Coming out the speakers...

Here's a quick selection of the beats we're pumpin' this week. The woofers are woofing and the tweeters are ...er, tweeting! (Thank God we have good neighbours) We hope you see something you ain't heard before and decide to take a listen - it's all about spreading the love! ...and in turn please feel free to hit us up with something dope we may not have heard ourselves. We are always digging hard but we're always up for you teaching us old dogs some new tricks.....and I know some of you out there are crazy beat nerds too! We look forward to hearing from you.



Lots of Hip Hop being spun this week, including the much-anticipated "Livin' Foul" LP which is incredible to say the least! Next week we'll flip a few breaks and samples for the beat diggers amongst you, so please stay tuned. In the meantime take a look at the latest film clip we have added in the VIDS section! It will introduce you to a friend of ours who is a veteran of the digging game - known as Decca Dave because of his fascination with owning and memorising every record on said label. It was filmed at the indoor Collector's Market in Walthamstow East London E17. Maybe this short film is a revealing insight into what we may be like ourselves in the future? Profile Pete, Cold Chillin' Colin maybe, or Tuff City Ted? Catch my drift??

KID DYNO

Just messin' with beats pt3

Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud first dropped on the Hip Hop community in '87 with "Do The James" - a record showcasing the late great Paul C's dope production skills, and undoubtedly they were one of the funkiest acts to emerge from the late 80's. Not only was Paul C definitely ahead-of-his-time when it came to rockin' beats through a sampler and chopping the breaks up to fit tight, but their uptempo party vibe and confident lyrics resulted in some hi-powered hip hop classics!

"Girls I got em locked so similar to a prison
in my awesome jams that are causin' me favouritism
I hearda bein' dope and but this beat's a mover.
The choreographer causin your funky dope manoeuvre.
I'm the boss rappin', you're the crowd for hire.
For music supplements the funky drum is your supplier.
Me when on the hiphop I make you get down
and do the James ...Brown"

The duo repeated their early success with "Super Casanova" and "Girls I Got 'Em Locked" 12"s both released on DNA/Elektra, and followed this up with the "Girls I Got Em Locked" LP - a great album, if you don't have it in your crates then shame on you! It's funky from start to finish.
The great thing about their 12" releases was that they all featured an accapella version for the deejays, but I always find it hard to fuck with a great song if it is dope in the first place? If it ain't broke don't fix it knowwottimsayin'?
But hey, it's about time the Super Duo who make girls act "stupid-aly" get the Daily Diggers treatment. To be honest it's raw and was done in one take only so apologies for the odd glitch. I agree it's no Paul C masterpiece, but it's a flip on the original - hope you dig it.

Super Casanova REMIX

Just messin' with beats pt2

The Flavor Unit were definitely a crew to check for. They had the vocal talents of Lakim Shabazz, Double J, Latee, Freddie Foxx, D-Nice, to name a few. Not forgetting the awesome production skills of DJ Mark the 45 King, who had a reputation for finding some off-the-wall funk 45 loop and turning it into a hip hop classic!
Along with the Juice Crew and BDP the Flavor Unit has a firm place in Hip Hop history. In '93 the Unit came together to record a posse cut entitled "Roll With Tha Flava" produced this time by D-Nice. It went down a storm both stateside and here in the UK. Highlights include the Fu-Schnickens trademark tongue-twisters, and a great cameo too by Black Sheep! If you manage to cop a promo version on 12" it has the acapella version on the flip - great for dropping a little remix.
Although it's a shame that not all the Flavor Unit members ripped rhymes on this cut, it would have been great to hear Lakim Shabazz and Double J do their thing. Oh well, anyway here's our 5-minute remix of this '93 classic posse cut. Once again no special effects or camera tricks here at the DAILY DIGGERS' HQ - just a raw beat and the lyrics. Please keep checking back for more remix antics, we got plenty more accapellas in the crates that are soon to get the DD treatment! BOOYAA!

