Another in my occasional rants about how good rap used to be and how crappy it is now.

Here's a post that has absolutely nothing to do with anything, including dog poop. Over the past couple years I've been converting all of my cds to mp3 so I could listen to stuff in my car and work and whatnot. At any rate, I recently got around to converting my rap mix tapes from the 90s. As I went through this effort, it became even MORE obvious than ever before how badly rap has slipped in recent years.

For instance, my rap mix tapes were made by me from singles, b-sides, soundtracks, and albums that only had a few good songs. That way I could listen to these great tracks from the one-offs and compromised albums, without dealing with the three, four, or more lame ass crossover tracks (soon to become an entire genre) with crappy ladies singing in between the raps. So, in a way, most of these tracks are "the rest". There are some exceptions here and there, but generally, there is vert little Wu-Tang, Nas, Gang Starr, Mobb Deep, Boot Camp, DITC, EPMD, and almost nothing produced by DJ Premier, Easy Mo Bee, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Beatminerz, etc... Why? Because their shit was so good that their ENTIRE albums were brilliant and I listen to them that way. So these tracks are everything else. And they are still fucking awesome.

So, for your perusal, I present to you my first six rap mix tapes, spanning roughly 1994-1996. Look at all the good stuff on here. Almost nothing these days is as good any of these tracks. And Christ, I have another 100 or so songs covering 96-99.

