RODNEY PARADOX: THE MATRIX

This is one of the realest breakdowns of what's REALLY going on in this world that you'll ever hear. Deepness from Rodney Paradox. Specially for the awake/ no-more-sleepwalking-through-life crew.

THE HERBALISER FEATURING JEAN GRAE: STREET KARMA (A CAUTIONARY TALE) (2008)

From The Herbaliser's 'Same As It Never Was' album, this is one of the most cinematic and evocative hip-hop tracks ever made. Fascinating lyrical storytelling, and drenched in brooding atmosphere with a Lalo Schiffrin-esque instrumentation. It really requires at least three listens straight to get the full impact.

Sadly, there's no video as such. Can you imagine how mindblowing it would be if the scenes here were acted out? Absolute musical perfection, and another reason why, when done correctly, hip hop is the most creative musical art form in the world.

TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE PODCAST EXCERPTS

Mark Devlin's debut book 'Tales From The Flipside' is an ideal Christmas present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, anyone who works in the music biz, or anyone who's ever been the slightest bit curious about just what it is that DJs do. No-one's ever broken it down like this before!

In this podcast, originally recorded for Blues & Soul magazine, MD reminisces with Kid Fury over some favourite amusing anecdotes from the book.

Order your copy at Authorhouse

Or Amazon

Tales From The Flipside podcast excerpts by Mark Devlin

TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE - THE IDEAL CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR DJs!

Mark Devlin's debut book 'Tales From The Flipside' is an ideal Christmas present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, anyone who works in the music biz, or anyone who's ever been the slightest bit curious about just what it is that DJs do. No-one's ever broken it down like this before!

Order your copy from Authorhouse.

Or from Amazon.

ADINA HOWARD: FREAK LIKE ME (1994)

As Raekwon asserted on 'Ice Cream': "I'm high powered, put Adina Howard to sleep. Yo pardon, that bitch been on my mind all week." Indeed. A glance at this flava-packed excursion from 1994, and you can see why.

'Freak Like Me' cropped up at the height of the hip-hop soul golden era, masterfully fusing R&B melodies with sassy hip-hop attitude. Sadly, Adina's faded to obscurity since, but here, she was at the peak of her game. And how tragic to think that an entire generation's only exposure to this cracker of a song is that piss-poor semi-cover by The Sugababes.

MD'S DIARY, MANCHESTER/ POLAND. OCT 10

Following a couple of weekends of regular gigs, on Saturday 16th, I took what is now an all-too-rare trip to the North West. On the cards was a long-awaited return to Lounge 31 in Manchester, the upmarket niterie operated by Eddie Down and his brothers of the Brown Suga DJ and promotions crew. I opted not to take a hotel, instead doing my long-distance lorry driver thing of tackling the round trip. No amphetamines for me though - just a couple of cans of my chemical cocktail vice of choice, Red Bull.

Lounge 31 is in the Printworks, a complex where an array of bars, restaurants and clubs have all been grouped together, seemingly to keep the nocturnal rowdiness concentrated and easier to police. I jumped from 2 to 4am, and was very happy to be able to play a set laden with bashment, hip-hop and UK funky, with little need to resort to corny pop crap. Never a bad thing. The late-night champagne crowd was very much in evidence as I departed. What wasn't too helpful was yet another overnight motorway closure - this time the M56 - forcing a long diversion through some random villages, and causing me to eventually roll up at my front door at 7.15am.

My session at The Living Room in Milton Keynes was good fun on Friday 22nd, and I worked at not letting the dumb comment from an obnoxious middle-aged woman put me off. She'd remarked 'are you going to be playing this reggae shit all night?' as Kanye West's 'Goldigger' blasted from the speakers. (Just between you and me, I got the impression she doesn't like black music. It's all good. I hear Billy Ray Cyrus is in town soon.)

The following day marked my DJing debut in Poland. I set off on the national flag carrier LOT from Heathrow Terminal 1, arriving into Warsaw to be met by promoter Dio. In a move of great foresight, he'd booked me into the Marriott Hotel at the airport, enabling a long sleep in after the gig, and only a two-minute walk to the terminal. Dio is a house DJ, but he moved into promoting urban gigs at Capitol Club a couple of years ago, since when he's brought big dogs like Fatman Scoop, Shortee Blitz, DJ Kofi, Manny Norte and Steve Sutherland out to spin.

It was clear we were in for a great night as we arrived to find the venue, which shares its space with a theatre, packed to the rafters, and I jumped on for a two-hour set at 1.15am. The crowd jumped and whined throughout, and with Polish vodka on flow everything about the night was perfect. I posted a set of pictures here. With a civilised 3pm flight home on Sunday, and an on-time departure, the perfection continued. More gigs like this would suit me very nicely indeed. The reality is they remain the rarity!

DE LA SOUL 'EYE KNOW' (1989)

It would seem that one of the producers on the CBeebies kids' channel is an old-school De La Soul fan, directly inspired by this memorable 1989 moment. There's a couple of video sequences involving the presenters dancing in front of a psychedelic cartoon backdrop and promoting the numbers 4 and 5, that would appear to be directly inspired by this memorable excursion.

'Eye Know' was the third single from the celebrated 'Three Feet High And Rising', album and arguably the catchiest. Its impact, in the fascinating Daisy Age/ Native Tongues era of the late-80s, was augmented by this highly enjoyable visual trip.

And you know the crazy thing about that CBeebies vid? The presenters' simplistic raps are actually miles ahead of most of what passes for mainstream 'hip hop' today!


