Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito

Basically, I'm a child of 90's hip-hop. I always have been and always will be. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of dope hip-hop on the market today (mainstream and underground), but to me, the eight-year period spanning from 1990 - 1998 was a hip-hop Renaissance that will probably never be duplicated. And DJ Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Garcia (AKA Cool Bob Love, AKA DJ Cucumber Slice, AKA the ten thousand other nicknames this dude has) were probably two of the most influential people in the game at that time. I'm not gonna go into a long history regarding their show on WKCR, but from 1990 - 1998, during the hours of 1-5 AM every Thursday night / Friday morning, these two, for lack of a better term, "smashed the airwaves" of the New York metropolitan area. Their show was responsible for launching the careers of Nas, Mobb Deep, Big L, Jay-Z, Big Pun, Fat Joe, The Notorious B.I.G., A Tribe Called Quest, The Beatnuts, Black Moon, Redman, The Wu-Tang Clan, and the list goes on and on. Since I was too young during the show's heyday, I've had to feed my addiction by scouring the internets for uploaded tapes from listeners from back in the day. What I did with this mix was try to showcase some of the joints that were spun on their show beginning in 1990 and ending in 1998. I compiled all the tracks to make it seem like you're listening to an actual taping of the show. All of these tracks were played on WKCR at least once (some more than others). I even threw in some of my favorite freestyles and exclusives, which were taken directly from old cassettes. I've got a ton of these old recordings, and it was really difficult to decide what to include/exclude, but hopefully, you'll get a sense of their legendary show and the evolution of classic hip-hop over a legendary eight-year period. Also, shout out to the good peoples at Philaflava.org for supplying me and the rest of the Stretch & Bob fiends with hundreds of old tapes. Turn that shit up....

Note: I let some of the freestyles run for an extended period since some of them are just too legendary to cut short. 

