Chicago-ATX Connect

~Soundcloud homie DJ Dice hit me up to remix a track of mine, "Mumbai 2step"--he put a lil Chicago flavor to it and posted a lil teaser on SC...check it out!!

La Mumbia Step -Avatar(EL COMANDADOS RMX) EP TEASER by DJ DICE (CHICAGO)

some Soundcloud bangers

thought I'd post some tracks that Ive been feelin as of late...some new stuff, some older stuff

--a cumbia banger featuring some hot spit vocalization from the ladies...always nice to hear females rappin over cumbia beats...
Niña Dioz & Li Saumet - La Cumbia Prohibida (Prod. by El Remolón & Villa Diamante) by villadiamantezzk

--this one has some nice fusion--Egyptian-flavored Reggae--cool...
Diaspora: "A Jamaican In Cairo" (Free-Download) by greenqueenmusic

--another one on the Reggae tip...
See-I "The King" by Thomas Blondet


--this beat is pure fire...vocals are dope too..
Lord Of Bashy feat. Rubi Dan by warrior one

--this is a track I did a lil edit action on...tossed in some percussion, drum kicks,and lil bass...also, a huge big ups to the Generation Bass and Mad Decent blogs for featuring this track!! check it on GB! and check it on Mad Decent!
Sirvan Perwer-Heybenin (Avatar Edit) by dj avatar

RIP Gregory Isaacs

~a sad day indeed...i put this mix together last weekend, just to have to listen to around the house (broken tape deck in the ride-'hatin it' related)...just uploaded in honor of Gregory Isaacs...

Rasta In Paradise: Dedicated To The One, Gregory Isaacs by Mascultura on Mixcloud

Club du Monde: a New Mix

Club Du Monde @ Canada - Dj Avatar - Oct/2010 by Club Du Monde on Mixcloud

~the good folks over at Club du Monde hit me up for a mix...here it is...stream/listen here and d'load over on my soundcloud page for free!! enjoy!!

Club du Monde mix: Oct 2010 by dj avatar

Some mixtape love

Cherman - One shot Cumbia Bass by cherman

One Shot Cumbia Bass / Mixtape - Recorded Live at Barri Gòtic / Barcelona . 1 shot w/Traktor

Tracklist

1. Don Conejo ft. Graqc - Cumbión
2. Cherman - Witness Cumbia Dub (Los Reyes de la Milanga vs Roots Manuva)
3. El Remolón - Negros Cumbieros
4. DJ Avatar - Boricua Bounce (Loisaida Mix)
5. Mr. Ioso ft. Caballo - Mo Fyah
6. Oro 11 - Macumbiabass
7. Don Conejo ft. Donny Jared - Sonido de la Gata
8. DJ Taz . Su Majestad - Danza Su Majestad II
9. Katakresis - Straight Paraguay
10. Pibes Chorros - La colorada (Super Guachín RMX)
11. Cherman - Sure Chorro (Pibes Chorros vs Beastie Boys)
12. Beastie Boys - Sabotage

~came across this bangin mix the other day and was glad to see that the mix included one of my tracks!! Boricua Bounce (Loisadia mix) is an older cut of mine I did a few years back, but glad to see its still relevant and gettin some shine...shout out to Cherman and his crew...grab the mix and play it loud!

I Got the Jazz

~i snatched this LP up at the record fair years ago for cheap...such a great record...hard to find and highly recommended!!


~when I first started djing, I used to buy more jazz and funk than hiphop...this LP was a favorite...used to fire up the ol Boss 303 and loop up this one here...good times.


~another CTI banger....Hubert Laws put out alot of LPs on this label, and this ones one of my faves...


~scooped this up in Philly back in 2001 at some jazz spot on South St....crazy cold weather, hopped up into the record spot and came out with some gems...love this LP!

Producers...drums, claps, snares, etc

DRUMS

~big up to the guys over at HQ Hiphop for providing these sounds!!

as anyone who has ever dabbled in music production will tell you, you can never have too many sounds available at your disposal...so heres a lil somethin for the mpc or whatever yall use....have fun and keep it funky!

Another Killah Kumbia Banger for U

Pull Up 'n Blaze Up! (Get Krunk in the Klub Killah Kumbia refix) by dj avatar

Been in the homestudio cranking remixes out all summer so far....may be time to take a break for a bit...this one clocks in at 118 bpm and features Mr Vegas alongside Tony Curtis...grab it and play it loud!

