"REAL MUSiC EXPRESSES fEELiNGS AND iNVOkES THOUGHT. MUSiC iS UNiVERSALLY UNDERStOOD WiTHOUT LANGUAGE; it WAS BELOW AND BEfORE SPEECH; AND MUSiC iS ABOVE AND BEYOND ALL WORDS".
The award-winning musician and legend discusses his first-ever solo tour and reflects on the key to a great performance.
A modern music icon, Herbie Hancock played with the jazz greats and went on to become an Oscar- and Grammy-winning musician-composer and he's funky too. If you haven't heard The Headhuntersalbums - it's a must have! The Chicago native took up piano at age 7 and, classically trained, was performing Mozart with symphony orchestras by age 11. He's scored a number of films and is involved in several educational endeavors, including the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. Hancock is the L.A. Philharmonic's creative chair for jazz and UNESCO's Goodwill Ambassador for the promotion of Intercultural Dialogue.
This fall, he embarks on his first ever solo tour.
From the 1973 album "Headhunters" here's Herbie Hancock with "Watermelon Man".
Sampled by:
Super Cat - "Dolly My Baby", LL Cool J - "1-900-LL Cool J", Shaquille O'Neal - "I Hate To Brag", Born Jamericans - "State Of Shock IV", Madonna - "Sanctuary", UNLV - "Pocket Full Of Furl".
From the 1975 album, "Survival of the Fittest". Here are The Headhunters with "God Make Me Funky". The drum pattern in this song has been sampled so many times...
Sampled by:
Fugees - "Ready Or Not", Slum Village - "Go Ladies", Eric B & Rakim - "Beats for the Listeners", Marky Mark - "Wildside", Biz Markie - "Albee Square Mall",NWA - "Approach to Danger", Mystikal - "Yall Aint Ready Yet",, Nas - "Hip-Hop Is Dead".
Musiq's message is clear. He will love his woman now and forever. Nothing has changed in his eyes and in his heart has nothing but love. Musiq wants to make sure his girl understands, if she ever begins to question if he still loves her...the answer is yes. From great times to bad times to good times again, the answer is yes.
This unreleased gem was actually found behind the radiator at Marley Marl'sHouse of Hits studio. Slice of Spice is putting out a previously unheard track recorded in 1994 by LL Cool J and producer K-Def as a limited edition vinyl pressing.
Here is the what they say about it:
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 K-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 and found recently.
Purple house, Purple Rain: Prince scores across the spectrum
Stumped. For a long minute, anyhow. When Apollonia asked Prince - and yes, those are their real names, approximately - "Is there anything you can't do?" There was a lingering silence. A tough question to put to such a tyro. More silence. A fast career review was clearly in order. There would be no question of just skipping to the highlights: since 1978, when Warner Bros. Records released his first album when he was 17, for Prince it has been highlights all the way. For You was not the hottest seller in the stores, but the fact that Prince had written, produced and played all the instruments on his first effort got the press making comparisons to Stevie Wonder. There were four more albums and a wonderful grab bag of singles like When You Were Mine and Little Red Corvette. Now there is Purple Rain, a No. 1 sound-track album with a No. 1 single, When Doves Cry, that is the first song since Billie Jean to reach the top slots simultaneously on the pop, black and dance charts. Purple Rain had already sold nearly 2.5 million copies before the movie was released last Friday. This is serious business. So is the movie, a short-circuited psychodrama that grafts snazzy performance footage onto the fictive fever chart of an angst-ridden musician called The Kid and played by Prince himself. The movie has been pulling down real tub-thumper reviews, the sort of hot-seat hype that gives some indication of the way Prince can generate fever and keep the temperature high. He does it with a peculiar combination of ambisexual eroticism and self-mythologizing. Until Purple Rain, Prince played at being a prisoner of sex who craved a life sentence. Some of his song titles sounded like cuts on a Pigmeat Markham party record (Head, Soft and Wet). If there was a unifying theme to his lyrics—indeed, a governing obsession—it was that carnal knowledge is the ultimate wisdom. Party till you drop, make-out till you molder: self-realization through rutting.
