I’ve been searching through my stash of old Hip Hop mixtapes from the mid-Nineties and I stumbled upon this classic tape by DJ rectangle Ill rated released in 1995. I used to get my tapes from a record store called Experience in Lyon. This was the only legit store in town for crate diggers and real rap fans. I remember listening to Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt CD in there and feeling the excitement of listening to an instant classic. Strangely enough it took some persistence on my behalf for my friends to witness the amazing skills of a young Shawn Carter. Anyway, back to the tapes: The guys at the shop would make regular trips to New York in search of hot vinyl and on their way out they would grab a handful of mixtapes for their shelf behind the row of Technics tables. Originally, I was looking for another Tape Kingz release by Tony Touch or PF Cuttin but instead the guy behind the counter suggested I give Rectangle a go. I had never heard of the DJ before and the bright coloured cover graphic didn’t scream the sophistication of the B&W phtos used for Tape Kingz productions. Furthermore, in 1995 I was a serious fan of East Coast rap (and always will be) so that a handful of West Coast rappers featured on the tape raised a red flag in my naïve mind pretty quick. I trusted the guys at Experience so I took the tape and slipped it into my cassette deck at home. Boom! Already the intro was full of scratches, fading and cuts unlike any I had heard before. I stared in disbelief at the cassette cover as DJ Rectangle cut back and forth between tracks. Unfortunately Ill Rated would be the only Rectangle tape Experience stocked but it took a prized place in my tape collection. I was super stoked to find the tape posted online the other day so here’s a listen for classic Hip Hop fans worldwide.

Tracklist:

01. DJ Rectangle – Intro
02. Warren G – Freestyle
03. Twinz – Freestyle
04. Junior M.A.F.I.A. – ‘Playas Anthem’
05. O.D.B. – ‘Shimmy Shimmy Y’all’
06. Redman & Method Man – ‘How High’
07. Mac 10 & Ice Cube – ‘Wessyde’
08. Craig Mack – ‘Makin Moves’
09. Gza – ‘Labels’
10. A.Z. – ‘Sugar Hill’
11. Masta Ace – ‘Sittlin On Chrome’
12. L.O.T.U.G. – ‘Friends’
13. Notorious B.I.G. – ‘One More Chance’
14. Das Efx – ‘Real Hip Hop’
15. DJ Rectangle – Interlude
16. Mic Geronimo – ‘I’m So High’
17. Redman – ‘Put It In The Blunt’
18. Mobb Deep – ‘Eye For An Eye’
19. Luniz – ‘I Got 5 On It (Remix)’
20. Special Ed – ‘We Rule’
21. KRS-One – ‘MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know’
22. Grand Puba – ‘A Little Of This’
23. Channel Live – ‘Sex For The Sport’
24. Goodie Mobb – ‘Who’s That Peepin’
25. Coolio – ‘Gangstas Paradise’
26. Big Kap – ‘Da Ladies’