Alternative, live in-the-studio version of “Major Heavy,”
from the Shafiq En’ A-Free-Ka album,
provided, w/ notes, by Sonny Coates below…

THIS is the official (as far as I’m concerned) version of this song I did on Shafiq’s record called “majorheavy”…(w/ liner notes)… you’ll hear the difference, if you’ve heard Shafiq’s record.

…we had long been debating on what the most effective way to record [major heavy] was. I think orginally Shafiq was going for an electro-fusion thing– I think, he said..” Hendrix produced by Sly and Sgt. Pepper’s Band” or whatever. My thing was that we should go in a studio and just cut the song LIVE and not copy someone else’s sound- have our own vibe because- if you’re truly trying to get that deep of a feeling- you have to assume the risk of a live recording…there’s no way around it…anything else would just be a simulation. I think we ought to record everything live from now on- but… that’s another story.

Anyway, he put out the version that he had produced on his solo record and, to me, it seemed flat and the vocals were obscured and I feel like he only got the minimal amount of feeling out that production so quite naturally, I kept pressing him to at LEAST re-record the song as an alternate version.

I guess he couldn’t take anymore of my constant appeals because we finally got together and recorded one nite in Silverlake… in the crowded basement storage space surrounded by bags of clothes and bins and who knows what else (this was about a year ago). =The result is waaay more organic. We recorded the music relying on EACH OTHER to keep time so it BREATHES– it’s communal and you sense it immediately—(( no fucking click tracks keeping the music boxed in unnaturally))) and it was recorded in one take- we didn’t even rehearse. Om’mas Keith, Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner, and Shafiq sang the background after we laid the basic track. A couple weeks later I added the lead vocal and then had my friend Ishmael overdub rhodes and synthesizers.

It sounds to me like a sketch from The Electric Company, but modern…..it’s trippy..especially @ the end –///enjoy_

mjrhe∆vy !!!!!!!!!!!!_!
(O. Coates/ S. Husayn)
produced by Sonny Coates

personnel:
Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner: bass/ whistle/ bckground vocals
Sonny Coates: guitar/ lead vocal
Shafiq Husayn: percussion/ bckground vocals
Wow Jones: fender rhodes, synthesizers
Om’mas Keith: drums/ bckground vocals

recorded & mixed by KenBts./Sonny Coates

“Major Heavy”
(O. Coates/S. Husayn)

mjrheavy for people today
we don’t love nobody that’s what’s wrong today
it may sound crazy for people to say
we gon mess around and blow it all away

mjrheavy for people today
we don’t love nobody that’s what’s wrong today
it may sound crazy for people to say
we gon mess around and blow it all away

October 14th, 2010

Today we present you with yet another peak into just what exactly VTech & Fresh Selects’ concert series at Portland, Oregon’s The Fix looked like. And this time its a slice of life from an incredible set – easily one of the night’s best live acts actually – the one and only, Bilal.

Fresh off of the release of his highly VTech-supported, Airtight’s Revenge album, Bilal and his band returned to Portland for the first time in over a year and played an action-filled 90+ minute set to an eager crowd of diehard fans and interested newcomers alike. Featured in the video above is an extended look at their live, much more jam-heavy, rendition of the album’s first single – “Restart.” Highlights include Mick Jagger vs Keith Richards-level chemistry between Bilal and his guitar player, Mike Severson – as well as impromptu scatting, guitarless Hendrix-esque voodoo man dance claps – and much more as only the unique talent that is Mr. Oliver can bring.

Also included, as a bonus, are two bonus tracks from Airtight – the unclearable (& incredible) “Free,” produced by Nottz from the Wax Poetics & Converse 45 series; and the iTunes bonus cut, “Lost My Mind,” via the Label Love Vol. 2 compilation.

And below, we have the complete collection of music videos release for Airtight’s Revenge for your concise viewing pleasure – namely “Restart” (dir. Michael Sterling Eaton), “Robots” (dir. Mikael Colombu) & the immaculate, “Levels” (dir. Flying Lotus).

All of that can be found below. Indulge.

Curated & Produced by KNNY FRSH for Fresh Selects
Filmed by Paulius Kontijevas & Chris Moretti
Edited by Paulius Kontijevas
Audio Mixed by Doc Adam
Hosted by Rev Shines
Opening Act: Shafiq Husayn

Bilal’s band:
Bilal Oliver – vocals
Steve McKie – drums
Tone Whitfield – bass
Mike Severson – guitar
Corey Bernhard – keys
Chris Turner – backing vocals

The Fix DJ’s:
Rev Shines
& DJ Kez
& Dundiggy
& your host Ronin Roc

Keeping things moving, here’s an exclusive preview of the highly anticipated solo album from SA-RA Creative Partner, Shafiq Husayn. The album, entitled Shafiq En A Free Ka (“ka” meaning “mind” or “life force” in Egyptian), is the embodiment of just that – Shafiq in a free state of mind, exploring and defining through future-afrocentric sounds and fuzzy melodies. Along for the ride are a team of musicians, writers, arrangers and guest vocalists including Bilal, Om’mas Keith, Count Bass D, Sonny Coates, & many more – all with Shafiq still holding down the helm.

