Cash Rules

Mix: Akuma presents Stayin' Grimey

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:13:00 +0000

Well it's been a while but I'm back with a new mix of grimey/dubstep sounds for your listening enjoyment. Download link and tracklisting after the jump...

Akuma presents Stayin' Grimey

Spooky - Spartan (Mosca Dub)
Doorly - She Got Moves ft. Footsie
Dev79 - Get 2 Know ft Slix (J-Sweet Remix)
Spooky - Rusty Bell
Terror Danjah - Full Attention (Mister Maff Remix)
S-X - Woooo Riddim (Royal-T Remix)
Footsie - 1 Spliff
Teddy Music - Doomed ft. Newham Generals
Double S - Pot Full of Gold
Swindle - Ignition ft. Footsie & Nadia Suliman
Redlight - Get Out My Head (Joker Remix)
J-Sweet - Can't Stop My Grime (Starkey Remix)
Benga - United Kingdom
True Tiger - Bloodtrail
Kozzie - Riding Out
Zed Bias - Badness ft. Skream
Starkey - Resident 27
Merky Ace - Greaze
Rival - They Said
Rampz & Killa P - Can't Violate Us (Spooky Remix)
DJ Q - All Junglist
JME - 96 Fuckries

Exclusive track: Merky Ace ft Kozzie & Shif Man - Screwdriver VIP (Akuma Remix)

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Sat, 21 May 2011 17:40:00 +0000

This track has been cropping up in a few of my mixes as of late and I figured it's time to liberate it for the masses. It's a remix I did of Merky Ace, Kozzie & Shif Man's massive Screwdriver track. As always, download link is after the jump. Feel free to provide feedback in the comments.

Merky Ace ft Kozzie & Shif Man - Screwdriver VIP (Akuma Remix)

Mix: DJ Akuma presents Mutant Bass

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Sat, 14 May 2011 16:52:00 +0000

Here's a little mix from me to promote AON's nights at Hive in Brixton. The night is every 1st and 3rd Friday, and I'm joined by my fellow resident DJ Nicky D as well as special guests. We play everything from hip-hop through to drum and bass, with an emphasis on hard hitting beats and low rumbling bass lines - although we like to throw things in for the ladies too! You can join AON's facebook page here to keep updated on the events and special guests.

This mix celebrates UK garage's legacy, spanning dubstep, grime and bassline sounds. As always the tracklisting and download link are provided after the jump.

DJ Akuma presents Mutant Bass

01. Doctor - Lick Shot Bo Bo
02. Mensah & Eddie K - Untitled
03. Breakage ft Jessie Mills - Fighting Fire
04. Merky Ace, Kozzie & Shif Man - Screwdriver VIP (Akuma Remix)
05. Royal T - Hot Ones (Remix)
06. Rusko - Everyday (DJ Q Remix)
07. Toddla T ft Shola Ama & J2K - Take It Back (DJ Q Remix)
08. Sia - Little Man (DJ Q vs Wookie Mix)
09. Yasmin - On My Own (Royal T Remix)
10. Siobhan - Wifey (Big Ang Bassline Mix)
11. Chase & Status ft Delilah - Time (C&S Champagne Bubbler Mix)
12. Noisses - Vampire Riddem
13. True Tiger vs Gucci Mane - Slang Like Gucci (DJ Cable Thugstep Refix)
14. True Tiger ft. P Money, Blacks & Newham Generals - Slang Like This (Remix)
15. Ginuwine vs L-Wiz - Pony (DJ Cable Thugstep Blend)
16. Starkey ft Merky Ace & Kozzie - PC
17. D Double E - Street Fighter Riddim
18. Maxsta - East London is Back
19. Kano - Ps & Qs
20. Babylon Zoo - Spaceman (Stenchy Bootleg)
21. Katy B ft Ms Dynamite - Lights On (Skream Remix)
22. P Money vs Flux Pavilion - Bass Cannon
23. Rival vs Nytz - Riot
24. Jack Beats - All Night (Skream Remix)
25. Little Jinder ft Ras Kass - Youth Blood (12th Planet & Flinch Remix)

Exclusive Mix: DJ Kalm presents Brand New Retro

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Thu, 05 May 2011 07:05:00 +0000

DJ Kalm has been in the game for over 10 years: releasing tracks on labels such as Hospital Records, providing remixes for the likes of Roni Size/Reprazent, and DJing across the world from Paris through to Iceland with the likes of Fabio, Krust, DJ Marky and Marcus Intalex. The man is a legend, and continues to support drum and bass music on his weekly Rude FM show (88.2FM – Saturdays 8pm-10pm).

Inspired by Akuma's recent Sunshine Mix (click here), he has provided this excellent new mix which includes some highly exclusive unreleased music by Roni Size and J-Raq. This is the first of a few mixes in a series, including a forthcoming Akuma & Kalm back-to-back mix featuring unreleased dubplate specials and classic cuts from the vaults.

Big shout out to all those representing the music and keeping the vibe alive. The tracklisting and download links are provided after the jump. Hope you enjoy the mix!

