MIXTAPE 108 – SUBURBAN SPRAWL

This is for those of you who have been sending emails and leaving comments asking when I was finally going to let go of some of the SuhBURB stuff I had stockpiled up…

As promised earlier (you did see the video, right?), the new Suburban Sprawl record is out. In case you missed it, Suburban Sprawl = Donwill (of Tanya Morgan) and probably the one producer that gets the most airtime (airtime? do you say that for a podcast?) on the Mixtape Show – SuhBURB.

So yes, the record is out. 40 minutes, 16 tracks, and highly recommended. And it’s on here. In its entirety, for free.

I’m going to keep my comments to myself for the time being, but lest you be wondering whether or not you should click that “play” button, keep the following three points in mind:

1. This is the best thing I’ve heard all year
2. The last time I gave an entire episode to one artist/group, it was Jay Electronica. We all know how I feel about Jay Electronica
3. wow

As you listen, you can check the liner notes featuring ridiculous commentary by both artists, and grab the full hi-fi version from the official site.

00 – Ridiculous-ass Mixtape Show drop by Suhburb. Seriously fam, this is not what I had in mind when I asked for a drop.

01 – The Tiki Torch. I remember when I first got this beat. First time I played it out anywhere, it got a nod from Daedelus. I’m sort of glad they left it as is.

02 – Sittin’ at the Bar Demo. Ha! Tearing apart Ladder Theory from the base, I guess.

03 – Baltimore Bitch. Words fail me.

04 – Diwadiwadonald. Wow, the bongos on this one. I think at this point I remembered why Donwill is sort of dope lyrically.

05 – Salsoul. This is one of the things that, for me, separates SuhBURB from other producers – the soul he puts into the kick drum programming. This obviously isn’t the only song where you’ll notice that, but dig the lows on this one.

06 – Fly Me feat. Von Pea. (you heard this one earlier, but without the Von Pea verse, which is quite possibly the cruelest verse I’ve ever heard in my life.)

07 – Guilty. Damn.

08 – Night Time. Am I the only one who thought of UGK at the end here?
09 – All Right. When I first met Suhburb, I don’t even think he was really making that much rap music yet – he was a jungle producer. I’d been sitting on this track for a very long time – I wanted to drop it as part of the Soultronica Saga. I guess that will teach me to wait to drop a track.

10 – Slipknot. Is this from the Brasil beat tape?

11 – The Words. It’s joints like these that make me respect Don for actually having the nerve to rap on tracks like this. I think Suhburb makes beats that are hard to rap on on purpose.

12 – Dead Ass. Lyrically maybe the most powerful track for me on this project. Check this one.

13 – Maybe. More heavy content.

14 – Audio Visual. This song is sort of ridiculously cute. I mean, I’m not even mad they didn’t get to put Jack Davey on this one. Can we get this “girl at the time”‘s name?

15 – The Champ (LP Version). Seriously, who raps over things like this? Something is wrong with both of these kids.

16 – Funeral March. Propane Pip dropped this one first, but it’s still dope. And by the way, Suhburb – you make fun of me for spinning slab music on my old radio joint, and then you turn around and drop a slowed version of this joint? Explanation? Also, the content here confused me until I read the liner notes – you should probably check them instead of reading this.

And there you have it. Burn it, share it, whatever. I’m still sort of scratching my head over the fact that this isn’t being sold for, you know, money.

So, obviously, I think that this record is dope. Thoughts?

But first, something I am actually really excited about. Dig the video for the first leaked track (is this a single, kid?) off the Suburban Sprawl record:

Donwill – Night Time (produced by SuhBURB).

I’ve heard bits and pieces of the record, and trust me, it gets even better than what you see and hear above. For those of you who were asking for more SuhBURB – hold tight, just a few more days..

I hear it’s dropping on Wednesday. Hell or high water, they say.

Also, the visuals is pretty nice.

MIXTAPE 100 -BEAT TAPE 4 – KING EDITION

Most of us here are far too young to remember this, but when Dr Martin Luther King, Jr died he was extremely unpopular in the mainstream US media – primarily because of his stance on the war. This sermon could have been delivered this morning and still have been relevant.

I’m of course not satisfied with this, because it’s really not possible to do the original justice, but this is what I’ve got. I really could have just thrown the acapella on here, that’s a good enough #100 for me. They say we’ll nod our heads to anything said over a beat and they lament the fact that too much of what is said over those beats is destructive.

So here’s something good to nod your head to.

Words: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr – The Drum Major Instinct Sermon. Delivered 4th February, 1968. He was assassinated two months later, to the day.

0’35 – Jay Electronica – The D.O.C. Song (loop). This is really just a loop taken from the beginning of Jay’s song by the same name. Not sure what the title of the cut means.

2’58 – P Dukes – Brown Leaves.

5’40 – J Dilla – Anti-American Graffiti (Reprise). Kinda hard to do one of these without the D on here.

6’45 – Suburb – Jazz on Acid.

9’00 – Kenny Keys – Set ‘em Up. Mean cut.

10’40 – Madlib – Old Age (loop).

11’45 – Ayatollah – Listen.

13’40 – Madlib - Pyramids (Changes). If you don’t already own everything that Madlib has put out, you should probably get started now. Stones Throw is a label worth supporting.

15’30 – Suburb – synth+strings. Do yourself a favor and make sure that you listen until the end.

holler.

I’d love to do that sort of thing, but real talk? I can’t remember what I had for breakfast this morning, much less remember what I was doing last January. So now that the euphoria of the new year has passed, I figured I’d talk about some stuff I liked.

So here we go, open thread. What impressed/depressed you this last year? I’ll get us started and keep it positive:

RAPS.

I’ve got to say, producerwise? I really really think Suburb is the bizness. I’m trying to con him into giving me some more of his stuff for a future episode. We’ll see how that works. For now, though, you can grab a few exclusive tunes over at sweeney kovar, who was kind enough to let me write a bit on the subject at his site.

the man himself

Jay Electronica. GOVERNMENT PLANT. This dude popped up on the internet out of nowhere (well, unless you’re FMWJ, nowhere), and stole the hearts of millions. Then he announced that he was dropping a new project on Xmas (which I was patiently waiting for, and fully planned to make an episode of), and then the 25th rolls around, and…

poof. Nothing. Facebook account is deleted, his myspace account points to some white dude with a camera, and really ladies and gentlemen this is smoke and mirrors and theatrics at its finest. Not even so much as a “hey guise brb lol”.

where you at?

From what I hear this is standard procedure for the dude, but I’m not too mad at him. I can wait.

Speaking of Jay, can’t forget about the producer behind some of his joints – Sol Messiah and his new group, The Labratz (I need to remember to ask Sol about the name). You maybe haven’t heard it yet – I just got it, but it’s bananas.

Think Atlanta, think classic Goodie Mobb, think classic Outkast, and then think next level. Watch this site for more, very soon.

Have I mentioned that Dam Funk is also killing it with this analog funk boogie sound? I can’t even describe it, just go listen.

Plus he can really wear a Cosby sweater.

More importantly – what were you bumping in 07?

BLOGS.

So Sweeney Kovar’s jumpoff. It’s quite often spectacular. If you’re not already reading that, you should do so – especially if you find yourself curious about what’s really good in the LA beat scene. Plus he takes some nice pictures.

You know what, I’m not going to get into a blog list thing here. If you have found any good ones, tell everyone in the comments.

TV.

I don’t have one, do you? What’s good on the telly nowadays?

JAWNS.

Mad Anthony of NYC has some pretty dope stuff. Apparently there are like no pictures of any of it anywhere, though. Man, I need a camera.

Elliott G of Ultra Vitalence has put together a pretty wild line of stuff. I got this purple jacket with the Spongebob lining. Bananas.

And I have to thank Elliot “with one t” F for the Hong Kong connection with those like 10 shirts he brought back. Remember the “Tangerine” shirt from the first video podcast? I got like 4 more flavors – Plum Cake is probably the favorite. No watermelon, unfortunately.

Plus I got the powder blue Filas.

What have you been flossing? (SC, that Eazy-E outfit doesn’t count.)

VIDEOGAMES.

You know I stay on these games. Aside from the NBA 2K8 whose soundtrack makes it the business, we’ll start this off with Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for the DS. A little easy, but fun.

Then we got the throwback: Kickmaster for the 8-bit nintendo. Made by the same people that put together Werewolf. You know I get down with the NES.

Ghosteo got himself a PS3, and introduced me to Ninja Gaiden Sigma. I’m what, halfway through? It’s all about that Lunar staff, I stay chopping zombies. I coulda done without the overly developed female though.

Until I get back to Ghosteo’s, though, I got that Final Fantasy 4 for the DS.

They upgraded the graphics, but left the music alone, which is definitely a good thing. Not sure when it comes out stateside.

What have you been playing?

PARTIES.

Are you in southern Cali? Then you need to be on board when the Do-Over starts up again in 08. Runs from like 2pm to well past midnight, it’s free, and all your favorite artists are known to run through there. If they’re on Stones’ Throw, they’re there – plus many many more – and kids know how to party.

Pure Filth. Dubstep will probably never break into the quote unquote mainstream, and if that’s what it takes for parties like Pure Filth to stay good, I’m fine with that. Epic soundsystem, perfect basement venue, way too many rewinds, and the MC – again, epic. Going to these joints was like going to church. Unfortunately the venue was torn down and their soundsystem was stolen from their U-Haul after the final party (did I mention that it was epic?). I hear they’re gearing up for 08 again, though.

What was good in your city though?

YOU.

You all pretty much made my 07 kinda dope. So thank you.

Your turn: share your best (or worst!) of 07. On the podcast front, plenty coming down the pipeline. Just wait.

MIXTAPE 96 – FIBONACCI

So for this one, most of the commentary is in the episode. Thusly, I’ll keep the commentary short.

