Though I've been focusing on MCing and production mostly these last few years, and put the DJing somewhat to the side, I’ve recently been inspired to complete some mixtapes I started working on and/or planning in the ‘90s and early 00s. Those projects range from highly produced and intricate multi-track projects (like my “This Is Where You Got It From” mix), while others take the approach of how many of my live DJ sets were, where my whole approach was to play songs that I rarely or never heard other DJs play, and to create near-seamless mix from start to finish. This one falls into the latter description, and this mix starts at 82.5 BPM and slowly inches its way up to 97 BPM, with songs ranging from 1989 to 2016…and I often let the songs breathe, rather than rush to the next, as there’s certain verses I just couldn’t cut off!!
As for this theme, starting some time in the late 80s, one of my favorite things to do when I got a new album was to try to guess what the next single(s) would be. That process followed a balance of choosing what I thought would be my preferred choices vs what I thought some label execs in a boardroom might choose. Sometimes those ideas were aligned, but often not.
This is a mix of songs that capture both of those ideas. Same are what I think were “obvious” singles that never happened. Others are certainly untraditional single choices, but I think they are just great songs, and while at the time of their release things like club and radio play were primary deciding factors, they didn’t fully fit the blueprint of the times. It’s also true with at least some of these that those albums had excellent choices, so the selection here is just another great possibility. Ultimately, it’s a collection of songs I love that I thought should have been more celebrated. I guess it’s never too late…
1)Jungle Brothers-Book of Rhyme Pages ’93
2)Black Sheep-BBS ’94
3)Saafir-Can U Feel Me? ’94
4)Queen Mother Rage-Emphasis On A Sister ’91
5)Cannibal Ox-Scream Phoenix ’01
6)Mobb Deep-Apostles Warning ’96
7)DJ Pooh featuring Deadly Threat-Bump Yo Speakers ’97
8)Breeze-Loungin ’89
9)Cool Breeze-The Field ’99
10)Ghostface-Soul Controller ’96
11)O.C.-Point O Viewz ’94
12)DJ Chuck Chillout & Kool Chip-No Holding Back ’89
13)Poor Righteous Teachers-Selah ’93
14)Funkdoobiest featuring Iriscience-Stretchin’ ’97
15)Sick Jacken-Generation Psycho ’16
16)Del-Calculate ’11
17)Redman-Jam 4 U ’94
18)Big L-I Don’t Understand It ’93
19)Rubberoom-Operation Forever ’99
20)RBX-Feathers In The Wind ’95
21)WC and the MAAD Circle-Get Up On That Funk ’91
22)Boogie Down Productions-Jah Rulez ’89
23)Nice & Smooth-Pump It UP ’91
24)Soul Position-I’m Free ’06
25)YZ-Dead Love ’93
