PRODUCERS 2 CHECK 4: DJ MITSU
Continuing on with my posts showcasing some of my favorite producers in the game, this kat right here is next on the menu. He's provided some of the hottest remixes and produced tracks that my ears have ever encountered. I call him Mr. Mitsu-su, but most know him as DJ Mitsu The Beats! Dude is Japanese reppin' Sendai, Japan, but don't make any hasty judgements about this dude. He's nice with his! In the spirit of Japanese deejays that have come before him like DJ Krush and DJ Honda, he too has been able to put his personalized stamp on American hip-hop and soul music. His style of production generally has the smoothed out soulful/spacey feel to it that usually makes a good song even better. Personally, I have been watching DJ Mitsu's music career blossom over the last 5 years or so, and this kat has not missed a beat (pun intended). His early vinyl only released remix joints titled "RE: New Awakening Volumes 1, 2 & 3" are the main reasons why I started paying attention to this dude in the first place. He remixed several hot records for artists like Kev Brown, Little Brother, Rich Medina, Waajeed and Sa-Ra, just to name a few. Good stuff no matter how you slice it. Since, Mitsu lives in Japan, his music (imports normally) is a little bit harder to locate stateside, but with a little creative savvy nothing is impossible to find. Yes, the Internet can be a wonderful cesspool of weath and knowledge, if used properly boys and girls...

Time for some visual sound FX for your eyes and ears:

DJ Mitsu - Untitled No. 9


DJ Mitsu is part of a larger group of hot producers and artists working under the Jazzy Sport label. There's a lot of good stuff coming out of that camp, but again it's up to you to find it where you can. You can start your quest by putting ears on this little Mini-Mitsu Mixx that I put together for your listening pleasure. This will give you a taste of what Mr. Mitsu is bringing to the lunch table production wise...

MINI MIXX PLAYLIST:

1~Count Bass D - Benzaiten Love
2~PPP ft. Tiombe Lockhart - Stay With Me (Remix)
3~DJ Mitsu - Untitled No. 9
4~Dwele - Right Here (Flutty Mix)
5~DJ Mitsu - Mine Lady
6~Diverse - Ain't Right (Mitsu Remix)
7~DJ Mitsu ft. Talib, Pete Philly & Perquisite - Hope (Remix)

MITSU IS HERE!

Oh, and before you leave, be sure the check the Mixx Re-Up column on the right to kopp some older mixxes you may have missed. I just added a few...

JAY-DEE'S ESTATE & INFRINGEMENT!
I was made of aware of this informative article in the LA Times by my Detroit home K-Fresh at Renaissance Soul Detroit. If you are a Dilla fan or just a fan of hip-hop music you need to put eyes on this article. Dilla's estate is going through some hardships right now, and copyright infringment is at an all time high...


CHECK THIS OUT!

INVINCIBLE'S SHAPESHIFTING!

I've been meaning to do this post for a few weeks now, but it slipped my mind. It's never too late to speak on a hot emcee. Especially, a dope female emcee! Like most music lovers in America, I was watching the BET Awards Show the other night, and I was sad when I saw the nominees for the BEST FEMALE RAPPER award. Has the female rap game fallen off that much that artists like Lil' Mama, Trina and Missy Elliott are the best of the five female choices? My 3 favorite female emcees right now are Jean Grae (supposedly retired), Apani (been absent for a minute), and Invincible. Invincible has been on the come up for a minute now, but she's finally released her first album entitled "Shapeshifters!" She's been working with several local Detroit artists for years making her name around the way, but now she's finally releasing a project that will hopefully make her an household name around the world. The greatest aspects about Invincible are not just her lyrical skills or delivery, but the subject matter she spits about. She can be rap about conscious and political topics without sounding corny or preachy. That's what hip-hop is truly about. It's refreshing too! I get tired of hearing so many female rappers telling me how good their coochie is, and how fat their ass is in every song! That sh*ts played like Guess overalls and penny loafers...

Here is a little Shapeshifters album sampler you can check out to hear what Invincible's vibe is like...

INVINCIBLE - SHAPESHIFTERS SAMPLER

Purchase the album here:

www.emergencemusic.net

ANTHONY DAVID'S "ACEY DUECY"

On Tuesday while your out at the record store picking up that new Dwele album for your collection, be sure to grab a copy of Anthony David's latest project "Acey Duecy" as well. I dig Anthony's old school feel. He brings something soulfully fresh with every album release, and this new joint is no exception. Smoke one witcha boy! Now, for all you folks out there that haven't already illegally downloaded or bootlegged my dude Dwele's latest album at this point, my advice to you is to step up your illegal audio gathering abilities way up playa! Okay, I'm just seriously joking in my last statement, but that new Dwele is dope in my personal opinion. It's pretty much what I expected overall. Just solid soul music Adwele style. As they say, if it ain't broke, act like it is and fix it dammit or something like that anyway...

