If we sacrifice Adrian Younge to a volcano can we get Young Bleed back?

Well, this sux dunnit? I was hoping I wouldn't have to write this post after the initial reports of Young Bleed demise were greatly exaggerated. Bleed dying a week after appearing at the No Limit vs. Cash Money Verzuz is the Southern Rap equivalent of Ozzy Osbourne dying after his final show innit? R.I.P to the funkadelic, psychedelic reinterpretation of the third kind. Bleed was Louisiana's foremost exponent of Country-Rap Swamp-Blues choonz who was still putting out good music in 2025. The great thing about Bleed is how effortless his stream-of-conscious his trademark flow sounded even though his writing was intricately honed to perfection. He didn't sound like anybody else in Concentration Camp or on No Limit, and his style was an obvious influence on 2000s rappers like $tarlito and Curren$y. I acknowledge How Ya Do Dat as a classic, but Bleed's original solo version A Fool is the de facto better song. No shotz @ the verses from Master P and C-Loc, and all shotz @ Beats By The Pound for remixing Happy Perez's beat and messing it up. Don't even front that this isn't the definitive version.

Young Bleed - A Fool
(From C-Loc's Concentration Camp compilation; 1997)

Poland Street Is Watching Part 2

This old advert is a timely reminder that the defunct Mr Bongo record shop had a stacked section of 2nd hand 80s Rap and Electro where I'd find 12" singles I'd never come across in any record shops up north. The thing about the REAL HIP-HOP™ backpack brigade who frequented Bongos was that, although they'd walk around in fat lace Adidas Superstars and Puma States, very few of them had any interest in Rap music made before 1987. Fortunately, this was good news for me because it meant ur boi could hit those used record racks like the Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil and bag loadsa early to mid 80s Rap and Electro 12"s. Thus, here's a playlist of the best early 80s choonz I picked up in Bongos. All 12 songs hail from 1983 to 1985, which was a transitioal period for Rap. An era now lost in time like peeing in the sea, but which is one of my favourite stages in Rap's evolution.

Best early 80s Rap Choonz I picked up in Mr Bongo:
1. Spoonie Gee - The Big Beat (1983)
2. Jonzun Crew - Space Is The Place (1983)
3. The Cold Crush Brothers - Fresh, Wild, Fly & Bold (1984)
4. Egyptian Lover - Computer Love (Sweet Dreams) (1984)
5. The Furious Five - New York, New York (1983)
6. Grandmaster Melle Mel - Beat Street Breakdown (1984)
7. Newcleus - Jam On It (1984)
8. Crash Crew - We Are Known As Emcees (We Turn The Party Out) (1983)
9. Roxanne with UTFO - The Real Roxanne (1984)
10. Davy DMX - The DMX Will Rock (1985)
11. Stetsasonic - Just Say Stet (1985)
12. West Street Mob - Break Dance Electric Boogie (1983)