A VA Bounce Battle Begins With This Timbaland Vs. Neptunes Mix By Five Deez’ Pase Rock (Mixtape)

In the late 1990s, Cincinnati, Ohio was a keystone tributary to the Underground Hip-Hop movement’s pinnacle. The River City produced DJ Hi-Tek (Reflection Eternal, Mood, Black Star), as well as Anticon co-founder Dose.One and others. Blueprint would relocate to Cincy from nearby Columbus, Ohio, along with Illogic, forming the Greenhouse Effect crew. One group also from the city was Five Deez. Featuring Fat Jon, this bouncy collective is remembered for thumping beats, as well as a unique hybrid of conscious and strutty lyrics, much akin to Slum Village. Also within the Five Deez crew was DJ Pase Rock. Forever going strong, Pase’ (who’s now down with A-Trak and Fool’s Gold Records) locked eyes on another state, and developed a cool concept for a mixtape:

Since the early ’90s (see Mad Skillz and Wreckx-N-Effect, respectively) Timbaland and The Neptunes have been going strong. Before Pharrell was a household celebrity, and before Timbo’ dominated multiple genres/radio stations, the two Virginia natives were honing a unique sound, that even both of them differ on. With Tim’s love of Jungle, Drum & Bass music which he flips into Hip-Hop, Skateboard P and Chad Hugo freaked heavy synths with a Caribbean-influenced style of percussion that put sample-heavy Rap production out of the spotlight in the late ’90s. Along the way, from Skillz, to The Clipse, to Missy Elliott, to Shay, these guys brought a gang of local talent out with them, and made good on an effort to make Heads lovers of Virginia music.

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FOOLCAST 046 – Pase Rock "Live From Tuneland" by Fool's Gold Records on Mixcloud

Paserock’s mix raises the question with select cuts, on just who’s better. It’s cool, you don’t have to answer, just groove…
 

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