...and heres another track of mine thats been gettin a lil love from the Soundcloud massive...its an Indian-flavored cut with some groovy dance/lounge vibes...I'd love to be a fly on the wall at the club when this gets played, always curious to see how people react

Mumbai 2 step by dj avatar

Strictly Wax

~Ive been wanting to do an all vinyl nite for some time now...lets face it, Seratos cool and really makes djing easier, but nothing beats dropping 45s and dusty LPs. So, if youre in Austin or plan on being in town, stop through and get your vinyl envy on!

Well be doing this every Thursday in August.

An old mix cd from 2004

-was goin thru some old mix cds the other day and dug up this one here...its not a bad mix, despite the rather poor transitions. Kinda fun reminiscing...2004 seems so long ago...forgot how much i really enjoyed some of these tracks, still do....d'load for free or stream...

From the Crates--Peruvian Psych Folk LP

~Ive been ripping vinyl to mp3 for several years now; every now and then, I feel a bit compelled to share the love and post one of those hard to find LPs long out of print and virtually unattainable...so here ya go, enjoy!

***these files are corrupted--will post new ones soon!!****

el polen-fuera de la ciudad (1972 virrey records, peru)

El Polen-Side One

El Polen-Side Two

New Music on the Interwebs

Summers in full effect, so been busy workin on some new stuff...this track here is gettin a lil love on Fairtilizer, hangin in the top 10 in the World section...for now...log in and vote if ya dig it.


this one Im still kinda on the fence about...I love the dub/cumbia stuff, but the 1st acapellas leans a lil too heavvy toward the gangsta thug rap...Ill prolly rework it and find somethin less thuggish, at some point

Salsa Funk

~some mellow, yet funky salsa stuff from Azuquita...I could groove to this kinda stuff all day


~on the funky tip...I need this on LP/mp3...holler at me if ur holding :)


~a classic cut from Ray Barretto--Cocinando live, feelin this...

Que pasa en Chile?

~been feelin this track since I first heard it a couple weeks back; really diggin her flow, the spanish horns, the whole package...hopefully she'll find her way back into Austin soon...














another artist from Chile, Cholita Sounds aka Purdy Rocks--I actually posted her Soundcloud track 'Marachai Serpiente' a few weeks back...she was kind enough to send me some new tracks and they are really great...her sound reminds me of a cross between some 80s nu-wave/synth (think Nico,but much better!) and some more modern sounding electro-clash...check this one here....

INDIECITA Purdy Rocks aka Cholita Sound by Cholita Sound/Purdy Rocks

80s synth. Camus, Rai

I know, I know, why post an 80s track by some British dudes on a blog that focuses mostly on Nu-World Bass music; well, to be honest, all I can say is that I found a copy of the Better Off Dead soundtrack recently, ripped it from vinyl to mp3 and have been playing the hell out of it...Im an 80s kid, born in '75, so this movie was one of my favs as a younster...but I never realized how nice the soundtrack really is...some real sleeper hits on there.




anyhow, when Im not listening to this soundtrack, Ive been reading quite a bit as well...just finished rereading Albert Camus's "The Stranger"--one of the central ideas in this book is this notion of "benign indifference," the philosophical idea that very little matters regarding one's choices in life. The character in the book is punished not for the senseless murder he commit, but because of his utter indifference toward his mother's death.



An interesting idea that has its perks, for one could very well go through life without a care...utterly indifferent to the world. Camus was from Algeria, participated in the French Resistance, and wrote "The Stranger" at the age of 29!Camus died on 4 January 1960 at the age of 46 in a car accident. In his coat pocket lay an unused train ticket. He had planned to travel by train, with his wife and children, but at the last minute accepted his publisher's proposal to travel with him. I wonder if Camus would choose to take that train if given the opportunity, or would he maintain a 'benign indifference'.







Also from Algeria comes Rai music. I first heard about Rai years ago while at a dj gig. I was playing some Bhangra music and assorted Eastern vibes and someone approached the booth and asked me if I'd ever heard of Rai music. I hadnt but I went out soon after and picked some up. Needless to say, I found some really great stuff. The vinyl was pretty limited, although I did find a comp or two on LP. Most of what I came across was on cd though.



Ive only come across a few Rai-hiphop tracks, one of them being really good. Im always looking for some of this stuff, but it doesnt always pop up for me. Heres one I used to play out. Its a beautiful track featuring some lovely vocals from Fadela, I believe.

