Small Mix

This won't be a full on post, cause I have massive amounts of homework to catch up on and I have to cook some pork chops right quick. Here's a small mix I made rather quickly today, I snuck in some gemeralds and secret weapons and I feel a little stupid for it. But hey I got more.

Neal as Dj

Atrophy

I need to go for a jog or something, I fear my ass, my actual ass has shrunk. Not good. Too much sitting in this comfy chair dicking around on the Internet during my medical leave has destroyed what was once there. But it's hard not, with so much crap to fill my time on my computer I can keep myself busy all day long, and not to mention the fact that GTA IV came out and has kidnapped me and made me it's dirty sex slave. It's so good and most of the hype for it is quite proper.

The sheer amount of details poured into the city is amazing, I can spend most of my time in that game walking around listening to people talk. The writing is outstanding, and the voice acting is superb (I think San Andreas might have been better though). One of the biggest complaints I hear from other people is the radio stations. You spend alot of time driving around doing quests for people and due to the huge size of the city and it's islands, sometimes it takes 5 or 6 minutes of gaming time to drive to one area to the other. This may sound boring but the driving is fun, and the city so lush that you really don't mind speeding through it and the radio stations help alot. GTA has been renowned for it's music selection and I really think that in some ways this iteration's selection is better. It's deeper, more specific and really utilizes a bunch of genres that have never ever been given the type of exposure to a demographic that they will get being on the soundtrack to a GTA game.

What really amazed me was the International Funk station, I didn't recognize Femi Kuti's voice immediately but I did notice his father's song being played, and two of them at that (another win in their favor was using Gil Scott Heron's Home is Where the Hatred Is, great great surprise)! Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti is a well known Afrobeat artist and son of the African President, Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ronsome-Kuti aka Fela Anikulapo Kuti, or Fela Kuti.














For me Fela is a endearing, strong, willful, prideful, and solemn artist. His steamy quarter of an hour long songs were a breath of fresh air for me when I discovered him. I was led to him in late high school, in search of a X-Clan sample and through learning from older more wiser, and far more funkier than I at the time, DJ's at my local record store (RIP). His sound is loud, dirty and incredibly identifiable. I can spot this shit playing out of a car 3 city blocks away. Afrobeat, is heavily doused in classic Funk basics, but also is clearly and blaringly, African. From percussion, to choppy keys and his army of wives (I think he had like, 40 at the most they were dubbed the Kalakuta Republic a commune of his wives, band mates, and political supporters, this of course also led to his passing, having 40 wives during the late 70's to his death in 1997 in Africa, he passed from HIV) as his background singers and dancers, it screams at you African and sounds so incredibly different from American funk (especially during the 70's and 80's).
















James Brown proudly takes pride in his biography in telling of how he met Fela on a trip to Lagos and changed the man forever, turning him from his educated roots of free form jazz to liberating and powerful African Funk. It's a little more complex than that, as is most of James' stories. Fela, while touring with his band through the US during '69, was profoundly effected by the black power movement. He had a personal friend whom was an associate of the Black Panther Party, and he took their attitude and message back to Nigeria to form the Nigeria 70, his commune, and to forge his political message. Fela, musically and politically was as influential and powerful as Bob Marley or James Brown. I really think that because he's Nigerian and a cage rattler you don't hear much from him. Some 12 year old nowadays would know Bob over Fela, my children I promise you will be well versed in each and able to talk about them while kung fu'ing the shit out of the kids who couldn't pronounce Fela Anikulapo Kuti after three tries. He was incredibly outspoken about African political and social issues, and he wished his message to reach all of Africa, to approach all as brothers. If you think his English is shitty, it's not, he made a conscious effort to sing in pidgin English as to reach as many people as he could. And his voice, man, it sounds so powerful to me and really attracted me even as a 17 year old. It sounds painful, yet hopeful and accusatory. He's angry but he also wants desperately to bridge a gap.

