YOUNG ZEE - "Musical Meltdown" (1996)

[claaa7]

around the time Young Zee appeared on Fugees' "The Score", the distinct voiced Newark spitter got a record deal with Perspective Records, a label owned by superstar producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Like so many hardcore hip-hop albums "Musical Meltdown" was unfortunately shelved after the release of two promo singles (check out the original music video for "Problemz", produced by Ski). A very rare promo cassette of the album was also released, and it was reviewed in the June '96 issue of The Source who strangely enough only awarded two mics. Young Zee's debut definitely deserves way more than two mics, it got funky ass beats by the likes of Ski Beatz and KRS-One and guest apperances from the entire Outsidaz crew, Busta Rhymes, KRS-One and even a wonderful performance from a Lauryn Hill at her peak. a major plus is the amount of scratches and cuts on almost every song, courtesy of Dee Jay Mudd.

I must admit I had no clue about this album even existing until only a few days ago but apparantly the good folks at Dope Folk Records have remastered the album and released it on wax. For some reason (Cash Rules Everything Around Me) they decided to release it in two separate volumes, both limited to 300 copies each. Part One is already out of print, but you can purchase "Musical Meltdown Pt. 2" here. One of the illest thing about this release is that they managed to dig up a previously unreleased Q-Tip remix of the second and final single "Everybody Get (High)", and we all know how appreciated previously unheard mid-'90s music from the Tribe producer is.

i have put together the vinyl rips of both the EP:s and put them in the original track order and uploaded it for you all to enjoy. While I wouldn't call it a classic it's a damn fine album with that banging mid-'90s golden era sound and lots of standout joints - "Stay Gold" with L. Hill, "Crazy" and "Milk" with KRS-One, "Juice" with Rah Digga, "Problems", "Don't Fuck With New Jersey" and both versions of "Everybody Get High"... of course a couple of tracks could be considered fillers but there's plenty of heat to make up for it. if you just want to listen to the Q-Tip remix you can peep it @ Soundcloud.

01. "Toxic Waste" (Ft. Loon One) [prod. by Twista]
02. "Don't Fuck With New Jersey" (Ft. Rah Digga) [prod. by Ski]
03. "Problemz" [prod. by Ski]
04. "Tonsil Check" (Ft. Yah Yah) [prod. by Feel Good Skills]
05. "W-OUTZ: Intermission"
06. "Nerve Plucker" [prod. by Prestige]
07. "Stay Gold" (Ft. Lauryn Hill) [prod. by Beezo]
08. "Crazy" (Ft. KRS-One) [prod. by KRS-One]
09. "Ez Widaz" (Ft. Pacewon & Loon One) [prod. by Feel Good Skills]
10. "Juice" (Ft. Rah Digga) [prod. by Ski]
11. "Milk (People Call Me)" (Ft. KRS-One & Busta Rhymes) [prod. by KRS-One]
12. "Jack Mode" [prod. by Feel Good Skills]
13. "Baby L Interlude"
14. "Electric Chair" (Ft. Pacewon & DU) [prod. by Ski]
15. "Hello Interldude"
16. "Everybody Get High" [prod. by Kobie Brown]
17. "Everybody Get High" [Q-Tip Remix] [Bonus Track]

http://www.sendspace.com/file/em2hnh

[Stieflkater]

THX - where did you get part 2?

[Echo Leader]

Dope...it'll be nice to trash that crappy tape rip I've had for like 8 years.

Toxic Waste is the jam...

[Stieflkater]

it'll be nice to trash that crappy tape rip I've had for like 8 years.

we all do

[Freezy Pazzy]

THX - where did you get part 2?

From Youtube, the whole EP is uploaded in very good quality on the label's channel.

[JankZ]

http://olasunbekonsrevive.blogspot.com/ ... oung%20Zee

everything i could dig out.

[Stieflkater]

From Youtube, the whole EP is uploaded in very good quality on the label's channel.

aight, thats what I thought...

[Philaflava]

thank you

[Ominous]

I positively remember a friend(roommate) having a Young Zee tape with complete artwork and everything in 96. I remember listening to it a few times and thinking it was pretty good, nothing amazing at the time and kind of left it at that. But according to this info that's impossible, what the?

[Dan]

I remember the artwork having a baby blue background, but I can't remember anything else about it. This was always a much anticipated album for me, but just never got released.

[Ominous]

So you saw the actual artwork for it too, where?

[Dan]

I saw ads for it in either Rap Sheet or The Source, probably both.

