{"id":10253,"date":"2026-03-02T18:14:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T18:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/~MAC-hd\/strettoblaster\/wordpress\/?p=10253"},"modified":"2026-03-03T10:19:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T10:19:05","slug":"ill-boogie-records-mixtape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/it\/beats\/ill-boogie-records-mixtape\/","title":{"rendered":"Ill Boogie Records: un mixtape tributo di Concrete Jungle"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The history of Ill Boogie Records: a small yet important label from Cali.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Few years ago, a bunch of fanatics started a radio show, uncompromising as fuck. That (wild) bunch was called <strong>Concrete Jungle Crew<\/strong>. After I started my by now decade-long collabo and friendship with the head-honcho here at StrettoBlaster, I asked one of my Concrete Jungle\u2019s brothers, Matteo a.k.a. <strong>Jr.Mastro<\/strong>, to help me put together a series of mixtapes about some interesting labels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the earliest was the renowned <a href=\"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/it\/beats\/groove-attack-1\/\">Attacco al groove<\/a>, an imprint we all dearly remember (I\u2019m assuming here, help me have faith). Another one was a label I\u2019m fond of\u2026 Let me welcome you to another Cali\u2019s contribution to Hip Hop history, the great <strong>Ill Boogie Records<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\"title=\"Ill Boogie Records Mixtape: Enter The L.A. Underground Hip Hop - Compiled by TwoMave &amp; JR Mastro\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4iu2rIfxgxc?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From Blackberry to Ill Boogie: the amazing years of underground Hip Hop<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The story of Ill Boogie Records begins <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">as\u00a0<strong>Blackberry Records<\/strong>\u00a0in 1997 and ends in 2004, after the name change\u00a0<\/span>around 1999. As I previously mentioned, although the label was small, we are faced here with a good chunk of underground Hip Hop\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just a glance at the label\u2019s discography and it will be immediately clear that we struck gold here. &nbsp;Not only for the sound expressed, but for a precise idea of \u200b\u200bmusic, both in terms of aesthetic compactness (net of some experimentation) and intransigence. In fact, the greatest (and best) result of Ill Boogie Records was to embody that part of the West Coast scene that played in the aesthetics and style of the far East Coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\"title=\"M Boogie - Buck Weezy Battle Break  Side a\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aPhyAFwzR3E?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>M-Boogie<\/strong>, founder and leader of the label, made his name known not only for his undoubtedly deep crates and his signature style, but also because he was behind some of the most incredibly re-playable projects of those years. Indeed, mixtapes like the first \u201cLaid in Full\u201d placed his name on the map and further gave prominence to a certain kind of West Coast sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, it\u2019s with the second instalment of the series, \u201c<em>Laid In Full Chapter 2\u201d<\/em>, that he deservedly entered the collections of many b-boys all over the world. Dope beats adorned with chopped horns and bouncy pianos pave the way not only for a collection of bangers but also give substance to one of the highlights of the decade: Jean Grae\u2019s &#8220;<em>How To Break Up With Your Girlfriend<\/em>&#8220;, which remains after all these years a masterclass in how to write a ridiculously funny and brilliantly dope track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ill-boogie-album-covers.jpg\" alt=\"M-Boogie artwork for Ill Boogie Records Laid in Full albums\" class=\"wp-image-15325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ill-boogie-album-covers.jpg 900w, https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ill-boogie-album-covers-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ill-boogie-album-covers-768x410.jpg 768w, https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ill-boogie-album-covers-18x10.jpg 18w, https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ill-boogie-album-covers-370x197.jpg 370w, https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ill-boogie-album-covers-600x320.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For years labelled an \u201cimitator\u201d of the great Dj Premier, M-Boogie might have kept his beats in a, let&#8217;s say, too close proximity to that specific NY sound. Not necessarily a bad thing, but those were the years in which originality was still THE thing (how the times have changed, eh?). So, can we conclude that what we have here is a skilled but derivative epigone?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the long-distance, the gist of the discourse is that, listening today to an underground classic like \u201c<em>New York, New York<\/em>\u201d, one cannot but think that, after all, this was probably one of the most felt tribute to the epicentre and cradle of this music, made by someone who lived on the other side of the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Something that many others, like M-Boogie, from any part of the planet, have done and are still doing. Well, if so, then M-Boogie did it better than most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Talent at every corner: a vast array of great rappers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Many underground emcees from around L.A. went on to rock the mic on M-Boogs productions and release albums through Ill Boogie Records. Probably the first we should mention is <strong>Mykill Miers<\/strong>, with his signature braggadocios-infused battle rhymes. His first two albums were published by the label, and while not really diversifying his one-dimensional lyrical content, Mykill Miers did make some great, ultra-violent tracks here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another name worth remembering is that of <strong>Akbar<\/strong>. Not many actually do that, and he is seldom cited when talking about those years of the L.A. hip hop scene. It\u2019s a damn shame tho, because his album is one of the best examples of what we could call pure rhyming, seamlessly embracing the art of flowing through words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Often associated with the label were also <strong>Born Allah<\/strong>, <strong>Dr.Oop<\/strong> e <strong>E-Rule<\/strong>, while other minor figures were able to put out some singles through it, singles of which the label was super generous. Other artists like <strong>Rasco<\/strong>, <strong>Planet Asia, <\/strong>and Black Moon\u2019s own <strong>Buckshot<\/strong> came from the outside of the label circle and left some great performances on record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Earplug: crystallise a stroke of genius into a series of EPs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Another central point that marked the production of the Californian label, as well as an idea that I consider excellent in itself, was the \u201c<strong>Earplug<\/strong>\u201d EP series. Between March and June 2002, the label published four extremely underground, sonically advanced, highly recognisable (mostly due to a quite distinctive graphic design) series of eps. This small series incarnates the very concept of quality over quantity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ill-boogie-album.jpg\" alt=\"Ill Boogie Records label collage \" class=\"wp-image-15326\" srcset=\"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ill-boogie-album.jpg 900w, https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ill-boogie-album-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ill-boogie-album-768x410.jpg 768w, https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ill-boogie-album-18x10.jpg 18w, https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ill-boogie-album-370x197.jpg 370w, https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ill-boogie-album-600x320.