Prince's performing entourage still includes young women attired in flash-happy lingerie. But Prince has dispensed with performing in his leopardskin skivvies, and for the movie camera, dresses up in high-heeled boots, ruffled shirts, brocaded jackets. If anyone notices the similarly suited ghost of Jimi Hendrix floating about, so much the better. Hendrix's classic Purple Haze has left all sorts of echoes around Prince's neighborhood, and not just in the music. Prince has both mastered the Hendrix style and contemporized it; he has become something of a past master at haze in general.
The plot of Purple Rain, which Scenarist William Blinn (Roots, Fame) and first-time Feature Director Albert Magnoli both deny is specifically biographical, nevertheless hews roughly to the broad outlines of Prince's life. (Prince declines all interviews.) Shot entirely in Minneapolis, where Prince Rogers Nelson was born and grew up, and where he became a regent of the local music scene even before that first album came out in 1978, the movie uses everyone's real name for characters - "We've all called Prince 'The Kid' for a long time," says Band Member Lisa Coleman and a lot of real locations in and around Minneapolis Prince frequents.
The Kid has also been provided, like his real-life doppelgānger, with a black father and a Mediterranean mother. In the movie, Dad cuffs Mom around a good deal: he is a frustrated musician, which explains these bouts of violent temper; she shrieks and screams a lot, which presumably demonstrates her ethnicity. If women are sexual baubles in Prince's songs, in his movie they are tarnished angels who love to have their wings clipped. Apollonia (the "baptismal name" of Newcomer Patricia Kotero, 22) strips down and jumps into an icy lake to win The Kid's approval. The Kid, arrogant, sensitive, injured and defensively sadistic, realizes he has been thoroughly psyched by his parents. He salves the wounds by dedicating a song to his father, performing a tune written by the young women of the band and fetching Apollonia on his motorcycle for a last, cathartic concert.
On stage is where part Prince really comes out wailing, part Hendrix, part Screamin' Jay Hawkins. If music alone could make a movie masterpiece, then Purple Rain might have a shot. Its score is ecumenical rock, echoing everyone from Hendrix and Sly Stone to Brian Wilson and Earth, Wind and Fire, yet remaining entirely original overall. It may have the best original rock music ever written for a movie.
"He's like Mozart," enthuses Apollonia. "I visited his house on a lake 20 miles outside of Minneapolis. It is purple. It's pretty.He has a recording studio in there. He lives in that studio." Apollonia shares a number of things with Prince, including "pretty much the same measurements. I'm 36-24-36 and he's got a well-developed upper torso"; We also share some articles of clothing, such as his suits and her lace tank tops. "He's a ladies' man! Not homosexual. He does love his women!" And a certain phone number - "The hot line." Apollonia says. "That's right by his bed. No one else has the number."
But it was in person that Apollonia popped the question. The toughie, the one that provoked lingering silence. Finally Prince had an answer for her... "Anything I can't do? Yeah. I can't cook."
If you want to learn about music then you must study the history of music from the artists and musicians who did it first and did it the best. These artists have created music that will last for generations when we are long gone. The classics from the “Masters” as I call them. Prince is one such Master. Prince is the musicians musician. His gift is admired by leaders in all aspects of music; jazz, rock, the blues, pop, hip-hop, funk, soul, funk, metal, or country music. They all agree - The man is a genius and he can pretty much do it all.
A true original in a musical landscape full of clones and wanna-be's. Prince's music catalog, career, and art will be studied, admired, and celebrated forever.
Prince is now our generations last great one left (since Michael Jacksons passing).
He has set the bar so high that his only true competition is himself. If you haven't introduced or familiarized yourself to his work yet, then this video is a good start/introduction. It is impossible to put one label on him.
To focus only on 1 or 2 aspects of his legacy thus far is blasphemy and should be criminal. Prince is not just a singer.
He is not just a guitar player.
He is not just an entertainer or dancer.
Prince is music.
A music innovator and true original through and through. Prince isthe last true band leader since James Brown calling out changes on a whim either by hand signals, looks, nods, or by voice. Prince consistantly if not always has the tightest band in show business, he is the best live act today, the rightful heir to Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone.
Watching this video it's a wonder to lean about his way of making music from folks that were there.
The show features respected music critics, writers, studio engineers, former employees, and past band members talking about his assent to musical fame.
