In order to mark De La Soul's 20th year in business, the fine folk at Lemar & Dauley have teamed up with Mick Boogie and Terry Urban to release a new mixtape, Le Da Soul: 20 Years of De La Soul - a compilation that celebrates two decades of greatness from "one of hip-hop’s most consistent groups."
Rather than roll out a standard mix of classic De La joints, the concerned parties (sorry, I'm still in work mode) decided to round up a bunch of artists from the past, present and future (well, not the future obviously... but it had a nice ring to it) and re-record 20 of De La's most famous songs - one for each year.
Le Da Soul: 20 Years of De La Soul sees the likes of Phife from A Tribe Called Quest tackle 'Pease Porridge', Camp Lo give 'Oodles Of O's' a go, and Talib Kweli and U-N-I both paying homage to 'Stakes is High'. There's some notable contributions from a bunch of others too, including Kardinal Offishall, Lone Catalysts, Asheru and Tanya Morgan remaking their favorite De La classics.
Tracklisting: 1. Intro: Senor Kaos, Von Pea and Homeboy Sandman (produced by Dave West) 2. Me Myself and I: Kardinal Offishall (produced by Diabolic) 3. Pease Porridge: Phife Dawg (produced by Dj Rasta Root) 4. Breakdawn: Tanya Morgan (produced by 6th Sense) 5. Oooh: Fly Union (produced by Fly Union) 6. Baby Phat: Skillz & Colin Monroe (produced by nVMe) 7. Stakes Is High part 1: U-N-I (produced by 6th Sense) 8. Say No Go: Chaundon, Esso + The Kickdrums (produced by The Kickdrums) 9. Rock Co Kane Flow: Shawn Christopher & Pheo (produced by Garbs) 10. Ego Trippin: Asheru (produced by The Els) 11 Ooodles of O’s: Camp Lo (produced by Apple Juice Kid)12. Sunshine: Christian Rich + Curtains (produced by Christian Rich) 13. Plug Tunin’: Tabi Bonney + Stalley (produced by Judah) 14. Hey Love: Chip Tha Ripper (produced by Remot) 15. The Bizness: Big Pooh, Butta Verses, and 6th Sense (produced by 6th Sense) 16. I Am I Be: 6th Sense (produced by Hasan Insane) 17. Eye Know: Daytona & Mike Maven (produced by 6th Sense) 18. Saturdays: Niko Villamor, Brittany Street & Kidd Neer (produced by SMKA) 19. Watch Out: J.Sands (produced by J. Rawls) 20. Stakes Is High: Talib Kweli (produced by eJones)
A year or two ago, Lupe Fiasco made some noises that he'd retire after he released three albums, going so far as to announce that his third album was tentatively titled LupE.N.D. But now that Mr. Kick Push's 'last' album, the renamed and soon to be released Lazers, is on the horizon, it seems that he's got a little fire back in his belly and plans to keep pumping out music for the foreseeable future.
Speaking to MTV on the red carpet at Diddy's 40th birthday bash earlier this week, Lupe sounded like he was ready to work.
"I'm finnin' to house every single mode and arena I can get into," said Lupe. "If y'all had somewhere where it's live performances, I'm finnin to have the best live performances. If it's mixtapes, I'm finnin' to have the best mixtapes. If it's albums again, it's gonna be the best verse. If it's the best dressed, I'm going hard as well."
Lupe is trying to live up to his word of finnin' to have the best mixtapes at least (not that 'finnin' is really a word, mind you) by releasing a new offering today, Enemy of the State: A Love Story.
Enemy of the State features Lupe going to town over beats by other artists, including tracks previously graced by Jay-Z, Clipse, Lil' Wayne, Timbaland, Slaughterhouse and Radiohead (yes, that Radiohead). No new beats here, though. Lupe says he's not willing to let any original music out of the bag just yet.
"Why waste it?" he told MTV earlier this week. "I still got my plan. I'm not finnin' to diverge off my plan and my career and how I wanna roll my music out." Great. Now can you fin' to stop saying finnin' please, Lupe? Cheers.
The mixtape serves as a Thanksgiving present of sorts for Lupe's fellow stars and stripers, and should hold off the hungry throngs for a few minutes as he continues to put the finishing touches on Lazers. No turkey and trimmings over here in Blighty unfortunately, but feel free to crash the party and get your download on, too.
