Saturday 28 May 2011

R.I.P. Gil Scott-Heron




The World of music and Hip Hop has sadly lost a powerful voice and talent in losing the great Gil Scott Heron.

Some may know him best from this funk/soul classic...


 

Gilbert was born in Illinois, Chicago USA in 1949 and passed on May 27th 2011 in New York city.

Gil was an socially conscious poet, singer and spoken word artist and author and was a massive influence on Hip Hop and was (and still is) sampled by everyone from Grand Puba, J-Rawls, Mike Zoot, A Tribe Called Quest to underground Hip Hop artists like MF Doom and Brainsick Mob and he has influenced everyone from Chuck-D, Common to Aesop Rock, Talib Kweli, Black Thought and many others 

Gils' last recorded album was I'm New Here (2010) his first album in over 16 years had Nas feature on a remix of "New York Is Killing Me" and a bootleg version with Mos Def do the rounds...*props to my man Sweet Tooth for the heads up on that info :)

 




Although he was known as the Godfather of Rap, he had some issues with Rap artists and addressed this on "Message To The Messengers" in 1994 where he asked for some MC's to speak for change and to be more articulate and artistic, he also thought to much slang was used in Rap and that you couldn't "see inside the person" and just got "a lot of posturing".





Gil released his first and debut album in 1970...Small Talk At 125th and Lenox (Big L fans will know that address well) which was an album packed with potent messages about mass consumerism and the falsities of the World and also featured the still talked about and often sampled "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (where Gil was rapping) and "Whitey On The Moon".




In 1971 he released perhaps his best known album, Pieces Of A Man which featured Jazz great Ron Carter on bass, legendary drummer Bernard Purdie and Gil's pianist and long time collaborator Brian Jackson.

From 1972 after the Freewill album, Gil had an illustrious career up until the 1980's when his releases were becoming less and less and he eventually got dropped by Arista records in 1985 and in the same year he appeared on the Artists United Against Apartheid-Sun City LP





Because of Gil's loss, I know many that will speculate on his drug habits and problems, but personally I don't see why it is is important, we all have our own demons and he had his, this post is to celebrate the life and music of a great artist.







some of the many dope Hip Hop tracks that have sampled Gil Scott Heron...

De La Soul-"Area" (1993)-samples GSH-"The Bottle"  (1974)
KMD ft MF Grimm-"What A Niggy Know (Remix)" (1994) samples "Pieces Of A Man" (1971)
Masta Ace-"Take A Look Around" (1990) samples "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (1970)
Professor Griff and L.A.D.-"Real African People Rap Pt 11" samples "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"(1970)
DJ Honda ft Rawcotiks-"For Every Day That Goes By "(1988) samples "Did You Hear What They Say?" (1972)
Brainsick Mob-"I Thank God" (1997) samples "Alluswe" (1974)

Mike Zoot-"Turn" (1997) samples "Alluswe" (1974)
 BDP-"Why Is That?" samples "H20 Gate Blues" (1974)

Miilkbone-"Keep It Real (Remix)" (1995) samples "Peace Go With You, Brother" (1974)
Jazz Liberatorz ft Aloe Blacc-"What's Real?" (2003) samples "Peace Go With You, Brother" (1974)
LOTUG-"Lord Jazz Hit Me One Time" (1993) samples "Peace Go With You Brother" (1974)
Mellow Man Ace-"En La Casa" (1989) samples "The Bottle" (1974)
Blackstar-"Brown Skin Lady" (1998) samples "The Botttle" (1974)
Grand Puba-"Keep On" (1995) samples "We Almost Lost Detroit" (1977)
MF Doom aka Metal Fingers-"Camphor" (2004) samples "We Almost Lost Detroit" (1977)
Hasan Salaam Featuring Lord Jamar-"Angel Dust" (2008) samples "Angel Dust" (1978)

The Coup-"Me and Jesus the Pimp in a '79 Granada Last Night" (1998) samples "Angel Dust" (1978)
2-Pac-"Ready For Whatever" ( 1997) sampled "1980" (1980)
Brother Ali-"Whatcha Got" (2007) samples "B-Movie" (1981)
Phife-"Beats, Rhymes and Phife" (2000) samples "A Legend In His Own Mind" (1980)
Little Brother-"Make Me Hot" (2003) samples "The Klan" (1980)
Stop The Violence Movement-"Self Destruction" (1989) samples "The Bottle" (1974)

and lastly peep my man Funktual discussing the various uses of "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" in Hip Hop (amongst many other classics)

Funktual this one is for you fam
Mos Def-Mr N----A (1999) samples "A Legend In His Own Mind" (1980)


R.I.P. Gil Scott-Heron, Peace go with you, Brother...

please check my Friend and fellow music fanatic, Simon Sweetman's awesome tribute and retrospective post here...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/blogs/blog-on-the-tracks/5071352/Gil-Scott-Heron-1949-2011





















Thursday 26 May 2011

Chris Moss Interview with Director of Operations at Mello Music Group...


http://allindstrom.com/2011/05/interview-mellomusicgroup-michael-tolle-director-of-operations




 

Micheal Tolle

Boog Brown
Apollo Brown
The Left

Trek Life


Oddisee
Has-Lo
Slimkat78
Georgia Anne Muldrow
Stik Figa
yU

Diamond District


Mello Music Group is the illest label in True Hip Hop today and MMG is responsible for the 
dopeness that is Oddisee and his groups like Diamond District and it's members (yU and X.O.) as well as dope Detroit producer Apollo Brown (who released the best Hip Hop instrumental album in 2011 with the super Clouds) and also his group The Left who released the fat "Gas Mask" LP in 2010.


