Download IQ – Pay Attention (right click and select “Save Link As…” or “Save Target As…”)
01. Moment Of Clarity
02. Acquired Taste
03. Pay Attention
04. Perception
05. Reality Check
06. Lessons In Life (Feat. SP)
07. Elementary
08. Black And Blue
09. Defiance
10. Angel On My Shoulder
11. Minutes To Think
12. Devotion
13. Pay Attention (Remix)
Here’s the front cover of an early demo tape that I received from IQ. Almost all of these songs would later appear on “Pay Attention”, in one form or another. The tracks on this cassette were in a completely different sequence from what was eventually released. Also, a couple of songs had different music and/or beats, and one or two of the songs had slightly different lyrics.
Another thing to note is that the version of “Angel On My Shoulder” on this demo tape did not have a chorus. After receiving the demo tape, IQ asked if I would be interested in adding some cuts and scratches to one of the songs. He already had the Common “1-9-9-9” sample in mind, so I made the hour+ drive to his basement lab, did a few zigga zigga’s, and the rest is history.
Here is the j-card insert of the first cassette version of “Pay Attention”. Everything was printed and duplicated at IQ’s home. IQ made all of the beats, and this is where I made my very first Starving Artists Crew appearance (i.e., providing the cuts and scratches for “Angel On My Shoulder”), and would soon go on to become an “official member”.
“First Things First” and “Technology” were both slow, delay/echoed-out short rap interludes. They appear on the second cassette iteration of “Pay Attention” as “Badendaz Pt. I” and “Badedaz Pt. II”.
And this was Side A of the cassette:
A little bit later, IQ released a second version of “Pay Attention”, including new artwork and adding the song “Acquired Taste”.
This was Side A of the cassette.
And this was Side B of the cassette.
When the price of home PC’s and CD burners started to become more affordable, IQ started making a CD-version of “Pay Attention”. A bunch of new songs were added, and I made would make my second Starving Artists Crew appearance by doing the cuts and scratches on “Pay Attention (Remix)”. Here is the jewel case front insert.
And here is the jewel tray insert.
For more on the Starving Artists Crew, be sure to check out my “Old School Hip Hop“, “SP – Beat Poetry“, “Cultural Vibe 2003“, “SAC Lunch: Up Pops The Mega-Mix“, “Starving Artists Crew – Efil4cas“, and “SP – Movin’ Along” posts!