Over the years, vinyl dubplates have developed an almost mystical quality, earning them a spot on top of the mountain of record digging.
A firm favourite of DJs from every genre, dubplates have allowed the freshest of cuts to grace turntables before being available for mass consumption, or saved tunes from meeting an untimely death at the hands of unruly scratches and clicks.
But does the advent of the digital age throw the role of the dubplate into jeopardy? Far from it, by the looks of what’s going down in deep, dark East London (well, Hackney anyways) at The Carvery, a one-off vinyl dubplate and online mastering service.
Spine TV recently travelled to The Carvery's digs to catch up with dubplate don Frank and his right hand dog Roy, and to learn some of the intricacies that make cutting a vinyl dubplate - rather than the less hardy acetate dubplates used elsewhere - such a tricky procedure.
Frank shows that it isn't a matter of a simple cut and paste job; rather, making a good dubplate requires a solid ear and a lot of patience to make sure it all comes out sounding just right.
The dubplates of today also embrace technology, rather then run away from it. As the video shows, developments in software have enabled tracks to be cleaned up properly, with Frank showing how he takes out any snaps, crackles and pops in the mix before cutting the finished dubplate with a diamond. Classy.
You can watch the full video below:
For more information on The Carvery, visit their website here.
Lil' Wayne regularly divides opinion amongst hip hop fans. Of course, there's a very healthy contingent who consider him the greatest rapper alive. On the other side of the divide, however, are those people who just can't understand the hype - or simply don't care enough to pay attention.
But regardless of whether you're a Weezy lover or hater, make sure you don't miss out on the opportunity to get an inside look into what makes the man tick by watching The Carter - a warts and all, fly on the wall portrait of one of hip hop's superstars which is likely to be one of the most compelling music documentaries you'll see this year.
The Carter is the brainchild of producer Quincy D. Jones III (a.k.a. QDIII), son of the legendary Quincy Jones, and director Adam Bhala Lough (responsible for last year's Lee 'Scratch' Perry documentary The Upsetter), who followed Wayne for roughly 6 months as he jetted from Los Angeles to Amsterdam and everywhere in between around the time his last album, The Carter III,dropped.
This great access allowed Bhala Lough and his crew to shoot a slew of behind the scenes footage in the studio, on the tour bus and at shows, where Wayne was regulary cheered on by throngs of adoring fans (who didn't seem to mind one bit that their street-hardened hero shares his name with your local hardware store clerk).
Weezy's superstar performer status is balanced out in The Carter by stories from his past, including tales of his childhood in Hollygrove, Louisiana, and how he accidentally shot himself as a 12 year old. It all adds up to paint a rich picture which presents the protagonist as a creative dynamo who is equal parts genius and tortured soul... kind of like Mike Tyson in James Toback's Tyson... except without anyone threatening to eat your children.
While Wayne is best known as a multi-platinum recording artist and workaholic (lugging around a portable recording system so he can record the ideas that flow thick and fast at the drop of a hat), he's also built up a reputation for his... um... 'extracurricular' activities - namely smoking weed and sippin' on syrup.
You wouldn't expect either of these habits to receive much attention in The Carter - it's hard to imagine many people being truly candid while they're being filmed if drugs are in the frame, after all, especially if that someone has a history with the law - but the film makers, to their credit, certainly don't shy away from the subject.
Now, for those of you who may not be familiar with the sizzurp, here's a quick run down. The practice of mixing cough syrup and soft drinks has been espoused by Southern hip hoppers for a long time now, with the syrup's codeine and promethazine known to be more than a little addictive. As with most highs, there is of course a risk; syrup has been linked with the deaths of Pimp C of UGK and DJ Screw (a legendary Houston DJ and pioneer of the 'chopping and screwing' technique) amongst others.
It seems that these deaths hadn't weaned Wayne off the syrup during filming for The Carter (although there have since been reports that he's trying to ween his way off). Weezy's love of sippin' is well documented throughout his music of course, but The Carter is full of footage of him putting his words into practice. In fact, there's seldom a scene where he's not latching on to a styrofoam cup (or a blunt, for that matter).