Some of these tracks are ridiculously long, another reason I love his and Tony Allen's stuff, some lasting up to 40 min live and in the studio up to 25 or 30 minutes. Water Get No Enemy is one of his most famous and one of my favorites. It is delightfully tongue in cheek, using Water as a euphemism for the "The People." Zombie is a call to arms, mounting a wall of horns and clearly stating Fela's opinion of African Armed Services. Sorrow Tears and Blood is the other song to grace GTA. This was also one of the first Fela songs I had ever heard, it was the sample I had originally looked from X-Clan (who are also woefully unknown). Sorrow comes off very somber and painful, a comment on Police brutality, it is more mature and structured than his earlier monster tracks. It has a delightful buildup and Fela's composition and rough (his style is very rough but emotional enough that you don't really care) solo take it to more Jazzy (Coltrane-ish, may I presume?) places than usual. Red Hot+Riot is an outstanding album of Fela covers and songs inspired by Fela. Suffering and Shmiling is another call to arms, although it's taken up by Dead Prez and Talib Kweli, who are more than happy to march for the cause.

Water Get No Enemy
Zombie
Sorrow Tears & Blood
Suffering and Shmiling

On a personal note, Fela is inspirational and spreads a beautiful yet militant and sad message. And like I said before his sound is infectious and incredibly unique. Upon first hearing it it was really like something had hit me. It has so many feelings similar to a chunky a dn long JB song but is also not as delicate or gentle in a sense. Anyways, both Zombie, Water, and Sorrow are a bit common place songs, but he has a massive catalog and I would encourage anyone to explore it and fall in love with the man and his sound.

Also, I was reading a thread on the Hollerboards about underrated Outkast songs, and cuts off of Love Below that really don't get their due. Most of Andre's half was excellent and overlooked, but She Lives in my Lap and Dracula's Wedding are my personal favorites. She Lives in My Lap especially, it is a most definite spiritual successor to Prince's She's Always in My Hair. And knowing that and listening to both makes me fucking giddy and love both even more.

She Lives in My Lap
She's Always in My Hair (extended)

I heard Prince killed people at Coachella, literally bodies in the audience, apparently the kids had no clue most came to see bands wearing tapered jeans and bracelets made from bike chains. They did not know this little pixie of a sexually amorphous man was going to show up and utterly blow their fucking minds.

No Huge Needles Please

Without work I am at the whim of my internet add. It's horrible. Two fridays ago I went for a lovely day of snowboarding with the little woman and despite the normal crap that happens when you go boarding for the first time in two years. Anyway, I took to a bad edge on a really flat spot, of course (irony? I'll let you decide), and I partially tore my right rotator cuff.
Which I'm hardly mad at because a few years before this I dislocated my right clavicle, and I was afraid I had done it again, but no. And so I'm off of work until the 24th, and I've been boring myself to death. I've been all over said anonymous board that is located somewhere and queing up music for a mix or two. And here's what I've been listening to:

I been going through a bunch of Stevie Wonder material lately, trying to soak up as much as I can.

Stevie Wonder - Jesus Children of America

It's off of Innervisions and its genius. His voice layering is amazing, maybe better than some Marvin Gaye stuff. And I think I'm at a point when I can definitely hear when Stevie is playing the drums or not, cause it's better when he does.

During my time off I've already spent too much money thats just laying around at turntable lab. Their mp3 selection is kinda slim, but they are also my favorite online store period. I've been shopping there for more than 7 years and god only knows how much cabbage I've thrown their way. Joakim has been around for years, but this is the only thing I've ever actually really really really liked. It's strange, you'll get into it.

Joakim - Teenage Kiss

And next time anyone brings up Jerry Lee Lewis you tell them, he will be called The Killer. Why you ask? Because he's a mid century train of bad assery.

Jerry Lee Lewis - Money





















And Jethro Tull is like the Lion the Witch and Wardrobe where Zeppelin are LOTR, kinda. Except that picture is more Midnight Summers Dream.

Jethro Tull - Bouree

Back like Chiroprack

Apologies are due to anyone who actually ever paid attention to my posts. I'll post here and there depending upon crowd reaction/participation. I've been quite busy with my life of mediocrity. School, work, martial arts, and getting turned down for internships is hard business. Luckily a influx of new games, books, and music has as always made things more than bareable. I have ass loads of music to pass on to others and I hardly know where to begin.

We'll start with this. A good song, but an even better live performance. The energy in the room is evident. Stevie knows it so well too. Near the end when he has the whole room full of what looks like music and film stars from 1982 chanting "Hey, hey, everybody's jammin" is pretty awesome.



