Heavy In The Streets

88 Keys Raw Dawg Blog

2011-04-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest, I really don't like tumblr for the most part. Call me an old salty hater, but I'm just not feeling the format. I think it promotes a lot of lackluster, low effort blogging. There are, however, some people who use the world of tumblr for good. 88 Keys, who is responsible for the Raw Dawg record cover blog, is one of those people. Keys, who wakes up every morning and starts making beats before doing anything else, uses the blog to show us the cover of the record he listens to first every day. The blog has a very intimate vibe and I can't get enough of the beautiful record covers. For a cover art junkie like me, this blog is a dream come true.

Happy Birthday Marvin Gaye Part One- DJ Spinna

2011-04-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

Marvin Gaye's impact on music is immeasurable and impossible to sum up in one post. Luckily for me, DJ Spinna put this essential podcast together to wish Marvin a happy birthday. Hopefully you caught it when it came out last year. If not, I'm posting it today for your listening pleasure. Happy birthday Marvin. Thank you for touching so many lives with your music.

DOWNLOAD

"Storybook Girl"- Jack Tradez

2011-04-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

Storybook Girl @jacktradez by DJ Rebelion
The Internet keeps reminding me how many talented people are out there that I still know nothing about. The other day I got a tweet telling me to check out Jack Tradez and his song "Storybook Girl". I had never heard of the artist or the song, but I've been trying to do a better job of checking out material from people I'm not familiar with. Truth is, a lot of stuff I get sent from new/unfamiliar artists turns out to be really good. I'm learning that if you get too jaded from a few people hitting you up with trash, you'll miss all of the good stuff. That said, this song isn't just good, it's great. How can you not love a very professional and polished looking black and white video, a soul sample beat, and nice lyrics to boot? Check out the video and a free download of the track, compliments of DJ Rebelion.

2 Busy Saying Yeah - D.J. Rogers

2011-03-30T16:38:00.000-07:00

Download
It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Matthew Africa. His musical IQ is off the chart and his 2 Busy Saying Yeah podcast consistently kills it. I'm really feeling one of his most recent mixes of D.J. Rogers. Mr. Africa plays the role of selecta perfectly, cooking up an amazingly soulful and in-depth mix of an artist I knew very little about until a few days ago. This is required listening...don't sleep. Download

Rockit Man- Zion I & The Grouch feat. Silk E (Official Music Video)

2011-03-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

Whenever Zion I and The Grouch collabo, good things tend to happen. This song is no exception. And luckily for fans, "Rockit Man" is featured on a brand new full length titled Heroes in the Healing of a Nation. I'm completely blown away by the beat and hook (both MC's also go in lyrically). Props to them for crafting such an incredibly original song.

This song will help you defeat other people when they try to argue that:
a) Rap is dead
b) Nobody makes original records anymore
c) Blah blah blah

Speak Ya Clout: G-Side on The ONE...COHESIVE Part 3

2011-03-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

Here is the third and final installment of my interview with G-Side. Click here to read Part 1 and here to read Part 2.

Support G-Side by purchasing The ONE...COHESIVE by clicking here. Check out the rest of their catalog on iTunes by clicking here. Make sure to check out the other artists and projects linked to in the interview below.

DJ Sorce-1: Huntsville International is one of my favorite G-Side releases. It’s such an impressive project that I think it should be considered an album, not a mix tape. To me, the sound and style of COHESIVE was not at all like Huntsville International. I was kind of surprised by how different it sounded.

ST: With Huntsville International, we had a point to prove. People heard our previous album Starshipz and Rocketz and said things like, “Oh, the production is great. The rappers are OK, but the production is great.” We had to show that we could stand on our own as MC’s. That’s why some of those tracks on Huntsville International weren’t Block Beataz produced.

Huntsville International wasn’t called an album because we didn’t put the care and time into it that we put into our albums. That’s why COHESIVE doesn’t sound anything like it. When you get to the last songs on Huntsville International, it kind of leads you into the COHESIVE sound. But for the most part they sound totally different.

DJ Sorce-1: COHESIVE also utilized producers other than The Block Beataz. One of my favorite non in-house songs is “Pictures”, which is produced by Clams Casino. Can you tell me a little bit about how you linked with Clams?

ST: He got in touch with us via twitter. He was a fan of our music and ended up linking with our manager, Codie G. He sent us the original track and the Block Beataz ended up collaborating with him on the beat, so that beat is actually a Clams Casino/Block Beataz beat. I think the only song on COHESIVE that the Block Beataz didn’t add their touch on was “No Radio”, which Burn One produced. Everything else was a collabo with the Block Beataz.

DOWNLOAD
"Numb" (Demo Version of "Pictures") - Clams Casino

DJ Sorce-1: What made you decide to do an entire song about texting naked pictures? “Pictures” has to be the first song ever recorded that’s exclusively dedicated to naked picture texting.

ST: We get a lot of nasty pictures.

Clova: We ask for a lot ‘em. We don’t just get ‘em, we ask for ‘em. (Laughs)

ST: We’re trying to popularize texting nasty pictures. Hopefully the rate of nasty pictures goes up a little bit because of that song. What’s more inspiring than that? You open a text message and there’s a butt naked chick right there. We had to make a song about it.

DJ Sorce-1: (Laughs) Let’s talk about the G-Mane verse on there. He absolutely beasts that Clams beat. I hadn’t heard much from him prior to his feature. Can you tell me about his background?

ST: We started working with him a couple of years ago. G-Mane is an OG. He’s from a place called Florence, which is about 45 minutes outside of Huntsville. He was in a group called Slave Kamp back in the day. They had a big movement and were really controversial. You should research them. But yeah, we do a lot of work with G-Mane. He’s like the new Nate Dogg if you ask me.

DJ Sorce-1: He sings too?

ST: Yeah. Those are his vocals behind mine on the hook of “Pictures”. His vocals are also on the “Relaxin’” record that didn’t make it on the album. He can lay hooks on anything. Some people say he sounds like Bun when he raps, but his style is pretty unique to me. I love his shit.

DJ Sorce-1: “Relaxin'’” was a great cut that didn’t make the album. Is there any more material that you’re going to be releasing online that had to be left off of the album?

ST: We have another album we’re going to try to try to drop at the end of the year. We’ll go back and beef up a few cuts that didn’t make COHESIVE and then we’ll make a bunch of new joints. When you’re working on an album, you always need to make a lot more songs than you’re going to put out so that you can pick the very best. We had a problem choosing how many songs we were going to put on the album. We were figuring that out up until the last day. We originally thought of sticking with the 1 theme and going with 11, but we just had too many good songs.

DJ Sorce-1: COHESIVE talks about some of the sweets of the rap game, but a lot of lyrics focus on the strain rap can put on relationships.

ST: Oh yeah. Whenever its album mode for us, we pretty much live in the studio and every relationship is strained. Business relationships, relationships with other people, relationships with your family and girl, it’s all strained during the process of recording of the album. In some ways I guess its ok because the emotion comes out in the music.

DJ Sorce-1: It must be challenging to shut people off like that. Do you think a lot of rappers struggle to find that level of self-discipline?

Clova: I think so.

ST: That’s probably why a lot of guys don’t get the recognition that they should. They’re really talented, but they let other things get in the way. With music, you get back what you put into it.

DJ Sorce-1: I really liked the way the album opens up. When Codie introduces you on the first song, “Shots Fired”, it seems like he was introducing you to new listeners while trying to make a statement to old fans. Why was it so important to have him open up the album for you?

ST: We made the intro when the album was done. If you listen to the album, Codie is the cohesion. He’s the glue that holds the songs together, the first voice and last voice you hear.

Clova: He’s like the narrator.

DJ Sorce-1: Can you explain Codie’s position in the Slow Motion Soundz movement.

ST: I don’t know if you got enough ink to write all that. (Laughs) He’s like our general manager. He takes care of our general business, whether it comes from down the street, Sweden, Canada, or Mars. They’re going to talk to him first. He’s the first line of defense. He’s secretly working on his album and shit, trying to outdo us. (Laughs) Nah, I’m fucking with you.

Clova: Codie makes it happen. He’s the mastermind.

ST: It’s important that people know that Codie is not an industry dude. Codie didn’t come from a family in the industry and hadn’t been working in the industry. He came out of the military and into being G-Side’s manager. Once he took the reins, that’s when things really started happening.

(Codie G, DJ Snake and Fadel)

DJ Sorce-1: How did his transition from military man to G-Side manager happen?

ST: He’s been with Slow Motion since day one. Him and CP actually came up with the name. He joined the military to feed his family and he ended up having to go to Iraq. By the time he got back, G-Side was pretty much the main focus of Slow Motion Soundz. Whatever Slow Motion Soundz needs done, he’s down to do. G-Side and Slow Motion Soundz needed a manager, so he stepped up to the plate.

Clova: Over the last couple of years he has made so many connects and now he’s putting them all together. Codie taught himself and now he’s playing it like chess. He definitely got it man.

DJ Sorce-1: It seems like this was a very emotional, personal project for both of you. Are there any songs that stand out as favorites?

ST: I like “Nat Geo”. I really like the whole album, for real. I can’t even pick.

Clova: ST’s is “Nat Geo”? I think mine is “How Far”. When I heard “How Far” for the first time I couldn’t even believe that it was our track. CP, who produced the track, has been in the zone.

ST: CP’s daughter does some of the vocals on the hook. There are two female vocalists harmonizing, Victoria Tate and Kaylan Parham. Kaylan is CP’s daughter.

DJ Sorce-1: “How Far” is definitely one of my favorite records on the album. The production is brilliant and not at all what you would expect from a rap song. Is that a sample based beat?

ST: It was an interpolation of a song called “10 Mile Stereo” by Beach House. The guitar part was replayed in the studio by Codie Hampton. He played the guitar on “How Far” and he also did some guitar playing on Huntsville International.

DJ Sorce-1: Based on audience reaction, do you have a favorite song to do live?

ST: I think “Came Up” goes hard. We performed it in Huntsville a little while ago and it was crazy. That might be one of our favorite records to perform live. There’s a YouTube video of us performing it with a live violin. It was really dope.

DJ Sorce-1: Most of the reviews of COHESIVE have been very positive. One of the few criticisms of the album is that it’s very feature heavy. Do you have anything to say about that criticism?

ST: A lot of people think that the name of the album is supposed to describe how it sounds. It’s more about describing the way we move. There are 7 or 8 studios in our facility. We were all moving as one cohesive unit to make this record happen. That’s kind of how we go out to the clubs too. If we go out or travel, there are a lot of us. We move as one and we try to move cohesively. We showcased a lot of acts that are going to be coming off of Slow Motion Soundz in the coming years on this album. All of the people, except for Mic Strange, are Slow Motion Soundz artists.

Clova: Yeah, we tried to use our overseas connections and all that. We wanted to have a lot of people on there.

DJ Sorce-1: G-Side is clearly playing a major role in making the Slow Motion Soundz name a household one. Do you still question your decision to go all out despite the positive feedback COHESIVE has gotten so far?

ST: We do. When you’re not rich, you second guess yourself sometimes. Your financial situation won’t always make you happy. But as long as you’re happy doing what you’re doing, you just gotta keep pushing, whether or not you’re making the money you want to be making.

Speak Ya Clout: G-Side on The ONE...COHESIVE Part 2

2011-03-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Here is Part 2 of my interview with G-Side. Part 1 can be read by clicking here.

DJ Sorce-1: In other interviews you’ve named rappers and groups like 8 Ball and MJG, Outkast, The Geto Boys, Master P and UGK as major influences. Are there any East and West coast rappers that had the same level of influence on you?

ST: I’m a huge Pac and Jay-Z fan. Those are my two major influences that aren’t from the south.

Clova: Yeah, Pac and Jay-Z were big for me. I like Biggie too man. I was a big B I G fan.

ST: I can’t forget E-40. He was a huge influence for me. But for the most part it was all regional. We were kind of biased against East and West coast stuff. Once we had our own voices in the south, we couldn’t really relate to the beats or lyrics. Those cats up north who be rhyming about numerology and stuff like that never made it down to us. We didn’t know what the hell they were talking about. But if guys came out rhyming about chicken, grits, bricks, and bitches…we understood that. (Laughs)

DJ Sorce-1: (Laughs) I want to touch on the lyrical content of G-Side. You both have talked about how Clova’s lyrics revolve around swag and aura while ST is more on the lyrical tip. How do you achieve the balance of being a group that brings it lyrically while at the same time not losing your listeners?

ST: When you’re writing something, you know if it’s going to go over someone’s head. If you stretch and stretch and stretch to make a cool metaphor or punch line, 9 times out of 10 your audience isn’t going to get it. We try to keep it simple, from the heart, and not over think it. That’s a really important part of it. Once more people start listening to your music you tend to think more about what you’re going to say and how people are going to take it. But you can’t over think it. You just gotta get in there and do you.

DJ Sorce-1: In one of your interviews you talked about trying to make “modern soul music”. A lot of your subject matter touches on material that working class people can relate to. Do you worry that if you get to a certain level of success, you might lose some of the audience you’ve been building because they won’t be able to relate to you?

Clova: I don’t think we will. It’s kind of like our fans have turned into our family. They helped us blow up. I don’t know…I don’t think they’re really going to go anywhere.

