Four Decades Later...

August has been a pretty special month that saw hip hop celebrate it's 40th birthday.  There were various events and reviews to mark the occasion, but I'm really surprised that something more notable hasn't been done.  A collaboration track by some of the old school icons, or a decent documentary or something more tangible to make the occasion special.  Oh well, it looks like hip hop spent the night on her own with a glass of wine and a box of chocolates!

Still, despite those birthday blues, she still saw fit to provide us with more goodness....

New Jeru

It's been a while since we've heard from the Prophet, but he's back with a forthcoming EP entitled The Hammer.  This early taster has Extra P on the boards and is one of the nicest tracks I've heard from Jeru in quite some time.  The EP also contains production from The Beatnuts and PF Cuttin.

The Return of the Zone

I honestly didn't think J-Zone would ever release another long player after he retired from hip hop a few years back, but unlike when Jay-Z came out of retirement, J-Zone's return to the game proves that his production is just as good as before (maybe even a tad better!).  Check out this sampler and if you're digging it, then head over to his bandcamp page to check out the full album or make a legit purchase.

Willie The Kid

I overlooked this when it dropped back in July, but this steady paced collaboration with Action Bronson and Roc Marciano with Alchemist on the boards is hitting the spot, even though I'm not normally a fan of Alchemist's stripped down production.  I'm still perplexed by how Action Bronson is so well respected when he sounds exactly like Ghostface Killah.  Back in the day that was called 'biting' and a biter got no love!  Still, this track is nice, and it's worth exploring more of Willie The Kid's music too.

Which Authority?

As the weather begins to heat up, so does the music.  With several decent albums having dropped this month (more on this in my next post), and potentially several more in the near future, hip hop is looking quite good right now.  The winter drought appears to be over, and here are a few pieces of interest from around the world wide webz that reflect this.

Somewhere In between 1 and 2!

Next month Marco Polo releases his follow up to his 2007 debut LP Port Authroity that is imaginatively titled Port Authority 2 (I guess it tells you what to expect from it!).  As expected nowadays, some early marketing and hype is required in the form of a mixtape, so Marco has released the free to download Newport Authority 2.  It's slightly confusing as there isn't a Newport Authority 1.  

Well aside the confusing and effortless titles, the mix contains some better tracks than I've come to expect from these promotional releases.  This is due to the fact that these tracks were only left of the final cut because of legal issues around sample clearances etc.  I found the Tragedy Khadafi track particularly head nodding (and it's good to see Trag back in action), but there's a few others that are worth a listen too, not to mention the already leaked tunes from Big Daddy Kane and Rakim.  

Zoned Out

I've been a fan of J-Zone's production from the beginning, so it was nice to watch this short clip of him crafting something new using a well known break and chop it up with some more unusual samples.  And if you've ever wondered where all those retro movie sound bites come from, well he answers that too!

Mister Warz Taking Over

If you're over 35 years old and haven't yet stumbled across the Disco Scratch site and its frequent radio shows, then you're missing out.  Disco Scratch is dedicated to providing suitable hip hop to B-Boy's of a certain age.

This month saw Mista Warz make his debut appearance on Disco Scratch with an eclectic showcase of music that was all held nicely together with crazy snippets and sound bites.  For me this show has that unique balance of playing classic cuts that are familiar, but still rare enough for you to say "hell, I've not heard that in ages".
Check out the show (embedded player or download link) and the full track list here: http://discoscratch.co.uk/2013/04/18/warz-takeover-show-1/.

An Educated Mind

A friend brought this to my attention, and whilst it might not be strictly hip hop, it's urban poetry which is only one step away.  I'd highly recommend you watch this as the message is delivered with good punchlines and thought provoking ideas that most of us can relate to.  This is the type of message that hip hop used to convey to the kids, what happened?

Jimi Zone

I didn’t know about this J-Zone release until very recently. It’s not really a mixtape or a mashup and it’s not a formal release either (so it’s not available from major retailers), therefore it’s kind of gone under the radar. "What is it then?", I hear  you asking.  Well, as J-Zone announces on the intro, he’s produced this LP to pay tribute to Jimi Hendrix whom he was a great fan of, and because it’s the closest he’ll ever get to working with him. We certainly can’t dispute that claim. But this isn’t a traditional tribute or remix album either (trust J-Zone to do something a bit different).

