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For The Record: Live Hip Hop Showcase

Yesterday Soup and myself were lucky enough to perform next to Skratch Zilla at The Groove, a new record shop on Granby Street in downtown Norfolk. We had some killer special guests: Soul Sun, WriterJones, Byron Morgan, Awon, Vic Spliff, JSar, and others that provided incredible verbal imagery in a series of cyphers. 

The turn out was great, the vibe was great, and everyone brought a level of energy that exceeded all of our expectations. This was was community at its finest. There will be more.

Here are some shots as captured by Suz Burns. 

Looking forward to next time. Join us?

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60 Second Songs - Episode #2

Woo, here we are with another episode of 60 Second Songs. In the last installment I challenged myself to create a 60 second song in 72 minutes. This time around I pushed myself a bit further and gave myself a time limit of only 30 minutes.  Here's the result:

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Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl - Played With Kitchen Items

We dropped this today. Made with the kitchen sink, microwave, refrigerator, and ice tray. Enjoy!

Check out more fun videos at: YouTube.com/Fenderthinks123

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72 Minute Challenge

Today I challenged myself to write a 60 second piece in 72 minutes. I captured my experiment with time-lapse photography. Here are the 1,440 photos that it produced.

Dig the tune? You can download it here: 

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Saturday Stax: Ghostface Killah Meets The Stylistics

Every once in a while as a hip hop and soul music nerd, you find a match made in heaven. CL Smooth rapping over Pete Rock's jazzy beats - or MOP wilding out over monstrous J Dilla kick drum - and in this case Ghostface Killah saying "to hell with making a beat, I'm just going to rap over a 1971 soul classic!"

If you've ever been in a room listening to hip hop music with me, undoubtedly you've seen me open up a huge smile and pace a room the minute Ghostface's voice appears over a 70s sample. From his flip of Dr. Buzzards Original Savanah Band in "Cherchez La Ghost" to joining in with Raekwon to reinvent the sounds of Gladys Knight and Labi Siffre on "Can It All be so Simple", that old soulful sound pairs perfectly with Ghostface's introspection, perception, and emotive raps. 

Enter the Stylistics, one of the most sampled groups in the history of hip hop. I've spent many an hour chopping up their harmonies, orchestration, and drum breaks. 

The Stylistics were one of the leading Philly soul groups produced by the legendary Thom Bell. During the early '70s, the band had 12 straight Top Ten hits, including "You Are Everything," "Betcha by Golly, Wow," "I'm Stone in Love With You," "Break Up to Make Up," and "You Make Me Feel Brand New." Of all their peers, the Stylistics were one of the smoothest and sweetest soul groups of their era. All of their hits were ballads, graced by the soaring falsetto of Russell Thompkins, Jr. and the lush yet graceful productions of Bell, which helped make the Stylistics one of the most successful soul groups of the first half of the '70s.

The Stylistics formed in 1968, when members of the Philadelphia soul groups the Monarchs and the Percussions joined forces after their respective band dissolved. Thompkins, James Smith, and Airrion Love hailed from the Monarchs; James Dunn and Herbie Murrell were from the Percussions. In 1970, the group recorded "You're a Big Girl Now," a song their road manager Marty Bryant co-wrote withRobert Douglas, a member of their backing band Slim and the Boys, and the single became a regional hit for Sebring Records. The larger Avco Records soon signed the Stylistics, and single eventually climbed to number seven in early 1971. (all music)

Once they were on Avco, the Stylistics began working with producer/songwriter Thom Bell, who had previously worked with the Delfonics. the Stylistics became Bell's pet project and with lyricist Linda Creed, he crafted a series of hit singles that relied as much on the intricately arranged and lush production as they did on Thompkins' falsetto. Amazingly, every single that Bell produced for the Stylistics was a Top Ten R&B hit.

Enter Ghostface Killah - my favorite rapper from the legendary Wu-Tang Clan. Hailing from Staten Island, Pretty Tony, as he is otherwise known, brought a certain level of sincerity and introspection to the hard core group. His voice pitched slightly higher than his counterparts, brought a cool, bright balance to the collective. 

When I was first introduced to Ghostface's solo work, I related immediately to his love of comics. He took on the moniker Tony Starks, and released a series of "Iron Man" albums. Ghost had an ear for picking out the grimiest of beats to the brightest and most playful beats for his songs. His wavering between rapping about the drug scene to pouring his heart out in overly emotional dialogues make him one of my favorite MCs of all time. 