ST: I think that our fans will grow with us instead of grow out of us. If we stay true to ourselves, I think they’ll roll with us. They have thus far on four records. We’re not the exact same MC’s we were before. I like to think that our fan base has grown and the same people who were with us on Sumthin' 2 Hate are with us on COHESIVE.

DJ Sorce-1: Speaking of modern soul music, I love the whole “W2 Boy” mentality. Rapping about average Joe type of shit instead of insane wealth definitely makes me think of classic soul.

ST: Right. Shout outs to Kristmas (Kristmas is a dope Huntsville rapper who coined the W2 Boy movement. Peep him here.)

DJ Sorce-1: One of my favorite lines off of COHESIVE is when you talk about how, “Every two weeks I was only making $454”. When I heard that I was like, “Man, I’m going through that shit right now.” (Laughs)

ST: We just got out of that. I was going through that this time last year, so I definitely feel you. I had to take a look at my short term goals to get out of my job and just do music full time. I also do music videos, so it’s not like I’m just rapping full time. I just had to pick a different hustle.

DJ Sorce-1: You used to manage a gas station with your brother. Have you given that up since COHESIVE has come out?

ST: Yeah, I gave it up last May. That’s when we were hitting the road heavy. Being on the road and directing music videos kept the bills paid.

DJ Sorce-1: Clova, I know at one time you ran a barber shop. Have you had to give that up?

Clova: No, I still cut hair. I still do that.

DJ Sorce-1: You guys are both obviously pretty business savvy. Where do you guys see the money being in the rap game? I get a different a different answer every time I ask that question. Some people say you can still make money off of album sales, digital downloads and tours. Do you think that it has to be broader than that?

ST: Since 06-07 our theme has been multiple streams of revenue. It’s gotta come in from different places. It’s gotta be merch, CD’s, shows, placements, studio time, and music videos. At the end of the day, in order for you to be comfortable, you gotta be uncomfortable. You’re going to have to work and bust your ass to get it from different angles.

DJ Sorce-1: Is it still possible to eat off of rap?

Clova: I think you can. It’s all about investments man. A lot of people, when they do get their money, they do the wrong thing with it. People started a trend with buying fancy cars and spending 100,000 on this, that, and the other. I think if you invest your money right you can live off of the revenue from rap.

DJ Sorce-1: It’s kind of a cliché thing to say, but the focus on music seems to be much more on singles. Making a coherent album isn’t really a trend. So business wise, it was a risk for you guys to tackle a project like COHESIVE. What made you decide to put everything aside and throw all of your effort into making a great album?

ST: It was pretty natural for us, really. That’s what we grew up listening to, full albums. Like you said, lately, it’s been all about singles. In order to make ourselves stand out we had to do something different. We had to go left and put ourselves in our own lane.

DJ Sorce-1: When you were working on the album, did you try to cut yourself off from music that was coming from outside of your inner circle?

Clova: We pretty much just focused on us. We don’t really listen to nobody else anymore, for real. Unless we’re at the club and we hear people’s singles.

ST: We mostly listen to older music. Some new stuff filters through, but for the most part we listen to older music.

DJ Sorce-1: Are there any older albums that directly influenced the COHESIVE in terms of style and lyrics?

ST: Aquemeni and ATLiens. Those were two of the main albums we played to get in the right mode and know what we were doing musically.

DJ Sorce-1: It’s funny; I was going to ask about both of those albums, because I definitely see ties between them and COHESIVE.

ST: Outkast pretty much had the same format and set-up. They had their set of producers who provided their sound and a set of MC’s around them that could add different elements that ‘Dre and Big couldn’t. That’s what we did with the COHESIVE. On Outkast albums, if ‘Dre or Big weren’t on a song, the song was still jamming front to back. We took that way of working and applied it to us.

DJ Sorce-1: You mentioned the importance of having the right production. Can you tell me about the beat selection process? How much of a voice do you each get when you’re picking beats to use?

ST: I don’t know if there’s really a process. Sometimes it’s just magic. CP could be working on a beat where he only has a few sounds laid out. We might have heard it a month earlier and liked it, so we keep bothering him to finish it. It’ll get to the point where it’s done enough for us to make a song to it. And then by the time it’s on the album, it sounds totally different.

Our studio is a really big facility. It has eight different recording studios in it. We can go room to room, producer to producer, and ask them what they got. When we were recording the album, everybody in the studio was in COHESIVE mode. Whatever was getting made was for COHESIVE. If it didn’t fit, it didn’t fit. But for the most part we got first pick.

DJ Sorce-1: When you’re writing lyrics, do you write together, or do you do most of that separately?

ST: We don’t really have a routine for writing. We could be together one session, and then other times it could just be Clova or me in the studio. We could work on a song that someone started months ago. Or we write in the van sometimes, like we’re doing now. We’ll throw a beat on a write in the van.

DJ Sorce-1: Would you say that the kind of studio environment creates friendly competition?

Clova: Yeah, it does, but everyone gets alone. People come in and do what they do, have fun…everyone’s just trying to eat man. We’re just trying to make each other better.

ST: People want to make sure their record gets on the albums, so it is friendly competition. But like Clova said, we all make each other better.

Buy The ONE...COHESIVE by clicking here.

Click here to read Part 3.

Speak Ya Clout: G-Side on The ONE...COHESIVE Part 1

2011-03-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

I can’t think of a better way to continue the Speak Ya Clout series that I started this summer than by interviewing Huntsville, Alabama duo G-Side. Over the last three years, few rappers or groups have made a bigger impact on me. I’ve diligently sought out every album, side project, mix tape, and guest appearance of theirs that I can find and I’ve seldom been disappointed. Their most recent long player, The ONE…COHESIVE, is no exception. Damn near perfect production matched with top notch lyricism make COHESIVE one of my early picks for album of the year. Read on as we break down G-Side’s origins, influences, Huntsville hip hop, and the making of The ONE…COHESIVE.

Please support G-Side and purchase The ONE...COHESIVE by clicking here.

(Editor's Note: I will be posting this interview in three sections.)

DJ Sorce-1: Let’s start from the beginning. When did G-Side officially form as a group?

ST 2 Lettaz: We started doing music together in ‘99. I left Huntsville to go to Texas for a few years and when I came back in 2004, we got back together and made it solid.

DJ Sorce-1: 2004 was the year when Slow Motion Soundz discovered you, correct?

ST: Yeah, exactly.

DJ Sorce-1: In interviews I’ve read with you guys, you’re very open about some of the difficult things you’ve had to experience in life. You’ve talked about how many talented people you’ve seen get shot and locked up. Is it hard to separate yourself from that world as you become more successful?

Young Clova: Hmm. Not now. If I didn’t have a job, it would probably be hard. Having a job helps me distance myself form the streets.

ST: At the same time, we live in the same places that we lived before. We know people that are still doing the same thing. You have to be smart and know what you can’t get yourself into. I had to learn the lesson that nothing we do is small anymore. I can’t pick up and go somewhere else and be an unknown.

Clova: Everything we do is going to reflect our label, too. We can’t be in certain places doing certain things. We’re not just representing ourselves; we’re representing our whole family.

ST: Huntsville is all about reputation. Without a good reputation, you’re pretty much out.

DJ Sorce-1: Can you describe Huntsville to me? I’ve never been to Alabama before.

ST: Huntsville is big in terms of having a lot of land, things are just spread out. You pretty much need a car to get around. There are areas of Huntsville where you can find somebody who has chickens in their backyard or lives in a trailer, but overall we’re pretty modernized. We also have huge houses out in the mountains that surround Huntsville. It’s pretty diverse. You can basically find all aspects of city life in Huntsville, we just don’t have skyscrapers.

DJ Sorce-1: I remember reading something to the effect of, “It’s amazing I’ve made it in music, because where I’m from, if you don’t play basketball or football, you don’t have a future” on ST’s Twitter. Is that representative of Huntsville?

ST: That’s not really Huntsville, that’s the whole world when it comes to people living in poverty. If you didn’t come up knowing you had a college fund, your only means of getting to college are to be super smart, have a great jumper, or play football. We don’t have an entertainment industry in Huntsville per se. We didn’t see anybody come up as a rapper, make it big, and make it out of the city as an inspiration. So we’re pretty much trailblazers when it comes to that. We’re the first act out of Huntsville to really get out and tour internationally. We’ve probably toured the most out of any other act in Huntsville period. If you look at Alabama, the only other people that can compare in terms of touring are Rich Boy and Yelawolf.

DJ Sorce-1: Do you ever see yourself leaving the Huntsville area?

Clova: I do. I think I need to, for a minute anyway.

ST: I’ve been in Huntsville my whole life, so I’d like to. At the same time, Huntsville is still growing. You can still have some kind of stake in it and make some money. I figure the Slow Motion Soundz building can be one of the biggest skyscrapers in the downtown once we start getting it (Laughs). We’d like to be in the position where we can have a home in Huntsville because that’s where our families live and it has a great cost of living. I’d also like to have a home somewhere else. I want to live overseas, maybe in Spain, just to see some totally different shit.

DJ Sorce-1: I only know a little bit about the history of Huntsville hip hop. I know that Mr. Marcellus and The South Click were big Huntsville rappers. Were there any other Huntsville rappers that influenced you when you were coming up?

ST: Mr. Marcellus was one of the big ones. Rudi Devillie, SLP, Mic Strange, and 6 Trae G were also all major players when we were first coming up.

DJ Sorce-1: How did you get access to their music? Was it through local radio or did you have to hit local barber shops and mom and pop stores?

ST: Mostly barber shops or your local bootleg man would come through with all of the major and local tapes. Certain guys like SLP had a big van with his face on it, so whenever you saw his van you knew they had CD’s for you. Radio supported a few guys. Before we were with Slow Motion Soundz, most people heard of us on the radio with our song “Lacs and Prices”. There were different outlets, but most of the time it was hand to hand.

DJ Sorce-1: Besides Mr. Marcellus, which of the artist that you listened to coming up have you worked with?

ST: 6 Trae G and Mic Strange. Some of the other guys aren’t as into the music anymore. They’ve grown up and have families and stuff, so we haven’t really had a chance to work with them.

DJ Sorce-1: Huntsville is a relatively small place. I’m sure there are a lot of people that see the success of Slow Motion Soundz and want to be a part of it. How do you respond to people who try to hand you demos and approach you in the street about getting on?

Clova: Put a price on it. That’s the easy way out.

ST: That’ll weed out those who are serious and those who aren’t. The fact that artists want to work with us is a good thing. For the Block Beataz, that’s how they feed themselves. Everyone in Huntsville is basically piggy backing on what their records are doing. They want to come to CP and Mali to get tracks or studio time. It works in our benefit. We don’t turn anyone away if they’re serious about doing music.

DJ Sorce-1: So you’re willing to work with anyone with a good work ethic?

ST: Of course. That’s how we built the industry in Huntsville that we have now. We recently did a show in Huntsville where there were six quality acts on the bill, all from the city. And there were more acts in the crowd that wish they could have been on stage. That’s how you build your industry. Just because you’re popular outside of the state, you can’t charge someone $2-3000 for a verse when they live right across the street and you know they don’t have that.

DJ Sorce-1: It’s funny, that doesn’t really seem to be the mentality at all on the East Coast. It seems the bigger you get, the less people want help anyone else.

ST: In Huntsville, even if we don’t like each other, we don’t let the public know. We’ll still all work together. We just might not kick it together after we do the song.

DJ Sorce-1: It’s impressive that you can see the bigger picture like that.

ST: It took a long time to learn. A long time. It took for motherfuckers to get to fighting, beefing, and shooting at each other over dumb shit for us to see that the only way to rise was to get on each other’s shoulders.

DJ Sorce-1: It seems you have a very specific way of catering to your local market. Can you talk a little bit about how sites like Baller’s Eve, Traps N' Trunks, and Southern Hospitality have helped in spreading your name all over the Internet and beyond Huntsville?

ST: We pretty much built our network off of the people who enjoyed our music. We didn’t know where to send the music originally. I can’t even tell you the first websites Codie sent it to. It kind of snowballed and then it got to a point where all you saw was G-Side on a lot of these blogs. At that point we kind of had to step away from courting the blogs and focus on us. There was some physical grind in spreading our music too, because word of mouth is better than the Internet. The Internet just reaches further. So we can thank the Internet for our fans in Norway and the UK.

Clova: We kind of knew bloggers were going to be the modern day equivalent of magazine writers. We understood what was going on and where the rap game was moving.

ST: It was funny, after we were more popular; all the majors started courting the blogs that were supporting us. We also had people from Huntsville hit up blogs like Southern Hospitality and say, “Hey, we’re from Huntsville. Post our music too.”

DJ Sorce-1: That’s interesting, because after I wrote a couple of posts about you and other Huntsville artists, I’ve gotten similar emails.

ST: A lot of people don’t understand that, for us, it started with the music being high quality. Then, it became a matter of who we knew. We didn’t call every web site saying, “Hey, you wanna post this for me.” A lot of people posting us, it was by choice. But after they did post us, we went to go see ‘em. That’s how we built a relationship with them.

Clova: Yea, every time someone did something for us, we actually got in our cars and took our own money to go say thank you.

ST: We did the same thing with some of the people who purchased COHESIVE online. I have a list of names and I’m sending them emails saying thank you. Not trying to sell ‘em anything else or have them watch a new video…it’s just thank you. Every last ticket sale, CD, or shirt is big to us.