Roll With Tha Flava REMIX

Taking it back to the 80's

Although the 80's is generally seen as an embarassing decade in terms of fashion, music, style etc... with Hip Hop the story was somewhat different. Now acknowledged as the "Golden Era" of Hip Hop, these 10 years brought us what became the foundations of Hip Hop, whichever element of the culture is concerned...
For breakers it was during this decade that the Rock Steady crew hit the top of their game and earn the attention of the world, and concurrently the film "Wild Style" was unleashed which spread Hip Hop culture across the planet.
For graffiti writers the 80's also saw the release of Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant's now classic "Style Wars" movie which did pretty much the same for the maturing graffiti artform.
Similarly with DJ and MC skills - these aspects, although founded in the 70's, were developed mostly through the 80's and then forged the future shape of Hip Hop culture.

We here at the Daily Diggers headquarters endorse all things from the 80's (excluding mullet haircuts and cycling shorts) and would like to share with you our love for some of it.

Here's Kid Dyno in his 80's v-stitch Goose & Kangol paying his respects to the NY writers from back in the day. Kids like Dondi, Skeme, Lee, Dez (now DJ Kayslay) and Blade would regularly bomb the NY transit system with end-to-end burners, married couples and top-to-bottom pieces - bringing colour firstly to the city, and then ultimately the media attention sent the message worldwide. There are not many sights that can astound you like seeing a whole-car burner pass overhead, or pull up in the train station. And it was the 80's that saw the artform hit its peak, and not just in the US. All over South America, Europe and beyond, graffiti on trains became more than just a craze. It became a way of life for some.
The graffiti culture runs hand-in-hand with Hip Hop - like 2 unruly teenagers growing up together through the 80's and finally coming of age.

And of course the 80's would not have been the same without the Adidas Shell Toe - the classic Hip Hop footwear sported by many B-Boys & B-Girls but most notoriously by Run DMC. If you were down with Hip Hop in the 80's you had at least one pair! The Puma Clyde and Basket models held their own in the b-boy arena but the Shell Toe took "superstar" status (please excuse the pun). Plus the 3-stripe tracksuit would complete the outfit for any Adidas addicted B-boy. The fresher the colour the better you looked!

In the 80's no self-respecting B-Boy would be seen without a Ghetto Blaster by his side. Bigger always meant better when it came to sound! Like Cool J said "my radio believe me I like it loud!". With the portable sounds in one hand it left the other free to carry up the rolled-up and heavily-scuffed linoleum stolen from your mum's kitchen. These were the only tools a b-boy needed, other than another crew to burn!
From Covent Garden to Coventry, Birmingham to Bristol, breakin' could be witnessed in every city and town across the UK during the early part of the decade. Although back then the sight of teenagers breakin' & lockin' would scare the general public and it was customary to get moved on by the police. I regularly had my boombox confiscated in school as the sound would "draw too big a crowd", yet later I was the one asked to become the school's youth club DJ! Now, some 25 years later, things have gone full cycle for breakin' which has grabbed media attention once more. This doesn't mean to say it ever disappeared in the first place! Quite the opposite - throughout

the 90's various cities in Germany held the "Battle of the Year" championships and believe me those kids are into it HEAVY! Rocksteady Crew also held their yearly anniversary jams at Rock Steady Park (West 98th Street & Amsterdam Ave in New York) throughout this period, and not forgetting the Miami Pro-Am Championships. And now the media now is finally back in love with "breakdancing" (AGHH!! I hate that term....& wasn't it them that said it was just a "craze"?) it has finally concreted its place in Hip Hop history and been accepted as an essential element of dance culture. You only have to watch the TV ads to see that.