Having grown up during the 80′s I witnessed a lot of the crazy musical experiments during that era and Prince is one artist whose music I supported frequently. The film is good at what I think documentaries should do; to tell a story using images and live commentary from people who shared that space and time with the person who is at the center of the picture. Check it out and if you like it pass it around!!!
Alicia Keys and Outkast (Andre 3000 & Big Boi)
Induct Prince into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
1985 American Music Awards
Madonna presents award to Prince And The Revolution
The late great jazz legend Miles Davis on Prince
PrinceTribute featuring testimonies from:
Sheryl Crow, Alicia Keys, Robert Plant, Ozzy Ozbourne, Moby, No Doubt, Gwen Stefani and more..
Beyonce inducts Prince into the UK Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
Featuring testimonies from: Pharrell Williams, Randy Jackson, Wendy & Lisa, Maceo Parker, Salma Hayek, and Joni Mitchell
Rhyme & Reason is a 1997 documentary film about rap and hip hop. Documentary filmmaker Peter Spirer interviewed over 80 significant artists in rap and hip hop music. This documentary explores the history of hip hop culture, how rap evolved to become a major cultural voice (and a multi-billion dollar industry), and what the artists have to say about the music's often controversial images and reputation. Interview subjects range from veteran old-school rappers, such as Kurtis Blow, KRS-One and Chuck D, to gangsta rap icons Ice-T, Dr. Dre, and MC Eiht, to several current rap hitmakers, including Wu-Tang Clan, The Fugees, and Sean "Puffy" Combs.
Lloyd goes kinda Raphael Saadiq meets Bruno Mars and “Hey-Ya” with this doo-wop throwback “Dedication to My Ex.” Appropriately the spirit of the great Andre3000 is on-hand to bless the proceedings, speaking thorugh the mouth of a talking pussy...Pussy CAT.
There is a lot of pussy in this video and Wayne Brady falls through to provide more lolz.
Nas episode of TDK Life on Record’s Chronicles series, appearing in its full glory. As previously mentioned, the legendary Queens rapper discusses his passion for cassettes, reminisces about his long gone tape collection, explains the importance of cassettes in early hip-hop culture and recalls the art of recording songs off the radio. This is certainly a more than adequate tribute to the medium that has influenced the hip-hop culture in a big way.
Look into a three-part series following last year’s adventures between music icons Damien Marley and Nas. The documentary is split into three parts, all seen here. During part 1 the duo visit the Bob Marley Museum on Hope Road, part 2 offers a look into the recording of “Dub Plates” at Tuff Gong Studios in the Bob Marley Museum, while part 3 shows an insider’s look at “what bringing Nas to Trenchtown is all about!” while they take you behind-the-scenes of the making of the video for “Land of Promise.” ENJOY!
The Jay-Z vs. Nas feud was a hip hop rivalry during the early-2000s and one of the most high-profile feuds in the history of hip hop music. It was characterized by comments (both on- and off-record, figuratively as well as literally) between Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Nasir "Nas" Jones from 2001 until resolved in 2005. The conflict received public attention owing to the critically and commercially successful nature of both artists. It is one of the most followed feuds in hip hop history, especially after the aftermath of the East Coast and West Coast hip hop rivalry of the 1990s.
Initially, Jay-Z was a fan of Nas, who became well known after dropping his landmark debut Illmatic in 1994. In 1996, while recording Jay-Z's debut album Reasonable Doubt, producer Ski used a vocal sample from Nas' "The World Is Yours" as the chorus to his song "Dead Presidents". Nas was invited to appear on the album and Jay-Z and his business partners, Damon Dash and Biggs Burke, also wanted to sign Nas' group The Firm to their label, Roc-A-Fella Records. It was also planned that Nas and his groupmate AZ would appear on the song "Bring it On." However, the two never showed up to record their verses, creating the beginning stages of animosity between the two camps; in addition, payment and credit for the Nas sample became an issue between the two artists later in the feud. The Firm ended up signing to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, releasing their eponymous album in 1997.
