Chopped Herring Hip Hop 208 Items

This is a real low key one, but a helladope one. Cats will know Born-God from NY mid 90’s crew Now Born Click. His cousin, producer and mentor you will know from the previous release on Herring, Russ Prez – and he is responsible for the dope production on this flavasome EP. This project only had a limited cassette release back in 1994 and is extremely hard to find. So we had to bring it on wax for the headz. All joints transferred from the original studio DATs and included is a previously unreleased banger!! R.I.P. Born-God. Shout out to Thomas Stephansen!

Here we have a Heavy rarity outta Philly from 1995 by MC, producer and graf artist Jon Doe aka Denske aka Culture Livingston. Check the interview below in the Product Info section for the full story, but homeboy has been part of the Philly scene since way back when. He used to write under the name Denske and heads might be aware of his excellent documentary "Tag City" which delves deep into the Philadelphia writing scene and in particular the esoteric Gangster hand style of the 60s/70s synonymous with the city. He was also featured in Roger Gastman's "History Of American Graffiti". Seriously, peep the interview below - it's full of gems.



So, to the music. There were 3 joints on the 12" that dropped in 1995 [300 copies pressed only] and 6 on the cassette version - here we have 5 of those 6 tracks, 2 of which have never been released on wax. Unfortunately the final track was busted so couldn't be used!! As he mentions in his interview, this project was recorded on an old 4-track and never got mastered before pressing so it is dusty, but that adds to the mid 90's flava!

Dope 1996 previously tape-only release outta Birmingham, Alabama, produced by previous-Herring release artist, Supreme The Rude Boy. Joint Effort consisted of Mike Akbar (The Lyrical Dee Lite), Big Steve The Griot and producer Supreme The Rude Boy. All three met while attending University of Montevallo, AL, in the 90s.

Black and silver vinyl.

Light purple vinyl.

Yellow wax!

Classic new boom bap banger featuring Sean Price, Your Old Droog & Ill Bill. Production from Large Professor, El RTNC, Arch Druids, DJ Skizz, Roc Marciano, Marco Polo and DJ Woof. Must have!

Jazz-infused instrumental flavours from great Swedish producer B.B.Z. Darney, who is also well known from his String Theory project together with Hex One.

This is a limited run of 350 copies!
"Operation Clam Dust", an unheard masterpiece, was created between late 2005 & early 2008 - following-on from the much-loved 2004 "Three Sinister Syllables" mix. It is a next level exploration into digging, sampling and audio animation. All manner of world breaks, private press LP's, obscure soundtracks, Bolivian polka jawns are up in that piece. Eight years after it was made, there has been nothing that even comes close to the complexity of this project - just check it - This Is Nobel Prize Winning Breaks Shit, For Reel!!!

Finally Chopped Herring releases some of the dopest Don Producci instrumental productions. If you’re not familiar with the name yet, you might be familiar with his great beats, which he already supplied for the likes as Meyhem Lauren & Action Bronson on “Welcome To The Great Outdoors EP” and Meyhem Lauren for “The Total Meyhem EP”. So these beats are nothing but sure shot instrumentals.

What a great combination – Chopped Herring's own Brooklyn kids, Penpals meet the incredible production skills of Scots duo Slipmat Brothers aka Jazz Spastiks on the new album “Made For The Underground”- a match made in true Underground Hip Hop heaven!!! All you can expect will be nothing but the finest and dopest vocals straight outta Brooklyn paired with dusty and jazzy beats from the Jazz Spastiks vaults.

Before Sunz of Man and before Wu, there was Da Last Future. The line-up before they got down with the Wu was KiIllah Priest, Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah, Shabazz the Disciple, 7th Ambassador and our man producer Su-Preme. They dropped a low run 12" on Nocturnal 7 Records, engineered and mixed by another friend o'Herring, Carlos C-12 Bess at the legendary Firehouse Studios in NYC.

Brooklyn, New York City based MC Thirstin Howl III is known for his unique style and sometimes comical and humorous rhymes. He is of Puerto Rican descent and raps in both Spanish and English. In 1997 he won the Source's Unsigned Hype award. He also owns and operates his own label, Skillionaire Enterprises.
Now, one of the illest MC's in the game blesses Chopped Herring with some previously never pressed on vinyl classics from the 1999 debut release "Skillionaire. Peep these joints from "Skillionaire" on wax for the very first time plus the bonus "Prostitute joint" featuring an early Meyhem Lauren. You won’t regret it!

Only one copy per customer!
Limited edition of 350 copies only!

The main question might still be, how does a cat born in 1997 make such an authentic "mid-90's-sounding" record? Answer: Dope influences. MC Gels out of the Bronx, recorded his debut album "Wandering Souls" last year.

The final Herring drop for early 2017 is MC Gels' debut release from early in 2016 - now available on wax for the first time. Following on from last year's "Wandering Souls" LP on Chopped Herring, this heater produced by Chief Rugged had to make its way onto wax - straight out the BX, the young MC Gels - "Da Funkee Man"..

Limited CD version!

Originally recorded in 1991, but finally released in 1994, the "Suckas Brevity/Hostile Lifestyle" 12-inch by New Jersey MC & producer Beneficence is what you would probably refer to as an "obscure record". Only 100 copies were ever pressed on indie label Big House Records, so Herring & Beneficence's label Ill Adrenaline thought it might be a good idea to bring back the 12-inch material and to add some previously unreleased Beneficence jawn from the 90's. Chopped Herring Records is proud to present "Contents Under Pressure". Peep it folks!

Prince Paul hit Chopped Herring up to release this dope early 90's project!!

