The Lessons Mix was originally broadcasted on Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Show on BBC ten years ago today (9/25/05). Questlove, is of course the drummer from The Roots, and has put together a mix of sampled songs that popular Hip-Hop songs have borrowed from, which provides an interesting and alternative journey. I think Quest would agree that it’s not focused on the super rare stuff, more a personal trip through the history of samples and focuses more on samples which are classics in their own right. You'll recognize these samples from tracks by Kanye West, Common, Camp Lo, Wu-Tang Clan, Eminem, Alicia Keys, Junior M.A.F.I.A., Smif-N-Wessun, and lots more. The musical journey continues, click HERE for another samples mix from Questlove. Listen to it below...
The twelfth studio album from Houston's OG, Scarface. To describe the album, Aaron McKrell of HipHopDX said, "Musically, Deeply Rooted is low-key, superbly playing to Scarface's strengths. Piano loops and thick drums draw in the listener while allowing Scarface to take center stage on several tracks, providing the album with a cohesive feel without sounding repetitive." Erin Lowers of Exclaim! said, "Although Deeply Rooted may not hold up to previous albums in the grand scheme of his discography, the veteran once again planted seeds for his legacy to grow." My favorite track on the album is surprisingly not an album cut, but the single "God," featuring John Legend.
"I wonder when I sleep is he there sitting on my chest
Stealing breath, shortening my days even less
Lost souls never rest, a killer walks the streets seeking flesh
A adolescent hangs she's depressed
A priest who confessed, a judged typing a nigga in a text
Your honor, what the fuck did you expect?
A father kills his son look at life it's a mess
Just imagine what would happen if the lord up and left..."
"Long respected in the hip-hop underground, Organized Konfusion is resurfacing after a three-year hiatus with a new concept collection titled "The Equinox." Following a two-album sting with Hollywood Basic Records ... "The Equinox" will emerge Sept. 23 on Priority Records. Since their last release, crew members Pharoahe Monch and Prince Poetry say they've kept busy regrouping and building their camp... "We decided not to simply point fingers at Hollywood Basic. We said, 'Let's see what we can do to make our situation better."... The Equinox displays evidence that Organized Konfusion's brotherly bond is still strong and that its creative drive is still very much active. Poetry credits the positive feedback they've received from fans and critics over the years for helping them remain and maintain. "And what's also kept us afloat for three albums is the fact that we don't have a niche. We always come different, and I think that not knowing what to expect from us keeps people constantly intrigued. I mean, we didn't even know what we were going to do going into this album."
"Ultimately, Organized Konfusion decided to create an aural movie highlighting the good-time / bad-time experiences of a "couple maturing homies," complete with a gravelly voiced narrator from the streets of Brooklyn, N.Y. "The album's concept is derived from its title, which refers to the time of year when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are equal," Monch says. "These people are at the midpoint of their lives, when they're in the middle of a lot of important decisions. They mirror some of our situations and some of the situations we see people go through. And to make the record interesting, we jumped ahead 20 years. The narrator goes back and tells how he got to this destination." Although every song on "The Equinox" doesn't fit tightly into the story line, Monch says, "Since we're so diverse and versatile, we wanted a way to kinda get everything together. I hate to sound cliche, but we think this album really brings together the whole O.K. thing." (Updated).
Here we have the Funky Technician, Lord Finesse, going deep in the crates playing 49 minutes of classic original samples and breaks on East Village Radio's "Frozen Files" program. It was originally recorded on September 22, 2010, but they were kind enough to upload the archived mix for us all to enjoy. These kinds of mixes get lost in the infinite shelf space of the internet, but deserve special recognition. Lord Finesse is arguably one of the dopest MC/Producers in the history of music. He's also an incredible DJ, battle MC and has some of the most clever, hardest hitting punchlines of any MC to kick a freestyle. Listen to this classic samples mix below, and peace to the D.I.T.C. crew....
"Ak Hoo Hoo? I know, the single was cool, but you're still kinda hungry for a little more of that dirty, down low, home-cooked hip-hop that the Ak hit ya off with back in 1990 on the Main Source's classic posse cut "Live At The BBQ." Well, you do not have to wait any longer for new flavor, 'cause it's a family reunion, and Akinyele is settin' it off with his dope Vagina Diner debut. And yes, Large Paul aka the Large Professor is back behind the boards, serving you swell with his 100% anti-beef-beat-burgers (from rare to well-done) fresh off the production grill. As soon as you place the bomb inside your Walkman, Akinyele bombards you with blaring echo; ie freaking you with his trademark technique of word pronunciation (he dramatically lowers his voice for certain words and phrases) as well as his legendary Ak-freestyle-fit-unky-ness." Check the video to "The Bomb," cont'd below...
"Become a witness as he makes emcees write how dope he is on the insides of their books on the delirious "Dear Diary." Or help him chuck the luggage as he throws out another golddigger on "Bags Packed." Yep, he makes you flare your nostrils when you smell the funk of "The Bomb," "No Exit" and the sick love song "I Luh Her" ... it's Kings from Queens at the grill and Ak is servin' up home-cooked flavor." - The Source, September 1993. Read the full review down below & revisit the album HERE...
One of Brooklyn's finest underground rap crews, Black Moon, offer a look inside its music and the lives of its group members, both at home and on the road, in this home video. Black Moon: Behind the Moon (originally released in June, 2004) features group members Buckshot, 5FT, and Evil Dee giving a tour of their neighborhood, working in their home studio, visiting radio stations during a promotional tour for the album Total Eclipse, and sharing the stage with the likes of Sean Price, Starang Wondah, and Cocoa Brovaz during their furious live show. Salute to Duck Down Records.
This LP contains unreleased 90's hip-hop tracks by CeStyle aka Corey Drumz from the legendary NYC underground groups, Total Pack & Korp Dynasty, during his time on Wild Pitch Records. The cover art was handled by the late Matt Doo. I'm not sure if it was DJ Eclipse or someone else, but I was put on to CeStyle via the track "Backstreet," which is included on the tape, along with lots of other unreleased gems, check it out below. Parkhouse Music: 1995-1998 Extended Edition. Dig in...
"The author brings you the story. However, when this very author brings you the story written so well you can see the visuals in vivid motion… He also becomes the illustrator. The author and illustrators job goes hand in hand: One describes events in words, while the other draws pictures to relate to the words, and sometimes pictures are placed first to let words describe them. The author illustrates life in its actual form. Away from the misrepresentation of glamour being the life we live instead of the hopeful ending we dream of. In this detailed album, we will see the world through the mind of an authentic visionary." Stream "The Author Illustrates" by The Absouljah below.
