No more multilinks...

Shortly after I started this blog Rapidshare upped their limit from 100mb to 200mb. If you've been using RS for any length of time then you know that's fantastic. Here's an updated link for the first mix FMAO. I noticed quite a few people downloaded 59th & Easy Street but only part 1. So I'll keep part 2 around in case any of you decide to finish.

Instrumental Series Vol.2 Ruff Ryderz

No story this time. Back when I did listen to rap, I was very selective and Ruff Ryderz as a whole was among the chosen few groups who I thought were near the top of the totem. After 2005, I completely lost track of their whereabouts. I even heard Kiss signed to the ROC. Oh well.

Instrumental Series Vol.2 Ruff Ryderz

01. Lox - We Are the Streets
02. Jadakiss - Here We Go Again
03. DMX - No Love For Me
04. Sheek Louch - Turn it Up
05. Lox - Streets is Back
06. D-Block - Two Gunz Up
07. Jadakiss - Put Ya Hands Up
08. Styles P - Shots Fired
09. Lox - Breathe Easy
10. DMX - Get it on the Floor
11. Drag-On - Tell Your Friends
12. Jadakiss - Shoot Outs
13. Sheek Louch - Kiss Your Ass Goodbye
14. Eve - Double R What
15. DMX - Pull It
16. Lox - Wild Out
17. Styles P - Gangster and a Gentlemen
18. Jadakiss - Hardcore
19. DMX - Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood
20. Lox - Ride or Die Bitch
21. Jadakiss - We Gon' Make It
22. Jaehood - I am da Streetz
23. DMX - Heat

Other works in progress are rocafella instrumentals and a few themed instrumental compilations. They'll be coming some time next month.

-Particularly Privy-

I should quit after this one right? It really can't get better than this unless I do a best of between all 5 volumes. Maybe I will some time down the line. Anyway, this mix has it all from blaxploitation, to easy listening, to jazz, to bossa, and even hard hitting soundtrack music. I like each and every track [NO FILLERS]. I don't believe in fillers but if I were to make a last minute find I wouldn't want to take off any single track. It's like choosing which of your children lives and dies.

It was hard to narrow it down to 5 faves this time. What tracks 14 and 25 have in common is that they are both made for french porn. "Madame Claude" is actually a "movie" movie but the other one is "Jouissances" and I just love the sound! I have no idea what library it's from. I was fortunate enough to be able to loop a little snippet someone posted up. I bopped to track 26 for a whole month straight on my way to and from classes. It's not quite library but it can be. "Lancet Bossa Nova" sounds like mobster music. I'm sure some older gentlemen can appreciate it. You know? Those type of old guys who don't think they're too old to still whup a young cat. And last but not least. If I didn't know any better, and I really don't, I would say Karl Jenkins is the man! "Fly Me" has such a feel good mood to it and it's still blaxploitational. When I first heard it, the first image that popped in my mind was Will Ferrel and his "whiteboy afro" from that basketball movie (forget the name).

MF

01. Grant Green - Fountain Scene
02. Keith Mansfield - Trucking Company
03. Henry Mancini - Sun Goddess
04. Armando Travaioli - Identikit
05. Karl Jenkins - Panoramica
06. Peter Thomas - Bolero on the Moon Rocks
07. Jack Trombey - Wind in Her Hair
08. Puccio Roelens - Intimate Conversation
09. Lonnie Liston Smith - Visions of a New World (Phase II)
10. Roland Kovac - Autobahn
11. Simon Park - Big Road
12. Pacific Express - Black Fire
13. L. Bergonzi - Missoula
14. Saparto & Daras - Jouissances
15. Reg Tilsley - Big Incentive
16. Piero Piccioni - Love Will Find a Way
17. Serge Gainsbourg - Passage A Tabacco
18. Love Unlimited Orchestra - Strange Games and Things
19. Peter Thomas - Lancet Bossa Nova
20. Steve Gray - Theme From the "Grandfather"
21. Karl Jenkins - Fly Me
22. Armando Travaioli - Theme for a Murder
23. Love Unlimited Orchestra - Makin' Believe That It's You
24. John Cacavas - Airport 1975
25. Serge Gainsbourg - Teleobjectivisme
26. Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes - Beautiful Woman
27. Edd Kalehoff - The Cats

I'm currently compiling my second edition easy listening mix and after that, who knows if I will make any more. I do have a few more drops for the instrumental series so if that's your thing you might want to stick around.

Instrumental Series Vol.1 Wu-Tang

For me... what made the transition possible from rap to library music was instrumentals. I stopped listening to lyrics after a while because there is only so many ways that you can shoot people, only so many ways to cut keys, waste money, and degrade women. I developed a greater appreciation for instruments and it opened some doors. The first rap group I ever seriously listened to was Wu-Tang. I remember being in 5th grade and somebody said "you ever heard of Muffin Man." I said "Who's the Muffin Man." "NO! METHOD MAN!" Oh ok. No. Why? Because he's the best out that's why. He reps Wu-Tang Clan. By the 6th grade I was hooked on Wu-Tang. Even after the downfall of Wu I was a big fan of ODB in retrospect. I still can't believe he's gone. Looking back at some of his work, he really was one of a kind.