Wayne's family and friends don't seem over the moon with his penchant for what he has previously referred to as his "success potion". But it's Wayne's manager, DJ and long-time friend Cortez Bryant who offers up the most frank assessment of his drug use during The Carter, saying that he no longer rides on the tour bus because he can't face seeing his friend under the influence.
Of course, The Carter isn't all about prolific drug use. Happier highlights include a somewhat bemused-looking Wayne learning that The Carter III has sold over a million copies in the US in it's first week, a tattoo session which sees him emerge with the ESPN TV network logo emblazoned on his arm, and a glimpse into Wayne's role as a father thanks to an interview with his daughter Reginae, who shows that she's got a little of Dad's lyrical skill by delivering her own rap.
There's also some hilarious footage of Wayne being interviewed by journalists around the world, which will leave you in no doubt as to whether he's a willing player in the media game. Weezy's dislike of being interviewed reaches an on-screen peak during a session with a European journalist, as he shuts down the interview in hilarious fashion after the interviewer compares his work to poetry and jazz. I'm guessing that that journo won't be on the Young Money Christmas card list this year...
While The Carter provides an interesting insight into Lil' Wayne's world, it seems that his 'people' aren't over the moon with the final product. As a result, the film was the central focus of a legal battle earlier this year, with Wayne's camp objecting to some of the footage and asserting they weren't given the control of the final cut that they asked for.
This resulted in The Carter being pulled before it's final screening at this year's Sundance Festival, where earlier screenings had received rave reviews. But it seems that QDIII and co. have managed to win out in the end, with a California Superior Court Judge dismissing Wayne's request for a preliminary injunction on the film in April, freeing the film makers to seek distribution.
The Carter has now been released on DVD, and it's well worth hunting down. Get your Google on to cop a copy, or watch the trailer below to get more of a flavour of what to expect.
Here's a little sprinkle of freshness to help you wind into the weekend courtesy of the crew over at Aside Worldwide, who have been kind enough to send over some new (old) music from blogger darling and Athletic Mic Leaguer Buff1.
The track in question is a little ditty by the name of 'The Best Are Full Of Love', originally recorded by Shawn Jackson for his The New Classics mix tape (still available for download).
'The Best Are Full Of Love' was originally cast to the cutting room floor soon after it was recorded, but Buff, Shawn and Diz Gibran recently decided to revisit the track, with Buff and Diz adding a couple of verses to sweeten the deal.
It's right nice, too... producer Cook Classics hooks up a nice mid-tempo hip hop groove based on some cool guitar licks, echoing vocal samples and swirling atmospherics, and the M.C.s all do their thing to boot.
You can check out/download 'The Best Are Full Of Love' below:
'The Best Are Full Of Love' will be featured on the new Buff1 project, It's a 1derful Life as well as Shawn Jackson's mix tape, both coming soon. You can watch a short video of the crew in the studio below too, if you're that way inclined:
Hip hop and politics have been unlikely bed mates until recently. But ever since Barack Obama gave a nod to Jigga and brushed his shoulders off in response to the dirt that his opponents flung at him during his successful Presidential run, politicians have been brushing up on their 'street' lingo in an attempt to get inside the heads of the youf'.
Some politicians such as U.S. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele have embarrassed themselves by announcing “off the hook” (his words, not mine) public relations campaigns to attract younger voters. But few have matched the recent efforts of the true beast of the former eastern bloc, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Of course, Putin isn't someone you'd describe as a typical super power authority figure; he's a little less conventional then his peers, after all. Has the leader of your country saved TV crews from the clutches of Siberian tigers, or done a spot of bare-chested fishing lately (unless of course you're one of the nine people from Russia who visit this site)? No, mine neither. And who can forget the martial arts fitness videos? Yep, Vlad is well 'ard; when he turned 56 last year, he decided to celebrate by releasing a martial arts workout tape entitled Let’s Learn Judo with Vladimir Putin:
So, it's pretty clear that Vald is not like the rest of the bunch, but one area where he clearly doesn't have a great deal of experience is the skills-obsessed arena of hip hop. But that didn't stop him giving it his best shot a few days ago when he appeared on 'Fight for Respect', a rap competition run by Russian youth TV channel Muz-TV.