DJ Sorce-1: I think some new artists don’t realize that. Before you get on your grind, you have to have something really good to grind for. You guys have been a group for 12 years and you’re still busting ass. You’ve had various day jobs and other things and you haven’t’ given up on the rap.

ST: We just had to learn. We had to learn where we were at. We were in Huntsville, which had no music industry at all. So we made a choice. We could have run to Atlanta and jumped on the nearest label and done a million open mics. Or we could build an industry in Huntsville. And that’s what we did. Whether or not G-Side and Slow Motion Soundz makes a million dollars, we’ll still have built something. We built a scene that can’t be undone. You can’t take away the records we’ve sold and the impact we’ve had on artists.

DJ Sorce-1: When you mention the decision of signing to a label or building your own industry, I’m not sure how useful it is for a lot of rap acts to be signed to a major these days. I don’t think major labels help a lot of rappers.

ST: It comes down to straight business, numbers, and the situation being right. You have to make sure you’re not going to sign and then get put on the self for another act to shine. Some people are made for 9 to 5's. Some people need to be told what to do. Some people need to go to work and have the same schedule every day. And some people can’t stand that. I think we’re the latter. We’re independent by nature. For somebody to come in, be our boss, and try to tell us how to do what we’ve already been doing for so long…we couldn’t take it. I’m a control freak. I want to know what the fuck is going on; top to bottom. I want to know what the money is going towards, where I gotta be, when I gotta be there, and why. It could work with a major, but it’d have to be the right situation.

Click here to read Part 2.

Oneirology

2011-03-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

I've been a huge fan of the CunninLynguists ever since my homie Evan put me on to "Mic Like A Memory" and Will Rap for Food. I think A Piece of Strange is one of the best rap albums to drop between 2000-2010 and I love the majority of everything else they've ever done. Needless to say, I was extremely excited when I found out earlier this week that their new album, Oneirology, is now available at Bandcamp. I'm still working my way through it, but so far the production and lyricism have both been top notch. Please buy the album by clicking here. It's worth much more than the $9 measly dollars you're going to spend on it. I promise.

You can preview one of my favorite tracks, "My Habit (I Haven't Changed)" by using the embedded player below.

DJ Zimmie: Live at New Amsterdam

2011-03-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

My dude DJ Zimmie hit me up recently to put me on to his latest mix, Live at New Amsterdam. Zimmie goes in on this one, mixing original samples with classic hip hop. One of the many things I like about this mix is that Zimmie uses enough standards to keep it familiar but throws in enough forgotten gems to keep it fresh. Like a good DJ, he maintains a nice balance throughout the whole set. Check out the Soundcloud link below to hear for yourself.
DJ Zimmie - Live at New Amsterdam by DJZimmie

Visit Zimmie's Soundcloud page by clicking here.

The ONE...COHESIVE

2011-01-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

Just when you thought my blog was dead....

Time to break my hiatus from the blog sphere to celebrate the much anticipated new album from one of my favorite groups, G-Side. The ONE...COHESIVE is available here for $9.99. Support good, independent music and buy it.

ST. 2 Lettaz and Young Clova seem to get better with every release they put out, constantly taking risks and destroying some of the most unique beats I've ever heard. The production is outstanding throughout, which is not surprising considering that it was handled by the likes of A-Team, Block Beattaz, Burn One, Clams Casino, and STR8 Drop.

If you have yet to discover the creative force that is brewing in Huntsville, Alabama, this project is a perfect introduction.

Ear Drums Pop: September 2010...The Z-Ro Edition

2010-09-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

If I'm honest with myself and the people who care to read what I post on HITS, I only really started listening to Z-Ro 2-3 years ago. In that short amount of time he has quickly become my favorite rapper. To me there isn't another rapper out right now who is more talented or consistent. Ro has been rapping since the late 90's, averages about an album a year, and rarely releases sub-par material. I can't think of many rappers who can make the same claim. In addition to being consistent, he is one of the most versatile artists in the game. Ro can sing passionately while spitting lyrics with varied flow, intensity, and subject matter. That's why I'm dedicating the September edition of Ear Drums Pop exclusively to Z-Ro.

"Rain (Original Version)"- ABN (Z-Ro and Trae)

DOWNLOAD

Ro and Trae rhyming over a slowed up New Edition sample is pretty tough to beat. While I enjoy the album version of "Rain", it can't hold a candle to this.

"Tired (Original Version)"- Z-Ro

DOWNLOAD
The album version of "Tired" featuring Mya was great. This version is incredible in its own right and succeeds at evoking a completely different feeling due to its uptempo production. Z-Ro is at his best here, baring his soul for the world to see while singing some of his most heartfelt lyrics.

"Thatz Who I Am"- Z-Ro

Download
Chill-inducing production from Mr. Lee coupled with vicious lines like, "I put my trust in no man, only my motherfucking glock. Cuz she ain't never let me down before, fuck a gang, I follow my bitch 'cuz she be busting rounds for Ro" make this one of the best Z-Ro songs ever created.

"Never Take Me Alive"- Z-Ro feat. Trae

DOWNLOAD
I'm very picky when it comes to rappers using well known instrumentals for exclusives, freestyles, and unreleased songs. I honestly tend to prefer the original versions most of the time. "Never Take Me Alive" showcases the dynamic duo of Ro and Trae going to town of 2 Pac's notable "So Much Pain" instrumental. The end result rivals the Pac original.

"The Mo City Don"- Z-Ro

DOWNLOAD

Although I know reactions to Crack were mixed amongst hardcore Z-Ro fans, I consider it one of his most

consistently produced and fluid efforts. Mr. Lee (one of the most under appreciated producers of all-time) provides several of the albums standout tracks, including this incredibly somber and reflective effort.

"Foundren & Main"- Guerilla Maab

DOWNLOAD
Guerilla Maab was a rap group consisting of Dougie D, Trae, and Z-Ro. Their first album, Rise, also features original member Taz. Unfortunately, the Maab has been on a long hiatus due to Dougie D and Z-Ro quitting the group at different times and various inner group turmoil. "Foundren and Main" features one of Z-Ro's best sung chorus's.

"No Help"- Trae feat. Z-Ro

DOWNLOAD
To understand the lyrics of the song is to understand Trae and Z-Ro. Simply put, they want everyone to leave them the fuck alone. This track does a great job of questioning the value of fair weather friends and pointless acquaintances.

"Smoker's Anthem"- Z-Ro

DOWNLOAD
This feel good weed anthem from Z-Ro's early catalog has him adding his own reggae stylee to the beginning of the song. His first few albums have several stand out tracks that showcase his reggae talents. It would be nice him bring back the reggae sound on one of his current projects.

"Let The Top Down"- Z-Ro

DOWNLOAD
Much like the above mentioned version of "Tired", this is another outstanding musical moment intended for Crack that was left on the cutting room floor. Shout outs to Cocaine Blunts for posting this and "Tired" a while back.

Who's The Man- ABN

DOWNLOAD
Another song that showcases the undeniable chemistry between Trae and Z-Ro. Although the It Is What It Is didn't quite meet my lofty expectations, it had several essential Ro moments on it. This is one of them.

Noz Tackles Lil' B

2010-08-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

"Walk The World" Video

Lil' B is real hit or miss for me. If he's spitting over some Clams Casino beats, I'm a fan. If hes spitting like he does in the above video, I'm a fan. But some of his production/lyrics/songs are borderline un-listenable to me. Maybe I'm getting old and out of touch with where rap music is headed.

That being said, I respect the hell out of what B is doing for himself. He obviously has an insane work ethic, and whether YOU like his music or not, you have to admit that the man is willing to take risks. That's really refreshing to me. I'm OK with people making music that sounds terrible to me if I feel like they are trying to do something interesting. I get the vibe that when B misses the mark sonically, he was doing his best not to follow convention and be boring.

For a great read on Lil' B, his significance, and his recent success in NYC, check out Noz's outstanding piece about him over at CBRAP.

"The Fire"- The Roots feat. John Legend

2010-07-31T05:38:00.000-07:00

This is one of the more intense music videos that I've seen in a long time. The music contains the same kind of energy that I fell in love with during the Do You Want More?!? days. I still haven't checked the new album, but after hearing this, there is no question that I'm going to buy it.

Feel free to post interpretations of the video in the comments section.

Long Distance Love- Little Feat

2010-07-29T06:50:00.000-07:00

Ant sampled this song for Atmosphere's "Modern Man's Hustle". After doing some YouTubing, I found this live performance of the song. The lead singers voice is perfect for the instrumentation and the lyrics are really captivating. In short, I can't stop listening to this...so I decided to share it with you.

Trae Day 2010

2010-07-28T06:26:00.000-07:00

The Rap Up just ran a great photo essay on Trae Day 2010. For those who don't know, Trae Day is the result of rapper Trae's countless efforts to help out in the Houston community. Houston mayor Bill White and council member Peter Brown were so impressed by Trae that in 2008 they named a day after him in honor of all of his hard work. It looks as though this year's Trae Day was an extremely positive event with a lot of support from the rap community.

To check out some great photos of this years Trae Day, click here.

DJ Spinbad: Needle to the Groove 2

2010-07-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

Oh boy. This is really exciting. The original Needle to the Groove is straight classic, and we all know that Spinbad rarely, if ever misfires. Haven't had a chance to check the CD yet but I'm sure it bumps. I'm looking forward to listening to this all the way through tomorrow while I do shit around the house. Big thanks to Spinbad for making this a free download on his website.

To download it, click here. To visit Spinbad's website and download other incredible mixes, click here.

Ear Drums Pop: July 2010...The Prince Paul Edition

2010-07-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

Since I just ran a two-part interview with Prince Paul, I wanted to let his music be the focus of this month's edition of Ear Drum's Pop. My goal in compiling this list was to shed light on some gems from Paul that you might have missed. I ended up unearthing songs that I was completely unaware he produced until a few days ago. This includes the J-Live song "The Day I Fell Off", which I can't stop listening to. I am constantly amazed by the diversity of artists he has worked with and the quality of songs from his catalog.

I hope that you enjoy these songs as much as I do.

"My Friend the Popmaster"- Prince Paul

DOWNLOAD
Paul's maniacal creation The Black Italiano gets the royal treatment with this unforgettable track off of the excellent Itstrumental album. Paul's haunting instrumental, which is primarily composed of dusted string and piano samples, gets layered with bizarre vocal samples and hilarious dialogue from Paul "playing" himself and The Black Italiano.

"The Day I Fell Off"- J-Live

DOWNLOAD
A very reflective, heart-felt song from J-Live about losing your love for the rap game. Crisp drums and somber, minimalist production from Paul are a perfect compliment to J-Live's verses.

"Drug Dealer"- Boogie Down Productions

DOWNLOAD
I'll be honest...I had no idea this song was produced by Paul until I started composing this post. Let me take it one step further. I've owned Sex and Violence for at least a decade and I didn't know Paul produced ANY songs on it until a few days ago. Vintage KRS doing some very musically sound social commentary.

"Breakdown"- Handsome Boy Modeling School feat. Jack Johnson

DOWNLOAD
What looks like a recipe for disaster on paper turns out to be one of the highlights of the White People album. Only Paul and Dan The Automator could make something as random as Jack Johnson singing over scratched samples work.

"Everybody Needs Love (Prince Paul Mix)"- Marvin Gaye

DOWNLOAD
Paul does a fine job of breathing new life into this track while respecting Marvin's original version. I'm surprised there wasn't more hype around the re-release of Here, My Dear that this was featured on. There are some really nice remixes by people like Salaam Remi and Easy Mo Bee and the remastered O.G. version sounds great.

"Secret Wars (Prince Paul Remix)"- Last Emperor

DOWNLOAD
Last Emperor's imaginative lyrics that pit super heroes against rappers comfortably ride Paul's piano based production. The amount of creativity in this song is mind boggling. I wonder how long it took Last Emperor to write these lyrics.

"Macula's Theory"- Big Daddy Kane

DOWNLOAD
Big Daddy Kane devours this beat with an intensity and clarity rarely heard on his more recent output. After listening to this song, one wonders why Kane and Paul have only recorded a handful of songs together.

"Tattle Tales"- Horror City

DOWNLOAD
A sadly overlooked, never (properly) released gem from Amityville rapper Superstar a.k.a. Horror City. Paul recorded an entire album with dude right after The Gravediggaz dropped 6 Feet Deep. How labels were not intrigued enough to pick up this duo is beyond me. As Sam Hockley-Smith of Fader Magazine put it, "How insane is it that dudes are just sitting on albums like this?" To download the entire album for free, compliments of Paul, click here.

"Mommy, What's A Gravedigga (Prince Paul Mix)"- The Gravediggaz

DOWNLOAD
This interesting alternate take from the group's 6 Feet Deep recording sessions has a completely different feel than the final version. Although I prefer the album version, Rza's insanely amped verse helps make this well worth a listen.

"Blue Flowers (Prince Paul's So Beautiful Remix)"- Dr. Octagon

DOWNLOAD
The pairing of Paul and Keith on a remix for one of Keith's more bugged projects is a match made in heaven. While I love the original version, this one takes the cake.

Speak Ya Clout: Prince Paul on Montezuma's Revenege Part 2

2010-07-20T13:54:00.001-07:00

Here is Part 2 of my interview with Prince Paul. Part 1 can be read by clicking here.