Conceptually, I love what he did on "Big Girl" from the 2006 "Fishscale" album. To me "Fishscale" would be classified as a modern hip hop classic. With incredible production from J Dilla, Pete Rock, Just Blaze, MF Doom, and Cool & Dre - Ghostface found incredible balance to explore a whole range of topics and sounds. 

Floating toward the end of the album, after Ghostface takes you through a journey of crack deals, gunshots, and an arsenal of Bravado, we're treated to an unexpected gem in "Big Girl". Instead of taking the typical approach in hip hop to sample, chop and layer drums over the track, Ghost just straight up raps over the other song. There is only one slight manipulation to the Stylistics ballad, which is that it is sped up just a tad to keep pace with Ghostface's ode to the ladies of the streets.

Pretty Tony sees a few rich women high off of cocaine and has a flashback to when he was hustling in the crack/ cocaine game. He laments for the state of affairs in the hood for all of the ladies that he knows. Many of the women have resorted to cooking crack for him and wasting their lives away supporting a habit that is holding them back from reaching their full potential. While encouraging them to be a secretary, business woman, lawyer, doctor, accountant, or computer wizard, he realizes the reality of where society has placed all of them. Perhaps it's too big a hole to dig out of?

Despite the bleak outlook that many would have observing the crack house, Ghostface trumpets a verse filled with optimism and sincerity. He admits to his own faults, as he too, has a taste for the poison, but has kept his head on straight enough to be "laced with jewels". He allows the people around him to get high because that's their own decision and it's making them money in a community where they have very few opportunities to be a financial success. Acknowledging the tension between being able to stay afloat during hard times and the eventual death spiritually and socially, Ghost can only ask that his addicted acquaintances "snap out of it."

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Saturday Stax: Ghostface Killah Meets The Stylistics

Every once in a while as a hip hop and soul music nerd, you find a match made in heaven. CL Smooth rapping over Pete Rock's jazzy beats - or MOP wilding out over monstrous J Dilla kick drum - and in this case Ghostface Killah saying "to hell with making a beat, I'm just going to rap over a 1971 soul classic!"

If you've ever been in a room listening to hip hop music with me, undoubtedly you've seen me open up a huge smile and pace a room the minute Ghostface's voice appears over a 70s sample. From his flip of Dr. Buzzards Original Savanah Band in "Cherchez La Ghost" to joining in with Raekwon to reinvent the sounds of Gladys Knight and Labi Siffre on "Can It All be so Simple", that old soulful sound pairs perfectly with Ghostface's introspection, perception, and emotive raps. 

Enter the Stylistics, one of the most sampled groups in the history of hip hop. I've spent many an hour chopping up their harmonies, orchestration, and drum breaks. 

The Stylistics were one of the leading Philly soul groups produced by the legendary Thom Bell. During the early '70s, the band had 12 straight Top Ten hits, including "You Are Everything," "Betcha by Golly, Wow," "I'm Stone in Love With You," "Break Up to Make Up," and "You Make Me Feel Brand New." Of all their peers, the Stylistics were one of the smoothest and sweetest soul groups of their era. All of their hits were ballads, graced by the soaring falsetto of Russell Thompkins, Jr. and the lush yet graceful productions of Bell, which helped make the Stylistics one of the most successful soul groups of the first half of the '70s.

The Stylistics formed in 1968, when members of the Philadelphia soul groups the Monarchs and the Percussions joined forces after their respective band dissolved. Thompkins, James Smith, and Airrion Love hailed from the Monarchs; James Dunn and Herbie Murrell were from the Percussions. In 1970, the group recorded "You're a Big Girl Now," a song their road manager Marty Bryant co-wrote withRobert Douglas, a member of their backing band Slim and the Boys, and the single became a regional hit for Sebring Records. The larger Avco Records soon signed the Stylistics, and single eventually climbed to number seven in early 1971. (all music)

Once they were on Avco, the Stylistics began working with producer/songwriter Thom Bell, who had previously worked with the Delfonics. the Stylistics became Bell's pet project and with lyricist Linda Creed, he crafted a series of hit singles that relied as much on the intricately arranged and lush production as they did on Thompkins' falsetto. Amazingly, every single that Bell produced for the Stylistics was a Top Ten R&B hit.

