Also, cop the album.

*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.

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

(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.

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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.

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

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

The backstory on this cat is pretty deep. He was killing this style on a pair of these when I first met him on the U Street scene almost 15 years ago:

That was back in the Amphibians days. Then he moved on to this:

Eventually he was hauling a whole desktop around to gigs, rocking an array of virtual samplers and synth modules and a MIDI controller. That’s just how mad scientists do. I think he’s on Reason now. But anyway, you know this joint, right? Blackberry Jones + Asheru + Heron Gibran = Black Lincolns.

Blackberry Jones, previously known as Aychell made a bunch of amazing music with this guy that never came out.

They were called K.H.E.Mystery. They both rapped and did beats. Did you know that Slimkat78 (of The Els and Op Swamp 81, formerly known as Akuaman) used to rhyme? You should ask him about it. He was quite good. I have a lot of that stuff in the archives. And now you have some too, thanks to Rule4080.com.

To close, I’ll leave you with Blackberry’s classic Dilla tribute.

I think I’m going to have to do more posts like this. Joey and Shatungwa say so too. Folks talk about DMV hip-hop and have no concept of history.

DJ Dredd and DJ Stylus back like we never left with the classic and vintage hip-hop styles.
Friday, December 18
Black Cat backstage
1811 14th St. NW WDC 20009
9pm/$7
dress code: Doowhatchyalike

Diamond D – “The Hiatus”

Pulling this out last week was prescient since Refuge is taking a week off.

Kat is in the middle of her birthday week, is closing out Soul Overdose for 2009 and there was no way we could do the final one any other day than Wednesday. We’re suspending Refuge tomorrow and will resume on December 23. Of course, we’ve got a Grammy nominee to help you get over the hump and maybe a dual Soul Controller after party to boost the usual Jahsonic throwdown.

Soul Overdose with N’digo Rose, DJ Jahsonic and special guest Phonte

Wednesday, December 16
LIV
2001 11th St NW
doors: 9PM
tickets available at LilSoSo.com
door purchase availability NOT GUARANTEED.

Download his new project for free and thank us both. Listening to this album has TRULY been a breath of fresh air for me today. We need as many of these in hip-hop as we can get.

My fave hip-hop out of the continent so far has been from Senegal and South Africa along with a healthy dose of K’Naan but between M.anifest and Blitz the Ambassador, Ghana’s about to smash on bammas.

Oh yeah, Blitz. THIS guy…

If I’m “tardy for the party” I blame “you Africans” – © Fela (you know who you are) for not putting me on. Shame on you in advance if so. You know I need constant infusions of happiness inducing blackness to counteract this coonery out here.

I played back-to-back classic hip-hop parties this past weekend. I teamed up with two of my favorite DJ colleagues in DC, we had a blast and smashed on both nights but the crowds couldn’t have been more different. One crowd was full of serious heads who got more excited the deeper we went in the mix. The other crowd was more diverse, significantly younger, and only really moved by the same hits that everyone knows. One party-goer described my set from that night as “hybrid house jazzy hip hop.” Pete Rock in particular got a thumbs down and I double-checked the track list for house music but couldn’t find any.

I was reminded that when it comes to hip-hop these days, most people have no idea what the fuck they’re talking about.

Not exactly breaking news, I know.

When I was younger and wore hip-hop like a shield of identity, I’d be quick to check you on hip-hop dogma, then I’d strike a b-boy pose. Now that I’m getting older, I’ve started to feel like something was wrong with me. Like I’m the fuddy-duddy who refuses to change with the times. Talking to folks, reading these websites and being in the DJ booth trenches with my comrades are making me realize it’s not me.

This isn’t about people showing up to The Main Ingredient and requesting Gucci Mane with a straight face. The folks in that alternate dimension who think the world revolves around “swag”, tattoos and Patron are a separate discussion and might as well be on another planet. I’m talking about the folks who ride for hip-hop as hard as I used to, except their zeal is fueled by ignorance.