DJ Sorce-1: The guys in Souls rhyme about things in a way that’s clever and easy to relate to. “Tour Stories” is such a great song; musically and lyrically. The beat is really somber and reflective, but there are also some funny lines where they talk about being nervous about smoking weed overseas. They also talk about their uncle tearing up when he talks to them about how he’s played guitar for 40 years and yet hasn’t been where they’ve been. I’ve always been a fan of Souls of Mischief, but with this album, I think I fully appreciate how dope they are as lyricists for the first time.

"Tour Stories"- Souls of Mischief

DOWNLOAD

Prince Paul: I appreciate that. I’m glad you think so. Like I said, lyrics are something I tried to zero in on and focus on. It’s good that you listen to the album and you get it. If you’re a Souls of Mischief fan, you’ll appreciate this album a lot. Hopefully if you’re just a fan of good hip-hop, you’ll get into it.

I made this more for the fans that were already there. I wasn’t trying to get any new fans on this, which is bad business. It’s like if Run DMC came back with the intensity they had on “Rock Box”. As a fan you’d think that was incredible. Would the young kids get it? Maybe not, but as a fan you’ll start tearing up. (Laughs)

DJ Sorce-1: Did the house you rented put financial stress on you, especially since you weren’t targeting a new demographic?

Prince Paul: Nah. It’s funny…it’s hard not to think about marketing, core audience, and trying to make money these days. I just tried to make a gut record by figuring out where the emotions lied and what sounded good. As far as renting the house out, the guys in the group took care of that. Tajai handled all the business, so I didn’t get too deep into that.

There aren’t too many professional studios anymore. Back when I was recording with Gravediggaz, and in the early, mid, late 90’s and early 2000’s, to get a good studio was like a grand a day. Sometimes that wasn’t including the engineer. So if you rent a house for a month, for something like a grand, that’s way cheaper. Less than a week at a nice studio will cost you more than that.

We did it on a laptop and an M Box. It was like if we recorded in someone’s bedroom…well, it was the living room actually. It was very ghetto. I had a junction to hook up multiple head phones…but I told people, “Bring your own headphones.” (Laughs) In essence, it was way cheaper to make this album than most albums that are out now. I mixed it at home, so it probably cost…I’d say under $5000.

DJ Sorce-1: A theme that comes up again and again on this album is frustration with women. One line I keep telling people about is A Plus’s verse, “I used to down me a 40 until I found me a shorty…shit now I need Bacardi.” And of course the song “Postal” is all about girls driving men crazy. Was there a particular event or reason that inspired the rhymes about problems with the ladies?

Prince Paul: I think at the time everyone was going through something. We would just sit around and talk about our different situations. It’s funny, I didn’t really think about that until I read a review somewhere. The writer pointed out that this album and a lot of the other records that I make deal with girl problems. There’s always something major going wrong, and I’ve been going through that stuff forever.

Luckily for me, it’s not like that anymore. But for those guys, at the particular time, we were all sitting around just going, “Oh god.” (Laughs) Woman can really get at you. They know how to push your buttons. You care about them, but they stress you out, and it can make it hard to focus on your work. That’s a good observation.

DJ Sorce-1: I’ll never forget the skit on Politics of the Business where the girl starts yelling, “Where is my fucking phone call” on the answering machine. It’s perfect. I can only imagine the amount of grief you must get from girls if you have to dedicate so much time to music.

Prince Paul: It’s funny, when you start dating girls, they always say they understand. When it starts becoming a problem, you try to explain that it’s not like you love music more than them. It’s a different kind of love. You love your parents differently than you love your girl. You love your kids differently than you love your parents. They don’t understand that. It’s funny, I don’t get that kind of animosity outwardly, but I get a lot of it through passive aggressiveness. People won’t understand that on wax, so I have to make it more obvious in my skits.

DJ Sorce-1: I read an interview where Tajai mentioned a possible future album of outtakes and scrapped material. Was there a lot of good material that had to be cut out?

Prince Paul: Yeah. There weren’t a lot of excess lyrics, but there was a lot of spare music. Maybe if they record more lyrics to some of the music that was leftover they could put out an album. A lot of the leftover beats are really good. What’s on the album isn’t necessarily the “best” of all the music we had, it was the music that worked well together. There are some beats that people would say are better than the ones we used, but I didn’t think that they worked within the context of the album. I wanted to build something you could feel as an entire album, as opposed to just having a bunch of songs.

DJ Sorce-1: Earlier we talked about the equipment you used to make this project work as an album. What sort of structural and musical elements did you have the guys in Souls focus on?

Prince Paul: For this record I really stressed the importance of hook and melody. Even if you don’t speak the English language, I want you to listen to the music and listen to how the words flow to the music. I want you to be able to feel it. I appreciate lyrics, but I appreciate flow equally, if not more. Busta Rhymes is a good example of this. This is no discredit to Busta Rhymes, but sometimes his rhymes aren’t as good as his flow. It’s the way he says it that wins every time. Not to discredit lyrics, but a lot of times if you can present something a certain way, it makes it much better.

Something has to appeal. I try to stress that to everyone I work with. There has to something in the song that makes it work. Let’s say we don’t have the hot, crazy beat…at least the melody and lyrics have to carry it. Maybe the lyrics on the record are shocking or memorable. You need something that pulls people in. Otherwise, it’s like making a song just for the sake of making it. The song has to strike something in the brain. Even if people hate it, at least they’re talking about it. But if someone walks away from your record indifferent…then it’s like…for what?

DJ Sorce-1: It’s almost like a passionate negative reaction is better than just complete indifference.

Prince Paul: Yeah. I was researching different Soul’s albums on Amazon, and they had one of my albums listed in the section where it says, “If you like this record, you’ll like these records.” I was looking at some of the comments, and someone wrote, “Paul isn’t talented. The people he works with do all the real work. He just leaches onto them.” While I was reading it, I had the biggest smile on my face. (Laughs) I told someone about that and they were like, “You didn’t get mad?” I was like, “Nah man, that’s how they feel.” At least they paid attention to me. It was passionately written.

DJ Sorce-1: Yeah, they were fired up enough to go online and write that.

Prince Paul: (Laughs) Yeah. It might have hurt me more if the majority of things said about me were like that. But I was reading something written by somebody who hasn’t been in the studio with me. If that was the case, at some point, especially after all these years, somebody would have come out and said, “Paul, you don’t do nothing” or “Paul, he just chills out and puts his name on it.”

DJ Sorce-1: Were there any songs on Montezuma’s Revenge that you felt most proud of or connected to.

Prince Paul: One song that I listen to over and over again is “Proper Aim”…that and the “Morgan Freeman Skit”. Those are the two I seem to like a lot for some reason.

DJ Sorce-1: Opio said in an interview about Montezuma’s Revenge, “Working with Prince Paul on the record, it had the potential to be one of our greatest, if not our greatest record. I know people look at 93 ‘Til Infinity as a classic, but with Prince Paul, this is on that level too.” There must have been a lot of pressure coming into record with that level of expectation.

Prince Paul: Wow. I think I put the bulk of the pressure on myself. I can’t compete with the time and place of 93 ‘Til Infinity. If that album came out now, would it have the same impact? Probably not. Same thing with 3 Feet High and Rising. Everything has a time, place, space, and vibe. I can’t compete with that. When people compare records from different eras, they forget to take into account what’s happening in the world, what the vibe at the time was, what had been created already, and what hadn’t been created yet. There are a lot of things that affect how an album is viewed.

I didn’t feel much pressure besides my own because it was easy to work with the group and they were open to suggestion. We had a few disagreements that we debated for a bit. But if I asked them to change or do something, they would do it. That made it so much easier. It made everyone open and willing to try new things. There was a lot of respect there both ways, which helps. It works when people value and trust each others input.

DJ Sorce-1: Since you were working in such a close environment, was there ever a lot of tension in the house, or was it pretty smooth overall?

Prince Paul: There weren’t any problems that I can remember…at all. If they had any problems amongst themselves, they kept it away from me. I think they knew the importance of making this record. You get to a certain age and you look at what else is out in terms of music. You also look at all the things going on in your life. At some point you have to take music seriously, buckle down, and make it happen.

DJ Sorce-1: And with the added responsibilities, in addition to needing the money, it also gets harder to find time to work on music.

Prince Paul: Yeah, it’s tough. Every day my son is up in his room making music and programming stuff. His friends come over and they record. When I see that, I’m envious. Recently I looked back at some stuff I was making when I was using a 4-Track cassette recorder in 89 or 90. There are 20 songs on one tape I made. I look at my recordings from that time, and I was making like a billion songs a week. Now, if I crank out one or two tracks in a week, it’s amazing. But then again, my level of critiquing is higher now. My quality control has gone up, which also slows down the process. I’m amazed at guys like Kanye and Pharell. They do something major every two seconds. For them to just buckle down and make beats on the plane or on the bus…I can’t work in that environment.

DJ Sorce-1: After completing Montezuma’s Revenge, do you want to do another similar project with either Souls of Mischief or another group?

Prince Paul: Umm…probably…not. (Laughs) Not that the experience was bad, but it was a curiosity thing for me. I was thinking “Can I do it, and what will happen in the process of making the record?” A lot of the records and things that I do, I hate to say it, but it’s almost like…I don’t want to say guinea pigs, because that sounds degrading, but it’s almost like the artists are part of my experiment to see what I can do. Can I put together three guys who got kicked off of Tommy Boy and make something crazy? When Stetsasonic was kind of putting me down, can I get some kids from around my way and give them these beats and ideas and make it happen? Can I make a story on wax? A lot of it helps answers questions for me, but once I succeed with a certain idea, I’m like “Ok, next thing.”

It’s bad for business. There really is no part two and I don’t capitalize on any momentum that I make from one thing. I get tired quick, I wanna go to the next thing and try something different. We’ll see, maybe if the right group and the right situation presented itself. Hey, I’m not gonna lie, if someone comes up and says, “Hey Paul, we have a $50 million dollar budget”, I’d probably say “What?!? I feel inspired!” (Laughs) There are lot of things that could play into it, but I’d say based on sheer motivation to do another project like this, it probably won’t happen.

BUY MONTEZUMA'S REVENGE.

Check Paul on Facebook by clicking here.

To read my "Reconstruction" with Paul where he breaks down De La Soul's first three albums, click here.

Click here to see what he has to say about Stakes Is High, De La's fourth album.

Speak Ya Clout: Prince Paul on Montezuma's Revenege Part 1

2010-07-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

As a writer, some of my proudest moments have come from compiling “Reconstructions” for The Smoking Section. Writing these articles involved interviewing an artist about a particular song or album that meant a lot to me. I often had a list of questions that I wanted to ask the rapper or producer I was interviewing about the process behind the music. Getting answers to these questions from the artists themselves often gave me a sense of clarity as well as new insight into their work.

While I no longer write “Reconstructions” for The Smoking Section, I have had the recent good fortune of being able to talk with some of my favorite artists for my own blog. As a result, I’m deciding to launch a new set of interviews titled “Speak Ya Clout”, which will be in the same vein as the “Reconstruction” series.

My first installment of “Speak Ya Clout” is an in-depth breakdown of one of my favorite albums in recent years; Soul’s of Mischief’s Montezuma’s Revenge. Prince Paul graciously played the role of interviewee and helped me to shed light on some of the more intimate details regarding the album’s creation. Read on, as Paul drops science on his most recent artistic feat.

Please support Paul as well as the Souls of Mischief by copping the album.

DJ Sorce-1: Much of your early career involved co-producing De La Soul’s first three albums. Lately, you’ve done conceptual albums like A Prince Among Thieves and Politics of the Business, where you were working with a wide variety of artists. Was re-adjusting to group dynamics and figuring out how to work with Souls of Mischief difficult at first?

Prince Paul: That wasn’t really difficult. What was difficult for me was getting them all on the same page. Although they are a group, they haven’t worked together on an album in a long time. They’ve done a lot of Hiero stuff here and there, and they’ve done tours, but in terms of working on an album, they haven’t done that in a while.

From what I understand, some of their records were done with them laying down their rhymes at different times. So to get them in one place at one time and to be of one mind was more of a challenge than anything else. It’s like being a coach. You try to get everyone on the same page, with the same goal, and have everyone do what they’re supposed to in order to win.

DJ Sorce-1: Did you enjoy making Montezuma’s Revenge?

Prince Paul: It was a challenge, because I haven’t worked with a group since the Gravediggaz. That’s the reason I wanted to do the project to begin with. I’ve done so many projects in recent times where it was mainly just me and I got people to come in and do stuff here and there. So it was a challenge, but it was fun.

The whole thing came about when Opio opened up for Handsome Boy while we were on tour. I asked him what was going on with Souls and I said, “Tell the guys that I want to produce the next album.” He was like, “Yeah!?” I didn’t think they’d actually call me on it. Next thing you know, they were like “Ok, we’re ready to do the album!” (Laughs) I was open to do it, because I said I wanted to. But people always pop junk and say they’ll do some sort of project and never do. So I was surprised that it actually ended up happening.

DJ Sorce-1: From what I’ve read, you and the group rented a house and did a lot of the recording there. Is that true?

Prince Paul: Yeah. You hear a lot of albums now where the producers change from track to track and all the songs sound different. It doesn’t sound like a cohesive album. People say albums don’t sell anymore; it’s the single that sells. Regardless of what sells, I like to listen to an entire body of work. In order for us to make a cohesive album, I suggested that we take time out and be at one place when we recorded. I actually forget if I suggested that or if they did.

