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 #10 in this year by year series pays tribute to the Hip Hop of 1996, a year which marks a turning point for the genre with a divide growing between the emerging crossover sound and the underground ‘independent’ sound blossoming in reaction to it. Whilst many established artists including De La Soul and The Roots critiqued the commercial sound of the day, artists such as Busta Rhymes managed to deliver more chart friendly offerings while retainign underground credibility. Notable album releases include the Fugees’ hit album ‘The Score’, Tribe Called Quest’s Ummah produced 4th album, ‘Beats Rhymes and Life’, Jay Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’ and Jeru’s ‘Wrath of the Math’ in contrast to it. Debut releases from Kool Keith alias Dr Octagon and newcomers Company Flow set the tone for a new breed of leftfield acts. Artwork references the logo of NY imprint Uptown Records.”
1. Classic Material Intro
2. The Roots – Section (Instrumental)
3. Chris Read – Theme #3 (Scratchapella)
4. East Flatbush Project – Tried By Twelve (Instrumental)
5. Jungle Brothers – How Ya Want It We Got It (Acapella)
6. Lord Finesse feat Marquee – Underworld Operations (Instrumental)
7. The Fugees feat A Tribe Called Quest & Busta Rhymes – Rumble In The Jungle (Acapella)
8. Mobb Deep — Front Lines (Hell On Earth) (Instrumental)
9. Busta Rhymes feat Zhane – It’s a Party (Acapella)
10. Ed O.G – What U Got
11. Grav – One Puff (Instrumental)
12. INI feat Pete Rock – Fakin Jax (Acapella)
13. Special Ed – Freaky Flow (DJ Premier Instrumental)
14. Jeru the Damaja – Ya Playin Yaself (Acapella)
15. Wise Intelligent Steady Slangin’ (Instrumental)
16. A Tribe Called Quest – Stressed Out (Remix Instrumental)
17. De La Soul – Stakes is High (Acapella)
18. A Tribe Called Quest feat Consequence & Faith Evans – Stressed Out (Remix Acapella)
19. A Tribe Called Quest – Mind Power (Loop)
20. O.C. – What I Represent
21. Busta Rhymes – Woo Hah, Got You All In Check (Acapella)
22. Busta Rhymes feat Rampage – Abandon Ship (DJ Spinna Remix)
23. INI – Props (Instrumental)
24. Frankie Cutlass feat June Lover, Sadat X & Redman – You and You and You (Acapella)
25. Camp Lo feat Butterfly – Swing