DJ Jazzy Jeff "The Vibe I'm On" (Mixtape, 1998)

This is 1998's The Vibe I'm On mixtape from Philly's own, the legendary, DJ Jazzy Jeff. The mix opens with a beautiful blend of original samples and soul breaks, then transitions into various blends and cuts from the likes of Lauryn Hill, Common, Mos Def, Diamond D, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Channel Live, The Fugees, Eminem, KRS-One, Gang Starr, Dilated Peoples, Camp Lo, Roy Ayers, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, DMX, Main Source and more! One of the greatest DJs and contributors to the culture of hip-hop, DJ Jazzy Jeff did a great job with this mix, so dig into his The Vibe I'm On below...

DJ Jazzy Jeff & J.Period "The Magnificent Live Mixtape"

According to J.Period, this is a Bandcamp exclusive! DJ Jazzy Jeff & J.PERIOD present The Magnificent Live Mixtape, an extended two hour live DJ set featuring exclusive remixes, live blends, unreleased outtakes and behind-the-scenes stories from DJ Jazzy Jeff and J.PERIOD on the history of the mixtape game and collaborating with artists including Q-Tip, Lauryn Hill, Nas, Black Thought, as well as tracks featuring Dave Chappelle, J Dilla, Big Pun, Rakim, Andre 3000, The Notorious B.I.G., Ol' Dirty Bastard, MC Lyte, Mary J. Blige, Big L, Shad, Common and more. J.Period's streak of droppin' these live mixtapes continues and does not disappoint. Listen to the mix below...

DJ Jazzy Jeff & MICK "Summertime: 2020" (Mixtape)

It's that time of year again! DJ Jazzy Jeff and MICK (Boogie) add another classic mix tape to their Summertime series. 2020 makes it 11 straight summers of mixes featuring that retro, soulful, cool out, BBQ-eating, suntan-getting, beach chair-sitting, two miles an hour so everybody can see you, music! Lots of great original samples, as well as tracks from Fabolous, Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, OutKast, Jill Scott, Styles P, Jay Electronica, De La Soul, David Begun, Gang Starr, Bilal, Public Enemy, Nas, Usher, DMX, A Tribe Called Quest, Dwele, Boogie Down Productions, Big Daddy Kane, and more. A little late for 4th of July this year, fellas... but they put it down, as always. Check it out below...

DJ Jazzy Jeff x Mick Boogie "Summertime Vol.10" (Mixtape)

We've reached the 10th anniversary of DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mick Boogie's classic mixtape series, Summertime! Each year they provide us with a soundtrack to the summer for our BBQs, pool parties and all our dopest social gatherings. This year, Volume 10 includes tracks from The Isley Brothers, D'Angelo, OutKast, The Eagles, The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Mims, Commodores, Lil Jon, EPMD, 2Pac & Dr. Dre, Warren G, Grand Puba, Talib Kweli, Kanye West, Biz Markie, Nas, The Roots, Das EFX, Common, Father MC, Big Daddy Kane, Drake and lots more! Listen to classic mix below...

DJ Jazzy Jeff x Mick Boogie "Summertime Vol.9" (The Mixtape)

They are back again! DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mick Boogie drop off Volume 9 in their Summertime mixtape series! This year's classic mix includes tracks from Rhymefest, Amerie, Michael Jackson, T.I., Arrested Development, Justin Timberlake, The Beatnuts, The Game, OutKast, Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince, Ice Cube, Stetsasonic, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys & Q-Tip, House Of Pain, Nelly, Stevie Wonder, Chicago, EPMD, Nas, Lord Finesse, Black Sheep, Slick Rick, The Jackson 5, Mark Morrison, Raphael Saadiq, The Pharcyde, Pete Rock & CL Smooth and lots more. Enjoy the mix below! Happy 4th!

Remembering Starter Jackets From The 90s

In the 1980s and '90s, these jackets were manufactured by Starter (New Haven, CT). The company was licensed to produce gear for all the major professional teams (baseball, hockey, basketball, and football). Starter's business peaked in 1992, when the brand made $350 million in sales. The most popular product was the winter-weight jacket... The apparel was marketed to kids in their teens and early 20s. But the gear was so popular that numerous kids became crime victims. In 1990, 17-year-old Uland Tiggs was shot and killed after he gave up his New Orleans Saints Starter jacket to a pair of robbers. In 1993, 17-yr-old Karla M. Benner was gunned down in Youngstown, OH for her Starter jacket. In 1992, 14-year-old Dewayne Williams Jr. was killed for his Raiders Starter jacket. In Chicago, 4 separate teens were murdered for their Starter jackets in 1990 alone. There were numerous other incidents reported all around the country. But the potential danger that accompanied owning a Starter jacket certainly didn’t stop very many people from buying one. I remember my Miami Hurricanes Starter Jacket like it was yesterday! We'd flip them around if we were on the move, got me out of trouble, a time or two. Skratch Bastid made a whole mixtape about Starter, and the video below was the classic Jazzy Jeff and Rodney Dangerfield commercial. Times have definitely changed.