DJ Kalm - Brand New Retro Mix (click here to download)

01. Pressure Drop - Got To Be For Real (Grooverider Remix)
02. J-Raq - Take Me Away (dubplate)
03. Basement Jaxx - Fly Life (Roni Size Remix)
04. Skylab - The Trip (Roni Size Remix)
05. Olive - Miracle (Roni Size Remix)
06. J-Raq - The Buzz (dubplate)
07. DJ Shadow - What Does Your Soul Look Like? (DJ Die Remix)
08. Jay Dee - Plastic Dreams (Peshay Remix)
09. Jaz Klash – BQE (DJ Die Remix)
10. Roni Size - Treatment (dubplate)
11. Jaz Klash - Thru the Haze (Suv Remix)
12. Roni Size/Reprazent Dirty Beats (DJ Kalm Remix)
13. DJ Die - Achilles Heel
14. Roni Size – Untitled (dubplate)

Mix: DJ Akuma presents Sunshine Mix

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:56:00 +0000

Did a mix this weekend, inspired by all the sunshine we've been having lately. This one's taking you back to the glory days of the late 90s' and early 00's - classics I remember hearing on Kool FM on Bryan Gee's Sunday night shows (plus a Bassface Sascha tune from 2006 which sounds VERY 1999), with a couple of super-exclusives thrown in for the heads. Dubplate pressure! As always, big shout out to the legendary DJ Kalm - always giving mad love and support. Download link and tracklist for the mix are after the jump.

Click here (mediafire): DJ Akuma presents Sunshine Mix

or if you prefer... Soundcloud

Sunshine Mix by akuma

01. Peshay – Switch
02. Peshay – In The Ghetto (Instrumental)
03. DJ Die – Cure 4 Dis
04. Kamanchi ft Lady Miss Kier – Back To The Boogie
05. Mask – Splurt
06. Redman – I Gotta Secret
07. Roni Size – Visiting Angels
08. Roni Size/Reprazent – Watching Windows (Remix)
09. Roni Size/Reprazent – Watching Windows (DJ Die’s Gnarly Instrumental)
10. Krust - Tribute
11. Scorpio – Ali Baba
12. Supply & Demand – Show Me
13. Capone – Friday
14. Mechanizm – Bust Da Speaker
15. Bassface Sacha – Dedication
16. Clipz – Soundboy
17. Ram Trilogy – Huggy Bear
18. DJ Die – Reminisce
19. DJ Die – Reincarnated (The Remix)

RIP Nathaniel Dwayne Hale aka Nate Dogg

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:33:00 +0000

It’s hard to under-appreciate the contribution that Nate Dogg made to the more melodic end of hip-hop’s history. His early work on Dr Dre’s The Chronic came at a time when few hip-hop artists were using melody and sung hooks to counterbalance the more hard-hitting rap elements of the music. In 2011 it’s unremarkable to find a rap hit with an r&b artist crooning throughout the chorus, in the early 90’s it was most definitely the exception. It didn’t take long for Nate to gather a dedicated following – his unique baritone vocals providing a suave contribution to the music of his collaborators Tha Dogg Pound, Dre, Snoop and Warren G. He undoubtedly brought new fans to the genre, while honouring American black music’s soulful history: a natural successor to the likes of Willie Hutch and Teddy Pendergrass.

Suprisingly, his solo career never reached the giddy heights of his collaborations with the likes of Warren G, Pharaohe Monch and Eminem – perhaps because his music so often fell within the grey area between hip-hop and r&b, but never truly firmly in one camp. Too gangster for Usher fans but, (unaided by raps from collaborators) too smooth for the hardcore rap contingent. This was a shame – much of his solo work still merits repeated listening.

To call him influential might be a misnomer – his style was never successfully adopted by any other singer, save perhaps for Jaheim’s gangster r&b. But much loved and entirely unique he most certainly was – as evidenced by the outpourings of grief from fans on Twitter reacting to news of his passing. A world without Nate Dogg is a difficult proposition, with no artist capable of filling his considerable shoes. I implore younger rap fans with only knowledge of Akon as the go-to-guy for hooks to check out his music. And for those of you already well acquainted with his work, check it out too and remind yourselves just why his position as the hook king is, and will continue to be, fully assured.

We’ll miss you Nate.

Pharoahe Monch - Black Hand Side ft Phonte & Styles P

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:06:00 +0000

Just got round to checking out this new jam from Pharaohe Monch, taken from his forthcoming album W.A.R. If this track is any indication then the album should be another stone-cold classic for Monch. This one brings the soul back in a major way. Head over to Rcrdlbl.com and you can pick up a copy gratis. Do it.

Urban Nerds @ XOYO & exclusive mix

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:51:00 +0000

Urban Nerds take over XOYO on 27 March and it looks to be a big one, with the likes of Zinc & Newham Generals passing through. You can even win a DJ spot at the night by entering the competition over at their blog.

DJ competitions are like a rag to a bull for me, so naturally I decided to submit a mix to the competition. I figured Cash Rules readers might want to check it out, so I've provided the tracklisting and download link after the jump.

Akuma - XOYO Mix

01. Akuma – Streetfighter Intro
02. Cam’ron – Get It In Ohio (Instrumental)
03. Waka Flocka Flame – Hard In The Paint
04. Fused Forces & DJ Cable – Flocka Riddim
05. JME – Blam
06. Mensah – Big Up The Goons
07. Devlin ft Labrinth – Let It Go (Joker Remix)
08. Royal-T – Hot Ones (Remix)
09. Merky Ace ft Kozzie & Shifman – Screwdriver V.I.P. (Akuma Remix)
10. B-Live ft Newham Generals & Skepta – Modern Warfare 2
11. J Sweet - Kerb
12. P Money – Left The Room (Skreamix)
13. Gucci Mane – Weirdo (DJ Swerve Remix ft Ghetts)
14. Foamo – Centavo (Warrior One Remix)
15. Cassius – I <3 U So (Skream's Made Zdar Feel Like He Was 20 Again Remix)
16. Shy FX ft Kano, Donae’o & Roses Gabor – Raver (Breakage Pattern Moschino Remix)
17. Leviticus – Burial (Lover’s Rock Mix)

iPod Battle returns

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:08:00 +0000

iPod Battle returns to Brixton's Hive Bar tomorrow night for another legendary session. For those of you out of the loop, a maximum of six teams take turns playing tunes from their non-brand specific mp3 players or smartphones, with the team that gets the crowd the hypest gaining the top spot.

