[comp/article] RAKIM - The scrapped '95 album

[claaa7]

i've been heavily on my Rakim shit lately, listening extensively to everything from "Paid in Full" to the underrated "The Seventh Seal". Between '92:s "Don't Sweat..." and his official solo deut in '97, "The 18:th Letter" Ra took a well deserved 5 years break...... Or not!

I did a three volume series of compilations for Mr. Griffin about a year ago; one focusing on all the singles, B-sides and unreleased from "18 Letter", "The Master" and "Seventh Seal", respectively. However I realized I had to go back to that first volume and completely change it when it became evident that the reason so many tracks from that era has leaked and been bootlegged is because The R actually recorded an entire album in late 1995, possibly early '96. The first piece of the puzzle was the three songs that Dominic Owens of Hi-Class released three HQ 320 rips of songs he had recorded with Rakim in 1995 at Hi-Class Studios. Owens is of course the producer behind Biggie's timeless "Things Fall Apart" and it's possible that's why The R was after him.

the second piece came when reading this brilliant interview that Robert Ettelson concocted for his Unkut.com website. Here he said that he recorded three songs for Rakim in 1995; "Bring It On" (which also was in the Owens sessions, alabeit slightly different and with a completely different beat), "The Original Style" and a third track that they never got a chance to complete. Here Domingo said right in the open that Rakim for some reaosn shelved the entire album because of this.

that he was recording an album in betwween "Don't Sweat" and "18th Letter" explains a lot.. like the amount of unreleased Rakim solos from that era that has leaked in some form, tracks by people like Pete Rock ("Living For The City"), Buckwild ("Last Resort"), Nick Wiz ("Once Upon A Rhyme; "Show Me Love" - Rugged Version), Easy Mo Bee, Gary G-Wiz of Bomb Squad.

All in all 13 tracks, about 45 minutes and it truly sounds like the missing piece between the two albums preceding and following it. it's not as scommercially viable as "18:th Letter", there's all good tracks on here and hopeully it will one day be releassed in this vein. It's also an extremely important time document as it is the only time we fans have been able to see how Ra work behind the scenes, what a perfectionist is - many of these songs are available in multiple versions, and when he wasn't happy with it he scrapped it entirely!! play this from front-to-back and ENJOY and click here to read the full article.


01. "Bring It On" [Dominic Owens] (1995)
02. "Shades Of Black" [Easy Mo Bee] (1995)
03. "The Original Style" [Domingo] (1995)
04. "Last Resort" [Buckwild" (1995)
05. "Living For the City" [Pete Rock] (1995)
06. "New York to Cali" [Dominic Owens] (1995]
07. "We All Got Plans" [Marley Marl] (1996)
08. "Show Me Love" (Rugged) [Nick Wiz] [1996]
09. "Heat It Up" [Gary "G-Wiz"] (1993)
10. "Remember Dat" [Salaam Remi] (1995)
11. "Once Upon A Rhyme" [Nick Wiz] (1995)
12. *"Bring It On" [Domingo Mix] (1995)
13. "I Get Visual" [Dominic Owens] (1995)

DOWNLOAD @ MEGA.CO.NZ

[STAM]

Much respect claaa7! much respect, you strikes again wit some real shit for all hip hop heads. one love kid

[illest]

Pete Rock did not produce living for the city

[Tim Burton]

Great post. Thanks for the download.

[claaa7]

illest: thanks for the info, do you know who did?

[dilla7]

Thanks claaa7

[Stieflkater]

There are 2 versions of "Living For The City"...





Hopefully you put the nautilus one on your comp.

[bignormy]

Very cool, thanks. Interesting how Domingo apparently takes a shot at Dominic Owen in that interview.

The main bootleg was always this one
http://www.discogs.com/Rakim-Unreleased ... ase/522750" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

but I had a tape of this one which I always liked better
http://www.discogs.com/Rakim-Untitled/release/1287441" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

These versions seem a little more obscure but I prefer the mixes, especially The Last Resort and Living for the City. I remember that beat for the Last Resort being used in the hiero/hobo battle (save that beat for casual!)

I always vaguely remember some compilation called "Rakim Uncut" but that's probably just a bootleg of the same stuff

[Bigg Boss Luciano]

great comp as usual! thanx claaa7!

[Stieflkater]

Them Dominic Owens versions are never ever from 1995. What kind of clown is that dude?



AIYO turn the base up a little bit G

You put the Dominic ass fuck version on your comp over this? FOR REAL



Guess Domingo did those:

Code: Select all

https://www.sendspace.com/file/is06e9

this is only available with fucked up bass / false EQ

[illest]

illest: thanks for the info, do you know who did?

not sure...I know Pete was on his twitter saying he didn't do it.

[Bigg Boss Luciano]

Them Dominic Owens versions are never ever from 1995. What kind of clown is that dude?

Yup, those beats are definitely not from the '90's

[Philaflava]

[Versive]

FIRE

[claaa7]

Them Dominic Owens versions are never ever from 1995. What kind of clown is that dude?



