Gots to be the sureshot
In the tradition of my mix CDs paying tribute to DJ Quik, R. Kelly and Too $hort (the latter with DJ Eleven), here is a mix devoted to the kings of New York boom bap, Gang Starr:
To stream the mix, click here.
To download the mix as a single, continuous track, click here.
To download the mix broken into individual tracks, click here. (new link)
1. Intro
2. You Know My Steez
3. Just to Get a Rep
4. Mass Appeal
5. Step in the Arena
6. Now You're Mine
7. The Militia feat. Freddie Foxxx
8. B.Y.S.
9. Take It Personal
10. The ? Remainz
11. Full Clip
12. DWYCK feat. Nice & Smooth
13. Who's Gonna Take the Weight?
14. Jazz Thing
15. Soliloquy of Chaos
16. Check the Technique
17. Credit Is Due
18. Speak Ya Clout feat. Jeru the Damaja & Lil Dap
19. It'z a Setup feat. Hannibal
20. Words I Manifest (Remix)
21. 2 Deep
22. The Place Where We Dwell
23. Suckas Need Bodyguards
24. Flip the Script
25. What You Want This Time?
26. Love Sick
27. Ex Girl to Next Girl
28. The Planet
29. Make 'em Pay
30. Execution of a Chump
31. DJ Premier Is In Deep Concentration
32. Take Two & Pass
33. Gotta Get Over (Taking Loot)
34. Rite Where You Stand feat. Jadakiss
35. I'm the Man feat. Lil Dap & Jeru the Damaja
36. Code of the Streets
37. Tonz 'o' Gunz
38. Next Time
Gang Starr is one of my favorite acts from the 1990s. There is no rap group I listened to more in that era, although De La Soul, Outkast & A Tribe Called Quest all run pretty much neck and neck.
Still, in recent years I haven't listened to Gang Starr much. Maybe it's because they haven't released any new music since 2003. Maybe it's because in the last decade the school of hardcore hip hop that they defined stagnated and played out so hard.
For me, this mix was about rediscovery. It grew out of an episode of 2 Busy Saying Yeah from a few weeks ago; after reading about Guru’s health troubles, I devoted a 2-hour episode to Gang Starr's music. It was my first time mixing a lot of the songs in years and it felt so good, so natural, that I knew I had to turn it into tape along the lines of my previous tributes to $hort, Kells, etc.
Unlike those mixes, which I struggled with for weeks and months each, this was a breeze. I spent an afternoon figuring out the track list, recorded the mix live one evening and then spent a few days puttering with the multi-track to clean it up, add drops and get it down to CD length.
I drew tracks from all six of Gang Starr's albums, and each is represented more or less in proportion to how much I like it: 1992's Daily Operation tops them all with 9 selections, although 1990's Step in the Arena, 1994's Hard to Earn and 1998's Moment of Truth all feature prominently with 7, 6 and 5 tracks, respectively. The first and last albums got kind of short shrift, although there were more songs I would have included from each if I hadn’t run out of space. They have one of the strongest catalogs in rap music and there were a lot of additional songs, verses and scratch parts I wish I could have included.
Big thanks to my man XJ, who laced the cover, and my main man DJ Eleven on quality control.
To stream the mix, click here.
To download the mix as a single, continuous track, click here.
To download the mix broken into individual tracks, click here. (new link)
1. Intro
2. You Know My Steez
3. Just to Get a Rep
4. Mass Appeal
5. Step in the Arena
6. Now You're Mine
7. The Militia feat. Freddie Foxxx
8. B.Y.S.
9. Take It Personal
10. The ? Remainz
11. Full Clip
12. DWYCK feat. Nice & Smooth
13. Who's Gonna Take the Weight?
14. Jazz Thing
15. Soliloquy of Chaos
16. Check the Technique
17. Credit Is Due
18. Speak Ya Clout feat. Jeru the Damaja & Lil Dap
19. It'z a Setup feat. Hannibal
20. Words I Manifest (Remix)
21. 2 Deep
22. The Place Where We Dwell
23. Suckas Need Bodyguards
24. Flip the Script
25. What You Want This Time?
26. Love Sick
27. Ex Girl to Next Girl
28. The Planet
29. Make 'em Pay
30. Execution of a Chump
31. DJ Premier Is In Deep Concentration
32. Take Two & Pass
33. Gotta Get Over (Taking Loot)
34. Rite Where You Stand feat. Jadakiss
35. I'm the Man feat. Lil Dap & Jeru the Damaja
36. Code of the Streets
37. Tonz 'o' Gunz
38. Next Time
Gang Starr is one of my favorite acts from the 1990s. There is no rap group I listened to more in that era, although De La Soul, Outkast & A Tribe Called Quest all run pretty much neck and neck.
Still, in recent years I haven't listened to Gang Starr much. Maybe it's because they haven't released any new music since 2003. Maybe it's because in the last decade the school of hardcore hip hop that they defined stagnated and played out so hard.
