CORNBREAD CHRONICLES

20 RECORDS: SOUNDTRACK OF A SUPERHEROS DAY.

2009-12-17T08:16:00.000-08:00

And by superhero...I mean you. YES YOU! I'm sure everyone who is a music lover, of any level, has a soundtrack. Shit...If you don't, you probably should. I was working on a article discussing 20 records that would change your life when i realized that was a topic to be left for the gods. I had be a little retarded to think that even I could even tackle something of such magnitude...its easily debatable and has great deal of grey area as some albums that are life-changing for some...would old hat for others.
So?! I decided to change the role of this post to: soundtrack of a superheros day. A subject with which I frequent hourly. If you could soundtrack moments of your shitty to moderately blissful existence, what would you play? Here are 20 records to which I fall on when I need an enhancement to my day whether it be positive or negative...

Sonny Clark- a pianist who died way before his time, age 32 at the hands of a drug overdose, managed to somehow pack enough brilliance into all of his works that would carry for generations...to put a smile on my face and remind me when the dust settles...its whats in your heart that matters most. Sonny makes you swing. put him on when your cooking dinner... his piano will warm up your home.

...and speaking of piano and swing THE THREE SOUNDS will get it every time. This album features the hottest cut, "down the track", which makes me feel like I'm in a low-lit, after-hours dance parlor /speakeasy(drunk off my ass) with a 100 people sweating it out. It is sure to drown out the sounds of some shitbag that's trying to piss in your donuts.

Jimmy Smith-THE SERMON if there ever was a man to speak with his fingers that wasn't using sign language but instead chose to facilitate his communication with the touch to a Hammond B3 organ...it would be this man, and this man alone. The sound of an Hammond organ in the right hands can shake the soul of a man happy and render it useless for 20-30 minutes. Its better than weed...seriously.

Yesterdays New Quintet-STEVIE
...this only reinforces what you already know. Stevie Wonder is a genius...these dudes take you there. Where? Wherever the fuck you want to be. Get in your car, put this on, look at that sky in front of you and thank God or whatever you pray to and thank it for living in a world with Stevie's music.

Smif n Wessun- DAH SHININ'
When you're having a busted kind a day...when everything your doing is looking like sandscrit to the world you have to deal with... grab a neck brace and put on "stand strong", arguably the dopest track on this album. It'll remind you that you ARE a badass...and make you wanna punch the douche in the next cubicle singing the yacht rock tunes in the back of his neck. It also features one of the dopest utilization's of an Issac Hayes (may he rest in peace) sample to be adored forever.

Bill Withers-+justments
Seriously?! this album will get you laid. Put this on for that special someone and sit back and front like you know more about Bill Withers than just "til you use me up". You don't even need candles for this one...put this shit on in the pitch black....and boom goes the dynamite.

Claude Debussy- Clair de Lune
Upon the completion of a successful day...or I should say another day down in the books. I like to put this on, kick my feet up on the coffee table and stair into the middle distance and reflect on how nice it is to have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food in my belly and ability to have access to some of the finer things in life. This album makes you feel like a distinguished beatnik. fo sho'.

Donny Hathaway- LIVE!
For those of you who do not know of this man, you have been left out to dry. Donny is one the most slept on cats of all time. His voice will cure cancer. He will make you cry. He heals people.
His music....(crying just thinking about it.) is simply and at times regrettably beautiful in the most incomprehensible sense. we were cut short of his presence when he took his own life after being diagnosed with schizophrenia. Disclaimer: Donny is great but does not mesh well with recent breakups. He will have you crying most definitely, but only because his voice makes you feel so good to be alive.
Jingo- FEVER
I first heard this cut when I was watching the Last King of Scotland. Two words: Pure Fyah! Take off your shoes and grab the one you love or like and get down. Smiles and happy feet are guaranteed. This is one-man dancy party material.
Thomas East & the Fabulous Playboys-I GET A GROOVE
Do you want to feel like a badass but without all the misdemeanors and scars? Put this one on. This is the quintessential strut walkin' soundtrack. I want to put this one on a boombox and have a midget carry it behind 10-15 feet behind me as walk.
JDilla ( RIP)- DONUTS
DILLA DILLA BEATS BEATS BEATS DILLA DILLA BEATS BEATS BEATS!!!!!!!!!!!!In the way that Mozart constructed requiem on his deathbed and left it unfinished...the same analogy could be made for Dilla. a majority of these beats were constructed when his illness was at his worst, yet at the precipice of his career. The work of this musician aids in defining me as a man and a dj...anything hes ever done goes down in the "happy to hear it" category. J Dilla is my Jesus...and HE saved my life.

