Thursday 29 September 2011

Fresh Dressed Like a Million Bucks

Another post about SLICK RICK I hear you cry!. But you can never overdose on this man's material. One of my favourite emcees without doubt. Here is the man himself performing a live rendition of "La Di Da Di" at the Karma Lounge.

Wednesday 28 September 2011

Jorun Does It Again

Oh yes JORUN BOMBAY does it again! Expect big things from this dude in the future, cuz he has been dropping some impressive science lately. He has certainly got my attention once again ... this time with his SLICK RICK "Children's Story" remix. As RICKY D would say, "heeere we go!!"

Space Age Beats

An early influence of mine musically was a man named ROB HUBBARD. Now all you new jacks will be thinking "who the f#ck is ROB HUBBARD?" Well let me tell you this dude wrote, arranged and produced all his music by himself and was an inspiration to millions of teenagers in the mid 80s. Although I doubt very much you have a record by this man in your crates. In fact, no-one does. The reason being all his compositions were the music behind many of the COMMODORE 64 computer games available in the mid 1980s. You old school gamers will all know who I am speaking of and be aware of how clever this man was. HUBBARD explains it all in the last video. Thanks to James @ HEAVY STYLUS for the inspiration on this post! The first video below is CRAZY COMETS - considering this was 1985 this composition was musically brilliant and made the very best of the C64's limited sound ability. To play it now transports me back 25yrs and I feel like a kid again expecting Ma Dukes to bang on the door insisting I turn the sound down. The second video is for COMMANDO, a game that would occupy hours and hours of my time when it was released in the UK. As a 14/15 year old I was hooked on C64 games, and I even made my first ever hip hop beats using the COMMODORE together with a CURRAH SPEECH UNIT for vocal samples. Good times!




Monday 26 September 2011

In Conversation with Slick Rick & D-Nice

Right now in New York there is a RED BULL sponsored event celebrating some iconic Hip Hop albums. Here's the details...

"The Red Bull Music Academy pays tribute to hip hop, arguably the most influential youth culture of our time – right where it all began. Over the course of five days, five classic albums from five boroughs are revisited via workshops and public talks in each respective borough. At night, the artists re-create their seminal work for a special concert, bridging the gap from old to new school. The five albums are: ‘The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick’ (1988), Black Moon’s ‘Enta Da Stage’ (1993), ‘Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)’ (1993), ‘The Infamous’ by Mobb Deep (1995), and Dipset’s ‘Diplomatic Immunity’ (2003). Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Staten Island, Manhattan – stand up!"

(note: not sure where they get DIPSET LP from....?? KID DYNO)

Tuesday 27th September will be a special day for Bronx residents and
all New Yorkers as SLICK RICK and D-NICE hold audience at the MAKING OF "THE GREAT ADVENTURES OF SLICK RICK" to be held at the PARADISE THEATER along Grand Concourse in the BX. Doors open 4.30pm and the panel will discuss, and answer questions surrounding the making of the SLICK RICK classic album in 1988 as well as footage and photography from the time. If you are in New York then you need a very very good reason why you are not attending this event if you really do love hip hop music. There is even FREE ENTRY on the door.

And to make the night even more special than it is already, from 9pm SLICK RICK will performing live on stage (entrance will be $15). If only I could book a last-minute flight from here in London I would be there myself for this one!

TUESDAY 27th September 2011 - Paradise Theater Bronx: 2403 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10468

Don't snooze on this historical event! Anyone who makes it on Tuesday please get back to us at DAILY DIGGERS HQ with the scoop, and maybe some video footage of the Rickster himself..??

Thanks
Kid Dyno

Sunday 25 September 2011

Rap Professional Throwback Mix - AOL

I still think this is one of the best remixes of a LARGE PRO track that I can remember hearing. Perfectly executed by my homeboy AOL and first featured here back in February of this year.
I just wish the original release was of this caliber and then I would have bothered to by the record myself for the accapella. (I tend to buy any EXTRA P record I can get my hands on so that is unusual for me.) More recently I have heard some new tracks from AOL and trust me this kid is nice with his beats! I hope to be able to treat y'all to a little snippet of his new material real soon, but first here's a reminder of how he gets nice - turning a forgotten record into the classic it should have been.