For me, this mix was about rediscovery. It grew out of an episode of 2 Busy Saying Yeah from a few weeks ago; after reading about Guru’s health troubles, I devoted a 2-hour episode to Gang Starr's music. It was my first time mixing a lot of the songs in years and it felt so good, so natural, that I knew I had to turn it into tape along the lines of my previous tributes to $hort, Kells, etc.
Unlike those mixes, which I struggled with for weeks and months each, this was a breeze. I spent an afternoon figuring out the track list, recorded the mix live one evening and then spent a few days puttering with the multi-track to clean it up, add drops and get it down to CD length.
I drew tracks from all six of Gang Starr's albums, and each is represented more or less in proportion to how much I like it: 1992's Daily Operation tops them all with 9 selections, although 1990's Step in the Arena, 1994's Hard to Earn and 1998's Moment of Truth all feature prominently with 7, 6 and 5 tracks, respectively. The first and last albums got kind of short shrift, although there were more songs I would have included from each if I hadn’t run out of space. They have one of the strongest catalogs in rap music and there were a lot of additional songs, verses and scratch parts I wish I could have included.
Big thanks to my man XJ, who laced the cover, and my main man DJ Eleven on quality control.
posted by Matthew at
10:19 AM
23 Comments:
Matthew: Can't wait to listen. In regards to the ease of putting this mix together, all I can say is that back when I was still making hip-hop tapes (late '90s, early '00s), I loved mixing Primo-produced joints because they almost all blended together easily. In many cases, he was using either the same drum patterns or the exact same drums.
I concur, I have a strong intuition this is gonna be off the chain. I hope Guru is doing all right, haven't heard much update on his health situation...
Thanks, guys!
Oliver,
(dusting off my Mixtification and Incognitos cassettes...)
I think the consistency of Primo's aesthetic probably simplified some of the technical stuff but this one also flowed more easily because I had such a different relationship to the music.
Whereas the previous mixes were about exploring the catalogs of artists I had tuned out for too long, this one focused on a group whose music I had known intimately for years. As a result, it felt like all of the things I normally wrestle with-- selection, sequencing and pacing-- took care of themselves.
-m
What can I add here: Word!
All time fave!
Thanks for the mix!
Yep, agree totally with all what you said there. They were one of the best that did it definitely - and a a 2 man group - I can only really think of Outkast & Eric B & Rakim who i would put in the same company. Good work Matthew!
Matthew,
First off, hi! It's been a minute. Now, about this mix....
I feel the same you do about G-A-N-G to the Starr, son, although I suspect it has more to do with hearing DWYCK 1000 times than with their silence since 2003. Still, they have so many undeniably classic joints, almost all of which are represented here. You made today's commute so much better--thanks for this!
what, no "The Mall"?!?!
O.H.,
Ah ha ha! I knew I forgot something.
Dope mix. I would say from 92-95 Premier was unfuckwitable.
Yo Matthew thanks for the Gangstarr Mix! It's been on steady rotation since yesterday! These cuts bring back a lot of good Hip Hop memories from the 90s. "2deep" one of my favorite Gangstarr cuts of all time.
Finally had a chance to listen, Matt. Besides the obvious consistency of Primo's aesthetic, I think this flows because you're a fan who happens to be a solid DJ as well. Or at least it comes off as that. Totally love it, thanks duder.
I've not listened to this yet but I know this will deliver. I've put it on my little blog - hope you don't mind: http://toiletries.wordpress.com/2010/03/18/dj-matthew-africa-best-of-gang-starr-mix/
Matt A - It's you Boy Swahili - Love the Mix - Keep hitting them Son.
Great mix! Been on HEAVY rotation this past week. only thing i might mention is that (on the separate tracks version) "Jazz Thing" is missing. In its place, "Solilioquy" plays twice.
otherwise. carry on. keep rockin my friend
Shump, thanks for pointing that out!
I can't believe I let that get by me, but it's fixed now-- there's a new link to a version with "Jazz Thing" in its proper place.
-m
just realized that the same thing happens with "Love Sick" and "Ex Girl"
Shump, in the newest version, that is fixed, too.
Lesson learned, I will never try to multi-task while assembling a mix again!
no worries
just glad you put this great mix together and shared it with us!
thanks for the fix.
Well done, man. Well done. A great tribute.
R.I.P. Guru - lets remember him for the great music he and preemo have given us over the years. Great mix Matthew.
Good look on this mix. You nailed all the underappreciated ones, from B.Y.S. to Check the Technique ... AND you did it in iTunes nerd form, providing the mix with separate tracks, art work and the years and composer filled in.
Can't tell you how many hours of my life I've spent filling that stuff in. Good look.
Thanks Matthew. Sad that it has become a tribute, but a great mix of some favorites.
Thanks for putting this together Matthew. The Step In The Arena album changed my life forever, I remember I dubbed it over my Bar Mitzvah practice cassette, I still got it too. True kings, nuff said.
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