Copywrite goes on the attack after The High &Mighty for this track from T.H.E. High Exhaulted 8th Anniversary Edition. The press release from the track reads as follows:

After over a year of trying to work with Mighty Mi to take T.H.E. High Exhaulted off of Itunes and getting nowhere, Copywrite has finally erupted. Copywrite had approached Milo over a year ago about wanting to re-release his debut album since there was never a formal contract between the two he felt there would be no issue. Milo however felt differently and would not give Copywrite permission to include a couple of the tracks that Milo had done production for on the re-release. Copywrite accepted that but insisted that T.H.E High Exhaulted be taken down off of I Tunes and anywhere else Milo might have it for sale. A year later Milo still has not done this. “Poorly Promote This” was born out of Copywrite’s frustration with how Milo and Eon handled the promotion of his first record and the recent chatter that has been heard about him re-releasing his classic debut.

Mighty Mi released this statement to HipHopSite.Com in response to the attack:

“I’m the resident DJ and Music Director at the brand new $70 million Encore Beach Club at the Wynn, Las Vegas. I feel extremely fortunate to still be making a great living in the music industry. The 8 year anniversary of Copywrite’s “High Exhaulted” is the furthest thing on my mind. I hope some day he can move on both artistically and emotionally.

LISTEN: Copywrite – “Poorly Promote This”

Copywrite – “Poorly Promote This” (MP3)

    Eastern Conference Records has been known to showcase some of the finest underground acts while maintaining such a cohesive sound. And while they’ve been instrument in the earlier careers of today’s allstars, even those that moved on (Cage, Eminem, Royce), they still have been able to maintain credibility in the fickle underground. Now DJ Mighty Mi and Mr. Eon bring to the masses Eastern Conference All Stars IV. With a little shake up in format, the duo hope to still maintain the credibility EC has been known for over the years. 

     Right out the gate Copywrite, Tame One and Cage blast off with “Weatherwhatevermen.” As the beat pounds and the emcees jockey for position amongst the track, fans of the Weathermen may salivate for a true album from the crew. Copywrite and Tame trade punch lines like heavyweight boxers as Cage slides through the track with his trademark flow. Tame One completely terrorizes “Superbad” with an off the wall ridiculous style, continuing where he left off on the spaced out Leak Bros album. The seldom seen Copywrite also chips in with his solo joint “H.B.T.” and continues to
demonstrate his ability to deliver enough quotables to fill an average emcees whole album. Vast Aire and Mr. Eon work their magic on the spacey “The Beam Up” while High & Mighty work it out over the head snapping “Key Master.”

    What may throw the listener off is the inclusion of many remixes on the album. With four remixes, including one for hometown crew Ice City’s “Lock it Down”, it takes away from an Eastern Conference album that is usually filled with breakthrough joints from its promising roster. Also some of the pairings don’t pack the oomph of a Cage, High and Mighty or a Copywrite joint. The pairing of Cheif Kamachi and Guru may not pack the punch of a Nighthawks joint, but then again, why would it? But even with the slight missteps included the album still has many highlights that should hold a
hungry listener down for a while.

     EC All-Stars 4 may not be as dope as their previous work but it still carries its weight when the Eastern Conference family is intact. It only shows how strong that each artist affiliated with EC shines brighter than many other artists coming out of the independent scene.  While this may be the final chapter of the EC series it still goes out with a bang and proves the staying power the label that helped shed some light on the diamonds in the rough.

Mighty Mi – After being a diehard McDonalds eater, Eon read the book Fastfood Nation (which chronicles everything he talks about on the song), and never touched the stuff again. He has been known to scarf down a McDonalds apple pie though on occasion.

HHS: With “Take It Off” you address those who have been quick to jump on the throwback jersey bandwagon. How did you come to write that one? Is it directed at anyone in particular?

Mighty Mi- The throwback jersey craze has become completely out of hand in NY. You go outside of a club and 80% of the cats are wearing them and not knowing what player they’re even repping. High & Mighty being the avid sports fans we are, find that kinda wack. Like cats be rockin the Steve Atwater jersey cause it matches there blue/orange outfit, but not knowing how ill of a safety he was and how devastating of a hitter he was.

