Rappers of the Sabbath

The ROTS is proud to present:
The Infamous...MOBB DEEP, circa 95.

Havoc and Prodigy hustle rhymes hard (h.r.h.) to keep the 41st side of Queens on the rap-map with this GOLDEN GEM pushing lyrics, beats, money and beef like drug dealers pushing ounces on the block. "My crew is all bout loot."
This album strikes nerves in most listeners conjuring up dark alleyways, range rovers, drugs, lexus cars, murder, fatigues, timberlands, fat chains and brick highrises from track 1 to track 16.
1995 definately brought other gems as well such as: Ol Dirty, Smif-N-Wessun, Raekwon, Company Flow, KRS 1, Big L, GZA, Jr Mafia, Crooklyn Dodgers, etc ... which translates to: 95 being a CHALK-FULL-YEAR for NYC hiphop, and Mobb Deep's Infamous release only seemed to add more chips to the pot of gold, raise the stakes and convey Queens as a grimey hood that's enforced by full-time-crooks.
Produced mainly by Havoc (some by Q-Tip:Drink the Pain Away bump this HARD), the beats certainly reflect the mid-90s methodology: SP1200 bass lines, gritty snares, and the occasional horns and keys to fuel the rhythm. No breakdowns, no complex rhythms, no 808s ... just simple head-knodding beats!
The duo's style and persona is vivid throughout Infamous capturing a raw take on life that relies on street-strength. It's too bad their later releases (not Hell on Earth) couldn't maintain and reflect Mobb Deep's early conceptions and strict survival tactics.
I strongly recommend downloading this if you're into hiphop, and if you already own it, then put it into daily rotation ahead of Lil Wayne for a change. "Don't make me have to call your name out"

Track listing:
1. Start of Your Ending, The (41st Side)
2. Infamous Prelude, The
3. Survival of the Fittest
4. Eye For a Eye (Your Beef Is Mines) feat. Nas and Raekwon
5. Just Step Prelude
6. Give up the Goods (Just Step) feat. Big Noyd
7. Temperature's Rising feat. Crystal Johnson
8. Up North Trip
9. Trife Life
10. Q.U.-Hectic
11. Right Back at You feat. Ghostface, Raekwon, and Big Noyd
12. The Grave Prelude
13. Cradle to the Grave
14. Drink Away the Pain (Situations) feat. Q-Tip
15. Shook Ones Pt. II
16. Party Over feat. Big Noyd

-- Download HERE --

*Learn it, live it, love it.

Rappers of the Sabbath continues

R.O.T.S. really needs a revival, and i'm completely aware of this, so today, this Sunday, i proudly present to you one of the finest hiphop albums of ALL time: Slum Village - Fantastic, vol. 2 (please applaud right now like your at a hype rap show)
Composed of T3, Jay Dee (yes, Jdilla) and Baatin hailing from De-the-fuck-troit, Slum Village released this unbelievable album in early 2K. If you're a Slum fan, then you own this album and rock it weekly, if not, you're either sick with the emo/screamo disease, snorting rails to spastic disco breaks in your girlfriend's basement, or too distracted by todays SHIT-RAP. Whatever the cause may be, Fantastic vol. 2 is a GOLDEN concept from intro to ending.
Since Jay Dee happens to produce the entire album and lends his vocal talent, it is a soulful journey into the den of hiphop held up by musicians that give a damn how hiphop sounds, featuring Jazzy Jeff (I Don't Know), D'Angelo , Q-Tip, Busta, Pete Rock, even fuckin' Kurupt.
The 19 tracks should be listened to from start to finish like a Mayfield's CURTIS album of 1970...a true gem!
The Detroit trio caress the tracks with sincerity and relaxing tones while performing like a Doo Wop crew at times (listen to track 2U4U). "Fuck this rap shit I listen to classical" is one of my favorite lines of the album, proving their loyalty to the roots of hiphop by proclaiming their love (Fall in Love).
The entire album goes from head swaying, to anthem jumping, onto grooves that simply illustrate how much of a cohesive group they happen to be. They combine their vocals in a rhythmic concoction that does however lack lyrical skills, but Slum makes up for that fact by re-enforcing their genuine talent of being a fluid trio who keeps tone, pitch and rhythm at the forefront of their style and technique. They make your head knod and hips move like the 60s soul-makers.
What else can i say, Slum Village raised the bar of hiphop at a time when the Golden Era was closing out and the glitz was coming in. Listen to Fantastic vol. 2 and dance!

Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Conant Gardens
3. I Don't Know feat. Jazzy Jeff
4. Jealousy
5. Climax (Girl Shit)
6. Hold Tight feat. Q-Tip
7. Tell Me feat. D'Angelo
8. What It's All About feat. Busta Rhymes
9. Forth And Back feat. Kurupt
10. Untitled/Fantastic
11. Fall In Love
12. Get Dis Money
13. Raise It Up
14. Once Upon A Time feat. Pete Rock
15. Players
16. Eyes Up
17. 2U4U
18. CB4
19. Go Ladies
-- Download HERE --

Rappers of the Sabbath

I am pleased to announce Dr. Octagon as the Rapper Of The Sabbath. This album came out in the mid 90s and blew me away. Once again, i was at home, watching BET at midnight, perhaps: RAP CITY or something, can't remember. Anyway, on came the video for Blue Flowers, and i was tripping. The vid was janky, definitly on a 2-bit ghetto tip, but nonetheless, the track was on point and captured my nerves with pungent satisfaction. I had never heard Kool Keith before, so that night my interest was sparked and i immediatley went on a scavenger hunt for the album. Funny thing was, i never found Dr. Octagonecologyst, instead i found Dr. Instramentalist which was only intstramental, so i was without lyrics for years before i found the lyrical alubm. Kool Keith plays Dr. Octagon who is a savage maniacal surgeon who likes to perform more than just operations on his patients. The album features work by Qbert, Dan the Automator, and Kut Master Kurt and has a gang of samples from records i've never heard of! Check out Dr. Octo get down.

Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. 3000
3. I Got To Tell You
4. Earth People
5. No Awareness
6. Real Raw
7. General Hospital
8. Blue Flowers
9. Technical Difficulties
10. A Visit To The Gynecologyst
11. Bear Witness
12. Dr.Octagon
13. Girl Let Me Touch You
14. I'm Destructive
15. Wild And Crazy
16. Elective Surgery
17. Half-Shark-Alligator-Half-Man
18. Blues Flowers Revisited
19. Waiting List
20. 1977

-- Download HERE --

Rappers of the Sabbath

Yes folks, once again, another week has gone by, and another Sabbath is at your disposal! Happy Mothers Day to all the moms, especially mine!
Today's Rapper of the Sabbath is: Declaime aka Dudley Perkins
This rapper is down to earth on some real-life shit, from being a dad and unable to see his daugher, to solid parenting, to respecting others, to the god, to living life on the genuine tip. Declaime is a prophet in the rap game, posting daily bulletins on myspace trying to connect with his peers. Declaime is raps with honesty and integrity while pushing a revolution thru his lyrics. Not only does he rap, but he seems to speak to the listener, much like a poet or inspirational speaker, the guy holds reality down with his brutal sincerity.
Most of his production comes from the mighty Madlib and Oh-No. If you never heard of either one (or just madlib), then you're SLEEPING! And in this world you can't sleep, this is illmind music on that Westcoastwildstyle tip. Drums are soulful, beats westcoast thumpers, horns are blowing hard like jazz, organs flow like the 3rd week of the month, and Declaime proves how sincere and skillful of a rapper he is! Don't Sleep. Here's to a westcoast awakening. . .


Track Listing:

1. New Thing
2. Judgment
3. Welcome 2 Reality feat. Grand Agent & Lil Dapp of Group Home
4. Heavenbound
5. Conversations feat. M.E.D. aka Medaphoar
6. Song in D Minor
7. Testimony
8. Dearest Desiree
9. Neverending Remix
10. Shine Time
11. Knowledge Born
12. Still Waters
13. Signs feat. Wildchild
14. Enjoy Your Stay
15. Life

Download -- HERE --

Rappers of the Sabbath

a few minutes late, but don't sweat me cuz i have a special one for ya!

ROTS presents: The Genius aka GZA - Liquid Swords!
If you don't own this album or have never listened to it, then you:
a) are sleeping. . .
b) are highly uninvolved with hiphop or hiphop history
c) have never heard of the Wu-Tang Clan
d) are not familiar with me
e) have seriously missed out on one of the most profolific albums of The Golden Era
f) listen to Stained, Limp B, and T-Pain
g) are oblivious to its role for Wu-Tang
h) should get your ears clipped due to ignorance
Liquid Swords is the checkmate of all Wu-Tang solo albums . . . literally! This album is no joke, coming out in the early 90s during Wu's prime time. The GZA triumphs throughout the piece holding down his critical mic skills hangin like umbilical chords. I can't help but listen to this Classic at least once a week, embedding myself further into the Golden Era. Stay Gold

Track Listing:
1. Liquid Swords
2. Duel Of The Iron Mic
3. Living In The World Today
4. Gold
5. Cold World
6. Labels
7. 4th Chamber
8. Shadowboxin'
9. Hell's Wind Staff/Killa Hills 10304
10. Investigative Reports
11. Swordsman
12. I Gotcha Back
13. Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

-- Download NOW --

Rappers of the Sabbath

This Sabbath day features the NewYorkCityGritty Premium Rap Crew: KMD
Members: Zev Love X, DJ Subroc, Rodan, Onyx the Birthstone Kid (briefly)
This crew enforced hiphop standards of the 90s using jazzy soul samples much like ATCQ, Brand Nubian, DeLa, etc. They represented The Golden Era of NYC hiphop to a "T"! Unfortunately the crew was short-lived due to Subroc's sudden death, who happened to be Zev's brother. From that event, KMD disbanded and Zev disappeared only to come up to the surface years later to destroy rap as MF DOOM. KMD was the crew that was slept on, a gritty trio who got loose on the juice, despite their span, KMD still managed to calibrate the hiphop arm that continued to pave the cutlture the continuing years. Here's to the konstipated monkeys...

