Monday 30 August 2010

JUST BUGGIN. PLAYLIST & LISTEN AGAIN LINKS FOR 29/8/10

















MARK DEVLIN
JUST BUGGIN’ ON RECHARGED RADIO (WWW.RECHARGEDRADIO.COM)
PLAYLIST FOR SUNDAY 29TH AUGUST 2010


To listen again (ad-free!), just click on the following Download links


Part 1:


Part 2:



KANYE WEST Featuring JAY-Z & SWIZZ BEATS: POWER (REMIX)

GREENJADE : MY LIFE

J COLE: BLOW UP

OLD TO THE NEW:
RAH DIGGA: BREAK FOOL

RAH DIGGA: DO YOUR NUMBERS

OLD SCHOOL FEW:
BOUNTY KILLER: SUICIDE MURDER (REMIX)

BOUNTY KILLER: CELLULAR PHONE (REMIX)

CAPLETON Featuring METHOD MAN: WINGS OF THE MORNING

CAPLETON: TOUR

MAD LION: OWN DESTINY

FUNKMASTER FLEX & THE GHETTO CELEBS: SAFE SEX, NO FREAKS

OLD TO THE NEW:
RAEKWON: GLACIERS OF ICE

RAEKWON Featuring GAME: ALL ABOUT ME

STREET BEAT OF THE WEEK:
THE 20/20 PROJECT: EXPLAIN THIS

TWISTA Featuring RAEKWON: THE HEAT

JR & PH7: ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

OLD SCHOOL FEW:
WU TANG CLAN: WU TANG CLAN AIN'T NUTTIN TA F*CK WIT

WU TANG CLAN: M.E.T.H.O.D M.A.N

NOTORIOUS B.I.G: UNBELIEVABLE

GANG STARR: THE ? REMAINS

HEATHER B: ALL GLOCKS DOWN

NINE: WUTCHA WANT

OLD SCHOOL FEW (NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL STYLE):
BUJU BANTON: CHAMPION (JUNGLIE MIX)

RED DRAGON: EXPLODE GAL

MEGA BANTON: MONEY FIRST

BUJU BANTON: RAMPAGE

BARRINGTON LEVY: WORK

GUEST DJ MIX: ADAM 'POOKY' SPEECHLY (LIVERPOOL) BOOM-BAP HIP HOP REVIVAL MIX, PART 1

Friday 27 August 2010

MARK DEVLIN LATVIA DOUBLE-BILL



































Thursday 2nd September
JAMMIN' HARD! (with DJ Ai-Va & DJ Rudd) @
Pulkvedis, Riga, LATVIA

Friday 3rd September
GRAND OPENING (with DJ Ai-Va) @
Club PMK, Saldus, LATVIA

Thursday 26 August 2010

CARNIVAL FEVER MIX: DOWNLOAD AND CATCH A VIBE













It's Notting Hill Carnival weekend in London, and for everyone catching the fever all over again, here's a revival mix to put you right in the zone where you need to be.

We start off in reggae territory, before moving into some speaker-mashing jungle basslines, then moving on to some feel-good soca party vibes that sound even better with a Red Stripe in one hand and a corn cob in the other. Finally, slowing things down is a steaming Lover's Rock sequence. If this was a blues party there'd be palms banging on the wall and a good bit of whinin' an' grinding going on. Check out the two sublime Judy Boucher tracks at the end.

Real music for people who feel music. Straight talk. Download here and enjoy.

MARK DEVLIN: CARNIVAL FEVER REGGAE/ BASHMENT/ DANCEHALL/ JUNGLE/ SOCA/ LOVER'S ROCK MIX, AUGUST 2010

SISTER NANCY: WHAT A BAM BAM
TENOR SAW: RING THE ALARM
LADY G: HALF MY AGE
KRYSTAL & SHABBA RANKS: TWICE MY AGE
DAWN PENN: NO NO NO
PINCHERS: AGONY
HALF PINT: MR LANDLORD
TIPPA IRIE: MISS IRIE
BOB MARLEY Featuring GURU: JOHNNY WAS
SIMPLE SIMON: CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
SIZZLA: RAIN SHOWERS
BUJU BANTON: CHAMPION (JUNGLIE MIX)
RED DRAGON: EXPLODE GAL
MEGA BANTON: MONEY FIRST
BUJU BANTON: RAMPAGE
BARRINGTON LEVY: WORK
SOCA SEQUENCE INC. DEZZIE BOY/ BYRON LEE & THE DRAGONAIRES
GREGORY ISAACS: NIGHT NURSE
JANET KAY: SILLY GAMES
JUDY BOUCHER: DREAMING OF A LITTLE ISLAND
JUDY BOUCHER: CAN'T BE WITH YOU TONIGHT