Putin was front and centre in the audience at the televised contest last Friday, and boy, did he blend into the crowd. Nothing screams "I'm down with the hip hop generation!" like a white turtle neck, grey jacket and comfortable slacks. And as the audience waved their hands in the air like they just didn't care, it was apparent that Vlad, in comparison, cared a lot; his hands remained almost permanently glued to his sides:
But Putin, who was in attendance to emphasise the healthy living message espoused by the competition - a subject clearly near and dear to his own tiger-tracking, judo-kicking heart - showed he knew a lil' somthin' somthin' about hip hop when interviewed on stage.
According to Putin, "street rap may be a little bit rough... but it contains social meaning - raising social problems”, while graffiti is “a real elegant art"and break dance is "something special" and "a promotion of a healthy lifestyle... I do not think the 'top-rock' or 'floor-rock' break dance technique is compatible with alcohol or drugs."
Unfortunately, Vlad didn't drop a hot 16 on the mic for the adoring crowd, but his new-found affection for hip hop may not be all plain sailing; it's expected that it will widen the divide between him and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev - a self-declared Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin fan.
On a positive note though, Putin's attempts at 'getting jiggy' may potentially open the door for a new 'hip hop for diplomacy'-style movement; however, Russian government spokesmen would not confirm Vlad's rumoured challenge to settle the U.S. vs Russia beef once and for all via a high stakes B-Boy battle between himself and Barack Obama.
While Putin may have a ways to go before his hip hop skills match his tiger stalking and judo ability, he has a willing teacher. Roma Zhigan, a rapper from St Petersburg who took part in the competition, declared that he'd like to record a song with Putin, rapping: "For this is Putin, he is our idol/Let's give him a shout out so that the whole world hears it". A bit of a lost in translation moment there, but you get the idea. Roma likes Vlad. lets make it happen.
Putin also has the pedigree to hang tough in the hip hop world, referring to himself as a "jungle" kid (I don't think he means a jungle kid of the amen break variety), hardened through fights on the mean streets of St. Petersburg. Who knows... Putin has tried his hand at a lot of things; maybe Let’s Learn Hip Hop with Vladimir Putin isn't as far fetched an idea as it was a week ago.
Texas trio Strange Fruit Project return to the fold today after a lengthy layoff, offering up a new, and more importantly (guilt) free downloadable EP, M.A.S.K. (or Making Art Sound Kool).
The group, comprised of M.C.s Myth and Myone, and M.C./producer Symbolyc One, last made waves back in 2006 with the release of The Healing, a seriously underrated LP packed with and poingnant rhymes (and a guest appearance from Erykah Badu on 'Get Live'), as well as soulful production from Sym and guests 9th Wonder, Illmind and Jake One.
Now SFP are back to put Waco, Texas on the map (just in case the Branch Davidians and David Koresh didn't earn the town that sits at the heart of the Lone Star State enough media shine thanks to a little cultish behaviour back in '93). The group kicked things off last week by dropping first single 'Crash' (which you can download here) along with a video directed by Symbolyc One, which you can watch below:
The crew have followed this up quickly by dropping M.A.S.K., which is available to download for free via the Strange Fruit Project website. If you managed to check out The Healing, you'll know what to expect; witty wordplay and laid back beats ahoy-hoy, including contributions from 9th Wonder, S1, Picnic and Caleb. And if you didn't check The Healing, download it anyway. It's free; what have you got to lose?
In case you need a little more prompting, let's ask Symbolyc One to wax lyrical on what you, the faithful downloader, can expect from M.A.S.K.: "What people can expect to hear on M.A.S.K. is truth mixed with emotion. Each song has a particular vibe that strikes up some type of good feeling and emotion. The way we structured the song flow on this project is similiar to the process of watching or better yet hearing a mini audio movie."
Good feeling...emotion...lovely. Free download? Even better.
Earlier this year, L.A.-based crew Pac Div released ChurchLeague Champions - one of the best hip hop mix tapes you'll hear this year, hands down (you can read more about it get your guilt-free free download on here).