Nas and Jay-Z connected through their respective relationships with rapper The Notorious B.I.G. aka "Biggie Smalls". Biggie went to high school with Jay-Z. As Jay-Z and B.I.G. began to make their reputations in the music industry, they collaborated on songs for each others' albums, Reasonable Doubt and Life After Death, respectively. Nas initated a self-professed rivalry with Biggie. Biggie took issue with a Nas freestyle "Kick in the Door," which was intended for several other rappers as well. Both Nas and artists from B.I.G.'s camp have said it was a friendly competition. In the 2002 song "Last Real Nigga Alive," Nas addresses his entire relationship with Biggie, as well as Jay-Z.
When The Notorious B.I.G. was murdered on March 9, 1997, New York's hip-hop scene began to look for someone to fill the void as its greatest artist. Attention fell on Nas, one of New York's top-selling hip-hop artists, and Jay-Z, who was beginning to build a career buzz of his own. Aligning himself with Bad Boy Entertainment CEO Puff Daddy, who served as executive producer of his second album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, Jay-Z appeared to consciously step up to fill the spotlight held by Biggie. Also, Nas' 1996 second album, It Was Written, was commercially and critically well-received, and Nas was under pressure to succeed even more in the hip-hop landscape.
Prodigy fuels the feud: 1999-2000
Throughout the late 1990s, Jay-Z and Nas avoided competition. Nas became more isolated due to his caring for his ailing mother. However, in August 1999, Roc-A-Fella artist Memphis Bleek made a vague reference to Nas in his song "Mind Right". The line "your lifestyle's written", was interpreted as a diss to the title of Nas' second album, It Was Written. Prodigy was one half of the duo Mobb Deep - who were close to Nas professionally as both artists were both from the Queensbridge projects and had appeared on each others respective second albums. Prodigy took issue with this and also with the lyrics and imagery in the music video to Jay-Z's 1997 single "Where I'm From": “So when I heard that, I was like, “Who is Jay talking about who is talking about hanging in Marcy in they line?” Then I thought about “Trife Life” in my verse I said “jetted through Marcy ‘cause D’s ain’t baggin’ me” because I was out there...Then “Shook Ones” came out, then Jay came with the plastic cups, football jerseys in the projects, taking jabs at us. I was like Nas, what we need to do is go at these niggas because number one, his lil’ man is trying to shit on you; talking about your life is written and all this shit.”
Thereafter, according to Prodigy, Nas continued to ignore the prospects of a beef, and elected not to lash back outright. Prodigy began taking shots at Jay-Z, berating him in an interview in The Source over his lyrics in some of his songs. Afterwards, tensions between Prodigy and Jay-Z increased.
First Round of Disses: Summer Jam 2001
Jay-Z made the first public overtures toward a conflict at Hot 97's Summer Jam hip hop festival in 2001. Reciting the opening verse to the first single for his album The Blueprint, "Takeover", a diss to Nas and Mobb Deep, which ended with the line, "Ask Nas, he don't want it with Hov. No!" Nas responded with an attack on Jay-Z during a radio freestyle over Eric B. & Rakim's "Paid in Full" beat, dissing most of the R.O.C. members — specifically Jay-Z, Freeway, Memphis Bleek, and Beanie Sigel. Initially, the freestyle was untitled but was it was later called "Stillmatic" (which also became the title of Nas' next album) or "H To The Omo" (a direct reference to Jay-Z's song "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)").
Second Round of Disses & Fallout: 2001-2002
In 2001, Nas put out the single "Ether," finally addressing the feud with Jay-Z in full. The song mocked Jay-Z's early years as an aspiring young rapper and accused him of being a misogynist, as well as exploiting The Notorious B.I.G.'s legacy by supposedly stealing his lyrics. On his album, Stillmatic, there were more implied Jay-Z disses, especially on the song "Got Ur Self A...". "Ether" was the most concerted critique of Jay-Z.
Just days after Stillmatic's release, Jay-Z put out "Supa Ugly", a freestyle over "Got Ur Self A..." and Dr. Dre's song "Bad Intentions." The song contained claims that Jay-Z and basketball player Allen Iverson had both slept with Carmen Bryan, the mother of Nas' daughter Destiny, while they were still together. Jay-Z's mother heard the song on the radio and demanded Jay-Z publicly apologize to Nas and his family, to which Jay-Z obliged. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Jay-Z claimed that mentioning his relationship with Bryan was fair game when Nas implied Jay-Z was gay in "Ether". The feud continued to simmer, and rumors of a live pay-per-view freestyle battle began to circulate but never came to fruition.