Also on the night you can catch myself spinning alongside Southern Hospitality's Rob Pursey, and my right-hand man Nicky D. Entry is entirely gratis, so if you're in the vicinity come check us out, and for those of you new to iPod battling, I've provided a few top tips:

Bring friends. They’ll scream and shout for your team, pushing the decibel-meter sky-ward.
Have a good selection of music styles and watch what the crowd respond to.
If playing from a phone, turn the ring off! Getting called during a battle is terrible etiquette.
Put your mp3 player on full. Women respond to bass (true story).
Be ready to battle. Don’t be fiddling to find a track, have it prepped.

Guest mix: DJ Dub

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:02:00 +0000

Cash Rules is honoured to present this excellent new guest mix from DJ Dub. All sorts of serious bass pressure for your speaker - catch the tracklisting and download link after the jump. Also, if you're knocking about in London town on Saturday night you can catch him at the sure-to-be-awesome Heavenly Jukebox party at Ginglik in Shepherd's Bush (see flyer above) and if you don't reside in London you can always check his show on Space Invader Radio. So get clicking.

Cash Rules presents DJ Dub's Guest Mix

The Cataracs feat. Dev - Bass Down Low (Proper Villains Remix)
Stenchman - Spaceman (Stenchy Bootleg)
Zimo - Virus Detected
DJ Fresh - Gold Dust (Flux Pavillion Remix)
Top Cat - Ruffest Gun Ark (Chase & Status Mix)
DJ Zinc - Shook Ones
Ed Solo/Deekline - Ragga Tip (Walk & Skank)
The Wildlife Collective - I Need A Dollar
Fis-T x Wookie & Martelo - Down On My Night Hunter
Doc Daneeka - Copz
Deadboy - If You Want Me
Alex Winston - Choice Notes (Tomb Crew Remix)
Todd Edwards - I Might Be (Joy Orbison Remix)
Cooly G - Up In My Head
Falty DL - I'm Gonna Show You Somethin'
Skream feat. P Money - Left The Room
Wiley - It's Wiley
D Double E - Street Fighter Riddim
Matty G - The Realness
Marcus Visionary - Berbrice
DJ Defkline/Red Polo - Remember Dre (Dubstep Mix)
The Boogaloo Crew - Days Go By
SBTRKT feat. Jessie Ware - Nervoushttp://djdub.co.uk/

Bawse of all Bawses?

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:58:00 +0000

Inie Banigo writes:

This past week Rick Ross announced that he has signed two new members to his Maybach Music group. This is significant for two reasons:

a) The rappers he signed.
b) His move from star to mogul.

Wale and Meek Mills have joined other Maybach Music Group members Triple C's and Magazeen. The C’s are three weed carriers handily contained in one group. Magazeen, a reggae star with the work ethic of a guy who has released three classic LPs and just wants to chill out – aka he releases nothing, and others where there isn’t enough information about them on the internet and/or I couldn’t care less about them. So far their debut album has been the only release on Ross’ label, and it flopped, selling 12,100 in its first week. For an album with the Def Jam press machine behind it and guest appearances from Bun B, Game, Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy, this was a disaster. The LP sales should have been aided by the beef between 50 Cent and Rick Ross at the time, which goes to show that all publicity isn’t always good: especially if it’s YouTube videos of your baby-mama getting a fur coat from 50 Cent with Stevie Wonder's Isn't She Lovely playing in the background.

Needless to say the new signings are better than what was on the roster before: I would rather have Wale and Meek Millz than Magazeen and Gunplay - whose main claim to fame is sniffing coke on video over at World Star Hip-Hop. That approach might work for a celebutante, but not for a gangster rapper. Meanwhile, Wale is an interesting case. I’ve followed his career from the start: I listened to Mark Ronson’s Authentic Shit radio shows when he debuted his early mixtape tunes, I listened and played out Cousin Cole’s remix of Good Girl at the indie-electro raves I used to DJ at (oh the heady days of 2006), I forced a friend from DC to get me a Wale Chillin’ tee-shirt that he gave out to fans in DC, I loved his first three mixtapes (which in retrospect could have made a dope album), I was a fan.... and then came the album, an artistic flop. It’s a great example of the music machine failing to get anything right. Songs were just a little off, little bit of go-go here, a little bit of whining about anorexia here, try and get Lady Gaga to sound like M.I.A. here: It reflected the fact that its release was delayed by a year.

The impression that Wale is giving now is that he will be given more autonomy with this deal. This could be a good thing - in the sense that he will work with Waka Flocka Flame, not that he will do a collabo mixtape with other rappers who go on to slaughter him (hell, even Duffy almost did). Why Rick Ross would want to sign him is a tad odd - there hasn't been any previous crossover between the two of them (musically at least). Wale's manager did write a gushing piece at The Huffington Post on Ross - comparing him to B.I.G. So perhaps Ross will start a new Junior Mafia with Wale, Meek Millz and the Triple C's? I'll let you decide who will be Lil’ Kim...

Rick Ross can be limited. but fit the right pieces around him and he’s great. No-one sounds better on a lustrous backing track, his adlibs are getting better not worse over time (unlike Young Jeezy), and he's the only rapper that can get John Legend on a hook and it not be mawkish. But does Ross have what it takes to be a mogul? Personally, I don't think so - he's the only rapper dumb enough to do something with P Diddy - the Bugatti Boyz project.

