MIXTAPE 107 -DUBSTEP

Thought I told you it was on again.

First and foremost, viagra order thank you to everyone for sticking around. I know it’s been a minute. I’ll try to explain more later, disease but for now, the episode:

This is a sidebar to the Soultronica Saga (which, yes, is still in the works…slowly, but in the works). I set the spaceship aside for a moment and we take a look at an alternate future of rap, jungle, and reggae music: Dubstep.

Let’s get right into the music:

intro: DZ – Strong On Ya.

Loefah – It’s Yours. Well, might as well ease you all into it, right? Rough track. See if you can remember where this sample came from. myspace.com/loefah.

Jay Electronica and Zed Bias – The Cauldron. From a BBC Benji B session, I think. This one I’ve got to say I did not see coming. I’m not exactly sure what the story is behind this one, but think about it – how many US rappers are willing to even consider jumping on a grime/dubstep/categorizemeplease track? Exactly. I think Zed produced this. I think. Courtesy of Sweeney Kovar. myspace.com/zedbias.

The Bug – Skeng feat Killa P and Flow Dan. If you are wondering where the dub and reggae influence I was talking about comes in, listen to this. I remember the first time I heard this in that crazy art studio basement club that Pure Filth used to occupy. Absolutely bananas. I liked this one so much I used to refuse to listen to it unless it was on a real system. The lyrics, though – they are completely over-the-top ridiculous. Seriously. myspace.com/thebuguk.

Rusko – William H Tonkers. Remember me saying that you need a good set of headphones for this one? Exhibit B right here, kids (A was the last one). Dig the synth programming on this one. ruskonfire.

Nebulla and DJ Dore – Poppin (Dirtystep Remix) feat T.I. I can’t say that I like this one better than the original, but it definitely goes kinda hard. The basswork on this one ain’t bad at all.　myspace.com/djnebulla, myspace.com/djdore.

Loefah: Voodoo (666) / Lord Finesse: Check the Method (DJ Premier Scratch Mix). If you just couldn’t get into anything else on this ep, wait until this one. This may well be my favorite song on this episode (which is saying a lot considering my feelings towards The Bug). Ripped from the briliant Dubstep Sufferah Volume 3, which is highly recommended if you liked this one. grievousangel.com.

Moody Boys – Honey Remix feat Erykah Badu. I take back what I said on the last one – if you can’t get into the other cuts, check this one. Seven minute, dubbed-out workout of one of the best new soul singles in recent memory. Brilliant. I think Mamiko likes this one. myspace.com/themoodyboyz.

Pre-emptive shouts to Pure Filth for throwing some of the most inspiring jams I’ve ever had the privilege to attend.

And those who know me personally know that I don’t take statements like that lightly.

So yeah – while I’m certainly no dubstep expert, I know enough to know that I like this stuff. What do you think?

MIXTAPE EPISODE 29

Episode 29 this time of the livest hip-hop podcast ever, page fuck them other joints, sick cause they really just aren’t fucking with the Mixtape Show.

Case in point – who else brings you shit from the UK AND the dirty dirty in one episode? You can count the number of sites on my middle finger, symptoms suckers, cause there’s only one. All kidding aside, I’ve got some pretty out-there and interesting shit for y’all this week. We’re gonna start off with some more straight-ahead hip-hop from across the pond, then jump into some grime, then hit you over the head with some of that suvvin rap shit. Don’t miss the messages section at the end, complete with some more Dilla-inspired beats.

Assaviour and Jehst - Money in the Bank (orig. version). This episode is gonna get crazy, so I thought I’d start y’all off with something that you could handle. Check the production and the hook on this one…instant classic. lowliferecords.co.uk.

Jehst - City of Industry. From the description on the record itself: “One of the first tracks Jehst recorded for Low Life, this perfectly illustrates how he creates atmosphere with music and paints pictures with his words”. Sounds accurate to me. lowliferecords.co.uk. Shouts to Chess for linking these up.

Plan B – Sick 2 Def. I hope to god I don’t lose y’all on this joint. This is the first of two joints you’re gonna hear on this show from the long-awaited Run The Road Pt. 2 compilation. This is probably my favorite joint on the compilation, which is weird because: 1: there are no drums or grimy basslines, meaning it’s not really even (?) grime. And 2: I almost never listen to the song, because it’s fucking difficult to listen to. Trust me – wait until the third verse. If you can sit through that shit without your spine tingling due to the absolutely fucking vivid shit that Plan B is spitting, then you need to go back to Kelly Clarkson.

Kano - Mic Check Remix f/ Demon & Ghetto. Switched it up on you. This is another joint from the Run The Road 2 compilation, but is definitely more in line with what your idea of grime is. And if you don’t even know what grime is yet, then this is probably a pretty good introduction, but you need to start paying attention. If y’all want more of this, I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime though, check the bassline on this joint. By the way, this joint, as well as the one before it, are available on Vice Recordings at runtheroad.com. I see you Ciel…

Trillville - Man Up. Oh, come on, haven’t you been reading Fader? Grime + Dirty South shit = Instant win. Seriously, though, I’ve been on that shit since well before whatever trendy-ass blog/magazine/indy rag you’ve been reading/copying/talking about at Cinespace. I like Trillville, and since this isn’t an album cut, I put it here. So there you go. You like, buy the album. trillville.com.

