UpNorthTrips Presents The 10s | Three The Hard Way
Ever dreamed of taking three of your favorite MCs and putting them on one track? It would be pretty dope, right? Well, dreams come true in hip hop all the time. Today at UpNorthTrips, 3 is the magic number as we present our Three The Hard Way edition of The 10s. It’s a lyrical miracle! UNT rolls a 4, 5, 6….trips!
1. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien x Pep Love x Q-Tip “Undisputed Champs”
Release: Del Tha Funkee Homosapien “Wrongplace/Don’t Forget/Undisputed Champs” 12 Inch
Year: 1993
Breakdown: Del grabs his Heiro bro and east coast Jive roster mate Q-Tip to set the record straight on who is running this rap shit.
UNT Quotable: “Y’all niggas know I got lyrics out the anal.” -Q-Tip
2. Fat Joe x Grand Puba x Diamond D “Watch The Sound”
Album: Fat Joe Da Gangsta - Represent
Year: 1993
Breakdown: With a Sister Nancy sample in toe, Joey Crack, Puba, and Diamond dig a sound boy burial on wax.
UNT Quotable: ”Even Italians say I’m one cool Mooly.” -Diamond D
3. Buckshot x Masta Ace x Special Ed “Crooklyn”
Release: Crooklyn Dodgers “Crooklyn” 12 Inch
Year: 1995
Breakdown: Three of Brooklyn’s finest MCs reminisce on the good old days. Shout to Q-Tip on the boards!
UNT Quotable: “Feels so good to be a Crooklyn Dodger, What’s Happenin’ to ReRun and Roger? I think I seen ‘em wearin’ Timberlands and runnin’ down the block from Dwayne and Dwayne had a glock.” -Masta Ace
4. Jeru The Damaja x Lil’ Dap x Guru “Speak Ya Clout”
Release: Gangstarr - Hard To Earn
Year: 1994
Breakdown: The follow up to Daily Operation’s ”I’m The Man” brings Jeru, Lil’ Dap, and Guru (RIP) back together again over three custom fit Primo beats.
UNT Quotable: ”I got the clout, all you pussy rappers be out.” -Guru
5. Big Pun x Prodigy x Inspectah Deck “Tres Leches”
Release: Big Punisher - Capital Punishment
Year: 1998
Breakdown: Remember these guys? Yeah, the ones you got your whole style from. This is definitely one of the illest borough to borough album cut collabos of all time.
UNT Quotable: ”My rhymes get Ruger endorsements.” -Prodigy
6. Mos Def x Q-Tip x Tash “Body Rock”
Release: Lyricist Lounge Volume 1
Year: 1998
Breakdown: Rawkus assembles an ecclectic mix of characters for this futuristic throwback to the old school. They gon’ award this!
UNT Quotable: ”I’m doper than sherm, plus the way I put it down could burn the perm off Big Worm.” -Tash
7. Xzibit x Ras Kass x Saafir “3 Card Molly”
Release: Xzibit - 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz
Year: 1998
Breakdown: Don’t slip up, or you might get got by one of these Golden State Warriors. Keep your eye on the mic.
UNT Quotable: ”Pick a card, any card, I bet you can’t pull it.” -Ras Kass
8. O.C. x Pharoahe Monch x F.T. “Metal Thangz”
Release: Street Smartz “Problemz/Metal Thangz” 12 Inch
Year: 1996
Breakdown: You want a hardcore, underground, top notch display of lyrical skill? Then listen to the way these three blam off. Pharoahe’s verse was ‘Rhyme Of The Month’ in The Source (and for good reason), O.C. is brilliant as usual, and a relatively unknown F.T. lives up to his group’s name.
UNT Quotable: “I’m sorta psycho like a retard on a motorcyle.” -F.T.
9. Jay-Z x DMX x Ja Rule “Murdergram”
Release: Streets Is Watching (Soundtrack)
Year: 1998
Breakdown: What did you think would happen if you took three of the illest street rappers in the game and put them on one track? It’s murder.
UNT Quotable: ”However it went down, I made it happen.” -DMX
10. Tragedy x Nas x Noreaga “Calm Down”
Release: Capone N Noreaga “Capone Bone/Calm Down” 12 Inch (Promo Only)
Year: 1997
Breakdown: It’s hectic in QU, but this somber beat makes these thugs calm down. Peep Nas’ project tale of love lost between brothers on the second verse, it’s one of his best ever.
UNT Quotable: “I know you hate to hear the drama, but drama’s all we know.” -Nas
words by @StanIpcus / mix by @UnitedCrates / graphics by @CNTRBND
