Big Shots
Released
One of the primary reasons Peanut Butter Wolf formed Stones Throw in the first place was to have full control over his early work with the MC he should’ve spent a Guru/DJ Premier-length stint with. Tragically, the 1993 shooting death of rapper Charizma ended that promise right when it was gaining underground momentum, but there was far more in store than just the ’96 archival release of label-christening West Coast boom-bap single “My World Premiere”. Charisma’s voice has a gusto to it that knocks most ’90s indie peers flat, and the hard-knocking drums and soul jazz loops Wolf brought to cuts like “Here’s A Smirk” and “Red Light, Green Light” would make the hardest NYC partisans jump out their Timbs.