Saturday, December 31, 2011

Repeat after me..

This may have been the best $5 I ever spent in my life when I bought this record back in '01. Too bad Bathgate's album never came out though...

Just thinking about it for a second, I group this record in with Sporty Thievz "Cheapskate" and similar songs...not that that's a bad thing, but sort of a novelty I guess. Either way, check this joint out.

Shout out to Cornerstone mixtape for putting me on to this track in the first place too..

Bathgate - Fuck That

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Cappadonna - Role of A Lifetime

I remember we got this 12 inch in to XM a few years back. I had heard Cappadonna was living in Baltimore, supposedly driving a cab for a living, but I'm not sure about that and am too lazy at the moment to look into it. Dude definitely can rap..as for whether you can understand what the hell he's talking about, that may be up for individual interpretation. Apparently this is from his 2003 album "The Struggle," but I didn't check it..or at least I don't recall listening to it. If you listened to it & have an opinion, feel free to chime in with a comment. Or if you like/dislike this joint, let me know what you think. Regardless, this song stood out to me then, and I still keep it in my collection. Wu Tang Forever.

Cappadonna - Role of A Lifetime

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Thurs Dec 8th w/ Nacey - FREE

We're gettin festive tomorrow night at St EX!! I've got my main man Nacey coming thru to get in the mix too! Hope you can make it..


If you're not familiar with my dude Nacey, Nouveau Riche, KIDS or any of the other parties he and his crew put on, definitely check those out..AAAAAND, in the meantime, here's a couple joints he's done that stand out:

La Roux - Bulletproof (Nacey Remix 24bit) by nacey

Outkast - Spottieottiedopalicious (Nacey Remix) by nacey

Friday, November 4, 2011

Thursday Nov 10th - FREE

Back at it again...puttin' the boogie in your butt for #FREE!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Less You Know, The Better

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of interviewing DJ Shadow with my buddy KB for Subsoniq Radio. Shadow's 5th studio album "The Less You Know, The Better" just dropped in early October.



In our conversation, Shadow spoke at length about a number of topics, including some of the folks who inspire him (Bambaattaa, Premier, Mannie Fresh etc,) what it was like working with Zack de la Rocha, & why he was surprised by the feedback he received from his 2006 album, "The Outsider."

You can listen/download the entire interview over at SubsoniqRadio.com. And definitely hit up DJshadow.com to cop the new album...digital download, CD, vinyl, pick your poison.

In the meantime, I've extracted a segment from our chat to share with you here. In this excerpt, the discussion focuses on some of the featured guest artists he's brought to light through his last 2 full-lengths, most notably Chris James of Stateless, and on the new record, vocalist Tom Vek:

DJ Shadow on Subsoniq - on Tom Vek + Chris James by iamwondermike

Last but not least, for all you remixers & producers out there, Shadow is running a remix competition for the tune "Scale It Back," which features Little Dragon. The contest runs until November 25th and the winning entry will appear as part of an official remix package through Island Records.

Details and audio stems at remix.DJshadow.com.

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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Queen B.

So I was watching this sweet movie with Katherine Heigl and Fergie's husband aka Tad Mullinix the other day. Kind of a lame movie, actually, but whatever. I'm at the point in the movie where the dude figures out he done messed up...and miraculously, it coincides with the exact moment that the semi-fly female lead discovers that she can't-live-with-yet-can't-live-without the dude. (You know how it goes.) Anyway, I'm watching (drying tears, fingers crossed, anxiously praying to heaven) to see if things are gonna work out for this love-starved pair. And hark! What's that beautiful, soothing song I hear creeping into my consciousness?

Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that's the piano that Nashiem Myrick used to produce "Queen B" as recorded by the bitch with that platinum grammar!!?!!
(1:51 mark)

This story doesn't end there tho...so next, Katherine races to the airport, but she's too late, so she returns home in despair, only to find the dude there waiting to patch things up and reunite the family!!!! Sorry for no spoiler alert...but honestly, you should consider yourself lucky that you didn't get sucked into watching this sappy excuse for a love story.

(BTW, I also watched Denzel Washington's worst movie ever aka "Unstoppable" the other day. I recommend that over this one above, actually. Especially due to the way-out-of-place Tyler-Perry-influenced end credit theme music. Rosario Dawson was amazing in that one, too.)

Anyway, here's the music...shout to the Queen Bee, Big Beat Records and Undeas Recordings...


"Kick it bitch!"
Lil Kim - Queen B (instrumental)


Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Just for fun

Although I've gotten rid of a bunch of records in recent years, I still have a good sized collection. I don't know that I'll ever get rid of all of them, under any circumstances. For me, there are few things in this world as grounding and energizing as playing my records; every time I put the needle to the groove, I'm reminded of why I DJ and why I love music as much as I do. This stuff keeps me sane.