The Jimi Entley Sound- THEME FOR CHARLIE

LISTEN CAREFULLY: THIS IS THE BADDEST FUCKIN' GROOVE ON THE PLANET....AND I STAND BY IT. Everytime I put this on, I feel like i just robbed a bank or shanked some dude for looking at me sideways with a spoon that i was stirring my coffee with in an old diner... I stand up, gather myself and light a lucky strike...adjust my fedora and confidently walk outside to my 1968 black cherry Lincoln continental...Wait!!!! you see what it does to me?!LOL.....its a classic and consequently, a sample used by none other than King James aka J Dilla. If your not in the smooth and debonair mood, you will be.

Gustav Holst-THE PLANETS
if you need music to slay a dragon to or perhaps you need music conquer the rush hour traffic....OR if you want to be overly dramatic and pretend that you're doing something in slow motion? This is the album for you. "MARS", the albums first planet and introduction, is pretty much what I play in my head from the minute i open my eyes to sitting up in bed to the walk to the commode for the morning duty. the other cuts are kinda dainty but do well for illustrating anything from faxing to starting your lawnmower for the first time in the spring...whatever.

People under the Stairs- CARRIED AWAY
I pretty much refer to these dudes as tribe called quest of the millennium. Big shoes to fill? Hell ya! These dudes preserve every last element of hiphop i feel like we're losing by the day. They have been around longer than a minute and everyone of albums is nothing short of dope. the samples, the production...the lyrics...OMG! the lyrics. These guys are some of the few that have the whole package. Drink a beer with some homeys and give this a run... it is sure not to let you down.

Ray Bryant-UP ABOVE THE ROCK
Wanna a hear a song that makes you feel like your gettin' down in the middle of a southern baptist mississippi congregation on Sunday afternoon sweatin for the Lord and savior but you want the instrumental version? guess what I found this year?! Its a groove thats unforgettable. I rock this when I'm cleaning the house.

A Tribe Called Quest- LOW END THEORY
if you don't know by this point in time...then I don't want to be the one to tell you. Seriously, you should kill yourself if you don't know....and yes, I'm serious. For all of you that do know? DUH, muthaflackas!!!!
Carlos Nino & Miguel Atwood-Fergueson-SUITE FOR MA DUKES

a beautiful tribute album for King James aka the aforementioned J Dilla. this album comprises a classic charting of four infamous Dilla beats ( most notably Tribe's "Find a way".) to pay homage to his body of work and the world of music that he changed. I rock this when I'm in my head when I'm looking at hot ass women doing cool shit like cleaning or walking their dog or yelling at their boyfriends in a crowded bar piss drunk. Its one of my favorite things. This album more seriously, is infinitely and insanely intense and is stated in my last will and testament, as what will be played when I decide to for that eternal dirt nap.

The Motherhood-I FEEL SO FREE
contains the track "Soul town" which is what I feel like you should hear when you just got over on somebody... Its got trumpets out the ass and feels like what eating Prime Rib at the Sahara buffet at 5am after you just blew 20 large at the craps table would sound like. I have no experience on the matter but you have some relation to what that does feel like, then you're a superhero in my book... even if you are stupid enough to do that.

