Golden Era 3D, Perth (2026)

10/09/2026

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DMX – Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood

Year - 1998

Personal Note -

When listening to this album yesterday (and It's Dark back-to-back) it took me straight back to high school. Following the early West Coast dominance which took over people's Discman's in our school yard DMX and the Ruff Ryders came out of nowhere to take over in '98.

After kicking down the door with It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, X somehow came back with ANOTHER full-length album before the year was out. And it was much more than what we all expected.

What separated DMX from so many other artists was what sat underneath the aggression. You could hear his pain, the faith and the struggle in his words. Continuously he fought it and it never left or felt manufactured throughout his career.

And then there's Slippin' (sampled). One of those records where X didn't need the barking or aggression. Just raw storytelling and honesty. For me, it's one of the greatest tracks he ever recorded.

Seven months apart, two No.1 albums. What a run. Peace.

Overview -

Released in December 1998, only seven months after his explosive debut (It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot), Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood capped off one of the most remarkable breakout years in hip hop history. DMX became the first artist to have his first two albums debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the same calendar year.

Where the debut introduced X in all his raw intensity, the follow-up pushed even deeper into the darkness. The album is aggressive, confrontational and often unsettling, but beneath all of it are the internal battles that made DMX such a compelling MC — faith, guilt, loyalty, violence, temptation and redemption.

Production from Swizz Beatz, Dame Grease, P.K. and others gives the record that unmistakable late-'90s Ruff Ryders sound, while appearances from Jay-Z, The LOX and Mary J. Blige add to an album that rarely lets up.

Tracks like "Slippin'," "No Love 4 Me," "Blackout," "Coming From" and "We Don't Give a F*"** show the different sides of X, but Slippin' remains one of the defining performances of his career.

90shiphop

RIP DMX 🙏🏼🕊

08/09/2026

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🧪🔬 Straight from the lab...

Large Professor – The Mad Scientist 🎤💿

Extra P on the boards AND the mic. Thumping bass, chopped samples and that unmistakable laid-back Queens flow 👓

One of those 12's that just sounds right spinning on wax 🔥 Love this.

🎧 The Mad Scientist

The LP ✨💫

07/09/2026

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Guru – Jazzmatazz Volume II: The New Reality

Year - 1995

Personal Note -

Something different again off the shelf on a Sunday evening (Father's Day) here in Perth..

Guru was really operating in his own lane with the Jazzmatazz series. Taking the foundations laid down on Volume I, and then going even deeper on the second instalment bringing together hip hop, jazz, soul, funk and R&B with s crazy guest list when you look back at it now.

Chaka Khan, Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Branford Marsalis, Bahamadia, Kool Keith, Big Shug, Ini Kamoze, Jamiroquai, Kenny Garrett... nuts! Who had the power to pull together all these artists, only Guru.

This isn't jazz being sampled by hip hop, it's the two genres actually sharing the same space 🎶 Over 30yrs later, the whole Jazzmatazz concept still feels unique and we haven't seen anything like it.

Original '95 cassette straight out of the collection in the deck 📼🔥 Peace.

Overview -

Following the groundbreaking first Jazzmatazz project, Guru returned in 1995 with an even more ambitious second chapter, Volume II: The New Reality.

Rather than simply sampling jazz records, the concept again put hip hop directly in the room with live jazz musicians, while this time stretching further into soul, R&B, funk and reggae.

And the guest list is absolutely stacked.
Chaka Khan, Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Branford Marsalis, Ramsey Lewis, Kenny Garrett, Bahamadia, Kool Keith, Big Shug, Ini Kamoze, Jamiroquai, Meshell Ndegeocello, Mica Paris, Patra, Courtney Pine, Shara Nelson and more all appear across the project.

Across 20 tracks and more than 70 minutes, Guru's unmistakably laid-back delivery sits over live horns, keys, bass and drums alongside boom-bap production. Tracks like “Lifesaver,” “Living In This World,” “Watch What You Say,” “Medicine,” “Respect The Architect” and “The Traveler” show just how broad the Jazzmatazz idea had become by Volume II.