Mr. Eon- “Take It Off” is so important.  It is just a microcosm of cultural trendiness.  I mean Von Dutch????  Come on man when you wear some shit that’s trendy you’re a herb.  I wore jerseys in ’85 when Mitchell & Ness was still a skate shop.  No one in NY should be wearing an Iverson jersey.  Can you imagine any Philly head wearing a Larry Bird jersey in Philly in 1984?  That kid woulda got beat down.  And remember in Do the Right Thing when white dude had the Bird jersey?  Now you got black kids who never woulda worn no white dudes’ jersey rockin some Steve Nash shit.  You all look ridiculous if you don’t know where that shit came from.  The history is what makes them special.  Just like hip hop, there’s no meaning no more!

HHS: Who’s the greatest athlete of all time?

Mighty Mi – Bo Jackson.

Mr. Eon- Babe Ruth.  He was the best pitcher in baseball then became the best hitter of all time.  That will never happen again.  People think he was all fat and all but basically he invented the home run.

HHS: What’s you favorite throwback?

Mighty Mi- My 1991 Jerome Brown Eagles Jersey.

HHS: How did y’all get down with Micheal Rappaport?

Mighty Mi- Through a mutual friend that was working on a short film he was producing. I ended up scoring it and we remained cool. Since he was the one that brought Wiggerism to the big screen (Zebrahead), we thought he would add a street element to the album (laughter).

HHS: Your first album, Home Field Advantage, had some pretty high-profile guest appearances on it. This record seems to have more of a “family” vibe, with cats like Cage and Copywrite showing up on some of the tracks. Did you think about reaching out for some more “big names” this time, or did you go into the project intent on keepingthe guest spots to a minimum?

Mighty Mi- Half and half. I mean some people criticized us for having too many guests on Home Field Advantage, so we were kinda conscious of that. We also felt that the emcees on E.C. can hold there own against most of the cats out there. So its like why go out there and pay a good amount of money for a rapper whose verse you may not even feel, when you have a Tame One or a Cage that you can sit and build with.

Mr. Eon- We have to pay 100% too EC.  We can only get so far with one group (H&M) so we need to have our boys shit poppin correctly.  Cage, Copywrite and Tame are so ill.  They are really the only artists in the world besides Ghostface and GZA that I’m hearing right now.

HHS: You hooked up with Rahzel to bring back the classic “Rock the House.” Who did y’all admire growing up; what did you listen to? What’s the first record you ever bought?

Mighty Mi – That song was definitely inspired by growing up in Philly and admiring groups like Jazzy Jeff, Cash Money and Marv, 3xDope, Steady B, Nikki Rap & Scratch, The Singing MC Breeze, Jewel T & Dollar Bill ,etc….My pops is a jazz author so I was definitely raised on that, but personally I was strictly hip hop. The greatest record I ever bought was prolly Criminal Minded, although I’ve also become a huge appreciator of (LL’s) Bigger & Deffer recently.

Mr. Eon – The Rahzel jawn was easy because I practically know the original by heart.  The only shaky part of that was my singing at the end, but it was fun.

HHS: How do you balance an artistic career along with running Eastern Conference? How does one influence the other?

Mighty Mi- Well in the beginning we started EC solely as a way to put out The High & Mighty, but as time went on it obviously expanded. Nowadays, I would say we put a lot more time into EC instead of High & Mighty.

HHS: What can we expect out of High & Mighty, as well as EC, in the future?

Mighty Mi- Next year on EC we have Yak Ballz LP, EC All Stars IV, Copywrite LP, Weathermen LP, and another High & Mighty EP/DVD.

HHS: Any Last words?

Mighty Mi: Look out for the High & Mighty on tour 11-12-03/12-12-03 with Cage, Rasco, Akrobatik and Swollen Members.

Mr. Eon- Hiphop sucks!  Its either emotional bullshit listened to by kids who don’t like hip-hop or the masses, which have totally been brainwashed with this generic shit.  I mean does anyone understand that this music is now just saturated shit?  For an old head like me it’s sad.  To see what everybody was fighting for in the late 80′s gone to hell.  Go ask KRS-1 guarantee he agrees with me and we’ve never met!