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1. Intro from WKCR

2. Main Source - Live at the Barbecue (Feat. Nas, Akinyele, & Joe Fatal)

3. A Tribe Called Quest - Spirits

4. Lord Finesse - The Funky Technician 

5. Showbiz & A.G. - Party Groove (Instrumental)

6. Showbiz & A.G. - Soul Clap

7. A Tribe Called Quest - Footprints

8. Masta Ace - Jeep Ass Niguh (Bizcapella)

9. Gang Starr - B.Y.S.

10. Dr. Dre - Puffin on Blunts and Drinkin Tanqueray (Feat. Daz, Kurupt, & Rage)

11. Akinyele - The Bomb

12. Wu-Tang Clan - 7th Chamber (Original Demo Version)

13. Hurricane G - Milky (WKCR Exclusive Demo)

14. Company Flow - Juvenile Techniques 

15. The Beatnuts - Reign of the Tech

16. Kool G Rap - F@#$ U Man

17. Pete Rock and CL Smooth - One in a Million

18. Kurious Jorge - Walk Like a Duck

19. Nas - WKCR Freestyle (10.28.93) (PRE-ILLMATIC)

20. A Tribe Called Quest - Mr. Incognito

21. The Notorious B.I.G. - Dreams

22. Jeru Tha Damaja - Come Clean

23. Outkast - Southernplayalisticadilacmuzik (Diamond D Remix)

24. Artifacts - Flexi Wit Da Tech (Nique)

25. The 45 King - Brainstorm (Feat. Latee)

26. Group Home - Supa Star (Instrumental)

27. LL Cool J - No Airplay (Dirty Promo Version)

28. Das Efx - Microphone Master (41st Side Remix) (Feat. Mobb Deep)

29. Redman - How U Get Down?

30. Lord Finesse, KRS-One - WKCR Freestyle (11.02.95)

31. The Fab Five - Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshkah

32. Smif-N-Wessun - Bucktown

33. Raekwon - Incarcerated Scarfaces 

34. Big L - Put It On (LG Remix)

35. Jigmastas - Beyond Real

36. Big L, Bloodshed, Ma$e (yeah, the same Ma$e who made this) - WKCR Freestyle (04.18.96)

37. Natural Elements - Shine

38. Large Professor - Ijusswannachill

39. O.C. - What I Represent

40. Big Noyd - Usual Suspects (Stretch Armstrong Remix)

41. Mobb Deep - Street Life (Feat. LES & ACD)

42. CNN (Capone-N-Norega) - LA, LA (Kuwait Mix) (Feat. Mobb Deep)

43. Juggaknots - Clear Blue Skies

44. DITC - Dignified Soldiers 

45. Slum Village - Players (Instrumental)

46. Eminem & Royce da 5'9' (Bad Meets Evil) - Scary Movies

47. Eminem & Royce da 5'9' (Bad Meets Evil) - WKCR Freestyle (08.20.1998)

48. Outro (DJ Spinna Instrumental)

Some Funk and Soul.......

Title says it all here. Just some funk and soul records. You may have heard some of these before (they're pretty well-known), but I don't care. They're just tracks I'm feeling at the moment. No hip-hop whatsoever. However, it just so happens that the majority of these records were sampled by various hip-hop artists over the years. This is probably the shortest mix I've done so far, as I'm using it as a warm-up for the new instrumental mix and Stretch Armstrong mix to follow very shortly (I promise). Stay tuned.....

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1. Gwen McCrae - 90% Of Me Is You
2. Hamilton Bohannon - Save Their Souls
3. David Matthews - Sandworms
4. The Isley Brothers - Footsteps In The Dark
5. Quincy Jones - Summer In The City
6. Labi Siffre - I Got The
7. Cortex - Huit Octobre
8. Gil Scott-Heron - Grandma's Hands

Edumacation Can Be Fun.......

Boundless Radio Presents: DJ Clark Kent (Part 6 - The Final Chapter) from Kellen Dengler on Vimeo.

Clark Kent (AKA God's Favorite DJ) is the man. If you're not up on him, I highly suggest you get familiar. Not only is he an insane DJ, he also produced classic tracks for legends such as Biggie, Jay-Z, Junior M.A.F.I.A., etc. The reason I'm posting this video along with this mix, (besides the fact that it features the backstory behind a track on this mix) is Clark's philosophy that a good DJ's job is to educate a crowd. That's what this mix is all about: Education. What you have in this mix are some of my favorite hip-hop (well Alicia Keys isn't really hip-hop, but whatever, Kanye did his thing on that track) records paired back-to-back with their original samples. Uncovering original samples and mixing them with their hip-hop counterparts is something I've been obsessed with for a long time. This is what I originally intended to do on my radio show on WNYU, but I ended up just playing strictly original jazz, funk, and soul tracks instead that have been sampled over the years. Some of these joints you'll probably recognize, and some you may not. But, at the end of the day, hopefully, it will open you're eyes on how some of the illest producers in the game can re-create and flip great and sometimes mediocre tracks into some amazing and timeless hip-hop. Enjoy.

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1. Leon Haywood - I Wanna Do Something Freaky to You