The first incarnation of the group was formed around 1989 in Amityville, Long Island, New York, although the family grew up in Long Island. The family of four brothers (Anthony, Richard, Joel, and Edward) and one sister (Dawne), of which Anthony (Poetic) was the eldest, were born to Trinidadian parents who moved from Trinidad and Tobago in 1971, making their first residence in Queens, New York for a short time, then moving to Long Island. John Berkeley (a pastor and a local businessman) and Ela Berkeley (a homemaker, cook-nutritionist, and teacher) were both singers and artistic in general, and they encouraged artistic expression in their five children. The family was well-rounded musically, singing gospel and R&B up to their early teens all around New York, other states, and Canada as "The Berkeley Singers". Anthony (Poetic), Dawne, and Joel (Brainstorm) sang, accompanied by Richard on the drums and Eddie (E-Sharp) on the piano or keyboard.

Poetic began rhyming in his early teens in Wyandanch, and was known by many names and building a name for himself as a lyrical battle MC. He changed his name to Poetic around 1985, and in 1986 he formed the crew known as Too Poetic, who in 1988-89 released a modestly popular single called: “God Made Me Funky/Poetical Terror”, under the DNA/Tommy Boy Music imprint. The group’s relationship with Tommy Boy Records eventually panned out for various reasons, scrapping the album and making Poetic very displeased, an early casualty of the politics of the music business.

While Poetic was just beginning his formal hip hop career in 1987–89, Brainstorm was attending college at the State University of New York at Farmingdale, Long Island, where he was the roommate of Brooklyn’s own Super DJ Richie Rich (who had been in Third Base, Clark Kent’s Supermen, and the movie Juice). The university was host to many hip hop artists as visitors for parties and to do shows like Rakim, EPMD, Producer-Super DJ Clark Kent, and Biz Markie.

After Brainstorm finished his college run in 1989, he took time to learn many aspects of the music business, but in 1989 he and Poetic mutually decided to pair up with a hardcore lyrical edge, original word play, and acute metaphors, after many collaborations between them since 1985. Thus, Da Bruthas G.R.Y.M. was born shortly after Too Poetic’s deal with DNA/Tommy Boy had soured. The energy and high chemistry between these true by-blood brothers at the time was, simply put, natural.

In the first Bruthas G.R.Y.M. era (c. 1989–1992), the brothers Poetic (Brother One) and Brainstorm (Brother Two) garnered much respect on the underground hip hop scene of New York Their first official demo featured the underground bangers like “Bruthas G.R.Y.M.”, “Circle-Circle-Dot-Dot”, the politically charged “Popcorn” and “Livin’ In Hell (Had To Survive)”. The demo featured production mastering by Nate "NATO" Tinsley, their in-house producer Semi-Automatic (Pedro Sims, Mr. Semi, Gravediggaz), and the brothers themselves. After blazing underground radio and live shows around New York City, they were listed in The Source magazine as the best unsigned rap group of 1989. The crew was then managed by longtime friend Jack Pope (Jack Sprat, Starving Artists Entertainment), who later became the road manager of the Gravediggaz.

These cassette tape “dubs” floated around the New York streets in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and their demo eventually made their way to the seasoned musical ear of fellow Amityvillain Prince Paul (Stetsasonic, De La Soul, Gravediggaz) from his association with the local Long Island artists who had met the brothers and saw their raw talent. In 1990 Prince Paul decided to fund and executive produce further demos, finding various other known and up-and-coming producers for the unnamed project, as well as being the tentative DJ for the group.

Then the unfortunate happened – being disenfranchised by the politics and games of the music business and life in general, Brainstorm just quit altogether for “personal enlightenment”, before any formal deal could solidify. Poetic understood about Brainstorm’s personal path at that stage in his life, but was silently devastated because they were so close to sealing a major record deal that would have propelled them further into Hip Hop history.

Their original demo, even today, is still one of Prince Paul’s favorites. It was not until 1992 that Poetic, after Brainstorm quit in 1991, that it is said that Poetic “fell on hard times”, including a short period of homelessness.

Brainstorm would continue to write for leisure and therapeutic reasoning, but never to seriously pursue a music career, moving to Brooklyn New York and later down south to various states; in fact, Brainstorm was so “finished with Hip Hop” that he gave Poetic all of his original rhyme books to use at his own discretion – some lyrics ending up on Gravediggaz projects.

Straight out of Baltimore, Maryland we have a crew known as Afiliashun. This monster grail has been on indy-heads wants lists for a minute. It took a few years to get hold of the original studio DAT - big up to producer Reg E Ruckus for diggin through his storage unit multiple times before finally finding the crown jewels. 45 rpm loud pressing! Peep it, don’t sleep it!!!!

Always on that fresh NYC shit, Chopped Herring presents Bronx up n comin MC, Hahyeem. This 19-year old spitter recorded his debut EP "Silence" 2 years ago at the age of 17 and released it earlier this year to underground critical acclaim. The whole project is produced by another dope, young artist, Inna Attic Crookz. It's a good combination – believe!!!

Two rare and unreleased rugged early 90's joints from ex-Fresh Records recording artist King Doe V - produced by Da Last Future & Hell Razah producer Su-Preme. Check it!!

Limited CD edition!

Junclassic is a Hip Hop MC, member of the Monsta Island Czars and Dynamix, and founder and CEO of Classified Recordings.

Limited edition 4-track sampler for the first time on vinyl!

Junclassic is a Hip Hop MC, member of the Monsta Island Czars and Dynamix, and founder and CEO of Classified Recordings.