Ill Al Skratch -1994- Creep Wit' Me (prod. LG Experience) (Mercury)

• 1994, August 2 : unexpected album by an unknown duet of Brooklyn/Harlem, entirely produced by LoRider & The LG Experience, LG being the producer of "Out On Bail (Original)" and the young brother of Easy Mo Bee.
• "Where My Homiez ?" was a huge hit back in the summer of '94, released in June 7 in a single... But the album version, released two months later, is a remix version with a similar beat to "Runnin' From The Police (Original)", which supposedly produced by Easy Mo Bee in October 1993 for 2Pac, and was then about to be released in Thug Life : Volume 1... 
  

Tracklist - Discogs Page - LISTEN

1. They Got Love For Us (Intro)
2. Where My Homiez ? (Come Around My Way)
3. This Is For My Homiez
4. I'll Take Her feat. Brian McKnight
5. Chill With That
6. Where My Homiez ? (Dub Version)
7. Creep Wit' Me
8. Get Dough
9. The Brooklyn Uptown Connection feat. LRC, Zoundwavez & Mark Sparks
10. Classic Shit (Ill's Solo)
11. Summertime (It's All Good) (Al's Solo)
12. I'll Take Her (Brian's Flow) feat. Brian McKnight 
    
    Bonus Tracks :
    
    
13. Don't Shut Down A Player (Original) - New Jersey Drive Vol. 1 - Listen 
14. Chill With That (Easy Mo Bee Remix) - Chill With That 12'' - Listen 
15. Dr. Feelgood feat. Greg Nice, MOP & Nine - Summertime 12'' - Listen 
16. Don't Shut Down A Player (Remix) - Don't Shut Down A Player 12'' - Listen
17. Chill With That (Minnesota Party Remix) - Chill With That 12''
18. Mic Check 1-2 feat. Shaquille O'Neil - B-Ball Best Secret

Rap - Big Ill (I Lyrical Lord) & Al Skratch
Produced By The LG Experience & LoRider.
Recorded at The Soundtrack Facility. 

cover of the original single (cassette version)

"Where My Homiez ? (Come Around My Way)" Original Version Music Video.

The beginning of this album is kind of strange with "Where My Homiez ? (Come Around My Way)" followed by "This Is For My Homiez" which has different verses but a same "come around my way" hook. And as track 6# "Where My Homiez (Dub Version)"  - last track of Vinyl A-side. "Get Dough" has some reminiscent elements from "Where My Homiez" too... 

Let's say that voices of Big Ill and Al Skratch have also some little reminiscing tones from B Real, Black Moon and MOP... Both give a good classic Boom Bap vibe.

But, the most remarkable thing for us is the track 3# which has an almost similar beat to 2Pac's three original versions of "Runnin' From The Police" (for Out On Bail / for Volume 1, cf. Exodus (Thug Music sessions) / for One Million Strong, cf. Rarities : Radio & Soundtracks). These 3 versions have the same beat produced by Easy Mo Bee (LG's old brother) and feature Biggie, Stretch, Dramacydal and a ragga hook (respectively Lil' Vicious, Brown Man and Radio). 

At the released time of the album (August, the 2nd), 2Pac's song had not been published yet (only in 95 in One Million Strong compilation), but it was included in Thug Life : Volume 1 Promo... Could it decide Interscope to remove the song from the album or was it only linked to the raw lyrics against the police ? 

What happened ? Could LG Experience have asked his brother Easy Mo Bee for the beat in the first half of '94 ? The third single, "Chill With That" was released in 1995, with a remix made by Easy Mo Bee... What confirms that LG very likely didn't steal his brother's beat. Easy Mo Bee presumably gave it to him. Maybe even 2Pac gave his agreement for this gift...

2Pac still thought to have "Out On Bail" and "My Block" in his Lost Tracks album circa September of 1995. So he wasn't that angry against them even if he won't work again with them, Easy Mo Bee being the main sound identity of Biggie's first album. 

The LG Experience is the younger brother of Easy Mo Bee. In 1990, you can hear his voice in "Grand Puba, Positive & L.G." hook for Brand Nubian One For All. But he really starts to produce for in 1992 for Double XX Posse, Positive K and also two tracks for Sister Souljah's album 360 Degrees of Power, the Public Enemy partner 2Pac always wanted to rap with... Same year, he also produces two songs  for Zebrahead Soundtrack : Kool Moe Dee's "Good Time" and MC Serch's "Puff The Head". This compilation saw the first appearance of Nas, Dee Tha Mad Bitch and BOSS, alongside MC Breed, AMG... 

The next year, he will produces an intro and a song ("Pour un nouveau massacre") for the French group Suprême NTM (N.T.M. = Fuck Your Mother) for their second album 1993, J'appuie sur la gachette (In 1993, I pull the trigger). The following year, also for the French female rapper Saliha and "Daddy's Home" for Big Daddy Kane's album of the same name. 

One of his most well-known work will be the remixes of Nas' "One Love" of Big L's "Put It On" in 1995. Same year he will also remix Naughty By Nature's "Holdin' Fort" with his partner LoRider. He also gives "Out On Bail" instrumental to French group Suprême NTM for "Qu'est-ce qu'on attend (pour foutre le feu)" (what are we waiting for switch the fire).

In 1996, he will participate to The New Groove (Blue Note Remix Project Vol. 1) alongside his brother Easy Mo Bee, Guru, The Roots, Large Professor, Diamond D...

In 1998, he will keep on produce for Big Daddy Kane, NTM, and also two tracks for Canibus first album, including the key song "Niggonometry". 

3rd single

Chill With That single features a radio remix version by... Easy Mo Bee ! But a definitive thing to add to their album is the B-side of the 4th single of the album, Summertime, the song "Dr. Feelgood" with Greg Nice, MOP & Nine. They will also be featured in Doo Wop's Live 1995 Live Freestyle alongside Busta Rhymes, Guru, Keith Murray, Q-Tip, DJ U-Neek and Wu-Tang. 

In 1994, the duo will also record "Mic Check 1-2" with Shaquille O'Neil (they quote "Come around my way" in the first verse). The song is also produced by LoRider & LG Experience for B. Ball's Best Kept Secret compilation and for Shaquille's 2nd album Shaq Fu : The Return (November 8) - with Warren G produced songs, Method Man and Rza, Redman, Keith Murray and Erick Sermon featurings and producing. First single of Shaq's album is "Biological Didn't Bother", produced by LoRider & LG Experience and a Warren G G-Funk Remix as a B-side and video ! 

