All the demos from the Complex list

Krisch · Post by **Krisch** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 6:52 am

Verge had suggested to compile all those demos from Complex' "The 30 Greatest Hip-Hop Demos" list that Chairman Mao put together last month.
So decided to take a shot at it.

Maybe later, we can add some stuff they left out.

So, below is the list complete with what Chairman Mao had to say about each demo and dl links to each individual track.

Edit: I first thought about uploading all the tracks myself, as I collected most of them from different places of the years (this forum, TROY blog, Pressrewind blog, etc.) But then I realized that all the hulkshare links from Complex are still up, so I only had to find the right ones and copy and paste them..

Edit 2: I'll add some links for full tapes if I find some. Probably some of them are not from the original uploaders. But I just look for working links, so props to everybody who uploaded that stuff in the first place!

#30. J Rock, Six Song Demo (1990)

edit: full tape: http://djpremierblog.blogspot.com/2009/ ... -1990.html

J Rock "Drug Dealer"
http://new.hulkshare.com/u4bs2ahvoo8n

J Rock "Let's Get It Together"
http://new.hulkshare.com/gsc2anmc4i2t

J Rock "The Messiah"
http://new.hulkshare.com/pdl05okq7rj5

One of the earliest (December ג90) Source magazine גUnsigned Hypeג honorees, J Rockגs six-song demo features versions of tracks that would later show up on his underground

classic, Streetwize (an album of socially-conscious corner reportage that was, ironically, bankrolled by notorious Newburgh, NY drug dealer, Jeff Murphy). Streetwize would

go on to feature production contributions from two guys named DJ Premier and Easy Mo Bee. But as proven by the self-produced rough sketches of גThe Messiahג and גDrug

Dealerג (which eerily foretold Murphyגs eventual arrest), J Rock was no slouch himself on the beats, and could already flow on the mic like a pro.

#29. DMX, Four Song Demo (1991)

DMX "Spell Bound"
http://new.hulkshare.com/vqq8aveaq557

A January 1991 גUnsigned Hypeג winner (may wanna get used to reading those last three words), DMXגs demo featured Earl No-Shirt rhyming in a cadence that relied more on

Treach-esque dexterity than the gruffer tone of his Ruff Ryders heyday, landing him a brief single deal with Ruffhouse/Columbia. Fond as X would eventually become of

barking, biting was still a no-no. On גSpellbound,ג he attempted to re-claim the letter-man rhyme style K-Solo rode to fame, accusing Solo of stealing the technique while

the two were fellow inmates and sometime rhyme battle foes in the same correctional facility years earlier

28) Artifacts, Four Song Demo (1993)

Artifacts "Attack of New Jerusalem"
http://new.hulkshare.com/5u7xypyoetfo

Artifacts f/ Brand Nubian"Check Da Fine Print"
http://new.hulkshare.com/4bm9hxqnkyzn

Artifacts "Wrong Side Of Da Tracks (Original)"
http://new.hulkshare.com/jsblq0ehjo18

Tame One and El da Sensai undoubtedly snagged some attention from labels just off the strength of their winning appearances on WKCRגs Stretch Armstrong Show (taking top

honors in an over-the-phone rhyme contest). Also working in the גFactsג favor was that Tame could claim family ties with a famous rapping cousin, one Reginald גRedmanג

Noble. But give the Brick City kids credit for leaving nothing to chance with their demo, which garnered an גUnsigned Hypeג nod in April 1993. It was notable for featuring

a James Brown-fueled rendition of גWrong Side of Da Tracksג with Lord Jamar on the chorus, and the cautionary music industry primer גCheck Da Fine Printגגanother pairing

with Brand Nubian over Ray Barretto-sampled Afro-Latin piano licks.

#27. Last Emperor, Four Song Demo (1997)

Last Emperor "Bums"
http://new.hulkshare.com/kwklxthhfe4e

Last Emperor "Keep On"
http://new.hulkshare.com/b9otczboot6u

Last Emperor "Meditation"
http://new.hulkshare.com/jiixixzwklcj

Last Emperor "Secret Wars"
http://new.hulkshare.com/98gshjt86eru

גSecret Warsגגan imagined face-off between comic book characters and rappers (complete with Last Empגs spot-on impersonations of Redman, Busta, Method Man, and even Lauryn

Hill)גall but epitomized that ג90s underground rap subgenre most commonly affiliated with JanSports and other re-purposed camping wear. The looser demo version, rather than

the indie 12-inch version, remains the definitive takeגthe buzz off of which eventually landed LE deals with both Rawkus and Aftermath.

#26. UGK "Underground King" (1990)

UGK גUnderground Kingג
http://new.hulkshare.com/7fsqt7bx1ql2

This isnגt the recording responsible for UGKגs deal with Jive Records. That distinction belongs to The Southern Way, Pimp C and Bun Bגs indie cassette release on Bygtime

(the bulk of which would be re-worked for Too Hard to Swallow). One of the earliest demos credited to the group, גUnderground Kingג doesnגt even feature Bun B, but the

first incarnation of UGKגPimp C and Mitchell Queen. (When Bun and Jalon Jackson of fellow Port Arthur, TX duo, P.A. Militia, joined the group, it began doing business as 4

Black Ministers. After Queen and Jackson left Pimp C and Bun B reverted back to the name UGK) Regardless, historical documents donגt get much more intriguing or

entertaining than this late ג80s artifact, which finds Pimp C and Mitch spitting over גFunky Drummer,ג and pointedly dissing colleagues over in Houston (גR-A-P-A-L-O-T

ainגt shit to meגגfrom Pimp C, of course). Trill shining.

