Category Archives: Rap

In addition to Battlecat, another slept-on West Coast producer who deserves to be in the funk hall of fame is E-A-Ski, an Oakland native who’s been making classic records with his partner CMT since the early ’90s. Best known as the original hitmakers behind Spice 1 and Master P’s California years (Ski released his solo debut on No Limit in ’92), the duo created some of the most memorable records of the ’90s, including smoothed-out gems for Suave House artists like Mr. Mike and g-funk hits for West Coast icons like Kam. After a few quiet years, Ski & CMT popped up again in the hyphy era with a new sound and a string of hits, including The Team’s “Moe Doe.” For 30 classics from their indisputable 20-year discography, download The E-A-Ski & CMT Collection…

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TRACKLIST + DOWNLOAD LINK…

The influence of Soul Assassins mastermind Lawrence “DJ Muggs” Muggerud on West Coast hip-hop shouldn’t be underestimated. Originally a native of Queens who moved to LA as a teenager, the ill Italiano got his chops in the late ’80s DJing for short-lived Geffen Records rap group The 7A3 (as DJ Grandmixer Muggs…he’s the one on the left). KDAY’s Julio G introduced him to rappers B-Real and the the Reyes brothers (Sen Dog and Mellow Man Ace), a partnership that led to the formation of Cypress Hill.

The massive success of the group, fueled by Muggs’s unique, playfully dark sound, blazed a new trail for West Coast rap. The producer’s sample-heavy, New York-influenced beats made the group’s first two album hip-hop classics, and before long he was one of the genre’s most in-demand beatmakers, working with heavyweights like Ice Cube and mentoring newer Soul Assassins artists like Funkdoobiest, House of Pain and a young Alchemist. The rise of the West Coast underground scene in the ’90s owes a massive debt to Muggs’ unorthadox work, which proved that music that was decidedly not g-funk could still represent Cali correct. I compiled a grip of must-have Muggs classics for this week’s second Uggh…Nice Watch collection…

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TRACKLIST + DOWNLOAD LINK!!

Quik and Dre are rightfully lauded as the giants of West Coast hip-hop, but one guy that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath is Kevin “DJ Battlecat” Gilliam. This dude is g-funk in the flesh. Amazing. Originally a radio DJ at KDAY, he blew up as a producer in ’93 with Domino’s huge hits “Getto Jam” and “Sweet Potato Pie,” adding a cooled-out, jazzy R&B flavor to the funk-based sound of the minute (Doggystyle came out two weeks before Domino’s debut).

Since then, Battlecat has become a West Coast staple, producing hits and hidden gems on a slew of classic albums, from Ras Kass to Snoop. I was watching video video of him in the studio recently (this one), and it really made sense that he would be such a big Tribe Called Quest fan. He’s sort of gotten pigeonholed as a niche West Coast-only producer for whatever reason, despite his creativity, track record and amazing musicality. A lot of great producers come and fade away, but a Cat track is still as dope today as it was in 1995. Take a listen to this week’s release and you’ll hear what I mean. I compiled some highlights from the last 20 years…

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TRACKLIST + DOWNLOAD LINK!!

Making fun of modern day backpackers is definitely one of my favorite hobbies, but truth be told, I was obsessed with the original era of so-called “backpack rap” in the mid-to-late ’90s. At the same time that hip-hop’s bigger-than-life jiggy era was in full bloom, an alternative scene sprung up, centered around independent vinyl releases, lyrical experimentation and a rejection of “the industry.”

Most of these classic records were only issued on 12″ single in the years before file-sharing exploded, and as a result, many of these artists and songs have been forgotten. To me, the backpack era officially ended in 1999, when Eminem blew up and Funk Flex started playing Pharoahe Monch’s “Simon Says” on Hot97. I’ve compiled 40 of my favorite joints from the era for your listening pleasure.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TRACKLIST + DOWNLOAD LINKS