AIYO turn the base up a little bit G

You put the Dominic ass fuck version on your comp over this? FOR REAL

who the hell you're calling clown? i love the respect here at Philaflava but i can't stand that rare number of elitist people that are on any forum that consider themeselves the superior authority on hip-hop.

i did a comp of all these other versions about one or two years ago, search for "The Lost Album" +Rakim +claaa7 if you're interested. the main point of this compilation "Last Platoon" was to focus on the Dominic Owens and the Domingo songs, based on the Unkut interview, mixed with some other songs from the period. and how i think it shows in an interesting way Rakim's perfection that he had an entire album worth of material and just scrapped it, and even further how many times many of those songs was remixed.

as far as the Dominic Owens songs goes, when they first popped up i was sure that they were some bullshit 2013 remixes and din't even give them a listen.. having read up as much as i can on both Dominic Owens (i didn't even realize how many underground hip-hop artists he worked with in the early to mid-'90s) at his Hi-Class Studios. I don't believe Owens would say and describe how he specifically recorded these songs with Rakim at Hi-Class Studios in 1995. As Big Boss Luciano points out they don't sound like '90s beats, but my understanding is that they are slightly touched up and repolished versions of the original songs recorded in the '90s, using the same elements but updating them to sound more current. as the raw tracks are not available this is as close as it come..

that "Nautilus" remix of "Living in the City" was really cool though, never heard that, so props for enlighting me on that.

[claaa7]

Them Dominic Owens versions are never ever from 1995. What kind of clown is that dude?



AIYO turn the base up a little bit G

You put the Dominic ass fuck version on your comp over this? FOR REAL

who the hell you're calling clown? you really come off as one of those elitist hip-hop fans, who think you're the ultimate authority on the culture here

i did a comp of all these other versions about one or two years ago, search for "The Lost Album" +Rakim +claaa7 if you're interested. the main point of this compilation "Last Platoon" was to focus on the Dominic Owens and the Domingo songs, based on the Unkut interview, mixed with some other songs from the period. and how i think it shows in an interesting way Rakim's perfection that he had an entire album worth of material and just scrapped it, and even further how many times many of those songs was remixed.

as far as the Dominic Owens songs goes, when they first popped up i was sure that they were some bullshit 2013 remixes and din't even give them a listen.. having read up as much as i can on both Dominic Owens (i didn't even realize how many underground hip-hop artists he worked with in the early to mid-'90s) at his Hi-Class Studios. I don't believe Owens would say and describe how he specifically recorded these songs with Rakim at Hi-Class Studios in 1995. As Big Boss Luciano points out they don't sound like '90s beats, but my understanding is that they are slightly touched up and repolished versions of the original songs recorded in the '90s, using the same elements but updating them to sound more current. as the raw tracks are not available this is as close as it come..

that "Nautilus" remix of "Living in the City" was really cool though, never heard that, so props for enlighting me on that.

[Stieflkater]

Aight Aight still think the DO reworks are trash. Won't believe the dude until I hear one of the OG's done in 95. (especially if the music was done at HIS studios)

Thx I got all the rare Rakim stuff before you put up your comps.

[Rachel Hobozal]

Aight Aight still think the DO reworks are trash. Won't believe the dude until I hear one of the OG's done in 95. (especially if the music was done at HIS studios)

Thx I got all the rare Rakim stuff before you put up your comps.

You're what's wrong with hip hop. In other words, go get hit by a truck. WAH WAH I HAD IT FIRST SO I'M BETTER. As Kurupt so eloquently put it: Nigga... you're more of a bitch than a bitch.

[dirtywaters]

That Unreleased Rakim Studio EP is one of my favorite records,

[Stieflkater]

You're what's wrong with hip hop. In other words, go get hit by a truck. WAH WAH I HAD IT FIRST SO I'M BETTER. As Kurupt so eloquently put it: Nigga... you're more of a bitch than a bitch.

a. Look at your post count and ask what might be wrong with your life
b. I don't give a fuck about Hip-Hop - I just listen to records...let the mystery remain...I have met many artists that are just suckers and bums in the worst way. (Motherfuckers smoking weed next to their 3 year old child / junkies / talking bullshit / grown men scratching each other in the face - plus they tell that kind of shit to 3rd parties...i never asked for such looser stories [on worked with Peatnut Butter Wolf - the other is from Boston] etc...) You are a total doofus too.
c. Stop quoting dumb ass motherfuckers like they was scholars or something - at least quote Paris or Chuck D or KAM not total idiots
d. I never said I'm better - I just stated that he didn't put me on to it...alkutraz had that shit on his blog way back...

[Rachel Hobozal]

You're what's wrong with hip hop. In other words, go get hit by a truck. WAH WAH I HAD IT FIRST SO I'M BETTER. As Kurupt so eloquently put it: Nigga... you're more of a bitch than a bitch.

a. Look at your post count and ask what might be wrong with your life
b. I don't give a fuck about Hip-Hop - I just listen to records...let the mystery remain...I have met many artists that are just suckers and bums in the worst way. (Motherfuckers smoking weed next to their 3 year old child / junkies / talking bullshit / grown men scratching each other in the face - plus they tell that kind of shit to 3rd parties...i never asked for such looser stories [on worked with Peatnut Butter Wolf - the other is from Boston] etc...) You are a total doofus too.
c. Stop quoting dumb ass motherfuckers like they was scholars or something - at least quote Paris or Chuck D or KAM not total idiots
d. I never said I'm better - I just stated that he didn't put me on to it...alkutraz had that shit on his blog way back...

Oh ok.

Regardless, you're an idiot and my statement remains true. Unlike you, I find things on my own and don't need blogs to put me up on shit. You're a leach. And a shitty dude. Go fuck your mother. Then put a quarter in your ass, homie; 'cause you played yourself.