Nas appeared on Power 105 and attacked both the music industry's control over hip hop and the rappers who he saw as submitting to it, including Jay-Z, his label mate Cam'ron, Nelly, N.O.R.E.: "Y'all brothers gotta start rapping about something that's real.... Rappers are slaves." This brought Cam'ron into the Jay-Z/Nas feud; Cam'ron controversially made disparaging remarks about Nas' mother. This caused Nas to retaliate against Cam'ron on the track "Zone Out" on his 2002 album, God's Son. Nas said "You got a house in Virginia, the only way you sicker than us, gettin' bagged with a .22 now you a ridiculous fuck," commenting on the rumor that Cam'ron was infected with HIV.
After Stillmatic, Prodigy bowed out of the feud in awe of the "Ether". Despite "Ether" beating out "Supa Ugly" in a Hot97-sponsored radio phone-in poll, Jay-Z and Nas continued to feud, including Jay-Z criticizing Nas for his apparent hypocrisy on his The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse album's title track. On "Blueprint 2", Jay-Z begins his diss against Nas in the second verse by attacking his street credibility. Jay-Z also says that while he himself is more successful, he is more generous than Nas with his money. Jay goes on to mock Nas' spiritual persona from Stillmatic, and after accusing Nas of using both this appearance and convoluted lyrics in an attempt to appear more intelligent than he is. In the lines immediately after, he also accuses Nas of being contradictory for putting out commercial/materialistic-oriented tracks and then denouncing materialism and misogyny on other songs. Jay-Z also says, "My momma can't save you this time / Niggas is history" referencing the public apology his mother made him make after "Supa Ugly" was released. Meanwhile, on his track "Last Real Nigga Alive" from his album God's Son, Nas compared himself to Tony Montana, and Jay-Z to Manolo respectively from the film Scarface (Montana and Manolo were partners, but towards the end of the film, Montana kills Manolo in a fit of rage), The track details how Jay-Z forced Nas into battling him by attacking him while he was raising his daughter, and caring for his dying mother. After 2002, though, both artists essentially discontinued the feud; Roc-A-Fella Records was embroiled in lyrical battles with Ruff Ryders, mainly Jadakiss and his group the L.O.X.
Fan Response: 2003-2005
For two years after the de facto end of the rivalry, fans speculated consistently on the outcome of the battle while Nas concentrated on recording and his record label under Columbia Records, Ill Will. Jay-Z, meanwhile, began campaigning for his impending retirement, labeling 2003's The Black Album his last project and making headlines for accepting a position as President of Def Jam Records. Neither side directly addressed the conflict until October 2005, when Jay put on a comeback concert called "I Declare War". The rapper invited a slew of guests to perform, including Roc-A-Fella artists and past associates such as Puffy and the L.O.X.; toward the end of the concert, Jay invited his 'surprise guest,' Nas, onstage to pose for photos and perform a blended version of Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents" and Nas' "The World is Yours".
Reconciliation: 2006-Present
The feud was put to a formal end in 2006, when Nas signed with Def Jam, of which Jay-Z was still President at the time. Nas and Jay-Z toured, recorded and appeared on television and radio together throughout 2006; the artists collaborated on Nas' Def Jam debut, Hip Hop is Dead, on the song "Black Republican"; Nas returned the favor by appearing on Jay-Z's 2007 album, American Gangster on the song "Success." They also collaborated on "I Do it For Hip-Hop," a song from Def Jam artist Ludacris' album Theater of the Mind.
Jay-Z was one of several noted individuals who supported Nas' initial decision to name his 2008 album as Nigger. However, Nas backed down, and released the album without a title.
