Air Adam Podcast
Hip-Hop & more...giving you a mixture of what you want and what you need!
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Episode 178 : @StreetLevel
03/29/2024
Episode 178 : @StreetLevel
"...just to show how many come to the funeral." - Tee There's some very serious Hip-Hop in this month's selection - from the rugged to the smooth, and from some old and even unreleased material to brand new releases! Of course we pay tribute to Biggie, Phife, and Nate Dogg, with some music that may have passed you by previously. ...I make a point of not repeating tracks on the podcast, but her classic single "Deeper" is in the mix on if you fancy going back nearly twelve years into the archives. Her run may have been short, but the talent was there. Oh yes - the Hieroglyphics gig in Manchester this June ! Mastodon : Twitch : Event/stream schedule : Playlist/Notes The Notorious B.I.G and 2Pac : Where Brooklyn At? (Freestyle) Starting off raw, but also very much a selection that makes you sad when you consider what was lost - first a friendship, then two lives. Biggie and 2Pac at Madison Square Garden for this memorable freestyle performance (with some of the lyrics later turning up on other tracks), and DJ Mister Cee had the presence of mind to record it to cassette. The sound quality might be rough, but it's history. RIP to Biggie and 2Pac. [Oh No] Grand Agent : After This track is a shockingly short fifty-two seconds long, so I had to loop it up here to give a long enough instrumental bed for the voiceover - and it's a shame because it's easily one of the best beat on the "Under The Circumstances" project that Oh No produced for Grand Agent back in 2005. This was another bit of wax that I rediscovered during The Great Digitisation, and I'm glad I did - for everyone who missed it the first time round, there's a very affordable ! The Eastsidaz ft. Butch Cassidy, Nate Dogg, and Kokane : Cool We start the first mix over on the West Coast, Long Beach to be precise, with The Eastsidaz, a group made up of Snoop, Big Tray Deee, and Goldie Loc, and essentially a reprise of a previous group The Eastsiders that had Snoop, Crooked I, and Li'l C-Style as members. While the original group only released officially, the later lineup is much better-known, and their second LP "" is a well-regarded album for those who appreciate the style. The late great Nate Dogg blesses them with some vocals on the hook here, alongside the multi-talented but oft-overlooked Butch Cassidy who is actually the lead singer here, and another connoisseur's choice in Pomona's Kokane. The producer isn't one that you might immediately expect, but in fact Hi-Tek working with MCs who are spitting material far from the sphere! Tyler Daley : Never Look Down The first of a run of three Manchester tracks, this is a brand new single from half of Children of Zeus, taken from his aptly-named "" EP. Thematically this could have been part of Zeus' "" album, with Tyler both rhyming and singing about the challenges and pressures of balancing family life and a music career, over the kind of modern soul production that is a crew trademark. Definitely get yourself a copy of this new release. Berry Blacc, Dubbul O, & Jointhedots : The Rain Possibly the most appropriately-named record that could come from Manchester, Jointhedots are back with their of the year, with longtime collaborators Dubbul O and Berry Blacc on the mic. The jazzy, chilled vibe of the instrumental is a trademark of the crew, and both MCs settle into it perfectly - not trying to dominate it, not running wild, just fitting in as two more instruments, lyrical ones of course. Grab this single and keep an eye out for future releases...🤞🏿 KinKai & Mecca:83 : Safe Don't Say Short, but one where they leave us wanting more! A third straight local selection, this was on the mammoth "" compilation that raised money after the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. With over 200 tracks, it was easy for any individual track to slip under the radar, and somehow this gem did for me! Mecca:83 supplies a piano-led track with a little acoustic guitar in the back, and KinKai displays a preview of the quality he delivered on his three years later. [DJ Quik] Suga Free : On My Way (Inst) Playing instrumentals allows me to feature some songs which might be lyrically a bit...much - and plenty of Suga Free's material fits into that category! The vocal version is on his debut LP "", which is entirely produced by the man behind the boards here, Compton's own DJ Quik. Math Hoffa : Comeback Absolute fire - this was being trailed at the start of Math's "" podcast videos on Youtube before the full video surfaced. Still, , I wasn't counting it as a release until the audio was out to stream or buy, ! Wordplay and punchlines are the name of the game here, as the renowned battle rapper and podcast host starts off talking about his iced-out watch and takes it from there. GQ Beatz does a stellar job on production, taking a well-known Janet Jackson sample as the basis and filling out beautifully around it. I'm a huge fan of this single. Paul Wall & Termanology ft. CL Smooth : It's Magic The sound of this track is so chunky I wondered for a sec if Statik Selektah had sampled the Alex Isley of Patrice Rushen's "", but it's the original, expertly augmented. Taken from last year's "" album, this may have been an autumn release but it's got summer anthem (for the heads) written all over it. CL Smooth is the perfect guest star, Paul Wall is spitting heavy too, and Termanology brings it home with his rapid-fire flow. Expect to hear this on my Twitch streams and mixes this year! Large Professor : The LP (For My People) Classic boom-bap - which was, with a different sentiment, the feeling of Geffen Records, with "" when it was completed in 1996 as they felt it was too retro. Well, it's still getting play nowadays while many of the records they expected the Queens legend to ape have long since been forgotten. Bass is thick, drums are too, and it's just that straight-up 90s Hip-Hop. Phife ft. Dwele : God Send While I could have played something from Tribe, I decided that the Phife tune this month would be something from his final solo LP, "", which was released posthumously. Despite everything he was going through at the time, some of which he speaks of on the track, Phife is philosophical and even a touch optimistic, which says a lot about his spirit. Dwele provides some great added vocals, and the whole thing is undergirded by production from G Koop & Bobby Ozuna. RIP Mutty Ranks. Ge-Ology : Q-Boro Bonus Break 1 (Inst) Bonus is right - a cheeky extra beat on the 12" of Apani B-Fly Emcee's "" courtesy of Ge-Ology - a producer maybe not known to everyone, but peep ! Defcee and BoatHouse ft. greenSLLIME : Close The Curtain This has been getting an awful lot of headphone time for me this month, and I can already see it making my Spotify Wrapped come the end of the year. You need to pick up the version of the "For All Debts Public And Private" album to get this - worth supporting as there a good number of extra tracks on top of what was already a very solid album. BoatHouse's dark beat is perfect for a weights workout, and both MCs go back and forth in classic duo fasion with skill, but the absolute highlight for me here is Defcee taking Jadakiss' and adding clever asides for an ! It's a really nice bit of borrowing that I like to think would make the man from The LOX smile if he hears it 🙂 Curren$y & Statik Selektah ft. Termanology : Gran Turismo Statik and Termanology together again (as 1982), but this time supporting the New Orleans legend Curren$y on the title track from a very enjoyable, if short . Laidback and kind of gentle, despite the solidity of the bassline and the crisp drums, it's less of a racing soundtrack and more of a sunset crusing accompaniment. X-Ecutioners ft. Anikke and Taboo : The Turntablist Anthem You might have missed this one, which was a smooth track from the 1997 "" LP. The album wasn't what I was expecting from this , being much more expansive - with scratch tracks and routines rubbing shoulders with spoken word, straight instrumentals, and tracks like this one! With the hook inspired by "" by The World's Famous Supreme Team, this has an unusual structure - on top of the beat you have mostly scratching courtesy of Rob Swift, the hook coming in periodically, and then a single rhymed verse to close out. The album might not have been a big seller, but is definitely worth your time for a listen. Terrace Martin ft. Arin Ray & Smino : This Morning I wasn't aware of Arin Ray or Smino (MC on the second verse) until I heard this, likely as a lot of R&B and the like passes me by, but together with Terrace Martin they're a fire combination! This was on the 2021 "" album and it's a sonic treat - those rolling drums, deep sub-bass lurking, and plenty of keys courtesy of Mr Martin put the pressure on the vocalists to come correct, and thy do. The Alchemist : Break The Bank A steady, melancholy beat that almost sounds like time counting down. Who'd have thought that half of would eventually master this kind of vibe? This instrumental is on the "" compilation, but you can thanks to Schoolboy Q, on the ten year-old (already?) LP "". Ice Cube ft. Deadly Threat, J Dee, Kam, King Tee, and The Maad Circle : Color Blind Wow. I was maybe fifteen when I first heard this towards the end of Ice Cube's "" album, and this collection of testimonies to the realities of Los Angeles' gang violence hits me even harder all these years later. The production draws you in without demanding the spotlight, which is rightly on the MCs. Every single verse has at least one starkly memorable line, even the closing two half-length verses by King Tee and J-Dee. I wanted to play this one in full, with nothing following it, so that you can take it all in in its entirety and hear every single bar clearly. A masterpiece, in my humble opinion. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 177 : Like Clockwork.
02/29/2024
Episode 177 : Like Clockwork.
"Rockin' and rollin' like the myth of Sisyphus..." - Anthony Cruz More than any other month in the year, February is the one where we remember some of the greats that have passed on; as such, this mix includes tracks from J Dilla, De La Soul (RIP Dave), Big L, and Big Pun. The average ruggedness level is high, and we start off with a classic sample being used on a remix you might not know...volume up! Mastodon : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Slum Village : We Be Dem (Atomic Dog Mix) "" is one of the most heavily-used samples in Hip-Hop, and with good reason - even in novice hands it sounds good, and with someone like J Dilla in charge, it sounds amazing! He has it twitching on the three on a beat it's impossible not to move to, and on the mics, the crew don't get too complex. It's only a short one, which I got on a of unreleased Slum Village cuts, but I think you can find it these days on some of the digital platforms. In my opinion, this mix wins over the original version! The ARE : OH You can hear the sound of a well-known Michael Jackson cut being atomised and reconfigured on this killer from the , which punches so hard that you realise why the track title is in upper case! The whole project, as you might guess from the name, is all MJ and Jackson 5 samples, worked to perfection by the man from Houston who you may also know as a member of K-Otix. De La Soul ft. Yummy Bingham : Much More A single that deserved to be so as a standout from "", this starts off with an uncredited guest appearance by the questioning the commitment of some to the the Hip-Hop culture, before passing to the late great Dave (aka Trugoy) to handle the opening verse. "Using these minutes like I value the call" is a great analogy for an MC who understood more than many how important it is to say something when you have the platform to do so. J Dilla's beat is grand and imposing, and his re-pitching of the main sample as used in the hook wrong-foots you - it was originally sung by a man, but sounds like a woman by the time he's finished with it! Sol Uprising ft. Emanon : Feel The Sound Somehow I'd "played past" this one over and over again, due to it sharing a slab of vinyl with the incredible "" on the 2004 , but having stumbled on it while shortlisting for this month, I think I need to find more places to play it! Sol Uprising is the union of Sci the MC and the awesome , who is towards the top of my list of "Musicians I Wish Had Released More Material". Alongside them here are Emanon, with Exile (who you might know better for his work with Blu) on production, and Aloe Blacc on the mic. It's the records like this, the ones that slip under the radar, the ones that you sometimes take a chance on, that really make a DJ's record collection. L.E.G.A.C.Y : More Legacy strides over this cut from the "" album with so much confidence that you can't help but love it! 's beat from the heyday of the Justus League initially draws you in with the short sample that repeats throughout and his swinging drum track (with a different snare/clap than you might have expected), but that sneaky low bass really anchors it. Kid Capri ft. Big Pun and NORE : Block Party is regarded as one of the greats in spite of him unfortunately passing away without a huge amount of recordings - his impact was that powerful. It's always a joy to realise you have a feature by him that might not be known to many, and so we land on this collab alongside fellow Latino New Yorker Noreaga, with the legendary Kid Capri on production. "", on which this appears, was Kid Capri's 1998 album where he handled things behind the boards and brought in an all-star cast on the mics - being a DJ with his kind of pedigree, there were a lot of people he could call! Otis McDonald : One For Dilla This could happily be played anytime, but as we're paying tribute to J Dilla this month then it's a perfect inclusion for the current episode. You can definitely hear the influence throughout, even as it builds from an initial relatively chilled loop to a more energetic second section before settling down again. This is great work from the "" album. NEMS, Uncle Murda, Dave East, Scram Jones : NY Is Killing Me "City workers give up twenty years of they life and still can't afford to pay a mortgage in the Five Boroughs..." It's raw, it's abrasive, and it has a point! You might have missed this one from last year, but this Scram Jones-produced has Coney Islands' NEMS and guests expressing their frustrations with life in modern day New York City. It's like a rawer, more serious version of J-Zone's "Bullshit City", which the longtime listeners will have heard back on ! DJ Muggs & Meyhem Lauren : Ready For War There are many things I love about this track, one of the more specific being the sampled vehement assertions regarding the cost of the sound system :) Of course, the production from Muggs is dark and heavy as per usual and the man on the mic is one of my favourite MCs, Meyhem Lauren! The was another star-studded affair that spawned a companion shot in the actual Death Valley - and that in turn spawned from which this track is drawn. Buccaneer : Bad Man Story A dancehall classic that's been getting a lot of play from me recently, a gunman anthem on the Baddis riddim that can move any dance! This 1998 release is on "" LP, which is well worth a listen, as well as being a big single and also popping up in the Jamaican crime film "". Blak Twang : Online Bringing it to the UK for the last tune in the segment, and one I hadn't played at all for a long time - long enough that only after recording did I catch a line that I felt more comfortable censoring. From the third Blak Twang LP "" (following the originally-unreleased "" and "", Tony Rotton gets busy on a Preemo-influenced Harry Love track. Nicolay : The Specialist (Instrumental) The Dutch master himself has blessed us via the medium of modern digital distribution with a collection of his old unreleased instrumentals, "", which absolutely still stand up today. You can hear his more contemporary material as a soloist and as part of The Foreign Exchange, but this is a great bit of nostalgia and part of a wider set of releases celebrating twenty years of Nicolay's music. Method Man ft. Raekwon : Meth vs. Chef Easily one of my favourite cuts from "", Meth's debut and the first of the Wu solo albums, which somehow turns thirty this year... All the elements are here - raw beat, the infamous kung-fu samples (this time from "" and ""), and bars upon bars. Meth opens up before the bell rings to end his verse/round, and then Raekwon brings it home rough like Timberland wear, ! Semi Six : Silver Moon No singing hook, no hook at all in fact on - just a constant lyrical onslaught by one of the finest MCs in the D. The intro is eerie, off-balance, and makes it sound off when you mix it, but as soon as it's over, the dark beat thunders in and doesn't let up until the death - props to the producer, fellow Detroit native AntBell!, for providing a suitable soundtrack for this one. Mixmaster Mike : Bermuda Tri-Axl The 2000 "" release is so simultaneously chaotic and seamless that when I came to digitise it, the only way I could work out where each track began and ended was to look it up on Discogs and read from the track timings! The legend from / and also the Beastie Boys, whether on production or on the wheels, always walks that line between virtuosity and total anarchy in a way few can pull off. O.C. ft. Big L and The Lost Boyz : Dangerous The Sequel I cut this one a little short as O.C's next verse isn't so much to my taste! I thought sharing this slightly different version of the Big L-featured cut from the classic "" LP would be a good way to play a track you may not know while also including some Big L - like Big Pun, he sadly didn't have a long enough time with us to build a deep catalogue. Production is done by , who take one of the all-time classic samples and put some deep bump underneath it. This on the B-side of the excellent . [DJ Spinna] Jigmastas : Magnetize (Instrumental) The drums are smacking, the bass is rumbling, and the overall vibe is hectic on this instrumental from the 2016 "" album from this much-respected Brooklyn crew. I played the vocal version of this back on , which is definitely worth a listen! Natural Elements : This Is Not A Drill High-wire apocalyptic Hip-Hop, courtesy of one of the finest groups of MCs you can even think about finding anywhere. Over Charlemagne's dramatic beat, A-Butta, Mr. Voodoo and Swigga all tear it down on a that suits the extremely serious times we find ourselves in. The original plan was to start the episode with this track...but how do you follow up after this kind of demolition? Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 176 : It's Goin' Down...
01/30/2024
Episode 176 : It's Goin' Down...
"I AM" - Chuck D Hope you've had a good start to 2024! While it's been a bit bumpy over here, the selection on the first episode of the year is strong from start to finish. If you know every single one of these tracks already...we should probably have a chat as you clearly have an ear for the good stuff! Mastodon : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Organized Noize ft. Big Boi, Big Rube, Sleepy Brown, and Cee-Lo : We The Ones A very fortunate find during a recent digging expedition, I didn't even know that the "" existed until I had it in my hands. Looking around on Discogs, it seems that it was a limited release in 2017 of . Apparently twenty years in the making - probably because the production team behind OutKast, Goodie Mob, and more were kind of busy - it's a quality seven-song collection that you can now also get digitally! I heard a few seconds of this track at the listening post and it was the one that convinced me to buy the record, a musically-stirring and always-relevant and timely call to stand up and fight against oppression. Orbital : Adnan's This industrial-sounding track from the 1996 "" album was an extended version of they contributed to the 1995 "War Child" charity LP, and was named after a young boy who was killed by a missile during the war in the former Yugoslavia. Paul Hartnoll of Orbital broke this, and the rest of the album, down in a way only one of the creators could - so I'll link you to . Sepalot ft. Blu : Surrender I've heard the instrumental of this many a time and had actually forgotten that there even was a vocal version! The beat went down well on the most recent #BeatsOnly show on , so I thought I'd bring it out on this episode. The angular production from German producer Sepalot lurches, twitches, and squelches, with Blu fittingly being a bit more aggro lyrically than you might have expected from some of his better-known work. I have this on the B-side of a headed up by "" with Frank Nitty, but you can also find it on the 2014 "" LP. Jigmastas ft. Shabaam Saadique : Too Ill Does what it says on the tin! DJ Spinna on production on this track with the dramatic backing, courtesy of a well-known old TV show sample, while the processing on the vocals makes it sound like weak MCs are being admonished over the phone! By the way, the spelling of Shabaam's name is different than what I've seen on previous releases, but as it's written this way on this album ("") I'm taking that as being correct unless/until I find out otherwise. Public Enemy : Louder Than A Bomb A classic from what is , "" (lot of text to write on a cassette label btw). Those who follow me know I'll sometimes refer to the more grimy records as "not calling for the building of a new nation or anything" but this track literally does! Chuck D will always be the first name that comes to mind when pro-Black, politically-driven Hip-Hop is mentioned, and this is just one of his outstanding vocal performances. Bomb Squad on production of course, with a hard-hitting track that would dominate most other MCs, even now. Sonically, you might notice that the sound is busy but not "thick" - if it was made nowadays, I suspect it'd be mixed with a lot more bass, not to mention built with more high-fidelity samplers. Would that have been "better"? Hard to say, but this is revolutionary in all senses regardless. Bumpy Knuckles & DJ Premier : B.A.P. (Bumpy and Premier) For those of more gentle dispositions, you may as well skip to the next track! Otherwise, this is quintessential boom-bap rawness, courtesy of DJ Premier - one of the finest exponents of the style - and fellow Gang Starr Foundation MC Bumpy Knuckles. Wicked track from the "" LP, where Bumpy starts each verse with the same four bars, before raining fire on snakes, suckers, and studio gangstas over the rugged beat. No sir, Bumpy did not fall off, not even a little. Stro Elliot : Miles Funk I may have been late getting on the Stro Elliot train, only hearing his stuff in the last three years or so, but now I'm firmly on board and settled with a book and some snacks. The drums are cracking and merciless on this track from his , and they lead the way for the bassline and funky guitar to do what they do. Definitely check the album - it's really excellent work. Dubbul O & Jointhedots : Life:Mics to open the year! You should already know that Dubbul O is one of my favourite MCs from any coast or territory, while the excellent Jointhedots have been holding it down in fine style since most of the members were part of the best-known lineup of The Mouse Outfit. The most special feature on this track is the guitar of the much-missed , who sadly passed away in 2022, and whose family will continue to benefit from any posthumous releases. Coming together over the peak of the COVID restrictions, this track started when bassist/bandleader/producer Defty sent beats around Manchester for musicians to add their own touches to. As well as Phil Ratcliffe, the flautist Dr Claire Press got busy on here - you may remember her memorable work alongside Dubbul O again on "" all the way back in ! Flavourful and polished music as always from this collective, and worthy of your support. New Sector Movements ft. Allysha Joy : These Times Neither of these artists were on my radar previously, so it was a big bonus when First Word Records included this cut on the "" compilation! As it turns out, New Sector Movements is actually an alias of IG Culture, a UK stalwart respected for his work as part of Dodge City Productions, and of course he shows the deft touch of a veteran on the music here. The vocals are carried by the powerful voice of Australian songstress , who started singing as a youngster in the church and you can hear the influence very much still with her! This track in full is actually about six minutes long, so if you like what you're hearing, you know what to do... Common : The Movement I'll have you know that I did actually mix this in bang-on, but J Dilla decided to go all the way weird with the timing and drum placement at the start, to the point I almost re-ripped the tune from the "" CD to be sure! This one had somehow escaped me on first listen, but it's got that electronic sound that was increasingly a feature of Dilla's late work, with that edginess contrasting with Common's smooth and familiar voice. Actual Proof ft. TP : Show You The Way North Carolina in the house, with Actual Proof (Enigma and Sundown) linking with guest TP (who I don't know much about) for a 9th Wonder-produced track that sounds very different than the intro might lead you to expect. Lyrically, in places it almost comes off as a rougher, less civilised take on "" by dead prez, blended with some of that - in attitude, if not in flow! Track down the 2012 "" LP for this one. Mecca:83, Buscrates, and J Vibes : Amber Hue Such warm vibes emanate from this , with Macclesfield, Pittsburgh, and Aarhus (Denmark) in collaboration. I don't know who did what, but the final result is a thing of beauty! Tall Black Guy, Craig Mack : Flavor In Ya Ear Remix The by is one of the greatest in Hip-Hop history in my opinion, so it takes a brave man to put his production in its place - and , Tall Black Guy is that man! Tough drums and a relatively simple bassline provide the structure for some spaced-out touches and soul vocal sampling to undergird TBG's take on . 1773 & Strange Soul Music : Dialed In Manchester's Strange Soul Music is a fearsome producer, the man no-one wanted to face in last year's beat battle! He's been putting in that work for years and this is from one of his latest releases, "" a seven-track collaboration with Chicago MCs Jay Nagoma and Wisdm Uno. Themed around a that might be unfamiliar to the younger listeners, this is a brief, but strong, opener to the project. Clear Soul Forces : Nine 5ive It's a shame that the 2020 "" LP is ostensibly the last from this Detroit crew - their stuff has always been energetically high-quality. Ilajide on the beat of course, while on the mic, CSF reference everything/one from to via in a track that lasts well under three minutes. May the force be with them, indeed. Heather B : Steady Rockin' Straight-ahead Hip-Hop, with the commanding voice and bars of Heather B over the boom-bap production of DJ Premier. Vocalist Twyla adds a little sugar to the hook, but the rest of this track from 2002's "" is pretty much as stripped-down as you can get. Khrysis : The Devil Wears Designer (Instrumental) North Carolina representing again here, with a groove borrowing clearly from a classic soul record on this from "". DJ 2-Tone Jones ft. Prince Po, Asheru, Joe.D and yU : Not Down I've always thought that one of the most important inflection points in the culture was when our ability to self-police was countered by the epithet "playa hater", which nowadays is more likely to take the form of "but he getting the bag tho". This call to arms from the "" LP features real MCs with real commitment letting us know that the leeches, the culture vultures, exploitative corporate interests of various shapes, and everyone else taking away from the culture rather than adding on need to be ejected. The production is not minimal as such, but well-spaced, with the sparse drum pattern and Indian string samples avoiding a situation where the instrumental ends up fighting the MCs for the spotlight, which is critical when what they're saying is of actual importance. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 175 : You're Forced To Chill
12/30/2023
Episode 175 : You're Forced To Chill
"Speaking to the people that matter, with my mind." - Grap While a lot of December up this way has been surprisingly mild, but there was an absolutely vicious period - was lucky that the heating in the house only died after the worst had passed. Still, it's fixed now, so I didn't freeze to death putting this episode together! As we draw towards the end of the year, the themes here might be wintery and seasonal, but the tunes are heat :) As promised, here's the link for - definitely support this collective (and the that hosts the monthly events!) if you want to support grassroots talent 💯 Twitch : Mastodon : Show/Stream Schedule : Playlist/Notes Median : Median Alleviates The Drama A deep cut from the heyday of the Justus League, with 9th Wonder (of course) chopping it up on this breezy beat for his Winston-Salem, North Carolina, compatriot to get busy on. You may not know Median as he only recorded two albums, his last in 2011, but he's a grounded yet imaginative writer who is well worth your listening time. Of interest to many who do take the time to dig into his history will be "" from the 2007 "" LP, his sequel to 2Pac's famous "". Soul Supreme : Mood Swings Big shout to of Eastern Bloc who gifted me the "" LP on wax for my birthday earlier this year! Amsterdam's Soul Supreme has been giving us quality music for a long while now, but in recent times has been locked in what sounds like an awful legal dispute with a record company and another producer. Despite still being in the thick of it, he delivers his commentary in the form of instrumental music on this album, which is even clearer when you read the track titles. The interplay between the horns and his keyboard work are the highlight on this particular track, but for the full effect, sit down and listen to the whole album end-to-end. Cookin Soul : Kamaal Xmas Time usually comes out with a special Xmas release each year, mixing up an artist you know well with seasonal sample flips. This track comes from the 2002 "" collection, and takes Q-Tip's verse from "" and adds on a few more lines I can't place before going full Christmas - but keeping that boom-bap! Noveliss & Mega Ran : Memory Card One of the OGs of leaning fully into video game culture in Hip-Hop alongside the Clear Soul Forces veteran and manga writer Noveliss? You know the references are going to be fire. Hir-O provides the beat, and both MCs bring it as they centre the concept of the (ask your parents if you don't know) on this standout from their "" album. Bounty Killer, A.R.P, Curly, and Tulokk : Evils Of Your Mind (Edited) Devil on one shoulder, devil on the other? Almost like a dancehall version of Eminem's "" (especially with that second voice), this is a big single from 2001 on the "Heavyweight" riddim that also appears on the 2002 "" album as "Evils Of The Mind". 2002 was a busy time for the , who also dropped "" that same year. Kuartz & Vybz Kartel : Clarks (Kuartz Real Badman Remix) If you're a DJ, especially in a city like Manchester where crowds react to big sounds, get "" just for this monster! A local producer with worldwide rep and reach, Kuartz has done the home scene proud and on his latest release, the industrial, digital vibes come through loud and clear. The cold, wintery feel on the intro make it a perfect inclusion this dark month. Kuartz bends and effects the voice of Vybz Kartel as much as any other instrument on the track, making for a sound system killer! Da Beatminerz & KRS-ONE : Seckle KRS was one of the first to really bring that reggae/dancehall flavour into the Hip-Hop arena, and Da Beatminerz have had that as an element of their style since they debuted on the production for the , so this is a union you know is going to come correct. Slow and low , with the soundclash samples at the front, back, and in the hook, this loping, skipping beat allows Kris to come through clear as a bell on the mic, still, after almost forty years of recording. Continue to enjoy new artists, but support the veterans too! NYG'z ft. Rave : Itz On Rugged and triumphant in equal measure, this was the big opening track on the first and so far only LP from NYG'z, "" from 2007. Guest emcee Rave (sometimes credited elsewhere as R.A.V.E Roulette) features on six of the album's fifteen tracks, which definitely puts him in "honourary group member" territory! Production is handled by , who also released this album on his own label Year Round Records - truly backing this crew in every way possible. PS - the apostrophe setup in the artist name and song title are verbatim from the release, don't come after me :) Paul Wall & Termanology : Talk About It As I say, you might not think that Houston's Paul Wall and Lawrence (Massachussetts) native Termanology are the most obvious MC pairing in the world, but my goodness, they fit togther perfectly. They already gave us one excellent LP in "" and now they're back with "". It might just be in my head, but it feels like they each lean towards each other - Paul Wall with slightly more wordplay in his flow, and Termanology dialling back on the trademark syllable barrages he can unleash at any time. bases his production around a great soul sample I added to my own collection this year, spices up the hook with some cuts. Curren$y ft. Mac Miller : Money Shot I've always been iffy about including this one from 2014's "More Saturday Night Car Tunes" - partly because the sound quality isn't great, but also because if I'm honest, I don't think the verse on this is his finest work. That said, I know many people online disagree with me and love it! Curren$y is solid here, but for me, the real star is the production by Sap - taking a great late 70s slow jam sample, and speeding it up (which speaks to how slow the original is), layering a suitably straightforward drum track, and then trying to turn your speakers inside out in the closing seconds! I blend out during that segment, just in case...don't want any of you coming after me for damages 😄 Luxury Elite : Parkway A bit of vaporwave for this interlude, pure 80s vibes on this slow, moody instrumental from the "" album. Luxury Elite digs out some of those really obscure 80s samples for her work, and it's all about just vibing out to the loops and little change-ups. Mega Ran, Young RJ, Erick Roberson, Abstract Orchestra, Daru Jones, Marcel P. Black : Black Is Beautiful Apologies to Marcel P. Black - the digital file I read the artist information on at first didn't have his name, but he kills it on the third verse and rightly deserves major respect here. This is a gorgeous and poetic track about Blackness from the 2020 "" album by Young RJ and Mega Ran, which is not just (or even mostly) about police violence, but a varied and well-rounded LP. Young RJ produces this one in not just the sense of getting on a beat machine, but pulling in Leeds crew Abstract Orchestra, frequent collaborators with the Detroit scene, plus the Grammy-winning drummer Daru Jones and shaping the union into this exceptional song. Amp Fiddler : Eye To Eye I first heard this track on a mix, and it was years before I could tell you who the artist was! It turned out to be just one facet of the talents of the brilliant , who featured this track on his debut album "". It's a classic piece of funky soul, which could easily have been written twenty-plus years earlier, but had all the quality and polish to stand out in the early 21st century. . InI : Mind Over Matter Classic, if relatively little-known heat from the 90s. This Mount Vernon crew had their debut "", from which this is taken, shelved due to friction with the label and legal issues around ownership, but it was heavily bootlegged before eventually surfacing officially in 2003. Solid rhymes here from Grap Luva, Rob-O, and Ras G, atop some vintage action courtesy of Pete Rock, who produced the whole project. Platinum Pied Pipers ft. Invincible : Detroit Winter After that brief trip to New York State, we close out the section by bringing it right back to Detroit, this time to the PPP duo (Waajeed and Saadiq) for a track from their debut album, 2005's "". MC Invincible of the Anomalies crew kills it on the mic with their almost monotone flow, describing the bitter coldness of Detroit in detail, making it a suitable selection for this time of year. Musically, the piano riff is the standout element, but if you listen really closely, you can also hear a famous rhythm sample in the background quietly holding it down too! [EZ Elpee] Capone-N-Noreaga : Calm Down (Instrumental) "Calm Down" never made it onto the classic C-N-N debut album "" due to sample clearance problems - hey, I guess wasn't down with the Queensbridge thug life - but you might get lucky and find it on a promo 12" somewhere. If you're really lucky though, you might find an instrumental LP of tracks from the LP, including a couple that, like this one, didn't end up on the final release. Nice beat by , just a shame it didn't get the shine it deserved! Souls Of Mischief : A Name I Call Myself I really didn't know what to end this episode with, but settled on a track from a which turned thirty this year. This was a deep album cut, produced by Del The Funkee Homosapien, with some really clever sample combinations underneath the cheerfully-rhymed X-rated lyrics! It's great to see how Souls' music has continued to reflect their journeys through life, from this during their teenage years through to the present day - and by the way, they were in using the internet to promote their music. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 174 : Twin Flames
