Exclusives Archives - Page 4 of 273

Today in Hip-Hop History: UGK Released Their First Studio Album ‘Too Hard To Swallow’ 32 Years Ago

November 10, 2024 by newhiphopnews

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On this date in 1992, Bun B and Pimp C put out their first studio release Too Hard To Swallow and began their extremely successful career as Underground Kingz.

With UGK (short for Underground Kingz) being one of the first rap groups to come out of Texas to be regarded nationally, it’s easy to see how important it is to the South. At this time in the early 90s, there wasn’t much coming from anywhere other than New York or California. The only southern rappers that had hits were fellow Texas natives Geto Boys and Miami-based rappers 2 Live Crew. When this album dropped, it opened up a door for a whole new wave of southern rap to emerge.

Unlike the funkier, sample-heavy beats that UGK became known for rapping over later in their career, this album is true to its name as far as its production. The beats are a lot more aggressive and so is the lyricism. Nevertheless, this album is full of hits that are considered classics of the group’s catalog. These three tracks are “Something Good”, “Use Me Up” which hails a Bill Withers sample, and “Pocket Full of Stones”, which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1992 hood classic, Menace II Society.

The album was recorded over a year period from 1991 to 1992 and released on November 9th, 1992 under Jive Records, the early 90s powerhouse label hosting acts such as E-40, A Tribe Called Quest, R.Kelly, and the late Aaliyah. The album has so far sold 369,511 copies and peaked at 37th on the Billboard US R&B Charts. After this album, UGK went on to put out five albums until the untimely passing of member Pimp C in 2007.

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Today in Hip Hop History: A Tribe Called Quest Released Their Third LP ‘Midnight Marauders’ 31 Years Ago

November 9, 2024 by newhiphopnews

On this day in Hip Hop history A Tribe Called Quest Released their third studio album Midnight Marauders. As the group’s most popular work, this album marked the height of Hip Hop’s Afrocentric/hippie movement.

Aside from content, this album’s cover is it’s most distinctive quality. It features a full frontal portrait of the same black, green, and red woman from the The Low End Theory cover as well as head shots of some of the more well known rappers of the time, including: Dr. Dre, Afrika Bambaataa, Busta Rhymes, Chuck D, Ice-T, Kool Moe Dee, MC Lyte, Del the Funky Homosapien, P. Diddy, Heavy D, Too $hort, The Pharcyde, The Beastie Boys, and more.

With this album, Tribe took a slight step away their heavy jazz influence to perpetuate a funkier vibe. Ali Shaheed Muhammad‘s production sounded more on this album like something you would hear on the radio in the early 90’s (with a Tribe twist of course). The largest change however came in the realm of lyricism. Over their four year quest, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg picked up linguistic skills that come full circle on this album. Their cadence, flow, and diction all show signs of improvement along with the length and depth of their metaphors. Although this album features less subject specific tracks than their previous work, the two show that they have finally figured out how to intrigued the minds of both the Hip Hop faithful and everyday music listener.

Commercially, Midnight Marauders is the A Tribe Called Quest’s highest selling album. The album sold over 1,000,000 copies within it’s first year, making it a platinum hit. It also peaked #70 on the UK album charts, #8 on the Billboard 200, and took the top spot Top R&B/Hip Hop chart.

A lot of the album’s success is due to its timeless classic of a single “Award Tour” which peaked at #47 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s influence has spanned decades with the track being referenced by the likes of Wale, Kanye West, Common, Azealia Banks, and Justin Timberlake.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Wu Tang Clan Dropped Their Debut Album ‘Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)’ 31 Years Ago

November 9, 2024 by newhiphopnews

NYC Mayor to Proclaim Nov. 9 as 'Wu-Tang Day' on 30th Anniversary of 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers'

On November 9th, 1993 rap music was changed forever. On this day, 9 Gods from the slums of Shaolin, who together form the Wu Tang Clan, released their first studio LP entitled Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
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This album was recorded from 1992 to 1993 at Firehouse Studio in New York City. The album was recorded on Loud Records and distributed by RCA Records. It cost a total of $36,000 to complete.

The album’s concept was inspired heavily by the group’s love for Kung Fu flicks, particularly the 1978 Liu Chia-Liang film The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, a story about a man who set out to become the master of all 36 chambers of kung fu and reach a form of enlightenment. In the movie, the 36th chamber of kung fu is to bring the knowledge and wisdom of kung fu to the people of the entire world. For Wu-Tang Clan, that was the goal with this album.

