Whether you’re a hip-hop historian or a brand nubian, Cormega is as relevant today as he was back in 1989. As part of our Tuff City Records appreciation we thought we’d delve into the archives and school a few cats on the beginnings of Queensbridge hip-hop and the role Tuff City played. So way back before the ‘Legal Hustle’, ‘The Testament’, ‘Affirmative Action’ and even before the illegal hustle, Cormega was known as MC Cor. Here’s his first official outing as an artist off the classic Hot Day album ‘It’s My Turn’.
Hot Day feat Arkim, MC Cor and Shahid - Going Straight Up
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Cormega speaks to Fat Lace about the early days on Tuff City Records
Without a doubt, Hot Day’s Master Mix was the one of the first, if not the first officially released hip-hop / r ‘n’ b blends. It was the blueprint for a million and one Ron G blend mixtapes and therefore the blueprint for modern day r ‘n’ b. Check out the Hot Day Master Mix in it’s entirety then have a go at making your own by mixing New Edition’s ‘Once In A Lifetime Groove’ with Isaac Hayes’ ‘Ike’s Mood’ pitched to 45rpm of course. Note that Rod Temerperton wrote the New Edition song which sounds remarkably Jackson-esque.
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Hot Day Master Mix
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New Edition – Once In A Lifetime Groove (A Cappella)
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Hot Day went on to form the group PHD in the early 90’s with fellow Queensbridge rapper MC Poet. They had an underground hit with ‘I’m Flippin’. Poet of course went onto to form Tommy Boy Records group Screwball and his latest incarnation as a solo artist on Premier’s Year Round label. Hot Day’s classic ‘Hot Day Is Burnin’ was a DJ Red Alert favourite back in ‘88, often heard in the mix with Doug E Fresh’s ‘Keep Risin’ To The Top’ which shared the same Keni Burke sample. Seek out these records on wax, they’re all essential items.
14 responses so far ↓
1 Brian Beck From Wisconsin // Dec 18, 2007 at 7:36 am
Wow, i’ve never actually heard the Hot Day master mix before. Cormega keeping up the tradition of Fat Lace interviewees wearing WTF? items of attire (L.A Sunshine’s San Quentin prison issue shirt) by rocking dungarees.
2 RenSki // Dec 18, 2007 at 8:00 am
HotDay: was lookin for that voice/sample in the mastermix since it came out. the way it sounded/harmonized I always thought it had to be a Michael J. track. So over the years I digged thru all of his records without any result. Thanks fatlace, another one of my crate mysteries solved!
3 AaronM // Dec 18, 2007 at 9:08 am
Damn, that’s crazy ish, Fatlace. Mega sounds mad young.
Apparently he never got paid for this appearance and still wants money from Dante.
“Cor got protection like a lubricated condom”-still dope even then.
You’re putting in work, guys. These interviews are all really fantastic.
P.S. Link us up, bevacatcha:
Metal Lungies: http://metallungies.com/
4 LetItSlide,O! // Dec 18, 2007 at 10:02 am
Dopeness. Keep bustin’ the facts for us to indulge. Classic stuff.
5 country bumpkin // Dec 18, 2007 at 1:18 pm
I bought the Hot Day LP when it came out and loved it to bits, I still like it a lot, not many people Iknew back then seemed to know about it, but I thought it was dope, all that PHD stuff is dope too, I don’t have the hot day mastermix or any of the stuff, just the LP and a 12″…Poet’s the same Poet who’s still doing shit with Primo right?
6 LetItSlide,O! // Dec 20, 2007 at 6:05 am
Ditto. I got the Hot Day at the time. My friends slept on it cos of the cover..lol. It was literaly sitting there for ages in my local record shop- I think they sold like four copies or somethin’ I had one of them. Crazy – I got it purely cos it was on Tuff City and the tracks sounded dope. I also own the Hot Day Mastermix 12 its got a dope tune on the B called “Jam Off, Take It Off” with rappin by Cormega, very Spoonie Gee sounding. Tuff City had a sound of it’s own which i love.
7 Dan Large // Dec 20, 2007 at 10:41 am
wasn’t that very young Tragedy on ‘Jam Off Take It Off’, not Cormega?
8 LetItSlide,O! // Dec 20, 2007 at 11:51 am
Yeah thanks for correcting me on that I got it twisted. HotDay scratches in ‘Tragedy’ ..at the start of the track so i guess it was Trag on that one.
9 country bumpkin // Dec 20, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Super Kids, a very very young trag! Love that sound, those were the days!
10 crackedgameboy // Dec 21, 2007 at 5:17 pm
“Cormega is as relevant today as he was back in 1989″
not very then.
hahaha
sorry you set yourself up for that one
11 DJ HOTDAY // Dec 29, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Wow!!! I just stumbled on this its good to see some REAL hiphopers are still enjoying my pass work, but keep in mind i was just 15 when i started making records…cormega was one of my favorite mc’s on my team & he was just 14 when we did goin straight up now he is a world renown rapper…..im working on a book about QUEENS BRIDGE hiphop it will be out in 2009…thank to all who enjoy my music. MYSPACE.COM\DEEJAYHOTDAY
12 cockdeez // Apr 4, 2008 at 11:27 am
yeah man first time i heard mega was on the PHD album “without warning” great lp. good job poet & hotday. Think there was some phil collins sample being used? dope track classic early 90’s LP Still pump it to this day.
Peace hotday good to hear you still doing your thing.
13 New Cormega // Jul 22, 2008 at 6:58 am
[...] new from our man Corey McCay ‘Fresh’ featuring Red Alert, PMD, KRS and Grand Puba [...]
14 dj big will // Aug 12, 2010 at 10:53 pm
IS THERE ANYWAY I COULD PURCHASE THOSE NEW EDITION ACAPELLA AND MASTERMIX JOINTS {ONCE IN A LIFETIME GROOVE} BEEN TRYING TO GET THEM FOR YEARS, ANY INFO WOULD HELP
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