This is a blog used to help promote DJ Kool Emdee and dedicated to GOOD music and those
who love good music, be it old or new school. Any music or links posted are for SAMPLE PURPOSES ONLY. We wish that you would support all artists by purchasing their bodies of work.
If you want to hear some good Soul and Hip-Hop, there's a great show that comes on early Thursday mornings called The Groove, hosted by my homey Bobby Phats, with his co-hosts DJ Master Chief and CareFree. Bobby is an excellent MC/hype man as well as spinning tunes. You can get more of what he does by visiting his site: DopeJoints.com.
This morning he had a special interview with Zo! of Foreign Exchange who dropped his new album titled Sunstorm on Tuesday. The album itself boasts a roster full of great talent, which includes himself. You want to hear more or get info, go to TheForeignExchangeMusic.com and purchase the full album on iTunes.
The Groove airs Thursday mornings from 2am - 5am on Pacifica Radio KPFT 90.1 FM Houston. You can listen LIVE online at http://kpft.org. If you like the show, please donate to help keep the show on air. KPFT 90.1 FM is a commercial free, listener sponsored, FREE SPEECH radio station.
Since 1986, after seeing Public Enemy perform songs off their yet to be released debut YO! Bumrush The Show, I have been a loyal fan. Run-DMC is the pioneering group who kicked down the racial barrier door, as well as their many contributions to Hip-Hop, but Public Enemy is the water that spread once the floodgates were opened. They're the first Hip-Hop group to go international, the first to raise political awareness and "pro-black" on a whole album, and with the help of their production team called the Bomb Squad (Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee, Eric "Vietnam" Sadler and Gary G-Wiz), the messages were to a soundtrack that no other group in music has ever done.
Fast forward to 2010, and we see that Public Enemy remains unwavering. Most of the mainstream rap artists today feel the only way to sell records is by talking about sex, loose women, alcohol, money, drugs, violence, and guns. With their unshakable determination to continue to do good music, PE demonstrates why they have achieved veteran status by sticking to what they do without following trends. Check out their new single "Say It Like It Really Is" from their upcoming album Welcome To The Terrordome that's titled after their single from Fear of a Black Planet released in 1990.
Oriol dropped his debut CD Night And Day about a week ago and I just came across it on Planet Mu. I have to say that i'm quite impressed with his refreshing sound. Born Oriol Singhji in Barcelona, he now resides in London. One of my favorites on the double CD is "Spiral" (see video below). This tune sounds like a blend between Trip-Hop, old school Jazz Funk, with a touch of glitchy electronica. A great track to play at an urban happy hour setting. Buy the full length album at Planet Mu, then visit Oriol Music on Myspace and tell him how much you like his music.
"New" single from Lauryn Hill that apparently has leaked. I hear it's suppose to be an outtake from Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Either way, I feel it's a great choice to add to an upcoming album. Heck, we've waited 12 years. Enjoy!
I met this kool kat named David Sha a few years ago at a poetry and open mic set I used to DJ at. I was blown away by his energy on stage and his soulful delivery. At that moment, I had no idea where he came from, but was sure glad to hear something original instead of the same old tired cover tunes. Since that day, we have performed together on many shows and collaborated on a few projects. I can't wait for this guy to really blow up because he most definitely has the all around TRUE talent as a singer, songwriter, MC and poet to stay in the biz for many years to come. Right now he has a FREE download available on his BandCamp page. Enjoy!
There's a new Soca riddim produced by Platter Records that just dropped this month called the Faxx Machine. Boy it wicked to rass! For those who aren't familiar with island lingo, that means it's really good. Here's one single from Dancehall toaster/producer Dr. Evil (Leftside) of Leftside & Esco fame. Leftside is the son of Reggae crooner Lloyd Parks of Lloyd Parks and the We People Band. Enjoy!
