For the Love of Dilla | 2.14.11

Its Valentine's Day, [its still] the month of Dilla, and DJ RBI and 2-Tone Jones are trading off on the 1's and 2's....nuff said! Check it out right here.

A Journey through CTI Records | Part 2 - 1.31.11

Part 2 of our special broadcast highlighting CTI Records features Dave Muse and DJ 2-Tone Jones providing an awesome soundscape of CTI's finest featured artists and personnel including Freddie Hubbard, Art Farmer, George Benson, Grover Washington Jr., Chick Corea, Joe Farrell, Bob James and Milt Jackson. They were also joined by Oddisee, Supa Kool DJ Uncle Q, Hec Dolo, Toine from DTMD and DJ RBI for a discussion on the significance of CTI Records in Jazz and Hip-Hop, and how it has influenced the music they listen to. True music lovers are certain to enjoy this special episode of Ill Street Grooves.

This is Part 2 of the broadcast.

A Journey through CTI Records: Part 1 | 1.31.11

In 1967 music producer/A&R manager Creed Taylor founded CTI Records, and 4 years later it's sister label Kudu Records. Their roster of artists included Jazz greats such as Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, Bob James, Esther Phillips, Idris Muhammad, Grant Green, Hubert Laws, Stanley Turrentine and Grover Washington Jr. On this episode of Ill Street Grooves we teamed up with Dave Muse from Monday Late Night Jazz for a special 3-hour, musical journey through the catalog of one of the most respected Jazz record labels. For the first hour DJ RBI crafted an incredible mix jumping from original CTI Records releases to Hip-Hop songs that sampled from them. By the end of the hour we had a surprise visit and cypher by the Money Making Jam Boys (Dice Raw and Truck North); the night before the release of their new mixtape which also includes Black Thought throughout. Then the following 2 hours featured Dave Muse and DJ 2-Tone Jones trading off on the turntables playing some of their CTI favorites straight from their own personal record collections (vinyl only).

This is Part 1 of the broadcast.

Synthetic Substitution | 1.24.11

In 1973 R&B vocalist Melvin Bliss released a song entitled, Synthetic Substitution, as a b-side for a single that was put out by Sunburst Records. Since then the groovy b-side has gone on to become on of the most sampled songs in Hip-Hop music and other genres as well. Oddly enough this was the only record Melvin Bliss was known to have released. So in true Hip-Hop fashion the crew from Ill Street paid tribute to this unique and timeless work by Melvin Bliss by playing numerous songs that have sampled Synthetic Substitution. It's too funky to miss!

Here's the link.

Tracklisting

Ego Trippin' ][ Ultramagnetic MCs
Watch Your Step ][ Xperado feat. OC

Holy War ][ Divine Force

Mighty Healthy ][ Ghostface Killah

So Called Friends ][ Group Home

Jam 4 U ][ Redman

Saturday Nite Live ][ Masta Ace, Inc

Cool V's Tribute to Scratching ][ Biz Markie

Mind Blowin' ][ The D.O.C.

Real Niggaz Don't Die ][ N.W.A.

Yoke the Joker ][ Naughty by Nature

Throw Ya Gunz ][ Onyz

Snake Eyes ][ Main Source

Cuttin' Heads ][ Ol' Dirty Bastard feat. RZA

Clan in the Front ][ Wu-Tang Clan

DWYCK ][ Gangstarr

5 Men and a Mic ][ Special Ed

Versatile Extension ][ Supreme Nyborn

Wreck Shop ][ Run DMC

Bass Is Loaded ][ LONS (Leaders Of The New School)

For Pete's Sake ][ Pete Rock & CL Smooth

Code Of the Streets ][ Gangstarr

O.G. ][ Ice-T

Hip-Hop Junkies (remix) ][ Nice and Smooth

Don't Believe the Hype ][ Public Enemy

MmmBop ][ Hanson (I know...We're just as shocked as you)

Bring da Ruckus ][ Wu-Tang Clan

Potholes in My Lawn ][ De La Soul

Police Brutality in DC

Roger Rudder and his family came to Ill Street on Monday, Jan. 17th to discuss his family's lawsuit against the DC Metropolitan Police Department which was thrown out of court pending appeal. They're still looking for justice after an unwarranted attack by police officers on several of them at the Annual Carribean Festival on DC's Georgia Avenue in June, 2008. Here's a report about the incident on WUSA 9.

The Power of 10 | 1.10.11

To commemorate the 10th day of January 2011 (which to most folks was nothing more than just another Monday) the crew from Ill Street decided to do something special. With the help of RBI and 2-Tone Jones on the decks, we examined the number 10 in Hip-Hop. Every song that we played had some connection to the #10 (10th song on an album, the #10 in the song title, a song from an artist's 10th album, a song from a group with 10 members, etc.). Plus, our man Mazi Mutafa stopped thru to talk about Words, Beats and Life, Inc. (which was founded 10 years ago at University of Maryland) and their Urban Arts Academy after-school program (go to http://www.wblinc.org/ for more info); the brothers of Spiffkicks rapped with us about their shoe rejuvenation business; and 3-Time winner of Apollo's Amateur night, Messiah, spoke about his current project, a video he shot for track #10 off of his album entitled, The Manual, and his upcoming work. Listen to the show here and pass the link along to 10 other people!

(Quick Trivia: How many times does the number "10" appear in the show summary above?)

TRACKLISTING
Triumph ][ Wu-Tang (10 MC's rapping on the track)
The Points ][ Various Artists (song is based on the Panthers' 10 Point Program)
Fa Ha ][ LL Cool J (featured on LL's album entitled, 10)
9 x out of 10 ][ Organized Konfusion (10 is in the title)
Ten to Run ][ Cru (10 is in the title)
Thank You ][ Jay-Z (featured on Jay-Z's 10th #1 selling album)
Skin Tight ][ Chicago (featured on their album entitled, X)
10,000 Watts ][ J Dilla ("10" thousand)
Blindfold Test #10 ][ Madlib feat. J Rocc (10 is in the title)
10 Crack Commandments ][ Biggie Smalls (10 is in the title)
All 4 tha Cash ][ Gangstarr (from their album entitled, A 'Decade' of Gangstarr: '89-'99)
It's Don't Matter ][ 10 Thieves (10 is in the name of the group)
Basketball Throwdown ][ ColdCrush Brothers vs. Fantastic Four (10 MC's on the track)
Top Ten List ][ Masta Ace (10 is in the title)

2010 Wrap-Up part 2 | 1.3.11

1 show just wasn't enough for us to properly wrap-up 2010, so we had to do a part 2! DJ's RBI and 2-Tone Jones go hard on a mix featuring new music that recently dropped at the end of the year including Ghostface with Raekwon, Alchemist & Oh No, Jay Electronica & Jay-Z (just in case you forgot how lyrical Jigga is), Clan Destined, Fat Joe with DJ Premier, and more! And on the eve of the release of his debut album on Inner Loop Records, Laelo Hood hung out with the crew and dropped a couple exclusive joints on us from the album....COP THAT! Lastly, Darel Dawson from Grindstone Universal clothing line slid thru with the latest on some of the hottest tee's on the streets. Cop it all right here.