Monday 23 August 2010

MD'S CLUB DATES, SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER '10



































Saturday 28th August
BRIDGE @
The Bridge, Oxford
(10.30pm-3am)

Wednesday 1st September
WORDPLAY @
The Cellar, Oxford

Thursday 2nd September
MASH UP @
Pulkvedis, Riga, LATVIA

Friday 3rd September
MASH UP @
Club PMK, Saldus, LATVIA

Saturday 4th September
BRIDGE @
The Bridge, Oxford
(10.30pm-3am)

Thursday 9th September
SOUL CITY @
Simple, San Antonio, IBIZA

Saturday 11th September
THE VAULTS @
The Second Bridge, Bath
(10.30pm-3am)

Wednesday 15th September
REVOLUTION MUSIC FACTORY @
Sunny Beach, Black Sea, BULGARIA

Friday 17th September
FRIDAYS @
Mirage, Aylesbury
(11pm-3am)

Saturday 25th September
BRIDGE @
The Bridge, Oxford
(10.30pm-3am)

Saturday 2nd October
SATURDAYS @
Mirage, Aylesbury
(10pm-3am)

Thursday 7th October
SHE-J COMPETITION (Judging and DJ set) @
411 Club, Cardiff, WALES

Saturday 9th October
THE VAULTS @
The Second Bridge, Bath
(10.30pm-3am)

Saturday 16th October
BLACK SHEEP MAG NORTH WEST LAUNCH PARTY @
Lounge 31, Manchester

Saturday 23rd October
LE NOIR @
Capitol Club, Warsaw, POLAND

Saturday 30th October
BRIDGE @
The Bridge, Oxford
(10.30pm-3am)

Saturday 21 August 2010

CLASSIC WESTWOOD 1995 RADIO 1 SHOWS FOR DOWNLOAD














Back in the day Westwood's Radio 1 Saturday show was VERY different to how it sounds now. In the mid-90s, it was home to some of the coolest, most slamming hip hop and street soul known to man.

For me, 1995 was a true golden year of the treasured era. For anyone else who recalls it with fondness - or for anyone curious to know how it used to go down - here's a bunch of early Westwood Radio 1 gems to download and reminisce to.

First off, a classic show from Feb '95, packed with the flava:

Westwood 11_2_95 P1 1

Westwood 11_2_95 P2



Here's the Radio 1 Rap Show's year-end review of 1995. Three hours of the very hottest joints from that incredible year:

Westwood review of 95 30_12_95 P1

Westwood review of 95 30_12_95 P2

Westwood review of 95. 30_12_95 P3



Here's the original airing of that much-repeated show when Biggie, Puff Daddy, Craig Mack and the rest of the Bad Boy clique took over the show:

Westwood_ Biggie 17_3_95 P1

Westwood_ Biggie 17_3_95 P2



Westwood's appearances at Carnival were legendary. Here's a couple of recordings from that big rig under the Westway. You can just smell the smoke from those open grills. The '95 session's guests included The Lost Boyz. In '96, it was Jeru Tha Damaja:

Westwood Notting Hill Carnival 1995 P1

Westwood Notting Hill Carnival 1995 P2

Westwood Notting Hill Carnival 1995 P3

Westwood Notting Hill Carnival 1996 P1

Westwood Notting Hill Carnival 1996 P2

Friday 20 August 2010

MANTRONIX: WHO IS IT?


One of the biggest questions in hip hop, (well, in my mind at least) is whatever happened to MC Tee, the voice of the golden electro years of Mantronix. Kurtis Mantronik himself, of course, has gone on to dabble as a remixer and producer in various genres, notably electro house.

The pair reportedly met when Kurtis was working in a Manhattan record store, and Tee was one of his regular customers. They made a demo, 'Fresh Is The Word', and got a deal with Sleeping Bag Records. A slew of slamming electro bangers ensued, including 'Bassline', 'Ladies' and 'Needle To The Groove', (which would hav to be called 'Laser To The MPEG file' if it were remade today',) before the pair parted ways.

There were very few official Mantronix videos. This one is a performance on Channel 4's The Tube of 1986's 'Who Is It', as good an example as any of the classic Mantronix sound.