[madstadik]

Wish i had the arwork. I got the scene rip of the cassette. Avg sound quality

[Stieflkater]

ass quality aka unmastered

[Freezy Pazzy]

I definitely think it was sourced from a cassette, the noise reduction can be heard all over the project. The label closed its door 18 years ago, and I'm pretty sure Zee or his associates didn't own the Masters. So unfortunately, this gotta be the best version we'll be able to hear.

[HipHopInfinityRIPLOL]

the vinyl releases that are being put out are from a used promo cassette.

[madstadik]

Yeah thw vinyls def sound like my promo cassette rip. Still waiting for some re-release pudgee king
Of NY action. That tape rip is garbage. Since were on the topic of perspective records shelved material

[Verge]

probably better quality here:
http://hiphopbootleggers.us/2014/02/87913/

[Freezy Pazzy]

The FTD rip is the one Claaa7 used for the first 7 tracks. Ironically, a Youtube rip would have sounded better. :/

[HipHopInfinityRIPLOL]

yup, the dope folks releases are from werner von wallenrod's promo cassette.

[claaa7]

i'm pretty sure they are both FTD rips of the records.. i actually never heard that promo cassette, but that's real shady selling it THAT expensive when its a transfer of a cassette rip, smh. is this how this label ususally operates?

still the Q-Tip remix is crazy imo, suprised no one has commented on that as that was not on the promo cassette or any of the singles.

[Stieflkater]

They are not...The first 7 is fuck the dumb...Werner's promo must have gotten way less play than the scene one...dub 101

[Freezy Pazzy]

There's no scene rip for the 2nd EP, I'm not even sure they started shipping the records yet. I don't know if they used Werner's tape as a source or not, but all I know is that they definitely didn't have access to the studio reels. And since nobody does, that's why I said we'll have to do with this version, which is still the best sounding this far.

[HipHopInfinityRIPLOL]

werner came out with a video specifically saying they used his tape. he was really happy because that's his favorite rapper.


but a lot of these limited reissues have poor quality sources so it's not a big deal/surprising. some of them natural resource demos sound like 5th generation dubs so in comparison, the young zee is like a high quality digital dat. not sure you can expect THAT much from shelved material, a lot of this stuff was never mastered or pressed on a good medium. the fact that the stuff is finally coming out at all is what matters to a lot of fans.

[Stieflkater]

some of them natural resource demos sound like 5th generation dubs

Where, from which years and how many ?

[HipHopInfinityRIPLOL]

meant elements

[Verge]

Thing is, theres engineers who can restore cassettes to the point where people compliment how great it sounds without even knowing how bad the source material is. Its about putting time and effort into music that deserves it. Instead its turnrd into a fuckin ratrace for some people to keep their monthly monetary quota high.
Not dissin anyone, i support most of the labels, you can check my crates. Just saying if you're gonna do something then do it right. Wish i could make this my 9 to 5 and do just that but there wont be anything left worth pressing by then, lol.

[Verge]

and Im speaking in general, not dissing this record, l bought 1, havent listened to it yet and haven't got 2 yet.

[HipHopInfinityRIPLOL]

verge, i agree wholeheartedly with everything you said. maybe some guys just don't have the know how or like you said, are just more interested in putting out as much product as quickly as possible because they know there's a market of die hard fans that will shell out their money no matter the quality of the material.

either way, i think it's great that a lot of this stuff is seeing the light of day. i would have never thought this a possibility as little as 5 years ago. i wonder what else is in store.

[Freezy Pazzy]

Thing is, theres engineers who can restore cassettes to the point where people compliment how great it sounds without even knowing how bad the source material is. Its about putting time and effort into music that deserves it. Instead its turnrd into a fuckin ratrace for some people to keep their monthly monetary quota high.
Not dissin anyone, i support most of the labels, you can check my crates. Just saying if you're gonna do something then do it right. Wish i could make this my 9 to 5 and do just that but there wont be anything left worth pressing by then, lol.

True dat.
The main problem is the way some of these labels or labels' owners act : As long as you're honest with your customers & give them the real deal about your sources, then it's a fair deal. I already bought some restored tapes on CD, like the Lastrawze album, but I knew exactly what I was paying for. I just can't stand it when people big their products up with a bunch of lies, fooling listeners in the process. It's 2014 fellas, the market you try to cater to is mostly made of people who've been buying records for more than 20 years, and some of them also have a solid experience as far as beatmaking or studio engineering. Plus, everybody can crack a software & restore tapes pretty easily nowadays, all it really takes is a lil' bit of practice & a pair of good ears.