#25. Tha Alkaholiks (p.k.a. E.S.P.), Six Song Demo (1991)

Tha Alkaholiks גL.A. Law ג
http://new.hulkshare.com/outbpbw6swmi

Tha Alkaholiks גNiggaz Ain't Laughing No Moreג
http://new.hulkshare.com/jv9xbbjyz90z

Tha Alkaholiks גWe Gets Funkyג
http://new.hulkshare.com/s2yjtx9sp4pv

Tha Alkaholiks גWadadadangג
http://new.hulkshare.com/6ez396aoi90e

Tha Alkaholiks גWelcome to the Grooveyardג
http://new.hulkshare.com/mvfhhhjrhycb

Great early work from the L.A.-by-way-of-Ohio trio before they apparently realized E.S.P., a.k.a. Everyday Street Poets, (not the spoken-word-nightmare-sounding Educated

Street Poets, as some have written) was a handle too staid and generic to describe their infectious rhyme revelry. Subject matter-wise, neither could demo digs at haters

(גNiggaz Ainגt Laughing No Moreג), gold diggers (גWadadadangג), or crooked cops (גL.A. Lawג) dampen the pre-Loud Liksג party groove.

#24. Big L, "Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous" Demos (1991-2)

Big L f/ Terra, Buddah Bless, Big Twan, Killa Kam, Trooper J. & Mike Boogie ג8 Iz Enuffג
http://new.hulkshare.com/9qf769mkogpa

Big L גNo Endz, No Skinzג
http://new.hulkshare.com/ktujwgccl5jg

Big L גPrinciple of the New Schoolג
http://new.hulkshare.com/8a7c6zlaixeo

Thought to have been entirely lost in the fire that destroyed Jazzy Jayגs BX studio in 1993, a handful of Big L recordings from late ג91 and early ג92 were discovered to

have actually survived. Though never formally shopped to Columbia (according to Showbiz) these tapes include the OG versions of LODP&Dגs גNo Endz, No Skinzג and גGive It To

גEm, Lג (released this past year by via Freestyle Records), and the posse extravaganza ג8 Iz Enuffג featuring CamגRon and other Harlem rhyme luminaries (from Herb McGruffגs

The Demo EP on One Leg Up Records). With its chirping jazz horns and undeniable uptown bounce, the previously unreleased, Show-produced גPrinciple of the New Schoolג

captures that vintage D.I.T.C. flavor something lovely.

#23. Show & A.G., "Runaway Slave" Demos (1990-1)

Show & A.G. "Diggin' in the Crates (Original Version)"
http://new.hulkshare.com/bxmftbk2z1ai

Show & A.G. "I'm Convinced"
http://new.hulkshare.com/l1h4uww4i1yq

Show & A.G. "To Each His Own (More Than One Way Out of the Ghetto) (Original Version)"
http://new.hulkshare.com/smbcoafbi57e

Thereגs גMore Than One Way Out the Ghettoג indeed. As is generally known, BX underground hero Showbiz gave up shopping his גSoul Clapג demo with partner Andre the Giant and

just did the damn thing himself on the independent tip in ג91. What wasnגt widely known until 2008 (via Freestyle Recordsג limited edition Broken Chains EP) was the cache

of alternate versions the duo worked on before dropping its classic Runaway Slave on Payday/Polygram. These included OG takes of the anthem that christened a clique,

גDigginג In the Cratesג with Diamond D, and גTo Each His Ownג (a.k.a. the above mentioned גMore Than One Wayג), plus גIגm Convincedגגa previously unreleased Diamond-

produced gem.

#22. Mudbones (featuring Cage) "Crazy Man Ahead" (1992)

Mudbones "Crazy Man Ahead"
http://new.hulkshare.com/lqaskwf1lij6

A classic early demoגand a WKCR Stretch Armstrong Show favoriteגfrom the troubled, but hugely talented Cage (and crew) that nearly garnered him a solo deal with Pete Nice

and KCR co-host Bobbito Garciaגs Hoppoh imprint through Columbia (until the parent label realized Cage was too messed up on drugs to actually record material it could

release). The boom-bip Junior Mance beat Q-Tip flipped for Tribeגs גPush It Alongג (topped off with a hint of the Smithגs tremelo-dious גHow Soon Is Now?ג) sets the stage

for Cageגs out-to-lunch lyrical onslaughtגwhich is sort of like Das EFX with less גiggedysג and more references to rape and murder. Yes, Cage drops frequent n-bombs. Yes,

he invites Nancy Reagan to suck him off. And yet he still finds a menace-free moment to note in true ג90s style, גNot Christian Laettner/But Iגm livinג like a duke.ג Sick

genius.

#21. Brand Nubian, Pre-"All For One" Demos (1989-90)

edit: The Now Rule Files EP: http://www.thetroyblog.com/2009/10/02/b ... 1989-1997/

edit2: Brand Nubian "How Ya Living?" (full version): http://www.mediafire.com/?m8twkilh68sdbwa

Brand Nubian "How Ya Living?"
http://new.hulkshare.com/i80vpwhbnqrc

Brand Nubian "I Ain't Going Out Like That"
http://new.hulkshare.com/79gphejkw8na

Brand Nubian "The Devil"
http://new.hulkshare.com/s2i9obtq3toa

Original line-up? Check. Great production? Check (Pete Rockגs גHow Ya Livinגג). Five Percent militancy? Check (גThe Devilגגthe OG גSoul Controllerג). Multiple Grand Puba

and Oprah references? Check. A classic lost demo? Check.