11/30/2023
Episode 174 : Twin Flames
"Ain't a damn thing changed boy, protect ya neck!" - RZA This month marks a full thirty years since the landmark date of November 9th 1993, when two of the greatest albums of all time - in any genre - were released. I've played many of the tracks from those LPs on the podcast over the years, but both do get a nod of respect in the selection here, alongside some absolute fire new releases and old classics. This month's selection tends towards veterans of the culture, while for the most part staying in the relatively recent past. Like Nas says, keep on putting out records...we want to see and hear the art! Twitch : Mastodon : Show/Stream Schedule : Playlist/Notes Champion Sound ft. Smif-N-Wessun : One Luv This is a really grand-sounding track which deserves to be heard from the very first note. The piano chords and overall instrumentation bring to mind less a Hip-Hop single and more the kind of thing you might hear on the soundtrack of a Spike Lee film. I looked up the band Champion Sound and was amazed to find that they hail from Prague - a serious cross-continental collaboration for them to link up with Brooklyn's finest! Tek and Steele drop grown man street raps over the brooding, cinematic soundscape for a standout from the "" LP that just dropped last month. [DJ Eclipse] O.C. : Time's Up (Remix Instrumental) Buckwild's beat for the of this classic single is one of the best-known and loved pieces of production in Hip-Hop history, and it would take a brave man to remix the track - enter DJ Eclipse. The former Fat Beats retail supremo and DJ for Non Phixion isn't one to shy away from a challenge, and he does an excellent job bringing a different flavour right here. While this might have once been tough to find (I'm only just hearing it for the first time myself), it's now easily available on the , which has been released digitally. Wu-Tang Clan : 7th Chamber In the month where we celebrate the of the release of the debut Wu album "", I've gone for one of the deeper cuts that isn't something you'd hear at a typical gig or club night. Quintessential Wu, with RZA nailing the production (personally, I love the before the main groove comes in), and seven of the Clan MCs murdering the track. Wu forever, indeed. Kev Brown & J Scienide : Legendary Rugged Simply a slice of raw Hip-Hop, no fancy studio gloss, just rough drums, deep bass, and a warbling main sample over which J Scienide spits that goodness. Kev Brown drops some bars himself on the second verse, showing why he clearly has to be thought of as one of the best producers on the mic of the current era. 2021s "" LP is inspired by the great duos both inside and outside of Hip-Hop, and Kev and J pay tribute in fine style. MC Eiht ft. Xzibit : Medicate The various battles over the years aside, I love to see how much true respect the veterans of the culture have for each other, especially when it leads to pairings you might not immediately think of! In this case, Texas-born but longtime Brooklyn resident DJ Premier, possibly the exemplar of the East Coast sound links up with one of the OGs of the scene in Compton, California, the legendary to executive produce his "" album, from which this is drawn. Connecting with Xzibit takes the union to an even higher level, and Austrian producer Brenk Sinatra captures just the right vibe for both MCs to get busy on. Krumb Snatcha : Rich Man Poor Man A heavy album track from "" that I'd imagine passed most people by, Da Beatminerz come with some boom-bap accented by a dramatic horn sample for one of Boston's ruggest to spit over. As a man whose trials and tribulations are a matter of record (including his ""), when he gives you lyrics like this they come with the weight of someone who has experienced the realities of the world first-hand. [Hit-Boy] Nas : 40-16 Building (instrumental) I just picked up the of Nas' "" LP on vinyl, and this was one of my favourite beats on that album. As great as Nas is on it, I always love a chance to hear the production brought to the forefront! Pusha T : Just So You Remember "Livin' a lie, but die for your images." This dark and subdued Kanye-produced track from "" absolutely drips with menace and contempt from the pen and vocal performance of Pusha T. You might recognise the sample, which was on "" by DJ Shadow, and it bubbles along with the periodic vocal interjections from the original source, in between Pusha's verses - notably, the first being longer than the other two put together. Packed with quotables, this is headphone music at its best. Queen Omega & Little Lion Sound : No Love You might have heard the raw, 100% from-the-soul vocals of Trinidad's Queen Omega on an that was going round recently, where she recorded an absolutely fire dubplate over the beat for Dr. Dre's "". This is the original track it's based on, a roots reggae cut with a lyrical message that seems especially accurate right now. Shortie No Mass : Here Goes Nothing I only heard this recently and assumed I was just way behind the curve, only to realise it's a 2021 release! This MC famously guested on "" on "Organix" before releasing a couple of singles and then falling all the way back for an extended period. After many requests from fans over the years, , from which this is the appropriately-named title cut, and is more after getting very positive feedback! I don't have credits for the digital release, so I can't say who produced this, but it's got the vibe of the opening track passed through a happier filter, and of course you know the lyrics are tight. Six Figga Digga & Camp Lo : The Jig Six Figga Digga might be known to you as Lord Digga (when he was with the INC Crew), or just Digga (certainly around the time of his work for Biggie), and he's been in the industry for years, not always in the forefront but always keeping the quality high when you do hear him. He lines up two of my favourite MCs, Camp Lo, the slang grandmasters of the Bronx very nicely here. You usually put textures together in a beat that sound like they could have come from the same place, but to blend electronic drums like these with those seventies sounds and make it work takes real skills. Catch this one on the recently-released "" LP. Agallah : Gotta Love Me (instrumental) I've always got time for an Agallah instrumental, and this soulful groove from 2015s "" is, despite an undeniable bump, actually a chilled beat you could add to your studying playlists :) Temu : Temu's Talkbox Groove I can't remember how I happened across this track this month, but I'm very glad I did! It seems that Temu is a modern day funk maestro, a devotee of all that that makes you pull the stank face, and a true "", as his debut LP is titled. Flying the flag for that vintage heavy electronic funk, this track references quite a few tunes you might know as he takes you on a journey, rocking the talkbox through the whole track like the great Roger Troutman would have done. If this man comes to Manchester on tour...that's a guaranteed ticket purchase from me! Essa & Pitch 92 : Heavyweight A from two quality artists in combination - Pitch 92 on production (alongside co-producer Viva Cee), and the young veteran Essa (formerly Yungun) on the mic. Thumping, rolling beat with Essa's assured vocals running over the top make for a heck of a preview for the forthcoming album from this duo. Erick Sermon : Stay Real Taking it back to the early 90s, this was the second (and final) single from Erick Sermon's solo debut, the wryly-titled "". Everyone knew the pressure was on after the , but he came out strong as a solo artist with this LP and shut down all the questions. His trademark lisp accents his bars over a tough self-produced beat highlighted by that synth-funk bassline, plus a little Roger Troutman in the hook. Clear Soul Forces : Get Wit It No shame if you missed this one the first time round, as it was a bonus track only on the , ten years old this year. It's what you expect from this Detroit crew - bouncy production from (with some nice short bass stabs and an epic clap) and styles upon styles from the whole crew on the mic. It's certainly not intended to pander to the club, but if you have a pulse it probably wants to make you move nonetheless! J Dilla : Say My Name (Instrumental) Weirdly, when I played the vocal version of this track all the way back on , it was also following an Ilajide production! Anyway, since then I've got hold of that were used for the controversial "" project and even if this beat was an offcut, it's better than a lot of people's best work! Natural Elements : #TribeVibes I almost played this last episode, until I realised the milestone we were reaching this month! One of the ever to form, Natural Elements and their producer Charlemagne pay homage to the great A Tribe Called Quest on this track. Beginning with and interspersed by an announcer inspired by the performance of the Laurel Dann on "Midnight Marauders", the crew kill it over beats inspired by "", "", and "". "" is my favourite Tribe LP to this day, and this is an appropriately high-quality homage to it. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 173 : ...after all this rain.
10/31/2023
Episode 173 : ...after all this rain.
"...kick rocks or kick rhymes..." - Jean Grae The seasons are most definitely changing on this side, and the heavens have been pretty open the last couple of weeks while I've been putting the show together. Unfortunately during that time, we lost a couple of respected DJs and producers, and , both of whom are included in this month's mix. May they rest well. The selections for this month span a time period of almost fifty years, from a 1975 funk classic to a brand new release from one of Manchester's finest, making stops in the 80s and the independent Hip-Hop wax era of the 90s - something for all the heads! Don't forget - you can always get an up-to-date list of my next few upcoming streams and gigs @ ! Twitter : Twitch : Mastodon (because Twitter is basically on fire) : Playlist/Notes DJ Muggs, Roc Marciano, Meyhem Lauren, and Rome Streetz : 67 Keys I've seen live recently with another (Rome Streetz) I would have seen if it wasn't for work's on-call schedule, talking pure drug business over some thriller film-type production courtesy of , who has constructed an amazing second act post the Cypress Hill classics that everyone knows him for. Everyone gets busy on the mic on this , with Meyhem killing that last verse. David Cutter Music : Upstart UK beat action here with this London beatmaker cooking up a quintessential boom-bap type of beat with a little of that DJ Premier flavour and heaviness - I might need to blend this with some M.O.P! Get this on the recently-released "" LP. MF DOOM : Lickupon I went back to the "" LP after being gifted an amazing alternate cover for display recently, and this was a standout on my first listen in a while. The producers (Heat Sensor) work the same sample as Biggie's "" but with all sorts of other stuff going on, and DOOM just goes nuts from beginning to end. Bars upon bars with no hook, purely the sounds of someone who loved to flip words every which way. Doo Wop ft. Raekwon : Castle To Castle You've got to be brave to hop on a track with the crime-rhyming slang master Raekwon if MCing isn't your full-time gig, but Doo Wop (one of Biggie's favourite DJs) gives a good account of himself here as well as holding down the production! A classic jazz sample is the basis for this track from "" which is also available on a if you need the clean version and instrumental. Little Brother ft. Rhymefest and Supastition : Do It To Death A personal headphone favourite I could have sworn I'd already played on the podcast, but which somehow missed the selection for the last fourteen-plus years! All four MCs kill it, but my favourite is absolutely Phonte on the opening verse, with his "" reference never failing to make me smile! Focus... is on production and those drums are absolutely smacking here, making this track a highlight of "". Marley Marl : Hip-Hop History #4 Short and sweet, with a chunky and bouncing beat from the godfather of sampling as we know it today, and no rhymes - just a few words about his own history in Hip-Hop. Find this one on the 2000 "" release, which I thought might be a big hard to find but is actually available digitally. Kev Brown & Dre King : Black Champions Tough, tough instrumental that I've had on repeat this month, taken from the seven-track "" project from these two musical masters. Dre King is, amongst other things, a sample pack producer who provides for producers to sample, and his work is used to great effect once Kev Brown gets it into his MPC. No hi-hits on this, just the kick and snare smashing through the whole beat, giving you little spaces where just the bass and keys play before the drums kick you in the head again! Pharoahe Monch ft. Jean Grae and Royce Da 5' 9" : Assassins An appropriately named track from the "" album, with all three MCs fitting perfectly into the roles of Hip-Hop assassins (check the full version to get the intro), since none of them have ever encountered a beat they couldn't kill. M-Phazes is on the beat, and it's appropriately loud and dramatic - not something that blends into a mix naturally, because so many things don't sound quite like this. [DJ Premier] Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Benny The Butcher : Headlines (Instrumental) I was surprised to find I hadn't played the vocal version of before, but DJ Premier's provides a nice bridge here between a track with no outro and one with too little drum intro - coming in hard with the aggressive stabs before transitioning into string-led production. Redman : Bricks Standup A short freestyle-ish expedition from Redman's "", which sees one of the all-time greats killing it over the instrumental for Jay-Z's "". That instrumental was produced by Brooklyn duo The Buchanans, who somehow cooked this up as one of their first creations and got it placed on "" - talk about coming in hot! Peanut Butter Wolf ft. Rasco and DJ Q-Bert : Run The Line Taking it back to some late 90s underground Hip-Hop that brings back memories of the tail end of my time at university in Manchester, and especially the time when turntablism was starting to break out of the preserve of only the absolutely most in-the-know to the wider Hip-Hop world and beyond. Q-Bert obliterates it on the scratch as he does literally every single time, with all kinds of flaring action that might as well have come from outer space to many of us! Stones Throw founder Peanut Butter Wolf is on production of course on this track from his debut solo LP release "", and the all-California lineup is completed by Rasco on the mic. Cleveland-born, but as one of the Cali Agents...he counts. Tyler Daley : These Cards One half of Children of Zeus and a certified triple threat, Tyler shows off his singing, rhyming (in case you forgot), and production skills on this bumping . And he's 100% correct...he's done alright, to say the least. The 45 King : Meganizm While The 45 King is best known for his 80s productions, he was also the producer of tracks like Jay-Z's "" and "" for Eminem as well as a number of far more underground collections of beats, like 2006's "" from which this track is drawn. A chilled head-nodder with a straightforward and clean drum track on top of some summery keys and bass, this fits just as well at a BBQ as on a mixtape! SoulChef, Steph Pockets, and DJ Groove Damoast : When It Comes To This RIP , who passed away this month. I didn't know the full extent of his work, only knowing his name as a DJ on Twitch, but he was a well-regarded DJ and producer out of Philadelphia who is deeply missed by many. Having heard this on one of the many tribute shows, I decided I wanted to share it here. New Zealand's SoulChef is on production, Groove Damoast is the man on the turntables cutting it up with precision, and his Philadelphia compatriot Steph Pockets controls the mic from start to end. Quality Hip-Hop. Dynamic Syncopation ft. Mass Influence : 2 Tha Left Early 2000s pick here that I encountered on the Ninja Tune "" compilation, but was also on the 2002 "In The Red" LP by the combo of producers Loop Professor and Jonny Cuba. As much as this breezy, acoustic guitar-laced track could have been a great instrumental, they stepped it up by drafting in Mass Influence, an underground crew of MCs out of Atlanta who sound very different to what would come to most people's mind when they think of Atlanta Hip-Hop! Apparently some people know this from an advert for Adult Swim segment of Cartoon Network, so it's interesting to know that stuff like Ninja Tune had that kind of reach within the generation who are not making the decisions :) Fred & The New JB's : (It's Not The Express) It's the J.B.'s Monaurail, Pt. 1 (Not my apostrophe placement, by the way!) I had a bit of a play with the cue points feature on Serato to extend this live-drummed intro a little bit, just because those hi-hats are so fire. A classic funk workout from Fred Wesley and the rest of James Brown's famous band of that era (from the "" LP), and one that has been sampled on at least three tracks I can think of - I don't know if the sample was cleared on my favourite usage, so I won't mention it here even though you might have heard me play it in the past... EPMD : Let The Funk Flow I'll be real - this is far from of the tracks on EPMD's classic debut "", but I couldn't pass up the chance to blend into it off the back of the original sample! Listening to the cuts on this makes me smile, performed by the group's original DJ K La Boss (who is still working today under the name Dj4our5ive) in his early years. [Rashad Smith and Sean "Puffy" Combs] The Notorious B.I.G. : One More Chance (Hip-Hop Instrumental) In a then-contemporary example of the new school calling back to their Hip-Hop inspirations, Rashad Smith and Puffy essentially lifted the monster Marley Marl beat for Craig G's "" for this drastic remix of a track that was already a remix...ok, stay with me on this. The original "" was on "Ready To Die" and was pretty raw on the X-rated rhymes, and was then essentially with Faith Evans on the hook with a bit of a bow tie on the production, sampling DeBarge's "" for radio appeal. However, the winner for many of us was that Marley used seven years before! Latee : This Cut's Got Flavor Closing with a production, a real classic for heads of a certain age that you don't hear often enough nowadays! This has an absolutely monster drum track highlighted by those heavy kicks, and the slowed-down guitar riff is a perfect era-appropriate backing. Latee only had a few releases under his own banner, along with a decent number of guest appearances, but these to me will always be the rhymes that come to mind whenever this Flavor Unit MC is mentioned. This track just makes me want to put on a and drive an somewhere. To my desk job, I suppose 😁 Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 172 : Yield To None
09/28/2023
Episode 172 : Yield To None
"Do you wanna be dope, or do you wanna deal it?" - Common All Hip-Hop at a nice steady pace - but a varied platter of vibes - for this episode, as I celebrate my birth month! Great personal news : I'm very proud to be included in the new "" resource by Parise Carmichael-Murphy - have a read! Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Meyhem Lauren & DJ Muggs : GT3 From the car-themed "" 2019 collaboration between Meyhem and Cypress Hill DJ/producer DJ Muggs, integrates the sound of some very angry engines as an additional instrument/element of what is otherwise an extremely sparse bit of production - drums and bass only. Meyhem is laid-back and comfortable at this pace, crafting a track that even those of us without a Porsche on the driveway can appreciate - well, as long as our speakers or headphones deliver the goods! [RZA] Raekwon : Can It All Be So Simple (Remix Instrumental) You might detect a little sonic garbling where I was using Serato's "" feature to try and remove the vocal samples in the hook, but other than that here's the glorious sound of a hard-to-come-by RZA instrumental of a track from the monumental "" LP. Rae, Ghost, and RZA took from the Wu-Tang which was already a classic and subtly made it a little darker, a touch rougher and a little less nostalgic. A masterful remix and rewrite. Roc Marciano : Ridin' Around A very different kind of rider music to the opening track, but still with an ominous bassline which helps carry the vintage crime vibes perfectly. This is a deep cut from Roc Marciano's seminal solo debut "" album, with his gangster wordplay on full display atop a track with more drum action than on much of his later work. Showbiz & AG : Trapped This is one of those records which, despite being by a highly respected group, has likely slipped under your radar. The DITC is here under his original name (you can find much of his other work credited as simply "Show") alongside his day one MC AG on this late-night creep number from the 2012 "" album. Planet Asia ft. Prodigy : Stick & Move If you love your dark, underground NYC Hip-Hop, you might have heard this sample used elsewhere, but for the current episode this is the slow, menacing, bi-coastal track that gets the nod. Fresno and Queensbridge in combination as Planet Asia and Prodigy (RIP) go back and forth over an Evidence beat on this . Not even a hint of going for the pop audience here, just gutter from start to end. Got to respect it. Mud Family : Itchy Town I've been holding onto this one for absolutely years! I first heard this on a "Radio Zero" show courtesy of , and it's a dark, brooding piece of UK boom-bap from this highly-regarded north London crew. Centred around the MCs Chester P, Skinnyman, and Mongo, they released their core work in the late 90s and early 00s, with this absolute beast being on their very first wax release, 1997s "". Production on the EP as a whole is credited to Deckwrecka, Firebomb Fritz, and Mad Money Wah - not sure who did what on this cut, but I applaud them for cooking up a track that still bangs after over twenty-five years! DJ Premier : Dee Ell P It's been over a decade since DJ Premier gave us a "" collection, but there's a good reason for that...as he correctly points out, the beats that end up included have to be given time to collect that dust! With that said, the third edition is out now, and is a good digital pickup while the (likely pricey) vinyl works it's way through distribution to the shops. As for the title of this selection from the new release, I haven't deciphered it yet. "The LP"? Was it a track meant for Large Professor, perhaps? Probably overthinking it - just enjoy the going back into his vaults. Mabanua ft. Kev Brown : Holdin' It Down I had completely missed this but was introduced to it by none other than Kev Brown himself when he played it on one of his "Beats 'n' Stuff" shows ! While he drops plenty of unreleased material, he'll throw in overlooked gems from his discography like this one, a collaboration with Japanese beatmaker Mabanua. Given that Kev is on the mic all the way through, I can only assume that Mabanua did the production here - even though it has that Kev Brown feel in spades! De La Soul ft. Common : The Bizness An old classic from some of the greats. If you don't already have De La Soul's "" album, you can now easily buy digitally or stream it, so get on that! This track has, apart from one regrettable homophobic reference from Common which the label partly censored, bars upon bars of heat on a self-produced track that you can't help but nod your head to. I can also think of Hip-Hop tracks that sampled/scratched lines from this one, which is a sure sign of a piece of work that has your peers paying attention! Blu & Exile : Berries and Juices You can't help but bop to this, Exile's beat has an undeniable bounce and while Blu does say "beat so sweet that I ain't even gotta do s--t", he unquestionably lifts it to that next level with a couple of chilled verses. Bonus points for the "" reference 🙂 Take heed to the title of the album this is drawn from - "" - and apply that sentiment to not only this duo but all the artists you enjoy! pH7 ft. Access Immortal and DJ Roger Rekless : New York A long-lost track that only resurfaced for me during the Great Digitisation of 2020-2023! A trans-Atlantic collaboration with German artists pH7 (Cologne) and DJ Roger Rekless (Munich) coming together with Bed-Stuy MC Access Immortal for a jazzy number with solid boom-bap underpinnings, tight cuts, and an overall clean and refreshing sound. You can find this on the somewhat obscure "" EP, Ilajide : Ayerloom Taking it back (ok, not that far back) to 2015 for a beat from "", the first solo LP by one of my favourites, Ilajide of Clear Soul Forces. That drum beat could have come from an 80s Hip-Hop classic, as could the rest of the sounds on the track - and yet, as a whole it doesn't seem of that era. This Detroit beatsmith isn't afraid to go after a certain sonic hardness that other producers might shy away from in the modern era, and it's that banging aggression that helps set him apart. Kuartz : Glitch In The Ghost Local beat legend Kuartz released his new LP "" this month, and it's a collection of bassy, techy, angular production that is well worth spending your hard-earned cash on! This was the first track I heard from it, which he debuted earlier in the year at Manchester's beatmakers event - it was so raw that I had to ask him for an advance copy 😁 I've played it a couple of times but now here it is as a taster for the album. Grand Agent ft. Liv L'Raynge : Ooh-La-Lah I hadn't heard this for absolutely ages until pulling it out earlier this month, which is a sign that no-one I've been listening to has been playing it either! Grand Agent collaborated with Oxnard production wizard on the "" LP which this track is drawn from, and the album has the husky-voiced MC as the featured guest - with this track being her standout performance. She burns it down on the opening verse over Oh No's heavy beat, and really steals the whole show to be honest! Coyote ft. Shaquille O'Neal : 3 Lokos I first heard an excerpt of this on Instagram - not sure it was on Shaq's page, but either way it sent me to go ahead and find the of ! Coyote is the pairing of Ladies Love Guapo and Ricky Blanco, neither of whom I know already but they both spit rugged on this track, which they produced alongside Brian Lee and on which they were specifically going for a hardcore 90s feel. I know, I know...you want to know about Shaq. Well...he kills his verse. The four-time champion has been recording since 1993's guest appearance on "" by the Fu-Schnickens and his "" LP, and despite a long break he comes out spitting with that hunger! K-Otix : World Renown Classic underground Hip-Hop right here from 2000, and now available along with the rest of the , so no reason not to put some dough in the artists' pockets! You might hear this record and think NYC, but nope - this is a Houston record! It might have been releaed on Bronx Science record, but the skills are all Texas-raised. The incredibly memorable beat comes from the man known as , who has also done some amazing work outside the crew, and Damien and Micah take the vocal reins. Big record. DJ Spinna : Surely (Instrumental) As we move with the wind-down, here's a beautiful track from the studio of DJ Spinna, taken from the of his solo debut on BBE, "". With Ovasoul7's vocals gone, the guitar of the late UK legend and the programming work of DJ Spinna get to take centre stage, giving the track a different dimension. Method Man ft. Ghostface Killah : Afterparty An appropriate record to end the show with! A dope sing-songy exchange between Meth and Ghost starts the track off, and the melodic approach pops up throughout the track in between straight up bars over a smooth beat from a producer credited simply as "Q", but better known to most as from (sorry, can't bring myself to put the incorrect apostrophe in!) Still my favourite track on "", just as it was on first listen. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 171 : Ripples and Echoes
08/31/2023
Episode 171 : Ripples and Echoes