01. DR. EVIL – SPLASH 02. LIL RICK – AGAIN 03. MADD DOG – TURN IT AROUND 04. MR. DALE – SHUT YA MOUT AND WINE 05. PETER RAM – FAXX MACHINE 06. SKINNY FABULOUS – ON DE ROAD 07. TROY SPECIAL – DE TRUCK 08. PLATTER RECORDS – FAXX MACHINE RIDDIM INSTRUMENTAL
In my usual search for music, I came across another great freebie. This compilation contains tracks hand picked by the label heads represented on the cover art. Some of you may be familiar with some of these great artists who churn out the best in Soul/NuSoul, Acid Jazz, Trip-Hop, Funk and more. Download and Enjoy!
1. Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno – Dog With A Rope 2. Kako & Orchestra, Vocals by Azuquita – Shingaling Shingaling 3. Shawn Lee and Bing Ji Ling – Who Are You 4. Paul White – Ancient Treasure 5. Shafiq Husayn feat. Bilal – Cheeba (Nottz Remix) 6. Ancient Astronauts – Put Em Up (ft. Raashan Ahmad) 7. Mophono’s Halftone Society – Bumps 8. Belleruche – 56% Proof 9. Nickodemus – 2 Sips and Magic (Second Sky / Thomas Blondet Remix) 10. Markolino Dimond con Frankie Dante – Sabroson 11. DJ Center – Center’s Groove (Captain Planet Remix) 12. Dimlite – Can’t Get Used To Those (Afterlude) 13. Twilight – Dance With Me 14. Quadron – Average Fruit
My apologies for being late on some of these artists, as their transitions were recently brought to my attention. I pray for all the families and that we never forget these artists. May they all REST IN POWER.
Busi Mhlongo (October 28, 1947 – June 15, 2010)
Born Victoria Busisiwe Mhlongo, was originally from Inanda in Natal, South Africa, was a virtuoso singer, dancer and composer whose music defies categorization. Drawing on various South African styles such as mbaqanga, maskanda, marabi and traditional Zulu, fused with contemporary elements from jazz, funk, rock, gospel, rap, opera, reggae and West African music she produced a fresh and exciting sound. Her infectious music and singing style have a universal appeal and her lyrics carry powerful and poignant messages. In the 1960s, she adopted the artistic name Vickie; only later did she became known by Busi Mhlongo.
Mhlongo has worked with other top African folk / pop artists, like Hugh Masekela, Mariam Makeba, Dr. Philip Tabane, Mabe Thobejane, and many legends - Robert "Doc" Mthalane making meticulously produced, melodic and modern South African music.
Lincoln Barrington 'Sugar' Minott (May 25, 1956 - July 10, 2010)
Sugar Minott born in Kingston, Jamaica is a reggae singer, producer and sound-system operator known for his sweet roots dancehall style. Minott spent his youth hanging around the legendary Studio One record label listening to the artists that recorded there.
After working as a selector on the Sound of Silence Keystone sound system, and then his own Gathering of Youth system, he began his singing career as part of The African Brothers in 1969, along with Tony Tuff and Derrick Howard. The group released several singles in the first half of the 1970s on labels such as Micron and their own Ital label, and were an early example of the Rastafari movement's influence on the Jamaican music scene. After recording "Mysterious Nature" for producer Rupie Edwards, the group recorded 1974's "No Cup No Broke" for Studio One, breaking up shortly after. Minott then teamed up with the producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, as studio apprentice at Dodd's Studio One, working as a singer, guitarist and percussionist, and soon began recording his own singles.
When the young Minott started recording at Studio One, he didn't use a backing band as in conventional recording, but elected to sing over instrumental versions of old Studio One classics. This is considered to be the birth of "dancehall," which lead to countless artists making new hits out of old classics, a tradition that continues in Jamaica today.
Garry Marshall Shider (July 24, 1953 – June 16, 2010)
Garry Shider was musical director of the P-Funk All-Stars for much of their history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.
Shider was born in Plainfield, New Jersey. At the age of ten and under the guidance of his father Jesse, Garry and his brothers played and sang behind many gospel artists of the time including legends such as Shirley Caesar, The Five Blind Boys, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, and others. As a youth Shider was also a regular customer at the Plainfield barbershop owned by George Clinton, where the future members Parliament would sing doo-wop for customers and counsel local youngsters. Clinton made note of the young Shider's talents on guitar and his ability with gospel singing.