Gran Puba-2000

For my hiphop heads....Here's a resurrected forgotten classic from the PUBA! I rock this when I'm on the hustle but i need something without edge or conscience rap shit. Too many new cats are spewing the same ol' message...little did they know, the Gran Puba summed that shit up with the quickness long before rose to the game. This album also fits the mold for asking for money that someone owes you (for some reason i feel like an authoritative hustler and have no troubles getting my shit back with this is playing in the background-which is funny because there is nothing hustler about it). Its hard to find these days- i know that for sure.
Dj Cornbread- EARWAX

the first mixtape made by your truly is sure to encompass all the fixins the quintessential mixtape you should need: action, suspense, drama, beats....classics. the whole caboodle. Looking back on the last 4 years, its remains one of my favorite things and I rock the shit out of it like I am a superhero. for those of you sleeper cats out there...you can find this little number amongst all my works at djcornbread.podomatic.com( WARNING: DO NOT JOKE THIS ONE! i regard this one as my first child....) enjoy and thank you as always.

Peace.

DJ CORNBREAD THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AT 37TH.

2009-12-16T14:13:00.000-08:00

DJ CORNBREAD is rocking a hybrid hiphop/xmas mix at the 37th and ZEN.... don't be a square... go get it! neckbraces and dancing shoes are mandatory.

Doin the damn thing @ re:bash Aloft Hotel- Chesapeake

2009-12-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

Dj Cornbread @ aLoft re-launch party from Craig Kimberley on Vimeo.

The Winstons....and how rich they could be if they gave a shit about money.( thank god, they didn't)

2009-12-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

All i can say... after seeing this is that the actual song is really dope.

DILLA FILLA.... a secret mix

2009-12-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

I'm really no good at sitting on mixes, but this dilla leftover joint is as about as long as I've sat one out. This isn't really a mix....Well, it is but... its not blended. it's just dilla harmony....Fuck it, you'll see. I think its good enough to post anyways. I rock this mix because it has alot of elements of Dilla that I enjoyed the most. The organic and edible element of his beats. You could always taste his music...the "comfort food"of hiphop production that somehow always caught you sleepin'.
You'll be able to find this one theblackhornet.podomatic.com

Labi Siffre: another sleeper break.

2009-12-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

This break crept under the radar for a lot of heads... I think mainly because it was used my Eminem. It seemed that no one had the wherewithall to consider it a classic break and rather approach it as newer production for a new guy on the scene at the time. Labi's "i got the..." Remember my Song: (EMI UK 1975) is nothing but pure heat. Hearing the break made me reheat eminem's "Hi! my name is" just once today( i did hurt a little...)- my point being a break possessing so much funk to make me listen to eminem's album after its been consumed, vomited and consumed again my suburbia and top 40 radio stations since its conception is pretty damn funky( I'm not hatin'). Eminem does not share this sampled jewel alone, but rather joins an impressive fraternity who have also enjoyed the fruits of this classsic cut. The 2:10 mark is what you'll definitely recognize. Enjoy.

Beatnuts - "Beatnuts Forever"
Def Squad ft Jamal - "Countdown"
Eminem - "My Name Is"
Fabe - "L'Impertinent"
Foxxy Brown - "Hot Spot"
Frankenstein - "Quiet Storm"
Insane Clown Posse ft Twiztid - "Slim Anus"
Jay-Z - "Street is Watching"
MC Jean Gab 1 - "J'T Emmerde"
Mooven's - "C'est Une Question D'tat"
Noreaga - "N.O.R.E."
Tiger Ranks - "Party wit' Me"
Wu-Tang Clan - "Can it All Be So Simple"

The 3 sounds: soul symphony

2009-12-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

the underground of the three sounds.

2009-12-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago while I was diggin' 45's at one of my favorite spots. I came across another knowledge nugget of sorts. Two Blue Note 45's by The Three sounds. A couple of things...1.) I was not aware the Blue Note records had a small run of 45 pressings which blew me away considering I had never run into one in all the years of digging or knew of the existence of such being as big a fan I am of Blue Note records and 2.) I in woozy rush, I nearly shit my pants at how incredible and on-time The Three Sounds were on these 45's (Dap's Groove/ Down the Track/ The Sermonette (ode to jimmy smith, i suppose). They truly were the first bluenote ensemble I became attracted to because of the swing they held and how clean and together they were.

