Metal Lungies

One two/who got more style than son do

It’s been a minute, people. My apologies – midterms and essays got your boy busy.

“Thief’s Theme” is a 2004 single released by Nas in support of his double album, Street’s Disciple. Salaam Remi flips the guitar riff and a soaring organ line from the Incredible Bongo Band’s cover of “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”(later used in almost identical fashion by Wil.i.am for “Hip Hop Is Dead”). Remi throws a short bongo break on the chorus, where scratches Nas’s lyrics from “The World Is Yours” for the chorus:

The thief’s theme, play me at night they won’t act right/Understandable smooth shit that murderers move with.

Keeping with the theme of the song, the video features people robbing stores in ski masks.

I owe my discovery of today’s featured remix entirely to Dan Love at FDB, who tipped me off to this track at the end of last year. “Thief’s Theme” was remixed by Canadian producer Midas Touch for his online mixtape The Remix Tape Volume 1, which you can download here. Obviously, this remix is internet only, but it’s a shame; Midas does a better job behind the boards here than Nas’ current stable of mostly crap producers.

Midas switches up the percussion to heavy snares and hi-hats. He adds pretty, echoing piano keys and brings in stirring strings and some really dope horns every few bars. Midas also chops us some classic Otis Redding groans and layers them on top. Midas’s take on “Thief’s Theme” is cinematic and sounds like a lost Premier beat circa Moment of Truth – never a bad thing.

Which version is better? I’m leaning toward Midas on this one. Remi’s beat is hurt by the fact that Nas used the same sample for “Hip Hop Is Dead” but two years later. Still a good beat, just feels a bit redundant, I suppose. What do you guys think?

Download: Nas – Thief’s Theme

Download: Nas – Thief’s Theme (Midas Touch Remix)

Note from AM: I’m pretty busy with midterms right now, so I’m bringing back Jorge from Bang The Box for a guest post in the Remix Tuesdays series. Read his last post here.

Huge respect to AM for inviting me back to guest on the Mighty Metal Lungies, but enough pleasantries, let’s get back to business.

From the first lick of Odetta’s “Sakura,” you should know exactly what this is, it’s a classic without need for argument. Spencer Bellamy’s seminal “Tried By 12” was snapping necks left and right in ’96 with its entrancing yet moody melody and Des’ ominously cold flow. I could break his verses apart line-by-line, but the citation and analysis of the clever wordplay contained within would extended for pages.

Originally touching down on Bellamy’s own 10/30 Uproar, the single was picked up by Chocolate Industries in ’98, and licensed to Ninja Tune in the same year. The beauty of Chocolate Industries backing this track was the onslaught of remixes that followed suit. Enlisting an A-List of abtract and forward-thinking producers for the double twelve, both labels capitalized on the beginning of the glitch-hop movement that is huge today — 10 years later. The release included flips from Ko-Wreck Technique (Push Button Objects & DJ Craze), Phonecia, The Herbaliser, Funkstorung, Autechre, Squarepusher, and Nick Fury to name a few.

Today you’re going to get served up with the video, the original and some of my favorite alternate mixes from that piece of deleted catalog. I’m all about spreading that rarity wealth and all of these hold special places in my history for one reason or another. They not only represent the classic sound, but what was the next business during that era.

Download: East Flatbush Project – Tried By 12 (Original Mix)

Download: East Flatbush Project – Tried By 12 (Ko-Wreck Technique Mix)

Download: East Flatbush Project – Tried By 12 (Autechre Mix)

Download: East Flatbush Project – Tried By 12 (Nick Fury Mix)

Download: East Flatbush Project – Tried By 12 (Squarepusher Mix)

I was going to make it 4 and not 5, but that Squarepusher mix is too funky to be slept on. Playlist all that shit, put it on blast, and enjoy.

Remix Tuesdays forever.

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.

With Aaron on a very brief hiatus, I though I’d throw up a ML Diggin joint (the grandfather feature of Remix Tuesdays).

This track came up on random shuffle today, and I love random ass guest spots like this. Back in 2000 Nas got on a Trackmasters remix of the R&B trio 3LW’s debut single No More (Baby I’ma Do Right). In his 2 (!!) verses Nas mentions not messing with Jailbait until the subject gets older and  holding down 3LW.  Does anyone know the background story of why Nas got involved with this track? Thank god they didn’t get Kells to do the hook on this. For those of you not in the know, 3LW has since lost a member, and morphed into a Disney Channel staple, The Cheetah Girls.

3LW Ft. Nas – I Can’t Take It (No More Remix)

Via the QN5 Blog

The ever-underrated producer Domingo has a great story about the making of a Big Pun/Fat Joe/Shaq record, originally intended for Shaq’s 1996 album, You Can’t Stop The Reign. I’ll let Domingo take it from here:

Let me set the tone without the deff here..lol…It is around November 1996 Orlando Florida. I am in one of NBA’s most famous players of it’s times house recording for what would be his last solo album. Yes I am talking about Shaquille O’Neal. I had the pleasure of working side by side with him and this is one of the reasons I am always grateful for my career and that is was in my eyes a successful one.

Shaq wanted Big Pun and Fat Joe on a song for his “Can’t Stop The Reign” album and his manager at the time my homie Kevin Mitchell called me and told me Shaq wanted me to do that beat for that song and of course I said ‘Hell yeah!’ because I already knew Pun would kill that song. We all was flown down to Florida and recorded the song.

This song never made the album because of label politics and Shaq scrapped the song. The song has been unreleased and never heard for a very long time until maybe 3 years ago someone bootlegged it and put it out on vinyl. It is still a well sought after record on the net. So I decided to put my lil YouTube skills on a simple basis to work and make a video for the song.

Needless to say, this shit knocks. Grimy beat, killer Pun verse…hell, Shaq is a better rapper than half of these cats out right now. At the very least, better than Jeezy or Rawse.

Oh, and if anyone has an mp3 of this, put up a link in the comments or email me.

Whatever happened to that Twinz album, Puff?

September 30th is a big day for hip-hop releases: Termanology, Heltah Skeltah, Murs and Large Professor! In anticipation of Term and Extra P’s albums, celebrate with some dope older tracks by both.

“How My Man Went Down In The Game” is a rare Main Source track, off of Wild Pitch Classics, a compilation of rare tracks and singles by the infamously corrupt label.

The Term track is off his 50 Bodies mixtape from 2007 (which recently got a sequel), and he kills a crazy Marley Marl beat, originally from Marley’s BBE album.

Download: Termanology – 50 Bodies

Main Source – How My Man Went Down In The Game

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)

eLXavi646‘s YouTube channel is full of classic breaks, some amazing stuff there (especially the “En Espanol” section).

GRANDGOOD has video of the Nuts performing material from their upcoming album, Planet Of The Crates.

Download: The Beatnuts – Se Acabo (Remix ft.Method Man)

Peep this old ODB freestyle he did for Funkmaster Flex in 1996. Dirty goes in on the “Broken Language” beat like no other. My favorite part is when he mentions “The Count of Monte Crisco”. His interview is cut off at the end, which is heartbreaking.

Download: Ol’ Dirty Bastard – ’96 Broken Language Freestyle

Bonus: Buddha Monk – Prepare for the Buddha Monk featuring Brooklyn Zu, Da Manchuz & Ol’ Dirty Bastard (off Unreleased Chambers, 2008 Visions of the Tenth Chamber, 2000)

via GRANDGOOD

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)