The project was entitrely produced by the group’s leader, RZA, through the art of sampling. The beats consisted of a lot of soul And martial art samples along with sounds from early hip hop synthesizers. Lyrically, this album was nothing like anything that came before it or would come after it. I was a change from the afrocentric “boom-bap” that was prevalent in New York. It was edgy and street while remaining intellectual in content. The Wu-Tang Clan was able to synchronize their hustler mentality with the wisdom of an ancient martial arts master. Well known singles from this album include, but are not limited to, “Protect Ya Neck”, “Method Man”, and “C.R.E.A.M.”
Upon its release, in an article for The Source, The Ghetto Communicator wrote “This record is harsh, but so is the world that we live in. For B-boys n’girls who come from the core of the hard, this is the hip-hop album you’ve been waiting for”. The rest is history.

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The Source Magazine Remembers Heavy D 13 Years Later

November 8, 2024 by newhiphopnews

On this day in Hip Hop history, “The Overweight Lover” Heavy D passed away in Los Angeles, California. If he were alive today, he’d be 57 years old.

Heavy D, born Dwight Errington Myers in Jamaica, moved to Mount Vernon, New York in the late 1970s. In the mid-1980s Heavy D along with DJ Eddie F and dancers T-Roy and G-Wiz signed to Uptown Records and began their journey to fame and adoration as Heavy D & The Boyz. The group’s debut Living Large released in 1987 and was a marginal success selling 300,000 copies.

The group began to rise in popularity, helping Heavy D to become pop sensation. The success of the group’s second and third albums, Big Tyme and Peaceful Journey, brought Heavy D the opportunity to collaborate with artists like Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, B.B. King and more. Through the start of the 1990s, Heavy D began making more and more appearances in music videos and on TV and in films.

In the mid-1990s Heavy D became the first rapper to run a record label when he became president of Uptown Records. Prior to becoming president, Heavy D was instrumental in the hiring of Sean Combs as an intern. He also convinced Andre Harrel to sign Jodeci. As president, Heavy D worked with and developed boy band Soul for Real and was the executive producer and principal writer for majority of their debut album. His success as an executive led to him becoming senior vice president of Universal Music.

Heavy D passed away on November 8, 2011 from complications caused by a blood clot in his leg. His final performance at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards was his first televised performance in 15 years. Heavy D’s legacy will live on forever in the work that he created and the mark that he left on the Hip Hop industry as a whole.

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Today in Hip-Hop History: Pete Rock & CL Smooth’s ‘The Main Ingredient’ LP Turns 30 Years Old!

November 8, 2024 by newhiphopnews

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On this day in 1994, Pete Rock and CL Smooth via Elektra Records dropped their second album, The Main Ingredient, thirty years ago today.

Produced exclusively by the legend Pete Rock himself, The Main Ingredient defined the sound of the Money Earnin’ Mount Vernon duo, with Pete’s signature horns and jazz-laced drums patterns, tracks like “I Got A Love”, which derived from The Ambassadors’ “Ain’t Got The Love” and was sampled in Jay-Z’s and Jay Elec’s “Shiny Suit Theory,” and “Sun Won’t Come Out” became the “production prediction” of Pete Rock even outside of his projects with CL.

Ironically, this was the duo’s last album together, never citing reasons for their separation. Nevertheless, we thank Pete Rock & CL Smooth for this time capsule of Hip Hop purity. Salute!

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Today in Hip Hop History: Jungle Brothers Released Their Debut LP ‘Straight Out The Jungle’ 36 Years Ago

November 8, 2024 by newhiphopnews

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On this day in Hip Hop history, the Jungle Brothers released their debut LP Straight Out the Jungle. As the first project of the illustrious Native Tongues collective, other members include De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Black Sheep, this album opened the door for a new type of conscious rap. With their Afrocentric influence and sample-heavy production, the Jungle Brothers were able to create a unique sound in a saturated New York Hip Hop scene.

Coming at the end of the gold roped, tracksuited and Kangol Golden Age of Hip Hop this album ushered in a new era. Through a new style of sampling and almost no regard to the flamboyancy of mid-80’s rap, this album became a true trailblazer. The trio’s adventurous take on Hip Hop led to them exploring otherwise uncharted waters. Their jazz and house influence created a new lane for Hip Hop crossovers left behind by Def Jam’s obsession with rap-rock. The group’s lyrics were also a healthy and needed change to the genre. Prior to its release, rap was mostly dominated by MC’s rapping about how much better they could rap than everyone else. The Jungle Brothers came with bars to enrich the mind and soul of their listeners rather than stroke their own ego. Songs like “Straight Out of The Jungle” and “Black is Back” were some of the first rap songs with an overtly pro-Black message.

Commercially, the album was a quiet success, peaking at only #39 on the Billboard 200. Critically, however, this album was highly regarded as a new beginning for Hip Hop. Publications across the board hailed this album as a fresh take on rap as a whole. This album kicked off a new counter-culture in Hip Hop. Fans began to leave behind their flashy get-ups for dashikis and leather African pendents fueled by a new sense of blackness and cultural pride. Thanks to the Jungle Brothers and their debut, the early ’90s became the Hip Hop equivalent to the late ’60s of rock ‘n’ roll.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Wu Tang Clan’s GZA Released His Sophomore LP ‘Liquid Swords’ 29 Years Ago

November 7, 2024 by newhiphopnews

On this date in 1995, the head of the Wu’s “Voltron” released his first solo LP under the moniker “the GZA”.

