Friday 30 July 2010

VILLAGE VOICE


Slum Village is a group which continues to inspire a whole generation of hip-hop heads. Fast approaching their 20th anniversary, it's a collective that's had more than its fair share of misfortune, with the recent passing of original members J Dilla and Baatin.
Unperturbed, the group is about to unleash a new album, 'Villa Manifesto.' Black Sheep's Mark Devlin caught up with surviving founder T3 to talk life, drama, and most importantly, music.

Click here to go the Black Sheep audio feature.

Thursday 29 July 2010

THE UK THROWBACK ON KOOL JACK RADIO, COPENHAGEN


















Watch out for a weekly show entitled The UK Throwback, on Denmark's Kool Jack Radio.

Each show features an hour’s mix put together by British radio and club DJ Mark Devlin (www.markdevlin.co.uk), consisting entirely of classic R&B, soul, hip-hop and reggae dancehall revivals. It's feel good vibes all the way. Real music for people who feel music! Make sure you tune in and get involved.

Here's where to catch the latest:

JUST BUGGIN. PLAYLIST & LISTEN AGAIN LINKS FOR 28/7/10














MARK DEVLIN
JUST BUGGIN’ ON OXFORD’S FM107.9 (WWW.FM1079.COM)
PLAYLIST FOR WEDNESDAY 28TH JULY 2010


To listen again (ad-free!), just click on the following Download links
(To Download, just click on the arrow icon in the top bar of each track.)

Part 1:

Part 2:



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

FAT JOE: I'M GONE (EDIT)

FUNKY DL Featuring DUKUS ALEMAY: YOUR NIGHT

KLASHNEKOFF: TEK TIME

FASHAWN: WORLD IS YOURS

KERO ONE Featuring FASHAWN: KINETIC WORLD

RAS KASS Featuring EVIDENCE: BEAUTIFUL GRIND

STREET BEAT OF THE WEEK:
PUBLIC ENEMY: SAY IT LIKE IT REALLY IS

THE ROOTS: THE DAY

SLUM VILLAGE Featuring COLIN MONROE: FASTER

OLD TO THE NEW:
LAURYN HILL: LOST ONES

LAURYN HILL: REPERCUSSIONS

RICK ROSS Featuring JAY-Z: FREE MASON

CANIBUS: GOLDEN TERRA OF RAP

STARR NICE Featuring THADD WILLIAMS: COVER ME

DJ MIX: DJ JAZZY JEFF & MICK BOOGIE: SUMMERTIME MIXTAPE, PART 2
FRESH PRINCE AND JAZZY JEFF: SUMMERTIME REMIX
MICHAEL JACKSON: I CAN’T HELP IT
DE LA SOUL: BREAKDAWN
MUSIQ: JUST FRIENDS
CARL THOMAS: SUMMER RAIN
FAZE-O: RIDING HIGH
DIONNE WARWICK: WALK ON BY
SKEE-LO: I WISH
BLACK MOON: WHO GOT THE PROPS
FRANKIE BEVERLY AND MAZE: BEFORE I LET GO
NU SHOOZ: I CAN’T WAIT
MONTELL JORDAN: THIS IS HOW WE DO IT
THE ROOTS F/ GEORGE BENSON: BREEZIN’
FRESH PRINCE AND JAZZY JEFF: TIME TO CHILL
BIGGIE: CAN’T YOU SEE
JAMES BROWN: THE PAYBACK
EN VOGUE: MY LOVIN’
BOBBY MCFERRIN: SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE
FIFTH DIMENSION: LET THE SUN SHINE IN
MOS DEF: SUNSHINE
NINE: WHATCHA WANT
OTIS REDDING: SITTIN’ ON THE DOCK
2PAC: I GET AROUND (MICK’S STRING EDIT)
ZAPP: COMPUTER LOVE (TERRY’S MIRAGE ON THE WATER MIX)
SEALS AND CROFT: SUMMER BREEZE
JAY-Z: DEAR SUMMER