1. Redman & Method Man - Freestyle (2:11)
2. Sermon Erick - Freestyle (2:07)
3. Biz Markie, Chubb Rock, and Prince Pau - No Ruber, No Backstage Pass (3:26)
4. The Notorious B.I.G. - Things Done Changed (3:58)
5. Pete Rock and The Lost Boyz - The Yearn (4:33)
6. Mobb Deep, L.E.S. and A.C.D. - Street Life (4:34)
7. Busta Rhymes & Rampage - Freestyle (2:18)
8. Mobb Deep - Shook Ones Pt.II (A Cappella) (1:42)
9. Fat Joe & Punisher - Freestyle (2:07)
10. Common and Sean Lett - (Lately) I've Been Thinking (3:10)
11. O.C. and Buckwild - What I Represent (4:26)
12. Organized Konfusion - Decisions (3:53)
13. The Notorious B.I.G. - Gimme The Loot (5:04)
14. De La Soul and Da Beatminerz - The Hustle (3:53)
15. Sadat X, Fat Joe, and Diamond D. - (Stay Away From The) Nasty Hoes (3:35)
16. Artifacts - What Goes On? (3:33)
17. Common Sense - I Used to Love H.E.R. (4:38)
18. Black Moon - Slave (2:44)
19. GZA - Labels (Early Mix) (2:52)
20. The Roots - Proceed (4:35)
21. Redman - Can't Wait (4:12)
22. D.J. Quik - Get At Me (4:07)
23. The Notorious B.I.G. - Warning (3:40)
24. Gravediggaz - Mommy Whats A Gravedigga (Uptight Cratedigga Mix) (3:34)
25. Gang Starr - Street Ministry (1:25)
26. Big L - Put It On (3:38)
27. Black Moon - Buck Em Down (4:40)
28. D.J. Quik - Quik's Groove III (2:37)
29. Shaquille O'Neal featuring The RZA and Method Man - No Hooks (RZA's Remix) (3:44)
30. Redman - Rockafella (4:43)
31. The Notorious B.I.G. - Unbelieveable (3:43)
32. D.J. Quik - Somethin' 4 Tha Mood (5:55)
33. Black Moon - Enta Da Stage (2:54)
34. Common Sense - Resurrection (3:47)
35. Sunz Of Man - Soldiers Of Darkness (6:13)
36. The Roots - Do You Want More?!!!??! (3:21)
37. The Notorious B.I.G. - One More Chance (Hip Hop Remix) (4:15)
38. Craig Mack - Flava In Ya Ear (3:37)
39. Gravediggaz - Freak The Sorceress (3:56)
40. The Notorious B.I.G. - Machine Gun Funk (4:17)
41. D & D All Stars - 1, 2 Pass It (Remix) (4:49)
42. King Just - No Flow On The Rodeo (4:24)
43. Special Ed - Freestyle (4:05)
44. Gang Starr - Just To Get A Rep (2:42)
45. Ol' Dirty Bastard - Give It To Ya Raw (4:08)
46. Junior Mafia - Player's Anthem (4:11)
47. Shabazz The Disciple - Death Be The Penalty (Clean Remix) (3:41)
48. Gravediggaz - 1-800-Suicide (Poisonous Mix) (4:25)
49. Artifacts - Attack Of New Jerusalem (4:24)
50. AZ - Rather Unique (4:49)
51. Gang Starr - Say Your Prayers (1:24)
52. Raekwon - Freestyle (2:22)
53. Artifacts - Cummin' Thru Ya F-kin' Block (4:20)
54. The Notorious B.I.G. - One More Chance (4:42)
55. Artifacts - C'Mon Wit Da Git Down (4:04)
56. Sunz Of Man - Five Arch Angels (5:36)
57. Big L - MVP (3:39)
58. Shaquille O'Neal featuring The RZA and Method Man - No Hooks (LP Version) (3:10)
59. King Just - Warrior's Drum (4:25)
60. The Notorious B.I.G. - The What (3:57)
61. AZ - Sugar Hill (4:19)
62. Shabazz The Disciple - Death Be The Penalty (Original Clean Mix) (3:24)
63. Shabazz The Disciple - Righteous Chamber (Interlude) (1:06)
64. The Notorious B.I.G. - Suicidal Thoughts (2:53)
65. Ol' Dirty Bastard - Give It To Ya Raw (SD50 Remix) (4:08)
66. Blahzay Blahzay - Danger (3:45)
67. Gang Starr - Gotta Get Over (Taking Loot) (3:44)
68. Erick Sermon - Bomdigi feat Crystal Gamble (3:34)
69. DAS EFX - Real Hip-Hop (Pete Rock Remix) (4:20)
70. Method Man - The Riddler (Hide-Out Remix) (3:07)
71. Fat Joe - fat joe's in town (feat. Doo Wop) (3:42)
72. AZ - Uncut Raw (2:59)
73. Grand Puba - Very Special (5:13)
74. Black Moon - U Da Man (4:24)
75. Erick Sermon - Tell 'Em feat Keith Murray & Roslyn Noble (2:35)
76. Fat Joe - the shit is real [dj premier - rmx] (4:36)
77. Ol' Dirty Bastard - Brooklyn Zoo (Lord Digga Remix) (4:07)
78. Cypress Hill - Throw Your Hands In The Air (4:07)
79. Fat Joe - respect mine (feat. Raekwon) (3:20)
80. Pharcyde - Runnin' (4:17)
81. Erick Sermon - Set It Off feat Keith Murray (3:34)
82. Sunz Of Man - No Love Without Hate (Heavenly) (4:00)
83. Das EFX - Real Hip Hop (4:11)
84. Black Moon - Black Smif-N-Wesson (4:23)
85. The Notorious B.I.G. - Me & My Bitch (4:00)
86. AZ - Gimme Yours (3:07)
87. Grand Puba - I Like It (4:23)
88. Fat Joe - success (3:50)
89. Method Man & Redman - How High (Remix) (4:16)
90. AZ - Doe Or Die (Alternate Remix) (3:09)
91. DAS EFX - Real Hip-Hop (Solid Scheme Remix) (4:13)
92. AZ - Doe Or Die (Remixed by The RZA) (3:08)
93. Real Live - Real Live Shit (4:31)
94. Grand Puba - Amazing (4:02)
95. Busta Rhymes - Woo Hah!! The World Wide Remix Feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard (4:28)
96. The Notorious B.I.G. - Who Shot Ya? (5:20)
97. Cypress Hill - Illusions (Q-Tip Remix) (3:51)
98. Connections - Naughty By Nature (3:11)
99. Fat Joe - watch out (3:38)
100. Das EFX - No Diggety (4:03)
101. Erick Sermon - Do Your Thing (3:35)
102. Black Moon - Headz Ain't Redee (5:27)
103. Erick Sermon - Freak Out feat Redman (3:07)
104. Fat Joe - Firewater (previously unreleased) (4:20)
105. Cypress Hill - Red Light Visions (1:46)
106. Das EFX - Microphone Master (4:30)
107. Real Live - Crime Is Money (4:09)
108. Erick Sermon - Boy Meets World feat Rockwilder (3:16)
109. You Won't Go Far - O.C. & Organized Konfusion (3:43)
110. Fat Joe - bronx keeps creating it (3:28)
111. Jeru The Damaja - Invasion (4:39)
112. DAS EFX - Real Hip-Hop (PMD Remix) (4:34)
113. Cypress Hill - Illusions (4:28)
114. Real Live - Larry-O Meets Iceberg Slick (3:37)
115. Akinyele & Sadat X - Loud Hangover (4:12)
116. Inspectah Deck & U-God & Street - Semi Automatic (Full Rap Metal Jacket) (3:59)
117. The Next Spot - Sadat X (3:46)
118. Large Professor - The Mad Scientist (4:03)
119. Tha Alkaholiks - DAAAM! (4:46)
120. Get Down For Mine - Real Live (4:00)
121. High School Rock - KRS-One (3:35)
122. Killarmy - Camoflauge Ninjas (4:48)
123. The Roots - Clones (4:54)
124. Tragedy featuring Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga - La, La (4:30)
125. Busta Rhymes - Woo Hah!! The Jay-Dee Bounce Remix Feat. Rampage (4:44)
126. Erick Sermon - In The Heat (2:09)
127. Das EFX - Microphone Master (4:30)
128. Tha Alkaholiks - Let It Out (4:43)
129. The Rap World - Large Professor (4:03)
130. Artifacts - The Ultimate (4:42)
131. Queen B@$#H - Lil' Kim (3:16)
132. Real Live - Real Live Shit Remix (6:15)
133. The Roots - Concerto Of The Desperado (3:38)
134. Pete Rock/InI - Fakin Jax' (5:39)
135. Killarmy - Wake Up (4:59)
136. Tha Alkaholiks - The Next Level (4:43)
137. I Can't Call It - De La Soul (3:28)
138. The Good, Bad, Desolate - The Roots (4:06)
139. Busta Rhymes - You Won't Tell, I Won't Tell (with Greg Nice) (4:06)