New Jersey Drive Soundtrack single, 1995

Next year, they will give the song "Don't Shut Down A Player" to New Jersey Drive Vol. 1 soundtrack (released in March 28 of 1995). In that same compilation, you can find Total & The Notorious B.I.G., Heavy D & Easy Mo Bee, Keith Murray, Coolio & Wino and the Bay Area team Young Lay, Mac Mall, Ray Luv produced by Khayree (same than in "Amerikkkaz Eatz Itz Youth", cf. Stay True). They will also be featured in J Quest's "Up & Down Remix" for his album The Quest Is On, and in the mega song "The Points" for Panther soundtrack (May), alongside Big Mike of Geto Boyz, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Buckshot, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, Jamal of Illegal, Redman and The Notorious B.I.G. !

Second album in 1997

In 1996, they will be featured in Gina Thomspon's album Nobody Does It Better. That same year, they also record a second album also mainly produced by LG Experience : Keep It Movin' (1997, Mercury), with Kid Capri & Melachi of Group Home at the intro and another featuring of Greg Nice for "Me & My Click" ! probably recorded not far from the One Nation sessions !

Easy Mo Bee & Rappin' Is Fundamental -1991- The Doo-Hop Legacy (A&M Records)

• Easy Mo Bee, AB Money & Mr. Styles
   

Discogs page

Listen to that album

 

Tracklist :

1. Swing Of Things

2. Highway To Heaven

3. Now That You Know My Name

4. Them Boys Are Getting There

5. You Wanna Trip

6. Speak Softly

7. Rapping Is Fundamental

8. Ain't No Smoke (Without Fire)

9. Whenever You Need An MC / I'll Be Around

10. Figurin' To Get Ill

11. I Wonder If She Thinks Of Me

 

Produced by Easy Mo Bee

Rappin' Is Fundamental - Easy Mo Bee, AB Money & Mr. Styles

 

Easy Mo Bee, a well known producer for 2Pac 

Temptations feat. AB Money

Str8 Ballin'

Runnin' From The Police

If I Die 2Nite

My Block

So Many Tears (Unreleased Remix) feat. Stretch

Easy Mo Bee worked with 2Pac at two periods  : late '93 (cf. Out on Bail and R U Still Down '94) and in late summer of '94 (cf. Fuck The World). Less known, during the first period, his young brother LG Experience (not in the group, but well known for having produced Big L's "Put It On" and some remix for Nas and Naughty by Nature) also produced "Out on Bail" also featuring AB Money at the chorus... So Tupac got a full Rappin' Is Fundamental experience for what was his project of third solo album.

Easy Moe Bee : producer for the Juice Crew

Easy Moe Bee first produced two tracks in Big Daddy Kane's second album Big Daddy Thing in 1989 ("Another Victory" & "Calling Mr. Wellfare") for the classic Marley Marl Cold Chillin' label. Then he produced the b-side "Sexcapades" for Rza's first single Ooh I Love You Rakeem in 1991 and with his brother LG Experience the whole first album of Gza in 1991 Words From The Genius (still for Cold Chillin'). Alongside DJ Premier, he produced the first song of the album of Newburgh's MC J Rock ("Let Me Introduce Myself" in Streetwize) and the B-Side "I Get Rek" with his brother LG. A funny thing to notice is that J Rock's song "The Pimp" produced by DJ Premier has the same beat than "I Thought U Knew" where 2Pac raps with Ryan D (recorded in 1990 ?)... The same year he will also produce two singles for UK Electro Hip Hop artist Nikke Nicole (Nikke Does It Better and Silky Silk) and two remixes for french group IAM first singles Tam Tam de l'Afrique and Planète Mars.  

Rappin' Is Fundamental

Rappin' Is Fundamental is not a hardcore group but more a Doo-Wop thing mixed with Hip-Hop... So it gives something you can kind of compare to... Digital Underground !! Do Tupac likes what made the group ? When you know about the great versatility of Tupac (he loved reggae music, jazz, old rhythm & blues, Prince, rock & folk...), and his funky attitude (who can make a great contrast with his angry and provocative figure), you can be sure he was enjoying that kind of music.

Jazz/Hip-Hop with Miles Davis

In 1992, consecutively to the critical success of Rappin' Is Fundamental first album, Easy Mo Bee was in charge of producing Miles Davis Jazz/Hip Hop fusion album Doo-Bop (wordplay between "Doo-Hop" and "Bee-Bop"), with himself rapping on a few tracks ("Doo-Bop song" with also AB Money & Styles, "Blow" and "Fantasy").

That year, Easy Mo Bee also recorded a demo tape with his group, maybe planning for a second album... He also produced the eponymous track of Gladiator soundtrack by 3rd Bass.

From Big Daddy Kane to Biggie Smalls

He will again produce 4 tracks in Big Daddy Kane's 5th album Looks Like A Job 4..., published in May 25. That same year, he produced the very first single of Biggie Smalls (not yet The Notorious B.I.G. at that time), the street hit "Party & Bullshit" which was released in June 29, one month before Biggie & Pac first met and rapped at the Palladium. In September Biggie plays his hit live at a Thug Life concert with 2Pac and Live Squad...

When Big Daddy Kane giving a concert with Mr Cee at the Madison Square Garden, he invited Biggie who himself came with 2Pac... four days before Easy Mo Bee produced his first song "Temptations" for 2Pac... (cf. Out On Bail) Did Kane and introduced 2Pac to Easy Mo Bee after that concert ? Or Biggie did that earlier ? 

Easy Mo Bee was probably producing tracks for Biggie's first album Ready To Die (six songs are from him, maybe more with the unreleased tracks) when Biggie made him meet 2Pac. So he produced two tracks for his next album ("Runnin" and "Str8 Ballin") and his brother LG also produced one : "Out On Bail", again after "Temptations" with AB Money at the hook.

Fail to have a new Rappin' Is Fundamental second album

Rappin' Is Fundamental released a new single in 1994 : You Ain't Really Down / Helluva Guy. But nothing followed that single.

