Episode 197 : What They Do...

"You ain't nice, just a little courteous..."

- Phonte

This episode we blend some tracks from artists I've seen live this month, a few new releases, some obscurities, but first and foremost, some music from the sadly missed D'Angelo, who passed away recently. We open and close with his voice, and go all over the map in the intervening fifty or so minutes. Headphones on, volume up...let's go.

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Twitch : @airadam13

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Playlist/Notes

GZA ft. D'Angelo : Cold World (Power Mix)

There's another mix of this track featuring D'Angelo on the same 12" which I played a long time ago, but in the light of his untimely passing I decided to break out this alternate version by engineering legend Bob Power. It hews pretty closely to the original RZA beat as heard on the "Liquid Swords" LP, but with slightly different arrangement - and of course, that crunchy and yet clear mix. GZA's artfully-written street tales are punctuated by D'Angelo's vocalising and harmonising on the unforgettable hook, which takes it a level up from the classic original.

J Dilla : Say It Big

A good opportunity to play a quality Dilla beat which as far as I know, was only ever released as part of beat tapes/instrumental compilations. It inconveniently loops every five bars, which might be why no MCs ever picked it up despite how dope it is!

Grand Agent ft. Liv L'Raynge : Ooh-La-Lah

This reminds me of the days when we could drop tracks like Wildchild's "Code Red" in some clubs in Manchester to a big reaction! This is a forgotten underground banger, with Oh No on production deciding to see what happens when an accordion player meets an MPC, and guest MC Liv L'Raynge coming out so hard on the opening verse that she arguably steals the show from Philadelphia's Grand Agent, from whose "Under The Circumstances" album this track comes. Glad to give it another airing!

D&D All-Stars ft. Big Daddy Kane, Sadat X, Guru, and Greg Nice : Hot Shit

This one totally slipped by me - which shouldn't be any surprise, it happens to all of us here and there - looks to be a 2001 track that has recently seen a welcome re-release! From the spirit and customer base of possibly the most storied studio in Hip-Hop comes this Beatminerz-produced banger. With plenty of bass and punching drums to move your speakers, and all the MCs coming correct, this is a great cut to have in your collection.

Nottz ft. Pusha T and Dwele : You Need This Music

Virginia most definitely in the house on this 2010 release, as the highly-respected producer Nottz links up with another legend from the home team, Pusha T of Clipse as they both talk about the realities of their community and music scene. Nottz' beat is pounding and tough, so combined with the seriousness of the tone in the verses, having Dwele add some sweetness to the hook is great for balance.

Big Daddy Kane & RZA : Open Ya Eyes

Probably the biggest surprise release of the month for me, this popped up in my YouTube feed and I'm wondering how many people might be hearing it for the first time right here! Two giants of the culture come together, and while RZA could easily have got on the mic he instead keeps to the production side and cedes vocal duties to the Juice Crew legend Big Daddy Kane, who spits heavy 5% science over the smooth track. It looks like this is a warm-up for a full-length "Bobby Digital Presents : Juice Crew All Stars" album, which should be a must-listen for all heads as soon as it's released.

Funkychild : VX1000

I was able to buy my copy of "Legacy Echo Volume 3" from the label owner Chilla Ninja himself recently at a "Workinonit" event, and had it on the turntable for a front-to-back listen the next morning! Switzerland's Funkychild is channeling classic 90s boom-bap style with the horn flavour that Pete Rock brought to the fore, and the signature sleigh bell sounds in the mix too - even before the Xmas season starts! 

Phonte ft. Elzhi : Nor Here Anymore

It's amazing to think of the career of the members of Little Brother, starting from those early tracks popping up on the Okayplayer message boards back in the late nineties! The talent in that crew was extraordinary, and even after they sadly split, it was nice to see them collaborate in twos over the years. Phonte's debut solo album "Charity Starts At Home" was a great showcase for his MCing and singing skills, and this particular track had 9th Wonder on production, doing excellent work with a well-known sample. Phonte's hook channels that original record too, and after his top-notch verses, the last hook is abruptly cut short to make way for Elzhi for the finisher. These with a full album together would really be something...

Layfullstop : Cherries

One of the most talented artists I've ever had the pleasure to meet, Layfullstop has officially retired from music this month - sad for us, but the planned end of that part of life and the start of a new chapter for her. She does leave us with a beautiful back catalogue of music though, deeper than many, and for this selection we dip back to the 2019 "Cherries" EP. Her self-assured flow grabs you immediately, and then she can switch to singing at a moment's notice without it ever feeling forced. With Pitch 92 providing the chilled, soulful production, this undeniable groove could be Exhibit A to demonstrate why Layfullstop has been as respected in the culture as she has, and will continue to be.

