Game Over

The other month I had the pleasure of DJing over at Little Miss Whiskey's with Blake9 of tenured DC hip-hop group Nine:Fifteen. I hadn't been in touch with Blake since like 2003 or so when I was doing college radio, so it was cool to re-connect with a familiar face, especially someone with similar taste in music. And while I remember some of Nine:Fifteen's earlier material, I wasn't prepared for what I heard when Blake put me up on some of their new stuff…honestly, this new isht here?!?!!! My goodness!!

These cats have come a long ways...and this song below is one of the sickest records I've heard in quite some time. Add to that a dooope video from director Hilton Carter, and you got something special (50 Cent voice.)

Sure, hip-hop has changed over the years, but that thing that ties it all together is alive and well in 2012 thanks to cats like Blake and emcee Bisquite PowerPoppin (or Comel, as he was previously known.)

As the youngsters might say, #swag.



To download "Bachelorette Party" and for more on Nine:Fifteen, visit CandleWaxRecords.com.

DC Hip-Hop

I had the pleasure of DJing a happy hour for Words Beats & Life recently, as the opening event for the organization's Wu Tang-themed "Philanthrobeat" fundraiser. It didn't pop off like crazy or anything, but there were some good people in the house. And I know they were treated to some good music on all accounts. Part of the theme of the happy hour was to showcase some local blogs, to support the independent voices in the greater DC community that are supporting dope music from our area and beyond. So, part of my set included music from some of my favorite DC hip-hop artists, and I figured I'd share some of them with you here. Check it out.. The Package - Look Out Below

Tabi Bonney - Duhh Diamond District - In the Ruff, Streets Wont Let Me Chill

Asheru - BMIG Kev Brown - Work in Progress XO - Hands Up K-Beta - Inglorious Beta (Intro) Y Society - Never Off (On & On) And last but not least, I want to shine a light on this song here curated specifically for Words Beats & Life's "Bumrush The Boards" annual Hip-Hop Chess tournament by my man DJ RBI...shout out to RBI, DJ 2-Tone Jones everyone at WBL and all the artists involved..

I'm comin out of the boooooth

For those of you that don't get the Adam Sandler/Tollbooth Willy reference there, check this out.

(BTW, Worcester/central MA is where I'm from..used to dig this album a lot back in the day.)

Anyway, Thursday I'm back at St Ex for my monthly jam "Like This 'n Like That."

And tomorrow (Wednesday) I'm kicking off an every-other-Wednesday happy hour at Blackbyrd (14th and U streets.)

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

Thursday Nov 10th - FREE

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

"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

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

"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..



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

In the mix: DJ Eskimo & Roctakon

I love music. and I love DJing too. What I don't really love is that everyone thinks they are a DJ nowadays and that mad people flood the market with fancy-looking "mixtapes" and other projects. But, as in anything, the cream always rises to the top.

I've uploaded a few of my own mixes here in the past, and I stand by them. I've also shined a light on some cats whose music and craft I admire. I figure, as much music as I listen to, maybe I should be doing this more often. So, what I'm here to do today is to share with you a couple mixes that have resonated with me in recent years.

First up, a mix CD that really stands out in my mind as a message, from my man DJ Eskimo..."The Pulpit." There's tracks on here I still don't know what or who they are, but I love it. I'm not even that hard-pressed to figure out who the artists are or what the songs are called, because the manner in which this is presented is what makes it proper that we call this cat a true DJ. The mixing, the selection, the pace and the energy...top notch. The one part of this mix that folks ALWAYS seem to mention when I hear them talk about it is Eskimo's Sade blend...which, for the record, is ridiculous.

You can check out "The Pulpit" in its entirety over here and be sure to check Eskimo's site too - www.djeskimoshow.com; but while you're here, to whet your appetite just a little bit, here's a rip of that Sade blend...please, I repeat, PLEASE! leave some feedback on this stuff. Let me know if I'm alone and/or wrong for loving this stuff.

Sade - War of the Hearts (DJ Eskimo blend)

Another DJ who I've become familiar with in my time in DC is Roctakon. He doesn't live here anymore, but I first heard of he and his crew The Goonies and The Trooperz crew back around 99/2000 when they were hosting Open Table events and bringing cats like P-Trix to town to showcase. It was dope to see big-named DJs like P-Trix do their thing, but to be honest, some of the talent here in DC have reached some pretty high heights as well...and I still look to these cats as some of the best I've ever heard.

Anyways, I've heard a couple edits that Roctakon has done over the years, though I'd not heard a mix of his before. So, when he dropped this "Finding Directions" mix not too long ago, I felt compelled to pick it up. I used to love scratching, trying to be a battle DJ and all that...and I still love rocking parties and blending, etc......"Finding Directions" is definitely geared more towards the dancefloor than anything...but there's more to it than just playing records. As Turntable Lab describes it: "this is all about disco, house and techno...but even I was taken back by how hardcore it is." True indeed. So, while it may take a couple listens to fully grasp all that's going on in this mix, I'll venture to say that it's damn near timeless.

