When I say Trax Records I ain't talkin' about Chicago House, boiiiiiii

Robocop stunna shades on to hide my sadness at Traxamillion's death. Now there was a producer who knew how to crank out Slap Tremendos, Slap Anthemos and Slap Classicos. Trax's solo shit was underrated too because he had songs like 808 In It which shoulda gone Slapinum With No Features™ (edit: or maybe not lolz. Still love this song tho.)

Traxamillion - 808 In It
(From Ridin' High mixtape; 2007)


Traxamillion needs to go down in history as the only producer to make a legitimately great Rap song with Travis Barker on percussion. In fact, 808 Re-Drum might have invented Swag-Slap and should have been a Blog-Rap hit.

Traxamillion ft. Travis Barker - 808 Re-Drum
(From Radio album; 2012)


Fly like a Pterodactyl, Traxamillion's off to a higher plane. Rest easy in the Baytrix, bruv.

Maxwell Pubas before Metro Boomins

Positive K - Step Up Front
(From Step Up Front single; 1988)


Why'd the only decent quality upload of the Step Up Front video get deleted from YouTube so all we're left with is this unwatchable/unlistenable fuzzfest? Whoever has the decent quality video rip needs to step up front and upload that shit so we can all inspect Positive K & his crew's garms again whenever we're reminding ourselves that it woz Grand Puba Maxwell not Dr. Dre or Metro Boomin'/Southside who first freaked the Ironside theme.

The 3 Heineken Technique mix of Step Up Front featuring King Of Chill wasn't quite the first great Rap remix (that'd be BDP's Remix For P Is Free IMHO), but it might be the first great Rap remix to feature all new lyrics and to introduce a guest Rapper. In that sense, it woz Possy Pos' not his old foe Puffy who Invented The Remix™.

Let's talk notable 80's remixes then, lads. Rules are no truncated 7" versions of early Rap 12"s (they're radio edits rather than remixes), and no C.J. Mackintosh club mixes (they're all shite.) Extended mixes in the Egyptian Lover stylee are, however, welcome.

Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be # 20

A square: why aren't De La Soul's classic albums streamable on Spotify or Apple?

A connoisseur: why isn't De La Soul's G.O.A.T B-side streamable anywhere, even YouTube?

There are certain De La Soul B-sides which are legit jams but deserve their position as surprise finds on the flip-sides of the anthems. And then there's What's More? which the group really should have saved for De La Soul Is Dead; Lord knows this song deserved a place on that album more than novelty interludes like Kicked Out The House or Who Do U Worship?.

De La Soul - What's More? From Original Soundtrack "Hell On 1st Avenue"
(From Me Myself & I 12" single; 1989)


There's no evidence that a movie by the name of Hell On 1st Avenue exists, let alone that a soundtrack album was recorded for it. Presumably that part of the song's title is one of Prince Paul's concepts: an imaginary soundtrack for a fictional crack-era blaxploitation movie in which the song's "tell me what's more.... " questions are set? Crazy visions, bruv.

No sample cleared

Nice & Smooth - We Are No. 1
(From Nice & Smooth album; 1989)


Dunno if anybody else has noticed this, but Nice & Smooth's We Are No. 1 seems to have been removed from all streaming services. Why couldn't God have taken Something I Can't Explain instead, right? Think of We Are No. 1 as one of the first successful attempts at Boom-Wop, just don't think of calling the lawyers representing Joe Cocker's estate.

Anybody else got any examples of random songs from rap albums which have been removed from streaming services due to sample clearance?

Now that's the brotha I be seein' in my sleep!

I'm serious, man, I'm so sincere, this is the video right here which ended Star's VladTV career! Star then got the hump and threatened to sue DJ Vlad unless Vlad removed all of his videos from VladTV, which Vlad complied with because Star probably has loadsa dirt on him. A treasure trove of shit-talk and terrible outfits were lost into the cracks of the internet; cracks such as Dailymotion.com where the tru headz can still find the apogee of both of Star & Lord Jamar VladTV career/the only entertaining thing Yelawolf has been involved in since signing to Shady Records:


Lord Jamar & Star Issue Stern Warning to Yelawolf by clickraspy

Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be # 19

The song up for consideration: a Team deep cut from the same 2004 Richie Rich compilation J. Stalin's first solo slaps come from. The reasons this shit should be on YouTube for the world to stream: because it's one of the hardest quacks in the Team's catalogue, and it's the group's only track which sounds as comfy next to Fabolous' Can't Let You Go remix as it does to Mac Dre's Me Damac.

