'One Inch Punch' - Dubbledge (mixtape review)

Are you a fan of 90s beats such as those crafted by RZA and DJ Premier? Are you a fan of charismatic, funny but intelligent rappers? Then the ‘One Inch Punch’ mixtape fresh from Dubbledge is for you.

Hurtling through productions jacked from classics from Snoop and Dre, ATCQ, Raekwon, Souls of Mischief, Rakim and more, Dubbledge brings a brief 26 minutes of madness and memories. Kyza joins Dubbledge to destroy ‘Juice aka The Duppy Tamer’ (not the Puppy Trainer as I thought at first glance) and TB brings his aggy delivery to the table on ‘Glaciers of Ice’.

This release is a prequel to his forthcoming album ‘Is Wot It Is…But It Ain’t Wot It Woz’ and it’s proof that Edge is still on top form lyrically. ‘One Inch Punch’ is what a mixtape should be – not a listening marathon, quality loveable beats and well chosen verses (as opposed to every bar the MC ever wrote).

‘One Inch Punch’ will be released on 7th December on Hidden Agenda.

HHC Top 100 rap singles 10-1

#5&1 - Public Enemy

Download the top 10 here, all in one handy suitcase sized .rar file.

This is it; the grand finale. The Top 10 is here and some of you could probably guess its contents. Some of you will probably wonder why some tracks made it to the top, I believe they all can be justified; in this post I am going to write why I think each track deserves to be here.

10. Pharoahe Monch – Simon Says – 1999 – Internal Affairs (buy album here or tell me somewhere else where it's actually available and cheap!)
This track is here simply because there never was and never will be another track like it. Monch smashes this club hit that appeals to all kinds of hip hop fan and is guaranteed to make you hit the dance floor (even though you’ll never understand afterwards how it’s possible to dance to this).

9. House of Pain – Jump around – 1992 – House of Pain (buy album here)
It’s here because HoP managed to make a hard track with pop sensibilities, an amazing crossover tune with mass appeal. Not many acts manage to do it with credibility, even if you think you shouldn’t really like this you obviously do and I bet y’all do jump around when it comes on in a club.

8. Sugarhill Gang – Rappers Delight – 1979 – Rappers Delights (buy album here)
Erm…this doesn’t deserve to be here. Psyche! It’s the blueprint: samples (although they are replayed by session musicians), crowd involving party lyrics, boasting lyrics and story telling lyrics all in one hefty track. Where would we be now without this? Forget the controversy surrounding who released the first rap track and who actually wrote these rhymes and honour the Sugarhill.

7. Wu-Tang Clan – CREAM – 1994 – Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (buy album here)
This is the anthem for all Hip Hoppers who are trying to make money and definitely the best and most well known acronym in the game and that is why it’s here. Oh and the amazing RZA track (his best?) and carefully thought out lyrics serve to flesh out the concept to perfection.

6. Dr. Dre – Ain’t Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang – 1992 – The Chronic (buy album here)
Why is this here?
a) It introduced Snoop to the world: good move Dre.
b) It’s all you need for cruising in the summertime.
c) This was innovative, Dre totally changed up the sound of Hip Hop all on his ownsome.
d) This is pure freshness…still, 15 years on.

5. Public Enemy – Fight the Power – 1990 – Fear of A Black Planet (buy album here)
The average Telegraph reader would maintain that rap music is mindless and repetitive. Are they right? Of course they’re not! Chuck D presents the idea that ordinary people are involved in politics as much as the politicians are, his methods maybe a little unorthodox (no lobbying, voting or letter writing; just fighting!) but his sentiment is important nevertheless. The subject here is still relevant even if the sound is dated. This track represents Hip Hops intelligence.

4. NWA – Straight Outta Compton – 1988 – Straight Outta Compton (buy album here)
So far we’ve had the underground breakthrough club hit, the party track, the original track, the money song, the summertime cruising song, the politically charged protest track and here we have the angry track in all its teen angst glory. This track needs to be here just for that reason.

3. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message – 1982
If I continue the theme of the comment on the last track then this is the track that has a message, it’s the reality rap, it tells it how it is, it is life in the Bronx documented on wax. This opened up a million and one opportunities for rappers to really open up and tell us how they were living. This tune was the nod of the head that gave the go ahead for MC’s to rap about anything they wanted to rap about.

2. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – They Reminisce Over You (TROY) – 1992 – Mecca and The Soul Brother (buy album here)
Yup, this track is an entirely different sort of track to all the others in the top 10. This is the reminiscing track about and dedicated to a single person (T-Roy). This track could have been sad and melancholy due to its subject matter. Instead the bouncy horn driven beat really is a befitting tribute to T-Roy (he was a dancer) because if this came on in a club you wouldn’t stop dancing to shed a tear, you’d carry on dancing wouldn’t you?

1. Public Enemy – Rebel without a Pause – 1987 – It Takes a Nation of Millions… (buy album here)
Go to your itunes and type 1987 in the search box. Listen to all the other tracks from ’87. Ask yourself this: Does ‘Rebel without a Pause’ sound like them? Then answer thus: No. You could also check every single rap track ever made and ask the same question and still come up with the same negative answer. If this is the best rap single ever to be released we would have to conclude that a good rap track should be sonically original and interesting, that the MC has to mean the lyrics he is spitting and that it should really break the mould as a whole. Personally that sounds like a perfect recipe guideline for how it should be done, all that needs to be added is the personality and vision of the chef.

Obviously just one track does not sum up rap music but after a quick scan of the top 10 and I think you’d all agree that the tracks encapsulate and portray the varied sounds and topics of rap music.

So there we have it; a full 100 rap tracks that you really need to own or to at least have heard. Hit me up with comments such as 'What no Jay-Z?' or 'What no Biggie?'.

‘What next for Certified Banger?’ I hear you (by you I really mean me) ask. Well I’ve got a few ideas lined up and I’m gonna tell you them now but they’re copy written so don’t copy me.

Certified Bangers up and coming features:

‘Singled Out’ – the post where I go downstairs and pick either a tape, CD or vinyl single that I bought over the last 12 years, post the mp3 and write about the track and why I bought it. (Warning: This is gonna be warts and all so beware of ensuing embarrassing tracks)

‘Word Up!’ – the post where I choose a bit of Hippedy Hop slang, give it’s meaning(s) and give you a tune that includes the word in context.

‘Back in the Day’ – I’ve really enjoyed listening to all of these older tracks in the top 100 so I figured I’d post a track a week that was released within the first 5 years of Hip Hop’s birth (which for arguments sake we’ll say is 1979 when a Hip Hop track was first recorded and released)

HHC Top 100 rap singles 70-61 *updated*

#69. Kurtis Blow - The Breaks

Only the zshare links work on this post now, I know it takes a few more clicks but for free classic rap it's worth it isn't it?

The first three instalments have made a minor ripple in the blogging pond and I’m feeling quite pleased to know that people are appreciating this…but come on party people, drop a comment; it’s not hard to do – if someone gives you something you say thank you, right? Correct etiquette. Miniature rant over…let’s get on with it.

70. Jeru the Damaja – Come Clean (zshare)– 1994 – ‘The Sun Rises in the East’ (Buy here)
Another nod inducing mid 90’s affair here but with a peculiar spacious percussive beat. Contains slightly curious lyrics: “I blow up spots like the World Trade Centre”. Can anyone explain that to me please? I may just be being really ignorant.

69. Kurtis Blow – The Breaks (zshare) – 1979 – ‘The Breaks’ (Buy the 'Best of' here)
Classic Hip Hop party track with all the essential crowd involving elements such as saying ho and waving hands. Kurtis outlines a few cringe inducing situations and exitedly informs us that those are ‘The Breaks’, knowledge is born.

68. Man Parrish - Hip Hop Be Bop (zshare) – 1982 – ‘Hip Hop Be Bop (Don’t Stop)’ (Buy here)
This IS electro. A rambling but steadily changing collection of synthy basses and blips accompanied by the obligatory cowbells and claps make this somewhat akin to a delicious 3 course meal.

67. T La Rock – Breaking Bells (zshare)– 1986
Samples James Brown and contains rhymes about being superior; yup, it’s Hip Hop alright.

66. Nas – Represent (zshare) - 1994 – ‘Illmatic’ (Buy here)
Hands up who loves mid 90’s Hippedy Hop…mine were up but are down again so I can continue typing. I’m getting tired of writing about nodding my head, and those who have read all of this series will be tired of reading about it but I’m not tired of actually nodding my head. Everyone knows this is classic fare from a certified classic album so if you don’t have it, buy it! (And get me a copy too, track 1 is scratched on mine!)