I posted some videos of Greg Puntillo and some of his band mates a while back. Like I said talented NY subway performers who deserve accolades for trying something new. Anyway, I got their album a while ago from CD baby. Usually I would have opted to jack it form the internetz but they need the money, and it would have been impossible to find. Their album is fantastic. It ranges from beat oriented classical songs to very avant garde scenic tracks. There is a you tube video of The Moon Over the Ruined Castle but the audio is trash due to passing subway cars (it does add something as well). Winter in June is an excellent showcase of everyone's talent over a bouncy bass line that changes constantly to allow different environments for the artists to cruise over.

The Moon Over the Ruined Castle

Winter in June

I've been obsessed with this particular song by Estelle and Kanye. Once again Kanye comes with outstanding production. And I can't be happier that he's passing it out to Estelle, a British songstress who has put out one previous album that was decent (and three or four EPs that were damned good as well) but her next one should do much better. She's had reasonable success with her first single Just a Touch. American Boy is better, it's sexier and I can juxtapose myself within the context of the song. And she talks about 5'7" guys, I'm 5'8" baby. More girls need to be into dudes my height. Seriously though, beat is sweet, hook is sweet, and I even love the bridge. Someone compared her to L-Dub though, and I got physically angry. no matter how good any young African American woman is, even if she can sing and rap, she's no L-Dub. Everyone remember that or violence will ensue.

American Boy

I recently went through a phase of 90's music. Collective Soul, Oasis, Toni Braxton, Alice In Chains, Weezer, and lots of Aaliyah. Seriously, she's awesome. Timbaland, who I can never get over, always gives her ridiculous tracks. While I'm not going to post anything assuming most people have Are You That Somebody? and Hot Like Fire or Chain's opus Would. I just felt like mentioning it.

And speaking of revivals of a sort, although i greatly anticipate the Root's next album, ?uestlove is an absurd producer. He's producing Bill Wither's return, and Al Green's new album. And fresh from the blogosphere I've managed to collect a track from said Al Green album. Preposterous shit, it's not even funny how awesome this song is. ?uestlove production, Daptone horns, a slight powdering of Anthony Hamilton and you have You've Got The Love I Need Babe. I swear to god I can't get over how awesome this album might be, it keeps me up at night. I heard about an recent interview with the Reverend and he was quoting as saying the album is "as fresh as the milk from a cow's titty." Holy shit.

You Got the Love I Need Babe

Well I think thats a fine return. I have tons of shit I want to post, I just need the audience.

yesteryear

Jesus god, I turned 25 a few days ago on the 1st. What a mistake that was, and while I understand that as you get older the less meaning your birthdays contain, honestly this year was more boring than usual. Next year, for reals I'm going ape shit. mark your calenders peoples cause next year I'll need moral support in freaking spades. My ascension of 25 years of age had me pining for my younger days (the ones where I should have been talking to girls and studying, but nooo not me). I first started collecting records in Jr. High, and at the time Dj Shadow (who is oddly enough from my hometown of Davis) was some huge shit. I even volunteered at the local college radio station (where Shadow worked) and had a show with some of my friends for a little whiles. We played mostly Kraftwerk and Dr. Octagon but that was what was hot back then (actually Kraftwerk is still on the hots). Anyhow, Shadow was a big deal, and his then label Mo Wax served as a platform for me. Dj Krush, UNKLE, James Lavell, Attica Blues, Nightmares on Wax, and anything on NinjaTune were like godsends for me a the time. I used to go down to the station and take ever new down tempo and hip hop single they had and makes tapes (I had like 10 120min tapes totally full). However, that shit did not withstand the test of time. I would rather listen to Dj Tiesto (see; gigantic toolbox)than most of the old Mo Wax stuff. Too bad I spent so much money on that crap in my youth, seriously Armadillo records, $30.00 for Headz? Do you know how much money that is to a 15 year old virgin under the average height? Alot you fuckers, but to be fair, at the time it was probably a decision between X-Men comics and records. I still like Shadow today, and Mo Wax did put out a butt load of cool shit, and they supported Quannum/Soul Sides, and creepy little Dj Krush which gives them some extra points for faith in my book.

I've heard all sorts of stuff about Krush; he's ex yakuza, he's 5' tall, he drives an 14k gold lexus, none of which I would like to be disproved.

Dig This Vibe
Toh-Sui

Oddly enough I heard the Nightmares on Wax song that sampled Summer in the City by Quincy Jones before Passing Me by. Don't tell anyone. Their last album was actually very good and was less boring than usual.

Damn (Al Hirt is alot of places recently)
Night's Introlude (Ken didn't you make a video for this in DeCamp's class? Why are you so fuckin cool?)

