Last Wednesday (May 22) at New York City’s Chelsea Music Hall, Pete Rock celebrated the release of his latest instrumental album, The Return Of The SP1200, with a party. Of course, Rock had to show off his DJing skills and have some fun of his own. He jammed with a band that included a respected cast of Daru Jones, Marcus Machado, and MonoNeon. Ambrosia For Heads was in the building to catch the momentous affair. Meanwhile, “The Chocolate Boy Wonder” posted up behind the turntables and other sound-providing equipment. While spinning some records and showcasing his chops and scratching talents, Rock gave his crowd a smooth transition from a classic joint he sampled for one of his most beloved creations, 1992’s “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.).” Pete Rock Speaks To Video Music Box After The Death Of Trouble T. Roy That Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth class samples Tom Scott & The California Dreamers’ brassy cover of the Jefferson Airplane track, “Today”. From Mecca And The Soul Brother, “T.R.O.Y.” features some legendary saxophone riffs that echo and loop throughout its benchmark Hip-Hop/Jazz fusion. P.R. shows off the beat connection between the brass heard on “Today” by playing his sample’s source, while flawlessly transitioning into his and C.L.’s homage to Heavy D & The Boyz’ “Trouble T. Roy,” who died from a fall in 1991. Rock shows off his skills once again, as he casually allows “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” to play out. The cool, jazzy influence is definitely noted. Stream A Collection Of Previously Unreleased Pete Rock Beats From The 1990s (Audio)#BonusBeat: Some additional footage from AFH of Pete Rock jamming out with the band. Make sure you follow us on Instagram for more exclusive footage, clips, and Hip-Hop love.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony dominated the mid-1990s with a unique style of Rap music. Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Wish Bone, Bizzy Bone, and Flesh-N-Bone put Ohio on the global Rap map with a harmonic sound that pulled from the church and the street alike. While 1994’s Creepin’ On Ah Come Up achieved gold-certification just a few months after its release, the quintet burst to the top of the charts just months after their mentor and employer, Eazy-E died (24 years ago this week). That ascent led to Grammy Awards, world tours, and more.
Creepin’…, 1995’s E. 1999 Eternal, and 1997’s The Art Of War all achieved quadruple-platinum status during the 1990s. Even with solo efforts, label woes, and Flesh’s incarceration, the group seemingly could not be stopped. During the crew’s meteoric rise, they started tightening the reigns on what music released where. The crew participated in an incredible collaboration with Biggie on the eventually-diamond-certified Life After Death. However, apart from quick-strikes on The Show and Great White Hype soundtracks, the collective unleashed one of the biggest and most enduring songs on the musical companion to Set It Off.
“Days Of Our Livez” embodies the most polished side of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. While the crew is very prolific in the independent era, 1996 was a slow and strategic period. This song was a major look for the F. Gary Gray film starring Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett-Smith. “Days…” sees Layzie, Krayzie, Wish and Bizzy pass the ball with each of their verses, with the group delivering a melodic hook that dabbles in their current hardships, even if the song was released in the midst of their greatest success.
Layzie opens the track with a quick-fire verse: “Eternally thugs, here I come tellin’ them soldier stories, Been daily collectin’ my lessons, without any questions / Without any questions, stressin’ no restin’, we journey this blessin’ / Shiftin’ the game rearranging thangs, ’cause once the world was bringin’ me down / Mesmerized controlled by the other side, but the devil was in my town.” Wish catches the verse to deliver a few bars of his own: “But he won’t get me in time, f*cking with Bone, and he liking these rhymes / We rhyme better believe it all the time, ni**a, we live / We straight up soldiers, Bet a ni**a done told ya, told ya / We rob before we go broke, ni**a we robbin’ y’all, all of y’all, all y’all.” Krayzie ends the song’s first set of verses, closing out with a statement on brotherhood: “Y’all my dogs, if you call or you fall / You can bet on that, ni**a, whenever that I will be there, lean on me / But let us get rid of the enemies.” After Eazy-E’s passing, the group’s respective heartfelt pain is still heard and felt in “Days Of Our Livez.”
The track reached the Top 10 of the Rap charts, as well as the overall Top 20. Thoughtfully, the Grammy Award-winner DJ U-Neek samples two mid-1980s sings. This includes “Tender Love” by Force MDs, produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. It also pulls from “Making Love In The Rain” by Herb Alpert, Janet Jackson and Lisa Keith, which Jam and Lewis also produced.
