Mixtape Mondays: Neil Armstrong, Prince, DJ Jazzy Jeff x Mick + More
It's now solstice-certified official: summer is underway and while you could spend the next three months listening to nothing but Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince on repeat, we suggest mixing it up a bit and savoring these searing hot new mixes in their own fresh, jazzy right. In the first of two world premieres you'll find the newest chapter in DJ Neil Armstrong's Original All Out King mixtape series. It's a sprawling refresher course on the art of hip-hop sampling, and pairs legends like Nas, Snoop Dogg, Biggie, Kanye West, Gang Starr, Jay-Z, J Dilla, A Tribe Called Quest and just about every other legend of the last 25 years with the crate-dug tracks they've flipped. Master of mixes (and Okayplayer) DJ AllyAl has brought us a brand new set of choice Prince tunes bearing the just-right title Shut Up Already & Jam! On top of all that we've got an ideal hot-and-bright mix from (who else?) DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mick Boogie (he just goes by "Mick" now)that opens hard out the gate with our favorite Alicia Keys cut. Add a tribute to jazz legend Horace Silver from Gilles Peterson and the sonic cook-out has begun! Click true and stay tuned for more to come.
If ever there was a mix-maker worthy of a moon-walker's moniker, it's DJ Neil Armstrong. His Original All Out King is a must for anyone interested in the lineage of hip-hop and want to add a little learn to their lean. Here in its world premiere is the latest (and final) installment in the AOK series, which has been running strong for a decade now. Just like previous installments in the series, OG sample material get mixed in deliciously with their hip-hop counterparts. Some of the connects are obscure, others well-documented, but everything is precise, bass-heavy and just right. Here's the official description:
This one is for the fans who have been listening to my mixes for the last 10 years and with this one he is bringing it full circle. You should know the deal. Original samples, mixed with their Hip Hop counterparts. Crossing genres, drawing that connecting line between rock, soul, reggae, opera, classical, blues, funk, jazz... let's just call it good music. All mixed with that Hip Hop aesthetic, and all samples used were on original vinyl, to show love for the lost artform of diggin’. The 1st "Original" mixtape came out in 2001, and making it set me on this path that has literally brought me around the world and back. It introduced the Neil Armstrong brand to the world outside of his turntablist roots and became so significant to my life as DJ Neil Armstrong, a turning point if you will. Here for first time, the complete mix "Original All Out King" available via Digital Streaming courtesy of the future.fm.
1 Diamond D / SSO I went for Mine
2 Gang Starr / Clarence Wheeler & the Enforcers Dwyck
3 Nice and Smooth / Parliament Funky for You
4 Gang Starr Jean-Jacques Perrey Just to get a rep
5 Gang Starr / Manhattans Work
6 Gang Starr / Monk Higgins Code of the Streets
7 Kool G Rap / The Fatback Band Streets of NY
8 Big Daddy Kane / Albert King Young Gifted and Black
9 Kanye West / Mandrill Two Words
10 Kanye West / Mike Oldfield Dark Fantasy
11 Kanye West / Elton John Good Morning
12 Kanye West / Marvin Gaye Space Ship
13 Kanye West / Labi Siffri I Wonder
14 Kanye West / Natalie Cole Heard em Say
15 Jay-z / The Originals Guess Who's Back
16 Jay-z / The 4 Levels of Existence Run This Town
17 Kanye West / Continent number 6 / King Crimson Power
18 Kanye West / Curtis Mayfield Flashing Lights
19 Talib Kweli / Nina Simone Get By
20 Reflection Eternal Move Somethin'
21 Smif N Wessun / Jack Bruce Bucktown
22 East Flatbush Project / Odetta Tried By 12
23 Jeru / Shelly Mann Come Clean
24 Jeru / Modern Jazz Quartet Can't Stop the Prophet (remix)
25 Blackmoon / Ronnie Laws Who Got The Props
26 Crooklyn Dodgers Crooklyn
27 Crooklyn Dodgers / Young-Holt Unlimited Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers
28 Group Home / Ramsey Lewis Livin' Proof
29 Group Home / Cameo Supa Star
30 Royce da 5'9 / Marc Hannibal Boom
31 Notorious BIG / Les McCann 10 Crack Commandments
32 Notorious BIG / Bobby Caldwell Sky's the limit
33 AZ / Lou Donaldson Your World Don't Stop (original version)
34 NAS / The Dells If I Ruled the World
35 Nas / Chic Just a Moment
36 Big L / James Gilstrap Flamboyant
37 Big Pun / Brenda Russell Still Not a Player
38 2pac / Zapp Get Around