Still, Ross is the biggest rapper in the world right now and I'm not seeing anyone coming close to taking that from him. Def Jam's other trap rapper can't get out the gate (Jizzle anyone?) while he's stumbled on a second wind with B.M.F. which has pushed him to number one. The virtue of having him on a song is enough to get most people to listen (see for example the great Jah Cure, Mavado & Rick Ross track), which can only help up and comers such as Meek Millz*, but what of Wale? A rapper who is now famous for being the recipient of the 2010 hip-hop quip of the year: "We dont fuck with you musically”. I’m not so sure that Rick Ross has found the right pieces to support the bawse.

*You might of noticed a distinct lack of talk on Meek Millz. There is virtually nothing about him on the internet. He is from Philly, aka the place where no rappers make it in this day and age.

J Dilla didn't change my life (much)

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:38:00 +0000

James Dewitt Yancey, aka Jay Dee, aka J Dilla, died on February 10 2006 – three days after his 32nd birthday. His passing was a great loss to the music scene. When I learnt of his death I was close to tears – I had just a few months previously watched a frail and wheelchair-bound Dilla being helped onto the stage of London’s Jazz Café to ‘perform’. His set consisted of a couple of tracks, his voice reduced to a level just above a whisper.

There’s no doubting the artistry that Yancey brought to the game. He was an innovative producer, with a distinctive style based around trademark ‘neck-snapping’ clipped drums. As a producer for the likes of Common, Busta Rhymes, and A Tribe Called Quest he carved out a niche as a purveyor of soulful but hard-hitting beats.

Later in his career he picked up the mic as 1/3 of Slum Village, as well as on solo material under his new moniker J Dilla (to distinguish him from another J.D. – the pop/hip-hop mogul Jermaine Dupri) and on his collaboration with Madlib – the Jaylib project. He was wildly prolific – his commercially released music supplemented by a stream of ‘beat tapes’ which he would send out to rappers (and which would inevitably leak on to the internet). So large was the stash of his beats that even five years after his death emcees are still mining his catalogue for ‘new’ unheard tracks.

Perhaps the greatest shame, at least in terms of the loss to music, is that at the time of his death Dilla was producing some of the most interesting music of his career. Ruff Draft and the Jaylib album built on his early work, but with a new intriguing lo-fi aesthetic complementing the signature head-nodding percussion.

The man was clearly an interesting and accomplished artist, with an original and influential sound. But since 2006 his work has been canonised above and beyond what may be considered justifiable. ‘Real’ hip-hop heads, many of whom were totally unaware of the majority of his output when he was still alive, walk around in ‘J Dilla Changed My Life’ t-shirts, while each February a glut of J Dilla tribute nights spring up in major cities across the globe.

So many people have jumped on the Dilla bandwagon to the exclusion of other artists who clearly should command more attention than they receive. While ‘fans’ salivate over an unreleased sub-standard Dilla off-cut, new and exciting music from Detroit’s new breed goes virtually unremarked upon. Guilty Simpson, Black Milk, Nametag, Mr Porter – all of these artists are making exciting new music in the Dilla mold.

There’s something insincere about the level of critical acclaim that Dilla now receives. Unlike say The Notorious B.I.G., who was venerated as one of the greatest ever while still alive, Dilla was never viewed as belonging to the upper-echelons of hip-hop music. Now it seems his music is viewed as life changing – was it not life changing before he died? Was he unfairly overlooked then, while now his work is receiving the stratospheric critical appraisal it deserves? Clearly not: he was a talented producer and innovator in the underground hip-hop scene. No more, no less.

Why has Dilla’s passing inspired such passionate devotion while other artists seem virtually forgotten? Ultimately, people are looking for a martyr for the underground. Unlike 2Pac or B.I.G., Dilla never saw widespread commercial success in his lifetime. Here then is a chance for the underground to claim their own ‘Biggie’. Those who constantly aim to prove how much they love Dilla are attempting to justify their own position in hip-hop: ‘here I am, I am knowledgeable, I am hip-hop’. There is nothing wrong in liking his music. But to elevate him to a saintly level is ridiculous, and just not supported by the (admittedly high) quality of his work or his (pre-passing) level of influence.

J Dilla Changed My Life T-shirts, lunchboxes and stuffed toys are available now from people who should really know better. J Dilla tribute shows, featuring a bunch of totally unrelated artists, are happening across the world in February, check local listings for details.

John Barry 1933-2011

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:22:00 +0000

John Barry passed away yesterday aged 77, and Britain lost possibly its greatest ever soundtrack composer. Best known for his James Bond scores, he also notably provided music for films such as The Ipcress File and Dances with Wolves. The breadth of his influence is illustrated by the genre-spanning list of artists who used his work in the form of samples: Robbie Williams, Leftfield, Orbital and Kanye West all plundered his music for inspiration. There's not much to say which hasn't already been said elsewhere, and better, so I'll leave you with my favourite track by him - Space March from the Moonraker soundtrack. Truly sublime.

Can one man invent hip-hop?

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:09:00 +0000

Now is not perhaps the best time for a critical reappraisal of Kool Herc, one of the founding fathers of modern hip-hop music. Herc (born Clive Campbell) is currently suffering from unspecified medical problems requiring hospitalisation, and DJ Premier (amongst others) is imploring fans of hip-hop to ‘pay-back’ to Herc and help cover his hospital bills. Some have claimed that without Herc, and here I paraphrase, ‘none of us would be here’.

