UpNorthTrips Presents The 10s | Do Remember: 10 Dope DJ Clue? Freestyles Though other mixtape DJ’s would hate to admit it, DJ Clue? was the king of the exclusives game for years. If there was a new song, Clue? would find a way to get it on his latest tape, sometimes even without the artist’s blessing. In fact, Fat Joe recently told a story about Biggie going to look for Clue? with a gun, ready to shoot him over leaking his shit (Biggie called Clue? out on Hot 97 back in ‘94 and Clue? turned around and used the audio for the intro to his Scarecrow’s Birthday mixtape haha). But what made DJ Clue? tapes special were not only the unreleased songs, but also the exclusive freestyles he got artists to do for them. Most of these freestyles were used for intros, but some he just threw in the mix to make his tracklists stand out. Here’s 10 Dope DJ Clue? Freestyles from the days when mixtapes were still hot in the streets. Do remember. 1. Mobb Deep “The Infamous Intro”Tape: Springtime StickupYear: 1996Breakdown: Havoc is missing in action, but Prodigy brings along QBC thug Ty Nitty to set off Clue?’s first tape from Spring 1996, with high powered raps over Ghostface’s “Motherless Child.” It’s a Queens thing.UNT Quotable: “My rap style, should be stuffed inside a crack vial.” -Prodigy 2. The LOX “Back 2 Back”Tape: Show Me The MoneyYear: 1996Breakdown: Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch go in over Show and A.G.’s “Next Level (Nyte Time Mix)” and prove their capability to body a Premier beat. Them boys from Yonkers were young and hungry, and not to be fucked with.UNT Quotable: “I’m the blunt three in the morning you take to the head.” -Styles P3. Mase, Cam’ron, Noreaga, Tragedy, Iman Thug, and Cardan “All Boro Freestyle”Tape: Show Me The Money Pt. 2Year: 1997Breakdown: Oh. My. Lord. This is off the hook. Take all the hottest new rappers from Harlem and Queens (and semi-old head Tragedy) and let them get busy over “Who Shot Ya” and “Bitches Ain’t Shit.” Great idea, Clue?!! Mase is murderous, Noreaga is vicious, and Killa Cam hogs the mic and blacks the fuck out.UNT Quotable: “We wear hoodies and skullies to your jiggy affairs.” -Cam’ron 4. Jadakiss and Styles “Fiesta Freestyle”Tape: Hev E. Components: Part 3Year: 2001Breakdown: Jada and Styles shoot up some sombreros and do the in and out thing over R. Kelly and Jigga’s summer club banger.UNT Quotable: “Two shots to the kneecaps just to see you bow down.” -Jadakiss 5. Big L and McGruff “Freestyle”Tape: Triple PlatinumYear: 1997Breakdown: Harlem pals Big L and McGruff exchange verses as if they were standing on the corner of 139 and Lenox, over The LOX and Biggie’s “You’ll See” instrumental. You gotta love it. UNT Quotable: ”Hopped out the grey BM, went to the ATM, took a thou out, later on had to wild out, in the club knocked some nigga and his pal out, afterwards went to the bathroom and pissed Cristal out, now I’m thinkin’ which chick number I can dial out.” -Big L6. Nas and Nature “The Foulness Pt. 3”Tape: 4,5,6 (Going For Broke)Year: 1997Breakdown: Nature makes his grand debut appearance with Firm general Nas Escobar. This verse (over Nas’ “Shootouts”) put Nature on the map, and left mixtape fans begging for more.UNT Quotable: “It’s time to breeze, plant my roots overseas and have my seeds speakin’ Guyanese.” -Nature 7. CNN “Watch Me Freestyle”Tape: The Great Ones Pt. 3Year: 2000Breakdown: Fresh off a bid in the slammer, Capone reunites with his partner in rhyme Noreaga to bang out on one of the more underrated tracks from Jay-Z’s In My Lifetime Vol. 3.UNT Quotable: ”Give a nigga a two-way, he think he CEO.” -Noreaga 8. Canibus “‘97 Mentality/Incarcerated Scarfaces Freestyle”Tape: ClueManatti- The New World OrderYear: 1997Breakdown: Newcomer Canibus makes a list of all the different ways he will battle you over a couple classic Wu beats. He eats MC’s, digests them, shits them into the toilet, and flushes them into oblivion on this. UNT Quotable: “I’ll battle you on the net, I’ll battle you in the flesh, I’ll battle you over the phone you can call me collect.” -Canibus 9. Jay-Z “Who Shot Ya Freestyle”Tape: The Great Ones Pt. 1Year: 2000Breakdown: In the wake of his arrest for supposedly stabbing Lance “Un” Rivera, Hov goes H.A.M. over his late homie Biggie’s classic “Who Shot Ya” and addresses not only the biters and haters but his supporters too. Watch the throne. UNT Quotable: ”If they lock me in the cage, fuck it, party away.” -Jay-Z 10. DMX f. The LOX “Get At Me Dog Freestyle”Tape: ClueManatti- The New World OrderYear: 1997 Breakdown: DMX brings his dogs from YO to tear apart the beat from his first single. What the deal.UNT Quotable: “Take a puff then a swig, and think about how I’ma hold it down for B.I.G., my motherfuckin’ nig.” -Jadakiss words by @stanipcus / mix by @unitedcrates