Although the soundtrack (also involving En Vogue, Organized Konfusion, Queen Latifah, and Goodie Mob) arrived on Sylvia Rhone’s EastWest Records, Ruthless also got involved. The song landed on the first installment of Bone’s The Collection two years later.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony dominated the mid-1990s with a unique style of Rap music. Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Wish Bone, Bizzy Bone, and Flesh-N-Bone put Ohio on the global Rap map with a harmonic sound that pulled from the church and the street alike. While 1994’s Creepin’ On Ah Come Up achieved gold-certification just a few months after its release, the quintet burst to the top of the charts just months after their mentor and employer, Eazy-E died (24 years ago this week). That ascent led to Grammy Awards, world tours, and more.
Creepin’…, 1995’s E. 1999 Eternal, and 1997’s The Art Of War all achieved quadruple-platinum status during the 1990s. Even with solo efforts, label woes, and Flesh’s incarceration, the group seemingly could not be stopped. During the crew’s meteoric rise, they started tightening the reigns on what music released where. The crew participated in an incredible collaboration with Biggie on the eventually-diamond-certified Life After Death. However, apart from quick-strikes on The Show and Great White Hype soundtracks, the collective unleashed one of the biggest and most enduring songs on the musical companion to Set It Off.
“Days Of Our Livez” embodies the most polished side of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. While the crew is very prolific in the independent era, 1996 was a slow and strategic period. This song was a major look for the F. Gary Gray film starring Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett-Smith. “Days…” sees Layzie, Krayzie, Wish and Bizzy pass the ball with each of their verses, with the group delivering a melodic hook that dabbles in their current hardships, even if the song was released in the midst of their greatest success.
Layzie opens the track with a quick-fire verse: “Eternally thugs, here I come tellin’ them soldier stories, Been daily collectin’ my lessons, without any questions / Without any questions, stressin’ no restin’, we journey this blessin’ / Shiftin’ the game rearranging thangs, ’cause once the world was bringin’ me down / Mesmerized controlled by the other side, but the devil was in my town.” Wish catches the verse to deliver a few bars of his own: “But he won’t get me in time, f*cking with Bone, and he liking these rhymes / We rhyme better believe it all the time, ni**a, we live / We straight up soldiers, Bet a ni**a done told ya, told ya / We rob before we go broke, ni**a we robbin’ y’all, all of y’all, all y’all.” Krayzie ends the song’s first set of verses, closing out with a statement on brotherhood: “Y’all my dogs, if you call or you fall / You can bet on that, ni**a, whenever that I will be there, lean on me / But let us get rid of the enemies.” After Eazy-E’s passing, the group’s respective heartfelt pain is still heard and felt in “Days Of Our Livez.”
The track reached the Top 10 of the Rap charts, as well as the overall Top 20. Thoughtfully, the Grammy Award-winner DJ U-Neek samples two mid-1980s sings. This includes “Tender Love” by Force MDs, produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. It also pulls from “Making Love In The Rain” by Herb Alpert, Janet Jackson and Lisa Keith, which Jam and Lewis also produced.
Although the soundtrack (also involving En Vogue, Organized Konfusion, Queen Latifah, and Goodie Mob) arrived on Sylvia Rhone’s EastWest Records, Ruthless also got involved. The song landed on the first installment of Bone’s The Collection two years later.
The second song Snoop Dogg ever released to the public may be his most iconic. “One-two-three-and to the fo’ / Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Dr. Dre is at the do’,” begins 1992’s “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang.” The first inhale of Dr. Dre’s Chronic presented a laid-back side of the Long Beach, California MC first heard on the menacing “Deep Cover” earlier that year.
“G Thang” has become a time-piece. It conjures images of lowriders, and indo’ smoke, barbeques, and looking over one’s shoulder at the light. With a would-be mogul behind the wheel of the track and the dark purple ’64 Impala in its equally iconic video, it is how folks remember G-Funk. While the genesis of G-Funk is up for debate, the song that many believe best exemplifies the sub-genre of Rap is not. The song was a grand introduction for Snoopy, who would show the world how an MC did it Doggystyle less than one year later.
“[Dr. Dre’s beat] ain’t what I wrote “‘G’ Thang’ off of,” reveals Snoop. “I wrote it off [this other beat].” Snoop mimics the bassline of the track. Host Questlove points out that it’s Southside Movement’s “I’ve Been Watching You” (embedded below),” Snoop confirms, “That’s the beat [Dr. Dre] gave me. I took it [over to] my cousin’s [in Long Beach], and I wrote the whole “‘G’ Thang” song to that. [I] came back to [SOLAR] Studios, and bust that sh*t off that for [Dr. Dre].” At 3:00 in the audio clip, Snoop demonstrates his flow in the beat. Quest’ and Phonte provide some improvised background vocals.
