Benz and a Backpack

In the classic Jaylib song “The Mission,” Jay Dee spits: “Come see the Dilla lay with the fifth / Maybe you can write an article about how Jay play with them whips / And who said producers ain’t supposed to rap? / They don’t want the Ruger to bang well close your traps.” A lot of artists now learn the trades of rhyming and beat-making simultaneously, giving them an unprecedented versatility (see: J. Cole, Evidence, Blu, B.o.B., et cetera).

Then there’s the other group of artists who are primarily producers, or who made names for themselves as producers first, but then began dabbling in the art of spitting as a means to fill out their careers, and their corners in the industry. Most recently, North Carolina native 9th Wonder of the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League ventured into the realm of rapping under the moniker 9thmatic, dropping a couple tracks (one produced by DJ Premier) featuring his skills on the mic:

9thmatic (9th Wonder) & Khrysis – It’s On [prod. DJ Premier]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Big Remo ft. 9thmatic – Go

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

It’s only natural for producers to feel the urge to spit, seeing as they’re constantly surrounded by emcees and surely have beats on deck that nobody could spit on correctly but themselves. Who are the best producers-turned-rappers? Hit the skip for the Top 5, then vote for your favorite.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tweet This Post

I’ve mentioned Native Tongues Posse and I’ve definitely discussed ATCQ’s ability to put me on a natural high, but I have yet to dedicate a Thursday to the man who is arguably one of these groups’ most illustrious members.

“If you can’t hear it, then get the wax utensils”

Jonathan Davis aka Kamaal Ibn John Fareed aka The Abstract claims he got the name Q-tip during his youth because he was skinny and had bad hair. He made his first on-record appearance on The Jungle Brother’s first LP, ‘Straight Out The Jungle’, in 1988. Super talented as a rapper, producer, singer, actor… (His role in Spike Lee’s “She Hate Me” just made him that much more appealing in real life… Just completely sweet and naive and adorable… Def makes you say “aww”.) Always good-natured, positive, light-hearted, and virtuous, but never self-righteous. I’m totally swooning now, but he’s just fuckin’ dreamy. And for real, who doesn’t love him? This man is a 10. Why can’t more boys be more like Q-Tip?

This Thursday’s throwbacks are a selection of some of my favorite Q-Tip appearances on non-Native Tongues tracks.

The Roots feat. Q-Tip: Ital (The Universal Side) (1996)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Organized Konfusion feat. Q-Tip & O.C.: Let’s Organize (1994)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Slum Village feat. Q-Tip: Hold Tight (2000)
“It’s The Ummah shit for real”…

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Pete Rock & InI feat. Q-Tip & Large Professor: To Each His Own (1995)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Mad Skillz feat. Q-Tip & Large Professor: Extra Abstract Skillz (1996)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

But wait! There’s more.. Read the rest of this entry →

Tweet This Post

Earlier today Clutch, Q-Love and I got the chance to sit down with the drummer from The Roots Crew (and Jimmy Fallon House Band), Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson. It was a lucky coincidence that we spoke to Questlove today- February 10th- because it also happens to be the anniversary of the death of the late great producer J Dilla. We know Quest worked with Dilla a substantial amount, and when asked about him, Quest’s voice immediately brightened up, and it became clear that he and Dilla were good friends, and Quest idolized Jay Dee in a big way. Quest also explains why Reagan and Republicanism were good for hip-hop, and how although Barack Obama may be great, he is certainly not Superman. The audio of our conversation will air on 95.5 WBRU’s 360 this Sunday, but the text is under the cut!