65. Dr Dre – Still DRE (zshare) – 2000 – ‘2001’ (Buy here)
2000 seemed the perfect year for Dre to change the game again, it must of seemed that way to him too ‘cause that’s exactly what he did. Remember any other Hip Hop that came out that year? Or did it fall under the shadow of the good doctor?

64. LL Cool J – Going back to Cali (zshare)– 1988 – ‘Walking with a Panther’ (Buy here)

63. Audio Two – Top Billin’ (zshare)– 1988 – 'What More Can I Say' (Buy here)
Out of all the Hip Hop tracks I’ve ever heard I think this must be the most sampled/bitten/quoted by other rappers. Classic snippets include: “Down the road, to the bank”, “[insert name] is Chillin’…”, “Stop schemin’ and lookin’ hard”, “That’s how it is, you can ask…”, “What more can I say” etcetera. Even if you’ve never heard this song it will sound familiar to you if you’ve listened to a handful of rap albums.

62. Beastie Boys – Hold it now, Hit it (zshare)– 1986 – 'Licensed to Ill' (Buy here)
Have an Old Skool party with this track, in fact, have an Old Skool party with the whole album. And click on the Beastie Boys tag for my other posts on them!

61. Mobb Deep – Shook Ones pt. II (zshare)– 1995 – 'The Infamous' (Buy here)
The street anthem that everyone and their goldfish know thanks to Eminem and 8 Mile.

New readers: You may have guessed that there are a few more instalments before this, check them out here, here and here – or click on the HHC Top 100 rap singles label to see them all in sequence. See you next time when we reach the half way point.

HHC Top 100 rap singles 80-71 *updated*

# 77. Slick Rick – La-Di-Da-Di (thanks to fly by night)

Here’s the next fix of tracks to either add to or build your collection with. *I've just added Zshare links for all tracks in this one post since fileden has failed me, hope it works.*

80. EPMD – You Got’s to Chill (zshare)– 1988 – ‘Strictly Business’ (Buy here)
Funkeeeee! Slow and funky. This is another one for home dancing, this time with a mate, preferably in a small room where you can execute all manner of confined but wild moves.

79. Run DMC – Runs House (zshare)– 1985 – ‘Tougher than Leather’ (Buy here)
A very likeable Run DMC track here, sounds slightly more up-to-date than some of their other famous tracks.

78. Eminem – Guilty Conscience (zshare) – 1999 – ‘The Slim Shady LP’ (Buy here)
The track (out of 2) by Em that deserves to make this list. This was an important track, it ensured slim wasn’t a one hit wonder and made everyone realise that Dre would never fall off. The single version seemed to be an afterthought as the chorus really propelled it into the charts, good afterthought.

77. Slick Rick – La-Di-Da-Di (zshare)– 1985 – ‘The Art of Story Telling’ (Buy here)
How weird is Slick Ricks accent?! Being a UK import to the US meant he had a half English accent. Doug E Fresh makes this track, um… Fresh. Everybody in the world probably knows at least one line from this track (no thanks to a certain Mr. Williams – not Pharrell, Robbie!).

76. Gang Starr – Full Clip (zshare)– 1999 – ‘Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr’ (Buy here)
Nod Nod Nod. That’s my head and it’s not falling asleep, it’s nodding to a classic piece of Primo production. In case you can’t quite remember which track this is, it’s the one that starts: “Big L rest in peace”, yup, you know the one.

75. Boogie Down Productions – Poetry (zshare)– 1987 – ‘Criminal Minded’ (Buy here)

74. A Tribe Called Quest – Bonita Applebum (zshare)– 1990 – ‘Peoples Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm’ (Buy here)
Waa wa waa wow – the twangy sitar sound that you know so well, maybe from ‘Killing me softly’. This came before. A nice chilled out love song.

73. Pharcyde – Ya Mama (zshare) – 1992 – ‘Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde’ (Buy here)

72. Sugar Bear – Don’t Scandalise Mine (zshare) – 1988
Throw yo’ hands up and jump, this is a pure party track to be lodged firmly between, well…any track from that era that used this break.

71. Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg – Deep Cover (zshare) – 1992 – ‘Deep Cover OST' (Buy here)