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 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…

MIXTAPE SHOW EPISODE 26

Yo yo yo, diagnosis what it is? Back with that episode #26. If this is your first time, welcome. If you’re confused, check out the about and the F.A.Q.

This week, it’s a break from all them interviews, and a return to the mixes. I’m gonna go with the low-graphics version this time – what do y’all prefer?

East Flatbush Project f/ Stress and Dox - Who I’m Is. Now, I’m not going to pretend to understand whatever sort of strange sub-grammar would lead someone to decide that “Who I’m Is” is coherent English, but that’s not really my place. My place is, however, to tell you that this joint is dope. Thus: “This joint is dope”. There. (a little more info on EFP here).

click “read more” to see the rest of the playlist…

Sean Price – Jamaican. I can’t recall the original sample used here, but I know this is a throwback to BDP‘s “Stop the Violence”. Of course, when the chorus runs “Grab your dicks and let the clip pop”, you know that the Teacha‘s message isn’t entirely intact here. That said, the joint is hot. And if you haven’t heard of Sean P yet, well, I don’t know what to tell you. I guarantee you’ll get the hook caught in your head. Don’t blame me if you get in trouble for repeating it in third period. Buncha high-school bastards (check out seanprice.com).

Ike Eyes f/ Agallah - On My Grind. If any of the songs in this episode could incite a riot, it’s probably this one. Agallah is on production and lends some bars, and of course my man Ike Eyes comes through with some lyrics that are at once hard and esoteric. You can’t really argue with that. (more info on Ike at his myspace).

Ike Eyes f/ Rebel Relz & Tito I – It’s a Shakedown. Before I forget, I have to give a shout to Ike for holding me down here with these two exclusives. Ike emailed these two to me literally about four days ago. Be on the lookout for an interview with dude, coming Real Soon Now (TM).

East Flatbush Project – Pregame 2005. Respect to Spencer (for hire!) for connecting with me, and for getting this joint out to me. Edgy, nervy, paranoid type beats and lyrics…I listen to this one whenever the feds drive by. This one definitely wasn’t on the 12″…

Pok Dog f/ K.L.A.S.S.i.C. – On Lean. I really couldn’t close out a show without doing some of this West Coast thang. Remember that banger that I started Episode 22 of with? This is that same dude, representing the Ox (the Ox, right Pok?). I haven’t heard more than a few of Pok’s joints, but from what I’ve seen, he consistently puts out versatile, hard material. Pok, mang, get at me with some more of this shit! (check out pok‘s myspace )

And that’s it for episode #26. Thanks to all the MCs, producers, artists in general, labels, and what have you that helped make this one possible. Be on the lookout for Episode #27 – it’s gonna be an interview, but not with an MC, per se. Trust me though, it’s gonna be one of the most important 30 minutes you’re going to spend for a long while. Here’s a hint: It’s with the dude who is making the bling documentary.

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…

Use the link below to subscribe to this hip-hop podcast in iTunes and never miss an episode of the mixtape show. It’s free, bastards:


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MIXTAPE SHOW EPISODE 21

Man, prescription y’all already know what this is. Best, hepatitis and longest-running independent rap/hip-hop podcast ever. Episode 21, cop the download and read along!

Leading off this episode is Blaq Poet, who might be best known (?) for his bars in Screwball‘s “F.A.Y.B.A.N.”, a song that I have more than once really fucking wanted to play in its entirety on the radio and dedicate to various B.A.N.s in my life. Incidentally that track was apparently his first collabo with the world-reknowned DJ Premier, who returns to bless this joint with one of his signature minimalist beats. Speaking of the “N” in “F.A.Y.B.A.N.”, why does this francois dude prefer the redneck spelling of the “N” word? That’s not really a good look to me. But the song is good, so check it.. Get at Blaq Poet at yearroundrecords.com..

Blaq Poet – We Gonna Ill.

Milano – Hope You’re Listening.

I hope you’re listening to this fucking podcast right now, is what I hope, for your sake. Milano comes through over some rather sick strings and drum programming courtesy of Showbiz. You will like this song. Check out his label at www.beatdownrecordings.com.

Ike fucking Eyes is up on this shit with some majestic horns on the Scram Jones production; and combined with Ike’s typical swagger this made it one of my favorites on his mixtape – so you know I had to get it in here. I’ll be the first to admit I’d been sleeping on dude, but he’s been around. Put it this way – if you’ve heard a Purple City mixtape, you’ve heard his voice. Once we get some time I’m gonna have to hammer out an interview with him and get yall a little perspective, rriiiiiight? “pat myself on the shoulder, good job ike!” Classic. ghettorockstarinc.com..

Ike Eyes – Prince of Kings County.

Respect f/ Smif n Wessun – Crabz.

I hope to Allah that some of these names are ringing a fucking bell for you by now. Smif n Wessun grace Respect‘s latest single, which although it may bring up bad memories of what you got from messing around with that boy down the hall during your freshman year of college, is actually aimed at people trying to hate, perpetrate, and otherwise hold you down. You know, like crabs in a bucket. Jokes aside, track is hot…www.beatdownrecordings.com.

What? Wait, is this actually hip-hop, where’s the misogyny? Yes, kids, this is pretty much a fucking love song, and you’re going to sit down and enjoy it. Cesar and Edgar Allen Floe, whose name reminds me that I’m supposed to be typing an English paper up right now, wax romantic on this one. The beat was pretty much what got this one the thumbs up for inclusion into the show. Play this one for your SO before you go out to cheat on her at some club.cesarcomanche.8m.com..

Cesar Comanche feat Edgar Allen Floe – I Miss You.

Longshot feat Jah Safe & Romello Hill- Quitters Anthem.

Wait, wouldn’t this song have gone better after “Crabz”? Yes, but I’m purposefully fucking with your mind. Next thing you know I’ll be posting Gwen Stefani songs (I’m actually partially kidding). Seriously though, I’ve been pretty fucking impressed with Longshot’s album, enough so that I’m closing this episode with the closer on his album. If you don’t have it yet, go cop it – and if you aren’t convinced yet, wait for the interview – coming soon.www.evproductions.net.

Special thanks to Chester Copperpot, Ike Eyes, all them boys and girls down at Foundation Media, and all those who support! Stay the fuck tuned!

Use the link below to subscribe to this hip-hop podcast in iTunes and never miss an episode of the mixtape show. It’s free, bastards:


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