DJ Jazzy Jeff x Mick Boogie "Summertime Vol.8" (The Mixtape)

My first observation, this is my favorite artwork from DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mick Boogie in their Summertime series! Here we have Volume 8! Another classic mix featuring tracks from Beanie Sigel, Foxy Brown & Jay-Z, Heavy D, Super Cat, Pharrell, DJ Spinna, Babyface, SWV, Prodigy, Mobb Deep, Camp Lo, Raekwon, Soul II Soul, The Roots, Gang Starr, Beyonce & Jay-Z, KC & The Sunshine Band, Da Brat, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Ice Cube, 2Pac, Nas, UGK & Outkast, and more! Less tracks in this year's mix, but just as dope, check it out below! Happy 4th of July weekend.

The Roots "Things Fall, A Preview" (Mixed by Jazzy Jeff, 1999)

The Roots are at the top of a very short list of groups that continue to break new ground and push the culture forward. It's actually amazing to watch them do their thing, consistently, for so many years. To me, Black Thought is a top 5 lyricist and I struggle to understand anyone who would disagree, lol. To honor 'Things Fall Apart' being released on this day in 1999, I uploaded the DJ Jazzy Jeff-mixed promotional tape, 'Things Fall, A Preview' for your listening pleasure. Be sure to purchase or revisit a copy of 'Things Fall Apart' today, and give Black Thought his all flowers while he can smell them! Apologies in advance if the mix gets blocked in certain countries, ya know, restrictions apply!

DJ Jazzy Jeff x Mick Boogie "Summertime Vol.7" (The Mixtape)

"Deja vu, tell you what I’m gonna do..." is hit you with Volume 7 from DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mick Boogie in their Summertime mixtape series! As always, the perfect soundtrack to summer, I look forward to it each year and they never disappoint. This year's installment features tracks from De La Soul, Tony Toni Tone, Jill Scott, Total, Jay-Z & Nas, Salt N Pepa, Big L, Chubb Rock, EPMD, Eric Clapton, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Mary J. Blige, Mad Lion, Capleton, Foxy Brown, Puff & Mase, Talib Kweli, 50 Cent, OutKast, Troop, Vanilla Ice, David Bowie & Queen, Hall & Oates, Prince, A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Biggie, MC Lyte, TLC, Aaliyah and lots more. Listen to another great mix below!

DJ Jazzy Jeff x Mick Boogie "Summertime Vol.6" (The Mixtape)

DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mick Boogie return with Volume 6 in their classic Summertime mixtape series! The mix includes tracks by LL Cool J, Grace Jones, Rick James, Jay-Z, Kenny Dope, Super Cat, Bob Marley, Earth Wind & Fire, Super Lover Cee, Puff & Mase, A Tribe Called Quest, Tracey Lee, Frankie Cutlass, Showbiz & AG, Eric B. & Rakim, Public Enemy, Chubb Rock, James Brown, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Monie Love, Eve, Slum Village, Black Moon, Soul 4 Real, Gang Starr, D'Angelo and more. Regrettably, they added a few cuts from 69 Boyz, Quad City DJs and Ghost Town DJs that I could have surely done without, but I understand it at the same time, lol. Listen to their latest mix below...

DJ Jazzy Jeff "Doing It For Dilla" (Mix)

This is DJ Jazzy Jeff's "Doing It For Dilla" mix, live from Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia, PA. From beats to samples to Dilla-inspired records, DJ Jazzy Jeff pays tribute to the late, great James Yancey (R.I.P.) by crafting a beautiful flow to this mix. You'll hear joints from Slum Village, The Roots, Common, A Tribe Called Quest, D'Angelo, The Pharcyde, Keith Murray, and much more to reminisce and nod your head along to. One of the best DJs, paying tribute to one of the greatest producers ever. There are a few great Dilla tribute mixes, but this is one of the must-listen mixes. Listen up...

DJ Jazzy Jeff x Mick Boogie "Summertime Vol.5" (The Mixtape)

Ok! Now that we've gotten caught up on Volumes 1-4 in the classic Summertime mixtape series by DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mick Boogie, let's get into Volume 5! This year's summer soundtrack includes tracks from Biz Markie, Alicia Keys, Missy, Usher, Jay-Z, Herbie Hancock, Super Cat, The Beatnuts, De La Soul & Common, Naughty By Nature, Da Brat, EPMD, SWV & Michael Jackson, Diamond D, Kwame, Raphael Saadiq & Q-Tip, Snoop, Zhane, Salt-N-Pepa, Ill Al Skratch, Digital Underground, Bel Biv Devoe, Funkadelic, Kurtis Blow, The Roots, and more - expertly mixed, as always! Listen below...

DJ Jazzy Jeff x Mick Boogie "Summertime, Vol.1-4" (The Mixtape)

Before we can move forward and cover this year's edition in the classic "Summertime" series, we must go back to 2010 where it all began! Once the weather starts to get warm and dreams of outdoor BBQs, pool parties and social gatherings become a reality, there are no better mixes than DJ Jazzy Jeff & Mick Boogie's Summertime to provide the soundtrack to Summer. Their first installment kicks off with a proper intro, then some Kool & The Gang, Quincy Jones, Ahmad, Ice Cube, Roy Ayers, The Pharcyde, Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, Da Bush Babees, Jodeci, J Dilla, LL Cool J, Michael Jackson, Carl Thomas, Black Moon, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Biggie, James Brown, Mos Def, Otis Redding, 2Pac, Mos Def, Nine and more! IN ONE MIX! It's no surprise this is now an annual mix! You can expect more of the same classic tunes in each subsequent mix, so continue listening below...