The Fibonacci sequence, or the Mātrāmeru , refers to a sequence in which the given number is the sum of its two preceding numbers; e.g. 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, etc. So this episode is in such a sequence:

0 Tracks
by P Diddy. Duh.

1 Track:
Suburb – The Main Ingredient flip. Some day this kid will finish his album. Until then, I’ll continue digging in the archives of stuff he probably doesn’t even remember sending me.

1 Track:
UGK – Use Me Up. Rest in peace, Pimp C. This was not good news at all.

2 Tracks:
Jay Electronica – A Prayer for Michael Vick & T.I. (We Love You Family). (Prod. J Dilla). Brilliant. Surreal.
Jay Electronica – Dimethyltryptamine. Surreal. Brilliant.

And I’ll say it again: JAY ELECTRONICA IS A GOVERNMENT PLANT

3 Tracks:
Percee P – Lung Collapsing Lyrics feat Pharoahe Monch. This cut is just too much.
Percee P – Yes, You May feat A.G. and Lord Finesse. The internal rhymes before anyone even knew what that was. I’m not sure why anyone would choose to dispose of those that chose to go to their shows, but if he says it, I believe it. Shouts to Percee. I hear he has a new record out.
Percee P – 1991 Freestyle feat Lord Search. The beatboxing on here is just comedy, but if you actually listen past that, you’ll hear the lyrical mastery.

Interludes by: Kenny Keys. (first one is called “Cut”, second is called “Tight Rope”, third is called “Bump”). Good to hear from you again, Ken.

This was a good episode for lyrics, wasn’t it?

ps – here’s the link for the Mixtape Show Hip-hop podcast facebook page. You should join it, giveaways popping off very soon…

MIXTAPE 90 – SCREW TAPE

I have been wanting to do this for so long.

Yes, this is what some might call, in homage to the late DJ Screw, a Screw Tape. I’m fully aware that this is an acquired taste for many, but this is my show and I acquired that taste a few summers ago so you are going to listen to this and like it. On this show, which was bootlegged off of KSKR 88.9FM this summer, DJ Propane Pip of Man Hol’ Up Radio takes over the wheels of steel and takes us on a ride through Passmore, Texas.

DJ DMD – 25 Lighters feat Lil Keke and Fat Pat. Man hol’ up. I will fully admit to being late on this and first hearing it on Sweeney’s site – but I had to get the official Chopped and Screwed remix by DJ Michael 5000 Watts. The video is just as cool. Hell if I understood what was going on though. myspace.com/djdmd

Flippa Boys – Cool As A Ceiling Fan (DJ Slice Remix). Yes, as in the DJ Slice that is the official DJ for Mike Jones. I think I had this joint like the first month I was in China and I was just jamming on this one constantly, probably mainly because the title is pretty hilarious. Slice does cut this one up properly. myspace.com/flippaboyz

Spank Rock – Outro (Screwville USA). Unless there’s some part of their oeuvre I’ve missed (and I don’t think I’ve missed much of it), this is the only time you’ll be hearing Spank Rock on this show. This was seriously the only track I really liked on their YoYoYoYoYo release – but that seems to put me in the minority because damn near everybody went ape over them. Some of their remixes are good though. myspace.com/spankrock

Suburb + Donwill – A Funeral March. You asked for it – here’s some more. Notice that I didn’t do a thing to this song – it came like this. As would be expected from the duo, the song is wildly different from everything else, and it’s good. suburb, and donwill.

T. Waters – Tears (DJ Slice Remix). Yet another Sliced and Screwed (his words!) remix. This is another one of those songs that just sounds better slowed up. myspace.com/twaterssosodef.

Floetry – Say Yes (Propane Pip Slowed and Slopped Remix). What can I say? Propane Pip ain’t no 5000 Watts, and this probably never should have been done, but hey. It’s the Mixtape Show. *ducks* myspace.com/floetry.

You know what to do.

MIXTAPE 89 – HELLO CANADA

So I got interviewed on the Canada Broadcasting Corporation’s Radio One, on a show called Search Engine. Haven’t listened just yet, but it’s about the Jena 6. Shouts to Jesse for making that connection.

By the way, if you’re looking for the Jena 6 episode, you can click here to see the original post.

This episode, we’re pushing forward with more good music.

Jaylib - Mission Remix. There’s not really too much to be said that hasn’t been said about this duo. Dilla on the rhymes as well, and as you expect, he tears it up. The strings in this cut are ridiculous. stonesthrow.com.

Specifics - My Tunes. Straight outta Vancouver – and with this, I believe that I’ve exhausted my supply of Specifics tracks. For some reason I found this on my iPod when I was still in China, and jammed it for like three days straight – then I accidentally deleted my hard drive. They just really have this jazz loop thing down. In case you hadn’t noticed, I like this group. Go Canada. myspace.com/specifics.

UGK - You Don’t Know Me. Wondering why UGK gets so much respect back home? This is one reason. Thanks to cocaineblunts. myspace.com/ugk.

Phonte - Interlude: Wack Freestyles. I couldn’t resist this one. It’s just so…meta. Come on. He’s making fun of mixtapes. And this is a mixtape! Get it? Okay yeah but a good sign of a poor rapper is someone who can’t string together a decent demo without using an established song as a crutch. I’ve got no problem with unofficial remixes and bootlegs (check the archives on this very hip-hop podcast) but unless you have a specific reason for doing otherwise, find your own beats. If you need help with that, ask me – I know plenty of talented producers. myspace.com/mickboogie.

