Episode 186 : Recovery

"The sonic still iconic..."

- Dr. Dre

I was all ready to go with a plan for this episode, and was just waiting to have a guest into the studio for interview and to talk about the tracks of his that I'd included in the selection...and then I got COVID. As such, having anyone visit the house was out of the window, and I had to shelve the original plans and cook up an alternative episode in about a week! All things considered though, I think it's a strong selection and one with an assortment of flavours. Hope you enjoy it, as I wait to test negative and fight off the lingering fatigue so that I can rejoin the world...

Mastodon : @[email protected]

Twitch : @airadam13

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Playlist/Notes

Saafir ft. Jayo Felony : Mask-A-Raid

RIP Saafir. This is probably the song of his I've heard more than any other, having first found it in those early days of questionable MP3 acquisition ;) Have bought it since, and you can find it on the 1999 "The Hit List" LP. He brings in San Diego street rhyme veteran Jayo Felony to contrast him delivery-wise on the mic, and also clearly told him to escalate immediately, which he does within his first four bars to wake up anyone that might be quietly nodding along with this in the background! Production is handled by Carlos "Six July" Broady, who is best known for his work with various New York artists but complements these Cali emcees perfectly.

[Illmind] The Last Poets, Dead Prez, Common : Panthers (Illmind Remix Instrumental)

Having my whole 12" collection digitised means that hidden gems like this one are easier to unearth, and this remix instrumental from the New Jersey/NYC is just such a gem - buried in a nine-track 12"! I remember seeing Illmind in the ughh.com producer forums back in the days, and it was great to see his dedication rewarded with a long and illustrious career. In the last few years he's not only been a producer but a teacher and mentor to many, which is worth of all the respect!

Nas : The Don

I could be wrong, but I tried to search the notes for the entire podcast collection and it looks like I somehow have managed never to play this track, which is incredible as I love it! Nas didn't perform it on his recent visit to Manchester, but I still remember the night DJ Mr Thing broke it out at In The Loop in Manchester, with the crowd calling for endless pull-ups 🔥 This is an absolute monster from the "Life Is Good" LP, where Nas demonstrates that even if you doubt his beat selections sometimes, he's extremely tough to match when he chooses to give you a big, anthemic, no-candy floss single! Salaam Remi is the producer, and his beat is a dancehall-flavoured banger punctuated by a thoroughly doom-laden kick section, and hooked by a masterful sampling of Super Cat's "Dance Inna New York". Definitely one of Nas' best singles.

Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre ft. Alus : Outta Da Blue

Huge new tune, with these two Los Angeles legends combining on the second (?) single from their upcoming LP "Missionary", set to be released on the revived, now Snoop-owned Death Row Records. Dre crafts an uptempo party jam, weaving in some 80s flavour, and bringing in New Jersey singer Alus on hook duties, including her own interpolation of MIA's "Paper Planes". If this is the mark to judge the album by, it could end up being one to stand proudly next to Snoop's debut "Doggystyle".

The Roots : Without A Doubt

Hearing the little snatches of the drum track (not sure if it's a sample or replay) for Schoolly D's "Saturday Nite" as part of the Snoop and Dre track made me reach for this great cut from The Roots' classic "Things Fall Apart" LP, and I was glad to find that I'd somehow never included it on the podcast before! It's a Philadelphia group of the time, arguably at the height of their powers, covering another Philly legend, and bringing in Lady B, a pioneering DJ from the city, in on backing vocals - an endeavour of brotherly and sisterly love!

L Swift ft. A-Butta : Ride This

Those crispy drums and that beautiful long intro made for a solid transition from Philadephia up to New York, where L Swift (now Swigga) of Natural Elements does his thing on this solo single from 2000, produced by Kenny Dope. With A-Butta of NE also on the feature, you're getting 2/3 of the crew on this track, which is never a bad thing when you're talking about some of the coldest lyricists of the era - and who have continued to keep the standards high to the present day.

[Track Addicts] PMD : Next Chapter

"Dramatic" is the only word you can use to describe this one, a B-side on the "Straight From Da Heart" 12" single which was drawn from Parrish Smith's third solo LP "The Awakening", which was his second after reuniting with Erick Sermon to re-form EPMD. While he's a skilled producer in his own right, PMD brings in Amsterdam's Track Addicts for this one, and they represent for their city well here.

namesbliss : Different Calibre

We had one of this man's tracks on the show a just couple of episodes back, but when I heard this new single I knew we had to feature him again! Scruz provides the bass-heavy beat with the repeating high-mid synth locking you in for the wordplay-heavy work from Namesbliss, who still manages to come through clear as a bell.

