'The Diary Volume 1.5 (Twenty Years of the Remix)' - VA - Chris Read (free download)

'The Diary (World's Greatest Rap Megamix)' dropped in 2007 and it was a 800+ track mix that really really did what it said on the proverbial cylindrical metal container. If you missed that one, then you can download it for nothing at Music of Substance's downloads page.

As a stop gap between that and the second volume, which is currently being worked on, Chris has put together 'The Diary Volume 1.5 (Twenty Years of the Remix)'. This time the tracks are split and named (an easier task than splitting and naming hundreds of tracks!) and it features Chris Read's own remixes of tracks from Eric B & Rakim, Nice and Smooth, Heavy D, Beatnuts, Jurassic 5, Jay Dee, Lupe Fiasco, Common, Busta Rhymes, Mobb Deep and loads more top quality names.

The idea of this latest work is: "one iconic hip hop track from each of the last 20 years, remixed paying tribute to the prouction style and sampling trends popular at the time of the original release. From the James Brown influenced style of the late 80s, to the jazz sampling trends of the mid '90s, to the iconic and distinct sounds of DJ Premier and Jay Dee, all the cornerstones of the genre's development are touched upon." A mixtape with a great concept!

Lupe Fiasco Finances An Indie Band

So this is (probably) the truth: Lupe only finances and produces Japanese Cartoon - I was always sceptical but it's been good promo for me and JC, and maybe even Lupe.

Anyways, check out this mashup made by Fats Percival, Japanese Cartoon's main man:

Fats Percival - 'Invaders Must Die vs. Shinobi'

Lupe Fiasco's Indie Band?

A couple of Lupe related things here:

First, a track from an MC named Killah Matriks, from his forthcoming mixtape 'Epic Failure': 'Failure'. Check his myspace out now.

And secondly, as legend tells, Lupe's new band: Japanese Cartoon. Thanks to SmokeYYY at thatrealish.com for the heads up on this one (it's his fault if it's false):

Lupe Fiasco has alledgedly started a band described on his myspace page as Post Punk/Alternative/Indie, which pretty much sums it up. Supposedly, if it is him, Lupe puts on a faux-British accent for his latest mad project, check out the tracks here:

Japanese Cartoon - 'Army' (or here)
Japanese Cartoon - 'Heirplanes' (or here)

Here's the denial - but it's good press eh for a bit of a rubbish band?!

Save Target As

It's about time that I bless with you with some actual music, I know I can't expect you to just read about music and watch videos with music on them. To get the balance I'll not write very much today.

First some heat from Seattle: 'Tobacco Road' by Common Market is a beautifully chilled southern country baptist gospel type track seemingly based alot on farming. This theme continues, apparently, throughout the album - one I'm really looking forward to.

End of the Weak is a British MC battle competition and a load of it's partakers (Reain, Stig of the Dump, Dr Syntax, SonnyJim, Jazz T) got together over some Chemo production to create this banger: 'End of the Weak'.

Estelle had a life before she met Kanye and Will.I.Am and a rich and fruitful life it was. Here is an early demo/promo that is funkybanginghard - 'Ahead of my Flow'. Thanks to Disorda at Suspect Packages for that.

Lupe Fiasco and A-Trak have made this cool tune and it's something to do with Nike: 'Running Man'.

Naughty by Nature are back with a little remake of The Game's 'Game's Pain'. It's called 'Hip Hop's Pain' and is all about how they respect the new wave of artists.

Leeds lad Breaking the Illusion (BTI for short) has remixed fellow Leeds lad's The Hair's track 'Half Cut'. That type of British Indie music isn't really my bag and the remix just makes it a bit more electronic and glitchy but BTI's lyrics on the last verse are worth hearing.

Finally, this track by Tobias: 'Bumper 2 Bumper'. It basically sounds nice so it's here. I think it's about rush hour traffic.

Last Summer pt.1 - Start Downloading now!

A great summer tune to start things of with is Ugly Duckling's 'A Little Samba'. This ridiculously over-the-top portion of mocking braggadocio always raises a smile, gets me dancing, rapping along and ultimately gets me into a summery mood. Even in the winter. It brings back that summer feeling even though I bought it in Iceland (the country, not the frozen food shop)!

'Summer Jam' by 'The Underdog Project' was on the CD last year because of my sister. She says it reminds her of a summer holiday with her friends to Ibiza and even though it is poptastically cheesy, grrrr, I can't help singing along and being bouyed by it. You know when it's really hot but there's a nice breeze? This song is exactly that.

Ahhhhh. Dodgy. Who remembers them? Indie-guitar-brit-pop at it's airy, youthful best. 'Staying Out For the Summer' is a brilliant tune, one that even in these days of Hip Hop obsession I love to play when the windows are down and the heat can be seen rising from the road.

'Daydreamin'' by Lupe Fiasco featuring Jill Scott. The original would do but if you can have more Hip Hop micky taking then why not? Lupe's raps are funny; harranguing the rap star stereotype and Jill's vocals are lovely and soothing...you actually need to go and find some flowers to doze under after listening to this one.

One more for now...perhaps the most predicatable: 'Summertime' by Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Even though NOTHING in this song represents any one of my summers ever, the tune and the feeling DOES. So that's why it's here. We can all dream about shining up our 64 and its rims, taking a ride down Sunset Blvd, picking up some honeys and then rolling to a BBQ can't we? 'Summer, Summer Time!'

