REQUIREDAUDIO HEARD BEFORE THE HERD TEXT BYJOEL MARASIGAN

Street’s Disciple Nas This 2-disc, 25-track set hit the shelves already. If it ain’t platinum, it will be soon. Old-school seasoned Going Back To Cali The Mixtape Mixtape cuts like “Virgo,” “You Know My DJ Lt. Dan Rel Style,” and “U.B.R. (Unauthorized Who R You “Going Back to Cali” is West Coast Why make a demo tape to get a Biography of Rakim)” as well as fea- The Frontline music flipped New York-mixtape deal from some bigwig? Just go tured folks like Olu Dara (Nas’ dad), Richmond, Calif., throw your hands style. It’s loaded with diss track bat- ahead and make one to show off Ludacris, Doug E. Fresh, Maxwell, up. The alumni of MTV’s freestyle tles like Kurupt vs. Daz Dillinger, your talents to everyone. Carson, Busta Rhymes, and girlfriend battlers are here to show being in Guerilla Black vs. Blah Bloomberg Calif., native Rel shows he has a little Milkshaker Kelis only set guide second place just means there’s still and Big Wy (Relativez), and The bit of polished skill on the micro- points for where the boundaries a title to take from someone. Getting Game vs. Yukmouth (Luniz). It phone. On this “mixtape mixtape” should be. With all that Jay-Z vs. Nas assistance by playing regulars on throws propers to 2Pac and Biggie. It (with beat backings by radio rap stuff going on, you were hard “The Wake Up Show” (an interna- features exclusives and remixes for hits) he gives you more than enough pressed to pick a favorite. Pseudo- tionally syndicated radio program The Game, Xzibit, Daz, Scipio, lyrics and cadence switch-ups to wholesome rap listeners should side hosted by MTV’s Sway and partner Balance, and Frontline. It has a flatter you, all the while pushing the with Jigga; the rest of you should King Tech) and press in publications Yukmouth video. It won a mixtape idea he can rock the rewrites well follow me over to Nas’ crib. like XXL, XLR8R, and Murder Dog) the award. It’s dope.

enough to impress the average lis- group plans to catapult itself out of tener. On the flipside there’s jackin’ the Bay Area, rap-duo classification. for beats and then there’s jackin’ for Look out for the production on this songs—keep it short and sweet, Rel. one. It seems that Left, E-A-Ski, and Get through the first 16 bars and CMT—with their neck-snapping switch it up. And it isn’t karaoke so beats—are looking for extra work don’t try to mimic the hit-maker’s using this previously “Bay Only” style and do his hit song over again. release. It’s his hit—he owns it already. You got the skills; find that producer and do you. —Hi-Fantacyrecords.com Wildflowers Flavor In Ya Ear Connie Price & The Keystones DJ Lt. Dan First it was D’Angelo, Musiq Soulchild Hosted by soon-to-blow producer and Erykah Badu who brought back Chops (of the Mountain Brothers) neo-soul. Now it’s time for a new- Dan shoots out another set of exclu- funk comeback. Melding the styles sives that may blow your mind. Not of American funk and soul, Jamaican only do you catch new cuts from rocksteady, roots reggae, Afrobeat, Pitbull, Willie Stubz, Q-Tip, and Shyne New-Orleans second-line rhythms, you get Snoop’s “Drop it Like it’s ’60s and ’70s jazz ensemble—tout- Hot,” Lloyd Banks’ “I’m so Fly,” and ed to be the best musicians Los Lenny Kravitz’s “Storm” with Lt. Dan Angeles can offer—the group puts beat-makeovers. down a mix that’s unique. Breakestra Producer/Leader Dan Ubick spent years cultivating and contributing to records by Macy Gray, DJ Babu, and Madlib. He now takes his spot in the limelight with this virtual soundtrack to the best movie you’ll ever see. 05.03.2nr.55