Enter Ghostface Killah - my favorite rapper from the legendary Wu-Tang Clan. Hailing from Staten Island, Pretty Tony, as he is otherwise known, brought a certain level of sincerity and introspection to the hard core group. His voice pitched slightly higher than his counterparts, brought a cool, bright balance to the collective. 

When I was first introduced to Ghostface's solo work, I related immediately to his love of comics. He took on the moniker Tony Starks, and released a series of "Iron Man" albums. Ghost had an ear for picking out the grimiest of beats to the brightest and most playful beats for his songs. His wavering between rapping about the drug scene to pouring his heart out in overly emotional dialogues make him one of my favorite MCs of all time. 

Conceptually, I love what he did on "Big Girl" from the 2006 "Fishscale" album. To me "Fishscale" would be classified as a modern hip hop classic. With incredible production from J Dilla, Pete Rock, Just Blaze, MF Doom, and Cool & Dre - Ghostface found incredible balance to explore a whole range of topics and sounds. 

Floating toward the end of the album, after Ghostface takes you through a journey of crack deals, gunshots, and an arsenal of Bravado, we're treated to an unexpected gem in "Big Girl". Instead of taking the typical approach in hip hop to sample, chop and layer drums over the track, Ghost just straight up raps over the other song. There is only one slight manipulation to the Stylistics ballad, which is that it is sped up just a tad to keep pace with Ghostface's ode to the ladies of the streets.

Pretty Tony sees a few rich women high off of cocaine and has a flashback to when he was hustling in the crack/ cocaine game. He laments for the state of affairs in the hood for all of the ladies that he knows. Many of the women have resorted to cooking crack for him and wasting their lives away supporting a habit that is holding them back from reaching their full potential. While encouraging them to be a secretary, business woman, lawyer, doctor, accountant, or computer wizard, he realizes the reality of where society has placed all of them. Perhaps it's too big a hole to dig out of?

Despite the bleak outlook that many would have observing the crack house, Ghostface trumpets a verse filled with optimism and sincerity. He admits to his own faults, as he too, has a taste for the poison, but has kept his head on straight enough to be "laced with jewels". He allows the people around him to get high because that's their own decision and it's making them money in a community where they have very few opportunities to be a financial success. Acknowledging the tension between being able to stay afloat during hard times and the eventual death spiritually and socially, Ghost can only ask that his addicted acquaintances "snap out of it."

[iterationsus-blog]

Saturday Stax: Ghostface Killah Meets The Stylistics

Every once in a while as a hip hop and soul music nerd, you find a match made in heaven. CL Smooth rapping over Pete Rock's jazzy beats - or MOP wilding out over monstrous J Dilla kick drum - and in this case Ghostface Killah saying "to hell with making a beat, I'm just going to rap over a 1971 soul classic!"

If you've ever been in a room listening to hip hop music with me, undoubtedly you've seen me open up a huge smile and pace a room the minute Ghostface's voice appears over a 70s sample. From his flip of Dr. Buzzards Original Savanah Band in "Cherchez La Ghost" to joining in with Raekwon to reinvent the sounds of Gladys Knight and Labi Siffre on "Can It All be so Simple", that old soulful sound pairs perfectly with Ghostface's introspection, perception, and emotive raps. 

Enter the Stylistics, one of the most sampled groups in the history of hip hop. I've spent many an hour chopping up their harmonies, orchestration, and drum breaks. 

The Stylistics were one of the leading Philly soul groups produced by the legendary Thom Bell. During the early '70s, the band had 12 straight Top Ten hits, including "You Are Everything," "Betcha by Golly, Wow," "I'm Stone in Love With You," "Break Up to Make Up," and "You Make Me Feel Brand New." Of all their peers, the Stylistics were one of the smoothest and sweetest soul groups of their era. All of their hits were ballads, graced by the soaring falsetto of Russell Thompkins, Jr. and the lush yet graceful productions of Bell, which helped make the Stylistics one of the most successful soul groups of the first half of the '70s.

