Episode 190 : Sound Engineering.

"Still refuse to sell my spirit to eat..."

- Phonte

A lot of midtempo business this month, as we combine the remembrance of Biggie Smalls and Phife Dawg with some era-appropriate classics, a few obscurities, and then blend in some brand new material that shows how the true artistry of the culture continues to flourish!

I just finished adding all the links into the show notes and then my veteran computer hung...so have tried to replace them all! Besides those, here's my Instagram post on the closing of the Hip Hop Chip Shop, which I mentioned on the episode...it'll be much missed.

Mastodon : @[email protected]

Twitch : @airadam13

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Playlist/Notes

Amerigo Gazaway : The B.I.G. Payback

Brilliant move by the remix heavy-hitter Amerigo Gazaway to not just combine two tracks that are great in their own rights, but share a common theme. The whole "The Notorious J.B.'s: The B.I.G. Payback" project is worthy of your attention, but this melding of Biggie's "Somebody's Gotta Die" with James Brown's "The Payback" is the absolute standout for me. Gazaway takes it to that next level when he actually incorporates some of James Brown's lyrics into the verses, a well-planned move that elevates this even further past the fray.

[Kev Brown] DJ Jazzy Jeff : Branded (Instrumental)

While DJ Jazzy Jeff is the headline name on this cut from his "The Magnificent EP", you only have to listen to that bassline style for about half a bar to realise you're dealing with the production of the one and only Kev Brown! Jeff acts as a producer in the traditional sense across this project, bringing in outside talent and guiding them, shaping the output to his vision. The EP is the only release to feature this particular track, so seek it out if you want to hear Pauly Yamz get on the mix over this beat, on a kind of "Drink Away The Pain" concept.

Little Brother ft. L.E.G.A.C.Y : Gotta Get Dat (The Ambition Suite)

A big result for the month was getting a real retail copy of this track! This is very early Little Brother, from their days putting out mixtapes and posting tracks on the Okayplayer forums, and I've loved it for over twenty years but wanted it to get a proper release. Finally, you can get it on the deluxe version of "The Listening", which contains a few other obscurities and a complete set of instrumentals of the main album - I'd advise buying a copy now and not risking it ever disappearing. 9th Wonder is on production of course, with his drums mixed in a way that not everyone was on board with at the time, but which has stood up, and the rest of the LB crew kill it on the mic as well. Having L.E.G.A.C.Y, another member of the Justus League crew, opening the track is a nice bonus, as he's an MC I've always enjoyed, with a voice that is both completely normal and absolutely distinctive.

BusCrates ft. DJ Epik and Anda : Drift

The warm synth sounds of Pittsburgh's BusCrates have been some of the most welcome additions to my regular musical rotation over the last few years. His newest EP "Altitude" is another triumph and is one of the places you can find this - the other being the 7" single it was released on before the EP came out. Anda's vocals are a perfect accompaniment to the production of BusCrates and DJ Epik, who leave more than enough space for her to take her rightful place.

Jigmastas : Penthouse

Just because there's artistry involved, that doesn't mean that Kryminul and Spinna don't want to get paid! This is a track from their 2016 "Resurgence" LP, which was actually just their second, following on from 2001's "Infectious". DJ Spinna is on production of course, with his trademark synth/bassline sound in effect throughout.

Curren$y and Harry Fraud ft. Styles P : Key West Classic

Glamour life and illegal business together on the closing track of the "Regatta" EP, with Harry Fraud bringing a slightly moody air on production and using the perfect samples from TV coverage of the real-life powerboat racing circuit (which has a very "interesting" history) to set the tone. The MCs aren't an obvious combination in terms of their voices and deliveries, but Styles P is the perfect counterpoint to Spitta on this one.

[Havoc] Mobb Deep : Pray For Me (Instrumental)

While "Infamy" might not be the highest-rated album in the legendary works of Mobb Deep, it certainly had plenty of moments where Havoc and Prodigy excelled, and Hav's production here was one of them. I assumed for a long time that this was essentially an all-synth track, only to find while researching the episode that the main melody is actually a sample - Havoc had it sounding extra-clean!

Kev Brown : High Art

Heat out of Landover, Maryland! Kev was doing one of his "Beats & Stuff" streams on Twitch recently, where he frequently showcases unreleased material alongside his extensive commercial catalogue, and this track popped up. I loved it but had no idea if it had been out or was one from the stash - turns out it's on a short album "GOOD." which he'd put out himself after falling out with an old record label. Only a short track, but a good one where the beat very much has a "walking through the forest" feel and Kev's underrated wit and wordplay adds an extra layer of personality to it. Really glad I found out about this one!