I didn’t witness the birth of hip-hop, being as I was born in 1979 in London's Lewisham – far away from the extreme urban decay of the Bronx in the early 1970’s. By the time I was born, Herc’s influence was fading as commercialism began to sink its ugly claws into the emerging breakbeat culture. 1979 was the year that Rapper’s Delight was released – a track illegitimately appropriated from its original composers by the Sugarhill Gang label – a precursor to the sometimes shady practices of Diddy’s Bad Boy label.

Still, even those born thousands of miles away will not be ignorant to stories of hip-hop’s evolution. Most, if not all, of these stories place Herc as the main or even sole originator of breakbeat culture. I find problematic these ‘origins of the genre’ stories which focus on one or two protagonists. Can an entire musical genre be spawned by one person? Although in theory the answer is yes, in practice the emergence of strikingly new forms of music rarely if ever have their roots in the work of one or two musicians. Certainly this is the case with hip-hop – a mish-mash of various cultural tropes which included 70’s funk drum-beat work-outs (aka ‘breaks’), call and response lyrics, spoken word and street art; amongst other influences.

It would be foolish to claim that hip-hop couldn’t have formed without Herc. With all due respect, here is a man who was in the right place at the right time. The hunger for heavy percussion-based work-outs, the prevailing street culture, the dispossessed youth of a poverty-stricken Bronx searching for a creative outlet – these are the factors that helped to form hip-hop music.

Herc’s innovation was solely to extend the playing of the percussion-based ‘breaks’ on records by looping them up – two copies of the same record utilised strictly for their breaks, and played one after another in a loop. While this was a hugely important innovation, was it not inevitable? DJs (not just Herc) were learning that the crowds at block parties were particularly fond of percussive breaks – was extending these breaks not just a matter of time? And let us not forget that this is what Herc did – these loops weren’t even seamlessly fitted together: he’d literally play the break from one record, stop the record, shout a bit, then play the (same) break from a second copy of the record. How do I know this? I’ve seen him DJ. Never have I been so underwhelmed.

Other pioneers such as Grand Wizard Theodore and Bambaataa would capitalise on these innovations to help invent scratching and other creative methods central to the development of hip-hop music. Where Herc fell down was in his failure to capitalise on these emerging techniques – by the mid-1980’s he was a crackhead – while other early artists released recordings and thereby monetized their involvement.

Still, my intention is not to dismiss Herc’s involvement in hip-hop: the main clearly helped develop a movement which has become much more important than simply another genre – for many it’s a way of life. And it’s sad that an innovator now struggles for money to pay for basic health care. But to argue that somehow fans and artists of hip-hop have a moral right to donate to his healthcare, because without him they somehow wouldn’t have a creative career, is bogus.

No man is an island: art movements arise from a multitude of cultural factors which conspire to create fertile ground for innovation.

Hype, Hype! Get the down-low on the Hypemen Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:29:00 +0000

Hello dear reader, my name is Inie and I'm the new writer on Cash Rules. I'm what you call a rap nerd. Thats not to say that I only listen to Wu-Tang and bemoan any new dance that comes out, although Weekend at Bernies is something special.

I'm 25 so i grew up in the era of shiny suits and wrestlers making cameos on top ten songs. I'm also a completest which means that I crave knowledge about hip-hop; I want to know that Westwood used to have a late night hip-hop show on ITV that didnt have him acting like a caricature. I want to know that although De La Soul looked and seemed like hippies they actually would beat up other rap groups. I want to know that Kanye West used to change the way he dressed for whichever rapper came into his studio in order to make them comfortable.

Thankfully in this internet age I am able to. I can spend my time on YouTube looking up Arsenio Hall clips, download Westwood and Goldfinger sets at 1996 Carnival or read about the songs that slayed legendary New York nightclub The Tunnel. I've found a podcast that celebrates being a rap nerd. Its called the Hype Men and is hosted by Jensen Karp and Eric and Jeff Rosenthal. You may have seen the Rosenthals on rap blogs with their weekly hip hop skits.

Funny, irreverent and incredibly informative, the podcast has become a highlight of my week. The calibre and diversity of the guests is frankly amazing. From Just Blaze (he discussed the Jay Electronica situation before Jay signed with Jay-Z), 88-Keys (discussing his relationship with Kanye), Vashtie (the first woman to design a Jordan shoe), Nick Catchdubs (member of The Rub, former Fader editor, co-head honcho of Fools Gold) and Peter Rosenberg (Hot 97 DJ).

My favourite episode was the one that had Ben Baller and Scott Vener. Those names don't ring out like the others but their impact on hip-hop and music in general is immense. Scott Vener is in charge of music on Entourage, a show which although it has fallen by the wayside in terms of on screen entertainment still has a stellar soundtrack. In the same way that Eastenders is famous for its 'Doof Doof Doof', the last song on Entourage is significant. It may not recieve the same boost that appearing on X-Factor or Glee can have but I'm fairly sure it's one of the reasons why Kanye West ended up on the remix of La Roux's Bulletproof.

Ben Baller is someone who I hadnt heard of before but is a hip-hop industry stalwart. From DJing at Denzel Washington's restaurant to being a part of Interscope (he mentions that he is coming back into the fold), he has seen it all. He also holds the record for the most expensive shoe ever sold on eBay (over $31,000). Listening to him and Jensen talk about the west coast hip-hop scene in the early 90's is a delight. Did you know that Bud from Married From Children is a huge rap nerd and owned a club which used to hold freestyle battles including a young battle rapper called will.i.am?

I suggest you start listening.

Sampled - Why it's ok for Game to sample dubstep

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 20:45:00 +0000

Last night on Twitter saw a flurry of activity regarding Skream being sampled by US rapper Game. On the track The Kill, producers Cool & Dre have utilised portions of Skream's remix of La Roux’s In For The Kill, and this seems to have kicked off a number of responses from the Twitter community.