The Stylistics formed in 1968, when members of the Philadelphia soul groups the Monarchs and the Percussions joined forces after their respective band dissolved. Thompkins, James Smith, and Airrion Love hailed from the Monarchs; James Dunn and Herbie Murrell were from the Percussions. In 1970, the group recorded "You're a Big Girl Now," a song their road manager Marty Bryant co-wrote withRobert Douglas, a member of their backing band Slim and the Boys, and the single became a regional hit for Sebring Records. The larger Avco Records soon signed the Stylistics, and single eventually climbed to number seven in early 1971. (all music)

Once they were on Avco, the Stylistics began working with producer/songwriter Thom Bell, who had previously worked with the Delfonics. the Stylistics became Bell's pet project and with lyricist Linda Creed, he crafted a series of hit singles that relied as much on the intricately arranged and lush production as they did on Thompkins' falsetto. Amazingly, every single that Bell produced for the Stylistics was a Top Ten R&B hit.

Enter Ghostface Killah - my favorite rapper from the legendary Wu-Tang Clan. Hailing from Staten Island, Pretty Tony, as he is otherwise known, brought a certain level of sincerity and introspection to the hard core group. His voice pitched slightly higher than his counterparts, brought a cool, bright balance to the collective. 

When I was first introduced to Ghostface's solo work, I related immediately to his love of comics. He took on the moniker Tony Starks, and released a series of "Iron Man" albums. Ghost had an ear for picking out the grimiest of beats to the brightest and most playful beats for his songs. His wavering between rapping about the drug scene to pouring his heart out in overly emotional dialogues make him one of my favorite MCs of all time. 

Conceptually, I love what he did on "Big Girl" from the 2006 "Fishscale" album. To me "Fishscale" would be classified as a modern hip hop classic. With incredible production from J Dilla, Pete Rock, Just Blaze, MF Doom, and Cool & Dre - Ghostface found incredible balance to explore a whole range of topics and sounds. 

Floating toward the end of the album, after Ghostface takes you through a journey of crack deals, gunshots, and an arsenal of Bravado, we're treated to an unexpected gem in "Big Girl". Instead of taking the typical approach in hip hop to sample, chop and layer drums over the track, Ghost just straight up raps over the other song. There is only one slight manipulation to the Stylistics ballad, which is that it is sped up just a tad to keep pace with Ghostface's ode to the ladies of the streets.

Pretty Tony sees a few rich women high off of cocaine and has a flashback to when he was hustling in the crack/ cocaine game. He laments for the state of affairs in the hood for all of the ladies that he knows. Many of the women have resorted to cooking crack for him and wasting their lives away supporting a habit that is holding them back from reaching their full potential. While encouraging them to be a secretary, business woman, lawyer, doctor, accountant, or computer wizard, he realizes the reality of where society has placed all of them. Perhaps it's too big a hole to dig out of?

Despite the bleak outlook that many would have observing the crack house, Ghostface trumpets a verse filled with optimism and sincerity. He admits to his own faults, as he too, has a taste for the poison, but has kept his head on straight enough to be "laced with jewels". He allows the people around him to get high because that's their own decision and it's making them money in a community where they have very few opportunities to be a financial success. Acknowledging the tension between being able to stay afloat during hard times and the eventual death spiritually and socially, Ghost can only ask that his addicted acquaintances "snap out of it."

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What Does Your Brain Do When You Hear Your Favorite Song?

Most people choose to listen to music that they prefer or ‘like’ such as classical, country or rock. Previous research has focused on how different characteristics of music (i.e., classical versus country) affect the brain. Yet, when listening to preferred music—regardless of the type—people report they often experience personal thoughts and memories. To date, understanding how this occurs in the brain has remained elusive.

A new study set out to show the effects of music preference on brain connectivity. The researchers showed that a circuit important for internally-focused thoughts, known as the default mode network, was most connected when listening to preferred music. Listening to a favorite song alters the connectivity between auditory brain areas and the hippocampus, a region responsible for memory and social emotion consolidation.

The researchers scanned the brains of 21 young adults using an MRI machine while piping in music recordings. Each person listened to a genre they liked, one they disliked and their favorite song. By separating out the patterns that were related to the music’s beat or lyrics, the researchers found the underlying changes in brain activity related to enjoying a favorite song.