For a quick glimpse into A Free Ka, I’ve got the first two leaks for you today. First up is “Lil Girl,” which features Fresh Selects family member, Fatima, providing a melancholy lament over a nicely chopped vocal sample, familiar bassline and a shuffling beat. To go along with that, we have “Nirvana,” featuring another member of the FS fam, Noni Limar, alongside two of her sisters in arms, Nia Andrews and Rozzi Daime – all coming together over a layered, throbbing slab of latin-flavored bump.

Also included, after the jump, is an older video of Shafiq in the studio with Sonny Coates, working on what would become “He Say, She Say” from the latest SA-RA album.

You can download “Lil Girl” and hear a full-length stream of “Nirvana” below. Be on the look out for much more on and from the album, including a “Nirvana” remix from Mark de Clive-Lowe, before it drops this October, courtesy of Plug Research. Also, credit due to the RBMA for first debuting a stream of “Lil Girl.”

Shafiq Husayn “Nirvana”
(feat. Nia Andrews, Noni Limar & Rozzi Daime)

6978322

Today marks the debut of my new podcast, simply titled Fresh Selects Radio. Even though this is the first episode, it feels like the second in a way, because its more or less a follow-up to the Loose Joints mixtape I put together last fall. Just like that, its a collection showcasing both new and unreleased tracks from some of my favorite artists, some projects I’ll be working on in the near future, artists you should be on the lookout for, and more. I’ve also thrown in a few tracks that have been previously been posted on the site that you might’ve missed. But unlike the Loose Joints .zip, this podcast is one single track, which freed me up and allowed me to include some super-exclusives that I know I couldn’t post as individual downloads.

Originally, I was going to host the podcast like a radio show – but instead I decided to let the music speak for itself. If you feel like it sounds unfinished, I left the instrumental interludes I was going to talk over in the mix, so feel free to fill in the blanks yourself. However, if people get on some bullshit and rip some of the exclusives from the mix and re-post them as downloads on other sites, then next time out I’ll have to talk all over all the good shit – so just behave yourselves & act right and I’ll be able to keep bringing you the latest & greatest without any problems.

I might still write up some liner notes to go along with the tracks, but it might be a while. We’ll see what the feedback & response is like first (*cough*leaveacomment!*cough) and then take it from there. So yeah, lemme know what you think. In the meantime, the tracklisting with the artists’ MySpace links is listed here and then you can download or stream the mix below.


1. DaveNotti – FSR Intro (Thrilla Music Group)
2. Blu – Say Say (CD-R)
3. Finale feat. Invincible – The Waiting Game (prod. Khrysis) (iM/Universal)
4. Waajeed – Fat Bottom Girls (Bling47)
5. Konphlict – Socialize (prod. TaRaach) (Lovelution)
6. M64 (Ragen Fykes & Ohmega Watts) - Helium (prod. Ohmega Watts) (TBA)
7. Hi-Res – Yahhhhh (Pt. 2) (Thrilla Music Group)
8. G&D feat. MED & Rapper Big Pooh – Endure (prod. Georgia Anne Muldrow) (Mello Music Group)
9. MAGr (DistantStarr & Al Mighty) – Butterfly (prod. Hudson Mohawke) (TBA)
10. Ras_G & The Afrikan Space Program – Been A Min… (Brainfeeder)
11. Cubic Zirconia (Tiombe, Nick & Todd) – I Wanna Freebase You (TBA)
12. PPP feat. Coultrain & Karma Stewart – Rocket Science (prod. Waajeed) (Ubiquity)
13. Hawthorne Headhunters (Black Spade, I, CED & Proh Mic) feat. JimiJames & Coultrain – She Wanna (HVW8)
14. Exile feat. Muhsinah – Stay Tuned (Stay Here) (Vocal Remix) (Plug Research)
15. TaRaach vs. Tiombe Lockhart – Kalifornia (Instrumental) (Lovelution)
16. DJ Cadik feat. Invincible & Finale – Don’t Look Back (All Soundz)
17. Devon - Shoes (Thrilla Music Group)
18. SA-RA Creative Partners - High Moon Lust (Rawkus)
19. Luck-One – The Coolax (prod. Dekk) (Architect Ent.)
20. Johnson&Jonson feat. Miguel (Jontel) - Stadium (CD-R)

Artwork courtesy of Lyle Owerko.