U.N.K.L.E. is a play off the old spy tv show that Shadow and Lavelle were obsessed with as kids, while the musical project only spawned one actual album they did shit all over comps and down temp remixes for years.

Celestial Annihilation
Last Orgy III

I still like what Shadow puts out. Hip Hop heads constantly hate on his newer stuff (The Outsider and Private press), and the fact that he's giving non underground hyphy rappers some fucking dope beats. His explanation is that he wanted to stop doing what was expected of hip as a hip hop producer. He's doing whatever he wants cause he can so, blow.

Dark Days-Spoken For Mix
March of Death (not too great but Shadow and Zach De La Rocha could have been a big deal)
Broken Levee Blues
Seein Thangs (David Banner = really angry)

You Don't Want it

Well I took some time off the blog to re evaluate my life and the blog, yeah...good times. Any how continuing with my appreciation of NY hip hop here's Jean Grae. If you've never heard of her, she's now the best you've never heard. Years ago she was in a short lived group called Natural Resource on the label Makin' Records. They recorded maybe two or three impossible to find singles then broke up. Jean, then named What What, appeared with some other artists like Pumkinhead, Meatpie and the talented Herbaliser(if not a bit dated, don't get me wrong I love them but still). Natural Resources went under in like 98' I think which was when she changed her name to Jean Grae. She put out Attack of the Attacking Things, Bootleg of the Bootleg EP, and This Week. She also recorded an album with 9th Wonder that never saw light after it was leaked to the internet (it's good). Her cadence and flow sound alot like Jay Z nowadays, which isn't a bad thing. Still, she's far more imaginative, funny, and personal than Jigga. She's released alot of 'emo' hip hop songs that may alienate some people but she delivers these songs in a way that allow them to resonate to almost anyone that listens to it. If you ever meet a hip hop producer tell them to give this woman their beats, all of them if possible. She suffers from bad 'underground' production. She always sounds better over someone else's beats, and I'm glad she joined Blacksmith Records with Talib, hopefully they'll be able to forward her some bangers. She was also offered to join the Roots but she turned it down for personal reasons. These are my favorite Jean songs, have at em.

Monday
Hater Anthem
The Blend
Tea & Beer
Lovesong

Stark Enterprises

I've been thinking about this post for a few weeks now. Ever since I picked up R.A.G.U. I really wanted to express my true feelings about Ghostface Killa. Honestly he's probably one of the most consistent (THE most consistent of Wu-Tang period) rappers ever. Considering his career spans almost 18 to 19 years now, he's put out more stream of consciousness albums and songs than any other nonsensical MC ever (maybe MF Doom trumps him there that guy has like 3 albums a year).

When Wu-Tang bombarded the scene in 91 Ghostface was seen as further down the ladder rungs when stacked against the rest of the crew due to his unintelligible rants. But as time rolled on and other members of the founding Nine put out continual mediocre releases (Deck, Meth, Rza, Gza's second album, anything after Return to the 36 by Dirty, Raekwon never sounded as good as he did on Linx...did Golden Arms ever put out an album?) Ghostface never stopped doing the same crazy shit he always did. While his flow was way advanced for the early nineties only after Supreme Clientele did people even kinda understand (ok Bulletproof Wallets sucked). Lyrically he has evolved, it may be subtle but he has become much better. He screams alot less that's for fuckin sure.

The best part about Ghost is that technically he can be seen as rather "mainstream," but he keeps it madd underground and dirty as hell. Whenever he has a new album at least one song gets decent radio play, but the rest of the album is still way Wu Tang soul. His affinity with old Soul songs is to such an extreme that occasionally he doesn't even bother to sample it, he just buys the fuckin song, let's it play and raps over it. He associates with practically everyone from De La Soul to Planet Asia, and he has an incredible relationship with Mf Doom whom he has nothing but respect and love for. As a member of what once was the largest rap conglomerate ever he does have beef, albeit short lived. 50 (whom apparently gets into it with everyone) and Yayo even spurred a song from the whole clan "Who The Fuck Is 50 Cent?," they killed him btw (There have been "allegations" that Ghost threw 50 down some stairs and Ghost and Rae robbed 50 at gunpoint wtf?). There was solid tension between Chef, Ghost and Biggie. And Mase got his jaw broke by Ghost after he dissed Wu on stage, I think ghost did some time for that shit too. The man rocks a giant gold eagle on his wrist for fuckssakes, why would you mess with him?