"Let me say it again, and say it with feeling..." - Jay Dee A big episode this month - both in importance and in number of tracks - as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Kool Herc party at 1520 Sedgwick Ave, Bronx, NY, that arguably sparked Hip-Hop! The format is slightly different from the usual, and the episode is centred around three records which have been sampled, references, and homaged throughout Hip-Hop history - echoing through time. The influences manifest differently as they encounter each artist, so even within the set of tracks that have a common root, there are wide variations of style, subject, and sound. I think you'll enjoy the hour I've put together for you! Twitch : IG: Twitter : Playlist/Notes Westside Gunn, 緑, and Kool Herc : Kool Herc Intro Big up to Westside Gunn for going back to the source and allowing us to hear from Kool Herc himself on this intro to "". KRS-ONE and Marley Marl : Hip Hop Lives KRS is one of the greatest MCs of all time - and , maybe the one person you'd pick if there was no music, no anything, and they just had to go on stage and command it. Marley Marl is often overlooked by those not necessarily in the know, but the man behind the Juice Crew (who famously battled KRS in the ) was a , with his approach to cutting up samples being the grandfather of most of what you would have heard afterwards. Together, they released a 2007 album "", of which this is of course the title track, and a rallying cry for the culture. [Buckwild] Meyhem Lauren : Love and Loyalty (Instrumental) Buckwild never wavers from the path of putting in the honest effort that his talent deserves to deliver quality material. If you want popcorn, microwave beats, go elsewhere! This is a great beat from his 2014 "" project with Meyhem. Fred Wesley & The J.B.s : Blow Your Head A funk classic that must have sounded positively UFO-like when it was released in 1974 on the "" album, and there's a reason for that that I only just learned; the crazy synth wasn't even on the track to begin with. The original was recorded in 1973, and only after that did James Brown, playing with his newly-bought synthesizer, doodle all over the track before adding it to the album! Apparently Fred Wesley was not impressed... The D.O.C. : Portrait Of A Master Piece The "Blow Your Head" sample here is relatively backgrounded, definitely not the focus of the instrumental - but as good as the Dre-produced beat is, the star here is without question the MC. This track comes from his first LP "", which had people tipping him for big things, before he was cruelly and ironically deprived of a critical attribute - his voice - when his only five months after its release. He later returned to recording with a changed voice, and has written classics for several artists, but it's a huge shame that he never got to follow his debut up on his own terms. Hijack : Style Wars When Brixton's legendary Hijack got a single deal with Music of Life, none of them knew how to create a record as such. The three-man inner core was made up of DJs Supreme and Undercover alongside the MC Kamanchi Sly, and it was actually the latter who suggested using the Fred Wesley sample. Supreme was unconvinced, believing that it would make their track too much of an imitation of the then-recent "Public Enemy No.1", but relented on the basis that the rhymes and cuts would be so good that they'd make up for any deficiency on the beat side. As it turned out, "" turned out to be an absolutely classic single in its own right, and in my opinion, never came off as a bite. Public Enemy : Public Enemy No. 1 One of the first records ever to sample "Blow Your Head", this is arguably the inspiration that all the others you might hear draw from. While it became known to most of us as a track on 1987's "", the original demo is from all the way back in 1984, and was the track that had Def Jam chasing PE to sign with them. You can tell it wasn't produced with modern equipment, with some likely-unintentional looseness in the timing on the loops, but that in no way prevented it from being a classic. Digable Planets ft. DJ Jazzy Joyce : 9th Wonder (Blacktolism) The famous sample is a lot more chaotic at the very start of this cut, before settling into a near-monotone that comes in at various points throughout. Great self-produced track from the "" LP, the Planets' second, with the lyrical vibes matching perfectly (Ladybug Mecca bringing it home with the best verse in my opinion), topped off by Jazzy Joyce, a who first played in a club at thirteen, blessing the end of the track with her cuts. I almost defy anyone not to enjoy this one. Ta'Raach : Bea2ful Still my favourite beat from the instrumental version of the "" LP ("") - all you can say is that it lives up to its name. Warm, inviting, beautiful indeed. Eric B & Rakim : Paid In Full A track that needs no introduction, but that would be a poor excuse for not writing anything here 🙂 The title track of the , it was somehow only the fifth single, but a classic that, as you will hear in the following tracks, has been referenced over and over again in Hip-Hop history - a true standard, arguably in the jazz sense. Marco Polo and Torae ft. Masta Ace and Sean Price : Hold Up You hear Rakim's voice telling of his stickup days cut up here amongst others by DJ Linx for the hectic hook of this no-pretence track from the "" LP, which somehow is already fourteen years old! Marco Polo's beat gives off serious 70s crime movie chase scene energy, and all the MCs lean into it. Sean P's James Earl Ray line is a little bit ouch, but throwing in the occasional extreme reference was always part of his style. Jay Dee : The $ Raw, heavy, destructive sound from the MPC of the great Jay Dee/J Dilla from the "" EP, and easily my favourite cut on there - highlighted by the quote from this month's epigram. Of course, the "Paid In Full" reference comes with the opening of the first verse, perfectly appropriate for a track all about getting that cash. It's yet another example proving that those who grouped Slum Village in with "conscious/boho" rap were simply not paying attention, backed up by beats that - played through the right car system - would simply level any coffee house! Le$ : Paid In Full Finally in this section, we go with a heavy tribute from Houston's Le$. From the 2014 "" release, is on production, giving us a drastically slowed, spaced out take on the original beat. Replaying the original bassline, the rest is synth and programmed drums, with the occasional flash of the original record being dropped in along with Rakim's voice. You half expect him to open up with "thinking of a masterplan", but he instead starts his first verse paying tribute to a classic from his own hometown, DJ DMD's "", another "get money" anthem. The Alchemist : Imperius Rex You can get this heavyweight instrumental on the "" collection of beats, but if you want to hear someone pick up the mic and slay it, the clue is in the title. This was the beat for the of the late great Sean Price's posthumous album, "", and sounds suitable weighty to bear the name. Run-DMC : King Of Rock for this 1985 track, the title cut from their second LP, saw Run-DMC storming the "Museum of Rock 'n' Roll" - and so it was beautifully fitting when they were eventually, and rightfully, . The group is often taken as the defining line between the true "old skool" and everything that came after, as they broke with many of the stylistic elements that had marked Hip-Hop records up to that point. No disco sounds, no outlandish costuming, but hard-as-nails beats and an aggressive lyrical delivery that indeed aligned them with as much with rock as anything else - hence the title. This track has been sampled countless times, and interestingly, almost always for the lyrics rather than the beat. On production, Run programmed the drums, and took care of the rest - the group were actually not in favour of the guitars, but they worked! Oh No ft. Roc 'C' and J Dilla : Move It's not obvious unless you're paying attention, but it's here - check the start of the second verse, where Roc 'C' works his MC name into the Run-DMC reference! The track as a whole channels some kind of vampire film vibe more than anything, if Dracula was banging on the MPC at any rate... However, this is a rare call for outside production by Oh No, who is a beast on production in his own right but pulls in J Dilla here on this tune from his debut LP, "". PRhyme ft. Schoolboy Q and Killer Mike : Underground Kings The most recent of the tracks in this section, this one comes from the 2014 "" LP, the debut release from the group made up of DJ Premier and Royce the 5' 9". There are actually several Run-DMC samples here, and the reference to "Kings" in the title fits not only those kings from Queens but also Pimp C (RIP) and Bun B, who made up UGK (Underground Kingz) and are both given tons of respect here. Detroit (Royce), Los Angeles (Q), and Atlanta (Killer Mike) come together here for some cross-continental mic wreckage on top of a heavy beat from the production pride of Houston/Brooklyn. Pete Rock : 'Till I Retire As you'll pick up on immediately, it's the first and fourth bars of "King Of Rock" that get an outing here, with a clever splicing to declare "I'm the king, 'til I retire"! Don't forget that as much as a producer, Pete Rock is a DJ, and Hip-Hop DJs absolutely hear these snippets and connections and store them upstairs for later use. The track itself isn't otherwise rock-influenced, but just a dope, straightahead canvas for Pete to rhyme on all the way through with no guests. This is a 2008 track from Pete Rock's "" LP - and fifteen years later, his work rate is probably even higher now than it was then! Z-Trip : Rockstar II The original "" was one of the most popular tracks on the of Bomb Hip-Hop's groundbreaking "Return Of The DJ" series, and so on the , Phoenix's own came back for a second variation on the same theme. Absolutely packed with rock samples and cut-ups, you hear the "king of rock" right next to perfectly placed cutting up of "back again" from Kool G Rap & Polo's "", denoting the sequel status of this track. Fat Jon The Ample Soul Physician : Automated Life Machines If I say so myself, this was a great pick for this spot - the raw, discordant sound at the very start actually sounds a little like a continuation of "Rockstar II", before it transitions into its own thing, a great bit of boom-bap on the drums with subtle accompanying bass and chilled sounds in the midrange, leading us towards the end of the show. Cincinatti's Fat Jon released this on his "" instrumental EP back in 2000, another bit of wax that made it into my computer recently as part of the Great Digitising, and he's still active to this day. Oh yes - and he can rhyme too! Ultramagnetic MCs : Bust The Facts We finish up by going back - I was originally going to being the episode with this, but I think this works out better. This is from the 1992 "" LP by the Ultramagnetics, and while it's nowadays an old track, even then, it was looking back to the early days of Hip-Hop - giving you a flavour of the excitement of the time, and mentioning many of the foundational artists and crews. The only diversion is a few shots thrown at Kool Moe Dee, who Kool Keith clearly had issues with, but apart from that the whole thing is an ode to a period and a vibe that could never be repeated. Our job is to preserve the culture and take it forward. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 170 : In My Own Lane
07/30/2023
Episode 170 : In My Own Lane
"" - Dave East We're past the halfway point of 2023 and summer in the UK is...variable. Instead of trying to go seasonal in the main, I've gone with a selection which is heavy on relatively-recent releases while excavating some absolute gems from the crates. There's almost no way anyone knows all of these tracks, and as such, I'm aiming to send all of you to go and buy some of this stuff so that the artists know how much you appreciate top-quality material! Twitter : Twitch : Events : Playlist/Notes Saigon ft. Benny The Butcher : No Witness Big New York State action on this , with Saigon in combination with Buffalo's Benny The Butcher (lots of alliteration there!). The beat is heavy goodness courtesy of the DITC legend , and is exactly what you need for MCs like this. Benny continues his run of form on features, while Saigon kills it as the returning veteran, starting his first and last verses with a similar four bars before diving into his subjects. That last verse is a stark warning to the youngsters who are by documenting their questionable associations and/or illegal activities on social media and on records... Judah : Sweet Jesus Digging this one out of the stash was a real win - I think it's a perfect chaser for the Saigon track. Taken from an old favourite, "" by The Beat Tape Project, this instrumental by Washington D.C.'s Judah has Blaxploitation flick written all over it. Serial Killers (Xzibit, B-Real, and Demrick) ft. Kurupt : Dickies & Bandanas The "" mixtape has been sitting in my collection for almost exactly ten years without me drawing from it, but that's part of the nature of the show - it's not about just playing the brand new cuts or the old classics, but digging deeper. Heavy west action from this union of MCs together with the still-underrated . No details on who produced this, but there's no G-Funk, no smooth synths on the beat, instead using a hammering rhythm track and string stabs as the driving elements. Khrysis and Geechi Suede : Delta9 Khrysis has continued to deliver quality material over the years since his early days when the Justus League were first breaking out, and this is no exception. That vocal sample in the beat sounds semi-uplifting, and semi-dark - though the latter might be the reflection off the heavy drums and tense keyboard lines. Geechi Suede comes through with a less abstract verse than you might expect from him, despite it being a track about actually getting high! The 2021 "" album is the place to hear more - don't worry, not all the tracks are quite this short :) Curren$y ft. Jim Jones and Tommy Wright III : Marcus Camby Curren$y on an entire project channelling vibes? That's something I'm grabbing with both hands. The short "" album came out earlier this month, with all production coming from frequent collaborator Harry Fraud, and this is one of the standouts for me. Lush with just a touch of tension, the production is absolutely on-theme. On the mic, Curren$y is in his usual lane, followed by Jim Jones of Dipset who comes with a slightly more energetic delivery while still matching the downtempo vibe. I don't know Tommy Wright III, but I think he's just on the hook here - either way, one of my favourites this month and looking like a late contender for my most played tracks of 2023! Dave East & DJ Drama ft. Buda & Grandz : Egyptian Kings I'm only just catching up with last year's "" mixtape, but there's some absolute heat on there, including this downtempo, almost bluesy track. I may need to search out the instrumental, because Buda, Grandz, Mike Kuz, and A-Vow knocked this one out of the park, with it being the perfect backing for Dave's choppy flow. In turn, in adopting that slow he leaves space for the beat to show through the gaps - great symbiosis. K-Def : Anybody Got Budd? A short, dramatic instrumental from the New Jersey production legend, taken from his 2006 "" release - which was packed with short tracks I wish were a minute or two longer each! Boot Camp Clik : Wotcha Call Strength One of the strongest, most talented crews in Hip-Hop on this , their first under the combined banner in over fifteen years! Of course, the much-missed Sean Price is absent, but Ruck of Heltah Skeltah, OGC, Smif-N-Wessun, Black Moon, and longtime associate Rustee Juxx all throw down heavy on Arcitype's beat. These veterans have all got better with time, despite a tough road along the way. This is what we call strength. Teflon ft. Benny The Butcher : Hostile Takeover He's back! You might remember this man as a soloist coming out of First Family, M.O.P's crew, but until the recently-released "" LP, from which this single comes, his last release was in 2006 - and that was a mixtape! You have to go back the 1997 album "" for his only full album release, but it's good to see that he's put the frustrations of the old record industry behind him for this LP. I told you Benny The Butcher was on a hot streak of guest appearances, and then you have the unmistakeable sound of DJ Premier on the production with his signature scratched, multi-sampled hook. Straight boom-bap. Meyhem Lauren : African Pompano In a recurring theme for this month, I could happily have had last a fair bit longer. Meyhem is one of the foremost representatives of all that fly ish, and he kills it once again on this Madlib beat from the Madlib/Meyhem/DJ Muggs collab album "" - very much his style! No hook at all, just some almost entirely clean space between the two verses, and the instrumental feels somehow tighter and more focused than some other Madlib beats, which is testament to his sense as a producer of what a particular MC needs. As an aside, I had to look up what is, and now I want some :) Meyhem may be this generation's champ of the references! Semi Six : 96 Hot of the presses, released just a few days ago, with the man from Detroit low-key (ok, not all that low) flossing over an AntBell! beat for the summertime. Just a dope track, with one of Semi's better hooks into the bargain! Brand Nubian : Meaning Of The 5% (Instrumental) I've always found the production on this track from Brand Nubian's second LP "" to be deeply stirring, and a perfect use of the sample it's based around. No chopping, just a loop and some relatively subtle added drums, showing that it's not just having the source material, but knowing what - and what not - to do with it. Above The Law : Flow On (Move Me No Mountain) I think the subtitle may have been an afterthought - on the vinyl release of "" at least, it appears on the label of the actual wax but not on the back of the album cover. Coming towards the end of the album, "flow" is a perfect description - the late KMG and Cold 187 go fluidly back and forth in a playeristic fashion over a smooth 187 production based on a from which the subtitle is drawn. Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder, and Kamasi Washington : The Mighty Tree This is major-league jazz combination, with the Hip-Hop knowledge and sensibility that all these artists have woven into it. There are actually two versions of this cut - this one, the original, from the "" album, and then one with guest appearances from Rapsody and Herbie Hancock that you can find on "" EP. There's so much talent, experience, and feeling between all these musicians, there's not much more I can say - just listen and appreciate it! S. Fidelity ft. NDO : Mixed Signals Not sure where I learned about this track, but it's channeling those Dilla-influenced neo-soul vibes beautifully! NDO from Florida is the singer with just a touch of Badu in her voice, while Berlin residents S. Fidelity and Suff Daddy lay down an undeniable groove. This was the lead signal from the 2021 "" album, which is one I'm going to be having a deeper listen to! Mary J. Blige and Smif-n-Wessun : I Love You (Remix) This is a serious 90s deep cut, with the remix of this track from Mary J's "" LP keeping the same Chucky Thompson (RIP) and Puffy beat, but adding Smif-N-Wessun to the opening before they give way to Mary's classic vocals. One thing you do have to give Puffy credit for is making that blend of Hip-Hop and R&B mainstream, even if he didn't invent it! Smif-N-Wessun wouldn't be the obvious choice for most producers here, but the selection was an inspired one. Check the seven-track "My Life (Remix)" EP or the of the album for more quality. Pete Rock : Pete's Jazz We're into the "Petestrumentals" series, but here we roll all the way back to the , landing almost exactly in the centre for an SP-1200 masterclass. You could just as well have titled this one "Pete's Funk", but the vibraphone and sax samples do put a bit of a bow tie on proceedings! Slum Village : This Beat I just finished reading the excellent book "" this month, and it's already making me appreciate some of Jay Dee's work on additional levels, with this very early being an example - his annoyance with people coming round "all unannounced" is based on at least one real incident! The beat is pure dopeness, with the high end coming from the very start of a well-known sample (listen closely to the hook for a hint), and the drum and bass combination being pure perfection. This is the style that many have tried to imitate, but there's only one originator. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 169 : Thirteen Squared, Fourteen Years
06/29/2023
Episode 169 : Thirteen Squared, Fourteen Years
"Paid my dues, now pay my fee." - Pete Rock Another year in the books! This is the fourteenth birthday episode of the podcast, and it's wild to look back at how different the landscape looked back in 2009 when I started it off. At least nowadays, I don't have to explain what a podcast is! I needed a selection worthy of the milestone, and I think you'll enjoy it - Hip-Hop basically end-to-end, with some virtuoso performances on the mics, the boards, and the turntables. Turn the volume up and check the styles... Book a ticket to see me play live in Salford with the 45 Kings and Queens on July 8th ! Gigs & streams calendar : Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Swizz Beatz ft. Jadakiss, Benny the Butcher, and Scar Lip : Take 'Em Out Huge new single to open things up for this month, and a track I can already tell is going to make my list of top Spotify tracks this year. As part of the 50th year of Hip-Hop celebrations, Mass Appeal have released a couple of producer-led EPs with a selection of MCs, and this is of course from . It's not the production style most would think of when Swizz Beatz is mentioned, but listen for the classic "" drums accompanied by what sounds like a pipe organ with the "evil" stop pulled all the way out - vicious. And the MCs, my goodness! LOX legend Jadakiss opens up, hands off to modern-day street rap giant Benny the Butcher, and cleanup duty is handled in fine style by the young and hungry Scar Lip. is great as well - chaotic, dark, monochrome, giving me just a taste of the same energy as the visuals for Ice Cube's "" back in the day. The whole package is hard like titanium. Onyx : Throw Ya Gunz (Instrumental) After starting the show with a track sampling the yelled into first single, which was a big tune in its day, I decided to follow up with the instrumental as I hadn't heard it in so long. RIP to Chyskillz, the producer, who passed away in 2018. Coach NYM : Work Ethic One from my gym playlist for you, taken from the "" LP. Part of the RBG movement, NYM gives a message on this track and the rest of the album that very much aligns with the innovative "Workout" LPs that stic of dead prez (their lowercasing, btw) released in and . Turn this track up and get your motivation right! Bronx Slang : Excuse Me Again My man Jerry Beeks accurately and sadly points out that the subject of this track will continue to be relevant into the foreseeable future. Following up from the original "" from the "" LP, this is, in Beeks' distinctive style, a run-down of yet more Black people who have been murdered by the police. The producer Fake Blood gives it a soundtrack with just a hint of melancholy that still makes you nod your head thanks to his drum programming, and leaves enough space for you to hear every work clearly. Find this on the appropriately-named "" album. Blak Twang ft. Fallacy : Homegrown I promise I didn't just try to find every track that sampled Onyx and throw them into this episode! The b-side of the incredible 1996 , this is not only pure lyrical rawness from both MCs (Blak Twang/Taipanic/Tony Rotton and Fallacy) over a beat from V.R.S, but it's also the source of an incredible number of samples. If you go and check the excellent Blak Twang LP "", you'll be amazed how many times he samples himself, and from this specific cut - EPMD would be proud :) The Musalini ft. Pete Rock and 9th Wonder : Carmel City 2 The vast majority of times, a sequel track is done by the original artist (for example, EPMD's , Ice Cube with the ), but this is an interesting exception. Pete Rock, the producer of the original "" from his and CL Smooth's "" LP is here...but only on the mic, and even then only as the featured guest! Lead duties are taken by Bronx native The Musalini, and production is by a man who would absolutely name Pete Rock as an influence, North Carolina's 9th Wonder. This track has had a lot of rewinds in my headphones over the last month! BusCrates : Get It Going The brand new BusCrates LP, "" released this week, and it starts off with this serious groove, one which I had to let you get a good helping of before my voiceover! The new LP is overally lower in tempo than his "" album, and leans a little more in the direction of Hip-Hop while maintaining his funky and soulful style. BusCrates is an exceptionally skilled producer and DJ - as well as a thoroughly nice guy - who absolutely deserves your support. Little Brother : Sittin Alone This track will, depending on your age, inspire mocking laughter or wry recognition! The time comes to all of us where the thought of hitting the clubs on a Saturday night sounds...kind of tiring. If nothing else, I'm sure everyone can relate to the flyer with eight different fonts on it :) Mixing real feelings with a great bit of humour, it's just one example of the grown man rap on the "" album. As an aside - paying child support is not, of course, just a Black thing! Kev Brown : Homework Part 1 Like most of the tracks on the "" album, I wish this were a touch longer, but the man from Landover has a gift for leaving everyone wanting more! You can certainly hear his characteristic bassline action, while the high end is actually really prominent on this too, in a lo-fi fashion - almost sounds like a rough draft, but you know it's all intentional and provides a canvas for him to kick some lyrics, in case you forgot he puts in work on the mic too :) Prodigy & Nas : Self Conscience One of those great mixtape tracks from a previous era that you just don't hear around anymore, but absolutely deserves an airing. A concept piece lyrically, this has the late great Prodigy talking to his conscience, going back and forth, before Nas closes things out. The beat is by Infinite Arkatechz, who were basically the patron saints of sampling New Age and prog rock records (you might recognise this one). Find this somewhat forgotten classic on the "" compilation. dead prez : The Game Of Life (Score) The "" soundtrack may be better known to many than the excellent , but either way, here's the top-notch opening track, bringing a message to set the tone and frame the events of the story in a much wider context. This is actually my favourite iteration of the dead prez sound - tracks like this and "" really stood out sonically from the mass of releases of the same time period. The production is provided by Da Heads - according to Discogs, only ever credited for this one song, but I'm wondering if somehow, somewhere, DJ Spinna is in the mix... [Swizz Beatz] Nas : Salute Me (The General) (Instrumental) Thumping, militaristic instrumental from the keyboard era. I love the opening on this before it settles down into the rhythm of the verses, which is even better on the with the opening adlibs. Gunshot : Clear From Present Danger RIP MC Alkaline. For those that don't know, Gunshot were truly one of the defining groups of their era, standard bearers for what became known to many as the "" style. The beats were almost always uptempo (this isn't even that fast compared to many), dramatic and dense, with a clear influence of - as time went on, this style went on to help give birth to other UK electronic music genres. The lyrics and delivery were always aggressive - as I say on the voiceover, think "action film" rather than trying to make you believe they were gangsters. This is from this crew out of Leyton, East London, complete with a full lyric sheet on the back of the sleeve if you can get hold of the vinyl. DJ Supreme ft. Son Of Noise : R.I.P. More UK Hip-Hop royalty from the same era as Gunshot - the legendary DJ Supreme of Hijack producing for the mic-destroying Son of Noise on a that shows that neither half of have lost a step since they first came out. Raw, hard-edged, unapologetic British Hip-Hop on a battle tip. Rob Swift ft. DJ Klever and Melo-D : 2-3 Break One of the greatest DJs of all time and also a fierce defender of DJing ethics, rights, and responsibilities, is a man that should be held up high by all those who claim to represent Hip-Hop culture. On this 2002 cut, he pays tribute to the original "" by The B Boys (with the great on the wheels), and combines with two other turntable titans, and of Beat Junkies for a turntable workout over some classic beats and breaks. I was pleased to find that Rob's second LP "" that this is drawn from is on streaming platforms, so don't miss out having a listen to the rest of the album. Tobi Sunmola : Not The One If you've heard me DJ on in the last few years, you may well have heard me play this absolute heater to great response! From Lagos to Manchester, Tobi Sunmola is a real talent with his own style, and kills it on this uptempo cut from his 2018 EP "". Let's hope that this one does. Ilajide : INDYNSUMRLUV Faithful podcast listeners will already know how I rate this man, an incredible producer out of Detroit who hammers the funk into a sequencer like few can. The bassline is simple, but is just what's needed underneath those drums, where the hi-hats are doing the work of bringing the complexity while the kick and snare keep time. Very dope business from January's "" album/beat tape. I'm assuming Tuesdays are for air fryers only. Tobe Nwigwe ft. Coast Contra : DESTRUCTION Tobe Nwigwe and his team are continuing to have success which is great to see - it's been four years since I first played him here (which is not when he started), and it's been constant elevation from there. This cut from last year's "" album is big, booming, and as heavy as the title suggests, with Tobe, Nick Humes and Nick Baker on production. Guesting on several mics are the crew of Los Angeles that is Coast Contra, who bring the heat to help close the episode in dramatic fashion. By the way, I realised how much time is flying when I realised that two members of Coast Contra are the sons of Ras Kass! Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 168 : No Sudden Moves
05/30/2023
Episode 168 : No Sudden Moves
"I was a seventies baby, raised in the eighties..." - Scarface An appropriate quote for this month's episode, in which we keep a constant speed all the way through - an unbroken chain in the low-80s BPM range! A little rugged, a little smooth, some old and some new, and hopefully something for each of you 🙂 Remember, you can always see a list of my next few upcoming streams and gigs @ ! Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Lupe Fiasco ft. Jay-Z : Pressure The show starts back in 2006, with a selection from Lupe Fiasco's debut "", produced by Prolyfic. He came out strong on this album, representing Chicago in fine style, a city that historically hadn't been as regarded as some when it came to Hip-Hop. Being able to get Jay-Z in for a feature on your debut, even back then, was a sign that you were to be taken seriously, and Lupe has definitely justified that in retrospect. Marco Polo : Pirate Hookers The modern move towards independent digital releases on platforms like Bandcamp means it's easier than ever to get hold of gems like "" - at one time they just wouldn't have come out at all, or maybe got a limited run of hard copies. It's hard to describe this track, but the quieter sections make me think of the back streets in a French detective movie, while the louder parts are much more bombastic. If you like hearing instrumentals breathe without vocalists, support releases like this and let the artists know! Dan Greenpeace & Diamond D : Nowhere To Run To was an incredibly pleasant surprise - I had no idea it was coming out until just before release, when Greenpeace posted about it on . I've had the pleasure of knowing Greenpeace since the mid 90s - he was working at a company where I had a summer job, and we bonded over a love of Hip-Hop. He was DJing on the side and was a big influence on my listening, putting me up on artists I might not have heard at the time, and he was the absolute first person I remember talking about independent Hip-Hop in the sense of the early Rawkus releases and things like that. I even remember him having the idea of a column in Hip-Hop Connection called "Independents' Day", which came to fruition some time before another well-known magazine "borrowed" that title for their column and ran with it! Anyway, around the time we met, Diamond D's would not long since have been out, so it's amazing to see him producing a track for an artist that we would both have been looking up to from afar all those years ago. Chunky, dark, menacing, the beat is a suitably threatening setting for Diamond's bars, and when one of the most storied producers in Hip-Hop history allows you to produce him, you know you're doing something. Salute! The Away Team : Steppin On Toes A nice bit of rugged aggro with Khrysis on the boards and Sean Boog on the mic as The Away Team, a North Carolina crew that came out as part of the Justus League collective. This is on their second LP, 2007's "", which has some really solid tracks and is definitely worth a listen. While 9th Wonder was the most prominent producer from Justus League, Khrysis was putting out heat round the same period and has to the present day, with beats for everyone from Busta Rhymes to Rapsody. Slim Thug : No No No One of two straight tracks from Southern legends, we go to the nawf of Houston for a killer from last year's "" () album. It of course features Slim's distinctive relaxed yet straightahead flow, as well as a Mr. Lee beat with some nice contrast - rapid, dead-on hi-hats alongside a main drum pattern that gets there when it gets there! Scarface : Safe The first full track on "" and a personal favourite from Scarface's long and storied catalogue, this is a raw record that explicitly talks about the contents of your safe while implicitly talking about the lack of safety in the . China Black is on production, and the pitch-bending bassline is a perfect menacing undertone. Damu The Fudgemunk : Last Ole - 2005 It's been a while since we visited the 2008 "" album from Washington DC's , full of gritty, unapologetically sample-based beats, so why not do so as this particular beat turns eighteen? My goodness, it doesn't seem like quite that long ago... Your Old Droog : The Groundhog He pops up, says what he has to say eloquently, and then disappears again. On this new-ish , Brooklyn's Your Old Droog clearly remembers the borough of a different era, before all the that make the area look as it does now - and as he points out, makes some new arrivals look at those who already lived there as the outsiders. The wisftul instrumental by Znakomi is a perfect musical accompaniment to the sentiment. Hit-Boy & The Alchemist : Slipping Into Darkness I can't think of another track quite like this . Not only does it change beat partway through, but each beat has a different producer. Not only that, but each producer also rhymes on the track. Finally, each producer is spitting over the other's beat. , on 's beat, definitely had a lot to get off his chest - I don't know how the other producers he mentions in his verse will react to it! Groove Armada ft. Jeru The Damaja : Suntoucher This track is over twenty years old, but it's new to me! The opening cut from the "" album, it's got a super-long instrumental intro before the vocals properly come in, courtesy of the East New York representative Jeru The Damaja. The main beat is based around a classic soul sample, which I believe is cleared, so I can tell you about it - the excellent "" by MFSB. Neneh Cherry : Manchild A childhood favourite! I've loved this track since it was a radio hit as a single drawn from Neneh's debut "" album back in 1989. She came out raw indeed, with the B-Girl vibes from day one, which you can hear popping up on this track on the short rap verses. This was apparently the first song Neneh sat down and wrote, and she smashes it out of the park - all kinds of chord changes running through it, and a melancholy feel to the lyrics, talking to a man who needs to grow up and fix up a little to get where he needs to be. Marco Polo : Straight Spittin 4.5 I didn't originally intend to play two Marco Polo beats this episode, but it just flowed that way while browsing through tracks when I was standing at the turntables; don't be mad when you hear quality like this! Those drums are booming and banging over this workout from of the Fat Beats "Baker's Dozen" series, each an instrumental album from one producer. Heavy D & The Boyz : Yes Y'all Some boom-bap head-nod flavour from the late Heavy D's 1993 "" album. If you're steeped in the music of that era, you'll recognise the piano sample and usage as identical to that on Gang Starr's "" from the "" LP - DJ Premier tells the story much better than I ever could on of his , so I'll direct you over there! Statik Selektah, Nas, Joey Bada$$, and Gary Clark Jr. : Keep It Moving Statik has been one of the producers continuing to carry the flag for modern, soulful Hip-Hop, respecting the traditions and refining the approach. This was a personal favourite from the 2020 album "", and while everyone on the mic does their thing...this is a Nas cut as far as I'm concerned :) Tall Black Guy Productions : Black II Soul You pretty much can't lose if you're sampling the legendary track this one is based on - or maybe more accurately, you shouldn't touch it if you don't know what you're doing! Fortunately, the man TBG can flip pretty much anything and then enhance it with his warm, soulful musical vibes. One of the many excellent flips/remixes/homages in his catalogue, it's one you should definitely , especially for the sunnier days. Children of Zeus ft. Akemi Fox : Balance One of the best groups to come out in I don't know how long, Manchester's own Children of Zeus continue to stack up wins! This was the title track from their (but don't forget "" and "", and was highlighted by having the only guest appearance on the whole album, fellow Manchester vocalist Akemi Fox. If you've not yet heard the album, line it up for a listen today - you won't be disappointed! Deckwrecka : Rough Winds Another beneficiary of my big vinyl digitisation project, this is a track - well, a whole record, to be honest - that disappeared into the depths of my collection through no fault of its own. Taken from the 1998 "" EP, this is a piece that sounds more gentle and refined than its title, or even the name of the artist, would suggest. Lindsey Webster ft. Norman Brown : Free To Be Me While Lindsey Webster is an artist I stumbled on some time ago, this particular track from 2018's "" LP is one I think I heard on Twitch - or might have played it. A breezy bit of modern jazz featuring the skills of guitar boss Norman Brown, it might not be something that would ordinarily pass your ears but I thought it was a nice uplifting track to end the episode with! Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 167 : More Tune
