This week’s Big Ups takes us to the Left Coast with DJ Platurn. The 45 Sessions and Oakland Faders DJ and producer has been rocking the Bay Area for more than a minute. It is our pleasure to have him in this installment of the Big Ups series.
Check out more information about DJ Platurn on his site.
A decade old mix Flea Market Treats by Spair and DJ Platurn that still bangs!
Keep Diggin’!
I used be a partner in a way before it’s time store called Soul Sauce. I’ve spoken about it from time to time. We sold clothing, graff supplies, skateboards, records, magazines, books and anything else we were into. Skaters, DJs, writers, rappers, musicians and tons of others rolled through. We had turntables in the back of the store where everyone who spun could get on. One young buck who was a regular was this white cat named Double L (LL). He was a young dude, and on any day he’d show up wearing a leather eight ball jacket, doo rag, Tims, whatever was hot at the time (Mecca, Ecko, Girbaud, etc.), straight thuggin’ and all business. He would also bring records and a mic. He would get on the turntables and just kill it while rapping over instrumentals (my man had a stutter but still had a silky flow). He just played underground Hip Hop, and repped it all day every day. My dude would also make mixtapes to sell (complete with home made xeroxed covers). He’d put together nonstop mixes of The Best of OC, plus The Best of Double L (complete with his own raps)! It was a great time in music and just a great time in general in my life. I wish I had saved the photos When Double L wasn’t cutting up two copies of OC, he would work in groups like Rawkotics, and of course one of his favorites, Lamont Coleman aka Big L and the DITC crew. At the time, Big L was still alive, and his music was a topic that people would talk about in our lounge while listening to others DJ. I always dug Big L’s flow, and when news came through that he had been killed, it was a sad day at the Sauce. It especially hit Double L hard. Good things really never last, and by 2003 we had shut down the store, I moved on to touring nationally as a DJ, and I never heard from Double L again. I do remember though, Double L bringing in cassettes, specifically home made Stretch and Bobbito tapes that we would all listen to during store hours. Here’s one that I can remember LL bringing in, and one that was revisited by Chairman Mao, Stretch, and Bobbito a few weeks ago in San Francisco at a Red Bull Music Academy Lecture.
If Biggie didn’t die, would fast rapping Jay Z aka Jaz been as big as he is now? That’s for another post, but in 1995, Big L straight killed this freestyle on the Stretch and Bobbito show. Jay’s flow is quick, and nice, but it’s Big L that steals the show. Rest in Power Big L, who knows where you would have been if you were still alive? Probably competing as one of the greatest rappers of all time (no disrespect to Big Daddy Kane on this one).
Big L Freestyle on the Stretch and Bobbito Show 02.23.95
My fave line is still: “I’m so ahead of my time, my parents haven’t met yet…….”
Keep Diggin’!
If you are not familiar with DJ Format’s CV, then you should be. This guy is a true artist, who is promoting Hip Hop music and proper lifestyle, keeping the torch of the founding fathers of this genre alive. From his Music For the Mature B-Boy release to the video for “We Know Something You Don’t Know” to The Simonsound (with a ton of records and DJ gigs in between), Format has established himself firmly as a solid producer, DJ, and artist. We’re excited to have him this week on Big Ups.
More info on DJ Format here.
His new record, Statement of Intent, will be available on Feb. 27th at better record stores world wide.
Statement of Intent Sampler Video
DJ Format feat. Sureshot La Rock Dope Pusher
Keep Diggin’!
I came across this article in the San Francisco Weekly by Phillip Mlynar stating that “Instrumental Hip Hop Sucks. Ban It Forever”. Now if you have been a follower of Flea Market Funk, you know that not only do we promote the vinyl from original artists that fuel instrumental Hip Hop, but support today’s producers and artists that make quality music. Some of them are strictly instrumental Hip Hop. In his article, Mr. Mlynar rips the entire genre (except DJ Shadow, for some reason he gets a pass and “is exonerated from the crime of instrumental hip-hop by virtue of his music being more correctly in the lineage of Steinski’s witty cut-and-paste experiments.”). He goes on to bash artists like DOOM, Diplo, RJD2, and Dilla. While this is America, and of course just an opinion of Mr. Mylnar, I am really offended, and appalled that a writer for a national weekly was allowed to publish such trash. What came across was an ill informed, horribly researched, personal witch hunt on music he doesn’t like. If you look back on the articles he wrote in 2011, they ranged from “The World’s Most Regrettable Hip Hop Tattoos” (oh wait I saw an ice cream cone on a guy’s face!) to multiple articles on Kreayshawn, some *surprise*, DJ Shadow, and a whole lot of lists that look like something ego trip list would publish. Let’s break down why this article doesn’t make sense.