"Back to back, double cars
See me out with double R
Lookin' for that redbone, push-up bubble bra"

The Team - Gangster's Talkin'
(From Richie Rich's Grabs, Snatches & Takes compilation; 2004)



The postscript: did you know that The Team's rare 2002 debut album Beyond The Glory featured cameos from Nas and Loon? A feat that's all the more impressive since even Kay Slay's first compilation album from 2003 couldn't quite pull that trick off. Alas, neither track can currently be found on the 'Tube either - a huge pity because it's hilarious that Nas appeared on a song with yung Clyde Carson at the peak of his beef with lcd club-bangeur rap.

Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be # 18

What kind of depraved world are we living in when Rock D The Legend's one moment of glory has been removed from YouTube? Sometimes you just have to marvel at rap music for being the only art form in the entire cosmos where wresslin' and the Halloween theme can be combined to such potent effect via a Purple Ribbon weed carrier & his guv'nor:

Rock D The Legend ft. Big Boi - DDT (That Hoe)
(From DDT (That Hoe) single; 2007)


Number one reason why Big Boi is so much more likeable than Andre 3000: the latter would have never guested on one of the best spin-off songs of the Crank That era. For that we should probably be thankful because in the unlikely event that Andre would ever partake in such crassness, he'd probably insist on his cameo being a spoken word intro about why wearing Nikes is bad.

Updated my Rap Songs That Aren't On YouTube But Really Should Be playlist

It's ya boy Gyles Bandwidth back to f*ck up your monthly data plans this Easter weekend. Tracks by Schoolly D, 5th Ward Weebie, Diddy, Legit Ballaz, Swishahouse, Camp Lo, AZ, Jiggs & Cheeks, TREE, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Grip Plyaz, Black Sheep, Smooth B, Jackie Chain, pre-LOX Jadakiss & Sheek, Lil' Chris, N.O.R.E & Peedi Crakk, MobStyle etc etc.

Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be # 16

Last time I checked I was a stan for Jeezy's pre-fame equivalent of Gucci Mane's Muscles N My Hand where he zinged real hip hopper's hoopties over the top of a synthetic-substitution of Pumpkin's drums from Spoonie Gee's Love Rap. What a pity no one else seems to be given the song's conspicuous absence from YouTube.

Young Jeezy ft. Mykel - That's What's Up
(From Come Shop With Me double album; 2003)


Mykel's hook on That's What's Up was so impeccable, Mac Dre may have liberally nicked it a year later. Is it within the realms of possibility that Dre could have heard an early Jeezy deep cut or is it simply a case of great minds tap into the same ripple of cosmic unconsciousness? "I guess we got the same dreams or is it the same nightmares" 4 real?

Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be # 15

Back in the 80s, Schoolly D recorded 3 separate songs all with the title Gangster Boogie: there's his middling electro-rap debut single from 1984, Gangster Boogie II from his mediocre 1988 LP Smoke Some Kill, and Gangster Boogie from his 1989 magnum opus Am I Black Enough For You?. Naturally it's the best song of the trilogy that you can't currently find on YouTube... or any other streaming service for that matter - them crackas still aren't playin' fair at Jive!

Schoolly D - Gangster Boogie
(From Am I Black Enough For You? album; 1989)


If Vine had existed in 1990, Gangster Boogie probably woulda been the soundtrack to hundreds of clips where people reenacted scenes from King Of New York. 1:03 to 1:29 gotta be a prime backing track for your best Jimmy Jump strut to.

S/O to the Mongolian Mike Parry

Kwamz & Flava - Fine Lady
(From Soundcloud; 2015)


Are there any other 2015 Afrobeats jams which sound like this or is Fine Lady pure Brit-bait anomaly? Shit knocks way harder than the most recent Kwamz & Flava song Tonight, yet Fine Lady remains marooned on Soundcloud whilst Tonight has been gettin' spins on Capital XTRA this past week and is an official digital single as of today. Industry rule 4090: record company people continually put their money behind the wrong song.