And while I did not grow up on house music, I'm thankful to the folks who have put me up on electronic music over the years, be it House, Electro, Drum n Bass and whatever other iterations of computer-based music that have found their way into my crates.

Lately I've been re-visiting this excellent compilation from BBE Records called "Mad Styles & Crazy Visions," which was put together by none other than Louie Vega of Masters At Work. (The compilation is available as a 4-LP un-mixed collection, or as a 3-CD pack, with one disc being the mixed set from Louie, and the other 2 containing the un-mixed tunes.)

Here is one of the songs that stands out to me. I don't know much of anything about the artist Abstract Truth, the vocalist Monique Bingham, or the remixer Matthias "Matty" Heilbronn, but I know enough to pass this along and let you in on how great this music is. Hit me in the comments or on email if you want/need a copy and I'm happy to share. Or of course you can get it on Amazon or Traxsource.



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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Radio Killa

The Dream's last album had some ridiculous songs on it...it also had some kinda forgettable stuff though too, in all fairness.

But check it, just the other week @MrTeriusNash released a new (digi-maxi) single via his site www.RadioKillaRecords.com and it is some amazing, futuristic Prince-inspired (I'm sayin) dopeness.

It's a 2-song medley, and it's available for free download.

Mom and Dad, put your kids to sleep...
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And check this interesting interview with The Dream from "Honey" magazine. Good read...

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Download & play loud

Not a whole lot more to say on this one. Skratch Bastid with a sick blend here. Makes me wanna play "Gravel Pit" even more now. Wu Tang Forever...

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As We Enter the Gravel Pit - Wu-Tang Clan, Nas & Damien Marley (Skratch Bastid Blend) by Skratch Bastid

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

"Like This 'n Like That" - Thurs at St Ex

It's gonna be a hot one tomorrow..my homie DJ Eskimo & I will be keepin it ice cold at St Ex, basement stylee!!

Every 2nd Thursday at St. Ex it's going down..hip-hop, r&B and other funky stuff. Come as you are...

See ya out there



Check the little quick mix preview:

Like This 'n Like That (June flip mix - 2nd Thursdays) by iamwondermike

Friday, June 3, 2011

Beautiful People

When I read those words and I think about music, names like Marilyn Manson come to mind, or even Sly and the Family Stone or Arrested Development (just on some stream of consciousness, really)..or more recently, I wrote about a dope song from Nina Sky called, fittingly, "Beautiful People."

The kid Chris Brown has certainly taken some heat in past years for his treatment of then lady-in-his-life Rihanna, and like many of you, I've got my own opinion on that whole deal. It's hard to support artists at times when they go wrong in the real world. But, I try to recognize that nobody is perfect, and people can change. I'm not saying Brown has his act together or anything like that, because frankly, I don't really follow him like that, so I don't know. But, my man Supa Qool DJ Quartermaine has brought something to my attention recently that definitely piques my interest and has me wondering what could be...

I can't really say that I'm feeling the Benny Benassi-produced original of this song here, because it doesn't quite hit the mark for what my ears want.

BUT, hold up!! Q breathes a different life into this tune, and makes it into something that house, hip-hop and r&b lovers can vibe to. Yet another case where the b-side wins...or, the remix, or whatever...you get the drift!

Turn it UP!!

Chris Brown - Beautiful People Follow Me (The Quartermaine Blend) by thequartermaine

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

"Like This 'n Like That" - THURS at St. Ex

Back at it again this Thursday at St. Ex for some feel good hip-hop and r&b. Myself and the brethren DJ 2-Tone Jones will be spinning the platters that matter.

Come thru..

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And for those of you who have not heard 2-Tone's "Shaolin Jazz: The 37th Chamber," here's a little sample below. Highly recommended for all hip-hop fans, jazz fans, and subscribers to the Wu Wear Garment Renaissance.

Astral C.R.E.A.M. (The Pharaoh-Jarel Beatdown Remix) by DJ 2-Tone Jones

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Hold You Down

So I said I'd make more of an effort to share & showcase some of the tunes I'm loving and listening to these days...here goes!

Whether you know the name or not, you very likely know their voices, because Nina Sky have been on some pretty big records in their time. Move Ya Body, Hold You Down...well, I guess that might be about it(!?), but still, those are 2 big songs in my book!! As I think about it, what's most appealing about their sound is that it immediately reminds me of New York...which, I suppose makes sense since they are from Queens.


Anyways, Nina Sky kind of disappeared for a period, but they have resurfaced recently with a new EP called 'The Other Side'...and their sound has definitely grown a bit. While I'm not enthralled by every song on the EP, they DO have some great stuff on there.

It's nice to hear their Sagat-borrowing "Funk Dat" rendition ("You Ain't Got It,") and "Only You" is a good one also. But the real hit on this EP is "Beautiful People." Just some feel-good party stuff...kinda like what put them on the map in the first place. I can only hope that DJs aren't sleeping on this one, especially in New York.