After putting together fresh videos for previous singles 'Mayor' and 'Pac Div', the three-man group (made up of Mibbs, Like and BeYoung) have kept the Church League Champions momentum going by releasing a third video. That in itself is an achievement; very few albums (let alone mix tapes) get three videos made these days - not even low budget ones. But Pac Div and CLC are worthy recipients.
The latest video is a two pronged affair (I'm not even going to get into the 'pause' game here - seriously, grow up), taking 'Whiplash' - one of Church League Champion's standout cuts - and backing it up with 'Young Black Male', connecting the story line and images for both songs into a solid video package. You can watch the full video below:
Pac Div - remember the name, and be sure to check out Church League Champions.
In order to mark the anniversary of Dirty's passing, XXLMag.com decided to take Dante Ross - the self-styled Big Baby Jesus' former A&R and longtime friend - on a trip to the Brooklyn Zoo (it's actually a Zoo - not just an ODB song) in order to let him share a selection of his craziest Dirty stories.
In the first of three videos, Dante recalls an X-rated studio session where he declined the chance to be the caboose on the Ol' Dirt McGirt sex express:
In part two, Dante remembers an occassion when ODB got a little confused while in an "altered state of mind", and ended up inside someones house, before being set upon by two dogs and having to escape by jumping out a window. A few weeks later, Dirty managed to get shot. Rough luck:
In the third and final XXL installment, Dante takes a visit to the monkey enclosure to relive how Dirty came up with the concept for the cover art for his debut LP, Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version:
While XXL got three classic Old Dirty stories, it seems that Dante kept the best tale for his own Hip Hop 101 series. Watch below to get the inside word on a studio session set up so Dirty could record for LL Cool J, which ended with LL's platinum plaques on the ground... covered in ODB pee:
If you still haven't had your fill of ODB-isms, then hunt down a new documentary entitled Dirty: One Word Can Change The World, which you can read more about here.R.I.P. Old Dirty - a true character who's gone but not forgotten.
The night saw a who's who of the UK DJ community descend on Vibe Bar on Brick Lane in London in order to pay their respects in the best way possible - by getting busy on the wheels of steel.
Big up to all involved for organising and putting on a great show, with all proceeds being donated to Raida's family. Special mention to Mr Thing too, who tore it down in particular. You can watch the video below:
It's been a long time since Pete Rock & CL Smooth have shared a stage in London.
The pair, long regarded as poster boys for all that was good and proper about 90's hip hop, have had an up and down relationship since their last album together, 1994's The Main Ingredient.
Since then, they've hit the studio a few times, and announced reunion plans a few times too, but it always seems to ends in tears (or trading verbal jabs with each other, at least).
Perhaps that's why more than a few people were a little sceptical when the pair announced a European tour earlier this year. There was many a punter out there in London Town who undoubtedly felt that all a ticket to a Pete Rock & CL Smooth show would get you is a lost booking fee and the ball ache of getting a refund once the show was cancelled.
But lo and behold, Pete & CL proved the cynics wrong when they fronted for their first show in London in time, hitting the stage at the Relentless Garage in Highbury last night to perform to a capacity audience.
Despite the customary Serato problems, Pete seemed ready to entertain, hitting the stage for a bit of audience participation time early on before bringing out CL to run through a bunch of classic tunes, including 'Straighten It Out', 'The Creator', 'Soul Brother #1', and the one we all came to see - 'They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)'.
Having already witnessed Pete DJing a few years back, I was especially interested in seeing if CL is as smooth on stage as he is on wax. Surprisingly, he was a lot more animated than his name suggests, interacting with the crowd, cracking jokes and trying to find the best of the 12 women who braved the testosterone-heavy gathering. Oh, and he rapped, too, sweating up a storm on stage with Pete for an hour and twenty minutes.
Was it the best show I've ever seen? No. It might take a few more gigs before their chemistry really gets going again. There were a few hip hop karaoke moments where both M.C.s (oh yes, Pete definitely got on the mic) got a little helping hand by rapping over a vocal track rather than an instrumental (don't get it twisted though - there was no attempt at any covered up, Brittany Spears-type lip sync business).
