Throwback Archives

Leon Haywood’s 1975 Freaky Funk Would Light The Chronic (Audio)

Leon Haywood's musical career extends more than 60 years. The Houston, Texas Soul singer and composer would spend part of the 1960s playing keyboards for Sam Cooke's band. On the side, Haywood would ink deals with Decca and Imperial Records, and start cutting his own sides. Right from the onslaught,... Read more

January 31, 2016 Sample Sundays

The Third Member Of JayLib Comes Through With A Fresh J Dilla Mix

Los Angeles, California-based producer/turntablist J Rocc has been one of the biggest purveyors of J Dilla's legacy. The Beat Junkies co-founder and official third member of JayLib (J Dilla & Madlib's group) is among the supporters of next month's J Dilla Weekend (February 5-7) in Miami, Florida. As he has... Read more

January 30, 2016 Mixes, Throwback

This 1997 Underground Hip-Hop Radio Show Includes A Rare Madlib Freestyle (Audio)

In late 1997, Madlib was a fledgling MC/producer. The Oxnard, California artist had laced a handful of joints for Tha Alkaholiks and Boot Camp Clik's O.G.C, while trying to get his Lootpack group off. In those days, as expected, not a lot of people were yet checking for the would-be... Read more

January 30, 2016 Mixes, Throwback

Eminem & Proof’s Legendary 1999 Freestyle Is Re-Released In Its Entirety (Video)

1999 was thee year for Eminem's career. Three years removed from Infinite, the Detroit, Michigan MC would team with Dr. Dre and Aftermath Entertainment to unleash The Slim Shady LP in February and things have only exploded since. That year, Em' would travel overseas, including making a stop to Tim... Read more

January 28, 2016 Throwback

Just Blaze Flipped This Supertramp Song & Made It Breathe For Fabolous (Audio)

Whether or not 1970s Rock & Roll is part of your playlist, chances are you've heard Supertramp. The London, England group was active from the late 1960s to the late '80s, and last year began some reunion touring and recording. "The Logical Song" and "The Long Way Home" are two... Read more

January 24, 2016 Sample Sundays

A Tribe Called Quest & Leaders Of The New School Perform Scenario Remix in 1992 (Video)

Footage of A Tribe Called Quest and Leaders of the New School performing "Scenario" is rare. Video of them performing the remix of that classic? Priceless. However, earlier this month, that's exactly what happened. A clip from a 1992 performance featuring both ATCQ and LONS at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater... Read more

January 23, 2016 Throwback

Protected: Native Tongues vs. D.I.T.C. : Who’s The Better Crew?

In honor of #HipHop50, BET is celebrating the culture and the music with a bracket-style competition to determine Hip-Hop’s greatest crew. These are legendary collectives from different regions, styles, and generations—all vying for that #1 spot. Twenty-eight crews have been pre-selected by a panel of experts, and one slot from... Read more

January 20, 2016 Throwback

Which Cheryl Lynn Disco Hit Fueled These 2 90s Hip-Hop Party Starters?

In the fall of 1978, Disco was going on strong. While a lot of the 1970s genre's biggest hits have not translated to Hip-Hop, some have. Cheryl Lynn was one such singer. In the middle of the decade, the Los Angeles, California songstress was instrumental to The Wiz. Later a... Read more

January 17, 2016 Sample Sundays

This Far Reaching Mix Sprinkles Some Of J Dilla’s Best & Rarest Donuts

Next month (February 5-7), the second annual J Dilla Weekend will take place in Miami, Florida. The three-day event features music performances, exhibits, panels, and more. Pre-sale ticket packages are available. At present, Dilla's onetime group Slum Village, and a host of collaborators are signed on for the event. Additionally,... Read more

January 17, 2016 Audio, Mixes, Throwback

Ever See This 1992 Cypher With Bushwick Bill, Snoop, Scarface, RBX & Big Mike? (Video)

The connections between Death Row and Rap-A-Lop Records run deep, from the top down. Respective label heads Suge Knight and J. Prince have been tight for years and, the labels' artists have collaborated on a number of projects and, in the case of the Outlawz, even been signed to both... Read more

January 16, 2016 Throwback

A Never Released DJ Premier Interview About “Step In The Arena” Surfaces For Its 25th Anniversary