A Tribe Called Quest ft. Large Professor : Keep It Rollin

The "Midnight Marauders" album is a masterpiece and a must-own for all Hip-Hop fans that is always welcome for a replay. This particular tune features the late Phife Dawg coming out strong with a memorable first few bars, and a sample of the recently-departed Roy Ayers on the instrumental side, alongside Q-Tip and special guest Large Professor, who you can quite clearly tell if you pay attention was right in the thick of the Main Source breakup. You can certainly put weight on his claims to be the brains behind the crew - on this track from what went on to be a classic album, even production legend Q-Tip stepped back to allow Large Pro to do the business on the boards.

Royal Flush : Makin' Moves

A chilled and suitably melancholy track given the subject, Queens' Royal Flush kept this toward the very end of his 1997 debut LP "Ghetto Millionaire". Describing the hopelessness of the street life, this Buckwild-produced cut is what Ice-T would call a "B-side of the game" record - and the kind of thing that tends to indicate that the writer knows their subject in the most intimate of ways. Flush really holds this one down - while Mic Geronimo features, he's actually only on the hook. A third verse might have been welcome, but the two here are arguable just enough.

Mega Ran ft. Penny The Great and Jermiside : Everyday

Mega Ran did an excellent job of paying homage to Biggie on hit "Notorious R.A.N : Ready To Live" LP, and this was his take on the classic "Everyday Struggle" from "Ready To Die" - coming out of the gate on his verse with a flip of the original opening lines and closing by flipping the last few. Every verse on this is realness, with DJ DN3 swapping out the original drums for something heavier, almost as though they needed to carry the appropriate amount of weight for what the MCs are speaking about.

Sndtrak : Rockinu

One of the modern masters of the flip, Oakland's Sndtrak keeps this famous sample recognisable while also giving it an entirely different feel and tempo. This is from "FLIPS V1: Triple Lindy" which will have you jumping up with recognition and then grabbing your head in disbelief on a regular basis. Street Corner Music have removed their releases from Spotify, so go to your digital distributor of choice and put a few quid down to get your own copies!

Tall Black Guy Productions/Black Vandross : Why Must It Be You

TBG is another master of chopping, flipping, and remixing, with his drum programming skills and mastery of bass bounce and feel making for countless irresistible tracks over the years. The late great Luther Vandross is blended into the mix on this one, which starts off with a nice little Stevie Wonder reference before transitioning into the main spaced-out soul groove. A lot of TBGs digital releases are only available for a limited time, so get yours now at Bandcamp just in case so you don't miss out!

Cappo & Kong The Artisan ft. Konny Kon : Let It Take You

As I said during the episode, I somehow managed to miss this track which is surprising as I follow the work of Children of Zeus faithfully! Zeus' Konny Kon drops bars alongside Nottingham veteran Cappo - or should I say, Doctor Cappo who has fairly recently completed a PhD in the techniques and literary devices used by MCs to discuss trauma. With that said, there's no way I could write anything about his work up to anything near his level, so I'll direct you to this excellent interview and recommend you pick up his "Canon" album.

Apollo Brown & Skyzoo : Visionary Riches

Good writing, solid beat, a clear sense of purpose. I hadn't gone back to "The Easy Truth" for a while, but this Detroit/NY collaboration definitely had some solid cuts on it and this was one I felt deserved an airing! 

Reks ft. Termanology and Krumb Snatcha : Big Dreamers (Lawtown Remix)

An all-Massachussetts affair now from the B-side of the "Say Goodnight" 12", with all those Boston and Lawrence MCs spitting over a Statik Selektah track. Modern(ish) boom-bap with a laidback vibe despite the skittering hi-hats, it's a worthy setting for all three MCs to tell their stories of aiming for the top - whatever that means to each.

[DJ Premier] Gang Starr : Above The Clouds (Instrumental)

I got an abbreviated, simplified version of this classic Preemo instrumental on a vinyl release of questionable provenance, so have looped it up a bit here and also taken advantage of the "stems" feature on Serato to strip it down to pure drums for a couple of stretches. This will never be a big club or dance track, but everyone who appreciates the Gang Starr catalogue holds this cut from "Moment of Truth" in high regard.

Marsha Ambrosius : Tunisian Nights

The "Casablanco" album is one that it feels like not only couldn't have been made before Hip-Hop reached a certain age, but also needed practitioners who had developed their craft enough to be able to execute it effectively. It blends soul, Hip-Hop, jazz, show tunes, and more into a cohesive piece which is a huge credit to the duo of Marsha Ambrosius, the highly-respected singer from Floetry, and Dr. Dre, who took the reins on production. This particular track has an intro which I've mostly needed to cut, before settling into a groove based on DJ Premier's beat for Nas' "NY State Of Mind", which Ambrosius blesses beautifully. If you've not yet heard the album, I strongly recommend you take at least one listen!

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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!