Unreleased Rakim

I really wish I didn't have these finals and I was able to check Rakim at the Knitting Factory this past Friday. I was talking to my boy Keef the other day about how shows just aren't the same anymore, but Rakim is someone I've wanted to see live for a long time now, and I heard it was a decent show. The final hip hop show being held at the Knitting Factory. R.I.P. Was a decent spot. I remember seeing a bunch of good shows there

This is one of my favorite tracks right here called 'Livin' for the City'. I'm pretty sure I got this LP of unreleased studio sessions in 1995. I've seen it come in green and purple color fades aside from the blue that I have here. I paid a decent amount (too much) for this record at this spot that used to be in New Brunswick, but I'm glad I did because it's been a record I go to a lot. It defintely had heads running to the tables to find out what it was. The sound quality is pretty decent too for a bootleg pressing. Some of the tracks on here weren't released until years later ('Remember That' on the 18th Letter in 1997). The songs on this have standed the test of time and have been released once again this year as a 2 LP unreleased set.

Rakim - Livin' For The City


Nathan Davis - Stick Buddy





Man, I wish I had an original pressing of this, I should just buy the re-pressing because I'll never find one, or want to ball out and drop $100 on this. I'm happy with an mp3 I guess. This is the sample used on 'Livin for the city'. You can find this full length LP on a few different places online if you google it. This is some really smooth funky jazz from Nathan Davis. This LP in it's entirty is pretty nice and highly recommended, he's got some other good albums too.





Eric B & Rakim - Everything's cool


Fatback Band - Feed me Your Love


Here is another unreleased Rakim song called 'Everything's cool'. It kind of reminds of 'what's on your mind' the way he describes a scenario of trying to hook up with some chick passing through the set.



Whoever produced this grabbed a sample from Fatback Band's 'Feed me your love'. You can hear everything they used for Rakim's song including the horns on the hook which you'll hear at the few remaining seconds.






So what about Eric B? Unfortunately this year he wasn't on the ballot for presidential election. I wouldn't have voted for him anyway. I'm not really feeling the fake you out pretending to cut moves he pulls or deciding to play the vocal version for a live performance. Check the throwback performance... I was waiting for my boy JC to host this one, but they're doing some reconstruction on the site so maybe in the future I'll have it embedded on this post. If you were as hook as I am on The Meaning of Dope, tell these guys to get back in the game. For now you'll have to settle for a zshare link, but I warn you, don't post this on youtube because they will eject you.

Update: 1/6/09 : Peace to JC back at it hooking up the embed for me, enjoy: