Wildcookie: Heroine

Swedish producer Freddie Cruger (a.k.a. Red Astaire) has teamed up with vocalist Anthony Mills to release and EP tilted Heroine, which is a precursor for their Cookie Dough full length that will be released on February 22nd. I have already been spinning "Heroine" in lounges and the shows I have been doing in the last 2 weeks. I plan to put this gem on an upcoming freebie mix that will be available soon. Visit their Bandcamp page to peep the rest of this delightful EP. Enjoy!

Throwback Thursday Vol. 4: Mahalia Jackson

This past Tuesday, January 25th, was my late grandmother's birthday, so I decided to post this gospel tune called "Move On Up A Little Higher" sung by Mahalia Jackson. This same tune was a favorite of my grandma and also requested for her to sing by members of her church. Outside of listening to the stories, getting laughs and history I got from my grandma, the many times I've heard her sing this song is the amongst fondest of memories I have of her. I miss you "Big Momma".

Bobby Tank: Vanquish

If I had a space cruiser and could travel at hyper speed or to fly an F-16 fighter jet, this is a tune I would have playing. As just told to me a few minutes ago by Bobby Tank via Facebook, "Vanquish" was inspired by the video game.

I love the composers approach with the layering of different sounds and the different types of effects. This is not like many lackluster songs in mainstream that some "beat makers" put out that have no imagination or real effort. Bobby is progressing into the realm of mad scientist. He's sick!



View Previous Post: Bobby Tank: Nexus Moonburgers

Happy Birthday: Farley Jackmaster Funk

I was first introduced to the Chicago House sound by my best friend Dewayne (DBO, DJ Chi-Dawg) around 1984. I've mentioned before about how we used to walk to school jammin' to House and Hip-Hop mixtapes (actual cassette tapes...HA!) on a boombox. Those House mixes we mainly listened to were done by none other than the legendary "King of House Music" DJ Farley Jackmaster Funk on WBMX 102.7 FM. I remember clearly hearing him scratching "Farley" flawlessly as he spun live on air. You would hear tunes like "Jack Your Body", "Move Your Body", "Let No Man Put Asunder" and other House classics. Then, the master himself releases "Love Can't Turn Around" with Darryl Pandy in 1986. My first time hearing the tune gave me goosebumps and I still consider it to be the greatest House tune ever. Mr. Farley, we salute you!

Communication Riddim

A few days ago I got the Communication Riddim in my inbox and was quite impressed by what I heard. Fresh Ear Productions, who previously brought you the Soca-like National Pride Riddim in 2009, the Good Tymez Riddim at the end of 2010, along with other dancehall tracks, kick off 2011 on a real good note. This is a pleasant blend of Reggae sounds with R&B progressions. One of my favorites from the riddim is "Kiss" by the lovely Alaine. I look forward to many more good tunes by this team in the future. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday: Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke
(January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964)
Sam Cooke, was a gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as The King of Soul for his unmatched vocal abilities and impact and influence on the modern world of music. His contribution in pioneering Soul music led to the rise of Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and popularizing the likes of Otis Redding and James Brown.

Cooke had 29 top-40 hits in the U.S. between 1957 and 1964. Major hits like "You Send Me", "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Chain Gang", "Wonderful World", and "Bring It on Home to Me" are some of his most popular songs. Cooke was also among the first modern black performers and composers to attend to the business side of his musical career. He founded both a record label, SAR Records and a publishing company as an extension of his careers as a singer and composer. He also took an active part in the American Civil Rights Movement.

Many of Cooke's tunes were featured in movies and covered by other artists. One of the most notable covers of a Cooke tune is by Luther Vandross on his Forever, For Always, For Love album released in 1982, for his version titled "Bad Boy/Having A Party", produced by Vandoss and Marcus Miller. Cooke's original version, "Having A Party" was recorded and released in 1962.

