MIXTAPE 121 – DO GOOD THINGS

Here’s Johnny? This is sort of a weird story and I’m not sure if it makes any sense the way I’m telling it, but yeah. This happened, and is still happening.

Fusion Unltd – The Sun feat Little Brother, Nickelus F, Hall of Fame, and Skillz. A producer that is sort of new to me. Lyrics ain’t bad either – “When I write I’m enlightening myself”? That’s sort of profound. myspace.com/fusionunltdfup

H.O.P.E – Can’t Knock the Hustle II feat Raquel Rodriguez. The vocals are kinda on the edge of contributing and taking away from the cut, but overall I dig. myspace.com/f2dhope.

Caltroit – Goatit feat Elzhi and Bishop Lamont. Off that recent Black Milk mixtape. This dude is sort of dope on the production. And come on, “raise your hands and see stars like King Hippo”? I hope I’m not the only one here who caught that. myspace.com/blackmk.

Jim Jones, Noe, and Tom Gist – Christmas Eve. Aside from dude feeling the need to do adlibs at the end of every bar, this is sort of a great song. myspace.com/jimjones

Rhymefest – Breakadawn feat Daniel Merriweather and alpha. I’ve dropped one cut from this tape before, but this is seriously a genius project. Don’t miss the skits. myspace.com/rhymefest.

Wurd Munchaz – Shakespeare. This is actually one of my favorite groups. If you don’t get the reference, I don’t know. You don’t spend enough time on the internet. myspace.com/wurdmunchaz

Okay, here:

original: marriedtothesea
I mean, come on. A rap song based on an internet joke? What’s next?

Cassius Clay – I Am The Greatest. Yes, as in Muhammad Ali. I checked the latest Shaun Boothe Unauthorized Biography joint (you heard the Bob Marley joint here last episode), and he referenced Ali’s recording career. Apparently people have referred to his stuff as some of the first battle raps – and really, listening to this, I can’t disagree.

John Robinson – Don King. Shouts to JR for linking this one up – been a minute since we’ve had some of his material on the show. If we spin Ali, it’s only fair to spin something about Don King, right? Info about his latest project here: myspace.com/thejohnrobinsonproject.

The Thunderclaps – Judgement Day (short preview edit). Shouts to Charlee for hooking me up with this joint forever ago. I have the long edit, but for some reason I dig the quick pace of this one. myspace.com/thunderclapsmusic.

instros:
intro:
Black Milk – Purple Track 3
outros:
Illa J – DFTF
RJD2 – Unlimited
Scarface – In Cold Blood

So yeah. Go out and do something nice for one of your friends, or for somebody you don’t know.

MIXTAPE 91 – SOULTRONICA 5 – BOUNTY HUNTERS

In Volume 5 of Soultronica, we find our bounty-hunting heroes, Dex Digital and Brothertron, cruising through the Beta Quadrant looking to get paid. Just as Dex gets word about a mysteriously high bounty posted on the perpetrators of a mysterious crime (who gets all bent out of shape over an old WWIII artifact being stolen?), Brothertron notices the same bandits zooming by their ship. Incredulous at their luck, the two give chase.

All is not as it seems, though – it appears that these space pirates have some pretty advanced (and illegal) technology in their little 12-Series beater. What will happen when our brave duo finally encounters the space pirates? Will they get their bounty? Where did the space pirates get that cloaking device? What the hell is a “Guh-Unitay”, and why do the pirates – and the Intergalactic Corporation – want it so bad? Find out in this installment of the Soultronica Series.

PS – Yes, this is a continuation of the soultronica storyline. If you’re new, you might want to start from the beginning.

intro 2: DJ Mehdi – I Am Somebody (DJ Paris Version). The joint goes hard, what can I say? djmedhi.

Special thanks to S. Kim for extra voice talent (S-Kim the bounty TV news reporter)!

Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (Justice Remix vs MSTRKRFT Remix). I know that TK already dropped the original of this one back in The New Soul Vol 3 (which you really need to check, by the way), but this first version just goes too hard not to put you all up on. Then we’ve got the re-edit soundclash with the MSTRKRFT version, which doesn’t bang as hard, but the reinterpretation on the synth lines is bad. myspace.com/etjusticepourtous, myspace.com/mstrkrft.