Shider and his friend Cordell "Boogie" Mosson left for Canada where Shider married and had a son. Shider and Mosson formed a funk/rock band called United Soul, or "U.S.". George Clinton was living in Toronto, Ontario at the time and began hearing about United Soul from people in the local music business, and took the band under his wing upon learning that Shider was a member. In 1971, Clinton produced several tracks by United Soul with input from members of Funkadelic. After producing United Soul, Clinton then invited Shider and Mosson to join Parliament-Funkadelic. Two United Soul songs were rerecorded on later Funkadelic albums with Shider as a member. Clinton groomed Shider for an important role in the P-Funk roster, which Shider joined full-time in 1972.
During Parliament-Funkadelic performances Shider was known for appearing in a diaper, making him instantly recognizable on stage and earning him the nickname "Diaper Man". Shider is featured prominently in the hit songs like, "Cosmic Slop," "Getting to Know You," and "One Nation Under a Groove". He co-wrote many noteworthy Parliament-Funkadelic songs, and he made important contributions to P-Funk spin-off acts including Bootsy Collins and Eddie Hazel.
Rammellzee born in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York, was a visual artist, graffiti writer, performance artist, rap/hip-hop musician, art theoretician and sculptor. Rammellzee's graffiti and art work are based on his theory of Gothic Futurism, which describes the battle between letters and their symbolic warfare against any standardizations enforced by the rules of the alphabet. His treatise, Iconic Panzerisms, details an anarchic plan by which to revise the role and deployment of language in society. He has stated that his name is derived from RAM plus M for Magnitude, Sigma (Σ) the first summation operator, first L - longitude, second L - latitude, Z - z-bar, Σ, Σ - summation. Rammellzee is often identified as an artist apart of the Afrofuturism canon; Afrofuturism is identified discourse concerned with revisioning racial identity through the tropes of science fiction and fantasy narrative or aesthetics.
Rammellzee performed in self-designed masks and costumes of different characters which represented the "mathematical equation" that is Rammellzee. On the basis of his Gothic Futurism approach, he described his artistic work as the logical extension into a new phase which he calls Ikonoklast Panzerism. This artistic work has been shown in art galleries throughout the US and Europe. His Letter Racers, and other Noise includes artistic works by individuals mostly identified with their musical contributions. Rammellzee was also instrumental as one of the original hip hop artists from the New York area who introduced specific vocal styles which date back to the early 1980s. His influence can still be heard in contemporary artists such as The Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill. His song Beat Bop was featured in the film Style Wars.
Melvin McCullough aka Mr.Fantastik of Berkeley, CA who was head of the crew ROYAL ROCKERS passed away Saturday June 12th. He was a hip-hop icon and pioneer here in the bay area of northern California. Partners with the Incredible Rubberman Damon Frost, they both influenced the early bay area hip-hop scene especially through dance, mainly poppin' and the robotic dance movement that includes waving, Tuting and slides.
Here's a tasty beat treat for you to add extra sauce to. A bunch of up and coming producers got together, had a cookout and banged out a few hot joints to make your head nod. A few noted producers who appear on this FREE CD include Suff Daddy, Dexter, Powell, and more. Here's a preview of Suff Daddy's Yes Beat. Enjoy!
Here's the first single from keyboardist and producer extraordinaire Zo! who has collaborated with Phonte' (alter-ego "Tigalo") of Little Brother and Foreign Exchange fame on a covers tribute to 80's hits titled Zo! & Tigalo Love The 80's. His upcoming project SunStorm will have guest appearances from Phonte', Rapper Big Pooh, ERRO, Yahzarah, Darien Brockington, and more. Album is set to drop on July 27th. This track is available on iTunes. Enjoy!
New video directed by Brandice Robinson for "Baby" from MC/DJ Zin off his latest CD titled Mental Graffiti. Zin is the founder of Trickle Down Entertainment who also produces and hosts a weekly radio show called S.O.S. Radio (Sounds of Soul) on Houston's KPFT 90.1 FM. The show airs every Wednesday from 1pm - 3pm (CST).