04/30/2023
Episode 167 : More Tune
"We on they mood board, though they livin' in denial." - Solace This month's selection came together slowly and then all at once! It's turned out to be a great combination of deep album cuts, some lesser-known bonus tracks and remixes, as well as some brand new nuggets you can and should add to your collection! Of course I had to give you some Guru, and we start the episode with a cover version of a record that samples another musical giant, the recently and sadly departed Ahmad Jamal. Don't forget that you can get the up-to-date list of my upcoming streams and events at ! Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Elzhi & Will Sessions : The World Is Yours , the legendary pianist who was famously sampled on the original "The World Is Yours" on the classic Nas "" LP. As we've already played that on the podcast, we instead turn to the excellent of that album by the all-Detroit combination of the band Will Sessions and the gifted MC Elzhi. It's always interesting when a musician is sampled by a Hip-Hop producer, and then that production later remade by other live musicians - bringing things full circle. The Quarter Inch Kings : I'm No Comeback As part of the Beat Tape Project, Toronto's Quarter Inch Kings channel some soulful flavour on this instrumental from "" - one that I could very well hear the Brooklyn Legend on. Masta Ace & Marco Polo : Masta Polo I was almost going to describe Marco Polo as one of the new generation of producers, but then I realised - it's been eighteen years! Still fresh, yet a veteran, he combines with a legend from the Juice Crew, Brooklyn's Masta Ace, for some classy 21st century boom-bap. You need to find the album to get this one, and it's well worth the effort. Terri Walker ft. Ty : OK One of the finest soul singers these isles have ever produced, though an underappreciated one, Terri Walker has always shown love to the home team, with this track being a great example. The Nottingham stalwart is behind the boards, and the late London don TY warms up the mic before Ms Walker strides over the instrumentation. You might know her first few LPs, but definitely check for the later stuff, such as the EP this track was release on, "". RIP Ty, live long Terri Walker. Gang Starr : 2 Deep (City Lick Mix) This is one of my earliest purchases, and a version of the deep single that I had to grow into! The UK's were, in retrospect, a perfect choice to take on remix duties here, a group well-steeped in the jazz that Gang Starr had helped pioneer as part of Hip-Hop. The late great Guru is in fine form, on his grown man business over all three verses - starting closer to battle mode and then weaving in his message. Apparently a Europe-only release, this is a worthy version to stand next to the original from the "" LP. Curren$y : Fortune 500 This is clearly an anthem for , with one long verse about getting that cash, and the outro showing Curren$y quizzing the next generation. The brand new "" LP is another in the set of releases where Curren$y links up with a single producer to build a cohesive whole - in this case, the veteran . I'd be lying if I said it was a collaboration that I was thinking about, but it works! Medline : Payé Entièrement Sound familiar? If you didn't guess from the title, this is a wicked instrumental cover of the classic "" by Eric B & Rakim that just cannot be denied. You can head straight over to Bandcamp to get the digital version as a bonus cut on the "" release (put that into Google Translate if you don't speak French) - really, an essential pickup in my opinion. Knaladeus : Lose Or Win Not in terms of complexity as such, but in terms of tone, does Knaladeus here remind you of Black Thought at all? Either way, self-produced dopeness with quality songwriting from this artist out of Florida, one of the early tracks on his 2018 "" album. His heartfelt lyrics on top of that beat are already a great blend, but the cherry is provided by DJ Stranger's cuts, drawing from the lyrics of Guru - once I heard those, this track was a lock for this episode. Onra : 1-4 TONI If you like a track with instructions (think "", or hell, even ""), then this is up your street. That said, if you weren't already nodding your head to this one, you might want to clear your ears out first! Nice beat by the man from Paris, a 2018 track that went unreleased . Superbad Solace : Throwing Fits One for the Lo heads, from one of the foremost representatives currently recording! Solace has done it again with his "" project, and this track dedicated to the art of getting fresh is a personal favourite. The references to the brand and are numerous, but as Solace points out, "you can buy gear, but you can't buy style"! The beat by Mono en Stereo makes you feel like you need to be posing on a yacht for a catalogue somewhere :) Panama Gat : So Lonely This man has a spectacular MC name, though it feels a little wrong to point it out when the subject of his song on this episode is so serious. It's raw at times, but that's often how it goes when you're expressing real emotion. On the production front, the soul-sampling beat reminds you of the work of Kanye West and Just Blaze around the same era, but it's not a bite in any way. I'm not sure who put it together, but my guess is 9th Wonder, as this is part of the Justus League "Just Us, Vol. 6" mixtape. Leavv : Within A little of that Chillhop flavour for you, with Leavv coming from Germany but this track coming from some kind of dreamland where even the passing clouds come with a bumping drum accompaniment. Find this on the "" collection, which even now is available as a "name your price" release on Bandcamp! Ilajide : Boom Shakalak I'd almost forgotten this track from ""! The programming of this beat by one of Detroit's finest is on a half-time vibe which makes it feel much slower than the 100bpm than it measures at, and he works that by keeping his flow on the mic downtempo too. Tha Chill ft. Kokane : RNO Part of the respected Compton's Most Wanted, Tha Chill missed out on featuring on two of the group's LPs due to legal troubles, but bounced back from them and not only reunited with the crew but has a solid set of solo releases to his name. This track is from the 2020 "" LP, and I think may be self-produced - the instrumental embodies his name, with it being a little dark and cold, and moderately uptempo without being hectic. On the mic he's joined by another "if you know, you know" west coast legend, Pomona's Kokane, an artist well worth exploring in his own right. Sepalot ft. Blu : Surrender Rough, angular, lurching electronic rawness! Heading back over to Germany (Munich, to be precise), we pick up this B-side from the 2008 , loaded with synths and disembodied yells. It's a challenging background for an MC, but Blu, who you might know for considerably more gentle material, handles it with no problem at all. Erick Sermon ft. MC Lyte and Rah Digga : Tell Me (If You Don't Feel Me) Erick Sermon is a respected MC in his own right, but part of his production greatness is in knowing when to draft in even more firepower, as he does here on the 2002 "" album! Two different generations (in terms of career period, if not age) combine to burn up the guest features here, with Brooklynite MC Lyte and Newark's Rah Digga bringing it home over Erick's beat, which very much has the flavour of the era. Dâm-Funk : The Flow The "" EP is - relatively speaking - a chilled collection for the Pasadena modern funk legend. This track has clean, gliding keyboard pads, but also the right weight of drums and synth bass, plus the tempo, to allow you to dance to it if that's how you feel. Dâm-Funk has been building up a very respectable discography since his 2008 debut single - take some time to explore it if you haven't already. DJ Quik ft. Ludacris : Spur Of The Moment / Pacific Coast Remix This might not be the most progressive track in the world, but it sounds absolutely fantastic, still. A standout on 2005's "" album, in shows how skilled DJ Quik is not just as a producer (and MC), but also as a mixer/engineer. The sunshiney vibes pour out of this one, and Ludacris, who my Twitch crowd all seem to agree is an underrated MC, hits the mark perfectly as a guest. This track seems to have a different title depending on whether you have the CD or vinyl of the album, but the only difference between them is how you rewind it to play it again once it fades out! Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 166 : Public Art, Unseen Artists
03/31/2023
Episode 166 : Public Art, Unseen Artists
"Godbodies behind bars, y'all see the barcode." - Pharoahe The month went from the ridiculous to the sublime, but as always, here we are right on time! This episode we pay homage to Phife and Biggie Smalls, and bring out some great recent releases alongside some older tracks that I think will have escaped the notice of many - after all, there's so much music out there! Almost an hour-long mix this time out, let's get to it... Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes E-40 : On The Case One of the hardest-working men in Hip-Hop, E-40 has recorded twenty-six studio albums, and still sounds as dope has when he debuted back in 1992. This is from his sixteenth, trilogy, and as the prisoner quoted in the hook says, it does indeed slap! Chris "THX" Goodman gives him a dark, stomping beat which is a perfect backing for 40's flow as he gives you some free game. Whether you're facing a case or just a tough week at the work, I hope this helps! Lsdream & Z-Trip : Space Funk Giving exactly what it says on the tin, is heavy instellar bass business. Z-Trip is better known to many of us as a turntablist and DJ, but his collaboration here with the former Brillz is a beautiful slice of bassy, floaty, vocoded production goodness! Semi Six & Ilajide : Too Code Going back to the "" collab between these two Detroit natives, we have bump in abundance on this one. If one part of the track stands out, it's the fact that clearly, the roads in their neighbourhood and have a lot in common. Don't ride your 23" rims round here, for your own good! Karl Hinds : Don Gramma Twenty-two years on, some of these terms may have been superseded, but you get the point! Essentially the UK (or London, at least) version of Big L's underground hit "", Karl runs you through a selection of the local slang, and handles the squelchy, bassy production on top of that. I'd only be half-surprised if it turns out he did cover design too... Bumpy Knuckles ft, Sy Ari Da Kid : Word It was a struggle to find a tune to fit into this spot, but I'm pleased with the choice - very much a deep cut from Bumpy, taken from the now ten-year-old "Mix Files, Vol.1" EP, which seems to be little hard to find nowadays. In fact, it's not even listed on his Discogs discography at present, which makes me wonder if that's just an oversight or if it was actually some kind of bootleg! Note : Feburary 29th does come, just infrequently... Rich The Factor & DJ.Fresh : White Party I've been playing this one in the car so much over the last year or so, it's about time it made its way onto the show! Kansas City's isn't coming with particularly complex bars, just vibing to the 80s-flavoured beat from DJ.Fresh from of the , sampling a great bit of jazz-funk to great effect. Tavaras Jordan : Photogenic (Instrumental) It was great to see a of Le$' "" LP, which was produced by Tavaras Jordan, who is rapidly becoming a personal favourite. Smooth synth and drum machine action with a lot of polish. Definitely one to hear in the car! Slum Village ft. Phife Dog : Push It Along Marking the anniversary month of Phife's passing, I thought I'd share a track of his you may not know. The circumstances are beautifully circular - Phife, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Q-Tip make up Tribe. Q-Tip puts J Dilla on as part of The Ummah, a production unit that worked on the later Tribe albums, which ultimately gives a boost to the early career of Slum Village. Years later, Slum Village, after the passing of J Dilla, bring Phife of Tribe in for this feature - named after . You can find this on Slum's "" LP, with Young RJ representing lovely on production. ILLAMAN & Pitch 92 : Sometimes Relax out of the UK, with ILLAMAN (all caps?) of Pengshui flowing over a Pitch 92 instrumental that is built around what sounds like reversed strings, wrapped in warm bass and a suitably-relaxed drumline. As the song says, sometimes we all need reminding to take a breath. Great to hear Pitch continue to build on his early catalogue with Plato and The Mouse Outfit, consistently releasing high-quality music. Kardinal Offishall ft. Glenn Lewis : The Naked Truth This one from "" went down well on a stream recently, so I thought I'd finally include it on the podcast for all the subscribers! It's an all-Toronto affair, with R&B vocal master Glenn Lewis adding the perfect accompaniment to Kardinal's loverman lyrics with a hook that I think really makes the track. Chris Mazuera : Inspiration (Statik Selektah Remix) NYC's Mazuera was already onto a winner with from his debut LP "", but getting Statik Selektah to it lifts it to an even higher level. It's still subtle and considered though, with Statik not overwhelming the original, and making it very much a joint piece of expression. Benny Reid & Havoc : Temperature's Rising Tracks from this combination between the jazz musician Benny Reid and Hip-Hop production legend Havoc have been trickling out over the last couple of months, and this version was one I was especially glad to hear, with the original "" being a personal favourite from the classic Mobb Deep LP "". An all-instrumental remake, it of course derives from "" by Patrice Rushen, but works in a live version of the boom that made the Mobb track such a killer. Alaskan Fishermen : Fire & Ice No hook, no radio appeal, no R&B affectations, just aggro underground rawness. The MCs build the lyrical structure in extremely short four-bar blocks, taking turns in trying to spit the most killer lines before passing to the next man. The final cut on Thirstin Howl's "" 12", the dramatic production brings exactly the right vibe. Will.I.Am ft. KRS-ONE : Take It It somehow feels wrong that KRS isn't officially the headline artist on this track, but aside from the hook, he is the only one on the mic! really deserved an airing after it made it into my digitised collection, as I realised that very few people have heard it. The beat is an interesting one, with the timing/programming being a little "off" in a way that makes it hard to mix with but also gives it the hard-to-place feel, and the hardness can't be denied. "Where Is The Love?", this is not. Ras Kass : TV Guide Dopeness from the eventually-released "" album, Ras takes inspiration from tracks like GZA's "" and "", folding the names of dozens of TV programmes into his verses, while simultaneously making a critique of the medium itself. There's an alternate version with very different production courtesy of Carlos "Six July" Broady on the , if you can find it! Pharoahe Monch : YAYO The transition here is so swift that you might miss it at first, but we hand over from Ras to Pharoahe with the quickness for a fierce cocaine-themed cut (no pun intended)... Lee Stone's guitar-laden production on is heavy, and it's all topped off with some exceptionally sharp cuts courtesy of of the X-Ecutioners - not seventeen-click flares or anything, just absolute mastery of the fundamentals and great scratch composition. [Le Damus & SLA] Kwest, Gauge, and Eddie Broke : 718 (Instrumental) This isn't even my favourite cut on the (that would be the mighty ""), but the horn-laden production on this instrumental would easily cut the mustard as an A-side on another release! The Notorious B.I.G. : Real N****z (Do Real Things) Excuse the sound quality as I share a piece of history - a legendary entry in Biggie's unofficial catalogue that you may never have heard if you're a little younger than me! This is drawn from the "" mixtape by Mister Cee, who of course was a critical figure in Big's early career. Sadly ironic given the eventual drama that played a central role in his premature death, the soundscape is pure California, with Biggie freestyling over the instrumentals from some of the biggest West Coast classics of the era. RIP. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 165 : The Second Plug.
02/28/2023
Episode 165 : The Second Plug.
"Too old to rhyme? Too bad, too late." - Dave This month marks a huge loss for the Hip-Hop community, and the music world more widely, as Dave, aka Trugoy The Dove of De La Soul, passed away. As part of the group, he was a perfect match with Pos on the mic, and was one of those low-key people that no-one ever had anything but good to say about. De La's influence is hard to overstate; without them, we might have had no Tribe, no Pharcyde, no Souls of Mischief... They showed that you didn't have to follow the hypermasculine style of their time, and brought their own brand of humour and creativity. On top of that, they were frequent and much loved live performers, and Dave's presence as part of one of the best shows in the culture will be greatly missed. Of course, in tribute, we have several De La Soul tracks in this month's selection. Before we get into the tracklist and notes; to relief efforts in Turkey and Syria following the devastating earthquake they suffered this month. Twitter : Twitch : Events : Playlist/Notes De La Soul : Stakes Is High Knowing that we were going to make several visits to the De La catalogue, I just had to open the episode with this one, the title track to their fourth album. The late J Dilla is on production, and there's a of Posdnuous having to "Jedi mind trick" Q-Tip out of taking the beat for himself! To Pos' ears, the majesty of the beat perfectly fit the grand theme De La were going for with the lyrical theme, and he was bang on. The title actually came from Dave's late cousin Fudge, "...you all better do something. The stakes is really high for you right now..." and his words live on through this work. De La take that title and use it to warn how high the stakes were for Hip-Hop at that time, with the jiggy and Mafioso era in full swing and raising real alarm for the direction of the culture. Pete Rock : Play Yo Horn The first instrumental of the month is a 2015 release, though whether it was actually recorded anywhere near that year, I couldn't be sure! For one, Pete Rock is a master at channeling vintage flavours, and secondly, he's been known to bring stuff out of the vaults that sounds great even today. I would love to hear MCs getting busy on this dense cut from "". Fat Joe and Big Pun : Best Behavior (Remix) I love the dark, late night flavour of the original version, but Show does an equally good job on this remix (one of three to exist) - big horns, banging drums, and an overall stripped-back, boom-bap feel. You already know Big Pun is going to give you heavy bars, and Fat Joe holds it down on the mic too. I have this on backed by "" by A-Bless, but I hear it's also on the 2005 "" DITC compilation. Big L : On The Mic This vinyl had already been throught the wars when I got it, but I guess the surface noise lends a certain flavour! You might recognise the vocals from the track "" from the posthumously-released "" album, but this raw Roc Raida-produced track is on the B-side of the - definitely one to pick up for the Big L fans. RIP Big L and Roc Raida. D'Angelo : Devil's Pie One of those , the bassline of this track was created by DJ Premier for a track with Canibus. It didn't work out and D'Angelo happened to call the same day, and he asked to hear the unfinished product. He loved it, and they went back to the studio the next day to finish what became one of the standouts on his sophomore "" LP! Mad Skillz : It's Goin' Down Arguably the first MC to really make some noise out of Virginia (hence the name of his debut LP, ""), Skillz may not have the record sales of some of the more famous MCs...but he may well have written their rhymes at some point! This track is an early J Dilla production (from when he was going by Jay Dee), and has a little of the Latin flavour that would make up a big part of one of his better known productions, "" for The Pharcyde. Also - don't Skillz and Big L have a very similar vocal tone? [Pete Rock] InI : Fakin' Jax (Instrumental) You can't be mad at getting another Pete Rock instrumental! This one is vintage SP action, the instrumental for the lead track from the InI LP "", and it's a real "if you know, you know" number. De La Soul : U Can Do (Life) I decided to lead this off with part of the album intro that immediately precedes it on "", just so you could hear where the podcast intro comes from! The LP came four years after "Stakes Is High", an eternity in Hip-Hop, and marked a departure from their norm in one way - a relatively large number of featured artists. This track, however, is the core group coming from the heart, over a chunky beat from Supa Dave West. Dave/Trugoy both opens and closes the track, with his last line being "live your live to the fullest". He did just that. 🕊 Libretto & Buscrates : Culture With so much music being released on a daily basis nowadays, it's too easy for a killer track like this to slip through the cracks, but I've got it here for your enjoyment! Libretto is speaking on the rawness of the streets and how that ties into the Hip-Hop culture from his perspective, while smashes it with a beat that feels part classic sample and part bass synth workout. And of course, he has the drums thumping through. An absolute jewel from the "" LP. Sparkz : Overload Manchester's own Sparkz has featured on the podcast many times with his contributions to various groups, but here he is as a soloist on his first release after moving to the UK's well-respected High Focus records. will test your bass response, but while heavy, the beat provides plenty of space for Sparkz' to give you a full mic workout. Keep an eye out for new material from this man. De La Soul & J Dilla : No More No Less What a track - a reworking of "" concept, over an officially unreleased beat from J Dilla (which you might find online, entitled "Watching Smurfs On Shrooms"). We take this one from an EP that was originally a free release, and hopefully still findable now - "" (Da Inner Soul of Yancey) - with even the title being a remix, a revisiting of the "D.A.I.S.Y. Age" idea from the beginnings of De La. The whole EP is made up along similar lines, with De La revisiting old themes over unreleased Dilla beats. The relationship between De La and Dilla was real, and there are few other crews with as much claim to put out a project like this. Blackalicious : My Pen and Pad That pen and pad were working overtime for this excellent lyrical display from the late Gift of Gab. Flow is as dope as you'd expect, and Chief Xcel holds down the beat as usual on a low-key funk vibe that changes up occasionally in the background without ever stealing the focus. You can find this on Blackalicious' third LP, "" - perfectly titled for such a dedicated crew. Evil Needle & Misha : Cloud Zone This new release is the kind of thing that will slip under most radars, but is the kind of quality I've been finding since plugging into the whole Chillhop Music movement. It's beautiful beatmaking, warm and bumping, and the vocoded quasi-background vocal additions take it over the top. The opener on the "" six-tracker, this beat is a perfect example of coming out of the gate strong when you're ordering tracks on a release. Brelstaff ft. Fashawn : Cursive This is quite the trans-Atlantic combination, with Edinburgh's Brelstaff cooking up a laidback instrumental for Fashawn, representing Fresno in California. Only a very short one, but sometimes, as GZA once said, it makes for a stronger track to cut it off early. Beanie Sigel : Look At Me Now "Moms? Tryna lock me out. Cops? Tryna lock me in." Wow, that is some heavy business in the first verse of this quality come-up album cut, that ends happily, with Beanie looking out for the youngsters who struggle as he once did. You can find this tucked away towards the end of the 2005 LP "", with Buckwild providing the lush, string-laden production. Joell Ortiz : In My Feelings No hook, no filler, just raw - feelings, indeed. Joell speaks on the ups and downs of his career without interruption on an ill Heatmakerz beat, opening up the 2021 "" album on an intensely personal note. Ozay Moore, Vursatyl, and Chip-Fu : Slingshot Seattle stand up! Ozay Moore brings friends through on this selection from the "" album. It's nice to hear Chip-Fu of the again, and with the tempo being relatively low, you can hear every word in his signature flow as he slows it to match. 14K is on production, and the kick is kicking like the police want to come through the door, but sometime in the next couple of hours or so :) The beat is heavy, but the timing of the composition is nicely relaxed! J-Zone : The Commandments (Instrumental) Labelled as "The Commandments" on the "" collection, this is the instrumental of the cut styled as "The Commandment$" from the 2003 "" album. Can't believe it's been twenty years already! He may have fully moved from Hip-Hop production and MCing into drumming, but you can't front on his great catalogue of previous work. De La Soul ft. MF DOOM : Rock Co. Cane Flow I was shocked to find out that I hadn't played this monster from "" on the podcast before, though maybe that was because the () speed changes make it awkward to mix with. As a closer though? Perfection. Jake One's beat just smashes through like Godzilla, building to the kind of grandness and drama that would fit the climactic action sequence of a Marvel film, and all the MCs are on form for it. The late MF DOOM fits right in alongside Pos and Dave as a devastating three-mic unit, and fittingly, Dave closes the track, and this epidose, out. RIP. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 164 : The Jordan Year
01/31/2023
Episode 164 : The Jordan Year
"...baking soda, get it crackin' when you mix me with Kane." - Checkmark If you're like me, every time you write 23 this year you're thinking it! The first episode of 2023 is here, and we go mostly on the downtempo tip and mix up the genres in a big way, so there's almost sure to be something new for everyone in the mix! RIP to Laylaw and Gangsta Boo. As mentioned on the voiceover, you can now keep up with the schedule for all my streams (and I'll start putting my IRL shows here too) at ! Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Termanology ft. Raekwon : Passport Kingz I was reminded of this track after listening to a and a shady character known as the ""! It has an (as an aside, that pastor should be in prison), and then doesn't let up for the rest of its running time, with Raekwon and then Term going hard over Staik Selektah's production. One verse each is the perfect dosage. Find this on Termanology's 2018 "" album. [Dru Kevorkian] Smif-N-Wessun : Reloaded (Instrumental) Just screaming mid-2000s New York, this is the instrumental for the title track of Smif-N-Wessun's . I could hear this beat on the soundtrack (and too loud) for a street DVD of the era... El Michels Affair & Black Thought : Grateful Looks like there's a big treat coming later in the year, with the collaborative "Glorious Game" due in April. One of the best writers in Hip-Hop history in combination with one of the coldest bands in years? Yeah, that's a must. was released this month to give us all a taste and it's a great appetiser. The flute kind of hypnotises and draws you into the thick mists of the rest of the music, where Black Thought is waiting with high IQ, high-density street lyricism. Be grateful, indeed. Shabba Ranks : Have This Woman Coming off the back of the "" sample woven into the "hook" of the preceding track, I thought I'd take the opportunity to move straight across into a Shabba track, and during the task of taking on my whole reggae and dancehall 7" section! Over the "Girl A Love" riddim, Shabba's lyrics remind me that despite the gyalist/player image put forth in most of his catalogue, he's been happily married since 1992 - so he and his wife will just have celebrated their pearl wedding anniversary! Camp Lo : Award Winning They may never have got the level of acclaim that the title speaks of, but those who know know. Bars upon slang-filled bars on this deep album cut from "", with Ski on production. Play this one loud in your headphones when you need to go somewhere and let them know who you are :) Above The Law : Another Execution Including this one as a tribute to the Laylaw, who was an integral part of the Above The Law story - not only did he manage them, but he has production credits on their debut "", including for this track. It's a slow and low number on a classic sample, and if you want the instrumental then you can find it on the B-side of the . Unusually for ATL, it's Cold 187um solo on the mic, in storytelling mode with two tales of having to let that thing ring out. People Under The Stairs : Chris Says 'Nice One' (Bonus Beat) This short semi-interlude track from the 12" of "" is actually only 44 seconds long, so I looped part of it up to make it a suitable length to include here - just because it's a nice piece of digging/production that PUTS clearly included just for that extra flavour! RIP Double K. Gangsta Boo ft. DJ Paul & Juicy J : Where Dem Dollas At? I've not historically been a big follower of 3-6 Mafia, so I bought this track specifically to play it on this episode. DJ Paul and Juicy J of 3-6 are on production, but even though DJ Paul also takes the third verse, he has to play second position behind Lady Boo, which is only right. This was apparently the big hit on 1998's "", Boo's solo debut which paved the way for two more LPs over the next five years - and one which I remember being advertised in The Source back in the day. RIP Gangsta Boo. Machinedrum : Center Your Love Machinedrum is, amongst other things, half of the duo Dream Continuum alongside Bristol's Om Unit (formerly ), but this is a beautiful solo exhibition of electronic composition. The drums are hectic in timing but not loud, and elements come in and out creating a soundscape around the vocal; I can't tell if that's a repeated sample or a singer brought in for this track specifically, and if I'm honest, I can't make out the words either 😆 Ten years old this year, it's taken from the "" album which is available on Bandcamp - definitely worth checking! Children of Zeus : Cali Dreams California is a long way from the cold and rain of Manchester in many ways, but as they say, you can dream! I've got at least three copies of the 2021 "" LP (vinyl, digital, and cassette) that this is taken from - so hopefully that gives you a prompt to go and get at least one! As much as Konny says it's "just another weed song", they elevate way past the average with their writing and execution. Their production is great too, and they bring in additional skilled musicians to crystallise their ideas - listen to this track outside of this episode to enjoy the long outro segment. Zeus! Massive Attack ft. Liz Frazer : Teardrop (Mad Professor Mazaruni Vocal Mix) Most of you will know the original version of this classic from the "" LP, and I even played the instrumental version of this remix a few years back - but today, you get the brilliant production of with the beautiful vocals of Liz Fraser in perfect combination. While Fraser can sound good on anything, her floating vocals are set really well here into the echoing, dubbed-out production. Apparently Madonna was the original choice of the songwriter to deliver this lead vocal - with all of the respect due to her, I don't know if it would have been as timeless as the final version turned out to be. [Mr. Rogers?] Trae : Swang (Remix Instrumental) While uncredited on the 12" single, I think this quality beat might be the work of Houston's Mr. Rogers, who, appropriately for this cut, is something of a car expert! You'll probably recognise the song it's borrowing from for its melodic underpinning, but it sounds to be all replayed/interpolated and so probably dodged the sample clearance issues that the original mix had... Torii Wolf : 1st An entirely new track to me even though it was a 2016 release, I only became aware of it when a DJ played it recently on a DJ Premier raid train on Twitch. Yes, this is a DJ Premier production, giving a sturdy backing to this New York singer/songwriter. Not only that, he apparently did another eight tracks on her 2017 LP "", so it's one to check out for those wanting to hear some real deep Preemo cuts from the modern era! The Doppelgangaz : In The Black With their most recent album coming out just before Xmas last year being titled "" you have to give them credit for committing to that lift for real. Starting with ominous pianos, it's not long before the live-sounding boom-bap drums and bassline come in to augment them, and those rhymes of course from the self-styled "Ghastly Duo". A who handle their own production as well as all the MCing, they're dedicated to their craft. Soul Supreme ft. Big Daddy Kane, Checkmark, and DJ Revolution : Come Get It had been, unfairly, languising forgotten on my shelves until I digitised it recently. Big Daddy Kane is a legend, and is clearly the headliner here - it takes a brave MC to go after him, but Checkmark (of Skitzofreniks) does just that on top of production from one of Sweden's finest, Soul Supreme. Seasoning the pot beautifully, contributes the cuts for this straight-up Hip-Hop gem. It's available on the 12" I'm playing it from, but also on 2003's "". Can't believe it's twenty years old already! Sonnyjim ft. English and KoSYNE : Barcodes This made me smile when I pulled the "" off the shelf recently, as at one time or another I've either DJed for (in cipher sessions) or produced everyone on the track! This is a fittingly-titled track, with all the MCs spitting out bars with confidence over KoSYNE's rugged beat - and the punchlines are plentiful. While you hear the main part of the track here, there's an extended ending with some ill freestyling... which you can get if you pick up the EP! Dr. Dre : Murder Ink (Instrumental) I've got to admit, I'll always prefer the original "" to "". That said, you can't deny that Dre continued to refine his skills as a producer and engineer over time, and the was crisp and flawless - to my ears, at least. This track works a classic horror film sample into the mix with deadly effect. The Lady of Rage : Necessary Roughness To end the episode, just a high-quality track from an MC who never got her due. , she was effectively punished for not jumping into the middle of someone else's beef, which is a great shame. This is the title track from her lone LP, and every bit of the mic control she displayed on "" is on display here on top of a beat that reminded me of Craig Mack's "" - turns out they both were produced by the same man, ! Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 163 : Cold, Rolled.
