T.R.O.Y.

The Redefinition Of Time Travel #3 w/ Kevin Beacham

Posted: 07 Feb 2009 03:00 PM PST

The Redefinition Of Time Travel #3: Rap Randomness...

CJ Moore (Black By Demand/Biggamen)
CJ Moore is one of those names in Hip Hop that anyone who actively read album credits in the '80s and '90s will more than likely recognize. However, most people don't realize his full contribution or influence in Hip Hop.

Representing Queens, he first got some national recognition in '88/'89 with his crew Black By Demand on Tommy Boy. They only released two singles, but both were pure quality material. CJ handled the production and vocal duties for the crew with his man Cut Professor working the wheels.

One of the first things that sticks out about all their tracks is the creative production. The tracks all use familiar elements; "Can't Get Enough" (Kool & The Gang), "All Rappers Give Up" (Zapp), "Dearly Beloved" (Prince with a nice use of the "Apache" drums), & "In The Mist Of Funk" (Kool & The Gang and Parliament). It's not about the samples used, it's the way he flips them that displays his true gift. Perhaps the best example is "In The Mist Of Funk". Bits and pieces of "Flashlight" are looped for great effect and enhanced with a ensemble of skillfully and tastefully placed teaser cut and scratch segments that are seemingly randomly yet mathematically placed thru out the entire track (think: Jazz horn player "freestyling" a variety of notes to a beat non-stop for 4 minutes). It recently occurred to me that this song might be the start of people using scratching as a production element in this way thru out a whole song...if not the first certainly one of the best, which makes it stand out.

Lyrically CJ has a great voice and raps with lots of style, in terms of content and delivery. With these four strong songs on their resume and a deal with one of the powerhouse labels of the day leaves you wondering why there wasn't more material. One of the reasons was CJ's other gift, which is behind the boards. He is one of the most gifted engineers and mixers in the business and thru out the years worked an endless amount of projects and gave them a professional touch. At some point his in-studio "demand" was so high and lucrative that it became difficult to focus on CJ the artist. However, with the rise of the home studio and the rapid decline of the big studio sessions, things have changed.

CJ has just made his official return to the forefront with a new crew "Biggamen" (CJ Moore and Milz). The new single, "Welcome" revisits the scratch technique of "In The Mist Of Funk". The track, lyrically and musically, has a Hip Hop Club feel with some throwback elements, which is also evident in the upcoming album title, "Serious Beat-Down". CJ's style is less complex but still witty and boastful with lines like, "Put rap on my back, carry it bicoastal". The CJ story is real interesting and I recently did an interview with him about his whole career that I will be publishing soon.
Biggamen - Welcome: http://www.sendspace.com/file/xknifu
Black By Demand Folder: http://www.sendspace.com/file/vx47nb
Connect: http://www.myspace.com/cjmoore1

The Majors
The Majors is a crew out of Denmark consisting of DJ Static & Nat Ill (who have been killing it on stages and tracks for years), DJ Noize (battle champ), J-Spliff, & Negash Ali. I haven't heard the album but if the 3 songs I have are any indication then it's gotta be pretty incredible.

On"Suckers Never Play Me" J-Spliff describes the state of radio perfectly with "Yapping in my ear all day long, I'm getting stupidier every time you play a song". My favorite of the batch is "City Hall Cipher Pt 2", the three MCs just pass the mic around and drop gems. Nat Ill's flow is the most swift and complex but Negash Ali consistently delivers the most memorable performance with lines like, "When I should be at the mosque, I'm at the tailor, I'm something between a boss an a failure" and "Why's you so cynical, your mind is so minuscule, I would get rid of you for principal…".