#20. Casual, "Fear Itself" Demos (1992)

edit: Full tape (one file): http://cultureking.wordpress.com/2008/1 ... -demo-mp3/

Casual "Can U Feel It?"
http://new.hulkshare.com/61zqp4v77esi

Casual f/ Pep Love "It Gets No Better"
http://new.hulkshare.com/9ki7whck2g65

Great early renditions of several songs that would later appear on Casualגs 1994 Jive debut, Fear Itself, but with occasionally different (some would argue even better)

beats, samples, and lyrics. Figure in a few altogether unreleased treats as well (גCan U Feel Itג; גIt Gets No Betterג with Pep Love) and it wonגt just be Hiero devotees

exclaiming, גMe-O-Mi-Whoa!ג

#19. O.C., Three Song Demo (1993)

edit: http://hiphoprarities.blogspot.com/2009 ... -tape.html

O.C. "Step Into the O-Zone"
http://new.hulkshare.com/6tkid6wzrg6q

If it seems like there are a ton of unreleased early ג90s O.C. tracks in circulation, thatגs because as many as forty songs were recorded during the sessions for the Wordג¦

Life LP. (Consult No Sleep Recordsג recent limited edition, O.C. Originals EP, for an appetizing sampler.) As for what constituted Oגs actual shopped demo, Word... Life

executive producer MC Serch recalls just three tracks: early takes of the songs that would become גBorn to Liveג and גO-Zoneג (then known in its more explicitly D.I.T.C.-

sounding incarnation as גStep Into the O-Zoneג), and a track called גDo You Believe.ג After coming close to signing with Elektra via legendary A&R exec Dante Ross, O re-

grouped with Serch and scored a deal with Wild Pitch.

#18. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, "The Lost Demos" (Late ג80s)

edit: full tape: http://hiphoprarities.blogspot.com/2009 ... demos.html

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien "Mr. Lovable"
http://new.hulkshare.com/is65dmdhzd0x

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien "Smoked Out Charlie"
http://new.hulkshare.com/g7qy8zo3vz2g

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien "Word To The Wise"
http://new.hulkshare.com/oz0kbznlzn8r

A batch of immensely entertaining demo tracks produced by Da Lench Mobגs Sir Jinx that features Delגs voice sounding, as them fools out West say, hella young, and that

suggest ideas later more fully developed on I Wish My Brother George Was Here: גMr. Lovableג contains the line, גlight-skinגd girls ainגt better than Black skinג; גSmoked

Out Charlieג describes a local baseheadגs misadventures in גMistadabolinaג-esque fashion. Meanwhile, גWord to the Wiseג fuses bad-ass kiddie raps and a fluid stop-start

cadence over heart attack-inducing 808s.

#17. Ras Kass, "Soul On Ice" Demos (1995)

edit: full tape: http://www.2dopeboyz.com/2007/11/13/300/

Ras Kass "Capital RAS"
http://new.hulkshare.com/j6auh8mbn50e

Ras Kass "Core Audience"
http://new.hulkshare.com/5znbc6uu4ky6

Ras Kass "Everything I Love"
http://new.hulkshare.com/m3nm3afbuh5o

"He probably had more hype off of his demos than he ever had when he came out as an artist," concedes former Ras Kass manager Paul "DJ P" Stewart of the Carson, CA rhyme

prodigy. The most common critique of the Left Coast lyrical savior's official debut was that its production failed to match the sophistication and intensity of Rasג verses.

Not the case with the Soul On Ice demos, whose grittier OG versions bring it closer to approximating the Southland Illmatic Ras fanatics fiended for.

#16. DJ Shadow, "Hip-Hop Reconstruction From the Ground Up" Demo (1991)

DJ Shadow "Hip-Hop Reconstruction From the Ground Up"
http://new.hulkshare.com/5olg5p4j4ill

Shadowגs groundbreaking mixtape demoגwhich holds the distinction of being the first non-rapper גUnsigned Hypeג winner (June ג91)גshowcased not only the technical wizardry

of his DJing, but his innovative producing and remixing talents (the latter especially evident on his touch-up of Eric B. & Rakimגs גLet the Rhythm Hit גEmג). Serato babies

are still playing catch-up.

#15. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, "C.L. Strikes Again" (1989)

edit: Basement Demos EP: http://hiphopfanatik.blogspot.com/2009/ ... os-ep.html

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth "C.L. Strikes Again"
http://hulkshare.com/ovx7nfus2rt6

Bonus Track (Not on demo but mentioned below)

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth "The Midnight Wrecka"
http://new.hulkshare.com/eqvzwcnavane

Already in tight with the rap industry thanks to his session work for cousin Heavy D and a landmark stint behind the turntables on Marley Marlגs In Control Show on WBLS,

Pete Rock instantly proved the worth of his partnership with C.L. Smooth in the spring and summer of ג89 by dropping this ditty over the airwaves. It featured the trademark

elements of the Pete and C.L. sound: the גNightcap of Rapגsג down-to-earth delivery supported by the Soul Brotherגs scratch cuts and perpetually locked-in-pocket James

Brown-tinged groove. One Leg Up Recordsג limited edition 2009 EP of pre-All Souled Out recordings, The Basement Demos, sadly doesnגt include the above heater, but rescues

another former BLS exclusive, the hypnotic גThe Midnight Wrecka,ג from the vaults.