UpNorthTrips Presents The 10s | Do Remember: 10 Dope DJ Clue? Freestyles

Though other mixtape DJ’s would hate to admit it, DJ Clue? was the king of the exclusives game for years. If there was a new song, Clue? would find a way to get it on his latest tape, sometimes even without the artist’s blessing. In fact, Fat Joe recently told a story about Biggie going to look for Clue? with a gun, ready to shoot him over leaking his shit (Biggie called Clue? out on Hot 97 back in ‘94 and Clue? turned around and used the audio for the intro to his Scarecrow’s Birthday mixtape haha). But what made DJ Clue? tapes special were not only the unreleased songs, but also the exclusive freestyles he got artists to do for them. Most of these freestyles were used for intros, but some he just threw in the mix to make his tracklists stand out. Here’s 10 Dope DJ Clue? Freestyles from the days when mixtapes were still hot in the streets. Do remember.

1. Mobb Deep “The Infamous Intro”
Tape: Springtime Stickup
Year: 1996
Breakdown: Havoc is missing in action, but Prodigy brings along QBC thug Ty Nitty to set off Clue?’s first tape from Spring 1996, with high powered raps over Ghostface’s “Motherless Child.” It’s a Queens thing.
UNT Quotable: “My rap style, should be stuffed inside a crack vial.” -Prodigy

2. The LOX “Back 2 Back”
Tape: Show Me The Money
Year: 1996
Breakdown: Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch go in over Show and A.G.’s “Next Level (Nyte Time Mix)” and prove their capability to body a Premier beat. Them boys from Yonkers were young and hungry, and not to be fucked with.
UNT Quotable: “I’m the blunt three in the morning you take to the head.” -Styles P

3. Mase, Cam’ron, Noreaga, Tragedy, Iman Thug, and Cardan “All Boro Freestyle”
Tape: Show Me The Money Pt. 2
Year: 1997
Breakdown: Oh. My. Lord. This is off the hook. Take all the hottest new rappers from Harlem and Queens (and semi-old head Tragedy) and let them get busy over “Who Shot Ya” and “Bitches Ain’t Shit.” Great idea, Clue?!! Mase is murderous, Noreaga is vicious, and Killa Cam hogs the mic and blacks the fuck out.
UNT Quotable: “We wear hoodies and skullies to your jiggy affairs.” -Cam’ron

4. Jadakiss and Styles “Fiesta Freestyle”
Tape: Hev E. Components: Part 3
Year: 2001
Breakdown: Jada and Styles shoot up some sombreros and do the in and out thing over R. Kelly and Jigga’s summer club banger.
UNT Quotable: “Two shots to the kneecaps just to see you bow down.” -Jadakiss

5. Big L and McGruff “Freestyle”
Tape: Triple Platinum
Year: 1997
Breakdown: Harlem pals Big L and McGruff exchange verses as if they were standing on the corner of 139 and Lenox, over The LOX and Biggie’s “You’ll See” instrumental. You gotta love it. 
UNT Quotable: ”Hopped out the grey BM, went to the ATM, took a thou out, later on had to wild out, in the club knocked some nigga and his pal out, afterwards went to the bathroom and pissed Cristal out, now I’m thinkin’ which chick number I can dial out.” -Big L

6. Nas and Nature “The Foulness Pt. 3”
Tape: 4,5,6 (Going For Broke)
Year: 1997
Breakdown: Nature makes his grand debut appearance with Firm general Nas Escobar. This verse (over Nas’ “Shootouts”) put Nature on the map, and left mixtape fans begging for more.
UNT Quotable: “It’s time to breeze, plant my roots overseas and have my seeds speakin’ Guyanese.” -Nature

7. CNN “Watch Me Freestyle”
Tape: The Great Ones Pt. 3
Year: 2000
Breakdown: Fresh off a bid in the slammer, Capone reunites with his partner in rhyme Noreaga to bang out on one of the more underrated tracks from Jay-Z’s In My Lifetime Vol. 3.
UNT Quotable: ”Give a nigga a two-way, he think he CEO.” -Noreaga

8. Canibus “‘97 Mentality/Incarcerated Scarfaces Freestyle”
Tape: ClueManatti- The New World Order
Year: 1997
Breakdown: Newcomer Canibus makes a list of all the different ways he will battle you over a couple classic Wu beats. He eats MC’s, digests them, shits them into the toilet, and flushes them into oblivion on this. 
UNT Quotable: “I’ll battle you on the net, I’ll battle you in the flesh, I’ll battle you over the phone you can call me collect.” -Canibus

9. Jay-Z “Who Shot Ya Freestyle”
Tape: The Great Ones Pt. 1
Year: 2000
Breakdown: In the wake of his arrest for supposedly stabbing Lance “Un” Rivera, Hov goes H.A.M. over his late homie Biggie’s classic “Who Shot Ya” and addresses not only the biters and haters but his supporters too. Watch the throne. 
UNT Quotable: ”If they lock me in the cage, fuck it, party away.” -Jay-Z

10. DMX f. The LOX “Get At Me Dog Freestyle”
Tape: ClueManatti- The New World Order
Year: 1997 
Breakdown: DMX brings his dogs from YO to tear apart the beat from his first single. What the deal.
UNT Quotable: “Take a puff then a swig, and think about how I’ma hold it down for B.I.G., my motherfuckin’ nig.” -Jadakiss


words by @stanipcus / mix by @unitedcrates