The Three Sounds were one of the most popular artists on Blue Note Records during the late '50s and '60s, thanks to their nimble, swinging, blues-inflected mainstream jazz. Since their records sounded interchangeable and their warm, friendly jazz was instantly accessible, many critics dismissed the group at the time as lounge-jazz, but in the '90s, critical consensus agreed that the group's leader, pianist Gene Harris, was an accomplished, unique stylist whose very ease of playing disguised his technical skill. Similarly, his colleagues, bassist Andrew Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy, were a deft, capable rhythm section that kept the group in an appealing, bluesy groove. That groove was so appealing that the Three Sounds maintained a large fan following into the late '60s. During the group's prime period -- from their 1958 debut for Blue Note to the departure of Dowdy in 1967 -- the Three Sounds cut an enormous number of records. Many records hit the shelves, while others stayed in the vaults, to be issued at a later date. Throughout it all, the trio's sound remained essentially the same, with no real dip in quality until the group began to splinter in the late '60s.

Gene Harris was at the center of the Three Sounds throughout its entire existence. A native of Benton Harbor, Michigan, he began playing piano as a child, performing in public at the age of six. He soon became distracted by boxing and sports, but he continued to perform music, occasionally in a trio with drummer Bill Dowdy. After they graduated from high school in 1951, both Harris and Dowdy joined the Army and were assigned to different units. However, both men were discharged in 1954, and after they left the Army, they began pursuing different musical careers. Harris played with a variety of bands throughout the South and Midwest, while Dowdy moved to Chicago and played with a number of blues and jazz bands. Two years later, both musicians happened to settle in South Bend, Indiana and decided to form a band called the Four Sounds with bassist Andrew Simpkins and a tenor saxophonist. After running through a number of tenor saxophonists unsuccessfully, the three musicians decided to jettison the horn from their group and become the Three Sounds. For the next two years, the group played regularly at Midwest venues, particularly in Ohio. They played as a trio, and they also supported such soloists as Lester Young and Sonny Stitt. During this time, Horace Silver became a fan of the group and recommended them to Alfred Lion, the head of Blue Note. Despite the good word, the group remained unsigned. They toured with Stitt and relocated to Washington, D.C., where they worked as a trio and as a rhythm section for touring soloists; during this time, they played with such musicians as Miles Davis and Kenny Burrell. In the fall of 1958, they moved to New York to work with Stitt. Shortly after the moved to the city, the signed to Blue Note, in addition to supporting Nat Adderley on a Riverside session.

The Three Sounds cut their first album for Blue Note in September of 1958. That record, Introducing the Three Sounds, became an unexpected success among record buyers, and the group's live performances earned fans like Horace Silver, Sonny Stitt, Miles Davis and Cannonball Adderley, even if critics tended to dismiss the group. In particular, a Down Beat reviewer panned the album, but that didn't stop the public from buying the record, which soon became one of the most popular jazz records of its years. Blue Note had the band re-enter the studio in February of 1959 to cut their second album, Bottoms Up. It was the third of a total of 17 sessions at Rudy Van Gelder's studio (Introducing had taken two sessions to complete). At one point, Harris estimated that the group has released 35 albums worth of material, with many left in the vaults. During their first stint at Blue Note, they released the following, in addition to Introducing and Bottoms Up: Good Deal, Feelin' Good, Moods, Here We Come, It Just Got to Be, Hey There!, Out of This World, and Black Orchid. The Three Sounds also supported such Blue Note artists as Stanley Turrentine and Lou Donaldson on several recording dates.