Tuesday 20 September 2011

Daily Diggers Doin' Damage

You know the schedule by now, just over an hour crammed pack full with funky beats, breaks and samples and a mandatory dose of hip hop (this time coming from the 1996/97 indie section). Good music knows no boundaries so don't be surprised if you hear something that is maybe out of your normal listening routine - just hang on in there, bop your head and let the music turn you on.

Monday 19 September 2011

Steel Injection

Sunday 18 September 2011

Zulu Nation Anniversary

Props to KOOL SKOOL for once again bringing us some exclusive footage, this time from the ZULU NATION ANNIVERSARY b-boy battle in New York back in 1995. This is a particularly fond moment for me as I was in NY that summer for the ROCK STEADY CREW anniversary showdown. I think this footage may have been recorded at the MANHATTAN CENTRE but I cannot be 100 per cent sure, enjoy it anyway.

SPOX Phd

Here's a killer new release on 45rpm which should be available to buy within the next few weeks. If you're not familiar with the name, you will be with the participants. SPOX Phd consists of DJ SPINNA on the boards and OXYGEN on vocal duties. The duo have been in the studio for some time already and this 7" vinyl release is not the first time they have collaborated as SPUTNIK BROWN have already featured on SPINNA's LP entitled "Sonic Smash" from 2009. The A-side joint "Brilliance" is a melodic headnodder with an addictive whistle sample, and the flipside also features DIAMOND D, SADAT X and KURIOUS on guest vocals. Yes you read that correctly!! And to follow up we can look forward to a SPOX Phd full length album in the coming year or so. Like LARGE PRO once said .... "buy the album when I drop it!"
soundclips

Big Daddy Kane "Ain't No Half Steppin'" REMIX

On the subject of remixes, here's an exclusive never heard before BIG DADDY KANE remix using the original "blind alley" sample but flipped DAILY DIGGERS style. It's more of a re-tweak than a remix - you just cannot f#ck with MARLEY MARL's original production so this was done in 2005 more as a homage to the original than as an alternative version. I would also like to say a big "word up" to JORUN BOMBAY as it is his recent re-production videos that inspired me to pull this out the shoebox and share with you. Props to KANE, MARLEY, MISTER CEE, SCOOB & SCRAP LOVER and all BDK affiliates.

Slick Rick Daily Diggers Remix

This is one from the shoebox. It's been a few years since I did this SLICK RICK remix but I think it still sounds fresh today. Nothing too hectic on production just some fat old drums and a smooth sample to fit RICK's ever smooth delivery. RICKY D has always been one of my favourite MCs and no doubt like many of you it was his story telling talent on DOUG E FRESH's "La Di Da Di" that first got me hooked on this ex-London rhymer.

Saturday 17 September 2011

DJ Mark 45 King & Chill Rob G

DJ MARK is back with another episode of "Making The Beat" and this time he has the legendary CHILL ROB in attendance in the studio. I love MARK's dry sense of humour on all of these videos - his off key jokes and of course the samples of MUTLEY giggling dubbed over the top.
Although don't be fooled, DJ MARK comes correct with the knowledge and even spits a few lines along with CHILL ROB over a dope 45 KING beat. And he mentions how fucking dope LATEE was (and still is) as an MC. Now ain't that the truth.



Every Posse Get Flat

The war between real Hip Hop and the "fakes and frauds" continues, and one Hip Hop soldier who constantly stands on the front line popping shots at the enemy is DRASAR MONUMENTAL over at HIP HOP BATTLEFIELD.
Not only does this man have the knowledge to to be fighting our cause, but he also has the "ammunition" to back up his threats.
FLASH REPORT: DRASAR yesterday climbed out the trenches to fire off his BATTLEFIELD BAZUKA in the direction of the suckers. The smoke is yet to clear, and although it is still too early to send a reconnaissance mission up into the sky, I'm sure enemy casualties will be considerable and hence another victory notched up for real Hip Hop.

It's time to don your protective headgear and flack jacket - hit the deck as DRASAR causes mad wreck with EVERY POSSE GETS FLAT 2.0.



Download EVERY POSSE GET FLAT

Friday 16 September 2011

Keeping It Raw

My brother from another mother MAC McRAW knows the deal. We're both stuck in the past but we wouldn't have it any other way would we MAC? VINYL VETERANS for life. Or maybe it should be CASSETTE VETERANS...?

Stop What You're Doing Cuz I'm About To Ruin...

