Normal Bias

Raw Deal – December 1992

Another unlabeled PRB gem today. This one comes from December 3rd or 10th, 1992 (they advertise an upcoming event called TalentFest 92 (brought to you by Up and Up Studios) and later on, there are holiday ads) and features a lot of goodness. The tape starts at about 11:30pm.

The studio was packed full of guests, including DJ Kam, Courageous Chief (aka “Horrendous Teeth” according to G), Awol, a boisterous Tony D (fresh from the studio having recording some new tracks with the Poor Righteous Teachers), the Hillbillies (“straight out of Muck Holly”… and seriously, does no one remember “Bottom of the Hamper Jam”?), and others.

Perhaps the main reason to check this one out is the primary in-studio guest: a 23-year-old Apache (RIP). “Gangsta Bitch” had just hit and the album (Apache Ain’t Shit) was on the way. It’s kind of strange to come across this particular unlabeled tape so shortly after Apache’s death.

In addition to the typical “what’s up with your album”-type questions, we find out important things like Apache’s favorite ice cream flavor and how he knows “this thing ain’t gonna last” because he doesn’t like “industry people.”

Side B features a great Thursday Night Live session with DJ Kam on the wheels:

• Awol
• Tony D (RIP)
• Courageous Chief
• Baby Chill (RIP)
• Almighty Poppa S-Man (from the Dungeon Lords)
• The Coup Man (?) (from the Dungeon Lords)
• EP (from The Hillbillies) (sounds like the only one that comes off the top)
• B-Struck (from The Hillbillies)
• EP
• Tony D

The show features music from Cutty Ranks, Show and AG, Positive K, Heather B, Main Source, Chubb Rock, Das EFX, Grand Puba, Ice Cube, Diamond D, and The Funk Family.

The show closes out with G discussing some upcoming extended-length shows. He also pimps one of the early episodes of Vibes and Vapors.

This is a great 90 minutes. I hope I come across the earlier part of the show at some point.

 

 Raw Deal - December 1992 - Side A [47:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Raw Deal - December 1992 - Side B [47:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted in 1990s, 1992, Hip-Hop, Radio, WPRB | 1 Comment »

Trancelike State 029701 – Stardate 79.31.20

Here’s the third in the Trancelike State series (the first and second), my electronica mix show from college.

This episode kicks off with some ultra-downtempo breaks then works its way towards illbent, jungle, and dub.

1. Eclipsed by Sadness… Prince Charming
2. Make It Go Away… kHz
3. A Tongue of Flame (Unidentified Flying Dubplate Mix)
4. Sound Check… Sub Dub
5. Eating Sweetheart Valentine Candygram Vertebrae… Prince Charming
6. Here I Come (Jungle)… Barrington Levy (Remixed by Ridley Don)
7. Armoured D… Dillinja
8. Glactic Funk (Tau Ceti mix)… DJ Spooky
9. Mr. Dubfire… Mad Professor & Lee Perry
10. Stoned Again… Culture

 

 Trancelike State 029701 – Stardate 79.31.20 [45:55m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

(As a reminder to explain my goofy show titling/dating convension: the episode number of 029701 can be translated pretty simply: February 1997, first mix of the month. The “star date” was just my stupid way of designating specifically when the mix was done by writing the date backwards (so 79.31.10 is February 13, 1997).

Posted in 1990s, 1997, Electronica, Radio, WMWC | No Comments »

Trancelike State 019702 – Stardate 79.03.10

Here’s the second in the Trancelike State series (the first), my electronica mix show from college.

This episode mixes the some glitch with some world dance music and illbient with old school ragga jungle.