Neptunes + Daft Punk – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. I guess you could call this a remix, but it’s a bit too different to my ears. This circulated a long time ago (yes, Kanye was late to the game), and I just now rediscovered it. Whether you dig their stuff or not (and there’s no reason why you wouldn’t), people like P and Timbo really drive a fair bit of this new sound – as do Daft Punk. myspace.com/pharrell

digilude (searching for the space pirates): JR Don – Yobma. myspace.com/ghosteo.

Styles P – The Hardest ft AZ. Don’t forget that Soultronica has a lot of its roots in straightforward hip-hop as well. This cut could have worked easily as some standard boom-bap NY steez, but the futuristic synths just put this one on some galactic shit. myspace.com/stylesp.

Ty - Mpho’s Lament. 8 seconds. Yep. Important, though.myspace.com/tyandupwards.

Scienz of Life – Ginsu (Bronx River mix). Got this from John Robinson not too long, and immediately asked to put this one on the show. Took me a second to get to it, but I think it was worth the wait. The original mix is cool, but this futuristic one is just next level for me. myspace.com/scienzoflife.

digilude (battle): Biomass - Auxiumantia. Brilliant ambient producer from my own neck of the woods. If you ever see a flyer with the name “Biomass” on it, go, go, go. Dude brings his own television monitors. myspace.com/biomass.

Ladybug Mecca – Sweet and Polite. I have to admit, it took me a couple listens to really appreciate this one. As you might be able to tell, this one was produced by Sa-Ra. Sometimes I forget how good Ladybug Mecca really is – and the combo of her with the bizarre production of Sa-Ra is just too much. Somebody should tell them to do more collabos. The helium synth at the end is just bananas, by the way. myspace.com/ladybugmecca.

That’s what it is for this week. And yes, there is a whole storyline and universe behind this saga. You do not want to miss what happens next.

say something…

MIXTAPE 88 – THE JENA 6

For those of you who have heard, today is the day of the nationwide protest in Jena, Louisiana for the freedom of Mychal Bell and the rest of the Jena 6.

If you’re not totally up on this situation, listening to this hip-hop podcast should remedy that. This show contains, in part, an interview with Brother James Rucker of ColorofChange.org. But that’s not the only voice you’ll hear. A few days ago I posted a call for messages from the community on this situation, and got literally dozens of calls, which I’ve also added into the mix. You’ll hear people from California, Chicago, NYC, South Africa, Canada, London, and beyond. Rappers, filmmakers, label presidents, students, and everything in between.

Hopefully you dig this one. Thanks again to Color of Change, thanks to every single person that called, and every single person that is continuing to get the word about and fight for positive change. As you listen to this, a few thousand of our brothers and sisters are marching the streets of Jena, LA. The least we can do is make spread the word.

Note: To all college/community radio people: This episode is completely FCC clean and ready for airing. If you do

Hip-hop Artists/Personalities that appear in the show:
NYOIL (hear snippets of his “Jena 6″ in the intro and outro)
DJ Mr. King – myspace.com/djmrking
Vell Rob – cdbaby.com/vrob
John Robinson (President of Shaman Work Recordings) – shamanwork.com
Nick Cicero of Cicero Pro Audio – myspace.com/ciceroproaudio
Jahmil XT Qubeka (Filmmaker)
Michael Miraflor of Hip-Hop and Advertising – hiphop-ads.com.
Mad Anthony – Designer madanthonynyc.
Agent M of Blunt Beats Radio bluntbeats.com.

Beats:
Suburb – Untitled (first heard at 0’20)
Mobb Deep – Temperature’s Rising Remix (first heard at 1’55)
Madlib – Mind Touch (first heard at 5’20)
RJD2 – Weatherpeople (first heard at 9’40)
Dilla/Pharcyde – Runnin’ (first heard at 23’55)

Participate in the Campaign.
The Jena 6 campaign at Color of Change – www.colorofchange.org/jena.

