Myself and BEAT DETECTIVE had a great Saturday night in Brighton rocking the beats together with the VINYL VETERANS crew. Many thanks goes to MAC, MR KRUM, MATT THE HAT and BOBBY BOUCHER who organise the VINYL VETERANS nights for their hospitality and of course to all those who braved the sub zero temperatures to attend. And what's up also to DJ FOLEY too for making an appearance, also to STEVE SECK, DANI & CHARLIE, and all those who plied us with Tuaca shots throughout the night. I'm sure not to sabotage the skills more as a "welcome to Brighton" from the locals. We both thoroughly enjoyed our sets and the atmosphere in the FULL MOON. For me personally it was some of the best music I have heard/played in years, and good to see real vinyl skills being displayed on the turntables ALL NIGHT LONG (cue Mary Jane Girls!) by the VV crew. Here's some pics taken on the night....
BEAT DETECTIVE drops the funk on 'em
No Trouble Here Guv!
FIDEL CUTSTRO & DJ FOLEY
This one's for YOU!
MATT THE HAT dropped the illest funky soundtrack set!
Ram Jam by midnight
Great TOO SHORT tee
The POSSE IS LARGE (BD, KD, MAC and MR KRUM)
DAILY DIGGERS duo do damage!
Good times!! Thanks to MAC for the photos and for being such a great host to the DAILY DIGGERS duo - we look forward to a return, we knew B'TOWN ALWAYS ROCKS!
Some MCs deserve more props than they currently get. When it comes to battle raps, not many can claim to be as clever in the battle itself as they appear to be on record. One man that meets both of those criteria nicely is MIKEY D, of MIKEY D & THE LA POSSE fame. But MIKEY DESTRUCTION to give him his full title wasn't just the cat who went on to replace LARGE PROFESSOR in the highly acclaimed group MAIN SOURCE, he was already a very established MC with several releases under his belt and a reputation to maintain. In fact LARGE PROFESSOR had years before as a kid been present at MIKEY D & PAUL C's studio sessions and learnt his art from watching those two. MIKEY was once a member of the CLIENTELE BROTHERS who rocked the Queens park jams back in the 80s, and who by 1988 had won the NMS World Supremacist MC title by beating MELLE MEL in the final. Plus he had worked with the legendary engineer/producer PAUL C on more than one occasion and became PAUL's MC of choice to work with. Now that's what I call pedigree. There's even talk of an un-released and now lost PAUL C & MIKEY D album - what's up with that?!?! So it was great to see last year Pritt Kalsi's excellent KING OF THE BEATS organisation gave MIKEY the props he deserves and brought him over to the UK to rock some shows and host the continuing beat battle saga. When I talk of my favourite MCs of all time, the name MIKEY D is always high up on that list. Read all you could ever need to know about MIKEY D here in this superb interview by ROBBIE on WWW.UNKUT.COM.
You NEED to peep this track featuring my homeslice and rhyme scientist OXYGEN (outta SPUTNIK BROWN). On point beats and rhymes that make sense are the order of the day here, so don't sleep and have yourself a listen. Also watch out for the forthcoming REMIX of "Gone Diggin'" by DJ SPINNA - that will have to be a banger to match up to the GENSU DEAN original beat, but I know SPINNA is dropping some jewels recently. Plus OXYGEN is working real hard and soon everyone is gonna want a piece of his action as one of the best on the mic right now. Ya hear me?
DJs DEK ONE and AIDEN LEACY will be spinning the b-boy funk this SATURDAY at BREAKFEST Street Scientists West Midlands world 2 on 2 qualifiers. Bring your best footwork and make sure it's hellafunky! For more details e-mail djmushroom69 at yahoo.co.uk
If you're not familiar with SENSEI FM then it's about time you checked out their DJ roster and some of the dope radio shows that are available to stream or download. Presenters include KOOL SKOOL, JAZZMAN GERALD, DISCO SCRATCH, DJ RANDOM and the STEEL DEVILS, CHROME, BREAKIN' BREAD amongst others. Right here is a fresh upload from UNIVERSAL ZULU NATION affiliate DJ X-RAY with a tight breaks session.
Gritty rhymes combined with vintage surroundings give it an old school feel with a new school flow. Shot at Mr. Compliment's beat lab.