De La Soul - eye know
Uploaded by trapux. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

R.I.P GREGORY ISAACS

The British-Jamaican reggae legend, best known for his 1982 track 'Night Nurse', passed away at home in London on 25th October after a long battle with lung cancer.

MD AT LE NOIR, CAPITOL CLUB, WARSAW, POLAND THIS SATURDAY.

MUSIC VIDEOS: THE MASONIC/ SATANIC IMAGERY CONTINUES...

Symbolism in music videos: the elephant in the room. Dismiss if you choose, but if subliminal occult imagery in videos watched by kids bothers you, please circulate.

WHO REALLY CONTROLS THE MUSIC BIZ?

One for those who like to pay attention to what's going on, Whether you accept everything that's being proposed or not, (and this goes deep,) this is a fascinating expose of what goes on behind the scenes in the mainstream music scene.


Here are the remaining videos in the series.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI6ofJqlQwo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBYCS78s3nI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMQ_5ou3GiA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV1juRtWv8g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2fil5dfB50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5WBHzx6ekI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4hBFQ5yyDg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnnEfxjEmdw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HoEV3s7Mx8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKFdSTwBDx0

MD/ BLACK SHEEP MAG AT LOUNGE 31, MANCHESTER, THIS SATURDAY

DJ PREMIER PAYS TRIBUTE TO GURU AT THE BET HIP HOP AWARDS

MD/ BLACK SHEEP MAG AT LOUNGE 31, MANCHESTER, THIS SATURDAY

This Saturday, all roads lead to Lounge 31 in Manchester. Black Sheep Mag comes to town in association with the club's long-running Chic Amore night. Quality tuneage in stylish surroundings all the way to 6am.

MONIE LOVE: MONIE IN THE MIDDLE (1990)

Mitcham's Ricky Walters, (better known as Slick Rick) wasn't the only British export to the US hip-hop scene back in the day. Monie Love made a big impact on these shores as the 80s merged into the 90s, exploding with a handful of slammers such as 'I Can Do This', 'Grandpa's Party (a tribute to Afrikaa Bambaataa), 'It's A Shame', and this little pop-friendly gem, before crossing the pond to try for fame and fortune in The Rotten Apple. Despite being briefly adopted as part of the Native Tongues movement alongside De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, The Jungle Brothers and Queen Latifah - and becoming a radio DJ on NYC's Hot 97 - her career sadly nosedived. So here's a throwback to happier days. Great song, great video, great times.

MD'S CLUB DATES, OCT/ NOV 10

Friday 15th October
Mirage, Aylesbury

Saturday 16th October
Black Sheep Magazine North West Launch Party, Lounge 31, Manchester

Friday 22nd October
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 23rd October
Le Noir, Capitol Club, Warsaw, POLAND

Friday 29th October
Yates', Aldershot

Saturday 30th October
The Bridge, Oxford

Friday 5th November
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 6th November
Mirage, Aylesbury

Saturday 13th November
The Vaults, The Second Bridge, Bath

Friday 19th November
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 20th November
The Living Room, Oxford

R.I.P SOLOMON BURKE

The veteran soul singer died today aged 70 ... which is more than most soul singers seem to manage!

JOHN LENNON AT 70: THE MUSIC LIVES ON

John Lennon would have been 70 today. These, and so many other Lennon songs, reveal just how much this guy had come to understand the real nature of life, and how little the everyday bullshit that we're all manipulated to get caught up in really matters in the end.

WATCHING THE WHEELS


IMAGINE


INSTANT KARMA


GOD

CHILLIN'. THE SCARIEST SCENE FROM 'THE SHINING'

Forget the 'here's Johnny' axe sequence. This is by far the most chilling scene in Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining' - the showdown between Jack and the deeply unsettling Grady, against a striking interior that's pure Kubrick.
'I'm sorry to differ with you sir, but YOU are the caretaker. You've always been the caretaker. I should know sir. I've ALWAYS been here.'
Chilling.

STYLES P FEAT. PHAROAHE MONCH: THE LIFE (2002)

The amount of truly slamming hip-hop classics that have emerged since 2000 can be counted on one hand. But wow, this is one of them! Former Lox member Styles P gets philosophical over a mournful and spiritual vocal sample, with the sung hook contributed by Pharoahe Monch. I remember hearing this for the first time while driving to see 'Training Day' in London alongside my former colleague Kid Fury. We were so blown away we had to rewind it at least eight times and re-absorb. Pure goosebumps business all the way.

FRANKIE CUTLASS/ THE JUICE CREW: THE CYPHER PART 3 (1996)

With the opening line 'let me show you new rappers how to do a posse record', Craig G sets the tone for this loose re-working of Marley Marl's 'The Symphony', assembled by New York producer/ DJ Frankie Cutlass at the tail end of '96.

Like its source, this features a handful of the original Juice crew rappers each dropping a verse, in rather restrained style, over a midtempo bouncing beat. After Craig comes a reminder that before Kim, Foxy or any of the others, Roxanne Shante was the original badass female MC - even if she appears rather podgy and under-stated here. Comedy from Biz Markie follows.

The only problem with this version is that it dispenses with a banging final verse delivered on record by Big Daddy Kane, replacing him with a rather lacklustre appearance from Heltah Skeltah. Either way, it's still another slamming throwback to a much missed bygone era.

THE LATE, GREAT GEORGE CARLIN TELLS IT LIKE IT IS

(... and for 'America', read 'UK' too...)