“It’s music without a start or end, without peaks and momentum — it’s hip-hop without a money shot. Tragically, it also forgets what makes hip-hop so invigorating in the first place.”:
Obviously, there is no research in the this at all. Way before DOOM or Madlib released the instrumentals, way before he was on DJ Shadow’s dick (I’m surprised he didn’t refer to him as “Josh” in the article), there were instrumentals. DJ’s cut up the breaks, extended the groove, and made people dance. We all are aware of that. Let’s take it back to mid-80′s, when Delicious Vinyl was not yet started (although it was a concept without the label really), and the Dust Brothers were making instrumental Hip Hop. These guys made sample based instrumental records and played them way before they even had a record label off the ground. People danced to this on the weekly at clubs like Power Tools, where their originals were mixed in with Funk, Disco, Heavy Metal, and underground Hip Hop of the day. These instrumentals would become the back bone for one of the best sample based record ever, the Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique. Were these mid 80′s tracks, played in the LA club scene way before the Beasties or Tone Loc or Def Jef rhymed over them without a money shot? If you think there is not one money shot in any of the songs on Paul’s Boutique, you’re nuts. They were some of the most creative instrumentals made, and were filled with more money shots than a Swedish Erotica Johnny Wad film. You can’t tell me that a record like DJ Z-Trip’s Shifting Gears, primarily an instrumental record (with a bit of rapping) has no money shot, or Cut Chemist’s The Audience Is Listening is a boring repetitive effort akin to “Chinese water torture”. What about newer producers like Tall Black Guy, Odisee, 14 KT, Small Professor, or vets like Price Paul and Jake One? There is no way you can even state that their music is boring and can only be understood by consuming massive amounts of weed. This is rubbish, and I haven’t even mentioned Jay Dee yet.
Going further, he states “that quaint, nostalgia-saturated scene has nothing to do with the modern idea of instrumental hip-hop”.
How does this have nothing to do with instrumental Hip Hop? It’s the backbone of it. It applies the same technique: sample based music. A reinterpretation of the music, chopped, cut and made into a different product. Highlighting (obvious or not) the original artist (sample) and using their creative artistic freedom to make a song of their own. It’s a natural progression from early Hip Hop, where rhyming over the beat had turned into another genre. OK, Hip Hop gave born to Trip Hop which then birthed Instrumental Hip Hop. What’s wrong with that? Like I said it’s a natural progression, a maturation of the raw, infancy of classic Hip Hop, into IMHO, a polished genre with no rhyming. Why did DJ Shadow get a pass because his record was more like Steinski’s cut and paste style? He’s not the only one who was influenced by him, but maybe the first who was vocal about it. Shadow has made a lot of instrumental Hip Hop, and just because Endtroducing (which is definitely championed here at FMF) was done more in the style of “The Lesson” type records, doesn’t mean his samples and beats aren’t repetitive. It also doesn’t necessarily mean that Madlib or DOOM, or artists like RJD2 or even Cut Chemist are not relevant. Both RJD2 and Cut Chemist have made records that give respect to the pioneers while creatively sampling records, obscure or not. Cut has transformed sides using Brazilian records that take you on a beat filled journey of ebbs and flows that you don’t need to get high to enjoy. RJD2 has sampled everyone from Elliot Smith to Sophy (Check out “1976″ to hear this gem), and is far from boring. These artists have pushed the envelope of IHH and done it with some beautiful creativity.
“DJs and producers seemed to decide that they were on a pre-ordained artistic mission to conjure up — ahem! — “atmospheric soundscapes” instead of getting on with their jobs and making rap tracks that bang.”