12/30/2022
Episode 163 : Cold, Rolled.
"...while she was waiting for her son to shine." - Mystro Ok - last month was a bit chilly but this one was ridiculous! As 2022 ends, we loosely have a winter/Xmas theme scattered through the selection, some brand new releases that deserve sharing, and many other gems including a Grand Daddy IU production after he passed away this month - RIP to him. By the way - as well as all my other social media accounts, I'm now on Mastodon, since Twitter seems to be falling apart - you can follow my account on Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Shaquille O'Neal ft. Jay-Z and Lord Tariq : No Love Lost I'd almost forgotten that this track existed until I was going through the "S" section of my wax! Shaq was certainly a competent MC, if not a standout, but he was consistently able to leverage his status into some memorable collaborations. Even in 1996 when this track was released on the "" album, his third, Jay-Z was a big feature to get, and Lord Tariq was not long off dropping the enormous hit "" with Peter Gunz. Production comes from Poke and Tone (Trackmasters), and it's a chill head-nodder that definitely brings back memories of the era. Side note: there's of this cut from the DJ Clue "Fall Pt.1" mixtapes that also features Nas! Kev Brown : Myrrh The don of the bassline dropped a surprise Xmas project last year, the sixteen-track and appropriately-named "" and generously offered it at a discount this month. This track goes straight for the nativity angle, with those choral voices floating around the the classic eighth-note sleigh bells and the kind of solid, chunky, funky foundation that Kev has absolutely mastered. This wise man from the east (coast) delivers 🔥 Jointhedots, Dubbul O, and Berry Blacc : Right Now ! I was literally waiting for them to bless me with a copy of this track before recording this episode, so convinced was I that it'd be another in a streak of excellent singles, and it does not disappoint. Dubbul O and Berry Blacc, who are the vocalists for their live performances, combine to provide the vocals on this one, with Berry showing his versatility by singing on the haunting hook as well as spitting the second verse. JTD's production, headed up by Defty, is based around a classy bassline, and everything else falls into place perfectly around it. Another release worthy of ! Smif-N-Wessun : Nothin' Move But The Money Nineties classic! This was an underground and mixtape staple shortly after it was recorded, but...it never actually got released. This track was supposed to be on "", Smif-N-Wessun's , and would even have been first single, but they couldn't clear , and so it had to be dropped. Shame, as it's an absolute killer, with Da Beatminerz taking the original track and manipulating it over to the dark side like Palpatine, creating a perfect canvas for Tek and Steele to get busy, weaving in and out of each other's bars like the legendary duo they are. If you see a copy of this (which will usually involve some kind of bootleg vinyl), just grab it! Tiny Hearts : Snow Cold I can't even remember how I stumbled upon this cut, as I totally missed it on its 2013 release on the "" EP, but this definitely felt like the right time of year to drop it, certainly if the well-below zero temperatures in this area were anything to go by! Tiny Hearts is the combo of Detroit production legend Waajeed, and the duo of producer/composer Tim K and singer Deanne Reynolds of DEDE. Reynolds' dreamy, ghostly vocals are a great compliment to the heavy synth bass and machine drums, and this is the kind of thing that could fit nicely into all kinds of headphone mixes as well as moving a big sound system - even if it's no club tune. Cookin' Soul x A Tribe Called Quest : Butter Cookies I thought I was the only one in my immediate circle to catch this release when it was announced, but I had multiple people either sending me clips or posting it on their own social media within the first couple of days! Cookin' Soul has been doing his thing since the mid-2000s, never being afraid to experiment and blend approaches together, and the new "" tape is no exception. As you can imagine from the name, it blends Xmas influences and samples into the beats, then combines that with the songs of A Tribe Called Quest to produce an irresistible seasonal flavour! This particular song makes me smile for two reasons; firstly, as it's a reworking of "", one of my favourites from "", and secondly, because it's titled after the delicious Danish biscuits which are, all too often, as you might expect! BusCrates : Early Morning Silky synthy jazzy vibes out of Pittsburgh, taken from the "" release. Those synth sounds are so luxurious - if you follow BusCrates , you might have seen a glimpse of his awesome collection of hardware, and he knows exactly what to do with it. Grand Daddy IU ft. O.C., Marquee, Ximone, and Money Harm : Party & Booze With the of Grand Daddy IU this month, I decided not to go back too far, but instead to take a different tack and feature some of his more contemporary material. Given the season, the track selected seems somehow appropriate, and it wouldn't be a party without guests - which this track has by the houseful! IU is behind the boards on this and the rest of his 2020 project "", and it's got a nice vibe, kind of 80s but with the low-end bump that so much of that era lacked added, subtly. RIP. DJ Mentat ft. Mystro : Waiting Real. Just real life all over this brilliant track, which was hidden away as a B-side on the "" single by DJ Mentat, but is also easily as well. I don't even want to talk about Mystro's lyrics - they speak better for themselves than I ever could. Grand Agent and Pete Rock : This Is What They Meant (Ge-ology's Fried Fish n' Cornbread Remix) This is one of the incredibly small number of tracks where might not be the best one! His beat has been replaced here by Ge-ology's excellent work, but you still get Pete on the mic alongside the underrated Grand Agent. This is taken from which contains two different Ge-ology remixes plus the original lick - so take a listen yourself, and let me know if you agree about which the best version is! Nas : Michael & Quincy Another brand new track, taken from one of the most notable releases of the year, "". Nas pays homage to and likens himself and producer Hit-Boy to the the storied, legendary pairing of Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, most explicitly on the final verse, weaving in and some of the famous track titles. Hit-Boy keeps the change-ups coming through this active, dense track to great effect; I may not have been convinced (at all) when he broke out with "", but he's proven himself time and time again since. Mark B & Blade : Use Your Head (Instrumental) Heavy, bassy, pounding, uncompromising, and arguably the best beat on a straight B-boy level from the of the excellent "" EP. RIP Mark B. Skitz ft. Estelle, Tempa, and Wildflower : Domestic Science For those from countries with a different educational tradition and lexicon, "" was the old name for the school subject that included cooking, sewing, and other household skills. As I digitised this B-side earlier in the month, a thought popped into my head - with a male producer and an all-female MC lineup, who was it that titled the track...? Either way, it is a clever flip of the phrase in the sense of the lyrical content being straight down-to-earth Hip-Hop about surviving at home in the UK, both in life and in the music industry. This was a strong, proud track which was the first full song on Skitz' seminal 2001 "" project, and set the tone for the heat found throughout the rest of the LP. EPMD : Can't Hear Nothing But The Music On this podcast we like to bring out the album cuts that don't get the most shine, and this is a prime example - track three on 1992's "", produced by the duo and Charlie Marotta, it's a rugged, rumbling cut perfect for the jeep sound systems of the time. Ice-T ft. Buckshot : Eye Of The Storm I will continue to assert that Ice-T doesn't get enough props for all he's done in Hip-Hop. Twelve years after his debut LP "" (but sixteen after 1983's ""), he's right here holding up his end of this track from "" with Black Moon's Buckshot in true OG style. The producer, Ross Avila, is a singer/songwriter with a of beautiful to his name but this...is not one of them. Dark, frenetic, with the kick drum pattern dancing all over your head, this is rawness. Little Brother : Carolina Agents Tucked away on the "" compilation from a long-ago version of NBA 2K is this LB track that would likely have escaped your notice. 9th Wonder on the beat, of course, with Phonte and Big Pooh taking the first and second verses before going back and forth on the third. It's quite an uptempo track compared to much of their output, but they handle it flawlessly, representing their home state with a heater. [DJ Spinna] Big Twan : One Time 4 The Lyricist (Instrumental) It was many, many episodes back that I played the vocal version of this, but the beat deserved an airing just by itself - great work by the versatile on the Hip-Hop tip. Not to say that the rhymes aren't quality, but it's worth picking up just for the instrumentals! DMC, Chuck D, Ice-T, and DJ Jazzy Jeff : Me And My Microphone In keeping with DMC's recent , is like one of those issues when the superheroes from many stories all combine to take down some supersized threat! Icons across the board on the mic and turntables here, with Bumpy Knuckles taking on production duties. You can't come with a soft beat for a lineup like this, and this cut has the kind of banging rock sensibility which I think could give this some appeal outside the core Hip-Hop audience. This either had to start or end the episode, but ultimately I think this was the right place to have it, allowing it to breathe and play out right to the death. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 162 : Writers' Block
11/30/2022
Episode 162 : Writers' Block
"This might be God speaking, it's just my mouth is moving." - Ka The weather might be cooling, but there is some heat on this one. We pay respects to two Hip-Hop stalwarts who sadly and unexpectedly left us this month - Tame One of The Artifacts, and Hurricane G. We include music from both in the mix, along with some material from their contemporaries, and some newer stuff that might have escaped your notice. Listen, enjoy, buy the releases from the artists you like - let's please give them their flowers while they're here. As well as the socials below, you can also now find me on - @[email protected] Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Public Enemy : LSD One of those tracks I've wanted to play for ages - but something always gets in the way! Unrelenting, banging, squelching, militant sonics to go with the always-fierce lyrics of Chuck D make this a perfect episode opener. Released in 1999 as part of the "" album, you can kind of place it in time thanks to the specifics of the critiques Chuck is making of the music industry of the era. That said, some of the shadiness is, sadly, timeless... [Non Slick] Genesis Elijah : Jah Bless (Instrumental) This was a big UK when it dropped - that heavy bass that always goes down well here, with layers of synth and FX that are so forward that the drum track doesn't have to do too much! According to who actually engineered and mixed this tune, Non Slick's beat almost went to Rodney P but they met Genesis Elijah and ended up giving him the beat instead. I'd argue this is still his best single, so that union was a blessing indeed. Clear Soul Forces : Don't Stop A good friend gifted me the 2019 "" LP on wax this month, which was a perfect present for someone who rates CSF as highly as I do! As always, the MCs absolutely explode with lyrical energy, and Ilajide brings his trademark heavy bass and knocking, slightly off-balance kick drum programming to the dance. Here's the kicker - this only the first half of the track. If you want to hear the rest, go ahead and support with a purchase! Ozay Moore & 14KT : Record Store Day Recently I was speaking to a young workman who loves music, but doesn't actually own any - he listens strictly on streaming services. They have their place, but the magic of the record shop is something that can't be duplicated, and that's the subject of this beautiful memoir. As he says, there are still shops out there so let's support them - not just on , but year-round! Production on this, along with the rest of the "" album is by 14KT - nicely done, kind of sunny-sounding with lots of changeups and decorations through the track. A Tribe Called Quest : Against The World As I say on the voiceover, I was actually going to play something else here originally, but just picked it out of the library on the fly after the mention of Dilla beats on the preceding track. This was from his work on Tribe's "", which like many others I really didn't like much at the time of release, but it's been long enough that it might need a revisiting! The15 : Still Here A bit of soul for you, coming out of a city you might not readily associate with such - Las Vegas! This duo (so far as I can tell) don't have an album out as yet, but this 2020 is pure vibes. If there's something going off in your head as you listen, you might be recognising a vocal motif from Common's "". By the way - when did you last hear scratching like this on an R&B track? Packo : Photon Freefall I'm not sure where I first stumbled upon this one, but I love it. Hawaiian DJ and producer Packo has a of "The Pocketbook Collection" singles, but he came out of the gate blazing with this as track one on ! The rhythm bumps along with some flavoursome loose timing, while the soundscape of synths is warm and draws you in. Then the strings hit, and the piano shortly after - this is a spectacularly dope piece of production. Cocoa Brovaz ft. Hurricane G : Spanish Harlem The late, great Hurricane G, like a real storm, was someone I heard about long before she fully arrived on the scene with her trademark bilingual rhyme style. While she, on theme, incorporates Spanish words into a mostly English guest verse here, she has in her career rhymed with great skill in both languages separately. This track is taken from "", the second Smif-N-Wessun LP - during the period when legal action from the gun manufacturer forced them to change their name. Mr Walt of supplies the low, sparse beat for this late 90s underground gem, and Los Hermanos Chocolates hold it down on this and the rest of an underappreciated album. Cesar Comanche and Poe Mack : Happy Talk Cesar Comanche has been dropping heat since the days when he came out as a charter member of North Carolina's Justus League, and he gives you that old flavour but with his new advancements on the "" album from last year, alongside Poe Mack. J Rawls is on production here, going as far away from the modern trap/synth sound as you can imagine, with a perfect soundtrack for Cesar to talk about, as he tells it himself; "being thankful for my life experiences plus being alive because of and despite them." Wise words indeed. O.C. : Point of Viewz Apologies for the sound quality on this one - it seems that all the digital services/stores have a bit of a weird-sounding version of the audio. If you see his debut "" LP, from which this is taken, on physical media, you'd do well to grab it as it's a 90s classic. O.C. was a perfect fit for the DITC crew, and sounded like a seasoned veteran from day one. The beat uses the live version of a classic jazz sample and is topped by a chunky boom-bap drum track - just tough. Buckwild and Prestige handled production, and the combo of them and this young, gifted MC gave us tracks like this that will always sound great. Oh, and I went to the dictionary - "" is actually a real word, but an archaic one :) Artifacts : Return To Da Wrongside We pay respect to the memory of Tame One with a track that encapsulates the elements he was so known for - MCing and . Telling stories drawn (no pun intended) from or at least inspired by his graf exploits, which I'm sure all the writers among you will appreciate, Tame represents himself for eternity on this one. El Da Sensei of course is also on the mic, and the jazzy boom-bap beat comes from the fingers of Shawn J. Period. A worthy sequel to the classic "", this is a favourite from the Artifacts' sophomore LP "". RIP Tame One. Henry Keen : Digging In Detroit From another record I was gifted this month, we have an excellent instrumental from this London-based producer, a personal highlight for me from his latest LP, "". Beautifully chilled, with some occasional, but brief, tempo changes appearing as we move through the track. Ka : Vessel Ka is truly one of the great writers of our culture - a man who truly sweats and agonises over every word of every bar. If you haven't already and have the time, check out where he speak to ; everything about his approach and his passion is admirable. As an MC who also self-produces much of his material (including the whole of the album this track is taken from, ""), he's able to bring both parts of the whole together like few others. The instrumental is almost hypnotic, and draw you in to focus on his gritty, heartfelt, and intelligent lyrics about coming up in . You may or may not catch all the double meanings or links straight away, but to listen carefully is to be rewarded. Defcee ft. Kipp Stone : Ragnarok I won't lie - I don't think I was up on any of the personnel on this track, but if this is the level of quality to expect then that's something I need to rectify with the quickness! "Descendent of demigods, the hammer chose me"? Come on, that's a bar right there. Over a dark, downtempo soundscape from skilled Chicago producer BoatHouse, it's a Midwest affair with fellow Chicagoan Defcee teaming up with Kipp Stone out of Cleveland to spit raw lyricism over two strong verses. This has been getting repeat play from me all month and it's made the "" a must-listen. Le$ : Bucket This man is approaching Curren$y levels of productivity! It feels like every time I turn round, he has new material out - which I certainly have no complaints about. The new "" sees him link up again with the incredibly talented Tavares Jordan, who gives him this clean, gliding beat to underscore his confident bars. While he's the unquestioned king of , if he stays on his current trajectory he may well be not too far off that ! Teflon ft. M.O.P : Rawness The relative smoothness of the instrumental (although those drums do bang hard) courtesy of M.O.P and Laze leaves plenty of room for all the titular rawness to come on the mic! Serious Brooklyn business with Teflon and M.O.P combining for this B-side (from the "" single), which was a standout from the 1997 "" LP. Large Pro : Saturday Night Soul Just a short beat from one of the greats, which you can find on this year's "" release - one you'll certainly be hearing more from from me on my #BeatsOnly show! Children Of Zeus : Hoodman2Manhood We finish the month by going back to the first (if you don't count the excellent "" collection) CoZ album, "" for some stripped-back soul courtesy of these modern Manchester legends. Tyler Daley - formerly known as Hoodman - takes on vocal duties solo to tell his story, and combines with Konny Kon on production for a soulful, funky gem. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 161 : Dark City
10/31/2022
Episode 161 : Dark City
"Great Britain is a myth right now..." - Strategy Two different occasions combine for this month's episode; it's Halloween, and (0)161 is the Manchester area code, and so we lean towards the dark, sinister, and eerie, as well as including a good chunk of Manchester music in the mix. In several cases, we manage to find both aspects in the same track! The episode title fits the combination...as well as having some . The nights are closing in, and the temperature is falling...this is your seasonal soundtrack. If you'd like to watch my recent appearance on the "All Back To Mine" show, you can catch the replay ! Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Ice-T : Midnight It's a long track, but deserved to be heard in full to get to that ending, which will be appreciated by anyone with Ice-T's catalogue. He's one of the master storytellers in Hip-Hop, and this work of his pen lets you know that there are realistic settings that can be as perilous as any horror film. Taken from probably Ice's best album "", these four verses play out over a dark instrumental with a classing banging drum sample, courtesy of Shafiq Husayn and the legendary . A-Trak : Don't Fool With The Dips (Instrumental) Turntablist supreme and Dipset weren't an obvious combination, but this 2006 single was a great combination - while the double-timed hi-hats are reminiscent of some of the production that the Dips were often heard on, the chopping, angular harshness of the rest of the track is something else entirely. Take a close listen and you'll hear that it sounds like a lot of the sounds are scratched in on a turntable - they probably were! It's worth getting this single if you see it, just don't expect any complex socio-political lyrics :) Regents (Cartridge and Strategy) : Greengate Adhesive The 70/140 BPM might be popular now but it was definitely a UK creation from back in the days, and the kind of ideas that started off in jungle found their way to the originators of grime. That kind of aesthetic has always been part of the Manchester scene from its inception, and Cartridge's production on this cut from last year's "" EP would fit a damp, dark night in the city perfectly. Strategy, an absolute mainstay of the Manchester and Salford scene, burns down the mic on this one, dropping classic local references in amongst the rest of his bars, and the way the vocals are laid at times makes it sound like there's two of him piling over each other to get all those words out. Fire. LEVELZ : Look Who It Is Manchester again, as we take the opening track from the debut "" mixtape from this powerhouse collective. Metrodome and Biome handle production, with the skittering hi-hat pattern dancing across the heavy low end that takes up most of the space in the instrumental, and heavy, distorted bass tones like that have always been very popular here. This is quite a long tune so I did mix out with some verses still remaining, so pick up "LVL 11" online to hear every MC get busy! Kosheen : Cruelty The Bristol area has given us a number of excellent groups who fuse interesting, beat-heavy production techniques with quality vocals, and Kosheen are no exception. This is a selection from their 2013 "" LP that has just the right feel for this episode, with a lumbering, thudding undergirding to the creepy keys and Sian Evans' vocals. Just the kind of record that can fit perfectly into a listening, rather than a dancefloor set. PRGz : WoodGrain I have had this record from "" on my hard drive for absolute years, and always thought a Halloween-time episode would be the best time to bring it out! DJ Benzi and Diplo pull the creepy sing-song melody from the soundtrack of a famous horror film, and the strings, while not quite so dark, certainly add to that feel. Add the 808-based drum track, and you have a certified southern banger! The title, for those that don't know, refers to the expensive (if not exactly safety-enhancing) wooden steering wheels favoured on "" cars, and all the MCs work with the theme comfortably. Notice the unusual post-production of the vocals, with lots of weird manipulation of the pitches of the voices and re-triggering of some of the words - on a track like this, it's definitely a fitting addition. [Luke Vibert] Asylum : Gemini Twins (Instrumental) Before I pulled off my shelves for digitisation, I probably hadn't heard it for over twenty years. The is an extremely dark tale, and you can tell by the sound of Luke Vibert's production that you'll never hear this in any kind of celebratory setting, but it does reflect a prominent strain of domestic underground Hip-Hop of the time. Brian J ft. Suga Free : Level Up I only came across this thanks to a Spotify recommendation, likely based on the amount of Suga Free I've listened to over the years! Brian J and Free hail from the same town, which also provides the seed of the title of the album this is taken from : "". It's not super-complex lyrically or anything like that, with Brian J making sure there's no mistaking the message he's trying to get across. Suga Free's guest verse is an autobiographical one looking back on his early years, which hopefully are well in the rear view mirror as he approaches his announced and enters ! Production is handled by Sparaza from Inland Empire, who provides a suitably contemplative, yet motivating instrumental - I know I've been playing this one in the gym a lot recently. Children Of Zeus ft. HMD : 10 Toes Manchester's own Children Of Zeus feature another locally-based vocalist, , on this sparse track where you still seem to notice something new on the first few listens - it's a subtle piece of production from this skilled duo. If you somehow missed "", where this first appeared, definitely go back and give it a listen, as there are some great tracks on there. You can also get this track on the excellent "" EP, which is also a worthy addition to any collection. Dubbul O & Pro P : Misty River Previous podcast guest Dubbul O is one of the best MCs around, and he hails from this fine city! This pounding -produced (wow, alliteration!) track from the 2014 "" LP has quite a dark vibe, as does the rest of the album, which is very cohesive in that respect. The beat is rugged boom-bap and Dubbul O just comes straight down the lane on the mic, which was exactly the right approach to take with it. Black Josh : Killidoscope One more Manchester track before the instrumental break. I was about to call Black Josh one of the new generation of Manchester MCs, until I remembered that even this track is nine years old! Along with the rest of the "" project, the lyrics and beats are a bit trippy, with borrowing from a smooth 80s soul single and layering it with a rhythm that feels kind of (intentionally) jumpy and askew for something pretty unique. Focus... : fIRE&iCE Starts off pretty dark, brightens up a little over halfway through before coming back down towards the end - a great instrumental from Focus... (yes, the dots are part of his name) from in his "Analog In A Digital World" series. Mobb Deep : Quiet Storm "I put my lifetime in between the paper's lines". That killer opening is one of the most iconic lines of Prodigy's career, and instantly locks you into this classic single from "", the fourth Mobb Deep album. Havoc masterfully shows how re-contextualising a sample can give you a totally different feel, taking the bassline from Melle Mel's "" and making it sound less like a club record and more the kind of thing that fits the album title. Prodigy describes in his book "" how Noyd was originally writing a verse to this track, but when Havoc and Noyd went out to meet some women, Prodigy took control and over the course of three hours wrote and recorded a full set of solo verses to it. It was a great move - as excellent as Noyd and Havoc are as MCs, this song gives you some of Prodigy's best work. Mobb Deep ft. Lil Kim : Quiet Storm (Remix) The third verse of the original track is dope, but I thought I'd switch it up and blend into the second verse of the remix, a classic performance by the great Lil Kim. There have been pretenders to her position, but her skills and history are undeniable. Bugzy Malone : Skeletons When you talk about someone who's had their ups and downs, as well as someone who's been on the grind for many, many years, Manchester's Bugzy Malone fits the bill. His material is definitely in the grime lane, and darkness is a persistent feature - even when the tracks aren't titled as blatantly as this one. He's a man not shy to put his real life into his lyrics, which I think is one of the things that really draws people to him, and here, despite the occasional bar of flash, it's a journey into the darkness of the streets of Manchester and where they too often lead. Blinkie, who has plenty of happier-sounding music in his repertoire, absolutely slays the production here, going half-time with the pace, and going with an ominous, subdued drum track and dramatic keys. This 2021 cut from "" could easily fit in on a thriller or horror soundtrack. Gang Starr : Code Of The Streets While DJ Premier produced the overwhelming majority of Gang Starr material solo, the late great Guru was at least partly responsible for this killer from "". The main sample gives a really dismal feel, and provides a perfect setting for the first couple of verses, telling the story of youth without hope. The cuts between the verses are, fittingly, remembered just as much as any other part of the track, with Preemo showing that you don't have to do anything super-technical to produce something with flavour - common techniques done flawlessly and with feeling will do just fine. GZA ft. Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and U-God : Investigative Reports A deep album cut that was always one of my favourites on GZA's second LP (though first in the Wu era) "", the sound of the woman describing the historic location of in the American Revolutionary War almost brings the ghosts of the fallen combatants out over the gloomy track. RZA is, of course, the producer, and GZA settles in for the middle of the track between U-God on the hooks, and the dynamic duo of Rae and Ghost, who take the opening and closing verses. Quality street bars, with Ghost's wild, slang-laden style, that would get a full-length outing on "" a year later, already well-formed here. On a production/engineering note - notice how during the hooks, RZA pans the kick drums over to one side, and U-God's voice to the other. Pro P : Intoxicated Pro P on the beat again, and this one has all the bass. My goodness, this one will test your system's low end! It's on the 2015 "", which was a welcome release from the Manchester beatsmith. Waajeed ft. Monica Blaire : Knives Out We close with a creepy track I've been meaning to play you for the longest. "" was a 2006 tribute album to Radiohead featuring a whole bunch of covers, and this track featured both there and on "". I can't say I've ever been a Radiohead listener, so I went to check the original version of this song (from 2001's ""), and while it was a decent listen, I have to say...my vote goes to Waajeed and Monica Blaire! Maybe it's the bias of having heard the cover first, but the throbbing bass on the hook here makes it sound really claustrophobic, which builds on the unpleasantness of the lyrics - well conveyed by Blaire. Waajeed is a skilled practitioner of timing/swing control within a beat, in that great Detroit tradition, and that drum track is overlaid with keys upon keys to produce the fleshed-out final product. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 160 : Raw Up Close
09/30/2022
Episode 160 : Raw Up Close
