Metal Lungies

I couldn’t think of a more appropriate song to cover for my return to writing Remix Tuesdays than Diamond D’s 1997 comeback single, “The Hiatus”. It’s been almost a month, folks. Not quite weekly, I know. Shouts to DJ01 for doing his own remix feature.

First, let’s start with the video:

Diamond’s beat centers around stately horns and a mix of light hi-hats and thick kick drums. The chorus consists of a sung “la la la”s from both male and female singers (cue Diamond shouting “Ladies!”) and a scratched hook:

There’s a new hombre in town/it’s Diamond D

Diamond remixed “The Hiatus” for the CD single (pictured above is promo 12′). The beat employs some gorgeous, gorgeous strings, probably one of the dopest string loops ever*.It’s a simple loop of David Axelrod’s “The School Boy” but that doesn’t change how nice it sounds. The remix starts with just strings, and some quiet singing. The “La la la” chorus is resung to the tune of the new instrumental, and there’s more scratching on the chorus. Diamond spits a new, hilarious verse, and Chaddeo and Yogi of CRU come in for guest verses. The drums are a bit harder on the remix, replacing the hi-hats with hard snares. Instant head nod, period – this is what a remix should be.

Let me leave you with my favorite Diamond couplet:

Recline with dimes who blow me and breeze/while your broke ass is home eating baloney and cheese

Download: Diamond D – The Hiatus

Diamond D – The Hiatus (Remix ft.CRU)

BONUS BEATS: Shouts to The Meaning Of Dope, who did a nice feature on their favorite remixes a while back. Worth checking for Diamond’s remix of Outkast’s “Southernplayalisticadillacmusik”, which I’d never heard before.

Ace also did a nice comp of his 13 favorite Diamond tracks. Lots of shit I’ve never heard here.

*”Boom” and “Worldwide” probably have this locked.

Remix Tuesdays is temporarily going biweekly, sorry for the lateness on today’s instalment. I’m still trying to figure out whether or not I want to do this feature every week.

“Stakes Is High” is a 1996 De La Soul single, produced by Jay Dee. It was released in support of De La’s album of the same name. Dilla uses a simple yet effective clap and snare combo for percussion, and works a dope, low key bass line for most of the track. The dope sax and piano enter every few bars, and the “vibes…vibrations” chant in the background blends in perfectly.

Dela is a Paris based producer who’s worked with rappers like Les Nubians, Blu and Aloe Blacc. He remixed “Stakes Is High” owe Andres at CDR some dap for tipping me off to this remix and to Dela’s producing talents. His remix works lighter, crisper drums, and delicate piano chord sequence. On the chorus and pre-chorus, Dela adds in a chaotic horn sample that blends smoothly into the beat used for the verses. Dela gives Plug 1 and 2 a little more space in his beat to flex verbally – there’s a bunch of adlibs I never noticed on the original. It all adds us to a dope jazzy beat that sounds like it could be vintage No I.D. circa Resurrection or Large Professor circa Illmatic.

The video features De La as guests on a talk show. They walk around New York, do laundry, rake leaves, wash cars and play basketball. Watch for Q-Tip’s cameo. Is that Phife at 1:55 as a coach? Ali Shaheed Muhammed and Common are in this too.

I fell in love with “Stakes Is High” in 11th grade and the beat brings back memories for me the second I hear that Ahmad Jamal sample. But the Dela remix is a fresh spin on the track. I need to hear more from this cat.

Download: De La Soul – Stakes Is High

De La Soul – Stakes Is High (Dela Remix)

The Knux are a self-described rap duo from from New Orleans, consisting of brothers Krispy Kream (I know, I know) and Al Millio. Recently signed to Interscope, the brothers self-describe their music as “garage-hop.” So far the group have only officially released two tracks. One of them, “Cappucino”, is the first single off their upcoming debut, Remind Me In 3 Days.

Fitting the group’s description, “Cappucino” is built on churning garage rock riffs. Blippy synthesizers intertwine with the guitar lines and chanted “Hey!”s on the chorus:

I need a fresh cappuccino with a mocha twist, fresh fresh cappuccino with a mocha twist/Ey ey miss

Claps and hi-hats make up the percussion. The song is produced by the group as is its remix.

The video bites De La quite a bit, check the dookie ropes!

The remix to “Cappucino” is incredible in that it sounds exactly like a vintage 1992 Native Tongues track. Stilted, thudding drums are joined by laidback guitar and bass. Chanted “Oh!”s chime in every few bars. Both Krispy and Al contribute entirely new lyrics, keeping only the chorus and the odd line here and there. There is delicate acoustic guitar and someone singing “Da da da da” on the chorus.