KERO ONE Featuring THE TONES: TIME MOVES SLOWLY

CENTRI: A.W.A.L.L

CAPONE N NOREAGA Featuring FAITH EVANS: HOOD PRIDE

JABEE Featuring KING MEZ & CARLITTA DURAND: BETTER

NATSTAR: WANNA BE A STAR

ETERNIA Featuring TONA & MAESTRO FRESH WES: DAY IN THE LIFE

Monday 26 July 2010

MD'S CLUB DATES, AUG/ SEP 2010




















Saturday 21st August
SATURDAYS @
Mirage, Aylesbury
(10pm-3am)

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

Thursday 2nd September
MASH UP @
Club 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)

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

Sunday 25 July 2010

DOUG E FRESH 'THE SHOW'. ORIGINAL, UNDISPUTED, LEGENDARY CLASSIC

Just listened to this for the first time in ages, and actually got quite emotional. This is the specific record that sparked my love of hip hop, and it still sounds as hot as the day it emerged 25 years ago.

Thursday 22 July 2010

'EMPIRE STATE OF MIND' - IN A NEWPORT STYLE AND FASHION

This video is nothing short of pant-pissingly hilarious. The tears are still rolling down my face. Big up all Newport crew!

JUST BUGGIN. PLAYLIST & LISTEN AGAIN LINKS FOR 21/7/10


















MARK DEVLIN
JUST BUGGIN’ ON OXFORD’S FM107.9 (WWW.FM1079.COM)
PLAYLIST FOR WEDNESDAY 21ST JULY 2010


To listen again (ad-free!), just click on the following Download links
(To Download, just click on the arrow icon in the top bar of each track.)

Part 1:

Part 2:



ETERNIA & MOSS: THE HALF

ETERNIA: 32 BARS

CONS: I'M SO 90s

RICK ROSS Featuring JAY-Z: FREE MASON

GAME: SLANGIN' ROCKS

NATSTAR: WANNA BE A STAR

STREET BEAT OF THE WEEK:
FAT JOE: I'M GONE

U TURN PROJECT: U TURN

JABEE Featuring KING MEZ & CARLITTA DURAND: BETTER

GAPPY RANKS: PUT THE STEREO ON

RIKO DAN: SLENG TENG FREESTYLE

OLD TO THE NEW:
CAPONE N NOREAGA: SHINE

CAPONE N NOREAGA Featuring FAITH EVANS: HOOD PRIDE

J COLE: PREMEDITATED MURDER

BIZARRE: HERE WE GO

DJ MIX: DJ JAZZY JEFF & MICK BOOGIE: SUMMERTIME MIXTAPE
SUMMERTIME INTRO
KOOL & THE GANG: SUMMER MADNESS (LIVE VERSION)
KOOL & THE GANG: SUMMER MADNESS
QUINCY JONES: SUMMER IN THE CITY
AHMAD: BACK IN THE DAY
ICE CUBE: IT WAS A GOOD DAY
ROY AYERS F/ MARY J BLIGE: EVERYBODY LOVES THE SUNSHINE
PHARCYDE: PASSIN’ ME BY (FFEJ REMIX)
JAY-Z F/ BABYFACE: SUNSHINE
RAMSEY LEWIS: SUN GODDESS
A TRIBE CALLED QUEST: FIND A WAY (FFEJ STRING EDIT)
BUSH BABIES F/ MOS DEF: THE LOVE SONG
JODECI: GET ON UP
THE COMMODORES: HIGH ON SUNSHINE
J DILLA F/ DWELE : THINK TWICE
ERICK SERMON F/ MARVIN GAYE: MUSIC (MICK’S MARVAPELLA EDIT)
BERNARD WRIGHT: WHO DO YOU LOVE
LL COOL J: LOUNGIN’
A TRIBE CALLED QUEST: HOT SEX
MAIN SOURCE: LIVE AT THE BBQ
NUYORICAN SOUL: NAUTILUS
PHARCYDE & SUBLIME: SUMMERTIME

