I was browsing through The Main Ingredient and came across a link to download an EP by Juggaknots, an underground New York City rap group. I was kind of skeptical at first having never heard of these guys (and girl) but out of boredom I clicked the link and loaded it up to my iTunes. Probably the best decision I've made in a long time.
Clear Blue Skies EP came out in 1996. Oh those were the days. The New York City rap scene was on fire in the mid-nineties with releases like Illmatic, Ready to Die, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), The Infamous, Doe or Die and countless classics from the five boroughs. With these artists dominating the charts, there was little room for groups like Juggaknots, with their muffled, distorted, acidic, jazzy beats - not to mention being signed by an independent label.
Perhaps the lyrics were never meant for the mainstream. The double sided nine track EP explores subject matter from a white kid loving a black girl at his racist fathers disapproval to less radio friendly verses on tracks like "Troubleman" and "I'm Going to Kill You." Regardless, the group flows flawlessly over these not so usual beats.
The EP was never released on CD apparently - only vinyl, and is most likely hard to come across. Nonetheless it was praised as an underground classic by many New York heads and has been enjoyed by hip-hop fans from all over the globe. That being said, download it here and enjoy this hidden gem.
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