Throwback Thursday Vol. 3: Give Me Your Love (Love Song)

Not long after leaving The Impressions to pursue a solo career and to have founded Curtom Records, Curtis Mayfield released Super Fly in 1972 as the soundtrack for the motion picture produced by Gordon Parks having the same name. Super Fly would become one of the most influential recordings in African-American history, as well as a pioneering soul concept record.

The two most notable songs on the album were the hits "Freddie's Dead" and the title track "Superfly". Both songs charted in the top ten of two categories on Billboard. "Pusherman" has been selected among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. One other song that stood out to many was "Give Me your Love (Love Song)".



Fast forward to 2002 and Pete Rock smashes it with C.L. Smooth by using the sample of "Give Me Your Love (Love Song)" for the "Shine On Me" single released on St. Nick Entertainment, and distributed by Fatbeats. This single was a non album cut.

B.New - E.P.I.C.

Up and coming emcee B.New has been under my radar for a little while and I have blogged about one of his previous projects. I recently got word from him that he released E.P.I.C. (Every Pleasure Is Conquered) on iTunes a few days ago. As a gift, he's offering "Heart Throb" as a FREE DOWNLOAD. If you're a fan of Hip-Hop, this is a guarantee to get head nods while you listen to him spit clever metaphors. The goal for the single is to get 5,000+ downloads, so please share. Show your appreciation for his time and hard work by purchasing the full album. Enjoy!

Download Heartthrob

Follow B.New on Twitter: @BnewCoolAmerica

C.I.T.Y.: Light Up Freestyle

New Orleans bred, Houston based emcee C.I.T.Y. has an upcoming project titled Rolling Stone that's scheduled to drop on February 28th. He's recently been on a few local concerts opening for some big names in Hip-Hop and just last month was one of the 6 finalists in the Bad 2 Da Bone Talent Contest that was at House of Blues here in Houston. The photo above is from the contest finals. Until I get a single from the upcoming album, check out one of his freestyles. Enjoy!



Follow C.I.T.Y. on Twitter:
@cityvelly

DJ Chicken George: Peddlin' Jazztronica

DJ Chicken George is in my top 5 of all time favorite DJ's in the world. He always smashes it with his style of tastemaking as a REAL DJ should. Here's another excellent mix done by a true master of the mix. Enjoy!

Morgan Zarate Podcast

Producer/drummer Morgan Zarate, also known as Morgan Spacek, one third of the group SPACEK, has released an exclusive mix courtesy of URB Magazine. Once again, you can now travel to the wonderful world of FREE DOWNLOAD to get it while you can. Enjoy!

URB Presents: Morgan Zarate TRACKLIST

01. John Carpenter – Back To The Pod

02. Morgan Zarate – Hookid

03. Terror Danjah – Acid

04. Dizzee Rascal – What U Talkin

05. D Double E – Streetfighter

06. Mweslee – Eurocarne

07. Morgan Zarate – Buy Bye

08. Rustie – Zig-Zag

09. Redlight – MDMA

10. Rox – My Baby Left Me (Terror Danjah Remix)

11. TRC – Skipping Rope

12. James Blake – CMYK

13. Danny Weed – Big Brother

14. Wiley – Icepole 2

15. Mark Pritchard – Caveman Style

16. Aletered Natives – Rass Out

17. MJ Cole – Angel Riddim

18. Wiley/J2K/Donae’o – Sugacakes

19. Cassie – Me & U (Mickey Pearce Remix)

20. VV Brown – Game Over (Cooly G Remix)

21. Sleigh Bells – Tell ‘Em (Kingdom Remix)

22. The-Dream – Yamaha

Happy Birthday: Sade

Grammy award winning vocalist Sade was born Helen Folasade Adu on January 16, 1959 in Nigeria, and is also a songwriter, composer, record producer and front-woman for British based band SADE with members Stuart Matthewman, Andrew Hale and Paul Denman. Sade and her band produced the first of a string of hit albums, the debut album Diamond Life, in 1984, and have subsequently sold over 50 million albums. She is the most successful solo female artist in British history.

Sade has recently announced an upcoming t tour. For more details and info, log on to SADE Live!.

Happy Birthday: Aaliyah

Aaliyah Dana Haughton
(January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001)
Aaliyah, who many of us refer to her as "The Princess of R&B" and our angel, was born in Brooklyn, NYC on this day in 1979. She has been credited with redefining R&B and Hip-Hop with her silky, strong and mature vocals, along with a unique sound.

Her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number sold more than 3 million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million; it sold 3.7 million copies in the United States and over 8 million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first major film, Romeo Must Die. She contributed to the film's soundtrack, which spawned the single "Try Again". The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this feat. "Try Again" earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist.

After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her part in Queen of the Damned. She released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in July 2001. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in an airplane crash in The Bahamas after filming the music video for the single "Rock the Boat".

Happy Birthday: Martin Luther King Jr.

Today we salute Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who spent many of his days fighting for freedom and equal rights for African Americans in this country. There was more to Dr. King than the classic "I Have A Dream" speech made in Washington D.C. He also made a series of other speeches and had written books addressing the injustices done to people of color here in America.

Most ask, why was he shot and killed if he was one who was non-violent and a symbol of peace? I personally think it had plenty to do with his change of philosophy and outlook on what was really going on, especially after several talks with Malcolm X. In one of Malcolm's speeches he is noted as saying, "You can not be non-violent with anyone....who is violent with us."


In 1980 Stevie Wonder released Hotter Than July that contains "Happy Birthday" in honor of Dr. King and to campaign for Dr. King's birthday to be made a national holiday here in America. The inside sleeve of the album cover has a glossy photo of Dr. King and has text written by Wonder that reads:

It is believed that for a man to lay down his life for the love of others is the supreme sacrifice. Jesus Christ by his own example showed us that there is no greater love. For nearly two thousand years now we have been striving to have the strength to follow that example. Martin Luther King was a man who had that strength. He showed us, non-violently, a better way of life, a way of mutual respect, helping us to avoid much bitter confrontation and inevitable bloodshed. We still have a long road to travel until we reach the world that was his dream. We in the United States must not forget either his supreme sacrifice or that dream.

I and a growing number of people believe that it is time for our country to adopt legislation that will make January 15, Martin Luther King's birthday, a national holiday, both in recognition of what he achieved and as a reminder of the distance which still has to be traveled.

Join me in the observance of January 15, 1981 as a national holiday.
Stevland Morris a/k/a Stevie Wonder


At the White House Rose Garden on November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a federal holiday to honor King. Observed for the first time on January 20, 1986, it is called Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Following President George H. W. Bush's 1992 proclamation, the holiday is observed on the third Monday of January each year, near the time of King's birthday. On January 17, 2000, for the first time, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was officially observed in all fifty U.S. states.

Happy Birthday: Mary J. Blige & LL Cool J

Mary J. Blige (born January 11, 1971), The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, and The Queen of R&B, is a singer, producer, songwriter, actress, and rapper. A recipient of 9 Grammy Awards and 4 American Music Awards, Blige has recorded eight multi-platinum albums and has received the World Music Legends Award for combining Hip-Hop and Soul in the early 1990s. In November of 2010, Billboard Magazine ranked Blige as the most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years, she ranked number two (overall) ahead of Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston.

Blige started her musical career in 1992, releasing her multi-platinum US selling debut album, What's the 411? on MCA Records and Uptown. What's the 411? gave Blige her first Billboard 200 top ten album, which has continued since the release of her debut album until her latest album, Stronger with Each Tear (2009), which became Blige's seventh consecutive album to debut at number one or number two on the Billboard 200. As of 2010, Blige has sold over 50 million albums and 15 million singles. Blige cites Anita Baker, Chaka Khan, Teena Marie, and Aretha Franklin as influences.



