'Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest' NZFF?

Will this documentary screen at the New Zealand film festival?!

It kicks off mid-july, the programme is just about to be issued, and I would love for this to be there for this year.

Very well received at Sundance and Tribeca, it sees U.S. release on July 8th.

In the meantime, check the 5-minute trailer right here.

Monday Five - 13th September, 2010

Wow, Monday comes round real fast these days.

One. Georgia Anne Muldrow - 'Thrones'
Two. Shawn Phillips - 'I Don't Want to Leave You, Just Came to Say Goodbye'
Three. Dorothy Ashby - 'Cos' I Need It'
Four. Pursuit Grooves - 'Whisper'
Five. CSLSX - 'We Ought To Be Together'

Musical chur.

Sample & Flip #5

Supa mean-as beat from Dilla this one. A while back it had a lot of cats I know fiending for copies of A Tribe Called Quest's 'The Jam EP 2' which this track featured on.

As for me, first I heard of it was back on Funkmaster Flex's 'The Mixtape Vol. III' way back. From that point on it was a serious mish to find a vinyl copy of that one track. 

Around 2003-ish(?) Beat Merchants' record store record bins and my path fortunately crossed paths, and it has regularly sat proud in my record bag and spun on Technics turntables at many a gig since.

So, where is the sample from? 

Why it's from Shawn Phillips EPIC fifteen minute-long acoustic guitar and sax funk jam, 'I Don't Want to Leave You, Just Came to Say Goodbye' (the sample section that Dilla used hits around the 1.30 mark) from his 1977 LP 'Spaced', a pretty nice album in it's own right.

ATCQ in Melbourne w/ Set-list

It was with much anticipation that we hit the Melbourne Festival Hall on Thursday 12th August to witness the legendary ATCQ perform to a sell-out crowd.

I was super-hyped, but was also vaguely concerned that my favourite group of all time might leave us a little dissapointed. There were nagging doubts that they might not be up to it, after all their hey-day was back in the early to mid-nineties.

Anyway, me and my boy Jellyfish smashed a few rums and bounced out there ready for some akshun.

Kool Keith kicked things off with a breezy 6-track set of freestyles topped off with his Dr. Octagon classics 'Blue Flowers' and 'Girl Let Me Touch You There'. What he was up to I don't know, cos he lip-synched them after clearly freestyling live the previous four tracks?! Lame.

DJ Maseo from De La Soul then hit the ones & twos for a hip-hop and funk warm-up to the main event. He did a nice job whilst pumping up the lax Aussie crowd on the mic with his gruff baritone.

He bounced, the stage lights dimmed and as I watched the turntables as close as I could, I saw Ali Shaheed's hand pop up on the right turnie. A quick cut and in came the familiar tones of the Midnight Marauders intro, and it was on!

Then cam e the horn intro for 'Steve Biko (Stir It Up'). "Lyndon Boulevard represent, represent, zent/Tribe Called Quest represent, represent, zent/... holy shit! And that was that. The crowd went absolutely bananas as Phife hit the stage and then Q-Tip as he kicked off the second verse. 

From there the Tribe just flowed. For me it went way beyond expectation, they were totally on point, the sound was bang on, and you could hear every lyric crystal clear. They SMASHED it! For the first 10-15 minutes I actually couldn't believe it and was a bit bewildered really. 

Anyway, I can't really say much more except that here is the playlist for all who are interested. It was Midnight Marauders heavy which seems to suggest that my fave record is also the band's favourite record. Dope.

1. Steve Biko (Stir It Up)
2. Phony Rappers
3. The Chase, Part II
4. Midnight
5. Butter
6. Sucka Nigga
7. Oh My God
8. Clap Your Hands
9. God Lives Through
10. Everything Is Fair
11. Footprints
12. Lyrics To Go
13. Can I Kick It?
14. Excursions
15. Rap Promoter
16. Find a Way
17. Bonita Applebum
18. Electric Relaxation
19. Encore:
20. Buggin' Out
21. Scenario
22. Check the Rhime
23. Encore 2:
24. Award Tour

The Monday Five - 23rd August, 2010

Like Rakim, "It's been a long time."
Have been super busy, with an excursion to Australia for A Tribe Called Quest and a some business on the Goldie.

So, i'm back and here is the latest tunes to be making my head move.

One. Caribou - 'Leave House'
Two. Beans - 'Mutescreamer' (El-P Remix)
Three. Broken Social Scene - 'Ungrateful Little Father'
Four. Smashing Pumpkins - 'Hummer'
Five. A Tribe Called Quest - 'Steve Biko (Stir It Up)'

Sample & Flip #3

With the imminent arrival of my (and many others to be honest) day of destiny, I thought it fitting that I post 'Sample & Flip #3 as a nod to the greatest, A Tribe Called Quest.

I really thought that I would never ever get the chance to see the legendary hip-hop group perform in the flesh, and I am one of the lucky ones who has a ticket for the Melbourne gig.

Therefore, it's just right that I post one of my favourite tracks of theirs off of my favourite LP of ALL TIME, 'Midnight Marauders'

Yep, 'The Chase Pt. II' (where in the funk is 'The Chase Pt. I'?!?) is an ab-soul-ute stunner! In the context of the record as a whole it is just another dope track off the most perfect record, but for me it just stands out as one of the best. Can't really say why, it just does...

BUT, if I had to find one reason, it might help that the loop comes from an absolute killer track in it's own right; Steve Arrington's 'Beddie Biey'. 

I was lucky as hell to find a vinyl pressing of this track while on holiday in Japan, but for you fullas and fullesses, here's the 'Tube version; amazing floaty vibes and the most hilarious lyrics! Somehow though, it just DEEE-LIVERS.