#14. Cypress Hill, Six Song Demo (1990)

edit: full demo: http://www.unkut.com/2010/06/download-c ... demo-tape/

Cypress Hill "Caliente"
http://new.hulkshare.com/0wvstemfgsoi

Cypress Hill "Real Estate"
http://new.hulkshare.com/gst7es98bq7t

Cypress Hill "The Phunkee Feel One"
http://new.hulkshare.com/3mcrr777jtg0

Perennial West Coast man in the mix Paul "DJ P" Stewart remembers Muggs cutting the early Cypress demos while living in the same apartment complex as DJ Alladin. Weגre

imagining Melrose Place with considerably more bass and blunts. Includes raw renditions of several Cypress classics and one, ahem, smokinג unreleased number ("Caliente")

that merges Wattstax, Spanglish, and Spencer Davis Group samples.

#13. Eminem, "Kid Chaos" Demos (1988-1992)

Eminem f/ Chaos Kid "Artificial Flavour"
http://new.hulkshare.com/jgto65her2zk

Eminem f/ Chaos Kid "Poo Butt"
http://new.hulkshare.com/kj55hnpv1uln

Eminem f/ Chaos Kid "Unrealistically Graphic"
http://new.hulkshare.com/qn2st1fadjv9

Made public just over a year ago, these are decidedly ill discoveries: Em and then-partner Kid Chaos kick playful tongue-twisting fast raps over late ג80s/early ג90s SD50s

-style beats, showing the unmistakable influence of the likes of 3rd Bass, K.M.D., and Brand Nubian. (Donגt even pretend the sing-song chorus to גPoo Buttג doesnגt sound

like theyגre sayinג, גPuba.ג) Though Em didnגt catch his big break גtil years later with his performances at the ג97 Rap Olympics, this trio of tracks shows the extent of

his pure rhyming skill even while still searching for his own voice and mimicking popular styles of the day.

#12. Hurricane G "Milky" (1991)

Hurricane G f/ Erick Sermon & Red Man "Milky"
http://new.hulkshare.com/ccimu3lxrl5o

A classic WKCR exclusive that still causes a storm on the Internutz. If all existing recordings of גMilkyג sound murky thatגs because, as Stretch Armstrong explained in

2007 on his now-sadly-rarely-updated blog, konstantkontact.blogspot.com, גThere was never a master or even an acetate or DAT...strictly cassette, so what you hear is pretty

much as good as it ever sounded. Why it didnגt launch Gloriaגs career back then, I donגt know. Maybe it was some baby-mama drama with Erick Sermon, but I canגt call it.ג

Hurricane G would finally release a (גMilkyג-less) debut LP, All Woman, on H.O.L.A. Records in 1997, but this mysterious demo rarity was far and away her finest moment.

#11. Lord Finesse, Two Song Demo (1989)

edit: Funky Dope Maneuver EP: http://wackhiphop.blogspot.com/2008/11/ ... -dope.html

Lord Finesse "Bust a Lil' Something (Nautilus Version)"
http://new.hulkshare.com/p7p2ww5czp6x

Lord Finesse "No Stoppin'"
http://new.hulkshare.com/izd1qlfc5mp2

All demo resurrection projects should be as well-documented as Vinyl Addictsג ג08 limited edition vinyl anthology of late ג80s Lord Finesse and DJ Mike Smooth four-track

recordings entitled the Funky Dope Manuever EP. Not only does FDM pinpoint the two songs (גNo Stoppingג and גBust a Lilג Somethingג) that got Finesse and Mike signed to

Wild Pitch Records (thanks in part to the enthusiastic response of a young Guru of Gang Starr). But it also features five additional demo tracks of the Funkyman dropping

his trademark deadpan punch-lines over גEngine No. 9,ג גSubstitution,ג and other break-beat essentials. If youגre not feeling this then perhaps hip-hop is not the music for

you.

#10. 213, Untitled Demo (1991)

213 "Untitled"
http://new.hulkshare.com/fxphnk37y7is

Snoop didnגt have to go too far to meet Dr. Dre, considering his LBC group, 213, included the good Dr.גs half-brother, Warren G. But the story of how they got Dre to check

out their demo is still pretty cool. As the Doggfather told CNNגs Larry King last August: גWe had a cassette tape [demo] and Warren G took it to Dr. Dreגs bachelor party.

And the music had cut off from the bachelor party. So he slipped my tape in and when my tape came in, people was dancing to it. And Dre was like, 'Who was that?' 

[Warren]

was like, 'That's my homeboy, Snoop.' He introduced me to him and the rest is history."

And though the untitled demo here doesnגt feature Nate Dogg (R.I.P.), it does present Snoop rapping his ass off for five straight minutes over a tricked out James Brown

sample. The youngגunsג rough G-Funk draft was just the traveling music Dre required to move his practice over to Death Row.

#9. Jay-Z "Reach the Top" (1995)

Jay-Z "Reach The Top"
http://new.hulkshare.com/ac15454dpr06

It was during an impromptu meeting at a McDonaldגs with Jay-Z and Damon Dash during the 1995 Gavin Convention in San Francisco that Loud A&R execs Matty C and Schott Free

were handed a demo of this lyrically-prescient lost Jigga track (just one song from a full 60-minute cassette of material, Free recalls). But issues clearing the songגs

extensive Marvin Gaye sample, and label head Steve Rifkindגs hesitance wound up killing any potential deal. Jigga took his ensuing album, a little something called

Reasonable Doubt, over to Priority, then eventually inked his long-term deal with Def Jam, and the rest is גHov-story.ג

