DJ Stylus – The Vibe Conductor

Coming out of semi-retirement to dust off the old turntables and mics. Getting back in the saddle again has been like a heist film, except no one is going to die.

Also, cop the album.

It’s not categorized. I only mention albums in passing. It’s not even comprehensive. So much music is released that I can only fully assimilate a trickle of it. These are just ten eleven* joints I liked a lot, played a lot or both. But here’s where my expert concierge service comes in. Every track on this list will touch your soul in some way. Quality always wins over quantity. You can consult your favorite publications and blogs for those massive lists that attempt to be everything to everyone. Some of them are very good. This is just a small slice of 2011 music according to The Vibe Conductor. You can review past years if you’re curious. And now, the joints:

*Nas – “Nasty”

After I posted this, I was reminded that I left off a song I raved about in 2011. That’s because I created this list in hasty, sleep deprived fashion. This correction is a good thing mainly because I noticed that my 2011 list had fewer anthems that made me want to kick strangers in the chest. I’m not always in my subtle, soulful, sexy lane. While Nas isn’t saying anything profound on this track, he’s just saying it profoundly. And the beat is everything that’s good and just in hip-hop. I was never one of the whiners who wished Nasty Nas would return. I just resolved myself to not expecting much from him, but when he wildly exceeded those expectations I was paying attention again. Was a bit let down by the cliché video but it’s still a monster tune.

Thundercat – “For Love I Come”

Still a few years from 30, Steve “Thundercat” Bruner is shaking up the world of modern bass playing, excelling in roles as varied as Erykah Badu and Suicidal Tendencies while anchoring a unit of LA’s most forward thinking soulful music makers. Flying Lotus helped him craft The Golden Age Of Apocalypse, a love letter to jazz fusion and an open canvas of new textures. “Walking” gets the nod from most of the folks who turned me on to the record but this George Duke cover blows my wig back every time.

King – “Supernatural”

These three ladies conquered the world this year with only three songs. I was at a loss for words when I first heard “Supernatural”. Fortunately my man John Murph explains it much better.

Pharoahe Monch – “Still Standing” feat. Jill Scott

I probably had the most visceral emotional reaction to this song than any other I’ve heard this year. I’m just so thankful that Pharoahe Monch is still so ridiculously ill. This song is the sonic definition of triumphant.

Illvibe Collective – “Medicine Men Featuring A.R.M.”

I remember when this was a quick snippet from a lil’dave beat tape. I played it like it was a released track. Then IllVibe finally dropped the album they’d long promised to make, and the finished version exceeded my expectations. African emcees are not just the future anymore, they’re the right now. Glad that IllVibe had the foresight to grab a few of my favorites for this much played cut.

Phonte – “Who Loves You More” feat. Eric Roberson

I was thinking really hard on what a true grown man hip-hop record would sound like and could only think of a handful of albums that have fierce lyricism, musicality and mature themes that address adult concerns. Then Phonte dropped Charity Starts At Home and I felt like that album was created specifically for myself and my peers.

TiRon & Ayomari – “All My Love” feat. Yummy Bingham

A Sucker For Pumps renewed my faith that hip-hop can exist that appeals to the sensibilities of my generation while formed from the aesthetics of the current one. I hope these cats lead the way. I caned the Yummy Bingham jam at every gig I’ve had since it dropped. Now I can drool over her cameo in the vid.

Dego – “Pushing You To Begin” feat. Ferraz

And thus I begin the black Brit section of this list. Anyone who knows me knows I’ve done some of my finest stannery over the years for cats from this scene, and Dego is a god of it. 4hero, DKD, Silhouette Brown, 2000Black, and finally his own solo project. I struggled with choosing one tune as the album is such a unified whole. You have to experience it that way.

Omar & Zed Bias – “Dancing”

A party demolition bomb. The scenes in the video are what I strive for whenever I get on the decks. Perfection. I can’t imagine what bacchanal madness this inspired at Carnival. It sure did smash Sol Power every time we dropped it.

Donae’o – “I”

After assaulting the dance with “Party Hard” for the last couple of years, I was intrigued when the R&B/UK Funky vocalist dropped this soul stirring anthem on the venerable Strictly Rhythm label. It’s a nice spiritual balance to the club persona in his mainstream music. Sean Mccabe’s remix is embedded here but I’m most partial to the original.

