Whilst clearing out my cellar the other day, I came across a shoe box full of old mixtapes I used to listen to religiously as a teenager. The contents dated back to a time I truly consider a “golden era” for rap music when creativity and energy levels were at a peak. Tapes date from 1995 to 1997 pretty much. Each of the 90 minute dubbed cassettes is liquid gold and testament to a time when lyrics meant something. A lot of the mixtapes originated from the Tape Kingz Distribution located on Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, and somehow made their way halfway around the world and into my eager hands. Unfortunately the repeated play-stop-rewind took its toll on a few of the magnetic bands and the terrible hiss of poisonous snakes muffles a few bars here and there, but overall the tapes still bang.

I plan to share all of these tapes with the world because they serve as testament to the emcees, DJs and producers skills during that era. The first tape I’ll drop though is a mixtape I put together compiling hot tracks from a load of my favourite rappers at the time: Nas, Mobb Deep, BIG, Jay-Z… NY Connection Perfection is definitely a BK to QB heavy journey but those two New York boroughs were really pushing the envelope content-wise. Enjoy!

Read my liner notes here!

https://soundcloud.com/firstnameralph/ny-connection-perfection-side-a-1

https://soundcloud.com/firstnameralph/ny-connection-perfection-side-b

Tracklist:

Side A

On the real – Nas, KL, Kamikaze, Cormega
Illegal Life – Mobb Deep
LA LA (Kuweit Mix) – Capone n Noreaga, Tragedy Khadafi, Prodigy
Stick You – Capone n Noreaga
Survival of the fittest (rmx extended) – Mobb Deep, Crystal Johnson
Can’t knock the Hustle (rmx) – Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige
LA LA (Iraq Mix) – Capone n Noreaga, Tragedy Khadafi, Mobb Deep
Camouflage Ninjas – Killa Army
Wake Up – Killa Army, Sunz of Man
D.Original – Jeru The Damaja
Cella Dwellas – Main Aim

Side B

Hip Hop Junkies – Alkaholiks
Temperature’s rising (rmx) – Mobb Deep, Crystal Johnson
The remedy
The Roots Freestyle
Brooklyn Zoo (Lord Digga rmx) – Ol Dirty Bastard
Who’s the champion? – Ghostface Killah, RZA
Nas Freestyle
No (rmx) – Chuck D
Rainy Dayz (rmx) – Raekwon, Ghostface Killah
I got a story to tell – Notorious BIG
North Star (Jewels) – Raekwon
I love the dough – Notorious BIG, Jay-Z