SUNDAY SOUL: Willie Mitchell - Solid Soul (1968)

This album, or at least the track 'Groovin'', which was sampled are both '4th Chamber' and 'Liquid Swords' on Gza's album 'Liquid Sword', are probably quite familiar to both hip-hop heads out there and soul fans. The album is packed with tight grooves and every track is a winner.

Grazing in the Grass 

Groovin' 

San-Ho-Zay 

 

Willie Mitchell - Trumpet
Charles Hodges - Organ, Keyboards
Leroy Hodges - Bass
Mabon "Teenie" Hodges - Guitar
Al Jackson, Jr. - Drums

Willie, who died earlier this year, was also a record producer and arranger, and ran Royal Recording in Memphis, Tennessee. "He was probably best known for his Hi Records label, which released albums by a large stable of popular Memphis soul artists, including Mitchell himself, Al Green, Syl Johnson and Ann Peebles."

Read more about the album here.

COMING SOON: DJ MUGGS VS ILL BILL

Can't wait for this! Just in time for Autumn! Muggs vs Gza soundtracked the winter of  '05 and this looks set to be a winner too! I remember picking up Muggs' 'Dust' in Paris too and everytime I listen to it it'll always take me back to the huge Virgin I bought it in back in 2003. Hopefully I'll have some new memories for this one!

DJ Muggs & Ill Bill - Chase Manhattan ft. Raekwon 

DJ Muggs & Ill Bill - Trouble Shooters ft. Sick Jacken & Sean Price 

(via 2dopeboyz)

SAMPLE SET: Gza - Liquid Swords

I love Hip-Hop Is Read and in particular I love their sample sets. They just posted up this old classic and I had to share it! This sample set also includes all the original kung-fu film samples too, from classics like Shogun Assassin and Dragon on Fire. While I'm at it, why don't you remind yourself just how GOOD this album is, with these 3 videos. Damn! I miss 90s hip-hop...

Panda Bear - TOMBOY/Slow Motion 7"

Panda Bear's first single off his upcoming album, 'TOMBOY', will be the first of several singles released on different labels before the album's release . The A-side, 'TOMBOY', is a murky, fairly repetitive affair with Panda Bear's familiar vocals floating in and out of the mix, whilst the B-side 'Slow Motion' is a twisted hip-hop sounding track complete with looped drum beat ((not too far off that used in Nas' 'I Can') and warped guitars and repeated, mantra like vocals. All it's missing is a guest spot from Gza.

Panda Bear - Slow Motion by ListenBeforeYouBuy

NEW VIDEO: Devendra Banhart - Baby with MGMT, The Strokes & Gza!

Check out this sweet new video to Banhart's 'Baby', off his underrated album, 'What Will We Be' from 2009. Look out for Andrew Van Wyngarden of MGMT, Fabrizio Moretti of The Strokes and Gza!


Devendra Banhart ~ Baby from Ron Winter on Vimeo.

1995...A Hip-Hop Spotify Playlist

A classic year in hip-hop, with classic albums from Raekwon, Gza, The Roots, The Pharcyde and other hip-hop greats. Check it out!

Open 1995 Hip-Hop in Spotify

DJ Muggs vs Gza - Grandmasters

As it's been snowing a lot this past week I thought I'd play something that reminded me of previous winters. This album reminds me of Winter 2005 and cruising round in my friend's car in the snow back in Manchester. By the end of the night we'd slammed into a curb and dented his bumper. This album will always remind me of that night and Christmas and it has a really great late night atmosphere to it that goes perfectly with orange-tinted wintery nights out in the snow.

"Chess is the ultimate board game. Monopoly is not in its league and Checkers doesn’t compare at all. It’s civilized war. It’s a mathematical thing, its science, and it’s strategy. That’s life all the time. Just planning your day, being ten steps ahead and seeing the moves ahead. That’s what chess is about."

Gza/The Genius