Lupe interviews Sway, Sway interviews Lupe

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 tracks for y'all

Get all the tracks by licking here, yes that's right, lick it.

U.K. Rap Cats by Tha 4orce & Poynt Blak

I don't know much about either of these acts but what I do know is that they've used Quasimoto's Rap Cats, produced by Madlib, and done a UK thing instead. Listen out for the biggest names in UK Hip Hop both past and present. I think I do prefer Blade's 'UK Hip Hop' but this is good too.

Surviving the Times by Nas

I've always liked Nas. I like his emotive voice and the way he writes. His lyrics are honest and whilst clever they sound effortless. I'm not going to go on about 'Illmatic' and what his careers been like since then but this track takes us back in Nas' memory to those 'Illmatic' days. Just erase all criticisms of Nas and sit back and enjoy this, it shouldn't be too difficult.

No Qualms (Revox) by Wiley

This track features Chipmunk, JME and Skepta; if you're into the UK Grime scene then you'll know these names. Pretty empty topic wise but the MC's have skills and the tune is nice and bouncy.

Dumb it Down by Lupe Fiasco

Doesn't seem a minute since Lupe dropped 'Food & Liquor'; an album I rate as one of the best of last year. The lyrics in the first verse here are top notch - listen carefully. The verses tick over quietly but menacingly and the chorus is masterfully written: it sums up what the track is about. Similar in topic to last years 'Daydream', Lupe obviously feels he hasn't got his message across. An anti-stereotypical Hip Hop mentality track at its best.

The Mission ft. Jehst & Micall Parknsun by L.G.

L.G. is a UK producer who makes real Hip Hop. This sample based track is laced with Biscuit's flute, the distinctive rhymes of one of UK's best Jehst and the not so distinctive but very up-and-coming rhymes of Micall Parknsun. This off-kilter beat sounds like it should be hard to flow over but Y'n'R's brightest talent make it sound so simple.

Classic Cliche ft. Mpho Skeef by Elektrons

Not Hip Hop, rather electrodiscofunk from Manchester duo Elektrons that features Ty collaborator and impossibly named Mpho Skeef. So her name sounds like the noise you'd make when being thumped in the stomach but her vocals are clear and happy here, I dare you not to move to this. Happy music.

Dillagence (One For Jay) ft. Phonte by DJ Spinna

A medley of synthy strings and punchy basses of different pitches backs up this track sung (I presume) by Little Brother's Phonte. A dedication to Jay Dilla in a Slum Villagey way (in case you couldn't tell from the title).

Leyendecker (DJ EMZ remix ft. Joell Ortiz) by Battles

Battles were only brought to my attention the other night by Jools Holland and I don't know much about them other than some call them art rockers and I think they're a bit mad. Anyway, this track sounds good, it's really good for humming and Joell Ortiz does top notch raps on it.

Skeng ft. Killa P & Flow-Dan by The Bug

What's this? Grimey Dubstep? Yeah probably. If you play it quietly it's quiet, but if you turn up the volume it's loud. Ya get me? This can't be played at a low volume, it just can't. Although it's a slow creeping track it's not really relaxing. Bang it out and let the hairs on yer neck stand up.

Punctuation by Wretch 32

Wretch 32 must be from around my way somewhere. His certainly aint a London accent as his myspace page might have us believe. The lyrics here are pretty intelligent, check how he includes loads of english grammar into his rhymes fullstop

What Come Around (Go Around, Kid) #3

The second option for the tenth track was N.O.R.E featuring Jadakiss and Kurupt ‘Throw ‘Em Under The Bus ’.

11. I chose to follow this with a remix of the Jadakiss track ‘Why?’ which features Common and Styles P.

12. Common works a lot with Kanye being that they are fellow Chicagoans so here’s ‘Southside’ from Commons ‘Finding Forever’ album.

13. Staying in ’07 and featuring on ‘Graduation’ (I think) is Kanye’s ‘Can’t Tell me Nothin’ remix featuring Young Jeezy.

14. Young Jeezy also worked with Kanye on ‘I Got Money ’ but more importantly this cut is a duo with fellow southerner T.I.

15. T.I. probably paid the price of a reasonable semi detached house for this cameo from Def Jam’s big man Jay-Z: ‘Watch What You Say’.

16. A nice surprise last year was the release of Lupe Fiasco’s first album proper; ‘Food & Liquor’. Guess who appeared here too on 'Pressure '? Yeah, Hova.

17. On the same album was a track produced by Mike Shinoda of poppy/rappy nu-metallers Linkin Park; ‘The Instrumental ’.

18.Reanimation was a remix album by Linkin Park, well...by other people. One of those other people was The Alchemist who kindly remixed ‘Forgotten’ only for someone to rename it something ridiculous like ‘FRGT10’ (dya see what they did there?). This track also features Chali 2na.

19. Chali 2na worked alongside Supernatural, Akil, Marc 7 and Rakaa (of Dilated Peoples) but more importantly the UK’s own Joe Buhdah produced this soulful head nodder - 'Work it Out'.(Note the other Alchemist link here: Dilated Peoples production)

20.The 20th track? The final link in the chain? Joe Buhdah produced Rodney P’s ‘The Future’, the title track of his 2004 album.

There, it can be done in two different ways.

Gotta Catch 'Em all here