Track Listing:
1. Garbage Day #3
2. Get-U-Now
3. What A Nigga Know?
4. Sweet Premium Wine
5. Plumskinnz (Loose Hoe, God & Cupid)
6. Smokin' That S*@%!
7. Contact Blitt
8. Gimme!
9. Black Bastards
10. It Sounded Like A Roc!
11. Plumskinnz (Oh No I Don't Believe It!)
12. Constipated Monkey
13. F*@# Wit' Ya Head!!
14. Suspended Animation
15. What A Nigga Know? (Remix feat. MF Grimm)

-- Dowload Here --

Rappers of the Sabbath

ROTS presents:
People Under The Stairs
Thes One and Double K are the fanatical bboy duo who stay genuine to HipHop by producing bustling soul beats, funky loops, and crafting the art of storytelling in an orginal but exclusive manner. They hail from Los Angeles while staying consistent to the West Coast roots. They truly dig in the crates and work some dusty-ass vinyl on that solidgold tip! Only devout record collectors, jazz teachers, or real-djs could own these samples or catch that minute loop PUTS superbly mashs up. WORD.
I've seen them live twice, and their nothing short of authentic enthusiasm for HipHop and their fans. "The Next Step" is their debut, and for 98' this shit is live as fuck! I gotta classify this album within the Golden Era of HipHop! It's along those lines with the greats of that era!! Listen for yourself...


The Next Step
Track listing:
1. Intro/4 Everybody
2. Death Of A Salesman
3. Hardcore
4. Wannabes
5. Ten Tough Guys
6. Mid-City Fiesta
7. Slow Bullet Listen
8. San Francisco Knights
9. The Turndown
10. Time To Rock Our Shit
11. The Tamburo 5
12. Los Angeles Daze
13. The Next Step II
14. D.A.R.E.
15. Asshole
16. Play It Again/Outro

-- Download Here --

Rappers of the Sabbath (R.O.T.S.)

This sunday on the R.O.T.S. i present to you The Saturday Knights repping the Emerald City-Seattle. They're the Beach Boys meets the Geto Boys!

Light in the Attic Records says-
TSK is:
Tilson - Charm
Barfly - Mustache
DJ Suspence - Wardrobe

"Our music is cuff links, pinkie rings, bow ties, and nice ascots for everybody!" says Tilson, one of two MC's for the Seattle super-group. "We do a little bit more than the average, in the sense that we do a whole let less than the average."

The Saturday Knights are a culmination of three freaks, a jaw-jacking combination of performing personalities: Storyteller and entertainer Tilson, who can tickle any lady's funny bone; low-income yarn spinner and urban graffiti poet Barfly; and pumped up by the big beats and psychedelic turntable-art of DJ Suspence.

Seattle's "punk rock-power pop band with hip-hop songs" signed with Light In The Attic Records after a solid year of being wooed by labels like Downtown Records and Island/Def Jam. Their first gig was an improvisational smash success opening for a sold-out RJD2, and since then The Saturday Knights have performed with with Death Cab for Cutie, The Streets, The Go! Team, Blowfly, and Lady Sovereign. TSK circulated these four songs as a demo last year, and "45" became a hit on taste-making station KEXP as well as commercial powerhouse The End 107.7 FM. It is one of four tracks to be released on their forthcoming introductory EP, with a full-length promised in the fall!

Check em via The Space

1. Motorin'
2. 45
3. Ass Kicker's Haircut
4. The Gospel

--Get the E.P. HERE!!--

Rappers of the Sabbath

I'm hoping to keep this post goin' every Sunday w/a different rap group each week.

This Sunday presents the NYC gritty hiphop act: The Beatnuts - composed of Fashion, JuJu and Psycho Les. The debut LP album: Street Level, released in 94 after their debut EP: Intoxicated Demons.

*Peep the Ol' Dirty sample on Straight Jacket



1. Intro
2. Ya Don't Stop
3. Props Over Here
4. Hellraiser
5. Are You Ready
6. Superbad
7. Straight Jacket
8. Let Off A Couple
9. Rik's Joint
10. Fried Chicken
11. Yeah You Get Props
12. Get Funky
13. Hit Me With That
14. 2-3 Break
15. Lick The P*ssy
16. Sandwiches
17. Psycho Dwarf

--Get it HERE--