#I drew this while at a bar and the live music was so banger you have no idea

[gingerale13]

MORE pen doodles -- bar edition

Scout on the right drawn by @ivvyzzspark

[airadam]

Episode 114 : Enter The Midnight

"...we fighting back - sorry Martin."

- Erick Sermon

This month marks twenty-five years (!) since the release of two monumental albums - "Midnight Marauders" by A Tribe Called Quest, and the Wu-Tang Clan's "Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)". I still remember going to buy each of these albums which have had a huge influence on me over the years, and I thought that this episode would be a good time to feature them both. We have a mix of original tracks, alternate versions, covers, and original samples, alongside plenty of other tunes to keep your head bobbing!

There are still a few tickets left for Schoolly D and DJ Code Money on December 15th in Manchester - but you might want to be quick!

The Mouse Outfit are playing an Xmas special at Band on the Wall on December 18th - a few advance tickets left for that one too.

See Children of Zeus on tour!

Twitter : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Minnie Riperton : Inside My Love

An excerpt of a soul classic from one of our departed greats. Minnie Riperton was well capable of singing well into the whistle register, and demonstrates that to spectacular effect at the end of this track from the essential "Adventures In Paradise" album, which I first encountered as part of "Lyrics To Go"...

A Tribe Called Quest : Lyrics To Go

This sample use was absolute genius. When I first heard this as a teenager I didn't have a clue that the high tone running through the whole track was actually a singer and not a keyboard, and it still stuns you the same way twenty-five years after release. Perfect production, together with Q-Tip and Phife (RIP) on the mic, make this album cut from "Midnight Marauders" every inch of a classic.

Funky DL : Midnight

London's Funky DL first came to popular notice as an MC, but clearly also has major skills as a producer, arranger, and keyboardist! His "Marauding At Midnight" album is a tribute to "Midnight Marauders", with instrumental versions of every track played with no sampled breaks/loops - just instrumentation, as well as backing vocals. "Midnight" was one of my low-key favourites on the original LP, so it's great to hear his take on it here. I couldn't resist the opportunity to cut a few samples over the top :)

Wu-Tang Clan : Clan In Da Front

On my first listen to "Enter The Wu-Tang", this was the track that made me know for sure that the album was a classic. The Wu members regularly battled to see who would get to be on any particular RZA beat, and you can hear for yourself how undeniable GZA was on this one - one of only two tracks on the album to feature just one MC.

The ARE : Clap Ya Hands

The "Manipulated Marauders" project is much older when I look at the release date (2007) than it feels, but still gets solid play from me on a regular basis. The ARE tears up the classic Bob James "Nautilus" sample amongst others to bring some freshness to the familiarity of the Tribe "Clap Ya Hands" track from "Midnight Marauders".

Rockwilder ft. Erick Sermon, Method Man, and Redman : Clutch Reloaded

I missed the original version of this track, but this remix is absolute fire! This might be the most aggro I've ever heard Erick Sermon, and I can't be the only one struck by the combination of "bunch a n****s walking down the block like it's Selma" and the lyric that gave us this month's epigraph. Following Erick, the match made in blunt smoke, Meth & Red, continues the lyrical assault, and Rockwilder's beat is a banger that reminds you of a classic sample atomised. A must-purchase!

Ice Cube : Arrest The President

The man who brought us "I Wanna Kill Sam" back in the 90s is back to burn and has absolutely no problem going in on Mango Mussolini! Atlanta's Shawn Ski provides a stomping, horn-laden beat while Cube calls out Agent Orange for being an asset of Russian intelligence, and his general devilish behaviour. This tune definitely puts you on notice for the upcoming "Everythang's Corrupt" album.

[DJ Quik] Nate Dogg ft. Eve : Get Up (Instrumental)

One of those singles I somehow picked up a couple of a while back and still barely play! The first single from Nate Dogg's third album, it's not crazy but does have that Quik flavour and the beat a good bridge between the bombast of the Cube track and something a little more subdued...

