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…

Yes, it exists. I’m not going to go on a State Of Hip Hop rant, but I’ve been meaning to do a Tres Records post ever since I launched this site. Tres (not actually run by Thes of PUTS as everyone seems to think) is putting out some great stuff! This is a label to watch. These two 12″s in particular have never left my crates since I got them. So, I figure this will help me rotate them out to keep myself from playing them to death.

The first record is by Giant Panda. Initially when I heard these guys I really thought they were too much on the modern throwback tip – the same tone set earlier by Ugly Duckling (not a dis, just an observation and a weak grab at a classification). The more I listened to them, the more I really started to dig them. This cut, 90’s, is only one of quite a few play worthy cuts – and an homage to Tribe. The album itself is crazy solid and even has a few tracks produced by Thes One. Grab it y’all!

The next is by Lightheaded. This is the group Ohmega Watts is from. I have to say his solo album (out on Ubiquity in 05) really set the bar highfor me, but this 12″ really impressed me with the B-side. What’s this, another homage to a Tribe cut? Regardless, this track is still a banger even though it does indeed re-flips a classic.

All in all, a big shout out to Tres! And if y’all are listening, send some promos! There are some DJs out there hearing, AND playing your records!

Giant Panda – 90’s

Lightheaded – Sunrise Cypher (Timeless 12″ b-Side)

Though never meant to be an official promo mix, this was originally given away to family and friends near the end of 05 just after I moved to San Diego. As time progressed, it sort of became a makeshift promo of sorts. There’s a few small things I would have liked to have fixed before giving it out, but overall I dig how it turned out. Enjoy!
Tracklist (MP3 is as one track):

1. listen to the dj (blend)
2. common-go (jblow remix)
3. ohmega watts-that sound
   
4. edan-fumbling over words that rhyme
   
5. rjd2-1976
   
6. jackson 5-i want you back (remix)
   
7. people under the stairs-hang loose
   
8. beastie boys-shadrack (remix)
   
9. sly & the family stone-loose booty
   
10. ako-soul 69
    
11. public enemy-911 is a joke
12. kool & the gang-soul vibration
    
13. marc hype-the antique anthem
    
14. outkast-humble mumble
15. minus after-live wire
    
16. jay-z-encore (+remix)
    
17. pleasure medly,
18. the rebirth-evil vibrations,
    
19. 3rd bass-brooklyn queens (remix)
    
20. dj day-what planet what station
    
21. dynamo productions-get it together (remix)
    
22. b-l-o and the w outro
    

Download the J Blow 05 Promo Mix