Search - DJ Spinna :: Underground Forever

DJ Spinna returns to his roots on Underground Forever, unearthing a classic mix of independently released singles and sleeper favorites from the mid 90s. Before the era of online sharing and instant downloads, mixtapes were the lifeblood of the Hip Hop underground in New York. Names like DJ Premier, DJ Clue, DJ Doo Wop, Kid Capri, Enuff, Cipha Sounds and Tony Touch had their finger on the pulse of the city s emerging backpack movement, which took the culture back to basics: self-released records, word-of-mouth buzz and musical innovation. The mixtapes produced by such legendary DJs -- relentlessly bought, traded and redubbed by fans -- helped introduce the world to talents like Company Flow, Mos Def, Eminem, Jean Grae, 7L & Esoteric and Royce Da 5 9 . As a member of the Jigmastas, DJ Spinna was at the forefront of this storied era in Hip Hop. Though now he s perhaps better known as a rare-groove, funk and house DJ, his passion for Hip Hop remains as strong as ever on Underground Forever, a 100% licensed mix of unearthed gems from New York s mid-90s underground scene. Pulling material from the archives of Tape Kingz, Uncle Howie, Direct Records, Hydra, Dolo and other seminal labels of the time, Spinna has hand-crafted a mix for the ages, taking 12 releases from the likes of Pharoahe Monch, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Eminem, Mos Def, O.C., plus many more, and assembling them into a disc that defies the skip button. It s a trip through the crates of a fondly remembered era, led by a tour guide with some serious credentials.