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Back In The Day...Downtown Science Room To Breathe

Can I tell y'all that to this day there is no show like Video Music Box! Ralph McDaniels and The Vid Kid didn't just show the mainstream cats like Tribe, Leaders, Kane...whoever was big when I was watching it but they also gave lesser known indie and even poorly pushed big label acts some spins. One of those acts was Downtown Science.


In 1991, 3rd Bass boardsmith Sam Sever and his producing partner/MC Bosco Money put out a self titled debut album on Def Jam records. Room To Breathe was the first single and it was a smooth banga. Over a futuristic sounding loop, Bosco states pretty much what DTS is about: Sam's sick samples and his own positive rhymes. Bosco's style and cadence evokes a less political Chuck D, whom I honestly thought may have had a hand in writing this back then but I have to chalk that up to my youth. When I was younger I would break on his hat but now I appreciate the dudes lyrics and the decision to kick positive, clean rhymes.

The song was a minor hit in wide release but was pretty dope with DJ's and "headz" alike. The loop was resurrected three years later by Redman on "Bobyahed2dis" off the Dare Iz a Darkside album.

Check the leadoff single from the group and if you like it, it's available at:

Downtown Science-Downtown Science (Def Jam Records 1991)


Room To Breathe-Downtown Science

1. Room To Breathe (Radio Mix)
2. Room To Boom (Dub)
3. Room To Breathe (Instrumental)
4.Out There But In There (Main Mix)
5. Out There But In There (Instrumental)
http://www.badongo.com/file/7451926

DJ's: Rescue Your Vinyl!

Break out your old 12"'s and get busy. Rescue your vinyl with this simple device. As a former DJ who no longer has his 1200's, this is a godsend!

FROM THE ION WEBSITE:

The ION TTUSB05 is the perfect turntable for archiving and digitizing your vinyl music collection. USB connectivity simplifies conversion directly into your computer and with the included software for recording your music, you can now listen to your favorite music on CDs or portable media players. The ION TTUSB05 even features a standard, RCA line output for connecting to your home stereo or home theater system with no hassles.EZ Vinyl Converter by MixMeister is included free with the ION TTUSB05 and provides the easiest way to convert your records to your computer's digital music library. Simply plug in your ION TTUSB05 turntable, specify track information and in a few mouse clicks you're done!

EZ Vinyl Converter automatically imports your songs directly into your iTunes library. Once digitally converted, you can sort your music, make custom playlists, and easily take songs with you on an iPod or play them directly from your computer. Finally your record collection can be available wherever you are.In addition, the ION TTUSB05 comes with free Audacity software for editing your recorded tracks. Audacity helps remove clicks, pops and other noises from your recordings to restore the full quality of your vinyl.

It even enables you to convert 78 RPM records.

At $99.00 USD, the ION TTUSB05 is afordable for what it can do. Imagine saving hundreds, if not thousands of dollars of records on this thing. OK, maybe I'm late and all of y'all are laughing at me right now but I don't give a shit. I'll have this soon and that means more remixes and good shit for you all.

You can purchase it here:

http://www.ion-audio.com/store/index.php

Better Than The Original: Remix-A-Palooza II: Mix Harder

re·mix (rē-mĭks') tr.v., -mixed, -mix·ing, -mix·es.To recombine (audio tracks or channels from a recording) to produce a new or modified audio recording: remixed a popular ballad and turned it into a dance hit.n. (rē'mĭks')

re·mix·a·pa·looza (rē-mĭks'-a-pa-loosa') tr.v., -mixed, -mix·ing, -mix·es.To take dope shit you heard in your youth (audio tracks or channels from a recording) and put them together into a compilation to share with other headz, leaches and blog raiding sons of bitchez: when Animal Mother goes through his mp3's and picks out unique shit he loves.n. (rē'mĭks'-a-pa-loosa')

Yup...I'm back. It's that time again. I went to the vault(hard drive) and picked out some more of my favorite remixes and compiled them in a little collection for you. More big names! More "Oh yeah...I remember them cats."! It's all here. I usually like a uniqueness to my remixes so if they kick new lyrics, it's always a plus. I'm also particular to certain producers (Pete Rock, Beatnuts, Showbiz, Diamond D, Salaam, etc.) so there is alot of their work here. Let's get to it shall we?:

You Must Learn (Live From The Caucus Mountains Remix)-Boogie Down Productions: Leave it to the Teacha to get you out of your seat while diggin in your brain. With the assistance of hypeman Willie D, KRS takes the serious tone of the album version and gives it an almost block party-like feel. He's still teaching you about Benjamin Bannicker but he's also making you clap ya hands on this lively remix complete with mic checks, call and response with the crowd throughout the song and false stops. "We're not done...we're not done...CHECK THIS OUT!"

