Following the DJ: Madlib & Freddie Gibbs
THE RESEARCH
[one_third]There’s a great story told by the legendary Nile Rodgers, American musician & producer, known for producing hits for artists like Duran Duran, Diana Ross, David Bowie and Madonna, as well as being a founding member of disco/funk band Chic - where he talks about handing a copy of Chic’s very first single to a DJ who was spinning at Studio 54 in NYC. The DJ liked it so much after one listen that he immediately played it for the people on the dance floor and that’s essentially how Chic started their success. Watch
PHOTO PROPS: WHO SHOT YA?
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[one_third]This post is dedicated to the DJ, the music curator to the masses, the original source. Back in the day, if you wanted your song to get heard, you had to give a copy to your local DJ and hope they’d play it, or you could pay a lot of money to the radio station and guarantee rotation (this still goes on today.) When looking for new music I tend to stick to record labels, online blogs and other trusted sources that I like. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib’s album, Piñata, I found through LA-based record label Stones Throw and online news blog Rappcats.com, a website dedicated to promoting three of my favorite artists: J Dilla, Madlib and MF Doom.
PHOTO PROPS: RAPPCATS.COM[/one_third]
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Madlib has described himself as a DJ first, producer second and MC last. If you’re wondering how this record relates to following a DJ, Madlib is the DJ and he is the reason why I got hip to this music in the first place. Read more about Madlib here
PHOTO PROPS: ELECTRONIC BEATS MAG
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THE DISCOVERY
The Freddie Gibbs and Madlib collab started in late 2011 with the release of their debut EP Thuggin’. Rappcats.com along with Madlib’s own record label, Madlib Invazion via Stones Throw, teamed up for the release of all three EP’s as well as the group’s full-length LP, Piñata, which was released earlier this year - an artist release schedule spanning the course of three years.
As a record collector, following a record release like this is one of the most rewarding experiences for a music fan. Back in 2011 when I first purchased the Thuggin’ EP, I knew it was going to be an immediate classic in the eyes of music aficionados and hip-hop heads.
I kept my eyes and ears open for more info and news about what would come next from the group. As each year passed and a new EP was released, clocking in at just over 15 minutes front to back, I experienced a sense of anticipation and appreciation for the music.
November 18, 2011 – Los Angeles based DJ & producer, Madlib, along with Gary, Indiana based rapper, Freddie Gibbs, announce their first collaborative EP entitled Thuggin’, live at the Madlib Medicine Show in San Francisco. All five hundred vinyl copies of the EP were sold out that evening.
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November 21, 2011 – Thuggin’
This album sparked a sense of awe and appreciation from the hip-hop community. There is something really profound about Freddie Gibbs’s dark delivery over Madlib’s excellent use of soul sampling and worldly genres. Like a lot of Madlib’s music from recent years, the choice of drums and percussion used to create back beat is something cinematic and crate digger worthy. The content presented here is reminiscent of early west coast gangster rap.
September 24, 2013 – Deeper
Deeper was the last of the EP’s and would eventually become the lead single for the group’s full-length album. Lyrically there had not been a song reflecting the realities of incarceration and outside drama since Nas’s 1994 release, “One Love.”
PHOTO PROPS: PETER BESTE
PHOTO PROPS: WHO SHOT YA?
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June 26, 2012 – Shame
Seven months after the release of Thuggin’ came the Shame EP. This only proved the duo’s chemistry to be stronger and left myself and critics wanting more. Jon Hadusek of Consequence of Sound graded the EP with a “C-“ stating: "To call Shame an EP is misleading, it's only two tracks – 'Shame' and 'Terrorist' – with instrumental and acapella versions, as well as some tacked on 'bonus beats.’ These songs are strong, however, and make the prospect of a proper debut album from Gibbs that much more exciting. If he wants a legacy, he needs to release a full-length."
March 18, 2014 – Piñata LP
(originally titled Cocaine Piñata)
The long awaited debut full-length album, Piñata, that music fans and hip-hop heads had been eagerly anticipating for over three years was finally released. All the hype and expectation had been full-filled. After immediate release, large music blogs like Pitchfork and Spin were already nominating it to be Rap Album of the Year. I had already made my prediction back in December of 2013 when I tweeted this and got a response from Now Again Records founder and former Stones Throw label manager, Eothen “Egon” Alapatt. Check it!
May 28, 2014 – Piñata Beats
(Freddie Gibbs Instrumentals)
The latest release, Piñata Beats, is the full-length instrumental version of the album. Essential to most DJ’s is the instrumental version of the song. This version is crucial to your mix. Whether you’re a DJ making live remixes or a radio disc jockey playing an instrumental version of a hit song in the background, the instrumentals are key elements to any serious DJ’s style.
