DJ Matthew Africa - I Wish You Would

Cook's classics

2010-03-03T15:01:00.000-08:00

Stones Throw just announced they're releasing an album of music by Tony Cook, who was responsible for my favorite track from BBE's American Boogie Down compilation and this proto-house classic:

Tony Cook: "On the Floor (Rock-It)" (Full Moon, 1984)

I knew Cook had produced a handful of dance records in the 1980s but had no idea he had also been a drummer with James Brown during the late 1970s and 1980s. Apparently Stones Throw has access to multi-tracks with lots of unreleased mixes and songs. Hopefully, some of them are stronger than the lead single.

Alright

2010-03-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

I wrote about DJ Burn One & All Star a/k/a Starlito not that long ago, but then I got obsessed with this song:

Starlito: "Alright" (Bleu, 2010)

"Alright" is featured on Starlito's newest release, Renaissance Gangster, which you can buy here. I did. I recommend you do, too.

All 11 songs were produced by DJ Burn One and though not every beat fits Starlito as perfectly as "Alright", many come close. I love how Starlito's flow has evolved into a style of rapping so low-key and conversational it's almost not rapping, much like late-period Mac Dre.

Related stuff:

Kalefa Sanneh's 2008 NYT piece on Starlito's stalled career is poignant for at least two reasons.

Kid Slizzard on the complete saga of Triggerman vs. Bugs Can Can.

Lou Bond just wants a little Toyota or something.

Meanwhile...

2010-02-18T11:51:00.001-08:00

Casual's one of my favorite Oakland rappers. He hasn't put out an album since 2005, but lately he's stayed busy with YouTube videos.

His recent clips are all lo-fi flip-cam things. In some, he raps. In some, he studies Egyptology. In a couple, he does both.

Although my eyes and ears kinda glaze over when he gets into a lot of the Kemetic stuff, I find it charming somehow-- I guess I'm interested in the fact that he's interested in the stuff. It's cool to see a gifted rapper who's on some totally different shit from every other rapper out.

Here's a sampling of some of my favorites.

Rapping over Three 6 Mafia's "Ridin' Spinners":

With weights, guns and subtitled commentary:

Nothing but a song, but I really like the song, "N.A.G.A.S.":

You can grab this and a few other recent songs in a zip file of songs that Casual tweeted last week.

Rocking kufis, rapping about the Town, filming the cops filming him:

Rapping over crazy 8-bit beats:

Driving, punchlines:

Ancient Egyptian vocab:

Favorite line: "But I don't really know how to say that, though."

Watching all the clips inspired me to rip Casual's cassette-only Meanwhile... album. This is one of my favorite songs from that. I'm guessing on the title.

Casual: "It Don't Matter" (Hiero Imperium, 1997)

2 Busy Saying Yeah - Why you gotta keep bringing up old hits?

2010-02-11T17:07:00.001-08:00

In this episode I play and talk about some of my favorite songs that got reissued in 2009. The bulk of it is soul and funk, although there's also disco, psych, gospel, rap and weird foreign hybrids of many of the aforementioned styles.

Most of the selections are from releases that are legitimately licensed and carefully assembled, with proper mastering, handsome packaging and thoughtful annotations. I have a lot of respect for those who take the time and effort to do it right. I hope you support them so that they can continue the work that they do.

2 Busy Saying Yeah 16: Why You Gotta Keep Bringing Up Old...

Matthew Africa's Podcast

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1. Man: “And In the Beginning” Revelation
2. Little Francisco Greaves: “Moving-Grooving” V/A - Panamá! 3: Calypso Panameño, Guajira Jazz & Cúmbia Típica on the Isthmus 1960-75
3. The Blue Rhythm Combo: “Take the Funky Feeling” V/A - Tropical Funk Experience
4. Kukumbas: “Respect” V/A - Psych Funk 101
5. Chocolate Snow: “Inflation” V/A - Eccentric Soul: Smart's Palace
6. Lyman Woodard Organization: “On Your Mind” Saturday Night Special
7. Nite-Liters: “Valdez In the Country” A-Nal-Y-Sis
8. Demon Fuzz: “Disillusioned” Afreaka!
9. The Pretty Things: “You Might Even Say” Philippe Debarge
10. P.E. Hewitt Jazz Ensemble: “Bada Que Bash” V/A - Spiritual Jazz - Esoteric, Modal + Deep Jazz From the Underground 1968-77
11. Lizzy Mercier Descloux: “Hard-Boiled Babe” V/A - Ze 30 - Ze Records Story 1979-2009
12. Gichy Dan's Beachwood No. 9: “On a Day Like Today” (Todd Terje's Friendly Children Edit) V/A - ZEVolution: ZE Records Re-Edited
13. Chemise: “She Can't Love You” V/A - DJ Spinna Presents the Boogie Back: Post Disco Club Jams
14. Cubie Burke: “Down For Double” [JM After-Session M&M Mix] V/A - John Morales - The M&M Mixes
15. Herman's Rocket: “Hanged in the Universe” V/A - Jean-Pierre Massiera - Psychoses Discoïd (1976-1981)
16. Chorus Reverendus: “Dans Son Euphorie” V/A - Wizzz! Psychorama Français 1966-70
17. Apostles of Music: “Wade In the Water” V/A - Local Customs: Downriver Revival
18. The Metros: “Since I Found My Baby” Sweetest One
19. Willie Hutch: “A Love That's Worth Havin'” Soul Portrait
20. Ronnie McNeir: “In Summertime” Ronnie McNeir
21. Andrew Brown: “You Made Me Suffer” V/A - Light: On the South Side
22. Sugar Pie DeSanto: “Use What You Got” V/A - Go Go Power • The Complete Chess Singles 1961-1966
23. The Daughters of Eve: “Help Me Boy” V/A - 2131 South Michigan Avenue: 60s Garage & Psychedelia From U.S.A. & Destination Records
24. Brigitte Fontaine: “Il Pleut“ V/A - Dirty French Psychedelics
25. 24-Carat Black: “I Want to Make Up” Gone: The Promises of Yesterday
26. Sensational Saints: “How Great Thou Art” V/A - Forge Your Own Chains
27. Amazing Farmer Singers of Chicago: “I Got a Telephone In My Bosom” V/A - Fire In My Bones: Raw Rare + Otherworldly African-American Gospel (1944-2007)
28. The Relatives: “Don't Let Me Fall” Don't Let Me Fall
29. John Heartsman & Circles: “Up From Down” Music of My Heart
30. Azambuja & CIA: “Tema De Azambuja” V/A - Black Rio 2: Original Samba Soul 1968-1981
31. Tafo: “Karye Pyar” feat. Nahid Akhtar V/A - The Sound of Wonder!
32. The Animated Egg: “Sock It My Way” Guitar Freakout
33. Natural Elements: “Tri-Boro” 1999
34. Sport "G" & Mastermind: “Live” V/A - Random Rap
35. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou: “Koutoulié” The Vodoun Effect - Funk & Sato From Benin's Obscure Labels 1972-1975