Has-Lo (yet another mad talented Philly Producer and MC), Stik Figa, Finale, Boog Brown, Kenn Starr, Declaime, Slimkat78, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Sareem Poems and other dope acts...peep the full roster here.


Buy and download music here


Thanks to Chris Moss for the heads up and the link to Mello Music Group and it's roster for the kind of Hip Hop that is going to keep the art form alive.

Wednesday 25 May 2011

Evil Mule-Straight Muleing video

 *Pic by Emily Strange

Well it is finally here and we had a dope release party for it last night...massive thanks to SlopperVJ and AVS, EMP, all Da Mules and crew and family, fans and friend that showed up last night and a big thanks and all that worked hard on this video...enjoy.





Evil Mule-Straight Muleing video clip produced, written and directed by Sloppervj and EMP.

Track produced by J-Harvest, mixed by RawDeal cuts by Art Official

Bass by Boltorious
cuts selected by DJ Jaz

Friday 20 May 2011

2011-some of the dopest music released this year...





Things are mad exciting at the moment my crew Evil Mule are releasing a dope new video really soon and we are having a fat release party next week, I would like to send out the utmost gratitude and thanks to Peter Stobbart from AV Services for all his hard work, direction, guidance, ideas and for just being an awesome fella and big thanks to my Mules for working hard and perfecting their craft.


Personally I think 2011 has been a really dope quality year for true Hip Hop music and their really does seem to be resurgence of a New School of true MC's and DJ's and Producers that are dedicated to the art from we know as Hip Hop, so here is a list of what I think are the dopest releases of 2011 so far...

so investigate these if you haven't already and check for more dopeness later in the year...

Apollo Brown-Clouds
Neek The Exotic/Large Professor-Still On The Hustle
Oddisee-Odd Seasons
Action Bronson-Dr Lecter
Meyhem Lauren-Self Induced Illness
Elzhi-Elmatic
Has-Lo-In Case I Don't Make It
Ill Bill & Vinnie Paz-Heavy Metal Kings
Madlib-Madlib Medicine Show No.11-Low Budget Hi Fi Music

Madlib-Madlib Medicine Show No.9-Nittyville
Maverick-The First Step
Hail Mary Mallon-Are You Gonna Eat That?
Thaione Davis-Stillhear-The Remixes
Shaolin Jazz-The 37th Chamber
Mohammad Dangerfield-Mohammad Dangerfield

REKS-R.E.K.S.

J-Rawls-The Hip Hop Affect
Nick Wiz-Cellar Sounds Volume 2

DJ Mitsu The Beats-Loop Amplitiude
EDO.G-A Face In The Crowd
DJ Cosm-Time and Space

Kaimbr & Kev Brown-Alexander Greene
Pharaohe Monch-W.A.R.
Beastie Boys-Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
Malcolm & Martin-Life Doesn't Frighten Me

Dannu-Virgo Summer

Madlib-Beatkonducta Around The World

Count Bass-D & Insight-The Risktakers
Illuminartistry-Illuminartistry (underground NZ Hip Hop)
Hell's Heroes-It's Always Sunny Here
Ayatollah-Fingertips


Singles: 
Awthentik-Purified Madness
Silent Knight-Staying Busy
Pete Rock ft Smif N Wesson, Sean P and Styles P-That's Hard
Arch Druids ft Planet Asia-Scorched Earth Policy
EPMD-Don't Get Clapped
Tone Liv ft Pryme Prolific & Life Long-When The Pen Hits The Paper
DJ JS-1 ft Freddie Foxx, Lil Fame & Joell Ortiz-Reppin NY
Cormega ft General Steele,Lil Fame, Redman & Sticman-I Made A Difference
Apollo Brown ft Has-Lo-Heirlooms
Apollo Brown ft Oddisee-The Times
Oddisee-I'm From PG
J-Rawls ft Oh No, Diamond D & Kev Brown-Best Producer On The Mic
J-Live-No Time To Waste

J-Love Feat Sean Price, Willie The Kid & La The Darkman – Fuck That Man Up (Prod. By Ayatollah)
J-Love ft. Action Bronson, Jay Steele & Take-It – “Marajuana Thon”
Evil Mule ft Art Official-Straight Muleing (NZ), Ley Lines (Demo)
Villains - Noize Control (NZ)

The Highball - "The Heat" (American Language Remix) 
 Beastie Boys-Make Some Noise
Action Bronson & Statik Selektah-Cliff Notes
Action Bronson-Savage From Sarasota
Nickodemus ft The Real Live Show-Gimme The Music
DJ Format-Mr DJ





*There are still a few albums, I haven't had a chance to check yet, such as


J-Love-Egotistical Maniac
Wyld Bunch-Rich Blood, Poor Pockets