39 Ice Cube / Evelyn Champagne King You Know How We Do It
40 Dr. Dre / Soul Mann & the Brothers XXplosive
41 Dr. Dre / David McCallum Next Episode
42 2Pac / Joe Cocker / Ronnie Hudson & The Street People/ Zapp / California Love
43 Snoop Dogg / The Counts / P. Funk What's My Name
44 Snoop Dogg / Laid Back Drop it like it's Hot
45 Raekwon / Earl Klugh Ice Cream
46 Raekwon/ Koko Taylor Incarcerated Scarfaces
47 Method Man / Jerry Butler Bring the Pain
48 The Diplomats / Sanchez Dipset Anthem
49 The Diplomats / Major Harris I Really Mean It
50 A$AP Rocky / S.O.S. Band Peso
51 Rick Ross ft Jay-z / The Friends of Distinction Maybach Music
52 Drake / Bill Conti Forever
53 Lil Wayne / Diana Ross and the Supremes Lollipop
54 Chris Brown / Sparks Look at me Now
55 OutKast / Joe Simon So Fresh and So Clean
56 T.I. / Roberta Flack What You Know
57 Jay-z/ MIA / The Clash Swagger Like Us / MIA Paper Planes
58 O'Jays For the Love of Money
59 Prodigy / Jack Mayborn Keep It Thoro
60 Mobb Deep / Esther Phillips Give Up The Goods
61 Mobb Deep / Quincy Jones / Herbie Hancock Shook Ones part II
62 Alchemist / Al Cooper Hold You Down
63 Dialated Peoples / William Bell Worst Comes to Worst
64 A Tribe Called Quest / Kool and the Gang Oh My God
65 A Tribe Called Quest / Gary Bartz Butter
66 A Tribe Called Quest / Rotary Connection Bonita Applebum
67 Q-Tip / Joe Pass Let's Ride
68 Jaylib / Gap Mangione The Official
69 Slum Village / The Singers Unlimited Players
70 J Dilla / Stylistics Baby
71 Jaylib / Cris Williamson The Red
72 Slum Village / Gap Mangione Fall In Love
73 Hi-Tek / Camel Music For Life
(Artwork by KerryEJordan)
Ally Al is an Okayplayer champion in his own right, and we're pleased to premiere his proper purple primer. This is the real deal, all Prince and nothing but. And rather than offer us a tracklist, Al has chosen to keep us guessing on just which tunes make up the mix--very Prince-like in all respects. Things kick off to the bounce of "Just as Long as We're Together" and only get funkier from there. We've had a chance to take it for a spin and be warned: this thing flows smoother than the Minneapolis man's purple velvet circa 1985. Game: blouses.
This one had to happen. DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mick have been blessing us with pitch-perfect summertime mixes for the last four years running, and this year's might be their very best. From the glossy glide of "You Don't Know My Name" to the nutty cuica intro of Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man," JJ and MB have given us a mix that packs variety, consistency, and warm, wavy satisfaction. Peep the download link in the embedded player itself, or click here and follow the instructions.
Summertime 5 Intro (Produced by 6th Sense)--Biz Markie
Let Me Prove My Love--The Main Ingredient
You Don't Know My Name--Alicia Keys
Sock it to Me (Remix)--Missy Elliot
Bad Girl--Usher
So Ambitious--Jay Z
Daylight--Ramp
Don't Disturb This Groove--The System
Watermelon Man--Herbie Hancock
Dolly My Baby--Supercat
Props Over Here--Beatnuts
Tha Bizness--De La Soul feat. Common
Remindin' Me of Sef--Common
Feel My Flow--Naughty By Nature
Give it to You--Da Brat
Let The Funk Flow--EPMD
Send My Love--Born Jamericans
Right Here/Human Nature--SWV/Michael Jackson
Somethin for the Honeys--Montell Jordan
I Went for Mine--Diamond D
The Rhythm--Kwame
Get Involved--Raphael Saadiq feat. Q-Tip
Beautiful--Snoop Dogg
Spring Again--Biz Markie
Groove Thang (Jeff's That DJ Edit)--Zhane
Hey DJ--Zhane
Rump Shaker--Wreckx-n-Effect
Sir Duke--Stevie Wonder
The Humpty Dance--Digital Underground
You & Music--Donald Byrd
Encore--Jay-Z
Do Me--Bill Bev Devoe
Groove Me--Guy
My Perogative--Bobby Brown
Poison--Bell Biv Devoe
Knee Deep (Jorun Remix)--Funkadelic
Me Myself & I--De La Soul
The Breaks--Kurtis Blow
Remember Me (Jim Sharp Remix)--Blue Boy
Shoop--Salt-n-Pepa
Stay Cool--The Roots
Got Til it's Gone--Janet Jackson
Big Yellow Taxi--Joni Mitchell
Hey Ma--Cam'ron
Bag Lady--Erykah Badu
Get Lifted (Remix)--Keith Murray
I'll Take Her--Ill Al Scratch
Hey Look Away--Questionmark Asylum
Sealed With A Kiss (Chi Duly + Mick Outro)--Bobby Vinton
Things have been a little less melodic and a little more somber around the Okayplayer and Revive offices ever since jazz piano legend Horace Silver passed away last week at the age of 85. The best way to pay tribute, though, is to enjoy his legendary recordings and BBC's selector-in-chief Gilles Peterson has kindly amassed a mixtape of some of Silver's most prized studio moments.