Chairman wow

2010-01-31T13:00:00.000-08:00

I don't generally spend much time listening to other DJs' mixes or radio shows because they cut into the time I have to seek out new music. When I make exceptions, they're for stuff friends have done or mixes which I think can turn me on to something I want to know.

Chairman Mao's monthly radio shows for Spine Magazine, the Spine Blowing Decisions series, are both. In case his reputation doesn't precede him, Mao is a longtime NYC DJ and rap writer whose knowledge is as deep as his taste is good. His shows focus on obscure soul, funk and disco and usually have a theme or style (e.g., disco raps, Halloween music, tortured ballads). They always include at least a handful of things I wish I knew or had forgotten about and am delighted to be reminded of. His dry, occasional voiceovers are a nice touch, too.

This week I finally got around to listening to Mao's December show and it really knocked me out. The episode centers on late 70s/early 80s sounds: disco, modern soul, boogie, funk and the selections are uniformly great. There were songs I hadn't heard in too long, songs I'd never heard before but instantly wanted to hear again and even some songs I'd been saving to build mixes of my own around (damn you, Mao!). It's the best collection of soul sounds I've listened to in a long time.

There's no track listing per se, but Mao scatters some clues throughout the mix and also his blog features scans of some of the songs he included, like the following:

(One track that's not pictured is the Gospel Soul Revivals' awesome Slave knockoff, "If Jesus Came Today". The track is featured on the Numero Group's new and wonderful Good God! Born Again Funk, which came out Tuesday and which I can't recommend highly enough.)

But uh, back to the lecture at hand. Spine Magazine doesn't host older shows and the episode of Spine Blowing Decisions is no longer available from Spine's site, so with Mao's permission, I've uploaded the show:

Chairman Mao: "Spine Blowing Decisions 18" (2009)

(Spine dudes, if this is a problem, get at me and the links will be gone.)

Win your love

2010-01-29T18:18:00.002-08:00

Billy Jones: "Win Your Love" (Blue Elephant, 1974)

Billy Jones was an American singer who lived and recorded in the Netherlands, first as a member of Oscar Harris & the Twinkle Stars and later solo. I pulled out his Birds of the Sea album intending to rip one track and ended up getting sucked into the whole thing-- it's really good front to back. There's some more info about Jones and other artists from the Netherlands's surprisingly fertile soul scene here.

So ruff, so tuff

2010-01-27T17:00:00.001-08:00

I just got around to listening all the way through the homie DJ B.Cause's tribute to Roger Troutman, Playin' Kinda Ruff: The Troutman Legacy and it's a really enjoyable listen.

Although I know and love most of Roger and Zapp's hits, for whatever reason I never listened to much beyond the first 2-3 LPs. Josh's mix draws together all of the much-played, much-sampled classics, some of the rap songs that stem from them and a whole lot of other stuff you probably haven't heard, from pre-fame recordings with the Human Body to oddball collaborations from the 90s. Josh is an incredibly skilled DJ and knows his way around a multi-track, so he's able to make all kinds of transitions that I would never attempt sound smooth and natural.

There's a full track listing and instructions for ordering physical copies of the CD at Josh's blog. You can also download the mix for free here.

Speaking of Roger, a recent Soulstrut post reminded me of this, which is one of my favorite performances by him:

Vontel: "4 My Homiez" feat. Roger Troutman (Fo' Life, 1998)

Vontel's an Arizona rapper. The album this is drawn from was partly produced by Battlecat, but this track was produced by Dre LeSean and Robert "The Professor" Anderson. Troutman's ad-libs are gorgeous.

Oldd rapps

2010-01-26T17:23:00.000-08:00

King Monkey: "Badd Mann Dann Rapp" (Ala, 1980)

King Monkey: "King Monkey Rapp" (Ala, 1980)

This is not a great record, but it's an important one-- I'm fairly certain it was the very first rap record from the West Coast. Both tracks are traditional toasts dressed up with a little blues/funk backing. It's really derivative of the style of Rudy Ray Moore, who recorded a lot of traditional toasts, sometimes also with a beat. I'd be curious to know if Too $hort heard this, since it anticipates both his nasty subject matter and his spelling, although not his musical or lyrical style.

Given the way pop culture seems to constantly get more vulgar, I'm always a little surprised when I hear nasty lyrics that predate $hort, 2 Live Crew, etc. I guess songs like that were always being written and performed, if not necessarily circulated in the mainstream.

This recording, from 1964, has some of the filthiest, most vicious lyrics I've ever heard:

Henry: "Pimpin' Sam" (Rounder, 1964)

The recording comes from an album called Get Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me!: Narrative Poetry from Black Oral Tradition, which was compiled by Bruce Jackson as a companion to his 1974 book of the same name. Most of the recordings were made in Texas state prisons; this one is credited only to a man named Henry on the Ramsey, Texas prison farm. The last minute or so gives me chills; it's colder than even anything Suga Free ever recorded.

Real sounds

2010-01-25T17:44:00.000-08:00

Last month Chairman Mao posted a teaser that had me lusting for BBE's The Real Sound of Chicago comp. It's finally in stores, so I snatched it up.