#8. Wu-Tang Clan, Pre-"Protect Ya Neck" Demos (1991-2)

edit: full tape: http://www.2dopeboyz.com/2007/11/03/wu-tang-demo-1991/

Wu-Tang Clan "After The Laughter"
http://new.hulkshare.com/pfyb7t4t34sr

You can legitimately argue that the original, independently-pressed גProtect Ya Neckג single that landed the Clan at Loud Records is for all intents and purposes the only

Wu-Tang demo that matters. גWu-Tang is one of those groups where all the first shit that came out was their demo,ג laughs Matty C. גגCause all their shit sounded like

demosגdidnגt polish nothinג up, they just put the shit out.ג That said, Staten Island native Schott Free recalls two particular demo tracks that signaled Wuגs formation

pre-גProtect Ya Neckג: A RZA-Ason Unique (a.k.a. Olג Dirty Bastard) collab called גRugged and Raw,ג and the early version of גNeckגsג B-side גTearz,ג entitled גAfter the

Laughter.ג (Peep the plethora of remaining Wu demos that have leaked over the years on Demo Cuts Deluxe Edition.)

#7. Organized Konfusion (p.k.a. Simply Too Positive), Six Song Demo (1990)

edit: all 5 tracks: http://archive.ohword.com/reviews/141/s ... n-oc-demos

Organized Konfusion "Cooling One Day"
http://new.hulkshare.com/wnxsksus5mdi

Organized Konfusion "International Arrival"
http://new.hulkshare.com/i92xhfv21n86

Organized Konfusion "Mind Over Matter"
http://new.hulkshare.com/mnu8ckdr7nci

For those in the know, Pharoahe Monch and Prince Poגs peerless marriage of verbal acrobatics, abstract imagery, and paeans to ג70s pop culture ephemera enjoyed its finest

hour in its incubation stages. Says Stretch Armstrong: גSimply Too Positiveגwho became Organized Konfusionגdemoגd their album with the legendary engineer, producer, and

mentor of Large Pro, Paul C, at 1212 Studios. The demo is a monster and has all the samples that ended up getting removed on the final album. I prefer the demo, both in the

production and vocal delivery.ג

#6. Mobb Deep (p.k.a. Poetical Prophets), Four Song Demo (1991)

Poetical Prophets "Flavor For the Non-Believers"
http://new.hulkshare.com/0o210i18byrf

Bonus Tracks (Not on demo but mentioned below)

Mobb Deep "Patty Shop"
http://new.hulkshare.com/3yk67b7wvb7x

In an era rife with kiddie rappers and R&B singers, Havoc and Prodigy (then doing business as the Poetical Prophets) showed the world that juveniles could roll just as

hardcore as any of their degenerate grown-up counterparts. Anchored by a snaking electric piano loop, the OG run-through of גFlavor For the Non-Believersג actually trumps

the subsequent released version for grimy appeal. After claiming גUnsigned Hypeג honors in July of ג91, the demo attracted the attention of 4th & Broadway A&R (and world

famous music journalist) Bonz Malone, paving the way for a name change, and Mobb Deepגs debut LP, Juvenile Hell.

When Mobb Deepגs 4th & Broadway situation deteriorated Havoc approached Matty Cגtransitioning out of his editorial post at The Source (where he wrote the גUnsigned Hypeג

column) and into an A&R gig at Loud Recordsגwith a new demo track, גPatty Shop.ג It was off the strength of this single demo track that Mobb Deep signed a new deal with

Loud. (The remainder of whatגs recently circulated as The Infamous Demos consists of fascinating early versions of songs that would later make up the bulk of Mobb Deepגs

landmark second album.)

Schott Free on the creative leap the group had made: גOn the [first] album Prodigy was more or less the dude choppinג up [beats]. And Havoc was more or less the lyrical

dudeגeven in a lot of instances writing a lot of Prodigyגs shit. But you see the dynamic switch with the demo. Havoc is the one thatגs trying to chop beats and learn the

MPC now, and Prodigy has this new style which is calm: גYou got a lot of heart, boy/All that yappinג/Acting like it canגt happen/Itגs niggas like you that fail to realize

the realness/So now I gotta deal with this.ג That was a whole גnother style for him. He [told me], גYo, man, I just decided I want my style to be like Iגm talking to these

motherfuckers. Iגm rappinג, but I want my style to come off like Iגm having a conversation.ג And thatגs when we love P the best: real calm and just conversatinג with you.ג

#5. Souls of Mischief, "'93 Til Infinity" Demos (1992)

Souls of Mischief "Batting Practice"
http://new.hulkshare.com/vksi4xsx4lrv

Souls of Mischief "Cab Fare"
http://new.hulkshare.com/pjkxbcd8aot2

Souls of Mischief "Step To My Girl"
http://new.hulkshare.com/0errtbf96fdr

Bobbito Garcia: גIf I recall correctly, [Souls] werenגt getting any shine in the Bay until me and Stretch started showing them love on our show.ג Adds Stretch Armstrong:

גWhen we got this demo, I swear I had never heard such a developed sound from an artist this early in their career. They were neophytes, but had already mastered beat-

making and complete songs with concepts.ג Strong praise borne out by the demoגs consensus favorite גCab Fareגגwhich, despite never seeing official release due to Bob Jamesג

refusal to clear the גTheme From Taxiג sample, still ranks way high on the Hiero oldies hit list.