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A succession of high-level artists -from <strong>Mars Ill<\/strong> a <strong>Emanon<\/strong> (the group composed of <strong>Aloe Blacc<\/strong> e <strong>Exile<\/strong>, just to let you know, in case the name doesn\u2019t ring a bell) and <strong>Demigodz<\/strong> (<strong>Apathy<\/strong> e <strong>Celph Titled<\/strong>), up to one of the very rare releases of <strong>Yeshua Dapoed<\/strong> (still hard to find, and in-demand, for all your beat-heads out there, NDA)- found home and visibility through Ill Boogie Records. And they did not disappoint, gifting us with some of their greatest tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\"title=\"2 Steps\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Qb_yqU-RwP8?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And yet another went down: the end of Ill Boogie Records<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019d like, for once, to be able to close these articles with a veritable coup de th\u00e9\u00e2tre and say to you that the label in question is alive and kickin\u2019. Nope, sorry, not today. The early 2000s struggle to death with bankruptcy seems once again the ineluctable truth of this one too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a peak moment for the label artistical output, i.e., circa August 2002, the fading away started to be visible. With the website being vastly abandoned, plummeting sales volumes and overall fatigue in the scene, the situation soon became clear. Nonetheless, Ill Boogie Records did not go down without a fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Precisely in the Summer of 2002, Ill Boogie Records. announced that it would be joining forces with another Cali-based underground label called <strong>Spy Tech<\/strong>, the brainchild of <strong>DJ Cheapshot<\/strong> (of Styles Of Beyond fame). The agreement was to release all future projects in conjunction with each other. The idea was quite pragmatic and sober-minded: two indie labels together would have resisted a rather wavy music market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But then again, too late, too few and not enough capital base. The problem was that Spy Tech was even smaller than Ill Boogie Rec. itself. With a music market ravaged by dwindling sales and changing tastes, these two small fishing vessels weren\u2019t big enough to survive the collision with the iceberg floating on the horizon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was even more true in a historical moment at which the backpacker\u2019s mentality (always sympathetic with the sound of which Ill Boogie Rec was a standard-bearer) was cracking up and disappearing too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, the two labels were able to publish <strong>Lexicon<\/strong>\u2019s third album, a couple of singles from that same album \u2013the last one went out in early 2004- and then Ill Boogie Records disappeared forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And here the entire affair takes a bizarre turn towards a capitalist pantomime. Dj M-Boogie closed down the lab, shelved his collection of combat samples, forgot his crates in the attic, quit his Dj career to go become\u2026 a self-proclaimed real-estate guru. To be specific, the kind of guy full of motivational mottoes, publishing videos on YouTube revolving underground-imbued questions like \u201cwhy your first million is the hardest to obtain\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I kinda feel that this conclusion paradoxically sublimates much of the parable of this music and \u201cculture\u201d at large.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Notwithstanding the grim tone, Ill Boogie Records gave us immense chances for relentless head-nodding and a couple of memorable verses to boot. This is a piece of the (merciless) history of this genre, which, like another Cali-based feature such as <a href=\"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/it\/beats\/good-vibe-recordings-mixtape\/\">Good Vibes<\/a>, is worth listening to again and hopefully rediscovering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Enjoy the tracklist and best regards, y&#8217;all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ill Boogie Records \u2013 A Tribute Mixtape<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Tracklist:<br>01 <em>Killing Spree The Sequel<\/em> &#8211; Mykill Miers<br>02 <em>Someone to Hate<\/em> &#8211; Born Allah<br>03 <em>New York, New York<\/em> &#8211; Dj M-Boogie feat. Triple Seis<br>04 <em>Irish Cream<\/em> &#8211; Doujah Raze<br>05 <em>Everyday Ritua<\/em>l &#8211; Mykill Miers feat. Planet Asia<br>06 <em>Reign<\/em> &#8211; Dr. Oop De Blacklove<br>07 <em>Outta Control<\/em> &#8211; Styles Of Beyond<br>08 <em>On Deadly Ground<\/em> &#8211; Iriscience &amp; Babu<br>09 <em>The Real (Remix)<\/em> &#8211; M-Boogie feat. Buckshot<br>10 <em>On2DBeat<\/em> &#8211; Yesh feat. Ken Boogaloo<br>11 <em>Science Of The Bumrush Vol.2<\/em> &#8211; The Demigodz<br>12 <em>Patience<\/em> &#8211; Grand Agent &amp; DJ Revolution<br>13 <em>Forever<\/em> &#8211; Dj Revolution feat. Chief Kamachi, Rasheed<br>14 <em>Detour<\/em> &#8211; Emanon feat. Dr.Oop<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\"title=\"Ill Boogie Records Mixtape: Enter The L.A. Underground Hip Hop - Compiled by TwoMave &amp; JR Mastro\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4iu2rIfxgxc?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The history of Ill Boogie Records: a small yet important label from Cali. Few years ago, a bunch of fanatics started a radio show, uncompromising as fuck. That (wild) bunch was called Concrete Jungle Crew. After I started my by now decade-long collabo and friendship with the head-honcho here at StrettoBlaster, I asked one of [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":12304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[3365],"class_list":["post-10253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beats","tag-mixes"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10253"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15339,"href":"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10253\/revisions\/15339"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strettoblaster.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}