Bad Boy Mixed Tape, Volume 3: Puff Daddy & Stretch Armstrong (1996)
Side A
Intro - Stretch Armstrong
You’ll See - Biggie & The Lox
On the Real - Nas feat. Cormega, Kamikaze
Microphone Master (Remix) - Das EFX feat. Mobb Deep
Raise Hell - M.O.P.
Fu-Gee-La - Fugees
Funkorama - Redman
Danger Pt. 2 - Blahzay Blahzay feat. Smoothe da Hustler, Trigga the Gambla, D.V. alias Khrist
Dead Presidents - Jay-Z
Freestyle - AZ
Freestyle - Jay-Z
Freestyle - Foxy Brown
Leflah Leflaur Eshkoshka - Fab 5 (Heltah Skeltah & O.G.C.)
Recognize & Realize - Big Noyd feat. Prodigy
Doin’ It - LL Cool J
Side B
Intro - Puff Daddy
Someone Like You - Total
Lady (DJ Premier Remix) - D’Angelo feat. AZ
Renee (Remix) - Lost Boyz
Be Happy - R. Kelly feat. Notorious B.I.G.
No One Else (Remix) - Total feat. Foxy Brown, Lil’ Kim, Da Brat
Freestyle - Redman
Freestyle - Busta Rhymes
Woo Hah! - Busta Rhymes
Winter Warz - Wu-Tang Clan
Still Shinin’ - Mobb Deep
Motherless Child - Ghostface Killah
Maintain - Erick Sermon
Love & Affection - O.C.
In 1996, the hip hop world was a house divided. On one side, you had the rising "Shiny Suit" era, led by Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, defined by champagne, high-gloss music videos, and Billboard dominance. On the other, you had the gritty, late-night underground scene, and those who strived to bring hip hop back to what they considered its purest form.
At the time, Combs’ label Bad Boy was becoming a cross-over pop powerhouse, but Puff knew he couldn't lose the streets. The Bad Boy Mixtape series was Puff’s genius attempt to own both worlds. Across four volumes, he paired himself with NYC’s most elite DJs to prove that while he was moving units, he still had the keys to the street. Puff hosted each tape, alongside the respective DJ.
Volume 1 was mixed by DJ Clue, Volume 2 by Doo Wop, Volume 3 by Stretch Armstrong, and Volume 4 by DJ S&S, while all were co-hosted by Puff.
Volume 3 in particular was a fascinating collision of two opposing forces. In what may have seemed like the ultimate juxtaposition, Puff pulled Stretch Armstrong to man the wheels of steel. Known both for his mixtape work and his legendary radio show with Bobbito Garcia, Stretch brought underground credibility to a label that was quickly going commercial. When Puff hired Stretch for Volume 3, it wasn't just a collaboration; it was a cultural bridge. It brought the slick, radio-ready Bad Boy aesthetic together with the dusty crates of NYC’s underground.
Side A
This side starts off with the intention of proving that, despite the label's shiny exterior, they were deeply plugged into the "real" hip hop ecosystem. It gave the tape street cred right out of the gate, with unreleased songs at the time, such as “You’ll See” by The Lox and Biggie.
At the time, "You'll See" was a B-side gem in the Bad Boy catalog. Released in 1996, it served as the official introduction of The Lox (Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch) to the world as the newest signees to Bad Boy. It appeared as a B-side to the "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" single.
There’s also an interesting backstory behind this track. Apparently, The Lox and Biggie only met for the first time after the song was recorded. Puff had added Big to the track after The Lox had recorded their vocals. According to The Lox, Big seemingly used his guest verse to take shots at Bad Boy’s newcomers.
“Talkin' it but ain't livin' it / Cristal pops I'm sippin' it / Mob hats and lizard shit”
- Biggie
At the time, The Lox were fairly new to the rap game, but were already rapping about high-level luxury, sipping Cristal, and living a certain lifestyle. On the other hand, Biggie was at the top of the charts, and was actually living the life Jada, Styles, and Sheek were rapping about.
In later interviews, such as the clip below from Genius, The Lox admitted they knew Biggie was getting at them, but they took it as a sign of respect that he even bothered to send shots their way, and that once they all met, it was all love.
“We was talking what we wanted. He was talking what he already had”
- Styles P