On all the tracks the cutting is top notch, as expected, with lots of classic quotes and vocal restructuring. I just peeped the myspace page and saw a plug that the Negash Ali solo joint drops 2-3-09.
City Hall Cipher Pt 2: http://www.sendspace.com/file/3mxfwy
Connect: http://www.myspace.com/majorsdk
Connect: http://www.myspace.com/negashali

Peep this week's Redef Radio show for more joints:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/programs/redefinition_radio/

Also, peep the new batch of rarities on Time Travel:
http://www.myspace.com/timetravelradio

-Kevin Beacham

On The Starting Line... Funk Marathon Volume 3 [Ready]

Posted: 07 Feb 2009 07:00 AM PST

Here's volume 3 from the funk marathon series. This one is 8 hours, 16 minutes of head-nodding goodness. As with the 1st two, volume 3 has got some real obscurities if you check it out closely. Put this in your car and hit the road. Nothing like an epic funk mix for those long distance drives.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=H7B4G4H9

01 (04:05) fred wesley and the j.b.s -01blow your head
02 (03:12) jean jaques perry -02eva
03 (03:24) isaac hayes -03breakthrough
04 (03:24) puccio roelens -04the taste of repeat
05 (05:36) johnny hammond -05shifting gears
06 (08:05) dennis mobley and fresh taste -06superstition
07 (05:31) roy ayers -07brother green
08 (05:20) hamilton bohannon -08me and the gang
09 (04:54) cavern -09liquid, liquid
10 (02:54) the meters -10handclapping song
11 (05:15) johnny guitar watson -11funk beyond the call of duty
12 (05:52) the bar kays -12let's have some fun
13 (04:12) kay gees -13i believe in music
14 (11:11) funky constellation -14street talk
15 (07:39) gaz -15sing sing
16 (06:41) upp -16give it to you
17 (08:45) king errison -17disco congo
18 (04:35) the blackbyrds -18rock creek park
19 (03:50) rhythm heritage -19disco-fied
20 (03:06) kc and the sunshine band -20i get lifted
21 (04:33) 9th creation -21shucks you're fine
22 (08:45) gap band -22oops up side your head
23 (03:41) bobbie knight -23the lovomaniacs (sex)
24 (07:50) ahzz -24new york moving
25 (03:57) sweet stuff -25freaky (to you)
26 (05:23) sonny stitt -26slick eddie
27 (05:55) bt express -27do it till your satisfied
28 (04:26) ozone -28funkin' on the one
29 (02:26) dyke and the blazers -29runaway people
30 (02:57) pharaohs -30black enuff
31 (05:49) uncle louie -31i like funky music
32 (03:14) esg -32ufo
33 (02:34) jj johnson -33parade strut
34 (02:48) olympic runners-34put the music where your mouth
35 (02:47) the mello decisions -35mello decision
36 (03:39) kashmere stage band -36 scorpio
37 (03:25) kool and the gang -37nt
38 (01:43) manzel -38midnight theme
39 (01:23) spirit -39space child
40 (03:03) willie dynamite -40willie chase
41 (05:01) johnny lewis quartet -41blue funk
42 (04:13) incredible fram -42sing sing sing
43 (04:21) marvin gaye -43t plays it cool
44 (02:57) alphonze mouzon -44funky snakefoot
45 (02:52) alan hawkshaw -45full injection
46 (04:15) in search of orchestra -46phenomena theme
47 (01:33) alan tew -47the detectives
48 (02:45) magic disco band -48scratchin'
49 (03:35) akeem -49blue sky
50 (03:12) dennis coffey -50ride sally ride
51 (05:53) sabu martinez -51afro temple
52 (09:11) soweto funk -52african beat
53 (02:08) alan moorhouse -53soul skimmer
54 (02:46) united 8 -54getting uptown (to get down)
55 (03:49) jimmy castor bunch -55it's just begun
56 (03:59) carl holmes -56investigation
57 (06:00) lucy hawkins -57gotta get outta here
58 (02:27) the aristocrats -58dont' go