GRAND CENTRAL: CALL ME ANY TIME YOU LIKE


Homegrown hip hop at its very finest. K.I.N.E.T.I.C and Mr. Drastick are London's Grand Central, and combine incisive, hard-hittin lyrics with solid, head-nod beats. Nice video, too.

Tuesday 17 August 2010

RAS KASS: NATURE OF THE THREAT


Anyone up for having their mind blown? Good. Here's the 7-minute audio experience to do it.

From the off, Ras Kass was one of the scene's most controversial rappers. As part of the supergroup The HRSMN, he shared mic duties with fellow heavy guys Canibus, Killah Priest and Kurupt. As a solist, his debut single 'Remain Anonymous' instantly hitting the hall of fame for quotable lyrics.

No-one was quite ready for 'Nature Of The Threat', a truly spellbinding journey through human history and the comings and goings of civilisations, all delivered from a deeply Afrocentric (or 'pro-black') standpoint. There are some bold claims here, many of which were refuted at the time. And with so many deep subjects on display, few would ever have the time to research the validity of what Ras is saying. Either way, it's an extraordinary and unique record.

'Let freedom reign with a buckshot, but not just yet.'

CHANNEL LIVE FEAT. KRS ONE: MAD IZM


Never has a lyrical account of a day spent in pursuit of da 'erb been put so epicly. The duo that was Channel Live was discovered by KRS One, and hooked up with their mentor for this absolute head-banging classic. It served as the lead track for their first album, 'Station Identification'. The subsequent two are barely remembered.

This joint is notable for some wickedly entertaining lyrics from KRS, including 'Like Lionel Richie, your whole style is bitchy'. Who else would dare to make 'Don't let me rip out my clothes like Bill Bixby' rhyme with 'Gripping the microphone until I'm motherfucking sixty'. Fantastic!

Monday 16 August 2010

JUST BUGGIN' ON RECHARGED RADIO. PLAYLIST & LISTEN AGAIN LINKS FOR 15/8/10







MARK DEVLIN
JUST BUGGIN’ ON RECHARGED RADIO (WWW.RECHARGEDRADIO.COM)
PLAYLIST FOR SUNDAY 15TH AUGUST 2010


To listen again (ad-free!), just click on the following Download links

Part 1:

Part 2:


DE LA SOUL: THE RETURN OF DST

ICE CUBE: DRINK THE KOOL ADE

OLD SCHOOL FEW:
CRAIG MACK: FLAVA IN YA EAR

CRAIG MACK: FLAVA IN YA EAR (REMIX)

BLAHZAY BLAHZAY: DANGER

LOST BOYZ: RENEE

MOBB DEEP: THE SHOOK ONES

HEATHER B: ALL GLOCKS DOWN

MASTA ACE INC: THE B SIDE

OLD TO THE NEW:
PUBLIC ENEMY: FIGHT THE POWER

PUBLIC ENEMY: SAY IT LIKE IT REALLY IS

STREET BEAT OF THE WEEK:
GRAND DADDY I.U Featuring SADAT X: RHYME AFTER RHYME

FAT JOE: I'M GONE

OLD TO THE NEW:
MASTA ACE: LETTER TO THE BETTER

M DOT Featuring MASTA ACE: YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT

OLD SCHOOL FEW:
AFRIKA BAMBAATAA: ZULU WAR CHANT

MARY J BLIGE: REAL LOVE (Bad Boy Remix)

SWV Featuring WU TANG CLAN: ANYTHING

GRANDMASTER FLASH: THE MESSAGE

BOOGIE DOWN PRODUCTIONS: SOUTH BRONX

MC SHAN: THE BRIDGE

BOOGIE DOWN PRODUCTIONS: THE BRIDGE IS OVER

DOUG E FRESH: THE SHOW

RAKIM: NEW YORK (YA OUT THERE?)

GUEST DJ MIX: TEDDY TOUCH (BERGEN, NORWAY) THAT 90s SHOW BOOM-BAP HIP-HOP MIX

Friday 13 August 2010

THE LOST BOYZ 'RENEE'


When it's got right, hip-hop does storytelling like no other genre. And with 'Renee', the Lost Boyz sure got it right, getting everything on-point to create one of the most cinematic tracks in the genre's history.

From the opening bars documenting Mr. Cheeks' chance meeting of his shortee, to the first refrain of the chorus, tantalisingly suggesting that Renee has died before we've yet heard the story, this track grabs the attention and sweeps the listener along, with powerful images filling the head at every bar. It would take a hardened cynic not to be moved by the poignancy of the story.