List of relevant records
Jay-Z - "Dead Presidents" - Feb.1996
Jay-Z - "The City is Mine" - Nov.1997
Nas - "The Message" - Jul.1996
Memphis Bleek - "What You Think Of That" - Feb.1999
Nas - "We Will Survive" - Apr.1999
Nas - "Nastradamus" - Oct.1999
Memphis Bleek - "My Mind Right"
Nas - "Come Get Me" - Nov.1999
Jay-Z & Memphis Bleek - "Is That Your Bitch?" - Dec.2000/Jan.2001
Nas - "Da Bridge 2001" - Dec.2000
Mobb Deep - "Talkin Reckless" - Jun.2001
Jay-Z - "Takeover" - Jul.2001
Nas - "Stillmatic Freestyle (H To The Omo)" - Aug.2001
Jay-Z goes on the record in this short video to discuss the changes and progression through his musical style. Through the years, the content of the music has changed concurrently with Jay-Z’s own maturation as a person and an artist. The video also delves into some of Jay’s own childhood and the issues he was subjected to living in the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn.
Tyler, the Creator graces the latest installment of Pitchforks Tunnelvision series. The conversation is interspersed with footage of performances. Definitely an in-depth piece that takes a closer look at the deep mind of one of today’s most talked about artists. Enjoy!
Tyler Okonma, better known by his stage name Tyler, The Creator, is a muti-talented American rapper, record producer and music video director from Los Angeles, California. He is the leader of the alternative hip hop collective OFWGKTA. He has rapped on and produced songs for nearly every OFWGKTA release. He gained fame from his single "Yonkers", which Kanye West called "the video of 2011" on Twitter.
Early life Tyler, The Creator was raised by his single mother, who is of Nigerian and European-Canadian descent. When he was 7 years old, Tyler was known to take the covers out of an albums case and create covers for his own imaginary albums including a tracklist with song times before he could even make music. His parents consistently took his weekly allowance to help replace the album cases. At the age of 14, Tyler taught himself how to play piano.
Tyler attended thirteen different reformatory schools during his twelve years of education, including schools in Sacramento and the Los Angeles areas. Tyler is currently nominated for an MTV Music Video Award for Best New Artist and Video of the Year for "Yonkers".
In that video y’all directed called “Yonkers,” you eat that cockroach, then you vomit it back up, then you’re bleeding out your nose, then you’re hangin’ yourself. Yeah. Is there something deeper behind it? What do those images mean? Well, a lot of people think that stuff is deeper than it really is. Some people just think too much. Like, my manager knows I wanna be a video director, so he was like, “Hey, just write a video, write the treatment for it, and we’ll shoot it.” So I was like, “All right, fuck it. I’ll eat a cockroach, I’ll throw up, and then I’ll hang myself . . . It’s, like, no subliminal messages or secret meanings or anything. I just personally think the shit would look really cool, so I did it. I just like doing shit that I think is cool, and people happen to like it, so I’m pretty, like, fortunate for that. So I’m gonna just continue to be myself and do what I like. Again, people are just so quick to judge shit ’cause they don’t understand it. But I understand what I’m doing, and that’s all that should matter. I’m sure you know people say y’all’s lyrics are dark or are negative. What do y’all think fans should get when they walk away from listening to y’all’s music? Well, our fans relate to our music, but most of the time the people who say that our music is dark and weird and shit like that—it doesn’t relate to them so they judge it based on what shocks them the most instead of the whole project. So the fans walk away as fans who are relatin’ to the shit, knowin’ what the fuck I’m talkin’ about, and then the other people can just sit there and claim what we’re doing is dark and Satanist or other bullshit that I don’t even like readin’ about. Because I’ll be readin’ shit where peo- ple say, “He’s not lyrical, and rap is supposed to be lyri- cal and have passion,” and I’m sitting there like, “He’s rappin’ about his life and how he misses his brother [on the song “Nightmare” from Goblin]. How is that not passionate?” But I guess those people just don’t relate to anything we’re saying, so they’re quick to judge.
The funny thing is that I really didn’t have a clear answer and was forced to sit back and analyse all the record research and digging habits that have become ingrained ingrained in my behavior. Listed below are some of my favorites.
1. Follow The Leader – If someone has already sampled an artist chances are that there are more hot used and unused breaks & samples by that very same artist.
2. Follow The Musicians & Producers – So you like that crazy piano sample, sound, or that unique feeling the song seems to evoke? Guess what, you can probably find that same artist playing even better on another album. Many times musicians and producers worked on different projects with each other and you can catch someone early on in their career putting down some great sounds with another group.