A person's preferred music enhances connections between different regions of the brain, a pattern called the default mode network (DMN), the researchers report. This network is associated with introspection, self-awareness, mind-wandering and possibly imagination. When the DMN is activated, another network, the task-positive network (TPN)—which is involved in goal-oriented activity—is shut down. The two states can be thought of as focus on the outside world (the TPN) and focus on inner thoughts (the DMN). Earlier this month, another research group figured out how to switch between these two modes in mice. 

Certain brain disorders seem to involve trouble with activating one mode or another or with switching between the two. For example, since people with autism seem to have problems with DMN activity, the new study’s authors suggest that music therapy may help.

More work needs to be done to investigate the connection between music and mental states before we know if music can help people with autism, but for now, know that the frisson of happy feelings you get when you listen to your favorite song has basis in biology.

Read the complete study HERE. 

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Saturday Stax: Sam Rivers' New York Jazz Loft Sessions

In my quest to find records to add to my collection and to incorporate into my compositions, I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting so many wonderful record shop employees who put me on to some of the most amazing music. One employee I’ll never forget was Jenny from Fairfax Record and Tape Exchange.  She probably doesn’t remember me, but her recommendations definitely shaped the way I listened to music.

At one point in time, I was a regular at Fairfax Record and Tape. I would be there every payday in high school and every week during my vacations from college. My love for jazz music began at a young age, and was reinvigorated in high school. Coltrane, Monk, and Sun Ra were my favorites. Jenny played the saxophone and introduced me to “free jazz” and fusion. We initially connected over a love for Sun Ra’s outerspace jams and far out philosophy.

Over time I was introduced to Ornette Coleman and Sam Rivers – two giants of that free jazz movement. I remember listening to Coleman's album "Twins" for the first time on her recommendation and thinking that it was absolutely unlistenable. With more listens, I was able to understand and perceive the qualities of the music that made it amazing. Debates would ensue about the aesthetics and value of this type of jazz that left me longing for more structure! It was during one of many days discussing jazz that she handed me one of the “Wildflowers – Loft Sessions” albums.

The psychedelic colors of the record cover jumped out to me immediately. I loved the album art - a collage of jazz greats fronting a backdrop of New York City. It was so different. One thing to note is that the jazz of the 1970s, particularly in New York, was a particularly searching and experimental music, and it is sort of seen as a big lull in jazz history compared to the "classic" decades proceeding it. Musicians like Sam Rivers, David Murray, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, the World Saxophone Quartet, Cecil Taylor and many others worked tirelessly, expanding their tonal vocabularies and creating shimmering and brilliant soundscapes for whoever was still listening. The audiences were, indeed, smaller, but the music pushed the boundaries even further.

Many of the most important changes of the jazz scene in the 1970s took place in the loft performing spaces that emerged as an alternative to the commercially oriented clubs and concert halls. Run cooperatively by the musicians themselves, these lofts became the centers of creativity by providing an environment outside the inhibiting pressures of the music business for an ongoing experimentation by the artists.

Recorded over ten days in May 1976 at Sam Rivers’ Loft in Harlem “Studio RivBea”, this set of five albums contains a bounty of truly beautiful jazz performances. The Wildflowers LPs documented nearly all of the important US-based players of the free jazz era. Between those still surviving in New York from the 60s (Sunny Murray, Marion Brown, Dave Burrell, Andrew Cyrille, Jimmy Lyons), recent transplants from Chicago's AACM (Braxton, Air) and St. Louis' BAG (Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill) collectives and a handful of young up-and-comers (David Murray, Ahmed Abdullah, David S. Ware), the set provided a comprehensive overview of what was currently happening in the music.

"Studio Rivbea has been the scene of many dark, sweaty nights impossible to air condition, yet you could go there at midnight or 1 A.M. and be oblivious to the dense air while you were listening to sounds that you had never heard before. Once there, despite the heat, you usually didn’t want to leave."  -- The Soho Weekly News, May 1976

The albums serve as an astonishing artifact from the era, sonically wide-open to anyone with an ear for music of the spirit. The performances are varied, and sequenced in such a manner, that the most palatable, groove-oriented works will draw the listener in so that he or she may appreciate the more abstract, experimental works as well. What I love most is the life that you can feel pouring out of the records. The improvisational and live aspect of the records offers a very human touch and immediate presence. The "music’s vitality is timeless; these recordings should be heard by anyone with anything more than a glancing interest in jazz.” (Phil Freeman).