Mark de Clive-Lowe – “The Why” feat. Nia Andrews

A profoundly sexy song. Stuck on repeat for me this year beyond the point that can be defined as obsessive. Mark’s club mix just takes it to another place, as if it were possible to increase the seduction factor. Nia Andrews says yes, it is.

No, Skillz isn’t doing one this year.

And I’m not writing a long treatise about the hippity-hop. This 2010 Pitchfork piece still has that covered.

These are just the last couple of things I wrote that happen to pertain to rappers, and I hadn’t yet posted them here although it’s almost 2012.

Wait, before you read these, make sure you own this album. It’s one of the best favors you can do for yourself if beats, rhymes and heart still matter. DC stand up..

Oh yeah, my crew dropped an album this year too. I think it’s really good. And that’s not just because I was involved. DC stand up… again always.

Aaaand… these guys too. I’m really proud to say they’re part of the DMV. Good brothers, good music, hard work paying off.

Check the vid for “You Don’t Have to Be A Star” and the remix featuring Bahamadia, Monie Love and MC Lyte (!!!)

Ok, now for the other stuff I was talking about…

In concert: G-Side at DC9 (The Washington Post)

I was pleasantly surprised by this duo and had to do an internal reassessment of my feelings on where southern hip-hop is these days. Wish that happened more often.

Common’s Growing Pains (The Root)

Wasn’t feeling Rashid too tough this time around, but I want more from hip-hop, not just from him.

Been inserted into the Marvin week day rotation a few times lately, and since I’ve been getting lounge crowds more suited to hanging out than raving, I’ve been playing Refuge style sets… and enjoying it. Hope you dig it too. There are a few more of these on the hard drive that I’ll share in coming weeks.

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Tuesday night at Marvin: a Refuge special (pt. 1)

The Roots – Spain (ft. Chick Corea)
Matt Hudson – Trippin’ On Your Love
Kaidi Tatham – On A Vibe
Nicky Thomas – Soul Power
James Brown – Lowdown Popcorn
Randolph – Golden Days
The Memphis Horns – Soul Bowl
Monty Alexander - Love And Happiness
Tony Allen – Pariwo
Omar – Ghana Emotion
Amel Larrieux – Nadie Mas (CASAMENA Kitchen RMX)
Oddisee – Viva Brasil
Dorothy Ashby – Canto de Ossanha
Herbie Hancock – Trust Me
Jill Scott – High Post Brotha feat. Common
Oddisee – All Because She’s Gone feat. Phonte (clean)
King – The Story
Frank Ocean – songs for women
Kev Brown – What Ruling Means (feat. Grap Luva)
Dwele – Too Fly
DJ Day – Sunday
A Tribe Called Quest – 1nce Again feat. Tammy Lucas
Nas ft. AZ – Life’s a Bitch/Doonit
The ARE – Lyrics To Stay
Donwill – I See You ft Ragen Fykes

Boot Camp Clik’s full-speed marathon – The Washington Post

(aka The Day Job).

Hearty congratulations are due to a crew who have survived 15 years in a business that eats souls, and managed to create a few certified hip-hop classics in the process.

Yup. Back at it. And it’s Ed‘s birthday too. Even got a new podcast for you from the last time we were there.

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Wednesday, Sept. 1
10pm
U Street Music Hall
1115 U Street NW, WDC
<<< FREE ALL NIGHT, 18+ >>>

A bourgie around-the-way girl intellectual friend who retains a taste for the ‘hood and overthinks music as much as I do passed on an essay deconstructing the popularity of Rick Ross’ “B.M.F. (Blowing Money Fast)” among those who should know better. “But it’s just good, ignorant Negroidian fun,” my friend countered. I can relate, as I’m prone to enjoy a brilliant robbery anthem from time to time, even though I’m no fan of actual robberies. Then I came across an amusing B.M.F. YouTube spoof.

The only thing the original and the parody have in common is they underscored how puzzled I am about the song’s huge appeal.

Yes, I know that you know that I’m no Rozay fan. But in order to slow my descent into fogey-dom, I did give Teflon Don a thorough listen after patently ignoring Rawse’s entire ascent to the top of the rap game. And you know what? There are actually some certified joints. B.M.F. just isn’t one of them.