Many feel that the use of the track is unjustified, although for differing reasons. Arguments ranged from accusations of creative theft through to laziness on Cool & Dre’s behalf (the beat essentially just loops a portion of the Skream track). Skream himself admitted that he’s ‘Not sure how I feel really’ about the remix (although didn't comment any further). I think the reaction to this is interesting for a number of reasons.

Sampling is about recontextualising and reusing short excerpts from other songs to create something new. This is what Cool & Dre have done on The Kill – it’s more than a facsimile of Skream’s La Roux remix. No listener, when presented with both tracks, would claim that both songs are identical. Admittedly the level of technical skill is not high – this isn’t a ‘chopped’ sample, where tiny excerpts of the original tune are re-arranged to create something differing from a straight ‘loop’ of a portion of the source material.

Regardless of how complex the usage is or isn't; music isn’t a contest to see who can be the most technical when composing. The proof of success is the effect the music has on the listener. There are plenty of boring ‘chopped’ tracks which compare badly with well executed ‘looped’ tracks and vice versa. Whether or not a producer has utilised one or the other is neither here nor there when judging the end result.

The second issue raised is that of respect and appropriation. Some commentators have suggested that Cool & Dre somehow don't have the 'right' to sample Skeam - certainly not without his personal permission. Even if Skream needed to grant permission (the remix rights are owned by Polydor, not him), would demanding this be a good idea? Surelyt once an artwork is in the public sphere then the artist must accept it becomes an acceptable source of inspiration for other artists?

The complaints are ironic considering that Skream is an artist who himself employs sampling. Although he is far from being a ‘sample-based’ producer, he does employ samples in his work. On his remix of In For The Kill he uses a drum break from The Winston’s Amen Brother and a bassline which is either inspired by or directly sampled from Just Another Chance by Reese Project. Did Skream ask permission of these artists before embarking on the creation of this remix? I imagine not, and neither should he.

Ultimately, my main criticism of the Game track is that it’s not very good – the ultimate test. There was a touch of ‘David and Goliath’ to the responses on Twitter, which really is irrelevant. Either it’s ok for artists to sample or it’s not – questions about the level of creativity, permission etc.. are invalid. Still, it seems that plenty of people who are fans of a music which employs sampling heavily itself, have out-dated views on sampling. The only rule of music is, and always has been,‘make sure it sounds good’.

Grime n' shine

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:14:00 +0000

The Guardian yesterday claimed that ‘Tinie Tempah’s rise puts grime front and centre in British music’, in direct response to the news that he’s received four Brit Award nominations. But does this really mean that grime, 10 years on from its birth in Bow, is finally getting mainstream recognition?

2009 was the year of grime stars troubling the upper echelons of the UK charts, with Chipmunk, Roll Deep , Tinchy Stryder and others joining Tempah in obtaining pop success. Still, none of these songs charting can be described as grime in even the loosest sense of the word. When it comes to ‘grime’ good and proper, the highest charting songs were released over 5 years ago and hardly troubled the top 10, e.g. Pow (Foward) (2004, highest chart position 11), Dizzee’s Fix Up, Look Sharp (2003, 17) and Kano’s Typical Me (2005, 22).

Where grime artists do well (commercially at least) is when they shed the visceral thrill of what is some of the most genuinely original music to come out of the UK in the last 10-15 years in favour of anodyne production from Calvin Harris and the like. See the likes of Tinchy Stryder, N Dubz, et al… who couldn’t exist without grime, but who hardly classify as such when viewed in light of their recent material.

Regardless of whether or not Tempah can still be held up as a grime artist, holding the Brit nominations up as a shining example of grime’s penetration of the mainstream is somewhat disingenuous – he’s the only emcee nominated for an award if you discount the international categories (which are themselves generally dominated by white rock/pop acts).

The bottom line is that grime is unlikely to ever gain a significant mainstream following. The typical grime track features atonal melodies, heavily syncopated rhythms, and vocals mainly concerned with violence - these are hardly pop tropes. It is no great shame that grime hasn’t crossed over into the mainstream – it would only have to compromise integrity in order to do so.

Die drops a special version of Bright Lights for NYE

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Die just dropped a banging new year version of Bright Lights on Twitter. The original (by Die, Interface and William Cartright) was one of the biggest drum and bass anthems of the year. If you missed it, you can download after the jump. Enjoy.

Die & Interface featuring William Cartright - Bright Lights (New Year Version)

Cash Rules' top tunes of 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:12:00 +0000

It’s cliché to say it, but in this case it really was true: it was exceptionally hard to pick just 10 albums and 10 singles for 2010. It was an excellent year for music, both homegrown and from across the pond. Here we break down the Cash Rules favourites.

Albums

1. Drake – Thank Me Later

On first listen it may have come off as somewhat predictable, but repeated exposure revealed hidden depths. This was everything we hoped it would be and more.

2. Roc Marciano – Marcberg

Roc Marciano took hip-hop back to the essence on Marcberg, his sparse atonal backings providing a perfect backdrop for the dense evocative wordplay.

3. Horsepower – Quest for the Sonic Bounty

After what seemed like an eternity, Horsepower returned. Searing breaks, claustrophobia-inducing soundscapes, eerie bass – a music so very intimate yet expansive. Best enjoyed on headphones.

4. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Hate him or hate him, Kanye triumphed on his 5th long player. His refusal to conform coupled with a music inventiveness rarely seen in hip-hop and r&B delivered a flamboyant masterpiece. Read our review here.

5. Magnetic Man – Magnetic Man

Magnetic Man managed to make an album which dragged dubstep kicking and screaming into the pop arena, without sacrificing the raw edges.