Webster’s Dictionary defines artist as the following:
art·ist
noun \ˈär-tist\
Definition of ARTIST
1
one skilled or versed in learned arts
2
one who professes and practices an imaginative art b : a person skilled in one of the fine arts
3
a skilled performer; especially : artiste
4
one who is adept at something
At last glance, all of these artists are skilled, and adept at something, in this case making beats aka instrumental Hip Hop. Why are any of these people less of a performer because they don’t have music that sounds like Wiz Khalifa or Kreayshawn? Who made the rule that there has to be some snappy lyrics to accentuate the beat? I know that I’m not the only person who shares the idea of ridiculous lyrics about flossing bling take away from a good beat. Could it be possible that theses artists’ “atmospheric soundscapes” appeal to a different audience than the aforementioned rappers? What is the definition of banger? Does it have to be accepted by a Top 40 audience, win a Grammy (something Wiz didn’t win last night thankfully), or be played to death in every sporting arena, Hot 97 playlist, or by celebrity DJ to be considered a banger? A banger is a tune or beat that, well, bangs. It may or may not be repetitive, I mean most instrumentals are. Most songs are for that matter, aren’t they? An IHH beat is quite different than the latest Top 40 garbage because it’s creative. Why is a repeated and beat into the public’s head “so called banger”, that makes the public feel like “this is what music should be” because it has lyrics, better than an IHH song? IHH is filled with creativity, something the lemmings that follow Top 40 lack.
“ When Shadow addressed the issue in “Why Hip Hop Sucks in ’96″, he was not just letting the listener know how bad Hip Hop was at that moment, but contributing to the foundation of a new genre in instrumental Hip Hop. ”
I guarantee that many people could not tell you who Dilla was, or understand the creativity he had. I’m sure many Hip Hop fans today know more about Weezy than Dilla’s contribution to music. Besides being one of, if not the best producer of all time, his legacy and style has influenced a whole new generation of producers. Do your research son. His contribution to classics from ATCQ, the Pharcyde, and more weren’t just rhyming over a banger, the beat stood out by itself. Technically it banged. It could be played on it’s own and still get a great reaction. Dilla’s beats did repeat, but who cares? They were some of the most creative beats out there. What about Pete Rock? Pete Rock has released a slew of instrumentals (Petestramentals anyone?), and DJ producer vets like DJ Cam, DJ Honda, and DJ Krush have made long lasting careers out of IHH. Who said that their job was to just make songs than bang? They’re artists, creative in their own right, who can make any music they want. They’re respected and like I said, have made long lasting careers out of doing things their own way, most times without lyrics.
In conclusion, I have to say that Mr. Mlynar is way off base with his article. He is entitled to his opinion, but I really think that he should have kept it to himself in this situation. Just because you don’t like IHH, this is no reason to say it should be banned. Producers like DJ Premier, if they never made another lyrical Hip Hop song again, could live on the strength of the instrumental. When you hear a Premier beat, you know it’s Premier. People listen to the music not to get high to (although it does goes on), but most do it because they appreciate the music and hard work that goes into making this music. IHH is an art, an art that has evolved through the evolution of Hip Hop itself via sampling, production and the further refining of the art by people like DJ Shadow, Premier, Dilla, Alchemist, Jake Uno, Cut Chemist, Prince Paul, Pete Rock, RJD2, Diplo, and many others. IHH is growing every day, and with such sites like Soundcloud, bandcamp, and others, will no doubt grow larger through the momentum in gains from people refining the art of beat making. Just because you don’t like some genre of music, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not good. When Shadow addressed the issue in “Why Hip Hop Sucks in ’96″, he was not just letting the listener know how bad Hip Hop was at that moment, but contributing to the foundation of a new genre in instrumental Hip Hop. Since that time, many artists and producers have built on that foundation to creatively solidify a faction of a genre that continues to knock down sonic barriers and leave a lasting footprint in this life we call Hip Hop. “The banal, meandering stepchild of Hip-Hop” has reared it’s ugly head and declared it’s here to stay.
I am starting up the Guest Mix Series again over here at FMF. Last time I had a great bunch of mixes from everyone from Funky 16 Corners to the artist COOP to Jason Perlmutter to Supreme La Rock and more. This time I’ve reached out to some different DJs to put together a mix of whatever they like, not necessarily Funk and Soul. I’m doing this for two reasons: one, I want to have some Big Ups people give you some great mixes, and two, I wanted to start a sort of pledge drive here at FMF. I do not make money on FMF, everything is out of pocket and done for the love of the music. However, as my server costs are rising, it’s getting more expensive on the monthly. I’m asking you, the FMF readers, the faithful who have been here since the beginning, to donate.