Gif - Alicia Keys Freestyle. And that prior thing was in no way related to this cut, because a) it’s a different flip, and b) it’s hot. Gif, could you explain your name to us? myspace.com/dagif

Wise Intelligent – Go With Me. Another storytelling joint. I won’t ruin this one for you, but check the very end of this cut. myspace.com/wiseintelligent

Polyrhythm Addicts – It’s My Life feat Phonte. I was a bit late on this one, but with DJ Spinna on production, this one’s an easy call. Dig what Phonte is saying about independence as well. myspace.com/thepolyrhythmaddicts.

And the bonus cut: Suburb - Synth + Strings (snippet). Again, the kid is ridiculous. I’ve got more from dude. Anyone want more? myspace.com/suhburb.

Intro beat: Specifics - Life’s Work
Outro beat: Mathematics - Untitled.

And that’s this week. More coming very very soon. Any requests?

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.

EPISODE 81 – START VOTING NOW SUCKERS

Oh damn – two episodes in four days? Yes. Better free up some space on your hard drive.

As I mentioned last time – your favorite hip-hop podcast is up for the Best Podsafe Music Podcast in the 2007 Podcast Awards. Everything else is a bunch of rock shows or Catholic music or something – so on the real, I fully expect us to win this. We need your help though! Post up on myspace, your blog, tell a friend, whatever. You can vote every single day!

How To Vote For The Mixtape Show
Step 1: Click here: Vote for the Mixtape Show
Step 2: Scroll down and find the Podsafe Music box (third box from the bottom on the left).
Step 3: Select the Mixtape Show, scroll down and fill in your email (they won’t spam you – it’s just to make sure we don’t cheat) and any comments.
Step 4. Hit “submit”.
Step 5. Ask three ten friends to do the same!

And yes – I am giving away a pair of tickets to the QN5 Megashow.

This only happens once a year, and I got tickets for the LA show, going down at the Roxy on 10th August at 8PM. CunninLynguists, Tonedeff, PackFM, DJ JS-1, Substantial, Mr. SOS, Session & Extended Famm. All Ages. Price is $20 – but if you want your free ones – just shoot me an email at dex [at] mixtapeshow [dot] net (or just use the contact page) and tell me the name of the very first CunninLynguists album. It would probably be in your best interests to make the email interesting – you know, so I pick you out of all the random meth-addled submissions I get.

Enough from me – on with the show.

Donwill and Suburb - Fly Me (demo). A Mixtape Show exclusive. As I said in the outro, after hearing this 1:40 song, I built this entire episode around it. This song goes hard – so hard in fact that I couldn’t justify leaking it without some sirens and a rewind. I mean, forget the ridiculousity of the lyrics – this dude raps with the watermark. Cosign, cosign, cosign. You ever been on a mixtape with sirens, ‘burb? Now you have. myspace.com/suhburb, and myspace.com/donwont.

Donwill and Suburb - Byrd Gang (Dead Ass). Another Mixtape Show Exclusive. More brilliance from the duo. Shout out to Donwill and Suburb for getting me these two cuts.myspace.com/suhburb, and myspace.com/donwont.

Strange Fruit Project – Get Live feat Erykah Badu. Where has Erykah been? You know, I never really did sit down and listen to Strange Fruit Project – this song is making me realize that I have really been sleeping. Anybody got recommendations? myspace.com/strangefruitproject.

Donnanlinks - Hear. Got this one through Mumbles. I know you’re busy, but as soon as this episode ends, you need to rewind and listen to what this dude is saying. Not that it’s new, but the shit bears repeating. [link coming soon]

ObeY - Can’t You See (prod by DEN ONE). The opening of this sold it for me. This hit my inbox and after hearing the ridiculous intro hook I was on this one. This has actually been a very good week for music. Lyricism is nice, I dig the production on this one as well – this gets the stamp of approval for being alternately funny and true. “They took my music and they dumbed it down / even the old heads is starting to sound redundant now“. Can I get an amen. myspace.com/huhproductions.

Outro beat – 4 Nations (demo) by P. Dukes.
Intro beat – 1 4 Dunn by P. Dukes. (what the fuck is in the water in the UK? Good work sir)

So that’s this episode. As I said in the outro, it’d be a good idea to hit up the Mixtape Show facebook group because I’m going to be giving out a copy of the Beautiful Mindz CD (which everybody really should own). And stay in tune with the blog in general, because there are more things coming your way.

MIXTAPE 72 – BEAT TAPE VOL 3

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.

MIXTAPE EPISODE 53 – BEAT TAPE VOL 2

And as promised, back by popular demand, it’s the Mixtape Show Beat Tape Volume 2. No Juggernaut this time, but plenty of dope instrumentals. Listen:

RZA – Flying Birds. I think this was a secret instrumental on a soundtrack. I mean come on, it’s the RZA. It’s short, but you’ll like it.