The Pharcyde : Passing Me By (Fly As Pie Remix)

I love this version of the classic single "Passing Me By", which, if you listen closely, isn't a straight remix but a re-record - the lyrical delivery isn't identical, but everything comes together with the beautiful instrumentation that totally avoids any of the signature parts of J-Swift's production on the original. L.A. Jay, who co-produced the original, takes the reins on this mix and knocks it out of the park. There are at least a couple of releases where you can find this one, but the most likely one to find (and the best pressing) that I know about is the "Summa Madness '93 Remixes" single, with a couple of versions of Masta Ace's "Saturday Nite Live" on the flip.

Souls Of Mischief : Freshdopedope

As Souls Of Mischief moved on from their first album and had got some more experience of the industry, some of the reality came into sharp focus and this selection is a perfect illustration. While the J-Biz-produced track starts off talking about the youthful enthusiasm to get into the game, it immediately transitions into their observations of the fakeness, wackness, trend-chasing, and negativity all around them. We're thirty years on from the release of "No Man's Land", and it's as true as it ever was...

Lord Finesse : Urban Exploitation (Instrumental)

A smooth piece of clasically-styled boom-bap, as built by the legendary Lord Finesse of DITC, on the legend in a different space, the E-mu SP-1200 sampling drum machine. This is on the 2015 digital version of the "The SP1200 Project: A Re-Awakening" album, as well as the CD, but unfortunately not on the vinyl.

Semi Six & Producer Named 2 ft. Stretch Money : Leaders Of The New School

Dope recent release from the Detroit Polo don, alongside a couple of artists I'm not so familiar with. A Producer Named 2 (it's like A Tribe Called Quest, you have to say the whole thing) cooks up a beat with solid and yet smooth drum track and highlighted by ominous plucked strings, while guest Stretch Money kills the second verse after taking his lead from the hook/title. Fly ish indeed.

Curren$y ft. Jay Electronica : AD6

My first vinyl gift this month was from my wife, who got me the incredible box set of all of Curren$y's "Pilot Talk" albums! There are plenty of personal favourites on the original trilogy, but it was my first time hearing "Pilot Talk IV" and so I thought I'd pull from that album here. The sixth in the "Audio Dope" series, it's a homecoming/reunion affair as New Orleans native Jay Electronica comes through to connect with Curren$y, and does so with heavy local referencing. Longtime collaborator Ski Beatz is on production, with a low-slung vibe and in-keeping use of horns - an element sometimes thrown in "just because" - showing his mastery of his craft.

Le$ : Spy Hunter

As much as I already check for everything Le$ does (and he is prolific), he really had me with my finger over the "Play" button when I saw that the title of this collection was "GameCube"! Every track on this 2024 album was named after a game, but otherwise no direct connection, just referencing a bygone time - while the well-known "Peter Gunn" featured on the original "Spy Hunter", this couldn't be more different. Tavaras Jordan goes low-tempo and strips it back to drums, bass, and piano, with the occasional use of a "braking" effect to drop all the instrumentation out, and Le$ speaks on the grind and his own brand of self-motivation.

Brother Ali : Name Of The One

My man Agent J blessed me with a vinyl copy of the excellent "Satisfied Soul" for my birthday, so I wanted to share a cut from it here. It's only short, but he says what he has to say concisely, expressing his faith in an uplifting track produced by ANT, as is the rest of the LP.

Mecca:83 : Temple Chant

I had to loop this track up for it to be long enough to use here, but it was worth it so you can enjoy this beat from Manchester's own Mecca:83, featured on the Indian-themed "Samskara" beat tape. If you like instrumentals he's definitely a producer to follow and he's got a quality catalogue of albums and beat tapes going back years.

D'Angelo ft. Kool G Rap : Brown Sugar (Beatminerz Remix)

We finish the show as we began, with D'Angelo this time in the driver's seat. "Brown Sugar" was a huge single for him, the title track from his debut LP of course, but this killer remix is actually on the B-side of the "Cruisin'" 12" single. The Beatminerz sample a nice jazz fusion piece which I've heard used maybe once before, and combined with their chunky drums it makes a great backdrop for D'Angelo's voice. The icing on the cake is a short Kool G Rap guest verse, coming through with plenty of weed bars and just a touch of gun talk because...well, it is G Rap!

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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!