"The Tommy Boy crew rolls massive into the studio including Naughty By Nature before their first album (as NBN) hit the shelves. Along with them is Prince Rakeem who, of course, later became Wu-Tang Clan's Rza. Interestingly, while he mentions his "Wu-Tang Slang style," the Wu-Tang crew had not yet been formed by that name. Instead, he was down with the DMD ("Dick 'Em Down") Posse. He mentions having eight songs done so far for his solo album, which didn't materialize before Rza's departure from Tommy Boy.
While I did cut some songs out while recording to save tape, there's a load of good stuff here including an unreleased Crusaders for Real Hip-Hop track called "Stop Them Know [sic]." The real crown jewel, though, is the resurgence of Thursday Night Live with one of the best sessions in the show's history featuring Treach, Rza, Tony D, LA Law (aka Mr. Law), and others going in.
The tape's not labeled (of course), but it's mentioned that Tone's (25th) birthday (June 28th) is coming up at midnight."
Side A
Drops from: Son of Bazerk, Ice-T, KRS-One
Intro airbreak (over Mind Playing Tricks On Me... Geto Boys instrumental)
Any Way the Wind Blows... The UMC's
Slow Down (Remix)... Brand Nubian (cut)
Sound of the Zeekers... Leaders of the New School
Butt In The Meantime... Black Sheep
Just the Two of Us... Chubb Rock
Al'z A-B-Cee'z... 3rd Bass
Can't Escape the Hypeness... Blvd. Mosse (cut?)
Airbreak (Can't Escape the Hypeness... Blvd. Mosse instrumental) with odd "don't get struck by lightning" PSA
Ads (New Jersey and You Perfect Together punk ad for Jon Solomon's "Garden State Madness" show)
Ya Not So Hot... Special Ed (cut)
Microphone Technique (feat. Greg Nice)... 3rd Bass
As I Read My S-A... Gang Starr
I Got Ta Have It... Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs (cut)
Fugitive... K-Solo (cut)
Just When You Thought It Was Safe... Leaders of the New School
Afro Connections at a Hi 5 (in the eyes of the hoodlum)... De La Soul (cut)
Grover WPRB drop
Airbreak/Ads/Airbreak
My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style... Dream Warriors
Side B
Flavor of the Month... Black Sheep
? (cut)
I Shouldn't Have Done It... Slick Rick (cut)
Nature of a Sista... Queen Latifah
Airbreak/Ads
Sexcapades... Prince Rakeem (cut)
Airbreak (over Ooh I Love You Rakeem (Instrumental)... Prince Rakeem) - Interview with Prince Rakeem
Strictly Mash'ion... Poor Righteous Teachers
Ooh I Love You Rakeem... Prince Rakeem
New Jersey Drive... Nardo Ranks & Junior Demus
Stop Them Know... Crusaders for Real Hip-Hop
Airbreak (over Wickedest Man Alive (Instrumental)... Naughty By Nature) - interview with Naughty By Nature (11:04pm)
Wickedest Man Alive (feat. Queen Latifah)... Naughty By Nature (cut)
Blue Cheese... The UMC's
Airbreak - Thursday Night Live
Prince Rakeem
Treach
Tony D
LA Law
Prince Rakeem
Tony D
Side C
Thursday Night Live
Treach The Naughty By Nature frontman does some familiar verses that later wound up on albums.
Supreme Man & ? Malik Performing an interesting track titled “Delilah and Jezebel.” Not 100% sure who the artist is.
Tony D “I’m gonna do some TV stuff” he says before dropping into some lyrics that later wound up on the Crusaders for Real Hip-Hop album.
Prince Rakeem This here is the gem. Rza kicks a clever rhyme with hidden meaning. I’ve always wanted to ask him about this one.
Tony D
Airbreak (Happy birthday, Tone! Rza reads shout outs. Would love to know whose phone number that was he gave out.)
Sobb Story... Leaders of the New School
Rampage (feat. L.L. Cool J)... EPMD
The One... Chubb Rock
Deadly Venomz... Prince Rakeem
The Blues (feat. Andreas 13)... Terminator X
Grand Puba, Positive and L.G. (feat. Positive K)... Brand Nubian
Airbreak
Ads
Moves into Eazy-M's house show
"Side A starts off with in-studio guest DJ Polo (G Rap isn't in the studio because he's busy writing for Shanté's new album). There’s a lot of interesting stuff that comes up throughout. Polo is shamelessly pimping a 1-900 number (1-900-407-POLO) where he’s encouraging MCs to call and rhyme in exchange for a record deal. He guarantees three rappers will get contracts. Polo also discusses an upcoming solo album that will feature Eric B., Father MC, and Brand Nubian. He says he rhymes on one of the songs, too, but declines G’s offer to step up for a Thursday Night Live freestyle.
Polo proclaims that he discovered Kool G. Rap and that without him, there would be no Eric B. and Rakim. He also talks about a new TV show that will be debuting “in a month” that sounds like a precursor to Cribs where Polo will go to rappers’ houses and interview them there. “I’m gonna take you up to Big Daddy Kane’s house when he’s all up in his drawers, and all that,” Polo promises, “’Cause I’m down with all the rappers.”
As far as I know, the Polo solo album never materialized and neither did his show. And who knows what became of the 900 # record deal offer. Nevertheless, Polo steps to the tables on side D for a dope Kool G Rap set. A couple of Philly rappers I've never heard of are mentioned off-handedly, MC Ludicrous and MC Mike T, who both supposedly had albums on the way.
The real gem, though, comes at 20:26 on side A, where they play a tape (?) copy of a brand new track from G Rap and Polo called “Keep It Swingin’.” This version is different (and a thousand percent better) than the version that showed up on 1996’s Rated XXX compilation (same lyrics, different beat and delivery). It definitely feels like it would have fit on Live and Let Die right next to “Operation CB” or “Letters.” Anyone know if this version is actually available anywhere else? I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s one of G Rap’s best.
Mike Elliot from Krush Video and Krush Radio is also in the studio. He briefly mentions a new venture with Tony Mitchell as well as his upcoming book, The Unsigned Rapper’s Guide to Getting a Record Deal, which he self-published and eventually made a 12x return on his investment. Mike returns later on this episode to discuss it more."
Side B closes out with the first 18 minutes of Sounds of the Underground.
Side A
Airbreak - DJ Polo interview
Genius of Love... Tom Tom Club
Strobelight Honey... Black Sheep (cut)
Juice (Know the Ledge)... Eric B & Rakim
Duck Down... Boogie Down Productions
Mistadobalina... Del the Funky Homosapien (cut)
Uptown Anthem... Naughty By Nature
Airbreak
Keep It Swingin' (Original Version)... Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
Airbreak - Mike Elliot interview
Step To Me (Clean)... Tim Dog
Mr. Scarface... Scarface (cut)
Black Sheep drop
The Choice Is Yours... Black Sheep (cut)
Kuff... Shelly Thunder
Jazz (We've Got)... A Tribe Called Quest
Airbreak into DJ Polo's set
Side B
DJ Polo Intro
Butcher Shop... Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
Poison... Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
Road to the Riches... Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
It's a Demo... Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
Truly Yours... Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
Bad to the Bone (Large Professor Remix)... Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
Airbreak
... into Sounds of the Underground
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