     What has always attracted fans to the High & Mighty, is their old school sensibilities melded with today’s off-color, shock value emceeing, and The Highlite Zone is no different. It kicks off with the ridiculous “Right Here”, as Mr. Eon tears through a wonderfully grimey Sebb beat, and flows right into “Cheese Factory”, with Copywrite, also propelled by a top notch sample collage by Sebb. MHz (MegaHertz) beatsmiths also lend to this first half of the album, as RJD2  brings late-night hype with “Incorporate Anthem”, not to mention Camu Tao’s stellar “Standing Room Only”, shared with Cage. As usual, the album contains its share of “throwback” joints, most notably “Take It Off”, where Mr. Eon disses all style-bitin’, throwback jersey wearin’ emcees (Nelly included) with the classic Philly track behind him, and Vast Aire providing the hook. 

    The old school tactics however aren’t as interesting on the DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince  remake “Rock The House” (feat. Rahzel), not to mention the Eric B. & Rakim “Eagar To Listen” cover, “Mighty Mi Is Clickums”, but still get props for at least reminding us of those lost classics. However while the first half of the album is strong, these two covers aren’t the only snoozers – Mr. Eon as the conscious rapper on “Fast Food Nation” is about as hard-to-swallow as a McNugget with a beak, and “How To Rob An Actor” (feat. Michael Rappaport) is funny the first time, but annoying thereafter. And the new latest episode of the “Dick Starbuck” series just doesn’t compare to the original, with its syrupy hook.  

   Despite these few foul balls, definite props are garnered for much of the rest of the album, not forgetting the last few dope posse cuts on the way out (“Meldrick Taylor”, “Live From The Bullpen”). The High & Mighty have delivered another solid album, and while this may be their last, we hope that they’ll continue the great traditions they’ve laid down with Eastern Conference for many years to come.

The best thing about this compilation is that it hits hard. Although the songs don’t necessarily flow into each other they do all follow the same pattern of bringing incredibly hard hitting beats with dynamite lyricism laced on top. The album kicks off with an amazing banger from Tame One, the J-Zone produced “Tame As It Ever Was” with its swirling sounding loop and banging drums it’s bound to make you bob your head. Other highlights on here include cuts like the Weathermen’s “5 Left In The Clip” which just pulsates and practically forces your head to bob, and “Talk Like Sex Pt. II” by the Smut Peddlers, a song that will immediately set you that early 90′s golden age of hip-hop state of mind. The absolute jewel of this comp though has to be Cage’s “Ballad of Worms”, a twisted song in which Cage dedicates his love to a dead woman who happens to be his current flame. Eww. 

This album is the type of record that is destined to be in the car CD deck for months keeping heads bobbing while driving home from your 9-5. There are very few low points on this LP And 1, High & Mighty’s “And 1″ comes with a beat that doesn’t quite hit as hard as most others on this comp, but with Mr. Eon bringing the memories of NBA past its hard to say the song is bad. Not much else could be said about this comps low points it simply follows the formula of putting good hip-hop beats to good hip hop MC’s. More great examples of this are R.A. The Rugged Man’s roughneck themed song “Brawl” and Cage’s “Special Ladies”. Compilations seem to just come and come making most of them easy to forget. Hopefully this one will not be lost in the shuffle and be heralded along other masterpieces like Soundbombing 2. It definitely would be fitting for this Eastern Conference release to sit along side its Rawkus predecessor.

From the jump, the door is kicked down with CopywriteÂ’s “Leading Off” intro, and then entering the Alchemist blessed Smut PeddlersÂ’ rape and pillage of the memorable “Red Light”. In tradition, the High & Mighty team up with a number indy mainstays, showing a wide versatility in production and style, whether itÂ’s the perverse sounds of “Homecoming Queen” with R.A. The Rugged Man or old skool throwbacks such as “That’s What’s Up” (feat. Last Emperor ). Between Milo and Reef, they show their diversity as a production team, lacing artists like Royce The 5Â’9 (“Nickle Nine Is”) with beats so gangsta they would make Jay-Z proud, while in the same breath fashioning tracks for underground heroes like Jurassic 5 (“Breadwinner”), Evidence (“Emergency”), and Kool Keith (“Thug Or What”), in their own respective styles – the latter lot produced so well, one would think that Cut Chemist , Evidence, and Kutmasta Kurt were overlooking them in the studio.