“I never saw Obama as a figure that was like a wizard, that could just pull out his wand, and sort of like the cat in the hat, clean the house up in exactly one fell swoop. I knew from the gate that this was the equivalent of one person being asked to clean an entire frat house with 48 hours left before mom and dad get there. And with no sponges, only a toothbrush.”
Read the rest of this entry →

Tweet This Post

The two weeks between the Championship Round and the Super Bowl always seem like the longest two weeks of the year. For one thing, sportscasters give the same cursory analysis on Day 14 that they do on Day 1, so by about Day 6 I’ve heard enough monotony from John Clayton and Mark Schlereth to put even the most alert infant immediately to sleep. It’s all made good today though: Kick Off at 6:25PM EST on CBS with good food and good friends, and it’s 100 that it’s going to be a good game (with crack commercials). You want an official Benz and a Backpack prediction? Hit the skip. Plus get a peek at the hottest retro Jordan colorway to drop in a minute, a Dilla X Stussy collaborative tribute to the deceased producer, both old and new music from Big Pun (R.I.P. 2/7/00), and more.
Read the rest of this entry →

Tweet This Post

CurrentTV recently posted an outtake of Common’s interview for their Embedded interview series featuring artists from every genre. In it, Common explained the first time he met Dilla, how their relationship changed over time, and the dichotomy of Jay Dee’s lifestyle.

The full Embedded interview, also featuring Lykke Li and Bloc Party, can be seen on Hulu. Hit the skip for some delectable Dilla downloads!
Read the rest of this entry →

Tweet This Post

My good friend Celluskee, a ridiculously accomplished Tabla player, turned me onto this producer named Dabrye (pronounced dah-bree) out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The first song he played for me was called ‘Air’ featuring MF DOOM. Everything about the track was dope, from the atmospheric synths to DOOM’s immediately recognizable flow. Turns out, Dabrye (real name Tadd Mullinix) has put out a ton of music under several different monikers.

His most recent album from 06, Two/Three, featured tracks with Guilty Simpson, Phat Kat, and Jay Dee (a.k.a. J Dilla!). To the best of my knowledge, it took a lot to get Dilla to spit on a track, which is how you know Dabrye is for real. Although it does make sense (Ann Arbor is only 35 miles from Detroit), when I learned this I bugged the fuck out and had to listen to everything Dabrye had ever made. Hit the skip for Dabrye’s best tracks, plus a very fitting sneak peak at NASA’s new Personal Flying Suit!
Read the rest of this entry →

Tweet This Post

You already know how much we love DIlla here (way too much). What’s not too well known is the scope of his influence on music, both popular and underground. Every single piece of music that Dilla put out, whether for himself or someone else, has the highest production value around. It is widely believed that Dilla influenced popular producers (who had a lot more visibility than him)- that they saw the tools he was using to make his music and applied them to the mainstream. A testament to Dilla’s greatness: everyone he’s worked with calls him a genius. Hit the skip for a few great Dilla tracks and to see other artists praise him.
Read the rest of this entry →

Tweet This Post

“You’ll see the drama unfold.” ~ Dick Stockton

For the first installment of Throwback Thursday, we thought talking Michael Jordan was the perfect send off. That fist pump, after he hung in the air for damn near a whole minute, has been forever etched into millions of minds around the world (he had 44, 9 and 6 on the road, and he had on the black and red 4′s. I’ve watched the last 19 seconds of that game as many times as Yao Ming and T-Mac have gotten injured and missed the playoffs: infinity.

Each week we’re going to unearth some shit for you; alotta shiny platinum and a little overlooked gold. This week’s first track was released in 1996 on the soundtrack of Space Jam and is full off last-second-buzzer-beating-basketball-related metaphors. Oh, and Monstars too.

Space Jam Soundtrack – November 12th, 1996
Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Coolio, LL Cool J, and B. Real (of Cypress Hill) – Hit ‘Em High
Also called the “Monstar’s Anthem,” this track boasts Busta when he was still on that next level shit, LL when he put his lyrical prowess on display, and B. Real as a de facto hype man to get shit poppin in the first verse.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Life After Death – March 25th, 1997
Notorious B.I.G. – I Got A Story To Tell
This is storytelling at its finest.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The Stretch and Bobbito Show on WKCR 89.9 – August 1998
Big L – ’98 Freestyle
Bobbito: “For somebody tired, that wasn’t, that wasn’t too bad!”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tweet This Post