"Producer Spotlight," {Muggs}
It seems just like yesterday when ‘Coolin In Cali” {7A3}, was blasting out out of my boom box……This was the first production I had ever heard from ‘GrandMixer Muggs”…..When I copped the 12 inch, the flip had a song entitled “That’s How I’m Living”…..Damn, ‘This Muggs dude has some beats”, I thought to myself………….For whatever reason “7A3” folded and Muggs popped up with another crew “Cypress Hill”, and the rest is history……………………Muggs should be mentioned whenever you are talking about cream of the crop Hip Hop producers………His catalogue reflects diversity, creativity, and a certain grittiness that is lacking in mainstream music nowadays…………Recently he has teamed up with ‘Planet Asia”, and released ‘Pain Language”…..The name of this joint is “Shadows Of Hell”………..Take That……………Peep Muggs at http://www.soulassasins.com and cop a fitted….
"The Original Banton"
Yesterday I picked up my cousin from the “Cayman Islands”……After we cracked a couple jokes and updated each other on the latest happenings, she informed that a major hurricane is about to hit the carribean………….Tonight at midnight the eye of the storm will be hovering right over the main city in Cayman {Georgetown}………..Hopefully my family will be safe, hurricane “Ivan”, already took it’s toll on the island a few years back………….It’s only right I post up some reggae shit………..”Burro Banton”, “Tenor Saw”,” Cutty Ranks “, and “Supercat”…….Live 1985, Shockout….
"Beat You The Fuck Up"
When it comes to beats I’m sitting on a healthy stack
of joints……..I might as well share some with ya’ll motherfuckers…….These are kinda old, but they still sound official {To my ears anyway}…….The reason why I usually put accapellas over my shit, is because I am afraid fools will just rob me…………To all you beat nerd bandits……Bite this
"The Infamous Mobsters’
This is from the ‘Blood Is Thicker Than Water” D.V.D.
"G.Z.A., Pro Tools"
G.Z.A’s new album sounds like he is on the right track…….This time around he has better production……The name of this joint is called “My Life Is A Movie”….{Featuring R.Z.A. and Khan}…..
"Megagraphitti"
When Cannibal Ox first came out they had such a huge buzz behind them……..I was skeptical because people were all wound up about it before the first album even dropped…….And then I heard “Iron Galaxy”……..That was some fresh shit……Grimy,metallic, different, natural, etc…………….Fast forward to 2008 and “Can-Ox” is still dropping joints……..This is from Mega’s new solo album ‘Megagraphitti”, its called “Learn” {Produced by Ravage}……….My personal favorite off the album.
"Washington Dc’s, Damu"
I have been checking out a gang of ‘Damu’s” beats lately, and I have come to the conclusion that this cat is on to something……This joint that I am posting up is called “Now Generation”…..It sounds like a “Pete Rock” type of vibe, but I guess that’s a good thing……
"New Shit"
Damn, this new Preemo jump off is grimey……Termanology and Bun B bless this track with ease……Who would of known “Bun B”, would come through in the clutch with this type of wordplay?…….Dope…….Cop doubles fast……It’s called “How We Rock”.
"Motherfuckin K-Def"
K-Def is the man…..But I can’t front, that “Beats From The 90’s” joint wasn’t all that explosive……..It feels weird even saying that, because I am one of his biggest fans………His instrumental album “Willie Boo Boo The Fool” is fresh though……….Iv’e read some interviews with him lately, and he claims he wants to stay away from sampling……..Hopefully he can keep it grimey without his M.P.C. {Most cats can’t, but I have faith in K}…….Here is some footage of him spinning at “Fat beats” a week ago, and a video of his old group “Real Live”……….BooYaaaaa
"Make Way 4 The W"
When most fools think of “W.C.”, they think of a crip walking, chuck wearing, “West Side Connection” flag waver…….But truth be told, W.C.’s best work was pre-Ice Cube affiliation……….There was a time when ‘W.C.”, had scratching on his tracks…..There was a time when he rhymed over sample heavy beats……..D.J. Alladin {World class battle d.j.} was W.C’s right hand man in the group “Low Profile”…………….Even W.C.’s output in the group “M.A.A.D. Circle”, sounds better than his later material………Hip Hop Battlefield salutes you “W.C.”., for being one of west coast finest……………
"Wax Weapons 8"
Act like you know…..It’s Wax Weapons number 8, and it’s time to let all hell break loose……..All off the dome mix, 30 minutes of mayhem………..Blessed by yours truly………….Wild “Rock The Bells” footage posted up this weekend…….Stay tuned motherfuckers………360..