A funny thing to notice, Easy's brother LG Experience produced the Ill Al Skratch album Creep Wit Me with the successful track "This Is For My Homies" with an almost identical beat to "Runnin"... Did LG steal Easy Mo Bee's beat ? The reverse ? Were they working on it together ?

Released in September 13, Notorious B.I.G.'s first album received a huge success. Same day, Easy Mo Bee also produced tracks for Big Daddy Kane's sixth album Daddy's Home but it didn't receive commercial success. 

A few days before these two releases, Easy Mo Bee recorded two new tracks with 2Pac : "If I Die 2Nite" and "My Block", but only one of them will be released in Me Against The World, the second one being later given to The Show soundtrack.

Producing for the best rappers

Same year and next one, Easy Mo Bee will also produce for Slick Rick, Public Enemy, Da Brat, Heavy D, Craig Mack, Freddie Foxxx, Das EFX, Lost Boyz, Doug E Fresh, Channel Live, LL Cool J, Jamal of Illegal, Busta Rhymes, Blue Note, Queen Latifah, Rakim and Nas (the unreleased "Life Is Like A Dice Game", not retained for the album It Was Written)... 

Next, Easy Mo Bee produced for Tha Alkaholics, Nice & Smooth, The Notorious B.I.G., Lady of Rage, Ras Kass, MC Eight, Kurupt, Goodie Mob, Method Man...

He probably tried to record a new album with AB Money and Styles (Bee Mo Easy Ent sampler) before releasing his own solo/compilation album : Now Or Never : The Odyssee with Kool G Rap, Gang Starr, Cocoa Brovaz and Snoop Dogg among others...

 

 

 

 

Nas & The Firm -1996-1997- DJ Clue Vs. The Firm Collection (Homemade Compilation)

• 1996-1998 : freestyles, leftover songs recorded during the Firm's The Album sessions. Most of these tracks here have been published in DJ Clue various mixtapes.

Credit : Marc Baptiste

### This homemade compilation follows the beginning of the DJ Clue's Freestyles & Exclusives mixtape, completed by other tracks from DJ Clue mixtapes and leftover tracks from The Firm's album, more or less in a chronological order. ###

Nas & The Firm -1996-1997- DJ Clue Vs. The Firm (Tape Kingz)

1. Escobar Season Begins (Hot 97 Freestyle) (1996)
2. Freestyle (by Foxy Brown) (1996)
3. Freestyle (by Nature) (1996)
4. The Foulness pt. 1 & 2 (1995)
5. Welcome To The Firm feat. Femme Fatale, Noreaga, Nature & Mary J Blige (1996)
6. The Foulness pt. 3 (6. 456 Freestyle) feat. Nature (1996)
7. Boss of Bosses (Firm Freestyle) feat. Foxy Brown (1996)
8. Desperados (Original) feat. Foxy Brown, Canibus, Nature & Az (1996)
9. The Foulness pt. 4 (Forever Fresh Freestyle) feat. Nature (1996)
10. Everyday Thing feat. Nature & Dr. Dre (1995) *
    
11. La Familia (Version 2) feat. Foxy Brown, Nature & Az (1996)**
12. Take It In Blood pt. 2 feat. Nature (1996)
13. The Case (by Foxy Brown) (1997)
14. Escobar '97 (Clue Mix) (MIB OST) (1997)
15. The Welcoming feat. Nature & AZ (1997)
16. Live Freestyle On Angie Martinez Hot 97 (1997)
17. T.O.N.Y. Freestyle (1997)
18. Time feat. AZ & Nature (1997)
19. Firm Biz (World's Famous Remix) feat. Half-A-Mill, Nature, Az & Foxy Brown
20. Sosa Vs The State feat. Az & Nature (1997)
21. Love Is All We Need (Alternate Verse) feat. Mary J Blige (1997)
22. Head Over Heels feat. Allure (1996)
23. Head Over Heels (Clue's Version Remix) (by Az) feat. Tone & Allure (1997)
24. Blood Money part 2 feat. Noreaga & Nature (1997)
    
25. Real Niggas feat. SE (1996)
    

* It'd be possible to include the Drauma (cf. Sam Sneed's Street Scholars) version but the fact Dr. Dre raps the exact same verse indicates it was a reference track for him.

** We chose to include none of the Cormega featurings we kept for a Nas bootleg of It Was Written leftover tracks (cf. From Nasty to Esco)

Bold : contain 2Pac diss.

Details :

1. Starting with Biz Markie's "Make Music With Your Mouth" beat. DJ Clue - Spring pt. 2 The Payback (1996)
2. DJ Clue - Spring pt. 2 The Payback (1996) & DJ Clue Freestyles & Exclusives (1997)
3. DJ Clue Freestyles & Exclusives (1997)
4. Starting with Big Daddy Kane's "Young, Gifted & Black" beat. DJ Clue - Summatyme Shootout Pt.1 (1995)
   
5. DJ Clue Freestyles & Exclusives (1997)
6. DJ Clue The 456 Goin 4 Broke (1996) 
7. DJ Clue Platinum Plus (1997)
8. DJ Clue Platinum Plus (1997)
   
9. Fall pt. 1 (1996) & DJ Clue Freestyles & Exclusives (1997)
10. Unreleased. Leftover from The Firm's album. Included in unofficial Phone Tap (?)
    
11. DJ Clue Holiday Hold Up (1996)
12. DJ Clue The 456 Goin 4 Broke (1996)
    
13. DJ Clue Show Me The Money (1997)
    
14. DJ Clue Manatti pt. 2, The Rematch (1997) 
15. DJ Clue R&B pt. 2 Just Cruisin Again (1997) & DJ Clue Freestyles & Exclusives (1997)
16. Radio Hot 97 (1997)
17. DJ Clue & DJ Clue Freestyles & Exclusives (1997)
18. Unreleased. Leftover from The Firm's album.
19. Phone Tap (Remix) (1997)
20. Unreleased. Leftover from The Firm's album.
21. DJ Clue Show Me The Money (1997)
22. DJ Clue Holiday Hold Up (1996)
    
23. DJ Clue & Allure's Head over Heels (Remix) Promo (1997)
    
24. Noreaga & Rufus Blaq Blood Money / Outta Sight (1997)
25. SE single ? (1996). A song recently leaked from an unknown group from the Queens with a Nas verse dissing 2Pac. So recorded in the summer of 96, like "Welcome To The Firm".
    

Can we make a parallel between The Firm and Tha Outlawz ?