Hip-hop raised me and molded me but on my journey as a DJ and creative soul, I’m always adding new sounds, styles and genres to my portfolio of experience. Ultimately I’m a music person. I always seek to paint from an ever widening palette whether I’m spinning records or making them. I no longer identify myself as hip-hop, pretty much because no matter what I do, it’ll always BE hip-hop. It’s a lens that shapes my perception outside of my conscious awareness. It’s my internal rhythm. It’s not something that I have to proclaim or debate. It’s something I’ve lived so long that it’s like breathing, yet it’s still one dimension among many that I can access when expressing myself musically.

You don’t have to have the same experience in order to love hip-hop. You don’t have to spend 20 years and tens of thousands of dollars collecting records. You don’t have make a pilgrimage to the Bronx or perfect a six-step. I understand being zealous about hip-hop. The difference between my experience and what I’m seeing today is the lack of humility about what you DON’T know.

For instance. I love jazz. I started learning about it in high school. I’ve been to a lot of shows and collected a lot of music. I’ve even performed with jazz musicians. But I’d never critique an expert jazz musician without knowing what I was talking about backwards and forwards. So out of all the assholes that regularly give us grief in the DJ booth, why are the most rabid ones almost always on some hip-hop related bullshit?

These days people have a surface grasp of hip-hop combined with a warped sense of entitlement. And there’s a significant thirst for validation involved too. I don’t know if it’s really about the music or the times we live in. The latter is influential, because there seems to be a correlation between talking loud and saying nothing about hip-hop and the ease with which people feel comfortable spouting off on the internet. But I focus on the music because that’s where I’m most engaged.

What is it about hip-hop makes those with the least to say speak loudest? Why are you too lazy to care about anything beyond the same 20 records that we’ve caning to death for 20 years? Maybe it’s because no one listens to albums anymore. I thought I no longer cared but it still gets to me sometimes.

Here are some highlights of the set I rocked after Zo!’s show & tell time.

Vibe Conductor Pick:

Strange Fruit Project – “Fresh For Life” feat. Thesis

I’ve been following these guys since Soul Travelin’ when hearing hip-hop in this style out of Texas was rare. After a long hiatus as a group while beatmaker S1 racked up production credits, they’re serving up a new EP that forecasts good things for them in the near future. Check out the first video from the M.A.S.K. EP and a highlight from their last full-length project.

Peoples’ Pick:

Electric Wire Hustle – “Perception”

That classic Minnie Riperton sample made an appearance in week 1 and will never get old as long as it’s flipped properly. The music blogosphere can sometimes smother a new artist with adoration before they prove that they deserve the hype. In the case of Electric Wire Hustle, I’ll hop on the bandwagon with everyone else and not be ashamed. When Uncle Q led a stream of folks to the booth for a round of “Who’s that’s”, I knew this was the audience pick. This electronic/organic trio joins forward looking soul artists already representing New Zealand on the international stage like Mark de Clive-Lowe, Lanu and Fat Freddy’s Drop, to name but a few. Get like them.

Nostalgia Pick:

Mighty Ryeders – “Evil Vibrations”

Just occasionally reminding folks of songs that they know, but don’t know that they know.

Digging In The Crates Pick:

Loose Ends – “Don’t Be A Fool”

“Hangin’ On A String” was inescapable but I didn’t explore the rest of Loose End’s catalog until high school when I played my Look How Long tape until it crumbled into dust. Then I came up on the cd and wore the grooves out on that. If I had seen this performance when it aired I would have DIED.

Next week: Pre-Turkey Day Jam, house party style.

After experiencing 30 of the DMV’s best DJs and emcees trace hip-hop’s 30 year journey with a multimedia performance, party with me and DJ 2-Tone Jones for S.O.A.R..

It’s just what the name says:

Samples, Originals And Remixes.
Saturday, Nov. 21
Almaz
1212 U Street NW, WDC
10pm – 3am
$5 with concert ticket stub all night and $10 before midnight.

Actually, you can take a trip in the wayback machine and relive the last time Dredd & Stylus hit the decks as a team. It was quite an evening.