NOTE: I've posted the video version for download. The EP features a different version, but this is the one you want.

Nina Sky - Beautiful People

Friday, March 18, 2011

Joey knows beats

So I was driving the other night and popped in my CD copy of "Reverse Discourse" from my man Joe Beats...it had been a while. A long while in fact. But, without fail, as track 1 got underway, and seemlessly blended into track 2, I quickly recalled why I fell in love with these sounds in the first place.

I won't pontificate too too much here, but just believe me when I say it, that Joe is truly one of THE BEST true school hip-hop producers of our time. Further, he's got the mindset of a DJ and most of his solo albums play as a continuous mix...which makes sense since much of his work is of the instrumental variety.

I had the chance to catch up with Joe back in 2008 when he rolled through DC on tour, and we sat down for an interview that aired on my show "Pitch Control" on XM. We talked about a lot of things, but more than anything, just our mutual love of hip-hop, and DJs and stuff.

Below is a link to the interview as it aired. I will listen to this over & over again..it was one of those instances where meeting an artist in person re-affirmed what I thought I already knew about them: this cat lives hip-hop.

Joe Beats on Pitch Control (04-27-08)
"I take it more as a positive bitterness, if that makes any sense..cuz this guy was such a pioneer on every level. Back in the day, people pretended not to hear the beat from Mecca & The Soul Brother, cuz it was too complicated, it was too deep, and they weren't ready for it. Mr. Long and Large Professor would go 3 or 4 loops deep, whereas Pete Rock was going 6, 7, 8 loops deep to make a beat...he was that ahead of the game." (Joe Beats, 2008)

Much to my delight, Joe's got a new album with MC, Blak Lungz. Check it out at http://www.joebeats.blogspot.com.

(P.S. they're the same cats who did this...)

Friday, March 11, 2011

I Was Born to Love You

I was DJing a brunch the other day, filling in for a friend. The weather kinda sucked, but I always love spinning brunches, because more often than not, it's an opportunity for me to play a lot of soul, r&B and funk music that I do not often get the chance to play out otherwise.

One of the diners at this particular spot approached me to ask about a certain song I had played. I was glad to hear that folks were enjoying the selections, and especially when it's such a great tune like this one.

Timeless Legend - I Was Born to Love You



You can cop it on "Soul Spectrum" from BBE Records here.
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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

RIP BIG

I used to cut up a lot of the pictures from The Source magazine each month. The wall of my bedroom (at home, and school too for the first couple years) was a collage of all these images from hip-hop magazines, album covers, tour posters, you name it. But one image that stands out in my memory was from The Source, or maybe it was XXL...either way, it was one of those sidebars, like Unsigned Hype or whatever. And it was the 'ebonics-to-english' translation (I think that's what they called it) of Biggie's "One More Chance." Although I can't find the original image, I located the translation online, so check it out. Still pretty hilarious today:


Lyrics:
First things first, I poppa, freaks all the honeys
Dummies - playboy bunnies, those wantin’ money
Those the ones I like ‘cause they don’t get nathan’
But penetration, unless it smells like sanitation
Garbage, I turn like doorknobs
Heart throb, never, black and ugly as ever
However, I stay coochied down to the socks
Rings and watch filled with rocks

TRANSLATION:
As a general rule, I perform deviant sexual acts with women of all kinds, including but not limited to those with limited intellect, nude magazine models, and prostitutes. I particularly enjoy sexual encounters with the latter group as they are generally disappointed in the fact that they only receive penile intercourse and nothing more, unless of course, they douche on a consistent basis. Although I am extremely unattractive, I am able to engage in these types of sexual acts with some regularity. Perhaps my sexuality is somehow related to my fancy and expensive jewelry.

Lyrics:
And my jam knock in the Mitsubishi
Girls pee pee when they see me, Nava-hoes creep me in they tee pee
As I lay down laws like I lay carpet
Stop it - if you think your gonna make a profit

TRANSLATION:
I enjoy playing my music loudly on my car stereo. Apparently, women enjoy this also because they become sexually aroused when they see me driving. Oddly enough, when I visit the Native American reservations, some of the more sexually promiscuous Indian women attempt to seduce me in their homes. Their intent is to divest me of my earnings. Such actions are unacceptable.

Lyrics:
Don’t see my ones, don’t see my guns - get it
Now tell ya friends Poppa hit it then split it
In two as I flow with the Junior Mafia
I don’t know what the hell’s stoppin’ ya
I’m clockin’ ya - Versace shades watchin’ ya
Once ya grin, I’m in game, begin

TRANSLATION:
Understand this fact: you can have neither my money, nor my weapons. I suggest that you inform your peers that we engaged in violent sexual acts. Currently, I am rapping with my associates, the Junior Mafia. I’m having some difficulty understanding why you refuse to approach me. I am attempting to make eye contact with you through my expensive glasses, and as soon as you respond with a smile, I will approach you.