You can donate by clicking this link and following the instructions on the page. Any little bit helps. Thank you for your continued support on FMF!
That being said, the first mix is from my man DJ Andy Smith out of London. Known for his genre smashing classic Document mix series as well as label specific vault digging mixes (Greensleeves, Trojan) and let’s not forget his Jam Up Twist party that plays all over the UK, Andy took some time to make a mix that will be up on FMF for a month exclusively before going public. It changes styles like Son of Bazerk, it’s fresh, and I’m hoping you are going to dig it as much as I did. More Guest Mixes to come. Stay tuned.
DJ Andy Smith Many Styles Mix
1) Let’s Rock – Feel (Vista Sounds)
2) Dyin’ To Be Dancin – Empress (Prelude)
3) Chill Out – Free expression (Vanguard)
4) The Art Of Drums – Macattack (Baad!)
5) Brooklyns In The House – Cut Master D.C (Be Bop & Fresh)
6) One For The Treble (Fresh) – Davy DMX (CBS/Tuff City)
7) The Party Scene – The Russell Brothers (Portrait)
8) Oily – Juggy (Sue)
9) Tutti Fruiti – Lee Austin (Polydor)
10) Egg Roll – (Unknown artist) – (Funk 45)
11) Move To Something Funky – BLVD Mosse (Scorpio)
12) Paper Chase – Krown Rulers (Soo Deff/Warlock)
13) I Aint Wid Dat (Inst) – Funk Master Wizzard Wiz (Tuff City)
14) Soupy – Maggie Threat (Dyno Voice)
15) Hard To Road To Hoe – Otis Lee (Soul Magic)
16) You Got To Have Money – The Exits (Gemini)
17) I Got A Woman – Ray Charles (Atlantic)
18) You Had A Woman – Geneva Vallier(Cash)
19) Love Bandit – The Cadets (Modern)
20) Bloodshot Eyes – Wynonie Harris (King)
21) Soon You’ll Be Gone – The Blues Busters (BRA)
Download or Listen To DJ Andy Smith Many Styles Mix from the FMF Guest Series
Keep Diggin’!
I told you I was upping the ante this year, and if you thought last week’s Big Ups was dope, then you’re in for another treat. This week we have one of the hardest working DJs/ producers out there, Uncle NU, aka DJ Nu-Mark. Uncle Nu is known for not just being a dope DJ, but a producer and solo artist who pushes the envelope in his live shows. His last tour experimented with toys and toy instruments, and he constructed a live set around these toys. Always innovating and forging new trails as a DJ, we’re stoked to have DJ Nu-Mark in this week’s Big Ups.
More on Uncle Nu here.
Follow DJ Nu-Mark on twitter.
Keep Diggin’!
Funky Bijou – Funky Bijou Anthem, the video
Straight out of Rennes, France comes Stereophonk Records. Headed up by DJ Deheb and DJ Marrrtin, this French label is releasing some scorching Funk, Soul, and Hip Hop 45s. Funky Bijou’s “Funky Bijou Anthem” is their first, with a run of 800 which sold out immediately. I can completely understand why. A perfect B-Boy anthem: a sad guitar loop, some tabla and Indian percussion, funky flute, plus some drums of death which make this rocker complete that keeps all the dancers uprocking all night long. These guys have a facebook page where you can check out more videos and information on the Stereophonk posse. This particular track has been adopted as a B-Boy anthem, recently played at the Redbull BC One in Moscow in 2011:
It’s a scorcher, reminiscent of “The Baden Persuader” from Starla Records and one of my favorite sitar break records, “Mather” by the Dave Pike Set. They’ve also got some pretty great remixes too, a funk filled remix of “Ooh Baby” from Smokey Robinson , and Patti Drew’s “Tell Him” (for the romantic B-Boy in you!). The promo videos they have created for each track are a great collage and just like putting sliced truffles under the skin of game fowl, it’s a nice pairing to say the least. They’re tagline at Stereophonk is: French Groove Recordings, and they more than live up to their name. Keep an eye and ear out from this crew, as they will stay on your radar after you hear some of these sides and remixes.
Funky Bijou – Funky Bijou Anthem
Keep Diggin’!