So, smash your pink piggy bank if you have to and show some financial support for good music.

Get at Anthony and listen to some new tracks here:

www.myspace.com/anthonydavid

THE G.O.A.T...UNCLE L-ROY!
Let me start this post off by saying that I have personally been a LL Cool J fan since his appearance in the movie Krush Groove rapping about his boom box radio! I have been supporting his music since the beginning and that's why I feel like I have the right as a true fan to sincerely ask Mr. James Todd to put the microphone on the shelf for good! When is enough, enough? Like anything you do in this world, eventually you have to leave it behind no matter how much you love it. Walk away on your own, or get pushed out. It happens to the best of them no matter how great they were in the past. It saddens me to watch some of my favorite entertainers trying to avoid their destiny. Refusing to accept the reality that their job is done and they need to find another way to make money. Personally, I think LL should try to be a CEO of some record label, so he can mold and mentor up and coming musical talent. That'll probably never happen though because he's too busy reminding everyone that he's the self-proclaimed G.O.A.T. of the rap genre.

Unlike many rappers, LL Cool J has other career options available to him, but he seems reluctant to give up rapping to explore them. His acting career is decent, plus he's a rap fitness guru as well, right? Any other business opportunities outside of actually rapping would be the move right now. Am I the only one that has noticed over the last few years that LL has released several luke-warm to mediocre albums in hopes of creating a new buzz for himself? The truth is he's not adding any new fans, but he is making it real tough for his current fans to continuously defend and debate about why he's still hanging around in 2008! Let me make this clear, age has nothing to do with my desire for LL to retire. It's about still having the ability to make music that people want to hear and care about overall no matter how old you are. For example, I would still buy a De La Soul album today if they dropped a new joint, without question! That's just me though. Yes, it's obvious that the Ladies still Love Cool J, and that's the main reason why his career hasn't taken a serious toilet spin at this point. Just when I thought LL was finished rapping, he hires a personal trainer to help himself get back into that prison body build shape, and he hasn't looked back. I think he feels that as long as he can snatch is shirt off for the ladies that he will always be relevant in the hip-hop? I beg to differ. If all his career has come down to is being half naked on stage, then why not become a male model or something? That's just a suggestion...

Now, check out LL's latest single from his upcoming 13th album called "Rockin Wit Da Goat"...GO FIGURE! Does LL still have it or not?

GET YOUR HEADPHONES READY!
It still amazes me how many dope tracks that I have in my archives. I love pulling out an oldie but goodie joint from back in the day and after the first listen you realize that it's still as dope as it was back then. Some music is timeless, no matter how many years go by. A lot of forgotten artists and one hit wonders have put out some great music over the years, and this mixx showcases some of those tracks for your listening pleasure. I call this joint the "RnB Hedphones Ready" mixx! There are definitely a few RnB gems from yesterday's past on this babie that will hopefully bring a smile to your face like it did mines. Definitely put ears on this one when you get a minute....

TRACKS:

01+he's got some ish intro
02+tlc feat. craig mack = kick your game (remix)
03+monifah feat. teddy riley = brown eyes
04+sunshine anderson = he said, she said
05+xscape feat. mc lyte = can't hang
06+teedra moses = no more tears
07+kut klose = lay my body down
08+t*boz = touch myself
09+janet jackson = like you don't love me
10+yvette michele feat. akinyele & sadat x = everyday & every night (remix)
11+lil' mo = ain't no reason
12+sista = secret admirer
13+adina howard = it's all about you (pif remix)
14+london jones = your nature
15+sunshine anderson = you do you
16+total feat. da brat = no one else
17+aaliyah = rock the boat (betty b. remix)
18+changing faces = i got somebody else
19+xscape = who do i run to (quiet remix)
20+dwele = a few reasons (truth pt. 2)
21+usher = love you gently
22+kut klose = keep on

HEDPHONES MIXX HERE!

NO, NOT THAT JACKSON!



Some people call him Otis Jackson, but most know him as Madlib The Bad Kid (for all of you Lootpack fans). He's a living legend in the game as far as I am concerned, and well respected by his peers and fans alike. The dopest thing about Madlib is that he's an anomaly in the music game. He has his hands in a little bit of everything. The man does what he wants when he wants. As soon as you've thought his accomplished just about everything a musician can do, he comes with another fresh idea for the masses. Madlib is back with his latest project under the Jackson Conti alias entitled "Sujinho," which I think means shake your rear in Spanish? The album is hot if you are into the flavor of latin music. Madlib has done several side projects over his career, but this definitely is one of my favorites. I've had this joint on rewind for several days now, and I'm still not bored with it yet! The rhythms and beats are addictive, so I can't seem to stop listening to it. You just might feel the same too when you put ears on it as well...


