Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Clusterfunk Collective presents Take Five: DJ Nu-Mark [Interview]
Third times a charm, right? We think so. For our third installment, we caught up with Uncle Nu to talk about touring with J5, X-Ray technologists, and his plan for what's next.
"Take Five" to tap into the talent beyond the surface.
1. You recently performed with Mark De Clive Lowe and Money Mark (Beastie Boys). Any plans for the three of you to produce an entire album?
That would be pretty dope...I wish. That gig was put together by Canyon Cody and Gazoo here in L.A. I enjoyed the concept and so did the other Mark's. We all really want this to be a tour actually. But...yeah and album would be really interesting with those two giants! Great idea!
2. What was it like working alongside Lonely Island?
Ha, yeah those guys work through songs quicker than any MC I've worked with. They really know how to weed out any mediocre ideas and get to the point of what's really entertaining about a song topic. I always leave with a sore stomach from laughing so hard when I record with them. Really funny and talented guys. It's like recording club med, it's the best vacation from Hip Hop ever.
3. What was the concept behind the cover art for "Broken Sunlight"?
Basically the album content, cover and marketing plan all point to the same thing (break ups, broken professional relationships and forging ahead through trying times. During the creation of this album my group J5 had disbanded, my long term personal relationship came to an end, the record industry had shattered into millions of pieces so I decided to create an album that shed's light on some of the things I was experiencing. The album cover shows me floating in the air inside a hollow house while the things I love fly out the window....my head is down but I'm still in the sky. This was how I was felt. Broken Sunlight was split up into a six 10" colored vinyl series as well. I decided to break up my entire album into these 10" singles to further the concept of Broken Sunlight. I guess in short, things around me were broken but I wanted to represent the Sunlight shining and moving ahead without looking back!
4. On Crate-Diggers, you mentioned a rooftop find in New Orleans. What was your greatest grab from that particular dig?
Probably "We're Doing It (Thang)" by Eddie Bo and the Soul Finders. That dig was really special because it proved that no matter how strange the day might seem, there's always a possibility of finding records I've never seen in person.
5. If you were not a DJ what would you be?
Actually I was studying to be a Radiologic Technologist (X-Ray Tech) when Jurassic 5 first formed. I dropped out about 4 months before graduation and haven't stopped touring since then (1997). Don't think I'd go back to that career. I truly believe that I'm here for the purpose of music. Couldn't imagine another career. If push came to shove, I'd probably delve into the Real estate game. I try not to think about that though because I'm having the time of my life creating beats for sound tracks, DJ'ing with the Kids Toys http://youtu.be/Bb4etMWgEyU and reuniting with Jurassic 5!
Catch me at www.unclenu.com
I co-scored two movies with Chris Lennertz recently:
1. "Battle Of The Year" feat. Chris Brown http://youtu.be/mzkZL-3A4ac
2. "Ride Along" feat. Ice Cube and Kevin Hart (coming out in January). http://youtu.be/CNnVQuw4dRM
Saturday, October 26, 2013
SΔTURDΔY S1NGLES 10.26.13
Weekly roundup of remixes, rarities, flips and edits - compiled by Clusterfunk Collective.
DOWNLOAD SΔTURDΔY S1NGLES 10.26.13
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Insightful: Elsewhere [Album]
Bay Area beatsmith Insightful blesses our ears with his blisteringly beautiful album, augmented with alluring audio backdrops, some of which feature voracious vocals from Kimberly Lola and Jessica Cooke. Check for standouts Stepping Over Hearts and She Swoons.
DOWNLOAD Elsewhere
Monday, October 21, 2013
Dead Prez @ Life Is Living Festival 2013 [Video]
Dead Prez headlined this year's Life Is Living Festival, held annually at Defremery Park in West Oakland, against a backdrop of the Estria Graffiti Battle where one winner took home 400 cans of Montana Spray Paint.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Clusterfunk Collective presents Take Five: Slangston Hughes [Interview]
For the second installment in our series of sit-downs, we speak with the Connoisseur of Fine Rhyme, Slangston Hughes, about his monthly showcase, which snoball flavors reign supreme and his plan for what's next.
"Take Five" to tap into the talent beyond the surface.
1.) You are a man of many monikers (Slangston Hughes and Pookie Malibu, to name two) - how did they come to be?
The monikers are just various pieces of my personality and are also reflective of my Wu-Tang influence. Similarly, much in the same vein GFK was Ghostface, Ghost, Tony Starks, Iron Man, etc. so am I Slangston Hughes, Pookey Malibu, Hip-Hop's Bob Breck, The Black Ari Gold, etc.
2.) Speak a little bit about Uniquity. Who would you like to see on the bill in the future?
Uniquity is a four plus year monthly event that I host and create from top to bottom. It provides a performance platform for Hip-Hop, Spoken Word and R&B artists (both within New Orleans and regional/national acts) to push their musicality further by playing with a four piece band, Fo On the Flo. I'd love to see Allie Baby, Joe Scudda, Kourtney Heart, Sunni Patterson in the near future. Those are a couple of my favorite artists right now that I think would excel with a band backing them.