Lyrics:
First I talk about how I dress and this
And diamond necklaces - stretch Lexuses
The sex is just immaculate from the back I get
Deeper and deeper - help ya reach the
Climax that your man can’t make
Call and tell him you’ll be home real late
Let’s sing the break

TRANSLATION:
I prefer to open the conversation with light banter about my wardrobe and jewelry, then I like to discuss my collection of expensive cars. This is more than enough to convince you to have sexual intercourse with me. I am able to insert my penis further into you when I enter you from behind. Furthermore, you will be able to reach orgasm. I understand this to be a problem with your current sexual partner. He needn’t be concerned about your whereabouts. Please phone him and inform him that you won’t be home for a while. By the way, please sing the chorus of the song for me also.

Lyrics:
She’s sick of that song on how it’s so long
Thought he worked his until I handled my biz
There I is - major pain like Damon Wayans
Low down dirty even like his brother Keenan
Schemin’ - don’t bring your girl ‘round me
True player for real, ask Puff Daddy

TRANSLATION:
Your current love interest no longer wishes to hear your fabrications about the length of your member. After I had sexual intercourse with your woman, she became enlightened as to the proper way it is supposed to be performed; violently and immorally. It would be in your best interest to keep your woman away from me as my sexual prowess is very strong. If you are unconvinced, ask Puff Daddy.

Lyrics:
You - ringin’ bells with bags from Chanel
Baby Benz, traded in your Hyundai Excel
Fully equipped, CD changer with the cell
She beeped me, meet me at twelve

TRANSLATION:
Despite the fact that you attempted to win her at her doorstep with bags full of expensive clothes and a car (the lower end model Mercedes Benz which you financed by signing over your current vehicle) containing an expensive stereo and a cellular phone, your woman has contacted me through my pager indicating that we should rendezvous at midnight.

Lyrics:
Where you at? Flippin’ jobs, playin’ car notes?
While I’m swimmin’ in ya women like the breast stroke
Right stroke, left stroke what’s the best stroke
Death stroke - tongue all down her throat
Nuthin’ left to do but send her home to you
I’m through - can ya sing the song for me, boo?

TRANSLATION:
You, on the other hand, jump from job to job, barely able to maintain payments on the Mercedes Benz you purchased for your woman. Meanwhile, I continue to engage in sexual intercourse and commit lewd osculatory acts with your women. My only remaining option is to request that she leave my home and return to you because I have reached orgasm and no longer have a need for her presence.

Lyrics:
So, what’s it gonna be? Him or me?
We can cruise the world with pearls
Gator boots for girls
The envy of all women, crushed linen
Cartier wrist-wear with diamonds in ‘em
The finest women I love with a passion
Ya man’s a wimp, I give that ass a good thrashin’

TRANSLATION:
The ultimate decision rests with you. Whom do you choose as your sexual partner. I can take you on cruises around the world. I will dress you in the finest jewelry and footwear. You will be envied by women worldwide in your fine clothes and jewelry. There is a special place in my heart for beautiful women. I will defeat your man in an altercation because he is effeminate.

Lyrics:
High fashion - flyin’ into all states.
Sexin’ me while your man masturbates.
Isn’t this great? Your flight leaves at eight.
Her flight lands at nine, my game just rewinds.
Lyrically I’m supposed to represent.
I’m not only the client, I’m the player president

TRANSLATION:
You will be dressed in finest clothes on the runways of Paris. I will fly you to every state to shop for fine clothes and jewelry. You will enjoy sexual intercourse with me and your man will be forced to pleasure himself through manual stimulation. What a life! I’ll return you to LaGuardia in time to catch your 8 o’clock flight. The timing is perfect because I have scheduled a date with a second woman who arrives at the same gate at 9 o’clock. I’ll seduce her in the same way that I seduced you. I rap well and I am a positive reflection of my home town. Not only am I a sexually deviant, misogynistic, immoral, wealthy, male prostitute, but I also sit on the board of directors of the organization that governs others of my kind.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The DJ Eskimo Show

I have the esteemed pleasure of rocking at Wonderland tomorrow night with my man DJ Eskimo. Gonna be a good ol time!

Look a couple posts down to get my thoughts on just how dope Es really is!!

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Hip hop, funk, breakbeats, jazz, reggae, international, rock, house, classic R&B and more.

"The DJ Eskimo Show promotes creativity and expression through the arts so we encourage those like minded individuals to tell a friend, bring a friend, and if you know of some indie artist that just blow your mind be sure and let us know...."

Thursday March 3rd
FREE - 10pm until..
Wonderland Ballroom
1101 Kenyon St. NW
(corner of 11th & Kenyon Streets)