MIXTAPE 99 – THE PRIMARIES

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Yeah, a little late. New music, new design, new year. Shouts to Rashad for the inspiration on this episode concept. I have so much new music it’s not even funny. More episodes in the pipeline. Beattape, bounce tape, soultronicas, new soul (?), and some new tricks up my sleeve. But for right now, let’s get into the primaries…

intro beat – Iain “F a Quantize” Haywood – Switch on the MPC. myspace.com/12pads. What’s this about UK and US releases in 08 son? Hit the comments, do tell.

Labratz - Dirty Slum. Yes, comparisons to Goodie Mobb and early Outkast are easy, but that’s just because so little progressive Southern rap has hit your ears. Lyrics aside, one of the things I really dig about this record is the approach to postproduction – vocals are slowed up, jammed up, tweaked out, but the final mix is still raw to the point where I had to ask Sol if he was actually done with these because so many people nowadays overproduce records that it’s pretty rare to see someone leave that grit in it. I dig. I also must say that I’ve been walking around chanting “Marty McFly, Marty-Marty McFly-Fly” more often than I’d care to admit. myspace.com/labratzmusic

Marco Polo – The Radar feat Large Professor. Large as a guest MC, not a producer. Don’t get it confused though, the drum work on this still goes hard. myspace.com/marcopolobeats.

Tom C3 and Prince Po – Can’t Stop Won’t Stop. The first couple bars of this song reminds me somehow of Lord Quas’ “Come on Feet” for some reason. I was wondering why I hadn’t heard of Tom C3 until I realized he did the Dopestyle 1231 jumpoff (brilliant album art, by the way). Shouts to Nasty Nes for this one. myspace.com/tomc3.

NAAM Brigade – Greatest Man Alive (remix). Well, actually this is more Sonny Black than anything, but still. I’ve heard of these dudes referred to as the Philly Wu-Tang. Who do I need to get on the phone with to figure out what the hell happened to these dudes? You heard them back in Episode 97 with the Message rework. While all these college-rap dudes are trying to recreate some boom-bap sound, NAAM Brigade somehow manages to dig into the early 90s/late 80s with their production and still sound absolutely rough and fresh with the final product.

Jay Electronica – Uprock. Definitely different production from what most have heard of Jay thus far, but damn the dude just eats this breakbeat up. The one man live band strikes again. Jay, if you ever do release Act II, you know you got a home for it here too.

dexalude – [instro: RJD2 - Inhale (remix)]. Internet rumors are crazy.

Bekay - Hunger Pains (prod. Alkota). Like I said, I’ve been following dude for some time (I actually remember his joint with ODB – I think one of the last he recorded), but nothing was quite my flavor – until now. This song isn’t all about “oh I’m white poor me”, but – or what I get from it, anyway – just a series of really screwed up events and situations that often trace back to a uniquely neurotic and American racism. Kinda hard to make it in a minstrel industry without black skin. myspace.com/bekay.

And for the record, the dude sounds nothing like Eminem to me.

Labratz - Creation. So does anyone actually have faith in this straight-ahead government process? I wouldn’t really call myself cynical, but my optimism never really involves fantasizing about real change being brought about through the election of some public official. Black leadership has really fallen off.

As much as I dig the instrumental on this one, you really have to pay attention to the lyrics on this one. I’d quote some here, but seriously, just listen. And then repeat.

“Peace to Barack Obama.”?

MIXTAPE 83 – BEATJACKS & REMIXES VOL 2

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First off, thanks to those that voted in the Podcast Awards. They should be announcing in a few days, but regardless of the outcome, I appreciate the support.

This episode we return to the Beatjacks & Remixes concept – if for some reason you didn’t catch the first one, you can hear it here - right after you check this one. Let’s get into it…

Paul Wall – And Then What Remix feat Coota Bang and Archie Lee. I don’t know that this is the official title for this thing, but this came off of the People’s Champ sampler, which stayed in my CD deck a lot longer than his actual CD did. Say what you want about his nursery school rhymes, I find Paw Waww to be a pleasant listening experience, thank you very much. This joint shows what kind of shit Swishahouse was (is?) really capable of. djpaulwall.com.

Superiority Complex – Butter. Yes, as in they re-did the old Tribe joint. This takes balls, and apparently they have these in, uh, large, uh, supply. Some backpackers out there might scream sacrilege, but I dig this one. You’ve heard them here before – check them out in the First Impressions episode. myspace.com/superioritycomplexmusic.