From the set's opening track "Jays", the notable changes that were beginning to take place in the music are apparent as Kalaparusha (Maurice McIntyre) gets his tenor mojo working over a super-funky electric bass-driven groove. As has been discussed in other assessments of this collection, "free jazz" was beginning to incorporate the more palatable elements of its otherwise sworn enemy "jazz fusion" with distinctive results—Kalaparusha's track being a prime illustration of that hybridity.

The Wildflowers set offers an amazing look at an overlooked period in jazz history. One that was rich with innovation, if not a little hard on the unexpecting ears. 

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Sampling on a Shoestring with Skratch Zilla & Duchamp

Hip hop music was the first popular music genre based on the art of sampling - being born from 1970s DJs who experimented with manipulating vinyl on two turntables and an audio mixer. What makes sampling so appealing to me is the ritual of listening to other music in order to make my own music. Sampling has the incredibly powerful tool to spark interest in forgotten artists of generations past. As a soul, funk, and jazz vinyl junkie, I can't think of a better way to build a relationship to my collection than to use bits and pieces of it in my own compositions.

I prefer to acquire my samples from vinyl records because of the tangible pops and crackles, which feels a lot more organic and human to me than a compressed disposable file. You could call it an infectious enthusiasm for "crate diggin'", an old school hip-hop term for musicians who spend hours flipping through boxes of faded and dog-eared sleeves, looking for the elusive cut that will become the centrepiece of their collection. Or as, legendary producer, Pete Rock, would put it "taking these dusties and mashing up beats" with a sympathetic ear to the more obscure tracks and unlikely heroes found digging for records.

Most hip hop producers have spent countless hours going through thousands upon thousands of records. The ritual of crate digging inevitably leads you to the infamous “bargain” section of a record store. You would be hard pressed to find a beatmaker who hasn’t spent many an afternoon listening to stacks and stacks of seemingly worthless records at the thrift shop, just to find that perfect six seconds of a trumpet blaring along with three backup singers harmonizing at just the right timbre to layer over their drums.

For our new segment "Sampling on a Shoestring", we'll be heading straight to the bargain bin section of the record shop to dig for sounds. The premise being that each producer will pick three bargain bin records for the other producer to flip. For our first installation of "Sampling on a Shoestring" I went off to the Vinyl Daze record shop in Virginia Beach with Skratch Zilla and Duchamp. I've been a huge fan of Skratch Zilla's work for a long time, so we're very excited about collaborating with him on this project (check his music out here!).

This is what we came out of the store with:

Skratch Zilla on his picks for Soup: 

At first I didn’t know how I was going to approach this challenge.  Being that we were only going to shop the bargain section, my expectations of finding good material were sort of low.  The bargain section of this particular shop exceeded anything I could’ve imagine, which made it easier to find material.  So I basically fished for records as if they were for me.  First was the Alan Parsons Project (I Robot and Eye In The Sky).  I learned about this group through another producer I met a few years back, so I know Soup will have a field day the with records I chose. 

Next was Rare Earth (Get Ready).  The thing with this particular record is I really know nothing about the group itself, I just know that I have the same record in the studio and want to hear what Soup would do with it.  There’s actually a specific song on there, lets see if Soup finds it. (LOL)

Duchamp on his picks for Skratch Zilla: 

First I selected Joan Armatrading's "Sleight of Hand" because there's something special going on there. After listening through I found a particular section in a track that I know I would use if I were sampling from the record. What Skratch does... we'll see! Walking into the shop I'd never heard her music. And now... I'm a fan. After releasing the record in 1986, "Sleight of Hand" reached number 34 in the UK album charts and number 70 in the US Charts. It was Armatrading's 10th album. As for Steve Winwood - Roll With It: This was an easy choice. First, this is an album my father listened to relentlessly when I was a child. I'm very familiar with Winwood's upbeat over the top positivity on this album. Secondly, I think it'd create quite the challenge for Skratch. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out of it. Finally, Mac Davis - It's Hard to be Humble. Why did I pick this album. It's simple - just look at that cover. Nope, I've never heard the record.