I woke up yesterday shocked to hear of the passing of Soul Train legend Don Cornelius. Even more shocked that it was from a self inflicted gun shot wound, an apparent suicide. Seriously? Very sad indeed. Don Cornelius introduced me to so many different artists as a child. I mean, I watched the damn show with my family, and continued to check it out always as I was growing up. I watched it for the music, not the fashion (although quite funny) and of course that Soul Train line. As I got older and started digging, I always came across the Soul Train compilations, which were important to an up and coming DJ like myself. Highlighting people I was familiar with: Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, The Spinners and the Dells (my dad’s favorite), I also got exposed to bands like the Natural Four, Bobby Blue Bland, and The Moments. This video highlights a lot of the great artists I got exposed to. Check out James Gadsen on the drums behind Bill Withers, and a gang of other great Funk, Soul, and Hip Hop artists that graced the Soul Train stage. Even Rosie Perez makes an appearance on the Soul Train line if you don’t blink.
Quest Love has spoken out on the passing of Don Cornelius. This is a really great, heartfelt article from a talented musician/ music historian. I am very sad that we’ve lost this legend. It seems like we’re losing a lot of them these days: Etta James, Jimmy Castor, and now Don Cornelius. A true innovator of television, human rights, and a music revolutionary. He changed the way we see music on tv, and exposed the world to some of the best artists we have ever known. We may not have Don Cornelius anymore, but we still have the thousands of clips all over the net of past episodes of Soul Train. You can also get a Soul Train like experience when you go to a Hot Peas and Butta DJ night, as Skeme Richards and company not only replicate the music, but play loads of Soul Train footage behind you as you dance the night away. Rest In Power Don, Peace and Soul forever.
Keep Diggin’!
I got a tweet from John Book on twitter that I thought was interesting. NPR published an article by Egon about digging in the East Village here in NYC. It went on to explain that in today’s economy, it’s a buyer’s market for vinyl and that you can get some great bargains today because of it. Egon gave himself a $100 budget, reminiscent of his broke college day record buying, the days he didn’t have a lot of time or cash to buy records before he had to hurry catch the Metro North train back up to Connecticut. It was an interesting story, and since I’ve been getting a lot of requests for more of my digging stories (like I used to write), I figured I’d follow up on that request. From the list of records Egon got (Brazilian Jazz Fusion, Jazz on the Folkways label, 70′s Nigerian High Life, and a Scandinavian rarity) it looks like a good haul. Although I’d rather get 50 records for $100, most likely they would not be on the level of the records Egon got. I still get good records, don’t get me wrong, but they are not the Psych or Nigerian face melters, those are definitely found in the better record stores (which like to browse through also). I’m happy to write about records on NPR though, so get at me guys if you’re interested. Here’s an inside look of the on the cheap records I have dug up over the past week.
My budget is even tighter now, because I have a baby on the way in a few weeks, so I have been dollar bin shopping quite a lot. My man M.Fasis and I hit up Bleeker Bob’s dollar bin before last week’s Hot Peas and Butta JB Tribute party and I came away with some Motherlode, Gil Scott-Heron, Vincentico Valdes, and The Flying Machine 45′s left in the bin for a buck. I just can not pass up on records, I just have to get more creative and a bit more selective on what I buy. I buy records from private dealers and ebay once in a while (my last attempt on ebay I’m still waiting for: a super clean copy of “Ride Your Pony Girl” by Harry Ray on All Platinum. The seller is jerking me around of course. That’s why I’d rather dig) However, the deal with FMF is I like to find the stuff on the cheap. There is a Thrift store by me that has always come through. It has got me some good Hip Hop 12″s, and weird Jazz records in the past. Very hit or miss, I still check it on the regular. This past week was a dud, as my only pick up was Jimmy Z featuring Dr. Dre “The Funky Flute”. The video solidifies that this record is straight cheese, with Jimmy Z playing some funky flute way before Ron Burgandy let people know that the Yazz flute was nuttin’ to fuck with. Even pretty 80′s girls can’t help this record. To my luck, however, another consignment shop opened recently. When I went in sans portable, there were about 500 records sitting in the back of the store. I propped my ass firmly on whatever I could sit on and started to dig. What I came out with were some pretty great finds. I didn’t pay more than $3 a record, and for 30 bucks I got 10 records that were all quality.
