Tag Archives: jay z

MIXTAPE 120 – THE BREAKUP JOINT

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MIXTAPE 120 – THE BREAKUP JOINT

See, no rx a promise is a promise.

Anyway, pills this week, as the title suggests, is the breakup joint. Partially based on real life, partially based on the bizarre phenomenon in which when you’re depressed, you want to listen to even more depressing music, and partially based on that urge to just get something off your chest. That said, let’s get into the:

Tracklist

introlude – Mos Def – Brown Sugar.

Ta’raach – Hey. You know, this is like that part where you’re all “man, forget her, I’m good.” You know that phase. Trackwise, I don’t know, I’ve just been meaning to get this one on forever. A lot of the stuff dude says in this track is just really mean-spirited, which makes me like it even more. myspace.com/taraach.

Super Chron Flight Brothers – Once We Were Kings. And then you start to think back. This record kinda reminds me of Airborn Audio. Weird, paranoid subject matter over weird, paranoid beats. Apparently they holed themselves up in a Yogyakarta hotel during the production process, and their weed/skurry noises type antics resulted in an unwritten ban on Black patrons at that establishment. Not sure how I’m supposed to feel about that. myspace.com/flightbrothers.

Malcolm Kipe – My Room Remix. Negativity. Really it was the instro that got me on this one. mk on lastfm.

RJD2 – June (Remix). Aaaand here comes the “why me why me” phase. After the first verse you think it’s just going to be a rant on the state of rap music, until the second one comes in. Just too heavy. myspace.com/rjd2

Jay Electronica – Girlfriend. You think about calling her… remember? That always used to work. Not much to say here. It’s Jay. myspace.com/jayelect

Albe Back – Without You (dex digi Bohemian Rhapsody Edit). No, she said don’t call. It’s already over. Give it up, famo, you’re just making yourself look bad. Don’t lose your cool. Seriously, three bars in I realized I’d heard this chord progression before. You can hate me for doing this, but really my only motivation was that I couldn’t stand the original hook. myspace.com/albemusic.

Jay-Z vs Coldplay – What If We Cry? prod Remot. Which gives you more time to think. And now you can finally be a little more honest with yourself. Trying to “keep your cool” was what got you here in the first place. I don’t own any Coldplay albums, but I hear from very reliable sources that lots of white people like them. This cut is even more depressing this time around. myspace.com/remotmusic.

People Under The Stairs – More Than You Know. Congratulations, you’re now officially “in touch with your emotions”. What, you want a medal or something fam? I keep forgetting how dope this group is. myspace.com/peopleunderthestairs.

O.D.B - No More (Wasted Time). But hey, at least you can respect yourself a little more now, right? Right? At least, that’s what this cut seems to be called. I know, it’s really lo-fi, but this is the only version I’m aware of. A cry for help, man, just too late.

DJ Lt Dan and Jay Z – Interlude b/w Living Proof. … I don’t know, this just seemed to fit.

And that’s what it is for this week. Bonus points for anyone who can identify the original image I bootlegged to make this week’s episode cover.

MIXTAPE 101 – ORIGINAL GANGSTER

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MIXTAPE 101 – ORIGINAL GANGSTER

Yeah, order 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.

Tracklist

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…

MIXTAPE 83 – BEATJACKS & REMIXES VOL 2

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MIXTAPE 83 – BEATJACKS & REMIXES VOL 2

First off, recipe thanks to those that voted in the Podcast Awards. They should be announcing in a few days, discount 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…

Tracklist

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 63 – BEATJACKS AND REMIXES

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MIXTAPE 63 – BEATJACKS AND REMIXES

So I talked a lot in this episode. Hopefully nobody minds. Here’s a few notes before we begin:

[1] The footage for MTV’s 10 Greatest Hip-Hop Groups of All Time is here, artificial and the “postgame” footage, prostate including Run and Chuck D musing briefly on the effect of crack on hip-hop, buy information pills is here.

[2] And yes, the Mixtape Show was listed in Q Magazine‘s (UK) Best 100 Places To Get Free Music Online. #1 in the podcast section. They said that I was “lively”.

[3] I do think that the Beastie Boys made some nice songs, especially productionwise. I wouldn’t call myself a big fan, but they did their thing in their day. Plus, they were the featured group on during the official Mixtape Show Caucasian Appreciation Show. And around here, that counts for a lot.

And now for that playlist.

(instrumental – myspace.com/truestatiks.)

Hasan Insane – Hustler’s Clarity feat Jay-Z and Lil Wayne. Kid is nice with the beats. This one is just one of those that just works. Thanks for the tip, oux. myspace.com/hasaninsane

DJ Lt Dan – Justify My Thug feat Jay-Z (b/w G Thang). I can’t remember who first remixed Jay’s Black Album, but this cat is definitely one of the earlier and more memorable ones. That acapella release also spawned the Grey Album, which in turn tipped the white liberal media off to this whole “remixing” and “hippity-hop” thing, at which point it started to get sort of lame. myspace.com/ltdanmixtapes.

J*Davey – Untitled 1. Jack of J*Davey on this one. Free shoutout in the next episode to the first one to identify the instrumental. jdaveybaby.com.
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