MIXTAPE 101 – ORIGINAL GANGSTER
Posted: January 30th, 2008 | Author: dex digital | Filed under: episodes | Tags: alicia keys, beewirks, episodes, jack benson, jay z, mathematics, mick boogie, nas, quincey tones, shuko, von pea | 20 Comments »;openPlay(119);)
Yeah, this is the story the Source won’t tell you. Consider this a bonus episode. Back in September, Jay-Z and I had put together a really brilliant companion to the American Gangster movie, featuring a lot of talented beatmakers previously featured on MTSN. I was pretty excited – my first A&R project, my first big industry check, everything was awesome.
Then Def Jam heard the final project and freaked. Next thing I know everyone’s scrambling around grabbing beats from no-names like Pharrell and Just Blaze, nobody’s returning my phone calls, and my money is all screwed up. Then the “official” record comes out, and no mention of my name.
So Jay, if you’re reading this, you know our first version would have gone triple plat, easy. I’m putting the first EP version up so people can hear the original. My version is 10 times better than the commercial release, Jay, and you know that.
intro dexalude: Pimpology 101 by Mathematics.
Nas – Hey Nas (remixed by Quincey Tones). We start with the whole remix thing kinda turned on its head. UK beatmaker Quincey Tones got hold of a bunch of Nas acapellas, plus the original joints sampled on the official American Gangster record, flipped them himself and created a new project. myspace.com/quinceytones.
Jay-Z – American Gangster (remixed by Shuko). That’s funny, when I think of the decade in which I was born, I don’t generally think of medium-sized wading birds in the Ardeidae family. To each his own, I guess. Been a minute since any Shuko production has been on the show. Mick Boogie and everyone’s favorite German got together and flipped Marvin Gaye samples and put this out pretty quick, from what I remember. This is probably my favorite cut on his version of the project.
Jay-Z – Ignorant Shit (remixed by Beewirks). Somebody stop this kid. I had this in my inbox a few days before Christmas hit. Pretty much everyone and their great uncle hit me up on some “hey dex look I made my own Jigga album lolkthx”. Beewirks’ version, though, is easily the most consistently great across the board. myspace.com/beewirks.
Jay-Z – No Hook (remixed by Beewirks). See? Kid’s range is pretty impressive. Beewirks brought a lot of nuance out of both this and the previous track that I think people would normally miss. myspace.com/shuko.
Jay-Z – Blue Magic feat Jack Benson (remixed by Von Pea). Yes, dig Von Pea on vocals – dude takes the remix concept one step further and sings the hook himself. Beat is extra dope too. I remember being absolutely bewildered as to why someone would name a song after hair product and then sing about drugs, but turns out Blue Magic is just extra pure heroin. Go figure. myspace.com/vonpea.
Nas - Warrior Song feat Alicia Keys (remixed Quincey Tones). Somebody will probably step in and hit me for sleeping, but this is the first I’ve heard of Quincey Tones. Dude really is not bad with these soul flips.
February should be an interesting month. We’ll talk more about that later. Until then…
HAHAHA first one ta coment my first time i didnt even finish lisin to it yet lol just wanted ta feal special (can i get a shoutout next episode lol) any way its prooly gon b hot cuz u got von pea in it from his American Angster remix (bttr then the original my opion) beging sketch i did hear it was fire i dont noe wat tisted hood u from but u dont pay people in hot dogs lol had me dyn keep up da good work dex ima hit it up again after i lisn to it
Dope bonus. Heron’s song my fav. Blue Magic’s vocals pretty magic too.
The No Hook rmx took me back to that “Love Jones” joint off Bobby Digital’s 1st cd. Does anyone know the original?
Shuko, The Gunna and Mick Boogie Present: Brooklyn Soul (Jay-Z Meets Marvin Gaye RMX Album)
http://sharebee.com/76d314cf
MAN Dex this is the best jay z remix album yet…I had just finished listening to the new song off the blue print 3 album..keep doing your thing Dex .
Man, that’s kinda.. not good (excuse my lack of vocab) but really, this one is better. Better than the ‘original’? Well, keep doing your thing, cos it IS good. Recs: http://www.myspace.com/colorstrip – gave you a video a couple weeks back
http://www.myspace.com/tyandupwards – this guy’s very (well, I think) political and some nice beats too
Anyway
Peace
:)
alright i checked it out and it was fire the hey nas remix was my favorite track keep it up mayne
Cii – yeah, I had to listen closely to doublecheck that that was Von Pea singing the hook – but his voice is pretty unmistakable.
Glad people are feeling this one. And if you’re not – grab my sources and put your own together for the road (note that these are all zip files and sorta big):
Quincey Tones + Nas:
http://sharebee.com/eb68203c.
Beewirks Remixes:
http://www.zshare.net/download/5864052bfe14f1/.
Von Pea presents American Angster (get it, angst? ha-ha):
http://www.zshare.net/download/5622409888a47a/.
see the link for the Shuko+Mick Boogie jawn up above as posted by Vince.
Mr U – ha! you know, I threw this party a couple weeks back and a friend of mine was going on and on about this Jimmy Edgar dude, and I felt like it was the same dude you’d linked to in that youtube video. Turns out it is, and looking at his myspace, the video aesthetic makes a lot of sense. I’ve been sleeping on Warp recently, I guess. Dumb question – you do of course listen to Aphex Twin, right?
and Ty? Soultronica 5, man. I think Suburb is a bigger fan of Ty than I ever was, though…I’d have to give him another try.
Vince – The sample is (I think this is the one you’re talking about) is The Mighty Ryeders – Star Children. Bobby also interpolated some of the Brighter Side of Darkness’ “Love Jones” in the hook.
hey thanks for the support people…Dex especially for giving my stuff shine…yeah ur dead on with the sample man…just hope everyone thinks my stuff is good…if anyone wants to contact me, my email is usaiditma@gmail.com or u can hit my myspace at http://www.myspace.com/beewirks
Beewirks and Quincey Tones real good combination lol on the arcade tokens
Yup yup, get the angle dex. Aphex Twin is good and yeah I heard of them. I can’t believe i forgot that Ty was on Soultronica 5! Anyway, good looking out. To tell you the truth, Jimmy Edgar does a lot a shit; photograpy, music, videos, animation…. you get what I’m saying right?
Peace
:)
A…roll…of…tokens…Dex…get’em
I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a time in my life when I wouldn’t have gladly accepted a roll of arcade tokens for an honest hour’s work.
Real talk: a roll of arcade tokens is still, to this day, an excellent way to get on my good side.
the relentless persuit of gettin down,my man
[...] MIXTAPE 101 – ORIGINAL GANGSTER [...]
niiiice!..can’t say anything else that hasn’t already been said.
yo dex good look on embedding single episodes dats real nice can finally put those i want up
Its already all been said, I’ve been listening to this for maybe 2 weeks now and I can’t add nothing apart from letting you that I am really diggin the way that Marvin sample spices up the track.
it’s funny how jay probably paid 50g’s or whatever to just blaze for one of the worst beats i’ve heard on the “american gangster” track…and then i listen to this version by some nobody and it’s gotta be one of the best remixes I’ve ever heard. the lyrics just sound so much more forceful and impact you more over a better beat. i think american gangster as an album could have been a reasonable doubt if the production wasn’t shit.
Just wanna say that the No Hook Remix is honestly perfectly matched. Jay-Z vibes with the instrumental like crazy and works it.