2. Dr. Dre - Ain't Nuthin But a G Thang (Feat. Snoop)

3. David McCallum & David Axelrod - The Edge

4. Dr. Dre - The Next Episode

5. Steve Miller Band - Fly Like an Eagle

6. Biz Markie - Nobody Beats the Biz

7. Gang Starr - Soliloquy of Chaos

8. Ahmad Jamal - Misdemeanor

9. Gang Starr - Just to Get a Rep

10. Jean Jacques Perrey - E.V.A.

11. Ohio Players - Ecstasy

12. Jay-Z - Brooklyn's Finest (Feat. The Notorious B.I.G.)

13. Gary Wright - Heartbeat

14. Jay-Z - Early This Morning

15. Tom Scott - Never My Love

16. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - It's On You

17. The Love Unlimited Orchestra - Midnight Groove

18. O.C. - Half Good, Half Sinner

19. Dave Grusin - Modaji

20. Royal Flush - Rotten Apple

21. The Notorious B.I.G. - Sky's The Limit (Feat. 112)

22. Bobby Caldwell - My Flame

23. Earl Klugh - Time for Love

24. Raekwon - Ice Cream

25. The Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M.

26. The Charmels - As Lons as I've Got You

27. OutKast - So Fresh, So Clean

28. Joe Simon - Before The Night is Over

29. The Main Ingredient - Let Me Prove My Love to You

30. Alicia Keys - You Don't Know My Name

31. Jay Electronica - Exhibit C

32. Billy Stewart - Cross My Heart

33. Smokey Robinson - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

34. Kanye West - Devil in a New Dress (G.O.O.D. Friday Version sans Rick Ross verse)

35. The Cecil Holmes Soulful Sounds - I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Baby

36. Nas - No Idea's Original

37. Strong Arm Steady - Chitlins & Pepsi (Feat. Planet Asia)

38. L.V. Johnson - I Don't Really Care

39. Raekwon - Heaven & Hell

40. Syl Johnson - Could I Be Falling in Love?

Medium Rare.....

B-sides, white labels and remixes have always served as the "holy grail" of rap music for me. When I go digging for records, whether it be for soul, jazz, hip-hop, blues, etc. I always look for white labels, promo only releases, and remixes (and usually end up paying whatever they cost, as I simply cannot pass them up). What you have in this mix is just a few of those rare tracks that you don't hear on the regular. All are vinyl copies with the exception of the Pete Rock remix of M.O.P's "Stick to Ya Gunz" (which is a radio-rip from Pete Rock and Marly Marl's Future Flavas radio show back in '96) and Nas' "Deja Vu" (which I do have on vinyl, but the original acetate version I found on the internet had the superior sound). This mix is similar to the "sampler" that I threw together back in December as a way to hold you over until I drop the next "proper" mixtape. With regards to the next mix, all I will say is: original samples. Stay tuned.......

Note: "Deja Vu" was recorded pre-Illmatic in 1991 I believe, and contains the same verse that Nas spit on Raekwon's "Verbal Intercourse" which was recorded in 94-95. The more you know....

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1. Tha Alkaholiks - Mary Jane (E-Swift Remix)

2. Nas - Deja Vu (Acetate Rip)

3. The Roots - You Don't See Us (Madlib Remix)

4. LL Cool J - No Airplay (Dirty Promo Version)

5. Mobb Deep - Rare Species (Modus Operandi)

6. A Tribe Called Quest - Same Ol' Thing

7. Black Star - Respiration (Pete Rock Flying High Mix)

8. Masta Ace - Saturday Night Live (L.A. Jay Remix)

9. Fat Joe - Success (DJ Premier Remix)

10. The Roots - Silent Treatment (Beatminerz Remix)

11. Grap Luva - Every Man 4 Himself

12. M.O.P - Stick To Ya Gunz (Pete Rock Future Flavas Remix)

All Dilla, All Day.......

I've been working on this one for a minute now. This mix was recorded in one take, but I edited the playlist at least a dozen times. Here's the second Dilla Mix, and it's a beast. Almost two full hours of J Dilla. Like the last one, every beat on this mix was done by Jay Dee (with the exception of the Platinum Pied Pipers track and No one Knows), and a good portion feature his rhymes. Again, in no way is this definitive. I tried to showcase his various styles, including raw joints from the Ruff Draft EP, classics from his production stint with A Tribe Called Quest and even the R&B / Neo-soul tracks. Like always, some original samples sprinkled in for flavor. Turn that shit up.....

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1. J Dilla - Intro (Alternative Mix)

