Forgive me the moderate delay in posting a mix for this month, and just know that the delay is solely due to indecision rather than procrastination. Not sure if others will identify with these tracks as much as I do - many are familiar to me after use as hip-hop samples, and a good deal of credit for the selections should go to Hip Hop Is Read and This Is Hip Hop for the coursework. I don't think I've posted any of these artists on any other mixes, but then again, I don't think I've had [...]

Yet another play on the original 36, and like the other ones, this is also DOPE. Strictly music. Very funky, very good instrumentation... couldn't really ask for much more. Download Album El Michels Affair - Uzi (Pinky Ring) El Michels Affair - Can It All Be So Simple

To say this music is dance floor friendly is probably the understatement of 2012 yet by Truth & Soul Records . First up is an Ethiopian big band that is literally on fire called Zafari with something they call "King Masaru". The mother of a beat starts it off with some horns moving you along that will make you groove till your ass falls off. The second thing below is from A Tribute To Isaac Hayes by El Michels Affair called "Run Fay Run" which is featured on a exclusive 45 (yup vinyl). [...]

Funky, funky business from Truth & Soul Records today, who have kindly sent over a smattering of tracks from their latest compilation, Fallin' Off The Reel III , for your downloading pleasure. Fallin' Off The Reel III showcases the best of the best from T&S' string of stonking 45 vinyl singles releases. It's a bit of a chance to catch up on what you've probably missed out on due to the label never pressing up more than 2000 copies of any of their singles. There's some quality [...]

It's Monday again, which means this morning or if you're unlucky, the whole day is going to be shit. Luckily I unearthed some Wu-Tang tracks to let all the other haters out there know that you're powering through this day like a bawse. Couple tracks off their studio albums and some freestyles off their Wu-Tang Clan Freestyle Tape, Volume 1 . Peace. Wu-Tang - Bring Da Ruckus Wu-Tang - [...]

Mood - Millenium Lee Fields and the Expressions - My World Rex Williams - You are My Heart An eclectic mashup of classic tracks spanning a variety genres and styles, courtesy of british producer Telemachus. " The Adventures of Telemachus " is a short series of mixtapes in the run up to the forthcoming "Telemachus – In The Evening" album. Volume 1 was released on 4th April 2011 shortly after the release of ' [...]

It doesn't matter if you're French Vanilla or a Deathcore Party Shank Freak you want to Double Dip we can tell. Every day the king of (s)cream and the hard rock candy that pops on the top of your cone Mr. Mike Kniazeff will bring you a double dose of whatever is tantalizing his taste buds. Be prepared for a dynamic duo of Beach Running Tapedeck Doowaps or the final 2 coffin nails in your after hours assault. Divorced as many times as married Kniazeff has [...]
Filed under: The Hit List After exhausting the James Brown, Curtis Mayfield and Isaac Hayes archives, rap producers have found an unlikely new source for their samples: indie music. Whether it's Jay-Z biting from little-known soul revival outfits like the Menahan Street Band or Lupe Fiasco gettin' busy over Radiohead, indie rock is showing up on more hip-hop and R&B hits than Lil Wayne. Since Kanye [...]

It seems like an eternity has passed since Aloe Blacc became a blog staple on the strength of his super-infectious single, 'I Need A Dollar' . But in reality, it's only been six months since AB put out his impassioned plea for an extra ducket, if anyone happened to have one to spare. My , how time flies . As I've written in the past , I was as guilty as the next man of giving 'Dollar' a right royal caning when it was released. It got to the point where I almost [...]

I'm kind of weird about my tunes. Whenever I see a mix is in a single Mp3, normally I don't bother fooling with it. Why? I'm lazy and I don't want to skip through to find the parts I like (kinda like a cassette tape, no?). But, A Blog Called Fresh compiled it, and I spotted it over at Dirtywork so I downloaded it. And I played the entire thing. So now I'll return the favor. Pop the hood for tracklist. We got some bossanova, funk, old [...]