THADD WILLIAMS: HARD TIMES

SLUM VILLAGE: LOCK IT DOWN

PHAROAHE MONCH Featuring MELA MACHINKO: SHINE

ETERNIA: DEAR MR BACARDI

CAPONE N NOREAGA Featuring NAS: WITH ME

KLASHNEKOFF: KEEP IT MOVING

RIVER NELSON: MOONRISE

Friday 16 July 2010

MD'S TOUR DIARY. IBIZA/ SPAIN, JULY '10
























































On Tuesday 6th July I headed off to handle a Spanish double-bill, kicking off with an ever-welcome return to Soul City in Ibiza. The venue remains the island's original spot for R&B, hip-hop and everything in between since being introduced by owner/ manager Julian in 1993.

Last year, Soul City faced some competition from Twice As Nice, who opened their own bar, 2Nice, just a couple of streets away in San Antonio's West End. This year, TAN top man Steve Gordon has moved the operation to directly opposite Soul City, dealing with the same music mix. Happily, Soul City's reputation precedes it, and early results indicate that it's more than holding its own in terms of punter numbers. I popped in for a look at 2Nice where former Soul City resident Killa Kutz now plays. Also in the house was former Rampage cohort Dr. Psycho, and Gemma Bissix, who used to play Claire in Eastenders.

Back at Soul City, I followed resident Mister I on to the decks at 2am, playing all the way to closing at 6, while DJ/ MC Horse handled the mic. It was one of my most enjoyable sessions at Soul City, and one of the strongest of the year so far.

I managed a small amount of sleep at the Bellamar Hotel, round the bay in San An, before meeting Mister I and his girlfriend for some lunch, then setting off for a Vueling flight to a stiflingly sweaty Barcelona. The plan was to spin at the midweek black music jam at Bikini, where I'd spun two years before. I had trouble getting a cab from my hotel, and by the time I'd reached the venue it was after 2am. I wasn't expecting this to be a problem, as the Spanish are known for partying late and Bikini runs to beyond 6. Unfortunately, DJ/ promoter Muly decided I was too late and that he didn't want me to play. A couple of years ago the lack of flexibility would have bothered me greatly, but becoming a Dad has given me a new perspective on what's really important in life. With this in mind, I took it in my stride and headed back to the hotel. Either way, Barcelona is a city I'm unlikely to visit again.

I flew home with Easyjet on Thursday 8th, reuniting with the girls. Once my session at The Second Bridge in Bath was done on the Saturday, we headed off for a few days' fam holiday, staying in a log cabin in North Wales. Much as I love the DJing and travelling, in my book, nothing compares to proper quality time with your nearest and dearest.

JUST BUGGIN DJ MIXES SPECIAL. LISTEN AGAIN LINKS FOR 14/7/10

















MARK DEVLIN
JUST BUGGIN’ ON OXFORD’S FM107.9 (WWW.FM1079.COM)
PLAYLIST FOR WEDNESDAY 14TH JULY 2010
DJ MIXES SPECIAL


PART 1:
DJ BOOGIEMAN, (SKOPJE, MACEDONIA) COOL SUMMER HIP HOP MIX


PART 2:
MARK DEVLIN BEATMASTERS MIX: JUST BLAZE


PART 3:
DJ PREMIER (NEW YORK CITY) MALCOLM McLAREN TRIBUTE MIX


PART 4:
DJ P45 (EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND) OLD SCHOOL GROOVES MIX

Monday 5 July 2010

MD'S TOUR DIARY. EGYPT, JULY '10






















































Any hopes of keeping cool during July were dashed early. From the not inconsiderable 25-degrees of Gatwick on Friday 2nd, I found myself heading to an even more scorching Egypt. It was a highly welcome trip, marking my third visit to spin at the Ministry Of Sound beach venue on the Red Sea coast of Hurghada. It's a hectic place, and the random chaos starts with the dust and bustle of the airport. My gig was on the Saturday night, so I linked with British expat promotions manager Owen for a bite followed by a few drinks at Ministry, which saw me nicely crashed out for the night.

