T La Rock & Jazzy Jay - It's Yours (remixed by the Latin Rascals)

T La Rock & Jazzy Jay: It's Yours [1984]
The Latin Rascals: It's Yours (megamix) [1985?]
The Latin Rascals: 98.7 KISS Mastermix Dance Party [March 16, 1985]

"People of the universe, this is yours." One of the hottest early rap records. Dig the minimalism, and note how DJ Jazzy Jay lives up to his moniker during the scratch break at the 1:03 mark.

From about 1984 to 1986 I listened to the 98.7 KISS and 107.5 WBLS Mastermix Dance Parties religiously, every Friday and Saturday night. The DJ on KISS was usually either DJ Red Alert or DJ Chuck Chillout, but then one night I flipped on the radio and heard the Latin Rascals. My brain exploded. These guys were doing something that sounded unreal, like science fiction. Then we found out it was done with reel-to-reel tape editing (!)

"It's Yours (megamix)" is actually an excerpt from a tape of one of the Rascals' broadcasts on KISS, probably from '85. The basic song sequence is:
Fat Boys: Human Beat Box - Fantasy 3: It's Your Rock - T La Rock: It's Yours - Kurtis Blow: A.J.

The "Mastermix Dance Party" is about 45 minutes from a tape of another Rascals show on 98.7, including MCA & Burzootie: "Drum Machine" and Malcolm McClaren: "Hobo Scratch", among many other highlights.

Here are the credits on the back of the 12" of It's Yours:

T La Rock--vocals
Jazzy Jay--turntables

Vocals written by Special K, T La Rock
Beats programmed by Rick Rubin
Produced by Rick Rubin, a S.U.R.E. Shot Mix
Co-produced by Special K, Jazzy Jay
Edited by Weems
Cover art by Rick Rubin

Special thanks to: Ed Bahlman, Africa Bambaataa, Bobby Davis

Def Jam Recordings, 5 University Pl.
New York, N.Y. 10003, (212) 420-8666

and on the runout groove is etched:

Herbie Jr. (smiley face)(heart with arrow through it) Angie
"SURE DJ's MAKE IT FUNKY"

Category:

Music

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[trackdayklub]

Latin Rascals, those guys was cutting edge! They were my heroes being a DJ in the eighties and nineties!

[BLRD2MugenAndHipHop]

@trackdayklub: I completely agree with you. Ain't no doubt that they were sick... Albert Cabrera is still active with a group called WoCO nowadays.

[superAJ71]

I probably heard this mix on that night. The Latin Rascals were definitely the best of what we (low-fi people of the time) used to call the "pause button DJ's". They had also done Paco's Super Mix on 92 WKTU a few years prior.

[BLRD2MugenAndHipHop]

@superAJ71: If that is the case, then you heard history in the making (no exaggeration). I haven't heard a single remix of any song sound as epic as this one does for "It's Yours..." considering that this was recorded twenty-six years ago and seven years before I was born, I'd say that that is pretty remarkable.

When you refer to the Rascals as "pause button deejays," I presume that you refer to their mixes being so complex/intricate that you have to stop and catch yourself while listening.

[superAJ71]

@BLRD2MugenAndHipHop

Actually, what that term refers to is the fact that they did a lot of tape splicing to put those mixes together ahead of time, as opposed to the cutting and scratching method by just using two turntables and a mixer in real time. And we used to replicate that style of mixing with the pause button on our tape decks.

[BLRD2MugenAndHipHop]

@superAJ71: Oh... so that explains it. Thank you for the information.

[BLRD2MugenAndHipHop]

@tlarock: As a matter of fact, I did order the reissue three years ago... I actually posted all of the tracks from it on YouTube at some point in 2008, back when I was still using my now-dead BigLupeRakimDee account. I've had it sitting in my closet since about December of '09. I should definitely play it again... you were seriously ahead of your time with your lyrics.

I was wondering if I would be able to request permission to re-upload the tracks. You will receive full description credit.

[tlarock]

@BLRD2MugenAndHipHop If you ordered the " Its Yours " reissue you will find there is an acapella version. Just my vocals. If you like this record, You will love the remix coming. Plus new songs.

[BLRD2MugenAndHipHop]

@85RetroFan: (continued) The bad news is that Bambaataa only appears on the hook... but it's nice to hear him at all, I suppose. After all, he is the Universal Zulu Nation founder and one of hip-hop's earliest and most significant innovators.

I purchased, for $2.48 (and free shipping ^_^), an RCA to 1/8” headphone jack cable that will allow me to connect my laptop to my VERY old Harman-Kardon record/cassette player. I also downloaded several MP3 encoders. Hopefully I can record the audio. :-)

[BLRD2MugenAndHipHop]

@85RetroFan: The record just arrived TODAY. After listening to it for a little bit, I came to realize that Horrid's interpretation of "It's Yours" is not a straight cover, but, rather, the payment of pseudo-homage to T La Rock... he recites those first two famous opening bars ("Commentating, illustrating/Description-givin­g adjective experts") and then goes into some dope, lyrical rhyming that sounds like a T/Percee P cross. The B-side is pretty dope, too... he kills the "New York to Cali" beat.