The Three Sounds continued successfully on Blue Note until 1962, when they switched labels shortly after recording Black Orchid. They cut one album, Blue Genes, for Verve, then moved to Mercury, where they made three records between December 1962 and 1964. Later in 1964, the trio signed to Limelight, where they made three records. In October of 1966, the group returned to Blue Note and recorded Vibrations. Shortly after the sessions, drummer Bill Dowdy left the group and was replaced by Donald Bailey, who made his first recorded appearance with the group on 1967's Live at the Lighthouse. That album was followed in 1968 by Coldwater Flat, an album that found the trio augmenting their sound with a string section. By the time the group returned to the studio in September 1968 to cut Elegant Soul, Bailey was replaced by Carl Burnette. Elegant Soul continued the pattern of smooth, string-heavy productions, as did 1969's Soul Symphony. By the time the group made Soul Symphony, bassist Andrew Simpkins had left the trio and was replaced by Henry Franklin.

Soul Symphony, for most intents and purposes, was the last record the Three Sounds made. They continued to perform live, and one of those concerts is documented on Live at the It Club, a 1970 date which was released in 1995. Later in 1970, Monk Montgomery replaced Franklin, but this version of the Three Sounds never recorded. Instead, Harris embarked on a solo career in 1971, releasing Gene Harris & the Three Sounds, which also featured Burnette and electric bassist Luther Hughes, along with a number of session men. From that point on, Harris concentrated on his solo career, recording for Blue Note over the next six years. Once his contract expired, Harris retired to Boise, Idaho, where he worked as a musical director at a hotel. Eventually, he returned to music after bassist Ray Brown convinced the pianist to play on an album for Pablo. Harris resumed his solo career in 1985, signing with Concord Jazz. His new albums, combined with CD reissues of classic Three Sounds dates, prompted a positive critical re-evluation of his music, and he maintained a strong reputation into
the late '90s.

Samples:

Elegant Soul: (Blue Note 1968)
* "Look of Slim"
Blackalicious - "Lyric Fathom"

Gene Harris & the Three Sounds: (Blue Note 1971)
* "Put on Train"
Beastie Boys - "What Comes Around"

Of the Three Sounds: (Blue Note 1972)
* "Listen Here"
RBX - "Mom's are Cryin'"

Astralsignal: (Blue Note 1974)
* "Losalamitos Funk Song"
Compton's Most Wanted - "Music to Driveby"
* "Feeling You, Feeling Me Too"
MadKap - "Proof is in Da Puddin'"
Nextmen ft Ty - "Turn it up a Little"

Tone Tantrum: (Blue Note 1977)
* "Stranger in Paradise"
9th Wonder - "Leaky Beat Vault"

Soul Symphony: (Blue Note 1969)
* "Repeat After Me"
Main Source - "Vamos a Rapair"

a tribute of tributes.

2009-12-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

Carlos Niño & Miguel Atwood Ferguson have chosen to pay tribute to J Dilla by interpreting his music in a contemporary chamber music style.

Carlos Niño and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson have been working together on a wide variety of projects, beginning in 2004 when Niño hired Atwood-Ferguson's string quartet to perform on Dwight Trible & The Life Force Trio's Love is the Answer (Ninja Tune). The J Dilla production “Antiquity” also comes from this project.

Suite for Ma Dukes initially began in 2007, on what would have been Dilla's 33rd birthday, when Niño & Atwood-Ferguson recorded and released their strings, brass and reeds-only version of J Dilla & Common’s “Nag Champa” to DJs, producers and fans over the internet for free. They had written the entire piece to accompany the record as a their tribute to Dilla, feeling that the producer was still in the track not by his presence but by his absence.

The 4 tracks on Suite for Ma Dukes cover Dilla's productions from “Antiquity” and “Nag Champa”, A Tribe Called Quest's “Find a Way” and Slum Village's “Fall in Love”.

J Dilla touched my life. He saved my life....and he saved my hiphop. May he rest in peace. this tribute may be over some heads but its most definitely fitting for the King.
James Dewitt Yancey (1974-2006) aka King James/ PayJay / Dilladawg / JayDee / Dilla.

CORNBREAD POSTER ART SALE!

