By Dan Martino

WHITE LABELS When I was growing up in Yonkers, attending Catholic school, I was given a diagnosis by an assortment of professional educators and shriveled old ladies: big mouth. One day, sitting in third grade, my teacher, Mrs. Columbini, stopped her math lesson to ask, "Mr. Martino, why do I hear your voice? Always your voice?"

"Because it's a nice voice?" She pointed to the door.

In the hallway, she looked down at my face, where a nervous smile looked back.

"You like jokes," she said. "I've got one. I'm calling your parents."

That night, my father, seething with spicy Italian gravy blood running to his forehead, gave me the best advice of my life: "Sometimes, you just got to shut up."

It would take some time before I realized the importance of this statement. But if my mouth is shut, the pen still leaks. Let's not get into Dr. Phil feelings and all that. Here, I present those secret records, the ones with no production or record label credits. The hushed promos hidden inside the crates of the city's most prodigious record geeks...cough...I mean...uh...tastemakers.

Nick Catchdubs says: MIA, "Hombre" Before young Maya Arulpragasam was splashed across The New Yorker, she was getting mixed nightly as the genre-flipping DJ's secret weapon. This devastating, reggaeton-infused "unreleased" track reminds us why.

DJ Ayres says: Paul Nice, "Change Clothes remix" While everyone gave Dangermouse dap for a concept that sounded great on paper, Paul Nice ground out Black Album remixes that worked in the club. His blend of "Change Clothes" with Junior's "Mama Used to Say" ignored the irony of mash-up in favor of the classic blend-tape approach of the unsung pioneers Double R & G Bo the Pro.

Tyler Askew says: Spymusic vs. Amerie, "I Just Cloaked" (Ohsokool NYC bootleg) NYC radio jock Ohsokool drops this lovely r&b vocal over Spymusic's "Cloak" from Dego's 2000 Black label. It fits astonishingly well, and is sure to have heads rushing the DJ booth. It's already been extended and reedited by the likes of London's Phil Asher.

I say: Busta Rhymes vs. Max Sledgely, "Dangerously Happy" The original version of this song, "Happy," crossed over in Europe and became a huge hit, but didn't resonate much here in the States. Some sublime UK producer, though, chopped and sampled the meatiest bass clip from the song and added the vocals of Busta Rhymes' "Dangerous" over it. Dig those bumpy horns. The swirling strings. Let's party...dangerously.