Category: Throwback Jams

[Throwback REAL Hip-Hop:] Curren$y & Alchemist – Smoke Break // [Throwback REAL Hip-Hop:] The Roots – Criminal (feat. Saigon & Truck North)

Throwback REAL hip-hop tunes to keep ya head bobbin’. Don’t sleep!


Smoke Break – Curren$y & Alchemist

You can never go wrong with Curren$y, arguably one of the best indie/underground rappers out there. I was first introduced to the Hot $pitta, formally through Wiz Khalifa in their smash-hit, critically acclaimed mixtape How Fly. However I first heard of Curren$y in the mid 2000s when he rapped alongside Remy Ma and Young Money frontrunner Lil’ Wayne on the popular single, “Where Da Cash At.”

“Smoke Break” comes from another highly praised Curren$y mixtape, Covert Coup, which was produced by famed hip-hop producer The Alchemist.

Notable lyrics:
The style done got switched up
Cause the last one got bit up,
Yeah lil homie y’all can get down,
but I bet y’all can’t keep up!

Life Under the Scope – Curren$y

“Life Under the Scope” was also one of Curren$y’s early hit songs back when he was very much still Unsigned Hype. Many think Young Spitta has stayed true to his roots, while fellow rapper he came up with, Wiz Khalifa, has largely abandoned them (Blacc Hollywood does capture some of Wiz’s early spirit, but not enough). I, like many others, are still holding out for a How Fly 2.

Criminal – The Roots, Truck North & Saigon [REAL HIP-HOP]

Our next throwback is another real hip-hop jam, this one a collab between The Roots, Truck North & Saigon. “Criminal” has a very interesting beat, lyrics and feeling to it that makes me reminisce to the beginning of Fall or cold, wintry days.

Notable lyrics:
Monday, they predict the storm,
Tuesday, they predict the bang
Wednesday they cover the crash,
And I can see it’s all about cash

They got the nerve to hunt down my ass,
and treat me like a criminal…

[Throwbacks:] [Industrial/Tech House] Two Fingers – Stripe Rhythm // [2 Electronic/Alt. Rock songs from:] Bloc Party – Compliments & Letter to My Son


Our first throwback comes to us from electronic producer, Two Fingers, with his bass thumping, head-bangingly good track “Stripe Rhythm.” Props go out to [adult swim] for playing this gem during their bumps.

Last, but certainly not least we have the alternative/electro band you can never go wrong with, Bloc Party. Their hauntingly good, rhythmic string of consciousness that is “Compliments” is worth taking note of. “Letter to My Son” is another epic Bloc Party cut, much more alternative rock in feel and sound. Don’t sleep on either!

Lucky Finds: [House] It’s Too Late (Snakehips RMX) & [Trance/EDM Origins] Holding On to Nothing (Alex Gold RMX)



I’ll bet you want me, it’s too late (it’s too late) / Boy when you got me, you don’t care…


Standin’ in the rain / twisted and insane / we, are, holdin’ on to nothing…
Feeling every breath / holdin’ no regrets / we are looking out for somethin’

It’s Too Late: You ever have songs that you just hear once and know you HAVE to find, or you tell yourself not to forget about them and make a note for yourself, or search for them endlessly? That is how I felt about these two great EDM tracks that I nearly missed discovering. It took months but I eventually tracked down the smooth Electronic/Future House Snakehips remix of Wild Belle’s “It’s Too Late.” I initially heard the song on Georgia State University’s FM radio station WRAS Album 88.5 during a late night drive home last year after covering a concert.

As it played I took out my phone and recorded it as this was such a unique and different sound. I have a weak spot for the old-timey swing vibe, especially incorporated into EDM as I have with other old “remakes” (SEE: mostly everything by Parov Stelar); whichever DJ was on the decks that night at GSU, had phenomenal taste in music. It must have been EDM/IDM night as the playlist continued with more “indie” sounding tunes, a perfect fit for the night and enough to have me beaming with pride at my school’s own radio station. Unfortunately they have lost most of their programming to a merger with Georgia Public Broadcasting / NPR that forces Album 88.5 to play late at night and into the wee hours of the morning to make room for public news broadcasts. Though they didn’t go out completely without a fight, numerous petitions were not enough to stop the partial dissolving of one of the US’s top college radio stations and also the station with the largest signal power/reach of any college radio station ever.

