Description

Various Artists – Tuff City Salutes Hip Hop 50: The MC Crews (LP+7″) [Tuff City TUFLP0906]

Tuff City is pleased to present the best possible reissue program of Hip-Hop’s first decade. These reissues were made as a tribute to Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary. Each volume represents an important facet of performers on Tuff City: The Solo MC’s, The MC Crews, The DJ’s, and The Female MC’s. Each volume features an inner sleeve with liner notes and a bonus 7” insert. Each pressing consists of 750 on red vinyl and 750 of an opaque color specific to the volume (Yellow, Gold, Blue, Orange). A bonus 7” single is slipped in the cover encased in a Tuff City logo sleeve in the style of its iconic 12” singles.

The series was also conceptualized as a multiset release to stand side by side with the classic Old School Rarities series (The Funky Drum Jams, The Electro Jams, The Linn Drum Jams & The Disco Jams) issued by our Ol’ Skool Flava imprint.

The MC Crews starts with the innovative scratch legend from the Bronx, Grand Wizard Theodore with the Fantastic Romantic 5. The classic “Can I Get A Soul Clap?” features a live rhythm section. Spoonie Gee with the Treacherous Three (including Kool Moe Dee) is a relentless tour-de-force that popularized the freestyle concept. A much sought-after 1986 remix of the 1980 “High Power Rap” from The Crash Crew closes out the first side.

New Jersey is well represented with “Flavor Unit Assassination Squad.” The Flavor Unit produced by 45 King features Lakim Shabazz, Lord Alibaski, Apache, Double J, and Queen Latifah at the turn of the 90’s. The Undefeated Three represent the Grand Concourse section of the Bronx with “U-N-D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D.” The bonus single features PHD from Queensbridge with an appearance from Havoc from Mobb Deep. The flip side is a freestyle from Bed-Sty’s Freddy B & The Mighty Mic Masters.