The reign of the Harlem Diplomats is without a doubt one of the most influential periods in modern hip-hop. The movement that officially started with family features on Camron’s ‘S.D.E.’ album turned into one of New York City’s most powerful crews. Dipset created a sound that transcended the borders of east coast rap with a style that fueled urban culture for the better half of the 2000s. Killa Cam’s unapologetic uptown crew, Jim Jones, Freaky Zeeky and Juelz Santana, evolved to be leaders in their own rights commanding offshoot rap groups while still reppin’ the eagle and still screaming Harlem.

To celebrate the legacy of the Diplomats, we put together a comprehensive mix spanning years of bandana wearing and flag waving. While there is no possible way to include every significant offering of their vast catalogue, we believe we compiled some of Dipset’s best music in this 100+ minute homage.

Enjoy

DIPSET DIPSET DIPSET DIPSET

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Tracklist

1 – Harlem Radio
2 – Dipset Butcher’s Blade Intro
3 – The Diplomats – I Really Mean It
4 – Juelz Santana – Okay Okay
5 – Jim Jones feat. Camron – Certified Gangsters
6 – Juelz Santana – Clockwork
7 – Camron – Wet Wipes
8 – Jim Jones feat. Max B – G’z Up
9 - ”Know a lot of beats, but I say no names” pt.1
10 – The Diplomats – Dipset Anthem
11 – Camron – Back By Popular Demand
12 – 40 Cal – Paid In Full
13 – Juelz Santana – Broken Language
14 – Vado – Large on the Streets
15 – Camron Juan Epstein interlude

16 – Camron feat. Juelz Santana & Jim Jones – Come Home With Me
17 – The Diplomats – I am Ready
18 – Camron – Killa Cam
19 – Jay Bezel Freestyle
20 – Freaky Zeeky Phone Call
21- Camron feat. Kanye West – Down and Out
22 – Byrd Gang – Purple City Byrd Gang
23 – Camron Press Conference interlude
24 – Camron feat. Jim Jones – Hate me Now
25 – Camron – Get’em Girls
26 – Camron – Show You How to Do This
27 – Juelz Santana – S.A.N.T.A.N.A
28 – The Diplomats – Bout it Bout it
29 – Camron Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito WKCR Freestyle
30 – Camron – Oh Boy
31 – The Diplomats – Crunk Musik
32 – Juelz Santana – Dipset (Santana’s Town)
33 – Camron feat. Jim Jones & Juelz Santana – More Gangsta Music
34 – The Diplomats – Salute
35 – Juelz Santana – Oh Yes
36 – Camron Feat. Jay Z – Welcome to New York City
37 – “Know a lot of beats, but I say no names” pt.2
38 – Jim Jones – Fly High
39 – JR Writer – Get’em
40 – Hell Rell Freestyle
41 – Juelz Santana – Mic Check
42 – Jim Jones – Baby Girl
43 – You Maaaaad interlude
44 – Camron feat Juelz Santana - Hey Ma
45 – Camron – That’s Me

Frankmatic radio is back!!

Frank The Butcher and Paul Mighty are back and brought along a gang of heaters with them. New music from Common, Maffew Ragazino, MOP, Action Bronson, The Roots, Quelle Chris, Gangrene, Kid Daytona and more.

GOOD MUSIC IS FRANKMATIC!

DOWNLOAD HERE

Track list:

Gangrene f. Prodigy – Dump Truck
Black Star – Fix up
Scram Jones – Wild side
LEP Bogus Boys f. Lupe Fiasco – Zombie Land
Action Bronson f. Mayhem Lauren, Maffew Ragazino and AG The Coroner
(Classic Joint) Pharaoh Monch f. MOP – Show No Mercy (Original sample intro)
MOP – No Mercy
Maffew Ragazino – Slangston Hughes
Roc Marciano – Emeralds
Common – Sweet
Push T f. Ab Liva and Odd Future – Ohh
Mobb Deep – Waterboarding
The Kid Daytona f. Action Bronson – Ivory Coast Crime Scene
Termanology f.Easy Money – Compared to you
Fat Joe – My Lord
Vado – NY Ride
Rick Ross – I Love My Bitches
Willie The Kid – Waste Not
Quelle Chris f. Danny Brown & Roc Maricano
The Roots – Make My f. Big K.R.I.T. & Dice Raw

RSVP: www.superfunboston.eventbrite.com

Let’s just face it. Music will never be what it was, but I don’t necessarily attribute that to what’s being released currently. I believe that with age you develop an experienced ear that knows what it likes. Does that mean you can’t like current tunes? Not at all. I dig contemporary rap. I just like what I like. When listening to a new artist I automatically pull out the yardstick and measure it against the gold medalist in whatever relevant category. Probably not the best thing to do.

When I first heard of Maffew Ragazino Sr. it was on a stern recommendation from DJ Clark Kent. Anyone that calls Clark a friend understands the pressure of his recommendation. It weighs a ton. Now Clark hails from Brooklyn, which is the same borough that has nurtured the lyricist Maff so off jump the scale was tipped. The difference between supporting an artist from home and celebrating the work of one of the best currently is the factor in which makes your word worth its weight.

Ragazino’s debut effort “Rhymes Pays” is a showcase in bare-knuckle word play without sacrificing production selections. It is rare when the quality of the words and beats line up. It’s that simple – and when they do, magic. Maff is a rare breed of emcee that channel the golden age without sounding dated. Be clear, he is not a throw back rapper who relies on 90’s mojo and haircuts to stand out. Maff is a beast living in 2011 that could hang with your 90’s fav but mangle your man who is on the front page on Nah Right today.

