Yusef Afloat Foreign Objects / Hard Times

Strictly limited edition of 100 copies on cassette.

Next up on "90's Tapes" are the demo 4-track recordings of Yusef Afloat's "Foreign Objects" and "Hard Times".

Known as one half of legendary Westcoast group The Nonce (along with Nouka Basstype aka Sach), MC/producer/musician Yusef Afloat produced tracks for Aceyalone, Supherb, and Figures Of Speech. He also appeared on the original 1994 release of Project Blowed. On May 21, 2000, Yusef "Afloat" Muhammad was found dying on the side of Freeway 110 in Los Angeles, he was 28 years old. The cause of his death is still unknown.

"When I listen to Yusef now, I'm reminded of what I felt then and that is he knew his time on Earth was limited. The tone was new, stern authoritative on his views and expressions of Hip Hop. I knew he was talking to me and each one of our peers. The tapes have been safe for 20 years thanks to Dee Skee for maintaining archives at Weightless Audio. The implications that I knew someone who may have said things because their span was going to be cut. I'm thinking he saw clearer than we could. I felt he wanted to be a guide in the discovery of what kind of Man I would live to be and what kind of Man listening to this music would turn out to be? I don't know if I had inclinations of my time being so short what I would have been spending it doing and he spent his saying these weighted lines. I thought it abrasive at first but I understand now why he said what he said and how with style! I miss him everyday and I'm so proud that Yusef's music can finally be showcased to the world in the beautiful way it is deserving. I'm blown back looking at the pictures, so many sat on that couch Yusef sits Ganjah K, Meen Green. What great sessions… no magical sessions. Preparing to play this record we would probably roll something and get comfortable on that couch… well… drop the needle! Push play!"

Sach - January 2021

"Foreign Objects / Hard Times" is available in limited editions on 2LP, MC and CD as well as digitally.