The Real Sound of Chicago is a 2-CD collection of disco and boogie tracks compiled by the two guys who run Chicago's Peabody's Records, which I'm told is a great store. Their selections are all really obscure and rare; several are great to boot. The comp is a little frustrating because the liner notes are uninformative and (as is too often the case with BBE releases) completely illegible, but it's worth copping if only for Martin L. Dumas, Jr.'s insanely great "Sun Goddess" rip-off.

Kinda in the same vein but not remotely as rare as anything on The Real Sound of Chicago, I thought I might as well throw this up:

Heaven & Earth: "I Really Love You" (WMOT, 1981)

Heaven & Earth were also from Chicago, although I think this may have been cut in Philly because it features PIR ace Dexter Wansel.

I don't generally mess around with a song this great, but I've edited this track ever so slightly. It's a small thing, but the original version comes in with a fill that confuses the shit out of me every time I try to play the song. I snipped it off. This is still a little tricky because it comes in on the 3 but to me it's way more comprehensible.

Willie Mitchell tribute mix

2010-01-22T14:58:00.001-08:00

Willie Mitchell passed away earlier this month. He produced some of the greatest soul music ever made, so this week's show collects 45 of my favorites, including some big hits from Al Green and Ann Peebles, as well as great music from a handful of lesser-knowns.

It's tough to talk about Mitchell without talking about Al Green, the artist Mitchell worked the most with and had his greatest success with. Green's gift is so overwhelming and his vocal identity is so established that it's easy to overlook Mitchell's role in shaping it. But to hear Green's work prior to recording with Mitchell, or even to hear their early recordings before Mitchell crafted Green's signature style, and to compare it with his mature style is to understand exactly how important a producer can be.

Mitchell plucked Green from relative obscurity, brought him to Memphis and recorded him for almost two years before they hit upon Green's sound. Early singles, like "Back Up Train", "Gotta Find a New World" or "All Because", show Green to be a better than average soul singer—strong, gritty, agile—but offer no clue as to how sinuous or graceful Green's vocals could be. It took two albums and a dartboard approach to find out what worked and apparently even Hi Records didn't recognize it at first; Green's breakthrough, "Tired of Being Alone", wasn't the first single from Green's second album with Mitchell, Al Green Gets Next to You, it was the fourth.

Once Mitchell hit upon a formula for Green, he worked subtle variations on a style that paired lush strings and jazzy chords with a restrained, lightly earthy backbeat. It was a perfect setting for Green’s music and their run of albums from I'm Still in Love With You to Livin' for You is almost flawless.

Mitchell’s touch was also evident in a host of other records he cut at Hi Records’ Memphis studio, both for Hi mainstays like O.V. Wright and Ann Peebles and for out-of-towners like the Detroit Emeralds and Denise LaSalle. Mitchell was not just a producer, he was an engineer, too, and the sound he coaxed from the room and from Hi’s band is instantly identifiable. Signature elements stamp all of these productions, like the wheeze of Charlie Hodges’s organ, the full, slightly tame sound of the Memphis Horns and especially the bone-dry snap of a snare drum, whether played by Al Jackson, Jr. or Howard Grimes.

The other acts Mitchell produced may have been less successful than Al Green, but many made remarkable music. When their songs were up to snuff, O.V. Wright, Syl Johnson and Ann Peebles all regularly made music that was nearly on Green’s level. Soul journeymen like the Masqueraders and George Jackson cut some of their best material with Mitchell, too.

I’ve tried to capture some of the breadth of Mitchell’s work in my mix. It’s not really his greatest hits (that would have required too much Al Green) or a selection of songs that have been popularized by sampling (though many were) and Mitchell’s work as a trumpeter and bandleader gets really short shrift (truth be told, I really dislike the music he made under his own name). I chose my favorites and tried to shape them into a mix that would function as an introduction or a celebration of his incredible body of productions. Enjoy.

Episode 15 - Willie Mitchell tribute mix

Matthew Africa's Podcast

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1. Al Green: Love & Happiness
2. Al Green: Love Ritual (Remix)
3. Ann Peebles: Somebody's On Your Case
4. O.V. Wright: Ace of Spades
5. Syl Johnson: The Love You Left Behind
6. Ann Peebles: It's Your Thing
7. O.V. Wright: A Nickel & a Nail
8. Willie Mitchell: Groovin'
9. Al Green: So You're Leaving
10. Al Green: Tired of Being Alone
11. Al Green: Let's Stay Together
12. Ann Peebles: I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down
13. Al Green: Call Me
14. Al Green: Your Love Is the Morning Sun
15. George Jackson: Aretha, Sing One For Me
16. Jean Plum: Here I Go Again
17. Syl Johnson: Anyway the Wind Blows
18. Ann Peebles: I Can't Stand the Rain
19. The Detroit Emeralds: Baby Let Me Take You In My Arms
20. Al Green: I'm a Ram
21. O.V. Wright: Are You Going Where I'm Coming From
22. Ann Peebles: Run, Run, Run
23. O.V. Wright: I'd Rather Be Blind, Cripple & Crazy
24. Ann Peebles: Trouble, Heartaches & Sadness
25. Al Green: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
26. Al Green: I'm Glad You're Mine
27. Al Green: What a Wonderful Thing Love Is
28. O.V. Wright: Let's Straighten It Out
29. The Masqueraders: Let the Love Bells Ring
30. Al Green: La La For You
31. Syl Johnson: Steppin' Out
32. Syl Johnson: I Hate I Walked Away
33. Syl Johnson: Could It Be I'm Falling In Love
34. Al Green: I Wish You Were Here
35. Al Green: Simply Beautiful
36. Erma Coffee: You Made Me What I Am
37. George Jackson: Let Them Know You Care
38. Al Green: Something
39. Al Green: Strong As Death (Sweet As Love)
40. Syl Johnson: Wind Blow Her Back My Way
41. Betty Everett: Just a Matter of Time
42. Teacher's Edition: Sleepy People
43. Al Green: Jesus Is Waiting
44. Syl Johnson: It Ain't Easy
45. Ann Peebles: I Still Love You

If there's interest, I might break the mix into individual tracks and upload them as a .zip, but it's kinda a lot of work, so we'll see.