Hip Hop also created some iconic fashion styles too through its Golden Era. The early years of mock neck sweaters and Pro-Keds had been overtaken by Leather Goose Jackets, Puma Suedes, Adidas Shelltoes, Cazal Eyewear, Name Buckles, Graffiti Denim Jackets, Lee Jeans and Dapper Dan outfits. And of course this was called the "golden era", so it was all about the dukey gold rope chain! Every rapper's favourite accessory. For years it became the symbol of a rapper earning his cold cash money (& absolutley nothing to do with the fact that every gold shop in the Tribeca area of Manhattan sold truck jewelry by the lorry load!) Nevertheless a fat gold chain became synonymous with all rappers and of course Mr. T from the A-Team! The gold four-finger ring with your name on it was a speciality. I remember first reading "Eric Louis Barrier" on the Paid In Full LP cover - dope! Although Slick Rick has to take the proverbial biscuit on the gold front - check out the photo of him in our Golden Era gems section. He looks like his car crashed through a shop window at Tiffany's!!
And who could forget the Kangol hat - designed by a UK company established in 1930 which started by importing French berets into the UK. Their 70's "Bermuda" model was preferred by the Hip Hop community, and caught the attention of one James Todd Smith early in his career. A hat that still sells today based mostly on its history in Hip Hop. Whether it be the towelling-type Bermuda as sported by most hip hoppers back in the days, or the more expensive Sniper model with the band around the forehead - T La Rock's favourite no doubt. Damn for years LL was never to be seen without a Kangol on. And today the Bermuda still embodies that old school reminiscent feel.
Along with name belts and Goose jackets, hip hop style (if you got it right) made you stand out from the rest of the crowd.
By combining and colour matching the freshest sneakers and jumpers, hats, tracksuits etc.. you made an impression on your fellow b-boys and general public alike! Ha ha I remember the day my Dad caught me leaving the house with no laces in my Adidas - his face said it all!
Still today that "must match your outfit and sneakers" thing is still going strong - the Old School started that! Even though the Rap Industry has pulled our culture to bits, raped and disected it and then moulded it into what they want to sell, the old school values just won't go away without a fight. You can't keep down the real elements that started this shit off. I hope and pray one day the industry realises that, and the "real" history of hip hop can get back behind the wheel in the drive towards the future.
If I could take a time machine ride right now, I would go back to the days of the early park jams in the Bronx. I wonder did they realise this was a new culture spawning? A new way of life maybe? Back then they gave us a set of rules to which Hip Hop should live by. I'm all for progression, don't get me wrong, but let's live by those rules!



Kid Dyno

Just messin' with beats

It's Bank Holiday weekend, the last long weekend in summer, yet strangely enough I'm drawn to flipping some beats rather than sitting on the beach, or surrounded by weirdos & mud at one of the season's music festivals! No it's the thought of extra time to put into some beatmaking that inspires me to turn on the Akai and flip through some old wax.
I like my samples to be simple and effective - if it ain't broke, don't try and fix it if you know what I mean? Yeah I love to chop a stab and re-create, but sometimes simple is beautiful!

So here we go, just take a couple of loops firstly with and then without horns, and a dusty beat to suit. Add a Gangstarr/Nice & Smooth acapella and we're ready to go. No boards, no fancy effects, just straight outta the sampler raw style. I hope you dig it!
Dwyck remix

Record heads

This post brings new meaning to the phrase "Record Heads". It always makes me chuckle to see a record cover used as a face mask. If you're a vinyl nerd, then send us your "record head" and we will add you to the list.

To kick things off, here's our very own KID DYNOMITE as usual within arms reach of his wax stash. And an apt record too - "Is that him, could I be right..., could that be kid....ah dynOmite?" LOL!

Send us your photo to dailydiggers at hotmail dot co dot uk.

DJ Jam-On






Dan Delta - London






Kid Dyno


Crates 73, B'mouth



Stax-o-wax, B'mouth



Kashmere & Ghost with DJ Cro on Main Ingredient Radio, Birmingham UK (www.newstyleradio.co.uk MON Midnight-2am)

Breakbeatz from New York, USA (myspace.com/breakbeats)

Doc Savage - Chesterfield UK





Del the Soul Condor






Dan Delta - London







DJ Just One - Norwich UK (www.futureradio.co.uk FRI 10pm - Midnight)







Stilts gets all dooley on us! (This one kills me!)









Waxidermy





































Kid Dyno












Cosmo






..keep 'em coming!