Gang Starr's second album, Step In The Arena, was released 25 years ago. The album was one of transition for the late Guru (Keith Elam) and his partner DJ Premier (Christopher Martin). The LP was the collective's first of the 1990s, a decade they would massively influence on the musical... Read more

January 15, 2016 Throwback

This Little Boy Blues Record Was A Seed Of Love For Some Brooklyn Rap Giants (Audio)

Little Boy Blues released a single album, 1968's In The Woodland Of Weir. The Psychedelic Garage Rock outfit fronted by "Little Boy Blue" Ray Levin, would eventually rise to open for the Rolling Stones, The Association, and Lovin' Spoonful. Formed four years before the Fontana Records LP, the band was... Read more

January 10, 2016 Sample Sundays

In Y2K, DMX Freestyles Went Down Like Mike Tyson Victims. Here’s One. (Audio)

The barks, the growls, the yelling...DMX brought a totally different kind of anger to Rap music than peers like ONYX, M.O.P., or Tupac Shakur. The Ruff Ryders flagship MC was "rage in the cage," when he stepped in many studio booths. Tim Westwood was one DJ/Hip-Hop personality on the map... Read more

January 7, 2016 Throwback

Ever Hear When Ghostface Killah, Jeru The Damaja & Cappadonna Blazed Freestyles Together? (Audio)

Wu-Tang Clan and Gang Starr Foundation appeared to run in different circles in the late 1990s. While RZA and DJ Premier reportedly go back to the Prince Rakeem days, Gang Starr only worked with Inspectah Deck by Y2K (care of "Above The Clouds"). That does not mean, however, that two... Read more

January 2, 2016 Throwback

Obama is Overturning Life Sentences to Combat the War on Drugs.

President Obama has been proactive in addressing some of the major concerns of Americans, many of which were issues he campaigned on before his inauguration into the White House. One of those issues was that of incarceration, namely the exceedingly high rates of imprisonment of Americans, the overwhelming majority of... Read more

December 28, 2015 News, Throwback

This 1998 Cypher By Eminem & Royce Da 5’9″ Was A Preview Of Much Greatness to Come (Mix)

As a DJ at NYC's legendary Fat Beats record store, as well as on college radio and about town, during the 90s and beyond, DJ Eclipse had a critical role at helping to break some of the most acclaimed MCs in Hip-Hop history. Similar to the Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito... Read more

December 27, 2015 Mixes, Throwback

DJ Spinna’s Pharcyde Mix Features A Song They Did With Bobby Brown & Ralph Tresvant (Audio)

DJ Spinna is not your average mixmaster. The Jigmastas alum has been able to go incredibly deep in honoring musicians he admires. He and Bobbito did this exceptionally in their Wonder Wrote It series (and corresponding parties), and now he's turning the (turn)tables onto The Pharcyde. Celebrating the 20th anniversary... Read more

December 22, 2015 Mixes, Throwback

Naughty By Nature Reveal The Origin of “O.P.P.” It Really Was Other People’s Property.

Naughty By Nature was one of Hip-Hop's biggest acts of the 1990s. Still together, recording, and touring, Treach, Vinnie Rock, and Kay Gee broke through with three simple letters: "O.P.P." Now, the title to the 1991 Tommy Boy Records single is permanent part of the pop culture lexicon, approaching 25 years... Read more

December 16, 2015 Throwback

Ever Hear The Shelved ’90s Clipse LP? The Neptunes Were Down From Jump. (Album Stream)

With Pusha T slated to drop his forthcoming album on Friday (King Push: Darkest Before Dawn, December 18) and the Clipse's two hugely successful studio albums, the appeal of the Virginia Beach, Virginia duo has yet to fade away, despite brothers Pusha and No Malice (f/k/a Malice) not having worked... Read more

December 14, 2015 Audio, Throwback

Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch & Last Emperor Freestyle In A Found 2001 Moment (Audio)

In 2001, things were taking off for Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch. As part of the Rawkus Records movement, these 1990s alums were paving the way for solo careers following extensive group success with the likes of Organized Konfusion, Black Star, and Reflection Eternal. Presumably doing the Hip Hop For... Read more