Foolproof strategy for Afrobeats to blow up in America: the genre needs its own Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now). There's no need to bother finding a new Freedom Williams for the job because his spiritual heir in monotone eye-rolling punchlines about nuts is already waiting in the wings armed with a iPhone notepad full of Chippendale similies.

Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be: an Audiomack playlist

Collected all the tracks from my Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be series + some other tracks I've uploaded to Audiomack which can't currently be found on the 'Tube into a playlist to post up like Paul Wall today. I swept YouTube with no broom; improvement needed? Lotsa room.

24 songs by Slim Thug & Paul Wall, Camp Lo, Yungstar & Lil' Flex, AZ, Jiggs & Cheeks, Young Ready, TREE, DJ Upgrade & Rico Tha Kidd, Melle Mel, Grip Plyaz, Dres, Smooth B, Jay Tee & Baby Bash, The LOX, Boo Da Boss Playa & Lay-Lo, MobStyle, Go-Rilla Pimp$, Lil' Chris, and N.O.R.E & Peedi Crakk. Hit up the search bar on the left hand path up top if you need any additional info about any of the songs contained because there's posts about all of 'em in these here archives.


Shout outs: Fred Flak for the 2 unreleased MobStyle exclusives; ANU for findin' the full Jiggs & Cheeks album; Drake for hippin' me to N*gga Rican and Ray Garraty for locating the tagless MP3 of it; Julius for uploading Boo's 601 album; Donal for snaggin' the Hustle Hard compilation from Land Of G-Funk; and Lil' Chris for the no-DJ MP3 of Bad Lil' Chick.

Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be # 13

One minute you're sitting in the bath browsing YouTube marveling at just how much music is on there to stream for free, the next you're cursing humanity because nobody has ever bothered to upload Pimp Olympic$ by Go-Rilla Pimps AKA J-Zone & Dick Stallion's bonus cut on 'Zone's Ign'ant mix CD. Audiomacked that shit as my good deed of the week. You're welcome, you're all welcome etc etc.

Go-Rilla Pimps - Pimp Olympic$
(From Ign'ant mixtape; 2003)


Top 3 best J-Zone song of all time, top 2 greatest Roy Ayers sample ever, and top 1 goofiest Blaxploitation character entrance scene in the history of cinema. If you wanna hear Pam Grier doing a faux-Jamaican accent which makes shorty from Little Mix sound like Spice then Coffy is the movie 4 u.

Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be #12

Couple more old Boo Rossini songs dating from the period when he rolled with Concentration Camp. One of which I've posted before back in 2012 (R.I.P all Divshare links) and one of which I've only just discovered (cheers, Donal). Both bear the influence of the Hot Boy$ and both feature oddly syncopated production from Happy Perez, but neither of them are on the 'Tube or anywhere else streamable on the 'net. Sod that.

Boo ft. Lay-Lo
(From 601 album; 1999)


Boo Da Boss Playa ft. The Benz & Bra - He Say She Say
(From 1 Life 1 Love Family's Hustle Hard compilation; 2001)



The Benz & Bra are not weed carrier monikers of the Johnny 2 Gunz & Pokaface caliber.

Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be #11

It wasn't until adding the html to yesterday's Rap Songs That Aren't On YouTube post about I Want My Money by Smooth B that I realised the Black Sheep track from Top Shelf 8/8/88 ain't on the 'Tube either. Dres probably recorded I'm The One with the intention that it should sound like Black Sheep's equivalent of Think, but you'll have way more fun with the song if you pretend it's an outtake from A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing which lost its place in the album's official track list at the last minute to make way for U Mean I'm Not.

Black Sheep - I'm The One
(From Top Shelf 8/8/88 compilation; 2007)

Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be #10

Back in 2007 a compilation of mysterious origin appeared claiming to be a gaggle of lost rap songs by various golden-era big hitters, all recorded in 1988 at some Manhattan studio which had been looted during the Tompkins Square Park riots and then closed down shortly thereafter. Top Shelf 8/8/88's backstory turned out to be a complete crock of hokum cooked up by Fab Five Freddy & Benjy Grinberg AKA the CEO of Wiz Khalifa's record label, but you had to applaud the pair of them for dreaming up such an audacious piece of backpacker-bait and then having the cojones to make it happen.

