hip hop views that I have was that I was never particularly crazy about Main Source, in any form. With Large Pro, I loved his production, but I was never crazy about his rhyming and I didn't care for the song concepts on the first album. Then you get rid of the dope beats when LP bails, but you pick up a MC who I like better in Mikey D, but regardless, I didn't pay much attention to the "Fuck What You Think" LP when it dropped. I know for some people this the album is an absolute classic, WYDU's own co founder, Polarity loves this album. It's that album which this track is from. Now, "Fuck What You Think" is a kind of obscure album, but it still goes against my calling a track from any album "obscure'. That being said, the beat is a familiar sample, which I believe can be found on a Ras Kass track....I've been racking my brain over which one since I first started listening to it, but its been a long day. The album was originally supposed to drop in '94, and the chorus dates it at right about that time period as they have what I like to call the "Posse Chorus", where all their boys go in the studio and shout out the chorus. It was done a lot in '93 & '94. The song is decent, but again, I wouldn't have it in my list, but this wasn't all my doings either. - Trav

Mase - Drug Wars (unreleased, '93)

Mase? That sucker that used to rap all those pretty boy, glossy cross-over tracks with that piranha P. Diddy? How'd he make the list? Well, simply Mase at one point was a FUCKING BEAST! The Mase you see dancing around on your TV as a walking stereotype, or the televangelist swindling dollars out of helpless saps who actual follow his "Word of God" is totally opposite of the one that was once part of the best groups of the mid 90s. Murder Mase's Drug Wars is a verbal exercise in wit, rhyme schemes and adroitness penning that has only been matched by a few in that era. Mase spits one long verse giving details of his neighborhood's conditions, the NYC law enforcements corrupt ways and how he lives through it. A truly unparallel exposition by this once incredibly talented writer. - Original Philaflava post

Masta Ace – The B-Side feat. Paula Perry, Leschea & Lord Digga (Delicious Vinyl, from the "Sittin' On Chrome" LP, 1995)

Hailed as one of the most consistent artists in the game ever, Ace came with a West Coast flavored album on his third studio album. Labeled as a "group" album, Ace came with his crew that consisted of Leschea, Lord Digga, and Paula Perry. The four would show up together on the track "The B-Side," (Leschea doing basically the intro and chorus) for one of the strongest and overlooked tracks on the album. The track, produced by Ace himself, follows the deep bass/car crusin' vibe that is found throughout the album. The INC crew also represents the "B-Side", which in this case is the Brooklyn side. Leschea kicks shit off and gets the listener pumped then Ace comes in sets the mood for the joint. Ace's rhymes sound less complicated than on previous releases, but still manages to come dope. Paula Perry has long been one of the most overlooked female MC's in the game and the bars she spits demonstrates why that is so. The chorus is simple, yet effective. Digga will never be confused with Rakim, but handles his mic duties adequately enough to set it up for Ace to seal the deal. The track has always been one of my favorites from the "Sittin' On Chrome" LP. The chemistry the four displayed, especially on this joint, is top notch and highly overlooked by the masses. - Original Philaflava post (of course it was written by me)

Trav's note: I fought long and hard to have Ace's "N.F.L. (Not For Long)" on the list instead of this, since this is no way obscure to me....but I lost.

MC Serch – Back To The Grill (Remix) feat. Red Hot Lover Tone, Nas, O.C., & Chubb Rock (Def Jam, from the "Back To The Grill" b/w "Daze In A Weak" & "Back To The Grill (Remix)", 1992)

I'm sure there is a story behind this version, which contains the same MC's as the original plus another guest appearance from another Serch protégé, O.C., but I've either forgotten it or never heard it. The lyrics are the same as the original, with Nas spitting his classic verse that puts pretty much everyone else to shame. Off my memory, I think the remix was produced by T-Ray, who also did the original. The beat is rather basic, with a upright bass line that lends a thick feel overall to the track. One could argue that it is better than original in some ways. - Original Philaflava post (also me)

Meen Green – L.A’s Finest feat Mykill Miers (Patchwerk, from the "Fat Sacks" b/w "L.A.'s Finest", 1997)