3.) What do you perceive as the primary challenge(s) to artist growth in New Orleans today?
The main and most pertinent challenge to a New Orleans artist's growth is themselves. We ARE our biggest obstacles in my opinion. Our self doubt, egos, loose thumbs on social media networks, external influences - or lack thereof - among other pitfalls are the only things that can hold us back. As corny as it sounds, the confidence that you have not only for yourself but more importantly for your music has to flow from within and then outward to the listeners.
4.) Can we expect more from you and L'Daialogue? Have you considered producing a joint project with anyone else?
Definitely! L'Dai and I talk weekly and have been writing/recording for two new Dollar$ & Daialogue projects for the past several weeks now. Though we come from two different musical backgrounds, we obviously have a lot in common and that shows in our music. I've certainly considered it and have a couple of producers that I enjoy working with that I look forward to doing some collaborative projects with down the line. My recent release "Fall Back (Sundog Remix)" just might be an indication of some things at work in the near future: http://soundcloud.com/pookey-malibu/slangston-hughes-fall-back
5.) What are the top three sno-ball flavors that you would recommend to someone who has never had one?
My top three snoball flavors depend entirely upon the snoball stand or shop since I have specific flavors or flavor combos tied to those stands. Off the top of my head, I'd go with Pineapple and Ginger from Hansen's, Bananas Foster Cream with condensed milk from Plum Street Snoballs and Blueberry and Cake Batter Cream from Magazine Street Snoballs.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
SΔTURDΔY S1NGLES 10.19.13
Weekly roundup of remixes, rarities, flips and edits - compiled by Clusterfunk Collective.
DOWNLOAD SΔTURDΔY S1NGLES 10.19.13
Ryan Lee & Yuri Jones: For Love [Single]
Jones joins a special selection of artists for tonight's Coughee House showcase at Blackstar Cafe and our homie RQ Away holds down the handles. Yuri and Ryan Lee are due to drop Oxytocin this December.
DOWNLOAD For Love
Friday, October 18, 2013
0017th: Wrappin' [Mixtape]
Phips pulls together a whole host of Hollygrove hitmakers for the newest installment from 0017th, Wrappin'.
DOWNLOAD Wrappin'
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Chairman Mao: Across 135th Street: Impulse Records Special [Mix]
From Chairman Mao:
The latest episode of my Red Bull Music Academy Radio show, 'Across 135th Street,' presents an autumnal soundtrack for all y’alls consisting of a few of my favorites from the Impulse Records catalog. Most of these date from the iconic jazz label’s mid-’60s heyday, though I couldn’t help but include a couple of tracks released in the ’70s as well. And yes, I realize that I could have done many more more hours of all-Impulse everything and not even delved that deep into the catalog’s many great moments. All the more reason to do future installments. Listen and read more about the show below. And as per usual, in lieu of a regular playlist I’ve posted corresponding album cover art in the image gallery above for you to peruse while you listen. Enjoy!
Friday, October 11, 2013
Flowback Fridays: You Make Me Get Off Of The Facebook [Video]
Amerigo Gazaway: I Can't Get Off Of The Facebook
Leo Sayer: You Make Me Feel Like Dancing
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Potholes In My Blog: Lift Off [Album]
Potholes premiers their newest space-inspired compilation, a collection of "that knocks just as much as it drifts into the galaxy to create Lift Off." Difficult to determine a standout (Equalibrium, Jay Cue, Man Mantis and AbJo all contribute cold cuts), but our personal favorite was the closer, Three Jewels, from Datahowler. The newness of the sound feels like Fall.
DOWNLOAD Lift Off
Lil Dave & Personify: Gotcha Covered [Mix]
You may remember Personify from Little Big Things, a 7-inch collection cut alongside FROZ1 and Case Bloom (also a 2012 Top Drop). He and Lil Dave Gotcha Covered with a set of singles sung by someone else "spanning Funk, Soul, Jazz, Afrobeat, Latin, Bossa Nova, Boogaloo, Reggae, Steel-Drum Band, Brass Band, R&B and Hip-Hop, to name a few."
DOWNLOAD Gotcha Covered
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Saturday, October 5, 2013
SΔTURDΔY S1NGLES 10.05.13
Weekly roundup of remixes, rarities, flips and edits - compiled by Clusterfunk Collective.
DOWNLOAD SΔTURDΔY S1NGLES 10.05.13
Friday, October 4, 2013
Flowback Fridays: The People Gone Mad [Video]
Handsome Boy Modeling School f. Del Tha Funky Homosapien: The World's Gone Mad
The Whatnauts: Why Can't People Be Colors Too?
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Fletch: Public Transportation [Album]
Fletch reminds us of Evolve One in the way that he selects a subject, then crafts an entire soundscape around it laced with comedic cuts on the topic.
DOWNLOAD Public Transportation
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