Where the appeal of many 90s hip-hop classics lies in the mesmeric appeal of the beat, this is one where every lyric does count, and five minutes kicking back to listen to the whole thing makes for a very rewarding experience.

THE FUGEES 'NAPPYHEADS'


With Wyclef's Haitian presidency, his apparent opposition from Pras, and Lauryn's comeback with 'Repercussions' in the news, now would seem a timely chance to revisit one of The Fugees' finest moments.
Before their boundary-breaking 'The Score' album there was 1994's 'Blunted On Reality', and that housed this curiously absorbing gem. The quirky and slightly haunting beat held together some unconventional rhyming styles from the three MCs which was very much of the time, and which had been switched up by the advent of 'The Score', where far more reggae influences had crept in.

BAHAMADIA 'UKNOWHOWWEDU'


Ask the average cat to recite a list of female rappers, and it's likely even Queen Pen and Yo Yo would crop up before the lamentably underrated Bahamadia. It's not down to any lack of skills - far from it. It's down to the fact that her tracks have always been on the underground, independent tip, without a hint of commerciality.
Hailing from Philadelphia, she was an original member of the Gang Starr Foundation. This joint, from her 1996 album 'Kollage', peddles the jazzy hip-hop sound favoured by the likes of Digable Planets, Polyrhythm Addicts and others of the time, a blissful head-nodding groove. If Erykah Badu took up rapping again, this is a lot like how she'd sound.

Thursday 12 August 2010

'JUST BUGGIN' MOVES FROM FM1079 TO RECHARGED RADIO WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT




















Mark Devlin's 'Just Buggin' show is to start a new tenure on Recharged Radio as of this weekend. The show will now broadcast on Sundays between 8-10pm, beginning 15th August, with Listen Again download links available throughout the following week.

'Just Buggin' ran every week for over three and a half years on FM107.9 in Oxford, where it built up a solid fanbase of hip-hop heads hungry to hear the heavy, underground sounds of real hip-hop, old and new, that's so tragically lacking from virtually every other legal station in the UK. Sadly, last week, FM1079 took the decision to axe all of its specialist shows, including The Freerange Drum 'N' Bass show, The Phat Club, Republica Wireless and Unscene Radio. The station has evidently decided to restructure its sound in a bid to pursue a different breed of advertiser. It's obviously a huge disappointment to the followers and supporters of all these cutting-edge shows, which had always stood out from the bland, generic programming offered by most other stations.

On a brighter note, 'Just Buggin' is now getting a new lease of life on internet-based Recharged Radio, a station which champions cutting-edge, challenging new music of all genres. The revamped show will continue to cater for dedicated hip-hop heads by fusing classic boom-bap-style throwbacks with brand new sounds from the original masters. The show will retain its popular features the Street Beat Of The Week, the Old To The New, and a weekly guest DJ mix.

Listen live from anywhere, 8-10pm UK time at http://www.rechargedradio.com, or check out http://www.markdevlin.co.uk weekly for the Listen Again links.

Wednesday 11 August 2010

CROOKLYN DODGERS 'RETURN OF THE CROOKLYN DODGERS'


As hip-hop supergroups go, the Crooklyn Dodgers gave the likes of Def Squad and Diggin' In The Crates a serious run for their money. It's just a shame the project was so short-lived. While 1994's Q-Tip-produced 'Crooklyn', from the Spike Lee movie of the same name, featured Buckshot, Masta Ace and Special Ed, round two appeared the following year. This time, 'Return Of The Crooklyn Dodgers' featured Chubb Rock, OC and Jeru Tha Damaja, and was featured on the soundtrack of Lee's 'Clockers' movie.

The mournful sax and chiming bell are just two of the memorable features of a distinctive, slamming beat that could only have come from DJ Premier, and all the MCs are on fire with their depiction of the grim hardships of street life in Brooklyn's less tourist-friendly districts. It's Jeru who blazes the most, however, (despite the fucked up hairstyle,) appropriately cropping up on the third verse to truly shut things down.

"Excuse me while I light my spliff, but some choose to drink, so bullets hit brains when bottles hit lips."

"With precision we're slicing and dicing, peace to the East, New York, Perverted Monks and Mike Tyson."

PUBLIC ENEMY 'FIGHT THE POWER'


The opening titles to Spike Lee's 'Do The Right Thing' make for one of the most iconic images in movie history, with Rosie Perez dancing in silhouette to the sounds of 'Flight The Power' as trains and cars rush by.

