Here’s part 2 to the Memorial Day weekend jump off. Bang these in your box and step your party jams up. This here is the funk & soul installment to keep things moving. I will also affectionately refer to it as the “hot records I don’t have” post. So holler if you’re holdin!

The Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Hihache
Lordy, that’s the business. If this don’t make your shake your ass your shit is broke. Seriously. This has been comped to death but it’s still a classic. I’m not gonna lie, I don’t even have the Soul Makossa album. I’ve never wanted to pay what it goes for and I’ve never come across it in the wild. Shit, the Malik album goes for even more… regardless, this cut is a favorite of mine and this is a pretty crispy version.

Ronnie Keaton - Going Down For The Last Time
This is a record I’ve been looking for. Aside from that mean ass break on the front, this song holds it’s own regardless. This was on a Keb Darge comp a little while back and was also flipped by Madlib for Vast Aire’s Look Ma No Hands. The 45 on Konduko (Miami) doesn’t really ever turn up now that those cats shed light on it - believe me I’ve looked. Oh well, it probably never really did anyway but just means it’s gonna cost me more now. Pass one my way if you see it. Meanwhile… All your Ronnie Keaton records are belong to Keb!

Dyke & The Blazers - Stuff
Now that’s funky. A friend just laid a copy of the Funky Broadway comp on me recently so it was nice to get a full clean listen of a grip of Dyke & The Blazers stuff in one place. These cats were much more than just Funky Broadway. Leon Haywood actually played with these guys for a while as well (more on him later, cause he’s pretty bad ass in his own right). Thanks Andy.

Peter Reno - Silver Thrust
How about some funky flute for that ass! When I was traveling in Baltimore (and record shopping of course) i ran into Jason Willett who had a great story about hooking up with DeWolfe and licensing a grip of music from them to release a comp. I got this from him and it’s a cut I had never heard. There’s so much garbage library stuff out there it’s always a treat to hear the good stuff. I actually brought some tasty library joints home from NYC on that trip as well, they may wind up in a future post. No promises though.

Well, I’m not sure this album will be a commercial hit for Erykah Badu but it’s def worth hearing and a bit of a surprise. She’s kinda going off on her own thing this time - it seems it’s her Electric Circus dare I say. Ironically, the first single (Honey) doesn’t really seem like an album track and more of an after thought (possible due to the need for a single?). It definitely sticks out a bit, but is worth the inclusion as it’s one of the better songs IMHO. Anyway, I just finished listening through it and it’s pretty interesting. The Sa-Ra boys are at the production helm for most of the album, which is pretty apparent and an interesting choice for Badu. There’s a little thrown in by Madlib, Kareem Riggins, The Roots crew and 9th Wonder as well. Gotta say, Madlib’s tracks are pretty nice, and not what I was expecting. The Sa-Ra cuts seems a bit too sloppy for my tastes (see prior Sa-Ra posts for my rants). All in all, it’s pretty damn good and a solid listen. Here’s a few for your earholes.

Erykah Badu - The Healer (prod. Madlib)

Erykah Badu - Soldier (prod. Kareem Riggins & Erykah Badu)

Erykah Badu - The Cell (prod. Shafiq Husayn for SA-RA)

Erykah Badu - Honey (prod. 9th Wonder)