Fadela-N' Sel Fik

bombas y bangers

~been busy finishin up grad school, but still findin time to get a hold of some great music...heres a few more worth peepin out



flipped the la lupe sample pretty nicely...diggn it
KOTR - Raw Hip Hop (Original B-Man Remix) (instrumental) by original b-man



another cumbia track ive been playin quite a bit...shouldve put this on my 'Its all world music mix' but spaced out instead.....
Cumbia Mundial by Sonido De La Frontera




also check out the ill flyer...killin it!


Sonido de la Frontera--Linda Mariposa














another one thats been gettin some shine locally...
Macharai Serpiente by Cholita Sound/Purdy Rocks

What Im Feelin....

Kingston Logic vs. El Marranazo by AndresDigital
this cat here, Andres Digital, killed it with this blend...Kingston Logic over a Cumbia track...dayum, how come I didnt think of that....haha...nice one Andres!!

stereotyp feat warrior queen - gangsta - BUY IT ON WAX !!! by stereotyp ©
I heard of Stereotype from my days on myspace searchin for the killer soundz...dudes still makin some crazy beats...this ones kinda fresh...

MC Marcelly-Bonde das Prostitutas (Bumps-Twilight In Rio Mix) by Bumps
..and this one here...Rod Serling in the favelas of Rio...crazy...

Rastar Ursula 1000 Rmx--Nappy Riddem

~the good dudes over at Fort Knox Five were kind enough to send over a promo copy of a track called Nappy Riddem by Rastar...heres what they have to say....

The new act on Fort Knox Recordings, Nappy Riddem, is the Ragga-psychodelic funk project comprised of producer/DJ Rex Riddem, Fort Knox Five & Thunderball vocalist Mustafa Akbar, and Thievery Corporation Bassist Ashish ‘Hash’ Vyas.

Rastar is the new single from our upcoming label compilation The New Gold Standard 2, due out November 3rd, 2009 on Fort Knox Recordings. Nappy Riddem represents strongly with deep ska stepping on Rastar. A tune that incorporates Rex’s Prince-like vocals, melded with skank reggae guitars courtesy of Rob Myers (Fort Knox Five / International Velvet), and an infectious hook from soulful crooner, Mustafa Akbar. With Hash’s bouncing funk bassline, and a dubbed out breakdown, we introduce the new era of the Rasta Rockstar…. The Rastar!

definitely some heat for the dancefloor...grab it here for free!!

Rastar_Ursula_1000_Remix.mp3

Fishin on Fairtilizer~Nu-World Music

~some tracks on Fairtilizer I came across...



~some funky Funk bizess from the US...found this in the "World" category...not sure how it ended up there...good stuff.




~kinda dig this one...the drums are nice; feeling the horn action...she needs a rapper cameo or somethin...too much yin, not enough yang...




~some Brazilian electro funk....this is the kind of stuff I like to come across out of nowhere...this is why I still check Fairtilzer.




~some rapz from Togo...might need to check a map for that one...




~French mashup of MIA and a MSTRKRFT Rmx---cool.

shaanti-disco warrior

just did a lil mix over the weekend and put this track on there...man, forgot how dope this cut really is!! and the video, kilin it!

heres the mix

its all WORLD music (Transnational Sounds mix) by dj avatar

edit---also check the fantastic hatnhoodie blog where this mix was also featured

Astral Travelin and the Indigenous Spirit

~uploaded this one to Fairtilizer a while back...not gettin too many plays...hmmm? Is it the oddly worded title or the Zapata pic? Dunno, maybe a combo of both...anyhow, here it is...

I made this song after a slew of fairly weird dreams; weird is probably an understatement.....the "Indigenous Spirit" comes from my time spent in Chiapas, Mexico, more specifically Palenque, the incredible Mayan temples and the Food of the Gods (see Terrence McKenna)...this track was originally title "DreamingofMyToad," I figured I'd change the name to one that doesnt cause such confusion...FAIL.

Salsa Breaks

~i missed the record show this weekend; its a good thing really---I still have records I bought from the show last year that I havent listened to...I love the days when I can just kick back and throw on some jazz, soul, or, if I'm in the mood, some funky salsa....

love this track---listen carefully now....shhhhh!!! dont tell on me ;)


quality...


youtube killin it...


cant leave out Fruko....this one just kills me every time....


as far as the whole sxsw thing, let me just say this...Evil D is a beast on the decks, 'KidCapri-ing' dudes for trying to request a song---WE DONT TAKE REQUESTS!!!---sayin...