Another overlooked gem from the West comes courtesy of Meen Green. Featured on his 1997 release The Smokin’ Section, the Western Hemisfear O.G. links up with fellow left-side resident Mykill Miers as they trade verses letting niggas know that they will be hanging from palm trees if they come to L.A. thinking shit is sweet. Fellow Hemisfear member, Voodoo provides the ominous beat on this joint which lets Meen Green and Mykill Miers do their thing and murder the track. This same beat would be used a year later on Xzibit’s “Recycled Assassins” (the irony) but this joint is easily the better of the two. Check the rest of Meen Green’s album for more nice shit. - Original Philaflava post

MF Grimm aka Grimm Reaper - So Wat Cha Want Nigga (Underground Records, on the "So Whatcha Want" 12 inch, 1993)

Mf Grimm released this 12” in 1993 under the alias ‘Grim Reaper’ on the independent ‘Underground Records’ with the first verse originally being recorded for the ‘Live At The BBQ’ posse cut which Grimm did not make it on due to legal problems. The first thing that stands out to me here is Grimm’s energy and the aggression with which he attacks the beat. Unlike the reflective Mf Grimm of today this is a younger more psychotic and violent version with a more rapid fire delivery. The last line of the second verse “fuck the world/and all of you can suck my dick” sum up the sentiment on this track up perfectly. - Original Philaflava post

Mic Geronimo - Three Stories High feat Royal Flush(Blunt Recordings, on the "The Natural" LP, 1995)

On "Three Stories High", we have another dark Buckwild beat. Buck was known for some dense basslines back in the day and this track lives up to that reputation. You get a vision of the sewers, while listening to this, it's even equipped with leaking water sounds. The dusty drum track just ties the whole beat together. Mic Geronimo is another artist I never really got into much back in the day. I just wasn't feeling his rhyming style. Royal Flush on the other hand, is probably my second favorite QB MC after Nas. His cadence and tone have always been something that grabs me, regardless on what track he is rhyming on.

Mobb Deep - Cop Hell (Primo Remix) (Unreleased/White Label, 1992)

One of Mobb Deeps earliest recordings originally dating back to 1992, this DJ Premier produced track was done when Havoc and Prodigy were just 16 years old and was original intended for there Juvenile Hell album which it did not make it onto for obvious reasons. Over a hard and stripped down mid tempo Premier banger, Hav and P cause a bloodbath massacring the whole NYPD! Mobb Deep sound demented and ready to go to hell for snuffing Jesus on this one, a very far cry from there more recent efforts. This track was only ever available as a test pressing 12” of which there were no more than 10-20 copies. They have sold for around $1500, partly for the b-side unreleased DJ premier instrumentals, which legend has it he tried to mutilate with a razor so they would not get leaked. - Original Philaflav post

Mobb Deep - First Day of Spring feat. Tragedy Khadafi (Unreleased/Bootleg/White label, 96-97?)

This song first came out in 1996 or 1997 and finally saw the light of day on the recent Mobb Deep Infamous Archives LP. The song is significant for a few reasons- it is part of a large body of work that The Mobb put out that never (until recently) saw the light of day while maintaining the classic sound of The Infamous and Hell On Earth era- before Murda Musik would mark the gradual decline of the group's output. Also, the track is technically a Mobb Deep track but the star of the show is QB stalwart Tragedy Khadafi. The beat is a simple head nodder and Tragedy rips into a really brutal verse with lines such as "Yous a half-way/ thug that you portray/ if you got locked up for a day, you prolly come home gay," and "When I was runnin' from cops you was practicing jump shots." Trag really does a bang-up job in illustrating the difference between thugs who live the life and fakes who live the life vicariously through the music. Yes, it's a topic that's been covered by many, but never quite as eloquently as Trag did it for us here. As mentioned earlier, Mobb Deep has a huge body of work that never saw the light of day that still could be regarded as classic status. It is certainly much better than what the crew is putting out on G-Unit. Luckily The Mobb recently put out The Infamous Archives. While this material isn't at all new to vinyl geeks and mixtape (emphasis on tape here) collectors, a lot of Mobb Deep fans who longed for the group's heyday never got a chance to hear this stuff and are ignoring the Infamous Archives release, expecting it to be more G Unit excrement. If you like this stuff go cop the album and then try to dig up the Mobb Deep "Infamous Demos," which are the rough studio versions of The Infamous that were later re-worked into the classic album we revere today. - Original Philaflav post

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Sunday Lite: Opening Day.