The bar, restaurant and club action of Hurghada is mainly centred around the Marina in Sekalla, which is where I headed on Saturday, hooking up with some of the DJs from Hed Kandi Beach Bar, owned by the same people as Ministry. One was Hed Kandi jock John Jones. As we got chatting, we established that he grew up in, not just the same part of West London as my wife, but the very same street. What are the odds?! The Red Sea resorts are extremely popular with Russians and Germans, and the roars of elation as Germany scored each one of their four World Cup goals against Argentina could surely have been heard over on the Sinai peninsula.

As Saturday night arrived, I took to the decks of Smoove around 1.30am, blazing and blasting tuneage to a cool and up-for-it crowd. As much as I dislike it, the tune getting the best reaction was K'naan's 'Wavin' Flags', given the World Cup and African connections. As ever, it was a stunning and highly memorable night.



Direct flights from Hurghada to London are scarce, and my only way of getting back any earlier than Monday night involved first getting a morning flight to the fashionable tourist haven of Sharm El Sheikh. The Egyptair flight took in stunning views of the Red Sea, and was the shortest I've ever known, being in the air for no more than 20 minutes. I then had a tedious eight hours to kill before the Easyjet from Sharm to Gatwick, so took a cab to Naama Bay. This is the main hub for bars, restaurants, British pubs and hotels in Sharm, and I took a quick look at the resort's Pacha club, which was recently voted 25 in Mixmag's Top 100 international clubs. The resort was teeming with holidaying Brits. Before long though, the roasting heat was killing me, and I headed back to the air-conditioned comfort of the airport.

True to form with Summer flight delays, the eight-hour wait turned into a ten-hour one, with touchdown in Gatwick at 1am. I made it my mission to be in bed beside Parveen no later than 3. I just made it.

Full set of pics here.

MD'S TOUR DIARY, JUNE '10
























































































June got off to a strong start as I found myself heading out to Czech Republic on Saturday 5th. My last two overseas gigs had been destroyed by the volcanic ash cloud grounding flights, so I was relieved when the Wizzair departure out of Luton finally left the tarmac. On the agenda was the 12th Anniversary session of Soul Train at Radost FX, Prague's longest-running black music night, run by the hard-working team of DJ/ MC Rico, (British/ Caribbean) Big J (Chicagoan,) and 12 Play, (Czech - I think??!) Full props to the guys for keeping a night running so long in the fickle and ever-changing world of clubland. If you ever find yourself in Prague on a Saturday night, this is the session to go hang out at, trust me.

The flight didn't land until almost midnight, which meant a quick taxi dash to the hotel, then straight out to the club. Also on the bill was MP Marcus, of London's Pesky Kids, and Parisian Marco Del Le Vega. Rico gave each DJ their own set, followed by a back-to-back session with another jock. This really keeps you on your toes; each DJ instinctively wants to draw a stronger tune than the previous man, while keeping the bounce and flow of the dancefloor going. The night culminated in Marco and Marcus going at it like a couple of madmen, digging deep into the Serato and swinging their heads so hard you'd swear their spines were going to break. With the VIP bar in full flow, this ended up the great session it was always destined to be. Pics here.

The boutique-style Icon Hotel is worthy of a mention. Cool, funky and immaculate, it's the sort of place where ordinary soap won't do - it has to be mandarin and mint. Notable features included a fingerprint-recognition roomsafe, the first time I've seen one, and an all-day breakfast, which was ideal for my evening departure home.

My outing to The Second Bridge in Bath on Friday 18th was an easy journey. My entire time on the M4 was spent while England were playing Algeria in their ill-fated 0-0 draw, ensuring the roads were deserted and clear.

