The JMS Joint of the Week: Digable Planets - "Where I'm From (Aural G. Ride 12") (1993)

















One of the greatest things about Hip Hop music back in the 90's was the sheer diversity in it and NYC's Digable Planets were one trio that held the Jazz/Rap crown proudly, I was listening to their debut album tonight and was transported back to a greater time before the Internet and cellphones, before trash Soundcloud "Rappers" before the industry well and truly massacred and butchered Hip Hop and sold it back to the masses as pieces of ignorance, vanity, superficiality and polluted it with brain-dead, fake and plastic lames riding a wave but the saddest past is that these idiots just cannot see that they are absolute slaves and once their wave is done, they are done! 

Ahem back to the topic haha...DP were so smooth that it should have been a crime, Ladybug Mecca, Doodlebug and Butterfly were clearly students of not just Jazz but Funk and Soul and incorporated this into their music effortlessly with rhymes brimming with positive antidotes and superb production, they still influence Hip Hop and I recently heard a track that was pretty much just "The Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" chopped up.





















The remix to "Where I'm From" was simplistic but so dope, a lone clarinet sample drifting in and out over a deep bass and past clipped "Funky Drummer" drums and the video for the original version was just as ill, watching the Digables rhyme while snow fell on them was a sight to behold.



They are still touring and had another reunion in 2016.

"Where I'm From (Aural G. Ride 12')"

Bonus cut: "Dedicated"

The JMS Fat Tape Vol.1 (2018)






01 Effiscienz feat Union Blak - A Jersey Tale (2018)

02 Extra Prolific - Never Changing (1994)
03 Mz Boom Bap and Ryler Smith - The Spark (Feat. Finsta) (2017)
04 Showbiz - Bronx Day (Feat Tashane and Majestic Gage) (2017)
05 Natural Elements - I Got Your Heart
06 Nefertiti - Miss Amutha Nature (1994)
07 Kurious - Tear Shit Up (1994)
08 Blaque Spurm - I'm Thirsty (Previously Unreleased)
09 Zhiggie - Rakin' In The Dough (Uptown Bounce Mix (Edit) (1992)
10 K-Solo - Letterman (Solid Scheme Remix) (1992)
11 EPMD - Brothers On My Jock (ft Redman) (1990)
12 Knucklehedz - Savages (1993)
13 12 Block - Anything
14 Caveman - Brother In Action (1992)
15 Prince Paul - Just Can't Give Up Ft. Buckshot, J-Zone

Download Here





J.M.S. Joint Of The Week: 12 Block - "It Ain't Nuthin" (1994/95)





















12 Block was actually Long Island crew Hard To Obtain and this dope EP of unreleased joints recorded in 1994/95 was released in 2014 on the Heavy Jewelz imprint.

I often get the Mary.J Blige vocal sample in my head, in fact I did earlier today so it became this week's joint of the week and rightfully so those strings, slow loping drums and menacing bass-line make this joint a sure-shot.


12 Block - "It Ain't Nuthin" (1994/95)

Super duper fat shout out to Verge and OGDoninja.

2018-JMS Presents - A Tribute To E-Swift Volume 1















Happy New Year...and what better way to kick off the new year than with a dope compilation (first volume of two) from a very underrated West Coast Producer/DJ/MC.

Eric Brooks aka E-Swift was born in Columbus, Georgia and raised in Toledo, Ohio and came to prominence through the legendary King Tee with E-Swift appearing on King Tipsy's classic second LP "At Your Own Risk" on the mic and wheels of steel, this led to E.S.P. being formed with Tash and J-Ro (who had previously recorded with King Tee as part of the Compton Posse in the late 80's)

E.S.P. later changed their group name to Tha Alkaholiks on upon a suggestion from King Tee and due to issues with the E.S.P. name.

After appearing officially as Tha Alkaholiks on King Tee's classic third LP Tha Trilfin Album the crew released their classic debut LP 21 and Over in 1993 on Loud records and released 2 more other albums on the that label before taking a 3 year hiatus and releasing the Firewater album on Koch in 2006.




E-Swift has actually produced for a mad impressive array of dope artists over the years (including the late, great ODB and Sean Price) and could always keep up with the production trends and make consistent head nodding joints, I can attest to having quite mad gigs in the 90's where the likes of "Make Room", "Bottoms Up", "Hip Hop Drunkies", "I Got It Bad Y'all", "Only When I'm Drunk", "Likwit" and many others would fill a dance floor and punters would just lose it!


It's now 2018 and the good news is that E-Swift and Tha Liks are still releasing the ill ish and the long overdue and highly anticipated Liknuts LP with the legendary Corona, Queen's Beatnuts will see the light of the day this year.

In the meantime...enjoy!

2018-JMS Presents - A Tribute To E-Swift Volume 1

01 King Tee ft E-Swift- E Get Swift (1990)
02 Tha Alkaholiks - Can't Tell Me Shit (1993)
03 Defari - Big Up (1995)
04 Xzibit ft Saafir & Ras Kass - Plastic Surgery (1996)
05 Heltah Skeltah - Operation Lock Down (1996)
06 Tha Alkaholiks - Daaam (E-Swift Mix) *
07 King Just- Shaolin Soldiers (1995)
08 Defari - Likwit Connection (Feat. Phil Tha Agony & Tha Alkaholiks) (1998)
09 Tha Alkaholiks ft King Tee - Bottoms Up (1995)
10 Xzibit ft Tha Alkaholiks & King Tee - Let It Rain (1998)
11 Dilated Peoples - Right On (feat. Tha Alkaholiks) (2000)
12 Tha Alkaholiks - Make Room (1993)
13 Tha Alkaholiks Presents E & J Sound System - Rubber Bands (2015)
14 Stetsasonic - Go Stetsa 1 (DJ E-Swift Mix) (1994)
15 Barbershop MC's - New Era (feat. Xzibit) (1999)
16 Tha Alkaholiks - Coast II Coast (1995)












Peace

*Fat shout out to DJ Notaro for the hook up on that one :)

Update

Peace The JMS blog is officially closed and I won't be returning to it, it definitely had a good 11 years or so run but it just s...