mixtape maestro (2.0)

Oh look, it’s in-box cleaning out time again.

Wale & Just Jack “Embers/ Good Girls (Phillip Martell Mash-Up Remix)”

For it’s first two-thirds, this mash-up concoction by ATL DJ Phillip Martell emerges quite effective in it’s enchanting blend of the acapella from Wale’s 2007 track “Good Girls” with a hyper-speed orchestral loop and sampled vocal snippets swiped from Just Jack’s ‘09 UK hit “Embers”, but it’s in it’s final minute-and-a-half when the project truly blooms, thanks to Martell completely doing away with the JJ instrumental for a killer assault of electro-house pomp.

DL: “Embers/ Good Girls (Phillip Martell Mash-Up Remix)” (alt)

Aaliyah “One In A Million (Belief Remix)”

The third installment in L.A.-based producer Belief’s on-going Aaliyah remix project
finds him taking on the late singer’s 1996 classic “One In A Million”, and while nothing could really come close to topping the way-ahead-of-it’s-time Y3K sonics Timbaland cooked up for the original, we’re digging the languid, neo-soul-ish incense vibe Belief brings here.

DL: “One In A Million (Belief Remix)” (alt)

Private “My Secret Lover”

First things first: Thomas Troelson, the main producer and lead singer dude of this Dutch dance-pop trio, looks a little bit freaky.

Once you get past his physical creepiness, though, you’ll likely be swept away by the pure ’80’s pop infectiousness on display in this single, an irresistible sugar packet of helium-voice mackadelics (“Girl take off your dress/ Let’s make this place a mess!!”), warped old-school B-boy-isms and glossy bubblegum-funk carved from the guilty pleasure-filled catalogue of Wham!.

DL: “My Secret Lover” (alt)

Tayma Loren featuring The-Dream “Tipsy”

This Detroit-born R&B newcomer’s real-life brother Carlos “Los Da Mystro” McKinney has co-helmed some of the best The-Dream jams (“Shawty Is A 10″, “Rockin’ That Thing”, “Walkin On The Moon”, “My Love”), as well as hits for Usher (“Trading Places”), Trey Songz (“I Invented Sex”) and J. Holiday (“Bed”), so it’s only right that he would hook up his sister with a joint that’s just as smash-worthy.

Tayma’s debut single “Tipsy” oozes that signature Dream/ Mystro radio magic, from it’s light and lazy piano bounce to the quirky, echo vocal mini-hooks speckled throughout it. It’s most entertaining factor, however, lies in the humorous honesty of it lyrics’, which detail how a drunken, post-nightclub one night stand usually ends up being a regrettable moment in one’s life rather than the mind-blowing sexcapades event most R&B acts blow it up to be (“When you wake up/ It’s all fucked up”).

DL: “Tipsy” (alt)

Uncategorized aaliyah, belief, denmark, detroit, just jack, los angeles, los da mystro, mash-up, odds n ends, private, tayma loren, the-dream, wale

Drake and Nicki Minaj’s MVP mic turns and Lloyd’s candy-sweet hook on “BedRock” may provide some pleasant vocal accompaniment, but anyone with ears knows that the true star of the current Young Money smash is producer Kane Beatz.

His earworm-y, Playskool keyboard tinkerings is one of those beats that every rapper alive instantly wishes they could have had first (and one that, unfortunately, every unknown emcee and/ or singer alive looking for that big break will swipe for their bedroom-set YouTube “freestyles covers” for months come).

Of those handled by more…erm, established figures, we direct your attention to our two favorites so far: the around Christmas-leaked one from Wale (who we, somewhat sadly, enjoy a thousand-times more when he’s pushing something non-official album-associated) and a disappointingly brief turn at the bat from Twista, who, after oddly kicking things off with a “regular rap” style, makes the world right again with a quick re-adjustment to his signature, Speedy Gonzalez-like flow half-way through, landing in perfect tandem with the rapid pace of Beatz’ instrumental.

DL: Wale “BedRock (Freestyle)” (alt)

DL: Twista “BedRock (Freestyle)” (alt)

Uncategorized freestyle rap, kane beatz, twista, wale, young money

In it’s original context, Wale’s Tribe Called Quest “Award Tour”-referencing “World Tour” manages to be a better-than-average banger, with producers Cool & Dre spinning a triumphant, modern blaxploitation beat that’s every bit as energetic as Wale’s excited rhymes about the ups and downs of being an on-the-come-up rap star. A perfect choice for a single, everything about it bristles with a “you WILL like me” infectious hunger similar to Kanye West’s early output, and having Jazmine Sullivan around doing the soul-diva hook-chick thing makes for a nice cherry on top (even if she is a bit under-utilized here).

But we would be lying if we didn’t admit to digging this slickly polished Urban Noize remix a little more. Their decision to once again thaw out The Whispers’ “And The Best Goes On” as a backing sample choice is a brilliant move, the song’s feel-good ’80’s R&B-funk a nice compliment to the globe-trotting lifestyle Wale is going on about (And don’t worry, you’re not alone if you’re moved to dorkily chant “Welcome To Miami” at least once when listening to it).

Pick up the MP3 below, as well as Urban Noize’s remix to the R. Kelly/ Keri Hilson duet, “Number One”.

Wale’s debut Attention: Deficit is now set for a November 3rd release.

DL: “World Tour (Urban Noize Remix)” (alt)

DL: “Number One (Urban Noize Remix)” (alt)

Uncategorized 80's, cool & dre, jazmine sullivan, retro, the whispers, urban noize, wale

Wale excitingly recreates the jubilant mood of the African parties he attended in his youth (he’s of Nigerian blood) on the recently released “My Sweetie (Spray It)”, a feel-good party jam built on a sampling of Bunny Mack’s 1979 African disco classic “My Sweety, My Sugar (Let Me Love You)” that’s definitely got us re-inspired to cop his official debut Attention: Deficit after being left slightly underwhelmed by it’s uncomfortably radio-targeting jump-off single, “Chillin’”.