Anyway, we came up with the idea to rent a place and work there, away from where we all live. That way we could just concentrate on music. Man, the house we rented was a grimy spot. There were ants and stuff. I was sleeping on the floor on a mattress. In the back yard there was a tree with some kind of animal skull embedded in it. The whole experience was really taking it back.

DJ Sorce-1: Wait…an animal skull? (Laughs) Was it from the previous owners?

Prince Paul: I guess one of the previous renters put it there. Living together was very sitcom-ish. Cell phones didn’t work because we were way out there. Only one company got good service. None of us had service plans with the one cell phone company that worked, so we had to get a pay per minute phone and share it. It really made me appreciate my home and all the hard work that I’ve done to live comfortably. But it was good that we made the album like that, it built camaraderie.

DJ Sorce-1: Sometimes stripping things down to the bare bones can spark the creative process.

Prince Paul: Being in a situation like that definitely gives you a lot more focus. When I was a kid, I could make music all day and not worry about anything else. Things that bothered me as a kid seem minute as an adult. I used to worry about getting the right rims or being able to buy a jack from Radio Shack for the back of my mixer. Now those are minor things. When you get older, things change. I have to cook dinner for my son, make sure the dishes are done, and pay the bills. Your focus shifts. Being with the group in that house…there was nothing to think about but music.

DJ Sorce-1: Nowadays, not to knock rap music, but it seems like albums are constructed more haphazardly than they used to be. What steps did you take to ensure that Montezuma’s Revenge sounded like one fluid body of work?

Prince Paul: If people are true fans of Souls of Mischief, which, coming into it, I was, they know what they want to hear on this record. I sat and analyzed all the records they’ve put out, even the solo projects. I tried to figure out what I liked and what I didn’t like. I told them, “I’m going to make what should have been your follow up to 93 ‘Til Infinity. I’m going to make a retro record and scale back technology.” To do that, I decided to use an SP-12, ASR, MPC-2000, and MPC-60. We decided to take it back and see how it worked. The only high tech thing we had there was Pro-Tools to do recording and tracking.

DJ Sorce-1: But in terms of beat making, you weren’t using Reason or Ableton or anything like that?

Prince Paul: No, everything was pretty bare bones. One of the songs that A-Plus had done was made with Reason. Everything else was just audio out, no digital…real dusted. Even our Pro Tools rig was dusted. I used an old titanium G-4 Mac laptop. It was all recorded on a laptop with an M Box.

DJ Sorce-1: You mentioned studying previous releases from Souls. What did you like most about their previous albums and what did you think needed the most work?

Prince Paul: In my opinion, the best aspect of their previous albums was their rhymes. Production and direction changed on each record, but the quality of rhyme was there. The thing that I wanted was for them to sound like they were of one mind again. The first album, their rhyme styles were so incredible. They were all over the place, playing with different rhythm patterns.

On later albums, everything got simple. I asked them, “What happened? Ya’ll went backwards.” Their reason for switching it up was that everyone was biting their style and they didn’t want to do the early Soul’s style anymore. I told them that they were the best at that style and I wanted them to go back to flipping it. I think it’s important to show off your lyrics by flexing your rhyme style. That’s what I think really needed to change.

DJ Sorce-1: I noticed that the vocal samples that you used really set the tone for records like “Poets” or “La La La”. Was it your intention to bring it back to a sample based sound to compliment their rhyme style?

Prince Paul: Yeah, in order to make a follow up to 93 ‘Til Infinity, Montezuma’s Revenge had to sound like it was from the same era. The only keyboardy stuff from that era was Dre, but even he was blending samples and keyboards together on The Chronic. He wasn’t only using keyboards. So I had to come with the sample based mentality. Again, I approached this album more or less from a fans point of view.

DJ Sorce-1: Where is the vocal sample in “Poets” from?

"Poets"- Souls of Mischief

DOWNLOAD

Prince Paul: I sampled the record, looked for it again later, and I couldn’t find it. A lot of times when I’m naming a sample file I’ll just write the first word of what the original song is. When you’re recording samples to use, sometimes you’ll tell yourself, “I don’t need to write down what record this came from, I’ll remember what it is.” Clearly you won’t. You’re fooling yourself. I lost it, and now I can’t find the original song.

People ask me what record I sampled for "Flattery" on my Itstrumental album. I tell them, “Eh, I don’t remember.” Some of them will say, “You’re lying, you just don’t want to tell me!” I remember it was a 45’, but I put it in with a stack of other stuff, and now I can’t find that record either.

DJ Sorce-1: Are you still taking the time to clear all of your samples?

Prince Paul: Oh yeah, of course. I don’t practice sampling that much nowadays, unless it’s on an under the radar type of record. For this particular album, I gave all the samples to the guys in the group to have them cleared. So, except for the one sample that I can’t find, everything else was given to them. For me, personally, something has to be really dusted or bizarre for me to use. I want people to go, “Man, what is that?” I’m not going to go to my collection and say, “Ah, Michael Jackson. Let me loop up "Thriller".” I don’t do that.

When I first started and I was flipping stuff with De La, there was a unique few who were really into records and samples. I kinda got blamed and credited for people record digging. People said, “Ok Paul, ever since you got on MTV and showed that Mickey Mouse record, it started a whole revolution of kids looking for beats, samples, and loops.” I guess someone needs to be blamed for it.

Now a lot of stuff I use is pretty dusted. A lot of kids, even the ones who really dig, don’t know what the records are. If I do use anything, it’s not going to be obvious. If the person I sampled heard my record, I’d want them to go, “Whoa, I made this?” It has to be something that weird. If I can, I’ll chop the sample and dust it out.

I’ve gotten to the point now where I’ll re-play samples with instruments. I learned how to interpolate, change the sound, and dust it out so that when I’m re-playing certain samples, it sounds like a direct sample from a record. By the time I figured out and perfected that craft, people got hardcore electronic and less vinyl sounding. It took me years to perfect, and then people were like, “We don’t use that. We use these sterile sounds that come from a keyboard.” I can flip something and make it sound just like a record, but that doesn’t account for too much that will sell in today’s market. (Laughs) Go figure.

DJ Sorce-1: Are you mostly playing instruments now?

Prince Paul: Yeah. I have a guitar, bass guitar, and a whole lot of analog keyboards. What’s cool is that a lot of modules and virtual instruments in computers sound real. It depends on how you play them. I played a beat recently for someone and they said, “Where’d you sample it from?” They were surprised when I told them I played it. That was like the ultimate compliment. I wasn’t using anything that dusted to make the beat; just keyboard module stuff. I learned a lot when me and Dan (The Automator) were recording stuff for Handsome Boy Modeling School.

With me, a lot of stuff happens by mistake. I’ll randomly do something in the studio and go, “Wow, that sounded pretty good.” A lot of guys will sit down, think of a beat in their head, and then figure out how to go about making it into a song. Very little of my music has been done like that. I wish I could hear something in my head and make it work. But it never comes out like that…ever.

DJ Sorce-1: Did you come in with the beats already, or was it more that you were making them on the spot with the group there?

Prince Paul: All the stuff was pre-made. I brought in some music, and I had everyone in the group bring beats. I told them what the direction the music should be. Their first record had a few people within the group doing all of the production, so I didn’t want to use outside producers. I felt it would change the sound of the album. I wanted to keep it within the group.

We sat down and started selecting beats. We started out with something like 30, then we narrowed it down to 20, and we kept narrowing it down. Eventually, we had a group of beats that we felt fit together. I took the beats we chose, recorded them onto Pro Tools, and manipulated them so that it sounded like one cohesive thing. I would replay some samples on old dusty keyboards and I also re-chopped a lot of things.

When I read reviews, some of them will say “Prince Paul didn’t do this song, someone else from the group did.” Little do they know, I took their samples and flipped them hard. Domino said to me at one point, “Wow, you made me sound really good. Thanks man.” (Laughs) I’m not saying they couldn’t have done production on their own; I just put a lot of work into those songs.

The intention was to make the album sound like it was all of one mind and one place by doing what I do…flipping it out a little bit. In order to make a good record, in my eyes, you gotta put ego aside. Sometimes you get people who produce records who say, “I want to write everything. I want this. I want that.” They want all the credit. I don’t mind about credit or who does what. The main object of the album is to make it really good. If you make a crappy record, it doesn’t benefit anyone. But if you make something decent, we all win.

DJ Sorce-1: Right. Why does it matter who gets credit if it’s total shit?

Prince Paul: Exactly. Rarely do I look online, but I was checking the online feedback, which mostly looked really good. But again, a few people said, “Paul didn’t do this, Paul didn’t do that.” Ultimately, that doesn’t bother me, as long as they feel like the product came out good. I kind of laughed though and thought to myself, “Little do they know how much work I put into this record."

DJ Sorce-1: Yeah. When I was looking for interviews after listening to the album, I remember thinking, “Where’s the interview with Paul?” I remember how detailed your memory of the 3 Feet High and Rising sessions were, and those were over 20 years ago. I was surprised that there wasn't an extensive interview with you about the album.

Prince Paul: It’s funny; I’ll probably remember all those things from 3 Feet, but this record I did a couple of years ago, I might forget. (Laughs) We did this album a while ago, and I was talking to Tajai about this recently. Everyone was going retro a few years ago, and all of a sudden the 80’s and 90’s were cool. I thought it would be perfect timing. But then it came out two years later. (Laughs) It’s a throwback record, so it doesn’t really matter, but I think the timing would have been better if it had come out a little bit earlier.

DJ Sorce-1: I remember hearing about the album a while ago, I think as far back as 2006. What was the reason for it getting delayed?

Prince Paul: I have no idea, because the guys in the group put it out themselves. I’m not sure if it had to do with distribution or they had a time line for when they were releasing different people’s albums from the Hiero camp. There are a bunch of people in Hiero, so they might have wanted to release some other material before putting it out. But like I said, it was a throwback record, so it wasn’t like we had tons of auto tune on it and releasing it late threw the timing off. (Laughs)

To read Part 2, click here.

Cipha Sound's Presents The 75 Greatest Tunnel Bangers

2010-07-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is essential summertime nostalgia reading. Listening to these songs and reading Cipha's take on them is a very powerful experience that will put you in the zone. Cipha does a great job adding to the mystique of these records, using lines like, "You had to be on point because it felt like you could lose your life if you didn't play what they liked" when describing Jay's "Where I'm From". His insider perspective helps to provide readers with endless fascinating details about their favorites 90's tracks (i.e. Mr. Cee was the person responsible for recording the now-famous "Where Brooklyn At?" freestyle with Biggie and Pac). Complex is killing it with these great list features as of late. I hope they continue to crank them out.

To read the article, click here.

Since We Last Spoke: A Brief Conversation with RJD2

2010-07-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

When RJD2 stormed onto the scene in 2002 with his debut album Deadringer, he wowed critics and fans alike with his astonishingly beautiful sample-based music. Songs like "Ghostwriter and "Work" were undeniable, and the album went on to be regarded by many as one of the year's finest.

His follow-up effort Since We Last Spoke showed that RJ wasn't merely a one-hit wonder. While it may not have been as seamless of an album as Deadringer, it boasts some of my all-time favorite songs. His reworking of "Bless the Telephone" by Labi Siffre ("Making Days Longer") still reminds me of the summer of 2004. I was completely in love a very close girl friend at the time and that song managed to capture exactly how I felt about her, both lyrically and musically. RJ managed to do justice to the original while making something that was uniquely his own.

"Making Days Longer"- RJD2

DOWNLOAD

Since 2004, RJ has continued to climb the ladder of success. His song "A Beautiful Mine" was chosen as the opening credits music for the award winning TV show Mad Men. With no signs of slowing down, RJ released his fourth studio album The Colossus earlier this year and is now a completely independent musician.

Read below as RJ takes a moment to touch on his recent work as well some other random odds and ends that I threw his way.

Also make sure to check out RJ's website. You can order music and merchandise directly from him by clicking here.

DJ Sorce-1: In terms of equipment used for sampling, are you mostly using computers, samplers, or a mix of the two?

RJD2: I'm still using my trusty MPC sampler. I have 3 of the 2000XL's now, but that's still my main axe in the arena of sampling.

DJ Sorce-1: What is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you on tour?

RJD2: I think it was the time that I flew to the wrong city. It was in NC last year, i can't remember the town name, but i know that there were two towns in NC with the same name. I flew to the wrong one. At around 3pm, I entered the venue address in the GPS of my rental car, and it said the drive was 8 hours. I somehow managed to rush back to the airport, get a new flight, and make it for my set at Trinumeral festival. Crazy.

DJ Sorce-1: What, if anything, is the thing you miss the most about being signed to Def Jux?

RJD2: I guess the most missed thing of being signed to any label was the sense of security. I feel like I'm truly out on my own, so to speak, and all the responsibility is on me. But i know I'm doing the right thing for my position right now.

DJ Sorce-1: What is the best thing about your current label situation?

RJD2: I own my own master recordings.

DJ Sorce-1: How many records do you own?

RJD2: Dunno. About 5,000, give or take 500 or 1,000, i think.

DJ Sorce-1: Do the majority of your samples come from vinyl?

RJD2: 99.9998%. I can count the times I've sampled something off of anything other than vinyl on one hand.

DJ Sorce-1: What is your favorite city or town to dig in?