Statistical shits and giggles:

Number of songs by Al Green: 17
Number of songs by Syl Johnson: 7
Number of songs by Ann Peebles: 6
Number of songs by O.V. Wright: 5
Number of songs by George Jackson: 2
Number of songs by none of the above: 8

2 Busy Saying Yeah - new rap music 3!

2010-01-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

Since my last new rap show back in November there's been a slew of major rap albums released, as well as some great indie and mixtape stuff. I've sifted through as much as I could find time to listen to and gathered some gems.

It's a diverse selection of songs, covering Oakland, Alabama, Tennessee, New York, Louisiana, Houston, Atlanta, D.C., Virginia Beach and other places, and featuring everyone from buzz favorites to past-their-sell-date superstars. A disproportionate share of the music comes from Huntsville, Alabama, but that's just because they've been making a disproportionate amount of great rap music. Enjoy.

Episode 14 - New Rap Music 3!

Matthew Africa's Podcast

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1. Yelawolf: Box Chevy Pt. 3 feat. Rittz
2. Juicy J & Project Pat: Ike Turner Pimpin' feat. Slim Thug & New Generation
3. MJG: Dope Track
4. Webbie: Money Getting Taller feat. Pimp C & Lil Phat
5. G-Side: This Is Life
6. DJ Paul: Hi Way (I'm Gone)
7. Mia X: Grown Woman Shit
8. R. Kelly: Put Some Money On It feat. Rick Ross
9. Whitefolkz: Take a Picture
10. Wyld Money: G-Spot (Remix) feat. Gucci Mane
11. Korleon: Ray Charles feat. Bohagon
12. Mac Shawn: And You Do Know That
13. Drag-On: Money feat. Neo Da Matrix
14. Proton: Fuck the Economy
15. T-Boz: Get It Get It feat. Yung Joc & Too $hort
16. Tabi Bonney: Duhh
17. Souls of Mischief: Fourmation
18. Mos Def: 24 Hour Karate School
19. Kanye West: I'm So Appalled
20. Freeway & Jake One: Know What I Mean
21. G-Mane: 5th Wheel feat. Spyda, PT & Bentley
22. Z-Ro: Bottom to the Top feat. Mike D
23. RapTite: That's My Shit
24. J. Stalin: Pot of Gold feat. Mistah FAB & Kaz Kyzah
25. Messy Marv & DJ Fresh: In My Bloodline feat. J-Stalin, D-Lo & J-Mo
26. The Knux: Fuck You
27. Josie Stingray: Gotta Get It
28. Natural Elements: Off Beat Bop
29. Clipse: Counseling feat. Nicole Hurst
30. Jay Electronica: Glass Everywhere (Act I Encore)
31. Redman: Coc Back
32. OJ Da Juiceman: Frank Sinatra
33. Lil Jon: All the Way Crunked Up feat. Pastor Troy & Waka Flocka
34. Project Pat: Burglar Bars feat. OJ Da Juiceman
35. Cam'ron: Ooh Baby feat. Vado
36. 50 Cent: Strong Enough
37. Black C: Stay With Me feat. Hermanata
38. Betta Half: Cruisen
39. G-Side: In the Rain feat. Bentley
40. L.E.$.: Sittin' Low
41. Starlito: Magic Carpet Ride
42. Dude 'N Nem: McDonalds

Statistical shits & giggles

Songs by artists who were more popular in the 1990s: 12
Songs from the Bay: 6
Songs from New York: 6
Songs from Huntsville: 5
Songs from Atlanta: 5
Songs from Memphis: 4
Songs ripped from videos: 3
Songs by artists from New Orleans who don't sound like they're from New Orleans: 2
Songs featuring artists who were platinum in the 1980s: 1

There's nothing there to hold you back

2009-12-31T12:57:00.000-08:00

This song is so great that it almost makes me wish decades were shorter:

Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson: "Corners" (Arista, 1980)

Back to burn one

2009-12-30T23:00:00.001-08:00

I spent part of the morning checking out Starlito a/k/a All Star's latest free album, the really enjoyable I Still Love You: Live from the Back of the Class. (Download here.)

I like Starlito's sleepy flow, he's a good lyricist and he chooses beats well. It's just good rap music.

The album was assembled by Atlanta's DJ Burn One, who runs the excellent BLVD ST blog, which rides about as hard as anybody for country rap tunes. Burn One has put together a number of great unmixed artist mixtapes this year, like KD's Soul Inn and G-Mane's Sunday on Da Porch and Smoke Some Kill.

He has also has made some of my favorite beats this year under his production alias, Mick Vegas, producing for rappers like G-Side, KD, Pill and P.Dukes. A lot of his productions are sample-based and sound pretty simple, but he chooses great loops and hooks them up well-- they frequently send me running over to my record room to track down a song I haven't listened to in way too long.

Case in point, this one from G-Mane's recent Sunday on Da Porch, which was entirely produced by Mick Vegas:

G-Mane: "Light Up" (2009)

I recognized the Hi Records snare sound but couldn't remember who the artist was, which gave me a great excuse to revisit some records from Ann Peebles, O.V. Wright, etc. until I heard what I was looking for:

Syl Johnson: "Steppin' Out" (Hi, 1975)

BTW, I'm super-juiced for the Numero Group's forthcoming 4-CD/6-LP anthology of Syl Johnson's 1959-1972 output. Apparently they've got 20 unreleased songs and I trust the booklet, packaging, etc. will be up to their usual, stellar standards.

Good combinations

2009-12-22T22:14:00.000-08:00

While I was out Xmas shopping for my girl's nieces and nephews, I snatched up a present for myself, Cohen Morano's The Rest Is Up to You.

Cohen is a third-grader who likes to paint water colors. His father is Aye Jay Morano, the artist/wiseass who brought you the Gangsta Rap Coloring Book, the Punk Rock Fun Time Activity Book, the Heavy Metal Fun Time Activity Book, the recent Country Music Fun Time Activity Book and this awesome cover:

(Still available for free download here and here!)