Soup on his picks for Duchamp:

My approach at first was to look for records that I would like to sample, myself. I thought this would be an interesting challenge, because, while Duchamp and I collaborate on a regular basis, our tastes in music are super different. The Mills Brothers record is one that I would have definitely copped for myself if we weren't working on this experiment. There's a bluesy feel with fun harmonizing that was a sure shot aesthetic match for me. The Sergio Mendes record was an awesome find and I think Duchamp will have a field day with the varied instrumentation in that album. Also, I thought it was fitting since the World Cup was going on. Finally, the Nicolette album - which was a big surprise to me. There was something intriguing about the cover so I gave it a spin at the listening station. Besides being a stealthily dope record, it had cool riffs, intros and bridges. I think the folksy feel to the album will work well with Duchamp.

 Check back with us soon to see what creations we came up with!

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Flashback Friday: De La Soul - Ego Trippin' Part 2

For this Flashback Friday we're going back to 1993, with a group that serves as one of my biggest influences musically: De La Soul. The track "Ego Trippin' Part 2" was produced by the legendary Prince Paul. What I loved about De La Soul was how genuine and free they were with expressing themselves. While so much of the music scene seemed to be preoccupied with image and looking a certain way - you got the feeling that De La Soul was being 100% true to themselves. Their mix of heartfelt and joyous music mixed with soulful and jazzy samples matched my personality completely. 

The track samples Al Hirt's "Harlem Hendoo", another hip hop staple that has been sampled by countless other hip hop artists. A fun fact about "Ego Trippin' Part 2" is that it's one of the most sampled hip hop songs by other hip hops songs. Perhaps you'll recognize it in every thing from Kris Kross to Pete Rock and CL Smooth.

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Born in the Bronx – A Visual Record of the Early Days of Hip Hop

In 2007, the Cornell Hip Hop Collection was established through a foundation gift from Johan Kugelberg, who donated his collection of materials that he’d gathered for the 2005/2006 traveling exhibition “Born in the Bronx – A Visual Record of the Early Days of Hip Hop” and the 2007 Rizzoli publication of the same name. The archive was announced at a Cornell-hosted global hip hop symposium in 2008. In the years since, the Cornell Hip Hop Collection has grown to be the largest archive of historical hip hop materials in the world, spanning over four decades and over 200,000 objects including artwork, sound recordings, ephemera, posters, flyers, clothing, and photography.

Exhibited by Boo-Hooray at Gavin Brown’s enterprise, the materials in this exhibition highlight the personal narratives and archives of hip hop’s grand architect Afrika Bambaataa, the late master of hip hop design Buddy Esquire, Wild Style director Charlie Ahearn, and Joe Conzo, the photographer who the New York Times said “took hip hop’s baby pictures.”

Highlights on display:

A wall display of sure-shots from the Afrika Bambaataa record collection. These records had the name of the artist covered up for Bambaataa to maintain DJ exclusivity of rare breakbeats in the early days of hip hop.

Original Afrika Bambaataa manuscripts and notebooks, including the original lyric for “Planet Rock.”

A selection of original breakbeat records from Afrika Bambaataa’s collection, showcasing the building blocks of DJ culture.

A grid of original cells from the animated sequences of Charlie Ahearn’s film Wild Style.

A large collection of original hip hop flyer art by Buddy Esquire from the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Vintage prints and exhibit prints of Joe Conzo’s iconic photographs of the early days of hip hop.

Handpainted hip hop clothing by Buddy Esquire dating from the 1970s to 1990s. 

Who/What/When/Where:

Born In The Bronx: Afrika Bambaataa, Buddy Esquire, Charlie Ahearn’s Wild Style and Joe Conzo - A Visual Record of the Early Days of Hip Hop

Curated by Johan Kugelberg June 26th - July 26th, 2014 620 Greenwich St., New York, NY

Until the 3rd of July, the gallery will be open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm.

The gallery is closed on the 4th, 5th, and 7th of July. After Tuesday July 8th, gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm through July 26th.

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Rodents on Turntables: Who Will Win?

Who will win in this epic test of agility? Will it be Sergio, Chunk, Lloyd, Harry, or Herzog?!

Whaat? Rodents on Turntables FTW!

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Flashback Friday: Main Source - Live at the Barbeque

For the 4th of July we're going back to the most well known hip hop BBQ from 1991. At that point Large Professor had cemented himself as one of the best producers in the still relatively young game. This is what we call the classic posse cut: one verse after another with different rappers. This song is most famous for introducing the world to a young "Nasty Nas" from Queensbridge. A bit different from the storytelling, imagery filled lyrics that Nas is most famous for, he opts for a full on barrage of braggadocio in this classic. 

