@UPNORTHTRIPS - Your Memory's Museum

UpNorthTrips Presents The 10s | The Power Cypha: 10 Tough Tony Touch Power Cypha Freestyles

Tony Touch‘s resume speaks for itself: two major released albums, a syndicated radio show on Sirius, over three decades as an international party DJ, and a catalog of over 70 mixtapes. Easily the most notable gem of his mixtape catalog is the classic series, The Power Cypha. 150 MCs showcased throughout 3 tapes released in the span of 4 years, Toca assembled a roster of the game’s top artists, and combined them with rap’s ‘next-ups’ to share the spotlight.

To create a list and limit it to individual performances would’ve left way too many out, so when throwing together our ten, we decided to use our own set of parameters. You’ll find groups, crews, labels, duos, and individual freestyles. We tried to ID every beat used but came up short, so for those crate digggers out there, please comment with the corrections and we’ll make the changes. Enjoy the show!

1. 25 to Life [ Iman Thug,Tragedy, Noreaga]
Tape: Power Cypha Vol 2. [Tape #55]
Beats: Mobb Deep - Nighttime Vultures / D.I.T.C - Day One
Breakdown: Three of Queen’s finest flex over some classic NY beats to spark off Toca’s second edition of the Power Cypha series.
UNT QUOTABLE: “A little bit of thug is all it takes to make this industry just break.” - NORE

2. Canibus
Tape: Power Cypha Vol 2. [Tape #55]
Beat: Jodeci - Freek ‘N You (Mr. Dalvin’s Freek Mix)
Breakdown: At the peak of the Canibus’ hype this freestyle sent the back packing masses crazy and fueled the machine. Pre Second Round Knockout, Canibus could do no wrong, this along with the Clue freestyle we featured last week are my top notch favorite ‘bus joints.
UNT QUOTABLE: “yall niggas is microsoft like dos.” - Canibus

3. D.I.T.C [ O.C, Fat Joe, Lord Finesse, Big , AG, Diamond D]
Tape: Power Cypha Vol 2. [Tape #55]
Beats: ??? / Puff Daddy - All About The Benjamins / Notorious B.I.G -10 Crack Commandments / ??? / ????
Breakdown: Possibly one of the best assembled supergroups of all time, DITC, reigns down in full force for Toca. Easily one of my favorite collectives, each MC destroys the track and holds their own weight. Retrospectively, this might be the best crew freestyles to ever lace a mixtape.
UNT QUOTABLE: Too many to pick just one.

4. Quiet Money [AZ, Half A Mil]
Tape: Power Cypha Vol 3. [Tape #60]
Beats: ????
Breakdown: These two Brooklynite MC’s stepped in on this one and blacked out, giving us a mere glance as to what the Quiet Money Regime could have held had we not lost Half-A-Mil.
UNT QUOTABLE: “Quiet Money formed the new existence. Futuristic, its 2000 now Computeristic.” -Half-A-Mil

5. M.O.P
Tape: Power Cypha Vol 3. [Tape #60]
Beats: Gangstarr - The Setup
Breakdown: Mashed Out Posse comes with that high energy over the Primo-laced, Gang Starr track. Fellow co-defendant, Teflon comes through also to rep for BK. What more can you expect when MOP and Preeme connect?
UNT QUOTABLE: “You know the fuckin program, broham…i won’t take no shit from no man.” - Lil Fame

6. Bad Meets Evil [Royce Da 59, Eminem]
Tape: Power Cypha Vol 3. [Tape #60]
Beat: Missin Linx - M.I.A. / Buc 50 - Dead End Street
Breakdown: Royce destroys this Missin Linx beat. The track shares the same sample lifted for Dre’s ‘Next Episode’ (David McCallum’s - The Edge) and Royce just bodies it. You can hear him plug the Bad Meets Evil EP so this freestyle was early in his career and probably the first NY DJ to show him love, it certainly announced their arrival. Pre-Dre Eminem was a force not to be reckoned with. Over Alchemist-laced production, Slim is in his purest, original form. Drugs, Sex, insanity not to mention a couple shots. [Cage!!]
UNT QUOTABLE: “its over, consider it laced. ill probably be the first nigga to get a hip-hop quotable on mixtape.” - Royce

7. Def Squad [Redman, Keith Murray]
Tape: Power Cypha Vol 2. [Tape #55]
Beats: Jeru The Damaja - Playin Yaself / Heather B featuring MOP - My Kinda Nigga
Breakdown: Two-thirds of the Def Squad represent here, and both Red and Keith also appeared on Doo Wop’s classic 95 Live intro. Their chemistry which is always been apparent shines through over the classic late 90s instrumentals.
UNT QUOTABLE: “Watch me flip my style like dykes.” - Redman

8. Nine
Tape: Power Cypha Vol 1 [Tape #50]
Beat: Goodie Mob - Cell Therapy
Breakdown: The Lyin’ King steps up here over the classic Goodie beat. Truthfully anyone would sound dope over this track, but he definitely comes o-f-f.
UNT QUOTABLE: “i bring the pain like your balls when they caught in the zipper.” - NINE

9. Boot Camp Click [ Rock, Starang, Lil Rock, Tek, Top Dog, Ruck, Supreme, Louisville Sluggah, Illanoiz, Steele]
Tape: Power Cypha Vol 1. [Tape #50]
Beat: Fab 5 Freddy - Down By Law / Common - Resurection (Extra P Remix) / ?? / Jay-Z - Ain’t No / Faith Evans - You Used To Love Me (D’Angelo Remix)
Breakdown: Brooklyn’s Boot Camp Click (sans General Buckshot) rolls thru ten deep to set the tone on the innagural installment. The freestyle was later pressed up on vinyl.
UNT QUOTABLE: “MC’s that’s phony, get touched like Tony, treat me like im the only, show me love like Monie” -Starang

10. Thirstin Howl III
Tape: Power Cypha Vol 3. [Tape #60]
Beat: CNN - T.O.N.Y
Breakdown: Brooklyn Hard Rock, Lo-Life President flexes his bi-lingual flows over the Lefrak classic.
UNT QUOTABLE: “so ill i was forced to wear a medical alert bracelet.”
words by @upnorthtrips / mix by @UNITEDCRATES / graphics by @CNTRBND

Tumblr Notes