At the top of the clip, Questlove also points out to Snoop that Dre sampled his late parents’ (Lee and Jacqui Andrews) vocals for another element of the finished song. Congress Alley’s 1973 cut “Are You Looking” is used. Quest’ demonstrates, and Snoop knows exactly what he is referring to.
Elsewhere in the full conversation, Snoop details The D.O.C.’s input on “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang.” At 25:00 mins, he says that the Dallas, Texas Rap legend suggested the “like this, that, and this” famous part of the hook. Snoop says that The Chronic sessions yielded approximately 25 songs; Dre used 16. The rapper says his favorite cut that was not used is a song called “Hoe Hopper.” Snoop also says that until the late 2000s, he made approximately 15% of his tour revenue, because his ensemble stage shows employed 30 people at a time. Last month, his Doggystyle debut turned 25 years old.
#BonusBeat: The record containing the sample that Snoop Dogg wrote his iconic verse to:
The second song Snoop Dogg ever released to the public may be his most iconic. “One-two-three-and to the fo’ / Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Dr. Dre is at the do’,” begins 1992’s “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang.” The first inhale of Dr. Dre’s Chronic presented a laid-back side of the Long Beach, California MC first heard on the menacing “Deep Cover” earlier that year.
“G Thang” has become a time-piece. It conjures images of lowriders, and indo’ smoke, barbeques, and looking over one’s shoulder at the light. With a would-be mogul behind the wheel of the track and the dark purple ’64 Impala in its equally iconic video, it is how folks remember G-Funk. While the genesis of G-Funk is up for debate, the song that many believe best exemplifies the sub-genre of Rap is not. The song was a grand introduction for Snoopy, who would show the world how an MC did it Doggystyle less than one year later.
“[Dr. Dre’s beat] ain’t what I wrote “‘G’ Thang’ off of,” reveals Snoop. “I wrote it off [this other beat].” Snoop mimics the bassline of the track. Host Questlove points out that it’s Southside Movement’s “I’ve Been Watching You” (embedded below),” Snoop confirms, “That’s the beat [Dr. Dre] gave me. I took it [over to] my cousin’s [in Long Beach], and I wrote the whole “‘G’ Thang” song to that. [I] came back to [SOLAR] Studios, and bust that sh*t off that for [Dr. Dre].” At 3:00 in the audio clip, Snoop demonstrates his flow in the beat. Quest’ and Phonte provide some improvised background vocals.
At the top of the clip, Questlove also points out to Snoop that Dre sampled his late parents’ (Lee and Jacqui Andrews) vocals for another element of the finished song. Congress Alley’s 1973 cut “Are You Looking” is used. Quest’ demonstrates, and Snoop knows exactly what he is referring to.
Elsewhere in the full conversation, Snoop details The D.O.C.’s input on “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang.” At 25:00 mins, he says that the Dallas, Texas Rap legend suggested the “like this, that, and this” famous part of the hook. Snoop says that The Chronic sessions yielded approximately 25 songs; Dre used 16. The rapper says his favorite cut that was not used is a song called “Hoe Hopper.” Snoop also says that until the late 2000s, he made approximately 15% of his tour revenue, because his ensemble stage shows employed 30 people at a time. Last month, his Doggystyle debut turned 25 years old.
New Orleans, Louisiana veteran MC Curren$y is an underground sensation who has made a name for himself by staying out of the way, and in his lane. The laid-back lyricist most associated with classic cars and smoking herb seemingly never gets caught in drama. Instead, he has built a booming brand through releasing more music than just about any rapper on his level. His new collaborative effort Fetti—alongside Freddy Gibbs and entirely produced by Alchemist, is a testament to a catalog that has been in constant demand for upwards of a decade. Spitta recently sat down with the Rap Radar Podcast to discuss the album, his loyal following and a desire to maintain his status as an underground king.
While he’s had stints with labels No Limit, Cash Money, Young Money, Blu Roc/Def Jam, and Warner Bros. Records, Curren$y has made his most critical strides as an independent artist on his Jet Life imprint. That approach has served him well.