Peace!
Daily Diggers

Why we love break 45s

There ain't no feeling like copping a drum break on a 45! Whether because it's more of a concentrated hit on your breakbeat senses than an LP, or the fact that small is beautiful, all I know is that I love the feeling it gives me. I regularly play a 45 set when we play out, and yes it does take more skill in ensuring seamless music for the partygoers/dancers than using 12" vinyl. But that feeling I get from these records is definitely passed on to the crowd. Many sevens are just short of 3 minutes long, and I guess that a concentrated burst of good music like this is very enticing. Plus, of course, many of these 7"s are much cheaper to purchase than the corresponding LP.
So now I find myself hunting down dope 7"s from all genres in search of the ultimate artillery. Like arrows for the quiver, or bullets for my 9mm, I need to know I have that knockout punch available when it's most needed!
Below are a few of our favorite breaks on 7", many of which featured on Lenny Roberts' (RIP) unforgettable Ultimate Breaks & Beats series from the 80's. His legendary Street Beats label from Castle Hill in the Bronx gave Hip Hop deejays and producers access to the rarest of break records back when digging was still in it's infancy. Hence his UBB series was pivotal in shaping the way Hip Hop records sounded throughout the late 80's. Many of the breaks are very short in length, so Lenny even had Louis Flores edit some of the original recordings to extend the drum breaks for the compilations. This gave the deejay more wax to play with, but often freaked them out when they eventually found an original pressing and discovered the true break was so tiny in some cases.

We have provided a soundclip of the break in case you are not familiar with it. We hope you enjoy them and feel the need to search out a few killer 7"s next time you're out digging.


BANBARRA - Shack Up / Shack Up pt.2 (1975 United artists)
If it's seriously hard drums you want this next single is a stonker! From the whistle blowing start of "Shack Up pt. 2" onwards, the drums are crisp and heavy, and the pattern is head-nod to the point of being almost jerky. But pound for pound these are some lovely drums to sample - either separately, or as a tight loop. Possibly the most classic use of these drums was by Divine Styler on his 1988/9 single "Ain't Sayin' Nothin'" on Rhyme Syndicate Records, but more recently used on Gnarls Barkeley's smash hit "Crazy".
Pete Rock reputedly once said that he used to add feint "Shack Up" drum noises to his drum programs in order to fatten up other drum noises, and on hearing you can understand why. The drums are so prominent in the mix of this classic breakbeat, and the kicks sound low and wide. Other Hip Hop acts loving the Banbarra sound include 3rd Bass, De la Soul, Del the Funky Homosapien, GangStarr, Public Enemy and I can't possibly leave out Stetsasonic who incorporated the drums into "Talkin' All That Jazz" over a Lonnie Liston Smith bassline extracted from "Expansions". Lovely!

soundclip coming soon


BAD BASCOMB - Black Grass (1972 Paramount Records)
A cross between a funk joint and a country & western hoe-down, Bascomb delivers an all-time classic here, sampled by Special Ed & Doug E Fresh and even Wu-Tang. The plucky banjo and vibrant fiddle don't distract you from the funky drumming throughout this track, and then the drums hit solo with a 3-note breakdown! Great for two copies rocking the stabs. The drum break itself has a low key shuffle feel about it with its prominent high hats, loose kicks & snares with some rhythmic handclaps added. Bascomb urges "Everybody - got to get some!" and the rest is breakbeat history. Below I have provided a snippet of the track and a clip of how the drums sound when looped up. Enjoy!
Black Grass
Black Grass loop


CAPTAIN FREAK & THE LUNACYCLE BAND - Whatever Happened to Superman (1974 Jamie Record Co)
I could buy this record just for the label - a fishbone with the the words "Phil-LA of Soul" above it. Genius! The bizarre artist name was also an instant attraction - it has to be one of the most ridiculous I've heard. This 45 was a blind purchase, and with this 45 I wasn't to be disappointed. I had never heard anyone play this track when I found it, so to hear the incredible uptempo drum break intro almost knocked me off my feet. Feisty footwork on the kicks and snappy two-tone snares. Damn I think I had the SP1200 turned on within seconds of first hearing it, so eager I was to get the beats rockin'!
I know very little about this record, or who has used the drums,(maybe you can tell me??) but I've since learned that it does appear on one of the Batteria for Beatheads comps.
Whatever Happened...
Whatever...loop