1. Peek 824545201.. Aphex Twin
2. Soulus (Submarine Variation #2)… Loop Guru
3. International Times (Haunted Dancehall Mix)… Transglobal Underground
4. Skank… Higher Intelligence Agency
5. Thoughts Like Rain… DJ Spooky
6. Jungle & Western Cowboy Style… Josie Wales, Beenie Man, & Ini Kamoze (Remixed by New Blood Crew)
7. Intro… DJ Spooky
8. Copper Shot Dub (Music Is My Occupation)… King Tubby/Scientist
9. Miss Know It… Scientist/Roots Radics
10. Why Hip Hop Sucks In ‘96… DJ Shadow

 

 Trancelike State 019702 – Stardate 79.03.10 [44:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

(As a reminder to explain my goofy show titling/dating convension: the episode number of 019702 can be translated pretty simply: January 1997, second mix of the month. The “star date” was just my stupid way of designating specifically when the mix was done by writing the date backwards (so 79.30.10 is January 30, 1997).

Posted in 1990s, 1997, Electronica, Radio, WMWC | 6 Comments »

Raw Deal: July 1992

Here’s a random unlabeled tape from the PRB vaults. There was only about 30 seconds of music on side B, so here’s what was on side A.

I’m dating this one at early July 1992. For those OCD nerds that are interested in how I came to that… all of the newer tracks they played were released in 1992 and there’s a very short snippet of a commercial from the episode discussing Greek Picnic Weekend in Philadelphia, which in 1992, was on July 11 or 18.

There’s a little back and forth between Easy M and G on here as we join them partway into the show. They do a ticket giveaway for an Arrested Development/Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy/Me Phi Me show at Mahorn’s. They also mention an upcoming Pete Rock and CL Smooth show at the same joint. Mahorn’s was a club in NJ owned by former 76er Rick Mahorn. The club shut down a year-and-a-half later due to an issue related to gun violence, if I remember correctly. The segment in the linked video starting at 5 minutes shows the club’s final night ended in fights, captured on camera by Philly’s DJ Ran:

Kam and Chief are headed up to the studio but are late, apparently because they “took a wrong exit off the warpath.” The Crusaders for Real Hip-Hop are also on their way. The only guest in the studio is Harold from Up and Up Productions, a local recording studio that I think was in Willingboro (or maybe Trenton) and used to air ads on PRB featuring local talent. G also mentions the “phat package,” a giveaway batch of CDs and promo materials.

Tracks of note include the “brand new” “I Ain’t Da One” from Brothers Uv da Blakmarket, a Paterson, NJ-based crew associated with the Flavor Unit that put out one album on Select. Also work checking, the Little Bastards’ “Stunt, Get a Job” (the clean version of the A-side “Bitch, Get a Job” single).

The side ends with a “Time Vault” segment of old school cuts from Busy Bee and the Masters of Ceremony.

 

 Raw Deal: July 1992 [46:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted in 1990s, 1992, Hip-Hop, Radio, WPRB | 2 Comments »

Forbidden Fruit: Keep It In Mind (b/w Bye Bye (Car Jacking))

Among the random stuff I got to review when I was in high school was a cassette single by a crew named Forbidden Fruit. They were on the no-name “Big Boss Records” (located at 202 St. Nicholas Ave in New York, now the home of 21st Century Urology, which is probably not a hip-hop label) and the cassette single was so cheap that the O-card was literally scotch-taped together. Forbidden Fruit was a two-man crew that bore a striking resemblance, in terms of sound, to Naughty By Nature. It was 1993, so it’s got the piano-heavy production and Treach Lite-like flows. Obvious NBN derivation aside, I really like these tracks. The horns that drop in on “Keep It In Mind” sound awkward and out of place, but how can you not love that Tony D-style piano loop. Production is credited to Vada Nobles (who co-produced Lauryn Hill’s solo album) and Forbidden Fruit.

I haven’t seen this one floating around anywhere else, so I’m guessing this particular single is pretty rare. Both vocals and instrumentals are included from the original cassette single.

Enjoy.

“Keep It In Mind”:

 

 Forbidden Fruit - Keep It In Mind [3:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Download full single (.zip, 26 megs)

Posted in 1990s, 1993, Commercial Release, Hip-Hop | 3 Comments »