Where did the idea of a supergroup around Nas come from ? It is said : from Nas, from his manager Steve Stoute, the production team Trackmasters (Poke & Tone, Frank Nitty, Gowdy & Richbourg) and even from Dr. Dre who was apparently part of the project from the beginning. The name of the group is of course inspired by the famous movie of the same name by Sidney Pollack with Tom Cruise (The Firm, 1993). 

Nothing to do with 2Pac in the formation of a supergroup. And of course the mafioso theme is more than common in the Hip-Hop world... But, from another point of view, when Nasty Nas turned into Nas Escobar (a new nickname like 2Pac becoming Makaveli) and gathered around him Az, Cormega and Foxy Brown for "Affirmative Action", and then for a whole mafioso concept with some nicknames (Escobar and Sosa, Foxy already has), we can't help but think to a more or less important influence of 2Pac and his terrorist group Outlaw Immortalz. 2Pac presented them in January of 96 in "When We Ride" in All Eyez On Me (Mussolini, Kadafi, Napoleon, Hussein...). If you add the fact that Dr. Dre produced some tracks for both albums, and that they are released on a label he founded, and over his supervision... 

What's the difference ? Outlawz is a group of young rappers, not famous (Mopreme and Big Syke neither). The topic of the terrorism, the most hated international figures - maybe with the exception of Napoleon who was not an enemy of the U.S.A. - is only a provocation against the white American ordinary way of thinking. If Escobar or Sosa could be one of them, the general topic of the Firm is about mafia business, illegal traffic. Less about political and ideological provocation and confrontation.

Sam Sneed, Nas & Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre starting to work with Nas

This picture could presumably be from summer 95 when Nas came to L.A. to record "Don't Stop (Original)" for the second album of Tha Dogg Pound (cf. Dogg Shit / West Coast Aftershock)... Sam Sneed on the picture tends to give think that. Do they have had this idea of a project together at that time ? The reverse way Ice Cube worked with East Coast Public Enemy's Bomb Squad producing team in 1990 for Amerikkka's Most Wanted and the exact same way Kool G Rap had his album Live & Let Die almost entirely produced by Sir Jinx, except three tracks by... the Trackmasters !  

Dr. Dre was clearly not at his ease in this East/West absurd war, alongside the provocative Suge Knight (Let's think to the 95 Music Awards speech), even if when he went off the N.W.A. he was kind of dissing Eazy-E. It was a personal thing. With Snoop Dogg and the Dogg Pound, he still was the leader of Death Row. Maybe something already was going wrong with the cancelling of his projects Chronic II or Dre/Cube thing. But the arrival of 2Pac probably achieved to perturb everything in the label. 2Pac was a bulky figure, very demanding, very nervous and susceptible at that time... Everything was turning around him. Suge Knight made him the new top leading figure of the label. Were "California Love" and "Cant' C Me" given to him because it was imposed by Suge ?

When Dr. Dre left Death Row in March 96, he rapidly founded his own label Aftermath - to not depend of anybody. He started to work at his compilation album Dre Dre presents : The Aftermath, in which the first track and first single was the supergroup Group Therapy one hit song "East Coast/West Coast Killas" produced by Dr. Dre. So his first act was a kind of reconciliation or "therapy" with Dre's ex-partner RBX from his first album Chronic, and above that a reconciliation between East and West coasts with also Cypress Hill for the West, and for the East KRS-One and... Nas ! 

"While childish MCs battle over coastal fronts", said RBX. It clearly sounds like a critic to 2Pac who started his "Hit Em Up" (released in June 4) by "Westside, Bad Boys killa, you know who's the realest." But both sides were reduced to the same critic : to aliment a stupid rivalry to make media exposure, instead of competing by their skills. This single was released the 13th of August 96, one month before 2Pac's death... In fact, in his lunatic mind, 2Pac didn't want this coastal war, that's why he launched the One Nation project in June. But the contradiction was obvious in his words and his emphasizing lyrics were perfectly used by Suge Knight to draw the maximum exposure...

The 1st of September, Dr. Dre released his own single "Been There, Done That". Which was an original beat made by Bud'da, and lyrics written by J-Flexx from the Sam Sneed's Street Scholars. So the song was presumably written before Dre's departure from Death Row... like "Everyday Thing" with Drauma from the Street Scholars reference for Dr. Dre ?

Dr. Dre & Az in the studio. Death Row engineer behind them ?

Az aka Sosa the first lieutenant, but what about Cormega ?

Az released his first solo album in 95, Do Or Die, a very good album, but in people's mind, he stays the perfect counterpoint to Nas in "Life's A Bitch", like Big Syke was 2Pac's one (and Stretch before him). It is not the same harmony, but their different tone of voices sound perfectly well together, a very welcome balance.

Was Az with Nas in 95 ? Could they have recorded "Everyday Thing" in 95 ? That could be... But why do they left over this beautiful song ? There are three other major omissions : "Sosa Vs. The State", "La Familia" and the wonderful "Time". The alternate version of Desperados with Nas and Foxy Brown, and the Dr. Dre remix of "Firm Biz" with Mary J Blige could have also added a lot too...

But the worst thing is for sure the ejection of Cormega... It is said it occurred because of a debt he had to Steve Stout due to his prison time (and as usual due to a disagreement at the signature about who receives what...). He was recording with Nas in late 95 and in 96 ("On The Real", "40th Side of Things"), and then with the group in 1996, of course "Affirmative Action" but also "The Familia" and "Affirmative Action Remix (The Symphony Freestyle)". In the 8' "Funk Flex Freestyle" with Nas (starting by his second "Message" verse), he presents the group and claims : "Firm Biz". So he was at this time a real member of the group.

Cormega was probably dropped around the summer of 96. In fact, he was the perfect gifted MC to give to the group a thicker identity... Like Stretch was for 2Pac, and then Kurupt or Hussein who can beat 2Pac in strict terms of MCing, and so pushed him to do better. Nas was the leader, but the rest of the group was too far from him.

The dispute between Mega and Nas went over the time and is as important for both than 2Pac with his ex-friend Stretch. If the friendship had not been destroyed, for sure 2Pac and Nas careers would have been different... It is also said Mega and Nas had an artistic dispute, could Mega have changed something to the album ? For sure, Cormega never dealt with commercial concessions. It would have kept The Firm's album in a better orientation.