The song's official video was no less visually striking, with giant images of Malcolm X and the PE gun target logo overlooking a street demo. Flavour Flav's demented posturing with a top hat making him look like Baron Samedi from 'Live And Let Die', and some decidely camp dancing from the Nation Of Islam's bereted soldiers are just a couple of images that stay in your mind long after the video's finished. Add to that the relentlessly driving beat, and the lyrical content delivered with the force of a juggernaut, and you get a snapshot of a truly golden era in hip-hop which, sadly, none of today's insipid output comes anywhere near to measuring up to.

"Elvis was a hero to most, but he never meant shit to me, you see. Straight up racist that sucker was, simple and plain. Motherfuck him and John Wayne."

Tuesday 10 August 2010

LIL VICIOUS 'NIKA' - A SHORTEES' ANTHEM


The Isley Brothers' 'Between The Sheets' ended up the most sampled soul track of the 90s, its most high-profile usage of course being on Notorious BIG's 'Big Poppa'. But among the assorted head-nodding bangers was this spine-tingling gem from the teenage reggae artist Lil Vicious. Sounding a lot like contemporary reggae singer Singing Sweet, Vicious sings the praises of his shortee, resulting in the coolest ode to teenage love ever committed to record. This was produced by DJ Clark Kent, and is drenched in that classic feel-good flava. Vicious, who hailed from Brooklyn, released one album, 'Destination Brooklyn', before fading into obscurity. He must be close to the ripe old age of 30 by now.

And, for once, an artist with 'Lil' in their name who's actually worth listening to!

NINE 'WHUTCHA WANT' - 90s BOOM-BAP GREATNESS

Originally called 9MM, Bronx MC Derrick Keyes re-dubbed himself Nine to make his name more palatable for radio play. Reportedly, aside from the gun talk, the name alludes to his birthdate (9/19/1969), as well as his shoe size. There was little toning down of the boom-bap flava of this jeep-rocking anthem, however, kicking off with a sample from Otis Redding's 'Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay' before igniting into a speaker-rocking bassline, and a beat so strong you're in danger of getting your neck snapped.

Appropriately, portions of this boom-bap banger were used in advertisements for the US Jeep brand. The firm apparently never sought permission, however, prompting Nine's team to take legal action. The track cropped up on the album 'Nine Livez'.

"What you want Nine? An ill posse and my name up in lights - N-I-N-E."

Saturday 7 August 2010

LISTEN TO THE DR. DRE BEATMASTERS MIX ON CHARLIE SLOTH'S 1XTRA HIP HOP M1X SHOW


Props to 1Xtra's new hip-hop specialist Charlie Sloth for broadcasting the Dr. Dre instalment of my Beatmasters mix on his show this weekend. The track listing is below, and here's where to listen back to it.






BEATMASTERS MIX: DR. DRE

NWA: STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON
NWA: EXPRESS YOURSELF
SNOOP DOGGY DOGG: WHAT’S MY NAME?
SNOOP DOGGY DOGG Featuring NATE DOGG: AIN’T NO FUN
ICE CUBE & DR. DRE: NATURAL BORN KILLERS
DR. DRE: KEEP THEIR HEADS RINGIN’
LADY OF RAGE: AFRO PUFFS
2PAC: CALIFORNIA LOVE
DR. DRE Featuring SNOOP DOGGY DOGG: DEEP COVER
DR. DRE Featuring SNOOP DOGGY DOGG: AIN’T NUTHIN’ BUT A G-THANG
DR. DRE Featuring SNOOP DOGG: STILL D.R.E
DR. DRE Featuring EMINEM: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
EMINEM: MY NAME IS…
EVE: LET ME BLOW YOUR MIND
MARY J BLIGE: FAMILY AFFAIR
50 CENT: IN THA CLUB
DR. DRE: BANG BANG

Thursday 5 August 2010

THE RUB HIP-HOP HISTORY. GRAB EVERY YEAR FROM 1979 to 2009!


















Brooklyn's The Rub crew (DJ Eleven, DJ Ayres, Cosmo Baker,) have just completed a fascinating series of mixes entitled Hip Hop History. Beginning a couple of years ago, the idea was to create a mix for each year from 1979 onward, consisting of each year's big bangers and underground classics, presenting an ongoing reflection of how the music and culture has developed, (or some would say degenerated!) over the past 30 years. The final instalment, for 2009, has just been posted.
You can download the entire set of mixes, along with full track listings, from here:

Big respect to The Rub team for taking the initiative. It's an incredible achievement.