#4. Common (p.k.a. Common Sense), Seven Song Demo (1991)

edit: full tape: http://www.okayplayer.com/news/Common-S ... -Tape.html

Common Sense "2 The Temple"
http://new.hulkshare.com/220kyb2yphcv

Common Sense "A For Effort"
http://new.hulkshare.com/xunan82c4myg

Common Sense "First Days Of New School"
http://new.hulkshare.com/hjkqkaem22ph

Common Sense "Take It Easy"
http://new.hulkshare.com/imfvnfddu341

Matty C recalls the process by which Common got his deal with Relativity after his demo won גUnsigned Hypeג in October 1991: ג[The Source] decided to do an גUnsigned Hypeג

compilation album. It was [going to feature] Mobb Deep, Common, Biggie, DMX, Top Quality, and a few other groups. The [proposed] deal with Relativity was: $5000 per artist,

and there was a clause that said, גYouגre signed [to Relativity] once you do this. So weגll give you five grand now for this album, and weגll give you some more money for

[your own] album. But weגll negotiate that laterגjust sign here.ג And thatגs why it didnגt happen. I was like, גHell no, Iגm not doing thatגI got people ready to pay a

hundred grand and more for one or two of these groups at different labels, forget it.ג

גRight at the [negotiating] table [the label] broke down and [Relativity execs] Peter Kang and Alan Grunblatt were like, גBut weגll take Common.ג Because [Commonגs] demo

was mad polished. It was the cleanest demo I ever had that won the גUnsigned Hypeג and got a deal. It was fully produced out of a studio. [It had] also won the New Music

Seminar demo contest that year. It was that [high in] quality. These guys at Relativity didnגt know [about rap]. Peter Kangגhe wasnגt really a rap head, he was some Asian

kid [into] rock nג roll. Alan Grunblattגnot really. But the sound quality was so good on that demo, and the music so goodגyou had the Roy Ayers sample, the Eddie Kendrick

sample, real rich soundsגthat [Relativity] was just so [impressed].ג

#3. Public Enemy "Public Enemy No. 1" (1985)

Public Enemy "Public Enemy No. 1 (WBAU Promo)"
http://new.hulkshare.com/397pqbg39ifl

Though not intended as a demo, Chuck(y) Dגs Adelphi University radio promoגa raw, pause-tape take on P.E.גs future first singleגwas nonetheless the recording that caught

Def Jam impresario Rick Rubinגs ear after being passed a copy by fellow BAU on-air host Doctor Dre (of Original Concept, and later, Yo! MTV Raps fame). This would result in

an extended courtship by Rubin to sign Chuck as a solo artist. Determined to commit only to a group deal that included hype man Flavor Flav, Chuck held out until Rubin

relented, thus officially commencing the career of one of hip-hopגs all-time greatest groups.

#2. Nas, Two Song Demo (1991)

Nas "I'm A Villain"
http://new.hulkshare.com/jt89rj5k0ls8

Nas "Nas Will Prevail"
http://new.hulkshare.com/50p1djiuy1zl

Bonus Tracks (Not on demo but mentioned below)

Nas "Just Another Day In the Projects"
http://new.hulkshare.com/1knaxebmr891

Nas f/ Kool G. Rap & Whiteboy "Number One With A Bullet"
http://new.hulkshare.com/v7f1xecy5l4k

The Nasty Nas 1991 Demo Tapeגsometimes referred to as Prematicגis a great collection of early, largely unreleased Nas material, but accuracy-wise itגs problematic. Of the

ten tracks included more than half (including גD

atlantiswasreal · Post by **atlantiswasreal** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 7:11 am

STAM · Post by **STAM** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:00 am

whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah increrible shieeeeet for my ears! thanks-a-lot

fatboybrandon · Post by **fatboybrandon** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:12 am

Nice stuff, I see alot of contributions from Stretch & Bobbito there that reminds me of my cassette taping days, while others I haven't heard yet.

I see the Brand Nubian demos, I remember when Dante Ross visited WKCR and played How Ya Livin himself, still have that episode on tape. One demo I don't see is the alternate version of Show Business with Lord Jamar replacing Diamond for a song where he, ATCQ and Sadat speak on undercover homosexuals.

There used to be a great YouTube account by a DJ from Brooklyn by the name of Fresh Gordon. In addition to having demos from the mid 80's by Kane, Biggie and Jay-Z, he had alot of good funk and soul music. His account got terminated from copyright infringement unfortunately. I did a post about his demos months ago, unfortunately I didn't get around to recording them off YouTube in time: http://cratesofjr.com/?p=190
http://www.myspace.com/freshgordonxl

Krisch · Post by **Krisch** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:58 am

fatboybrandon wrote: I see the Brand Nubian demos, I remember when Dante Ross visited WKCR and played How Ya Livin himself, still have that episode on tape. One demo I don't see is the alternate version of Show Business with Lord Jamar replacing Diamond for a song where he, ATCQ and Sadat speak on undercover homosexuals.

Yeah, that's "Georgie Porgie", also there are two or more alternate versions of "Scenario".

Which brings up the question how we define the word demo. On the one hand there are those classic demo tapes made for the purpose of shopping a deal. And on the other hand there are these demo versions or original versions of songs that were never intended to be heard or scrapped because of sample clearance issues or label politics.

Verge · Post by **Verge** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:28 am

Good shit Krisch, thanks!

We can definitely add on to some of the numbers here.

Thun · Post by **Thun** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:34 am

Krisch wrote:
fatboybrandon wrote: I see the Brand Nubian demos, I remember when Dante Ross visited WKCR and played How Ya Livin himself, still have that episode on tape. One demo I don't see is the alternate version of Show Business with Lord Jamar replacing Diamond for a song where he, ATCQ and Sadat speak on undercover homosexuals.
Yeah, that's "Georgie Porgie", also there are two or more alternate versions of "Scenario".

