Can I give a Soul Drop? I need to start doing this on the regular cause I always seem to be circling back to the funky business and throwing tracks around to people. Hip hop blog nothin… Anyway, I’ve been doing a lot of driving lately and the soul playlist gets a lot of love. Here’s some jammies for your soul holes.

Mavis Stapes - A Piece Of The Action
I gotta give it up to 4 Brother Beats for this one. I hadn’t heard this Mavis Staples albums before, but am always checkin in over there. So I grab it on a whim, and cot damn. I gotta say this album quick became a favorite. I can’t even say what the appeal is, it’s just solid and soulful throughout. The title cut is my jam. Shout out to 4 Brothers for doing their thing. “delicious, delicious, delicious”.

Curtis Mayfield - Trippin Out
It’s Curtis, what can I say. This one came on this morning when i was out and about and I was actually amazed i hadn’t written abotu this cut. This is one I carry in my crates almost all the time. Ski flipped this for Camp Lo’s Black Nostalgic it was a prefect mach (sorry for the sample spottin, but both cuts are favs). Their swag fit it to a T. Curtis is unfuckwitable.

Ohmega Watts - Groovin On Sunshine
OK, it’s not “soul” in the classic sense, but ti thinks it’s worth trying to give shine to some other OTHER soulful cats. I played the hell of that first Ohmega Watts album when it came out. It really hyped me up on hip hop production again to hear some raw funky shit like this come out. Not gonna lie, I still play it all the time. I haven’t really chimed in on his newer album, but sit tight Watts I’ll get to ya.

Marlena Shaw - California Soul (Diplo Remix)
I cannot front, my man Unite hipped me to this jammy. Normally, I’m not too much of a Diplo fan either (NO HATE-O), and the throwback remixes are a bit hit and miss at times but Diplo came correct. Let alone jumping on a soul classic, that was ballsy. This remix adds the bump for sure. Not mad.

One more classic summer jam for good measure…

Kool & The Gang - Summer Maddness
This song never gets old for me…

Camp Lo is the real deal. These cats just don’t quit. It’s unlikely they’ll ever re-live the success of Luchini (“This Is It, WHAT?!”) and they will be seen as a one hit wonder because of it but SERIOUSLY… they haven’t stopped or changed. They are still doing their thing, though very under the radar now.

Uptown Saturday Night is a classic in my eyes. The slang was thick, the beats were nuts and it was hypnotic! When that shit dropped, I had no idea what those cats were sayin half the time. Ski (producer) was laying it down thick back then too (see Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt). Now, they’re dropping In Black Hollywood (see title track and 82 Afros below). Still no change in slang, still chalked full of funky shit and still on some 70’s Blaxploitation vibe.

So, once again I need to give props to the Lo. I could go on for days on why I think Uptown Saturday Night is classic, but instead I’m going to focus on cuts from all the other albums and mixtapes.

FINAL NOTE: check out the OG version of Feelin It over at Nah Right

Camp Lo - Black Hollywood

Camp Lo - 82 Afros (feat. Ski)

Camp Lo - Lo Lean

Camp Lo - Glow

Camp Lo - How U Walkin

Camp Lo - Soul Train

Camp Lo - Step On It

i fell off, i admit it. but, i’m back. no excuses… let’s get on with it.

Lifesavas are back from their 3+ year departure with Gutterfly. the follow-up isn’t as good as i expected, but that’s always the way it goes. this is still new in my rotation but there’s a few standout cuts already and a few surprises. first is Double Up - and it is straight up funky and the first cut on this album that stuck out. a surprise was A Serpent’s Love, which features Ish (aka Butterfly of Digable Planets) - good to hear him on some new cuts (sorry, wasn’t really feelin Cherrywine). it’s a little grimey, but good. last but not least is the title cut Gutterfly featuring Camp Lo (uh). them cats what’s UP (that’s a whole other post)! i think the cameo is really what made that cut for me. overall, the album isn’t too bad considering that lack of good albums this year so far (ah hem… Sa-Ra fell off). and yes, it seems to be a soundtrack for a movie that doesn’t exits…

PS now if you slept on Lifesavas, i’m throwing in another cut from 2003 - likely their biggest cut, that you may have heard. feed your earholes y’all.

Lifesavas - Double Up

Lifesavas - A Serpent’s Love (featuring Ish)

Lifesavas - Gutterfly (featuring Camp Lo)

BONUS CUT
Lifesavas - What If It’s True (from Spirit In Stone)