ScHoolBoy Q was making his rounds at various NYC radio stations today. He entered Hot 97 to poli with the guy who, other than expelling delusional rants from his mind’s inner sanctum…and the rare on-air “history lesson,” is only good for making people rap: Funkmaster Flex.
So here raps Q; first, over some Bay Area, hyphy type garbage; then, over a much more rap-appropriate Golden Era classic.
Dear Nas,
Thank you for choosing a beat worthy of well-mannered, hard raps. Also, thank you for sounding like you took some of the best material from out of your book of rhymes and threw it on this beat. I’d say that this and his verse on Mobb‘s “Dog Shit” are making me a firm believer again (no pun, yes pause). Matter of fact, this is my favorite Nasir solo shit since …wow. Well, aside from “Dog Shit,” I haven’t enjoyed something that he’s done this much since his verse on Wu‘s “Let My Niggas Live.” Yea, THAT dirty.
Edit: Oh yeah…there areFlex bombs on this…but I’d argue to say that they work here.
Ragazino Senior‘s new single has been ringing off on daytime FM receivers across the tri-state area thanks to DJ Enuff and DJ Quiz on Hot 97. Proof that genuine, unvarnished irony does exist – the song’s symbolic title refers to sir Maffew as an outcast of sorts (though it can be taken as the guy being in a class all by himself). The warm weather number, doing one of the finest Rob Base flips you’ll ever hear, will appear on his upcoming album in conjunction with Boundless NY and Peter Rosenberg, entitled M.A.F.F.E.W..
We bring to you some exclusive footage of Maff and C.I.C.O. prez Sha Banga doing a bit of the joint live at the recent F*CK WHAT YOU HEARD showcase at Tammany Hall in NYC.
“Black Sheep” Live at FWYH, NYC
In case you haven’t, play & download the single for your listening pleasure.
Maffew Ragazino “Black Sheep” (Produced by Harry Fraud)
Danny Brown on Hot 97? Who would’ve guessed?! Thanks to Peter Rosenberg, the tri-state was not only able to soak up some of The Hybrid’s patented mic stylings (a new A-Trak remix to “Ray Ban Vision” featuring Donnis and Pill, “Greatest Rapper Ever,” and “Guitar Solo”…Westside Highway blackout time on those last two), but also hear a little bit about the Detroit scene, E-40, a very enlightening pseudo-debate on “the best double hip hop album,” Eightball‘s triple album, Brown’s short summaries on various trendy things, and the science behind Tom Horton’s (and you’d better say “no” to a Dunkin’ Donuts bagel).
Danny Brown on Hot 97′s Real Late With Peter Rosenberg
This is as official a Gang Starr/Guru tribute can get (as well as a follow-up post to a freestyle over a Gang Starr track)…I mean, it’s fuckin’ DJ Premier tearing out multiple pages of the epic catalog that he and his ace-boonie authored for that decade and change and rebinding them live on Funkmaster Flex‘s Hot 97 show. As with most special Flex “throwback” type events, expect a lot of entertaining on-air interaction + memory lane shit.
New Mobb visuals! If you’ve not had the pleasure of catching one of the many Ustream sessions at Infamous Studios with Prodigy, Havoc, and gang…well, these might won’t quite replicate that feeling, nor fill that void, but they certainly give the viewer an insightful look into the way the Mobb is working after all of these years, trials, and tribs.
“Start Of Your Ending” is the first episode in a series by Q-Butta. The season opener features some footage of the duo in the studio and a dope 5:00am’ish monologue from P. After all of this time, it’s dope to see that P does not reek of self-entitlement, yet instead recognizes that he still has to work hard to maintain the high quality output for which the Mobb is revered, as well as relevance in the new market of today.
In the next video, Prodigy gets the Creative Control lens treatment. Push-ups, Bumpy Johnson booths, more angles of Infamous Studios, Tony Yayo visitation.
BONUS:
This morning, Prodigy appeared on Hot97 to speak with Rosenberg about his book and his family’s musical history.
In a sea of Gang Starr tributes that were (re)released on the anniversary of Guru‘s untimely passing, the following mix by DJ Mister Cee, put together live on-air during his Old School At Noon show on Hot 97, stands as one of the finest servings to emerge thus far. Throw this on and let the boom-bap and memories pour.
Last night, on NYC’s Hot 97 FM, Funkmaster Flex and Kool DJ Red Alert (with some help from Mister Cee) did something truly special for everyone. Essentially, it was a real history lesson…almost a complete reenactment…with Flex stating that he was playing records that ONLY Red Alert broke (whether in the clubs or on radio). He was genuinely going off the deep end in every good way possible, cuttin’ up the funk and disco breaks that became roller rink and b-boy anthems, to droppin’ the ’86-’87 joints that practically shut down Union Square, Latin Quarter, and the Roof Top in Harlem. Incredibly entertaining play-by-play commentary by Uncle Red, Flex, and Cee…with highlights such as:
-which DJ’s would do a particular record the dirtiest with the cuts
-the different crews of the time (i.e. the 5-man army known as original The Violators)
-who was gettin’ stomped out when shit like “Go Stetsa” was played
-how Flex, at one point, was worried that he was in line for an automatic beatdown since he never carried much paper on him
-Biz gettin’ boo’ed for doing the “Biz dance”
-the whole “The Bridge” versus “South Bronx” story
…and much too much to realistically list off for you. A phenomenal couple of hours, to say the least. Of course some purists will go on overlooking, for seemingly any reason they can find, but I’ll go on record in saying that you should never sleep on Flex, a cat who can, in the blink of an eye, do something as monstrously vital and legitimate as this. I could give two shits about how utterly terrible Lugz are and all of the payola controversies, at the end of day, Flex is a true beastmode historian and has solidified his spot on my list of turntable heros simply because of live audio school’age such as this. Don’t make me whip out the classic July 4th, 2007 mix on you dozers.
