Blurb from Wax Poetics:
“In celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th year, we’ve teamed up with London based ‘Classic Material’ to present a chronologically themed series of mixtapes celebrating the history of recorded rap music, mixed by Chris Read. Edition #8 in this year by year series pays tribute to the Hip Hop of 1994, a year which for many is best remembered for giving us two of hip hop’s most revered debut albums, Nas’ Illmatic and Notorious B.I.G’s Ready to Die. It was also a golden year for radio and mixtape DJs with tapes from the likes of Funkmaster Flex, Stretch Armstrong, Doo Wop, Ron G and others being a key outlet for a new breed of underground acts as well as established names. Despite tempos generally drifting downward in comparison with previous years and a significant proportion of the year’s output being laidback and jazz infused, ’94 also delivered its fair share of anthems. Artwork pays tribute to classic mid 90s New York imprint Payday Records.”
1. Classic Material Intro
2. Warren G – ’94 Ho Draft (Excerpt)
3. Ghetto Concept – Certified (Instrumental)
4. Chris Read – Theme #1 (Scratchapella)
5. Common – I Sed to Love Her (Acapella)
6. Cella Dwellas – Land of the Lost (Instrumental)
7. Nas – One Love (Instrumental)
8. Big L feat Kid Capri – Put It On (Acapella)
9. Brand Nubian – Holding On (Remix)
10. Boogie Monsters – Strange (Vocal)
11. Boogie Monsters – Strange (Instrumental)
12. Craig Mack – Flava In Ya Ear (Instrumental)
13. Beatnuts – Props Over Here (Acapella)
14. Da Youngstas – Mad Props (LP Version)
15. Group Home – Supa Star (Instrumental)
16. Lord Finesse -Shorties Caught In The System (Acapella)
17. Bush Babees – Remember We (Salaam Remi Instrumental)
18. Nas – It Ain’t Hard to Tell (Acapella)
19. Cella Dwellas – We Got It Hemmed
20. Justice System – Dedication to Bambaataa (Beatnuts Mix)
21. Common – Resurrection (Instrumental)
22. Bush Babees – We Run Tings (Acapella)
23. Notorious BIG – Machine Gun Funk (DJ Premier Remix)
24. Lords of the Underground – Tic Toc
25. O.C – Born to Live
26. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – Take You There (Instrumental)
27. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – Take You There (Acapella)
28. Da Youngtas – Hip Hop Ride (Mellow Mix)
29. Da Youngtas – Hip Hop Ride (Mellow Mix Instrumental)
30. Nine – Wutcha Want (Acapella)
31. Artifacts – What Goes On? (Instrumental)
32. Organised Konfusion feat Large Professor – Stress (Large Professor Remix)
33. Troubleneck Brothers – Back to the Hip Hop