Anyhow, Aye Jay is a pretty well-connected guy and he started offering Cohen's watercolors to various art world friends for further embellishment--art stars like Shepard Fairey, Barry McGee, Frank Kozik, Matt Loomis, David Choe and lots more took Cohen's pictures and dressed them up with further layers of words, images, character, colors, etc.

A lot of the resulting pictures are pretty great but my favorite part is usually Cohen's interpretations of what the new pictures represent in the blurbs that accompany some of them. While these comments could easily succumb to cuteness or preciousness, many are perceptive and I find them endearing because they remind me a little bit of what it was like to be a kid and to constantly try and make sense of the world from whatever fragments of information drifted down to me.

To choose one more or less at random (i.e., I was able to scan this one in full without messing up the binding):

I take it that Cohen's orginal drawing is the colorful part; the remainder of the picture was contributed by Brent Rollins, who designed Ego Trip and too many great album covers to mention. Cohen's blurb beneath reads: "'Big up Cohen.' What does that mean? Respect? Respect Cohen? Hmmm... this one makes me think it is raining crayons. An umbrella is needed. Yeah, an umbrella. Just a regular umbrella is all that is needed. I am the person holding the umbrella-- I did not get damaged. I am the only one who has not gotten damaged yet." I hope he never does.

So, uh, not really the same thing, but sort of the same thing, The Rest Is Up to You got me thinking about songs where one artist has taken another person's music unaltered and just layered something new on top. These were the three that came to me off the bat:

Ice-T: "Soul On Ice" (Sire, 1988)

"Hustler's Convention" + "Harlem Buck Street Dance" = the best.

Ghostface Killah: "Holla" (Def Jam, 2004)

Ghostface Killah: "Big Girl" (Def Jam, 2006)

When I first heard that Ghost was releasing an R&B album, Wizard of Poetry, I was halfway hoping it would be along the lines of these.

Beauty's a ring of smoke

2009-12-21T22:14:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to put in a plug for a pair of free mixes my homeboy Phill Most a/k/a Phill Most Chill a/k/a the Soulman recently put out and, this, the shortest day of the year, feels like a good time for this wintry pair.

Phill's nice with the mic, the pen, the marker, beat machines and other stuff, but he's deservedly best known for his World of Beats tape series, which was among the first to mix rare beats and breaks. Throughout the 90s, Phill regularly dropped tapes featuring obscure original tracks sampled for recent rap hits alongside unknown gems. For many people, Phill's tapes were not just an introduction to the music their favorite songs were based on, they were a gateway to record digging.

Now, having said all that, I actually was never a huge fan of his World of Beats tapes. As much as I love a lot of the music he put on them and as much respect as I have for Phill as a digger and listener, I often found them a little choppy for my taste. Like the rap songs that popularized many of the records he mixed, Phill's tapes tended to focus on little four- or 8- or 16-bar sections-- drum breaks, basslines, loops-- and however hot these pieces were, I usually felt like they didn't stick with me the way songs do.

His two new tapes are a real departure in that respect. Each is a roughly hour-long collection of songs that are minimally mixed and flow naturally.

The first mix is devoted to psych, and it's largely made up of quiet, folk-ish tunes. Many are acoustic, many are female-fronted and quite a few are gorgeous. It's a great nighttime listen and it had me revisiting a few recent reissues that are in a similar style: Dirty French Psychedelics, Fuzzy Felt Folk and Folk Is Not a Four Letter Word and Folk Is Not a Four Letter Word 2. If you enjoy Phill's mix, all are really worth buying.

You can download Beautiful here.

The second mix is closer to traditional Soulman territory-- it's mainly made up of soul songs, although there's some jazz and a few other things in the mix, too. It's a little bit groovier than Beautiful but overall the tone is similar-- much of it is slow, pretty and reflective.

Come to Me Softly is here.

Lights in my window

2009-12-19T15:20:00.000-08:00

In this season of long, cold nights, various versions of "I'll Keep My Light in My Window" have been spending a lot of time on my turntable.

"I'll Keep My Light in My Window" was co-written and first performed by Leonard Caston, who had been a member of the 60s-era Chicago soul group the Radiants before joining Motown. There, he had his greatest success working with Eddie Kendricks; Caston co-produced Kendricks's biggest hit, "Keep On Truckin'" and co-wrote and co-produced the untoppable "Girl You Need a Change of Mind", among other things. Caston and his wife, Carolyn Majors, cut one LP, a self-titled flop that included their recording of "I'll Keep My Light in My Window".

The song was co-written by Terri McFaddin, who had collaborated with Caston on some songs for Kendricks and later went on to co-write Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots".

I don't know how the song became a staple; as far as I can tell, no version of the song ever charted. Nonetheless, it's been recorded many, many times, both by gospel artists (e.g., the Mighty Clouds of Joy, Shirley Caesar, etc.) and secular ones (Diana Ross, Eruption, etc.). Here are five of my favorite versions.

Caston & Majors: "I'll Keep My Light in My Window" (Motown, 1974)

This is the original version. I found the arrangement a little cluttered at first, but it's a grower.

Ben Vereen: "I'll Keep My Light in the Window" (Buddah, 1975)

This was the first version I heard, thanks to Chi Ali. I love the guitar part. This version was arranged by Tony Silvester from the Main Ingredient and the ubiquitous Bert "Super Charts" DeCoteaux.

The New York Community Choir: "I'll Keep My Light in My Window" (RCA, 1978)

The New York Community Choir was a group that included Phyllis Joubert and Benny Diggs; both made a bunch of great music that bridges the gap between the church and the disco. There are three versions of this recording: a truncated album version, a punched-up disco 12" version and this one, which is my favorite.

Free Life: "I'll Keep My Light in My Window" (Epic, 1978)

Free Life were protégés of Earth, Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey. Bailey co-produced their album and wrote or co-wrote several of their songs.

The Temptations: "I'll Keep My Light in My Window" (Gordy, 1984)

This was from of those eras where the Temptations were lacking not just in fashion sense but also in star power-- they had no Eddie Kendricks, no David Ruffin, no Dennis Edwards, not even a Damon Harris. Even so, their vocal and the arrangement are great.