It feels less like Guru simply making a jazz-rap album and more like him curating a meeting between generations and genres.

R.I.P. Guru, one of one 🙏🏼🕊

04/09/2026

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📼

This one is something a little different and easily one of the DOPEST packages I've received all year 🔥

Cors One – Deep Divin' Part I

"Hidden gems straight from the depths of the raw underground" ✨️💎

Deep Divin' Part 1 is about shining a light on 90's underground hip hop that most heads either missed or haven't heard in decades.

Mixed, arranged and put together by Cors One, this is a proper deep dive, pulling together underground joints from names including Yah Supreme, Crooks of Da Round Table, Deacon Legacy, Science of Sound, Brothers of the Mind, J-Vine, Ill Brothers, Terra Gang, Puppets of Chaos, The Proov and Fly Guy Kool Kim.

This landed in Australia yesterday and I've been slamming it while finishing this weeks GE3D orders. It's exactly the type of mixtape I enjoy, with no obvious selections and no filler designed to please everyone, just a selective mix by somebody who very much knows and loves this era, going deep into the crates 🪎 There are tracks on here I'd never heard before, which makes the whole experience even better. 💯

But the music is only half the story with this one...The artwork throughout is next level, and included in the pack were these very dope graffiti stickers featuring pieces and artwork by Cors One himself.

Seeing everything together really drives home that this isn't simply somebody compiling a bunch of rare tracks; Cors is a true artist and the visual side feels every bit as considered as the music.

From the octopus & skeleton cover and transparent cassette, through to the fold-out J-card, stickers and graffiti artwork, the whole project has its own identity. It feels like a piece of underground hip hop culture rather than just another physical release. A proper collector's item (check out the shots!).

This is the sort of release that reminds me exactly why I still love collecting physical media and became a mixtape ju**ie.

Massive respect to Cors One, 𝟗𝟎'𝐒 𝐓𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐒 and HHV Records for the attention to detail and making this all possible 🙏🏼 Part 1 is setting the standard high and I'm definitely interested to see how deep this series goes 🐙⚓️🪸

03/09/2026

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Nate Dogg - Music & Me

Year - 2001

Personal Note -

Today I'm featutimg something a little different out of the collection on a rainy Thursday morning in Perth..

Nate Dogg is obviously best remembered as one of the greatest hook men hip hop has ever seen, but Music & Me is a reminder that there was plenty more to Nate than just the features (and there was SO MANY of those!).

Released in '01 and loaded with that unmistakable West Coast flavour, you've got guest appearances from Snoop, Dre, XZIBIT, Kurupt + more, backed by production from Battlecat, Fredwreck and Bink!. Crazy.

For me, Nate's voice is simply part of the soundtrack of West Coast hip hop and always will be. He left a HUGE mark on the culture. You could hear those first few words of a hook and immediately know who it was. Nobody sounded like him and nobody has filled that lane since. One of one.

This isn't an album you see pulled out and posted too often, particularly on cassette, which made this one an easy choice for today's feature. Such a classic. Peace.

Overview -

Music & Me was Nate Dogg's second solo album and arguably the record that best demonstrated that the man known for stealing hooks could carry a full project himself.

By 2001, Nate's unmistakable baritone had already become one of the defining sounds of West Coast hip hop. From Warren G and Snoop to Dr. Dre and countless others, if Nate appeared on the hook, there was a good chance you had a classic on your hands.

Music & Me put that voice front and centre, mixing G-funk DNA with the cleaner early-2000s West Coast sound and bringing along an impressive guest list in the process.

It's probably never going to be mentioned alongside The Chronic, Do******le or 2001 when people talk essential West Coast albums but fully deserves to be in the conversation.

RIP Nate Dogg, forever missed 🙏🏼🕊

01/09/2026

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📼💿
From Tape Decks to Turntables

For the next edition of CassMeetsWax, I'm heading straight back to where it all began for the NYC veteran..

Fat Joe Da Gangsta – Represent

🇺🇸 Hailing from the South Bronx, New York, Fat Joe emerged from the same underground scene that gave us some of the finest MCs and producers of the golden era.

