SOULMAN JOINT #2 – THE LOST HIP HOP MIXTAPE FROM 1994

Back in 1994 a 40 watt lightbulb flashed over my head and I got a bright idea: “Hey, I think I wanna be a mixtape DJ”. Not a break mixtape DJ, I mean a living, breathing Hip Hop mixtape DJ, like a Ron G or an S&S or whoever else who was pushin’ tapes back in the early-to-mid 90’s. Only difference was I wanted to be a REAL SCHITT mixtape DJ. Not that the state of Hip Hop was anywhere near what it is now- there was still a lot of hardcore underground Hip Hop that was held in high regard in the streets, clubs and elsewhere. Things were definitely changing, though, what with the rise of the west coast thanks to Dre and Snoop‘s takeover of rap music. But the idea of Hip Hop being dead was still over a decade away.
Still, I wanted to go a little bit against the grain (as I always do) by playing album cuts that I thought were dope but you really didn’t hear all that much on other mixtapes or mixshows. Plus I wanted to throw some of my own remixes and beats into the stew, as well as a little old school flava, breaks and samples, etc. etc… you know, THAT REAL SCHITT. Just trying to do something kinda cool and different. I ended up making Soulman Joint #1 and Soulman Joint #2– two 90 minute tapes that me and my crew at the time Soul Brothers No. 9 (more on them at a later date) could give out while promoting some of the other schitt we planned on doing.
I thought the tapes were pretty dope to my ears (although my little vocal drops were pretty annoying even to me), but many of my east coast brethren were not diggin’ some of the west coast schitt I poured into the gumbo. BOY were they hatin’ on some of the Heiro stuff! Yeah, well, the hell with ’em… I still love the early Heiro stuff, specifically the 1st Casual and Souls Of Mischief lps and the 2nd Del joint. One thing I don’t do, i do NOT discriminate based on a fool’s geographical location- if you killin’ THAT REAL SCHITT you have a fan in The Soulman.
Anyway, I decided the mixtape grind was not for me. Even back then I was too steeped in real schittery for the masses, with their limited comprehension, to be able to relate (lol). Here’s the tracklisting to SOULMAN JOINT #2:

SIDE 1
Soulbrothers No 9 Intro feat. 45 King – ???
De La Soul & ATCQ – Sh Fe MCs
Black Moon – I Got Cha Opin (Remix)
Strictly Roots featuring Fat Joe & Grand Puba – Begs No Friends (Remix)
UMCs – Some Speak Ill Thoughts
Gangstarr – Brainstorm
Casual – Get Off It
Wu-Tang Clan – Da Mystery of Chessboxin’ (Soulman Remix)
Das Efx – Wontu
ATCQ – Steve Biko
Shyheim – On And On (Primo Remix)
N-Tyce – Root Beer Float
Erick Sermon featuring Ice Cube & Kam – The Ill Shit
Nas – It Ain’t Hard To Tell / Isaac Hayes – Joy (Soulman Remix)

SIDE 2
Soulbrothers No 9 Intro feat. Solomon Burke – Fight Back
45 King – ???
ATCQ – Electric Relaxation
Del – No Need For Alarm
Das Efx – Check It Out
24-7 – Let’s Have It (intro)
Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg, Kurrupt & Dat Nigga Daz – Nuthin’ But A G Thing (Freestyle Remix)
N-Tyce – Hush Hush Tip
Wu-tang Clan – C.R.E.A.M. / Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message (Soulman Remix)
Wildman Steve Interlude
Gangstarr – Words From the Nutcracker
Tragedy – Street Life (Remix)
KMD – What A Niggy Know (Remix)
Black Moon – Reality (Killing Every Nigga)
Monk Higgins – The Look Of Slim
Three Dog Night – I Can Hear You Callin’
Kain The Blue Guerilla interlude
Kurious – I’m Kurious
Doug E Fresh & Slick Rick – Treat ‘Em Like A Prostitute (live)

I’ll drop the first SOULMAN JOINT somewhere down the line if y’all dig this one at all. I think I like #2 better though… my vocals REALLY bug me on #1.
And BTW, if anybody knows the titles of those 45 King tracks let me know… I still have the records around here somewhere, I’m just way too lazy to look for them. The KMD track, too… is that title right? Duh. Let me know if ya know.

SOULMAN JOINT #2 HIP HOP MIXTAPE 1994 side one (RE-UPPED)
SOULMAN JOINT #2 HIP HOP MIXTAPE 1994 side two (RE-UPPED)