Foxy Brown & Kurupt

Very early-stage for her first appearance and first album (17-18), more than 2Pac (19-20) and Nas (18-21). The same way 2Pac always wanted to work with female rappers and included Storm his Outlawz in late 95, Nas added to his mafioso group a female rapper.

Somewhere around the recordings of his album Ill Na Na in 1996, Foxy met Kurupt and they started to date each other, maybe - the story would be beautiful - when Kurupt was back in Philadelphia in summer 96 and was recording his Philly sessions far away from the Death Row tensions... At the peak time of this nonsense East-West war fueled by Suge Knight, Puff Daddy, 2Pac's paranoia, Biggie , East Coast rappers lacking of humor (regarding "New York New York" funny video, not offensive)... Kurupt and Daz themselves sent shots (cf. Thug Pound) but their first intentions in 95 was to have a second album with some East/West connections with "Don't Stop Original" featuring Nas and "Got My Mind Made Up Original" featuring Lady of Rage & Redman, Method Man & Inspectah Deck... (cf. Dogg Shit to Westcoast Aftershock).

Circa 1998, Foxy recorded the freestyle "Nigga Whut" with Kurupt and "Got To Get It" with Dogg Pound, maybe when Kurupt started to record his double album Kuruption! in 1997. Freed from Death Row, Kurupt like Dr. Dre reconciled East and West.

After the fail of the Firm's album, Nas went his way and Foxy felt betrayed. She came to record "Never Personal pt. 2", a Nas diss with Cormega.

For sure DJ Clue owes a lot in his first mixtapes 1995-1997 to these Firm freestyles and early tracks, with of course people around them : Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga, Mary J Blige, Puff Daddy's team.

 

Danny Boy -1994-1996- Danny Boy (The DJ Quik Sessions) / It's About Time (Original) / The Remix Collection (Death Row Unreleased)

• Death Row recorded album 1994-1996 final mix in 1998
• circa 1994 : DJ Quik original sessions
• 1995-1996 : It's About Time sessions
  

 

This picture has been re-used by the unofficial "Advance" bootleg

it was probably the official anticipated cover

for the eponymous Danny Boy album in 1994 

1. Danny Boy (The DJ Quik Sessions) - circa 1994

A-Side * :

1. Call On Me

2. Innocent Dance (Dancefloor)

3. You Don't Have To Cry No More

4. Do Me

5. I Can't Wait

 

B-Side ** :

6. Blow Your Mind (Original Mix)

7. Sadie

8. Oh !

9. Lady

10. Love & Happiness

 

Bonus Track :

11. Come When I Call

 

Producer - DJ Quik 

Presumably recorded in 1994, maybe early 1995.

* A-Side follows the tracklist of the Promo Sampler (snippets of 2' from the A-Side) probably leaked in 1994 around the time of Murder Was The Case Soundtrack.

** B-Side doesn't have any particular order. Tracks were leaked in a bootleg titled The D.R. Sessions (Couldn't find it back).

Why these tracks from B-Side ? Except for "Blow Your Mind", none of them were included in It's About Time (WIDEAwake, 2010). So maybe they were not planned to be inside the original version of it, maybe Danny Boy still thought to release his eponymous first album in any form...

 

Front cover of the 2010 release

2. It's About Time (Original Mix) - circa 1995

1. Intro (Full Mix)

2. Blow Your Mind Away

3. How Many Times

4. Think It's About Time (Full Mix)

5. Between Me And U feat. DJ Quik (talkbox)

6. Break U Off (Full Mix)

7. So In Love

8. Church Interlude

9. Can I Come Over (Full Mix)

10. Just Ride feat. Jojo Hailey & Roger Troutman (talkbox)

11. If U Don't Mind (From Me To U) (Alternate Version) feat. female backing

12. It's All About U

13. Steppin'

14. Mama Used To Say (Full Mix)

15. Come When I Call (George Archie Remix)

16. Slip 'N Slide (Bonus Track)

Producer - DJ Quik (2-5, 7-9, 13-15), except 6 by Demetrius Shipp, 10, 11, 12, 16 by Devanté Swing (Jodeci).

 

WIDEAwake Release : Discogs page - Listen in Youtube or grab it here 

 

inside cover of It's About Time

3. Innocent Dance (The Remix Collection) - circa 1996

1. Follow Me

2. Do Me (New Version)

3. Innocent Dance (New Version)

4. Steppin' (Remix)

5. Caught Up feat. unknown

6. Break You Off (Remix) feat. DJ Quik (talkbox)

7. Freak of the Wreak

8. Share My Pain With You (Instrumental) feat. Stacey Smallie (?)

9. Drive By feat. unknown

10. Rock N Roll Bounce (with Intro)

11. Cupid

12. Slip N Slide (Reggae Remix) feat. unknown ragamuffin artist

13. You Don't Have To Cry (Instrumental) feat. Stacey Smallie (?)

 

Producer - ?

These tracks have probably been recorded/remixed in 1996, probably not produced by DJ Quik (except Track 6) nor DeVanté Swing (except Track 12), but more likely by Kurt Kobane, Demetrius Shipp & Reggie Moore...

His two first albums being recorded, Danny Boy was probably recording songs for other projects (2Pac's album, Gridlock'd soundtrack...), for his singles b-sides or to improve his album.

These are great songs which prove that Danny Boy was not a chorus guy and was not just a beautiful voice behind DJ Quik productions but a wonderful artist who try new things. It would be possible to add to this selection "Slip 'N Slide (Original)".

4. Slip N Slide EP (Advance) - Unofficial Bootleg Compilation (1994-1999)

1. Slip N Slide

2. It's Over Now / Keith Andes

3. All In The Club

4. I Can't Get Enough / Damon Thomas

5. Front Porch feat. Twista

6. Come When I Call

7. Slip N Slide (DPG Remix) feat. Dogg Pound

8. Peaceful Christmas

9. Nobody's Home feat. Do or Die, Johnny P

10. Beautiful Lady feat. K-Ci

Bonus Tracks :

11. Dysfunktional Family feat. Crooked I & Eastwood

12. Slip 'N Slide (Instrumental)

13. Christmas Song

14. This Christmas

This Advance / Slip N Slide EP has been unofficially bootlegged various times with slightly different tracklists (in the Advance Discogs version, "Slip N Slide Remix" is in the 11th position, and the B-Rezell's song "Horny" is mistakenly included in the 10th...). This is simply a compilation of the eponymous single with the officially released songs in various albums between 1994 and 1999.