I actually like both versions equally, if only for the fact that the Knux are a rap group in 2008 who actually made a real remix to their song, instead of just tacking a fucking Lil’ Wayne verse to “Cappuccino”. And that’s not a Lil’ Wayne diss; it’s just nice to see someone actually alter the beat of a song for a remix.

Download: The Knux – Cappuccino (Remind Me In 3 Days, 200?)

The Knux – Cappuccino (Remix)

A note from AaronM: I’m super busy this week, my last in New York before I head back to school. So I enlisted ML devotee Jorge from Bang The Box for a guest drop. Enjoy, and show J support with some comments. I should be back with a RT feature next week.

“1, 2 Pass It” was the Premier-produced and only 12” single for the 1995 D & D Records compilation The D & D Project. The track features verses from KRS-One, Fat Joe, Mad Lion, Doug E. Fresh, Jeru the Damaja, and Smif-N-Wessun. Collectively known as the D & D All-Stars, this short lived collaboration managed to yield one of the dopest posse cuts of the era. Notable verses, in my opinion, go to KRS and Jeru but the same cohesion that makes tracks like ATCQ/LONS’ “Scenario” great is also prevalent here. The release was backed by Big C’s “Look Alive,” produced by Diamond D.

The verses on both versions are identical; however, the beat employed in the original versus the remix give each cut a radically different feel. The original maintains that same deep, Rhodes-laced, head-nod vibe that is also present in Premo’s Nyte Time remix of Show & AG’s “Next Level,” on that late night studio session tip. You can also easily draw comparisons to “Return Of The Crooklyn Dodgers,” produced around the same time. However, the revision of “1, 2 Pass It” offers a totally different sound, introducing horn stabs that give the track a much more funked-out feel; but still Premier. The drum kits on both versions are also identical, with most of the major differences lying in the backing samples and bass lines. In my opinion, the original beat is more complimentary to the verses and the overall feel of the track.

The video is a who’s who of D & D Studio regulars including cameo appearances from DJ Evil Dee & Mr Walt of Da Beatminerz, Lord Finesse, and Sadat X just to name a few.

DOWNLOAD: D & D All-Stars – 1, 2 Pass It

DOWNLOAD: D & D All-Stars – 1, 2 Pass It (Remix)

“Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)…” is the second single released from Jay-Z’s 2007 album, American Gangster. The song is produced by Diddy, Sean C & LV. “Roc Boys” is all about the upbeat, celebratory horns, sampled from the Menahan Street Band’s “Make The Road By Walking.” A funky guitar lick plays in the background through most of the song, and the sample is topped off with some thick, thudding drums (must be Diddy’s contribution there!) The beat quickly became the go-to instrumental for rappers to freestyle over, with rappers like Asher Roth and Wale still using it in 2008.

The video for “Roc Boys” has cameos from basically everyone. Look for appearances by Rick Ross, Memphis Bleek, Diddy, Freeway, Nas, Tru Life, Young Gunz, Jadakiss, Swizz Beatz, Beanie Sigel, Cassie, DJ Clue, Larry Johnson, Tristan Wilds, Just Blaze, Zab Judah, The-Dream, Irv Gotti and Mariah Carey.

Producer K-Def remixed American Gangster and released his set of remixes online, entitled Real Live Gangster. Def’s version of “Roc Boys” is a complete about-face from the original’s feeling. It’s slow and downbeat, centered around a series of jazzy electric guitar riffs. Every few bars, the guitar is joined by urgent strings and police sirens. The remix switches the drums to light, live sounding drum taps. K-Def’s stripped down instrumental is compelling enough to demand attention by itself, while focusing the listener’s attention on the lyrics.

Which version do you prefer? I really dig the whole Real Live Gangster remix album, and as much as I liked “Roc Boys” when it came out, the original is a bit played out for me. So the K-Def version is a compelling alternative. Given the massive amount of American Gangster remix albums, if you don’t care for either version highlighted here, you ought to be able to find one that floats your boat.

You can download Real Live Gangster here. I can’t recommend it enough, regardless of your opinion of the original AG album.