59 (03:04) yvonne fair -59funky music sho nuff turns me on
60 (03:04) marva whitney -60it's my thing
61 (03:24) naomi davis & the knights of 41st street -61(41st st breakdowns)
62 (03:23) lyn colins -62think (about it)
63 (03:04) rokk -63patience
64 (06:41) jackie robinson -64pussyfooter
65 (02:43) dynamic corvettes -65funky music is the thing
66 (02:46) bw souls -66marvin's groove
67 (03:19) rufus thomas -67(eight-six-three)
68 (03:38) brentford all stars -68greedy g
69 (03:11) little jimmy tyson -69who will be the next fool
70 (02:47) bro 2 bro -70hey that's what you say
71 (02:01) interstate 76 -71track three
72 (05:40) fugi -72revelations
73 (05:36) sound experience -73devil with the bust
74 (04:41) poets of rhythm -74we
75 (04:07) gloria williams -75sister funk
76 (03:14) curtis mayfield- superfly -76the underground (demo)
77 (04:02) disposable heroes of hiphoprisy -77music & politics
78 (05:38) don julian -78shorty the pimp
79 (08:56) mike james kirkland -79hang on in there
80 (04:11) neorhythmic -80mind manufacturing
81 (05:49) stanley turrentine -81sister sanctified
82 (03:22) funk inc -82kool is back
83 (03:21) the bongolian -83dirt sweat and bones
84 (05:23) ralph mcdonald -84jam on the groove
85 (08:17) dudu pukwana -85diamond express
86 (04:51) nathan davis -86stick buddy -
87 (03:25) monk higgins -87space race
88 (04:38) d.c. larue -88indiscreet
89 (04:17) salsoul orchestra -89getaway
90 (03:24) banbarra -90shack up
91 (02:37) leo muller -91the acid test
92 (03:24) the jimmy castor bunch -92luther the anthropoid (ape man)
93 (06:29) black heat -93love the life you live
94 (04:45) reverand right time & the first cuzins of funk -94to be down
95 (02:45) black nasty -95gettin' funky 'round here
96 (02:13) pigmeat markham & the bystanders -96who got the number
97 (03:17) pleasure -97celebrate the good things
98 (02:55) jesse green -98flip
99 (06:14) raphael 'ray' munnings -99funky nassau
100 (00:59) sesame street -100sesame street theme
101 (03:24) shotgun -101dynamite (the bomb)
102 (04:32) bernard wright -102just chillin' out
103 (04:41) love unlimited orchestra -103i wanna stay
104 (04:38) chocolate jam co -104a chocolate jam
105 (05:12) pleasure -105let's dance
106 (02:17) the kinfolks -106the fly
107 (03:11) apollis show band -107peace is still with us
108 (03:15) fatback band -108fatbackin'
109 (05:03) twentieth century steel band -109heaven and hell
110 (02:20) u-alt pr -110new generation
111 (05:30) manila thriller -111 ego trippin'
112 (03:17) electronic concept orchestra -112feelin' alright
113 (06:31) sound experience -113boogie woogie
114 (01:49) johnny jenkins -114two pigs and a hog
115 (02:38) the mohawks -115the champ
116 (02:47) southside movement -116funk talk
117 (03:07) the black on white affair -117a bunch of changes
118 (06:05) the soul searchers -118ashley's roachclip
119 (02:31) dennis coffey -119the sagitarian
120 (02:29) the galactic force band -120space dust
121 (06:20) herbie mann -121mediterranean
122 (03:55) the headhunters -122pork soda
123 (01:44) jimi hendrix -123strato strut-funky blues jam
124 (02:54) andy loore -124mixed drums
125 (03:58) the`bongolian -125merve plays vibes
126 (05:19) brass construction -126sambo
127 (09:53) lanier -127twenty five hours
128 (02:51) david mccallum -128the edge
129 (02:43) manzel -129it's over now (7'' remix)
130 (03:48) evil vibrations -130mighty ryede
131 (05:55) linda tillery -131freedom time
132 (07:03) sons and daughters of lite -132a real thing

Hit me up with some feedback! I think you will love this one as much as I do.

--Schenectadyfan