3. Watch The Year – Just like the golden age of Hip Hop, each genre has had its highs and lows and there are virtually no exceptions. Jazz, Funk, Soul, and Rock have all had their great time periods containing distinctive styles of the times.
4. Know Your Resources – Read the All Music Guide, Read album liners, online sample databases, Wax Poetics, sample dictionary books.
5. Make Friends With Diggers – Although digging is generally very secretive and almost anitsocial, if you have a friend that knows their stuff you can both put each other up on records while digging. My friend DJ Trends and I have a tendency to bounce breaks off of each other and let one another know of digging spots.
Trust Your Intuition – A certain spidey sense tends to develop after spending a bit of time getting dusty in the bins and over the years I’ve cycled through a few different digging theories of this type. For example, I-ve been know to pay close attention to a record with circle wear on the cover, looking for that radio station dj copy with a certain track circled, and records with funk or soul in the title. I know it sounds silly, but it actually works.
6. Become A Producer/Label Whore – Many of the best artists and music have a tendency to hang around the same label and be produced by the same people.
7. Develop Your Ear, Personal Style, And Love For Music – This is probably the most important piece of the lesson. You will only become a successful digger if you truly have a love of music. This may be beyond the comprehension of many; however loving Hip Hop and loving music are two completely different concepts. I know many people who claim to love music, but the only time they listen to anything other than Hip Hop is when they are looking for samples. Most diggers I know would rather listen to Soul, Funk, Rock or Jazz than Hip Hop. For some reason it’s a natural progression to appreciate the true creativity of the original players. After falling in love with an artist’s work and really getting into their catalog, you’ll eventually be able to recognize the styles of many musicians and develop the ability to guess an artist when you hear them playing on another unknown track.
8. Purchase A Portable Turntable – This is the single most important factor that has caused a great increase in my digging success. I have saved an immense amount of time, money, and aggravation by avoiding worthless records. I’ve also been able to pick up many records that I would have passed over and would have never known about because of the fear of taking a risk and plunking down large sums for unknown records with nothing on them. The investment hurts a little bit in the beginning, but the key word is investment and it eventually pays huge dividends.
9. Keep An Open Mind – Listen to everything and I mean everything, except for Country of course! You will stumble upon finds in some of the most surprising areas and genres. Also, to contradict my earlier tip… don’t judge a record by its cover. You will find great breaks and samples on some of the worst looking covers.
Bonus Tip:
Keep Digging – Be strong, develop your endurance, and dig until you can’t dig anymore. The best diggers keep digging for hours and entire days to make sure that they have covered every bit of whatever location they may be at. This may mean that you have to run out and grab a coffee, but make sure that you get make into the mix. You never know what you could be passing up.
Crate digging is a slang term used by DJs and music collectors to refer to the activity of checking record stores for old, rare or unusual music on the vinyl format, which can be used by DJs,turntablists, or be sampled. Late 1980s house music producers often used 1970s disco records in their songs. In the 1990s and 2000s, hip-hopcomposers and producers also incorporated elements from old recordings into their songs.
Here are a few videos on the love and art of hunting for music either on vinyl and/or digital.
Notable Quote: "The Hip-Hop generation… ya know, they sampled the Funk, but they don’t really pay homage to the Funk."
Interview with artistDâm Funk as he elaborates on his philosophy behind exposing his DJ set playlists, the practice of covering record labels, sharing knowledge of music, and keeping Funk alive.
a one minute narrative which captures the spirit of crate digging. Complete with notes and well known digging tactics, the short film is all too familiar to anyone who’s spent significant time in the bins.
Hip-hop in the early ’90′s was just beginning to come into its own. Several artists helped pave the way for what is now a multi-billion dollar business, however the pioneers of the movement – producers like Premier and Pete Rock – not only had to learn, but they also had to make it, the hard way. Nothing came easy for them and they certainly never enveloped themselves in shallow praise or adulation, especially if they hadn’t done anything to deserve it, much like some of the hip-hop artists of today’s generation do. In this video, Pete Rock and Premier get personal prior to a show at the Liquidroom in Shibuya, Tokyo where they delve into all sorts of personal traumas, discuss the competition that previously existed amongst each other and the hardships of embarking on a career path which, for both, had its fair share of ups and downs, burdens and blessings.