Toss It Up (The After Party)-Zhigge: Remix? Remake? Whore. Chick who bones after dinner on the first date. It's all the same man. I found the first Toss It Up a little too busy for me. "The After Party" sounds just like that, after the party when everyone is blunted out. The refrain is even changed to a laid back : "Toss it up. Toss it up, yeaaaaahh." Salaam Remi took a fiddle-driven sample(how often do you hear THAT in Hip-Hop?), added some horns and a nice snare and made a mellow, jazzy 90's type groove. Zhigge was an OK group for their time wonder how they'd rhyme today?

Silence Of The Lambs (Remix)-Showbiz & A.G.: I loved the original down to the happy flute that played in the background. On the remix however , Show went back to the lab and came out with a banger. This version was definitely made for the radio as all the profanity from the original is gone. The beat however is alot more sinister and the horns are more prominent. The interlude at the beginning with Kid Capri is one of my favorite beats that I used to go back to back on regularly. BX classic!

Case Of The P.T.A. (Remix)-Leaders Of The New School: You had to wait for the Sobb Story 12" to get this version. With in house production by Cut Monitor Milo, L.O.N.S. revisit the hallways of their first single and rip it with all new verses. Still makes you wanna East Coast Stomp. (Remember that?)

Yes You May (Remix) (feat. Big L)-Lord Finesse: This is kind of a two pronged attack. You have The Funky Technician who with the assistance of producer T-Ray took a minimalist approach to this remix. Standard early 90's jazzy type break with punchlines like: I'm spinnin' the action like a whirlpool/get wilder than a rapist in a catholic all-girls school Nothin' special right? Oh, did I mention that it's the first professional appearance on wax by an MC the name of Lamont Coleman? Listen to one of Hip-Hop's most underrated rhymers and a fallen great on this D.I.T.C. gem.

Oh My God (UK Flavor Remix)-A Tribe Called Quest: What's an Animal Mother comp without Native Tongues Posse representation? Not much of one if you ask me. Producer Tosh supplied Quest with a straight up outer space type sounding beat. It's more uptempo than the album version and I noticed that Phife's "Anti-batty boi big up is who I be" line wasn't cut. I suspect this was around the time of the Boom Bye-Bye hysteria. Dope track nonetheless. If anyone has the No Naim Remix with the vocals, holla at a brother. I wanted to add that one.

The World is Yours (Q-Tip Remix)-Nas: Esco got back in the studio with Tip behind the boards and blessed this jazzy remix with a few new lyrics and the Abstract chanting the chorus. The Pete Rock original stands on its own but this is a job well done by Q-Tip.

Flow On (Pete Rock Remix) (feat. Dai One & Sah-B)-Lords Of The Underground: Did somebody say Chocolate Boy Wonder? Had to get him in here! I didn't care much for the album version. The beat was nothing special and the upbeat tempo and grating chorus annoyed me. Pete who's half man/half SP, slowed the tempo down and gave it a much better baseline and the somewhat off key singing in the chorus worked. Funky and Doitall have always been underrated lyricists and they both turned in solid verses. A definite upgrade from the original.

Return Of The Crazy One (Lean Butter Bean Remix)-Digital Underground: The original "Crazy" was hot! The beat was thumpin' reminiscent of "Humpty Dance" minus the killer bassline (has there ever been a more identifiable bassline than "A-doooo-re-doooo-re"?) and Shock/Hump's vocals were sick as ever. I like this version however because it sounds like they were having FUN! From the nonsensical lyrics, to the slicked out R&B pace and the butchering of Bobby Caldwell with Hump wailing a digitally altered "I guess you wondered where I been", I'm all for it. Great f'in song!

Ego Trippin Part (Part Three) (Egoristic Mix)-De La Soul: De La done did it again! This was a bonus track featured on the Ego Trippin' (Part Two) 12". It's an entirley different song with a new beat that evokes thoughts of a carnival atmosphere and all new lyrics. Pos' "Johnny Feva..." verse may be one of my favorite verses of all time. He absoultely rips it, intentionally flubbing the line and starting over twice until he kills it! I was all smiles when I finally hunted this down on MP3(Thanks, Trav!)

It's On (Beatnuts Remix)-Naughty By Nature: The bassline at the beginning surges as if something's about to happen, and it does. Les and Ju put out another track that eclipses the original. The funky organs, 90's horns and Biz Mark "On and on..." sample are all keepers!