“If your last name’s got thirteen letters in it-this one’s for you”, Wale rhymes over the sample’s contagiously rhythmic merriment, revealing how he keeps parties live and nabs the finest ladies with ease while armed with his trusty Guinness and Dr. Pepper blend, “more green than Whole Foods” and pocket-bulging rolls of cash money he carelessly tosses into the air to rain on the ecstatic dancing masses like confetti.

After listening to this heat (helmed by the ill Apple Juice Kid, one up-and-coming producer it would be best to keep an eye on in the future), you’ll be begging for someone to make you their “plus one” to the next one of these functions.

Attention: Deficit drops October 20th.

DL: “My Sweetie (Spray It)” (alt)

Uncategorized 70's, africa, apple juice kid, disco, nigeria, party rap, soul sample, wale

Peter, Bjorn & John’s early ‘09 single “Nothing To Worry About” may have lacked an irresistable whistle hook for us to endlessly dig, but what it did house (the ferocious stomp-clap drum beat, that catchy-as-hell kiddie hook) was sufficient enough to guarantee it “instant favorite” status. The only problem? That nagging feeling that the production would have worked much better supporting a rapper’s sharp sixteens, rather than the band’s non-threatening indie chirps.

That fantasy becomes reality thanks to this awesome Kickdrums remix, the first taste of a forthcoming Mick Boogie-helmed remix(tape) of PB&J’s entire Living Thing album. Totally omitting PB&J’s presence, this 2.0 version instead plants the original’s best elements alongside the rhyming team of Wale, Young Chris and Rhymefest.

Not really the hip hop dream squad we would’ve first picked, but they service the joint just fine, especially Rhymefest, whose track-stealing ending verse (“‘At parties I part seas/ These partly emcees/ Could hardly tempt me/ You entry/ Level, beginner…”) only reminds us how sad it is that he remains such an underappreciated talent after all these years.

Look for Boogie’s Re-Living Thing on a blog near you on August 1st.

DL: “Nothing To Worry About (Kickdrums Remix)” (alt)

Uncategorized kickdrums, mixtape, peter bjorn & john, remix, rhymefest, wale, young chris

True, after loving Wale’s previous two mixtape triumphs, 2007’s 100 Miles & Running and the Seinfeld-themed, year-later follow-up The Mixtape About Nothing, the comparably bland lyrical input on his official major label debut, “Chillin” (not to mention the questionable choice of Lady GaGa as hook feature), kind-of deserved the underwhelmed reaction it initially received.

But after a few listens, and a coming-to-terms with the idea that this was meant to be rapper’s introduction to the less Web-affixed masses, “Chillin’” didn’t seem so bad; plus, it was hard to deny the song’s oddly tantalizing hip-pop mixture of Wale’s “Top Billin”‘ swag-jack, GaGa’s shameless M.I.A-biting and Cool & Dre’s lively production (winner of best use of a Steam sample in a year that’s saw the already overly-familiar “Na Na Na Na” tune become even more ubiquitious).

Previously MM-hyped DJ/ remixer/ producer Skratch Bastid helps elevates “Chillin’”’s level of appeal much further with a mega-sized-feeling revamp that cleverly interweaves nods to Wale’s D.C. birthplace (via it’s licking of Trouble Funk’s go-go classic “Let’s Get Small”) amongst other blink-and-you-miss-them snippets, ranging from “I Put A Spell On You” to “Paper Planes” to “Arab Money”, all inspired by select lines.

Look for Bastid’s new 110% mix CD to drop real soon, and try to catch him on his tour throughout Canada sometime this summer (see dates here). As for Wale, his long-awaited AllIDo/ Interscope debut, Attention: Deficit, is due sometime later this year.

Wale f/ Lady Gaga – Chillin’ (SKRATCH BASTID REMIX) from Skratch Bastid on Vimeo.

DL: “Chillin’ (Skratch Bastid Remix)” (alt)

Uncategorized go-go, lady gaga, old-school hip hop, remix, skratch bastid, wale, washington d.c.

An award-winning, yet modest R&B/ Pop success in his native Australia before achieving major UK fame last year thanks to guest vocalist duties on Wiley’s “Cash In My Pocket” and Mark Ronson’s universally-lauded remake of The Smiths’ “Stop Me”, blue-eyed soul-ster Daniel Merriweather is now ready to make a return trip to his original headlining role, his long-predicted superstar-to-be future teetering on the edge of fruition.

Perhaps aware that high pop chart placement and heavy radio saturation is likely a given no matter what he drops (especially with Mark on board), Merriweather has chosen to avoid the “easy hit” love ditty for his certain first solo smash, alternately deciding that he’d rather make his listeners think than swoon with social commentary-infused single “Change”.

But for all it’s message-carrying ambition, “Change”’s lyrics barely register with importance here, too overshadowed by the sublime magical recipe that is Daniel’s faultless soul tenor against Ronson’s horn-y Motown bounce-meets-Rawkus Records’ boom-bap score (with featured rapper Wale as the bonus dessert) to ever matter.

These two could theme a song around the horrors of head lice and it would still probably emerge a retro-glazed, soul-pop must-have.

Merriweather’s Love & War is due this Spring.

Daniel Merriweather feat . Wale ‘Change’

Uncategorized australia, blue-eyed soul, daniel merriweather, love & war, mark ronson, motown, retro, UK rap, UK soul, wale