Mystro with the '09 Rap Up

*Updated post with the new vid from "Wasteman Productions", you know they'll be big in 2010*

Taking a little page out of Skillz' book Mysdiggi (w)raps up the year with a more of a UK slant to the content. Check it people, and listen to the man and stop saying "par". Please.

Scorz on 1Xtra

He's back people!

Associated Minds Xmas mixtape

Next up is a little christmas treat from the boys at Associated Minds. Mixed by DJ Jaffa it features Ralph Ripshit, Ruffstylz, Beatbox Fozzy, Willo Wispa, Mudmowth, Metabeats, P.L.O., Dubbledge and Elucid.

Download it HERE people!

Stuff you think I'll like?

If anyone has something for me to review, a mix to promote, a video you think is interesting or whatever you want then you can always reach me on whosaidjazz@gmail.com. I can't promise to love everything but I do promise to be fair.

Mystro presents... The F.D.T. EP

Last week the mighty Mysdiggi hit me up with a copy of his new EP to review. The first thing this made me do was to pull out a load of tunes to throw them on the decks and have a little reminisce. As you can see from the stash I unearthed (above) his back catalogue includes some great tunes. Having checked his Myspace earlier I was almost on for the full discography but I left out the albums and CDs.

I was also reminded of the time that we were preparing for one of our annual boat parties we used to put on and Gabs mentioned that Blufoot might be coming down to party. When he turned up he had Mys with him which was all a bit random. There are some very short video clips of some cyphers from that party but I don't think anyone involved would be too keen on them being made public! Nobody disgraced themselves but let's just say the emphasis was on the party more than the rhymes. I have got a clip of Ineff dissing the instrumental I put on for him (RA's The Lesson for the record) which still makes me laugh to this day.



So the EP, I have to say I like it a lot. I'm not going to reproduce the press release but I have to say it is very well written (unsurprisingly because it was Ryan Proctor who was responsible for it).

In general the beats still have that bounce that a lot of Mystro records seem to swing to, but a lot of the lyrics are a bit more serious than party tip. "The Truth" kicks things off and is driven by an insistent piano line. The first skit made me laugh out loud in the fruit n veg section of Co-op which was slightly embarassing but I suppose is a pretty good endorsement!

This rolls into "Banishment" which directly addresses the title of the EP (I think everyone knows the story/rumours by now). "U Live & U Learn" has just been released as a video (below) so you can see that for yourself.



Without boring you at length about each one the later tracks don't drop in quality. I'll let Mystro describe the whole thing in his own words.

This is almost like a destroy and rebuild project. Aside from me saying the things I wanted to say on there, the EP is also about letting people know that UK Hip-Hop definitely isn’t dead. The scene might’ve changed, but there are still people out there making good music

The EP is out now available from iTunes right HERE so go and cop that so Mys can keep providing us with quality music. You can hit him up on Twitter HERE, and you can go check the Natural Born Spittaz blog HERE.

Finally, on the final track "The Urge" he documents just some of the frustrations modern life can throw in our way. The hook chants "I ain't a killer but I do get the urge". He sounds like he means it people, I would take him seriously if I were you.

Scorzayzee - The Starter (free mixtape)

For those who don't know I promoted hip hop nights for several years along with some friends under the name of Hiphopalypse and then Blunted. I believe it was the second night we ever did that involved this man grabbing both mics (one wouldn't do apparently) and spat some crazy shit that had people going crazy. He's been away for some time but he's got a new album coming in the new year, and he's provided this free download to keep you going until then.

Scorz' new free mixtape is called "The Starter"and is available from Get Nottz which has also got a whole lot of material from other Notts artists. The individual blog post is here so go and get it now!

Jay Electronica - Exhibit C

This is old by internet standards even though it only appeared a few weeks ago really. The radio rip of this track as produced by Just Blaze made me take proper notice of JE for the first time, you've got to love the lyrics leading up to that rewind...

100 (More) Producers You Need To Hear Right Now...

First things first, this list was produced by Dart Adams over at Poisonous Paragraphs. It may get a bit "beat nerd" for some people but stick with it if you like fresh sounding instrumentals.

This is the article I'm talking about, a pretty comprehensive list of people that make noise in an exceptionally good way. I'm planning on working my way through the list to check them out but I can already tell you from experience/current listening habits that there are some amazing producers in that list, particularly Daru, FS Green, Aspect 1, Roddy Rod, Exile, Grooveman Spot and S-Type.

There are plenty of beatmaking talents that aren't on the list, and as soon as I used the phrase "beat nerd" it made me think of Louis Den and all the people involved there. I think they probably deserve a post of their own when I have a bit more time.