Also: Note that Mychal Bell is still in jail. You can send him postcards and letters of encouragement at:

Mychal Bell
Inmate, A-Dorm
LaSalle Correctional Center
15976 Highway 165
Olla, LA 71465-4801

A few moments of your time can really brighten this kid’s day.

Post this on myspace, facebook, email this, whatever it takes.

Free the Jena 6.

MIXTAPE 71 – FEATURE – IMUS, STOP SNITCHING, AND RAP

This is not a simple interview, and it’s definitely not just another episode. This is an hourlong (!) special on the state of hip-hop in the media today.

This special covers everything from the Imus-inspired backlash on Hip-hop to sexism/racism in the media to the Stop Snitching ‘movement” to the number of people that actually dictate what videos get played on BET and subsequently MTV (hint: it’s less than four).

During the last few weeks, Hip-Hop has been under serious fire from the mainstream media – not only because of the backlash following Don Imus’ termination, but the more recent 60 minutes interview featuring Cam’ron and Anderson Cooper’s interpretation of the Stop Snitching mantra. So in order to bring some clarity to the situation, I spoke to several different community leaders, all of different backgrounds.

Aishah Simmons – An African-American feminist and activist documentary filmmaker, producer of the award-winning No!: The Rape Documentary, and perhaps best known to longtime listeners of the Mixtape Show as the older sister of Atlantic Recording artist DJ Drama (previously interviewed here).

John Robinson – also known as Lil Sci – a producer, MC, and President of Shaman Work Recordings, which has put out releases from artists such as Emanon, CL Smooth, and MF Doom.

Willie D – a solo artist and core member of one of the most influential rap groups to ever come out of the South, the Geto Boys.

Davey D – Hip-hop historian, journalist, deejay, and community activist, whose website, Davey-D’s Hip-Hop Corner, is one of the oldest and most respected Hip-Hop sites on the net.

and David K Far-El – aka D-Brad, the former producer for BET’s Rap City and the creator of Spring Bling. He was fired some time after Viacom’s buyout of BET and is currently working on a book and DVD exposing the commodification of the nation’s biggest outlet and representation of Black and Hip-Hop culture.

I encourage everyone to listen to this feature, pass it on (messageboards, myspace, wherever), and continue the discussion both here in the comments and elsewhere. Or hell, request this on your local community station (see below).

So, yeah. What do you think? Hit the comments section.

Oh, and here’s the information on the instrumentals featured in this show:
Sun.NY – Soul of a Hustler
Common – The Light feat Erykah Badu
Lords Of The Underground – Tic-Toc
Goodie Mobb – Black Ice feat Outkast
Dead Prez – Hip-Hop
Black Star – Children’s Story
Naughty By Nature – Mourn You Till I Join You

MIXTAPE 41 – RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Well, I had to do it. Today’s show contains more than a few joints that a lot of people out there would consider blasphemous. That’s fine. Before you call Focus on the Family on me though, (happened once before), think for a second about shit like the crack epidemic, about Katrina, about Sudan, and then tell me that there’s no good reason that people should feel like they’ve been shut out. Let’s move.

Mobb Deep feat 50 Cent – Pearly Gates. Exile on the beats here. This is the joint that was censored by Interscope – as in you can’t even get this version that you’re about to hear here in stores. I mean, you’ve got Prodigy saying shit like that he’s going to “see [Jesus] when he sees him” or that he’s gonna beat Jesus up “like the movie” (I’m assuming he’s talking about The Passion of the Christ). But of course, I don’t know what happened in the movie because I didn’t see it, because of the White Jesus factor.

Also, why are people whining about Fiddy singing on hooks? I think he sings good hooks. Please leave Fiddy alone. Dude wants to sing, let him sing. He’s had a rough life. Poor guy.

Thanks to Jon at SIC for getting me this one. www.soundincolor.com

Sin Sizzerb – If God Close the Gate. Sin once again brings some fairly complex lyricism. Not complex like Ghostface, say, but more like complex like when you were in English class and your teacher would make you interpret poetry and shit. A lot of Sin’s more recent shit seems to have a lot of symbolism going on, which I can hardly argue with. Dude comes off as a pretty well-read individual, aside from having a unique-ass flow. Anyone interested in hearing a Sin Sizzerb interview up here? Hit up the comments and let me know. sizzerb.com.