"Whose ways are strange when it's time to survive?" - DOOM My birth month comes around once again, but times are getting rougher out there, so this is a pretty rugged selection on the whole - which, to be fair, fits the changing of the season too. Looks like I'm going to be pulling the hoodies and boots out... RIP Coolio, who passed away just after the music recording was completed for this episode. Never heard a bad word said about the man even once. I'd love to see our legends grow old. Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes L.E.G.A.C.Y : 7-3-71 For all these years, I had no idea what the track title was referring to, but I decided to try and find out while writing these notes. There weren't too many notable events that seemed to fit, but one looked possible - the death of Jim Morrison. On this track, L.E.G.A.C.Y mentions being "the Jim Morrison of this"...the mystery might just be solved! 9th Wonder is on the beat, which shuffles along nicely with a bassline-driven rhythm while L.E.G.A.C.Y spits two freewheeling verses. The "" album from 2003 is now available on Bandcamp, so you can get this and put some money directly into the man's pocket. Statik Selektah : Nobody Move As much as the vocal version with Raekwon and Royce from the "" LP is a winner, it's actually nice to hear this dramatic number on the of the LP without the vocals. The drum track brings to mind the famous , but I don't think it's a sample, and the horns are a great accompaniment. Black Moon : Stay Real If the sample sounds familiar, your ears aren't deceiving you! While you might recognise it from Jay-Z's "", it was the Beatminerz who cooked it up for this track first (and actually, even before them). It's a noisy, dark backing for Buckshot's slithering Brooklyn flow, while 5ft comes with a more animated mic style. This single was a standout from the "" LP, which was a worthy addition to the Black Moon catalogue. They're truly a group who never, ever switched it up for commercial appeal. Prodigy & DJ Premier : Walk Out The welcome surprise of the month is this dark , just released by the estate of the late Prodigy of Mobb Deep. With DJ Premier, who , on production, P just goes in with his legendary icy-cold delivery. For more, check the any-day-now release of the first posthumous Prodigy album, "The Hegelian Dialectic 2: The Book of Heroine". Rest in peace P. Meyhem Lauren, Daringer, and Hologram : Raspberry Crush Meyhem is one of my favourite on the mic, so I was excited to see he had a new release out, entirely produced by from the Griselda crew. "" is a 15-track platter of fuzzy, dusty, mostly downtempo street production for an MC who knows exactly what to do with that kind of material. On this tune Meyhem's fellow Outdoorsman Hologram comes along for the ride, and he does his thing - though there was one adlib I had to be rid of - but Meyhem will pretty much always be the best MC on any track you hear him on. Roc Marciano & The Alchemist : Zig Zag Zig If you like the kind of dark, downtempo crime records that have been in vogue over the last few years, understand that was a pioneer of that style. Combine him with the genius behind the boards that is The Alchemist, leave to cook, and you get something like the new "" album, from which this is drawn. The drums are more prominent here than on many Roc tracks, but still somewhat subdued, and he kicks his trademarked slick talk, street corner, word association lyrics over a long verse before Alchemist brings it home with a changeup on the beat. If you've ever heard me talk about "headphone music", this is a prime example. Jay Dee : Kamaal A little something to nod your head to, taken from Jay Dee's 2003 "" release. The tracks themselves are from the mid to late 90s, but even several years later they stand up, and there's no mistaking the producer - this was the era of his work that arguably spawned the most . Zo! and Tall Black Guy ft. Sy Smith, Black Milk, and Elzhi : The Ride Last year's "" album is a compact, beautiful collaboration between these two talented producers, and one which the R&B fans should definitely have a listen to. Here, it's an all-Detroit affair on the mic with Black Milk and Elzhi coming with short, laidback verses over an instrumental I'd call smooth as silk if it wasn't also giving the woofers a bit of a workout too. Sy Smith rounds things off with a staccato, breathy hook, and a little bit of talkbox action on backing vocals is the perfect accent. Snoop Dogg : The Way Life Used To Be West West! Something told me I needed a production in this spot, so here's one from the 2011 "" album - and Snoop was trying to go even further back that that! Reflecting on the old days and the wisdom of family elders, this actually leads well into the following cut... 2Pac : Nothing But Love This September marks twenty-six years since 2Pac's passing, so I thought I'd go to a B-side (well, co-A-side at least) from my collection, as I've recently been back on my digitisation project. This is on the , and has Pac talking about the streets and lessons learned over a beat he co-produced with Tony Pizzaro. Stro Elliot & James Brown : Coal Sweat Vintage funk with a 21st century kick (literally) as the highly talented producer and multi-instrumentalist Stro Elliot puts some grade A knock into this version of James Brown's funk classic "". This is just one of the heaters on his excellent release "" from earlier this year. If any track on this episode deserves your volume turning to 11, it's this one. Otis McDonald : We Go Hard Otis McDonald is the alter ego of producer Joe Bagale, and since finding out about him this year, I haven't heard a bad beat yet! A lot of his music has actually been , which is definitely an unusual move. As great as this new single from the "" LP would be with a top-tier lyricist rhyming on it, it simply doesn't need it, and effortlessly lives up to its title. The Basement Khemist : Everybody (L.I.F.E.) This B-side slipped by me for many a year, as the excellent "" was always a favourite, but I gave the other side a spin recently and thought it'd be a good one to share! While the act name implies a single person, their name has varied over different releases and this is in fact a group. Produced by crew member Joc Max, there's a lot to like lyrically here, with the MCs alternating between a prayer and lamenting the temptations of the streets. Elzhi ft. Ayah : The Leak Elzhi again, why not? This time he takes centre stage though, on the first full track from his 2008 LP "". 's beat is burly, with the kick-bass combo filling the low end nicely, and all the other (sampled?) instrumentation falling into place around it. Of course, it's all about the bars when it comes to an Elzhi cut and he gives us the quality verses we've come to expect. For the streaming fans, this LP currently is on Tidal but not Spotify, but personally I'd recomment buying it - especially with the excellent "" also being included. Nym Lo, Dave East, Statik Selektah : I Love The Game The final tune chosen for this month's mix, this one leapt into the selection before I'd even got to the end of the first verse! Harlem representative Nym Lo drops a , but it's guest Dave East who more effectively emphasises the message from the hook - the streets don't love you. Statik Selektah's beat has plenty of low-end knock on a 2022 boom-bap tip. Definitely a release to add to your collection! Madvillain : Strange Ways "Now, who's the real thugs, killers, and gangsters?" Who indeed? Probably my favourite track from the classic "" LP - while I confess to not being as big a Madlib fan as some, this beat of his is a perfect canvas for the late MF DOOM to spit a compact two verses on the violence of the world. Pete Rock : Mind Frame (Instrumental) Winding it back over twenty years, we have this bumping, brash Pete Rock beat that you might well know from the updated release of the "" album; pretty much any modern-day purchase will include this, with Freddie Foxxx coming extra-rugged on the vocals. This instrumental did come out as part of the "" single though, as well as the compilation "" - both well worth having. Wu-Tang Clan : Protect Ya Neck (Radio Version) As I say on the voiceover, Wu-Tang came to mind when I reached this , and this track in particular. Rather than play the album version, I decided to go with the radio edit from the - this was the way I heard this track for the first time, and to this day I still prefer it! that still hits almost thirty years after its original release, and a near-perfect introduction to the Clan; Masta Killa and Cappadonna, who at various times have been listed as members, don't appear, but everyone else does and they burn it down. You had to be there in '93 to appreciate what a rebellion this was against the dominant sounds, but just know that it changed the game. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 159 : Playing Rough
08/31/2022
Episode 159 : Playing Rough
"...today, we choose violence..." - Da-Neek Last month we had a nice, chilled, downtempo selection, gliding through several different genres. This month, we're flipping the script and rooting ourselves in pure beats, rhymes, and cuts! Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Public Enemy : Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic I was originally going to start the episode with the second track you'll hear, but a) I figured there'd be some listeners who wouldn't grab the reference it was making, and b) I'm always up for a bit of Public Enemy! This is an album cut from the "", and a bit of a signal of the era; how many groups nowadays would do a track about their DJ? In fact, how many of them even have DJs? The LOX : Terminator LOX And now, we slide into a that has lovers of the real nodding in approval! Yonkers' own LOX come out swinging with this rugged single based around the preceding PE track. Great to see skilled veterans of the artform paying homage to those who came before them. J-Zone : I'm Fuckin' Up The Money (Instrumental) J-Zone is now a highly-accomplished , but he was a beast on the MPC - even if the lyrics were humourous, the skills were no joke. The vocal version of this cut from "" actually has H.U.G soloing on the mic with a fine performance, but you'll need to grab the "" single for this instrumental. Neelam (ft. Da-Neek and Goalden Child) : We Got Em Like I rarely use emojis in my write-ups, but 🔥🔥🔥🔥! If I recall correctly, I heard a snippet of this posted on Instagram by Pete Rock, and immediately went to chase it down. The clip was immediately attention-grabbing, with women in militant garb doing drill manoeuvres around the MC, who's crystal-clear flow cut through the ominous, militaristic beat. Neelam and the guest MC on this cut are all representing the , and each is from a different part of the country - in order, California, New York, and Chicago. All of them have skills, but Neelam is an absolute standout. This is a killer from the "" EP, with Marquis Henri Scott and Vinson Alaz Muhammad providing the instrumental backing for three verses of the type you rarely hear these days. Royce Da 5'9" : Soldier's Story I decided to follow up with another military-inspired track, even if it's not coming from the same place message-wise! This Reef-produced 2000 track from Royce was on the B-side of the "" , and if I'm honest, I've always preferred it! Red Astaire : Ghetto Hell RIP to Red Astaire, who sadly and unexpectedly in June this year. The Swedish beatsmith put out some incredibly high-quality work over the years, and this 2004 12" - now available as a - is just one example. It takes a brave person to consider ripping out on D'Angelo's "", but Red does it. Stripping things all the way back to a straight rhythm at first and then adding synths along the way, he crafts a beat that is a worthy remix - and then tops it off by throwing a sample of a speech on economics and exploitation on at the close! Red Astaire may no longer be with us, but his 12"s will be in the crates of many DJs for a long time to come. [Charlemagne] Natural Elements : 2Tons (TV Track) One of the few TV Tracks that isn't marred by a load of vocals! The drum action on this beat is serious, courtesy of the , who was the man behind the board for almost all of Natural Elements' earlier material. Definitely seek out the of , as what NE are known for, more than anything, is their . Tek : Hip-Hop A bite-sized heater from the 2006 "" album which also spawned the monster "". Tek works in perfect sync with the production here, leaving space for the various vocal samples and wrapping them into the verses themselves. Pete Rock : One Time (Strap Yourself Down) All these years and still going strong, Pete Rock continues to give us that work and evolve his sound; not to say that anything needed to change, but he's not afraid to throw in sonic elements that aren't obvious signatures. The drums on this selection from "" could easily have come from The Basement back in the 90s though...dopeness. Omniscence : Raw Factor Speaking of the 90s, we go back to that storied decade for this tune, the title track of the debut album from North Carolina's Omniscence. The LP was actually shelved at the time due to label politics and didn't see the light of day until 2014, when it finally got a release ! Produced by Fanatic, this sounds incredibly of its era in the best way - you can imagine this on a mixtape with Mic Geronimo, Nine, and plenty of others, slotting in seamlessly. Sean Price and Small Professor (ft. Illa Ghee, Rock, and DJ Revolution) : Think About It In August I always like to make sure I play some Sean Price, and we dip into one of his posthumous releases, the "" LP with Small Professor. He slays the first verse, Illa Ghee does his thing on the second, and then Rock - Sean's partner in Heltah Skeltah - brings it home heavy. Small Professor's beat is dark, and accented by the sharp, angular cuts of . The stereo panning on those cuts are a nice touch too! Dubbul O & Jointhedots : 100 Degree from one of my favourite MCs alongside the skilled musicianship of Jointhedots, showing the level of talent coming out of Manchester. We did actually reach 100 degrees (Fahrenheit) fairly recently, which is a bit worrying, but I digress...this meeting of the minds hasn't missed with any of their releases - whether lyrics or production is your thing, they have what you need. Da Bush Babees : Gravity The title track of the second LP from this Flatbush, Native Tongues-affiliated crew (yep, I thought it was the debut myself), this just has that down-to-earth bump that you can't help but groove to, alongside solid lyricism with the underlying flavour of the Caribbean, from which all the members hail (Jamaica and Trinidad). are on production, meaning any combination of J Dilla, Q-Tip, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Da Bush Babees a crew that should have got more shine in their original form! Statik Selektah : You Win (Instrumental) This just fit nicely! Statik Selektah is one of those producers who quietly, consistently has worked his way into being one of the true heavyweights in today's scene. This particular track is from the "" album, which as the title suggests, was entirely recorded in Honolulu. Black Soprano Family (Benny The Butcher, Heem B$F, Rick Hyde) and DJ Premier : Times Is Rough Different generations of ruggedness combine across the mic/board boundary for this ill . DJ Premier cooks up a signature beat and seasons it with another great scratch hook, while the BSF crew, headed up by Benny The Butcher, drop fire 2020s street bars from start to finish. Bumpy Knuckles : The Flow Is Classic HipHop That track title passes the Ronseal test! If there's a list of MCs who will never sell out for commercial appeal, Bumpy Knuckles' name would be a sure inclusion. Classic boom-bap here, self-produced, from the 2013 "Mix Files, Vol.1" EP. You'll only find a couple of tracks on Spotify, so you'll need to make a purchase - if you can find somewhere still selling it - to hear the release in its entirety. Little Brother & Chaundon : The Honorable Ok, kind of interesting labelling on this one. Originally credited/titled as "Untitled (Hot)" by Phonte and Chaundon on the "Just Us, Volume 7" Justus League mixtape, this eventually surfaced again as "The Honorable" on LB's "" release. 9th Wonder on the incredible beat of course, with a very dope scratch chorus might I add, and all the MCs representing strong. Chaundon's guest verse is a gem, and his line about tossing "your Microsoft ass out of 98 windows" marks the time period when this was recorded! dead prez : Way Of Life An anthem for the martial artist, this is from a crew who walk it like they talk it. Produced by Stic, this one draws you in with the reversed sounds and the bass and guitar work, then keeps you there with the repetitious, almost meditative flow. Find this on the "" LP. Repeat : Repeat To Fade This one just got pulled out of the deepest corners of my stash, a compilation where I wouldn't have expected for a second to find something to mix in here - "", which is primarily a dance-oriented three-CD compilation. As you can imagine, trying to Google for info on an artist and song with these names is pretty brutal, but I think this Repeat was an Italian act - that's the extent of what I can find! This cut could fit into a Bristol bass/trip-hop mix, with a crashing drum break or two working against atmospheric pads and an insistent bassline. Sean Price & Agallah : Telemundo We close the episode with one more for Sean Price, from that period after Heltah Skeltah's hiatus, and before Sean's second act had gained the momentum it later would. Agallah appreciated the talent even when others somehow slept, and this Brooklyn union has always made me smile. Ag is on the beat as well as on the mic, but Sean still makes this his track with skill, wit, and humour :) R.I...P! Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 158 : Summer? Madness.
07/28/2022
Episode 158 : Summer? Madness.
"If you move, I'll fall." - Traditional I've been away for most of the month dealing with a family emergency, but I've just about managed to get an episode together with the few days of the month I've been in Manchester. I spent a few of the days away trying to do my day job in some absolutely punishing heat, and so ended up listening to a lot of laid-back tunes to fit the temperature - as such, I thought I'd shape the month's selection in the same manner! Some old classics (including one for KMG, RIP) and more recent cuts, moving through a few different genres - enjoy! Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes India Shawn ft. Anderson .Paak : Movin' On We start the episode on the modern soul tip with a killer from Los Angeles native India Shawn, who you'll have heard on the podcast before. As much as Anderson .Paak comes through with a great guest appearance, it's absolutely still her song. It's sunny, fresh, and a good song to wake up to as much as anything! With her message of moving out of a bad situation to something better, India Shawn creates an uplifting cut alongside producer D'Mile, which you can find on the short "" album. Tavaras Jordan : The Player's Ball The more I catch up on his back catalogue, the more this man becomes one of my favourite musicians and producers. This instrumental is from his "" beat tape, and it's a sunny, refined track which, while you could imagine being topped with an R&B singer quite easily, is perfect just as it is. Roy Ayers Ubiquity : Everybody Loves The Sunshine One of the timeless, foundation, unimpeachable summer anthems - already forty-six years old and it still gets plenty of play. That's not even getting into how many times it's been covered, remixed, sampled, it's just a cultural staple. If you don't know, Roy Ayers is a jazz/soul/funk artist, writer, and producer, who has been putting out work since the early Sixties - and who is still performing live today! This is the title track from under the name "Roy Ayers Ubiquity", and while the whole LP is good, this will always be the standout. Lisa Shaw : Better Days The opening track from Lisa Shaw's second LP, "", this is a light and airy, beautifully-engineered track that puts Shaw front and centre, at a slow and leisurely pace to warm you up for the more uptempo material that makes up the majority of the album. Still waiting on a third LP from this incredibly talented artist though... Le$ : Campaign Late night Houston music! The "" EP was another quality release from the man with maybe the biggest contrast between his work ethic and how energetic he sounds on the mic (that said, Snoop also exists), and after playing this quite a few times this month I thought it was the track to include in the mix. Those gliding keyboards open things up and acclimatise you and then when the drum track drops, you're fully locked in. UGK : It's Supposed To Bubble If you don't know UGK's work, I'd recommend giving them a listen - (RIP) and Bun B came out of Port Arthur, Texas, with their own highly-musical brand of Hip-Hop that stands up against anyone you can name. What often sounds like samples in their work is often built up with live, versions of famous licks played by Pimp and guests, and then they bring their southern flavour to the mic. This track comes from their second LP, 1994's "", and they're celebrating with a little champagne. It does, indeed, be like that sometimes. MF DOOM : Red And Gold (Original 12" Instrumental) No matter what, "" will always be my favourite MF DOOM (RIP) release - at that time, it hit like nothing else, sounding like someone with a stack of 80s records, , and a mic, holed up in a bedroom and going for it. I'm not going to mention the sample, but it's not hidden at all - and you likely recognise it from some other uses! Prodigy : Stronger The late, great Prodigy on a slow and low number from the "" and later the "" LP, spitting rawness with that legendary voice. King Benny borrows from the 1966 Nina Simone classic "", and the specific words he takes and manipulates makes me wonder if it's a specific reference to P's strength in enduring for so long. Brand New Heavies : Mind Trips (Durham Remix) If you want a different take on BNH material, definitely seek out the "" remix collection - it's two CDs (or digital, I guess), one being funk-based and the other all house remixes. As you can hear, this is the former, reworked by the Hip-Hop producer Bob Durham, who gives this a classy, laid-back vibe. As well as being on that remix collection, this was on the original "Mind Trips" single from 1995, along with a Def Jef version - so worth looking out for! Geto Boys : Leanin' On You When the Geto Boys first came out with this lineup for their legendarily brutal 1990 debut "", you could never have imagined that one day, Bushwick Bill (RIP) would be spitting Christian bars, which just goes to show you never know what the future holds! Bill's lyrics on this track from "" were actually written by Willie D, who also delivers the opening verse himself. Mr. Mixx of 2 Live Crew builds the track around a 70s soul sample, borrowing the hook entirely to set the theme for all the MCs to rhyme about loss, pain, and those times when we all falter. Ann Peebles : I Can't Stand The Rain Even if you don't know it, you'll recognise it - a true giant of a track. Inspired by an actual comment from Peebles when a rainstorm started as she and friends were due to head to a concert, songwriter Don Bryant and DJ Bernie Miller wrote the foundation and then brought it to , who cooked up the raindrop riff. From there, it just needed a strong vocal to make it a classic and Ann Peebles delivers in spades, a classic performance where she lets it all out. It's been , and , but sometimes you need that original lick. More heat on ! Khruangbin : August 10 We return to Texas for this beautiful instrumental number from this Houston funk powerhouse. The "" LP is one that really deserves a front-to-back listen on a hot day with a quality pair of headphones or a sound system, and this track gives you a great appetiser. The first song the group wrote together was "", and this track is actually that song , with some added flavour into the bargain. Genius! Shaun Escoffery : Give Everything (DJ Spinna Remix) I had a download (sssh) back in the day of the "" remix LP claiming that this is a DJ Cam remix, but I bought it recently and it's labelled as a DJ Spinna remix, so that's what we're going with! It's a Brooklyn-UK connection, with Spinna on the beat leaving loads of space for Shaun Escoffery's vocals, stripping away the acoustic guitars and other flourishes from the original. Speaking of the original, it's on the 2002 "" album, which contains some absolute fire - if you only dip in for one other track, I recommend "". Above The Law : Encore Many groups struggle to put together a great three-album run, but Above The Law reached that mark and surpassed it - for me, their HoF run is at least four, and possibly five albums long (ending with "Legends"). This is from their fourth LP, "", which is one you should definitely try to find if you've never heard it - in my opinion, it really hasn't aged and remains a great listen to this day. This track was the first on the vinyl (second on CD), and is a perfect opener. The late great KMG takes the first verse, telling the story of the group's come-up in his laid-back style, with Cold 187um delivering his verse with a more hype approach. Production is also handled by Cold 187um, showing absolute mastery of his evolution of the sound. Janelle Monáe : It's Code You should know the deal by now when one of the modern greats blesses us with an album. "" is already nine years old, but still stands up and I went back to that LP for this track, another chapter in her long-running musical narrative telling the story of the android Cindi Mayweather. If you weren't listening closely or hadn't read the title, you might think this song was titled "It's Cold", but Janelle flips it in keeping with the overall tech theme. Jay-Z : People Talkin' "I ain't gotta sell another record in my life", he says - and while he might have been right, he shifted a fair few after this was recorded! This was labelled as "People Are Talking" on the white label 12" I have it on, but this is much more easily available as a bonus track on the Jay-Z "" album. Lyrically you can tell that this comes from the period when Jay seemed to have beef with everyone - Nas, Mobb Deep, some guy selling burgers on the corner...anyway, he's sharp with it as always! Ski Beatz is on production, with his own take on the sped-up soul samples that were so popular around this time. Agallah : Living Love (Instrumental) Just what I needed for this spot, coming from the "" by one of East New York's finest. This drumless track that is simultaneously vocal-sampling and yet basically an instrumental - skilfully done. Trae Tha Truth : Rollin' Correction here: I said it was an 80s sample, but in fact it was from a 1979 record. Saying no more though! I play this one so much for myself, I was amazed to find it hadn't been on the podcast yet! Trae is not only a veteran MC, with solo album releases going back nearly twenty years (and collabs before that), but a noted and self-driven philanthropist who has tirelessly put work into his community. He's so beloved in his hometown of Houston that the city honoured him by declaring July 22nd "", and the love is well-earned. He's still pumping out the music today, but we go back ten years to the 2012 "" release to close this episode. It's a favourite topic of the region - how ill his car is, how good he looks riding in it - and he executes it well over a reworking of a classic soul sample by Platinum Hands. As with many tracks from the South, I maintain that if you don't like it, you're probably listening to it in the wrong setting; play it on a good car or club system, and you'll understand... Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 157 : XIII
06/29/2022
Episode 157 : XIII
"I only ride with the MFers that I used to walk with." - Suga Free Another milestone passed - this is the thirteenth birthday episode! Thank you all for staying with me over the long road travelled since that first pilot show. For this month's episode, we once again visit the old and the new, starting with a brand new release from one of my favourite MCs and ending with some storied veterans coming back to burn like T La Rock! Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Matterflow ft. Raekwon : Gray Space We open the episode with a cross-Atlantic combination - the Parisian producer Matterflow alongside the Staten Island Wu-Tang legend Raekwon. It's a reflective single with a downbeat sound, as Rae talks about moving from the "gray space" he inhabited in his young days to a very different life now. As some of us were recently discussing on a stream, nowadays in the age of digital releases it's so easy for a single like this to come out and quietly slip by the people who'd want to hear it, so I'm glad I didn't miss this one. King I Divine : Reflections I first heard King I Divine's production a good few years back when someone sent me his work, but then he dropped off my radar completely - which would mostly have been my fault! It was a pleasant surprise to hear him popping up on the Chillhop label, whose releases are quickly becoming a go-to for soundtracking tough programming sessions. This is a beautiful , not long, but with a relaxed piano line running through, finding its way through all the drums, percussion, and bass. Mobb Deep : Back At You RIP Prodigy. There's a good chance that this track might have slipped past you - the very similarly named "" featured on "", but this slower, more measured cut was on the "" . It also apparently got a single release, which I might chase down just to get the excellent Havoc instrumental. People Under The Stairs : Carried Away RIP Double K, another artist gone too soon. I was surprised not to have played the title track to the PUTS "" album, their seventh, before, but the vibe is perfect for this time of year. The beat is so crispy and airy that Thes and K give us a twenty-bar intro before the lyrics start to just enjoy it, and a similarly lengthy outro - which also makes it great for DJs! Marco Polo ft. Oddisee, Kev Brown, Kenn Starr, Kaimbr, and Cy Young : Low Budget Allstars The DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) is in full effect here! Marco Polo is on production, as this is taken from his first LP "", but I think it's fair to say that he clearly shows a Kev Brown influence on this beat. I wouldn't be surprised if these two collaborated to cook up this track, before Kev and crew got on the mic to top it with bars upon bars. If you like a good , then this is going to make you smile from ear-to-ear - while nodding your head! Camp Lo ft. Trugoy The Dove : B-Side To Hollywood The Lo and De La together on this deep album cut from Camp Lo's debut "" make for a flavourful combination. Interestingly, this is the only song on the LP not produced by Ski - Trugoy gets behind the boards himself, and you could easily imagine this track, with the hook and all, being on a De La album. [Tonedeff] PackFM : Stomp (Instrumental) The Bhangra vibes are heavy on this one! Tonedeff channels the kind of sounds I remember hearing in my neighbourhood as a kid into for Brooklyn's PackFM. There are plenty of interesting things going on in this beat, from the periodic drum rolls/flourishes to the section where the programming suddenly changes and starts racing along in double time - it's a nice piece of work! Visioneers : Rollin' For The Ride I'd somehow almost forgotten about this track, until I gave the "" LP a spin recently. A great mostly-instrumental groove, it could easily have been used as a bed between mixes but here it gets chance to breathe! Visioneers is a project headed up by Marc Mac (of 4Hero), Hopper, and Somatik, and they've put some serious releases out over the years. This breezy groove is perfect for the summer months, and should hopefully prod you into listening to the whole album. Zapp : Brand New Player This isn't the sound most people would associate with Zapp, but take away the talkboxes and heavy synths and they still get busy with traditional vocals and instrumentation! As well as the late great Roger Troutman and the rest of the crew, this track features production from the legendary bassist of Parliament/Funkadelic fame, and the combination is magic. This oft-overlooked gem is on the , which is one to absolutely grab on vinyl if you ever see it - it's an important one to have in your collection. DJ Quik ft. 2nd II None and Peter Gunz : So Many Wayz An aside; between this, "", and his guest appearance on "", Peter Gunz has pretty much set his stall out as the king of dirty macking, perhaps only second to LL Cool J. Anyway, his appearance on DJ Quik's "" album wasn't necessarily an expected one but he holds it down for his town alongside Quik protoges 2nd II None and Mr. Blake himself. This tune has a but try as I might, I couldn't get it to blend how I wanted to, so go and peep the whole album to hear it for yourself - it's an excellent listen, and an LP which is widely regarded as one of Quik's best. Z-Ro : We Ride This one has been getting a lot of in-car play lately, so I was pleased to find a spot for it here. As is often the case with Houston's Z-Ro, there's a marked contrast between the cheerfulness of the production and the darkness of some of what he says, but you certainly can't deny his talent. He's a highly-skilled MC who can switch it up and sing, or do both at once as he does here, and at no time will it sound forced. This track is from the 2011 "" album, but is really kind of ageless - it could have come out last week. handle the production and cook up a personal classic. B. Bravo : Da Essence This artist was played on the show just last month, but this track earned him a rapid return! A skilled practitioner of the electronic funk, he cooks up this track to open the new "" LP, so take this free sample and then check out the main course... The Gap Band : Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me) This lament of an abandoned man is a funk classic which I'm sure quite a few of you will know - and if you don't, you might well recognise that screeching tyre sample, which has been borrowed over and over again! This absolute monster was on the 1980 release "" from Tulsa's finest, and has been an influence on more musicians than you'd think. Dave Grohl that the drum pattern for Nirvana's "" was pretty much a direct lift of the drum intro from this track! Ilajide ft. Clear Soul Forces : Vol 69 Big Detroit flavour from the recently-released "" album. Ilajide brings in the rest of the CSF members on this track, which timing-wise feels like it's ready to trip over itself at any moment - it's got a beautiful kind of instability to its funkiness, only enhanced by the firehose delivery of the verses. The vibes here are just undeniable. Buscrates ft. Laura Benack : You Got Me (Extended) Having recently got up on some of the work of Pittsburgh's funk maestro Buscrates, I've been digging back for tunes that I would have previously missed, and this is a stunner. You could imagine this one moving a sophisticated dancefloor, with the clear and precise keyboard bassline being the highlight of the beat, and the the production overall leaving plenty of space for Laura Benack's vocals to shine. You can find this on the "" compilation, but it's also available as - digital release, if nothing else. Suga Free and Kokane : SugaKane This combination definitely needs to be heard over the length of an entire album. For now, we have this Cutty Dre-produced , on which two - if not necessarily widely-known - West Coast vocalists give you a sample of their styles. Suga Free basically turns motivational speaker on this one - if you're not used to him, you might have to rewind a few times to catch some of the jewels! [Evil Dee] Black Moon : Fuck It Up (Rugged and Ruff Instrumental) B-side action from the flip of the , with Evil Dee going in with a nice bit of jazz style. Son Of Noise ft. DJ Stylewarz : Adrenaline Have you ever seen one of those viral videos where some young and cocky idiot tries to bring it to an older man, only to find himself thoroughly ? Well, Son Of Noise certainly aren't as old as all that, but this absolute flamethrower proves that there's no subsitute for experience - which new jacks are bringing it like this? Son Of Noise were born out of the breakup of the pioneering UK crew Hardnoise, who were responsible for tracks like the legendary "" and "" (which you'll hear cut up here). Despite suffering personal losses and record company drama over the years, they've stayed active and true, and you absolutely have to respect them. Taken from last year's "" EP, this is a great channeling of the classic sound sometimes referred to as "Britcore", which was arguably the most prominent vein of late 80s-early 90s UK Hip-Hop. Think of those records as like action films on wax, and this is a high-quality modern example - the beat by OG Bulldog is pure drama, the bars are packed with skills and aggression, and the cuts? 🔥🔥🔥🔥 could only close the episode, as there's no way to follow it. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 156 : Remain Original
05/31/2022
Episode 156 : Remain Original