The smell of the grass, the crack of the bat, the aroma of hot dogs and brats, the taste of a cold beer on a hot day, these are things I love about baseball. I know football (American style) is the more popular sport these days here in the states, but call me old fashioned, but there is just something about baseball that I love. I'm not sure what drew me to the sport at an early age. I don't know if it was crawling up in my old man's lap and watching a Braves or Cubs game on TV when I was barely old enough to understand the sport, or the fact that I started playing baseball when I was 6 and continued all the way through High School, when my bad attitude (I once told a coach to fuck himself, not good), grades (I was a snot nosed punk my Freshman and Sophomore years) and arm injuries finally caught up to me and kept me from going on to college on a scholarship.

I know a lot of people don't care for it, but to me it's a game of immense skill (ever try hitting a fastball coming at you at 85 mph, let alone the 90's most MLB's see with a stick?) and a game of logic. You have to try to out think the pitcher, is he brave enough to throw you a curve on a 3-1 count? Watching all the little match ups within the game is incredibly exciting to me. For me, there is no better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than at the ball park with a buddy or two, tossing back a few cold ones and scarfing down on some of the most expensive hot dogs you will ever find.

I would be lying if I said one of the reasons I chose to move to Denver to finish my degree wasn't the fact that they had a MLB team. Growing up where I did, there wasn't any close MLB teams. We did have a short season Rookie League team, which is great as well, but growing up, I desperately wanted to see an real MLB game. It wouldn't be until '97 that I would get my chance. My then g/f (and future baby's mother) and a couple buddies drove from Salt Lake to Denver to catch a Pirates (my favorite team) and Rockies game. The Pirates would lose and ironically what I didn't know at the time, I would be going to Rockies game on the regular in about 8 years, but it was an incredible moment for me. The second game I caught was with my current g/f in Los Angeles for a Dodgers and Cubs game. Funny thing about that, we didn't get to the game until the second inning because we were.....uhhh....doing things that caused us to be late and the only run scored that game was a Sammy Sosa solo shot in the first inning.

I moved to Denver in Jan of '04 so I was PUMPED to hit up opening day for the first time in my life. For those of you who don't live in a baseball town, opening day might as well be a holiday. People go crazy. That first year, I had only lived here a few months and didn't really know anyone and I'm not so self conscious that I won't go do something by myself, so that's what I did, went by myself. I had a good time and yes, it would have been more fun going with someone I knew, but I busted my Opening Day cherry and that's all that mattered. The next year, I had a test on opening day, so I couldn't make it, but a buddy and I headed over to an Old Chicago across from the Auraria Campus and catch the game in the fourth inning. That was the year the Rocks came back in the 9th inning against my "second favorite team", the San Diego Padres (my g/f is from San Diego, so by default, I have to yell for them to keep the peace, except when they play the Pirates). My friend and I got so trashed while watching the game, then attempted to ride his Vespa home after the game....NEVER put two drunk people on a Vespa, you are asking for trouble. We went home and drank a case (24 beers) while watching the NCAA championship game.

Last year was the grand daddy of all opening days for me. My good friend and fellow storm chasing partner and I started drinking in Lo Do at around 10 a.m., you know that can't be good. I was fresh off a bartending gig from the night before and had a couple crisp Ben Franks in my wallet, so you know the Travster was rollin' hard. My buddy Frank is one of those guys that knows everyone where ever you go. Our posse grew from three of us to, shit, something like 10-15 people. By noon, I was tanked. One of the last things I remember was looking up at the TV and seeing the Rockies playing on TV. Hmmm, that's odd, we're supposed to be at that game. Yeah, missed the game completely. I ended the day by calling another friend to come get me at around 7pm. The only problem, I had NO CLUE where I was at. I could barely read the street sign on the corner and could only tell my buddy (who I am going with this year and watched the game with the year before) I was one a street that started with a "W", I'd would later figure out it was Wykoop that I was on, for all the Denver readers.

