Short vinyl records production film.

How cool is this... Shows the viewer how vinyl records are created. There's a Discovery channel watermark & the narrator has a Canadian accent, if that helps in locating the source. You'll love it. Shows the painstaking lengths it takes to manufacture, just so we can then scratch the crap out of them...

Part 1...


Part 2...

Wu-Tang cover versions from NY funk outfit El Michel's Affair

Pretty stupid to call your series Shaolin, yet have a picture of the Japanese wandering samurai Ogami Itto & son Daigoro (Lone Wolf & Cub) as your image. Apart from that gaff, it's a great idea.

"In late 2005, at a packed house in Downtown NYC Truth & Soul’s El Michels Affair forged an unusual working relationship with incomparable Raekwon from the Wu-Tang Clan. Together they re-work Wu-Tang classics, bridging the musical gap between sampled hip-hop and live instrumental soul. In the wake of this event the decision for El Michels Affair to get in the studio and cut instrumental versions if Wu-Tang songs was an obvious one."


Part 1 of Truth & Soul's shaolin series….


• MP3: El Michels Affair - C.R.E.A.M. 320kbps Wu-Tang cover
• MP3: El Michels Affair - Glaciers of Ice. 160kbps (VBR) Raekwon cover.

Ultimate Breaks & Beats Vol 26

The real 26th volume in the legendary series has returned after a 15 year absence. Strictly Breaks kind of took up the format in the 90s by also having illustated covers, but had nothing to do with the originals. The game has changed somewhat, so maybe they should have just made a website for Serato heads to download from. Then again, those MP3 suckers wouldn't get teh excellent 12" cover art from Kev Harris (TM7 Productions). Which I presume was created back then, because it is in the same exact style as we all remember. Rumour has it that Louis Flores died a few years back & that these contain edits of tracks that should have appeared on a release that was supposed to come out in 91.

As per the most recent issues of these classic 'bootlegs', they come in a double copy set.

A.
1. Joe Tex - You Said A Bad Word
2. Johnny Taylor - Ever Ready
3. Coalkitchen - Keep On Pushing
4. Graham Central Station - The Jam (Remixed)

B.
1. Touble Funk - Lets Get Small
2. Tony Alvon - Sexy Coffee Pot
3. Hank Carbo - Hot Pants (part 2) (Remixed)

DERT - Sometimes I Rhyme Slow ReMixtape
Read all about it & order it from here.

I always thought that MySpace converted audio to a lower bit-rate via their music player. Seems not. You can download a track & listen to 3 others from Dert's Myspace page.

MR NOGATCO - Nogatco Rd.

Kool Keith seems to be making some good music these days. After a few years where he went off hooking up with some, er, um, not so good producers, we now finally get to hear him over a more sampled based style of production. It isn't really a sequal to Dr Octagon, because there is no Automator in sight, but instead its kinda sorta Octagonish in spirit & name reversal alone. What we do get is more of Kieth's obsession with aliens & space. I was totally satisfied with all the kooky dialogue snatches from some of the 50s sci-fi films that are scattered throught the album. I think its a great return to form, maybe not 100%, but the track Alpha Omega is perhaps my now favourite track of the year. Its absolute Keith at his most lyrical golden. Mouse collectors, bubblegum, Captain Kirk & Spock, Bobby Brown, celestial divisions, 800pound women.. you know the deal, its all in there.

'He's strange, he's Spacey'. No shit.

Check out a freaky alien dissecting video & download a B&W image to colour from the label Insomniac.

• MP3: MR NOGATCO - Alpha Omega. 192kbps
• MP3: MR NOGATCO - Live Dissection ft. Sage Francis & Sole. 192kbps

PROJECT POLAROID - Project Polaroid

Bay Area producer Tom C hooks up another more rewarding effort for Keith. This time its with some hard as fuck crunchy drums & some more spacey tripped out sounds, but on a darker tone than Mr Nogatco. Strangely its on Kutmasta Kurt's label Threshold. I swear KK keeps everyone on their toes as he swerves, dives, ducks & keeps everyone guessing with his friendship patterns. We all know if the beats suck, then Keith ends up being non-listenable. I can say that this is another step in the right direction & I hope he keeps it up.

Find them on Myspace.

• MP3: PROJECT POLAROID - Diamond District. 192kbps
• MP3: PROJECT POLAROID - Digital Engineering. 192kbps

New RESIN DOGS - Definition EP.
Out now is the new 5 track EP from the Brisbane lads. The 4 songs feature vocals from Hau (Koolism), the UK's Mystro, Abstract Rude (Project Blowed), the Pharcyde & Lazy Grey. Some tracks were co-produced or mixed by Brad Baloo (The Nextmen). They've gone back to their hip hop roots & there's no sign of their uptempo breaks sound on the EP. All the tracks are well solid, but I had to up Lazy's track because, well, if you are looking at this from overseas, it's pure Australian hip hop from one of our finest.

• Resin Dogs website.
• Resin Dogs at Myspace.

•MP3: RESIN DOGS - Mad Blunted ft Lazy Grey

FREEEZ - I.O.U.


I cannot believe this was upped on the Tube. I haven't seen this for 20 years or so. One of the 1st clips I saw that had popping in it. Awesome track & dope clip. Well, you had to have grown up in those times to appreciate the, er... fashion sense. Also the first time I saw the Brit's interpretation of the NY sound & style. Pretty strange when you think how Freeez were originally a jazz funk outfit & then into this. I think Bluey from Incognito used to hang with them.