“We form like Voltron and GZA happens to be the head.” -Method Man

After appearing as the closer on the Wu Tang’s premiere single “Protect Ya Neck” and dropping his own solo joint “Clan In The Front” on WTC’s classic Enter The 36 Chambers LP, The Genius, who changed his name to the GZA after the formation of the Wu Tang Clan in 1992, fulfilled the expectations of a solo album with Liquid Swords, which was released 27 years ago today.

This should not, however, be confused with the first solo album Words From The Genius, which was released under the alias “The Genius” before his claim to fame with Wu Tang.

With in-house album cover art of a war-torn chessboard from Wu Tang DJ/Producer Allah Mathematics along with Milestone Media creative director Denys Cowan and released on Geffen Records, the debut album of one of WTC’s founders was recorded in RZA’s basement, as was the rest of the early Wu projects including Meth’s Tical and OB4CL. It also featured all of the original members as well as introduced some of the supporting members of the Killa Bees including Killah Priest, Dreddy Krueger and Allah Life, who sung the hook on “Cold World”. Other smash singles from this album include “Labels”, “4th Chamber”, “I Gotcha Back” and the timeless title track.

Salute to the GZA for one of the most formative concept albums in Hip Hop during the 20th century.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Goodie Mob Released Their Debut LP ‘Soul Food’ 29 Years Ago

November 7, 2024 by newhiphopnews

On this day in Hip Hop history one of Atlanta’s oldest collectives, Goodie Mob, stepped on the scene with their hit debut Soul Food. As the second release by Georgia’s own Dungeon Family collective, Soul Food confirmed that the south truly had something to say.

In the early 90’s, southern Hip Hop’s appeal was purely commercial. Club anthems and summertime jams monopolized the southern air waves, not allowing any room for the conscious to make much headway between the NoLa bounce, Miami bass, and Houston’s Chopped and Screwed sub-genres. What made Goodie Mob stand out was their ability to build on the style created by close co-conspirators, OutKast. That innovation coupled with the collaboration with LaFace‘s own production powerhouse Organized Noize, Goodie Mob was able to create one of Atlanta’s first hit albums.

Soul Food was the world’s introduction to the ‘dirty south’, with the household term being first coined on this album. Musically, Goodie Mob was a synthesis of southern gospel, jazz, blues, with a touch of Atlanta’s signature marching band sound. As lyricists, the crew had a righteous gangster appeal with very by-any-means-necessary undertones. Their poetic and harmonic style allowed them to play as a voice of the south sonically and through their subject matter.

Commercially, the album was a success from the otherwise unknown group. Within the first few months of its release, the album had both been certified as gold by the RIAC and sold over 500,000 copies in the United States. The album’s singles, “Cell Therapy”, “Soul Food”, and “Dirty South” all became southern classic making The Top 10 Rap Singles chart. The album itself peaked at #43 on the Billboard 200 chart and #8 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.

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Today In Hip Hop History: N.W.A. Released Their Debut Album ‘N.W.A. And The Posse’ 37 Years Ago

November 7, 2024 by newhiphopnews

On this date in 1987, a compilation album consisting of all of South Central Los Angeles and Compton’s hottest Hip Hop artists entitled N.W.A. And The Posse, originally released on Macola Records. It was re-issued by Ruthless as well as Priority Records. This is the group’s first, but unrecognized album, unlike their 1988 multi-platinum descendant Straight Outta Compton.

At the time, N.W,A.(Niggas Wit Attitudes) only consisted of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E and Arabian Prince. DJ Yella and MC Ren were not yet a part of the legendary collective, even though Ren did appear on the album’s cover photo(seen above). Other extended crew members aka “The Posse” included the late DJ Train(J.J. Fad), Tha Lench Mob’s Sir Jinx, Candyman, who is known for his platinum single “Knockin’ Boots”, K-Dee, Krazy Dee, MC Chip and DJ Scratch(NOT of EPMD). Six of the album’s 11 tracks came from N.W.A.’s core members, but four of the album’s tracks came from the Fila Fresh Crew, the clique from wich Dr. Dre plucked Doc-T aka The D.O.C.

Some of the album’s highlights include “Dope Man”, *8 Ball” and the classic “Boyz-N-The-Hood” anthem, which has been sampled and copied numerous times since its 1987 inception. All of the above singles along with an additional two tracks were written by O’Shea Jackson aka Ice Cube.

Salute to Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E(R.I.P.) DJ Yella, MC Ren, The D.O.C., Arabian Prince and everyone else who took part in this important part of Hip Hop history!

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