Showing posts with label NYC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NYC. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Brother Arthur - What You Gonna Do / Year Of The "9"


Another piece of dope hip hop from the mid 90's. Brother Arthur (Arthur 4X) repping the Zulu Nation drops knowledge on both cuts over ILL production provided by himself and Chuck Chillout. On the Hip side, "What You Gonna Do," Brother Arthur urges the community to take notice what's going on in the hood, get organized and fight "the plan." Nice beat and an even better message. Real hip hop right here! On the Flip side, "Year Of The '9'" Arthur warns that the streets are more dangerous than ever. No more toe to toe or blow for blow to settle beef. Kids are packin' tools. Dope eerie sample on this. A much darker moody beat. Instantly, you'll recognize the same sample from Jeru's "Come Clean." Also, a nice Guru vocal sample, "it's a daily operation" tossed in for added flavor.

C-YA Entertainment / Nott-Us records pressed this one up. Co-production credits go to Ramon "Bro Sham" and Lionel "Big Geno" McKee for Bald Nation Production. Big Geno's the dude on the cuts. Check for a couple vocal samples that were used by DJ Premier. "Ohhhh, so that's where the sample came from."

Brother Arthur - What You Gonna Do

Brother Arthur - Year Of The "9"

Friday, October 12, 2007

DNA - Bronx Criminal County / 2 Ounces & A Dream / My Shit Iz Tight


Blessing you with another Bronx BANGER! Very little is known about this group, DNA (Devon, Noah, Allah). JR Ewing gave them some shine on one of his mixes and for good reason. This a seriously dope record released by Red Zone Recordings. A definitive mid-late 90's indie/underground NYC 12". All three tracks are ill. On the A Side, "Bronx Criminal County" is produced by Garth "Dread" Mitchell. On the hook, Havoc's "criminal mind thirsty for recognition" is sampled.

The B-Side comes at you with "2 Ounces & A Dream" featuring Boo & Reality of Hedkrak. Dudes are rapping about coming up in the dope game. Nice piano. Was anything ever released by the Hedkrak crew? They round out things with "My Shit Iz Tight." The subject matter is self explanatory. And another smokin' beat. Production on this side is handled by, I believe, the artist themselves, D. Gray & N. Tillman for DNA FUNCTION and M. Marcelle for SPADES Entertainment. Recorded and mixed at Da Cave, which also sounds familiar.

On a side note, are there two 12"s released by this crew? I've also seen on want lists this same record, yet a track "Nowhere to Run" replaces "2 Ounces & A Dream" and the date is 1997. On the Bronx Criminal County intro they call out '96. Just wondering.

DNA - Bronx Criminal County

DNA - 2 Ounces & A Dream
What I believed was crackle is simply the piano sample. Heh.

DNA - My Shit Iz Tight