Producer - DJ Quik (6), Danny Boy, Reggie Moore & DeVanté Swing (1, 12), Daz (7), Kurt Kobane (10), Damon Thomas (4), Keith Andes (2), Kevyn Lewis for D.R. (8, 13, 14), The Legendary Traxster for Rap-A-Lot (3, 5, 9)

• Track 6 is taken from Murder Was The Case O.S.T. (1994)
  
• Tracks 1 & 7 are from the single Slip N Slide (1996)
• Tracks 8, 13, 14 are taken from Christmas on Death Row (1996) 
  
• Tracks 2 & 4 are taken from Gridlock'd O.S.T. (1997) 
• Track 2 and cover's pictures are taken from It's Over Now single (1997), image itself probably reused from the 1994-1995 unreleased album
  
• Track 10 is from Chronic 2000 (1999), probably recorded circa 1996-1997
  
• Track 3 is taken from Caught Up O.S.T. (1998) 
• Tracks 3 & 9 are taken from Do Or Die's Headz Or Tailz LP (1998)
  
• Track 5 is taken from Twista's Mobstability LP (1998)

When you consider this bootleg, it seems Danny Boy took a similar way than Snoop Dogg or Kurupt, leaving Death Row around the same time (c. 1998) to get closer to Rap-A-Lot and then to go back to Death Row circa 2001-2003 with a handful of featurings with Eastwood & Crooked I but a similar fail to release any solo album.

 

Saafir -1992-1993- Boxcar sessions Demo (prod. Jeremy JZ Jackson) (2020, Hip-Hop Enterprise)

• Pre-first album sessions
• Saafir started exactly like 2Pac as a featured artist for Chopmaster J's Force One Network, Money B's Raw Fusion and as a Shock G's Digital Underground official member.
  
• Mainly produced by Jeremy JZ Jackson, the one who produced "Something Wicked" and "Troublesome" for 2Pac.
  

Discogs page

Listen or grab it there

 

1. Light Sleeper (Original Version)

2. Joint Custody (J Groove's Spliff Mix)
3. In The Future

4. The Heavyweight
5. Prime Time After Seven
6. Running From 5.0

7. Bones

8. Killen Kydz
9. No Return - The Set Up

10. No Return (Original Version)

11. Ball Point

12. Whomp 2000

  

Bonus Tracks : 

. Quest For Survival feat. Plan Bee & Pooh-Man

. Rock The Show (I Wanna Know) - "Battle Drill" B-Side

. Pull Ya Card - "Just Riden" B-Side

 

Producer – Jeremy JZ Jackson (tracks: A1, A4, B3, B4), Big Nous (tracks: A3), J Groove (tracks: A2, B1, B2, B6)

Remastered By – Justin Perkins

 

These tracks were recorded before Saafir's first album Boxcar Sessions. Some of them had been released earlier in the Promo CD Unreleased Boxcar Sessions in 2002.

Track 6 was released in Hobo Juction's member Plan Bee's Quest For Survival in 1994.

  

 

 

Saafir started like 2Pac, as a member of Digital Underground

Saafir doesn't have had the occasion to record many songs with 2Pac. They are just featured together in Raw Fusion's "Pass The 40" (cf. Tales of a 90's N.I.G.G.A.), a posse song only released in 92 in Hollywood Records Sampler promo. From West Oakland, Saafir appeared in 1991 in the background vocals in Money B & DJ Fuze Raw Fusion's "Do My thang" (cf. Live in Styleetron), probably recorded at the same time than "Pass The 40". The same year, he is featured in two tracks of Chopmaster J & Dave Hollister Force One Network first album The MME Program 1. The next year, he is an official member of Digital Underground for their third album, The Body-Hat Syndrom (credited for 9 tracks). He will also be featured in their 96's Future Rhythm album.

In 1994, Saafir appears in the very famous "Wake Up Show Anthem '94" with Nas, Pharoahe Monche, Ras Kass, Lauryn Hill... in Street Fighter OST with Ras Kass and Ahmad. The same year, his collective the Hobo Junction (with notably Big Nous and Jeremy JZ Jackson from The Underground Railroad) recorded one of the most the most infamous clash versus Del's Hieroglyphics group (cf. Battle), prolonged with his clash with Hiero's main member Casual (cf. unofficial Saafir tape). He is even featured in Casual's first album Fear Itself in 1994.

The same year, he published some 12'' : "Battle Drill" prod. by J Groove, "Light Sleeper" prod. by JZ, "Just Riden" prod. JZ. His first solo album Boxcar Sessions got released the same year with notably a speaking interlude by Pee Wee of Underground Railroad. In 1995, he released the EP Limited Edition with the Hobo Junction. 

In 1997, he released the album Trigonometry under the alias of Mr No No, with 6 songs produced by JZ and two featuring with and produced by Shock G. In 1999, in his album Hit List, 3 tracks were produced by Shock G, one by Tony Pizarro and it features Kam, Jayo Felony and Chino XL.

 

51.50 Illegally Insane (Ryan D & Klark Gable) -1992- Games People Play (ARRogant)

• Ryan D was Tupac partner's in the group One Nation Emcees (1988-1990)
• Klark Gable presumably produced 2Pac's "I Thought U Knew" and "Daze of a Criminal"
• Article about the group : article 

See Discogs page, new edition

Listen it in YouTube or there

Tracklist :

1. 51.50 Intro
2. Jealous MF's
3. They Made Me
4. Games People Play
5. Back on tha Track
6. Steady Stayin' Paid
7. Dorothy
8. Illegally Insane
9. Green & White (Jailstrumental)

Bonus tracks 1999 edition :

10. Do it Right (Remix)

11. We Be Dumpin'

12. You Don't Wanna Battle feat. 2Pac

 
Producer - DJ Klark Gable
Rap - Ryan D, Levy Love, TAC

ARRogant Records led by Kendrick Wells. 

When Tupac alias MC New York moved from New Jersey to Marin City and was been kicked off from home by his mother, he's been hanging out in the Jungle. There he met Ryan D and his friends. They were eventually forming a group called One Nation Emcees (cf. Straight From The Underground/Benefits of Poverty). In 1990, he was still recording with Ryan D and DJ Klark Gable for "I Thought U Knew" and "All In The Dayz of a Criminal". While 2-Pac left for touring with his new group Strictly Dope and the Digital Underground, then for recording solo, Ryan D and Klark Gable recorded their album.

