Close Encounters?

If anybody has 11 minutes to kill, do me a favor and watch this video. If u can get thru it, let me know what it's about...

In other news, I went thru another tape stash of mine earlier and found some shows that I'll be posting here over the next few days. First up will be a Stretch Armstrong 'XXL Radio Show' with Shyne & Black Rob and another will be Bobitto's 'CM Famalam Radio Show' with special guest Easy Mo Bee on the set...

Once Again... New Hova

Finally, a new track produced by Timbaland. I guess it would have to be for The Blueprint III, which I believe is Hova's last album on Def Jam. Does anybody think it's still a good idea to buy shares of Apple?

Jay-Z - Ain't I

CORRECTION!

According to this link, Jay-Z has two more albums left in his deal with Def Jam... From a business stand point, it looks like those two will end up being The Blueprint III and another Best Of Jay-Z...

Yah Bitch Yah!

 As a 16 year old in the music game with over 3 million ringtones and 700,000 albums sold since the fall of last year, Souljah Boy is killing it!  After hearing his new single, it's safe to say to that he won't be a one hit wonder. The real question is, if he'll be nominated for the song writer of the year award...

Currently listening to:

The Genious / GZA - Come Do Me (1991)

The Carmine's

I am not mad at these... 

Somebody needs to hook me up with a pair asap!

Trend Watch...

New school rappers who dance while rhyming... Those dances that originate in the south and the 2 Step do not count... Neither does the chicken noodle soup...

Check This Out...

Mixtape Wed's has been interrupted this week so we can shed some light on this track produced by the 45 King (which was posted on his website 3 years ago). The chorus of this beat is very similar to the chorus of 50 Cent's single "I Get Money." I wonder if Swizz got publishing on "I Get Money" for the use of those drums...

Mark The 45 King
"I Get Money"
(2004)

New Shit... N*E*R*D

Finally, a song about girls standing in line for the bathroom! Are they waiting to do some blow? Is that a chopped up bassline from Rakim's "Juice" replayed at 140 bpm? What's goin on with the sneezing of Benjamin Franklins? I knew I was onto something last week when I started having conversations about horns...

N*E*R*D "Everybody Nose"

While I'm on the subject of The Neptunes, I always thought that The Cool Kids video for "Black Mags" was a rip off of "Lapdance". At least Pharrell did a trick in that video. On another note, whatever happened to Lee Harvey?

Currently listening to: 

Public Enemy's "Night Of The Living Baseheads" (1988)

Shake Dat Ass...

Can anybody list the samples (drums and horn sound) that were used in making this record? if you're really knowledgeable, name the DJ who bootlegged the record (which I'm holding in the pic)...

Also... Shouts to everybody who came out to Lotus last nite and had a great time! Happy Birthday shouts to Donna Gryn! To all the record promo people I kicked out of the booth, my apology... U guys have bad timing... Camilo what up!

Tapp - "Shake That Ass"

Mixtape Wed's Returns

A DJ Premier mixtape of B-sides, remixes, samples and forgotten tracks? Why not... This was easily one of the best hip-hop mixtapes released last year. I still don't understand how people slept on this. In case u did or missed it, here u go...

DJ Jaycee (Of The Aphilliates)