BREAK MACHINE - Street Dance


I believe this was a German production. Still in retrospect it isn't that bad a track & the 3 brothers must've had their actions rewound a zillion times on everyones VCR back then, just so we could work out the moves. Brings back a heap of memories of practising at the local Police Boys Club with my crew.

What the? Baby Hip Hip.

Baby Hip-Hop is the world's first educational, rapping baby doll. What is so unique about Baby Hip-Hop is his ability to teach kids how to rap and count, as well as being able to teach kids how to do their ABCs by simply pushing in his Tummy. He will greet you with his name. (What's up? I'm Baby Hip-Hop. You want to hear me rap?) Then Baby Hip-Hop will rap and count for you. As you can see, this isn't just any ordinary doll; this is a doll, which represents the Hip-Hop music culture. Baby Hip-Hop is a 3-year old black Afro-American male who's about 18 inches tall and dresses as if he is a real live Rap Star.

E-40's brother D-Shot is responsible for this.

It's all gone pear shaped... ;(

Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five - It's Nasty.


I didn't even know this existed. Check the crazy editing. Er, sorry, the one static shot..

Soul Boulders - Matthew Africa & DJ B.Cause
One the best funk/soul mixes around. You need this one. Check this page for more details.
Or visit Matt's MySpace page.

This is their blurb...
"My homie DJ B.Cause and I have finally finished up SOUL BOULDERS, a dynamite 70+ minute mix of slow, funky soul.

SOUL BOULDERS came together because B.Cause and I share a love for a certain sound -- 70s era soul that's a little too soulful for the funk crowd, a little too funky for the soul crowd and too slow for the dancefloor. We both have a lot of records and we spent weeks scouring for some of the heaviest soul sounds we knew of and then stitching them together into a seamless mix. Although many of the songs are known only to collectors, our emphasis is on quality, rather than rarity, and it's a fantastic listen all the way through."

Click on image to enlarge track listing.

Grandmaster Flash - White Lines.


Wtf?? Another video that I didn't now existed. And directed by Spike Lee with Laurence Fishburne. Where the heck are they finding these video clips?

New Mixtape site. More bling than, sting.

Mixtape torrent site. Not really my type of sound, more club rap, bling, R&Bish, gangster styles but someone might like the link. Most seem to be the promo ones that highlight upcoming artists or future 'rap stars'. I just don't see names like Beat Junkies, Revolution, DJ Shame, Melo-D, J-Rocc, all I see is Kay Slay, DJ Drama, Wally Sparks, Envy, Whoo Kid. So there'd be no scratching & more shouting. Try your luck.

Gang Graffiti in Iraq.

American gang graffiti though... Whoah!

Footage of ZEPHYR, REVOLT & MIN ONE 1983.



Wow. I love seeing old footage I didn't even know existed. The 3 of them doing silver pieces in the West Side tunnels circa 1983. Nicely edited & designed. So dope.

Zephyr later went on to do the early graphic parts of MTV. Those bits in between clips. Maybe he sourced some of Chalfant's infamous 6hrs of extra footage that never made it into Style Wars & edited it for this 2:30min clip.

More at Zephyr's site.

The track playing over the footage is 'Films' by Gary Numan. Available on his excellent album 'The Pleasure Principle'. I recommend his 'best of' collection Exposed, because it also has the b-boy favourites 'Cars' & 'We are Glass.'

He's Alive. DJ DETONATOR TOO TUFF...
Here's the proof above...

The rumours floated around for years as many Europeans travelled to Philadelphia looking for members of Tuff Crew. I met many of them & shared their enthusiasm for one of the most neglected crews in hip hop history. The made 4 albums & a heap of singles or compilation tracks, yet they had virtually zero media attention. True old school heads recognise & celebrate thier entire back catalogue. And yes, they still are my most favoured crew in the music's history. And also, Too Tuff was one of my inspirational reasons to start deejaying.

Here he is on MySpace. Post up a comment.

Crazy. Check this automated Wild Style...



More here.

R.I.P. DJ DUSK.

Apparently killed walking the street by a car driven by a drunk on Sun 30 April 2006.

Intergral member of the famous funk/hip hop Rootdown night in LA. Memoriams are flowing in at his MySpace page.

Another sad day for hip hop.

MCTV DVD Vol 1

MCTV is an inside look into the world of underground hip hop. Conceived and hosted by Murs, directed and edited by Erick Peyton (he also directed Murs' 2005 film, Walk Like A Man). In this issue, Murs talks with Slug of Atmosphere, Mr. Dibbs and 9th Wonder.

Plus new music videos from Atmosphere, Grayskul, 3MGs. And freestyles by Little Brother and Supreme.

Found at the usual online stores.

• Aerosol Warfare.

Trinity International Hip Hop Festival


Join us for a FREE weekend of incredible music, art, dance & film.
Trinity College is located at 300 Summit Street Hartford, Connecticut.
All ages welcome!!!

Hip Hop has gone global!

Time to celebrate the culture and this common current running around the world. This unique three-day event aims to do just that, celebrate & educate.

The weekend boasts a line up of performers from Brazil, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Haiti, India, Mexico, Iraq, Korea, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Australia, France, Uganda, and more.
Performances will be in more than seven languages, Spanish, Swahili, and Portuguese among them. Fresh and multi-lingual! Along with film, art, live graffiti & b-boying there is something for all.

FOR MORE INFO GO TO Trinity Hip Hop & Nomadic Wax