86'D SHAQ MEMORABILIA

On the real though, don't cop that Shaq Fu game.

BIRTHDAY DIGGIN: RARE QUASIMOTO

Walked in the record store yesterday, flipped through some hip hop...and suddenly I was on some Friday "Dammmmmmmmmn" tip when I found the above jem.

Rare Quasimoto release on 1 side. Never-before-heard Bahamadia on the other (the b-side is real funky too!)

ILL DJ PREMIER SAMPLE

Like a lot of dudes, one of the ways I got into soul music, motown, gospel, and stuff like that was by searching for samples from old hip hop songs in skateboard videos.

When I found this record by Nancy Wilson called Easy a while back, I knew DJ Premier (of Gang Starr) had sampled the track "Walk Away" for the legendary cut "Tha Squeeze" off the Training Day movie soundtrack.



The only other thing I can say about this song is that I listened to it 10 times before I heard the sample. It's real trip and it makes you appreciate the art of sampling. 2011 hip hop cats need to step up their creativity!

VISUALS: Carter LeBlanc

New artwork can be found here.

SAMPLE SUNDAY: MEMORY LANE

This is one mellow cut by Blue Note jazz organist, Reuben Wilson. Dude's been sampled for days, so you probably recognize this groove from Nas's - Memory Lane:

Enjoy this sample sunday cut outside with a fatty.

MP3 DOWNLOAD: Reuben Wilson - We're In Love

THA PRODUCTION MASTA: FEED ME

Wassup everybody!?  My bad for not posting too much recently. I've been super busy mastering and pressing my new CD, "Tha Production Masta."

Big thanks again to everybody who came out last night for the album-release party on Avenue 56. That show was off the hook and I really appreciate the love. For those who didn't get a copy of the CD last night, you can cop it below:

MP3 ALBUM DOWNLOAD: Feed Me - Tha Production Masta

OPRAH'S Q JOOK JOINT??

So I've spent the last hour trying to understand what the television show Oprah At Q's Jook Joint was. My best guess (which is as good as yours, once you watch the video) is that it was a small-time R&B/Hip-Hop show that aired in the 90's, but never made it far.

Not so coincidentally, Q's Jook Joint was the name of an album by Quincy Jones that got put out in 1995. Looking at the back of Oprah's stage, one would think Quincy had a hand in the design.

In the video above, Take 6, Brian McKnight, and Patti Austin sing a super dope jazz cut, originally by man King Pleasure (below). It's dreamier than the Charlie Brown christmas jams.



MP3 DOWNLOAD: King Pleasure - Moody's Mood For Love

KILLER JOE

Are you a cool joe or a mean joe?

OG SHAOLIN TEMPLE

before the massive 2008 mass hypnosis that had everybody acting like they were down with wu tang since pree school and previous
93 didnt begin shaolin
the man barrington levy

FLYLO ALTER EGO: LUNCHPAIL

Not really sure what to think of this top secret cut by Lunchpail A.K.A. Flying Lotus rapping with his voice pitched up. Don't get me wrong, the beat is dope and I like the idea of Flylo rapping, especially with Samiyam.

But the old saying remains the same - you can't be more original than the original.

70'S MYSTERY SLICED TURKEY COMMERCIAL

LOST MUSHROOM JAZZ?

Mark Farina is a chill D.J. from the Bay/Chicago. Dude is mostly known for his down-tempo blends of jazz, house, and hip-hop music on the legendary "Mushroom Jazz" series. I just found this dope record by him recently, and its called "Mushroom Jazz #20."

Not really sure where the other 14 or so Mushroom Jazz records went, but you know we're gonna find 'em soon and share!

MP3 ALBUM DOWNLOAD: Mark Farina - Mushroom Jazz #20

DANCE DANCE IN THE MORNING

YESTERDAY'S NEW UNIVERSE: WELDON IRVINE TRIBUTE

Shortly after the tragic death of jazz legend Weldon Irvine in 2002, Madlib the Beat Konducta created an instrumental jazz tribute album to his spirtual-mentor's life and music.

Monk Hughes and The Outer Realm is the name. Ill psyche music is the game.

Don't sleep on one of the greatest YNQ releases ever.

MP3 ALBUM DOWNLOAD: Monk Hughes & The Outer Realm - A Tribute to Brother Weldon

DONNA SUMMER SPRING AFFAIR

GOLDEN AGE OF ITALO DISCO: GOOD VIBES RECORDS

Good Vibes was a really dope Italo disco record label that came out of Italy during the early 80's. Italo disco (a german cat named Bernard Mikulski coined that ill name!) music blew up right around the same time mainstream disco died in America. Needless to say, most of the freshest Italo disco/boogie cuts fell through the cracks and were never heard again.