RJD2: Columbus, Ohio. I know all the spots, and it used to be a goldmine.

DJ Sorce-1: What is the most meaningful peace of feedback you’ve heard or read about The Colossus?

RJD2: Gosh, I don't know. That's tough. A lot of people have said a lot of nice things about it on tour.

DJ Sorce-1: Which track on the album took the longest to construct?

RJD2: Probably "Walk With Me", just because it took a long time to figure out the chorus. The chords of that part are a little obtuse. Plus, the tracking took a long time.

DJ Sorce-1: Is the song title “Gypsy Caravan” a reference to Van Morrison (I am seriously curious if it is)?

RJD2: No, it's not, but now I'm curious as to why it would be.

Editor's Note: Van Morrison has a song called "Caravan" from his album Moondance. In the song he makes several references to gypsies. Word.

DJ Sorce-1: What album/s were you listening to for inspiration while making The Colossus?

RJD2: I was actually reading a lot at the time, which i think was a big contributor. Harold Bloom, Derek Jensen, Malcolm Gladwell, and others were probably a bigger inspiration than the music i was listening to!

DJ Sorce-1: If you had unlimited access to one artist/band's catalog for remixing/sampling purposes, who would you choose?

RJD2: Probably The Meters.

"Follow Us"- Big Boi feat Vonnegutt

2010-07-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

Damn I cannot wait for this album. I am buying it as soon as I get out of work tomorrow. Big Boi is fucking killing shit right now.

DJ Critical Hype: The Art of Slaughterhouse Blends

2010-06-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this tape on Datpiff. Haven't had time to digest the entire thing, but damn does that Royce "I Owe You" blend sound good.

"I Owe You (Critical Hype Blend)"- Royce Da 5'9"

DOWNLOAD

Not sure if Critical Hype crafted this beat or not, I'm not familiar with it, but I love the sped and chopped "Shorty Swing My Way" sample. Creativity is certainly not lacking in rap production these days, fuck what you heard. To peep the whole tape, click here.

Trae: Angels By Nature

2010-06-10T03:34:00.000-07:00

It's great to see Trae, a major players in the rap game, giving so much back to his community. From public speaking engagements at prisons, high schools, middle schools and hospitals, to dressing up as Santa, this dude does it all. Trae probably does more good in one week than I've done in my entire life. The fact that Houston named a day after him in honor of his efforts needs to get way more ink from the rap journalists.

The best part of this video is seeing how loved and respected he is everywhere he goes.

Killer Mike's Birthday With Adult Swin

2010-06-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

Hands down one of the most interesting/talented dudes in the rap game. Period. Great lil' feature with Mike done by the folks at Adult Swim. The part with Miss Ann is hilarious.

Big K.R.I.T. On Def Jam

2010-06-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

The more I listen to K.R.I.T., the more I respect his craft. I honestly feel that he is one of the best rap artists out right now. You can quote that.

Although some people in the blogging community have been saying his beats are superior to his lyrics, I find him to be a compellingly honest and passionate lyricist. For evidence, check the track below off of his new, must have mix tape. I feel sorry for you if this isn't on your hard drive yet.

"Children of the World"

Download

Big news broke yesterday as K.R.I.T. is now officially part of the Def Jam team. I hope this means success and not frustration for this extremely talented individual. The music game is insane right now, and the hip-hop community has seen Def Jam struggle with handling several major talents in recent years. Hopefully K.R.I.T.'s experience with the label is a positive one.

P.S.: Make sure to check out the great piece DX did on K.R.I.T. for DX Next.

DJ Craze and DJ Klever- Scratch Nerds

2010-06-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Remember the days of scratch tapes? When people would gladly go to the ends of the universe for an ISP practice tape featuring 90 straight minutes of scratching over two electro beats. If you detect a hint of snark, it isn't unintentional, because I was one of the people I speak of, and it's easy to poke fun at my then-self now.

However, all snark aside, I do miss those days. There was some really good music being made then, and the whole "turntable as instrument" argument was so valid because turntablism evolved at a mind blowing rate for a solid decade plus. Of course I still view the turntable as an instrument, but there was something special about those years because every time heard a new composition made with tables, records, and a mixer, it seemed like the creators had done the unthinkable. Each new battle or scratch routine seemed to bring the art form to earth shattering new highs.

Happily, during my recent online perusing, I found Craze and Klever's (The Allies) Scratch Nerds. This tape is easier to digest than most scratch tapes without being watered down or short on skills. Craze and Klever were definitely ahead of there time, and the shit they are doing now is so complicated I can't believe I ever though it was possible to reach the same level of skill and showmanship.

Download this tape and take a musical journey down memory lane by clicking here.

Read Klever's back story on the tape by clicking here.

Killer Mike feat. Rock D "Swimming"

2010-06-02T18:28:00.000-07:00

New Killer Mike track with some inventive (it's getting harder to find creative words to replace good or different) production by Flying Lotus. This cut is a grower, and after a third listen I think it might be an official summer 2010 banger. Preview/download it by clicking here.

I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind, Vol. 2 was one of the most slept on albums of all time, and I can't wait for Vol. 3. Not to be a obnoxious know-it-all blogger, but if you didn't support Vol. 2 and buy a copy, you should by clicking here. Used copies are going for cheap.

New G-Side

2010-06-01T17:23:00.000-07:00

I'll co-sign pretty much anything G-Side/St. 2 Lettaz puts out these days. This video is the truth...St. just sitting in a room full of shoes puffing on green. I love it. There must be something in the water in Huntsville, because their rap scene is ridiculous and is showing no signs of slowing down. Keep inspiring fellas...your shit stays in rotation all the way out here in dub Mass. Shouts to Huntsville Got Starz for posting this.

New Kev Brown Production

2010-05-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

New neck snapping track produced by Kev Brown. Great cuts, hook, lyrics, and production. Don't sleep. You can find out more about the Epsilon Project and their upcoming album by clicking here.
<a href="http://epsilonproject1.bandcamp.com/track/inspiration-prod-kev-brown">Inspiration Prod. Kev Brown by Epsilon Project</a>

Ear Drums Pop: May 2010

2010-05-18T20:41:00.001-07:00

This series is a thinly veiled excuse for me to cram personal music preferences down my readership's collective throats. Each month I'll be posting 10 random songs from all over that I can't get enough of. I'd like to have these posts spark some sort of discussion, as I've been unsuccessful in getting people to post comments with almost every other HITS project I do. I'm aiming to focus on somewhat rare/forgotten/under-appreciated gems. If you'd like to see something from a specific artist in Ear Drums Pop, let me know.

"Deja Vu"- Nas

Download
One of the all-time great Nas cuts, this songs origins can be traced back to his pre-Illmatic demo album. The T.R.O.Y. Blog has done a bang-up job providing some background info on this cut, as well as posting a new, higher quality version, which you can download by clicking here.

"24-7-365" FWC feat. Lil' Keke

DOWNLOAD
Great slice of obscuro H-town rap with a nasty feature from Lil' Keke. According to Deadly Grounds, FWC was signed to Underground Records, a label under Rap-A-Lot, where they released their first and only album.

"Tour Stories"- Souls of Mischief

DOWNLOAD
One of my favorite cuts off of the Souls most recent effort, which was pretty damn good front to back. Props go to Domino for crafting this extra smooth beat.

"Smoke"- Mr. Tinimaine

DOWNLOAD
An early 2000 NO gem, I discovered this incredible weed anthem on my boy Kid Slizzard/Jib Kidder's Twankle & Glisten Blog. I don't know much about Mr. Tinimaine beyond this song, but would love for readers to help school me in Tinimaine history and current projects.

"Things I Dream"- CunninLynguists

DOWNLOAD
Although I had a hard time digesting Dirty Acres when it first came out, re-discovering cuts like "Things I Dream" have me questioning my initial impressions. In my mind, Kno is one of the great producers of the past decade, and this track is a perfect example of why.

"Hay"- Crucial Conflict

DOWNLOAD
I owe Pandora a shout for re-introducing me to this forgotten Chi-town smoke out anthem. In addition to some nice production, "Hay" contains the memorably offensive line, "That hay got me so goddamn horny, but i don't like that tramp. The only reason I'm poppin' that coochie cause the hoe had a book of food stamps."

"Po' Pimp"- Doe or Die feat Twista

DOWNLOAD
Twista dominates this beat, delivering what some consider his best verse ever. Between the smooth hook and Twista's devastating clean-up verse, this song equaled an instant hit for Do or Die when it dropped 12 years ago.

"Impossible"- Diz Gibran

DOWNLOAD
Queens producer Moonshine created a masterpiece when he utilized one of the most unlikely rap samples in recent memory for LA based MC Diz Gibran. If you're feeling this cut, make sure to download this duo's full-length in high quality MP3 format compliments of them.

"In The World"- Akinyele

DOWNLOAD
An overlooked gem from Ak's Put It In Your Mouth EP, this song owes much to its DJ Enuff production, which often gets the silver medal when put up against the Large Professor version. Personally, I like Enuff's version better.

"As The World Turns"- C-BO feat. Sherelle Fortier and Spice-1

Download
Vintage soulful west coast shit from an often overlooked legend. The style might take a minute to get used to, but give this a chance before writing it off.

Big K.R.I.T.

2010-05-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

When HipHopDX claimed, "Big K.R.I.T.’s new project K.R.I.T. Wuz Here doesn’t belong in Mixtape WrapUp. This is a full-length album that will likely go down as one of the best of 2010", I thought they were jumping the gun a bit. They weren't. Check the video for "Hometown Hero" if you don't believe me.

BIG K.R.I.T. HOMETOWN HERO from Creative Control on Vimeo.

What blows me away about this cut is how effortlessly and effectively K.R.I.T. pulls off a soul sample hook and adds chopped and screwed vocals over it. As far as I know, this is the first time anyone has ever combined those two elements so successfully on a hook.

When I first heard "Hometown Hero", I thought K.R.I.T. might be a one trick pony. Not the case...at all. His K.R.I.T. Wuz Here mix tape/album is entirely self produced, and many of the tracks are standouts. If you are a fan of soulful and sample heavy beats, K.R.I.T. will not disappoint. Even the most callous, southern-hating rap snobs I know are feeling him.

While the blog scene will undoubtedly increase K.R.I.T.'s visibility, I think word of mouth is going to make this guy huge. His music seems to burn itself into people's memory. As someone who constantly shares music with my friends and family, my experience has been that when I play K.R.I.T.'s music for someone, instead of dismissively saying "Cool" or "Nice, I like it", as they would with many other artists, they want me to burn them a copy of his CD. This is telling in an era where we are so constantly bombarded with new, quality music. It's harder than ever to grab people's attention on first listen, and K.R.I.T. seems to have that sort of effect on people.

Downloa K.R.I.T. Wuz Here by clicking here.

K.R.I.T. also has a MySpace you can check, as well as a beats only MySpace page. I was floored by his "She Comin' Down" beat. That beat needs to get made into a proper song because it'd be an instant modern classic.

Marco Polo & Ruste Juxx's "Nobody" Video

2010-05-11T03:26:00.000-07:00

Directed by Todd Angkasuwan

All I can say is wow. This video got me so amped when I first watched it, I thought I was going to throw my computer screen through my window and punch myself in the face. I guess there's something wrong with me though, because none of my friends seem to be feeling it like me. Story of my life.

In all honesty, this is the first time I've listened to a track from The eXXecution, Marco and Ruste's recent collaborative long player. Once payday cometh on Wednesday, i will be copping the album based on the strength of this song and video. Marco Polo is a monster beat maker and Ruste spits venom on this bad boy.

Any further thoughts or feedback on The eXXecution my interneters?

Statik Selektah Guru Tribute

2010-05-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

This is serious right here. Statik provides us with two mind-blowing hours of ill ass Guru rhymes and some great stories. Listen towards the end as Statik tells listeners why "Skillz" is such a sentimental record for him. Great stuff. Click the link to download.

Your Essence is Divine Son

2010-04-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

"Realize that your essence is divine son."

True Royalty.

The Source April 1994: Gang Starr Cover Story

2010-04-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

More essential reading to help you reflect. This one is a vintage cover story written for The Source by Ronin Ro. To read the entire article, click here.

If I Haven't is killing it with scans of old and forgotten Gang Starr articles and interview. Click on the site name to check out the goodness they've been posting.

DJ Premier Rap Pages Interview

2010-04-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

This one comes from the April 1996 DJ issue of Rap Pages and is written by hip hop journalism vet Chairman Mao. Great read; in particular where Premier talks about his relationship with Guru. Apparently the two of them had a pretty volatile relationship that included some fist fights. But, Premier assures readers that, "We always gonna come out. No matter what. Ups and downs, we always gonna come out." It's sad to read that quote now.

To enjoy the full article, Via Press Rewind (which is now If I Haven't), click here.

Check The Technique: Brian Coleman Discusses Guru

2010-04-23T05:07:00.000-07:00

While trying to organize some tribute pieces for Guru, I asked my main dude Brian Coleman to say a few words for Heavy In The Streets readers. Brian did far more than what was asked of him and wrote an unforgettable tribute for me to share with the world wide web.

For those who don't know, Brian is the author of the indispensable book Check The Technique.

Read below as he breaks down the significance of the one and only Guru.

Hearing about Guru's passing the other day was sad to me on many levels. It made me think back on all the good times that his music brought me over the years. There were a hell of a lot of them, and there will be many more. That's the one and only blessing when any artist passes away - you have their art to keep you company when they have moved on.