Scholly D – Gangster Boogie
First up we have some Philly Hip Hop from ’86. Schooly D (mislabeled Scholly D here) on Place To Be Records out of Narberth, PA. PTB Records was busy also releasing “P.S. P.S.K. (I’ll Tell You What It Means!)” by the Philly Crew and other 12″ by Tic and Toc. Schooly went on to say this about the record: “Gangster Boogie was about getting over, smoking jays and pulling out 8’s and all that.” Fair enough. A good mint pull, even though it’s not the first pressing on Cut Masters (with the cool hand written bubble letters). I’ll take it.
Marley Marl – Scratch
I’ve reviewed this before, when I got one off of DJ Jack the Ripper. This 12″ features MC Shan, and is a great example of quality of the Marley Marl production we have all grown to love. All you other DJs are a bunch of jerks, a classic line jacked and used for tons of break records. I used to buy them like crazy. Do they even make break records any more?
Sammy Dread – Road Block Lp
On the whole, the Lp that Sammy was known for, other than the “Bad Boy” side. On Hit Bound and put out by Channel One, Sammy was backed by the Radics band. Features “Dreadlock Queen” and “Roadblock” among others. Besides the the good music, the cover, with Sammy on a Jah Rasrafari motorcycle is classic.
Patrice Rushen – Kickin’ Back Promo 12″
Out of all the records I got that day, this is my fave. I’ve never seen it on the field before, so for me it’s a good pull. A promo, and from what I have gathered, one of the first in a group of 12″ records put out (besides being a promo), this side has pulled high $200+ prices in the past. Not that that really matters to me, I just want to play the thing. A solid 7 minutes plus of Disco Funk from Patrice on Prestige.
Yamaha Skank – V/A Lp
I knew something was up with this record before I even checked to see the label. A Rupie Edwards/ Striker Lee production, this record is solid all the way through. Highlights include “Riding with Mr. Lee” by Chinna Earl Smith and “President A Mash Up De Resident” by Shorty the President, plus a gang of other good sides. No artist is even mentioned in the liner notes, which adds to the mystique of this Lp.
United Dreadlocks Vol. 1 V/A Lp
This Reggae compilation on Joe Gibbs Music features Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, and Junior Ross & the Spear among others. Roots music is a beautiful thing, and when you’ve got Sly Dunbar, Tommy McCook and Lloyd Parks in the backing band, it’s damn near perfect. This record cover, lithographed by the Stephensons, is going up in my wall in a frame. Bless Bless.
Kangal presents: Tiger Meets Yellowman Lp
First up, I am a huge fan of this Lp art. Even if it sucked musically, I would still buy it. My next Reggae mix is going to have some sort of graphic like this on it. I love me some Yellowman, and it has the side “Titty Jump” on it, so that’s a bonus. I lean more towards the Yellowman side, but the Tiger side is growing on me. Both backed by the Saggitarius band, Reggae in ’86 was still relevant, and a lickle Dancehall never hurt anyone.
Liquid Liquid – Optimo Ep
A record I never come across, let alone on 99 Records. Cover design by the great Richard McGuire. Original 1983 pressing. Mint, still in the original shrink wrap. Fun baby.
Marcia Griffiths – Naturally Lp
This early Marcia Griffiths on High Note has “Feel Like Jumping”, as well as the Bob Marley cover “Lonesome Feeling”. Backed by a band that includes Ansel Collins and Sly Dunbar, and you can groove to this today just as easy as in 1978 when it was released.
Z-3 MC’s – Triple Threat 12″
Despite the cheesy The Snakecharmer’s Song sample, this human beat box filled mid 80′s 12″ is not a bad score. Put out on Beauty and the Beat Records, straight outta Elizabeth, NJ, it’s Hip Hop in it’s infancy, raw and untainted. Not sure, but I heard this crew was out of Baltimore, MD. All and all a good come up for $3.
So for the people that were requesting some digging stories, here you are. If you do your research, have some patience, you too can get good records. I am in no, way shape or form claiming to be a record expert. I like what I like, and that’s good music. Egon is a music expert, running a label, reissuing lost gems, and constantly exploring different genres to expose these gems to the masses. I have the same philosophy here, as FMF tries to keep this music alive and well, while proving that you too, can dig for these records on the cheap, daily.
Keep Diggin’!