DAVE CORTEZ & THE MOON PEOPLE - Happy Soul (With a Hook) (Speed Records)
A very much "in-vogue" record of the moment since Premo flipped the beat for Christina Aguillera, and now demanding a fairly high price with collectors, this killer Boogaloo track has beats fit for the purpose to say the least. It's such a suprise that no-one used this for a hit record earlier. The drum breaks are tougher than tough, and have the obligatory stab at the beginning - what more could a hip hop producer ask for? It even breaks down more than once, with different stabs, then continues with some bugged-out Dave Cortez organ riffs. But when the awesome bare drum loop hits home, it sets your spine into tingle mode! RAW!
So who are The Moon People and why is it "with a hook"? I'll try and explain.....
The mid-60s saw rock 'n roll and soul music dominate the charts. However the Latino neighborhoods of New York City took rock and soul and infused it with Cuban and Puerto Rican styles with lyrics in English, and created Boogaloo. During this time, The Moon People (originally called Los Astronautas but this name coincided with an existing artist) made an album for the label Speed, but when the LP was released in 1968, it made zero impression on the charts. Speed took one of the songs, "Happy Soul," and added some ill organ solos by Dave Cortez. In late 1968 this single was released, credited to Dave "Baby" Cortez and The Moon People and now entitled "Happy Soul (with a Hook)".
Happy Soul with a Hook
Happy Soul loop



ALBERT KING - Cold Feet (Stax Records)
When Diamond D said "I took a blues break and I broke it!" - this is the record he was talking about. In '89, Strong City Records released Ultimate Force's "I'm Not Playin'" hit which saw the introduction of Diamond D to the record-buying public (see dope Hip Hop 7"s post below). Rather then use a typical funk or James Brown loop, he and Master Rob decided to flip up Albert King's heavy blues track shown here, and to awesome effect. The track also became synonymous in later years when the "random" genre blew the fuck up, and this hype lead to the Ultimate Force unreleased LP dropping earlier this year.
Albert King provides us with some ill guitar licks and snappy drums in this track, with his woeful tale of recording this music, and even moans how "no-one has had a hit outta this studio since Sam & Dave". Now that's the blues for ya!
I've added a clip below for your lstening pleasure, and also a quick loop which demonstrates how easy the Hip Hop classic was created from this funky Stax joint. Props to Diamond D, he spotted that shit first!

Cold Feet
Cold Feet loop



AREA CODE 615 - Stone Fox Chase (1970 Polydor)
Possibly the funkiest harmonica ever, and a percussively excellent track. This original B-Boy break from '70 has provided the backdrop for several artists over the years incl. Mantronix & MC Tee, but most notably used for Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's "Trilogy of Terror". The track is taken from the Nashville band's "Trip In The Country" LP.
Simple yet funky shakers introduce the track, with the funky mouth-organ riff continuing throughout. The drum and percussion solo comes early on this one, and continues for several similar yet slightly different bars. At one point the percussion changes and some soft vibes bring an oriental feel to the track.
STONE FOX CHASE also became the theme music for the BBC's "OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST" music show in late 1971. A very easy 7" to find beacuse of its widespread release on Polydor, this funky 45 also features a mellow sample on the flipside as used by The Grassroots on Conception records (Props to Mr. Attic and Mr. Supreme). Enjoy the snippet below and check out my Mantronix-style flip on the loop! LOL
Stone Fox Chase
Stone Fox Chase loop


Z.Z. HILL - I Think I'd Do It (1971 Mankind Records)
A popular record amongst old school beatheads and more recently revered as the drum loop utilised on the Paul C produced classic "Pelon" by 360 degrees. If you check your old school tapes this one appears regularly for good reason - a fidgetty drum roll intro leads into a burst of head nod drums ripe for the picking. One hell of a guitar stab immediately follows the drums and the record just screams at you...."use me for doubles!". No wonder this appeared on the UBB series - it's great for b-boys to get down to, and just as nice for MCs to rock their shit over. But for some reason it always sounds fresh when I hear this tune, unlike some overkilled breaks which can be tiring to hear again. Taken from Z.Z Hill's "Brand New" LP from 1971, the Texas-born Blues & Soul legend has given us a classic!
I found my copy on 45rpm from a local boot sale for £1.00, so it's out there to be found. The bright green and yellow label should help your sunday-morning eyes spot one amongst the piles of dusty rock and pop sevens!
Also used on Eric B and Rakim's "Eric B is on the Cut", Ghostface Killah's "Winter Warz", Jungle Brothers' "Good Ole Hype Shit" and even NWA on "Something Like That". Bonafied classic shit!

Do It
Do It loop