Below is an excerpt from "Finding Directions" so you can get a sample of what it is and how much this cat puts into his craft. Also, check the CD cover for some words on what he was going for:

Roctakon - Finding Directions snippet

February - from me (someone else really) to you...

Emailer: "Yo Mike, where've u been?"

Me: "Maintainin..."

In your face to be the bottleneck & filter that I am...I'm like the Joel McHale of this progressive hip-hop, electronic, indie, other music sh*!...I do it all for yoU!!

Anyway, wanted to showcase some of the fantastic music I've been cranking ("Rotations") and some of the intriguing bits I've come across on the web ("Props Over Here") in these past weeks.

Rotations (February 2010)La Roux - Bulletproof (Eccy remix) (via Laurent @ Rhythm Incursions)
X.O. - Hands Up (via DJ Eurok @ Upset the Setup)
Goapele - Milk & Honey (AYBEE's Gorilla Trunk Slap mix) (via Goapele)

Props Over Here (February 2010)"A Little Discography Lesson..." (via Kev Brown)
"Big Pun Dedication" (via Dirty Waters)
"Mixtape: Bounce for Relief Vol. 2" (via Noz @ Blunt Rapps)

Sign of the times

So a number of folks have been talking about the closing of DJ Hut here in DC. Obviously, this is a significant blow to all the DJs in the area, but as well for the music scene in some respect in my opinion. For as long as I've been in this city, DJ Hut (or 12 Inch Dance Records as it used to be known) has been a mainstay for all the area DJs, hip-hop, house, reggae/dancehall, whatever. I know the game has changed in terms of music sales (admittedly, in the past few years I can count the number of times I've shopped at DJ Hut on two hands,) especially for retail, but in addition to the city losing a point of purchase, we're losing a meeting place, a library, a town common, a musical oasis, all that. DJ Hut has been the place in DC (perhaps similar to a select couple other shops that have come and gone over the years) where you could go to hear the latest selections from the store staff and be able to test drive whatever was on the shelves and stay in the loop by grabbing the event flyers, etc.

DJ Hut had been the last store standing for some time now, so it's closing is particularly telling of where things are at.

For myself, I'd just like to say thanks to all the cats at DJ Hut and 12 Inch who over the years provided a spot for myself and everyone else in this area to come scoop the newest, freshest music. Thanks for keeping the doors open over the years through all the challenges that small businesses surely face in this city. But most of all, thanks for just being about the music and supporting the music community of DC. (I would be remiss to not give a shout to Capitol City Records which closed 2-3 years back and did a terrific job in cultivating the scene here as well.)

I'm also sorry that the business was not able to survive. I realize part of the reason they didn't survive is because cats like me didn't barely shop there in recent years, but that is what it is, just reality. Like I said, the game has changed. For some time I've been more inclined to shop and dig for more used than new music. But still, there is quality music being released in 2009, we just need to look for it sometimes, and this spot was one of the few places where you could find it.

Below is the official release issued from the DJ Hut staff at the beginning of April (looking at the date of this email, it's too bad it didn't come just a day earlier, things could be different.)



From: DJ Hut
Date: Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:15:05 -0400
Subject: We're Closing Down
DJ Hut friends and customers,

We have some sad and disappointing news to share with you. DJ Hut can no longer battle the dual headwind of the demise of the music retail industry and the economic downturn. As a result, we are forced to shut down the store and go strictly online at the end of April. Effective immediately, all vinyl records, CDs, DVDs and books will be liquidated at the rate of 20% off the regular price.

We would like to thank you for your support over the last 7 years at the store and we look forward to your continued support online.

Best,
DJ Hut Crew

Visit DJ Hut online/digital at http://mp3.djhut.com


Finally (you still with me?,) just to spread a little love and a little music, I'm putting up some of the last few joints I picked up (that's right, purchased...on vinyl no less) from DJ Hut. I love these songs, and I love that I'm able to share them when I spin out and in this forum too.

Maino - Be Me
Y Society - Never Off
Alicia Keys - No One (Curtis Lynch reggae mix)

Time for the interpolator...

or really just straight jacking for beats. But I’ve got no problem with it (why would I?), especially when the source material is this nice. I’ve come across this tune a bunch of times recently so I figured I’d put the pieces together and put it out there a bit.

The names Holland and Dozier are attached to the original tune from Dionne Warwick’s 1973 album Just Being Myself. If you’re a Motown head, that probably means something to you. Not much to say about this music, except that I’m glad to have it in my collection. To know that these cats created this 35 years ago is crazy to me. Those dudes were on something else. Jay Dee, Just Blaze and Holland and Dozier all on a same plane seems to make sense too.

Also included below is part of a live performance from J Laine and the Players, with MC Grap Luva from Subsoniq’s broadcast of Dilla Day on XM Radio a while back…dope to check in a live environment. And props to Norman Rexwell for putting me on to the original track.

Dilla / Dionne / Usher / Subsoniq
Dilla – Stop! (Stones Throw)
Dionne Warwick – You’re Gonna Need Me (Warner/Spy)
Usher – Throwback (LaFace/Jive)
J Laine + The Players feat. Alison Carney (Subsoniq/XM)