L Jamar – Here Comes the Sun. I like the sample, I like his flow, but this somehow sounds almost too cheerful. I mean, it’s a great song, but I mean, a happy rapper? Who the fuck wants to hear a happy rapper?

Anyway, this song is pretty much loaded with 5% wordplay and ideas. Like I mentioned in the show, on the off chance that you didn’t catch that terrible-ass issue of the Source where they did a “history of the Nation of Gods and Earths” feature, you pretty much have to educate yourself on this shit if you want to continue listening to rap. I really don’t mean to insult anyone out there with this knowledge, but I know there are a lot of “oh man I found this great hippity-hop show on the interweb and its run by this guy who almost sounds white” people out there, and I’m really just looking out for you. I tell you because I care.

Sorry, back to the track. Track is hot, the album comes out soon, and from what I’ve seen of it so far, I recommend it. Maybe we can mash out an interview with L as well. www.5percent.org.

Akir - Urban Sprawl. Yes, this instrumental has been getting around a little bit – I think that just speaks to Exile’s talent. You’ve heard Akir here before, and you know his tendency to drop the political science on you. I’ll leave this one alone here, because you already know that it’s quality. www.myspace.com/akir.

Oh – sidebar - the remark I made in the show at the end about Akir having some supposed “beef” with JWs didn’t really come out right – so ignore it. Dude is obviously not saying anything of the sort, as you’ll notice if you listen closely. My bad. So no offense to any Jehovah’s Witness out there, especially not my Aunt Lucille.

John Robinson – Hit Me Ruff Draft. Come on, it’s John Robinson. This one comes off of The Leak Edition Vol 1, which incidentally features a lot more hot material. Be on the lookout for more of this shit coming soon. Shouts to JR for linking me up with this one. shamanwork.com.

Cheyeah, that’s it for this week. Holler at me with any feedback in the comments section, or whatever. Look out for even more hot shit coming your way like quick snap. Peace.

MIXTAPE EPISODE 34

Cheyeah. So this is pretty basic. I got a dope show, and some tickets to give out for next week. This is for the Exile (Sound in Color) Dirty Science Tour, featuring Exile, Blu, Ta’raach (Platinum Pied Pipers), Aloe Blacc, etc etc. Hit me up if you want to get on the guest list for any of the following dates: april 16th – Kansas MO @ PNut Downtown
april 18th – Iowa City @ Gabes Oasis
april 20th – Miami FL @ Sweat Records (In-store, so you dont need tickets. Just go.)
april 20th – Miami FL @ I/O Lounge (live performance)
april 24th – New York NYC @ Rothkow/ Beatminerz
april 25th – Atlanta GA @ Apache Cafe
Now for the playlist. (ps – intro/outro beat = Platonic – Alternate Thursday.)
Exile f/ Blu – Narrow Path. This, combined with the other Exile/Blu joint you heard on this site (check the archives son!) is what made me realize that Sound in Color was running with some fucking heat. Turns out Blu is singing the hook, but you really have to see Aloe Blacc singing it with him to get the full experience. Dope beat, hot track. soundincolor.com.
Scienz of Life f/ MF Doom – Yikes. I think Doom produced this one. This is off the Leak Edition Vol 1 that John Robinson shot me (what up JR). You pretty much already know the story with this one without listening to it. Real simple sampling, esoteric raps. Listen. shamanworks.com. [good looking out Aush]
Modill – Nod (radio exclusive). I don’t know, it said “radio exclusive” on the CD. This was my joint for a little while a couple years back. Modill actually released a new record just recently, and apparently I duped Chess into thinking it would be a good idea to let me play some of that shit on the show. Be on the lookout for that, and cop up kiddies. evproductions.com.
Von Pea – 1st Date. Nicolay on the beats. I don’t know Nicolay, but he’s apparently kina dope. Please don’t drift off on this beat though, because the story VP is telling does not end how you expect it to. I’m not going to say much more than that. God damn this episode is turning out well so far. loudminoritymusic.com.
Chill Will – Freestyle. Straight out of D-town. This one came via the Mixtape Show Hotline at (310)-928-6876. Breaks up in the middle, but that’s cell phones for you. Chill Will is part of the Certified Ballaz – not much info on them yet, but we’ll see… Second southern freestyle though. This should be proof for all you dumb motherfuckers out there that the Mixtape Show is not an LA thing, not a West Coast thing, but a fucking rap thang. Pay attention.Exile f/ Ghostface – Milk ‘Em. Oh, come on, it’s Ghostface. Do I need to write anything about this? Just download and learn. soundincolor.com.
That’s this week’s episode, though. Be on the lookout for episode 35 of the fucking best rap podcast on the entire internets, all of them. Again, if you want them tickets, holler at your boy. yeeeeeeeeeeah