Meanwhile, the home team also shines brightly, most of all when huddled for the posse cut, “E.C. Allstars”, where everyone gets their chance to step up to the plate. The rookie season also looks promising for new E.C. artists, such as Copywrite, who explodes onto the scene with the RJD2 produced banger, “Fuck Soundcheck”, as well as for Tame One, who takes charge of flipping Slick RickÂ’s “Moment I Feared”, (much better than Tricky ever did, by the way.)

The compilation isnÂ’t perfect though, as some tracks are better than others. Each “Pressure Time” (Skillz ) and “Tonight’s The Night” (High & Mighty) arenÂ’t the best representations of these artists, and one would think that they would use their spots on this compilation to come with the hottest shit possible. While Cage does clean up after them, repping E.C. well on “Crowd Killa”, there are still some other strange selections, such as Lord SearÂ’s classic-yet-odd “Fake Thug Theme”, Pretty UglyÂ’s sleepy “The Struggle”, PacewonÂ’s “All Get Bye” (more blah-blah, than rah-rah), or Big Daddy KaneÂ’s big disappointment, “Jump Off”.

But seeing that you canÂ’t please all of the people all of the time, many listeners are going to like most of this album, but everyone will have their own opinions which tracks are its best, and which get the fast-forward treatment. While it not as clearly focused or defined as a High & Mighty or Smut Peddlers album, there are tracks on it that everyone will enjoy, and enough material to start arguments over which ones are best.

Though outlandish, Porn Again is not blazing any new ground conceptually—Too $hort, and Kool Keith (among many) have been finding new ways to fill female orifices for years. Yet, these ill reputes are an entirely different virus, one that requires you to keep some cleanup material handy, which Cage reiterates on “Josie” (“keep the baby wipes closely”). The guilty pleasures this trio provides will surely not endear them to feminist groups. But at least their brand of misogyny is tempered with a tongue in cheek sarcasm that begs clemency for their indiscretions.

Mr. Eon and Cage are the offspring of two twisted minds, as they commingle the straight sleaze of Larry Flynt, with the unpolitically correct humor of Howard Stern. In fact, one of Stern’s more peculiar tagalongs, Beetlejuice, appears frequently, spewing his pimp or die rhetoric on a few bizarre outtakes. Although, judging by his mushmouthed bumbling of the English language it becomes vividly apparent the dwarf like Beetlejuice is not an avid follower of the group, as he is give verbatim instructions on what to say and still flounders mightily.

Though Eon, and Cage offer a slew of potent punchlines, their lyrical exchanges are largely ephemeral, as they’re limited topic-matter becomes predictably insipid over extended listens. However, the volatile chemistry they form pays dividends on “Medicated Minutes”, and Eon’s solo-cut “Diseases”, where he references both his herbal, and oral fixations with equal fervor “smoke with E you gonna have fun/but oh/by the way leave with collapsed lungs.” While Milo’s production on Porn Again has evolved since the keep-it-indy days of Home Field Advantage, tracks like “That Smut” and “Bottom Feeders” show his ability to create a sound just as pornographic as the lyrics. Meanwhile, the hard-hitting production of “Talk Like Sex Part II” (w/ Kool G Rap), the mysticism of “Amazing Feats”, or the mischievous intent of both “Josie” and the LL nod, “My Rhyme Aint Done “, will please longtime followers of the crew.

Porn Again does it’s best to test your tolerance for filth, as it’s sarcastic personality helps tread the line between what’s funny and what’s disgusting, while Milo’s well-executed production sews it all together.

HipHopSite: How long has Eastern Conference been putting out records independently?

DJ Mighty Mi: Since November of 1996, with the “Hands On Experience” single.