He has the capacity to be crazy scarface gangster, sensitive family man, underground mic handler, and angry shaolin pimp all at the same time. My love for him has no end, I know some people just can't feel him and that's fine. But DO understand how talented this man is, he resides in a world where most rappers sound synthetic and similar. Ghostface is too big for that world, he's in like eight different rap worlds at the same time.

I had a really hard time deciding what songs to put up, due to the sheer volume of shit this man has put out it's impossible to choose only a few songs. Especially with early Wu Tang, the albums are by far more expressive as a whole than singular songs. I still maintain that Ironman was the best of the Wu's first wave of solo albums. Even if Linx practically INVENTED cocaine gangster rap, and Liquid Swords inspired a generation of underground Mc's. Anyways here's some guest spots and some straight classicos for your ass. Please, please respect Wu.



Iron Maiden is probably one of my favorite songs by any Wu affiliate. Stick with it past the intro it's worth it. 260 uses another Al Green sample and it's also off Ironman. Ghost took the name Ironman because he felt a kinship with the character. Ironman had to depend upon his mechanized suit to survive his heart condition in the same way the Ghost had to when he discovered he was a diabetic (and Pretty Tony has quite a ring to it).

Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden (Instr)
260

Only built For Cuban Linx is classic, sometimes referred to as The Purple Tape it's fucking monumental. Ghost is practically a leading star on the album even though it's a Raekwon album and Ghost is a "guest star." Verbal Intercourse is some smoky shit that has that other dude Nas who despite thinking he's god's gift to rap nowadays (just cause you got one of the best rap albums of all time does NOT mean you're prolific or above the rest motherfucker remember, It Was Written wasn't all that, I Am... sucked, Nastradamus was trash, Stillmatic was hardly the comeback everyone said it was, and Street's Disciple was 80% filler, Hip Hop was pretty ok though, and Kelis is bangin). Guillotine (Swordz) is so fucking raw it's retarded. For me, I never do karaoke but there are a few songs I would get in front of a drunk crowd and give it my all (others include; Double Trouble - The Roots, Da Rockwilda - Redman and Methodman, Tony, Toni, Tone - Lay Your head on My Pillow, M'Lady - Sly and the Family Stone, and Ignition (remix) - R. Kells the god). Let me do Deck at the beginning and Gza to close and for reals we'll kill it (Isom, you gotta be there to drop all the N bombs for me I doubt that I could get away with it even for reasons of artistic purity).

Verbal Intercourse
Guillotine (Swordz)

To the present! More Fish followed Fishscale (which if you're wondering is slang for that new shiny shit), Fishscale was a total departure from Pretty Tony which kinda reached for radio play more than usual. Fishscale was all soul, it's obligatory radio track was fucking awesome (Back like that), and was full of nasty beats, Family Affair is ghost playing both sides of a relationship on the precipice it's my favorite track off Fishscale (yo sweetheart, pass me the 40 out the frigerator/Ghost all you do is burn weed and read papers). More Fish was a collection of shit that could have gone on Fishscale. It also had that Amy Winehouse track that blew my fucking mind when I heard it. Ghost Is Back, is over Don't Sweat the Technique, it's bananas. The best fast rap track of all time and Ghost doesn't sweat shit and kills it (she's a brain therapist/girl you can't kiss/open up her legs like ooh i smell fish HA!). Josephine was also a track off of Hi Tek's second album but with more Ghost and less other people that Tek shouldn't be producing for.

Family Affair
Ghost is Back (edit)
Josephine

Here's some rare shit. In the Parks, and Milk Crates use classic breaks that would never have a chance of coming out on an actual album, they're short (under a minute each) but they're cool nonetheless. And the Sun with Rza and Slick Rick is so odd, it's a song about...The Sun? For real, how many other artists would do this and let alone pull it off? And a slick Cherzchez La Ghost remix that should be getting more attention but it won't. These shits used to be harder to find but they all just came out on Hidden Darts, so I slapped some album art on there and track numbers (that are hopefully correct).

In The Parks
Milk Crates
The Sun
Cherzchez La Ghost (remix)

Well that's an assload of songs for you, I have almost all of Wu's shit if there are requests for anything (future posts included, just in case someone is paying attention) hit me up with some feedback bitches!