I grew up with The Commodores’ music.
I remember Three Times a Lady played near the end of parties and on radio.
I distinctly remember Lionel Richie too because he sang lead on the big ballad.
I remember Endless Love with Diana Ross too.
That signaled the end of his run with The Commodores.
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - Mecca & The Soul Brother
f the nearly 80 minutes of hip hop brilliance weren’t enough, there are remixes that can, on most occasions, top the album versions.
One Friday night while fighting sleep, I was listening to a local radio program and heard For Pete’s Sake for the first time in basically 20 years. I had not listened to the Mecca & The Soul Brother in its entirety since its release.
I remember how amazed I was when I heard For Pete’s Sake for the first time. The song was out of this world to me. If memory serves, it is among the first half a dozen songs on the Mecca & The Soul Brother album. I was unable to identify sample sources at that time of my life. Although there were remixes and other productions prior, I believe it was after hearing that song that I understood just how good a producer Pete Rock is.
They don’t make hip hop albums or music like that anymore.
The Suite Delight new time slot is Tuesday morning 2-3am EST on www.ckut.ca & 90.3 FM.
If you haven't already, please make yourself familiar with the link below for more of your favorite show and mine.
The Suite Delight - December 17, 2013 (2):
1. Jemini The Gifted One – Funk Soul Sensation (Godfather Mix)
2. Large Professor – Ijuswannachill
3. Lord Finesse – Return of the Funky Man (Remix)
4. Ice-T – Mind Over Matter (Remix)
5. DJ Jazzy Jeff – She Was So Flyy feat. Kardinal Offishall
6. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – The Creator (Slide To The Side Mix)
7. The Roots – Here I Come
8. Gang Starr – Form Of Intellect
9. Planet Asia – Whirlwind Patterns
10. Wu-Tang Clan – Method Man
11. Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo – Money In The Bank
12. Big Pun – How We Roll ‘98
13. A Tribe Called Quest – Can I Kick It?
1. Jemini The Gifted One – Funk Soul Sensation (Godfather Mix)
2. Large Professor – Ijuswannachill
3. Lord Finesse – Return of the Funky Man (Remix)
4. Ice-T – Mind Over Matter (Remix)
5. DJ Jazzy Jeff – She Was So Flyy feat. Kardinal Offishall
6. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – The Creator (Slide To The Side Mix)
7. The Roots – Here I Come
8. Gang Starr – Form Of Intellect
9. Planet Asia – Whirlwind Patterns
10. Wu-Tang Clan – Method Man
11. Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo – Money In The Bank
12. Big Pun – How We Roll ‘98
13. A Tribe Called Quest – Can I Kick It?
Heart
Similar to Joan Jett, Heart too was a big group for me while growing up.
Ann Wilson is one of most powerful vocalists in rock. I’ve had a weakness for her voice and beauty for years.
I was amazed to learn that Jimmy Page was among Nancy Wilson's greatest guitar influences. I feel Barracuda is an hommage to Led Zeppelin now that I think of it.
D-Nice
In 1990, D-Nice’s album dropped and had many a jam on it.
The organ breakdown of Call Me D-Nice drove me wild. I sometimes couldn’t wait for him to finish rhyming so I could hear it.
TR-808 is Coming was another favorite with KRS-One on the hook and that hypnotic, slow rhythm.
I had a hard time choosing between And You Don’t Stop and It’s All About Me as the conclusion to my high school yearbook blurb. I always felt And You Don’t Stop was too short a song and that he should have rhymed for a longer period of time. Mind you, if there was ever a case for short but sweet, that one verse defends and closes it. In this day and age of hip hop, a good number of acts can’t do in 3 verses what D-Nice did with one.
Going back to the title track, D-Nice was never more lyrically ferocious than on that single. Considering what he rhymed over, I believe he had no choice but to attack the track and do it justice. He does that and more.
I played all of those songs I just listed since my return to Concordia University's radio station in 2006. I realize I did not play many tracks from his second album because I never owned a copy and no longer have the copy I owned in 1991.
My search for vinyl copies of D-Nice’s albums continues even though I may have forgotten that I was on that quest. I presume if I came to face-to-face of the CDs/albums, I would have gotten the reminder then.
As a member of legendary hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, D-Nice has produced many tracks and memories for most people of my generation. He was participant and witness to many events fans may not have been privy to know as well. He acts as hip hop historian with his True Hip Hop Stories series.
Call Me D-Nice celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
Call Me D-Nice celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
The Suite Delight new time slot is Tuesday morning 2-3am EST on www.ckut.ca & 90.3 FM.