Check out the myspace page for some tunes:

www.myspace.com/jacksonconti

THE SOULAR ECLIPS MIXX!
If you are not aware, there's much distress going on out here in Michigan right now! We had some major tornado like storms around this piece earlier this week that knocked down trees and electrical power lines like a hobo when he starts asking me for change. Some of my peoples have been without electrical power at the crib for about 3 to 4 days now! I know all you no electrical bill paying suckaz out there know how that feels, right? Outside of having to eat cereal with warm milk and having no air conditioning in 80 degree weather, it's not being able to flush the damn toilet that would drive me crazy! Can you imagine having to look at your own logs floating in the bowl all day while you try to conserve water to wash up with? It sucks tremendously, trust me! Detroit Edison can't work fast enough to get the power up and running around these parts. Luckily, I wasn't a victim of the bad storms, so I'm sitting here drinking a tall glass of ice water in the A/C while I type this post. I still have sympathy for those without though.

That why this latest mixx entitled "Soular Eclips Mixx" is dedicated to all of the folks in Michigan still without power! Since, you folks are going through a blackout, I'm blacking out with ya'll musically. When your power finally comes back, be sure to put ears on this latest mixx when you get a chance...

Oh yeah, and all of you power having suckaz around the world should take a listen to this joint as well.

Now, let's blackout...

SOULAR PLAYLIST:

01) Tweek - Bad Apple
02) Nico - Come Alive
03) Silhouette Brown - Monday's Coming
04) Hil St. Soul - Wash Away
05) Janelle Monae - Cloud 9
06) Venus Malone - Eye On The Prize
07) HISD - Galleria Chix
08) Kindred the Family Soul feat. India Irie - Struggle No More
09) Martine Girault - Good Love
10) Soul II Soul - Back To Life (Acapella)
11) Choklate - Long Way
12) Estelle - Back In Love
13) Sy Smith - The Things I Do
14) D'Nell - This Thing
15) Jackson Conti - Berumba
16) Astrud Gilberto - Bim Bom (Psapp Remix)
17) Nicola - Best In Me (Dub Version)
18) Silhouette Brown - Looking Back Reprise
19) Roy Ayers - Everybody Loves The Sunshine (9th Remix)

GET IT HERE!

Shoutout to my sponsors...

This mixx is sponsored by Preparation H ~ "Watch those hemorrhoids run and hide with a tube of Preparation H by your behind!"

AND...

Boones Farm Wine ~ "The cheapest liquor on the planet that a homeless alcoholic wouldn't even drink for free!"

16 DAYS AND COUNTING!
Detroit stand-up!! As a fan and friend of my dude Dwele, I'm pretty hyped about Mr. Gardner dropping his official third album on June 24th! It's been long overdue in my personal opinion, but it's better late than never. Some of my other favorite soul artists haven't even made it to the point of dropping third album yet *cough* D'Angelo *sneeze, plus symotanious poot*...but, who's complaining? I enjoy good music whenever I can get it, which is fortunately all of the time. I'm definitely a lucky bastard I know, so I don't take it for granted. Anyway, a couple of years ago I had a conversation with Dwele at a show he was hosting, and I asked him about all of the music that had leaked onto the internet from some of his unreleased projects. He was definitely a little heated about the situation, but he explained that there was no real way to guard his music from eventually being leaked. He knows that technology and internet art beasts when it comes to safeguarding things.

Dwele did mentioned that he would eventually release a few of the leaked tracks at a later date. Judging by the "Sketches of a Man" track list that date will be June 24th. This time around Dwele has mixed a bunch of old unreleased and new tracks to make up his latest project. For those of you that don't have these unreleased gems, you should be smiling from ear to ear. There are defnitely some bangers on this joint! Support good music and spend some money on my dude's album. This is one kat that works hard for the money...

Peep this video too:

I'm Cheatin' (Video)


www.dwele.net

I'M SEEING FRESHNESS!

After playing this joint over the last few days, it's easy to say that this joint is fresh to def people! It's like hip-hop meets the B-52's. Yep, me and the B-52's got a thang going on. If you are some what of a Neptunes fan and you like music with a little adventurous sound with a rock edge to it, then you definitely need this joint in your collection. Personally, I digs rock-n-roll, so this "Seeing Sounds" album is a creative genius to me. It's albums like these that keeps music from getting stale. We need albums like this. We need to support albums like this, but since I'm a realist I already know how things will really go. Once so called rap/hip-hop fans find out that this album has a rock feel to it, they will immediately become uninterested in it. Then the usual suspects will start leaving hate filled comments on several blogs around the net using such phrases like "it sucks!" _ "it's wack!"_"the Neptunes have fallen off!"...yadi, yadi, yah...

