Dart Adams (@DartAdams) is a top choice, 100%, Grade A jerk! But he is also one of the best Hip Hop writers on the net and a brilliant analyst of Hip Hop culture. More often than not that jerkiosity (yeah I made up a word) is what makes his work so entertaining. And one day on Twitter that he was talking with me about a mixtape he made of Dre’s radio freestyles. Since I work with Dre I know all too well how valuable that CD was.
During Dre’s visits to DJ Chubby Chub and Geespin he made it a habit to blast off some mean bars. Its been a while since any of these have been heard. In fact Dre says he hasn’t heard them since he was actually on the radio. Dart decided to share the wealth. That generous spirit is a beautiful thing for you lyric lovers. Guess Dart aint so bad after all. This serves as a nice warm up for Dre’s new project, Starvin 3.5: This Is Me on October 10. Dart gives a little background on the joint below. Download link and Tracklist as well.
DOWNLOAD @DreRob x @DartAdams – The Dre Robinson Files: Rare Freestyles HERE
Back around 2004, Boston had finally amassed a number of emcees from it’s new generation with the potential to make noise on a national level. Among them were Frankie Wainwright (Team 220), Lou Armstrong (Hitmakers), Slaine, Smoke Bulga and Dre Robinson. I used to work in a 24 hour CVS in the Beacon Hill area of Boston during the 11 PM to 8 AM shift. Word got out that there was a dude that worked there that knew a hell of a lot about Hip Hop. Over the 3 years I worked there I met quite a lot of notable people during the late night hours.
I always asked by out of towners (that were often prompted to drive to Boston to test the veracity of the then new film “Blue Hill Avenue”) who the hottest up & coming emcees were in Boston. My reaction would often be to play a grip of CD’s or mixtapes that contained tracks from some of the previously mentioned emcees. One of them was a CD that contained radio rips of live Dre Robinson freestyles that he performed on local radio stations Hot 97 (87.7) & JAMN 94.5. When I first met Dre Robinson in person, I told him that years ago I used to play a CD of his freestyles for heads that wanted to hear who were the hottest up & coming emcees in Boston.
Dre Robinson’s star took off and he’s since become one of the most recognizable and respected emcees in Boston Hip Hop. Even then, I still reflect on the ferocious bars he spit live on those visits to The Launch Pad or on the Saturday Night Jump Off back in 2004 and 2005. I was digging through a stack of demos that i received during those years about a month ago and I found the same exact CD containing those same freestyles from Dre’s old “Starvin” mixtape days to the freestyles on the classic Spotlight DVD’s to the infamous Barbershop Battles.
Now you all get to simultaneously hear how Dre Robinson has managed to stay the same hungry emcee he was back in the days and understand how long he’s been ill at this rappin’ shit. As for this project right here? It’s Greg’s fault & I just brought the product. Enjoy. Salute.
One.
