DJ Rock Well Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 I don't know if anybody else saw this and it does have it's flaws - grammar, huge potential bias, based on hearsay and it's just somebody's twitter feed FFS. But it's still interesting and sheds a little light on a whole back story that's been tucked away behind a few well publicised events and the 90s hip hop scene in general. If somebody could actually write an in-depth credible book on this subject, I'd be keen to read it. Although it's different subject matter and just some twitter ramblings, reading this reminds me of the excellent doc 'Precinct Seven Five' and Laurie Gunst's 'Born Fi Dead' book. https://genius.com/discussions/282069-Twitter-user-talks-about-90s-ny-goons-in-hip-hop-involves-tupac-biggie-jay-z-50-cent-and-more 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Burglar Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Damn, it just keeps going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeClockwork Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 I must admit, I'd rather watch/listen to this than have to read it and there is a 'how much of this should I believe?' element to it. That pic of skinny Pun though 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Rock Well Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 I definitely know what you mean on the 'how much can you trust' Joe, although looking up some of the names, they're pretty well documented outside this thread. There's at least no doubting their general criminal exploits and there's a lot of evidence that they certainly worked for the famous rappers claimed. Obviously I have no clue who this guy writing this is, but he certainly talks like he's moved in circles where a lot of this is common knowledge. Actually when I googled some of these people or events, a lot of info was popping up in the sites of tabloid newspapers and the tabloid equivalent specialist hip hop sites - both i'd probably trust less than this guy (saying more about them than him). Even if certain details or specific claims are iffy, I sort of feel like there's a lot of stuff that seems logical or that aligns with my own assumptions. I can believe much of what he says about Suge - being a cancer to Tupac, causer of much trouble, but ultimately not being real tough guy when compared to actual gangsters. And his assertions on 50 Cent's character at least, seems pretty plausible. Finally somebody's made sense of Eric B me too - was ever even any good at being any sort of DJ or producer, or was always the in house goon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danswift Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 I can believe much of what he says about Suge - being a cancer to Tupac, causer of much trouble, but ultimately not being real tough guy when compared to actual gangsters. Absolutely...just cause you've sucked off a few gangsters it doesn't mean you are one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeClockwork Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 My mate sent me an email in the early/mid 00's with a .txt document attached. I can't remember half of what was in there but it was full of stuff like this, although some of it read like a Heat magazine for rappers (Premo and Jeru don't speak anymore because Premo shagged Jeru's girlfriend, etc). To be fair, this guy you've linked to sounds a lot more credible. One thing that came up was that Eric B is a nutter and so is Showbiz, which struck me as odd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 I imagine it's probably kept under wraps for obvious reasons but I'd be interested to know the documented history of similar activity going on in other genres/scenes. Any good documentaries out there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Rock Well Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 Not that I've found yet Jon. Some clown on youtube has done 10 minute videos on some of these people, but they're the kind with shitty background music where you have to read all the info on screen... rubbish! I'm sure a lot of New York residents knew exactly who the gangsters were that ran their neighbourhoods at the time, but obviously weren't too chatty about it. What's changed now is that nearly every single one of the people mentioned here is dead, incarcerated for life, or a lot older now having done long stretches and at least claiming legitimacy. Joe - Heat magazine for rappers is a funny thought although I'm sure there was more than enough gossip to fill it's pages had it been real. Interesting Eric B gets a mention there though. I was surprised by his prevalence in this thread, but he's certainly standing right there in photos with all manner of dubious people. Back in the 80s I might of believed that it was all music related, but by the mid to late 90s and beyond, no way! The one other thing this article makes more interesting is the TV series 'Power', which stars 50 Cent and he was obviously heavily involved with. It is was it is, although it's better than I expected being the pet project of 50 Cent made for the Starz channel. But stuff like inclusions of Haitian gangsters, a lot of other little details and the fact 50 is spot on in his role and I don't believe it's cos he can act well, just that he's playing (former?) version of himself, or at least people he had real life experience with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeClockwork Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Back in the 80s I might of believed that it was all music related, but by the mid to late 90s and beyond, no way! Did you hear any of Eric B's solo LP? If you're any doubt as to where all the talent lay in the group 'Eric B & Rakim', this should do it for you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Rock Well Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 I'm pleased to say I have not. Very pleased. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Rock Well Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 Low budget, but still There's loads of youtube DIY type docs and rips of old US TV episodes covering a lot of what this bloke is on about. The quality's generally variable in the lower range Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wax On Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 Eric B definitely seems to be the man...I was hoping you'd get more of that from his Combat Jack podcast but he's just really polite and gentlemanly on that, which makes me think it all the more. Re death Row, you should read Have Gun Will Travel by Ronin Ro. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danswift Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 Re death Row, you should read Have Gun Will Travel by Ronin Ro.I'd like to read that book again..had it years ago and it was pretty good. Think I lent it to someone like you do and obviously never saw it again. I know that the books publisher Doubleday and Ronin Ro were sued around 1998 by some of the people named in the book for defamation, Jerry Heller and Doug Young were each seeking $20 million in damages but I cant remember ever reading about the outcome of the complaints. http://www.mtv.com/news/502314/death-row-biographer-publisher-sued-for-defamation/ Anyone here have more info ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Rock Well Posted June 29, 2017 Author Share Posted June 29, 2017 Eric B definitely seems to be the man...I was hoping you'd get more of that from his Combat Jack podcast but he's just really polite and gentlemanly on that, which makes me think it all the more. Re death Row, you should read Have Gun Will Travel by Ronin Ro.I have. It was pretty good! The other person who gets a brief mention here (mostly due to the NY focus of this) who I'm sure they'll make movies about after he's gone is J.Prince from Houston. An interesting 'entrepreneur' to say the least. Apart from famous/public exploits, I reckon he's done and is doing all kinds of shit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INFA Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 (edited) Back in the 80s I might of believed that it was all music related, but by the mid to late 90s and beyond, no way! Did you hear any of Eric B's solo LP? If you're any doubt as to where all the talent lay in the group 'Eric B & Rakim', this should do it for you. Rakim did most of the scratches himself Edited July 10, 2017 by INFA 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Rock Well Posted July 10, 2017 Author Share Posted July 10, 2017 Fuck, Eric really was just the muscle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danswift Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 Back in the 80s I might of believed that it was all music related, but by the mid to late 90s and beyond, no way! Did you hear any of Eric B's solo LP? If you're any doubt as to where all the talent lay in the group 'Eric B & Rakim', this should do it for you. Rakim did most of the scratches himself Yeah, I remember hearing rumours that all of the DJ work on Paid In Full that wasn't done by Marley Marl was done by Rakim . Also heard that the production on Follow The Leader was Rakim's with massive uncredited help from The 45 King- and both Large Professor and Paul C for the Let The Rhythm Hit Em' lp. Fuck, Eric really was just the muscle!With a load of street credibility and lots of money to pay for the studio time basically, it appears. Wasn't there a story about Eric B supposedly running Kool G Rap out of New York to Arizona or something when he claimed it was Large Professor who did the majority of the work and that Eric B had very little to do with the beatmaking process or production of those same records too ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wax On Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 I heard first hand from someone who spent time around the hip hop scene in the late 90s in NY, who heard someone say G Rap was out of town cos of the "Eric B thing"...I've always wanted to know more. Oh btw don't sleep on This Chris Lighty Podcast series https://gimletmedia.com/mogul/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Rock Well Posted July 10, 2017 Author Share Posted July 10, 2017 I won't Wax. He's another err... 'interesting' character 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest broke Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Wasn't there a story about Eric B supposedly running Kool G Rap out of New York to Arizona or something when he claimed it was Large Professor who did the majority of the work and that Eric B had very little to do with the beatmaking process or production of those same records too ? I heard something along those lines. Isn't it also true that Terminator X did very little of the cutting on the first couple of PE records? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest petesasqwax Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Hehe - is it time for the Johnny Juice conversation again, BL? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wax On Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Low budget, but still https://youtu.be/QIy3sQWBxtI There's loads of youtube DIY type docs and rips of old US TV episodes covering a lot of what this bloke is on about. The quality's generally variable in the lower rangeGotta say I enjoy this sort of thing way more than I should - even stuff like the Beef documentary. And sometimes the low budget adds to the charm. Take Cocaine Cowboys for instance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest petesasqwax Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 I know what you mean - there's something appealing (maybe that's not the right word - compelling, perhaps) about it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest broke Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Hehe - is it time for the Johnny Juice conversation again, BL? So was Chuck actually using that name at any point or was it just a name they made up to put in the liner notes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest petesasqwax Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Did you ever read that interview with JJ where he said that the Bomb Squad made up loads of names of groups - made logos for them and all that - without them even existing, then they held talent contests to fill out the rosters? I'm not talking about no-name groups that never became anything, I mean including shit like Leaders Of The New School! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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