With all that said– ‘Rhyme Pays’ is an amazing debut that has Ragazino on the way to defining what NYC hip-hop once stood for and it’s unapologetic in its delivery.

On a side note – The Butcher’s Block own Paul Mighty mastered the album and took something that was amazing and made it that much more special.

Shouts to Maff, Sha & Paul.

Download Maffew Ragazino’s ‘Rhymes Pays’ HERE

The homie Aaron LaCrate has been busy lately. Designing and maintaining his clothing line Milkcrate Athletics, DJing for legends and producing for the likes of Jim Jones. When Aaron told me he was working with Mobb Deep on some things– I was super excited, partly because I’m a big fan of MD and because my dude is on a mission!

Named after one of Milkcrate’s most popular tee shirt design — this son is definitely ILLSON!

Mobb Deep f. Aaron Lacrate – Illson

DOWNLOAD HERE

Karmaloop TV Piece on the Lacrate / Mobb Deep colab:

“Then we got the Ol’ Dirty Bastard, cuz they ain’t no father to his style, that’s why he the Ol’ Dirty Bastard” – Method Man

Let me start by saying that it’s easy to “like” something when millions support it. So yeah, you like the Wu currently, of course you do. In the beginning it was a journey to understand the madness.

I first was put onto the Wu-Tang Clan in 9th grade — around 1992. I first heard Protect Ya Neck off a local DJ’s white label (independently pressed record usually identified by it’s plain white label) he bought while in NYC. At first listen it was an organized mess with a chaotic sonic backdrop that served as a no topic free-for-all with each clan member sounding like they had separate points to prove. What was the point? I wasn’t sure at first but that became the point. Members had distinct personalities that were revealed in their rhyme style, tone, temperament and voice. Someone like GZA maintained a monotone chokehold on a track without raising his energy level above a Central Park chess match while Method Man was jumping out of his seat during his verse.

Everyone had a different preferred swordsman but no one can deny that the Ol’ Dirty Bastard commanded attention. Meth said that there wasn’t a paternal claim to Dirt’s rhyme style, hence the moniker, which was evident by his freestyle like rants that were only held together by his charisma. Did he always make sense? No. Did he stick out like a sore thumb during posse cuts? Hell yeah. But that’s what made him special. He was a bastard.

It made perfect sense for Method Man’s ‘Tical’ to be the first out the gate after the Clan’s grand entrance. Next up was Ol’ Dirty with his debut ‘Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version’ that was launched on the back of the broken piano loop’d single Brooklyn Zoo. The album felt as if the Rza understood that Dirt had to run lawless to get the best out of him but figured a way to filter the madness into a focused effort – his only focused effort. The album featured most of the clan and some affiliates and was truly a glimpse into the psyche of the drunken master.

What made Dirty special is what ultimately made him self-destruct. His genius was often over shadowed by a history of alcohol and drug abuse that helped him create a rap sheet as long as the list of Wu-affiliates. Over a dozen kids with multiple women, crashing the stage at the Grammys and coming to the aid of a little girl trapped after a car crash are some of the things highlighted in his legacy. Let’s not forget the most important factoids – he is one of the founding fathers of arguably the most important group in hip-hop history and his debut album is nothing short of a classic.

16 years after it’s release, ‘Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version’ will be re-released with commemorative limited edition packaging celebrating one of the brightest figures to ever grace rap music. Ol’ Dirty wasn’t just the clan’s resident live wire but was truly a one in a lifetime character who captured the attention of the world, one rant and incident at a time.

The album with extra goodies, including the infamous food stamp card featured on the original album art, will be released on Get On Down Records distributed by Traffic Entertainment on November 22nd.

Russell Jones | Rest In Peace

Chicago is known for producing some of hip-hop’s most popular acts. From the obvious Chi-Town ambassadors Kanye, Common, and Lupe Fiasco, to the Windy City’s most infamous Crucial Conflict, Do or Die and of course the fastest gun out the Midwest — Twista, all with different stories to tell. The new Gotham’s low end is also home to Chicago’s newest voice– The L.E.P. Bogus Boys. Count and Moonie have moved over 80,000 mixtapes in their ten year rise to prominence and show no signs of slowing down. With colabs in the bag with Rick Ross, Jim Jones, Ski Beatz and Mobb Deep– the “low end professionals” move as effortlessly through other rappers cities as they do their own.

Had to chance to connect with the guys and interview them for Karmaloop TV.

PS– Moonie made it clear that he needs a slot on my seeding list. Got you homie.

Peep the video for Lookin’ at Me featuring L.E.P. and Terri Walker off of Ski Beatz’ 24 Hour Karate School II

SKI BEATZ FT LEP & TERRI WALKER- LOOKIN’ FOR ME from DD172 on Vimeo.

I couldn’t imagine being the son of one of Hip-Hop’s living royalty and navigating your youth with the understanding that your dad’s contributions helped shape the landscape of popular music. We’ve all seen Diggy grow from a happy-go-lucky pre-teen to a bonafide fashion obsessed wanna-be rapper. Then one day he dropped a freestyle over the Nas “gun at the party” opus Made You Look and the world started to see him as more than a young heir with time on his hands, he actually was spittin’ and was good at it.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Diggy for Karmaloop TV and was pleasantly surprised at how down to earth and personable he was. With all the pressure of proving he is an artist on his own merit and balancing the fact that he’s been famous for quite some time now, he gave off a quiet air of balance that is a rarity amongst young stars. Talented, a good head on his shoulders and a passion to create –

The reverend raised him right.

Shouts to the incredible Karmaloop TV Boston team – Gabe, Chelsea & Alex – for making me feel like a part of the team from day 1. Much appreciated.