RZA DJ Set [w/ Ol Dirty Bastard on Flex – HOT97 Street Jams] 3rd JUNE 1995 [REMASTERED]

This is my ‘Wu on Flex’ tape from 1995, and one of my favourite radio shows ever, due to its spontaneous and unscripted nature. It’s a famous tape and it’s been dubbed alot over the past 24 years, mainly cos it’s RZA and Ol Dirty Bastard, DJ’ing on HOT97. The recording has been meticulously restored, sadly, there are a couple of drop-outs and it’s only 37 mins long, but you get what you pay for.

RZA, known for producing, rhyming and acting, hits it out the park from behind the two turntables, and drops a savage breaks set that kicks off with the compelling Star Wars Imperial March. Big Baby Jesus does an impromptu version of Brooklyn Zoo then RZA drops a few Wu bangers, and blesses the mix with classic breaks; Apache, Pussyfooter, Shack Up and a stack more. All the while, Dirty is goin’ off, droppin Shimmy Shimmy Ya over Johnny Hammonds’ Shifting Gears and Harlem World over Synthetic Substitution. He also gets behind the decks to scratch up some Roy Ayers at the end, ODB was always loose on radio, this is no different. At the start, he reminds Flex, the fearful HOT97 staff and fellow studio guests, that he understands the ‘No curses, no curses’ rule from the jump. Even with this, he is ‘loose’, he doesnt need profanity as he’s somewhat respectful of Flex while he holds the whole affair together.

Keep an ear out at the very beginning for Dirt McGirt extending his gratitude to the people in the studio, and the radio legends he has respect for; ‘Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, Crazy Sam, Angie, I love you crazy down’. As Bobby Digital cuts short the Ol Dirty’s Back track from the Tales in the Hood Soundtrack, in favour of some Bonus Beats courtesy of Double XX Posse, Dirty finishes off his verse from the track over the very same bonus beats. You could call it a freestyle, it kicks in around the 13 minute mark .

Star Wars Imperial March
Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Brooklyn Zoo
Wu-Tang Clan – Let Me at Them
Gravediggaz – From the Dark Side
Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Ol Dirty’s Back
Double XX Posse – Make Some Noise [Bonus Beats]
Mic Break [FLEX]
Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Hippa to Da Hoppa
Jackie Robinson ‎– Pussyfooter
Shimmy Shimmy Ya over Johnny Hammond – Shifting Gears
Bo Diddley – Hit or Miss
Harlem World over Melvin Bliss – Synthetic Substitution
Freedom – Get Up & Dance
20th Century Steel Band – Heaven And Hell
Banbarra – Shack Up
Incredible Bongo Band – Apache
Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Return to the 36 Chambers
Method Man & Mary J Blige – You’re All I Need
Wu-Tang Clan – Mystery of Chessboxin
Roy Ayers – Lonesome Cowboy
Mic Break [RZA, FLEX & OL DIRTY]

Dap to Deejay Mek !