Download: Jay-Z – Roc Boys (And The Winner Is…) (American Gangster, 2007)

Jay-Z – Roc Boys (K-Def Remix) (Real Live Gangster, 2007)

Okay, so I f’ed up. I’ve been busy and I forgot to write my final entry in the D’Angelo Remix Tuesdays. But I wanted to do D justice by posting my final writeup of D’Angelo Remix Month today, even though today is the first day of August. Ah well.

If you missed the previous 3 instalments of the series:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

“Cruisin'” was released as Brown Sugar‘s 2nd single in 1995. It’s a cover of Smokey Robinson’s 1979 single. D’Angelo produced the song himself, employing an impressive string section, including violin, viola and cello. Shakers and light drumming are used for the understated percussion, with sleigh bells entering on the chorus. D’Angelo’s version is fairly faithful to the original in terms of the basic chords and lyrics, but it’s a fair bit longer; at 6:26, the longest song on Brown Sugar. Gentle guitar figures and organ accompany D’Angelo’s graceful falsetto singing. “Cruisin'” is a great song for driving on a summer day.

On its 12′ release, “Cruisin'” was edited down to 5 minutes and 24 seconds and remixed by R&B production maven Dallas Austin. Austin strips the song of most of its instrumentation and replaces the live drums and shakers with programmed, 90s R&B style snares and hi-hats. He loops a short snippet of the guitar from the original into a catchy little riff and keeps the string arrangements from the original.

I was actually pleasantly surprised with the Dallas Austin remix. As much as I like the original, I can see Austin’s remix going over much better in the clubs or at parties, whereas the original would sound better in the car or at home. Let me know what you think of both versions in the comments!

Download: D’Angelo – Cruisin’ (Brown Sugar, 1995)

D’Angelo – Cruisin’ (Dallas Austin Remix) (Cruisin’ 12?, 1995)

And this marks the end of my month of covering D’Angelo songs exclusively for Remix Tuesdays. I’ve now covered every single released off Brown Sugar. Did you, the reader, enjoy the focus on one artist for a month? What did you think of D’Angelo Month (not the official title)?

Welcome to the third instalment of D’Angelo Remix Month at ML. For those who slept, check out the previous two posts in the series covering remixes of “Brown Sugar” and “Me And Those Dreamin’ Eyes Of Mine”. “Lady” was released in 1996,  the 2nd single off Brown Sugar.

“Lady” is produced by Raphael Saadiq and this album marked the start of his second career as the go-to producer for neo-soul. “Lady” is smooth yet subtly funky, starting with thick snare drums and claps. Gradually jazzy guitar figures and delicate piano chords enter the mix. It’s a fantastic slice of modern soul and D’Angelo sings beautifully over it.

DJ Premier remixed the song for the promotional 12′ release of “Lady”, turning in a version called the “Just Tha Beat Mix.”

The “Just Tha Beat Mix” strips the song down to heavy drums and a thumping 4-bar horn loop. AZ adds a decent verse that actually manages to stay on topic (unlike Redman and Kool G Rap), but his usually effortless flow sounds thrown off by the chunky Premier beat. A video was made for the remix, with cameos from Joi, Erykah Badu, and Faith Evans (thanks to reader DANJ! for correcting me). Oh, and AZ shows up at one point too.

My personal favorite is the original, without a doubt. Much as I love AZ, D and Premo individually, the Premier remix of “Lady” sounds a bit off. For a better AZ/Premo collab, I’d recommend seeking out “The Come Up”. And D’Angelo and Premier did great work together on “Devil’s Pie.” The remix of “Lady” is fine, it’s not awful, I just think the OG is a better listen. As always, tell me which version you like better in the comments.

Download: D’Angelo – Lady (Brown Sugar, 1995)

D’Angelo – Lady (Just Tha Beat Mix ft.AZ) (Lady promo 12′, 1996)

Welcome to week 2 of the D’Angelo Remix Month. Every Tuesday in July, I’ll be covering a different D’Angelo song and an accompanying remix.

“Me And Those Dreamin’ Eyes Of Mine” was the 4th and final single released in 1996 in support of D’Angelo’s album, Brown Sugar. It’s self produced, riding a funky, organ-driven groove accompanied by light percussion that sounds like it was generated with drum brushes. Strings play in the chorus, but they aren’t overbearing and serve D’s voice well. Its jazz club performance video is very fitting.