Pa Salieu : Dece (Heavy)

I would 100% not have known how to pronounce the name of this track had Pa not said it on the hook! Recently home after some time away, Pa Salieu is an MC out of the Midlands of Gambian background who brings the Afrobeats flavour to the drill/grime world, with this brand new single being a shining demonstration. He comes out this fresh, bouncy beat, matching it measure for measure and confidently playing around within the rhythm, stamping his authority on the track. Heavy indeed.

Slim Thug ft. C.Ward, Killa Kyleon, Sir Daily, and PJ : Boyz N Blue

For this track we go all the way back to Slim Thug's major label debut "Already Platinum", which was a bold and factual statement for an MC who had built a loyal following and, by all accounts, quite a bankroll, doing his own thing independently out of Houston long before the big labels came calling to get in on the action. He's only sparingly on this track as he generously shares the spotlight with a bunch of guests, with each MC taking about four bars each before passing the mic to the next man. The beat by T.A. is classic Houston riding music, and he uses a classic local style for the hook, with the slowed and slightly shopped vocal sample which I'd love to identify - the way it's used here definitely enhances the track.

Leftfield : Chant Of A Poor Man

The kind of electronic low-tempo music that the UK has always done so well is on display here, twenty-five years after it was released as part of the "Rhythm and Stealth" LP, Leftfield's second. That LP managed to reach #1 on the UK Albums Chart - nice to know the quality was appreciated in the mainstream! Cheshire Cat (who did not look anything like I might have expected), a live collaborator of the group, provides the reggae-styled vocals here over the slow, deep production, which really shines on a high-quality system.

[El-P] Run The Jewels : Run The Jewels (Instrumental)

The title track to the first Run The Jewels LP wasn't one of my go-to tunes on there, but I may have to re-evaluate that - this is a mean, mean beat. El-P cooked up one for your workout playlists for sure.

Termanology & Tek ft. Flash : Boom Bap Or Die

The combination of Tek and Termanology is Teknology, which I absolutely love! Anyway, these two East Coast spitters combine on this new track with a man who has been performing for many years in different situations - people who remember the Lyricist Lounge era might know him as Flashy of Cipher Complete, while others may know his association with the Ruff Ryders crew. The title is bold, but one I can get behind, as the MCs run back-to-back with no hook over a bumping Nottz beat that very much fits the mold of modern boom-bap while bearing one of his signature styles. The forthcoming "Teknology" LP will be one to make listening space for.

Sndtrak : Letsdanse

This man plays no games when it comes to flipping and breaking down a sample, and right here a David Bowie/Nile Rodgers classic gets the treatment, twitching and stumbling with a rhythm all its own on one of the many top-shelf tracks from "Flips V1 : Triple Lindy". I should get bonus points for being able to get a clean mix with this one! 😆

Illa J ft. Guilty Simpson and J.Rocc : R U Listening?

Over to Detroit for a single from the 2008 "Yancey Boys" album, featuring the union of siblings Illa J and the late J Dilla. Dilla is only on production on this track, with Illa J taking the bulk of mic duties and Motor City stalways Guilty Simpson guesting on the second verse. The title and even the actual lyrics make me think of all the people who lumped Slum Village in with "conscious rap"...because they clearly were not listening to what was actually being said, just riding off the sonic vibes! J.Rocc of the Beat Junkies rounds things out with some tight cuts; go and buy a copy of this track or listen to it on streaming to hear them in full, as we needed to blend out early to head to...

Geechi Suede ft. Tenille Ramos : Garavani Gold

One half of Camp Lo spitting in his distinctive superfly, ultra-slang style on a track that isn't just short but actually cuts off abruptly right at the end, so I had to work around that! "Fishnet Skyscrapers" was missed by most, but is a solid fifteen-track mixtape/LP that we've dipped into before, and I'm sure we will again! As far as I'm aware this was a digital-only release (and it's not even on Discogs), so I don't have any credits for the smooth production here, but it's a job well-done.

Sven Van Hees : Ocean Jive

Belgium's Sven Van Hees started off as a DJ back in 1985, but only started releasing his own albums in 1996. They're spectacular collections of chillout music in the main, with this track coming from "Gemini", his second. Vinyl of this is crazy expensive these days, but you can find the CD much more reasonably-priced on the used market - then let it play, and relax...

Tall Black Guy x Nate Smith x Marvin Gaye : Run To My Mother And Father

In a true case of "if you snooze, you lose", TBG had this track up on Bandcamp for just seven days - so I felt lucky to have been awake enough not to miss it! The signature warm synth production and thick drums back up the sampled vocals of the late great Marvin Gaye, and speaking of those drums - they're a flip of "Pocket Change 2" by multiple Grammy nominee drummer Nate Smith, and a perfect fit here. This number gives us a grooving, soulful end to the episode.

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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!