Horace Silver - Senor Blues (Vocal Version)
Horace Silver - Doin’ The Thing Intro
The Horace Silver Quintet - The Baghdad Blues
The Horace Silver Quintet - Let’s Get To The Nitty Gritty
The Horace Silver Quintet - Song For My Father
Horace Silver - The Sophisticated Hippie
The Horace Silver Quintet - That Healin' Feelin’
Horace Silver - In Pursuit Of The 27th Man
Horace Silver - Time And Effort
The Horace Silver Quintet & J.J. Johnson - The Cape Verdean Blues
The Horace Silver Quintet - Nica’s Dream
Horace Silver - Psychedelic Sally
Horace Silver - Togetherness
Horace Silver - The Gods Of The Yoruba
The Horace Silver Quintet - Ah! So
Horace Silver - I’ve Had A Little Talk
Horace Silver - The Outlaw
The Horace Silver Quintet - Tokyo Blues
The Horace Silver Quintet - The Jody Grind
Horace Silver - Ecaroh
Too much of Gilles Peterson's deft selection is never a bad thing, and this mix is all but mandatory. A mix of classic Brazilian art music, GP has given us a 40 minute set that's equal parts classical guitar as it is avant-pop synth. Highlights include Sergio Ricardo's sunny "Conversacao de Paz" and the Golden Boys's laid-back take (dare we call it a remix?) of the classic bossa tune "Berimbau." The mix was made special for Noisey, and Gilles remarked in a recent interview that this mix is meant to showcase the not-so-obvious strains of Brazil's sonic lineage:
I wanted to give people a different flavor from the obvious music that comes out of Brazil. I wanted to give people a couple of new names with some of the more regional stuff and a little bit of psychy, songwriting stuff. That stuff was a big influence to the record I made out there in January. The Sonzeira album was a massive privilege for me; taking Brazilian music as I know it as a DJ and [getting to] celebrate it by giving the non-Brazilians a deeper understanding of the wealth of the music. It’s not just a couple of people doing bossa nova on a beach. I wanted to get across the broadness of Brazilian music, and I'm so pleased to have got some of my heroes on there, including queen of samba, Elza Soares, who was also married to the great Brazilian footballer, Garrincha. Then there are some acts that are better known domestically, so it’s good to get them exposed and [share] a few quirky versions of songs I really like.
Jose Mauro - "O Ninho"
Mpb 4 - "Cravo e Canela"
Luiz Eca - "Reflexos"
Nana Vasconcelos - "Aranda"
Sergio Ricardo - "Conversacao de Paz"
Joao Diaz - "Capoeira"
Arthur Verocai - "Boca do Sol"
Haraton Salvanini - "Salamandras"
Golden Boys - "Berimbau"
Gal Costa - "Baby"
Marcos Valle - "Ele e Ela"
Jose Prates - "Batucada Berimbau"
Joao de Pife - "Garota de Pife"
Carimbo e Sirimbo - "Pai Xango"
Hermeto Pascoal - "Mourning"
Sonzeira - "Plum Blossom"
Leave it to the great minds over at Wax Poetics to bring the brilliance. Their first "DOPE" mix from Bedford Box Office was a little slice of heaven, and now they're back with a second installment. The vibe is decidedly old school R&B, but the tracks are all brand new thanks to cuts from Touchsoul, Benny Love, Jypsy Jeyfree and more. The entire thing was blended by DJ Crystalena and comes very highly recommended if you're on the lookout for a new batch of familiar funk.
Tracklist:
“Island Gyal”- Camille Safiya (Produced by Frankie P)
“Skin Deep”- Olivia Louise (Produced by Moteleola)
“Can’t Be”- Benny Love
“Falling”- Zey Karma
“Back To You”- Touchsoul
“My Hearts A Whore”- Amber Ojeda
“You Don’t Know Me”- Jyspy Jeyfree
“You & Me”- St. Bernadette (featuring Angela McCluskey)
Following a verysteadystream of freestyles from the likes of Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa, XXL has gone and dropped their much-anticipated Freshman 2014 mixtape. On it you'll find a sampler platter of hip-hop's brightest youth, with the likes of Isiah Rashad and Ty Dolla Sign joining the aforementioned on-the-rise MCs (minus Chance, whose exclusion is a major gaffe). The mix is a group effort between the magazine and DJ Drama and should play well in your jeep, your benzo or your Nissa sittin' on Lorenzos.