2009-07-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

Hey gang-
i get asked alot about selling my posters and I've felt a little iffy about it....but as of this week I'll be posting my work for sale at varied prices based on size and work....but I think it'll still be extremely reasonable. if you should have any questions regarding work or something that I did that is not up...then please feel free to email me. stay tuned.

here's a small section of previous work. most of the posters are standardized and 11x32...and I can mat them if you so desired... contact me here on the blog...djcbread@gmail.com or djcornbread.podomatic.com. thanks.

for the july 3rd show....(8)

an eighties set performed at the BOOT.(8)

a custom poster designed for Gina Dalmas.(10)

the darby beckman blaxploitation poster.(10)

the valentines day set...(5)

a custom poster designed for Jon Bibbs.(5)

the first of two commerative posters for Obama's inauguration getdown set.(15)

and the second...(20)

XMAS set...(6)

the waxpoectics berkvisual set...(20)

a never before seen poster designed for a halloween set in italian...(20)

the birthday set...(8)

the 911 poster.(10)

poster designed for RYLO...(20)

a rare and last illbred poster...(20)

the patriot poster...(8)

the pure 80's set...(10)

the golden hiphop poster...(8)

the funky samurai set...(8)

poster designed for Rashard Wright...(5)

the MTA poster...(20)

the first Thanksgiving set...(5)

the flag...(10)

brazilian afro joint...(8)

kentucky fried xmas set....(4)

and i have few more I'm too lazy to post at the moment.

Cornbread goes diggin'.

2009-07-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

this is just a bitty about diggin' for records...

DJ CORNBREAD PLAYS THE NORFOLK TAPHOUSE JULY 3RD!!!!

2009-06-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

Ok people... here's the kronkite. I rocked a show at the BOOT on may 23rd( memorial day weekend). The show was spotty because of the holiday weekend and the need for everyone to be inclined to rock the barbeque grill in leu of the dancefloor. If you missed it... i rocked an eighties set that you can check out the consolidated version rebroadcasted via my podcast on djcornbread.podomatic.com...but I was not happy with my performance because I did not have the luxury of hype ass crowd to back the skills and tunes i put on display that night. It's all good though...can't sweat the technique.
The Friday after next is somewhat a day of reckoning on the tables. I every intention of getting the booty juice out of a killer ass crowd. as usual you can expect the random...the ol school... the king James(James Brown)...the other king James ( J Dilla aka James Yancey)...the classic hiphop...the classic rock....all the stops will be made on the Bread train....So get juiced up for the freedom set to celebrate 238 years of democratic bull-ish. dj Cornbread is performing at Norfolk Taphouse on Fri...July 3rd. from 10 pm sharp to 2 am. No stops....No talking...No shoutouts..just cuts for the real heads that know what time it really is....(talking to you Justin...)
Keep your eyes open for a freedom 45 live podcast coming soon to the cornbread chronicles...featuring exclusive cuts you've likely never heard because you been sleeping too long. stanby and tuned.

Straight no chaser: Numark comes with heat.

2009-06-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

This is nothing but a treat from one of the greatest droppin' nothing but the heat. this was a set performed in the heart of the beatjunkie click somewhere in LA a couple of months ago. Dj Numark of Jurrasic 5 kills it with 45's i would sell a family member for. Big ups to the funky president for this amazing treat. could hear it all day....VA! ...and don't ask me about what some of the cuts are because I don't even know ;). Enjoy. That is all.

recognition goes out to ill-literate and Dan Tres Omi...my other ears.

underestimation of hiphop in a game of scrabble

2009-06-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

You know how your brain gets all soupy after a night of drinking? You leave the pub superfaded telling your homey (or sometimes yourself), " i need food, man!", as you get behind the wheel of an automobile ( hopefully yours), making your way to the nearest TacoBell...flickering the advance button on your CD player like a retard in charge of a lightswitch and trying to find that ONE track you think is gonna be the sober justice you're in need of for the ride to the casa?
...and what happens?
if your anything like me, you're ususally found passed out with soft tacos spread about the coffee table.A Dr. Pepper glazes a nice water ring from condensation on your nice coffee table in the near distance. A dvd of nightrider season 1 (tv) AND tribe's low end theory(stereo full blast) plays at the same time, as you have given a modest attempt at removing your clothing without unbuttoning anything...dreaming of the good life....ahhhhhh.