This video for the new APATHY & CELPH TITLED track has been doing the rounds all over the web over the last week, but it's so damn dope that I had to jump on the bandwagon. I must have watched this a dozen times already, and that DIGITAL UNDERGROUND sample has been ringing in my head all day. So if you don't like this joint then I'm happy to eat all my records one by one. Homeboys are killing it! If you have seen APATHY live then you know how he does his thing and shreds the mic to pieces. I'm definitely a fan of this dude.

Wednesday 14 September 2011

Agoo Rock

Sixty minutes of beats, beats and more beats! Get down with AGOO ROCK!
Random selection breaks and beats mix by agoorock

Who Framed Slick Rick?

I did!

Columbian Necktie

DJ MORDECAI and DOUBLE STANDARD CREW have put together this seriously dope 90s hip hop mix full of raw, grimy, and gritty 90s underground joints. Get on it people!

COLUMBIAN NECKTIE


Stacks Of Wax

My partner in beats BEAT DETECTIVE killing it with his vinyl storage solution. Over 4000 funky ass records in one place - believe that!

Sunday 11 September 2011

Ladies Love...

SLICE-OF-SPICE RECORDS have continued with their vinyl goodness project by announcing the vinyl release of a previously lost LL COOL J track "Year Of The Hip Hop" produced by HOUSE OF HITZ super producer K-DEF. Despite being a banger of a track, the studio reels were lost for over 15 years and have only recently come to light, and trust me this is no weak LL joint this one is a sureshot.
So far SLICE-OF-SPICE have treated us to some unreleased PAUL NICE remixes featuring BIZ MARKIE and MASTA ACE and recently they have also announced some forthcoming LORD FINESSE projects which are bound to make your mouth water.

I will let RICHARD from SLICE-OF-SPICE give you the details...

"Back in 1994 K-Def was working on some beats out of the B Room in Marley Marl's House Of Hits when LL Cool J walked in on his session and said "let's make some tracks together". Uncle L had always wanted to rhyme on a track using the famous ESG breakbeat 'UFO', so he had Def lay it down with some scratches and then went to town with the mic. Both thought they had a sure fire hit on their hands but unfortunately it was never used.

The DAT tape of the studio session was feared lost for several years before it eventually turned up stuck behind a radiator! Now, 17 years later, K-Def and Slice-of-Spice are proud to present 'Year Of The Hip Hop' in all it's vinyl glory.

As with all Slice-of-Spice pressings, no expense is being spared for this vinyl labor of love. Outside of a full color cover, with a 3mm spine, the special limited edition version comes on solid orange vinyl, with individual gold stamp numbering. Once again we're coming at you with strong cover art from the legendary Joe Buck, and personally we think this is his best one yet!

This release is not only for the real hip hop heads, it's for the vinyl connoisseur."

Get over to SLICE-OF-SPICE to pre order a copy before they sell out like hot cakes!

SSR-005: Year Of The Hip Hop (Vocal) - K-Def ft. LL Cool J by Slice-of-Spice

Friday 9 September 2011

It's All About the Burgundy




Samba Soul

If you're into b-boy breaks then cop these two SAMBA SOUL LPs - both are heavily laden with breakdowns and disco breaks. Don't get it blurred, I would never recommend you a disco record that wasn't erring on the funky side. We all know DISCO killed the FUNK, but the transition between the two provided some bad ass breakbeats for the b-boys to get down to! These two Brazilian LPs are a perfect example of that.....dig 'em out.





Classic Material vs Main Squeeze

Tonight there is a fundraiser in aid of the communities affected by the rioting in London over at EAST VILLAGE in Great Eastern Street. DJs CHRIS READ AND NICKNAME will be in soundclash mode as they go up against MAIN SQUEEZE DJs BOBAFATT and MO FINGAZ. Get down there and support.

Wednesday 7 September 2011

SpineTV - DJ Muro

If you've not alreay seen this then you need to peep the SpineTV Video of DJ MURO discussing his obsession with records, how he got started collecting vinyl and the music scene in JAPAN. MURO also allows SPINE to take a quick peep at his vinyl attic. Check it out by clicking the link above.

And here's how MURO does his thing on the 1s and 2s. Props to the King of Diggin'!