"...'cos it's the right thing to do." - Sensei Of Soul With no particular theme I wanted to integrate this month, there were all kinds of directions available to go in! I've gone with a selection that has some stellar remakes, one or two old and overlooked gems, and an overall pacing that starts you off storming the barricades and ends at deep concentration. As mentioned at the end of the show - I know it's seriously a hard time for a lot of people with the rising cost of living, but if you're one of those doing better, Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Public Enemy ft. Nas, Black Thought, Rapsody, YG, Jahi, and Questlove : Fight The Power 2020 Now that is a serious guest lineup! Everyone invited had to be incredibly honoured to get the nod from Public Enemy to appear on of their classic . Sadly, it's as relevant as ever, and the new verses include the names of more victims of white supremacy - let's hope that we're not here for another version in 2051. [Kut Masta Kurt] PMD : Straight From Da Heart (Instrumental) Simultaneously angular and a straight-ahead groove as so many of Kurt's beats are, this was a great backing for Parrish Smith of EPMD on this single from the "" solo LP, during the period in which EPMD was disbanded. Robert Glasper ft. Yasiin Bey : Black Radio If you like "" Mos Def, then this vocal performance will likely be right up your street. This was the title track of the first Robert Glasper Experiment LP "" (Glasper's fifth overall), where he mixes his jazz foundation with Hip-Hop and a lot besides. With the released this year, do yourself a favour and listen to the complete set! Tiombe Lockhart : O'Bloody Days, O'Starry Nights On The Bowery Of all the tracks on Waajeed's "", this may not be the one that grabs you instantly, but after repeated listens the quality will draw you in. The Detroit electronic sound and humanised drum timing are in full effect on a dense, sweeping piece of production, while Lockhart's vocals are haunting. De La Soul : The Return of DST A short but excellent track which I first heard on "" It channels a vibe just straddling the end of the old skool and the start of the new (for those that don't know, RUN DMC's revolutionary debut is arguably the dividing line), and pays homage to , who was originally known as D.St, and famously was the featured artist on "" by Herbie Hancock. Starship Connection : Heartbreaker I think I first heard this on Twitch, where the sheer number of quality DJs you can view on any given day really makes you want to stay on top of your game! Made up of B.Bravo out of Los Angeles and San Fran's Teeko, Starship Connection fly the flag for the classic electro-funk sound, and is a sterling example. Bravo takes command of the and Teeko on production as the duo cover the classic Zapp track "". The rhythm is, in modern style, a bit more on the edge, and they punctuate the tracks with extra breakdowns and flourishes compared to the original. This was a brave one to take on, but they do it proud! Jan Hammer : Transformers Jan Hammer will always be one of my favourite musicians, and this track from the 1992 soundtrack to the surreal, computer-generated film "" could just have easily slotted into the "" or "" scores. He's known for being able to do some amazing things with pure synths, like the one we have here - he could much more easily call in a guitarist, but that wouldn't be as much fun! Maro Music, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah : Throwback Boogie Of all the combinations of Wu MCs, is almost certainly the most iconic and influential, so the producer Maro Music pulled a blinder getting them both to take the mic over his beat on . The beat is just raw crunching thump, and the bars are criminology - exactly how we like it. Meyhem Lauren : Hate Somehow I'd forgotten all about this one from the "" album, but was reminded when popped up in my Youtube recommendations! This one just grinds sonically, with Icerocks bringing pure ruggedness on the production. Meyhem has fun with it, not going crazy complex but still with some wordplay gems, and the whole attitude is just defiant flossing. Mega Ran ft. Del Tha Funky Homosapien : Box and One As DJ A-Up and Bedos might have said, this is that NouGold! Mega Ran's star has deservedly continued to ascend, and to hear him connect with one of the great MCs I remember debuting in the 90s is wonderful. All-star pen game all over this DJ DN3-produced track, which is titled after a basketball defensive technique sometimes used to stifle one dominant offensive player, and seen as a mark of respect for/fear of their skills. The "" LP is definitely one worth your time, and one that explores possibly the crossover of my interests growing up - , , and ! Herma Puma ft. Sensei Of Soul : Disposable Rappers (BusCrates Remix) Heavy futuristic-tinged business here with Pittsburgh's crafting a remix of this Herma Puma track reminiscent of DJ Spinna, and Sensei of Soul encouraging us to clean house - not in a sniffy purist, "you may only sound like this" way, but in the sense of quality control and the welfare of the art as a whole. Sometimes a reminder is needed that declining standards don't have to be accepted! This track escaped my full notice for a while, but it's Le$ : Do You Feel Me? (Instrumental) While Le$ might have had some of his most memorable on-mic moments on the production of guys like and , he can get busy on the boards himself. This beat from "" takes a nice 80s sample and just puts a little extra on it. Dwele ft. Slum Village : Keep On This is that blend where R&B/neo-soul brings Hip-Hop into the mix, and this time it's all in the family. Detroit's Dwele is part of the extended Slum Village family (you may know him from tracks like Slum's ""), and here he borrows a taste from Soulquarian Common's Dilla-produced "" to sidle up to an unnamed lady. With J Dilla on production again here, and Slum Village appearing as guests on the mic, it's all love. Snoop ft. October London : Touch Away Another re-animated here on this - not from the recently-released "BODR" album, but apparently from an upcoming release "Death Row Summer". This isn't the first time this groove has , and it's not even disguised - not too much cut on it, as it were. Some accenting bass and drums is all it takes to give it that 2022 wash and wax. Top-down music all the way with October London providing a little soulful accent. DJ Spinna ft. Apani B & Jean Grae : Hold I had to flick back into the archives because I was absolutely convinced that I'd already played you this one, but somehow it seems to have escaped the monthly selections! Jean Grae and Apani B are raw on the mic, a perfect combination on top of the production of DJ Spinna. This particular cut is from "", Spinna's first contribution to BBE's "Beat Generation" series, where a number of top producers were given free reign to turn in any kind of album they liked. Spinna showed his versatility throughout, but this is just straight-ahead Hip-Hop, interpolating a famous soul bassline, building around that, and letting the MCs loose! Method Man, Jadakiss, Eddie I, 5th PXWER : Switch Sides The lead two artists will be known to most, but the latter two probably less so. Eddie I was someone I struggled to find info on (no Google, I don't mean Eddie Izzard), but 5th PXWER is the now-emerging son of Method Man. He's got a long way to go to compete with his famous father, but then so do most MCs. P.Version crafts a rugged instrumental, and this track from "" speaks to a universal truth - you can't trust a turncoat. Pete Rock : Time For Learning A beat that grabbed me from the very first listen, this is my clear favourite from the new "" collection from Mount Vernon's finest. With only two years since the third edition, the pace between releases seems to be quickening - which is great for us :) Don't sleep on the expanding catalogue of1 one of the greatest ever ! Eric B & Rakim : As The Rhyme Goes On With the prospect of Rakim making his long-awaited return to Manchester, I decided to end the episode with a track from "" that isn't necessarily the most played from the Eric B & Rakim canon. Replaying a classic soul number for the bassline, it kicks off with the drumline audio being reversed (remember kids, no digital editing yet!) before it switches to the normal direction after Rakim's opening four bars. This has a deep meditation vibe, broken up only by the "pump it up homeboy" samples, which are kind of all over the place timing-wise - I'd have preferred less, but who am I to argue with legends? Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 155 : Uptown Funk
04/30/2022
Episode 155 : Uptown Funk
"...you can rally troops, but I play the awesome defence..." - Guru 155 brought to mind the famous Rucker Park on 155th St and Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem, which is the home borough of a recently departed legend - DJ Kay Slay, aka Dez, aka The Drama King (aka Slap Your Favourite DJ. But don't, please). Closer to home, we wish a peaceful journey to Phil Ratcliffe of The Mouse Outfit/Tungusku/Extra Love, who also sadly left us this month. His guitar playing closes the episode, which overall starts off hectic and decelerates towards the contemplative at the end. I hope he'd have approved. Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes PM Dawn : The Nocturnal Is In The House RIP Prince Be. I'd be lying if I said I was really playing PM Dawn back in the day, but when I heard this tune on the "" ...couldn't deny it! According to Wikipedia, the soundtrack release slightly preceded the "" which this is also on. The spoken intro is dope (not sure if it's a sample?), and then that heavy bassline and cuts come in, and finally, those banging drums. Prince Be might have been in his heyday, but you have to give it up for a track like this! [Pete Rock] Da Youngstas : Pass Da Mic (Remix Instrumental) This is some real vintage 90s instrumental action, with Pete Rock creating the definitive version of this 1992 single. I remember when this came out, the kids in the group would have been about my age and so didn't seem that young...now, they look so tiny! If you don't already know it, check the vocal version for that famously appeared as the hook for Gang Starr's "". Heavy D : Truthful Mount Vernon again with the late great Heavy D, letting you know who the real overweight lover is on this cut from the "" LP. Tony Dofat is on the beat, and the guest vocalist might sound familiar even if you can't place the voice - Terri Robinson of , and a backing singer for some absolute legends! Gang Starr : Now You're Mine RIP to Guru, gone for twelve years already. I seem to remember this track being one that Hip-Hop Connection didn't rate when it first came out on the "" , but they got that wrong - this is a classic! DJ Premier brings the jazzy vibes on production, but interestingly, Guru's basketball-themed battle lyrics are actually directed at him, since Guru was annoyed about something at the time. While most people missed this on the soundtrack, it later emerged on the must-own "" LP. Camp Lo & Teck Zilla : Disco Lo Big diaspora connection here ( , ) with Nigerian producer and combining with Camp Lo out of the Bronx on this . Tidal recommended me this, so it must be getting to know what I like! Trademark slang-heavy outing from the Lo on the mic, and the production is hectic - a lot going on in this beat. It's got some retro styles with the horns and some of the samples, but you can hear touches of more recent styles folded in too. Excellent release! E-40 : They Might Be Taping I'm no expert, but I have to believe the police have figured out Pig Latin... regardless, this big tune out of Vallejo has been a headphone and car staple since the release of "" back in 2006. Rick Rock provides the slapping beat and E-40 the rapid-fire bars. If you only got up on E-40 after , do yourself a favour and check his incredibly deep back catalogue. [Part 2] New Flesh : Stick & Move (Instrumental) This electronic-basslined track is one of Part 2's best, representing for Yorkshire in fine style! This instrumental is on the , which is a good one to have in the stash if you're a DJ - on a decent sound system, this one moves. Styles P & Havoc : Pay Me In Cash The first of three straight tracks featuring members of as guests, this comes from last year's collaborative "" LP, with these two greats coming together for some raw street business. This is definitely a sentiment I can get behind - later for that , give me that real currency! Those lows are absolutely brutal and there's an eerie background feel fading in and out that is vintage Havoc, while Hav and Styles provide a welcome balance to the oft-encountered sugary vocal styles you might hear on the radio. Freddie Gibbs & Jadakiss : Black Illuminati Sonically we move into full-on darkness with the second cut, with the team of Fortune, Arianna Reid, and Bizness Boi turning out a beautifully noir piece of production on this . The lyrics give no respite either, with both MCs going deep into the street life, Freddie in particular with the brutal "I don't rap about dead opps, I let his name die." Ouuuch. Curren$y ft. Sheek Louch : Alert Pretty much that uses the sample this is based around is a killer - it's simply a can't-miss. Ski Beatz puts some heavy lows below the classic 80s soul snatch on the lead single from "Pilot Talk 3" (also on ""), and despite the tempo being pretty low, you can hear the animation in Sheek's delivery compared to the much more laidback flow of Curren$y. I was almost going to save this for a future episode but I think I've already got strong candidates there, so enjoy it early :) DMX ft. Faith Evans : I Miss You We end our Yonkers mix with the late DMX, who passed this month last year, alongside Faith Evans with his own tribute to those who passed on before him. This Kidd Kold-produced track from the album "", which was mixed overall, was one of those that showed the emotional side that X fans always loved him for. Leavv : Voyage (Original Mix) is a German producer who has a style perfect for the Chillhop label, and the "" album this track comes from was actually their first LP release. The kick drum in particular feels really loose, reminding you of J Dilla's famous "" approach to drum programming, and the whole thing can't fail to make you nod your head! KinKai ft. Saffron Grace : Plantain & Champagne The definition of being so laid-back, it's horizontal - just listen to KinKai on the mic! A relatable love song from Manchester's KinKai and London vocalist and instrumentalist Saffron Grace, this was a favourite from 2020's "", with Blue Lab Beats contributing a neo-soul-ish instrumental with timing as relaxed as the lead vocal. InI : KrossRoads A tale of star-crossed love on the Hip-Hop tip, taken from the "" LP by InI, which was after recording and then heavily bootlegged before eventually seeing a release on BBE. Pete Rock is on production (as he is for the whole album), and Rob-O goes solo on the mic for this 90s gem. Ill Camille ft. Terrace Martin : Circles It's a shame that Terrace Martin may , because his skills always elevate whatever he touches. It's an all-California affair here, with Ill Camille bringing the rhymes about how she was trying to build her career in the early days around the "" album. Terrace Martin is on fine vocoder form, and the coming together of these two talents is a blessing. Massive Attack ft. Tracey Thorn : Better Things A great UK tune, edging toward thirty years old but still sounding fantastic. Massive Attack over to (of Everything But The Girl) to write to, and her vocal performance on the finished product is majestic. The 1994 "" album is one that deserves to be in everyone's collection. [Organized Noize] Goodie Mob : Cell Therapy?(Instrumental) One of the all-time classic instrumentals, and the to the Goodie Mob out of Atlanta, before it was as respected a Hip-Hop city as it is now. Obviously you remember that piano line, the drums, and maybe the sub-bass - but listen without the lyrics at all the other little sounds folded into this one as accents. Find the vocal version on the "" LP, and enjoy the listen if it's your first time! Tungusku : Embers It's only right that we close this episode with a demonstration of the amazing guitar skills of the recently-departed Phil Ratcliffe. Tungusku was a collaboration between him and former Mouse Outfit bassist and bandleader Defty, based around bringing global influences in and building top-notch grooves, and this is an absolute winner. It starts off very chill and floaty, but at around the tw-thirds mark a funk vibe kicks in - almost like - and the guitar excursion just builds from there before calming down for the final few bars. RIP Phil - you and your work will be remembered. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 154 : Criminal Records
03/31/2022
Episode 154 : Criminal Records
"Where the venom corrodes the street..." - Large Professor We have a great mix of the old and new this episode, and I all but guarantee that everyone will hear one new track, and hopefully one that will send you to the shop to add to your collection! Some of the tracks were fitting together as though it was meant to be, so I hope you enjoy the flow. As well as picks from some of the best artists working today, this month's selection contains several jewels left to us fromour departed greats - including a track from Phife's recently-released final LP, flaming Sean Price and Nate Dogg features, and a track from and a story about the late Biggie Smalls. I can't believe it's been twenty-five years already. Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Armani Caesar ft. Benny The Butcher : Simply Done Short(ish), but not a thing sweet about this one! It's an all-Griselda affair on the mic, with Armani Caesar bringing it alongside guest Benny The Butcher...and then there's that beat. It's exactly what you want from a DJ Premier beat, right down to the trademark multi-sampled scratched hook. You can find this as well as Armani's other styles (no pun intended!) on 2020's "". Lone Apostrophe : Come Back In this city, you don't have to go far to find talent, and Lone Apostrophe is just one example. A veteran on the boards as well as one of the brains behind the beatmaking events (get down there!), he blesses us with a gentle groove here that was the opener on last year's "" album. Paul Wall & Termanology : Recognize My Car Surprise (to me, at least) collaboration of the month, but one I'm pleased to hear! Houston and Lawrence, MA come together to answer the call from Pete Rock for of the slab life to the East Coast. Pete Rock is in fine SP-1200 fashion (though I know he could easily be doing this style on a more modern machine), and the whole blend just makes me smile. The upcoming Paul and Termanology album "Start 2 Finish" is going to be a good one! Rakim : How I Get Down This is one of those tracks that was buried in my collection, but popped up as exactly the right record to be here and now! is on production, giving us two contemporaries who rank among the greats combining for this selection from 1999's "". Even a relatively-overlooked* Rakim LP still gives you bars that will bury most people's favourite MCs, please believe it. The beat is raw boom-bap, with enough space that you catch every single word Ra spits. * I will concede that the cover art is pretty awful though. Statik Selektah, Thirstin Howl III, and Sean Price : Ralph Lauren's Closet Part Hip-Hop, part opera, the haunting feel to this low-slung track, courtesy of Statik Selektah, is a winner. The Lo-Life general Thirstin Howl III has represented the from the jump, and the late Sean Price has been known to be fresh with it also - and both have that classic NYC style woven into their mic skills. This is definitely one of the standouts from "" LP. Sir Michael Rocks ft. Trademark Da Skydiver : Livin' It Up This tune makes you feel like you should be on a yacht somewhere, even if your budget doesn't even stretch to lilo! 2011's "" sees Mikey Rocks of The Cool Kids in full floss mode, and he's celebrating with New Orleans' Trademark with the high-dollar sound of the great Ski Beatz soundtracking the whole regatta. Sadat X : Notorious B.I.G. Story (Interlude) A little interlude from Sadat's "" LP which I thought was perfect to include as we commemorate B.I.G.'s passing twenty-five years ago this month. I believe Sadat's story here of witnessing Biggie's legendary "" style describes the recording session for the , later for the posthumous "Born Again" album. Tavaras Jordan : G.S. 400 I only found out about this North Carolina heatmaker when he produced the excellent recent "" LP by Le$, but if you just want to nod your head to some incredible beats, he's got you covered there too. His "" instrumental collection is a joyous 25-minute listen, and the work of someone who clearly knows and loves music. Keep your ears open for more from this man! Main Source : Snake Eyes An old favourite to many, but might well be new to quite a few of you! This top-quality cut opened up the classic "" album from 1991, with Large Professor taking the mic to tell tales of treachery, hopping in and out of the metaphor of a game (where two ones, or "snake eyes" is the worst roll). Some of his turns of phrase are absolute gems - "the cash curfew" and "nine times out of every ten crimes" are just two of my favourites. He's of course also behind the production, with absolutely blazing SP-1200 work like you hear on this track all over the LP. If you've never heard it, make that your homework for the month 🙂 James Brown : Blind Man Can See It Classic, classic funk. To hear Fred Wesley tell it, James Brown first approached film scoring from the viewpoint of just taking appropriate-sounding songs from his catalogue and putting them with scenes, but once he grasped the possibilities...we got a masterpiece like "". This particular track has been sampled a good few times, and while I could have followed up with one of the more well-known usages, I decided to come with... Punch & Words : Da Cipher ...this! A low-key favourite of mine from the "" LP, this has Curt Gowdy with a different chop of the sample to most, and a pounding boom-bap rhythm along with it, the perfect era-appropriate setting for these MCs to get busy. Punchline & Wordsworth might be better known to you as two of the original members of eMC (along Masta Ace and Stricklin), and while Punch eventually left, all are still ripping mics to this day. Phife Dawg ft. Q-Tip : Dear Dilla (Reprise) "", the posthumous - and I presume final - LP by the late Phife is finally available, and it's nice to hear the man's voice on new material one more time. However, these specific lyrics you've heard before; the was released in 2014 when while Phife was still alive. Now, both Dilla and Phife have passed on, but the verses have been reworked into a new version of the track, with Phife's Tribe partner Q-Tip on the hook and DJ Rasta Root swapping out the instrumental. Long live those who are still with us, and the memories of Phife and Dilla continue to be blessings. The Mouse Outfit : Chillout Vibes 8 A nice recent pickup, with the production team of providing exactly what they say on the tin with the lastest in the "Chillout Vibes" series of cuts. The gentle keys, the bass, subtle guitar licks are all set off with a drum track that doesn't dominate, but does exactly what it needs to. The tune is less than two minutes long, but just long enough to induce a nice, relaxed state! A Tribe Called Quest : Hot Sex One of my favourites from the Tribe catalogue, even if it's not the track that many people would think of! This was originally on the "" , which it was very on-theme for (unlike lots of soundtrack cuts from that era), before showing up on the UK release of "" and again as a bonus cut on "". It's got an aggressive edge to it sonically, confirmed when Heltah Skeltah borrowed the beat for "", and stands up just as well today as it did in 1992. Trivia for you - Q-Tip wears a mask in the video to supposedly cover up back in the day... The Notorious B.I.G. : Going Back To Cali Easy Mo Bee recently of him running through some of the sounds he sampled to make this, so I took that as a sign to play it this month! It's centred around a sample of one of my favourite records of all time, Zapp's mighty "", and Biggie flows in a suitably upbeat style all over it - it's just a shame how darkly ironic the theme is, in retrospect. Snoop Dogg ft. Nate Dogg : Outside The Box The "" (Bacc On Death Row) album is a hell of a homecoming for Snoop Dogg, who now owns the label where he first made his name all those years ago. As if that wasn't enough, we get a feature on this track from the much-missed Nate Dogg - there can't be many more of these hooks in the vaults, so enjoy it while you can. Snoop brings a positive message, and DJ Battlecat handles the production for these two mic legends. BusCrates ft. JP Patterson : Take A Ride Pittsburgh represent! If you don't already follow the work (and the ) of BusCrates, then do - I heard him play some of the most incredible remixes I ever heard in my life a few weeks ago, all his own work. His "" LP contains plenty of boogie flavour like this - great music, and truly fun. [D-Dot and Amen-Ra] Tracey Lee : The Theme (Instrumental) This was a huge when it came out back in 1997; the talented Tracey Lee didn't make the longer-term impact that might have been hoped for, but this record can't be denied! NWA : If It Ain't Ruff One of the two MC Ren solo tracks on "", this is a tour de force from a lyricist who is too often overlooked in the mainstream when this group comes up for discussion. It's by now well-known that Ice Cube wrote for Eazy-E (RIP) and Dre, but no-one was going to write for Ren. The beat is quality as well, definitely a treat in the headphones - check out those reversed kick drums panned to the left and right extremes to add a little extra interest. You know the big tunes from this LP, but go back and check some of the deeper cuts - still great listens! Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 153 : Audio Visuals
02/28/2022
Episode 153 : Audio Visuals
"Seasoning drippin' off of my style, I dress tastefully..." - Meyhem Lauren It's Feburary once again, and so we dig into the catalogues of J Dilla, Big Pun, and Big L as we mark the anniversaries of their passings. Alongside those gems. we have some excellent brand new releases and some rarities from the vaults. You should definitely have some tunes to add to your shopping list after listening to this one! Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Semi Six : It's On I would have called the brand new single, but Semi Six dropped straight after this with the quickness! Just heavy business from this Detroit booth incinerator, with the hook and the sample incorporated into it coming from Biggie's classic "" Tuamie, who did the production on the recent "Assorted Fries" EP, comes with the heat again - a modern boom-bap sound with some nice extra touches. And you know that "" line he spit is ! Jay Dee : Dreamy Here we have the more chilled side to the late Jay Dee's style, taken from his "" EP - which is now available on Bandcamp, and an essential for those who appreciate this kind of vibe. Big Pun : That's How We Roll Apologies for the sound quality - I know it's pretty rough! This is a I picked up from somewhere, and while it shares the same lyrics as the from the "" album, the beat is completely different. I'm not going to mention the sample, but you probably recognise it, and I can only imagine that they couldn't clear the sample. Anyway, I definitely prefer this version, and I've always found it interesting how an MC as rugged and raw as Pun could sound absolutely at home on such relatively gentle instrumentals. De La Soul : Goes With The Word One of the landmark Dilla beats was the monster he delivered for De La Soul's "Stakes Is High", and so they'll always be tightly associated; had he lived, I'm sure they'd have produced many more classics. Sadly, it wasn't to be, but De La remix their "D.A.I.S.Y" as "Da Inner Sound Of Yancey" on , combining re-interpretations of their own lyrics with J Dilla beats from the vaults. In this case, the beat entitled "" is repurposed underneath a version of De La's "". Devin Morrison : No As well as being a great artist in his own right, Onra clearly knows how to spot talent, signing the Orlando native to his own label and then letting him do his thing on the way to the release of the 2019 "" album. This is the lead single, and is pretty much impossible not to like! Somewhat reminiscent of what is often called neo-soul, this definitely isn't stuck in the past and and Devin's production and tastefully-processed vocals sound up to date with a classic feel. Just dopeness. J Dilla ft. Amp Fiddler : Let's Pray Together You're not imagining things if you think you recognise the beat - this was previously used by Common on "", but it gets a welcome re-airing on this track from the "" album. Amp Fiddler is a Detroit legend who preceded J Dilla, and in fact mentored him and ! [Tall Black Guy] Essa : The Middle Man (Remix Instrumental) It's been a long while since I played the vocal version of this track on the podcast, so I thought I'd break out Tall Black Guy's instrumental. The vinyl is sold out I believe, but you can still buy this excellent single in . Big L : Casualties Of A Dice Game (9th Wonder Remix) People in the know tell us that we were yet to see Big L reach the height of his powers before he was tragically taken from the world. That's quite something when you hear the skill level he'd already attained, as demonstrated here on one of his classic street storytelling rhymes. You might know the lyrics from his posthumously released "", but on "" the tense Ron Browz beat is removed in favour of an instrumental by 9th Wonder with a kind of mournful feel - both versions are appropriate, given how the story ends. Waajeed ft. Invincible : The Place Where We Dwell This is an interesting record, with the original "" as recorded by Gang Starr to big up their home of Brooklyn being reinterpreted with a Detroit-based remake. There are some sonic similarities, as Waajeed works the same base sample, but puts his own twist on it. Invincible does their adopted home proud with her bars - , Invincible was a transplant to Detroit. Solid cut from "". A Tribe Called Quest : Same Ol' Thing This is a Tribe cut that might have passed you by - an Ummah production (you'll hear the J Dilla in it) which didn't appear on any Tribe records until "" but was a highlight of the "" soundtrack. The bump and low end is immaculate, and concentrating the beat in that range leaves plenty of space for Q-Tip's comparatively higher tone to cut through as he goes solo on the mic. Black Moon ft. Tek : Roll Wit Me As I say on the voiceover, I'd recommend giving "" album a listen if you haven't already if you're a fan of the golden 90s. Banging boom-bap for the 21st century...they have it! Buckshot and Tek on the mic give you that consistent BCC connection on the mic, and Da Beatminerz are sounding as solid as ever. J Dilla : Dillatronic 09 I would love to have heard MCs tearing up some of these beats, but they were just offcuts to J Dilla in his time. In contrast to "Dreamy" as heard earlier, this is the grimy and electronic side to his style, which you can hear more of on the "" collection - most of the tracks are very short, but still interesting to hear. Meyhem Lauren & Harry Fraud : Steamed Monkfish (Remix) The "Glass 2.0" project was a worthy follow-up to the first project from the Queens MC/amateur chef/fashion collector, and this standout track made my pick for the "Groovement 10" a little while back. Meyhem is always one for a good food reference or a completely off-the-wall intro (as heard here) or adlib, and the rhymes are always top-notch. This remix (both versions were produced by Harry Fraud) definitely outdoes the original in my opinion, with an elegant ruggedness playing the banging drums off against generous helpings of strings. Kaytranada ft. BADBADNOTGOOD : Weight Off Even though I predominantly play instrumentals on the podcast as beds between segments, I was enjoying a listen to this and thought it would be a nice one to hear breathe! If you haven't already got the "" album, you're missing out - Kaytranada is an excellent producer/composer, and this collab with Toronto's BADBADNOTGOOD is just one example. Curren$y & Harry Fraud : Seven Seas (Miami Nights Mix) We head to the "Bonus Footage" EP for more of Curren$y's patented rhyme style in combination with the production of recurring collaborator Harry Fraud. The low boom adds some gravity to the gliding synths and skittering hi-hat pattern, which is a similar construction to the original from "The OutRunners" but with different sounds - you'll get where I'm coming from if you listen to both back-to-back. Benny The Butcher ft. J Cole : Johnny P's Caddy I think this is an absolutely outstanding , and it's a new release I immediately even though I'll likely buy the upcoming "Tana Talk 4" as well. supplies a brooding instrumental as Benny puts his lifetime in between the paper's lines () on the opening verse, before J Cole - who might not strike you as an obvious choice of guest star - kills it on the second. As I often insist - those who say no good new Hip-Hop is coming out nowadays simply isn't paying attention. [Harry Fraud] Eddie B : Nike Slogans (Instrumental) The "" project by Eddie B and Harry Fraud is one we've visited a few times, and the fact that it came with all the instrumentals as well is great for the DJs among us! I needed something with just a touch of darkness to lead into the final track, and this one fit the bill... Method Man ft. Iron Mic : Last 2 Minutes The only appropriate place to play this track is at the very end! An absolutely fire new single by Method Man alongside the battle rapper , if this is indicative of the quality of the upcoming "Meth Lab 3 : The Rehab" then it'll be a must-purchase! The rhymes are razor-sharp and the production fits like a glove, courtesy of Chris Wellz and Genius On The Beat. Definitely nothing to play after this! Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 152 : One Of Our Own.