A remix was produced by Erick Sermon for the 12′ release of the single, billed as the “Def Squad Remix”. The remix starts with Redman fucking around on the mic before the Erick Sermon beat kicks in with stiff, stuttered drums. The opening organ swells from the original are retained and Sermon adds spacey keyboards, turning in a spare, hard-hitting beat for Red to rip shit. Redman delivers a quick and typically hilarious verse then returns to do adlibs on D’Angelo’s chorus. After that, the Green Eyed Bandit himself does typically awkward adlibs over D’s vocals. Red closes the remix with a few quick bars over D’Angelo’s cooing, amusingly threatening:

“Hey yo dreamy eyes/you better run it”

I like the original the best, but the remix is still dope for having a Redman verse over Erick Sermon production when both were in their prime as rapper and producer, respectively.

Remixes of “Me…” were done by Jay Dee and DJ Premier as well, but I can’t find those anywhere. If anyone reading this has either, please send them to me and I’ll do a quick write-up of them. Just check the contact info on the homepage.

Download:

D’Angelo – Me And Those Dreamin’ Eyes Of Mine (Brown Sugar, 1995)

D’Angelo – Me And Those Dreamin’ Eyes Of Mine (Def Squad Remix ft.Redman) (Me And Those Dreamin’ Eyes Of Mine 12′, 1996)

I’m doing something special this month, ML readers! Each Tuesday for the rest of the month, I’m tackling a different D’Angelo remix. I’ve been covering strictly hip-hop remixes for the last 20 installments (with some guest writeups from Buhizzle), so I’m giving y’all a little R&B flavor for a few weeks.

I’m starting with D’Angelo’s 1995 debut single, “Brown Sugar”. The original “Brown Sugar” is produced by A Tribe Called Quest producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Muhammad uses sleigh bells, organ, guitar and a lazy, grooving bass line on the track and gives it a more hip-hop feel than the rest of the album’s tracks. “Brown Sugar” is one of the best songs on a perfect R&B record. It also had a video, which I’m including because of the conversation at the beginning.

Da Beatminerz remixed “Brown Sugar” for the “Cruisin'” 12′ and got Kool G Rap to drop several off-topic yet ill bars just before D sings his 3rd verse.

Here’s a sampling of the Kool Genius’s verse (you really have to hear him spit it):

Well it’s that street flavor neighbor that I smack upon this track
So throw that tobacco outta that Philly, dump in the illy and sit back
And get with bubonic chronic, the pond green bionic
My brown eyes get Chinese, high frequencies like Panasonic
I gets dumb when I hits one, for when you splits one and twists one
If you ain’t with getting blitzed son then straight up you missed one
I be high ’til I die, blowing lye smoke up in the sky
Getting bumbed from the trum and hella else from chocolate thai
So fly the friendly get highs, we wise guys with red eyes
Bigger than life sized, for the big pies we terrorize
While getting blunted enemies get hunted, we don’t front it
Son if you want it, it’ll be a murder mystery like Whodunit
Steady, get ready to step to that next level
Fear this like a daredevil, bounce this and pass a sack to the ear level
So come get with the program as I slam
He run that old flim flam then you can catch a blam blam/ and I don’t give a damn

The Beatminerz track samples a beautiful piano loop (also sampled on M.O.P.’s “New York Salute”) and uses harder, but not invasive drums. Some warm vibes come in occasionally as well.

The remix is a dope revision of the original that I might actually prefer on occasion to the OG. What do you think?

Download:

D’Angelo – Brown Sugar

D’Angelo – Brown Sugar (Da Beatminerz Remix ft.Kool G Rap)

“C’mon Wit Da Git Down” is a 1994 single by New Jersey based duo the Artifacts, consisting of emcees El Da Sensei and Tame One. Buckwild produced the original and a remix of the track for a 12′ release, featuring an appearance by Busta Rhymes.

Buckwild brings out some Large Professor style sleigh bells and an undulating bass line. Muted horns and wah wah guitar come in occasionally. Roc Raida lays some lovely scratches on the chorus, chanted by El and Tame One:

C’mon with da come on

Git down with da git down

Buck’s remix of “C’mon…” gives it a smoother feel, with an airy vocal sample singing “Ahhhhhhhhhh”. Trumpets blow every few bars. The drums hit harder and faster, instantly bringing in the head nod. In this version, El da Sensei and Tame One rap a new verse each, and Busta Rhymes takes the third verse. Busta recites the chorus like he did the chorus of Rampage’s “Wild For Da Night”; alternating between hyped and calm. I’d say the remix improves upon the original in just about every way, but what do you guys think?

Download: Artifacts – C’mon Wit Da Git Down

      Artifacts – C’mon Wit Da Git Down (Buckwild Remix ft.Busta Rhymes)