Directed by : OBoogz [OneTwo Media] Co - Directed by : SIN Beat by: Compliment ONETWOMEDIA.net Twitter.com/SINsationalSIN Twitter.com/MrCompliment Twitter.com/OneTwoMedia
I'm not sure if I've posted this before but whilst I was poking through some old shoeboxes at the weekend I found a copy of a "break to the beat" CD I put together circa 2001. And even if I have posted it up before I'm still enjoying this little mix myself so I'm gonna post it anyway for those who didn't catch it the first time around. Nothing too rare in here just a nice selection of tracks - each one followed by the hip hop record that sampled it. Breaks from CAT STEVENS, STANLEY COWELL, DAZZ, YOUNG HOLT UNLIMITED, and beats by NAS, DITC, KRS ONE and THE PHARCYDE amongst others.
Brighton rocks again this weekend with yours truly THE DAILY DIGGERS on deck duties. If you love heavy funk and breaks then this is the ONLY place to be this coming Saturday night. Get down there!
Grammy Nominated Producer, World Supremacy Champion Turntablist, EPMD's star DJ, man behind the live shows of P Diddy and Q Tip... DJ SCRATCH is one of the rare figures in the world of Hip Hop whose claim to the term "Legendary" is accurate. Picked up for tour support duties by Run DMC after his victory at the New Music Seminar in 1988, and subsequently signed to the ranks of EPMD, Scratch's career has brought him into contact with every name in big-time Hip Hop. Busta Rhymes, Jay Z, 50 Cent, Wu-Tang Clan, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, Redman, Talib Kweli, DMX, The Roots... Think of a platinum Hip Hop name, and you'll find a DJ Scratch contribution in their catalogue. When you see the hockey mask... you know that you're watching a routine made famous by a true DJ legend.
In 2hrs time my man my mellow (and fellow hip hop traditionalist) OXYGEN from SPUTNIK BROWN will be hosting his part of the HIP HOP MARATHON on WUSB 90.1 FM broadcasting live straight outta Stony Brook, Long Island NY. Tune in between 9-11pm U.S. time to catch him dropping some crazy hip hop jewels and maybe a few classic break records! Remember people ... there's no half steppin' when it comes to OX's record collection or taste in music!
If you are not in the Big Apple then you can still stream it live at www.wusb.fm/
Hip Hop Marathon happening RIGHT NOW in fact...check it out!
And don't forget CLASSIC MATERIAL pt2 is on tomorrow night at the CITY AND ARTS MUSIC PROJECT right next to OLD STREET tube station in LONDON. Be there or be squizzare!
I've been speaking recently with a lot of US heads who on the whole are aware of some of the UK's homegrown hip hop talent from the end of the last century, but they're not always familiar with some of the more underground artists that made big noise back on our UK shores. I always try my best to put my international comrades up on lesser known UK artists that I think they really should hear, but I am by no means an authority on the matter. For that I leave it to the professionals such as UK veteran WAXER from the excellent and very informative DISCO SCRATCH website, and also online spots like HEROES OF UK HIP HOP are well worth a visit to brush up on your UK rap knowledge. Although to be perfectly honest, I only ever need to drop them a few bars of some good old British boom bap from the late 80s and early 90s and that normally gets a reaction. Remember Hip Hop was spawned in the States and as such they have never had the need to search internationally for good hip hop music, when they have all they need on their own doorsteps (or should I say on the stoop?). And of course I don't blame them for that, but they are missing out on some quality beats and rhymes. The UK hip hop scene back then was more purist than even the music from the States. Many UK crews brought nothing but hardcore beats and surefire raps to the table without a thought of having to sell out - hip hop was never ever gonna go commercial in the UK so the thought didn't even enter their minds. Because of that fact the majority of UK hip hop releases from this period were uptempo break-laden beats with furious lyrics, and swift DJ cuts and scratches were a necessity! Hence why the Europeans branded the name "Britcore" on any rap releases hailing from our shores. Trust me the UK cats were taking no shorts back then! I only have to mention names likes FRESH SKI & MO-ROCK, HARDNOISE, GUNSHOT, KATCH 22, HIJACK, BLADE, POINT BLANK, KINETIC EFFECT, LONDON POSSE, THE THREE KNIGHTS, BLACK RADICAL, CAVEMAN, DEMON BOYZ ... I could go on for days. And as most releases were independent there was little need for sample clearance, and little or no label pressure in terms of musical direction. The whole UK scene was such that it lead to some awesome UK releases which could give many of the $100+ "random rap" holy grails a run for their money even today! Get yourself over to DISCO SCRATCH and HEROES OF UK HIP HOP and brush up on your UK knowledge. Recently WAXER conducted a superb audio interview with UK engineer legend NO SLEEP NIGEL, who gave up some juicy stories about the UK scene back in the days. And a few production tips too including one story of how he and DEXTER (from D TO THE K and BROTHERHOOD) would create tape loops and play them back simultaneously without the need for a sampler - crazy shit and well worth a listen.