Pizza At Primo's Vol. 1

Tracklisting 

1. Intro

2. Credit Is Due - Gang Starr

3. Peer Pressure - Mobb Deep

4. Eazy’s Daddy

5. KRS One Attacks - KRS One

6. Higher Ground - KRS One

7. Outta Here - KRS One

8. Unbelievable - The Notorious BIG

9. I Put A Spell On You/Kick In The Door - The Notorious BIG

10. Mr. Byrd/NY State Of Mind - Nas

11. NY State Of Mind pt.2 - Nas

12. Shelley

13. Come Clean - Jeru The Damaja

14. Danger (DJ Premier Remix) - Blahzay Blahzay

15. Mr. Jamal

16. The Shit Is Real (DJ Premier Remix) - Fat Joe

17. Brother James

18. Words I Manifest - Gang Starr

19. Fred And Them (Arena Interlude)

20. Flip Da Scrip (Premier’s toot da horn mix) - Da King & I

21. Marlena

22. Bob

23. Take It Personal - Gang Starr

24. The Queen

25. Yes Y’all - Heavy D & The Boyz

26. Go Back Home

27. D’ Evils - Jay-Z

28. Fergie Ferg

29. The Next Level (DJ Premier Remix) - Show & AG

30. S.O.U.L.

31. Roll Call - M.O.P.

32. Joe And Nem’

33. Da Bichez -Jeru The Damaja

34. Brown Skin Woman (interlude)

35. 1, 2 Pass It - The D&D Allstars

36. Bring It On - Jay-Z

37. Mr. Adderley

38. The Place Where We Dwell - Gang Starr

39. Return Of The Crooklyn Dodgers

40. Ease My Mind (DJ Premier Remix) - Arrested Development

41. Together Again (DJ Premier Remix) - Janet Jackson

42. The 6th Sense - Common

43. Marc

44. Boom! - Royce Da 5′9

45. The One And Only - Snoop Dogg

46. Joe And Nem’ Again

47. Words From The Nutcracker - Gang Starr

48. Chef

49. Supa Star - Group Home

50. Full Clip (interlude)

51. Platinum Plus f. Big Daddy Kane - Big L

52. Trader Vic

53. Mass Appeal - Gang Starr

54. F.A.Y.B.A.N. - Screwball

55. Mathematics - Mos Def

56. Outro

OKAYPLAYER HOLIDAY PARTY (RECAP)

Give me a late pass on this (no pun intended) but a few weeks ago I played at the first annual Okayplayer Holiday Party. Since I was late coming back from Miami, Questlove set it off on the one & two's which allowed me to chill (when I arrived) and enjoy a glass (or two) of some VSOP (Primo what up?). After hearing the original version of Dilla's "Won't Do" with Frank N Dank, I knew that the night was gonna be full of treats...

First up was Black Thought, who performed some new music off of the upcoming Roots album (due this spring)... Amanda Diva got into the mix and did a track and then I was totally caught off guard. The band (details in the next paragraph) broke into ill covers of both Bob Dylan's "Masters Of War" and Prince's "Funky Woman". While all of this was happening, I was in the dj booth trying to put together a set. When I looked toward the center of the stage to see who was singing, nobody was there. So I looked around trying to figure out who's on the mic and the last person I see is ?uest, who's singing while playing the drums. Next level...

Up next was Bilal who performed alongside his band The Witness Protection Program (Robert Glasper & James Poyser) and The Go Get A Late Pass Trio (which is Quest, Cap'n Kirk and Tuba Gooding Jr). Owen Biddle (Bass player from The Roots) was also in the mix. Together they ran thru covers of Led Zeppelin's "Since I've Been Loving You", Radiohead's "Everything In It's Right Place" and Bilal's "Sometimes."


Bilal with The Witness Protection Program & The Go Get A Late Pass Trio (Live At The Box - 12/22/07)

Overall it was a great show but what was also amusing was bumping into Bilal a few hours later on the corner on 1st Avenue and 1st Street, where he got into a fight and beat some dude's ass... Only in The Rotten Apple!

Bonus Cut: The Roots - Please Don't Go (Demo)
Produced By The Late Great James Yancey

What Da Hell Is This?

I guess this is what it would look like if the Air Force 1 High had twins with the Jordan 5's... In other sneaker related news, Matt Goias just purchased the rights to sneakersaregay.com

DRE DAY

Aww Yeah! First off I want to wish everybody a Happy New Year! Now since I didn't get a chance to do Mixtape Wed's earlier this week, I've decided to kill two birds with one stone so I'm doubling the treats in this post...

First up is this Dr Dre mixtape from 1987 (which was exclusively sold at The Roadium Swap Meet) that mixes over 300 bits and pieces of songs into a 60 minute mega mix. With a little assistance from Sir Jinx (who at the time was Ice Cube's partner in the rap group C.I.A.) Dre delivers a classic. Listening to the mix, "Boyz In Da Hood" had already been recorded so this period definetely represents the beginning of NWA. To all my West Coast peoples, where u at?

Dr Dre - 86' In The Mix (No Hiss)

Side A / Side B

While I'm on the subject of Dre, I know alot of people are wondering if this guy will ever drop Detox (which was suppose to drop last year). Well to give u an idea of his recording process, I decided to post two tracks that were demo's for The Chronic 2001. Enjoy!

Lord Finesse feat. Rell & Crystal Johnson

"The Message" (Demo Version) 1996

Dr Dre & Royce 5'9

The Way I Be Pimpin (Xxxplosive Demo) 1999

PS: If u wanna hear Dre's Remix of The Firm's "Phone Tap" hit up Stretch Armstrong on his blog and tell him to get back on his game...