"Live at the BBQ" used one of the most sampled breaks ever in hip hop: "Nautilus" by Bob James. A relatively obscure album to most people, this Bob James record is sacred text to hip hop producers. It's an unspoken tradition to try to flip the record yourself. The track "Nautilus" was also sampled by the likes of Slick Rick, Eric B and Rakim, Run DMC, Naughty by Nature, Ghostface Killah, and countless others. 

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See the Soviet X-ray Records Used to Spread Banned Music

Before the availability of the tape recorder and during the 1950s, when vinyl was scarce, people in the Soviet Union began making records of banned Western music on discarded x-rays. With the help of a special device, banned bootlegged jazz and rock 'n' roll records were "pressed" on thick radiographs salvaged from hospital waste bins and then cut into discs of 23-25 centimeters in diameter. "They would cut the X-ray into a crude circle with manicure scissors and use a cigarette to burn a hole," says author Anya von Bremzen. "You’d have Elvis on the lungs, Duke Ellington on Aunt Masha’s brain scan — forbidden Western music captured on the interiors of Soviet citizens." 

Get the whole scoop on this fascinating story via (NPR)

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Saturday Stax: Remembering Bobby Womack

To me there is a trinity of male soul vocalists: Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, and Bobby Womack. Each brings a different style of singing to the table and offer different grooves to brighten your day or capture your heartbreak. 

In a professional career that lasted nearly six decades, Womack worked closely with leading musicians ranging from Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett and Sly Stone to Damon Albarn and most recently groups like the Gorillaz. For many he was better known as a songwriter and session musician. The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, George Benson and Chaka Khan were among the many who recorded his songs. His super funky guitar licks can be heard on records by Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield and Aretha Franklin. 

For me, he will be remembered for his voice - a rugged and emotive baritone holler that sounded like it came straight from a church service. There was something about the way that he sang that really connected with me. I think it's because of how direct his lyrics were. There was no ambiguity or impenetrable subtlety. You knew when he felt pain. You knew when he was expressing jubilation. And all of it felt pure and sincere.

  Though his career spanned many decades and he amassed numerous hit records. The Bobby Womack album that means the most to me was one of his first "Bobby Womack and the Valentinos" from 1965. Curtis Womack and the Womack Brothers with his siblings Curtis, Harry, Cecil and Friendly Jr. After Sam Cooke signed the group to his SAR Records in 1960, they released a handful of gospel singles before changing their name to the Valentinos and earning success with a more secular, soul- and pop-influenced sound.

This particular album was loaded with simple soul ballads with classic instrumentation, and each of them hit home in their own way. It's an album that made it's way into regular rotation in my DJ sets, with "See Me Through" and "Baby Girl" being my go-to songs to slow things down, but still keep the energy in the room positive. 

In hip hop music, Womack was often sampled. 9th Wonder released all of his beats sampling Bobby Womack for free, to honor Womack's life. His flip of Womack's "And I Love Her" for Little Brother's "Speed" is a classic. 

In recent memory, Womack was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. And in 2012, Womack began a career renaissance with the release of The Bravest Man in the Universe, his first album in more than 10 years. Produced by Damon Albarn and XL's Richard Russell, the album earned numerous critical accolades. 

"You know more at 65 than you did at 25. I understand the songs much better now," Womack told Rolling Stone at the time. "It's not about 14 Rolls Royces and two Bentleys. Even if this album never sells a nickel, I know I put my best foot forward." Upon his death, Womack was in the process of recording his next album, tentatively titled The Best Is Yet to Come. He will be missed.

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Flashback Friday: EPMD - You Gots To Chill

EPMD, the funk-driven, sample based rap duo from Long Island whose brilliant work helped pave the way for the golden age of hip-hop, released their first album Strictly Business in 1988. The second single from Strictly Business, “You Gots to Chill” is more than just a song; it’s a command to “sucker MC’s” to take a chill pill and sit back and watch two guys who know what they’re doing.  

The track samples the following four funky grooves: "Jungle Boogie" by Kool & the Gang, "More Bounce to the Ounce" by Zapp & Roger, "I Can't Stop" by John Davis & The Monster Orchestra, and "Catch A Groove" by Juice.