I’ve mentioned this before but after putting down the Malcolm X photo book yesterday, this one found its way into my hands.  If you’re a real hip-hop junkie, then this book needs to be purchased by you (or your mom) ASAP.  We could all make arguments about what should have been included in this first round (Illmatic, Word…Life, Ready to Die, The Chronic, OB4CL, Death Certificate, etc.) and at first I was a little grumpy about that.  But I realized that the author must be including those and many others in the second round.  Let me say this again.  BUY.THIS.BOOK.  I’ve read it at least three times now and I’m still not bored with it.

Read 10 of the album ‘making of’ chapters here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=QuOBbFeg0JIC&dq=check+the+technique+liner+notes+for+hip-hop+junkies&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=EMKEloKR62&sig=AioR8GdfFshQs9WVrfcBoZQy7Fs&hl=en&ei=VtekSoDtOMjrlAehwOWPBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Buy it:  http://www.amazon.com/Check-Technique-Liner-Hip-Hop-Junkies/dp/0812977750/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Only available here

Every 1994 Fat Tape – Only available here

Every 1993 Fat Tape – Only available here

Every 1992 Fat Tape – Only available here

Another interesting article from Ego Trip #7 (Q-Tip, Large Pro & Posdnuos cover).  This is one features Pete Rock (my 2^nd favorite producer of all time) after he and CL decided to part ways.  We all know who benefitted from that decision in the long run.  This is late ’95 so I assume he was working on completing that INI Center of Attention album, which features some of his best production work ever.  Get those instrumentals if you haven’t heard them.

With various print magazines folding nearly every week, I realized yesterday that I miss one important thing about these magazines.  The album advertisements.  There’s nothing like flipping through an old magazine to see what new album and group was being promoted at that time.  Back in the early nineties, it seemed that every label bought at least a half page ad for their artists.  I went through a few ads yesterday and saw Common Sense’s Resurrection album ad.  Because of some legal issue, he was forced to shorten his name but my CD from 1994 says Common Sense on it and that’s how I’ll always refer to him.  My younger cousin didn’t even realize that his name used to be Common Sense and the fact that he had a full page ad back then sort of bothered him (he’s not a fan).  As if he shouldn’t have had that much promotion in the first place.  The other part of advertising I miss is the promo item gimmick.  Jeru’s ad for a bar of soap (he was a dirty rotten scoundrel, remember?) was the best example of this to me.  And did Heavy D’s label really give away chocolate bars as a promo item?  Anyway, take a moment to stroll down memory lane here.  There are tons of old ads below that you may not have ever seen before.