“What’re you doing?” “Mixxing, just tryin some new stuff” - This mix brings the glory days of 80s Hip-Hop, all packaged nicely in a classic mega-mixx style. One of my favorites of all time!
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Electric Romance II:
LIVE AND DIRECT
Over four hours of strictly 80s New Romantic and New Wave music recorded live at a private event.
The mere mention of the term “New Romantic” is likely to force one to imagine bleached-out MTV clips, nouveau glam make up, and Simon LeBon’s ubiquitous visage. A British music movement of the late ’70s and early ’80s, New Romanticism had everything to do with image. Spawned in large part from Bowie and Roxy Music, New Romantics cast off the increasingly boring fashion of punk in favor of something more dazzling and colorful. It just so happened that a lot of these fabulous young men and women were making some splendid music as well, likewise inspired by Bowie and Roxy Music, but with an increasing embrace of synthesizers and the slightest touch of disco. Duran Duran, ABC, OMD and more led the charge.
Dancing With The Sunset
Smooth R&B from the 90s
Melodies of romance harmonize
with aquamarine ocean
Constant waves gently touch
golden sandy beaches
Oceanic breeze embraces palms
in a passionate motion
Blowing towards the land
a refreshing ventilation
As the time goes by evening sun
slowly dips down
Sparkling glow timely fades
on the distant horizon
Melting the beauties of the day
on crimson sky
Lighting lumninous flambeaus
by the seaside
Bangles of precious pearls
swirl spirally on her arms
Decorative blooming flowers
swing rhythmically around her garb
Naked feet move briskly
on smooth crystal sand
Evening fades, silhouette dances
swaying sinuous hands...
'98 Ghetto Superstar
Hip-Hop hits from 1998. Just 1998. Only 1998. Mase, Cam'ron, Outkast, Wyclef, Pun, Nore, Busta, Lauryn...and more.
Recorded live at Raven on 2/5/20
Kashif
I made this mix back in 2016, right after Kashif passed away. Both Mixcrate and Mixcloud blocked it at the time, but I still wanted to share it with you.
Multi-talented singer/songwriter/producer/musician Kashif Saleem wasn't inducted into the R&B Hall of Fame as a "Living Legend" in 2004 for nothing. Since his professional start as a teen in the '70s disco/funk band B.T. Express, the Harlem, New York native (born Michael Jones before he changed his name after studying Islam) was best known for his production talents, bringing the synthesizer to R&B and was even heralded a "master of music."
Kashif, whose name means discoverer or inventor, worked with many A-listers including a young Whitney Houston to veteran singer Dionne Warwick.
Born Michael Jones in Harlem, New York on Dec. 26, 1956, and raised in the Brooklyn foster care system, Kashif -- whose name means discoverer and inventor -- initially launched his career as a multi-instrumentalist (piano, flute, trumpet, saxophone and tuba). His first professional gig was as the 15-year-old keyboardist/vocalist for the ‘70s disco/funk band B.T. Express. Going out on his own in 1978, Kashif first played keyboards for Stephanie Mills, then segued into studio work for projects by Nona Hendryx, Gloria Gaynor, Tavares and the Four Tops, among others.
Signing with Arista Records as a solo artist in 1983, Kashif charted eight top 20 R&B hits, starting that year with the No. 5-peaking “I Just Gotta Have You (Lover Turn Me On).” His subsequent top 10s include “Baby Don’t Break Your Baby’s Heart,” his “Love the One I’m With (A Lot of Love)” duet with Melba Moore, “Personality” and the biggest hit of his career, “Love Changes.” That 1987 duet with Meli’sa Morgan climbed to No. 2 on the R&B chart.
But it was his pioneering talent as a producer -- minimalist soundscapes skillfully integrating synthesizers and drum machine patterns -- and songwriter that put Kashif in demand. He helped Evelyn “Champagne” King notch her first R&B No. 1 in 1981 with “I’m in Love,” which the duo followed a year later with a second No. 1 collaboration, “Love Come Down,” and the No. 2 “Betcha She Don’t Love You.” Also in 1982, Kashif helmed Howard Johnson's biggest R&B hit, the No. 6-peaking "So Fine."
Then, Arista chief Clive Davis tapped him to work with a new singer named Whitney Houston. The result was Houston’s 1985 career breakthrough -- and first No 1. R&B/No. 3 pop hit -- with the Kashif-produced “You Give Good Love.” The six-time Grammy nominee’s credits also include collaborations with Kenny G, George Benson, Dionne Warwick and the Average White Band.