On the subject of UK Hip Hop, and also after mentioning FRESH SKI & MO-ROCK, I am very pleased to reveal that their un-released EP project entitled "THE COARSE SELECTORS" is soon to make it's debut appearance on wax courtesy of those nice dudes over at DIGGERS WITH GRATITUDE. Stay tuned here for more details and a DAILY DIGGERS exclusive interview very very soon. To keep you salivating, here is their first release, the oh-so dope "TALKING PAYS" on TUFF GROOVE label.
Saturday 27th NOVEMBER 2010 is a very important date for your diary. Yours truly THE DAILY DIGGERS (myself KID DYNO and BEAT DETECTIVE) will be rocking the wheels of steel in BRIGHTON at the revered VINYL VETERANS night. We're following on their theme of previous nights with some super funky breaks and classic beats with maybe a slice of original boom bap hip hop. And we're following in the footsteps of DJs such as ROB LIFE and DJ FORMAT in previous months so we're gonna have to bring the vinyl big guns to the party. No mp3s allowed so it guarantees full range analogue sound and not some tinny rattle. Real music lovers this is a night for YOU! It's been over 10 years since I rocked the south coast mecca better known as Brighton. Back then it was the PHONOGENIC jams of the 1990s with my man Dapper Dave held at the small but intimate HAVANA CLUB in Regency Square, and those were always a great crowd, lots of sexy girls (wink wink) and lots of fun. So as you can guess we are really looking forward to the trip as we know B'Town always blows the roof off the sucker. For more details check the VINYL VETERANS link below and get yourself down to the south coast of the UK on November 27th. And it's the 2010 HIP HOP FESTIVAL in Brighton the weekend before so hopefully the locals will be pre-amped and screaming for more funky beats by the time we arrive! VINYL VETERANS The Full Moon Boyce's Street Brighton 8PM - 2AM FREE ENTRY Raw Soul, Heavy Funk, Original Break Beats, Old School & Classic Hip Hop.
DJs on the night; Daily Diggers, Matt The Hat, Mr Krum, Rob Life, Bobby Boucher, Scratchy Muffin & Old Man Mac McRaw
My old friend and ZULU NATION cat SHUCKS ONE over at KOOL SKOOL has taken the baton in terms of our recent CAZAL COUTURE post. It turns out he was also fleshing out a CAZAL post over at his always-dope KOOL SKOOL site at the time as I posted up my piece. So it made sense for us to combine forces with a KOOL SKOOL / DAILY DIGGERS collabo. I met SHUCKS around ten years ago whilst DJing on the now defunkt ITCH FM, the ONLY true 100% Hip Hop Radio Station LONDON has ever seen. Those were good times back then, despite some hair-raising studio locations across the Capital. You can believe myself, AIDAN ORANGE and SHUCKS had some major laughs whilst in the studio over the times we were broadcasting. SHUCKS always brought something fresh to the airwaves, whether it be his crazy sense of humour, extensive rap knowledge, or just some unreleased live shit you never heard before - props to MR SHUCKS! Check out his CAZAL carry-on over at KOOL SKOOL right now...
LL COOL J, JAZZY JAY, HOLLIS CREW, PUBLIC ENEMY, BEASTIE BOYS, 3RD BASS, SLICK RICK, ORIGINAL CONCEPT etc.. Yeah I used to be huge fan of DEF JAM recording artists, but over recent years I have lost all love for the NEW YORK label founded in 1983 by RUSSELL SIMMONS and RICK RUBIN. What used to be an iconic Hip Hop label now seems to put out nothing but drivel! And when I heard lately that UK "urban" act N-DUBZ had been signed to DEF JAM, that was the final straw for me. That's wack! JAZZY JAY "Def Jam" DEF JAM RECORDINGS 1985
THA 4ORCE reminisces on UK hip hop artists from the 80s and 90s. Video directed by PRITT KALSI (what's up Pritt!) who is the man behind KING OF THE BEATS and the forthcoming PAUL C documentary which you NEED to check. Dope shizzle indeed. Peep more dope videos from PRITT here.