MIXTAPE EPISODE 31

Two main concepts this week: One, we’ve got a remix contest from Rebel’s Advocate kicking off this week. Here’s what you do – remix their acapella to Bite (download the mp3 by right-clicking

Next concept: education. Way too many of y’all little rap kids running stupid. I put together this episode to hopefully teach you some things – about the industry, about working on your craft and persisting, and about rap history in general. So pay attention.

Craig Rip f/ Matic - Where do we go from here. Getting spacy on y’all real quick. Matic with the kinda esoteric lyrics, and Craig Rip laying out them tracks. Am I allowed to say Van City? Am I the first to do that? I’m sorry if I offended anyone from Vancouver. Dope track. And also, sampling Quas = win. mumbleshiphop.com. Read on for more…

John Robinson – Indy 102. Hopefully this is not a new name to you. Met up with JR back over summer at some thing or other, and he recently got at me with a couple of packages – Beatology vols 1 and 2, and his The Leak Edition, Vol.1. This joint right here though should help you get your business game up, which is important since there are way too many people out there trying to take you for your shit. Listen to this a couple times. shamanworks.com.

I think especially important on here is how early he stresses the website thing – sure, a myspace is a good start, but what’s important is that you step your online game up, or you’re gonna get left behind. Speaking of which, if you’re interested in sponsoring the show, holler…

Rebels Advocate – Bite. You’ve heard them here before, now hear them again. This is from that same EP that caught me the first time. Basically it’s a 5-minute joint over damn near every classic hip-hop joint you can think of – like 15-30 second snippets of each joint. Pretty crazy hearing dude spit over drastically different beats and keeping it cohesive. All you producers, this is the song that you’ll be remixing for the grand prize of vinyl pressing and the iPod nano – so listen up, and check the end for details.

Specifics – Take me back. I’m sure there’s some life lesson to be learned here. Not sure what it is, but it’s probably there. Specifics have been supporters of the show since mad early on. And obviously since they’ve gotten so much play on the show, I’m definitely a fan of the sounds. Check the beat and the laid-back flow on this one…ill. Keep them coming…mumbleshiphop.com.

Milk Crate – What’s the deal f/ Muneshine. Had to drop this piano-and-bass laced beat up there in the end on some classic type shit. And come on, references to the Jeffersons and Prince in the same song? It’s a wrap. Basically just a dope way to close out the show. mumbleshiphop.com.

Aight, that’s this week’s show. I actually had a couple more joints I wanted to try to fit in here, but looks like we’ll have to wait for next week.

[oh - sidebar. I still have a couple of those Propane Piff mixtapes left - you want one? comment here and let me know, I'll hit you on the email if I decide to...]

Yeah – the info on the official Rebels Advocate Remix contest, cosigned by yours fucking truly. Copied from their website, here’s what the winner gets:

1. Your Version of the Bite Remix on the next Rebel’s Advocate 12” set to release in the spring
2. Apple I-Pod Nano
3. Deluxe Rebels Advocate Promo Package (t-shirts, posters, cds, ect)

Plus, 20 Runners up will be posted on the webpage and given Deluxe Promo Packages

Cheyeah. You can check all the official info right here: rebels advocate remix contest info. And again, you can download the acapella right

That’s it for this week – get on them decks, kids, and start producing! All you fans stay in tune, and all y’all entrepreneurs stay in tune with me too…if you’re trying to make something happen on a promo tip like this, get at your boy boyyyyyyyeeeeeeee. next week, yall. peace.