On a side note, back in 97 I actually got to meet Raekwon in person at the Philly Wu-Wear Store and I got his autograph. I had him sign a couple of shirts, but they are long gone (that goes for the store too). All that is left is this piece of paper I keep in a dusty frame. I actually saw him again years later (2002?) just around the corner from the original spot. And shame on me I didn't even acknowledge him because I thought he was washed up. I lost my appreciation and forgot where I started. After understanding the ins-and-outs of rap fads all the music I liked at that time has since fallen off. Isn't that interesting? Today, I wouldn't acknowledge those people either...



...but Wu-Tang really is forever. As a whole they had such a unique gutter sound for the longest time, and that's what puts them in a league of their own. They were the definition of absolute lyricism.

Instrumental Series Vol.1: Wu-Tang

01. Raekwon - Knowledge God
02. Cappadonna - Run
03. Ghostface - Motherless Child
04. Wu-Tang - Older Godz
05. ODB - Recognize
06. Method Man - Dangerous Groundz
07. Wu-Tang - The MGM
08. The GZA - Gold
09. Ghostface - Underwater
10. Wu-Tang - For Heaven's Sake
11. Method Man and Redman - The Riddler
12. Raekwon - Yae Yo
13. ODB - Brooklyn Zoo II
14. Wu-Tang - Cream
15. Ghostface - Daytona 500
16. Method Man - Retro Godfather
17. Wu-Tang - The Projects
18. The GZA - Cold World
19. Raekwon - Heaven and Hell
20. Wu-Tang - Method Man
21. Ghostface - Apollo Kids
22. Method Man - All I Need Remix
23. Wu-Tang - Triumph

One beat that I have never been able to find, but always wanted is "Wu-Tang - A Better Tomorrow." I think I've heard some bad loops but that's about it. You already know there will be more instrumental series' to come so just sit tight.

-Splendid Agenda-

I guess you could say this is my second edition blaxploitation mix. It has a bit of Grand Theft Auto IV Fusion FM influence. I was delighted to see that they basically made what sounds like a library music station. I don't recall there being anything like that in the previous games. If you listened to rap back when it was good then I'm sure you'll notice some familiar tunes in here also. Everybody can enjoy this from the young knucklehead to the oldest of old pop pops. "Finding my Feet" sounds like a pop pop track in particular... this is sunday afternoon music for high waisted shorts, pastel dress socks, loafers, and straw hats!

Volume 4: Splendid Agenda!

01. David McCallum - The Edge
02. Roy Ayers - Ain't No Sunshine
03. Keith Mansfield - High Velocity
04. Alan Parker & Mike Moran - That's What Friends Are For
05. Mandingo Orchestra - The Headhunter
06. Puccio Roelens - Conversation in Three
07. Pierre Arvay - Laughing Violins
08. The Ashantis - Everybody's Groove
09. Ryo Kawasaki - Raisins
10. Edwin Starr - Airport Chase
11. Tower of Power - Soul Vaccination
12. Karl Jenkins - Silver Parallel
13. Aram - La Bossa Des Abasses
14. Francis Lai - Theme D'Anne
15. Steve Gray - Nevada Junction
16. Janko Nilovic - Aerospacial
17. Keith Papworth - Wheel Man
18. Roy Ayers - Funk in the Hole
19. Pleasure - Joyous
20. Mike Moran - El Zoro
21. Sven Libaek - Solar Flares
22. Brian Bennett - Sidetrack
23. Steve Gray - Finding my Feet
24. Alan Tew - The Peterman

Next time I'm crossing the full gamut. Be on the lookout for my last mix of this kind "Particularly Privy." It's far from over though. I have three other mixes in the works... drama, action, and uneasy listening. Stay tuned!

-Get Spiffy-

This time I'm back with my easy listening mix. I originally called it "Get Spiffy and Strut Lightly," but I let a friend of mine hear it and he called it "Get Spiffy" for short and it had a ring to it. "Strut Lightly" is an oldschool haberdashery (read: men's clothes) around my area. Anyway, this mix has it all from electronica, to jazz, to bossa, to just plain ol' beautiful music. You know a track is smooth when you've been listening to it for hours and didn't even notice... for me that track was "Lungo La Costa." It was an excellent last minute find. Do you want to be cool yet sophisticated? Burn it and pop this in.

Volume 3: Get Spiffy

01. Conroy - Opening Theme
02. C. Rae, F. McDonald, & G. Shurry - On Schedule
03. Stefano Torossi - Having Fun
04. Alan Parker - Choctaw
05. Alan Hawkshaw & Brian Bennett - Mon Amour
06. Sven Libaek - Inner Space
07. Simon Park - Border Line
08. C. Rae & F. McDonald - Still Waters
09. Scoen & Cicci Santucci - Lungo La Costa
10. Blackbyrds - Love So Far Away
11. Soft Machine - Travelogy
12. Hank Crawford - I'll Move You No Mountain
13. Roy Ayers - I Did it in Seattle
14. Love Unlimited Orchestra - Midnight and You
15. Stefano Torossi - Running Fast
16. Curtis Mayfield - Give Me Your Love
17. Blackbyrds - Lifestyles
18. Major Symphony - Love That Would Not Die
19. Alan Parker & Williams Parrish - Main Chance
20. The Black Fire - Rush
21. Charles Earland - Incense of Essence
22. Freedom Power - Metropolis Notte
23. Innkeeper - Thankless Outro

Coming up next in just an hour or two is "Splendid Agenda." I REALLY love this one!