Ryan D and the group released another albums in 1995, 2000 and 2002. He is highly featured in Assassin's album Hitworks, volume 1 (1996, Liferdef Records), with partner TAC, Ant Dog, Digital Underground, Rated R... and Pac/Dee tha Mad Bitch's song "Real Bad Boyz".

DJ Klark Gable has also produced "Tempo of Boom" in 89 and "Overnight Succe$$" in 90 for Ant Dog. It is said that 2Pac was a huge fan of the first one and promoted the tape to everybody while touring with Digital Underground. Ant Dog was also featured in live version of Pac's "Panther Power" (over Self Destruction beat) the same year.

TAC will released a solo album in 1999, Servin Knock'z (Ping Records) with Yukmouth of Luniz, Marvaless !! and of course Ryan D. Levy Love is not known anywhere else.

In 1990, just before the recording of 2Pacalypse Now, 2Pac was planning to publish a mini album produced by him and Klark Gable titled All In The Dayz of a Criminal, featuring the Jungle Posse ("All In The Dayz of a Criminal", "Young Godfather"), Ray Luv of Strictly Dope (original unleaked "Scared Straight") and Yonnie ("Rushin' 'Em From Richtown"). Unfortunately, the Jungle Posse (Wiz, Playa Playa and Dank, backing voices in the outro of "Trapped") never recorded their part of "All In The Dayz of a Criminal" and the project was given up (cf. Dayz of a Criminal EP)

"You Don't Wanna Battle" is a remix of "I Thought U Knew" recorded in 1990.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Force One Network (Chopmaster J & Dave Hollister) -1992- The M M E Program 1 (Qwest)

• Produced by Chopmaster J from Strictly Dope & Digital Underground
• Main voice by Dave Hollister of Blackstreet
• features Saafir
  

Discogs page

Listen to the album here

 

1. Introduction

2. Force One Theme

3. Force One Sign On - interlude

4. Sista Sista feat. O'Shun (written by Money B)

5. Love Vapors feat. Saafir

6. Pick 'N' Choose feat. E Divine

7. Somethin' About You

8. Miss You

9. Another Night

10. What About the Children - interlude

11. Big Brutha's Theme

12. Back 'N' the Dayz feat. Saafir

13. Network Shouts - interlude

14. One Drag

15. Is It Wet ? - interlude

16. Knock A Lot
17. E.W.T.B.B. (Part 1)

18. Losing You

19. Insecurity

20. Spirit (Does Anybody Care ?)

Produced by Chopmaster J, Ocea & Willi Mac

Force One Network is :
- Jimi Dright aka Chopmaster J from Digital Undergroun / Strictly Dope
- Dave Hollister aka "The Black Angel", member of Blackstreet in 94
- Will Waller aka Willi Mac aka "Big Brutha Soul", producer and singer (strong voice).
- Darrell Savage aka Ocea, producer and singer (?)

 "Spirit" will be the theme song of Boyz N The Hood John Singleton movie, soundtrack published in July of 1991, with tracks by Ice Cube & Sir Jinx, Yo-Yo, 2 Live Crew, Too Short, Kam, the R&B group Hi-Five (whose first album features Dave Hollister backing vocals) with rap by Prodigy (very juvenile voice), Tony! Toni! Toné! (Mopreme was featured in two tracks on their 1990's album).

So that Force One Network album was mainly recorded in 1991, at the same time than 2Pacalypse Now.

 

Early times : a producer team ?

Force One Network has probably been first conceived as a Digital Underground side project for Chopmaster J. He produced part of Strictly Dope songs in 1989. And Willi Mac and Ocea seem to have something to do with the production of  "Static" and "Case of the Misplaced Mic" (cf. The Lost Tapes). Maybe at that time they were only producers or maybe the reggae rappers of "Static (Original Raggamuffin Mix)" and chorus of "Fade Away" Cooley Ranks & Wycked J (Julian Brooks) were also members (eventually forming with Strictly Dope a "Force One Crew"). 

Chopmaster J wrote in the back notes of Lost Tapes first editions that he thought to have lost most of 2Pac early Strictly Dope material in a firestorm. It could be during the summer of 1991, leading to a change in the project direction. Like we said, the original project Force One Crew was maybe Chopmaster J's producing team featuring artists around T.N.T / Digital Underground like Saafir, Money B, Cooley Ranks & Julian Brooks, Dave Hollister... and 2Pac above all, with of course one verse on "Static", but maybe also old lyrics recorded with Strictly Dope. 

Dave Hollister as main singer

Dave Hollister had a good radio single, with house producer Larry Heard (aka Mr. Fingers) and Blakk Society in 1989 : "Just Another Lonely Day". In 1990, he is backing some Rap R&B albums by Glenn Jones, Hi-Five (produced by his future partner in Blackstreet Teddy Riley) and Father MC (alongside Mary J Blige, K-Ci & Jojo, executive producer Puff Daddy and a dedication to "T-Roy (R.I.P.)"). He got a great single hit as a featured artist for Groove B Chill : "Swinging Single". In 91-92, he recorded a hand of superb songs with 2Pac : hit singles "Brenda's Got A Baby" and "Keep Ya Head Up", B-side "Nothing But Love" and unreleased song "Don't U Trust". 

With the success of "Spirit", Chopmaster J convinced him to become the main singer of his group. After the fail of the album, Dave formed Blackstreet with Teddy Riley and will encounter a huge success. But he will leave them to have a solo career that will never be successful...

Digitial Underground side project

In addition of Chopmaster J being the leader, if you listen carefully to the album, you will have the feeling that it has some Digital Underground funk kind-a-like sound (Humpty Hump aka Shock G speaks a few words at the end of "Somethin' About You"). Saafir who was initially a dancer for the group, appeared in Raw Fusion album credits for backing vocals and had his first verse in the 2Pac/Raw Fusion side song "Pass the 40", has two new verses here before becoming a member of Digital Underground for their third album Body-Hat Syndrom in 1993. The group also is credited in "Network Shouts".

