More “Bangers”

A couple of days ago, I went down Memory Lane and wrote/shared to y’all some of the 90′s hardest street anthems. Again, I ain’t from NY. I never got to experience being in the Tunnel. But,  somehow, I was able to get my hands on some of these “Tunnel Bangers”.

Anyways, just to musically (and visually) accompany my earlier post, here are some of them bangers:

Life and Times of S. Carter was my very first rap/Jay-Z CD. “Do it Again” actually made me listen to Jay and ultimately cop the disc. (BTW: this vid was actually shot at THE Tunnel).

Meanwhile, No Way Out was my very first rap album. Got it on cassette tape. I think I still have it here somewhere.

It’s Murdaaaaa…

On with the classics…

There’s definitely more of these. Maybe I’ll post some more later on.

The Tunnel Bangers

Came across Complex Magazine’s feature on the 75 Greatest Tunnel Bangers, as narrated by DJ extraordinaire Cipha Sounds. It was an awesome experience, going through all 75 of these Tunnel hits.

I know for a fact that Complex, just like any other mag out, are a little bit hit-and-miss with their features, but this one’s on point. Awesome. Gave me goosebumps. I may be far from a Brooklynite, let alone an old skool hip-hop head, but I gotta tell ya: I grew up with some of these joints.

At first I was just listening to Puffy’s No Way Out album. I had to have it just cause “I’ll be Missing You” was No. 1. But it went beyond that. It got me listening to Biggie, Busta, LOX… it was my intro to rap.

It made me listen to hip-hop radio (the only local rap radio at the time was Power 108). Made me cop bootleg CD’s and back issues of The Source & XXL, which in turn made me spend my allowance on Sean John and Fubu joints (heads should remember Boboli at Glorietta 2).

And then, the Tunnel Bangers.  Never knew it was called that. Heck, I never even knew the Tunnel itself. But looking at those 70-deep list, and I found some joints that I grew up listening to.

Of course, I know all the Bad Boy/Biggie stuff, even Ja Rule‘s “Holla Holla”. Memphis Bleek‘s “My Mind Right” was the joint, as I was riding Jay-Z‘s whole Roc-a-Fella thing in 1999.

Later on, as I was maturing enough to dig on much older, more obscure tracks, I came across some gems from Mobb Deep, N.O.R.E, as well as other cats on the list. I could go on and on.

Come to think of it, I never thought I’d be able to appreciate these bangers given my age (I was 14-15), location (Manila, people here think that rap is for peasants) and access to proper rap tracks (no radio, no video, no internet. Just bootlegs and pirate stations).

But I am blessed to know, at a young age, my kind of music. And while I now have a vast knowledge and taste in different genres, I always come back to these joints from time to time. Thank God there’s the internet and the iPod.

Click here for the 75 Greatest Tunnel Bangers

DJ Premier & Pete Rock interview (Video)

With the ruckus currently brought about by new-age hip-hop, it’s kind of amazing and refreshing to get to see two of the most influential rap producers ever. DJ Premier and Peter Rock, touring together for the very first time, shared their thoughts on quite a few subjects: the 90′s, their supposed rivalry during their heyday, the continuing evolution of hip-hop beats, their West Coast counterparts (Dr. Dre, Kurupt, etc.), and of course, the demise of Primo’s partner-in-crime, Guru.

Insightful vid for all you hip-hop heads.

“Some people make beats. We produce.” – DJ Premier.

A-Trak’s Dirty South Dance 2 – Out Now!

The follow-up to A-Trak‘s awesome Dirty South Dance mixtape is finally out and available right here!

Dirty South Dance 2 contains Trizzy’s usual fix of eargasmic dance tunes coupled with the grimey southern hip-hop vocals from artists mainly coming from the Dirty Dirty (OJ Da Juiceman, Soulja Boy & Donnis just to name a few). Awesome cover artwork coming from the one and only Shepard Fairey as well.

Take a listen below and download ‘em right after!

Drake Ft. Young Jeezy – Unforgettable

Drake and Young Jeezy goes hard on this new joint, which samples the late Aaliyah‘s “At Your Best”. Off Drizzy’s Thank Me Later LP. The Fader says it best, however: it is, indeed, Jeezy who murks this track. Download the mp3 below.

DOWNLOAD: Drake Ft. Young Jeezy – Unforgettable

RIP Guru. You will be missed.

Growin’ up in this generation, I didn’t know too many rap legends, but he was a voice that I was familiar with as a fan of the duo Gang Starr. Definitely one of the best out there, and I ain’t even over-exaggeratin’. Rest in peace, Guru.