But you know what? I'm not disappointed. When they perform together, they seem greater than the sum of their parts. As a long time fan, I'd take the chance to see Pete & CL again, and by the time they closed out their set with 'T.R.O.Y.' it seemed like the crowd (or maybe it was just me) was ready to implode. Moments like that make it all worth it. You can check a short video of the show that I put together (don't let anyone tell you different) below:
When a young rapper by the name of Nasir Jones set about recording tracks for his debut LP Illmatic, few would have predicted the impact it would have on the hip hop world. The rapper -better known as Nas - pretty much blew the competition out of the water in '94 when he released Illmatic, a bonafide classic and a permanent fixture in the well-worn discussion on the greatest hip hop albums of all time.
Nas' verbal dexterity (or his ability to say cool words and shit, if you prefer) had many a JanSport-rocking youngster in fits of rapture. Once Illmatic dropped, he quickly earned his seat at the hip hop top table, where he was revered as a lyrical deity of sorts thanks to waxing lyrical on how he never slept, "'cause sleep is the cousin of death" while bragging about aiming guns in all his baby pictures. Dropping stone cold classics like 'One Love' helped, too:
It helps that the beats were on point, of course; having DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock and Q-Tip add their musical flourishes to Illmatic were definite ticks in the positive column. But it was Nas' lyrics that really stole the show - so much so, that authors Michael Eric Dyson and Sohail Daulatzai have decided to put them under the magnifying glass in a new book, Born To Use Mics - Reading Nas' Illmatic.
According toBorn To Use Mics' press release, Dyson (one of the hundred most influential black Americans and professor at Georgetown University) and Daulatzai (an assistant professor at California University) have rounded up "the best and brightest writers of the hip-hop generation" to offer their own thoughts on Illmatic.
The press release continues: "From the moment then nineteen-year-old Nasir 'Nas' Jones began recording tracks for his debut album the hip-hop world was forever changed. Released in 1994, Illmatic, was hailed as a masterpiece and is one of the most influential albums in hip-hop history. In Born to Use Mics, Michael Eric Dyson and Sohail Daulatzai have brought together the brightest minds to reflect upon and engage one of the most incisive sets of songs ever laid down on wax."
Contributors include learned types and people in the know such as Bobbito Garcia, Marc Lamont Hill, Eddie S. Glaude Jr. and Imani Perry, amongst others. Born To Use Mics is set to be released on 28 December - perfect timing to avoid the rush of people willing to spend their hard earned dollars on Christmas presents and Boxing Day sales. You can pre-order it through Amazon.
Throughout the years, there have been a handful of influential disc jocks who have carved out a name for themselves by pushing hip hop to the masses through the radio waves, from Mr Magic and Marley Marl through to the venerable Funk Master Flex.
But when it comes to breaking artists who have changed the shape of the hip hop landscape over the last twenty years, it's hard to look past Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Garcia.
Stretch and Bob's infamous show (named The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show, of course) held pride of place on Columbia University's WKCR station in New York City from 1990 to 1998. In fact, the show - which was definitely one of the night owls thanks to it's 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. time slot - was so good, it was selected as the Best Hip Hop Radio Show of All-Time by the Source in 1998.
Stretch and Bob also has the Midas touch when it came to picking up and comers to guest on their show; the likes of Jay-Z, Biggie, Nas, Mobb Deep, Big Pun, Eminem, Big L and Old Dirty Bastard all flexed their skills on air with the duo prior to being signed. Watch the video below to get an idea of what went down:
Recently, the crew from Gasface Media (who were responsible for putting together the Masta Ace piece posted last week) bumped into Stretch (who is rocking a lot more salt on the dome than pepper these days) outside WKCR, and took the chance to kick it with him about the good old days.
During the interview, Stretch (a.k.a. the Albino Ostrich) talks about how he first met Bobbito at Def Jam, how they began their show, and some of his favourite radio memories (including dishing out 'ya mama' jokes to Kool G. Rap - brave man).
Looking back over my record collection from the late 90’s and early noughties often gives me a bad case of buyer’s remorse. I hate to think how much money I spent on questionable 12”s from the independent hip hop boom that spread like wildfire at that time. Seriously, how many versions of ‘High Drama’ by Mike Zoot can one man buy? A lot, apparently.