Kenny Keys – A Woman’s Gotta Have It. You should recognize this name from the Eulorhythmics interview – the dude is really that ridiculous. This joint in particular stayed in my mp3 player for a miiiinute. myspace.com/kennykeys1987

Jay Dee - A Man’s World Flip. This one didn’t make it into Episode 28, but I had to get it out there. I’m not sure if this one was ever officially released – I don’ t think it was – so ignore the title I gave it. jdilla.org

Suburb – selection from the fall tape. If you weren’t aware, the man Suburb is my favorite beatmaker at the moment – which, given my impeccable taste in music, should really say something. If you don’t feel this joint right here, you don’t have a soul. myspace.com/suhburb

Kenny Keys – F Minor. An interlude before we switch up the tempo a bit…myspace.com/kennykeys1987

Mathematics – Track 1. Yes, Mathematics of Wu-Tang Clan fame. I’m actually not sure what this track is supposed to be called. It’s the first track on his “Soul of a Man” release – shouts to the people at Nature Sounds for getting/clearing this one for me, forever ago.nature-sounds.net

Count Bass-D – All In. This joint is from the Beatology Vol. 1+2 record that J.R. sent me what, months ago? I unfortunately couldn’t find a copy of “Mister Magic’s Wand”, so I couldn’t flip that for you all. countbassd.com

Exile – Move On Em. I like this song – and it seems that Ta’raach did too, since he spit over it on his latest album. soundincolor.com Oh PS – Jon, where’s that mix?

Daz-I-Kue – Melon Bounce. Never would have thought somebody would have the nerve to flip some Herbie Hancock, but Daz did it. I like. www.myspace.com/dazikue

Earmint – All City. This came out forever ago (are you noticing a pattern here?), but that’s not going to stop me from letting you all get up on this Earmint dude. He’s also from EV productions – should ring a bell if you remember the Chester Copperpot and MC Longshot interviews – and his debut album – Another Early Evening – was pretty much the business. I’ll probably be dropping another joint in the not so distant future, so keep your ears out for that.evproductions.net

Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician – You Are. This is an old joint off of Lightweight Heavy. Really the whole album is worth owning, and if you dig this cut, I’d recommend doing some research and finding more of this cat’s work.

Mumbles – unlabeled. I forget how I got this, but I think Jon of SIC sent it to me – any chance of somebody IDing this one for me?soundincolor.com

And that’s it for this week. Again, if you have a moment, be sure to drop a comment to let me (and the artists) know how people are feeling the show, and the material.

Not that I am starving for beats right now – I literally have enough for two or three pure instrumental episodes – but I want to make sure that everyone is aware that due to popular demand, the Mixtape Show Beat Tape Volume 2 is currently on the table.

If anyone out there thinks they’ve got beats and wants to contribute and thereby get famous, holler at your boy. You’ll be in good company, as people such as the RZA, Suburb, Mathematics, and one of my new favorite producers, Kenny Keys – are already on board.

In the meantime, relive the magic by checking out the mixtape show beat tape podcast volume 1 here.

MIXTAPE 40 – BEATTAPE EDITION

So since there’s so much track switching up in here, I’ll just give you a timeline along with some comments.

0’00 – Sam Sever – Tonight (dub joint). Maybe best known for his work with the Beastie Boys back back in the day. Dude has some fucking skills, and from what I understand, he’s still at it and probably available if you’ve got a project. Holler at him at www.myspace.com/samsever.

3’50 – Platonic - Alternate Thursday. Some of you will recognize this from a few episodes ago when I was talking over it. I got so many emails and shit about that joint that I put it up here. www.soundincolor.com.

6’45 – Suburb - Feel Me. The first of the Suburb beat snippets. Kind of a prodigy with this Fruityloops shit. Look out for an interview with the kid pretty soon. His beats are watermarked*, so no jacking. www.myspace.com/suburbproduce.

7’30 – Madlib - Understanding. Three words regarding the record this joint comes off of – BUY BUY BUY. The record is just that hot. Madlib is pretty much a genius. stonesthrow.com.

8’50 – Suburb - Warning. More Suburb, featuring the Juggernaut Bitch!!! treatment by yours truly. Don’t you know who I am?!

9’50 – The Earl – The Earl in Technicolor. This is actually the last 2/3 of the track, and both beats in the track are his. As if you couldn’t guess, Sound in Color has been supporting your boy since way back with all the exclusives. I’ve still got a bag of tricks from these dudes up my sleeve yet…just wait for it. Nice grooves from the Earl on this one though. www.soundincolor.com.

Shoutout from Damon of Tha Faculty on here as well.

12’30 – Dudley Perkins – Funky. Produced by Madlib. I know that this is supposed to be a beattape, but I can bend the rules because 1) this is some hot shit here and 2) it’s my show, get your own assholes. The Dudley Perkins record is another CD with BUY BUY BUY written all over it. Dudley’s half-rapped, half-spoken lyrics really bring something new to the table, which, in case you hadn’t guessed, is kind of what this show is all about. www.stonesthrow.com.