December 10, 2015 Throwback

This Brand Nubian “One For All” Tribute Is An Audio All-In-One (Mix)

Last week, Brand Nubian's celebrated debut album, One For All, reached its 25th birthday. The breakthrough album by Sadat X, Lord Jamar, Grand Puba, and DJ Alamo not only carries the distinction of being a "5 Mic" Source album, but a definitive body of work for New Rochelle, New York,... Read more

December 7, 2015 Mixes, Throwback

Here’s A DJ Neil Armstrong Mix Of Originals Sampled in Many Of Hip-Hop’s Biggest Classics (Audio)

Sample mixes are a funny thing in Hip-Hop. In the 1970s park jams, DJs favored records that evoked a feeling in the crowd. Whether dancing, breakin', or simply signaling good times, these records became mainstays in the emerging culture. By the late 1980s, many of these same records were revisited,... Read more

December 5, 2015 Mixes, Throwback

Two 1980s NYC Street Culture Docs Capture The Cool, Even In These Trailers (Videos)

New York City has long been an epicenter for culture. From music, to fashion, to art, the five boroughs and beyond have influenced the world near and far. In the 1980s, the Big Apple was especially influential. Two documentarians of the era are Jamel Shabazz and Manfred Kirchheimer. Shabazz, a... Read more

December 4, 2015 Throwback, TV/Film, Video

Raekwon Politics On Classic Breakbeats In This 1995 Tim Westwood Freestyle (Audio)

Tim Westwood keeps his newly-established tradition of weekly freestyles going strong. Just over one month after sharing his 1995 Method Man freestyle (that would later become elements of some compilation work), the London DJ moves over to another 20 year-old freestyle from Chef Raekwon. Here, Rae' hops on Marley Marl's... Read more

December 3, 2015 Audio, Throwback

DJ Babu’s Latest Throwback Mix Celebrates Gang Starr, Def Squad & Wu-Tang Clan

In the last few weeks, Dilated Peoples/Beat Junkies member DJ Babu laid out his sophomore Barbershop Mix. The only thing this throwback, free download, hour-plus mix has in common with a barber is the fresh cuts. The Southern California vet goes into his crates to extract gems by Def Squad,... Read more

December 3, 2015 Mixes, Throwback

Learn How Ice Cube Reportedly Got His Rap Name & His Previous Prince-Inspired Moniker (Audio)

Whether you read the books on Hip-Hop history or caught Straight Outta Compton in theaters, it's documented that Ice Cube's Rap career began with a group known as C.I.A. In the days prior to N.W.A., O'Shea Jackson was working with Dr. Dre's cousin Sir Jinx, in a group that pressed... Read more

November 28, 2015 Throwback

60 Years Ago, Bo Diddley Popularized Something Your Favorite Rapper Does (Video)

On November 20, 1955, American television viewers were introduced to Bo Diddley, a Mississippi musician whose style would come to influence future generations in ways that are still felt powerfully today. What is now known as the "Bo Diddley Beat" may be his greatest legacy; the syncopated five-accent rhythm he... Read more

November 20, 2015 Throwback

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s Vintage Freestyle Is An MC & DJ Hallmark (Audio)

Sometime in the late 1980s, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince hit the London, England studio of Tim Westwood. In the same city where they recorded extensively as a duo at the time. Unlike MCs or DJs appearing on Westwood's show, this tandem could improvise vocally, and musically—and please... Read more

November 19, 2015 Throwback

LL Cool J’s Radio Turns 30. Watch His 1st Ever Interview & Other Early Moments (Video)

Thirty years ago today (November 18), LL Cool J released his debut album Radio and launched not only one of Hip-Hop's most enduring careers, but also one of its most iconic record labels in Def Jam Recordings. While the company that Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin built had released prior... Read more

November 18, 2015 Throwback

Public Enemy’s 1988 WNYU Radio Concert Still Moves The Needle (Audio)

1988 was a benchmark year for Public Enemy. The same calendar year that Chuck D, Terminator X, Professor Griff, and Flavor Flav released It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, the crew appeared on WNYU radio, 89.1 on the FM dial. This week, the New York University... Read more