Before the platinum records & podcasts, Terror Squad, and worldwide success, there was Fat Joe Da Gangsta, a hungry Bronx MC coming through alongside the legendary D.I.T.C. crew, surrounded by Diamond D, Lord Finesse, Showbiz, A.G. and Buckwild.

💿 Released on July 27, 1993 through Relativity/Violator, 'Represent' was Joe's debut album and is completely different to the mainstream Joey Crack that many would come to know years later.

This is early 90's NYC hip hop at it's rawest and Joe's unmistakable Bronx delivery is front & centre.

🎛️ When studying the production lineup alone this tells you exactly what you're getting. Diamond D handles a large chunk of the album, backed up by Lord Finesse, Showbiz and The Beatnuts. Rob Swift and Roc Raida also contributed scratches.

Diamond D produced several joints, including "Flow Joe," "Watch the Sound," "Da Fat Gangsta," "Bad Bad Man" and "You Must Be Out of Your Fu**in' Mind."

🔥 Standout tracks for me include "Flow Joe," "Livin' Fat," "Watch the Sound," "The S**t Is Real," "Da Fat Gangsta" and dope "You Must Be Out of Your Fu**in' Mind" featuring Apache & Kool G Rap.

"Flow Joe" was the record that really sparked the LP, with the debut single reaching No.1 on Billboard's Hot Rap Singles chart.

More than 30 years later, Represent still sounds hard and lets you know exactly here the T.S. general began.

Spinning the wax alongside the cassette on the '79 Marantz feels exactly how this one should be heard. Peace.

Salute to Fat Joe and the whole D.I.T.C. family!

📼 Cass or 💿 Wax... which are you reaching for?

31/08/2026

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WC - The Shadiest One

Year - 1998

Personal Note -

WC has always been one of my favourite West Coast artists and this LP is a straight burner.

After putting in years with Low Profile, WC and the Maad Circle and then Westside Connection, The Shadiest One finally gave Dub C the opportunity to carry an entire album and damn he delivered!

This one has everything you'd expect, with heavy funk, Battlecat production, plenty of low end and WC's unmistakable flow throughout "Skip skip".

The guest list isn't messing around either... Ice Cube, Mack 10, Daz, CJ Mac, E-40 and Too $hort all make appearances 🔥
"Just Clownin'" might be the obvious track (as sampled), but dig a little deeper and there's unlimited heat here. "Hog", "Can't Hold Back", "Keep Hustlin'", "Like That" and "Cheddar" all still sound dope today.

Another original '98 cassette from one of the West Coast's most underrated MC's.
I remember having it on constant rotation when it dropped and this mint condition cass is a gem in the collection ✨️💎 Peace.

Overview -

Following his work with Low Profile, WC and the Maad Circle, and then the huge arrival of Westside Connection, WC stepped out properly on his own with The Shadiest One in 1998.

Released through Payday/FFRR, the album reached No.19 on the Billboard 200 and No.2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Production came from a serious West Coast lineup including DJ Battlecat, Ant Banks, Daz Dillinger, DJ Crazy Toones, Young Tre and others. And the features are just as strong — Ice Cube, Mack 10, Daz Dillinger, CJ Mac, E-40, Too $hort and Ron Banks all appear across the record.

It's unmistakably West Coast: funk-heavy production, rolling basslines, street narratives and WC's instantly recognisable delivery. Standouts include "Hog," "The Shadiest One," "Can't Hold Back," "Keep Hustlin'," "Just Clownin'," "Like That," "Cheddar" and "Better Days." "Just Clownin'" and "Better Days" were also legitimate hits, reaching No.56 and No.64 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100.

RIP DJ Crazy Toones 🙏🏼

28/08/2026

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Naughty By Nature - Naughty By Nature

Year - 1991

Personal Note -

Following CNN the night before, I kept it East Coast woth this one, but with an early 90's/classic foundation record.

Everyone knows O.P.P., but going back through there's plenty of heat beyond the obvious. Treach was an absolute beast on the mic (always has been), Vin Rock brought the balance and Kay Gee's production gave Naughty a sound that could hit hard but also keeps that party feel.