One of the groups that I’ve never regretted shelling out my cash for is Self Scientific (I was going to write ‘shelling out my cream’, but that sounds slightly masturbatory). The duo of M.C. Chace Infinite and producer DJ Khalil made a bunch of great records during the indie glory days. My personal favourite? This little gem, which used to get serious burn during my Wednesday Nite Jam radio days on Active 89FM:
Khalil and Chace have managed to replicate this fine form over recent years. K has quietly gone about building quite a rep for himself behind the boards, and has even been taken under the rather sizable wing of Dr. Dre. Speaking of Dre and buyer’s remorse, I just bought Dr Dre: The Autobiography for £3.99… hmmm… but I digress. Where was I? Ah, Khalil... he’s done good; beats for the likes of Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Nas and The Clipse, one of the most in demand producers of the moment… you get the idea.
Chace has consistently proved that he’s nice with the rhymes, too, throwing down solid lyrics and standing out from the pack thanks to his distinctive vocal tones. Just like Gangstarr’s Guru said, “it’s mostly the voice”. But just as Guru surely got a little upset after his band mate Premier laced Biggie with the beat for ‘Kick In The Door’, you can also imagine Chace feeling a little hardly done by when Khalil hit The Clipse with ‘Kinda Like A Big Deal’:
Rather then throw his toys out of the pram, Chace has decided to demonstrate how he would have tackled Khalil's beats by creating a new mix tape, entitled I Would Have Killed This. As the press blurb for the project says, “Most Self Scientific fans know that a number of the songs that DJ Khalil does with other artists were originally songs or ideas intended for Self Scientific.”
“In classic Self Scientific fashion, Chace changes the subject matter to instead discuss life and his attempts to understand his own journey…The mix tape also contains a bonus of three original Self Scientific songs.”
It’s a bit of a no-brainer, really. If you need a little more convincing, check the low budget video for ‘Personal Religion’, which borrows the beat from Jay-Z’s ‘Mama I Made It’:
I've been working my way through a ton of music today, and for the most part it's all been pretty much forgettable. Oh well, at least The Game is about to release four mix tapes this week. That's bound to turn the bad music tide. (Okay, so sarcasm doesn't always come across clearly on the web. So to avoid any confusion… I'm definitely being sarcastic).
Thankfully, two little diamonds in the rough have just exposed themselves (don't worry, no need to call the police just yet).
The first is the excellent new Dam-Funk album Toeachizown, a sleazy, keyboard boogie workout which has been receiving high praise from all over the show. If you haven't heard about Toeachizown, you soon will - it's been available online since August (although it only hit retail spots last week), and is already many a music blog's wet dream. So, with that rather disgusting image in mind, I think I'll leave it to the pack to shower Dam with hyperbolic praise.
That leaves me with the second gem - namely, another leak off the hotly anticipated Blakroc project. For those that don’t know, Blakroc features the musical talents of rockers The Black Keys alongside a host of hip hop's most respected wordsmiths. The whole thing has been pulled together by Roc-A-Fella alumnus Dame Dash, who has used all his persuasive powers (read: stand over tactics) to get the thing done and dusted in 11 days of recording (read more about it here and here).
Now, a rap/rock record sends most discerning listeners (which is a euphemism for music snobs) running for the exits; as The Observer quite rightly points out in their recent review of the Blakroc LP, "Linkin Park's album with Jay-Z might have sold well but you wouldn't want to listen to it unless you were cross about being made to tidy your room." But don't be too hasty in throwing Blakroc onto the rap/rock scrap heap - because this sounds like the real deal.
With Blakroc's album set to hit the shelves at the end of the month (unless Dame gets all hip hop on it and pushes the date back), tracks are starting to leak. The latest sneak peak is the wonderfully titled 'Stay Off The Fuckin' Flowers' featuring everyone's favourite chef (except for Gordon Ramsey's), Raekwon.
'Stay Off The Fuckin' Flowers' is one of those moments where everything seems to fall into place, musically speaking; the slow-burning, smoky backing track, complete with splashes of fuzzy bass and warm keys, compliments Rae's gravelly flow perfectly, so much so that it sounds like it could have fitted quite nicely into his recently released LP Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II.
You can check out 'Stay Off The Fuckin' Flowers' below, and download it here:
Also, be sure to visit the Blakroc website for some recent video updates on the project (like the clip below which shows Q-Tip in the studio adding his two cents to the project), and stay tuned on the 27th… this album looks like it might live up the hype.