If you have 2 hours and a quarter of time to spare today, do make sure to check this out. This is the entire video for the Pete Rock vs. DJ Premier set in Japan where these clips originated from. This clip is also a bonus from the DVD this was ripped from. Below is a link to the 2 disc CD. ENJOY.
For over two decadesDJ Premier has been the virtuoso behind some of hip-hop’s greatest records. Just off the Gang Starroutput you have Moment of Truth, Mass Appeal, Manifest, Royalty, Discipline and you can’t forget about his work with Biggie, Nas, Big L and many other highly respected artists. The secret has been within his craft – how it’s conceptualized, the textures, the atmospheres and how the innovative samples are implemented into each song. This feature takes us inside the legendary HeadQCourterz studio in New York City where the renowned producer shared some of his most cherished moments in the music game and beyond.
French beat box phenomenon EKLIPS performs a 4 minutes history of HIP HOP ...In one single take!
In case you don't know your Hip Hop history the list of beats are provided for you below:
0:05 Sugahill Gang - Rapper's Delight 0:17 Afrika Bambataa - Planet Rock 0:31 Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full 0:45 Jay-Z - Show Me What You Got 0:58 Cypress Hill - Insane In The Membrane 0:40 Gang Starr - Full Clip 1:48 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre - California Love 2:15 MOP - Ante Up 2:21 Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says 2:29 Fat Joe - Lean Back 2:36 Bone Thugs In Harmony - Mo Murda 2:39 Dr. Dre feat. Eminem - Forget About Dre 2:51 Dr. Dre - Whats The Difference 3:06 Busta Rhymes - Break Ya Neck
How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy.
Published by Gotham Books and on sale September 8, 2011, Stoute draws from his diverse background in the music industry and brand marketing to chronicle how an upstart art form – street poetry set to beats – came to define urban culture as the embodiment of cool. Stoute’s understanding of how hip-hop morphed into a mainstream culture enabled him to relate to a new generation of thinking, which catapulted him to the forefront of pop culture – where he remains today.
Stoute says, “Tanning is the catalytic force majeure that went beyond musical boundaries and into the psycheof young America – blurring cultural and demographic lines so permanently that it laid the foundation for a transformation.” Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter refers to Steve Stoute as “the conduit between corporate America and rap and the streets.”Stoute has made a career out of identifying with and activating a new generation of consumers to create extremely successful marketing campaigns. By marrying urban cultural icons with the mainstream – whether it be Jay-Z’s successful “S.Carter” sneaker launch with Reebok, Justin Timberlake with McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it” campaign, Beyonce’s partnership with Samsung, Mary J. Blige’s“My Life” fragrance with Carol’s Daughter and HSN that broke industry sales records, or Lady Gaga partnership with MAC Cosmetics – Steve Stoute has revolutionized the way blue chip marketers and superstar artists connect with consumers.
I find it fascinating to hear artists discussing their work – outside of promotion, with the clear objectivity only years passed can bring.
And so it’s with pleasure I share with you Erykah Badu’s ‘episode’. Here she reflects on her game-changing first album Buduizm – without question one of the most important contemporary Soul albums of the past 10+ years. Along with D’Angelo’s Brown Sugar, this was the birth of “Neo-Soul” and all it’s future forms & derivatives. Listen as the self proclaimed ‘Analogue Girl in a Digital World’ delves into the why her debut sounded the way it did, what her mind state was during that time and recalls her first encounter with The Roots & D’Angelo.
Uh-oh, here she come She got them gold hot pants on again Yeah man I wanna talk, but I don't know her She's a peach
She was dark - she was tan She made me glad 2 be a man She was young - she was smart Just one glance and she stole my heart The kinda girl U wanna teach She's a peach
Summertime, feelin' fine Gettin' wild all that's on my mind Here she come dressed in red Get her done is all that's in my head Her hot pants can't hide her cheeks She's a peach
She was pure, every ounce I was sure when her titties bounced Every way she's a winner Turn a gay preacher 2 a sinner No one U want your mama meet She's a peach
(I just dig a girl playin' hard 2 get)
I would die if I kissed her I would try, but I'm last on her list She's so cool and I'm so ugly I'd be a fool 2 think she could love me This kinda girl's always outta reach She's a peach