My favorite vibes off the label were in the year 1982. Dunno what is was about that year, but the beats are straight fire! Don't sleep on these extra-rare boogie bangers.





MP3 DOWNLOAD: Boeing - Dance On The Beat

DEFINITELY A LOST WORLD

THE GONZ & JOHN COLTRANE

Always loved this jazz cut in Mark Gonzales' "Video Days" section. Years later, I found out it was the legendary John Coltrane with the Red Garland Trio. Recorded one week from today in 1957, this smooth record on the Prestige label is one my all time jazz favorites. Cop the track and watch the Gonz's infamous video part below:

MP3 DOWNLOAD: John Coltrane - Traneing In

DETROIT O.G. ROLLER RINK KING: MOODYMANN

This dude is as real as it gets. The mysterious Kenny Dixon Jr., a.k.a. Moodymann has been putting it down for black techno/house since '94. He grooves on Detroit's finest jazz, soul, funk disco, and house scenes. I guarantee you will be hooked on this cat after watching this clip from the Red Bull Music Academy. Don't sleep on this Detroit O.G.

MP3 ALBUM DOWNLOAD: Moodymann - Collection of Work

SWEET BUTTERED SOUL CUT: BILL MASON

This record right here is a rare gem with some slamdunk funk/soul. Billy Mason on the organ, Idris Muhammad on the breakbeat drums, beats supervised by Bob Porter, the dude who worked with all the ill 70's jazz-funk shit on the Prestige label. Don't sleep on this mp3 cut, cause you're never gonna find it on fat plastic.

MP3 DOWNLOAD: Bill Mason - Let's Stay Together

DA TRACK GENIOUS: DJ NATE

It's not everyday that you hear about a guy like Nathan Clarke, a.k.a. DJ Nate. Dude is well-known in Chicago's westside for his Footwork Traks, instrumental beats made for Footwurking, or Jukin. Juke music has its roots in Chicago House and Ghettotech, but is most commonly recognized as a sped-up version of Booty House.

20-year-old DJ Nate might not be slept on for too much longer though, now that he has signed with European label Planet Mu. I hear he's blowing up big time in the UK too. If you wanna hear more about DJ Nate, Juke music, or Footwurking, check out his artist page on Planet Mu's website. Cop his new EP, "Hatas Our Motivation," below. Check back in the next week for his full length album, "Da Track Genious."

MP3 ALBUM DOWNLOAD: DJ Nate - Hatas Our Motivation

DOPE SEATTLE HIP HOP: JAKE ONE

Jacob Dutton, better known as Jake One (dude above), is one of the freshest producers to come out of Seattle in a minute. MF Doom once said in a rap: "Jake One, he makes beats well like I like my steaks done." His first album, "White Van Music" dropped in 2008 with rave reviews from producers and rappers around the world. Peep the best Seattle hip hop video ever made for Jake One's hit single, "Home" below.

MP3 ALBUM DOWNLOAD: Jake One - White Van Music 

THE SON OF G-FUNK: ROGER TROUTMAN II

You may already know the legendary Roger Troutman: a founder of the G-funk music genre, lead singer of Zapp, or (for all the kids reading) the guy singing on Tupac's, "California Love".

But you probably haven't heard about his son, Roger Troutman II.

Roger Troutman II, or Roger Troutman Jr., did his best to follow in his dad's monstrous funk footsteps. Using the old Pop's studio, including the infamous Troutman "talk box" vocoder, Roger Troutman II released a G-funk album called "The Second Coming." Unfortunately, Roger Troutman II unexpectedly passed away in 2003, taking the last of the Troutman funk sounds with him. Don't sleep on the legends!

MP3 ALBUM DOWNLOAD: Roger Troutman II - The Second Coming

BONUS VIDEO: Skip to the end to hear the Roger Troutman Sr. in studio without his legendary talk box. His voice really wasn't that crackin without it!

MADLIB: THE HISTORY OF THE LOOP DIGGA

Before the Beat Konducta, Quasimoto, YNQ, and all the other million Madlib aliases, there was only the Loop Digga. This is Madlib's previously unreleased, made-for-cassette beat tapes. Cop it fast before the link gets erased.

MP3 ALBUM DOWNLOAD: Madlib - History of the Loop Digga 

Stones throw also has a pretty dope photo history of Madlib back in his Lootpack days, more after the jump