When it comes to legendary hip hop producers, Salaam Remi might not be the first name on your list. But take a look at the work he's turned in over the last 15-odd years, and it quickly becomes apparent that he's not really given the credit he deserves.
A quick look at Remi's production credits makes for some impressive reading; how about Nas' 'Made You Look'? Or Ms. Dynamite's 'Miss Dy-Na-Mi-Tee'? And for one the whole family will know, let's throw Amy 'I love life as a 32D' Winehouse's 'Tears Dry On Their Own' into the mix too, along with some other tracks from her hit LP Back To Black. If that doesn't impress Mum, tell her he executive produced the Sex And The City soundtrack. Definite props there.
Now, thanks to the gang over at Uggh... Nice Watch, you can brush up on Salaam Remi 101, thanks to a new mix tape they've put together entitled The Salaam Remi Collection.
This 35 track collection covers some of Remi's best work with some of the bigger names in hip hop, dancehall and R&B. Alongside tunes he's crafted for the afore-mentioned artists, there's also cuts with reggae bad men Super Cat, Shabba Ranks and Mega Banton, hip hop from the Fugees, Biz Markie and Funkmaster Flex, and a bunch of classic remixes, including a blinder he turned in for Da Bush Babee's 'Remember We' back in '95:
1. Super Cat “Ghetto Red Hot (Hip-Hop Mix)” (1992) 2. The Fugees “Ready Or Not (Salaam’s Ready For The Show Remix)” (1996) 3. Rebelz Of Authority “Blast of the Iron” (1995) 4. Patra “Banana” (1995) 5. Amy Winehouse “Stronger Than Me” (2003) 6. Nas “Made You Look” (2002) 7. Rakim “I Get Visual” (1995) 8. Changing Faces “Keep It Right There (Salaam Remi Remix)” (1994) 9. Da Bush Babees “Remember We (Salaam Remi Version)” (1995) 10. Greg Nice “Set It Off” (1995) 11. Mega Banton “Sound Boy Killing (Remix)” (1994) 12. Toni Braxton f/ Mad Cobra “You’re Makin’ Me High (Remix)” (1996) 13. Ini Kamoze “Here Comes The Hotstepper (Hertical Mix)” (1994) 14. Bad Brains “Love is the Answer” (1993) 15. The Fugees “Fu-Gee-La” (1996) 16. The Jackson 5 “ABC (Krunk-A-Delic Party Mix)” (2005) 17. Lil’ Flip f/ UGK “You’z A Trick (Remix)” (2007) 18. Ciara “Click, Flash” (2008) 19. Born Jamericans “Send My Love / Send One Your Love” (1997) 20. Biz Markie “Young Girl Bluez” (1993) 21. Kool G Rap f/ Nas “Fast Life (Norfside Remix)” (1995) 22. Funkmaster Flex f/ Nine & Tragedy “Six Million Ways To Die” (1993) 23. Shabba Ranks “Original Woman” (1993) 24. The Fugees “Nappy Heads (Remix)” (1994) 25. Zhigge “Rakin in The Dough (Uptown Bounce Mix)” (1992) 26. Black Sheep “Without A Doubt (Salaam Remi Remix)” (1994) 27. AZ & Nas “Serious” (2004) 28. Blaque “Can’t Get It Back” (2001) 29. Amy Winehouse “Tears Dry On Their Own” (2007) 30. Jamie Foxx “I Don’t Know” (2008) 31. Jazmine Sullivan “Bust Your Windows” (2008) 32. Ms. Dynamite “Dy-Na-Mi-Tee” (2002) 33. Nas “Get Down” (2002) 34. Amy Winehouse “Just Friends” (2003) 35. James Brown “40th Anniversary Medley (Mixed by Salaam Remi)” (1997)
Props to Rap Radar for the original heads up on this.
In order to mark De La Soul's 20th year in business, the fine folk at Lemar & Dauley have teamed up with Mick Boogie and Terry Urban to release a new mixtape, Le Da Soul: 20 Years of De La Soul - a compilation that celebrates two decades of greatness from "one of hip-hop’s most consistent groups."