Public Enemy : See Something, Say Something

I was looking for something funky in this spot and this fit the bill perfectly. Chuck D is from the right kind of era to know what to do with a groove like this, and has the experience and intelligence to drop wisdom all over it. Gary G-Wiz is on production on this lyrically clever flip of the Department of Homeland Security slogan, an overlooked track from "How Do You Sell Soul To A Soulless People Who Lost Their Soul?"

El Michels Affair : C.R.E.A.M

Much harder to mix with than I thought, but that's often the case with live bands - tempos are much more likely to shift within the track than with electronically sequenced music! Anyway, this is just one of the many great Wu instrumental cover versions from El Michels Affair, who gave us this tribute to the 36 Chambers classic on "Enter The 37th Chamber". It's always interesting when a band is sampled by a Hip-Hop producer as part of a composition, and then another band interprets that new version.

A Tribe Called Quest & Busta Rhymes : God Lives Through

The original "God Lives Through" included the voice of Busta via a sample from Tribe's own "Oh My God" on the same album, but he wasn't actually on the track. As he says, he always wanted to rhyme on it and here he gets his chance! This version is from the Q-Tip and Busta mixtape "The Abstract and the Dragon", and here I've just gone with the Busta verse and then Phife's - which is the same as the original, hopefully you own it by now :)

Black Milk ft. Fat Ray and Elzhi : Sound Of The City

Detroit time! Black Milk covers the low end lovely with well-engineered kicks and bass driving this track along. The title track to his first solo LP is a worth headliner, and I always laugh at the shade thrown at Mike Jones at the end of the second verse!

Hall & Oates : Method Of Modern Love

A new one to me, but after reading recently that this was the song that inspired the hook to "Method Man", I took a listen and thought I'd play a snippet here. You hear the first eight bars looped up for a couple of minutes, then we let it go so you can hear the introduction of the chorus - then stop the track and merge into...

Wu-Tang Clan : Method Man (Home Grown Version)

...the tune that drew from it! This isn't even the version from "Enter The Wu-Tang", but an alternate version that was on the 12", and is even more raw and lo-fi than anything on the album. It sounds like it was recorded in a basement and probably was, and I'd bet that this was the original, later re-done for the LP. For the turntablist heads, this is the version Mista Sinista used for his killer juggle - solved a mystery for me!

Cypress Hill : How I Could Just Kill A Man

Classic Cypress! Back in the pre-internet days, some New Yorkers thought this crew were locals from the Cypress Hills housing project, but in fact they were from all the way over in Los Angeles. The first album is still my favourite after all these years, and this track was fierce - a hit without even an attempt to soften up for the radio. DJ Muggs layers up legendary breaks for the beat and even has a few bars on the mic at the start of the second verse, while B-Real spits memorable bars on the kill-or-be-killed lifestyle, and Sen Dog jumps in for the hook. Early 90s heat.

Slum Village (ft. Young RJ) : Nitro

Detroit in the mix again, with the 2009/10 lineup in full effect, along with family member Young RJ on the boards and rhyming as well. The beat actually has a lot of RZA feel to it, and I could easily have imagined this on one of the early Wu albums. No slacking on the mic either, everyone represents and make this a tune worth tracking down - I got it on the "Villa Manifesto" LP, but it's not on all versions so look out for that when buying.

Inspectah Deck : R.E.C. Room

I'd forgotten that it wasn't until six years after the release of "Enter The Wu-Tang" that we finally got a solo album from Inspectah Deck, but "Uncontrolled Substance" did eventually arrive - maybe it needed that incredible verse from the start of "Triumph" to create the momentum! I believe this was the lead single, a tribute to the rec room parties from the Wu's youthful days, with a characteristically Wu-Tang beat courtesy of True Master, who cooked up some great tracks over the years.

[DJ Premier] Gang Starr : Just To Get A Rep (Instrumental)

One of those tunes everyone either knows or really should! I think the 12" will have an instrumental on it, but this is taken from a white label instrumental version of the whole "Step In The Arena" LP.

