April 1, 2020

Joc Max Preface (Heavy Beats)

DJ Spinna

https://youtu.be/n5Le1Rcv4qg

Daily double dose in fact
DJ Spinna, criminally underrated BK DJ
A sort of strange period after the heyday of hip hop samples (86-94?) but before hip hop became THE pop music of the US
Was a bit of a battle for the soul of hip hop at the time (at least hip hop DJing and production)
Rawkus Records put out a ton of great hip hop in this period
Not quite underground (or, derisively, “backpack”) but not quite mainstream
This is 1998.  I actually had the first cut on this compilation/album stuck in my head for about 20 years, and couldn’t remember exactly what it was
I first heard it on a NYC mixtape in 98
Joc Max from the Basement Khemists, underground DJ well known for years on Kansas City hip hop scene
Lyrics: “with no played out zap claps and keyboard sounds” (vide aforementioned battle for soul of hip hop production)
The sample is from a similar small, homegrown midwestern obscurity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJORx_T8nyc
Super rare funk from Cleveland, 1972, on the Soul Kitchen label
This was a small Cleveland group from the east side who only put out one record, this 45
Done at the Boddie Recording Studio that had their own house labels (soul kitchen was one)
Numero records did an amazing compilation, as is their style
http://numerogroup.com/d/boddie-recording-company-cleveland-ohio
Highly recommended for any music lovers
You should pick it up, cuz the original 45 might cost you your whole Pelosi check!
https://www.popsike.com/45-Creations-Unlimited-Corruption-Is-The-ThingChrystal-Illusion-SOUL-KITCHEN-EX/281429274652.html

As Joc sez “strictly raw soul loops / from raw soul groups”
The flip isn’t overly creative, not sure it adds too much to the original psych wah’d out guitar, but they both go pretty damn hard
I was excited to rediscover this funky shit.  I believe (tho could be mistaken) that Spinna was the first to flip this
Others have since then
And I’m sure now that it’s been reissued, even more
Spinna is still rocking the 1s and 2s
Don’t know if he’s doing IG quarantine virtual party sets like DNice
But the man’s crates are deep, and ear is gold
Straight out the crates baby pa
We miss you 98