"West Up", {The Nonce Edition}
Before I get into this piece I have to say R.I.P. “Yusef Afloat”…….It seems just like yesterday when I got the horrible news………But the thing that makes it even worse, is that “Yusef” didn’t truly get the props he deserved………………..The Nonce didn’t sound like any other crew out there……Their sound was heavy on the bass, jazzy, abstract, funky, etc…….It’s hard to describe them because they were so unique…….”Nouka Bass Type”, has carried on with his musical endeavors since Yusef’s untimely passing……And he sounds better than ever…………….In 1992 The Nonce put out a test press of “MixTapes”, on the flip there is a joint that wasn’t on the album called “Crew Jam”……It’s extremely rare, and under the radar………Peep…..
"Philly’s, Phil Most Chill"
Do ya’ll remember that joint “Uptempo”, by Phil Most Chill? That was some raw ass shit…….Anyway “Phil”, is now known as the “Soulman”……His site {WorldOfBeatsv2.blogspot.com} is very fresh………….The song I am posting is from his album “Lo-Fi Theory”…..Beats made in 1994-Rhymes made in 2004, on Puma Strut Records……..Check it…..
"Producer Spotlight," {Buckwild}
When it comes to beats, you’d be hard-pressed to find another producer with as much output as D.I.T.C.’s “Buckwild”….Since 1994, Buckwild has maintained his status as a musical genius……..From the bugged O.C. ‘Times Up”, to the melodic ‘Daam rmx”, his productions remain timeless…….He has worked with the Beastie Boys, Channel Live, Biggie, Kool G.Rap, Mic Geronimo, Jay Z, Big L, and a host of others……..There was a period of time when Buckwild remixes were coming out at breakneck speed….One of my favorites from that era is the Funkdoobiest “Rock On” remix………….Inspiring…..
"All Hail The King’ Part One {King Shameek Interview}
King Shameek has always intrigued me……..The way he put together beats was unlike anyone I had heard before……Monkey’s sampled intro’s, House music infused with Hip Hop, Spontaneous breakdowns complementing heavy doses of scratching, and funky as fuck drum patterns………His productions have managed to age very well…….He has worked with Naughty By Nature, Artifacts, King Sun, Twin Hype, L.P., PaceWon, El Gant, Style, Tony Terry, and even Peanut Butter Wolf {back in the day} ……….Hip Hop Battlefield salutes you “King Shameek”, for being original, versatile, and most of all soulful……Check out this interview I conducted with Mr. Jose Matos {King Shameek}…….
{HHBF]…..The first time I heard of you Shameek was the “In The House” 12 inch with the “Shameek’s Groove” on the flip…Was this your first commercial release?
{King Shameek}….My first self produced release was “Make It Funky”…Seville featuring Jazzy J and Shameek on NVS/Cutting Records…Which was recorded on a 4 track recorder that my mom bought me in High School…Thanks Ma…..Before that I was just editing and scratching on freestyle records like Sweet Sensation ,Deniz, Tony Terry, etc…That work prepared me for larger studios…..
{HHBF}…..In 2006 there were talks of you and “Twin Hype” recording again, what’s the update on that situation?
{King Shameek]….Most people know of the twins getting locked up from the” Source” article back in the day….So after they got released after 4-5 years we linked up 2 see if we could pick up where we left off..Things didn’t really work out, I guess we didn’t see things eye to eye..So another 4 years pass by, this time they recorded some demos and said they were ready to rock with me again….We recorded 4 hot joints..I was psyched about the joints we did….So I sent out a press release and set up meetings with labels…We then had another fallout, so I bounced before we heard any news about a deal…I have a lot of joints i did that never came out…I’m thinking about putting out a King Shameek lost tapes album with joints I did with King Sun, T La Rock, Twin Hype….For the most part I’m done with the twins though….I’d rather preserve my Hip Hop memories of us on tour and video shots and whatnot…..Nah mean?
{HHBF}…..Your recordings are always mixed down very well, are you more into analog recording devices or digital these days?
{King Shameek}….I had to make the change from analog to digital or get left in the dust…As a d.j. I made the change from vinyl to c.d. then serato…..I still love my vinyl, but I don’t have to carry around a heavy ass crate…Unless I sell my house and move…As a producer I prefer to have a fatter and dirty sound on my beats that I got from analog, but recording and editing in protools is a lot faster…I found several ways to make my drums dirty in protools so I rock with that…When it comes to buttons and faders, I was always a hands on type of dude…It took me awhile to get used to rocking with a mouse, but for the most part I like to keep a tight mix and pan sounds so it bugs out the listener….I remember hearing “Buffalo Gals” for the first time and how they had all the scratching, vocals and sound effects paned to one side….And all the music and drums paned to the other side…I always took those kind of ideas in the studio with me…….
Part 2 Below………..
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