The female rapper O'Shun featured in "Sista Sista" has been ghostwritten by Money B. If you think to the time of this album composition, could it be the same girl than the unknown Mysta/Sista/Yonnie partner who was supposed to work with Tupac and The Kidz (project called Ghetto Gospel / 4 Colored Girlz Only) ?

Willi Mac is probably the producer of "Static" (original or remix version ?). He will release albums (or compilations) in 1997 and in 2002 under the name of Big Brutha Soul. Ocea has not been credited a lot elsewhere, except for producing some spare songs like the comic "Rap to Me" by The Rapping Grand Mommas or a b-side for an Oakland rapper called Premo.

Interesting fact is that the album is published in Qwest records, the label of Quincy Jones, not with Digital Underground's T.N.T recordings. It has some importance because Quincy's son QD3 will produce a bench of songs for the late 2Pac and his two daughters Rashida Jones and Kidada Jones will have respectively an argument and a love affair with Pac...

They will publish another albums in 1997 and 2000 but there are more kind of compilation of old records than albums of new material.

 

Assassin & Friends (Sh'Killa, Rated R...) -1995- Strictly For The Streets : A compilation about the game (ICE Management)

• First project orchestrated by DJ Assassin probably recorded around the time of Me Against The World final mix in late 94 or beginning of 95.
  
• features Rated R, Sh'Killa, South Central Cartel, Lil Big, Bloody Mary and many others
  

 

Discogs page 

Listen it or grab it there

 

1. Intro - Lay Law (1:25)

2. Strictly For The Streets - Bernie Castro, Tone & Havikk The Rhyme Son (3:49)

3. Hustla's Convention - Gangsta Reese, Rated R, Bloody Mary, Havikk The Rhyme Son, Hot Dolla, Sh'Killa & Buddha (4:29)

4. The Juice - Sh'Killa (1:05)

5. 1-800-Bustah - Bloody Mary, D-Ruff & KM-WR (4:22)

6. Dha Game - Twon (4:44)

7. The Arrival - Ad Kapone (4:40)

8. My Nigga - F. Love (2:12)

9. Unforgiven - Bloody Mary, Sh'Killa, Jazz & Gangsta Reese (4:48)

10. Nina B Da Nine - Bloody Mary (3:41)

11. Don't Fuck Wit' A G - Don Cisco & Quiz (Ghetto Politix) (3:44)

12. Deacon Hemp & Pas-Dah Dank - D-Ruff, F. Love, Kphra & Noizman (2:37)

13. (Bitch) Perpin' Like She's Top Notch - Blackstreet Mentality & Ad Kapone (6:15)

14. Set Trippen' - Ad Kapone, Rated R, Sh'Killa, Havikk The Rhyme Son, Bloody Mary, Hot Dolla & A.M.W. (6:14)

15. Streets Is How We Comin' - Havikk The Rhyme Son, Chunk & Bloody Mary (3:20)

16. Pimp Catalogue - F. Love & Trickbaby (2:55)

Producer - DJ Assassin (1,3,4,9,10,14,15), Anthony Cannon (2,7,13,16), Frank Love (2,4,8,12,15,16), D Ruff (4,5,8,12), Frank Tebo of World Class Wreckin' Cru (5,10,11), John Orr (6).

DJ King Assassin is well known by Tupac's fans to have released the song "Real Bad Boyz" with Dee tha Mad Bitch in 1996 in his album Hitworks, Volume One (featuring many Bay Area artists like Digital Underground, Ryan D, Ant Dog...), and then to have heavily contributed to the fashion of unofficial 2Pac remix albums with dishonestly titled "The Way He Wanted It" volumes (mostly made of patched verses to new songs with new guests). Because of that, we tend to think that he was some kind of a liar capitalizing over Pac's death, and maybe even he had never met him... Dobbs The Wino, producer for Coolio, credited only as a co-producer of the remix, is sometimes said to be the original producer of "Real Bad Boyz" (cf. Honor Among Thugz)... 

Assassin was firstly a member of the group Ghetto Politix. They firstly released Don Cisco single "Audi 5000" in 1992, and two underground EP cassette in 1993 (Ghetto Life) and 1994 (Just Mob). The group is yet here with the song "Don't Fuck Wit' A G". 

When you consider this compilation you can understand that Assassin likes to give opportunity to female rappers to shine. So he could be the real producer of "Real Bad Boyz" by Dee Tha Mad Bitch (two verses) featuring 2Pac & Eddie. But the question of the date of recording remains mysterious, probably in the late '93 - beginning of '94 when Thug Life group started to record together.

The most interesting thing for 2Pac fans could also be the two featurings of Thug Life member Rated R. Apart of "It Don't Stop Radio Version" and maybe unleaked "Make No Mistakes" (cf. Dramacyde), Rated R has not recorded many things with 2Pac/Thug Life in 1994-1995 (maybe some other radio versions for Thug Life Volume One). With Macadoshis as Double Jeopardy, he will also appear in 1995 in Professor Jay's Da Nayborhoodz album Afta Dark, in Coolio's "Is This Me ?" in Gangsta's Paradise album and in Ray Luv second album Forever Hustlin'. After that he will more or less disappear mainly for being incarcerated for murder...

Therefore, like we can see in this compilation probably recorded in late 1994 beginning of 95, Assassin is mainly responsible for the emergence of female rapper Sh'Killa who was about to be featured in Dramacydal/Young Thugz shelved EP in "Don't Make Enemies With Me" featuring 2Pac & Live Squad (cf. Dramacyde) before recording her solo album Gangstrez of Da Bay mainly produced by South Central Cartel. One of them, Havikk The Rhyme Son, first verse in "Gansta Team" S.C.C./2Pac/Ice-T/MC Eight/Spice 1 (cf. Featurings), is also featured here in four songs of the compilation.

The compilation also heavily features Bloody Mary aka Nini X and kind of helped her to start again her career after leaving Dangerous Records after her awesome beginning with Blood & Crips in 1993 in Bangin' On Wax (that was also produced by DJ Battlecat...) and her first album She's Dangerous in 1994.

At last, this compilation features A.M.W. (American Most Wanted) group with Lil Big who will be featured in a late Nutt-So/2Pac song in 1996 : "Don't Sleep OG" (cf. One Nation part 2). After their first album in 1990 (Criminals), they were about to release their second : The Real Mobb with featurings of Nutt-So's Streethugs and a Blackjack beat.