My favorite spot on the net is the Meaning Of Dope because they put up video like this one. Rakim live in Toronto from waaaaay back in the late 80's. Then, I blatantly jack them and post their videos here at Nation Of Millions. It's a beautiful thing.
And just to make my Retro Kidz point 100% clear (see post below), here is a Rakim freestyle from around the same time frame the Retro Kidz are jacking their whole shit from. It's all about skills kidz and nobody can fuck with Rakim. Imagine a Rakim vs. Retro Kidz battle? Shouts to MeaningOfDope for another jem from the archives.
Found this over at Mick Boogie's spot. This kid Jermaine shows Mr. Rogers his breakdancing skills. I never noticed this when I was a youngin', but Mr. Rogers is super creepy.
Here are all the singles from another 5 star, 5 mic, 10 out of 10, 2 thumbs album - Tribe's Midnight Marauders. Not many groups could follow up 2 albums like Peoples Instinctive Travels & Low End Theory with another classic, but Tribe pulled it off (unfortunately for the last time). They even had one of the ILLEST album covers ever. I also included the "Oh My God" UK remixes and the unreleased "Bound To Wreck Your Body" record that was recorded in 1993 and was (supposedly) originally going to be included on Midnight Marauders.
BONUS Tribe: This is the Hip Hop Honors A Tribe Called Quest tribute featuring Common, Pharrell, Lupe Fiasco (who fucks up his verse), and Busta (who tears the place down).
A little while ago the original version of Tribe's "Scenario" surfaced featuring De La Soul and Blacksheep alongside Tribe and Leaders Of The New School. At that time the folks over at Unkut revealed there was yet another version that had super manager Chris Lighty and Jarobi rapping on it. Well this is that version. This might actually be the first time I've ever heard Jarobi rap. Q-Tip recently said the reason the song ended up with only L.O.N.S. on it was because “It was just too many people. I called niggas back, told niggas to come back the next day. Nobody came back. The only people that came back was Leaders, so then when they came back we just finished it.”
A Tribe Called Quest feat. L.O.N.S., Chris Lighty & Jarobi
BONUS ATCQ: A Tribe Called Quest performing "Footprints" from The Art Of Moving Butts Live video cassette WAY back in the day. This is biggest presence that I have ever seen Jarobi have in Tribe playing Q-Tip's hypeman/ad lib guy. Phife was basically a dancer who didn't dance that much and got the odd back up line. Dope as hell and jacked directly from the pages of MOD (once again).
In my mind Whut? Thee Album was by far Redman's best work. I mean he's always had hot records, but as a whole none of his album lived up to that first one. Every single and every album cut on the album are bangers and there was just an energy that surrounded everything he and his Hit Squad crew did. So, with that said, here are all the singles off Whut? The Album. I also threw in the "Tonight's The Night (remix)" that was a promo only record he put out to tide people over before his second album. Also, on some bonus Redman shit check his performance from a Rosie Perez special of "Time 4 Sum Aksion" that I jacked from MOD (they have a ton more Hit Squad video too so I suggest you pay them a visit and search 'Redman').
Jacked from MOD, this is LL Cool J performing "I'm Bad" at the American Music Awards. I'm guessing it was '88/89. This was when LL's swagger was at it's peek. Actually, looking back on things, LL's movement in this video is pretty much how people act when they try to make fun of rap music. Anyways, the fat gold chain (and I mean fat) and red Troop sweatsuit makes this shit super dope!
For real, this is a James Brown instructional dance video from the mid 70's. Learn how to do the Boogalo, the Funky Chicken, the Mashed Potato, the Robot and of course the James Brown!
Everything MOD puts up is classic material, but some things just have to be lifted for the pages of Nation Of Millions. This pre Illmatic Nasty Nas interview is one of them. This is around the time Nas was the hottest shit in Hip-Hop and Illmatic was the most anticipated album.
The folks over at Unkut have answered a question I've been asking myself for 15 years now - 'I wonder what Eric B is doing these days?' Don't front, you know you've thought the same. With help from Wikipedia that mystery has finally been solved. Eric B is Paid In Full!
"Eric is now the owner of 47 restaurants throughout the U.S. including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, California, Texas, Washington DC, and most recently, Pennsylvania. Residing in a 57,000 sq. ft. palatial manor, Eric has become the ideological musician turned entrepreneur turned royalty and has truly taken his hit song Eric B is President to fruition. With a car collection featuring seven Rolls Royce vehicles, including the famed Rolls Royce featured on the cover of Follow the Leader, Eric’s vehicular menagerie features a Rolls Royce Phantom, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and many other sought-after cars and trucks.
Recently featured on MTV Cribs, Eric B’s home, with a staff of 14 grounds keepers, chefs, maids, and security staff, was influenced by oriental design.
In 2007 Eric was honored by the President of the United States with an invitation to the White House where he met President George W. Bush, the First Lady and other dignitaries." - Wikipedia
BONUS Eric B:
Four classic albums that you should already own, if not then enjoy!
Eric B & Rakim performing Eric B Is President and I Know You Got Soul at The Apollo back in 1986. This is that shit! Even though Rakim was just rapping over the actual records. they still absolutely murdered The Apollo.
Another 12 inch that will go down as one of the GREATEST 12 INCHES OF ALL TIME. It's too bad that Large Professor split with Sir Scratch and Kid Kut before they could release a follow up to the classic Breaking Atoms album, but the trio left a bunch of classic records behind them. This is their first release on Wild Pitch and it has what makes a 12 inch great - a classic on both sides A & B. "Looking At The Front Door" and "Watch Roger Do His Thing" were both released as singles and there were videos made for both songs (click on the song titles). And as a bonus, Main Source's first record "Think" b/w "Atom" which they released on their own Actual Records imprint, and the "Just Hangin' Out" b/w "Live At The BBQ" 12 inch which actually just might be the best 12 inch Main Source released.
Main Source performing "Atom" on Muchmusic's Electric Circus. This footage is so old that Large Pro was a 16 year old rockin' a high top fade and one of the dancers had on a polka dot shirt on. This is both dope and rare as hell. Shouts to MOD once again for the hook up!
This is hands down one of the GREATEST 12 INCHES OF ALL TIME. This is not open for discussion. "T.R.O.Y." is one of the illest songs from one of the illest eras in Hip-Hop and "The Creator" is about as good a b-side there is. Plus, they did a vocal remix where both Pete Rock & CL spit over "The Creator" beat. Pete Rock & CL Smooth are classic material and there is no denying what the "Pete Rock remix" has meant to Hip-Hop - just ask Public Enemy and House Of Pain.
T La Rock is one of the more slept on Old School Rap Legends there is, but fortunately the folks over at Unkut are not one of those sleeping. The recently caught up with T La Rock and they basically talked about his whole career. If you aren't up on T La Rock he made his name off the Rick Rubin produced record "It's Yours", which was also the first record with the Def Jam logo on it (rap nerd fact: the Beastie Boys did the back up chants and hand claps on "It's Yours"). LL Cool J's "It's Yours" 12 inch ended up being the first official Def Jam release. T La Rock is actually the rapper Def Jam wanted LL Cool J to be. When T La Rock and Def Jam parted ways they scooped up LL Cool J and even considered putting him out under the name T La Rock. This interview covers T La Rock's hooking up with with Rick Rubin, his fall out with Def Jam, LL Cool J, Jazzy Jay, being credited with starting Bass music, putting MC Search on, and a lot more.
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