“I wait my turn,” he insists. “I never was on [Master] P’s bumper like, ‘Listen to this.’ I was there because of the homie. When somebody asked me what I could do, then that’s my turn. I never was on they bumper about [my Rap career or solo interests]. I used to pass out t-shirts.” In the early 2000s, Spitta was part of a 504 Boyz lineup. He joined P, Silkk The Shocker, Magic, Choppa, T-Bo, and Krazy ahead of 2002’s Ballers album, which cracked the Top 50 on the charts.
While earning a significant wage was an objective, Spitta never obsessed over it, because in his mind, it was just meant to be the way that it is. Like No Limit’s later years, that was the case during a fruitless period at Lil Wayne’s Young Money. “Where Da Cash At?” was a successful record, but the anticipated album never following. At 21:44, Spitta talks about “rolling the dice” and having faith in a higher power, which in turn ensures appropriate rewards from the universe. He continues, sharing his first interaction with Jadakiss at (22:02), where the LOX rapper acknowledged his Rap skills, but was more impressed by his determined spirit. “He was like, ‘You can rap and all that sh*t, but you was like, ‘Nah, I’ma do my own thing,’ and then you just did that sh*t!’” Spitta, who was rumored to have turned down an offer to be a Maybach Music Group artist in the early part of this decade, was a front-running example for an artist who does more independently.
To this day, Curren$y has no qualms sharing his music with the faithful masses, knowing his efforts will always come back to him. “I put [music] out, and if they get it for free, they get it for free,” he says. “But when I’m in they town, they can’t bootleg that. You gotta come off that $20 or $30.” Curren$y’s tours and spot dates have led him to a collection of an estimated 35 cars and several N.O. properties. During the Rap Radar interview, Spitta even admits that he bought an early-2000s model Bentley because it was the year that he thought he’d get one. The Rap industry had other plans.
The new father recalls an era when he recorded a string of mixtapes that are, to this day, considered classic material by many. His explanation is vivid, as he describes the 700-square-foot apartment and makeshift booth that helped him create improvisational magic. Among the items he used to record were a mic taped around an overturned chair, a tube sock and a wire hanger for the filter.
“Some people give me the credit I’m supposed to get, but I don’t give a f*ck about that,” he says, describing his impact on culture. As for collaborations, it’s something he’s all but perfected. Take the How Fly project with one Wiz Khalifa for example. “It changed the game. It changed how people smoke. It changed how people dress. It changed music,” he says with unbridled confidence. “That’s why a lot of those young dudes give it up to me.” Alluding to how comfortable he is with his place as an underground legend, Spitta shares another exchange with Talib Kweli where the Brooklyn rapper complimented his “Push Thru” collaborator (a song that also features Kendrick Lamar) about how loyal his fans are.
“You like the best and the worst buddy, because the people who listen to you, don’t want to hear shit else,’” the veteran says. The truth is, Curren$y’s overall trajectory and unwillingness to switch it up for the fetti, is a direct refutation of a verse made famous by one Shawn Carter:
“I dumbed down for my audience to double my dollars / They criticized me for it, yet they all yell ‘holla’ / If skills sold, truth be told, I’d probably be lyrically Talib Kweli / Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense But I did 5 mill’ – I ain’t been rhyming like Common since.”
#BonusBeat: Today, Spitta released “Flatbed Ferrari”:
New Orleans, Louisiana veteran MC Curren$y is an underground sensation who has made a name for himself by staying out of the way, and in his lane. The laid-back lyricist most associated with classic cars and smoking herb seemingly never gets caught in drama. Instead, he has built a booming brand through releasing more music than just about any rapper on his level. His new collaborative effort Fetti—alongside Freddy Gibbs and entirely produced by Alchemist, is a testament to a catalog that has been in constant demand for upwards of a decade. Spitta recently sat down with the Rap Radar Podcast to discuss the album, his loyal following and a desire to maintain his status as an underground king.
While he’s had stints with labels No Limit, Cash Money, Young Money, Blu Roc/Def Jam, and Warner Bros. Records, Curren$y has made his most critical strides as an independent artist on his Jet Life imprint. That approach has served him well.
“I wait my turn,” he insists. “I never was on [Master] P’s bumper like, ‘Listen to this.’ I was there because of the homie. When somebody asked me what I could do, then that’s my turn. I never was on they bumper about [my Rap career or solo interests]. I used to pass out t-shirts.” In the early 2000s, Spitta was part of a 504 Boyz lineup. He joined P, Silkk The Shocker, Magic, Choppa, T-Bo, and Krazy ahead of 2002’s Ballers album, which cracked the Top 50 on the charts.