4-Ize – Premium Unleaded f/ Homebwoi and Lil Atlanta. Been sitting on this one for months. More 4-Ize (you’ve heard him here before), and a bit more LA in case you didn’t catch him on the last joint. Really, though, Homebwoi kinda kills it for me in his last few bars during his verse. Ain’t heard of him before this, but I’m gonna check for him in the future, buhleeeeeedat! My favorite track off of the Premium Unleaded mixtape.

**interlude!**

Mixtape Show Hotline – Messages.

Looks like I just got (good) one this week, from my man Agallah of Purple City. He ain’t lying, either – the Propane Piff CDs are in the mail right now, and a certain heretofore undetermined amount of you lucky bastards will be getting the opportunity to win one of these CDs through some heretofore undetermined method. They’re dope – I’ve already heard all the tracks. If you’re interested, holler.

Oh yeah – the beats in the background at the end are courtesy of my man Stro the 89th Key of the Procussions. Dude shot me an email a day ago with this shit, and I had to include it. It’s a 5 minute long Dilla tribute mix called “Requiem for Dilla”, and you can cop your own non-talked-over version over at the procussions’ site.

So yeah – that’s what it is. Hit up the mixtape show hotline at (310) – 928 – MTSN to leave drops, freestyles, shoutouts, whatever. Good ones get placed at the end in the brand new messages section – you never know what’s going to happen in that section, mainly because I don’t really even know until I check my messages 5 minutes before posting up the show.

Get at me…

So I’ve been hearing Lady Sov’s (if you can’t spell “sovereign” it’s perfectly acceptable to call her that) name thrown around for a minute now. I guess she was on that Run the Road compilation that Chester Copperpot was making fun of and that I’ve still never heard. Anyway she’s part of this “grime” shit that all those funny-talking British kids are listening to nowadays. I’m into the shit so once I got the CD, I actually bothered to listen to it, unlike all those fucking terrible demos I seem to get nowadays.

Moving on. Review is after the jump.

1. Random.
This song is pretty good. Pretty good as in not amazing. The funny part about this song is when she starts copying Nelly Chingy (who is a terrible person, by the way, to imitate, even in jest), saying “right thurr” and shit like that. Then she’s all like “Well I’m right thurr, (something unintelligible), right there / Right hurr, nah, right here / Now get off of your churr, I mean chair”. I find this funny, of course, because to me, she’s pronouncing it wrong the entire time. Fucking England.

Ch Ching – Cheque 1-2 Remix.
This song is sort of cute. It’s good.

Fiddle With the Volume
Whatever. Skiptrack.

Random – Menta Remix feat. Riko
Okay, here’s where the album actually starts for me. This beat is fucking bananas to me. I don’t know who the fuck Menta is, but he gets an A+ from me for this one. This song is essentially the same as the first track, except 1) I can actually get to the end of this one without getting bored, and 2) the guest rap from Riko, who is rapping on the fucking phone.

In jail.

I mean jesus fucking christ, how much more gutter can you get than having a guest rap phoned in from somebody on lockdown? And the dude has bars too. Shit is hot. At first I was a little unsure as to how having some lo-fi’ed lyrics would affect this track’s dancefloor appeal, but on 10th listen it just makes the track that much more insane.

A Little Bit of Shhh
I kind of wish they would continue the melody line that they start up with the bassline in the hook. For those of you who like melodic basslines through, this is your shit on this album. I can’t remember much from the lyrics but the production is pretty grimy. Can anybody explain why the girls are screaming about pianos?

The Battle feat Frost P, Zuz Rock, & Shystie
This thing was touted as some “battle of the sexes”, but unfortunately the boys win on this one for me because I couldn’t be arsed to actually sit through until Sov got on. Shystie is probably worth checking out on her own though. Marginal skiptrack.

A Little Bit of Shhh – Smallstars Remix by Adrock
You read that right, it’s another version of track 5. This CD is actually only like 5 tracks, which including remixes is 8. I’m not sure why this isn’t just an EP.

But anyway, yeah this is Adrock of the Beastie Boys on production. This is right up there with the Random remix. Shit is pretty fucking wild. It’s not miles better than the original as is the case with Random, but it’s good. Funny, too, because I distinctly remember dumbing out to this in my car but now that I have it on my regular system it just isn’t quite as hot.

Fiddle With the Volume – Ghislain Poirier Remix
Ghiza_what_?

Grime meets dancehall. Certainly better than the original.

Final Verdict.
There’s a few joints on this – namely, the Random Remix, A Little Bit of Shhh (both versions) , and actually that’s about it.

This is a good but short record, but at the end of the day I think I still might rather listen to M.I.A. And I swear I’ve heard better shit of hers out there on teh_intarwebbe somewhere. Weird that they didn’t include it on this album. Still, though, it’s definitely worth a listen.

http://www.ladysovereign.com/
http://chocolateindustries.com/