J-Rocc murdered the Apache break, Cut Chemist dropped Major Lazr and some ill Brazilian Geto Tek bizness, Jazzy Jeff kilt it, and Mos Def did his damn thing...and yes, I missed Bomba Estereo again...I blame VSOP dammit....

Rethinking Eurocentrism

~I picked up this book several years ago, having found it while wandering around the bookstore. Its a serious book that delves into the ways the media encourages viewers/readers/ listeners to accept a Eurocentric perspective--to be quite honest, this book influenced me to create the MasCultura banner through which I make music and propagate the rhythms of so-called Third World nations. Heres a brief excerpt from the book:

"Unthinking Eurocentrism focusses on Eurocentrism and multiculturalism in popular culture. It is written in the passionate belief that an awareness of the intellectually debilitating effects of the Eurocentric legacy is indispensable for comprehending not only contemporary media representations but even contemporary subjectivities. Endemic in present day thought and education, Eurocentrism is naturalized as "common sense." Philosophy and literature are assumed to be European philosophy and literature. History is assumed to be European history..."

The authors go on to add that Europe is placed at the center of the world--when we refer to the Middle East or the Far East, we unconsciously place Europe as the central focus point...the "arbiter of spatial evaluation," as the authors state.

All this is not to say the Europe/Europeans are bad or wrong---no, rather the authors are simply making us aware of a Eurocentric discourse that permeates much of popular culture across the globe. Think Indiana Jones, James Bond, or the nightly news that, when referring to some post-colonial nation consisting of dark-skinned people, must show them screaming and hollering at the camera, most of the time setting fire to an American flag or some other symbol of our nation.

As someone greatly interested in what corporate music marketing stategists have blandly labeled "World Music," I am curious to see what the future holds as the rhythms of post-colonial nations in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East blast loudly out of speakers in cities across the US and Europe. The youth of today are sweating on the dancefloor to cumbia, kuduro, baile funk (which is rooted in Miami Bass with some Brazilian influence), balkan beat, etc....How is this fact going to alter the Eurocentric discourse that has dominated popular culture for the last century or so?

El Hilwa Di (coucou)

Fela--Viva Afrika!!

Cumbia Internacional_Avatar by dj avatar

Terry Lynn

I first got wind of Terry Lynn a lil over a year ago when she dropped her somewhat graphic, yet symbolically appropriate "System" video--shes definitely a talented mc with the potential to bring some more heavy tunes to the bass-hungry massive...heres a few youtube vidz worth peepin....


-a lil mashup


some quasi-dubstep rmx


the 'system' video---I swore off pork years ago, cant say I miss it--some brutal imagery up in here...


Jamaican Girls

"JAMAICAN GIRLS" TERRY LYNN & JOHAN HUGO of RADIOCLIT from phred on Vimeo.

Terry Lynn--Jamaican Girls-Radioclit

Jingle Jangle

~so this one here is an old favorite of mine--The Legion made some noise w this single back in like '93...the track featured Dres of Black Sheep, the beat was nice (Mr Lawnge prod??), and BET was showin the video love on RapCity....not sure if they ever dropped a full length or not.....probably.

this is an edit I did real quik in protools---nice extended intro and I cut out the 3rd verse that I never really cared for....

another High Quality WAV file..........
The Legion--Jingle Jangle (avatar edit)

Hiphop vs Academia

~so, as some may know, Ive been laboring my way through grad school for the last 4-5 years--its been an interesting ride(and its almost over!!)--Ive learned quite a bit and, despite my borderline-poverty existence, have found my time in grad school to be 'enriching,' as they like to say.....

so, Ive decided to post a copy of my research paper (29 pages) for any that may be interested...its not perfect, as few essays are--however, I feel it reflects my perspective adequately...and if you grew up on hiphop in the late 80s/early 90s, then you should no doubt feel where Im comin from...

heres the intro...