Well...my dream patterns took a turn off of the normal path of naked women giving me new dj gear for free when I made the mistake of passing out to Kevin Fitzgerald's FREESTYLE: the art of rhyming, the most popular documentary on emceeing to date.
I pondered a situation of certain peril. Me...and 3 legendary emcees at table preparing to enjoy a game of scrabble?
Yeah, its defintitely not a good dream...

Supernatural, Rakim, Kris Parker( better known as KRS-ONE) and me. Now, while its important to state the obvious ( I suck at scrabble and would lose to just about anybody), I would like to explain to those of you who are not in the know of these great men and their work...that to see these men playing a game of scrabble would bring men bred from the finest ivy league academia furnished with an exceptional grammactical and linguistic knowledge, to their soft skinned knees.(urban myth leaning toward fact: the 3 aforementioned emitted enough power from their intellect to juice the city of Las Vegas while the Hoover Dam was undergoing maintances for a couple of hours....swear, it was like 89'.) Their vocabulary, lyrics and poetry are both memorizing and ridiculously powerful(hiroshima powerful.)

Why? Because these three are damn near royal examples of what Hiphop provides to an individual and his/her community. One of the many lessons of HipHop ( if not the most important) is self teaching. All of the elements of HipHop(breakin'/emceeing/graffiti/turtablism) are a product of self teaching...and many young men and women over the last 25-30 years have devoted themselves to an education necessary to the survival of themselves as well as the culture of HipHop. Reading a dictionary is something I' m sure we have all fathomed in amazement, but you imagine reading consistently for years? The emcees aforementioned are endowed in reading the Mirriam Webster's dictionary in conjunction with rhyme dictionaries and thesauruses. News or current affairs are also mainstays of ammunition for the classic emcee. These men are partially responsible for the elevation of eloquence in lyrcism. I also must note that these emcees stand amidst a gob of their HipHop peers who also deserve praise for their enlightenment and contribution to HipHop on the count of teachings of the self driven.

Making HipHop music in the early days was/is a batlle just as Jazz, America's first artform was.
Musicians in New York, would stroll up to Minton's, a popular harlem nightclub in the 30's-40's, to test their skills against the likes of a Dizzy Gillespie or Fats Waller. Many amatuers would leave with instruction to work at their skills by fellow musicians, while a few dozen would often stay jam on into the wee hours of the night. The hereditary strain in both artforms, is that preparation is necessary for evolution...in plain view of many adversities and obstacles set forth to inhibit or undermine the efforts of impoverished young men and women of assorted minorities in pursuit of a modest success within their community by a contrasting middle to upper class demographic who sorely misunderstood what was happening and consquently ended up mocking. My point? Simply put... things aint just what they used to be...but they really should be?

The art and eloquence of emceeing is not dead, though it is rarely tapped as I'm sure you will hear if you listen to the radio these days (which I don't). The commercialization of HipHop has taken a turn for the worst in certain respects, i.e. the decomposition of originality, innovation and quality of the emcee being one of them. One solution possibly, is a reflection into the origins of the rap game and its pioneering. The assessment and transparent recollection in the elements of success that furthered us on down the HipHop timeline to make clueless, uppity record executives embrace what was once consistently mocked, is necessary.

The quality of HipHop music, epicentered at emcees making a run in the HipHopolis of today, in comparison to HipHop that men of the Cold Crush/Fantastic Crews, Supernatural, Rakim and KRS help to create, is in the words of my man, Jon Bibbs, " is like comparing chalk to cheese."
Historically speaking, one would obviously need to say rightfully so to such a contrast. Example? How many people do you know when asked of the greatest basketball player ever grace a court say something other than Micheal Jordan? ( sidenote: ...and if they did say something oter than that, they likely stared at the sun too long as a child.)

