Review: Thomas Bangalter will forever be best known as one half of robotic disco house sensations Daft Punk, but turned out various house and hip hop projects before and during the iconic pair's rise to fame. Once such outing came in 2002 when he paired doff with French hip hop collective
113 for "Fout La Merde", a raw single with plenty of different versions. "113 Fout La Merde!" in original format bares plenty of Daft Punk hallmarks with its hip swinging claps and vocodered vocals, while the dub is more bumpy and low riding. Add in an instrumental and a cappella and you have a fine package that is long overdue this reissue.
Review: Cold Diggin are on a mission right now, and they're coming back with another of their Duke helmed sure shots. On this occasion they've become The 2 Live Duke, and if the clue wasn't in the name just look at the artwork. This is a tribute to the legendarily filthy 2 Live Crew, and whoever this Duke is, they know exactly what to do with jams as saucy as 'One & One' and 'Me So Horny'. The B-side cut in particular digs in on some serious funk breaks to give the original rhymes a whole new playing field. If you want something cheeky to get the party loosened up, look no further.
Review: West Coast Classics brings the heat on this latest super 7" with one fo the biggest name sin the game taking care of the a-side. 2 Pac's 1993 gem 'Keep Ya Head Up' features R&B singer Dave Hollister. The tune was dedicated to his godson Elijah and Latasha Harlins and also points out the abuse black women face in society. It's a cut that brims with warmth and a beat sampled from Zapp's 'Be Alright.' Flip it over for King Tee's slow motion, deep cut funk jewel 'Played Like A Piano' which is another vital tune.
Review: West Coast Classics US has taken the hip-hop community by storm with their ability to license such seminal west coast tracks. With an extra focus on gangster rap, the label offers a classic on each side of a 7". Their sixth release has a couple of killers on it! 2pac and Dr.Dre's 'California Love' really needs no introduction. A legendary track that ate up the airwaves around the world and on MTV when it was released in 1996. Not to be outdone, Ice Cube covers the B-side with one of his most important solo tracks that established him after leaving NWA., 'Jackin For Beats'. Getting original copies of these on wax would cost a day's wage for most people. Like the label suggests, these are West Coast Classics and are blueprints for gangster rap.
Review: Two bros fresh from LA giving hip-hop acts a royal dubstep seeing too. Could life BE any better for 3 Stripes? We sincerely doubt it. Here we find them getting lively over a number of tried and test heaters. Wale's guitar-strumming "Bait" gets the most savage bass beasting with its stadium-splintering half-step naughtiness. B.O.B's "Bet I" comes a close second with the epic saw-tooth giving B.O.B's fast-swagger rhymes a little extra room to breath. With Saafir and Goodie Mob treats elsewhere on the release, this is the most comprehensive 3 Stripes release to date. Heavy.
Review: Hip-hop meets razor rave beats head on as two DJ-friendly versions of well worn and much loved East Coast rap tracks end up on either side of this rather nifty 7". The title track is the more classic of the two - perhaps that's why it gets given the more subtle overhaul of the two. The flip is more of a head on collision between its subject matters, and we'd contest the more urgent and dramatic of the two as a result, although short of putting it on at the incorrect speed you'd find it hard not to succeed with such tools of the trade in your hand and/or box.
Review: Originally released in 1993, 'Award Tour' by A Tribe Called Quest was the first single from their third album Midnight Marauders, and featured Trugoy of De La Soul. It is their biggest single to date, ranking high in charts in America and overseas. The B side of the single is the original version of album cut 'The Chase, Pt. 2' which featured the first known appearance by future band member Consequence. A Tribe Called Quest was the most commercially successful act in the Native Tongues collective, with all six of its albums certified either gold or platinum.
Review: We're big fans of these educational 7"s that often crop up, with a legendary hip hop jam on one side and the source of some its samples appearing on the flip. This time out we get A Tribe Called Quest's deep cut 'Sucka N***a' - which is taken from their legendary Midnight Marauders album - with its buttery rhymes and funky bass buried deep within. Jack Wilkins's 'Red Clay' on the flip isn't that much of a deviation. Though it's slower and free from the rhymes, it is a brilliantly effective and emotive cut. More like this please.
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