As promised, PPP have released an exclusive free download mixtape to promote their brand new album, Abundace, dropping next week. PPP founder, Waajeed, originally put together this mixtape for PPP’s European tour last fall. Compromised of exclusive new remixes of PPP classics & Waajeed-approved blends by Seattle-based, DJ Topspin, along with exclusive outtakes from both Abundance and the group’s debut, Triple P – we knew this mixtape was too good to not get it out here in the States as well.

Personal highlights from the set include the original version of PPP’s infamous cover of Paul Simon’s “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” sung by Grammy-nominated singer, Raheem DeVaughn; the infectious vocal version to the Loose Joints instrumental, “Can’t You Feel It;” Topspin’s perfect blend of the “Fever” vocals over the “Stay With Me” instrumental, and plenty others.

Check the full tracklisting and get your free download below, then watch Waajeed’s self-made EPK after the jump, and most importantly – cop Abundance next Tuesday, the 20th.

Cutting-edge Japanese label, Circulations, have joined forces with European tastemaker & host of Amp Soul Generation radio show, Jay Scarlett, for the brand new compilation, New Worlds. The project was put together to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the HMV Shibuya store – one of the leading retail supporters of quality music in Japan.

To mark the occasion, they’ve gathered new and exclusive tracks from some of the most promising artists of this new beat/future soul generation – including Loose Joints alumni SA-RA and Ras_G, as well as Super Smoky Soul & Guilty Simpson, Quadron (which features Robin Hannibal of Owusu & Hannibal/Boom Clap Bachelors fame), Take, Hudson Mohawke, The Big Payback (Onra & Byron The Aquarius) with Reggie B, and plenty more. And these all come packaged with fresh cover art & design courtesy of Philly-based artist, Joshua Mays, who has also blessed covers for Waajeed (The War LP), Mark de Clive-Lowe (The Politik) & Jneiro Jarel (Three Piece Puzzle US release).

To give you a taste of what to expect from New Worlds, Circulations has blessed us with a free download of the track, “Knockout Kings,” a heavyweight bout between Japanese production trio, Super Smoky Soul and one of Detroit’s finest, Guilty Simpson. The song features Guilty throwing his typical K.O.-blows over SSS’s fresh approach to a familiar sample. The song will be released as both a limited-edition 7″ single, and a remixed 12″ in the coming weeks – so stay tuned for more info on both releases.

But before that, you can also preview three full-length songs below – “Come You Can Go” a spacey offkilter jam from Robin Hannibal‘s new group, Quadron; SA-RA‘s kinky quiet storm bounce, “Talk Sex”; as well as selector Jay Scarlett‘s “I Can’t Help It” – a club-friendly, broken thump which also features British singer, Leon King.

UPDATE: Last minute addition, courtesty of Stones Throw – a free download of Oh No‘s new remix of Guilty’s “The Future” featuring MED, originally from the Ode To The Ghetto album.

Two new exclusives for you guys today, both coming to you via the homie Shafiq Husayn of SA-RA Creative Partners. First up, we have a special full-side preview of his brand new instrumental EP, Shafiq presents… Jank Random vs. Earl Leonne – The Frequency Clash, which is out now on Poo-Bah Records. The record marks his first solo venture – in which he takes us along for an experimental beat excursion through the minds of his alter-egos. To give you a taste of just what that journey entales – I’ve got a full streaming preview of the entire Side B of the EP. For a breakdown of the tracks, read this excerpt from the Poo-Bah press release (also, big ups to Ras_G for all his help with this):

“Side B kicks off with PSA, a bouncer with a horn line reminiscent of early 90′s hip-hop drug through dust, and Sirius B, a quick time-out to shout out the fam! I predict Earls Thing to be the next great DJ standard along with The Mag, two absolutely ridiculous minimal stunners that hit all the right pleasure spots in your brain. While Earls features an off then on descending synth bassline and those groovy 70′s drum machine sounds we love, The Mag is straight up vinyl samples and strings smashed into machine funk, crackles and all! Push brings things back up to Bomb Squad-like intensity before closing things out with the fuzz acid guitar down a flight of stairs funk of Still Woke.”