1991 Naughty in the deck. 🔥 This is a must for every collection. Peace.

Overview -

Released September 3, 1991 through Tommy Boy Records, Naughty By Nature was the album that introduced Treach, Vin Rock and DJ Kay Gee to the wider world and helped turn the East Orange, New Jersey trio into one of hip hop's biggest groups of the early '90s.

The record found a sweet spot that few groups could pull off — hard East Coast drums, Treach's rapid-fire lyricism and street edge sitting alongside hooks big enough to cross straight into mainstream radio.

And then there was "O.P.P.".
Built around The Jackson 5's "ABC," the single exploded, reaching No.6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helping push the album to platinum status.

But reducing this album to "O.P.P." misses plenty. "Yoke The Joker," "Guard Your Grill," "Pin The Tail On The Donkey," "Wickedest Man Alive" featuring Queen Latifah and the much darker "Ghetto Bastard / Everything's Gonna Be Alright" show how much range Naughty had from the beginning.

It's an album that could rock a party while still having plenty of bite underneath.

27/08/2026

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Capone-N-Noreaga – The Reunion

Year - 2000

Personal Note -

I've always thought The Reunion gets overlooked because of just how highly rated The War Report is (and rightly so, it's a classic). For me, there's so much heat here once CNN linked back up 🤝🏽 It's that unmistakable Queens sound and a production lineup that people would kill for.

And while you see The War Report posted fairly regularly, I can't remember the last time I saw The Reunion on cassette.

Definitely one of the better looking tapes in the collection too. That artwork is straight early-2000s NYC military vibe 🪖🔥📼 Peace.

Overview -

After establishing themselves with '97's classic 'The War Report', Capone-N-Noreaga returned three years later with their appropriately titled second album, The Reunion.

With Capone back alongside Noreaga following his incarceration, the album brought CNN together properly again and continued the gritty Queens sound that made the duo such an important part of late-'90s New York hip hop.

Production came from a serious lineup including DJ Premier, The Alchemist, Havoc, Lord Finesse, EZ Elpee and others, while guests included Nas, Mobb Deep, Foxy Brown and more 🔥🔥🔥

It may forever sit in the shadow of The War Report, but The Reunion has plenty of heat of its own — and more than 25 years later, it's an album well worth pulling back out of the collection. 📼

26/08/2026

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📼💿
From Tape Decks to Turntables

For the next edition of CassMeetsWax, I'm heading back to Queens, NY with one of hip hop's finest producers on the boards AND the mic 🎤

Large Professor – The LP

🇺🇸 Hailing from Queens, New York, Large Professor (a.k.a Extra P) helped shape the sound of East Coast hip hop through his work with Main Source and production for Nas, ATCQ, Mobb Deep and many many others.

A producer, MC and serious crate digger, Large Pro's DNA is all over the golden era, with an unmistakable combination of samples, drums and classic East Coast NYC flavour. The man is a legend 👑

💿 As the story goes, The LP was originally recorded during '95–'96 and intended to become Large Professor's solo debut. Despite singles "The Mad Scientist" and "I Juswannachill" hitting the streets in '96 (I have these 12's), the album was ultimately shelved by Geffen and became one of hip hop's greatest lost albums..

Bootlegs and promos kept the project alive amongst collectors before it finally received an official release in '09, which was more than a decade (~13yrs) after it was originally intended to drop.

🎛️ Produced almost entirely by Large Professor himself, The LP captures Extra P at his sharpest in the mid-90's zone, with plenty of hard drums, chopped samples and that fresh Queens sound. The album oozes style, dopeness and upbeat energy.

🔥 Standout tracks include "The Mad Scientist," "I Juswannachill," "Hungry," "The LP," "Funky 2 Listen 2" and the Nas-assisted "One Plus One."

Nearly 30 years after these tracks were originally recorded, spinning the wax alongside the cassette on the '79 Marantz tonight feels exactly right. An album that should've had its moment in '96, but thankfully wasn't lost to the vaults forever. Peace.

Salute to Large Pro, one of the best to ever do it in hip hip. Period.

📼 Cass or 💿 Wax... which are you reaching for?

Golden Era 3D

10/09/2026

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