"For many in America, hip hop music evokes images of young, dark-skinned males sporting oversized gold chains, collectively boasting about their fancy sports cars or vast coterie of salacious women. Tune to any urban radio station marketing to the young, hip hop market and surely one will encounter such braggadocio and misogyny. As if the materialism and crude characterization of females were not sufficient, today’s hip hop artists are also perceived as overtly angry and violent, with the music they produce sometimes leading to brawls in the nightclubs in which the music is played or performed. Such occurrences have even led some club owners to cease booking certain hip hop acts altogether, so as not to have to deal with the violent and rowdy crowds that attend these performances.
Certainly one cannot simply argue that the music itself causes violence, for there exists a sizable portion of hip hop artists that view these characterizations of violence, misogyny, and materialism with disdain. Yet, at the same time, there are the gangsta rappers who use characterizations of ghetto stereotypes—such as the pimp, gangster, or hustler—to convey an aspect of social realism that aims to express the reality of ghetto life. Instead of focusing on these stereotypical characterizations, conscious rappers—a term used within hip hop culture to differentiate the ‘gangsta’ rapper from the ‘intelligent’ rapper—attempt to address social issues with aplomb. These conscious rappers deliberately attack social ills, such as poverty, unemployment, inflation, poor housing and substandard educational systems. Rap music is, as Tricia Rose suggests, “a hidden transcript” that uses “cloaked speech and disguised cultural codes to comment on and challenge aspects of current power inequalities."


When Hiphop Mattered

Raphy Leavitt--Amor y Paz

~found some time to rip some vinyl finally--Raphy Leavitt "Amor y Paz" off his "Mi Barrio" LP on Borinquen Records---thought this cut deserved some shine; a couple other cuts worth rippin as well...more vinyl rips comin soon...

(high quality wav file)--also boosted the eq levels in protools to enhance the sound a lil bit ;)
Raphy Leavitt--Amor y Paz

DJ'n 101--the do's and dont's

~just read this and cant agree more with this dude...so on point.


via Mad Decent blog


I’m very glad you’ve started this column as I’ve found myself lost in a number
of ways. Fundamentally I feel myself torn between the needs of the
proletariat (aka my friends) and my personal desires to hear deep as fuck
disco/rap/house etc cuts mixed to perfection (which my friends don’t). How
do you resolve this contradiction!?!?!! I cant get new friends nobody likes
me except these so I would prefer a way to manipulate them.
Thanks,
Frustrated in Fort Greene.

Dear Frustrated in FG,
I’ve been there buddy, and let me tell you, there is no solution. The tricky thing about cool music: nobody cares. 7 pm on a Saturday Night, over stuffing my record boxes with all the songs I think are amazing. With every ill 12″ I pack, a vision of their acceptance on the dace floor flashes through my head. Slipping a Pete Shelly “Homosapien” 12″ between Madonna and Cerrone records, I picture my friends bursting into jaunty dances reminiscent of the first half of the 80’s. I do this all evening, picking records and imagining their profound impact. By the time 11 rolls around I’ve got two over stuffed flight cases and a little bag bursting at the seems; every record I’ve brought is essential to the amazing night that lays ahead. Now it’s my turn to DJ, and I play my set, and it’s great except for one little thing. The records I was really excited about playing, little treasures I was sure would ignite, they were not the high points of my set, they were the low. Sure that one dude from the Hollerboard went crazy for some off beat disco treasure, but for the most part tried and true favorites were the driving force of the night. It’s Saturday night, and my friends don’t care about Ashford & Simpson, or Morrissey solo songs. Forgetting about the coming Monday or the passing Friday, finding someone to make out in the bathroom with, maybe a cheap bag of blow, this is Saturday night, not me or my impeccable taste. Diplo didn’t get famous playing electro rap from Zimbabwe or crunk from Fiji. He and one of his friends threw a party where they played popular songs everybody liked; not totally top 40 but everything crowd pleasing. Once success materialized, so did a platform to dictate rather than placate.

You want your crowd to feel your selections? Give then what they want first. Once you’ve earned their trust, and they know your dependable and will play ‘their song’ you can start tricking them. Pick a few songs to really get behind and start pushing them. Try the most accessible of your favorites to start out with. Like if your trying to go disco play Chic records at first. Get them used to a few easy to love classics. Once those records are accepted, you can go the next step deeper, and so on. Slip them in the right place and do not linger long in the audio out-lands. Nobody including me is checking for three Nu-Disco songs in a row. If your gonna take chances find dependable records to take them between. Work out the mix at home so you know the bar counts and when to bring shit in and out. Do Your Homework! Here is a good example. I have an edit of “This is Radio Clash” that goes to the dub at the end. I’ll mix something quirky into that, then the next song after my quirky song will be “Abracadabra” by Steve Miller Band. I keep the 80’s rockish through line using two classic dance songs that are easy to mix. And hopefully I’ve done my job and kept the energy up. Timing is everything and that ONLY comes with experience, so keep playing and playing and playing. The more hours you log in front of people the better you’ll get, as long as you push yourself.