The compilation itself was a surprisingly good mixture of tracks recorded specifically as if they were from 1988 like Grand Puba's Let's Go and Black Sneep's I'm The One, and previously unreleased cuts obtained by possibly underhanded methods like Melle Mel & Grandmaster Caz's The Battle Is On and Special Ed's This Mic. Smooth B's I Want My Money sounds like it was recorded a good few years prior to his 2005 single Game Over, so whilst the song definitely doesn't date back to 1988 you can still pretend it's some mythical double A side to Greg Nice's 1994 minor-classic party anthem Set It Off.

Smooth B - I Want My Money Back
(From Top Shelf 8/8/88 compilation; 2007)

Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be #9

"You want benefits? Get with Uncle Sam
You want bougie nails? Get with the program
And dank weed's what I smoke, it makes me choke when I holla
See, God created pussy right after the dollar"

Jay Tee & Baby Beesh - You Should Neva Be Broke
(From Spread Yo' Hustle compilation; 1997)



File this under ‘Vallejo slumpers by Latino Velvet that Mac Dre really should have guested on’. Come for the entrepreneurial (wo)mannishness, stay for the G-Funk bass.

Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be #8

Two songs from Yungstar & Den-Den's Crooked Profit Vol. 1 compilation that've both appeared on here previously but still haven't found their way to YouTube. To put that into some sort of perspective, consider this: two of the definitive songs from Yungstar's camp are nowhere to be found on the 'Tube, yet every the entire oeuvre of the Action Bronson to Yungstar's Ghostface is up on there.

Yungstar ft. Lil' Flex - Knockin' Pictures (remix)
(From Yungstar & Den-Den's Crooked Profit Vol. 1 compilation; 2002)



Lil' Flex - Freestyle
(From Yungstar & Den Den's Crooked Profit Vol 1 compilation; 2002)


Texas-related note: glad to hear TREE sounds like TREE again after his recent Trap Genius album was little more than a PowerPoint Presentation on how he could rap in other people's flows. Who's down with O.P.F? MC TREE G! Very impressive on the Invasion Of The Tongue Snatchers tip, but If I wanted to hear Quavo impersonations from men who are old enough to know better then I can just download everything by the Sauce Twinz. As Henry Rollins' boyfriend nearly once sang, Texas is the reason that the Migos flow is dead.

Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be # 6

The year is 1989 and denial is not just a river in Egypt but how rap's O.G King Of New York Melle Mel is livin'. By night the fallen Frank White is now hittin' the crack pipe like Jimmy White; by day he shoots anti-crack TV commercials for WNBC with his What's The Matter With The World collaborator Van Silk and hits the studio to record songs like White Lines '89 and Drug Wars for his Piano LP.

Drug Wars isn't Piano's highlight (that'd be Free Style which saw Melvin blackin' the fuck out and Izz-izzing words on wax before E-40 or Snoop even touched down proper) but it still badly needs to be streamable somewhere online for the chil'ren. Rumoured to be ghost-produced by the album's in-house DJ Kid Capri, its beat is a lo-fi precursor to Know The Ledge, and the song itself is a lowkey missing link between Night Of The Living Baseheads and Slow Down in the pantheon of golden-era songs about how crack decimated New York's poorest neighbourhoods. Basically, it's prime street-level rap noir from a man slap bang in the middle of N.Y.C's crack epidemic and a final grand huzzah from rap's first Grandmaster.

Grandmaster Melle Mel - Drug Wars
(From Piano album; 1989)

Rap songs that aren't on YouTube but really should be # 5

"Skydiver, she'll swallow the whole bottle
Take your Master and your VISA got you goin' desperado
But when she go low you feelin' like you hit the lotto"

Camp Lo - Material
(From Black Hollywood album; 2007)


Top 3 reasons why Material should be on the 'Tube: it's a top 5 post-Uptown Saturday Night song by the Lo; it's so luxurious you could take a bubble bath in it; it's a glaring omission from my best rap replays list and I need to make amends.