BY PAUL MEARA • SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

Last week, respected DJ/producer J. Period orchestrated a “live mixtape” Hip-Hop event featuring Rap performances by Rakim, Black Thought, and Pharoahe Monch. Surprise guest performers included Smif-n-Wessun, Dres and Chi-Ali, Eric B., as well as Mumu Fresh. Yasiin Bey appeared on stage, but did not perform. In addition to rapping and DJ’ing, the Dynamic Rockers break-dance troop displayed their talents on stage while a painter also created a portrait to commemorate the event at New York City’s Sony Hall.

Ambrosia For Heads founder Reggie Williams sat down with a panel of the night’s performers (Pharoahe, Mamu and J. Period) to discuss participating in the live mixtape process. Additionally, the three artists reminisced about their early days of listening, watching, and eventually, recording music.

At around the 7:36 mark, Pharoahe Monch describes his early experience in recording. “I didn’t have any f*cking equipment,” the Queens, New Yorker recalls. “It was the pause-tape era, and you would find breaks and actually try to chop the breaks and loop the breaks at different parts. We had the double cassette recorder – record, pause, record – and then we’d write raps over the pause-tape sh*t. Even the vibe of how that sounded and how that was off and every pause and click wasn’t perfect; it gave a live feeling to it and a dope vibe to it.”

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