WARMER MIXTAPES #1408 | by Marlon Daito [Marlon D]

1. The Notorious B.I.G. | One More Chance/Stay With Me (feat. Faith Evans) (Radio Edit 1)
As a 10 year old kid in 1995 living in Oxnard, Ca. I was always listening to the radio station called Q104.7. They played Hip Hop. They spun this record so much that summer of 1995. My cousins were also DJ's and they owned the vinyl. Even though Juicy was his big hit, I always thought this was Biggie's official song that left a lasting memory on me. The way Diddy and Bad Boy Records marketed this song and video was just perfect. It made me believe that it is possible to be an Underground MC and transition into Mainstream America. And for a heavy set dude, Diddy marketed him as a sex symbol, but can really rap his ass off though. And Biggie made it cool for MC's to make songs for the ladies at the time. The El Debarge sample made this Brooklyn MC sound smooth. Ladies man feel. This song never gets old. I always listen to his albums when Hip Hop is uninspiring to me.

2. OutKast | ATliens 
I used to listen to this in my grandpa's boombox every day listening to the same radio station Q104.7 . I have never heard anything like OutKast at this point. I was so into Deathrow Records and everything Dr. Dre did. But this was the Down South Hip Hop before it became what it is today. Before T.I. and Ludacris. They made Rapping sound so natural and easy. It almost sounded effortless like it's their second language. Sort of like a dialect. And the beat was crazy. The album cover's artwork made it even more stand out. Then the next album, they became worldwide superstars with Aquemini. But this was like the last Underground sound that OutKast came up with. They need to reunite soon.

3. Nas | One Mic
One of my top 5 Nas songs. I just love the fact that he is whispering at the first two verses and he gradually starts screaming. And on the third verse he starts screaming and gradually turns into whispering. I've seen him perform this live several times throughout the years. The energy is crazy. He was creative still at the top of his game on Stillmatic. I respect that a lot. Patiently waiting for that new Nas album!

4. Dilated Peoples | Clockwork 
When I was 17 years old, I snuck in a Dilated Peoples' show in Downtown Oxnard at a spot called Cloud 9. Me and my Rap group in High School at the time got snuck in by the promoters that we knew. Shouts to Bizzy D and Slymer. At that time, I was knocking that Expansion Team album so hard, till I scratched up the CD and it stopped working. Worst Comes To Worst was huge at the time. But my memory of Dilated was when the fog machines came on, and Rakaa and Evidence came out to this song. They are still my favorite Rap group to this day besides Tha Dogg Pound. This song and the way they performed it guided me in what I wanted to sound like and perform like on stage. I had the chance to share the stages with all 3 members through out the years and that is like a dream come true to me. Thank you, Dilated Peoples, for providing me the Blueprint.

5. Little Brother | Dreams
By the time I was going to graduate College, I was devastated when I found out Little Brother was breaking up. 9th Wonder wasn't even on the Getback album any more. But I used to bump this song every day in my apartment and in my 1998 Red Honda Civic. It spoke to me because my Rap dreams seemed so impossible at the time. It felt like I was chasing something that was unattainable. The song spoke about how they had to explain their dreams to their family and friends, but, on the low, their family and friends didn't believe in them. I used to feel the same way and that's why this song always resonated with me. Every time I was jobless, broke, homeless, Little Brother's song always helped me get through those dark times. I opened for Rapper Pooh couple times and I never got to tell him that. I should have.

6. Lauryn Hill | Lost Ones 
This is one of the greatest Hip Hop songs ever made period. Lauryn Hill is top 5 dead or alive for sure. Male or Female category. It doesn't matter. This beat, the lyrics, the delivery, the message. And this bumps in my whip so good. Goddamn. Ms. Hill is the reason why a lot of MC's try to sound smart today. She made Hip Hop to sound smart and educated. I honor her so much. I miss you, Lauryn Hill. It's funny how money change the situation... She will shit on any MC today in 2015 straight up.

7. Eminem | Brain Damage 
I was in 8th grade when my sister's boyfriend at the time gave me the copy of The Slim Shady LP. I knew he was funny and he stood out when My Name Is came out. But I wasn't convinced until I heard the album especially this song. When I heard this, I took him seriously. Like oh shit, this white boy can rap for real. So creative. I miss this Eminem sound. That Underground shit. That Detroit shit.

8. Jay-Z | This Can't Be Life (feat. Beanie Sigel, Scarface)
I could have picked so many songs from him, but this one is his best I think. It's like the first time I heard Jay-Z admit that he didn't believe in himself, and that he was ashamed of selling drugs. He also spoke about how his mother was ashamed of him. I always heard him spoke about how happy he is living rich, but this song was like the first time he revisited his life and spoke about how Life was when he wasn't famous. If you listen closely to his verse, he admits that he was jealous of Nas, Biggie, and Snoop for blowing up around 1994, and he was still in the corner dealing. This song made him human and more real to me. People hate on JAY Z all the time, but you can't tell me he can't rap.

9. DMX | Get At Me Dog (feat. Sheek Louch of The Lox)
I never heard no one like DMX prior to this song coming out. The video made the song even grimier. I used to practice rapping to this beat. He brought the East Coast back when it wasn't poppin' anymore. Still a huge fan of X.

10. Makaveli | Krazy 
I felt like he knew he was going to die during the Makaveli album. That was the darkest album I've ever heard period. It still stands the test of Time. I love this song a lot because he admitted that Marijuana was helping him numb the pain that he was going through. And he spoke about how being famous isn't what it seems to be. And the effect of Marijuana was probably turning into Paranoia. I love that album. I don't like how they released 10 more albums after he died without his consent. This was the last 2Pac album that he approved. Then he died. I miss 2Pac's Music.