Which brings up the question how we define the word demo. On the one hand there are those classic demo tapes made for the purpose of shopping a deal. And on the other hand there are these demo versions or original versions of songs that were never intended to be heard or scrapped because of sample clearance issues or label politics.

Word. The former is a much easier definition to focus on. This thread I think would spiral out of control if we include the latter.

it would be cool to have a demo wiki, with download links. Would we run into legal problems if we attempted that?

Krisch · Post by **Krisch** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:43 am

Thun wrote:
Krisch wrote:
fatboybrandon wrote: I see the Brand Nubian demos, I remember when Dante Ross visited WKCR and played How Ya Livin himself, still have that episode on tape. One demo I don't see is the alternate version of Show Business with Lord Jamar replacing Diamond for a song where he, ATCQ and Sadat speak on undercover homosexuals.
Yeah, that's "Georgie Porgie", also there are two or more alternate versions of "Scenario".

Which brings up the question how we define the word demo. On the one hand there are those classic demo tapes made for the purpose of shopping a deal. And on the other hand there are these demo versions or original versions of songs that were never intended to be heard or scrapped because of sample clearance issues or label politics.
Word. The former is a much easier definition to focus on. This thread I think would spiral out of control if we include the latter.

it would be cool to have a demo wiki, with download links. Would we run into legal problems if we attempted that?

Well, I think the 3 Biggie demos for example would be a problem, as they were featured on the Notorious OST.

Verge · Post by **Verge** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:56 am

I'm downloading them all one by one now and I'm gonna put them all in their respective numbered folders within one big Complex 30 Demo folder for one download. Hopefully be done by tonight. And then maybe I'll have a try at making a companion folder for the demos they either didn't have or missed, by the same artists of course.

Thun · Post by **Thun** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:56 am

What if we just a created a site that wasn't crawled by Google and creatively linked to it?

CRASH DDZ · Post by **CRASH DDZ** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:07 pm

Legendary · Post by **Legendary** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:38 pm

Nice uploads.

Verge · Post by **Verge** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:54 pm

Well, shit I got from 30 to 7 and now I've been getting a "server error" message for all of the links. I'll keep trying til it works.

Thereallex · Post by **Thereallex** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:35 pm

Same thing here, link problem pal !

Krisch · Post by **Krisch** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 2:31 pm

Just tried 1-7 and they work fine for me right now. Maybe you should try again later. If doesn't work at all, i can re-up them..

Verge · Post by **Verge** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 2:44 pm

^No worries, I went through that link to Complex's files that you had posted.

Thanks again for making this thread with all those links Krisch! I know it was a pain to sort through all of Complex's files and pick out the demos.

Here's all the demos on their list in one folder here: (about 500MBs)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=M9UPPE4I

Each artist has their own folder numbered according to the list, within the main folder.
I'm hoping to make a companion piece because there is plenty of gold not included here.

atlantiswasreal · Post by **atlantiswasreal** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 2:48 pm

Verge wrote:^No worries, I went through that link to Complex's files that you had posted.

Thanks again for making this thread with all those links Krisch! I know it was a pain to sort through all of Complex's files and pick out the demos.

Here's all the demos on their list in one folder here: (about 500MBs)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=M9UPPE4I

Each artist has their own folder numbered according to the list, within the main folder.
I'm hoping to make a companion piece because there is plenty of gold not included here.

many thank yous , was going to that that later, saved me some time

fatboybrandon · Post by **fatboybrandon** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 2:52 pm

Verge wrote:
Here's all the demos on their list in one folder here: (about 500MBs)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=M9UPPE4I

Just what I needed, much thanks Verge.

Now it's time for the official Phila Flava Dropbox or FTP account to be created!

diggy64 · Post by **diggy64** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:19 pm

fatboybrandon wrote: Now it's time for the official Phila Flava Dropbox or FTP account to be created!

I'm surprised there isn't one already. Has anyone tried Filezilla lately? I tried a year ago and it made me

.

EDIT: Thanks Verge!

Krisch · Post by **Krisch** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:59 pm

Good looking Verge!

Oh, and I just read the Buckwild piece on the TROY Blog with the hint at Oh Word's Bookmarklet for Complex. I wish had read it before I went through all the pages

Thirteen · Post by **Thirteen** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:42 pm

just when you think troy is slowing down

aleph · Post by **aleph** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:04 pm

Great job all around, Krisch & Verge. These do cover the essentials quite thoroughly. As for leftovers & non-essentials, here are some titles that can be included for a supplementary comp (ifגn they can be found):

Big Daddy Kane- This is For Your Own Concern
OC- גStay Aliveג, Visual Picture
Cenobites- We Can Do This, Cold Peein On Em, Time Is Now, etc.
Cage- Head Case
Pete Rock & CL- Lethal Weapon
Jungle Brothers- Braggin & Boastin (demo)
MF Doom- the entire Operation: Doomsday demo
J-Treds- Planet Earth (Peace of Mind), Recognize, etc.
MC Aces (early incarnation of Freestyle Fellowship)- Mike, Eric & Eddie
Arsonists- AEIOU, Geemboגs Theme (demo)

Most have been posted before, others possibly never. Demo dweebs, add on!

nobs · Post by **nobs** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:23 pm

funny that this came up. I just found a grip of demos. This includes the DMX one. But mines is 5 songs. wondering about that.