HipHopSite: With “Home Field Advantage”, how did you hook up with so many great underground artists?

DJ Mighty Mi: Different ways… the album was recorded in a span of a year and a half to two years, so we had a lot of time and connections. Alchemist hooked us up with Defari and Evidence, Paul Bunyan hooked us up with Eminem; and Kool Keith we were just a fan of, you know….

HipHopSite: Explain the album cover artwork for Home Field Advantage?

DJ Mighty Mi: The back was really supposed to be the cover, but people at the label didn’t think it would sell the record, so we went with plan B. We had the girl coming out of the bong, which was a cool shot. It represents what we are into, we are both weed smokers, and are into…uh…

HipHopSite: The bedroom shot on the back was classic, though, I actually thought that was authentic, can you speak on that?

DJ Mighty Mi: Oh, you mean like a real bedroom?

HipHopSite: Milo, people are supposed to think that is really your bedroom.

DJ Mighty Mi: Well it is kinda, a replica like – all those things we had, and we couldn’t go back to our rooms in Philly, cause I am in New York now, and that house is no longer mine. We just kind of recreated what are bedrooms looked like, and what we were into when we were growing up.

HipHopSite: Being that you had tracks with both Eminem and Cage on the album, did this create difficulty in a creative environment?

DJ Mighty Mi: You know, I’ve been neutral the whole time, because we are cool with both of them, and it’s unfortunate that they have beef, but….

Cage: It did for a minute, because it did seem fishy, but it was part of the order. Eastern Conference is a real crazy label, they make you insane. Eon is a nice guy, he just yells too much. Milo is more sinister, and likes to travel to Denmark. I am more into making passionate love to prostitutes.

HipHopSite: How did the beef between Em and Cage start, and where does it stand now?

Mighty Mi: I think everything is cool now, it’s kind of in the past, right?

Cage: It started because he is a bitch ass nigga! Right now it stands with me kicking in his fucking face, real horrorshow, I ain’t lettin’ all the shit he said slide.

HipHopSite: Cage, what’s the difference between Cage, C. Palko, and Alexxx?

Cage: Palko, that’s my government name, I think… and Cage is for rhymes, right? When I got locked in, my name remained as Cage. Alexxx is a pervert.

HipHopSite: Speaking of beef, Milo, what is up with that track “Newman” on the High & Mighty album? Some said that was dis to Rasheed and Ill Advised.

Mighty Mi: I don’t really like to speak on it, and around the time when we were going our separate ways, they did some really foul shit, and I think they thought it was just going to go away, and they were going to get away with it. So, we didn’t dis them on record, but we dissed where we thought the root of the problem was caused.

HipHopSite: Alright, one more rumors circulated about a fight with Necro?

DJ Mighty Mi: Everything is squashed now, you know, but it’s funny because now he is putting a record out on Landspeed and this whole thing dealt with (Fat Beats).

HipHopSite: What can we expect from the Smut Peddlers album?

Cage: Me and Mr. Eon rhyming over Milo’s beats. What you lookin’ for, my friend? It might be there, if not, FUCK OFF!

DJ Mighty Mi: Half the album is recorded, and we are about to do the other half, and it should be coming in the summer of 2000. Eastern Conference is what I am really proud of right now. We (High & Mighty) just came back from a tour in Amsterdam with Eminem, and it was ill. We were in the red light district and we are walking around, and Lord Sear walks up to one of the girls in the window, and he’s like “What’s up, what’s up”, and the girl was like…. “Nah!” (laughs)

HipHopSite: Was Lord Sear the only one who was not able to receive sex from payed prositutes?

DJ Mighty Mi: He was real naughty down there. It was like this blonde, stuck up Dutch bitch, and she was like “No, I don’t vant to” (laughs).

HipHopSite: Cage, would you ever sign to a major, or are you strictly the indy type?

Cage: I am in between offers, and not sure what to do, maybe I’ll even quit. Some people would like that, me too.

HipHopSite: So, if you did sign to a major, what would happen if you blew up?

Cage: I would piss on the audience of TRL, then shoot myself to get good ratings.