“Super High” is textbook drop-top music that sounds like DJ Quik at the top of his powers with Dr. Dre‘s Chronic era session personnel. “No. 1″ is what club bangers used to be before the term was rendered toothless by snap music’s anemic spawn. “Maybach Music 3″ is sweepingly cinematic and “Free Mason” displays some conceptual flair. There is occasional decent rapping to be found in all of these songs.

But B.M.F? A tedious dirge at best. The cheesy orchestral synth patch and 808 combo is little more than a tortured droning, but the trend shows no sign of stopping. The verses bore after one rotation. And frankly, after 20 years of rappers adopting the names of every gangster and despot from Pablo Escobar to The Taliban and even Al Qaeda, I think the super criminal nickname swag can be laid to rest.

And the tempo? Can hip-hop get any slower in the 21st century? We’ll have to start measuring it not in BPM’s (beats per minute) but in SPB’s (syllables per bar). I think B.M.F. may average a good 12 SPB at most. Bamma might as well just be doing spoken word. More importantly, how the fuck do you dance to this shit? Would dougie-ing be appropriate?

Maybe I’m just old and don’t understand modern conspicuous consumption, fantasy rap. The simplest explanation is usually the most likely, even though I still love me some conspicuous consumption, fantasy rap.

Me and Lil’ Big Dredd back at it again with the younger soul brother Grap Luva.

Classic b-boy, Timberland, Puma suit, shelltoe Adidas, chewstick, Carhartt, backpack, Coogi sweater, Dickies and Chucks, Cazal, creased Levi rap.

Friday, May 21, 2010
10pm
cover: $7
The Black Cat
1811 14th Street NW, WDC

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1. Gil Scott Heron – Intro
2. Ohmega Rhed – Chocolate City
3. Wayna – So Long Heartache
4. Chuck Brown – Playing Your Game, Baby
5. Raheem Devaughn & Backyard Band – Guess Who Loves You More
6. MVP – Feelin’ Free
7. Ne’a Posey – Gotta Be
8. Priest da Nomad feat. Asheru & Kokayi – Holding It Down
9. Ne’a Posey & PPP – You Should Be
10. Ave.To – Sand To The Beach
11. Oddisee feat. yU – Searching
12. Tamara Wellons – Corcovado rmx
13. Kenny Allen – Kissing You
14. Kokayi – Own Soul
15. Kev Brown feat. Raheem Devaughn – Heaven
16. Muhsinah – Once Again
17. RPM – Poetry Bum
18. Nicholas Ryan Gant & Pharcyde feat. Amma – I Ain’t Ready
19. Bilal Salaam – Metro Groove
20. DJ Stylus – O Fim Dos Tempos
21. Unspoken Heard – Truly Unique
22. JLaine, TFox & Wes Felton – Don’t Really Know
23. Kev Brown – Allways
24. Kokayi & Foreign Exchange – Where Did The Love Go?
25. Marky, Jazzanova & Clara Hill – No Use

Last year I did a happy hour with SoulBounce and put together a collection of DMV soul that was created before Beltway outsiders extended long overdue acknowledgement.

[I really miss Vegetate. | photo credit: Ne'a Posey]

It was only given out on site to folks who attended the party and has languished on my hard drive since then. It’s not that undiscovered new-newness, but a collection of modern DC soul that leans toward the indie and progressive. The main names of the scene over the past decade are included as well as a few bits you might have missed. And of course, there’s a taste of go-go. Without it, this mix would be improper.

I noticed a strong connection between the vibes on this mix and our current combination of warm sun, cool breezes and mild temperatures. I highly recommend this mix for the following activities:

- cruising in the sunshine
- relaxing at a cook-out
- Friday evening pre-gaming
- Saturday morning bunning-up
- Sunday afternoon housecleaning
- hipping people to DMV music
- flaunting your good taste when you pull up next to a cutie at a red light

I still do the rappity-rap music with those other two guys. I forgive you if maybe you forgot. Some young fans actually took to a sort of bizarre hunger strike where they attempted to live solely on nutrition provided by our previous releases to pressure us to give them new songs.

They win.

Here’s an actual album cover:

And tracklisting:

And here’s a song with some R&B guy you may have heard before.

[POEM-CEES - "Honor" feat. Smokey Temptation]
Everything You’ve Always Wanted… 2010