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...)