2. Raekwon - House of Flying Daggers (Feat. Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Ghostface, & The GZA)

3. Busta Rhymes - What Up

4. J Dilla - Make Em N'V

5. Platinum Pied Pipers - Act Like You Know (Feat. J Dilla)

6. J Dilla - No one Knows

7. J Dilla - Nothing Like This

8. Frank-N-Dank - Push

9. Phat Kat - Don't Nobody Care About Us

10. J Dilla - Kamaal

11. A Tribe Called Quest - Mardi Gras at Midnight (Feat. Rah Digga)

12. Slum Village - Once Upon a Time (Feat. Pete Rock)

13. A Tribe Called Quest - Steppin' It Up (Feat. Busta Rhymes & Redman)

14. J Dilla - Inhuman Nature

15. J Dilla - Lightworks

16. J Dilla - Two Can Win

17. J Dilla - The New

18. J Dilla - Mash's Revenge (Feat. Guilty Simpson & MF Doom)

19. Slum Village - The Look of Love

20. Barney Kessel - The Look of Love

21. The Stylistics - Maybe It's Love This Time

22. J Dilla - Baby (Feat. Guilty Simpson & Madlib)

23. Q-Tip - Higher

24. Common - Payback is a Grandmother

25. Dwele - Keep On (Feat. Slum Village)

26. Bilal - Reminisce (Feat. Mos Def & Common)

27. Brother Jack McDuff - Oblighetto (J Dilla Remix)

28. Cyrkle - The Visit

29. A Tribe Called Quest - Get a Hold

30. Singers Unlimited - Claire

31. Slum Village - Players

32. Lucy Pearl - Without You (J Dilla Remix)

33. Spacek - Eve (J Dilla Remix) (Feat. Frank-N-Dank)

34. Busta Rhymes - Genesis

35. De La Soul - Much More

36. A Tribe Called Quest - Find a Way

37. Phat Kat - Destiny (Instrumental)

38. J Dilla - Time: The Donut of the Heart

39. The Roots - Can't Stop This

40. J Dilla - One

A Little Something to Wet Your Appetite.......

This one I didn't plan on doing. I didn't have enough time to put together one of the mixes that I've been working on, but I did have 45 minutes to kill. So, I just turned on my Technics, and did a little mixing (or in this case, freestyling). Vinyl only on this one. No Serato whatsoever. Just straight wax. This is just a little something to wet your appetite until the next proper mixtape. Stay tuned....

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1. B Money - Interlude
2. NYG'z - Giantz ta This
3. D'Angelo - Devil's Pie
4. Tha Alkaholiks - Read My Lips
5. Diamond D - You Can't Front (Feat. Sadat X & Lord Finesse)
6. A Tribe Called Quest - Jazz (We've Got) (Re-recording)
7. Ras Kass - Soul On Ice (Diamond D Remix)
8. Common - Car Horn
9. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Escapism
10. Nas - Life's a Bitch (Feat. AZ)
11. Frank N Dank - Love (Is a Thing of the Past)
12. Patrice Rushen - Before the Dawn

Back in Full Effect.......

So, it's been a couple of months since I've posted on this site. But, I'm back with a new mix. Not much to this one. Just straight hip-hop tracks. No original samples on this one. This mix also includes one of my favorite records "Satisfied" by J-Live. (Listen to the lyrics on that one). I also have a few mixes that I've been planning on the back burner, so those will be completed sooner than you think. I hope. But for now, enjoy this one. Next update will probably be some time in early October. Stay tuned....

(Note: Mix begins around the 30 second mark)

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Playlist:

1. Busta Rhymes - Get Out!!

2. Flipmode Squad - Watchu Come Around Here For?

3. De La Soul - Ooooh (Feat. Redman)

4. LL Cool J - Summer Luv

5. Nature - Ultimate High (Feat. Nas)

6. J-Live - Satisfied

7. DJ Spinna - Dayz

8. Bilal - Fast Lane (Remix) (Feat. Jadakiss)

9. Nas - Thief's Theme

10. The Roots - The Lesson Pt. 1

11. Mary J Blige - I Love You (Remix) (Feat. Smif-N-Wessun)

12. Platinum Pied Pipers - Funk in the Hole

13. Slick Rick - It's a Boy (Large Professor Remix)

14. Edan - Run that Shit

15. Skhoolyard - Fashion Show (Feat. Planet Asia)

16. The Sqwad Productions - Rhyme Mania 99 (Feat. Large Professor)

17. Edo G - Let's Be Realistic

18. Amy Winehouse - In My Bed (Salaam Remi Remix)

19. Kid Cudi - Make Her Say (Feat. Kanye West & Common)

20. A Tribe Called Quest - Oh My God

21. Organized Konfusion - Stress (Large Professor Remix)

22. Jay-Z - So Ghetto

23. Little Brother - On the Way

24. Gang Starr - Royalty

25. Dam Funk - Silver Sunsets