Is this Christmas? 'Cause everybody's rapping.

2009-12-14T14:28:00.001-08:00

This week's 2 Busy Saying Yeah is a mix of 38 Christmas songs, mostly rap, but with some soul, too.

As a genre, Christmas releases tend toward the superficial, the exploitative, the quick cash-in, but they can be pretty entertaining. This week I play a lot of seasonal-themed crap and also some of my favorite Christmas songs.

The rap portion of the show (roughly the first 70 minutes) features a lot of stuff I enjoy because it is so clearly throwaway product-- strip-club songs dressed up with tinsel (the Ying Yang Twins x2!), Xmas trees flocked with filth (Jiggie Gee), perfunctory remakes (Jim Jones, H-Town) and stuff that's only connected to the holiday in the most arbitrary way (the Jacka & Husalah). In many of the songs, the disconnect is gleeful.

The latter half of the show features some more traditional holiday music. There are plenty more throwaways, many of which nonetheless hit a nerve, like the Miracles' gorgeous take on "Merry Gentlemen", Sun Ra's goofy doowop or James Brown's "Let's Unite the World at Christmas", a song that never fails to put me in a more benevolent mood.

Episode 13 - Holiday Special: A Very 2 Busy Saying Yeah Christmas

Matthew Africa's Podcast

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1. Run DMC: Christmas In Hollis
2. Jim Jones: Ballin' On Xmas
3. Ying Yang Twins: Deck Da Club
4. Hard Call Xmas: My Christmas Bells
5. B-Boy All Stars: B-Boy Christmas Shout Outs
6. Dana Dane: Dana Dane Is Coming to Town
7. C-Murder & Master P: Christmas In Da Ghetto
8. Kam: Holiday Madness
9. Poison Clan: Christmas Spliff
10. The Treacherous Three: Xmas Rap feat. Doug E. Fresh
11. Kurtis Blow: Christmas Rappin'
12. Super Jay: Santa's Rap Party
13. Jiggie Gee: Christmas Fuckin' Day
14. Juice Crew All Stars: Cold Chillin' Christmas feat. Big Daddy Kane, Roxanne Shante, MC Shan & Fly Ty
15. Sweet Tee: Let the Jingle Bells Rock
16. K-Nock: Where Dey At Yo! feat. 24-K
17. Snoop Dogg: How We Kick It On Christmas feat. Kokane
18. The Cold Crew: Rappin' Christmas
19. Audio Two: Christmas Rhymin’
20. Outkast: Player's Ball
21. Trick Daddy: Ain't No Santa
22. Ghostface Killah: Ghostface X-mas
23. Ying Yang Twins: Carol of Da Bellz
24. Snoop Doggy Dogg: Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto feat. Bad A$$, Daz, Nate Dogg & Tray Dee
25. The Jacka & Husalah: Halloween Christmas Gremlins
26. The Jackson 5: Christmas Won't Be the Same
27. Marvin Gaye: Purple Snowflakes
28. James Brown: I'm Your Christmas Friend, Don't Be Hungry
29. James Brown: Hey America
30. James Brown: Christmas Is Love
31. Chocolate Snow: Let Me Be Your Christmas Toy
32. The Emotions: What Do the Lonely Do at Christmas?
33. Lou Rawls: Christmas Will Really Be Christmas
34. Stevie Wonder: What Christmas Means to Me
35. Sun Ra: It's Christmas Time
36. James Brown: Let's Unite the World at Christmas
37. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
38. H-Town: Knockin’ Boots For Christmas

I'm kicking myself for forgetting to put this on:

Ice Cube: "Put It in Your Egg Nog" (St. Ides, 199?)

Rellies

2009-12-10T15:14:00.001-08:00

The Relatives were a Dallas, TX group that recorded some of the roughest and rawest soul music you'll ever hear.

They were led by a preacher, Reverend Gean West, and while many of their songs deal with religious themes, I can see them appealing to even those who don't appreciate religious music. Partly it's the fact that the lyrics are more concerned with suffering and personal desperation than praise or the after-life, but also the music, from heavy ballads to psychedelic funk, is just so forceful. A new reissue collecting all three of their 45s and a handful of unreleased 1971-1975 songs is available on vinyl and mp3 from the Heavy Light Records website, which has soundclips. I was sold after hearing "Don't Let Me Fall" but just about all of the others are great, too.

Here's a video clip of the Relatives performing a song that might be my least favorite track from the release but which is still pretty good:

N.E. finally

2009-12-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

Natural Elements is one of my favorite rap groups simply on the strength of a half-dozen mid- to late-90s 12"s and an EP. I was geeked to walk into the record store yesterday and see that after 15 years, they finally have a full-length album out:

1999 isn't their shelved Tommy Boy album, although it features many of the better tracks from it. It also features both sides of their Dolo single, their song from the Nervous comp, a great posse cut from a Mr. Voodoo 12" and a bunch of unreleased tracks. The credits say that everything was recorded in 1999, but a few of the tracks were released before then and a few sound like they might be more recent.

I hope it sells well enough that they release more material. There's a ton of great tracks Natural Elements did that still have never seen a legitimate CD or digital release, like the 2Face 12", Mr. Voodoo's 12"s, L-Swift's 12", the Fortress EP or this, which I would love to have a decent-sounding version of:

Here are a couple of rap covers that also would have made nice additions to 1999. I think the first was done as a promo for Stretch & Bobbito; although it has appeared on bootleg vinyl, every version I've heard sounds like a radio rip. The latter actually made it to a legit promo 12".

Natural Elements: "Knick Knack Patty Wack" (199?)

Natural Elements: "The Promo" (Tommy Boy, 1999)

How sweet

2009-12-08T23:16:00.001-08:00

Finally getting a chance to hear the new Kells album and kind of shocked to hear him sampling this:

Rhyze: "Just How Sweet Is Your Love" (Sam, 1980)

I'm pretty happy with what he did with it. Credit for choosing the sample probably goes to co-producer Jack Splash, who was in Plantlife and more recently has produced enjoyable retro-ish singles for Alicia Keys, Estelle and others. I tend to think of him along the same lines as Ryan Leslie or Will.I.Am-- undeniably talented producers who I admire when they're not trying to write lyrics, rap or sing.