I’m pretty psyched to be a guest at Close 2 The Edge again. Real hip-hop all night. Not the same old school hip-hop starter kit. This is for the heads.

Close 2 the Edge
Friday, Nov. 20
Doors at 9pm
Music by DJ Dredd & DJ Stylus
Dress Code: B-boy/B-girl
Black Cat
1811 14th Street NW, WDC
cover: $7

Vibe Conductor Pick:

Kaidi Tatham – “I’m High”

This song almost broke my iPod’s repeat feature. The album was only released in Japan so it can be difficult to track down but diligence will reward you. Kaidi Tatham is the Herbie Hancock of broken beat. In the seven years since his last solo project as Agent K, he’s blessed us with DKD, Silhouette Brown, 2000 Black and a gang of features, remixes and collaborations. Google all those names, he has more than a few. Jazz chops combined with electronic techniques and soulful sensibilities – that’s where the magic happens.

Peoples’ Pick:

Benny Sings – “Unconditional Love”

If you didn’t know about all the soul in the Netherlands, there’s always time to catch up. It’s hard to describe Benny Sings to folks who haven’t heard him, but they always ask “Who is this?” This video is more helpful than any description.

Nostalgia Pick:

The Brand New Heavies feat. Grand Puba – “Who Makes The Loot?”

Classic Hilfiger and backpack flavor! I sure wouldn’t be mad at a Heavy Rhyme Experience vol. 2.

Digging In The Crates Pick:

Kashif – “I Just Gotta Have You (Lover Turn Me On)”

I’m also healing relationships at Refuge. You didn’t know?

Working on something special for next week with someone who’s got a hot hand in the game right now.

And of course, the first single’s been kragenoff. Did you catch the Vibe Conductor cameo?

And then there’s that new Kev Brown vid. Shot by Apex. Edited by the Humble Monarch himself, young Roderick.

*throws up dubs*

“Beer” got me chuckling.

Available through all the usual online outlets.

We gave the record a test drive on WPFW last week.

1. Outkast – You May Die
2. Quincy Jones – Summer in the City
3. Zansika – Beyond
4. Quintessence – Delirious
5. DJ Spinna – Summer Madness feat. Fresh Daily & Daniel Joseph
6. Roddy Rod – This Time Around feat. Phonte & Carlitta Durand
7. M64 – Rhythm of the Drum
8. Minnie Riperton – Inside My Love
9. Slakah the Beatchild – D.A.N.C.E.
10. Lewis Taylor – Lovelight
11. Bennson – Let The Love
12. Janet Jackson – And On and On
13. Azymuth – Dear Limmertz
14. Real to Reel – Love Me Like This
15. Basia – New Day For You
16. Reel People – Ordinary Man
17. The Rebirth – Love Issue
18. Metro Area – Piña
19. Omar – Little Boy (Jaycee in da Mix)
20. Anthony Nicholson – Dirty Soul (Can’t Lift It)
21. Pirahnahead & Diviniti – Music
22. Zaki Ibrahim – Money (King Britt rmx)
23. Jeremy Ellis – Kissed By The Sun
24. Yaminah – 7 Days (Pirahnahead Remix Mellopella)
25. Yaminah – 7 Days (Pirahnahead Remix)

Nope, no download link.

This one’s only available for now on a special USB drive you can get by attending events in the LiL SoSo Productions/Smirnoff “Be You” series. The drives serve as discount passes to the events in the series, including Soul Overdose with Yahzarah and Inside The Artist’s Studio with N’Dambi. Get your USB drive at the Yahzarah event and be the first to have her new mixtape in addition to my new mix.

We’ll be giving out some drives at The Main Ingredient at Marvin on Monday and also watch Kat of LSP’s Twitter for giveaway opportunities.

July 6, 2009
9 PM :: HHTF OPENING NIGHT PARTY
Marvin
2007 14th Street, NW WDC
no cover, 21+

Anyway, after the spring pledge drive, I did a bit of traveling so I haven’t been on the show for a while. Here’s where I make it up to everyone.