This year, I meeting up with L-Cruz, my "hispanic causing panic" buddy, who luckily lives with in walking distance of the staduim. I'm looking forward to it. I'm supposed to be at work at 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning, but I'm trying to switch it to the afternoon shift, cause Tuesday morning has the chance of being a little rough, but I'm only going with a couple Peter Gammons errrr Andrew Jacksons in my wallet, so it's going to be a little more difficult to over indulge.

Hip Hop is not really on the baseball thing. I was going to try to wrestle up some baseball related hip hop tracks, but only really three tracks came to mind, so I'll share those with you and throw a couple other "grand slam" tracks (yeah, corny, I know).

Kid Sensation feat Ken Griffey Jr. - The Way I Swing

No shit, THAT Ken Griffey Jr. Kid Sensation was down with Mix-a-Lots ECP (Emerald City Posse for ya SUCKAS!) posse back in the day and recorded this song for Kid Sensation's "The Power Of Rhyme" back in '92, well being from Seattle it was only natural that "The Kid" Griffey, who was playing for the Seattle Mariners and a self professed hip hop head would collaborate with the other "Kid".

While it is what it is, which is another athlete playing rapper, it has a little something to it. The violin sample that Kid Sensation used on the beat is rather ill in my mind. As far as Ken Griffey Jr as an MC, I've heard worse in both the terms of athletes on the mic (Shaq anybody?) and MC's (Paul Wall anyone?). It's still basically a novelty act, but it's kind of cool to hear a baseball player embrace the Hip Hop culture. Not many baseball players promote the hip hop culture. The only one I can think of is Royce Clayton who once got in a fight with a teammate for turning off his hip hop in the dug out once. I think he also might have a label of his own.

Pete Nice & DJ Daddy Rich - Rap Prime Minister (original version of "Rat Bastard" from the "Dust To Dust" LP).

Why am I putting this track in a collection of baseball tracks? Well for those of you who don't know, my man Peter Nash aka Prime Minister Peeeeete NIIIIIIIIICE nice nice nice (KICK 'Em THE GRILL PETE! Sorry couldn't help myself) is a rather famous baseball historian these days. Pete was a jock before his rap career in the first place, playing basketball for Columbia U back in the day as a point guard, which is also where he got his start in hip hop, hosting a radio show with Clark Kent.

After Pete put down the microphone, he would move to Cooperstown, New York, where the baseball Hall Of Fame is located and opened a baseball memorabilia store that is rumored to be the second largest in the world. Pete Nice also became Peter Nash, author, as he would write three baseball based books.

Main Source - A Friendly Game Of Baseball (Remix 1)

Not necessarily a traditional baseball song, but hey it incorporates baseball termanology, so we'll go ahead and use it. I first really got into this song from it's appearance on the "Boyz N The Hood" soundtrack.

This is the alternate version found on "Breaking Atoms". Large Pro equates the treatment of blacks by the police departments around the nation as a game of "baseball". Not exactly "Fuck The Police", but one of the more powerful anti police songs that are out there.

Ultramagnetic MC's - Saga of Dandy, The Devil, & Dandy

This song is actually one of my favorite Ultra tracks basically because it covers a topic in baseball that not many touch on, the black baseball leagues of the past. Before Jackie Robinson and the whole civil rights ear, blacks were not allowed to play baseball, so they had their own leagues. It was both a travesty and an injustice that this happened. I'm sure if blacks were allowed to play, the MLB record books would be totally different.

Ultra covers the black league heroes, such as Josh Gibson, who might have been one of the best players in the history of the sport, Satchell Paige and others. It's a history league that needs to be kept alive so as people don't forget the importance of these players.

Some Free Stuff
Yeah, it's ironic that I'm offering free music, when, well basically thats what most of us bloggers do anyway, but there are some legitimate "free music" being dropped around this week and I thought I'd help you all out with finding it.

JJ Brown presents Re-Release Therapy
We know by now that I am a fan of Louis Logic and part of that reason is the production of JJ Brown. Unbeknown to me, Ludacris released the accapellas for his Release Therapy LP, which I don't know enough about to comment on really. Since I had an unhealthy obsession with the Jay-Z black album remixes, I thought I'd check this out.

