DJ Friction & Love Soul DJs Present The Golden Chamber Mixtape

No disrespect to Run-D.M.C., N.W.A., Public Enemy, CNN, or Hot Boyz (SYKE!), but Wu-Tang Clan is arguably the greatest group in hip-hop history. The RZA, the GZA, Old Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, Raekwon the Chef, U-God, Ghost Face Killah and the Method Man. I don’t know if that’s the reason why DJ Friction and his peeps put this together, but I will say that they put together a classic mixtape. Literally.

These nine MCs would drop some of the hardest rhymes in the game and at the same time educate knuckleheads with knowledge of self. It was the best of both worlds indeed. The Golden Chamber is packing heat like “Shame On A Nigga,” “Mystery of Chessboxin’” and “C.R.E.A.M.”

Aside from having records off of Wu’s classic debut album, Enter The 36 Chambers, this mixtape is also chock-full of other songs from that era that defined that generation and its way of life. At a time when police brutality was really out of hand, KRS-One (not Tag Team) had the hood going “Whoop! Whoop!” with “Sound of Da Police.” Old Dirty Bastard caused a small baby boom with “Shimmy Shimmy Ya.” What can I say, he was right, we like it raw. Who could forget Das Efx rapid rhyme style when they burst on the scene with “They Want Efx”? But then Fu-Schnikens came through and blew up the spot with “True Fucshnick.”

And Premier created what can be considered one of the Top 5 beats of all time, let Guru lace it and thus, “Mass Appeal” was created. Taking it to the west, Souls Of Mischief created a timeless summer single and let us know how they chilled out in Oakland on “’93 Till Infinity.” The original Eses, Cypress Hill had everyone saying, “I Ain’t Going Out Like That” whenever the chips were down. And it was rare to hear “Deep Cover” in my hood and not hear gunshots ring out during or after the song. That’s just real talk.

I didn’t even mention the classic songs from MCs who helped changed the game but never got any credit. My nuccas like Blahzay Blahzay added a little fuel to the West vs. East beef with “Danger” while Big L was putting Harlem on the map while being “Flamboyant.” And before DMX was sounding like he had throat cancer on the mic, Nine dropped the hood banga “Whutcha Want” and sounded like he was gonna be making “Don’t Smoke” commercials with that old Spanish guy with a hole in his throat. Dude sounded like he was the last MC you’d ask for an autograph. Might’ve ended up getting robbed or something. Aw man, this was hip-hop music at its very best.

All in all this mixtape was a dope throwback to a time when the game was as pure as anything Boston George could smuggle into the U.S. Bangers from the early and mid '90s that actually described the environment where it and the artist was coming from. I mean damn. Today’s songs all sound like they’re coming from the same place: The Hills. TGC also audio interviews from Clan members and even the infamous ODB statement when he bumrushed the stage at the Grammys. I don’t know what was a more classic moment, ODB riding a limo to the check cashing spot to cash his welfare check or his Grammy statement. How I miss Dirt McGirt. R.I.P. ODB. Long live true MCs.-The Infamous O

Hottest Joint: All of them. It was just one after another.

Weakest Joint: NONE