If you haven't already, please make yourself familiar with the link below for more of your favorite show and mine.
Click here to download the podcast and more.
Click here to download the podcast and more.
Jeff Mills
I stated enthusiastically that Theo Parrish’s Mutek DJ set was the best DJ set I had ever experienced. I wasn’t completely aware of how true my words were until Mutek 2012.
Weeks prior to Mutek, I bought a DVD about legendary techno music figure Jeff Mills that I have yet to watch. I had first seen his name connected to a DJ compilation series. The track listing was the extent to my knowledge about Jeff Mills. I recognized some of the artists and titles and perceived him to be a DJ in the vein of Theo Parrish, Nicky Siano or possibly Kenny Dope.
The young man that sold me the DVD at the record convention was the first to inform me that Jeff Mills was more linked to techno music more than the 1980s R&B music I saw on the CD track listing. When I walked into Metropolis to catch Jeff Mills’ Mutek performance, I did indeed learn that.
I am not the biggest fan of techno music.I went to see Jeff Mills with as open a mind possible because if anyone could have changed my mind about techno music, it very well could have been him.
Mills’ set was so lengthy I was able to leave Metropolis after I had heard enough techno and return later that evening for another round. Just as dubstep tests my limits as far as electro music is concerned, I can only take so much techno. It appears I would need to subject myself to a techno tutorial of some sorts to better enjoy the music.
Considering that I have a DVD dedicated to Jeff Mills within arms’ reach, I presume it is indeed the tutorial that could help me tolerate techno music. The only issue is when I will actually sit myself down to watch it.
The last question I have about Jeff Mills is whether I should have seen the DVD and developed a liking for techno music prior to that night at Metropolis to know what I missed. Time, and a potential retraction in the form of a blog post post-DVD viewing, will reveal.
Doin’ It In The Park: Pick-Up Basketball, New York City (2012)
I had no idea that Bobbito Garcia had directed a film that explores the history, culture, and social impact of New York’s summer b-ball scene.
Rialto Theater screened Doin’ It In The Park: Pick-Up Basketball, New York City in February 2014 and I was pleased to have seen the documentary.
Tupac Shakur
As much as All Eyez On Me is my favorite album in Tupac Shakur’s discography, if it had not been for my listening to Me Against The World, this blog post probably would never have been written.
I respected what Tupac had done with regards to rhyming and acting but paid it no real mind. I owned none of his music but was cool with it. Considering I was not there or knew none of the real factors leading to when he was shot in New York, I felt for him.
When he recovered from the injury and embarked on his anti-East Coast hip hop campaign, I was torn because it nearly pitted me against myself. I understood the instinct to wage war on his “enemies”. The issue is that his “enemies” were in the East Coast hip hop army, the spiritual soldiers I would have enlisted to join or team I would wish to be drafted to.
I naturally was primed to listen to the 1996 double 2CD with a different ear and point of view. At present, I would state All Eyez On Me is the best hip hop double CD recorded to date. I was more than satisfied with the first CD and barely reached for the second. It was also the first Tupac CD to enter my collection to be joined with Me Against The World, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory and Remember Me.
By the summer of 1996, my East Coast hip hop bias would have had me in the corner of the late Notorious B.I.G. during the beef between him and Tupac Shakur. However, I was a little more informed about the music of both camps and knew the strengths and weaknesses of both artists.
The deaths of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac were tragic, unfortunate and the consequences are still felt in hip hop today. With Tupac, in particular, I realized that hip hop lost one of its most prolific poets. I miss Tupac like many of his fans and admirers. The void left behind from his death is impossible to fill. Hip hop could use someone with half of the charisma and mystic of Tupac Shakur right now. Unfortunately, that is what we’ve been left with since September 13, 1996.
If you haven't already, please make yourself familiar with the link below for more of your favorite show and mine.
Below is the 2013 CKUT Funding Drive podcast to bring you up to speed. Click here to download it and more.
The Suite Delight - April 8 2014 Playlist:
1. Big L - Put It On feat. Kid Capri
2. Common - Resurrection
3. O.C. - Time's Up
4. Big Pun - Super Lyrical feat. Black Thought
5. 2Pac - Ambitionz of a Ridah
6. Jay-Z - This Can't Be Life feat. Scarface
7. Gang Starr - Just To Get A Rep
8. Nice & Smooth - Early To Rise
9. The Beatnuts - Off The Books
10. Cypress Hill - Hits From The Bong
11. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - Mecca & The Soul Brother
12. Black Moon - I Got Cha Opin
13. Smif-N-Wessun - Bucktown
14. Nas - The World Is Yours (Remix)
Ice Cube
I was never the biggest West Coast hip hop fan. I didn't care for the profanity. They lacked the lyrics I was looking for and got from East Coast hip hop.