I originally had a second paragraph here, which talked about his post-Gang Starr career with Solar, but I erased it. I don't want to dwell on anything negative about Keith Elam, because he made so goddamn much amazing music in his not-long-enough life.

Even if Guru's career had ended ten or fifteen years ago he would still be considered legendary. And he should be considered legendary. Think back to any MC you like right now who hit the scene after 1991 (when the group's first classic, Step in the Arena, hit). They wouldn't be who they were without Guru, I promise you.

I won't write an 37-page essay about why I think Gang Starr was important. I would have preferred to have let Guru and Premier discuss the matter, but to be honest, Guru rejected my request to interview him as part of my Check the Technique book in 2006. I couldn't allow that chapter in the book with just Premier's input, even as much as I worship the man as a producer. And now that Guru is gone, I'm even more saddened because that chapter will never be.

But I digress, and since my man Sorce-1 asked, I'll chime in, because Guru and Gang Starr were important to me, as a person and as a music fan. They were - and should be - important to anyone who claims hip-hop in their life (as opposed to someone who shrugs, "Yeah, I like rap", and then downloads a Soulja Boy album).

Simply put, Guru was a dude who rhymed with intelligence, supreme confidence and - most importantly - two feet on the ground, keeping things balanced with more humility than maybe any so-called brag rapper ever. I didn't always believe that he packed as much heat as he claimed (maybe I was wrong), but that didn't really matter that much. Because it seemed that he never really rhymed to cut people down or just to talk shit or waste his listeners' time. If he was dissing the ever-present but unnamed "wack rappers" it was because he seemed to be pissed, and I was curious why that was.

He also used something that many rappers don't have the brains to enlist - a conversational way of rhyming. Such a basic thing, but so amazingly important. When you hear a verse, you usually feel like Guru is talking to you, AT you, looking you in the eye. That automatically draws you in. "Oh, shit, Guru's really laying it on the line." Sometimes you also got to eavesdrop on conversations he was having ...

"Ex Girl to Next Girl"

or "Take It Personal"

or "Lovesick." Connecting with your audience is so important in the rap game. So many MCs who came before and after Guru just never had that in their toolbox.

In the past couple days I've been having an internal tug-of-war about my favorite Gang Starr album. I used to think it was Step in the Arena. But I think now I have to say Daily Operation. That's because I think that's the album where Guru really started to understand the importance of having conversations with listeners, as if it was his duty. And as an entertainer it, in fact, kinda was.

Premier's beats were amazing before and after Daily Operation, and Guru still spit a great deal of illness after that classic from 1992. But that's when Guru climbed the mountaintop and it seemed that on those cuts he and Premier reached that perfect balance, fueled by a combination of confidence and a desire to still push and stretch the limits of music and words. I even like "The Place Where We Dwell," in fact I LOVE it, even though it pissed me off at the time because I'm from Boston and we all knew Guru wasn't from New York. But I could never argue with the power that the two of them unleashed with a track like that. Mellow, wig-flipping power.

As for my favorite Guru song, I might have to say "The Planet". Because it's a heartfelt story, because he tells it like he's writing in his journal or telling you over a drink at a dive bar after a long day at work. And because he takes a brilliant, slower, gritty Premier beat and he pours himself all over it. If the beat had been different -- faster, busier, with different samples or cuts -- he probably would have told a completely different tale. But he was an artist who fed off music, and luckily he had Premier as chef.

My second favorite might be "Above the Clouds", in part because of the ridiculously good Preemo track and in part because of Inspectah Deck's cameo (Gang Starr pretty much pioneered the practice of putting people on tracks just because they were dope, whether they were known or not.... see Group Home or Jeru the Damaja, among many others, for proof).

But mostly because of Guru's wisdom and way with words, which steps out onto a higher plane than usual, with stunning results:

"Bear in mind
Jewels be the tools of the trade
Sharp blades, heavenly praise
And dues are paid."

Amen to that. Guru, I hope you Rest in Power, we miss you.

-- Brian Coleman

Shout outs to Dig It Out, DJ Premier Blog, Noz, and Upnorthtrips for having some crazy images on their sites that helped me put this post together.

Selected Guru Tracks

2010-04-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

"It's like Keith Richards. Nobody is going to remember him as the worlds greatest guitar player, but when you needed an iconic lick for your song, he's your guy. That's what Guru did; his sound really set it off."- Branford Marsalis

A few older/random/more slept on Guru cuts, including a great (but criminally short) blend by DJ Supreme The Silencer over "Busta's Lament". I'm gonna hit up Supreme and see if I can get a longer version.

"Guru's Lament"- DJ Supreme The Silencer

DOWNLOAD

"Salute Pt. 2"- M.O.P feat Guru

DOWNLOAD

The following songs are a few tracks I love off of Guru's Jazzmatazz Vol. II.

"Lifesaver"- Guru

DOWNLOAD

"Looking Through The Darkness"- Guru

DOWNLOAD

"Watch What You Say" (Prod. by DJ Premier)- Guru feat. Chaka Khan

DOWNLOAD

"Guru Belongs To Hip Hop, And Hip Hop Belongs To Guru"

2010-04-21T05:07:00.000-07:00

If you've ever heard one of Mr. Cee's Best Of tapes or tribute mixes, you know that he pays tribute to the great ones like no other. His tribute to Guru, which you can listen to streaming and download by clicking here, is no exception. I teared up when Mr. Cee got on the mic around the three minute mark and choked up. Thank you Cee for giving us another great piece of music to remember Guru by.

We All Must Meet Our Moment Of Truth

2010-04-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

Damn...what can I say about Guru's passing? To this day, Moment of Truth is one of the greatest rap albums I've ever listened to. I can still remember walking downtown to buy it with my friend John after a long day of school. We were in 8th grade and the record store that we bought it from, For The Record, no longer exists.

I have so many great memories of listening to Guru and Primo's masterpiece that it's tough to process them all at once. To get some insight on how much Moment of Truth means to me, you can read an old review of the album that I wrote for The Smoking Section. If you can get past some of the grammatical issues of the piece, I think it does a nice job of showing my love for the great music Guru and Premier made.

I will continue to share my thoughts about Guru's passing as well as his music, but for now, I'd like to share two songs off of Moment of Truth that seem fitting for today.

"Moment of Truth"

DOWNLOAD

"In Memory Of"

DOWNLOAD

Nineteen Ninety Now

2010-04-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

During our frequent hookah/booze/whatever else fueled 3 a.m. tirades about music, my cousin Ian and I often talk about how we'd like to see more collaborations with legendary producers and a whole mess of MC's; much like a Statik Selektah album. How great would it be to see more incredible beat makers dropping full length albums with rappers from all over? One producer that we often lament not hearing enough from these days is DITC's Buckwild. Well, it looks that is about to change, and our dreams of a great collaborative project are about to come true.

From the press release for Nineteen Ninety Now:

"Celph Titled and Buckwild’s upcoming collaborative Nineteen Ninety Now will feature Celph ripping over vintage unreleased Buckwild beats from the mid 90’s. Guest spots will include Treach (of Naughty By Nature), Vinnie Paz (of Jedi Mind Tricks), Ryu (of SOBs), A.G., Diamond D, Sadat X, Grand Puba, R.A. the Rugged Man, O.C., Lord Digga, Majik Most and more."

If this lead track with Celph, Apathy, and Chino XL is any indicator, this could be a serious project. To preview and download the song, click here.

New WC Song

2010-04-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a serious West Coast legend comeback happening as of late with great stuff coming out by people like DJ Quik and now...WC?! Damn, I was never his number one fan to begin with, more of a casual appreciator, but I haven't heard from Dub in a MINUTE. This song thumps hard and the video comes complete with crip walking and forty dumping. What more can you ask for?

Anyone who feels like chiming in and adding helpful info on WC's upcoming/recent projects is more than welcome to.

Flea Market Findings

2010-04-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

After getting a healthy dose of inspiration from Twankle & Glisten, I decided to hit up my local flea market this Sunday in search of some random and forgotten rap treats to share with the three people who read my blog. One of the most intriguing finds was Bankhead Courts by and artist named Skitzo.

After doing some research, I found that supplemental information on the man is rather scant. Since the release of this record on Platinum Atlanta Records, Skitzo has released one solo album, Wanted (which includes songs such as "If I Was Yo Celly" and "T.I. is a Hoe"), as well as a mix tape with his group Kulte Klick. Skitzo also made a cameo on Loose Screw's 1996 album Hell on Dry Land, which I've never heard, but gets some internet love from the blog scene.

I want to like this CD more than I do, but so far only one song has caused me to lean. The track "Mo' Money", which is produced by the albums main beatsmith, Richard "Big Daddy" Gray, has an amazingly minimalist/amateurish sound that is a perfect compliment to the R & B crooning used on the song's hook. While I'm loving this track, I have yet to find another post worthy song on the album.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed with the overall listen-ability of Bankhead Courts. In the end, I guess I have to keep some perspective on purchases such as this one. After leaving the flea market yesterday, my boy Al made the point that if you pay $1.50 for a CD and find one killer track on it, that alone makes it worth the purchase. I concur.

"Mo' Money"

DOWNLOAD

Screw Done Already Warned Me

2010-04-17T09:54:00.001-07:00

Lately I've been listening to a lot of DJ Screw tapes. After repeated listens I've come to realize that what Screw did with his music goes far beyond slowing it down and doubling it up. Screw was serious on the cut and could do beat on beat blending as well as cats like Chill Will and Ron G. Peep the track below to get a taste of his mixing skills.

"Paul Revere" b/w "Bonita Applebuam" by The Beastie Boys

DOWNLOAD

His tapes were diverse too; he fucked with a whole range of era's, regions, and styles. Check out below as he adds the Screw touch to The Blackbyrds classic joint "Dreaming About You".

"Dreaming About You" by The Blackbyrds. (Note: This is incorrectly labeled on the CD as "Visions of Love" by Robert Plant)

DOWNLOAD

One of my favorite Screw tapes, Chapter 97: Players Choppin' Game, features 8-Ball and MJG, Kurupt and Daz, Lil' Wayne, Nas, and Nate Dogg, amongst several others. I appreciate that Screw's focus seemed to be introducing his audience to new music presented in a way that nobody had heard before.

Screw's re-working of "Daylight" by 8Ball and MJG is phenomenal. The track is a favorite of mine to begin with, and Screw, as always, manages to make his version an essential addition to the original. The beat sounds eerily somber when slowed down, and Ball's classic first verse is incredibly effective as lines like

"Vampire...circulate when the moon rise, do dirt when most people got closed eyes, rodent living off garbage and scraps, niggas wouldn't even fuck with me if I didn't rap."

seem to have added weight when played at an unnaturally slow pace.

"Daylight" by 8Ball and MJG

DOWNLOAD

Please leave feedback, other thoughts on Screw, and whatever else in the comments. Shout outs to Bottom of the Map for helping educate a northeast whiteboy on Screw's back catalog.

BTABTM: Blogs That Are Better Than Mine

2010-04-10T07:24:00.000-07:00

As of late, I can't get enough of the amazing Twankle & Glisten blog. Kid Slizzard and his seemingly endless slew of unheard of, slept-on, and forgotten rap tapes and CD's can keep me occupied for hours. The site is straight up addictive; I find myself browsing it now on the daily.

One of my favorite joints that I've discovered on T & G is a obscure bounce tape titled B for Bounce by Ricky B. There is a great reggae mix of one of the songs, complete with amazing mouth made horns to round out the production. Much like a lot of the other music on T & G, it kind of defies conventional description.

Check out the song below and be sure to add Twankle & Glisten to your list of regularly visited blogs.

Download the entire Ricky B tape by clicking here.

"Shake It (Nite Time Version)"

DOWNLOAD

Money in the Sky

2010-04-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I said I would start posting again damn near four months ago. Obviously, that didn't happen. I don't want to get into the excuses game, but this is the first time in a while that I've had a solid internet connection and a fully functioning computer of my own. While I may have fallen off, I'm planning on getting back into this here blogging game.

The first post I wanted to make was of a new song by the Alabama duo G-Side that I found on the website Huntsville Got Starz. Titled "Money in the Sky", I'm loving the insanely mellow production and DIY video. G-Side has been making major moves as of late, killing it at SXSW and making serious internet noise with their recent remake of Nas's "The World is Yours". Currently on tour in Europe, I hope these guys continue to rise to the top.

For a superior write-up on the song and a free high quality download, head over to Southern Hospitality, an incredible source for discovering good new music.

Natural Elements

2009-12-16T18:26:00.000-08:00

Ok, after a few month hiatus to focus on work and grad school, it is officially time to start posting again up in this bitch. Sorry for the ridiculously sparse posts as of late. What can I tell you, I'm totally swamped with work and school work, plus my laptop died. Anyway, here we go...

I just heard this for the first time ever today over at I Wish You Would and haven't stopped listening to it since. What an incredibly beautiful beat...that's all I can think of to say about it. It's just amazing. For those that don't know, the group is Natural Elements, and these dudes were killing it back in my middle/high school backpacker days. Make sure to cop their just unearthed/released album 1999.

My Collaboration with Dust and Grooves

2009-10-12T16:48:00.001-07:00

This past spring I had the honor of participating in an interview/photo shoot with my homeboy Eilon for his Dust & Grooves website. He took a bus from Brooklyn, NY to Deerfield, MA, where I lived up until a week ago. We crashed that night and got up early the next morning to head out to Worcester, MA to visit my dude DJ Shame.