Letterman (Pete Rock Remix)-K-Solo: P to tha R gives his own spin on the Atomic Dog sample as Kevin Madison kicks one of my favorite rhymes of his. Always tight production from one of the best in the game and a solid lyrical effort by the former Hit Squad member.

The Shit Is Real (DJ Premier Remix)-Fat Joe: Primo laced Don Cartagena with his siganture sounds and scratches to make this probably one of the best songs Joe has ever done. Lean Back? Nah, I don't think so!

Searchin' (Remix)-Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth: A perfect way to end this comp! This is a great remix of the original Searchin'(which was a hell of a song) off the much over looked The Main Ingredient LP. Once again, Pete and C.L. shun the acapella over a new beat approach and have the Mecca Don lace the track with new vocals. A catchy hook and a sample of the original turn it into a great new interpretation. Overall, another Pete Rock banga.

If y'all like this, let me know. Part III is being worked on as you read this.

Animal Mother's Remix-A-Palooza II: MIX HARDER-Various Artists

http://www.badongo.com/file/5577651

20G WOW!

Thanks y'all...(by "y'all" I mean the other thousand that visited besides my 19,000 relatives) Let's keep it goin'! I hope the few people that check in from time to time enjoy what I do. Sometimes it's hard for me to get on my grizzle like some of my contemporaries but I'm trying.

24 Hours Of Insanity: A Tragic Loss And Another Senseless Act

Can we put the old school love on hold for a minute? Hip-Hop lost a pioneer in its powerful Southern Rap scene with the death of Pimp C on December 4, 2007. He and Bun B have been at it since '92 or so. To casual fans, he's one of the cats from Jay-Z's Big Pimpin' but UGK has meant so much more to the game.



Details are sketchy at the time but he was basically found expired in his room. I will not speculate on the cause because to each man what they do privately, behind closed doors is just that but it's definitely sad. Not only will he leave behind throngs of adoring fans but never forget that these are human beings and they leave behind loved ones as well. I thought about upping Too Hard to Swallow but out of respect for C and his fans, it's not the right time to give away his stuff at the moment, so I WILL NOT.

R.I.P. Chad "Pimp C" Butler

Another sensless act in the long line of continuing violence against black men by black men occurred yesterday when Bay area artist Spice 1 (born Robert L. Green, Jr.) was shot in the chest last night. His injuries aren't life threatening but what the fuck man? Growing up in the Bronx, I remember cats shootin' the fair one. You know, WITH THE HANDS!?! If you lost, you lost but you got to talk shit about it the next day. You and your friends might see duke one day and then it's on and he gets stomped out but guess what...he'll live! I'm not advocating violence as a means of resolution to life's everyday problems but god damnit, there's finality in a bullet. You can't blast someone and then say sorry.


I don't care if a dude skeeted on your chick and you caught him, snuffing out or trying to snuff out the precious gift we call life for any other reason but being in mortal danger yourself is wrong. Take a drink. Puff something. Hump something. This casually trying to end a dude's life for bullshit (and I know it was.) is straight wack juice.

One.

Back When he was Nasty...but not quite Esco

In my humble blogosphere relevant opinion you can't like Hip-Hop and not like Nas! There I said it. Am I a fan? Yup! Do I think he won the Ether/Super Ugly war? Man.. Ether was like being locked in an elevator with Kimbo Slice after telling him you skeeted on his girl...it was pretty much finito, man. This ain't about Esco or Mr. Kelis, this is about young Nas...Nasty Nas...if your nasty...or something like that.


This collection(which I "leached" earlier this year before I started blogging. Big ups to whoever I got it from.) showcases a post BBQ/Illmatic Nas growing as a lyricist. This also contains real freestyling in it's purest form. "What does that mean" you ask? Stuttering, pauses beteween bars and some lines that will make you wince more than cheer. That's what comin off the top of the dome is about. Not your cribbed 16 on a sheet of notebook paper that will be on your next album. There are even some structured sets as well as him kicking his "Barbecue" verse again. He's no MC Supernatural or Craig G but Mr. Jones is definitely skilled.

While I believe it's incomplete, it's definitely a keeper. Some of the stand out cuts are The Foulness, a cautionary tale about jockin your neighborhood thug, a DJ Clue assisted spit session with The Firm wrecking the Road To Riches beat as well as a few Stretch and Bobbito appearances. Listen for young Akinyele and Noreaga as well as Cormega making guest appearances. Be warned: It's copied from tapes (remember those things?) so the sound is pretty tinny on some tracks but it's worth it just to get a glimpse at one of the greatest MC's who was developing his style at an early stage in his career.

Nas: The Early Freestyle Collection
http://www.badongo.com/file/5301081