November 18, 2015 Throwback

15 Years After DJ Screw’s Death, Bun B Explains His Influence On “Ridin’ Dirty”

Fifteen years ago today (November 16, 2000), DJ Screw passed away. Before his untimely death, the Houston, Texas turntablist born Robert Earl Davis, Jr. revolutionized a style of music that has influenced much of the 2010s sound. The mixmaster played his records considerably lower than the 33 1/3 RPM standard,... Read more

November 16, 2015 Throwback

This 1984 Book Is One Of The First To Document Hip-Hop

The Rap Attack: African Jive to New York Hip-Hop by David Toop is a portal into another era, namely the era before Hip-Hop went mainstream, let alone the world's most influential culture. First published in Great Britain in 1984, the book contains more than 150 pages of history detailing the... Read more

November 16, 2015 Throwback

Goodie Mob’s “Soul Food” Introduced the Dirty South. 20 Years Later, It’s Still Got the Recipe.

On November 7, 1995, Atlanta Hip-Hop group Goodie Mob released its debut album, Soul Food. Cee Lo Green, Big Gipp, Khujo, and T-Mo blended conscientious lyrics with Southern sensibilities, and many Heads claim the LP featured the first use of the term "Dirty South" in a Rap lyric. The album... Read more

November 10, 2015 Throwback

N.W.A.’s Anti-Police Hit Began As An Ice Cube Demo. Hear Part Of The Original (Audio)

In the span of N.W.A., the group released radio-friendly hits, made famous videos, and defined Gangsta Rap with a series of their own (and Eazy-E) singles. But as the film Straight Outta Compton showed, none of these records can take ownership as the group's most famous song. "Fuck Tha Police"... Read more

November 8, 2015 Throwback

The Chronic & Efil4zaggin Would Not Sound The Same Without This Man…And It’s Not Dre

Dr. Dre's 30-plus-year career in Hip-Hop has many movements. Andre Young first gained national notoriety for his post-Disco work with World Class Wreckin' Cru, opening up dance-floors across the globe to the energy of Los Angeles' most musically cutting edge clubs. Next, he would co-launch N.W.A., forever changing Hip-Hop and... Read more

November 7, 2015 Throwback

GZA’s Liquid Swords Stays Sharp After 20 Years & This Rare 1995 TV Appearance Is Genius. (Video)

Tomorrow (November 7), GZA's sophomore album, Liquid Swords, turns 20 years old. The now-platinum-plus Geffen Records release is a benchmark in the Hip-Hop landscape, as well as in the career of the Brooklyn, New York lyricist, and RZA. While plenty has been written in books and online surrounding the Wu-Tang... Read more

November 6, 2015 Throwback

Method Man Ripped This 1995 Freestyle. Tim Westwood Considers It His Best Ever (Audio)

In 1995, Method Man was out marketing Tical. The Wu-Tang Clan MC had become one of the biggest new artists in Hip-Hop over the prior two years. However, the Staten Island, New York lyricist with the liquid flow was never so big that he was above dropping a freestyle. While... Read more

October 30, 2015 Throwback

Ever Hear This 1996 Nas & Cormega Cypher? (Audio)

Nas and Cormega have been linked for more than 20 years, ever since Nasir shouted out Mega on Illmatic's "One Love" in 1994. Although the two would go on to have a rift that was eventually resolved, their microphone alchemy was always undeniable. This was, perhaps, never more apparent than... Read more

October 24, 2015 Throwback

Checkmate. GZA’s Liquid Swords Is Platinum Just Before Its 20th Birthday.

GZA (f/k/a The Genius) has become only the third Wu-Tang Clan member to achieve a platinum solo album. The Brooklyn, New York MC and one of the group's onetime leaders joins Method Man (Tical, Tical 2000) and Ghostface Killah (Ironman) with last month's platinum certification of Liquid Swords, as confirmed... Read more

October 10, 2015 News, Throwback

If Kool G Rap & DJ Polo Released This ’87 Demo Cut, Things May Be Way Different (Audio)

In 1986, Kool G Rap & DJ Polo (then, as "DJ Polo & Kool G Rap") made noise with "It's A Demo." The Cold Chillin'/Prism Records release was part of the mid-'80s unilateral attack that was The Juice Crew. G Rap joined MC Shan, Roxanne Shante, Biz Markie, Big Daddy... Read more