EDM Origins Late 00s Trance: Holding On to Nothing (Alex Gold Edit) – Agnelli & Nelson:
The latter, I heard at Club IRIS in Atlanta, an EDM venue in North Atlanta off of Buford Highway .There are 3 different rooms in the club and that night, one was playing trap/hip-hop, on the main stage, dubstep-ish mainstream music, and off “in the corner”, straight up trance and eurodance. This was a welcome relief to hear in 2014 as Trance music of this style and genre itself was most popular around the 2000s-Late 2000s. Through these years dance music began to develop a growing niche market in the US as European techno (dance music) became more and more acceptable. Though it took a back seat to hip-hop and rock music in most areas of the country, artists of the era such as: Armin Van Buuren, Markus Schulz, Royksopp, Deep Dish, Above & Beyond, Kaskade, BT and Ferry Corsten brought EDM to the masses shortly preceding the industry-changing creation of dubstep.

Another iconic remix of the era was dance/trance hit “After All” by Delerium, remixed by Svenson & Gielen. This popular remix was featured on the popular Japanese music game series, Dance Dance Revolution.

[THROWBACK]|[Moombahton/Reggae] Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl (Dancehollaback Remix by Tony Kanal ft. Elan)


Part of my new Foundations and Origins posts where songs and music that influenced today’s genres such as Electro/Hip-Hop, Bass, Dubstep, Trap and more are highlighted. Our first post will feature an early example of the now, well-established genre of its own Moombahton a blend of house and reggaeton.

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Today was a hot day in the ATL and a preview of Spring as temperatures reached over 75 degrees F. What better way to chill out and relax at the park, pool or outside in the city then by listening to this Throwback remix of Gwen Stefani’s classic “Hollaback Girl.” This particular remix puts a Moombahton feel on the song with elements of dancehall and reggaeton, which by no means were brand new then (in 2008) but were being established as genres in their own right. Gwen’s songs have been remixed into hip-hop and more often, electronic remixes for years now such as the highly successful Jacques Lu Cont progressive house remix of her “What You Waitin’ For?” from 2008 as well.

[Throwback Hip-Hop] Wale – The Crazy


Let us remember a simpler time from before when Wale hadn’t fallen off yet (another gem of his below). From Wale’s fourth and arguably, most successful release “The Mixtape About Nothing” helped further increase Wale’s hype as he began to rise as a new artist.This hype would eventually be his downfall as once Wale achieved mainstream success, his signature sound would be lost from its more independent, underground beginnings. Don’t get me wrong, several other artists have committed this musical sin as well. A few that come to mind are some artists who were on the come-up in my early college years: Wiz Khalifa (a shame really) or KiD CuDi. Not all were sunk by this however, some artists even kept their original sound, or lost it but still rose to popularity, a la Big Sean, Juicy J, 2 Chainz the list goes on…

Wale’s follow-up “More About Nothing” continued the Seinfeld theme from the last tape and, despite a few gems, did not achieve its predecessor’s acclaims. Nevertheless, one of the better songs “The Break-Up Song” is one of the few that reminds us of Wale’s “old” sound. Even more so in his first inital breakout single that launched him into the spotlight around 2007 “Nike Boots (Remix ft. Lil’ Wayne)”

[THROWBACK JAM] Take It To Da House (feat. Trina & Slip-N-Slide Express) – Trick Daddy

We’re throwing it back to the 90s and highlighting the classic summer jam “Take It To Da House” by Trick Daddy


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPwICxjNvY4

Let’s all take a moment to remember this unforgettable summer jam from the 90s! Featuring none other than rapper Trick Daddy and hip-hop songstress/rapper, Trina. Winner of the 2001 Billboard Music Award for R&B/Hip-Hop Group, “Take It to the House” was the first single from Trick Daddy’s fourth studio album, Thugs Are Us and is still considered a stand-out song for its time.

Featured on the track are rappers of the Slip-N-Slide collective: Sung, Money Mark, J.V., Trina and Co. The song was a favorite throughout the mid-90s and still is heralded today as one of the key, stand-out rap songs from the era. This version of the song saw frequent play from the now defunct, but legendary Atlanta radio station 95.5 FM “The Beat.”

Artists credited on the song include the “Slip-N-Slide Express” the alias of the collective group, though many websites and music sites list the song as “featuring Trina.”

Slip N Slide the Miami record label was founded in 1994 and features artists such as Plies, Trina, Rick Ross (a former member), rock artists and new up-and-coming artists like Sebastian Mikael, Swazy and Qwote.

(artist and album information obtained from wikipedia.org)