I promote a bunch of East Coast Funk and Soul and music events on these pages, but I need to give a shout to the left coast. I have been a fan of this series of different music nights for a long time. When it was the Root Down, I would try and get my friends in LA to send me the promo flyers because they were so dope. I know I have a few around somewhere. Funky Sole has definitely evolved in the past eleven years. They have had a who’s who of guests at all incarnations of the party (Keb Darge, J-Rocc, Adrian Younge, DJ Nu-Mark, Quantic, Chairman Mao, DJ Shadow, Skeme Richards(among others) and official DJs Clifton, Music Man Miles, DJ Chico, the gang of DJs known as the Soul Travelers, a rotating cast of LA DJs, and unofficial residents Cut Chemist and Egon who have blessed the turntables while opening people’s minds to all kinds of new, funky music from all over the world. Not commercial music. Not radio music. REAL MUSIC. The best part about it? It’s free, every week, and right smack in the middle of all the action.
“It wasn’t like Cut Chemist playing hits, or Egon playing hits, we were experimenting with different types of stuff. It wasn’t just Deep Funk, it was Ethiopian Soul, Psychedelic, Ghanaian, Salsa, Cumbia, Funk, Old School Hip Hop and obscure Cosmic Disco, twisted, dusted, psychedelia. Whatever we wanted to play. ”
I definitely wanted to shout out Miles and the Funky Sole crew, as they have been doing parties the way they should be done since day one. They do it and do it well. If you are out in LA and haven’t been to this party, I urge you to get there and get turned on to a whole different vibe. Miles describes the party itself as “A dance party where we celebrate mostly 60′s to early 70′s Funk Soul music, whether it’s instrumental or vocal. If it’s funky and it moves people on the dance floor, that’s what works at Funky Sole. And vinyl.” Sounds like my kind of place. Hit ‘em up when you’re in the LA area.
Funky Sole
Every Saturday
The Echo
1822 Sunset Blvd
LA, CA
Weekly Special Guests and Surprises
Funky Sole 11th Year Anniversary video directed and edited by Giovanni Solis
Keep Diggin’!
Follow Funky Soul on twitter.
As a young buck, I listened to music. A lot of music. Everything from Hip Hop to Punk rock to Classic Rock and beyond. I also played basketball. Let’s rewind. I lived basketball. I was a Philadelphia 76ers fan who got pissed when they traded Moses Malone for Jeff Ruland, so pissed that I became a NY Knicks fan and never looked back. The players I watched hoop it up: Doc, Moses, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Dominique Wilkins..I could go on, were how I remembered basketball. However, when I discovered soccer it was game over, no more hoops. That is for another story though. While I played, watched, and was a fanatic for basketball, I had a friend in high school named Mark. He was a year older than me. Mark, his brother (a few years younger than me) and I all played basketball for the same team in South Jersey. We all became good friends, and for most of high school and the summers after, I pretty much stayed at their house. We got into trouble, played hoops, drank beer, and listened to music. Mark knew I loved Hip Hop, so one day while we were all having lunch that his Mom made, he brought out a few cassettes his brother was into. One was The Surf Punks Locals Only!, the other Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation To Hold Us Back.
When people ask you about pivotal times in your life, when certain music grabbed you and changed your outlook forever, this would be one of them. That record rocked my world. Of course his mother, Marge, would bust our balls and ask: “Why are you listening to that stuff for?”. She would then keep us in stitches with more ball busting, all the while feeding us until we couldn’t eat any more. I was treated as one of the family, not immune from the ribbing from their mother, and never forgot those times in my teens and early twenties at the Jersey Shore. As we all got older, and started to all be scattered all over the United States (both boys graduating from Notre Dame, a school their Irish mother was proud of), visits were fewer, and phone calls came about once a year from Mark. He got married, moved away and we fell out of touch. I last saw him when I was on tour in about 2004 in Atlanta, and we haven’t seen each other since. When I was in the area where I used to live, I always stopped in to see his mother Marge. Again she would open up her house to me like I was her son. Eventually I moved away and you know how the story goes: “life gets in the way”. I reached out to Mark’s mother last year so I could reconnect. When I called her and she found out it was me, she asked the same two questions she had always asked: “What the hell do you want”? (with a chuckle), and “Are you married yet?” (a question she was always relentless with). I informed her 1, I wanted to get in touch with her son, and 2, yes I was married. We reflected on old times, laughed, and I wished her well. As I stated earlier, life gets in the way, and Mark and I kept missing each other. I still consider him a good friend. A friendship transcends boundaries, and even though we’re older (and hopefully wiser), I look forward to a time when we see each other again.