Air Adam : 13th Chamber

I wondered if this was worth including, but if not now, then when? I recorded this maybe 10-15 years ago, and while some of the plain movie samples were just layered over the top from my DVD collection, everything else comes from the turntables! The bassline is a plain tone being modified with the 33/45 button and pitch slider, the drumming is all done with scratches, and then the kung-fu samples that were available on battle tool vinyl (no Serato back then!) were scratched over the top. This was my tribute to/version of Wu's "Wu-Tang : 7th Chamber - Part 2" from the first album, derived from a battle routine I once developed, and was on my "Sleight of Hand" mixtape - a few of you might still have it!

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

[themanguidemg]

The Man Guide’s 5 Best Albums for February 2017

February was a strong month for new releases.  We really struggled choosing which projects would be left off the best albums list. The big news was Future dropped two albums – but both of them were bloated and could’ve been trimmed down to form an exceptional single project. Thievery Corporation, Anna Wise, Saga & Thelonious Martin, Thundercat, Dirty Projectors, Big Sean, Fat Joe & Remy Ma all dropped better albums each worth listening to.

By months end  there was so much music that artists such as Stormzy and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizzard didn’t get the necessary spins for a proper evaluation.  Maybe they’ll make the cut next month. This month’s list is R&B heavy. It was easily one of the best months in recent memory when it comes to that particular genre.

Here are The Man Guide’s 5 Best Albums for February 2017.

Sampha – Process

(Album Of The Month)

Sampha’s name has surged the past few years after collaborating with big name artists like Kanye, Drake, Solange and Frank Ocean. Process is the British singer’s long awaited debut album.  Spoiler alert..don’t be surprised if you see it mentioned in a ton of “Best Of” lists at the end of 2017. Production wise, the album is as solid as it gets.  From the simple beauty of Like The Piano to the more complex electro R&B sound palette of Plastic 100°C, the album really pulls the listener in from it’s first note.

Where the album truly shines is in it’s lyrical aspect. Process is the work of a man who is finding himself both artistically and personally after suffering a great loss. Sampha lost his mother in 2015 and her spirit beautifully haunts his songwriting. In Kora Sings he pleads “You’ve been with me since the cradle/ You’ve been with me, you’re my angel/ Please don’t you disappear.” This sentiment continues on Like The Piano where once again he references the love of his mother at her time of sickness: “An angel by her side, all of the times I knew we couldn’t cope/ They said that it’s her time, no tears in sight, I kept the feelings close/ And you took hold of me and never, never, never let me go.” This is that type of songwriting that leaves you with a knot in your throat. To top it off, the video pays tribute to her as her spirit surrounds him while he plays the piano.

This will be one of the best albums by year’s end and I expect Sampha to, at the very least, be nominated for multiple awards and accolades. Process is one of the most impressive R&B debut albums in recent memory and without a doubt one of the best albums this month.

Stand out tracks: Plastic 100°C, Like The Piano, Blood On Me

Oddisee – The Iceberg

Due to the recent political climate and xenophobia, Oddisee’s subject matter seems more relevant than ever. As a devout Muslim and son of a Sudanese immigrant, Oddisee brings first hand experience dealing with racism, religion, fear and equality through out The Iceberg. As always, Oddisee’s production is one of the best in hip hop as a whole and he provides varied landscapes for his bars. In addition to synths, pianos and horns, it’s the live drums and fantastic bass lines that stand out throughout the entire album.

The album is filled with moments of retrospect and maturity but Oddisee shines more than ever on his story telling ability. On You Grew Up, he tells  two stories that contrast each other but mirror the results in similar ways. The first of a white childhood friend who, after blaming the loss of his father’s job on immigrants, grew up to be a racist cop and ended up murdering an unarmed black man. He recently told NPR the second verse is loosely based off a story he came across in the UK, about a muslim kid who grew up in a good home. The racism he encountered outside of his home drove him to the other side, ultimately becoming an ISIS member.