Shame is the real deal. He has made a ton of incredible contributions to hip hop over the years, from his extremely sought after remix of G Rap's "Fast Life" song to his remix of Tim Dog's "Bronx Nigga". Shame also is the man responsible for Traveling Through Sampleland, which is considered by many the first all sample mix tape.

Going inside Shame's house is kind of like going inside your dream record shop. The man has everything. EVERYTHING. He had doubles of "My Mic is On Fire" by Lord Shafiq, and there are only 500 original pressings in existence! I had been looking for that record for damn near 10 years, and Shame just happened to be selling his double of it. Here is a picture of our transaction.

"My Mic is on Fire"- Lord Shafiq

Anyhow, I don't want to give anything else away, you'll have to read about the rest of our trip in the interview! Check it out by clicking here.

Bonus: Shame very nicely shared some goodies with me for people to enjoy. The following tracks are included below:

"Fast Life" (DJ Shame Remix) Original Sample

"Fast Life" (DJ Shame Remix)- Kool G Rap feat. Nas

"Brong Nigga" (DJ Shame Remix)- Tim Dog

These last two tracks are from Shame's unreleased mega mix that he talks about in our interview.

Big Daddy Kane and Rakim Blend

So Damn Tough Scratch Routine

Extra Bonus: Here is some crazy old school footage I found of Shame performing in Worcester on YouTube.

Just Like Sister Sojourner Truth

2009-10-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a lot of information to share about this song. Truth is, I'm struggling to find any. The name of the song is "Underground" and it comes from the Schoolhouse Funk 2 compilation, a two part series featuring ultra rare recordings of high school bands performing covers of various songs. The album provides very little information about the songs that it features, and since I'm in the process of moving (which includes the joy of moving my insanely massive music collection) I'm currently unable to refer to the liner notes.

All that aside, this is an insanely beautiful and haunting song that I can't get enough of. The woman singing has a voice that sends chills down my spine. I recently sent this to my dude Clams Casino, because that man knows how to flip female vocal samples like nobody's business.

This song proves that there is a ridiculous amount of unheard/unknown music that deserves to be listened to and appreciated by the masses. Before being placed on the SF2 compilation, it toiled in obscurity on limited pressing vinyl for years. Many thanks to record heads like DJ Shadow for helping preserve important musical artifacts like this.

My hope is that by posting this song on my blog, somebody with superior musical intellect will give me some background info on the performers and the song itself. As far as I know, there is not a "well known" version of this song that exists, so it doesn't really seem like a cover.

If you can provide any info on this song, please do so in the comments!

Download "Underground" from Schoolhouse Funk 2.

Goldenchyld Mix Tape

2009-10-04T19:47:00.001-07:00

I was checking out Goldenchyld's set at the Do-Over when I decided to see if there were any additional mixes available at his website. Lo and behold, I found this really tight mix titled Sample Mix Tape Vol. 1. I'm really feeling the mellow feel and the impeccable mixing on this joint. Please take a moment to listen/download it compliments of Goldenchyld.

Download Sample Mix Tape Vol. 1.

Roc Raida: Searching For The Right Words

2009-09-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

Seven days ago one of my favorite DJ's passed away. The news hit me like a ton of bricks and I'm still not sure I'm ready to write something proper about it. I have a hard time writing articles about people I admire when they pass away. I often feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to say. In the case of Roc Raida, however, I felt I had to make a post.

I'll never forget the first time I saw him and the rest of the X-Ecutioners perform on the '99 DMC World Finals VHS tape I bought from a friend. I think I must have watched that routine 20 times in a row, over and over again. I was completely blown away.

Saying Raida was well rounded would be a profound understatement. He was incredible on the cut, providing scratches for the likes of Big Pun and Skillz. He was an under-appreciated producer who collaborated with The Jungle Brothers and Termanology. His mix tapes were the perfect combination of skills and skits, mathcing flawless doubling up and mixing of classic songs with hilarious interludes that featured Lord Sear. Despite all of these accolades, many people, self included, will remember Raida most for his stage presence and unbelievable turntablist routines.

For now it's best for me to let Raida's music do the talking and wait on writing a lengthy post. In honor of his passing, I'm posting one of his hard to find classic mix tapes from back in the day, Old School.

Download Old School Side A.

Download Old School Side B.

I've also tracked down some other Raida goodies that have been posted online.

Download his 52 Beats tape over at Tapemasta's blog.

Download The Adventures of Roc Raida from Cocaine Blunts.

Download DJ Premiers dedication set to Raida from the DJ Premier Blog.

Also, make sure to check out DJ Eclipse's dedication show to Raida at 2 Dope Boyz.

Thanks to anyone and everyone who has been sharing his music for people to enjoy.

RIP AM

2009-08-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

Download the famous AM and Travis Barker Fix Your Face Vol. 1 and 2 mix tapes by clicking here.

Shorty Swing

2009-08-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

KP & Envyi - Shorty Swing My Way
Uploaded by R33f. - See the latest featured music videos.

This is the best blend I've heard in a really long time. DJ Platurn takes the dance classic "Shorty Swing My Way" and gives it an unexpected reworking. This is one of those blends that I hate myself for not thinking of first. Download it by clicking here.

Vinroc Interview at To The Disco

2009-08-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

My man Vinroc released a killer instrumental project earlier this year by the name of Beat Freaks. It was an impressive debut; combining Vin's golden era hip hop roots with mellow and soulful samples. From front to back the album was full of creative surprises like Vin cutting in an unusual part of "Act Too...The Love Of My Life" by The Roots on the track "Lost and Found". As my appreciation for the album grew, I decided to interview Vin about what instrumentals had the biggest impact on him. Read the interview at To The Disco by clicking here.

To buy the digital download of Beat Freaks from I Tunes, click here.

To buy the digital download of Beat Freaks from Amazon, click here.

Can You Dig It? Vol. 33: Jesse Felluss

2009-08-03T11:20:00.001-07:00

Name: Jesse Felluss

Claim to Fame: I was pretty well known in the New York hip hop mix tape scene for the 6 Great Albums series. Now I’m more known as the dude that just rocks the party, whatever kind of party it is, 80’s, hip hop, house, or rock. In a way that kind of hurts me sometimes because I’m not known for one specific thing like hip hop or mash ups. These days, I’m going for more of the house vibe. I really like the energy of a house party going off.

Unfortunately, outside of the house scene it’s all Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Danity Kane. It’s alright, I guess. It gets the girls going, but it’s not really what I’m into. I’m working harder on my production than working the New York scene. To me, right now, the New York scene is played out. It’s stoke brokers and hot gold digging chicks that want to here cheesy music. That’s how I see the New York scene at the moment. I’m trying to bust out these house tracks, get on the road, and get out to where people want to get hit with something different, instead of just making a bunch of young girls gyrate. That can be fun too though (laughs). I can’t be too mad at it. I have my complaints, but overall, life is good. The DJ living is great. I get to sleep in and watch my soccer games during the day.

Representing: I grew up in DC and then spent three years of high school living in Port smith, New Hampshire. I went to college up in New Paltz, New York and then moved to NYC in 2000. I’ve been living in the same building ever since.

Years in the Game: If you consider me scratching on my brother’s record player and totally fucking the thing up DJing, I started DJing and buying records at around ‘93. For a while, I guess I wasn’t in the game, I was in my bedroom learning how to do everything. I was probably better than most club DJ’s when I started doing clubs because I had practiced so much. I didn’t have any gigs when I was in New Hampshire, so I did it as a hobby. I didn’t really think of DJing as a business until it started making me more money than my regular job. I made the leap, and here I am. I always practiced like a motherfucker, even before I was doing this as a job. A lot of people see DJing as a business first. With any art, you’re only going to be good at it if you’re thinking about the art first. If you’re only thinking about the money and the red carpet, nine out of ten times you really won’t go anywhere.

Best Digging City or Town: There’s a special place in my heart for the old school days when I first kind of discovered DJing. I would go to Satellite and Biscuit Head records in Boston. I could stay in those places for hours and hours. My friends would be wylin’ out like, “Dude, what is this, how can you spend three hours in one store?” So I ditched them and started going on trips to dig without them (Laughs).

The old Beat Street was really sick for everything hip hop that you needed. Rock & Soul was the home base I used to hit up on a weekly basis. That was always a good spot. Atlanta had some good spots. I haven’t spent too much time in California, but I found good shit in the vintage shops there. Some of the shops had really good records and they’d cost 99 cents. It’s great to be able to go into a shop and find dope records for that cheap. I remember San Diego having some good spots.

Back when I was in the DJ battle scene, I used to always go to Fat Beats for the Dirtstyle battle and hip hop records. Back when hip hop was fun (Laughs). It was great man, getting destroyed by I Emerge all the time (Laughs). It was fun.

Most Prized Piece of Wax: I would say my number one overall is the copy of Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly that my brother owned. When I first started fucking around with turntables, I’d put that shit on and when “Pusherman” came on, it was one of those musical moments where it took over my whole body. Listening to that record was my first vinyl moment. I put the needle on and it was all scratchy and it sounded great. That one always sticks out, it was just awesome.

Appetite for Destruction was one of my first records ever; I got it when I was in sixth grade. I used to read the words and sing along to that album. Picture that, a sixth grader signing along to "Mister Brownstone". I didn’t know what the words meant until a little later. I remember thinking, “Man, my mom let me sing that shit?” I guess she didn’t really know what the song meant either (Laughs).

I’d also have to say my first ever Booger Breaks record. When I first bought that, it got a workout. It actually got a work out for something like 10 years (Laughs). Whenever I practiced scratching, I would take that one out. When I first started DJing, I was mostly going to raves. Eventually I got a VHS copy of a DMC competition and that was my introduction to battles. When I got Bionic Booger Breaks, I was hearing every sampled I’d ever heard anyone scratch. I was going nuts.

Favorite Album Cover/s: I always liked the Appetite for Destruction.

The Illmatic cover was obviously dope.

A guy like me is always going to love The Chronic.

Abby Road by The Beatles is really good.

I like Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy. That cover looks all bugged out, like it’s a scene from Lord of the Rings.

Another cover I love is Jethro Tull’s Aqua Lung. That has a weird, medieval vibe to it.

Dollar Bin Miracle: There was this thrift store I went to in San Diego while I was on the 2003 Lipton Brisk Flavors of Hip-hop Tour. Everything record cost 99 cents. We were finding sick shit: 70’s, 80’s, and all original pressings. Some of us had to buy new crates to stick all of our new the records in. That was dope.

I like the Grateful Dead, and one time I got this triple live set of theirs for 25 cents at a yard sale. It was six records total. Sometimes I find the Dead boring, but sometimes I love listening to them. I can’t explain it, it’s weird. I have ADD like a motherfucker, so sometimes I have trouble listening to a 20 minute song.

Total Records Owned: I’ve cleaned out a lot of the stuff I don’t have an emotional connection to. Right now I’m probably rocking around 1,500 records. I only keep stuff that I’m actually going to want to play for myself. I’m not going to keep a copy of Lil’ John’s “Get Low”. I have no use for that ever again in my life.

Or Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love”. Yeah, it was a big song, but guess what? There’s never going to be a day in my life where I’m going to want to put that on in my living room.

I live in New York. I’d love to be one of those guys who has a basement like Jazzy Jay. That would be awesome if I had the room, but I don’t, so I got rid of the shit I really don’t need. It’s tough to start getting rid of records. The mentality used to be just horde that shit, because everyone wanted to be the guy with a million records.

Best Digging Story: I remember going to Boston on a digging trip with my friends when we were either sophomores or juniors in high school. For us to go to Boston solo was a big deal. We got so fucked up; we were drinking and smoking on the way there. Biscuit Head was on the second floor of some building and we didn’t know where the fuck we were going. Our car was running on fumes; it was a total mess.

Once we got to Biscuit Head, I didn’t want to leave. My friends were like, “Uh, this place is cool and all man, but we we’ve been here for a couple of hours and we want to eat.” I told them, “Go ahead, I’m here.” Just sitting there for hours and listening to records in the store was like heaven to me. That was the same day I got Booger Breaks and I also got to hit Satellite. My friends were pissed though. Oh man, they were pissed. They were not feeling me one bit. They didn’t really know what was happening inside me at the moment. Those trips were the beginnings of where I’m at today. After that day, they were done doing Boston trips with me.

Record shopping is great. There’s just something about flipping through those stacks. You never know when that next flick of the finger is going to expose some sick shit.

To find out more about Jesse Felluss, check out his MySpace.

Also make sure to check out his new band, Nue Pourn. You can download a free summer mix from Nue Porn titled Days of Color by clicking here.

Resolution

2009-08-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

Mike Boo's insane turntablist composition "Resolution" has been played today the bone today. I've been revisiting Mike's Dunhill Drone Committee album this week as I work on a bunch of writing, and I'm blown away by a lot of it. Every single musical component of the album is manually scratched. If you're like me, you'll find yourself listening to cuts like "Resolution" and saying, "How the fuck did he do that?" Please take a moment to appreciate this incredibly powerful scratch composition.

Download "Resolution" by Mike Boo.

To download the MP3 version of Dunhill Drone Committee, click here.

You can learn more about Mike Boo by checking his MySpace.