HipHopSite: Cage, being that you are white, what is your stance on using the “n-word”, as it’s popped up in a few of your songs?

That’s what all my peoples called me since we were little kids, so that’s what I would say. Friends would be like Cage ain’t white, Cage is black, so I never had a problem with it. Though some people are offended, I don’t mean to, but I don’t hold my tongue for shit. I don’t really say it that much, unless it just pops out. All my friends are 85% black and they call me that 24/7. I don’t care what you call me, as long as it’s not crazy.

HipHopSite: Cage, how much do your bugged out lyrics reflect your real life?

Cage: 80% of the shit is real. I am a fucked up person. I know this and I am trying to change.

HipHopSite: Do you consider yourself fans of hip-hop music in general, or are you more satisfied with listening to the stuff that you and your boys make?

Cage: I don’t like too much hip-hop right now, it’s all the same. I like the unknown cats, plus all my crew’s shit is hot. My Non-Phixion friends and Co Flow associates, Copywrite 78, Jakki the Motamouth, Yak-Face, and internet MCs for a good laugh.

HipHopSite: What kind of future plans are there for Eastern Conference?

DJ Mighty Mi: We just dropped the Smut Peddlers single, and also one from Rip Shop, produced by me and Kon. We also have a single from Mad Skillz coming out, with one song produced by Timbaland, and another High & Mighty single coming out, a Kurious Jorge single, and a Copywrite single, it’s a total posse cut with Eon and Cage. There is also a Divison One EP, the production team of me and Reef, with different emcees on it.

By now, you net heads have heard this album already, as either the singles have landed on your turntables, or through greedy DJ’s leaking the exclusives on their mixtapes. But, whether you scored a ghetto dub from Chase, or got it from some disappearing illegal MP3 site, you still haven’t heard this album.

Upon first review, before the crew signed with Rawkus, we evaluated a second generation dub, direct from the hands of Mighty Mi. This poor duplication, not only was missing half of the tracks added to the final version, but also didn’t do the album justice due to its poor sound quality. For one, some of the older tracks, such as “Dick Starbuck Porno Detective”, “The Meaning”, and “The Half” have been re-recorded and/or re-mastered, showing much improvement. Meanwhile, tracks like “B-Boy Document” and “Flyest Material” have been given the remix treatment, reborn as “B-Boy Document ’99″ (w/ Mos Def & Mad Skillz), and “The Last Hit” (w/ Eminem). Sonically, it’s like comparing the original Star Wars to the Special Edition that was released in 1997.

All of the classics are still here, whether it’s the first time you’ve heard them or not. “Top Prospects” with Defari & Evidence, is better than ever, with new lyrics from Mr. E, while older tracks like “The Meaning” and “In Outs” with Cage still sound just as fresh as the album’s new material.

Listening to the final version of the LP, it becomes evident what a great piece of work this is. Since their debut, DJ Mighty Mi’s production has improved, as he’s learned to perfect the science of making beats. Tracks such as “Dick Starbuck” or “The Half”, need more than just a dope sample, and Milo realizes this with his addition of better drum tracks and cleaner final mix-downs. Milo’s own “jiggy backpack” sound becomes the perfect mix of underground beats, that don’t put you to sleep, yet still aren’t disgustingly commercial.

Half of Mr. Eon is a microphone court jester, yet the other half is a serious man with a high regard for hip-hop as a culture and artform. Tracks like “The Half” are laced with creative, humorous wordplay and metaphors, that conjure up some truly odd images: (“Keep that shit tight like grandpa’s Speedos” or “You couldn’t even fuck with my echo”) to name a few. Tracks like “Hot Spitable” and “The Meaning” illustrate his love for the art. Eon is a dope emcee in his own right, but when he slips, the LP is has enough guest appearances from top-notch lyricists to clean up after him. From Kool Keith to Eminem to Evidence to Thirstin Howl III, there is never a point when the listener gets bored on this LP.

While it’s unclear how much Rawkus will promote this record, or if the larger audience will even notice it, Mi and E have delivered a borderline classic. In it’s final form, they’ve got all bases covered with the Home Field Advantage.