If you can imagine for a moment that Jimi is still alive and he calls J-Zone up one morning saying, ‘hey Zone, I need you to produce some tracks for my new album’, then this is possibly what J-Zone would have produced. It’s an instrumental album that fuses the funk and soul of Jimi Hendrix with the trademark production styles, infectious beats and zany samples that J-Zone has become so well known for. As an example of Zone’s wacky humour, there’s a bit where he and Jimi have a little conversation with each other, much like James Brown used to talk to his band.

It makes for an interesting blend of styles that actually works really well. It also reminds me a little of Dangermouse’s Grey Album (where he reworked Beatles records into hip hop beats for the Jiggaman). And just like the Grey Album, it strikes the balance of not sounding too much like a straight sample or loop of the original artist, but retains their unique sound.

https://hotfile.com/dl/178606867/e9420f5/J-Zone_-_Experienced.rar.html

And if you like this Jimi Hendrix and J-Zone LP, then you may also like this compilation from DJ Concept that is along similar lines and contains additional contributions from J-Zone.

http://execute1200.com/v2/2008/11/13/djconcept-a-tribute-to-experience-coming-soon/

Blogwatch - February 2012

I know February is the shortest month, but for me it just seemed to completely pass me by.  To much to do and too little time, and the net result is an all to brief monthly round up.  Sorry folks, but paying bills comes first, lol.

Anyway, here are a couple of highlights from my trips around the blogs, websites and twittersphere.

10 favourite sample flips
Egotrip continue their series of favourite sample flips from some of the best producers in the business.  This time the funky technician Lord Finesse takes his turn followed by J-Zone.
These two beat makers are a perfect example of the alternative approaches taken when producing banging instrumentals.  Whilst Finesse combines funky breaks, his trademark snares, and a signature DITC baselines, J-Zone opts for the rarest, oddest, most bizarre, retro TV and film samples which he combines with a sound that can only be described as organised chaos. 
Either way the end result is the same.  Head nodding, eyebrow raising hip hop.  But who do they think has made some of the best sample flips?  Find out:
http://www.egotripland.com/lord-finesse-sample-flips/
http://www.egotripland.com/j-zone-sample-flips/


1988 Mini documentary on the use of samples
Considering this clip is just under 9 minutes in length, there are some notable contributors such as Coldcut, Prince Paul and De La Soul.
What's most interesting about this footage (other than the retro clothing) is the reminder of the different views about sampling's legality at that time and how this era changed the face of DJing and producing forever.  Props to Battlechasers for digging this up.

Do it like a G.O.

Just as J-Zone launches his new book Root for the Villian - Rap, Bullshit and a Celebration of Failure he avoids shameless promotion, but instead shares his top 5 Favourite Rap-A-Lot Albums from the 1990's (and mentions his book!). 

Root for the Villian is available to buy right now, and is a highly recommended read.  For those who might not be familiar with J-Zone's music and lyrics, he has insanely funny punchlines, speaks his mind in a refreshingly different way and he's one of the few people that is happy to self criticise and laugh at his own misfortune.  It's a rare talent to to be able to turn a negative into a positive in the way that J-Zone does. 

Now instead of interviewing Mr Zone about his new book, Ryan Proctor had the great idea of discussing with him his 5 favourite albums from the Houston based label Rap-A-Lot Records.  It's a great interview that also provides a solid reminder of a unique style and brief era in hip hop's history. 

http://oldtothenew.wordpress.com/2011/10/30/do-it-like-a-g-o-j-zone-selects-his-5-favourite-90s-rap-a-lot-albums/

Also, if you're a fan of J-Zone's production style then you might like to read his Top 10 tracks that he produced but didn't rap on.  It's an interesting and diverse selection of work from his extensive catalogue, with some rarities that you may not have heard before (and it's nice to see Al Shid getting the props that he deserves).

http://upnorthtrips.com/post/13158477670/upnorthtrips-presents-the-10s-dont-let-me-get

It's a good thing J-Zone has written his book, because if nothing else, it's made me include him in this blog much sooner than I would have done if it had been left to me (I should be ashamed for not including him much sooner!). 

Mike Check.