Ice Cube managed to change my mind with his debut. The Bomb Squad were involved with the album, which cushioned the blow so to speak, but I learned to appreciate Ice Cube as an artist. He outdid himself on Death Certificate.
Who would have thought Ice Cube would do the equivalent of Marvin Gaye by recording a concept album? Death Certificate dealt with topics affecting the Black community like gang violence and took time to reveal the truth about his days with NWA. I almost never went a day without hearing that album. This was Ice Cube at his most self-reflective and I was on his side up until Bootlegs & B-Sides.
The Suite Delight new time slot is Tuesday morning 2-3am EST on www.ckut.ca & 90.3 FM.
If you haven't already, please make yourself familiar with the link below for more of your favorite show and mine.
Below are some playlists of podcasts to bring you up to speed. Click here to download them and more.
Below are some playlists of podcasts to bring you up to speed. Click here to download them and more.
The Suite Delight - 2014-05-13 Playlist:
1. Ice Cube - Check Yo Self (Remix) feat. Das-Efx
2. Kurious - Baby Bust It
3. De La Soul - Breakadawn
4. Gang Starr - Code of the Streets
5. Souls of Mischief - That's When Ya Lost
6. Del - Mistadobalina (Remix)
7. Snoop Dogg - Ain't No Fun (If The Homies Can't Have None)
8. Keith Murray - Incredible feat. LL Cool J
9. Jay-Z - (Always Be My) Sunshine featuring Babyface & Foxy Brown
10. Queen Latifah - Latifah's Had It Up 2 Here
11. The Roots - Adrenaline
12. Poor Righteous Teachers - Rock Dis Funky Joint
13. Digable Planets – 9th Wonder (Blackitolism)
14. Camp Lo - Luchini (This Is It)
Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap
Less than 24 hours later from the time DJ Frank BLVD mentioned it to me, the opportunity to watch Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap was presented on the television set in front of me.
I was not aware of the documentary but quickly learned it was released in the summer 2012.
Ice-T’s documentary presents hip hop legends from both the East and West Coast and their views on the culture that made them famous.
Many of the expected hip hop artists to be found are there along with pleasant surprises like Marley Marl, Brand Nubian’s Lord Jamar, Lord Finesse, Ras Kass and Dana Dane.
There was something of a backlash from Jay-Z not being among the artists filmed. Ice-T explains why Hova was not in the documentary on YouTube. Jay-Z’s absence is glaring but there are still a number of hip hop legends that were not interviewed or caught on camera. In some cases, names of those not filmed were at least mentioned. I would like to believe Ice-T tried to schedule a great number of artists but time restraints and conflicts negatively intervened.
I was very happy to learn of the documentary and gain further insight into the thoughts, processes and history of some of my favorite and influential hip hop artists.
It would be great for the documentary to extend into a series to include the number of hip hop artists that were omitted for whatever reasons. Any footage of hip hop legends shedding light on their views of the game would not only be entertaining but influential as well.
The Suite Delight new time slot is Tuesday morning 2-3am EST on www.ckut.ca & 90.3 FM.
If you haven't already, please make yourself familiar with the link below for more of your favorite show and mine.
Below is a podcast to bring you up to speed. Click here to download it and more.
The Suite Delight - December 17, 2013 (2):
1. Jemini The Gifted One – Funk Soul Sensation (Godfather Mix)
2. Large Professor – Ijuswannachill
3. Lord Finesse – Return of the Funky Man (Remix)
4. Ice-T – Mind Over Matter (Remix)
5. DJ Jazzy Jeff – She Was So Flyy feat. Kardinal Offishall
6. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – The Creator (Slide To The Side Mix)
7. The Roots – Here I Come
8. Gang Starr – Form Of Intellect
9. Planet Asia – Whirlwind Patterns
10. Wu-Tang Clan – Method Man
11. Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo – Money In The Bank
12. Big Pun – How We Roll ‘98
13. A Tribe Called Quest – Can I Kick It?
1. Jemini The Gifted One – Funk Soul Sensation (Godfather Mix)
2. Large Professor – Ijuswannachill
3. Lord Finesse – Return of the Funky Man (Remix)
4. Ice-T – Mind Over Matter (Remix)
5. DJ Jazzy Jeff – She Was So Flyy feat. Kardinal Offishall
6. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – The Creator (Slide To The Side Mix)
7. The Roots – Here I Come
8. Gang Starr – Form Of Intellect
9. Planet Asia – Whirlwind Patterns
10. Wu-Tang Clan – Method Man
11. Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo – Money In The Bank
12. Big Pun – How We Roll ‘98
13. A Tribe Called Quest – Can I Kick It?
DāM-FunK
I was listening to the tracks I added to my Sansa portable mp3 player and seemed to have been in a DāM-FunK pocket because one after another of his tracks played. Then, I heard it.