15’30 – Suburb - Brown Study Instrumental. I remember hearing this shit in the summer of 04 and absolutely not believing that anyone would ever be stupid enough to rhyme over it. Turns out Che took the beat and turned it into what we now know as Brown Study, which is, oddly enough, a great song. Kinda weird, but great. The intro on this one is amazing.

Return of the Juggernaut BITCH!!

17’20 – Suburb - Untitled Beats from the Spring Tape. I’m sick of writing, just listen. Do pay attention to what happens at 18’30, though. That might be my favorite Suburb beat in a minute. Dirty as hell. You Fruityloops junkies need to step up your drum programming. www.myspace.com/suburbproduce

20’30 – Alf-Alpha – Solar. I must have had this shit on repeat for an hour before I had the presence of mind to call him up and put this joint on the show. I hear he’s got some CD project in the works that features like 70 tracks, one minute each, all styles of beats. Anyone out there want to hear that? Check Alf-Alpha out at www.myspace.com/alfalpha – make sure to check out “Whore” as well.

23’00 – Cook – Stanley Clark Instrumental. You’ve heard him here before, and representing the Beat Locker once again, Cook (used to go by Captain Cook, now it’s apparently just Cook) brings us this EQ’ed-out soul sample flip. Don’t get me wrong, I am all over that synth driven shit (just wait till I knock yall over with the Southern episode), but it seems like the sample driven shit is really what people have been getting at me with recently. www.thebeatlocker.com.

24’20 – Chester Copperpot – Again. More watermark. You’ve heard Chester Copperpot on here before, and if you don’t know who he is yet, you really need to step your game up. This dude is quickly becoming one of Chicago’s most important producers. Do yourself a favor and check out www.evproductions.net.

* Shoutouts to chinesepod.com, since I used their podcast to watermark a few beats. On the off chance that you’re studying Chinese, this is actually a pretty dope site. Highly Recommended (TM).

All right, that’s it for this week. Be on the lookout for some totally next-direction shit coming your way quite soon, as well as a possible increase of shows per week. Also, I may be doing another one of these beattape editions, if enough people ask me to. Hint, hint. Pay attention.

MIXTAPE EPISODE 37

I don’t think I need to say much about this episode. Happy mothers day to all of you, and hopefully at least one or two of you out there become mothers while listening to this episode.
Intro beat – Hold It Sucka by Alf-Alpha. Hot joint. Be on the lookout for more of his material on the upcoming beattape episode. You can hear the full version of this beat on his myspace.People Under The Stairs – Pass the 40. Off their new album, Stepfather. I slept on this record when it came in for a good week and a half, until the dude John told me to actually listen to it. The whole album is full of good tracks (add this to your pool party soundtrack, trust me), but in the end I just had to go with this one, if for no other reason than because there’s a sample of a kid asking to get a swig of the Mickey’s. Check them out at putsonline.co.uk.

PUTS fans take notice – we’ll be having an exclusive (exclusive! newshit newshit newshit) interview with Thes One of People Under the Stairs next week. Any questions you want asked, feel free to get at me with them in the comments section.

Click “more” to see the rest of this week’s playlist and show info.

Eulorhythmics – Blam. I didn’t know a whole lot about dudes previously, but Jennifer got at me with a couple joints off of their new album, Extended Play, and shit was hot. I’ve only heard maybe one or two of their other joints, but they were dope too – you should pick up the album maybe? Oh, I’d also like to take this opportunity to apologize for the Eurhythmics joke I made on the show. Sorry guys. You can check them out at allnaturalhiphop.com, along with their weird rambling bios that make it fairly clear that someone was smoking that all natural when they wrote them. Jokes aside though, hot shit. Listen.

Modill

- Next Single featuring Diverse. Diverse shouldn’t be a new name to you, but then again, if you’ve been paying attention to the show, neither should Modill. Again, this is another case of trying to pick out the best song on the album, which is sort of impossible here, so I just went with the one I’ve been listening to the most recently. Favorite part on this track – Diverse’s jump-in. K-kruz makes some motherfucking slick tracks, and Racecar is on that weird space shit for most of the album. Here, try this. Buy Midnight Green, listen to the first track. If you don’t like the first beat, you’re broken. modill.com.

Coppershot – Can You Believe. Here’s that project that Chester Copperpot and MC Longshot (coppershot! get it? lololokthxbai) have been talking about since like August. Chess (who, by the way, you all owe a lot of gratitude to seeing as how he gives your boy the hookup on all the EV Productions artists) sent me this record like three times because the shit kept getting lost in the mail or something. Speaking on the track, though, Longshot wasn’t lying when he said that Chess has gone on some next level shit for this record, and Shot himself – well, you already know what to expect from the kid. The record is called Issues, and (again), the whole album is solid. Cop up. evproductions.net.
Oh yes, I’d like to take this opportunity to publicly thank both K-Kruz and Longshot for forgetting to add your boy to the guestlist for that show at the Knitting Factory. I’m just fucking around, kids. No hard feelings.

Because, you know, money grows on trees for me and shit.