October 4, 2015 Throwback

This Pharcyde & Brand New Heavies 1992 Yo! MTV Raps Left The Mic With A Fat Lip (Video)

In November of 1992, The Pharcyde released their debut album, Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde. A would-be gold-certified album, the Delicious Vinyl Records effort brought the West Coast underground scene to the mainstream with accessible rhymes about unrequited love, puffin' indo', questionable race relations, and mom jokes. Without much mic... Read more

October 3, 2015 Throwback

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Iconic Rammellzee & K-Rob “Beat Bop” Artwork Gets New Life (Audio)

The iconic painter Jean-Michel Basquiat was among many things, a B-boy. The New York City-based artist ran in the same circles as Fab 5 Freddy as well as Andy Warhol before his tragic 1988 death. One of the Brooklyn, New Yorker's enduring works was designing the cover art to (and... Read more

September 29, 2015 Throwback

Ever See This Vintage Footage of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Performing in 1987 (Video)

With the 25th anniversary of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air recently passing, here's a look back at what started it all for both Will Smith and Jeff Townes. Before the TV shows, film careers and international DJ tours, they were DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, and they... Read more

September 19, 2015 Throwback

Kurtis Blow Recalls Opening For Bob Marley In Reggae Star’s Last Concerts (Audio)

Although the Sugarhill Gang had one of Hip-Hop's first massive hits in 1979's "Rapper's Delight," Kurtis Blow was among the genre's first stars. The Harlem, New York MC had Rap's first gold album, and was a critical messenger of the music from the 1970s into the mid-1980s. Afforded early star... Read more

September 16, 2015 Throwback

On Its 10 Year Anniversary, Little Brother Remember The Minstrel Show With New Perspective

According to many Hip-Hop Heads, one of the most complete, cohesive Rap albums of the 2000s is Little Brother's The Minstrel Show. Released by Atlantic Records, the LP is a bittersweet moment for its makers and its legions of fans. Ten years ago yesterday (September 13, 2005), 9th Wonder, Phonte,... Read more

September 14, 2015 Throwback

What Was It Like to See a Boogie Down Productions Show in 1987? Press Play (Video)

"Rap is still an art, and no one's from the Old School, 'cause Rap is still a brand-new tool. I say no one's from the Old School 'cause Rap on a whole, isn't even twenty years old. Fifty years down the line, you can start this, 'cause we'll be the... Read more

September 13, 2015 Throwback

It’s Been 19 Years Since We Lost Tupac Shakur. Re-Live His Brilliance (Audio)

Nineteen years ago today (September 13, 1996), Tupac Amaru Shakur was pronounced dead in a Las Vegas, Nevada hospital. In his final year of life, 'Pac transcended from incarcerated poet to Rap's reigning superstar. In his wake, the MC left some of the most dramatic, fiery, and profound music and... Read more

September 13, 2015 Throwback

Krayzie Bone Has Powerful Memories About Ice Cube & Eazy-E’s 1995 Reunion After Years Of Beef

It's well-known N.W.A. lore that Eazy-E and Ice Cube's relationship hit a sour note towards the end of Eazy's life, and Cube has often remarked on how he wishes the friendship had been more strongly rebuilt before Eazy passed away due to complications from H.I.V. Without his own testimony, it's... Read more

September 11, 2015 Throwback

For Ice Cube, It Was A Big Step In Small Time From C.I.A. To N.W.A. (Audio)

Straight Outta Compton viewers had a glimpse of what Ice Cube did in his days after school in circa 1987. Before it was Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, MC Ren, and DJ Yella he surrounded himself with, it was Sir Jinx and K-Dee (a/k/a Kid Disaster) that O'Shea Jackson favored. They were... Read more

September 10, 2015 Do Remember, Throwback

Space Out To A Parliament-Funkadelic Mind-Melting Journey (Mix)

With N.W.A. and Dr. Dre celebrating the mass attention in the Straight Outta Compton (and just Compton) renaissance, with about one of Dre's leading inspirations? In addition to heavy influence from Curtis Mayfield, David Axelrod, and Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, Dre's career has been molded... Read more

September 6, 2015 Mixes, Throwback