Don't believe it though! Take a listen for yourself and make your own mind up about it. Here's some advice. Pick your music like you pick your friends and fruit dammit! Would you allow folks to tell you how to pick those things for yourself? Didn't think so...

That is all...

Oh, and congrats to the RED WINGS for winning the Stanley Cup last night too!

ARE MUSIC MAGS STILL RELEVANT IN 08?
Recently, I was in Borders for who knows what and I ended up over by the magazine section. Since, I refuse to spend my hard earns on a magazine that barely has two good articles that I would probably enjoy reading, I prefer to stand there in the aisle and read them. It's a perfect setting actually. The store lighting is wonderful, plus they have nice seating for us patrons that may want to stay a while. If you plan accordingly you can even purchase yourself a tasty piece of cake and a carton of ice cold skim milk and make an evening of it. So, as I was deciding on which magazine I was going to take a peek at, I ended up next to the music magazines. You know the usual suspects like Vibe, The Source, XXL, etc., so I picked up a Vibe first. After turning a few pages of ads and more ads, I found myself immediately disappointed. It wasn't just the annoying amount of ads that bothered me the most, but it was the lack of interesting compositions that were present. Vibe was not covering anything in between the covers that I didn't already know or cared about actually. I suddenly dropped the Vibe on the floor and picked up XXL. Yes, XXL was a litte more interesting actually, but again after a few minutes I was bored once again. It's ashame when the Eye Candy portion of the mag is its best feature. Before I knew it, I heard the XXL mag hit the Vibe on the floor. I almost picked up the Source, but ever since the scandals happen a few years ago I don't really F with them any more.

So, after my experience I have to ask, who is still buying music magazines and why? It really seems like a waste of money in my personal opinion. It's no secret that the World Wide Web a.k.a the INTERNET literally blows any weekly or monthly magazine out of the water. The internet provides anything you would want to know with lightning speed especially when it comes to the latest gossip, album covers, music, artists interviews, video vixens photos and anything else your interested in dammit. A paper magazine could never keep up with that type of information sharing. The internet is NOW, and the magazines are a lot LATER. The craziest thing to me is that the actual printed magazine articles and exclusive photos are eventually available for free online as well. Thinking about it even further, most of the time they hit the internet before the damn magazine even hits the shelves. So, I ask again, are music magazines still relevant in 2008? My answer is not just no, but HELL NO!

I hope someone can give me some good feedback on why they are still spending money on music magazines these days. I do like King Magazine and Black Swimsuit, but you can believe I'm not looking through those just for the articles...

IT'S THE JUICE CREW, BIDDIES!
I've been a true hip-hop fan for decades now, and I personally don't think hip-hop has lost its edge like many others. Yes, it's full of gimmicks these days, but I know you old heads remember early rap groups like The Afros and Digital Underground. Gimmicks have been a part of rap music since the beginning, and will continue to be if it makes money. I try not to get all emotional about it. It's just music folks, so keep it simple. Just listen to what you like and avoid the stuff you don't. Outside of the fans debating about what's wack or not, a lot of the older hip-hop artists are coming out of the Land of the Lost trying to make a come back using this topic as well. They're trying to resurrect what they feel is REAL hip-hop music. It's cool for me because I truly dig most of the old school rappers hitting the scene once again. I'm still waiting on Tone Loc to pick up the mic again and do "Funky Cold Medina Pt. 2" featuring Young MC and MC Hammer. While the masses wait on Carter 3 to drop, I'm waiting Mr. Loc...


I didn't see this coming actually?? The next emcee up taking a shot at reversing the ill effects of rap music in the new millennium is my dude Craig G from the original Juice Crew. If you don't know about the Juice Crew, bow your head in shame first then Google it! Knowledge is power. The Juice Crew's ring leader and HPIC is the legendary Marley Marl providing all of the production, so Craig can spit venom freely knowing that the beats are good to go. The album is called "Operation Take Back Hip-Hop" and it drops on June 17th. If you are already a fan of Craig G's style then I think this album will be right up your alley. If you are looking for some nexx level hotness, this joint may sound dated, but if you're seeking some traditional boom-bap from the 1990s era this Operation may fill that void. Marley is still putting down some solid beats, and he's very consistant on this project. I don't want to sway your opinion either way about this album, so just check out this track and hear what you think...

Craig G feat Krs-One - Rock Dis

Support good music...