6. Curren$y – Pilot Talk

A solid debut from a solid but often uninspiring emcee who benefited here from excellent production and execution

7. El-P - Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx3

Apocalypse Now, for headphones.

8. Breakage – Foundation

Slickly executed dubstep and drum & bass with a minimalistic sensibility.

9. Gangrene (Alchemist & Oh-No) – Gutter Water

Exactly what the world expected from a pairing of these two respected producer/emcees - a solid hip-hop album with strong production all round.

10. Big Boi – Sir Luscious Leftfoot: The Return of Chico Dusty

Filled with hits, Big Boi proved yet again that he’s comfortable rolling solo.

Singles

1. Om Unit – Searching

Simplicity can be beautiful. Little more than a beat, a bass, and a synth - but the inclusion of a haunting snippet of a Four Tops vocal lifted this track to the classic realm.

2. D Double E – Streetfighter Riddim

What should have been a novelity track – a grime tune shouting out the characters from console favourite Street Fighter IV - somehow transcended the basic concept, in large part due to an exceptionally effective instrumental from DJ Swerve. When D Double gets the right backing track, it’s murder, as this proved.

3. Trey Songz – Unfortunate

Mr Songz’ voice and Noah “40” Shebib’s beat combine hear to utterly hypnotic effect. It’s a tune that draws you in and just won’t let you go.

4. Redlight featuring Roses Gabor – Stupid

It was hard to choose between this and Redlight’s other triumph this year What U Talkin About, his track with a re-energised Ms Dynamite. Ultimately Stupid won out, the sound of house music and drum & bass colliding.

5. Droop-E featuring E-40 – I’m Loaded

Seemingly out of nowhere Droop-E dropped this instant classic, employing a healthy chunk of Sade’s War of Hearts to devastating effect. When the chorus breaks out everything falls into place. Simply brilliant.

6. The Dream – Make Up Bag

Utterly inane lyrics, a sub-bass reminiscent of ’94 jungle, and a smattering of light synths – that’s all it took for The Dream to destroy many a 2010 dancefloor.

7. Breakage featuring Newham Generals & David Rodigan – Hard

There was no escaping this tune in 2010, the pinnacle of the emerging fusion of dubstep and grime.

8. Ski Beatz featuring Mos Def – Taxi

Unfortunately left off the Ski Beatz album due to legal issues, but here he provided Mos with the perfect backing. Sublime.

9. Skream featuring Sam Frank – Where U Should Be

When he wasn’t dominating dubstep as one third of Magnetic Man, Skream was busy innovating on his own. This was the highlight of his Outside the Box album.

10. Girl Unit – Wut

Contemporary R&B as seen through the prism of gutter house music. Totally original and addictive.

Live review: Outlook Festival Reunion @ The Coronet 18/12/10

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:28:00 +0000

Badness: grimey

Parmadillo writes....

The Coronet is probably my favourite large venue in London. It’s spread over several floors with ample bar space and a covered smoking area and there is usually enough room to properly skank out in the main room (though the other rooms range from stupidly crowded to utterly deserted). Unfortunately last Saturday the good points of the venue were overshadowed by an inept and largely absent soundboy. For most of the night the system in the main room was far too quiet. Engine Earz Experiment had an early set where the volume on the system was outrageously low and the sub bass barely audible. Despite this it was an excellent set accompanied by some decent visuals and engaging guest vocalists, and I was pleased I turned up in time to catch them.

Mala performed a solid set with Horrid Henry by Coki being a key highlight. For me this was the defining tune of Outlook 2010, gaining epic crowd reactions and multiple wheel-ups. It was great to hear Mala drop a few sick dubs that I didn’t recognise too. Regrettably, it was possible to have a conversation on the dancefloor without resorting to shouting directly into people’s ears, which is almost sacrilege to devotees of DMZ nights who are used to hearing a sound system that could shake the teeth from your gums (disclaimer: sub bass is no substitute for proper dentistry).

Congo Natty played a standard set of decent jungle, though I didn’t think the ageing emcees added much to the experience. Perhaps if I was stoned I would have enjoyed it more, actually there’s no doubt about it, Congo Natty’s sets are made to blaze a zoot to (note from the editor: don’t EVER not get stoned while reviewing a night again or you’re fired).

The system in the main room got just about loud enough by the time True Tiger, P Money, D Double E and Badness came on stage (with an unbilled appearance from Bruza). This set was also beset with audio-related disappointment. D Double E was not capable of being heard; his bars were reduced to muffled background noise. The sound engineer was absent from the controls for the whole set. Unfortunately Badness’ lyrics came through relatively clearly; it cheered me up a little when his single got air-pie from the crowd. He missed the drop and took about half the song before he worked out which bars to spit - it couldn’t have got a worse reaction if he’d just put the mic to his arse and let rip. He also ruined Woo Riddim by virtue of not handing the mic to D Double when it dropped (perhaps a moot point since we couldn’t hear the Newham General anyway).

By the time the final set of the night arrived I was too tired to even notice who was playing, though I’m pretty sure Skibadee was one of the emcees. I’ve never understood why people would want to hear a drum and bass set at 5am after several hours of skanking, but then I don’t take chemical stimulants anymore (stop blaming others for your drugs failures, ed.).