They'll never be another Supa'nat... nor a KRS... nor a Rakim. They will always be legends in the eyes of many and to question otherwise would be about as obsurd as punching a baby with a meatcleaver. If we follow the history of HipHop, we know that it ends where it starts...and i pray for the emcees of today to display an intregity, individuality and devotion to the movement that opened the possiblities for them in the first place.
I'm not saying you gotta' be a freestyle dj. I' m not saying you have to be EXACTLY like these guys... I'm not even saying that these guys are the greatest examples. Many emcees could be named but frankly, I don't have that kind of time and neither do you.
I AM saying that i want something new to hold on to but the thought of aquiring something so attainable is disheartening. Im saying that i want new wax to stack next to my other timeless masterpieces of HipHop. I want a low end theory for 2009, a criminal minded...a 36 chambers....a grandmaster flash's- the message or even a paid in full by eric b. & rakim. Some new ish...for the masses...all of em'. don't let it always be about the benjamins...its ok if you want put some heart into it.

Pete Rock aka the CHOCOLATE BOY WONDER is what you've been sleepin' on.

2009-06-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

I'm positive that there are some of you that probably think Kanye West is something of a HipHop demi-god...and then there those that share my enthusiasm for plainly shitting on him at every physical opportunity given because of the sheer HipHop "murder" he's gotten away with. Now for those of you who view Kanye as a "well...he's not THAAT BAD" situation, listen up....i got news for ya'. Allow me to first preface by stating that I am not a hater, more specifically, I am not jealous in any way shape or form of Kanye's "blessings" or skills. In many ways I do not deem Kanye's accomplishments within the realm of HipHop entirely, nor do I hail complete loathe for the man because of his arrogance, ego maniacal attitude and embarrassing "i found the ball first" episodes will eventually be the end of him...but in the words of the late Richard Pryor, [you] "be happy for any brotha doin' any fuckin' thing because we need all we can get."
All that changed for me when I read an anonymous moreover, accurate article about Mr. West in which he referred to himself as the "new Pete Rock of HipHop". Yeah...I said it. Actually he said it.
Now, because anyone who knows me, knows that I struggle as man and as DJ to find positives about Kanye when he would be stupid enough to go "full retard" like that. I was so infuriated that I called my mom to discuss what I was buggin' about to which she replied, "well son, you have to have somebody to pray for."
Which brings me to the now... Rather than pray, i chose to remind myself ( not that I needed to) just exactly how far from the truth Kanye's severely impaired, bold ass statement was. How could he compare with the reputation and quality of PR's body of work? Nevermind that he (West) got busted lifting drum samples from Pete's instrumentals...Nevermind that his work doesn't compare to the contribution that Pete has made to hiphop over the last 20 years...So I walked into the lab pulled every pete Rock record I had off the shelves and began to reminisce about why the chocolate boy wonder could never be touched.This podcast is in complete dedication to the chocolate boy wonder and his contribution to HipHop, and hopefully at the conclusion you'll understand why it comes as complete bewilderment to me, for Kanye to put his balls in his mouth like that.

Some would argue that Dilla is and could mentioned in the same sentence with regards to hiphop production when it comes to the reputation of Pete Rock. Several of the comparisons stem from the fact that Dilla created the bulk of his productions out of samples, as well as the warm, mellow, and exuberant undertones apparent in their work. Pete Rock himself has added validation to the comparisons with J Dilla by stating "he's the only producer in this game that was just as serious [as me]."
the Tie-In: J Dilla's posthumous album $tay Paid was released on Nature Sounds label (owned by Pete Rock) and mixed and produced by Pete Rock. (released June 2nd) Great minds think alike.
There is still after all that has been said possible for some to not understand what the Cornbread is saying. It is remotely possible that some could be a victim generational slight. Some who claim the aficionado stamp of HipHop who may not know of the dopeness Pete Rock changed the game with. There some that view Kanye as the pillar of production because thats all they know. Kanye is after all, in the spotlight at least once a month. Well then I leave those unfortunate souls inevitably denied because of the fact that they were like 4 when Mecca and the Soul Brother came out, this 68 minute archive of dopeness by Dj Cornbread is nothing but a very small pinhole view of his work.Enjoy.