Thankful 'n' thoughtful

2009-12-07T23:31:00.000-08:00

I'm really late in doing this but I've been meaning to offer big thanks to all who made my recent trip to NYC such a blast, including those who hosted me (Chairman Mao, mOma, Stimulus, Jared Boxx, Old Chris, Pablo & the rest of the Lost & Found crew, Radio Rios, Oskar Mann & the Never Not Working crew), those who passed through gigs (Amir, Jessica from Spectre, David Griffiths, Dave Tompkins, Mr. Finewine, Jonny Paychecks, Brian Coleman and everyone else) and, last and first, DJ Eleven, who is the most generous host and friend anyone could ask for.

I meant to key this post to Thanksgiving but got caught up actually celebrating Thanksgiving and then got sidetracked trying to find a copy of a record I was pretty sure I had stashed somewhere but evidently don't, Big Boe Melvin's version of "Thank You (Falletin' Me Be Mice Elf Agin)".

Anyhow, here's another version that's not really well-known. Aside from Sly's own remake, which on some days is my favorite song ever, this is about as close to good as covers of "Thank You" get:

Hermanos Carrion: "Rosita Mi Rosita" (Orfeon, 197?)

And while I'm messing with Sly, there's also this:

The Jury: "Thank You" (Culture Shock, 198?)

When I was in NYC I picked this 12" up at Big City Records because the b-side is hilarious, but this is kind of a grower. The beat and Kangol-inspired flow are kind of whatever but it got me thinking about rarely rap songs offer any kind of realistic perspective on romance and wondering if the genre is somehow just fundamentally not engineered to do that.

2 Busy Saying Yeah - Pimp C tribute mix

2009-12-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

December 4, 2007 was going to be about the best day ever: my lady and I had fancy reservations to celebrate our first 6 months together, I had gamed my Netflix queue to get the first 3 discs of Season 4 of The Wire in the mail and two of my favorite rappers had albums coming out (Ghostface's Fishscale and Scarface's Made).

That morning I turned on the computer and saw that Pimp C had died and it knocked me sideways. The news hit me harder than most rap deaths because it was so unexpected and it seemed so unfair.

I've been meaning to do some kind of tribute mix ever since. A few days after Pimp C passed, I devoted a full KALX show to his music, but due to technical constraints, time constraints and the goddamn FCC, it wasn't what I wanted it to be. This is.

This week's show is not a best of or a greatest hits, it's just a mix of some of my favorite songs featuring Pimp C. I spent a fair amount of time on sequencing but mixed it live, so pardon me if it's occasionally choppy. Also, to keep the mix short and maintain the focus I had to omit a ton of great verses by Bun B-- don't forget him.

Episode 12 - Pimp C Tribute Mix

Matthew Africa's Podcast

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Here's what's on the mix:

1. One Day (UGK)
2. Playaz from the South (UGK)
3. Suicide Doors (David Banner)
4. Like That (Remix) (UGK)
5. Pourin' Up (Pimp C)
6. Chunk Up the Deuce (Lil Keke)
7. Sippin' On Some Syrup (Three 6 Mafia)
8. The Game Belongs to Me (UGK)
9. Big Pimpin' (Jay-Z)
10. Gravy (UGK)
11. Something Good (UGK)
12. Pregnant Pussy (UGK)
13. I Left It Wet for You (UGK)
14. Use Me Up (UGK)
15. I'sa Playa feat. Bun B (Pimp C)
16. Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You) feat. Outkast (UGK)
17. What Means the World to You RMX feat. Trina (Cam’ron)
18. I'm In Love With a Stripper RMX feat. Paul Wall (T-Pain)
19. Cause I'm a Playa (Project Pat)
20. 3 in the Mornin feat. DJ Screw (UGK)
21. I'm So Bad (UGK)
22. Freaky Deaky (Willie D)
23. Swang (Trae)
24. It's Supposed to Bubble (UGK)
25. Ridin' Dirty (UGK)
26. Swishas & Erb (UGK)
27. Comin' Up (Pimp C)
28. Ain't That a Bitch feat. Devin the Dude (UGK)
29. Havin Thangs (Big Mike)
30. Havin' Thangs feat. Big Mike (Pimp C)
31. Let Me See It (UGK)
32. Dirty Money (UGK)
33. Da Game Been Good to Me (UGK)
34. Get Crunk (Crooked Lettaz)
35. Murder Man Dance (Spice 1)
36. A Thin Line (Pimp C)
37. Cocaine in the Back of the Ride (UGK)
38. Talkin Smart (Project Pat)
39. Front, Back & Side to Side (UGK)
40. Used to Be feat. E-40 & B Legit (UGK)
41. Fuck You (Lil Boosie)
42. Choppin' Blades (UGK)
43. Murder (UGK)
44. Pocket Full of Stones (Port Arthur Remix) (UGK)
45. Overstand Me (Pimp C)
46. Look at Me (UGK)
47. I Don't Owe U feat. Ronnie Spencer (918)
48. Akickdoe! (C-Murder)
49. Family Affair (UGK)
50. Holdin’ Na (UGK)
51. Knockin Doors Down (Pimp C)
52. Bumpin’ My Music feat. Project Pat (Ray Cash)
53. They Down With Us (Scarface)
54. Pinky Ring (UGK)
55. Heaven (UGK)
56. I Miss My Homies feat. Silkk the Shocker (Master P)

Back to funk, freak the funk, hype the funk, swipe the funk and all that junk

2009-11-30T23:42:00.001-08:00

Dr. Dre: "Puffin' On Blunts & Drankin' Tanqueray" (Death Row, 1993)

This long-unreleased video has been floating around for about a week but I'm still trying to process it.