*************************************************************************************


James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), better known as LL Cool J (acronym for Ladies Love Cool James) is an American rapper and actor. He is known for romantic ballads such as "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover" as well as pioneering hip-hop such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", and "Mama Said Knock You Out". He has released twelve studio albums and two greatest hits compilations, with his final album being 2008's Exit 13, the last for his record deal with Def Jam Recordings. He has also appeared in numerous films, and currently stars as NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna on the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles.

LL Cool J founded and launched Boomdizzle.com, a record label / social networking site launched in September 2008. The website accepts music uploads from aspiring artists, primarily from the hip hop genre, and the site's users rate songs through contests, voting, and other community events.

Throwback Thursday Vol. 2: Big Maybelle

Mabel Louise Smith
(May 1, 1924 – January 23, 1972)
Professionally known as "Big Maybelle"
My favorite tv show of all time is The Cosby Show, which makes it extra sweet for me to post this week's "Throwback Thursday" tune. Some of you may remember hearing this tune on the "A Touch of Wonder" episode that featured Stevie Wonder. After the family visit Stevie during a studio session and return home, Cliff attempts to turn in early while Claire is wanting him to stay up a little longer with her. After Cliff walks upstairs to their bedroom, Clair walks over to the record player and says..."I don't know what to say....but I do know what to play.", and puts on "Candy" recorded by Big Maybelle on Savoy Records in 1956. The hit single received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999.

Doug & Patty: Season Two (In Sheckyvision)

Big respect to my ATL homie DJ Apple Jac for this incredible remix project of the Doug & Patty EP released by by Carlitta Durand and Vaughn Garcia. DJ Apple Jac is also a heavyweight in collecting 45 rpm records and has battled it out amongst other heavy hitters in the Red Bull Music Academy 45's battle in Atlanta. You can get this full project on his Bandcamp page for FREE.99. Enjoy!



Be sure to follow him on Twitter:
@uncleshecky (DJ Apple Jac)

So Far To Go: J-Dilla Tribute Art Contest Winner (Joe Buck)

Joe Buck has been announced as the winner of the So Far To Go: J-Dilla Tribute Art Contest that was held the second half of 2010. Prints are now on sale and proceeds benefit the J-Dilla Foundation. Limited edition prints are also on sale, autographed by Mrs. Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey, J-Dilla's mother.

"My goal with this design is to fully capture the magnitude of the body of work Dilla left behind. This is my painstaking attempt to document everything I could find by way of his life and discography. A true workaholic who loved Hip Hop, Life and Music."

- Joe Buck

Throwback Thursday Vol. 1: Faze-O

I decided at the end of last year to do a "Throwback Thursdays" to feature old school classics. I was surfing Youtube and came across an interview of Keith Harrison of Faze-O conducted by a guy named Jon. In this interview Harrison breaks down how the funky spaced out "Riding High" track came about. Faze-O membership also consisted of Frederick Tyrone Crum, Ralph Aikens, Robert Neal, Jr. and Roger Parker. "Riding High" was produced by Clarence Satchell of the Ohio Players.

This track is on my first installment of the For The Love of The Groove mixes done by me. The Hip-Hop duo EPMD sampled this tune for their "Please Listen To My Demo" single back in 1988.

MdCL & Sy Smith: Teena (Lovergirl Syberized)

The Syber Social Songstress does it again with the aide of MdCL (Mark de Clive-Lowe) in a tribute to the late Teena Marie who passed away a few days ago. Upon finding out about it on Twitter, I couldn't wait to get home to put on my headphones to get that full rich sound both are known to produce. I'm sure the spirit of Lady T is pleased with this labor of love. Get it for FREE on their Bandcamp page and read the dialog from Sy Smith on how it all unfolded. Enjoy!



Follow them both on Twitter:
@Syberspace (Sy Smith)
@mashibeats (MdCL)

Happy New Year!

Hoping everyone reading this has a prosperous year. Thanks for your support!