The following night, I headed West again for one of the more fulfilling of my UK gigs. The Apartment in Swindon has a reputation for dealing with quality soul, funk, R&B and hip-hop. It closed for over a year following a change in management, but re-opened following a refurb in May. On Saturday 19th I played at the flagship King Pin event, alongside Swindon's DJ Sweets. As before, I was able to drop quality grooves with little interference, and I'm already looking forward to getting back there on 7th August alongside Ronnie Herel, who also liked the place so much he asked for a monthly residency. Hats off to manager Jamie for resisting the temptation to go down the easy mainstream route.

The last weekend of the month was far livelier than the average. It kicked off with a visit to baking hot Switzerland on Friday 25th. I've spent so long flying on the likes of Ryanair that the experience of having an alloted seat number on the Swiss departure out of Heathrow - not to mention a complementary sandwich - felt really bizarre. The gig, The Lick, took place in the swiss capital of Bern. For some reason there are no direct flights there from London, and connections are wildly expensive. The only realistic option was to fly to Zurich and take the train over to Bern, (with the entertaining sight of another train heading in the direction of a place called Wankdorf.) Once there, I was met by DJ Soulchild, Switzerland's premier R&B DJ, his girlfriend, the singer Faye B, and the promoter, Chris. Switzerland were playing in the World Cup that night, going up against Honduras. It ended up a draw, which doubtless zapped some of the good karma the crowd at Du Theatre would otherwise have had. Nevertheless, it was a memorable and well-attended party. Pics here.

On Saturday, I routed back via Zurich, gaining just enough time for a quick catch-up nap before heading out to The Bridge, Oxford for the regular end-of-month business. The place was a sweatbox. Thankfully, whatever else didn't work in the DJ booth, a stray decrepit fan still did.

Four hours' sleep later, I was headed to Birmingham Airport, bound for Aberdeen for the Summer Megabash party staged by DJ/ promoters MC and Kojo. Being so far North so close to Midsummer, it was only just getting dark as I headed over to Korova at 11pm. There was a modest gathering at the session where a lot of solid music got spun, (particularly by Kojo,) along with a hard-hitiing but brief PA from upcoming local rapper Mad Mickey. Pics here.

Final event of the month was the radio show on Wednesday 30th. This featured my phone interview with River Nelson, an inspiring US MC whose new album has been produced by Lewis Parker, and is banging. The interview's also posted on Black Sheep if you want to know more about him. Check out the link.

... and that was June.

K'NAAN'S 'WAVIN' FLAG' BLOWS UP MINISTRY OF SOUND, HURGHADA, EGYPT

Thursday 1 July 2010

SMOOVE @ MINISTRY OF SOUND, HURGHADA, EGYPT. THIS SATURDAY

JUST BUGGIN. PLAYLIST FOR 30/6/10

















MARK DEVLIN
JUST BUGGIN’ ON OXFORD’S FM107.9 (WWW.FM1079.COM)
PLAYLIST FOR WEDNESDAY 30TH JUNE 2010



GAME: SLANGIN' ROCKS

FUNKY DL Featuring PYRELLI: TOGETHER

ETERNIA & MOSS: THE HALF

KLASHNEKOFF: TEK TIME

FASHAWN Featuring TALIB KWELI: LIFE'S A BITCH

ETERNIA: 32 BARS

ETERNIA: DEAR MR BACARDI

STREET BEAT OF THE WEEK:
BIZARRE: HERE WE GO

DRAKE Featuring JAY-Z: LIGHT UP

EMINEM: GOING THROUGH CHANGES

GUEST ARTIST INTERVIEW: RIVER NELSON

RIVER NELSON: MOONRISE

RIVER NELSON: BEAUTIFUL LIFE

RIVER NELSON: HOLD ON

SAM KHAN: SPELL MY NAME

DJ MIX: PETE B (BATH) REALEST HIP HOP MIX

CENTRI: A.W.A.L.L

DEAD PREZ: FAR FROM OVA

KLASHNEKOFF: KEEP IT MOVING

ILLA GHEE Featuring BIG NOYD: HARDBODY (DJ SKIZZ REMIX)

THE ROOTS: THE DAY

DJ 456/ DEF/ SAVANT OF RAREBREED: DONE WITH '09