Mixtape Monday: Cookin Soul, Ghost McGrady, J. French, MoRuf + More
This Mixtape Monday is a celebration of milestones and musical icons with tributes to A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan and Roy Hargrove.
DJ Filthy Rich kicks things off with a joint tribute to Wu-Tang Clan’sEnter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and A Tribe Called Quest’sMidnight Marauders. Archival mixes from MICK and DJ A to the L keep the party going with more from the Queens and Shaolin representatives. DJ Selecta drops a tribute to Roy Hargrove and Krista Papista shares the Sordid Pop Kids mix.
The second half of this week’s roundup begins with Ghost McGrady’s vinyl debut entitled Believe. J. French is in the mix with OGB 1.5 produced by Jah Born. MoRuf and Ikenna put Love Over Everything on For Promotional Use Only Vol. 1. Baltimore’s own Jay Royale pays tribute to Charm City on The Ivory Stoop, Cookin Soul remixes Drake on LOFI Papi and Jazzsoon closes things out this week with Heavy Archives.
DJ Filthy Rich - A Clan Called Wu: Enter The Marauders
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders, DJ Filthy Rich presents the A Clan Called Wu: Enter The Marauders blend tape:
November 9, 1993 will forever go down as one of the greatest days in hip hop history. Two of the genre’s most revered albums dropped on the same day: Wu-Tang Clan’s debut ‘Enter The 36 Chambers’, & A Tribe Called Quest’s third LP ‘Midnight Marauders’. To mark the 25th anniversary of both LP’s, I thought it might be a good idea to try and take the vocals from Wu-Tang’s album, and blend them over the instrumentals from Midnight Marauders. I wasn’t sure it would work at first, but as is usually the case, inspiration hit at midnight when I was trying to sleep (the coincidence of the timing is not lost on me). A couple of hours later, I managed to pair up every single Wu-Tang vocal with a suitable beat from MM. The intent was not to improve on the originals in any way….that would be impossible, as I consider them both to be perfect bodies of work. Rather, it was about orchestrating a fun concept, and putting a totally new spin on these well-worn classics. The contrast of Wu’s gritty street raps over Tribe’s jazzy production works in a pleasantly unexpected way. Now, I present to you my personal tribute to these legendary groups: A Clan Called Wu “Enter The Marauders”.
MICK - Excursions: Rarities & Remixes of A Tribe Called Quest
Throwing it back 2016, MICK’s Excursions: Rarities & Remixes of A Tribe Called Quest gets a bump in honor of the 25th anniversary of the release of A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders album.
A Tribe Called Quest is one of my favorite groups of all time... in any genre of music. After seeing Michael Rapaport's amazing documentary on the group, I felt inspired to put together a mix and this is the end result. This is NOT a greatest hits mix. This mix is for the true Tribe fans only... the die-hards who know every lyric and remember every interlude. I thought it would be cool to basically create the "lost" Tribe album... with all the rare songs, demos, limited-edition remixes, and collaborations you may have missed over the years. I hope when you enjoy this as much as I do, and hear some things you have never heard before. Special thank you to UNDRCRWN for the amazing artwork. Long live A Tribe Called Quest!
DJ A to the L - The DITC Wu-Tang Clan Tribute
Digging a bit deeper, DJ A to the L’s 2015 Wu-Tang Clan tribute mix makes the cut for the 25th anniversary of their seminal debut Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Tribute sets by Alexander Nut, DJ Rags and Supa Dave couldn’t be included but shouts out to them.
DJ Selecta - A Tribute To Brother Roy
Grand Groove Radio host DJ Selecta keeps the tributes going with A Tribute to Brother Roy. The two-hour mix dedicated to Roy Hargrove features tracks from his catalog alongside joints by Platinum Pied Pipers, Bilal, Dontae Winslow & Winslow Dynasty, Killiam Shakespeare, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Kaidi Tatham and more. Rest in peace, Roy Hargrove.
Krista Papista - Sordid Pop Kids Mix
Fresh off the release of her Alexandra LP, self-proclaimed “sordid pop” artist Krista Papista presents a three-hour mix celebrating her Greek heritage and the diverse collection of artists that have inspired her left-of-center, experimental sound.
Ghost McGrady - Believe
Left coast transplant and beatmaker Ghost McGrady celebrates his first vinyl release via House Shoes’ Street Corner Music label with the arrival of his twelve-track album Believe.
This is a collection of songs composed over the past four years (2014-2018) that form one coherent thought: Believe. Each beat was created with an open mind and a ‘fuck the popular sound’ mentality that comes from years upon years of sample chopping and sound design experience dating back to Ghost McGrady’s genesis at age 11 in his darkened bedroom.
J. French - OGB 1.5
OKC’s own J. French returns less than a year removed from the release of OGB and the subsequent OGB Remixes EP with OGB 1.5. Billed as “a complete overhaul of the original opus, with brand new previously unreleased songs, and remixes of fan favorites,” the project features contributions from Grammy Award-winning producer Jah Born.
MoRuf x Ikenna - For Promotional Use Only Vol. 1
Championing Love Over Everything, MoRuf and Ikenna team to drop For Promotional Use Only Vol. 1. The nine-track teaser project anchored by MoRuf’s production is an appetizer ahead of his forthcoming album MOOLODIC and the impending re-release of Ikenna’s Call Me Ike.
Jay Royale - The Ivory Stoop
Baltimore’s own Jay Royale makes a powerful statement with the arrival of his thirteen-track debut entitled The Ivory Stoop. The project follows a handful of singles and boasts appearances from Conway The Machine, B.E.N.N.Y. The Butcher, ILL Conscious, Milano Constantine, DJ Grazzhoppa and more.
Cookin Soul - LOFI Papi (Drake Remixes)
The 6 God and the self-proclaimed "Chop God" join forces on Cookin Soul’s latest collection of reworks entitled LOFI Papi (Drake Remixes). The nine-track project features flips of fan favorites including Drake's “0 to 100,” “God’s Plan” and Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode.”
Jazzsoon - Heavy Archives
Back with more “fashionable music for fashionable people,” Brooklyn’s own Jazzsoon drops Heavy Archives. The two-sided tape is a compilation of his previously unreleased material dating back to the early 2000s. This one is a great listen for beat lovers.
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Karas Lamb writes and digs for tunes you haven’t heard yet. She actually wants to listen to your mixtape. Follow her on Twitter @karaslamb or Instagram @blamblamkaraslamb.