MIXTAPE 68 – FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I think if you’ve been keeping up on current [USA] events, mind you’ll know what the opening skit is about. Shout outs to Derek for creating/voicing the character of Johnathan America.

Other than that, though, this episode is all about first impressions. When you are a child of the MTV generation like I am, and you have crazy ADHD like I do, and you bought a Sidekick for the sole purpose of being able to IM and drive at the same time like I did, you rarely have the attention span for much beyond the first minute and a half or so of a new CD.

And as anybody who has ever sold indie CDs out of a trunk on a busy thoroughfare will tell you, the first impression is the difference between a sale and an angry look.

So this episode of your favorite hip-hop podcast is the First Impressions Episode – nothing but first tracks. Track 01s. This is probably one of my favorites so far. Hope you dig – have fun with this one.

Oh No – Intro. 27 beats in 3 days? Damn. As much as I like dude’s older brother, I can’t remember the last beat that Madlib made that made me want to hit somebody (feel free to refresh my memory in the comments though). This one does that to me, but maybe I’m just violent. myspace.com/ohnodisrupt.

Large Professor – Intro. The tempo might slow down a little on this cut, but your head should absolutely not stop nodding. myspace.com/thelargeprofessor.

J.R. Writer – To Be A Diplomat. I like how the dude fits a good portion of the backstory to his entire career into the first track of his CD, just like he’s trying to bring you up to speed on who he is and why you should care. This track inspired the entire episode. myspace.com/jrwriter

Murs – Intro. This is pretty much a given. If you don’t already own this album, get off of my internet. As soon as you put this cut in, you know the rest of the album cannot possibly be anything other than hot. myspace.com/murs316

M.I.A. – Banana Skit. 30 seconds of weird. I bet a lot of you actually skipped this track looking for “Galang”. Dummies. Get yrself an educayshuuuuuuuuuun! miauk.com

Agallah – Gangster. Summer of 2005 (okay I was late), this stayed in the deck like stupid. I replay this to the point where I should be sick of it, but I’m still not. This joint was my introduction to Purple City, period (again, slow). I don’t know if the mixtape is even available anymore, but if you can find it, there are some gems on Doomsday. myspace.com/agallahdonbishop.

Stanza – Enter In. I wish I had found this CD in my stash before I’d started the Soul episode. Two minutes of telling you who he is, and what you’re going to hear for the next 48. The production and the wordplay are both worth a rewind. Probably the best surprise I’ve found in the mail all month. Recommended. myspace.com/stanzahiphop.

Superiority Complex – Intro. See, these dudes get to talk all cocky like that in their intros, and the second I try things like that, females start looking at me crossways. Not fair. These two invite a lot of criticism based on their name alone (not to mention their insulting the rapping public at large), but I think their opening attack ain’t half bad. myspace.com/superioritycomplexmusic.

Now On – Ascension. I remember kinda being eh on this cut until they brought in them crazy-ass synths and rhodes. I actually have a hard time concentrating on the lyrics because the instro just really goes that hard. And then they drop in the turntablism…feel free to rewind this one as well. nowonmusic.com. [thanks josh]

intro beat: Unagi – Sacred Music
outro loop: The Go Gos – We Got The Beat.

Whoo boy. As always, hit up the comments section.

MIXTAPE SHOW EPISODE 22

Chyeyeah. All y’all know what the deal is. It’s your boy back with that fiyah or whatever the fuck the streets say when they have some fucking hype-ass music for you to listen to. And of course, for sale since the show is now included in Apple’s iTunes program, asthma you can just click here to subscribe (it’s free forever).

This time, I’m taking it back to the fucking streets. Slightly shorter show this time, because all of these joints are hard and fast. Y’all know what time it is. Cop the fuck uuuuuuppppp!

I am starting episode 22 with this joint for a reason: namely, it’s fucking hot. If this shit does not get you more amped up than a white boy on a Mountain Dew commercial, you need to get your pulse checked. This joint is just as hot as it was back in early summer when Damon sent it to me on a burned CD copy of the Pok Dog EP. phatduckrecords.com, and looks like dude has a myspace up rachurrr..

Pok Dog – For My Dogs.

Roc ‘C’ – El Capitan.

The homeboy John Kim over at Sound in Color comes through with some extra new shit – good looks! Roc comes through heavy one of those spaced-out, synth heavy Oh No beats. Roc is supposed to be dropping some new shit fairly soon – I’ll keep y’all updated on that. But for now you have the heads up on it – so when that time comes, cop up!! www.stonesthrow.com.

If you haven’t heard the original version of this, consider your hood passport officially revoked. The Ike Eyes interview is coming soon, and to get people prepared, we’ve got one of his spots on the old Purple City mixtapes – this time with the version that shows up on the audiovisualz mixtape that was mentioned in episode 21. Dig the rock beat, which segues right into the next joint…ghettorockstarinc.com..

Purple City f/ Ike Eyes – Hard Life.

Young Hootie – Set it Off.

I did get a copy of the Prince of the Bity mixtape, and while I’m not going to try to pick a favorite joint, I felt like this one had to go in here. If nothing else, you gotta give them boys props for the theatrics. Some of those skits had me fucking rolling. There’s a break in here which isn’t exactly funny, but it makes the song that much better. myspace.com/larcenyent.

Kanyeezy’s own Canadian DJ, Mr. A-Trak is up next. This one’s been around for a little while too, but maybe some of y’all ain’t heard it. And since Hell Rell, 40 Cal, and JR Writer are on this joint, you know that the lyrics are going to be hot. If you haven’t subscribed to the show yet, you need to. djatrak.com..

A-Trak f/ Hell Rell, 40 Cal, & JR Writer – Don’t Fool with the Dips.

334 Mobb – Alabama Ho.

Alabama stand the fuck up! The first time I played this joint in at my flat, the whole place blew up. You should have seen it. Blow, heroin, pipes, legs, rabbits, everything flying everywhere at once. Once the beat drops in it’s a fucking atom bomb and the whole place goes apeshit, trust me. I had to loop this track like five times before everyone finally shut the fuck up and let me go back to the new Jay Chou single. I actually heard about this duo immediately after I had left the 334. Shouts to EV for getting this joint to me.www.334mobb.com.

Rewind my selectah! What y’all know bout the reprise? Yes this is the same joint as the first one, but it’s the slightly more spacey remix. This time though, MED off Stones Throw and Mr. Mondell of The Faculty show up for guest raps. This beat might not have the sheer window smashing quality of the original, but I dig the more laid back synth string instrumental just the same. Plus the guest lyrics are pretty much cute as fuck. Again, check out phatduckrecords.com, and the myspace.com/pokdogzilla.

Pok Dog f/ MED and Mr Mondell – For My Dogs Remix.

There you go! Episode 22, just in time to put on the shiny new iPod nano that Jesus bought you for Giftmas. Labels, artists, hustlers, media types get at me…

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