Monday 5 September 2011

Highly Underrated

I often get frustrated with people who collect only super rare records at exorbitant prices just for bragging writes between peers and on the web. Believe me it goes on out there, and I'm often dismayed that these type of people often miss out on much better records to be found in the bargain basement of their local record store if only they would get up off their arses and go out digging. Why concentrate on the overrated pieces when you can pick up something underrated for a tenth of the price. Everyone should create their own buying patterns and not just follow what the crowd is doing. Buying records can be a musical journey if you are open minded about it.

There is one particular record that I am surprised doesn't get played more often, or fetch more loot than it currently does wherever I see it. It appears on a well known Hip Hop label yet I've never really heard anyone else hype it up other than over at THE FIFTH ELEMENT. The label in question is the infamous B-BOY RECORDS, and the single I am referring to is by AKIEM & NARKIM - "The Brothers".

BDP affiliates ARKIEM THE RYTHMAKER and NARKIM THE MIC CONTROLLER (to give them their full titles) paired up with DJ SUPREME to create this track under the name KICKIN LIVE PRODUCTIONS in 1987. I remember buying my copy of this 12" based purely on the dope graffiti cover (by SIBER) with b-boy characters of all three group members. It stood out in the record shop racks and I didn't even know or care that it was on B-BOY RECORDS at the time - I wanted it anyway. And it's still one of the best graff covers I've seen to date, kinda reminds me of the excellent TUFF CITY SQUAD BREAKMANIA sleeves.

In the first minute or so of "The Brothers" AKIEM gives us a TJ SWANN-esque singing rendition to get us hype before the real business begins, although on first playing this record to check it out you could at first feel somewhat disappointed at your purchase. But after some adept DIMPLES D scratches, the track really drops into gear with a dope DMX/SP beat combination and spontaneous stab cuts throughout. And AKIEM and NARKIM's rhymes are no joke when they decide to unleash on the mic. A classic B-BOY RECORDS release and one that you may pick up real cheap if you don't already have one stashed in your crates.
AKIEM shouts out KOOL MOE DEE on the hand-drawn rear cover art, crediting him and his career for their inspiration. This is my favourite of their two releases on B-BOY.



Babu Gets Ill in Chile

I've seen BABU perform his "Blind Alley" routine a thousand times and I'm still not bored with watching it, even if this time he is using SERATO. I've still yet to see anyone come up with a more innovative and well executed beat juggle than this. If you know any better then please drop a comment - I'm happy to be schooled sometimes. And I must be honest I don't follow the turntablists' world too closely these days - sometimes it's just too much NOISE and not enough funk!





..and his 1997 ITF version.

Sunday 4 September 2011

The Long Awaited... Interview



Very soon we will be dropping the long awaited interview with North London legends FRESH SKI and MO ROCK - a duo that made big noise in the early UK hop hop scene. Tracks like "Talking Pays" and "A Day of Reckoning" are without doubt UK classics, but if you wanna know the background behind FRESH SKI and MO ROCK and exactly what made them tick, keep tuning in here for the scoop. And if you missed the limited release of the THE COARSE SELECTORS EP by DIGGERS WITH GRATITUDE then I suggest you get your copy through SUSPECT PACKAGES while they still have some left. But for now to get you in the mood ....

Thursday 1 September 2011

Vinyl Veterans Alldayer

Thanks to the VINYL VETERANS and the POSITIVITY crew for inviting me down to BRIGHTON to join in the summer fun at their charity all-dayer last Sunday. There was a packed house all day and all night and also the rain stayed away as we had hoped allowing us to rock sounds inside and outside the venue. All DJs dropped strictly vinyl, everyone had fun and the event raised over £500 for OXFAM's East Africa appeal. Special thanks to MAC MCRAW and MR KRUM for allowing me to drop a few vinyl bombs on the 1s and 2s. BLACK BELT JONES was showing on the big screen when I arrived, where else could you expect that? Quality tunes were being spun by all the DJs involved, and for me it was also great to meet Brighton legend DJ MEX and breakbeat aficionado ROB LIFE. Plus there were some seriously good looking ladies in the place - good music and good times...


























Go Bombay!

I warned you - JORUN BOMBAY is absolutely killing it on the beats recently. If this don't knock you out then nothing will! This remix got me searching through my breakbeat stash scratching my head. See how many you can spot....?
Before you watch, I INSIST you leave a comment so we can show JORUN how much we love this shit!