These type of stories (and his ability to tell them) separates Oddisee from the rest. Even on tracks which aren’t political, such as Rain Dance, he still speaks about self growth in ways that every grown man can relate. The Iceberg proves that Oddisee remains one of the premiere lyricists in hip hop and one of the most consistent musicians today.

Stand out tracks: Built By Pictures, You Grew Up, Rain Dance

SYD – Fin

SYD is known as one of the founding members of Odd Future and lead singer of the grammy nominated R&B band, The Internet. After last year’s breakthrough album, Ego Death, members of The Internet decide to focus on solo projects. Three of them being released this month. SYD’s Fin, however, is light years above the others. SYD’s sultry neo-soul vibes carry the LP in a slightly different way than as a member of The Internet. Fin has more spacey alternative R&B production than any album from The Internet, and that is immediately showcased in the first single All About Me. The album’s second track, Know, sounds like a late 90s R&B hit with it’s Timbaland style percussion and SYD’s sensual vocals.

SYD holds most of the album down solo, with only two features near the end of the album such as the break up anthem Over, with upcoming R&B/Rapper 6LACK. Insecurities closes the album with an ode to toxic relationships and low self esteem and she tells her lover “You can thank my insecurities for keeping me around you babe/ I’d pack my bags but never leave cuz it’s so hard to walk away/ You know I love you girl way more than I love myself/ But in a perfect world I’d be with somebody else.” With her solo debut SYD shows she’s capable of getting her own success in a bloated world full of R&B singers.

Stand out tracks: All About Me, Over, Know

Jidenna – The Chief

If I’m being perfectly honest, I did not expect myself to enjoy Jidenna’s debut album as much as I did. After first hearing Classic Man, I knew he could craft commercial hits but that’s really all I got from him. My perception changed after listening to both his Chief themed singles, Long Live The Chief and Chief Don’t Run. Both are hard hitting tracks with different production types, yet both are equally torn apart by Jidenna’s energetic delivery. The diversity  and genre-hopping of The Chief is it’s strongest suit. It’s also the reason why some people may ween from it. The album is a completely unlike his Classic Man track that gained him so much momentum. He still manages to make pop radio singles such as Little Bit More and Some Kind Of Way. Other tracks such as Helicopters and Bambi show off varying styles and range.

Although he’s a great singer his best tracks show off how talented he is at rapping. The opening track A Bull’s Tale is a vivid story of his return to Nigeria to bury his father. While in the controversial White Niggas, Jidenna plays role reversal with the hardships of black and white folk, “The law had you in crosshair/ Stop and frisk your kids playing street hockey in lacrosse gear/ Son was barely even selling, but when he returns the whole suburb would brand him as a felon.” These are not your average bars from an R&B singer trying to rap. Jidenna’s debut album took me by surprise.  This seems like the beginning of not only a quality entertainer but also a brilliant artist.

Stand out tracks: Chief Don’t Run, Helicopters, White Niggas

THEY. – Nu Religion: Hyena

As much as I enjoy some moody minimalist R&B every now and then, there’s enough of it from Drake, PartyNextDoor, and all their clones to put you to sleep for the next few years. In steps THEY., the LA duo composed of Dante Jones and Drew Love. Their aim is to put some much needed multi-faceted energy in the game. Influenced by everyone from Babyface to Kurt Cobain, THEY. mix their own sound while creating a stand out and entertaining debut project, Nu Religion: Hyena.

U- RITE is a club banger and the hypest track on the album with a blaring horn and some hard ass drums while Dante & Drew take turns with infectious flows and hook. THEY. aren’t all about catchy club music, Say When takes an aggressive stand against police brutality. Nu Religion: Hyena has 13 tracks (plus an intro) and there’s not a single track I skipped. I have no doubt in my mind that these kids are going to blow the fuck up, and I will be here to watch THEY. become stars.

Stand out tracks: U-RITE, Say When, Motley Crew

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