Friday, June 5, 2009

Hip-Hop Fridays: Juggaknots "Clear Blue Skies-Re:Release" (1996, re-issued in 2002)


Initially released as a vinyl onlyEP on the Fondle 'Em label in 1996, the Juggaknots debut is another slept on classic from the uneven mid-90s turning point in Hip-Hop. The group is based around two siblings raised in NYC, Breezy Brewin' and Buddy Slim, with Slim acting as the main producer. The group dropped their 1996 to quite acclaim and didn't receive much notice until the EP was re-released in 2002 with eleven bonus tracks. "Clear Blue Skies" definitely beat Company Flow, El-P and Definitive Jux to the punch with their dark, bass heavy, and near-industrial beats. It's no wonder Company Flow and Juggaknots teamed up together in 1998 for a track on the first Lyricist Lounge comp. Unfortunately, both LP and CD are out of print, but you can scoop it free below.


Check the Coltrane sampling 'Trouble Man'


Download "Clear Blue Skies" here.

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