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CONCLUSION
PHOTO PROPS: NOISEY
Together the duo’s chemistry is undeniable. Lyrically Freddie Gibbs could be compared to greats like Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. based on their ability to tell stories from an array of perspectives. From cutting up dope, hustling, and expressing the realities of street life to expressing pain, heartbreak and close friend fall-outs, the stories embedded in each track and how well they flow with the beats makes Piñata an instant classic. This album shone a light on what is missing in hip-hop music today.
Following The DJ - Tuamie "The Gift Vol. 4"
THE RESEARCH
[one_third]Discovering new music in today’s world is practically effortless. Depending on your preference, there are multiple music outlets online, allowing you to listen to and purchase music digitally via iTunes, Pandora, Amazon or Spotify. If you haven’t already familiarized yourself with these companies, then you probably still listen to music in a traditional format like radio, TV, or maybe you are overwhelmed with the amount of options to choose from and gave up.[/one_third]
[one_third]If you’re a hip-hop fan like me, you can easily discover new music by turning on the radio and tuning in to one of the first clear signals that comes through. Hot 97 in NY, Power 99 in Philly, Power 106 in LA, Hot 107.9 in Atlanta; most major cities have a primary radio station dedicated to hip-hop.[/one_third]
[one_third_last]You can also hop online and visit music blogs like EgoTripLand, Pitchfork, MassAppeal, Consequence Of Sound, SampleFace, or PotholesInMyBlog to get your daily dose of what’s fresh. The ease of finding music to listen to has become greater now that most people in the world own smartphones and these big companies like iTunes have an app to preview and download music straight to your device. In today’s world, this is considered the norm. I tend to follow these blogs myself for what’s new, but earlier this year I focused on a different source; The DJ"[/one_third_last]
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American Hip-Hop Producer and DJ, Michael “House Shoes” Buchanan, has been an essential person in the continually rising growth of the Motown scene in Detroit and has been given the title by peers: “Hip-Hop’s Ambassador to the World”. Four-time winner of “Best Hip-Hop DJ” and a long time resident at hip-hop staple, St. Andrews Hall, from 1994-2004, House Shoes has also been credited as one of the first people to shop some of J Dilla’s early beats when he went under the “Jay Dee” moniker back in 1994. He continues to carry the Dilla torch today.
Like many J Dilla fans, I started researching more and more about his music and wanted to find other producers and DJ’s affiliated with him. If you watch any of the documentaries or read anything that has surfaced since Dilla’s passing, you’ll quickly start to see the name “House Shoes” circulating. There is an entire series of videos online produced by another Detroit native, Jeedo and his “Bling47” label, that interview some of Dilla’s peers and dissects some of his most famous work.[/one_half]
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There are about six videos from House Shoes where he talks about how and why Dilla sampled the records he did and you can listen to first-hand accounts of stories he shares and can start to understand the relationship they had. From here I started following House Shoes and his music. I quickly got hip to more amazing music from underground artists as well as more unheard Dilla material.
Over a year ago back in March of 2013, House Shoes started an inaugural free download release via his SoundCloud account of compilation “beat tapes” from young, undiscovered artists he felt deserved more recognition from the masses. House Shoes states: “…a series where I will be spotlighting producers and artists you may not be aware of. Each volume will be curated from prior bandcamp/soundcloud releases as an introduction to cats who have released prior material that I feel hasn’t reached its potential audience like it should.”
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THE DISCOVERY
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[one_half_last]Fast forward later that year to November, The Gift Vol. 4 featured Atlanta beat maker and mystery man, Tuamie. Just as House Shoes quoted in the release in regards to the music, “I was floored” – I too share the same enthusiasm.
Tuamie’s beats are reminiscent of J Dilla and Madlib. The sounds are very chill, intriguing and raw. Laced with hard-hitting drums with a lot of attack, obscure samples, hints of jazz and old-school R&B grooves they have a unique quality that holds its own.
The Gift Vol. 4 is a mix of different beats pulled from different self-releases on Tuamie’s Bandcamp page as well as some highlights from his debut release on GrandGarden Records, “Masta Killa”. The compilation is sprinkled with musical treats for any hip-hop lover.
Catchy vocal samples on tracks like “Reoccurring Feeling of Loneliness” & “The More Weed Smoke I Puff” will have you humming along to each note. The jazzy hooks on “No Limitations”, “Plant”, and “High Eyes” will keep your melodic taste buds satisfied while sample heads and hip-hop aficionados can find joy in recognizing flips on tracks like “Feed Em Gunpowder” and “Eva-re-moanin”. All in all, this album stays true to hip-hop form and it is noted, stating that all beats were made using only records and an MPC.
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"The Gift Vol. 4" is now available on limited edition vinyl. Buy your copy from FatBeats.com
WORDS by LAYTONIC // CREATIVE by IQUAN