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.

Hot off the heels of releasing two critically acclaimed albums in 2008, Rhode Island native/L.A. resident, Shawn Jackson, is already going for it in 2009 by releasing two new singles in the last month.

The most recent one being the 12″ EP and digital single of my personal favorites from the First Of All album – the “grown man business” anthem, “Maan Up!”. The track features Fresh Selects favorite, TaRaach holding it down on the beat, scratches & a guest verse, joined by Big Tone on the hook. The 12″ also features another album highlight, “Fix Ya Face” produced by Jack Sample Pros, and the vinyl-exclusive C-side, “Here We Go Again” featuring Co$$ & produced by Exile. Being that the song is vinyl-only, I have the exclusive free download of “Here We Go Again” for you guys below. Before that, there’s also full-length streams of “Fix Ya Face” and “Maan Up!,” as well as the exclusive rough version of the track’s instrumental, taken straight from a Raach Box beat CD.

Also out now is Shawn Jackson’s collaboration with UK-based producer, Ben Grymm, the five-track 7″ EP, “Back In My World.” You can find a free download of one of those five songs, “BloodSweatNTears” at the bottom of the post.

Sorry, folks – no bonus tracks this time around. I’m not really sure if anyone was really checking them before, so I’m trying decide if they’re still worth the effort. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Shawn Jackson feat. TaRaach & Big Tone “Maan Up!” (prod. TaRaach)

TaRaach “Maan Up! (Instrumental)” (beat CD version)

Shawn Jackson “Fix Ya Face” (prod. Fly Jack & Chordz of Jack Sample Pros)

Just when all the over-saturation and post-mortem bandwagoners almost had me putting all my favorite Dilla shit back on the shelf – in comes the official torchbearer, House Shoes, to re-ignite the spark. His forthcoming mixtape (in the truest sense of the word), The King James Version, is a smoke-filled trip through the used crates of the late beat pioneer that reminds us all (because some of you apparently need it) just why James Yancey is the G.O.A.T.

With all the bullshit posthumous mixtapes that came out with Dilla’s name & likeness unfairly attached to it (as previously discussed here), this is one of the few that does his legacy justice. It’ll have you pulling out all your favorite Dilla CD’s, records, and illegally downloaded beat CD’s (you know you got em) again with a newfound respect for his craftsmanship with each secret revealed.

The King James Version is the first of an on-going series that will be released through a limited run of CD’s sold directly by Shoes himself, starting on January 9th. Below is a free download of the first track of the five that will appear on the CD, as previously heard on his Shoes House podcast. For a (much) better write-up of KJV, check out Hubert’s Frying In Vein blog.

Also, stick around after the jump for three bonus tracks that showcase House Shoes’ own, often slept-on, production skills with Detroit classics he produced for Finale, Elzhi, and Decompoze.

As promised, here’s the first-ever Fresh Selects mixtape compilation. No, it’s not really mixed – its just a .zip full of tracks that I’ve been feeling lately, and/or been meaning to post about. I’m gonna be gone for the next couple of days so I wanted to put this up to hold you guys over until I come back. But if all goes well, I should be coming back with a bang. We’ll see…. but until then, bump this.

Tracklisting & download links below. Oh, and I also did some quick liner notes for each track after the jump, for those of you who are into that sort of thing.

Also, I just wanted to take a minute to say thanks to everyone who’s been spreading the word about the site whether it be through linking me on your own blogs, posting the link on your MySpace or Facebook, whatever it may be – thank you. This one’s for you.

1. Hi-Res – This World (Thrilla Music Group)
2. Black Spade vs. 88-Keys & Kanye West – Stay Up! (Viagra) (Stoney Rock Remix) (CD-R)
3. Mike Slott feat. DistantStarr – Boxed In (All City)
4. Georgia Anne Muldrow & Dudley Perkins – Shine On (prod. Black Milk) (Mello Music Group)
5. Devon – Hold Up Zelda (Thrilla Music Group)
6. SA-RA Creative Partners – All In The Kitchen (CD-R)
7. Black Spade feat. Coultrain – A Lil Taste (CD-R)
8. Finale – Ice (prod. DJ Final) (CD-R)
9. Dill Clinton (TaRaach vs. The G.O.A.T.) – LiveWire (Lovelution Prosper)
10. Knowledge – Relief (CD-R)
11. Ras_G & The Afrikan Space Program – Clair Huxtable (Brainfeeder)
12. Waajeed – Can’t You Feel It (Instrumental) (Bling47)
13. TaRaach feat. Mia Simone – Benjamins (prod. AmDex) (CD-R)
14. Noni Limar – Monogamy (prod. Black L.A.) (CD-R)
15. Finale – Run It Back (prod. Rashid Hadee) (CD-R)
16. DaveNotti – Get Real (prod. DaiN) (Thrilla Music Group)
17. Kissey Asplund & DistantStarr – Car Ride (To The Future) (prod. Jay Scarlett) (CD-R)
18. Troubleman feat. Steve Spacek – Without You (Waajeed’s Flash Gordon Remix) (Bling47)
19. Fatima – Wildchild (prod. VeeBeeO) (CD-R)
20. Donel Smokes – Got Me High (Bridgetown Steel)
21. Devon – Sleep Tight (Thrilla Music Group)

All tracks selected & compiled by Kenny Fresh for Fresh Selects.

Another FRSH SLCTS exclusive – this time coming straight from the leader of The Lovelution & chief CRAChole himself, TaRaach (note: “capital R-ruh” & no more apostrophe). And this time it’s a double-header.

First up is a quick batch of beats that Raach whipped up for a recent set at The Low End Theory, a DJ night/producer showcase in L.A. He calls this batch The Raach Box/Stock/Opts.. Personal highlights from the set include “Sky High,” a stackin-chips monk sole (“chipmunk soul” is so ’03) joint; “Moppin’ It Up” a nobody-else-would-touch-this flip of a legendary B***le; and last but certainly not least, the hard-hitting spazz-out anthem “Vince Vaughn!” as the grand finale. The title for that last track will make more sense when you hear the song in it’s fully-realized form on the upcoming project from TaRaach & KonPhlict (aka Konnie Ross) of the Detroit collective, Almighty Dreadnaughtz (who you may know from their lead solo member, Guilty Simpson).

“Let it knock!” (c) TaRaach Obama

TaRaach – The Raach/Box/Stock/Opts

And as for a taste of the aforementioned TaRaach & Konphlict project, Raach also laced me with two joints to let you in on what they’ve been up to with that. Between both tracks we’ve got both sides of the coin presented – one song dedicated to all the socialites & hustlers, and the other, an ode to all the smokers out there. See if you can guess which is which… ha.

Both tracks are produced by TaRaach for The Lovelution Prosper with raps being handled by Konphlict. But the album will feature both Raach gettin on the mic and Phlict behind the boards as well, so these two tracks are just a small taste of whats in store. Stay tuned for more on the project’s release coming soon.