“Still Woke” brings us to our next piece – the world premiere of three alternate versions of one of my favorite songs of the year, Erykah Badu‘s “Master Teacher” (which Shafiq produced). Whereas the version that we’ve all come to know & love from the New Amerykah album, featured Georgia Anne Muldrow singing the lead verse & Badu on the second – the song wasn’t always that way. First, there’s the original version of the song, which Shafiq had co-produced with Georgia for SA-RA’s G.O.O.D. Music debut, Black Fuzz, which actually featured Bilal singing the lead vocals (who you can still hearing in the background of the Badu version), and Georgia on backing vox. I love what both Erykah & Georgia did over this – but I gotta say, Bilal really KILLED this shit, in my opinion (also – credit due to Ty&Kory, who I believe sing background on all of these versions – but don’t quote me on that). I’ve had this one since about 2006 (bigs up to my G.O.O.D. hook-up for that) and to my knowledge, this has never leaked – so I had to hit up Shafiq and make sure it was cool to unearth this lost gem. And not only did he give the OK, but he also gave some insight on how to came it be on Badu’s album and provided two additional unreleased versions.

So the story goes – after the deal for Black Fuzz fell through, Shafiq explains “Erykah always liked the song…I was like you should use it…(our deal at that time with GOOD was done) so it was just one of those records sitting around…Why not let Badu rock it? It made sense.” And so to go along with the album version (which you should already have), I’ve got Shafiq’s unissued “Final Mix” of the track, which features Georgia on lead & Bilal backing her up. This is the mix that Shafiq intended to be appear on the album, but it didn’t make it in time for the deadline. And if those two weren’t enough for ya, there’s the included bonus, “Master Teazer (Ken’s Revenge Edit)” – an instrumental re-edit of Shafiq’s beat, using different outtakes from the sessions by SA-RA affiliate, KenBts.

Stream of the the B-Side of Jank Random vs. Earl Leonne EP below, with the “Master Teacher” Sessions download .zip at the bottom, plus a bonus video of Badu talking about working with Shafiq & SA-RA after the jump. I’ll also have one more exclusive SA-RA joint for you guys at the end of the week as part of the first-ever FRESH SELECTS MIXTAPE. Stay woke!!

Shafiq presents.. Jank Random vs. Earl Leonne – The Frequency Cla$h: Side B

Brand new episode of Waajeed & Bling47‘s podcast series, Bling47 Radio. This latest installment is the first of a two-part sneak preview of PPP‘s upcoming Abundance Mixtape – which will be available right here in the coming weeks. All of this will be leading up to the release of PPP’s new album, Abundance, in stores everywhere on January 20th.

Featured in this first part of the Mixtape preview are remixes of Triple P classics featuring SA-RA, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Tiombe Lockhart & more – remixed by either Waajeed himself, or blended & matched with beats Jeed gave to Seattle’s own, DJ Topspin. It also features exclusive new songs from PPP’s current line-up, including singers Coultrain & Jamila Raegan, that didn’t make the album – and even an unreleased track Waajeed & Coultrain did with J Records artist, Jazmine Sullivan. Download link below, with the full tracklisting & credits after the jump.

Stay tuned for Part 2 and much more from PPP and the Bling47 camp coming soon.

Tracklisting:
BLING47 RADIO EPISODE #5: Abundance Mixtape Preview Part 1
1. (Waajeed Intro)
2. PPP feat. Coultrain – Angel (Waajeed Remix)
3. Waajeed – Resurgence
4. (Angel Remix Commentary)
5. PPP feat. J Dilla – Shotgun (Waajeed’s Plinky Remix)
6. Waajeed – Fresh Boogie
7. (Plinky Commentary)
8. PPP feat. Georgia Anne Muldrow – Your Day Is Done (PPP vs. DJ Topspin Remix)*
9. (Day Is Done Commentary)
10. PPP feat. SA-RA & Rozzi Daime – Deep Inside (Waajeed Remix) %
11. PPP feat. Tiombe Lockhart – Stay With Me (Waajeed vs. DJ Topspin Remix)
12. (Deep Inside & Stay With Me Commentary)
13. PPP feat. Zeno – Fever (DJ Topspin’s Stay With Me Blend) ^
14. PPP feat. Jamila Raegan – Goodbye (PPP EXCLUSIVE) +
15. (Fever Blend & Goodbye Commentary)
16. Jazmine Sullivan feat. Coultrain – Jump Off (BLING47 RADIO EXCLUSIVE)
17. (Jump Off Commentary)
18. PPP feat. Coultrain & Jamila Raegan – Stand For Something (PPP EXCLUSIVE)
19. (Stand For Something & Pigeon Hole Commentary)
20. PPP feat. Coultrain – Pigeon Hole (PPP – ABUNDANCE PREVIEW)

Hosted, Mixed & Compiled by Waajeed for Bling47 Radio
All songs produced by Waajeed, along with:
* Co-Produced by Saadiq of PPP
% Additional Production by Selan
^ Additional Production by Zo!
+ Additional Production by Simon Katz