I don't know which is most astonishing to me: that Dre looks even more awkward than his ad-libs sound, that Lady of Rage is wearing jeans at rib-height, that Daz waves around two different guns, that Kurupt looks to be about 15 or the possibility that a lot more stuff like this exists and might actually see a release. (Please, please let there be an unreleased DJ Quik album in better shape than the boot from a few years ago.)

The "Puffin' Blunts" beat always sounded to me like it was a built around an interpolation of this single, although who knows since this track was a little below the radar back then:

Robert Lowe: "Back to Funk" (Eastbound, 1974)

I've embedded the song but not posted a download link because the song is in print on Searching for Soul, the excellent Michigan soul and funk compilation that Scott Craig compiled for Luv 'n Haight a few years ago. The flip side is not commercially available, so you can have that one.

Robert Lowe: "Put Your Legs Up High" (Eastbound, 1974)

2 Busy Saying Yeah - new rap music 2!

2009-11-25T15:32:00.000-08:00

This week's 2 Busy Saying Yeah is a mix of 37 new songs that remind me why I love rap music-- an ATL ex-stripper goes ballistic, Huntsville does what it does, a few old favorites show they can still rip, 50 Cent and Plies drop songs I can't front on and I finally stop sleeping on Curren$y and play four of his songs. In short, just another week of 2 Busy Saying Yeah.

2 Busy Saying Yeah 11 - New Rap Music 2

2 Busy Saying Yeah/Matthew Africa

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1. DJ Benzi: Pop Them Thangs feat. Donnis
2. Brisco: Thinking to Myself feat. Lil Wayne
3. Curren$y: The Jets Son feat. Dee Low & Jean LaPhare
4. Young Dro: Don’t Know Y’all feat. Yung L.A.
5. Pill: Coastin’
6. All Star: Weed Smoker Music
7. WarrenJae: Sleep feat. Playboy Trae
8. Gucci Mane: Follow Me
9. Z-Ro: Rollin’ On Swangas feat. C-Ward
10. Freddie Gibbs: Iodine Poison
11. G-Side: I Remember
12. B.o.B: Paper Chase
13. Aisha Sekhmet: White Man’s Bitch
14. 50 Cent: So Disresepectful
15. Beanie Sigel: All For It
16. T.D.: Going Off 2009 feat. Peedi Crakk
17. Fashawn: Bo Jackson feat. Exile
18. DoDat: Hot Spitter
19. De La Soul: La La La
20. Phil Adé: Try Out
21. KD: Someday
22. Curren$y: 16 Switches
23. Hit Boy: Ahh Shyt feat. Chase N Cashe
24. Kurupt: Bacon & Eggs
25. A.P.B.: Betta Chick
26. Del the Funky Homosapien & Tame One: Special
27. G-Side: My Aura feat. PT of Untamed
28. GLC: Let the Pimpin Commence feat. Cory Mo & Mistah F.A.B.
29. Curren$y: The Seventies
30. Jay Electronica: Suckas
31. Sean Falyon: Wonderful Life feat. Playboy Tre & Scar
32. Sandman: Here & Now
33. Plies: The Letter
34. Natureboy Rowe: Thanking Thowed
35. Bentley: Where I’m Comin From
36. Fly Gypsy: 2 Step
37. Curren$y: Rapper Weed

Many of the songs on here are things I first heard on one or another of the rap blogs I check regularly-- Cocaine Blunts, Southern Hospitality, Fool's Gold's Rappin Ass Thursdays, Burn One's BLVD St., etc.-- so props to them.

So international

2009-11-24T22:57:00.000-08:00

After a great 8 days in NYC, I've been trying to catch up on life and soaking up G-Side's excellent, free new album, the Huntsville International Project.

G-Side is two rappers, ST 2 Lettaz and Yung Clova. They're from Huntsville, Alabama and part of the same scene as the PRGz, Mali Boi, Jhi-Ali, Jackie Chain, etc. that was showcased on last year's excellent Fear & Loathing in Hunts Vegas.

Like those artists, G-Side's music has a really distinct feel to it-- melodic, heartfelt and usually slow. I think of it as sounding like UGK minus the blues, a more blissed-out Organized Noize or maybe like Three 6 Mafia without Satan and Tiesto.

Regardless, the beats (mostly by Block Beattaz, but with a few from Mick Vegas, Bossman and others) are strong throughout and G-Side hold their own lyrically. They don't entirely escape trap, strap or rap riches cliches but they mostly come across as the kind of thoughtful, down-to-earth underdogs you'd want to root for. It's good-ass rap music.

You can download the entire album for free here.

In case you're on the fence about the minor effort involved in clicking through, here are a few songs from the album that I particularly like:

G-Side: "Aura" feat. P.T. of Untamed (Slow Motion Soundz, 2009)

G-Side: "Rising Sun" feat. Kristmas (Slow Motion Soundz, 2009)

G-Side: "Bandz" feat. DJ Cunta (Slow Motion Soundz, 2009)

1. Intro – Rob Breezy
2. Huntsville International ft Sound of Silence(produced by Block Beattaz)
3. So Gone (produced by L-Don)
4. What It’s All About (produced by Johnny Juliano)
5. Bandz ft DJ Cunta (produced by Bossman)
6. Paradise (produced by Mick Vegas)
7. Matthew Africa Speaks
8. Aura ft. P.T. (produced by Mick Vegas)
9. College Chicks (produced by Block Beattaz)
10. This Groove ft. P.H. (produced by Block Beattaz)
11. Feel The ft 6 Tre Gangsta and AC (produced by Block Beattaz)
12. Who’s Hood? Ft Yelawolf (produced by Block Beattaz)
13. This is Life (produced by P.T.)
14. In the Rain ft Bentley (produced by Block Beattaz)
15. Rising Sun ft Kristmas (produced by Block Beattaz)
16. So Wonderful ft Chrystal Carr, G-Mane, and SupaKing (produced by Block Beattaz)

By the way, track 7 is a lengthy excerpt from one of my 2 Busy Saying Yeah shows, where I blather about Huntsville for eons longer than I would have if I thought it would ever crop up on somebody's album. I'm flattered to be associated with G-Side's album but bummed to be responsible for the dullest 90 seconds of their discography.