I haven't had the chance to really go through it, but my initial impressions were pretty good. Brown uses Jackson Five samples through out the whole project and it seems to work pretty good. None the less you can download it for free without having a guilty conscience (yeah right).

http://www.sendspace.com/file/743mvh
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DZT34X4A
http://ww8.sharebigfile.com/file/124891/Re-Release-Therapy-zip.html
http://www.sendspace.com/file/p2aofw
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=25AI0U4Y
http://ww8.sharebigfile.com/file/124941/Re-Release-Therapy-rar.html

DJ Illipse Presents Uncommon Mixes: A Blends Collection
As far as I'm concerned, DJ Illipse is one of the better dudes in the game when it comes to mixtapes. I always try to check anything dude drops because he always comes correct. Well he has a free blends collection out for free download and I'll always help this guy promote his shit and get his hustle on, so be sure to check out, it's worth the time to download. Some nice stuff so check it out.

01. Ludacris - The Red Light District Intro
02. Clipse - Cot' Damn
03. Big L, Jay-Z & Obie Trice - 3V
04. Nas ft. Ludacris - Virgo
05. 2Pac - Me Against The World
06. Obie Trice - Shit Hits The Fan
07. AZ & Genetics - Never Change
08. Clipse - Mr. Me Too
09. Mos Def & Black Genius - Ms Fat Booty
10. Big L - Flamboyant
11. Clipse Ft. Slim Thug - Wamp Wamp (What It Do)
12. Common - The 6th Sense
13. Nas - Nas Is Like
14. Lil Wayne - Hustler Musik
15. AZ & K. Slack - The Come Up
16. Eminem - Without Me
17. Outkast - Wheelz of Steel
18. Nas - Hope

http://www.sendspace.com/file/2ybt70
Bestshare Link
Rapidshare Link

If you like it, be sure to drop him a line on myspace

Rashid Hadee - It Ain't Hard To Tell EP

01-rashid_hadee-duck_duck_duck_feat_augustine_
02-chapter_13-no_stoppin_(prod_rashid_hadee)
03-pete_rock-appreciate_feat_cl_smooth_(rashid_hadee_remix)
04-rashid_hadee-smile_baby_smile_(prod_rashid_hadee)
05-abstract_mindstate-like_this_yall_feat_rashid_hadee_
06-augustine-we_got_that_feat_rashid_hadee_and_sho_
07-rashid_hadee-been_so_long_(prod_rashid_hadee)
08-abstract_mindstate-flyin_high_(prod_rashid_hadee)


Neblina Records is one of the hardest working and most generous labels in the game today. Jerry Juliano puts in a lot of work promoting the likes of Abstract Mindstate, Chapter 13 and this artist, who I believe is also part of Chapter 13, Rashid Hadee. The music is on some smooth soul shit, which is perfect to throw in the box, sit back with your favorite mind altering substance and listen to the mellow cool vibes.

Be sure to check out Neblina's website for some more free music in the same vein.

Neblina Records

Rashid Hadee Myspace

Trav's Top Spins Of The Week

1. El-P - I'll Sleep When Your Dead
My fascination with this release continues. I'm still not completely sure if it was El-P that changed or my own personal tastes or maybe both. I'm still not fond of his lyrics, but his style fits the beats well, so it's great to me. You might want to watch falling asleep with it playing, because you get some weird ass dreams, I found that out this afternoon.

2. Evidence - The Weatherman
This release is starting to sound better and better all the time. Alchemist really does a better job on this release than what he did on the Prodigy album, but thats all good. This shit is really starting to grow on me

3. Prodigy - Return Of The Mac
I'm still listening to it, and, eh, it's growing on me.....

4. Native Nuttz - The Nuttz Are Restless
I was looking for this release for so long, I forgot I was looking for it. My man Dread came through once again with this shit. Shit is fucking great well worth the download. And remember, the password for it is: bustthefackts, for all you suckas!

5. Ultimate Force - I'm Not Playing
Another lost classic. Diamond D, Master Rob and even some apperance from Fat Joe make this album a great listen. One has to wonder what it would have been if it was released when it was intended to.

That is all......

Peace, Trav

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