Tommy Danger – It’s A Rap. I have to say that my favorite Tom Danger material is shit like this, where he comes with that laid back, casual/humorous shit, cause he really does kinda have that R&B voice and that goes best with the sort of beat he’s got here. The beat, the flow, the whole vibe on this joint just goes. His Luther Vandross reference on this might be the best quote from this whole episode. Shit is bananas, which is funny, considering that this is off the Cherry Flavor mixtape (but I think he might have a Banana flavor one too). More info available on tommydanger.net – and if you’re in Harlem, catch his TV show. tommydanger.net.

Ghostface and MF Doom - Angeles. I’m going to be real with you. I have damn near zero idea what is going on in this song. I mean, I understand certain bits and pieces of it, but the whole thing is like watching Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon without subs after taking a half semester of Chinese – people walk in and they say hello and bow to each other and drink tea, then a bunch of gibberish and scribbles written on signs, and then all of a sudden people are flying around and kicking each other and doing flips and hitting each other in the face with baby crocodiles and shit and you just give up and enjoy the show because you don’t know what’s happening, but you still like it. Listening to this song is sort of like that, except, you know, without the Chinese people.

Like I said, though, it’s a good song. It’s off of Nature Sounds, which features a bunch of other somewhat unlikely but still dope pairings of rappers. Shouts to Dennis for making this one happen. More info on nature-sounds.net.

Suburb – Actually, I don’t know what this beat is called. And wrapping it up with the outro beat, we’ve got my man Suburb. If you haven’t heard of this kid, you pretty much need to start paying attention now because he kind of sons about 88% of producers out there. Then again, that’s just my opinion. Then again, we’ve got a special word for dex’s opinion here on the mixtape show, and that word is called “fact”. All of you wack-beat-having rappers that keep sending me demos, please do yourself and me a favor and get a Suburb beat and rap over that instead. I her he’s selling. Check him out on loudminoritymusic.com, and be on the lookout for his material popping up on the all-but-legendary and forthcoming beattape episode very soon.
Okay, I think that’s it for today’s episode of the mixtape show, the hottest motherfucking rap / hip-hop podcast on the internets, and if it isn’t, that’s too fucking bad, because I have to go do my radio show now. See you next week, and feel free to drop comments and let me know what’s good.

Oh, and don’t forget the freestyle hotline – 310 928 6876.

MIXTAPE SHOW EPISODE 24 – Che Grand interview

So if you’ve been paying attention to what’s good on the internets, and more specifically to the mixtape show, you’ll recognize the name: Che Grand. In case you need to refresh your memory, you can go ahead and check out episode 18 to check out his mixtape show debut.

Anyway, after that show dropped, I had more than a few people getting at me requesting more songs and information from dude, so it was only natural that we should link up and get an interview done. In this interview, Che breaks down his background, explains how he changed his name from “Ricochet” to “Che Grand”, talks about his soon-to-be-released EP and his upcoming projects, and makes a pretty thinly veiled threat towards me regarding one of my earlier comments. For the record, Brown Study is not about having sex with white girls. If you want any more information than that, you’ll need to check out the interview yourself.

All instrumentals on the joint are either from his current EP or upcoming projects – so you’re gonna hear some beats on here that you will not be hearing for another few months – at least until Conceptus Opus drops. That’s on some exclusive shit, so you definitely need to get up on this before you get left behind.

Che and company are gonna do big things, so I want y’all to remember that you saw him here first. Shouts go to everyone in Loud Minority involved with the Official Bootleg Import EP project (drops 24th January in iTunes and online stores everywhere!), and obviously to Che himself.

If you need any more info on Che or Loud Minority, check out chegrand.com and loudminoritymusic.com.

Stay tuned, major things happening right here in this spot very soon….

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:


one-click iTunes subscription! don’t hate

MIXTAPE SHOW EPISODE 18

This show is pretty much the official relaunch of the mixtape show, the most major known unknown rap / hip-hop podcast on the internet. Basically it’s a fucking mixtape that you can download, for free, and it’s not illegal. Read the show notes, check out the artists, buy they shit, bookmark my shit, tell your friends. Let’s go.

First off is Hezekiah. I got clearance to put this joint on a long time ago, but I liked it so much that I couldn’t really find a spot to do it justice til now. Have any of you ever seen dude perform this song? I did, and he pretty much just wore a suit and jumped up and down and hollered. Nobody seemed to know the words, and nobody really seemed to care because he was wearing a suit and jumping up and down and hollering. It was great. If you get a chance to see him perform, do it. Way more energy than you’d expect from his most recent album, Hurry up and Wait, which is good by itself. Check out Hezekiah at Soulspazm.com..

Hezekiah – You.

Exile feat. Blu – Soul Rising.

I’ll be honest, I hadn’t heard much from these two before this. The homie John Kim from Sound in Color hooked me up with the mp3, so I had to put it on. If you want to know more, get your fucking Google on. For now though you can check out www.soundincolor.com.

Off of Up Above Records, Kev Brown. Peace to sam for getting this one to me. The song pretty much speaks for itself, so just listen. Apparently he’s done work with De La Soul, Jewel, fuck a namedrop, go listen. myspace.com/kevbrown..