Back in '85/'86 SCHOOLLY D was considered XXX rated - it just goes to show that the masses are afraid of things they don't understand. A few curses and references to Bertha Big Butt now seem kinda tame compared to today's "rap" lyrics. But if you were down back then you will know what a huge effect Philly maestro SCHOOLLY D had on hip hop music. He and CODE MONEY were the perfect combo in my opinion.
I got some fresh Ds for the portable, and I'm off on a serious diggin' mission this saturday. It's been a hectic month so my free time has been limited, but I'm in need of another fix of dusty fingers and dope records. As my man Oxygen says, "stopping for meals is for amateurs" so you can bet your last pound it's gonna involve several hours of hitting London's vinyl spots with military precision.
CHRIS READ is back with edition #2 of the monthly Classic Material series paying tribute to the hip hop of 1988, a year which many consider the 'golden year' of the late 80s. As samplers took over from drum machines as the producer's tool of choice, the James Brown drum sound ruled supreme and lyrical subject matter explored new territory. With seminal (and at the time controversial) album releases from the likes of Public Enemy and NWA, this was a year that changed hip hop forever. This mix features classic and some lesser known cuts from singles and albums released in 1988. The CD version includes 2 bonus mixes including "The Breaks of '88", an audio collage of the sample material used by 88's best known hip hop cuts and is available to purchase on its own or as part of our T-Shirt box set from the Classic Material website. The Classic Material Edition #2 club night takes place at City Arts and Music Project, City Road, London on Sat Nov 20th with DJs ANDY SMITH (Portishead), CHRIS READ (Music of Substance), NICKNAME (Droppin Science) and DANNY DELTA (Headshell) playing nothing but 1988 Hip Hop. Get down like your life depends on it!
Ooowwweee another sureshot single is about to drop that you just don't wanna miss. Mr gENSu dEAn has teamed up with the live guy with glasses, namely LARGE PROFESSOR for some boom bap antics on 45rpm, but you gotta be quick these seven inch singles will be selling like hot cakes! gENSu dEAn hails from Texas and is a producer extraordinaire, using his massive record collection and his trusty SP1200 to create new boom bap hits. The word here is longevity - he comes with no weak sauce just straight up butter beats for the MC of choice. You will no doubt remember he was the man responsible for the "Gone Diggin'" beat that OXYGEN used to tell his record diggin' stories. This time gENSu has teamed up with the man behind MAIN SOURCE and legendary dude EXTRA P.
"Who is gENSu dEAn? This question will soon be answered for those who are unaware! gENSu dEAn (aka lofi_ fINGAHz) may be Hip Hop’s best kept secret. Transmitting out of Texas like the great Dj Premier, gENSu dEAn utilizes a vintage sampler by Emu Systems called the SP1200 as his weapon of choice. He explains "I consciously use a vintage machine that represents a classic HipHop era, but upexplains “I consciously use a vintage machine that represents a classic yet seemingly forgotten era in HipHop. But I try to update my approach in order to maintain relevance with today’s times.” “FOREVER” is the lead single from his debut album titled “sTANDARd LIFe“ featuring Hip Hop legend LARGE PROFESSOR. Operating with the preservation of classic Hip Hop, this release will be a LIMITED 7” vinyl, to include a remix and bonus cut that will not appear on the album. In the midst of auto-tunes and ring tone rap, gENSu dEAn emerges. The winds of change are finally upon us."
Hey what's up hip hoppers! It's November already and Christmas will soon be upon us. 2010 seems to have passed real quick, as does every year when you get as old as I am. In fact 2011 is a memorable year for me as it will be my 40th on this planet, and despite my ageing limbs and grey hairs, I still love HIP HOP just as much as when I discovered it in 1984. And one thing that always keeps me motivated is the amount of 30-something and 40-something hip hoppers out there that still dig this music and love the culture like I do. Hip Hop isn't just another musical genre, it's a way of life for many people. We don't choose to be hip hop, hip hop chooses us. I simply cannot imagine my life any other way. It has been the biggest influence with the only exception being my parents - they brought me up, but from my teenage years onwards hip hop has been my mentor. If rappers retirement homes are the future, then I want in!