Early on in the night, before security got their act together, a lot of people were smoking on the dancefloor, something I always think makes a night more amenable. Hang tight all the blazers (that is not a big up to the contents of my wardrobe). However, here’s a tip; do not skin up in the bogs if you ever go to The Coronet. The bouncers have a habit of peering over the sides of the cubicles. The confiscation of my friend’s stash was another lowlight of the evening: listening to Mala without green is like getting head while being forced to read Badness’ status updates on Facebook- somewhat enjoyable but also exasperating. Actually it’s not in any way like that; I was just trying to shoe-horn in another diss of Badness. (editor’s note: Parmadillo goes off on Badness-related rant for sometime, log-on to www.impenetrablewaffle.com to read full transcript).

If you missed the reunion I wouldn’t sweat it, all in all it was a fairly decent night but there was no chance that seven hours of music in snowy London could do any justice to the event proper - four days of awesome music in an abandoned fort in the Adriatic. It was a decent enough rave and well worth the £10 early-bird entry I paid. The night evoked some good memories and heightened my anticipation for next year’s festival. Make sure you reach Croatia for what will be the highlight of 2011 for any bass junkie.

Merry Christmas from Cash Rules

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 18:56:00 +0000

Over at Cash Rules we haven't been feeling particularly Christmassy, mainly due to a rather evil bought of flu over the last week. But the snow falling over London today seems to have triggered a small flurry of holiday spirit, and we figured we share that with you in the form of some prime Christmas rappin'. We were almost spoilt for choice - it seems hip-hop emcees have a soft spot for this time of year.

First up, we'll roll with a classic. Mainy would pick Run DMC's Christmas in Hollis but I'm going to avoid that choice, in the main because it's shit. Kurtis Blow's Christmas Rappin' however? Judge for yourself:

Kurtis Blow - Christmas Rappin'

Snoop definitely knows how to get down at Xmas time. Not one for playing in front of the kids mind...

Snoop Dogg - Twas The Night Before Christmas

The Doggfather pops up on this next joint too, along with a rather bizarre bunch of co-conspirators. Still, it works big time. Probably my favourite Christmas hip-hop jam.

Puff Daddy ft Mase, Snoop, Onyx, Salt n Pepa, Keith Murray - Santa Baby

Last, but not least, Kanye's new jam featuring... everyone.

Kanye West featuring Cam'ron, Vado, Jim Jones, CyHi Da Prynce, Pusha T, Big Sean, Teyana Taylor & Musiq Soulchild - Christmas In Harlem

Thanks to Kevin Nottingham, whose A This is Hip-Hop Christmas compilation provided inspiration (and a few of the mp3 files!)

Southern Hospitality present Player's Ball at CAMP

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:21:00 +0000

Anyone who's headed down to Southern Hospitality's weekly Hip-Hop Karaoke parties at The Social will know that they definitely know how to a party. On Saturday the team take over CAMP in Old Street for their FREE Xmas party, 'Player's Ball'. DJs Davey Boy Smith & Rob Pursey will be spinning only the best in southern flavours, so you know it's time to get crunk. The night runs from 9pm-3am and promises to be one of the defining parties of the year. Cash Rules will definitely be in effect, we'll see you there. After the jump is a link to their Player's Ball Anthems mixtape, which will give you a good idea of what to expect.

DJ's Rob Pursey & Davey Boy Smith present Player's Ball Anthems

Local Action all-stars remix Cassie

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:25:00 +0000

The Local Action label is definitely picking up attention, fresh from the release of the anthemic Heartbeat by T. Williams and Terri Walker. Despite being relatively wet behind the ears they've still managed to rope in some of the finest bass music producers out there to remix various Cassie tracks, the results of which are available to download on their blog. Can't say Cassie would be top of my list of singers to get the Local Action treatment, but there's some gems in here. Get downloading.

Get ravin' with Shy FX

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:01:00 +0000

The Shy FX banger Raver, featuring Kano, Roses Gabor & Donae'o, is out today and it's FREE. This one is accompanied by remixes from MJ Cole, Breakage, and Shy himself. It's an essential package. Click 'read more' to get in on the action.

Live review: Kano, Mz Bratt & Lady Chann @ XOYO 02/12/10

noreply@blogger.com (Akuma) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:22:00 +0000

Kano & Ghetto

Last night Cash Rules headed down to Shoreditch’s latest venue XOYO to catch grime main-stay Kano. We arrived to find UK dancehall queen Lady Chann warming up the crowd. And for once the term ‘warm-up’ is not being used figuratively – having recently escaped sub-zero temperatures outside, the crowd most definitely needed warming. Chann certainly rose to the challenge despite a somewhat indifferent audience; and ran through recent hits Eye To Fast and Sticky Situation, as well as King Riddim (her collaboration with Warrior One) and latest single Treble To Your Bass.

Lady Chann

Next up was grime princess Mz Bratt. She maintained the high quality level set by Chann, with an assured performance which encompassed new track Get Dark and her verse from the remix to Tinchy Stryder’s Game Over; ending on a high with the Redlight-produced Selecta. Her set suggested she is destined for greater things in the future.

Mz Bratt

The crowd greeted Kano’s entrance with rapturous applause – he was most certainly preaching to the converted. Nonetheless the performance was justifiably well received, his flow impeccable and charisma plentiful. The set ranged from the pop end of his oeuvre through to the rougher edges of the likes of Ps & Qs. The show was weakest when he delivered the softer tracks such as All + All Together and Streets collaboration Nite Nite, the crowd seeming slightly bored. In contrast, the masses greeted Ghetto and Griminal’s arrival on stage for Typical Me, Pow 2011, and Ghetto’s Artillery bars with a roar of approval. His lengthy (but not over-welcome) set ended with a stage-invasion to the sounds of his brand new collaboration with Shy FX, Raver. Not perhaps a groundbreaking gig, but a strong performance from a seasoned performer and proof that as a live emcee Kano still has the capacity to thrill.