While earning a significant wage was an objective, Spitta never obsessed over it, because in his mind, it was just meant to be the way that it is. Like No Limit’s later years, that was the case during a fruitless period at Lil Wayne’s Young Money. “Where Da Cash At?” was a successful record, but the anticipated album never following. At 21:44, Spitta talks about “rolling the dice” and having faith in a higher power, which in turn ensures appropriate rewards from the universe. He continues, sharing his first interaction with Jadakiss at (22:02), where the LOX rapper acknowledged his Rap skills, but was more impressed by his determined spirit. “He was like, ‘You can rap and all that sh*t, but you was like, ‘Nah, I’ma do my own thing,’ and then you just did that sh*t!’” Spitta, who was rumored to have turned down an offer to be a Maybach Music Group artist in the early part of this decade, was a front-running example for an artist who does more independently.
To this day, Curren$y has no qualms sharing his music with the faithful masses, knowing his efforts will always come back to him. “I put [music] out, and if they get it for free, they get it for free,” he says. “But when I’m in they town, they can’t bootleg that. You gotta come off that $20 or $30.” Curren$y’s tours and spot dates have led him to a collection of an estimated 35 cars and several N.O. properties. During the Rap Radar interview, Spitta even admits that he bought an early-2000s model Bentley because it was the year that he thought he’d get one. The Rap industry had other plans.
The new father recalls an era when he recorded a string of mixtapes that are, to this day, considered classic material by many. His explanation is vivid, as he describes the 700-square-foot apartment and makeshift booth that helped him create improvisational magic. Among the items he used to record were a mic taped around an overturned chair, a tube sock and a wire hanger for the filter.
“Some people give me the credit I’m supposed to get, but I don’t give a f*ck about that,” he says, describing his impact on culture. As for collaborations, it’s something he’s all but perfected. Take the How Fly project with one Wiz Khalifa for example. “It changed the game. It changed how people smoke. It changed how people dress. It changed music,” he says with unbridled confidence. “That’s why a lot of those young dudes give it up to me.” Alluding to how comfortable he is with his place as an underground legend, Spitta shares another exchange with Talib Kweli where the Brooklyn rapper complimented his “Push Thru” collaborator (a song that also features Kendrick Lamar) about how loyal his fans are.
“You like the best and the worst buddy, because the people who listen to you, don’t want to hear shit else,’” the veteran says. The truth is, Curren$y’s overall trajectory and unwillingness to switch it up for the fetti, is a direct refutation of a verse made famous by one Shawn Carter:
“I dumbed down for my audience to double my dollars / They criticized me for it, yet they all yell ‘holla’ / If skills sold, truth be told, I’d probably be lyrically Talib Kweli / Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense But I did 5 mill’ – I ain’t been rhyming like Common since.”
#BonusBeat: Today, Spitta released “Flatbed Ferrari”:
Galt MacDermot has died at the age of 89 today (December 17). It was one day before his 90th birthday. Although family members confirmed the news, according to Rolling Stone, a cause of death has not been made public.
In the early ’60s, MacDermot—who studied at South Africa’s Capetown University, relocated in New York City. He produced Julian “Cannonball” Adderley during this time. Towards the end of the decade, the emerging composer partnered with lyricists Gerome Ragni and James Rado to work on Hair, which debuted off-Broadway in 1967. In the 1970s, Galt lent his talents to Two Gentlemen Of Verona, a modernized William Shakespeare adaptation.
Ahead of his death, Galt MacDermot embraced his extended following through Hip-Hop, Rare Groove, and crate diggers. While Madlib sampled the great, Galt released his Up From The Basement series with some help from Now-Again Records. It included some Hair takes.
Ambrosia For Heads extends condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Galt MacDermot.
Galt MacDermot has died at the age of 89 today (December 17). It was one day before his 90th birthday. Although family members confirmed the news, according to Rolling Stone, a cause of death has not been made public.
In the early ’60s, MacDermot—who studied at South Africa’s Capetown University, relocated in New York City. He produced Julian “Cannonball” Adderley during this time. Towards the end of the decade, the emerging composer partnered with lyricists Gerome Ragni and James Rado to work on Hair, which debuted off-Broadway in 1967. In the 1970s, Galt lent his talents to Two Gentlemen Of Verona, a modernized William Shakespeare adaptation.
Ahead of his death, Galt MacDermot embraced his extended following through Hip-Hop, Rare Groove, and crate diggers. While Madlib sampled the great, Galt released his Up From The Basement series with some help from Now-Again Records. It included some Hair takes.
Ambrosia For Heads extends condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Galt MacDermot.