Hell Razah – Freestyle. Off of his pre-album sampler, which somebody decided not to tag the filenames on, so I don’t know what it’s supposed to be called. But got-damn the opening bars on this one go hard. “I’m sick of marching in these rallies“…Cosign. myspace.com/razahrubiez.

Nas/Dextrus – Made You Look (CMP Remix). Got this joint a long time ago from Dextrus. Dude’s a software engineer by trade, but that doesn’t stop him from getting down behind the boards. myspace.com/dextrusdalabassistant.

Jay Electronica - My World (Nas Salute). The mystery kid shows up again, courtesy of Andres pointing out some of his leaked work. A little less surreal than the last offering perhaps, but still pretty damn out there. myspace.com/jayelectronica.

Pharrell – When Skateboard Came. Off the mixtape he and DJ Drama did some time back. I’m not sure what it was that made me like this cut so much, but it’s just ridiculous. There’s a reason that Skateboard P stays behind the boards most of the time, but when he comes out, it’s pretty entertaining. The rest of the mixtape ain’t bad, either. myspace.com/pharrell.

Pharrell – Liquid Swords. Apparently dudes really like Wu-Tang.

Jay-Z – Encore (Block Burners Remix feat Z Nuff). Am I crazy, or is this instrumental ridiculous? This instrumental is ridiculous. True story – I never actually listened to the whole Black Album until I’d heard its multiple reinterpretations via people like DJ Lt Dan and Danger Mouse. But this version sons most of the other cuts out there, easy. I have absolutely no information on these people, though.

DJ Virus – 2004 ITF World Championships Set. There’s a good reason that there isn’t a whole lot of turntable wizardry on the Mixtape Show – it’s just not really my flavor. This guy kinda kills it though – pay attention to the end. myspace.com/sdvirus.

Intro beat –
Iain Haywood – Bad Motherfucker. Finally got a myspace for this dude! myspace.com/12pads.

So – as usual, hit the comments, link up on the facebook group, and just generally holler at a scholar.

MIXTAPE 72 – BEAT TAPE VOL 3

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At long last, it’s the long-awaited threequel to one of the original concept/spinoff series on this hip-hop podcast – the Beat Tape. Keeping in tradition with recent developments on the show, this tape is all over the place – stylistically and geographically. Three continents, multiple subgenres and inspirations, and just damn. I guarantee at least three rewinds on this episode or your money back^TM

Intro – DJ Umoja – Ieidc. Words – my father. I wish I was kidding.

1′05 – Super Smoky Soul – Good Night. Straight out of Tokyo. The Light Smoke EP is the first release on Circulations Japan, and it goes hard. Please check this. Shouts to Dai. myspace.com/circulations

3′40 – DJ Cam – The Sound of The Streets. Now on to France. This joint coulda easily showed up on Episode #68. myspace.com/djcamrecall

5′20 – Iain Haywood – Smooth. And over to the UK. Oh, come on. It’s cute. myspace.com/12pads.

6′35 – Alf-Alpha – 22 Year Old. Back to southern CA. I had this on replay for a very long time. Cut is cute as hell, and I want to call the words/scratches clever, but it’s a little beyond that. I hear dude has an album out. You should check it maybe. myspace.com/alfalpha

10′00 – Gil Scott-Heron – Is That Jazz (excerpt). I have no qualms about jacking things from YouTube. The bassline on this thing is ridiculous.

12′00 – Suburb - untitled. I’ve been sitting on these joints for far too long. Suburb is sort of the truth. Check him out. myspace.com/suhburb.

13′25 – Suburb - Cornelius Brothers flip. See above.

15′30 – Unagi - The One Revisited. Cut is hard. unagi442.com.

18′05 – Disrupt - International Karate Championship. Jahtari, the Leipzig, Germany-based label has been doing their thing for a minute now. This was their first release and you know I am fucking with it. jahtari.org.

20′40 – Disrupt - Events Occur In Realtime. This is an exclusive given to me by the Jahtari kids themselves. jahtari.org.

22′05 – J Dilla – Make Em NV (instrumental). Yep. jdilla.org.

23′20 – 9th Wonder – Track 07. Off the marginally infamous “Black Album Rejects” beat tape that floated around forever ago. myspace.com/9thwondermusic.

This is clearly the best beat tape episode yet, and it has nothing to do with me. Thanks to all the artists for contributing tracks, and I was serious in the outro. I want to know what you think about this. Let me know.

ps – in case you missed the first two in the series, check here: beat tape vol 1, and vol 2.