K.O.L. Radio Podcast Presents: NYC Boom Bap Mix by Chyll Will

Listen to NYC Boom Bap Mix by Chyll Will on K.O.L. Radio Channel Here (NSFW) (warning: explicit lyrics)

Courtesy of K.O.L. Radio with my Bronx Banter fam Mr. OK Jazz Tokyo based in Japan, I was tasked with collecting and mixing a playlist of New York based/influenced Hip Hop for the folks who missed the boom-bap heavy thumps and sharp kicks that signified a decidedly street motif from the late 80s into the early 2000s (and in some cases beyond).

As you already know, I am a purveyor of Hip Hop; my favorite being from the Golden Era that brought a plethora of styles and influences above and below the radio frequencies of the day which many hail as Hip-Hop at it's most creative before the chains of capitalism forced many acts to either conform to a pointedly and hysterically shallow mainstream focus, or disappear into the ether (or what we commonly know as the "underground").

Which is not to say that the latter cases all had their careers cut short by corporate appropriation of the culture; many of the well-known artists either continue to regularly tour worldwide despite the dearth of mainstream promotion that made them stars in the earlier era, or have evolved to become producers and publishers themselves on a low-key level. Some, like KRS-ONE, Public Enemy and Redman, continue to publish new music regularly to this day, some have even moved into acting and directing, some have moved into other business ventures in or out of the scope of Hip Hop and some... well, some have passed onto to a new plane of existence.  Such is the cycle of life, and it's important to remember the contributions they made to the advancement of the culture.

As for this mix, in the spirit of what is commonly referred to now, (for better or worse) as Old School, I threw together a number of songs that stood out as The Sound of New York when Jazz first asked us (us being myself and Bronx Banter founder Alex Belth) if we could recommend songs that elicited the days of hanging out in Brooklyn up to the mid-90s, the tail end of his remembrance of the era.  So, taking my Cut-Up City experience into mind, I went to work and, with a few adjustments my mix is now on the internet in Japan and beyond. Who would have thunk it?