Even Big L wasn’t a fan. Shouts to Eric Rosado for some funny shit.
RIP Don Cornelius
1 Feb
One can only wonder why the Don decided to take his life, but his legacy to music and Black culture will never be forgotten. I remember watching Soul Train after cartoons on Saturdays at noon. And since I was too young to appreciate horrible 90′s music or the women dancing inappropriately in very weird clothing, I will never forget Don’s suits, the magnetic letter board, and, of course, the Soul Train line at the end of the episode, which still remains a family party staple seconded only by the electric slide. Mr. Cee called him the ‘black Dick Clark’ at the end of Hot 97′s throwback hour at noon. But clearly Don had more swagger than Mr. Clark ever had. So I leave you with one of my favorite Spike Lee creations which is featured as the credits to his movie Crooklyn. Rest in love, peace and soul Don Cornelius.
Tags: Crooklyn Dodgers, Don Cornelius, Soul Train, Spike Lee
I Like Good Music Pt. 6
22 JanHappy New Year! It may be too late for that salutation but never too late to give you a non Hip-Hop mix to listen to in any situation imaginable. It features a whole lotta soul (old and new), some bossa nova, and weird shit to keep you entertained for 45 minutes. Enjoy!
Tags: Bossa Nova, I Like Good Music Pt. 6, Mixtape, R&B, Soul
RIP Heavy D
8 Nov
This is a shocker to everybody because Heavy D performed both at the BET Awards and a Michael Jackson Tribute concert in the UK less than a month ago. But I guess it was his time to go. He brought Pete Rock into the limelight and, most importantly, showed ladies that chunky brothers need love too. Rest in beats overweight lover.
Tags: Heavy D, Soul For Real
Re:Generation Music Project
1 Nov
Of all the random car brands that I would expect to sponsor a music mashup project, Hyundai would have been last on the list. But alas, they’ve managed to take 5 popular DJ’s out of their musical comfort zone and create a documentary showcasing the journey to the final mashup product. While I have not heard much music from Skrillex or Pretty Lights, DJ Premier, Mark Ronson, and Crystal Method initially piqued my interest for the project. While I’m used to Premier flipping classical into chop masterpieces and Ronson producing funky instrumentals, I would never expect Crystal Method to venture into R&B with some Motown legends. Mostly though, it’s just really good to hear Nas on a Premier track. For more details, peep here. Tracks will be released on November 7th.
Tags: Crystal Method, DJ Premier, Hyundai Velostar, Mark Ronson, mashup, Pretty Lights, Re:Generation Music Project, Skrillex
For Your Consideration…
12 Oct
Not gonna lie. We’ve been quite neglectful of posts due to real life shit. I personally have detached myself from social responsibilities due to paper chasing and my everyday consists of the image above. I don’t regret it; I love my job. But I think I’ve alienated almost everyone I used to hang out with on a consistent basis. It’s all good, they’ll forgive me. At the moment, let me take time out to shed light on some things that my peoples need to dig. First, shout out to my man Yuri Beats holding it down for the LOISIDA. He’s been putting in work on the production tip for the past several months, scolding MC’s for rhyming on wack beats, and coaxing some to snack on his own. Check out yuribeats.com for a sampling of the goodness. Also, follow his Twitter @Yuri_Beats. While you’re at it, follow @ChocoDelish and @tak4prez to satisfy your digablepeoples fix in between posts (You have my word posts will be more frequent).
Lastly, you know I had to share some jams I’ve been bumping lately. Mixed by yours truly, there’s a bunch of good music you can enjoy while you’re puffing, protesting, thugging, or loving. Hope you like it.
One of These is Not Like the Other
24 AugThis video for Royce Da 5’9″‘s “Writer’s Block” begins with the original beat, produced by Streetrunner and Sarom, and then intermittently gives way to the DJ Premier remix. One of these is hotter than the other (guess which). This is a prime example of how a good beat can positively tinge average lyrics. Royce isn’t saying a whole lot, the irony of which is kind of laughable, but over a Primo beat, you just don’t really give a fuck what he’s talking about. Also, hearing Eminem’s chorus on a Primo beat is a nice little tease— his ad libs at the end are hilarious.
As a bonus, expand the post to peep the sample used in the remix…
Tags: DJ Premier, Eminem, Primo, Remix, Royce Da 5'9", Sarom, Streetrunner, Writer's Block
Some New Ish…
6 AugIt’s been a long time…but I’ve been getting busy. I’ve been sitting on beats for a while. So when my man Tkstr dropped this and my man Yur$Beats dropped that, I felt like I should drop something as well.
Tracklist
Green
Sick Day
Trial
Burnt Out
Murda Musak
Feelin’ White
Mighty Healthy
Battle at Minnetonka
..And We Out
Tags: Digable Peep Tape 2, SeanBlaze, TKSTR, Yur$Beats
RIP Eugene McDaniels
5 Aug
Not many people know who Eugene McDaniels is but they surely would recognize his music. He produced and wrote songs for various soul and r&b artists on heavy-hitter labels such as Motown and Atlantic as well as maintained a fairly successful solo career. While he crooned pop chart-toppers in the 50′s and 60′s, most hip hop heads know him for his controversial and socially conscious album of 1971, Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse. Headless… became, and still remains, sample fodder for many artists including The Beastie Boys, Tribe, Pete Rock, 9th Wonder, and countless others. The tried and true formula of electric bass, guitar, keys, and drums never fails to inspire. But McDaniels’ tales of buying canned food with government money to the tragic plight of Native Americans to, obviously, the coming of the apocalypse makes this album one of my favorites of all time as well as a must listen to anybody reading this right now. The 1970 album Outlaw, while not as jazzy, is just as funky and ridiculously overlooked. So here’s a salute to one of the greatest songwriters, who, with his talents, spread knowledge to some and will continue to be an inspiration to many.
Tags: 9th Wonder, Beastie Boys, Eugene McDaniels, Headless Heroes of the Apocolypse, Pete Rock, Tribe
Doin’ It Live
5 JunThe one thing I wonder about when watching this video is the spots he goes to find these musical toys. And a rubber band on the cartridge…genius! I know he’s been using toys in his set for a minute but it’s still a delight to watch. Even though there are some young bucks claiming that their revolutionizing live performance with the use of MPC’s, dudes like Nu-Mark have been keeping it fresh since the ’90′s. Here’s another glimpse of an eerie future for DJ’s by some of the best DJ’s doing it.
Tags: Cut Chemist, DJ Nu-Mark, DJ Shadow, MPC, Turntablism