Critical Madness - Bringing out the dead

Critical Madness are a duo originally from Florida, made up of Critical and Madness funnily enough. Their new album "Bringing out the Dead" is out very soon and you can check a sampler of it here. Check it out, and when you love it more than sandwiches then hit them up on Myspace to get your very own copy.

Damu & Buff 1 - When the winter comes

So the weather is starting to get a bit more chilly and we've finally got the heating on at home. Damu and Buff 1 come with something to warm your cockles which you can find here along with a few other bits and pieces. Enjoy!

Breakage feat Roots Manuva - Run Em Out

Out this week I believe, this tune is going to be big.

OCDC - Ralph Ripshit & Stophe

A free to download project from Ralph Ripshit and Stophe, the result is OCDC. Some will know Ralph from his own releases (and features) on Associated Minds.

To quote their site:

This is for those who made tapes. This is for those who liked Busta more when he had hair. This is for those who still love Maseo blowing soul through the horn. This is for those who are convinced Dres is the greatest MC ever. This for those who want to swagger with earphones in, clean their sneaks with a spare toothbrush and rock a crisp tee in the summer.

Go here to download the whole thing and make your own mind up.

London Posse - insanely well written feature

Once again Jimbo Jones comes with the quality, and this time it's a London Posse feature that must have taken some time to put together. Check it here and show Jim some love, it's people like him that help to keep quality music alive.

BET Hip Hop Awards Cyphers

*All the embedded vids have been taken off Youtube but you can check them on the BET site here*

The first one features Mos Def, Black Thought and Eminem. I'll be honest, I didn't really know what to expect before I watched these but this vid killed it, Black Thought and Em in particular. Em hasn't been up to his own high standards for a while but this took me by surprise, he might well be back.



There are a couple more below, and to be honest the highlight is Joe Budden which is another sentence I didn't think I'd be typing. Nicki Minaj makes me chuckle though, what is up with her voice? My only other comment is how depressed I was to see someone asking what this beat is on a forum somewhere. Have we got to the point now that "Funky Drummer" isn't known immediately? Don't really know where I'm going with that one but it surprised me.

A Marvin Gaye mixtape...

Now I'll be completely honest, I didn't like the sound of this (before I'd heard it) just because it could have gone so wrong. I mean this is music that you shouldn't mess about with right? Well Jimbo Jones initially thought the same but went for it anyway and I'm glad he did.

It's more "blended" than mixed and it's all done in a very sensitive way, with a lot of style to be perfectly honest. There are some points where rap accapellas have been used (again, I know it sounds worrying) but it all holds together well. Check the vids below for a few samples:





The whole thing is up for download at the link below and if you like it and want to show your appreciation head over to Jimbo Jones' Convenience Store.

DOWNLOAD

A-Trak @ The Do-Over, LA

This is shamelessly robbed from DJ Step One's blog so credit to him, it's so good I couldn't resist though. Check the vid of A-Trak really demonstrating how to rock a party properly, and now click below to download the full set he played.

DOWNLOAD

The Rub

I was going to add this to the previous post which was on a top notch mix by some of these guys (go and check it, it's just below this). I actually thought that this deserved a post of it's own. This is all about The Rub, which is a night in Brooklyn run by DJ Ayres, DJ Eleven and Cosmo Baker. They put out consistently amazing mixes as well as DJing all over the place. I've yet to catch them in the flesh because last time some of them were in London I found out the day after they played. I hate it when that happens.

Their site is the best place to go to check what's going on with them, but they are also on Brooklyn Radio where you can download and stream some of their mixes.

Some of my favourite mixes they've done are part of their "History of hip hop" series, one mix for each 1979-1999 inclusive. No matter what era you favour you know that there's one of these that you're going to love. I'm a big fan of the '94 mix but '88 is up their as well. All of these mixes (and others) have been archived on Crewcial here so please don't sleep, and make sure you explore the other folders there.

Think the 80s was only cheese?

You'd be very wrong, and this is the mix to prove it to you. This is also for you if you think DJ Yoda dropped the definitive 80s mix (and while you're at it Google DJ Spinbad). Check here to find the download link, beautifully put together by DJ Ayres and DJ Eleven of The Rub.

Talking heads

Here's a nice short featuring some of the favourites of the UK scene Scratch Perverts, Foreign Beggars (including Shlomo), Stig and Doc Synners. Enjoy.

Brown Bag Allstars

I first got wind of BBAS from seeing Soul Khan (also on Twitter at @_soulkhan) battle in Grindtime against some crazy competition (and some not so good but that's not his fault). It seems like they all (mostly) work at Fat Beats NY which is somewhere I always head when I land in NY. This is a video for a remix of a track off their mixtape which is now out of print in terms of physical copies but can be acquired from iTunes. I like it.