People are predictable and crave familiarity. You’ve got to trick them, win hearts and minds to win the war. If your not rich, or famous, or producing chart topping records, or really good looking, your gonna have to make em happy and sneak in the jams when you can. I think you’ll find that making people happy is quite rewarding in itself, and when you get a moment where it all comes together and everyone is wasted and dancing to Sylvester, well that’s the icing on the cake. Enjoy it, it’s fleeting…

There is another school of DJing, that hard line refusal to play anything but what you want, what you think is cool or right. Thing is, if what you think is cool and right does not include a decent amount of crowd pleasing music, your probably just an asshole. Or maybe your not an asshole, your just clueless. That guy trying to force R&B Classics down the throats of kids who want to hear Misfits and Young Jeezy.
Either way, pretentious fuck or just a moron, your fucking up my Saturday night.

-Roctakon

Gunja Bros

ok, I know Im waaay late on this, as Im sure this tracks made its way around the blogosphere several times now...but damn if I cant stop listening to this...

We Smoke with Ur Muthas - Gunja Brothers by Gunja Brothers

Cumbia a Una Mujer Bonita

~for anyone thats ever bought some bootleg Cumbia cds off the streets of Mexico, you know they always got some sexy lady on the cover...no need to mess w/ tradition, right?

Cumbia a Una Mujer Bonita (wav) by dj avatar

Nas & Damian Marley--As We Enter

~been waitin to hear this one here since I got word of this collabo...if the full length is as good as this single, were in for some serious heat!!




Nas and Damian Marley--As We Enter

Afrobeat!!!

~cant help but hear Fela just chanting over this...feelin this right here!


~just stumbled upon these cats here---diggin this as well


















~a real groovy AfroFunk track that Ive been feelin...
Captain Planet--Lagos Speedway via Mixtape Riot

For the Yout' Dem

Traygod-For the Yout' Dem (produced by Avatar)
Traygod-For the Yout' Dem produced by Avatar by dj avatar

Psychedelic Tejano--Latin Breed

~these guys put out several albums on Manny Guerra's GCP label out of San Antonio, Tx...I havent heard all of em, but this one seems to be the one thats in demand. The stand out cuts are 'Maranatha,'where the band lets the funk roots fly; some groovy basslines, and a few open breaks make it a staple in the Funk crates.

A couple other tracks are of interest here as well, to me at least. "It Keeps You Runnin' is the sleeper joint--a soulful, laidback track with a long intro for seamless blending. A lil somethin different for the early set. Also check out "Cuando de Canses de Llorar,' which is perhaps the most experimental track off the album--it starts off with some psych-ish grooves then jumps into a more traditional polka groove--midway through the song, though, the bass guitarist drops a jazz riff, then cuts back to the beat

~these are high quality wav files, not mp3s!!
Maranatha
It Keeps You Runnin

hiphop record nerdery--dork out

my fellow hiphop 12" completionists will surely understand--been on the hunt for this one for a loooonng minute and its finally found its way into my hands--perhaps the only copy that is not in Japan...ok, time to crack a beer and reminisce to summer of '94



this was/still is my shit


this cd didnt leave the deck in the jeep for months...classique!!


another banger...damn i miss hiphop


no intro necessary


haha...this album was/still is legendary...another one that was in heavy rotation


and this track here...so slept on!! that horn is so sick...

R.I.P. Wille Mitchell

~one of the greatest producers in the history of Soul music--the man had a hand in so many hits and had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented musicians to ever grace this great earth of ours...your work is testament to your genius...RIP Wille Mitchell

~just one example of Willie Mitchell's place in hiphop...

A New Year~A New Look

~ended up djing a New Years Eve gig after all...the dj booth at the spot has a poster of Selena hanging up on the wall; the place used to be a Tejano bar and the new owners havent bothered to take it down...I kinda dig it. Damn she wouldve been huge--so beautiful and talented...such a tragedy...RIP Selena


...the nite was fun and people kept dancing---a few annoying drunks talmbout "whats your favorite song ever?" (fyi: most djs are busy tryin to work and have little time to answer such questions--please save them for later)... The highlight for me was at the end of the nite dropping all my favorite reggae selections...the drunks were too drunk to care or notice and all the real heads were feelin the irie vibes....



-not really a roots/reggae riddim...but fiyah nonetheless





Sabbo-Far To Go Feat.Little X by Sabbo