An author (Everything You’d Better Know About the Record Industry), educator and social activist as well, Kashif also established the foster care organization Team ICare. At the time of his untimely passing, Kashif was in the midst of filming and producing a 10-part documentary, The History of R&B Music and Its Influence on World Culture.
Fresh For '88
1988 is probably my favorite year for hip-hop. Others have picked 93 or 94, but for me, it’s all about 1988. It was my freshman year of High School, I had the fresh Aiwa walkman with Bass Boost, and some big 15" Fisher woofers at home. Public Enemy, NWA, Eazy-E, BDK, EPMD, BDP, Run-DMC…all had amazing albums that year. So a few years ago I put together this mix of only cuts from 1988.
Mixcloud blocked it for licensing reasons, so I’m hosting it here.
Fresh for ‘88….you suckersssss!
DOWNLOAD THIS MIX HERE
Cruisin' The 80s
Set sail with Crockett and Tubbs as they patrol the waterways of Miami in the 80s. This three-hour cruise through the Decade of Decadence will keep you moving the whole time, even without the white powder. If you love the 80s, you will love this mix.
DOWNLOAD LINK: https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/Kf6HQ7dwQq
Recorded live at the iHeart80s Martha Quinn Cruise on 8/10/19.
On San Francisco Bay. Not Miami. But I like Miami Vice, so deal with it. 😎
Smooth Operator
A few months back the homie Russell Peters (yes, I'm name-dropping) hit me with a request. As a fan of my Thread Count series, he has spread the smooth vibes to a number of his close friends. Through Russell a certified LEGENDARY rapper from the 80s / 90s reached out and wanted a custom mix done. How could I refuse? I was star-struck a little, I'll admit it. I've met many a celebrity in my days in radio, but this guy I was such a huge fan of since even before becoming a DJ. I knew there could be no half-steppin' when I made this.
I put together this mix for him, using a few joints from the Thread Count series, and a few others that were left over or I didn't think fit that vibe. I think this mix came together nicely, and definitely kept the fire. I waited almost 8 months to post this. I hope you enjoy. Keep it smooth!
(The title of this mix is a big hint as to who the rapper is)
Beat Street
The sound to get down. Pure 80's hip-hop. Unfiltered and raw.
DOWNLOAD LINK: https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/QyCJanYFo4
The '80s was hip-hop's first real decade, the era when everything started to blow up. There's an old saying that no idea's original: "There's nothing new under the sun. It's never what you do, but how it's done." Hip-hop was about poor kids taking broken pieces of the world around them and putting them back together. This was the true break with history—the end of the beginning, if not the beginning of the end.
Early on, it wasn't an album genre; hip-hop was all about parties and park jams, preserved and spread via bootleg cassette. Soon after it was about stars and singles, disco loops and breakbeats, drum machines, and ultimately, albums. The art of the hip-hop album was perfected by the close of this remarkable decade. We may never see an era of music so fresh and vibrant again.
Merry Go Round
It's 1990, and you need a new outfit for the dance. You head to the mall, and step into Merry Go Round to find that new IOU or BUM Equipment fit, maybe some Guess acid-wash jeans. There's someone cute working the counter, this mix is playing in the background...
Product of the environment
In the heart of the city you was born and bred
You grew up smart or you wound up dead
Things moved fast, but you knew the scoop
And your savior was a rhyme and a beat and a rap group
A modern day production of the city street
You said I didn't have it that I couldn't compete
So the sleeper did sleep but the sleeper shoulda woke up
Now you're in my sight, the buddha sess you smoke up
That's the element you carry your rhymes on
That style of rhyme won't let you live long
Cause a strong song to you is what I sent
Cause I'm a product, of the environment
I'll put you in my top 8
Myspace. HTML codes. Playing a certain song when someone goes to your profile. Did anything else so perfectly capture the early 00's? Now here's the soundtrack to your Myspace page.
Who was in your top 8?
This mix is all Hip-Hop and R&B joints from the early to mid 00's, recorded live at Raven in SF on 5/16/19.
Dirty versions, NSFW.
Sunday Morning (Chris Is Gonna Lose The Slow Jam Battle)
After DJing at Bruno's one night, the GM and good friend Chris was playing some slow jams off his laptop just for the staff. He was kinda feelin' himself, and decided to challenge me to a slow jam battle. So I guess I'll have to show him what time it is... Here's a mix I made this morning, just something to get warmed up.
These aren't your typical R&B slow jams, these are some pop & rock ballads from the 90s. Remember these?
Anyways, Chris... get ready.
(The pic is Chris reevaluating everything after I beat him)
I used to have a crush on natalie merchant
Moving into my dorm at college in 1992, I was greeted by my new roommate, and his music collection. I had already been a DJ for a few years, and had a sizable collection, but he introduced me to another side of the musical spectrum: Alternative rock...and that voice. This amazing voice that belted from his bookshelf speakers. I'd never heard something like it. "You like it? It's 10,000 Maniacs." I just needed to know who she was. Natalie Merchant. My crush was born....
This mix is a few 90s Alternative rock, dorm-room favorites of mine....
Rainy Nights In Oakland
The soulful side of the 80's
Recorded live at the famous Motown on Monday party at Legionnaire in Oakland on 01/14/19
If you get the chance to check out this weekly party, I highly recommend it! Amazing vibe.
You can read my blog about this set HERE
44: Forever Young
Let's dance in style, let's dance for a while
Heaven can wait we're only watching the skies
Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst
Are you gonna drop the bomb or not?
Let us die young or let us live forever
We don't have the power, but we never say never
Sitting in a sandpit, life is a short trip
The music's for the sad man
Can you imagine when this race is won?
Turn our golden the faces into the sun
Praising our leaders, we're getting in tune
The music's played by the, the madman
Thread Count ⛵️
Thread Count.
The concept started as a joke amongst friends, but the roots go much deeper. I've always had a fascination with late 70s, early 80s soft rock. I'm not sure where that came from, as I wasn't exactly exposed to it as a child. I remember some songs being on the radio, and of course some of others are buried in the consciousness of American pop culture. But what really caused me to set sail on this voyage to Yacht Rock? Grab a cool drink and a life preserver, and float with me.
It must have been on MySpace in 2006 or 2007, and I had posted a quote from "What A Fool Believes" by the Doobie Brothers. A friend of mine and fellow DJ from the Bay Area, Mark 7, messaged me with a resounding "FUCK YOU, LOGGINS!" I had no idea what he was talking about, until he explained this wonderful internet creation from Channel 101 called Yacht Rock.
I was taken aboard a hilarious voyage into the world of Smooth Music. I was stuck. All these songs and memories of childhood came flooding back. I started quoting the show to people, who had no idea what I was talking about. I began playing more of these songs at the 80s club I was spinning at. I wanted into Koko's world, badly. I was sailing.
The idea to make a mix of this stuff had been floating around my head for a while. I had already done a mix called 8-Track Sessions which incorporated similar elements, but a bit more rock feel to it. It didn't really embrace the smooth.
So I held off, buried the idea. Would anyone care? Probably not. I did 5 more volumes of 8-Track Sessions (I'll get into those in another blog), plus numerous other concept and live mixes. My Mixcrate page was getting popular, and I would indulge myself every now and then with a mix that I thought only I would care about, but would often turn out to be fairly well-received.
But it took Lionel Richie to bring it all together.
How, you ask? In 2014 I attended a concert at the Concord Pavilion with Lionel Richie with a group of my closest friends. Some drinks flowed. Somehow I came up with term "a soft rock riot" to describe our evening. That clicked in my head. It was time. Koko's spirit beckoned. (If you don't know who KoKo is, then you need to watch Yacht Rock. Seriously. Watch it.)
Ten days later I dropped Thread Count: A Soft Rock Riot on Mixcrate.
I had the title in my head for a year before I even thought of making a mix. Thread Count. It has a dual meaning, one obvious, one personal. The obvious being the fabric / cloth ratio to softness (soft rock, soft fabric, haha, get it? I'll wait while you bask in my glorious "dad joke") But the second meaning was a subtle shout out to my closest friends, the same ones who attended the show with me. See, we have a long-running Facebook "thread" that we keep private, and full of off-color jokes and just random hilarity. No, you cannot see it. But Thread Count had been circling in my head, and I finally had to get it out.
The first song was the obvious choice. Sailing by Christopher Cross. It sums up everything I want to express in one package. It IS the SMOOTH. So I had a strong starting point. Voyage underway.
So I dug into my archives. I chose about 45-50 songs that I knew fit this genre, and fit the smooth vibe I wanted to create. But I also wanted to throw a little nod to our Lionel Richie concert experience, so I chose a few songs by him that could fit the vibe. It should be Easy. Like Sunday morning.
8-Track Sessions
These are the tracks that might have penetrated your consciousness as a small child, riding in the back of your parents' wood-grain station wagon, or their AMC Pacer, even in the bed of that old Ford side-step pickup. Before CDs or even cassettes, there were 8-track tapes, and they lasted from the late 60s to the early 80s. These mixes are a collection of songs that might have graced your ears during that time.