My upcoming gigs

OK, the next few sets I'm playing. The first one is a wedding of two friends so you're not invited to that one unless you're already down! That's the 29th Aug at the reception, messy business.

The next day I'm playing at some point at this free entry all day event at the James St Tavern. There'll be plenty of good music, food from the BBQ and E.N.I.G. for those who know.

On Sept 12th I'm also playing at a night @ The Bully on Cowley Road, in aid of a very good cause for the newly formed night Beat Constructers. All of the acts on the night are extremely talented and some of of my best mates as well, I reckon it'll be a top night. Check the website for details and a couple of mixes by some of the DJs (not me yet, but I'm aiming to record something).

That's all for now, more than enough to be getting on with, don't get greedy now!

"The King Adverse, that is his name"

We live in an age of disposable music, where every man and his dog is throwing together some pre-beatmatched mp3's and calling it a mix. Just to give you a heads up, these don't even come close to falling into that category. I first ran into Adverse on the Sure Shots message board a long time ago and since then he's put together a couple of mixes that are in regular rotation for me. They consist of a mixture of a few UK gems, some of the best recent hip hop, lots of classic and sought after hip hop from years gone by and a few beats and breaks to bind the whole lot together. As he readily admits he takes his time putting these together and it shows in the quality of the final product.

Here are links for the latest installments so download them, check them out, marvel at their splendour and hit him up on Myspace offering to have his babies. Why not try and identify a full track list? There will be prizes for the first winning entries (NB - these prizes will consist of varying amounts of "e-props" and do not have an equivalent cash value).

*All links reupped on 08/03/10*

Annual Report

Years To Build

Dedparty

Real Progress

Help the police

Just a little NWA tribute...

Best 13 hip hop albums ever

Going back a good few years I regularly posted on the forum at Sure Shots (which now seems to be entirely populated by spambots) which was originally a hip hop mail order site based in Guernsey. There was a nice little community feel going on and actually met some really sound people through that place.

At one point we went through an elaborate process coordinated by myself and Rare Dave (who is now one of the head honchos over at DWG) to try and establish a list of the best hip hop albums ever. If I remember rightly we were originally going for ten, which became a dozen and we ended up including thirteen to make it a bakers dozen (or Cheryl Baker's dozen and some would have it). It involved an initial nomination period in which anyone could nominate as many albums as they liked, and RD collated these into a master list. Everyone had to then choose their favourite thirteen from the list in order of preference. This info was collected by yours truly and in a very scientific fashion the winning list was created.

Here is the list that we came up with, is there anything you would change? Any that you think missed out? I think everyone would have their one or two they would swap but overall it's pretty comprehensive. Check it:

1. Nas - Illmatic
2. Main Source - Breaking atoms
3. Diamond D - Stunts, blunts and hip hop
4. ATCQ - Low End Theory
5. Wu Tang - Enter the wu tang (36 chambers)
6. Ultramagnetic MCs - Critical Beatdown
7. Gangstarr - Step in the arena
8. Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride...
9. ATCQ - Midnight Marauders
10. MF Doom - Operation Doomsday
11. Public Enemy - Nation of millions
12. De La Soul - ...is dead
13. Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth - Funky Technician

I had all the album covers lined up to include but I'm having trouble including images and keeping the layout they way I want it. I'll work it out eventually but in the meantime here's the plain text version for you.

My first post!

OK, here we go. Normally I'll think very carefully when I'm writing anything but if I want to actually post anything up here I think I'll have to get more used to just typing as it appears in my head. Otherwise I could be here for hours every time I try to post!

The idea behind starting this blog was mainly just to have a place to write shit and post cool links I've found, so to begin with I imagine a lot of the content will be Youtube vids and links to other blogs and stuff. I am involved with Blunted so may well post up reviews I do for that site here as well, depending entirely on when/how much music I get sent to review. Truth is I don't get on well with the software over there so need remedial help doing the simplest thing. Hopefully I can manage over here, it's going alright so far anyway. I think if I get into the habit of writing on here and getting more familiar with it all it might help me actually get some stuff done for them (don't hold me to that if you're reading this Gabs!).

I don't plan to post up downloads to retail versions of full LPs or anything, which probably means a lot of people won't bother checking here! I will post up mixes with the permission of the DJ in question or if they are already available elsewhere on the net, links to artists I like and whatever else happens. We'll see basically, it certainly won't be 100% music related either.

Don't really have a way to end this post so instead here's a bonus vid of Killa Kela and Supernat. Many people will be blown away by the whole "freestyling about items from the crowd" thing. I don't know if it's just because I'm old and cynical or I've seen him do it several times but it doesn't quite get me like that. Correcting himself is sick though, I'll give you that...