Also I have ATCQ first demo. Pre Paths... With 2 unreleased songs. why its not on the list? maybe it doesn't exist. I have a copy tho. With hand drawn art by Red Alert. I'm talking to some people about it now.

nobs · Post by **nobs** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:38 pm

ah now i see. the other 4 songs were never released huh?

aleph · Post by **aleph** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:55 pm

Verge · Post by **Verge** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 12:01 am

Hahaaa... dope. gotta hear that shit.

edited

Krisch · Post by **Krisch** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 4:31 am

aleph wrote:Great job all around, Krisch & Verge. These do cover the essentials quite thoroughly. As for leftovers & non-essentials, here are some titles that can be included for a supplementary comp (ifגn they can be found):

Big Daddy Kane- This is For Your Own Concern
OC- גStay Aliveג, Visual Picture
Cenobites- We Can Do This, Cold Peein On Em, Time Is Now, etc.
Cage- Head Case
Pete Rock & CL- Lethal Weapon
Jungle Brothers- Braggin & Boastin (demo)
MF Doom- the entire Operation: Doomsday demo
J-Treds- Planet Earth (Peace of Mind), Recognize, etc.
MC Aces (early incarnation of Freestyle Fellowship)- Mike, Eric & Eddie
Arsonists- AEIOU, Geemboגs Theme (demo)

Most have been posted before, others possibly never. Demo dweebs, add on!

Here's what I don't have from that list:

Jungle Brothers- Braggin & Boastin (demo)
MF Doom- the entire Operation: Doomsday demo
MC Aces (early incarnation of Freestyle Fellowship)- Mike, Eric & Eddie
Geemboגs Theme (demo)

Further demos I have:

Foul Play (4 Songs) & Total Pack (3 Songs) - Wild Pitch demos (I hope Eclipse will liberate the full tapes one day)
Gauge 95 Demo (6 Songs)
Gravediggaz demo (7 Songs)
Mood - 95 demo tape (13 songs)
Outsidaz demo (4 Songs)
Royce Da 5-9 - Aftermath Demo (8 songs)
Saafir Demo (4 Songs)
Disorderly Conduct (Swing & Bamboo) - Out Da Picture
Half-A-Mil - Fast Money & Foreign Objects
IG Off & Hazadous - Untitled Demo Track
Sinistar Voices - Do Or Die
Shadowz In Da Dark - Untitled Demo Track
Stetsasonic 3 MCs - Demo Tape
The Beatnuts - Intoxicated Demos EP
Biz Markie - Nobody Beats The Biz (Demo Version)
Cage - My Mind is Kind of Morbid, Agent Orange (Demo)
Funky Jilz - Eye Level
Herb McGruff - The Demo EP
Kurious - Trueness To The Blueness
Last Emperor - Animalistics
Poops - The Shit, Suckaz, Flushed (with Pumpkinhead)

Krisch · Post by **Krisch** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 4:31 am

nobs wrote:funny that this came up. I just found a grip of demos. This includes the DMX one. But mines is 5 songs. wondering about that.

Also I have ATCQ first demo. Pre Paths... With 2 unreleased songs. why its not on the list? maybe it doesn't exist. I have a copy tho. With hand drawn art by Red Alert. I'm talking to some people about it now.

Krisch · Post by **Krisch** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:09 am

I added the full version of "How Ya Livin'" to #21. Brand Nubian, Pre-"All For One" Demos (1989-90). The file from the Complex list is the shorter version from the One Leg Up release.

And i uploaded the dope Outsidaz demo:

Brick City
Hard Act To Follow (ft. Eminem)
Keep On
Murderah
Nobody

http://www.mediafire.com/?69ns19ipu89lvxv

Originally posted by noz from Cocaine Blunts. His link is still up and includes the unreleased Young Zee album and some other Outsidaz stuff:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=S2TFZSB1

aleph · Post by **aleph** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 7:00 am

Krisch wrote:Here's what I don't have from that list:

Jungle Brothers- Braggin & Boastin (demo)
MF Doom- the entire Operation: Doomsday demo
MC Aces (early incarnation of Freestyle Fellowship)- Mike, Eric & Eddie
Geemboגs Theme (demo)

Apart from the JBs, doesn't look like anyone here has the other three. Geembo's Theme is on a 96/97 Stretch show.

Krisch wrote:Further demos I have:

Foul Play (4 Songs) & Total Pack (3 Songs) - Wild Pitch demos (I hope Eclipse will liberate the full tapes one day)
Gauge 95 Demo (6 Songs)
Gravediggaz demo (7 Songs)
Mood - 95 demo tape (13 songs)
Outsidaz demo (4 Songs)
Royce Da 5-9 - Aftermath Demo (8 songs)
Saafir Demo (4 Songs)
Disorderly Conduct (Swing & Bamboo) - Out Da Picture
Half-A-Mil - Fast Money & Foreign Objects
IG Off & Hazadous - Untitled Demo Track
Sinistar Voices - Do Or Die
Shadowz In Da Dark - Untitled Demo Track
Stetsasonic 3 MCs - Demo Tape
The Beatnuts - Intoxicated Demos EP
Biz Markie - Nobody Beats The Biz (Demo Version)
Cage - My Mind is Kind of Morbid, Agent Orange (Demo)
Funky Jilz - Eye Level
Herb McGruff - The Demo EP
Kurious - Trueness To The Blueness
Last Emperor - Animalistics
Poops - The Shit, Suckaz, Flushed (with Pumpkinhead)

A Stet demo? I don't believe I ever heard that shit

All the demos from the Complex list

All the demos from the Complex list

Re: All the demos from the Complex list