Last year El Michels Affair impressed the nut out of us here at JTTS with their kick-ass organic Wu-Tang interpolation disc. So I'm excited to see that the follow-up - featuring cats from coast to coast stomping all over their twists on Clan classics - is well-executed. Everyone seems to have put the effort in that these beats deserve; here's a sampling... [See post to listen to audio] LISTEN : El Michels Affair + A-Plus & Knobody - CREAM [...]

A-Plus of Souls of Mischief and Knobody - "C.R.E.A.M." Nuk Fam, N.R.O., and The Dugout - "Trifect Ya Neck" Von Pea of Tanya Morgan and Spec Boogie - "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" After leaking the initial series of remakes from Enter The 37th Chamber in late 2009, El Michels Affair is back with the final three installments to the remix series. Released last year on [...]

Live rap albums? Not exactly growing on trees. This is one you've got to check out though. It features Masta Killa , member of the renowned hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan with some guests that include Streetlife, GZA, Prodigal Sunn and Inspectah Deck . Killa spits out rhymes from his own solo work as well as his time with the Wu, putting together a ill set that delivers the goods. It hit shelves yesterday, but check a track from it below (as well as El Michels Affair 's brilliant cover of the original). [...]

Do-it-all man Aloe Blacc is currently prepping for the release of his second album on Stone's Throw, Good Things, which is set to drop some time later this year. If you're not inclined to wait that long however, you can get a little taste of what the multi-talented singer/rapper/producer is working on by copping the dynamite first single 'I Need A Dollar'. Aloe has been busy working on Good Things with Leon 'El' Michels and Jeff Silverman from the Truth & Soul camp over the last year, and the T&S signature sound [...]

Funny how it takes a great song to make you realize how average everything else is that's coming out. Aloe Blacc has been experimenting with different sounds and styles for a while now, and it appears he has found his stride. Produced by Truth and Soul, and backed by the Expressions and El Michels Affair , "I Need A Dollar" is captivating from first strike of the piano to the pristine horn sections closing. Aloe himself has never sounded better; his voice more bold and comfortable as he rides the [...]

Gilles Peterson has been shining a light on the jazz/funk/soul/world music he loves since the late 80's when the pirates of Horizon, Invicta and LWR did battle for London's music lovers. Then when Radio 1 repeated it's 60's trick of hoovering up former pirate DJ's to breath new life into the stilted world of Oooo Gary Davies, Gilles found himself peddling his wares on the nations No.1. For 2010 his live best of the year Worldwide Awards relocated to the newly refurbished "Garage" or as its now known the " Relentless Energy Drink Garage ". It's been closed for [...]

The fam over @ Stab Labs has compiled 41 tracks of dopeness that they featured in their posts for 2009. A few joints from some of your favorite Blind I comps are on it as well. There is no track list, the cover you see here is not on the songs, they left all that alone in case You wanna find those artists albums or what have you, just some freshness to have playing while you designing or Twittin or whatever the hell u do all day on the comp. DOWNLOAD [...]

Few free beats and pieces here for you today - call it an early Christmas present: Gadget ( or here ), the man of many talents, comes through in his DaWordsmith guise and drops this little gem: 'War Stories (A Story To Tell pt2)' . If you're not familiar with his work then get to know, he's part of the Millennium Jazz Music clique who provide really dope, positive Hip Hop to a scene that really needs just that. He's also hooked up with B'ham's TLG and Kelkovski on [...]

I hear the Shaolin monks say the Wu-Tang school originated with them... Shaolin still say that? Two days ago I posted Shawn Lee covering pop and today I bring you the ruff rugged and raw version of that post by a band called El Michels Affair and their tribute album to legendary Hip Hop producer Prince Rakim aka Bobby Digital aka The Abbot aka Rzarector aka Bobby Steels or as most of you know him the Ruler Zig-Zag-Zig Allah - Rza. El Michels Affair is actually a sort of super group made up of [...]