This song sounded nothing like DāM-FunK and I had to make sure it was him right after the chorus. The track is Things That Dreams Are Made Of. It's a cover of a classic tune by The Human League. The song is incredible. I went to Twitter and said it was one of the best songs I heard. The video is nuts too.
DāM-FunK sings with this otherworldly quality that's larger than life. He sounds like he could make dreams come true! If I dreamed of a hot track to make me press repeat numerous times, DāM-FunK delivered it with or without inception.
The Ambassador of Boogie Funk keeps the California funk tradition alive every time he plays out or makes music. Do yourself a favor and listen to Galactic Fun when the chance arrives. If you don't find yourself moving and grooving, you may need a higher dosage or an operation.
There is no coincidence DāM-FunK finds himself at home on Stones Throw. While perusing the Fabric Peanut Butter Wolf podcast, one can hear the sounds of West Coast hip hop pioneer Arabian Prince on the playlist. It is no coincidence that Stones Throw released the Arabian Prince Anthology CD not too long ago. The roots of electro-funk are alive through DāM-FunK.
Anyone interested in the sounds of Chromeo, Crystal Castles and Justice should check out DāM-FunK to get an idea about how truly cyclical music really is. The inspirations of those acts can be heard in a boogie inspiring set from the one and only DāM-FunK.
I’ve had the privilege of catching DāM-FunK live a number of times on Canadian soil.
On the first occasion, he was a guest DJ at The Goods. I had barely known of him at the time because I don’t believe I saw his photograph on the Stones Throw website prior to the Goods performance. At the end of his set, I approached him and asked if he was Gary Pants. He smiled and told me he was not Gary Pants but DāM-FunK. Stones Throw Records fans will understand what I did. From that night, I never mistook DāM-FunK again.
On the second occasion, the DJ and producer made an appearance at the now defunct Saints Showbar.
Unfortunately, I missed one of his earliest performances at Le Belmont because of my pilgrimage to Mecca, CMJ.
When I found out DāM-FunK was going to be performing on the opening night of Pop Montreal, I was prepared to not let anything stop me from attending.
I walked to the stage and saw DāM-FunK apparently talking to a few technicians about the turntables and equipment. Those issues caused a slight delay in the progression of the performance but DāM-FunK more than made up for it.
DāM-FunK had the midnight movers around me dancing for nearly two hours. That Pop Montreal night was the most amount of time I have seen and heard DāM-FunK perform. As he is a master of boogie and funk of the early 1980s, I was expecting to hear slightly more songs I would not recognize than ones I would. Thankfully for me, and all in attendance who had a vested interest in knowing what they were grooving to, he spoke about the songs he played. My want list was introduced to a handful of new entries before his performance ended.
I was exceptionally thrilled to hear One Way’s Give Me One Chance during DāM-FunK’s set. I bought the album with that song on it twice this year with the hopes of getting the choice of playing a cleaner copy on The Suite Delight radio show someday soon.
DāM-FunK later performed what I believe to be one of his newest songs, I Don't Want To Be A Star, live. That Pop Montreal night has come and gone but to check out his latest material, a quick browse to the Stones Throw website will bring you up to speed.
3rd Bass - Derelicts of Dialect
Derelicts of Dialect forces me to wonder which of their full-lengths is better.
To this day, I haven't decided.
Prime Minister Pete Nice was my man of two.
His verses on Wordz of Wisdom are my favorite of all songs. No Static At All comes in a not very close second place.
Junior Walker & The Allstars
As a kid, I saw a Junior Walker & The Allstars album but never heard one song from it.
By the end of 2012, I found two copies of that album while digging in the crates.
The song by Junior Walker
For a long time, I thought that was the group’s only single of importance. It would take me about 20 years to be surrounded by Junior Walker & The Allstars’ discography on digging excursions.
I got pretty familiar with The Definitive Collection CD.
I take 1960s soul and funk whenever I can and I’ve discovered many nuggets on Junior walker & The Allstars albums.
I discovered Shoot Your Shot, quite possibly my favorite Junior Walker & The Allstars song.
Enjoy some sights and sounds of the Motown soul music legends.
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