M.C. MIKER "G" & D.J. SVEN: 'HOLIDAY RAP'!!

This could be the worst song of all time... (in France, 'Holiday Rap' is the "591st best-selling single of all time")..

In 1986, Dynamic Dutch duo 'M.C. Miker "G" & D.J. Sven' decided to sample Madonna's hit song 'Holiday', and drop megaton bombs all over it.. "We're gonna ring-a-rang-a-dong for a hol-i-day".. " (REPEAT).

'Holiday Rap' topped almost all the pop charts in Europe (#2 in Bruno's Austria) and interestingly #1 in Canada (WTF).. Though never quite taking off in America, 'M.C. Miker "G" & D.J. Sven' would go on to pen much of P. Diddy's 'rhymes' for his hit album 'Forever'..

This 'high-quality' download is taken from the Canadian 12" vinyl pressing, and is recommended listening for anyone who is a fan of the band 'Stereos'.

Download 'Holiday Rap'!!

Here's some VIDEOS! (AND YOU KNOW IT!!)

OG VERSION:



LIVE! On TOP of the POPS!

NU_NO_SUAVE DIRT DOGS

"If you see a dope record- BUY IT! 'Cuz you never know if you'll see it again!!"

Hip-Hop history was for sale in Toronto's record stores each and every Thursday from 1994 to 1997. The hip-hop artists in New York City were busy changing the entire aesthetics of modern music and the competition was fierce. As a young DJ (without the help of label servicing), you'd be faced with 3-5 superdope records to buy each week @ $9.99 a pop (+ 15% tax). In reality, most were so dope that'd you'd need at least 2 copies... Your little allowance money, or part-time job, never seemed to cover the spread... So, you'd have to choose....

Back then, the 'B.I.G.' corporate labels (Warner, Sony, BMG, Virgin, etc) didn't know what the fuck to do with hip-hop; it was uncharted territory and Puff Diddy had yet to take the whole thing 'aboveground'. So, if an MC had a hint of buzz, labels would sign him, his crew and also any other rappers who lived within a 5 mile radius... The label would then pay Premier, Pete Rock, Diamond D, Buckwild, Erick Sermon, Q-Tip, or Extra P thousands of dollars for sick beats and lovingly put out records that they'd never, ever co-sign today. If a song had mixtape buzz, or was already planned as an actual radio single, then soon there'd be plenty of full-colour retail copies (at least initially), and perhaps you could put a couple off until payday. Unfortunately, most 'white label' 12" singles were very, very, limited and it you slept, you wept:(

The quality of the Thursdays inside Play De Record, Traxx & DJ Depot varied after the disappointment of Wu-Tang Forever, and the 'disbanding' of A Tribe Called Quest, but here is a sleeper that I slept on, and just now found again:

Choclair Featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard & Saukrates: SUAVE DIRT DOGS!!

This record was supposed to be on Choclair's 1999 debut 'Ice Cold', but was reportedly shelved after Elektra Records demanded upwards of $100,000 for the Dirt Dog's appearance... I guess they wanted that 'Ghetto Superstarr' money... In any event, the production on this track is courtesy of Saukrates, who also produced Choclair's illest track, 'Rubbin'.

**Fans of the late great J-Dilla should note Saukrates' parallel, progressive interpretation of Erick Sermon's bass-heavy 'P-Funk' style and relentless, prodding-metronome drum programming. Big Sox continues to be slept upon...

Download 'Suave Dirt Dogs' (320 kbps MP3 file)

NU`SHI_NU`NO: GHANA SPECIAL

One of my favourite albums last year was something called 'Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds & Nigerian Blues'. Released by UK label Soundway Records, 'Nigeria Special' featured a collection of vibrant, joyful & real-gone funky guitar music, completely unheard of outside of West Africa (except by Paul Simon, of course). The series sold well enough to spawn two sequels and effectively served as source code for Vampire Weekend fans looking to hear the real deal, (and hip-hop producers looking for some new crates to dig in).

Today Soundway Records sent out an email blast announcing the release of 'Ghana Special'; a thirty-three record release of 'high life, modern afro-sounds & Ghana blues'. Diggers from Soundway have been doing the research on this product for the better part of a decade, and you can guarantee some way obscure funky flavours again with this offering. If you're thinking of purchasing the album, I highly recommend going with either the CD, or LP, but not the MP3/iTunes version, as you miss out on the very nice (44 page) liner notes that give you all the Ghana music scene 411.

Here's a NU`SHI_NU`NO teaser from the album 'Ghana Special' called 'Aaya Lolo', by The Barbecues. Yeah!!

Soundway Records is dedicated to unveiling forgotten chapters from some of the world’s richest musical cultures. From the Highlife, disco and rock sounds of 70s Nigeria to the golden age of Panamanian music, Benin’s Afro-Latin grooves, Colombia’s Champeta and all other forms of Tropical and Afro sounds imaginable. Soundway’s mission is to present the very best in obscure a-sides, b-sides and album cuts that have remained unavailable… until now

NU_NO_90210

Another gem from DC's finest Wale, dropped this past week called '90210'...

Got me thinking about some overlooked hip-hop from that zip code..

Back in mid-late nineties California, The Pharcyde were creating some truly beautiful work. (see: Passin' Me By, Otha Fish, Drop, Runnin', etc). Their collabo's with LA Jay & Detroit Dilla are already established as classics, but did you know that Brian Austin Green (see: OG 90210, Megan Fox) was also down with the labcab crew?

Well it's true! Here's your first NU_NO: 'You Send Me (Jazz Mix)', recorded from the 'You Send Me 12" single'. (Also available on the album ...Carnival). It's produced by LA Jay & Slim Kid-3, with the latter supplying the hook for his boy 'Brain' (peep the typo on the record art). The song features a cool piano/drum loop and a warm, filtered bassline (all the sonic textures you'd expect from a great Pharcyde record).

'You Send Me (Jazz Mix)' is way slept on, and likely deserves your attention.

Enjoy!

-OBD

SANTA_WHYWONTCHACOMEOVERHEEEEARRR!>?

So you thought the weird Christmas music shit was gonna be done with Dylan?

Here's Julian Casablancas, with a superdope banger off the 'deluxe-digi' version of Phrazes for the Young, called 'I Wish It Was Christmas Today'..

US iTunes only for now...

This cover of the SNL X-mas song sounds like The Strokes' B-Side 'Hawaii', with a little (more) Ramones/Hughes/Korg/Sleigh bell..

Cool, no?

`WHAT`_`THE_`_????_`

And so the slang goes like this:

NU_SHI is short for 'New Shit'. As in cool shit that's new..

NU_NO means 'New? NO!'...Cool shit that's not new, and perhaps (likely) shit that you may not be aware of, but should...

The point of this blog (therefore) is to introduce you to cool shit that's both NU & OLd from the realm(z) of music & visual pop culture.

Stay tuned, this shit is gonna be the new Dr. Pepper!!

Peace,

OBD.