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 #11 in this year by year series pays tribute to the Hip Hop of 1997, a year notable for the divergence of two distinct sounds, the underground independent sound nurtured by labels such as Correct, ABB and Rawkus and a glossier, commercial sound largely assoicate with the output of the major labels. Notable albums include Biggie’s seminal ‘Life After Death’ and at the other end of the spectrum Jurassic 5’s debut ‘J5’ EP and Company Flow’s leftfield classic ‘Funcrusher Plus’. Artwork pays tribute to the ABB Records logo.“
Tracklist:
1. Classic Material Intro
2. O.C. feat Bumpy Knuckles – Win the G (Excerpt)
3. Black Attack – Correct Technique (Instrumental)
4. Chris Read – Theme #3 (Scratchapella)
5. Rakim – Remember That (Instrumental)
6. X-Perado – Verbal Reality (Acapella)
7. Mic Geronimo – For Tha Family
8. O.C. – The Chosen One (Skit Instrumental)
9. X-Ecutioners – Musica Negra (Acapella)
10. Beatnuts – Intermission
11. X-Perado – The Entity (Acapella)
12. Artifacts – The Ultimate
13. Rakim – It’s Been a Long Time
14. Gang Starr – You Know My Steez
15. Gang Starr feat Kurupt & Lady of Rage -You Know My Steez (Remix)
16. D.I.T.C -Day One (Instrumental)
17. Executioners – Word Play (Acapella)
18. Ghetto Professionals present Brick City Kids – Brick City Kids (Instrumental)
19. A.D.O.R – Enter the Center (Acapella)
20. Al Tariq – Think Not
21. Beatnuts – Do You Believe?
22. Alkaholiks – Liquidation
23. Organized Konfusion – Somehow, Someway (Instrumental)
24. LL Cool J feat Methd Man, Redman, DMX & Master P – 4, 3, 2, 1 (Acapella)
25. Organized Konfusion – Questions (Instrumental)
26. Sadat X – Famalame (Instrumental)
27. Notorious BIG – I Got a Story to Tell (Instrumental)
28. Oran Juice Jones feat Camp Lo – Poppin That Fly (Instrumental)
29. Red Foo & Dre Kroon feat Evidence – The Freshest (DJ Revolution Remix)
30. Mos Def – Universal Magnetic