6/11/09 – WPFW 89.3 FM/Decipher

Jake One feat. Elzhi & Royce 5’9″ – Glow
Jay-Z – D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)
Mos Def – Pretty Danger
Diamond District – I Mean Business

*break*

Fashawn – The Outer City
Theory Hazit – Time Turning

*break*

DJ Spinna – Summer Madness
Spec Boogie – Bed Stuy
Reflection Eternal – Back Again

*break*

Mos Def – Casa Bey
Diamond District – Make It Clear
M.O.P. – Blow The Horns

May 24, 2009
8pm – 3am
The Westbury
34 Kilburn High Rd
London, UK
cover: £5

Uprock Recordings Sound System
DJ Pogo
Pursuit Grooves
DJ Stylus

As soon as the first stanktastic bar kicked in, I bugged, and not just because Dante was rhyming like Ali hitting the speed bag in his prime. This bamma pulled a Ghostface and straight rhymed over a whole existing song! One of my favorite songs by a group I first got hip to on my trip to Brazil last year. Vinyl heads on the internets were already on the case, digging up the original Banda Black Rio joint for comparison.

I would have known about this if I actually went to Mos Def shows because he’s been rocking this joint live for like the past five months. At this point, I wouldn’t be mad if he did a whole album rhyming over funky, contrapuntal jazz fusion classics. Some Return to Forever maybe? Weather Report? Head Hunters! Let’s go!

But before I get carried away, let’s take a moment to trace the origins of a tune that Mos also discovered (and kirked out over) on a trip to Brazil.

“Casa Forte” was originally written and recorded by Edú Lobo for his North American debut Sergio Mendes Presents Edú Lobo. Lobo was already pushing the development of Musica Popular Brasileira after building on the work of Jobim and Gilberto but despite his important contributions to bossa nova, his acoustic rendering of “Casa Forte” takes a back seat to the many cover versions of what is now a standard.

A few of my favorites:

Sergio Mendes gives it a pretty straight interpretation, but with the trademark vocal style of Brasil ’66. (listen / buy)

Legendary vocalist Flora Purim‘s take is less pretty and a bit psychedelic. She gives the tune a wild edge. (listen / buy)

Ellis Regina lends a slightly mournful feel to her version and her rhythm section sounds like they’d also been playing some bop over the course of the recording session. (listen / buy)

Madlib teamed up with original Azymuth drummer Ivan “Mamão” Conti for the Jackson Conti project. Their rendition of “Casa Forte” puts the samba percussion up front and features what sounds like a melodica running through a wah pedal carrying the main melody of the tune. Probably Madlib’s idea. While he was high. Loving the keyboard work on this. (listen / buy)

And finally, DMV beat scientist Nick Tha 1da snuck in a version of “Casa Forte” on his Bossa Bang! mixtape last year. Since it’s a seamless combination of vinyl finds and re-worked productions, I’ve had the damnedest time ID’ing the origin*. Maybe I’ll ask him next time I see him. I ain’t too proud to train-spot. Click the cover above to download the whole project.

Update:
*Nick came through! Crate-diggers never reveal their secrets, but I guess he was feeling generous that day. Dig up a copy of this record and you’ll find another unique Casa Forte to add to your collection.

Nyle “Let The Beat Build” from Nyle on Vimeo.

Reminds me of jumping into the U Street scene with my peers 15 years ago, with all that earnestness and heart combined with raw talent. But now the yoots have a 21st century grasp of leveraging new media.

It’s crazy to see kids venerating what I was living when I was their age.

But it’s also a much needed cynicism check. Makes me feel like the old uncle at the barbecue smiling warmly on the chirrens. Especially when I usually want to shake all the Metro youngins walking around like this.

As my age cohort passes into veteran status, I’ve known kids like this in DC (who are all growed up now) but I didn’t know where else they existed.

I sound like I should start shopping for a rocking chair.

I’ve hinted here and there about this jazz project I’ve been involved in. The cat’s officially out of the bag now. Check out the myspace page for E44 and give a listen to our EP in the music player.

Res with E44 & DJ Stylus
April 23, 2009, 8:30 pm
Liv
2001 14th St NW, WDC
$20