On Friday, I found out that Marge passed away at the University of Pennsylvania from a long battle with lung cancer. When I heard the news I was instantly transported back to a teenager, blasting Public Enemy from a boom box and shooting threes off of the garage in her back yard. As sad as I am, I’m happy she isn’t suffering any more and is at peace. I will hold many fond memories of the time spent with her and her family, and how indirectly, even if she didn’t know it, she got me into Public Enemy.
Rest In Peace Mrs. O
Margaret (Welsh) Olkiewicz 1944-2012
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This week we have a special treat. Our Big Ups is none other than Jefferson Mao, aka Chairman Mao, co-founder of ego trip. If you have been living under a rock for the last 18 years, ego trip was the go to Hip Hop culture magazine in the 90′s. I think I may have shed a tear the day they stopped publishing it. Luckily, there is egotripland, your daily fix of the best Hip Hop music culture you will read, and I back that up 100%. Chairman Mao is a well known DJ, crate digger, writer, and all around good guy who knows his shit. We’re happy to have him aboard on FMF and Big Ups.
Check Out Chairmqan Mao’s radio show Across 135th St. on RBMA Radio.
Check out egotripland.
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This is how a promo should be done. Bringing it back to the concrete streets, DJ Format, plus a gang of artists deliver us a sample of music from the upcoming Statement of Intent record about to drop on February 27th on Project Blue Book. The project features artists such as Edan, Phil Most Chill, The Nostalgia 77 Quintet, Sureshot La Rock, and the Simon Sound. If this entire album is anything like this video, real Hip Hop is back, for real. High BPM rapping is in full effect!
More details from DJ Format’s site.
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Mike D: rapper, producer, ex-label mogul, style maker, taste maker, heart breaker. Now add Grammatical doctor to his resumè. Mister Diamond took to the airwaves and the Colbert report to settle a dispute between Mr. Will Shortz, the NY Times crossword puzzle editor and blogger Julieanne Smolinski who came to blows over a recent clue in the Times. A 5 letter word for “Wack, in Hip Hop”. Check out the good Dr. Diamond get to the bottom of this quandry.
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We all know there is good sampling and bad sampling. Sometimes there is a gross misuse of said sample, and well, let’s face it: it doesn’t work brother. However, this is completely not the case with The Brothership by Kaimbr. We’ve had the Beatles forever linked with Jay Z by Danger Mouse and The Grey Album. We’ve seen great use of Rock samples from everyone to The Beastie Boys (Led Zep, Beatles, and way too many to mention) to Run DMC (Aerosmith)to BDP (Ac/DC) and more recently on with Jay Z/ Kanye (sampling Spookytooth of all bands). One of my favorite Rock samples is Cunninlynguists using Jethro Tull in “The South”, although Z-Trip was able to sample the Tull as well in a tasteful way for sure. I have definitely profiled sampling concept mixes: Ghostface with African drums from Max Tannone, De La Soul with Soviet Smooth Jazz aka De La Soviet, and now, a first: an all Led Zeppelin beat tape by Kaimbr.
Kaimbr aka Al Green aka The Grand Marnier King aka Parkranger aka The Green Eyed Cosby Kid has put out a belter of a beat tape under the radar. Here’s what the artist had to say about the project:
“……Celebrating 40 years since the Release of Led Zeppelin’s “Mothership” album. Reworked in a Rock meets Hip Hop, Kaimbr brings insane chops with heavy drums. Ideas inspired by, Kris Ramson. Kris provided vocal co production on *Katrina* and *Brothership*…..”
News clips, vocal snippets and classic guitar riffs are chopped to the maximum, then reworked lovely as Led Zeppelin get a fresh Hip Hop sound for the present day. To be fair, it seems Kaimbr got the first Led Zep record confused with the remastered comp from the 2000′s, but I won’t hold it against him. The sampling was top notch. In fact, I wish someone like Robert Plant or Jimmy Page, would have experimented a bit with some Hip Hop guys the way JPJ did with ?uestlove of the Roots in the video below. This beat tape is hot, and John Bonham would have totally approved with his big bass drum.
Support this musician by donating $5 and buying this project.
Free download (while it lasts) here.
Funky JPJ jams with Questo and Ben Harper
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