01/30/2022
Episode 152 : One Of Our Own.
"...and if they don't understand, then they ain't fam, simple as that." - Nature This month's episode is dedicated to the memory of a great friend who also happened to be a serious DJ - Obelix of Too Many Cooks (second from right in the photo), who tragically and suddenly passed away this month. He was known to many as part of the crew that organised the Family Gathering parties in the mid-late 2000s, and when you weren't dancing to his selections, you were probably chatting to him and hearing his famously loud laugh! He was a regular listener of this podcast and I hope he would have enjoyed this episode. RIP to a real one. Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Russ ft. Snoop Dogg and Big K.R.I.T. : Free Atlanta's Russ wasn't an artist who'd been on my radar at all until this point, but he pulls together a heavyweight lineup for this DJ Premier-produced selection from his "" album. K.R.I.T might have had the most dextrous verse, but Snoop's verse is the perfect closer, and his low tone is exactly what was needed. Superior Thought : Oddessy Sorry about the spelling, that's on the original! This subdued, mournful instrumental from South London's Thought, taken from "" was just the right mood for this month's opening announcements. Dubbul O & Jointhedots : Stay Shippin' New Manchester flavour here, with a brand starring Dubbul O, a true MC who can burn any cipher down or slide along with a groove like this. Jointhedots is the new project headed up by bassist/producer/bandleader Defty, and the stuff I'm hearing makes you wish for a full-length project sometime this year! Common : Testify Common is in full storytelling mode here, setting a scene worthy of a big-screen courtroom drama - in fact, this single did get an with serious actors playing the roles! The "" album was a bit of a return to the good graces of many (including me, truth be told) after he kind of went heavily on "Electric Circus"; Kanye West produced most of it, including this track, and hearing this reminds you how good he was at picking out and working with those soul samples. Darkhouse Family ft. Tyler Daley and Kaidi Tatham : All The Way UK talent blazing all over , with Cardiff's Darkhouse Family bringing in some of their First Word labelmates. The multi-instrumental don Kaidi Tatham comes in alongside legend in the making Tyler Daley, best known as half of Children of Zeus, and the result is heavy. A weighty low end and banging drum line are complemented by some gentle piano, beautiful horns and flutes, and Tyler's always-great vocals. Khrysis, Rapsody, and Sa-Roc : The Disrespect When you have two serious MCs ready to go, just give them a good beat, hit "record", and get out of the way! It's great to hear Khrysis still bringing it all these years after first hearing him as part of the Justus League, and last year's "" (appropriate) is another solid entry in his catalogue. Rapsody, his fellow Soul Council member, puts work in on the first verse with quite a relaxed, smooth flow, before Sa-Roc comes in slightly more amped up on the second. Havoc & The Alchemist : Throw In The Towel (Instrumental) Two of the masters of the dark combined on "", and this gives you a good sample of the flavour throughout! The Alchemist is in sole charge of production here - the fact that such an expert producer as Havoc trusts him in that position is testament to his skill. Superbad Solace : Sundaze A very short and sweet cut from "", Mono En Stereo clearly dug in the crates to construct this layered soul soundtrack for Solace of the Queens duo Timeless Truth to get busy on. Not every track needs to be a lengthy epic to be satisfying! Nature ft. Nas : The Ultimate High Not everyone picks up on the vibe of this one. I remember playing it at a random house party once and hearing someone very much not into Hip-Hop complain "that's a pretty boring beat", but then fairly recently decided to try it in a Twitch set and it got a good response! I had assumed for the longest that this was a Trackmasters beat, but it's actually the sample master who did the honours here, driving straight ahead with a dope library record find and a heavy foot on the kick drum. It's an all-Queensbridge affair on the mic, with Nas taking the first half of the second verse, but Nature handling the major part nicely. You can find this on "", Nature's debut, but I decided to go with the clean version of this from the - just made the hook a little less jarring. Mega Ran : Flight 2.0 I can definitely relate to that opening verse - I might not have been getting all the nice kicks when I was a kid, but adult me makes up for that now! Mega Ran goes deeper on this track from his excellent new LP "" (totally on board with the theme/ BTW), expanding on the politics and significance of the not-so-humble sneaker and the surrounding culture. DJ DN3 needed to come with a heavy beat to keep the energy balanced, and it's just what was needed - some gliding, floaty highs complementing the bass-heavy, slightly glitchy foundation. Flavour! Nine : Whutcha Want? (Radio Remix) I understand how it goes, Nine had to do the dance for the media, it's just that I remember him debuting as "9 Double M" on Funkmaster Flex's "" :) Anyway, many of you will know the original version of this hit single from "", but this remix wasn't played anything like as much - understandable I suppose, but it's dope in its own right! [Godfather Don] Hostyle : Guilty (Instrumental) Finally got round to picking up a copy of the original break for this on vinyl - it's a classic, and Godfather Don wisely doesn't chop it around, just adds some nice extra seasoning on top of the strong source material. The scratches laid in even on the instrumental version are a nice accent on top of the main loop. Stumbling upon this single in the average record shop might not be that likely, but you should be able to source a used copy . Ultramagnetic MCs : Make It Happen We open up the section of early-mid 90s gems with this gem of a single - not as well-known as it should be. I believe this was the promo/lead single from the "" LP and its heavy and dense production is the kind of thing you could imaging coming out of the Public Enemy camp. Ced Gee is dope as always, but as is so often the case, Kool Keith is the man on this cut. One personal note - I didn't realise until writing these notes that there was actually for this track! Above The Law : Menace To Society If you've been around me for any length of time, you know how highly I rate Above The Law, and their 1990 debut "" is an album that everyone should check. This track closed the first side of the vinyl, and is thus arguably the deepest cut on the LP. Interestingly, as having had some lyrics written by Go Mack and Total K-Oss, the DJs. For a group with Cold 187um and KMG (RIP) on the mic, it seems unlikely that they would let anyone else write a single bar for them - but I'd love to know whether Discogs is just wrong, or if there's a story there! Brand Nubian : Brand Nubian Rock The Set The kind of album track that you don't hear often but which this podcast is all about, this is just plain Hip-Hop dopeness. As with the rest of this segment, this is at a pace you don't often hear these days, with the group self-producing and the then-duo of Sadat X (love his opening two bars) and Lord Jamar bringing it on the mic. A lot of people thought the group was on borrowed time when Grand Puba left, but the "" album showed how mistaken that assumption was. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth : Good Life (Group Home Mix) Not produced by the famous duo Group Home, just the title of the mix! Taken from the 1991 "" EP, the duo's debut, Pete Rock's genius allows him to swap out pretty much every element of the and yet still preserve a very similar vibe. On the mic, he steps back to give C.L. the space to control the mic solo. They were so young, and yet so incredible from the off! People Under The Stairs : Live At The Fishbucket (Part 2) (Instrumental) I don't know how many copies of "" would have sold, but I'm glad I picked it up on release as it's great from front to back, and this instrumental has always been a funky favourite. RIP Double K. Too Many Cooks and English : Live and Direct There was absolutely no way I was ending the episode with any other piece of wax than this one. TMC (Obelix & Leeroy) decided in 2006, in a time way before Bandcamp or any of that, that they wanted to put some vinyl out, and as I look back, there's really something to be said for creating a physical artifact of your talent. They combined their production and scratch skills with the bars of English, a London MC who was living in Manchester and slaying it at open mic sessions (and then with us at Family Gathering) to create the "", from which we take the title track here. With all the respect they had for that vintage, golden era sound, they channel it here to great effect. The instrumental of this cut was digitised and played at the opening of Obelix's funeral, and it was fitting that his music was shared right to the very end. Rest peacefully, Obelix. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 151 : Bespoke Selection.
12/31/2021
Episode 151 : Bespoke Selection.
"Don't quit now, you're just a heartbeat away..." - Spitta No copy-paste, back of the store cupboard mix business, this show always aims to give you an episode crafted around recent listening (which doesn't necessarily mean recent releases), events, and ongoing conversations. The work level is real! This month's episode includes a classic track from The Roots (RIP Hub), some recently-suggested Verzuz competitors, and some of the best tracks of 2021 alongside some pulls from the vaults. I think you'll enjoy it! Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Outerspace : 151° I've been planning to play on this episode for at least the last four or five years - I couldn't pass up the opportunity! This has early 2000s underground Hip-Hop written all over it, from 7Ls production to the super-aggressive lyrics from Crypt and Planetary. Not one for the club, this is headphone music all the way! [Vance Wright] Slick Rick : It's A Boy (Instrumental) I play the remix of this track a fair bit, but this is the beat for the original as heard on "" - to get this instrumental, you'll need to pick up the , which is now thirty (!) years old, but still findable. The Mouse Outfit ft. AyiTe and FLISS : Don't Stop Manchester and London in combination here, as Chini and Metrodome of The Mouse Outfit cook up a nice midtempo beat on from earlier this year. AyiTe on the lead delivers a confident two-verse performance, while provides backing vocals for that extra sparkle that completes the track. The Roots : No Alibi One of the things I appreciated about Hub's style was that his bass playing always exactly what was needed - no self-centred showing off, always doing what made the sum of the parts work. You hear him here ably filling in the low end on this album cut from the absolute classic "", which has a lovely chilled vibe despite not actually being particularly downtempo. The late Malik B can be heard putting it down on the opening verse, with Black Thought taking the latter two. J-Live : Audio Visual A great track you may have missed from one of the hardest-working guys in the culture. He came out of the gate with incredible bars and this track from his third album is just one example. He produced most of "", but calls in Georgia's for this beautifully dark beat. Phi Life Cypher : Verbal Wars . That's what you get on literally every Phi Life Cypher track, with Luton's Si Phili and Life being two of the most skilful MCs you'll ever hear. takes an interesting approach with the production here, making it virtually drumless and engineering the whole thing with a haunting feel centred around the main loop and vocals that sound like they're coming over some kind of military radio handsets. Mix in the interference and squealing tuning noises, and this track from "" is a bleak masterpiece. [Redman] Mother Superia : Most Of All (Instrumental) He doesn't only get busy on the mic! This is some real 90s MPC funk from Brick City's own , who does his thing on the production of the from an MC who sadly didn't get the shine she deserved. Lyric Jones ft. Little Brother : Cruisin' Lyric Jones is one of those special artists with an array of skills - a drummer, keyboardist, singer/songwriter and a serious MC to boot. The Boston native's "" LP was of Little Brother, and that group blesses the album with a guest appearance here. Each MC kicks off their verse setting the scene, each writing as though cruising down a different freeway (, , ), then spitting with ease over a fitting soundtrack courtesy of Nas : 40-16 Building The new Nas LP "" was released in the last few days, and while the very short album has a bunch of strong tracks, this one just had the edge as something to fit into the selection this month. Hit-Boy is on the beat, with a third straight album of Nas production credits establishing him firmly into the catalogue of this legendary MC, and Nas commands the mic as he always has. The Carters : 713 From Queens over to Brooklyn and Houston, we take a track from "", the first joint album from Jay-Z and Beyonce. Houston takes the lead (the track title comes from one of the city's area codes), as Jay and Bey talk about their relationship - one that it seems like everyone else has opinions on. The beat has more than its fair share of low-end boom, courtesy of 808-Ray and Cool N Dre, alongside the star couple. Clear Soul Forces : Unlimited Bounce These guys ooze dopeness on every track they create - even if there's one you don't like, you can't front on the skill levels. We go back to the 2013 "" album for a track that provides exactly what it promised in the title - big up Nameless for the bouncy production. When it comes to lyrics, all the MCs come with the kind of flavour that would stand out in a cipher pretty much anywhere. If you want that old feeling with a 21st century energy, check this crew out. Dibia$e : One4Jax This is the kind of heat you get when you give a producer the green light and get out of the way. Lovely bump from California's Dibia$e, taken from . There may have been only 250 vinyl copies that contained all thirteen tracks (with another 250 having twelve), but you can get the uncut raw over at Bandcamp. Blak Twang : '96 Appropriately for the "" album, here Tony Rotton reminisces on the year 1996 - when he was picking up momentum at the start of his career. As an older, more seasoned person, it's interesting to hear him reflect on the experiences that shaped him as an artist and as a man. As with so many of his other great tracks, this reggae-influenced beat was self-produced. 7th Floor Freeze and Planet Asia : Succe$$ For the rest of this section, we switch back to 2021 releases and kick those off with vintage-sampling heater. Ohio's Freeze describes himself as an "artrepreneur", and as well as running his own he finds time here to go toe-to-toe with one of the great underground MCs, Planet Asia out of Fresno. Just straightforward dopeness. Tall Black Guy and Ozay Moore ft. KUMBAYA : Viberite TBG has quietly been building a really strong catalogue, and his latest LP "" (in collaboration with Ozay Moore) is up to his usual high standards. The beat combines his trademark bumping drums and command of the bassline, yet could just as easily be a canvas for a singer - as demonstrated by KUMBAYA - as one for an MC like Ozay. It's a vibe, indeed. Curren$y & Harry Fraud : Purchasing Power I can already tell that this track from the recently-released "" album is going to be on next year's Spotify roundup for me because I have been rinsing it! That sample makes me feel like I should and be doing a two-step in an 80s soul video, and Curren$y weaves visions of and motivational speak into his trademark lifestyle bars. These two are always a winning combination and their particular evocation of the "" over a series of releases has been producing some really quality music. Stan Forebee, Josh Jacobson, The Field Tapes, Kennebec : Snowland Sunset The Chillhop label puts out an amazing amount of chilled, often lo-fi material that's perfect for when you don't want to focus on lyrics but just need to nod your head to something. This seasonally-appropriate beat from last year's "" is headed up my Melbourne's Stan Forebee, who has done some of my favourite tracks on the label. Definitely look up more to soundtrack your WFH days! Terri Walker : This Is My Time You might not know this track, but pretty much everyone knows the beat! Produced by Cutfather & Joe, this one heavily re-uses the same sample as 's beat for "" by Camp Lo, but with some extra instrumentation and a bridge as we move through the track. It's a perfect soundscape for Terri Walker's triumphant vocals on the opening track of her "" album. Somehow this was never released as a single - it was supposed to be, but it was ultimately cancelled. Can't help but think the record label might have dropped the ball there! Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 150 : Time And A Half
11/30/2021
Episode 150 : Time And A Half
"It's the song for those who've finished singing." - Talib Kweli One of those nice round-ish numbers on the episode count this month, so I've broken out a couple of numerically-appropriate selections along with a segment I've had on my mind for ages! On top of that, I've included some tracks by two artists I somehow ended up DJing for this month - Ras Kass and Big Noyd! It's a pretty rugged selection as the winter continues to draw in, so lace up your boots, throw a hood over your headphones, and let's go... Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Buc Fifty : Metal's Advocate An ignorant gem from the vaults, just raw disrespectful music. This MC gives off heavy NYC vibes, but apparently comes out of California, and had a run of street records from 1998 to 2004, including from 1999 This dark and claustrophobic number is an early Alchemist production, liberally sprinkled with quotes (and playing on the title of) the . Buc comes through super grimy on the mic, with "...never say 'I' and 'think' in the same sentence" being a particular standout. [Havoc] Mobb Deep : Scam (Instrumental) I played the vocal version of this many moons ago - a little-known track from the Mobb catalogue. Havoc shows his mastery here, with an extremely sparse track that only an expert could pull off. Oh No ft. Wildchild : WTF "Ohh noooo!" That's the highlight of the hook as well as the lead vocalist. A real family affair, this is not actually not produced by Oh No (who does have a deep catalogue on the boards), but his brother Madlib, and features Wildchild - putting two-thirds of Lootpack on the track. This is a stomping track from the early 2000s banger "". Freddie Gibbs & Madlib : Massage Seats A little reggae flavour mixed into this one with Madlib, , on the boards for a characteristically raw-sounding track from the "" LP. Freddie Gibbs cannonballs through the chaos with his own brand of gangsta wordplay. The second Gibbs and Madlib album is absolutely as worthy of your listening time as the first. (Oh, and as an aside, I would totally drive that "" 😆 Put a decent sound system in it, yes please) Stic : Stay Ready If you're just getting back to working on your fitness after so much time inside, the "" album should be finding a spot in your gym playlist. This two-album series is an innovative concept, and the vibes cover all manner of workouts. I'd love to be able to tell you who the guest vocalist is (thanks, digital-only releases), but he's a great compliment to Stic on this ode to discipline. Semi Six : NWA In This NWO An absolute killer track from this Detroit MC who you should be getting to know from some of the tracks I've been playing here and the releases I've been pointing you to! Taken from his debut "" LP, this tune has Semi dropping serious bars with a confident flow, all over a knocking beat by Ashton Woods. This is exactly the kind of track that puts paid to the oft-stated complaint that there's no good new Hip-Hop coming out - you just have to know where to look! Black Milk : Shut It Down (Instrumental) Keeping it Detroit for a second straight cut! The vocal version of this was on 2007's "" LP, with this instrumental version being included on the . Ghostface Killah ft. Method Man, Cappadonna, and Redman : Buck 50 This is the second selection for the month that was inspired by the episode number. Taken from the 2000 "" LP, many people's pick for the best from Ghostface's catalogue, it says a lot that with all these great MCs on one cut, Ghost absolutely slays everything on his closing verse! Everyone else does themselves proud though, with being another standout for someone who doesn't get enough mention in the "greatest MCs" conversation. RZA's beat is suitably rugged, working a well-known old soul sample that chugs along on the low end and gives you the feeling of a perilous tightrope walk on the highs. Nicole Bus : With You This Dutch singer throws a whole lot into the pot on this track from the "" LP - lyrical stylings from Suzanne Vega's "", a classic drum break which you'll recognise from a , and a main sample which Black Moon also rocked on "". The result is a glorious whole with all the influences lifting each other up. With Roc Nation now backing her, she's got a good chance of getting the attention her talent rightly deserves. Also check out the similarly-titled "" if you want more soul with a heavy Hip-Hop underpinning. Mobb Deep ft. Big Noyd : Double Shots I was going to go with the Noyd-headlined "", but as well as that being maybe too obvious a pick, I ultimately just felt like including which I often like to break out at live shows. Unusually for Mobb Deep, Havoc steps back from production in favour of S.C., and instead is first up to bat on the mic. Prodigy does his thing on the middle verse before Noyd comes through amped up to slay the closing. S.C.'s production somehow fits, and despite the fact that this crew are most at home on dark and threatening beats, this bassy disco-ish track doesn't break their stride at all. Camp Lo : Soul Fever This is far from my favourite cut on "" (it's maybe in fourth position), so the fact that this soulful Ski-produced track is as dope as it is should give you an idea of the overall quality level! This 2007 release saw Cheeba and Geechi continue to catapult the 70s into the 21st century - maybe not as slang-dense as some of their other stuff, but still unmistakably Lo. Ronnie Laws : Love Is Here This dopeness from the 1978 "" album has an opening that sounds more like a track that should be closer to the end of the mix, but then the funk groove kicks in and ultimately merges lovely with his jazz stylings. If you see a copy of this LP for a decent price, don't hesitate to pick it up. Royal Flush : Movin' On Your Weak Productions The first track I ever heard from Royal Flush, a Queens MC who was making his debut on the "" LP, which still stands up twenty-five years later. Da Beatminerz supply a nice bit of boom-bap production, with a sample that's pure vibes and a snare drum that could slap you through a brick wall. For the hook, they sample and cut two classic Hip-Hop tracks - one being a Nas feature on a , and the other you'll hear later on... Erick Sermon ft. Redman and Keith Murray : Open Fire The sample that places this record into this section only appears in the intro, but it sticks in your head. There's also a subtle Zapp sample that weaves in, a signature of the great Erick Sermon who unquestionably was one of the first to bring their sound to Hip-Hop. A full Def Squad appearance on this track from the "" album, which is worth seeking out if it escaped your notice the first time round. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth : The Main Ingredient The title track to the doesn't get as much play as it deserves - it's an absolute sonic monster. Despite the sheer size of the beat, C.L. doesn't need to raise his voice or do anything else different to cut straight through with quality bars from beginning to end. The production blends an amazing breadth of samples, all unified into a coherent whole - I won't give any of them away here, but this is expert-level beatmaking and mixing. KRS-ONE : Sound Of Da Police Of course, you knew we were going to end up here! We played the original track that used this beat waaaay back on in 2010, but now you hear Buckwild's beat in the home most people know it from. This is an unimpeachable Hip-Hop classic from the "" LP, one on the highest level of the pantheon of anti-police brutality records. Jake One : Crowning (Three Kings Instrumental) One of those instrumentals I needed to loop up a bit to make it long enough for this spot, which is to everyone's benefit because it's a great beat! Coming from the studio of Jake One, a versatile producer of Seattle, this gospel-flavoured beat from "" was the instrumental to the track "Three Kings" by a rapper I don't include in my sets... Ras Kass, Talib Kweli, MK Asante, Bishop Lamont : Gods N The Hood You don't put a record like this in the middle of a mix - it's grand enough to cement its place at the closing of proceedings. A showstopper from Ras' 2013 "" LP, it opens with an excellent -influenced verse from Bishop Lamont and builds from there, with Ras' verse describing his family's move in the - and what they found on the other side - and then MK Asante and Talib Kweli bringing it home. The Canadian producer Chris Noxx had to knock it out of the park for this track to have the necessary weight, and he does. Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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Episode 149 : Twists & Turns
10/31/2021
Episode 149 : Twists & Turns
"We set out on our travels, we do the best we can..." - Mos The autumn is firmly with us here in the UK, but spending even more time in the house means more time to dig through interesting picks for the show! This month we've got some serious old classics alongside a good chunk of new Manchester music, and a flow that takes some unexpected turns but should have you fully mellow by the end of the hour. Hook up your sound system of choice and enjoy the ride... As promised, to buy one of the last few tickets to see Ras Kass and Big Noyd on November 19th, where I'll be spinning some tunes myself on the warmup! Twitter : Twitch : Playlist/Notes Freak L ft. Tray Bag MC : Line For Line This is an MC I'm light on facts for - he released , and that seems to be the end of his recorded output. However, it's about quality and not quantity and the "" single is a great one to have for lovers of the first golden era. Vandy C is on production with the mix handled by the late great , and Freak L kicks rhymes in a vintage but polished style. DJ Spinna : Urgent Tucked away on the B-side of the with Ticklah, this is a jazzy instrumental I thought was worth sharing - and one that goes to show that Spinna, who is well known for the squelchy basslines as well as excellent house production, can flip pretty much any style you want. N.O.R.E ft. Bumpy Knuckles : Thiz Iz Hip Hop We start the section off with the aggression on 10, with a selection from the appropriately named "" mixtape - one which I think passed quite a few people by! You can't front on this track though, with a killer three-borough combination - Noreaga from Queens and Bumpy from Long Island bringing the straight gutter lyrics, and DJ Premier repping Brooklyn on production with his patented boom-bap style. J-Live : Get Live If you've been lucky enough to see this man live (there's that word again), you may have seen him MCing and DJing at the same time, a rare skill. This isn't that, but he does self-produce this cut alongside the rest of the "" EP - all I need now is to find out he did the cover art as well! Ill Camille ft. Brevi : All I Know Inland Empire's Ill Camille comes through with the heavy co-sign from a certified Cali legend, on the beat! She takes an autobiographical approach on this tune from "", which is somehow already ten years old, describing her quest to rock mics - mission accomplished. Brevi does a good job with the hook and additional vocals, giving you an uplifting breather between Cam's verses. Mos Def : Habitat I hadn't heard this for ages and completely forgot how much I've always loved this track! "" is an album I actually don't play very often, but this was an early standout for me the first time I heard it back in 1999. Everyone has a story of the place they come from, and while Mos specifically describes his upbringing in Brooklyn, this is really a song for everyone and the place you might call home - either because that's where you come from, or because you've made it one. DJ Etch A Sketch only has a few production credits, but absolutely knocked this one out of the park - bumping and cheerful in a way that's difficult for many to execute. The Detroit Experiment : Highest The by this group is a real meeting of the minds, all great Detroit musicians - , Bennie Maupin, Marcus Belgrave, Regina Carter, and the late . It's a mix of jazz and electronic styles that's well worth checking out, and this track shows just one face; a cool, late-night bump that builds with element after element before taking you down easy at the end. Carl Craig and Karriem Riggins did their thing on this cut. Organized Konfusion : Late Night Action The on Loud had quite the collection of great tracks - not all of which actually appeared in the film - and this is one well worth a re-visit. OK (Pharaohe Monch and Prince Po) produce this one as well as lacing the mic, and the guests Boku Rule and Cairo work hard to keep up their end of the workload! Gang Starr ft. G-Dep and Shiggy Sha : The Mall This is one of those tracks it feels like most people just do not like - but I've always enjoyed it since the first listen! A guest-heavy outing from the "" LP, it's not until the final verse that Guru touches the mic - but all the MCs have fun with their rhymes around hitting the shops and getting fly. DJ Premier is of course on production, and caps things off with a deft cut-in of a lyric you may recognise during the hook... Omas : Eat To The Beat It's been a very long time coming, but we finally have the first full-length solo project from Manchester's Omas, better known to many as DJ and producer for , or as 1/3 of the At Large crew. He's a man who digs in the crates heavy and is always working on something, whether on the MPC or on the wheels, and it's great to hear a whole LP of his uncut ideas. "" has only recently been released, so if you're quick you might be able to get one of the remaining vinyl copies! Dubbul O & Jointhedots : What Ya Missin' Manchester for a second straight track; this is probably I've enjoyed the most in the past month, with artists who have consistently delivered the goods coming through once again! guest Dubbul O, one of my favourite MCs, comes together with Jointhedots, a new band headed up by producer/bassist/bandleader Defty, whose name you should recognise from his Mouse Outfit work. The energy on this one is laid-back, with all elements from the MC through to each instrument having enough space to breathe and be appreciated. Keep your fingers crossed and ears open for more from this crew! Loop Schrauber, TRIBEZ : Cruisin A beautiful little beat on the Chillhop label, released last year as part of "", this has a laid-back funk to it and the kind of sonic polish that makes you want to crank the volume all the way up! Loop Schrauber is a producer out of Regensburg in Germany, who clearly is as comfortable with a bass in his hands as on a drum machine, and this debut single with Tribez is a great bit of head-nod groove. Pusha T : If You Know, You Know This was the brash opening track from the "" LP. Kanye's production is loud, kind of on the edge, but Pusha T's clarity can cut through just about anything! On this cut, he casually dismisses those who spit drug game lyrics without the background to make them convincing. By the way; just because I was clearly having a quiet day, I once decided to answer ... Le$ : Purple Heart "Let me take the long way home" was very nearly the epigram for this episode - that pitched-down vocal sample on the hook (later heard at normal pitch) is dope as anything. An absolute killer from the 2015 "" mixtape, Happy Perez goes in on the production and gives Houston's Le$ a perfect setting to flow in his characteristic relaxed fashion. He's one of the hardest working artists out, with a seemingly endless flow of releases, and is definitely worthy of your listening time if you enjoy this style. Big Hutch ft. Bam : Just Another Day Not even my favourite track on the solo"" LP from the Above The Law , but this bonus track has exactly the kind of breezy vibe to fit into this spot, hidden right underneath the proto-trap-ish drum patterns. With most of the album being straight-up MCing, this track takes a diversion into a mostly subdued singing performance, with featured artist Bam doing a solid job making the switch work. Children of Zeus : What I'm Seeing One more Manchester tune as we come towards the close of the show, a selection from the fire new Zeus LP "", which they're currently touring to packed houses! A nice bit of double bass underpins this one, with Tyler's vocals at the start given space by not crowding the mix with loads of extra instruments. Then the subtle rhythm track comes in and things get even better, with all elements finally coming together when Konny Kon touches the mic at the halfway point. These guys have worked incredibly hard to build the skills and the sound that people are waking up and taking notice of - attention that is extremely well-deserved. DJ Quik : Quik's Groove II (for U 2Rip2) Getting you ready for the final wind down (shout out ), we go back to the "" LP by one of the greatest ever to work the boards, Compton's own DJ Quik. Even nowadays, an chill instrumental workout like this would be notable on a Hip-Hop LP, but back in 1992, this was absolutely unique. Quik is truly an amazing musician/producer/engineer - get to know the catalogue. Silje Nergaard : Be Still My Heart This may not be to everyone's taste, but I've always loved this tune and it brings us down to full relaxation at the end of the show! Quite a few years ago a friend got me a CD from some MCs hustling their wares in the pub we were drinking in. It was a bit of a mixed bag, but one of the tracks opened with a sped up sample of "my heart is not lonely or broken, it's not of ice or of gold..." and I thought "I need to find where they got this sample from!" A bit of web searching let me to the Norwegian jazz single Silje Nergaard, and her 2001 album "", from which this is taken. There's not much I can say, just listen and enjoy as we wind down for another month! Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
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