Kev Brown – Not That Way.

Che Grand – Brown Study.

Che Grand, off of his upcoming Official Bootleg Import EP. Expect an interview or feature soon, because this shit is important. From a conversation with the producer: what up dex: is “brown study” about having sex with white girls? westcoastbadbuoy: i honestly have no idea, what up dex: i’m pretty sure it is. westcoastbadbuoy: apparently brown study is some intellectual term in the dirctionary, but i’ve never bothered to look it up what up dex: from google: “The expression is old, dating at least from the sixteenth century.” what up dex: where the fuck did this kid go to school? westcoastbadbuoy: lol. what up dex: well. what up dex: it’s about fucking white girls, anyway. thanks for clearing that up for me. Che Grand at LoudMinorityMusic.com.

What’s up, EV? Back to the East Coast again. Has anyone actually heard the Color of Money mixtape? Honestly that joint was hotter than a lot of fucking records that came out this year. This joint is technically just Numbers, but really it’s sort of hard to pick a “best” song since there’s a handful on here that I like a lot. This one goes with the vibe of the show, though. I think you can listen to, and cop, the mixtape here: Smoke and Numbers – The Color of Money..

Smoke and Numbers – 5A.

K’naan – Struggling.

I love reading press releases about this dude because they always bold and underline the fact that dude is Somali-Canadian, as if that’s all he has going for him. Hopefully this joint lays that notion to rest. www.thedustyfoot.com.

This one came to me on a 3-track radio promo in an unmarked package, no CD case, just a printed CD cover in a paper sleeve. Anyone that listens to old DJ Shadow should recognize the beat, which was pretty much just waiting for someone to rip it up. Had to close the episode with this one. Peace to Frankie Lewis for clearing this one. www.strong-quality.com..

Black Market – The Wall.

So that’s what it do. If you want to get at me for any reason, including track placement or interviews, get at me on the contact page. Or kucrdex [at] gmail [dot] com. wizzone.

Drag and drop (NOT click) this into your iTunes to subscribe to my show.

MIXTAPE SHOW EPISODE 16 – the katrina edition

Remember those posts I made about a possible Katrina hip-hop podcast show? Well, here it is, on the most known unknown rap podcast series on the internets – episode #16, the Katrina Mixtape.

First up, some heat from 4-IZE. Dude used to be in a group with Luda back in ’91 called Loudmouth Hooligans. I aint heard of em till now but apparently he was on dude’s first couple releases. Something y’all prolly ain’t expected from one of my shows, but get the fuck used to it. Good track. Paranoid as fuck, but good. Look for more from him, but in the meantime see what’s up at 4ize.com..

4-IZE – Can’t Eat.

Hood Affiliates – Hurricane Katrina Song.

I haven’t heard a name for this track other than the one provided here, but the joint is good. HA definitely bring it from a hood perspective, and remind you who’s really responsible for this shit. Don’t ever tell me that rappers don’t read the news. I haven’t heard much else from Hood Affiliates, but this joint here kinda makes me want to hear more. Anyone want to shoot a brother some mp3s? There’s a temporary site up at www.hoodaffiliates.com, hopefully they get on that soon.

What up internet nerds. All y’all done heard this, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good song. I saw this all over the web a long ass time ago, but some y’all maybe ain’t heard it, so here you go. Clever reference of Kanye’s own lyrics, you know, politics is on point, etc, etc. And the title is classic. Hit up their website, it’s more info down there. Try k-otix.com.

The Legendary K.O. – George Bush Don’t Like Black People.

Somebody tell the boss he shouldn’t be the boss anymore. Yeah, it’s Mos. You know who that is, and if you don’t, well, I don’t know. Wikipedia or something. Hot track, and I never even liked that fucking Nolia Clap beat. I actually hated it, still do. But come on. He calls out Bono. Bono. This is a classic. mosdefinitely.com.

Mos Def – Katrina Klap.

Chuck D – Hell No, We Ain’t All Right.

Yeah, Chuck D. This came out a while ago in poem form, acapella. So far to my knowledge he hasn’t done a song, but this is an excerpt from some stuff he said on a radio program a while ago. I just looped up a sample and presto. You really should have heard this already, but if you haven’t, make sure to pay attention.www.publicenemy.com.

Special shouts also go to Suburb, who produced the opening beat on this episode offa a sample I gave him, in like 15 minutes. Check him out and buy a beat!

That’s it for this episode, then. Be on the lookout for Grand Larceny Radio Volume 2 coming at you very soon. Also in the pipeline: other mixtape reviews, some brand new artists, an interview I already recorded and gotta postproduce, and fuck, a whole bunch of shit. All you indie label heads out there, get at me, we’re moving…

Oh, yeah. We got a sponsor. Motorola, in case you couldn’t guess. Shit, I gotta eat. Show some love, lemme know what y’all think… this was on the old network. but if motorola wants to fuck with us again, shit…

DRAG AND DROP (not click!) this into iTunes to subscribe to this show and get all the hot joints first…